New Hampshire Magazine December 2016

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It List: The Most Fascinating People of 2016 Page 74

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DISCOVER PILOBOLUS H O L I D AY D É C O R T I P S F R O M P R O S GUIDE TO WINTER ARTS EVENTS

to the holidays with Decorating tips Winter arts offerings Local food gift ideas Great recipes

(like a savory apple ciderbrined turkey on page 100) December 2016 $4.99

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Contents

December 2016

2016

66 First Things 6 Editor’s Note 8 Contributors Page 10 Feedback

Features from left: photo by matthew mead and by grant halverson, courtesy pilobolus; inset photo by john herper

64 In Their Own Words Edra Toth, former Boston Ballet prima ballerina, now teaches children the joy of dance at Northeastern Ballet Theatre.

by David Mendelsohn

66 Merrymakers It’s time to deck the halls. Three designers offer holiday décor advice and inspiration. produced by Matthew Mead

74 2016 It List Our annual It List is the who’s who of New Hampshire. Meet 17 influential people who are putting the Granite State on the map.

84 The Pioneers World-famous modern dance troupe Pilobolus got its start 45 years ago right here in New Hampshire at Dartmouth College in Hanover.

by Sarah Cahalan

74

84

603 Navigator

603 Informer

603 Living

12 LINCOLN’S ICE CASTLE

50 WINTER SOLSTICE

92 Home

14 December Picks

52 Q&A

HOLIDAY HOME TOUR

by Erica Thoits

NON-HOLIDAY EVENTS

2ND LT. KATRINA SIMPSON

96 Health

16 Local Music

54 Outsider

by Karen A. Jamrog

SNOWSHOE TRAILS

98 Seniority

56 Politics

by Lynne Snierson

BRIDGE THE POLITICAL DIVIDES

100 Local Dish

57 Artisan

by Sarah Kenney

UNIQUE EWE MITTENS

102 Calendar of NH Events

photo by Ryan Davis

by Sarah Cahalan

RECYCLED PERCUSSION

18 Our Town EATON

by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers

21 Foodie Events HOLIDAY FUN

by Erica Thoits

22 Food & Drink LOCAL FOOD GIFTS

by Susan Laughlin

28 Recipe BEST CHRISTMAS COOKIE

by Susan Laughlin

29 Retail

photo by Jim Salge

by Greg Heilshorn

PANIC ATTACKS

by Marty Basch

LATE-LIFE REMARRIAGE

by James Pindell

ROAST TURKEY

by Susan Laughlin

58 Blips NH ON THE MEDIA RADAR

by Rick Broussard

59 Review LOCAL BOOKS AND MUSIC

by Rick Broussard

DOWNTOWN PORTSMOUTH

60 Out and About

by Lisa Brown

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE

32 Science

62 First Person

THE SCIENCE CAFÉ

by Greg Laudani

WHAT TO DO THIS MONTH

edited by Sarah Cahalan

106 Dine Out GOOD EATS

edited by Susan Laughlin

LIGHTS IN THE WINDOW

by Rabbi Jonathan Spira-Savett

112 Last Laugh QUAINT THE TOWN

by Fred Marple

ON THE COVER Get ready for the holidays with décor tips from three New Hampshire designers in “Merrymakers,” starting on page 66.

Volume 30, Number 12 ISSN 1560-4949 nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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EDITOR’S NOTE

The Granite Attic

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nhmagazine.com | December 2016

In this age of storage units and overpacked garages, the “attic” has become a cartoon cliché.

But real attics hold more than just stuff.

y parents nearly always took my siblings and me to our grandmother’s house in Shreveport, Louisiana, to celebrate Christmas.

“Grandmother” is what we actually called my mother’s mom, which might tip you off to the fact that the holidays there were somewhat formal in tone. Even so, young minds find plenty to amuse themselves, even when table manners are enforced and the Christmas tree is divided between the adult side and the child side by placing it in a doorway leading out to the sunporch.

One place where such antebellum formalities completely embraced the childish imagination was behind a half-height door on the landing at the top of some curving stairs: the entrance to Grandmother’s attic.

My siblings and I would retreat there at least once each visit, and we’d dig through the old steamer trunks and examine cardboard boxes of faded photos and worn albums, discarded souvenirs from Grandmother’s world travels, a rack of Granddaddy Dan’s military uniforms — fragrant with mothballs — and many objects we didn’t even know what to call.

The only light (unless one of us had snagged a toy flashlight as a stocking stuffer) was a single bare bulb and the translucent panes of a small window all the way at the back of the attic, but some of my most vivid memories are of journeys into that realm.

We lament the loss of many things that time and technology have erased (remember the “party line” on a small-town phone?) but you rarely hear a eulogy for the attic.

With all the stuff we accumulate these days, it’s a quaint notion we could fit it all into one tight and hard-to-access space.

Now we have two-car garages with no room for cars plus stuffed storage units.

Maybe we were more careful about what we kept back then, or maybe we just didn’t have as much stuff to deal with, but the attic’s role as a family museum, curated by the sheer erosion of time, sadly seems to be a thing of the past.

Since moving to New Hampshire three decades ago and getting the job of editing this magazine nearly a quarter of a century ago, I’ve often made associations between the Granite State and Grandmother’s attic.

New England (and New Hampshire — its heart) is a place where things tend to remain where they are set down, and where old age still has positive associations. So many of the relics of America’s past are stored here and are still accessible to the young, the newcomer, the immigrant.

My siblings and I learned much from those boxes of memorabilia: places my grandparents (and mom) had been, what they valued, how fit and trim my grandfather had been back in his military days.

After Grandmother died, the attic loot was either dumped or distributed. Some attic items wound up here in my home in Concord and some are now stored in our attic (well, the loft in our garage).

But it wasn’t really the stuff that I remember from those Christmas visits to the attic.

It was the feeling of a timeless space where artifacts and memories can inspire a youthful sense of adventure and exploration.

Just like here in New Hampshire.

Contributors Matthew Mead, who produced and photographed the holiday decorating story “Merrymakers,” is also a stylist, lifestyle guru and New Hampshire native.

His work appears regularly in national magazines, in catalogs and in advertisements for companies such as Pottery Barn, Target and Omaha Steaks. He has published 15 books on lifestyle and has a new magazine series debuting this December titled Upstyled Home, available on newsstands everywhere.

for December 2016

Our assistant editor, Sarah Cahalan, explored the world of modern dance to write about the internationally acclaimed troupe Pilobolus.

New England nature photographer Jim Salge took the photo that opens this month’s “Informer.” See more at jimsalge.com.

James Pindell has written “Politics” since 2009. Prior to becoming a political reporter for The Boston Globe, he worked at WMUR-TV for five years.

Cuisine Editor Susan Laughlin shares her local gift recommendations in “Food and Drink,” plus she took this month’s “Living” photo.

Former intern, recent UNH grad and three-time Boston Marathon runner Greg Laudani wrote “Food for Thought” on the Science Café series.

Fred Marple (the nom de plume of humorist Ken Sheldon) wrote this month’s “Last Laugh.” He’s the creator of the mythical town of Frost Heaves.

Mission Statement | New Hampshire Magazine You really... hate us?

Who doesn’t love to get mail, especially the kind that’s hand-written, stamped and personally addressed to you? We sure do, but then we never expected the angry epistolatory deluge we received when we decided to not only publish a feature story on one of NH’s most reviled criminals but also to put her photograph on our cover.

At least we always thought of it as “our” cover, though it’s now apparent that many of our readers consider it to be theirs too.

To quote one representative sample: “How dare you put that awful photo on the cover of our New Hampshire Magazine?”

Words like that are really music to our ears, not because we like to stir up trouble

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nhmagazine.com | December 2016

(well, maybe just once in a while) but because that’s the reaction we hope our readers will have. We create this publication each month just hoping that people who love New Hampshire as much as we do will see it as their own.

We’ve included a small batch of the many notes and letters we’ve received on this topic in this month’s Feedback section (on page 10), and there’s a lively online debate on the merits of the story, the cover and the question we (innocently) proposed: Should Pam Smart be released from prison?

While we can’t promise to never provoke the ire of our readers again, we can confess that we’re already looking for the perfect Thanksgiving turkey to beautify the cover of our next November issue.

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Send letters to Editor Rick Broussard, New Hampshire Magazine, 150 Dow St. Manchester, NH 03101 or email him at editor@nhmagazine.com.

Feedback

nhmagazine.com, facebook.com/NHMagazine & @nhmagazine

Cover Suggestion Loving Beer Excellent reading — first time that I picked up the magazine. Being someone who enjoys trying new beers, I thoroughly enjoyed “Quest for (Backroads) Beer” [October 2016]. I had no idea about those breweries. The other articles were just as enjoyable. Thank you!

Steve Szablak Lowell, Massachusetts

New Trial I have no idea as to Pam Smart’s guilt or innocence, but I am convinced that her trial was grossly unfair and very prejudicial. I watched every minute of it and could not believe my eyes and ears as to how the courtroom was managed. Her case deserves a full and impartial review as soon as possible.

Jean Hayden Anderson Manchester

Stick to Fall First, I would like to say I love your magazine! I give gift subscriptions to many of my friends who may or may not live in our beautiful state. That being said, I would like to express my disappointment on your recent cover. While the story of Ms. Smart [“Innocent?” November 2016] might be of interest to a few, surely you could have come up with a beautiful fall cover. Just look out the window to see how beautiful our state is, especially at this time of the year.

I certainly don’t want to explain who that person is on the cover to my grandchildren — some things are best left to the back pages.

This is the first time I have ever written to any publication, but with all the real news happening, I think this was a poor choice.

Donna Girard 10

nhmagazine.com | December 2016

emails, snail mail, facebook, tweets

I was surprised to see Pam Smart on your Nov. 2016 cover. I guess I expected a lovely fall picture of food or décor. I feel an article inside would have been sufficient. Maybe if she was in an orange prison jumpsuit with a foliage backdrop it may have worked.

I do enjoy your magazine and past covers.

Christie Eberhardt Fremont

Not Coffee Table Material Pam Smart on your cover — what were you thinking? That issue will certainly not be left on our coffee table. This story should be put to rest and certainly not be part of what you are trying to provide to your readers. People affected by this crime should not have to revisit this through tabloid journalism. Please cancel our subscription.

Shaun G. Berry Ellen C. Berry Wolfeboro Falls

Guilty Should Pam Smart be released? Absolutely — as soon as Gregg Smart is out of his grave and back among the living. Not possible, so throw away the key.

E. Johnson Sunapee

To the Bin I am not a fan of the cover of your November issue. With all the beauty that surrounds us in New Hampshire, especially this time of year, why in the world would you choose to disgrace your cover with an unappealing photo of Pamela Smart? This issue will not find the magazine’s usual spot on my coffee table, nor will I read it. With great disappointment I will deposit it in the recycling bin.

Susan Caesar Wolfeboro

Another One for the Bin To say that I was disappointed in your November cover would be an understatement. While I have no objection to a story about Pam Smart, to place her on the cover gives her much more importance than she deserves, especially during a month when so many other good events are happening in

New Hampshire. The November issue was read hastily and placed in the recycling bin.

Michele Hansen Nashua

Bad Choice

At this beautiful time of year, this is what you choose to put on the cover of the Nov. issue of New Hampshire Magazine?

Linda Heroux Laconia

You’re on Notice We found the magazine cover of the 2016 November New Hampshire Magazine to be repulsive. Our opinion is that your magazine should not be a platform for convicted felons! There are so many things that can be on the cover to invite people into our great state. We are longtime New Hampshire residents and look forward to the magazine each month. It guides us to events and places we can explore. We are extremely disappointed with your choice for the cover.

If this type of decision-making continues, then we will be canceling our subscription!

R. Peter & Pam McGinnity Mason

On a Happier Note The Pam Smart story was well-written — maybe good things will happen now for her.

Whoever makes up the ad for the dentists on page 19 has a good imagination.

Fall colors are at peak here in Cromwell.

I was up in Bartlett for a few days, it was so clear — everyone was quite happy.

Mary Franklin Cromwell, Connecticut

Editor’s note: Award-winning journalist Nancy West thoroughly examined both sides of the Pamela Smart story: those who believe Smart should be released, and those who are certain she belongs in jail for the rest of her life. As we predicted, the lively discussion between those two camps continues in the comments section of the story online.We invite you to add your thoughts by visiting nhmagazine.com/people.

Addendum: In our credits for the Pamela Smart story, we failed to acknowledge the contributions of Wendy Mendelsohn, who assisted tremendously in arranging and procuring the photos and interview with Smart.

Spot four newts like the one above (but much smaller) hidden on ads in this issue, tell us where you found them and you might win an assortment of great gifts from a local company. To enter our drawing for Spot the Newt, send answers plus your name and mailing address to:

Spot the Newt c/o New Hampshire Magazine 150 Dow St., Manchester, NH 03101 Email them to newt@nhmagazine.com or fax them to (603) 624-1310.

Last month’s “Spot the Newt” winner is Jackie Bowring of Alton. November issue newts were on pages 2, 21, 83 and 100.

You can search the world over, but you won’t find businesses like these.

NEED A GOOD REASON FOR SPOTTING THE NEWT?

This month’s lucky Newt Spotter will receive these two handcrafted fused-glass ornaments, both interpretations of a Christmas tree incorporating dichroic glass and silver wire.They were created by New Hampshire glass artist Melissa Antul. See more of her work at Glass Transformations (etsy.com/ shop/glasstransformations).

Glass Transformations is a member of NH Made (nhmade.com), the state’s official booster of locally made products.

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES BY JAN. 22 AT BOBAWARDSNH.COM AND DON’T FORGET TO PACK YOUR BAGS FOR THE BOB AWARDS PARTY ON THURSDAY, MARCH 2ND! nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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603 Navigator “The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

— W.B. Yeats

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nhmagazine.com | December 2016

Photo by Ryan Davis

Events 14 Our Town 18 Foodie Fun 21 Food & Drink 22 Cookie Recipe 28 Retail 29 Science CafĂŠ 32

Winter Wonder

The Ice Castle returns to Lincoln Starting in late December (weather permitting), you can wander through a real-life fairytale wonderland.

Created each year by the Utah-based Ice Castles company, this amazing structure is made entirely out of ice and features carved tunnels, towers, frozen thrones and LED lights that create a magical glow. Visit icecastles. com/lincoln for updated tour information, ticket prices, directions and parking information.

nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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EVENTS

December | Picks

The flu isn’t the only affliction to watch out for this time of year.

Behind the office parties and family dinners, holiday fatigue is waiting to sap you of your goodwill to all. Ward it off by checking out these events with no connection to “the most wonderful time of the year” — and, when you’re ready to brave all things merry and bright, turn to our full holiday events calendar on page 102.

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nhmagazine.com | November 2016

Glen Scheffer’s photographs explore quotidian uses of the Northeast’s grandest spaces.

Glen Scheffer: The Performance of Space Exhibition December 2-23, Peterborough

Local artist and NHIA faculty member Glen Scheffer spent 2009-2011 traveling the East Coast to photograph the interiors of the region’s most iconic buildings. The resulting photos (including the Boston Public Library and New Hampshire’s own Peterborough Players theater) are displayed on a grand scale for this exhibit. nhia.edu

Dartmouth vs. UNH Hockey

December 10, Hanover

OK, so this one’s kind of seasonal — but at least it won’t find you building any snowmen. The Granite State’s two D-1 squads square off at Dartmouth’s Thompson Arena in their quest for the RiverStone Cup this year. If you can’t get enough of the

matchup, worry not: the schools meet again in basketball on New Year’s Eve, and the women’s hockey teams take the ice next month. dartmouthsports.com

photo by glen scheffer; hockey photo courtesy of mark washburn/dartmouth athletics

Give some nonseasonal events a try

“Jack and the Beanstalk” December 16-31, Meredith

In the tradition of England’s rollicking “panto,” this kid-oriented production uses the fairy tale as a frame for over-the-top special effects, popular songs and big laughs. Don’t be afraid to jeer the villain and whoop for the hero — audience participation is encouraged. winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org

Judy Collins

December 17, Plymouth

More than 50 years after the release of her first album, folk music star “Judy Blue Eyes” is still going strong. Catch the singer-songwriter-activist as she performs numbers such as “Both Sides Now” from her many decades of hits. flyingmonkeynh.com

Zest Fest New Vaudeville Festival December 26-30, Portsmouth

JOIN FOOD NETWORK CELEBRITY CHEF AS HE HOSTS THE BEST CHEFS IN THE STATE IN THE ULTIMATE COOKING SHOWDOWN – ALL TO BENEFIT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE FOOD BANK! MARCH 6, 2017 TO BE HELD AT:

courtesy photo

RADISSON, 700 ELM STREET, MANCHESTER, NH

T he New Hampshire Food Bank will transform the armory into a grand dining

If you thought vaudeville died off with Uncle Miltie, you thought wrong. A class of entertainers has reclaimed the genre, and today’s new vaudeville encompasses everything from miming to yo-yo tricks. This showcase features three of the field’s biggest acts: King Pong, the Yoyo Show and Leland Faulkner. pontine.org

“I Love the ’90s” Tour

Makes a great gift!

Please use this one if using the logo smaller than 3 inches

December 29, Manchester

Break out your hammer pants and Walkmans. This multi-act concert is truly what ’90s-kid dreams are made of: Salt N Pepa, Vanilla Ice, DJ Spinderella, Kid ‘n Play, Rob Base, All-4-One and Young MC are all in the lineup. Prepare to groove to “Shoop” and croon along to “I Swear” like it’s prom 4 2 1995. snhuarena.com 3

1 Glen Scheffer: 1 The Performance of Space Exhibition, Peterborough

room where you will enjoy a fabulous dinner created by Chef Robert Irvine as you watch the competition heat up in front of your eyes!

VIP tickets include a meet-and-greet with the chefs!

Reserve For more information ts your ticke visit nhfoodbank.org now!

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Nancy Mellitt at 603-669-9725 or nmellitt@nhfoodbank.org

Get More 6

2 Dartmouth vs. UNH Hockey, Hanover

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@

nhmagazine.com

Our website gives you better access to stories, plus all the information you need to know about what’s going on in NH. You’ll find extra stories, photos, a guide to seasonal fun, events, restaurants, recipes and much more!

3 “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Meredith 4 Judy Collins, Plymouth 5 Zest Fest New Vaudeville Festival, Portsmouth 6 “I Love the ’90s” Tour, Manchester

Connect with us!

@nhmagazine facebook/NHMagazine

nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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HOMECOMING

Recycled Percussion gets into the holiday spirit.

World-record Spectacle

R

ecycled Percussion knows a thing or two about how to stage a spectacle. After gaining global fame as a finalist on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” the band went on to success in Las Vegas with the strip’s only resident headline rock ‘n’ roll show.

They return home regularly to play to packed houses, often filled with fans who discovered them as kids and now bring their own kids along for the fun. But even for these guys, this holiday will be a marathon with a jaw-dropping schedule of 16 shows planned for the Granite State from Dec. 27 to Jan. 8.

The shows will take place in Manchester (Palace Theatre), Keene (Colonial Theatre), Rochester (Opera House), Lebanon (Opera House) and Plymouth (Flying Monkey Mov-

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nhmagazine.com | December 2016

ie House & Performance Center). You can visit our online calendar for details on all of the shows at nhmagazine.com/calendar.

But this Christmas season, the band is adding a new — and potentially record-breaking — element: They will attempt to set a world record by using the most Christmas lights ever used in a live, onstage performance. Just how many lights will that take? More than 10 miles, says founder and Goffstown native Justin Spencer.

“We felt that it was time to do something beyond incredible,” he adds. “We want that curtain to rise up and the fans to witness an incredible sight. Imagine a stage blanketed in lights, mixed with the epic stage performance we have become known for. You now have something remarkable”.

They’ve been working on this spectacle since September, but this isn’t the first time they’ve tried something new and unexpected. Last winter, for instance, they popped up at Home Depot in Manchester to play a surprise free show to thank their hometown fans. You can see a video of the performance on YouTube, or check out the online version of this story for a link.

Spencer and his bandmates have staged some 5,000 shows since the band’s New Hampshire founding back in 1995 and still continuously invent new ideas to keep the show fresh and exciting for their many fans.

Hopefully, they can add world-record holders to their string of accomplishments. NH Visit recycledpercussionband.com for videos, show dates and more information.

photo courtesy of recycled percussion

Recycled Percussion lights up the holidays, Vegas-style

Peace of mind is part of our treatment plan.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center & Mass General. Together. For You. Know that you are in good hands with access to some of the best stroke, trauma and cancer care in the country right here in Southern New Hampshire.

That’s the power of the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital partnership.

Learn more at SNHhealth.org

603 NAVIGATOR

Tasty Tour

photo by stillman rogers

OUR TOWN

Enjoy homemade cookies, other sweet treats and seasonal cheer during the Inn to Inn Holiday Cookie and Candy Tour.

Cookies lured us to Eaton in December

BY BARBARA RADCLIFFE ROGERS

T

he annual Inn to Inn Holiday Cookie and Candy Tour follows a sweet route from Hart’s Location to Eaton, stopping at country inns in Jackson, Intervale, North Conway, Conway, Albany and just over the border in Fryeburg, Maine.

At each stop, we sampled at least two varieties of cookies and toured the inns to see their Christmas decorations. Many of the people we met were looking for holiday décor inspiration as well as cookies, and they certainly found enough of both in the inns’ bedecked public rooms.

We chose Snowville, a village within the town of Eaton, as our headquarters, not because it was central to the rest of the tour, but because tiny Eaton has two inns with memorable restaurants. The fact that the Snowvillage Inn had welcomed a new chef since our last visit was an added attraction.

Chef Peter Willis is well-known in the

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Mt. Washington Valley as the longtime chef/owner of Coyote Rose, a very popular southwestern restaurant. But his talents are diverse, which the menu at Max’s Restaurant and Pub at the Snowvillage Inn demonstrates. Dinner might begin with scallops paired with crisp pork belly enlivened by roasted garlic and red pepper coulis, or a classic Caprese salad with slices of grilled eggplant added. Each day’s menu highlights a “Wild Side” entrée, which could be savory braised venison or wild boar or any of several other game specialties. The grilled duck is first brined in maple and cider, then served with figs and wild blueberries from Foss Mountain, located just behind the inn.

The sweet fragrance of cookies baking in the kitchen drew us downstairs on Saturday morning, and, as we lingered over our French toast, preparations got underway for the arrival of cookie tour visitors. In addi-

tion to the cookies, the inn was busy with the dozen or so local artisans who gather here for a craft show on the same weekend.

Along with innkeeper Jen Kovach’s luscious goat milk soaps and fragrant herbal oils, the crafts included silk scarves, pottery, beaded and silver jewelry, handbags and other handmade gifts. “There’s nothing like buying gifts from local artists,” Jen observed as she poured our second cup of coffee amid the bustle of craftspeople setting up their displays.

Just down the hill in the village, the Inn at Crystal Lake also has a craft show in conjunction with the cookie tour. The inn has two dining options — Palmer House Pub, named for the original 1884 Palmer House in which the inn is located,

and a somewhat more formal dining room overlooking the lake. You can order from either menu in each. We were traveling with Mary, our chicken potpie connoisseur, and she proclaimed their Chicken & Biscuits from the pub menu “the best.”

We have been trying to get to the Inn at Crystal Lake for one of their monthly opera dinners, where innkeeper/bartender Tim Ostendorf, a trained opera singer himself, talks about opera and introduces guest performers. The dinner menu highlights the evening’s musical theme. Unfortunately, there was not one scheduled while we were in town. But across the street in the Little White Church, a Christmas concert by singer-songwriter Carol Noonan and composer/pianist Dana Cunningham was scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings of the cookie tour weekend.

(This concert is also planned for 2016 on December 9-10. On December 11, Cunningham is joined by cellist Max Dyer.) The pretty Little White Church, built in1879, is Eaton’s nondenominational Community Church, bought and maintained by the town after its congregation dwindled to one member.

That so small a town should have two country inns would be unusual anywhere except in the White Mountains. But even for this part of the state, boasting two inns that also have wonderful restaurants is remarkable. That’s not all. In between memorable dinners, we could have lunch at Eaton Village Store, another community project, which evolved after the closing of Eaton’s general store and post office.

The store tells a lot about the town — its existence today is due to townspeople pulling together to save an institution

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Let’s keep it that way.

Check it out Snowvillage Inn (603) 447-2818 snowvillageinn.com Inn at Crystal Lake (603) 447-2120 or (800) 343-7336 innatcrystallake.com Christmas Concerts (tickets available from Stone Mountain Arts Center) (207) 935-7292 stonemountainartscenter.com Little White Church (603) 447-1881 littlewhitechurch.com

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Eaton Village Store (603) 447-2403 nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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OUR TOWN

that had become their unofficial community center. In 2005, the store was closing. “We had to do something,” says Kovach, who was then president of the Eaton Village Preservation Society. “So we voted to buy it.” On the night of the vote, they raised $26,000 in memberships, and several dozen volunteers conducted the needed repairs and updates.

With a town of fewer than 400 residents, everyone had to do his or her share; fundraising continued with bake sales, gifts and grants. Eventually, they raised enough to open the new store and provide a comfortable house for the new storekeepers. Another round of updates took place earlier this year, and while repairs were going on, volunteers baked muffins, made coffee and kept a corner open for people to get their mail.

By this time, Kevin Flynn, the Snowvillage Inn’s co-owner, was taking his turn chairing the preservation society, and the store reopened just in time to celebrate the town’s 250th birthday in August. The store pays it forward, promoting local businesses by selling Sherman Farm milk, fresh eggs from Little Field Farm just down the road and gluten-free cookies from Ashera Fine Baking in neighboring Madison. One wall showcases paintings and photographs for sale by local artists.

At lunchtime, we had to wait for a place to sit before ordering grilled sandwiches of slow-roasted pork with sliced apple and whole-grain mustard. As we ate, three different people suggested we try the peanut butter pie. NH A view of Mt. Washington and the White Mountains from the Snowvillage Inn

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Annual Inn to Inn Holiday Cookie and Candy Tour, December 10 and 11, countryinnsinthewhitemountains.com

photo by stillman rogers

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FOOD & DRINK

Foodie Fun

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Eat, drink and be merry with these culinary Christmas events

Currier and Ives Cookie Tour

Explore the Monadnock Region one treat at a time December 10 The 12th annual Currier and Ives Cookie Tour takes place at more than a dozen spots in the towns of Fitzwilliam, Jaffrey, Rindge, Troy, Peterborough, Dublin and Swanzey. In addition to getting your fill of sweets on this self-guided tour, each business will be decorated for Christmas. Plus, participants that visit at least 10 out of the 16 stops on the tour will be entered to win a gift certificate valued at over $100 that can be redeemed at any location on the tour. A portion of this year’s proceeds will be donated to a local charity that assists people in need during the winter months. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at several tour locations. currierandivescookietour.com

Christmas at Canterbury Simple celebrations

During the two Christmas at Canterbury events at the Canterbury Shaker Village, a special Christmas dinner is offered at the Shaker Table restaurant from 4-9 p.m.

