New Hampshire Magazine September 2022

N E W H A M P S H I R E M AG A Z I N E

WHY WE LOVE VANITY PLATES | MULTIDAY BIKE TREKS | ROCK ON, NORTH COUNTRY MUSIC

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SEPTEMBER 2022 U FO E N CO U N T E R S W E L O V E VA N I T Y P L AT E S

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M U LT I D AY B I K E T R E K S

September 2022

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The Incident at Exeter The Betty and Barney Hill Abduction A Reporter on the North Country UFO Beat J.W. Ocker on Disclosure The Bold Return of the Exeter UFO Festival

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New Hampshire Magazine® is published by McLean Communications, Inc., 150 Dow St., Manchester, NH 03101, (603) 624-1442. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any mistakes in advertisements or editorial. Statements/opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect or represent those of this publication or its officers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, McLean Communications, LLC.: New Hampshire Magazine disclaims all responsibility for omissions and errors. New Hampshire Magazine is published monthly, with the exception of February and April. USPS permit number 022-604. Periodical postage paid at Manchester 03103-9651. Postmaster send address changes to: New Hampshire Magazine, P.O. Box 37900, Boone, IA 50037-0900 PRINTED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Contents IMAGES BY: THOMAS MISSERT / DARREN GARNICK / TAJ BORG / CHRISTOPHER ZIGMONT / CRG PHOTOGRAPHY / COURTESY PETALS IN THE PINES / COURTESY GARY MACLEAN

44

First Things

54

603 Navigator

September 2022

64

603 Informer

603 Living

8 Editor’s Note 10 Contributors Page 12 Feedback

Features 42 Transcript

Reporter Daymond Steer Talks UFOs and Politics.

by David Mendelsohn

44 Rock On

The North Country Music Scene is a Mecca of Talent for You to Enjoy.

by Brion O’Connor

54 Granite Staters Celebrate Their Vanity Plates

Part Word Game, Part Entertainment, These New Hampshire Plates Deserve Recognition.

14 Bike Tour Prep

How You Can Prepare for a Multiday Pedal

by Brion O’Connor

20 Our Town

Making Waves in Franklin

by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers

28 Granite State Comicon

Where Imagination Runs Wild

by Robert Cook

34 Blips

by Darren Garnick

A Taste of Scotland

64 Unexplained Fantastical Observations

by Casey McDermott

36 Politics

The Free State Project

Alien Adventures Abound in the Granite State.

by James Pindell

by Bonnie Meroth and J.W. Ocker with photography by David Mendelsohn

38 What Do You Know?

Riding With Outlaws

by Marshall Hudson

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 78 Ask the Experts: Wills and Estate Planning

24 Food & Drink

The Scottish Gourmet

by Gary Maclean

40 First Person

BIGGEST Fish EVER Caught in Merrymeeting Lake

by Elizabeth Howard

ON THE COVER New Hampshire has a storied history with all things UFO and alien.

Read more on page 64. Cover illustration by EFKS/PhotoLab

74 Monarch Magic

10th Annual Monarch Festival at Petals in the Pines

by Emily Heidt

82 Calendar

Summer Events

edited by Emily Heidt

84 Health

Are You in It For the Long Haul?

by Krysten Godfrey Maddocks

86 Seniority

The Cost of Widowhood

by Lynne Snierson

88 Ayuh

Sized Up

by Rebecca Rule

Volume 36, Number 7 ISSN 1532-0219 nhmagazine.com | September 2022 7

EDITOR’S NOTE

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“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend,” said the newspaper editor, Maxwell Scott, in “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” Those words took on new meaning for me as this issue, with a focus on UFOs, came into existence.

B

And, as a result of so many years of downryce Zabel, investigative journalist play, dismissal and outright mockery aimed and Hollywood producer, takes at those who study the UFO phenomenon, exception to that Wild West editor’s it’s easy to see why respectable scientists and contention, and with it, potentially, much of journalists (and politicians) have steered what appears in our cover story this month. clear of the topic entirely.

I know because he told me so in a recent What prompted my call to Zabel was his interview for a sidebar to our cover story (it attempt to correct the official record for one appears on page 73). of New Hampshire’s (and the world’s) most I can’t disagree with his concern. Once a famous UFO cases: the Interrupted Journey story has been publicly told, however badly, of Betty and Barney Hill — two Portsmouth that version becomes a foundation and a refresidents who got pulled over by a flying sauerence point. Our history is so full of embedcer on Route 3 near Lincoln while returning ded inaccuracies, many dating back to source from a honeymoon in Canada. That “official” documents from decades and centuries past, record was not carved in stone, but it was that it’s reasonable to say anything you think cast in metal as a New Hampshire Historiyou know about the past is probably wrong — cal Highway Marker. It’s hard to accurately at least in the details. capture a moment of history in just 92 words, My goal in pulling together another story but Zabel thought he could do better and on the UFO phenomenon was to simply offered a rewrite. refresh memories in such a heady time for He explained that his main motive was all lovers of the unknown, all gazers at the to remove any suggestion that the original night sky, and all fans of “The X-Files” and story of the Hills’ abduction was somehow its spinoffs. This year, the Twittersphere and “leaked,” when, in fact, it was the tenacious, Redditiverse are abuzz with hints and rumors shoe-leather investigation of reporter John suggesting that 75 years of official brush-offs, Luttrell that confirmed the Hills’ accounts psyops, ridicule and cursory investigations and revealed a story unlike any told before. (since the Roswell, New Mexico, “crash”) are Saturday Review columnist John G. Fuller about to end. Disclosure of what the government knows (or what it can admit) is at hand. swept in later and wrote what has become the definitive account of that episode. (He also, Indeed, it won’t take much to turn this coincidentally, penned “The Incident at Exeter,” story into the biggest news in human history. a book on our state’s other world-famous UFO Just one irrefutable item of evidence — say a encounter.)

But in Fuller’s reporting, there piece of advanced technology made by somewere factual errors imposed, says Zabel, by one (or something) nonhuman — would editorial choice.

The words “anal probe” hadn’t open the floodgates for every discipline of yet become acceptable party talk in those days, science, politics, religion and philosophy. so they were omitted, and the image of Barney The term “extraterrestrials” that’s usually grabbing a gun from his car (Fuller substitutapplied to whoever is piloting the UFOs is ed a tire iron) may have seemed untoward for morphing into a much more flexible and a Black man in the 1960s. provocative title, “ultraterrestrials.”

Corrections to the marker are underway, But something about the study of UFOs so wherever the UFO story takes us in the (I know, the goverment calls them UAPs coming months and years, it will be good now, but so what?) seems to always lead into to look back on all the misinformation and twisty-turny passages or into dark, uncharted outright deception it’s endured and say, well, waters or simply off into the shifting maze at least we got one thing right. of government bureaucracy where the point gets lost and the players all start to feel a little foolish, or deceived.

PHOTO BY LYNN CROW PHOTOGRAPHY

The UFO Legend Lives On

Contributors

Longtime New Hampshire Magazine contributor Darren Garnick, who writes this month’s vanity license plate story, is fascinated by roadside attractions and travel kitsch, so this month’s feature was a true labor of love for him. His “Mazel Tov” vanity plate on his Kia Soul (above) means “good luck” or “congratulations” in Hebrew.

Follow Darren’s obsessions on Instagram @cultureschlock.

for September 2022

This month’s “First Person” essay was written by Elizabeth Howard, journalist and host of the Short Fuse Podcast (on Apple Podcasts and Spotify).

The Granite State Comicon story was written by our own Robert Cook, whose byline has appeared in New England publications for 30 years.

Frequent contributor Brion O’Connor wrote our feature story on North Country Music and our Navigator guide to multiday biking.

Humorist Rebecca Rule is our regular “Ayuh” contributor. She has written a number of books for both children and adults.

See more at rebeccarule.com.

Travel writer and journalist Bonnie Meroth wrote our UFO lead story. Her work has appeared in many national magazines and newspapers.

Photojournalist Allegra Boverman took the photos for our story on vanity plates. See more at allegrabovermanphotography.zenfolio.com.

About | Behind the Scenes at New Hampshire Magazine Longtime employees of New Hampshire Magazine can vividly remember the first day in our Manchester office space at 150 Dow Street here in the city’s millyard. It was September 11, 2001. We had just relocated our computer servers so staff could set up their workstations when, that same morning, the world began to reel from the terrorist attacks on New York’s World Trade Center and the subsequent attacks on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Since then, we’ve shared so many experiences with our readers from the red-brick-ensconced security of our main office.

But now, that’s about to change as we move all the way to the other end of the millyard where we’ll relocate into the red-brick-ensconced security of the Waumbec Building. We’ll be set up in a smaller space, reflective of the changes in work habits that Covid-19 inspired but with the advantages that Waumbec provides, like an assortment of odd shops and service companies as neighbors and the excellent Waterworks Café right downstairs. Our new address will be 250 Commercial St., Suite 4014, Manchester, NH 03101 (but call ahead if you’d like to drop by for a visit).

10 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

PHOTO BY PETER NOONAN

Saying Goodbye to 150 Dow (and Hello to the Waumbec Mill)

THE GIN TO CELEBRATE THE QUEEN’S JUBILEE

A

ll year long, New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet customers can toast the Queen’s milestone of 70 years on the throne with the award-winning Highclere Castle Gin, Dubonnet and a splash of champagne. Look for the stunning purple bottle that sports the Highclere Castle throughout the Granite State. Highclere Castle Gin is available in 30 countries, at the finest restaurants, retail stores, hotels and through e-commerce to 40 US states, the UK and 27 EU countries. The Jubilee cocktail recipe can be found on Highclere Castle Gin’s website at HighclereCastleGin.com.

Enjoying this unique spirit that is meticulously crafted in England with headquarters in New England will bring gin lovers as close as possible to royal celebrations taking place throughout the United Kingdom and the world. Highclere Castle Gin was originally created at its namesake estate in Hampshire, England — a 5,000-acre estate which has been the country seat of the Earl of Carnarvon since 1679. One of the world’s most famous homes, it rose to international fame as the main filming location for the Emmy award-winning period drama, Downton Abbey, and the motion picture with the sequel, released in May 2022.

Through the centuries, Highclere Castle has hosted royalty, celebrities, statesmen and prominent artists, and Lord and Lady Carnarvon continue to do so today. Having served gin at the castle to welcome guests for over 100 years, Highclere Castle Gin was created using botanicals from the Victorian gardens to liquify the “true spirit” of Highclere Castle and share it with the world.

The 5th Earl sponsored and accompanied archaeologist Howard Carter during the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, and Highclere currently hosts a museum exhibit based on the expedition. Highclere Castle hosts more than 135,000 visitors annually. The current Lady Carnarvon has released multiple New York Times Bestsellers,

including “At Home: Entertaining at the Real Downton Abbey” and her recent book, “Seasons at Highclere.” To learn more about Highclere Castle, visit highclerecastle.co.uk.

“Our family has lived at Highclere Castle since 1679, when gin first came to England’s shores. Today, Highclere Castle Gin is inspired by botanicals chosen by hand from the castle’s ancient herb gardens, including lavender first planted in the ninth century by the Bishops of Winchester. With a delicate balance of juniper, lime flower, orange peel and lavender, it is the true essence of Highclere’s ancient estate,” according to Earl and Countess of Carnarvon.

Highclere is light and citrusy with notes of lavender, coriander and cardamom.

Highclere Castle Gin was launched in 2019 and quickly spread throughout the US, UK and Europe, with e-commerce delivery to homes in 30 countries. It has garnered 62 international spirit awards for flavor and design, with multiple 96+ score ratings. Parade Magazine has called the gin “incredibly smooth,” with Rolling Stone mentioning “It’s delicious in cocktails… you’ll understand why Highclere has garnered prestigious awards all over the globe.”

Highclere Castle Gin was launched through a partnership with the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and global spirits entrepreneur, Adam von Gootkin, who had regional success in New England with his whiskey and moonshine distillery in Connecticut. Adam’s

LADY CARNARVON RECOMMENDS: “HER LADYSHIP” COCKTAIL

50ml Highclere Castle Gin 22.5ml Lavender Syrup 22.5ml Lemon Juice Half an Egg White

From the first glance at Highclere Castle Gin’s royal purple bottle to the last sip of your cocktail, you will experience the synergy that flows from its unmistakable taste rooted in history and tradition and savored by England’s nobility and royalty.

family history in distilling spirits goes back to the 1800s. The company is focused on delivering “The Perfect Gin” to consumers, with the goal of becoming the most awarded gin in the world. To buy a bottle, learn more or discover their favorite cocktail recipes, visit HighclereCastleGin.com.

“We are leading the way into the roaring twenties with a luxury spirit brand steeped in history, prestige, heritage and pedigree. We are excited to invite our friends and fans around the world to play a part in Highclere’s legacy and future,” said company CEO von Gootkin.

To elevate its spirit even more, Highclere Castle Gin recently launched a global crowdfund campaign on Wefunder.com inviting fans and consumers to join the Highclere Castle Gin journey. To learn more about this investment opportunity, please visit wefunder.com/ highclere.castle.gin.

Luis, the Head Butler, shares the proper way to make this refreshing cocktail:

Add all ingredients to a shaker full of ice. Shake and strain into glass, leaving the ice in the shaker.

Cheers!

REQUEST YOUR BOTTLE OF HIGHCLERE CASTLE GIN TODAY.

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 11

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Feedback

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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.

Hello! From Phoenix

Picnic on Thunder Bridge

PHOTO BY MARSHALL HUDSON

Hello! This is my first year as a New Hampshire Magazine subscriber and I’m feeling pretty proud.

As a former New Hampshire resident (22 years in the Manchester area and vacationer in Wolfeboro), I am so happy to see beautifully described in your magazine so many of my favorite places.

Not to mention the endearing history of the Mount Washington!

I may be living in the southwest but my heart will always be in New Hampshire.

You are first class. Thank you!

Ruth Ellen Muri, Phoenix, Arizona

Another Bristol Booster Your story about “Booming Bristol” was spot on.

It is a beautiful town that is now a destination point in the Lakes Region. I would like to share a couple other places of note, not mentioned in the story.

Woodman’s Brewery, on Peaked Hill Road, serves some of the finest beer in New Hampshire.

It is also one of the most unique stops for a beer you will find. A very unassuming place run by a very nice family out a quiet dirt road. I highly recommend it.

Riverview Artisans on Central Square is a gallery of New Hampshire artisans. The quality of the work is high, and the store has a wonderful feel to it.

Two more reasons to visit Bristol!

Don Weisburger, Orford

She Loves NH (and Catches Typos)

12 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

I got invited down to Chichester’s annual “Picnic on Thunder Bridge” in July. By my count there were about 30 people there, but people were still coming and going when I left.

Ruth Hammen (center, above) was the main speaker and she told us about the history of the bridge and their efforts to save it and restore it. Because it was a picnic you were supposed to bring your own sandwiches and potato salad, but there was homemade blueberry bread, cookies, lemonade, and watermelon provided. I indulged in the blueberry bread and it was tasty. The speaker read excerpts from a diary written by a laborer working on the bridge when it was being constructed long ago. Just your typical summer evening picnic in the middle of a bridge. — Marshall Hudson, Parts Unknown, NH Editor’s Note: Marshall Hudson, who writes our regular “What Do You Know” department, got invited to this event after publishing his write up on Chichester’s unique Thunder Bridge way back in our May 2018 issue. We asked him to tell us how it went and he filed this report.

Q3 2022

We met several years and I feel like I know you as I’m an avid fan of New Hampshire magazine and thoroughly read and enjoy every issue. As a lifelong summer visitor to Chautauqua Institution in New York State, I was thrilled to see you use the reference for the Best of NH Party [Editor’s Note, July].

Someone else may have already pointed this out to you, but it is the “ChaUtauqua” movement. Lots of vowels, for sure. I wouldn’t have taken the time to write you if the typo was just once in your editor’s note but since it was all through the column, I wanted to note the correct spelling.

Chautauqua is a great place but it is an even better “movement.” The message of Chautauqua that Americans have more in common and are indeed united — full of talent, hope, and excitement for the future — is more important than ever.

Thanks for making this reference and for hosting the Best of New Hampshire party. This celebration is needed now more than ever.

Keep up the great work.

Sign me “I love NH.” Cathy Schmidt, Bedford

ENLIVEN YOUR SENSES WITH CARIBBEAN FOOD

WMUR ANCHOR MONICA HERNANDEZ

NH WELCOMES 72 NEW U.S. CITIZENS

603DIVERSITY Samuel’s Journey A NEW DOCUMENTARY FILM BY A 22-YEAR-OLD DISABLED FILMMAKER MAPS THE ROCKY ROAD TO INCLUSION.

SPECIAL CONTENT (for subscribers only): You may have noticed that the cover mentions subscribers-only content. That would be our current issue of 603 Diversity Magazine, which subscribers will find included in the magazine after page 8. Our latest publication is dedicated to sharing the stories at the intersections of business and culture in New Hampshire’s diverse communities.

If you’d like to learn more (or order a copy), visit 603diversity.com. Want to automatically receive 603 Diversity Magazine along with New Hampshire Magazine? Subscribe online at nhmagazine.com/subscribe or call (877) 494-2036.

illustration by brad fitzpatrick

Spot four newts like the one here hidden on ads in this issue, tell us where you found them and you might win a great gift from a local artisan or company.

To enter our drawing for Spot the Newt, visit spotthenewt.com and fill out the online form.

Or, send answers plus your name and mailing address to: Spot the Newt c/o New Hampshire Magazine 150 Dow St., Manchester, NH 03101

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You can also email them to newt@nhmagazine.com or fax them to (603) 624-1310.

The August “Spot the Newt” winner is Julie Grippo of Rumney.

August issue newts were on pages 7, 25, 31 & 101.

NEED A GOOD REASON FOR SPOTTING THE NEWT?

The September prize is a gift certificate for $50 to use online at nhmade. com or at the New Hampshire Made Store, 28 Deer St., Portsmouth. New Hampshire Made is our state’s official promoter of products and services created here in the Granite State, and the online store and downtown shop are packed with delightful gifts and specialty foods made with Granite State pride. nhmade.com

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603 Navigator

14 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Our Town 20 Food & Drink 24

Bike Tour Prep Preparing for a Multiday Pedal

BY BRION O’CONNOR / PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER ZIGMONT

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ZIGMONT

I

’ve always assumed my affinity for autumn was connected to my being an October baby. I love the cooler temps, the absence of irritating bugs, and, of course, the kaleidoscope of colors. When my childhood cravings for adventure turned to two-wheeled treks, I appreciated that there were generally fewer cars on the road compared to the summertime.

But fall cycling — specifically touring in New England — has its own idiosyncrasies. The sun drops quicker, and it typically takes the temperatures with it. Leaf peepers can still clog major roads, which is why, more and more often, I’ll take the road less traveled. In order to meet those challenges, cyclists eager to start touring need to heed certain precautions, and make certain preparations.

For those trips, we tapped Christopher Zigmont of Exeter, owner of The Alternate Route, a boutique outfitter that organizes handcrafted adventures called “Small Batch Cycling.” The 57-year-old Zigmont has been immersed in the cycling world, spending “more than 25 years providing neutral racing service at the world’s biggest and smallest races, from the Olympics and the Tour de France to the Portsmouth Criterium.” The Alternate Route, he says, was formed during the pandemic, when many people couldn’t get their bikes fixed, with “the mission of providing field trips, provisions and service for adventurous riders.”

