So much to sea — Seacoast Scene — 10/06/22

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iny t

Meet Tiny Tim, a three-yearold male Abyssinian guinea pig. This little cutie came to the NHSPCA because his loving home was moving and he could not go with them. He warms up after a little bit of time and patience (and snacks help, too.) Tiny Tim is known to be a bit on the sassy and independent side. He would do best as a single guinea pig, as well. Inter ested in Tiny Tim or another small animal?

The NHSPCA Adoption Cen ter is open every day except Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Email info@nhspca. org, visit nhspca.org or call 772-2921, ext. 110, for more information.

so much to sea

Discover fish, seals, whales anD other wilDlife on the coast

By Curt Mackail

Thirty passengers boarded a tour boat in Rye Harbor a few weeks ago headed to the Isles of Shoals, a string of nine islands 7 miles offshore. Those aboard saw a sur prising assortment of interesting sea critters during a beautiful sunny afternoon.

Approaching the islands, a giant ocean sunfish popped up on the left. This unex pected behemoth surfaced next to the ship, nudging and rubbing the hull as it floated on its side. Imagine a fish that is roughly the size of a round 10-foot above-ground backyard swimming pool. Then imagine it weighs two tons. That’s why it’s called the “giant” ocean sunfish. Passengers were startled to say the least. The captain quickly explained what the extraordinary fish is all about.

The ocean sunfish is the heaviest of all bony fish, according to Scientific Amer ican. Some other fish are greater in size and weight, like the Whale Shark, Basking Shark and Giant Oceanic Ray, but their skel etons are made of cartilage, not bones. The ocean sunfish is the heavyweight champ in the bony division.

This ocean sunfish bears the taxonomic title Mola mola. The double name combines its genus designation Mola and its species

name, also mola.

Not only is the mola large; it’s also strange. It looks like a fish head attached to a stunted tail. Add a tiny beak-like mouth, mottled gray-green slimy skin blotted with parasites, and you have the stuff of night mares. Not exactly centerfold material for Field and Stream.

The mola is harmless to humans unless it jumps onboard into your lap (which has been reliably reported, by the way). The pilot said this was one of only a few giant sunfish sight ings made in the territory all season.

The mola surfaces to gain body heat after foraging at chilly depths for its preferred diet of jellyfish larva, small fin fish and lots of algae and zooplankton, according to National Geographic. Seabirds often treat themselves to a parasite smorgasbord on the mola’s skin when the fish surfaces, accord ing to The Nature Conservancy.

The mola nudged the boat a few more times, drifted astern, and disappeared.

Seals galore

Next the tour took in the seal colony sun ning on Duck Island in the northern reach of the island collection. Gray seals and harbor seals shared a rocky outcrop. Their numbers reach up to 1,000 during summer, according to Shoals Marine Laboratory, operated on nearby Appledore Island by Cornell Univer sity and the University of New Hampshire.

This seal on the beach is just getting some rest. Called hauling out, seals who beach themselves like this are often mistaken for sick or dying animals by people. Notice that the seal elevates its hind flippers and head above the sand, referred to as the banana position, indicating that it is in satisfactory health. If you spot a seal on the beach, healthy or otherwise, you must by law remain at least 150 feet away. You should also call Seacoast Science Center Marine Mammal Rescue to report the sighting. The rescue team responds to every reported haul out, gathering data and responding with appropriate care as necessary. Photo credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Smuttynose and Star islands.

Seals in the Northeast like to dine on their favored varieties of groundfish (hake, cod, haddock, and flatfish), along with red fish and herring, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries division.

Now, can you guess what really likes to devour seals? Sharks. In fact, seals are a sta ple of adult shark diets, NOAA says. And in the middle of Gosport Harbor what appeared to be a shark fin suddenly appeared within easy sight. Radio reports from other boats within minutes said the fin belonged to a Great White. This identification was later verified by shark experts who are behind the shark-spotting mobile phone app Sharktivi ty. The captain told passengers the shark was likely looking for a snack of seal, porpoise or dolphin.

Don’t forget the little guys and girls

must endure hours exposed to sun, low oxy gen, increasing water temperature, and birds that’d like to eat them.

At high tide, the pool’s plants and ani mals are again bathed in seawater. Rising tides mean animals in the intertidal zone must then endure crashing waves that might sweep them away and hungry fish on the hunt.

To survive in this environment, tide pool inhabitants often cling very tightly to any thing they can, NOAA says. Barnacles, for example, produce a fast-curing cement that keeps them secured. This natural substance is among the strongest glues known to exist.

The gargantuan ocean sunfish is found in Seacoast waters and occasionally seen on the surface where it goes to warm up after deep dives. It ranks as the larg est of all bony fish. (Other sea creatures are larger but they have cartilaginous skeletons.) Reaching up to 11 feet across and weighing up to two-and-a-half tons, the ocean sunfish is harmless to humans despite its freak ish appearance. Photo credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Duck Island is pretty much a wildlife sanctuary, privately owned and never inhab ited, with no visitors permitted. Student researchers from Shoals Marine Laborato ry survey the Duck Island seal colony from a boat several times each week during the summer, photographing all the seals. Back in the lab, researchers analyze the photos along with behavioral and environmental data they collect to keep tabs on the state of the seal population.

With the vessel’s turn to the south, some seals were seen swimming in Gosport Har bor on the leeward side of Appledore,

On the opposite end of the size spectrum from the giant ocean sunfish, sharks and marine mammals like seals, dolphins, por poises and whales in our waters are the little animals and plants found in the Seacoast’s tide pools. Tide pools are a great place for family fun and exploration, offering up a host of intriguing ocean life.

Tide pools are everywhere along our rocky coast. They’re simply small basins among the rocks and ledges. The pools fill with seawater trapped as the tide goes out. These little habitats may be just inches deep and a few feet across, but they’re packed with marine life, a ready natural observato ry that gives you lots of opportunity to learn and have fun.

As ocean water retreats outside the tide pool, NOAA says, the resident marine life

The space in a tide pool may be tight, but nourishment is plentiful. Waves at high tide deliver fresh nutrients and microscop ic organisms like plankton that support the pool’s complex food chain. The microscop ic organisms nourish the smallest animals. Then, the smallest of the small sustain the food needs of larger critters in the sea. Such is the circle of life in the tide pool and in all the biological world — nature’s way of sus taining existence of life on Earth.

One convenient way to get a thorough introduction to fascinating tide pools is through the Seacoast Science Center (SSC) in Odiorne Point State Park, 570 Ocean Boulevard, Rye. Although their guided out door tide pool explorations won’t resume until the 2023 season, the SSC’s indoor tide pool exhibit is available year-round. (See the sidebar for details.)

But you can go on a do-it-yourself tide pool adventure anytime. All you need is some appropriate clothing and footwear to guard against the elements. A small bucket and scoop are useful for drawing water sam ples to examine. (Just remember to return the seawater and marine life to the pool where they are found.)

