Around Concord Magazine - Winter 2014

Around

CONCORD WINTER 2014/2015 VOLUME 8, NO. 1 $4.95

community• culture• lifestyle

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contents WINTER 2014/2015

volume 8, no. 1

28 features 28

34

42

Mount Cranmore introduces “terrain-based learning.�

by Lisa Densmore Ballard

Still standing and ready to entertain.

by Mike Morin

Enhancing lives and building community for more than 150 years.

by Susan Nye

Giddy over Gliding

Palace Theatre Turns 100

PHOTO BY LISA DENSMORE

6 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

The Concord Public Library

A Youthful, Healthy You. For 20 years, Dr. David Weinberg has specialized in restoring a youthful and healthy appearance, offering a full spectrum of services designed to bring out your natural beauty.

Take the first step today and call 603.224.2020 or visit ConcordEyeCare.com.

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55 60

18 departments 11 Editor’s Note 12 Contributors 14 Online Exclusives 16 Around Town 18 Good Neighbors D. McLeod Florist— Serving Concord for Four Generations

by Alana Jeralds 25 Out & About The Impossible Realities of M.C. Escher

by Susan Nye 48 Business Sense Advantage Signs

by Ian Raymond

55 Bright Ideas Put a Bow on It!

by Alan Blake 60 Common Ground The Children’s Place and Parent Education Center

by Gail Thorell Schilling 65 Smart Money Paying for College

by Ron Valpey, CFP, AIF 67 Dining & Entertainment Guide 69 Calendar of Events 72 Concord Chat A moment with Rosemary Heard, president, CATCH Neighborhood Housing

by Mike Morin

25

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Around

YOUR DREAM. OUR EXPERTISE. Together, we’ll help you do business better.

CONCORD community • culture• lifestyle

Aftermath Publishing, LLC 8 Old Coach Road, Bow, NH 03304 aftermathpub@aol.com (603) 344-3456 www.aroundconcordnh.com

_ Publishers Brit Johnson Bob Frisch Cheryl Frisch

_ Executive Editor Deborah Thompson

_ Associate Editor Kristy Erickson

_ Copy Editor Elaine Ambrose

_ FLEXIBLE FINANCING OPTIONS LOCAL DECISION MAKING COMPLETE CASH MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS ONLINE AND MOBILE BANKING

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_ Graphic Design C S Design

_ KEEP US POSTED Around Concord wants to hear from readers. Correspondence may be addressed to the publisher at 8 Old Coach Road, Bow, NH 03304. Or email the editor at: editor@ aroundconcordnh.com. Advertising inquires may be made by email to aftermathpub@aol.com.

Around Concord is published quarterly by Aftermath Publishing, LLC© 2014. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited. Around Concord accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or photographs.

www.TheMerrimack.com

10 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

EDITOR ’ S NOTE

The right people

Wonderful Winter

to provide the direction

The months are flying by, and another winter is here. I’m glad our magazine is a quarterly instead of a monthly—I can’t imagine trying to meet those deadlines! Of course, the older I get, the more quickly time seems to pass, and it’s to the point I can’t keep up with it. If anyone knows a secret for slowing down the clock, please let me know.

With the approach of the holiday season, we begin JACK ROWELL to think about decorating our homes, preparing delicious foods, and finding the perfect gift for everyone on our shopping list. During this busy time of year, remember those who are less fortunate and make a donation to your favorite local charity.

While you’re traveling around town, stop in at D. McLeod Florist to enjoy their beautiful Christmas arrangements, wreaths, and seasonal gifts. Visiting the shop decked from floor to ceiling will put you in the holiday spirit for sure. And don’t be stumped about what to get for Aunt Hazel or Cousin Ralph; anyone would love a special gift basket or a stunning vase of flowers created by the talented designers at McLeod’s (page 18).

The Concord Public Library is celebrating a milestone in January—the 75th anniversary of their building on Green Street. Special thanks to Sandi Lee at the library, who found lots of great old photos from the 1950s and ’60s to share with us for our article (page 42). We couldn’t squeeze them all into the layout, so go online to see more.

During the library’s birthday events, stop by to wish them well, and while you’re there, sign up for a library card and check out some books. Just be sure to return them on time!

Speaking of milestones, Manchester’s majestic Palace Theatre is turning 100 years old. The beautiful building opened its doors in April 1915 and has been welcoming enthusiastic movie fans and playgoers for a century. Can you believe a traveling circus with elephants performed on stage in the 1920s? You’ll enjoy reading about all kinds of acts that have played this historic theater in Mike Morin’s story on page 34.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or simply the solstice, the staff and I wish you and your family a blessed holiday season. Enjoy!

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Executive Editor editor@aroundconcordnh.com

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Questions@CharterTrust.com Chartertrust.com

Be sure to visit our website, www.aroundconcordnh.com. winter 2014/2015 | around concord 11

CONTRIBUTORS

Alan Blake

Lisa Densmore Ballard

Mike Morin

Alan was a journalist and freelance writer before becoming Director of Communications at NHTI, Concord’s Community College. Also an adjunct professor at Plymouth State University College of Business Administration, Alan lives near New Hampshire's lakes and mountains, and writes about topics that interest him, such as men who wear bow ties in Concord in this issue.

A three-time Emmy-winning television producer and host, Lisa has been a familiar face around New England for her work on PBS and for various sports and outdoor networks.

An accomplished writer and photographer, she contributes regularly to over 30 regional and national magazines on various adventure travel, nature, and wildlife topics. Her books include Best Hikes with Dogs: New Hampshire and Vermont and Hiking the Green Mountains.

Mike Morin, author of Fifty Shades of Radio, left a 43-year broadcasting career in June to research and write his second book, as well as do more speaking engagements and work with community not-forprofi t organizations. He is also a licensed Justice of the Peace in New Hampshire and winner of blue ribbons for baking at the Deerfi eld Fair in 2013 and 2014.

Susan Nye

Ian Raymond

Ron Valpey

Writer, photographer, and chef, Susan Nye is a regular contributor to magazines and newspapers throughout New England. Her blog Around the Table (www.susannye. wordpress.com) is fi lled with her favorite recipes and stories about family and friendship.

When she’s not writing or cooking, Susan is skiing or snowshoeing near her New Hampshire home.

Ian has been photographing people and places in New Hampshire for over 30 years, and his studio, Raymond Photographic Imaging, is located in Laconia. Besides photography for magazines, catalogs, and brochures, he specializes in architectural photography and fi ne art portraiture. When not shooting, Ian is in Concord serving District 4 as a legislator.

Ron is a Certifi ed Financial Planner™ professional, Accredited Investment Fiduciary‰, and an Investment Advisor Representative of Valpey Financial Services, LLC. He is the past chairman and past president of The Financial Planning Association of Northern New England.

Ron lives in Bow with his wife and three children. He enjoys boating, skiing, and traveling.

12 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

nh.wish.org When Alex was diagnosed with leukemia, it changed everything about him. Not even his personality escaped unscathed. His mother, Marcie, remembers how Alex was before leukemia. He’d play hockey, chattering and joking nonstop as he skated.

Then came his diagnosis. His treatments sapped his energy. Marcie watched the smiles comes less frequently. Alex had to put hockey on hold.

Make-A-Wish® changed everything with one question: If you could wish for anything, what would it be? Alex wished for a hockey rink in his backyard – a refuge where he could skate whenever he wanted, any time of year.

Make-A-Wish staff members and volunteers knew they could grant Alex’s wish. But they needed help.

They turned to Alex’s community, to his brethren.

To hockey players. Local hockey league players showed up in his yard, ready to give their all. Together, they worked until a 24 by 48-foot artificial ice surface stood in Alex’s backyard For Marcie, the people who worked so hard to help Alex feel better are just as important as the rink itself.

They made her feel like a true part of her New Hampshire community.

Today, Alex is done with his treatments. His rink, though, remains. His humor and energy are back. And that’s what makes Marcie feel better. Her son has truly returned.

“It feels like a miracle,” she says.

“Alex is getting a second chance at life … and we get a second chance to be with him.”

Alex, 8 leukemia

I wish to have an artificial ice rink in my backyard

AROUND CONCORD ONLINE

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Online Exclusives How to Tie a Bow Tie

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The Work of M.C. Escher

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AROUND TOWN

1

1 Artist Christopher Pothier with his painting Looking Over Concord stands on the sixth-floor balcony of Concord Wealth Management.

2 The office affords panoramic views.

3 Monhegan Effort by Richard Moore.

4 Richard Moore’s photographic work combines old with new.

5 Attending the Artists’ Reception were (from left) Patrick McCay, Beatriz Bearden, Christopher Pothier, Rosemary Conroy, Richard Moore, and Pam Tarbell of Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture Garden, who represents Beatriz and Richard.

6 Visitors enjoy viewing paintings on display.

Photos courtesy of Concord Wealth Management

Artists' Reception Concord Wealth Management, which is located on the sixth floor of the Capital Commons Building, hosted a September Artists’ Reception with photographer Richard Moore. In addition, local artist Christopher Pothier offered a painting demonstration. His work Looking Over Concord hangs in the office, and it and many other pieces are for sale and will be on display during Downtown Midnight Merriment on Friday, December 5. Friends, clients, and shoppers are invited to stop by to enjoy hot chocolate, cookies, and views of the city during the holiday season.

Concord Wealth Management supports many local events and organizations including Rock ’N Race, Market Days, and the Hopkinton Fair, as well as hosting free educational seminars every month and offering meeting space to local nonprofits. For more information, call (603) 717-3341.

2

3

4 5

6

Want to see photos of your event?

Email them to editor@aroundconcordnh.com.

