Sunny days filled with swimming, picnics, and cookouts followed by quiet, starry nights are what summer dreams are made of. This season also ushers in a time of reflection and celebration. As the town of Hanover turns 265 years old, our beloved country is celebrating its 250th anniversary. Come out and join all the fun around town, topped off with a Fourth of July parade! Hanover Parks & Recreation has planned a full schedule of activities with several other organizations, businesses, and libraries, so mark your calendars now with the happenings you don’t want to miss. Many are outlined in our feature story beginning on page 36. Let the fun begin!
Another exciting event in town is Dartmouth’s graduation on June 14, which attracts 10,000 visitors to Hanover. Read about the college commencement’s rich history and traditions in the story by Lisa Ballard, a Dartmouth grad herself, beginning on page 50. It’s quite a remarkable milestone to cheer!
We’re also celebrating with the Hanover Garden Club as they observe their 90th anniversary (page 62). Growing from 87 members in 1936 to 275 members representing 30 communities around Hanover today, the club’s purpose is to promote the knowledge and love of gardening, participate in civic beautification, and provide conservation education. We’re grateful for their beautiful plantings in many locations around town.
We’re also dropping in at the New Hampshire Academy of Science in Lyme, where talented students are performing important scientific research (page 74). Who knew there were so many brilliant teens in our midst? Amazing! Increase your enjoyment of summertime by stopping downtown for an ice cream treat (page 34) and hosting a picnic party with our delicious recipes (page 80). Yummy! The staff and I wish you a summer filled with all your favorite things. While you’re out and about, stay in touch with news and local events at www.greateruppervalley.com. Enjoy!
Mark is an award-winning freelance writer from Richmond, Vermont. He lives with his wife, son, daughter, dog, two cats, and nine chickens. www.MarkAiken.com
p Lars Blackmore, photographer
Lars grew up in Denmark and has worked as a photojournalist since the early 1990s, covering everything from concerts to conflicts on assignment for the Associated Press, Save the Children, and others. Now based in Norwich, Vermont, with his wife and two kids, he combines photography and writing assignments with graduate work at Dartmouth College.
p Lisa Ballard, writer and photographer
A full-time freelance writer and photographer, Lisa is a graduate of Dartmouth College who resided in the Upper Valley for another 25 years. She is the author of 10 books, including Best Hikes with Dogs: New Hampshire and Vermont, Hiking the White Mountains, and Hiking the Green Mountains. She covers all types of outdoor recreation, travel, and conservation topics for over 25 magazines. www.LisaBallardOutdoors.com
p Cassie Horner, writer
Cassie is a writer, editor, and publisher and the author of a historical novel, Lucy E.—Road to Victory. Her roots in Vermont go back almost 200 years and inspire her love of the natural world and history. She lives in Plymouth, Vermont, with her husband and two dogs—an English Shepherd and a mini Dachshund.
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Lake Morey Summer Concert Series Returns
Check out these free concerts happening all summer long.
Visit us online to find the winner of this year’s Mother’s Day Giveaway, and subscribe to our newsletter at www.greateruppervalley.com/newsletter to be notified about upcoming giveaways, new issues, and things to do around the Upper Valley. A big thank you to all who entered and to our sponsors!
10 Golf Courses Within Driving Distance To Play This Summer
Discover 10 great golf courses within driving distance of the Upper Valley and plan your next summer round.
10 Places to Grab A Sweet Treat This Summer
Cool down this summer with must-try ice cream spots serving up creamy scoops, bold flavors, and sweet treats worth the trip.
ONLINE ADVERTISERS INDEX
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DESIGNER GOLD
DUTILLE’S JEWELRY DESIGN STUDIO
EYEGLASS OUTLET
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UPPER VALLEY BUSINESS ALLIANCE
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For more information about how your business can get listed on our ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY or for other online advertising opportunities, contact Ryan Frisch at (603) 678-2793 or email ryanfrisch@mountainviewpublishing.com.
around & about | people, places, and events
by cassie horner
Garden and House Tour
Norwich’s outstanding landscape lends itself to wonderful gardens and landmark historical homes. Thanks to the generosity of local homeowners, five gardens and a house interior in the village and along the river will be open to the public on Saturday, June 13 from 10am to 3pm.
The day is a great opportunity to enjoy visiting the interiors of two houses while learning about the architects and designers who created them. The five gardens showcase a wide variety of plantings and vistas that beautifully frame the homes.
“Bring a picnic and enjoy a Connecticut River vista,” says Sarah Rooker, director of the Norwich Historical Society. “Explore the house and garden of one of Norwich’s village homes. There will be music, refreshments, and artists painting on the tour to round out a beautiful day soaking in the beauty of our region.”
The event, which benefits the Norwich Historical Society, is sponsored by Sargent Design Company of Norwich and Pompanoosuc Mills of East Thetford. “For over 15 years, NHS has been organizing a House and Garden Tour of Norwich to benefit its education and outreach programming,” Sarah explains.
LOCAL BEAUTY IN BLOOM
House and Garden Tour of Norwich Saturday, June 13 from 10am to 3pm
For more information about the Norwich Historical Society and to order tickets, visit norwichhistory.org.
A raffle includes a one-hour garden consultation with Sonia Swierczynski of Mont Verde Gardens and a truckload of compost from James LaMontagne Landscaping. Check the NHS website for more items as the tour date gets closer. This is a self-guided tour and visitors need to arrive no later than 1pm since the tour closes at 3pm. Tickets are available at the Norwich Historical Society for $30 ($25 for NHS members and garden club members). People may purchase tickets on the day of the tour or preorder them for pickup on June 13. Please do not bring dogs on the tour. For more information about the Norwich Historical Society and to order tickets, visit norwichhistory.org. t
A river walk winds along the bank of the Connecticut River, capturing views of orchard trees and flowerbeds, while in the village, pockets of perennials bring delightful surprises.
FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND MUSIC
Occasional Jug Band
On two Saturdays this summer, Norwich Farmers’ Market attendees will have the chance to enjoy the lively music of the Occasional Jug Band. This event is one of many places where the group shows up to make music. The group visits nursing homes such as Kendal at Hanover, farmers’ markets in Lebanon, and private events.
“It’s fun to make music with people,” says Joseph Stallsmith. He, along with his friend Phil Singer and husband and wife duo Andy Stewart and Mary Jo Slattery, formed the jug band about 12 years ago. (Phil moved to North Carolina soon after.) Andy and Mary Jo have a Cajun music and dance background and are members of the New Hampshire State Council of the Arts as touring musicians and educators of Cajun music and dance. Joseph describes himself as a “Boston folkie” who grew up in Chelsea, Massachusetts. In the 1980s, he started Joseph’s Waterworks, a popular restaurant and music club in Norwich. All three of the Occasional Jug Band members live in Hanover now.
“We three met in the middle, deciding that if we did the Occasional Jug Band, we could go any way we want musically. There is room to explore different genres,” Joseph says. “We have about 70 tunes we play regularly. Andy, MJ, and I around & about
have been playing as a trio all around the Upper Valley, adapting the great American songbook to fiddle, guitars, ukulele, banjo, harmonica, washboard, and, of course, jug/ kazoo. People recognize the music and sometimes sing along.” For farmers’ markets, they bring a bag of miniature tambourines and shakers so kids (and fun-loving adults) can join in making music.
Jug bands date back to the 1920s and 1930s when people made music with whatever they had at hand such as spoons, jugs, and washboards. Joseph taught an Osher Lifelong Learning class about the origins of the jug band, exploring the roots of such bands as the Grateful Dead that started out as Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions. “The more we go forward, the more we go backward,” Joseph says of music.
Joseph is also part of Classical Folk, joining flute and cello players with his guitar and ukulele. The group plays at venues such as Peyton Place Restaurant in Orford,
Band members (from left) are Andy, Mary Jo, and Joseph.
So many instruments, so many songs.
New Hampshire. On every Monday night, the group can be found hosting a Hootenanny at the Norwich Inn. People are welcome to join the merriment with an instrument of their own or to enjoy listening.
“We are fortunate there are so many places to go and listen to music in the Upper Valley,” Joseph says. “Music takes you back to some episode in your life like a vacation or a date. I can’t remember where I put my keys, but I can remember 12 verses of a Bob Dylan tune!”
For more information about the group and where they will be playing, visit the Facebook page for the Occasional Jug Band. t
Picnic in the Park
Five Wednesdays of fun are planned again this summer in Hanover. The Picnic in the Park series begins July 15 at 6pm and continues each Wednesday with the final event of the series being on August 19. A longstanding community event, Picnic in the Park has delighted people of all ages. Hanover Parks and Recreation is in collaboration this year with the Howe Library, Etna Library, and Hopkins Center at Dartmouth. Events will include live music, a circus performer, magic routines, and live animals. Admission is free.
The lineup for this summer includes a performance by educator, musician, and storyteller Anna
Adler on July 15. Magic and comedy are in residence with Silver Circus performer Adam Silver bringing his combination of magic, juggling, and physical comedy to the park on July 22, and the magic continues with Magic Fred; the family-fun traveling magician performs on July 29. Live animals are featured on August 5 in a program called Animals with Bad Reputations presented by the Squam Lake Science Center from Holderness, New Hampshire, and featuring animals often vilified but crucial to our environment.
On August 12 is a visit from Lindsay and Her Puppet Pals at Costello Field on Etna Road in Lyme, with her handcrafted puppets, unique voice talent, and interactive
FAMILY FUN
performance. Picnic in the Park concludes on August 19 with Raptors Up Close, where picnic attendees will see up close and learn all about birds of prey, presented by the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS).
Unless otherwise noted, all events will be at Sustainability Park, 6 School Street in Hanover behind the town hall parking lot. In the event of inclement weather, check the Hanover Parks & Recreation social media accounts for rain location information. t
From far left: 2025 performers include: Music and Puppets by Tom Knight, Music by Steve Blunt and local author Marty Kelley, and hands-on learning about raptors with VINS.
By the lake, by the pool, on the beach, or just in your own backyard, nothing beats summer reading. No matter how you spend the longest days of the year, it’s hard to find a better way to experience a sunny afternoon than with a good book in hand. We’ve been hearing from a lot of folks that one of their goals for the summer is to reduce screentime, be more present, and enjoy each day. That seems like a worthy goal to us, and whether you’re a voracious reader or haven’t picked up a book in a while, chances are that you’ll find a great read (or three) among the new titles coming out this summer. Here are just a few of our favorites—come visit us at The Norwich Bookstore and we’ll have plenty of other recommendations for you, whether you’re traveling, stay-cationing, or just trying to fit in a quiet moment in a hectic schedule. Slow down, crack open a book, and enjoy yourself. You’ve got the whole summer ahead of you.
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
Beloved writer Elizabeth Strout returns with a new novel and, for the first time in many years, it’s a stand-alone introducing new characters and settings. In The Things We Never Say, high school teacher Artie Dam’s world is upended when a long-held secret changes his understanding of his own life story, and he must reconsider his relationships, his sense of self, and everything he holds dear.
John of John by Douglas Stuart
The Booker Prize–winning author of Shuggie Bain is back with one of the most hotly anticipated novels of the summer, an immersive prodigal son tale in which a young man, fresh out of art school, returns to his family home in the Outer Hebrides to discover that the bonds tying his family and community together are beginning to wear thin.
Slow Down, Crack Open a Book, and Enjoy
SUMMER PICKS FROM THE NORWICH BOOKSTORE
Homebound by Portia Elan
This time-hopping, joyful debut novel about interconnectedness, video games, and our shared humanity is already drawing comparisons to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and The Ministry of the Future.
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
In her first novel since 2009’s The Help, Kathryn Stockett introduces us to Meg, Charlie, and Birdie, three women whose paths converge in Oxford, Mississippi, in the depths of the Great Depression.
