This Week in Concord History
Feb. 16, 1943: The temperature falls to 37 below zero at 8:30 a.m., the coldest temperature ever measured in Concord. The record had been 35 below, set Jan. 8, 1878. Feb. 16, 2002: In Concord, a blaze that brings the city’s entire firefighting fleet to Main Street damages the two brick buildings that house Granite Bank and Eye 2 Eye Gallery. Nobody is hurt. Feb. 17, 1874: Franklin B. Evans, killer of Josianna Lovering of Northwood, is...
Book of the Week: ‘Uprooted’
Uprooted Naomi Novik 2015, 435 pages Fiction Agnieszka is a village girl who is happy with her home, her family and her friends, especially her best friend, Kasia. Their local magician protects them from the dangerous creatures of the forest, which allows them to live on the border of their land. Everyone knows that Kasia will be taken by the magician as a servant at the upcoming harvest festival, as he always takes the best and the...
Bulletin Board
Pianist Frederic Chiu to perform at the Audi Renowned Pianist Frederic Chiu will heat up the Concord City Auditorium stage on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a “Classical Smackdown.” Chiu will engage the audience to judge the contest as his award-winning performance pits Prokofiev vs. Debussy. The event is presented by the Concord Community Concert Association – the fourth program in the association’s 85th season. The Audi opens at 6:30...
It’s Primary Day! Oh, and there’s plenty of other stuff going on, too
Tuesday If you’ve been completely disconnected from the outside world for the past six or so months, we feel bad for you. That’s no way to go through life. It’s also no way to learn that the presidential primary – the first in the nation – is upon us. We’re not big on the political stuff here at the Insider, but we’re sure many of you are, so here is your official reminder to go out and vote. You know, if you want to. If you’d like to...
NHTI Wheelchair Basketball Benefit raises money for students with disabilities
The 14th NHTI Wheelchair Basketball Benefit was held last week, and as you can probably guess, there were lots of out-of-control drivers rolling around the NHTI court. In addition to all the high-speed crashes and missed wheelers down the lane, the annual event, held in honor of former NHTI student Zech DeVits, helps raise much-needed funds to purchase assistive technology for NHTI students with disabilities. The total raised through...
Join the ‘WE Are Concord’ conversation
“WE Are Concord” is a collaborative effort aimed at getting our community talking together and shaping solutions to promote collaboration and healthy problem solving by building trust, strengthening relationships and increasing understanding in the community. We invite everyone to join us at a series of community conversations starting Saturday, Feb. 13, from 9 to 11 a.m. for breakfast and conversation at IBEW Local 490, 48 Airport...
Get a dose of Love, Lust & Desire with McGowan’s V-Day show
The eighth annual Love, Lust & Desire show is currently on display at McGowan Fine Art, featuring the work of more than 50 artists. Each piece is priced $300 or less and sized at 8½ by 11 inches or smaller, so all the work is sized to fit in any space in your house. The exhibit runs through Saturday.
City Briefly
Last week, City Manager Tom Aspell was so excited about Valentine’s Day, he spent many late nights making chocolates in the shape of Concord landmarks, filling out Concord-themed Valentine’s Day cards and writing personal notes to each citizen. But never fear, he also had time to pen his weekly city memo, too. Writing checks New property on the books The Concord Housing + Redevelopment Authority (CH+R) has added a new purchase to its...
This Week in Concord History
Feb. 9, 1988: Fresh from a first-place finish in Iowa, U.S. Sen. Bob Dole takes a hard anti-Communist line in a Concord campaign appearance. He warns against “glasnost fever,” saying: “Whatever glasnost is, it is not democracy. Whatever else Gorbachev may be, he is still a hard-as-nails Communist.” Feb. 9. 2001: Concord High sophomore Rachel Umberger wins the 300-meter and 1,000-meter runs at the state Indoor Track and Field...