A good sense of balance and

sharp eyesight are also helpful, although not necessarily a requirement. Pretty much all ages can enjoy tide pooling.

If you plan to go pool exploring, first con sult a tide chart for the locale. Tide pools are accessible for several hours before and after low tide, the SSC advises. The shore sur rounding Odiorne Point is a great place for a tide pool field trip.

The SSC says tide pool creatures you may encounter include green crabs, Jonah crabs, hermit crabs, lobsters, sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, dog whelks and chitons (both mollusks), sea anemones, limpets, periwin kles, barnacles, mussels, and bread crumb sponges. Seaweeds you’ll likely see are kelp, rockweed, Irish moss and knotted wrack.

Marine biologists remind that you may not collect and remove sea life of any sort from tide pools. That’s all in the name of conservation and protection of our natural world, something we can all endorse.

Marine mammals in Seacoast waters

Marine mammals are divided into four major groups: cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises); pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses); sirenians (manatees and dugongs found in the Indian Ocean); and marine fissipeds (polar bears and sea otters). Seals, dolphins, porpoises and whales are the only marine mammals inhabiting our immediate coast.

Unlike fish, marine mammals have much in common with us, being warm-blooded and hairy (at least at some point in their life), breathing air, giving live birth and nursing their young.

Atlantic white-sided dolphins are yearround residents of New England, according to the SSC. Their key distinguishing fea ture is the white to pale yellow patch found behind the dorsal fin on each side.

Short-beaked common dolphins are also year-round residents of New England. They have a sleek, prominent beak and a tall pointed dorsal fin.

Harbor porpoises are in our area from Decem ber to April. They’re easily distinguished from

dolphins, being smaller and sporting a dark gray back, white underside, a short blunt beak and a smallish triangular dorsal fin.

Seals rebounding

Pinnipeds common to New England are the harbor, gray, harp and hooded seals, said Ashley Stokes, director of the Marine Mam mal Rescue Team at SSC. “Shoebert,” the celebrity seal who recently made national news after showing up in an inland fresh water pond in Beverly, Massachusetts, is a gray seal.

Harbor seals are the most common in New Hampshire and nearby waters. They’re year-round residents, the SSC says. The dis tinguishing feature of the harbor seal is a blunt dog-like snout. Their coloring var ies but they’re generally a light to dark gray with darker spotting. When on solid ground on land (called hauled out) they usually rest in the “banana position,” raising their head and hind flippers, the SSC says.

Gray seals are also year-round Seacoast residents. Their distinguishing feature is a long snout, leading to their nickname “horseheads.” Males reach up to 8 feet long and may weigh in at 800 pounds. Females are somewhat smaller. Gray seals can hold their breath for more than an hour and dive to more than 1,500 feet, reports NOAA.

Hooded seals are seen in New Hamp shire only during the winter, part of a group known as ice seals because they prefer cold climes. Hooded seals got their name because the males inflate a special sac on their head to attract females and ward off other males.

Harp seals are also ice seals seen in New Hampshire during winter. Their distinguish ing feature is the dark harp-like shape on the coat of adults. Harp seal pups are distinctive for their all-white coat that has long woollike fur called lanugo. Newborn harp seals nurse on their mothers’ calorie-dense milk and may gain five pounds daily until they reach about 80 pounds, fat stores they badly need after weaning when they’re left on the ice for six weeks or so without eating. Then they’re ready to enter the sea and find food for themselves.

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Seal numbers are hard to pin down

“Generally speaking, populations of our two year-round local seal species, harbor seals and gray seals, are on the rebound, thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. But it’s extremely hard to quantify species in our coverage area that live a large portion of their lives in the water,” Stokes said.

The annual NOAA Fisheries marine mammal stock assessment is one gauge of population trends and numbers. The NOAA reports for our region rely on data models that combine many estimates. An estimat ed 450,000 gray seals inhabit Canadian and American waters of the northeastern coast, according to NOAA.

Stokes said, “The latest information we’re aware of shows local gray seal populations on the increase but still nowhere near their historic numbers. … Harbor seal numbers are thought to be declining slightly.”

Gray seals were hunted to near elimina tion in northern waters during the 1960s when they were believed to threaten the commercial fishing industry, NOAA says. Bounties were paid for each sealskin brought to authorities. Fishermen happily supple mented their income by shooting seals. That all changed in late 1972.

Marine Mammal Protection Act

Today, all marine mammals are safeguard ed by the federal 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act. In essence it prohibits people from disturbing marine mammals in any way.

Discover Seacoast wildlife

Seacoast Science Center

Seacoast Science Center (SSC), an inde pendent nonprofit organization, offers educational experiences for all ages at its oceanfront facility in Odiorne Point State Park, 570 Ocean Blvd., in Rye. Visitors enjoy indoor aquarium displays, hands-on pools filled with sea life, instructional exhib its, talks and demonstrations, and outdoor exploration of tide pools with SSC guides. It’s open every day except Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and military, $5 for ages 3 to 11, $2 for EBT and SNAP cardholders, and free for visitors under age 3. There is also an addi tional gate fee through Oct. 31 for admission to the state park itself: adults $4, children $2, SSC members get into the park and the sci ence center free. Pets are not allowed in the park or science center. Call SSC at 603-2623766 or the park at 603-436-7406, and visit seacoastsciencecenter.org.

The SSC’s “Big Fish Little Fish” early learner program happens Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon. It’s designed for children up to age 5. Participants explore a series of activ ity stations that help develop motor skills, sensory abilities, literacy, mathematics and creativity. Pop-up story times and outdoor mini-adventures also may be offered based on the theme of the day.

The regulations also prohibit feeding wild marine mammals. As NOAA says, “Marine mammals can find food on their own.”

This law requires people to remain 150 feet away from marine mammals regardless of the situation. (That includes boat opera tors, scuba divers and people swimming.)

And no, you may not go help a seal you think needs your help.

Authorities like NOAA and the SSC say if you spot a seal or other marine mammal lying out of the water, watch from a distance. Seals will “haul out” on beaches and other dry land to rest, dry in the open air or nurse. Seals may also haul out when in distress.

Advice from NOAA and other authorities is that people should never try to touch a seal. (One good reason is they bite with those same sharp teeth used to devour fish.) The experts also say don’t pour water on the animal, don’t try to move it, don’t cover it and, above all, promptly report any sighting by calling Seacoast Science Center Marine Mammal Rescue’s 24-hour hotline, 603-997-9448. The rescue program responds to every report and handles everything from there.

“Seals are 95 percent of our caseload,” Stokes said.

Bird flu crosses to mammals

During June, NOAA officially declared an unusual mortality event (UME) affecting gray seals and harbor seals from mid-coast Maine to the New Hampshire border. The Marine Mammal Protection Act defines a UME as unexpected strandings that include a signifi

University of New Hampshire

The Jere A. Chase Ocean Engineer ing Laboratory on UNH’s Durham campus invites the public for tours of the facility. You’ll see its 20-foot-deep engineering tank and 120foot-long wave tank. Cutting-edge research installations include a telepresence console that connects researchers with scientists at sea and the visualization lab’s panoramic display. Most importantly, staff are recognized as leaders in their fields and are happy to talk about research.