The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny & Mellissa Fung
Acclaimed Canadian journalist and filmmaker Mellissa Fung and blockbuster mystery writer Louise Penny join forces on this propulsive thriller, featuring a Chinese dissident activist and her daughter, a former blogger trying to forge her own identity, who must team up to untangle ancient riddles and prevent a worldwide catastrophe.
Pollock’s Last Lover by Stephen P. Kiernan
In this engrossing novel of the art world from Vermonter Stephen P. Kiernan (The Glass Chateau), the stories of two women—a young gallery associate and an older artist—become intertwined when Jackson Pollock’s purported final painting is brought to auction.
Whistler by Ann Patchett
A new book from Ann Patchett is always a monumental occasion, and in Whistler, the bestselling novelist is in top form, exploring family, love, and impermanence through the story of a chance encounter that reunites a woman and her onetime stepfather, whose brief connection many years before had changed both of their lives.
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
The author of Hamnet once again turns her keen eye and deep emotional awareness to a sweeping work of historical fiction, this time in Ireland in the years before and after the Great Hunger.
Country People by Daniel Mason (Available July 7)
An academic, years late on delivering his dissertation on folklore, follows his wife and family on a teaching appointment that brings them into the great uncharted wilderness . . . otherwise known as rural Vermont. There, he meets a typically eccentric cast of characters, a possibly enchanted forest, and a local legend that may hold a little truth in this joyous and rollicking novel from the author of North Woods.
Under The Falls by Richard Russo (Available August 11)
Richard Russo is a modern bard of Northeastern small-town characters, and in many ways this, his eleventh novel, is a classic example of what he does so well. But it’s also something new: a page-turning suspense novel featuring a musician who must face old demons and long-buried secrets when he returns to his hometown for a one-night-only benefit gig.
Charity & Sylvia by Tillie Walden (Available June 16)
This stunning new graphic novel from Upper Valley local, Center for Cartoon Studies professor, and recent Vermont Cartoonist Laureate Tillie Walden explores the true story of Sylvia Drake and Charity Bryant, an openly lesbian couple who lived a long and remarkable life in19th-century Weybridge, Vermont.
The Midnight Train by Matt Haig
Return to the world of The Midnight Library in Matt Haig’s latest, a timetravelling love story that imagines what each of us might do with the opportunity to revisit the past.
The Land and Its People by David Sedaris
Yes. Finally. For real. It’s a brand-new collection of essays by the one and only David Sedaris. Need I really say more?
On Witness and Respair: Essays by Jesmyn Ward
Two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward has cemented her place as one of the most consequential writers of the past decade. Here, for the first time, her essays— from the widely read to the lesser-known— are collected in book form, alongside several never-before-published speeches.
American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed by Isaac Fitzgerald
Growing up, Isaac Fitzgerald found himself fascinated by the legend of John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed. Years later, as an adult at a difficult crossroads, he began walking long distances and renewed his interest in Chapman, a singularly American figure who defies easy categorization. As Fitzgerald, a rollicking storyteller, sets off in Johnny Appleseed’s footsteps, what he finds is an intersection of history and pure legend, and a country full of people with more in common than they might realize.
The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris (Available June 9)
From the collaborators who brought us The Lost Words comes a beautifully illustrated and gorgeously written volume celebrating endangered birds around the world—and the ways their existence is inextricably linked to our own.
Renegades: The Magic Awakens by Erin Hunter
Two orphaned cats discover a world of magical animals—imperiled by humans with nefarious intent—in this brand-new middle-grade series from the creator of the bestselling Warriors series!
The Greatest Bedtime Story Ever by Jessie Sima (Available June 9)
When a wayward elf stumbles upon a dragon, he’s in real trouble. But this dragon, as it happens, has a problem: falling asleep! Can our elf—a pretty good writer, as it happens—help his new acquaintance drift off and get a little rest in this clever, silly picture book? Maybe, if he can conjure up THE GREATEST BEDTIME STORY EVER!
Heartstopper #6 by Alice Oseman (Available July 7)
Here it is: the long-awaited finale to the beloved young adult series that sees Nick and Charlie facing new challenges as they prepare to head to college. t
by dana johnson
We All Scream for Ice Cream
Hanover’s ice cream shops keep it local and delicious
Nothing says summer like enjoying some delicious ice cream on a sunny day. If you’re craving a sweet treat this summer, Hanover Scoops and Red Kite Candy have you covered. From ice creams and creemees to sundaes, shakes, and dairy-free treats, you’ll find something for everyone right here in Hanover.
HANOVER SCOOPS
“Time flies when you’re having fun serving ice cream!” says Kim Smith, co-owner with her husband Scott of Hanover Scoops, which opened on South Main Street in May 2022. While this fullservice ice cream shop offers hard scoops, sundaes, flurries, floats, shakes, and seasonal treats, the creemees—particularly the maple creemees—are hands-down a local favorite.
“Our maple creemee is proudly made with 100 percent local dairy from a small dairy farm in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and local maple syrup,” says Kim. “Chocolate and vanilla creemees are always popular as well, especially with our younger customers. All our creemees are made with the same extra-rich creemee base.” In addition to an assortment of house favorites, Hanover Scoops mixes it up with seasonal delights including black raspberry creemees in the summer and pumpkin creemees in the fall.
“We proudly support local dairy and maple farmers for our creemees and offer Vermont- and New England–made hard scoops,” says Kim. She adds that their growing selection of nondairy ice cream flavors, which are also made locally with oat milk, are very popular. “We are extremely excited for our fifth season in Hanover and look forward to scooping up the smiles!”
Most popular hard ice cream: “Our most popular hard scoop flavor is Mint Chip, the runner-up is Chocolate Lovers, and Cookies & Cream and Dookie Dough tie for third place. Seasonal flavors ranking top spots are Campfire S’mores and Wild Blueberry.”
Most popular topping: “It’s nearly a tie! Rainbow sprinkles and maple crunch sprinkles are our most popular, and chocolate sprinkles and gummy bears are next.”
Most popular cone: “Our most requested cone is a waffle cone. Our sugar cone is a strong second, but a dish, no cone, is actually the most requested.”
RED KITE CANDY
When a candy company also offers homemade ice cream, you know you’re in for a treat. “I’m sure most people realize we make all of our ice cream. But not everyone knows we also make the inclusions that go into our ice cream,” says Elaine McCabe, founder and co-owner with Mike McCabe of Red Kite Candy on South Street in Hanover. “The brownies, cookies, toffee, and caramel are all made by us from scratch. We have an advantage being a candy company!”
Established 16 years ago, Red Kite Candy uses the same quality and care with their ice cream as they do with their confections. “We get our milk and cream from Kingdom Creamery in East Hardwick, Vermont, and from Hatchland Dairy in North Haverhill, New Hampshire. Our maple syrup comes from Fifield’s Sugarhouse in Thetford,” Elaine says. “While certainly not local, we also have a direct connection with Kenyan mango farmers via our friend who works with them on small-scale irrigation solutions. We expect to have mangos in time for the summer season—we’re very excited about this!”
Red Kite Candy also offers sundaes and milkshakes along with dairy-free options. “In the summer we usually have a sorbet or an oat-based ice cream,” says Elaine. You may also enjoy one of their ice cream cakes.
Most popular ice cream: “We have a couple flavors with a cult following (like Roasted Banana), but Maple Caramel Swirl is our most popular flavor. It’s a fancier version of a maple creemee.”
Most popular topping: “If you count sprinkles, it would be them, but that may be because these are free. For the real toppings, it’s probably caramel sauce.”
Most popular cone: “Our made-from-scratch Peppino cone. It’s a smaller version of the standard waffle cone and customers have called it a ‘friendly size.’ It’s big enough to satisfy most people, but not so big you end up throwing half of it away.” t
Hanover Scoops
57 South Main Street #104 Hanover, NH (603) 607-6877
woodstockscoops.com/hanover-scoops
Red Kite Candy
5 South Street
Hanover, NH (603) 277-9201
redkitecandy.com
Once
Top: On-call firefighters from the Etna Fire Station and their families show off their vintage ride.
Bottom: Hanover Parks & Rec summer camp staff and campers join in the parade fun on the horsedrawn wagon.
activities on the Green begin, the wagon rides are popular!
by
Party
Like It’s 2026
THIS FOURTH OF JULY, HANOVER CELEBRATES AMERICA’S 250TH AND ITS OWN 265TH
It has taken a village to gear up and plan for this year’s historic Fourth of July celebration in Hanover. The party is not only for our nation’s 250th birthday but also for the town’s 265th anniversary. What better time to remember and celebrate the ideals of our Founding Fathers for liberty, equality, justice, and democracy?
The Parks & Recreation department, librarians at both the Etna and Howe libraries, the Hanover Historical Society, members of the police force, school art teachers, Hood Museum of Art, local businesses and organizations, the Old Timer’s Fair committee, and dozens of volunteers are all pitching in to provide a myriad of patriotic events, art projects, contests, displays, crafts, and activities leading up to the big parade and festivities on the Dartmouth Green on July 4, 2026.
Visit www.hanovernh.org/970/America-250 for a full updated calendar of events.
Wren Wahrenberger | photos courtesy of hanover parks & recreation, unless noted
LET THE FUN BEGIN!
In anticipation of this Fourth of July, the Howe and Etna Libraries are planning several craft and historical educational opportunities. The Howe has arranged a Hanover History Hunt running from June 1 to July 4 for all ages. Participants should pick up their scavenger hunt maps at the library reference desks. Sam Milne, Howe librarian, hints that one location is about a 10-minute walk from the Dartmouth Green, but all other locations are within close walking distance of the Green. Two locations will require entering a building to discover something on display. After all locations have been marked off on the map, participants should return their maps to the Howe Library reference desk before July 4 to be entered to win one of three gift cards to Still North Books & Bar. Children 12 and under will also receive a free book after completing the hunt.
The theme of the Etna Library’s annual Chalk Art Contest this year (held June 22 to 26) will be on America’s 250th birthday celebration and offer gift card prizes for multiple patriotic categories. A USA Birthday Story Walk will be on display through August 1. Stroll up the hill behind the Etna Library and read the placards containing pages from a tale about the birth of our nation. Also, look for nine Hometown Hero banners celebrating Hanover’s Revolutionary War heroes on display around Etna and Hanover Center.
The Etna library will also be taking their annual bicycle parade to the 65th Hanover Center Old Timer’s Fair on the Common on June 27. This will be the second year the bicycle parade location will be at the fair, according to library director Jeff Metzler, after many years being held separately in the library parking lot. Starting at 9:30am, kids can decorate their bikes with provided patriotic decorations and then join the parade at 10:30am. The library will also offer a patriotic craft table at the fair. Other attractions at the Old Timer’s Fair, which benefits the maintenance of the First Congregational Church at the Common, are an ox pull, old-fashioned games, a book and bake sale, a food tent, a chicken barbecue, and live music all afternoon.
On June 19, Hanover Parks & Rec will host Hanover’s 265th Birthday Party at Sustainability Park from 4 to 5pm. At this drop-in event, the town of Hanover will provide free ice cream novelties and Popsicles for kids of all ages. Expect music, yard games, and birthday party hats—and maybe some surprise guests.
Top row from left: The color guard from Troop 45 carries the flag. On the Green they will lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Multitalented Bill Hammond amazes the crowd with unicycle, mime, and juggling skills.
Bottom row from left: The 2025 Lou’s Pie Eating Champion was crowned after consuming the entire pie! The Patriotic Wand project attracted crafters of all ages. The author, Wren Wahrenberger, with a candy basket, marches in the 2024 parade with the Appalachian Trail Angels Photo by Jon Wahrenberger.
