It’s time to get scoopin’
It’s finally getting to that time of year when more days are warm than cold (despite what Saturday’s snowfall would have you believe). With temperatures on the rise, that can only mean one thing: ice cream season. Greater Concord area scoopers are opening their windows to all those in search of a delicious cone or sundae. Just a reminder: Like most everything these days, hours and availability are subject to change, be sure to call in...
This Week in Concord History
Sept. 11, 1866: Kearsarge beats Portsmouth 32-19 in one of the first reported games of “base ball” in Concord. Judge Ira Eastman, however, remembers seeing the game (or its forerunner, rounders) played in the city 50 years before. Sept. 11, 2001: In cities and towns, schools and offices, people across the state break from their routines as the grim details of terrorist attacks along the East Coast unfold. Many simply break...
Children’s book: A bit o’ fun from DePaola
Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato Written and illustrated by Tomie DePaola (32 pages, 1992, children’s fiction) There is nothing like a tale told by Tomie DePaola with its distinct illustrations and lively tone. You’ll find yourself speaking with an Irish brogue as you read this fun tale aloud about “Jamie O’Rourke the laziest man in all of Ireland.” Now Jamie’s poor overworked wife is in bed and can’t get up, so it is up to Jamie to...
Book of the Week: ‘Journey to Munich: A Maisie Dobbs Novel’
Journey to Munich Jacqueline Winspear 2016, 300 pages Fiction It is 1938. Maisie Dobbs has returned to England from Spain. She is mourning the devastating loss of her husband. But it is time to return home, and she feels she might be ready to work again.Before she can get settled in, she is contacted by Brian Huntley and Robert MacFarlane of the Secret Service. They want her to do an undercover mission for them. A famous inventor and...
Book review: Get swept away by great storytelling
The Name of the Wind By Patrick Rothfuss (Fantasty, 722 pages, 2008) Currently on Libby as e-book As the roads become dangerous and foreign threats turn soldiers to mercenaries, a new menace stumbles upon the sleepy village of Newarre. But was it perhaps drawn there, seeking out a kingkiller in hiding? A bloodless, powerful man who has fought with angels? Quiet innkeeper Kvothe may be more than he appears to the village...
Assistant City Planner Beth Fenstermacher shares some of her favorite hikes in Concord
August has come and gone, kids are back in school and the days are cooling off – kind of, anyway. This isn’t a time to be all bummed out, though. In reality, this is one of the best times of the year to get out and explore any of the city’s 31(!) hiking/walking trails.Let’s face it – when it’s 97 degrees out and as humid as a public bathhouse, there are more appealing activities than trying to gain elevation while swatting away...
Book review: A WWII tale
The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir By Jennifer Ryan (Fiction, 371 pages, 2017) It is March 1940 during World War II in the English countryside, and the vicar has closed the choir because the men in the choir have gone to war. But the women start up the Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, led by the free-spirited Miss Prim. This story is told through different characters’ letters and journals. Mrs. Tilling’s son has gone to fight and she must give...
Expand your horizons at the Intro to Concord Trails Workshop
Concord has a system of 31 trails covering 81 miles. To find out more about this resource, join AARP New Hampshire and Assistant City Planner Beth Fenstermacher for a free workshop on how to navigate the off-road trails and how to read the trail maps.The Intro to Concord Trails workshop is planned for 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Center for Health Promotion, 49 S. Main St., Suite 201.Fenstermacher will offer a virtual tour of three...
This week in Concord history
May 13, 2003: In a bold move, the Senate Judiciary Committee strips the parental notification provision from the House parental notification bill and instead passes an amended bill that outlines the required counseling a minor must receive before she can have an abortion. May 13, 2000: Although mourning the death of Adam Petty the day before, drivers and race officials at New Hampshire International Speedway make clear the show...