To schedule a tour, contact Tara Hicks, outreach specialist at the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping. Email tara.hicks-johnson@ccom.unh. edu or telephone 603-862-1417.

Tours of the UNH Judd Gregg Marine Research Complex, at the mouth of Ports mouth Harbor in New Castle, are available by appointment. The Marine Complex supports research, education and outreach in all aspects of marine biology, oceanography, ocean engi neering and renewable energy. Contact David Shay, Assistant Director for Marine Facilities and Operations. Email dave.shay@unh.edu or telephone 603-862-5127.

UNH Marine Docent Virtual Resources are available for teachers and students to take into the classroom or home. The virtual resources contain many elements that are also provided inperson by UNH educators who visit schools for classroom presentations. Visit seagrant.unh.edu.

cant die-off of any marine mammal population.

A greater than usual number of sick and dead seals were documented throughout the summer along the Maine coast with a pro nounced spike occurring in July. According to NOAA, most of the seals that were strand ed in Maine were found dead.

“The virus responsible for that is the high ly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1. It’s currently concentrated in mid-coast Maine, but we are on alert and actively swab sam pling animals that we respond to for disease surveillance,” Stokes said.

It’s the same disease that was in the news when it first impacted farmed birds and then broke out in wild bird populations. This strain of bird flu does not affect humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The experts say the disease isn’t spreading wholesale among mammalian animals. But the seal outbreak is the first known transmis sion across a species boundary. The likely path from birds to seals involves infected waterfowl that seals sometimes eat.

Whales in our waters

According to the New England Aquarium in Boston, our area is home to several kinds of large whales. Included are humpback whales, finback whales, minke whales, pilot whales and critically endangered right whales.

How many whales are out there? It seems there is no hard and fast explanation. “Esti mating population numbers for cetaceans is complex and harder to answer (compared to seals) because each species is vastly differ ent,” Stokes said.

Marine mammal rescue

Seacoast Science Center Marine Mam mal Rescue responds to all reports concerning seals, whales, porpoises and dolphins from the Maine border to Essex, Massachusetts. Reports come in concern ing healthy seals found on land, sick seals, or dead marine mammals.

When a sighting is reported to the SSC, its team of professionals and volunteers leads the response, conducting health assessments on the spot to determine appropriate care and follow-up. Sick animals are kept for medical treatment. Dead animals are autopsied.

Stokes said it is important to respond to every seal that hauls out onto a beach and each stranded whale, dolphin or porpoise.

A stranded animal is one that is dead on the beach or in the water, one that is alive on land and unable to return to the water, or a live animal in the water that is unable to return to its natural habitat under its own power or without assistance, states NOAA.

“Marine mammal rescue groups protect public health and safety by properly manag ing sick or dead animals and protect stranded animals by reducing harmful human inter actions. Rescue organizations also advance biological and ecological research by main taining continuous data flow into national databases,” Stokes pointed out.

If you’d like to be involved as a volun teer in SSC Marine Mammal Rescue, email info@sscnh.org. The program depends largely on donations, so a monetary gift is another way to help. The program also main tains a wish list found at Amazon.com of needed supplies and equipment.

And, the SSC says, let others know about the program and the hotline number (603-9979448), so all sightings are properly handled.

“Aside from that, the biggest way people can help is to be an advocate for the animal,” Stokes said. “It’s really important for people to keep at least 150 feet away. It seems like such an obvious and trivial thing, but all too often when our responders get to the beach, they find people within 5 or 10 feet of the animal. … Not only is it against federal law to get any nearer than 150 feet, but it’s also extremely stressful for a live animal to be approached by people.”

Whale Watches

Granite State Whale Watch tours leave from Rye Harbor, 1870 Ocean Blvd. (Route 1-A), heading for the Jeffreys Ledge spotting ground about 30 miles off shore. The tour season concludes Oct. 9. Adult tickets are $46. Visit granitestate whalewatch.com.

Newburyport Whale Watches depart from their dock at the boardwalk, 54 Mer rimac St., weekends only during fall. Trips run up to four hours. Adult tickets $60. Visit newburyportwhalewatch.com.

Boston’s New England Aquarium offers four-hour whale watches through the middle of November. New England Aquarium naturalists are your on-board guides. Adult tickets $65. Visit neaq.org for information.

This group of seals hauled out on Duck Island at the Isles of Shoals. Duck Island, a wildlife sanctuary, is home to a colony of an estimated 1000 seals. Photo credit: Shoals Marine Laboratory.

Safety first

New director of homeland security, emergency management

Meet Robert Buxton, who was nominated by Gov. Chris Sununu to be the director of the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Buxton was sworn in to the position on Sept. 6.

What is your background in this type of work, and how did you come into this position?

I was a 30-year fire service employee. I retired out of the town of Hudson; I [served for] nine years as fire chief there. I graduated from UNH with a master’s degree in public admin istration. One of my core roles in Hudson was to be the emergency management director. This posi tion provided that next step of opportunity for me in my career, and I thought it was a great opportunity to come in with a really motivated staff to put out good customer service to the communities in New Hampshire.

What do you and the Division do?

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management covers a lot of oppor tunities surrounding community preparedness, community outreach, emergency management, disaster planning and public assistance grants. The Homeland Security side co-manages the state’s Information Analysis Center. We provide a lot of support to the local communities sur rounding Homeland Security information and emergency management. … I’m on Day 3 [of the job]. The day to day right now looks very busy in regards to getting my arms around the different divisions and having an understanding and creating a routine with staff and basical ly looking at the vision of the organization and setting that out. Right now we provide forwardfacing customer service to 234 communities in the Granite State, and we look to continue that as we move forward.

What are some of the biggest issues the Division is working to address right now?

We’re still providing a lot of support to the local community surrounding Covid and the Covid monies and disaster relief funds. Sec ondarily to that, we’re also heavily engaged in the school safety process. We continue to work the different levels of emergency response sur rounding Seabrook Station [Nuclear Power Plant] and those events are probably the top three or four that I can give you right now. Those are the top three things right now.

What is your role in responding to the pandemic? How is it different from the role of other state departments, such as the Department of Health?

This is a collaborative effort on the state level with DHHS, and right now, probably

the biggest responsibility and collaborative piece that we’re working through is in regards to the recovery money, mak ing sure that we’re supporting the communities and getting the relief money [to them] and managing those grant process es. Additionally, we continue to work on messaging, making sure those messages are put out in the state of New Hamp shire and that they are clear.

How do you work with each New Hampshire community to ensure that it has the funds, training and preparedness to respond to an emergency quickly?

One of the strengths of this Division over the years … [has been] their hard work in collaborating with the local municipal ities. They’ve created a very supportive environment for the emergency manage ment directors across the state in making sure that they’re getting the resources that they need to be able to prepare and pro vide the service to their constituencies when an emergency does arise. There’s a very strong foundation that has been put in place, and we look to continue to grow that as I phase into my position.

