VNA to offer holiday grief session in Bow Nov. 17
Concord Regional VNA is offering “The Grief Experience Through the Holidays,” free session Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 Church St. in Bow. The special holiday session offers support for those facing the winter holidays while grieving the loss of a loved one.
Pre-registration is required. To register, call 224-4093, ext. 2828 or email Carmella.Dow@crvna.org.
Andrew Morse
Christmas craft fair at United Church, Penacook
The United Church of Penacook will hold its annual Christmas craft fair, which raises money in support of the food pantry and other Penacook area missions. The fair will be held Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shoppers will find holiday gifts, jewelry, fashion accessories, homemade pies, cookies, and breads, tole painting, Christmas decorations, papercrafts and much more. Soup and sandwiches will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Our local caricaturist will be on hand to create a unique gift for you.
For more information about the fair or for directions, visit our website at ucpnh.org.
United Church Women’s Guild
NHTI Fall Game Jam slated for this weekend
On the weekend of Nov. 13-15, dedicated programmers, artists and musicians will gather at NHTI, Concord’s Community College, to take part in the Fall Game Jam: a marathon computer game development event. A game jam brings together teams of individuals to collaborate and create computer games under very tight constraints.
The event will kick off at 5 p.m. Friday. After organizing teams, the participants will throw themselves headlong into their work for the next two days, with minimal time for food and sleep. At 5 p.m. on Sunday, the games must be ready for prime time.
The Fall Game Jam has become an annual tradition sponsored by NHTI’s department of Animation and Graphic Game Programming, although participation is not limited to NHTI students. This year’s jam is co-sponsored by Citizens of Antiford, a New Hampshire Steampunk Creative Fiction Group, whose richly-imagined science-fictional world will provide the background for this year’s games.
Anyone who would like to take part in the Fall Game Jam should contact professor Greg Walek at gwalek@ccsnh.edu. The public is welcome to drop by Little Hall at 5 p.m. Sunday for a showing of the finished games.
Doug Schwarz
NHTI film society to show ‘A Tale of Winter’
The NHTI Film Society proudly presents, A Tale of Winter (Not Rated; 1992; 91 mins), Friday at 7 p.m. in the Sweeney Auditorium.
Admission is by donation ($5 suggested); free with an NHTI student ID.
For more information, contact Steve Ambra at 271-6484, ext. 4101 or sambra@ccsnh.edu.
Doug Schwarz
Library hosting hiking discussion Nov. 18
Hooked on hiking? Find out how to get out there year round with Intro. to Winter Hiking, an AMC-NH Partner Event, at Concord Public Library on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. in the library auditorium.
Allison Driscoll of trailtosummit.com will talk about the basics of heat management and clothing options, skills preparation, gear requirements, physical conditioning, nutrition, safety and more. Driscoll will give you an inside look into her own experience hiking New Hampshire’s highest peaks in winter.
The event is free and there will even have hikerly snacks.
Deb Baker
Grab an ornament for Be a Santa to a Senior
Everyone deserves to enjoy the warmth of the holiday season, and this year, area seniors who are alone or impoverished will be able to do just that.
Sponsored by the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Central New Hampshire, the Be a Santa to a Senior program provides gifts and companionship for lonely and isolated seniors. The program is made possible by the generous support of area nonprofit organizations, retailers, numerous volunteers and members of the community.
Home Instead Senior Care has partnered with Snip it With Style (hair salon) in Concord, Concord Regional Technical Center in Concord, Chalifour’s Flowers in Manchester, Meetinghouse at Riverfront in Manchester, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Manchester, Merlin’s Hair Salon in Manchester, Home Instead Senior Care Office in Manchester and Bellman Jewelers in Manchester to help with the gift collection.
Participating retail locations will display Be a Santa to a Senior Christmas trees or wreaths from mid-November to Dec. 14 that feature ornaments with gift ideas. Holiday shoppers can pick ornaments from the trees, buy an item(s) of their choice and return them in gift bags (no wrapping paper) to the store. Home Instead will then pick up the gifts at the tree locations and distribute them with the help of some community partners after Dec. 14.
Community Action Program of Belknap and Merrimack Counties and the Manchester Police Department will help Home Instead distribute the gifts to local seniors who might otherwise spend the holiday alone.
For more information about the program, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call 668-6868.
Andrea Doyon
Piccola Opera hosting auditions Nov. 21
Piccola Opera will be hosting open auditions for their 2016 performance season on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 9 to 11:30 am at its 8 N. Main St. studio in Concord.
An accompanist will be provided. Singers are asked to bring a resume and headshot and should prepare two opera arias for the audition.
