How sweet it is: NH Maple Sunday 2024
read more…: How sweet it is: NH Maple Sunday 2024New Hampshire’s Maple Weekend has sugar shacks open all over the state.
Community Bulletin Board
Weddings, anniversaries, engagements, Valentine’s Day love notes, military promotions or accolades, graduation shout-outs, obituaries or tributes to a loved one, pet obituaries/tributes, and other personal news and milestones shared by you, the community.
Also a place where conversation happens – from Letters to the Editor and Op/Eds to The Soapbox, you’re welcome to tell us how you really feel.
The Irish dance of the American mutt
read more…: The Irish dance of the American muttWhile I am far past the age where I’ll be zooming downtown at 6 a.m. to open the bars with the hosts of a radio morning show— “That is no country for old men”— I still like to celebrate the day with a few beers, a boiled dinner and a Pogues playlist.
My life in a Photo Automat: 4 different poses for 25¢
read more…: My life in a Photo Automat: 4 different poses for 25¢Do you remember dropping a quarter into the machine and you and your friends cramming into one of these photobooths? Do you still have those photo strips hanging around in a box in the basement? Or perhaps you were at a holiday party recently where they had a “photo booth” where you donned props, and the results were sent right to your Facebook or email?
Women’s History Month: A call to intersectional action
read more…: Women’s History Month: A call to intersectional actionAs I sit writing this, I’m warring with myself over if I should write the words that are bubbling to the surface. I like to use this platform to shed light on the issues and realities of Black folk, and Black folk in NH, more specifically. The beginning of this Women’s History Month however, has me reflecting on the sisterhood, how we act out solidarity with each other, and ways that we can continue to be better at building one another up in love and community.
March 9: Opening reception for ‘The Look of Life’ exhibit at See Saw Gallery
read more…: March 9: Opening reception for ‘The Look of Life’ exhibit at See Saw GalleryLOOK of LIFE, an exhibit of artwork by Jen Drociak, engages us to step out of pre-defined roles and look at the world around us from a different point of view. Artist’s reception is March 9 at 4 p.m.
You’re the art critic at the Currier’s ‘Looking Together’ program
read more…: You’re the art critic at the Currier’s ‘Looking Together’ program“Looking Together is not so much about getting a rundown of the artistic history of a piece,” Sanchez said. “Looking Together is really what the name says. It’s very much related to inviting guests to take time to spend 15 minutes with one work of art.”
Owning my ‘SVU’ obsession
read more…: Owning my ‘SVU’ obsessionDuring the last week of February, I had a weeklong winter break from my job teaching at a public high school. Many of my friends and colleagues in education use the break as an opportunity to vacation with their families—whether it’s a day trip skiing in the White Mountains, or hopping a last-minute flight to Hawaii.[1]
‘Our system of justice failed Vernon Hayford – and so many others in the Granite State’
read more…: ‘Our system of justice failed Vernon Hayford – and so many others in the Granite State’Our systems of justice failed Vernon Hayford—and so many others in the Granite State. Tragically, this is just the most recent in a string of cases where we see a decades-long history of escalating violence but no true accountability or adequate interventions. The result was fatal.
Banning books to ‘protect children’
read more…: Banning books to ‘protect children’I recently read an article about a bill that was introduced, (and postponed – for this session anyway), to ban certain books in New Hampshire schools. Before I begin, I want to stress without a doubt that I am for protecting children. I believe that as a society we should be protecting the vulnerable and those who cannot speak for themselves. However, I do not believe that banning books is the way to do it.
Penelope is not Homer’s Odyssey say Selma Naccach & Carol Robidoux
read more…: Penelope is not Homer’s Odyssey say Selma Naccach & Carol Robidouxthe opportunity to take the time for yourself. Let the music guide you. Unplug your phone and your screens and think about the issues in the Odyssey says Carol Robidoux and Selma Naccach.
Black in NH: The Trope of Black Excellence
read more…: Black in NH: The Trope of Black ExcellenceBlack History Month offers many ways to engage with and understand the history, contributions, and excellence of the Black community and African diaspora. The month often serves as the only time in which people actively acknowledge all that Black people have endured and persevered through, most likely highlighting the extraordinary.
Chews Life Now: Live Free and Dine – healthy in all flavors
read more…: Chews Life Now: Live Free and Dine – healthy in all flavorsOkay, so it hasn’t been the snowiest winter in memory. Still, cabin fever is a legit disease of the mind. Without summer gardens to tend, balmy front porches for spontaneous neighbor gab fests, or July kayak paddles in the Nashua River, it forced this vegan to look for reinforcements. Like-minded devotees in a secular world. Enter Vegan New Hampshire on Facebook, the social media group started in 2014 with close to 5K members – including moi as of January 19.
Some thoughts on the push to crush public education
read more…: Some thoughts on the push to crush public educationI teach in a public school so I can’t possibly write a column about school vouchers with a modicum of diplomacy. This screed will invariably devolve into another hot-shot of liberal vitriol, right? Wrong.
Lost phone: Incommunicado for 2 days
read more…: Lost phone: Incommunicado for 2 daysI am known for leaving devices and pocketbooks all over the place, especially at home, but also in restaurants and other venues. Fortunately, they had all been recovered without anyone stealing my identity or the few dollar bills in my handbag that are stuffed in there.
Music is Life
read more…: Music is LifeThe benefits of music are vast and varied, touching every aspect of human life. From enhancing cognitive abilities and emotional well-being to fostering social connections and improving physical health, music offers a universal language that speaks to the heart and mind in equal measure.
No love for the Red Sox this season
read more…: No love for the Red Sox this seasonMy allegiance to the Red Sox vastly contributed to my developing a Chicken Little Syndrome—“The sky is falling”—while creating a seemingly endless well of negativity.
Letters: It’s hard to understand why some people hate coyotes with so much passion
read more…: Letters: It’s hard to understand why some people hate coyotes with so much passionRecently, our senators had an opportunity to end one of the vilest ways coyotes are killed. SB346 would have ended the barbaric practice of coyote hounding. We lobbied the senators at the statehouse in Concord on the day of the vote, giving them a postcard with a recent photo of a beautiful NH reddish coyote. One of the senators asked why we don’t use a photo of a coyote ravaging a cow. What does he think happens to the cow when she goes to the slaughterhouse? The coyote kills to survive. Another senator said coyotes are cruel. Coyotes kill to survive. The coyote hound hunter does it for fun. It’s easy to figure out who the cruel one is. The bill did not pass.
The Art of Dance, Part 3: Sallie Werst loves to make dance accessible
read more…: The Art of Dance, Part 3: Sallie Werst loves to make dance accessibleSallie Werst has made it part of her mission to help artists understand the personal branding and all important community connections that they need to thrive anywhere.
What is Black History to the Black Granite Stater?
read more…: What is Black History to the Black Granite Stater?Often, there is an unspoken understanding that the month of February should invoke strong feelings of pride, determination, and motivation for everyone, but most notably those who identify as Black or African American. And while that is certainly true for a lot of people, there is a more complex understanding of how the celebration of Black History Month can feel, when Black folk are a small minority population of an area. Those complexities can usher in mixed feelings about Black identity and its perception of the diaspora at large.