We wanted to find out exactly how different Main Street is now
You’ve probably noticed by now that Main Street is a bit different. There’s new pavement, new crosswalks, new sidewalks, new stores. Heck, even the traffic light fixtures got some new bling. But just how different is Main Street – North Main Street, to be exact – now compared with the way it was before construction began? We wondered the same thing, and we hit up City Engineer Ed Roberge for all the details. We could have told you...
Take a tour of the nation, region at these two new shops downtown
During all the hubbub of construction on Main Street, you may not have realized that a few new shops opened up. After all, it’s tough to notice when the street and sidewalks are littered with slabs of bricks, scaffolding, huge trucks and crews of construction workers. But now that all of that stuff is out of the way (for the winter, anyway) and you can get back to poking around downtown without having to step over ditches and gravel...
City of Concord receives the gift of art in the form of four paintings
As the holidays get closer and closer, there’s one big thing on everybody’s mind: giving gifts. So we know the Guide to Gifts and Giving was last week’s issue, but that doesn’t mean we can’t tell you about another act of giving this week, does it? This gift is a little different from anything we talked about last week, so it’s okay that we didn’t include it in that issue. What we’re talking about here is the gift of art, from a...
This Week in Concord History
Nov. 24, 1812: The first inmate, John Drew of Meredith, is brought to Concord’s first state prison. The prison was built near Washington Street after legislative approval in 1810. During a visit to the city, the Rev. Timothy Dwight, president of Yale, called it “a noble edifice in beautiful granite.” How Drew found it is not recorded. He was sentenced to four years for stealing a horse. Nov. 24, 1989: The temperature in Concord falls...
Meals on Wheels makes sure seniors always get their grub on
Everybody has to eat. For many people, that’s as easy as running to the grocery store or hitting up the drive-through. But for some seniors, it’s not quite so easy. That’s where Meals on Wheels comes in. The program delivers meals up to five times a week to seniors at least 60 years old who need them. A wellness check is also included as part of the delivery, and is considered equally important, said Joan Baretto, assistant director...
It’s fake trees and prizes galore at the 15th annual Fez-tival of Trees
Dozens of fake Christmas trees set up in a function hall, decorated with ice cream cones, scratch tickets, candles and more. It can only mean one thing: the Bektash Shriners’ Fez-tival of Trees is back for another year – its 15th, to be exact (wouldn’t be 2015 without a milestone anniversary in Concord). Since we told you about the Fez-tival after it happened last year, we decided to fill you in ahead of time this year – so you can go...
Ladies and gentlemen, meet ConcordTV’s newest Junior Hosts
It’s not every day that you get to meet the future TV and movie stars of America, or maybe even the world. That’s why it’s a big deal that we’re introducing you to ConcordTV’s newest Junior Hosts. The local television station put out the word about Junior Host auditions a few months ago (with a little help from the Insider), and the talent showed up in droves, said Executive Director Doris Ballard. Unlike in past years where there has...
Do you need to get on the Prescribe the Y train?
Penny and James Maurer and their daughter Ava, age 12, were like a lot of today’s American families. Both Penny and James have jobs where a computer demands their attention, and they sit at their desks a lot. With their hectic lives, they often grabbed food on the go and found it difficult to find the time to exercise. Then their pediatrician recommended their family for a pilot program at the Concord Family YMCA called “Prescribe the...
The Capitol Center for the Arts celebrates 20 years of performance
You may have noticed that 2015 has been the year for anniversaries around here. Whether it’s the city’s 250th anniversary of incorporation, the Sewalls Falls Bridge’s 100th anniversary of construction or your parents’ 35th wedding anniversary, it’s hard to escape all the milestones this year. Now you can add the Capitol Center for the Arts’s 20th anniversary to that list. The last weekend in September and first weekend in October, the...
Try SNOBier, made by Great North Aleworks, before it’s gone!
