Business showcase joins virtual realm
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce invites its members and the public to the 29th annual Business Showcase on Thursday, July 16, from 4 to 6 p.m. via Zoom. Presented by Merrimack County Savings Bank and Unitil, this popular networking event features the products and services of Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce members from a variety of industries in a virtual trade show atmosphere. With your safety in mind, this year the...
Strawberry picking season
The first fruits of summer have arrived in New Hampshire: strawberries. Delicious all on there own or boiled into jam or baked into pie. Get some fresh air and go pick your own at a local farm. Be prepared to take COVID-19 precautions, such as mask-wearing and washing your hands before picking. Check with individual farms on the practices they are implementing. The N.H. Department of Agriculture list of pick-your-own farms has these...
City newsletter: Councilor statement, drought conditions
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: Drought conditions Drought conditions are developing across the nation due to lack of recent rainfall and snowpack from this winter. As of June 25, Concord is experiencing moderate drought conditions. Precipitation for Concord is about...
Perform small acts with great love
What do you think a Philadelphia nun, the famous musician Jon Bon Jovi and a 12 year old boy from New Hampshire all have in common? I will tell you. It’s easy to be concerned about a problem in the world and post on social media about it, which a lot of people do. But how many of us can honestly say that when we are concerned about an issue we actually take action in our lives to try and make a difference? This week’s Kindness Column...
In book, flu wipes out most humans
The Dog Stars By Peter Heller (319 pages, fiction, 2012) “The Dog Stars” by Peter Heller was on my “Want to Read” list for ages. After reading a series of “just ok” books I was looking for a sure thing. I’m drawn to survival stories and this is a survival story. I’m also a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction and this is post-apocalyptic fiction. Could I do this right now? Could I read a post-apocalyptic novel in the midst of a global...
Looking back: Journeying with the time traveler
There are memories we hold close to our heart; we experience such joy at an innocent age before our minds are tainted by society and we file away the thoughts. We hold these sacred memories and revisit them as we age with increasing frequency. My story is born of an age of innocence many years ago. Some of my earliest memories date back to the 1960s when I was young and impressionable. I spent many days with my grandfather during this...
Poem: There was a young man
There was a young man, we don’t talk about him anymore, left to serve his country, marched off to war. He lived in our town, went to school too, had a paper route and played ball, the things boys do. I remember him still, his name now on the Vietnam Wall, we spent our childhood together, I recall how much he liked fall. He was a good soldier, dedicated to every tour, there was a young man, we don’t talk about him anymore. James...
This week in Concord history
July 2, 1941: Joe DiMaggio hits a line drive home run over the head of Ted Williams in left field to break Wee Willie Keeler’s record 44-game hitting streak. On base when he hits it is Yankee third baseman Red Rolfe of Penacook. July 2, 1976: Gov. Mel Thomson orders a full investigation into what happened to 1,500 pounds of chicken that never made it to a state worker picnic at New Hampshire Hospital. The birds, worth $780,...
Shoulder press
While gyms are beginning to open at lower occupancy numbers and at least some social distancing precautions expected to continue through the summer, it might be hard to keep up the routines you are used to doing. However, it is still important to stay active for a healthy body and mind. Instructors from 43 Degrees North will be sharing quick exercises with the Insider that you can do at home. Standing Shoulder Press Start with your...
Book of the week: Plan for retirement
Get What’s Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security By Laurence J. Kotlikoff (Nonfiction, 384 pages, 2016) A must read for anyone who is planning on taking their Social Security benefits soon. This book is full of all the things no one tells you. It walks you through all the wonky government math, so you can get the biggest check possible. Everyone’s fear is that their Social Security will run out before their time...
Read about reading
Clarence’s Big Secret By Roy MacGregor & Christine MacGregor Cation, Illustrated by Mathilde Ting-Mars (Tumblebooks) Clarence has a big secret he doesn’t want anyone to know. He can’t read. The very first day of school children laugh at him so he leaves and never returns. Soon after leaving school Clarence’s Dad becomes blind in an accident and he takes over the family farm. Clarence goes on to become a logger, miner and...
