Image - Spring 2023

Exciting

Lighting LAMPSCAPES HAS YOUR DESIGN

CLAREMONT REVITALIZATION

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CONTENTS

SPRING 2023

FEATURES

40 | Creatively Handcrafted Lighting

Lampscapes is part of White River Junction’s commercial renaissance. by Chris

Jackson

52 | Claremont: A City

Growing and Prospering

Revitalization is in the air. by Pamela

Brown

64 | An Evening at LaScala

Milan, Italy’s, world-famous opera house.

by Lisa Ballard

64

52 page

Cover: Ken Blaisdell of Lampscapes holds a handpainted shade. Photograph by Jack Rowell. This page: Downtown Claremont, looking south along Pleasant Street from Opera House Square. Photograph by Lars Blackmore.

Spring • 2023

Mountain View Publishing, LLC 135 Lyme Road Hanover, NH 03755 (603) 867-9339

WWW.GREATERUPPERVALLEY.COM

Publishers

Bob Frisch Cheryl Frisch

Executive Editor Deborah Thompson

Associate Editor Kristy Erickson

Creative Director/Design Ellen Klempner-Béguin

Advertising Design Marston Creative

Web Design Locable

Inbound Marketing Manager Erin Frisch Newton

Advertising Bob Frisch

KEEP US POSTED: image magazine wants to hear from readers. Correspondence may be addressed to: Letters to the Editor, image 135 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755. Or email us at: dthompson@mountainviewpublishing.com. Advertising inquiries may be made by email to rcfrisch1@comcast.net. image is published quarterly by Mountain View Publishing, LLC ©2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited. image magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or photographs.

SPRING RENEWAL

After hibernating all winter, the spring thaw brings all kinds of creatures out of their long sleep—including human residents of the Upper Valley! All of nature is being reborn, so head outside and witness the miracle. Have you seen the rst crocus peeking out of the soil? Or a da odil? While you’re outdoors, what kinds of birds are you seeing? Discover some of the most common species in our area beginning on page 28. Birds are beautiful and fascinating, and you may nd yourself taking up a new hobby!

Speaking of renewal, the city of Claremont, New Hampshire, is experiencing a rebirth (page 52). Buildings large and small are being renovated and repurposed, and new businesses and residents are moving in to occupy these newly restored spaces. Our hats are o to the o cials and inhabitants of this exciting, thriving city who continue to work hard to ensure a bright future for Claremont.

In White River Junction, we’re dropping in to see Ken Blaisdell at his place of business, Lampscapes (page 40). Ken hand-paints lampshades and builds interesting lamps that are sure to be conversation pieces. Why not say goodbye to ho-hum lighting and add a piece of one-of-a-kind art to your home? A selection of antiques and paintings is also on display at the shop.

Lisa Ballard takes us on an amazing tour of LaScala, the world-famous opera house in Milan, Italy (page 64), while locally we’re visiting the Sunapee Historical Society (page 76). We’re also dropping in on crime writer Sarah Stewart Taylor at home on her Vermont farm (page 34) and Keith Coughlin, executive artistic director at the New London Barn Playhouse (page 90). Last but not least, come with us to Jasmin Auto Body, our Business Spotlight for this issue, and learn about this family-owned business with a proud legacy. e sta and I hope your springtime is lled with all your favorite things. While you’re out and about, keep in touch with news and events at www.greateruppervalley.com. Enjoy!

Deborah ompson Executive Editor

dthompson@mountainviewpublishing.com

LIKEUS

Lars Blackmore, PHOTOGRAPHER

Originally from Denmark, Lars has worked as a photojournalist since the early 1990s, covering everything from concerts to war zones for the Associated Press, Save the Children, and others. He now lives in Norwich, Vermont, with his wife and spends time between assignments on the trails across northern New England.

Pamela Brown, WRITER

Pamela has been a journalist with Hearst Connecticut Media Group for 20 years, covering a wide spectrum of subjects, and she has a monthly food column in Connecticut Magazine. When she steps away from the computer, Pamela enjoys vacationing in Woodstock, playing tennis, gardening, reading, and spending time with her beautiful daughter, Alexis, and adorable mini Goldendoodle, Rafa.

Chris Jackson, WRITER

Chris grew up in Randolph, Vermont. He spent his youth wandering the highways and byways of the Upper Valley, often on foot, sometimes by hitchhiking, occasionally on a bike. Eventually, he joined the great migration south and made a life for himself in Boston.

Chantelle Neily, PHOTOGRAPHER

Chantelle grew up in rural Vermont; at a young age she was introduced to photography and was immediately drawn to the excitement, challenge, and opportunities that each new photograph presented. After receiving a BFA in hoto raph from a e olle e of l an and a ertificate in Professional Photography from Hallmark Institute of Photography, she moved back to the Upper Valley and started CPerry Photograpy.

Jack Rowell, PHOTOGRAPHER

fifth eneration ermonter ack was orn and raised in central Vermont. He has been a professional photographer for over 35 years, shooting documentary, commercial, and advertising photographs. His work has been published in People Weekly, London Independent, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, the Economist, and the Times of London. In addition, ack is an enthusiastic and experienced an ler with extensi e contacts in the huntin and fishin communities.

ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY

WWW.GREATERUPPERVALLEY.COM

ALIGN INN VERMONT

AMERICAN PRECISION MUSEUM

ANNEMARIE SCHMIDT EUROPEAN

FACE AND BODY STUDIO

BETTER HOMES/THE MASIELLO GROUP

CALDWELL LAW

COLBY INSURANCE GROUP

COPELAND FURNITURE

CROSSROADS ACADEMY

DATAMANN

db LANDSCAPING

DEAD RIVER COMPANY

DOWDS’ COUNTRY INN

DOWDS’ INN EVENTS CENTER

DR. NEELY–HANOVER

ORTHODONTICS

EVERGREEN RECYCLING

FORE U GOLF

GILBERTE INTERIORS

HANOVER EYECARE

JEFF WILMOT PAINTING & WALLPAPERING, INC.

JUNCTION FRAME SHOP

KING ARTHUR BAKING COMPANY

LATHAM HOUSE TAVERN

LITTLE ISTANBUL

LOCABLE

MARTHA E. DIEBOLD REAL ESTATE

MB PRO LANDSCAPE DESIGN

MORNINGSIDE FLIGHT PARK

MOUNTAIN VALLEY TREATMENT CENTER

MVP MARINE

NEWPORT GOLF CLUB

N.T. FERRO ESTATE AND CUSTOM JEWELERS

RICHARD ELECTRIC

RIVER ROAD VETERINARY CLINIC

RODD ROOFING

THE DORR MILL STORE

THE HANOVER INN AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

THE JACKSON HOUSE INN

TUCKERBOX

VALLEY REGIONAL HOSPITAL

WHITE RIVER FAMILY EYECARE

WISE

WOODSTOCK AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT

For more information about how your business can get listed on our ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY or for other online advertising opportunities, contact Bob Frisch at (603) 867-9339 or email rcfrisch1@comcast.net.

MONTHLY TIDBITS FACTS, FUN & IDEAS

National Frozen Food Month

id ou know that fro en produce is usuall ust as nutritious as fresh and sometimes it’s hi her in nutrients hile we wait for fresh fruits and e ies to ecome more a undant at local farmers’ markets fro en produce can e a reat option. ere are a few thin s to consider

FRESH PRODUCE

Picked before ripe, can lose nutrients in transit

Some fresh produce tastes better than frozen Ma e easier to find local arieties

suall less economical

Spoils quicker

Great for quick snacks

FROZEN PRODUCE

Picked and frozen at the peak of ripeness, retains nutrient value

Freezing affects the texture of some produce

More difficult to find locall sourced suall more economical

Lasts longer

Great for smoothies

A Walk in the Park

March 30 is Take a Walk in the Park Day, and there are many excellent outdoor spaces to explore around the Upper Valley. Riverside Park in West Lebanon may look like just a playground and skate park, but there’s a picnic area tucked away as well as a riverfront trail. Colburn Park in Lebanon features plenty of picnic tables plus a small playground and a fountain. Dogfriendly Boston Lot Lake in West Lebanon includes a 2.4-mile loop and plenty of scenic picnic spots. Moody Park in Claremont features 325 acres of trails for hiking and a gorgeous view of the mountains. And Mount Sunapee State Park in Newbury is perfect for an outing, boating, or simply a springtime walk.

RIVERSIDE PARK, WEST LEBANON

APRIL

Welcome Back from a Winter’s Nap

The smaller animals that hibernate for the winter in the Northern Hemisphere usually start coming out of their burrows by April. According to New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife, some of our hibernators include bats, woodchucks, raccoons, striped skunks, chipmunks, and jumping mice

Go Batty

Bats are so important to our ecosystem that they have their own appreciation day on April 17. Bats play a critical role in pest control, pollinating plants, and dispersing seeds. More than half of the bat species in the United States are in severe decline or are listed as endangered, so it’s important to do our part to protect these essential critters. First, turn off unnecessary lights at night to improve their environment. Promote bat habitats around your property by leaving dead and dying trees in areas where they don’t create a hazard. Create a garden to attract insects that pollinate plants and feed bats. Finally, provide shelter by installing a bat box. It should be placed 10 to 20 feet high in an open area that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight.

MONTHLY TIDBITS

MAY

Discover the Main Street Museum

May 18 is International Museum Day, and we have a unique treasure in the Upper Valley that is worth celebrating. If you haven’t visited the Main Street Museum in White River Junction, now’s the time This small olunteer run nonprofit collection of curiosities aims to cultivate “a sense of wonder at the big questions that arise when we study and categorize objects and our reactions to them.” It’s a gathering place for people and performances that “might not find a round hole in a s uare pe uni erse. t’s a welcoming space for anyone and everyone and an unforgettable experience. Visit mainstreetmuseum.org for hours and more information.

Bountiful Basil

Around late spring, basil is in season at Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center in East etford, Vermont. Add this fragrant and avorful herb to salads and soups, blend it into sauces, and use it in sandwiches. When you buy fresh basil, put the stems in a jar with water to keep the leaves fresh for a few days. Basil also freezes nicely—puree it and then add a tablespoon of olive oil per cup of basil puree. Pour the puree into ice

JUNE

“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. e sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.”

–Maud Hart Lovelace

Practice KINDNESS Every Day

June 1 is National Say Something Nice Day, a reminder to harbor the spirit of kindness and generosity. Saying something nice is simple, costs nothing, and may not only make someone’s day but also improve our own mood and stress level. e best part? Kindness is contagious, and it’s a way for us to connect with each other and foster positivity.

THINKING ABOUT BIRD-WATCHING?

e Upper Valley is all a utter now that spring is in the air! It’s the perfect time to look to the skies, trees, and around the bush. Just like you, birds are out and about welcoming in the new season.

Approximately 300 species of birds frequent the region. Some are year-round residents; others leave when the cold sets in and return with the farmers’ markets. It’s easy to overlook the bird on the branch beside you. Yet, year over year, the number of bird-watchers grows. It’s one of the least expensive hobbies, requiring nothing more than interest and outdoors—maybe even your own backyard. So, if you’re considering bird-watching adventures this spring, start here and get to know these ve Upper Valley frequent yers.

Observe, Don’t Disturb! Consider getting a pair of binoculars. Whether in your backyard or scanning the treetops as you walk through a forest, binoculars get you up close and personal without disturbing the birds, their nests and habitats, or their hatchlings.