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TWO C A PITA L P L A Z A • D OWNTOWN C ONCORD • 603-224-2920 •

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GOOD NEIGHBORS

|

BY ALANA JERALDS

P H O T O S B Y I A N R AY M O N D

Flower Power

D. MCLEOD FLORIST – SERVING CONCORD FOR FOUR GENERATIONS No matter the occasion, flowers convey the message. Fred Keach, part owner of D. McLeod Florist, believes, “Flowers say so much more than words, and they represent the beauty and mystery of nature.”

Stepping into the shop, visitors are welcomed with sweet scents and an explosion of color. Freshly picked flowers stand upright in decorative arrangements, their newly cut stems whispering secrets from their former homelands of Holland, South America, Israel, Canada, and California. Each unique arrangement represents the keen eye and design expertise of McLeod’s five in-store floral designers. Placing within the top 100 florists in the US each year since 1992, the company takes pride in serving its customers by creating stunning arrangements and gift baskets and offering an array of thoughtful gift items.

A LL I N T H E F AM I L Y

The oldest family-run flower shop in the state of New Hampshire, McLeod’s has provided flowers, wreaths, and sentiments since 1902.

Before Fred and Lynn Cross Keach began operating the shop, it had been influenced by three other generations of the McLeod family. }

Holiday display utilizes an old jelly cabinet door.

18 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

“We are in the business of being creative, and we have fun at what we do.”

– Fred Keach

Clockwise from top left: McLeod’s very own greenhouse-grown poinsettias. Fred Keach shows off a freshly designed boxwood tree. Christmas vignettes dot the showroom.

Everyday gifts are put away and the shop is transformed into a magical holiday display.

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 19

GOOD NEIGHBORS

The first began when Lynn’s great-grandfather, Donald McLeod, emigrated from Scotland to Montreal where he worked in the Botanical Gardens. Inspired and now knowledgeable in the art of growing, Donald traveled to Bedford, New Hampshire, with the hope of owning a flower shop of his own. He was able to purchase an established shop, creating D. McLeod Florist, which remains on South State Street since opening in 1902.

Fred reflects on those first years of business. “In those days, McLeod’s had several greenhouses on South Street. It was in those greenhouses that many of the freshcut flowers were grown for use at the flower shop. The glass houses were fueled

by coal. McLeod’s employed a full-time overnight boiler man to stoke the furnaces both on South Street and at the greenhouse, which is still here today, on South State Street.”

Harold Cross, the husband of Donald’s daughter, owned the shop from 1942 to 1962. In 1962, John Cross took over the shop until 1998, when Lynn and Fred began working alongside John. Before working at the flower shop, Fred was a police officer. He says, “I had no previous experience with flowers but made the transition from guns to roses in 1994.”

The shop remains family owned, which influences what McLeod’s represents: commitment, value, and trust. Fred observes,

20 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

Clockwise from top left: Themed Christmas trees fi ll the shop. Galina Makarova-King trims a fl ower stem while designing an arrangement. One of McLeod’s fi ve fl oral designers decorates a mini boxwood tree.

Wreaths on display outdoors. Unique holiday gifts fi ll the shelves. Owner and third-generation family member John Cross puts the fi nishing touches on a fl oral arrangement.

Online Extra Go to www. aroundconcordnh.com for more photos of the holiday season at McLeod's.

McLeod’s outdoor retail area is brimming with customdecorated wreaths and swags.

“Our long history as a family business has provided us with a strong bond and emotional commitment to our community and our customers, something rarely found at businesses owned by big corporations.”

FRO M P OI N S ET T I AS T O W R EAT H S

Spreading holiday cheer, D. McLeod Florist welcomes the season with homegrown poinsettias, Christmas cactus, and cyclamen. The shop creates signature wreaths with hints of purple and floral arrangements made of boxwood, pine, and balsam, mixed with holiday colors of gold, green, and red. In addition to traditional greens, “We use fresh and dried fruits such as oranges, pomegranates, and winter 2014/2015 | around concord 21

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GOOD NEIGHBORS

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apples in many of our wreaths. The result is an interesting, natural display that represents a New England flavor,” Fred explains.

The business brings joy to families as they decorate many private homes for the holidays, one of the shop’s busiest times.

“Our design team swoops in and creates holiday magic just after Thanksgiving,” Fred says. Last year, McLeod’s decorated the Merrimack County Savings Bank in Concord, decking it with poinsettias and wreaths inside and out for the community to enjoy. “We are in the business of being creative, and we have fun at what we do,” says Fred.

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While McLeod’s five designers create arrangements at the back of the shop, Fred comments, “Because of the volume of business we do, we are positioned to buy flowers at very favorable prices, and we pass those savings on to our custom-

Left: Since 1902, the McLeod’s sign has hung on South State Street. Below: Ever watchful, the shop cat keeps an eye on things.

ers by way of pricing and value. And with about 5,000 square feet of space, our greenhouses provide the shop with fresh flowers year-round.”

McLeod’s is proud to be a part of the Concord community. They host the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer registration center and contribute each year. Fred has also served on many boards including the Friendly Kitchen and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce; he currently serves as an at-large city councilor.

D. McLeod’s is a florist shop for all occasions, and every flower they deliver is special. “Flowers mark emotional highs and lows in a person’s life,” Fred says.

“Weddings, funerals, newborn babies, anniversaries—the list goes on. Flowers are a symbolic marker of life’s events.”

D. McLeod Florist 49 South State Street Concord, NH (603) 225-3721 www.dmflowers.com Mon–Fri 8am–5:30pm Sat 9am–3pm

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 23

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BY SUSAN NYE

P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y O F T H E C U R R I E R M U S E U M O F A RT

The Impossible Realities

of M.C.

Escher

AT THE CURRIER MUSEUM OF ART

One of the best-known draftsmen of the 20th century, M.C. Escher’s work is on display at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester through January 5, 2015. A respected artist with work displayed in museums worldwide, Escher’s intriguing imagery is a popular favorite. If you didn’t have one of his prints taped to your dorm-room wall in college, your next-door neighbor probably did.

Born in Holland, Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898–1972) loved the arts from an early age. He began making linocuts (designs cut into slabs of linoleum) in his teens and quickly moved on to woodcuts.

He was only 24 when some of his woodcut illustrations were published in a friend’s book. }

M.C. Escher, Reptiles, 1943, lithograph © 2014. The M.C. Escher CompanyThe Netherlands. All rights reserved. www. mcescher.com.

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 25

M.C. Escher, Drawing Hands, 1948, lithograph © 2014. The M.C. Escher Company-The Netherlands. All rights reserved. www.mcescher.com.

I NS P I RE D BY T H E AL H AM B R A

In the 1920s and ’30s, Escher traveled extensively throughout Southern Europe. During this period, he became increasingly drawn to landscapes. However, two visits to the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, transformed his art. The abstract, interlocking patterns of floor and wall tiles that fill the palace captivated his imagination, and he began to incorporate these decorative patterns into his landscapes and architectural drawings. Intriguing mirror images, multiple dimensions, and impossible constructions found their way into Escher’s work. His drawings defied gravity while depicting worlds of astounding symmetry and complexity. }

SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THE EXHIBIT M.C. ESCHER: REALITY AND ILLUSION CURRI ER AFTER H OURS: BUI L D YOUR N I GH T DECEMBER 4, 6–9PM Enjoy an evening of architecture, both real and imagined. Take a special tour of the Currier Museum to examine the building’s architectural elements, view rarely seen archives, and visit the Escher exhibit. There will be hands-on activities and a twilight tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Zimmerman House.

Enjoy music plus a cash bar and dinner or a snack at the Winter Garden Café. The event is free with museum admission. There will be an additional $5 charge to view M.C. Escher: Reality and Illusion.

SCI EN CE ON TAP: ART AN D MATH DECEMBER 9, 6PM (DOORS OPEN AT 5:30PM) THE SHASKEEN PUB, 909 ELM STREET, MANCHESTER The Currier has partnered with the SEE Science Center’s Science on Tap program, an informal, monthly discussion of scientific topics. In conjunction with M.C. Escher: Reality and Illusion, December’s topic will be math and art with Curator Kurt Sundstrom and contemporary artist Marek Bennett.

ESCH ER SUPER SATURD AY: MAGI C AN D MÖBI US DECEMBER 13, 10AM–2PM Explore fantasy and illusion at the M.C. Escher: Reality and Illusion exhibit, learn about M.C. Escher’s process, enjoy a magic show, create your own Möbius strip, and more!

26 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

The Escher retrospective at the Currier is one of the largest and most comprehensive ever offered in the United States.

M.C. Escher: Reality and Illusion includes more than 180 original Escher prints and drawings and covers his entire career. The exhibit includes many of his best-known works as well as rarely exhibited early drawings of family members, exotic landscapes, and historic architecture. The exhibit is organized chronologically in three gallery spaces and includes two of his most popular and recognizable works, Relativity (1953) and Waterfall (1961).

A VI SUAL CHA LLENGE

Known for intricate geometric drawings and prints of spaces that can exist only on paper, M.C. Escher boggles the eye and the brain. Although his stairways are built upside down and water runs uphill, Escher’s objects are reproduced with mathematical precision.

“Escher’s work is appealing on so many levels,” says Kurt Sundstrom, exhibition curator. “The images are realistic but visually challenging, accessible but elusive, and entertaining but serious. That’s why his work appeals as much to the general public as it does to art scholars and mathematicians.”

Above: M.C. Escher, Waterfall, 1961, lithograph © 2014.

The M.C. Escher CompanyThe Netherlands. All rights reserved. www.mcescher.com.

Left: M.C. Escher, Relativity, 1953, lithograph © 2014.

The M.C. Escher CompanyThe Netherlands. All rights reserved. www.mcescher.com.

The Currier Museum of Art 150 Ash Street Manchester, NH (603) 669-6144 www.currier.org Sunday, Monday, Wednesday–Friday 11am–5pm; Saturday 10am–5pm See website for admission prices.

