Kids camps - Seacoast Scene - 06/01/23

JuNE 1 -7, 2023

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cover story

4 Summer camps people & places

8 The coolest Seacoast dwellers

food

16 Eateries and ideas for foodies

pop culture

19 Film and book reviews Nite life

22 Live music beach bum fuN

24 Puzzles, horoscopes and crazy news

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camps Kids

Dive into summer aDventures

Summer is a time for adventure, exploration and making lasting memories. Whether your child is a budding scientist, an aspiring artist, a sports enthusiast or simply looking to have fun and make new friends, there’s a summer camp experience for them.

Brentwood Recreation Day Camp

190 Route 125, Brentwood, hosted by the Brentwood Parks & Recreation Department, 642-6400, brentwoodnh.gov/ recreation

What: Traditional day camp with activities like weekly field trips, arts and crafts, team-building activities, games and more. Who: Children entering grades 1 through 8 When: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., dates offered June 26 through Aug. 18 (no camp on Tuesday, July 4). Before and after care are also available. Cost: Online registration of a $100 deposit for Brentwood residents and $150 for non-residents is required to hold your spot. Weekly rates are $175 for residents and $200 for non-residents.

Camp Birch Hill 333C Birch Hill Road, New Durham, 859-4525, campbirchhill.com

What: Campers can choose their own schedule from dozens of available activ-

ities, including land sports, water sports, arts and crafts, zip-lining, rock-climbing, ropes courses and more. Who: Boys and girls ages 6 to 16 When: Two-, four- and six-week sessions run various days/weeks from Sunday, June 25, through Saturday, Aug. 5 (some sessions may be full or near capacity — see website for the most up-todate details) Cost: Starts at $3,600 for a two-week session, $6,400 for a four-week session and $7,600 for a six-week session.

Camp Foss 242 Willey Pond Road, Strafford, 269-3800; hosted by the Granite YMCA, 232-8642, graniteymca.org

What: Campers enjoy a traditional camp experience with arts and crafts, archery, various sports, swimming, whitewater rafting, ropes courses and more. Who: Girls ages 8 through 15 When: One week sessions offered each week from Sunday, June 25, through Saturday, Aug. 12; two-week sessions are offered from Sunday, June 25, through Saturday, Aug. 5 Cost: $1,350 for one week and $2,300 for two weeks.

Camp Gottalikeachallenge Brewster Academy, 80 Academy Drive, Wolfeboro; Lions Camp Pride, 180 Lions Camp Pride Way, New Durham; 868-2140, campgottalikeachallenge.org What: Camp

Gottalikeachallenge is a one-week overnight creativity camp. Campers dabble in plenty of hands-on learning and challenging activities, from muscle-stretching games to programs focusing on critical thinking, leadership skills, problem-solving and teamwork. Who: Ages 10 to 14 (going into grades 5 to 9) When: Overnight sessions run Sunday through Friday, dates offered July 30 to Aug. 4 (at Lions Camp Pride) and Aug. 6 to Aug. 11 (at

Brewster Academy) Cost: $775; financial assistance is available.

Camp Lincoln 67 Ball Road, Kingston, 642-3361, ymcacamplincoln.org, hosted by Southern District YMCA, sdymca.org

What: A wide variety of programming is available to campers, with activities that include archery, arts and crafts, hiking, boating, basketball, baseball, ropes courses, climbing walls and more. Who:

Challenger Sports Soccer Camp. Courtesy photo.

Ages 3 and up When: Sessions run Monday through Friday, dates offered June 19 through Aug. 25 — see program guide online for details on programming as it pertains to each age group Cost: Ranges from $330 to $345 per one-week session, or $660 to $690 per two-week session, depending on the camper’s age.

Camp Seawood, 350 Banfield Road, Portsmouth, hosted by Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, 888-4749686, girlscoutsgwm.org

What: Set among pine forests, wetlands and wildlife, this traditional day camp features archery, cooking out, nature hikes, day trips and more. Who: Girls who will be entering kindergarten through 8th grade When: Sessions run Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., dates offered July 10 through Aug. 4 Cost: $350 per week, or $625 for two week sessions.

Challenger Sports Soccer Camps Various NH locations, 800-878-2167, ext. 280, challengersports.com

What: Campers will develop core soccer skills and understanding of the game as well as sportsmanship and leadership skills. Locally, this year’s programs take place in conjunction with the New Boston

Recreation Department, the Weare Athletic Club, the Windham Soccer Association, the Hopkinton Recreation Department, the Pelham Parks & Recreation Department, the Gilford Recreation Department, the Gilmanton Youth Organization, the Exeter Parks & Recreation Department and the Northwood Recreation Department. Who: Ages 2 to 14 When: Sessions run Monday through Friday; exact dates and times vary depending on the location; see website for details Cost: Varies, depending on the camp and the location

Hogan Camps Various NH locations, 340-1719, hogancamps.com

What: Specialty basketball and soccer camps under the direction of Paul Hogan, retired athletics director and men’s basketball coach at NHTI in Concord. Programs include the Point Guard Basketball Camp, Rip City Basketball Camp, Shooter’s Gold Basketball Camp and a Specialty Basketball Camp Who: Boys and girls entering 1st grade and up; individual camps vary on the age range When: Sessions run various days and times, dates offered June 23 through Aug. 3 Cost: Varies.

LEtGO Your Mind Multiple locations throughout New Hampshire, 731-8047, letgoyourmind.com

What: Campers explore STEM subjects through activities with Lego bricks, introduction to robotics, stop-motion animation, and programming Minecraft. Who: Ages 4 through 14 When: Sessions run Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., dates offered June 19 through Aug. 18. Half days from 9 a.m. to noon are also available for kids ages 4 and 5 Cost: Starts at $385 per week for a full day and $225 per week for a half day. Before- and after-school care is also available.

New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Learning Center, 104 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 772-2921, nhspca.org

What: With various programs combining fun and education, campers will interact with animals and participate in service projects, crafts, games and more. Who: Ages 6 to 12 When: Sessions run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (half days for ages 6 and 7 are 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., or 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.; full days for ages 8 to 12 are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday), offered various weeks from June 26 through Aug. 25 (no camps on Monday, July 3, or Tuesday, July 4) Cost: Ranges from $100 to

run Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dates vary depending on the location; see website for details. Cost: Most camps range from $180 to $375 per week, but may vary depending on the location and the length of each session.