Black-Capped Chickadee: Tiny and Abundant is little cutie is one of the most frequently spotted birds in the region. As its name implies, the top of its head is black with white cheeks over a black bib. Its pu y chest and underside are white to a soft bu color. All this monochrome cuteness stands on two gray talons.

You’ll know this chickadee by the highlow whistle coming from treetops and deep in-tree cavities where they like to sleep. It’s also where they make their nest in mid-April and start laying white eggs with brownish-red spots in early May. Two weeks later, the eager nestlings usually crack out of their shells.

Black-capped chickadees are social birds who ock to your bird feeders, especially if you o er black-oil sun ower seeds, peanuts, or peanut butter. ese welcoming birds let other species travel with their ocks, so don’t be surprised if di erent types of birds hang out in their crowd.

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE

RED FINCH

TUFTED TITMOUSE

Blue Jay: Bright and Colorful

Another colorful bird sporting a spiky crest is the blue jay. Both females and males can be quite striking with their bright blue, black, and white banded feathers. eir long, pointed black beaks not only help them nab insects but are also great for cracking open acorns, their favorite snack.

While the blue jay is renowned for its colors, it is equally infamous for its sometimes seemingly endless song. You’ve likely heard the short squack-squack, followed by the completely di erent-sounding wobbly whistle or trill. You may have thought it was another bird responding, but it’s just the voicechanging blue jay.

Blue jays like trees at the edge of the forest, where acorns are plentiful and easily accessible. If there’s a nest in the fork of a tree, there’s a good chance it belongs to a family of blue jays. From March to July, you may spot their bluish or greenish brown-speckled eggs. ese hatchlings may take up to three weeks before peeking out at the world. Blue jays have one of the longest mating seasons, and these love birds mate for life.

Frequent visitors to bird feeders, they enjoy a nice platform and lining up on ledges while in constant conversation. ey aren’t great sharers, so as bright and beautiful as they are, a few may be a bit pushy. O er them suet, mealworms, and sun ower seeds, and they’ll be your backyard buddies.

Northern Cardinal: Colorful and Bright is colorful bird is one of the most easily spotted in the Upper Valley. It’s hard to miss with its punk-rock crest that sits high and spiky on its head. Females are golden-brown with touches of black. Like their male counterparts, they have a bright orange beak encircled in black. But it’s the vivid red male that may capture your attention as their crimson coat stands out in any setting or season.

If you hear chirp, chirp, followed by a rapidly speeding up volley of chirps that end with what sounds like lasers being red in an old computer game, well, you’ve heard a northern cardinal. Spring is when males most enjoy vocalizing. Both females and males sound o warnings or when courting. Other times they’re just enjoying the day and want to sing about it. You may hear their serenade all around you as they hide their nests in low trees, overgrown ground cover, and dense bushes like mulberry and grapevines where they can nest and feed.

As a harbinger of spring, cardinals start wooing their partners in February before mating in March. It takes less than two weeks for their nestlings to break through their pale-colored eggs, which can be whitish, bluish, or greenish, marked with brown, purple, and gray.

Northern cardinals are also fans of sun ower seeds and will be frequent visitors to well-stocked bird feeders. But if you have anything re ective around, like a mirror or window, you may want to hang a decal.

Territorial northern cardinals often think their re ection is an intruder and throw themselves against the glass—again and again and again.

BLUE JAY

NORTHERN CARDINAL

Balancing Act

Woodpeckers have stiff tail feathers that help stabilize them as they drill into and drum on trees. Along with their two talons, these feathers act as a tripod to keep them balanced as they attach to the side, and sometimes the underside, of decaying trees and go about their daily tasks of wood pecking.

MALE PILEATED WOODPECKER

Pileated Woodpecker: Big and Flashy

Pileated woodpeckersmay be the largest woodpeckers in North America, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to spot. Usually about the size of a crow, these timid beauties prefer being deep in the forest—usually, but not always. However, once you see these unique-looking birds, you won’t easily forget them. You may rst notice the possibly familiar Woody Woodpecker red crest, a blown back wave on top of the head. Body feathers are primarily black with white stripes up the neck and black stripes that wrap around the eyes like a Zorro or Hamburglar mask. Males have a red mustache-like stripe at the base of their bills.

eir repeated wuk, wuk, or cuk, cuk is reminiscent of someone nally getting a joke and ramping up the laughter. However, the loud drumming from repeated pecking is more likely to identify the culprit as a woodpecker.

Pileated woodpeckers also mate for life. ey prefer heavily wooded forests with plenty of deadwood for nesting. e couple excavates a cavity in a tree they both agree upon and begin family planning later in the season,

from mid-May to mid-July. You may not see their shiny, almost translucent white eggs since the nest is usually in old-growth forests, high up and out of reach of predators. But in about 18 days, little beaks will be poking out, ready to eat.

Deadwood forests are also where these big birds like to forage for their favorite meal of carpenter ants and other insects. ey have pointy bills that, through prolonged pecking, create a hole in the dead or decaying wood. e long, rectangular cavities they drill help provide oftenneeded food and shelter for other bird species. Because of this vital role in the ecosystem, pileated woodpeckers are a protected species. It is illegal to harm these occasionally annoying, always beautiful birds.

Yes, you may hear or see a pileated woodpecker drilling into the redwood siding on your house or pecking away at your fence or satellite dish. Sometimes they make noise to attract a mate and will leave after breeding season. While they are out and about, they may also visit your bird feeder, especially if it is near downed trees they can drill into, and if you serve up some suet, which they enjoy.

Downy Woodpecker: Small and Soft

e smallest yet most spotted woodpecker in the Upper Valley and North America is the downy woodpecker. It ranges from ve to seven inches, slightly bigger than a canary. is little yer is named downy because its black wings with white spots are so soft and u y. ey have a white stripe down the back and an all-white underside. Only males have a patch of red on their heads.

ese adorable little birds may surprise you with their variety of sounds and loud personalities. Whether drumming while excavating, free-styling a series of chirps, or repeating a sharp pik that makes you feel scolded, this woodpecker has a way of getting your attention.

Like their bigger brethren, downy woodpeckers prefer decaying wood. ey also have long, strong bills to excavate cavities for foraging and nesting but are not timid and will happily nest in a suitable tree in your backyard. eir eggs are white, and these tiny creatures, eager to see the world, will peck through the shell in about 12 days.

While downy woodpeckers prefer insects, they will gather at the feeder to enjoy an array of sun ower hearts and seeds, cracked corn, and peanut suet cakes.

DOWNY WOODPECKER

Birds Get Thirsty Too!

Don’t forget to put out a clean water source if you have a bird feeder.

Can You Spot em?

Birds are bountiful and funny, loud and calming, annoying and helpful. Worldwide, birds consume more than 20 quadrillions of individual creepy crawlies yearly, not including rodent control. Imagine if they didn’t. ey utter and it from place to place, helping pollinate the earth so plants and owers bloom and thrive in expected and unexpected places.

Sure, they bring more than beauty to the environment, but sometimes people just want to enjoy the sight of them. It’s estimated that over 70 million individuals head outside annually to do a bit of birding. With the diversity in species, sizes, shapes, colors, and sounds, there is always something new and amazing to learn, hear, and see when bird-watching.

So how many of these common New Hampshire and Vermont skyhigh residents can you spot? All you need is a healthy dose of curiosity, a bit of patience, and an appreciation of the smaller, feathery things in life. Look to the skies, trees, and around the bush. Enjoy spring! •

SPOTLIGHT

BY PAMELA BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELI BURAKIAN (EXCEPT WHERE NOTED)

CRIME WRITER CALLS A VERMONT FARM HOME

A VISIT WITH SARAH

STEWART TAYLOR

Raising sheep and growing blueberries on a bucolic Vermont farm might not seem like the ideal background for a crime ction writer, but Sarah Stewart Taylor has found the perfect combination living in a 1791 farmhouse where her husband Matt grew up. “ ere’s something nice about stepping away from my desk and going outside to do something physical and concrete, water the animals, or move some hay around,” says Sarah, author of the Sweeney St. George and Maggie D’arcy series. Her fourth Maggie D’arcy mystery, A Stolen Child, premieres in June.

e Creative Process

Mystery has always been Sarah’s favorite genre, appreciating Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, and today’s contemporary crime writers. “As I’m dreaming up mysteries, it’s fun to think of all the lives that have been lived in our house. I nd it really inspirational to be surrounded by so much history,” she says. “I love exploring character through the lens of a murder investigation. It’s such an interesting way to explore setting and theme and to unveil secrets.”

Above: Harlow Brook Farm in Hartland, Vermont. Photo by Sarah Stewart Taylor. Opposite: Sarah with one of the family’s 20 laying hens. Some of the famil ’s ock of Dorset and Dorset Cross sheep. Sarah and Matt in the home’s kitchen.

“AS I’M DREAMING UP MYSTERIES, IT’S FUN TO THINK OF ALL THE LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN LIVED IN OUR HOUSE. I FIND IT REALLY INSPIRATIONAL TO BE SURROUNDED BY SO MUCH HISTORY.”

Despite the intricacies of developing and writing a mystery, Sarah embraces the creative process. “I love the rst ush of an idea and being seized by the voices of the characters in my head. ere’s something amazing about the vision for a book coming together and the way the people and the setting start to seem completely real as the story develops,” says Sarah. Inspired by her years in Dublin, her Maggie D’Arcy series features an American homicide detective in Ireland. “I love following her through the di erent things life throws at human beings, as well as through a series of murder

investigations. I also love creating a cast of characters around my main character, giving readers a chance to enter their worlds and watch as they change, grow, and age.”

A Love of Writing and the Upper Valley

Early on, Sarah was a passionate reader, interested in the mechanics of writing and how plots were structured and resolved. “ anks to some great teachers during my elementary school years, I decided to try writing my own stories,” says Sarah, a Long Island native whose father was raised

Right: Sarah and her husband Matt Dunne and children (from left) Abe, Cora, and Judson. Below: arah in her office.

in the Upper Valley. Both of her parents were teachers, so she spent every summer in New Hampshire and attended Middlebury College not only for its superior writing program but also because it allowed her to be in Vermont and close to the Upper Valley. “ at’s when I started to think I might like to write as a career. I went to graduate school for Irish Literature and lived in Ireland for a few years after college and then worked in publishing and as a reporter, including e Windsor Chronicle and Vermont Standard and for the Valley News, and then as a freelancer and dog walker while I was trying to complete a novel.”

e award-winning author’s career has spanned many genres. “I’ve written a lot of di erent things, including a series of mysteries about an art historian who studies gravestone art, the script for a graphic novel about Amelia Earhart, and a series of adventure novels for kids, but I’ve come back to crime ction in the last few years,” she explains.

Farming and Family

When not writing, Sarah breeds sheep alongside her husband, who oversees the Center on Rural Innovation that focuses on economic development and

Complimentary consultation and panorex

SPOTLIGHT

building digital ecosystems in rural areas. “My husband grew up doing it and knew how much hard work it was, but he let me learn on my own,” she says. ey have 12 ewes and welcome 20 to 24 lambs each spring. “It’s been an intense and amazing learning experience for me, guring out how to manage lambing, how to care for the sheep, how to make the economics work. We raise chickens for eggs and meat and we had pigs this year for the rst time in a while. We also have 120 blueberry bushes. We’ll keep adding and we’re hoping to have a pick-yourown operation at some point.”

