Book of the Week: ‘Young Men and Fire’
Young Men and Fire Norman Maclean 1992, 301 pages Nonfiction Winner of the 1992 National Book Critic Circle Award, Maclean’s Young Men and Fire is a gripping account of a terrible fire in 1949 that claimed the lives of 13 U.S. Forest Service smokejumpers. It starts with a lightning storm in the Montana wilderness and follows the brave young men that were sent to fight one of the fires left in the storm’s wake. What seems like an...
Poem: The Politician
The politicians did gather, on our Main Street they did stand, regardless of political party, they came from across the land. Many sets of opinions, luncheons were all the rage, they canvased the town together, speaking of turning a new page. Each door was knocked, each bell rung most forlorn, they have now departed, only to return next November morn. James W....
This Week in Concord History
Aug. 7, 2001: The Concord Baseball Association announces that Pete Dupuis has been named the General Manager of the Concord Quarry Dogs for the 2002 season. Dupuis was the Assistant General Manager under Warren Doane, who passed away earlier in 2001. Aug. 7, 2000: The state unveils its contribution to the country’s new set of quarters. George Washington remains on the “heads” side. On the “tails” side reposes the Old Man of the...
Events canceled
In an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus, events involving large groups are being canceled and postponded. That holds true for much of the city’s arts scene, too. Capitol Center The Capitol Center of the Arts is canceling shows at its two venues though April 12 (and some after that). It is working to reschedule as many of these performances as possible. The following is a list of what has been rescheduled or canceled as of...
National Night Out to take over Rollins Park
Do you like Black Hawk helicopters, police motorcycles and petting zoos? How about cheap pizza and ice cream, eating contests and enjoying a nice summer night at a city park? Well, then clear your schedule for Aug. 7 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. and make plans to head down to Rollins Park, because National Night Out is returning for another year. Held annually the first Tuesday in August all around the country (this is the 35th year) Concord...
Entertainment: Second Bach lunch of the month Thursday
Live music Wednesday Freese Brothers Big Band at the Concord City Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Nihco Gallo at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Irish Music After Work at Area 23 at 5:30 p.m. Thursday Bach Lunch Lecture: “New Orleans Traditional Music” at Concord Community Music School at 12:10 p.m. State Street Combo at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Carbon Leaf at the Bank of N.H. Stage at 8 p.m. Duo Del Inferno at Penuche’s Friday Alan Roux Band at Makris...
Blast over to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center to check out the new Discovery Lab
If your kids love to tinker with stuff – and what kid doesn’t? – the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center has just the thing: The Discovery Lab.Opening Friday, the Discovery Lab will be a permanent, dedicated area at the space and aeronautics museum for kids to tinker, discover, create and persevere, among many other activities. The Discovery Lab will be located in the room that previously held the Riding the Waves of History exhibit,...
Head downtown for breakfast
For the breakfast issue, we popped in at one of downtown’s newest spots that serves up breakfast fare. The Post Downtown opened on May 1, 2019, at 58 N. Main St. It’s a second location of the Newell Post, founded in 2012 by David and Deborah Newell, on Fisherville Road. Current owner Victoria Johnson took over the business in November 2018 – and after hearing the Gyro House would be leaving downtown decided to explore the idea of...
Gear up for the 38th Concord Criterium cycling race this week
Ladies and gentlemen, start your bicycles – Concord is about to once again host the Concord Criterium and New England Criterium Championships, the 38th annual installment of the bicycle race. This Saturday, the roads surrounding White Park will be full of Spandex-clad cycling enthusiasts giving it their all to try to earn a spot on the podium – and, in many cases, cold, hard cash. The full day of races features a variety of entry...
Breakfast options in the city
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and with so many places to grab a bite in Concord, there’s no excuse to skip a meal. From Manchester Street to Penacook Village and points in between, there’s plenty of places to pick up breakfast favorites like waffles, eggs, bagels and more. While not an exhaustive list, there’s enough breakfast options here to keep you fed for a while. Tucker’s Voted best breakfast...
