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Food: Chilled Out Cookout
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Chilled Out Cookout
Polar Grill Fest Defies NH weather
Written By Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
Snow on the ground and temperatures below freezing won’t stop Redhook Brewery in Portsmouth from bringing the summertime vibes at its sixth annual Polar Grill Fest.
“We wanted to put on an event that says, ‘We’re from New England. We can brave the weather and do what we want, even in the snow,’” Redhook Brewery Banquet and Events Manager Ryan Fleming said. “So we decided to do a grilling event modeled after our summer events, except this one is outside in January and in the snow.”
The outdoor cookout takes place Saturday, Jan. 21, from noon to 5 p.m., around the brewery’s parking lot and field area and will feature local food vendors, beer, games and entertainment.
There will be five or six vendors at the event serving food fresh off the grill, including Flatbread Co. of Portsmouth with grilled flatbread pizzas, Portsmouth Gas Light Co. with chipotle barbecue pulled pork sliders, coleslaw and pickled vegetables, and other vendors offering hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, fried dough and more.
“We’ll be showcasing our new … applewood smoked chicken wings with quince barbecue sauce,” Fleming said. “We’re switching over to a new menu at the pub soon, so this will be like the kickoff for those chicken wings.”
Redhook Brewery will serve four beers on draft, including its flagship Extra Special Bitter, current seasonal Blackhook Porter, and Kona Brewing Company’s Big Wave Golden Ale and Longboard Island Lager from Hawaii. Sixteen-ounce tallboy cans of Redhook’s year-round Long Hammer IPA will be available as well.
A heating tent and several fire pits will be placed throughout the event so attendees can escape from the cold. There will be live entertainment provided by DJ Evaredy and local rock band Amulus, and games including Kan Jam, ladderball, cornhole and a ring toss using hula hoops and beer kegs.
“I think it’s crazy and a unique thing that during the winter you can sit outside, drink some beer, play some games and pretend like it’s summer,” Fleming said.
The Polar Grill Fest is a family-friendly event open to all, including leashed dogs. There is a $5 admission fee, and all beers and food plates cost $5 each, with $1 from each plate benefiting the Seacoast Family Food Pantry.
Lastly, Fleming said, people can rest assured that the brewery will not cancel the festival, no matter what the weather is like that day.
“One year, [the temperature] was in the mid 60s. We’ve had as many as 3,000 people come. But two years ago there was a blizzard and 10 inches of snow, and we still had 600 people come,” he said. “So, no matter how cold it is, if it’s raining or if it’s snowing, the event will go on.”
Polar Grill Fest
When: Saturday, Jan. 21, from noon to 5 p.m.
Where: Redhook Brewery and Pub, 1 Redhook Way, Pease Tradeport, Portsmouth
Cost: $5 for admission; pay at the door or purchase tickets in advance at pgf2017.eventbrite.com. All food plates and beers inside the festival cost $5 each.
Contact: 430-8600, facebook.com/RedhookPortsmouth, redhook.com
News: Funding The Granite Hammer
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Funding The Granite Hammer
As Cops Get a Boost From State Grants, Strategies Vary
Written By Ryan Lessard (news@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
Last fall the state handed out a total of about $1.2 million to more than a dozen law enforcement departments through the new Granite Hammer program passed by lawmakers last year. The program is meant to help police crack down on drug dealers, and the state’s three biggest cities are each working on strategies to make that happen.
Queen City
Manchester received the largest chunk of money, nearly $400,000. According to the grant application documents provided to the Hippo by the Department of Safety in response to a Right to Know request, the Manchester Police Department plans to use the money for three different things.
One would be to continue its so-called Operation Granite Hammer sweeps of low-level drug dealers, which are done in a partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Hampshire State Police.
“We’ll go out 26 to 30 strong on a given night and we will attack the places that we know are known drug houses and we do everything we can to shut them down and arrest the dealers in real time,” said Manchester Police Chief Nick Willard during an interview in October.
Another would be Operation Cyan, a partnership with state police to beef up patrols and general police presence at crime hot spots determined by predictive analytics. The partnership adds about eight to 10 more officers in four or five cars, according to Willard.
Those are both existing programs. The eight Granite Hammer sweeps the MPD initially conducted cost $47,000 and were paid for from the department’s own budget, according to the documents.
A third initiative would be the creation of an overdose detective, someone who would respond to every fatal overdose case and try to track down the dealer who supplied the drugs involved, according to Willard.
Overall, the money is going to be used to bolster manpower and ease funding concerns. The documents say “manpower and funding shortfalls have made it impossible for detectives to properly and thoroughly investigate overdose deaths. Our agency’s detectives generally carry a caseload of 20 to 25 felony cases at any given time in addition to investigating any major crime … that may happen during the course of their shift.”
The documents are redacted in some sections that outline specific strategies and how money would be spent, but they do break down the three main initiatives into projected costs. The overdose detective would cost about $110,000, the Granite Hammer operations would cost about $120,000 and Operation Cyan would cost about $130,000. That’s out of about $361,000 the department requested. It ended up getting more than $395,000.
The document said the money would at least be used to cover overtime pay, but whether it’s used to hire new officers is unclear. However, the application does point out manpower shortages that affect the patrol division, which has been unable to fill the department’s mandatory cruiser routes. And Willard does want to hire more officers.
“When it’s about arresting drug dealers, the more people you have doing the cases, the more law enforcement officers you have in your city at one time working to lock up drug dealers, the better,” Willard said.
Criminal law professor Buzz Scherr at the University of New Hampshire School of Law is skeptical that the Granite Hammer grant program will be used purely for drug trafficking interference, as intended.
“Is this money for hole-plugging or is this money an increase?” Scherr said. “Because there is the hole-plugging problem. … That’s always a concern.”
Scherr says it’s been his experience that grants like these can be used for a variety of things when the underpinning legislation is written vaguely enough. That’s especially probable where municipalities have underfunded their law enforcement. Willard said Manchester’s police department is staring down a roughly $800,000 deficit after city aldermen signed a number of union contracts they didn’t budget for.
“Our budget is challenging,” Willard said. “We’ve been essentially flat funded since 2015. Our costs have gone up but our budget has stayed stagnant. So we know going into [2017] that we were going to be in a deficit.”