Seacoast ArtSpot 2992 Lafayette Road, Unit 3, Portsmouth, seacoastartspot.com

Kids Summer Art & Crafts Camp for ages 6 and up throughout the summer. Kids will explore art and work on projects based on individual interests. The camp is $395 for a week and $95 for a day and goes from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Kids Multimedia Summer Camp for ages 7 and up from July 10 through July 14 and Aug. 21 through Aug. 25. Kids will explore watercolor painting, drawing, sketching, quilting and other art forms. The camp is $425 and goes from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Kids Sewing Summer Camp for ages 8 and up Aug. 7 through Aug. 11 and Aug. 14 through Aug. 18. Kids will discover stitching basics and sewing techniques and practice their skills by sewing a pillowcase on machines. The camp is $425 and goes from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Soccer Sphere Summer Soccer Camp Locations in Portsmouth and Madbury, soccersphere.org

$325 per week, depending on the number of days, the camper’s age and the length of each session.

Nike Basketball Camps Locations in Hampton, Manchester and Nashua, 800645-3226, ussportscamps.com/basketball/ nike

What: Camp for basketball players who want to improve their skills. Includes lectures, team games and daily emphasis on fundamental development. Who: Boys and girls ages 8 to 16. When: Sessions

What: Programs include day and residential soccer camps, high school preseason training, goalkeeper training and more. Who: Boys and girls ages 5 and up When: Four-day sessions run at various days and times, dates offered June 19 through Aug. 4 at Tibbetts Field (25 Lee Road, Madbury) and July 31 through Aug. 4 at Portsmouth Community Fields (Campus Drive, Portsmouth) Cost: Ranges from $185 to $275.

UNH Wildcats Camps University of New Hampshire, 145 Main St., Durham, 862-1850, unhwildcats.com

What: Programs offered for basketball,

LEtGO Your Mind camp. Courtesy photo.

NHSPCA camp. Courtesy photo.

field hockey, gymnastics, track and field, football, soccer, volleyball and more. Day and overnight options are available. Who: Boys and girls entering kindergarten through 12th grade When: Sessions run various days/ weeks, beginning the week of June 26 (some dates TBA; see website for the full up-to-date schedule) Cost: Varies depending on the camp

UNH Youth Programs and Camps University of New Hampshire, Thompson Hall, 105 Main St., Durham, 862-7227, unh.edu/youthprograms

What: More than 50 programs are offered in a variety of areas, from academic enrichment and creative arts to athletics, STEM and traditional camp recreation. See website for a full list. Who:

Boys and girls ages 5 and up When: Various dates/times from June through August Cost: Varies depending on the program.

Water Monkey Camp 298 Merrymeeting Road, New Durham, 617-855-9253, watermonkeycamp.com

What: Campers will enjoy wakeboarding, waterskiing, wakesurfing and wakeskating on Merrymeeting Lake in New Durham. Who: Ages 10 through 17 When: Sessions run Sunday through Saturday, dates offered June 18 through Aug. 11 Cost: $2,950/week, all-inclusive.

YMCA of the Seacoast Branch of Granite YMCA, 176 Tuttle Lane, Greenland, 431-2334, graniteymca.org

What: Kids at Camp Gundalow (ages

5 to 13) will enjoy weekly themes and activities like swimming, field games, sports, arts and crafts and more. Specialty programs are also available including ultimate sports camp (ages 8 to 12), theater camp (ages 8 to 12), lego camp (ages 8 to 12), football camp (ages 8 to 12), soccer camp (ages 8 to 12), art camp (ages 8 to 12), leadership camp (ages 14 to 15) and more. Who: Ages 5 to 15 When: Sessions run Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., dates offered June 26 through Aug. 25 (no camp on July 3 or 4). Before and after care are both also available for an extra charge. Cost: Varies by week and camp selection.

YMCA of Strafford County Branch of Granite YMCA, 63 Lowell St., Roch-

ester, 332-7334, graniteymca.org

What: Kids at Camp Coney Pine (ages 4 to 12) will enjoy weekly themes and activities like archery, adventure, swimming, arts and crafts, and more. Specialty programs are also available including coding camp (ages 8 to 12), lego camp (ages 8 to 12), fort building camp (ages 5 to 12), ultimate sports camp (ages 8 to 12), art camp (ages 8 to 12), teen trip camp (ages 13 to 14), leadership camp (ages 13 to 14) and more. Who: Ages 4 to 14 When: Sessions run Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, dates offered June 26 through Aug. 25 (no camp on Monday, July 3, or Tuesday, July 4). Before and after care are both also available for an extra charge. Cost: Varies by week and camp selection.

S B R O W N

Water Monkey Camp. Courtesy photo.

seeD siDe

a beginner’s guide to vegetable gardening

In the backyard, or on a patio or deck, a Seacoast garden will provide some fun, learning, outdoor exercise and fresh, nutritious food. And anyone can do it. If you’re a beginner, you can start now and expect great results through the summer if you follow a few simple guidelines.

Before anything else, take time to make a simple plan. It’s wise to start small. Growing in containers or compact raised beds is ideal. Or you might till a manageable plot in your yard. If you’re a total rookie, I suggest containers or a small raised-bed garden this year. You won’t harvest truckloads of veggies, but you’ll enjoy the best-tasting, freshest produce possible.

First, plan ahead. Decide what you’ll grow, then how to group your plants. Sometimes called intensive gardening, the goal is high yields from minimum space. Your plants will be very close together. In general, space plants at equal distances from each other on all sides. Plan spacing so leaves just touch each other at maturity. Check plant and seed labels for the plants’ sizes when fully grown.

I aim for a variety of my household’s favorite vegetables in small quantities. Experimenting with a few new varieties each year is fun too. “Watermelon radishes” and purple tomatoes come to mind. I’ve had the most success in containers and raised beds with salad greens and herbs; root crops like carrots, scallions, radishes, and turnips; plants from the brassica family including Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage

and kale; bush beans, peas, peppers, and tomatoes. With limited space it’s best to avoid corn, melons, pumpkins and winter squash.

Location, location, location

Every experienced gardener knows that the location of the garden is the critical first step of the plan. And most will tell you to pick a place that gets the maximum amount of sunshine. But I think there’s one other consideration that’s more important for hobby gardeners: accessibility. If your garden location is difficult to tend, it can turn from an enjoyable activity to just a chore.

The best spot for your new garden is someplace convenient and easy to see — a place that you can get to easily and visit daily. A neighbor down the street puts his container garden on his front porch abutting the sidewalk. He produces a surprising amount of veggies in a crowded space. Out there every morning and evening, our friend keeps careful watch on his veggie-packed nano-farm.

