This Week in Concord History
March 15, 1855: After the anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant Know-Nothing movement makes major gains in the annual elections, Concord editor George G. Fogg exults over the ousting of entrenched political powers. He writes: “Cowering and quivering before the indignation they have aroused, the panders of Slavery, Intemperance, Catholicism and every manner of evil lie stunned and prostrate at the people’s feet.” March 15, 1914: The Right Rev....
21C is hosting a color run, and you’re invited
As the warm weather approaches, it’s hard not to be itching for some outside time. It’s also the perfect opportunity to revisit that exercise routine you swore you’d start when the calendar switched to 2016, but never got around to. Although running for miles on end can be boring sometimes. There’s only so much Katy Perry and Beyonce we can handle before each passing stride becomes more increasingly painful. So anything to break up...
Spoon making and a night of comedy
Tuesday Ah, to be a kid again. Remember when your biggest concern in life was which color Play-doh to play with? Well, you can take a trip down memory lane and re-live those good ol’ days at The Children’s Place and Parent Education Center’s open house. From 4 to 6 p.m., have fun with Play-doh, blocks, painting, dress-up, a sand table, jumping area, kitchen, library and puppet theatre, along with refreshments and a raffle for a free...
There’s a lot of good times happening in the 21C program
If you haven’t noticed yet, this issue is kind of a guide to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers in the Concord School District. For the most part, it’s a collection of after school activities geared toward helping students grow academically, socially and of course, in the fun department. And while we understand the importance of academics and stress the notion of staying in school, kids doing homework, working on computer...
Concord students sure know how to put on a great art show
It’s Youth Art Month and you know what that means – the annual Concord School District Art Show at Steeplegate Mall. This yearly exhibit of Concord students’ work, from elementary to high school, has been going on for many years. The exhibit is on display through April 13, and just a little FYI – if you plan on going, etch out a considerable amount of time, because there’s a lot of work to look at, and we really mean a lot. So here’s...
Is that really a huge pile of snow?
As you’ve probably noticed, there’s not a lot of snow out there these days. Not like there was really was at any point this winter. But take a trip on Airport Road on the Manchester Street side of things and you’ll be as surprised as we were to find this massive pile of disgusting looking frozen stuff. We actually did a second drive by to make sure our eyes weren’t tricking us. But it is in fact a very large pile of snowy, icy crud...
City Briefly
Last week, City Manager Tom Aspell was so excited to turn the calendar to March that he realized how much exciting news he had to share with the residents of Concord. So like each week, he sat down and wrote out his city memo and we decided, like most weeks, to print it for your viewing pleasure Time to pay up Tax installments are due Residents are reminded that fourth quarter installment payments for 2015 property taxes are due by...
Bulletin Board
Quilters guild to hold monthly workshop Friday The Capital Quilters Guild will meet at Havenwood, 33 Christian Ave. on Friday, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. All quilters and friends are welcome to attend. Our featured speaker will be Diana Annis, who will be doing a presentation on machine quilting. Her Friday night trunk show will demonstrate many different styles of quilting as well as her growth as a quilter. She will also introduce us to...
Instagram Photo of the Week
You’re probably curious as to what it is you’re looking at right now and justifiably so. Luckily for you, we have an answer – whether it’s the right one or not is up for debate. Those are what appear to be air pockets under some very think ice on top of foliage at the Forest Society taken by Instagram user @popnsnap. Pretty cool, right?
Book of the Week: ‘The Gilded Hour’
The Gilded Hour Sara Donati 2015, 741 pages Fiction A thoroughly entertaining period drama with dashes of mystery and romance, The Gilded Hour is about two female doctors, Dr. Liliane “Anna” Savard and Dr. Sophie Elodie Savard, who live near Washington Square with their Aunt Quinlan and her widowed stepdaughter, Margaret. As the book opens, Sophie is out delivering a baby, so Anna goes to issue health certificates for orphans with a...