Sarah appreciates exploring as many Vermont towns as she can. Some favorite locales include Mount Tom and Mount Ascutney, and historic sites such as Saint-Gaudens and Marsh Billings, the Calvin Coolidge Homestead, and the Constitution House in Windsor. “We have three children who are now in middle and high school. We love to go for walks and hikes together,” says Sarah, who also travels a bit farther to experience Lake Willoughby and hike in the Green Mountains and the White Mountains. “We have plans to visit the Justin Morrill Homestead and the Clemmons Family Farm and some other important Vermont historic sites this summer. A few years ago, we did a ‘right-left’ trip where I started driving and they told me when to turn right or left. We ended up in Bennington and then all the way up in Burlington.”

Summer will nd Sarah promoting her new book, working on farm projects, and spending time with family. “I have a new novel in the works and I’m really excited to see how that develops,” she says, adding, “And I have a kid who will be heading o to college in September, so I’ll be soaking up as many moments with him as I can.” •

BY CHRIS JACKSON 6 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK ROWELL

CREATIVELY HANDCRAFTED LIGHTING

Lampscapes is part of White River Junction’s commercial renaissance

Ilove visiting White River Junction, Vermont, a thriving hub that o ers an array of restaurants, shops, and cultural amenities, all on the human scale of a small town. You can easily spend a happy afternoon browsing such attractions as Little Istanbul, Vermont Salvage, or the Main Street Museum; grab a bite at one of the ne eateries like yme or Tuckerbox; and then round out the day with an event at Briggs Opera House or Northern Stage’s Barrette Center for the Arts. Sometimes the only challenge can be nding a parking space. It wasn’t always this way.

e Connecticut River’s status as a boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire often passes without notice, but after Vermont imposed a statewide sales tax in 1969, virtually all commercial investment ed the Vermont side of the Upper Valley and landed in tax-free New Hampshire. After a few years, the river came to separate a shiny new world on the New Hampshire side of the river—rich with shopping malls, fast food joints, and famous retail franchises—from a world on the Vermont side that seemed stuck in the 1950s, a tired collection of old mill towns and railroad junctions with little economic activity. Vermonters in towns like White River Junction watched as a whole new universe took shape across the river along Route 12A in West Lebanon and the Miracle Mile. ere was no shortage of parking spaces, but at times it felt like history was passing them by.

Going Back to Local and Handmade

Today, things have really changed. Shopping malls and department stores, with their similar mass-produced products, are in decline. Meanwhile, independently owned stores in traditional downtowns like White River Junction o er unique products, often made locally, and are luring shoppers back to Vermont from the malls on the other side of the river.

One such shop, Lampscapes, is part of this commercial renaissance. Founded 25 years ago by Ken Blaisdell, a soft-spoken former high school math teacher and machine parts salesman, Lampscapes o ers a selection of handcrafted lamps and lampshades. Originally from Spring eld, Massachusetts, Ken moved to Vermont 40 years ago, lured by the natural beauty of the area. But like many transplants, he discovered that making a living in the north country wasn’t so easy. As a side hustle, Ken began building lamps, often incorporating found objects. Some made use of recycled industrial pieces, like repurposed brake rotors and cast-iron stove lids (excellent untippable

Ken’s brother Barry considers the appropriate shade size for a desk lamp. A variety of shade designs can be used on new and used lamps.

Below left: Desk lamps are available in different designs.

bases!), and in others, he incorporated disused household items, like musical instruments. For the shades, Ken drew on his lifelong interest in art and painted them by hand. For three years, he sold the resulting lamps at the Norwich Farmers’ Market. Interest was strong enough that he decided to open his own storefront in sleepy downtown White River Junction. Today, the business and the town are both thriving.

What Makes ese Products Unique?

Ken is a person who combines an instinct for functionality with an artist’s drive for creative selfexpression. e lamps themselves are an interesting conglomeration of recycled parts, hand-fabricated components, and machined steel that have a vaguely steampunk vibe. But it is the shades that constitute the bulk of Ken’s business. He hand-paints them with an impressive range of styles and motifs, drawing inspiration from a variety of sources like art books, museum exhibits, old Japanese prints,

or photographs

Clockwise from top: Besides lamps and shades, the Lampscapes gallery also features paintin s and anti ues. at lamp with ori inal oil paintin s en.Tapered shaft desk lamps. ariet of mini paintin s is alwa s available.

larinet lamps are mounted on steel ases with decopa e shades. Instruments are sold for parts and are not playable.

of prehistoric cave paintings. Some of them are pretreated with mineral oil to make them semitranslucent, resembling antique Victorian mica, and Ken uses all varieties of paint as well as other media like decoupage and block printing. When you buy one of Ken’s lamps or shades, you know you are getting a product that can be found nowhere else in the world.

Some of the designs that caught my eye on a recent visit: riotous art-nouveau ower arrangements; a Vermont landscape under a turbulent sky; animal gures that resemble prehistoric cave paintings; seabirds scurrying on the beach that seem drawn from Japanese calligraphy; and organic-looking abstract designs in shades of brown, based on a recent exhibit of Australian bark paintings at Dartmouth’s Hood Museum.

Experience the Magic

e shop is worth a visit even if you are not in the market for a new lamp or shade. With sunlight streaming through the huge windows that line the front and the wild variety of lampshades hanging on the walls from oor to ceiling, mixed in with some

If you’re looking for custom shades, bring in your lamp base. Here customers consider shades for their oor lamp.

of Ken’s paintings (also interestingly diverse), the shop is magical. To enter it is to enter Ken’s custom-built aesthetic universe, which is like nothing else I’ve ever seen. O to the side is his ramshackle workshop, where he can be seen most days churning out his amazingly diverse work. And if the existing designs are not to your liking, Ken will to create custom shades based on criteria that you set, often right on the spot.

Ken and his brother Barry are happy to welcome you to Lampscapes, a jewel of Vermont’s Upper Valley renaissance. It’s open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am until 5pm. •

Lampscapes

77 Gates Street

White River Junction, VT (802) 295-8044

lampscapesvt.wordpress.com

1004 Lake Avenue Sunapee, NH (603) 865-5393

Wed–Sat 10am–6pm Mon 1–6pm

Tue 10am–6pm Closed Sun

Dr. Jessica Eid

Comprehensive Vison and Medical Eye Care

255 Newport Road New London, NH (603) 583-4211

www.drdorothy.org

Hours by appointment.

253 Main Street New London, NH (603) 526-5850

www.MorganHillBookstore.com

Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 11am–3pm

Gray

Rentals & Property Maintenance

9 Newport Road New London, NH (603) 863-8881

www.grayledgesrentals.com

394 Main Street New London, NH (603) 526-9201

Mon– u 11am–9pm Fri–Sat 11am–10pm Closed Sun

In-house baked goods made from scratch

Grounds

A resale shop located at and to bene t Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice

107 Newport Road New London, NH (603) 526-6711

www.LakeSunapeeVNA.org

Tue–Sat 10am–4pm

Unleashed Shop In Store or Online

Curbside Pickup & Local Delivery Available

277 Newport Road New London, NH (603) 526-2088

www.UnleashedNH.com

Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm Sat 9am–5pm, Closed Sun

Baked goods, bagels, smoothies, and more! 374 Main Street New London, NH (603) 526-6010

Open 7 days a week

Follow us on social media for updated hours!

Tatewell Gallery

New London Shopping Center 277 Newport Road New London, NH (603) 526-2910

www.tatewell.com

Tue–Fri 10:30am–5:30pm Sat 10:30am–4pm, Closed Sun Mon–Appointment only

Morgan Hill Bookstore

Evelyn J’s Fish Market

The Renaissance Shoppe

Pizza Chef

Dr. Dorothy Hitchmoth

Ledges

Peter Anderson Studio

428 Main Street New London, NH (603) 229-2629

www.peterandersonstudio.com

Peternh916@gmail.com

Instagram: @peter_anderson_studio

Mon–Fri 11am–4pm Or by Appointment

Foster’s Fine Jewelry

428 Main Street New London, NH (603) 252-0543

Text Angela

Ear Piercing, Jewelry Repairs, Redesign New and Estate Jewelry

u–Fri 11am–3pm Sat 10am–2pm or by Appointment

She’s A Lady Classic Clothing Boutique

207 Main Street New London, NH (603) 543-7068

9 Newport Road New London, NH (603) 748-3011

www.alleyesonyounh.com

Roberts Scarlett Pharmacy

276 Newport Road e Gallery New London, NH (603) 526-2002

www.robertsscarlettpharmacy.com

Mon–Fri 9am–5pm Sat 9am–12pm

Millstone at 74 Main

74 Newport Road New London, NH (603) 526-4201

www.74MainRestaurant.com

Mon–Sat 11:30am–9pm Sun 11am–9pm, Brunch 11am–2pm

Sunapee Shade and Blind

75 Newport Road Suite 101 New London, NH

(603) 526-2397

Cell (603) 748-5782

www.SunapeeShade.com

Floorcraft

231 NH Route 11 Wilmot, NH (603) 526-2600

www.Floorcra NH.com

Mon–Fri 8am–5pm Sat 8am–1pm

Made-from-scratch breads, pastries, and sandwiches

12 Lovering Lane New London, NH (603) 526-2892

www.blueloonbakery.com

u–Sun 8am–2pm Check our website for seasonal hours and weekly specials.

All Eyes on You

Timeless Kitchens

11 Pleasant Street New London, NH (603) 526-7866

www.timelesskitchen.com

e t a il t tte

219 County Road  New London, NH (603) 526-4032

www.Huberts.com

Mon–Fri 9:30am–6pm Sat 9am–6pm Sun 10am–5pm

Flash Photo NH (603) 526-2400

digital@ ashphotonh.com ashphotonh.com

Design, Printing, Packing & Shipping & More!

Optometrist On Premises

255 Newport Road Unit E New London, NH (603) 526-6990

Mon, Tue, u, Fri 9am–5pm Wed & Sat 9am–12pm

GraceHill Construction

11 Pleasant Street New London, NH (603) 748-2804

www.gracehillco.com

ew n lan ea t ellne New London–Lebanon, NH (603) 877-0070

www.newenglandbeautyandwellness.com

By appointment only Now O ering Medical Aesthetics!

he e ne e ta ant a et 4 Mill Road Andover, NH (603) 977-0194

www.re nerynh.com

Wed–Sat 12–9pm

Candita Clayton Gallery

210 Main Street New London, NH (603) 748-6986

Across the Street from Tuckers

By appointment or by chance

Sugar River Bank

Newport | Grantham | New London

Sunapee | Warner | Concord

Your Hometown Bank

www.SugarRiverBank.com

Member FDIC - Equal Housing Lender

Scenic Claremont, New Hampshire, the only city in Sullivan County, is located on the Connecticut River in the foothills of Mt. Ascutney.

BY

PAMELA BROWN 6 PHOTOGRAPHY BY LARS BLACKMORE

upgrades to this historic shopping street.

Left:

on Pleasant Street (front row, from

are Nancy Merrill, director of planning and economic development; Amanda Benoit, planning and development resource coordinator; Lisa ichmond finance director and Dale Girard, mayor and local business owner; (back row, from left) Yoshi Manale, city manager; Pam Dyer, accounts payable; Melissa Richmond, executive director of West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts (WCCMA); and Nick Koloski, city councilor and local business owner.

