Enterprise October 2024

CATERERS KICK INTO GEAR, P. 4 THE BUSINESS MAGA ZINE OF THE UPPER VALLEY

UPPER VALLEY BUSINESS NOTES, P. 19

ENTERPRISE

HOLIDAY PREP Artisans, businesses are ready for a busy season

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While businesses can be overwhelmed, it’s business as usual for caterers.

Retailers begin the holiday rollout process long before the actual holiday season.

Restaurants want Valley diners to know that they are available during the holidays.

A BUMP FOR CATERING

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‘A little slower but is still consistent’

VALLEY NEWS FILE PHOTOGRAPH — JAMES M. PATTERSON

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Gene McCray, executive chef of Blood’s Catering, reaches out to stir the crumbled topping warming on a burner while preparing macaroni and cheese at the Vermont Mac and Cheese Challenge at Artisan’s Park in Windsor in September 2018. McCray prepared 40 gallons of cheese sauce to serve over 3,000 tasters for the contest, following his normal macaroni and cheese recipe with no alterations for the competition.

“It is not as busy as summer, but we definitely do get a bump with all the holiday parties especially on dates everyone wants.”

BRANDON FOX owner of Maple Street Catering in White River Junction

Upper Valley caterers prep for holiday season

By PATRICK O’GR ADY

Valley News Correspondent

W

hile the holidays can bring about more hectic schedules for employers, it is mostly business as usual for area caterers — with some minor differences from other times of the year.

Rather than a drastic slowdown or increase in business, caterers said they simply switch gears and serve a slightly different customer base with maybe different menu options at different locations.

“We go from the crazy wedding season to when it becomes a little slower but is still consistent,” said

Kelsey Brown, event coordinator for Blood’s Catering of White River Junction, which has been in business for more than 75 years.

“We definitely drift away from those (weddings) a little.”

The switch, Brown said, is to more company and corporate parties as opposed to weddings that are often planned in the fall when the weather is not as oppressively hot as the middle of summer.

Bookings are also done on a shorter notice than weddings, Brown said.

“We wait a little longer to book, but there are a couple of weeks in December when there are more holiday parties and some (dates) fill

up quicker than others,” she said.

“A lot are held in the company’s venue, such as a car dealership, so a lot of times we are going into their space.”

Brandon Fox, owner of Maple Street Catering in White River Junction, said his business slows a bit in the final week of November before the holiday parties begin.

“It is not as busy as summer, but we definitely do get a bump with all the holiday parties especially on dates everyone wants,” said Fox, who started Maple Street in 2003.

Both Blood’s and Maple Street SEE CATERING S6

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Upper Valley caterers prepare for holiday season

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CATERING FROM S4 will cater a few events that take place at the same time, but those who reserve too late may lose out on their preferred time slot.

With their long track records of serving parties as small as 40 or 50 to a few thousand, experienced caterers have the process down to a science. They can fill the menu and other requests without much trouble.

“Every event is a little different,” said Fox, who has catered numerous Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Health events.

One thing that does not change much during the holidays is staffing, because part-time employees work only when there is a catered event and the need for workers remains fairly constant.

“We have a great core staff that has been with us a long time of about 25,” Fox said, adding that they are always looking for “good people,” but he does not hold any kind of job fair ahead of the holidays.

At Blood’s they also rely on many part-time employees who come in for events, so they don’t need to hire more people during the holidays, Brown said. Blood’s has 17 full-time employees.

Joe Touhy, co-owner of Salt hill Pub, with three locations, said that since the COVID-19 pandemic began, they have struggled somewhat finding employees to work catering events.

“That was the biggest challenge,” he said.

While the customer mix and food selections are different from a wedding or alumni gathering, the preparation of the food, delivery and setup are the same during the holidays, caterers said.

Some customers ask only to have the food delivered, while others may ask for delivery, setup — which may include some decorations — and serving, in addition to cleaning up.

At Salt hill in Newport, Tuohy said they offer onsite and offsite catering. Behind the restaurant is a separate building with a capacity of 75 for catered events, which can range from business meetings and company parties to bridal showers and baby showers.

Like other area caterers, Tuohy said the basics of catering do not change during the holidays, but there are some minor differences.

“Demand does spike some around Christmas and the holidays,” he said. “We will have more midweek events. Usually other celebrations like class reunions are on weekends, but during the holidays people will book more midweek, and that is where we see the uptick in business.”

People also tend to travel shorter distances for holiday-related parties, especially those for businesses.

Tuohy said Salt hill’s Newport location does not usually see bookings for the holidays from the Lebanon and Hanover area because of the 45minute drive with the possibility of inclement weather.

“It is just a little too far for their employees,” he said.” Generally speaking, companies will take that into consideration. They like to keep holiday parties closer.”

The Galway Room at Salt hill’s Lebanon location is often booked once a day during the holidays. “There are more companies and population there,” Tuohy said.

Food selections also change a bit from summer

VALLEY NEWS FILE PHOTOGRAPH — JAMES M. PATTERSON

Doren Hall, of Cornish, right, stops to talk with Salt hill Pub manager Shawn Irish, left, on his way into the restaurant in Lebanon in September 2020 and fall events, the caterers said, though what they pride themselves on is a wide selection of menu options for just about every taste, including vegan and gluten-free. They also provide a full beverage service.