While language in the law implementing the grant program makes clear the purpose, it does not prevent the money from being used for other things like filling budget holes.
Scherr says it’s unclear whether Manchester police are conducting Granite Hammer operations they wouldn’t otherwise be conducting with this new money. And their first sweep since receiving the funds had mixed results.
According to MPD, they arrested nine people during the sweep in October but the charges were for drug possession, theft and resisting arrest, not drug dealing.
Department spokesperson Brian O’Keefe said the Granite Hammer funds are meant to generally disrupt drug trafficking, which means going after buyers as well as sellers.
“Granite Hammer is an all-encompassing enforcement effort to curb the buying and selling of illicit drugs within the city. Granite Hammer focuses on both the dealers and users in an attempt to rid the city of illegal drugs” O’Keefe said in an email.
Gate City
Meanwhile, the grant application submitted by the Nashua Police Department revealed it plans to use the roughly $249,000 it received from the state to pay for unbudgeted overtime needed to continue and strengthen two initiatives.
Its two programs are called Street Sweeper and the Combined Drug Impact Initiative. Details of how the initiatives are carried out were redacted from the documents and calls to the Nashua police department were not returned by press time.
Nashua police conducted a CDII sweep in May that netted 13 arrests for various drug crimes. Since the department was awarded the grant, it conducted six sweeps, two in November, three in December and one in January, that it called Operation Granite Hammer. The sweeps totaled 57 arrests, and at least two of those arrests were for the same person weeks apart.
The second sweep that occurred between Nov. 17 and Nov. 22 was reportedly conducted in conjunction with the FBI.
Before getting state funding, documents supplied by the state say Nashua was paying for its unbudgeted overtime partly through forfeiture funds but that it couldn’t continue to do so for long. The department was awarded slightly less than the $270,039 it requested.
Capital City
Concord police received $74,686.30 in Granite Hammer funds, the exact amount they requested. Since then, they participated in a joint roundup that began in Laconia and later involved Gilford and Concord police and the New Hampshire Drug Task Force.
About a dozen people were arrested; they were mostly Lakes Region residents and a few State Prison inmates. The arrested individuals were allegedly selling heroin and fentanyl.
The grant application submitted by the Concord Police Department says it plans to use the money to “conduct enhanced investigations” into opioid-related drug cases with the goal of reducing the number of overdoses in the city. Further details about its operations were redacted by the Department of Safety.
Chief Bradley Osgood said in a phone interview that all the money will be used for overtime funds and their regular tactics are not likely to change.
“We sought additional funding really to enhance our ongoing efforts. I think when we work 40-hour weeks, we can only get so much accomplished,” Osgood said.
Arts: Mozart 101
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Mozart 101
Get to Know the Composer with Amadeus, Concert
Written By Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)
Images: Courtesy Photo
This month presents an opportunity to delve into the music and history of one of the world’s most famous composers — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Concord’s Mostly Mozart Festival is Jan. 27 through Jan. 29 and comprises two showings of the New Hampshire Theatre Factory’s Amadeus and one concert courtesy of Elliott Markow and the Symphony New Hampshire Chamber Players.
NHTF Artistic Director Joel Mercier said via phone he’s happy to participate in this collaborative effort. It’s like Mozart 101, making the composer more accessible for people without music backgrounds. The concert allows you to compare his music to the other composers’ of his time, while Amadeus lets you hear Mozart’s story.
“Obviously Amadeus is somewhat fictionalized, but there’s also a lot of truth in it as well,” Mercier said. “Mozart died very young and unexpectedly from sickness. He was thrown into a pauper’s grave because he had no money. Historically, he is one of the most famous composers in history. … Knowing those elements absolutely makes a difference when you’re listening.”
Amadeus, written by Peter Shaffer in 1979, gives a highly fictionalized account of the lives of the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. It was on London’s West End and Broadway and also famous for its 1984 Hollywood adaptation, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
NHTF produced Amadeus first last spring, but the company’s bringing the play back to coincide with the festival (which is happening in part to celebrate Mozart’s 251st birthday on Jan. 27), with showtimes Friday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m., in the Concord City Auditorium. Mercier traditionally chooses musical theater projects based on his theater background, but he felt he could make an exception for Amadeus.
“This show is about a musician and a composer, and I am a musician and a composer. I felt I could relate to this and wanted to direct it,” Mercier said.
After the play, Markow and the Symphony New Hampshire Chamber Players present a concert, a “Mostly Mozart Matinee,” Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m., at the Audi on the Amadeus set in full Amadeus costume.
It features Markow on first violin; Rose Drucker on second violin; Joy Grimes on viola; and Harel Gietheim on the cello. On the menu is music by Mozart and composers from his era, including Salieri, Franz Anton Hoffmeister and Joseph Haydn.
Mozart’s music will be presented in the middle of the 80-minute concert for easy comparison.
“[Salieri] was one of the most respected composers and teachers of his time. Two of his most famous students were Beethoven and Schubert,” Markow said. “I chose the repertoire specifically to exemplify the greatness of Mozart relative to his contemporaries. There were many, many really good composers around Mozart’s time, but very few of them were great composers. … It’s like a great book or movie. Every time you go back to it, there’s more to realize, more to uncover, more to appreciate and enjoy.”
Symphony NH concert
Before the Mostly Mozart Festival, you can catch a bit from the famous composer at the Symphony NH orchestra concert in Nashua.
• Words on Music: Symphony NH Concert Talk Thursday, Jan. 19, at 5:30 p.m., presented by one of the orchestra’s bassists, Robert Hoffman, at the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St., Nashua, free
• Symphony NH’s “Mozart and Beethoven” concert Saturday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m., at the Keefe Center for the Arts, 117 Elm St., Nashua, featuring conductor Jonathan McPhee and pianist Max Levinson and the New World Chorale; includes music by Mozart, Schoenberg, Vaughan Williams and Beethoven, tickets $18-$49, 595-9156, symphonynh.org
Mostly Mozart Festival
• Amadeus New Hampshire Theatre Factory production Friday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m., at the Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St., Concord, tickets $20
• Symphony NH Chamber Players concert Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m., at the Concord City Auditorium, tickets $20
Music: Nashville Taught
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Nashville Taught
Andrew Merzi Showcases At Flying Goose
Written By Michael Witthaus (music@hippopress.com)
Images: Courtesy Photo
Nashville, packed with clubs, record labels and publishing houses, is a beacon of hope for singer-songwriters like Andrew Merzi. The New Hampshire native lived almost four years in Music City and spent many nights performing so-called “in the round” shows.