All roles are currently open for the 2nd Annual Summer Festival to include “I Pagliacci” and “Suor Angelica” sung in Italian. Both productions will be fully staged with orchestra with stipend pay for leading roles. The production will be held in the third week of July 2016 with a 10-day rehearsal period.
In addition, there will be other performing opportunities in 2016 to include roles in “La Serva Padrona” and “An Evening of Italian Opera.” Piccola Opera is also casting a Young Singers opera performance of Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” to be staged in late spring 2016. All roles in “Hansel and Gretel” will be offered to singers aged 10-18. Rehearsals for the production will begin in January 2016 on Saturday mornings from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
For more information, visit piccolaopera.net.
Johanna Landis
Chamber to hold economic luncheon
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce presents the 2016 Economic Forecast Luncheon on Friday, Nov. 20, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Grappone Conference Center, 70 Constitution Ave. The cost to attend is $25 for members and $35 for non-members and includes a full lunch. The luncheon forum will focus on national economic trends and an outlook on the local, regional and national economy. The featured speaker is Dennis Delay of the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies, and the event is sponsored by Eversource.
For more information or to register, please contact the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce at 224-2508, info@concordnhchamber.com or register online at concordnhchamber.com.
Rebecca Kinhan
Christmas tree lighting to take place Nov. 27
The Concord Christmas tree lighting celebration will take place Friday, Nov. 27, starting at 4 p.m. The 35-foot Christmas tree will be located in front of the Arch at the State House Plaza. Once the tree is lit, a fireworks display will light the skies over Concord.
Each year organizer Dick Patten solicits donations from businesses and organizations to help make this evening a success. Concord Imaging, Dennis Gaudette and AutoServe of Tilton, Rowley Insurance Agency, Fozfire Management, Joe King Shoe Shop have pledged or donated their annual corporate donations. However in order to continue the annual events, fundraising is still $2,000 short.
A petting zoo, horse drawn wagon rides, pony rides, holiday music by Brian Waldron and Band are some of the events that people of all ages can enjoy. There is no cost to ride the wagon or the horses or feed the animals, however $1 is asked per person with proceeds going to a Christmas charity.
Santa Claus will arrive courtesy of the Concord Fire Department to meet with boys and girls and listen to holiday wishes.
There will be a dispenser to collect non-perishable canned food for the food pantries as well as new toys will be accepted for Friends of Forgotten Children.
Donations of any amount will be welcomed. Please send a check or money order made payable to the Christmas Tree Lighting, c/o Dick Patten, 30 Pinewood Trail, Concord, N.H. 03301.
Please call Dick Patten at 496-2917 for any questions.
Dick Patten
Stamp collectors will meet Nov. 17 in Bow
The Merrimack County Stamp Collectors will hold its monthly meeting at the Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow, on Nov. 17 beginning at 1 pm.
All who are interested in stamp collecting are welcome to attend. Meet other collectors and learn more about their hobby and varied interests in Philatelic resources and issues.
For more information, call Dan Day at 228-1154.
Dan Day
Learn about healthier habits at presentation
“Healthy Habits for a Healthier You,” a free presentation, is being held Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at Concord Hospital, Conference Room A, 250 Pleasant St.
For centuries, we have known the health of the brain and body are connected. Today, science is able to provide insights into how to optimize our physical and cognitive health as we age. Join us to learn about research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement, and use hands-on tools to help you incorporate these recommendations into a plan for healthy aging.
This program is a collaborative effort among Concord Regional VNA, Concord Hospital Center for Health Promotion and the Alzheimer’s Association.
To register, call the Alzheimer’s Association at 1-800-272-3900.
Andrew Morse
Quilters Guild to host monthly meeting Friday
The Capital Quilters Guild will meet at Havenwood, 33 Christian Ave. Friday, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
All quilters and friends are welcome to attend. Featured speaker will be Adele Scott, giving tips and techniques on specialty threads, needles and machine know-how. Please remember to pick up a stocking for our Christmas Stocking Project.
For Guild information, call Evelyn at 224-6247.
Jean Donahue
Shakespeare discussion at Wednesday’s Wisdom
Wednesday’s Wisdom Pot Luck will be held at Kimball Jenkins on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Join Rob Fried and others to discuss Shakespeare’s Hamlet – the world’s greatest play by the world’s greatest playwright. And the eternal unanswered question: Why is Hamlet seemingly unable to do his duty and avenge his father’s murder? All will be revealed!
Wednesday Wisdom is held on the second Wednesday of each month. Our goal is to bring fascinating speakers to a diverse group.
This is a pot luck and BYO (wine, beer or other drinks).
Wednesday’s Wisdom is sponsored by the Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden and the Kimball Jenkins Community Art School.