What do you find rewarding about this line of work?

This line of work is one of the most rewarding things, I think, that you can look at. You have a direct impact to all 234 communities across the state of New Hampshire, and it’s a great opportunity [for them] to see us continue to prepare, so we can make sure that folks understand what they need to do if we’re getting close to a potential disaster and make sure they have the tools. It’s that day-in-and-day-out impact that we push out to the local com munities that’s the most rewarding.

What can individuals and families do to prepare for and stay safe during an emergency?

There are four key steps that I would like them to look at: stay informed, have a plan, make a kit — a kit for no power, a kit for cold weather, those sorts of things — and get involved. They can sign up for the New Hampshire alerts to stay informed on what potentially could be happening in their area.

— Angie Sykeny

Robert Buxton.

honoring native culture

Celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Newburyport

The 2nd annual Indig enous Peoples’ Day Observance will be held at Waterfront Park in Newburyport, Mass., on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“This free, family-friend ly event will honor our region’s indigenous nations, including Abenaki, Pen nacook, Wabanaki, and Mi’kmaq, and all native peoples, past and pres ent,” said Kristine Malpica, event organizer and owner of Imagine Studios, an organization that seeks to enrich the local community through multicultural events, per formances and workshops.

The celebration includes music, drumming, song, dance, stories, speakers, kids’ activities and more. Native artisans will be selling hand crafted items, and practitioners will be offering healing arts demonstrations.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day falls on the same second Monday in October on which Colum bus Day has been celebrated for years; President Franklin Delano Roosevelt designat ed Columbus Day a national holiday in 1934. Through the years it became apparent to some that Columbus had played a role in bringing colonization to communities that had already been part of the Americas for thousands of years – the settlements of indigenous people that are honored and celebrated today.

“There are still many who recognize and celebrate Columbus Day, as it is a strong part of Italian culture. … We want to let the public know that native people are still here; they’re not a thing of the past.” Malpica said, add ing that Imagine Studios is currently working with Newburyport to section an area to spotlight the indigenous people through inter preted signage.

As of now, Columbus Day remains the official state holiday, but people are pushing to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day along with, or instead of, Columbus Day.

President Joe Biden proclaimed Monday, Oct. 11, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, becoming the first U.S. president to formally recognize the day. Recently the community of Newbury port passed a resolution to adopt Indigenous Peoples’ Day as the official holiday to cele brate and honor these Native Americans.

The celebration starts with opening cer emonies and a fire circle. Paul and Denise Pouliot are head speakers of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki, and will wel come Onega Waya White Wolf, of the Tsalagi Cherokee, who will present a community ceremony with song, dance and drumming

with Mi’kmaq Red Dawn, and intertribal participants. Other speakers include Mayor Sean Reardon, and Rev. Rebecca Bryan of the First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist.

All scheduled speakers and performers at the event have experience and knowl edge in Native American culture and have worked to raise awareness and teach about the contributions of indigenous peoples.

Presentations on the main stage will begin with the Pouliots, who, in addition to leading their tribal responsibilities, serve the great er community on several state and regional alliances. They also helped to found the Indig enous NH Collaborative Collective, a team of local tribal leaders, students, staff and faculty at UNH.

Onega Waya White Wolf, a drummer, danc er, storyteller, artist and educator, has taught pre-American history and cultural history and provided programs in grade levels from gram mar school through college, as well as public venues and retirement homes. He is a pipe car rier in Lakota and Cherokee traditions, which means he’s the host of ceremonies; part of his job is to say prayers to seven cardinal points.

“A pipe carrier is a position of service, with the pipe being a carrier of prayers to the cre ator. I didn’t seek to be a pipe carrier, rather the pipe came to me as a vision from one of my elders that I was meant to carry it,” White Wolf said, adding that the carved pipe he car ries from a piece of pipestone was gifted to him by the Cherokee in South Carolina.

Several other speakers and storytellers will follow, and Chris Newall and the Iron River Singers will cap off the day with a per formance. Newall was born and raised in Indian Township, Maube, and is a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe. He travels all over, singing at community powwows and spending time in settlements learning Native music. The Iron River Singers are an intertribal group of Northern style powwow singers from New England, formed in 1988. In addition to his contributions to raising awareness about Native America, Newall recently authored the award winning children’s history book If You Lived During the Plimouth Thanksgiving.

Finally, look for a sculpture exhibition by Joseph Gray, an artist who creates stone piec es using a chisel.

“[The event] is our opportunity to lift up the native’s voices,” Malpica said.

For more information, visit imaginestudios. org. — Betty Gagne

Onega Waya White Wolf. Courtesy photo.

Give thanks to dad

Dear Car Talk:

Growing up, my dad taught me how to do oil chang es, and I’ve been doing them ever since (40 years now).

cold weather.

Now, most cars use 5W-20 or even 0W-20. Because of advances in tech nology, these oils do a better job of lubricating the engine, while creating less friction and drag on the moving parts. That improves efficiency and fuel economy.

the oil warm enough to grab up the dirt but not so hot that you end up in the Shriner’s Hospital Burn Unit.

Dear Car Talk:

If you change the mass air flow sen sor, do you need to do anything else, or are you good to go?

reading, the computer then knows how much gasoline to send into the cylin ders, to get the fuel-air mixture right.

By Ray Magliozzi

When he taught me, he would let the car run for a bit to warm up the oil so it would drain out more easily.

Today’s cars use an oil that has a very low viscosity rating. So, is run ning the car prior to an oil change still necessary?

— Tom

Good question, Tom. It’s not abso lutely necessary, but I do think it’s desirable.

You’re right that oil has gotten thin ner (less viscous) over the years. Forty years ago, people were using 10W-40 or even 20W-50 oil. That means the oil behaved like a heavy, 50-weight oil in hot weather and like a 20-weight oil in

So, if you drained the oil from a cold engine today, you might see more oil come out than would have come out in the 10W-40 days. But, more impor tantly, oil holds dirt and contaminants in suspension. When a car sits for a long time, some of that dirt can pre cipitate out. And the whole idea of an oil change is to get the dirt out of your engine, along with the dirty oil.

By running the car for five or 10 min utes, you get the oil to collect and hold in suspension any dirt and debris that’s on the inside surfaces of the engine. When you drain out that warm oil, the maximum amount of dirt comes out with it. So, I always run a cold engine for five or 10 minutes before draining out the old oil.

Keep in mind, Tom, the idea is to get

— Leslie

Generally, you should be good to go, Leslie.

Newer cars need to have sensors paired to the car’s computer, so they can speak to each other. But for older cars, it’s pretty much plug and drive.

I’m going to guess that your “Check Engine” light came on, Leslie. So, you went to a local auto parts store that offers free scans, right?

They plugged in their scanner, read the error code and told you that you needed a mass air flow sensor. That seems reasonable, particularly if your car is an older one.