Here are his “top tips” to make sure your next multiday pedaling adventure is a successful one.

Be prepared Zigmont’s knack for thorough planning dates back to his childhood.

“I was a Boy Scout, and I still carry lessons I learned as a young teen,” he says.

“I’ve always camped. I really believed the Scout motto, ‘Be prepared,’ matters. It’s easy to get into trouble when you’re not prepared, and easy to have a great time when you are.”

Zigmont’s best pre-ride advice falls into two categories — you and your bike. The key question is this: “Are you both up to the adventure?”

First is the rider (since it takes longer for the human body to get ready for a long jaunt). Ideally, you’ve been pedaling, and can ramp up the mileage in the weeks before your multiday trek.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

– Albert Einstein

“Plan additional ride time to accommodate for rest stops if you’re worried about the distances,” says Zigmont. “Remember that riding with 20 or more pounds of gear takes additional effort, so best not to aim for your longest journey yet unless you’ve trained for it.”

Still, don’t be discouraged if you haven’t been riding as much. Just be sure to adjust your expectations accordingly. “It’s plenty fun to do as little as 25 or 35 miles a day for your first outing,” says Zigmont. “There’s great satisfaction in multiday rides, and arriving at each destination with your wits intact keeps it enjoyable.”

Second is your trusty steed. The old adage “A good craftsman never blames his tools” applies. Responsible cyclists don’t fault their bicycles for mishaps. Zigmont recommends having your bike tuned properly. nhmagazine.com | September 2022 15

Whether you’re following friends or riding solo, a GPS unit like a Wahoo Elemnt (pictured above) or a Garmin will help keep you heading in the right direction.

Pay special attention to brake pads, a crisp chain and cassette, tire wear, and inspect all the parts with bearings. If you’re running tubeless tires, check the sealant.

“Personally service what you confidently know how to do, and get professional service for the rest,” he says. “You really should become intimate with your tires and wheels, and how to service them. Know how to repair your chain. When you’re touring or bikepacking, your bike will be under higher loads than normal. Knowing how to use the tools for these two repairs is critical.”

16 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

What you need Gear is an essential component of bike touring. While the basic bicycle is still celebrated for its simplicity and elegance, a multiday ride is anything but simple. That’s especially true during autumn in New England.

“Your gear list will vary depending on several elements of your planned trip, including proximity to civilization, paved versus unpaved, duration of your trip, lodging type — hotel or B&B, hut, tent — your geographic region, and seasonal weather,” says Zigmont. “If you’re on an organized

tour, you may have to carry very little, as the tour operator will look after you. Self-guided or with an operator, you should be ready for at least the basics.”

Zigmont breaks “gear” down into the following categories — tools, electronics, bags, clothing, and nutrition (including water).

Recommended tools include a good multitool (with Torx wrenches, hex wrenches and screwdriver heads) or “tool wallet,” with a chain breaker and pliers, a spoke wrench, two tire levers, two inner tubes, spare chain links, spare tubeless valve, a spare cleat for your shoes, duct tape, a handful of zip ties, two CO2 cartridges, and a quality pump.

In today’s high-tech landscape, electronics rule. Until you don’t have a signal. There’s no substitute for a map and compass (and the skill to use them). However, today’s GPSs (Global Positioning System) are fabulous.

“I won’t start a journey without my Wahoo Elemnt Roam, my cell phone, a compass, and the best paper map of where I am going that I can find,” says Zigmont.

“If there’s any chance I’ll be away from cell coverage or I am riding alone, I take a Garmin InReach Mini, and a couple backup batteries to keep it all running.

“I like plotting my routes in ‘Ride with GPS.’ Strava has a decent route plotter too, as does Gaia,” he says. “But I like Ride with GPS best since it’s searchable for routes, easily shareable, and it’s heavily used by cyclists who adventure, so there’s quite a library.”

Let’s put lights under the electronics

PHOTOS, TOP AND LEFT, BY CHRISTOPHER ZIGMONT

603 NAVIGATOR / BIKE TOUR PREP

PHOTO BY ED MEDINA

Modern bikepacking bags are spacious, lightweight and weatherproof, and designed to fit on your bike without detracting from its handling characteristics, which is important if you’re pedaling with a group. nhmagazine.com | September 2022 17

603 NAVIGATOR / BIKE TOUR PREP jersey or two, with the same rotation as the shorts.”

Don’t discount nutrition either. Having plenty of water, and easily digestible foods, is vital for a good day in the saddle.

Where to stay Perhaps the single biggest factor to guarantee a gratifying multiday ride is getting a good night’s sleep. Know your comfort levels, and choose your lodging accordingly.

“Inns and lodges can provide lightweight ‘credit card’ touring, with warm beds, hot meals, and a chance to clean up. But roughing it is nice as well,” says Zigmont.

“I do like tenting it. With a single-person tent and a light down sleeping bag, the penalty is only a couple pounds of decent dry comfort. And the upside is the opportunity for genuine solitude.

“There are plenty of ‘glamping’ opportunities out there — Hub North in Gorham or Trailside Stays micro cabins in Dorchester,” he says. “I like hipcamp.com to find yurts, cabins, shelters, and glamp tent places.”

As an expert bicycle mechanic, Chris Zigmont, founder of The Alternate Route, practices what he preaches to keep his trusty steed rolling smoothly.

umbrella. “Even if your plans don’t include any nighttime riding, you need lights,” says Zigmont. “At minimum, have a front and rear blinky so you can be seen by traffic.

“I recommend adding at least a 500-900 lumen light for seeing things at dusk or later, because rides don’t always go to plan,” he says. “Additionally, I bring a Petzl headlamp for camp set-up and trailside repairs.”

Next up, bags. These are not your father’s panniers. The old-style panniers, both front and back, sat on racks hovering over your wheels. Today’s minimalistic, lightweight, weatherproof bags sit inside or on top of the bike’s frame, or mount to your seatpost and/or handlebars.

“If you’re with a highly organized outfit who is doting on you, a simple bar bag or a frame bag will be enough to stuff a rain cape, snacks and essentials,” says Zigmont.

“I still keep all my critical tools and spare 18 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

tube in a seat pack. Keeping things dry and organized matters most, as well as maintaining safe handling on your bike.

I’d recommend bikepacking.com as an excellent resource for bag selection.”

Clothing choices should reflect the vagaries of fall weather. You’ll want variety. I’m a huge fan of knee and arm warmers, which can be quickly stripped on to accommodate fluctuating temperatures. A taped rain jacket (preferably Gore-Tex, with removable sleeves) and pants are a must.

“I never bring more than two pairs of riding shorts,” says Zigmont. “I’m wearing one while one is drying from last night’s washing. I wear wool because I can use it for several days. Wool socks, two pairs for riding, one thicker pair for hanging out.

Wool T-shirts and base layers too. You can go multiple days and not stink. A riding

Finally, decide on the number in your posse.

A solo ride? Small group? A large crew? All can work, but all are different.

“Many of the well-known tour groups offer many different sized groups,” says Zigmont. “I’d suggest that smaller is better, or a small group riding at your pace. Three to eight is magic when you can all ride together, helping each other along. I’ve ridden with one or two friends and that’s nice too — great for bonding and building friendships.”

When choosing a tour outfit, consider “your expectations for an experience and your budget,” says Zigmont. Key questions to ask yourself are: Is the focus on big miles or mountains, great food and wine, or connecting with friends? Do you need a bike and gear, or are you ready to go? Do you want to help craft the route, or rely on others? In short, do your homework on tour companies, and weigh the reviews of each.

“As for The Alternate Route, we mostly build small custom experiences, designed around what you’d like to do,” says Zigmont.

“Most of our clients are moderate-to-experienced riders that don’t like large groups or

Get There

The Alternate Route / altroute.cc alternateroute.cc@gmail.com / (603) 600-7998

PHOTO BY ED MEDINA

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PHOTO COURTESY OUTDOORS NEW ENGLAND

603 NAVIGATOR / OUR TOWN

Outdoor New England (ONE) operates heart-pumping guided rafting trips at Franklin Falls on the Winnipesaukee River.

Making Waves in Franklin Revitalization of the former mill town creates new economic opportunities

BY BARBARA RADCLIFFE ROGERS

N

ew Hampshire’s smallest city, Franklin exists thanks to one of the state’s shortest rivers. The Winnipesaukee River, in its 10½-mile length, flows from Lake Winnipesaukee through a series of lakes before beginning its fast-paced way to Franklin, where it meets the Pemigewasset to form the Merrimack River.

The Winnipesaukee’s significant drop just before that meeting point made it a prime location for mills, an opportunity soon seized upon. The first to harness the power of Franklin Falls were saw, grist and shingle mills, active by the 1770s, followed by woolen, pulp and hosiery mills.

The latter was to become the city’s primary manufacturing activity, producing hosiery using techniques developed by the Shakers. By

20 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

the end of the 19th century, the mills were turning out 3,600 socks a day and employed nearly 100 workers.

Today, the long-empty mills are in the process of conversion to apartments and commercial uses, and the fast-moving Winnipesaukee River has a new role in Franklin’s economic future. Although it’s short, for white-water enthusiasts it’s one of the most exciting. From neighboring Tilton to Franklin, the river drops as much as 90 feet per mile.

The most challenging section is between Cross Mill Road and the Route 3 bridge in downtown Franklin, a favorite stretch for kayakers and where Outdoor New England (ONE) operates guided rafting trips. ONE promises a

heart-pumping ride on New England’s only urban rafting experience, with Class II-IV rapids and massive waves. Rafting trips are year-round, with wetsuits, splash tops, and neoprene socks and gloves provided in the winter.

The success of this enterprise and his sports equipment shop on Central Street, which also rents standup paddle boards and kayaks, inspired owner Marty Parichand to envision New England’s first whitewater park alongside the rapids in downtown Franklin.

The idea morphed into a community revitalization plan, designed to bring visitors to the city and re-energize the downtown area.

PHOTO BY STILLMAN ROGERS

The master plan for Mill City Park includes water play areas, an amphitheater, timber-frame pavilion, climbing wall, community gardens and trails, the star attraction being the Whitewater Park with three whitewater features and viewing areas. When completed, the park will cover 13 acres, with 21 acres of adjacent conservation lands.

With the substantial boost of a $250,000 donation from Franklin Savings Bank and a N.H. Department of Transportation award of $512,000 to build a pedestrian walkway across the Trestle Bridge, the project was underway. Several features were completed in time for the 2021 summer season, with more opening this summer.

The Trestle Bridge is one of two historic rail bridges over the river, both visible from the Winnipesaukee River Trail. The other bridge, the Sulphite Railroad Bridge, is located less than a mile from Route 3. Locals call it the Upside-Down Covered Bridge because the rail bed is laid on top of the bridge roof. Unlike a road bridge, the roof is intended to shield the trusses below. Thought to be the only surviving bridge of this kind in the country, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A celebration at the gazebo overlooking the river, located at Odell Park

the town’s most famous native son, the distinguished statesman and orator, Daniel Webster.

Daniel’s father, Ebenezer Webster, in 1759 settled at the western edge of what’s now Franklin, then a part of Salisbury. Franklin’s first settlers had built a fort there 11 years earlier. Ebenezer was given the land as a reward

!

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It’s interesting to note another National Register site in Franklin, an Abenaki Stone Mortar found carved in a glacial rock. It is thought to have been used by the Abenaki and later by settlers to grind corn. It’s in a little park on Route 3 at Dearborn Street.

Opposite the Trestle Bridge, hard to miss alongside Route 3, is Trestle View Park, a favorite takeout for kayakers and the gateway to the Winnipesaukee River Trail. Decorating the park is a giant iron wheel from a former mill and Colby Morrill’s 22-foot-tall Kayak Man sculpture made of seven colorful kayaks.

It was unveiled during the 2019 Winnipesaukee River Days.

Franklin has no shortage of parks. Before meeting the Pemigewasset, the Winnipesaukee forms a big loop in downtown Franklin, nearly encircling the large Odell Park. The impressive stone gateway to the park is approached through a maze of former mills, some now restored and repurposed, others not. Inside the park is a ball field, a large playground, a Victorian cottage and a gazebo overlooking the river. The shaded walkway around its perimeter is a good place for a riverside walk.

Outside the center, the town maintains two public beaches on Lake Webster, named for

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PHOTO BY STILLMAN ROGERS

603 NAVIGATOR / OUR TOWN

The birthplace of American lawyer and statesman Daniel Webster

this reconstruction — and questions about its authenticity — read Marshall Hudson’s fascinating article published here in March 2020.

The house gives a good picture of frontier life in the 1700s, when this was the outermost edge of European settlement south of Canada.

Until a robbery this summer diminished the collection, the house was furnished with household implements of the era. Happily (although not for the thieves), most of those stolen were reproductions.

Daniel Webster’s 141-acre riverside farm on South Main Street, known as Elms Farm, became the New Hampshire Orphans Home in 1871 to house and educate children orphaned by the Civil War. After the orphanage closed in 1959, the buildings were neglected until they were listed as one of America’s most endangered historic places.

The Trust for Public Land stepped in, with the help of the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program and others, to preserve Daniel Webster’s family home and the historic buildings of the orphanage. Now restored, the 11 buildings house Webster Place, a nonprofit drug and alcohol treatment center, and the Webster Historical Society. NH

Get There

When completed, Mill City Park will include water play areas, an amphitheater, timber-frame pavilion, climbing wall, community gardens and trails, and the star attraction, Whitewater Park.

22 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Outdoor New England / (603) 671-7028 outdoornewengland.com Mill City Park / millcitypark.com/the-park Daniel Webster Birthplace / nhstateparks.org Franklin Historical Society franklinnhhistoricalsociety.org

PHOTO BY ANDREW QUINNEY

for his service with Rogers’ Rangers in the French and Indian War. The two-room cabin at the Daniel Webster Birthplace State Historic Site was reconstructed on its original foundation from portions of the original home that had been moved. For the details of

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603 NAVIGATOR / FOOD & DRINK

24 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Scotland’s National Chef, Gary Maclean

The Scottish Gourmet Get into the savory spirit of the New Hampshire Highland Games with recipes from Gary Maclean RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY GARY MACLEAN

N

ame your favorite Scottish food. Stumped? That might explain why you don’t see any Scottish fast-food restaurants offering drive-thru haggis on your commute. But with the New Hampshire Highland Games back on the state’s calendar, it’s time to immerse yourself in all things Scottish. To that goal, here are four delightful recipes from Gary Maclean, Scotland’s first National Chef, who will be back to cook for the Games this year (on Loon Mountain, Sept. 16 to 18). These are just a few of his picks guaranteed to provide the lowdown on the culinary delights of the Highlands.

Smoked Duck Breast, Fig, Walnut and Orange Salad 2 smoked duck breasts 1 orange (segmented) 2 sticks celery 4 figs 1 red onion 1 salad cress 1 red chili 31/2 ounces olive oil 1/2 lemon, juiced 31/2 ounces walnuts

1. Slice the duck breast as thin as you can and put to one side.

2. To segment the orange, top and tail the orange. Place the orange on one of the cut ends, and using your knife, cut thin strips of peel from top to bottom all the way around the orange until all the peel has been removed.

3. Peel and slice the celery into thin strips and place into ice water to crisp up.

4. Slice the red onion, finely dice the red chili and mix with the lemon juice to make a little dressing.

5. Cut the figs into quarters.

6. Assemble the ingredients onto the plate as you see fit. You can build it up in layers or even mix all the ingredients together.

7. To make the dressing, finely dice the chili, zest and juice the lemon, and mix with the oil season to taste.

8. Finish with the lemon chili dressing. nhmagazine.com | September 2022 25

603 NAVIGATOR / FOOD & DRINK

Salmon and Quail Kedgeree 7 ounces hot smoked salmon 11 ounces fresh mussels 7 ounces white wine 1 bay leaf 12 quail eggs 1 small bunch flat parsley, shredded 1 small bunch oriander, shredded Few sprigs of dill 1 ounce vegetable oil 2 shallots, chopped 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 2 teaspoon curry powder 9 ounces long grain rice

1. The first job is to clean the mussels. Wash them under cold running water, and using a table knife scrape away any barnacles. You also have to remove the beards by giving them a pull. The beards protrude from between the closed shells and are easily removed.

2. If you find any mussels are open, give then a short little tap on the side of the sink. This should encourage them to close. If they don’t close, they should be thrown away as they are most likely dead.

3. For this dish, you will need a large pan with a tight-fitting lid.

fry until the mix starts to go brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes.

8. Add the rice and stir in well.

9. Add 1.2 quarts of water and the mussel cooking liquid. Stir and bring to a boil.

10. Reduce to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes.

11. Meanwhile, place the quail eggs in a pan of boiling water and cook for 21/2 minutes if you would like runny egg yolk, if not cook for a little longer.

4. My method for cooking mussels is to cook them very, very quickly. To do this place the cleaned mussels into a bowl and add the chopped shallots.

12. Take off the heat and leave to stand, covered, for 10-15 minutes more.

5. Once the mussels are cooked, strain the cooking liquids, and pick the meat from the shells.

13. The rice will be perfectly cooked if you do not lift the lid before the end of the cooking.

6. For the rice, heat the oil in a large lidded pan, add the onion, then gently fry for 5 minutes until softened but not colored.

7. Add the spices, season with salt, then continue to

26 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

14. Fold through the salmon, mussels and fresh herbs.

15. Finish with quartered quail eggs and a few sprigs of dill.

Summer Strawberries, Passion Fruit, Lime and Vanilla Syrup 1 3 3 1 1

pound fresh strawberries passion fruits ounces sugar lime vanilla pod (split lengthwise) or extract

1. The first job is to make the passion fruit, lime and vanilla syrup. Half and scoop the pulp from the passion fruit into a small pot, split the vanilla pod in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and add to the passion fruit.

2. Next, using a potato peeler remove the peel from the lime.

With a knife, carefully remove the white pith from the skin.

3. Cut the skin into very thin strips and add to the passion fruit and vanilla. Next add the sugar.

4. Now halve the lime and squeeze the juice into the pot. I find if you microwave the lime for a few seconds, you get much more juice from it.

5. Pop onto the stove and bring to a boil. Once boiled, remove from the heat.

6. Now you can prepare your strawberries, one thing to note is that you must always wash the strawberries before cutting of the stalk. The reason for this is that the strawberry is waterproof up until you cut into it. If you wash afterward, the fruit will just absorb water and go mushy.

7. Lastly, pour the syrup over the freshly prepared strawberries about 20 minutes before you need them.

Potted Arbroath Smokie 2 Arbroath smokies, smoked mackerel or hot smoked salmon also works 10 ounces cream cheese 31/2 ounces crème fraîche

1 ounce whole grain mustard 1 bunch chives, finely chopped 1 shallot, chopped 2 ounces butter, unsalted 2 sprigs of thyme

1. To start, you need to prepare the fish. Start by opening the fish up and carefully removing the backbone and the ribs.

These bones should come away easily. This should separate the two fillets.

2. Run your fingers along the flesh to feel for stray bones, remove if you find any.

3. Next peel away the skin.

4. Place the fish into a bowl, add the chopped shallots, mustard, chopped chives, crème fraîche and the cream cheese.

5. Add few twists of black pepper. With a wooden spoon, start to mix all the ingredients together.

6. I like a bit of texture in this pâté so I tend not to mix it too much. Once mixed, double-check the seasoning. Once you are happy with it, split the mix between your serving dishes.

7. Next, take your butter and clarify. To do this, melt the butter in a pot and carefully boil until the butter milk has evaporated and all you are left with is the oil.