Trading selections with other folksingers honed his craft.
“I totally learned a lot of things being around that caliber of artists all the time,” he said in a recent interview. “You had to be ready to step on stage and go … pull the best that you had out right away; didn’t have that warm-up time.”
At the same time, quick burst song pulls whittled away at one of Merzi’s key instincts.
“I enjoyed playing there and met a lot of cool people, but I was losing my chops a little bit for doing longer gigs,” he said. “It was largely get on stage and do three or four songs with other people; then you’re off.”
Merzi headed back home to New Hampshire in late 2015. He’d departed his home state with a growing resume that included a sponsorship with Timberland and a pair of albums; he returned a young father. While Nashville was a great place to grow as a performer, it wasn’t home.
“Our daughter came along, and we wanted to be around family here,” he said. “That was the main motivator, and [my wife and I] were both a little homesick.”
The presence of family and friends will help Merzi at his first showcase gig since returning. He’ll play Thursday, Jan. 19, at Flying Goose Pub in New London. The brewpub-restaurant’s Thursday night folk-singer series is a storied affair that’s welcomed greats like Ellis Paul, Patty Larkin, John Gorka and David Wilcox over nearly three decades.
“Brooks Williams plays the weekend before me; Ari Hest has played there,” Merzi said. “That’s some pretty heavy hitters to be among, playing on the same stage.”
Over the years, he’d talked with Flying Goose owner Tom Mills about performing there; his new booker helped make it happen.
“I’m a little nervous because I wasn’t sure if I could fill the place, but it’s looking good, like a decent crowd,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt that I have a good-sized family here — they’ll come and bring friends. It’s gonna be kind of a family affair, friends and relatives.”
The long-format solo show provides Merzi with a chance to unveil a few new songs and dig into a catalog that began with his 2009 debut, Country Sun.
“It will be fun digging back into my older songs that went by the wayside, because I feel there’s some good material I’ve neglected,” he said. “I’m always about the new thing, but people have been requesting them. I’m spending a lot of time rehearsing; it’s been so long.”
Merzi will perform a more recent song about a beloved relative.
“I have a great uncle who served in Vietnam and he’s always telling stories; he actually died this year for nine minutes, but they were able to resuscitate him and now he’s doing well,” he said. “I have a song about flying called ‘Wheels Up, Rings Off’ — you couldn’t fly with a ring on because it might get hooked on something.”
Several of Merzi’s newer songs explore his experience as a new father.
“Family life, the challenges day to day of raising a daughter and keeping your marriage growing, that’s what’s been inspiring me,” he said.
Club gigs will continue apace, with Merzi playing a mix of covers and originals. He also has plans to record.
“I have a lot of ideas,” Merzi said. “A good friend, Mike Moran, is a really talented producer and drummer, so I think I’m going to start tracking at my home studio, and have him master. I may also go into his studio. I’ll put songs out one at a time as singles, then eventually [compile] them into an album. That’s the plan; I’m thinking about that all the time.”
An Evening With Andrew Merzi
When: Thursday, Jan. 19, 8 p.m. (dinner seating at 6 p.m.)
Where: Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille, 40 Andover Road, New London
Reservations: Required – call 526-6899
More: andrewmerzi.com
Merzi is also performing Feb. 24 at British Beer Co. in Manchester.
Film: Live By Night
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Film Review
Live By Night (R)
Written By Amy Diaz (adiaz@hippopress.com)
Images: Screenshot of Live By Night
The son of a police officer gets tangled up in mob warfare in Live By Night, a pile of historic costumes and period-appropriate guns held together by the baling wire of Ben Affleck’s narration.
Joe Coughlin (Affleck) returned from World War I full of bitterness. Though he’s the son of a respected police higher-up, Thomas Coughlin (Brendan Gleeson), Joe is a stick-up artist, robbing banks, other criminals’ poker games and the like. He is also tempting fate by dating Emma Gould (Sienna Miller), the girlfriend of Albert White (Robert Glenister), head of the Irish mob in Boston. Albert is in a perpetual turf war with Maso Pescatore (Remo Girone), head of the Italian mob. Despite his desire to remain unaffiliated, Joe finds himself dragged into their fight.
Eventually, Joe lands in Florida working for Maso. He ships bootleg rum north with the help of Esteban Suarez (Miguel) and his sister Graciela (Zoe Saldana). The local law enforcement gives Joe a pass to operate, within some limits, in Florida and he sees the possibility for a peaceful life. But, as his father once told him, what you put out in the world comes back to you, and thus does Joe’s violent profession constantly put his safety and that of the people he loves at risk.
Live By Night feels like so much fancy nonsense. Its setting and the sleep-inducing way it approaches this slice of history remind me why, even though the subject sounded interesting, I gave up on Boardwalk Empire after about an episode and a half. The gangs of Prohibition-era Boston? Interesting. The disillusionment of soldiers returning from World War I? Interesting. The mix of ethnicities and their relationships to each other in Florida? The place of the KKK and of traveling preachers in American culture in the 1920s? Criminality and the role of law enforcement during Prohibition? All interesting. And yet Live By Night? Pretty but boring.
Things I thought while watching this movie: “Wait, when are we?” “If we’re in Florida now, what was the point of all that Boston stuff?” “If that character has come and gone, what was the point of ever spending time with them?” “Oh, wait, that wasn’t the movie’s end?” These are not the kinds of questions you ask when you’re being electrified by a movie.
These are the questions you ask when you’re waiting for a movie to run out the clock. At least the performances are good, I thought. But then, the more I considered it (and this movie leaves lots of room for you to consider things, from plot silliness to whether you left the oven on), “ponderous” and “good” aren’t the same thing, and “ponderous” is what most of the actors are doing here.