The Shaker-style buffet is $20, and reservations are recommended. Before dinner, make sure to check out simple delights such as a 19th-century magic show, a chance to meet Santa, Christmas card making, a toy train display, Christmas carols, the tree lighting and more. Christmas at Canterbury is on December 3 and 10 from 3-8 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults and $8 for children 6-17. (603) 708-1192; shakers.org

Pickwick’s Holiday Dinners

photos by susan laughlin

Enjoy historic and festive meals Step back in time at the Strawbery Banke Museum’s historic William Pitt Tavern for a delicious Colonial-era, four-course meal prepared by acclaimed chef Evan Mallett of the Black Trumpet. This series of dinners, offered as a part of Portsmouth’s popular Vintage Christmas lineup, also features locally crafted libations and live music to evoke holiday cheer.

Dinners are offered on Candlelight Stroll weekends: December 3-4, 10-11 and 16-18. Each evening has three seatings at 4, 6 and 8 p.m. The cost is $70 for adults and $30 for children. Reservations are a must and can be made at Pickwick’s Mercantile, Pickwick’s at the Banke, by calling Mr. Pickwick at (603) 4278671 or at pickwicksmercantile.com. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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FOOD & DRINK

Surprising Santa

Give the gift of local artisanal food and drink STORY AND PHOTOS BY SUSAN LAUGHLIN

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Artisan Coffee Flight Coffee Co. If Santa has time for coffee with his cookies, then the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Aricha Dry Process beans from Flight Coffee Co. in Bedford and Dover are sure to please (pictured at left). Careful selection and precise roasting bring out subtle flavors. This one has a hint of blueberry and lemon bar, and this is just the start of Flight’s bean selections.

Beans can be roasted to order for maximum freshness or roasted and ground to the desired grind for any method, including pour-over style. From $14.50 per pound. Order online or visit the Bedford Roasting Lab or the Dover café. flightcoffeeco.com

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Orange Cardamom Shortbread Cookies New England Biscuit Company Laura Brown of Portsmouth bakes delightfully rich and fully flavored traditional shortbread cookies perfect for Santa’s satisfaction on Christmas Eve. She uses a European-style butter with a higher butterfat content for a difference you can taste. Also find traditional and lemon rosemary flavors. $7.50 to $12.50 online; newenglandbiscuit.company

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Foil-wrapped Chocolate Coins Winsome Forge Looking for gelt for stuffing stockings?

Each coin is impressed with the state on one side and one of the state’s regions on the other (all are represented). The inside is solid milk chocolate.

They’re from the same people who make the candy-coated granite rocks and seashells. Comes as a set titled “Riches of New Hampshire.” $10.50; winsomeforge.com

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Tea Rubs

Rub Me Tender

Give your favorite cook new ideas with this locally made spice rub featuring the exotic flavors of Earl Grey tea, garlic and lemon. (It’s perfect on a Greek salad with lemon and olive oil.) Other rub varieties range from the flavors of green tea or coffee to a Moroccan blend with cinnamon, brown sugar and cumin. Perfect as a stocking stuffer, and gift sets are available. $3.50 and up; rubmetenderspices.com

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FOOD & DRINK

5

Raw Honey DJ’s Pure Natural Honey DJ has hives all over southern New Hampshire, and his bees are busy pollinating area meadows. Flavors tend to change over the season, depending on what the bees are collecting.

Naturally good raw honey can be found at most winter farmers markets, or you can contact DJ at djspurehoney@ comcast.net. An 8-ounce jar is $8.50.

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CranbreeZ Cranberry Wine Zorvino Vineyards Bring a local wine to the party. This winery in Sandown creates a variety of wines with fruit, red wines and blends of unusual produce and traditional grapes. Their dessert wines, such a Jumpin Jacks Pumpkin Wine, are made with local pumpkins. Look for their bottles at local supermarkets, state liquor stores and specialty markets. Find their whole selection at the winery’s tasting and sales room. zorvino.com

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Maple Syrup Berkshire Gold There’s nothing better than real maple syrup for those hardy Christmas morning pancakes. This cute log cabin tin of nature’s golden elixir makes a perfect hostess gift or stocking stuffer. $12.50; (603) 770-4376

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Cranberry Blood Orange Cognac Chutney Wozz Kitchen Creations Perfect for classic holiday entertaining items such as a baked Brie or turkey or ham glaze, this delicious chutney is packed with flavor and a touch of orange and cognac liqueur. $10. Also available online in gift boxed sets. wozzkitchencreations.com

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Fig Jam Laurel Hill Jams & Jellies Jam isn’t just for toast anymore. Use this one in a vinaigrette or with cream cheese and blue cheese spread on a French baguette that’s then broiled.

Master jammer Sue Stretch has been cooking jams and jellies for years in her Bedford home and has garnered awards along the way for her simple but flavorful jarred delights. $5.95; laurelhilljams.com

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FOOD & DRINK

More gift ideas

The foodie on your list will love any of these local items.

Engadiner Nusstorte

L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates

This Swiss specialty is a shortbread dough filled with a soft caramel of honey, walnuts and cranberries. $32; available online at burdickchocolate.com.

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nhmagazine.com | December 2016

2016 Annual Ornament Pitter Patter

by Sussy-Rose Shields

Shop Fine Craft THIS HOLIDAY SEASON FIND THE PERFECT GIFT! Concord • Hanover • Hooksett Littleton • Meredith • Nashua • North Conway Center Sandwich (May-Oct) Black Trumpet Cookbook

Perfect for the chef on your list who wants to spread his or her wings. Find out how award-winning chef Evan Mallett of the Black Trumpet makes many of the complicated dishes on his menu — recipes collected over eight seasons. $40; available on Amazon or through Stock + Spice in Portsmouth, stockandspice.com

Diana Beaulieu

Stephen Falk

Evan Williams & Grace Pejouhy

Gift Certificates are also available!

www.nhcrafts.org

Please use this one if using the logo smaller than 3 inches

Give the Gift of 12 Issues for $14.97

nhmagazine.com

877.494.2036

Fabrizia Crema di Limoncello Fabrizia Spirits of Londonderry makes lemons into limoncello, Vera Limon vodka and now a lemony liqueur with a touch of cream.

Available at most state liquor stores. $18.99; fabriziaspirits.com nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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FOOD & DRINK

Almond Cake

This gluten-free cake made with ground almonds stays fresh for several days. Perfect with coffee or a bit of ice cream. Available at Whole Foods, Monadnock Food Co-op and the store at Mayfair Farm in Harrisville where it is made. $22; mayfairfarmnh.com

NH Commemorative Vodka

Who doesn’t like vodka? This spirit assists many a holiday drink task, including sprucing up eggnog or creating a peppermint schnapps.

Plus the container is a keeper. Available at state liquor stores. $24.99

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Heirloom Popcorn

Stock + Spice, an offshoot of the Black Trumpet in Portsmouth, offers a variety of house-made spice blends, chef tools, cookbooks and this heirloom popcorn from Wake Robin Farm in Stratham. $7.95; stockandspice.com

Salad Bowl Bowls are a perennial favorite item for gifting and perfect for the holiday table. This wooden salad set is a bit larger than usual and can fit enough to feed a crowd. $229.99. Available online from New Hampshire Bowl and Board, newhampshirebowlandboard.com; or the outlet store at 1213 Battle St., Webster, (603) 648-9566

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FOOD & DRINK

Holiday Markets and Craft Fairs

Farmers markets and craft fairs are filled with local gifts from jams and dips to handmade dishes and cookbooks. To find more winter farmers markets, visit nhmagazine.com/winter.

Our online calendar is a great resource for craft fairs around the state. Search for one near you (or add your own fair or other event) at nhmagazine.com/calendar.

Every Wednesday: Peterborough Farmers Market, Peterborough Community Center, 25 Elm St., Peterborough, 3-5 p.m., Facebook Every Saturday: Cole Gardens Winter Farmers Market, Cole Gardens, 430 Loudon Rd., Concord 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., concordwintermarket.com Every Sunday: Salem Winter Farmers Market Mary Fisk School, 14 Main St., Salem 10 a.m.-2 p.m., salemnhfarmersmarket.org December 3, 10 & 17: Seacoast Eat Local Winter Farmers Market, two locations — Dec 3 and 17 at Wentworth Greenhouse, 141 Rollins Rd., Rollinsford; Dec 10 at Exeter High School, 1 Blue Hawk Dr., Exeter, seacoasteatlocal.org December 3: 70th New Castle Village Christmas Fair, New Castle Recreation Building, 301 Wentworth Rd., New Castle, 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

(603) 431-4456

December 3: Danbury Winter Farmers Market, Blazing Star Grange, North Rd., Danbury 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Facebook

December 17: Lebanon Winter Farmers Market Lebanon Senior Center, Lebanon 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., lebanonfarmersmarket.org

December 3-4: 27th Annual Christmas In Strafford, self-guided tour to more than 20 locations in Strafford, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. christmasinstrafford.com

December 17: Inaugural Holiday Shopping Extravaganza, Radisson Hotel, 11 Tara Blvd., Nashua, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

December 3 & 17: Greenland Winter Farmers Market, Rolling Green Nursery, 64 Breakfast Hill Rd., Greenland, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. rollinggreennursery.com/markets-and-events

Other Sources

December 3 & 17: Wolfeboro Area Farmers Market, First Congregational Church, 115 Main St., Wolfeboro, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., wolfeboroareafarmersmarket.com December 3 & 17: Milford Farmers Market Milford Town Hall, 1 Union Sq., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. milfordnhfarmersmarket.com December 10: Holly Jolly Craft Fair, Crowne Plaza Nashua Hotel, 2 Somerset Blvd., Nashua 9 a.m.-3 p.m., joycescraftshows.com December 10: Atkinson Food and Craft Fair Atkinson Community Center, 4 Main St., Atkinson 10 a.m.-2 p.m., awcc-nh.org December 17 & 18: Santa’s Stocking Stuffer Craft Fair, Community Center, North Conway Sat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. joycescraftshows.com

Marketplace New England 7 North Main St., Concord marketplacenewengland Hannah Grimes Marketplace 42 Main St., Keene hannahgrimesmarketplace.com Local Works | WREN 2011 Main St., Bethlehem Local Works Gallery at Bretton Woods 310 Mount Washington Rd., wrenworks.org League of NH Craftsmen Retail galleries located throughout the state nhcrafts.org Robie’s Country Store 9 Riverside St., Hooksett, (603) 485-7761

NH Made Shop online or use their extensive directory. nhmade.com

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nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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FOOD & DRINK

An Oldie but a Goodie

Ultimate Christmas Cookie We first ran this recipe in December 2004 when Master Baker Steve James was the executive pastry chef at The Balsams.

This classic favorite is soft on the inside, yet crispy on the outside.

Once you have made the recipe, you can freeze or refrigerate the dough until you are ready to roll it out.

After the cookies are baked, store in an airtight container and your cookies will keep for several weeks.

For decorating, use a flat icing made simply with powdered sugar and milk or use royal icing.

For more glitz, dust the freshly frosted cookies with edible glitter available at craft stores or dust with super-sized sugar granules before baking.

Yield: About 5 dozen (3-inch) cookies Ingredients 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup butter 3 tablespoons corn syrup 2 large eggs 3/4 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 7 cups cake flour 2 tablespoons baking powder Royal Icing 3 level tablespoons meringue powder 3 1/2 ounces warm water 1 pound confectioner’s sugar 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

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Cream all of the first five ingredients until smooth. Add eggs in two stages, scraping the bowl often.

Add cream and vanilla and mix slightly. Sift the cake four and baking powder and add to the mix. Do not overmix. Just as soon as the mixture comes together, shut the mixer off.

The dough is ready.

sprinkle tops with sugar. If you choose to decorate with icing, leave the sugar off at this point. Bake at 385 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Do not overbake — cookies should be lightly baked.

Chill dough overnight. Roll cookie dough down to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut out shapes using cookie cutters of any shape.

Brush top of cookies lightly with milk and

To decorate cookies, mix 2 cups powdered sugar with a little milk and mix or use the royal icing recipe below. Mixture should be thick. Color as you wish with a few drops of food coloring and put in a piping bag, and decorate after the cookies have cooled.

Combine all ingredients and beat on high speed for about 8 minutes.

Keep covered with a damp cloth while using.

Keeps for several weeks if stored tightly

covered in the refrigerator. When ready to use, bring to room temperature and re-beat.

Tip: You can make confectioner’s sugar by blending granulated sugar in a blender.

courtesy photo

RETAIL

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Inside Out on Market Street is a Christmas one-stop shop. With everything from understated fashion to trendy cocktail accessories, you can put a major dent in your list right here.

It’s all Here

Find a gift for everyone in Portsmouth

BY LISA BROWN

O

ops. It’s somehow already holiday season. The moment when the entire house is inventoried, wine glasses have disappeared, there are no candles, your pie plate is cracked, the linen napkins don’t match, and for some reason, there’s no sugar, flour, baking soda or chips in the pantry. Click your heels, Dorothy; it’s time to go to Portsmouth and shop.

Treehouse Toys is where you’ll find something for the youngsters on your list.

Toddlers love tub toys, and the Lobster in the Tub is adorable. Look for humongous, colorful dump trucks, zip-up dolls and gigantic puzzles, all waiting to be wrapped.

You’ll find all things Breyer for horse lovers (Harper is the horse of the year) and learning kits, such as make-your-own bubble

gum or root beer. Puppets, books, lions and tigers, oh my.

For grandparents who want to dress the kids and trot them to church, Lively Kids fits the bill. This is not a typical children’s clothing store. You’ll find little leather character shoes for toddlers, colorful boots for jumping in puddles, bathrobes (think Prince George), internationally inspired dresses from Tea Collection, leggings and more, including adorable lunch boxes for first grade.

You could have a pity party because you have nothing to wear to holiday parties, or you could go to Meraki, where you’ll find a unique way to make a statement without wearing a tight, sequined dress. This shop caters to the active woman who wants to

go from the yoga studio to the street. One customer was there before heading to the opera. This year it’s all about artful leggings that look like paintings, paired with chic flowing tops, chunky accessories and flats.

Most every item of clothing is under $100.

Whether you’re celebrating the birth of a baby, graduation, a promotion or just want to relax, Federal Cigar is a classic shop/ cigar bar with a century-old feel. This handsome store carries an extensive collection of cigars from around the world. Plus, there’s more. Below the shop is a cigar bar fit for the Ritz, tastefully decorated with smart leather chairs and couches. Low lighting makes it feel like a stately library.

Pinch me. Inside Out is ridiculous — it has a euphoric vibe. This store truly has something for everyone: natty clothing for men, women and toddlers along with handmade leather shoes (for him) and all things UGG (they make more than boots).

The assortment of cocktail accessories featuring recipe kits, vintage flasks, Mason jars, growlers, recipe guides and more will make you dizzy. Check out the vintage Airstream nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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RETAIL

Off Piste on Congress Street is full of quirky items that are both useful and hilarious. You’ll laugh out loud as you browse this entertaining store.

and VW coolers. (Sally Struthers bought one and had it shipped.)

Off Piste has grown over the years, and it is a laugh-out-loud kind of store full of purposeful and playful items. Here is where you can buy for co-workers (the number 2 pencils with cuss words on them are cute). You’ll discover a wide range of fun and funky items, from floating iPhone holders for recharging to a do-it-yourself ukulele kit. The Bailey workbags (cross-carry when biking) are made locally and are in high demand. You’ll find camp items, smart bottle openers and an assortment of retro products.

Sault New England is a must-stop for any man on your list. Now in its second holiday season, this store bustles. Look for leather wallets, bow ties, Patagonia, tees, vests and high-top Converse sneakers. Cool guys hang out here, and gifts abound. They have business-size cards with snarky expressions to hand to people cornering you at a cocktail party as well as “parking tickets” to place on windshields. NH

Surprises and unique gifts await shoppers at Inside Out.

Get There

At Federal Cigar, you can browse in the shop and then head downstairs to the cigar bar.

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Treehouse Toys 143 Market St. (603) 433-8697 treehousetoys.us

Inside Out 46 Market St. (603) 294-9913 insideoutportsmouth.com

Lively Kids 133 Market St. (603) 502-7100 Facebook

Off Piste 37 Congress St. (603) 319-6910 Facebook

Meraki 123 Market St. (978) 933-1225 Facebook

Sault New England 10 Market Sq. (603) 766-9434 saultnewengland.com

Federal Cigar 36 Market St. (603) 436-5363 federalcigar.com

courtesy photos

603 NAVIGATOR

experience portsmouth

GET YOUR Comfort on.

Traveling, working, playing or just living your awesome life - We’ve got the goods. Visit Inside Out for unique gifts, designer jeans, specialty items for your kids, pets and even your back yard. Come on in and get your comfort on!

46 Market Street · Portsmouth, NH · 603.294.9913 insideoutportsmouth.com TheMusicHall.org (603) 436-2400

B2W BOX OFFICE @ THE HISTORIC THEATER: 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, NH LOFT: 131 Congress St., Portsmouth, NH

Tickets & Gift Certificates make great gifts!

Photos: David J. Murray/Clear Eye Photo

nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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603 NAVIGATOR

SCIENCE

A previous Science Café on telemedicine

Making Science Fun The Science Café series is sneaky education

BY GREG LAUDANI

C

ivilized conversations about science are hard to come by; politics almost always ruins them. Expect a screaming match or two if people with differing political opinions start talking about climate change, for instance.

In an effort to flip that script, in 2011, Dan Marcek, a UNH computer science grad who worked 20 years with HP, and Sarah Eck, who earned her PhD from Dartmouth College in 2009 studying breast cancer, decided to bring Science Cafés to New Hampshire to drum up some civil science discussions.

Science Cafés are conversational Q&As held in bars and coffeehouses around the state regarding scientific issues relevant to New Hampshire. The informal events ease the interaction between science, research and the

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general public in casual atmospheres.

“Grabbing a beer and a burger and talking about technical issues is a fun way to spend the evening,” says David Brooks, a Concord Monitor reporter who publicizes (and sometimes emcees) the events. “We want society to be talking about these issues or at least thinking about them from a scientific point of view instead of just from a knee-jerk, screaming political point of view,” he adds.

Intriguing topics have ranged from the Zika virus to heroin to self-driving cars, plus the science of brewing, gene therapy and dozens more. Some of the featured panelists have included state officials, alternative medicine practitioners, farmers, and academics from UNH, UMass Lowell and Dartmouth.

The events are free (yes, free) and are held at The Draft Sports Bar in Concord on the third Tuesday of each month (6-8 p.m.) and Killarney’s Irish Pub in Nashua on the first Wednesday of the month (6-8 p.m.). The series takes a break in the months of December, July and August. If you’re itching to hop into the science fun right now, you can also check out the similar but unrelated Science on Tap series hosted by the See Science Center. These discussions are held on the first Tuesday of each month at Manchester’s Stark Brewing Company (planned through June 2017).

Science Café has no governing body, and anyone can organize his or her own events.

Every month there are hundreds of Science Cafés going on around the country.

“It’s been magnified around the state, and more and more people have started them,” Marcek says. “The success of it is because we are trying to educate ourselves and understand things better. It has proved to be a powerful tool.”

Science Café crowds are mostly made up of middle-aged people with a sprinkling of college students. The latter is a demographic Marcek is keen to attract. For future events, he hopes to widen Science Café’s appeal to more millennials. Extending its reach is critical, he adds, since today’s young adults will soon be the ones confronting the challenges of tomorrow.

“They are the ones who are going to be making decisions about where the world goes, and they need to be well-versed in the facts, not what we hear on the internet,” Marcek says.

While vitriol has dominated countless conversations this election season, fed-up people have begun to turn away from the bickering and are embracing fact-based, low-key and fun Science Cafés to have deeper, more meaningful conversations about prevalent scientific issues. NH Ready to talk science? Visit sciencecafenh.org or see-sciencecenter.org for information and schedules.

photos courtesy of science cafe nh

Science Cafés are informal gatherings, which also happen to be free to attend.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE DECEMBER 2016

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FACES OF

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2016

photography by Kendal J. Bush

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FACES OF

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THE FACE OF heirloom furniture: Adam Nudd-Homeyer tappan chairs The lore of crafting Tappan Chairs has been handed down in Sandwich, New Hampshire for nearly two centuries — since 1819, to be exact. A member of the League of NH Craftsmen, Adam NuddHomeyer is the seventh-generation steward of this tradition. “For me, the most amazing part of this is the sense of being connected to a bigger story — whether that’s using equipment that dates as far back as the 1850s, or using patterns that were in some cases used a century or more ago,” says Nudd-Homeyer. “It makes you feel like there’s a soul in every piece you make. That soul is the spirit of our community, which has kept this business alive for 197 years. I can never thank them enough — and my greatest hope is that in my time, I do right for the next generation.” photography by kendal j. bush

331 Wentworth Hill Road Sandwich, NH 03227 ■ www.tappanchairs.com

THE FACE OF Population Health: Mary Ann Aldrich, RN, MS Dartmouth-Hitchcock Population health means more than caring for our current patients or finding ways to care for those who are not getting care. A new approach to health involves the communities we serve and anticipates our patients’ needs of tomorrow. It gives us the opportunity to think about how we deliver care and how we can improve the conditions in our communities that deeply impact our health. To deliver health effectively — rather than just maintaining health care — we need to reach out in different ways. We need to be in the communities, working with new partners, to reach people in their homes, schools and community centers. We need to help improve the environments where we live, examine what foods are readily accessible, ensure people have safe housing and connections to those who care for them and focus on all the factors that influence our health and wellbeing. Aldrich is passionate about her work promoting population health. “I think it’s very important for DartmouthHitchcock to do more than just take care of people when they’re sick,” she says. “We really need to concentrate on being well, and take the opportunity to test new ways of caring for the people in our communities. I’m proud to be on the forefront of this work.” one medical center, lebanon, NH 03756 www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org

photography by kendal j. bush

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

THE FACEs OF Energy Management: Gus and Bart Fromuth freedom energy logistics, llc Based in Auburn, Freedom Energy Logistics continues to make headlines as innovators in New Hampshire’s energy market. Pioneering the “Direct-to-Grid” movement, they have brought numerous clients to source wholesale energy direct from the ISO NE Pool or via similarly innovative solutions. Many of New England’s largest commercial and industrial consumers of electricity and natural gas rely on Freedom Energy Logistics for their consulting and procurement strategies.

From small corner stores securing fixed energy rates to large manufacturers on selfsupply, the clients of Freedom Energy Logistics depend on their expertise, experience and buying power. In this highly volatile and commoditized industry, the Freedom Energy Logistics team takes pride in educating their clients and reducing utility overhead.

5 Dartmouth Drive, Auburn, NH 03101 ■ www.felpower.com

photography by Matthew lomanno

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

THE FACE OF Non-Surgical Aesthetics: Dr. Lisa Vuich Renew MediSpa Dr. Lisa Vuich, owner of Renew MediSpa in Windham, brings to New Hampshire over a decade of experience in advanced nonsurgical aesthetics. An expert injector of neurotoxins and dermal fillers, she is also a leader in the field of platelet rich plasma (PRP) procedures. Renew MediSpa is the only site in the state offering Thermi-O, a combination of radiofrequency treatment and PRP injection for women with postmenopausal sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Dr. Vuich is board certified by the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine and was recently accepted into a Master Class program in England. There she will further expand her skills in PRP and add thread lifting, another leading edge aesthetic procedure, to her vast array of medical spa services.

29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, NH 03087 â– www.renewmedispa.com photography by Jason Sliviak

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

THE FACES OF Kitchen & Bath Design: Nina Hackel Dream Kitchens It is easy to understand why DREAM KITCHENS has won over 200 awards for kitchen and bath remodeling. Their kitchen and bath remodels are completely customized to the client and are a true design experience. Their designers are constantly keeping an eye out for new and interesting ways to store things so that countertops are completely clear, and they guarantee that your kitchen and bath will have at least 30% more storage. The design team works closely with you and will present you with at least three different options. After each design concept is discussed, you will choose the aspects you love from each one, and from there your design will take shape. The next step is to think of how to personalize your new space. At Dream Kitchens, they know how important it is that your newly designed space reflects your personality. When the project is completed, you will enjoy a beautiful kitchen and bath that has been customized for efficient storage and which reflects your personal taste.

The Dream Kitchens team aims to provide you with a great remodel experience and results you can be proud of.

139 Daniel Webster highway, nashua, NH 03060 â– www.adreamkitchen.com photography by Matthew lomanno

THE FACE OF legal wisdom: jack middleton mclane middleton For more than 60 years, Jack Middleton has been a fixture in the New Hampshire legal industry. As a trial lawyer, he was involved in some of the state’s most high profile cases, including the “Live Free or Die” license plate case. Today, Jack serves as president of McLane Middleton, which he joined back in 1956. At the time, he was just the tenth attorney at the firm – now, with 100 attorneys in five locations throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts, it’s the largest firm in New Hampshire. Still an active presence in the firm and community, Jack serves as chair of the board of directors for the New Hampshire Bar Foundation and also spends his time mentoring young lawyers with the wisdom he has acquired during his 60 years of service. multiple locations www.mclane.com

photography by Matthew lomanno

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

THE FACE OF fleet management: Ken Kauppila Merchants Fleet Management For more than 50 years, Merchants has been providing leasing and management services to commercial fleets. They manage more than 40,000 vehicles across the country, which generate billions of rows of data. To allow customers the ability to manage the total cost of ownership of their fleets, Merchants created TotalView. TotalView gives Merchants’ clients a state-of-the-art, intuitive, userfriendly platform they can access from any device. It allows them to easily track diagnostics, fuel spending, driver data, and workforce productivity by harnessing the power of “big data,” turning billions of rows of data into actionable information. Ken Kauppila, CIO, leads the technology transformation at Merchants and was recently named a finalist in the Boston CIO of the Year Awards by the Boston CIO Leadership Association.

