New Hampshire
Give Back NH: New England Disabled Sports
Every other week on NHPR, we like to put a spotlight on people and places doing interesting things around the state on Give Back NH.
Learn more about all that New England Disabled Sports has to offer, including volunteer and donation opportunities here.
This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Just up the Kancamagus Highway in Lincoln, nestled on Loon Mountain, is New England Disabled Sports. Since 1987, NEDS, as it’s affectionately referred to by its staff, has been providing adaptive sports instruction to students of varying abilities at both Loon Mountain and Bretton Woods.
Jessica Harney is the board chair at New England Disabled Sports. It was her father who co-founded the organization in 1987. His reason for doing so? To involve her sister in family activities.
Jessica Harney: I have a younger sister who lives with a cognitive disability, and we were here as a family, vacationing. She didn’t have tremendous motor skills at the time, and my dad was trying to teach her how to ski with bungee cords and a walker and two skis.
She says the impact adaptive sports — skiing in particular — had on her family was life changing.
Jessica Harney: It gave us the opportunity to have something to do as a family outside in recreation. And, you know, it quickly became that we could go anywhere in the world and be able to ski together. And skiing became biking and biking became swimming. And I truly believe that because of the motivation and the power of skiing and how it drives the motor skills and social skills, she gained other opportunities in life.
Vance Perry, development director at New England Disabled Sports, says the joy families feel is what keeps him coming in to work every day.
Vance Perry: A family came up with a child that has a disability, and they never thought that they would be a skiing family. I was able to take that kid out on the hill, show them what skiing is all about. And now the family kind of opened up their eyes to say, wow, we actually can be a skiing family.
For Geoff Krill, working at NEDS hits a bit closer to home.
Geoff Krill: So I started as a student actually in 1995, after I had my spinal cord injury accident and I was skiing ten months later and kind of started to build a career around it, you know, made those first few turns and next thing you know, I’m like, I really love this. It was all here for me. And I’m like, this could be a career for me. So it kind of then just evolved from that.
Geoff is the senior sports coordinator at New England Disabled Sports. He says that while teaching people to ski is what they do, it’s more than that.
Geoff Krill: You’re teaching people that they can do something they thought they might not have in their lives anymore. And to just be a part of a community together of people that understand, but also normalizing disability at the same time.
That is what drives Vance as well.
Vance Perry: We’d love to teach ourselves out of a job, right? If a family comes in here with maybe a child that has a disability, our goal is to get them to be able to ski as a family, and they don’t need NEDS anymore. They can go out there and say, hey, I’ve gotten the base skills and now I can take it out with my family and go ski independently, and I don’t have to come in for a lesson anymore.
During my visit, I was able to see all that NEDS has to offer from several pieces of adaptive equipment designed to fit every need, to the slopes in the back where they teach students, and even downstairs into the locker room where I met Tom Walsh, a volunteer with NEDS. He says that volunteering is rewarding to him when he sees the progress the students make.
Tom Walsh: Everybody shows some signs of progress, and that’s very rewarding. And it’s fun for us to get out and ski.
It’s volunteers, like Tom, Jessica says, that make the organization feel like a family.
Jessica Harney: It’s amazing. You know, we have over 200 volunteers here, and it’s like having 200 family members with you every weekend year round. It really is about the family aspect. Everyone is here for the same mission, vision, goals and that is to have fun through sport and recreation, whether that be the winter or the summer.
New Hampshire
Beginner’s Guide To Sushi: Start With California Rolls And Spicy Crab Rolls At These Local Spots
If you’ve ever looked at a sushi menu and thought, “I have absolutely no idea what any of this means…” you are definitely not alone. I was there once. I was thrown into the fire rather quickly.
For a lot of people, sushi can feel intimidating at first. Raw fish? Seaweed? Tiny little sauces? Words you can’t pronounce?
But once you figure out the basics… it becomes one of those foods you suddenly crave all the time.
I’m deep into the Sushi and I would get the giant boat and probably try to eat it all.