“We do a lot less barbecue in the winter. Other than that, it does not change much,” Brown of Blood’s Catering said.

Salt hill has a set menu, but it can be tailored to a customer’s specific request

“We use it as a template of ideas so they can fine-tune to what they are looking for, for their family, their events or their business,” Tuohy said.

In the coming weeks, caterers said they will begin booking for the holidays and anticipate it will be what they are used to every year and don’t expect many surprises. In other words, business as usual.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@ gmail.com.

COLUMN

For area businesses, prep begins way before holidays o ho … Halloween? While we are now used to seeing Halloween decorations in stores in August and Christmas decorations the day after Halloween, many of us tend to groan. We feel rushed to get in the spirit of the upcoming holiday, way before we want to think about it.

However, for local businesses, prepping for the holidays does happen way before Black Friday. And prepping entails months of careful planning, ordering and a bit of crystal ball gazing. What will customers want? Is there a new trend?

Will what is hot now change by the holidays? For small local businesses, the holidays are when they make a significant portion of their annual income — and holiday prep is serious business.

H

“Our planning begins in the early spring to put in our orders and get the best prices so that we can continue passing on our savings to the customer,” Dave Barrette, owner of Main Street Kitchens, said. “Product arrives in late summer, and we scan, price and store the items until the day after Halloween.”

The Norwich Bookstore in Norwich starts right after Christmas for the following year.

“I try to jot some notes about how the season went each year in January. We start buying products for the holidays in the summer, usually,” owner Sam Kaas said. “We start to think about our scheduling and staffing needs right around now, in the early fall. While we’re not a seasonal business by any means, and we’re busy in different ways SEE COLUMN S8

Tracy Hutchins

COURTESY

VALLEY NEWS FILE PHOTOGRAPH — CHARLES HATCHER

Conrad Reining, of Thetford, walks out of Main Street Kitchens in December 2017 after buying a welcome mat for his wife at the kitchen store in Hanover.

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For the Valley News

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By TRACY HUTCHINS

Businesses prep for the upcoming holiday season

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COLUMN FROM S7 throughout the year, in some ways our entire year revolves around the holiday season.”

The holidays are also a busy time of year for home improvement and furnishings businesses, as people want to spruce up their homes before hosting family and friends.

“We start prepping for the holidays in October,” said Robin Jasmin, who does sales and marketing at The Carpet Mill in Lebanon. “We rely on our product reps when deciding what to order.”

Product reps attend flooring shows and talk to Carpet Mill staff about trends, including what could be in demand. Product reps can be a resource when trying to predict trends, but sometimes New Englanders go their own way, especially in home design.

“During COVID, we saw new people move here from other parts of the country and they were looking for more modern styles –— a lot of grays,” Jasmin said. “But in New England, the traditional styles are still popular. We tend to sell deeper colors in the fall and winter and lighter colors in the spring and summer.”

While the holiday season is when many retailers make most of their income, they have already made a substantial investment in inventory long before the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In publishing, there are established timelines for releases and sometimes limited supplies of the “hot items.”

“The big book season is fall; those books published between late August and midNovember,” Kaas said. “Those are the big holiday releases, and when I have my fall rep meetings (usually in May and June), I’m thinking about which books I don’t want to run out of on December 15th!”

Knowing what the “hot items” are can be tricky. At Main Street Kitchens, Barrette likes to try out new items.

“Generally we have to order items like those in smaller quantities to test if they are a hit in this area,” he said.

What is “hot” this year? Knives, Barrette said.

“Japanese-style knives have been growing in sales every year for us, like Shun and Milano,” Barrette said. “Last year the big holiday item was woks, and two years ago it was fondue sets.”

Data analysis and finally guesswork and experience help to determine the “hot

item,” Kaas said.

“We look carefully at authors’ past sales,” he said. “We consider the kinds of reviews and media attention books will get.”

So what are the hot books?

“It’s hard to know just yet,” Kaas said.

Among the early contenders are Stanley Tucci’s essay collection “What I Ate In One Year (and Related Thoughts)” and Sally Rooney ’s new novel “Intermezzo.”

Kaas also predicts Elizabeth Strout’s latest novel, “Tell Me Everything,” will be a blockbuster.

“I know a lot of fantasy readers who are clamoring for TJ Klune’s ‘Somewhere Beyond The Sea,’ and there’s a new Louise Penny novel, ‘The Grey Wolf,’ that’s going to go like crazy,” Kaas said.

He described two “top-notch cookbooks” that will garner attention, including The King Arthur Baking Company’s “Big Book of Bread.”

When it comes to flooring, it’s luxury vinyl tile, which Jasmin described as the store’s “hottest item.”

“It’s taken over from hardwood and tile,” Jasmin said. “It’s easier on the feet, easy to care for and comes in such a wide range of colors. We stock a lot of it.”

Once the stock is ordered, then the “real” prep begins — or as Kaas said, “It’s off to the races.”

Staffing up, training staff and making store preparations come next, and that is still in the fall.

“We beef up the schedule,” Kaas said.

“We don’t hire seasonally right now, but we certainly add extra people to some days of the week in anticipation of increased traffic.