Bulletin Board
Stamp collectors to meet Feb. 16 in Bow The Merrimack County Stamp Collectors will hold its monthly meeting at the Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow, on Feb. 16 at 1 p.m. All who are interested in stamp collecting are welcome to attend. Meet other collectors and learn more about their hobby and varied interests in Philatelic resources and issues. For more information, call Dan Day at 228-1154. Dan Day Quilters...
Look at what we found walking around the Discovery Center
We’re all about learning new things and taking a trip to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center last week sure did help us expand our knowledge. The place is filled with all kinds of cool stuff involving space, the study of the universe and things we just found quirky. And of course we took pictures to document our travels so we could share it with all of you.
Well, there’s wheelchair basketball, films and plenty of talks
Tuesday NHTI’s Wings of Knowledge series continues with UNH Professor Harvard Sitkoff, who will be presenting “The Martin Luther King Few Remember or Know.” Sitkoff kinda knows what he’s talking about since he did after all write a biography titled, King: Pilgrimage to the Mountaintop. The presentation will be held in the Sweeney Hall Auditorium (S-122) at 6 p.m., and is free and open to the public. Refreshments will follow his...
Take a look at who took home the N.H. Theatre Awards this year
The 14th annual New Hampshire Theatre Awards were held at the Capitol Center for the Arts on Jan. 23. Production companies, professional and community actors, as well as those who work behind the scenes, were recognized for all they had done over the previous year. Many local actors and theater groups were nominated for their worthy productions and as you will soon find out, a few even took home some hardware. Concord Community...
Nothing says winter in Concord quite like Black Ice Pond Hockey
The sixth annual 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship took over White Park last weekend, with more than 90 teams in seven divisions taking part in the three-day festivities that saw teams come from all over New Hampshire and beyond. Some play at a high level, while others simply play just to put the skates on again. So we had to stop by and check out the action and here’s a sampling of what we found.
City Briefly
Last week, City Manager Tom Aspell decided he wanted to become the first Concord City Manager in Space, so he spent many hours researching outer space at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discover Center in hopes the program would one day be created. Luckily, Aspell also had time to write his weekly city memo for the good people of Concord, which we decided to print a portion of. That sounds expensive Water main breaks An early morning water main...
Instagram Photo of the Week
Instagram user @a_bacher15 took this shot of a professional snow sculptor – yes, that’s a real thing – carving the 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship logo into a somewhat man-made snow bank at White Park last weekend. Nice work, snow sculptor. Now, how can we apply for your job?
This Week in Concord History
Feb. 2, 1942: Concord’s chief air raid warden, Gladstone Jordan, has signed up 304 wardens to watch the skies over the city. Jordan says 200 more are needed. Feb. 2, 1996: President Bill Clinton visits Concord’s Walker School and speaks to students at the Capitol Center. He praises Concord schools for innovative use of computers in the classroom. Feb. 2. 2001: WKXL, Concord’s local radio station, is about to make dramatic changes to...
Bulletin Board
Capital Area ARES to meet Monday at Red Cross The Capital Area Amateur Radio Emergency Service will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Concord American Red Cross, 2 Maitland St. This meeting is open to all interested hams or people who are interested in getting a ham radio license. For more info, visit ca-ares.org. Don Curtis ‘Calendar Girls’ up next for Community Players The Community Players of Concord will...
Book of the Week: ‘The Fold’
The Fold Peter Clines 2015, 384 pages Fiction Mike Erikson’s students would say that he’s a normal teacher. His friends know differently. Although Mike doesn’t like to use it, his gift for synthesizing information and his photographic memory have made him the go-to guy for solving mysteries, and his best friend has just presented him with a new one. In the California desert, a team of scientists has invented teleportation (possibly)...
It was a chilly and fun weekend at White Park and Beaver Meadow
There was all kinds of winter fun to be had around Concord this past weekend. White Park hosted the Winter Carnival on Saturday, and Beaver Meadow Golf Course held the Blast Into Winter Family Fun Day on Sunday. The Winter Carnival saw dozens brave the super-cold temps and take to the ice and sled slopes. The Blast Into Winter event wasn’t quite as popular, despite undoubtedly nicer weather. Perhaps the looming Patriots game had...