This Week in Concord History
March 8, 1973: Gov. Mel Thomson makes a surprise visit to the state hospital kitchen and declares that the patients are being fed “poorly and revoltingly.” He orders samples of the food to be brought to the State House to be viewed by legislators and reporters. March 8, 1987: Ray Barham’s first column appears in the Monitor. Barham is serving life without parole at New Hampshire State Prison for a 1981 murder. March 8, 2001: Carolyn...
Sean Ambrose spends a lot of time putting ink on people’s bodies
We caught up with Sean Ambrose, owner of Arrows & Embers Tattoo, last week to see just what it’s like to put permanent ink on someone else’s skin. Do you get asked to do the same tattoo a lot? It’s funny, it comes in waves. But here we do emphasize helping people express their individuality. That’s why we don’t have any flash on the walls, we do everything custom and draw everything from scratch for everybody. Even if somebody...
There’s all-you-can-eat pizza, plenty of music and a science talk
Tuesday In case you haven’t heard, there’s this thing called the Science Cafe put on at The Draft and moderated by the Monitor’s own David Brooks. This month’s topic is the revolution in modifying genes via the technology known as CRISPR. Panelists include Subhash Minocha and Thomas Davis, professors of Plant Biology and Genetics at UNH. The talk begins at 6. Wednesday If you don’t know about R.P. Hale, then you haven’t read past this...
Nothing says a fun day at the office like bouncing off your co-worker
As you’ve probably noticed, we get to do some pretty cool stuff as members of the “Insider.” From taste testing all the new restaurants to shooting fake bad guys to riding along with the Concord Fire Department, there’s always a fun adventure waiting for us to try. What can we say? It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it (and we’re just glad it’s us). So when we heard that the Bounce House Entertainment Center at Steeplegate...
City Briefly
Last week, City Manager Tom Aspell was trying to think of a different and exciting way to deliver his weekly City Memo. Then it came to him . . . How about tattooing it on a city worker, taking a picture and sending it via social media? Unfortunately, there were no takers, so instead Aspell sent it out in the traditional way, which we have printed here for your viewing pleasure. As the bridge turns More Sewalls news for ya Last week’s...
This Week in Concord History
March 1, 1860: During the afternoon, Abraham Lincoln addresses a large crowd at the Phenix Hotel in Concord. He speaks to an even larger one in the evening in Manchester. The mayor of Manchester introduces him as “the next president of the United States.” Lincoln’s appearances follow a trip to see his son, Robert, at Phillips Exeter Academy. March 1, 1876: Concord’s North Church, at North State and Chapel streets, is consecrated for...
Book of the Week: ‘The Dogist’
The Dogist Elias Weiss Friedman 2015, 304 pages Nonfiction If you have ever wanted to be overwhelmed by the cuteness and lovability of dogs, this book is for you. The Dogist (which started and continues as a Tumblr, Facebook and Instagram account) contains photos of dogs with little commentary, ranging from the smallest (Chihuahuas) to the largest (Great Danes). The photographs are beautifully composed and presented with very little...
Bulletin Board
Meet PBS host at Winter Farmers’ Market Mary Ann Esposito, host of PBS series Ciao Italia, will be doing a book signing at the Winter Farmers’ Market at Cole Gardens on Saturday, from 10 to 11 a.m. Esposito will be signing copies of her latest cookbook, Ciao Italia Family Classics, featuring more than 200 recipes, and Ciao Italia aprons. Cookbooks and aprons will be available at the farmers’ market. For more info, visit...
We dug deep in our desk drawers to see what we could find
If you haven’t noticed, this issue is dedicated to getting rid of some things that have been hanging around our office, desks and emails for a week, a month and some, even longer. But don’t let the title fool you, there’s some pretty great stuff in this here edition of the “Insider.” Since this is the Junk Drawer Issue, we thought it might be a good idea to see what stuff has been sitting in our desk drawers for who knows how long and...