We usually have a staff meeting in the late fall to talk about hot books, go over our ‘forecast’ for shipping times and remind each other about best practices for gift wrapping, calling customers about special orders when the intended recipient might be within earshot and other scenarios that increase during the holidays. We tend to reset and decorate the store the weekend after Thanksgiving, which is also when we celebrate Small Business Saturday.”

When it comes to adding new flooring in time for the holidays, planning earlier is definitely better.

“A lot of people wait until the last minute,” Jasmin said. “They have family coming for the holidays and want to get a room ready with new flooring. But it takes us time to get in special orders, and we are already booked 4-5 weeks out for installs. So

making plans early is really the best way to ensure your room will be ready by the holidays.”

Supply chains, a major issue during the COVID-19 pandemic, can still be challenging.

“Many books — especially books printed in full color — are printed in just a few facilities, mostly overseas,” Kaas said. “When those facilities get backed up, or when issues arise with shipping, we feel it! It’s why we are always encouraging people to shop early and to pre-order books that they want for the holiday season, so that we can ensure we reserve one for you out of the first batch.”

And finally, it’s time to put the customers in the holiday spirit by appealing to all the senses. At Main Street Kitchens, the decorations add to the atmosphere.

“We put up garlands and ornaments and lights all around the store and make it feel super welcoming,” Barrette said. “We burn Frasier Fir candles that we sell that make the whole store radiate with a subtle pine smell that invokes holiday nostalgia to many customers.”

“Jean-Luc Maynard (owner of the Carpet Mill) loves Christmas, and so he always really goes out decorating the front windows.

Last year he hired a window painter, and we always decorate the showroom,” Jasmin added.

Despite the long planning, guessing and hard work to make the holiday season great for both customers and their businesses, the holidays hold special meaning for all three businesses. And being independently owned businesses — not part of larger chains — is key to their identity.

Main Street Kitchens is the lone independent kitchen store in the Upper Valley, Barrette said. And Maynard, the Carpet Mill’s owner, has been there for 25 years, the past four as owner, Jasmin said.

The holidays, while stressful, are the most meaningful time of year for welcoming residents into local stores.

“I love the energy in the store in the last few weeks of December, and I love seeing both regulars and people who only come into town once a year,” Kaas said. “There’s a colossal amount of joy in all of this, and I’m always grateful to the people — the customers and our hard-working booksellers — who are a part of it.”

Tracy Hutchins is executive director of the Upper Valley Business Alliance.

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‘WE STAY OPEN’

VALLEY NEWS FILE PHOTOGRAPH — JAMES M. PATTERSON

Justin Dain, executive chef at the Hanover Inn and its Pine restaurant, makes up trays of chicken parmesan and baked ziti with roasted tomatoes and fresh basil at the inn’s kitchen in Hanover in 2020.

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People can find places to dine in the Upper Valley on holidays

By PATRICK O’GR ADY

Valley News Correspondent

A

home-cooked meal enjoyed with family and friends who have traveled from afar is the typical portrayal of holiday gatherings.

But that warm atmosphere can also be present when the meal is cooked by professional chefs and enjoyed in festive restaurant setting.

Upper Valley restaurants that offer

Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners — and host holiday parties in between — have been doing it long enough to know what they need, particularly in terms of staffing, and what sort of demand they can expect.

“We are a small town and a lot of the community shuts down to be with their families, but we stay open,” said Nici Zuba-Virgin, a supervisor at Woodstock Inn and Resort.

The inn has been serving Thanksgiv-

ing and Christmas dinner for years. A Thanksgiving buffet sells out annually with about 400 reservations. This year’s event is open from noon to 7 p.m. and can accommodate outside guests up to a set number, usually about 170, with the remainder for inn guests.

“I would say the majority are hotel guests, but we do get some locals that come in,” Zuba-Virgin said, adding they SEE VENUES S11

VALLEY NEWS FILE PHOTOGRAPH — JENNIFER HAUCK

Boston resident Elke Ehrig calls her dog Max in the lobby of the Hanover Inn in 2019. Max had gotten soaked in an afternoon downpour, and Ehrig was trying to dry him off with a towel from the inn. But Max, who is 12, preferred to scamper and roll around on the carpets of the hotel lobby.

are one of the few places that are open on the holiday.

The inn also hosts about 20 holiday parties, Zuba-Virgin estimated, with as few as 15 or 20 people to as many as 250.

The Christmas dinner at the Woodstock Inn and Resort is also an elaborate affair with full-course offerings that has the same families coming year after year, Zuba-Virgin said.

While finding people willing to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas would seem like a major challenge, the inn has worked to make sure there is enough staff, usually 30 to 40 workers from kitchen and waitstaff to bartenders and hosts.

Zuba-Virgin said they have a reliable combination of a regular, long-time staff, J-1 and H-2 employees on work visas and interns.

“We are very fortunate. It is hard to hire locally,” she said.

The Hanover Inn Dartmouth also serves several hundred Thanksgiving meals, both takeout and in the restaurant, said Rick Thorpe, the inn’s director of sales and marketing. He estimates they have about 350 takeout orders and the restaurant serves about 300, though not

all of those diners have a Thanksgiving meal.

“It is very popular and well-attended.

Most of the diners are local,” Thorpe said.

“We have probably 50% more business than we do on a normal dinner service. A day or two before Thanksgiving, we are kind of maxed out in the kitchen.”

