If you haven’t seen ‘The Nutcracker’ this year, here’s your chance
There are just some things you can count on this time of year. Christmas music before Thanksgiving, extra people in every store you go to and the St. Paul’s School Ballet Co. putting on its annual performance of The Nutcracker. The school has been dazzling audiences with its production since the 1970s and that includes when Jennifer Howard, who is now in her fourth year of directing the ballet company, was a student at St. Paul’s....
The Bulletin Board
10th annual artisans fair at Bishop Brady Saturday Bishop Brady High School will host its 10th Annual Christmas Artisan Fair on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fair features 74 artisans, and will include raffles, a cookie walk, food and a Christmas Shop for children 12 and under. Admission is free. Proceeds from the fair benefit Bishop Brady’s Habitat for Humanity Service Program. For more info visit, bishopbrady.edu. Maureen...
This Week in Concord History
Dec. 8, 1979: Concord City Manager Jim Smith rescinds the fire department’s ban on live Christmas trees in public buildings. Dec. 8, 1991: James Carville, an adviser to Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, speaks confidently about his man in an interview with the Monitor: “I have no doubt if we could spend 10 minutes with everybody in the state, we’d win this campaign.” Clinton will finish second to Paul Tsongas but...
City Briefly
City Manager Tom Aspell usually sends out a newsletter each week full of updates and little tidbits about what’s going on in the city. And this past week was no exception, so here are some of the highlights. Hey, that’s our cover story Bridge work continues This past week, concrete was placed for the footing at the south bridge abutment and the steel decking was dismantled on the north truss of the existing bridge. In addition,...
Book of the Week: ‘The Red Collar’
The Red Collar Jean Christophe Rufin 2015, 158 pages Fiction If you had to explain to someone what it means to be human, you could give them this book. The Red Collar is about Wilhelm, a briard sheepdog mix, who followed Jacques Morlac when he was mobilized to fight in the French army in 1915. When the book opens, Morlac is in prison and Wilhelm is outside “baying relentlessly.” Major Hugues Lantier du Grez is the officer...
Believe it or not, we caught up with Santa between appearances
It’s now officially December, which means it’s Santa Claus’s busiest month of the year. There’s not much time left for him to make his list (and check it twice), build the toys and train the reindeer for that grueling ride around the planet. As the population continues to climb, so do the requests for iPhones, Beats headphones, yoga pants and Xbox Ones. With such high demand and so little time, Santa is under a lot of pressure to make...
We’re stepping up our gingerbread house-building game this year
After getting an in-depth tutorial on how a real gingerbread house is made from Sue Chandler of Chandler’s Candies last year, we decided it was time to step up our game this holiday season. So when we heard about the Presidential Oaks Gingerbread House Competition, we couldn’t dial the phone fast enough to secure our entry. The rules were simple and straightforward: It can not exceed 24 inches high, 24 inches wide and 24 inches long...
Concord High sure knows how to put on a Thanksgiving feast
When Peter Bombaci arrived at Concord High School more than 20 years ago as a special education teacher, he was charged with creating a more inclusive environment. Where students with disabilities and students without did things together, something that wasn’t typical more than two decades ago. So Bombaci had a thought. “What better way to do it then with food,” he said. For almost as long as Bombaci has been at Concord High, he’s...
Another year, another fantastic display at the Fez-tival of Trees
It was another banner year for the Bektash Shrine Center’s Fez-tival of Trees, held last week. Although there were fewer trees than last year, the event still drew big crowds every day and much fun was had by all.
Annual Ski and Skate Sale has a new home, but the same great deals
The annual Ski and Skate Sale put on by the Capital Ski and Outing Club has been a holiday fixture in Concord for more than 30 years. Every year on the first Saturday of December, people line up hours in advance for the chance to score some gnarly snow gear – skis, snowboards, skates, snowshoes – at a big discount. There’s a mix of new equipment sent in by dealers and used goods submitted by members of the community. And all of it is...
Make sure to fill out a passport for your chance to Win the Window
If you missed the train on last year’s inaugural Win the Window, we have good news: it’s back for a second year. All you have to do is pick up a passport at a downtown business or print one off Intown Concord’s website and get to stamping. You need 20 stamps from participating businesses on North Main Street and another eight from ones on Pleasant and South Main streets. There’s no purchase necessary and you have a chance to win one...
There seems to be a lot of trash hanging around our city streets
If you happen to be one of those people who toss your empty Dunkin’ Donuts cup out the window or just watch as your McDonald’s cheeseburger wrapper floats away in the wind, then shame on you. And if you happen to do it within the sight of Amy Moffet, you might just want to make a run for it. Because you’ll soon learn that she has no patience for people who use the city as their personal garbage can. “If you can take the time to drive...
Zonta Club of Concord lends a helping hand to NHTI student
What happens when a student who is one semester away from graduating with a degree in dental hygiene learns that she won’t be receiving a grant she was counting on? First there is panic. Then there is the hardest step: asking for help. For Natasha Deneault, that is exactly the path she followed one month ago. She turned to her academic adviser, who approached NHTI’s development director, who made a call to the Zonta Club of Concord....