Sunlight and water

Ideally you should pick a spot that gets about eight hours of sunlight or more. The more the better, in fact. But if eight hours of direct sunlight isn’t possible, don’t despair. Herbs, salad greens, leafy greens, root crops, bush beans, peas, broccoli and cauliflower should do satisfactorily with just a few hours of light.

Easy access to water is also essential. Gardens need the equivalent of about an inch of water weekly, according to the UNH Cooperative Extension Service. If

that amount doesn’t fall out of the sky, you’ll need to provide it. Set out a rain gauge or straight-sided can and use a ruler to see what rain has fallen. For containers or raised beds check for dryness directly with your finger every day. Getting the right balance of moisture is important. (Too much is as bad as too little because most plants don’t like “wet feet.”) Deliver water directly to soil with a regular hose, soaker hose or, if you want to get fancy, a drip irrigation system. Avoid sprinklers and sprays that waste lots of water. Watering in the morning is best so that foliage dries during the day. Evening watering leaves plants wet and encourages diseases and insect pests.

Keep the soil light and loose

The best soil is light and loose and drains well. For containers, raised beds and small tilled plots you can mix your own growing medium from weed-free mature compost, peat moss, and Perlite in equal amounts. If you mix your own you’ll need to add some source of fertilizing nutrients and some dolomitic line to balance the acidity.

More convenient although likely more expensive, packaged commercial soil works well too. But be sure you purchase soil specifically labeled for containers or raised beds. Alternatively, you may combine equal amounts of potting mix and packaged garden soil to put in containers or raised beds.

If you’re planting in tilled natural ground, it’s a good idea to get a soil test to determine what adjustments you may need. UNH Cooperative Extension

provides soil analysis and recommendations based on the latest research and what you’re growing. You may mail in a soil sample or drop one off at the lab in Durham. Turnaround time for soil tests is about three weeks. Cost is $20. For information, email soil.testing@unh.edu.

c ontainers

For container gardens, you can use almost anything that will hold up well outside in the weather. I’ve used plastic flower pots, wooden bushel baskets, plastic 5-gallon buckets and even sturdy plastic bags. Make sure to put holes along the sides near the bottom of the container. Place a layer of coarse gravel in the bottom so the container drains. Don’t use containers that might have formerly stored anything toxic. And never use treated wood, because chemicals may leach into the soil.

r aised beds

Raised beds are some gardeners’ favorites for their ease of tending and potential high yields. You could buy a construction kit at a garden supply center or build your own. Wood frames are common. Use non-treated, rot-resistant lumber. Raised beds built from rocks, cinder blocks and non-leaching plastic deck material are also fine.

Raised beds shouldn’t be more than about 4 feet wide, so that you reach the center without walking on the soil. As long as the bed isn’t too wide, it can be any shape and length you prefer. But be sure it is high enough — 6 inches or greater. Most veggies grow best in about a foot of soil to support their root systems.

c ommon problems and what to do about them

Backyard gardeners may face some common problems. Chief among them are plant diseases, insect pests, and critters that love to eat your delicious produce. For help with any garden problem, the master gardeners and extension specialists at the university and your county extension office are terrific, no-fee experts. To get gardening help of any type, send email to answers@ unh.edu or call the garden help line at 877-398-4769.

Gardening in containers like flower pots seen here can provide a wide range of fresh and distinctive produce. Courtesy UNH Cooperative Extension Service.

Small-scale gardening in a raised bed is fun and educational for the whole family. Courtesy UNH Cooperative Extension Service.

Compiled by Betty Gagne at Hampton Beach.

What is the best book you’ve ever read?

“Heaven Has No Favorites by Erich Maria Remarque. I read it when I was 25 years old and it’s always stayed with me. It is a reminder that death can come unexpectedly and life can end at any moment.”

What is your favorite pizza topping?

“Pepperoni and mushrooms. I grew up in the North End of Boston, right above Pizza Regina, so I started eating pizza at a very young age. I like to make my own pizza now.”

What is the best soup you’ve ever had?

“My wife Jessica’s butternut squash soup. I love the flavor. She oven roasts the squash and adds nutmeg, thyme, garlic, onions. Good chicken stock. I love her Italian wedding soup but the butternut is my favorite.”

— Brander of raymond

What is your favorite kind of candle?

“I like sweet and spicy fall smells. Cinnamon spice, pumpkin spice — those are my favorites. Those scents make me happy. Even in summer my house smells like fall.”

What is your favorite spring flower?

“Pansies. I love them because they’re colorful and they last through different temperatures. So many varieties to choose from too. Definitely pansies.”

— Joyce of Bedford

What famous person, dead or alive, would you like to have dinner with?

“Freddie Mercury of Queen. Queen was my dad’s favorite band and I grew up to love them too. “Bohemian Rhapsody” has always been my favorite Queen song, and I wanted to marry Freddie Mercury when I was little.”

— JeSSica of raymond

— V of hampton Beach

— Zarah of eSSex, Vermont

— Joe of hampton Beach

Mystery lever benefits from a two-step system

Dear Car Talk:

Hello I am Tahsin from Bangladesh! I have a question regarding my car. It’s my first car, and I don’t know much about cars.

and then go to the front of the car, and hold a second part of the latch with one hand, while you open the hood with the other hand.

loose with relatively modest acceleration.

My concern is that my “low rolling resistance” tires may not stop very well in an emergency. They also seem to be getting noisy. Should I replace these tires? — Jim

off than it used to be, that’s probably due to tires. And if that’s the case, you’re right that stopping will be compromised as well.

By Ray Magliozzi

My car is a Toyota Starlet, model year 1992, right-hand drive. On the floor of the driver side just near to the door, there are two levers, one small one, and a larger one in front of it.

The smaller one I know is the fuel door release lever. But what is the larger one for?

— Tahsin

That’s the ejector seat, Tahsin. Try it. Actually, that’s the hood release. Or as you may call it in Bangladesh with your right-hand drive habits, the “bonnet” release. If you pull on it, it should move 4 or 5 inches. You’ll feel some tension, and then hear a distant “thunk” and feel the tension go away. That noise is the hood latch releasing.

So why isn’t the hood up after you pull the hood release? Well, for safety reasons, it’s a two-step release system. To actually release the hood, you have to pull that lever,

Here’s why: Let’s say you stop for fuel and accidentally pull the wrong lever. Then you get on the highway with your hood unlatched. At some point, due to the air currents, that hood will go flying up. And it’ll either fully block your vision at highway speed, or if you’re going fast enough, it’ll tear off its hinges and smash into the car behind you.

