Poem: Moses Malone
There was a young man, named Moses Malone, he was born in our town, we considered him our own. Moses was orphaned young, lived here and a little there, people watched him grow, a fine young man, people did care. For fifty dollars he signed on the line, the army recruiter promised much, heard he was at Gettysburg, but locals say he fell out of touch. The train arrived at the depot, on a very foggy Sunday morn, a flagged draped coffin...
Still looking for New Year’s plans? We got you
Christmas is now a thing of the past, and there’s only one more holiday left this calendar year – New Year’s Eve.Traditionally one of the biggest party nights of the year, you don’t want to be the only one you know who has nothing to do to ring in the new year. Luckily, there are several events going on across Concord that you can get in on – assuming you act quickly enough to grab a reservation (where required).Last week, we told you...
This week in Concord history
Aug. 20, 1948: Lifeguards for Manchester’s municipal swimming pools go on strike, forcing the city to close two pools and leave others unsupervised. The workers are seeking a $5 pay raise from $28 to $33 per week, and have rejected the city’s offer of $2. Aug. 20, 1853: Jefferson Davis, U.S. secretary of war, arrives in Concord. He dines at the Phenix Hotel, takes a ride through town and talks to residents at the Eagle Hotel. Those...
N.H. Liquor Commission releases new commemorative Old Man of the Mountain rum bottles
The New Hampshire Liquor Commission is introducing its latest commemorative bottle, paying tribute to New Hampshire’s iconic Old Man of the Mountain. This year’s bottle is filled with premium New England-style rum made from blackstrap molasses to pay homage to New England’s revolutionary spirit.The commission initially launched its commemorative bottle program to raise funding for the New Hampshire Hall of Flags, which houses 115...
Looking back: Discovering family history in the attic
There are times in life when we simply place things somewhere to keep them safe. We might cherish the item and protect it from damage or theft. These special items in need of a special place might be connected to your family in some way and the memory is preserved for another day. For my family that place was the attic of my childhood home. I would venture into the attic as a young boy to explore each and every cardboard box. There...
Entertainment: Area 23, Penuche’s have full slates of music for this New Year’s week
With Christmas now in the rearview mirror, we look ahead to New Year’s Eve – and also lots of live music here in Concord, as well as a full week’s worth of movie listings at Red River Theatres. Enjoy the week, and have a happy New Year! Music Wednesday Mark Bartram at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Open mic at Area 23 at 7 p.m. Thursday Paul Lovely at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Peter Pappas at Common Man at 7 p.m. &...
Applause in order for student, volunteers
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: Upcoming meetings Planning Board: August 19, 7 p.m. via Zoom and live stream on the City’s YouTube channel Agendas & Zoom information will be available prior to these meetings at concordnh. legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Mosquito-borne...
Live music to return to Cheers
The outdoor patio at Cheers is a huge hit in the warmer months, especially when there’s live music being played out there. Unfortunately, it is not one of the warmer months right now – far from it, in fact. But that’s okay, because starting Jan. 3, the tunes will return to Cheers as its winter live music series kicks off. In collaboration with NHMusic, a Concord-based music networking business run by local pro musician Brad Myrick,...
Party in garden to fund gallery updates
Eastern Ballet Institute will be moving to the Kimball Jenkins School of Art campus. A socially-distanced Summer Garden Masquerade will be held Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. (rain date Aug. 16) to help fundraise for some changes to the gallery. Tickets will be $15. The evening will begin with an outdoor print exhibit of artworks inspired by dance such as Degas, Rodin, Blake and Fini. Then, after exploring the garden gallery, make your way to the...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Christmas tree collection, ice reminders 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.Christmas tree collection noticeChristmas tree collection starts Monday, Jan. 7. This two-week program...