1278 Hooksett Rd, Hooksett, NH 03106 WWW.merchantsfleetmanagement.com

photography by Kendal J. Bush

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

THE FACE OF Next Generation Leadership: Emshika Alberini As the founder of Chang Thai Café, M-ZO Tea & Co and Chaiwan Enterprise, LLC, Littleton entrepreneur Emshika Alberini is constantly moving forward. After relocating to the US in the early 2000s and earning a master’s degree in organizational management, she spent a few years working in the corporate world before moving to Littleton in 2008 to open her award-winning Chang Thai Café. A number of other honors soon followed, including the presentation by Gov. Maggie Hassan of the Most Intriguing Woman Business Leader award at the Business NH Magazine Ultimate Biz Bash 2016. Emshika also founded real estate holdings company, Chaiwan Enterprise, and purchased a building on Littleton’s Main Street that houses a number of other local businesses as well. Additionally, she hosts “Emshika’s Kitchen,” a cooking show that airs on WBIN-TV in Boston. Not done yet, in 2017 Emshika plans to launch her own line of food and beverages.

Additionally, she is a corporate consultant for a multi-billion dollar food manufacturing company and is working with new startup tech company in New York, 30 Seconds To Fly, which offers artificial intelligence travel management. www.emshika.com

photography by Kendal J. Bush

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

THE FACE OF custom rf and microwave innovations: Wendy tirollo TRM Microwave Wendy Tirollo, Owner/CEO of TRM Microwave, has advanced her woman-owned small business to be the premier supplier of choice in the niche world of microwave technology for defense, aerospace and commercial applications. Founded in 1970 by Tony Tirollo, TRM Microwave has evolved into a global innovator for sophisticated, custom-engineered passive component and subsystem solutions for top prime defense contractors such as Raytheon and BAE. Since Tony’s unfortunate passing in May 2016, Wendy has continued the legacy of success, expansion and growth. “TRM’s focus is on listening to our customers and cultivating long-lasting partnerships with them,” she says. “We have a passion for solving challenges and creating end-solutions that go beyond their original idea to completely transcend their expectations. It’s what we thrive on.”

280 So. River Road, bedford, NH 03110 ■ www.trmmicrowave.com photography by John w. hession

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

THE FACEs OF water treatment: christine fletcher secondwind water systems. inc.

The safety of our drinking water is of increasing concern in the region and across the country. Secondwind Water Systems, with its A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, has almost 30 years of experience in treating the region’s top water health issues including arsenic, radon, bacteria and emerging contaminants such as PFOA. Seventy percent of New Hampshire’s Water Quality Association-certified water specialists work for Secondwind Water. They treat the area’s most common water problems such as hard water, staining and odor, bad taste, fluoride and so much more. Secondwind Water also specializes in commercial applications, serving hospitals, surgical centers, breweries and manufacturing plants as well as public water systems. Personalized, reputable service ensures clean, safe, great-tasting water for your home or business.

735 east industrial drive, manchester, NH 03109 ■ www.secondwindwater.com photography by Kendal J. Bush

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

THE FACEs OF orthodontics: Dr. William Mehan & Dr. Paul Johnson III mehan and johnson orthodontics Since opening his orthodontic practice in 1977, Dr. William Mehan has been a fixture of the southern New Hampshire dental community, saying that, “It’s an honor and privilege to have helped so many people achieve healthy and beautiful smiles.” Dr. Paul Johnson III joined the Manchester orthodontic practice in April 2013, bringing with him a drive for excellence, beautiful smiles and happy patients. Known for his affable, down-to-earth southern nature and gentle care, Dr. Johnson’s “greatest pride is becoming part of a great family in and out of the office, with wonderful patients, friends and colleagues in the Greater Manchester community.” Dr. Johnson is currently serving as president of the Greater Manchester Dental Society and president of the New Hampshire Association of Orthodontists.

113 Mammoth Road, Manchester, NH 03109 WWW.nhorthodontics.COM

photography by matthew lomano

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

THE FACEs OF Scientific Environmental Solutions: PAM HALL, CEO Normandeau Associates, Inc. Normandeau Associates, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest science-based environmental consulting firms with more than 250 employees located in 19 offices and 13 states. Normandeau’s professional staff includes leading experts in natural resources, fisheries, wildlife, and habitats.

Since 1971, Normandeau has served the public and private sectors, earning a reputation for practicing sound science and designing innovative solutions that are valued by clients and respected by the regulatory and scientific communities. Normandeau develops cutting-edge scientific tools and technology, resulting in cost-effective ways to address fishery, wildlife, wetland, water quality, marine and endangered species issues.

An employee-owned company, Normandeau staff takes pride in working closely with clients, regulators, and stakeholders to seek solutions that achieve and enhance project goals, meet regulatory requirements, protect and restore natural resources, and help improve communities.

25 Nashua Road, bedford, NH 03110 ■ WWW.normandeau.com photography by kendal j. bush

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

THE FACE OF Custom Kitchens: Linda Cloutier Linda Cloutier Kitchens & Baths With over 30 years of experience, designer Linda Cloutier offers her clients a wealth of knowledge and skill when it comes to creating a dream kitchen or bath. Linda is passionate about individually working with homeowners to help them find a unique solution for every project. As she says, “A designer has to possess the patience and tenacity to ensure no two projects are alike.” Design has always been her calling – 20 years ago she moved to the Seacoast and founded Lifestyles Kitchens and Baths. After taking time to raise her daughter, she then founded Linda Cloutier Kitchens & Baths in Greenland. Her excellent and thoughtful work has even captured the attention of “This Old House,” which will open its 36th season with the renovation of a Victorian-era home that dates back to 1895.

Linda has joined the team that will work to capture the house’s history while making it more functional and family-friendly.

611 Breakfast Hill Road, greenland, NH 03840 WWw.lindacloutier.com

photography by John w. hession

FACES OF

NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016

THE FACEs OF DIAMONDS: Michelle DeMaio and the new Nashua team LONG’s jewelers Long’s Jewelers is officially back in New Hampshire! And when it comes to diamonds, Long’s is the destination in Nashua.

With an impressive 135-year history in New England, Long’s has earned its reputation for being the best diamond jeweler in the area. Each and every diamond from Long’s is carefully hand-selected for quality and beauty. Long’s believes that every important milestone in life should be celebrated with a stunning diamond. Whether you’re looking for engagement or wedding rings, anniversary rings or diamond jewelry, shopping at Long’s means you’re guaranteed to get the highest quality diamonds and the best value. Visit the new Long’s Nashua store, right at 323 Daniel Webster Highway, to see the largest selection of diamonds in the area and meet with an experienced diamond specialist!

323 daniel webster highway, nashua, NH 03060 ■ www.longsjewelers.com photography by kendal j. bush

603 Informer

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.” — Og Mandino

Light the Way

The darkest night of the year Christmas lights are beautiful, yes, but they’re also our way of pushing back against the darkness and offering hope that light will once again return to the world. The winter solstice, which falls on December 21 in 2016, is the longest night of the year. Our cheery holiday lights are intertwined with the ancient, global tradition of celebrating the return of the sun. Want to recognize the solstice the (really, really) old-fashioned way? America’s Stonehenge in Salem is open from sunrise to sunset on December 21. You can learn more at stonehengeusa.com.

Pictured is a barn in Francestown.

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Photo by Jim Salge

Q&A 52 Outsider 54 Politics 56 Artisan 57 Blips 58 Review 59 Scene 60 First Person 62

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Q&A

is married and has a 4-year-old daughter.

She holds a master’s degree and worked as a clinician with children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. She is well aware of the trailblazer moniker politicians and media will pin on her, and she has already heard from some of the naysayers who believe her pursuit is an affront to all combat arms professionals.

Her graduation took place on October 26 and was closed to the media to curtail the kind of ugly social media vitriol that plagued the coronation of three female Rangers in 2015. The day before, Simpson spoke with us about the life-altering decision she made three years ago and where she hopes it will lead her.

Second lieutenant Katrina Simpson with her daughter

Standard Bearer Breaking military ground

BY GREG HEILSHORN

S

econd lieutenant Katrina Simpson of Londonderry made history this fall when she became the first woman in the National Guard to graduate from the US Army infantry officer basic course at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Simpson was one of 10 female lieutenants in a class of 166 to qualify as an infantry officer, earning the coveted infantry blue shoulder cord after completing the intensive, 17-week combat leadership school. It was

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the first class to include female officers since Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced late last year that all military occupations, including combat positions, would be open to women. Assigned as a platoon leader to the New Hampshire Army National Guard’s Milford-based mountain infantry company, Simpson returns to Fort Benning in January for the pre-selection phase of Ranger School.

At 28, she is older and more established than most of her military peers. Simpson

What made you decide to join the Army when you were already well on your way in life?

My dad is a retired Navy warrant officer, so I always had wanted to be in the military.

I played around with the idea in college — I talked to a lot of different recruiters.

I considered going enlisted, considered going the officer route and then I kind of gave up on the idea. I settled down with my husband, started a family and finished grad school. I started working as a professional, and then one day I was just kind of thinking I wasn’t satisfied. So I started looking at other options, and I don’t remember how I stumbled upon it, but the National Guard page popped up [on the web], and there was the recruiter’s information for my area.

I shot her an email and she responded instantly. Two weeks later, I went to get my physical, and two weeks after that I was at basic training.

You were 25 when you went to basic training?

Yes. And then back to the New Hampshire Army National Guard and officer candidate school.

I was considering branching to medical or personnel, but as I went through officer school, I started leaning toward the idea of wanting more out of my training. I wanted to be more hands-on. I’ve had a few really great mentors along the way who encouraged me to go into combat arms. I was originally going to go with field artillery because there was an opening in the state, but then infantry opened up.

photo by mike daigle

Q&A

I want my daughter to know that, when she is deciding what she wants to do when she grows up, there are no limits and she can be whatever she wants to be.

So you went for it?

I did. I did go for it.

How did your husband feel about it?

He wasn’t a huge fan of me joining the military in the first place, but he’s come around.

He knows me well enough to realize that once I get an idea in my head, I’m probably not going to let go of it until I’ve given it my best shot. When I told him I wanted to go infantry, he was kind of like, “Yeah, I knew this was coming.” He’s been really supportive. He’s been a single dad for the last five months. He’s just an absolute rock star. He has a high-stress job as well. He’s a probation officer in Nashua, so he’s got a lot on his plate right now.

Have your classmates at Fort Benning been supportive?

I haven’t had any issues, honestly. We are broken down into squads. I’m the only female in my squad. We’re the weapons squad, so we get to carry a lot of heavy equipment. I’m really close with the guys.

We jibe really well. We trust each other. We depend on each other.

I imagine you’ve heard your share of opinions since you’ve been down there?

603 INFORMER

Katrina Simpson receives her second lieutenant shoulder boards from her husband, Mike Simpson, and father, retired Chief Warrant Officer 2 Cornelius James Ware, during a commissioning ceremony Sept. 11, 2015, at the Statehouse in Concord.

I’ve met captains down here in the captains’ career course who have Ranger tabs who will say, “Yeah, but I got my Ranger tab before they lowered the standards to let females through.” You’ll hear comments like that or classes ahead of us, and they’ll say, “we’re the last class before they changed the standards.”

But have they really changed the standards?

No. The standards are still the same.

Do the comments bother you?

It is what it is. I sort of expected it. At the same time, there are still a lot of males who don’t pass the standard.

Was there any part of the infantry course that was especially tough?

The hardest part for me was the academic component. I’m not a good test taker, and I don’t love the way the Army teaches new information: “We’re going to give you this class for an hour, then we’re going to give you this study guide, and tomorrow we’re going to take a test on it.” That’s always been a struggle for me. I prefer the field exercises.

I’ve tried to get used to it over the last three years. Every time, I think it will be a little easier. But I do OK. To be fair, I’ve had cadre who are excellent, and then others who are strictly by the PowerPoint.

What’s motivating you?

That’s a question everyone has been asking me. There are a lot of factors, but there are really three, and these aren’t in any particular order of importance. I want my daughter

to know that, when she is deciding what she wants to do when she grows up, there are no limits and she can be whatever she wants to be. I feel that’s an important reason when I take a step back and realize what I’m doing here in I-BOLC [infantry basic officer leadership course] and how important it is to other women who want go down the same path. Reason number two is that I just enjoy a challenge. I like anything that is physically demanding, mentally demanding, tactically and academically demanding. Lastly, my goal as a professional is to work with combat vets, soldiers with combat-related PTSD. To me, it’s really important to understand where that PTSD comes from and to have that first-hand experience. That’s the population I want to work with.

What’s your advice for those other women who want to follow in your footsteps?

You won’t know until you try. The idea does sound scary to a lot of people. What was surprising to me were the comments written about Capt. Kristen Griest [one of the first females to graduate from Ranger School].

I had been reading about her for a long time, and the things people said [on social media] about females being in the infantry were horrible, but at the end of the day these people are sitting behind their computer screens. You know, they’re not actually out in the world. So far, I haven’t seen any of those people. Since I’ve gotten here, I’ve felt supported. I haven’t encountered any of those people and, really, they’re not even in the back of my mind anymore. NH nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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OUTSIDER

Guided tours, like this one at Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, is a good way to get acquainted with snowshoeing.

Left: You don’t need a lot of gear to hit the snowshoe trails.

Snowshoe to Views Recommended scenic trails for all abilities

BY MARTY BASCH

A

snowshoe trek can be a magical way to explore winter’s striking scenery.

When snow falls, familiar backyards, parks and mountain trails are transformed into an exotic world of sparkling white.

“Enthusiasm for snowshoeing just keeps growing as people learn how much fun it is to get out and explore the winter woods,” says Appalachian Mountain Club spokesman Rob Burbank.

Snowshoeing, which allows travel on snow without sinking, is a relatively simple pursuit that’s been around for thousands of years. It’s fun, easy and fairly inexpensive — and it’s a good way to burn calories and enjoy nature.

With minimal equipment, it’s possible to be out enjoying the quiet of the woods while getting a good workout. Whether climb-

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ing a mountain or enjoying a mostly level excursion to the frozen shores of a pond, snowshoers quickly learn they’re rarely alone — crisscrossing tracks left behind by a wealth of four-legged creatures are evidence of other winter walkers in the woods.

Though the wooden snowshoes of yesterday are often relegated to a decoration over a roaring alpine fireplace, they are tried and true. But modern snowshoes are generally made of aluminum or composite. They come with adjustable bindings, with many styles allowing for pivoting near the front of the feet. Crampons, or cleats, underneath give greater grip, which are particularly helpful in crusty and icy situations.

“Because of the flotation they provide, snowshoes are a big help when following an-

imal tracks in the snow,” says Burbank. “And, because of the narrower design of some of the newer models, you no longer have to walk like a duck to get around on snowshoes.”

Many snowshoers like to use poles for balance while out on the trails. If you have a ski or adjustable hiking poles, you have a snowshoe pole. As for footwear, hiking boots work. Being waterproof and insulated is a plus. Wearing breathable layers with a windproof shell is a good idea, remembering that you’ll warm up as you go. Don’t forget a hat, gloves, pack, food, water, and navigational and emergency items.

Taking the first steps on your own is fine.

But some like paying for a trail pass at a cross-country ski center with packed-down, well-signed, snowshoe-only trails. You can also rent gear, pepper staff with questions, take a tour, and rest assured you’re not that far from a cup of hot chocolate.

As Jackson Ski Touring Foundation Executive Director Breanne Torrey says about the foundation’s 45 kilometers of designated snowshoe trails for all fitness levels and abilities, “We have everything you need.”

So, where should you go?

In the White Mountains, Mount Willard in Crawford Notch is a half-day excursion serving up a bird’s-eye look at the U-shaped valley below, which was carved by glaciers

Guides and camps skinh.com Snowshoe at a New Hampshire XC center outdoors.org Appalachian Mountain Club website nhstateparks.org Find a state park to snowshoe.

photos courtesy of skinh/gunstock, jackson ski touring foundation

603 INFORMER

OUTSIDER

long ago. The 3.2-mile round-trip hike from the Route 302 trailhead uses the Avalon and Mount Willard trails with largely gentle to moderate grades. Burst out from the shelter of the forest to the peak’s wide ledges for an incredible look at the slithering roadway and jagged mountains.

Lonesome Lake is a little treasure in Franconia Notch State Park. From its frozen shores tucked below North and South Kinsman mountains, peer across to the jagged Franconia Range on the horizon. For those looking for an overnight adventure, the trek can be augmented with a stay at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Lonesome Lake hut.

Day-trippers can also stop in to warm up.

Altogether it’s a little more than 3 miles along the Lonesome Lake, Cascade Brook and Fishin’ Jimmy trails.

Just outside Lincoln on the Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) is the wonderfully benign Lincoln Woods Trail. In the White Mountain National Forest, the wide trail that was once part of a logging railroad follows the rock-strewn waters of the east branch of the Pemigewasset River about 3 miles to the edge of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. This

is one of those outings where you can set your own distance since there are numerous viewpoints. It’s also fun to cross a long suspension bridge over the river.

If there ever was a place to fall in love with a beautiful New Hampshire winter, it’s along the Old Bridle Path in Holderness.

Located off Route 113, it goes up West Rattlesnake for a jaw-dropping shot of Squam Lake with all its nooks and crannies. The relatively easy Lakes Region family-friendly mile leads to a horizon that also includes Lake Winnipesaukee and peaks in the Belknap and Squam ranges.

The 10,000 undulating acres of Bear Brook State Park southeast of Concord in Allenstown have a wealth of snowshoeing options and are a popular destination for cross-country skiers and snowmobilers. Be sure to pick up a trail map for this one, as there are many twists and turns. Snowshoe to Hayes Marsh using the Little Bear and Hayes Farm trails, or trek to the top of 700-plus-foot Catamount Hill on the One Mile and Catamount trails.

Southwest New Hampshire’s Mount Monadnock is a beacon for winter walkers.

603 INFORMER Snowshoeing up the 3,165-foot peak is a serious undertaking as summit ice and exposure can sour a day fairly quickly. That said, the views are stunning and, on clear days, you can see neighboring states. In Jaffrey’s Monadnock State Park, the White Dot Trail is the most direct way to the top, while White Cross Trail is a less taxing option. Get the latest weather forecast before heading up.

Holt’s Ledge in Lyme is an excellent perch for views to Upper Valley-area mountains in New Hampshire and Vermont. The undemanding snowshoe along the Appalachian Trail to a side path leaves from the Dartmouth Skiway parking lot and heads through the northern hardwoods to the cliffs, which happen to be a nesting area for peregrine falcons.

Prefer a tour or workshop? The AMC’s Highland Center and Joe Dodge Lodge in Pinkham Notch are fine launching points into snowshoeing. So are XC centers like Jackson, Bear Notch in Bartlett, Bretton Woods, Great Glen Trails and Gunstock in Gilford.

So strap in and snowshoe. NH

TRAIL WILL.

Explore New England’s wild places with Will Lange.

WEDNESDAYS 7:30 PM

ONLINE NHPTV.ORG

nhmagazine.com | December 2016

55

POLITICS

illustration by peter noonan

603 INFORMER

Tribal Summit Use this holiday to bridge some political divides

BY JAMES PINDELL

O

ne reason this presidential election year was particularly nasty is that we really don’t have a national conversation anymore. It’s more like a national argument consisting mostly of buzzwords and snarky phrases.

It is not just that we have become more politically polarized between left and right — we’ve separated ourselves into numerous tribes. We typically live, work, play and shop with people who (broadly) make as much money as we do, have the same education level, are of the same race and age, and vote the same way. As tribal members, we root for the tribe and accept its prevailing worldview.

Our news consumption habits are even more selective. We no longer seek news to tell us what is going on, but to confirm what we already think is happening. Some say this has led the country to a very dangerous place.

Where, before, people of different backgrounds might look at the same facts and disagree about what to do next, now people from different parts of the town, state or country disagree on the fundamental facts for the most basic questions.

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For example, the question of whether the economy is in good shape should be a rather simple one to answer. There are all kinds of data on employment rates, business activity and housing prices. Those not into boring spreadsheets can simply look around and see if there are boarded-up storefronts.

But even the basic status of the economy could not be agreed upon in this election.

People in both parties questioned the statistics that showed the economy was generally getting better. Democrats said that unemployment numbers didn’t tell the whole story, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump questioned whether the numbers used were rigged.

All of this brings us to an important value of the holiday season. Families separated by many miles reunite to catch up, cook and celebrate. They also might deal with a lot of awkwardness when talk turns to current events and the political tribes begin to wave their ideological banners.

Political scientists such as Francis Fukuyama point out that “family” is the original tribe. Politics and governments originally

formed out of family relations, which then extended to neighbors. Why democracies formed in some places (like the West) and more authoritarian governments in others (like the Middle East) had much to do with whether powerful and successful families could engage in civil conversations and concern themselves with other families to find solutions for the larger good.

But, in 2016, we find ourselves in an almost entirely different situation. Siblings, parents and cousins may all live in different parts of the country, live at different income levels and identify with differing political or ideological views. When families get together, it can be the one chance to engage meaningfully with members of other tribes.

After an election season where all of us — not just candidates — often talked past each other on Facebook and in person, we owe it to ourselves and each other to take time to reconnect as human beings.

Defining ourselves by political tribes hasn’t worked so well for the country. Maybe it is time we define ourselves in a different way.

Maybe it should start this holiday season. NH

603 INFORMER

ARTISAN

Mitten Mashup Upcycled sweaters are repurposed for hands

BY SUSAN LAUGHLIN

photo by susan laughlin

B

aby, it’s cold outside — and Joyce Murphy-Gale of Sunapee has the cure. Her handmade mittens are a combination of vintage sweaters for style and modern fleece for warmth.

Murphy-Gale designs the mittens, each a unique creation, from her “mountain” of materials on hand, including yard sale and thrift shop finds. Seems sweater sleeves make a nice cuff for the mittens, while the thumb piece and finger pockets are built with contrasting but coordinated knitwear.

Occasionally, the underside of the left and right mitten use reversed materials to further that mixed-and-matched look.

Additional adornments include vintage buttons and maybe even the zipper from the previous incarnation of the now upcycled sweater.

The look is fun, each is different, and, as Gale says, they’re “made especially for ewe.”

Sizes for adults vary, so it’s best to try them on. Find them at the League of NH Craftsmen retail shops in Nashua, Littleton,

the Hooksett Welcome Center-North, North Conway, Concord, Meredith and Hanover.

Also find them in December only at the Library Arts Center, Newport. $58 NH

Find It

Unique Ewe Joyce Murphy-Gale (603) 496-4470 Facebook nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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IN THE X X NEWS X

Blips Monitoring appearances of the 603 on the media radar since 2006

Everything’s Jake

Perhaps growing up in such a culturally rich community as Peterborough had an influence on the young musician?

“I can’t say I went to the [Peterborough] Players or MacDowell [Colony],” he says.

“But I remember when the huge playground on Adams was redone. I think I was 10 or 11 at the time, so that was a huge deal!”

His family moved to Gilmanton just before he started high school (at Bishop Brady in Concord), and one summer he played guitar in his first band as a student at the St. Paul’s School Advanced Studies Program.

He does credit another New Hampshire influence on his career, however. “My grandmother, Lee Monaco, taught me how

NH Against Evil

Granite Storage Willard’s Mill, NH, may not appear on any state maps, but if the producers of “Stan Against Evil” succeed, it may become a regular destination for TV viewers. The campy new horror series on IFC set in that fictional town stars John C. McGinley (of “Scrubs” fame).

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Jon Hamm and Jake Monaco at the premiere of Fox’s “Keeping Up With the Joneses”

Not sure where to put all the new things you got for Christmas?

Here’s a little perspective. According to a selfstorage.com press release, NH’s land mass would make it the 146th largest country. Of the nations that could fit within it, Djibouti is the best match and would still leave 349 square miles to pack away your stuff.

courtesy photos

Jake Monaco’s name may never be as famous as the movies he has helped score (such as “Frozen” and the “Hangover” trilogy), but he’s happy to report that 2016 has been a banner year for him as a composer for film and TV. His music was featured in October action comedy “Keeping Up With the Joneses,” starring Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher and Zack Galifianakis. On the small screen, he’s currently scoring season one of the new Netflix show “Dinotrux,” Warner Bros.

Animation’s “Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!” and Disney’s new “As Told By Emoji” series.

Not bad for a kid who spent his formative years playing Magic the Gathering at a Main Street comic book shop in Peterborough.

to dance the tango when I was very young,” he recalls. “I couldn’t do it for the life of me now, but there was the musical influence there!” His grandmother still lives in Hanover, Monaco reports, and he was there in September to celebrate her 90th birthday.

The eclectic mix of scores he produced is explained to a degree by his admiration for the frequently (13 times) Oscar-nominated film composer Thomas Newman, who wrote the music for movies ranging from “Wall-E” to “The Shawshank Redemption” to “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

To complement his own scores, Monaco collects handmade instruments, toy ukes and cigar box violins that he finds in flea markets to add just the right sounds. He’s even invented his own bespoke instruments, like his Ketel Bells — a rack of Ketel One Vodka bottles each holding a different volume of water to create perfect tones when tapped.

“Took me a few months to make them,” he says, “as I really don’t like to waste.”

Nowadays, when he’s not working, Monaco says he mostly listens to the classics: “‘Sesame Street,’ ‘Baby Signing Time,’ The Muppets and countless Disney songs,” he says. “I have a 2-and-a-half-year-old.”

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YOU’RE WELCOME

Great Gifts for the Ve ry La st Mi nu te Yeah, you shou

ld have started earlier, but we’re here to help with some “can’t miss” books and records to complete your list.

BY RICK BROUSSARD

L

ocally sourced mutton or eggs are cool, so why not locally source your books and CDs? It’s an easy way to show the world how “hip” and “sustainable” you are. The following products have all been given the official New Hampshire Magazine seal of approval for gift-giving. And if nothing here is just right, how about a subscription to New Hampshire Magazine? It’s about as locally sourced as you can get, and it’s printed by the local heroes at Cummings Printing in Hooksett.

MUSIC THE CONNECTION Locally produced Christmas music tends to be mellow, Celtic-inspired and sentimental, but a band like Portsmouth’s The Connection really knows how to rock around the Christmas tree. This album, appropriately titled “A Christmas Gift For,” was recorded in 2014 but is still the most hook-filled and spirited set of holiday tunes to emerge from the Granite State. A special pressing on colored vinyl (red or green, natch) will be available on Black Friday exclusively at Record Store Day-supporting stores. Meanwhile, you can download it from the-connection.bandcamp.com for a mere $10.