The inn does not have to staff up for the holidays, Thorpe said, as it is coming off three very busy months with Dartmouth College back in session beginning in September.

“We are as staffed up as one can be going into the holidays,” he said.

At Dowd’s Country Inn in Lyme, Tami Dowd, the inn’s owner, believes the business has resolved staffing challenges with the help of an outside company to manage the restaurant. A lack of staff forced the restaurant to close for a year and a half, but it is reopening in October, she said.

“Upper Valley employment was not working for us,” Dowd said.

Though Dowd is not sure about hosting a Thanksgiving buffet at the restaurant this year, in the past it was a very popular event, at times bringing in as many as 450 people, Dowd said.

“A lot of people are from in town and

want to get together but don’t want to cook,” she said. “I also think a lot of people want to support our family. They come to the inn and it is decorated for Thanksgiving and it is family-owned, family-operated and we are usually all here working, and so it is a family environment.

“We never have a problem selling out Thanksgiving Day, Mother’s Day or Easter brunch, ever,” Dowd added.

All three Upper Valley restaurants also host holiday parties.

During the week, Dowd’s Inn generally sees smaller groups of 30 to 40, such as a local chamber of commerce or Rotary, and on the weekends bigger companies and corporations will hold their holiday parties with between 150 and 200 people.

This year, Dowd has noticed a new trend.

“January is booking up for holiday parties, which seems weird to me versus December, so I’m thinking it must be a new trend since COVID,” she said. “Usually we did one or two holiday parties after the new year for businesses like us that are busy on the holiday, but now we see more places like at the hospital doing more nondenominational winter parties.”

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.

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VENUES FROM S10

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‘We stay open’ for the holiday season

‘Supported and enjoyed by the makers’ Holiday markets well-shopped by the community bolster area artists, crafters and nonprofit organizations

By PATRICK O’GR ADY

Valley News Correspondent or some holiday shoppers, the madness of Black Friday and the impersonal click-and-ship nature of Cyber Monday are not for them.

They prefer the calm and friendly community environment of holiday craft fairs that support artisans of the local creative economy and the sponsoring organizations.

Chloe Powell, the executive director for the Chandler Center for the Arts for the last 18 months, found the center’s Artisans Holiday Market the perfect antidote to the frenzy of holiday shopping at the nearest mall.

“I did all my holiday shopping last year and didn’t have to leave work,” Powell said.

Powell is not alone. The giftgiving tradition long predates the advent of big box stores, and holiday markets that feature locally made handiworks or art have a long history. The Chandler ’s artisans market, the Newport Library Arts Center’s Gallery of Gifts and the Lebanon Arts and Crafts Association’s KATE LUPPOLD annual holiday market are just executive director of three places where shoppers Newport Library Arts Center can explore the charm of the handmade object.

“We have people who are returning customers who do a lot of their shopping for the holidays,” said Marina Aronson, a member of the Chandler’s

F

VALLEY NEWS — ALEX DRIEHAUS

Shannon Wallis uses wax to draw designs on a Pysanky egg at her home studio in Norwich on Sept. 18. Wallis sells her eggs at several area holiday craft markets, including the Newport Library Arts Center’s Gallery of Gifts.

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SEE CRAF TS S16

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“It becomes a great support for bringing money into the local creative economy.”

VALLEY NEWS PHOTOGRAPHS — ALEX DRIEHAUS

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Shannon Wallis dries a Pysanky egg after dipping it in a jar of red dye at her home studio in Norwich on Sept. 18. Wallis has been practicing the Ukrainian batik technique for three decades and has been working as a Pysanky artist full time for about six years.

Powell is not alone. The gift-giving tradition long predates the advent of big box stores, and holiday markets that feature locally made handiworks or art have a long history. The Chandler’s artisans market, the Newport Library Arts Center’s Gallery of Gifts and the Lebanon Arts and Crafts Association’s annual holiday market are just three places where shoppers can explore the charm of the handmade object.

Christmas-themed Pysanky eggs, some still waiting for a final coat of varnish, are displayed in a basket at Shannon Wallis’ home studio in Norwich. Wallis said she often designs her eggs with similar themes and patterns, but she never repeats a design.

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Holiday markets support area crafters, artists and nonprofits

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CRAF TS FROM S12 board of directors.

The holiday market, held for six weeks leading up to Christmas, has about 50 artisans each year selling everything from ceramics and wood products to cards, fiber arts and food items, including jams and jellies. The market is juried, meaning the artisans have to apply and be approved to sell at the market. And many of those return each year Aronson said gross sales in recent years have been between $45,000 and $50,000. From that, Chandler charges a commission of 25% to the artisans, but that percentage can be reduced if the artist volunteers some hours to staff the market.

“The money goes into our general fund to support the center and the (exhibits in) Chandler Gallery,” Aronson said.

The market moved online for one year during COVID and in 2021, with the pandemic still having an impact, it was open on a limited basis with a layout that considered social distancing.

“We had so many people thanking us for keeping it open,” Aronson said.

“It is really a very popular place for locals to shop, and it is fun to watch them come in, survey what is there and what is new and then see them come back again and again.”

At Chandler, the best sales are when there is a show in the center’s music hall, and this year “The Nutcracker ” and “A Celtic Christmas” are two shows scheduled in December. Chandler also aligns the Holiday Artisans’ Market with The Sharon Academy’s school musical.