Grade: C
Pop: Stay Active Outdoors *
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Stay Active Outdoors
Four Easy Ways To Adapt To Winter Exercise
Written By Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
It’s tempting to let your active outdoor life go to the wayside once it becomes cold and snowy, but there are ways to make exercising outside more enjoyable.
“I think what happens is people kind of feel trapped inside all winter. They get into the habit of getting on the treadmill, or the dreadmill as I call it, but it’s a lot of fun getting fresh air outside,” said Amber Cullen Ferreira, a New Hampshire professional triathlete, physical therapist and coach.
She and Runner’s Alley’s Jeremiah Gould offered some tips on how to brave the winter and go on with your outdoor life.
Be Adaptable
Even Ferreira, who’s training for an Ironman race in Texas this April, has to give in to the cold and snow — sort of. She makes small changes to her intensive workouts, like biking with fat tires in the snow instead of road bikes and running in the woods with microspikes or snowshoes specifically for runners.
It’s important to note that these activities are very different from their summer counterparts; they’ll require more energy, and thus it might be wiser to go for time, not distance.
“Running a 5K in a pair of snowshoes is much harder than running a 5K on the road because of the extra weight and lift you need in a knee,” Gould said.
Be Warm
If you’re going to be doing something active outside, start with base layers that wick away moisture — i.e., synthetic clothes.
After that, it’s about preference. Everybody has different points of cold tolerance. Ferreira said she typically adds a lightweight face mask (which she can pull down and transform into a neck warmer if it becomes too warm), hat and light jacket, ideally one with a hood for cooler days. If you’re particularly susceptible to the cold, you may want to add a layer in between for insulation.
“If you start and you’re a little bit warm, you’re overdressed,” she said. “You want to start out feeling maybe a little bit chilly — your body will produce a lot of heat.”
Gould advised sporting wool socks and one or two pairs of athletic pants or tights. Many winter runners also like trail gaiters, which cover shoes from your laces to your pant leg, protecting them from incoming snow.
Both Gould and Ferreira said normal running shoes are typically warm enough for winter running, even in the woods, but if you’re prone to cold feet, you could invest in a pair of sneakers with a light gore-tex lining or adhere duct tape to the toes of your shoes.
Be Safe
It’s important to plan ahead with outdoor winter activities, particularly if they’re to occur in the woods.
“You want to take the time to have a good understanding of where you’re running, just because any activity in winter in the woods is inherently more dangerous. So make sure you know the trails very well, or you’re with somebody who’s run those trails a lot so you can have a sense of what you’re getting into when you go out there,” Gould said.
Also important is utilizing gear that reduces the risk of winter wipeouts. Gould recommended adding traction to your shoes. One option is Yaktrax, which are minimally obtrusive and can be worn during activities that transfer from road to snow to ice, helpful for a woods excursion or just a walk battling icy and snowy sidewalks. If you’re hiking mountains, crampons are your friend.
“If you’re looking at really aggressive climbs, microspikes are lighter than crampons but beefier than YakTrax,” Gould said. “One of my favorite things to recommend for outside running in the winter is a trail running shoe.”
The shoe already has a more aggressive tread and the ability to deal with uneven surfaces. Most trail shoes naturally contain more weather-resistant uppers.
Because there’s little daylight in the winter, many activities might occur at night, so reflective vests and headlamps are important safety components as well, he said.
Gould said it’s also important to remember to hydrate, which is easy to forget in the winter. Just as important are warming up, cooling down and stretching inside.
Be Inspired
Even if you do make all these cold-weather alterations, it can still be hard to get outside. Your best bet might be to get out with others during group events or races. Gould recommended the Winter Wild series, uphill races in which you can get up and down the mountain however you choose — sneakers, boots, skis, snowshoes, etc. Runner’s Alley shops in all locations (Portsmouth, Manchester, Concord) also host free weekly group runs.
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NH Drinks?
NH Drinks?
Consumption Rate Data May Not Tell The Whole Story
Written By Ryan Lessard (news@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
Is New Hampshire the Drunkest State?
In December, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that nearly 64 percent of Granite Staters aged 12 and older had a drink in the last month, placing the state among the highest percentages reported.
A 2014 report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism would seem to agree. Looking at alcohol sales and state population, it found New Hampshire topped the chart with 4.65 gallons of alcoholic beverages (a mix of spirits, wine and beer) sold per person per year, double the national average of 2.33 gallons per person per year. The state also came in first for per capita consumption in each of the categories of beverages.
The problem with this study is that 50 percent of our spirits and wine sales are from out-of-state customers, according to New Hampshire Liquor Commission spokesman E.J. Powers.
“Oftentimes the sale of alcohol has been a contributing factor in reported consumption rates, and with half of our sales coming from out-of-state residents, that oftentimes skews the numbers,” Powers said.
Who’s Drinking...
Joseph Harding, the director of the state Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services, said the most reliable data come from a survey conducted by SAMHSA, which places New Hampshire securely in the top spot among states.
The researchers asked survey respondents age 12 and up if they had had an alcoholic beverage in the past month, but that’s a measurement of how many people drink, not how much they drink.
“Thirty-day use just says that generally these folks are engaged in the use of alcohol,” Harding said.
By that metric, 63.6 percent of residents age 12 and up are drinking. Only the District of Columbia was higher at 69 percent, and Vermont, Connecticut and Wisconsin were close behind with about 60 percent each. The national average is 52 percent.
“The one thing that those data points do not elaborate on is what’s the rate beyond the one alcoholic beverage a month,” Powers said. “If 60 percent of the population of folks that are of-age are consuming one alcoholic beverage a month, one alcoholic beverage a month is fairly moderate, I would say.”
… And How Much?
The same SAMHSA report that shows nearly 64 percent of state residents aged 12 and up are regular drinkers also shows that 7.2 percent of them had an alcohol use disorder in the past year. That’s above the U.S. average of 6.14 percent, but not far from it. Four states and the District of Columbia had higher rates and several more weren’t far behind.
Other figures suggest New Hampshire might behave similarly (or even more responsibly) to those in states where consumption is lower overall. The Centers for Disease Control reported the state had a drunk driving rate of 1.4 percent, which was in the middle of the pack compared to other states and below the national average of 1.9 percent.
