Watch out good people of Bow ’cause we’re coming to your town
It’s been just over a year since we ventured outside the city limits for the first and only time, and we’ve been dreaming of the day we could once again step over the border that has kept us captive for nearly eight years.But since we only cover Concord and the Border Issue was really a one shot deal, we couldn’t justify crossing over those imaginary lines. That is until now.By this point, you’ve seen the front cover and realized that...
We wanted to get to know the town of Bow, so we went to Google
Since we had never crossed the border into Bow, which for the longest time we pictured as a moat like body of water filled with venomous snakes and great white sharks, we figured this was the perfect time to brush up on all things Bow.Just to clarify: there is not actually a moat filled with dangerous creatures. There are real roads that lead right into Bow. We know, crazy, huh?Anyway, so we took to the Google machine last week to see...
Get ready to brush up on all things Jon Bodell, the newest Insider
The Insider is very sad to move on from the legendary Keith Testa – as are all of you, we’re sure – but excited to welcome Jon Bodell, the newest member of the team striving for that legendary status.Jon is from the South Shore of Massachusetts but has made numerous spots in New Hampshire his home since graduating from UNH in 2010. He started as a copy editor at the Monitor just days after graduation, worked the night desk and wrote...
It’s a Keith farewell scavenger hunt
As a sendoff to our beloved editor Keith, we thought we’d do a scavenger hunt of some of his favorite places in Concord. Is it the hardest hunt ever? Mmm, no. Is it the easiest? Probably. But it’s definitely the Keithest. Email your answers to news@theconcordinsider.com and the person who gets the most correct receives a $20 gift certificate to the Concord business of their...
Bring your primary photos to Gibson’s for an Aug. 23 scanning sesh
Having the first primary in the nation is a source of great pride for New Hampshire, but it’s also a source of great, and often humorous or off-beat, photos. And we’re no dummies – we know you’ve been hoarding some of the best ones out there.Well, we want to see ’em. And so does everyone else. The Concord Monitor is looking for any and all interesting photos featuring candidates on the campaign trail in our great state. And since we...
Join us in bidding a fond farewell to Keith, who (::sniff::) is leaving us
We hope you’re sitting down for this. Standing can get pretty tiring, that’s all. Anyway, the Insider’s fearless leader is leaving (note: fearlessness approximate). That’s right, Keith accepted a job with the UNH School of Law, and this issue is his last hurrah after almost two years as editor, and almost four years with the newspaper. He’s had some adventures, as evidenced by the photos on this page showing him as a zombie (photo...
Concord grad Clara Symmes takes in Germany – and most of Europe
Sit down with Clara Symmes and ask about the last year of her life. Although before posing the open-ended question, you might want to make sure your schedule is clear for the next few hours, because it might just be one of the most exciting years a recent high school graduate could have. Luckily for us, she agreed to do our interview in English. While the summer after your senior year in high school is usually spent working to save...
This Week In Concord History
Aug. 18, 2003: Premium Vending wins its second straight Sunset League title, 7-6 over Craigue and Sons at Doane Diamond in Concord.Aug. 18, 1999: The Executive Council denies a pardon hearing request from a convicted murderer who says, after 23 years in prison, he is a changed and repentant man. Gary Farrow, 43, is serving a life sentence for the 1976 murder of 19-year-old Michael Stitt of Laconia, whose body was found lying behind a...
The Friends Program golf tournament is celebrating its 18th birthday
You’d think the opportunity to golf at perhaps the city’s fanciest venue in the Concord Country Club would be a major part of the appeal of the Friends Program’s upcoming 18th annual Youth Mentoring Golf Tourney. For instance, we don’t get to golf there regularly (what, our free the nipple demonstration there wasn’t received as well as we’d hoped it would be), so it’d be a good chance for us to squeeze in a round. But no, helping the...