“We have some good sales with the families here,” Aronson said.

In Newport, the Library Arts Center holds its annual Gallery of Gifts from early November to a few days before Christmas. LAC Executive Director Kate Luppold said in 2022 they realized $65,000 in gross sales and expect to reach nearly $100,000 this year. The LAC charges a 30% commission to the artisans.

“It is really an incredible sale and is well-supported by the community and enjoyed by the makers involved in it, because it is lucrative,” Luppold said.

“It becomes a great support for bringing money into the local creative economy, and that 30% stays here and is a great piece that allows us to continue what we do here.”

The Gallery of Gifts is a juried show, and Luppold said they have many of the same jury members each year.

“They know what sells well and what they are looking for and how they are aiming to grow the show each year,” Luppold said. “They are SEE CRAF TS S17

VALLEY NEWS — JAMES M. PATTERSON

In the early 2000s, Kathleen Curwen, photographed in her Grantham home on Sept. 19, left a 35-year career in medical research and academia to focus on her stained glass art.

VALLEY NEWS — JAMES M. PATTERSON

Stained glass artist Kathleen Curwen grinds the sharp edges off a piece of shaped glass while working on a piece in Grantham on Sept. 17.

Holiday prepping

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VALLEY NEWS — JAMES M. PATTERSON

Curwen solders pieces of an ornament together in her home studio in Grantham in September.

also working on being as accessible and inclusive as possible to make space for people in the community to sell their works.”

Luppold said the Gallery of Gifts has more than 100 artisans that represent a mix of the artists community.

“In the spirit of the Library Arts Center and in alignment with our mission, we are here to foster creativity and economy not just for professional artists but also amateur artists and even youth artisans,” Luppold said. “We look to make a market that is appropriate and accessible to all those parties and do it in a way that showcases all of those people professionally. We always make room for new artists to keep it fresh.”

Woven baskets, pottery, fiber arts, glass and paper artist, jewelry and holiday decorations are among the gifts, made by New Hampshire and Vermont artisans, that people will find at the show.

Luppold called the Library Arts Center’s Gallery of Gifts “a kind of a pop-up market of local SEE CRAF TS S18

17

CRAF TS FROM S16

“That is the nice thing about [the holiday show.] To be a member, you don’t have to be juried and you can come up with different ideas every year.”

SUSAN MATTESON LACA president

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CRAF TS FROM S17

VALLEY NEWS — ALEX DRIEHAUS

Shannon Wallis works on a Christmas-themed Pysanky egg at her home studio in Norwich on Sept. 18.

handmade items” that is very popular with area artisans, partly because they only have to drop off their products and the LAC sets up the displays, does the marketing and handles the sales.

“We see a lot of repeat customers, because it is a show they really enjoy and do well at,” Luppold said.

Another popular holiday show in the region is sponsored by the Lebanon Arts and Crafts Association, now in its 52nd year.

Though not juried, the show sells a variety of handmade items, including woodwork; ornaments; handsewn, quilted, knitted and crocheted items; syrup and honey. About 30 LACA members participate annually, and that same number is expected this year, said LACA President Susan Matteson.

“That is the nice thing about this.

To be a member, you don’t have to be juried and you can come up with different ideas every year,” she said.

Each year the organization rents a storefront to run the show from early November to Christmas Eve. This year, the show will be in the former Olympia Sports store in the Kohl’s plaza in West Lebanon.

The artists, who have to volunteer to staff the show, pay a percentage of their sales to cover the expenses, including rent. “We come out ahead and also try to give back to the community,” Matteson said.

The LACA also raffles some products donated by the artisans. The money raised goes to a scholarship for a graduating senior at an area high school who plans to pursue the arts in college. Last year, LACA awarded a $1,400 scholarship, Matteson said.

To alert shoppers, the LACA has a mailing list and sends out about 250 postcards announcing the location, dates and hours of the show.

“We keep track of where the postcards come from and how many are returned,” said Matteson, who makes wool-felt ornaments for the show. “Some people come back year after year.”

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.

BUSINESS NOTES Business new hires and leadership changes Carie Kelly has been hired as Claremont Savings Bank’s senior vice president, digital banking officer.

Paul Yang is the new senior vice president, chief financial officer at Claremont Savings Bank. He has held various leadership roles at community banks and credit unions in the last 20 years, as well as serving as a financial consultant.

Thomas Edwards, of Rutland, has been

Kelly

hired as a branch relationship manager at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust in Woodstock. He previously worked as vice president, branch relationship manager at Green Mountain Credit Union.

Nonprofit organization new hires and leadership changes Beth Robinson is the new executive director of Zack’s Place, a Woodstock-based nonprofit organization that serves people with special needs. Robinson replaces Dail

Yang

Edwards

Frates, a Zack’s Place cofounder who has served as executive director since 2010.

Laura Di Piazza is the new development & communications director at JAM (Junction Arts & Media) in White River Junction. Di Piazza, an Upper Valley artist and professional calligrapher, has previously worked for WISE and the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance.

L’Tonya Johnson is the new director of shelter & community services at the Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction.

SEE NOTES S20

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“Honor a Frontline Hero Contest.” Douglass, who is employed as an operating room nurse at New London Hospital, received a $1,000 check to donate to a nonprofit organization of his choice, Claremont Christian Academy.