According to the NIAAA, deaths by alcohol-related cirrhosis in New Hampshire were in line with the national average of 5 per 100,000 population. The state had a rate of 4.9 between 2011 and 2013.
According to SAMHSA, New Hampshire’s overall binge drinking (five or more drinks in a short period of time) rate between 2013 and 2014 was 24 percent, which is slightly above the national average of 23 percent. Still, binge drinking among young adults is above average.
Youth Consumption
According to the most recent SAMHSA survey from 2014 to 2015, the state had among the highest rates of youth alcohol consumption, though numbers dropped by about 5 percent since the last survey conducted between 2008 and 2009.
“There’s no ambiguity surrounding the fact that underage consumption of alcohol is a serious issue and it must be faced on a local, state and national level,” Powers said. “The consumption of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21 is unacceptable in the eyes of the liquor commission.”
In the 12-to-17 age group, 13 percent had a drink in the past month; among 18- to 25-year-olds, 69 percent had. The national averages for those groups were 10 and 59 percent, respectively. Only the District of Columbia beat out New Hampshire in the 18-to-25 age group with 74 percent.
While more research would be needed to be sure, Harding believes bringing down New Hampshire’s youth consumption rates would substantially decrease our overall consumption rates.
“I think it would probably bring us more in line [with other states],” Harding said.
The state is about to solicit contracts to develop prevention education programs using $12 million in federal grant money, in an attempt to drive down undereage drinking. One vendor has already been contracted to come up with an outreach campaign to reduce high-risk drinking among young adults.
Women In Tech
Women In Tech
She Started It Screens at 3S Jan. 24
Written By Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)
Images: Courtesy Photo
How many female tech entrepreneurs do you know? Chances are good the number’s small; according to stats compiled by She Started It filmmakers, women create just 3 percent of tech startups. They receive less than 10 percent of venture capital funding and run only 4 percent of Fortune 500 companies.
“Most women don’t go into technical careers. There just aren’t a lot of women [in the field] and it’s a little intimidating, which is unfortunate,” said Lori Tiernan, who lives in Portsmouth and is the co-founder of Bhive, a service- and goods-trading tech service for small businesses.
Tiernan is one of four female entrepreneurs participating in a discussion after a screening of She Started It, a 2016 documentary focusing on getting more women in the tech industry, at 3S Artspace Tuesday, Jan. 24.
The event is organized by HubSpot, an inbound marketing software company with headquarters in Cambridge and an office in Portsmouth. Company members felt the film presents important messages that need to be spread, said Annie Misarski, office manager at HubSpot Portsmouth.
“Our company has a big focus on diversity and inclusion, especially heading into 2017. We want to see more women in science and technology and more women in executive roles,” Misarski said.
She Started It follows five women under the age of 30 — Thuy Truong, Stacey Ferreira, Sheena Allen, Brienne Ghafourifar and Agathe Moliner — who compete and thrive in the competitive “boys’ club” of high tech startups. The women come from all over, and filming happened on location over the course of two years.
“This movie gets at the fact that we don’t tell enough stories about women who are kicking ass with their own start-ups,” Misarski said via phone. “The movie’s aimed at telling those stories to young girls, giving them role models and saying, ‘These are women just like you, under the age of 30, who are founding million-dollar tech companies!’”
After the screening, Katie Burke, vice president of culture and experiences at HubSpot, moderates a discussion with local female founders, including Kendall Tucker, founder and CEO of Polis; Amy Cueva, founder and chief experience officer at Mad*Pow; Stefany Shaheen, co-founder and president of Good Measures; and Tiernan.
“It’s great for girls,” Tiernan said. “It’s important to have these female trailblazers setting an example for others.”
Tiernan said she’s noticed these kinds of conversations growing in big cities like Boston and New York, so it’s nice to see that it’s moving to New Hampshire.
“Sexism certainly exists in most industries in the United States, and we need to start talking about it,” Tiernan said. “The good thing about tech companies is people are talking about it there, and they’re trying to fix those issues.”
Playing It Safe
Playing It Safe
How To Steer Clear of Winter Hazards
Written By Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
Snow and ice can present some dangers and challenges, but it doesn’t have to take a lot of effort to stay safe. Here are some tips for how to breeze through this winter while staying safe and enjoying your time outdoors.
Safe Walkways
Slipping on icy walkways can result in serious injury, but you can actually prevent patches of ice from forming in the first place. Be consistent in keeping your walkways clear after every snowfall so snow doesn’t have a chance to get packed down into a slippery surface or to melt and refreeze as ice.
Your method for clearing walkways can also play a part.
“As the snow [from the side banks] melts, it holds water on the path, so you always have to give it a place to go,” said David Vermokowitz, owner of Landscape Plus in Goffstown.
“Clear a walkway as wide as you can, then clear a chunk out of one of the banks so the water will flow off the side of the walkway and into that holding area. You’ll usually see plows do this on the side of the highways.”
Be careful of melting snow that can drip down from the roof and refreeze on walkways. You can sprinkle salt or sand onto ice patches, but Vermokowitz recommends salt as it will help to melt the ice whereas sand is a temporary fix that makes the ice less slippery.
Many cities and towns have free sand available for residents. Kevin Sheppard, Manchester Public Works Director, said there’s a sand pile for Manchester residents on Lincoln Street.
“A lot of people don’t know about this,” he said. “Anytime, 24/7, residents are allowed to go and fill a five-gallon bucket of sand so they can keep their sidewalks and driveways safe.”
Rooftop Tips
Snow buildup on your roof can be dangerous in a number of ways. In the most extreme case, Vermokowitz said, weak roofs on older homes can collapse from heavy snow loads. Ice can form along the edge above walkways and driveways and become hazardous.
“In older homes especially, there’s more heat loss in the attic, which melts the snow, then it refreezes on the edge of the roof,” he said. “You have to look at it as a preventative thing and make sure snow never builds up too much.”
If there’s snow or ice buildup along the edge, it can create a dam of water from the melted snow in the middle of the roof, which can eventually seep into the shingles and cause interior damage.
To prevent these problems, Vermokowitz suggests investing in a roof rake and clearing off your roof after every snowfall the best you can. Continue to maintain the edge of the roof and rake off any snow or ice buildup that forms, and don’t forget to knock down icicles, which can be dangerous if they fall.
