Hippo 12-19-19

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DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019

BREWS TO MAKE THE SEASON SPECIAL

INSIDE: NEW YEAR’S EVE DINING

2 GRANITE VIEWS ALLYSON RYDER

Silent night

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Christmas Eve First Congregational Church

An Open & Affirming Congregation

508 Union St., Manchester (Corner of Union & Hanover)

4:30pm - Family Service 8:00pm - Candlelight with music by Chancel Choir & Sabbath Bells

Rev. Kevin Pleas, Senior Pastor Adam Peithmann, Director of Music www.FCCManchesterNH.org 129120

HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 2

Despite my regular church attendance throughout the first decade of my life, I do not consider myself a practicing Christian. I even struggle to call myself spiritual, but this time of year I feel challenged in denying that part of me.

Memories of Christmas Eve services with soft candles, beautiful hymns and family connection tug at my soul. “Silent Night” stands out because when the lights went off, all you could see was the soft flicker of candles illuminating the pews. Despite it being part of the title of my favorite Christmas song, silence is not always a beautiful thing.

Being raised Congregational, I cannot truly recall a sermon that denounced homosexuality, and, conversely, never one that supported it. Now, as an “out” adult, I find myself grappling with the church’s role in bringing oppression to the LGBTQ community, either through outright teachings or through complacency in the face of hate. I see the number of churches with rainbow flags increasing exponentially but there is still a mistrust, on my part, about the genuineness of all their efforts; I know only time and a continued solidarity can heal these wounds.

Through this reflection, I am able to recognize the deep damage that can take place through choosing silence in the face of hate.

Difficult as it may be, speaking up against injustices works to quiet the messages meant to bring about harm. Unfortunately, all too often, I see our leaders remain quiet in moments when their voices would prove to be powerful weapons against those working to divide us.

For me, one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s most heart wrenching quotes is, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” In several religious teachings, there are many instances explicitly labeling LGBTQ individuals as “wrong.” Based on this, I could only see myself as someone unworthy of love in the eyes of God, and so I left the church.

I often wonder if I would have stayed had I heard more sermons and seen more efforts outright naming my community by speaking about it from a place of love and acceptance.

As hard as it is, we all have a role in questioning the narratives being fed to us about who does and does not belong. I, too, have allowed fear to quiet my voice, and it never feels good. If I’ve learned anything from this, it’s that we must demonstrate our commitment to loving one another by speaking out and up against injustices.

Allyson Ryder works across New Hampshire, addressing issues around diversity, equity and inclusion, in various professional and volunteer capacities. She can be reached via email at almryder@outlook. com.

DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 VOL 19 NO 51

News and culture weekly serving Metro southern New Hampshire Published every Thursday (1st copy free; 2nd $1).

195 McGregor St., Suite 325, Manchester, N.H. 03102 P 603-625-1855 F 603-625-2422 hippopress.com email: news@hippopress.com

ON THE COVER 12 BEER FOR YOUR HOLIDAY Local brewers are celebrating the season with special brews. Check out what’s on tap for a limited time, plus find traditional beers with flavors that are perfect for the holidays.

ALSO ON THE COVER, see Christmas through the eyes of an elf in Santaland Diaries, p.

22. Take the whole family to Merrimack’s Anheuser-Busch Biergarten for its annual Brewery Lights celebration, p. 26. And make reservations for your New Year’s Eve meal, p. 36.

EDITORIAL Executive Editor Amy Diaz, adiaz@hippopress.com Managing Editor Meghan Siegler, msiegler@hippopress.com, Ext. 113 Editorial Design Tristan Collins hippolayout@gmail.com Copy Editor Lisa Parsons, lparsons@hippopress.com Staff Writers Angie Sykeny asykeny@hippopress.com, Ext. 130 Matt Ingersoll mingersoll@hippopress.com, Ext. 152 Travis R. Morin tmorin@hippopress.com Contributors Jennifer Graham, Henry Homeyer, Michele Pesula Kuegler, Dave Long, Jeff Mucciarone, Eric W. Saeger, Michael Witthaus Listings Arts listings: arts@hippopress.com Inside/Outside listings: listings@hippopress.com Food & Drink listings: food@hippopress.com Music listings: music@hippopress.com

BUSINESS Publisher Jody Reese, Ext. 121 jreese@hippopress.com Associate Publisher Dan Szczesny Associate Publisher Jeff Rapsis, Ext. 123 jrapsis@hippopress.com Production Tristan Collins, Nicole Reitano-Urquhart, Rachel Stone Circulation Manager Doug Ladd, Ext. 135 dladd@hippopress.com Advertising Manager Charlene Nichols, Ext. 126 ccesarini@hippopress.com Account Executives Alyse Savage, 603-493-2026 asavage@hippopress.com Katharine Stickney, Ext. 144 kstickney@hippopress.com Roxanne Macaig, Ext. 127 rmacaig@hippopress.com Tammie Boucher, support staff, Ext. 150 To place an ad call 625-1855, Ext. 126 For Classifieds dial Ext. 150 or e-mail classifieds@hippopress.com Unsolicited submissions will not be returned or acknowledged and will be destroyed.

Opinions expressed by columnists do not represent the views of the Hippo or its advertisers.

INSIDE THIS WEEK

NEWS & NOTES 4 Your library card can get you ebooks, but the wait for some titles may have gotten longer; PLUS News in Brief.

7 Q&A 8 QUALITY OF LIFE INDEX 10 SPORTS THIS WEEK 20 THE ARTS: 22 THEATER The Santaland Diaries.

23 CLASSICAL Curtain Call; listings for events around town.

24 ART Local Color; listings for events around town.

INSIDE/OUTSIDE: 27 KIDDIE POOL Family fun events this weekend.

28 GARDENING GUY Henry Homeyer offers advice on your outdoors.

32 CAR TALK Automotive advice.

CAREERS: 34 ON THE JOB What it’s like to be a...

FOOD: 36 NEW YEAR’S EATS The Nutrition Corner; In the Kitchen; Weekly Dish; Beer; From the Pantry.

POP CULTURE: 44 REVIEWS CDs, books, TV and more. Amy Diaz has a merry Black Christmas and a basically happy new Jumanji: The Next Level (also, Richard Jewell).

NITE: 52 BANDS, CLUBS, NIGHTLIFE Studio 54; Nightlife, music & comedy listings and more.

53 ROCK AND ROLL CROSSWORD A puzzle for the music-lover.

54 MUSIC THIS WEEK Live music at your favorite bars and restaurants.

ODDS & ENDS: 60 CROSSWORD 61 SIGNS OF LIFE 61 SUDOKU 62 NEWS OF THE WEIRD

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NEWS & NOTES

Charter funds denied In a party-line vote, State House Democrats on the state’s legislative Fiscal Committee blocked the first $10 million installment of a $46 million federal grant aimed at expanding the number of charter schools in New Hampshire. In a Dec. 13 press statement, Joint Fiscal Committee Chair Rep. Mary Jane Wallner (D-Concord), warning that accepting the grant’s funding for charter school start-up costs could leave Granite State taxpayers on the hook for the operational costs that follow, said the state should instead focus on supporting “our existing traditional public schools and charter schools, work to reduce the 1,000 open enrollment spots and waiting lists at existing charter schools, and protect New Hampshire taxpayers.”

House Republicans disapproved of the Democrats’ rejection of the federal aid, with House GOP Leader Rep. Dick Hinch (R-Merrimack) calling the move “short-sighted, irresponsible and damaging to our education system” in a news release from the House Republican Caucus. Gov. Chris Sununu also decried the Fiscal Committee’s rejection of the grant, saying in a release that the vote “sickened” him, and challenging Democrats to explain their vote to every single student.

Politics This Week

• Michael Bennet: Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet will be in New Hampshire for a town hall on Friday, Dec. 20, according to the campaign. The town hall will be hosted by Open Democracy Action and Equal Citizens at Hilltop Golf Course and Function Hall (49 High St., Peterborough) at 2:30 p.m. Visit michaelbennet.com.

• Tulsi Gabbard: Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will hold a town hall in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 19, according to the campaign. The town hall will take place at 6 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester.) Visit tulsi2020.com.

• Tom Steyer: Philanthropist Tom Steyer will return to the Granite State on Saturday, Dec. 21, for a handful of events, according to the campaign. Steyer will hold a meet and greet at Crotched Mountain School (1 Verney Drive, Greenfield) at 1:30 p.m. before heading to Nashua to speak at a town hall hosted by Open Democracy Action and Equal Citizens at Hilltop at Nashua

Spending plan approved On Dec. 9, members of Manchester’s Board of School Committee voted to approve Superintendent of Schools John Goldhardt’s recommended spending plan for $3.25 million in state funds earmarked for Manchester schools from the state’s biennium budget compromise. According to a video of the committee’s Dec. 9 meeting, Goldhardt recommended that $665,000 go into the district’s expendable trust, $400,000 go toward a professionally supported reading program, $4,200 for the DIBELS early grades reading assessment, $1.4 million for the addition of three professional learning days for teachers and $780,000 to train all teaching staff trained in the Kagan cooperative learning program. Goldhardt placed particular emphasis on the professional learning days. The recommended spending plan was rejected by members Ross Teirro, Jimmy Lehoux and Rich Girard, the latter of whom expressed his desire that the funds be spent to update Wi-Fi security measures in schools rather than used to fund temporary development days.

4 part of a $1,522,808 million grant from the Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund. The dollars come courtesy of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Wetlands Protection and Stream Restoration Grant program, which aims to achieve “no net loss of wetland functions and values from development projects.” In a Dec. 11 news release, the department announced that $233,700 would go toward protecting the 130-acre Campbell Hill Preserve in Francestown, $250,000 would be used to upgrade a stream crossing in New Boston, $300,000 to permanently protect 220 acres in the Massabesic Lake watershed in Candia, $500,000 to permanently protect a 274-acre parcel in Mason, $104,108 to protect 10 acres of riparian buffer and upland forests in Francestown and $135,000 to replace a culvert on Seaver Brook in Plaistow.

Concord-based Merrimack County Savings Bank is in the midst of its annual Mitten Tree Drive aimed at collecting cold-weather apparel for those less fortunate. According to a news release, the bank will evenly divide donations of $2 for every clothing item they collect to Friends of Forgotten Children, the Hopkinton Food Pantry, the Hooksett Food Pantry and the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter.

CONCORD

Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway distributed grants to Queen City nonprofits last week as part of its annual Speedway Children’s Charities initiative. In a Dec. 10 news release, officials from the Speedway announced that portions of the $55,375 total donations were given to the Granite YMCA, the Manchester Community Music School, the Webster House and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

New Hampshire’s first LEED Platinum certified office building in Bedford has become one step greener.

In a news release from New HampHooksett shire-based solar installer ReVision Energy, the company announced it had installed an 80-panel rooftop solar array at SullivanGoffstown Construction in Bedford that will generate approximately 28,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity and offset 29,000 pounds MANCHESTER of carbon pollution each year.

Bedford

Derry Route 8 Manchester is offering free bus service along Merrimack covering downtown Manchester, the businesses along South Willow Street and the Mall of New Hampshire during Milford the holiday season. The route Londonderry will make all six stops along its route (the Downtown Manchester Doubletree Hotel, Michaels/Burlington Coat Factory Plaza on South Willow Street, Walmart on Gold Street, the Mall of New Hampshire, NASHUA South Willow Street and Weston Road and Downtown Manchester) free of charge until Dec. 31, according to a press release from the office of Mayor Joyce Craig.

Amherst

Climate letter Ahead of last week’s United Nations climate talks in Madrid, Spain, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen dispatched a formal letter to President Donald Trump expressWetlands protection Six conservation projects in ing their concern and opposition from the Paris Climate Agreethe Merrimack River watershed to the administration’s intent ment. Noting the United States’ have received state funding as to withdraw the United States status as both the largest emitter and largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, the senators said it was “imperative” that the Unitarian Universalist Church (58 New Hampshire, South CaroliU.S. assume its “rightful place Lowell St., Nashua) at 6 p.m. On na and Nevada. Seven candidates in the fight to combat climate Monday, Dec. 23, Steyer will speak have qualified to participate in the change.” The letter went on to at the Politics and Eggs speakers debate: Massachusetts Sen. Elizareference more than 2,200 Amerseries at the New Hampshire Insti- beth Warren, Minnesota Sen. Amy ican businesses, 400 municipal tute of Politics (100 St Anselm Dr., Klobuchar, Vermont Sen. Bernie mayors and 24 state governors Manchester). Visit tomsteyer.com. Sanders, former Vice President Joe And in other 2020 news …

The sixth Democratic debate of the 2020 presidential campaign is slated to take place on Thursday, Dec. 19, at 8 p.m. It will be co-hosted by Politico and PBS NewsHour at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Carrying the most rigorous set of qualification requirements yet, the Democratic National Committee required candidates to have collected 200,000 unique campaign contributions (including a minimum of 800 contributions per state in at least 20 states) and to have achieved at least 4 percent in at least four DNC-sanctioned national polls and/or 6 percent support in two DNC-sanctioned polls in Iowa,

HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 4

Biden, tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and philanthropist Tom Steyer. According to Politico, the debate will be broadcast live on all PBS stations, simulcast on CNN and streamed on PBS.com, Politico.com, CNN.com and all CNN and PBS apps for iOS, Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire.

Find out where to see the 2020 presidential primary candidates — as well as maybe-candidates, former candidates and people who want to talk about candidates — each week in our Politics This Week listing. If you know of a candidate meet-up or other event, let us know at politics@hippopress.com.

for...

GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU

Gov. Chris Sununu was recognized for his “leadership on the affordable housing issue” when he was awarded the Housing Action New Hampshire Home Matters in NH Award by Housing Action NH at the group’s annual Stakeholder Forum on Dec. 11. In a Dec. 11 release from the governor’s office, Sununu referenced the work of the bipartisan housing task force he assembled this past October, calling the task force “the first of many as we work to provide more Granite Staters with a place to call home at an affordable price.”

who have declared their intent to uphold the clean energy and sustainability goals of the Paris Agreement. While the Trump administration said it intended to work with Democrats to negotiate back into the Paris Agreement under terms that were “fair to the United States and its workers,” the letter states that senators have “yet to see any action that honors that agreement.”

SNOW MISERS

for...

While some are undoubtedly happy to see a healthy dose of snow so close to Christmas, Granite Staters who detest shoveling, scraping and driving through the white stuff were in for another bout of grief when a snow storm was scheduled to have dumped two to six inches of snow on the state throughout the day on Dec. 17. According to the National Weather Service, the snow preceded a stretch of cold temperatures, with wind chills expected to be below zero on Thursday, Dec. 19.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 5

6 NEWS

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Ebook embargo

Library officials conflicted over ebook policy

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By Travis R. Morin

tmorin@hippopress.com

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Library patrons across the state hoping to borrow a new or popular ebook can often expect to wait as long as two months for the title to become available, according to Susan Brown, assistant director of the Derry Public Library. But for books from Macmillan Publishers like Saskia Sarginson’s The Wonderful, Jeffery Rosen’s Conversations with RBG and Me by Elton John, the wait is about to get even longer.

In November, Macmillan, one of the nation’s five largest book publishers whose books include works of fiction and nonfiction for adults and children alike, announced new licensing policies for all ebooks sold to libraries. While the publisher previously allowed libraries to immediately purchase licenses for newly released ebooks, the new policy would enact an eight-week embargo on ebook license purchases for all new titles.

The embargo has drawn sharp pushback on a nationwide scale from many library officials, including the Bedford Public Library, which announced that it was joining the New Hampshire Library Association and the American Library Association in a protest of the rule change.

“We realize that readers will not have timely access to digital copies of some popular Macmillan titles and authors,” the Bedford Library wrote in a statement. “We believe this unfair model goes against everything libraries stand for: equitable access to information.”

Other state libraries have taken a sharper stand, with Manchester City Library saying it plans to purchase fewer Macmillan ebooks and the Concord Public Library confirming that it plans to halt purchases from Macmillan altogether.

“Because of what Macmillan did, Concord library, in addition to a lot of larger libraries, have decided not to buy additional copies for Macmillan titles,” said Concord library director Todd Fabian. “So we probably have long holds for Macmillan titles because we haven’t been taking those queues down since they went live with this on Nov. 1.”

The negative reception prompted John Sargent, Macmillan’s Chief Executive Officer, to

release a letter to librarians explaining that the embargo, or “winnowing,” as he dubbed it, was a necessary response to a decrease in the perceived value of books driven by “the very rapid increase in the borrowing of e-books.”

“In the pre-digital world reading for free from libraries was part of the business model. To borrow a book in those days required transportation, returning the book, and paying those pesky fines when you forgot to get them back on time,” Sargent wrote. “In today’s digital world there is no such friction in the market. As the development of apps and extensions continues, and as libraries extend their reach statewide as well as nationally, it is becoming ... easier to borrow rather than buy.”

Macmillan vice president of communications Erin Coffee declined to provide additional comment on the new policy.

Macmillian’s new policy will now allow libraries to purchase one perpetual use (i.e. a permanent license) ebook for every new title.

Previously, public libraries were required to renew licenses after two years or 52 individual lends, whichever came first.

The cost to renew an ebook can vary widely by title and publisher, according to Fabian, who says a permanent license for a “beach read” can cost as little as $8, while a temporary license for a new or popular title can run anywhere from $50 to $115.

“Certainly right now, library users and patrons are being treated different than you would as a consumer,” Fabian said. “You can buy an ebook much cheaper on your device ... through Amazon or whatever than we can at the ... library.”

For this reason, Bobbi Slossar, the State Library’s Technology Resource Librarian, says Macmillian’s policy change should be at least partially welcomed, noting that perpetual licenses would be an asset to public libraries who she says have increasingly devoted more of their collection-building funding to relicensing of existing ebooks than purchasing of new print titles.

“We are disappointed about [the embargo], but we do welcome the single ownership model for that one single copy,” Slossar said. “It’s a step forward compared to other publishers who don’t offer that.”

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 6

Borrowing an ebook begins in much the same way that borrowing a print book does: getting your own library card from your local public library.

While almost all of the state’s public libraries participate in the New Hampshire Downloadable Book Service — a collaboration between the state library and approximately 205 local public libraries that manages the state’s shared ebook library — through the Overdrive app, some libraries pay extra for other downloadable book service app platforms like Hoopla in order to access additional ebook licenses that help to reduce the wait times in their hold queue for new and popular titles.

In order to access these ebooks, users must download the free apps for whichever platform

their library uses onto their phones, Kindles or other electronic devices. The app for the New Hampshire Downloadable Book Service is called “Overdrive” or “Libby by Overdrive”; once you download it, select your local public library and input your library card information, you can immediately download books that are available, or place yourself into a queue for a title that’s currently out of stock. Once an ebook in your queue becomes available, you’ll receive an email notification that will allow you to download the ebook.

Lending times can vary, but Bobbi Slossar, the State Library’s Technology Resource Librarian, says they tend to average about two weeks — after which the title will disappear from your device.

7 NEWS & NOTES Q&A

Circle of support

Helping keep families in crisis together Delia Martinez was a single mother of three when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. In dire need of emergency surgery, Martinez found her way to Bethany Christian Services’ Safe Families for Children, an initiative that seeks to provide an alternative to foster care by providing parents in crisis with local host families to temporarily care for their children. Bethany began operating the program in 2008 and has since provided over 10,000 hostings across the country, according to Bethany spokeswoman Courtney Price. Martinez, as well as Jan Lessard Peightell, director of Bethany’s Candia branch, and Cindy Thomas, the Candia branch’s coordinator for Safe Families for Children, talk more about the program.

What can you tell me about the Safe Families for Children Program?

CT: In New Hampshire we started in 2015, and it’s really about loving your neighbor. It’s a church-led ministry that helps pull together people within the church to form what we call a circle of support that becomes an extended family-like support to other families that have no support, are isolated and are facing a crisis. That could be things like homelessness, a medical crisis like cancer, substance abuse, joblessness or any number of crises that might come up.

them know that they’re not alone through the crisis. We do not require them to meet certain goals, but we do mentor and coach them about setting goals, and we do help to connect them with other community agencies that have additional supports.

Delia, what was the experience like for you while you were separated from your children?

DM: They actually stayed in contact with me. [The host mother] would video chat me throughout the day and every single night with the kids. Safe Families also helped me as a believer. In the time that I was going through this cancer treatment, I had to have multiple surgeries and I was scared I was going to die.

I went into such a deep depression and started shutting everybody out, but Safe Families kept reaching out to me in order to help me keep my faith in God, to keep fighting and to stay focused on my kids. I can’t tell you how many times that picked me up when I was really, really down and wishing for it to be over.

How so?

CT: The idea is to have people within the church step up as volunteers to be host families, to be church ministry leads who help coordinate within their own church and communities, [to be] family friends to mentor or provide child care and transportation and [to be] resource friends that provide things like beds, clothes, gas cards and other help that What do you think the benefits of this are is needed. The family would no longer be on over a traditional foster home experience? their own, which helps the family stabilize JP: Our whole program is based on the prethrough that crisis so the children can remain safely home and not have to go into foster care. ventive factors and working to reduce the number of adverse child experiences like incidences of abuse and neglect that can lead a To what degree is DCYF involved?

JP: They are sometimes involved because child to have to go into foster care. So we’re they refer to us for this program. If they’ve giving parents a way to come to us up front and screened out a family and know that a family say, ‘We need some help,’ rather than waiting needs help but does not rise to the level where until the point where a family is in deep crithe children are at risk, they may call Bethany. sis and other people are involved by calling the We are mandated reporters, so if we have chil- state to report major concerns. dren in care through the safe families program and the biological parents want their child returned to them, which they can [request] at any time ... if we believe there is a risk, we have to tell the families that we need to report to the state in order to make sure the children are safe.

What was your role in this, Cindy?

CT: Well I was the one who did the intake with [Delia] and helped to match them up with the host family that worked with them. There were obviously a couple different times her children were hosted, as she had several crises come up, so we came alongside and helped Are there goals that the parents have to with it along the way. make prior to the children returning from the How do you think this would have played host family? out if you hadn’t had access to Safe Families?

CT: Safe Families is really unique in this. In DM: I have absolutely no idea. I don’t Safe Families, our program is voluntary and know what I would have done with my chilunconditional, and that’s one of the things that dren.

I wouldn’t have been able to have surgery we really stress with all of our volunteers. It’s because I had absolutely nobody to help me. not about us requiring them to do certain things So I don’t know — maybe the cancer would in order to get help, it’s about us unconditionhave spread further. ally loving them, providing support and letting — Travis R. Morin

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 7

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Disabled Granite Staters get helping hand

New Hampshire seniors will benefit from home automation smart technology like voice-activated appliances thanks to a contribution from law firm Shaheen and Gordon. In a Dec. 10 news release, the firm said it would be using its sixth annual Day of Action Movement to partner with Granite State Independent Living to fund the development of voice-activated light and climate control technology for “victims of catastrophic injuries” as a way to help medical professionals prepare patients for life after discharge. Shaheen and Gordon representatives delivered the systems to Granite State Independent Living offices in Manchester, Concord and Dover on Dec. 6. According to the release, the firm hopes the technology will allow disabled users and their families to “be better positioned to utilize ‘smart home’ technology as they adapt to their new normal.”

Score: +1 Comment: According to the release, the Day of Action Movement is an initiative by the nation’s leading plaintiff attorneys to “make a difference in their local communities.”

HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 8

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Children of Fallen Patriots, a nationwide organization dedicated to providing educational scholarships to individuals who lost a parent in active duty military service, has received a five-figure contribution from a nonprofit composed of Navy Seals. On Dec. 10, Swim With a Mission, a Granite State-based nonprofit dedicated to aiding organizations that help veterans, distributed $25,000 to representatives from New Hampshire Supports Children of Fallen Patriots.

Score: +1 Comment: In a statement, Swim With a Mission founder Phil Taub said his organization’s $25,000 contribution aims to make “a difference in the lives of many” and advance “the chance for a stronger and better life for a child.”

According to a Dec. 11 news release from the New England Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in the Boston Metropolitan Area (which includes southern New Hampshire) rose by nearly an entire percent over the last two months alone. According to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, prices in the Boston metro area increased by 0.7 percent in Nov 2019. As the report details, the increase was driven largely by a 5.7 percent spike in energy prices. The data shows that Boston prices went up by 2.1 percent over the last 12 months, which is the same rate of increase nationwide.

Score: -1 Comment: According to the release, Boston has the fifth-lowest annual rate of inflation (2.1 percent) of the 12 metropolitan areas for which inflation measures are available this month.

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The Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock has announced a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester to bring a nationally recognized leadership development curriculum to the Boys & Girls Club. In a Dec. 11 news release, Dartmouth-Hitchcock dedicated itself to a multi-year investment to cover the cost of travel, training and membership in the Leader in Me program, defined on LeaderInMe.org as an “evidence-based, comprehensive-school improvement model … that empowers students with the leadership and life skills they need to thrive in the 21st century.” Boys & Girls Club first launched the program this fall and plans to eventually train other youth-focused organizations in the curriculum, the release said.

Score: +1 Comment: According to Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s release, Leader In Me is in 4,000 schools across the world, and Boys & Girls Club will be the first afterschool program in New England to offer the curriculum.

QOL score: 87 Net change: +2 QOL this week: 89 What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 9

10 SPORTS DAVE LONG’S LONGSHOTS

Will Bills come due on Sunday?

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Welcome to the first playoff game of 2019 for your New England Patriots. OK, with both teams already having clinched a spot in the NFL playoffs, Saturday’s game vs. the Buffalo Bills is not technically a playoff game.

But it still has major implications for seeding and home field advantage in the playoffs and is thus their biggest game of the season. Even more significant is it’s for the AFC East title. Who besides me saw this game coming down to that? OK, that’s a bit of a stretch. I never said that, but I did say in the season preview Buffalo was much better than most thought and likely headed to the playoffs. Those who didn’t believe me were looking at 20 years of futility and last year’s 6-10 record, while I thought there were well coached, was impressed with their D last year and knew they had an easy schedule. Though I will admit they’re better than I expected.

That leads us to Saturday’s big game.

Here’s a preview.

Meaning of the On to Cincinnati Game: I don’t take too much from the 34-10 beating of the Bengals. Didn’t particularly care for the same slow start by the defense that put them in big holes vs. Baltimore and Houston. Plus they got gashed by tailback Joe Mixon all through the first half. While they did have their best running day of the year, it came against the 32nd-ranked defense at stopping the run and overall the offense had just one long sustained drive while Tom Brady threw for just 128 yards.

The Goat: Given his awful protection, little separation his receivers get, the black hole at tight end and below average running attack, it’s hard to tell how much the offensive issues have to do with any Brady decline. But his uncharacteristic inaccuracy suggests otherwise, where he’s

completed 55 percent or less of his passes in eight of the last nine games and vs. the Bills in Week 4 it was 45.9 percent.