Pam Tarbell
Junior Service League to host red carpet gala
The Junior Service League of Concord is hosting a red carpet gala on Saturday at the Grappone Center.
The night will benefit the Friends of Forgotten Children.
Join us for a night of festivities and dancing starting at 7 p.m. Individuals, couples and businesses are invited to join in on the fun.
There will be dinner and dancing, live auction items, hourly wine raffles and a grand prize cash give-away.
Tickets benefit Friends of Forgotten Children (a 100 percent volunteer-run provider of food, clothing and holiday gifts for low income and at-risk individuals and families) and other local community initiatives.
Tickets for the evening are just $79 per person and may be requested online at jslconcord.org.
Donna Hartley
Blue Holiday Service to be held at Blossom Hill
There will be a Blue Holiday Service of Healing and Light at Blossom Hill Cemetery Friday, from 6 to 7 p.m.
For many the holiday season does not bring with it joy and happiness. If you are feeling pressured by holiday expectations, please join us at Perkins Chapel and be spiritually nurtured for the days ahead. All are welcome to attend.
For more info, call 225-3911.
Jill McDaniel
‘Time Out of Mind’ to be shown at Red River
The Concord Coalition to End Homelessness invites you to join them on Veteran’s Day at Red River Theatres for a screening of Time Out of Mind at 5:30 p.m.
A panel discussion, moderated by Peter Evers, Director of Riverbend Community Mental Health, will follow. Panel members will include representatives of the homeless community and a representative of Veteran’s Services, Angela Roberts.
Tickets are $12 and $11 for members.
Ellen Fries
Monthly senior book club at Heights Center
The Heights Community Center senior program offers a book discussion group that meets monthly, usually the second Friday of the month from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. Any area senior (age 50-plus) is invited to participate. We read one book a month and are making good use of the book club kits available through Concord Public Library.
Anyone interested in joining the book discussion group can contact Rebecca Bukowski at 230-4982 or Rbukowski@ConcordNH.gov.
Rebecca Bukowski
Chamber seeking CASL program applicants
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce announces that applications for the spring 2016 Capital Area Student Leadership (CASL) program are now available. The CASL program is open to high school sophomores who reside in and attend school in the Greater Concord area.
A long standing component of the Chamber’s Business & Education Partnership, CASL encourages students to become active, effective participants and future leaders in their schools and communities through exposure to historical, cultural, environmental and civic aspects of the Greater Concord area.
CASL has graduated more than 500 sophomore representatives from a dozen area high schools over the past 22 years. Beginning with an orientation on Feb. 29, CASL is comprised of three session days in March, each focusing on an important topic in the community. Utilizing Concord and surrounding towns as its “classroom,” the program is designed to offer first‑hand knowledge and opportunities for dialogue with established leaders. Through field trips, hands‑on experiences and teacher‑facilitated discussions, the students gain special insight into the functioning of a working community.
CASL seeks sophomores with leadership potential and those who are likely to assume greater community responsibility in the future. A selection committee will review applications and visit the schools to conduct interviews of prospective participants. The application deadline for the 2016 program is Monday, Dec. 14 at 5pm. To download an application, please go to concordnhchamber.com or call the chamber at 224-2508.
Rebecca Kinhan
Dual author event Friday at Gibson’s Bookstore
Join Gibson’s Bookstore for a dual-author event Friday at 5:30 p.m. In language radiant, lovely and disturbing, Rebecca Kaiser Gibson explores the linkages between the uncomfortable familiar and the curiously intimate strange, making unexpected connections between phenomena, in her new book of verse, Opinel: Poems.
Leaf Seligman leads the audience in an exercise of writing prompts, as she discusses her new book, A Pocket Book of Prompts, in which she asks more than 70 questions intended as invitations to plumb, to look, to listen and to engage with life.
The event is free and open to the public. Visit gibsonsbookstore.com/event/poems-and-prompts for more info.
Elisabeth Jewell
Knitting program to start at library Nov. 17
The Concord Public Library is offering a new program, Knot Just Knitters, on the third Tuesday of each month, starting Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. in the library’s Shakespeare Room.
Do you knit, crochet, or do other needlework? If so, please come for an evening of crafting at CPL. Create and chat, share your projects and meet some fellow crafters.
You may bring your own project or help knit and crochet hats and mittens for charity (some patterns will be available). Please bring your own supplies.
Deb Baker
Discovery Center to open for Veterans Day
In addition to its usual Friday, Saturday and Sunday public hours, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center will be open on Wednesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., to celebrate Veterans Day, with free admission for all veterans and special gallery activities for families.
For more information, visit starhop.com.
Jeanne Gerulskis