The mass air flow sensor reads the mass or density of the air that’s coming into the engine. Based on that

If the sensor stops working, the car may run poorly, or it may run rich and overwhelm your catalytic convert er (which costs many times more than the sensor). Now, I’m guessing that the guys who did the scan also want to sell you a new mass air flow sensor. And, you’re wondering if you can replace it yourself. The answer is probably “yes.”

Provided you have the wherewithal to locate it in the engine compartment, you simply unplug the old one, plug in the new one, rotate the fuzzy dice and drive away. But, if it’s a newer car, and the “Check Engine” light stays on after you plug in the new part, you’ll need to visit a mechanic, who can use his scan tool to introduce the new sensor to the computer.

That’s the polite thing to do, Leslie.

Visit Cartalk.com.

Annarosa’s

Hand Crafted European Breads & Pastries

Open Thursday

7am-5pm

Elm St. Rt.110, Salisbury

At Joey’S

Joey Catalano of Seabrook Beach had never worked in the restau rant industry prior to this year. But when Beach Deck BBQ & Grill went up for sale, he saw an opportunity — the eatery shares a building with Catalano’s Market, owned by his father Sam. “My cousin owned the restaurant before me, and when they retired, I kind of took over and just continued pretty much what they did,” Catalano said. “I’ve been around it since I was about 16 years old, when they opened up. … I was always popping in and they’d show me different things. If they were trying something new on the menu, they’d say, ‘Hey, try this.’ Stuff like that.” Now known as Joey’s Place (207 Ocean Blvd., Seabrook, find them on Facebook @joeysplace603), the restaurant carries on the tradition of its predecessor with menu items like specialty burgers, sandwiches and appetizers, in addition to ribs, half-chicken entrees, pulled pork and other barbecue staples. The Scene recently caught up with Catalano to talk about his first season as owner of the restaurant, as well as what diners can expect when they visit Joey’s Place.

How long has Joey’s Place been around?

[I’ve] been open now for about six months. March 17, 2022, was the first day I opened — I figured St. Paddy’s Day was a good kickoff day. … My dad opened Catala no’s Market back in 2011 [and] Beach Deck BBQ, I believe, opened in the spring of 2012. … Back in 2017 there was a fire and we lost the whole building. So we rebuilt, and I helped my dad reopen the store. Then my cousin retired, it was up for sale and then I decided I was going to buy it.

What makes Joey’s Place unique?

All of the different people that come in. … There’s something for everybody. It’s all walks of life that come in, and everybody’s welcome here.

photos.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

That’s a toss-up. … I’d have to say that I really like the As Is Burger, [which] comes with bacon, Swiss cheese, barbecue sauce and red onion.

What is something that everyone should try?

The chicken barb. If you haven’t had one, you have to try it. … It’s pulled chicken, let tuce and mayo on a lightly toasted roll.

What celebrity would you like to see eat ing at Joey’s Place?

Maybe Chef Emeril [Lagasse]. … When I was a kid, on Saturday mornings on Food Network I’d watch Emeril.

What is an essential skill to running a restaurant?

You’ve got to put in the time. Anybody can do it — you’ve just got to dedicate yourself.

What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?

It’s [more] unique than anywhere else I have ever seen. It’s small and quaint, busy in the summer, but then you’ve also got your spring and your fall and your winter. … The scenery is beautiful, and it’s small, but there’s so much to see.

— Matt Ingersoll

rosés for fall

The pink drink with seasonal flexibility

The autumnal equinox, denoting the first day of autumn, fell on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 9:04 p.m. Yes, school is back in session. Yes, the nights are getting cooler, but the days remain warm and the skies are a crys tal-clear blue. OK, it is fall, but we don’t want to give up on those warm afternoons and times to spend with friends and fami ly. We still have time to prepare for winter. There are opportunities to go apple-pick ing, to have that afternoon picnic, to schedule that barbecue of chicken or sau sages or to just “kick back” and enjoy the day and embrace the evening.

Rosé wines are growing in popularity, simply because they are so flexible. They pair well with many cheeses, chicken, pork, shellfish and, let’s not forget, vegetables. In this column we will explore two rosés that are not only created in different parts of the world but created with very different grape varietals. Rosé wines are made from red grapes whose skins spend limited time in the pressing process. Rosé wines are light and have a limited lifetime, once bottled. That’s not a negative; it is in fact a contri bution to the very essence of what they are. Rosé wines are youthful and bright and can be sipped with or without a pairing with food. But, as with all wines, the experience of the tasting is changed with proper pair ing with food, and thus enhanced. So. Let’s explore some rosés!

Our first rosé is from where else but Provence, France! The 2021 Crépuscule Coteaux D’Aix-en-Provence Rosé (avail able at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, originally priced at $39.99, reduced to $12.99) is a classic rose from the south of France. Coming from Château Paradis, it is a blend of 30 percent syrah, 30 percent grenache, 20 percent Carignan and 20 per cent cabernet sauvignon. Crépuscule is the noun the French use to define that time of day at twilight when the sun sets and the sky is a wonderful collection of golds and pinks, casting these warm colors of various shades of pink on the landscape. This is the perfect description of this wine, its color, its presence.

The grapes of this wine are grown at an elevation of 850 feet at the northern edge of Provence, in a rich clay-limestone terroir. They are blessed with a warm Mediterra nean climate with strong Mistral winds, blowing from the Bay of Biscay to the Gulf of Genoa, resulting in clear skies and warm weather. The color is a rich peach, and to the nose the peach carries through along with floral notes, coupled with minerality. The fruit is dense, slightly spicy, and crisp. This is a wine to be enjoyed with grilled meats and vegetables, flavored with herbs

de Provence. The crispness and minerality of the wine work very well with this blend of herbs, and so it should, as they speak of the same terroir.

Our second rosé is from Washington State. The 2020 CasaSmith Vino Rosé (available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, originally priced at $13.99, reduced to $6.99) is made from 100 percent sangiovese grapes. The sangiovese grape is grown throughout Italy and may have its roots in Roman times. It is most famously known as the grape of Brunello di Mon talcino and Chianti, but when used to make rosé, the earthy tea leaf notes of these reds recede, producing a wine with lighter min eral notes. In his tasting notes posted on his website, Charles Smith states, “The 2020 vintage might be the best vintage that we have ever had in Washington state history.” This may very well be the case. Coming from the Columbia River Valley, this wine has pale straw color tinged in pink. To the nose there are berries along with some flo ral notes. The minerality of the soils of the river valley carries through to the tongue with a refreshing, crisp finale. Noted wine critic James Suckling described it as a “dry, chewy rosé with sliced-cherry and peachskin character. Flavorful finish…. Drink now.” With his score of 91 points, this is a wine to be tried, and per his instructions, now! At this most inviting price, this is a wine not to be passed by!

So extend your summer by a few weeks. Pick up one or both of these rosés, grill some food and enjoy that beautiful sunset a fall day can bring.