Week 4 Game: The offensive woes first showed themselves here. The pressure was on Brady from the first snap leading to throw for just 150 yards and a most un-Brady-like pick in the end zone from inside the 10. They ran for 74 on 17 carries. Frank Gore pounded the D for 109 yards. But they also got four picks to keep the Bills at bay for most of the game and special teams had a blocked punt and scored the decisive TD. Then, the 16-10 final seemed like winning while playing a bad game, but it actually was a statement for how good the Bills might be.

Buffalo Coaching: Sean McDermott is a very good coach who probably deserves Coach of the Year. But get ready for him complaining on almost every call. His team never does anything wrong. Every penalty against Buffalo is a bad call, the ground always causes their fumbles, his receivers always get both feet down in bounds on sideline catches and the other guys don’t. It was like that all through the Week 4 game in Buffalo. It translates to a competitive team, but his act is really annoying.

Buffalo Defense: They average three sacks per and put a lot of pressure on the QB. They have a very good secondary that plays tight at the line of scrimmage.

They’ll pack the box with up to nine guys to stop the run and/or force Brady to throw quickly to avoid sacks. Sound familiar?

They’re in the Top 3 with the Pats, 49ers and Bills in points and yards allowed, so unless turnovers play a big role this will be a rock fight.

Buffalo Offense: They’re on pace to run for 2,000 yards, which after Mixon ran for 136 and seeing what Lamar Jackson, Nick Chubb and others have done to them should be concerning. The passing game isn’t dynamic, and while I don’t think Josh Allen is another Jack Kemp just yet, he’s

athletic enough to have one of those games to beat you. Plus after throwing three picks before getting knocked silly on a scramble in the first game, he’s only thrown three since, so he’s learning to take care of the ball.

Stakes for Buffalo: Since they have been down for so long they’re huge. Yes, they were in the playoffs two years ago, but that was after a 9-7 lucky to be there one-and-done season. But this one is not only for the division title, it’s to take down the mighty Patriots dynasty with it. That’s major prestige and makes this the franchise’s biggest game since 1999’s Music City Miracle that started all the misery in Buffalo. Expect them to be motivated and ready.

Patriots Game Keys: (1) Field position – they don’t put many long drives together so the defense and special teams need to provide short fields and force Buffalo into long drives for scores. (2) Deep shots – whether with trick plays or traditional ways they need to hit down the field early to stop Buffalo DB’s from crowding the line. If it leads to some three and outs so be it. (3) Third receiving option – someone must help loosen things for Julian Edelman and James White. (4) Turnovers – they must win this battle. (5) Defensive or Special Teams TD – like the first meeting this might be needed.

Impact on Pats: A win clinches the AFC East, but they’ll still need to beat Miami for the 2-seed bye and home field in Week 2. A loss ties them at 11-4 and brings in tie-breakers to settle the division. The first two are head-to-head and division records, which would both be tied if the Pats beat Miami in Week 17. Third is conference record. A loss drops New England to 7-4 and Buffalo would be 8-3. So if they beat the Jets in the final week the AFC East goes to them.

Bottom line: The Patriots must win or they’re playing on Wild Card weekend.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress. com.

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11 SPORTS DAVE LONG’S PEOPLE, PLACES & OTHER STUFF

Bauer first team All-American The Big Story – Honors: Bedford’s Josh Bauer became the first player ever from the U to be named first team All-American in soccer, scoring four goals and handing out five assists in 2019. It was the latest in a host of awards for him in 2019 that includes being ECAC Player of the Year for a second straight season and being a semi-finalist for the Hermann Trophy given to the nation’s top soccer player. The junior was a second-teamer a year ago.

Sports 101: Last week ageless Atlanta Hawks guard Vince Carter became the fifth person to play in 1,500 NBA games. Name the other four.

Injured List: Ryan Griffin of the Litchfield Griffins got an early end to his season when the Jets put the burly tight end on IR. He went there with an ankle injury before Thursday’s game with Baltimore with a stat line of 34 catches for 320 yards and five TD’s.

Good Fans Note of the Week: It comes from polite fans in Canada of course, where instead of booing returning Kwahi Leonard for leaving town as a free agent, they showed their apprecia-

The Numbers

3.2 – seconds remaining when Danny Evans hit the game-winning shot as St. Anselm came back from 5 down with two minutes to play to beat Thomas Jefferson University 71-70 on Saturday.

17 – average points per game margin of victory for the fourth-ranked-nationally St. Anselm women’s basketball team as they won their first six games of the year when they are

tion with chants of “M-V-P” for leading Toronto to its only NBA title last June.

Ditto for the warm reception Al Horford got during his return to TD Garden with the 76ers on Thursday.

Sports 101 Answer: The 42-year-old Vince Carter, who will become the first NBA-er to play in four decades in January, joins all-time games player leader Robert Parish (1,611), Lew Alcindor/ Kareem Abdul Jabbar (1,560), Dirk Nowitzki (1,522) and John Stockton (1,504) in the 1,500 Games Played club.

On This Day – Dec. 19: 1980 – The Hollywood boxing epic Raging Bull starring soon to be Oscar winner Robert DeNiro as wayward middleweight champ Jake LaMotta hits theaters across the U.S. 1986 – Michael Sergio, who parachuted into Shea Stadium during the fateful Game 6 of the World Series, is sentenced to 100 hours of community service and fined a whopping $500. 1991 – NY Yankees pitcher Steve Howe (how many times) is arrested for cocaine possession, though we’re not sure which of his seven or eight lifetime suspensions this arrest led to.

averaging 82.7 points per game and allowing just 65.7.

21 – I shall return statement points for Derryfield’s Emily Plage in her first game back after a year on the injured list in a 47-25 D-field rout of Epping to move to 2-1 on the year.

36 – combined points scored by Ava Woodman (24) and Sofie Fune to lead the Concord High hoopsters to an opening day 52-32 win over Salem.

100 – points scored by J.J. Culver of Wayland Baptist by going 34-62 from the field and 20-27 from the free throw line in a 124-60 win over Southern Adventist in a NAIA game played someplace in Texas last week.

999 – career point total for St. Anselm leading scorer (the other) Chris Paul after he had a gamehigh 25 points in the aforementioned win over Thomas Jefferson.

Sports Glossary

Jack Kemp: Seven-time All-Star and 1965 MVP during the good old days of the 1960s AFL, where he led Buffalo to two AFL titles. That puts him in a battle with Doug Flutie for second on the Buffalo Bills’ all-time QB list behind Jim Kelly. After that it was on to being a supply side Reaganomics congressman from upstate New York, Housing Secretary under Bush the father, and losing GOP VP candidate in 1996.

Music City Miracle: On the kickoff after going down 16-13 with 16 seconds left in the 1999 playoffs, Tennessee tight end Frank Wycek chucks an alleged lateral 30 yards across the field to Kevin Dyson, who then runs 75 yards down the sideline for a miracle TD to stun the entire stadium. In Nashville it’s the Music City Miracle, but I call it the Curse of Doug Flutie, because if Coach Wade Phillips doesn’t pull the Doofus Move of benching his season-long starter Doug Flutie, Buffalo wins going away.

Wade Phillips Doofus Move: The coach somehow benches height-challenged Flutie in favor of physical prototype QB Rob ‘he’s tall, he’s got a big arm’ Johnson to start the Wild Card game vs. the Titans. He goes 10-22 for 134 yards and no TD’s as Buffalo loses on a final play miracle. In payment from the football gods for the doofus move, the Bills are a punchline for 20 years and haven’t won a playoff game since.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 11

12

BREWS TO MAKE THE SEASON SPECIAL

By Jeff Mucciarone food@hippopress.com

“It’s got a cork? And it’s a beer?”

My brothers-in-law looked incredulous, a little hesitant, and maybe even a little scared, as I returned from the deck on Thanksgiving with a chilled bottle of Curieux from Allagash Brewing Co., which is based in Portland, Maine. At 750ml and with a cork much like that of a Champagne bottle, this was clearly a different animal.

A number of us had just split a variHIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 12

ety of double IPAs over the course of Thanksgiving afternoon and I thought it was time to shake things up.

I told them Curieux is a Belgian tripel and in this case it is a golden ale brewed with honey and then aged in bourbon barrels to produce a complex and extremely unique brew—that also happened to be distinctly different than anything else we had been drinking that day.

We ended up splitting the bottle five or six ways, with everyone from hop heads to wine drinkers having a taste.

“There’s something about that cork

and cage for the holidays,” said Brian Parda, sales and marketing manager at Manchester-based Great North Aleworks. “Maybe you go for that beer you can’t have all the time.”

And, to be fair, I actually stole Parda’s idea to crack open a bottle of Curieux for the holidays. It’s not a seasonal brew per se, but what else was I saving it for?

I don’t know if everyone truly liked it, because they’re all nice people, and frankly, I don’t think they’d tell me they didn’t like it, but I feel confident everyone at least appreciated the beer was sort

of special and unique.

Whether breweries put out holiday-specific, seasonal brews or not, what I heard repeatedly from brewers is that now is the time to come together to celebrate the season with an extra-special brew or one that just makes you smile.

“Maybe it’s time to splurge a little bit and grab something you don’t get all the time,” Parda said.

Bust out that barrel-aged imperial stout, such as Beauty is a Beast by Branch and Blade Brewing in Keene or

13 a Belgian quad like Necronomiquad by Backyard Brewing Co. in Manchester or an Abbey-style tripel, such as Erastus from Schilling Beer Co. in Littleton, and pour out glasses to share with friends and family. Or, if you get excited to see Sam Adams Winter Lager on the shelves of your local beer store, by all means, grab a 12-pack.

The important thing, brewers say, is to raise your glass to celebrate the season with the people you care about.

“Drink what you like,” Parda said.

“You like drinking domestic brews?

Cool. If you’re curious, let’s share.”

CREATE YOUR OWN

Sweet and spicy

Traditional holiday beers tend to have a maltier backbone, a dark amber color, and notes of spice and pine. Think about Sam Adams Winter Lager, Harpoon Winter Warmer or Red Hook Winter Hook — these holiday-themed brews by a few larger craft breweries dominated the marketplace at this time of year for years. These beers aren’t overly heavy, but you’re typically going to get a little more sweetness, some roasty and toasty characteristics from the malt and plenty of spice.

It’s that spice — typically nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon — that stands out in traditional holiday beers, brewers say.

But New Hampshire brewers have certainly stepped outside the box when it comes to the holidays, turning to a whole range of flavors to create interesting seasonal brews featuring peppermint, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, caramel, maple, bourbon and coconut — and much more.

For some, it’s the spice. For others, it’s the sweetness.

“I believe a good holiday beer needs to be rich, warming...and have bright sweet flavors,” said Carl Soderberg, owner and founder, Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. in Merrimack. “I know most prefer something dark, heavy...or spiced beers, but my palate seems to prefer the opposite when colder weather hits.”

Also on the sweet side, The Woodstock Inn Brewery in Lincoln pumps out its malty Wassail Ale, featuring sweet and rich notes of caramel and stone fruit, the brewery says.

For a combination of sweet and spice, take The Portsmouth Brewery’s Holi-

Tabula Rasa is an apricot amber ale by Able Ebenezer Brewing Company in Merrimack. Courtesy photo.

daze Porter, a honey and ginger brew, in which the honey imparts sweetness, and the ginger balances everything out.

“Ginger is just one of those ingredients that lend a hand in everything,” said Maxine Munsey, head brewer, The Portsmouth Brewery. “It boosts other flavors and rounds flavors out.”

The Portsmouth Brewery also plans to release Kringle’s Crook, a chocolate peppermint stout, this month.

Also relying on spice, 603 Brewery features its Coffeecake Porter, which boasts a robust body and notes of vanilla, coffee and cinnamon.

“It’s something a little maltier; a little sweeter and a little higher in alcohol,” said Dan Leonard, operations director, 603 Brewery, last year.

Tilton Brothers Brewery in Hampton is also offering a Banana Nut Bread Ale, a spiced ale featuring notes of cinnamon, roasted nuts and bananas, according to the brewery.

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Tabula Rasa by Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. While Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. in Merrimack doesn’t produce a beer specifically for the holidays, it does pump out Tabula Rasa, an apricot amber ale, that hits you right on the sweet tooth.

The brew is “...barely hopped, rich and sweet in flavor with a tartness at the end from the apricot,” said Carl Soderberg, owner and founder of Able Ebenezer Brewing

Co. “[We] add pureed apricots to the fermenter at the start of fermentation, which is atypical for most fruit beers. Because of this, most of the sugars from the fruit are fermented out, bringing the ABV up to 7.5 percent and allowing the tartness from the fruit to balance out the sweetness from the malts. It’s a very unique beer with a very loyal following.”

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14 Sticking with cranberries, Throwback Brewery, based in North Hampton, is offering Red Party Pants, a cranberry and ginger lactose sour that pairs nicely with Christmas sugar cookies.

“It’s so festive, in both look and taste, [featuring fresh cranberries and bright spicy ginger], it gets me in the holiday spirit with just a sip,” said Nicole Carrier, co-founder and president, Throwback Brewery. “It’s really my favorite Christmas holiday brew.”

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Embrace the richness

Great North Aleworks’s Chocolate Milk Stout is rich but it has plenty of versatility. Courtesy photo.

Holiday ingredients

Regardless of the season, brewers are finding ways to infuse brews with unique and seasonally appropriate ingredients.

In addition to the Holidaze Porter, Munsey and The Portsmouth Brewery are working on a number of holiday brews, including the Uskumatu Saison, an Estonian farmhouse ale.

“We add in juniper berries and boughs so it really elicits some piney, citrusy, flavors almost like rosemary...it just really harkens back to the holidays. And you get this fruity, bubble gum flavor from the yeast itself,” Munsey said. “Then the greenness from the juniper really balances it out. Just a very unique beer.

“We actually put the [juniper] boughs right in the mash tun...it’s kind of like a teapot, filtering all the sugar water through the piney, resinous boughs. It’s a surprising delight.”

Canterbury Aleworks uses 12 pounds of homemade cranberry puree to produce Cranberry Sauce, a British porter featuring big cranberry flavor, an ABV of nearly 8 percent and fruity, dark malts, according to the brewery.

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Aside from the spice, New Hampshire brewers are also boasting a growing array of rich, malty stouts and porters to warm beer drinkers from the inside out.

“Sometimes after eating a big meal with friends and family, I’d rather drink my dessert than eat it,” Carrier said.

Carrier pointed to Russian imperial stouts as her “go to,” as they “typically are chock full of flavors I love, dark chocolate and roast, sometimes with underlying dark berry jam notes. Also, the high ABV warms me up on colder nights, and gets the conversation flowing.”

Despite being known far more for its innovative and ever-evolving line of IPAs, Great Rhythm Brewing in Portsmouth offers Dolce, a “silky smooth” imperial stout that would be perfect for sharing after a rich holiday meal. Hampton-based Smuttynose Brewing Co. offers its Wood Chop Chocolate Stout and Throwback Brewery also offers Amy’s Treat, a chocolate and cherry stout.

Still, stouts and porters can have more versatility than beer enthusiasts might guess.

Great North Aleworks offers its Chocolate Milk Stout in winter, and while it isn’t specifically a holiday beer, it certainly fits the season, Parda said.

“While the name implies decadence, it’s really more nuanced than that,” Parda said. “Because we use raw cocoa powder, it isn’t adding any sweetness, so think more like dark chocolate, which actually balances the beer out.”

In other words, don’t think the Chocolate Milk Stout has to be your dessert course.

“You could put it up with beef, like a braised short rib course or a richer, beef dish,” Parda said. “It has a little more versatility.”

The same is true for Great North Aleworks year-round staple, Robust Vanilla

This Czech-style dark lager by Schilling Beer Co. is extremely complex, boasting toasty malts, chocolate and caramel with a dry finish. This brew is exceedingly lighter than it

looks — the pour is quite dark — and sounds.

At 4.8-percent ABV, this is eminently drinkable. Perfect for someone who says they don’t like dark beers. This one will surprise them.

15 Porter; while the beer can certainly stand next to a piece of cheesecake or pecan pie, it’s dry enough and complex enough to pair well with a variety of foods, Parda said.

But if indulgence is what you’re after, look for Throwback’s Fat Alberta, a chocolate peanut butter Russian imperial stout.

“Fat Alberta is the definition of decadence,” Carrier said. “She’s rich, chocolatey, very full-bodied, and reminiscent of … a chocolate peanut butter cup.”

Carrier warned Fat Alberta is awfully smooth, so smooth you might not guess you’re drinking a brew that comes in at 11 percent ABV. Or, how about a Russian imperial stout aged for 12 months in a rum barrel?

That’s what Kelsen Brewing Co. in Derry is cooking up for the holidays. Kelsen

will release this special version of Vinátta only at the brewery on Thursday, Dec. 19, said Michael Mahn, tap room manager of Kelsen Brewing Co. “Vinátta is a bold 12-percent [ABV] double-mashed Russian imperial stout,” Mahn said. “This beer has a big, chewy mouthfeel and has flavors of chocolate and dark stone fruit. Twelve months of aging in a rum barrel adds complex notes of oak, spice, rum and vanilla.”

Keeping with the imperial stout theme, Branch and Blade Brewing in Keene offers Den of Debauchery, an imperial stout with roasted pistachio, vanilla and milk sugar, and Beauty is a Beast, a barrel-aged Mexican stout conditioned on roasted coffee, cinnamon, cocoa powder and ancho chile pepper, according to the brewery.

Stoneface Brewing Co. in Newington offers a variety of beers fit for the hol-

El Chupbrewcabra by Throwback Brewery While this Mexican chocolate porter isn’t produced specifically for the holidays —though it is released in December each year — it’s still appropriately festive, said Nicole Carrier, co-founder and president, Throwback Brewery.

“Featuring cocoa husks from Enna Chocolate, cinnamon sticks that were used to make [Flag Hill Distillery and Winery’s] spiced rum, and local peppers, this beer

goes great with desserts such as pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and chocolate mousse, as well as stews and chilis,” Carrier said. “Frankly, anything with a nice dose of cinnamon in it seems festive this time of year, so you might want to enjoy one just by itself.”

The beer is named after “Chupacabra,” which is a mythical, vampire-like beast rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas.

idays, including its Dibs #17, which is a Belgian-style dubbel featuring a dark amber pour and flavors of dark fruit.

Stoneface also boasts a barleywine that showcases toffee, chocolate and caramel notes.

If you really want to step outside the box for the holiday season, Garrison City Beerworks in Dover features Box & Whisker, which is a white stout, “brewed with oats, lactose, cacao nibs, vanilla, and … whole [coffee] beans. Unlike every other stout you’ve ever had, this one is white,” according to the brewery.

Pie or beer?

The holidays can be challenging as food tends to be more rich and filling, and seasonal beers tend to be the same.

Pairing beers with rich food can seem challenging but it need not be, brewers say.

“I’ll share the same thing many chefs have told me over the years: follow your heart,” Soderberg said. “There’s no wrong way to pair beer with food. The most important thing is sticking with the flavors and aromas that get you jazzed up about consuming them, regardless of the season.”

Then there is the issue of capacity.

How do you find room for a big, hearty roast beef, sweet apple pie and a rich chocolate stout?

Kelsen Brewing Company in Derry ages Vinátta, a Russian imperial stout, in rum barrels for 12 months. Courtesy photo.

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16 Smoke House and Brewing Co., which is based in North Conway.

These types of beers complement food well but they’re still very interesting to drink, Parda said.

Carrier agreed, noting you can use beers as a palate cleanser.

“Sours, which are usually highly carbonated and tart, do the trick, and pair very well with rich foods like cheese, cheesecakes, and rich meats like lamb,” Carrier said.

Kelsen Brewing Co. is releasing Mirage, a mixed-culture, tart saison aged in merlot barrels with apricots, under its side project, The Cryptic Project, which houses all of Kelsen’s sour and mixed-culture beers.

“Slightly funky with notes of stone fruit, oak, grape must, and a hint of vanilla,” Mahn said. “A dry finish makes this one crisp and refreshing.”

That said, sometimes you need the beer to match the food, when you’d rather the brew stand up to the meal, rather than cut through it. That’s when Carrier says she takes a complementary approach.

“Pick big, roasty beers to pair with chocolate desserts and red meat,” Carrier said.

Hops on holiday?

Mirage Saison by Kelsen Brewing Company in Derry.

Courtesy photo.

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“Self-control?” Munsey laughed. “I typically just go for it. I mean, maybe I take a smaller slice of pie, but to me the holidays are about indulgence and over-indulging.”

But if you just don’t have room, just choose something lighter. You need something to cut through the fat, so to speak, brewers said.

Parda suggested the holidays are the perfect time to revisit more classic styles, such as Pilsners.

“Because the food is heavier and so rich, personally, I’m looking for dryer or highly carbonated brews, or different types of flavors,” Parda said, pointing to the Czech Pilsner or the Hells Yes! Helles Lager, both by Moat Mountain

IPAs have driven the craft beer movement in a lot of ways. People are standing in line for the freshest, hoppiest beers.

Brewers are experimenting with new, exciting hop strains. The hazy, juicy New England-style IPA is perhaps the most popular and coveted style of beer on the market in New England right now.

Some brewers say popular, super-hoppy IPAs are a bit much for the holiday table. They say the hops can overpower other flavors. We don’t necessarily think of IPAs as heavy, compared to stouts or porters, but they do have some heft from all those hops, brewers say.

But if you love IPAs, then by all means, brewers say pour your favorites, such as Soundcheck 2.0 by Great Rhythm Brewing, a New England-style IPA brewed with Meridian, El Dorado, Amarillo and Columbus hops. Or break out the Dou-

Sometimes you just walk into an interesting situation.

I stopped into the Craft Beer Cellar in Nashua on my way home from work the day before Thanksgiving and Rockingham Brewing Co., which is based in Derry, was hosting a tasting.

Honestly, I know it would have been unforgivable, but I was actually sort of in a rush to get home and I planned to pass on the tasting.

And then I saw the brewery offered a bacon imperial stout. Full stop.

Could I pass that up? Of course not. This was bacon and beer together. I dove in.

The brew, Belly of the Beast, is an impe-

rial stout produced with bacon resulting in a rich, smokey and salty brew — that’s what the brewery says — and that felt right after trying it.

The flavor of the bacon is there but it doesn’t slap you in the face. The smokiness and saltiness makes this brew awfully unique and satisfying.

It comes in at 8.6-percent ABV so it’s a big beer, but it’s not too big.

Ostensibly, this isn’t a holiday brew, but you and I both know there’s someone in your life who will be awfully happy to find this brew under the tree this year.

17 ble Clip IPA from Stoneface Brewing Co. in Newington and enjoy the “bigger, bolder hop profile” that results in a hazy, flavorful IPA with a very soft mouthfeel,” according to the brewery.

Mysterious Haze by Smuttynose Brewing Co. is a double-dry-hopped New England-style IPA, boasting big notes of grapefruit, guava and mango, according to the brewery.

Breweries are more and more offering rotating IPA series; often they’ll use the same recipe each time but switch out the hops. Great North Aleworks, Henniker Brewing Co., and Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. are among the growing list of New Hampshire breweries putting out ever-rotating IPAs. Or, perhaps better yet at this time of year, look for a black IPA. Liquid Therapy in Nashua, The Portsmouth Brewery and Loaded Question Brewing in Portsmouth — to name just a few — offer their own takes on black IPAs. “You get those resinous, citrusy, floral hop flavors, but it’s backed up by malts typically used in porters and stouts,” Munsey said. “You get the best of both worlds.

You’re still getting a dark beer but you’re also getting the flavor of an IPA.”

Nostalgia

For me, holiday beers were crucial to my evolving love of craft beer. They featured unique flavors you just wouldn’t see the rest of the year. I remember my father being excited — well before I was old enough to even try a beer — about picking up the annual Sam Adams holiday mix pack.

Aside from the Cranberry Lambic, which always found its way to the back of the fridge, I remember him pulling out a revolving cast of brews, including Old Fezziwig, the White Ale, the Winter Lager of course, and the Chocolate Bock — many of which Sam Adams still features today in its holiday mix packs. He was legitimately like a kid in a candy store.

The holidays are a special time of year and that calls for special beers. And, totally subjectively, I think everybody has nostalgic favorites. A college friend of mine still texts me every year the first time he sees Harpoon Winter Warmer on the shelves.

The beer symbolizes something bigger.

“The Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, a dry-hopped style ale, is always something to look forward to,” Munsey said.

Parda also noted the Sierra Nevada Cel-

The Portsmouth Brewery’s Holidaze Porter combines honey and ginger. Photo courtesy The Portsmouth Brewery.

ebration Ale as one he has to have every year.

“I never get tired of it,” Parda said. “It does have a little more malt to it and a little resinous bitterness. ... It’s just a dynamite beer.”

I was heartened to learn I was not the only one who found something special in the Winter Warmer, which Harpoon has been brewing since 1988.

“I would go back to a New England classic, Harpoon Winter Warmer,” Carrier said, as I asked about holiday favorites outside of her own brewery. “It evokes very warm memories of me coming home from college, and sharing several of these beers with my dad, all while catching up and enjoying time together. The beer is lovely as well, with just the right touch of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a lighter body that makes it easy to drink a few by the fire.”

Jeff Mucciarone is a senior account manager with Montagne Communications, where he provides communications support to the New Hampshire wine and spirits industry.

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Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout Aged in Knob Creek Bourbon barrels for 9 months, giving our classic imperial stout a delightful rich aroma. The bourbon flavor is imparted during the aging process and blends seamlessly with the malty base of our stout.

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Kringle’s Crook by Portsmouth Brewery The Portsmouth Brewery offers Kringle’s Crook, a chocolate peppermint stout.

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brewer, The Portsmouth Brewery. “Customers have just grown to love it over the years.”

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18

SEASON’S

Holiday Brewin’ Den of Debauchery by Branch and Blade Brewing (Keene) - Imperial stout brewed with roasted pistachio and vanilla MacLeod’s Scotch Ale by Martha’s Exchange (Nashua) - Smokey caramel and lots of warming alcohol Holidaze Porter by The Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth) - Honey and ginger come together in this seasonal favorite Box & Whisker White Stout by Garrison City Beerworks (Dover) - Rich chocolate and coffee and, by the way, it’s white Chocolate Peppermint Stout by The Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth) - Brewed with fresh peppermint Uskumatu Saison by The Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth) - Fruity, citrusy and piney with juniper balancing the sweetness

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Barleywine by Stoneface Brewing Co. (Newington) - Caramel, toffee and light chocolate, and lots of alcohol

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Red Party Pants by Throwback Brewery combines fresh cranberries with ginger. Photo courtesy of Throwback Brewery.

Dolce by Great Rhythm Brewing Co. (Portsmouth) - Silky, smooth imperial chocolate stout

These 23 New Hampshire brews aren’t necessarily brewed specifically for the holidays, but they’re undeniably perfect for the season.