VINE Sanctuary, an animal sanctuary in Springfield, Vt., is one of the winners of the 2024 Spirit of ADA Award by the Governor’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities.

Nonprofit grants and donations

The Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire earned a $150,000 federal grant to put toward the New England Home Health Nurse Residency Project. The White River Junction-based nonprofit organization, which is part of Dartmouth Health, will work with the Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care Alliance of New Hampshire “to help train, recruit and retain nurses in the region,” according to a

news release.

Blue Loon Bakery in New London earned a $50,000 from the Backing Small Historic Small Restaurants Grant Program — funded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express — to put toward building renovations.

A group of researchers at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Giesel School of Medicine at Dartmouth have earned a $2.1 grant to study the ways patients and members of the public are involved in research projects. The study is led

by Catherine H. Saunders, a palliative medicine scientist at DHMC, and an assistant professor of medicine and of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice at Geisel; and Dr. JoAnna K. Leyenaar, a pediatric hospital medicine specialist at Dartmouth Health Children’s, and professor of pediatrics and of The Dartmouth Institute at Geisel.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center earned a $27.7 million, seven-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to use for

medical innovation projects. The grant, known as the Clinical and Translational Science Award, will go toward Dartmouth SYNERGY — also known as the Dartmouth Clinical and Translational Science Institute — and involves Dartmouth Health, Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine and Thayer School of Engineering; and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, in addition to other organizations in New England.

The city of Claremont earned a $10,000 Outdoor Recreation Roundtable grant for design and engineering of a riverwalk from Wall Street near the historic mill district, along the Sugar River to the rail trail where it crosses the river and runs east along Washington Street.

■

Information for this column was compiled using news releases emailed to Valley News staff. To have business or nonprofit organization news included in the next edition of Enterprise, email biznotes@ vnews.com prior to Dec. 27.

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NOTES FROM S20

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Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees Charles Seugling, senior vice president and regional market manager, left, and Kelly Spiller, vice president branch relationship manager, far right, present Michael Douglass, middle, winner of the Bank’s Honor a Frontline Hero Contest, and his daughter, Faith Douglass, with a check.

BUSINESS NOTES

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NOTES FROM S19 Johnson previously worked as a social worker in the intensive care nursery at Dartmouth Health Children’s.

Eliza (Liza) Eager is the new nutrition and wellness director at Senior Solutions, a Springfield, Vt.-based nonprofit organization that assists older adults in Windsor and Windham counties. Eager previously worked for the Vermont Department of Health.

Kristin Reifenrath is the new director of children, youth, and family services at Health Care and Rehabilitation Services in Springfield, Vt. She was hired by HCRS as a clinical consultant/supervisor in 2023 and served as interim director of children, youth, and family services for six months.

Tara Brooks is the new executive director of Vermont Adult Learning, a nonprofit organization that assists adults with career development skills that has locations in White River Junction and Springfield, Vt. Brooks was previously director of operations at Heartworks Early Education, a nonprofit with multiple locations in Vermont.

Keith Thomasset is the new chief pharmacy officer at Dartmouth Health in Lebanon. Thomasset previously worked as the interim senior vice president imaging and chief pharmacy officer Tufts Medicine.

Dr. Sheila Ryan Barnett is the new anesthesiology department chair at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in Hanover. Barnett previously worked as director of quality for community anesthesia for Harvard Faculty Medical Physicians at Beth Israel Lahey Health.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center hired the following providers in July and August: Jairo M. Amarillo, orthopaedic surgery; Julia K. Barry, transplantation surgery; Kaylea A. Masters, gastroenterology; Dr. Benjamin P. Schwartz, cardiology; Dr. Tinuola B. Ajayi, cardiology; Dr. Zara Z. Alvi, endocrinology — diabetes and metabolism; Jessica J. Baughman, palliative medicine; Karen E. Blackmon, psychiatry; Dr. Alicia J. Burns, internal medicine; Dr. Sarah B. Danziger, internal medicine; Jared M. Darlian, family medicine; Dr. Julia Ding, gastroenterology; Dr. Prajesh Gongal, internal medicine; Dr. Ryan M.

Kiefer, cardiovascular and interventional radiology; Laura C. McKee, palliative medicine; Dr. Jared Quast, neurology; Sarah A. Soifert, general surgery; Brandon L. Steves, general surgery; Dr. Shelby A. Sullivan, gastroenterology; and Dr. Poornima Vinod, cardiology.

Dartmouth Health Children’s in Lebanon hired the following providers in August: Callie M. Moulton, general pediatrics; Madelyn Parmentier, pediatric gastroenterology; Dr. Thomas A. Walsh, general pediatrics; and Lillian J. Wyand, genetics and child development.

Dartmouth Cancer Center in Lebanon hired Grace K. Wilson, hematology & oncology, in August.

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon hired the following providers in August: Dewayne L. Campbell, hospital medicine; Dr. Muzammil M. Khan, hospital medicine; Dr. Ishara Lareef, hospital medicine; Dr. Angelica S. Marrufo, hospital medicine; Dr. Ashik Pokharel, hospital medicine; and Dr. Erin M. Tonzi, hospital medicine.

Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in Windsor hired the following providers in August: Dr. Sean R. McNamara, hospital medicine; and Dr. Dylan M. Ofri, emergency medicine and hospital medicine.