Eagle Square went all #tbt on us with an appearance by 60s Invasion
Eagle Square took a trip back in time with the ultimate throwback Thursday last week to see a performance by Sixties Invasion, a show band that performs a wide variety of music from the 1960s. With sing-alongs and a “guest appearance” from the one and only Roy Orbison, the crowd returned to 2015 having seen an impressive tribute. Band members include lead singer Dave Dunham, lead guitarist Bob Clearly, bass player Jack Little and...
City Briefly
Each week, City Manager Tom Aspell locks himself in his office and weeps openly while penning a loving farewell letter to Keith. The tears end up making all the ink run, though, so he just sends him a city memo instead. Keith was nice enough to reprint it here.Log inBridge stuff happeningLast week’s construction activities at the Sewalls Falls Bridge included clearing of land within the project limits and the installation of erosion...
Frank Monahan 5K at Rollins Park Thursday
The Frank Monahan Foundation and Concord Pediatric Dentistry will host the Frank Monahan Foundation 5K on Thursday, Aug. 20 at Rollins Park. The race begins at 6 p.m., with a kids fun run to follow around 7 p.m. Cost is $25 for those who sign up online prior to the day of the event. There are sign ups the day of the event beginning at 4:30 p.m. and the cost is $30. The kids fun run is free. For more information, visit...
Volunteers sought for United Way Day of Caring
Granite United Way will host its annual Day of Caring events this September. Granite United Way works with community members and the corporate community to support the work of many nonprofit agencies throughout the state. During these day-long, participating nonprofit organizations are matched with volunteers from local business and community groups. This day also serves as the “kickoff” to the annual United Way workplace campaigns....
‘A Matter of Balance’ program starts Sept. 14
Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association is offering an eight-week falls prevention program “A Matter of Balance” that helps adults view falls and the fear of falling as controllable, change the environment to reduce fall risk factors and exercise to increase strength and balance. The program takes place on Mondays beginning Sept. 14, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., at Centennial Senior Center, GoodLife Programs & Activities, 254 N....
Hang out with Anna and Elsa from 'Frozen'
Chill Out with Anna and Elsa of Frozen on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at the Concord Library at 10:30 a.m.Enjoy stories, activities and summer treats as we celebrate all things frozen.
Concord Public Library Book of the Week
For more information about the Concord Public Library, visit concordpubliclibrary.net. We’re also on Tumblr (reading-rumblr.tumblr.com and concordteens.tumblr.com), Facebook (facebook.com/ConcordPublicLibrary), and Instagram.A Touch of StardustKate Alcott2015, 296 pagesFictionIt’s 1938, and college-graduate Julie has just landed her first important job in Hollywood – not as a screenwriter, but as an assistant to Carole Lombard, who...
10th annual multicultural festival returns Sept. 26
Ten years ago the Concord Area Task Force Against Racism and Intolerance held the first Concord Multicultural Festival on the State House Plaza. It was the fruition of years of discussion that finally came together thanks to a group of volunteers to create an opportunity for Concord residents to welcome their newest neighbors – the refugees and immigrants who were making Concord their new home. Each year, the festival grew in numbers...
It was man vs. bacon at Area 23, all in the name of ‘Insider’ science
I pulled up to Concord’s new nanobrewery, Area 23, not knowing what to expect. All I had heard was that I could get half a pound of bacon for five bucks and that they had a good selection of local craft beer on tap. They had me at the bacon.Now I’m not one of those bacon junkies who would die without bacon. I appreciate it, I occasionally like it on a burger or I’ll have a couple of pieces if it looks decent in the dining hall at my...
This week in Concord history
Aug. 11, 2003: The Concord City Council strikes a deal with Portsmouth developer Michael Simchik to give both the Sears block and the Penacook tannery some much-needed TLC. Simchik will spend about $10 million to design and build a six-story building full of offices, stores and apartments on the site of the former Sears block downtown.Aug. 11, 2001: The Monitor reports: While speculation about who will run for mayor this fall has been...
Check out this funky stuff over at Mill Brook
Here’s a gander at some of the funky stuff on display at the Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Mill Brook Gallery. The pieces will be on display until Oct. 18.