Red Party Pants Cranberry Ginger Lactose Sour by Throwback Brewery (North Hampton) - Fresh cranberries and ginger partner up in this tart, bright red brew that literally looks like Christmas

Vinátta Russian Imperial Stout by Kelsen Brewing Co. (Derry) - Chocolate, dark stone Banana Nut Bread Ale by Tilton Brothfruit and plenty of oak, spice, rum and vanilla ers Brewing (Hampton) - Banana bread in a glass, anyone?

Mirage Saison by Kelsen Brewing Co. (Derry) - Crisp, refreshing, funky and tart Dibs #17 Belgian-style Dubbel by Stonewith notes of stone fruit face Brewing Co. (Newington) - Rich, amber brew featuring notes of dark fruit Chocolate Milk Stout by Great North Aleworks (Manchester) - There’s plenty of Wood Chop Chocolate Stout by Smutchocolate here but also plenty of versatility tynose Brewing Co. (Hampton) - Rich, full-bodied and lots of chocolate Coffee Coconut Porter by Pipe Dream Brewing (Londonderry) - Chocolate, coco- Plaid Lab Winter Warmer by Bad Lab nut and coffee team up Beer Co. (Somersworth) - A strong brown ale with candy sugar and spices The Roast by Henniker Brewing Co. (Henniker) - So much delicious, rich coffee flavor 2019 Bourbon Barrel-aged Stout by Concord Craft Brewing (Concord) - Aged in Knob Necronomiquad by Backyard Brewing Co. Creek bourbon barrels for nine months results in (Manchester) - Belgian-style quad loaded big bourbon, oak flavors and rich malt with caramel flavor Erastus by Schilling Beer Co. (Littleton) Beauty is a Beast by Branch and Blade Not a holiday beer but it packs a fruity, spicy Brewing (Keene) - Roasted coffee, cinna- and complex package that’s perfect at the holmon, cocoa powder and ancho chile pepper iday table blend together in this barrel-aged stout Editor’s Note: Brewers recommend calling ahead to check availability for all beers.

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7:00 pm – A heartwarming service will begin, led by the Rev. Patrick McLaughlin. The service will run for one hour.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester is a welcoming congregation; our church embraces people of any age, sex, race, gender, class, ability, language or cultural background. People of all religious faiths are invited to celebrate the universal message of Christmas.

If physical mobility is a concern, there is universal access to the Sanctuary and bathrooms.

Unitarian Universalist Church 669 Union St, Manchester, NH 129766 HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 20

Thursday, Dec. 19

Rock your most elaborate holiday knitwear at Ugly Sweater parties. Tonight, 603 Brewery (10 Michel’s Way in Londonderry; 404-6123) will hold its fourth annual Ugly Sweater Party starting at 5 p.m. On Friday, Dec. 20, at 5:30 p.m. check out the Ugly Sweater Holiday Bonanza at Backstreet Bar & Grill (76 Derry St. in Hudson, 578-1811) on Friday, Dec. 20, at 5:30 p.m. with multiple bands (attendees are asked to bring nonperishable food items, an unwrapped toy or new or gently used coats or winter apparel). The Derryfield Restaurant (625 N. Mammoth Road in Manchester) will hold its Ugly Sweater Christmas Party on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $40.

Thursday, Dec. 19

Celebrate the holidays with a variety of musical styles.

Catch the Wizards of Winter at Tupelo Music Hall in Derry tonight at 7:30 p.m. (see our story about this rock opera on page 51 of the Dec. 12 issue).

Also tonight, it’s a Charlie Brown Christmas with the Heather Pierson Quartet at Pitman’s Freight Room in Laconia (pitmansfreightroom. com). On Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. it’s Sinatra Christmas at Rex Theatre in Manchester (palacetheatre.org) with Rich DiMare. On Saturday, Dec. 21, the Boston Pops will hold their Holiday Concert at SNHU Arena in Manchester (ticketmaster. com) at 7:30 p.m.

EAT: Like the Dickens LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101 in Amherst) will host a holiday buffet brunch on Saturday, Dec. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., alongside a performance of A Christmas Carol with Project Shakespeare. The cost is $25 for adults and $15 for children ages 12 and under. Register for the event at labellewinerynh.com.

Thursday, Dec. 19

Catch some Christmas cheer at the movies. Tonight, Cinemagic Merrimack (11 Executive Park Drive in Merrimack; cinemagicmovies.com) will screen 2003’s Elf (PG) starring Will Ferrell at 8 p.m. (tickets cost $8.75 each). On Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24, at 10 a.m. all Cinemagics (including Merrimack, Hooksett and Portsmouth) will screen The Polar Express (G, 2004).

DRINK: Then air your grievances Area 23 (254 N. State St. in Concord; 5220137) will celebrate Festivus today with dinner, drinks, Airing of Grievances, Feats of Strength and, at 9 p.m., Eric Lindberg: A Night of Blues. See their Facebook page for updated Festivus details.

Monday, Dec. 23

Celebrate Chanukah at the Palace at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; 668-5588, palacetheatre. org) tonight at 6 p.m. featuring music by Shir Soul and comedy juggler Mark Nizer. Tickets cost $8 to $14.

BE MERRY: With The Nutcracker There are still productions of The Nutcracker on the schedule. New Hampshire School of Ballet will have performances on Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (concordcityauditorium.org) and on Thursday, Dec. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre in Manchester (palacetheatre.org). Ballet Misha will present The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 1 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m. at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College (dimensionsindance.com). New England School of Dance presents The Nutcracker on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 4 p.m. at the Stockbridge Theatre in Derry (newenglandschoolofdance.com).

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ARTS Stories from Santaland

22

One-man play reflects on the life of a retail Christmas elf

By Angie Sykeny

asykeny@hippopress.com

Step into the mind of a Macy’s Christmas elf in The Santaland Diaries, opening at the Hatbox Theatre in Concord on Dec. 19.

The Santaland Diaries is an essay by David Sedaris that first aired on National Public Radio’s This American Life in 1992 and was adapted for the stage as a one-man, one-act play, first produced at the Atlantic Theater in New York City in 1996.

The comedy is a first-person account of the author’s stint working as a Christmas elf at “Santaland” at Macy’s Department store.

“It’s a somewhat unflinching, slightly dark and disturbed, but very funny look at the Santa industry from the perspective of an insider — someone who chose to become an elf or was forced into it by life circumstances,” Andrew Pinard, producer and director, said. “It ends with a very human, warm look at the experience and is, at times, a fairly heartwarming piece.”

The actor, Toby Paul, said he recalls hearing a clip of the piece when it first aired on NPR and that Sedaris’ “dry wit and absurdist observations” resonated with his personal sense of humor, so when Pinard approached him about taking the role, he immediately agreed.

“Not only did I love the story and the character’s transformation … I also welcome the opportunity to test myself with the biggest

The Santaland Diaries. Courtesy photo.

single speaking role I have ever performed in nearly 30 years of theater involvement,” Paul said.

The character, who is technically nameless according to the script, starts out as a “bitter, cynical … beleaguered retail employee,” Paul said, but eventually finds himself a “willing elf participant,” fully engaged as a member of the Santaland team as they suffer together, dealing with increasingly fanatical customers and employees and absurd situations. “[He is] basically a character of contradictions, which provides a multitude of levels

22 Theater

Includes listings, shows, auditions, workshops and more.

To get listed, e-mail arts@hippopress.com.

Theater Productions • ELF THE MUSICAL Prescott Park Arts Festival and Exeter Hospital present. Dec. 13 through Dec. 22, with showtimes on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 1 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. at the

Exeter Town Hall (10 Front St., Exeter). Tickets cost $5 for veterans and military, $10 for children ages 12 and under, $20 for seniors 65+, $25 for adults, and $40 for VIP. Visit prescottpark.org.

• DISNEY’S FROZEN JR. The Peacock Players present. Dec. 13

it a mother yelling at her child to smile when he goes up to see Santa.”

A small, intimate venue, the Hatbox gives Paul the opportunity to get up close and personal with the audience, which is how the play was designed to be performed. At several points, Pinard said, Paul will make eye contact with and talk directly to specific people in the audience to get affirmation about what he is saying.

“It’s a very playful back-and-forth,” he said. “It’s not a passive experience for the audience.”

Definitely not a play for children, Pinard said, Santaland provides an edgier alternative to the more traditional, family-friendly Christmas productions like A Christmas Carol.

“It’s another way to celebrate the [holiday] things that define us as a culture,” he said. “It’ll make you laugh, it’ll creep you out and disturb you, and by the end, it will and facets to present to the audience,” Paul leave you looking at the holidays from a said. “There’s a lot of richness there, and whole new perspective.” bringing the many layers of his participation to light has been an unexpected joy in getting The Santaland Diaries the play ready for an audience.”

Where: Hatbox Theatre, 270 Loudon The show consists of the actor’s monoRoad, Concord logue mixed with some reenactments of the When: Thursday, Dec. 19, and Friday, Dec. people who have come to see Santa.

20, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 21, at 2 and “There’s an old axiom about comedy: You 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m. can either tell things in a funny way or do Tickets: $18 for adults and $15 for students things in a funny way, and this show does and seniors. both,” Pinard said. “You get to hear [Paul’s] Visit: hatboxnh.com narration, but you also get to see him inhab-

24 Art

25 Classical

Includes listings for gallery events, ongoing exhibits and classes. To Includes symphony and orchestral performances. get listed, e-mail arts@hippopress.com.

To get listed, e-mail arts@hippopress.com. through Dec. 22, with showtimes on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 10 a.m., 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15. Visit peacockplayers.org.

• THE SANTALAND DIARIES Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road, Concord) presents. Thurs.,

Dec. 19, and Fri., Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 21, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sun., Dec. 22, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $15 for students and seniors.

Visit hatboxnh.com.

• THE NUTCRACKER New Hampshire School of Ballet pres-

ents. Fri., Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). Visit concordcityauditorium.org.

• A CHRISTMAS CAROL RADIO PLAY The Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford) presents.

Fri., Dec. 20, and Sat., Dec. 21, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the door. Visit svbgc.org/amato-center.

• IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO SHOW The New Hampshire Theatre Project presents. West End Studio

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Notes from the theater scene

Theatre (959 Islington St., Portsmouth). Dec. 20 through Dec. 29.

See website for showtimes. Tickets cost $30 for adults and $26 for students, seniors and veterans.

Visit nhtheatreproject.org.

• THE NUTCRACKER Ballet Misha presents. Sat., Dec. 21, at 1 and 7 p.m., and Sun., Dec. 22, at 1 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). Tickets cost $25 to $30. Visit dimensionsindance.com.

• A CHRISTMAS CAROL The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents now through Dec. 21, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets cost $16 to $44. Visit seacoastrep.org.

• THE NUTCRACKER New England School of Dance presents. Sun., Dec. 22, at 4 p.m. at the Stockbridge Theatre (Pinkerton Academy, 5 Pinkerton St., Derry).

Tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Visit newenglandschoolofdance.com.

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The New Hampshire Theatre Project presents It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Show. Courtesy photo.

Tickets cost $25 to $46. Visit palacetheatre. org. The Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford) presents A Christmas Carol Radio Play on Friday, Dec. 20, and Saturday, Dec. 21, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available at the door. Visit svbgc. org/amato-center.

• A wonderful radio show: The New Hampshire Theatre Project presents It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Show at West End Studio Theatre (959 Islington St., Portsmouth) Dec. 20 through Dec. 29. Showtimes are Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. (no 2 p.m. show on Saturday, Dec. 28) and Sunday at 2 p.m. The 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey, a businessman who is ready to end it all on Christmas until an angel comes down from heaven to show him what the world would have been like had he never existed. It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play reimagines the classic film as a 1940s-style radio broadcast. Tickets cost $30 for adults and $26 for students, seniors and veterans.

Visit nhtheatreproject.org.

— Angie Sykeny

• ANNIE The Ogunquit Playhouse presents. The Music Hall Historic Theatre (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth) now through Dec. 22.

See website for showtimes. Tickets cost $45 to $99. Visit themusichall.org.

• A CHRISTMAS CAROL Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) presents. Now through Dec. 22. Showtimes are Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 and 7 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $16 for students and seniors.

Visit playersring.org.

• A CHRISTMAS CAROL The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) presents now through Dec. 22. Showtimes are Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon and 5 p.m., with additional shows on Thursday, Dec. 12, and Thursday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $46. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• A CHRISTMAS CAROL Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester). Dec. 12

through Dec. 22, with showtimes on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $7. Visit rochesteroperahouse.com.

• THE NUTCRACKER New Hampshire School of Ballet presents. Thurs., Dec. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tickets cost $18.

Visit palacetheatre.org.

• TITLE OF SHOW Actorsingers (320-1870, actorsingers.org) present. Opening Jan. 3, at the Hatbox Theatre, 270 Loudon Road, Concord. Tickets are $12 to $20.

• PIANO MEN Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 6685588, palacetheatre.org) presents.

Opening Jan. 10. Tickets are $25 to $46.

• THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com. Jan. 22.

Tickets are $44.50 to $79.50.

• FIDDLER ON THE ROOF JR. The Majestic Theatre (669-7469, majestictheatre.net) presents.

Opening Jan. 24 at Derry Opera

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• Last chance to see The Nutcracker…: This is the final week to catch a local ballet company’s production of The Nutcracker.

New Hampshire School of Ballet presents The Nutcracker on Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). Visit concordcityauditorium.org. Ballet Misha presents The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 1 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). Tickets cost $25 to $30. Visit dimensionsindance. com. New England School of Dance presents The Nutcracker on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 4 p.m. at the Stockbridge Theatre (Pinkerton Academy, 5 Pinkerton St., Derry). Tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Visit newenglandschoolofdance.com. Finally, New Hampshire School of Ballet presents The Nutcracker on Thursday, Dec. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tickets cost $18. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• ...and A Christmas Carol: It’s also the final week to see A Christmas Carol. The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) presents A Christmas Carol now through Dec. 22, with showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon and 5 p.m., with an additional show on Thursday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 23

24 ARTS

NH art world news

• New abstract gallery: Concord artist Jess Barnett is opening a new studio and abstract art gallery at the Patriot Investment building at 4 Park St. in Suite 216, with a studio-warming and holiday party to celebrate the opening on Saturday, Dec. 21, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Jess Barnett is a self-taught artist who has been painting since 2004 and recently relocated from Massachusetts to Concord. According to a press release she “hopes the gallery will help fill the void in Concord as there have not historically been many venues displaying and selling abstract art.” The gallery currently features only Barnett’s work but may eventually feature other local abstract artists. After the opening, it will be open by appointment, with weekly times TBA. Visit jessbarnett.com.

• Shopping small: ArtHub (30 Temple St., Nashua) presents a show, “Joyful Giving: Big and Small,” now through Dec. 21, featuring works of art in various media, priced for holiday gift giving. Call 405-6981951 or visit naaa-arthub.org. The Whitty Gallery at Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center (30 Ash St., Hollis) presents its holiday gift-giving show “Good Things Come in Small Packages” now through Dec. 22.

The show features unique and affordable small works in various media by local and regional artists. Call 465-9453 or visit wildsalamander.com. Main Street Art (75 Main St., Newfields) presents its annual Holiday Small Works Show now through Dec. 23.

It features small works in a variety of styles and media created by local artists and artisans and priced for holiday gift shopping.

Visit mainstreetart.org.

• Last chance for handmade holiday gifts: The Craftworkers’ Guild’s Holiday Craft Shop is open now through Dec. 22,

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Tickets cost $12 to $15.

• A NIGHT OF ONE ACTS Nashua Theatre Guild (nashuatheatreguild.org) presents. Opening Jan. 31, at Janice B. Streeter Theatre, 14 Court St., Nashua.

Workshops/other • ACTING CLASSES Peacock Players, 14 Court St., Nashua, 886-7000, peacockplayers.org • ACTING CLASSES The Majestic Theatre, 880 Page St., Manchester, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net.

Art In the Galleries • FLOOR VAN DE VELDE: HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 24

“Theorem” by Jess Barnett. Courtesy photo.

from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the Oliver Kendall House (5 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford). There will be a variety of handmade goods by juried artisans. Visit facebook. com/CraftworkersGuild. Intown Manchester’s Downtown Holiday Market will be open at Brady Sullivan Plaza (1000 Elm St., Manchester) on Thursday, Dec. 19, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shop a variety of artwork and crafts by local artisans. Visit intownmanchester.com.

• Holiday crafts: Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center (30 Ash St., Hollis) will have a zentangle windowpane snowflakes workshop on Saturday, Dec. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon. Create four festive windowpane images using the zentangle technique. The cost is $35. Register online.

Visit wildsalamander.com. AR Workshop Manchester (875 Elm St., Manchester) will have a last-minute gift-making workshop on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 5:30 p.m. with all kinds of projects to choose from at 4:30 p.m. Costs vary depending on the project.

Call 573-9662 or visit arworkshop.com/ manchester.

— Angie Sykeny

VARIATIONS ON COLORFIELDS Features light sculptures that explore energy in color.

McIninch Fine Art Gallery at Southern New Hampshire University (2500 N. River Road, Manchester). Oct. 31 through Dec. 21. Visit snhu.edu.

• “JOYFUL GIVING: BIG AND SMALL ArtHub (30 Temple St., Nashua) presents a show, now through Dec. 21, featuring works of art in various media, priced for holiday gift giving. Call 405-698-1951 or visit naaa-arthub.org.

• “GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES The Whitty Gallery at Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center (30 Ash

St., Hollis) presents its holiday gift-giving show now through Dec. 22. The show features unique and affordable small works in various media by local and regional artists. Call 465-9453 or visit wildsalamander.com.

• HOLIDAY SMALL WORKS SHOW Main Street Art (75 Main St., Newfields) presents. Dec. 7 through Dec. 23. It features small works in a variety of styles and media created by local artists and artisans and priced for holiday gift shopping. Visit mainstreetart.org.

• BIG GIFTS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES The Seacoast Artist Association (130 Water St., Exeter) has a show on view now through Dec. 27. It fea-

25

HOLIDAY POPS There are two opportunities to see holiday pops concerts this weekend. On Saturday, Dec. 21, at 7:30 p.m., the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra conducted by Keith Lockhart returns to the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, snhuarena.com) for its Holiday Pops Tour, marking its 19th annual holiday performance since the venue opened in 2001, according to the SNHU Arena website. The orchestra will perform its signature “Sleigh Ride” and other holiday classics, some of which are new arrangements. It will be joined by Boston’s Metropolitan Chorale.

Santa Claus himself will make a guest appearance during the concert’s finale, followed by the traditional sing-a-long. Tickets range from $43 to $110 at ticketmaster.com. Then, the Capital Jazz Orchestra will perform its Holiday Pops concert featuring guest vocalists C.J. Poole and Laura Daigle at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $27.50 to $47.50. Visit ccanh.com.

tures small works of art, all priced under $100 for holiday gift giving.

Visit seacoastartist.org.

• ALL THAT’S MERRY AND BRIGHT New Hampshire Art Association presents its holiday exhibition at the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) through Dec. 29. There will be work in all media, including framed art, 3D art, matted art, card sets and books for sale. Visit nhartassociation.org.

•​ SMALL WORKS - BIG IMPACT Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford) has a holiday show on view now through December, with small works of art in various media, priced affordably for gift buying.

Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

• ROOM FOR MEMORY Featuring the work of Heather Morgan. 3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth). Nov. 22 through Jan. 5. Visit 3sarts.org.

• BRUCE MCCOLL: NEW PAINTINGS Labelle Winery in Portsmouth (104 Congress St.).

Now through Jan. 6. Visit sullivanframing.com.

• “THE SHAKERS AND THE MODERN WORLD: A COLLABORATION WITH CANTERBURY” Special exhibition.

Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). Oct. 12 through Feb. 16. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $10 for students, $5 for youth. Visit currier.org or call 669-6144.

Markets & fairs • INTOWN MANCHESTER’S DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY MARKET This ongoing downtown craft fair features more than 50 local vendors with handmade goods. Thursdays, Dec. 5, Dec. 12 and Dec. 19, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays, Dec. 14, and Dec. 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Brady Sullivan Plaza, 1000 Elm St., Manchester. Free admission.

Visit intownmanchester.com/holiday-market.

• THE CRAFTWORKERS’

GUILD HOLIDAY CRAFT SHOP More than 60 Guild member artisans and craftspeople will be participating, offering a wide variety of high quality crafts.

They’ll include seasonal decor, photography, fine art and prints, mixed media, jewelry and more.

The shop will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 29 through Dec. 22. Kendall House, Meetinghouse Road, Bedford.

Visit craftworkersguild.org.

• HOLIDAY ARTS MARKET The Concord Arts Market presents every Sunday in December from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Eagle Square, Concord. Shop a variety of handmade gifts by local artists and artisans. Visit concordartsmarket.net.

• ANNUAL CUP SHOW AND SALE. Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester). Now through Feb. 28. Browse mugs by clay artists from around the country to find the perfect Christmas or Valentine’s Day gift. Visit 550arts.com.

Workshops/classes • WINTER- AND HOLIDAY-THEMED PAINT NIGHTS Muse Paintbar (42 Hanover St., Manchester, muse paintbar.com) almost every night throughout December. Costs vary. See website for dates and projects.

• ZENTANGLE WINDOWPANE SNOWFLAKES WORKSHOP Create four festive windowpane images using the zentangle technique. Sat., Dec. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center (30 Ash St., Hollis). The cost is $35. Register online. Visit wildsalamander.com.

• LAST MINUTE GIFT MAKING WORKSHOP AR Workshop Manchester (875 Elm St., Manchester, 573-9662, arworkshop.com/manchester) will have all kinds of projects to choose from. Sat., Dec. 21, at 4:30 p.m.

Costs vary depending on project.

Classical Music Events • “CHRISTMAS CABARET Granite Statesmen Barbershop Chorus and New England Voices in Harmony present. Sat., Dec. 21, at 1 p.m. at Saint Joseph the Worker Church (777 W. Hollis St., Nashua). Tickets cost $5 to $20. Visit granitestatesmen.org.

• BOSTON POPS HOLIDAY CONCERT SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, ticketmaster.com) Sat., Dec. 21, at 7:30 p.m. $43 and up. Capturing the magic of the Christmas season and the winter charms of New England, the Boston Pops perform their signature “Sleigh Ride,” other holiday classics and new arrangements of seasonal favorites. Santa Claus makes a guest appearance during the concert’s finale. Also Dec. 22 at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Mass.

• “HOLIDAY POPS” The Capital Jazz Orchestra performs, featuring guest vocalists C.J. Poole and Laura Daigle at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Sun., Dec. 22, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $27.50 to $47.50. Visit ccanh.com.

•​ “CHRISTMAS AT FIRST The First Music Concert Series presents, featuring Daniel Pinkham’s Sinfonia Sacra at The First Church (1 Concord St., Nashua) on Sun., Dec. 22, at 9 and 11 a.m.

The concert is free and open to the public. Visit first-music.org.

• “NEW YEAR’S EVE CHAMPAGNE POPS The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra presents.

The Music Hall Historic Theatre (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth) on Tues., Dec. 31, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $30. Visit themusichall.org.

• “A GRAND TIME FOR SINGING” Suncook Valley Chorale with the New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus and the New Hampshire Master Chorale perform. Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) on Sun., Feb. 23, at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $23. Visit svcnh.org.

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INSIDE/OUTSIDE Holiday cheer and beer

26

Brewery Lights experience fun for the whole family beechwood aging cellars.

“It’s cool to be able to see how we make the Budweiser beer,” Cox said.

Finally, the biergarten will be open with food and beverages available for purchase, and the gift shop will be open with items for sale like custom Budweiser Clydesdales holiday ornaments, cozy buffalo plaid Sherpa throws, traditional Budweiser holiday sweaters, holiday steins and the best-selling Clydesdale and Dalmatian plushies.

“There are a lot of great gift ideas in there,” Cox said.

By Angie Sykeny

asykeny@hippopress.com

The Anheuser-Busch Biergarten and Tour Center in Merrimack is all aglow for its fourth annual Brewery Lights celebration, happening now through Dec. 29.

Two hundred fifty thousand holiday lights — more than ever before — are currently displayed at the brewery, creating a winter wonderland-like experience for visitors.

“We have all different colored lights across all the trees and down the pathways and throughout the biergarten space,” field operations manager Glenn Cox said. “It’s very festive.”

New this year is a Candy Cane Maze, where visitors of all ages can put on 3D glasses and walk through a themed maze in which snowmen and other lighted holiday images appear to “jump off the walls,” Cox said.

Leading into the Candy Cane Maze is a light tunnel, filled with holiday lights synchronized with holiday music.

Families can stop by the new Kids Zone, located in a heated tent, where kids can get their faces painted and create their own holiday crafts to take home. Also in the tent, there will be hot cocoa available for purchase as well as adult beverages.

“With the Kids Zone, we’re definitely pro-

Brewery Lights

Brewery Lights. Courtesy photo.

moting this as a family-friendly event,” Cox said.

At the “Gingerbread House,” visitors can gather around fire pits to roast s’mores and enjoy hot cocoa and a variety of Anheuser-Busch beer and hot food items.

Also new this year, visitors have the option to purchase the VIP Igloo Package, which allows them to spend the evening in an illuminated, warmed igloo, complete with a private fire pit and “cool furniture,” Cox said, where they can enjoy appetizers, s’mo-

27 Kiddie pool Family activities this week.

res, cookies and hot cocoa.

Additionally, adults can split two buckets of Anheuser-Busch beer. The igloos seat up to six people.

“If you want to upgrade your experience, the igloos are a fun way to do it,” Cox said.

Adult visitors can take the new Frosty Tour, available only during Brewery Lights, where they’ll have a chance to sample beer directly from the tank in the Finishing Annex after touring the brewery, including the Brew Hall, ale fermentation cellars and

28 The Gardening Guy Advice on your outdoors.

Children & Teens Children events • SANTA’S BIG PARTY The annual event series is geared toward younger kids and features horse-drawn rides, visits with Santa Claus, sugar cookies, hot cocoa, costumed characters and holiday performers. Weekends at various times, now through Sun., Dec. 22.

Charmingfare Farm, 774 High St., Candia. Tickets are $22 in advance

and $25 at the door. Visit visitthefarm.com to check available times.

• KIDS’ NEW YEAR’S PARTY Kids of all ages are invited to enjoy stories, plus a countdown to the new year. Tues., Dec. 31, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Hampstead Public Library, 9 Mary E. Clark Drive, Hampstead. Visit hampsteadlibrary.org or call 329-6411.

• NOON YEAR’S EVE PARTY In addition to arts and crafts and

32 Car Talk Ray gives you car advice.

face-painting, there will be a magic show featuring local magician B.J. Hickman, a balloon drop and bubble-wrap “fireworks.”

Tues., Dec. 31, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Visit currier.org or call 669-6144.

• FAMILY NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION There will be three “countowns” at 11 a.m., 12:30 and 2 p.m., with crafts,

games, a disco ball and more.

Tues., Dec. 31, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, 6 Washington St., Dover.

The event is included with regular museum admission and free for all members. Visit childrens-museum. org or call 742-2002.

