Book: Kitty’s Mix-Tape
Kitty’s Mix-Tape By Carrie Vaughn (288 pages, fiction, 2020) If you like stories about werewolves, especially feisty ones that host a radio talk show, you’ll love this hilarious short story collection. These stories are based on a larger series, but you can read them as a standalone. But be warned, it will make you want to read more about Kitty and her adventures with her non-human friends. In one of the stories, Kitty goes to her...
Book: Hunters Vs. Vampire Snow White
Hunters Vs. Vampire Snow White By Amy Cornwell (180 pages, YA fiction, 2019) For fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ready Player One. Can this group of demon hunters stop vampire Snow White and her Seven Deadly Sins before they raise demon king, Ravana? Artemis is a loner. Video games are the only friends she needs. She’s a witch who’s been on the run since demons killed her family when she was a kid. She can’t stop, won’t stop, or...
City News: Concord Hospital honors fire department
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 highlightsConcord Fire DepartmentConcord Fire Department personnel were recognized last week by Concord Hospital for two recent significant medical events.Concord Hospital EMS Coordinator Craig Clough presented Firefighters David Currier, Phil...
This week in Concord history
July 1, 1883: A report says there are 60 post offices in Merrimack County. In 1882, the postmasters in the county were paid a combined total of $18,515.94. July 1, 1927: At nightfall, 2,000 people gather at the State House plaza to watch Mayor Fred Marden push the button that will illuminate Concord’s new “White Way” for the first time. Concord Electric Co. has installed 126 large bulbs to light the way, which runs more than...
A look at live outdoor music this summer
Nevers BandNevers Band plays on Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. at various locations around the city. Nevers Band concerts are an exciting and fun experience for the whole family. Their diverse repertoire includes popular numbers, patriotic music, classic orchestral transcriptions, music from motion pictures and more.July 4: Memorial Field (rain date: July 5) at 7:45 p.m.July 13: Eagle SquareJuly 20: Rolfe ParkJuly 27: Keach ParkAugust 10:...
Book: Your Name Is a Song
By Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (40 pages, children’s fiction, 2020) Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, is a love letter to every child whose name has ever been mispronounced on the first day of school. When we name our children, we are giving them a gift. A gift that they will hopefully honor and be proud of. It can be so disheartening to a child when their classmates and even their teacher struggle to say their name,...
Book: King of Scars
By Leigh Bardugo (514, YA fantasy, 2019) Leigh Bardugo does it again. Utterly fascinating. I couldn’t help myself — read this one in one sitting, it was so enthralling! Nikolai Lantsov, King of Ravka, attempts to bring peace and prosperity back to his land and people after the civil war. The failed coup of the Darkling saw the death of the Shadow Summoner, but now, three years later, a cult has grown in worship of him. More unsettling...
Author talk and arts festival ahead
Sci-Fi author event Robert V.S. Redick returns to Gibson’s Bookstore virtually on July 7 at 7 p.m. to share his new novel, Sidewinders, a continuation to “Master Assassins: The Fire Sacraments.” He is joined by his friend, author Daryl Gregory, whose new novel, The Album of Dr. Moreau, was newly released this spring.In Sidewinders, two brothers flee an army of fanatics across a vast and magical desert in this white-knuckle sequel to...
City news: Last chance for tax assistance
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: Meetings Going forward, City meetings will be held in person in Council Chambers at 37 Green Street (unless otherwise specified on the calendar). Upcoming meetings include: Planning Board: June 30* at 7 p.m. (*Rescheduled from June 16)...
This week in Concord history
June 24, 1993: Residents who use Concord’s buses, pools and libraries pack a public hearing to testify against proposed budget cuts. “I’m a little bit disturbed that the quality of life seems to be attacked every time we talk about budget cuts,” says Richard Croak. June 25, 2003: The Penacook Historical Society holds an open house for the Rolfe barn, a 200-year-old building that the group had fought to save for months. The...