We all know that beer makes the world go round. It’s the drink that brings adults together to share ideas and speak freely. It’s what we want after a long week of work, school, kids, life. And it’s one of the centerpieces of the Somewhat North Of Boston Film Festival. The festival has traditionally held beer tastings on the first night (this year will feature tastings every night of the festival at Red River starting at 5 p.m.), and a...
Treat your ears to some cool tunes between movies and beers
In case you didn’t know, music is kind of a big deal at the SNOB Film Festival. Yeah, sure, it’s a film festival, but don’t sleep on the music side of things. The festival always gets lots of great acts from New Hampshire and the Northeast in general, and a lot of people really look forward to hearing some good local music between films and beers. We caught up with Rob Azevedo, of SoundCheck fame, who helps organize the musical aspect...
If you didn’t catch Halloween Howl, you missed a really spooky time
It was a howlin’ good time at Concord’s annual Halloween Howl last weekend. The weather was mild enough to bring hundreds of costumed capers out to Main Street for a night of spooky revelry and lots of candy eating.
Little communal libraries are a thing, and they’re in Concord now!
If you’ve been walking or driving around Concord lately, there’s a chance you may have seen these little structures that resemble bird houses or dog houses on people’s lawns. It’s a craze that apparently is making its way to the Granite State – and the capital city more specifically. They’re known as little libraries, and they are pretty much what they sound like. People build little huts to house books, and they put these huts on...
Tom Petty biographer has Concord roots – and a new book coming
We’re not sure, but there probably haven’t been too many Concord guys in the history of the world who have played in a successful rock band, toured with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tom Petty, earned a Ph.D. and published several books. But we know of at least one: Warren Zanes. Zanes played guitar for the Del Fuegos in the ’80s and is the author of Petty: The Biography, which goes on sale Nov. 10. He’ll be at Gibson’s Bookstore the...
Wake up early – or stay up late – for 6 a.m. aerobics at the YMCA
If there’s one thing I really like to do at 6 a.m., it’s work out to the sounds of the Rolling Stones and Elton John. Well, maybe not so much myself personally, but a lot of people are into it. Just ask Bonnie Larochelle, who’s been the volunteer leader of an early bird aerobics class at the YMCA since 1979. A nighttime aerobics class was started a few years before, “and I was very involved and they decided to try more classes, so I...
This week in Concord history
Nov. 3, 1908: Concord elects Democrat Charles French as its new mayor. At midnight, a cheering crowd carries him through the city streets. Outgoing Mayor Charles Corning, who did not seek re-election, disapproves of his successor. The result will bring about “a veritable misfortune unless French reforms his loud manners & modifies his coarse & nasty speech,” Corning writes in his diary. Nov. 3, 1947: John G. Winant, former...
If basketball is your game, the Boys & Girls Club is the place for you
Whether you’re reading this Tuesday (lucky!) or Wednesday, the same is true: the NBA season is upon us. That’s right, basketball is back after taking a long summer off. This means it’s time to put away the cleats and break out the high-tops. Mesh tank tops replace traditional, non-mesh clothing in the wardrobe. And once you’re all geared up, all you need is a place to play. Concord has you covered. The Boys & Girls Club is new to...
Get out of the cold and work on your game at Concord Sports Center
There’s nothing quite like getting out on a freshly mowed baseball field on a warm summer day to play nine with the neighborhood regulars until 7 or 8 in the evening, wrapping up just in time for dinner on the grill. Unfortunately, it’s not summer anymore, and it might be a little harder to entice your friends to get out on a 40-degree field for about an hour after work before it gets dark. Luckily, you can always head over to the...
Now fully immersed in Insiderland, Jon carves the quintessential Concord pumpkin
So Jon’s been doing this Insider thing for a couple months now, and he’s caught Concord fever. He’s gotten so into the city that he decided to carve Concord’s most iconic feature – the State House dome – into a pumpkin. Because you can’t have Halloween without government buildings!