Andrew of the North releases new album
Songwriter and pianist Andrew North has a new solo album out, Allamagoosalum. It’s his most psychedelic work to date. The strange tale of the narrator’s encounters with a mysterious creature (the Allamagoosalum) is woven between piano-heavy rock and pop tunes. It’s unique and it draws you in. “I wanted to do something different for this one,” Andrew said. “I love concept albums and I was heavily influenced by Phish’s Rift and classic...
Extended hours for holiday break, new rules
VNA to offer Walk-in Wednesday Concord Regional Visiting Nurses Association offers Walk-In Wednesday on Wednesday, Dec. 26, from 10 a.m. to noon at Horseshoe Pond Place Senior Resource Center, 26 Commercial St. Walk-In Wednesday is held on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Walk-In Wednesday is an opportunity to get your questions answered. A Concord Regional VNA team member is available to meet with people individually regarding...
Book: Girls unlock magic
Great and Terrible Beauty By Libba Bray (403 pages/available on Libby, young adult fantasy, 2003) A genre blend of historical fantasy, the boarding school story, gothic, and coming of age, this book creates indeed a great and terrible beauty. Protagonist Gemma is shipped off to boarding school in England after the sudden and suspicious death of her mother. Gemma must learn to navigate her new social environment as she grapples...
This Week in Concord History
Dec. 26, 1776: Col. John Stark’s troops lead the attack on the British and Hessians at Trenton. Capt. Joshua Abbot’s Concord company and Ebenezer Frye’s Pembroke company march with Stark. Frye, “being very corpulent,” tires quickly and tells his men to move ahead “as fast as they please” under Sgt. Ephraim Stevens. The battle lasts 50 minutes. The Patriot victory is a turning point of the Revolution. Dec. 26, 1856: A fire reduces...
Book of the Week: Renown writer celebrates art
Art Matters By Neil Gaiman (100 pages, nonfiction, 2018) Psst. Guys, Neil Gaiman loves libraries. Let him tell you about his love affair with books. Let him tell you about the journey he has taken to get where he is. The advice he wished he had listened to. Why is he telling you this? Because “Art matters.” But don’t worry, he may have a lot of experience and stories, but this book is 100 tiny pages with lots of pictures. If...
Book of the Week: ‘Mr. Dickens and his Carol’
Mr. Dickens and His Carol Samantha Silva 2017, 276 pages Holiday fiction Charles Dickens is not feeling the Christmas spirit. The public didn’t like his new book, the critics have turned against him, relatives want money and his wife has just had yet another child. His wife wants to continue their traditional Christmas (lavish) and Dickens is thinking of the poor house. But when his publishers try to blackmail him into writing a...
1892: Drinking fountain donated to cemetery
It was in the year 1892 that former Mayor H. W. Clapp desired to contribute a memorial gift to the city that had treated him and his family so well. After discussion and thought the former Mayor of Concord felt his gift should be a donation that could be enjoyed by all members of our society. Mayor H. W. Clapp decided that the gift of a drinking fountain in a public location would be a very sincere gesture. He sought a special...
Take a Tour de Fries around Concord
We did a Burgers Issue in February 2017, and although there was a small piece in that issue about fries, it wasn’t really enough to do justice to a food item that is such a staple of American cuisine. Therefore, welcome to the Fries Issue, at long last. For this piece, our self-imposed rules were pretty simple: order the smallest portion of fries possible from every burger place in town and eat them, comparing the merits of each. We...
Book: Taste of immortality
Tuck Everlasting By Natalie Babbitt (180 pages, junior fiction, 1975) If you were given the chance to live forever, never aging, would you take it? That’s a decision the Tuck family never got to make. They unknowingly drank from the magical spring and now they can’t age or die. Realizing the power of the spring, they protect it, keeping it a secret to prevent others from the same fate. When Winnie Foster encounters the Tuck...
Grappone Conference Center to throw big New Year’s Eve bash
Even though we haven’t even gotten to Christmas yet, the other big holiday around this time of year – New Year’s Eve – is fast approaching, and we figured we’d get the word out about a big bash going down before it’s too late.One of the challenges of trying to find a great New Year’s party to attend in Concord is that there usually aren’t many of them. The city stopped doing First Night celebrations years ago amid financial trouble...
