Q & A: Stephanie Alicea talks about charter school opening inside Steeplegate Mall
In case you haven’t heard yet, there’s going to be a charter school in the Steeplegate Mall starting this September. Monitor reporter Leah Willingham covered this story in greater detail in July, and when we saw the story we thought it was definitely interesting – and a little bizarre – that the mall was going to be home to a school this year. That’s why we tracked down Stephanie Alicea, the woman launching and running Capital City...
This week in Concord history
April 15, 2003: The state approves plans for a new children’s center, a parking lot and 10 acres of new ski trails at the Mount Sunapee Ski Resort. April 15, 2000: The upcoming hearings into allegations of misconduct by the state’s top jurist will be one of the first major tests for many of the members of the House Judiciary Committee, the Monitor reports. Nine of the 22 members who will be investigating state Supreme Court...
Food Snob: Turkey BLT from In A Pinch Cafe
Since this is the Back to School Issue, we thought we would try something for this Food Snob that would resonate with some students. We had long heard that Pizza Fina – the little pizza shop directly across the street from Concord High School – was a popular destination for Concord High kids, but for one reason or another that business shut down.Luckily, that wasn’t the only place around the high school to grab a quick bite. In A...
Photographing an adaptive downtown
As industry-specific and then stay-at-home executive orders closed and restricted stores, Janelle Sprague felt bad for the small businesses feeling the pinch. Especially those downtown, walking distance from where she lives. One night, the freelance photographer was thinking about those businesses while pondering a #frontporchproject request, where photographers take photos of families in front of their house with a social distancing...
Ocean State Job Lot Adventure Shopping – Back-to-school edition
Welcome to another thrilling installment of Adventure Shopping, in which we head to Ocean State Job Lot in search of the weirdest stuff we can find. This time the theme is back-to-school shopping, and you better believe we found plenty of oddities.
City newsletter: Road work around 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: City information during COVID-19 We are continuously updating our coronavirus web page with information and resources. You can access it here: concordnh.gov/coronavirus. Downloadable PDFs with information for residents and businesses are...
Capital Mineral Club’s 55th annual Gem, Mineral, Fossil and Jewelry Festival sure to be a rockin’ good time
Everett Arena has been a hobbyist’s dreamland of late. First it was the Concord Model Railroad Club’s annual show on Sunday, and now the Capital Mineral Club is ready to set up shop for its 55th annual Gem, Mineral, Fossil & Jewelry Festival this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, the arena will be full of all kinds of literal gems and rare and ornate minerals. There will be jewelry, too, but folks usually come to this two-day show...
Plant a pizza tree! Well, sorta
Running out of ideas to keep your youngsters occupied in these trying times? How about actually planting your family’s own “Pizza Garden?” Getting your kids interested in gardening is important for a variety of reasons: it pulls them away from the TV and video games and it gets them outdoors! And it has been proven that when children are exposed first-hand to gardening they are more likely to develop a better appreciation of nature...
Entertainment: Summer schedules winding down, but there’s no lack of music in Concord
We’re getting into one of the more depressing parts of the year now. Days are getting shorter, and although it’s still summer, most of the world is transitioning to back-to-school mode (including this publication). All the summer concert series in Concord are done for the year, but that doesn’t mean the tunes end. There’s still plenty to listen to this week, and a few things to see, too. Have a look: Music Tuesday Scott Solsky at...
YP Voices: Business leaders adapt during crisis
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Concord Young Professionals Network brings you our “Young Professional Voices of the Month,” Hardy Hardy, Ryan Hvizda and Angie Lane. These capital region CEOs are responding to the COVID-19 crisis with innovative ideas and great advice. Josh Hardy is executive director of ConcordTV, Concord’s nonprofit community television center and education, government and public access channels. Ryan...
We tried Keno at Chen Yang Li and, shockingly, did not win $1 million
I grew up in Massachusetts, and keno was always everywhere – coffee shops, bars, restaurants, even a lot of convenience stores. That’s why I found it very odd that the Live Free or Die State, the one where government-run lottery itself was born (Puerto Rico was the first to launch a government-run lottery, but that’s not a state), had not allowed the game until pretty recently. Even still, it is not available statewide – each city or...