Online Extra See a collection of Escher’s work, imitations, and optical illusions from Pinterest at www. aroundconcordnh.com.

Click on the “In This Issue” button under the calendar.

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 27

28 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

S T O RY A N D P H O T O S B Y L I S A D E N S M O R E B A L L A R D

Giddy Over

Gliding MOUNT CRANMORE INTRODUCES “TERRAIN-BASED LEARNING”

When I first heard that Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway and its sister resorts, Bromley Mountain in Vermont and Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts, had introduced “Terrain-Based Learning,” a new method for teaching beginner skiers and snowboarders, I figured they were merely giving a new name to the way those sports had been taught for years. After all, skiing and snowboarding are, by their natures, terrain based.

The ability to gracefully glide down steeper and steeper topography in a wide variety of snow conditions is how lift-ticket–toting visitors to winter resorts graduate from beginner to expert. Early in the process, usually on day one, they learn to stop, get up after falling, control their speed by making a “wedge” with their skis, and turn. Some people get it within their first hour or two on skis, but the majority simply get cold and give up after their first try. }

Left: An instructor guides a young skier through "Banked Turns," one of the elements in Cranmore Mountain Resort's Terrain-Based Learning park.

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 29

“With terrain-based learning, you can get used to the fall line so you’re not afraid of it,” says Karen Dolan. “Normally at a fi rst lesson, people sit back.

They’re anxious about how to stop or how to get up if they sit down. Terrain-based learning eliminates all of that.”

Last winter, after Cranmore introduced its terrainbased learning program, a third of the first-timers returned, three times the industry average. A longtime ski teacher, I was immensely curious. I contacted Karen Dolan, Snowsports School Director at Cranmore Mountain Resort, to find out more.

“With terrain-based learning, you can get used to the fall line so you’re not afraid of it,” says Karen.

“Normally at a first lesson, people sit back. They’re anxious about how to stop or how to get up if they sit down. Terrain-based learning eliminates all of that.”

The teaching method is a progression of seven stations at the bottom of the ski area that are performed in order, at least the first time. The movements required to negotiate each element are skill based, but even if a skier or rider is with an instructor, the instructor doesn’t say what those skills are. A newbie reads the sign explaining the drill and then tries to do it. In the process, he or she figures out how to control a pair of skis or a snowboard.

Still not comprehending how terrain-based learning differed from other beginner teaching methods, I joined Karen at Cranmore and followed her through the progression.

FI ND BA LA NC E AN D G AI N C O N F I D EN C E

The first element was a flat area where a beginner can get used to putting on her gear and moving around on it without fear of losing control. Nothing new—but things got more interesting at the second element. Called the “Mini Half-Pipe,” the feature was shallow, with 18-inch walls; short, about 20 yards long; and almost flat.

“It’s all about shin-to-boot contact,” explained Karen, standing at the start of the mini half-pipe.

“People can feel what it is. If you don’t, you’re not comfortable on the element.”

She lifted her ski poles and glided into the half-

pipe—perfectly shaped and manicured. Her skis swayed gently back and forth from one side to the other until she reached the end of it. I followed, enjoying the easy undulations. I was immediately aware of how the mini half-pipe naturally pressed my shins to my boot tongues. It was an excellent tool for helping a beginner to quickly find a balanced stance and gain confidence, as there was nothing intimidating about the element. It was fun.

The second element, called “rollers,” was even better. It consisted of several humps of snow down a shallow slope with a taller hump at the end designed to stop a skier or snowboarder. }

30 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

Clockwise from top left: The Cranmore Mountain Resort is one of only three ski areas in the northeast that have adopted "Terrain-Based Learning" for teaching skiing and snowboarding. A snowboard instructor demonstrates "First Turns." Skiers experiment on "Banked Turns." An instructor teaches "Banked Turns." The Magic Carpet carries skiers to the top of the learning park.

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 31

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“Rollers teach that the fall DO IT! line is your friend,” exFor more information plained Karen. “People about Terrain-Based naturally absorb and Learning and to take a lesson, extend. The rollers slow contact Cranmore Mountain them down. The more Resort, www.cranmore.com. For nearby accommodations and people do it, the more superb dining, check out they think, ‘How do I go The 1785 Inn, www. faster?’ rather than fearing the1785inn.com. it. And you don’t need to know how to stop. The element stops you. You might go backwards at the end, but that’s okay.”

She pointed her skis at the first roller to demonstrate. I watched her sink and rise a few times, then head uphill at the bottom. As she drifted backwards to a stop, I followed, enjoying this different type of undulation. Afterward, I watched several snowboarders negotiate the rollers, then a small boy with his teenage sister. Everyone stopped with a smile on his or her face.

The boy wanted to do it again.

The next element, “Mini Banked Turns,” looked like a shallow mini bobsled. A new skier or rider could simply head into the element and start turning, aided by the banked terrain and by heading toward bamboo poles strategically placed at slight curves. As Karen and I watched the boy and his sister try mini banked turns, she said, “Sometimes parents say, ‘My kid didn’t learn to snow plow. You didn’t teach the right things,’ but I tell them it’s going to work.”

“Looks like it’s working with those two,” I replied.

The sixth element, “Banked Turns,” was much bigger—and my favorite. The snow was shaped into several big banked turns such that a snowball would roll through it.

The element was designed to teach people to make round turns to control their speed rather than Z-shaped turns, a defensive maneuver common to novices that’s difficult to unlearn. Once the boy found “Banked Turns,” he didn’t want to stop. His hidden daredevil emerged with each run, but no matter how aggressively he dove Top: Karen Dolan, director of the Cranmore Mountain down the track, it directed him through Resort's snowsports school, takes a run down "Banked Turns." Above: Two snowboarders arcing through each turn. At the same time, he got better "Banked Turns." Each station in the Terrain-Based and better at edging his skis and putting Learning park is both skier and snowboarder friendly. weight on them to make them turn.

The last element, “Perfect Slope,” looked like an extra-wide bowling alley

32 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

with bumpers down each side of the slope.

It was the final test to see if skiers could turn, but if they needed help changing direction, the bumpers worked like the walls of the mini half-pipe. Similar to the other elements, the slope was unintimidating, and the snow conditions were perfect.

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BRI NG I NG T H E B EG I N N ER S B AC K

“Kids start playing on the elements, then parents feel okay,” said Karen. “Adults have a great time too. At first, our staff was concerned about not teaching the traditional way, but customers don’t know the difference. It needs lot of daily maintenance and grooming to get it dialed in, but it’s worth it. We had a huge increase among first-time skiers last year when we created it. Was it terrain-based learning? We don’t know, but it’s the only major change we’ve made to our teaching program.”

Terrain-based learning won’t turn a beginner into an expert in a day. The mountain’s goal is to get a never-ever through Traverse Trax the first day, then through Perfect Slope, and onto the beginner chairlift the second day. The elements are also useful for experienced skiers and snowboarders to find their balance after time off snow.

“It’s a huge commitment cost-wise and maintenance-wise, so the whole resort had to buy in,” Karen told me. “It’s not just a tool in an instructor’s bag of tricks. We went out on a limb, but people are enjoying the snow more.”

After my tour of Terrain-Based Learning, I went into the cafeteria to grab some lunch. The boy was eating pizza with his family. “Is this your first time skiing?” I asked him. “Yes,” he replied shyly. “Did you have fun?” I asked. “Oh yes!” he brightened and immediately started telling me about each element in the learning area. It seems Cranmore Mountain Resort has indeed made beginners giddy over gliding down its snowy slopes.

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Since 1991, over 6,000 women have learned to ski better through Lisa Densmore Ballard’s “Your Turn” women’s ski clinics. When Lisa isn’t hosting a women’s event, she’s coaching or racing on the Masters circuit, or traveling to ski areas to write about and photograph them. www.LisaDensmore. com. winter 2014/2015 | around concord 33

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BY MIKE MORIN P H O T O S B Y I A N R AY M O N D H I S T O R I C A L I T E M S C O U R T E S Y O F T H E PA L A C E T H E AT R E

S

he stands defiantly like a victorious warrior, turning aside repeated blows to her unlikely survival. Close to flat-lining several times, the Palace Theatre has beaten the count against all odds. And like a gritty boxer, the Hanover Street treasure has come back swinging to see her 100th birthday. Fire, a flood, and an order to “pave paradise and put up a parking lot� are just a few of the punches the Palace has ducked since opening her doors back on April 9, 1915. Today, she stands majestically as the lone surviving theater in Manchester, a city that once boasted nearly two dozen similar venues. }

Palace Theatre

STILL STANDING AND READY TO ENTERTAIN

Turns

100

Left: The Palace seats 890 and has seven wheelchair-accessible spaces.

Greek immigrant Victor Charas designed the theater to resemble its namesake in New York City. The original wall and ceiling carvings were part of his design that saw the theater completed in under a year. Above: An early artist's rendering of the Palace's exterior.

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 35

Left: Hanover Street in Manchester has been The Palace's address for 100 years. The theater was the first in New Hampshire with air conditioning, which was created by electric fans blowing air over large blocks of ice. Top: Ongoing improvements have included new seats in the lower level and interior wall repainting in the near future. Above: An array of posters. Right: Palace president and CEO Peter Ramsey. Far right: View from the balcony.

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Above: Palace Theatre entrance. Left: Plaque marking Sylvio Dupuis Place was dedicated June 9, 2012.

“But for Mayor Sylvio Dupuis and Attorney John McLane, the Palace would have been torn down in the ’70s,” confesses Palace president and CEO Peter Ramsey. “There was a permit brought to City Hall when Sylvio Dupuis was mayor to tear the Palace down for a parking lot. Sylvio Dupuis put the application in his desk and closed it. At the time, they were cutting meat. It was a meatpacking place.” The tactic worked and the theater dodged another near-fatal blow.