Fred Matuszewski is a local architect and a foodie and wine geek.

Monday through Thursday Friday, Saturday & Sunday

You must present coupon before ordering. Liqour and tax not included. Cannot be used with group packages. Maximum of 3 coupons/discounts/complimentary certificates may be used. $35/$25 per coupon must be spent. Not valid on takeout or holidays. Coupon valid only at time of purchase. Expires 12/31/22.

You must present coupon before ordering. Limit of 4 lobster rolls per coupon. Limit 2 coupons per party. Not valid with any other coupon, discount, complimentary certificates, group packages, or takeout orders. Not valid on holidays. Coupon only valid at time of purchase. Expires 12/31/22.

Babysitter, by Joyce Carol Oates (Knopf, 448 pages)

My desire to read books about abduction and mur der of children was never strong even before I had children of my own. After becoming a parent, I won dered how anyone could.

As such, I wasn’t sure if I could get through even two chapters of the long-await ed novel from Joyce Carol Oates, which is built around a serial killer who specialized in children. Dubbed the “Babysitter,” because he abduct ed children between the ages of 11 and 14 who were neglected and unattended, the killer murdered five children near Detroit, Michi gan, when the novel opens in 1977.

The victims speak collectively to reveal details: “When we died, our bodies were carefully bathed, the smallest bits of dirt removed from every crevice of our bodies and from beneath our (broken) fingernails, and the fingernails cut with cuticle scissors; rounded and even, as our hair was washed with a gentle shampoo, combed and neatly parted in such a way to suggest that whoever had so tenderly groomed us postmortem had not known us ‘in life’.”

Even as we may want to run screaming from what came before and what will surely come after, we cannot.

Joyce Carol Oates didn’t become one of America’s most celebrated writers for lack of talent, and with that horrific opening, she glides seamlessly into what at first seems an unconnected story: The budding affair between a wealthy housewife in Far Hills, Michigan, and a man she met only briefly at a fundraiser.

Hannah Jarrett is 39, beautiful, privileged, vapid, taught by her parents to prize ele gance, simplicity and taste: “Never take a chance of appearing common” is a mantra to which she clings. Her life and her marriage somewhat resembles that of Don and Betty Draper in Mad Men — outwardly perfect, if vaguely hollow, with picture-perfect chil dren, a girl and a boy. Unlike Betty Draper, Hannah Jarrett has a live-in housekeeper, who, despite Hannah’s belief that she is an attentive mother, seems to do a significant amount of the mothering in the household.

When Hannah is contacted by the man with whom she shared an electric moment at a charity event, she decides to meet him at an elegant downtown hotel, enabled by her husband’s business trip and the housekeep er, who will be with the children no matter how late Hannah returns.

On the drive to the hotel Hannah tells herself a reassuring story: she’s only going to satisfy her curiosity, to feel beautiful and

desired for an afternoon; she won’t break any vows, but will have a satisfying and fulfilling conversation with the man in the hotel bar about their mutual and ultimately thwarted desires.

That, of course, is not what happens. In her skillful narrative, Oates makes Hannah’s drive to the hotel, and even the ride up the elevator to the man’s suite, suspenseful and chilling. It is a dra ma seemingly completely unconnected to the “babysitter” killings, but also, we know, somehow entwined. Moreover, there are hints of future — or are they past? — events that push their way into the telling, making it unclear if what happens on any given page is, as Ebenezer asked of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, things that definitely happened or things that simply could happen.

The dynamic between Hannah and her Manila-born housekeeper, Ismelda, is polite, but fraught, as perhaps all house keeper/employer relationships are. Hannah is both grateful and resentful of the help, and at times the similarities between “the Babysitter,” serial killer, and the babysitter/ nanny/housekeeper are a bit heavy-hand ed. While Hannah’s children, we are led to believe, are not neglected in the way that the Babysitter’s victims are, their mother’s deficiencies are revealed in her interactions with her housekeeper.

Coming home distracted after a tryst, Hannah is so consumed by her fantasy life (“I have a lover!”) that she is unaware that her daughter is gravely ill until the house keeper apologetically wakes her. While in no way evil or even deeply unlikeable — she is much too bland a person for that — Hannah is not a sympathetic character, even though her upbringing was in many ways troubled. Which is why it’s a shock to so quickly care so much about what hap pens to her and her family.

When Oates writes, “Despair of women, that men are unknown to them, essentially,” she speaks not only of the overt monsters but also of the hidden lives of husbands and friends. But women, too, have parts unknown to others and also to themselves, as Hannah learns as she is drawn deeper into a relationship despite the frantic screaming of conscience.

Babysitter is no cheap thriller but offers sharp cultural commentary on racism, class, religion and modern-day parenting. Give all the credit to Oates, who has crafted a fine ly tuned horror story that, like the film Fatal Attraction, is all the more horrific because of its placid suburban setting.

exeter

Sawbelly Brewing

156 Epping Road, 583-5080

Sea Dog Brewery

9 Water St.

Shooter’s Pub

6 Columbus Ave., 772-3856

Swasey Parkway

316 Water St.

thursday, oct. 6

Exeter

Sea Dog: Teeba, 6 p.m.

Hampton

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

CR’s: Steve Sibulkin, 6 p.m.

Smuttynose: 21st & 1st, 6:30 p.m.

Whym: music bingo, 6 p.m.

Portsmouth

The Goat: Isaiah Bennett, 9 p.m.

friday, oct. 7

Exeter

Sawbelly: Oktoberfest, 7 p.m.

Sea Dog: Chris Salemme, 6 p.m.

Hampton

Bernie’s Beach Bar

73 Ocean Blvd., 926-5050

Bogie’s

32 Depot Square, 601-2319

Community Oven

845 Lafayette Road 601-6311

CR’s The Restaurant

287 Exeter Road, 929-7972

Hampton

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

The Goat

20 L St., 601-6928

Hampton Beach Sea Shell Stage

Events on southern stage

L Street Tavern 603

17 L St., 967-4777

Logan’s Run

816 Lafayette Road 926-4343

Sea Ketch

127 Ocean Blvd., 926-0324

Shane’s BBQ

61 High St., 601-7091

Smuttynose Brewing

105 Towle Farm Road

Wally’s Pub 144 Ashworth Ave. 926-6954

WHYM

853 Lafayette Road 601-2801

Saturday, oct. 8 Exeter

CR’s: Rico Barr Duo, 6 p.m.

The Goat: Alex Anthony, 8 p.m.

L Street: Up-Beat w/J-Dubz, 9 p.m.

Wally’s: Rosie, 9 p.m.

Whym: Austin McCarthy, 6:30 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Blue Light Bandits, 7 p.m.; Rebecca Turmel, 9:30 p.m.

Mojo’s West End: KOHA, 8 p.m.

Thirsty Moose: Sweep the Leg, 9 p.m.

Seabrook

The Chop Shop: AmWho, 8:30 p.m.

Sawbelly: Killough/O’Neill, 1 p.m.