Above: The renovation of Pleasant Street in 2022 included above and below ground

Pictured

left)

Claremont may be considered a small New England city, but over the past year it’s making a name for itself through signi cant growth and exciting new changes.

“Claremont has been on a long-term plan for City Center revitalization since the 2000s. We’re so grateful to those who saw Claremont as a place to invest in and grow their business, as well as provide new housing,” says Nancy Merrill, director of planning and economic development.

“Claremont has a great history, and the layout and buildings in the historic district o er a lot of opportunity for new uses and vibrancy. e city has focused a lot of attention on its goals and plans on supporting the rehabilitation of vacant buildings as they transition to new uses.”

Con dence in the Future

Receiving a HUD sustainable cities grant in 2013 allowed Claremont to change its urban zoning to re ect historic uses and remove zoning barriers for mixed use. “To see private investment that includes housing, commercial uses, making, and tech suggests what was old is new again,” Nancy notes. “Several of the city’s historic blocks, such as Brown Block and Farwell Block, underwent restoration and are now fully tenanted.”

Nancy is grateful to businesses, investors, and developers for showing con dence in the city’s continued growth. “ ey represent both local citizens expanding businesses and those who see a future here. Housing needs in our region have also become a critical issue for residents and businesses, so the timing on the Chinburg Properties Monadnock Mill project really lled a need. is type of improvement often leads to interest by others in and outside of our community.”

e revitalization has been a collective e ort.

“It goes back to a Main Street group in the early 2000s, supported by the city administration and elected o cials throughout the years. Downtown revitalization has been a primary focus in our citizenled master plans and the City Council has supported infrastructure investment as well as the Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive (NH RSA 79-E) to support development,” says Nancy.

Despite the signi cant amount of both public and private investment in the district, Nancy says there’s more to accomplish: “While we still have storefronts to ll, these projects show a con dence in the future of Claremont and its economy. To see it continue is both gratifying and a testament to the beautiful little city of Claremont.”

Improving the Quality of Life in Downtown

Eric Chinburg is dedicated to working with Claremont to make its community a unique place for people to live, work, and play. “ e investment into the downtown continues to help build the experience and amplify the message of the great quality of life in this part of New Hampshire,” says Eric, president of Chinburg Properties in Newmarket, New Hampshire. Specializing in transforming old buildings that can reemerge as icons and economic engines, Eric’s team recently completed work on the long-vacant Monadnock Mill, transforming it into 83 apartments, which were all rented in six weeks. “We felt that infrastructure had been put into place to support this type of housing, and we see a whole new young professional class: medical workers who can commute to Dartmouth Hitchcock, local Claremont teachers, and empty nesters who were looking to downsize,” he explains. “If you create housing that attracts new residents, there will inevitably be a level of economic impact.”

Eric’s next project is the Moody Building, a former turn-of-the century hotel downtown.“It’s such an iconic local property in which we see so much important Claremont history. Over the next few years, we plan to invest in updates to the façade of

Above: Eric Chinburg, president of Chinburg Properties, at the Newmarket Mill in Newmarket, New Hampshire.

Opposite, from top: The Monadnock Mill Apartments, Red River and the Common Man Inn and Restaurant, and the Moody Building.

the building as well as interior design upgrades. We recognize that Moody is a crown jewel in the heart of the downtown, and we plan to give it new polish over time.”

Eric emphasizes the importance of New Hampshire’s sense of community in these towns when the mills were the lifeblood of the economy. “To preserve them is to preserve the essence of New Hampshire. e buildings have beautiful architectural details such as exposed beams, brick or granite, and huge windows and often overlook the bodies of water that powered the mills.”

Working in a community that’s “open for business” and fosters a proactive collaborative approach is important to Eric. “We appreciate how we’ve been supported and encouraged by the city and the community. We see other businesses that have been on the leading edge of helping to revitalize Claremont and we’re proud to be among them. We build from each other,” he says. “It feels great to see how these changes are a catalyst for more business development and economic impact in the downtown. It’s very symbiotic.”

Eric is committed to making Claremont the best it can be. “People are moving to Claremont. ere’s a feeling of pride among residents, and new businesses are popping up aside long-term business that are also hopefully seeing an in ux in their customer base,” he

Clockwise from bottom left: Melissa Richmond, executive director of WCCMA, leads a tour of the future site of the Claremont Creative Center in the former Claremont National Bank Building. Standing in front of the historic Claremont National Bank building are Melissa Richmond, executive director of WCCMA; Nancy Meyer, business development specialist; Leigh Hays, chief building inspector; and Steve Coombs, former chief building inspector. Lifelong resident Jeff Barrette renovated the 1800s’ Monadnock Mills Boarding House for his company, the Ink Factory, and recently expanded into his next renovation project, an 18,000-square-foot former National Guard armory. Owners David and Cindy Putnam and partner Andy Lafreniere at Claremont Custom Framing. The business is located in the historic Barnes and Rouillard building, which was purchased and renovated by Andy and his wife Deborah. Exterior of the renovated Barnes and Rouillard building.

says. “Every time we do another project, we commit to that community, and we know that people will be living their lives and working out of these spaces for many years to come, and so we want to do it in a way that will create the best possible lifestyle and experience.”

Music and Arts in a New Space

Claremont Creative Center (CCC) will soon call the former historic and longvacant Claremont National Bank building, next to City Hall on Opera House Square, home. “It’s going to be a beautiful renovation that results in a modern space that everyone in the community can enjoy, and the only venue of its type in the Upper Valley. It’s in the heart of downtown Claremont, walkable for more than 50 percent of Claremont residents,” says Melissa Richmond, executive director of West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts (WCCMA). “WCCMA is well-known for its diverse programming, from funk bands to string quartets and genres of music across the world. Having this purpose-built space in this prime location makes for fertile ground for the music lovers of all types, ages, locations, and backgrounds.” rough a collaboration with the Claremont Development Authority (CDA) and WCCMA, the CCC will be a creative space for arts education and performance. “It’s important for the community to come together through projects like this.

e creative arts are a strong social and economic driver for a vibrant, healthy community. Investments made come back strong in being a desirable place to live, patronage at local businesses, and happy residents,” says Melissa.

Renovation will comprise two phases with plans for a late 2023 opening. Phase one includes renovation of the rst oor; phase two is fundraising to nish the other oors.

While incorporating modern aesthetics and comforts, historic elements of the bank will be preserved, such as parts of the marble oor and ornate plaster ceiling. Upon completion, the custom-built facility will include a performance space with a kitchen, a private area for visiting artists, and an arts education space with practice rooms and classrooms. “ ere are nooks for reading and piano practice stations, and art space and technology to support the needs of students and teachers,” Melissa adds.

A native of Claremont, Melissa is proud of the revitalization. “ is is a great community. It excites people to see the improvements to Pleasant Street and other initiatives,” she says. “After the disconnection we’ve su ered over the past few years, this is how we rebuild— celebrating and creating joy together in community spaces. Music and arts are an incredible way to heal our tired souls. Claremont has been building for this moment for decades and soon all the fruits of our labor will be at our ngertips.”

Breathing Life into Historic Downtown

Andy Lafreniere’s appreciation of his hometown runs deep. “I love this community. My roots are here. It’s home,” says Andy, owner of FreniereEnergy Advisors and vice chair of the Claremont Development Authority. Playing a role in the town’s revitalization is important, he says. “Claremont is the story of a maker community reimagining itself. I’ve always felt called to be a part of that.”

In 2020, Andy and his wife Deborah

purchased and renovated the historic 1948 Barnes and Rouillard building. “You lose a sense of place and charm of old mill towns like Claremont when you lose historic buildings. We took an older building at risk and renovated it for better use,” says Andy.

Most of the building’s original detail was preserved, such as interior woodwork, slate roof, and copper gutters. Today the building houses numerous businesses including Claremont Custom Framing, owned by David and Cindy Putnam, which provides custom framing, ne-art photography services, and art restoration. Andy, also a junior partner, notes David and Cindy’s belief in their project.

“We saw an opportunity for this building to be revitalized, and David and Cindy’s belief in our project and willingness to move his shop of 45 years and invest in a new one is a critical part of why our project worked.” David himself has a long record of volunteerism in Claremont and appreciates the small-town experience. “Here I can make a di erence,” he says, appreciating the new space that serves as both a frame shop and gallery for art from professional regional artists. “It’s a much better working environment that makes it easier to be creative for our customers.”

Andy and David will continue working to create conditions that attract businesses and move the community forward. Says Andy, “I encourage everyone to add their voice in building the future success of this community. I feel we’re turning a corner.”

After years of serving in various capacities and volunteer e orts, David, too, is proud of the changes. “But I’m prouder of all those who have worked hard to make them happen,” he says. “ ese changes are a culmination of years of e ort by many hands. ey give me, Andy, and all of us a sense of pride in our community.”

Restoring Buildings

For more than 14 years, the Ink Factory has been a staple in Claremont. “I’m proud to call Claremont home. I’m happy to

HIGH TECH IS ALIVE AND WELL IN CLAREMONT

Mikros Technologies, headquartered in Claremont, was the recipient of Product of the Year from the New Hampshire Tech Alliance for the TU3 that helps test computer chips in extreme temperature environments, a critical part of their manufacturing.

“The award helped us gain important recognition across the tech sector, the Upper Valley, and the state. We’re anchored heavily in Claremont and are thankful for the opportunities the award has provided to speak about the many great things happening here,” says Drew Matter, vice president. “Claremont has its history in precision manufacturing, and there is still a strong labor force here with skilled machinists and technicians that can support advanced manufacturing.”

Founded in 1991, Mikros is a world leader in thermal management, designing and manufacturing high-performance liquid-cooling systems for data centers, arti cia inte i ence y te e ectric ehic e a er e iconductor te tin and other high-tech applications.

Located on the Connecticut River, Mikros is in a prime location for its business development. “Mikros will enjoy more opportunities to host tech eader fro around the wor d in a eauti ed ew n and city with reat hi tory ay rew. e wi a o ene t fro an increa in y tron wor force that can help contribute to our design and manufacturing work as we grow in years to come.”

Drew is looking forward to Mikros’s contributions to the city’s growth through increased jobs and other assistance. “We’re thankful for the support of Claremont’s leadership, and we support their efforts to serve and grow this city in return,” he says. “Downtown Claremont is beautiful, and the opportunities to grow this into a bustling community are very real.”

Award-winning Mikros Technologies is headquartered in Claremont and enefits from a stron local la or force. Mikros ice resident rew Matter left . hotos courtes of Mikros Technolo ies.

have a positive impact,” says General Manager Je Barrette, a lifelong resident whose custom screen printing and embroidery business has occupied three locations in the town.

Je and his wife Sarah opened the clothing company business on Pleasant Street, but upon outgrowing the space moved to Water Street. A former general contractor, Je appreciated the opportunity to renovate and preserve the historical integrity of the former 1800s Monadnock Mills Boarding House, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2022, the business moved to its present location at 45 School Street, a former 18,000-squarefoot building that served as a former armory for the National Guard and later as a recreation space for the Junior Sports League. Again, Je handled the renovations. “It’s about beauti cation. I’m a lover of old things and this has Claremont history to it. I roller-skated in this building when I was a child,” he recalls. Having a business that doesn’t rely on foot tra c and can be located anywhere, Je emphasizes he chose downtown Claremont because of the available property and its central location. “Downtown is more inviting than it has been. We’re primarily a businessto-business company, so we know most of the businesses and have a great relationship with most,” says Je , hoping all the changes will inspire new eating and entertainment options. “ e addition of Crowbar Hardware, a 1930s-style speakeasy, has been a great addition. I believe New England as a whole will see growth in the coming years and Claremont is positioned to bene t more than other places. I’m con dent that our investments are well placed here.”