TRACK I N G D OWN HIS TOR Y

Just as challenging was locating enough archived material to produce Palace Theatre – First 100 Years, a commemorative coffee-table book that captures the past century with remarkable photographs and copies of ads and posters from the era. Hooksett author and Palace volunteer Richard Hatin was asked by Peter two years ago to find material for the book. It was a task far more challenging than anyone imagined. }

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 37

Far left and left: Letter from Manchester Mayor Sylvio Dupuis and announcement of the Palace's grand reopening season, November 1974 to August 1975. Right: Union Leader ad from April 1, 1915 announced the Palace's grand opening.

Below: March 31, 1915 announcement of the Palace's opening.

“I came across this shoebox [at the theater] and there were five or six items in it.

For most of the [items], there wasn’t even a year attached to the article. There was no way to place them in a timeline. That was a very daunting moment because it certainly suggested there was nothing in their hands to work with and I’d have to look elsewhere. Within a week or two, after checking through the city library records and checking with the Historical Society, the task seemed even more difficult because there was very little there,” Richard says.

Following that wake-up call, both Richard and the Palace spread the word, asking people to check old dressers, boxes, and attics for clippings and posters. Then Peter brought in an intern to help.

“It’s been a two-year slog through old newspapers and about 50 people who have had lifelong experiences here. We had a UNH graduate with some time on his hands and we went through every page of the Union Leader, and the things you thought were true and the things that weren’t true are so interesting,” Peter says.

LE G E ND S A ND S P I R I T S

Richard’s team confirmed stage appearances by the likes of Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope, the Marx Brothers, Red Skelton, Sammy Davis Jr., Milton Berle, Al Jolson, and hundreds of others. But what about rumors that master illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini once played the Palace? Peter called it a 40-year fib.

“That is a question that everyone asks,” says Richard. “We can confirm that he did not. However, I can confirm that his brother, the Great Hardeen, did perform here. The Great Hardeen was considered 38 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

Above (inside page and pink cover): Program for the Palace's fi rst show on April 9 and 10, 1915. Left: A large ad from February 3, 1930 promoted "talkies."

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Below: Besides Weir's Baby Elephants—"one of the wonder animal acts of the Keith Circuit"—a traveling circus played the Palace in the 1920s. Right: November 23, 1918 ad for Charlie Chaplin in Shoulder Arms lists prices as 15 to 25 cents for the matinee, 20 to 30 cents for evening shows, and 10 cents for children.

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by most escape artists and magicians of the day to be the better of the two. In fact, he performed stunts that were later used

by Harry Houdini in his acts. The Great Hardeen pioneered those stunts. He had less ability to self-market and self-promote at a time when both were so important to advance your career. So the Great Houdini was a Vaudeville act, as was Hardeen, but Houdini had the ability to transcend the Vaudeville level of experience and bring his performance to a much wider audience,” he adds.

Along those lines, the Palace continues to be a popular destination because of its reputation as home to spirits. “There’s so much interest in the haunted aspect of it.

We’ve had maybe seven paranormal orga-

40 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

nizations come in here at nine o’clock at night, and they stay all night long. They set equipment up everywhere. Every single group has said that the Palace is haunted. It’s almost one person a day who walks in and asks, ‘Can I take a look at the haunted nature of it?’”

Opening night was April 9, 1915. A newspaper ad touted, “The only fireproof first-class theater in New Hampshire.”

Patrons saw A Modern Eve, featuring 50

performers, with tickets ranging from 50 cents to two dollars. Richard was astounded when another old newspaper clipping advertised a circus on the Palace’s stage.

“A man approached me one day after a show and was all excited. He wanted to report that his father had been at a show at the Palace Theatre and remembered seeing a circus on the stage with live elephants. I was surprised to hear that because I looked at the size of the stage and thought, ‘Well, that doesn’t seem realistic to me.’ We were poring through the records of the Palace Theatre and its advertisements in the Union Leader and, lo and behold, in the ’20s a traveling circus came through the Manchester area and played the Palace with five pachyderms, as they referred to them, appearing live.

It was interesting to have the validation of an anecdote that this man remembered his father telling him from his own childhood,” Richard recalls.

yeah,’ he says. ‘This place is a (expletive) hole. It’s older than I am.’

“Then the laughs continued. He had a bottle of vodka, this $70 vodka, and he kept pouring himself drinks while we talked for a half an hour. He poured himself five vodkas. And he pounded ’em down.

Then he went to the bathroom because he was drinking a lot of fluids. I went over to check the vodka, and it was water. It wasn’t vodka at all. He was putting this act on. So we go up to the stage and I say, ‘Have a great show. Have fun.’ And he took

his drink in a highball glass and he poured it on my leg. I said, ‘What are you doing?’

He said, ‘Don’t feel special. I’ve done that for 40 years.’ (Laughs) And then he proceeded to knock them dead.”

The Palace Theatre 80 Hanover Street Manchester, NH (603) 668-5588 www.palacetheatre.org Palace Theatre – First 100 Years is available through the Palace Theatre.

Having Fun With Friends

Never Gets Old...

To Do...Today

Tai Chi w/Marge 9:15 What’s My Line 10:00 Book Club 11:15 Walking Club 12:00 Luncheon w/Gert 1:00 Pictionary 2:00 Wine & Cheese 4:00 History Series 5:00 Family For Dinner 6:30 Jazz Concert 8:45

1 00 YE A R S O F EN T ER T AI N M EN T

The Vaudeville era brought live variety shows to venues across the country. To be accepted for any given tour, a theater was required to meet the standards of civility and decorum that were set by the show’s owners, in this case, B.F. Keith and Edward F. Albee, according to Richard.

That included things like ‘Gentleman shall remove their top hats.’ ‘Gentlemen shall show their appreciation for the performers by clapping and not using their canes to tap on the floor.’ ‘Spittoons are provided for your use in the lobby,’ and ‘Smoking cigars and pipes is prohibited in the theater.’ It may be a good thing Keith and Albee never overheard a conversation between Peter Ramsey and legendary comedian Don Rickles in the Palace’s downstairs dressing rooms before his show a few years ago. It was classic “Mr. Warmth.”

“I walked down to the green room, and he’s down there with a fancy king’s robe and he’s got no pants on. And he’s got his high socks. So he’s sitting there on the couch in his boxer shorts and his robe and his black shoes and his socks. So I say, ‘Hello, Mr. Rickles. Thanks for coming to Manchester, New Hampshire.’ ‘Oh

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BY SUSAN NYE PHOTOS BY GEOFF FORESTER

From far left: South End Branch of the library at the new Rundlett Junior High in the late 1950s. Exterior of the new library in the 1940s. Below: Main entrance to the library today.

H I S T O R I C A L P H O T O S C O U R T E S Y O F T H E C O N C O R D P U B L I C L I B R A RY

The Concord

Public Library ENHANCING LIVES AND BUILDING COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 150 YEARS

I

t’s been serving the community since March 1857, and, according to book lovers, the Concord Public Library “is the best thing the city has going for it.” Throughout its history, the library has stayed relevant by growing and changing with the times. Todd Fabian, the library’s new director, is enthusiastic about his assignment. He says, “Concord is a small but vibrant city. There are lots of opportunities in the arts and sciences and many people are involved with the library

and its programs.” Looking forward, he adds, “The community will determine our future. We must adapt our resources and programs, short and long term, to meet their needs and wants.”

BUZZI N G AN D B R IGHT

The library’s current home on Green Street turns 75 this coming January. In spite of its massive, Depression-era architecture, the library is warm and welcoming, buzzing with activity and bright with smiles. }

Above: The Children's Room in the early 1950s.

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 43

“The library plays an important role in the community,” says Deb Baker, Adult Services Manager. “It is a wonderful resource and gathering place for the city.”

The helpful staff is always ready with answers and advice.

Along with the open stacks, there are comfortable chairs for reading, tables to spread work out on, and rooms for meetings. The Concord Room holds a wealth of books, files, and photographs dedicated to the city’s history. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the building, and computers are available on the main floor and in the Children’s Room.

“We’re not a shushing library,” says Sandi Lee, the Technical Services Manager. “We like to think of the library as Concord’s living room.” She adds, “There are also quiet rooms for study. In our busy, noisy world, these spaces are a wonderful oasis of calm and quiet.”

In addition to the main library on Green Street, there is a branch in Penacook. Discussions are beginning for an additional branch within the Heights Community Center. Library Trustee Chair Mary Beth Robinson remarks, “It’s a good location for a branch. The Heights area is separated from downtown by the river. The library

Top: Circulation desk, late 1940s. Above: Current circulation and reference desk.

could better serve this diverse neighborhood with a branch close to home.”

A robust website provides a virtual library for everyone in the city. Readers can order books for express pickup, download e-books, and view digital copies of Concord Room materials and more.

EN H AN CI N G L I VES, BUI L DI N G COMMUN I TY

The library takes its mission to “connect people with resources to enhance lives and build community” seriously. “The library plays an important role in the community,” says Deb Baker, Adult Services Manager.

“It is a wonderful resource and gathering place for the city.” If the more than 150,000 books, periodicals, and other materials are not enough to draw you in, the library offers an abundance of programs. }

44 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

Top: New director Todd Fabian. Opposite page left: Main fl oor looking down from the administration offi ces. Left: Same section of main fl oor in the early 1960s. Above: Main fl oor, 1940s.

Online Extra Find more photos from the past at www. aroundconcordnh.com. winter 2014/2015 | around concord 45

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Concord’s diverse population calls for a wide range of programs, and its library delivers. Among the many offerings are book clubs, storytimes for children and families, an English-language conversation group for non-native speakers, a health series, movie nights, and live music. Programs are offered throughout the day and in the evening to accommodate a variety of schedules and needs. The library maintains an active social media presence, and users can stay up to date with activities and programs on its website as well as at Facebook and Tumblr.

