Looking back: The Wedding Tree
Sometimes I think back to my earliest memories as a young child. The sun is shining with a slight refreshing breeze and the apple blossoms are in bloom. I am sitting beneath an ancient apple tree in a field on our family farm. The farm has been in our family for over a century and we visited each year to spend our precious summer moments with those we loved creating more memories that I hold dearly within my heart to this very day....
PHOTOS: Wreaths laid at veterans’ graves in Concord’s Old North Cemetery
Volunteers with the Pierce Brigade led the charge to lay wreaths at veterans’ graves Friday morning. The chilly weather couldn’t stop the dozen or so people from laying more than a hundred wreaths at Concord’s Old North Cemetery. “It gets very personal for me,” said Matthew Wieczhalek-Seiler, who brought Hometown Heroes to Concord and lost his own brother, who died two years ago while serving in the Army. Volunteers showed respect in...
Book: Fascinating look at England
The Wild Places By Robert Macfarlane (340 pages, nature/travel, 2007) Robert Macfarlane lives in England, and he sets out on a journey to see if wild places still exist in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. He starts off in a beechwood near his home and travels to islands, rivers, moors, mountains, beaches, holloways and more. There’s a map in the front of the book with the places that he traveled and pictures of small...
Comfort Inn wins Commissioner’s Award as 2018 Disability Employment Champion
The Comfort Inn recently received the Commissioner’s Award as the 2018 Disability Employment Champion by the Department of Business and Economic Affairs. The award was accepted by Comfort Inn’s General Manager Joyce McCabe along with four of her associates with hearing disabilities. The Comfort Inn, a property of the Duprey Hospitality Company, is a well-respected local business. The staff was recognized for their ability to hire...
This week in history
Aug. 6, 1728: A grant creates the Plantation of Suncook (an Indian term meaning “place of the goose” or “rocky place”). Massachusetts grants the land to the 47 soldiers and survivors of an Indian-hunting expedition to the north known as Lovewell’s War. Francis Doyen of Penacook, one of Lovewell’s soldiers, is believed to have been the first white settler. Aug. 6, 1812: At a convention in Brentwood, Federalist Daniel Webster...
Blast from the past: Remembering Concord’s old lamplighter – the person, not the restaurant
Main Street, Concord, is pictured here on a dark night back on July 25, 1953. This photograph was taken shortly after Concord Electric installed new electric street lights on Main Street. Our Main Street wasn’t always so bright – light was indeed a luxury not easily afforded to our ancestors. In the 1880s, the Concord lamplighter still walked the old cobbled streets of downtown Concord – a lonely, solitary man fortunate to have a job...
City newsletter: First training available to the public
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: Project First Trainings The Concord Fire Department’s will hold its free naloxone and hands-only CPR training for the public. The classes will be held Aug. 10, Sept. 8, and Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Concord Fire Department’s Training...
Book of the Week: ‘Deck the Hounds’
Deck the HoundsDavid Rosenfelt2018, 358 pagesFiction/Mystery Lawyer Andy Carpenter sees a homeless man on a street in winter in Paterson, N.J., Andy’s hometown. The homeless man has an adorable dog with him and they are huddled together in front of a pawn shop in the cold. Andy gives him some money and a gift card for a pet store. When his wife finds out about it, she tells Andy that they need to let the man stay in a vacant apartment...
Book of the Week: An interesting cast of characters
An Irish Country Doctor By Patrick Taylor (352 pages, fiction, 2007) Barry Laverty has just become a doctor and is almost late for a job interview, but he is having trouble finding the small village of Balleybucklebo in Northern Ireland. He loves Ireland and wants to work in a rural practice. But he has to find the place first. The interview is with Doctor Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly. O’Reilly is a larger than life character who has his...
Way Back: Remembering the early sleigh parties of Concord’s past
There was a time when the sound of the falling snow was as audible as the wind between the bare branches of each grand tree around our little town of Concord. More than a century ago, contrary to common thoughts, we find our local merchants welcoming the deep snow to the hills and valleys surrounding our beloved Concord. Each storm would deliver joy in the form of profits and pleasure to our ancestors as the young and brave embarked...
Market Month is here
The annual Market Days festival as we all know it has been canceled for this summer. In its place will be Market Month throughout August. Market Month will be a series of Mini Market Days hosted by Intown Concord to provide an event for downtown Concord businesses to expand onto the sidewalks and sell their goods and services, along with various forms of entertainment, games and family activities. Market Month will feature different...
This Week in Concord History
Dec. 18, 1995: Concord’s Bob Tewksbury signs a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres for $1.5 million. Dec. 18, 2000: For the first time in anyone’s memory, a crowd gathers at the State House to watch the casting of votes for president by New Hampshire’s four members of the Electoral College. The electors all choose George W. Bush, doing their part to ensure his narrow victory over Al Gore. Dec. 18, 2001: David Rayment, a lawyer...
Retelling a fairy tale
Sleeper and the Spindle By Nail Gaiman (68 pages, fiction, 2013) From the twisted mind of Neil Gaiman. You may think you know the story of Sleeping Beauty. But you’ve never heard it like this before. If you’ve always desired more emotion and poetry in fairy tales than chronological statements, look no further. Gaiman artistically tells the tale of a woman cursed to sleep and her unexpected savior. Sweeping illustrations narrate...
Last-Minute Gifts: This holiday season, gift experiences to your loved ones
It’s a fascinating time to be alive right now. With the ever-accelerating pace of technology, the very nature of gift-giving is changing before our eyes. It used to be that you’d head to the mall to hit a handful of shops, then run to another town to go to a different store, then head to yet another town to grab another item and so on.Today, it’s basically: go online, click buttons, wait for package to arrive in the mail. Sadly, this...