Preserving Claremont’s History

Seeing the work Chinburg Properties has invested in downtown Claremont inspires Josh Savage. “I’m thrilled with what he did, and I’m excited to be part of that change,” says Josh, owner of the Barn Café with his wife Chelsea.

“We’ve really made an impact in the community, not only with the rehab of our café building that was the former Stone Arch Bakery but also with the purchase of the building formerly known as the Marro home center building/Rogers Motor Company. We’re trying to make sure everything we’re doing is helpful to

the preservation of the history of Claremont.”

Josh credits Chelsea for the design of the café. “We saw the potential of the building and we put in the resources and time. We took the bones that were there and gutted it and transformed it into something that we would love to see in Woodstock, Vermont, or Hanover. It’s a testament to our vision of where Claremont is headed,” he says. Josh also made upgrades to the Marro building and is installing four EV charging stations, the rst ones in Claremont. “We’re concerned with what’s best for the community and we’re doing what we can with what we have.”

Seeing how Claremont has struggled over the years like other mill towns, he appreciates how the city has taken initiative. “ e historic district is a beautiful area. What’s not to love?

Here you see the beauty that Claremont really is and has and we need to preserve that,” says Josh, who feels downtown represents the heart and soul of Claremont. “ e small-city feel combined with some great people working hard to make the area great is an absolute win-win. We are community oriented. Our goal is to make changes that bene t everyone.” •

Josh Savage (pictured above) and his wife Chelsea purchased a second historic building in Claremont after rehabbing the former Stone Arch Bakery and transforming it into the Barn Café.

An Evening at La Scala

Milan, Italy’s, world-famous opera house

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LISA BALLARD

Inside La Scala prior to the performance of Don Giovanni as people begin to take their seats.

By her name alone, you could probably assume my friend Carmen DeBello likes opera. I don’t. Give me classic rock or maybe classical symphony, but not opera. e soprano solos sound shrill. e acting seems sti and forced. And I don’t understand Italian or German well enough to follow the weak plotlines. However, Carmen, who is half Austrian and half Italian, has opera in her DNA. Lucky for me.

“I’ve got tickets to La Scala!” she announced excitedly on a phone call prior to our trip to Milan, Italy. “Don’t worry. It’s Don Giovanni.” She was so happy about scoring tickets to this world-famous opera house that I couldn’t say no. Chock it up to a cultural experience, like going to the Met in New York City.

Teatro alla Scala

La Scala is an abbreviated version of the theater’s o cial name, Teatro alla Scala. During the 18th century, operas were a gathering place for royalty and the business and cultural elite. In the early 1770s, after a re destroyed Milan’s major theater called Teatro Regio Ducale, 90 prominent Milanese who had boxes there raised the

money for La Scala, an elaborate replacement big enough to hold 3,000 people. (Today the theater seats 1,800.) It was constructed on the site of the Santa Maria alla Scala Church, hence the new theater’s name.

La Scala opened in 1778 with the premiere of Antonio Salieri’s Europa riconosciuta, and quickly earned a reputation as one of the

premier opera houses in the world. Otello by Giuseppe Verdi (1887) and Madama Butter y by Giacomo Puccini (1904) are among the many renowned operas that have debuted on La Scala’s stage. Even I had heard of them! Interestingly, Verdi had a falling out with the theater and refused to allow his operas to be performed there, accusing the orchestra of changing

Opposite: A scene during the performance of Don Giovanni.

Clockwise from left: The author inside her loge (box) prior to the start of the opera. The exterior of La Scala from the street. Opera-goers in their boxes wait for the start of the performance.

his music. ey eventually made up, which led to the premiere of Otello and Verdi’s last opera, Falsta , at La Scala in 1893.

Top opera stars and musical maestros have yearned to perform at La Scala since it was built, but the crowd can be tough. For example, in 2006, tenor Roberto Alagna was booed o the stage during a performance of Aida. His understudy was forced to take the stage immediately and without time to put on a costume! With this audience irreverence in mind, I gured if the opera itself wasn’t entertaining, the people-watching would be, and I knew the story.

At the Opera

After an early dinner, Carmen and I headed to the theater for our evening with Don Giovanni, aka Don Juan, the notorious playboy whose womanizing eventually back red on him. We

Above: The Duomo di Milano (Milan cathedral) in the heart of the city is steps away from La Scala. Right: A street musician serenades passersby. Opposite: A statue of Leonardo da Vinci, who resided in Milan from 1482 to 1495, presides over the park across from the theater.

entered the foyer of the theater, which was such a sea of smartly dressed opera-goers that it was hard stay close to Carmen. I grabbed the back of her blouse as she handed our tickets to an usher, who motioned for us to follow her.

We were soon in a wave of people heading up a stairwell. As we ascended past a couple of landings, the crowd thinned. en we turned onto a landing ourselves and entered a curving hallway with door after door on our right. Several doors down, the usher pulled out a key and opened a door to a box which Italians call a loge (lodge).

At rst, I was overwhelmed by red velvet and gold gilding. e box was small, lushly appointed, and tilting downhill to a railing with a direct view of the stage. ere were six seats positioned in three rows, with cushy theater seats by the railing, low stools behind the seats, and taller stools in the back row. We had the middle stools. Stools? I worried how my bottom would handle a three-and-a-halfhour performance on a stool.

As the theater lled, I had a chance to look around. With the exception of what we call the orchestra section in the United States, the entire theater was composed of loges, at least six stories of them. ey started by the stage

A chaotic scene from Don Giovanni near the end of Act I.

on one side then made a big arc around the cavernous room to the other side. e place was huge! e stage, too, one of the largest in the world—60 feet deep, 70 feet wide, and 85 feet high. I had to admit, it was exciting to be there. en the lights dimmed, the orchestra began to play, and 1,800 people fell silent.

e Story

e opera Don Giovanni was written in 1787 by the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte. It’s one of the most widely performed music-theater productions of all time, perhaps because it’s both a comedy and a drama.

e rst act opened at night, with a masked Don Giovanni trying to woo a noblewoman named Donna Anna in her bedroom. She chases him away, but the commotion awakens her father, who challenges Giovanni to a duel. Giovanni wins the duel, killing the father, and the rest of the opera follows Donna Anna’s wish to avenge her father’s death, along with Giovanni’s Casanovian antics.

Escaping from the scene of the duel, Giovanni nds another woman, Donna Elvira, crying over getting dumped by her lover. At rst Giovanni thinks the woman is ripe for romance, then he realizes he’s the

lover who shunned her and loses interest. He escapes again, this time by having his servant, Leporello, try to discourage Donna Elvira by listing all his sexual conquests, hundreds of them, though she still wants him for herself.

Next, Giovanni and Leporello happen upon the wedding of yet another woman, Zerlina, who Giovanni tries to entice away from her nuptials. Zerlina is tempted to go to Giovanni at rst, but then returns to her groom. By the end of the act, Giovanni has all three women and two angry men—Donna Anna’s ancé and Zerlina’s husband—chasing him for di erent reasons.

In the second act, Giovanni decides to seduce Elvira’s maid, so he switches clothes with Leporello. Now everyone who was chasing him from Act I mistakenly goes after Leporello. Eventually Leporello reveals his true identity to save his own skin. He joins his master in a cemetery, where a statue of Donna Anna’s father comes to life. Ultimately, the statue (ghost) appears at a grand dinner hosted by Don Giovanni asking him to change his womanizing ways, but Giovanni refuses and is consumed by ames (goes to hell).

When the curtain fell, I was on the edge of my stool, exhausted. I had laughed, cried, and covered my eyes in fear. e music and singing had at times made me happy, depressed, enraged, and calm. e performance was nothing short of magni cent. I had heard that opera can move one’s soul. After my evening at La Scala, I might need to see another one again soon. •

AN EVENING AT THE OPERA

Going to Milan, Italy? For more information and tickets to La Scala, go to teatroallascala.org/en/index.html. For an evening at the opera closer to home, visit the Upper Valley’s own Claremont Opera House, claremontoperahouse.info; Lebanon Opera House, lebanonoperahouse.org; or Opera North, operanorth.org.

Flourish Beauty Lab

We make a big impact with a small ootp int offe in e ll o e e product we formulate, from shampoos to facial care, here in our downtown WRJ studio. Come in and try our awardwinning products for skin and hair. We are the only stockist of Elate Cosmetics, an ethical, e lla le clean a e p an in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Thyme Restaurant

85 North Main Street White River Junction, VT (802) 295-3312

www.thymevermont.com

4 North Main Street

White River Junction, VT (802) 291-3709

www o i h ea t la co

Tue–Fri 10am–5:15pm, Mon & Sat 10am–3pm

Lampscapes

For the past 25 years, Lampscapes has been a manufacturing/retail business located in White River Junction, Vermont. The main product of the business is decorated lampshades. We al o an act e e an oo la p o ep po e pa t th ee axi oo la p (the reading lamp) made from repurposed break rotors is uniquely designed and functional. If you need a shade for your lamp, it is a good idea to bring your lamp base.

77 Gates Street

White River Junction, VT (802) 295-8044

www.lampscapesvt.wordpress.com

Tue–Sat 10am–5pm

Big Fatty’s BBQ

Centrally located in White River Junction, Vermont, Big Fatty’s BBQ is the Upper Valley’s premiere barbecue and craft beer destination. Featuring freshly cooked meats and homemade sides, Big Fatty’s continues to delight locals and visitors alike. With live music every Friday and Saturday night, themed events, and tap-takeovers, there’s no shortage of entertainment! Want to take something home? Check out Big Fatty’s Crowler Pit, located right next door, to bring home Big Fatty’s merchandise and to stock up on all your favorite craft beer!

186 South Main Street

White River Junction, VT (802) 295-5513

www.bigfattybbq.com

Wed–Sat 5–8:30pm Private Room Reservations suggested

Tip Top Pottery

85 North Main Street, Suite 110 White River Junction, VT (802) 280-1700

www.tiptoppottery.com

Tue & Wed 10am–6pm, Thu & Fri 10am–9pm, Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 10am–3pm, Closed Mon

Piecemeal

British-inspired Savory Pies

Bakery • Café • Espresso • Hard Cider Bar

5 South Main Street White River Junction, VT (802) 281-6910

www.piecemealpies.com

Wed, Thu & Fri 8am–3pm Sat, Sun 10am–3pm

TRAIL BREAK taps + tacos

kick back + chow down + drink up

129 South Main Street White River Junction, VT (802) 281-3208

www.trailbreakwrj.com

Check our website for current hours and catering options!

We’re Making Tracks!

Tuckerbox

Tuckerbox is located in the heart of downtown White River Junction. A community gathering place with exceptional coffee, exceptional service, and truly authentic Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine. We are working every day to go above and beyond in keeping our environment safe and clean for all our guests and our employees. Make reservations now for socially distanced indoor and outdoor dining. We look forward to seeing all our wonderful guests again, from a safe distance of course, and with plenty of hand sanitizer.