We don’t want either of those things to happen. So, to actually get the hood to open, the latch system requires you to be standing in front of the car and holding a second lever while opening the hood. Presumably, you can’t do that if your car is speeding down the highway. Unless you Bangladeshis have figured out something that we haven’t.

Enjoy your car, and be careful out there, Tahsin.

Dear Car Talk:

I have a 2017 Chevy Volt that I bought in May 2016. It only has 36,000 miles on it. Now that the rainy season is here where I live, and the car has abundant low-RPM torque, I notice that the front tires break

Probably, Jim. First of all, the tires that come as original equipment on cars are often not that great. The cheaper the car, the more likely they’ll come with cheap, original tires.

So, it’s not at all unusual for original tires to need replacement at 30,000 miles. Plus, in my experience, some low rolling resistance tires — while increasing your mileage — do seem to wear out a bit faster than standard tires.

Second, as cheaper tires wear out, their treads get choppier, which is what increases tire noise. So, the noise is another clue that it may be time for new galoshes. And, most importantly, you’ve noticed that, in the rain, you’re losing traction. That’s the tire’s most important job — to maintain constant contact with the road.

Now, front wheel drive EVs, like the Volt, are more likely to spin their tires in the rain. The electric motor produces a lot of low-end torque. But if you’ve noticed a change -- that it’s easier to spin the wheels when starting

Keep in mind that you have no obligation to buy the same brand or model of tires when you buy replacements. You can and should do your research. If you want to stick with low-rolling-resistance tires, go to a site like tirerack.com, and use their research function to see which Volt replacement tires perform best.

Tires have different attributes — some offer longer life, some better braking or roadholding, others more comfort or quiet. And you don’t even have to get low-rolling-resistance tires, Jim. You can trade a little bit of efficiency and have your pick of any passenger car tire that fits your car.

But it’s best to do your research before you head over to a tire shop. They may try to sell you whatever they have in stock or can get easily, rather than exactly what you want. And since you’ll be living with the decision for the next 30,000-40,000 miles, give it some thought first.

Visit Cartalk.com

Golf &

Home ofthe $9.99 Lo b ster Roll Weekly Spec i a l s

SUNDAY

Grilled Twin Pork Chops - $11.99

Served with Mashed Potatoes & Veg

MONDAY

Burger Night - $9

Hamburger or Cheeseburger includes lettuce & tomato, additional toppings extra

TUESDAY

Taco Tuesday & Ladies Night

$3 Tacos All Day - 8pm-Close 1/2 Price Drinks for the Gals

WEDNESDAY

Spaghetti & Meatballs - $10.99

Served with Garlic Bread

THURSDAY

Wing Night$11.99

For a Dozen Wings

FRIDAY

Fish n Chips - $15.99

12oz Prime Rib - $26.99

SATURDAY

12oz Prime Rib - $26.99

Roasted Half Chicken - $15.99 with mashed potatoes & vegetable

Try This aT home

emon whoopie pies

If you are a regular reader, you may remember that I shared a lemon whoopie pie recipe a few years ago. Since then, I have made this recipe and found that it needed a bit of tweaking. Rather than keeping that information to myself, I thought I should share it with you. This recipe makes a cake that is a bit denser, which makes for a better whoopie pie.

I have added a decorative touch to this version. The sides of the frosting can be coated in flaked coconut or sprinkles. While this is completely optional, these toppings do add a nice bit of crunchy texture to a dessert that is mainly tender.

As for ingredients, I have only one note. For this recipe, you should use fresh lemon juice. You need one lemon for zesting. If you buy a second, you should have enough juice for this recipe. The brightness and flavor from freshly juiced lemons will make these whoopie pies much more vibrant. It definitely is worth the expense and effort.

Love Me Some Lemon Whoopie Pies

Makes 10 pies

CAKES

½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon lemon extract

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon table salt

2½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (1 to 2 lemons)

Zest of 1 lemon

3 Tablespoons milk

yellow food coloring, optional

FILLING

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

2¼ cups powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon extract

Flaked coconut or sprinkles, optional

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place melted butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat with paddle attachment on speed 2 until smooth.

Add eggs mixing until each is fully incorporated on speed 2.

Add extracts, baking powder, baking soda and

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007 the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes

salt, mixing well on speed 2. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides, and add 1½ cups of flour.

Mix on low; scrape sides with spatula, add lemon juice, and mix until fully blended. Add remaining cup of flour, and mix. Add milk and food coloring, and mix until fully combined.

Scoop approximately 1½ tablespoons batter, and place spaced evenly, onto parchment paperlined baking sheet. (Will take two batches to bake all of the batter.)

Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until cakes spring back when touched.

Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to baking rack to cool completely.

TO ASSEMBLE

In a stand mixer combine butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon extract; mix on low speed until combined.

Spread the flat side of 10 cakes with the frosting. Top each with another cake. Place coconut flakes or sprinkles in a small bowl.

Holding the cake on its side, roll in desired topping to coat frosting edges. Serve or store in a sealed container.

Lemon whoopie pies. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

oUT For a BiTe

at JunKyard GruB

Owned and operated by longtime Hampton couple Veronica and Jason Pillard — who are perhaps better known locally as “Vinny” and “Jay” — Junkyard Grub (find them on Facebook) is now in its third season of serving up home-cooked comfort eats. “I grew up with a big family and we cooked a lot at home,” Veronica Pillard said. “I had always wanted a food truck, and my husband and I had talked about it. … We figured you only live once, and so that’s basically how the truck came about.” Pillard said the pair’s love of visiting secondhand stores, flea markets and yard sales ended up inspiring the truck’s name. “We do a lot of junking,” she said, “and that’s how I came up with ‘junk,’ and then I was like, ‘Junkyard Grub,’ because our menu is so big. You never know what you’re going to get.” Since March, Junkyard Grub has been at Seacoast Harley-Davidson (17 Lafayette Road, North Hampton) seven days a week. The times will vary by the day, depending on what other public and private events the Pillards have going on, but they are regularly updated to the truck’s Facebook group page. Menu items include steak and cheese subs, chili dogs, hand-cut chili cheese fries, meatball subs, build-your-own burgers, breakfast sandwiches and more. The Scene recently caught up with Pillard to ask her some fun questions, including what her must-try menu recommendations are.

How long has Junkyard Grub been around?

I believe it was 2018, in October, when we bought the truck. We designed the truck … and put all the equipment and everything in there ourselves. It took a few years, [but] we’re in our third season now.

What makes Junkyard Grub unique?

