Book of the Week: ‘4321’
4 3 2 1Paul Auster2017, 941 pagesFiction Paul Auster spins a sweeping tale of the four different fictional, simultaneous lives of one boy, Archibald Isaac Ferguson. “Ferguson” (as each Ferguson goes by) begins his life on March 3, 1947 in Newark, N.J., and from there, Auster takes Ferguson on four different life journeys that seem to be primarily impacted by a situation that each of Ferguson’s father (Stanley) reacts to differently...
This Week in Concord History
Jan. 15, 1932: It’s a January thaw to remember: For the third day in a row, the temperature in Concord tops 60 degrees. Jan. 15, 1965: Gov. John King announces plans to purchase Concord’s old post office on State Street and turn it into state offices. A new post office is under construction at Pleasant and South streets. Jan. 16, 1942: Five soldiers from Manchester crash the car they are driving in West Concord, where one of them has...
Scavenger Hunt: How well do you know Concord’s parks?
It’s a new year, and with that, we decided to create a new mission for all of you: Figure out which city parks are pictured here. Some clues may be a bit obvious while others might be tricky. It’s up to you to use the pictures and the clues to figure out which parks we hit up last week. The first person to correctly identify every park pictured (send responses to news@theconcordinsider.com) will win a $25 gift card to a Concord...
Making Good Health Simple: Food selection, preparation is the most important job
Let’s pretend your boss walked into your office and told you that your new job would be to: 1. Complete a repetitive task a minimum of three times every single day. 2. For maximum effectiveness the task should take less than 20 minutes each time. 3. Multiple poor choices could cause irreparable damage. 4. A human life would depend on your execution. Gulp! Insert deep breath. Sweat starts to bead on your forehead. You look at your...
CYPN: Michelle Simmons loves albatrosses and Ferraris
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Concord Young Professionals Network introduces you to our “Young Professional of the Month,” Michelle Simmons. Each month the CYPN Steering Committee recommends a young professional in the community it thinks readers would enjoy getting to know better.Where do you live? A hobbit-hole in Concord. All I’m missing is the round door.Where do you currently work? Daystar, a managed-services IT...
Entertainment: Tons of live music everywhere, plus an original play at Hatbox
It’s a fairly busy week around here on the entertainment front, especially Saturday, with nine separate music shows plus the original new play Fade at Hatbox Theatre, among other things. There’s plenty of other stuff going on, too. See for yourself: Music Tuesday Michael Loughlin at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Dan Walker at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Thursday Paul Hubert at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Dan Walker at Cheers at...
Bulletin Board: Space camp scholarships, stamp collectors, etc.
Apply for space camp scholarships Applications for the 2019 round of Alex Higgins Memorial Space Camp Scholarships are now available on the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center’s website, starhop.com, and at the Discovery Center Reception Desk; applications are due to the Discovery Center by March 4. This competitive program is open to all New Hampshire residents ages 9-18, and covers full tuition and room and board at the U.S. Space...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Special election notice, Rundlett food drive and more
The city of Concord’s public information officer, Stefanie Breton, sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The newsletter contained too much information for us to fit into this spot, so we’re just printing some highlights here. For the full newsletter, go to concordnh.gov and click the “Newsletter” button on the home page. Special election notice A special election to fill current City Council vacancies will be held in...
This Week in Concord History
Jan. 8, 1878: A temperature of 35 below zero is recorded in Concord, an all-time record cold reading for the city that will stand for more than 65 years. Jan. 8, 1895: The Supreme Court and State Library buildings are dedicated in Concord. Jan. 8, 1988: During a visit to Pleasant View retirement community in Concord, GOP presidential candidate Alexander Haig impresses resident Millicent Sawyer. “He’s even better-looking in person than...
Book of the Week: ‘The Amulet of Samarkand’
The Amulet of Samarkand Jonathan Stroud 2003, 462 pages Middle-school fantasy It is wonderful and surprising to find that a book is narrated by a supernatural creature, in this case, a Djinni – immeasurably old, shape-shifting, wily, and a congenial and very funny narrator. His brain is so busy on so many levels that he thinks in footnotes while also describing his ongoing task of stealing a precious amulet from one of the most...