Breakfast, basketball and programming
Wednesday If you’re an early bird who likes to eat breakfast – and you are or want to be a captain at the Rock ‘N Race – you’ll want to check out the Merrimack County Savings Bank Rock ‘N Race Captains’ Breakfast. It’s a chance for you to enjoy a delicious breakfast, learn how to organize a team and maybe even take home a special token of appreciation. And it will support Concord Hospital Payson Center for Cancer Care, which is always...
We checked out Art & Bloom, and here’s some of what you missed
The Concord Garden Club held its 14th annual Art & Bloom exhibit at McGowan Fine Art last week, and since it’s on display for just three days – because flowers only last so long – you unfortunately missed out on all the fragrant smells that reminded us of spring. Luckily, we stopped in to see what kind of floral arrangements garden club members came up with to represent the art chosen by McGowan owner Sarah Chaffee. In all, there...
NHTI wheelchair game set for Feb. 3
The legacy of Zech DeVits lives on, as NHTI hosts its 13th Annual Wheelchair Basketball Benefit on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 4 p.m. in the Goldie Crocker Wellness Center. This year’s competition will feature a team composed of NHTI students coordinated by Athletic Director Paul Hogan. The opposing team is made up of NHTI faculty, administrators and staff, backed by players from event sponsors Granite State Independent Living (GSIL) and the...
Special reception, documentary to honor life of Christa McAuliffe
As the official New Hampshire memorial to Christa McAuliffe, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the launch and subsequent loss of the space shuttle Challenger and its brave crew, including Christa McAuliffe, with a showing of the documentary on McAuliffe, Reach for the Stars, at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and with a special reception for teachers, school administrators, school board...
The Audi’s looking pretty fresh after its semiannual new paint job
Twice a year, the Friends of the Audi get together to paint the stage floor at the Concord City Auditorium. Since the stage sees thousands of dancing and tapping feet every year, it takes quite a beating and needs to be repainted every so often. The first paint job comes during the annual Pitch In at the end of August. The other comes during the Dr. Martin Luther King Service Day, held on the holiday named after that civil rights...
Slip and slide and learn to skate with the Itsy Bitsy Skaters Program
Concord Parks and Recreation offers the Itsy Bitsy Skaters Program for kids ages 3 to 5 on Wednesday afternoons at Everett Arena. This is a chance for little ones to get familiar with moving around on the ice, with guidance from some of Parks and Rec’s finest instructors. This past Wednesday was another slippery good time.
Book of the Week: ‘Black-Eyed Susans’
Black-Eyed Susans Julia Heaberlin 2015, 368 pages Fiction Tessa Cartwright was found, barely alive, in a Texas field at 16 among the bones of three other young women and a field of black-eyed susans. She could never remember what happened to her, but the supposed killer was caught and Tessa’s testimony put him on death row. Almost 20 years later, Tessa is terrified to discover a patch of freshly transplanted black-eyed susans blooming...
Bulletin Board
Gibson’s to host ‘Concord Through Time’ author Join Gibson’s Bookstore on Friday at 5:30 p.m. as Bettey Finney Tobey takes us on a journey through time in Concord, comparing the Concord of the past to the Concord of now in Concord Through Time! Years of research have gone into this photograph-filled book. Concord has an interesting blend of cultures, including Native American tribes and immigrants from many other nations. Concord has...
Look who we found trying to create a love connection on Craigslist
We took to Craigslist last week to see what was happening on the Missed Connections pages. And as always, there were a lot of posts – some of which we could print and you’ll find here for your unedited viewing pleasure – and others that lets just aren’t fit for publication. Talked for over an hour (you’re definitely a gamer) – m4w (Concord Mall) – Jan. 18 Hey. We had a great conversation at the Concord mall. You came into where...