It’s all home cooking, to be honest. It’s like when you go to grandma’s house, basically. … Everything is from scratch. I even make my own barbecue sauce, which I’ve been doing for a few years now. … I wanted my truck to have a variety of stuff, because not everybody likes everything,

and I’m able to do that.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

My husband’s favorite thing is the pastrami sandwich, [and] we shave the pastrami ourselves. … I like that, but I also like other things too, so we have a bowl of homemade mac and cheese where we layer some chili on it. I also like the steak and cheese. We do our own little seasonings and everything like that.

What is something that everyone should try?

I may say to people, when they come

to the truck and are asking to try something, ‘Well, what are you in the mood for?’ … I would say the chili cheese dog is one, because I grill the cheese and then I roll it in the hot dog, and so that’s kind of different. … My grilled cheese I get a lot of ‘Wows’ about, too.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from the truck?

I really don’t know! Guy Fieri popped into my head. We watch him a lot.

What is an essential skill to running a food truck?

I think it’s the quality and the consis-

tency of the food, and then being able, on top of serving people, to talk to them when they come to the truck.

What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?

I’ve always liked the Hampton area. … I was a bartender down on the beach for a few years, and you really get to know everybody. The people that live here year-round, they kind of treat you like family, and then you get to meet the other people that come to vacation here during the summertime. … Hampton is a very friendly town.

— Matt Ingersoll

Photos courtesy of Junkyard Grub.

The Mother (r)

Jennifer Lopez is, as the internet says, mother in The Mother, a line I’ll bet at least 60 percent of movie reviewers use when discussing this movie.

Partly because it’s true, partly because it’s right there and partly because Lopez’s character in this violent — but, aw, sweet! — Netflix movie is, as far as I can tell, just called Mother or maybe, as IMDb calls her, The Mother.

We first meet her when she is attempting to inform on some bad dudes to the FBI, who are doing a remarkably incompetent job of getting information out of this totally willing witness. Only Agent Cruise (Omari Hardwick) seems to be listening at all when she assures them that Adrian (Joseph Fiennes), bad dude No. 1, knows where they are and is on his way to kill him. No, he’s not, we’re perfectly safe, bluster bluster, says one of the other agents, right before he’s shot in the head.

But Lopez isn’t the sort of informant who just sits back and lets herself be assassinated. Despite being real pregnant, she saves Cruise when he is shot using, like, superglue and she manufactures an explosive from household products that seems to take out Adrian when he finally corners her. He stabs her in the belly before she blows him up but she makes it to the hospital and delivers a healthy baby girl.

Though Lopez is eager to hold her infant

aT The

soFAplex

The Lost King ( pg -13)

Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan.

Based on the true story: Philippa Lang ley (Hawkins), who suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, takes issue with the standard Shakespeare version of the English King Richard III wherein his hunchback has made him “a villain.” Her research into Richard leads her to join the Richard III Society and eventually to start looking for the then-unknown resting site of his remains. Along the way, she negoti ates her relationship with her ex-husband, John (Coogan), who she needs to move back into the family home so she can leave her job and pursue the Richard search fulltime. And, she talks to Richard (Harry Lloyd) himself.

Even Richard, an apparition Philippa knows is just her own head working stuff out, suggests her search for him is something of an obsession, which points to one of this movie’s (maybe intentional, maybe not) running themes about how we view

daughter, Edie Falco playing a no-nonsense FBI higher-up is all “not so fast, lady.” Because Adrian’s body was not recovered from the burning bathroom where Lopez left him and because Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal), bad dude No. 2, is also after her, the only way Lopez can keep her daughter safe is to give her up. Lopez gets the recovering Cruise to promise that he’ll make sure her daughter is adopted by good people, send her a photo of her daughter every year on her birthday and let Lopez know if her daughter is ever in trouble.

A dozen years later, Lopez’s character has made a Spartan life for herself on the outskirts of a small Alaskan town where the general store shop owner is a war buddy and where she spends her days hunting caribou for food and doing other survivalist off-the-grid activities. Then she gets a non-birthday bit of communication from Cruise, leading her to head to Ohio where her now 12-year-old daughter Zoe (Lucy Paez) lives with her adoptive mom (Yvonne Senat Jones), who gets to be an anguished protective mother as well, and a dad (Michael Karl Richards) whose face is I think always out of focus? Whatever, dads are not the point of The Mother, where either Hector or Adrian might be Zoe’s father but Lopez doesn’t want either anywhere near Zoe.

It seems the bad dudes have, however, found evidence of Zoe’s existence and whereabouts, which is why Cruise reached

out. Quickly, Lopez kicks into protector mode, doing everything she can to fight the men who come to kidnap Zoe and to retrieve her when a surviving henchman manages to whisk Zoe away.

Eventually, Lopez takes the lead in hiding Zoe, even teaching her a little self-defense. What passes for humor and personality in this mostly laughs-free, character-minimalist movie comes as Zoe tweens about eating “Bambi’s mom” and hating Lopez —all with a very “gah [eyeroll], Mom” energy.

To lean further on dated slang for description, The Mother lands somewhere on the scale between “meh” and “cromulent.” This sure is a movie that exists

gets to claim history, and Hawkins’ performance more suggests a shaky woman having a midlife crisis. The result is a movie that tells an interesting story but can at times feel slight and somewhat “this film could have been a magazine article.” C+ Available to rent or own.

-13)

Ana de Armas, Chris

— one might say of The Mother. It doesn’t have the Jennifer Lopez legit badassness of Out of Sight or the cheesy hysterics of Enough but it is, you know, a thing your eyes can watch. It’s fine, is I guess what I’m saying. It lacks the energy that would make it “heck yeah!” action fun but it has a whole subplot involving a Lopez and a mother wolf and the silly self-seriousness of that isn’t terrible. BRated R for violence, some language and brief drug use, according to the MPA at filmratings.com. Directed by Niki Caro with a screenplay by Misha Green and Andrea Berloff and Peter Craig, The Mother is an hour and 55 minutes long and available on Netflix.

but Cole heads out anyway, only to be knocked unconscious just as he’s getting close to Sadie’s location. He wakes up and finds himself tied to a chair and about to be tortured for a secret passcode by a group of bad guys who are convinced that he is the super spy known as The Tax Man. When a gun-toting Sadie shows up to rescue him, Cole realizes that his one-night stand might be ignoring his texts for more reasons than just his suffocating neediness.

pa is shown being regularly thwarted by a bunch of smug dudes “there, there”-ing her, both in her Richard search and in her regular life. There’s a scoffing “she’s an amateur” tone that everyone takes with her — until her theories are shown to have merit and then she’s sort of shoved out of the way. The movie’s handling of this doesn’t always completely fit with Hawkins’ teary and fragile-seeming portrayal — it’s like the story is trying to say something about women, academia and who