The Yogi: Getting to know grocery store heroes
‘Okay, who’s next? Aisle number two is open for business. Come on down!” I felt like I was on The Price is Right. I felt like I had just gained access to an exclusive club. It was exciting. It was up lifting. It was fun. It was the checkout line at my local Hannaford Supermarket. The local grocery store has taken on a new significance in our daily lives. About a month ago, it was about what wasn’t available. There were empty shelves....
Bulletin Board: Concert, fall bulb orders and ‘Monitor’ tours
Credit union to host saving class N.H. Federal Credit Union Center for Finance & Education is hosting 101 Ways to Save Money on Aug. 29 at 5:15 p.m. Join us for this interactive, fun session as we share 101 ways to save money from “couponing” hacks and tools to tips for truly building your savings balance. We’re covering a lot of territory. And, bring your tips. The person with the best tip wins a prize. Class is open to the...
Book a guide for partners
Things I Wish I’d Known Before We Got Married By Gary Chapman (nonfiction/173 pages/2010) Are you compatible? That’s like asking a couple the meaning of life. However, it is possible to know if you’re mostly compatible before things get too deep. Couples have a tendency to focus on the small talk and not hit on the deeper questions in a relationship. Not only should you be asking these questions before you get...
Holiday Cards 4 Our Military up and running
Every time Laura Landerman-Garber meets with another person who wants to help her new nonprofit, she gets this big sense of excitement. And it’s easy to see why.Come the end of October, Landerman-Garber is hoping to send off 25,000 cards to members of the armed services – 5,000 to each of the country’s five branches – through her Holiday Cards 4 Our Military-N.H. Challenge. That’s where all of you come in.In order to send out that...
Book of the Week: YA dystopian novel is timely
The Girl With All the Gifts By M. R. Carey (science fiction/416 pages, 2014) The Girl With All the Gifts is set in a dystopian future in which most of humanity has been wiped out by a mysterious fungal infection, and is now populated by flesh-eating zombies. However, this is not your typical “zombie” story with humans trying to escape from the walking dead. The Girl With All the Gifts has a complex plot and well-developed...
Book of the Week: ‘Manhattan Beach’
Manhattan BeachJennifer Egan2017, 438 pagesHistorical Fiction Twelve-year-old Anna Kerrigan has a special relationship with her father that she understands is markedly different than what she shares with her younger, disabled sister and her beautiful, tired mother. When she accompanies her father on one of his always-mysterious business outings and meets Dexter Styles at his Manhattan Beach home, she has a feeling that this meeting is...
Poem: Not so long ago
Once I knew peace, not so long ago, routine was comfort, life was slow. Fear of the unknown, especially for those alone, a simple walk in the park, no longer well known. Life can change, but we knew that, right, so pretentious and fast paced, wanting everything in sight. Perhaps this is just nature’s way, a new beginning across the land, or could it be more complex, we just don’t understand. The days will pass, comfort we will...
This Week in Concord History
Aug. 21, 1851: Concord’s downtown is ravaged by the worst fire in its history. The fire starts in the old “Mechanics Home” and spreads through old wooden buildings on the east side of Main Street from Park Street south and past the State House. Lost are the Eagle Coffee House, a drug store, the Merchants Exchange, the Prescott Piano Factory and a host of other stores, offices, sheds and houses. More than 1,000 firefighters joined the...
Poem: Pleasant and Main
The trolley did travel, on Pleasant and Main, to destinations unknown, they traveled the same. Generations now past, the trolley travels no more, our ancestors now gone, memories committed to old lore. Years have seen many, on Pleasant and Main, nostalgia for yesteryear, does still remain, for the trolley did travel on Pleasant and Main James W....