1 South Main Street

White River Junction, VT (802) 359-4041

www.tuckerboxvermont.com

Upper Valley Food Co-op

The Upper Valley Food Co-op provides wholesome and high-quality food and other products. We have a strong commitment to local farmers and producers and carry a large variety of locally grown/produced items. The Upper Valley Food Co-op, “FosteringCommunityConnectionsasa TrustedFoodResource!”

C&S Pizza

104 South Main Street White River Junction, VT (802) 295-5622

Mon–Thu 11am–9pm Fri & Sat 11am–10pm Closed Sun

193 North Main Street

White River Junction, VT (802) 295-5804

Mon–Sat 8am–7pm Sun 11am–5pm

Junction Frame Shop

Junction Frame Shop has been a steadfast part of downtown White River Junction since 1985. That’s 36 years of providing creative picture framing for all tastes and budgets.

55 South Main Street

White River Junction, VT (802) 296-2121

www.junctionframeshop.com

Fine Arts & Antiques

85 Gates Street

White River Junction, VT (802) 457-1764

www.woodblock-prints.com

Fri–Sat 11am–4pm or by appointment

Mon–Fri 9am–5pm Sat 9am–3pm

Steven Thomas, Inc.

BY SUSAN NYE

SUNAPEE HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESERVING OUR TIES TO THE PAST

From its founding in 1768, the town of Sunapee has enjoyed a rich and varied history. For generations, it was a quiet farming community. Although the town never became a major industrial hub, the Sugar River had enough running water to support several businesses. Industry joined the mix in the 1800s and included a large hames factory, sawmills, and a clothespin factory.

e railroads changed everything. In September 1872, the rst train ran from Concord to Claremont with a stop in Sunapee. While a boon for industrial Newport and Claremont as well as the 20 or so small businesses in Sunapee, the railroad brought a new and di erent type of life to town. e mountains and crystal-clear lake were a magnet for tourists.

Photos Courtesy of the Sunapee Historical Society

The s orne ara e now the landers s orne Museum outfitted for unapee’s th anni ersar in .

e Rise and Fall of Tourism

Starting with humble farms turned boarding houses, tourism grew and expanded to a dozen or more hotels, including three large ones, built along the shoreline. Sunapee became a summer haven for city and suburban dwellers. e train brought families from Boston, New York, Washington, and the Midwest. Sunapee o ered an escape from the hot city with clean air, sparkling water, and food fresh from local farms. It was another time, and life operated at a less hurried pace.

Tourism took a turn in the 1960s and ’70s. Long, leisurely vacations with steamboat tours, tea dances, sedate walks, and lawn tennis at the grand hotels fell from fashion. Routes 89, 91, and 93 created easy access by car. e new tourists enjoyed shorter vacations and long weekends throughout the summer, fall, and winter. Simple cottages and inns replaced the grandiose hotels and many middle-class suburban families built vacation homes.

Connecting People to the Past

anks to the Sunapee Historical Society, residents and visitors can take a look back at any and all of the good old days. e town’s 1968 bicentennial celebrations prompted interest in creating a historical society. In 1970, a group of local citizens began to organize and investigate the possibilities. e Sunapee Historical Society was established as a nonpro t organization in 1978.

From far left: Antique wedding dress and an 1805 Sunapee-made clock on display at Sunapee Archives.

Center: Reading area at the Archives.

Bottom: FlandersOsborne Museum outfitted for the town’s 250th anniversary in 2018.

e Sunapee Historical Society’s goal is to help people connect with their hometown or favorite vacation spot. Guided by the belief that an appreciation and understanding of social and cultural history creates a stronger community, the organization collects, preserves, and shares historic documents, photographs, and artifacts. In addition, the organization brings people together with a variety of educational events.

Delivering on the mission was di cult in the early years. Without a home, the Historical Society had no place to exhibit and store donated items or hold meetings. Happily, a solution to that problem came in 1980 with a generous donation of what was to become the FlandersOsborne Museum. Whether you are a history junkie or just want to know a little more about your favorite vacation spot, the FlandersOsborne Museum is a great place to spend an hour or two.

Built in 1890 by Wallace Flanders, the barn started out as a livery for horses and carriages. Enter the automobile and Flanders’ grandson, Leo Osborne, turned the building into a garage selling gas and providing maintenance and repair services, rst for cars and trucks and later for boats. H. Fay Osborne, Leo’s nephew and great-grandson of Wallace, purchased the garage in 1980 and donated it to the Sunapee Historical Society. For the rst time, the organization had a permanent home to collect, display, and store artifacts, documents, and photographs as well as a place to gather for meetings and programs. After a major renovation, much of it done by volunteers, the museum opened its doors in 1983.

Sunapee Archives, formerly the Abbott Library.

A Little of Everything

While changes are made to the exhibits every year, a few favorites are often on display. e grand hotels are recognized with a replica of a room from the Ben Mere Inn and photographs from several of its competitors. In addition, a lakefront cottage and country store have been recreated within the museum. For decades Woodbine Cottage was a much-loved eatery in the harbor. It is remembered with a place setting, menu, and the alltoo-familiar waitress uniform, a owered shirtwaist with a Peter Pan collar.

It’s an eclectic collection with something for everyone. Strolling through the museum, you’ll nd an ancient milk wagon as well as farm machinery, artifacts from the re department, and an automobile steam engine that was built in Sunapee. Art lovers will be happy to see some of Babe Sargent’s work, an antique player piano, and several maps. In celebration of the lake, there is memorabilia from the Lake Sunapee Regatta, the original steamship engine from the Lady Woodsum, and the pilot house from the steamboat Kearsarge.

Explore the Archives

In addition to the museum, a treasure trove of documents, photographs, and maps as well as some additional artifacts can be found at the Sunapee Archives at the Old Abbott Library, owned by the Historical Society. Historians as well as laymen researching their Sunapee roots can access historic information at the Archives. e most recent treasure to be put on display at the Archives is the Whittier Perkins Clock, circa 1805. An impressive seven feet three inches tall, with its wooden clockworks, superb condition, and signed, hand-painted clock face, the clock is a rare nd.

e Sunapee Historical Society is o ering a number of interesting programs this summer and fall. Included in the lineup are en and Now Photographs, Signi cant Fires in the Town of Sunapee, Sunapee Restaurants, and Conserved Land and Natural Resources. e annual

Cemetery Walk will take place in October. Two fundraising history cruises on Lake Sunapee are set for late June and July. e narrated tours will explore the lakeshore from Hastings shoreline past SooNipi, Blodgett’s Landing, and the Islands. Other programs planned are a y-tying workshop and a discussion of early 19th century life in rural New Hampshire with Pauper Auction author Mary Kronenwetter.

An all-volunteer organization, the Sunapee Historical Society supports its facilities and many activities through donations, fundraising, and grants. While donations are always welcome, visits to the museum and archives are free, as are lectures and events. Interested locals and vacationers are encouraged to join the Historical Society. Along with the knowledge that they are helping the community maintain and understand its ties to the past, members receive free research assistance and a subscription to Sunapee Echoes, the organization’s quarterly newsletter. New members, donors, and volunteers are always welcome. •

The Sunapee Historical Society ant to learn more find an e ent olunteer or make a donation isit www.sunapeehistoricalsociet .or email sunapeehistor mail.com or call please lea e a messa e .

Flanders-Osborne Museum

Main treet

unapee ar or

dmission is free and the museum is open Memorial a eekend to mid cto er

rida s aturda s unda s and olida Monda s am pm

Sunapee Archives at the Old Abbott Library oute

unapee

dmission is free and the rchi es are open ear round Monda s pm or appointment

Three generations of the Jasmin family (from left) are Justin Jasmin, Josh Jasmin, Toby Jasmin, and Sean Jasmin.

Sponsored by

BY PAMELA BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY BY CPERRY PHOTOGRAPHY

A FAMILY LEGACY CONTINUES

JASMIN AUTO BODY REMAINS TRUE TO ITS HERITAGE

A small three-bay garage in White River Junction started by Raymond “Toby” Jasmin and his brother Peter in 1969 that repaired and sold damaged cars was just the beginning of a thriving family-owned business. Soon after, their focus shifted to collision repair, and today Jasmin Auto Body is one of the largest auto-body shops in the Upper Valley and a leader in collision repair in the Northeast.

“Carrying on the legacy of the business is very important to me. My father Toby had an extreme work ethic and was a hard man to keep up with. I’m proud of the fact that my brother Sean and I have continued to grow the business to a level that is in the top 1 percent nationally for our industry,” says Josh, who manages the business with his brother Sean. ey have a sta of 22 employees. Toby retired in 2016.

In 1975, Toby and his brother built a 4,000-square-foot facility on Route 14 in West Hartford with o ces, 10 bays, and a sta of repair technicians. “ e region hadn’t seen anything like it at the time,” notes Josh, who began working with his dad when he was in middle school. “I used to get o the school bus at the shop and sweep the oor and empty trash cans. I spent most of my free time there, and by high school I knew that’s what I wanted to do for a living.”

As the business grew and evolved, Josh became partners with his father and in 2003, they built a 20,000-plus square-foot, cutting-edge facility in White River Junction, across from the VA hospital, equipped with a 4,000-square-foot parts warehouse, two state-of-the-art climate-controlled paint booths, and the latest frame and welding technology. It is one of only a few shops in the region whose sta is fully equipped and trained for all aluminum repairs.

Jasmin Auto Body prides itself on educating and guiding customers through the repair and insurance process. “One of our most important jobs is to repair the car flawlessly and advocate on the car owner’s behalf to get insurance companies to properly address the repairs needed,” says Josh. “We have a great professional relationship with all insurance companies, but we are only direct for a select few that we believe are still interested in doing a repair properly. Because of this we’re able to advocate for proper repairs for our customers and hold their insurance companies to a high standard with the customers’ best interests in mind.”

Josh Jasmin on the main shop oor at Jasmin Auto. The shop has capacit for cars in process.

Clockwise from top: A dent in a customer’s quarter panel is repaired. Calibration of rear sensors after repairs have been completed. One of two down draft paint booths in the paint department. Jasmin Auto’s head painter John Boyle applies the final coats of paint to a repair. Jasmin Auto Body takes care of all kinds of car accident damage. Final interior cleaning before the car goes back to the customer. Bedside replacement on a customer’s truck.

e shop still sells a small volume of cars annually, mostly special-interest sports cars and trucks. It also o ers free walk-in estimates, and for convenience, it has an on-site Enterprise Rent-a-Car branch and a free shuttle service to the Upper Valley.

e family business continues to grow with Josh’s 20-year-old son Justin managing the paint department. “He will soon learn the business end of the operation,” says Josh. “It’s important to my brother and me that we uphold that name. I enjoy working and living in our smalltown environment. It’s nice to have so many familiar local faces coming through our front door.”

Top: Justin Jasmin prepares a customer’s car for the final paint process.

Above: Technician Mike Maxwell test fits new parts to a customer’s front end collision repair.

Best piece of advice from your father? Work harder than everyone else around you and you will prevail.

Most challenging part of your job?

Dealing with insurance companies. Most customers don’t understand their insurance is in the business of spending as little as possible to get the car xed.

Who is your role model?

My father. He worked hard and had good business sense.

Most interesting repair?

Restoring a vintage Bugatti. It was an extremely valuable classic car. e restoration and nal paint work came out amazing. e car went to the famous Pebble Beach car show, the Concours d’Elegance, and received a lot of recognition.