Farmer Cole Turner (Evans) has a meet-cute with tentative plant-buyer Sadie Rhodes (de Armas) at a farmers market. They end up going on a date, which turns into a night-long hang and sleepover. Cole returns home to the family farm all besotted and convinced Sadie is someone special — even though she’s not returning any of his way-too-many texts. When he realizes he left his inhaler with her, he AirTags it and finds out Sadie is in London. I’ll go surprise her, he says, it will be romantic! It will be creepy stalking, everyone tells him,

Cute, right? No. Sure, Ghosted has some occasionally cute elements — I think Evans and de Armas get maybe one good line delivery each; Amy Sedaris plays Cole’s mother and is fun. But otherwise the movie has the smooth oily feel of processed cheesefood but without the satisfying tang. It’s the kind of bland nothing that comes to mind when streaming network executives talk about “content.” It makes me sad for movies and worried about Ana de Armas, who has suffered through Blonde and Deep Water and The Gray Man and now this and really deserves better work. C Available on Apple TV.

The Mother

The Lost King

Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma, by Claire Dederer (Knopf, 273 pages)

In 2017, the year that the world learned about the sexual predation of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, Claire Dederer published an essay in The Paris Review in which she tried to work out her feelings about bad men and good art.

Dederer came to the topic not through Weinstein, but through another filmmaker, Roman Polanski, who repulsed her because he had been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl. Polanski’s monstrousness, Dederer wrote then, was “monumental, like the Grand Canyon. And yet. When I watched his movies, their beauty was another kind of monument, impervious to my knowledge of his iniquities.”

Dederer is not the first to squirm uncomfortably in this particular space. The question of what we should do with the art of problematic people has come up regularly in recent years, and nobody seems to have a good answer. Dederer didn’t in her Paris Review essay, but she attempts to craft one in Monsters, A Fan’s Dilemma, an elaboration of the ideas put forth in that essay.

You could read just the essay and have a good grasp of the book, but then you’d miss out on the delightful interior wrestling match in which Dederer engages as she tries to reconcile her desire to be “a virtuous consumer” and “a demonstrably good feminist” while consuming the work of troublesome artists. These are mostly men — Polanski, and Woody Allen, and Bill Cosby, and Michael Jackson, and numerous others, dead and alive, who either have been exposed for beastly behavior in recent years, or who have had old behavior newly scrutinized in the light of new standards of conduct. (Polarization alert: She also paints former President Donald Trump and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh with the broad brush of monsters.)

After Weinstein, the floodgates opened, Dederer writes: “A rock had been turned over and revealed a bunch of sex pests, scuttling around in the newly bright light.” The men “did or said something awful, and made something great. The awful thing disrupts the great work; we can’t watch or listen to the great work without remembering the awful thing.”

Dederer turns over a few rocks of her own; unless you’ve paid close attention to the personal lives of some of these men, you may know their names and their contributions to art but nothing of their personal behavior. Be prepared for the pedestals of Pablo Picasso, the Italian painter Caravaggio, composer Richard Wagner, jazz trumpeter Miles Davis and many others to crash down, as Dederer, who lives on

a houseboat in Seattle, muses about her existential dilemma.

In the hands of a less capable writer this could get sort of tiresome after a few chapters. But Dederer is like a dinner guest you don’t want to stop talking because she’s so well-read and interesting (you will likely, like me, come away with a list of other books you want to read) and her writing is delightful and fresh. (She describes one person as looking like “a character from a children’s book about plucky pioneers caught in a blizzard.”)

Dederer’s challenge in Monsters was not in the prose or the thinking, but in stretching an essay to book length, and she does this in part by means of a dubious analogy — whether we are all monsters in our own way. This was how she ended the Paris Review piece: “What is to be done about monsters? Can and should we love their work? Are all ambitious artists monsters? Tiny voice: [Am I a monster?]”

Her principal analogy to the everyday monster is that of the female artist who abandons her children to pursue her calling … not necessarily literally, although that has certainly been done.

“The idea of what constitutes abandonment exists on a continuum,” she writes. That continuum includes shutting the studio door to a child, letting another parent do all the child care, putting a child in day care, going out of town for work for days, weeks or months at a time, and so forth. “Please note that none of these behaviors count as abandonment if practiced by men,” she says. “This is extra-true if the men in question are artists.”

Society excused men-monsters for a long time if they were artists and even more so if they were geniuses, Dederer says. In particular, we’ve given a pass to abusive geniuses like Hemingway or Picasso by giving them the ultimate creative license: license to have demons.

Big monsters have equally big demons; the consumers of art have their own, smaller devils that emerge when we sit in judgment on others. For instance, “When you’re having a moral feeling, self-congratulation is never far behind. You are setting your emotion in a bed of ethical language, and you are admiring yourself doing it. … The transmission of our virtue feels extremely important and strangely exciting.”

The difference between Roman Polanski’s sins and Dederer’s (she confesses to worrying whether she’d made the right decisions about child care even now that her children are grown) is vast, and to tenuously connect them Dederer follows a chaotic path. Her conclusions are likewise unkempt, but still ultimately satisfying.

A — Jennifer Graham

Exeter Sawbelly Brewing 156 Epping Road 583-5080

Sea Dog Brewery 9 Water St.

Shooter’s Pub 6 Columbus Ave. 772-3856

Swasey Parkway 316 Water St.

Hampton Bernie’s Beach Bar 73 Ocean Blvd. 926-5050

Thursday, June 1

Hampton

CR’s: Ross McGinnes, 6 p.m.

Smuttynose: Lewis Goodwin, 6 p.m.

Tino’s: Mark Menery, 7 p.m.

Wally’s: karaoke, 8 p.m.

Whym: music bingo, 6 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Dana Brearley

Duo, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Isaiah Bennett, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Backyard Burgers: Jennifer Mitchell, 6 p.m.

Bogie’s 32 Depot Square 601-2319

Community Oven 845 Lafayette Road 601-6311

CR’s The Restaurant 287 Exeter Road 929-7972

The Goat 20 L St. 601-6928

Hampton Beach Sea Shell Stage Events on southern stage L Street Tavern 603

friday, June 2

17 L St. 967-4777

Logan’s Run 816 Lafayette Road 926-4343

Sea Ketch 127 Ocean Blvd. 926-0324

Shane’s BBQ 61 High St. 601-7091

Smuttynose Brewing 105 Towle Farm Road

Wally’s Pub 144 Ashworth Ave.