On The Ice
Heidi Murphy, administrative lieutenant for the New Hampshire Fish & Game Law Enforcement Division, shares some tips about how to stay safe during recreation on frozen lakes and ponds.
• Never assume the ice is safe. “We tell people to always check the ice themselves,” Murphy said. “You can use an auger or ice pick to see how many inches it goes.” (The U.S. Army Cold Regions Research & Engineering Laboratory in Hanover has stated that ice is safe for individual foot travel at a minimum of six inches.)
• Be mindful that temperatures and environmental factors are always changing, which can cause some sections of the ice to be thinner than others.
• If you start to see the ice crack beneath you, carefully step back to where you know it was safe.
• If you fall through, lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard to lift yourself up onto the ice. “Be aware that your body will go through a panic for the first few seconds, but you have to just calm down and get yourself out,” Murphy said.
Lend a Hand
Manchester Public Works Director Kevin Sheppard shared several ways people can assist the city in making sure snow removal and daily operations run smoothly after a snowstorm. Many of these are applicable outside of Manchester, too, but always check with your city or town first.
• While it’s required to park your car off-street when a snow emergency is in effect, you can help snow removal services even more by staying parked off-street throughout the winter months as much as possible, particularly right after the snow emergency is lifted, so they can continue to clean up the roads and prepare for upcoming snowstorms.
• Refrain from throwing or pushing snow into the street or walkways. “It’s actually illegal and against city ordinance to do that,” Sheppard said. “It can cause a lot of problems, for us and for the public as well.”
• Public Works can’t clear off all sidewalks right away, especially in a snow emergency. You can help them and your fellow residents by keeping the sidewalks in your surrounding area open and clear of snow.
• Adopt a fire hydrant in your area and make sure it’s clear of snow if public works hasn’t gotten to it yet so emergency services can access it easily if needed.
• Keep the area around your mailbox clear of snow so that it is accessible for mail delivery.
• Aid in trash removal services by making sure the area around your trash and recycling receptacles is clear and accessible. In the case that a snowstorm delays trash removal, keep your trash inside if possible until the next trash day. “The less trash that’s out on the curb, the easier it is for crews to pick it up, and less potential to block the plows or for plows to hit it,” Sheppard said.
• Keep children away from streets and sidewalks while snow removal operations are in effect, for their own safety and so plows and other equipment can operate unimpeded.
Easy Enough
Easy Enough
A Quick Start Guide For Winter Sports
Written By Matt Ingersol (listings@hippopress.com)
Images: Stock Photo
If you’re looking to try skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing for the first time or would like to get back into winter sports this season, check out these tips on how to get ready before you hit the snow.
Downhill Skiing
Being dressed properly and having the proper equipment are essential to having a good time, says Stefan Hausberger, owner of Zimmermanns Skis, Boards and More in Nashua.
“The No. 1 reason people try skiing and then never want to do it again has to do with the equipment,” Hausberger said. “Having good equipment is key to the experience.”
Hausberger recommends the following before you hit the slopes for a lesson:
1. Wear a warm pair of wool socks as well as long underwear, snow pants and a comfortable jacket
2. Wear a helmet
3. Wear boots that are made out of plastic and have an insulated padded liner
4. Find the right skis; they are often shorter for beginners
Cross-Country Skiing
Peter Goedecke, vice president of the Bedford Cross-Country Ski Club, said cross-country skiing preparation is a little bit different.
1. Wear lighter clothing than you would downhill skiing: “You don’t need to wear much more than a light jacket, because once you’re out there and moving you quickly become plenty warm since you’re creating a lot of heat.”
2. Try skis with fish scales on the bottom: “It’s a waxless design for people who don’t care about going too fast,” he said. “The fish scales hit on the snow and allow you to step on that grip.”
Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing is an easy and affordable way to get on the snow fast. Chris Dunn of the Strafford-based Acidotic Racing event management company shared the basics:
1. Snowshoes are available in all kinds of shapes and sizes; recreational snowshoes are typically longer and wider than racing snowshoes. Check with a local sports shop to find the right fit for you.
2. As with cross-country skiing, dressing in lighter layers is recommended. “The amount of heat generated while running in snowshoes is tremendous,” Dunn said.
3. The same goes for footwear. Avoid heavier boots or hiking shoes because of the added weight.
4. The sport’s easy accessibility means you can jump right into social activities. One upcoming local snowshoe race is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m. at Beaver Brook Maple Hill Farm in Hollis. Snowshoe rentals will be available for $8 per person during registration.
Take a Local Lesson
Perhaps just as important as picking out the gear that’s right for you is taking a lesson if you’ve never skied before. Stefan Hausberger, owner of Zimmermanns Skis, Boards and More in Nashua, said the Gateway Hills Snow Park in Nashua is one of the newest local parks where you can get professional beginner’s skiing lessons.
“[The park] is perfect to gain experience sliding around on the snow before you graduate up to the mountains,” he said.
Here are some other southern New Hampshire ski hills that offer group or private lessons in skiing and snowboarding:
• Crotched Mountain Ski & Ride (615 Francestown Road, Bennington, 588-3668, crotchedmtn.com) offers skiing and snowboarding lessons for participants of all ages and abilities. Group and private lessons are available at varying rates. Private lessons are offered every hour from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., but reservations are recommended.
• McIntyre Ski Area (50 Chalet Way, Manchester, 622-6159, mcintyreskiarea.com) offers a variety of beginner’s skiing and snowboarding programs on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings at 7 p.m. Special lesson programs for kids are available. The registration deadline for the next session of lessons is Jan. 29.
• Pats Peak (686 Flanders Road, Henniker, 428-3245, patspeak.com) offers several lesson packages for skiing and snowboarding lessons, including a “starter special” that enters you into the four-day passport program. On the fourth day of the program, you will receive free daily equipment use and 50 percent off additional group lessons.
Get On Board
Proper clothing, equipment and preparation all apply for snowboarding as well, with a shorter and softer board often working better for novices. But Hausberger said taking lessons is more critical for success when it comes to snowboarding than skiing.