Nonprofit organization board appointments Mary L. Bolg, vice president of operations for medical specialties and diagnostics at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, was elected to the board of New England Life Care, a Scarborough, Maine-based nonprofit organization focused on supporting in-home infusion therapy.

Daniel X. Stannard, of Hanover, has been elected to the Board of Managers of Community Financial Services Group, the trust and investment management affiliate of Community National Bank of Derby, Vt., National Bank of Middlebury, Vt., and Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank of New Hampshire.

Jeff Chu, an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Dartmouth College, has been appointed to the New Hampshire Tech Alliance board.

Awards and other honors The town of Hanover received the Plan of the Year Award from New Hamp-

shire Planners Association for its Sustainability Master Plan. According to a news release from Hanover, the plan focuses on “expanding housing opportunities, fostering inclusive economic resilience, celebrating our character, advancing multi-modal transportation, promoting downtown vibrancy, addressing climate change, improving health and wellbeing for all, and being accountable and collaborative.”

Susan C. Watermann, an embalmer and funeral director with Knight Funeral Home & Crematory in White River Junction and Windsor, received the Fountain National Academy’s Distinguished Professional Service medallion award during the 7th Biennial International Embalming & Reconstructive Surgery Conference in Springfield, Mo. During the fourday conference Watermann also gave a presentation “about the importance of transparency, better communication, and building trust to ensure that funeral service professionals do everything possible to safeguard the mental health of those who come to them for assistance,” according to a news release.

U.S. News & World Report named Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center as a “2024-2025 Best Hospital” and a Best Regional Hospital for Equitable Access.

Becker ’s Hospital Review named Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center to its 2024 list of great hospitals in America.

Coldwell Banker Lifestyles Realtor Ben Cushing, of New London, has been named the 2024 Realtor of the Year by the Sunapee Region Board of Realtors.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus award, for its work with patients who suffer from strokes.

U.S. News & World Report named Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital to its 20242025 Best Hospitals list as a High Performing hospital for Hip Replacement.

Kendal at Hanover’s Fitch Ratings Issuer Default Rating has been raised from a “BBB+” to an “A-” according to a news release. Kendal at Hanover is part of a small group of continuing care facilities that have an “A-” or higher rating, which less than 5% of all continuing care facilities across the United States have.

Michael Douglass, of Grantham, is the winner of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust’s SEE NOTES S21

HOLIDAY SALES

AP — WILFREDO LEE

In this Dec. 12, 2016, photo, a person searches the internet for sales, in Miami. Days after flocking to stores on Black Friday, consumers are turning online for Cyber Monday to score more discounts on gifts and other items that have ballooned in price because of high inflation.

Adobe Analytics, which tracks transactions for top online retailers, forecasts Cyber Monday will remain the year’s biggest online shopping day and rake in up to $11.6 billion in sales.

Shoppers will spend a record $241B

By JACLYN PEISER

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The Washington Post

Consumers plan to open their wallets this holiday season, snapping up discounts on electronics, apparel and sporting goods, breaking online sales records in the process.

Americans are projected to spend $240.8 billion online from Nov. 1 through the end of the year, 8.4 percent over last year, according to a report released Wednesday by Adobe Analytics. And more than half will do their shopping on their phones.

The record-breaking figures signal consumers will power through the most significant shopping season of the year. Savvy spending, along with wage growth and a still-strong job market are giving shoppers the “confidence and ability to increase their spending,” said John Mercer, head of global research at Coresight Research.

Both Coresight and Moody’s project total retail sales, in person and online, will grow around 3 percent during the last three months of the year, roughly on par with last year.

The projections come as consumers continue to be choosy about how they spend in discretionary categories. Retail sales have remained fairly steady, with August numbers increasing by 0.1 percent from July and by 2 percent over last year, while dipping for electronics and appliances, as well as furniture and apparel.

Many of those categories should see some uptick during the holidays, according to Adobe, which sees more than half of online sales driven by electronics, apparel, furniture and home goods. And while the past four years have seen consumers trading down in some of these categories, steep discounts this year will persuade value-focused shoppers to flip the switch and trade up, said Taylor Schreiner, a senior director at Adobe Digital Insights.

The share of the most expensive purchases, which include electronics, appliances and sporting goods, will be up by 19 percent compared to preseason trends, according to Adobe, with sporting goods alone possibly seeing a 76 percent surge.

“You’ll get a big shift of people looking for higher-end TVs, higherend appliances, moisturizers, makeup - they’re looking for the better items, but … on discount,” he said. “This increased responsiveness from consumers to discounts is about $2 [billion] or $3 billion of the growth that we’re seeing in online shopping this year.”

It’s consistent with a trend analysts have been tracking outside the holiday season: Consumers are postponing big purchases until they can score a deal or have saved up enough to afford it, said Mickey Chadha, a retail analyst and vice president at Moody’s. Retailers are preparing their response, deciding what kind of discount they’ll offer to entice consumers.

Adobe’s projections reflect that calculation, with “huge discounts on par with last year,” Schreiner said, adding there could be record markdowns on sporting goods and TVs. And while holiday sales will once again emerge early this year - kicking off in earnest with Amazon Prime Day in October - the best

deals will still be the week of Thanksgiving, with discounts averaging 30 percent off, according to Adobe.

