On Display: N.H. Women’s Caucus for Art: ‘A Second Look’
The New Hampshire Women’s Caucus for Art has quite the membership. We’re talking well over 100 ladies, all of who just happen to be good artists.So when the exhibition committee put the call out for entries for its summer show at Kimball Jenkins, it’s no surprise that the response was overwhelming. ‘A Second Look’ feature right around 100 pieces from more than 60 members.“We have a very diverse group,” said Marcia Wood Mertinooke, a...
March Mandolin Festival concerts, workshops return
The 18th annual March Mandolin Festival Concerts will be held March 6 and 7 at two venues for live acoustic music. The festival opens Friday with a 7 p.m. show at The Dance Hall in Kittery, Maine. Saturday’s concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Concord Community Music School, the host venue for the entire festival, which runs Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8. The March Mandolin Festival has been bringing the cream of the crop of...
Bulletin Board: Grange event, value bucks and N.H. markers
Veterans Value Bucks at markets To increase access to fresh locally grown food to our community of veterans and their families, the Merrimack County Conservation District has launched a voucher program called Veterans Value Bucks. Veterans coming to the Concord, Penacook, Contoocook, Franklin or Wilmot farmers’ markets can receive a coupon booklet worth $20. Each month Veterans Value Bucks will be available and expire on the last day...
City newsletter: Skating extended til March 19
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: Ice skating Ice skating at the Everett Arena has been extended to continue through March 19. Skating hours are Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be no more weekend sessions. Admission is only $5 (kids...
New World Theatre is taking over Hatbox
It’s going to be a long couple of weeks for the folks at New World Theatre. Not only did they just move into the space at Hatbox Theatre this past weekend to prepare for a two-week run of It’s Academic, a collection of four short plays which opens Friday, but they’re also hosting a play writing masterclass on Saturday with a performance of the eight plays featured at the masterclass on Aug. 1-2 (both also at Hatbox Theatre). We told...
This week in history
March 4, 1861: New Hampshireman Benjamin Brown French is the chief marshal for the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln. The event goes off without a hitch, and French rewards himself with a good seat for the speech. “I got a position where I could hear every word and was delighted,” he writes in his diary. March 4, 1777: Concord’s town meeting votes to “break off all dealings” with attorney Peter Green, Dr. Phillip Carrigain and merchants...
Pierce Manse to host open house with 39th Army Band
We’re all well aware that Franklin Pierce is the only president to come from New Hampshire. So even though he sat in the oval office more than 160 years ago, he’s still a pretty big deal in these parts. His entire house was moved across town and turned into a museum about his life for goodness sake. And from now until early October, you can take guided tours of the Pierce Manse on certain days and times (check out their website for...
Book can help you organize
Hack Your Journaling: Stay Organized & Record Everything that Matters with One Notebook By Lark Crafts (176 pages, 2018, nonfiction) Journaling has become a way of not just keeping track of things, but expressing oneself and de-stressing. It has been proven that having your goals visible makes you more likely to accomplish them. Making, planning and tracking your goals fun, and is another great way to get you to the...
It’s wedding season and Red River has ‘Bridesmaids’
If you’re like us, you’ve been to lots of weddings. Of course, we attended our own, there have been ones for friends and family – and even a few that we decided to crash (just kidding). We even have a few remaining on the calendar before the weather gets too cold to exchange vows outdoors. And since we’re in the middle of “wedding season,” Red River Theatres thought it would be great to put together a one-night-only event with one of...
Poetry: Old Fiddle
I have an old fiddle, the tune still very sweet to me, belonged to my great grandfather, from Ireland across the sea. He came to this country, to escape sorrow and much more, loved his family dearly, sung often of his family lore. His old calloused hands, played the fiddle to many a lad, his memories kept alive, the tales were often sad. I listen to the old tunes, in my memories they now roam,...
Book of the Week: ‘Temptation of Forgiveness’
The Temptation of ForgivenessDonna Leon2018, 300 pagesFiction/Mystery Commissario Guido Brunetti is asked by a colleague of his wife if he can help her. She thinks that her teenage son is using drugs, and buying them from someone near his school. A short time later this woman’s husband is attacked and he ends up in a coma in the hospital. Are the two events linked? Brunetti begins to investigate, but this tangled web of a tale leads...
Chamber to host forum with state commissioners
N.H. commissioners to present at forum The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce invites members and the public to its annual Lunch with N.H.’s Commissioners forum on Thursday, March 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at Holiday Inn, 172 N. Main St., Concord. Several of the commissioners will join the chamber for an important panel discussion covering timely topics, including plans to redevelop Interstate 93 through Concord and Bow, and...
The Arts: Final week (ever) for McGowan Fine Art
Mill Brook Gallery Spring and Summer Through: Sept. 2 Outdoor Exhibit Through: Oct. 14 Location: 236 Hopkinton Road Hours: Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. League of N.H. Craftsmen Celebrating 85 – The Stevens Collection Through: Sept. 21 Location: 49 S. Main St., Suite 100 Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. McGowan Fine Art Streetwise – John Bonner Through: Friday* Location: 2 Phenix Ave. Hours: Tuesday...
Girl Scout Cookie Weekend proclaimed
National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend is Feb. 28 to March 1. It will now also be Girl Scout Cookie Weekend in New Hampshire, following a proclamation made by Gov. Chris Sununu on Feb. 19. Five Girl Scouts along with representatives of Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, the council serving New Hampshire and Vermont, presented the governor with a box of the full variety of Girl Scout Cookies, which were enjoyed right away by the...
This Week in Concord History
July 24, 2002: An 11-run second inning and sparkling defense propels Concord National to the Junior League Softball Championship, with a 13-2 victory over the host Bedford team. July 24, 2003: Manuel Gehring, the Concord man accused of fatally shooting his children, Sarah and Philip, pleads not guilty on two counts of first-degree murder in Hillsborough County Superior Court. July 25, 1874: Thirteen months after a fire destroyed the...
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...
