This Week In Concord History
Aug. 25, 2003: A front-page story in the Wall Street Journal details the lavish compensation packages bestowed upon the rector and vice rector of St. Paul’s school in Concord. According to the Journal, Bishop Craig Anderson, the school’s rector, made $524,000 in salary, benefits and deferred compensation last year – more than most college presidents, and vice rector Sharon Hennessy earned $316,400 in total compensation. Some alumni,...
Anna and Elsa stopped by the library, and so did most of Concord
It was “Frozen” day at the Concord Public Library last Wednesday, but you would have never guessed it with the temperature index hovering well above the freezing point. But a large crowd (too high for even us to count) came out to meet the princesses of the hit film.
Making masterpieces on Main Street with music, malbec and merlot
How many times have you heard someone say, “There’s nothing to do around here,” when they’re referring to the great city of Concord? Probably more than a few. Melissa Caro has heard it a million times, and she hopes to do something about that with her new paint-and-sip studio, Cork and Canvas, on North Main Street. The studio, which had its grand opening last Friday night, welcomes people of all skill and experience levels to have...
City Briefly
Each week, City Manager Tom Aspell tries desperately to drive his car over the border into the town of Bow but is met with an unexplainable force that keeps him inside the Concord city limits. So, instead, he pulls over at the invisible town line and fawningly stares at the Welcome to Bow sign while jotting down his weekly city memo.We give it an AMore sidewalk workSidewalks and curbs will be the major focus of this week’s work on...
Who would have thought yoga was good for smaller people, too?
Children and teens are experiencing more stress, anxiety, depression and challenges than ever before. Research shows incorporating yoga can help to lessen this stress and at the same time improve test scores among children. With a focus on the body as a whole, yoga goes beyond just movement by teaching breathing techniques that both calm and energize. When kids are able to approach academics without stress, their chances of success...
Friendly Kitchen 5K set for Friday, Sept. 11
The 9th Annual Friendly Kitchen 5K Road Race will be held Friday, Sept. 11. The road race is along NHTI’s scenic Seekamp Trail. Day of race registration will take place in the NHTI Student Center from 3:30 to 5:15 p.m. Walkers may elect to participate in the timed 5K road race or the untimed 3K fitness walk. Both start at 5:35 p.m. A Fun Run for children who are 10 or younger will take place at 6:15 p.m. All fun run participants will...
VNA offering presentation on forgetfulness
Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association is offering a free presentation “Have You Seen My Glasses? Exploring Forgetfulness as We Age” on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Pleasant View Retirement, 227 Pleasant St. in Concord. All of us have probably experienced occasional episodes of forgetfulness, however, there are differences between typical age related forgetfulness and dementia-related illness. Find out if...
House manager training at City Auditorium
As we begin to gear up for another season at City Auditorium, we are scheduling the annual House Managers Training Workshops. In order to serve as a house manager at the Audi, people must attend a house management and crowd control training session and then shadow the house manager at two shows prior to being certified. The Friends of the Audi and Concord Fire Department offer three sessions so people may choose the one best suiting...
Piccola Opera open house this Saturday
In a time when many arts’ communities seem to be shrinking, Piccola Opera is working to promote a musical renaissance in downtown Concord. With a new studio and office on 8 N. Main St., this music organization is hard at work preparing for some new and innovative classes and offerings. On Saturday, Aug. 29, Piccola will hold an open house from 9 to 11:30 a.m., to introduce their newest endeavor “Piccola Opera Academy.” This music...
Concord Chorale open sing slated for Sept. 9
Singers are invited to the Concord Chorale Open Sing on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 7:15 p.m. Meet the director and membership, preview the December concert repertoire, and then schedule an audition. The Chorale rehearses in the Concord High School band room, 170 Warren St., Concord. Enter through the Fruit Street side door near the corner of Pleasant Street, across from the gas station. For directions, go to Google Maps. For more...
September will be a fun month at the library
The Concord Library has a bunch of cool stuff starting this month.Books & Brew will be held the first Wednesday of the month starting Sept. 2 at True Brew Barista. Join other book lovers in our new, low-pressure book club. Chat about what you’ve been reading, and listen to suggestions and recommendations from other readers. There are no assigned books in this group; just come and share your latest reads. We’ll talk books from 6...
Nonprofit workshop offered by ConcordTV
ConcordTV will be hosting a nonprofit workshop, “How to Create a Public Service Announcement (PSA)for Your Organization,” on Friday, Sept. 11 at the ConcordTV Media Center, 14 Canterbury Road. The workshop will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. and attendees will get hands-on practice at writing a PSA narrative; explore ideas on your PSA’s style and messaging; see example video samples of different types of PSA’s; learn what is available to...
Work Nest open house slated for Thursday
Work Nest is excited to announce our first open house on Thursday, Aug. 27, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. This open house will give the community a chance to preview the newly renovated space at 85 S. State St., meet with the owners, and be the first to sign up for a membership. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Attendees who sign up during the open house or during the week of Aug. 31 will receive the...
Ice cream social at West Congregational Church
West Congregational Church is having an ice cream social on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. West Congregational Church is located at 499 N. State St. on the Hucthins side of the street. Come join us!
We took to the streets of Bow to see what we could find
When covering a new area, you always want to take a little time and check out the sights. So last week, we cruised all around Bow to see what this little town was all about.
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.