Lace up, rock on: Rock N Race returns
The 20th Annual Rock ‘N Race returns to the State House in downtown Concord with Merrimack County Savings Bank as the presenting sponsor for the 14th year in a row. The iconic road race is a main fundraising event for Concord Hospital’s Payson Center for Cancer Care, a cause to which the Merrimack has contributed nearly $400,000 over the years. The 20th Annual Rock ‘N Race kicks off May 19 and features live music, food, and fun...
Rockin around the race course
Enjoy music from local bands playing at the 20th annual Rock ‘N Race! On the main stage The Dalton Gang Along the course Occasional Piracy Derek Strand Holy Fool Granite State Entertainment (Brad Morrison) Don Bartenstein Six String Eddy and Blue Eyed Blonde Ryan Williamson Bosey Joe Bow Junction Matt Poirier Crawl Space...
Bulletin board
Mental health book talk Riverbend Community Mental Health joins Gibson’s Bookstore in welcoming author Donald Antrim into the bookstore for a talk and signing for Antrim’s book, One Friday in April: A Story of Suicide and Survival, a searing and brave memoir that offers a new understanding of suicide as a distinct mental illness. The event will be held May 17 at 6:30 p.m. in person. It is free and open to the public. Through a clear...
City news: New utility billing system launches in June
The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the “Newsletter” button. Here are some highlights: City meetings City meetings are held in person in Council Chambers at 37 Green St. (unless otherwise specified on the city’s calendar). Upcoming meetings include: Planning Board: May 18, 7 p.m. Billing system The City of Concord will...
Book: Invisible Women
Invisible Women By Caroline Criado Perez (411 pages, non-fiction, 2019) Every so often, a book comes along that you wish everyone would read. Invisible Women is one of those books. Are you a woman? Do you live with, work with, communicate with, or — heck — live in a community that includes women? Then this recommendation is for you. Invisible Women is based on the premise that sex- and gender-based discrimination, whether overt or...
This week in Concord history
May 5, 1944: An epidemic of German measles in Concord has driven the absentee list at city schools above 100. May 6, 2003: Gov. Craig Benson appoints a 12-person task force to determine whether the Old Man of the Mountain should be reborn as a plaster of Paris, rubber or granite version of its former self. Benson says the Old Man of the Mountain Revitalization Task Force will explore what should be done to best memorialize the New...
City recognized for sustainability initiatives
The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the “Newsletter” button. Here are some highlights: City meetings City meetings are held in person in Council Chambers at 37 Green St. (unless otherwise specified on the City’s calendar). Upcoming meetings include: City Council: May 9, 7 p.m. Planning Board: May 18, 7 p.m. Tree Planting...
CYPN: Bow native discusses benefits of networking
Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) introduces you to the “Young Professional of the Month,” Shannon Ketcham. Each month, the CYPN Steering Committee recommends a young professional in the community it thinks readers would enjoy getting to know better. Shannon Ketcham How old are you? 36 years young. Where do you live? Bow. Where do you currently work? I am a Mortgage Loan Officer at Merrimack County Savings Bank. How did you...
The Hummingbirds’ Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings
The Hummingbirds’ Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings By Sy Montgomery (83 pages, nonfiction, 2021) New Hampshire Author Sy Montgomery goes to California to help bird rescuer Brenda Sherburn LaBelle raise two tiny baby hummingbirds. Brenda is a bird rehabilitator and she is an expert at hummingbird rescue and care. She’s planted a hummingbird garden around their California home and she gets calls from all over about how to care...
Bulletin board: Cat show, book launch and more
Book launch It’s an after-hours book launch event for Mercury Rising on May 10 at 6:30 p.m. Gibson’s Bookstore is thrilled to bring RWW Greene back to present an alternative history with aliens, an immortal misanthrope and SF tropes aplenty. Masks are strongly encouraged but no longer required for vaccinated attendees. We can’t predict the future course of the pandemic, so Gibson’s reserves the right to institute masking and/or...