PRO TIP FOR PROCRASTINATORS YOUR FAVORITE OLD, POSSIBLY WEIRD CHRISTMAS ALBUM If you already have one, cool. That makes it easy. Next time you need to be holiday-thoughtful on the cheap, like for an office mate or hostess gift, just pick up a copy.

You barely need to wrap it. Let the recipient know how meaningful that particular album has been to you and they will appreciate your thoughtfulness and good taste. If you don’t have a favorite yet, no worries. Any decent music store that handles used or out-of-print stuff will have a fabulous seasonal array for you to sift and find your “favorite.”

Editor Rick Broussard (a seasoned procrastinator) tested this theory at Concord’s Pitchfork Records and in 10 minutes came up with these three great finds. Total cost for three perfect last-minute gifts: $23.96

BOOKS “THE ABOVE-AVERAGE ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS HERRIMAN” Ken Sheldon has been spinning out imaginary worlds of one sort or another for as long as we’ve known him (or his alter ego, Fred Marple — see “Last Laugh,” page 112), so it was no surprise to see him channel his inner adolescent in this page-turning, middle-grade novel about a kid who finds a magic costume trunk. Don’t let the recommended age range fool you.

Our editor stayed up late reading just to find out what happens. Harmon House, $6.99

“BLOOD: STORIES” Matthew Cheney is currently crafting his PhD dissertation at the University of New Hampshire, but his literary works are found in venues ranging from the pulpish (Weird Tales) to the erudite (The Los Angeles Review of Books) and in a fascinating online magazine he co-creates called The Revelator.

This collection reprints work originally published elsewhere, and includes four new stories that travel from contemporary New Hampshire to historical Prague to might-have-been Mexico to a future world where no reality stays real for long. Black Lawrence Press, $18.95

“LIVE FREE OR RIDE” The latest volume of the popular NH Pulp Fiction series is sure to please anyone who loves cowboys, aliens, short fiction and/or Concord Coaches. Once again, the stories come from a variety of writers, new and well-known, but unlike previous editions in the series, these sharp-shooting stories are not all actually set in NH (conveniently, for the Western genre) but all involve the famous ride that helped tame (and populate) the frontier. Plaidswede Publishing, $19.95 nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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Out and About Snapshots from some recent events of note

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9/29

Nashua Liquor & Wine Outlet Grand Opening The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) held a grand opening celebration for its new flagship Nashua NH Liquor & Wine Outlet at 294 Daniel Webster Hwy. At 33,000 square feet, the new store is the largest liquor store in northern New England, featuring more than 7,000 varieties of wines and spirits.

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1 Wine industry icon Michael Mondavi traveled to New Hampshire to take part in a grand opening celebration. 2 NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica 3 Kathleen DiBenedetto of Beam Suntory

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10/13-10/16

The New Hampshire Film Festival This annual festival presents the best in recent independent cinema from the region, nation and world. Films were shown at various venues in Portsmouth including The Music Hall, 3S Artspace, the Discover Portsmouth Center, the Moffat-Ladd house and more. The festival also featured, parties, panels, awards presentations and the closing ceremonies on October 16.

1 Chelsea McLeod and Joan Goshgarian receive the Van McLeod Award 2 Dignitaries pose in front of the festival’s step and repeat 3 From left:

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photos by susan laughlin

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Carrie Forbes, Nicole Gregg, Tom Bergeron, Josh Meyers, Dan Hannon and Amber Day 4 Nancy Vawter, Valerie Cunningham and Brian Vawter, producers of the documentary “Shadows Fall North”

photos by kathie fife

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photos courtesy of new hampshire humanities

9/22

New Hampshire Humanities 27th Annual Dinner This year’s dinner, featuring Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winner Annette Gordon-Reed, was held at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester. Reed, a legal scholar and historian, is the author of “The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family” and “Most Blessed of the Patriarchs’: Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination.”

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courtesy photos

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1 Keynote speaker Annette Gordon-Reed 2 New Hampshire Humanities Chair Stephen P. Barba calls the crowd to attention using the xylophone once used at The Balsams Resort to call guests to dinner.

3 The crowd listening to Gordon-Reed

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10/19

103rd BIA Annual Dinner The annual Business and Industry Association dinner was held at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester. The dinner and reception, presented by Eversource, is the BIA’s premier event, drawing 700 business, and political and opinion leaders from around New Hampshire.

1 From left: Sherwin Parkhurst of Bank of America Merrill Lynch; Mary McKay of Bigelow & Company; and Jeremey Veilleux of Baker Newman Noyes

2 BIA President Jim Roche (right) congratulates Tom Rath for his Lifetime Achievement Award. 3 Former White Mountains Attractions Association President Dick Hamilton receives his Lifetime Achievement Award.

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FIRST PERSON

Rabbi Jonathan Spira-Savett of Temple Beth Abraham in Nashua holds the menorah that he purchased as a college student in Jerusalem.

Lights in the Window Holiday symbols help cement and share identity

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hen you’re 6 years old and Jewish in Minnesota, you start “negotiating your identity” long before you know what any of those words mean — and you’re going to need some serious tools for the task. Mrs. Nussbaum made sure I had one: a Judah Maccabee wood-spoon puppet.

Judah Maccabee is, for a 6-year-old, the hero in the story of Chanuka. He led a Jewish army to drive the forces of Antiochus (Jewish kids have to learn some pretty complicated bad-guy names) out of Jerusalem.

Antiochus had taken over the Holy Temple and installed an idol. No Judah — no miracle of a small cruse of olive oil keeping sacred lamps alight for eight days.

Understand that young Jewish kids outside of New York City or Jerusalem

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are swimming upstream, and not just in the Christmas season. For example, Mrs. Nussbaum had us make a lot of things. For Pesach (Passover), we cut out and colored pictures of the Nile River, somehow indicating that Jewish baby boys were being thrown there to die. Even though even today I sometimes misspell “pharaoh,” we could say it just fine. We were years away from learning about Hitler.

Mrs. Nussbaum liked puppets. When we were going to act out the story of Abraham and Isaac, I, future rabbi, asked to be God. She hesitated for a long second and then said yes, but I would have to be under a table when we performed. As Robin Williams might have said, “Phenomenal cosmic powers ... itty bitty living space!” Who cares?

For a week at home, I preened, I was God.

I came in with the paper-bag God puppet I made — an old man with a beard. Even under the table, that was a good deal.

But here’s the point: Playing God was fantasy. Babies in the Nile was either a horror story or a fairy tale. The Judah Maccabee wooden-spoon felt puppet was the sweet spot — the genius of Mrs. Nussbaum.

Wood-spoon Judah had a sword, but I don’t remember using it to slaughter or even beat off any enemies when we played with it.

No, Judah’s shield was more important than his sword; that’s where the Jewish star was.

Judah-spoon had a sort of calm face. The colors I chose for him vaguely suggested the uniform of the Minnesota Vikings.

In other words, Judah was a hero, he was a Jew, he was proud and forceful, but at home in his surroundings. Mrs. Nussbaum

photo by lela spira-savett

BY RABBI JONATHAN SPIRA-SAVETT

FIRST PERSON

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photo by alex spira-savett

I felt lucky to be part of “the few.”

To have a story to tell about standing up for ourselves with pride, being right and surviving. was brilliant. Isn’t this exactly what you would want a 6-year-old Jewish child to feel like?

I think it worked. When I was in high school, the Israeli cultural emissary in town invited some teens to welcome a torch from Israel at the airport. It had been lit, we were told, in Modi’in, Judah Maccabee’s hometown in Israel. I was interviewed for the local TV news. I talked about Chanuka as the holiday of “the few defeating the many.”

I felt lucky to be part of “the few.” To have a story to tell about standing up for ourselves with pride, being right and surviving.

I was lucky that there were enough of us (around 10 in my high school class) that we were few but not isolated. That’s the big difference between small Jewish Minnesota and even smaller Jewish New Hampshire. I had plenty of friends who accepted me for being Jewish.

At some point, you have to graduate from the Judah Maccabee wood spoon. I spent my third year of college in Jerusalem. Late that spring, I decided I needed to bring home my own menorah — a candle-holder for the eight candles of Chanuka, along with the special helper-candle that lights the others but is distinct from them.

I’m not a shopper by nature (I have to force myself into stores), but after breakfast one day, I headed out from campus toward the center of town. I started on Ben Yehuda Street, where American students and tourists congregate for pizza, falafel, T-shirts and souvenirs. I went into every gift shop

As teachings dictate, the Spira-Savetts display their five menorahs (one for each member of the family) near the window to share the light and mystery of Chanuka with others.

on the pedestrian malls and its side streets.

The menorahs all looked like the standard-issue ones everyone had growing up — the menorah of the Jews who are proud enough to light it, but not to put it in their window for others to see, as the teachings of Chanuka specify.

I had some lunch and walked uphill toward Me’ah She’arim. It’s a neighborhood meant to reproduce the insular, religious environment of late medieval, Eastern European Jews. It literally has a wall around it.

I figured I would find something authentic there. Again I walked into every shop. The

Rabbi Jonathan Spira-Savett with his Judah Maccabee wooden-spoon felt puppet.

menorahs were serviceable but austere.

I spent five or six hours walking Jerusalem, and, if I passed a souvenir shop, a gift shop, or an artist with even a single religious image in the window, I went in. Nothing spoke to me. Shopped out, I doubled back to Jaffa Road, another main drag. That’s where I found my menorah.

The shop itself was Mrs. Nussbaum’s sweet spot all over again. It was literally halfway between the tourist traps of Ben Yehuda Street and the walls of the Old City.

The menorah was artistic and modern, but also traditional with its gold paint and fierce with its black background. It had more curves than the straight and angular menorahs of my youth. Its candles are placed in circles that suggest an ancient oil lamp. This was the menorah for my adulthood. Proud, forceful, at home in modern surroundings.

It’s fashionable among Jews to say that Chanuka isn’t important, that it’s just there so American Jewish children won’t feel bad around Christmas, but I don’t agree.

Chanuka is the story of the modern Jews of the second century B.C.E. who were awed

by Greek culture and governed by Hellenistic empires, trying to work out their exact relationship to it all. They fought a tyrant; they also translated the Torah into Greek.

Chanuka is about us, the Jews of New Hampshire. We each have to make our Judah Maccabee spoons, and find the perfect menorah to light. NH nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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Edra Toth surrounded by dancing flowers

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IN THEIR OWN WORDS

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

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Timeless Dancer Photos and transcription by David Mendelsohn

Edra Toth’s family left Budapest during the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 and settled in Boston. She joined Boston Ballet at 13 and would later dance with such greats as Rudolf Nureyev. In 1973, she founded her own school of dance in Dover, NH, that evolved into today’s Northeastern Ballet Theatre. There, she guides dancers — young and older — into many of the roles she danced in her own youth.

My mother was a cleaning lady, so she was able to express her love of singing and dancing when she was cleaning people’s homes. I remember someone saying they loved having my mother around because she was always so happy and singing.

I think that’s because she found a way to express her creativity while she was working.

At the age of 13, I was made a member of the corps de ballet of Boston Ballet, for which I received my first paycheck for $25. At age 16, I was elevated to the status of principal dancer, the highest position anyone can receive at any company.

While in Boston Ballet, I danced every ballerina role, such as Princess Aurora in “Sleeping Beauty,” Giselle, Cinderella, Sugar Plum Fairy in “The Nutcracker,” Carmen in “Carmen,” and Swan Queen in “Swan Lake.”

I was never Clara in “The Nutcracker.” Our white Clara dress is based on the old Boston Ballet dress.

“The Nutcracker” is a perennial favorite because it’s a story about a little girl and the only story about a child in the classical ballet repertoire.

[Ballet] is 99 percent ambition, drive and hard work. I count drive and passion as talent. If one has a natural facility, that is just the cherry on top of the sundae.

I remember my mother telling me when I was younger to “show no fear,” and her words came back to me when [Nureyev] was throwing me around on stage and I said, “Throw me around — I love it.”

Being an artistic director is really an all-encompassing job. I love choreographing and creating beauty. I have to be able to transport the audience to another dimension.

Northeastern Ballet Theatre is the real deal ... we don’t do recitals, we do productions. A young dancer gets the chance to see what it’s like to be in a professional company.

FANCY FOOTWORK: Experienced ballet dancers will often sign one of their old pointe shoes to present as a gift to a younger company member. Jennifer Tate of Dover, whose daughter dances in Edra Toth’s productions, decided to adapt this custom by decorating used shoes and offering them for sale to dancers or fans. She also made this wreath, which hangs in the NBT studio with each shoe illustrating one of the characters of “The Nutcracker.” How many do you recognize, just from her clever decorative additions?

Northeastern Ballet Theatre will present “The Nutcracker” for three performances only: Dec 3 at 7 p.m. and Dec 4 at 2 p.m. at Oyster River High School in Durham, and Dec 10 at 7 p.m. at Kingswood Arts Center in Wolfeoro. For tickets and more information, visit northeasternballet.org. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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Merry

Design, décor and dining are personal statements, and why should decking the halls for Christmas be any different?

We caught up with three home and lifestyle makers working in different aspects of design to share their inspirations for decorating and entertaining this holiday season. Though they each offer advice, what you’ll learn from all three is that you can put your own twist on tradition with color, style and your particular brand of embellishment to make your celebration memorable and personalized. Follow their lead as they present Christmas décor that is anything but “cookie-cutter Christmas.”

Produced and photographed by Matthew Mead

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Don't be afraid to use colors other than red and green.

Megan Whitehouse likes to use "spicy" colors such as brown and persimmon.

C

hristmas in New Hampshire conjures images of fresh evergreen wreaths on doors and garlands draped on porches and white
picket fences. Fragrant trees from the North Country fill tree stands, and Main Street stores bustle with shoppers as they have for decades. Decorating for Christmas begins directly after Thanksgiving, and families are eager to light their homes during the darkest, shortest days of the year. Creating Christmas in your home means building on tradition. Homeowners personalize their dÊcor based on

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memories and heirloom collections but also like to add to their style with fresh color palettes, local foods and ornamentation that is quintessentially their own. This year, three of New Hampshire’s style-makers have agreed to open their homes and share their best tips, tricks and ideas to inspire your own holiday designs. Follow along as they display ways to decorate your home, create wonderful foods to share with guests and enlighten you with ideas on favorite places to find holiday embellishments.

Megan Whitehouse Whitehouse Interior Design Manchester

Design tip: “I get all of my holiday greenery at Black Forest Nursery and Garden Center in Boscawen,” says Whitehouse. “I can’t find their unique selection of greens just anywhere. They have wreaths, garlands and cut boughs for all kinds of decorating needs.”

Manchester interior decorator Megan Whitehouse has been designing and decorating homes in southern New Hampshire for nearly 30 years. Her design elements are distinct and rooted in tradition, but her style is fresh, has a twist and always draws on a few favorite elements. She is known for designing built-in bookcases and makes use of decorative moldings, Persian carpets and beautiful wood furniture. You’ll also notice a penchant for spicy colors such as brown and persimmon, which have become distinct notes in her design repertoire and are favored by her clients. A highlight of her cozy Colonial house is the mantelpiece that’s decked out for Christmas.

Whitehouse makes use of favorite items such as gilded pears, ornaments and wrapped packages. Items that don’t go on the tree are used to fill compotes or perch amongst freshly cut evergreen boughs. Taper candles add glow while gifts are wrapped in gilded papers and secured with ribbons. A clove topiary adds the scents of the season while ornaments in shades of copper and gold add shimmer and glow.

“Christmas decorating should be fun and engaging and reflect your own personal love of color and design,” says Whitehouse.

Megan Whitehouse’s Christmas Evening Dessert Apple Cranberry Orange Christmas Cake This easy-to-make Christmas cake is like a cobbler. It will fill your home with the scents of the holiday season. Top a warm slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and medium-diced 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges) 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup sour cream 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Instructions Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla and sour cream, and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.

Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch glass pie plate. Pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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Michelle Graham with her tasty Christmas Cocktail. See the recipe on the opposite page.

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Michelle Graham, Birch Paper & Home, Exeter

Design tip: “I adore the shop The Willow in Exeter,” says Graham. “It’s filled with great vintage and new home décor items. It not only inspires me, but provides a great place to get last-minute gifts.”

Owner and artisan of Birch Paper & Home, Michelle Graham of Exeter knows how to craft her own style out of anything. Her business makes use of castoff vintage finds that are transformed into all kinds of distinct, decorative home accessories. Her talents turn book pages into wreaths and ornaments and old crates into fanciful stenciled statement pieces. And, with a bit of bit of ingenuity, she transforms furniture into colorful, sought-after design elements highly desired by fellow decorators. Her simple-but-homemade approach to the holiday season extends to her entertaining finesse. Guests at her home will enjoy cocktails and tasty appetizers amid her clever Christmas décor.

Graham makes her own ornamentation in the same vein as her artwork, repurposing old paper and books to create her vintage decorations. She also hand-stencils and personalizes wooden crates that can be used for firewood, fresh greens or a collection of wrapped gifts. Her “Northern Pass Tree Farm" is just a fantasy locale, but she can create and personalize any crate with whatever design or saying you choose. She likes to welcome guests to her home with wreaths, and the entryways and doors are all dressed with holiday décor.

“Making my own Christmas décor is part of my style — no flashy box-store décor for me,” says Graham.

Michelle Graham’s Welcoming Christmas Cocktail

Tasty Shrimp Appetizer These buttery garlic shrimp bites are light, tasty and decadent.

Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail This is a fizzy, refreshing and celebratory way to welcome guests for the evening.

Ingredients 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Ingredients 1 1/4 cups chilled fresh pomegranate juice 1 1/2 ounces chilled Cointreau liqueur 1 chilled bottle (375 milliliters) champagne Fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish

6 cloves of garlic, finely minced

Instructions In a pitcher, mix juice, liqueur and champagne. Pour into flutes and garnish with pomegranate seeds.

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined Salt, to taste 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon caper brine 1 1/2 teaspoons cold butter 1/3 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, divided 1 1/2 tablespoons cold butter Water, as needed Instructions Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Place shrimp in an even layer on the bottom of the pan and cook for 1 minute without stirring.

Season shrimp with salt. Cook and stir until shrimp begin to turn pink, about 1 minute.

Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice, caper brine, 1 1/2 teaspoon cold butter and half the parsley.

Cook until butter has melted, about 1 minute, then turn heat to low and stir in 1 1/2 tablespoon cold butter. Cook and stir until all butter has melted to form a thick sauce and shrimp are pink and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; continue to cook butter sauce, adding water 1 teaspoon at a time if too thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Serve shrimp topped with the pan sauce. Garnish with remaining flat-leaf parsley and provide a dish of appetizer toothpicks. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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Matthew Mead’s Christmas Dinner Ham Fig and Mustard Glazed Ham
 This sweet and tangy glazed ham is simple to prepare and will leave your guests asking for more.

1/2 cup chicken broth 1 (10- to 11-pound) 25-percent-less-sodium, bone-in smoked ham (shank portion) 1 cup fig preserves 1/2 cup whole-grain mustard Instructions Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil; pour 1/2 cup chicken broth in pan. Using a sharp knife, lightly score outside of ham.

Place ham in prepared pan; loosely cover with foil.

In a medium bowl, stir together fig preserves and mustard; set aside.

Bake ham 1 hour. Uncover, and brush with 1/3 fig mixture.

Continue baking, basting occasionally with remaining fig mixture, until a meat thermometer reads 148 degrees, approximately 1 1/2 hours more.

Let stand 15 minutes. Place ham on a serving platter; drizzle with approximately 1/3 cup pan juices.

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Matthew Mead

Lifestyle and Design Expert Concord Author, photographer and lifestyle expert Matthew Mead participates in dozens of Christmas design stories each year for his clients’ magazines, catalogs and advertising agencies. His work consists of conceptualizing ideas and visuals, and then creating and styling all the props and design elements for inspiring photographs. Mead works with many vintage elements and mixes new and old pieces in the design of images for home furnishings, art, food and entertaining, as well as many levels for DIY projects. He offers advice on how to style a dining table for Christmas, and how to create a festive centerpiece for your holiday celebration.

Mead relies on natural, organic fibers and woodland material to create his own brand of holiday décor. An oblong centerpiece in a copper tray is filled with apples, cut foliage, nuts and leaves, and crowned with opened red roses. Table settings are casual but interesting, using mixed-and-matched, hand-loomed linens and festive cordial glasses to show off a cranberry glow. Cookies, fresh fruits and cut evergreens mix easily with a collection of family holiday linens in red.

“I love all the design elements of Christmas decorating, but I also love to keep it simple and effortless,” says Mead.

Design tip: “I love to rely on a wonderful local purveyor for last-minute items,” says Mead. “The Crust and Crumb bakery in Concord has delicious breads and rolls that complete any holiday meal. They also have delicious cookies and bars that make the perfect and most delicious gifts for friends and family.” nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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2016

it list (IT IS WHAT IT IS.)

In our time of fact-checking the fact-checkers and second-guessing the experts, how do you know when someone is making a real difference in the world?

Meet 17 Granite Staters who can show you where it’s at.

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photo by cydney scott, courtesy of boston university

t Joel Christian Gill

ILLUMINATING BOTH FUTURE AND PAST

Just about every student to pass through the New Hampshire Institute of Art in the past decade knows Joel Christian Gill. As chair of the Foundations program for first-years, Gill provides some of the young artists’ most crucial lessons in both craft and life.

But, thanks to a series of high-profile accomplishments in recent years, NHIA students aren’t the only people learning from the New Boston illustrator.

In October, he released his third

graphic novel, the latest in a string of books that have garnered nationwide acclaim for their depiction of the thrilling and quirky lesser-known stories of black history.

Along with a Twitter campaign urging study and recognition of African-American narratives beyond the 28 days of Black History Month, the comics have cemented Gill as one of the country’s foremost activist-artists, with coverage ranging from NPR to MTV. “I want students to look at me and go, ‘That’s what you’re supposed to do’,” Gill says. “I’m not just saying it. I’m actually out there doing it.”

NHIA president Kent Devereaux says that example has sparked a new wave of students choosing to stay in New Hampshire after graduation rather than decamping to Boston or New York.

“They want to invest in the community and invest in the scene,” he says. They just needed a model of how to garner big-city success from a Granite State home — and Joel Christian Gill is it. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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Nancy Pearson A VOICE FOR THE ARTS It didn’t take long after moving to New Hampshire in 1995 for Portsmouth city councilman and arts advocate Nancy Pearson to dive headfirst into the eclectic creative culture that rules supreme on the Seacoast. Pearson dipped her toe into the Seacoast theatre scene with the Players’ Ring in 2001, and 10 years later she moved to Portsmouth and joined Art-Speak, the City of Portsmouth Cultural Commission.

As she made her way from board member to board president — and then its director in 2014 — Pearson’s mission became clear: She needed to take the next step and run for City Council. “I was lacking

a voice,” says Pearson. “As board president, and then director of ArtSpeak, I know firsthand how much Portsmouth’s identity is wrapped up in arts and culture. However, as gentrification and soaring property values threaten the viability of Portsmouth’s creative class, I didn’t see the city putting as many resources toward strengthening and protecting it as they could.”

Pearson’s “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” approach helped her win her bid for a council seat while continuing her advocacy to preserve the creative culture of Portsmouth. What advice does Pearson have for other NH communities that would like to promote the arts?

“To be bold. Like other industries, I think how we view, fund, and protect the arts needs a little disrupting. Per capita, Portsmouth is the cultural capital of northern New England, but I have my eye on the rest of New England and beyond.”

Cheryl Wilkie It’s not like any of the others — the substance abuse program at the Farnum Centers in Manchester and Franklin takes a very different approach to treatment. A client’s past isn’t explored; counselors aren’t trying to figure out what’s wrong. Instead, says Cheryl Wilkie, “We are starting fresh with the understanding that they have innate health inside and we are going to help them find it.”

Wilkie, who has a doctorate in forensic psychology, has been developing the program since 2008, when she took over Easter Seals NH’s Farnum Center in Manchester in the midst of a widening opioid epidemic. She was instrumental in turning the center into a recognized drug treatment facility that offers medical detox, residential inpatient and intensive outpatient services. This past summer, the program was expanded with the opening of an additional facility in Franklin. And in the near future, long-term, low-intensity programs will be offered to people who need more structure or who are homeless.

The seeds of her award-winning work were planted 30 years ago, when she was struggling with addiction herself. “I know what it is like to lose everything,” she says.

“I know I am not special.” She also says she knows there is hope for every person who seeks treatment to have the life they want.

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HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

photo by jenn bakos

Building on Hope THE GOOD FIGHT

Since channeling donations and volunteers to help rebuild and equip an Easter Seals NH home for boys in 2010, the can-do executive committee of Building on Hope has upped the ante every two years, selecting a worthy nonprofit group with a facility that was in need of extensive upgrade to benefit a core mission. Co-chairs Karen Van Der Beken and Jonathan Halle (center and right, above) worried they may have reached too far when they selected the Michael Briggs Center of the Manchester Police Athletic League for 2016.

It was apparent that restoring the decrepit former St. Cecelia Hall on Beech Street would cost more than a million dollars, but it was also exactly what they were looking for: an organization doing important work for thousands of at-risk kids in NH’s biggest city and bringing young people and cops together to forge bonds of friendship and respect. No one knew the need, and the benefits, better than Officer John Levasseur, the MPAL coordinator and head boxing coach.

“It really is a miracle,” says Levasseur (above, left), after touring the center, revamped with a fully functioning HVAC system, institutional-scale kitchen, game room and homework center. He notes that since the building was completed, his work could really begin, fighting the good fight for kids in the neighborhood. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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photo by david mendelsohn

Lily Hevesh

Lily Hevesh

courtesy photo; unh photo by mark bolton

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PROFESSIONAL PUSHOVER There are probably real, professional domino players somewhere in the world, but the most exciting happening with those little uniform tiles has nothing to do with counting spots and everything to do with counting page views. That’s how Lily Hevesh, known to her multitudes of fans on YouTube as Hevesh5, has become internet famous (with more than 200 million views) and in-demand by marketers and movie makers for her fabulous works of domino art. Her creations appear in the new Will Smith movie “Collateral Beauty” (in theaters this month), and she was one of a group of domino artists invited to participate in Common Ground, a weekend-long collaborative project that in October connected the entire country in a massive Rube Goldberg chain reaction that traveled from city to city in the course of five minutes.

Domino artworks that were toppled along the way highlighted various contemporary issues. Hevesh chose to highlight her dedication to STEM education for girls. “The goal is to spark girls’ interests,” she says.

