Tim decides to celebrate Movember – by getting a sweet new ’stache
Some guys out there can just simply grow a beard. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them. No matter how long I let my facial hair grow, it just doesn’t seem to fill in the spots necessary for something people would actually consider a beard, instead of someone who’s just lazy and doesn’t shave. I can pull off a goatee, but that’s about all. For a little while now, my wife has been hinting about wanting to see my clean shaven face again,...
Concord 250 unveils mosaics that honor the city’s past and present
We like to think Concord is pretty special. And there’s lots of cool stuff around the city to back up our argument. We’re not just saying that because it’s the Granite State capital’s 250th birthday this year, but it certainly has helped to solidify our point. Need more proof? Head over to the library one of these days and check out the Concord 250 mosaics. They’re the four rather big and colorful panels hanging on the walls above the...
Sadly, this will be the final year of the SNOB as we know it
The SNOB Film Festival has had a good run over the last decade plus. But when the longtime Somewhat North of Boston shindig wraps up this weekend, it will be the end of the film festival as we know it. Don’t worry, organizers aren’t pulling the plug on the popular yearly moviegoers paradise, but rather it will be a reset of sorts. This is the last year of the SNOB. When the event rolls around in 2016, it will be under a new name. What...
Don’t be afraid to touch the art in the League’s Insightful exhibit
Stop us if you’ve heard this before. You walk into an art gallery and see a sign that says “please don’t touch.” We can certainly understand the reasoning behind it. More often than not, the artist or crafter has spent many hours working on that piece and it’s probably quite delicate. So they don’t really want you putting your grubby hands all over it – or clean hands for that fact. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to cop a feel...
The N.H. Bindery – a place where pages become books
With this being the books issue, we thought, “Why not check out how one’s put together?” So we meandered over to the New Hampshire Bindery in Bow to see how our favorite titles end up in a neatly bound package.
If talking about books is your thing, you should join a book club
Have you ever finished a really good book and just wanted to talk with someone about it? And then when you try to strike up a conversation at the office water cooler, nobody has a clue what you’re talking about and uncomfortably walks away as you’re explaining the plot. We feel your pain. If we can offer a little advice, we recommend connecting with one of the many local book clubs. There’s ones offered by libraries and book stores,...
There’s a new indoor turf field in Concord and you can use it
At this time of year, teams are always looking for a place to practice inside. It doesn’t matter if you’re a high school soccer team getting ready for the playoffs or a travel baseball squad looking to get out of the chilly fall weather, having an indoor environment with a little heat sure is a nice thing. And with just about every team in the state seeking a warm and useful place to fine tune their skills, it’s not always easy or...
Fieldhouse Sports is the place to keep the soccer season going
If you like soccer and don’t know about Fieldhouse Sports in Bow, then you’re definitely missing out. With three indoor fields and a multipurpose court all contained in a 65,000-square-foot facility, Fieldhouse is one of the premiere places for indoor soccer in the state. Just walk in there one evening or – if you dare – on the weekend and you’ll see what we’re talking about. The games are fast-paced and much different than what you’d...
If you need a new sawhorse for your workshop, give Tim a call
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not all that handy. My career in construction lasted only one summer and after about two weeks I was delegated to mostly office work and material runs. I try to fix and build things around my house, but more often than not it ends up with me being frustrated and making a desperation phone call to one of my buddies for help. So when I decided to take “my talents” to the Concord Regional Technical...
CRTC gives students a way to learn something a little different
Some students just aren’t all that excited about math, science and history. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Traditional school isn’t for everyone, which is probably why the Concord Regional Technical Center at Concord High School is so popular. Back when it opened in 1980, it was for the kids who were on the verge of flunking out. Now it provides an opportunity for well over 500 students a year to get a little real-life...
Help keep the Bow trail system in tip-top shape
We can only imagine that when you read our Lewis and Clark style adventure into the Bow trail system that you immediately threw on your hiking boots, grabbed a walking stick and set out for a little gander yourself. Pretty nice trails, huh? Well, while you may think there’s a magical trail fairy who goes around clearing brush and picking up trash, there really isn’t – although it would be pretty cool if there was. (Talk about a...
Have your next bash at Kimball-Jenkins
The great thing about birthdays is that no matter what other people say or want to do, it’s your day. If you want to sleep till noon (assuming you don’t have a job or one that gives you your birthday off), then go for it. If you want to eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you can do that too. Want chocolate cake with chocolate frosting? Then that’s what you’re going to have. And if you want a themed birthday soiree, then your...
The Taco Gigante met its match in hungry firefighter Ian Holm
Three minutes is not much time to get things done. You can’t run a mile in that amount of time, nor can you effectively clean your bathroom. But apparently downing every last bite of an entire 2-pound hard shell taco, filled with steak, chicken, pork, taco beef, lettuce, salsa, refried beans, pickled jalapenos, bacon and a bunch of sauces and cheese is absolutely possible – and with three seconds to spare. Let us introduce you to Ian...
Time to brush up on your Concord history with a walking tour
If you’ve got a couple free hours, we suggest taking a nice walk. This is the trails issue after all. But the one we’re about to suggest isn’t over the river or through the woods, although it might be near grandma’s house – depending on where she lives. This isn’t off the beaten path or a secret by any means, but it will teach you a lot about the history of your city. Concord is celebrating 250 years in case you missed all the events...
We took an expedition into Bow to see what trails we could find
So we took a little trip the other day. We hopped in the old Insider mobile and headed south to Bow in search of some trails to walk on. Kinda funny how we drove in order to walk, but we needed to have some sort of energy left to make it through whatever we found. We did, after all, attempt to eat 2-pound tacos last week. With so much open space in Bow, we knew it was only a matter of time before we could pull off the side of the road...
