View in a different light
Two New Hampshire Art Association members will have their artwork on display from March 24 through June 18 at 2 Pillsbury St., Concord. The title of this exhibit is “New England in a Different Light,” featuring the works of painter Nicole Ellis and photographer Mark Giuliucci. It celebrates the artists’ visions of New England’s unique colors, textures, and iconic scenery. Drawing from an early age, Ellis spent youthful seasons...
VIDEO: We’re in the heart of summer concert season in Concord, and things are really heating up
It’s a little past the midway point of July, and all the summer concert series are in full swing by now. Between Concord and Bow, you can catch some (mostly) outdoor music a few times a week all summer long. It’s the perfect time of year to sit outside, maybe have a little picnic and take in some cool, free tunes – yes, all of the concert series we’re about to mention are completely free and open to the public. With the exception of...
From deep space to deep sea
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day for February vacation, through Sunday, March 1. Each day, visitors will be able to choose from five different planetarium shows, explore science galleries, engage in science and engineering activities – and just in time for February vacation, the Discovery Center has opened a new exhibition, Virtual Fish Tank. The Virtual Fish Tank is a gift from the...
Grammy winner Patty Griffin coming to the Cap Center
The Grammy award-winning modern folk singer-songwriter Patty Griffin will be bringing her acoustic tour to the Capitol Center for the Arts on Sunday. Griffin, based out of Austin, Texas, and born in Old Town, Maine, has released nine classic studio albums and two live collections. Griffin’s first two albums, Living With Ghosts and Flaming Red, are considered seminal albums in the singer-songwriter genre, while Children Running Through...
City Newsletter: Recap meetings via videos
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 & Rec’s Spring Brochure is available now. View it online at esuite.concordnh.gov/recreation/flipbook/index.html. There are offerings for children, adults, and seniors. Many adult programs begin the...
Piccola Opera to sing at Audi this weekend
When it comes to the live entertainment scene in Concord, you don’t see a ton of operas on the schedule.But thanks to Piccola Opera, the Concord-based company that opened in 2015, which works with children as young as 10 years old all the way up to emerging professionals, there’s always a few dates that can be circled.And this Friday and Saturday are two of them, as a group of singers from Piccola will be accompanied by a pair of...
A new class of student leaders
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce welcomed 25 students selected to take part in Capital Area Student Leadership 2020 during a reception held at the Chamber’s 49 S. Main St. office in Concord on Feb. 19, also attended by parents, guardians, CASL committee members and Chamber staff program liaisons. CASL is New Hampshire’s only regional student leadership and civics program. It is offered annually by the Chamber for high school...
Food Snob: Tenders and cheese sticks from Ballard’s
As you may have seen in the recent ice cream issue, Ballard’s on Broadway has lots of options when it comes to frozen treats. But did you know they’re also in the business of serving food? And one of the featured items on their menu is fried foods – something we just can’t get enough of – at least until our wives find out.So after our grueling three-game tennis match at Memorial Field, we were looking for something that would sit...
See 1900s style magic show and dream big at Audi
Concord City Auditorium welcomes the community to a Sunday afternoon celebration of theatrical magic, historical and hysterical, all taking place in the sunlit reception lobby on March 1. At 1 p.m., travel back in time with award-winning performer Andrew Pinard as he transforms, in costume and character, into Boston-born magician Jonathan Harrington. “Harrington – Feats of Legerdemain” presents mysteries and wonders from the 19th...
The new courts at Memorial Field are sweet
We hadn’t made our way to Memorial Field for a while, so we were quite surprised to learn that five of the facility’s tennis courts had been rebuilt to pristine condition over a two-phase project.So last week, once the temperatures dipped below the 90s – and in honor of the great tennis going on at Wimbledon – we decided to head that way to see them for ourselves and, of course, for a little friendly Insider competition.Now to be...