8. Allow the butter to cool slightly, pick the leaves from the thyme, and pop into the warm butter and infuse.

9. Making sure the paté is flat as can be, spoon the clarified thyme butter over the paté to create a thin layer over the top.

10. Set in the fridge until needed.

11. Serve with oatcake crackers on the side. nhmagazine.com | September 2022 27

603 Informer “There is only one who is all powerful, and their greatest weapon is love.”

PHOTO BY TRICIA McEVOY / ILLUSTRATED FX BY JOHN R. GOODWIN

– Stan Lee

28 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Blips 34 Politics 36 What Do You Know? 38 First Person 40

Granite State Comicon Where imaginations run wild

BY ROBERT COOK

PHOTO BY BY TRICIA McENVOY

G

ranite State Comicon, New Hampshire’s largest comic book and pop culture convention, makes its celebrated return to downtown Manchester this month and promises to be the largest one ever.

Fans who flock to the DoubleTree Hilton on September 16–18 will be greeted by too many amazing costumed characters, comic book artists at work, special exhibits, and celebrities to count. It is the one event on the calendar where imagination runs wild for one incredible weekend.

Chris Proulx, co-owner of Double Midnight Comics in Manchester and Concord, couldn’t be more thrilled that his comic books store is celebrating its 20th anniversary in tandem with the highly successful event.

“We have kind of become the unofficial Ninja Turtles convention,” says Proulx, noting the blockbuster comic book series and films all began in Dover when artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird brought them to life. They premiered their creation at a Portsmouth comic book show in 1984 and the rest is history.

“A lot of Ninja Turtles artists will be in the house as well as Kevin Eastman will be returning,” Proulx says. There will also be a collection of negatives of the Turtles that has never been seen by the public before, he adds.

But as diehard Granite State Comicon fans know, everywhere they turn inside the DoubleTree Hotel they will see fellow fans donned in their favorite character costumes that range from Superman and Wonder Woman to Iron Man, Stars Wars stormtroopers and many other legendary figures that were brought to life by comic books, the silver screen, TV and video games.

As Granite Comicon has grown in popularity and reputation, their lineup of celebrities has grown as well. This year, Granite

A Granite State Comicon fan hangs out with the Caped Crusader, in Manchester.

State Comicon fans will be able to meet Janet Varney, who is the voice in the animated series, “The Legend of Korra” on Nickelodeon.

They can also meet Judith Hoag, who played April O’Neil in the 1990 film, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” and WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Mick Foley, who built quite a résumé as “Cactus Jack,” “Dude Love” and “Mankind” in the ring.

They can also get up close and personal with Julian Glover, who has made a name for himself playing iconic villains in such films as “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back,” “For Your Eyes Only” and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

Glover has also appeared in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and “Doctor Who.”

Doug Jones of “Hocus Pocus” fame, who played Billy the Zombie in the 1993 film with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, will also be on hand with two of his co-stars: Tobias Jelenik, who played Jay the bully, and Larry Bagby, who played Ernie “Ice.” The Hocus Pocus sequel, which is due to hit theaters on the heels of Granite State Comicon, will add even more excitement to a special event where fans can join the three actors on a personalized tour of the filming locations in Salem, Massachusetts, where the original movie was shot. This eight-hour event includes a luxury tour bus, lunch with the actors at a Salem café, and autograph sessions. How cool is that? nhmagazine.com | September 2022 29

PHOTO BY DAVID LOCKHART

603 INFORMER / GRANITE STATE COMICON

Fans showcase the costumes of their favorite comic book characters during the cosplay portion of last year’s event.

For Peanuts fans who crave a connection to some of the beloved characters created

by Charles M. Schultz, this year’s event will include Charlie Brown and Lucy, or rather the two actors who provided their voices in the 1970s.

Duncan Watson, the voice of Charlie Brown, actually lives in New Hampshire, Proulx says. “He has never done a Comicon before.” Melanie Kohn, the voice of Lucy, will also be there.

Proulx says there is something for everyone, which is one of the reasons why Granite Comicon continues to grow and attract new fans each year.

One of those fans is Darren Garnick, a New Hampshire writer. He and his son Ari have attended Granite State Comicon for 15 years as super fans of pop culture.

“The thing I love about Comicon is you don’t have to buy anything. They have these awesome panels where you can see TV stars from yesteryear, and see comic book artists and watch them do their thing,” Garnick says.

“One of my favorite panels they have done for many years where they have comic book artists and they have kids ask them to draw their favorite characters doing 30 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

something wacky,” Garnick says.

He says someone might ask the artists to draw something like, “I want to see Wonder Woman playing racquet ball while smoking a cigarette.” The kids will then vote for the best one.

“It’s just a very kid-friendly Comicon, and I think it is because all the owners at Double Midnight Comics all have kids,” Garnick says.

“I had some amazing Comicon experiences where I had to only drive 10 minutes to get to it instead of going to Boston or New York,” Garnick explains.

He recalls asking Caroll Spinney questions about Big Bird and meeting Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on “Gilligan’s Island.”

Garnick learned that she was a huge football fan who enjoyed discussing the Tom Brady Deflategate scandal.

Unlike larger Comicon events held in San Diego and New York, Garnick says the Granite State Comicon event is much more accessible: “You don’t feel overwhelmed. It is just the right size.”

At Double Midnight Comics’ flagship store at the corner of Maple and Valley streets in Manchester, Chris enjoys taking stock of what he and his business partners, Scott

Proulx, his brother, and Brett Parker, were able to achieve when they decided to open their store in 2002. The first Granite State Comicon followed in 2003.

“There hadn’t been one in Manchester for a long time. It started off with a few artists and vendors, and that was it,” Proulx says.

Each year, the event grew organically and became bigger and bigger. “We hit that sweet spot of comics and pop culture hitting the main stream.”

Timing is everything, and around the same time Double Midnight Comics and Granite State Comicon began, pop culture, science fiction and comic book lore became super popular, Proulx recalls.

Proulx believes his store and the Comicon event turned the corner in 2008. He says when Star Wars 501st came around, a charity group dressed like Star Wars nemesis Darth Vader and stormtroopers set up a really engaging Jabba the Hutt display. “That’s when we started to see more costumers. We started to see more diverse vendors coming in,” he recalls.

They also realized it was better to have a diversified audience by embracing all the dif-

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Doug Jones, who found fame as the zombie Billy Butcherson in the movie “Hocus Pocus,” will be a featured guest at this year’s Granite State Comicon, just in time for the sequel release of “Hocus Pocus 2.”

Jones, an American actor, contortionist, and mime artist, has made a film career playing nonhuman creatures.

Notable acting credits include roles in “Hellboy,” “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Shape of Water,” “Batman Returns” and “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.”

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Proulx says his store and Granite State Comicon are rooted in the love that for comic books that he, his brother and Brett Parker shared as kids.

Proulx says he and Scott grew up in Manchester and were both into comic books.

They especially liked the G.I. Joe and Transformer comic books from Marvel. Parker was into the X-Men comics.

In the 1990s, there were one-day comic book shows with hardcore collectors either at the Bedford Mall or in Concord, Proulx recalls. Like many other comic book enthusiasts, Proulx says they did not openly talk about their love affair with comic books that much. “It really wasn’t that much in the mainstream,” he says.

Proulx says they would frequent a comic book store then called Storyteller Comics.

“It was clean, well organized and well lit.”

After the owner sold the store and it later closed, Proulx says they saw an opportunity.

The three business partners opened Double Midnight Comics in 2002, offering an array

Illustrator Jason Casey displays some of his art work that was for sale at a recent Granite State Comicon event.

32 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

R.I.P. Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek’s Lt. Uhura Trekkies around the world were saddened to learn about the passing of Nichelle Nichols, the actress who played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the starship USS Enterprise. She was 89. Nichols starred in sci-fi the show from 1966 to 1969 and reprised the role for five Star Trek movies.

Many regarded her work on the series as a breakthrough role for African American actors. For the first time on television, an African American woman portrayed a highlyeducated and skilled officer with great responsibility. One of her biggest fans was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who encouraged her to continue her role as Lt. Uhura to inspire African-Americans to realize their full potential. She also shared an on screen kiss with William Shatner’s Captain Kirk during one episode that generated its share of controversy at the time. Nichols did in fact boldly go where no one had gone before.

of comic books, games and other items.

“We never really thought like we’re going to do this forever,” Proulx says. “We ended up making it our jobs, and that’s awesome.

“The vision we had was to have a fun, wellstocked comic books and game store that had to be available for everybody,” Proulx says.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Through the years, Proulx says their customers have ranged from the very young who are just discovering their love for comic books to older fans.

Looking ahead, Proulx is confident that Granite State Comicon will continue to grow in scope and popularity as it continues to attract people from all over the country. The City of Manchester is receptive to helping Double Midnight Comics accommodate that growth.“We bring in a lot of people for the event and the hotels are booked solid,” Proulx says.

Ultimately, Proulx says they want to keep the event in Manchester and either hold it at multiple venues or perhaps create a festival.

One thing’s for sure: Granite State Comicon is here to stay. NH

PHOTO BY TRICIA McENVOY

ferent fandoms. As varied as the fans may be, the common thread that binds them together is their shared love and fascination with the artwork, stories and characters that captured their imagination at a very young age.

Proulx believes Comicon fans enjoy being together with others who have a shared interest. They can also indulge in their passion for comic books, video gaming and sci-fi without hesitation.

Each year, Granite State Comicon sees about 5,000 to 6,000 people. “I think we are going to have a bigger event this year because it’s post-pandemic,” Proulx says.

Granite State Comicon often envelops downtown Manchester in excitement and wonder. Proulx said a lot of costumed characters love to hang out in front of the hotel and drive down Elm Street. They are often greeted with cheers and smiles. Proulx said Double Midnight Comics also puts a premium on making the event as accessible as possible so cost is not a factor.“We try to keep it affordable and family-friendly,” he says.

PHOTO COURTESY PARAMOUNT PICTURES

603 INFORMER / GRANITE STATE COMICON

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 33

603 INFORMER / IN THE NEWS

Blips

Monitoring appearances of the 603 on the media radar since 2006

A Taste of Scotland

Gary Maclean returns to serve up Scottish fare at this year’s New Hampshire Highland Games

BY CASEY McDERMOTT

34 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

to get back together,” Maclean says.

Also a culinary educator, cookbook author and BBC MasterChef: The Professionals champion, Maclean says he started serving up Scottish fare — and more — at the games in 2017.

“The whole idea was to bring a real taste of Scotland to the people at the games and just a little bit of fun with food,” he recalls.

That first year at the games, Maclean admits, he went a bit off-book. His menu included pasta and other decidedly non-Scottish dishes. “I didn’t really embrace

The New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival will run Sept. 16-18. More info at nhscot.org. And, be sure to check out this issue’s Food & Drink for Scottish recipes by Gary Maclean on page 24.

COURTESY PHOTO

L

ike many beloved Granite State traditions, the New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival were put on pause in the early days of the pandemic. In 2020, the games went virtual.

In 2021, the show went on in person but attendance was limited.

This year, NHSCOT is promising a return to normal and a chance to welcome back many international visitors for the first time since 2019. Among those gearing up for a homecoming of sorts is Gary Maclean, the first National Chef of Scotland.

“For me, it will be really, really special just

the whole Scotland thing, if truth be told,” he says. “I know it sounds mad.”

It mustn’t have been too mad though, because he was invited back again and again. Since then, he’s found plenty of opportunities to celebrate the intersection of cuisine and Scottish culture. That has included demos on how to cook with whiskey, and a deep dive on food inspired by the popular STARZ series “Outlander.”

No matter where or what he’s cooking, Maclean says one thing is constant.

“Whether I’m in Alaska or New Hampshire or Edinburgh, I want to be using local produce, and I want to be using local knowledge and talent as well.”

He also tries to keep things interactive.

And it’s helped, he says, that the crowds in New Hampshire tend to have a similar sense of humor to those at home.

“I can tell the same jokes onstage in New Hampshire as I can in Edinburgh, which is pretty cool,” he says. “I don’t have to tone it down, or anything like that.”

A self-proclaimed creature of habit, Maclean says he’s sampled most all of the restaurants in Lincoln during his time at the festival — and he makes sure to stop by a local pub that does “pizza and chicken wings and great beer” each time he visits.

Maclean says he’s been too busy working to actually catch any of the games as a spectator, but he’s hoping to get out to see more of the festival this time around. And he especially can’t wait for the music.

“The standard of pipe bands in New Hampshire is just incredible,” he says, “just absolutely, you know, hairs-on-the-back-ofyour-neck incredible.”

Cheers to that.

Let the interstate bickering begin: VinePair, a beverage-forward digital media company, recently unveiled its “Best States for Beer Lovers.” New Hampshire ranked a perplexing 22nd on their list, behind Massachusetts and Maine — and Vermont, at No. 1. A silver lining: Perhaps this will keep all the good spots less crowded for those of us who know where to find the best brews.

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603 INFORMER / POLITICS

The Project Proceeds This might be the year when New Hampshire begins to understand what the Free State Project means

T

wenty years ago, then-Governor Craig Benson welcomed to his state house office, with open arms, a group of self-described idealogues with an interesting idea.

Politically they were Libertarians who believed in an extreme form of limited government. As a political movement they have been around for a long time, but grew frustrated that very few of their members would get elected to anything.

So what if, as one Yale Ph.D student offered, a group of devoted Libertarians decided to all move to one state and have enough numbers to create a Libertarian utopia.

They called it the Free State Project. And by the time they selected New Hampshire for this venue, Benson – and most New Hampshire Republicans generally – felt that this in-migration would be good for them in their races against Democrats, who were slowly making the state more competitive during election time.

In the two decades since, two things are true: First, the Free State Project came nowhere near their goal of 20,000 people moving to the Granite State in the effort. Second, Free Staters, as they are known, have been widely

successful in their takeover of the Republican-led legislature, where they have worked to decouple the relationship between public dollars and public schools in favor of more dollars going to private schools.

More importantly is what they have done in local politics this year.

Indeed, 2022 might be the year when New Hampshire began to understand the what the Free State Project means in reality and not just in the abstract.

Two episodes so far this year serve as an important harbinger for the future of how life is lived if Free Staters have their way.

This Spring in Croydon, members of the Free State Movement proposed and ultimately passed a budget that slashed the school budget in half without any discussion before the meeting. Town residents, most of whom didn’t attend the annual town meeting, were seething. They then organized and found a way to overturn that decision, which required over half of the town to show up.

Then there is the situation in Gunstock over the summer. Last winter, Gunstock, in Gilford was once again one of the most successful ski facilities of its size anywhere in

the country. Uniquely, however, Gunstock is owned by the residents of Belknap County.

Under the system of government, the county’s delegation to the New Hampshire House of Representatives then appoints five members to a Gunstock Area Commission. Everyone in these positions are Republicans, and the leaders are Free State aligned. One, in fact, backed the idea of New Hampshire seceding from the United States.

Over the summer, this commission swung away from its oversight role, as the professional management team on the mountain, to more of a political-activist role. All management of Gunstock quit in one night. Gunstock closed for two weeks. Only after tremendous pressure from the community did a key commission member resign and the management of the mountain came back to their jobs.

To be clear, everything that the Free State Project members have done in the above examples are absolutely legal and done through the proper methods. Further, other than the sneaky budget proposal in Croydon, Free Staters have been very upfront with who they are, why they moved to the state and what they want to do in power.

They aren’t hiding. NH

BY JAMES PINDELL / ILLUSTRATION BY PETER NOONAN 36 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

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603 INFORMER / WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

RidingWith

Outlaws I spend a day working with the Scenic RailRiders STORY AND PHOTOS

BY MARSHALL HUDSON

38 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

PHOTO COURTESY SCENIC RAILRIDERS

B

utch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, notorious outlaws of the Old West, were known for their daring train robbery stick-ups. To the great annoyance of the Union Pacific Railroad owners, Butch and Sundance rode down their trains, hopped aboard, held up the passengers, and relieved the train’s safe of valuables. Today, I’m riding with the Butch and Sundance gang, but I’m also working for the owners of the rail line. How did I get into this quandary?

I was driving down Sewalls Falls Road, near the division line between Concord and Penacook, when a traffic guard stopped me at the old abandoned railroad crossing. A moment later, I watched a train of pedal-powered rail-riding carts scoot across the road in front of me. Impulsively, I pulled into the parking lot and started asking questions. It was suggested that I come back on a different day, lend a hand, and learn more about this unique railriding adventure.

Scenic RailRiders is a family-owned business opened in 2019 after two years of research, investigation, planning and development. They had to find railroad track that was scenic and interesting, accessible off a main road, and not too steep for pedal power. It was a challenge just to find abandoned railroad line that still had rails in place as rails are routinely removed on abandoned lines. Scenic RailRiders found this last remaining section of old Northern Railroad track, constructed in 1846, and successfully negotiated a lease for the use of it.

A lot of physical labor then went into getting the old rails ready to ride. Tracks had to be cleared of encroaching overgrowth, in places trees had grown up between the rails. After beating back the vegetation and repairing the track, Scenic RailRiders obtained licenses, permits and insurance; developed facilities for customer parking,

Rusty rails and rusty fall colors blend beautifully while pedaling north.

restrooms, storage, and ticket sales; and designed and custom built the pedalpower rail carts.

To resist corrosion, the carts are constructed of aluminum and stainless steel, and are designed to be both rugged and comfortable. Depending on whether the cart is a two-seater or four-seater, it weighs 300-400 hundred pounds and has a low center of gravity making it very stable.

Carts don’t tip on the curves or bounce and derail at bumpy spots. Each seat is adjustable, so the longest-legged person and the shortest child can be comfortable reaching the pedals. The gears are freewheeling, meaning you can pedal and get a workout, or coast and let someone else do twice the work. One adult controls the brakes, and steering is not necessary as the wheels are pinned between the rails. Seatbelts are provided and mandatory. Each cart has a

basket to keep cell phones, car keys, purses and other valuables safe … unless Butch and Sundance holdup the train.

Rather than distinguish amongst the carts by serial number, each cart is given a nickname that it proudly displays on a license plate-type sign. Hence, the names, “Butch” and “Sundance” for the gang I’m riding with now. We grease the fittings and oil the sprockets on “Bert” and “Ernie,” then pull 400-pound Thelma out of her overnight bedroom and wrestle her onto the railroad tracks. We hook Thelma up with Louise so that a gang of eight can ride with the ladies. Multiple two-seaters and four-seaters can be linked interchangeably to make up any train length necessary to accommodate a family outing or group of companions.

I hop aboard Sundance and we head out at 5 to 8 miles per hour following the

turntable we spin the carts around for the return trip back to homebase. The total distance we’ll cover today is about six and a half miles, and it takes about two hours depending on how fast you pedal. This is a scenic ride not a race, and it’s impossible to pass the cart in front of you, so it only makes sense to take your time and enjoy the autumn foliage colors the cud-chewing cows, and the tranquil woods and river scenery.

Romeo and Juliet will now lead the train back to the depot station. I’ll be bringing up the rear with Bonnie and Clyde. This means I started my day riding with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but ended it running with the Bonnie and Clyde gang. Maybe I need to add “outlaw” to my resume? NH Scenic RailRiders founding family Gary, Ethan and Carolyn LeBlanc aboard “Clyde”

Merrimack River and seeing areas of Concord most people will never see. We pump our way south to the old Sewalls Falls hydroelectric dam that once provided electricity for much of the Concord area. Sadly now, the dam and powerhouse are in ruins.