The 2019 entertainment scene is stacked
As you all know quite well, Concord is a hot spot for entertainment. Between live music, performances and films, there’s always something to see and do. And since this is the Looking Ahead to 2019 Issue, we decided to check out the upcoming schedules and share some of the highlights we found. Community Players of Concord To continue the 2018-19 season, everyone’s favorite local theater group will perform The Farnsworth Invention, Feb....
Crystal Reynolds is your new Insider teacher
Mom, high school teacher, manager, coach, waitress, housekeeper, nanny, Jasper at Chuck E Cheese, and now local newspaper columnist – just a few of the jobs I have had in my life. For as long as I can remember I have always felt the desire to help people in a meaningful way. The majority of the time my expertise is sought after and welcomed, and other times… well I’ve offered up my unsolicited healthful suggestions anyway. For the...
Sign up for comedy-writing workshop soon
Laughta In New Hampsha’s School of Comedy presents a comedy writing workshop taught by professional comedy writer and coach Brita Wanger. Wanger, who has spent her career nurturing, discovering and coaching comedy talent as a network programming executive for Saturday Night Live, Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show and as one of the founders of the NBC Late Night Writers Workshop, will present the workshop on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 2 to 4...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Christmas tree collection, natural gas safety and more
The city of Concord’s public information officer, Stefanie Breton, sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The newsletter contained too much information for us to fit into this spot, so we’re just printing some highlights here. For the full newsletter, go to concordnh.gov and click the “Newsletter” button on the home page. Christmas tree collection Christmas tree collection starts Monday. This two week program will allow...
Entertainment: New show at Hatbox, full slate at Red River
Now that we’ve all made it through the holidays, it’s time to sit back, relax – and enjoy all the great live entertainment Concord has to offer. Music Tuesday Scott Solsky at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Open mic at Area 23 at 7 p.m. Paul Donahue at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Thursday Bach’s Lunch Lecture: “Come Rain or Come Shine” – Weather Songs with Jim Webber at Concord Community Music School at 12:10 p.m....
This Week in Concord History
Jan. 1, 1819: The Phenix Hotel, built by Abel Hutchins, opens on Main Street in Concord as “a house of entertainment.” Jan. 1, 1865: Lewis Downing Sr. retires from Abbot & Downing, his coach and wagon company. Jan. 1, 2000: About 50 people from the state and the private sector huddle in an emergency operation center in Concord, ready to respond to whatever havoc the dreaded Y2K computer glitch may bring. To their...
Book of the Week: ‘The Power’
The Power Naomi Alderman 2017, 341 pages Fiction In Naomi Alderman’s feminist dystopia, The Power, girls and women develop the ability to electrocute people with their hands. This, predictably, leads to significant changes to the balance of power in the world. The reader experiences this evolution of this otherworld through the eyes of four main characters – Roxy, a tough British girl with a gangster father and a “skein” that no...
Year in Review: 2018 was a long, strange trip – let’s look back on some of the highlights
Believe it or not, it’s already that time again. This will be the last Insider issue of 2018, so it’s only natural that we use this space to look back on the year that was.2018 was a whirlwind around here, with lots of big changes both for the city and for this paper. Interestingly enough, most of the major changes that took place over the year involved our old buddy Tim Goodwin, who will be making a cameo appearance next week as I...
Still looking for New Year’s plans? We got you
Christmas is now a thing of the past, and there’s only one more holiday left this calendar year – New Year’s Eve.Traditionally one of the biggest party nights of the year, you don’t want to be the only one you know who has nothing to do to ring in the new year. Luckily, there are several events going on across Concord that you can get in on – assuming you act quickly enough to grab a reservation (where required).Last week, we told you...
Take a Tour de Fries around Concord
We did a Burgers Issue in February 2017, and although there was a small piece in that issue about fries, it wasn’t really enough to do justice to a food item that is such a staple of American cuisine. Therefore, welcome to the Fries Issue, at long last. For this piece, our self-imposed rules were pretty simple: order the smallest portion of fries possible from every burger place in town and eat them, comparing the merits of each. We...