With discussions and panels throughout the winter, Concord Reads is a wonderful program. This year’s book, The Last Policeman by Ben Winters, is a stellar choice. Individuals and book clubs can celebrate Concord’s 250th an-

can participate in craft classes and a Lego Club. The library encourages teenagers to keep reading with their own book club as well as a Teen Read Week in October and a holiday book swap.

The library is a great place to volunteer.

About 40 volunteers work there every year.

Retiree Bob Estabrook is one of them. He says, “I was looking for an interesting volunteer opportunity and I love books.” Happy with his assignment, Bob says, “I’m at the library two mornings a week for a couple

of hours. It’s a great place with very nice people, and I look forward to going.” Bob has been helping with a new database of Concord Monitor obituaries. The project will provide a useful resource for individuals researching their family histories as well as scholars and historians.

This winter, come in from the cold and spend some time at the Concord Public Library. Browse the stacks, join a Concord Reads panel, or take in a movie. It’s warm and cozy, and, yes, it’s free!

Inspired by... niversary by reading a story set in their city. Several Concord Reads events will take place at locations highlighted in the book. The program ends with a grand finale in March: a reading and discussion with the author.

There are many storytime options for children from babies to the entire family. A popular favorite, Paws for Pages, encourages children to read by letting them share their books with two certified therapy dogs. Children’s services manager Pam Stauffacher’s goal for the children’s program is to expand children’s imaginations and give them resources to learn and enjoy literature. In addition, children

The Concord Public Library 45 Green Street Concord, NH (603) 225-8670 Penacook Branch 3 Merrimack Street Penacook, NH (603) 753-4441 Library cards are free to all residents of Concord.

Nonresident cards are $100 per year, $85 for seniors.

The Concord Public Library Online: www.concordpubliclibrary.net www.facebook.com/ ConcordPublicLibrary www.reading-rumblr.tumblr.com www.concordteens.tumblr.com

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BUSINESS SENSE

|

S T O RY A N D P H O T O S B Y I A N R AY M O N D

Advantage Signs YOU NEVER GET A SECOND CHANCE TO MAKE A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION

No one understands that better than Russ Aubertin, owner of Advantage Signs, located at the Concord Business Center on Hall Street. Great first impressions are what his business is all about.

Signage is often the first and most important point of contact between organizations and their patrons. Creatively designed, a sign will pique the interest of passersby and draw them into an establishment. It will coordinate with a company’s other marketing efforts and messaging to create a unique corporate image or brand. As a potential client drives down the street, a properly designed sign must convey, in a split second, what’s being offered and to whom, and it must depict the company’s competitive edge, convincing the viewer to choose a particular business over the competition.

In other situations, a sign will offer important information, or direct the viewer to take a particular action, sometimes with words and sometimes with graphics. The common thread is that signs communicate information, and the folks at Advantage Signs pride themselves on effectively and artistically communicating your message. }

Above: Russ Aubertin, owner. Right: Sign at Advantage Signs with custom bracket.

48 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

1. St. Paul's custom gold leaf with stained glass made by Detailed Glass with original cast iron fence post.

2. Walter's Basin Restaurant custom-carved rainbow trout on fly rod bracket.

3. Capitol Center for the Arts reader board.

Donor recognition signs were done inside and out.

4. Evolution Rock & Fitness fabricated channel letters.

5. The Common Man Concord sandblasted sign with reader board.

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4

6. Advantage Signs display area.

3

5

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winter 2014/2015 | around concord 49

BUSINESS SENSE 1. Gibson's Bookstore internally illuminated LED channel letters.

2. The Barley House custom-carved sign—one of the best ads for Russ's business. It's generated the most calls of all his signs.

3. Lotions˜n˜Potions original design for logo, print advertising, and signage.

4. Soup Gallery original logo design for print advertising and signage on a custom bracket.

5. Concord Community Music School sign in granite and bronze.

1 2

T RA D I T I O NA L AN D I N N O V AT I V E E XP E RT I S E

Russ originally intended to become a furniture maker, but while attending school to learn that trade, his brother Scott found a job for him at a sign company in Manchester. Working at the sign shop, Russ taught himself the craft of hand-carving and lettering. In 1985 he moved on to another company where he further developed his carving and woodworking skills. During the economic downturn a couple of years later, the company closed, prompting Russ to open his own shop.

In the beginning, Russ used his expertise in the traditional techniques of hand-carving, gold leafing, and sandblasting to produce top-quality signs, while his brother Scott assisted with design and sales. As the business grew (they now have five employees) and technologies developed, they added additional services to their traditional sign-crafting skills, such as computer graphics, vinyl sign making, electric signs, digital printing, and vehicle wraps.

As they continue to grow, Russ plans on broadening their services and product offerings to include pretty much anything on which you can put a logo. Having been at this for so many years, he also offers maintenance services to his customers; he’ll refurbish older signs, update electric signs to use more energy-efficient LED lighting, and more.

3

G RE A T A E S TH ET I C S AN D QUA LI T Y CRAF T S M AN S H I P

The new products and services have been successful because they are all built upon the foundation of good creative design and aesthetics, and Russ’s quality craftsmanship from years of experience. } 50 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

4

5

1

2

1. Making Strides volunteer preps brochures.

2. Andy Hodgkins letters a van for SunRay Solar.

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3

3. Custom glass and print directory at the Love Building.

4. Wellington's digital print on panel with gold wall letters.

5. Co-op custom stainless steel back-lit LED channel letters.

6. McLane Center stud-mounted aluminum letters.

7. Hand-painted wall mural at Evolution Rock & Fitness measures 40x120 feet.

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winter 2014/2015 | around concord 51

Your“New” Hometown Bookstore

BUSINESS SENSE

“No business does well without having good, dedicated people who work for it. I’m lucky to have great employees. They are one of our company’s biggest assets, and they are what has led to our success.”

Gibson’s Bookstore & Café

45 South Main Street • Concord, NH www.gibsonsbookstore.com • 224-0562 Mon-Wed 9-7, Thurs-Sat 9-9, Sunday 11-6.

(Your children will thank you.) scan prints to DVD

photo restoration

transfer VHS tapes to DVD

All of these preservation services, photo restorations, scanning old family photos to DVD, video tapes to DVD for easier viewing are all services that are done in store, no worry about losing your valuable family photos.

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As you walk into the showroom, you’re struck by an impressive sampling of work by Advantage Signs. It’s truly an amazing collection—a wide variety of materials, styles, and applications to fit every taste and need. Russ enjoys a good challenge and says that they can create almost anything you can imagine; however, sometimes people’s imaginations are much bigger than their budgets, and that’s where Advantage Signs’ experience can help, balancing artistic vision with practical design to create affordable and effective finished products for clients.

Just beyond the showroom is a workroom chocked full of high-tech digital printers, vinyl cutters, and worktables where signs are assembled. Behind the workroom is a large garage bay that allows space for applying lettering and signage to vehicles. Russ led us to his office where we sat down to talk. We climbed the stairs to a loft that overlooks the work area. The efficient use of space combined with artwork and antique musical instruments hanging on the walls, a collection of books, and just the right amount of clutter portrayed an artist’s workspace reminiscent of a Paris atelier.

During our conversation, Russ mentions his sincere appreciation for his fellow workers. “No business does well without having good, dedicated people who work for it. I’m lucky to have great employees. They are one of our company’s biggest assets, and they are what has led to our success,” he says. The feeling is mutual. One of his workers suggested we do this story in celebration of Advantage Signs’ 25th year in business, and in

a helmet “wrap,” similar to the vinyl wraps he does on vehicles, to make an unattractive medical device a little more friendly and less frightening for both the children and their parents.

In addition to all this, Russ donates “Welcome Home” banners to the families of returning soldiers. He has also served on many boards and committees within the community. Russ thoroughly enjoys doing this behind-the-scenes work that helps improve the community in which he lives.

“Concord is a great place to grow a business, own a home, and raise children. We have access to the mountains, the lakes, and the ocean. We are close to everything. I am thankful for the loyalty my customers have shown over the last 25 years.”

Advantage Signs 128 Hall Street Concord, NH (603) 224-7446 www.advantagesigns.net

Jamie Connell, a former employee, returns to help out with the Making Strides volunteers.

honor of Russ and the work he does to help support the community.

Early on, Russ knew that while he may not have had the financial resources to donate to philanthropic organizations, he did have material resources and skills, and he uses these to help many different local charities.

Every year he is joined by friends who volunteer after hours, working late into the night to help make signs that he donates to the American Breast Cancer Society’s Making Strides campaign. “The women who volunteer are the driving force behind this program and have made it one of the most successful Making Strides fundraising events in the country,” says Russ.

He also donates his services to the Pedaling For Payson community-cycling fundraising event to support Concord Hospital’s Payson Center for Cancer Care patients and families in need.

Another charity that he enjoys working with is Wrap Buddies, a nonprofit organization that wraps medical items such as helmets for children with plagiocephaly, a condition characterized by an asymmetrical distortion (flattening of one side) of the skull. He takes bright, colorful, and cheerful images or designs and does

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BRIGHT IDEAS

|

BY ALAN BLAKE

P H O T O S B Y I A N R AY M O N D

Put a Going old school with a dapper bow, pinstripes, and homburg hat is Bill Phenix’s calling card.

Who comes to mind when you think bow ties? Winston Churchill or Albert Einstein? Rat-Packers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin? TV geeks like Pee Wee Herman or Barney Fife? Bow ties harken back to the good old days of classic Hollywood, early 20th century pomposity, or modern nerdiness—even a certain unconventional, commercial gimmickry (think Orville Redenbacher and the Playboy Bunny).