Near the end of the line, I hop off to take photos of the rail riders chasing Butch and Sundance. Carts roll past me, and everyone is smiling and waving. Moe, Larry and Curly go by with a wild bunch of passengers holding their hands in the air as if they are in a stick-up, but they are just having fun demonstrating a “look, mom, no hands!” show of bravado. When the caboose cart bringing up the rear arrives, the carts are loaded one at a time onto a turntable and spun around 180 degrees for the return trip. The last shall become first, so Thomas, Percy, Gordon and Clarabel will bring up the rear on the ride

back while Bonnie and Clyde lead the gang.

I climb aboard Bonnie and we pedal north into Penacook through Morrill Farm Dairy where a herd of Holsteins come out to greet us and pose for some iconic New Hampshire scenery photos. Continuing north, we cross over the Contoocook River, one of the few rivers in New Hampshire that flows northward, dispelling the myth the rivers can only flow from north to south. The old iron railroad bridge spanning the Contoocook has seen better days and is covered with graffiti but is still rugged enough for us, even if not up to freight train standards anymore. We ride off the bridge and onto the Hannah Duston Island in Boscawen. The controversial statue of Duston holding scalps in one hand and a tomahawk in the other greets us as we pedal by.

This is the end of the line, so at another

Learn more

Scenic RailRiders / (603) 931-1700

scenicrailriders.com

A Scenic RailRiders employee operates the turntable spinning the carts around.

Above left: RailRiders passengers enjoy a view of Hannah Duston Island aboard “Gordon,” “Percy” and “Thomas the tank engine.” Above right: Look, mom, no hands! nhmagazine.com | September 2022 39

603 INFORMER / FIRST PERSON

Preserved by a taxidermist from Center Barnstead, this remarkable fish, now on display at Camp Restaurant in Meredith, welcomes all challengers to the title bestowed upon it by Uncle Jim.

BIGGEST Fish EVER

Caught in Merrymeeting Lake

BY ELIZABETH HOWARD

M

errymeeting, quietly tucked away in New Durham, is unique among New Hampshire’s many lakes. It was created when someone put a stopper in the sink, turned on the water, and forgot to turn it off. Our beloved Uncle Jim and Aunt Barbie spent the summer months there at their camp “Whitmere.”

Although they didn’t have children, they did have “Freddie,” an invisible frog that occasionally made an appearance as a green cotton beanbag or was pulled, gently, from Uncle Jim’s pocket and held in his hand.

40 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Uncle Jim and Aunt Barbie’s many nieces and nephews were welcomed throughout the summer months for what were magical visits that included swimming, rowing, balancing on the rocks catching crayfish, gathering around the fireplace in the evening listening to Uncle Jim’s enchanting stories, and, of course, fishing.

We fished off the floating white dock that was reached by walking down a creaky wooden ramp that had been built in sections and swayed with each step along the way. The girls took the fishing less seriously

than the boys. I fished with my cousin Sally.

Standing just at the edge of the dock, our small toes hanging over the edge, we stared into the crystal water and then waited until there was a slight tug. Then another, as our lines dangled from poles, usually light and certainly not spinning rods. Eventually, one of us would pull the line up as high as we could to discover a squirming sunfish about four inches long, its gray, scaly skin sparkling in the sun.

“Aunt Barbie!” one of us would call out, “We have a fish! Will you come and help

us?” Neither of us having the courage or the daring to touch the miserable, squirming creature. This was usually the time in the morning when she was sweeping sand from the camp and attending to other domestic chores. She would interrupt whatever she was doing and come to our rescue. The fish would be kept under lockdown for a few hours in a large blue-speckled enamel pot that was just next to the shore before an adult would quietly release the relieved fish back into the lake. By then, we were distracted by other activities, probably figuring out how to snitch one of her soft, sweet butterscotch brownies before dinner.

It was different for the boys and especially my three younger brothers who took the fishing seriously and had real fishing rods. One August afternoon when my brother Jim was 12 years old, he felt a strong tug on his line. Standing just at the edge of the dock, he began to reel.

And reel. He leaned backward and tugged harder. Suddenly, jumping out of the water at the end of the line was an enormous smallmouth bass.

Uncle Jim, who had been sitting quietly in a chair on the shore, leaped to his feet, hurried out onto the dock, which now made louder creaking sounds, and with his gentle laugh and sparkling eyes, put his hand on his hip and pulled up the line to display the catch, and declared, in what for him was an unusually loud voice, “This is the BIGGEST fish that has EVER been caught in Merrymeeting Lake!”

With no time to spare, the fish was covered in ice and carefully wrapped in a towel.

Bathing suits were exchanged for shorts and the two hopped into the car, Jim holding the fish carefully in his lap while Uncle Jim drove to a taxidermist in Center Barnstead so this remarkable fish could be stuffed and mounted. Memorialized.

Until Whitmere was sold, the mounted fish was proudly exhibited on the wall over a table that held the guest book, which Aunt Barbie presided over with much care.

One could not leave camp without signing the “book” and at the same time glancing up at the stuffed fish. First-time visitors got the entire story of how “the BIGGEST fish in Merrymeeting Lake” was caught.

This summer, the famous fish found a new home at Camp Restaurant in Meredith, where it hangs just inside the entrance. Beneath the fish is a plaque

Beneath the fish is a plaque honoring Auntie Ruth Millar, Uncle Jim’s younger sister.

honoring our Auntie Ruth, Uncle Jim’s younger sister, who was a beloved teacher in Plymouth and dear friend of Alex Ray, owner of Camp and the Common Man Restaurants, with the words: “It also serves as a testament to the simple joys and wideeyed wonder that creates lifetime memories of summers at camp.”

Alex conceived of Camp, one of the Common Man restaurants, located in the Chase House at Mills Falls on Lake Winnipesaukee’s Meredith Bay, as a place where people could return and recall those magical days of summer. The interior has the appearance of a quaint Adirondack-style cabin. There are banners and camp arti-

facts from across New Hampshire, including a sign from Camp Quinebarge, where Jim’s son Stephen attended as a boy.

Now that you have read this tale, you realize that Merrymeeting Lake wasn’t really created because someone left the water running. You can’t, as Uncle Jim encouraged us to do, dangle over the side of the boat at the deepest point in the middle of the lake, stare into the crystal-clear water and hope to find a chimney. Freddie was a character in the imagination only and perhaps, just perhaps, the smallmouth bass Jim caught on that August afternoon wasn’t the BIGGEST fish EVER caught in Merrymeeting Lake. In Uncle Jim’s words: “Living here by the lake, with an encroaching forest just behind us, you get a new perspective. All about you are the lake and forest creatures you know as presences, which represent the meaning and all the magical possibility of life. … Last night a hermit thrush sang, once again, its lovely evensong. A cadence of pure joy, addressing itself to the slowly setting sun. A song no human voice, or instrument, could ever aspire to emulate. And we listened, enthralled and enraptured to the haunting refrain.”

Those years at camp? It wasn’t really about the fishing, swimming or even snitching Aunt Barbie’s butterscotch brownies. Through Uncle Jim’s stories, which remain in the memory of all of those who knew and loved him, we learned how to dream and imagine.

The greatest gift of all. NH

Alex Ray (left), of the Common Man Restaurants, and Jim Howard — the author’s brother — show off the mounted evidence, should anyone care to challenge Uncle Jim’s claim regarding Merrymeeting Lake’s famous fish. nhmagazine.com | September 2022 41

603 INFORMER / TRANSCRIPT

Out There PHOTO AND INTERVIEW BY DAVID MENDELSOHN

Way back in 2008, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was campaigning here when reporter Daymond Steer from Milford’s weekly paper asked, in last-minute fashion, her thoughts on UFOs. Her response made international news.

Currently with the Conway Daily Sun, Steer is still defying gravity, asking every presidential hopeful he encounters the same question. He’s open to all explanations, from humanity being raised as consumable livestock to ancient underground (or undersea) civilizations out stretching their vehicular legs. And if ET ever drops by, Steer has his questions ready.

I’ve been with the Sun since October 2010. I published my first article with the Keene Sentinel in 2002. The bulk of my job involves covering municipal and county governments as well as civil and criminal litigation.

Before getting involved with newspapers, I washed dishes and checked boats for milfoil.

[Hillary Clinton] had lived in the White House and I felt she might know something. The question popped in my head when she was getting ready to leave my office.

Clinton sat back down and told me that question is the No. 1 request at the Clinton Library and she expressed curiosity about Area 51. If you want to learn more about the Clintons and UFOs, check out the Rockefeller Initiative.

During the 2020 election cycle, the Sun’s management fully embraced my UFO question and it’s now part of our routine.

I wouldn’t call myself a believer or a debunker. I’m curious and seeking more information.

For the most part, the people who have told me about seeing UFOs are credible people with little reason to make up a story.

A number of those people are local to my area and they include a law enforcement officer and business owners.

The Truth is out there. Maybe we are in a simulation and nothing really exists. If the simulation theory is good enough for Elon Musk, it’s good enough for me.

As far as the government’s change of tune on the UFO phenomenon, something hinky is going on and I’d like to know what. Or perhaps the government is becoming more honest. I dunno.

The Defense Department is now acknowledging that military members are reporting seeing unusual objects in the sky that seem to be operating in ways we don’t understand.

Intellectual Eric Weinstein said, even if you discount the alien theory, recent admissions about mysterious objects should still be the “top story in the world” as either the government is lying at unprecedented levels, or other nations have leapfrogged our technology.

In response to skeptic Mick West, Weinstein wrote, “What is the least interesting version of this story, Mick?”

Cases seem to be common in Conway, but looks to me you have a fair chance of seeing a UFO anywhere in New Hampshire.

COURTESY PHOTO

New Hampshire and “Disclosure”

Daymond Steer has played a small part in keeping the lines of inquiry open and honest on the provocative, ridicule-prone and highly secretive topic of UFOs (or their new acronym UAPs), but with two of the major UFO stories of modern times based here (see feature story on page 64) our place in UFO history is secure and growing.

“Sometimes my co-workers ask about UFOs on my behalf when I’m unavailable,” says Steer. “Reporter Tom Eastman recently got a good quote from US. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. She said, ‘I’ve seen some of the classified information that I can’t talk about, but I personally think there are unexplained phenomena that we haven’t yet figured out what’s going on.’ Frankly, the question is becoming more and more relevant in large part due to [Retired U.S. Navy Commander] David Fravor of Windham, N.H., who came forward with a bombshell UFO story in The New York Times.” aDavid Fravor, a retired Navy pilot from Windham, is famous for his UFO encounter during exercises off the California Coast in 2004. Fravor described a white, 40-foot-long Tic Tac-shaped object that outmaneuvered his F/A-18 Super Hornet without any visible wings or propulsion system. nhmagazine.com | September 2022 43

’ K c ro

0N

: the North Countryin n io t a t s e d a c c e M ic s a Mu OS BY

BY BR IO N O’ CO NN OR | PH OT

44 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

TH OM AS M IS SE RT

Guitarist Rafe Montegrano, a member of the bands Generations, Chimera and the Riley Parkhurst Project plays at the Red Parka Pub at Glen. a

a

late spring sun is still shining bright on a Sunday afternoon in the Mount Washington Valley, but the Red Parka Pub in Glen is already pulsating with the sounds of Southern rock. The place is packed, the bartenders are scurrying, and the Shadow Riders, a Marshall Tucker tribute band, have patrons tapping their toes and bobbing their heads and shoulders.

Before long, the dance floor is full.

Watching the festivities from the corner of the pub’s horseshoe-shaped bar, owner Terry O’Brien – the Red Parka has been in her family for a half-century – smiles.

“I love this part of what we do. We’ve been very successful with our Blue Sunday shows, which feature top blues bands from all over,” says O’Brien. “They play from 5 to 8, and draw a very different clientele [compared to Friday and Saturday], most

above 50 years old. The Friday and Saturday younger crowds are great but sometimes a bit harder to handle. The music is fun though, with lots of dancing.

“People would be surprised at the variety and the talent of the music up here,” she says. “The local talent that we often feature onstage is phenomenal.”

The bands at the Red Parka are booked

by Terry’s husband, George, who admits he’s constantly adapting to his guests’ changing musical tastes, finding a mix of groups that will play original songs to those that specialize in “cover tunes that people recognize and can dance to.”

Flipping on the police cruiser lights as the band wraps up another tune, George says, “We’ve become the last man standing in the club scene. If you want to go dancing, you’ve got to go to the Parka. We’re the only place you can see live music without paying admission.”

PHOTO COURTESY THE RED PARKA PUB

Conway native Riley Parkhurst, lead singer for the Riley Parkhurst Project, says the North Country music scene is “like being a part of a big family.” b

Bruce Marshall of the Bruce Marshall Band, center, is flanked by Dave Cournoyer on lead guitar and Al Hospers on bass during a gig at the Red Parka Pub in Glen.

46 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 47

48 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Violinist Taylor Whiteside, left, joins local folk duo Kathy Bennett, center, and Thomas Perkins during Hoot Night at the Wildcat Tavern in Jackson. h

PHOTO BY PQ PRODUCTIONS

Well, not quite. Earlier the same day, another Red Parka regular, Rek’lis, was jamming outdoors at the Tuckerman Brewing Company in Conway. The setting is a 180-degree shift from the Red Parka, where the walls are adorned with license plates and old ski paraphernalia (including chairlifts).

Conversely, Tuckerman is housed in a large, corrugated-steel building, surrounded by a slew of other corrugated-steel buildings (one that housed a previous iteration of the brewery) behind Conway’s Ham Arena.

Outside is a broad grass field separating the stage and a big, white circus-style tent.

“This venue singlehandedly saved the music scene during the worst of the [COVID] epidemic,” says Simon Crawford of Easton, a Scotland native and longtime Valley musician. “Its large outside stage and gathering spot enabled many local acts to maintain some sort of performing space. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.”

The tent, like a daytime bar, is filled with laughter and chitchat (with more than a few folks, presumably from Quebec, conversing in French), as families and friends set up food spreads on picnic tables. Meanwhile, kids are dancing (or performing the occasional somersault) on the lawn as Rek’lis belts out an eclectic set of tunes that ranges from pop to country to reggae to soul to the blues, covering artists like Bad Company, Johnny Cash (“Ring of Fire”), Rolling Stones (“Beast of Burden”), Dusty Springfield (“Son of a Preacher Man”), Alanis Morisette and the Grateful Dead.

“We have a great music scene in the Mount Washington Valley that is fueled by a number of talented local musicians, many of whom are in multiple bands and play a wide variety of music,” says Kirsten Neves, co-owner of Tuckerman Brewing, which has offered live music since 2014. “I love listening to live music, and it’s always fun to put together the music schedule for the season.”

Drummer Dan Parkhurst exemplifies the musical diversity found in the Valley.

Rek’lis is one of several bands Parkhurst routinely plays for, the others being the Riley Parkhurst Project (with his 23-yearold daughter Riley providing lead vocals), Generations (along with Crawford and Rafe Montegrano), Circumstances, and the Dean Machine.

“Personally for me – and the reason I play in so may acts – the thing I like most is the wide variety of music I get to play,” says Parkhurst, 51. “Sure, we are primarily

playing to keep the crowds happy. But each of my bands finds unique ways to do that with some standard crowd pleasers but also finding songs that appeal to us musically.”

Less than 48 hours after the Shadow Riders were winding down their gig at the Red Parka, local musicians are cueing up on Tuesday evening just up the road in Jackson for the Wildcat Tavern’s long-running Hoot Night. The pub, with its wood-paneled walls and huge wooden beams, exudes a relaxed,

low-key atmosphere. But that can change in an instant, depending on the energy each musician brings.

“Hoot Night at the Wildcat is an entirely different animal,” says host Jonathan Sarty, a local musician and bandleader, and producer of the Cold River Radio Show. “It’s impossible to know what to expect – we’ve had nights with singer/songwriters and folkies, and nights with a full rhythm section, horns and guitars blazing. Some nights it is

just me sitting there, picking away.

“But the Hoot has been running for over 30 years and I’ve been the host for nearly half that time,” says Sarty, 48. “The cozy, unique and very special nature of the venue, the garden stage in the summer, the appeal to travelers, the great food and staff, all make for a very special night.”

That, in a nutshell, is a solid description of the entire North Country music scene, a true gem for music lovers that, for too

long, has been a hidden gem.

“The scene can vary wildly from listening audiences and quiet rooms to noisy barrooms, but generally I find the audiences here in the North Country are very appreciative when there’s good music,” says Sarty.

For decades, my own experience with Mount Washington Valley music was limited to the winter months. Specifically, après ski. After a day on the slopes, there

was nothing better than connecting at a local pub with family and friends over a few suds and the sounds of local rock ‘n’ rollers.

Thomas Perkins, who lived in the area, understands.

“My job running Jackson Ski Touring was intense, and music was therapeutic,” says Perkins, 73, now part of the duo Bennett and Perkins with his wife, Kathy Bennett.

“I’d drag myself into the Tavern after a long day and play music and listen to friends. nhmagazine.com | September 2022 49

Hoot Night rekindled my love of music.”

Bennett moved to the area from Boston two decades ago, taking a job as Cranmore Mountain Resort’s sales and marketing director. She also found a renewed interest in music due to life circumstances.

“When I got divorced, I started playing music again to meet people, and found myself at Hoot Night after purchasing a new Martin guitar,” she says. “I started playing songs with Thom at Hoot Night, and the rest is history.”

The history of Hoot Night at the Wildcat Tavern, and live music throughout the Mount Washington Valley, is a long and rich one.

“The après-ski scene has allowed a lot of musicians to make a living up here, as there’s a lot of demand seasonally,” says Bennett, 57. “I started out booking all the live music at Cranmore Mountain. It’s since evolved to include more true musical venues,” including the Majestic Theater (Mountain Top Music Center) and Theater in The Wood in Intervale, the nonprofit Arts Jubilee, and the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highland Center at Crawford Notch.

“The music scene in the Mount Washington Valley is vibrant,” says Perkins. “We have some extraordinary musicians.”

To prove his point, Perkins offers a short list that includes Crawford; Al Hospers, a bass player who played with Blood, Sweat

Music fans enjoy a cold adult beverage and the afternoon sun during a concert at Tuckerman Brewing Company on Hobbs Street in Conway.

PHOTOS COURTESY TUCKERMAN BREWERY COMPANY

The Dave Matthew tribute band CRUSH entertains the Sunday afternoon crowd at Tuckerman Brewing Company in Conway.

50 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

The Mallett Brothers perform during a Sunday afternoon concert at the Tuckerman Brewing Company. h

and Tears; Bruce Hornsby, Tom Dean and Alana MacDonald of Devonsquare; Davie Armstrong; Taylor Whiteside, a folk artist from the 1970-80s; Bruce Marshall of the Toy Caldwell Band; John Davidson, who opened Club Sandwich to the southwest; Kevin Dolan; Dennis O’Neil; and Peter Heimlich. There are also a number of talented musicians specializing in Celtic music who can often be found at the week-ly Sunday céilí at May Kelly’s Cottage in North Conway.

In short, there’s a musical genre – rock, jazz, folk, country – for every taste.

“I’m very fortunate to be able to play with musicians who are as good as any I have played with,” says Hospers, a bassist with The Shadow Riders as well as The Bradley Jazz Collective and Bruce Marshall & The Shuffle. “When I moved to the Valley in ’96, it was just a bunch of bar bands with few exceptions, pretty much playing the same kinds of things that all bar bands play.

