Book of the Week: ‘I’m Telling the Truth, But I’m Lying ’
I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying Bassey Ikpi 2019, 248 pages Nonfiction Bassey Ikpi’s collection of essays is tender and poetic while covering the difficult topics of mental health and trauma. The collection spans the complexities of living as a Nigerian-American in the U.S. and the fragmenting of Ikpi’s psyche prior to being diagnosed with bipolar II and an anxiety disorder. She is the first to admit that the splintered memories...
Movie lovers, unite – SNOB Film Festival is coming to town
It’s that time again. Get your tickets, your popcorn and your craft beer, plop down into a recliner at Red River Theatres and take in all the SNOB Film Festival has to offer. The Somewhat North of Boston Film Festival returns to Concord for another year this weekend, and there’s a lot to get into. The festival has been around since 2002, and its purpose is to showcase and support independent filmmaking while bringing films to the area...
Making Good Health Simple: Going to the movies doesn’t have to be a guilty experience
This is real talk time. A. Do you still have Halloween candy in the house? (Stashed in the freezer? Possibly in the cabinet above the fridge?) B. Did you buy any post-Halloween-clearance candy? (I mean 75% off, what a deal!) C. Did you steal some candy from your children when they were asleep or not looking for your own private stash? If you answered “yes” or “unsure” to any of the above questions, you need to stop. Just stop. Save...
Elementary school girls hold their own against the boys in flag football
Football may be a men’s game at the professional level, but not at the Concord Parks and Recreation level. Earlier this year, the ever-popular NFL Flag Football program put on by the Parks and Rec department featured an all-girls team, and the young ladies held their own. The team featured nine girls – eight from Concord and one from Bow – in grades 4 through 6 who competed against boys’ teams throughout the flag football season. The...
JamAntics to reunite for one-night-only show at Bank of NH Stage
Longtime followers and supporters of the Concord music scene probably recognize the name JamAntics. The genre-bending five-piece act was a major staple on the scene about a decade ago, filling bars and racking up awards (including two Cappies awards for best local band) left and right. Then, life happened. One member moved away. People started having kids. Solo and side projects popped up. And just like that, JamAntics was no more....
Entertainment: Wide variety of stage shows coming to town
Music Tuesday Michael Loughlin at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Paul Heckel at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Thursday Brian Booth at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Friday Alibi at Markis Lobster & Steak House at 7:30 p.m. JamAntics, with Matt Poirier at Bank of N.H. Stage at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15-$25 plus fees at ccanh.com. Mark Huzar, Sara Thompson and Carleton Page at Area 23 at 8:30 p.m. Senie Hunt and Wesley E. Thurber at...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Election notice, leaf collection and more
The office of the city manager sent out the weekly City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. You can read the full newsletter by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the Newsletter button on the home page. Here are some highlights from last week’s letter:Municipal electionThe municipal election is Tuesday, Nov. 5 in Concord. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.Residents who were unable to register at the City Clerk’s office by Oct. 24...
Bulletin Board: Free programs, holiday-themed events, etc.
Wings program on covered bridges NHTI’s Wings of Knowledge presents Covered Bridges – Past, Present, and Future on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. in the NHTI Library Living Room. Bill Caswell from the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges will be the presenter. Free and open to the public, Wings is generously underwritten by the NHTI Student Senate and Campus Activities Board. Fun fact: America’s longest covered railroad...
The Yogi: The Great Yogi of Rock ‘n Roll – Part 2
The Neil Young fan was angry. In this space last week, I wrote about Neil Young’s interview with Adam Greene on NHPR, and how I felt that Young’s music, like the practice of yoga, can help us all feel a little more deeply what it’s like to be human. My column raised the ire of at least one Neil Young fan for what he felt was an “attempt to promote your own yoga biz with an alleged Neil Young article.” He also pointed out that Rust...
Family history workshops offered at NH Historical Society
Family history has never been more popular, with millions of people researching their family tree, joining online genealogy forums and taking DNA tests to learn about their ancestry. The New Hampshire Historical Society is offering two family history workshops in November, one geared for kids and one for people interested in how ancestry kits can further their family history research. “Kids Do Family History,” on Saturday, Nov. 16,...
