Woodward and Crane are ‘enjoying the journey’ to Boston
For someone who’s never done it before (us included), the thought of running a marathon is what you might call a little crazy. All right, it’s a lot crazy. You spend hours running each week, most of the time by yourself, for months in a row and as your training progresses, the mileage only increases. You run in the rain and the snow, when it’s freezing out and before most people wake up for the day. It takes you away from your friends...
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...
NHTI’s annual Pizza Wars fundraiser was a delicious showdown
NHTI held its annual Pizza Wars fundraiser last week, and it was a cheesy good time. NHTI invited eight pizza shops to come down and showcase their work, with the goal of earning the most votes to be named the best in Concord. Although six pizzerias accepted the invitation, only three showed up – Domino’s, Papa John’s and Sal’s Pizza. The others had to back out at the last minute due to staffing shortages. But that didn’t stop the 160...
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...
Did you know there are six places to get inked up right in Concord?
You might not believe it, but Concord (including Penacook) has a whopping six tattoo shops. That’s approaching Dunkin’ Donuts territory in terms of volume. Since there are so many to choose from, we decided to get the low-down on each spot and find out all the important details for you. You can use this as your guide when you’re thinking about where to get your next neck piece or half-sleeve. Arrows & Embers Tattoo 7 Pleasant St....
We checked out the start-to-finish tattoo process at Buzz Ink
With this being the Tattoo Issue, we figured we’d go to one of Concord’s six tattoo shops and see how the process all goes down. Neither of us Insiders has any tats, so we had to go to see what it’s all about. We stopped by Buzz Ink on Manchester street – which is a rare barber shop/tattoo shop combo – where Joel Ste. Croix was ready to add to his collection of ink. He came in with his own design – an anime version of the late, great...
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...
Before sap starts flowing from the maple trees, you’ve got to tap
If you’re a fresh maple syrup connoisseur, you probably know that time of year is fast approaching. It’s hard not to get excited about that first jug of the season, but be patient because the really sweet stuff isn’t quite ready. You’ve probably started to pay a little closer attention to those plastic lines connecting maple trees on the side of the road these days and if you look real close, those large holding tanks will soon be...
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...
We asked around the ‘Monitor’ to find out who had some tats
Since neither of us Insiders has any tattoos, we decided to ask everyone at the Monitor to pony up and lend us theirs for our issue. Here’s what they said: Nick Reid, news reporter (top left): My tattoo is of two geometric-themed mandalas on my upper left arm. It was custom-drawn by Abby Williams, an artist who previously worked out of Brilliance Tattoo in Boston. Grechen Askins, human resources manager (second from left): My daughter...
Here’s some work each Concord tattoo shop has shared online
Thanks to Facebook and Instagram, we were able to find some work done at each tattoo shop in Concord. Have a gander!
R.P. Hale is a man with many talents, and one is playing music
For a lot of people, being able to play one instrument pretty well is an accomplishment. But, R.P. Hale isn’t like most people. Actually, put all his abilities into one neat little basket and we’d go out on a limb and say there’s not really anybody out there quite like Hale. At least not that we’ve come across in our travels around Concord and Bow. Unless you’re a musician or really into music, odds are you’ve never heard of a...
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...
While you’re on vacation, check out some of these cool things
So it’s not summer yet – or even spring – and Christmas is definitely long over. We’re kind of in that awkward part of the year right now when there’s not really a whole lot going on. Except school vacation. February vacation might not have the same pizazz as summer or Christmas vacation, but time off is time off. It’s nice to get a little break to kind of recharge the batteries. And with February vacation, the nice thing is that when...
There are plenty of places to puff – or kick the habit – downtown
We’re not really in the business of telling you to go out and do something unhealthy or dangerous. After all, you are our readership, and without you we wouldn’t have jobs. But there are plenty of things that are either unhealthy or even dangerous that people do every day by choice. Think of construction workers, miners, oil drillers, jay-walkers. And smokers. Now we all know smoking is unhealthy, but it is legal (if you’re of age, of...
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 &...