“There is still some of that, but many of

the clubs and bars have become more open to more creative music,” says the 74-yearold Hospers, who helped develop the iconic Guitar Hero software. “I’ve pushed the jazz idiom, and people have embraced it. There are also a number of concert venues that have opened and it makes for a much more robust scene.”

That robust music scene reflects the broad spectrum of residents and visitors to the Mount Washington Valley.

“The North Country is unique in that it draws people from multiple locations and walks of life – you’ll see license plates from all over during the busier tourist seasons, certainly heavy on New England plates,” says Parkhurst. “The ski areas in the winter and outdoor venues in the summer provide unique après-music opportunities – après ski, après hike, après river, après shopping, etcetera. You can find music afternoons, evenings, and nights most weekends all year.”

The same often holds true for the musicians. “The Valley has some world-class

players and wonderful, supportive audiences,” says Hospers. “It’s great to be able to live in an area where I can play with great musicians and take advantage of all the outdoor things that I love, like rock and ice climbing and mountain biking. It gives me all of the things I love, in one place.”

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, my mountain biking buddies and I started spending more time in the North Conway area during the warmer months (thanks to one friend owning a ski house off West Side Road). It was a revelation to see, and hear, that the live musical options varied dramatically from wintertime. That’s still true today.

The Mount Washington Valley music scene “is full of surprises,” Sarty says.

“It’s not unusual to stumble upon amazing, and often famous, artists in local rooms,” he says.

In reality, there’s been a progression in the North Country music scene over the past three decades. Mike Malkin, a singer nhmagazine.com | September 2022 51

and guitarist for Rek’lis, says there’s now a “more diverse range” of music throughout the region.

“The music scene is continuously evolving,” says Malkin. “When I was first exposed to our music scene in the Valley, it was wild. Bands like Five-Day 40 would pack places wall to wall every night. However, there was an overall lack of younger musicians at the time.

“Open-mic nights have been a huge part of this valley since the early 2000s,” says the 42-year-old Malkin. “If you ask most band [members] in our area where they started, they’ll probably say the Red Parka Pub open-mic. That torch has been passed to a younger generation.”

Bennett agrees. “There are musicians that have been touring for years and have moved to the area and are now playing locally,” she says. “There are young, up-and-coming local musicians. Kennett High School in North Conway has a strong music program and has produced some great young musicians, like Riley Parkhurst.”

“You don’t see the blending of the different age groups in the cities – it’s more segregated by age,” says Bennett. “Here, we’re all together because it’s a smaller, tighter community.”

Riley Parkhurst, a recent Berklee College of Music graduate, has been a ubiquitous presence on the local music scene since she was 16, despite attending school full time in Boston.

“I don’t think anyone who didn’t grow up here would expect such a fun and talented collection of musicians and styles,” says Riley.

The long-running music party, however, came to a needle-skipping halt in March 2020, when COVID shuttered businesses across the state. The pandemic, say musicians and business owners alike, was arduous on everyone. In some cases, notably McGrath’s Tavern, it was fatal.

“McGrath’s was the big Thursday night music venue in the Valley year-round,” says Dan Parkhurst. “I’m sure other businesses didn’t make it, but that was the big one from the music scene.”

Musicians had to find other sources of income. Surviving venues had to adjust.

By the end of the summer of 2020, many establishments, including Ledge Brewing Company in Intervale and Tuckerman Brewing Company, were offering live music 52 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

outside, where COVID restrictions were more relaxed.

“We were fortunate to have a large field outside of our tasting room, and we started hosting live music in what became our outdoor beer garden,” says Neves. “We had an enormous positive response from our customers who were happy to listen to live music and visit with friends and family in a safe outdoor environment.

“We ended up adding shows and started having live music multiple times per week outdoors,” she says. “Now, live music is an integral part of our tasting room experience.”

It was a positive, but not perfect, development for musicians. “Outdoor music became incredibly popular, which was good and bad, because suddenly whether or not I get a paycheck is dependent on whether or not it rains,” says Riley Parkhurst.

Sarty says local musicians aren’t always treated commensurate with their talent, and that pay scales haven’t changed much since the 1970s. “There is no union or organized effort regarding this issue, and often the eager, less-experienced musicians will be willing to play for less,” he says. “I feel that lowers the bar for everyone and makes the battle to set a healthy rate more complex.

But I have noticed some venues are offering more, and it is reflected in the quality of their musical events and calendars.”

Other venues adopted new schedules to allow patrons to get an earlier start on their

evening festivities, and an earlier bedtime.

“We have changed our hours since COVID, so that bands play from 8 to 11,” says Terry O’Brien at the Red Parka. “This is perfect.

Nothing good happens after midnight.”

Becca Deschenes, the lead singer for Rek’lis who also works full time from Cranmore Mountain (in Bennett’s old position, coincidentally), says COVID resulted in a renewed sense of appreciation for the role music plays in her life. It was a real-world expression of the classic line from “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell: “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.”

“When the pandemic hit and all of our gigs were essentially on hold, it was a real eye-opener,” says Deschenes, 35. “Something that you may have taken for granted, even when you really love the work, was ripped away. Burnout aside, it’s really inspiring, to see so many people who truly enjoy your music.”

Crawford is even more succinct.

“COVID all but killed live music,” he says.

“But it’s coming back strong.”

Having dealt with a lingering pandemic for the past two years, local musicians are leery to predict what the future holds. New venues have opened, and they “are certainly always welcome,” says Dan Parkhurst. “But the ones who are here and support music have carved out strong niches.

“Some are known for afternoon weekend

Drummer Dan Parkhurst, is a great example of the musical diversity found in the Mount Washington Valley, playing with several bands, including Rek’lis, the Riley Parkhurst Project, Generations, Circumstances, and the Dean Machine.

PHOTO BY THOMAS MISSERT

Guitarist and lead singer Riley Parkhurst, foreground, teams up with her father, Dan, on drums, in her band, The Riley Parkhurst Project. f music, some for evening dinner music, some for nighttime bands,” he says. “In that sense, music fans can almost always find what they’re looking for.”

The Valley has had its “ups and downs” over the years, says Crawford, but the musicians have held tenaciously to their local scene.

According to George Wiese, executive director of Mountain Top Music Center, which offers shows at the historic Majestic Theatre in Conway, “something about the North Country has a captivating effect.”

“From the earliest days of exploration, it’s attracted artists, writers, poets, explorers, outdoorsmen, and over time as villages were settled and bustling towns built, a thriving community of locals who knew darn well they were living in paradise,” says Wiese. “In that sense, it’s no surprise that there’s a thriving music scene. Today, we associate the area more with hiking, shopping and outdoor activity than we do with the arts, but historically, the arts have always been present.”

Today, the music scene is flourishing, says Maklin: “I definitely play more now than I ever have before. Every time we play, we get a mix of tourists and locals, who always seem to be open to and supportive of whatever music we play.”

“You can find such a variety of music in a 15-minute radius,” says Malkin. “There’s a reason this area continues to be voted one of the best, if not the best ski town in the United States. The venues and the atmosphere have so much to do with that.”

The music industry, says Sarty, isn’t always a congenial one, but the New Hampshire North Country runs contrary to type.

“It’s a dog-eat-dog world in the music business anywhere you go, but the spirit of friendship is strong in the musical community,” he says. “And the relationships musicians have in general with the venue owners in the region seem to be generally positive and productive, in part due to the fact that we all know how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful place.”

Dan Parkhurst says, “There is great camaraderie among local musicians.” Deschenes says she loves the fact that there is an “interlacing between bands.”

“It’s a tight-knit community,” she says. “You could go see one band, where the bass player from another band is sitting in for that gig, or you could go out to see a show with a mix of musicians just for that occasion.”

That camaraderie extends well beyond the performers. The Red Parka’s George O’Brien credits 93.5 WMWV radio owner Greg Frizzell with sponsoring the pub’s Blue Sunday series. Without that support, he says, they’d have to charge admission, which would no doubt have an impact on the event’s numbers.

It is an illuminating example of many instruments, and voices, coming together to make beautiful music.

“It’s been an honor to grow up in this Valley, and the shining feature of the musicians is how welcoming and open they are,” says Riley Parkhurst. “Being in the music world here in the North Country really feels like being a part of a big family.” NH nhmagazine.com | September 2022 53

GR4NITE ST8ERS CELEBR8 THEIR

BY DARREN GARNICK 54 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Think you see far more vanity license plates in New Hampshire than in other states?

It’s not your imagination.

W

between the spelling rules of texting and the wordplay on old-school calculators.

Because of space limitations, vowels are often deleted and certain numbers are interchangeable with letters. Zeros are switched with O’s. Ones are either I’s or L’s. Threes are backward E’s, fours can substitute for A’s, and fives can be S’s.

In addition, the numerals 2 (“to” or “too”) and 4 (“for”) offer one-character bridge words, while the numberal 8 enables shorthand for words rhyming with “ate,” such as weight (W8), state (ST8), great (GR8), and most appropriately, plate (PL8).

ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN R. GOODWIN / PHOTO BY ANTON SOKOLOV

hether you are stuck in traffic or strolling through a supermarket parking lot, you are far more likely to see vanity plates – also known as personalized license plates – in the Granite State than anywhere else in New England.

According to the New Hampshire Department of Safety, 13% of motorists, or one out of every eight registered vehicles here, currently has a personalized plate. Per capita, that’s twice as common as Maine, and nearly 10 times as common as Massachusetts. (See chart on page 58.)

So for local drivers who like word games, that means an ongoing stream of entertainment. Vanity plates have their own unique language, a blend

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 55

E

very time Stephanie Smith hits the road, her Lexus delivers a serendipitous word puzzle to a brand new audience.

Next to a bumper sticker that reads “Andra” in green-white-and-red lettering, her New Hampshire license plate says “2-2BENE.” Are the double twos a reference to a ballet tutu, or perhaps to a significant life event that happened on February 2? Or maybe Smith is a human resource specialist reminding people to claim their benefits?

For her fellow motorists who don’t recognize the colors of the Italian flag or don’t speak Italian, the guessing game can last for hours.

But for those familiar with the expression “Andrà tutto bene!” – an uplifting slogan that went viral during the pandemic – the smiles break out quickly.

“It means ‘Everything is going to be all right,’” says Smith, of Concord. “It was my way of bringing a bit of my Italy vacation back home to New Hampshire and a reminder, mostly to myself, to enjoy ‘la dolce vita,’ the sweet life!”

B

ecause they cover such a wide range of personal tastes, cultural references and inside jokes, vanity plates need not be written in code to stump bystanders. Sid Ceaser, a pop culture junkie and portrait photographer based in Nashua, chose “SULACO,” the battle frigate from the 1986 sci-fi film “Aliens.” His wife Sara’s plate is “PEQUOD,” the boat from Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.”

Ceaser says he will occasionally meet a “movie nerd” who instantly recognizes his plate, but most strangers shrug when reading it. He adds that random encounters with literature buffs are equally rare, with most people assuming the Moby Dick whaling ship is a Native American reference.

“I’ve always thought it would be cool to have a guide book that you could leave in your glovebox that has all the vanity plates in a multistate area,” Ceaser says. “So that when you see a vanity and you are trying to decipher what it means, you can just go to the guide to fully understand the significance.”

H

alloween decoration enthusiast Rich Heidt, a Newmarket resident known for his annual haunted cardboard tunnels that stretch up to 100 feet long, has an easier-to-guess vanity plate theme. His pickup truck sports “GR8PMKN,” a nod to the mythical “Peanuts” comic strip character who is supposed to appear in a pumpkin patch every October 31.

“My plate sparks the little kid in everyone,” he says. “I get to talk about Halloween all year long.”

56 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

VANITY GALLERY

CRACK THE CODE

CAN U DECODE THIS PL8?

Angela Sode, of Belmont, has been stumping some of her fellow motorists with her T2U2K40 vanity plate.

Can you guess what it means?

(See page 63 for the answer!)

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 57

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: WHAT CAN’T YOU SAY ON A PLATE?

Rules and fees for vanity license plates vary widely by state. The first step in obtaining a New Hampshire vanity plate is doing an online database search with the Division of Motor Vehicles to see if your desired name is available. Regular Old Man of the Mountain passenger vehicle plates allow for seven characters, while special conservation Moose plates are limited to six characters.

On top of regular city/town and state registration fees, New Hampshire vanity plate owners pay an additional $40 a year (plus a one-time $8 setup fee) for the privilege of customization. Not including Moose plates or other specialty plate costs, the state raised an extra $7.3 million this year in vanity fees.

But there are restrictions on language.

The New Hampshire DMV does not allow references to any of the following subjects “in any language, whether read forward, backward, by mirror image or by phonetic spelling”: b Intimate body parts or genitals b Sexual or excretory acts or functions b Words or terms of profanity or obscenity b Violence b Illegal activities b Drugs, drug culture or illegal intoxicants b Gangs or b Racial, ethnic, religious, gender or sexual orientation hatred or bigotry These censorship rules are a sharp contrast to neighboring Maine, which up until very recently allowed obscenities on customized plates. Maine relaxed its editorial standards in 2015, still rejecting

messages promoting hate or violence but welcoming virtually anything else, opening up a floodgate of f-bombs and crass sexual references framed by the state’s “Vacationland” nickname.

Backed by the Legislature, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a former executive director of the Maine ACLU, enacted license plate language standards similar to New Hampshire’s rules this past May. “The First Amendment protects your right to have any bumper sticker you want,” she declared in a public statement. “But it doesn’t force the state to issue official registration plates that subject children in our communities to obscenity or profanity.”

Measured against the Maine vulgarity, the infamous 2019 New Hampshire “PB4WEGO” vanity plate controversy seems rather quaint. Citing the ban on references to “excretory acts,” the state DMV had recalled the plate from a Rochester mom, who chose the message as a funny reminder to her kids to go to the bathroom before getting in the car. Gov. Chris Sununu intervened, reversing the order, noting that “common sense prevailed.”

VANITY PLATES ARE “A WINDOW INTO SOMEONE’S SOUL”

As host of the PL8 Story podcast, New Yorker Trista Polo interviews license plate owners across the country, exploring the psychology behind their choices (New Hampshire motorists are featured in episodes #42-43). After more than 75 episodes, she’s concluded that “vanity” is not an accurate adjective to describe her favorite subculture.

“You have a limited number of letters and numbers and only one person can have it.

So these plates typically have a pretty big meaning for people,” she says. “You think

THE 2022 NEW ENGLAND VANITY INDEX

Percentage of Personalized License Plates by State

VANITY PLATES

BY STATE

Total Number of Registered Vehicles

Number of Vanity Plates

Percentage (%) of Vanity Plate Owners

NEW HAMPSHIRE

1,396,312

182,037

13% (1 of 8)

MAINE

1,971,862

123,073

6.2% (1 of 16)

VERMONT

740,411

20,007

2.7% (1 of 37)

RHODE ISLAND

955,223

23,431

2.5% (1 of 41)

MASSACHUSETTS

5,602,477

80,328

1.4% (1 of 70)

CONNECTICUT

Not Available

N/A*

???

* A spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles says that the state does not keep an official count of its vanity plates SOURCES: New Hampshire Department of Safety, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Rhode Island Department of Revenue, Vermont Agency of Transportation, Maine Department of the Secretary of State.

58 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

it’s just a license plate, but it turns out that it’s really a window into someone’s soul.”

Sticking with her spirituality theme, Polo hopes that conversations sparked by vanity plates can generate empathy between strangers.

“There’s a lot more road rage out there right now. There’s a lot of people who might cut you off or ride your tail if you’re going too slow. I understand it’s stressful in traffic, especially when you’re late and all that. But if we personally knew who was driving that car, we’d give them a break. We’d be a little kinder,” she says.

“So by getting to know the people behind the vanity plates, what their stories are, I am hoping we all can permeate some more kindness in the world,” Polo adds.

VANITY PLATES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

With more than 180,000 local vanity plates to appreciate, perhaps the idea of an official state guidebook is long overdue. To get things started, New Hampshire Magazine put the spotlight on six motorists and their backstories:

Plate: BRADYX7 Owner: Cerise Bienvenue-Boston

R

ight after New England Patriots exile Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 – the most championships won by any player in NFL history – most of us immediately thought about the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles, right?

Well, at least two football fans did. Cerise Bienvenue-Boston, a behavior specialist for the Nashua School District, first tried to apply online for the “BRADY7X” vanity plate. But it was already taken. She settled for “BRADYX7.”

“My husband asked why don’t I just get ‘BRADY8X,’ but I said no because I am too superstitious,” Bienvenue-Boston says. “I wish [new Patriots quarterback] Mac Jones wins a million Super Bowls, but what Brady did for New England will never be matched.

He’s untouchable.”

Originally from Londonderry, Bienvenue-Boston moved to Las Vegas when she was 30, met her future husband, Bobby Boston, and was married at Fenway Park in 2012. She says that people are incredulous when they first hear her last name is really the city that sparked her sports fandom. The couple moved to New Hampshire in 2019.

Surprisingly, Brady is actually Bienvenue-

PHOTO BY ALLEGRA BOVERMAN

Before Cerise Bienvenue-Boston ordered a New Hampshire plate honoring Patriots legend Tom Brady, she also had a pro-Brady plate when she lived in Nevada.

Boston’s second favorite Boston athlete.

Another family vehicle sports a “VARITEK” plate honoring former Red Sox All-Star catcher Jason Varitek, but the car was recently pulled off the road after an accident.

“Vanity plates are a reflection of who I am,” she says. “Anyone who knows me for five minutes knows I’m a sports fan and who I love and who I don’t.” c

Plate: LBRYUN Owner: Kristin Readel

COURTESY PHOTO

W

hen Kristin Readel was invited to apply for the head librarian’s position at Marlborough’s Frost Free Library in 2017, she didn’t believe she was qualified.

She self-effacingly called herself an “accidental librarian,” starting out her career as a volunteer parent at the Antrim public library helping out with children’s programming. Most notably, she lacked a Master of Library Science (MLS) degree that is a common prerequisite for the job.

Turns out that her 15 years of programming experience was more important than a diploma, as Frost Free (named after founder Rufus Frost, not poet Robert) chose

Best Place to See N.H. Vanity Plates Without Leaving Your Couch There are countless Facebook groups dedicated to sharing photos of vanity plates “spotted in the wild,” but only one is truly fixated on the “Live Free or Die” variety.

Concord’s Pete Duval, owner of DUVALTEAM Real Estate, runs the “VANITY PL8” public Facebook group (facebook.com/groups/222163391306204/) with his daughter Heather. Although contributors are welcomed from any state, he estimates more than 95% of his 1,100plus members are from New Hampshire.

Duval says he regards his fellow vanity plate owners as innate social creatures.

“As much as we pay to register our cars, we’re paying over and above just to express ourselves.

Vanity plates are conversational icebreakers. We want to be asked, ‘What does that mean?’”

Duval’s choice of plates may surprise some because it’s all numerals. He chose his cell phone number.

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 59

her over candidates with MLS degrees.

Readel’s “LBRYUN” vanity plate was a tongue-in-cheek 50th birthday present to herself to “stop apologizing” for her nontraditional path to the stacks.

“I wanted to own what I was doing, and on my 50th birthday, I felt I could be a little vain,” she jokes. “After high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, and I still kind of don’t know.”

Readel adds that she’s thrilled she’s stumbled across her “accidental” career.

“I love helping people discover new authors or series. Even the most simple things can make someone’s day,” she says.