• NOON YEAR’S EVE PARTY The event will feature snacks, crafts, games and a balloon drop at noon. All ages are welcome;

signups are recommended. Tues., Dec. 31, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Brookline Public Library, 16 Main St., Brookline. Visit bplnh.weebly.com.

Dance Special folk dances • WINTER SOLSTICE SACRED CIRCLE DANCE People of all ages and experience levels are welcome. Steps are taught; no experience or partner is needed.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 26

Fri., Dec. 20, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Portsmouth Center for Yoga and the Arts, 95 Albany St., No. 14, Portsmouth. Ranges from $5 to $15 per person. Visit portsmouthyoga.com.

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27 INSIDE/OUTSIDE

Family fun for the weekend

Vacation hours

With kids home from school and the holidays, many area museums have somewhat different hours for the next few weeks.

At the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; nhahs.org, 669-4820) the current exhibit is the “Festival of Planes,” which has more than 3,000 vintage aviation toys, model aircraft, puzzles and promotional items (including characters and toys from Star Trek and Star Wars as well as Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, Elmo, Barbie and more). The exhibit will be on display through Sunday, Jan. 12, and through then the museum will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m. (including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) as well as Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission to the museum costs $10 ($5 for seniors, veterans and active military and students under 13; children under age 5 get in for free).

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum. org, 742-2002) will be open regular hours Thursday, Dec. 19, through Sunday, Dec. 22 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m weekdays and Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday) and open Monday, Dec. 23, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and reopen for regular hours Thursday, Dec. 26, through Monday, Dec. 30 (Dec. 26 through Dec. 28 the museum will celebrate “Dinosaur Fun”). On Tuesday, Dec. 31, the museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with its Family New Year’s Eve Celebration running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum will be closed on New Year’s Day and will reopen Thursday, Jan. 2, through Sunday, Jan. 5, with regular hours, including the $3 after 3 p.m. First Friday promotion (when the museum is open from 3 to 7 p.m. for $3 admission per person). Regular admission costs $10 for everyone age 1 year and over (seniors get in for $9; children under 1 year old get in free).

The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) is open regular hours through Monday, Dec. 23 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday) and closed Tuesday, Dec. 24, and Christmas, Dec. 25, and then open again with regular hours through Monday, Dec. 30. On Tuesday, Dec. 31, the museum is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to ticketholders for the Noon Year’s Eve Party (tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for kids). The museum will also be closed New Year’s Day (Wednesday) and then open regular hours for the remainder of that week. Admission to the museum costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors,, $10 for students, $5 for kids ages 13 to 17; kids under 13 get in free.

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com) will be open regular hours Friday, Dec. 20,

Courtesy photo.

through Sunday, Dec. 22, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

After Christmas, the center will be open every day from Friday, Dec. 26, through Sunday, Jan. 5 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except for New Year’s Day, when the center is closed). Admission costs $11.50 for adults, $8.50 for children ages 3 to 12, $10.50 for seniors and students and $8.50 for people in groups of 15 or more (children 2 and under get in free). Planetarium show tickets cost an additional $5 per person; children 2 and under are free.

The SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 21, and Sunday, Dec. 22, the center will feature a family workshop activity from 1 to 2 p.m.: “Make a snowstorm in a jar,” which will look at liquid density and chemical reactions, according to the website.

Admission costs $9 for everybody ages 3 and up.

The SEE Science Center will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day but open on New Year’s Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 31) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Holiday tales

All four of the Barnes & Noble Stores in southern New Hampshire (1741 S. Willow St., Manchester; 235 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua; 125 S. Broadway, Salem; 45 Gosling Road, Newington) will have a storytime featuring Construction Site on Christmas Night by Sherri Duskey Rinker on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 11 a.m. On Friday, Dec. 20, the Manchester store will hold Pajamarama featuring a special storytime — pajamas encouraged.

In addition to Cinemagic’s holiday-themed screenings (see page 20), catch Christmas movies galore at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St in Concord; redrivertheatres.org). The Polar Express (G, 2004) will screen Saturday, Dec. 21, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $5. A Christmas Story (PG, 1983 — so, be warned, a 1983 PG) will screen on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 4 p.m.; tickets cost $9. And give classic-film-loving kids a look at mid-20th-century holiday films with White Christmas (1954), which screens on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m. Tickets cost $14.

At Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St.; bookerymht.com), this Saturday, Dec. 21, storytime will feature crafts, Santa and hot cocoa, according to the event’s Facebook page. Storytime starts at 11:15 a.m.

129288

HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 27

28 INSIDE/OUTSIDE THE GARDENING GUY

All about acorns How to grow a giant oak tree

By Henry Homeyer

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You may think that the planting season is over. Not for me. I recently planted eight giant red oaks. Or, I should say, potentially giant oaks. I planted eight acorns. I’m hoping that at least one will begin growing next spring, and that it will eventually provide shade, food for wildlife, and beauty for all who happen by.

This is the season for planting acorns. They need an extended cold period in order to germinate, come spring. That cold requirement prevents them from germinating now, and being killed off before getting established.

Most nut trees, including most oaks, have a tap root that grows deep into the soil. Red oak, I have read, has relatively shallow roots.

Still, if you want an oak, plant your acorns where you want a tree. Don’t move them once they have started growing if you can avoid it.

Here is what I did: Before I planted the acorns I inspected them carefully to see if there were any signs of insects boring into them, but saw no holes. Then I put them in a bowl of water to see if any floated. Any that float should be discarded, as they are probably not viable. Of the 10 I put in water, two floated and went to the compost pile Next I went outdoors to plant. I looked for a place where a young oak would get plenty of sunshine — six hours a day is adequate — and where a big tree would not be competing with other trees. According to my favorite tree expert, Michael Dirr, a mature red oak will grow to be 60 to 75 feet tall and nearly as wide at maturity. I did not have an area quite that wide to dedicate to an oak, but I found a spot where it will fit between two maples along my property line.

Oaks do well in well-drained, acidic soil.

Red oak, because it has a relatively shallow root system, can be prone to drying out when the trees are young, so I am prepared to water my seedling until it is well-established if the summer is hot and dry.

I raked off leaves and snow and loosened the soil in a two-foot-wide circle with a hand tool. Then I pushed acorns into the soil and covered each with an inch or so of soil. Then I patted down the soil and covered the area with leaves. I placed a nice metal name plate in the middle of the planting zone with the date I planted the acorns.

If more than one of my acorns grows, I will have to choose the best to keep. Yes, I could keep more than one for a while, but brother and sister trees will compete for sun, water and nutrients, so the extras will need to be weeded out.

If digging in frozen ground doesn’t appeal to you or if the squirrels are watching your every move, acorns can be collected in winter, stratified in a refrigerator for a minimum

Red oak leaves have sharp points but white oaks have rounded edges. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

of 30 to 60 days, and then planted in the spring. Store them in a paper bag in the vegetable drawer to keep them from drying out.

By spring, the squirrels will have better fish to fry (like the tender shoots of my hostas).

Red oak nuts may need help opening their shells if they have been stratified, or preserved indoors, because they do not go through multiple freeze and thaw cycles. Simply score the acorn with a knife or rub it with 80-grit sandpaper until the kernel is exposed.

Not all acorns will germinate the first year, which makes sense from a Darwinian point of view: If a drought or a forest fire kills off some seedlings this year, others will be able to pop up the next.

One of the best oaks for suburban areas is the pin oak. It is smaller than many oaks (still, it grows to about 60 feet), with shallow fibrous roots that can thrive in the heavy clay often found in the disturbed soil of subdivisions. It prefers acidic soils, so it does well in the Northeast.

Pin oaks grow more quickly than many oaks, often adding two feet of height or more per year, and they have a profile that is handsome year-round. Like all the oaks discussed here, they are hardy in zones 4 to 8 or 9.

The white oak is majestic and can live 500 years or more, attaining heights of 100 feet. It does best in deep, moist, well-drained soils.

It is susceptible to anthracnose and other diseases, but thrives in the wild from Maine to Florida and as far west as Minnesota and Texas. It is worth planting where space permits.

The chestnut oak is handsome, with deeply furrowed bark and a nearly globe-shaped form that is striking in winter. It can survive in dry, rocky places that would be eschewed by other trees.

Being a gardener means, among other things, being optimistic. Having a long view.

And being a little silly — after all, surely most people seeing me digging in the frozen soil would consider me a bit daft. I don’t care.

Planting acorns in winter is more fun than sitting at a computer any day.

Henry may be reached at henry.homeyer@ comcast.net. He is the author of four gardening books and lives in Cornish Flat.

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$150

HiSet - Math

N/A

D. Kalloger

N/A

Tuesday

Feb. 4-May 26

6-8pm

$30

Plato

Academic

B. Carey

1

Tuesday

Feb. 4-May 26

3-5pm

$150

Woodworking

Elective

C. Whiteman

1

Tuesday

Feb. 4-May 26

6-8pm

$150+$50

Biology with Lab

Academic

A. Strickland

1

Thursday

Feb. 4-May 28

5-7pm

$190

Chemistry with Lab

Academic

M. Clickner

1

Thursday

Feb. 4-May 28

6-8pm

$190

English

Academic

E. Mahoney

1

Thursday

Feb. 4-May 28

6-8pm

$150

HiSet- Language

N/A

C. McDermott

N/A

Thursday

Feb. 4-May 28

6-8pm

$30

US History

Academic

E. Romein

1

Thursday

Feb. 4-May 28

3-5pm

$150

Creative Welding

Select afternoon or evening

Enrichment

Open to 16+

Career Exploration

Enrichment

A. Lafond

N/A

By Appointment

FREE

Enrichment

R. Caradonna

N/A

Tuesday

Feb. 4-May 26

3:45-5:45pm or 6-8pm

Web Design

Enrichment

G. Girolimon

N/A

Tuesday

Feb. 4-Mar. 10

6-8pm

$150

Woodworking

Enrichment

C. Whiteman

N/A

Tuesday

Feb. 4-May 26

6-8pm

$120+50

Creative Welding

Select afternoon or evening

$120+50

No Classes on March 10 or during the weeks of Feb. 24-Feb. 28, April 27-May 1, 2020

Register By Mail or Call Today!

Goffstown Adult Education Program Adult Diploma, GED, Lifelong Learning 27 Wallace Road • Goffstown, NH 03045 Tuition to be paid by cash, check or money order payable to Goffstown School District - GAP

603-660-5302 Bill Ryan • 603.497.5257 (Fax) Attendance for all credit bearing classes is required. Registration is secured with a payment in full.

You will be contacted ONLY if a class is canceled or full.

129862 HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 30

This is the final weekend you can enjoy two annual ongoing holiday-themed events at Charmingfare Farm (774 High St., Candia). On Saturday, Dec. 21, and Sunday, Dec. 22, the farm will host both Santa’s Big Party and Lighted Winter Wonderland.

Santa’s Big Party, held during the day, is geared toward younger kids, featuring horse-drawn rides, visits with Santa Claus and costumed characters and holiday performers, plus sugar cookies and hot cocoa. Charmingfare’s Lighted Winter Wonderland is held each evening through Monday, Dec. 23. Those events are better suited for families with kids of all ages, and include horse-drawn rides, a petting zoo and holiday displays. If you still haven’t gotten your Christmas tree yet, they’ll be available for purchase from the farm throughout each event. The cost of admission ranges from $19 to $32 per person. Visit visitthefarm.com to check an available time.

event, which will feature worldclass juggling, aerials, acrobatics, physical comedy and more.

Sat., Dec. 28, 5:30 p.m. Pine Hill at High Mowing School, 77 Pine Hill Drive, Wilton. General admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children through Dec. 14 (ticket prices increase on Dec. 15 to $20 for adults and $15 for children). VIP tickets are $50 through Dec. 14 and $60 after Dec. 14.

Visit flyinggravitycircus.org.

Holiday events • GIFT OF LIGHTS Now through Sun., Jan. 5, guests drive through more than two miles of light displays. Santa Claus will also be at the Speedway’s main office on Friday and Saturday nights, through Dec. 21. New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 1122 Route 106 North, Loudon.

The cost is $25 per car at the gate. Visit nhms.com/events/giftof-lights.

• LIGHTED WINTER WONDERLAND The farm’s other ongoing holiday event, Santa’s Big Party, is during the day and attracts younger children, but Lighted Winter Wonderland is geared more toward families with kids of all ages, offering horse-drawn rides, costumed characters, a petting zoo and holiday displays. Christmas trees are also available for purchase.

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, at various times, now through Mon., Dec. 23. The cost ranges from $19 to $32 per person. Visit visitthefarm.com to check available time.

• CANDLELIGHT STROLL Attendees can walk through historic houses of the museum and meet costumed role players and performers, while other features include treasure hunts and craft demonstrations. Weekends, now through Sun., Dec. 22; 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 4 to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth. Tickets are $25 for adults, $12.50 for kids and teens ages 5 and up, $60 per family (which

covers two adults and two children ages 5 and up) and free for kids under 5 as well as active-duty military service members, veterans and their families. Visit strawberybanke.org.

• 4TH ANNUAL UGLY SWEATER PARTY The event will feature live music, an ugly sweater contest, games, food specials and more. Thurs., Dec. 19, 5 to 10 p.m. 603 Brewery, 42 Main St., Londonderry. Visit 603brewery.com.

• NEW YEAR’S FAMILY CELEBRATION The event will include opportunities for skiing, snowboarding and tubing, as well as live entertainment, food stations and a fireworks display at midnight. Tues., Dec. 31; festivities start at 6 p.m. Pats Peak Ski Area, 686 Flanders Road, Henniker. Tickets are $95 for adults, $55 for children and teens ages 6 and up and for seniors over 65.

If you don’t want to ski, tickets for the party are $75 for adults and $40 for children ages 6 and up and seniors over 65. If you just want to ski, tickets are $46 for everyone. Just tubing is $22.

Visit patspeak.com.

• NEW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS SHOW Tues., Dec. 31, 8 p.m. The show is free and open to the public. Visit hamptonbeach.org.

Fairs & Festivals Expos • WZID WEDDING EXPO Presented by Bellman’s Jewelers, the expo will feature vendors, a fashion show, prizes and more.

Sun., Jan. 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, 700 Elm St., Manchester. Visit bellmans.com.

Nature & Gardening Animals • NEW ENGLAND REPTILE EXPO Thousands of reptiles will be on display and for sale as pets. Vendors will also be selling cages, supplies, frozen feeder rodents, feeder bugs and other reptile-related items. Sun., Jan. 5,

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, 700 Elm St., Manchester. $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 7 to 12 and free for children under 7.

Visit reptileexpo.com.

Birding events • CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Volunteers who want to help out the Nashaway Chapter of New Hampshire Audubon can count birds throughout the day and tally their sightings over dinner.

Sat., Dec. 28, all day; dinner is at 5 p.m. in Hollis. Contact Richard Bielawski at 429-2537 or at rbielawski@mac.com for more details.

Nature hikes & walks • FIRST DAY HIKE Guides from the Beaver Brook Association will lead participants on this 1.5 mile hike. Afterwards, attendees are invited to partake in a campfire with snacks and warm beverages. Dogs are welcome as long as they are leashed at all times and their owners pick up waste. Wed., Jan. 1, noon to 3 p.m. Beaver Brook Nature Center, 117 Ridge Road, Hollis.

There is a suggested donation of $5 per person. Visit beaverbrook. org to register.

Sports & Recreation Personal recreation THRIVE OUTDOORS • LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY CENTER GRAND OPENING This family-friendly event will feature activities for all ages, including face-painting, crafts, a Wild Ninja course, interactive martial arts demonstrations, music, low-ropes course elements, raffles and more. The event is a celebration of the grand opening of the Thrive Outdoors Leadership & Community Center, in a newly renovated historic train station in the Queen City. Sat., Jan. 25, noon to 5 p.m.

Thrive Outdoors Leadership & Community Center, 190 Elm St., Manchester. Free. Visit thriveoutdoorsnh.com.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 31

32 INSIDE/OUTSIDE CAR TALK

Does my GPS need an update?

Dear Car Talk: I received a letter stating that I can now update the factory GPS in my 2015 Ford Explorer. I was under the impression that a factory-installed GPS would automaticalBy Ray Magliozzi ly update itself.

Should I pay the $150 for the update, or am I being scammed? — Thom

Yes, and yes.

Yes, you should probably update it, and yes, you’re being scammed.

Most factory-installed GPS systems do not update themselves. We’re starting to see more over-the-air updating now, but it wasn’t around when you bought your 2015 Explorer.

And since you probably spent $1,000 for the navigation system, you’d think they would update it for free, right?

Mmm ... no.

Now, not a lot changes in terms of roads. They tend to stay put. But things do change slowly over time. Roads get rerouted or changed for safety, streets get renamed, bridges get replaced, traffic patterns are modified.

So, if you use the navigation system often, and drive a lot in unfamiliar places, then it’s probably worth updating every four or five years.

RETAIL LOCATION

CLOSING

Here’s a good test: If you’re following your navigation instructions, and you suddenly find yourself being passed by a sailboat, it’s time for an update.

It can be a pain in the butt to do the update yourself. It’s not always user-friendly. If your Ford dealer is willing to install the update for you for $150, that’s not a bad price. We’ve seen much worse (Hello, Honda!).

If you’re not wedded to the built-in GPS, then you have the opportunity to switch over to a superior mapping system that’s completely free — unless you count them knowing everything about your every movement as a form of payment.

We’re talking about Google Maps, which is available, and constantly updated, on any smartphone. It’s easiest to use if your car has Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which mirrors your phone’s screen on your car’s screen.

But even if you don’t have that technology, you can come close with a good phone holder that puts the phone high up in your line of sight while you’re driving, so you’re not taking your eyes off the road to look down at it. There are some pretty good phone holders that clip to your air vents, and others whose base sits in your cup holder, with a long gooseneck to bring the phone up to eye level.

In our experience, Google Maps is up to date, easy to use and factors the most accurate traffic

conditions into its navigation instructions.

The choice is yours, Thom. But one way or another, it might be time for an update.

Dear Car Talk: I have a very puzzling and scary problem with my 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer.

About six months ago, it started to have a gas smell in the cabin when the engine was started. It would dissipate in about 10-15 minutes.

It didn’t happen often, but I mentioned it to my mechanic who said he had never heard of that.

About two months ago, it started happening again and now it happens more frequently.

It happens whether the gas tank is full or not, and the fumes are coming from the air conditioner vent.

Sometimes it smells strongly outside as well as inside, as if someone is pouring gas inside the vehicle. I’m actually scared the vehicle could catch fire!

Of course, when I take it back to the mechanic, the smell has dissipated and even leaving it with them for days reveals nothing.

Can you help? — Donna

Well, it’s a 2004 Trailblazer, Donna, so the first thing I’d consider is lighting a match. But if you’d like a less messy solution, you need to find a mechanic with an old-fashioned emissions testing wand.

SO MUCH MORE THAN A HARDWARE STORE!

Back before cars tested themselves, and we could just plug into their computer to get the results, we used to test a car’s emissions by sticking a wand up its tailpipe. The wand would detect unburned hydrocarbons (i.e. gasoline) in the exhaust, which would tell us whether the emissions system was operating properly or not.

Whenever we have a customer with a gas leak, we still use that wand to sniff it out. It’s very sensitive, can detect gasoline in concentrations of parts per million, and pinpoint exactly where a gas leak is coming from.

The reason it seems like a huge leak is because it doesn’t take much gasoline to create a big smell. So, if it’s just a drop or two of gas that’s leaking onto the engine, evaporating right away, and wafting in through the ventilation system, it’s unlikely that your mechanic can find it with his naked eye. Or his naked nose, especially after that nose has been bombarded with engine fumes and car-dog odor for decades.

Find a shop with an emissions wand, leave the car overnight, and have them use the wand to sniff around your fuel injectors and fuel rail.

You probably have a leaky injector or a leaky seal there.

While not impossible, it’s not likely to catch fire if the leak is that small. But I’d wear sneakers when you drive just in case, and get it fixed soon, Donna.

Visit Cartalk.com.

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34 to get what I needed. At the time, I was not happy with the job that I had, so I asked if they were hiring. [I] filled out an application that day and started working for them a month later.

CAREERS

Mike Blouin

What’s the best piece of work-related advice anyone’s ever given you?

Develop good self-branding. When you are selling or even trying to move up Mike Blouin Mike Blouin of Manchester is an assistant manager at a Verizon Wireless retail store in the company, it’s good that in Manchester. everyone knows exactly who you are. Make yourself known and make your image clear.

Can you explain what your over 11 years. This was the first opportunicurrent job is? ty I’ve had that allowed me to use my skills What do you wish you’d known at the I’m an assistant manager for a along with my passions. beginning of your career? wireless retail store. Basically my If you focus on the people, the numbers job is to assist in sales and make sure the What kind of education or training did follow — not the other way around. A lot of store is functional, well presented and that you need for this job? time in sales, we think that the best thing to the sales reps are all supported in their daily There was no formal education required do is just hit all the goals as quickly as we can goals and responsibilities. for the job, and a lot of the training is handsand however we can. If instead you focus on on as you start. Like all sales-based jobs, getting to know the customers, you will still there was a sales training program to get How long have you worked there? hit your numbers, and you will develop a cliI have been working with the same com- the basics down at the start and help get you ent base of loyal customers. pany for almost six years. However, I began going. Then it’s all practice and using the my current position at my present location in products.

What is your typical at-work uniform? the spring of this year.

Very simple: black jeans … comfortable How did you find your current job? shoes and a button-up work shirt. Optional Funny enough, I first went into a store as How did you get interested in this field? vest if we would like. Nothing too fancy.

I have always had a love for technology a customer. At the time, the store was very and have been in sales in general for a little understaffed, so it took quite a long time

retail assistant manager

What was the first job you ever had?

My first job was as a bus monitor and junior counselor for an in-house after-school program through the YMCA. My responsibilities were to keep the kids calm on the bus and help with homework and activities once we arrived at the location. Fun story: I got the job because they called my house looking for my older brother who already worked for the company, but he wasn’t there and wouldn’t have been able to do the job. The director was a family friend and he decided to offer me the job right there over the phone.

— Travis R. Morin What are you into right now?

I am a big gamer in my personal life.

Lately I’ve been playing a lot of the new Pokémon game. I have also taken up a hobby with photography taking artistic photos of household objects in odd angles or places. My most recent photo was a roll of paper towels on a bar stool against a brick wall. Strange, I know, but I really enjoy making art out of everyday objects.

HELP WANTED The Prescription Center is hiring Certified Pharmacy Technicians, Cashiers, Runners and Drivers at our various locations. go to www.prescription-center.com to download an application today.

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36

FOOD Dine into 2020

Ring in the new year with a special meal or party

By Matt Ingersoll

News from the local food scene

By Matt Ingersoll

food@hippopress.com

• Festive cookies: Join the Smyth Public Library (55 High St., Candia) for its fifth annual Christmas cookie swap on Saturday, Dec. 21. Participants can bake up to five dozen homemade holiday cookies and drop them off, along with recipes to share, at the library on Friday, Dec. 20, between 5 and 8 p.m. They can then return on Saturday, Dec. 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to pick up a new selection of goodies to take home and share with family and friends. The event is sponsored by the Friends of Smyth Public Library. Visit smythpl.org or call 483-8245.

• World flavors: La Medina (99 Union Square, Unit 1, Milford) is now under new ownership and will host a special grand opening on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m.

Former owner Jorge Arrunategui opened the Milford Oval eatery in November 2018 and served tapas that incorporated a variety of world cuisines. Rachael Barnard, a Milford native and longtime friend of Arrunategui’s, assumed ownership of La Medina earlier this year and has created a new menu of regular plates.

You’ll still find staples like chicken and sausage paella, but other recently incorporated items include Moroccan lamb and date tagine (slow cooked and served in a clay pot), sea scallops, samosas, Peruvian ceviche and more. A Sunday brunch menu is also being introduced each week from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. During the grand opening event, Barnard’s uncle, acclaimed chef and Culinary Institute of America graduate James Edwards, will be there to sign copies of his book Rookie Cooking. Local band Brother Seamus will play live. Visit lamedinamilford.com or call 249-3600.

• Brews and tacos: Join Concord Craft Brewing (117 Storrs St.) for a Mexican barbecue party on Saturday, Dec. 21, from 3 to 6 p.m., featuring Chef Alan Natkiel of Georgia’s Northside BBQ. He’ll be cooking and serving up several specialty food items with Concord Craft Brewing beers, like pork carnitas tacos made with its Safe Space New England IPA, and smoked chili-rubbed chicken tacos with its Gov’nah Double IPA, as well as spicy chorizo and chipotle pepper tacos. Visit concordcraftbrewing.com or call 856-7625.

• Riverside BBQ closes its doors: After nearly a decade of serving up authentic Southern barbecue options in Nashua like pulled pork, sliced brisket 40

HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 36

mingersoll@hippopress.com

Celebrate the beginning of a new decade with a special multi-course meal or a midnight Champagne toast at one of these local restaurants, bars and function centers in New Hampshire.

All festivities are to be held on New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 31, unless otherwise specified.

• 815 Cocktails & Provisions (815 Elm St., Manchester, 782-8086, find them on Facebook) will ring in the new year with “Roaring Twenties” party at 8 p.m., featuring an open bar menu, hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment and Champagne toasts. The cost is $120 per person.

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) will host its annual New Year’s Eve gala buffet from 4 to 10 p.m., which will include assorted domestic and imported cheeses, crackers, fresh fruit, vegetable crudites, assorted rolls, baked stuffed haddock with crab stuffing, roasted turkey with stuffing, baked ham with raisin sauce, prime rib, assorted desserts and more. Call or visit the website to make reservations.

• Ancient Fire Mead & Cider (8030 S. Willow St., Building No. 1, Unit 7-2, Manchester, 203-4223, ancientfirewines.com) will be open from noon to 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. • Area 23 (254 N. State St., Unit H, Concord, 219-0856, thearea23.com) will be serving its regular menu, with live music, drink specials and holiday brews until about midnight.

• Auburn Pitts (167 Rockingham Road, Auburn, 622-6564, auburnpitts.com) will host its annual New Year’s Eve party at 8 p.m., featuring live music and food and drink specials.

• Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline, 244-3165, averillhousevineyard.com) will serve a special five-course Brazilian dinner and wine pairing from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $79 per person and include a commemorative wine glass. Reservations are required.

• Bad Lab Beer Co. (460 High St., Somersworth, 842-5822, badlabbeer.com) will serve a New Year’s Day brunch menu on Wednesday, Jan. 1, with beers, live music, games and more.

• Backyard Brewery & Kitchen (1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-3545, backyardbrewerynh.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. • Bar One (40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, find them on Facebook) is taking reservations for New Year’s Eve at 4, 6 or 8 p.m., for a special prix fixe menu and a Champagne toast.