Entertainment for April 28 to My 7
Live music April 28 Brian Booth at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. DJ Dicey at Area 23 at 8 p.m. April 29 Susan Werner at the Bank of N.H. Stage at 8 p.m. Karen Grenier at Over the Moon Farmstead from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. R&B Dignity at Area 23 at 8 p.m. April 30 Lucas Gallo at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Zach Nugent Disco Dead at Bank of N.H. at 8 p.m. Joey Clark at the Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to noon Brad Myrick at Two...
Book: How Stella Learned to Talk
How Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World’s First Talking Dog By Christina Hunger (260 pages, memoir, 2021) How Stella Learned to Talk is one of my favorite books published in 2021. This light-but-fascinating read willappeal to animal lovers, parents of young children, or anyone interested in language acquisition and verbal communication. Part memoir, part popular science, this is the story of speech-language...
This week in Concord history
April 28, 1974: Gov. Mel Thomson returns to New Hampshire after two days in the Caribbean studying oil refineries. Thomson’s office refuses to say precisely where in the Caribbean area he was. April 28, 1752: On a trapping expedition north of Plymouth, young John Stark leaves camp to check his traps and is captured by Indians. He is beaten, taken north to Canada, forced to run the gauntlet and, after five or six weeks in captivity,...
Bulletin Board: Book launch
It’s an after-hours book launch event for The Hawk’s Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty! Author Sy Montgomery visits Gibson’s Bookstore to present a splendid and luminous celebration of one of nature’s most perfect and mysterious creatures — the hawk. The in-person event will be held May 3 at 6:30 p.m. Masks are strongly encouraged but no longer required for vaccinated attendees. We can’t predict the future course of the pandemic, so...
City news: Audi Perennial Exchange is May 7
The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the “Newsletter” button. Here are some highlights: Audi Perennial Exchange The annual Perennial Exchange will be held at the Concord City Auditorium on Saturday, May 7 from 8 a.m. to noon. This event will be held rain or shine. A split and swap will be available, as well as Mother’s Day...
This week in Concord history
April 21, 1789: When John Adams arrives at Federal Hall in New York after being elected the nation’s first vice president, he is greeted by John Langdon of New Hampshire, president pro tempore of the Senate. There is as yet no oath of office for the vice president, so Langdon simply escorts Adams to his seat at the head of the chamber. April 21, 1881: At 6 p.m., a small closed car drawn by a horse leaves Abbot & Downing...
A funny new take on ‘Aladdin’
“Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier,” produced by Actors Cooperative Theatre, will be presented at the Hatbox Theatre in Concord for three weekends from April 22 to May 8. Twisted is a hilarious production with the storytelling perspective of “Wicked” but this time with the classic film from the ‘90s Aladdin. From the perspective of Ja’far who is just a well-intentioned and hardworking official from The Kingdom, you will gain...
Book: Mickey7
Mickey7 By Edward Ashton (304, sci-fi, 2022) Waking up in the same body isn’t always a guarantee in the distant future. Well, sort of. In Edward Ashton’s latest novel, the titular protagonist, Mickey7, is an Expendable, or someone used as a renewable resource when colonizing new planets. Unfortunately, this means Mickey is likely to die from completing his colony’s various dirty deeds and maintenance duties, all of which are certainly...
City news: Trail clean-up and leaf collection
The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the “Newsletter” button. Here are some highlights: City meetings City meetings are held in person in Council Chambers at 37 Green St. (unless otherwise specified on the City’s calendar). Upcoming meetings include: Zoning Board of Adjustment: May 4, 7 p.m. City Council: May 9, 7 p.m....
Bulletin board
Author talk Gibson’s Bookstore is pleased to present local teacher Brandon K Gauthier in the launch of his new book of history, Before Evil: Young Lenin, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Mao, and Kim on April 27 at 6:30 p.m. Masks are strongly encouraged but no longer required for vaccinated attendees. We can’t predict the future course of the pandemic, so Gibson’s reserves the right to institute masking and/or vaccination rules for this...