The Fourth of July holiday parade and celebration in Hanover is traditionally one of the most family-friendly events in the Upper Valley.
Top row from left: Hazel and Miles, the author’s grandchildren, enjoy hot dogs on the Green.
Photo by Wren Wahrenberger. Tim Van Leer of the Hanover Historical Society drives a 1945 tractor. The Appalachian Trail Angels earned an honorable mention in the parade contest. Fiberglass facsimilies of the original Pig and Wolf statues in the Richard W. Black Community Center front lobby. Photo by Wren Wahrenberger.
Bottom row from left: Dartmouth’s Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority earned an honorable mention in the parade contest. The Trickesters will be back by popular demand for the third year in a row. The potato sack race is the most popular game on the Green. Be sure to check out all the fun!
A SPECIAL APPEARANCE
Pig and Wolf, Hanover’s iconic unofficial mascots, will appear in various capacities this year to help celebrate Hanover’s 265th. The original chainsaw wood carvings, which are now “retired,” were made by former Ray School art teacher Willy Black for Bill Hammond, who gifted Pig to his wife in 2001, followed by Wolf in 2002. Bill, a now-retired local teacher and principal, lived across from the Hanover Co-op at the time, and his wife’s Pig and Wolf statues became local celebrities. People stopping at the three-way intersection looked to see what the statues were wearing that month and where they had been placed in the garden.
In 2011, Willy helped design fiberglass replica molds of Pig and Wolf that were painted in various colorful outfits by local artists. These were auctioned off as a fundraiser to have the playground installed at Tenney Park. Many of those replicas are still displayed around Hanover, including at the Parks & Recreation Department, the Ray School, and Hanover High. Bill is writing a children’s story about Pig and Wolf, illustrated by Hanover High student Olivia Gemignani, called The Adventures of Pig & Wolf. Printed copies should be available by July 4. Also, Ray School students will make Pig and Wolf hats in art class this year and can wear them for the Fourth of July parade.
“I’m really excited!” says Liz about the many activities scheduled for local families this year. “It’s a lot of planning, but the best part of these events is seeing the people celebrating.”
The crowd cheers on participants in the pie eating contest.
DON’T MISS THE PARADE
The Fourth of July holiday parade and celebration in Hanover is traditionally one of the most family-friendly events in the Upper Valley, says Liz Burdette, assistant director of Hanover Parks & Recreation. The event draws in many participants from the surrounding area due to the child-friendly hours of 10am to 1pm and the noncommercial vibe. The parade usually includes attractions such as vintage cars and a variety of floats from local organizations such as the Appalachian Trail Angels. This year, kids 12 and under are encouraged to join the parade with Shoebox Miniature Floats that they can make at the Howe Library ahead of the date, a drop-in activity from 1 to 3pm between June 29 and July 3.
“We’re always looking for businesses, families, groups, or patriotic pets to participate in the parade. We do a parade float contest with cash prizes,” says Liz. “We would love to have floats celebrating Hanover’s 265th anniversary.” Interested revelers can find a parade signup form at the RWB Community Center or email parksandrec@hanovernh.org. Liz stresses that they will need more volunteers for the day of the parade, and those willing and able should contact the Parks & Rec department.
The Fourth of July parade begins alongside the SAU parking lot at 10am and winds its way through downtown Hanover, turning right at the post office, going up Main Street, and ending at the Green. Local children line the streets, eager to pick up handfuls of candy thrown by parade participants who are not riding in vehicles.
LOTS MORE FAMILY FUN
Once the crowd makes it to the Green, families find a variety of entertainment. Everything is free except for the food, which is generally sold to fundraise for local charities. Kids rush to get in line for the professional face painters and balloon animal station. The Howe Library will
be providing a tie-dye table this year with Hanover’s 265th T-shirts. Expect music from the Tricksters on the central stage.
The popular Lou’s Pie Eating Contest (one event for kids and one for adults) will start at 12:30pm under the Arts and Crafts tent. Make sure to sign up before the event at the tent. This year a hot dog eating contest will also be added. Two horse-drawn wagons will provide rides around the Green, and a series of oldfashioned games such as sack races and a sponge relay race will be offered. For this game, participants dunk a sponge in water, run to a bucket on the other side of the field, and squeeze it out. The first participant to fill their bucket wins. This year, the town plans to add reuseable water balloons for one of the games to improve sustainability. Also, the “kick the ball into the corn holes” activity provides budding soccer stars with a fun challenge.
The popular Touch a Truck on the Green allows children to climb into emergency vehicles, including a fire truck and ambulance. Lieutenant Matt Ufford from the Hanover Police Department is hoping to bring a few extra trucks to the event, pending Dartmouth Green regulations.
Liz is working with the Hanover Historical Society to have period reenactors with demos from 1761. In addition, local organizations, such as Sustainable Hanover, will have informational tents.
Traditionally, hot dogs, hamburgers, and drinks are sold by the Rotary Club on the Green. However, refreshment options will be expanded this year to include additional food venders on College Street, which will be closed from traffic for the event.
“I’m really excited!” says Liz about the many activities scheduled for local families this year. “It’s a lot of planning, but the best part of these events is seeing the people celebrating. These types of bigger opportunities come along only every once in a while, so we really want to embrace them and see what we can do to have the community enjoy themselves and appreciate the history.” t
The Ivy Edit
Walt & Ernie’s Barbershop
Walt & Ernie’s is your neighborhood barbershop, located just off Main Street in the heart of Hanover, New Hampshire. Proudly serving the Dartmouth and Upper Valley community since 1938, our friendly, professional team delivers quality haircuts and beard trims in an authentic four-chair barbershop experience. Rich in Dartmouth College and Hanover history, Walt & Ernie’s offers quality haircuts with friendly service. The hairstyles may have changed, but the true barbershop experience has stayed the same! Walk-ins and appointments are welcome.
New Location!
42 South Main Street Hanover, NH (603) 359-8064 www.waltanderniesbarbershop.com Mon, Wed & Thu 9am–5pm Tue & Fri 7:30am–5pm
The Ivy Edit is the “trendy sister” of the popular 37 Central Clothiers in Woodstock, Vermont. It’s flirty, fashion forward, and fun. Whether you’re looking for a special-occasion dress, going-out top, or just a great pair of Levi’s, you will find it there. Ivy also has an expanding selection of footwear. Follow them on Instagram @the_ivy_edit.
35 South Main Street Hanover, NH (603) 277-9147 www.theivyedit.com
Ramunto’s Brick & Brew
Here at Ramunto’s Brick & Brew we are dedicated to the highest quality New York pizzas. Our handcrafted pizzas, calzones, and stromboli require the freshest dough, which is made daily along with our signature sauce and freshly grated, premium whole-milk mozzarella. Our authentic wood-fired and seasoned slate ovens finish the process with our skilled cooks monitoring the process. Come join us for a real pizzeria experience in a fun family atmosphere.
9 South Street Hanover, NH (603) 643-9500 www.ramuntospizza.com
Matt Brown Fine Art
The MBFA gallery features artwork, crafts, and books by residents (past and present) of Lyme, New Hampshire and Thetford, Vermont: paintings, prints, pottery, and poetry, jewelry, woodenware, floor cloths, photographs, cards, and syrups!
Our summer show, Trees (through Sept. 12), is an exploration of visual relationships to trees, those beings so essential to life in northern New England. The show includes work by our cadre of MBFA artists alongside work by artists beyond Lyme and Thetford.
Visit our gallery website for more info and to sign up for our newsletter.
1 Main Street, On the Common Lyme, NH (603) 795-4855 www.mbrownfa.com
Fri 10am–5pm & Sat 10am–3pm or by chance or appointment
Hanover Scoops Ice Cream Shop
Hanover Scoops features locally made, farm to cone, hard and soft-serve ice cream. Enjoy a selection of house-favorite flavors or mix it up with a featured seasonal delight. Scoops is a full-service ice cream shop offering milkshakes, sundaes, and sweet, salty treats. Scoops is found in the heart of Hanover, next to the Nugget Theatre.
Visit their other location, Woodstock Scoops, in the village of Woodstock, Vermont.
57 South Main Street Hanover, NH
Instagram @hanoverscoops
The Norwich Bookstore
Located in the heart of Norwich, Vermont, just five minutes from the Dartmouth College Campus, The Norwich Bookstore is a vibrant, general-interest bookstore serving the Upper Valley since 1994. Known for our community programming, author events, and personalized staff recommendations, we strive to embody the spirit of cooperation, diversity, and independent thought seen throughout our community. Whether you’re seeking that one book everyone’s talking about, greeting cards for every occasion, book club picks, or simply your next favorite read, we’re here to help!
291 Main Street, Norwich, VT (802) 649-1114
www.norwichbookstore.com
Mon–Sat, 9am–6pm, Sun 11am–5pm Instagram @norwichbookstore
Pines of Winnipesaukee, color woodblock print by Matt Brown, 9” x 6.”
Bencze Owner/licensed esthetician
Glowen Day Spa
Step into a realm of pure tranquility and let your worries fade away at Glowen Day Spa. Experience a personalized journey toward rejuvenation and glowing skin through the power of Celluma and microcurrent treatments. Enhance your eyes’ allure effortlessly with our lash lift and tint, while personalized skin peels and hydrodermabrasion unveil your skin’s true potential, leaving it radiant and youthful. Beyond skin-deep treatments, we offer the transformative practice of reiki healing, where your body and soul are nourished and replenished. We utilize high-quality products designed to give you the ultimate luxurious spa experience thoughtfully priced to ensure luxury is accessible to all. Everyone deserves a pampered, personalized experience. Book your rejuvenating experience today and let Danielle pamper you from head to toe and embrace the glow that lies within.
18 On the Common Lyme, NH (603) 212-8216 www.glowendayspa.com
Half-Step Beer & Wine
Come on down to Half-Step Beer & Wine in Norwich! We’re your source for thoughtfully selected craft beer, wine, hard cider, and nonalcoholic options. We believe that buying a bottle of wine or four-pack of beer should be an approachable experience. That’s why our motto is “practicality over pretension.” We put a lot of thought, time, and tasting when choosing our products, so you can guarantee that whatever beer, wine, or cider you choose will taste great! We look forward to helping you find your next favorite beer, wine, or cider!
289 Main Street Norwich, VT (802) 649-1970
BocaSoca
Bold Flavors. Local Roots.
BocaSoca brings fresh, globally inspired flavors to the heart of Hanover, offering fresh bowls, burritos, and tacos.
Thoughtfully sourced ingredients. Made-from-scratch sauces. Food that feels good to eat—and good to support.
More than a meal.
A place to gather.
35 South Main Street Hanover, NH (603) 643-0202 www.bocasoca.com Daily 11am–9pm
Danielle
Lemon
Tree Gifts
Distinctive Gifts, Jewelry & Home Décor
Visit the Upper Valley’s premiere gift shop where you’ll find a little something for everyone! Discover an array of treasures, including unique Dartmouth items, New Hampshire and Vermont mementos, maple syrup and candy, toys and games for all ages, bath and body, jewelry, candles, men’s and baby gifts, comfy throws, and much more!
We offer shipping, and complimentary local area delivery options. We look forward to being part of your Hanover shopping experience!
Don’t forget to visit us in our PowerHouse Mall location across from L.L.Bean!
28 South Main Street (next to Lou’s) Hanover, NH (603) 643-5388
Lemon Tree Gifts of Hanover
Open Daily
3 Lebanon Street (Second Floor) Hanover, NH (603) 277-9659
thefourthplacehanover.com
Summer Hours: Tue–Thu 2–11pm, Fri–Sun 11am–11pm
The Fourth Place
The Fourth Place is a free community space for everyone who loves games, comics, and geek culture— with a free board game café all the time, and over 50 totally free public events per month! That includes at least two board game nights and two Magic: The Gathering events per week, free RPG adventures, three monthly book clubs, Pokémon, Scrabble, Star Wars: Unlimited, wargames, crafting and painting, and so much more! Plus we have a summer day camp and after school clubs.