Run for a cause at NHTI’s 12th annual Friendly Kitchen 5K and Fitness Walk
There are plenty of road races in and around Concord every year, most of which are tied to some kind of good cause. The Friendly Kitchen 5K and Fitness Walk at NHTI should be right at the top of that list – and it’s coming up Friday.For the 12th consecutive year, Concord’s Community College will host a 5K road race/2.5K fitness walk to help support the Friendly Kitchen. The race will start at 5:30 p.m. Friday on the NHTI campus. There...
Book of the Week: A modern fable
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse By Charlie Mackesy (Fable, 128 pages, 2019) In a world today that is full of uncertainty and confusion it is welcoming to read a book about friendship and love. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is a well written short story to help us escape reality even if it’s just for a short period of time. This book follows the lives of four not so typical friends who spend time on a...
It was a Wild first season in Concord for the N.H. Wild baseball team
You can put it on the board – the inaugural season for Concord’s pro baseball team, the New Hampshire Wild of the Empire Professional Baseball League, has come to an end. Quite fittingly, the team called Wild had a pretty wild season for themselves. They started out strong, going 12-5 over their first 17 games. Then they hit a rough patch, losing eight in a row to put them at 12-13 heading into the all-star break. Wild manager Scott...
Volunteers shop for seniors, load on bus
For Concord Senior Transit and Rural Transportation Services going with the flow these days means transporting groceries instead of seniors. Cindy Yanski, the regional mobility manager, she it reminds her of the scene near the end of the Lord Of The Rings when Sam has to carry Frodo. “I can’t carry it for you, Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you!” he says. Well, the bus can’t carry its seniors but it can carry their shopping lists and...
Food Snob: Deep-fried Fish Sub from Donatello’s
Donatello’s Pizza is probably best known for its Super Dominator – a 28-inch behemoth of a pizza that requires a vehicle and a doorway large enough for it to fit through. But, like most self-respecting pizza shops in the Northeast, there are a couple of seafood options, too.Being a huge lover of seafood, this Food Snob decided to head over to Donatello’s last week and try something from the ocean. It was basically between fish and...
Entertainment
The Screen Red River Theatres is working with Magnolia Pictures so filmgoers can watch independent movies at home. Here’s a look at the current offerings. Ticket prices average about $12. Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band (R) The Whistlers (Not Rated) Extra Ordinary (R) Best of CatVideoFest: Creature Comforts Edition (Not Rated) Sorry We Missed You (Not Rated) The Booksellers (Not Rated) Saint Frances (Not Rated) The...
Entertainment: A trio of Pauls at Hermanos this week
In one of those fun, weird coincidences, the first three performers on the schedule at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana this week are all named Paul. In other news, there will be a rare hip-hop show at True Brew Barista on Friday night, featuring several artists you’ve probably never heard before. All of the above (and below) should be worth checking out. Have a look: Music Tuesday Paul Hubert at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m....
This week in Concord history
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 Hampshire icon, which fell from its Franconia Notch perch sometime last weekend. May 6, 2003: An elderly...
Buy, sell, trade or just browse at Everett Arena’s big two-day gun show
One of Everett Arena’s biggest events of the year is coming this weekend – the New England Events Gun Show.While we don’t typically spend much time writing about guns in this publication, we couldn’t ignore this two-day event that will likely bring thousands of people to the arena this weekend. The show, which will take over Everett arena Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., is “a celebration of our Second...
Neighborhood scavenger hunt
Staying at home and social distancing is a good time to look for those things we often see, but don’t always observe. So, while you’re out in your neighborhood taking a walk to enjoy the spring sunshine, here’s something of a scavenger hunt. What can you find close to home? Give it a good study and have a little fun. A tree that grows fruit A blue truck A four-leaf clover A basketball hoop A birding singing out A flower that is...
Bulletin Board: Send in nominations for Citizen of the Year
Meet candidates at the Woman’s Club Concord voters, come and meet the House of Representatives candidates running in the Concord primary election. They will be present at our informal social event at the Woman’s Club of Concord, 44 Pleasant St., on Sept. 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The setting for this free, informal networking evening will include light refreshments and 10-minute sittings with the primary candidates of your choice. Brenda...