• The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern (132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com) will be open during its regular hours on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. • Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve a four-course prix fixe dinner with seatings

from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Choose an appetizer (lobster bisque, a cheese board with selections from Canterbury’s Brookford Farm, Parmesan gnocchi, Cape Cod oysters, veal meatballs or New Bedford scallop crudo); a salad (baby kale and watercress salad or Boston Bibb salad); an entree (grilled filet mignon, braised veal osso bucco, bronzed New Bedford sea scallops, Australian grass-fed lamb rack, pan seared Scottish salmon, truffled mushroom risotto or ginger-brined Duroc long bone pork chop); and a dessert (pear and raspberry crisp, espresso creme brulee, cranberry grapefruit sorbet, double chocolate cheesecake or rosemary and olive oil cake). The cost is $75.

The Inn’s tavern will also be serving lunch until 1 p.m., and the Lobby Bar will be open from noon to 1 a.m., serving its regular menu.

• The Birch on Elm (931 Elm St., Manchester, 782-5365, thebirch.restaurant) will host its third annual New Year’s Eve Birch Bash at 8 p.m., which will feature an assortment of appetizers and dishes from its sister restaurant Noodz, plus house cocktails, a selection of brews from Lithermans Limited Brewery in Concord, and a celebratory champagne toast at midnight. The cost is $60 per person and includes two specialty drink vouchers and all food for the evening.

• The Bistro at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com) will present “A Night of Wishes,” a special New Year’s Eve dinner scheduled for 8 p.m. The evening will include a three-course meal, with options like artisan breads, house salad, your choice of either New York sirloin or vegetarian quinoa-stuffed portobello mushrooms for an entree, and house chocolate cake with red raspberry chocolate ganache and whipped cream for dessert. There will also be music and dancing, a live broadcast of New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and a Champagne toast at midnight. Semi-formal attire is requested. The cost is $99 per person and reservations are required.

• Boards & Brews (941 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5184, boardsandbrewsnh.com) will host its annual New Year’s Eve celebration at 8 p.m., which will feature a food buffet, board games, two drink tickets and a champagne toast at midnight (the cafe will be closed to the general public for the duration of this event). Tickets are $50.

• Boston Billiard Club & Casino (55 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 943-5630, bostonbilliardclubcasino.com) is offering pool table reservations for $150, which include an appetizer platter for four and a bottle of Champagne.

• Campo Enoteca (969 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0256, campoenoteca.com) will be serving its full menu with specials on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The restaurant will close an hour earlier than normal on New Year’s Eve, at 8 p.m., and will likely open later than normal on New Year’s Day (exact time TBA).

• Canoe Restaurant and Tavern (216 S. River Road, Bedford, 935-8070; 232 Whittier

Highway, Center Harbor, 253-4762; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com) will be accepting dinner reservations through 10:30 p.m. at both locations, serving a special menu.

• Cask & Vine (1½ E. Broadway, Derry, 9653454, caskandvine.com) will serve a special New Year’s Eve menu and draft lineup, from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., featuring appetizers like lobster bisque, Buffalo Brussels sprouts, escargot scampi and pan seared crab cakes; entrees like boneless beef short rib and scallop and shrimp saute; and desserts like espresso creme brulee, caramel apple cheesecake and peanut butter chocolate mousse cups. A $25 admission deposit is required, which will be applied to your bill that evening.

• Cava Tapas & Wine Bar (10 Commercial Alley, Portsmouth, 319-1575, cavatapasandwinebar.com) will serve a special eight-course menu on New Year’s Eve, with seatings at 5:30 or 8:30 p.m. The cost is $95 per person.

• Club Manchvegas Bar & Grill (50 Old Granite St., Manchester, 222-1677, clubmvbarandgrill.com) will serve a special dinner menu, available beginning at 6 p.m., as well as live music, a DJ and a Champagne toast at midnight.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 4283281, colbyhillinn.com) will serve a four-course dinner and wine party from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., featuring seasonal hors d’oeuvres, roast celery root and lobster bisque, pheasant confit, local venison medallion, and chocolate-stuffed Dutch chocolate beignet with raspberry citrus gratin and orange brandy hot chocolate. The cost is $145 per person and includes Champagne and a late night food station.

• The Common Man (25 Water St., Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-3463; 88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088; 60 Main St., Ashland, 968-7030; 10 Pollard Road, Lincoln, 745-3463; 21 Water St., Claremont, 542-6171; thecman.com) will be open during its regular dinner service hours for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day at all of its locations, according to director of communications and community relations Erica Murphy. A few locations, like Ashland and Lincoln, will host live music throughout the evening and champagne toasts with noise makers at midnight. One of its sister locations, Foster’s Boiler Room (231 Main St., Plymouth) will also be open late on New Year’s Eve.

37 • Copper Door Restaurant (15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677; 41 S. Broadway, Salem, 4582033; copperdoor.com) will serve a special prix fixe dinner menu beginning at 4 p.m. Options include a two-course meal for $69, a three-course meal for $79 or a four-course meal for $89. The menu features options for appetizers such as shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, truffle risotto or gorgonzola gnocchi; various soups and salads; entrees such as grilled filet Oscar, roasted prime rib, salmon en croute, lobster ravioli, crispy buttermilk chicken or seafood casserole; and desserts such as sugar cookie cupcakes, pineapple upside down cake or devil’s food cheesecake.

• Cork N Keg Grill (4 Essex Drive, Raymond, 244-1573, corknkeggrill.com) will be open during its regular hours on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., serving its regular menus.

• Cotton (75 Arms St., Manchester, 622-5488, cottonfood.com) will serve a special three-course menu for New Year’s Eve, with seatings from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Choose one of each from four starters, six entrees and three desserts. Pricing ranges from $35 to $56 per person, depending on your entree choices (does not include beverages).

• Country Tavern (452 Amherst St., Nashua, 889-5871, countrytavern.org) will be open during its regular hours, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. • The Crown Tavern (99 Hanover St., Manchester, 218-3132, thecrownonhanover.com) will be open on New Year’s Eve, serving its regular menus. It will be closed on New Year’s Day. • The Derryfield Restaurant (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, derryfieldrestaurant.com) will host its annual New Year’s Eve party, with live music, party favors and a Champagne toast at midnight. The cost is $15.

• Element Lounge (1055 Elm St., Manchester, 627-2922, elementlounge.net) will host a New Year’s Eve party and drag show from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., open to attendees ages 21 and up only.

• Epoch Restaurant & Bar (The Exeter Inn, 90 Front St., Exeter, 778-3762, epochrestaurant. com) will host a special three-course New Year’s Eve menu from 5 to 9 p.m.

• Firefly American Bistro & Bar (22 Concord St., Manchester, 935-9740, fireflynh.com) will be serving its dinner menu until 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, but the bar will be open until after midnight. Firefly will also be open on New Year’s Day for brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and for dinner from 4 to 10 p.m.

• The Flight Center (97 Main St., Nashua, 417-6184, flightcenterbc.com) will remain open on New Year’s Eve until around 12:45 a.m., and will reopen for regular Wednesday hours on New Year’s Day, from 3 to 10 p.m.

• The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille (40 Andover Road, New London, 526-6899, flyinggoose.com) will be open during its regular hours, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, serving its full menu with specials.

• The Foundry Restaurant (50 Commercial St., Manchester, 836-1925, foundrynh.com) will be open during its regular dinner hours on New Year’s Eve, from 4 to 11 p.m., and will be closed on New Year’s Day. • Fratello’s Italian Grille (155 Dow St., Man-

chester, 624-2022, fratellos.com) will host its annual New Year’s Eve ball from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

This year’s theme is “The Roaring Twenties,” and there will be a dinner buffet, hors d’oeuvres, a DJ, a photo booth, a cash bar and more. The cost is $70 per person and reservations are required.

• Gauchos Churrascaria Brazilian Steak House (62 Lowell St., Manchester, 669-9460, gauchosbraziliansteakhouse.com) will host its annual New Year’s Eve event, with dinner reservations from 7 to 9 p.m. and a DJ and dance party from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. In addition to rodizio meats, there will be a chocolate fountain, complimentary soft drinks, coffee, tea and desserts, and a Champagne toast at midnight. The cost is $89 for adults, $25 for children ages 6 to 10 and free for children ages 5 and under. Reservations are required.

• Giorgio’s Ristorante (270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323; 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333; 524 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3939; giorgios.com) will serve its regular menu, with specials, until 10 p.m. at all locations.

• Granite Restaurant & Bar (The Centennial Hotel, 96 Pleasant St., Concord, 227-9005, graniterestaurant.com) will serve a special fourcourse prix fixe dinner menu from 5 to 9 p.m. The meal will include an appetizer (cheese and charcuterie board, truffled deviled egg, a local oyster flight or seared foie gras); a salad or a soup (roasted apple, brie and walnut salad, Caesar salad or lobster bisque); an entree (grilled tenderloin, panko crusted roasted cod loin, pan seared chicken Statler or local mushroom risotto); and a dessert (pumpkin tart, Champagne layer cake, flourless chocolate cake or Tahitian vanilla bean creme brulee). The cost is $75 per person.

• Grappone Conference Center (70 Constitution Ave., Concord, 225-0303, grapponeconferencecenter.com) will host its second annual New Year’s Eve gala at 7 p.m., which will feature appetizers, dinner, dessert and a Champagne toast, in addition to live music. Tickets are $85 per person, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the American Cancer Society.

• Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 2135447, greenleafmilford.com) will serve a special four-course prix fixe menu, with optional wine pairings, beginning at 4 p.m. The cost is $79 per person, or $105 per person with wine pairings included. Reservations are required.

• Hanover Street Chophouse (149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com) will serve a special four-course meal from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $205 per couple.

• The Homestead Restaurant & Tavern (641 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-2022, homesteadnh.com) will be open during its regular hours, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. • Hooked Seafood Restaurant & Ignite Bar & Grille (110/100 Hanover St., Manchester, 606-1189, 644-0064, hookedonignite.com) will be open during its regular Tuesday hours on New Year’s Eve at both locations (4 to 9 p.m. at Hooked, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Ignite).

• Jamison’s Restaurant (472 Route 111, Hampstead, 489-1565, jamisonsrestaurant.com) is taking dinner reservations for New Year’s Eve CONTINUED ON PG 38

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38 CONTINUED FROM PG 37

and will offer a special menu for the evening, including appetizers like Granny Smith apple salad, bacon-wrapped scallops and seared lamb lollipops; main courses like bouillabaisse, red quinoa bowls, prime rib and half-roasted chicken; and desserts like peppermint creme brulee.

• KC’s Rib Shack (837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net) will be serving its regular menu until 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, and will also host a party in its lounge with live music beginning at 8 p.m. and a champagne toast at midnight (admission is free). The eatery will be open during regular hours on New Year’s Day. • Kisaki Japanese Cuisine (641 Elm St., Manchester, 668-8001, kisakimanchester.com) will be open during its regular Tuesday hours on New Year’s Eve, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• La Carreta Mexican Restaurant (139 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 891-0055; 545 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 628-6899; 1875 S. Willow St., Manchester, 623-7705; 35 Manchester Road, Suite A, Derry, 421-0091; 44 Nashua Road, Londonderry, 965-3477; 172 Hanover St., Portsmouth, 427-8319; lacarretamex.com) will be open during its regular hours (11 a.m. to 10 p.m.) on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day at its Nashua and South Willow Street locations. Its Hooksett Road location will close at 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and at 9 p.m. on New Year’s Day. Its Derry, Londonderry and Portsmouth locations will likely close early on New Year’s Eve and open late on New Year’s Day (times TBA).

• Lakehouse Tavern (157 Main St., Hopkinton, 746-1800, lakehousetavern.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, serving its regular menu until 4 p.m. After 4 p.m., a special limited dinner menu will be served. Reservations will also be accepted in its upstairs dining room.

• Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford, 673-3904, mileawayrestaurant. com) is taking reservations now for a special multi-course menu for New Year’s Eve. All dinners include your choice of an appetizer (New England clam chowder, Swedish meatballs, a fresh fruit plate with sorbet, shrimp cocktail, escargots or onion soup gratinee); a salad (Caesar or garden); an entree (options include sliced roast tenderloin of beef, wienerschnitzel, roast-

ed vegetable lasagna, maple glazed salmon, nut crusted chicken and more) and a dessert (chocolate mousse cake, flourless chocolate cake, bourbon bread pudding, lemon mascarpone cake and more). All entrees also come with your choice of a baked potato, sweet potato or rice pilaf and butternut squash, pickled beets or applesauce. Prices vary depending on entree choice but generally range from $33 to $46.

• Murphy’s Diner (516 Elm St., Manchester, 792-4004, murphysdiner.com) will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. • Murphy’s Taproom (494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535, murphystaproom.com) will be open 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day. • Murphy’s Taproom & Carriage House (393 Route 101, Bedford, 488-5975, murphystaproom.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on New Year’s Day. Starting at 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, a special menu will be served featuring a chef-hosted carving station with garlic herb slow roasted prime rib, plus other items like Faroe Island salmon Yukon gold crusted leeks, roasted butternut ravioli, assorted salads, a dessert buffet and a Champagne toast at midnight. The cost is $75 per person.

4.69”wide x 2.6” high • New England’sHIPPO Tap House Grille Horizontal 1/8(1292 page Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com) will host a special Sunday brunch, its final one of the year, on Sunday, Dec. 29, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a meat-carving sta-

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tion and crepe station, plus omelets, a raw bar and breakfast cocktails. The cost is $27 for adults and $14 for kids.

• O Steaks & Seafood (11 S. Main St., Concord, 856-7925; 62 Doris Ray Court, Laconia, 524-9373; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com) is accepting dinner reservations through 10:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve at both of its locations, with special menus available.

• Portsmouth Gas Light Co. (64 Market St., Portsmouth, 430-8582, portsmouthgaslight. com) will host a New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball, with doors opening at 8 p.m. There will be hors d’oeuvres, a late night buffet, party favors and a Champagne toast at midnight. The cost is $65 per person; cocktail attire is encouraged.

• Presidential Oaks (200 Pleasant St., Concord, 724-6111, presidentialoaks.org) will host its annual New Year’s celebration at noon, featuring items like French onion beef melt with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese, plus red bliss mashed potatoes, green beans and New York cheesecake. The cost is $12 per person or $20 per couple.

• Raleigh Wine Bar + Eatery (67 State St., Portsmouth, 427-8459, raleighwinebar.com) will serve a special four-course menu for New Year’s Eve with seatings from 5 to 9:30 p.m. and optional wine pairings with each item. The cost is $85 and reservations are recommended.

• The Red Arrow Diner (112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; redarrowdiner.com) is open 24 hours a day at all three of its locations, including on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. • Republic Cafe (1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com) will be open during its regular dinner hours on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving its regular menu with specials.

• Roots Cafe & Catering (Robie’s Country Store, 9 Riverside St., Hooksett, 485-7761, rootsatrobies.com) will serve a three-course New Year’s Eve dinner at 6 p.m., featuring appetizers, oysters, Champagne, a cash bar and more. The cost is $60 and reservations are required.

• Saddle Up Saloon (92 Route 125, Kingston, 369-6962, saddleupsaloonnh.com) will hold its annual New Year’s Eve party at 7 p.m., which will include live music, a late night pizza buffet, Champagne and more. Tickets are $55.

• Salt Kitchen & Bar (Wentworth by the Sea, 588 Wentworth Road, New Castle, 422-7322, saltkitchenandbar.com) will host A Royal New Year’s Eve, its annual masquerade ball, at 6 p.m.

The evening will include a three-course plated dinner, a pastry buffet, Champagne, wine, hors d’oeuvres, a cocktail hour at midnight and an open bar until midnight. Formal attire is encouraged. The best dressed couple will win a brunch for two. The cost is $189.95 per person and reservations are required.

• Sea Dog Brewing Co. (5 Water St., Exeter, 793-5116, seadogbrewing.com) will host its annual New Year’s Eve celebration, which will feature live music from 9 p.m. to midnight, plus creative appetizers and dinner specials, live music and dancing.

• The Shaskeen Pub & Restaurant (909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com) will host its annual New Year’s Eve Bash, which features a full buffet and an open bar from 8 to 10 p.m., live music, giveaways and a Champagne toast at midnight. The cost is $50 per person. Attendees must be 21 or older.

• Tandy’s Top Shelf Pub (1 Eagle Square, Concord, 856-7614, tandyspub.com) will host a special six-course dinner from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring items like bacon-wrapped scallops, lobster bisque or French onion soup, prime rib or chicken Marsala, cheesecake cream parfait or tiramisu and Champagne. The cost for the dinner is $60 per person. Then at 9 p.m., there will be a Roaring Twenties themed countdown party with hors d’oeuvres, open beer, wine, Champagne and more. The cost is $40 per person. A Roaring Twenties costume party will also be held, with prizes for best costumes. Visit roaring20s-newyearseve.eventbrite.com to purchase tickets.

• The Village Trestle (25 Main St., Goffstown, 497-8230, villagetrestle.com) will host its annual New Year’s Eve Bash at 6 p.m., featuring food and drink specials, live music, party favors and a free midnight snack buffet.

• Whiskey’s 20 (20 Old Granite St., Manchester, 836-5251, whiskeys20.com) will hold a New Year’s Eve party beginning at 9 p.m., featuring live music, food specials, Champagne and more.

Tickets are $15 per person.

• XO on Elm (827 Elm St., Manchester, 5607998, xoonelm.com) will be serving its regular menu on New Year’s Eve and will be closed on New Year’s Day.

Haywards in Merrimack

is Open all winter!

Indoor seating and Drive Thru available Our Hours: 11am-8pm Sunday-Thursday 11am-9pm Friday-Saturday 364 DW Hwy, Merrimack • 603-424-5915 • haywardsicecream.com 129314

HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 38

39 FOOD

Smoothies and teas The Nutrition Corner opens in Derry

By Matt Ingersoll

nutritious nibbles

mingersoll@hippopress.com

With just a smoothie and a cup of tea, you can enjoy a full meal at a new local healthy alternative, which offers dozens of sweet and fruity flavors, as well as add-in options.

It’s called The Nutrition Corner, and while it’s technically in Derry, its location is just steps from three other town lines – Salem, Hampstead and Atkinson – across Route 111. The 20-seat smoothie and tea bar opened for business in the Cowbell Corner plaza on Island Pond Road on Dec. 9.

The menu is split into two distinct sections, according to Alex Macomber of North Salem, who co-owns The Nutrition Corner with his wife Kelsey: one for smoothies and one for teas.

There are more than 30 types of smoothies to choose from; the menu is even broken down into flavor categories, from fruity (like banana cream pie, blueberry coconut, Fruity Pebbles and strawberry shortcake) to options for chocolate or peanut butter lovers (like brownie batter, peanut butter Oreo, Snickers, chocolate raspberry and chocolate-dipped strawberry). From now through at least Christmas and New Year’s, a small selection of holiday-themed smoothies is also available, like gingerbread cookie, peppermint mocha and apple streusel.

While some smoothies may sound or look more like decadent desserts, each one shares the same amounts of nutrients across the board, according to Alex Macomber.

“In every single one of our smoothies, you get 24 grams of protein, 21 vitamins and minerals and five grams of fiber, which is huge,” he said. “Everything is also under 250 calories and low in carbs and sugar. We can even make dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan and keto smoothies.”

As for the teas, there are basic flavors like lemon, peach and raspberry, in addition to more unique options they call “mega teas” that contain more caffeine and only 20 calories – those include strawberry watermelon, cucumber lime and even a Fruit Roll-Up flavor.

“The teas are really special because they are thermogenic, so they actually boost your metabolism,” Alex Macomber said. “We add a pure aloe in them that helps soothe your digestion and absorb all those nutrients you get from the smoothie.”

For that reason, the most popular items to order are a smoothie and tea as a combo, Kelsey Macomber said, although you can also order them separately if you choose to.

“They’ll drink their smoothie while they’re here and then take their tea with them to sip on throughout the day,” she said, “so they get their meal and also their energy.”

This holiday-inspired breakfast combines cozy winter flavors with protein-packed cottage cheese that will keep you full and satisfied. Make a batch ahead of time and re-heat the pancakes when you’re ready to enjoy.

Photo courtesy of The Nutrition Corner in Derry.

There are a few additional third-party products available for sale, like protein bars and BCAA and electrolyte supplements, but Alex Macomber said the primary focus of The Nutrition Corner will be on offering smoothies and teas. He said new flavor options on both sides of the menu may be introduced in the future, in line with the season.

The Macombers are both originally from Rhode Island but have lived in New Hampshire for the last few years. Alex had previously worked for Amazon Robotics, while Kelsey has been a stay-at-home mother of the couple’s two young children.

Both are frequenters of several of the health food establishments that have recently opened up across the Granite State, like Fresh Hub Eatery of Salem and Troy’s Fresh Kitchen & Juice Bar of Londonderry. Kelsey has even helped to organize online support groups for women on healthy eating habits.

“Being a corporate guy before this, I had never owned a restaurant or anything,” Alex Macomber said, “so for me, it’s been really fun seeing everyone coming in and enjoying their smoothies. It’s a fun atmosphere, almost like a bar, but for healthy options, so that’s been one of my favorite parts of this.”

The Nutrition Corner Where: 418 Island Pond Road, Unit 8, Derry Hours: Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed on Sundays (hours subject to change) Contact: Find them on Facebook @ thenutritioncorner or on Instagram @thenutritioncorner111, visit thenutritioncorner. business.site or call 486-0944

Gingerbread Protein Pancakes Makes: 16 pancakes Ingredients: Hannaford Canola Oil Cooking Spray 2 cups Hannaford Old Fashioned Oats 6 eggs 2 cups Breakstone’s® 2% Milkfat Lowfat Cottage Cheese 2 tsp. McCormick® Ground Cinnamon 2 tsp. McCormick® Ground Ginger 1/2 tsp. McCormick® Ground Nutmeg 1/2 tsp. McCormick® Ground Allspice 1 tsp. baking powder 1 Tbsp. molasses 1 Tbsp. chia seeds Optional toppings: Hannaford Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt, berries, maple syrup or powdered sugar

Directions: 1. Heat a nonstick griddle or frying pan to medium heat. Spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

3. Scoop batter onto griddle using a 1/4 cup scoop. Cook until bubbles start to appear in the middle, about 3 to 5 minutes on the first side. Flip each pancake and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes.

4. If desired, serve with a dollop of yogurt, fruit, drizzle of maple syrup or sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Nutritional Information 4 pancakes per serving (optional ingredients not included): Calories 540; Fiber 10 g; Total Fat 16 g; Saturated Fat 5 g; Sodium 540 mg; Protein 33 g; Carbohydrate 64 g Thank you to our sponsors for partnering with Hannaford to offer free dietitian services. Our dietitians communicate their own nutrition expertise, views and advice, using carefully selected products in recipes and demonstrations to share information on healthful eating.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 39

Kitchen

IN THE

40

WITH JESSICA SARNO

Jessica Sarno of Hudson is the owner of Sarno’s Sweets (416 Daniel Webster Highway, Suite E, Merrimack, 261-3791, sarnosweets. com), a small-batch bakery offering a selection of baked goods and pastries, like cheesecakes, whoopie pies, cupcakes, cake pops, doughnuts and brownies. A native of Georgia, Sarno graduated with a culinary arts degree from the Art Institute of Atlanta in 2003. She worked as a cook and pastry chef at several restaurants before establishing Sarno’s Sweets, which began as a homestead business specializing in custom cakes. The storefront opened in October 2018, offering a pastry case of desserts made fresh daily. Custom cakes and other specialty orders can be placed with a minimum advance notice of two weeks.

Give the

BEST

Best Beer Selection Best Pub Best Bartender Best French Fries Best Burger Best After Work Hangout

THE BARLEY HOUSE

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Full Flavored Food, Fresh Local Craft Beer, & Proper Cocktails 43 Lafayette Rd., North Hampton, NH | (603) 379-9161 | seacoast.thebarleyhouse.com 132 N. Main St., Concord, NH | (603) 228-6363 | thebarleyhouse.com

NYE? MAC!

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Chocolate whoopie pies Courtesy of Jessica Sarno of Sarno’s Sweets in Merrimack

Ring in the

NewYear with style...

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497 Hooksett Road, Manchester, NH

Manchester, NH | Portsmouth, NH | Tyngsboro, MA HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 40

light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and buttermilk. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Cream the butter and sugar until

Mix ingredients together until smooth.

For the filling: 1 cup unsalted butter 1 cup powdered sugar 1 cup marshmallow Fluff 1 teaspoon vanilla

Continued from page 36

Whether you D.I.Y. with a delicious Take and Bake, or have us cater... Mr. Mac’s will make your NYE party one to remember!

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2 cups flour ½ cup cocoa 1¼ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup unsalted butter 1 egg

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What is your must-have kitchen item? a classic one and then we do seasonal flaI can’t live without my KitchenAid mixers. vors like pumpkin and peppermint bark. We have little individual round cheesecakes you What would you have for your last meal? can get out of the case that are about four I think I would have to say my mom’s inches, and then we do orders for 10-inch stuffed shells. She does them with ground cheesecakes. beef, ricotta cheese and marinara sauce.

What is the biggest food trend in New What is your favorite local restaurant?

Hampshire right now?

The Common Man in Merrimack. They I definitely would say that we’ve had have great appetizers and cocktails. more requests lately for … dairy-free, vegan and gluten-free [items], from people that are What celebrity would you like to see more health conscious. ordering from your bakery?

Gordon Ramsay.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

What is your favorite thing on your I usually like to make something simple menu? like spaghetti. That’s always a favorite in my I love all of our cheesecakes and coming house. up with different flavors. We always have — Matt Ingersoll

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and Memphis-style ribs, the Riverside Barbeque Co. permanently closed its doors on Dec. 14. Owner and chief pitmaster Dave Manganello made the official announcement last week on the eatery’s website and Facebook pages, citing financial reasons. Manganello bought the former Sausage King restaurant on Main Street in September 2011, renaming it the Riverside Barbeque Co. in 2013 and revamping the menu to include recipes of his own. He even brought in his own

smokers and other equipment to give his food a unique Southern barbecue flavor.

In 2016, he further expanded the eatery into the adjacent space of a former tattoo parlor in the same building, introducing a full-service bar and three times as much dining space. Despite the closure, it’s likely that we haven’t seen the last of Manganello’s barbecue – he told the Hippo that his hopes for the future are to go portable, in the form of a food truck or a trailer, by the spring of 2020.

41 FOOD

TRY THIS AT HOME Frosted Eggnog Cookies I have enjoyed eggnog for my entire life. As a little kid, I remember being excited when it was in the grocery stores around Thanksgiving, and my mom would buy some as a treat. Ah, yes, the good old days when eggnog showed up in November. This year I think I saw it in the stores around late September.

Things change, so eggnog’s arrival is not a big deal. I still don’t buy it until right around Thanksgiving, so who cares if it’s in the store sooner? However, what is different is that I no longer want to drink a glass of it. It’s so heavy I prefer to use it in place of milk in my coffee — just enough to give some flavor and sweetness.

