This Week in Concord History
May 22, 1879: The Monitor editorializes against a fountain in the State House plaza: “The fountain continues to squirt water all over those who have the temerity to walk in its vicinity, as in the days of yore. Its location ought to be changed.” In 1914, it is discarded to make room for the statue of Franklin Pierce. May 22, 2001: Concord Litho Group, one of the world’s largest printers of greeting cards, has laid off 31 of its...
It’s cold out there, but there’s plenty to do indoors in Concord
You’ve probably figured out by now that the cold has arrived, and likely isn’t going anywhere for at least five months or so. While this puts an end to dining on the sidewalks downtown, fishing at the White Park pond and swimming at the city pools, it shouldn’t force you into full-on hibernation mode, either.It’s true that there just isn’t as much to do outside when temperatures drop below freezing and the sun sets before 5 p.m., but...
Adventure Shopping: Preparing for the cold edition
With the first snowfall of the cold season officially under our collective belts, it’s time to start thinking about getting ready for about a half a year of this. Even though it’s not winter yet, tell that to your toes when it’s 12 degrees and windy out, as it was last Wednesday.We’re in New Hampshire, which means we should all be used to this by now, but there’s still an inevitable complaining period – it’s too cold, it’s too dark,...
Feztival of Trees to return to Bektash Shrine Center for 19th year
The week of Thanksgiving is upon us, and that can mean only one thing – not turkey, not Black Friday deals, but the Feztival of Trees. The Bektash Shrine Center (189 Pembroke Road) is ready to host the Feztival of Trees for the 19th year starting this Saturday, and all the trappings you’ve come to know and love about the Feztival are back again. Every year on the week surrounding Thanksgiving, the Bektash Shrine Center welcomes 10,000...
From the Crowd: ‘Doctor Sleep’ tries, fails to recapture ‘The Shining’ magic
The Shining is one of the greatest horror movies of all time – maybe the greatest, depending on who you ask. The 1980 Stanley Kubrick adaptation of the Stephen King novel has long been regarded as a fantastic achievement in film, so much so that The Shining is often compared to other great films, not just other great horror films.The sequel, Doctor Sleep, playing now at Regal Concord, will never be talked about that way. In fact, the...
Concord’s annual ski and skate sale headed back to Steeplegate Mall
The Capital Ski & Outing Club’s annual ski and skate sale is heading back to the mall. The date of this huge sale is consistent – always the first Saturday in December, which is Dec. 7 this year – but the location has been nomadic. For years the sale was held in the Green Street gym next to City Hall until it outgrew the space. Then it was held at the former Circuit City store in the Steeplegate Mall. When the Altitude Trampoline...
Entertainment: Jay Leno comes to town, plus a full slate of music in Concord this week
Music Tuesday Open mic with Mikey G at Tandy’s at 7:30 p.m. Kid Pinky at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Irish Music After Work at Area 23 at 5:30 p.m. Various artists. Paul Donahue at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Thursday Thanksgiving Shindy featuring Senie Hunt, Sonny Jim Clifford, Raid the Larder, Llava Llama, The Burnouts and Rippin’ E Brakes at Penuche’s at 8 p.m. Richard Gardzina at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. The Murphy...
Bulletin Board: Christmas parade, an extra-big win and more
Capital Area Memory Cafe The Capital Area Memory Café for memory-impaired individuals and their family members is Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Granite Ledges of Concord, 151 Langley Parkway. The Memory Café is held on the third Wednesday of each month at the same time. This month is our “Café Chat.” Enjoy an opportunity to socialize and build relationships with others who have memory impairment. Family members can speak with...
City Manager’s Newsletter (brief): Construction updates, Chamber events
Due to space constraints, here’s a very, very brief version of the City Manager’s Newsletter. See the full newsletter at concordnh.gov. Road construction updates Liberty Utilities will be working at the following locations this week: Broadway (Pillsbury Street to West Street) Centre Street/Liberty Street (at Roundabout) Manchester Street (Black Hills Road to Garvin Falls Road) North State Street (Centre Street to Pleasant Street)...