Looking Back: U.S. Mail Truck
For the InsiderThis vintage photograph shows a mailman delivering mail for the Concord Post Office. This Concord mail truck is one of the early Ford Model T conversions that allowed the front tires to be removed and replaced during winter with conversion skis. The rear tires were then fitted with a track over the existing tires to allow for maximum traction in the cold New Hampshire winters. The Ford Model T pictured was most likely...
Book: My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life
My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life By Janine Marsh (255 pages, nonfiction memoir, 2020) Janine Marsh and her husband Mark live in London and have good jobs there. They visit France one rainy day, on a day trip to buy some wine, and on a whim decide to look at some houses. They really can’t afford one, and aren’t in the market for a house. But the estate agent gives them a list of the cheapest three properties...
Book: Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters
By Barack Obama (40 pages, nonfiction, 2010) You know that feeling you get when you look at a child and envision the limitless potential that they possess? Our 44th president, Barack Obama, beautifully encapsulates that feeling in his children’s book Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters. In this tender, thoughtful letter to his daughters, Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen inspirational American men and women whose...
Book: Money in the Morgue
By Ngaio Marsh and Stella Duffy (294 pages, mystery, 2018) Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn is trying to write letters in a run-down convalescent hospital in New Zealand during World War II. He’s attempting to write one to his wife, Troy, but can’t find the words. It’s midsummer in the remote area and a storm is threatening. Suddenly Alleyn is thrust into a calamity! A van has broken down, and the driver, Mr. Glossup, a payroll...
Book: The Last Garden in England
By Julia Kelly (351 pages, historical fiction, 2021) This creative book shows the lives of five very different women, all bound together by one garden in the English countryside, in different time periods. In 1907, there’s Venetia Smith, a woman garden designer, very unusual for the time, who is commissioned to design the gardens of Highbury House. She creates a series of different gardens, each with its own theme. Her character...
Strawberries are ripe for the picking
Those red jewels of the early summer harvest have arrived at Concord-area farms. Apple Hill and Rossview Farm both have opened for pick-your-own strawberry season. Of course, if you don’t feel like walking the rows yourself, you can purchase freshly-picked berries at the farmstands or area farmers markets. Apple Hill Farm Pick-your-own strawberries opened on June 14 and will be open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon, as weather...
City pools open
The city of Concord is able to open five of the seven pools this season, which will run from June 20 to Aug. 3. Based on current best practices, it has scheduled intermittent cleaning throughout the day. They made the decision not to open two pools (Garrison Park, White Park) this summer. Garrison was chosen as it has the lowest attendance each summer. White Park pool was chosen due to the small pool deck and its capacity limitations....
Poem: Smile
For the Insider She said it was a shame, that smiles have to disappear, I explained to my young child, it’s not what you see it’s what you hear. People still carry happiness within, they really do smile behind the mask, you have to remember before, it really is a necessary task. Life is just the same, please don’t forget when, we walked to the park holding hands, under blue skies back then. We have not changed, we are all the same...
Bulletin board
Everett Arena Roller Skating Roller skating returned to the Douglas N. Everett Arena this week for its sixth summer. New skating hours are Tuesday through Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Roller skating will only be available for a limited time through Friday, July 30. Admission will be $5 with skate rentals available if needed for an additional $5 at the Pro Shop. Book a private roller skating event for a birthday party, field...
Passing on history through stories and fruit
There was once a young boy living in our little town, a boy from another generation many years ago. He possessed much energy and engaged each and every adult in conversation, begging for a story from the past. This young boy encountered a very old man. In fact, the old gent was more than ten times the age of the young boy. The boy loved to chat and hear stories, the old man loved to tell stories about the days gone by. A friendship...