Exeter Shooters: Feverslip feat. Sam

Vlasich, 6 p.m.

Hampton

CR’s: Greg DeCoteau, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Alex Anthony, 8 p.m.

Wally’s: Chris Toler, 3 p.m.

Whym: Doug Mitchell, 6:30 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Jonny Friday, 2

p.m.; Conniption Fits, 7 p.m.;

Sean Coleman, 9:30 p.m.

The Goat: Chris Toler, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

WHYM 853 Lafayette Road 601-2801

Newmarket Schanda Park off Creighton Street Stone Church 5 Granite St. 659-7700

North Hampton Locals Restaurant & Pub 215 Lafayette Road 379-2729

Chop Shop: DJ Manny, 6:30 p.m.

s aturday, June 3

Hampton

L Street: Up-Beat w/J-Dubz, 9 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Dave Gerard, 1 p.m.

Smuttynose: Tim Threriault, 6:30 p.m.

Wally’s: Chris Toler, 9 p.m.

Whym: Tom Rousseau, 6 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light Pub: Ralph Allen, 2 p.m.; MoneyKat, 7 p.m.;

fresh grass

A listening room showcases two top purveyors of acoustic roots music. Never Come Down is a Portland, Oregon, quintet that sits easily in the loosely defined Americana genre. Joining them are Boston-based Grain Thief, whose latest album, Gasoline, is quickly gaining critical acclaim. See them Saturday, June 3, 7 p.m., The Word Barn, 66 Newfields Road, Exeter. Tickets are $20 at portsmouthnhtickets.com.

Portsmouth Clipper Tavern 75 Pleasant St., 501-0109

The Gas Light 64 Market St., 430-9122

Gibb’s Garage Bar 3612 Lafayette Road

The Goat 142 Congress St. 590-4628

Grill 28 Pease Golf Course 766-6466

Dave Clark, 9:30 p.m.

The Goat: Mike Forgette, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Chop Shop: DoubleShot, 6:30 p.m.

s unday, June 4

Bedford

Copper Door: Nate Comp, 11 a.m.

Murphy’s: Dave Zangri, 4 p.m.

Brookline

Alamo: Justin Cohn, 4 p.m.

Averill House: Allen James, 1:30 p.m.

Concord Cheers: Rebecca Turmel, 5p.m.

Goffstown

Village Trestle: Bob Pratte, 3:30 p.m.

Epping

Railpenny: Reggae by the River feat. Superdry, noon

Hampton

L Street: Up-Beat w/J-Dubz, 9 p.m.

Sea Ketch: Ray Zerkle, 1 p.m.

Smuttynose: Pete Peterson, 1 p.m.

Monday, June 5

Hampton

Herbert’s Restaurant 1500 Lafayette Road 431-5882

The Statey Bar & Grill 238 Deer St. 431-4357

Summer in the Streets Pleasant Street to Porter Street to Market Square

Thirsty Moose Taphouse 21 Congress St. 427-8645

Tuscan Kitchen 10 Ledgewood Drive 570-3600

Smuttynose: Jonny Friday, 4 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light: Lewis Goodwin, 7:30

The Goat: Alex Anthony, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Red’s: music bingo, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, June 6

Portsmouth Gas Light: Dave Clark, 7:30 p.m.

The Goat: Isaiah Bennett, 8 p.m.

Seabrook

Backyard Burgers: music bingo w/ Jennifer Mitchell, 7 p.m.

Red’s: country night, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 7

Hampton

Bogie’s: open mic, 7 p.m.

L Street: karaoke w/ DJ Jeff, 9 p.m.

Wally’s: Chris Toler,7 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light: Clint Lapointe, 7:30 p.m.

The Goat: Alex Anthony, 9 p.m.

Press Room: open mic, 5:30 p.m.

Seabrook Chop Shop: DJ Manny Kara-

oke, 7:30 p.m.

Hampton

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

CR’s: Ross McGinnes, 6 p.m.

Smuttynose: Rob & Jody, 6 p.m.

Wally’s: karaoke, 8 p.m.

Whym: music bingo, 6 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light: Erika Van Pelt Duo, 7 p.m.

The Goat: Isaiah Bennett, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

Backyard Burgers: Jennifer Mitchell, 6 p.m.

friday, June 9

Hampton

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

CR’s: Greg DeCoteau, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Alex Anthony, 8 p.m.

Smuttynose: live music, 6 p.m.

Wally’s: Chris Toler, 3 p.m.

Whym: Matt Luneau, 6:30 p.m.

Portsmouth Gas Light: David Corson, 2 p.m.; Radio Daze, 7 p.m.; Scotty Cloutier, 9:30 p.m.

The Goat: Chris Toler, 9 p.m.

Mojo’s: live music, 7 p.m

beach buM fun HOROSCOPES

All quotes are from Bear Town, by Fredrik Backman, born June 2, 1981.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Pride in a team can come from a variety of causes. Pride in a place, or a community, or just a single person. We devote ourselves to sports because they remind us of how small we are just as much as they make us bigger. Go Sox!

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) Why does anyone care about hockey? Because it tells stories. Once upon a time….

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) She’s gotten used to a lot, living here, but there are some things she’ll never understand. Such as how a community where everyone fishes has precisely zero sushi restaurants. Or why people who are tough enough to live in a place with a climate wild animals can barely endure can never quite bring themselves to say what they mean. Eat sushi and say what you mean.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) He goes over to the coffee machine. It’s gone wrong again and rattles and hisses before reluctantly emitting a dribble the color of old chewing tobacco and the consistency of glue. Peter drinks it anyway.

Peter’s choice.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) He opens the door to the rink, lets its sounds tumble toward him. Why does he care about hockey? Because his life will be silent without it. Feel the vibrations.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) It’s hard for a lot of people to remember the reasons why they started to love the thing they love, but it’s easy for Peter. The greatest reason

for his love of hockey, from the very first moment he stood on a pair of skates, was the silence. Everything outside the rink … it all went quiet inside his head when he stepped onto the ice. Find your moments of calm.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) When his phone rings, the interruption is so welcome that he even forgets to be annoyed at his wife for always taking it for granted that he’s going to forget everything he’s promised to do. Remember promises, forget annoyances.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) It’s only a game. It only resolves tiny, insignificant things. Such as who gets validation. Who gets listened to. It allocates power and draws boundaries and turns some people into stars and others into spectators. That’s all. Play a game, then play another.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) As long as his team carries on winning, he’ll have a job here, but if they lose? … What can he do apart from hockey? Nothing. Not true.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20) She’s ashamed to admit it to herself, but getting to work feels like a liberation. She knows she’s good at her job, and she never feels that way about being a parent. You may be employee of the week.