Event Calendar: 4th.me/events
Youth Programs: 4th.me/youth
Pro GM RPG Campaigns: tavernsandtowers.com
Dartmouth graduates of 2025 revel as they toss their caps in the air.
Photo by Katie Lenhart.
by Lisa Ballard
DARTMOUTH GRADUATION
A TOWN-GOWN CELEBRATION
photos courtesy of Dartmouth College
If you live in Hanover, whether you are connected to Dartmouth College or not, it’s impossible to ignore graduation weekend. About 10,000 visitors come to the area to celebrate a friend’s or family member’s rite of passage from student to the next phase of life. Like other universities, Dartmouth recognizes its annual graduating class through this institutional custom, launching those seniors and graduate students into the world. That’s why it’s called “commencement.” It’s the start of one’s professional life, next academic pursuit, or some other new chapter, whatever that might be.
“There’s an excitement and a buzz in town,” says Martha Beattie ’76, a resident of Hanover who will be one of the 50threunion alums to lead this year’s procession. “It’s both wonderful and bittersweet, the end and a fabulous beginning. Graduation honors the past while saying good-bye. I love the pomp and circumstance.” As a member of the class of ’76, Martha was in the first four-year coeducational class at Dartmouth, and she served as the first female vice president of alumni relations beginning in 2011 to 2017.
Like graduations at other schools, seniors wear a cap and gown. There are congratulatory speeches by the college president, class valedictorian, and others of inspirational note. Degrees are handed out, and then the graduates cheer and toss their mortarboards into the air. While these traditions are universal, others are unique to Dartmouth.
This June marks Dartmouth’s 255th commencement. Understanding its traditions is an important part of appreciating this annual ceremony.
THE FIRST GRADUATION
Dartmouth conducted its first graduation in August, not June, in 1771. The ceremony was held on the Green, where it still takes place today, though there were some years that it was held elsewhere on the college campus.
Drone view of 2025 graduation.
Photo by Robert Gill.
That first graduation caused barely a blip in Hanover. Instead of conferring around 2,000 undergraduate and graduate degrees, the college awarded only four, to Levi Frisbie, Samuel Gray, Sylvanus Ripley, and John Wheelock. Frisbie became a missionary among the Delaware Indians. Gray spent his career as a lawyer in Windham, Connecticut, and served as a commissary general during the American Revolution. Ripley stayed in Hanover as a professor of divinity and a college trustee, and John Wheelock, the oldest son of the college’s founder, Eleazar Wheelock, succeeded his father as the college president. All four members of this first class came to the newly chartered college from Yale and only for their senior year. John Wentworth, colonial governor of New Hampshire at the time, was the only trustee in attendance.
LORD DARTMOUTH’S CUP
Another enduring tradition is the Lord Dartmouth’s Cup, which is carried by the college usher (usually the head librarian), who walks in the processional behind the president and dean of the college but ahead of the trustees, and then places it on the stage. The college and the cup are named for William Legge, second Earl of Dartmouth, who served as secretary of state for the British colonies until he resigned after the Boston Tea Party. Eleazar Wheelock named the college after the earl in hopes of gaining his patronage. The two-foot-tall, ornate silver “trophy” dates back to 1848 but did not come to the college until 1969. The ninth Earl of Dartmouth presented the cup to the college during its bicentennial to honor the tie between the college and its namesake.
Joshua
to their seats, since he graduated.
Photo by Katie Lenhart.
Seniors with their canes at the 2025 graduation. Photo by Katie Lenhart.
Closeup of the top of a senior cane, which varies based on a person's affiliation as a student.
Photo by Kata Sasvari.
An ornately decorated mortarboard. Photo by Katie Lenhart.
Clockwise top: Lord Dartmouth's Cup graces the stage at graduation 2024 along with the ceremonial Eagle Staff (right) and Mohegan wampum belt (left). Photo by Herb Swanson.
Marks '96 has played the bagpipes, leading the seniors
THE BAGPIPER
Leading the parade of undergraduates from their assembly point in Leede Arena to their seats on the Green is a bagpiper. The bright, regal tones of the instrument shout the importance of the ceremony across much of Hanover. The tradition began in 1953, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the commencement address. Since his own graduation, Joshua Marks, class of 1996, has donned a kilt and piped for each subsequent class, rain or shine.
“To be honest, I remember the bad-weather years more than the sunny days,” said Joshua Marks in an interview with Dartmouth College prior to piping at the 2017 graduation. “1998 was the worst rain event so far. I play no matter what, but there was a lot of wet wool involved that year. There’s nothing quite like wet wool in June.”
SENIOR WALKING STICKS
Another visible tradition during the graduation procession is the senior walking sticks carried by members of some (but not all) “secret societies.” Secret societies are senior social, service, and leadership clubs in which the membership is unknown publicly until graduation. Some of these student organizations are only men. Some are only women, and some are co-ed.
For example, Sphinx, which started in the 1880s, is based in the concrete mausoleum-like building on East Wheelock Street known as the Sphinx Tomb, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Members of Sphinx carry a wooden staff during the graduation ceremony with a carved sphinx on top, which reveals their membership in this secret society.
The tradition originated as a 19th century men’s fashion statement, when gentlemen carried canes as an upper-class accessory. The custom was initially adopted at Dartmouth as a way for upperclassmen to signal that they were not first-years. Now, it’s a graduation tradition.
“At my graduation I remember carrying a senior cane . . . with the initials of friends etched on the shaft,” says Chuck Sherman ’66. Among these was “OWL,” the initials of Omer LaCasse. His name endures as Omer & Bob’s bike shop, now in Lebanon.
EAGLE STAFF
Another staff that has become part of Dartmouth graduation for the last decade is the Eagle Staff, which honors Native American veterans, students, and programs at the college. It was created by Trudell Guerue ’74, a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation who was wounded in the Vietnam War prior to matriculating at the college.
Top: A Native American member of the faculty carries the wampum belt to the stage.
Photo by Kata Sasvari.
Bottom left to right: Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock wears the Flude Medal during the processional. Photo by Katie Lenhart. A celebratory smile! Photo by Kata Sasvari.
During graduation, the Eagle Staff is displayed next to the Lord Dartmouth Cup. It’s adorned with eagle feathers, a Vietnam Service Medal ribbon, and 21 Purple Heart ribbons in memory of the 21 Native Dartmouth students who died in Vietnam. It symbolizes courage and responsibility, and recognizes the college’s location on ancestral Abenaki lands.
WAMPUM BELT
One other ceremonial item is on display at the front of the stage, a wampum belt. The Mohegan tribe gifted the belt to the college in 2022 after Samuel Occom’s papers were given back to the tribe. Though Occom did not study at Dartmouth, he played an instrumental role in gaining support for the college from King George III. The wampum belt symbolizes the college’s good relationship with the Mohegans and its commitment to educating Indigenous students from all tribes. What’s more, Indigenous students are exempted from the strict cap-and-gown dress code and may add traditional Indigenous regalia to their graduation attire.
FLUDE MEDAL
Another valued item associated with Dartmouth graduation is the Flude Medal, a medallion that’s gold on one side and silver on the other. It dangles from a gold chain around the neck of the college president as part of her academic attire. John Flude, a silversmith and pawnbroker, crafted the medal in London and then gave it to John Wheelock in 1785, likely as a show of support for the young college. The gold side shows a scene from Aesop’s fable, “The Old Man and his Sons.” The silver side has an early American flag. The message, “Unanimity is the strength of society,” is also engraved on it.
OLD PINE LECTERN
For anyone watching the ceremony, you can’t miss the Old Pine Lectern, the enormous pine stump that serves as the podium on the stage. The lectern honors the original lone pine, a symbol of the
At Dartmouth’s June 2025 commencement, actress Sandra Oh delivered the keynote address, urging graduates to embrace discomfort as a growth opportunity.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Here are the dates for Dartmouth graduation from this June through 2028: June 14, 2026; June 13, 2027; and June 11, 2028.
college, which grew on observatory hill before it was cut down in 1895. Legend says that three Native Americans chanted a farewell song around it, after which it became a gathering spot for seniors during the 1800s, who sang “Auld Lang Syne” before graduating. Though the lectern is pine, it’s not hewn from the original old pine.
HONORARY DEGREES
Each year, Dartmouth awards six to nine honorary degrees to people who are truly outstanding in their fields and who have enriched our world. The list is long and diverse, including politicians, businessmen and women, diplomats, humanitarians, scholars, scientists, writers, athletes, and entertainers.
Dartmouth awards honorary doctorates in Arts, Humane Letters, Laws, Letters, Literature, and Science. Students, faculty, and alumni all have the chance to nominate the recipients of honorary degrees, which are then reviewed by a special committee. The college president also meets with members of the graduating class to hear what qualities define their class and who the class role models are, to ensure the honorees reflect the core values of the graduating class. There are a few rules: Active politicians, current employees of the college, and current students are not eligible. Recipients must be living and able to accept the degree in person, and the college trustees have the final say.
KEYNOTE SPEECH
Typically, the featured graduation speaker is one of the honorary degree recipients. As you would expect, the message encourages the graduating class to make the most of what lies ahead with some tips on how to do that.
Conan O’Brien’s 2011 keynote address, “from behind a tree trunk,” which sent the students and dignitaries into a fit of laughter.
photo by katie lenhart.
Throughout the history of the college, its graduation speakers have been a Who’s Who of outstanding people worth listening to. Here’s a sampling of some of those memorable messages:
“‘Effortless’ . . . is a myth. I mean it. I say that as someone who has heard that word a lot.” —Roger Federer, professional tennis player (2024)
“Legacy isn’t just something you leave behind. It’s something you build.” — Russell Wilson, NFL quarterback (2022)
“Now, it is time to ‘Greet the world, from the hills, with a hail!’—a world that badly needs your spirit and enthusiasm is waiting for you.” —Annette GordonReed ’81, author, Pulitzer Prize winner, and professor at Harvard Law School
“Let us remember: Every struggle for reform, innovation, or justice starts with a voice in the wilderness . . . Be a voice in the wilderness.” —Yo-Yo Ma, while playing his cello (2020)
“Do not stress if you have no idea what you want to do with the rest of your life. View these years . . . as a journey, as an adventure. Adventures are not seamless trips from point A to point B. They have ups and downs and obstacles.” —Jake Tapper ’91, CNN anchor (2017)
“Each of you has a task to resist, especially now, in this country, the politics of division, discrimination, and oppression.” —Leymah Gbowee, Liberian peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner (2016)
And then there was Conan O’Brien’s 2011 keynote address, “from behind a tree trunk,” which sent the students and dignitaries into a fit of laughter.
LATIN DIPLOMAS
Dartmouth graduations end with the giving of the diplomas. They are written in Latin as a nod to the Italian Renaissance, during which the study of Latin and Greek was the basis of higher education. Even if graduates can’t read Latin, the significance is obvious. They now hold a globally respected degree from Dartmouth College and have successfully transitioned from students to alumni.
UNITED STATES PRESIDENTS AT DARTMOUTH GRADUATIONS
George HW Bush (2011)
Bill Clinton (1995)
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953)
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1929) as Governor of New York
Herbert Hoover (1920) following his position as US Food Administrator and head of the American Relief Administration
Woodrow Wilson (1909) as president of Princeton University
Franklin Pierce (1860)
DID YOU KNOW?
Dartmouth College and Stanford University were the first two universities to live stream their graduation ceremonies on YouTube beginning in 2011.