And after asking the station App and Facebook listeners where the BEST sushi spots are in New Hampshire… let’s just say New Hampshire has opinions. Favorites, to there is no good place for sushi, lol)
First Things First… What Exactly Is Sushi?
A lot of people think sushi just means raw fish.
Not exactly.
Sushi is actually the seasoned rice. (I didn’t know this) The fish, veggies, crab, shrimp, avocado, cucumber and all the other ingredients are what get paired with it.
Here are the beginner basics:
Sushi Roll
Credit: Getty Images
Rice and ingredients rolled in seaweed and sliced into bite-sized pieces.
Usually the most approachable for beginners.
Nigiri
Credit: Getty Images
Slices of fish served over rice.
Simple. Fresh. More “traditional.”
Sashimi
Credit: Getty Images
Just the fish by itself.
No rice.
This is usually for people who are already deep into their sushi era.
Best Beginner Sushi Rolls to Try
If you’re new to sushi, don’t immediately jump into something super adventurous.
Start here:
- California Roll
- Spicy Crab Roll
- Shrimp Tempura Roll
- Philly Roll
- Sweet Potato Roll
- Crunchy Rolls
A lot of these are cooked, crunchy, creamy, or have familiar flavors that make sushi WAY less intimidating.
And yes… it is completely acceptable to drench it in soy sauce your first few times. You will usually get soy sauce, ginger and wasabi. Be very careful with the wasabi. Too much and your eyes will water and your mouth and nose will feel it.
READ MORE: Experience Breathtaking Ocean Views At Cliff House, Maine
So Where Should You Actually Go in New Hampshire?
After asking you on Facebook at the app, these places came up over and over again.
Orient Pearl
Chris Kozlowski said:
“Orient Pearl in Epping has the biggest rolls for the best prices by far!”
Big portions and beginner-friendly pricing is honestly a great combo if you’re trying sushi for the first time.
Domo Japanese Cuisine (Portsmouth)
Jackie Orosz recommended Domo in Portsmouth and mentioned they’re currently closed for renovations but expected to reopen sometime in August.
If you know Portsmouth food people… Domo gets mentioned A LOT.
Kume Bistro (Newmarket)
This might’ve been the most-mentioned spot overall.
Jenna George simply said:
Kume (Seabrook)
Mike Scott also shouted them out, and Cecile Rhines made it VERY clear:
“Kume in Seabrook. NOT the Epping location. The SEABROOK location.”
When listeners start specifying locations that passionately… you know they mean business.
Sushi Time (Plaistow)
Shelly Dawn called it her favorite, while Billy Bartlett added:
“Sushi Time in Plaistow is pretty freaking amazing.”
Multiple votes usually means it’s worth the drive.
Delaney’s Hole In The Wall (North Conway)
Diane Blake recommended this North Conway favorite.
A lot of people know Delaney’s for comfort food and pub vibes… but apparently the sushi deserves attention too.
Koung Sushi Mart (Laconia)
Michelle Renée Renzi shouted out Koung Sushi Mart in both Meredith and Laconia.
Locals LOVE hidden gems like this.
Kumo Sushi (Windham)
Rachelle Rachelle said:
“Kumo Sushi is delicious. The owners are super kind and the food is oh so fresh.”
Honestly… fresh fish and kind owners is basically the perfect sushi combo.
Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse (Salem)
Kathy Keefe Botterman recommended Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse.
Great option if your group has sushi lovers AND people who just want hibachi.
Lemongrass Restaurant and Sake Bar (Moltenborough)
Another recommendation from Michelle Renée Renzi.
Lemongrass has one of those “date night but also casual enough for a random Tuesday” vibes.
Final Beginner Sushi Advice
If you’re brand new to sushi:
- Start with cooked rolls
- Don’t overthink it
- Try multiple things
- Go with friends who know sushiDon’t be afraid to ask questions
And most importantly…
Ignore Sean Patten, who commented:
“No such thing as a good sushi spot.”
Because based on the WOKQ listeners… New Hampshire might secretly be loaded with them.
37 New Hampshire Restaurants Locals Always Recommend To Friends
Gallery Credit: Sarah Sullivan
Iconic Diners in New Hampshire
There’s just something about a diner… the coffee that never stops coming, the same booth people have probably been sitting in for 30 years, and a breakfast that somehow hits every single time.