‘Sweet Charity’ to dance its way to Concord City Auditorium
Sweet Charity will dance its way onto the Concord City Auditorium stage this weekend as The Community Players of Concord present this groovy mid-1960s musical comedy originally made famous by director-choreographer Bob Fosse and star Gwen Verdon.Featuring a hilarious book by Neil Simon, Sweet Charity tells the story of Charity Hope Valentine, a hopelessly romantic but unlucky-in-love dance hostess working in a rundown Times Square...
Making Good Health Simple: Life got you in a rut? Don’t panic. Embrace ‘the suck’
Are you stuck in a career coma? Have your workouts reached a plateau? Is everything driving you crazy? Do you know if you’re happy anymore? It might be because you’re avoiding “the suck.” Wait, what? What does that even mean? Well, it’s modern day vernacular for basically everything we do not want to do. This is not limited to physical things – like cleaning your basement, detailing your car or filing your taxes – it also includes all...
Tasty Brew: Concord Craft Brewing Co. Action! at Barley House
Whenever we get word of a special edition, one-off beer, it always ends up near the top of the to-do list. When we heard that Concord Craft Brewing Co. was concocting such a brew in honor of the SNOB Film Festival, it became a priority.During a lunch visit to the Barley House, we learned that the restaurant was among the handful of places lucky enough to get some of the Action! on tap and promptly ordered a pint. Action!, named after...
On Display: Paintings by Fallon Rae at Dos Amigos Burritos
There aren’t many art galleries that will allow – even encourage – you to chow down on tacos and sip margaritas while perusing the gallery, but Dos Amigos Burritos is not like most galleries. The burrito shop is currently displaying the work of Fallon Rae on its walls, and most if not all of the paintings are for sale. Stop by soon and check out some of Rae’s art.
Capital City Charter School at the mall is looking to expand
Monitor staff The city’s most unusual school is looking to expand, and it’s got a well-placed fan in state government.“I love the location, the facility and how it’s laid out, the open concept, the fluidity. It works as a great learning environment,” New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said after visiting the Capital City Charter School, which started last year in the former Bon-Ton’s department store in the...
Book of the Week: ‘Natalie Tan’s Books of Luck & Fortune’
Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & FortuneRoselle Lim2019, 299 pagesFiction Living in Montreal’s Chinatown, Natalie Tan hears a bird singing her mother’s song outside her window and knows that her mother has passed away. “Ma-ma was gone.” Natalie returns to San Francisco to settle her mother’s affairs. Natalie left years ago to pursue her career as a chef. She and her mother had quarreled about Natalie’s choice and they hadn’t spoken in...
This Week in Concord History
Nov. 19, 1846: Three laborers on the Northern Railroad are buried when a sand bank near the railroad bridge in Penacook caves in. Two survive; one is killed. Nov. 19, 1863: Lyman D. Stevens of Concord represents New Hampshire at the dedication of the national cemetery at Gettysburg, Pa. He is near Abraham Lincoln during the Gettysburg address. A prominent lawyer, Stevens will later serve as Concord’s mayor, a state senator, a school...
Welcome to the 2019 Insider’s Guide to Gifts and Giving
Welcome to the Insider’s 2019 Guide to Gifts and Giving, a collaboration between Granite United Way and the Insider. There are many service organizations in our general area, and they’re always looking for help. That need intensifies as the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays approach, but the need is always there. The United Way put out a call to as many organizations as they could reach, asking them to share what some of their needs...
315 parking meters to be added to downtown Concord — locals react
By Dec. 2, downtown Concord will have about 315 new parking meters at spaces that were previously free to park, and most people are not excited about that.The city began working on a strategic parking plan in 2013 to try to find ways to get the parking fund back in the black – the fund had operated at a loss since 2007. The first wave of changes has already been implemented – on-street parking rates increased from 75 cents an hour to...
Food Snob: Banh mi sandwich from the Barley House
It had been a little while since the last Food Snob installment, and even longer since I ate at the Barley House. On a snowy, windy day last week, we set out to change all of that.The Barley House may be most known for their burgers, and for good reason. Anyone who has ever had a Barley House burger knows that the hype is warranted. However, burgers are not the only things worth trying here.While browsing over the lunch menu last...