“Everyone is welcome to the Green to hear the words and celebrate the joy of this special day and its traditions… It’s Dartmouth at its best.”
-Martha Beattie
“While exact numbers vary year to year, we know that commencement more than doubles the population of Hanover,” says Morgan Brophy, president and CEO of the Upper Valley Business Alliance. “That surge of visiting families and alumni has a noticeable impact on the rhythm of the region for several days. For many businesses, commencement is an early season boost and a chance to make a strong first impression on visitors who may be discovering the region for the first time. While hotels and dining are the most visible beneficiaries, the impact reaches much further, touching retail shops, florists, salons, transportation services, and everyday businesses that see an uptick in activity. Overall, it’s an opportunity to showcase the hospitality, creativity, and sense of place that define the Upper Valley. The economic impact matters, but just as important are the impressions formed, because today’s visiting family can easily become tomorrow’s returning guest, customer, or advocate for the region.”
“Not many towns have such a celebration,” says Martha Beattie. “Despite the traffic and craziness, you are surrounded by those who have done and will do remarkable things. Dartmouth graduation is a gift to Hanover . . . Everyone is welcome on the Green to hear the words and celebrate the joy of this special day and its traditions. The spirit of community is so strong. It’s Dartmouth at its best.” t
The annual Open Gardens program is a popular membership benefit that showcases members’ gardens of all sizes and in all stages of development, offering inspiration and opportunities to learn.
HANOVER GARDEN CLUB
CELEBRATING 90 YEARS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
For months before the May plant sale—the club’s primary fundraiser—members nurture plants grown from seed, purchased as starts, or donated from their gardens. The beds at the Nugget Theater are the most visible of the club’s work at 20 Hanover town gardens.
by Anne Richter Arnold
With a mission to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, aid in the protection of native trees, plants, and birds, and encourage civic planting, the Hanover Garden Club has stayed true to its roots for 90 years. Hanover resident Ethel Burns founded the club in 1936 as an offshoot of the Hanover Women’s Club for those interested in natural habitat and environmental issues. Its charter members numbered 87, included several men, and dues were one dollar.
In the beginning, the club sponsored monthly programs with a range of topics including cooking with herbs, growing plants with or without soil, caring for trees and shrubs, pest control, growing wildflowers, and caring for houseplants. By the early 1940s, membership had grown to 90 with both men and women serving as presidents for the two-year terms.
By the 1950s, the club grew to 100 members and dues increased to two dollars. Efforts shifted to civic garden spaces and beautification of the community, which continues to this day as the club maintains 20 public spaces and gardens in Hanover. Another ongoing project started in the 1950s, the contribution of small floral arrangements known as “hospital flowers” donated weekly to patients at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, remains important, now known as the Therapy Flowers Team. The other long-term club project has been providing donations for horticultural books and resources to every town library in the Upper Valley where a member lives.
CHANGING WITH THE TIMES
Throughout the years, the club has grown to include residents of all towns of the Upper Valley and has changed with the times, but it has remained focused on projects that have a real impact on the Hanover community. Protecting the environment, as well as beautification of the Hanover area, continue to be top priorities for the club.
The purpose of the Hanover Garden Club is to promote the knowledge and love of gardening, participate in civic beautification, and provide conservation education.
| photos courtesy of the garden club unless otherwise noted
Under the leadership of Cindy Heath, 2023–25 club president, the board accomplished the following:
• Developed the first Hanover Garden Club strategic plan
• Developed Art in the Greenhouse programs
• Transitioned town gardens to perennial plants to support pollinators
• Created educational pollinator habitat signage for town gardens
• Provided $5,000 grant to Montshire Museum for middleschool climate education
• Developed content highlighting conservation resources for the HGC website
• Designed and installed a Teaching Garden at the greenhouse
Today the Hanover Garden Club boasts 275 members who represent 30 communities in the towns around Hanover; the biggest misconception over the years is that you must be a Hanover resident to join. Annual membership is $45 and the club remains a 100 percent volunteer organization. Mundy Wilson Piper, 2025–27 club president, says, “A person doesn’t have to be an experienced gardener or even have a garden to be a member.”
Produced in partnership with the Montshire Museum of Science and open to the public, monthly educational programs are held in person with a Zoom option. Speakers explore topics ranging from environmental sustainability and soil health, to perennials and houseplants, to historical landscapes and designers—
anything that could appeal to audiences of all ages and interests.
A NEW GENERATION
Leading the club into the future with improved technology, addressing current environmental topics, and keeping up with the changing demographics of the members is current president Mundy Wilson Piper. Following in the footsteps of previous president Cindy Heath, who led the group through the strategic planning process, Mundy is positioning the club for a new generation of members and new community issues.
“Honoring the past and looking forward to future endeavors and projects,” says Mundy, “the board decided they needed a new structure to execute our strategic plan.
president Sandra Johnson was instrumental in the multi-year planning and fundraising for the greenhouse at Grasse Road. Photo by Lars Blackmore. Club president Mundy Wilson Piper and member Linde McNamara celebrate after a greenhouse event. Kim Holzberger, Judy Oxman, Chris Bentivoglio, Mundy Wilson Piper, and Case Ohz work at the Howe Library, fulfilling our mantra that Many Hands Make Light Work.
Clockwise from top far left: Board members oversee club operations and program areas (some folks not pictured). Photo by Lars Blackmore. Past
New bylaws were approved at the annual meeting for the members. We recently reduced the size of the board from 27 to 17 and reconfigured some roles to the subcommittee level to help us be more efficient and productive.”
Mundy is also addressing the intergenerational challenge of membership. “Our group consists of baby boomers, millennials, Gen Xers, and the Greatest Generation, which led the club. Now the boomers’ generation is taking on the next mantle of leadership,” says Mundy. “We’ve averaged 50 new members per year in the last several years, and 25 in the first part of 2026 alone. With new members coming in, we’ve initiated changes in the form of Zoom, social media, digital platforms, and technology younger generations expect. We need to think about how we engage them, stay relevant as a nonprofit organization, and bring the club into the 21st century.”
Mundy uses her experience as a retired strategic-minded business owner to bring to the Hanover Garden Club what is needed in the future. “I ask myself, ‘What are our members going to be looking for and asking for?’ My role in the club is to create an environment for all generations, support the lifelong hobby of gardening, and foster camaraderie.”
A SHIFT TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
As the structure and substance of the club has changed over the decades, the areas of focus and education are shifting with the times and values of members. While the club continues to support the traditional gardening practices, Mundy sees a shift moving toward embracing sustainability, ecological services of the community gardens, and understanding how horticultural practices impact nature. The club has transitioned public gardens from traditional annuals to drought-friendly and pollinator-friendly perennials that support wildlife, a practical means to educate and help foster healthier, sustainable gardens.
“We try to show that there is so much you can do just in your own backyard. We’ve shown how removing invasive plants,
reducing lawns, planting native plants, and not relying on chemicals can be empowering,” says Mundy. “We teach that small changes in gardening can show big results in the form of more birds and more insects attracted to the native plants, and a healthier environment. This approach doesn’t mean you can’t have beauty, but it is different than the expectations of prior generations.”
She continues, “My goal as president of the club is to show that we don’t have to garden the way we always we have. We can do things differently once we understand how much benefit there is to the environment. I am passionate about the club demonstrating communityoriented practices everyone can do in their own backyard.”
The goal of the Hanover Garden Club is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening and protect our natural environment. “I believe the more educated people are, the more they understand that part of supporting nature in your own backyard is adjusting your perspective and habits. The way to influence people is to show WIIFM: What’s in it for me? After making changes, you can observe birds and animals, notice fewer ticks because the flock of turkeys eats them, see the insects thrive because you are not spraying chemicals. The old way of thinking for the club was beautiful, curated gardens with non-native plants. When you are supporting wildlife, it looks a little different, and it involves a retraining of our human habits.
“I am a lifelong passionate gardener, and am proud to be part of a team of like-minded HGC friends who are part of this paradigm shift. Garden clubs are historically on the leading edge of changes in horticultural practices, and I believe we will attract more members interested in naturalistic, ecological gardening practices that are not only beautiful but beneficial to our community for the next 90 years.” t
Hanover Garden Club PO Box 726 Hanover, NH
hanovergardenclubnh.org
by pamela brown
Beware the Sun for Long-Term Skin Health
DAILY PROTECTION IS KEY
As summer arrives and the sun is shining, people gravitate outside. But beware. “The sun is your enemy,” says Dr. Andre Berger, cosmetic surgeon and founder of the Rejuvalife Vitality Institute in Beverly Hills. “The danger is prolonged, unprotected sun exposure. The sun is the most important cause of aging of the skin, and it’s the primary cause of skin cancer,” says Dr. Berger. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, about 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. “Protecting the skin daily is a critical component of maintaining its structural integrity.”
Many people disregard the damaging effects of photoaging, when the sun prematurely ages the skin due to damage from UV light, and are unsure of effective ways to protect their skin. Chronic exposure to UV light can lead to long-term consequences and increase the risk of, and ultimately cause, harmful skin conditions. According to Dr. Berger, that includes brown spots, hyperpigmentation, loss of skin elasticity, thinning of the skin, degradation of collagen, uneven texture, and more. “The more exposure you have to the sun, the more likely you are to have these issues.”
Courtesy of the University of Rochester Medical Center/ Institute for Human Health and the Environment.
START WITH SUNSCREEN
Dr. Berger offers a strong directive: Use good sunscreen daily regardless of the weather because up to about 80 percent of UV radiation can penetrate light cloud cover. “Sun exposure happens and accumulates during routine activities such as driving, walking the dog, and sitting by a window. People ignore this everyday exposure, and it accumulates,” says Dr. Berger. “Sunscreen is the most effective intervention we have to preserve healthy, youthful skin and to prevent skin cancer. But people only put on 20 to 25 percent of what’s needed.” He advises, “Don’t buy a tube, buy a bucket. The recommended amount is a layer to cover the entire exposed surface. It’s the most powerful antiaging investment you can make to prevent skin cancer.”
A mistake people make is not applying sunscreen to critical areas that show aging first and are most susceptible to skin cancer—ears, neck, hands, chest, scalp, and lips—and they don’t reapply. “No sunscreen blocks 100 percent of radiation, so the key is consistent use and applying it generously every two hours when outdoors and reapplying every two hours during outdoor exposure, and indoors only if you are near windows or receiving significant daylight exposure. Reapplication is important. Time, swimming, and exercising reduce the effectiveness of sunscreen.” Also, he reminds women that makeup with SPF (sun protection factor) rarely provides enough coverage, so they should apply sunscreen first and then makeup.
WHAT TO CHOOSE
Dr. Berger says not all sunscreen is the same and recommends water-resistant, broad-spectrum 30 to 50+ SPF because it protects against both UVA and UVB radiation. For people seeking cleaner natural products, he suggests mineral sunscreens that use zinc oxide
and/or titanium dioxide as the active UV-blocking ingredients. “These are the ingredients most modern sunscreens have. They’re antioxidant complexes that support natural skin processes and are useful for people with sensitive skin, children, and pregnant women,” he says, noting other effective products that work a little better than over-the-counter lotions include tinted sunscreens with iron oxide that go above and beyond UV protection. “Noncomedogenic formulations are generally preferred for acne-prone skin.” Tinted sunscreens with iron oxide protect against visible light, blue light, melasma, and hyperpigmentation and are now standard dermatologic guidance.
ADDITIONAL PROTECTION
Other ways to protect skin include wearing protective items: a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and UV-protective clothing. “This is the most reliable protection, often way better than sunscreen alone,” says Dr. Berger, who points out people don’t necessarily need to avoid sun altogether, but it’s best to avoid prolonged exposure to UV radiation.