As I’ve been getting to know New Hampshire, one thing became very clear — this state LOVES its diners. And not just any diners… we’re talking iconic, been-here-forever, locals-swear-by-it kind of places.
So I went down the rabbit hole (and got very hungry in the process) and pulled together some of the most iconic diners across the Granite State.
Did we get your favorite? Or are you already mad we missed one? 😅
Gallery Credit: Garret Doll
When people think of New Hampshire, they usually think of granite, mountains, old white
churches, town greens and long winters. When I think of New Hampshire, I think of our people. I think of the feeling of growing up somewhere where history is not locked away behind museum glass. I think about the feeling of growing up somewhere that teaches you who you are before you are old enough to realize it.
I spent almost my entire childhood in Concord. Every important version of myself exists somewhere in this city. The awkward middle schooler wandering Main Street after school beneath strings of glowing lights. The nervous freshman trying to figure out who he wanted to become. The kid at the Concord Community Music School performing at recitals, hands shaking before walking onstage, discovering that playing guitar could make life feel bigger, brighter and more meaningful.
I think about early mornings rowing on the Merrimack with Concord Crew, the river covered in fog while the oars cut clean lines through the water. Some mornings the river felt silver and still; other mornings the current churned dark beneath us after rain. Watching the seasons change from the water taught me how slowly life transforms without you noticing. Green summer banks fading into fiery October trees, then bare branches outlined against cold winter skies.
The older I get, the more I realize how lucky I was to grow up in a place like Concord. It is not loud about what it offers you. Instead, it gives you something more lasting: community. A kind of closeness that settles into you over time until it becomes part of the way you move through the world.
Some of my strongest memories are simple ones. Walking downtown at sunset when the brick buildings glowed orange in the summer light. The smell of old wood, clay and paint inside Kimball Jenkins after shaping it into a small cup with my hands. Hearing music drift down the halls at the music school before a recital, notes echoing softly through the worn staircases. Sitting outside during Market Days while the streets filled with food vendors, kids running around with lion and fairy face paint, and musicians playing songs that bounced between the old buildings late into the evening air.
There is something deeply comforting about a city that respects its own history. Concord has always felt alive with memory to me. The old houses, white church steeples and worn wooden floors in certain buildings remind you that generations of people have passed through before you. It feels like people here understand that preserving history is care. They protect what matters because they believe future generations deserve to experience it too.
I think that shaped me more than I realized at the time.
New Hampshire taught me to slow down enough to notice things. The sound of leaves moving in the woods by my house. Snow falling silently outside during the winter, making the entire world pause for a moment. Long walks downtown where you somehow always recognized someone. Even the “between places” mattered: the trails, forests, rivers and back roads that reminded you the world was larger than your own worries.
As a senior in high school, I’m getting ready to leave for Dartmouth College this fall, and it doesn’t feel like I’m stepping away from home so much as moving deeper into it. I chose Dartmouth because it’s still rooted in the same landscape that shaped me. The woods, the cold rivers, the long winters and the quiet sense of space that feels so distinctly New Hampshire. Growing up in Concord, so many of the people I met, families at the YMCA, volunteers at the planetarium, friends of friends, teachers and mentors, seemed to have some connection back to Dartmouth, as if it were part of the state’s shared geography rather than something separate from it. Because of that, it already felt present in my life long before I applied. Leaving for Hanover feels like a continuation: not like leaving home, but like walking along the same trails I’ve always known, just farther into the trees.
Concord gave me my first experiences with art, music, friendship, independence and becoming part of something larger than myself. It gave me room to grow while still making me feel supported. It taught me that community is built through ordinary moments repeated over time until they become the foundation of who you are.
To me, New Hampshire means roots. It means history that still breathes. It means creativity, kindness, old buildings, deep winters, rivers at sunrise, summer festivals and long walks through the woods. Most of all, it means home.
Vaibhav Rastogi is a senior a Brady Bishop High School. He lives in Concord.
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