Sea Dog: Alan Roux, 6 p.m.

Hampton

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

L Street: Up-Beat w/J-Dubz, 9 p.m.

Smuttynose: Jordan Davis, 4 p.m.

Wally’s: The Wailers, 9 p.m.

Whym: Pete Peterson, 6 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light Pub: Ralph Allen, 2 p.m.; Radio Daze, 7 p.m.; Justin Cohn, 9:30 p.m.

The Goat: Mike Forgette, 9 p.m.

Thirsty Moose: Fighting Friday, 9 p.m.

North Hampton

Locals Restaurant & Pub 215 Lafayette Road 379-2729

Portsmouth Clipper Tavern 75 Pleasant St., 501-0109

The Gas Light 64 Market St., 430-9122

Gibb’s Garage Bar 3612 Lafayette Road

The Goat 142 Congress St., 590-4628

Sunday, oct. 9 Hampton

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

CR’s: Greg DeCoteau, 11 a.m.

L Street: Up-Beat w/J-Dubz, 9 p.m.

Smuttynose: LOCASH, 4 p.m.

Portsmouth

Gas Light: Travis Rollo, 2 p.m.

Monday, oct. 10

Portsmouth

The Goat: music bingo, 7 p.m.;

Midgets with Attitude, 8 p.m.

Seabrook

Red’s: music bingo, 7 p.m.

Grill 28

Pease Golf Course, 766-6466

Herbert’s Restaurant 1500 Lafayette Road 431-5882

The Statey Bar & Grill

238 Deer St., 431-4357

Summer in the Streets

Pleasant Street to Porter Street to Market Square

Thirsty Moose Taphouse 21 Congress St., 427-8645

Tuscan Kitchen 10 Ledgewood Drive 570-3600

Rye Atlantic Grill 5 Pioneer Road, 433-3000

Seabrook Chop Shop Pub 920 Lafayette Road 760-7706

Red’s Kitchen + Tavern 530 Lafayette Road 760-0030

tuesday, oct. 11

Hampton

Shane’s: music bingo, 7 p.m.

Wally’s: music bingo, 7 p.m.

Seabrook

Backyard Burgers & Wings: music bingo with Jennifer Mitch

ell, 7 p.m.

Red’s: country night, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, oct. 12

Exeter

Sea Dog: David Carson, 6 p.m.

Hampton

Bogie’s: open mic, 7 p.m.

L Street: Karaoke w/ DJ Jeff, 9 p.m.

thursday, oct. 13 Exeter

Sea Dog: Tim Parent, 6 p.m.

Hampton

Bogie’s: live music, 7 p.m.

CR’s: Just the Two Of Us, 6 p.m. Smuttynose: Zac New Bound Duo, 6:30 p.m.

Whym: music bingo, 6 p.m.

Portsmouth

Press Room: Armchair Boogie, 8 p.m.

friday, oct. 14 Exeter

Sea Dog: Chad Verbeck, 6 p.m.

Comedy Venues

Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach 929-4100, casinoballroom.com

McCue’s Comedy Club at the Roundabout Diner

580 Portsmouth Traffic Circle, Portsmouth mccuescomedyclub.com

The Music Hall

28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth 436-2400, themusichall.org

The Music Hall Lounge

131 Congress St., Portsmouth 436-2400, themusichall.org

Rochester Opera House

31 Wakefield St., Rochester 335-1992, rochesteroperahouse.com

events

• Nikki Glaser Casino Ballroom, Friday, Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m.

• Juston McKinney Rochester Opera House, Saturday, Oct. 8, 8 p.m.

• Eddie B Music Hall, Saturday, Oct. 11, 7:30 p.m.

• Rodney Norman McCue’s, Sat urday, Oct. 15, 8 p.m.

• Fortune Feimster Casino Ball room, Saturday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.

• Vir Das The Music Hall, Satur day, Oct. 29, 8 p.m.

• My Name Is Not Mom Music Hall, Thursday, Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m.

• Sara Schaefer: Going Up Music Hall Lounge, Friday, Nov. 18, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

• Juston McKinney The Music Hall, Monday, Dec. 26 and Tues day, Dec. 27, 7 p.m., and Wednes day, Dec. 28 and Thursday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m.

Venues

3S Artspace

Concerts

319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth 766-3330, 3sarts.org

Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom 169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach 929-4100, casinoballroom.com

Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club 135 Congress St., Portsmouth 888-603-5299, jimmysoncon gress.com

The Music Hall

28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth 436-2400, themusichall.org

The Music Hall Lounge 131 Congress St., Portsmouth 436-2400, themusichall.org

AMSTERDAM TO EXETER

Singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier wrote her new album, Amsterdam, while laid over in the title city on a break in her tour. She comes to the Word Barn (66 Newfields Road, Exeter; 2440202; thewordbarn.com) on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $30, plus fees.

Rochester Opera House 31 Wakefield St., Rochester 335-1992, rochesteroperahouse. com

Stone Church 5 Granite St., Newmarket 659-7700, stonechurchrocks.com

The Word Barn 66 Newfields Road, Exeter 244-0202, thewordbarn.com

events

• Mary Gauthier Thursday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Joel Ross Quintet Thursday, Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Grace Kelly Friday, Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• The Uptown Boys Friday, Oct.

7, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House

• Jonathan Brooke Saturday, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Brooke Annibale Saturday, Oct. 8, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Brett Dennen Tuesday, Oct. 11, 8 p.m., 3S Artspace

• Rumours of Fleetwood Mac Saturday, Oct. 15, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom

• Colbie Caillat Wednesday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall

• Jon McLaughlin Thursday, Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Willy Porter & Tom Pirozzoli Friday, Oct. 21, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• Ammonium Maze Ensemble Saturday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m., Stone Church

• Brett Dennen Tuesday, Oct. 11, 8 p.m., 3S Artspace

• Janis Ian Thursday, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall

• Ellis Paul Friday, Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall Lounge

• We Were Promised Jetpacks Saturday, Oct. 29, 8 p.m., 3S Artspace

• Acoustic Alchemy Sunday, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Michael Cleveland & Flame keeper Wednesday, Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Mike Block Trio Thursday, Nov. 3, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Mick Flannery Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Sarah Shook & the Disarm ers Saturday, Nov. 5, 8 p.m., 3S Artspace

• The Small Glories Saturday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m., Word Barn

• Sixfoxwhiskey Saturday, Nov. 12, 8 p.m., 3S Artspace

• The Cookers Saturday, Nov. 12, and Sunday, Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Miguel Zenon Quintet Friday, Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Nicholas Payton Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, Jimmy’s

• Pokey LaFarge Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, Jimmy’s

• Maysa Friday, Feb. 23, 2023, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s

• Cathedral: The Tribute to Van Halen Friday, March 3, 2023, 7 p.m., Rochester Opera House

Joel Ross. Courtesy photo.