Rock On Fest beer dinner is set for next Tuesday at Revival
Rock On Fest, the two-day music and basketball event put on by the Bonner brothers in downtown Concord, is just around the corner (Aug. 10-11). You can read all about it in next week’s Insider because it’s going to be the best one yet – we promise. But as a precursor to the main festivities, Revival Kitchen and Concord Craft Brewing Co. are partnering with the Rock On Foundation, also a Bonner brothers creation, to put together an...
City newsletter: Spring is in the air for the city
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: Daylight savings Daylight savings began Sunday. The Concord Fire Department wants to remind you to test your smoke alarms and change replaceable batteries at least once a year. Road Load Limits The City of Concord began posting “No...
It’s that time: Go out and pick your own blueberries around Concord
We’re starting to hit the sweet spot of summer – literally. While strawberry-picking season wrapped up a few weeks ago and apples won’t be ready till Labor Day, blueberries are ripe for the pickin’ right now at farms across Concord. Not every berry on every branch is dark blue and ready for eating yet, but it’s pretty close, and it’s certainly late enough to get out there and start amassing a stockpile.Rossview Farm, Carter Hill...
The Yogi: Practice finding the good in each day
“What’s good about today?” My question was met with an icy stare. Her eyes were dark, wide open and looking straight into me. “I don’t know,” she said. “Give it a try,” I urged. “What’s good about today?” She looked away, and then at the floor. I persisted, hoping to break on through to the other side. My persistence only resulted in more resistance. The game turned into a stalemate, left to be played another day. My daughter...
Concord author tells story of Nazi Germany
There are times that Ellen Oppenheimer feels really lucky to be here.It’s not because of her age – which is a spry 88 years young – but more because of what could have happened when she was just a toddler.You see, Oppenheimer (whose maiden name is Simon) is Jewish and was born in Germany. When the Nazi Party rose to power in 1933 and began to round up Jews in the streets, Oppenheimer’s father was one of them.“My parents had heard...
This week in Concord history
March 11, 2003: Town meeting season swings into high gear as voters in towns across New Hampshire go to the polls to elect selectmen and school board members. Voters in Pembroke, Hopkinton and Barnstead vote to expand their boards of selectmen from three to five members. And voters in Barnstead, Pittsfield, Northfield, Epsom, Bow and Loudon endorse measures to slow the growth of housing development. March 11, 2000: After 15 months of...
Bulletin Board: Concert, yard sale and planning for retirement
Yard and bake sale at East Church An indoor/outdoor yard and bake sale will be held at East Congregational Church, 51 Mountain Road, on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Clothing, books, holiday decor, kitchenware, glassware, decorative items, toys, games, puzzles, and much more will be available. The $3 bag sale starts at 11 a.m. Sale will be held rain or shine. For more info and directions, call 224-9242 or visit eastchurchucc.org. Kay...
CYPN: Meet veterans volunteer Christina Baker
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Concord Young Professionals Network introduces you to our “Young Professional of the Month,” Christina Baker. 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? 38 Where do you live? Deerfield Where do you currently work? Elysian Technology Where did you go to school? Southern New...
On Stage: RB Productions to perform ‘Mary Poppins’
“Winds from the east, mist coming in, like something’s a brewin’, about to begin.” And for weeks, something has been brewin’ at the Capitol Center for the Arts. RB Productions will be presenting a mainstage production of Mary Poppins this week. Amid the rain and mist of last week, two of the leads discussed the musical and the work behind it. Candace Gatzoulis of Manchester will play the title role of Mary. Andrew Gibson of Manchester...
Poetry: A Life Past
I once knew an old man, with a life past, his history with dark shadows, some memories not to last. He spoke of adventures, of the roads he did travel, places he visited, my younger version did marvel. His life a canvas, colored so beautiful and bright, he told me the stories, from morning until night. Spoke of the old days, when life was still good, people were friendly, in his old childhood. The old man...