“Sometimes we’re the only social connection people have each day. That makes our role a sacred task.” f

Plate: CRUSH– Owner: Elizabeth Eliza

I

VW Westfalia Camper in Manchester. The man who owned it had the license plate “–CRUSH” and thinking that matched the “vehicle’s personality” perfectly, she secured the “CRUSH–” vanity name as the next best option.

The nuance of the hyphen means there are currently at least three New Hampshire vehicles paying tribute to the iconic orange soda pop brand. Eliza carries cans of Crush soda (which actually comes in grape, strawberry, watermelon and pineapple too) in the bus as a fun photo prop, but confesses she rarely drinks the stuff. “I’m not really a fan of orange soda, I drink mostly Diet Coke and ginger ale,” she says.

But the bus and vanity plate were never intended as an advertising vehicle (Crush is owned by Dr. Pepper/Seven Up). Eliza says she intended the bus to infuse more adventure and experiential learning into her children’s homeschool lessons, but is reluctant to take it cross-country until some engine issues are resolved.

In the meantime, she often invites car enthusiasts to sit inside the bus on Fridays at the weekly Target Cruise Night in Nashua.

“Everywhere we go, CRUSH brings people together and makes them smile,” Eliza says. “I’d love to meet everyone who previously drove this bus. If only she could talk!” g

PHOTOS BY ALLEGRA BOVERMAN

n the late 1990s, when Elizabeth Eliza was a student at Nashua High School, she ripped out a magazine picture in art class and brought it home. “It was a photo of a Volkswagen bus, and I’ve been dreaming of owning one ever since,” says the homeschooling mom of three.

It took a lot of waiting, but two years ago, Eliza bought a bright-orange 1974

The accidental librarian, Kristin Readel

The Orange Crush Family (L to R) Novah Bolduc.14, Wayne Bolduc, Elizabeth Eliza, Viancca Eliza-Bolduc, 16, and Savannah Eliza, 21. Daughter Viancca also drives a cherry-colored VW bus, while son Novah is restoring a lime green one.

60 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

KING OF THE VANITIES

Marathoner Heather Taylor’s plate reflects the fact that she no longer runs because “she’s forced to.”

Plate: CRZYRNR Owner: Heather Taylor

If you keep getting outbid for New Hamphire vanity plates on eBay, there’s a high likelihood that antique dealer Kyle Copeland is to blame.

“I get plates in the mail every single day. It’s getting a little out of control,” admits Copeland, who owns the Wolfeboro Antiques & Artisan Barn near Lake Winnipesaukee. “In an auction, all it takes is two people that want something badly enough. I’ve overpaid for plates because I just had to have them.”

Few of the plates are purchased for resale. Rather, they are screwed on the walls throughout his Center Ossipee home and garage, which has become a de facto vanity museum.

Copeland, who also crafts customized license plate signs and birdhouses for sale at LakesideRustics.com, started collecting as a tribute to his late father Ken, who hung them at the family lakehouse when he was a child.

The supercollector focuses on multiple vanity themes, including 1976 bicentennial plates (the year he was born), boating, New Hampshire towns and lakes, and every alternate spelling of his college nickname “Mammal.”

“We used to change our registration multiple times a year just to put more plates on the wall,” he reveals. “But we’re running out of space. I might have to build a new shed in the backyard just to display more.”

PHOTO, RIGHT: RICK BROUSSARD / TOP: ALLEGRA BOVERMAN

M

arathoner Heather Taylor was a relative latecomer to the running world, waiting until age 39 to lace up a pair of sneakers in 2017. Her initial motivation was to maintain nearly 100 pounds of weight loss, but she says that exercise soon became something she did for fun.

“I fell in love with it,” recalls Taylor, who works in the business office of the N.H. Department of Corrections. “I never thought I would, considering that I absolutely hated running when I was younger.

Running used to be something I was told to do. Now I do it on my own terms.

“Every finish line I’ve ever crossed, especially at the longer races, I’ve cried,” she adds. “Being a former smoker, I was actually shocked that I could do this!”

Taylor, a member of the local Millennial Running Club and the “She Runs This Town NH” women’s running club, has completed dozens of 5K races and three marathons: Chicago, Maine Coast, and New Hampshire’s Clarence DeMar, which stretches from Gilsum to Keene.

Her sneakers have also taken her to the Rocky Run “Italian Stallion Challenge” in Philadelphia, which involved a compulsory stride up the steps of the Philly Art Museum.

“I never thought I wanted a vanity plate until I had something to celebrate, I guess,” says Taylor. “I never had any hobbies until I became a runner. Funny thing, after I got the CRZYRNR plate, somebody thought it meant ‘crazy nurse.’” c

Kyle and Rachel Copeland, of Center Ossipee, are running out of wall space to display their vanity license plate collection.

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 61

Plate: BATJEEP Owner: Eoin Clark

O

The Caped Crusader’s other car

As for what draws Clark to vanity plates, it’s the opportunity to be unique.

“Once you choose a plate, no one else can have it but you,” he says. “I’m the only BATJEEP on the road and I love that.” c

Plate: DTCTRST Owner: Stuart Rothberg

A

ccountant Stuart Rothberg will never forget the day that Hampton Beach swallowed his father’s wedding ring.

“When I was about 10, my dad was shaking out his towel and we all heard this ‘dink-dink-dink’ sound. His ring fell into

Metal detectorist Stuart Rothberg searches the woods and farmlands of New Hampshire in hopes of digging up some historical relics.

62 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

the sand and there was a gentleman nearby with a metal detector who offered to help us find it,” he recalls. “He didn’t have any luck, but I thought his detector was the coolest thing. That moment stuck with me.”

Rothberg, who balances the books for the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains Council in Bedford, was inspired to get his own detector gear years later.

“If you get into this hobby to strike it rich, you’re in a for a big surprise,” he says.

“You mostly find a lot of trash – and sometimes unfortunately some dangerous things like hunting arrowheads, and God forbid, needles. But every now and then you’ll find a gold ring or a silver coin. For me, it’s all about saving history.

“These are items that were dropped hundreds of years ago that are corroding away in the ground. There’s nothing more amazing than finding something with provenance to it, especially if it has a name on it.”

Rothberg, who shares all his discoveries on his @StuingUpHistory Instagram account, recently dug up an intact metal nameplate that once belonged to former U.S. Rep James Frankland Briggs, a Republican who represented New Hampshire’s 2nd District for three terms from 1877 to 1883.

His advice for newcomers to the hobby: “Swing your coil low and slow.

Take your time and don’t get frustrated.

The finds you see posted online are maybe from one out of every 100 holes dug. But if you keep at it, you’ll eventually find something amazing.” e

PHOTOS BY ILYA MIRMAN

utside the brick mill headquarters of FIRST, the international school robotics organization founded in Manchester, you can usually find Eoin Clark’s alternative Batmobile.

“In the 1966 Batman TV series with Adam West and Burt Ward, they have the Batcopter, the Batboat, and the Batcycle, so I just naturally attached ‘Bat’ to the name of my Jeep,” the IT operations manager says. “I get a lot of compliments on it, usually when I’m sitting at the gas station filling up.”

Clark’s first exposure to the Caped Crusader was the campy TV series, followed by the “Super Friends” Saturday morning cartoon and “Scooby Doo Meets Batman and Robin.” He initially found Batman to be a likeable character, but he recalls not becoming a true diehard Batfan until reading the comic books, particularly “The Dark Knight Returns” by Frank Miller.

“Miller has such great insights about Batman’s morals and his mission,” he says.

“The most compelling thing to me about Batman is that he’s not an alien or a mutant.

He’s just a regular guy who’s rich, which granted could be considered a superpower.

But with dedication to physical fitness and developing his mind to be a detective, the idea of Batman seems possible in real life.

That’s what drew me to him.”

PHOTOS BY ALLEGRA BOVERMAN

SPOTTING PLATES IN THE WILD

New Hampshire Magazine writer Darren Garnick and his wife Stacy, shown here with their plate commemorating a favorite vacation, have been logging every vanity plate they’ve seen for the past 10 months

like it’s birdwatching. Here’s a tiny sampling of what they’ve found on the roads. Online sightings don’t count.

The plates below raise so many unanswered questions. Is WOOLGRL a knitter

or a sheep-themed superhero? Is LOAFERS a shoe fanatic or someone who just bought a breadmaker? Is TOOTSIE celebrating Dustin Hoffman in drag or the lollipop you’re not supposed to bite?

Have you seen any of these plates in your travels?

3XY4US

CHPSK8

FUNSIZ

L3DZ3P

NVR-MND

SNWBALL

-6RINGS

CPTKIRK

GEEK

L 4 DY B U G

PHI5H

SOCRMUM

-KALEL

CRMDGN

G O AT 1 2

LAFFTR

PHOTOG

S OX I N 4

+MARVEL

D3VIL

GR8FUL

L8AGN

PIK ACHU

S P O O K Y–

&T I Q U E S

DKNDNTS

G8CITY

L B R YG R L

POLAND

S TA R G Z E

APETOES

E E YO R

H AT L A DY

LO A F E R S

P Y R AT

SWNGST8

BAGHDAD

E G L FA N

HEBGBES

LO C K M U P

PPL+ETR

T O M AT O

B AT M B L 3

E N D H AT E

HICK4X4

MAHVLUS

RESQ-U

TOOTSIE

B AT + M B L

E V LC H E F

HIKEWM

M I N I LY F

RUMRUNR

URDREMN

B AT G 1 R L

EVLDOLL

HIPICHK

MQQNLIT

RYTWNGR

VA N I T Y +

B4TM4N

EVILMOM

H P YC M PA

M R S -YA Z

SENSEI

WIGS4U

BIGZOO

FB-U-LUS

HUSSLE

M S -T 8 K N

SH3WOLF

WOND3R

BOBAFET

FEMNIST

J AW S

NARNIA2

SHRK2TH

W O O LG R L

B O S S L DY

FIREANT

JEDIIAM

NH-HIKA

S K 8 FA S T

WQQKIE

B OY S R U S

F L A B BY

JOKER

NHROCKS

SLIME

Y E H B A BY

B OY M A M A

FROSTING

K AT L A DY

NIHILST

SNEEZY

Z3LDA

B OY Z R U L

FUN2BME

KO O L B U S

N OXC U S E

SNO+WYT

COURTESY PHOTO

DID U DECODE THIS PL8?

ANSWER: Boston Bruins superfan Angela Sode, of Belmont, gets lots of smiles from her T2U2K40 vanity plate – but lots of non-hockey fans are stumped. The plate honors recently retired Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, who has two U’s and two K’s in his first name, which is Finnish. The “40” refers to his uniform number.

SHOW US YOUR VANITY PL8S! We’d love for our readers to join in this unabashed vanity celebration.

Please tag your plate and its MOTIV8SHN on our Instagram (instagram.com/nhmagazine/) or Facebook page (facebook.com/ NHMagazine/), or send an old-school email to editor@nhmagazine.com and put “VANITY PL8” in the subject line. NH nhmagazine.com | September 2022 63

A LIEN A DVE NTU R E S I N THE GR A N I T E STAT E > Ever since Ezekiel saw a fiery, celestial wheel-in-a-wheel in the skies of ancient Chaldea, people have been sharing their tales of instrusions into our Earthly airspace, but few such tales echo in the vaults of history. New Hampshire is the setting for two that do, and these two still shape the way we look at — and look for — UFOs. This year, “disclosure” efforts are underway in Congress and the Department of Defense, and it’s been 75 years since the world was told that a flying saucer had crashed in Roswell, New Mexico — a report that was quickly denied and covered up.

With sightings seemingly on the increase, this month seems like a good time to review our own pieces of the great UFO puzzle.

B Y B O N N I E M E R O T H , J . W . O C K E R A N D D AV I D M E N D E L S O H N

64 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

ILLUSTRATION BY TAJ BORG

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 65

66 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

aSeptember 19-20, 1961 / Around 10:30 p.m.

The hooded headlights of the 1957 Chevy Bel Air sliced into the night over Route 3 near Lancaster.

Eerily quiet on this clear, temperate evening, not another car was in sight. Brilliant stars silvered the sky, fighting the light of the gibbous moon. Four miles south of Lancaster, the female passenger watched what looked like a falling star strangely moving upward. Over the next hour, its light grew, moving in closer until it appeared as a silent rotating craft lighted on one side. Erratically but swiftly, it approached and backed off their vehicle. Rounding a bend in the road near Indian Head south of Franconia Notch, the driver slammed on the brakes in the middle of the road as the light from the hovering silent airborne craft shrouded their car from about 80 to 100 feet overhead, then set down within 100 feet of him. Through the binoculars, the driver could see figures ... not human.

Betty and Barney Hill’s UFO experience became the world’s first documented alien abduction and a chronicle, titled “The Interrupted Journey,” became a film starring James Earl Jones and Estelle Parsons. d September 3, 1965 / Around 2 a.m.

PHOTOS BY DAVID MENDELSOHN

Engulfed in the blackness of the late summer New Hampshire night, a teenage Navy recruit walked down the quiet country highway. Suddenly, a huge bright object loomed above him. Throwing himself on the ground to avoid being hit, blood draining from his face, he huddled against a stone wall. Intense bright lights pulsated around an apparent ring on “the thing” above him. Silently wobbling and floating in the sky, approaching at close range in his direction, it eventually backed off far enough to give the terrified teen the chance to run to a nearby house where he fruitlessly screamed and banged on the door. Finally, a car driven by a middleaged couple came along and took the hysterical Norman Muscarello to the Exeter Police Department.

Muscarello’s experience was confirmed and shared by several others, including police officers.

It became a famous book, “The Incident at Exeter,” by Saturday Review columnist John. G. Fuller. b

NOTE: The two photos on these pages are fictionalized recreations of the most famous UFO incidents in New Hampshire history, assembled by photographer David Mendelsohn for a story that appeared in New Hampshire Magazine, September 2014.

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 67

68 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

PHOTO BY RICK BROUSSARD

T

he Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience and the Incident at Exeter are the top two alien adventures in the state. Each is high on the global credible-UFO list, in spite of initially being disclaimed by the government. The Hills’ experience is considered the fourth and most extreme kind of UFO encounter, an abduction of the witness or other direct contact. The third kind of encounter is ground contact with close observation of animate beings associated with the UFO. The second, observation of a UFO in close proximity with physical vestiges. And the first, testimony with a witness stating upclose contact within 500 feet.

According to Susan Howe, New Hampshire MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) state director and also on the CAG (Case Assistance Group) and CAG team, the Hills were the first abductees (now called “experiencers”) by aliens (now called “entities”) in New Hampshire. She added that the first recorded UFO sighting in the state allegedly took place on Mount Washington in the mid-1800s (see sidebar, page 73).

And it didn’t end there.

Howe notes, “Out of 674 reported cases in the state scientifically researched

by MUFON between 2006 and 2022, investigators classified 109 as unknown.

Within the unknown cases 30 were triangle/boomerang/chevron-shaped objects, 12 were cigar/tic-tac bullet/cylinder-shaped, 12 were disc-shaped, one was sphere-shaped, five were fireballs, nine looked like stars, and 12 were listed under other/unknown-shaped.

Four involved entities.”

Interestingly, the highest number of unknowns by county was in Rockingham County, where the Incident at Exeter occurred. The active database at MUFON reports 24 sightings from 2006 to the present from that county. Grafton County, where the Hills were abducted, reported 11 unknowns. Within a 12-month period from March 2021 to March 2022, MUFON determined four cases to be Unknown Aerial Vehicles, two in Belknap County and two in Grafton County. MUFON also notes that their active database begins in 1986 but that cases go back much further. Howe adds that there is a glacial circle, a bowl-shaped area, northeast of Castle in the Clouds and

cBetty Hill’s dress, worn the night of her abduction, has undergone a variety of tests by investigators and now resides in an archival box at the UNH Dimond Library along with a collection of UFO-related items. aNorman Muscarello (far left) chats with Exeter Police after his close encounter.

PHOTO BY DAVID MENDELSOHN

around Keene and Hanover, that seems to be popular with UFOs. Mostly triangle-shaped aircraft are reported there. The craft that accosted the Hills was a flat, circular disc, perhaps 60 to 80 feet in diameter with a double row of rectangular windows extending across its rim.

The Hills were on their way home from Colebrook to Portsmouth when they noticed something in the sky was following them, ultimately stopping. Barney approached it, looking through binoculars, .32 pistol in hand, when the saucer displayed red lights and tilted toward him. He saw strange humanoid creatures through rectangular windows. Fearing capture, he ran back to the car, warning Betty. By the time they were speeding down the road, the vessel was overhead and they felt a penetrating electric vibration along with a cadent buzzing sound from the trunk.

They later remembered a second series of buzzing 35 miles down the highway, where they found themselves on a dirt road blocked by a huge, fiery orb. By the time they reached their home, they had lost two hours of the night.

Revealed under hypnosis, their incredible saga told of being forcibly taken aboard the ship by barrel-chested, short, humanoid, black-eyed figures. The Hills were both physically violated in examinations. Betty’s favorite blue dress was torn. Barney’s shoes were scuffed and the strap on his binoculars broken. The beings performed what seemed to be an amniocentesis test on her. The aliens were confused about the function of a zipper and that Barney’s teeth came out but Betty’s did not. They took samples of hair and fingernails. The Hills’ watches stopped.

After the abduction, more issues came to light. Barney had a concentric circle of warts form where the aliens had placed a cupping device. Marks on the trunk of their car made a compass spin. Betty’s dress was soiled with a mysterious substance that could not be identified. Even their healthy dachshund, Delsey, had physical repercussions. Under hypnosis, Betty recreated a “star map” from the wall of the spaceship.

Some of her celestial marks were of stars not discovered until later years.

Much of their abduction story could not be refuted.

Betty Hill: A Close Encounter

by David Mendelsohn When my wife and I first moved up here in 1974, it seemed that New Hampshire was the national hotspot for UFO activity. Then, in 1976, we saw something strange circle Nottingham Lake at night, then dart off so quickly that no human could withstand the Gs. Ten minutes later, two fighter planes from Pease AFB arrived. That same year, we attended a small ET conference at UNH that featured Betty Hill. She was charming, quite believable, and even managed a laugh as two frat boys took their seats halfway through, wearing hastily cobbled costumes consisting of space blankets, tin foil and rabbit ear television antennas.

In the early ’90s, we began gathering folks with diverse backgrounds for dinners that we’d host. The exchanges were always pretty amazing. One particular evening involved a painter, a surgeon, a mortician and Betty. She quickly became the central spirit among us. I remember Betty being gracious in recounting, in detail and with relish, her abduction experience — a story she must have told hundreds of times before. After a spirited Q and A, I recall absolutely no one left there a skeptic.

I was shooting large-format, black-and-white portraits as a personal project at the time, so I invited Betty to the studio. All alone under that dark cloth, on the ground glass I saw her — chain smoking, her face acid-etched in character. I could almost map constellations in her pores. When I was content that we’d shot what we came for, Betty revealed something to me about her experience. She told me that only two other people on the planet knew what she was about to tell me. She asked that I tell no one. It was a gift to me, so I’ve kept her secret. As encounters go, I have met only one abductee. I am glad mine was Betty.

— Betty Hill departed Earth in 2004, taking her secrets with her, but her presence will certainly hover over this issue and this year’s Exeter UFO Festival, Sept. 3 & 4.

David Mendelsohn still takes his remarkable portraits of local character (see our monthly Transcript pages). You can see more of his work at davidm.com.

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 69

And the same is true of the Incident at Exeter, which happened four years later.

