City newsletter: Get smart about fire prevention in kitchens
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: Election info Absentee ballots: The City Clerk’s Office expects to receive absentee ballots for the upcoming Nov. 3, 2020 Election in early October. Upon receipt of those ballots, from the Secretary of State’s Office, staff will begin...
Tasty Brews: Smuttynose Whole Lotta Lupulin DIPA from True Brew Barista
I stopped into True Brew Barista last week looking for a new beer to try, and unsurprisingly, there were all kinds of options for things I’d never tried or even heard of before. One of those unheard-of brews was the Smuttynose Whole Lotta Lupulin DIPA, so I went with one of those.The first thing to mention is that this beer has 8.6 percent alcohol by volume, which is nothing to sneeze at. It is therefore served in a smaller-sized...
Book of the Week: An important collection on racism
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race Edited by Jesmyn Ward (288 pages, essay/poetry, 2016) If you choose only one text to read in The Fire This Time…, let it be “The Tradition” by Jericho Brown. The poem rightfully opens this collection of essays and poems, the anthology itself a nod to James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time. Ownership, slavery, police brutality, death — the speaker of this poem connects these as...
Entertainment: Area 23 kills the lights, plus a bunch of HD broadcasts at the Cap Center
Don’t look now, but we’re already moving into February, which means this cold and snow can’t stick around for too much longer, can it? Anyway, there’s plenty going on in Concord this week, including a lights-out (literally) acoustic concert at Area 23 and a whole bunch of HD broadcasts of big-name plays at the Capitol Center for the Arts. Here’s what else is going on this week: Music Tuesday Mike Walsh at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at...
Bulletin Board: State park pass and more
Reserve your space Most hikers and outdoor enthusiasts will agree, the fall season is the best time of the year to hike. However, making a reservation before you head out is the most important step in the process. Many of N.H. State Parks most popular hiking destinations require an advance day-use reservation. The temperatures are perfect right now. The leaves are changing and as they fall they are revealing stunning views of...
Making Good Health Simple: 5 steps to your Super Bowl makeover
The National Football League defines the Super Bowl as the annual championship game culminating the regular season between the champions of the AFC and NFC conferences. In New England, it is more commonly known at the last game of the Patriots season. Super Bowl Sunday comes with a barrage of traditions ranging from superstitions, official jerseys, large-screen televisions and, of course, food. On the checklist: Where we will watch...
Lots to see and do downtown
While the Insider is always looking at local people, places and things to do, this week we wanted to send out an extra reminder of how important it is to think locally, eat locally and shop locally. Concord is lucky to a variety in its downtown and the wider city. Art, clothing, furniture, restaurants, homegoods, and so much more, all run by local people are available just about everywhere you look. Gibson’s Bookstore recently...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Snow updates, water main repaired and more
The city of Concord’s public information officer, Stefanie Breton, sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The newsletter contained too much information for us to fit into this spot, so we’re just printing some highlights here. For the full newsletter, go to concordnh.gov and click the “Newsletter” button on the home page. Snow updates, reminders Although Concord didn’t receive the predicted 12 to 20 inches of snow last...
This week in Concord history
Oct. 8, 1938: Penny Pitou of Gilford is born. She will win two silver medals in skiing in the 1960 Olympics. She will also participate in the 1956 Olympics and be elected to the National Ski Hall of Fame. Oct. 8, 1856: A show called Price’s Ethiopian Minstrels opens at Concord’s Phenix Hall. The show, according to an ad in Concord’s Patriot, is “affectionately portraying the lights & shadows of a darky’s life.” Oct....
On Display: Illustrator David Petersen at St. Paul’s School’s Crumpacker Gallery
The drawings of award-winning illustrator David Petersen are on display at St. Paul’s School’s Crumpacker Gallery until Feb. 23. The gallery is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays. These particular works are not for sale.
Poem: A faded billboard
A faded billboard lost to time, selling goods for the old store, a business claimed by the years, many decades ago, perhaps more. Once a colorful sign so bright, hand lettered many years ago, on a brick wall, where people used to go. Many people pass beneath the old sign, unknowing children run and explore, a faded billboard lost to time, selling goods for the old store. James W....
Jeff Follansbee won our parks scavenger hunt
It took a couple weeks, but we finally have a winner for our Concord parks scavenger hunt. Jeff Follansbee was the only person to correctly identify every park, and he chose to donate his prize – a $25 gift card to a Concord business of his choice – to the Concord Friends Program. What a guy! Here are the answers:
Poem: A younger man so
I wish I realized, when I was a younger man so, the sentiments the many years can bring, from my life so many years ago. There are people that have passed, I wish I could speak to them still, but life has a way of concluding, new chapters written at will. If I had known then, what I do know now, perhaps my life would be richer, or at least different somehow. When I think back over the years, of those I was fortunate to know, I wish I...
Blast From the Past: The Rumford Cider Topper and his noggin
There was a time in our little village of Rumford, back when we were a British province and ruled by a Royal governor, that the old-world customs and traditions were quite evident and certainly relevant. The harvest was a grand time when the school houses were closed so that the children could work in the fields and bring in the bounty before the onset of the first killing frost. The children were quite pleased to leave the one-room...
Entertainment
Thursday, Oct. 8 Mark Bartram at Hermanos, 6:30 to 7:30 and 8 to 9 p.m. Open mic at Penuches at 8 p.m., sign up at 7:30 p.m. Queen City Improv at the Hatbox Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 Comedian Bob Marley at the Capitol Center for the Arts at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. (Recommended 14+) Tickets $37.50 plus $8.75 fee Masceo Williams at Penuche’s at 8 p.m. Dank Sinatra at Area 23 at 6:32 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 Comedian Bob Marley at...