Summer camps: More options to entertain your kids
The Insider highlighted a few summer camps March 17, as well as this week and May 19. Stay tuned for summer fun for kids. If you have information you’d like to share about local programs, email news@theconcordinsider.com. Parks and Rec programs Concord and many of the surrounding towns each offer a variety of summer day camp programs for children. Offerings are generally for a range of ages and may include sports, arts and...
Book: If you plant a seed
If You Plant a Seed By Kadir Nelson (children’s picture book, 2015) If You Plant a Seed is a gorgeous children’s read-aloud with a ton of heart. You’ll be instantly drawn in by the sumptuous oil-and-canvas illustrations by author and artist Kadir Nelson, who deserves to be a household name. Nelson has won numerous awards, including three Caldecott Medals for his illustrations of children’s literature. While his work often focuses on...
Entertainment for April 14 to 23
Live music April 14 Craig Fahey at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Bach Lunch Lecture on Modern Folkloric Music from Venezuela and Argentina, for trio at the Concord Community Music School at 12:10 p.m. A journey to the White Mountains in Words and Music with Howard Mansfield and Ben Cosgrove will be held at the Bank of N.H. Stage at 7:30 p.m. April 15 Boo Boo Groove at Area 23 at 8 p.m. Tim Kierstead at Over the Moon Farmstead at 7 p.m. April...
This week in Concord history
April 14, 1865: Edwin Bedee of Meredith, a captain in the 12th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry Regiment, goes to Ford’s Theater. He can see President Lincoln from his seat. After John Wilkes Booth jumps to the stage and flees, Bedee climbs over several rows and enters Lincoln’s box. He holds the president’s head while a surgeon searches for Lincoln’s wound. Bedee suddenly feels the president’s blood running into his hand. “Here is...
Bulletin board for week of April 14, 2022
Easter celebration All are invited to attend a joyous Easter Worship Service at East Congregational Church UCC on April 17 at 10 a.m. The church is located at 51 Mountain Road, Concord. An Easter Egg hunt will follow the service. All children are invited! Go to eastchurchucc.org for more information, or call 224-9242. Author discussion Gibson’s Bookstore is pleased to virtually welcome New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman...
City news: Murray is Officer of the Year
The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the “Newsletter” button. Here are some highlights: Police Officer of the Year Congratulations to Detective Nicole Murray, our 2022 Concord Police Officer of the year! This award is well deserved recognition for all of her hard work and dedication. She was recognized at the Greater...
Young professional of the month: Entrepreneur opens first shop in Concord
Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) introduces you to the “Young Professional of the Month,” Carolyn Herrick. Each month, the CYPN Steering Committee recommends a young professional in the community it thinks readers would enjoy getting to know better. Carolyn Herrick Where do you live? Bow Where do you currently work? Homebody, a new home décor store and baby boutique on Main Street! Tell us a little bit about opening your...
Entertainment for April – 17
Live music April 7 Bela Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart at the 7:30 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts Bach Lunch Lecture on Latino American Forkloric Music at the Concord Community Music School at 12:10 p.m. Kimayo at Over the Moon Farmstead at 7 p.m. Joey Placenti at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. April 8 Colin Hay at the Capitol Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Dueling Pianos at the Bank of N.H. Stage at 8 p.m. Outside Health at Area 23 at 8...
This week in Concord history
April 7, 1774: The New Hampshire Assembly, predecessor of the Legislature, reconvenes after a long hiatus. It does not immediately choose a new committee of correspondence, the vehicle by which the colonies share information about acts of Parliament, but will soon do so in response to British efforts to control the Port of Boston. April 7, 1965: The Monitor reports on plans for a new $1.2 million state liquor store on Storrs...
Book: Cultish
Cultish By Amanda Montell (320 pages, nonfiction, 2021) In this second book by the creator of the podcast ‘Sounds Like a Cult,’ Amanda Montell discusses the language people use to make themselves and others feel like they belong. Language is the primary tool we use to interact with society, and the word choices we make define how we view ourselves and others. More importantly, it can be used to manipulate others – but only if...