From eyewitnesses on Rochester Hill looking toward the seacoast to the reports from residents in the Hampton, Exeter and Kensington area, testimonies declared as fact added up until there was convincing evidence of a visit from a classic UFO. On that calm, clear night in September, reports flew in to the local police departments and Pease Air Force Base from those who had seen something otherworldly in the sky and near the ground.

By the time Norman Muscarello burst into the Exeter Police Department to report his attack, the dispatcher had already fielded a number of similar reports. The dispatcher radioed police officer Eugene Bertrand, who had already placated a woman with her own account of the UFO who had pulled over on Route 108. He took Muscarello back to the scene where the officer saw what he described as “this huge, dark object as big as a barn over there, with red flashing lights on it” that was moving in dead silence toward them.

Holstering his service weapon, thinking it unwise to shoot, he called police officer David Hunt for backup. The three men witnessed an object about 100 feet away and about 100 feet in altitude as it swayed with pulsating red lights flashing in rapid sequence in a left-to-right cycle.

Horses kicked their stalls. Dogs howled.

Later, allegedly, hens stopped laying eggs.

Eventually, the UFO slowly rose and disappeared over the trees. Silently. No evidence of propulsion.

Betty and Barney Hill’s abduction and the Incident at Exeter have defined the terms of the alien experience ever since.

These events on two September nights in New Hampshire remain among the best-documented and best-publicized in UFO history.

In the UNH archives, a pale, indigo-blue, tattered and stained dress speaks to the time when extraterrestrials allegedly abducted two Portsmouth residents.

In Exeter each September, the Exeter Kiwanis Club sponsors a UFO Festival (exeterufofestival.org) that reminds visitors of a time on a September night, 57 years ago, when aliens visited our seacoast.

— Bonnie Meroth 70 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Don’t Stop Believin’

by J.W. Ocker his year has been full of UFOs. But not in the skies. I’m talking in the halls of our most vaunted political and science institutions. In May, Congress held its first public hearing on UFOs in a half-century. In June, NASA established a lightly funded ($100K) team of astro-physicists to examine the phenomenon. In July, Congressman Mike Gallagher stuck an amendment in the 2023 Defense Authorization Act to provide protection for UFO whistleblowers.

And at some point this year, the DoD is launching the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG for, um, short), one of the responsibilities of which is analyzing UFOs. Ufology has gone legit. The biggest evidence is that these blips on the screens and fires in the skies are not called UFOs anymore. They’ve been rebranded as UAPs—Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon.

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAL-ROJEK

T

Feels less abducty, I guess.

It also feels like any second (and here’s your mandated X-Files reference) the truth won’t be out there anymore, but right here.

On our phones and TVs. Back in the day, to get our fill of close encounters of the various kinds, we had to visit fringe sites or read certain books with bug-eyed beings on the covers or attend events like our own Exeter UFO Festival. Now, it’s a proper news item alongside confusing British politics, controversial SCOTUS decisions, and unending COVID variant updates.

What happens if all this official attention from people with big brains and high positions (two distinct categories) yields a conclusion beyond, “It’s true. These flying objects are unidentified.” What if these government inquiries and studies result in the manifestation of that classic meme nhmagazine.com | September 2022 71

72 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

WE’RE NUMBER SIX Since Congress held its first congressional public hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), also known as UFOs, earlier this year, interest has grown. A survey of sightings in the United States ranks New Hampshire as the sixth most-likely place to spot an inexplicable encounter with a flying object.

Fifth was Oregon, which has a three-day UFO fest inspired by the1950 encounter of Evelyn and Paul Trent with what looked like a flung hubcap over their farm outside McMinnville. Paul’s photos of the object made it into Life Magazine. Fourth is Vermont, where four UFOs appeared over Lake Champlain in 1986 leading to what’s known as the Buff Ledge Camp Abduction. One of the UFOs entered the waters of the lake and then emerged. Memories of two camp counselors suggest they were beamed up and examined, a la the Hills, seven years earlier.

New Hampshire boasts 85 significant UFO sightings per 100,000 people.

UFO FESTIVAL The Exeter UFO Festival is back (Sept. 3-4) after a pandemic hiatus and it’s taking place during a year that’s been marked by unprecedented government and military disclosure ranging from Tic Tac UFOs to an alphabet soup of new government acronyms like UAP, AATIP and AARO (which stands for the government’s “All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office). The two-day event, hosted by the Exeter Area Kiwanis Club, will feature community fun and involvement in multiple locations with guest speakers, activities and town merchants on board, filling the city center with UFO-related décor that leans towards the kitschy. Visit exeterufofestival.org for details.

Featured speaker Kathleen Marden is the niece of UFO “experiencer” (or abductee) Betty Hill and co-author of “Captured!” which details her famous aunt’s story with the help of the late Stanton Friedman — a nuclear physicist and the original civilian investigator of the Roswell UFO Incident.

COURTESY PHOTO

with the wild-haired History Channel guy: “It was aliens.” I don’t mean (but I can hope) the revelation of long-standing and shadowy alien-government collusion. I mean, “The U.S. government knows categorically that many UFOs are alien ships.” *cough* “UAPs.” The world changes then, right? The government has definitive proof of intelligent life beyond our planet. Time to end war, erase terrestrial borders, and build starships.

But maybe not.

According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2021, 41% of Americans already believe that some UFOS are of alien origin (up 33% from 2019). Our reaction to the news might, in fact, be blasé. But that also might not be our fault. Bureaucracy can be a real murderer of mystery, and even ufology can get boring when wrapped in red tape and stamped by military acronyms.

Except that UFOs are already boring.

Comparatively, at least.

After all, “Are UFOs alien spacecraft?” is the equivalent of asking, “What car are they driving?” The real fun starts with the mollusk meat: Who’s behind the steering wheel?

Are they bulb-headed grays? Reptile-people? Red-headed Nazis? (New Hampshire abductee Barney Hill made the comparison in his abduction report.) Really, the most important question that should be asked on the Senate floor isn’t “Are UFOs real?” but “Is anyone having dinner with them?”

Then, perhaps, besides having our general curiosity about their existence and appearance sated, we get to ask them all the big questions: “Can you teach us your advanced science?” and “Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” and “What do you think of Coke?” But the biggest question is yet another layer of delectable mystery, “Got any friends?”

Because even after we get a resounding “No” to our collective question “Are we alone in the universe?” the immediate next question is, “How ‘not alone’ are we?” So even when the aliens are revealed, that could just mean we have two intelligent species wondering together if the truth is out there.

The universe is big enough to continue bestowing mysteries.

But only the AOIMSG will be able to tell us for sure. NH

PHOTO BY JARED ZABEL

SIGN OF THINGS TO COME Bryce Zabel is a stickler when it comes to the story of Betty and Barney Hill. After all, the investigative reporter and Hollywood producer created an episode of his Emmy-winning NBC-TV series, “Dark Skies,” about it, and he has the book “Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience,” by Betty’s Hill’s niece Kathleen Marden, under contract. But Zabel says the 92 words forged in metal for New Hampshire Historical Marker #0224, regarding the Hills, contained two key misrpresentations of the facts of the case.

“The idea that Betty and Barney Hill ‘were not public with their story’ is inaccurate,” wrote Zabel. “While not actively seeking publicity, the Hills did tell their story to numerous individuals — friends, family and co-workers — plus, they filed two official reports.”

More importantly, Zabel noted, “The Boston Traveler did not ‘leak’ the story of Betty and Barney Hill, the newspaper ‘reported’ it. Leak is an incorrect, pejorative way to describe journalism.

Award-winning investigative reporter John Luttrell broke the story in a legitimate, responsible and ethical manner.”

Zabel added, “I think that THE local story is the one about John Luttrell and the Boston Traveler and their pursuit of the story wherever it took him across New Hampshire. ... For years, history has really held that “The Interrupted Journey” by John Fuller was the ultimate investigative piece, something I’ve made a big deal about this year as being definitively not true. ... it was Luttrell who broke the story through guts and patience and good journalism.

Fuller not only stood on Luttrell’s shoulders, he also fudged key facts (i.e., leaving out the anal probe, substituting a car jack when Barney actually had a gun), which is not exactly what journalists are supposed to do. Luttrell has been vilified for years by people who simply do not understand how journalism works.”

Zabel reached out to the New Hampshire Department of Historical Resources to request corrections and found them cooperative, hoping that the new sign might be ready for the 60th anniversary of the Hills’ alledged abduction (last year). A more recent call to the department indicates that, with supply-chain issues affecting the foundry they use, it might take another five years to finally set this story straight.

Bryce Zabel> wants this origin story to be edited.

CURRENT TEXT (with inaccurate portion in red): Betty and Barney Hill Incident: On the night of September 19–20, 1961, Portsmouth, NH couple Betty and Barney Hill experienced a close encounter with an unidentified flying object and two hours of “lost” time while driving south on Rte. 3 near Lincoln.

They filed an official Air Force Project Blue Book report of a brightly-lit cigar-shaped craft the next day, but were not public with their story until it was leaked in the Boston Traveler in 1965. This was the first widely-reported UFO abduction report in the United States.

ANTIQUE UFO? This stereoscopic image, often touted as “the oldest-known UFO photo,” reveals a cigar-shaped object that seems to be flying in the clouds over Mount Washington. Ryan Mullahy, a UFO writer, researcher and founder of the website N.H. UFO Research, saw it but wasn’t convinced. “The object in the photo is not in the cloud but on the surface of the mountain itself,” he says, noting it could be a wooden ruler used to measure the snow or to show scale.

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 73

603 Living

“We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.”

— Carl Sagan

74 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Calendar Health Seniority Ayuh

82 84 86 88

Monarch Magic Nature meets nurture at Petals in the Pines in Canterbury

BY EMILY HEIDT / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN POLIZZI

T

ucked along Baptist Road in Canterbury, Petals in the Pines is part nature activity center, part gardens and part trails – a whimsical escape from the busy day-to-day, and a step into a scene out of “The Shire” that lends itself to be a magical place of relaxation and education for everyone in the family.

Co-owners and husband-wife team Jim and Donna Miller opened their Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom to the public in 2010 after Donna saw an opportunity to invite others to enjoy the nature play areas that she created for her kids as they grew up. “When our kids were little, I built

nature-based spaces for them to play in around our property, like gourd teepees and sunflower houses, and other kids would come over to join them and never want to leave,” says Miller. “I was thinking about starting a business, but I needed a proper stamp of approval. Once I discovered the Arbor Day Nature Explore Program, I was able to learn about how to create an outdoor classroom for kids and started building out our unique blend of the native landscape with cultivated gardens that you can visit today.”

Their two-fold mission has remained the same for over 20 years: first, to enable children of all ages, from infants and

Learn more about saving our pollinators in a Pollinator Workshop at Petals in the Pines. nhmagazine.com | September 2022 75

603 LIVING / PETALS IN THE PINES

10TH ANNUAL NH MONARCH FESTIVAL September 10, 2022 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission: Kids are free; $5 donation is suggested for adults.

Costumes and carpooling are encouraged.

While most come to Petals in the Pines for the opportunity to be immersed in nature, many are drawn to their annual NH Monarch festival. This year marks 10 years of the festival, which aims to provide hands-on tools and expert advice on how families can sustain and improve habitat for migrating monarchs and other vital pollinators, all while giving kids fun ways to celebrate and learn about the butterfly.

“I got into monarchs when my son was in the second grade and his teacher asked him to look for monarchs on milkweed,” says Miller. “I have been on monarch watch ever since. We did an open house the first year of the festival and there were no monarchs or caterpillars. It was an eye-opener for attendees to understand the desperation of the monarch’s plight, and every year we focus on increasing the public’s awareness of their situation and how to help them. We have also expanded our mission to assist all pollinators, including bees – why not help them all?”

This year’s NH Monarch Festival includes games and activities for kids, a butterfly relay race, Pollinator Meadow walks, free milkweed seed packets, monarch photo booth, “Ask a Master Gardener” educational booth and much more. There will also be a variety of vendors selling educational materials and nature-based products.

In case you can’t make it this year, educational materials from the Festival will still be on display for weeks after. “Just because the festival ends doesn’t mean our education efforts end,” says Miller. “Our everyday mantra is you can do something in your backyard by what you plant. You can add milkweed and butterfly weed, encourage native plants and reduce or eliminate pesticides. Any little help goes a long way.”

For more information on this year’s festival, visit petalsinthepines.com/monarch-festival.

76 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Story time, photo booths and more are included at this year’s 10th Annual Monarch Festival.

Left: Experience nature in a safe and nurturing environment. Above: Stories come to life on Tale Trails where kids can walk the trails and read pages from nature books.

toddlers to teens, to experience nature in a safe and nurturing environment, and second, to encourage and educate adults in their personal exploration of the natural world that surrounds them.

“We love being able to create and share experiences, treasures and activities for everyone in the family to enjoy, ourselves included,” notes Miller. “One word that I hear all of the time is how ‘magical’ this place is because it is so intimate and comfortable.

We are a diverse business, but everything we do comes back to focusing on nature, education and relaxation.”

From pick-your-own flowers to demonstration gardens to two miles of trails to workshops, there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy. “People start by checking in at the Farm Stand Porch, where you can find an array of bouquets and other products from local vendors, and from there they venture off to one of our two labyrinths, or the Tale Trails for kids,” says Miller. “Every year, we bring stories to life as kids walk the Trail and read, or have

read to them, pages from nature books. On “Spread Your Wings” Days, we also open up our Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom for discovery time and unstructured play. Kids love the exploration and freedom in it, and parents even love being able to turn their phones off and immerse themselves in that time too.”

By connecting kids with nature, this type of unstructured play and activity helps increase concentration, develop creativity and problem-solving, and relieve stress.

Parents enjoy playing alongside their kids while also tapping into the Millers’ decades of knowledge and experience, to learn about their extensive collections of native and cultivated plants.

“Our hands-on pollinator workshops are perfect for homeowners, gardeners and landowners who want to learn about what pollinators are, why they are declining, and how people can help,” says Miller. “Attendees receive a packet with plant and resource lists, educational materials and pollinator seeds to get them started. I also love meet-

ing visitors at our farm stand to answer questions about how we increased our own biodiversity on-site, and how people can do the same at home.”

The Millers hope that those who visit Petals in the Pines will leave feeling more at peace than when they arrived, and more empowered to support local pollinators like monarchs and bees in their own backyards. And perhaps they will depart with new memories and traditions all their own.

“We want to capture our local community that’s looking for a spontaneous fun day away, as well as groups that are coming from farther away for a workshop or birthday party,” says Miller. “Inviting others to sit with and learn from Mother Nature is the purpose behind our work, and we hope that people will find our place to be a home away from home as much as it is for us.” NH

Learn more

Petals in the Pines / (603) 783-0220

petalsinthepines.com

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 77

Calendar

O U R F AV O R I T E E V E N T S F O R S E P T E M B E R

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some of the Seacoast’s finest artistic and musical talent, as well as cultural exhibits and local food. There will also be yoga, dance performances, activities for kids and hooping. $10. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Swasey Parkway, Exeter.

(603) 512-8396; teamexeter.com Sept. 24-25

Sept. 25-26

Portsmouth Fairy House Tours > The world’s largest fairy house tour is back for a weekend of magic. Peruse the enchanted fairy and gnome homes, take a seat and watch a ballet, visit Pickwick’s Fairy Bazaar, take a photo in the fairy photo booth, add a bit of whimsy to your outfit at the fairy face-painting studio and more. $7-$30.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth, Strawbery Banke. (603) 433-1100; fairyhousetour.com Sept. 29-Oct. 2

Hopkinton State Fair > New Hampshire has no shortage of storied fairs, and kicking off the season of fall agricultural fun is the over-100-year-old Hopkinton State Fair. From demolition derbies and educational exhibits to livestock shows and decadent fried dough, this Labor Day weekend tradition is fun for the whole family. Prices and times vary. Hopkinton Fair Grounds, 392 Kearsarge Ave., Contoocook. hsfair.org

Sept. 3-4

UFO Festival > Did you know that there was a UFO sighting in this quintessential New England town in 1965? The Incident at Exeter inspired this festival, which is both an educational experience for believers and skeptics and a fun time for family and friends. There will be activities for your little ones and, for adults, a lecture series featuring a panel of experts. Times vary, Exeter Town Hall, 9 Front St., Exeter. exeterufofestival.org Sept. 9-11

33rd Annual Hampton Beach Seafood Festival > Close out your summer with the granddaddy of all Granite State food fests with 50 Seacoast restaurants offering up lobster, fried clams and other surf and turf favorites, plus skydiving demos, fireworks, a lobster roll-eating contest and three full days of boardwalk adventures.

Check website for times. Ocean Boulevard., Hampton Beach. (603) 926-8718; seafoodfestivalnh.com

Sept. 10

Auburn Day & 29th Annual Duck Race > Each September, hundreds of people gather in beautiful Auburn to enjoy a familyfriendly and fun-filled day to benefit the Auburn Historical Association. The cornerstone for this annual event is the famous duck race, which awards cash prizes for the 10 fastest ducks, including $1,000 for first place.

Other event highlights include the Salmon Falls apple pie-baking contest, the pretty chicken contest, Duckling Dash 5k road race, plenty of New Hampshire artisans and vendors, food and more. Free to attend. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Auburn Village, Hooksett Rd., Auburn. auburnhistorical.org Sept. 15-18 & Sept. 22-25

Granite State Fair (formally Rochester Fair) > Walk along the midway to take in the sights and sounds of the carnival rides, enjoy live music and other entertainment on the grandstand, learn about New Hampshire’s agrarian history and present with livestock shows and demonstrations, snack on all your favorite fair foods, or maybe experience some thrills with the school bus derby. Prices and times vary. Rochester Fair Association, 72 Lafayette St., Rochester. granitestatefair.com Sept. 17

Fall Equinox Fest > Celebrate the final days of summer and welcome in the first days of fall with this fun festival. It takes place at Swasey Parkway, and features 82 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Deerfield Fair > At 145 years old, the season closes out with the oldest family fair in New England. Last year, the largest pumpkin recorded in the entire country was weighed in at the fair – it was a truly ginormous specimen at 2,538 pounds. Find out on opening day at 6 p.m. whether anyone can best Steve Geddes’ massive pumpkin-growing talents. Other nongourd entertainment includes magicians, high-flying circus acts, music, livestock demonstrations, horse shows, the pig scramble, 4-H events, square dancing and so much more. Prices and times vary. Deerfield Fair Grounds, 34 Stage Rd., Deerfield. deerfieldfair.com

Sports & Recreation Sept. 5

Fun Run at Story Land > Your little ones can meet their favorite characters and break a no-pressure sweat at this race around the North Country’s favorite theme park. There’s also a book swap in the morning. $10. 9 a.m., Story Land, 850 NH-16, Glen. believeinbooks.org Sept. 16-17

Reach the Beach > If spectating is your sport of choice, then you’re in luck. This 203-mile relay takes teams of six or 12 runners from Bretton Woods all the way to Hampton Beach and, while registration is closed for participants, the fun part’s still to come; the race’s Tour de Watch from your yard or your neighborhood park, or sign up to volunteer — they need helpers at all hours of the day. Times and locations vary. runragnar.com Sept. 24

Fox Point Sunset Road Race > Runners who love to race but hate the break-of-dawn start times, this one’s for you. A 5-mile course winding through Newington Village and around Great Bay, this Seacoast Road Race Series event is designed to align with the sunset —

COURTESY PHOTO

Sept. 1-5

Fairs & Festivals

PHOTO BY BARRY FARBER / VISITNH

Capital Arts Fest > The League of NH Craftsmen invites you to this juried craft fair on Main Street in the Arts District of Concord. The event features juried members of the League and invited artisans from around New England, craft demonstrations, exhibition galleries, local music and delicious food. Free. Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Outside League HQ, 45 South Main St., Concord. (603) 224-3375; nhcrafts.org

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Performing Arts & Music Sept. 1-4

“Almost, Maine” > Welcome to the lovely and mythical Almost, Maine. Set in the quaint, fictional northern Maine town of Almost, they welcome you on a journey through a series of amiably vignettes about love and loss, with a touch of good-natured magical realism. $22-$47. Times vary, New London Barn Playhouse, 84 Main St., New London. (603) 526-6710; nlbarn.org Sept. 22-Nov. 4

PHOTO BY DM BAKER

“Sweeney Todd” > “Sweeney Todd” has become a bloody, worldwide success since being awarded eight Tonys (including Best Musical) for its Broadway premiere.