Book of the Week: Add happiness to your life
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living By Meik Wiking (355 pages, 2017, nonfiction) You may have heard that the Danes are very happy people. But have you heard of “hygge”? It’s pronounced “hoo-ga,” but how you do it is more important than how you say it! Hygge is many things, but it is mainly about comfort and spending time with family and friends. Oh, and cake and candy, candles and staying in with a good book when...
Entertainment: A variety of concerts and stage shows abound
We’re in the dog days of summer now, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on. This week features quite a few concerts – both indoor and out – plus three stage shows. Enjoy! Music Tuesday Dan Weiner at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Nevers’ Second Regiment Band at Rolfe Park at 7 p.m. Hopkinton Town Band at Presidential Oaks at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Craig Jaster at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. The ExP Band outside next to...
Andrew North records single
Andrew North is back at it again with a new single, “Desolation West.” Like his previous songs, “Desolation West,” features his excellent skills on the keyboard and vocals. He told the Insider that he wrote the new song over email with a high school classmate. The song is available on Spotify, Apple Music and several streaming platforms as well as andrewnorth.bandcamp.com. Andrew North is the performance name of Andrew Grosvenor,...
Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce names grant recipients
Through its Business Grants program, the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce awards more than $5,000 annually to teachers who have developed innovative teaching programs for use in capital area schools. Recipients of the seven grants chosen this year demonstrated that their projects fit a specific educational need, were unique to their respective schools, and were not supported by their school system’s annual budget. Funding for the...
The Yogi: You may have to travel far to get close
In my mind, I’m quite the solo traveler. I pack light, go with the flow and don’t sweat the small stuff. In reality, I’m better off staying at home. My pack weighs too much, I hold up the line at airport security and I freak out a little when I show up at the wrong Days Inn for my one night stay. I’d rather be at home. I prefer sleeping in my own bed. I like my morning routine. And as much as I like the view of Phoenix from 40,000...
Celebrating 85 years of the League of N.H. Craftsmen in the most logical way
Nora and Norman Stevens have amassed quite the collection when it comes to creations from members of the League of N.H. Craftsmen. The pair began attending the League’s annual fair in the early 1970s, where they started acquiring works that has resulted in an impressive catalog of pieces – a lot of which has been donated to the League for its permanent collection. And if you want to see what kinds of items the Stevenses have procured...
Poem: The Same Roads
They traveled the same roads, and sidewalks too, passed the same buildings, with similar thoughts like you. Though the sun high above, shone on another time, when life was still simple, unlike yours or mine. There are times, you have to look back too, for life to move forward, learn from what people do. Always remember, from your past mistakes few, they traveled the same roads, and sidewalks too. James W....
Another stunning Instagram shot from @michaelpmurphy
We swear we don’t play favorites, but when we see a really great photo on Instagram, we run it. It just so happens that user @michaelpmurphy takes a lot of great shots around Concord, many of which have appeared in these pages over the years. Here’s another one, this one taken somewhere on the Winant-Swope connector trail. The tall grass, the bright sun, the solar flare, the potential UFO near the top – it all works here, and it works...
This week in history
Feb. 26, 2000: Donna Sytek, the first female speaker of the New Hampshire House, informs her colleagues by letter that she will not run for a third term as speaker this fall. She cites her belief in voluntary term limits for legislators and her own health troubles as reasons for stepping down. Feb. 26, 1942: The H.J. Heinz Co. runs a large ad in the Monitor telling readers: “Blame Hitler, Hirohito, and Benito! … Don’t...
Jon’s daughter helped him change a flat tire last week
It’s everyone’s worst nightmare: You finally make it to the office for what’s going to be another long day on the job and your left rear tire is losing air – and quickly. A small piece of sharp metal had made a nice gash in Jon’s tire last week, so he did what anyone else would do — he called in his 3-year-old daughter, Julia, to help put the spare on. Good thing she was free.
Bulletin Board: Caregiver care programs and more
CRVNA clinic, support group and other programs Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association offers a monthly Walk-In Immunization Clinic for children and adults who are uninsured, underserved, and who have no access to these needed services in order to lead a healthy lifestyle. The next will be Monday, March 2, from 1 to 4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Outreach Center, 21 Centre St. in Concord. A fee of $10 is requested per...