What is your dream car?

A 1967 Corvette convertible. My brother and I are lucky enough to be in the business to make car dreams come true. A few years ago, I found the perfect 1967 restoration project and we did a three-year, 3,000-hour full restoration. It’s a family heirloom that will be my son’s car someday.

Electric vehicle or gas-powered?

e timeline for electric is not realistic. Today the hybrids are the best answer and make for a realistic transition toward full electric at some point. Our power infrastructure isn’t ready for everyone to be driving electric cars. Some real challenges need to be addressed. Electric vehicles work now for people living in town with a dependable daily commute, but we’re not there yet for the rest of us.

Spring tip for vehicle owners?

Give your car a very good cleaning after winter. Power-wash the undercarriage and get rid of all the dirt and salt. is is your best prevention for rust. If you

see a rust spot start to develop, get it addressed ASAP.

Favorite hobby away from the shop?

Hunting. I spend each fall hunting all over the country. I enjoy the outdoors and seeing the many beautiful parts of this great country.

If you weren’t in the auto industry, what would you be doing?

Something in the helicopter business. I’ve had my helicopter pilot’s license since I was a high school senior. Flying has been one of my passions. I grew up around it as my father was a ight instructor, and one of our good family friends owns a local helicopter company. •

Jasmin Auto Body

60 Jasmin Lane

White River Junction, VT (802) 295-7572

jasminautobody.com

THE ARTS

BY SUSAN NYE PHOTOGRAPHY BY CPERRY PHOTOGRAPHY

MEET KEITH COUGHLIN

HELPING A NEW GENERATION OF ARTISTS GROW THEIR PASSION

It’s not all that surprising that Gene Kelly is Keith Coughlin’s favorite dancer-singer-actor. After all, Keith’s story sounds a bit like a 1950s’ Broadway or Hollywood musical. Small-town boy falls in love with the theater. In search of a dream, he takes a journey that eventually leads to an old barn turned playhouse in another small town. e rst small town, Peru, Illinois, is surrounded by corn elds. at second small town, New London, just happens to have a corn eld or two as well.

e Executive Artistic Director for the New London Barn Playhouse since 2014, Keith was 10 years old the rst time he stepped on a stage. He played one of the lost boys in Peter Pan and was immediately hooked. “I never looked back. I knew what I wanted to do,” he recalls. For local community theater and school plays, he very quickly became e Boy. Young Patrick in Mame, Winthrop in e Music Man—if the show had a young boy, Keith was on stage. “I loved the sense of community,” he says. “Everyone working together to make something happen.”

Opposite: Keith Coughlin, executive artistic director, on the historic stage of the New London Barn Playhouse.

Left: Inside the dynamic new Fleming Center for Artistic Development. The Barn’s new space will provide performances and educational programs for all ages all year-round.

Pursuing His Passion

Keith counts himself lucky that his parents were supportive from the start. ey encouraged him and nurtured his love of the arts with trips to Chicago. He vividly remembers seeing his rst professional production, e Phantom of the Opera, at the Auditorium eater.

A number of teachers also helped him grow and develop his passion. His sister’s dance teacher was pivotal in his career. She told Keith and his parents that, if he was serious about acting, he needed to learn how to dance. And so, he did. He danced throughout high school and studied choreography in college. “I’m grateful for all the people who saw something in me and helped me grow in my passion,” says Keith. “ at’s what I hope I’m doing for the next generation at the Barn and at Dartmouth.” In addition to his work at the Barn, Keith is a lecturer at Dartmouth.

For college, Keith chose the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He says, “I wanted a large school because I knew there would be lots of di erent opportunities and lots going on in the arts.” He was not disappointed. Along with his music

studies, he found an abundance of vocal, theater, and dance groups and performances. Both on stage and as part of the audience, the university delivered a rich and varied mix of possibilities.

Connect, Learn, and Grow

Sometimes performances show us something new and di erent, while others connect or reconnect us to the familiar. Love and loss, hope and joy, laughter and tears, it’s why we go back time and time again. “I love the theater,” says Keith. “I love that it makes you feel, that it creates emotion for both the actors and the audience.” Whether an actor or audience member, an evening at the theater is an opportunity to connect, learn, and grow.

Keith has a long history with the Barn, starting as a guest choreographer for oroughly Modern Millie in 2008. It didn’t take long for one show to turn into two and then into a season. He found a permanent home at the Barn in 2014 when he was named executive artistic director. Keith and his wife Sarah Case live in New London with their two little boys. ey are delighted to have their children grow up surrounded by creativity and teamwork.

“I’M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO SAW SOMETHING IN ME AND HELPED ME GROW IN MY PASSION,” SAYS KEITH. “THAT’S WHAT I HOPE I’M DOING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION AT THE BARN AND AT DARTMOUTH.”

SPRING

SPOTLIGHT

For many of the young people who have acted, sung, and danced on its stage, the Barn has been a launching pad. e company, or Barnies as they’re called, work throughout the summer with seasoned professionals. “It is a space for young artists to work and grow at the start of their careers. It is a fantastic place,” Keith says, “ lled with the most remarkable people.”

Talia Suskauer, actor and 2015 Barnie, is the most recent alum to make it to Broadway. She is currently starring in the hit show Wicked. Keith says, “ ere are times when these young artists make me feel like a dad. It’s so exciting to see them go on in the arts. It makes me so proud.”

Nurturing the Next Generation

“Keith is a dad—not just to his boys but for dozens of kids who have spent a summer at the Barn,” says Lauren Echausse, actor and 2019 Barnie. Keith has an uncanny knack of building a strong, cohesive team while recognizing and supporting each individual. “He made me feel special. I felt seen and heard and appreciated,” says Lauren.

Jordan Janota had just nished his graduate studies when he joined the Barn in 2011 as a set designer. He remained on sta until 2016 and continues to come back each year as a guest designer. Jordan is thankful for the incredible directors and choreographers that Keith brings to the Barn each year. He says, “ e Barn is a tight-knit community; we’re like family. It has given me a fantastic network. e Barn’s small stage has tested me, allowed me to prove myself. e work I’ve done and the relationships I’ve forged at the Barn have made my career.”

“It was the best summer of my life,” says Cara DiPietro, actor and 2019 Barnie. Along with the tools, experience, credits, and relationships, “It gave me the con dence that I could do this,” she says. “Keith and Sarah have created an environment, a safe space where I could begin to navigate my career and nd my place in the industry.”

Builds stronger, deeper roots for a better lawn

Feeds & strengthens lawns against heat & draught.

Enjoy a Show

It is an exciting time for Keith and everyone at the Barn. For 90 years, the playhouse has been an integral part of New London and the KearsargeSunapee region. After all, summer wouldn’t be summer without at least one swim in the lake, game of tennis and/ or golf, and evening (or rainy afternoon) at the Barn. With the addition of the Fleming Center in 2022, Barn programing is expanding from three to twelve months. Local children and adults will have multiple opportunities throughout the year to ex their creative muscles and/or enjoy a show.

With ve buildings, more than 100 employees every summer, negotiating production rights, managing the union—particularly during COVID— and managing donor and sponsor relationships, the playhouse has a lot of moving parts. David Bashaw, a member of the board of directors, says, “I am blown away by Keith’s ability to manage the complexity of the Barn. He manages it all with grace and calm.”

e arts and entertainment are essential to society. A collector of quotes, Keith particularly likes this one from Bill English, cofounder of the San Francisco Playhouse: “ eater is like a gym for empathy. It’s where we can go to build up the muscles of compassion, to practice listening and understanding and engaging with people that are not just like ourselves. We practice sitting down, paying attention, and learning from other people’s actions. We practice caring.” •

The New London Barn Playhouse

84 Main Street

New London, NH (603) 526-6710

www.nlbarn.org

Want to learn more? Find a show or workshop, volunteer, or make a donation? Call, visit their website, or email info@nlbarn.org.

March 31

David Sedaris

March 31

David Sedaris

Bestselling author and beloved storyteller David Sedaris returns to the Lebanon Opera House for an evening featuring all-new stories, an audience Q&A, and a book signing. With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, Sedaris has become one of America’s foremost humor writers. He is the master of satire and a keen observer of the human condition.

Lebanon Opera House, 7:30pm lebanonoperahouse.org

April 1, 2

Tapping Demonstrations and Tours

April 2 Guster

April 11–13

April 2 Guster

April 1, 2

Silloway Maple

e sugarhouse doors are open wide at Silloway Maple! We hope to be boiling, there will be tours of the entire maple operation, and on to samples of the four grades of maple syrup and maple cream. Watch a tapping demonstration at 12 and 3pm each day and try the best food the maple world has to o er—hot dogs boiled in sap, raised doughnuts with maple cream, co ee sweetened with maple, maple cotton candy, and our famous Sugar on Snow Maple Creamee Sundae.

Silloway Maple, 10am–5pm www.sillowaymaple.com

Lebanon Opera House, 7pm lebanonoperahouse.org

April 3–May 8, Mondays

OSHER Course: A Peculiar People: e NH Shakers is course will move from a general overview of Shaker history to a detailed exploration of the En eld and Canterbury communities’ contributions to New Hampshire’s religious and social history. is OSHER Lifelong Learning at Dartmouth course is o ered in conjunction with En eld Shaker Museum and includes a site visit. To register, call (603) 646-0154. 12:30–2:30pm

April 6

Youth Education Series: Dance of Hope

In this one-hour educational performance, students will be introduced to East African music and dance along with the inspirational stories of peers from Uganda.

Lebanon Opera House, 10am & 6:30pm lebanonoperahouse.org

Spring Break Camp for Ages 4 to 11

Photo by Jack Rowell

April 6–8

Dance Performance: Vulture Sisters Song

AVA Gallery and Art Center avagallery.org

April 6, May 4, June 1

First ursday Hike

e Fells, 11am thefells.org

April 7

Mighty Acorns Preschool Explorers Club

Join us for an outdoor learning adventure for the younger explorer.

e Nature Museum, 10am nature-museum.org

April 11–13

Spring Break Camp for Ages 4 to 11

Spend a day outside exploring the Vermont springtime.

e Nature Museum nature-museum.org

April 13

Fly-Fishing Film Tour

e foremost festival of y- shing is back! Each year shy folk of all ages gather to soak up gorgeous short lms from around the world, spin a few yarns among friends, and dream about casts yet to be made. Lebanon Opera House, 7pm lebanonoperahouse.org

April 14–28

Silent Auction

AVA Gallery and Art Center avagallery.org

April 15

Workshop: Roses and Summer Flowering Shrubs—All Skill Levels

April is a great time to prune shrubs that ower best on new growth wood such as select hydrangeas, roses, beautyberry, and many others. Join Nick Scheu and Fells sta to gain con dence in your pruning skills and general care for these key summer and late summer owering shrubs.

e Fells, 9:30am thefells.org

April 21–23

Spring Shaker Forum 2023

A weekend of lectures by Shaker scholars, special tours of the museum, updates on preservation projects, and networking with colleagues and friends.

En eld Shaker Museum shakermuseum.org

April 29

Steve Agius, USF&W: e John Hay Wild Refuge and its Relationship with e Fells

April 30

April 29

Steve Agius, USF&W: e John Hay Wild Refuge and its Relationship with e Fells e Fells, 10am thefells.org

April 30

Vernal Pool Adventure Walk for Families

We’ll be looking for eggs of our native salamanders and frogs and possibly catch sight of these remarkable creatures. e Fells, 1pm thefells.org

April 30

En eld Shaker Supper Club

Carefully curated and prepared dinner experiences inspired by the Shakers. Drink pairings, surprise extras, and good company. More than just a dinner party!