“A tan is a visible sign of skin injury from ultraviolet radiation. The current dermatology consensus is that a tan is equal to DNA damage and that even subtle tanning increases melanoma risk. You’re not preventing a tan, you’re protecting your skin from damage. It’s preventative medicine for something that’s inevitable,” he says, noting 10am through 4pm is peak time when sun is strongest and offers greater potential for sunburn and skin damage. “UV exposure can still be significant outside these hours. The best thing is to lie in the shade where there is decreased risk. You can still get a tan, but there’s less exposure and it’s more indirect sunlight. Sit under an umbrella, wear a hat, and cover yourself after a few hours of exposure even if you have sunblock on.”
“A tan is a visible sign of skin injury from ultraviolet radiation. The current dermatology consensus is that a tan is equal to DNA damage and that even subtle tanning increases melanoma risk."
TREATMENTS TO CONSIDER
In addition to sunscreen, dermatological treatments can be used. “If you have wrinkling, pigmentation, dark spots, or lines, you can resort to other procedures to eliminate some of those issues,” says Dr. Berger, referencing chemical peels, lasers, microneedling, peptides, retinoids, retinols, and collagens. “Also, there’s new technology, such as Endonuclease, that contains certain DNA repair enzymes that support repair of UV-induced damage after exposure.”
Skin is the body’s largest organ and people must remain diligent in protecting it since sun damage accumulates over time. If you’re worried, Dr. Berger says, “Be careful or don’t go out! Some photodamage can be improved, but DNA damage cannot be fully reversed. Apply vitamin C every morning to help neutralize free radicals and reduce UV-induced oxidative stress, and use products that help optimize the skin’s cellular function,” he says. “People need to think of sun protection as part of a long-term strategy for healthy, youthful skin. It’s about prevention and making it part of living a healthy lifestyle.” t
For more from Dr. Berger, see his book The Beverly Hills Anti-Aging Prescription.
There is always time for fun playing oldfashioned games that develop patience, eyehand coordination, and camaraderie in the NHAS lab.
Reading, Writing, ’Rithmetic . . . and Lots of Scientific Research
GROWING FUTURE STEM PROFESSIONALS AT NEW HAMPSHIRE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
Scientific researchers Grace Lan and Maddy Amell are preparing presentations for a STEM Symposium (that’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) at Dartmouth College. Grace, who recently attended the World Orchid Conference in Dresden, Germany, plans to present some of her research team’s findings on how their work with lady’s slipper orchids ties into ecosystems, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Maddy will be presenting the field work she has been doing on beaver habitat in southern New Hampshire. Previously, she has studied microplastics in clothing and has made gold and silver nanoparticles that can aid in the detection of lead.
Grace and Maddy conduct their research at the New Hampshire Academy of Science (NHAS), a lab located on the campus of Crossroads Academy in Lyme, New Hampshire. They are 15 years old and 13 years old, respectively.
“Come again,” you say? You read correctly; a tenth grader and an eighth grader are doing this research and presenting their data and results. “We have also published papers in professional scientific periodicals,” says Grace.
NHAS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting and mentoring secondary students in the pursuit of STEM careers. “We help students do original research,” says NHAS Executive Director Peter Faletra. “We have great mentor-mentee relationships and a great learning environment.”
A REAL RESEARCH LABORATORY
The New Hampshire Academy of Science leases over 3,000 square feet of lab space at the Crossroads Academy in Lyme, and, although the two programs do collaborate, they are separate. “This is a real research laboratory where students do their own research under the guidance of real scientists,” says Peter.
by mark aiken
photography by lars blackmore
great ideas
NHAS offers in-person after-school and summer programs for students in grades six to twelve and hybrid Advanced Placement courses, where students take classes online and come in some Saturdays for research or exams. “Any student who wants to can participate,” says Chief Operating Officer Alyson Michael, who also serves as the lead chemist at NHAS. “We believe cost should never be a barrier.”
Grace first came to an NHAS summer camp as a sixth grader who found herself working on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA testing, and genetics with a group of high schoolers. At first, Grace felt out of her league. “Everyone was welcoming, supportive, and kind,” she says. “I stayed with it.”
Grace quickly realized something else: “NHAS is structured so that students get a lot of trust and responsibility,” she says. “We get treated more like scientists than students.” This is by design, says Peter, who believes kids can exceed expectations when they have the chance.“Give them the ball and let them run with it,” he says. “We give them control of their own destiny.”
MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
Grace and Maddy describe a unique culture at NHAS—a culture that motivates students to work intensely at research that is often well above their grade levels. “But it’s also fun and supportive—even relaxed,” says Grace. Students reach their potential when they work in areas that interest them and that matter, says Peter.
“Students have clear outcomes that can make the world a better place,” adds Alyson. “Everything we do ties back to either the environment or has human health implications.”
NHAS students, even the youngest, get guidance on writing research proposals similar to what graduate students would do and designing and executing research plans using resources and equipment provided in the lab. “I never saw anything like this,” says Grace. “It’s a real science lab.” Lastly, students present their findings in real academic settings like the World Orchid Conference (where 50,000 people attended), the New England STEM Symposium hosted by the Colds Region Research and Engineering Laboratory, or other scientific settings. “When our students go to college, they have a leg up on peers. They have taken charge of their own learning, and they have learned self-management and responsibility,” says Peter.
Top: Dr. Faletra watches Haley Song of Hanover High prepare a solution for her chemistry research.
Bottom: Sarah Joudeh and Dr. Faletra discuss Sarah’s neurology research. Sarah is a Lebanon High School senior. She will work this coming summer for NHAS as a near-peer mentor to help younger scientists with their research.
“NHAS is structured so that students get a lot of trust and responsibility,” Grace says. “We get treated more like scientists than students.” This is by design, says Peter, who believes kids can exceed expectations when they have the chance.
Clockwise from top left: Young NHAS scientists from four different regional schools, including Hanover High, Richmond Middle School, Hartford High, and Crossroads Academy, take a break from science to play a game of pick-up sticks. Haley Song discusses her research with her mentor Dr. Michael in the NHAS advanced chemistry lab. Professor Olivia with two of her young scientists do fieldwork on a local beaver pond. Nysa Sharma and Grace Lan of Hanover High work in a sterile hood, preparing cultures of endangered, showy lady’s slippers. NHAS is world-renowned for its research and communitybased conservation efforts on lady’s slippers of the Cypripedium genus.
“I have learned about biology and ecology and about human-induced changes like deforestation and climate change,” says Grace. “But I’ve also grown and acquired useful life skills like public speaking, preparation, organization, and paper writing and scientific writing.” Not a bad way for young scientists to spend parts of their summer or a few hours after school.
AN UNUSUAL PLACE
Peter and Alyson love working with NHAS students. At most colleges, professors have research assistants and other staff members.
“Even at schools that boast a two-to-one or three-to-one faculty-to-student ratio, students often don’t have access to the professor,” Peter says. NHAS staff, who often carry similar credentials as teachers at colleges, are accessible. In addition, NHAS employs former participants as mentors. “The mentors and the scientists are amazing,” says Maddy.
NHAS staff feel similarly about their students. “They are enthusiastic and sharp,” says Alyson, noting that most students come from the Upper Valley, but summer sessions have attracted students from farther afield like Texas, California, and even China.
Alyson takes pride in another aspect of the NHAS mission—supporting science teachers, STEM education, and schools in the community. For example, Thetford Academy borrowed expensive water-testing equipment for a unit
in water quality. Students used the equipment to field test water samples from the west and east branches of the Ompompanoosuc River.
Meanwhile, for a genetics unit, the Lyme School borrowed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) equipment to test for a gene involved in tasting bitterness. “Supporting local schools is an important part of our mission,” says Alyson.
Although NHAS was founded in 1919 as an affiliate organization of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) of which Thomas Edison was a member, it had a lengthy period of inactivity before Peter helped reinvigorate the program and attain its nonprofit status—and subsequently to secure funding from a multitude of sources. In addition to collaborations with Hypertherm, Dartmouth, and the University of New Hampshire, Peter has observed something unique in the Upper Valley region. “There is real STEM talent here,” he says. “They are generous in their support.”
He has worked in academia and in the private sector, and he has seen many other parts of the country. “I am uncertain you could create this somewhere else,” he says. That is one driving motivator as he works to secure funding even in an era where federal grants are uncertain.
Meanwhile, they both get inspiration from the students they work with. “It is so wonderful to take students you have worked with since sixth or seventh grade,” says Alyson, “and have them go off to college and have amazing careers.” t
New Hampshire Academy of Science STEM Center
7 Crossroads Drive
Lyme, NH (603) 764-5284 nhacadsci.org
Opposite far left: The barn that houses the NHAS life sciences lab where the molecular biology and tissue culture research happens.
Left: Alyson Michael and Peter Faletra stand in front of the NHAS STEM Center in the Fanger building.
Below: Simon, Kevin, Ian, and Nysa enjoy a discussion with Dr. Mast.
by susan nye
Throughout the summer but especially around the Fourth of July, there will be many opportunities for celebration. Parades will march down Main Street . . . or float along the lake’s shore. Bands will play on the town green. Someone in your circle is bound to have a birthday. Family and friends will gather for all-in-fun but no less competitive road races, pickleball matches, and golf games. There will be swimming, boating, and maybe a little waterskiing. All that frivolity is bound to work up an appetite, and picnics will rule the summer days and nights.
For an easy appetizer, a delicious cheese and charcuterie board can be assembled at your picnic spot. Add a special cocktail and you’re on a roll. For the main course, do the grilling at home and enjoy tasty barbecue shrimp with a wonderful salad. And, to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday, what could be more American than brownies? Okay, maybe apple pie—but that could be a bit messy on picnic.
smart cooking
Buy your favorite cheeses, sausage, nuts, olives, and crackers at the grocery or specialty store. Prep cheeses and sausage at home and transfer to lidded containers. If neccesary, transfer nuts and olives from glass to nonbreakable lidded containers. Artfully arrange your nibbles
1. Put the tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and sugar in a two-quart pitcher or jar. Let sit, stirring or shaking occasionally until the sugar dissolves, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, working in batches, put the watermelon cubes in a blender and process until smooth. Strain the watermelon puree through a fine-mesh sieve.
3. Add the watermelon juice to the tequila/lime mixture and stir or shake to combine. Store in the refrigerator until well chilled or in the freezer for a frostier version.
SUNDRIED TOMATO GRILLED SHRIMP
Serves 8
Bamboo skewers
Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette
2½–3 lb raw colossal or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1. Soak the skewers in water for 1 hour or longer
2. Make the Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or longer in the refrigerator.
3. Pat the shrimp dry, drizzle with half the Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette, toss to coat, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to mediumhigh. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers, place on the grill, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turn, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more or until pink and cooked through.
5. When the shrimp are cool enough to handle, remove from the skewers, transfer to a bowl, drizzle with the remaining Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette, and toss to coat.
6. Cool to room temperature, transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid, and refrigerate until it’s time to leave for the picnic.
If picnicing at home, you can enjoy the shrimp hot off the grill.
SUNDRIED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE
Makes about 1 cup
4 halves oil-packed sundried tomatoes
½ cup loosely packed basil leaves
⅛ red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp or to taste hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup or to taste extra-virgin olive oil
Put the tomato halves, basil, onion, garlic, vinegar, and hot sauce in a blender or mini food processor, season with salt and pepper, and process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the extra-virgin olive oil and process until smooth.
Picnic Food Safety Tips
Plan your menu and timing with safe food practices in mind. Do your cooking early in the day so there is plenty of time to chill everything in the refrigerator.
Have plenty of cooler space and ice packs to store perishable foods. Helpful hint: A full cooler stays cold longer, so pack it tightly.
Avoid constantly opening and closing coolers with perishable food by storing drinks separately.
On the road, carry coolers inside your air-conditioned car, not the trunk. At your picnic spot, keep them in the shade.