Months after principal’s death, N.H. ALS walk moving to Concord
Monitor staff Less than a year after the death of former Concord High School principal Gene Connolly to ALS, his story is having ripple effects in the community.One of those ripple effects is the Northern New England Chapter of the ALS Association’s decision to move its annual New Hampshire walk from Manchester to Concord this year.“We knew how impactful his story had been on this community, and how much support he had,” events...
Artistic endeavors join forces
Insider staffTwo Concord-based crafters have teamed up to organize the Capital City Craft Bazaar to be held Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine, at Rollins Park. Christa Zuber, organizer of the Concord Arts Market, and Alison Murphy, owner of Concord Handmade, have brought together many of the artists who sell through their organizations for a new opportunity to connect with customers during a year that has hit artists...
Bulletin Board: Tax prep time, a free movie and meetings
AARP offers free tax assistance From Jan. 29 through April 15, the AARP Foundation is again providing free tax assistance and preparation for low- to moderate-income taxpayers across the Granite State. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in its 51st year, is the nation’s largest free tax assistance and preparation service, giving special attention to the older population. There is no fee for this service and you do not need to be an AARP member...
Exercise while fundraising
A family favorite in Concord, the Wicked FIT 5k is a Halloween costume-themed virtual 5k run/walk that will benefit programs for families and individuals experiencing homelessness in New Hampshire.Families in Transition-New Horizons will host their 9th annual Wicked FIT Run on Oct. 31. The Halloween-themed event is being held as a virtual 5k. People from all around the country can participate by sporting costumes and walking or...
Book of the Week: ‘The Big Book of Female Detectives’
The Big Book of Female Detectives Otto Penzler (editor) 2018, 1115 pages Mystery/short stories This large volume is a treasure trove of mystery short stories featuring female detectives and crime solvers. It is arranged chronologically in sections starting with The Victorians and Edwardians (British) and ending in modern times. There are some authors that you might recognize: Agatha Christie, Sue Grafton and Nevada Barr. And some...
Making Good Health Simple: Keeping active through the years
For the InsiderImportant: Make sure you consult your health care provider before taking on a new exercise or health and wellness plan. Talk to your doctor if you plan to start something new or more vigorous, especially if you haven’t been active recently. Once a medical professional gives you clearance, try some of the ideas below:Being active is important at any age, however as we get older some of the day-to-day tasks that helped us...
This Week in Concord History
Jan. 29, 2002: Citing a lack of evidence, a Merrimack County Superior Court judge sends Richmond Co.’s supermarket and shopping center proposal back to the Concord planning board, overturning the board’s unanimous decision against the Massachusetts company and upsetting some South End residents. Jan. 30, 2000: As many as 5,000 of the names on Concord’s voter rolls shouldn’t be there, the Monitor reports. The extra names include people...
This week in Concord history
Oct. 1, 1814: Birth of Isaac D. Merrill in Hopkinton. He will grow up to be a clothier, town treasurer, postmaster and state representative. But his biggest claim to fame, according to his obituary, is this: “being the heaviest taxpayer in the town of Hopkinton.” Oct. 2, 2002: Franklin School District’s dropout rate has dropped from 16 to 10.1 percent, according to numbers released. School officials credit the improvement to...
Black Ice Pond Hockey, WinterFest to take over capital city this weekend
It’s definitely starting to get colder out there now, but the scene in the capital city will be red hot this weekend as three big-time events combine for one gigantic winter celebration. Back for a ninth year is the ever-popular 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship, which takes place on the frozen pond at White Park. This tournament attracts hundreds of players from all over the country, and it’s become a big weekend for family fun...
City news: Recreational programs, classes open now
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:Absentee ballots for electionThe City Clerk’s Office expects to receive absentee ballots for the upcoming Nov. 3, 2020, Election in early October. Upon receipt of those ballots, from the Secretary of State’s Office, staff will begin...
Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce invites public to trip to Spain in March
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce invites members, their family and friends, and interested community members to join them on a nine-day journey through Spain’s Costa del Sol departing March 19. One of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations, Costa del Sol stretches along 90 miles of the Malaga province. Visitors come for the striking landscapes, coastal sites, charming hinterland villages, rich cultural heritage, local food...
Poem: Postage Due
There was once a young mailman,walked our streets a century ago, took his time roaming house to house,perhaps just a little too slow. He was gifted with charisma,the young lad was full of charm, had a sweet disposition with the ladies,a gentle soul who would not harm. As the mail arrived each day,he sorted and sorted his mail marked post, the pretty young ladies would gather,for they were certainly entertained the most. As the years...
Despite some big-name gallery closures, art scene alive and well in Concord
In late July, McGowan Fine Art closed for good. The art gallery had been in business since 1980, and even a move to a less-expensive space couldn’t save the business.Then, in late December, Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden owner Pam Tarbell announced that she would be closing her gallery by the end of the month after a 22-year run. She’ll open back up in the spring as PR Tarbell Fine Art and Art Consulting, but the gallery...
Book of the Week: Inspector Gamache back on the case
All the Devils are Here By Louise Penny (439 pages, mystery, 2020) Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté and his wife Reine-Marie travel from their small village of Three Pines in Canada to Paris to visit family. Their daughter Annie is just about to give birth and they want to be there to greet their new granddaughter. Annie’s husband is Jean-Guy Beauvoir, who was Armand’s second in command for years. Armand and Reine-Marie...
Making Good Health Simple: Life hacks for sneaking in some exercise every day
“I’m too tired.” “I don’t have time.” “I don’t know what to do.” Just a few of the most common excuses I hear from clients as to why they simply cannot exercise. I get it – life happens. Even with our best intentions the day slips by, and before you know it, it’s time for bed. We fill our days with work, taxiing kids, chores, errands, family obligations and unfortunately self-care is the first thing people remove from the list....