Kate Luczko THE REJUVENATOR

Kate Luczko is trying to make New Hampshire cool — so cool that the state’s young people won’t take off for the bright lights of big cities. When they leave, says Luczko, president and CEO of Stay Work Play New Hampshire, “the important balance of the age of NH’s talent” tilts older, making the state less dynamic, less vibrant. It also makes it harder for employers to fill jobs.

Maintaining that balance is the mission of Stay Work Play, and, in the past few years, the mission has become more challenging because there’s been a significant exodus of people in their 20s and 30s. We now have the second highest median age in the country (only Maine skews older).

To stem the flow, Luczko and her organization are working to clear up misconceptions about the state that drive young people away (or keep them from moving here): a perceived lack of jobs, quality of life (mostly nightlife) and high housing costs. One effort to tout the state’s advantages can soon be found at on Route 93 in Hooksett in the southbound rest area. On their way home from exploring the Granite State, visitors will be able to see the benefits of NH as it relates to jobs, internships, quality of life and more.

Other initiatives to retain young workers include building the state’s brand online, supporting the young professionals networks, promoting jobs and companies in NH, internships to connect students with the community and an awards competition. Luczko says, “We want to make New Hampshire the kind of place that young people want to live and launch their careers.”

In 2014, Jennifer Lee was invited back to her alma mater, UNH, to give the commencement speech.

Jennifer Lee MAKING MOVIE MAGIC (AGAIN) University of New Hampshire alum Jennifer Lee is no stranger to the “It List.” She appeared here in 2014 for a little something you might have heard of (and probably over and over again if you have young kids) — “Frozen.” The first woman to direct a Disney animated film both wrote and co-directed the monster hit, snagging a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her work. Now, Disney has entrusted her with another huge project (one that’s garnering buzz even before filming starts), the adaptation of beloved young adult classic “A

Wrinkle in Time.” Madeleine L’Engle’s science fantasy novel has delighted kids since the ’60s. Lee’s task isn’t easy — write a screenplay that not only captures the book’s magic, but that also satisfies generations of nostalgic fans. There’s already big star power attached to the movie. Acclaimed “Selma” director Ava Duvernay is set to helm the film; young Storm Reid of the Oscar-winning “Twelve Years a Slave” landed the lead role of Meg Murray; Meg’s scientist parents will be portrayed by Chris Pine and “Black Mirror’s” Gugu Mbatha-Raw; Zach Galifianakis will play the Happy Medium; and the Three W’s — Mrs. Which, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Whatsit — will be played by Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling and Reese Witherspoon, respectively. The downside? We have to wait way too long for the premiere. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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Corey Lewandowski

Matthew Guruge

SOLVING THE HAPPINESS EQUATION Matthew Guruge wants people to be happy. Specifically, he wants them to love their jobs.

Love what you do, and happiness (hopefully) follows. Helping people achieve that professional ideal is the driving force behind Awâto, the company he co-founded. In a recent competition sponored by the NH High Tech Council and startup incubator Alpha Loft, Awâto was awarded the top, $50,000 prize. Awâto is an online platform that, simply put, helps people figure out what career suits them best. The main feature is a series of dynamic questions that actually learn about you and adapt as you answer. There are thousands of questions, explains Guruge, but each user will see only a handful depending on his or her responses. Then, he adds, they help people turn something overwhelming — understanding the job market and how to actually get hired — into a series of manageable tasks.

The goal, he says, is to eventually make it available to kids in high school all the way to retirees. Right now, the focus is on new college students who might be started down the wrong road, a situation Guruge is all too familiar with. During an internship at the New Hampshire Business Review during his junior year, the journalism major realized he didn’t actually like journalism. “I had no idea what to do,” says Guruge. He eventually found his true passion, but the hope is to help others avoid earning expensive degrees — and likely big-time debt — that either aren’t what they really want or don’t come with decent job prospects.

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Donald Trump was impressed when he met Corey Lewandowski, a Windham resident, at a political event in New Hampshire in the spring of 2014. So much so, the following January, the not-yet-announced presidential candidate invited him to Trump Tower and asked him to be his campaign manager.

Lewandowski — a lover of politics and an admirer of Trump — accepted. “I think he truly wants to make America great again,” he says. “I hoped to help shed light on a broken and rigged political system, one that has long forgotten about the average American.”

He got to work electing the billionaire businessman, drawing on his significant political experience, including high-level positions with a Koch brothers-backed advocacy group, Americans for Prosperity.

After guiding Trump through a string of primary victories, the road to the White House came to a sudden end for Lewandowski. Controversies (including allegedly grabbing a reporter forcefully) and questions about the direction of the campaign led to his firing in June. He would soon move to CNN as a commentator. Even that has generated a measure of controversy.

But Lewandowski doesn’t necessarily see controversy as a bad thing: “I like to think of my role as more of a disruptive technology, one that doesn’t allow the status quo to prevail, one that pushes the boundaries in order to achieve things no one thought possible.”

As for Trump, Lewandowski says, “I am honored to have been able to work for Mr. Trump. God works in mysterious ways, and I have been so blessed to have had a firstrow seat to history.”

matthew guruge by jenn bakos

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MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Renny Cushing

photo by jared charney

SEEKING SOCIAL JUSTICE Renny Cushing calls himself “an aging revolutionary and a fading romantic,” but despite his 60-something age, he continues his lifelong fight for social justice.

Just this year, Cushing, as a five-term state representative from Hampton, worked to reform prison policies for the mentally ill, promote the use of body-worn cameras by New Hampshire police and to allow a terminally ill woman to cross state lines for medical marijuana. He also worked with women’s groups to get the first portrait of a woman hung at the Statehouse. And, as a Bernie delegate and whip at the Democratic convention, Cushing helped push reform of the delegate selection process.

The centerpiece of his social activism, though, is his ongoing work for the rights of victims of violent crime, the work animated by the murder of both his father and brother-in-law. “Our criminal justice system re-victimizes, and too often society neglects and abandons victims,” Cushing says.

But, despite “the most searing and humbling experiences” of his life, he has also worked to repeal, unsuccessfully so far, NH’s death penalty. Cushing says, “If we let murderers turn us to murder, we become what we say we abhor.”

The man who began his fight for social justice as a teenager protesting the Vietnam War and then leading the anti-nuclear Clamshell Alliance today finds himself most passionate about “dismantling” homophobia and other forms of bigotry and inequality. “I am inspired,” he says, “to try to understand history and honor justice, save our planet and work to build the beloved community.” nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATE When Dan Habib began his fight for inclusion of people with disabilities, he didn’t know that one day his work would be translated in 17 languages and used as a catalyst for discussion around the world.

What he did know was that he wanted to tell the story of his son Samuel, who was born with cerebral palsy. So he produced a documentary that explored the social and educational experiences of his son and others with disabilities.

“Including Samuel,” which debuted in 2008, would win international acclaim. Another documentary, “Who Cares About Kelsey?,” was released in 2012, and a third, with the working title “Intelligent Lives,” is due out next fall.

Dan Habib, Samuel Habib and Samuel’s skilled companion dog “Mr. P” on the accessible hiking trails at Crotched Mountain in Greenfield.

“Through films, I bring people into the epicenter of the inclusion rights movement,” says Habib. “We have to see the separation of students as segregation, just like we did with color and women in the past. It will benefit society as a whole to see disability as part of a natural diversity.”

Habib says attitudes are changing, but he’s “impatient for it to happen more quickly.” To that end, he’s working as filmmaker and project director at the Institute on Disability at UNH, serving as a member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities and traveling far and wide to speak on the issue.

Son Samuel is now a junior in high school, himself an aspiring filmmaker and disability rights advocate. “It’s important to have high expectations,” Habib says. “Low expectations are the biggest barrier; they make it easier to continue to segregate.”

photo (left) courtesy bud buckout, photo (right) by melanie perkins-mcLaughlin/intelligent lives project

Dan Habib

Academy Award-winning actor Chris Cooper (right) records narration for Dan Habib’s film. Cameraman Steven Ascher is at center.

Robert Morin

Normally, the death of a 77-year-old state university library employee does not make national news. Robert Morin’s passing, though undoubtedly sorrowful for those who knew and loved him, would likely never have been noted outside of the local paper’s obituaries if not for one huge surprise — a secret $4 million fortune that he bequeathed to his former employer, the University of New Hampshire. For nearly five decades, Morin worked at Dimond Library as a cataloger, never letting on to the fact that he was a millionaire. Yet, this story still doesn’t have the chops to get picked up by national media. It wasn’t until UNH announced how they would divvy up the money that this story burst onto the national scene. Out of the $4 million, just $100,000 — the minimum Morin requested — would be given to the library he loved.

The rest was split between a new career center ($2.5 million) and for a scoreboard ($1 million) at the new football stadium. It was, as you’ve probably guessed, the scoreboard that sparked immediate and harsh criticism. Op-eds were written, Facebook posts blew up with hundreds of comments, and letters proclaiming, “I’ll never donate again!” were dashed off to the alumni association, but, as often happens with these things, attention quickly moved on to the next outrage du jour. For a while, though, one quiet man unintentionally reignited a debate that’s raged in higher education for years — whether institutions should invest more in athletics or academics.

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A FRUGAL LIFE AND SECRET FORTUNE

Jay and Vicki Philbrick PUSHING PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE EDGE

courtesy photo; photo by philbrick photography

“It’s nuts.” Photographer Jay Philbrick is talking about the national and worldwide press his photo shoots have garnered in recent months, but you could (and those who are afraid of heights do) say that it’s the shoots themselves that are nuts. Last fall, Philbrick and his wife and photography partner Vicki were featured on WMUR’s “Chronicle.”

The Emmy Award-winning segment covered some of their extreme cliffside photo shoots, where newlyweds or models are lowered over Cathedral Ledge in North Conway. Since then, the dizzying and breathtaking photos went viral, and appeared in Cosmopolitan, the Huffington Post, BuzzFeed and Britain’s Daily Mail. Most recently

(as of this issue’s press deadline), the Philbricks and their team were featured on ABC News’ “Nightline” with a possibility of landing on “Good Morning America.”

Believe it or not, this fall he raised the stakes even higher. Model Kristina Marie Folcik-Welts, who’s worked with the Philbricks in the past, emailed Philbrick a simple sentence: “How about the Eaglet?”

Instantly, says Philbrick, he knew he had to make it work. The Eaglet Spire, which happens to be the only freestanding spire on the East Coast, sits high above Franconia Notch. Expert climber Marc Chauvin, who has worked on numerous cliff shoots, climbed up with Folcik-Welts — both sleeping on the spire overnight to be able to take photos with the dawn light. The result is stunning: a woman in a flowing purple dress catching the sun atop a lofty perch. The previous photos went viral, but these just might break the internet.

Seth Meyers

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HEIR TO THE POLITICAL SATIRE THRONE Windham may have produced one of Donald Trump’s closest allies (Corey Lewandowski, page 80), but Bedford gave us his fiercest and funniest adversary.

The repeat “It Lister” and Manchester West High School graduate hit his stride on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” in this election year. The Donald was a frequent subject of takedowns on the show’s “A Closer Look” segment, continuing a comedic enemy-ship that dates back to Meyers’ famous Trump burns at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “Late Night” gave Meyers an Emmy nod — his 15th — and a review from The New York Times as “our generation’s smartest talk show host” this year, and it’s positioned him as the likely heir to the Colbert and Stewart tradition of political satire.

But the funnyman hasn’t stopped at sitting behind the hosting desk. In 2016, he’s added to his long list of “Saturday Night Live” writing credits, appeared on “The Mindy Project” alongside fellow one-time New Hampshirite Mindy Kaling, and racked up sterling reviews as creator, producer and writer of the IFC parody series “Documentary Now!” Oh, and, thanks to the birth of son Ashe in March, this year also earned Meyers a new personal title: Dad. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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photo by grant halverson, courtesy of pilobolus

THE PIONEERS How rural New Hampshire gave rise to one of the most influential groups in American modern dance

By Sarah Cahalan

1978 was a big year for modern dance.

After 30 years in New London, Connecticut, in 1978 the seminal American Dance Festival moved to Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. In honor of the move — to the city where the festival is still held today — organizers pulled out all the stops. The heavy hitters of modern dance all performed, from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to the companies of Paul Taylor and Merce Cunningham. But they saved the best for last. In the final week of the month-long showcase, a young, athletic group of four men and two women took the stage to close the festival and cement their place as the most exciting act in modern dance.

The group was Pilobolus. And, amid a program full of companies with Juilliard credentials and classical pedigrees, they had gotten their start as a handful of jocks in a dance class right here in New Hampshire.

“Pilobolus is an incredibly innovative group,” says John Heginbotham, artistic director of the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble. “They did something no one had ever done before” — and they’re still doing it today.

A little more than 45 years ago, Dartmouth athletes Moses Pendleton, Jonathan Wolken and Steve Johnson enrolled in a dance class taught by visiting professor Alison Becker Chase. They knew nothing about dance, and, in a fateful stroke of luck, they had found themselves with an instructor who elected not to teach them. In Chase’s class, students learned about movement and creativity and were instructed to choreograph their own pieces.

What the young athletes lacked in formal dance training, they made up for in physical strength and tongue-in-cheek silliness, and the dance they created put both on display.

The 11-minute performance saw the men moving as a unit and supporting one another’s weight in nearly gravity-defying arrangements.

In place of picture-perfect pirouettes, the dancers created shapes made from intertwined bodies. In place of balletic leaps, they threw each other across the stage. The students called their acrobatic number “Pilobolus,” named after a self-propelling fungus that Wolken’s father was studying in his biology lab.

Pilobolus — the dance — had stunned the boys’ professor and inspired the three to trade their fencing sabres and cross-country skis for the dance belts and bare stages of a new sport.

The men graduated in 1971, and, that summer, Pilobolus the dance company was officially born. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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photo by tim matson

An early performance of “Pilobolus,” the first dance the student trio choreographed at Dartmouth College. This is the seminal work from which the company evolved.

After a few early personnel changes — Johnson and another founder, Lee Harris, for instance, left to pursue medical and technological careers — and a move from Hanover to rural Connecticut, the group ultimately settled into a core team of six: Pendleton, Wolken, Chase, 1972 Dartmouth grad Robby Barnett, 1973 grad Michael Tracy and Martha Clarke.

The group’s rise was swift. They spent their first months busily touring around New England, earning buzz by opening for Frank Zappa at Smith College and participating in a student workshop at NYU. By December 29, 1971, Pilobolus had booked their first gig in New York City: a one-night engagement at a Midtown theater called The Space.

A New York Times reporter was in the audience that night, and her review praised the physicality, humor and inventiveness of the nontraditional group, saying, “That they can do so much is with so little is astounding.”

Now Gray Lady-approved, Pilobolus’ popularity exploded. They toured Europe, earned a documentary spot on PBS’ “Dance 86

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in America” at just three years old and gave hundreds of performances around the country. By 1978, they had caught the eye of the US State Department.

As part of a cultural exchange program, the government sent Pilobolus on a tour of the Middle East and Asia that fall. Despite concerns about technological divides and clashes over the group’s progressive style and costuming, the tour was a success filled with sold-out shows. Between tourist stops and performances, the group kept a log of their activities, and a week into their tour, they recounted a memorable encounter in the Turkish countryside.

“Outside of Gordion,” they wrote, “we encountered a group of Kurdish gypsies living in a tent village. We exchanged dances, bridging the language barrier with a vocabulary universal to all.”

Despite their success across cultures and borders, though, a question plagued the men and women of Pilobolus: Is their work really dance?

The Times reviewer who heralded the

group’s 1971 New York show may have been the first person to publicly voice the concerns.

“There were times,” she wrote, “when it seemed they were in danger of confusing athletics with art.”

Watching the group perform — in their early years or today — it’s not hard to see why these questions arise.

Pilobolus’ choreography is fascinated with the body. Dancers arrange and rearrange themselves in contorted shapes, bouncing off of one another and lifting each other in a collaborative tableau that pushes the limits of what bodies in harmony can achieve.

The group’s dances are stunning to observe, but they certainly don’t resemble your local production of “The Nutcracker.” If ballet is based on the study of centuries-old technique, Pilobolus is based simply on the study of the human form.

And, as those close to the group will tell you, it’s no coincidence that such organic work was born of the rugged expanse of New Hampshire’s Upper Valley.

“I think science and the world around us always seemed like a more immediate subject matter to respond to than cultural products or politics,” says Itamar Kubovy, Pilobolus’

photo by grant halverson

New Hampshire’s own Shawn Ahern (left), a graduate of Keene State College, is now Pilobolus’ dance captain. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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The Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College, home today to everything from indie films to boundary-pushing plays, is one of Pilobolus’ spiritual homes.

executive director. “You get a much realer sense of that when you’re away from culture and cities.”

“It’s not in the tradition of dance as much as it is the tradition of observing the environment and nature, and making images out of those observations.”

Jeffrey Ruoff — a Dartmouth film professor whose documentary, “Still Moving: Pilobolus at Forty,” recounts the group’s return to campus for their 40th anniversary — puts it another way.

“Pilobolus is a ‘liberal arts’ dance company,” he says, “if such a thing exists. They take inspiration from science, music, nature, engineering, psychology, literature — all facets of a liberal arts education.”

That Pilobolus was born at Dartmouth

rather than an ivory-tower conservatory isn’t mere trivia; it is central to the group’s ethos.

Kubovy agrees that the spirit of innovation fostered by New Hampshire’s rural Ivy was critical to the formation of Pilobolus’ style.

“Ultimately, the sense of safety is a precondition for focused creative work and risk-taking,” he says. “And I think Dartmouth provided that in spades [and gave] permission for those kinds of experiments to take place.”

Four and a half decades after Pilobolus was born in Dartmouth’s Webster Hall — now home to the special collections library in which the company’s archives are held — creating space for innovation is still at the heart of both the college and its performing arts.

One of those innovations is Dartmouth

Football’s Mobile Virtual Player. Developed last year by students in the Thayer School of Engineering, the MVP bot allows players to hone their tackling skills on an opponent that can’t sustain a concussion or a season-ending injury like their teammates could. Though it can’t throw a ball, the bot can do just about anything else, bobbing, weaving and moving across the field just like a real human athlete.

And, at the halftime show of the November 12 game against Brown, the football robot danced.

Rather than darting between football players, in this performance, the bot bobbed and weaved between members of student dance group the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble. The result was an interdisciplinary ode to all things modern.

Ensemble artistic director John Heginbotham says the collaboration, in its own quirky way, is the latest example of the Pilobolean spirit of innovation in campus arts.

Not only does the football-affiliated performance reflect Pilobolus’ founding by athletes, he says, but it also represents of the Dance Ensemble’s commitment to new ideas and, like Pilobolus, a strong athletic style of dance.

What’s a pilobolus?

The founding members of Pilobolus Dance Theater drew the name of their group from the biological sciences. A phototropic or sun-loving genus of fungus, piloboli (also known as hat-throwers) take an unusual shape: thin stalks with black, balloon-like tops that break off and launch themselves up to six feet through space when under pressure.

The founders of Pilobolus the dance company chose the name as an ode to their own propensity for powerfully flying through the air, but some have suggested there may be another reason.

Pilobolus fungi grow almost exclusively in the excrement of farm animals — meaning the name may be a not-so-subtle hint that, performing arts pioneers as they may be, the students who founded Pilobolus Dance Theater were most definitely not highfalutin aesthetes.

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photo by john kane

A question plagued the men and women of Pilobolus: Is their work really dance?

photo courtesy pilobolus.org

Pilobolus’ “Shadowland” is a family-friendly theatrical dance production that launched in 2009. Dancers perform behind a backlit screen to create all sorts of different shapes. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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The original cast of Pilobolus from left: Jonathan Wolken, Alison Chase, Robby Barnett, Moses Pendleton, Martha Clarke and Michael Tracy

The ensemble’s connection to their campus precursor also extends to personnel — their choreographer-in-residence, Rebecca Stenn, is an alumna of Pilobolus partner groups Momix and Pilobolus Too — but the directors say students don’t always know of this rich dance heritage upon joining the ensemble.

“Sadly, most of the students I encounter do not know this is where Pilobolus came from,” Heginbotham says. “We make sure they learn. Within the first week!”

But Dartmouth Dance Ensemble students aren’t the only ones who’ve been surprised to learn of the famed group whose lineage they share.

Shawn Ahern was a sophomore at Keene State College when he first encountered Pilobolus.

The company had been brought in as the college’s artists-in-residence for a semester, and Ahern developed an immediate affini-

ty for the group. He was selected as one of a small group of students to dance alongside the ensemble for a collaborative number and, in 2007, had his first small taste of performing with Pilobolus.

Today, he serves as its dance captain.

“I immediately fell in love” with Pilobolus after that first encounter, Ahern says. “Any time they were near Keene, I would go and see them perform and meet the company members, and they were such fun, loving people.”

He auditioned for Pilobolus at an open call in New York while still in school and, from a pool of hundreds of hopefuls, he was chosen for a full-time position with the group. He joined after graduating from Keene State in 2010 and has been with the company ever since.

For those who knew Ahern growing up in Dublin, his ascent to the Pilobolus position may be as surprising as it is inevitable.

His mother, former ballerina Christina Ahern, owns the Monadnock Academy of

Where have I seen them before?

If you haven’t caught Pilobolus in one of their New Hampshire shows over the years, you may still recognize them from your TV screens. They’ve appeared in dozens of programs, but the most notable is the 2007 Academy Awards. Pilobolus dancers brought the year’s Best Picture nominees to life via shadow theatre, contorting themselves into iconic shapes from the year’s biggest films — the VW van from “Little Miss Sunshine,” a stiletto heel for “The Devil Wears Prada” — from behind a backlit screen.

This medium of shadow play later became the basis of the company’s Shadowland, a family-friendly theatrical dance production launched in 2009 and still touring today.

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Movement Arts in Peterborough, and Shawn says he grew up around the studio — whether as a kid doing homework in the corner or as a dancer in the occasional class. But he never intended to pursue a career in dance.

“I got a scholarship for dance and theatre at Keene State,” he says, “And I thought, ‘OK, yeah, I’ll take this scholarship and then, a year later, switch majors.’”

Instead, he found himself receiving high praise for his dancing, and he stuck with it.

Ahern was engaged in the industrial side of the Monadnock Region growing up as well as its artistic side, and he says that dichotomy was crucial to his success.

“I felt lucky to be a family and a small community in Peterborough that was supporting the arts,” he says, “and I think New Hampshire does that very well. But there’s also this blue-collar element to New Hampshire.

“I worked in steel construction. When I told people I was going to study dance in college, they didn’t even know what that meant,” Ahern says — but they encouraged him anyway.

“There’s this rich support and innocent ignorance about it,” he says, “and that’s kind of how Pilobolus is. Robby Barnett said that Pilobolus takes the blue-collar approach to dance. It’s not some high-brained, intellectual concept about art. We get in a room with people that we like and try to make stuff that is interesting.”

Ahern and Pilobolus have returned to their home state for several shows in the past six years, but Shawn says the most special moments came from the group’s performance at Keene’s Redfern Arts Center in 2013.

“I was back at my alma mater with all of my professors there and all of these people that had supported me and my training,” Ahern says. “I felt very proud to come back to Keene State as a successful professional and a really positive part of this great company.”

This year, Pilobolus celebrates its 45th an-

courtesy photo

“Pilobolus takes the blue-collar approach to dance.”

photo by sarah cahalan photo by joseph mehling

niversary. In the years since their founding, they’ve created more than 100 dances, performed at Olympic Games and Oscars ceremonies and even named a New Hampshire native to the top of their roster of performers.

So what’s next?

Executive producer Kubovy explains that Pilobolus’ upcoming projects are threefold.

The first, of course, is new dance material.

Though Pilobolus Dance Theater today has many facets, from workshops to public art, their core is still the dance they were built on — the performances you’d call “traditional” if Pilobolus weren’t such a thoroughly nontraditional group.

The ensemble is currently rehearsing a new piece created in collaboration with British choreographer Javier de Frutos and preparing for a holiday residency at the Skirball Center at NYU. When they’re not learning their own new material, Kubovy says, the Pilobolus staff is busy sharing their expertise with others. The group has always emphasized education — even instructing dancers in New Hampshire over the years through college partnerships and attendant public movement classes — and they plan to continue that mission as they approach a half-century in business.

Of particular interest to a state known for its “silver tsunami,” Pilobolus is currently hard at work on a new series of balance workshops for seniors.

“People are living longer and [staying] agile longer,” Kubovy says. “But falling and [lack of] balance ends up doing a terrible damage to health in this country. So we thought, let’s fo-

cus on balance. A different attitude of thinking towards the body, for those generations, can lead to an enormously improved quality of life.”

The group’s balance and movement classes have reached several hundred older adults so far and are set to expand in the coming months.

But perhaps the biggest set of upcoming projects for Pilobolus comes from their ever-grow-

The rural town of Hanover is home to Dartmouth College, the unexpected — but entirely perfect — place where Pilobolus was formed 45 years ago.

ing list of collaborations and side projects.

Following the success of their shadow theatre show, Shadowland, the group recently unveiled Shadowland 2, a family-friendly multimedia piece that spent the summer touring in Europe.

On the other side of the globe, a partnership debuted this fall between Pilobolus, MIT and

Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum. The museum commissioned Pilobolus to create a performance art-style dance piece for their River Nights Festival in October, a production that featured local participants and Pilobolus dancers creating living lightscapes with LED umbrellas designed by MIT engineers. The choreography for the piece centered on walking, standing and making shapes — which poses the eternal Pilobolus question.

“Is that dance?” Kubovy asks. “Who knows?

But we’re certainly getting 250 people carrying umbrellas to do amazing, beautiful things together,” he says. “They’re extensions of what we do and how we do it.”

No matter what you think of their work — “it’s art,” “it’s acrobatics,” “it’s crazy” — there is no denying that Pilobolus has made an indelible mark on the landscape of modern dance. And their collaborative style, focused just as much today as in 1971 on creating as a group rather than repeating moves handed down from a choreographer, resonates far beyond the boundaries of any stage.

“There’s this group mentality,” Ahern says.

“It’s an ideal that we work with all the time, and it’s not easy. It’s really hard. You have to concede a lot and give up a lot.

“But we believe that, in the end, all of that is worth it and more minds are better than one.

The group will steer you on a better course than any individual will. We believe in that so much that we’ve been doing it for 45 years.”