Although bow ties gave way to the now standard “long tie” around the middle of the 20th century, the sartorial equivalent of the buggy whip has made somewhat of a comeback. And around Concord, we have several of our own bow-tie connoisseurs, including Byron Champlin of Lincoln Financial Group, an early convert. }

Bow

on It! BOW TIES ARE BACK (NOT THAT THEY EVER WENT AWAY IN CONCORD)

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 55

BRIGHT IDEAS

BACK BY POPUL AR DEMAN D

“When I was press officer for the New Hampshire House of Representatives, one of the most notable bow-tie wearers in the House was writer, producer, and Ken Burns collaborator Dayton Duncan, then chief of staff to Governor Hugh Gallen,” Byron recalls. “One morning Dayton was the onair fundraiser for an NHPR pledge drive. I offered to make a pledge if Dayton would teach me to tie a bow tie. He responded, ‘Not only will I teach you how to tie one, I’ll even give you a tie!’”

Byron followed through on his pledge and Dayton on his. “I’ve been wearing bow ties—and only bow ties—ever since,” he says.

Bow ties are showing up increasingly in pop culture. In the most recent NBA draft, number-one pick Andrew Wiggin sported a classic black bow tie when called to the podium to accept his ticket to fame and fortune. The bow tie is now a regular pop-culture artifice, sported by the likes of icons such as Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber, and erudite news commentators Tucker Carlson and George Will.

Dr. Robert Wilson, a retired Concord oral surgeon and faithful Rotarian, finds the bow tie a more practical option than the “four-in-hand” (i.e., the knot used to tie a “long tie” and thus synonymous with the tie itself). He began wearing bow ties on the sage advice of a colleague and Rotarian who always wore one because, “This way, you can’t dip your tie in the soup!”

Similarly, Dean Cascadden, Bow School District superintendent, began wearing bow ties as a young teacher. “I taught science and I kept flopping my tie into dissections and Bunsen burners,” he grumbles.

Culinary and pedagogical advantages notwithstanding, the recent popularity in bow ties may have reached the tipping

56 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

Above: Byron Champlin’s bow ties add a touch of class and a splash of color. Below: Concord area bow tie aficionados Dr. Bob Wilson, Byron Champlin, Bill Phenix, and Dr. Dean Cascadden.

point when Doctor Who’s 11th Doctor, played by Matt Smith, famously declared, “Bow ties are cool!” and touched off a “surge in popularity of bow ties,” according to the Daily Telegraph (London).

But bow ties continue to play second fiddle in today’s fashion culture, perhaps because of the dexterity challenges of tying one. As a waiter in Boston in the ’70s, Byron Champlin says black bow ties were part of the uniform.

“My first day I showed up with a free-style tie and tried to tie it properly in front of the men’s room mirror just before going on duty,” he recalls. “What a disaster! I was 30 minutes late to the dining room and it looked dreadful! As soon as my shift was over, I went out and bought a clip-on.”

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Learning to tie a proper bow is a rite of passage. Byron tells how Jim Roche, executive director of the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, bought a bow tie to wear to the BIA’s big annual dinner. The day of the event, he contacted Byron in desperation—despite an Internet tutorial, he couldn’t tie it. }

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BRIGHT IDEAS

“He came to my office,” Byron remembers, “and we went to the nearest men’s room where we stood in front of the wall-length mirror and I went through the steps. Frustrated, Jim finally asked me, ‘How about if you just tie it for me?’ So I stood behind him, and Jim crouched down, with me snuggled up behind and my arms around him. That’s when a complete stranger walked into the men’s room . . . an awkward moment.”

“Free styling” connotes the bow-tie aficionado. Bill Phenix, account exec at Binnie Media, says, “I am often asked—due to the fact that my bows are well-tied,” he says, a tad haughtily, “if I am wearing . . . [he shudders] . . . a clip-on. Never, ever! I certainly don’t think bows pose much of a difficulty in tying.

After all, it’s the same knot as when you tie your shoes.”

“I tied them wrong for a few years,” admits Dean Cascadden, “but finally figured it out.

It’s just like tying a pair of shoes, and now I tie my shoes better, as I used to get a slip knot for both shoes and ties, and now I get a nice bow for both.”

Getting the bow just right is the key to pulling off this classic fashion look.

Communicate. Now.

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slightly different drummer, but it’s not really a big deal. Wearing a bolo tie or an ascot, now that takes some contrarian sort of thinking!”

Dr. Wilson admits that his ego is boosted when a pretty young woman compliments his bow tie.

“You never get that when you wear a four-inhand,” he says, adding, “Any psychologist will tell you that men are far more vain than women.”

Bill Phenix adds, “If I could have anticipated the number of people—especially women—who have commented favorably on my bow ties, I would have started wearing them much earlier!”

For the rest of us, well, it’s never too late.

Online Extra Go to www. aroundconcordnh.com for five videos on how to tie a bow tie.

Every bow-tie wearer, it seems, has a poignant story related to his neckwear.

Dr. Wilson recalls that while practicing at Concord Oral Surgery, a fellow Rotarian paid him an emergency visit—not for dental care, but for bow tying in preparation for his daughter’s wedding. Bill Phenix remembers a wise and crusty radio salesman who advised he wear bow ties every day to establish a personal brand.

“It was the single best piece of sales advice I have ever received,” says Bill, whose bow ties serve as a memorable calling card.

He recalls this advisor adding, perhaps revealing a latent desire to broadcast his own iconoclastic brand, “If I ever I leave this job, I’m getting an eye patch and a cane!”

Originating from a silk scarf known as the cravat and worn by Croatian soldiers in the 17th century, bow ties have come to be associated with a certain contrarian outlook on life. “The bow tie hints at intellectualism, real or feigned, and sometimes suggests a technical acumen, perhaps because it is so hard to tie . . . ,” wrote New York Times reporter Warren St. John in 2005. “But perhaps most of all, wearing a bow tie is a way of broadcasting an aggressive lack of concern for what other people think.”

Well, maybe. But the bow tie devotees I’ve come across seem an amiable enough sort. “Bow ties say that you are willing to buck tradition a little, but still uphold the basic values of dress,” says Dean. “Wearing a bow tie is marching to the beat of a

Whether you prefer a quiet afternoon lunch or an exhilarating hibachi show with your dinner, we have what you are looking for!

Welcome to Ichiban. From the moment you walk in, the Japanese culture encompasses your senses.

The refreshing ambiance will make you think you’ve travelled to another world. This Holiday Season make it a special destination to come to Ichiban Japanese Steak House. You’ll be glad you did!

A Special Dining Destination

A genuine Japanese Sushi Bar where you can see your selection created firsthand or order Sushi from your table.

The Koi Lounge with HD TVs, it’s more than beautiful.

A fun and comfortable place to meet and enjoy with friends.

603-223-3301 118 Manchester Street • Concord Open 7 days • www.ichibanconcord.com 12 Hibachi Grills in a large private room. A personal chef prepares your meal right in front of you.

Function Room with reservations for up to 70+ guests Private Hibachi Room Mon–Thurs 11:00 am–10:00 pm Friday & Saturday 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sunday 11:00 am–10:00 pm

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COMMON GROUND

|

BY GAIL THORELL SCHILLING

P H O T O S B Y I A N R AY M O N D

The

Children’s Place and Parent Education Center

THE NEXT GENERATION

Siddharth Sathishkumar is a four-year-old duallanguage learning child from Nepal. TCP is helping him prepare for kindergarten.

Left: A snapshot TCP's new generation of children.

60 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

Below: Director Mary Pasquariello (right) and teacher Christina Vassillion (center) with professional story teller Simon Brooks of The Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF) during a recent community event at TCP. Right: Two-year-old Rishi Sathishkumar plays at TCP’s Brio train table, a center favorite for all children.

Pam Bruso rocks Zoë, her toddler, in her lap. Storyteller Simon Brooks squeals and leaps like Goldilocks. Rapt five-year-olds double over in hilarity. Even several dozen parents, grandparents, and older siblings—squashed into tiny chairs—shake with laughter. It’s Literacy Night at the Children’s Place in Concord, and Pam never stops smiling. “I don’t know what we’d do without this place!”

A N E ND U R I N G F AM I L Y R ES O U R C E C E N TER

The Children’s Place and Parent Education Center (TCP), a fixture in Concord for more than 35 years, was based on research by Dr. Burton White at Harvard University that called for a national network of centers to support parents in their earliest stages of parenting. Mary Stuart Gile, a founding mother, student of Dr. White, and current board president says, “A group of professionals, several of whom were moms participating in childbirth education classes, decided that Concord needed one. The Children’s Place is still a magnet for parents, children, and now grandparents. We’re still here. We have energy.”

In fact, The Children’s Place is the only family resource center in Merrimack County. “Statewide, New Hampshire used to boast 25 centers; only 15 remain,” notes Mary. Credit the staying power of this vital resource to those founding mothers still active at TCP as volunteers, as well as to grants and community networking. }

“The Children’s Place is still a magnet

for parents, children, and now

grandparents.

We’re still here.

We have energy.”

Far left: Teacher Heather Tibodeau reads with children in TCP’s library. Left: Rivka Sharma is happy in a pile of freshly raked leaves on the TCP playground.

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 61

COMMON GROUND

Although TCP changed locations over the years, a generous gift in combination with a community development grant funded the current building and playground at 27 Burns Street—a welcoming, open environment designed by educators to engage children’s interests at each developmental stage. The separate craft area and reading room with cozy nooks, especially, are a teacher’s dream.

Mary Pasquariello, TCP lead teacher and center director, a trained Montessori teacher

with 25 years of experience developing and managing (alternative) early childhood and family support programs, says, “We are helping children gain practical skills.”