Blast From the Past: A look back at the original Concord Dairy
For the InsiderThis photograph shows the original Concord Dairy that became a co-op in 1921. The first Concord Dairy was located at 84 Washington St. in Concord – heading west it was located on the right-hand side shortly after Lyndon Street. It was on the site of the current parking lot as you approach the UNH/Pierce Law Center. The dairy purchased the 84 Washington St. property, known as the “Gale-Brown” property, in 1921 and...
This Week in Concord History
Nov. 5, 1991: While acting as a commentator on the local cable channel as the city election results are being counted, Concord Mayor Jim MacKay learns that he has been defeated for re-election to the city council. Nov. 5, 1996: For the first time ever, Concord elects an all-female delegation to the State House. The members: Reps. Carol Burney, Jean Wallin, Mary Stuart Gile, Gloria Seldin, Liz Hager, Carol Moore, Toni Crosby, Marilyn...
Book of the Week: ‘Sing To It’
Sing to ItAmy Hempel2019, 160 pagesFiction – Short Stories This collection of 15 short stories has been a long time coming for fans of Amy Hempel’s work. Her last book, The Dog of the Marriage, was published more than a decade ago, so this new work is met with much enthusiasm. Hempel has a knack for blurring the line between minimalist prose and poetry with some of her shorts being no more than a few sentences long. Her settings are...
Explore the arts at New Hampshire Open Doors
It’s that time of year again. No, not time to rake those leaves to the curb (well, yes that too), but it’s time for N.H. Open Doors. Open Doors is an annual event where crafters and artisans open their studios (or join forces with another location) to show off their work and demostrate their craft for visitors. This year’s event will be held on Nov. 2 and 3. There are locations across the state from the North Country to the state’s...
Photos: Halloween Howl was a scream!
Hundreds of children and their parents swarmed downtown on Friday for Intown Concord’s annual Halloween Howl. There was dancing in the street and a haunted bus. Businesses opened their doors to trick-or-treaters, too.
Town-by-town trick-or-treat times
Concord: Oct. 31 from 5-7:30 p.m. Allenstown: Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. Andover: Oct. 31 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Barnstead: Oct. 31 from 5 to 8 p.m. Belmont: Oct. 31 from 4 to 8 p.m. A Trunk-or-Treat event will be held Oct. 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Tioga Pavilion, 18 Mill St. There will a bring your own pumpkin carving station, decorated vehicles and food available for purchase. Boscawen: Oct. 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. Bow: Oct. 31...
Making Good Health Simple: When it comes to candy, make it count
The countdown to Halloween is on. For some it means haunted houses, costumes and elaborate decorations. For me, it means candy, a ridiculous amount of sugar-loaded candy. Don’t feel like dressing up? As an adult, with basically unlimited buying power (for candy at least) you can simply buy your way into trick-o-treating. However, this is just the beginning of prime candy season (and it won’t stop after Halloween). After pumpkin-shaped...
Entertainment: Fleetwood Mac tribute show and others in Concord this week
Music Tuesday Kid Pinky at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Paul Lovely at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Irish Music at 5:30 p.m. at Area 23. Mark Valenty, a pianist, will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium as part of the Walker Lecture Series. Thursday Ryan Zimmerman at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Friday Music Out of the Box featuring Senie Hunt will be at the Hatbox Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $12 – $18 at hatboxnh.com. TUSK, a...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Celebrate the fire training space, Halloween
On Friday, Stefanie Breton, the city’s public information officer, sent out the weekly City Manager’s Newsletter. You can read the full newsletter by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the Newsletter button on the home page. Here are some highlights from last week’s letter: Fire facility open house celebration A ribbon cutting and open house will be held at the new fire training facility, 109 Old Turnpike Road, on Wednesday from 5 to...
The Yogi: The great yogi of rock n’ roll
For the InsiderNeil Young is angry.I am sitting in the parking lot of Hot House N.H., listening to David Greene’s interview with the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Famer on NHPR. The sun is not yet up, and as I sit alone in my car, the glow of the radio feels oddly comforting on this dark, cold morning in New Hampshire. I’m wondering how many other folks are sitting in cars, listening to Neil Young, the great yogi of rock ‘n roll.He talks about...