Entertainment: Slim schedule as the calendar flips to August
When you get to the end of the month, it’s often difficult to find lots of live entertainment listings, as many venues have minor details to be worked out before setting their schedules for the month. Nonetheless, there’s still plenty going on this week, including three different theater performances. Enjoy! Music Tuesday Kid Pinky at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. The Nevers’ Second Regiment Band at the State House at 7...
Book of the Week: Shady business
A Dream of Death: A Kate Hamilton Mystery By Connie Berry (311 pages, 2019, mystery) Kate Hamilton returns to the Isle of Glenroth, the island in Scotland where she met her late husband, Bill. She is reluctant to return and revisit scenes from her past. But her volatile sister-in-law, Elenor, has asked her to come and help her. Elenor, who has never liked Kate, is in trouble and has no one else to turn to. Elenor runs the Glenroth...
On Display: New England seascapes are an inspiration
Susan Clement is drawn to the picturesque seascapes along the New England coastlines. And let’s be honest here, who isn’t?She enjoys capturing the vibrant colors of the sunrises and sunsets in her paintings, and it’s all on display at the 2 Pillsbury St. gallery space through Sept. 28. Using oils, acrylics and watercolors, Clement’s style is mostly impressionistic – with a hint of realism – and at times venturing into the world of...
Bulletin Board: Special guest at jazz sanctuary
Make new friends The Friends Youth Mentor Program is asking you to be someone who matters to someone who matters. Do you have the passion for making a difference in someone’s life? Do you have three hours a week to give to a child at risk in your community? The Friends Program is looking for volunteer mentors who can serve as a positive role model for a child, ages 6 to 17. Adults of all ages are welcome to volunteer. If you are...
Bow Garden Club putting on Books in Bloom
In previous Insiders, you’ve seen the pairing of the art and floral worlds come together for one magical exhibit.Now it’s time to spread our wings and tell you about another unique pairing when it comes to wonderfully fragrant flowers – and this time with books. The Bow Garden Club and the Baker Free Library (also in Bow) have collaborated on a two-day only event called Books In Bloom.Members of the club are putting together...
Walker series starts 2020 season
For more than 100 years, Concord residents have been gifted free musical and cultural performances through the Timothy and Abigail B. Walker Fund. “It was so the public could become more aware of what was out in the world and beyond just Concord,” Allwynne Fine, one of the series’s trustees, told the Monitor last year. The 2020 season opens today, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by the Freese Brothers Big Band. Freese...
On Stage: ‘The Wedding Singer’ to take over Bow stage
If you’re at all familiar with the work of New Hampshire-born actor Adam Sandler, then you’ve likely seen The Wedding Singer – or at the very least, heard of it.Well, did you know that in addition to being a box office hit, it was then turned into a stage musical? Yep, it even had quite the run on Broadway. And while Bow High School isn’t exactly midtown Manhattan, the production put on by Bow Performing Arts this weekend will no...
Wheeling it to the net
This weekend, more than 200 community members and business leaders will gather on the courts for Granite State Independent Living’s 9th annual wheelchair basketball tournament, Hoops on Wheels 2020. At this event, people with and people without disabilities compete in wheelchairs for the championship title. As players maneuver around the court, they get a small taste of what it’s like to use a wheelchair and the importance of...
Book of the Week: ‘The Orkney Scroll’
The Orkney Scroll: An Archaeological MysteryLyn Hamilton2006, 261 pagesFiction/Mystery Toronto antiques dealer Lara McClintock is asked by a wealthy client to authenticate a rare Mackintosh writing cabinet (as in Glasgow’s famous architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh). Lara thinks it is genuine, but wants to do some research to make sure. But before she can do so, the client buys the piece. When later it appears to be a...
Parks and Rec posts schedule for open gym
Concord Parks and Rec has planned out another season of activities and has recently release their spring program guide and March drop-in gym schedule. Concord Parks & Rec’s Spring Brochure is available at esuite.concordnh. gov/recreation/flipbook/index.html. Some programs have already started, so sign up soon if you wish to participate. On the gym schedule, pickleball is held at the City-wide Community Center, 14 Canterbury...