This week in history
Aug. 13, 1852: The tallest flagpole in New Hampshire history is erected in the State House yard, put up to celebrate Franklin Pierce’s nomination by the Democrats to be president. It is 143 feet tall, higher than the State House dome. First flown is an emblem with pictures of Pierce and Sen. Rufus de Vane King of Alabama, his running mate. Aug. 13, 1975: Edward Bennett, the state’s economic development director, sues Union...
Hit your stride at the new Strive Indoor Cycling studio in downtown Concord
As though you needed any more evidence that Concord is becoming more and more focused on health and wellness by the day, there’s now a new business – well, actually a pair of new businesses – downtown that aim to keep expanding on that theme. Strive Indoor Cycling, the city’s only dedicated indoor cycling studio, opened Dec. 8 at 10 Hills Ave., the former home of McGowan Fine Art. Since we’ve been in the habit of checking in on places...
League exhibit showcases a bit of everything
The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen is presenting the Art, Craft & Design exhibition both online and in person at the League Headquarters Gallery in Concord (in the Smile Building). If you are able to visit the gallery in person, the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Aug. 9. All guests must wear masks, and they will limit the number of guests in the space at any time. On display are more than 50 artists with creations such as...
Entertainment: Last chance to see some Christmas plays in Concord
This issue of the Insider comes out exactly one week before Christmas, meaning this will be your last chance to check out some Christmas shows this year (or at least your last chance to learn about them in this paper). If you miss out and have to wait until next year, don’t say we didn’t give you fair warning. Also, there’s plenty of non-Christmas stuff on the docket this week, including several concerts and movies that don’t have a...
Parks and Rec hosts movie, concerts
Concord Parks and Recreation, in partnership with Red River Theatres, will host a movie at Memorial Field on Aug. 19 at dusk. Registration is required with one spot per household and up to six people per spot. Register online at concordparksandrec.com with code 253000-1. For more information, visit the website or call 225-8690. Additionally, concerts continue in Eagle Square. On Aug. 6 at 7 p.m see Rebel Collective, a pub rock/Celtic...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Holiday hours, Beaver Meadow activities, utility work 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.Holiday hoursAll City of Concord offices will be closing at 1 p.m. on Monday (Christmas Eve) and will...
Bank of N.H. Stage looks to turn on the lights
In order for the Bank of N.H. Stage to reopen indoor concerts safely, it has a whole bunch of new procedures to put in place and test out. It’s asking its members and the public to help fine-tune the protocols at its first indoor show. The Special Guests will be doing a free show at the Bank of N.H. Stage on Friday, Aug., 7 at 8 p.m. Tickets are required and are available online. There are a limited number of tickets available. The...
Bulletin Board: Tickets now available for NHTI’s Winter Fling
Stamp collectors’ meeting in Bow The Merrimack County Stamp Collectors will hold its monthly meeting at the Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow, on Tuesday (Dec. 18) beginning at 1 p.m. We invite all who are interested in stamp collecting to attend, share their interest, buy, sell and trade. Meet other collectors and learn more about their hobby and enjoy the fellowship of others with varied interests in Philatelic...
Good food, music and cause
The Concord Coalition to End Homelessness will be holding a Bluegrass Barbecue on Aug. 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Everett Arena. This picnic-style event along the Merrimack River will feature an incredible feast, some live music, and plenty of outdoor space for you to bring your own chairs and beverages and enjoy the day. A limited number of timed tickets will be available and must be purchased in advance. Tickets include a...
White Park skate house begins to take shape
The walls may be up at the White Park skate house, but Concord officials say the building won’t be ready for public use by the next 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship. Work on the foundation, drainage and patio have been ongoing since the project kicked off this past summer, according to a December report from city director of redevelopment and special projects, Matt Walsh. But while the framing may be up, exterior work will...