The Yogi: Yoga and the Great First Bike Experiment
For the Insider“I can’t do it!”“Yes, you can.”“No, I can’t.”“Try.”“I don’t want to.”“One more time.”“I’m all done.”It was Oct. 1, 2013, my daughter’s second birthday. The sun was bright, the air was cold, and the balance bike was a surprise. Looking back, I think I was more excited about the bike than Lily. She was really looking forward to the Pooh Bear cake that my wife had created.“One more time. For an ice cream?”“No!”I picked up...
Entertainment: Cult hero Steven Wright highlights funny week
Music Tuesday Brothers Blues Band at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Open mic with Mikey G at Tandy’s at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Dave Gerard at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Thursday Mike Morris at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Hometown Eulogy at Penuche’s at 9 p.m. $3 cover. Bach’s Lunch Concert: Transatlantic Celtic Tunes at Concord Community Music School at 12:10 p.m. Friday Scott Solsky and Mike Walsh at True Brew Barista at 8 p.m. Keith...
Bulletin Board: Holiday craft events, free music and more
Teachers’ expo at Discovery Center Join the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center on Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. to learn about fun field trip and outreach opportunities that the Discovery Center and other organization across New Hampshire have to offer! The Expo will include information on offerings from across New Hampshire, classroom materials, and demos and opportunities to talk with informal educators from multiple...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Garage update, road construction, Beaver Meadow sale and more
The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter on Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to the city’s website (concordnh.gov) and clicking the Newsletter button on the home page. Here are some of the highlights from last week’s letter:School Street parking garageThe contractor has installed water and sewer connections, which will serve a new maintenance room to be constructed on the first floor of the...
Kimball Jenkins to host opening reception for Greater Concord Photography Club
The Greater Concord Photography Club’s annual show and sale is now on display at Kimball Jenkins School of Art in the Carriage House gallery. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held Friday at 5 p.m. in the Carriage House. The reception will be free, and refreshments will be served. You will even have a chance to win a door prize – a framed photo of your choice.
CYPN: Photographer Kelly McCaskill is the Young Professional of the Month
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Concord Young Professionals Network introduces you to our “Young Professional of the Month,” Kelly McCaskill. Each month the CYPN Steering Committee recommends a young professional in the community it thinks readers would enjoy getting to know better.How old are you? 30.Where do you live? Hopkinton.Where do you work? Ridgelight Studio, my own photography business! I started one year ago and I...
Concord Regional VNA celebrates 120th anniversary
Nearly 200 staff members, volunteers, partners, community members and local officials gathered recently at Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association to celebrate the agency’s 120th anniversary and to recognize one employee with the inaugural “Living Our Values” award. Concord Regional VNA was incorporated in 1899 as the not-for-profit Concord District Nursing Association to establish and maintain a system of district nursing in...
Instagram: A reflective shot taken in downtown Concord
It’s been quite a while since we’ve run a cool Instagram shot taken by someone other than users @michaelpmurphy and @sheldonmckinley_, two of the capital city’s most prolific and talented Instagrammers. However, they’re not the only ones with some talent – and Instagram accounts.This shot here was part of a multi-shot spread from user @jrw_photos, who hasn’t been featured here before. While photos focusing on an image reflected in a...
Help save the planet by taking part in America Recycles Day
The recycling industry has been significantly changing due to increased challenges with global market conditions. Recent market conditions have increased the demand for the improvement of the quality of materials in an effort to reduce contamination and help sustain recycling efforts. Concord residents are invited to get involved in celebration of America Recycles Day on Friday by learning more about what is recyclable and pledging to...
Chamber celebrates Citizen of the Year at the 100th Annual Meeting
A local community leader received honors at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s 100th Annual Meeting and Citizen of the Year Award event, presented by Merrimack County Savings Bank on Nov. 6 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord. The gala welcomed more than 350 community, nonprofit and business leaders from the Capital Region who came to celebrate 2019 Citizen of the Year recipient Claudia Walker.Walker’s nomination by a...
This Week in Concord History
Nov. 12, 1818: A newly discharged convict from the state prison enters the State House and steals the keys to most of the doors. He is quickly arrested. Nov. 12, 1885: Ten women in their late teens and early 20s form the Flower Mission, whose purpose is to deliver flowers at Concord hospitals and homes for the aged. The mission survives to this day. Nov. 12, 2000: Concord High routs longtime nemesis Londonderry, 53-8, advancing to the...