En eld Shaker Museum, 7pm shakermuseum.org

En eld Shaker Supper Club

May 5–June 3

Solo Exhibitions: Kathy Black and Michael He erman, Suzan Calza, Harrison Halaska

May 3

Workshop: Heath and Heather Pruning is annual event is critical to improving the growing habit and owering performance of e Fells heather collections and specimen heath varieties.

e Fells, 1:30pm thefells.org

May 5–June 3

Solo Exhibitions: Kathy Black and Michael He erman, Suzan Calza, Harrison Halaska AVA Gallery and Art Center avagallery.org

May 6

Dave Anderson: Hidden Histories of e Fells Join Dave Anderson of the Forest Society for a hike and trailside discussion of key moments in the history of the John Hay Estate at e Fells.

e Fells, 10am thefells.org

May 12

Silent Film: Safety Last!

May 11

Workshop: Potting Up Small Plants and Plugs We will share recommendations for a good general soil mix, what size and type of pots to use, and the pros and cons of fertilizing new plantings, among other topics.

e Fells, 1:30pm thefells.org

May 12

Silent Film: Safety Last!

With this 100th anniversary screening, see why comic actor Harold Lloyd is known as the silent lm era’s “third genius” alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Lebanon Opera House, 7:30pm lebanonoperahouse.org

May 12–14

National Public Gardens Day

e Fells, 11am thefells.org

May 13

John Lyons: e Newbury Cut John Lyons, a member of the Newbury Historical Society, will present a slide show about the challenge of extending the Concord to Claremont Railroad from Bradford to Newbury.

e Fells, 10am thefells.org

May 15, 22, 29, June 5, 12

Mindfulness in Nature Classes

e Fells, 10am thefells.org

May 19

May 19

Zach Nugent’s Dead Set Lebanon Opera House, 7:30pm lebanonoperahouse.org

May 20

John Chadwick: Beekeeping at the Hay Estate Includes a hive opening and demonstration.

e Fells, 10am thefells.org

May 20

LOL@LOH: Paul Reiser Lebanon Opera House, 7:30pm lebanonoperahouse.org

May 24

Volunteer Reception & Orientation e Fells, 12pm thefells.org

May 25

Workshop: Starting Outdoor Seeds is nursery workshop will be devoted to planting a variety of seeds and sharing our collective wisdom on some of the best practices, techniques, and supplies for starting seeds outdoors.

e Fells, 1:30pm thefells.org

June 7

Zach Nugent’s Dead Set

Pat Metheny: Side-Eye

May 27

History Exhibit: e Many-Faceted Life of John Hay

e Fells thefells.org

May 27

Ecology Exhibit: Gateway to Exploring Nature

e Fells thefells.org

May 27

Joshua Megyesy: Native Turtles of New Hampshire

Join Joshua Megyesy, a biologist with New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, as we discover these special animals and their habitat needs.

e Fells, 10am thefells.org

May 27

e John Hay Estate at the Fells: Historic Home Opens for the Season

e Fells thefells.org

June 2–4, 9–11

Six Nights of One Acts Old Church eater oldchurchtheater.org

June 3

Members Opening Reception e Fells, 5pm thefells.org

June 4

LOL@LOH: Ali Siddiq

Lebanon Opera House, 6pm lebanonoperahouse.org

June 7

Pat Metheny: Side-Eye Lebanon Opera House, 7:30pm lebanonoperahouse.org

June 10

Lebanon Opera House’s Hootenanny

A free, family-friendly celebration of roots music and the great outdoors on the banks of the Connecticut River. Beecharmer, 4pm Cold Chocolate, 5:15pm

e Jacob Jolli Band, 7:15pm lebanonoperahouse.org

June 11

Dominique Dodge, Harpist e Fells, 5pm thefells.org

June 14–25

e 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee New London Barn Playhouse nlbarn.org

June 14–July 9

Sense and Sensibility

A playful new adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Dashwood sisters—sensible Elinor and passionate Marianne—after their father’s sudden death leaves them nancially destitute and socially vulnerable.

Barrette Center for the Arts northernstage.org

June 15

Workshop: Creating Outstanding Summer Containers

Shayna Levesque, former nursery manager, returns to pass along her suggestions for composing beautiful container combinations for the summer season.

e Fells, 10am thefells.org

June 16

LOH on Location: Pride Picnic

Following on the success of last year’s inaugural event, the all-ages Pride Picnic is back! Show your support for the LGBTQIA+ community: pack a picnic, throw on your most epic Pride gear, and come hang. Listen to tunes, meet representatives from local and regional organizations, and do some fun activities. Lebanon Opera House, 6–8:30pm; Silent Disco, 9pm lebanonoperahouse.org

June 16–July 14

2022 Juried Winners Show: Travis Paige, Anne Cogbill Rose, Ann Saunderson, Bess French AVA Gallery and Art Center avagallery.org

June 17

A Hay Family Picnic on Sunset Hill e Fells, 11am thefells.org

June 19

Summer Speaker Series: Patrick Rael: Lincoln and Emancipation e Fells, 1pm thefells.org

June 16–July 14

2022 Juried Winners Show: Travis Paige, Anne Cogbill Rose, Ann Saunderson, Bess French

June 16

LOH on Location: Pride Picnic

Hopkins Center for the Arts

Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (603) 646-2422

www.hop.dartmouth.edu

For information, tickets, or pricing information, call (603) 646-2422 or visit hop.dartmouth.edu. The Hop Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday, 10am–5pm.

April 15

Met Opera in HD: Der Rosenkavalier

We're still here on the mall in Lebanon, ready to Make you

April 1

Met Opera in HD: Falsta Loew Auditorium, 12:30pm

April 15

Met Opera in HD: Der Rosenkavalier Loew Auditorium, 12pm

April 29

Met Opera in HD: Champion Loew Auditorium, 1pm

May 20

Met Opera in HD: Don Giovanni Loew Auditorium, 1pm

June 3

Met Opera in HD: Die Zauber ote Loew Auditorium, 1pm

APD Lifecare 31

AVA Gallery and Art Center 20

All Eyes on You 49

Annemarie Schmidt European Face and Body Studio 11

Baker Orthodontics 18

Bar Harbor Wealth Management 19

Barton Insurance Agency 19

Belletetes 13

Better Homes and Gardens/ The Milestone Team 38

Big Fatty’s BBQ 74

Blood’s Catering & Party Rentals 26

Blue Loon Bakery 49

Brown Furniture 3

C&S Pizza 75

Candita Clayton Gallery 50

Cape Air 73

Claremont Custom Framing 62

Claremont Opera House 61

Claremont Savings Bank 63

Claremont Spray Foam 10

Colonial Pharmacy 47

Co-op Food Stores 39

Cota & Cota 71

Crown Point Cabinetry 51

Crown Point Select 6

Davis Frame 9

Digital Flash Photo 50

Dowds’ Country Inn & Event Center Back cover

Dr. Neely-Hanover Orthodontics 37

Dutille’s Jewelry Design Studio 61

Eastern Propane & Oil 102

Elevation Clothing 21 & 37

Ennis Construction 32

Evelyn J’s Fish Market 48

Eyeglass Outlet 101

Floorcraft 49

Flourish Beauty Lab 74

Foster’s Fine Jewelry 49

Friends of Dartmouth Cancer Center/ The Prouty 70

Gilberte Interiors 15

GraceHill Construction 50

Gray Ledges Rentals 48

Grounds 48

Hanover Eyecare 81

Hanover Road Dental Health 93

ADVERTISERS INDEX

Hanover Transfer & Storage 88

Harbor Light Realty 31

Home Comfort Warehouse 87

Hubert’s Family Outfitters 50

Jasmin Auto Body 100

Jeff Wilmot Painting & Wallpapering 101

Junction Frame Shop 26 & 75

King Arthur Baking Company 23

Lake Sunapee Region Chamber of Commerce 100

Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice 96

Lampscapes 74

Landforms 27

LaValley Building Supply 39

Lebanon Paint & Decorating 25 & 62

Little Istanbul 38

Loewen Window Center 81

Love’s Bedding & Furniture 60

Lumber Barn 36

MB Pro Landscape Design 73

MJ Harrington Jewelers 92

MVP Marine 72

Mascoma Dental 25

McGray & Nichols 89

Mertens House 36

Millstone at 74 Main Restaurant 49

Morgan Hill Bookstore 48

Mt. Ascutney Hospital 86

NT Ferro Estate & Custom Jewelers 21 & 87

Nathan Wechsler 95

New England Beauty & Wellness 50

New London Hospital 88

New London Opticians 50

Newport Golf Club 96

Omer and Bob’s 79

Pam Perkins Realtor 72

Peter Anderson Studio & Gallery 49

Piecemeal Pies 74

Pierce McLaughry Group 63

Pizza Chef New London 48

Quail Hollow 71

Ramunto’s Brick Oven Pizza 100

Richard Electric 32

Ricker Funeral Homes & Crematory 96

Roberts Scarlett Pharmacy 49

Rocky’s Ace Hardware 92

Sawtooth Kitchen, Bar & Stage 4

Shaker Hill Granite 94

Shepherd Realty 98

She’s a Lady 49

Simple Energy 97 & 99

Soake Pools 1

Springfield Hospital Inside front cover

Steven Thomas, Inc. 75

Sugar River Bank 47 & 50

Sunapee Cove 27

Sunapee Shade and Blind 49

Tatewell Gallery 48

Terrigenous Landscape Architecture 23

The Cabinet en-Counter 95

The Carriage Shed 7

The Dorr Mill Store 98

The Flying Goose Brew Pub 80

The Insurance Center 98

The Lighting Center at Rockingham Electric 33

The Refinery Restaurant & Market 50

The Renaissance Shoppe 48

The Village at White River Junction 5

The Woodstock Gallery 21

Thyme Restaurant 74

Timberpeg 2

Timeless Kitchens 50

Tip Top Pottery 74

Top Stitch Embroidery 101

Trail Break taps + tacos 75

Tuckerbox 75

Tyler, Simms & St. Sauveur 79

Unleashed 48

Upper Valley Food Co-op 75

Upper Valley Haven 69

Upper Valley Music Center 18

Upper Valley Pediatric Dentistry 46

Valley Artesian Well Company 8

Valley Regional Hospital 12

Vermont Cabinetry 89

Vermont Spirits Inside back cover WISE 93

White River Family Eyecare 81

Wilson Tire 69

Windsor Station 78

Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce 21

Woodstock Inn & Resort 80

Yankee Barn Homes 17

For more information about print and online advertising opportunities, contact Bob Frisch at (603) 867-9339 or email rcfrisch1@comcast.net.

Moments to remember with family and friends

Ed and Betsy Warren at the Pointe in Vero Beach, Florida.

Zoey and Jack Barrette are all smiles!

Finley Ray Hubley smiles for Mummy.

Vin gets love from his best bud Otis.

Bente and her beloved granddaughter Vivienne embrace as Vivienne leaves in the morning for school and Bente departs to visit her family in Norway.

Holly Bergeron with her grandson Teddy and granddog Charles!

Jill and Clancy visit the Music City, Nashville, Tennessee.