Book of the Week: ‘Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Everyday’
Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Everyday Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky 2018, 287 pages Nonfiction Make Time is a must read for anyone who feels overwhelmed with their to-do list. Too often our to-do lists keep growing like a life sucking mole, yet what we accomplish isn’t what is most important. We spend our time on filler tasks, getting caught up in social media threads and binge watching Netflix; instead of focusing on the...
Portsmouth Poet Laureate to present novel at Gibson’s
Tammi J. Truax, Portsmouth’s 2018-20 Poet Laureate, will visit Gibson’s Bookstore on Saturday at 2 p.m. to share her new young adult verse novel, For to See the Elephant, the never-before-told story of the first elephant to come to America and their enslaved keeper, William. Upon arrival in the city of New York, William and the elephant are sold together. They walk back and forth across the growing country for years so...
This Week in Concord History
Oct. 29, 1963: A crowd of 600 to 1,000 – mostly college students and other young people – break through a police cordon at Concord Airport to greet Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. “I don’t know when I’ll be back up here again,” says Goldwater, “but it won’t be long.” Oct. 29, 1795: Concord Bridge, the town’s first span across the Merrimack, opens with a party and parade. It is near the site of today’s...
Student musicians: Ace your audition! All-State Workshop Nov. 9
Student musicians: Ace your audition! High schoolers who sing: If you’re auditioning for the N.H. All-State Festival, Concord Community Music School has a perfect warm-up for you!Join us for a special interactive workshop, “Ace Your Audition,” specifically geared to this year’s All-State audition pieces. An Ace Your Audition Voice Workshop will take place at the music school on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 11a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Music School...
Keiser Concert Series welcomes distinguished musicians to Millville
Another season of unique performances at St. Paul’s School is underway as part of the 2019-20 Keiser Concert Series. The series brings performances by global musical artists in a range of styles, from classical to contemporary, to the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul.The school welcomes Cantus, a versatile, male vocal group from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday at 7 p.m. Their program, “One Giant Leap,” uses works from Franz...
14th annual Taste of NH was an epic, all-you-can-eat smorgasbord
When you get an opportunity to attend an all-you-can-eat event featuring more than 30 restaurants serving up some of their best dishes, you take that opportunity every time. That’s exactly what this Insider did last week when the 14th annual Taste of New Hampshire came to the Grappone Conference Center on Thursday. Formerly known as Taste of Concord, the Taste of New Hampshire is a showcase of dozens of local restaurants serving small...
Put on your running shoes – and costumes – for the Wicked FIT Run
How often do you get to see Captain America, a skeleton, multiple princesses, Abe Lincoln and three blind mice race each other through city parks and streets? Well, once a year, actually, and this year that opportunity will come Saturday. It’s not a joke – we’re talking about Families in Transition’s 8th annual Wicked FIT Run. The Wicked FIT Run is one of the greatest spectacles to behold in the city each year, when hundreds of...
Discovery Center to host late-night, 21-plus Halloween event
Have you ever gotten the urge to learn about space and aeronautics while wearing a Dracula costume and sipping on a craft brew? I know – who hasn’t? Well, you can finally scratch that itch next week when the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center hosts its first “Spooky Space Night” on Oct. 30, during which the museum will be open late for Halloween activities for young adults. While the Discovery Center is always a popular destination...
Ahead of Making Strides walk, American Cancer Society thanks Concord community
As we welcome another Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a heartfelt thank-you resounds through our community. Thank you for your support, your compassion and generosity. My name is Michelle Audet, and this will be my 10th year at Making Strides, however this year I will be joining all of you as Community Development Manager and American Cancer Staff Member for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer this October. I joined the American...
American Cancer Society celebrates more than 25 years of saving lives nationwide
The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks unite communities to honor those touched by the disease and raise awareness and funds for a world without breast cancer. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is the largest network of breast cancer events in the nation, uniting more than 1.2 million passionate participants supporting the noncompetitive 3- to 5-mile walks each year. Dollars raised help the American...