Remember the two-hour rule: Do not leave perishable food unrefrigerated for more than two hours. Return leftover perishables to the cooler or refrigerator as soon as you finish eating. Better yet, try to plan for just enough to avoid leftovers. Safety first, and when in doubt, toss any leftovers.
Tips to Packing a Cooler
• Pre-chill your cooler. Tightly pack cold food with ice above and below it.
• Pack coolers with a ratio of two parts ice to one part food for optimal chill.
• Place large blocks of ice, large ice packs, and well-wrapped frozen meats at the bottom of the cooler.
• Store food in leakproof, stackable containers.
smart cooking
LEMONY COUSCOUS SALAD WITH GRILLED ASPARAGUS AND FETA
Serves 8
Lemony Vinaigrette
12–16 oz Israeli couscous
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1½ lb asparagus, trimmed Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshily ground pepper
½ European cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1. Make the Lemony Vinaigrette.
2. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Cook the couscous according to package directions, less 1 minute. Drain well, transfer to a large bowl, add the onion, lemon zest, and enough vinaigrette to coat, and gently toss to combine. Tossing a few times, cool the pasta to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, put the asparagus in a large flat dish, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to evenly coat.
4. Arrange the asparagus on the grill and cook for 1 to 3 minutes. Don’t overcook; the asparagus should be tender-crisp. Cool to room temperature and cut into bite-sized pieces.
5. When couscous and asparagus have cooled, add the asparagus, cucumber, and feta to the pasta and gently toss to combine. If the couscous seems dry, add more vinaigrette and toss again.
6. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to chill and combine the flavors.
LEMONY VINAIGRETTE
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp champagne or white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil to taste
Put the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, and Worchestershire sauce in a blender, season with salt and pepper, and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly add extra-virgin olive oil to taste and continue processing until smooth.
POLKA DOT BROWNIES
Makes 24 brownies
8 oz (2 sticks) butter and more for the pan
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp flour, divided, plus more for the pan
8 oz (about 1⅓ cups) semisweet chocolate chips
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1½ Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
8 oz (about 1⅓ cups) white, milk or dark chocolate chips—or a combination
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9x13-inch pan.
2. Put the butter, semisweet chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate in a heavy saucepan and set over very low heat. When the butter and chocolate are about half melted, remove from
the heat and whisk until smooth and well combined. Cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Put the eggs, instant espresso, vanilla, and sugar in a bowl and whisk until smooth. A little at a time, add the chocolate mixture and whisk until well combined and smooth. Cool to room temperature.
4. Put the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the white/dark/milk chocolate chips and toss to combine.
5. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Don’t overcook. Cool thoroughly in the pan and cut into squares. t
THE HOOD MUSEUM OF ART | @ DARTMOUTH
SUMMER EVENTS
COLLEGE
The Hood Museum of Art is free and open to all. Public programs are free unless otherwise noted. Hours: Wednesday, 11am–5pm; Thursday and Friday, 11am–8pm; Saturday, 1–5pm. For information, visit hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu or call (603) 646-2808.
On view through July 11, 2027
Inhabiting Historical Time: Slavery and its Afterlives
This exhibition explores slavery’s impact and its enduring legacies via histories of oppression, resistance, subversion, and resilience.
On view through July 25, 2026
Art Histories/Art Futures
ArtHistories/ArtFutures is an introduction to the Hood Museum’s suite of exhibitions marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. This exhibition brings together artworks in different media by American artists that range from the second half of the 20th century to today.
On view through August 8, 2026
Revolution Reconsidered: History, Myth, and Propaganda
This exhibition explores how visual representations of the American Revolution
became, and remain, potent carriers of national history and identity.
On view through August 29, 2026
Nurturing Nationhood: Artistic Constructions of America, 1790–1940
Featuring works from the 18th through the 20th centuries, this exhibition explores how art has played a role in defining, nurturing, and maintaining nationhood across what we now know as the United States.
On view through November 7, 2026
American Pop
Join us for lectures with scholars and discussions with artists. Contribute to important conversations on current issues and take a closer look at works in the collection. We can’t wait to see you in the galleries! Visit Our SUMMER Exhibitions
AmericanPop considers how artists respond to, appropriate, and critique popular imagery from visual culture in what is now the United States. By incorporating familiar symbols— from both pop culture and art history—the artists in this exhibition interrogate concepts such as consumer culture, settler colonialism, and environmental extraction.
Art Histories/Art Futures installed in the Hood Museum’s Kaish gallery. Photo by Rob Strong.
Opening July 25
Division of Labor: Work in the United States
Division of Labor: Work in the United States uses objects from the museum’s permanent collection to explore US labor across its overlapping transitions from primarily agriculture to industry to office work between the 19th and the 21st centuries. The artworks also highlight alternative forms of labor, such as domestic work and the arts, alongside larger social and political forces.
Opening August 8
Community and Exile: Artists in Paris, 1910–1939
From the beginning of the 20th century until World War II, Paris was an international hub for artists who came from around the world to live and create together. This exhibition highlights the work of the immigrant artists who sought refuge in the city at that time.
Hood Museum curators will co-lead an exploration of some of the museum’s exhibitions and key themes highlighting the 250th anniversary of the United States.
July 24
A Space For Dialogue Gallery Talk: I Remember Who I Am When I’m with You I RememberWhoIAmWhenI’mwithYou examines a range of photographs and prints that depict many types of relationships to explore the idea of interpersonal witnessing as a worthwhile action, one that shapes the course of our lives and allows us to impact others in return. 4–4:45pm
The Hood Museum of Art and Howe Library are collaborating on this year’s national summer reading theme, “Unearth a Story.” Hood Curator of Collections Ashley Offill will explore the instrumental role of archeology in forming many early museum collections and the legacies and lessons of archeological objects in the modern museum. To attend via Zoom, please register on our website. Mayer Room, Howe Library, and on Zoom, 6:30–7:30pm
SUMMER EVENTS
HOPKINS CENTER FOR THE ARTS
@ DARTMOUTH COLLEGE hop.dartmouth.edu
For information, tickets, or pricing information, call (603) 646-2422 or visit hop.dartmouth.edu.
June 3
2026 Arts at Dartmouth Awards
The Moore Theater, 4:30pm
June 6
Nona Hendryx: Cyboracleinthe Nonaverse
Daryl Roth Studio Theater, 4, 6 & 8pm
June 25–27
Circa: Humans 2.0 The Moore Theater, 7:30pm; Sat 2pm
June 27
National Theatre in HD: ThePlayboyof the Western World Spaulding Auditorium, 7pm
June 30
Nona Hendryx: Nightbirds: The Music of Labelle Spaulding Auditorium, 7:30pm
Summer Film: America Unfiltered Loew Auditorium, 7pm
July 10
Summer Film: The Animation Show of Shows Loew Auditorium, 7pm
July 11
2001:ASpace Odyssey Spaulding Auditorium, 7pm
July 15
The Ida Mae Specker Band: Square Dance Workshop
Dartmouth Green, 4pm
July 15
Free Summer Concert: The Ida Mae Specker Band Dartmouth Green, 5:30pm
July 16
Ex Machina Spaulding Auditorium, 7pm
July 17
National Theatre in HD: Les Liaisons Dangereuses Spaulding Auditorium, 7pm
July 18
The Terminator Loew Auditorium, 7pm
June 6
Nona Hendryx: Cyboracle in the Nonaverse
July 19
Rhiannon Giddens Spaulding Auditorium, 7:30pm
July 22
Celebrating 35 Years of NYTW at Dartmouth with Nona Hendryx and Lynn Nottage Top of the Hop, 5pm
July 22
Her Spaulding Auditorium, 7pm
July 23
Hop Film Event: The American Revolution with Ken Burns in Person Spaulding Auditorium, 7pm
July 24
Blade Runner
Spaulding Auditorium, 7pm
July 25
New York Theatre Workshop: Moonie Daryl Roth Studio Theater, 4pm
July 25
New York Theatre Workshop: Labelle Daryl Roth Studio Theater, 7:30pm
July 29
Exhibition on Screen: Turner & Constable Spaulding Auditorium, 7pm
July 30
Summer Film: Sundance Shorts Tour
Spaulding Auditorium, 7pm
July 31
Department of Theater & Hopkins Center: New York Theatre Workshop Open House Hopkins Center, 5pm
July 31
The Matrix Spaulding Auditorium, 7pm
August 1
New York Theatre Workshop: The Punchline
Daryl Roth Studio Theater, 4pm
August 1
New York Theatre Workshop: Los Feliz Daryl Roth Studio Theater, 7:30pm
August 19
HopStop Family Event: Build a Bird of Prey Sustainability Park, 5pm
HAPPENINGS | SUMMER 2026
Air Works: Featuring a dazzling array of interactive exhibits, Air Works helps to flex engineering muscles, strengthen the understanding of core scientific concepts, and spark the imaginations of all ages.
Montshire Museum of Science One Montshire Road Norwich, VT (802) 649-2200 montshire.org
Exhibit: TOYS:TheInsideStory
Exhibit: Timber Tumble
Exhibit: Wonder Woods
Exhibit: Bubbles:ScienceinSoap
Exhibit: Solve It! Puzzles, Math & Problem-Solving
Exhibit: Discoveringthe Natural World
Exhibit: Air Works
Exhibit: Life in Local Waters
June 8
Emergent Chemistry: Science Learning Through Play in Early Childhood 5pm
June 12, 17, 26, July 10, 11, 24, August 14, 28
Playgroup: Inside! 10am
July 9
AMC150: Bioblitz at the Montshire Museum of Science 10:30am
Etna Library 130 Etna Road
Etna, NH (603) 643-3116 www.etna-library.org
Fridays Story Time 10am
2nd & 4th Fridays
Knitting & Needlecrafters Group 2:30pm
June 1–21
America’s Birthday Story Walk
June 2
Red, White & Blue Window Craft 3:30pm
June 3 Cookbook Club 12pm
June 5
National Donut Day 9am–5pm
June 8, 15 LEGO Club 3:30pm
June 10
Universal Yums 3:30pm
June 17
Summer Reading Kick-Off Party 3:30–6pm
June 22, July 27
Stories with Scooter the Therapy Dog 10:30am
June 22–26
America’s Birthday Chalk Art Contest (Anytime during the library’s regular hours)
June 23
Morphs & Milestones Reptile Show 3pm
June 24, August 26 Book Group 7pm
June 25
Dinosaur Walk 4pm
June 27
Bicycle Parade (at the Hanover Center Old Timer’s Fair) The Common in Hanover Center 9:30am
July 1
History of the Hanover Town Library 5:30–7:30pm
July 7
Dinosaur Egg Craft 11am
July 15
VINS: Birds are Dinosaurs Trumbull Hall, 5pm
July 17
Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream Science Show 5pm
July 25 The Wild Side of Fairy Tales 1pm
August 5 Cookbook Club 12pm
August 12
Lindsay & Her Puppet Pals Costello Park, 5pm
August 22 Ice Cream Party 1pm
The Fourth Place
3 Lebanon Street (Second Floor) Hanover, NH thefourthplacehanover.com
Wednesdays New Comic Book Day 2–5pm
1st Wednesday Upper Valley Young Professionals Game Night 6pm
2nd Wednesday Card Game Night 6–10pm
2nd Wednesday Wargames Wednesday 6–11pm
3rd Wednesday Prototype Games 6–10pm
4th Wednesday Wingspan and Nature Games 6pm
Thursdays Magic: Commander Night 4–11pm
Thursdays Board Game Night 6–10pm
Fridays
Star Wars: Unlimited 5–11pm
Hikes for Every Month of the Year!