Plenty to see on Concord’s stages this fall
As you’re all well aware, Concord is home to some great spots to catch live entertainment. The three big venues – the Concord City Auditorium, Capitol Center for the Arts and Hatbox Theatre – always seem to have something going on.And with Hatbox releasing its 2018-19 schedule last week and the Audi set to mail out its lineup through December next week, we thought it would be as good a time as any to take a quick look at what’s...
Poetry: A fine century of commerce
It was just a century ago, local merchants did gather, thoughts centered on commerce, supporting each other did matter. The first meeting was held, on our dusty old Main Street, a fine event was enjoyed, where local businesses could meet. Thoughts soon became structured, this group was set to grow, years progressed quickly, the merchants together did know. Their support for one another, was...
Go full steam ahead to the 33rd annual Concord Model Railroad Club Train Show at Everett Arena this Sunday
All aboard! Last call! Pick your favorite piece of train terminology, but whatever you do, don’t miss the 33rd annual Concord Model Railroad Club Train Show this Sunday at Everett Arena. If you’ve never been or never heard of it before, you’ve been denying yourself quite the experience. Model railroad enthusiasts from all over the state flock to this one-day-only event at the arena for a chance to see some high-end model train...
This week in history
April 9, 2003: In a rally at the State House, state employees and several hundred supporters attack Gov. Craig Benson’s proposed state cuts, rallying against a plan that would freeze wages and send their health care costs soaring. April 9, 2002: Internships with local businesses, credit for community service and lectures from prison guards are among the suggestions at a meeting of a task force set up to fight Franklin High School’s...
Get a workout while helping others at Fit 4 A Cause Triple Challenge
If you like the idea of helping local nonprofits by attending a community barbecue (see story at left), you’d probably also be interested in helping cancer patients by participating in a triathlon of sorts. We’re talking about the Fit 4 a Cause Triple Challenge, a 5-mile bike, 5K run/walk and five-circuit bootcamp event coming up this Sunday. If you don’t have a bike, you can just do the 5K and bootcamp. There will also be post-event...
Adventuring from a distance
Children and their caregivers can get out of the house for a neighborhood walk (or drive) to hunt for bears, at least those of the plush variety. Taking inspiration from the 1989 children’s book, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,” written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury neighborhoods across the state, and country, have put together window walks as a source of entertainment in this time of social distancing. The story...
Concord City Auditorium to host 28th Pitch In
Ever wonder why the Concord City Auditorium – the Audi as its more affectionately known – looks so good at the start of each season?Well, you can thank the Friends of the Audi and a swarm of volunteers for that. Every year, the Friends go through the city-owned theater with a magnifying glass looking for any dust bunnies, chipped paint or blown light bulbs during the three-day Pitch In. And it just so happens that the Pitch In is...
Mr. Aaron keeps Rattlers going remotely
Like many group activities, Concord-based children’s music Mr. Aaron has closed his in-person Rattlebox Studio programs. But for all the kiddos at home, he’s planned virtual shows via Facebook live (visit facebook.com/ mraaronmusic). Shows are held Monday through Saturday at 9:30 a.m. live (though you can watch the day’s episode anytime after as well. Mr. Aaron performs original song (“All My Friends are Giants”) and familiar songs...
Q & A: We caught up with Mr. Aaron ahead of his show at the Capitol Center for the Arts
Aaron Jones – you know him as Mr. Aaron – is the family- and kid-focused musician who has taken Concord by storm over the last couple years. He runs Rattlebox Studio, a studio for kids to listen to and create some music, and he plays all over either by himself or with the Mr. Aaron Band or Bosey Joe. He’s playing a show at the Capitol Center for the Arts on Thursday at 11 a.m., just the latest in a very busy schedule for him.We caught...
Yoga instructors keep businesses going through online classes
When he was forced to close the physical doors of Sharing Yoga in the middle of March, owner David Breen noticed an increase in his virtual business. “It’s been a 278% rise,” Breen said. The statistic was more joke than math fact, but the point is clear – even though studios are closed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and the need for social distancing, people still want to practice yoga. The need to get on a yoga mat makes sense...