Pam Tarbell has carved out a nice sculpture niche at Mill Brook Gallery
Most people don’t want strangers showing up unannounced and walking around their property. But not Pam Tarbell. She welcomes visitors to her 236 Hopkinton Road home between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. That’s because Tarbell’s home doubles as Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden, which is closing in on two decades of sharing art with the Concord community. The gallery opened 19 years ago and the following year,...
Instagram photo of the week – Tue, 11 Aug 2015
Sometimes when it’s really hot, you just gotta take your horse into the Merrimack River for a quick dip. That’s what they say, right? At least that’s the scene Instagram user @tkc2000 presented recently. Makes sense, though – a kiddie pool in the backyard wouldn’t exactly cut it for this guy. Photo credit goes to Instagram user @kylephaneufmusic.
International bird feeder powerhouse Duncraft stays true to local roots
“Look at this list,” Mike Dunn tells us as he opens to a page in Stores Magazine, a publication of the National Retail Federation. The top of the page reads “2015 Top 100 Retailers.” The page he flips to lists the top 25, with the other 75 on the following page. “The highlighted ones sell bird feeders,” Dunn says. We count the companies he’s highlighted. Fifteen of the top 25, and every single one of the top 10. While the companies...
They wouldn’t let us in the dome, so what’s Brian Pfitzer’s secret?
The headline for these photos might be a little misleading, because we actually know the answer: the 80s. That’s when Pfitzer finagled his way into the very top portion of the dome, because the 80s was a time when you could ask someone to do something and it wouldn’t spark a national investigation. So Pfitzer, now of the Monitor circulation department, asked someone he knew who worked in or around the State House if he could peek...
City briefly
Each week, City Manager Tom Aspell does a million bicep curls to sculpt himself up. That’s a lot of work, though, so he just paper maches himself instead to become a city memo sculpture. Here it is, in two-dimensional format!Is Indiana Jones coming?Archaeologists dig the cityMuch of this week’s work on the Main Street construction project will be happening around the State House Plaza, Aspell writes. Yesterday, a team of...
Got a couple bucks? You could help bring some Concord history home
Truth: Concord’s history ran off while we slept. Now folks growl when they speak of the railroad station. What’s left of the Dew Drop Inn? A wooden peg and a brick. How about the Tenney Chimes? Silence. The Italian garden on North Main? A gas station. Rumford Coffee House? A union hall. Gone. You have one to add? Tell me. And I’ll tell you another, one that’s six weeks shy of departure. Concord’s historic claim to fame was a factory...
Kids are doing fun kid things at Camp Spaulding again this summer
After a brief hiatus, Camp Spaulding in Concord is back, and it’s sort of brand new this year thanks to a creative partnership between Child and Family Services of N.H., the Concord Family YMCA and the YMCA of Greater Nashua (the only such collaboration of its kind in the country, according to Kat Strange of Child and Family Services). The new setup features a day camp as well as the traditional residential camp, and if our visit is...
N.H. State Council on the Arts offering workshops
The N.H. State Council on the Arts is offering two Creative Aging Workshops for teaching artists and arts educators interested in working with adults 55 and older. The workshops will provide research on arts and aging, explore what is different about adult learning, analyze best practices and help participants combine their arts and education skills to form a strong basis for working with older adults. Research has shown that seniors...
Capital Area Memory Cafe coming up Aug. 19
The Capital Area Memory Cafe for memory-impaired inpiduals and their family members is Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Granite Ledges of Concord, 151 Langley Parkway. The Memory Cafe is held on the third Wednesday of every month at the same time. The Capital Area Memory Cafe is a collaboration of Concord Hospital, Concord Regional VNA, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Concord and Granite Ledges of Concord. Enjoy an opportunity to socialize...
Stamp Collectors meeting in Bow on Aug. 18
The Merrimack County Stamp Collectors will hold its monthly meeting at the Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow, on Aug. 18 beginning 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.