Aries (March 21 – April 19) Amat is sitting in a corner, doing his very best imitation of an empty corner. It’s a skill.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) One of the hardest things about getting old is admitting mistakes that it’s too late to put right. Do what you can.

This 13-year-old girl loves playing with her toys, especially feathery wands or toys filled with catnip. She tends to spend her days laying around on the couch with her humans or sunbathing in the window. In her previous home she seemed to be a little afraid of the children, so we think she would thrive in a home with no kids. She has also lived with cats and dogs in the past and seemed to do OK, but as always we recommend a slow introduction to any household pets. Are you interested in adding Riley to your home? Visit the NHSPCA adoption center, open every day except Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or email info@nhspca.org.

e wwwww!

A visitor at Wonderland amusement park in Toronto, Ontario, was filled with more than wonder as he rode the Leviathan roller coaster on May 16, the Toronto Sun reported. Hubert Hsu of Toronto said as his coaster car neared the top of one of the ride’s loops, it collided with a bird — possibly a pigeon. “I looked down and saw blood on my hands and my face,” Hsu said. “There was a feather on my hand, and feathers on the girl next to me’s shirt. It seemed like the coaster car hit the bird and then it sort of exploded on us.” Hsu said

s udoku

attendants gave them a roll of industrial brown paper towels, and he ended up washing up in a restroom. “The kids who work in the park seemed like they had no idea what to do, and that might be an issue,” he added. — Toronto Sun, May 19

c lothing optional

In Georgia, residents can now use a digital driver’s license, which can be uploaded to Apple Wallet and allows users to leave their IDs in their bag or pocket at TSA checkpoints. But, as United Press International reported, snapping a selfie for the ID comes with a few rules. “Attention, lovely people of the digital era,” the Georgia Department of Driver Services posted on its Facebook page on May 23. “Please take pictures with your clothes on when submitting them for your Digital Driver’s License and ID. Cheers to technology and keeping things classy!” — UPI, May 25

you had one job

Residents in Halethorpe, Maryland, are frustrated with the progress of a new bridge on U.S. Route 1, WBALTV reported. They’ve been waiting for months for the bridge to fully open, but a tiny error stands in the way. The bridge

crosses over CSX railroad tracks, which require a minimum of 23 feet of vertical clearance, and it was built 1 1/2 inches too short. CSX has halted the remaining construction to complete the bridge, according to a Maryland Department of Transportation engineer. “I understand you get hiccups, but ... this is not a hiccup. This is a mistake. Somebody needs to be held accountable and it needs to be taken care of,” said resident Desiree Collins. “You have engineers. This should not have happened.” The State Highway Administration now estimates completion in late 2023 or early 2024.

— WBAL, May 23

n ews you can use Beer. Need we say more? OK, there’s more. Researchers examining paintings from the Dutch Golden Age have discovered that artists preparing their canvases often used discarded material from local breweries, the Associated Press reported. They found traces of yeast, wheat, rye and barley, which would have been spread as a paste over the canvas to prevent the paint from seeping through. Scientists believe the Danish Academy of Fine Arts bought leftover mash from breweries and used it to ready canvases for artists such as Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg and Christen Schiellerup

Ethan Brown, 16, a junior at Jericho High School on Long Island, New York, is a hero among his classmates this week, the New York Post reported. Brown argued before the school board in March that his highly ranked school had 186 days in session — six more than the state’s required 180 — and that summer vacation ought to begin on Friday, May 26. “I was nervous, especially at first,” Brown said. “I almost sat back down before speaking but I’m glad I didn’t.” He noted that on a stormy day in February, the school did not close, and not a single snow day was used during the year. Superintendent Hank Grisham said Brown “did an absolutely incredible job. There is no requirement to give ... snow days back to staff or the kids.” But the board was moved, and a day off was granted — dubbed the Ethan Brown Snow Day. “I’m getting a lot of thank-yous,” Brown said. In his upcoming senior year, he’s in line to take over the editor-in-chief position at the school newspaper. — NY Post, May 25

Sources according to uexpress.com. From the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication. See uexpress.com/contact

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. Answers will appear in next week’s paper.

a

puzzle a from 5/25

puzzle b from 5/25

puzzle

puzzle a

“supernova”— you’re all so bright.

17. Substitute leader pre-1918?

19. Didn’t feel good

20. “Wicked Game” singer Chris

21. “Downton Abbey” nobleman

23. Command for pirates to start talking?

30. Los Angeles-to-New York dir.

31. Come after

32. Reverb effect

33. New York’s Mount ___ Hospital

35. Emerald or olive

36. Kung ___ chicken

39. Pointer painting and Scottie sculpture, for instance?

42. Get droopy

43. “Goodness me!”

45. Dragging to court

47. ‘80s pesticide

48. Fern leaf

50. Sushi bar tuna

53. Deeply discounted versions of porcupines (with way fewer quills)?

57. Eroded

58. Last word in a 1978 #1 disco title

59. Free tickets, say

62. Fruit-flavored candy (or what happens at the end of each theme answer)

66. Regarding

67. Breezy class

68. “Metric” prefix

69. Arms and legs

70. Lassoed

71. “Mad Men” protagonist Draper

Down

1. Prestidigitation

2. Defoe hero Robinson

3. Country singer Womack

4. Potato pancake served at Hanukkah

5. On topic

6. “Takk...” band Sigur ___

7. Carte starter

8. “The Island of Doctor ___”

9. Traffic tangle

10. Bee expert?

11. Web address

12. Suffix in Sussex

13. Flower plot

18. Puts aside

22. Stout, maybe

24. “Biggest Little City in the World”

25. Bit of a hang-up

26. It’s OK to call him Boomer

27. Low cards

28. Ostrichlike bird

29. Record number?

34. Halogen compound suffix

35. “Master Minds” channel, briefly

36. “La Vie en Rose” singer

37. “It’s ___ ever wanted”

38. Any of several kings of Norway

40. Littlest littermate

41. Laundry room brand

44. Place for a pint

46. Loup-___ (werewolf)

48. “Go ___ the gold!”

49. Car wash machine

51. “You’re a wizard, Harry” speaker

52. “That’s correct”

54. Mastodon items

55. Perform poorly

56. “Dragonwyck” author Anya

59. Record-setting Ripken

60. ___-Wan Kenobi

61. May VIP

63. “I Ching” concept

64. “Antony and Cleopatra” snake

65. Dark bread

© 2023 Matt Jones

Jonesin’ answer from pg 52 of 5/25

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