Get all your questions answered at Healthcare Enrollment Day
Health insurance open enrollment for 2016 begins Nov. 1. That means it’s time to assess and review your health insurance needs. With the third enrollment period upon us, Americans have better options and accessibility to health insurance through the health insurance marketplaces than ever before. To reach consumers, assisters are holding health care enrollment events in their communities during the open enrollment period. In Concord,...
Put on that costume early and go for a quick run in it
Families in Transition, a Concord, Manchester and Dover based homeless services provider, will host its fourth annual Wicked FIT Run on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. in Rollins Park. The certified 5K course will provide runners and walkers the opportunity to support FIT in their efforts of providing a home and hope to homeless families and individuals. It is a family-friendly, costume-themed, event. This year’s goal is to have 600...
Class is important, but work is where the rubber meets the road
It used to be that if you wanted to look into a vocational or technical program in high school, you pretty much had two options: construction or automotive. The world is a much different – and better – place now. You can take up cooking, fire science, graphic design and tons of other interesting and useful skills as part of your studies at Concord Regional Technical Center. But you can still go for those classic mainstays, if that’s...
The only thing better than how this stuff looks is how it tastes
In case you didn’t know, we at the Insider enjoy eating. Like, a lot. Luckily for us, we found some students and instructors at the Concord Regional Technical Center who like cooking almost as much as we like eating – but obviously not quite as much. We dropped by last week to see what was cookin’, and we were blown away by some delicious aroma filling the kitchen. It was sweet and savory all at once, the kind of smell you dream...
The Toothfairies have been fighting breast cancer since 1999, and there’s no sign of slowing down
If there’s one thing we can all support, it’s toothfairies. That’s right, there’s not just one – how would one fairy have time to exchange millions of little teeth for cold, hard cash every night? But we’re not talking about those toothfairies. We’re talking about the kind who have been pounding the pavement for 16 years trying to finish the fight against breast cancer. The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer team was started by Dr....
Work Nest is up and running, and everything is going swimmingly
Tired of trying to work from home with your cat climbing up your leg and your neighbor’s dogs doing everything they can to destroy your eardrums? Then you might want to check out Work Nest, Concord’s first and only community co-working space. It opened Sept. 1 at 85 S. State St. and already has about 15 members, owner Karina Kelley said. But what is it, anyway? Work Nest is simply a place for people to get work done. Whether you’re an...
The Bow Garden Club has the lowdown on all things poinsettia
First, a little history of the poinsettia: The poinsettia plant is part of the Euphorbiaceae or Spurge family, and is one of the most popular potted flowers in the United States, although native to southern Mexico. The poinsettia is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, a botanist, physician and the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Poinsett introduced the poinsettia plant to the United States in 1825. Today, poinsettias decorate many...
Picking up the baton for Grandma
When I was six years old, my grandmother, who I call “Gran,” got some terrifying news that no one ever wants to hear – she had breast cancer. My family was frightened, but we rallied around her while she endured harsh treatments and fought the disease. I do not remember many details, but I do recall Gran telling me that she was going to lose her hair and be very tired. She wore her bald head with pride alongside my dad who shaved his...
Making Strides’ honored guests
The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Committee and the American Cancer Society welcome all those who have been touched by breast cancer. Regardless of where you are in your breast cancer journey – newly diagnosed, in the midst of treatment or celebrating another year of life – all survivors are welcome, in fact encouraged, to share in the survivor experience. As a survivor, you are our Making Strides Guests of Honor, as you...
Navigating your cancer
Many times, this journey starts before you receive your cancer diagnosis. You are scheduled for some type of diagnostic procedure, a mammogram, breast ultrasound, MRI, a biopsy – fine needle aspiration, core needle, stereotactic core needle biopsy. You are starting to learn the language of cancer. Just like high school French class, you will have to do your homework. Knowledge is power, it can help quiet some of your fear. The...
A time for determination
You are invited to join the Concord community by saying “Yes to Hope” on Sunday, Oct. 18. You can help finish the fight against breast cancer by raising funds for and participating in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a celebration of survivorship – an occasion to express hope and our shared determination to make this breast cancer’s last century. Our Making...