I also have been thinking about ways to use eggnog in my cooking. A few years ago I made a pretty tasty eggnog ice cream. But ice cream is cold, and so is December, so I still wanted other ways to use eggnog. That’s where the inspiration for these cookies came. To be sure that you know they’re eggnog cookies, not only are the cookies made with eggnog, the frosting is as well. Together they produce a cookie that’s tender and flavorful.

Frosted Eggnog Cookies

DINNER & PARTY Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

For me this cookie tastes like Christmas.

Maybe it’s those childhood memories, maybe it’s the fact that I only buy eggnog at this time of year. Either way, one of these cookies makes everything feel magical and celebratory.

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the Manchester resident has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty.

Please visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Add eggs one at a time, beating just until combined.

Mix in vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

Alternately add flour mixture and eggnog to batter, mixing after each addition until just combined.

Scoop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes.

Rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a baking rack to cool.

Cool completely, then top with frosting.

Cookies 3/4 cup butter softened 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup eggnog 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg Frosting 1/2 cup butter softened 1/4 cup eggnog 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 3 cups powdered sugar Cookies Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached, beat together butter and both sugars until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Food & Drink Author events • CYNTHIA HERBERT-BRUSCHI ADAMS The author will present her recently released book Italian Spices: A Memoir.

Part travelogue, part cookbook, the memoir contains several family recipes while spanning 50 years of her travel to and from Italy. Thurs., Jan. 16, 6 p.m. Gib-

New Year’s Eve

Frosting In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy.

Add eggnog, nutmeg, and 1 cup powdered sugar, mixing until combined.

Add additional sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, to reach desired consistency and sweetness.

Makes 48 cookies.

son’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord. Visit gibsonsbookstore. com or call 224-0562.

Beer, wine & liquor festivals & special events • BREWERY LIGHTS Anheuser-Busch will transform into the ultimate holiday destination during Brewery Lights, featuring thousands of holiday lights and

decorations across the brewery, plus a Kids’ Zone, beer samples, holiday-themed specials and more. Thursdays and Sundays, 5 to 9 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, 5 to 10 p.m., now through Dec. 29. Anheuser-Busch Tour Center & Biergarten, 221 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 41

42 DRINK

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The word “imperial” in beer can be a little intimidating. And I’m here to tell you that, well, it probably should be at least a little intimidating because you can’t really call a beer an imperial anything unless it’s got a ton of alcohol in it.

In fact, according to beerandbrewing.com, the “imperial” moniker is derived from a Russian imperial stout dating back to the 1700s that was brewed specifically for Czarina Catherine the Great and the imperial court of Russia. The brew came in at a whopping 10 percent ABV. I am intimidated right now.

Today, the Russian imperial stout is a pretty ubiquitous style featuring rich malts, big, complex flavors and generally ABVs in the range of 8 to 12 percent. However, brewers don’t limit the use of the word “imperial” to stouts these days. Imperial IPAs are a thing and so are imperial brown ales. Rogue Ales even brews an imperial Pilsner that, candidly, greatly confuses me.

Aside from maybe that imperial Pilsner I just mentioned, these are the consummate big beers. And big beers are perfect for the holiday season, regardless of the specific style. All that warming alcohol paired with rich, layered flavors is perfect for a season defined by indulgence.

A big bomb of a beer, like the Imperial Stout by Founder’s Brewing Co. or Stone Brewing Co.’s Enjoy By IPA, is probably a bit much for one person. These brews are perfect for sharing. Thankfully a number of New Hampshire breweries are happy to provide imperial giants to indulge your taste buds.

Here are five New Hampshire imperial brews I’ll be seeking out this month.

Fall of Babylon Russian Imperial Stout

by Schilling Beer Co. (Littleton) I like that the brewery describes this as “brooding” as I do sort of think of big Russian imperial stouts in that same way. I also like that you’ll pick up notes of coffee, and bitter chocolate. This is a limited-run brew.

Pink Duct Tape Imperial IPA by Stoneface Brewing Co. is a hop head’s delight. Photo by Stoneface Brewing Co.

ed so good I had to mention it. This is an American imperial stout that has been “generously juiced with cold brew coffee from...

Wayfarer Coffee Roasters in Laconia,” the brewery says. I love coffee stouts but I feel like they’re usually not 9.3-percent ABV so this is intriguing. I’m expecting richness and huge coffee flavor. And then I’m expecting to take a nap.

The Mitz Russian Imperial Stout by 603 Brewery (Londonderry) As of the moment I write these words, 603 Brewery is offering four versions of its Russian imperial stout, and each one made me come to a full stop. First, they have their base model, which is loaded with caramel and dark roasted malts and coming in at 10 percent ABV. But they also offer a Salted Caramel version, which is a little sweeter, a Cappuccino version that is aged over coffee, and an Apple Brandy version aged in apple brandy oak barrels. That’s just so much flavor and I want to try them all back-to-back-to-back-to-back.

Columbian Thunder Pony Imperial Smoked Porter by Liars Bench Beer Co. (Portsmouth) First, great name. Second, I can just imagine the dance my tastebuds are going to do when they meet this beer. I like thinking about the combination of rich chocolate malt, coffee and smokiness.

Pink Duct Tape Imperial IPA by StoneJeff Mucciarone is a senior account manface Brewing Co. (Newington) ager with Montagne Communications, where This New England-style double IPA is he provides communications support to the brewed with galaxy, ekuanot, and vic secret New Hampshire wine and spirits industry. hops “that delivers a huge bouquet of passionfruit, clean citrus and pineapple. Balanced What’s in My Fridge and soft, this is a hop head’s delight,” accordDogs & Boats Imperial IPA by Beer’d ing to the brewery. Coming in at 8.2 percent Brewing Co. (Stonington, Conn.) At 9.1 ABV, this is on the “lower” end of the imperipercent ABV this is a big boy that features al spectrum, suggesting drinkability.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 42

Wayfarer Coffee Nitro Stout by Concord Craft Brewing (Concord) This beer is coming soon but it sound-

tons of juicy hop character but a toneddown level of bitterness. It doesn’t drink like it’s got that much alcohol, but it does, so be careful. Cheers!

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 43

POP CULTURE

Index CDs

pg44

• Pop. 1280, Way Station A• Grave Danger, Tomb It May Concern B BOOKS

pg46

• The Little Book of the Icelanders at Christmas B+ • Book Report Includes listings for lectures, author events, book clubs, writers’ workshops and other literary events.

To let us know about your book or event, email asykeny@hippopress. com. To get author events, library events and more listed, send information to listings@hippopress.com.

FILM

pg48

• Jumanji: The Next Level B• Black Christmas B• Richard Jewell C+

44

MUSIC, BOOKS, GAMES, COMICS, MOVIES, DVDS, TV AND MORE Pop. 1280, Way Station (Weyrd Son Records)

OK, so here’s a duo that wants to be a goth Swans or somesuch. They switched over from a more straightforward indie band configuration to an all-electronic setup upon the departure of two band members in the same week, if I’m reading this thing right, and by the way, that’s always an option to keep in mind if you’re a young musician who’s finding it hard to keep your outfit together.

This is the New York pair’s first album in three years, steeped in “painful and fearful themes,” which is actually a good way of putting it; “Under Duress” is a laborious dive into the type of apocalypse-of-the-soul vibe Swans are (sort of) famous for: rambled human outcries chummed over a pastiche of closeup thrumming, faraway robo-blasting, things like that, but quite tuneful in its way. The single, “Boom Operator,” is a departure from that, bringing noisy, Combichrist-ish jackboot goth together with some pretty tasty electro. A— Eric W. Saeger Grave Danger, Tomb It May Concern (self-released)

I’m such a hopeless horror fan that the fastest way for a band to get me to pay attention to them is to have some sort of Halloween theme to their trip, like this Elgin, Illinois-area outfit, who’ve been lapping up all sorts of love from indie blogs.

Their deal is ska-punk, and they’re good enough to have been added to a Spotify playlist from the For The Love Of Bands Facebook group, which put them in there with Reel Big Fish, Boston’s own Aquabats, and so on. That’s good enough for me, certainly, and although I think they’re got some work to do in the studio (one of the horns is delightfully off-kay on the EP’s opening tune “Give Up The Ghost”), and I would have liked to have more Svengoolie-Vision to the whole thing, there are a few moments where they ape Mighty Mighty Bosstones more than adequately. Hey, they have a song called “Bigfoot Beach” — what more is necessary? B — Eric W. Saeger

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 44

PLAYLIST A seriously abridged compendium of recent and future CD releases • The next-to-last (and most hopeless, in terms of number of actual albums coming out) release date of 2019 is Dec. 20, five days before Christmas. You know what that means, of course; it means there won’t be anything for me to talk about but metal albums, I’ll bet you anything.

But I’ll look anyway, because I am a cheerful sap. Surely someone will release a record on Dec. 20. I don’t care if I’ve never heard of them and they’re going to break up in a few weeks over someone stealing a cigarette from someone else, it doesn’t matter to me. Wait, I found one: it is a new album, titled Strangers, from a Minneapolis band called Little Fevers! They are definitely millennials, looking like a hairy but domesticated cross between hippies and first-level tech support personnel. They could be software engineers or chimney sweeps, for all one can tell. They have a girl singer. The two dudes look like extras I saw once on an old rerun of Hawaii Five-O, and the other girl is probably a Frisbee golf caddy. Anyway, they’re stuck with me, and vice versa, they’re releasing their album on Dec. 20, on a club date they’re sharing with two other bands, so that makes it official, so here goes, I’ll listen to the single from this album, “Sleep.” The girl sounds like Halsey or Kate Havnevik, like she’s seriously trying to sound exactly like that, with that sourball-in-her-mouth sound and whatnot. The song is strummy, mildly urgent-sounding and very Aughts, which always means that the local press will say it sounds like Pavement. Yup, they did. They also said it sounds like Violent Femmes, which this doesn’t at all, but no matter.

• I’d start guzzling peach schnapps right now, what with being faced with a full slate of no new albums to talk about, but if I start I won’t be able to find another album to talk about, so I’ll press on and see what’s going to happen next here. Look, it’s a jazz compilation from Solomon Burke, The Complete Atlantic Recordings! Who was Solomon Burke, you ask? Why, only one of the preacher-singer dudes who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s, that’s who! This fellow was referred to as the “Muhammad Ali of Soul” back in his day, when people would ignore his records because Otis Redding and James Brown were a hundred times more popular, meaning he was more of a “musician’s musician,” with a rather nondescript baritone voice that would suddenly soar on such minor hits as “Cry to Me,” which more than slightly resembled “Under the Boardwalk.” Anyway, Solomon Burke, everyone.

• Wow, rapping person Nas has volunteered to help me out here with a sequel to his 2002 Lost Tapes album! It’s called Lost Tapes 2, and will feature beats produced by Swizz Beatz, Statik Selektah, RZA, Kanye, No ID, Pharrell and others. Thank you, Nas! • Finally we have another non-metal album, this one from Austria, the debut LP from alt-pop-rock Hunger, titled Mosaik! The teaser stuff is warm, bright, house-y, and sounds every bit the neo-boyband they look like. It’s nice. — Eric W. Saeger Local (N.H.) bands seeking album or EP reviews can message me on Twitter (@esaeger) or Facebook (eric.saeger.9).

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45 POP

From tune to tale

Goffstown musician’s Christmas song inspires new novel

By Angie Sykeny

asykeny@hippopress.com

Courtesy photo.

3, tells the story of a holiday decorating enthusiast who has recently moved from Florida to a small town in Maine where he begins setting up a massive display on his new home. What he doesn’t know is that he lives across the street from the grumpiest old lady in town, who has made it her mission to shut down his display.

“I’ve heard from a lot of decorators who have actually had problems with neighbors who don’t like their displays,” Pancoast said. “It’s actually something common in the decorating community.”

In the book, the feud between the decorator and the old lady brings the whole neighborhood together in what Pancoast calls “a heartwarming Christmas tale.”

Throughout December, Pancoast has been touring bookstores and libraries, performing the song and reading from the book. Though she doesn’t do much touring to decorators’ homes anymore, she will be returning to one family’s home in Pennsylvania later this month, which she visits every year to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

“There is a great amount of gratification for me that this has touched people, made memories and made so many people happy,” she said.

The House on Christmas Street by Judy Pancoast The book is available at Barnes & Noble in Manchester, on Amazon and on Pancoast’s website, judypancoast.com.

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When Judy Pancoast, a Grammy-nominated children’s musician from Goffstown, recorded her first Christmas album in 1998, her goal was to get the title song, “The House on Christmas Street,” on the radio, but as it turns out, persuading radio stations to play new, non-traditional Christmas music is no easy feat.

“Audiences want to hear Bing Crosby,” Pancoast said. “They want to hear wellknown songs by established artists, and as an independent artist, I just couldn’t make it happen.”

But that wasn’t the end for “The House on Christmas Street.” In 2006, Pancoast’s husband decided to do a Google search of Pancoast’s name and songs and discovered that the song had become a hit with a niche and unexpected audience: holiday house-decorators.

Pancoast discovered hundreds of videos of decorators from around the world using her song in synchronized lighting displays at their homes, and the official video of Pancoast performing the song had nearly 250,000 views on YouTube.

“I was shocked,” she said, “It had been eight years after I wrote it and somehow, somewhere, it caught on. … I call it ‘the most famous Christmas song that you don’t hear on the radio.’”

The song is a tribute to elaborate holiday home displays, Pancoast said, and makes references to “twinkling lights,” “Santa Claus up on the roof” and other elements that Pancoast had seen in those displays.

She soon discovered that there is an entire subculture of holiday decorators, and in 2007, she was invited to a decorating convention in Tennessee, where decorators meet and exchange ideas.

“People were so excited and would say, ‘You wrote the song that describes my house,’ and there is still no other Christmas song that describes these decorated houses,” she said.

For several years between 2010 and 2017, Pancoast went on “tour” across the country and even to England, performing the song outside decorators’ houses and collecting money for various charities.

“I got to know all of these people who were using my music,” she said. “It was a wonderful experience.”

Inspired by the song’s impact, Pancoast, having never written a book before, decided to pen a novel based on and titled after the song. The novel, which was self-published and released on Dec.

HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 45

46 POP CULTURE BOOKS

The Little Book of the Icelanders at Christmas, by Alda Sigmundsdottir (Little Books Publishing, 137 pages)

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www.lacarretamex.com HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 46

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The giant ogress Gryla threatens children and rancid fish threatens everyone in The Little Book of the Icelanders at Christmas, the new entry in Alda Sigmundsdottir’s Little Books series on Iceland.

Sigmundsdottir is a Reykjavik translator, blogger and writer who draws on her unique perspective as both native and foreigner to comment on Icelandic culture.

According to her website biography she was born in Iceland, grew up in Canada, later lived in the U.K. and Germany, and moved back to Iceland as an adult. While news headlines went from “Why Everyone Is Talking About Iceland Right Now” (Intrepid Traveler, October 2016) to “Has Iceland Become Too Popular?” (Adventure, April 2017) to this year’s “Iceland Was the Hottest Tourist Destination. What Happened?” (USA Today), Sigmundsdottir was giving us The Little Book of Tourists in Iceland, in 2017 (subtitle: Tips, Tricks, and What the Icelanders Really Think of You), and other books of short essays on Icelandic life.

Now she turns her attention to Christmas, which looks in Iceland a lot like it looks here, full of lights and cookies and Santa Claus and lately a great deal of consumerism. But Iceland does have its own traditions and its own twists on the modern Christmas experience; this Little Book offers an enjoyable taste of both.

Prominent is the story of the Yule Lads, who come down from their mountain hideaways, one each night for 13 nights, and leave trinkets for children, sort of Tooth Fairy style except the gift goes in your shoe. In old lore the Yule Lads were takers rather than givers, said to steal farmers’ food and cause mischief, which is why they have names like Door Slammer and Bowl Licker, but they’ve matured. Their family includes their mother, Gryla, who cooks and eats naughty children, and the Yule Cat, “a monstrous feline that eats any person who does not get a new item of clothing to wear at Christmas.”

There is no word on whether the Yule Cat is willing to eat the rancid fish that is an important part of Icelandic Christmas cuisine. On Dec. 23 people gather and eat “skate (as in stingray) that has been sitting in a closed container, fermenting, for over a month.” Even after cooking, “The smell remains, in its full undiluted glory, so that every residential area in Iceland has the thick stench of this unique delicacy wafting through its buildings and streets.”

As she describes each custom, Sigmundsdottir spends a few words on how it came to be. Some of the stories originate in the centuries-old Sagas; some of the special food and must-give gifts are rooted in past periods of poverty.

After the skate parties, people go home to put up their Christmas trees and then head to Reykjavik for a festive night of downtown shopping, caroling and general merry-making. (In a disclaimer, Sigmundsdottir says she focuses on the capital because that’s where two-thirds of the country’s 360,000 people live and where most of the action is.) Many wait until Christmas Eve to read their Christmas cards together. Those who most cling to tradition may dance-walk around the Christmas tree that night.

Christmas blends into New Year’s and the Icelanders go wild with fireworks for days — there’s been talk of reining things in to stop the excessive pollution. They also build bonfires, which is apparently a more Iceland-specific New Year’s activity.

It’s interesting to read about these special traditions. It’s also interesting to read about more universal experiences. In the “Little Cakes” essay we learn “there is still pressure to measure up in the great Christmas cookie bake-off. For many it remains a barometer of domestic excellence, and the questions ‘have you started baking yet?’ and ‘how many sortir [cookie varieties] are you baking this year?’ are still very common. This, even though modern Icelandic women claim to pooh-pooh the tradition … while secretly feeling terribly inadequate that their neighbour has managed to bake two or three sortir, while they have baked only one.”

In keeping with the season, the earlier Little Books would be good for gifting.

The Little Book of Icelandic has fun idioms (“on with the butter”!) and tips on how to guess the meanings of Icelandic words; The Little Book of Tourists in Iceland is both amusing and wince-inducing.

I’ll give this holiday cookie of a book a B+ — and, by the way, Alda Sigmundsdottir’s Instagram account an A+ for its landscape photography.

—Lisa Parsons

47 POP CULTURE BOOKS

Book Report

• New Hampshire destination mystery: Mark Okrant will be at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord) on Saturday, Dec. 21, from noon to 3 p.m. for a signing of his new book A Thief in the House: A New Hampshire Murder Mystery, the second volume in his Commissioner Kary Turnell mystery series. Kary Turnell has solved murders at four grand hotels in New Hampshire and popular tourist destinations in New England and Puerto Rico.

Now he must investigate a murder that takes him from New Hampshire’s oldest golf course, Beaver Meadow, to the Statehouse and the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. Each signed copy of the book comes with a map of the Kary Turnell Mystery Tour and a golf ball from Beaver Meadow Golf Course. Visit markokrant.com.

• A heartwarming Christmas tale: Catherine Dougherty Waldron will be at Annie’s Book Stop (1330 Union Ave., Laconia) on Saturday, Dec. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon presenting her Christmas novella, Music, Memories & Love. While others are celebrating Christmas Day with family and friends, Carol will be spending the holiday home alone; her husband has passed and her children and grandchildren are too busy with their own lives. She decides to sleep the day away until something unexpected and wonderful happens. Waldron’s debut novel In Polyester Pajamas won a New Hampshire Writers Project Readers’ Choice Award for an outstanding work of fiction. Recently she opened a publishing business and monthly subscription box business, based in Laconia, for readers and writers of all ages, which she will be promoting at the event. Visit giveasalute.com.

• New Murder, She Wrote book: Jon Land, bestselling author of more than 25 novels, visits Toadstool Bookshop (375 Amherst St., Somerset Plaza, Nashua) on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m., presenting the 50th installment of the Murder, She Wrote series, A Time for Murder, which he co-wrote with Jessica Fletcher. Visit toadbooks.com.

— Angie Sykeny Books Author Events • RANDY PIERCE Author presents See You At the Summit. Sat., Jan. 4, 2 p.m. Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord. Call 2240562 or visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

• CHRISTINE DUFFY ZERILLO Author presents Still Here.

Wed., Jan. 8, 6 p.m., Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord. Call 224-0562 or visit gibsonsbookstore. com.

• LEAF SELIGMAN Author presents From the Midway: Unfolding Stories of Redemption and Belonging. Tues., Jan. 14, 6 p.m. Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord.

Call 224-0562 or visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

• CYNTHIA HERBERT-BRUSCHI ADAMS Author presents Italian Spices: A Memoir. Thurs., Jan. 16, 6 p.m. Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord. Call 224-

0562 or visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

• MIMI BULL Author presents Celibacy, a Love Story: Memoir of a Catholic Priest’s Daughter. Thurs., Jan. 23, 6 p.m. Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord. Call 2240562 or visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

• JIM FINI Author presents Locally Grown: The Art of Sustainable Government. Fri., Jan. 24, 6 p.m.

Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord. Call 224-0562 or visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

• ERIN MORGENSTERN Author presents The Starless Sea. Sun., Jan. 26, 2 p.m. Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord. Call 2240562 or visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

• MIKE ERUZIONE Author presents The Making of a Miracle.

Thurs., Jan. 30, 6 p.m. Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord.

Call 224-0562 or visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

Poetry • POETRY READING Presenting poets Kimberly Burwick and Elizabeth Bradfield. Tues., Jan. 28, 6 p.m.

Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord. Call 224-0562 or visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

• SLAM FREE OR DIE Weekly poetry open mike and slam. Thursday, 8 p.m. Stark Brewing Co., 500 N. Commercial St., Manchester. $3.

Visit facebook.com/slamfreeordie.

Book discussion groups • ANIME & MANGA CLUB A new club seeks members to join.

Will involve book discussions, anime viewings, and workshops.

No set date. Rodgers Memorial Library, 194 Derry Road, Hudson.

Free. Visit rodgerslibrary.org. Call 886-6030.

• BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP Second Thurs., 7 p.m. Manchester City Library , 405 Pine St. , Manchester. Visit manchester.lib.nh.us.

• BOOKENDS BOOK GROUP Monthly discussion group. First Sun., 4 to 5 p.m. MainStreet BookEnds, 16 E. Main St., Warner. Visit mainstreetbookends.com.

• BROWN BAG BOOK CLUB Book discussion group. Last Tuesday, 12:15 p.m. Manchester City Library , 405 Pine St., Manchester.

Visit manchester.lib.nh.us.

• GIBSON’S BOOK CLUB Monthly book discussion group.

First Monday, 5:30 p.m. Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord.

Visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

• MORNING BOOK GROUP Second Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon.

Candia Smith Public Library, 55 High St., Candia. Call 483-8245.

Visit smythpl.org.

• MORNING BOOK GROUP Monthly discussion. Fourth Wed., 10 a.m. to noon. Kimball Library, 5 Academy Ave., Atkinson. Visit kimballlibrary.com.

• NASHUA NOVEL READERS Monthly book discussion. Second Thursday, 7 p.m. Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St., Nashua. Visit nashualibrary.org.

Writers groups • PLAYWRIGHT’S CIRCLE Cue Zero Theatre Company hosts a monthly Playwright’s Circle for local playwrights looking to improve their craft. Playwrights of all ages and experience levels are invited to bring 10 pages of an original work, which the circle will read aloud and offer feedback on while discussing the process and philosophy of playwriting. Bring at least one copy of your scene for every character.

Every third Sunday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jupiter Hall, 89 Hanover St., Manchester. Visit facebook.com/ CZTheatre.

• WRITERS GROUP All levels and abilities are welcome. Second and fourth Friday, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Candia Smyth Public Library, 55 High St., Candia. Call 4838245. Visit smythpl.org.

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48 POP CULTURE FILM REVIEWS BY AMY DIAZ

Jumanji: The Next Level (PG-13)

The high school teens of the 2017 movie are now college-age teens who return to the enchanted video game to save one of their buddies in Jumanji: The Next Level.

Here’s the math on 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle: My expectations for that movie were basically at zero and the best I would have hoped for was something that was affably lame and not painful to sit through. It turned out to be genuinely enjoyable and all the way around suitable for the whole PG-13and-up family. So, a success! But it means I went in to The Next Level with higher expectations. So while it’s fine — and I think still all around acceptable as holiday-gathering-time entertainment for the seventh-grader and great-grandma and everyone in between — it doesn’t exactly repeat the magic.

This movie does seem more tailored to the whole family; there is an actual grandpa here in the form of Spencer’s grandpa Eddie, played by Danny DeVito, and his buddy Milo, played by Danny Glover. When the teens — first Spencer (Alex Wolff), then Martha (Morgan Turner) and Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain) and later Bethany (Madison Iseman) — are sucked back into the video game, Eddie and Milo come too.

This movie does some avatar/player swapping as the characters move through the game. While Martha returns as Ruby (Karen Gillan), Fridge is, at first, Professor Oberon (Jack Black) and Eddie is Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) with Milo finding himself in the body of Mouse Finbar (Kevin Hart). And there’s a new avatar, Ming Fleetfoot (Awkwafina), as well as a horse named Cyclone.

The actor having the most fun in any given scene is the one playing the avatar inhabited

by DeVito’s Eddie. This provides probably the most entertaining mismatch between avatar and character, though Bethany as in the Jack Black avatar is probably the best consistent pairing. I think the movie nicely balances the new characters (their grandpa humor, their side plot, their usefulness as a way to explain the concept of the game) with the previous

Jumanji: The Next Level

quartet and their relationships.

This movie is fine, not the delightful surprise of 2017 but not the mess that it could have been. It gets the job done, it entertains your family (or provides more than 90 minutes of quiet time in a comfortable theater chair, adequate for snoozing) and it doesn’t fail anybody involved. BRated PG-13 for adventure action, suggestive content and some language, according to the MPA. Directed by Jake Kasdan with a screenplay by Jake Kasdan and Jeff Pinker & Scott Rosenberg, Jumanji: The Next Level is two hours and three minutes long and distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Black Christmas (PG-13)

Malevolent masculinity is literally toxic in the horror reboot Black Christmas, which is hammy and not subtle and I am Here For It.

Sorority sisters at Hawthorne College are preparing for winter break — the perfect time for someone to start picking them off one by one as there is a lot of “so-and-so is heading home” and “I guess whoseherface already left for the holiday.” Riley (Imogeen Poots), a senior, is staying at the house for the break as her parents have died. She’s also still dealing with the aftermath of an incident a few years earlier when she was raped

by Brian (Ryan McIntyre), a boy at a fraternity, but wasn’t believed by the college. She and her sisters have, however, come up with a nice bleep-you to the fraternity; during a Greek-system talent show, some sororities boycott but Riley’s house performs a version of “Up on the Housetop” that in the real world would not only go viral but probably help at least one of them get elected to Congress.

Smarminess-personified Brian happens to be at the event — because he has graduated but is visiting his frat, which I feels like tells you everything else you need to know about his character. His presence shakes Riley at first but then gives her the charge to really bring home the talent show bit.