“Just like anything else, there are certain tricks you can learn for everything to feel like it can just fall into place,” he said. “With snowboarding, there are a few tricks you can learn that once you learn them, picking it up becomes much faster.”
Hausberger said one of these tricks involves eliminating the tendency to face your body and feet forward the whole time, since you are facing sideways on a snowboard.
“First-timers often may have a tendency to face forward down the hill, and one thing instructors will tell you is how to focus on different parts of the terrain down there with your eyes to kind of get your brain tricked into staying sideways,” he said. “That kind of thing is so counter-intuitive to what you might think until you actually try it. It’s almost like a behavior that needs to be taught.”
Simple Snowy Fun
Simple Snowy Fun
Embrace The Outdoors With The Whole Family
Written By Ryan Lessard (news@hippopress.com)
Images: Courtesy Photo
Escape the winter doldrums with some snowy, family friendly fun.
Want to Build a Snowman?
Sean Fitzgerald, owner of FitzySnowman.com, is a professional snow and sand sculptor based in the Boston area who’s done work in New Hampshire and across the country.
“The first thing you have to determine is the moisture content of the snow that you’re working with,” Fitzgerald said.
Wet, sticky snow is easier to roll up into a large ball, while dry, powdery snow is better for packing down and adding detail.
For creating shapes and carving, you’ll get the best results by using tools.
“That’s when you start going through the kitchen drawers and you’re looking for abrasive tools, raking tools … even spoons. There’s really no snow-sculpting depots, so you really have to be creative,” Fitzgerald said.
Transporting large snowballs can get tricky, which is why shaping snow with tools can be a better alternative.
“The problem that most people have is they go too big and they try to pick it up and then it breaks in half,” Fitzgerald said.
The best approach for the foundational snowball is to roll it to its final resting place. For the second snowball that makes up the snowman’s midsection, Fitzgerald recommends using a blanket or towel to lift it up with the help of another person so it doesn’t lose any structural integrity during the transportation process.
Small children can get involved in a number of different ways. Once the body is built, they can add a scarf and hat and coal for the face. They can also have fun “coloring” the snowman by putting food-safe coloring in spray bottles.
Concord Recreation Supervisor Laura Bryant suggested having an ad hoc snowman contest with neighbors.
Bombs Away
You can use your snowman as the target in a snowball fight, too, Bryant said. While larger-scale snowball fights are fun, kids can enjoy throwing snowballs with relative safety by making snowmen the target. Each team can have its own snowman and whoever does the most damage to the opposing team’s snowman wins.
Alternatively, Bryant said, teams can have snow-painted snowballs with colors for each team and whoever has the most hits racks up the most points. For this game mode, replace a snowman with a target made of snow.
For a more traditional snowball fight, Bryant recommends creating boundaries with snow walls, to simulate trench warfare, and assigning roles to various players. If you have at least two people on each team, one person can be assigned to make snowballs while the other throws them. She said there are snowball makers you can buy at the store that speed the process along.
But the fewer kids there are throwing snow at each other, the less likely it will end in tears, especially since wet snow can sometimes make for icier artillery.
Snow Structures
One time-honored winter outdoor activity is building a snow fort. The quickest ways to do that, Bryant said, include digging a tunnel and hollowing out a large snow mound or creating snow bricks with plastic brick-makers.
“If you have the right kind of snow, they work awesome,” Bryant said. “It’s like a bucket [that’s] shaped like a brick.”
Once a fort is built, that can also be used as a base from which to launch your snowball fight.
Another thing parents can make for small children is a tiny sledding hill. Bryan recommends piling up snow and packing down a slope on one end that kids can slide down. For older kids, parents can spray down the slope with a hose and make it even slicker.
For sledding, either at the park or at home, Bryant finds that the saucer-shaped sleds work best and wet sticky snow is ideal.
Stay Warm
Serving hot cocoa is a surefire way to help keep the kids warm. For something a little more exciting, consider making a bonfire for roasting s’mores.
While parents are putting together the fire (which requires an appropriate fire pit and a license from the local fire department), they can keep kids busy by tasking them with finding long sticks for roasting marshmallows.
In a pinch, Bryant said, folks can use their gas grills instead.
“The more things you can figure out right in your yard, it’s probably easier for most families,” Bryant said.
On Broadway
On Broadway
Smokey Joe's Cafe Features Broadway Alum
Written By Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)
Images: Courtesy Photo
Angela Birchette’s first stint at the Palace Theatre was in Smokey Joe’s Cafe about 10 years ago.
She was in her late 20s at the time and had only recently moved to New York to pursue her dream. Her first gig was with a touring circus company in which she performed as a singing ladybug. The role as B.J. in the Manchester show was her second.
The singer returns to the Queen City as a seasoned performer for the theater’s reprise of Smokey Joe’s Cafe Jan. 20 through Feb. 11. Her most recent job was on the Broadway show, The Color Purple.
“It’s kind of a milestone for me because it will be a time to reflect over the last 10 years, going from nobody in New York … and literally this past Sunday, I closed my first Broadway show,” said Birchette, who audiences might also know from her Palace performances in Little Shop of Horrors and Divas Through the Decades.
Even with her big bookings, Birchette said she’s been antsy to return to the Palace for another run at Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Every time she touched base with Palace Artistic Director Carl Rajotte, she asked, When are you bringing Smokey Joe’s back?
“It is just an amazing show. This is some of the best music ever written in our time, and to be able to come back and sing some of the songs that are literally staples for me is something I’ve really been looking forward to,” she said.
Smokey Joe’s Cafe is the longest-running Broadway revue in history with more than 2,000 performances from its 1995 opening to its 2000 closing. It’s more like a rock concert than a musical, made up of 39 songs written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller from the ’50s and ’60s, like “Ruby Baby,” “On Broadway,” “Charlie Brown,” “Yakety Yak,” “Stand By Me” and some tunes made famous by Elvis like “Fools Fall in Love,” “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock.” Rajotte said he’s been itching to go back to the show too.
“I just knew I would be able to put this cast together based on our connections and that it was going to be one of the better casts we’ve had. And that has definitely come true,” Rajotte said.