The comfy Parents’ Room upstairs, complete with sofas and coffee pot, creates “a setting for peer parenting support,” Mary explains.

Conceived as a cooperative board of 20 parents, who in addition to board duties were required to volunteer onsite for two

Rowan McClure, age three, is developing his gross motor skills on the TCP bike path.

hours a week, The Children’s Place now has a part-time staff including the director, associate teachers, an administrative assistant, and a grant writer. Grants, memberships, and fundraising generate revenue.

TCP continues to provide new parents with both a play place for their offspring and a haven for themselves as they navigate the early challenges—and isolation— of parenting infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Erin Perry Schreier discovered TCP’s upper room and infant group 11 years ago when her first child was born.

She recalls, “It was my sanity check-in. I looked forward to having someone validate my parenting once a week. Together, we learned to do things they don’t tell you in the books.”

When Carol Nelson arrived in Concord with her nine-month-old son more than 30 years ago, she remembers, “I knew nobody. I found The Children’s Place—it was heaven!”

TH E N EXT GENER A TION

Since 1978, however, the demographics of both Concord and TCP have shifted.

More two-parent families both work.

More children live in low income and moderate-income families. Mary Gile 62 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

Making hand crafted fine wines & meads from locally sourced fruit & honey since 2011. [ WINE TASTING & TOURS DAILY ]

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Unique hand crafted American made wine related gifts by Oglethorpe Fine Arts and Crafts at Hermit Woods and in the Mill Falls Market Place Route 3 & 25 • Meredith, NH • 603.279.9909 Clockwise from top: Teachers Christina and Heather enjoy the sunshine with a group of TCP children.

Sophia Walrath, whose family has recently moved to Concord from Russia, is one of many dual-language learning preschoolers at TCP. Volunteer Rachel Demers comes to play with the TCP children every week to fulfill her senior community service assignment at Bishop Brady High School.

states, “The Children’s Place offers access to all parents of children between two months and six years and serves an economically and ethnically diverse population of children.” And though fees are modest ($27 for an annual membership and $5 an hour for child care), no family is refused.

Carol Nelson, a perpetual volunteer and board member, says, “Many families live in stressful situations. They’re out of work, ill,

deployed overseas, or new to the United States.” Now, 18 percent of TCP children were born outside of the US, in Pakistan, India, Bhutan, and Nepal, for example.

Bhagi Bastola, a native of Nepal who has been in the US for five years, has praise for TCP. “There is nothing like this in Nepal,” she says. The mother of daughter Tapu, 10, with cerebral palsy and son Tushan, 2, Bhagi loves to come to TCP to talk with mothers of other children with special needs. “I come here for a break,” she says, caressing the face of her “Princess Tapu” in her wheelchair. “Having a special child is very tough. Here it is fun. I meet people.”

Though clientele backgrounds may have changed over four decades, the mission of The Children’s Place has not (see sidebar).

Mary Stuart Gile recognizes the change winter 2014/2015 | around concord 63

COMMON GROUND

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and emphasizes, “We need to make our board as diverse as our population.” This evolving leadership will draw from a strong legacy to create the next generation of advocacy for kids and caregivers. She invites community members interested in a one-year volunteer commitment on the board to contact The Children’s Place at (603) 224-9920.

In the meantime, events such as the grant-funded Literacy Night showcase networking at its finest. On this evening, the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF), the Concord Public Library, and local volunteers have collaborated. Other times, local agencies such as Child and Family Services offer coupons for free preschool hours. Parents of children with special needs coordinate with Community Bridges. “Together,” Mary Pasquariello says, “We weave a fabric of community.”

With a membership of 90 families, Carol Nelson explains, “We’re a community within a larger community.”

After the storytelling, Pam’s husband, Chris Jordan, helps Isabelle, 3, choose two books for her very own. Options range from classics like Make Way for Ducklings to recent titles. Books not chosen will be donated to TCP library, a gift from CLiF worth nearly $1,000. As the storyteller packs up, families linger.

No one rushes away. Everyone seems to know everyone else. Hefting Zoë who clutches her book bag, Pam says, “I just love this place!”

The Children’s Place and Parent Education Center 27 Burns Avenue Concord, NH (603) 224-9920 www.thechildrensplacenh.org

The mission of The Children’s Place is to enhance and strengthen families by offering support services, childcare and group play, parent education, and community outreach programs. We are a group of parents, children, and professionals who come together to articulate to the community respect for and understanding of children, as well as the importance of parenting.

64 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

SMART MONEY

|

B Y R O N VA L P E Y , C F P , A I F

Paying for College WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Total US student-loan debt now exceeds one trillion dollars, more than the total US credit card debt. College costs continue to outpace inflation, with no relief in sight, and navigating the process of paying for college is daunting at best. Following are a few critical components in the process; knowing them can make the process far less frustrating!

FA FS A A N D T H E P R O F I L E

The Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) and the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile Form (or simply the “Profile”) are applications used by colleges and universities to determine student-aid el-

igibility. The FAFSA is used by all schools to determine federal aid and by some schools to determine how their own funds (institutional aid) will be awarded. The Profile, far more detailed than the FAFSA, is used by approximately 400 private colleges and universities to determine institutional aid.

The FAFSA outcomes for federal-aid purposes are relatively uniform throughout the country. The FAFSA and Profile outcomes for institutional aid, however, can vary dramatically. Two otherwise identical schools may award the same federal aid under the FAFSA but completely different institutional aid under the FAFSA, Profile, and/or other assessments.

REPORTABLE V ER S US NONREPORTABLE A S S ETS A ND INC OM E

Various incomes and assets are considered differently for determining aid, with student income and assets generally counted at a higher rate than parents’ assets and incomes. Reportable assets include, among other things, parent and student taxable income, cash, savings, non-retirement investments, trust accounts, certain trust payments, real estate, tax-deductible retirement contributions in the year they’re made, UTMA or UGMA (Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) accounts, parent- or student-owned 529 college savings plans,

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SMART MONEY

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non-parent 529 distributions, and familyowned businesses (if owning more than 50 percent and employing more than 100 people).

Non-reportable assets and income include, among others, primary residences, automobiles, life insurance cash value, personal property, retirement plans, annuities, limited partnerships, 529s not owned by the parent or student, and certain untaxed income.

The asset and income review on the Profile form and other assessments can vary greatly from the FAFSA. The end result, regardless of the assessment utilized, will be the expected family contribution (EFC).

The EFC is the minimum amount that the school will expect to be paid out of pocket. Cost of attendance (COA) includes tuition, room and board, fees, textbooks, travel, personal, and other expenses. The COA minus the EFC results in the financial need (aid eligibility).

FEDERAL, STATE, AND INSTITUTIONAL AID

Federal aid comes in the form of loans, grants, scholarships, and work–study programs. State aid in New Hampshire, although very limited, includes grants and scholarships. Institutional aid is specific to the school and varies greatly, with the most desirable aid being grants and scholarships that are effectively tuition reductions, which—unlike loans—are essentially gifts that don’t have to be repaid.

66 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

SUBSIDIZED VERSUS UNSUBSIDIZED LOANS

While the student is in school, the interest due on subsidized loans is paid by the federal government, allowing the student to defer payments without accruing additional interest charges. Unsubsidized loans can also allow for payment deferral, but interest starts to accrue immediately upon the loan disbursement and eventually must be repaid.

N EED AN D MER IT A ID

Need aid is based on a student’s financial profile, while merit aid is based solely on the student’s academic performance without regard to financial need. Aid may also be based on need and merit or a wide array of other criteria. Athletic scholarships, for example, are often based both on need and merit as well as athletic ability. It’s not uncommon for an athletic scholarship to require that the recipient be able to continue playing competitively, avoid injury, and maintain a certain grade-point average.

This is just a basic introduction to a very complicated and complex process.

The best course of action is to learn about the process early, preferably at least two years in advance of admittance, since the FAFSA and other assessments may look back up to two years.

Ron Valpey is a fee-only Certified Financial PlannerTM professional, an Accredited Investment FiduciaryTM, and a registered investment advisor representative of Valpey Financial Services, LLC.

Voted New Hampshire’s ‘Best Burgers’ New Hampshire’s Capital City has big-time taste at Main Street’s Barley House Restaurant & Tavern. Barley House Burgers, which are all natural, ground fresh daily in-house, were voted best in the state by NH Magazine, Hippo Press, and Yankee Magazine. The Barley House features many local artisan producers including coffee roasters, bakers, and soda makers. We embrace the time-honored traditions of charcuterie with sausage making and bacon curing. We are committed to serving fresh fish that meets sustainable industry standards and best practices.

Yes, this all happens at The Barley House. Barley means beer, and our taps pour American craft beer as well as European classics. Food is fresh, beer is cold, and the service is W.O.W. $$

Key to Symbols $ most entrées under $10 $$ most entrées $10-$25 $$$ most entrées over $25

The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern 132 North Main Street Concord, NH (603) 228-6363 Mon–Sat 11am–1am, Closed Sun. www.thebarleyhouse.com

Dining & Entertainment Guide

Enjoy dining out at these great places in and around Concord.

WINTER 2014/2015 | around concord 67

Beyond the Menu

The Barley House

132 North Main Street, Concord, NH (603) 228-6363 The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern is Concord’s choice for top-notch food, microbrews, and Irish whiskey. The Barley House features upscale tavern food in a comfortable upbeat atmosphere. Located in historic downtown Concord. $$ Open daily; closed Sunday. www.barleyhouse.com

Hanover Street Chophouse

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING GUIDE FOR CONCORD AND THE SURROUNDING AREA

Tandy’s Top Shelf

Capital Deli

One Eagle Square (opposite the State House), Concord, NH (603) 856-7614 Tandy’s Top Shelf is the home of the longest and best Happy Hour in town! Tandy’s is all about great food, drinks, deals, entertainment, events, and atmosphere.