Grappone Conference Center to throw big New Year’s Eve bash
Even though we haven’t even gotten to Christmas yet, the other big holiday around this time of year – New Year’s Eve – is fast approaching, and we figured we’d get the word out about a big bash going down before it’s too late.One of the challenges of trying to find a great New Year’s party to attend in Concord is that there usually aren’t many of them. The city stopped doing First Night celebrations years ago amid financial trouble...
Hit your stride at the new Strive Indoor Cycling studio in downtown Concord
As though you needed any more evidence that Concord is becoming more and more focused on health and wellness by the day, there’s now a new business – well, actually a pair of new businesses – downtown that aim to keep expanding on that theme. Strive Indoor Cycling, the city’s only dedicated indoor cycling studio, opened Dec. 8 at 10 Hills Ave., the former home of McGowan Fine Art. Since we’ve been in the habit of checking in on places...
Entertainment: Last chance to see some Christmas plays in Concord
This issue of the Insider comes out exactly one week before Christmas, meaning this will be your last chance to check out some Christmas shows this year (or at least your last chance to learn about them in this paper). If you miss out and have to wait until next year, don’t say we didn’t give you fair warning. Also, there’s plenty of non-Christmas stuff on the docket this week, including several concerts and movies that don’t have a...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Holiday hours, Beaver Meadow activities, utility work and more
The city of Concord’s public information officer, Stefanie Breton, sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The newsletter contained too much information for us to fit into this spot, so we’re just printing some highlights here. For the full newsletter, go to concordnh.gov and click the “Newsletter” button on the home page.Holiday hoursAll City of Concord offices will be closing at 1 p.m. on Monday (Christmas Eve) and will...
Bulletin Board: Tickets now available for NHTI’s Winter Fling
Stamp collectors’ meeting in Bow The Merrimack County Stamp Collectors will hold its monthly meeting at the Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow, on Tuesday (Dec. 18) beginning at 1 p.m. We invite all who are interested in stamp collecting to attend, share their interest, buy, sell and trade. Meet other collectors and learn more about their hobby and enjoy the fellowship of others with varied interests in Philatelic...
White Park skate house begins to take shape
The walls may be up at the White Park skate house, but Concord officials say the building won’t be ready for public use by the next 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship. Work on the foundation, drainage and patio have been ongoing since the project kicked off this past summer, according to a December report from city director of redevelopment and special projects, Matt Walsh. But while the framing may be up, exterior work will...
PHOTOS: Wreaths laid at veterans’ graves in Concord’s Old North Cemetery
Volunteers with the Pierce Brigade led the charge to lay wreaths at veterans’ graves Friday morning. The chilly weather couldn’t stop the dozen or so people from laying more than a hundred wreaths at Concord’s Old North Cemetery. “It gets very personal for me,” said Matthew Wieczhalek-Seiler, who brought Hometown Heroes to Concord and lost his own brother, who died two years ago while serving in the Army. Volunteers showed respect in...
Comfort Inn wins Commissioner’s Award as 2018 Disability Employment Champion
The Comfort Inn recently received the Commissioner’s Award as the 2018 Disability Employment Champion by the Department of Business and Economic Affairs. The award was accepted by Comfort Inn’s General Manager Joyce McCabe along with four of her associates with hearing disabilities. The Comfort Inn, a property of the Duprey Hospitality Company, is a well-respected local business. The staff was recognized for their ability to hire...
Blast from the past: Remembering Concord’s old lamplighter – the person, not the restaurant
Main Street, Concord, is pictured here on a dark night back on July 25, 1953. This photograph was taken shortly after Concord Electric installed new electric street lights on Main Street. Our Main Street wasn’t always so bright – light was indeed a luxury not easily afforded to our ancestors. In the 1880s, the Concord lamplighter still walked the old cobbled streets of downtown Concord – a lonely, solitary man fortunate to have a job...
Book of the Week: ‘Deck the Hounds’
Deck the HoundsDavid Rosenfelt2018, 358 pagesFiction/Mystery Lawyer Andy Carpenter sees a homeless man on a street in winter in Paterson, N.J., Andy’s hometown. The homeless man has an adorable dog with him and they are huddled together in front of a pawn shop in the cold. Andy gives him some money and a gift card for a pet store. When his wife finds out about it, she tells Andy that they need to let the man stay in a vacant apartment...