Chamber golf tournament ends on Aug. 5
Each year, the Funds for Education Golf Tournament raises funds to directly support the Chamber’s Business Grants for Teachers program (providing more than $5,000 annually to local teachers who have developed innovative programs in Concord area K-12 schools) and the Chamber’s esteemed Capital Area Student Leadership program. Over 675 Capital region high school sophomores have graduated from CASL since the program began, and...
There’s still time to make someone a gift for the holidays
While buying something is generally easier than making something, there’s something extra special about a handmade gift. When you’ve made something all by yourself using your own hands, the recipient knows there’s a lot of thought and care that went into that. In Concord, there’s no shortage of venues you can go to if you’re looking to make something special for someone special on your shopping list this year. Many of these options...
Multicultural Fest nixed, alternatives planned
After much discussion and deliberation, the Concord Multicultural Festival committee has reached the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Concord Multicultural Festival. The uncertainty of COVID-19 presents many challenges that just cannot be addressed effectively due to the nature of this event. Now, more than ever, our community needs connection – the kind of connection that fosters kindness, understanding, and respect. The Concord...
Ocean State Job Lot Adventure Shopping: Christmas shopping edition
In honor of the Last-Minute Christmas Gifts issue, we knew we had to make a trip to Ocean State Job Lot, a treasure trove of last-minute gift ideas from practical to completely unnecessary. If there’s one truth in life, it’s that you can find something for everyone at the Job Lot.
Be safe and smart with water
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: Parks and Rec Concord Parks & Recreation wants to remind families that we are currently accepting registrations for Youth Soccer (ages 4 to grade 6), NFL Flag Football (ages 6 to 11) and all other fall programs. The registration...
Concord Young Professionals Network’s Young Professional of the Month is Adam Berthiaume
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Concord Young Professionals Network introduces you to our “Young Professional of the Month,” Adam Berthiaume. Each month the CYPN Steering Committee recommends a young professional in the community it thinks readers would enjoy getting to know better.How old are you? 29.Where do you live? Concord.Where do you currently work? I work for Grappone Automotive Group as the marketing manager.What’s...
Making Good Health Simple: Deadbug
While gyms are open at lower occupancy numbers and at least some social distancing precautions expected to continue through the summer, it might be hard to keep up the routines you are used to doing. However, it is still important to stay active for a healthy body and mind. Instructors from 43 Degrees North will be sharing quick exercises with the Insider that you can do at home. Deadbug Begin by lying on your back with your legs up...
Concord doubles down on winter farmers markets
This year, shoppers looking for locally made food products can choose between two farmers markets. The long-running market at Cole Gardens is already up and running. And on Saturday on the other side of town, the Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market will hold its inaugural shopping day in the Eagle Square Atrium. Both will be open Saturdays at 10 a.m. The downtown market plans to run until 1 p.m. The Cole Gardens market runs a bit...
Kindness Challenge: Putting others first, no matter the risk
In life, it’s not the ideas you have, or your intentions, or even the things you say you will do that count. In life it’s your actions that matter the most and today’s column is about the kind actions of two people, almost 100 years apart whose kind actions saved the lives of others. Harold Lowe was an officer on the Titanic. On the night of April 14, 1912, Harold Lowe was the officer in charge of the only lifeboat that went back to...
Entertainment: Enough music, plays and movies to keep you busy all week
As we continue to make our way through December, the volume of holiday-themed shows keeps going up, with three more Christmas plays in Concord this week. There’s also plenty of live music and an especially heavy movie schedule at Red River. Have a look: Music Tuesday Dan Weiner at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Paul Heckel at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Thursday Richard Gardzina at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Llava Llama...
This week in Concord history
July 30, 1975: After nearly 100 hours of debate over 30 days and 35 inconclusive roll-call votes, the U.S. Senate declares its inability to settle the disputed November 1974 U.S. Senate election in New Hampshire and sends the matter back to the state. The move opens the way for a new election between Republican Louis Wyman and Democrat John Durkin. Durkin had suggested the new election on grounds that at the rate the Senate was going,...
Bulletin Board: Blue Christmas in Bow; 4 Local Baskit events
Blue Christmas service in Bow A Blue Christmas service will be held on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow. This will be a time of a quiet service of prayer, reflection and candle lighting for those having difficulty during this season due to grief, illness, depression, stress, family situations or other struggles. This will be a time to acknowledge our feelings of sadness and concern, to...
YA fantasy is riveting
Crown Duel By Sherwood Smith (214 pages and on Libby, young adult fantasy, 1997) This riveting, fast-paced novel will have YA readers of all ages on the edge of their seats. A death-bed oath leads well-intentioned but ill-prepared Meliara and Branaric — siblings of title but little wealth — to wage rebellion against the crown. The king and his minions plot to break an ancient covenant between humans and tree-like Hill Folk,...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Leaf collection ends, more construction work and other city updates
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. Leaf collection is over for the year Last Friday was the last day for Concord Fall Leaf Collection....
Looking back: Concord’s street sprinkler
For many years the city of Concord hosted the Concord State Fair on Clinton Street. This annual event was attended and enjoyed by thousands of people. Our ancestors traveled from around the state and further, arriving by train at the depot they would book their rooms at popular Main Street locations such as the Phenix and Eagle Hotels, enjoy fine dinners and spend a day at the fair. This was wonderful for our local economy as well as...
Concord Community Music School students hit high notes with top honors
Concord Community Music School voice students hit a high note this fall, receiving five out of six top honors in musical theater performance at the N.H. State NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) Auditions hosted by the music school on Oct. 20.Rachel Revellese, student of Ellen Nordstrom, won first place in the Upper High School Musical Theater Division. Allison Leger and Maya Fabozzi, students of Hannah Murray, took...