See you soon. $$ www.top-shelf.biz

2 Capital Plaza, Concord, NH (603) 228-2299 With their home-style cooking, Capital Deli offers a full breakfast as well as a variety of homemade soups, sandwiches, quiche, salads, and much more.

Capital Deli also offers catering throughout Concord. $ Mon–Fri 7am–3pm www.capitaldelillc.com

True Brew Barista

Granite Restaurant & Bar

149 Hanover Street, Manchester, NH (603) 644-2467 Enjoy fi ne dining at this exquisite downtown Manchester steakhouse featuring an urban-style bar, award-winning wine list, steaks, chops, fresh fi sh, and a variety of seafood. $$$ www.hanoverstreetchophouse.com

3 Bicentennial Square, Concord, NH (603) 225-2776 Concord’s Caffeination Destination, offering regular coffee with espressobased drinks as our specialty.

Enjoy music, a latte, beer, wine, or cordial. Nestled off Main Street in a beautiful park setting. $ www.truebrewbarista.com

Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano

Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse/ Sushi Bar & Lounge

11 Depot Street, Concord, NH (603) 228-3313 Angelina’s is a chef-owned restaurant located in downtown Concord featuring fi ne Italian dining. The menu has many choices such as delicious seafood, veal, pasta specialties, and house-made desserts plus an extensive wine list.

Reservations are recommended. $$$ www.angelinasrestaurant.com

Key to Symbols $ most entrées under $10 $$ most entrées $10-$25 $$$ most entrées over $25

118 Manchester Street, Concord, NH (603) 223-3301 Ichiban features 12 hibachi grills, where meals are prepared in front of you, a Japanese sushi bar, and the Koi Lounge with HD TVs. Happy Hour is Sun–Thu, 4–6pm with $2 drafts, half-price appetizers, and cocktails! $$ www.ichibanconcord.com

68 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

96 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH (603) 227-9000 Ext. 608 Concord’s creative and exciting dining alternative, offering off-site catering. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. Superb food and exquisite service put the “special” in your special occasion. $$$ www.graniterestaurant.com

arts &

entertainment theater

Through December 12 Exhibit: Shaker Traditions: Contemporary Translations Canterbury Shaker Village, www.shakers.org Through December 19 Exhibit: Melissa Anne Miller Opening reception: November 21, 5–7pm McGowan Fine Art Through December 24 Exhibit: Got More Art Talent Mill Brook Gallery

music

dance

lectures

art

p Shaker Traditions: Contemporary Translations, Through December 12, Canterbury Shaker Village. u Gable View by Melissa Anne Miller, Through December 19, McGowan Fine Art.

Through January 5 Exhibit: M. C. Escher: Reality and Illusion Currier Museum of Art, www.currier.org Through February 2 Exhibit: Amy Brnger and John Bonner LaBelle Winery, www.labellewinerynh.com

LOCAL VENUES Capitol Center for the Arts 44 South Main Street Concord, NH (603) 225-1111 www.ccanh.com

Concord City Auditorium 2 Prince Street Concord, NH (603) 228-2793 www.concordcityauditorium.org

McGowan Fine Art 10 Hills Avenue Concord, NH (603) 225–2515 www.mcgowanfineart.com

The Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden 36 Hopkinton Road Concord, NH (603) 226-2046 www.themillbrookgallery.com

winter 2014/2015 | around concord 69

DECEMBER

December 2 Nutrition & the Holidays Concord City Council Chambers, www.concordfoodcoop.coop/classes, 6–7pm December 5–6 Alchemists’ Workshop presents Tomie dePaola’s Las Posadas Theater at Pleasant View, dunn.t@comcast.net, 7pm Fri; 3 & 7pm Sat

Angelo

Angelo will take good care of you and your car!

• AAA Approved • Air Conditioning • Brake Work

• NAPA Auto Care Center • Diagnostic Evaluations • Radiators & Cooling

• Foreign & Domestic • Tune-ups/Oil Changes • Tires & Batteries

Angelo’s

Concord Car Care 603-224-9631 236 North Main Street • Concord, NH 03301

www.concordcarcare.com

December 6 An Epic Christmas Around the World Capitol Center for the Arts, 7pm December 6–7 Cindy Flanagan’s Concord Dance Academy Annual Holiday Spectacular Audi, 1 & 6pm Sat; 1pm Sun December 12–13 The Twelve Days of Christmas Capitol Center for the Arts, 6:30pm Fri; 2pm Sat December 13 Turning Pointe Center of Dance 32nd Annual Nutcracker Ballet Audi, 2pm December 14 Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Capitol Center for the Arts, 12pm December 14 Legend of Love Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm December 17, January 21 & February 18 Andrew Pinard: Discovering Magic Red River Theatres Simchik Cinema, www.redrivertheatres.org, 8pm December 19 New Hampshire School of Ballet’s The Nutcracker Audi, 7pm December 21 Capital Jazz Orchestra Small Group Holiday Variety Show Audi, 4pm December 21 Holiday Pops Variety Show Featuring the Capital Jazz Orchestra Small Group Capitol Center for the Arts, 4pm December 28 Skylight Capitol Center for the Arts, 2pm

JANUARY

January 3 Kate Gridley Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm January 4 La Bayadère Capitol Center for the Arts, 2pm 70 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

January 4 JOHN Capitol Center for the Arts, 6pm January 10 Laurie Berkner Capitol Center for the Arts, 11am

Four Generations of Dependable Expert Family Service

January 16 A Centennial Salute to “Old Blue Eyes,” Frank Sinatra Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm

Th anks to Our Loyal Customers We’re Celebrating Our

January 17 Lehar’s The Merry Widow Capitol Center for the Arts, 1pm January 20 The Lightning Thief Capitol Center for the Arts, 10am January 21 Ivy + Bean, The Musical Capitol Center for the Arts, 10am January 23 Su Lian Tan: When Music and Text Dance Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm January 25 The Amazing Nano Brothers Capitol Center for the Arts, 1pm January 26 To Kill a Mockingbird Capitol Center for the Arts, 10am January 27–February 13 Exhibit: Love, Lust & Desire Opening reception: January 30, 5–7pm McGowan Fine Art January 29 Pete Seeger: The Storm King Capitol Center for the Arts, 7pm

FEBRUARY

February 2 Offenbach’s Les Contes D’Hoffmann Capitol Center for the Arts, 6pm February 10 Swan Lake Capitol Center for the Arts, 7pm

75th Anniversary COMPLETE HVAC SYSTEMS • INCLUDING OIL, GAS, & SOLID FUEL SYSTEMS WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS & UV AIR PURIFICATION SYSTEMS “PURE COMFORT” HEATING OIL & PREMIUM PROPANE HVAC DESIGN, INSTALLATION, AND SERVICE FOR GAS & OIL ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SYSTEMS EMERGENCY STANDBY GENERATOR SALES, INSTALLATION, & SERVICE 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE PERFORMED BY NORA, EPA, & CETP CERTIFIED TECHNICAL EXPERTS AND NH LICENSED GAS TECHNICIANS

H.R. CLOUGH, INC.

76 PINE STREET, CONTOOCOOK, NH

603-746-3456 • WWW.HRCLOUGH.COM • 800-730-2426

Your Good Health Starts Here...

Quality Care by Caring Professionals

February 14 Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta / Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle Capitol Center for the Arts, 12:30pm February 15 Pirate School!

Capitol Center for the Arts, 1pm February 21 Arc Isis: On the Edge Series Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm February 22 Treasure Island Capitol Center for the Arts, 2pm

The Capitol Chiropractic Center Dr. Bryant Stevener, Chiropractor 501 South Street (Minutes from I-89 exit 1)

Bow, NH 03304

603-226-6430 winter 2014/2015 | around concord 71

CONCORD CHAT

|

BY MIKE MORIN

a moment with

Rosemary Heard PRESIDENT AND CEO, CATCH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING How did problems led by the real estate boom of the late 1980s help CATCH Neighborhood Housing create solutions for the community?

In the late ’80s, the cost of housing in Merrimack County was increasing exponentially, while incomes remained level. A visionary group of community leaders came together to address the issue, with the goal of developing rental housing that would be affordable for folks who couldn’t quite afford market-rate apartments, but who earned too much to qualify for public assistance. Since then, CATCH has worked to creatively address the problems facing individuals and families who fall into this category.

Does a strong real estate market today, with increasing affluence, create ongoing challenges CATCH continues to face?

Although overall incomes have gone up in our community, the disparity between the incomes of renters and homeowners grows even wider. The people we serve face just as many challenges today as they did in the late ’80s—perhaps even more so, as the costs of childcare, transportation, and groceries continue to increase.

Though the challenges remain, CATCH and its supporters work to remove as many obstacles as possible.

Why does pride of ownership make the Concord area a stronger community?

Without CATCH, many young families and working-class individuals would be unable to afford to live here. By working to ensure that opportunities exist for families at all income levels, we are able to bring vitality to the community that would not exist otherwise.

Crying is not an uncommon reaction when your clients realize they will become homeowners. Why is that?

The entire home-buying process is so emotionally taxing, and many of our clients are the first to own homes in their family. The joy, happiness, and relief in finally realizing an American dream is truly overwhelming! The clients we work with often have many months and sometimes years of work to do before they are able to purchase a home. Realizing that dream is truly an accomplishment!

Tim Sink, president of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, called you “the heart of Concord.” What do you enjoy most about Concord during your time off?

Experiencing Concord’s best at Market Days, the Arts Market, and the various volunteer activities that are always going on is a real treat. And I would never turn down a meeting at the Granite Restaurant! They cater all our fundraising events and are fabulous. V

72 find around concord at www.aroundconcordnh.com

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