The Taco Gigante Challenge was no match for Tim’s hungry tummy
I’m not going to lie, the last few bites were painful. But I had come way to far to stop. Those small helpings of lettuce, rice, fried tortilla, pickled jalapenos and meat were the only thing that stood between me and what could only be considered one of the greatest victories in Insider history. So I choked them down, one at a time and very slowly. After all, I didn’t want the previous 1.9 pounds of my Taco Gigante to make a...
Ever wonder what those fake looking apples are? So did we
Chuck Souther doesn’t want to use insecticides on his apple crop. But if he didn’t, you probably wouldn’t be all that thrilled finding apple maggots inside your freshly picked fruit. So for 30 years, Souther has been trying to find a way where he doesn’t have to spray his Apple Hill Farm crop, while still keeping the annual pest away from the apples you want to make pies, crisps and doughnuts out of. The only tricky part is that...
Want to adopt a new pet? The SPCA can help you with that
We dare you to walk through the Pope Memorial SPCA and not make a new addition to your family. Whether you already have a dog, two cats or the equivalent of a small farm’s worth of animals at home, there’s no way you’re seeing all those adorable faces and saying no to giving them a great new life. Just not going to happen. So you might as well go into your visit with the assumption you’ll be filling out an adoption form and eventually...
It’s time to buy your Connolly Tough T-shirts and go for a walk
So far, Concord High School Principal Gene Connolly has been able to continue doing what he loves – educating today’s youth. Things have changed some since his ALS diagnosis a year and a half ago. He now has long flowing white locks that he wears in a ponytail each day thanks to his wife and a preference to use his iPad program to speak for him. But for the most part, so far, so good. Although at some point in time, Connolly is going...
Sneak Peek: St. Paul’s School Farewell Hargate exhibit
We checked out the farewell to St. Paul’s School Hargate Gallery exhibit today. Here’s a pic from what the gallery looked like way back when it was a dining hall. Want to see more from the exhibit? You’ll have to pick up next week’s Insider for that.
If there was a doggy day care for humans, we’d definitely go
Since this is the pets issue, we decided to take a trip over the border into Bow for a visit to Central Bark Station for a little rest and relaxation at doggy day care. What we found were a bunch of excitable pups ready for food, ball throwing and lots of running around. Central Bark Station isn’t your typical day care for your favorite four legged friend. As owner Kim Duclos puts it, “We’re kind of a doggy day care 101.” What does...
Patricia Sweet-MacDonald sure can paint a beautiful scene
So we can only assume that you’ve noticed that all of these wonderful paintings by Patricia Sweet-MacDonald are in black and white. We know it’s unfortunate, but we just couldn’t carve out a large enough color spot to give this spread the prominent spot. But the good news is that if you head over to the N.H. Audubon McLane Center (or check out our revamped website one day this week if you haven’t already), you’ll be able to see all...
We scoured the city (and Bow) for some of the cool older buildings
If you’ve paid attention at all this year, you have a pretty good idea that Concord is kinda old – like 250 years old to be exact. And what you may not have known – and we only recently realized – is that Bow has been officially incorporated since 1727. We sure do wonder what life was like back then. And when you have a city or town that spans more than two centuries, there’s a really good chance that some of the buildings and homes...
Renovations to give N.H. Historical Society a new feel – literally
When the New Hampshire Historical Society building was finished in 1911, it must have been the talk of the town. With high ceilings, large skylights and more space than probably anyone knew what to do with, let’s just say it was quite the project after Edward and Julia Tuck made a generous donation to construct it. They used granite from a quarry right here in Concord and marble – lots of marble – for some of the finer finishes. “They...
Who would’ve thought Tim could actually wash windows?
I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. Putting myself at the mercy of the good people at the Granite United Way, I offered up my services for the annual Day of Caring last Wednesday. With volunteer jobs set up all over the city, there were so many possibilities. So when I got the email that I was being placed at the new spot for Girls Inc., (the former Eastman School on Shawmut Street if you didn’t know) the jobs seemed...
Survive the next disaster with this class
Do you know what to do if an emergency happens? If an earthquake or tornado hit right now, what would you do? Of course, no one thinks that will ever happen here, but people were probably saying that prior to the ice storm back in 2008. Got your attention didn’t we? The Community Emergency Response Team is willing to teach you what to do when a disaster happens. All you have to do is sign up for a three-day class in Bow next weekend...
Kurt Gergler wanted to work in Bow, so now he’s the BES principal
Every day Kurt Gergler drives to work, it’s like taking a trip down memory lane. His childhood paper route stretched from the end of Albin Road, up Logging Hill, down Grandview and to the highway. And this was a paper route he rode his bike for – no car rides for this one. “Everywhere I turn I see something familiar,” Gergler said. The house he grew up in still stands on Albin Road and hours were spent fishing in the town pond. His...
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.Etta and Otto and Russell and JamesEmma Hooper2015, 305 pagesFictionEtta, Otto and Russell grow up on the prairie in Saskatchewan. Russell is an only child whose father dies during the Great Depression. His mother...
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With the school year set to begin and the “Insider” just getting to know the ins and outs of Bow, we decided it might be a good idea to check out the school we’d most likely fit into, Bow Elementary School. What? We may write at a professionalish level, but our math and science skills are hovering around a second- to third-grade level. So with less than a week before the start of another school year, BES held an open house for parents...
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Scenes from the 25th annual Audi Pitch In.