And, with any luck, New Hampshire’s native dance troupe will keep spreading their philosophy for 45 more. NH

Pilobolus at Dartmouth in 2010 performing “Hapless Hooligan in ‘Still Moving’” nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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603 Living

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” – Norman Vincent Peale

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Health 96 Seniority 98 Local Dish 100 Events Listing 102 Dining Guide 106 Last Laugh 112

HOME:

Get Inspired

Stuck in a design rut?

This tour can cure your dĂŠcor blues.

BY ERICA THOITS PHOTOS BY SUSAN LAUGHLIN

For the 2015 tour, the classic North End home of Brian and Deb Zeman had recently been remodeled under the guidance of an architect and Ruth Axtell of Tout le Monde Interiors. Now the kitchen space opens to an informal living area with the holiday tree and other festive touches throughout. See a photo of the dining room on page 95.

Are your Christmas decorations still packed away in the attic? Maybe you want to put away the usual caroling figurines and tired fake evergreens but can’t figure out how to start from scratch. Perhaps you just want a good dose of cheer to kick off the season.

Whatever your holiday needs, the Symphony NH Holiday House tour is sure to meet them and more.

On December 3 and 4, six Nashua-area homeowners welcome you to explore their nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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rooms, which will be decorated for the season by professional interior decorators and designers. From traditional trees to modern, minimalistic takes, each home offers something different. Find new ideas for the mantel, a theme for your entryway

HOME

and centerpiece inspiration. You’ll also enjoy seasonal music along the tour. In addition to spending a lovely and festive afternoon, you’ll be glad to know that you’re assisting a good cause — proceeds from the event benefit Symphony NH. NH

Left: The Nashua home of Bobbi Sinyard featured her extensive collection of Department 56 Villages. Featured here is the Dickens Village. Right: The home of Robert Oot and Carol Robey of Hollis featured, in part, Robey’s art studio. The New Hampshire Orchid Society provided blooming orchids to further enliven the space.

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The Zemans’ dining room, just off the newly remodeled kitchen, features a unique dining room set that was transported from halfway around the world. Fortunately, the exotic wood was extremely light. Table décor by Ruth Axtell

DISTINCTIVE WEDDING AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY (603) 356-9822

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Attracting

The gracious Nashua home of Hope Lacasse was warmly decorated by Matthew Deschenes, owner of Matibo’s Salon in Hudson.

Young Talent

PAGE 8

workers

Q&A: PUC Consumer Advocate Donald Kreis

Demystifying solar

Get There

BY BOB SANDERS

PAGE 27

The high cost of ignoring employee

Q& A:wellness PAGE Paul8Coll Dean Deb ege orah Merrill-Sand How to map the s of your

Are homebuilders and consume rs warming up to rooftop Learinstallati ning to ons? man

PAGE 33

age people with positive ener gy Do you take this user name and password and to hold? to have PAGE 12

The growth of solar power in New Hampshire has been exponential – roughly doubling over the past two years — but it may have some homebuilders scratching their heads.

PAGE 14 In 2015, 730 people were employed in the solar industry Hampshire, and not all in New (though probably most) were in construction. There are about 23,000 construction jobs.

It’s no wonder contractors are not seeing an overwhelming demand for solar — yet.

“Rare to the point of none at all,” said Russ Collins, owner of Home Innovations Corp. in Epping.

“It’s still a niche.”

DEMYSTIFYING SOLAR, PAGE 13 Photo by Karen Bachelder

How

new overtime rule affectline NH employers s force pipe ing ationwork Buildy-educa initiative aims to develop Companie

BY BETH A. DERAG ON

Industr ees s must cturing employ new regulation comply with next generation of manufa Wescott. on Dec. 1 Titeflex engineer Tom

BY LIISA RAJALA

in Laconia has proTiteflex Aerospace over the International duced parts used all Space Station. see launches and “You know when you a V rockets bringing you see those Atlas the first part moves satellite up, and then enen the second stage away? We make

On Dec.that, gine,” says called for 1, 2016, about a 2½ ident Obama “We do all the plumbing signed a presideyears after Presthe RL 10 rocket.” dum directin Teflonntial memor in flexibleg the anTiteflex specializesto update used inU.S. the Depart rigid tubes regulations defininment of Labor braided hoses and white-collarother jets, g which 747s and workers are plumbing of Boeingby the Fair protected landing lines for Labor Standards including hydraulicminimum wage Act’s oxygen lines and overtim standards, gear, flaps, tail runners, e the PAGE final18 rule take PIPELINE, will WORKFORCE effect. That Above: gives nesses six months to busiA compact, programthe change assess last Since s and becom mable tube bender. compliant. e Manchester Community fall, Coverage offered a tube of the Fair College has forming certificate bor Standa Lafabrication and rds Act is broad:program to meet manufacturers’ Most busine sses are covere needs. including d,workforce non-profit organizations, higher education tions and institustate and local govern ments.

OVERTIME RULES,

PAGE 21

BUSINESS.

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FEATURED INTERVIEW

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FEATURED INTERVIEW

Successful firms offer tips on how7, 2016 24 - JULY it’sJUNE done VOL. 38 • NO. 13

course next initiative

Meet your democratic gubernatorial candidat esNE ONLI

BY BOB SANDERS

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Connolly, Marchand and Van Ostern demonstrate knowledge of business

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operations PAGE 12

There is enough solar energy installed in the state to power

on State pulls plug 4,500 Certificate of Need homes.

BY BOB SANDERS

Venture firm’s summer program hones teens’ tech skills PAGE 11

But some limits on new health care construction remain

A lot of people running for government talk about small businesses, but rarely do you have a race where all the major candidates running in both parties’ primaries – seven in all – have extensive business experience.

Here is a chance to compare the candidates’ history in business, their record business and their positions dealing with on business.

(Editor’s note: We’ll tackle the four Republicans next issue. This issue we will focus on the three running for the Democratic nomination: Mark Connolly, Steve Marchand and Colin Van Ostern.)

Nigerian edu cators turn to NH’s Kn Institute toowledge spread entrepreneur ism

Venturin g O Mark Connolly

PAGE 8

verseas Mark Connolly

has more than after being created, two decades of private Thirty-seven years business experience, though perhaps of Need board held the most the state’s Certificate June 16 and was offi-narrowly focused: securities analysis its last meeting on and fiweeks later. nancial regulations. cially disbanded two raises theThe former Securities Bureau director, ConnolThe demise of the board ly now heads New Castle be a boom in health Investment Advisors, question: Will there where he manages about both in equip$12 million in assets. care facility expansion, when there GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES, ment and construction, PAGE 14 judging whether won’t be any board Six years ago, Dr. Larry Fejokwu initiated a relationsh such things are needed? won’t be lifted Knowledge Instituteip with the The construction cap for Small Business Developm totally, however. ent in Exeter.

Hassan signed Recently the organization On Monday, Gov. Maggie Bradley, Rheld a conference Sen. Jeb that brought a bill sponsored by together educators keep some restricand Wolfeboro, that would government of new medical officials tions on the construction Department from Nigeria. facilities, with the state (Photo by Liisa SerRajala) of Health and Human the vices, as opposed to the CON board, having final word. goes 481 Bill Senate day after the CON into effect July 1, the bill — once dismissed board dies, but the

Opening up ab out BIA

opioids

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pain medica Mirjam IJtsma tion. vices directo , people ser“It’s a big problem. r of Worthe that it isn’t, Anyone telling Industries, said she attend n doesn’t know the Busine she said. their employ you ss and Industr ed ees,” sociation y AsIt’s not just of that more the Workp NH’s “Opioids in died in than 400 New lace” forum 18 in Manch on May oid-related Hampshire last year people about substa ester to learn more has resulte overdoses. Substa from opince abuse d in a nearly About half nce abuse. the state’s $2 billion of the per econo drain sue

Visit NHBR.com nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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HEALTH

Panic Attacks

Symptoms can feel like a heart attack

BY KAREN A. JAMROG

I

magine that you’re squeezing in a quick stop to the grocery store after work, your mind whirring away about a million things, when looking around, you notice that you feel oddly distant from the other people in the store. Your chest tightens and your palms grow clammy as you feel a surge of fear. Your heart begins to race, your breathing quickens and you begin to tremble: Is it a heart attack?

This is what panic attacks can feel like, so closely mimicking heart attack symptoms that they send people rushing to the nearest emergency room. “People honestly believe that they are going to die,” says Meghan Baston, MSN, RN-BC, director of Behavioral Health Services at Elliot Hospital.

Panic attacks are psychological experiences

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with physical components, says Sandra Netto, LICSW, a behavioral health social worker at Elliot Hospital. They are marked by a sudden onset of severe anxiety, typically accompanied by related physiological symptoms such as rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing.

Collectively, anxiety disorders — a category that includes panic attacks — are among the most common mental disorders in the US, according to the National Institute of Mental Health; most people will have one or two panic attacks during their lifetimes, Netto says.

Panic attacks affect more women than men, run in families and can appear to come out of the blue, with no obvious trigger.

“It’s like somebody’s chasing you but there’s nobody there,” says Bill B. Gunn Jr., PhD,

director of Primary Care Behavioral Health/ NH Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency Program at Concord Hospital.

During a panic attack, people sometimes feel detached from themselves, with thoughts of ‘“I’m going crazy,”’ says Gunn. The person’s thinking “feeds on” the physiological symptoms, he says, and the overall experience is like being thrust into “a fight-or-flight response that gets stuck on.”

Panic attacks make “people feel like they need to get out of where they are,” Baston says. They trigger the release of adrenaline and other hormones, which induce the rapid heartbeat, hyperventilation and other hallmark panic attack symptoms. Since there is no easy way for people who have panic attacks to know if they are experiencing bouts of extreme panic or a purely physical problem, however, Baston recommends that panic attack sufferers get checked by a doctor to make sure there is no physical basis for the attacks. “If patients can recognize that they’re having a panic attack and can work through it, that’s wonderful,” but if in doubt, she says, go to an emergency room.

Why panic attacks occur is not fully understood, but stress raises susceptibility, and many people who have panic attacks struggle with other psychological ailments such as post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression or phobias, Baston says. Certain medications and physical attributes can also contribute to the occurrence of panic attacks, as can lifestyle choices. Panic attack sufferers are advised, for example, to avoid smoking, caffeine, alcohol, marijuana and other recreational drugs, which can worsen anxiety and trigger the panic attack response.

Cruelly, worrying about having a future panic attack also raises your risk. For people who have experienced a panic attack, “the anticipatory anxiety about having another one [can be] very high,” Gunn says. In some instances, people grow so fearful of panic attacks that they avoid situations they believe are likely to trigger future episodes. Understandably, they “don’t want to [again] have this feeling that [they are] going to die,” Gunn says. Individuals who have had a panic attack in the past while among a crowd, for example, might avoid going to the supermarket, Gunn says, “or any kind of stores where they just feel like they’ve got to get out of there.”

Medication for panic attacks is used when appropriate as a short-term intervention to lower patients’ anxiety to a point where they

illustration by brittany inglese

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HEALTH

Anxiety disorders — a category that includes panic attacks — are among the most common mental disorders in the US; most people will have one or two panic attacks during their lifetimes. can develop psychological and physical coping skills, Gunn says. Many people also find therapy to be helpful. Therapy can help people recognize the early signs of panic attacks, Gunn says, and learn relaxation strategies that calm the psychological and physiological reaction to the attack. Techniques such as meditation and mindfulness can be practiced regularly to help keep stress levels low, and can be employed as needed to shorten the duration of panic attacks, which typically build to an intense level within minutes. NH

No need to panic Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said there is nothing to fear but fear itself.

For panic attack sufferers, that’s quite an understatement. Many find relief from panic attacks, however, through a form of psychotherapy called cognitive behavioral therapy or “CBT,” which helps determine the underlying factors that drive anxiety, helps prevent or at least minimize future symptoms by identifying and changing harmful thought patterns, and enables people to better manage panic attack symptoms “as they come up,” says Bill B. Gunn Jr., PhD, director of Primary Care Behavioral Health NH/Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency Program at Concord Hospital.

People who struggle with panic attacks should not hesitate to pursue treatment by talking to their primary care doctor, who will refer them to an appropriate therapist or medical provider, says Meghan Baston, MSN, RN-BC, director of Behavioral Health Services at Elliot Hospital. Just as conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure will not go away if left untreated, she says, panic attacks are best addressed rather than ignored. “If you continue to be panicked and be concerned about the reason that you’re feeling this way, the odds that you’re suddenly not going to be panicked anymore are very slim.” Also, panic attack episodes are likely to subside more quickly, Baston says, if you know how to deal with them.

Not sure CBT is for you? Exercise, meditation, deep breathing and other approaches can also help. But the bottom line is, panic attacks are a signal that people should heed. “Your body,” Gunn says, “is telling you that something is not right.”

For more information, Gunn recommends “The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques” by Margaret Wehrenberg. Also check out the National Institutes of Health’s webpage on anxiety disorders: nimh.nih.gov/ health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml.

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SENIORITY

It’s Complicated

Late-life remarriage can be tricky to navigate

BY LYNNE SNIERSON

W

hen a gray divorcée or a widower once again takes the plunge without proper planning, the bridal bouquet might be filled with an awful lot of thorns.

“A late-in-life remarriage can absolutely get complicated,” says Jamie Gillis, an estate planning and elder law attorney with Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC in Manchester.

“Very complicated.” How much of your hardearned assets, if any, do you want to leave to your new beloved if you die first?

What would you like your biological kids to inherit? Or the step-children?

If you die, does your new spouse have the right to remain in the house you own? Even if she moves in a new flame or marries him?

How does the change in marital status

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affect your Social Security, other benefits, pensions and IRAs? Who gets them?

Can your assets be tapped, or even drained, to pay for the long-term nursing care of your new husband?

These are only some of the complex and vexing questions confronting seasoned citizens, especially those who have been married before, who now intend to walk down the aisle again.

Among Americans aged 55-plus, 53 percent are in a second or subsequent marriage, according to Pew Research.

Moreover, the relatively new nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage will drive those numbers higher.

But if you don’t know your legal rights and responsibilities or fix any money mat-

ters up front, it’s a sure bet you’ll run into issues later.

Death, and the very high likelihood that one spouse will outlive the other, is inevitable.

But also consider that the divorce rate among those who remarry in their golden years is 60 percent. That’s far higher than the rate of any other segment of the population, and experts expect it may climb even higher.

“If late-life divorce were a disease, it would be an epidemic,” writes Dr. Jay Lebow, a psychologist at the Family Institute at Northwestern University.

Consequently, before booking the chapel, it’s advisable to answer many of those thorny Qs with the proper Ps: planning, protection, pre-nuptials and post-nuptials.

When it comes to the pre-nups and postnups, they are worth their weight in gold — but only if they’re iron-clad.

“These types of agreements establish rights and obligations not only upon death, but also upon separation or divorce. They carry a presumption of validity, but, as is true of any contract, there is always a risk that they will be challenged or invalidated, so proper drafting and procedure is essential,” says Gillis, a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

It’s tough enough at this stage of the dating game to find that truly special someone with whom you can recapture the magical, magnificent and magnetic power of love, romance and companionship.

But as you’re hopefully heading off to live your happily-ever-after, trying to unify families with adult children and even grandchildren can rip the bloom right off the rose mighty fast.

Make sure your wedding makes you cry for the right reasons.

“Estate planning is particularly important for people who remarry and have the additional complications of blending families and assets. These situations are often ripe for discord, which can result in costly litigation,” says Gillis.

“The situation I see most often [in later-inlife second marriages] is that they each have their respective adult children, are protective of their children and are not necessarily attached to their spouse’s children,” Gillis continues. “There are competing interests where they want to provide for the spouse, but they also want to make sure there is something provided for their children.”

An extremely dicey situation can arise when partners enter into the relationship in

illustration by gloria diianni

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SENIORITY

– Jamie Gillis

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considerably different and disparate financial situations.

Feeling as though he or she is prying, and/ or perhaps deeming oneself to be unworthy, the less-wealthy spouse may be hesitant to even ask about the other’s net worth and holdings. Sometimes, the partner who is more flush doesn’t want to disclose details.

“When one spouse enters a marriage with substantially more assets than the other, the situation is generally more complicated,” says Gillis. “Because whether it is the negotiation of a pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreement or the structuring of a plan, there is one spouse who may be in a stronger position due to the different economic positions. The wealthier party is understandably more likely to want to control the distribution of his or her wealth, which can lead to a host of issues if there is disagreement among the parties or where one spouse feels he or she doesn’t have a voice,” says Gillis.

“Honesty is the best policy” may be trite, but it’s true. Although these discussions and decisions can be difficult, particularly when the partners disagree, openness and transparency are paramount.

Being deceitful, or doing nothing at all while taking the approach, “I’ll be dead, so what do I care?,” only sets up the worst-case scenarios.

“Estate planning requires difficult conversations under the best of circumstances, but it is inevitable that decisions about a person’s health care and the management and distribution of their property will have to be made,” explains Gillis. “The only question is whether the person will participate in the discussion and provide instruction, or leave the family, and possibly the courts, to make the decisions and deal with the aftermath,” adds Gillis. “Nobody likes to have these

conversations, but they are necessary.”

Now that society no longer casts aspersions upon consenting adults cohabitating and women have gained more financial resources and greater financial independence, wouldn’t it be simpler and easier to chuck the pre-nups, skip the wedding and simply live together?

“I’ve never had that happen. Generally, people can work it out,” says Gillis. “They have to focus on the different options.

Anything is really possible, for the most part, within the confines of the law. If I can get people to voice what it is they really want, we can almost always structure a plan around that.” NH

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Here are some essentials to understand: All estate planning documents, including wills, living trusts, durable powers of attorney and healthcare proxies, need to be updated to reflect your new marital status and your current wishes.

You don’t need your spouse’s consent to name someone else as the beneficiary of your IRAs. Your spouse does have rights and benefits to some of your qualified retirement plans, such as 401(k)s and pensions.

If you hold bank accounts and/or other assets jointly with your child, then he or she automatically inherits them.

Under New Hampshire law, if you do not have a plan in place, then your surviving spouse would receive the first $100,000 and half of your remaining intestate estate.

Your spouse may elect to waive any provision made for him or her in the deceased spouse’s will and take instead a fraction of the estate, generally one-third to half, depending upon the composition your family.

If you’re widowed or divorced and remarry before age 60, then the Social Security benefits you collect from your former spouse will be affected.

You are on the hook for the costs of medical care, including long-term care, for your new spouse, and state law applies to wives as well as husbands.

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If you have kids in college or graduate school receiving financial aid, then adding your new spouse’s salary to your family income might affect the amount your child receives.

You can never be too careful or too well-prepared.

Hiring an experienced attorney with expertise in estate planning is money well spent. nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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photo by sarah kenney

LOCAL DISH

Apple Cider Carter Hill Orchard Concord carterhillapples.com

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nhmagazine.com | December 2016

Turkey Kellie Brooke Farm Greenland kelliebrookfarm.com

Apples Gould Hill Farm Contoocook gouldhillfarm.com

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LOCAL DISH

Brined Roast Turkey with Apple Cider Jus This moist, seasonal roast turkey will be the centerpiece of your holiday dinner.

by Sarah Kenney of thymefoodblog.com

2 quarts plus 1 cup apple cider 1 cup kosher salt plus more 1 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar 16 whole black peppercorns 8 whole star anise pods plus more for garnish 6 garlic cloves, smashed 6 scallions, white parts only, trimmed, split lengthwise 6 1/4”-thick slices unpeeled ginger 5 dried shiitake mushrooms 1 cup chestnut mushrooms 2 3-4-inch cinnamon sticks plus more for garnish 2 sprigs cilantro 1 12–14 lb. turkey Freshly ground black pepper 2 Granny Smith apples, cut into sixths Melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil (for basting) Bring 2 quarts cider, 1 cup salt and the next 11 ingredients to a boil in a very large (16-qt.) pot, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Let cool to room temperature. Stir in 1 1/2 gallons cold water.

Add turkey to brine and press down to submerge. (I’ve often put everything into a large unscented plastic trash bag, tied it up and put the bag in a large bucket). Refrigerate overnight.

Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels; discard brine. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a large heavy roasting pan.

Tie the turkey legs together with kitchen twine. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the remaining 1 cup of cider and 3 cups water in roasting pan. Scatter apples around.

Brush turkey liberally with butter. Flip breast side down. Roast turkey, breast side down, basting occasionally, for 1 hour. Using paper towels, flip turkey over. Roast, basting occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°, 1–1 1/2 hours longer.

Transfer turkey to a platter. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, strain the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan, reserving apples. Simmer over medium heat until juices have thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve the cider jus alongside the turkey and apples, and garnish with extra apples, star anise pods and cinnamon sticks.

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OUR FAVORITE EVENTS FOR DECEMBER 2016

get 50 percent off their lift ticket for the day — meaning you can get in your first passes of the year with both your wallet and your heart feeling full. Cannon Mountain Ski Area, 260 Tramway Dr., Franconia. (603) 823-8800; cannonmt.com

12/3

Landmark Benefits Holiday Gala Over the past 13 years, Landmark Benefits' semiannual fundraisers — a golf tournament each June and this gala each December — have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire.

Break out your swankiest duds and prepare for an evening of goodwill and live music from Rare Form. $115. 6 p.m., Manchester Country Club, 180 S. River Rd., Bedford. nh.wish.org Teddy Bear Toss You've seen spectators throw roses and teddy bears on the ice to celebrate great skaters. Now you can try it yourself for a great cause. After the Monarchs score their first goal against the Kalamazoo Wings, the crowd will be asked to toss stuffed animals onto the ice to be donated to local kids in need. In the past two years, the promotion has collected more than 2,000 cuddly creatures — team mascot Max the Lion not included. 6 p.m., SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester. manchestermonarchs.com

12/14

12/3-18 37th Annual Candlelight Stroll The signature event of Portsmouth's Vintage Christmas celebrations, Strawbery Banke's holiday classic encourages families to enjoy a bit of "stopfulness" amid the hectic pace of the season. Watch historical reenactors create scenes of Decembers gone by, and take advantage of complimentary snacks and hot apple cider at the Cider Shed. $7.50-$20. Sat 5 to 9 p.m., Sun 4 to 8 p.m. (plus 5 to 9 p.m. on Dec 16), Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth. (603) 433-1100; strawberybanke.org

FAIRS & FESTIVALS 12/3-11

Wolfeboro Festival of Trees More than 65 exquisitely decorated Christmas trees deck the halls of the Wright Museum for this annual fête.

Marvel at the colorful conifers (spread across two floors) and enjoy live entertainment from local performing groups such as Expressions Dance Academy. $2-$5. Sat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sun 12 to 3 p.m. (plus 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec 7), Wright Museum of World War II, 77 Center St., Wolfeboro.

(603) 948-5504; wolfeborofestivaloftrees.com

12/9-11

Amherst Tree Lighting Festival Lots of towns will have tree-lighting celebrations this month, but Amherst makes the absolute most of theirs.

Festivities begin Friday night when the lights come and continue all weekend with Santa breakfasts, holiday craft demos, concerts and even a wine cellar and art gallery open house at LaBelle Winery. Prices, times and locations vary. amhersttreelightingfestival.weebly.com

12/10-11

20th Annual Inn to Inn Holiday Cookie & Candy Tour Come about as close as you can get to the North Pole experience with this beloved ode to small-town sweets. Country lodges such as North Conway's 1785 Inn and Albany's Darby Field Inn

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open their doors for visitors to taste their best holiday cookies and candies and snag some recipe and décor ideas. Don't forget to vote for the best cookie along the way — the winning inn receives $500 to give to its favorite charity. $30.

11 a.m. to 4 p.m., locations vary. (603) 356-2642; countryinnsinthewhitemountains.com

12/10

SantaCon Manchester Have you ever wanted to throw on a Santa suit and spend an afternoon hopping from bar to bar with a mob of other Kris Kringles? No? Well, whether you could have dreamt it up or not, that unique opportunity is yours with the Queen City's iteration of SantaCon. Join your fellow red-hatted partiers for a crawl through nightlife hotspots, including Strange Brew Tavern and Thirsty Moose Taphouse. Plus, take advantage of food and drink specials for all those in costume. 4 to 11 p.m., downtown Manchester. Facebook

BENEFITS 12/3

Ski for Hunger Food Drive As Cannon Mountain kicks off their ski season, they're offering charitable visitors a can't-miss deal. Any skier who brings along four nonperishable food items for Franconia's Good Neighbor Food Pantry will

Catapult Seacoast Holiday Party The Seacoast's young professional network is pairing their holiday celebration this year with a bit of seasonal giving. An unwrapped toy valued at $10 or more is required for admission, and attendees bringing three or more toys will be entered to win a prize. $10 plus toy. 6 p.m., The One Hundred Club, 100 Market St., Portsmouth. Eventbrite

MUSIC 12/7

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas It's not Christmas until you've dusted off the CD player and spun one of Mannheim Steamroller's 27 holiday albums. This year, though, you can skip the boombox: the kings and queens of neoclassical carols are performing live in Concord. $49-$88.

7:30 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord. (603) 225-1111; ccanh.com

12/10

Christmas with the Celts If you've had your fill of Christmas in New England, get away for a night to soak up the holiday traditions of the Emerald Isle. Step dancers, vocalists and a rollicking band combine with Irish instruments such as the bodhran and uilleann pipes to create an evening of classic holiday music from both sides of the Atlantic. $39-$49. 7:30 p.m., The Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center, 39 Main St., Plymouth. (603) 536-2551; flyingmonkeynh.com

12/11

KSC Chamber Singers & String Ensemble Two of Keene State's premiere music groups join forces for an evening of song promoting Keene's German cultural exchange. A portion of the proceeds from the program, which includes Bach's "A Child Is Born," benefit the town's partner city program with Einbeck, Germany. 3 p.m., Alumni Hall at Redfern Arts Center, 90 Wyman Way, Keene State College, Keene. (603) 358-2168; keene.edu/arts/redfern

12/15-18

The Christmas Revels Our Québécois neighbors have a rich holiday music tradition, and you can watch it come to life in this performance from

photo by ralph morang

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Family Holiday Pops There's no shortage of holiday pops concerts around the state this month, but our favorite is this two-night engagement from the Seacoast's local symphony. Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra's annual spectacle is assisted this year by musical guests Taylor O'Donnell and Chris Klaxton. $12-$25. 7:30 p.m., The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth. (603) 4362400; themusichall.org

This year, the annual holiday concert from the Manchester Choral Society turns its focus to the "music of the spheres." Performing the Bradley Ellingboe masterwork "Star Song" in conjunction with the MCS Chamber Orchestra and 2GMCS children's chorus, the choir presents texts by Whitman, Rilke and more that consider our relationship with all things celestial. For even more holiday tunes, you can catch the group singing Christmas carols at the Currier on December 3. $20-$25. Sat 7 p.m., Sun 3 p.m., Brookside Congregational Church, 2013 Elm St., Manchester. (603) 472-6627; mcsnh.org Ch oi ce

12/20-21

12/10-11 Star Song

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Revels North. A regional cast and chorus and the Québécois trio Genticorum interpret "La Chasse-galerie," the folk tale of a band of explorers seeking to reunite with their sweethearts in time for the holidays. $7.50-$46. Thu 6 p.m., Fri 7 p.m., Sat-Sun 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., Spaulding Auditorium at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 4 E. Wheelock St., Dartmouth College, Hanover. revelsnorth.org

THEATRE & DANCE photo by john herper

12/2-23

"A Christmas Carol" Dickens' classic tale takes center stage in this Palace Theatre tradition.