Download full directions for your own self-guided hike around Hanover—where to go, what you’ll see, plus a glimpse into the backstory. Access each hike on your phone (if cell service allows) or print the PDF version to take with you. Visit Hanover Conservancy’s website, hanoverconservancy.org/hike-of-themonth, for more information.
June
Historic Wolfeboro Road West, 2.8 miles one way
Moose Mountain Lodge and Ledges, 1.9 miles round-trip
The Velvet Ledges of Greensboro Ridge, 1.5 miles round-trip
July
Baum Conservation Area and Moose Mountain, 2.5-mile loop plus 0.7 mile optional
Mink Brook and Gile Hill, 2.1 miles
Pasture Road Peregrinations, 3.5 miles
Slade Brook and Huntington Hill, 2 miles round-trip
The White Ledges of the Mayor–Niles Forest, 1.1 miles round-trip
August
Moose Mountain Ridge Loop, 4 miles round-trip
Shumway Forest and Tom Linnell Ridge, 4 miles round-trip
South Esker, 1 mile round-trip
1st Friday Friday Night Magic: Kitchen Table 4–11pm
2nd Friday Friday Night Magic: Draft 6–11pm
3rd Friday Friday Night Magic: Pauper 4–11pm
4th Friday Friday Night Magic: Modern 4–11pm
5th Friday Friday Night Magic: Star 4–11pm
1st Weekend Roleplaying Games Weekend
Saturdays Video Game Night 6–11pm
Saturday Pathfinder Society 6–11pm
2nd Saturday Crafting Time 3–6pm
2nd Saturday Mario Kart Night 6–11pm
2nd & 4th Saturdays Classic Civilization 2–6pm
3rd Saturday Blood on the Clocktower 6–11pm
4th Saturday Up-Air Valley: Smash Bros. League 1–6pm
4th Saturday Pride Game Night 6pm
Sundays Family Afternoon 12–5pm
Sundays One Piece Card Game 3–6pm
2nd Sunday Manga & Comic Book Clubs 3pm
2nd & 4th Sundays Taverns & Towers 6–9pm
3rd Sunday Upper Valley Scrabble Club 4–8pm
4th Sunday Pokemon 2pm
4th Sunday Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Club 3pm
5th Sunday Cooperative Board Games 3–7pm
June 4, July 4, August 4 Community Appreciation Day 10–10:30am
June 7 One Piece Release Event: OP-16 3–8pm
June 11 Magic Presents: Pride 4–11pm
August 23 One Piece Op-17 Release Event 3–7pm
Howe Library
13 South Street
Hanover, NH
(603) 643-4120
www.howelibrary.org
Wednesdays
Chess Club
Mayer Room, 6pm
Fridays
Bach Study Group
Mayer Room, 10am
June 2
Drawing the Revolution: Local History and Storytelling Through Zines Mayer Room, 6:30pm
June 4
Horror Stories: A Book Group Aldrich Room, 6:30pm
June 6, July 4, 18, August 1, 29
Adult Dungeons and Dragons: Session III Murray Room, 10:30am
June 7, August 2
Calligraphy Practice Meet-Up Murray Room, 12pm
June 8, 22, July 6, 20, August 3, 17, 31
The Howe Writing Group Aldrich Room, 5:30pm
June 9
Books and Lunch on Tuesdays Aldrich Room, 12pm
June 10
Howe@snorth: Historical Trivia Still North Books & Bar, 6:30pm
June 13, 20, 27, July 11, 25, August 8, 15, 22
Adult Dungeons and Dragons
Session 1 10am; Session 2 1pm
June 13, July 11, August 8
Memory Café Mayer Room, 10:30am
June 13, 27, July 11, August 8, 22
Upper Valley Traditional Music Jam Mayer Room, 3pm
happenings | Howe Library |
June 15
Summer Reading Challenge Starts 9am
June 17
Summer Reading Launch Party Children’s Program Room, 4pm
June 20
Readers’ Advisory Extravaganza 12pm
June 23
Celebrating the 240th: Hand Papermaking Mayer Room, 5pm
June 24
Touch-a-Truck: Casella Waste Department Lower Parking Lot, 10:30am
June 25–August 6, Thursdays
Simply SUMMER Storytime Mayer Room, 10:30am
June 25
Pasta Dinosaurs Mayer Room, 2pm
June 26
Exploring Life in 1775 Through Crafts Children’s Program Room, 2pm
June 26
Music in the Library: Oak Hill Music Festival Main Floor New Books Area, 3pm
June 29–July 3
Design a Shoebox Float and Other Fourth of July Crafts Children’s Program Room, 1pm
July 4
The Fourth of July Parade and Activities on the Green! Dartmouth Green, 9:45am
July 7, 14, 21
Dinosaur STEM Adventures Children’s Program Room, 10:30am
July 8–10
Dinosaur Escape Room Garden Room, 12pm
July 8
Touch-a-Truck: Hanover Fire Department Lower Parking Lot, 10:30am
July 13
T-Rex Party Children’s Program Room, 10:30am
July 15–August 19, Wednesdays
Family Picnic in the Park Concert Series 5pm
July 18
Dinosaur Terrariums Mayer Room, 10:30am
July 18
Howe at Storrs Pond: Dinoman! 6pm
July 20
Dino Cousins Up Close 9:30am
July 25
Ages 5–9: Legos with C3Brix Mayer Room, 10am & 1pm
July 29
Excavations and Exhibitions: Digging into Archeology and the Art Museum Mayer Room, 6:30pm
August 3–6 Youth Comic Camp
August 4
Summer Community Reads Book Discussion: Otherlands Aldrich Room, 6pm
August 5
Searching for the Oldest Animal Fossils Mayer Room, 6:30pm
August 15
Dinosaur Mini Art Show Children’s Program Room, 12pm
August 15
Howe at Storrs Pond: Real McCoy Show 6pm
OTHER NOTEWORTHY EVENTS
Exhibit A Few of Our Favorite Things: Treasures from the Collection Norwich Historical Society norwichhistory.org
Online Exhibit
Mad for Mid-Century Modern Norwich Historical Society norwichhistory.org
Online Exhibit
Norwich’s Vandalized Bible— Mending the Spaces Between Norwich Historical Society norwichhistory.org
Online Exhibit
Norwich Women Crafting the Future Norwich Historical Society norwichhistory.org
Online Exhibit
Poets and the Past Norwich Historical Society norwichhistory.org
Norwich’s Vandalized Bible— Mending the Spaces Between
Mad for Mid-Century Modern
OTHER NOTEWORTHY EVENTS
June 3
Jasper Craven – God Forgives, Brothers Don’t
The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com
June 13
House & Garden Tour
Norwich Historical Society norwichhistory.org
June 14, July 12, August 9
Silent Reading Party
The Norwich Bookstore, 2pm norwichbookstore.com
June 17
Tillie Walden in Conversation with Dan Nott – Charity & Sylvia
The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com
July 7
Tim Weed – The Gatepost
The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com
July 14
Brett Ann Stanciu – Call It Madness
The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com
July 22
Lara Call Gastinger – A Perpetual Journal Practice
The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com
July 30
Herbal Remedy Making with Maria Noel Groves
Enfield Shaker Museum, 6pm shakermuseum.org
August 4
Julie Carrick Dalton – The Forest Becomes Her
The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com
August 23
Free Concert Featuring House on Fire
The Norwich Green, 4:30–6:30pm norwichwomensclub.org
ADVERTISERS INDEX | SUMMER 2026
3 Phase Landscaping 60
Alice Peck Day Lifecare 7
American Precision Museum 31
Baker Orthodontics 18
Belletetes 6
Bethel Mills 85
Billings Farm & Museum 44
Blood’s Catering & Party Rentals 68
BocaSoca 48
Carson Wealth 73
Catamount Self Storage 42
Crossroads Academy 68
Crown Point Cabinetry 9
Crown Point Select 61
DRM 94
Dartmouth Authentic 15
Designer Gold 23
Doyle and Loughman Wealth Management Group 1
Dr. Alla Devitskaya/Hanover Eyecare 19
Dutille’s Jewelry Design Studio 27
Erica Andrus Landscape Architecture 72
Fore U Golf Center 20
GR Porter & Sons 32
Gilberte Interiors 12
Glowen Day Spa 48
Half-Step Beer & Wine 48
Hanover Inn 59
Hanover Road Dental Health 59
Hanover Scoops 47
Hennessey Architecture 20
Higgerson & Co. 11
Hill Opticians & Gallagher Eyecare 73
Hillside Builders 69
Hood Museum of Art 79
Ivy IV Aesthetics 89
JMH Wealth Management, LLC 29
Jeff Wilmot Painting & Wallpapering, Inc. 79
Kendal at Hanover 69
Lake Morey Resort 3
Landshapes 57
LaValley Building Supply 70
Law Office of Margaret A. Jacobs 33
Lemon Tree Gifts 49
LindeMac Real Estate 31
Loch Lyme Lodge 84
Lyme Road Dental 2
MB Pro Landscape Design 92
Martha E. Diebold Real Estate Inside front cover
Mascoma Bank 10
Matt Brown Fine Art 47
Mudge Greeley Architects 27
NT Ferro Estate & Custom Jewelers 33
Nefertiti Nails & Spa 72
Peraza Dermatology Group 5
Ramunto’s Brick & Brew 46
River Road Veterinary Clinic 89
Rousseau & Ross Back cover
Simple Energy 91
Snyder Donegan Real Estate Group 4
Systems Plus 32
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Terrace Communities 29
The Fourth Place 49
The Ivy Edit 46
The Lyme Inn 57
The Norwich Bookstore 47
The Tea House 45
The Wealth Conservatory 44
Twin State Flooring 21 VINS 18
Valley Floors 90
Verani Realty Inside back cover WISE 94
Walt & Ernie’s Barbershop 46
White River Family Eyecare/ Hanover Eyecare 93
William Smith Auctions 17
Williamson Group 13
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Winterberry Interior Design 43
Woodstock Inn & Resort 19 & 70
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by mike morin
A Moment with Tim Cullen
Owner of Ramunto’s Brick and Brew
How did you come to buy the business from cofounder Vinnie Mackle in 2012?
I was brought into the company in 2005 by Vinnie Mackle a year before the pizzeria relocated. At the time, we were operating out of a small building across the street from an Irving gas station. I was serving as the general manager at Murphy’s on the Green when Vinnie approached me.
Having been married the year before and with a baby on the way, I was motivated to take a step toward ownership. Vinnie and I worked out an agreement that brought me in as a partner with the understanding that full ownership would come later as part of the plan. In January 2012, that vision became a reality.
It’s apparent your employees work hard and seem to enjoy each other on the job.
At Brick and Brew, we take pride in employee retention because it reflects the culture we’ve built. Our goal is to create a true sense of family and community—for both our guests and our team. We’re proud to have two managers nearing 20 years with us, along with many team members who have been here five to ten years. We’re also honored that many families trust us with their children’s first jobs.
What have you learned from the dedication and joy that your employees bring to work?
I have learned about myself and who I want to be as a person. Much like being a father, learning how to teach, inspire, care, forgive, correct, nurture, and even allow employees to make mistakes starts with me and my approach. That has been a source of a lot of self-reflection. The lessons are endless. When customers and employees see this process working successfully in the company, that’s what brings me the most joy.
Why is David’s House important to you and how does Brick and Brew help with their work?
At Brick and Brew, our mission goes beyond profit—we believe in contributing to the betterment of people, families, and our community. David’s House exemplifies this mission more than any organization I know. They provide families of sick children with a home during an incredibly challenging time, offering support when it’s needed most. Their work is truly inspiring and a testament to the strength and compassion of our community. It’s an honor to support David’s house in our own small way, and I take tremendous pride in doing so. t
Tim Cullen, owner of Ramunto's Brick and Brew. photo by kata sasvari.