Sales will still stretch through the end of the year. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

Still, not all consumers will have the flexibility to spend this holiday season, said Chedly Louis, a retail analyst and vice president at Moody ’s, calling it “a mixed picture” amid still-high food and housing prices.

Meanwhile, credit card delinquency rates and household debt continue to tick up. Adobe projects more consumers will rely on Buy Now, Pay Later services to finance their spending, Schreiner said, with the layaway service accounting for $18.4 billion in spending this year, up 11.4 percent from last year.

For consumers who are unable to pay back their credit card debt, Buy Now, Pay Later gives them a new avenue to finance their holiday shopping, Louis said: “It’s really a reflection of the consumer being stretched.”

HOLIDAY LOGISTICS

Is it too early to prep for Thanksgiving?

MICHAEL DINICH Wealth of Geeks

G

et your apron on: New research suggests that you should start your Thanksgiving preparations more than four weeks in advance.

A recent survey of 5,000 Americans, conducted by Talker Research for the Jennie-O brand, looked into the best strategies and preferences for planning, cooking, and enjoying the perfect Thanksgiving meal.

The results found that planning both the guest list and the menu takes nearly two weeks, with cooking preparations adding on an additional three days.

Menu, guest list, and prep time by state

cans also admit that they don’t stick to the same turkey recipe or prep every year, looking for inspiration in family recipes (70%), cookbooks (33%), and online (23%).

But for all the turkey talk, 39% of Americans are likely to have ham on the table as well, and America’s favorite nearly one in 10 (9%) Thanksgiving foods prefer it as the main dish.

The poll also settled According to responhot debates such as dents, a Thanksgiving whether it’s best to ham should be baked brine a turkey (it’s not, (68%), smoked (18%) or according to 63% of reslow-cooked (18%). spondents) and whether While 61% of Americranberry sauce has a cans believe that the place at the table (for main dishes on the table 55% of respondents, it are the star of the meal, does). a little more than two in The survey found five respondents in that “baked is best” and Idaho (43%) and Kansas is considered the “right” (41%) believe that the way to cook a turkey side dishes are the un(66%). Still, respondents sung heroes. in Oklahoma would Stuffing (77%), rolls rather their turkey be or biscuits (66%), classic smoked (20%) more mashed potatoes (60%), than any other state. and cranberry sauce One-third of Ameri(55%) are all “must-

search.

Nearly a quarter of respondents (23%) said that having a variety of food options was important, while 16% care more about who attends the meal, highlighting the holiday’s reputation as a time for food, family, and friends.

haves” when it comes to Thanksgiving sides.

Southern Americans, however, are looking for mac and cheese on the table, with Georgians leading the charge (62%), followed by Mississippi (58%) and South Carolina (55%).

But on the other hand, collard greens (41%), Brussels sprouts (37%), creamed corn (22%), and green bean casserole (18%) are not worthy of a place on the table.

Most Americans (61%) are cooking their Thanksgiving meals from scratch, and while only 10% opt for prepared foods, 30% admit they do a mix of both.

“It’s clear that Americans across the country take their Thanksgiving spreads seriously, especially since 82% believe that planning the menu, guest list and cooking preparations are imperative to the overall success of the holiday,” ex-

plains Kim Anderson, Senior Brand Manager.

“Whether you’re cooking from scratch or cutting down on time with prepared foods, having a variety of options for everyone is sure to make this Thanksgiving one to remember.”

When it’s all said and done, clean-up averages only about two hours, which may be why 57% would rather help with post-meal aftermath than help with cooking or preparation (37%).

Cherished traditions and leftovers Almost every American surveyed (96%) enjoys Thanksgiving leftovers — 44% will turn them into a Ross Geller from “Friends”-style sandwich, while others incorporate them into other meals (41%), recreate the actual Thanksgiving meal (32%) or will enjoy each food individually (25%).

About one in five (22%) would even rather keep their leftovers for themselves rather than send some home with their guests.

Sharing meals together (65%), spending time with extended family or old friends (52%), and cooking together (27%) are the top three most cherished Thanksgiving traditions.

And they’ve certainly earned the title, as 70% of Americans have been celebrating these traditions for more than 21 years.

“Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that just keeps on giving, with coveted leftovers making their way onto Americans’ plates even after the main meal is all said and done,” says Anderson. “Whether you prefer to cook or clean, the holiday is really about spending time with loved ones and being thankful for what you have.”

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Overall, Americans are evenly divided over whether they prefer to assume the role of host or guest; though Californians, Floridians, Hawaiians, as well as those in Minnesota and New Jersey overwhelmingly prefer to be a guest.

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It also involves an additional five hours of actual cooking and preparing on the day of the feast.

The longest prep time award goes to Delaware, averaging 17 days of guest list planning and another 19 days of menu building.

Next in line is Virginia, where Americans spend almost 16 days picking guests (15.7) and nearly 17 days (16.6) on the menu, third only to North Carolina which averages a little more than 17 days (17.4) on their menu.

Overall, Americans are evenly divided over whether they prefer to assume the role of host or guest; though Californians, Floridians, Hawaiians, as well as those in Minnesota and New Jersey overwhelmingly prefer to be a guest.

How the meal tastes was also found to be one of the most important priorities when it came to Thanksgiving (35%), according to the re-

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