Enjoy professional acting, live orchestra accompaniment and a lively performance that even the Scrooge in your family is bound to love. $25-$45.

Times vary, Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester. (603) 668-5588; palacetheatre.org

12/2-23

"A Wonderful Life" Based on the Frank Capra film "It's a Wonderful Life," this musical uses the beloved story of George Bailey to remind audiences of the goodness and love that the holidays are all about. $17-$38. Times vary, Seacoast Repertory Theatre, 125 Bow St., Portsmouth.

(603) 433-4793; seacoastrep.org

12/2-18

"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" If you've been a chapter book reader — or a parent or grandparent to one — in the past 45 years, then you've probably encountered Barbara Robinson's "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." The book tells the tale of a group of rough-and-tumble kids who join the Sunday school Christmas pageant, sending it hurtling toward either ruin or salvation. This production brings the novel to the musical theatre stage. $16-$25. Fri-Sat 7:30 p.m., Sun 3 p.m., Jean's Playhouse, 34 Papermill Dr., Lincoln. (603) 745-2141; jeansplayhouse.com

12/3-10

12/9-18

"Elf the Musical" Will Ferrell's holiday laughfest was transformed from movie to Broadway musical in 2010 and, this year, the kids of Peacock Players bring it to the stage in Nashua.

Bring your favorite kid (or kid at heart) to see the show, and settle in for an evening of family-friendly jokes and heartwarming tunes.

Peacock Players Theatre, 14 Court St., Nashua.

(603) 886-7000; peacockplayers.org

SNOW & SOLSTICE 12/10

"The Nutcracker" On page 64 we told you all about Edra Toth, the Boston Ballet prima ballerina-turned-choreographer of Dover's Northeastern Ballet Theatre. You can catch one of their signature productions this month as this classic ballet takes the stage for three shows in Durham and Wolfeboro. $17.50-$20.

Times and locations vary. (603) 834-8834; northeasternballet.org

USASA Rail Jam Winter sports in New Hampshire will really pick up speed after the New Year, but Loon Mountain is giving you a preview of the competition season. In this youth meet from the USA Snowboard & Freeski Association, some of New England's most promising talent will compete for top honors. Loon Mountain, 60 Loon Mountain Rd., Lincoln. (603) 845-8111; loonmtn.com

12/7-17

12/17

"The Santaland Diaries" Peterborough Players kick off their first-ever winter season with this uproarious play from David Sedaris. Based on the humorist's real-life stint working as a department store elf, the show gives viewers a peek behind the scenes of your local Santa photo op.

Leave the kids behind for this one; Crumpet the Elf's exploits are one of the few holiday tales with a PG-13 rating. Wed-Sun 7:30 p.m., Peterborough Players, 55 Hadley Rd., Peterborough.

(603) 924-7585; peterboroughplayers.org

Focus Tour: Winter Wonderlands in the Currier Collection You don't have to go outside to find yourself walking in a winter wonderland. This guided tour will show you all the works in the state's premier art museum that deal with winter and weather. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. (603) 669-6144; currier.org

12/17

Solstice Lantern Festival Just before the shortest day of the year, this new event from

Prescott Farm is a reminder that, come winter solstice, we're back on the upswing toward long hours of summer sun. The festival will celebrate the light's return with a bonfire, a lantern parade and contests for visitors who bring their own homemade lanterns. $3. 4 to 7 p.m., Prescott Farm, 928 White Oaks Rd., Laconia. (603) 3665695; prescottfarm.org

12/21

The Winter Solstice in Legend & Song As you gear up to celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, check out this show to learn all about the traditions of December's nondenominational holiday.

Master storyteller Diane Edgecombe and her musicians weave existing legends and stories with traditional songs and original tunes to create a compelling picture of the year's darkest day. $24-$28. 7 p.m., New Hampshire Theatre Project, 959 Islington St., Portsmouth. (603) 431-6644; nhtheatreproject.org

SHOPPING 12/1

30th Annual Holiday Open House As part of the town's "Ring in the Season" festivities, shops throughout Exeter will open their doors for this promotion, with many offering special discounts or fun family activities just for the open house. There will also be carolers serenading downtown shoppers, a Santa meet-and-greet at the bandstand and opportunities to ride the brand-new Exeter Express roaming railroad. 4 to 8 p.m., downtown Exeter. (603) 772-2411; exeterarea.org nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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Downtown Holiday Market Members of the downotwn Manchester workforce will now have no excuse not to finish their Christmas shopping.

With a stellar lineup of artisans and crafters setting up shop in the middle of Brady Sullivan Plaza, this market may be the easiest place in the state to pick up a thoughtful handmade gift while you're on your lunch break. Thu 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (plus 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec 10), Brady Sullivan Plaza, 1000 Elm St., Manchester.

(603) 645-6285; intownmanchester.com

12/4

Mill Falls Marketplace Holiday Open House The shops and businesses of this lovely lakefront complex open their doors for a day full of shopping, caroling and holiday fun. Pick up gifts from the Country Carriage and Lake Winnipesaukee gear from Great Northern, then hop on the event's horse-drawn carriage for a leisurely afternoon ride. 12 to 4 p.m., Mill Falls Marketplace, 312 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith. (603) 279-7006; millfalls.com

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A Very Merry Holiday To keep the whole family entertained with age-appropriate fun, try this seasonal festival at Bretton Woods. Kids can mix and mingle with Santa at a mocktail party, adults can attend an ugly sweater soirée for charity and theatre buffs can enjoy daily holiday entertainment culled from your favorite Broadway musicals by Not Your Mom's Musical Theatre. Omni Mount Washington Resort, 310 Mount Washington Hotel Rd., Bretton Woods. (800) 843-6664; omnihotels.com/ mtwashington

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Holiday Open House, Craft Fair and Book Sale Stock up on gifts for the nature lover in your life with this NH Audubon shopping event. A number of local artisans will be onsite selling their wares, and you can peruse the used book sale and snack on provided refreshments. Audubon members attending the event get an added perk — 20 percent off all purchases in the center's nature store. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., NH Audubon McLane Center, 84 Silk Farm Rd., Concord. (603) 224-9909; nhaudubon.org

12/17-18

Santa's Stocking Stuffer Craft Fair Procrastinators, this one's for you! The last event of the year from Joyce's Craft Shows, this fair carries both stocking-friendly small gifts and larger items including quilts, gourmet food and holiday floral arrangements. Sat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., North Conway Community Center, 2628 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway.

(603) 528-4014; joycescraftshows.com

NEW YEAR'S EVE 12/31

Family New Year's Eve Celebration Kids get their own chance to watch the clock strike "midnight" at this family-friendly fête. The museum sets up a glitter ball and counts down to its drop three times throughout the day, so you and your little ones can ring in 2017 without staying up late or suffering through Carson Daly's TV hosting. Free with museum admission. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Children's Museum of New Hampshire, 6 Washington St., Dover. (603) 742-2002; childrens-museum.org

12/31

Fireworks Summer isn't the only season when Hampton Beach is set alight with fireworks. Bundle up and hit the boardwalk for the town's last oceanside light show of 2016. 8 p.m., Hampton Beach. hamptonbeach.org

12/31

courtesy photo

12/1-15

Casino Royale — A Black Tie Affair For the grandest New Year's party in the state, you need a grand hotel. Attendees of this swanky celebration will be handed champagne before they even walk in the door, will feast on a four-course gourmet dinner, and can take advantage of an open bar and classic casino games all night long.

Good riddance, 2016! 6 p.m., Wentworth by the Sea, 588 Wentworth Rd., New Castle. (603) 4227322; wentworth.com

Find additional events at nhmagazine.com/ calendar, even more fun winter things to do at nhmagazine.com/winter and our guide to the holiday season at nhmagazine.com/holiday-guide-to-new-Hampshire. Submit events eight weeks in advance to Sarah Cahalan at scahalan@nhmagazine.com or enter your own at nhmagazine.com/calendar. Not all events are guaranteed to be published either online or in the print calendar. Event submissions will be reviewed and, if deemed appropriate, approved by a New Hampshire Magazine editor.

Through 12/31 Gift of Lights Remember when your parents used to cram you and your siblings in the station wagon to drive around snooping on the neighbors' Christmas lights? This is that drive on steroids. More than 400 light displays illuminate New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and spectators are urged to drive the route (including the infield tunnel and part of the track's road course) and gawk to their hearts' content. $20. 4:30 to 9 p.m. daily, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 1122 NH-106, Loudon. (603) 783-4931; nhms.com

photo courtesy of nhms/alan macrae

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Quick Hits

The featured events in the calendar are some of our very favorites of the month, but they’re certainly not the only things going on. Check out this list for more great December events and, as always, find up-to-the-minute event listings at nhmagazine.com/calendar.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS 12/2-4

18th Annual Festival of Trees Exeter

12/2-4

Altrusa Festival of Trees Center Harbor altrusameredithnh.org

12/3

Holiday Open House at the Millyard Museum Manchester manchesterhistoric.org

12/3

Holiday Celebration Lebanon recreation.lebnh.net

12/3

70th New Castle Village Christmas Fair

PERFORMING ARTS

12/16-17

12/3-4

Portsmouth virtuerecords.com

Strafford christmasinstrafford.com

Ed Gerhard's 34th Annual Christmas Guitar Concert

12/4

Holidays Around the World Keene keenepops.org

12/18

12/4

Ballet Misha Presents The Nutcracker

Wizards of Winter Plymouth flyingmonkeynh.com

Manchester balletmisha.com

12/9

12/26

Nebraska Theatre Caravan: A Christmas Carol

Chanukah at the Palace

Keene thecolonial.org

Manchester palacetheatre.org

12/9-11

SHOPPING

Portsmouth Pro Musica Holiday Concert

12/2-1/2

Portsmouth ppmnh.org

Annual WREN Member Small Works Show

12/10

Bethlehem wrenworks.org

Boston Pops Holiday Concert Manchester snhuarena.com

12/2

12/10-14

Durham unh.edu/makersexpo

UNH Makers Expo

Noël

Various Seacoast amarecantare.com

12/3

12/16

Milford milfordimprovementteam.org

Milford Holiday Craft Fairs

Handel's Messiah

Manchester stjosephcathedralnh.org

27th Annual Christmas in Strafford

12/5-6

40th Annual Craft Fair Hudson gfwchudsonjuniors.club

12/10

Holly Jolly Craft Fair Nashua joycescraftshows.com

NEW YEAR'S EVE 12/31

Noon Year's Eve Manchester currier.org

12/31

First Night Portsmouth Portsmouth proportsmouth.org

12/31

New Year's Eve Dinner Bedford bedfordvillageinn.com

12/31

New Year's Eve Partybration Jefferson santasvillage.com

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nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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Page 1 DINE OUT

Good Eats OUR GUIDE TO FINE DINING

NH Made is New Hampshire’s leading promoter of great things made here. Visit www.nhmade.com to find everything from handmade stoneware pottery and cozy sweaters to specialty foods and home décor.

Take Pride in N.H. Visit www.nhmade.com for a list of the state’s finest specialty foods

TRY OUR NEWEST LOCATION 270 GRANITE STREET MANCHESTER

Bedford Village Inn 2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford (603) 472-2001 bedfordvillageinn.com

www.giorgios.com

Each room at the Bedford Village Inn is decked out for the holidays.

Dining with the holiday spirit It’s holiday time, and no place gets more into the spirit than the Bedford Village Inn. Each year, owners Jack and Andrea Carnevale take the time to make sure every nook and cranny of the inn is decorated with full holiday spirit, from the sunny porch to the cluster of dining rooms to Corks Wine Bar and the Tavern.

New this year is The Grand, with additional guest rooms and a public lobby bar. Special Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus are planned, and what’s New Year’s Eve without 106

nhmagazine.com | December 2016

a grand meal? A delightful four-course, prix-fixe dinner ($75) starts with an amusebouche and is followed by six selections for appetizers, including lobster bisque or steak tartare. Then it’s onto a choice of two refreshing salads and the selection of entrées, which range from filet mignon to bouillabaisse and Scottish salmon. Desserts, of course, are top-notch, but the Tuxedo Cheesecake looks especially satisfying. Reservations are necessary. NH

photo by susan laughlin

1 AM

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Our restaurant listings include Best of NH winners and advertisers along with others compiled by the New Hampshire Magazine editorial department. Listings are subject to change from month to month based on space availability. Expanded and highlighted listings denote advertisers. For additional and more detailed listings, visit nhmagazine.com.

H Best of NH

$ Entrées cost less than $12 B Breakfast H Best of NH L Lunch 2016 Reader’s Poll D Dinner $$$$ Entrées cost b Brunch more than $25 $$$ Entrées cost between ( Reservations recom2016 Editor’s Picks

$18 and $25

mended

$$ Entrées cost between

New – Open for one year or less

$12 and $18

MERRIMACK VALLEY 900 Degrees H

PIZZERIA 24 Calef Hwy., Brickyard Sq., Epping; (603) 734-2809; 50 Dow St., Manchester; (603) 641-0900; 900degrees.com; $–$$$ L D

Bar One

GASTROPUB 40 Nashua St., Milford; (603) 249-5327; Facebook; $–$$ L D

Barley House Restaurant and Tavern H

TAVERN/AMERICAN 132 North Main St., Concord; (603) 228-6363; 43 Lafayette Rd., N. Hampton; (603) 379-9161; thebarleyhouse.com; $–$$ L D New location in N. Hampton.

Bedford Village Inn H

AMERICAN 2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford; (603) 472-2001; bedfordvillageinn.com; $$–$$$$ B L D

The Birch on Elm

NEW AMERICAN/TAPAS 931 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 782-5365; Facebook; $–$$ L D

Buckley’s Bakery & Café

CAFÉ 438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack; (603) 424-0995; buckleysbakerycafe.com; $ B L

Buckley’s Great Steaks

STEAKHOUSE 438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack; (603) 424-0995; buckleysgreatsteaks.com; $–$$$$ D (

Café Momo

HIMALAYAN/NEPALESE 1065 Hanover St., Manchester; (603) 6233733; cafemomonh.us; $–$$ L D

Canoe

AMERICAN 216 South River Rd., Bedford; (603) 935-8070; 232 Whittier Hwy., Center Harbor; (603) 253-4762; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com — Great home-style cooking with an upscale flair from the same restaurant group as O Steaks & Seafood and Suna. $$–$$$ D (

Cotton H

WE ARE THE

AMERICAN 75 Arms St., Manchester; (603) 622-5488; cottonfood.com; $$–$$$$ L D (

PARTY PEOPLE!

The Crazy Goat

INTERNATIONAL 76 North Main St., Concord; (603) 856-7181; the-crazygoat.com; $-$$$ L D

Cucina Toscana

ITALIAN 427 Amherst St., Nashua; (603) 821-7356; cucinatoscananashua.com; $ L D (

The Foundry H

AMERICAN/FARM-TO-TABLE 50 Commercial St., Manchester; (603) 836-1925; foundrynh.com — The décor pays homage to the historic mill building it calls home. Find upscale and comforting dishes such as housemade pasta, bouillabaise and steak frites as well as lighter fare, bar snacks and a nice cocktail and wine list. $$-$$$ D b

Fratello’s Italian Grille H

ITALIAN 155 Dow St., Manchester; (603) 624-2022; 194 Main St., Nashua; (603) 889-2022; 799 Union Ave., Laconia; (603) 528-2022; fratellos. com; $–$$ L D New location in Nashua.

Friendly Red’s Tavern

AMERICAN 22 Haverhill Rd., Windham; (603) 437-7251; redstavern. net — Great comfort food that ranges from steaks and burgers to seafood and mac and cheese. At the bar, they serve a selection of local beers on draft and in bottles. $–$$ L D

Gale Motor Co. Eatery

• Event space with private 48 tap bar • Customizable function menu • No room fee with minimum food order Book your event at www.taphousenh.com/parties 1292 Hooksett Rd., Hooksett, NH • 603-782-5137

SMALL PLATES 36 Lowell St., Manchester; (603) 232-7059; galemotoreatery.com; $–$$$ D (

Giorgio’s Ristorante

MEDITERRANEAN 707 Milford Rd., Merrimack; (603) 883-7333; 524 Nashua St., Milford; (603) 673-3939; 270 Granite St., Manchester; (603) 232-3323; giorgios.com — Ignite your passion for food with sumptuous décor and expansive menus that feature Mediterranean food with an American sensibility. Merrimack’s martini bar and gourmet pizza and Milford’s Meze bar have a menu that offers something for everyone. $$–$$$ L D (

Have a Pickity Holiday!

Discover the warmth and magic of Pickity Place this holiday season.

Granite Restaurant

NEW AMERICAN 96 Pleasant St., Concord; (603) 227-9000; graniterestaurant.com; $$–$$$$ B L D b (

Grazing Room at the Colby Hill Inn

AMERICAN 33 The Oaks St., Henniker; (603) 428-3281; colbyhillinn.com; $$– $$$$ D ( Under new ownership

Gyro Spot

GREEK 1037 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 218-3869; thegyrospot.com; $LD

Hanover St. Chophouse H

STEAKHOUSE 149 Hanover Street, Manchester; (603) 644-2467; hanoverstreetchophouse.com; $$$–$$$$ L D (

Hooked

SEAFOOD 110 Hanover St., Manchester; (603) 606-1235; hookednh.com; $$–$$$ D

Lobster Q

SEAFOOD/BBQ 416 Emerson Ave., Hampstead; (603) 329-4094; lobsterq.com; $–$$$ L D (

k December Menu k Dip: Sweet Pepper and Onion Soup: Mulligatawny Salad: Fruits and Roots with Ruby Red Vinaigrette Bread: Herbed Ciabatta Entrée: Roasted Boursin Chicken Thigh — or— Entrée: Sweet Onion Souffle over Julienne of Savory Vegetables Side: Best Available Dessert: Chocolate Silk Pie with Crushed Candy Canes

Open 10-5 pm everyday Luncheon seatings 11:30, 12:45 and 2:00 Reservations Recommended

603-878-1151 Pickityplace.com

nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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603 LIVING Local Moose Cafe

FARM-TO-TABLE/CAFÉ 124 Queen City Ave., Manchester; (603) 2322669; thelocalmoosecafe.com; $–$$ BLb

Lui Lui H

DINE OUT

Pasquale’s Ristorante

ITALIAN 145 Raymond Rd., Candia; (603) 483-5005; 87 Nashua Rd., Londonderry; (603) 434-3093; pasqualeincandia.com; $–$$ L D New location in Londonderry

Pig Tale H

ITALIAN 8 Glen Rd., West Lebanon; (603) 298-7070; 259 Daniel Webster Hwy, Nashua; (603) 888-2588; luilui.com; $–$$ L D (

PIZZERIA 449 Amherst St., Nashua; (603) 864-8740; pigtalepizza.com; $–$$ L D

Mangia

Stella Blu

TAPAS 70 East Pearl St., Nashua; (603) 578-5557; stellablu-nh.com; $$–$$$ D

Surf Restaurant H

SEAFOOD 207 Main St., Nashua; (603) 595-9293; 99 Bow St., Portsmouth; (603) 334-9855; surfseafood.com; $$–$$$$ D b

Taj India

SEACOAST

900 Degrees H

PIZZERIA 24 Calef Hwy., Brickyard Sq., Epping; (603) 734-2809; 50 Dow St., Manchester; (603) 6410900; 900degrees.com; $–$$$ L D

5 Thai Bistro

THAI 40 Pleasant St., Portsmouth; (603) 373-8871; 5thaibistro.com; $–$$ L D

7th Settlement

ITALIAN 33 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 647-0788; gomangia.com; $–$$ D (

Republic H

MEDITERRANEAN 1069 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 666-3723; republiccafe.com; $–$$$ L D

INDIAN 967 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 606-2677; 47 E. Pearl St., Nashua; (603) 864-8586; tajindia.co; $–$$ L D New location in Nashua

BREW PUB 47 Washington St., Dover; (603) 373-1001; 7thsettlement. com; $–$$ L D

Mint Bistro

Ronaldo’s

Tek-nique

Applecrest Farm Bistro H

FUSION 1105 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 625-6468; mintbistronh.com; $$–$$$ L D (

ITALIAN 69 Lafayette Rd. North Hampton; (603) 964-5064; ronaldosrest.com; $-$$ D (

NEW AMERICAN 170 Rte. 101, Amherst; (603) 488-5629; restaurantteknique.com; $$-$$$ D b

FARM-TO-TABLE 133 Exeter Rd.; Hampton Falls; (603) 926-3721; farmbistro.com; $–$$ B L

MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar

Roots at Robie’s Country Store

Tuscan Kitchen H

Black Trumpet Bistro

ITALIAN 67 Main St., Salem; (603) 952-4875; tuscan-kitchen.com; $$–$$$ L D b

INTERNATIONAL 29 Ceres St., Portsmouth; (603) 431-0887; blacktrumpetbistro.com; $$–$$$$ D (

Veranda Martini Bar & Grille

Brazo

AMERICAN 212 Main St., Nashua; (603) 595-9334; mtslocal.com; $–$$$ L D

CAFÉ 9 Riverside St., Hooksett; (603) 485-7761; rootsatrobies.com; $–$$ BLD

My Sister’s Kitchen

Shira Kiku

RUSSIAN 286 Elm St., Milford; (603) 672-7202; Facebook; $ B L

ASIAN 13 Broad St., Nashua; (603) 882-8644; kikunh.com; $–$$ L D (

AMERICAN/INTERNATIONAL 201 Hanover St., Manchester; (603) 6272677; verandagrille.com; $–$$ L D

LATIN 75 Pleasant St., Portsmouth; (603) 431-0050; brazorestaurant. com; $$–$$$$ D (

O Steaks & Seafood

South Side Tavern

Villaggio Ristorante H

BRGR BAR

STEAKHOUSE/SEAFOOD 11 South Main St., Concord; (603) 856-7925; 62 Doris Ray Court, Lakeport; (603) 524-9373; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com — Steak and fresh seafood are specialties, but other dishes are available such as the longtime favorite, lobster macaroni and cheese. Excellent wine list. $$–$$$ L D

TAVERN 1279 S. Willow St., Manchester; (603) 935-9947; southsidetavernnh.com — Grab a drink and a classic appetizer such as nachos, fried pickles or wings, or venture on to the sandwiches and entrées including wraps, burgers, chicken parm, mac and cheese or seared salmon.

MORE INFO & TICKETS: NHBEERCLUB.COM

NH

BEER

ITALIAN 677 Hooksett Rd., Manchester; (603) 627-2424; villaggionh. com; $–$$ L D (

AMERICAN 34 Portwalk Place, Portsmouth; (603) 294-0902; brgrbar.com; $–$$ b

XO on Elm H

Bridge Street Bistrot

FUSION/SMALL PLATES 827 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 206-5721; xoonelm.com; $–$$$ L D (

INTERNATIONAL 64 Bridge St., Portsmouth; (603) 430-9301; bridgestreetbistrot.com; $$–$$$ L Db(

The Boston Pops return to Manchester!

C LU B

Join the Club!

MONTHLY BEER TASTINGS FEATURING D LOCAL BREWERIES FROM AROUND THE STATE AND TASTY FOOD PAIRINGS.

WHEN: Third Monday of every month 6:30-8 p.m.

WHERE: New England’s Tap House Grille 1292 Hooksett Rd., Hooksett TICKETS: $30; $10 goes to a local nonprofit WHAT’S ON TAP: Tuckerman Brewing Co., Conway – November 21 Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery North Woodstock – December 19 MOAT Mountain, North Conway – January 16 Rockingham Brewing Co., Derry – February 20 Great Rhythm Brewing Company Portsmouth – March 20 Stoneface Brewing Company, Newington – April 17 Litherman’s Limited Brewery, Concord – May 15

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nhmagazine.com | December 2016

Join the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and Conductor Keith Lockhart for their beloved Holiday Pops concert. Capturing the magic of the Christmas season and the winter charms of New England, the Boston Pops will perform their signature Sleigh Ride, holiday classics, and new arrangements of seasonal favorites. They are joined by the Metropolitan Chorale, one of Metro Boston’s premier choral ensembles.

Santa will make a guest appearance.

December 10th at 7:30pm

Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or call (800) 745-3000 Limited cabaret table seats available!