Did N.H. soldier acquire Confederate gold?
The winter snow was melting, the cold water flowing freely along in the brook. After a long winter the spring of 1865 finally arrived and the conflicts between the Union and Confederate soldiers seemed to be concluding. Some of the last Confederate soldiers left were scouring the cities for valuables as others were simply pleased to quietly leave the north and return to what might be left of their homes in the south. A detail of...
Catch the future of Hollywood at ConcordTV’s Youth Video Film Festival at Red River Theatres
ConcordTV’s second annual Youth Video Camp Film Festival compiles the creative works from more than 40 campers from the Concord area, ages 9-14, who attended our Youth Video Camps run over April vacation and this summer. The camps are taught by our Station Manager Josh Hardy, as well as myself and our staff producer Melissa Sweatt. In the video camps, campers learn shot composition, film editing, green screen effects, writing original...
City newsletter: Parking garages get cleaned-up
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: Parking garage updates Beginning earlier this week, the city’s contractor will begin demolition of the concrete plaza located near Warren Street and the South Stair Tower. The work will take approximately five to seven business days to...
Concord Monitor: Cap Center begins work on old Concord Theatre
The Capitol Center for the Arts has cemented its commitment to reviving the Concord Theatre. The performance center recently bought the old theater from developer Steve Duprey for $571,800 and started demolition on the adjacent building that recently housed a tailoring shop. Nikki Clarke, executive director of the Cap Center, said the project still has about $2 million to go in fundraising, money that had to be financed through bank...
Book of the week: Fantasy novel deals with real emotions of teens
Princess Academy By Shannon Hale (Fantasy, age 10 and up/ 314 pages/2005) Miri is a 14-year-old girl who lives in the remote quarry community of Mount Eskel. Everyone is shocked when a messenger from the king arrives to tell the village the crown prince’s future bride will come from their small village. Due to Mount Eskel’s low status, a princess academy is formed to train each potential bride. All the girls must now deal with...
On the Road: Concord Chorale and friends brought us to Eastern Europe
While we wouldn’t normally post On the Road features in back-to-back weeks, this photo here was sent in more than a month ago and we felt it might get stale if we didn’t run it now. Plus, we were working on a short week due to the Monday holiday and this helped fill a page.A group of 22 singers from the Concord Chorale, along with nine friends and family members, recently went on a choral tour to St. Petersburg, Russia; Tallinn,...
Book review: Is relationship worth the work to repair?
Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay: A Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Decide Whether to Stay in or Get Out of Your Relationship By Mira Kirshenbaum (nonfiction/308 pages/1997) Wondering if you should stay in your relationship or leave? Things just aren’t what they used to be, and you don’t know if working on it will help. Maybe you’ve been trying to work on it, but things just haven’t changed. This book...
Gibson’s Bookstore to host events with authors Keith O’Brien, R.A. Salvatore this week
If you’re a fan of author events, you’re really in luck this week, as Gibson’s Bookstore has three separate events on the agenda spanning just four days. First, on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., author Keith O’Brien will present Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History, the true story of women willing to risk everything, even their lives, to do the thing they loved. It’s the hidden history of women striving...
Our take on local take-out
Over the last six weeks or so of social distancing, The Food Snob has missed being able to pull up to a table at one of Concord’s fine eateries and perhaps catch some live local music. But even still, people gotta eat, right? So here’s a look at some of the take-out The Food Snob and its household have sampled during that time. Smokeshow Barbeque Order: Pulled pork and ribs (½ pound each), loaded mashers and mac and cheese (a pint...
If you’re heading out to the water, beware of cyanobacteria
These warm, final days of August are a great time to visit one of the thousands of lakes and ponds in New Hampshire. The water quality in our lakes is generally excellent. However, you should look before you leap in the water. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services is cautioning those who swim in and recreate around the state’s lakes and ponds to be aware of cyanobacteria blooms. In particular, people and their pets...