Everything about this show will be different from the one 10 years ago, he said. The cast of 10 will wear bright, colorful clothes with modern designs and references to the ’50s and ’60s, and the choreography will be more “true and authentic” to that period. Sets will be fairly simple — Rajotte didn’t want to upstage the music by adding special effects and video projection. Alongside the actors will be a five-member onstage band.
“I wanted to let [audiences] listen and enjoy these artists, these great singers, and remember their own memories,” Rajotte said. “We’ve interviewed the actors today and they all got to talk about how much this music has inspired them as artists and made them who they are as singers.”
The first two weekends will also feature The Original Coasters, famous for many songs written and produced by Leiber and Stoller. The group now features Joe Lance Williams, Dennis Anderson, Primo Candelaria and Robert Fowler and regularly performs in concerts across the country. It was the first group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 (crediting members in the 1958 configuration).
After this show, Rajotte was looking forward to his annual New York audition to cast upcoming spring shows, Hairspray, Saturday Night Fever and Million Dollar Quartet.
“I’ve been very inspired by the talent, which has grown over the years,” he said.
Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester
When: Jan. 20 through Feb. 11
Admission: $25-$45
Contact: palacetheatre.org, 668-5588
Rum's In The Family
Rum's In The Family
Nashua Couple Sells Rum Cakes Made With Old Family Recipe
Written By Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)
Images: Courtesy Photo
Peter and Paulette Vollheim are confident that once you try their rum cake, you’ll never want to bring a fruitcake to dinner parties or holiday gatherings again.
For 25 years the Nashua couple has been making rum cakes for their family and friends using an old family recipe that dates back to the 1880s in southern Mississippi. Peter Vollheim said the demand for the cakes has been growing ever since.
“People have told us it doesn’t taste like normal rum cake and that it’s better than any other they’ve had,” he said. “The flavor combination is quite unique. It’s buttery and sweet, but not overpowering. I think it’s something about the old southern recipe and the rum that’s used. The rum -— that’s our secret.”
When Vollheim told his former business partner, Peter Stahl, who is now a restaurant owner, about how popular his and Paulette’s rum cakes had become, Stahl proposed that they team up and take the cakes to the next level. A few months ago the three of them officially launched Black Cat Rum Cake Company, designating the kitchen in Stahl’s Watertown, Mass., restaurant as their baking headquarters. Their motto, Vollheim said, is, “Don’t be a target of fruitcake ridicule. Give a Black Cat Rum Cake.”
“Usually you get a fruitcake for Christmas and you don’t want it, so you stick it in the freezer and give it to someone else, and by the end of the year that thing has 200 miles on it,” he said. “Not our rum cake. Our rum cake gets devoured. When people try it, they don’t just try it; they eat it all.”
Black Cat Rum Cake is available as a standard two-pound loaf, which is delivered in a tin pan with a plastic dome cover; “the heavy weight,” a two-and-a-half-pound gift loaf baked and presented in a wooden tray; and as 5-ounce “single shots,” similar to cupcakes, individually wrapped and sold by the dozen or half-dozen.
There are all kinds of ways you can enjoy rum cake, and you don’t have to wait until the holidays to do it. You can eat it as you would a morning pastry on your way to work or with a cup of coffee. It also pairs well with wine, particularly port wines.
“Some people cut them up into cubes and freeze them and eat them frozen,” Vollheim said. “At my house, I like to freeze whole slices from the loaf and put ice cream on top.”
You can find Black Cat Rum Cake in Nashua at Bonhoeffer’s Cafe & Espresso, sold as loaves, slices and frozen cubes, and at Cava de Vino wine shop, sold as loaves and presented by Vollheim himself at some of the shop’s wine tastings. It’s also available online at blackcatrumcake.com.
Weekly Music Review
Weekly Music Review
Zao & More
Written By Eric Saeger (news@hippopress.com)
Images: Album Artwork
Zao, The Well-Intentioned Virus (Observed/Observer Records)
Time once again to attempt separating one metalcore band from all the others, this time without having unimpeachable intelligence on Zao’s current religious-freak status, being that the entire band — repeat, the entire band — that appeared on the first Zao album (which history says is a Christian-metalcore thing) is long gone. I don’t want to beat that point into the ground, as it’s likely just shtick to begin with, but latest singer Daniel Weydant is supposedly Christian, so let’s leave it at that. Despite having a complete overhaul in personnel, conventional wisdom says that their current sound is basically the same as it was when the band launched in 1993, so, to be safe, I went back to their second LP, The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation, which had lots of nifty elements, including brain-damaged Limp Bizkit stomp, some emo-core and plenty of standard death-metal gruel. To me, this new stuff sounds different, beginning with leadoff track “The Weeping Vessel” and “Broken Pact Rules” — there’s actually mid-tempo doom-metal riffage in there, underneath all the messy black-metal yowling and frenetic fuzz. No, I don’t love these guys the way I love Baroness and Meshuggah, but yeah, they offer a nice, safe goat-demon harbor if you’re on a metal tangent.
Grade: A-
Jantar, Panisperna (MIE Records)
I do like conducting the occasional spot raid on the Brooklyn hipster scene here and there, right into the workaday heart of it, bashing my way into the party like the Kool-Aid guy, with an “OH YEAH” that actually merely signals my stomach’s preparedness to abide whatever off-key trust-fund-weenie worthlessness I’ll encounter, sort of like your dad bouncing into your room after you and your homies had just put down the bong. These guys are a small-potatoes thing that’s played a few shows, according to Brooklyn Vegan, which is all that blog has ever mentioned with regard to Jantar, and after wasting a half-hour of my life trying to dig up more fact-bites, there’s nothing to tell you, really, other than the core is a bass-playing guy and two girls, and the niche is experimental art-pop. Goody freaking gum-drops, I said to myself, but it’s really not bad. After 30 seconds of amniotic quirk-fluff intro, the band tries a low-key Spacemen 3-vs-Iron Butterfly angle (“Humble Moths”) that’s worthwhile, then a slithery Everly Brothers joint that has sitar at a nearly appropriate place (“Saint Margaret of Antioch,” which boasts the longest skronk-ringout you’ve heard in at least a week). I’ve decided I don’t mind it — there’s probably a million bands in the outer boroughs that sound like this, but this one is mine.