Group and table sales: (603) 644-5000 ext. 6008

SNHU Arena.com • (603)644-5000 555 Elm St. • Manchester, NH 03101

DINE OUT

CAVA

Martingale Wharf

TAPAS 10 Commercial Alley, Portsmouth; (603) 319-1575; cavatapasandwinebar.com; $–$$$ L D

NEW AMERICAN 99 Bow St. Portsmouth; (603) 431-0901; martingalewharf.com; $$$–$$$$ L D (

Carriage House

Mombo

AMERICAN 2263 Ocean Blvd., Rye; (603) 964-8251; carriagehouserye. com; $$-$$$ D (

INTERNATIONAL 66 Marcy St., Portsmouth; (603) 433-2340; momborestaurant.com; $$–$$$ L D (

CR’s the Restaurant

Moxy H

AMERICAN 287 Exeter Rd., Hampton; (603) 929-7972; crstherestaurant. com; $$-$$$ L D (

Cure

NEW AMERICAN 189 State St., Portsmouth; (603) 427-8258; curerestaurantportsmouth.com; $$-$$$ L D (

Dante’s Bistro

The Oar House

The Pasta Loft H

PIZZA/ITALIAN 220 East Main St., Hampstead; (603) 378-0092; 241 Union Sq., Milford; (603) 672-2270; pastaloft.com; $–$$ L D

Revolution Taproom and Grill

NEPALESE/HIMALAYAN 10 Market St., Portsmouth; (603) 294-0107; durbarsquarerestaurant.com $-$$ L D(

GASTRO PUB 61 North Main St., Rochester; (603) 244-3022; revolutiontaproomandgrill.com; $-$$ L D

Epoch

Ristorante Massimo

NEW AMERICAN 2 Pine St., Exeter; (603) 772-5901; theexeterinn.com; $$$–$$$$ B L D b (

ITALIAN 59 Penhallow St., Portsmouth; (603) 436-4000; ristorantemassimo.com; $$-$$$ D (

Flatbread Company H

Ron Jillian’s

Franklin Oyster House H

SEAFOOD 148 Fleet St., Portsmouth; (603) 373-8500; franklinoysterhouse. com; $-$$$ D

The Galley Hatch

AMERICAN 325 Lafayette Rd., Hampton; (603) 926-6152; galleyhatch. com; $-$$ B L D

ITALIAN 853 Lafayette Rd. Hampton; (603) 929-9966; ronjillians.com; $-$$ L D

Row 34

SEAFOOD 5 Portwalk Place, Portsmouth; (603) 319-5011; row34nh. com; $-$$$ L D b (

Rudi’s

NEW AMERICAN 20 High St., Portsmouth; (603) 430-7834; rudisportsmouth.com $$$-$$$$ L D b (

Savory Square Bistro

Green Elephant H

EUROPEAN 32 Depot Square, Hampton; (603) 926-2202; savorysquarebistro.com $-$$$ L D (

Hayseed at Smuttynose H

JAPANESE 2454 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth; (603) 319-1638; shiorestaurant.com; $-$$ L D

VEGETARIAN 35 Portwalk Place, Portsmouth; (603) 427-8344; greenelephantnh.com; $–$$ L D

Shio H

BREW PUB 105 Towle Farm Rd., Hampton; (603) 436-4026; smuttynose.com/restaurant; $–$$ L D

NEW AMERICAN 37 Water St., Exeter; (603) 778-3923; Facebook; $–$$$ D

Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café

Street

Station 19

SEAFOOD 150 Congress St., Portsmouth; (603) 766-3474; jumpinjays. com; $$$–$$$$ D (

INTERNATIONAL 801 Islington St., Portsmouth; (603) 436-0860; Streetfood360.com; $ L D b

The Kitchen

Surf Seafood H

AMERICAN/CAFÉ 171 Islington St., Portsmouth; (603) 319-8630; thekitchennh.com; $–$$ L D

SEAFOOD 99 Bow St., Portsmouth; (603) 334-9855; surfseafood.com; $$–$$$$ D

The Library

Tinos Greek Kitchen H

STEAKHOUSE 401 State St., Portsmouth; (603) 431-5202; libraryrestaurant.com; $$–$$$$ L D b (

GREEK 325 Lafayette Rd., Hampton; (603) 926-6152; tinosgreek.com; $–$$ D b

Louie’s H

Vida Cantina

ITALIAN 86 Pleasant St., Portsmouth (603) 294-0989; louiesportsmouth. com; $$–$$$ D (

MEXICAN 2456 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth; (603) 501-0648; vidacantinanh.com; $–$$ L D

La Maison Navarre H

The Wellington Room

CAFÉ 121 Congress St., Portsmouth; (603) 373-8401; mnpastry.com; $ B L D

By Sarah Cahalan

AMERICAN 110 Main St., Newmarket; (603) 292-5893; oakhousenewmarket.com; $–$$ L D

Domo

PIZZERIA 61 High St., Hampton; (603) 926-6111; 138 Congress St., Portsmouth; (603) 436-7888; 2760 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 356-4470; flatbreadcompany. com $–$$ L D

The skinny on Hanover’s new crêperie — you’ll find far more than breakfast

Oak House

SEAFOOD/AMERICAN 55 Ceres St., Portsmouth; (603) 436-4025; portsmouthoarhouse.com; $$–$$$$ L D b (

Durbar Square Restaurant

Try This Restaurant

TAPAS 106 Penhallow St., Portsmouth; (603) 319-8178; moxyrestaurant.com; $$–$$$ D (

ITALIAN 567 Calef’s Hwy, Barrington; (603) 664-4000; dantespasta.com; $$ L D ( ASIAN 96 State St., Portsmouth; (603) 501-0132; domoportsmouth. com; $$ L D

603 LIVING

NEW AMERICAN 67 Bow St., Portsmouth; (603) 431-2989; thewellingtonroom.com; $$$–$$$$ D (

L

ocated just off Main Street, The Skinny Pancake is a formidable new addition to the college town’s already lively dining scene. The name alludes not so much to the calorie counts on the restaurant’s menu as to its primary dish: crêpes — or, as the uninitiated may be inclined to describe them, skinny pancakes. While the crêperie does offer an impressive roster of its namesake food, it’s equally notable as a community space. The seating area allows studiers at secluded tables and social groups in the rustic/industrial-styled dining room to coexist, and 8 a.m.-to-late night hours provide a versatility that few other restaurants can match.

One of the spot’s most appealing elements, though, is also perhaps the most surprising in a space that proudly boasts all-day breakfast: its nightlife. A large bar sits in the center of the restaurant, offering nearly two dozen regional craft beers on tap, and a nearby chalkboard advertises almost daily live entertainment. That’s right: In one little restaurant, you can order a chocolate-filled breakfast crêpe at any hour, wash it down with local beer, and listen to live music and comedy.

While the setup certainly appeals to a college-kid clientele, the quality food and lively atmosphere make The Skinny Pancake worth a visit for Upper Valley residents and visitors of all ages.

If a restaurant is going to center

itself around crêpes, it had better be sure its crêpes are top-notch — and these are. The menu offers nearly two dozen varieties, both savory and sweet, meaning you’re unlikely to get tired of the dish. The wackier options range from a cornmeal crêpe stuffed with local pulled pork, caramelized onions and Cabot cheddar to an over-the-top dessert offering featuring a crêpe stuffed with a brownie and served with ice cream. On my visit, I opt for the more subdued Apples and Brie, and find it just right. The apples (sourced locally) retain a satisfying crunch, and, to my delight, the snacky-sounding dish is savory and hefty enough to keep me full all afternoon.

If you do want something more substantial than a crêpe, though, the restaurant offers plenty of other options, as well. Groups can chow down on appetizers including fried cheese curds and potato skins.

Paninis and burgers are available, and vegetarians are well-accommodated with a list of hearty salads and a tempting bean burger in addition to the many vegetarian and vegan crêpe and breakfast offerings.

The next time you’re in downtown Hanover, you should certainly give this new kid on the block a try.

The Skinny Pancake, 3 Lebanon St., Hanover. (603) 227-9115; skinnypancake. com. Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sun through Tues, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wed and Thurs and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri and Sat nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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603 LIVING WHYM Craft Beer Café

GASTROPUB 3548 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth; (603) 501-0478; whymportsmouth.wordpress.com; $$–$$ L (weekends only) D

LAKES

Bayside Grill and Tavern

AMERICAN 51 Mill St., Wolfeboro; (603) 894-4361; baysidegrillandtavern.com; $–$$ L D

Camp

AMERICAN 300 DW Hwy., Meredith; (603) 279-3003; thecman.com $–$$ D

Canoe

AMERICAN 216 South River Rd., Bedford; (603) 935-8070; 232 Whittier Hwy., Center Harbor; (603) 2534762; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup. com — Great home-style cooking with an upscale flair from the same restaurant group as O Steaks & Seafood and Suna. $$–$$$ D (

DINE OUT Laconia; (603) 527-8007; laconialocaleatery.com; $–$$ D (

Mise en Place

ITALIAN/AMERICAN 96 Lehner St., Wolfeboro; (603) 569-5788; miseenplacenh.com; $$-$$$$ L D (

The New Woodshed

AMERICAN 128 Lee Rd., Moultonborough; (603) 476-2700; newwoodshed.com; $–$$$ D

O Bistro at the Inn on Main

AMERICAN 200 North Main St., Wolfeboro; (603) 515-1003; innnewhampshire.com/our-bistro — Elegant yet comfortable inn setting with a menu that features dishes in the same upscale comfort food theme as O Steaks and Seafood. $$–$$$ D

O Steaks & Seafood

AMERICAN 22 Main St., Center Sandwich; (603) 284-6219; cornerhouseinn.com $$ L D b (

STEAKHOUSE/SEAFOOD 11 South Main St., Concord; (603) 856-7925; 62 Doris Ray Court, Lakeport; (603) 524-9373; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com — Steak and fresh seafood are specialties, but other dishes are available such as the longtime favorite, lobster macaroni and cheese. Excellent wine list. $$–$$$ L D

Crystal Quail

Tavern 27 H

Corner House Inn Restaurant

AMERICAN 202 Pitman Rd., Center Barnstead; (603) 269-4151; crystalquail.com; $$$–$$$$ D (

TAPAS/PIZZA 2075 Parade Rd., Laconia; (603) 528-3057; tavern27. com; $–$$ L D (

Faro Italian Grille

Wolfe’s Tavern H

ITALIAN 7 Endicott St. N., Laconia; (603) 527-8073; faroitaliangrille.com; $$ D (

Fratello’s Italian Grille H

NEW ENGLAND TAVERN 90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro; (603) 569-3016; wolfestavern.com; $$–$$$ B L D b (

MONADNOCK

ITALIAN 155 Dow St., Manchester; (603) 624-2022; 194 Main St., Nashua; (603) 889-2022; 799 Union Ave., Laconia; (603) 528-2022; fratellos. com; $–$$ L D New location in Nashua.

ITALIAN 1 Jaffrey Rd., Peterborough; (603) 924-6633; bantam-peterborough.com; $$–$$$ D (

Garwood’s

Bellows Walpole Inn Pub

Bantam Grill H

AMERICAN 6 North Main St., Wolfeboro; (603) 569-7788; garwoodsrestaurant.com; $–$$ L D (

INTERNATIONAL/AMERICAN 297 Main St., Walpole; (603) 756-3320; bellowswalpoleinn.com; $$ L D (

Hart’s Turkey Farm H

Del Rossi’s Trattoria

AMERICAN 233 DW Highway, Meredith; (603) 279-6212; hartsturkeyfarm.com; $–$$ L D (

ITALIAN Rte. 137, Dublin; (603) 5637195; delrossis.com $$–$$$ D (

Hobb’s Tavern & Brewing Co.

BREW PUB 222 West St., Keene; (603) 355-3335; elmcitybrewing. com; $–$$$ L D

BREW PUB 2415 White Mountain Hwy., West Ossipee; (603) 5392000; hobbstavern.com; $–$$ L D

Homestead Restaurant and Tavern

AMERICAN 1567 Summer St., Bristol; (603) 744-2022; 641 DW Highway, Merrimack; (603) 429-2022; homesteadnh.com; $–$$ D

Kathleen’s Cottage

IRISH PUB 90 Lake St., Bristol; (603) 744-6336; kathleenscottagenh.com; $–$$ L D

Lago

ITALIAN 1 Rte. 25, Meredith; (603) 279-2253; thecman.com; $$ L D

Lavinia’s

AMERICAN 18 Main St., Center Harbor; (603) 253-8617; laviniasdining. com; $–$$$ D (

Lemongrass

ASIAN 64 Whittier Hwy., Moultonborough; (603) 253-8100; lemongrassnh.net; $–$$ L D

Local Eatery H

FARM-TO-TABLE 21 Veterans Sq.,

110

nhmagazine.com | December 2016

Elm City Brewing

Fireworks

ITALIAN/PIZZERIA 22 Main St., Keene; (603) 903-1410; fireworksrestaurant.net; $–$$ D (

Fox Tavern at the Hancock Inn

TAVERN 33 Main St., Hancock; (603) 525-3318; hancockinn.com $-$$$ L D(

Fritz, The Place to Eat

AMERICAN 45 Main St., Keene; (603) 357-6393; fritztheplacetoeat.com; $ L D

The Grove at the Woodbound Inn

AMERICAN 247 Woodbound Rd., Rindge; (603) 532-4949; woodbound.com; $$–$$$ B L D b (

Harlow’s Pub

PUB 3 School St., Peterborough; (603) 924-6365; harlowspub.com; $–$$ L D

Lee & Mt. Fuji

ASIAN 50 Jaffrey Rd., Peterborough; (603) 626-7773; leeandmtfujiatboil-

erhouse.com; 314 Main St., Marlborough; (603) 876-3388; leeandmtfuji. com; $–$$ L D (

Luca’s Mediterranean Café

MEDITERRANEAN 10 Central Sq., Keene; (603) 358-3335; lucascafe. com; $$–$$$ L D (

Marzano’s Trattoria

ITALIAN 6 School St., Peterborough; (603) 924-3636; marzanostrattoria. com; $–$$ L D (

Nicola’s Trattoria

ITALIAN 51 Railroad St., Keene; (603) 355-5242; Facebook; $$$–$$$$ D

The Old Courthouse

NEW AMERICAN 30 Main St., Newport; (603) 863-8360; eatatthecourthouse.com; $$–$$$ L D b (

Papagallos Restaurant

ITALIAN/MEDITERRANEAN 9 Monadnock Hwy., Keene; (603) 3529400; papagallos.com; $–$$ L D (

Pearl Restaurant & Oyster Bar

ASIAN 1 Jaffrey Rd., Peterbrough; (603) 924-5225; pearl-peterborough.com $$–$$$ D (

Pickity Place

LUNCH 248 Nutting Hill Rd., Mason; (603) 878-1151; pickityplace.com — A historic and lovely place to lunch.

Fresh, local ingredients are used.

Three seatings at 11:30 a.m., 12:40 p.m. and 2 p.m. $$ L (

Canoe Club Bistro

AMERICAN 27 South Main St., Hanover; (603) 643-9660; canoeclub. us; $–$$ L D (

Coach House

AMERICAN 353 Main St., New London; (603) 526-2791; thenewlondoninn.com/the-coach-houserestaurant;$ $–$$$$ D (

Flying Goose Brew Pub H

BREW PUB 40 Andover Rd., New London; (603) 526-6899; flyinggoose.com;. $–$$ L D

Inn at Pleasant Lake

PRIX FIXE 853 Pleasant St., New London; (603) 526-6271; innatpleasantlake.com; $58 D (

Latham House Tavern

TAVERN 9 Main St., Lyme; (603) 795-9995; lathamhousetavern.com $–$$ L D

Lou’s Restaurant H

AMERICAN 30 South Main St., Hanover; (603) 643-3321; lousrestaurant.net; $-$$ B L D

Lui Lui H

ITALIAN 8 Glen Rd., West Lebanon; (603) 298-7070; 259 Daniel Webster Hwy, Nashua; (603) 888-2588; luilui.com; $–$$ L D (

Market Table

Piedra Fina H

FARM-TO-TABLE 44 Main St., Hanover; (603) 676-7996; markettablenh.com; $–$$ B L D b

Restaurant at Burdick’s H

AMERICAN 74 Newport Rd., New London; (603) 526-4201; 74mainrestaurant.com; $–$$ L D b

LATIN 288 Main St., Marlborough; (603) 876-5012; piedrafina.com; $–$$ L D ( FRENCH 47 Main Street, Walpole; (603) 756-9058; burdickchocolate. com; $–$$$ L D b (

The Spice Chambers

INDIAN 31 Winter St., Keene; (603) 3529007; spicechambers.com; $-$$ L D (

The Stage H

AMERICAN 30 Central Sq., Keene; (603) 357-8389; thestagerestaurant. com; $-$$ L D

Sunflowers Restaurant

NEW AMERICAN 21 Main St., Jaffrey; (603) 593-3303; sunflowerscatering. com;. $-$$$ B L D b

Thorndike’s Restaurant & Parson’s Pub

AMERICAN/PUB The Monadnock Inn, 379 Main St., Jaffrey; (603) 532-7800; monadnockinn.com; $–$$$ D (

Waterhouse

AMERICAN 18 Water St., Peterborough; (603) 924-4001; waterhousenh.com; $-$$$ L D b (

DARTMOUTH/ LAKE SUNAPEE Base Camp Café H

NEPALESE 3 Lebanon St., Hanover; (603) 643-2007; basecampcafenh. com; $-$$ L D

Bistro Nouveau

AMERICAN The Center at Eastman, 6 Clubhouse Lane, Grantham; (603) 863-8000; bistronouveau.com; $–$$$$ L D (

Candela Tapas Lounge

TAPAS 15 Lebanon St., Hanover; (603) 277-9094; candelatapas.com; $$-$$$ D (

Millstone at 74 Main

Molly’s Restaurant

AMERICAN 11 South Main St., Hanover; (603) 643-4075; mollysrestaurant.com; $$–$$$ L D b (

Murphy’s

AMERICAN 11 South Main St., Hanover; (603) 643-4075; murphysonthegreen.com; $$–$$$ L D b (

Peter Christian’s Tavern

TAVERN 195 Main St., New London; (603) 526-4042; peterchristianstavernllc.com; $–$$ L D b

Peyton Place

AMERICAN 454 Main St., Orford; (603) 353-9100; peytonplacerestaurant.com; $$ D (

PINE at the Hanover Inn

AMERICAN 2 South Main St., Hanover; (603) 643-4300; hanoverinn. com/dining.aspx; $$$–$$$$ B L D b (

Poor Thom’s Tavern

TAVERN 19 Bean Rd., Meriden; (603) 469-3400; poorthomstavern.com; $–$$ D

Revolution Cantina

CUBAN AND MEXICAN 38 Opera House Square, Claremont; (603) 504-6310; Facebook; $-$$ L D b

Salt Hill Pub

PUB 7 Lebanon St., Hanover; (603) 676-7855; 58 Main St., Newport; (603) 863-7774; 2 W. Park St., Lebanon; (603) 448.-4532; 1407 Rte. 103, Newbury; (603) 763-2667; salthillpub.com; $-$$ L D

Stella’s Italian Kitchen

ITALIAN 5 Main St., Lyme; (603) 795-4302; stellaslyme.com; $–$$ L D

603 LIVING

DINE OUT Suna

AMERICAN 6 Brook Rd., Sunapee; (603) 843-8998; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com — The latest restaurant by NH’s own Chef Scott Ouellette and Andy Juhasz. Expect the same level of elevated fare along the lines of Ouellette’s famous lobster macaroni and cheese, award-winning sweet and sour calamari and much more. $$–$$$ D (

Taverne on the Square

AMERICAN 2 Pleasant St., Claremont; (603) 287-4416; claremonttaverne. com/home.html; $–$$$ L D

Three Tomatoes Trattoria

ITALIAN 1 Court St., Lebanon; (603) 448-1711; threetomatoestrattoria. com; $–$$ L D

Tuk Tuk Thai Cuisine

THAI 5 S. Main St., Hanover; (603) 277-9192; tuktukthaicuisine.com; $–$$ L D (

NORTH COUNTRY Bailiwicks

AMERICAN 106 Main St., Littleton; (603) 444-7717; bailiwicksfinerestaurant.com; $-$$$ L D (

The Beal House Inn

DELI/PUB 2 W. Main St., Littleton; (603) 444-2661; thebealhouseinn. com; $$-$$$ D Under new ownership

Biederman’s Deli & Pub H

DELI/PUB 83 Main St., Plymouth; (603) 536-3354; biedermansdeli.com; $ L D

Black Cap Grille

Jonathon’s Seafood

Schilling Beer Co.

AMERICAN 1498 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 3562225; blackcapgrille.com; $-$$ L D

SEAFOOD/AMERICAN 280 East Side Rd., North Conway; (603) 447-3838; jonathonsseafood.com; $–$$$ L D (

BREW PUB 18 Mill St., Littleton; (603) 444-4800; (603) 444-4800; schillingbeer.com; $-$$ L D

Black Mountain Burger Co.

Libby’s Bistro & SAaLT Pub

Shannon Door Pub

AMERICAN 264 Main St., Lincoln; (603) 745-3444; blackmtnburger. com $-$$ L D

NEW AMERICAN 115 Main Street on Rte. 2, Gorham; (603) 466-5330; libbysbistro.org; $$–$$$ L D (

IRISH PUB Rte. 16 and 16A, Jackson; (603) 383-4211; shannondoor.com; $-$$ L D

Chef’s Bistro H

Margarita Grill

Shovel Handle Pub

NEW AMERICAN 2724 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 3564747; chefsbistronh.com; $-$$ L D

MEXICAN Rte. 302, Glen; (603) 3836556; margaritagrillnh.com; $–$$ L D

Delaney’s Hole in the Wall

IRISH PUB 3002 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 3567005; maykellys.com; $–$$ L D (

AMERICAN/ASIAN 2966 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 356-7776; delaneys.com; $–$$ L D

Flatbread Company H

PIZZERIA 61 High St., Hampton; (603) 926-6111; 138 Congress St., Portsmouth; (603) 436-7888; 2760 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 356-4470; flatbreadcompany. com $–$$ L D

Foster’s Boiler Room

AMERICAN 231 Main St., Plymouth; (603) 536-2764; thecman.com $–$$ L D

Gypsy Café

INTERNATIONAL 111 Main St., Lincoln; (603) 745-4395; gypsycaferestaurant.com; $–$$ L D

Horse & Hound Inn

AMERICAN/TAVERN 205 Wells Rd., Franconia; (603) 823-5501; horseandhoundnh.com; $$–$$$$ L D (

Italian Farmhouse

ITALIAN 337 Daniel Webster Hwy., Plymouth; (603) 536-4536; thecman. com; $–$$ D

May Kelly’s Cottage

PUB 357 Black Mountain Rd., Jackson; (603) 383-8916; shovelhandlepub.com; $-$$ L D

Six Burner Bistro

Moat Mountain Smokehouse H

AMERICAN 13 South Main St., Plymouth; (603) 536-9099; sixburnerbistro.com; $-$$ L D

One Love Brewery H

NEW AMERICAN 136 Stewart Rd., Eaton Center; (603) 447-­2818; snowvillageinn.com; $$$–$$$$ D (

BREW PUB 3378 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 356-6381; moatmountain.com; $–$$ L D ( BREW PUB 25 South Mountain Dr., Lincoln; (603) 745-7290; onelovebrewery.coml $–$$ L D

Rainbow Grille & Tavern H

AMERICAN/TAVERN 609 Beach Rd., Pittsburg; (603) 538-9556; rainbowgrille.com — Serving a variety of comfort food from seafood to ribs. The tavern serves appetizers, hearth-baked pizzas and sandwiches. $–$$ D (

Red Parka Steakhouse & Pub

STEAKHOUSE 3 Station St., Glen; (603) 383-4344; redparkapub.com; $–$$ L D

Rustic River

AMERICAN 5 Main St., North Woodstock; (603) 745-2110; rusticriverrestaurant.com; $-$$ L D

The Snowvillage inn

Tony’s Italian Grille & Pub

ITALIAN 3674 Rte. 3, Thornton; (603) 745-3133; $$ L D (

Tuckerman’s Restaurant

TAVERN 336 Rte 16A, Intervale; (603) 356-5541; tuckermanstavern.com; $–$$ D

The Wayside Inn

EUROPEAN 3738 Main St., Bethlehem; (603) 869-3364; thewaysideinn.com; $$–$$$ D (

Woodstock Brewery H

BREW PUB Rte. 3, North Woodstock; (603) 745-3951; woodstockinnnh. com; $–$$ L

Find an expanded dining guide at nhmagazine.com/food. Want the latest food news?

Sign up for Cuisine E-Buzz by sending an email request to ebuzz@nhmagazine.com.

nhmagazine.com | December 2016

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603 LIVING

Quaint the Town

A Colonial Christmas, minus the disease and horse manure

T

he day after Thanksgiving, the missus said, “Let’s do something different.”

I was excited and a little worried — my back isn’t what it used to be — but then she said, “Let’s go to Historic Quaintsburg.”

Quaintsburg is one of those living history museums where they recreate Colonial life in a New Hampshire town, except without all the disease and horse manure.

During the holidays, they do “Christmas in Quaintsburg,” which she thought would be fun. Personally, I’d rather stand in line at the DMV, but she caught me off-guard, heavily sedated with turkey as I was.

Next thing I know, there we were, touring a village full of old houses that look just like yours would if you had a team of carpenters, painters, and interior decorators working for you full-time. These places had been decked out with enough holly, ivy and fake snow to give a nervous twitch to anyone who isn’t a fan of that Pinterest thing on the interweb.

The tour started at the schoolhouse, where folks were making vintage Christmas gifts, like a pomander made from an orange decorated with cloves — the kind of thing you gave your Aunt Edith when you were young, which her kids discovered after she

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nhmagazine.com | December 2016

BY FRED MARPLE died and wondered why she had a shrunken head in her underwear drawer. Another oldtime activity involved making Christmas cards for mailing to friends and family just like people did back in the 1990s.

After that, we wandered into Ye Olde Gifte Shoppe, where they sell reproductions of antique items made by the village’s basket makers, tinsmiths, potters and other liberal arts majors still trying to find themselves. I thought about picking up a Christmas present for the missus until I checked the prices and got that dizzy feeling I get whenever I’m about to spend more money on a handmade bar of soap than I did for my first car.

We ate lunch at Colonel Fleabane’s Tavern, where they were advertising a holiday buffet of authentic fare from the past: tripe, boiled tongue, dandelion greens and other dishes guaranteed to make you feel a whole lot better about the Big Mac you ate the other day. Then we stopped by Gramma’s Bakery, where they were whipping up traditional holiday goodies like Winter Wafers, a hearty cookie with the delicate flavor and texture of architectural shingles.

Later, we joined some Christmas carolers — folks in period costumes that smelled of only slightly of mothballs — as they

went from house to house singing while the townsfolk inside reenacted the historic tradition of pretending not to be home.

Finally came the candlelight stroll to the meetinghouse, where there was a live nativity scene with sheep, goats and a donkey.

That was fine until one of the wise men kneeled down in a present that the donkey had deposited next to the manger and said a few words that, while accurate, weren’t exactly appropriate in front of the baby Jesus. (The wise man, not the donkey.) Inside the meetinghouse, we gathered around a live Christmas tree complete with actual candles, which let us relive the thrill and excitement of worrying that the whole place was going to burn down.

Yes, there’s no place like Historic Quaintsburg for the holidays.

Except possibly the DMV, which can be quite nice this time of year. NH

Fred Marple is the non de plume of Ken Sheldon, humorist, author and creator of the fictional town of Frost Heaves. Read all about “the most under-appreciated town in New Hampshire” in his new book, “Welcome to Frost Heaves.” It’s available at frostheaves.com.

illustration by brad fitzpatrick

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