The accolades just keep coming for the ‘Insider’
We were pretty spoiled when it came to Grange media awards last year. Not only did former editor Keith Testa receive one from the Concord Grange in the spring, which was kind of like an award for the entire paper since it is just a staff of two, but that was followed up with the state media award given out by the N.H. State Grange in October. Who knew the Concord Insider had so many fans – especially outside our little bubble that is...
Pirates, line dancing, discussions and a whole bunch of movies
Tuesday So if you didn’t know, there’s a pretty bad heroin epidemic sweeping the nation right now. What do you know about it? Well, you can find out and ask questions of panelists including the Laconia deputy fire chief, a Laconia police officer, the Director of Phoenix House and a recovering heroin addict at NHTI’s “The Many Faces of Heroin” from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Sweeney Hall Auditorium. The public is invited to attend and...
Look who we found trying to create a love connection on Craigslist
Since this is the junk drawer issue, we figured we’d spend a little time poking around Craigslist to see what’s been happening on the Missed Connections pages since we last checked in. And as always, there were a lot of posts – including some that we could even print. Here are a selection of the best ones for your unedited viewing pleasure. The Draft-Saturday Night – m4w (Concord) Feb. 21 You were sitting at the bar, facing my...
Don’t be jealous, but Kristyn Galante has been to a Super Bowl
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) introduces you to another “Young Professional of the Month,” Kristyn Galante, interviewed by Annika Stanely-Smith of the CYPN Steering Committee. How old are you? 27 Where do you live? I am originally from Massachusetts, but moved to Laconia last June. Where do you currently work? New Hampshire Motor Speedway Where did you go to school? Johnson &...
The ‘Insider’ sure has been busy traveling all over the world
It’s not easy living a carefree existence, traveling the world on a whim, but that’s just how it goes for us these days. For some reason, people like to take us on vacation with them and document all the fun we’re having with scenic pictures. We took so many trips in 2015 that we had a stock pile of photos just waiting to show off the luxurious life style we live. So in keeping with the cleaning out of our junk drawer theme, we...
Classic Concord Photo
These boys of summer took home the Merrimack Valley Baseball League championship in 1922. Red Rolfe, the future New York Yankee, was in eighth grade at the time. Rolfe would go on to play in the Sunset League before going to Dartmouth.
Instagram Photo of the Week
We’ve always thought Concord was a beautiful city, especially as the sun begins to set on what we can only assume was yet another glorious day, and this Instagram photo only reaffirms our incredible insight. If you want to see your Instagram pics in an “Insider” to be named later, make sure to tag us using #concordinsider.
This Week in Concord History
Feb. 23, 1795: A group of men meets at Butters’ Tavern to plan a bridge across the Merrimack River. It will be built near the site of today’s Manchester Street bridge. Feb. 23, 1799: Seven men hold the first Masonic meeting in Concord at Gale’s Anchor Tavern. Feb. 23, 1847: A meeting is held in Concord to organize a relief effort to aid victims of the Irish famine. The following donations are collected: $1,293.02 and 100 bushels of...
Book of the Week: ‘Jacksonland’
Jacksonland Steve Inskeep 2015, 10 audio CDs Nonfiction Jacksonland is a fascinating history of one of the United States’s most influential presidents, Andrew Jackson, and the events leading up to expulsion of Native Americans from the southern U.S. known as the Trail of Tears. Author Steve Inskeep, the co-host of NPR’s Morning Edition, intertwines Jackson’s story, both personal and political, with the story of Chief John Ross, who...
NHTI staffers need your vote to earn top spot in photo contest
There’s nothing quite like some good ol’ fashioned friendly competition among co-workers. Especially when the winner of said competition earns bragging rights around the office for the foreseeable future. So when we happened upon a collection of photos taken by NHTI staffers in the school’s library with the word contest associated with it, we had to take some pictures. Nine members of the NHTI staff, Steve Ambra, John Dennett, Sarah...