The frat boys are left seething — and they’re a weird, scary bunch to begin with.

Riley happens to see a group of them wearing robes and performing some sort of strange ritual with the new pledges. As more sisters go missing, Riley becomes worried that the frat’s response to the talent show song (and its subsequent posting online) has turned violent.

The girls argue among themselves about this: Riley seems to worry that fellow sorority sister Kris (Aleyse Shannon) is picking a fight while Kris accuses her of backing down. Marty (Lily Donoghue) gets into a similar fight with her boyfriend Nate (Simon Mead), who had heretofore been a supportive Good Guy

and friend of the house. And then there’s the professor played by Cary Elwes, also once a member of the fraternity. Like, I’m sure he’s fine, right?

This movie is extremely direct in its opinions of fraternities and their bad actors, the colleges that protect them, campus security and snooty professors who refuse to reconsider any part of the Western canon. We know a character is going bad when he petulantly announces “I like beer.” Nuanced this ain’t.

But it also does some smart things that aren’t so loud, like the way that “I’m sorry” is used, reflexively, as a (frequently useless) defense mechanism. The whole argument it seems to be making about how women position themselves in the struggle for equality is also a lot more complex than it seems at first.

I’d also argue that the movie isn’t as simplistic when it comes to the idea of “all men” as it might seem — Landon (Caleb Eberhardt) has feelings for Riley, who is also interested in him and the movie gives him a bit more agency (though I did sort of feel like it ran out of time to do anything really interesting with him). Black Christmas is a (not genre-busting) horror movie and there are a lot of broad strokes (some of them quite goofy) but I feel like here and there it offers some clever small details too. BRated PG-13 for violence, terror, thematic content involving sexual assault, language, sexual material and drinking, according to the MPA. Directed by Sophia Takal with a screenplay by Sophia Takal and April Wolfe, Black Christmas is an hour and 32 minutes long and distributed by Universal Studios.

Richard Jewell (R)

Shoddy investigative work puts an innocent goofus in the media spotlight in Richard Jewell, a flat movie based (-ish?) on the true story of the man caught in the middle of the Atlanta Olympics bombing in 1996.

Disclaimer: I’m talking about the movie and the story it presents, not necessarily the facts from the actual event or the actual people, which feels like an important distinction in a situation where all sorts of people CONTINUED ON PAGE 50

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50 POP CULTURE FILM REVIEWS BY AMY DIAZ

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eventually got sued (two of the people portrayed here, Richard Jewell, a security guard caught in a media tornado when he is falsely painted as the bomber, and Kathy Scruggs, a reporter, have since died). Wikipedia this mid-1990s bombing (about a year after the Oklahoma City bombing but before Sept. 11 and the mass shootings of the last 20 years), and you start to get a sketch of an event that even this movie doesn’t quite know how to explain. Particularly noticeable, at least in the movie’s telling, as being “of 1996” is the media coverage — TV news is huge, newspapers still have heft and the internet isn’t really a factor (as it would be in the scandal that started in early 1998 that led to Clinton’s impeachment).

Here, Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser, doing, like many of the actors here, a spoton impression of the person as I remember him portrayed in the media) is an awkward guy with dreams of working in law enforcement but absolutely zero chill when it comes to understanding the limits of his authority.

We see him working security at a college campus where he barges into dorm rooms to hassle students about drinking and, according to his boss there, makes traffic stops on the highway, claiming to be a cop. Jewell earnestly believes this is part of his job to protect his campus even if the rest of the world sees an overzealous oddball. People like his mother, Bobi Jewell (Kathy Bates), and a work acquaintance, lawyer Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell), can see this too even though they also believe in his basic decency.

Fired from the college job, Richard works as security at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, enjoying his role at this international event and exhibiting somewhat fan-boy behavior to all the law enforcement-types milling around the event. Despite all these eyes on the park, it’s Jewell who spots an unattended backpack and makes the uninterested police pull in the bomb squad to check it out.

After the backpack full of pipe bombs explodes, we see FBI agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm) pull rank to claim the investigation for the FBI. Tom, who was annoyed at the

Olympics detail and bored before the blast, is particularly eager to capture the bomber — an element that maybe helps to explain his choices but that the movie needed to develop more.

Also bored to be on the Olympics beat was Scruggs, Atlanta newspaper reporter who usually covered crime. After the bombing, Scruggs is jazzed to cover such a high-profile story. Initially, Jewell is interviewed by national media and hailed as a hero for his work in getting people away from the bomb. But within a few days, the basics of Jewell’s life (lives with his mother, law enforcement wannabe) and a report from the college where he was fired lead the FBI to consider him as a suspect. Which seems like a normal part of an investigation until his name is leaked to the public as essentially the main suspect. The way the movie tells how this happened: Scruggs, who has heard from other people that there is a specific person being considered, gets Shaw to give her Jewell’s name in exchange for a quickie in her car or hotel, but let’s make it fast because I’ve got a deadline, she basically says.

Look, I wasn’t there, I didn’t know the real Scruggs. But I’ve covered police departments and known female crime reporters and that is just not how it works.

As a fellow one-time reporter recently said to me: sources talk not in exchange for a separate thing, they talk because they want to talk and get their point of view or side or defense out there. I feel like the narrative of this movie makes more sense if a professionally embarrassed and embattled Tom feels pressure to solve the crime quickly and that is his motivation. It also makes sense that this would be why he would hang on to the idea of Jewell being The Guy long after evidence directly contradicts this idea (and no direct evidence is found to support it).

Jewell in this movie called Richard Jewell remains a bit of a mystery at the eye of the storm. The movie has a few moments where it examines his inner life and his feelings about what happens to him, but most of the emotional work from the Richard camp

51 POP CULTURE FILMS

makes his story so compelling, we don’t really get much about the forces that drove their coverage either.

The result is a movie with interesting elements and strong work from Rockwell and Bates (their performances being the reason for the + on this grade) but that left me with a feeling of getting an incomplete version of a more complex story. C+ Rated R for language including some sexual references and brief bloody images, according to the MPA. Directed by Clint Eastwood with a screenplay by Billy Ray, Richard Jewell is two hours and 11 minutes long and distributed by Warner Bros.

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MANCHESTER CITY LIBRARY Main Branch, 405 Pine St., Manchester, 624-6550; West Branch, 76 Main St., Manchester, 624-6560, manchester.lib.nh.us • Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw Sat., Dec. 21, 11:45 a.m. (main) • Room (R, Kanopy Film Series) Tues., Jan. 7, 1 p.m. (main) • Godzilla: King of the Monsters (PG-13, 2019) Wed., Jan. 8, 1 p.m. (main) NASHUA PUBLIC LIBRARY 2 Court St., Nashua, 589-4611, nashualibrary.org • The Farewell (PG, 2019) Thurs., Dec. 19, 1 p.m.

• Stuart Little (PG, 1999) Fri., Dec. 27, 2 p.m.

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CINEMAGIC 1226 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 644-4629; 11 Executive Park Drive, Merrimack, 423-0240, cinemagicmovies.com • Elf (PG, 2003) Thurs., Dec. 19, 8 p.m. (Merrimack only) • The Polar Express (G, 2004) Tues., Dec. 24, 10 a.m.

• Forrest Gump (PG-13, 1994) Thurs., Jan. 2, 8 p.m. (Hooksett only) • Mystify: Michael Hutchence Tues., Jan. 7, 7 p.m.

• Wozzeck (Metropolitan Opera) Sat., Jan. 11, 12:55 p.m., in Merrimack, and 2 p.m., in Hooksett • Caddyshack (R, 1980) Thurs., Jan. 16, 8 p.m. (Merrimack only)

CINEMAGIC STADIUM 10 2454 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, 319-8788, cinemagicmovies.com • Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) Thurs., Dec. 19, 8 p.m.

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THE FLYING MONKEY 39 S. Main St., Plymouth, 5362551, flyingmonkeynh.com • The Polar Express (G, 2004) Fri., Dec. 20, 6:30 p.m.

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• The Muppet Christmas Carol (G, 1992) Sun., Dec. 22, and Mon., Dec. 23, 6:30 p.m., and Tues., Dec. 24, 3 p.m.

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comes from Rockwell’s Watson and Bates’ Bobi. I understand why; of course you want your most skilled actors being the ones to do the work, but it does create kind of a hole in the movie where Jewell should be.

I also left the movie full of questions about the investigation of the bombing, the little of which shown here seems extremely inept, with the FBI continuing to attempt to make Jewell fit as the perpetrator well past the point where it makes sense. I realize that the “why” of this isn’t really the point of this movie but I would have liked some explanation. And, considering that it is the weight of the national media spotlight on Jewell that

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 51

52

NITE Dance out the decade Local music news & events

By Michael Witthaus

Concord New Year’s party evokes iconic Studio 54

By Michael Witthaus

mwitthaus@hippopress.com

mwitthaus@hippopress.com

• Wintry mix: Celebrate the season at Winter Solstice Mini-Fest, an evening of acoustic music featuring mandolinist Matt Flinner and Americana stalwarts Low Lily. Along with leading his own trio, the musically diverse Flinner has played with everyone from Robbie Fulks to Leftover Salmon. Low Lily is the Vermont trio of singer Liz Simmons, “string virtuoso” Flynn Cohen and fiddler Lissa Schneckenburger.

Thursday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m., Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord. Tickets $15 and $20 at ccanh.com.

• Wooly ball: Seven area acts play at the Ugly Sweater Holiday Fundraiser, benefiting St. Vincent Dupaul Ministries. Bring a new unwrapped toy, clothing, crafts or nonperishable food items to donate. There are prizes for fashion sense, or lack of it. Wyn Doran, Froz, Monkey Knife Fight, Goodnight Sofia, Full Throttle Mayhem and Humans Being perform at the event, hosted by High Road, Friday, Dec. 20, 5:30 p.m., Backstreet Bar & Grill, 76 Derry Road., Hudson.

More at facebook.com/backstreetbarandgrill.

• Jazzy joyful: Capping an exhilarating year, Brad Myrick celebrates with his sixth annual holiday show. Myrick and Nicola Cipriani combined for Wanderlust last spring, toured the world playing selections from it, and received a NEMA nomination for best jazz album. Joining Myrick are his equally talented wife Tanya Dutt Myrick, percussive guitarist Senie Hunt, Kimayo and Ryan Williamson. Saturday, Dec. 21, 7 p.m., The Local, 2 E. Main St., Warner. More at facebook.com/thelocalwarner.

• Chag sameach: Chabad of New Hampshire presents its annual Chanukah at the Palace celebration on the second night of the eight-day Jewish holiday. A variety show includes a performance by Shir Soul. Led by singer David Ross, the group is billed as the premier Jewish wedding band, a cappella group and DJ in the New York City. Also appearing is versatile juggler Mark Nizer. Monday, Dec. 23, 6:30 p.m., Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester. Tickets are $8 to $14 at palacetheatre.org.

In its heyday, Studio 54 was the hippest spot in New York City, and maybe the world. Beyond its velvet rope, artists, actors, rock stars and socialites partied and mingled; the hoi polloi fortunate enough to gain entrance gawked, and tried to feign nonchalance. It was the place to see and be seen.

Through it all, music permeated, pulsing and constant in the electric air. Denizens crowded the dance floor, waving their arms high as lights flashed. Inside the midtown Fantasyland, anything was possible. Gas lines, the Cold War and the city’s economic decline disappeared.

The energy and spirit of Studio 54’s magic will be evoked on New Year’s Eve in Concord, as the Capital City’s newest jewel, the Bank of NH Stage, welcomes the New Roaring Twenties with a blaze of color, costumery and kinetic energy. Retractable seats pushed back, the venue’s main floor will be transformed into an alluring space for revelers.

Fashion guidelines for the evening mirror those of the storied nightclub — anything goes. “Extravagant celebrity style” is encouraged. “Glamourous gowns, dress down, fake fur, feather boa or your most creative outfit,” a press release urges. “No matter what you choose, you won’t feel out of place.”

Importantly, the evening isn’t strictly a throwback affair. This is a new dawn, with cell phones, social media and other modern accoutrements; so the event’s creator wants to recall a joie de vivre, not return to the past. This kickoff to 2020 will unify cultures of different eras and people from multiple generations around a sense of excitement that existed in a bygone time.

Even though Studio 54 faithfully drew the Saturday Night Fever crowd, “I don’t know if anybody would want all-night disco,” organizer Beth McGurr said.

Thus the music, provided by Boston DJ BegBicks, will range across decades.

“It’s gonna be a pretty age-diverse crowd, so

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New Year’s Eve Spectacular. Courtesy photo.

he’ll play a mix of music from disco in the ’70s to throwback, ’90s and even some stuff from today,” she said.

The venue’s upstairs lounge will get a onenight makeover.

“I’m adding some décor and lighting,” McGurr said. “We’ll have chandeliers to soften it up and make it feel more lounge-y, but connected to the dance area. The doors will be open for observing from above, tying both floors together.”

Permanent balcony seats inside the main room will serve as a VIP viewing area for attendees who purchase premium tickets.

“I wanted to have all the aspects of a great New Year’s Eve party,” McGurr said. “Great space, lighting, a huge projection screen, countdown, confetti … but I added in aspects of other events I’ve hosted.”

The 21-plus evening is billed as “full body interactive nightlife experience,” with a wide array of entertainers throughout. There are circus acts — a contortionist will feature, along with an aerialist — belly dancers, drag performers, stilt walkers and a light up dancing troupe that uses glowing hoops and LEDs to dazzling effect. There’s also a group of burlesque dancers. McGurr described the latter as “classy, but sexy at the same time,” adding, “it’s an adult playground.”

The New Year’s Eve party is McGurr’s first event in Concord, and she hopes to do more in the city.

“There’s a changing demographic,” the Boston-based party planner said. “My partner lives up here, so I’ve been here a lot. There are new restaurants and bars, and this new venue is exciting and different, with so many cool performers and bands.”

The decision to draw from the Studio 54 legend for the event came after McGurr watched a documentary about the club online. It felt like the inclusiveness she was looking for to ring in the New Year.

“As soon as you walked through those black doors, you were in another world,” she said. “It could be Andy Warhol, Michael Jackson or the guy next door. You were all there together in this space — gay, straight, high class, hipsters, a little bit of everything. But what brought them together was this fun, carefree, anything-goes environment.”

New Year’s Eve Spectacular When: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m.

Where: Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord Tickets: $40 GA, $60 VIP at ccanh.com

53 ROCKANDROLLCROSSWORDS.com BY TODD SANTOS

I CAN’T STOP PUZZLING, PUZZLING Across

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25. Alicia Keys ‘No One’ album (2,1,2) 28. Albarn of Blur 31. Slam dance 32. Keith Richards band, for short 34. Smash Mouth ‘Fush Yu Mang’ song that might ebb?

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Down

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4. Tex-Mex icon that started with the Sir Douglas Quintet (4,4) 5. ‘Wax Simulacra’ Mars __ 6. A lonely Adele sings ‘__ __ You’ (1,4) 7. Ray Charles & this Turner sang on ‘We Are The World’ 8. Beatles ‘__ __ Love Her’ (3,1) 9. Guitar solo, aka 10. ‘97 Queensryche album ‘__ __ The Now Frontier’ (4,2) 11. Star’s land lots come in these 12. ‘89 Kiss album ‘Hot In The __’ 13. Famous blues club chain (abbr) 21. ‘Rabbit Songs’ band that is a fashion line?

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 53

Alton JP China 403 Main St. 875-8899 Rusty Moose 16 Homestead Place 855-2012

Boscawen Alan’s 133 N. Main St. 753-6631 Bow Chen Yang Li 520 South St. 228-8508

Amherst LaBelle Winery Bridgewater 345 Route 101 672-9898 Bridgewater Inn 367 Mayhew Turnpike Ashland 744-3518 Common Man 60 Main St. 968-7030 Bristol Back Room at the Mill Atkinson 2 Central St. 744-0405 Merrill’s Tavern Kathleen’s Cottage 85 Country Club Drive 91 Lake Street 744-6336 382-8700 Purple Pit 28 Central Square Auburn 744-7800 Auburn Pitts 167 Rockingham Rd Concord 622-6564 Area 23 Auburn Tavern State Street 881-9060 346 Hooksett Rd Barley House 587-2057 132 N. Main 228-6363 Cheers Barrington 17 Depot St. 228-0180 Nippo Lake Restaurant Common Man 88 Stagecoach Road 1 Gulf Street 228-3463 644-2030 Granite Onset Pub 96 Pleasant St. 227-9000 Crotched Mtn. Ski Hermanos Resort 588-3688 11 Hills Ave. 224-5669 Litherman’s Brewery Bedford 126 Hall St. Unit B Bedford Village Inn 219-0784 2 Olde Bedford Way Makris 472-2001 354 Sheep Davis Rd Copper Door 225-7665 15 Leavy Drive Penuche’s Ale House 488-2677 6 Pleasant St. 228-9833 Murphy’s Carriage Pit Road Lounge House 388 Loudon Rd 226-0533 393 Route 101 488-5875 Tandy’s T-Bones 1 Eagle Square 856-7614 169 South River Road True Brew 623-7699 3 Bicentennial Square 225-2776 Belmont Lakes Region Casino Contoocook 1265 Laconia Road Covered Bridge 267-7778 Cedar St. 746-5191

British Beer Company Kingston 1071 S. Willow St. Saddle Up Saloon 92 New Hampshire 125 232-0677 Bungalow Bar & Grille 369-6962 333 Valley St. 792-1110 Cafe la Reine Laconia 915 Elm St 232-0332 405 Pub Central Ale House 405 Union Ave Farmer’s Market 23 Central St. 660-2241 524-8405 Town Center 369-1790 City Sports Grille Broken Spoke Saloon 216 Maple St. 625-9656 1072 Watson Rd Deerfield Club ManchVegas 866-754-2526 Nine Lions Tavern Granite State Music Hall 50 Old Granite St. 4 North Road 463-7374 546 Main St. 884-9536 222-1677 Derryfield Country Naswa Derry Club 1086 Weirs Blvd.

Coffee Factory 625 Mammoth Road 366-4341 55 Crystal Ave 432-6006 623-2880 The Big House Drae Element Lounge 322 Lakeside Ave. 14 E Broadway Neighborhood Beer Co. Henniker 1055 Elm St. 627-2922 767-2226 216-2713 156 Epping Road 418Country Spirit Foundry Patio Garden 7124 262 Maple St. 428-7007 Lakeside Ave. No Phone 50 Commercial St. Dover Sea Dog Brewing Pat’s Peak Sled Pub Pitman’s Freight Room 836-1925 603 Bar & Lounge 9 Water St. 793-5116 24 Flander’s Road Fratello’s 94 New Salem St. 368 Central Ave. Station 19 428-3245 155 Dow St. 624-2022 527-0043 742-9283 37 Water St. 778-3923 Great North Ale Works Tower Hill Tavern Cara Hillsboro 1050 Holt Ave. Unit #14 264 Lakeside Ave. 11 Fourth St. 343-4390 Farmington Brick House 858-5789 366-9100 Dover Brickhouse Hawg’s Pen 125 West Main St. Ignite Bar & Grille 2 Orchard St. 749-3838 1114 NH Route 11 680-4146 100 Hanover St. Londonderry Falls Grill & Tavern 755-3301 494-6225 Coach Stop 421 Central Ave. Hillsborough Jewel 176 Mammoth Rd 749-0995 Francestown Mama McDonough’s 61 Canal St. 836-1152 437-2022 Flight Coffee Toll Booth Tavern 5 Depot St. 680-4148 KC’s Rib Shack Harold Square 478 Central Ave. 740 2nd NH Tpke N Turismo 837 Second St. 226 Rockingham Road 842-5325 588-1800 55 Henniker St. 680-4440 432-7144 627-RIBS Fury’s Publick House Long Blue Cat Brewing Murphy’s Taproom 1 Washington St. Gilford Hooksett 298 Rockingham Road 494 Elm St. 644-3535 617-3633 Patrick’s Penuche’s Music Hall 816-8068 Garrison City Beerworks 18 Weirs Road 293-0841 Asian Breeze 1328 Hooksett Rd 1087 Elm St. 206-5599 Pipe Dream Brewing 455 Central Ave. Schuster’s Salona 40 Harvey Road 343-4231 680 Cherry Valley Road 621-9298 128 Maple St. 624-4020 Chantilly’s 404-0751 Sonny’s 293-2600 Shaskeen 1112 Hooksett Road Stumble Inn 328 Central Ave. 625-0012 20 Rockingham Road 909 Elm St. 625-0246 343-4332 Goffstown Shorty’s Granite Tapas 432-3210 Thirsty Moose Village Trestle 1050 Bicentennial Drive 1461 Hooksett Rd Twins Smoke Shop 83 Washington St. 25 Main St. 497-8230 625-1730 232-1421 128 Rockingham Rd 842-5229 Stark Brewing Co. No Phone Top of the Chop Hampton 500 N. Commercial St. Hudson 1 Orchard St. 740-0006 Bernie’s Beach Bar 625-4444 Backstreet Bar Loudon 73 Ocean Blvd 926-5050 Strange Brew Tavern Hungry Buffalo Dublin Boardwalk Inn & Cafe 76 Derry St. 578-1811 Nan King 58 New Hampshire 129 88 Market St. 666-4292 DelRossi’s Trattoria 139 Ocean Blvd.

Sweeney Post 222 Central St. 798-3737 73 Brush Brook Rd (Rt 929-7400 251 Maple St. 623-9145 882-1911 137) 563-7195 Cloud 9 Whiskey’s 20 River’s Pub Manchester 225 Ocean Blvd.

20 Old Granite St. 76 Derry St. 943-7832 Backyard Brewery East Hampstead 601-6102 The Bar 1211 S. Mammoth Road 641-2583 Pasta Loft CR’s Wild Rover 2B Burnham Rd 623-3545 220 E. Main St. 378-0092 287 Exeter Road 21 Kosciuszko St. 943-5250 Bonfire 929-7972 669-7722 Town Tavern 950 Elm St. 663-7678 Epping Logan’s Run 142 Lowell Road 889- Bookery Holy Grail 816 Lafayette Road 9900 844 Elm St. 836-6600 64 Main St. 679-9559 926-4343

Thursday, Dec. 19 Derry Ashland Fody’s: Branden O’Grady Common Man: Jim McHugh & Steve McBrian (Open) Dover 603 Bar & Lounge: DJ Pez Auburn Cara: Open Bluegrass w/ Steve Auburn Pitts: Open Jam w/ Jay Roy Frigoletto Dover Brickhouse: Acoustic Night w/ Candia Town Cabin Pub: Lisa Guyer Exeter Sea Dog Brewing: Max Sullivan Concord Station 19: Thursday Night Live Cheers: Dwayne Haggins Common Man: Joel Begin Gilford Hermanos: Mike Morris Schuster’s: Dan The Muzik Man Penuche’s Ale House: Holiday Party w/ Chicken Hampstead Jamison’s: Chris & Mark HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 54

Millie’s Tavern 17 L St. 967-4777 North Beach Bar & Grill 931 Ocean Blvd.

967-4884 Old Salt Tavern 409 Lafayette Rd. 926-8322 Popovers 11 Brickyard Square 734- Shane’s Texas Pit 61 High St. 601-7091 4724 The Goat Telly’s 235 Calef Hwy 679-8225 20 L St. 601-6928 Tinos Greek Kitchen 325 Lafayette Rd Epsom 926-5489 Hilltop Pizzeria 1724 Dover Rd. 736-0027 Wally’s Pub 144 Ashworth Ave. 926-6954 Exeter

Hampton Loudon Hungry Buffalo: Jennifer Mitchell CR’s: Ross McGinnes North Beach Bar & Grill: Mike Lineau & Friends Manchester Bookery: John Chouinard Hillsborough British Beer: Brad Bosse Central Ale House: Jonny Friday Turismo: Line Dancing Blues Laconia Club Manchvegas: College Night 405 Pub: Eric Grant Band w/ DJ Dadum Pitman’s Freight Room: Charlie Foundry: Alex Cohen Brown Christmas - Heather Pier- Fratello’s: Jazz Night son Quartet Penuche’s: Bass Weekly Shaskeen: Jonee Earthquake Londonderry Band Coach Stop: Kim Riley Shorty’s: Austin McCarthy Stumble Inn: Jonny Friday Duo Strange Brew: Town & Country Whiskey’s 20: DJs Shawn White/ Ryan Nichols/Mike Mazz

Yankee Lanes: DJ Dave

Mason Marty’s Driving Range 96 Old Turnpike Road 878-1324 Meredith Camp 300 DW Highway 279-3003 Giuseppe’s 312 DW Hwy 279-3313 Merrimack Able Ebenezer 31 Columbia Circle 223-2253 Big Kahuna’s Cafe 380 DW Highway 494-4975 Homestead 641 DW Highway 429-2022 Jade Dragon 515 DW Highway 424-2280 Merrimack Biergarten 221 DW Hwy 595-1282 Paradise North 583 DW Hwy 262-5866 Milford J’s Tavern 63 Union Sq. 554-1433 Pasta Loft 241 Union Sq. 672-2270 Rivermill Tavern 11 Wilton Road 554-1224 Tiebreakers at Hampshire Hills 50 Emerson Road 673-7123 Union Coffee Co. 42 South St. 554-8879 Moultonborough Buckey’s 240 Governor Wentworth Hwy 476-5485 Castle in the Clouds 455 Old Mountain Road 478-5900 Nashua 110 Grill 27 Trafalgar Square 943-7443 Country Tavern 452 Amherst St. 889-5871

Meredith Giuseppe’s: Joel Cage

Newmarket Stone Church: Irish Music w/ Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki & Jim Prendergast

Merrimack Homestead: Ryan Williamson

North Hampton Throwback Brewery: Kimayo

Nashua CodeX B.A.R.: Piano Phil DeVille Country Tavern: Ted Solovicos Fody’s: Girls Night Out Fratello’s Italian Grille: Sean Coleman O’Shea’s: Nutfield Sessions Acoustic Open Peddler’s Daughter: Lee Ross Shorty’s: Justin Jordan

Peterborough Harlow’s: Bluegrass Night w/ John Meehan Peterborough La Mia Casa: Soul Repair Portsmouth Beara Irish Brewing: Weekly Irish Music

55 Dolly Shakers 38 East Hollis St. 577-1718 Fody’s Tavern 9 Clinton St. 577-9015 Fratello’s Italian Grille 194 Main St. 889-2022 Haluwa Lounge Nashua Mall 883-6662 Killarney’s Irish Pub 9 Northeastern Blvd.