Beach BUM fUn HOROSCOPES

All quotes are from Roscoe Riley Rules #1: Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs , by Katherine Applegate, born Oct. 9, 1956.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) Mom smiled her I’m-getting-tired-of-this smile. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘We’re fresh out of gigantic chocolate cupcakes.’ I sighed. ‘It was worth a try.’ It was.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) Hazel’s favorite games are Princess Dress-Up, Mud Pie Picnic, and Let’s Dress Up Roscoe Like a Princess and Make Him Eat Mud Pies. You may discover a new favorite game.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) After all, when you call something don’tyou-dare glue, there’s probably a good reason. Avoid sticky situations.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) Since Ms. Diz is new, she gets mixed up some times. I try to help her out whenever I can. After all, I was a kindergartner last year. So I already know everything there is to know about school. There might be a little more to learn.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) Ham sters like to look perky for the holidays. Be like a hamster.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20) We use

the sticks for Music Time. They are our instruments. Only really I would rather have a drum set. Or a tuba. You gotta work with what you have.

Aries (March 21 – April 19) I think when I grow up I may be a famous inventor. Or else an ice cream truck driver. Why not both?

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) Then I thought about my kindergarten teach er from last year. The one who changed jobs after I painted the hamsters. She works at an office now. With no kids in it. How boring is that? Depends on your point of view.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Then I grabbed my Hero Guy backpack. Hero Guy doesn’t have his own TV show or anything. Mom got him on sale at the mall. Hero Guy doesn’t need a TV show.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) I jumped up on my chair. So did Gus. You can’t sword-fight sitting down. We sort of for got about the no-sword-fighting rule. Before thinking about how, think about whether.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) After we put away the bobbles and sticks, we sat at tables for reading groups. Reading is fun. But it can be very hard work. You

teachers can be confusing. Not as con fusing as parents. But still. Sometimes teachers have trouble

them selves.

Bright ideas

• Can’t sleep? Pack your bags and head for Sussex, England, where you can spend a night next summer in a “luxurious” double bed at the Shleep Sanctuary, according to the Daily Star. As you drift away, numbered actu al sheep will mill around the grassy hillside outside the glass dome enclosing your bed. Emma Sleep, a tech company, is offering the one-night stay, which includes dinner, morn ing yoga and breakfast. “Counting sheep is more than an old wives’ tale,” said Dr. Den nis Schmoltzi, CEO. “It’s a tried-and-true visualization technique that Brits are relying on to send them to sleep.” Zzzzzzz. — Dai ly Star, Sept. 22

• From the “make your resume stand out” files: Karly Pavlinac Blackburn, 27, of Wilm ington, North Carolina, was recently laid off from her job, the New York Post report ed. Hoping to land a position with Nike in Beaverton, Oregon, and knowing they’d be celebrating Just Do It Day on Sept. 8, Blackburn cooked up a plan: Working with Albertson’s Grocery Store, she ordered a sheet cake with an edible resume printed on top. Next, she talked with Instacart driv er Denise Baldwin, who promised her she would “do whatever it takes to get this cake to where it needs to be.” Sure enough, Baldwin delivered the sweet treat into the appropri ate hands, and Blackburn has meetings on the calendar with the sportswear brand —

and more. “There are a bunch of companies that are kind of involved in the process,” she revealed. — New York Post, Sept. 8

Unclear on the concept

A second grader in Jacksonville, Flori da, has been expelled from Victory Christian Academy after their parents objected to a homework assignment suggesting stu dents “send a picture of you doing reading homework in the bathtub,” Action News Jax reported on Sept. 22. Misty Dunham emailed the teacher: “Hey, you might want to explain that. Send something out to the parents. Let them know what the intentions are.” Dunham also reached out to school administrators and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. School officials responded by suggesting that the Dunhams “should do a parental withdraw al for the child.” When Dunham refused, the school expelled the 8-year-old. Pastor Jesse Latta issued a statement about the assignment but did not address the child’s removal from the school. — Action News Jax, Sept. 22

It’s a mystery

American Airlines appears to have an unexplained noise issue on its planes, The Washington Post reported. On a Sept. 6 flight from Los Angeles to Dallas, passengers were subjected to groans and moaning that sound ed human and vaguely sexual. Passenger and film producer Emerson Collins recorded the

BUM fUn JONESIN’ CROSSWORDS BY MATT JONES

noises and posted them to TikTok; his guess was that someone was pranking the public address system on the plane. Collins walked up and down the aisle looking for a possible culprit, but “I didn’t see anything,” he said. Passengers on different American flights have reported hearing a hearty “oh yeah” when the plane landed and the “moans and groans of someone in extreme pain,” but spokesperson Sarah Jantz said the noises are “caused by a mechanical issue with the PA amplifier.” May be. Or maybe the ghosts of passengers past?

— The Washington Post, Sept. 6

Wait, what?

In January, Reebok introduced a new sneaker in collaboration with the French luxury brand Maison Margiela. The Classic Leather Decortique Tabi Low is distinctive for its “toe cleavage” design and now, Indy100 reported, for being identified as a sign of the devil. A Facebook page called Prophecy News warned followers on Sept. 19 that the shoes resemble the feet of Baphom et, a goat deity associated with the occult. Reebok’s Instagram account has drawn simi lar reactions: “This is so satanic!! My family will never buy another shoe from you,” one follower wrote. Another said, “Satanic, no way will I ever wear those.” Reebok coun ters that the shoes are based on a traditional Japanese shoe design called tabi. — Prophe cy News, Sept. 19

and the rest will follow

of

people

it easy

to

film maker?

Three Stooges’

Lynch’s lifestyle brand)

“A few days ___ ...”

stop-motion animated

the source of

I am not doing it”

sequel set at

... person

holding a grudge

A family is seeking to press charges against an unnamed man who was brief ly married to their mom in the 1970s, the New York Post reported. Their beef? Allegedly, the New Jersey man arrives at Linda Torello’s tombstone in Orangetown, New York, early almost every morning with his current wife in tow, where he uri nates on her grave and sometimes leaves a bag of excrement. Torello died in 2017, according to her son, Michael Andrew Murphy, 43. In April of this year, he and his sister discovered a bag of poop and supposed a dog walker had dropped it. When the second bag showed up, they called police. Then they went to work, set ting up a trail camera that recorded the man’s visits, and on Sept. 18, taking vid eo with a cellphone that identified him as Torello’s onetime husband. “My sister was crying ... I was sick I was so angry,” Mur phy said. “No one in my family has had contact with him since 1976 or so.” Police have been unhelpful; Murphy said he’s called them three times and they won’t put him in touch with a detective. — New York Post, Sept. 18

Sources according to uexpress.com. From the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication. See uexpress.com/contact

McShane or

director

family name

clarifier

food container

___ mi (sandwich on French bread)

schmaltziest pop

music you’ll ever

identity

of some IKEA

that can precede

Kona instrument

Mic check word

player, like, ever

Garfield’s sidekick

Auction conclusion

Show getting its first non

cast member in season

It’s used to keep

of spam-infested

point

and high-energy

movers

Hampton Beach