Stephen Sondheim’s thrilling, theatrical treat has simultaneously shocked, awed and delighted audiences across the world. Tickets and times vary, Seacoast Repertory Theatre, 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. seacoastrep.org Sept. 23

Sept. 18

Star Island Gosport Regatta > All are invited to this open sailing race from Portsmouth Harbor to Gosport Harbor at the Isles of Shoals. Spectators are welcome to enjoy the sailing competition from the deck of M/V Thomas Laighton, Isles of Shoals Steamship Company. There will also be festivities after the race for the whole family, such as an award ceremony, delicious barbecue, music, kite festival and games and activities for children. Prices vary. 9:45 a.m. to 8 p.m., Star Island, Isles of Shoals, Rye. (603) 430-6272; starisland.org/regatta

ce

Labor Day Weekend Fireworks > End your Labor Day weekend festivities with a fireworks show at Hampton Beach. Walk the boardwalk, enjoy some Blink’s fried dough, bring a blanket and experience the magic of the night sky lit up by a beautiful fireworks display. Free. 9:30 p.m., Hampton Beach, Hampton. hamptonbeach.org

oi

Sept. 4

Find additional events at nhmagazine.com/calendar.

Submit events eight weeks in advance to Emily Heidt at eheidt@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.

Ch

Miscellaneous

Princess Bride.” After a screening of the iconic movie, Elwes will engage in a moderated discussion revealing never before shared secrets and tales of inconceivable antics! Journey back to the lands of Florin and Guilder in an adventure filled with fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, miracles, and of course, true love. $36-$150. 7:30 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 South Main St., Concord. (603) 225-1111; ccanh.com

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no 6 a.m. registration table in sight. Stick around after you’ve crossed the finish line, where a free post-race BBQ will be waiting to replenish those calories you just burned off. $10-$25. 5 to 7 p.m., Newington Old Town Hall, 338 Nimble Hill Rd., Newington. (603) 834-3177; foxpoint5miler.org

Richard Thompson > Powered by evocative songcraft, jaw-dropping guitar playing, and indefinable spirit, this venerable icon holds a coveted spot on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and counts a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association in Nashville, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BBC Awards among his many accolades.

Thompson’s influence can’t be overstated. $35-$45.

8 p.m., The Colonial Theatre, 95 Main St., Keene.

(603) 352-2033; thecolonial.org

Sept. 10

Canterbury Shaker Village Artisan Market > This event is a celebration of handcrafted arts that also features music, food, family craft activities, farm animals and decorations. Come admire the artisans’ work and find unique gifts or maybe even something special for yourself. Prices vary. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Rd., Canterbury. shakers.org Sept. 10-11

River Valley Artisans Art and Wine Tour > This annual event allows you to enjoy delicious wine and stroll among displays of various paintings by local artists.

Poocham and Summit wineries have joined the River Valley Artisans for this weekend of art, fun, wine and food. There will be oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, photography, jewelry, fiber art and woodware among other handmade items. Free. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Summit Winery, Route 12, Westmoreland. rivervalleyartisans.com

COURTESY PHOTOS

Sept. 29

The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes > Join Cary Elwes (Westley) for a behind-thescenes look at life on and off the set of the classic film, “The

Sept. 16-18

NH Highland Games & Festival > Heading north for this beloved fest, you could almost convince yourself that the mountains on the horizon are the rolling hills of the Scottish Highlands, and once you hear the bagpipes and spot the sea of tartan on the festival grounds, you’ll really start believing it. Heavy athletics, dancing, music and arts are all on the docket this year, as are other fun festival activities. Prices vary. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Loon Mountain Ski Resort, 60 Loon Mountain Rd., Lincoln.

(603) 229-1975; nhscot.org nhmagazine.com | September 2022 83

603 LIVING / HEALTH

Are You In It for the Long Haul?

What to look for, and how to manage your long COVID symptoms

BY KRYSTEN GODFREY MADDOCKS / ILLUSTRATION BY GLORIA DILLANIN

I

f you’re feeling unusually fatigued these days, COVID could be to blame.

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 40% of all adults in the United States have been infected by COVID-19. And of those people, nearly 1 in 5 (19%) still suffer from lingering symptoms. Known as “long COVID,” these symptoms can include a number of ailments, such as tiredness, shortness of breath, joint pain, headaches or a lingering cough.

Long COVID itself is not a clinical diagnosis but describes the more than 200 symptoms that people report experiencing weeks or months after having a COVID infection. As such, many people have difficulty both recognizing their symptoms and getting them addressed. Christina Martin, APRN, MSN, who is a member of

84 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

Dartmouth Health’s Post-Acute COVID Syndrome clinic (PACS), says that most of the nearly 800 patients who’ve been referred to the clinic experienced a relatively mild case of COVID-19 that didn’t require hospitalization. Many were also vaccinated, and nearly 75% include women, and of those, the majority are between the ages of 30 and 60—consistent with national statistics.

“Some people had a very mild illness but then suffered from prolonged fatigue,” Martin says. “Differences in immunological factors between men and women likely account for these numbers. From what we’re learning about long COVID, men tend to get more severe, acute cases of COVID, and women tend to have milder cases but experience more prolonged COVID symptoms.”

Martin says when Jeffrey Parsonnet, MD, started the clinic more than a year ago, the

medical team didn’t think there’d be a need for a clinic months after the vaccine was made available. However, the winter Delta and spring Omicron surges caused more patients to contract breakthrough cases, and as a result, the clinic saw more cases of long COVID, Martin says.

The PACS clinic, which is the only clinic of its kind in our region, sees individals from New Hampshire and Vermont. Patients are typically referred to the clinic by their primary care providers and meet with Dartmouth clinicians either in person or via telehealth. To qualify, patients must be at least 18 and have been experiencing symptoms for at least three months after their initial COVID-19 infection. The PACs clinic supports patients and helps them manage some symptoms while also, if needed, connecting them to appropriate Dartmouth

Health specialists in neurology, pulmonology, cardiology or psychology.

Some of the most common symptoms the PACS clinic sees include: • Fatigue, especially after minor exertion • Difficulty with thinking and concentration (brain fog) • Cough, and shortness of breath upon exertion • Depression, anxiety • Muscle aches • Rapid heart rate, palpitations • Headache • Low-grade fever “Brain fog can be severe enough to cause people to get lost driving in their own towns. Multitasking becomes difficult, word-finding is a struggle, and short-term memory can be impaired,” Martin said.

“Symptoms are often severe enough to cause a significant disability, including inability to work.”

The PACS clinic is researching what can be done to help those experiencing fatigue.

Those who have severe enough symptoms that impact their daily lives are sometimes

referred for neurocognitive testing or even to physical and/or occupational therapy, Martin said.

There are no one-size-fits-all treatments or medications that treat long COVID, but there are steps people can take to alleviate their symptoms and avoid getting reinfected.

Here are some things you can do if you think you suffer from long COVID symptoms: • Make an appointment with your primary care provider. Your provider can then connect you with the right specialist who can more thoroughly address your symptoms.

For example, if you’re having trouble breathing, you may be referred to a pulmonologist for further testing and treatment. If you are experiencing a rapid heart beat or murmur, you might be referred to a cardiologist.

• Don’t push yourself. Your fatigue is sending you a message. Learn how to conserve energy and take more breaks, if needed.

• If you’re behind on your vaccinations or boosters, get vaccinated. The more times you get infected with COVID, the greater the chance you’ll get long COVID. • Continue to social distance, wash your hands, and wear a mask in crowded areas.

As the PACS clinic continues to see patients, providers are also looking at ways to better deliver care and address the unique needs of long haulers. The clinic is looking to add support staff, compile a “what’s working” registry, and determine what patients are struggling with financially as they battle long COVID, Martin said. In addition, Dartmouth’s neuropsychology department is also conducting research related to mental fatigue and auditory processing.

With the fall season beginning to move people back indoors, it’s important to stay vigilant. The best way to avoid worsening your long COVID symptoms — or avoid getting long COVID in the first place — is to avoid contracting acute COVID again, Martin said.

“We’re not seeing that the vaccine is helping out those who already have long COVID, but it’s still important to continue to follow CDC guidelines to avoid getting another case of acute COVID. If you’re over the age of 50, you should get a second booster,” Martin said. NH

A HISTORY TO BE RECKONED WITH

PREMIERES SUN SEPT 18 8PM FUNDING FOR THE U.S AND THE HOLOCAUST WAS PROVIDED BY: BANK OF AMERICA; DAVID M. RUBENSTEIN; THE PARK FOUNDATION; THE JUDY AND PETER BLUM KOVLER FOUNDATION; GILBERT S. OMENN AND MARTHA A. DARLING; THE ARTHUR VINING DAVIS FOUNDATIONS; AND BY THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE BETTER ANGELS SOCIETY: JEANNIE AND JONATHAN LAVINE; JAN AND RICK COHEN; ALLAN AND SHELLEY HOLT; THE KORET FOUNDATION; DAVID AND SUSAN KREISMAN; JO CAROLE AND RONALD S. LAUDER; BLAVATNIK FAMILY FOUNDATION; CROWN FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES HONORING THE CROWN AND GOODMAN FAMILIES; THE FULLERTON FAMILY CHARITABLE FUND; DR. GEORGETTE BENNETT AND DR. LEONARD POLONSKY; THE RUSSELL BERRIE FOUNDATION; DIANE AND HAL BRIERLEY; JOHN AND CATHERINE DEBS; LEAH JOY ZELL AND THE JOY FOUNDATION. FUNDING WAS ALSO PROVIDED BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY PUBLIC TELEVISION VIEWERS.

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 85

603 LIVING / SENIORITY

The Cost of Widowhood They didn’t know what they didn’t know

BY LYNNE SNIERSON / ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN R. GOODWIN

R

egrettably, far too often wives or partners don’t discover just how far out of the loop they are until they lose their spouse and are left in the dark when it comes to their financial situation.

They don’t have a clue how to manage their money, or even if they will have enough to live on comfortably and with dignity.

Though more women these days are taking an active role in their family’s retirement planning and investing, there are still a great many seniors who belong to the generations where defined stereotypical gender roles were the norm in a marriage. It was the husband who was the primary bread winner and it was a man’s job to provide for her, plus he was the head of the household who made the decisions, especially when it came to money.

“No need to worry your pretty little head about any of that, my dear” was the

86 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

prevailing attitude. So they didn’t.

Now they’re suffering the consequences.

As statistics prove, women are three times as likely as men to outlive a spouse.

Those left behind are finding that the loss of their life partner and best friend and the associated heartbreak, grief and sorrow isn’t the only blow. There’s the monetary shock as well, and it’s just as big of a jolt.

“Very few wives are prepared to be able to manage their finances if their husbands die,” writes Kerry Hannon, the senior columnist for Yahoo Finance and the author of the book “Suddenly Single: Money Skills for Divorcees and Widows.”

In an article for Forbes.com, Hannon points to a study by Merrill Lynch/Age Wave, which revealed the stunning fact that only 14 percent of widows were making independent financial decisions before their spouse died.

Even more concerning is that many who find themselves suddenly single are ignorant as to what assets they have, where they are located and how to gain access to them. The situation is particularly challenging when their spouse didn’t share bank and investment account information, statements, passwords, property deeds, or perhaps even the keys to the safety deposit box or the location of the will and other necessary legal documents.

Wait. It gets worse.

“If your spouse was still working, you may lose much or all of your household income. You may go from two Social Security benefits down to one. Your tax rate may rise. You may lose access to credit cards you thought were yours but were established under your spouse’s name,” Linda Stern writes in the May 2020 AARP.org Bulletin. “And if you’re widowed from a second marriage, your spouse’s assets may go to first-marriage children, not you.”

There are also pension and Social Security benefits, 401k rollover rules, federal, state and local tax codes, the capital gains tax on the sale of the primary residence, and other critical money matters to become educated about when there isn’t a lot of ramp-up time and the widow is likely consumed with grief, overcome by depression and completely overwhelmed.

At this terrible time when women are experiencing a tremendous loss, they’re in jeopardy of losing a lot of money too.

Sadly, experts find that half of widows see their household income drop by half, a full 50 percent, after their spouse passes away.

“Women do not understand their Social Security benefits as well as they should.

Many women rely heavily on Social Security as a leading source of income in their later years, yet most are not familiar with even the basic rules of spousal and survivor benefits, nor do they understand what the different options are for claiming Social Security that can greatly impact their benefit,” according to Laura Hinz, the director of programs for the nonprofit Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER).

Certified financial advisors and qualified tax accounts can be a big help, but WISER discovered that women are less likely to trust them and instead are more apt to rely on family or friends for financial advice.

This isn’t wise.

“Even when a couple has a financial

Tips for Financial Preparedness Women are three times as likely as men to outlive their spouse or partner, so on average women will be on their own for one-third of their adult lives. This makes it imperative that they stay informed on money matters. Wife.org, the website for the Women’s Institute for Financial Education, suggests that every couple have what this group calls a “Contingency Day” at least once a year to talk about finances.

Here are 10 tips for the topics to cover in the conversation: 1. How much is there?

2. Is it enough?

3. Where is it invested?

4. What should be sold?

5. Can I manage it myself?

6. Who should I turn to for advice?

7. Are all financial records updated?

8. Does the will and/or trust need revision?

9. Are funeral arrangements in place?

10. Have we designed our financial education plan for the comingyear?

advisor, if the husband dies, the wife may not feel comfortable working with the advisor alone. This is especially true if the advisor does not give her the same level of attention or respect, or communicate in a way that resonates with her,” Hinz finds.

Nevertheless, the situation doesn’t have to be doom and gloom. There are smart strategies to employ that will shield widows from the dangers and protect them from the pitfalls.

The best thing to do is plan ahead, plan ahead, and plan ahead. It is vitally important that even in marriages where the subject of money is touchy, if not outright taboo, women need to learn all they can about their household and personal finances while the husband is still living and before he becomes ill or incapacitated.

Hannon and Maddy Dychtwald, co-founder and senior vice president of Age Wave, a visionary company addressing the far-reaching impacts of the aging population, advise in the Forbes.com article to make money talk part of the marriage.

If this remains difficult or uncomfortable, they suggest bringing in a facilitator to help the discussion.

They also recommend that once a woman becomes a widow she hires a fee-only money manager who has earned certified financial planner credentials and can give her unbiased guidance.

“Relying on the financial expertise and clear headedness of others when you become a widow can be a big benefit to you. Asking for the help of people you trust helps you build that financial confidence. You take charge little by little,” says Dychtwald.

It’s also sensible to hit the pause button, not the panic button. Those who’ve walked in a widow’s shoes recommend she should take time to experience her grief, process the situation, and begin healing. And as long as she can afford it, they caution she shouldn’t rush into any major moves or make any big, life-altering decisions for a least one year.

Says Hinz, at WISER, “We frequently hear from women who find themselves struggling financially after their husbands pass away; many of them saying, ‘If only I knew…” when it comes to financial matters.” NH

Good rсtaurants come and go.

Great rсtaurants get beeer and beeer!

Mason, NH • (603) 878-1151 • pickityplace.com

We will bring you back to when life was simple. Since 1786 our quaint little red cottage has graced the hills of southern New Hampshire, seemingly untouched by time. e enchanting cottage was chosen by Elizabeth Orton Jones as the model for her illustrations in Little Red Riding Hood (Little Golden Books, 1948.)

Today it is a mecca for gardeners, foodies, and anyone looking for inspiration and relaxation.

Have a Pickity day!

nhmagazine.com | September 2022 87

603 LIVING

Sized Up

A

New Hampshirite who was asked to describe the city of Boston did so in one word: “Unnecessary.”

Conversely, a resident of Auburn, fresh from a trip to the Big Apple, declared: “New York City is just the same as Auburn, New Hampshire — ’cept more people.” If you’ve lived in New Hampshire all your life (so far), a trip to the big city is apt to modify your perspective. Your perception of size — big, small, or middling — depends on where you come from, where you’ve been, even where you think you’re headed.

I’ve lived in Northwood for 45 years (so far) and the natives are just gettin’ used to me. A neighbor, who’s lived here a minute, refers to Northwood as “our small, rural town.” First, whadayamean “our”? Second, Northwood has four gas stations, two banks, a traffic light, a Family Dollar and a Hannaford. Small? Rural? Maybe — if you’re from Worcester.

A California woman moved to Alexandria. Her first full day in town happened to be a perfect September day — bright, crisp and breezy. The kind we long for in the muggies of August and of which we say, reverently: “Don’t get any bettah than this.”

Taking advantage of the fine weather, she walked along the main drag, called in at the

library, and got chatting with the librarian: “Are you from here?” the Californian asked.

“Oh no!” the librarian said. “I’m from Bristol! I married an Alexandria man.”

From a distance, Bristol and Alexandria (heck, the whole of New Hampshire) might seem kind of the same. They’re not. Bristol has twice the population of Alexandria. Compared to Alexandria, it’s a metropolis.

My grandparents lived in Danbury just south of Alexandria. As a child, I often stayed with them. In fact, I spent my first weeks of life at the homestead. My parents had an apartment in the city — Concord.

I was their first child; no doubt my mother looked to her mother for help. With me!

So home to the country we went. I don’t remember much about it.

I do remember a few years later when cousins from Arizona came East. In a car.

My grandparents never owned a car; they stuck close to home. When I stayed with them, so did I. “Anything special you folks want to do while we’re here?” the cousins asked.

Grampa said he’d heard there was pizza in Bristol. He’d never eaten pizza, but it sounded tasty. A drive to Bristol for

pizza might make a good outing.

The cousins stuck around for a week or so, visiting other relatives in the wilds of Caanan and Wilmot. But the trip to Bristol?

For pizza? Never happened.

I thought, they came all the way from Arizona. Couldn’t they could drive just a little farther? To Bristol. For pizza! This was the first — if not the greatest — disappointment of my life.

Danbury is both small and rural. So’s Wilmot, next door. According to legend, a newcomer heard that her neighbor, a native, was ailing. Up the road she went. He met her at the door.

“I heard you weren’t feeling well,” she said, “so I brought you this casserole.” He thanked her.

A week later, she walked back up the hill and asked if she could have her empty dish back. He fetched it.

Evidently unfamiliar with the admonition Don’t ask a Yankee a question unless you’re prepared for an honest answer, she went ahead and asked: “How’d you like the casserole?”

He replied in kind: “It wa’n’t up to Wilmot standards.”

When it comes to standards, size doesn’t matter. Or maybe it does. NH

BY REBECCA RULE / ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD FITZPATRICK 88 New Hampshire Magazine | September 2022

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