We stopped by Concord Handmade to see what’s on the shelves
For the fifth year in a row, Alison Murphy was able to find an open storefront somewhere in the downtown area, which means her pop-up holiday shop, Concord Handmade, is up and running. Inside the 26 Pleasant St. location, you’ll find clothing and earrings, magnets and coffee cups – along with some other stuff that may be just the creation you’ve always wanted, but never knew about. More than 50 New England-based artists are featured...
If you like shopping at night, then Midnight Merriment is for you
If you haven’t noticed, it’s December and that means your holiday shopping days are dwindling. Before you know it, you’re going to be driving around to any place that’s open on Christmas Eve looking for a gift that no one can definitively say was bought the night before. Don’t be like this (insert your name using the Direct TV commercial voice). We know you think you’ve got plenty of time, but you really don’t. It’s going to come a...
Missed Connections
We searched craigslist high and low last week for some of the best and most recent Missed Connections. Here, unedited, is just a sampling of what we found (and could print). tuesdays – m4w (concord) hello my name is randy i was at tuesday and you were a bartender. i thought we may have shared a moment and would love to talk to you if you even check this. tell me what was in your hair if this is you? Target concord 11/21 –...
Book of the Week: ‘Carry On’
Carry On: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow Rainbow Rowell 2015, 522 pages Fiction The latest book by Rainbow Rowell is everything you could expect from one of her books; it has the same wit, charm, pacing and relatable characters, with the added touch of fantasy. Carry On is a mashup of common tropes, and a few unexpected twists. As a stand-alone novel, it’s an enjoyable read, something exciting and fun to take you to a new world that...
City Briefly
City Manager Tom Aspell has been pretty busy lately between the opening of North Main Street and, you know, running the rest of the city. It’s surprising, then, that he found the time to write us a nice letter keeping us abreast of what’s going on. Since this is the season of giving, we decided we’d share the news with you. Consider it an early Christmas present. Flip the switch Penacook to light it up The Penacook Village Association...
This Week in Concord History
Dec. 1, 1848: Edward E. Sturtevant, a Concord printer, writes to his parents in Keene: “The Shakers are having a trial before a Legislative committee, which excites some curiosity among the people of this town. . . . A petition is presented for a law against parents and guardians binding children to them, alleging that they (the children) are taught to disregard all friendship for father & mother & brothers & sisters – to...
The Bulletin Board
Holiday craft fair Saturday at Merrimack Valley The Merrimack Valley High School KEY Club is hosting a holiday craft fair this weekend in the school’s cafeteria. The fair runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. There will be handmade crafts, baked goods, antiques, jewelry, Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple and more Breakfast will be available while supplies last starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday and a hot brunch...
And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. . . . Main Street!
After a long construction process, work has finally wrapped up on North Main Street. No more trucks, slabs of bricks and pavers, crews of (friendly) construction workers or open ditches. No more one-way traffic on the main road, either, which is nice. But really it was worth it cause the whole thing looks nice, so kudos to the city and Severino Trucking for doing such a fine job. Also, kudos to everyone else who showed patience during...
We wanted to find out exactly how different Main Street is now
You’ve probably noticed by now that Main Street is a bit different. There’s new pavement, new crosswalks, new sidewalks, new stores. Heck, even the traffic light fixtures got some new bling. But just how different is Main Street – North Main Street, to be exact – now compared with the way it was before construction began? We wondered the same thing, and we hit up City Engineer Ed Roberge for all the details. We could have told you...
We got an up-close look at how a pie is made at The Crust & Crumb
You can’t really bring up Thanksgiving without your favorite pie combination creeping into the conversation. Pies are as big a part of the holiday tradition as football, turkey and family. So we went down to The Crust & Crumb Baking Co. and watched owner Alison Ladman make some of her tasty creations. In the 24 hours before Crust & Crumb closes for Thanksgiving, the ovens will be cranking out pies in staggering numbers to...
If you like Christmas tree lightings, then you’re in the right place
While you’re always amazed at the job you do of stringing the lights on your Christmas tree each year, there’s probably never a big tadoo like Clark Griswold got. It’s just not practical to openly invite the community to your house cause it’s likely not as entertaining as you might think. Plus, think about the parking nightmare and all the nasty looks you’d get from your neighbors. So it’s probably a good thing that Concord, Bow and...
Take a tour of the nation, region at these two new shops downtown
During all the hubbub of construction on Main Street, you may not have realized that a few new shops opened up. After all, it’s tough to notice when the street and sidewalks are littered with slabs of bricks, scaffolding, huge trucks and crews of construction workers. But now that all of that stuff is out of the way (for the winter, anyway) and you can get back to poking around downtown without having to step over ditches and gravel...
Now that North Main Street is done, attention turns to the south
Now that North Main Street is all shiny and new, you’re probably curious as to what the deal is for South Main Street. We’re glad you asked – we were also kinda wondering when that area of downtown was going to get an upgrade. It’s looking a little behind the times compared with its neighbor to the north, if you smell what we’re stepping in. Well, the plan is to tackle that side of Main Street starting in the spring. It’s slated to...
City of Concord receives the gift of art in the form of four paintings
As the holidays get closer and closer, there’s one big thing on everybody’s mind: giving gifts. So we know the Guide to Gifts and Giving was last week’s issue, but that doesn’t mean we can’t tell you about another act of giving this week, does it? This gift is a little different from anything we talked about last week, so it’s okay that we didn’t include it in that issue. What we’re talking about here is the gift of art, from a...