Gibson’s to resume in-person talks
Concord-based author launches new novel Gibson’s Bookstore will host its first in-person even in over 15 months on July 13 with Concord-based author Jennifer Anne Gordon. Gordon thrills and delights with her new horror fantasy novel Pretty/Ugly. You may have known her dance moves as an instructor at Let’s Dance Studio, tonight get to know her talents with words. This is a ticketed event with limited occupancy, and a firm ending time....
Summer concert series sets up for season
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: Concord Public Library news Live Music on the Lawn returns – next concert is July 21: These concerts are free and everyone is welcome to attend. Rory Scott Band: July 21, 6 p.m., Eagle Square (rain date: July 28). The Rory Scott Band is...
Live music picks up with outdoor shows
Live shows June 17 Craig Fahey at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Queen City Improv at Hatbox Theatre at 7:30 p.m. June 18 Andrew North and the Rangers at Penuche’s Ale House at 7:30 p.m. DJ Zadzi at SHARA Vineyards from 6 to 8 p.m. Slow Voltage & Stoned Wasp at Area 23 at 7:23 p.m. June 19 Justin Cohn at Concord Craft Brewing from 4 to 6 p.m. Eric Lindberg at Chen Yang Li from 7 to 10 p.m. Chris Fitz Trio at Area 23 at 7:23...
Deception by Gaslight: A Gilded Gotham Mystery
Deception by Gaslight: A Gilded Gotham Mystery By Kate Belli (278 pages, mystery, 2020) It is the winter of 1888 in New York City, and socialite Genevieve Stewart wants to be a newspaper reporter. But she isn’t taken seriously by her editor at the Globe. He gives her lighthearted stories to cover, like baby contests, not serious stories. A jewel thief nicknamed the “Robin Hood of the Lower East Side” has been active, stealing precious...
Book: Mulan, Woman Warrior
Mulan, Woman Warrior By Jeff Pepper (90 pages, language learning easy reader, 2020) Mulan takes the place of her father to fight in the army, disguising herself for 12 years of warfare. Heralded as a hero after her service, she declines offered rewards and instead returns home to her family, donning women’s dress once again. The story of Mulan, popularized here by Disney movies, is an ancient story with written record at least as far...
Book: Underland
Underland By Robert Macfarlane (488 pages, nonfiction, 2019) This book blew my mind a little bit. After finishing (and loving) Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass, I used the “You May Also Like” feature on Concord Public Library’s online catalog to point me toward more books about ecology, environmentalism, and humans’ relationship with the natural world. What a spot-on recommendation this was! This book is difficult to...
This week in Concord history
June 17, 1970: Attorney General Warren Rudman tells the Concord Rotary Club that he was glad the Chicago Three — David Dellinger, Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman — were allowed to speak at UNH. “You cannot repress free speech, he says. “You cannot repress advocacy of things you don’t agree with.” June 17, 1863: With Union armies still faltering at the front, 30,000 people gather in Concord for the formation of the Public Loyal...
Bulletin Board
Back to the stage Starting June 11 and running through June 27, a mainstage production returns to Hatbox Theatre in Concord with a unique twist on classic characters. Sherlock Holmes is dead. Or so it is assumed. The world knows the great detective went over the falls at Reichenbach with his nemesis Professor Moriarty. But, as Holmes’ body was never retrieved, a number of frauds, fakes, and charlatans have come forward since to lay...
Projects spruce streets, building
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 news and projectsFace covering ordinance: The City of Concord’s face coverings ordinance expired on June 1, 2021. City Council encourages anyone eligible to get vaccinated and to continue to follow the recommendations set forth by...
This week in Concord history
June 10, 1983: A celebration marks the opening of Eagle Square. Former mayor Martin Gross delivers a poem to mark the occasion. One stanza describes the Eagle Stable, which will soon be open in the Crystal Courtyard, a mini-mall for specialty foods: Your stable’s stalls, once equine halls, soon hungry souls will seek. No hay or mash but gourmet stash – an appetite boutique. June 10, 1900: A Concord police officer...