Book of the Week: ‘If We Were Villains’
If We Were Villains M.L. Rio 2017, 355 pages Mystery Fiction Oliver Marks was a drama student before going to jail. Now that his parole has been approved, he is the only person who can finally ease the misgivings of the policeman who put him there. Oliver agrees, at last, to tell him the truth. Oliver’s story begins at a small, private conservatory of the arts, where his class of seven drama students have been eating, sleeping and...
Entertainment: Leap Day packed with music, shows
Live music Today Mikey G at Concord Craft Brewing from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tim Wildman at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Irish Music with David Levine and Roger Duhaime at Area 23 at 5:30 p.m. Thursday April Cushman at Cheers from 5 to 8 p.m. Richard Gardzina at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Blue Light Rain at Penuche’s Ale House at 9 p.m. Friday Nicole Knox Murphy at Makris Lobster and Steak House at 6 p.m. The Rhythm Upstairs and Scott Solsky at True...
Bulletin Board: Swim lessons, car buying and author events
Last swim lessons begin July 30 The last session of swim lessons with Concord Parks and Rec is July 30 to Aug. 9. Thanks to Concord Housing + Redevelopment for its sponsorship, all youth in Concord/Penacook are able to take a free session of swim lessons. The registration deadline is July 25. Register in person at the Concord Parks and Rec office (14 Canterbury Road). City memo CPR and First Aid classes offered Concord Hospital...
City Newsletter: Improvements and updates
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: Concord NEXT zoning update public meetings The Phase 1 Draft of the new Zoning Code was presented in part yesterday and more today in a series of public presentations and stakeholder meetings. Come to a small group stakeholder session to...
This Week in Concord History
July 17, 1941: Playing at Cleveland, Yankee third baseman Red Rolfe of Penacook doubles and singles to help the Yanks beat the Indians 4-3. But the big news is that Cleveland and its good-fielding third baseman, Ken Keltner, stop Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak at 56 games. During the streak, Rolfe, hitting second in the Yankee lineup, batted .306 and scored 49 runs. July 17, 1967: A four-member investigating committee of Concord’s...
Son’s resilience inspires art
Photographer Mark Bolton’s work is currently on display at the NHTI library gallery through March 6 in an exhibit called “A Son’s Gift.” The pictures chronicle the life of Mark’s young son, Max, who was born with a heart defect but is now thriving. Max, now 11, had two open-heart surgeries at Boston Children’s Hospital. He currently leads an active life that includes Tae Kwon Do, swimmings, biking and playing with friends. Bolton is a...
It’s the middle of summer – and we like beer
Summer is a great time to sit down and enjoy a cold beverage – especially of the adult variety. So we found some great tastings, a pairing event (in September) and new beers for you to try. And make sure you have some for us. Concord Craft Brewing Co. The downtown brewery is hosting a “Find Your SAFE SPACE” summer contest. All you have to do is bring your Safe Space (that’s one of their newest beers in the vibrant cans) with you this...
Discovery Center aims to inspire
There’s a whooshing sensation to entering the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center – the darkened entranceway, the solemn, close-quarter hallway, and then, all at once, the massive bright atrium with aircraft and space artifacts aplenty. The effect is not unlike taking flight itself. And it’s by design, says Jeanne Gerulskis, the executive director of the Concord center. But it wasn’t always like that. Twenty-one years ago when...
New Hampshire Brewers Festival is Saturday at Riverfront Park
Now if we told you of an event that’s this Saturday – in Concord – and features more than 40 New Hampshire beer makers with a total number of beers at the event north of 120, is that something you might be interested in attending? We thought so. Well, the N.H. Brewers Association just so happens to be taking over Kiwanis Waterfront Park (the one behind Everett Arena) for its 5th annual N.H. Brewers Festival – which apparently just so...