888-1551 Margaritas 1 Nashua Dr. 883-0996 Millyard Brewery 25 E Otterson St, 505-5079 O’Shea’s 449 Amherst St. 943-7089 Peddler’s Daughter 48 Main St. 821-7535 Penuche’s Ale House 4 Canal St. 595-9381 Pig Tale 449 Amherst St. 864-8740 R’evolution Sports Bar 8 Temple St. 244-3022 Riverside Barbecue 53 Main St. 204-5110 Riverwalk Cafe 35 Railroad Sq. 578-0200 Shorty’s 48 Gusabel Ave 882-4070 Stella Blu 70 E. Pearl St. 578-5557 White Birch Brewing 460 Amherst St. 402-4444 New Boston Molly’s Tavern 35 Mont Vernon Rd 487-2011 New London Flying Goose 40 Andover Road 5266899

Newmarket Stone Church 5 Granite St. 659-7700 North Hampton Barley House Seacoast 43 Lafayette Rd 3799161 Throwback Brewery 7 Hobbs Road 379-2317 Northwood Umami 284 1st NH Turnpike 942-6427 Peterborough Harlow’s Pub 3 School St. 924-6365 La Mia Casa Pizzeria 1 Jaffrey Road 924-6262 Pittsfield Main Street Grill & Bar 32 Main Street 436-0005 Plaistow Crow’s Nest 181 Plaistow Rd 974-1686 Racks Bar & Grill 20 Plaistow Road 974-2406 Portsmouth 3S Artspace 319 Vaughan St. 766-3330 Beara Irish Brewing 2800 Lafayette Road 342-3272 British Beer Company 103 Hanover St. at Portwalk Place 501-0515 Cafe Nostimo 72 Mirona Road 436-3100 Cisco Brewers 1 Redhook Way 430-8600 Clipper Tavern 75 Pleasant St. 501-0109 Dolphin Striker 15 Bow St. 431-5222

Cisco Brewers: The Cider Hill Boys Dolphin Striker: Radioactive Loaded Question Brewing: Drew & The Truth Portsmouth Book & Bar: Beat Night Press Room: Piebald Ri Ra: Holiday Sing Along w/ Alan Farry The Goat: Matt Jackson Somersworth Old Rail Pizza: Tom Boisse Weare Stark House Tavern: Malcolm Salls Windham Common Man: Charlie Chronopoulos Friday, Dec. 20 Auburn Auburn Pitts: Mystical Magic Auburn Tavern: Nicole Murphy

Earth Eagle Brewings 165 High S. 502-2244 Grill 28 200 Grafton Road (Pease Golf Course) 433-1331 Latchkey 41 Vaughan Mall 766-3333 Martingale Wharf 99 Bow St. 431-0901 Portsmouth Book & Bar 40 Pleasant St. 427-9197 Portsmouth Gas Light 64 Market St. 430-9122 Press Room 77 Daniel St. 431-5186 Ri Ra Irish Pub 22 Market Square 319-1680 Rudi’s 20 High St. 430-7834 Thirsty Moose 21 Congress St 427-8645 White Heron Tea 601 Islington St 501-6266 Raymond Cork n’ Keg 4 Essex Drive 244-1573 Rochester Governor’s Inn 78 Wakefield St. 332-0107 Lilac City Grille 103 N. Main St 332-3984 Magrilla’s 19 Hanson Road 3301964 Radloff’s 38 North Main St. 948-1073 ReFresh Lounge 45 North Main St. 402-4136 Revolution Tap Room 61 N Main St. 244-3022 Smokey’s Tavern 11 Farmington Rd 3303100

Bedford Friendly Toast: Justin Cohn Murphy’s: Ryan Williamson Belmont Lakes Region Casino: DJ Mark Boscawen Alan’s: Rich Laurencelle Concord Area 23: Blue Light Rain Makris: Watts Up Band Tandy’s: DJ Iceman Streetz (105.5 JYY) True Brew: Raid the Larder Derry Coffee Factory: Dave LaCroix Fody’s Derry: PoP RoKs Dover 603: DJ Music / Frisky Friday Fury’s: Muddy Ruckus Thirsty Moose: Isaiah Bennett Epping Holy Grail: Clandestine Jazz Collective

Salem Black Water Grill 43 Pelham Road 328-9013 Colloseum 264 North Broadway 898-1190 Jocelyn’s Lounge 355 South Broadway 870-0045 Sayde’s Restaurant 136 Cluff Crossing 890-1032 Seabrook Castaways 209 Ocean Blvd 760-7500 Chop Shop 920 Lafayette Rd. 760-7706

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 56

Merrimack Homestead: Mark Lapointe Jade Dragon: DJ John Paul

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Nashua CodeX B.A.R.: Piano Phil DeVille Fody’s: Dis N Dat Band Fratello’s Italian Grille: Jeff Mrozek O’Shea’s: Ugly Sweater Party w/ Flinch Peddler’s Daughter: Small Town Stranded Stella Blu: Phil Jacques

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Derry Fody’s Derry: Josh Foster

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Dover 603 Bar & Lounge: DJ Music / Sexy Saturday Flight Coffee: Ervin Dhimo Trio Portsmouth 3S Artspace: Chris O’Neill/Kung Fury’s Publick House: Red Sky Mary Fu w/ The New Motif Cisco Brewers: Acoustic Tandem Thirsty Moose: Matt Jackson Thompson’s 2nd Alarm: Freddy ft: Tom and Dave Clipper Tavern: Jon Hollywood Dame, Jr. Dolphin Striker: Jumpstreet Portsmouth Book & Bar: Mattie Epsom Hilltop Pizzeria: Repeat Offend& Debbie Portsmouth Gaslight: Rick Wat- ers son/MB Padfield Press Room: Blockhead w/ Arms Exeter and Sleepers & Glass + Lonesome Sea Dog Brewing: Chad Verbeck Lunch w/Dave Talmage Gilford Ri Ra: Sweep The Leg Schuster’s: Dan The Muzik Man Rudi’s: Greg Vrettos Trio Thirsty Moose: Munk Duane and Goffstown Soul Jacker Tuscan Kitchen: Living On A Village Trestle: Road Salt Bad Name (Bon Jovi Tribute) Hampstead Jamison’s: Radioactive Rochester ReFresh Lounge: Free Flow FriHampton day Open Jam North Beach Bar & Grill: Katia McDougal Duo Seabrook Old Salt: Jimmy D. Chop Shop: Leaving Eden Smuttynose Brewing: Dyer Holiday Weare Stark House Tavern: Charlie The Goat: Emily Rae Wally’s Pub: Woodland Protocol Chronopoulos Pittsfield Main Street Grill: Brian Booth

Saturday, Dec. 21 Auburn Auburn Tavern: Stumpy Joe Bedford Murphy’s: Austin Pratt Boscawen Alan’s: Mystical Magic Bow Chen Yang Li: Mikey G Bristol Bad Lab Beer: Ferret Brothers Purple Pit: Hiroya Tsukaamoto Candia Town Cabin Pub: Randy Hawkes

New Boston Molly’s Tavern: Three Old Guys Concord Joey Clarke Area 23: Eric Lindberg Trio/Joel Martell/Tom E Newmarket Hermanos: John Franzosa Stone Church: Dean Ford & The Penuche’s Ale House: The Hats Beautiful Ones (Prince Tribute) Pit Road: Racing Extinction

COMEDY THIS WEEK AND BEYOND

Wed., Dec. 18 Manchester Shaskeen: Comedy Christmas: Tom Thakkar & Paul Landwher

Iceman

Milford Zinger’s: Robbie Printz

Hudson The Bar: Granite Street Rhythm Kingston Saddle Up Saloon: Eric Grant Band Laconia Broken Spoke Saloon: Ugly Sweater party w/ Dirty Looks Band Tower Hill Tavern: Amyz Angry Londonderry Coach Stop: Gardner Berry Pipe Dream Brewing: Over The Bridge Stumble Inn: D-Comp Loudon Hungry Buffalo: Blonde Dog Manchester Backyard Brewery: Osborne Bonfire: Texas Pete Band

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Derry Thurs., Dec. 26 Tupelo Music Hall: Ace Manchester Aceto / Steve Scarfo / Strange Brew Tavern: Rochester Jeff Koen Ben Davis & Timothy Curlie’s: Pregame Show Pitts co-host open mic Sat., Dec. 21 Thurs., Dec. 19 Fri., Dec. 20 Manchester Rochester Manchester Concord Headliners: Mike Don- Curlie’s Comedy Club: Strange Brew Tavern: Bank of NH Stage: Ste- ovan Pregame Comedy Show Ben Davis & Timothy ven Rogers & Andrew Pitts co-host open mic Schiavone

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Derryfield: Deck-D-Comp/Never In Vegas/Ugly Sweater Part Foundry: Justin Cohn Fratello’s: Rick Watson Murphy’s Taproom: Mo’ Bounce Shaskeen: Kool Keith & Jus Allah Strange Brew: Amorphous Band Whiskey’s 20: DJ Hizzy/Shawn White Wild Rover: Brian Walker

Ri Ra: Irish Sessions Seabrook Chop Shop: ADHD: An ACDC Rudi’s: Jazz Brunch Hughes Experience

Meredith Giuseppe’s: Paul Connor

Sunday, Dec. 22 Ashland Common Man: Dave Gerard

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Rochester Warner The Local: Brad Myrick Annual Lilac City Grille: Brunch Music w/ Mica Peterson Duo Holiday Show Weare Stark House Tavern: Senie Hunt

Merrimack Big Kahuna’s Cafe: Jae Mannion Bedford Homestead: Paul Gormley Copper Door: Paul Luff/Steve Jade Dragon: John Paul’s All- Aubert Star Christmas Bristol Milford Bad Lab Beer: Alex Roy J’s Tavern: Venom and Mayhem Pasta Loft: Drag Queen Christ- Concord mas Show Hermanos: John Franzosa Penuche’s: Open w/ Steve Naylor Nashua Tandy’s: Open w/ Mikey G CodeX: Piano Phil DeVille Country Tavern: Hugh McQueen Dover Fody’s: One Fine Mess Cara: Irish Session w/ Frank Fratello’s: Austin McCarthy Landford Millyard Brewery: Steve Volkman Sonny’s: Sonny’s Jazz Peddler’s Daughter: Take 4 R’evolution Sports Bar: Savage Gilford Night w/ Jay Samurai Schuster’s: Dan The Muzik Man Stella Blu: The Groove Cats Goffstown New Boston Village Trestle: Wan-tu Blues Molly’s Tavern: Little Kings/ Band & Jam Beth M Hampton Newmarket CR’s: Jazz brunch, Rico Barr Duo Stone Church: Jingle Jam Womp The Goat: Nick Drouin A Very Slack Tide Christmas ft: Slack Tide & The Womps Hudson River’s Pub: Acoustic Jam Northwood Umami: Barry Schraufagel Manchester British Beer: John Hasnip Pittsfield Candia Road Brewing: Original Main Street Grill: Barry Brearley Music Sunday Shaskeen: Rap, Industry night Portsmouth Strange Brew: Jam British Beer: Corey Brackett Cisco Brewers: The Grim Brothers Meredith Clipper Tavern: Tim Theriault Giuseppe’s: Open Stage with Lou Earth Eagle Brewings: Solstice Porrazzo Celebration Portsmouth Book & Bar: Jim North Hampton Dozet Barley House: Great Bay Sailor Portsmouth Gaslight: Mark Lapointe/Ryan Williamson Northwood Press Room: Underground Umami: Bluegrass Brunch w/ Upstairs w/Philly G & Baylen/ Cecil Abels Unk11/SG603 & DJ Chad Banks Rudi’s: Mike Effenberger Trio Peterborough The Goat: Ellis Falls Harlow’s: Jam Night with Great The Statey: Foreign Matter Groove Theory Thirsty Moose: Beneath the Sheets Portsmouth Rochester Press Room: Anglo-Celtic tradiLilac City Grille: Bad Penny tional folk/roots session + Jazz ft.

Press Room Trio w/Dave Pietro & Chris Burbank

Salem Copper Door: Jimmy Magoon/ Brad Bosse Monday, Dec. 23 Concord Hermanos: Paul Lovely Hampton The Goat: Shawn Theriault Manchester Central Ale: Jonny Friday Duo Fratello’s: Rob Wolfe or Phil Jacques Meredith Giuseppe’s: Lou Porrazzo Merrimack Able Ebenezer: Ale Room Music Homestead: Chris Cavanaugh Nashua Fratello’s: Clint Lapointe Portsmouth Dolphin Striker: Old School Ri Ra: Oran Mor Tuesday, Dec. 24 Concord Tandy’s: Open w/ Mikey G Dover Fury’s Publick House: Theriault and Friends Dover Sonny’s: Soggy Po’ Boys Manchester Shaskeen: Tristan Omand Whiskey’s 20: Sammy Smoove & DJ Gera Meredith Giuseppe’s: Michael Bourgeois Newmarket Stone Church: Rootin’ Tootin’ Acoustic Hoot hosted by Eli Elkus North Hampton Barley House: Traditional Irish Session Peterborough Harlow’s: Celtic Music Jam Portsmouth Clipper Tavern: Tequila Jim Open Jam Press Room: Hoot Night + Larry Garland Jazz Jam

Get the crowds at your gig Want to get your show listed in the Music This Week? Let us know all about your upcoming show, comedy show, open mike night or multi-band event by sending all the information to music@hippopress.com. Send information by 9 a.m. on Friday to have the event considered for the next Thursday’s paper.

HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 58

Tim

59

WOODEN MUSIC Dance and stomp out the winter blues or just kick back and enjoy the area’s most popular bluegrass bands at Zinger’s (29 Mont Vernon St., Milford) on Friday, Jan. 3, 7:30 pm. Performing are The Double Crossers, a roots trio comprised of Gordon Berry on fiddle and mandolin, guitarist Paul Driscoll and Derek Russell Fimbel on banjo and mandolin. All three sing, offering a foot tapping sound full of emotion and energetic in all directions..

Green Heron open, with music that stretches across the entire folk landscape. Tickets $12 at zingers.biz ($15/ door).

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NITE CONCERTS Palace Theatre 80 Hanover St., Manchester 668-5588, palacetheatre.org SNHU Arena 555 Elm St., Manchester 644-5000, snhuarena.com Stockbridge Theatre Pinkerton Academy, Rte 28, Derry 437-5210, stockbridgetheatre.com Tupelo Music Hall 10 A St., Derry 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com

of NH Stage Carmen Lynch Saturday, Jan. 11, 8 p.m. Music Hall Get The Led Out Saturday, Jan. 11, 8 p.m. Capitol Center 1964 Beatles Tribute Sunday, Jan. 12, 7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre We Shall Overcome Saturday, Jan. 18, 8 p.m. Colonial Theatre Mallett Brothers/Dusty Gray Thursday, Jan. 23, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage Apple Hill String Quartet Friday, Jan. 24, 8 p.m. Colonial Theatre Ghost Light Friday, Jan. 24, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage Imagination Movers Saturday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m. Tupelo Beatlejuice Saturday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m. Tupelo Another Tequila Sunrise (Eagles tribute) Saturday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m.

Music Hall The Machine (Pink Floyd) Sunday, Jan. 26, 8 p.m. Tupelo Mat Kearney (Acoustic) Wednesday, Jan. 29, 8 p.m. Music Hall Fruition w/ Caleb Elliott Thursday, Jan. 30, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage Richard Thompson Thursday, Jan. 30, 8 p.m. Music Hall Lucy Kaplansky Friday, Jan. 31, 8 p.m. Music Hall Loft Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees & Beyond Saturday, Feb. 1, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage Blue Oyster Cult Thursday, Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre Eaglemania (also 2/8) Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m. Tupelo Elvis & Orbison Show Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m. Rochester Opera House Ronan Tynan Friday, Feb. 7, 7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre John Gorka Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m.

Music Hall Loft Dirty Deeds AC/DC Tribute Saturday, Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre Citizen Cope Tuesday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. Music Hall Galactic Wednesday, Feb. 12, 8 p.m. Music Hall Collective Soul Thursday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m. Tupelo Micky Dolenz (Monkees) Friday, Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre Lyrics Born Friday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage Bella’s Bartok Saturday, Feb. 15, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage Saving Abel & Tantric Saturday, Feb. 15, 8 p.m. Tupelo Juanito Pascal Trio Saturday, Feb. 15, 8 p.m. Music Hall Loft Top of the World - Carpenters Tribute Sunday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m.

Tupelo Jessie’s Girl (80s tribute) Tuesday, Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre Bruce in the USA (Springsteen tribute) Thursday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre Wanted DOA Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m. Tupelo Bandstand Boogie Starrig The Diamonds Friday, Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m. Palace Theatre Richard Marx Saturday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m. Tupelo Hey Nineteen (Steely Dan Tribute) Saturday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m.

Rochester Opera House Rick Springfield Sunday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m. Tupelo Eric Johnson Classics Past & Present Thursday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m.

Tupelo Dervish & La Vent du Nord Friday, Feb. 28, 8 p.m. Colonial Theatre

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Mini Solstice Fest w/ Matt Flinner & Low Lily Thursday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage Christmas With The Celts Thursday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m. Flying Monkey Wizards of Winter Thursday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m. Tupelo Sinatra Christmas w/ Rich Dimare Friday, Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m.

Palace Theatre Start Making Sense (Talking Heads Tribute) Saturday, Dec. 21, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage Samantha Fish Saturday, Dec. 21, 8 p.m. Tupelo Simon & Garfunkel Story Saturday, Dec. 21, 8 p.m. Capitol Center Recycled Percussion Thursday, Dec. 26, 8 p.m. Rochester Opera House Ghost of Paul Revere Friday, Dec. 27, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage Recycled Percussion (through 1/4) Friday, Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m.

Palace Theatre Matisyahu Saturday, Dec. 28, 8 p.m. Tupelo Higher Education/Trichomes Saturday, Dec. 28, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage Enter The Haggis Sunday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage Adam Ezra Group Tuesday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. Tupelo Studio 54 NYE Spectacular Tuesday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. Bank of NH Stage NYE Pops Concert Tuesday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. Music Hall Kashmir (Led Zeppelin Tribute) Saturday, Jan. 4, 8 p.m. Tupelo Lotus Land (Rush Tribute) – also 1/11 Friday, Jan. 10, 8 p.m.

Tupelo Eggy Friday, Jan. 10, 8 p.m. Bank

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 59

60 JONESIN’ CROSSWORDS BY MATT JONES

“Color Changers” — hue new?

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36 Cold beer, in dated slang 37 Do touristy stuff 38 Document certifiers 39 “Witness” actor Lukas 40 Tic-___-toe 44 Suffix with pay or Cray 46 King in “The Tempest” 47 Capital of Myanmar until 2006 Down (formerly known as Rangoon) 1 Toast eponym 49 In the ___ of (amongst) 2 Cougar’s cousin 3 It starts with a few digits filled 50 “___, all ye faithful ...”

51 “High” times? in already 4 Domino’s ad character, once 53 Company behind the 5 “Solve for x” subj.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 60

61 SIGNS OF LIFE

All quotes are from Lumberjanes: Ghost forms a person into a dancer. You should be Cabin, by Mariko Tamaki, born Dec. 22, 1975. dancing, yeah.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) First of all, Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) Ripley was Greek mythology is great for naming your pets, undeterred … because Ripley knew that the as anyone with a goldfish named Hermes (the key was finding the RIGHT music. If you don’t name Molly wanted to give Mr. Goldfish) can tell like ABBA, there’s Rihanna. If you don’t like you. Second of all, it’s fun at parties, as anyone Rihanna, there’s Sleater-Kinney. Don’t like with a pet fish named Hermes would also know.

Sleater-Kinney? There’s lots of other things to A knowledge of the classics will come in handy. choose from. There’s a groove for you.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) It has been difCapricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) Rosie had a ficult … to determine exactly when and where way of making it seem like she was going to say ghosts started saying ‘Boo.’ … French ghosts, something while actually not saying something. when they talk, don’t say, ‘Boo.’ They say, ‘Hou,’ There is no badge for this skill … yet. Everybody as in ‘Hou wants to know?’ Except it’s French, has a skill. so that’s actually not what they’re saying. Words Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) At first it have meaning. seemed like Mal had an abundance of socks.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) Wren was editing Then, recently, a closer examination revealed her ghost story, which can be the longest part that what Mal had was actually a lot of left of writing a ghost story; a process that involves socks. Then even Mal’s right socks — which, writing things down on a pad of paper, feeling really, who can tell the difference? — started really good, then rereading what you wrote and disappearing. Guard your mittens. crossing everything out. Repeat. You’re making Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20) The next day, progress. after breakfast and a cross-country run, April Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) There are many called a very necessary cabin meeting in a clear- things that people compare to riding a bicycle, ing in the woods. April paced. ‘THIS is a VERY sometimes by saying, ‘It’s like riding a bicycle.’

NECESSARY cabin meeting! The Mystery of the Technically, the only thing that’s even sort of like Missing Sock is now officially a phantom deba- riding a bicycle is riding a unicycle. A quick cle and we need to figure out what to do next.’ comparison is just a beginning.

Do not bother with unnecessary meetings. Focus Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) Standing next to on the necessary ones. the puddle, Molly held her arms out and looked Aries (March 21 – April 19) April’s expe- down. ‘I look like…’ ‘A mud wrestler,’ Ripley rience with mermaids, while limited, suggested said, because that’s what Molly looked like. ‘A that they were pretty cool and liked rocking out. really cool mud wrestler,’ Mal added, because it But it’s good to note that any experience you was clear Molly did not want to look like a mud have with a magical creature is just one expe- wrestler. It’s not what you wear, it’s how you rience and not enough to come to a general wear it. conclusion about a group, magical or not. When Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) Mal, who could you get a chance to rock out with a mermaid, not hear because a very freaked-out raccoon take it. named Bubbles had launched onto her face in a Taurus (April 20 – May 20) A dance floor is fit of fear, let out a muffled, ‘What did you say?’ a magical space. It’s a place where music trans- There may be some distractions.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 61

62 NEWS OF THE WEIRD BY ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Wait, what?

Joe Rwamirama, 48, of Kampala, Uganda, has an unusually practical superpower: “He is known all over the city as the man who can kill mosquitoes with his farts,” local barber James Yoweri told The Sun on Dec. 10. Rwamirama said no one in his home village has ever contracted malaria because his gaseous ejections knock out insects over a 6-mile radius. “He is respectful of people around him and will only fart when there are mosquitoes around,” Yoweri continued. Rwamirama hopes to market his gas and claims that insect repellant companies have been looking into its chemical secrets, but The Sun couldn’t verify those claims.

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 62

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“camped out” in the store overnight. He was returned to his home.

Great art!

In Miami Beach, Florida, you don’t even have to leave the oceanfront to get caught in a traffic nightmare. For Miami’s Art Basel, Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich unveiled on Dec. 3 a masterpiece three months in the making: sand sculptures of 66 actual-size cars and trucks locked in a traffic jam, which he calls “Order of Importance.” His artwork is meant to bring attention to the climate crisis, Dezeen reported. The work includes several lanes of traffic split by a traffic divider. Most of the vehicles are partially submerged in a nod to rising sea levels created by global warming. “As an Undignified death When a Shelby, Ohio, police officer respond- artist, I am in a constant struggle to make peoed to a call on Nov. 13 about a sick or rabid ple aware of this reality,” Erlich said. raccoon on a residential street, he had a tough decision to make. The raccoon did seem either Bah, humbug! injured or ill, and according to WJW, the officer • Marie Bennett, 40, and Joseph Betancourt, decided it needed to be destroyed. Howev- 24, of Woodland, California, would have made er, there is no area animal control department, the Grinch proud, but police in Red Bluff weren’t and police officers don’t have the “training or having it. On Dec. 5, the two allegedly broke into equipment to capture a potentially rabid ani- the Children First Foster Family Agency, where mal,” officials said. And the officer was hesitant they stole “[a]large amount of toys that were to use his firearm because of the time of day being held there for children for Christmas presand because some residents were outside their ents,” police told Fox News. Surveillance video homes. So he decided to use his vehicle to elim- showed the burglars coming and going from the inate the raccoon, running over it several times home next door; officers arrested Bennett and to finish the job. Unfortunately, a bystander was Betancourt for burglary, theft and breaking and recording the incident, and people on social entering, and they recovered the stolen toys, media are calling for the officer’s removal. The declaring, “These ‘Grinches’ will not be stealing Shelby police chief responded: “The video is Christmas from kids on our watch.” disturbing to watch. ... We are having an inde• The Bosch’s Country View Nursery in pendent group, with a prosecutor, to determine Allendale, Michigan, is a longtime favorite if any criminal charges are appropriate (but) ... destination for Christmas tree shoppers. But this incident doesn’t violate any wildlife laws.” sometime in early December, the Grinch visited, lopping the top halves off more than a dozen trees, according to WZZM13. It takes a fir tree Dignified death?

It’s very cold and very dark, in an existen- between six and 10 years to grow to Christtial sort of way, in Minneapolis at this time mas tree height, explained owner Brian Bosch. of year. To wit: Cianna Violet, 24, passes by “Somebody had a bad day, I’m assuming,” he a certain spot, near a Broadway Pizza loca- said. “I don’t know why somebody would do tion, as she commutes to work. In November, that.” Bosch did say that the trees might recovshe noticed a yellow traffic pylon with an extra er, although it would take a few years. something clinging to the top and pulled over to check it out. It was a rat — dead, frozen, sad. Police report Until Dec. 3, when Violet noticed something In Turlock, California, parents became about the rat had changed. Sure enough, some- alarmed when a man turned up at their doors, one had dressed the chilly little rodent and even asking for “five strands” of hair and fingerremembered accessories, like a tiny silver back- prints from their children in order to collect their pack and fur-trimmed boots. The outfit is “100 DNA. “He said he was with Amber Alert,” Laupercent seasonably appropriate,” Violet told ren Hassett told KTXL on Dec. 4, and “that he CityPages. “I’m sorry it had to die, but in death needed to finish a DNA file” on her daughter. it has brought a reason to smile to hundreds.”

She also said the man asked for her daughter using a name the 13-year-old girl only uses online. Hassett ordered the man off her propBright idea The Raleigh (North Carolina) News & erty and called police, who were later able to Observer reported on Dec. 9 that a 14-year-old catch up with him. Officers said the man’s busirunaway made a logical choice when decid- ness was legitimate, but “the manner in which ing where to hide. Around 8:30 that morning, the information was relayed led to some misas workers at Bed Bath & Beyond opened the understanding. ... The involved adult male was store in Greenville, they discovered someone passing out child DNA kits, which would be hidden in the store and called police. Officers retained by the family, in the event it was ever responded for a “breaking and entering in prog- needed for future investigations.”

Visit newsoftheweird.com. ress,” but found only a teenage boy who had

63

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Country Rock

Blues Jam 3pm-7pm

Two for Tuesday, Buy 1 Burger Get 1 Free (Dine in only) Check out our Taverntainment Texas Hold Em’ League - Play for free every Thursday. 2 games nightly at 6:30pm & 8:30pm. Buzztime Gaming Tablets

New Year’s Eve Bash Tues. Dec. 31st

Bob Pratte Band

Contemporary Rock

Bloody M ary Sunday Bar Dec. 28th !

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Every Sunday

25 Main St. Goffstown Village • villagetrestle.com • 497-8230

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HIPPO | DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2019 | PAGE 63

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