Author: The Hippo Press

ICE facility

The Department of Homeland Security “will not move forward with a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Merrimack,” according to a press release from Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s office on Feb. 24. “I thank [DHS Secretary Kristi] Noem for hearing the concerns of the Town of Merrimack and for the continued cooperation between DHS and New Hampshire law enforcement to secure our northern border, keep dangerous criminals off our streets, and ensure our communities are safe,” Ayotte said in the statement.

New library

The Daland Memorial Library in Mount Vernon is in its new home at 8 Lilac Lane in Mont Vernon after a grand opening on Feb. 22, according to the library’s Facebook page. The new library will be open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 to 1 p.m., according to a post. The new library replaces the 1909-built original library and is a 7,600-square-foot facility, according to a press release from Mont Vernon Library Charitable Foundation. See dalandlibrary.com.

Memorial

Swim With a Mission, “a New Hampshire-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting veterans through fundraising, community engagement, and grants to local veteran service organizations,” has awarded a $15,000 matching grant to support the “Gulf Wars and War on Terror Memorial being developed by the Manchester Veterans Council. This permanent memorial will honor the service members, civilians, and family members from New Hampshire who were impacted by the conflicts spanning from 1990 to 2021,” according to a SWAM press release. “To help complete this important tribute, SWAM is partnering with the Manchester Veterans Council to raise the remaining $30,000 needed for the project. Through SWAM’s matching grant, every dollar donated will be doubled, up to $15,000,” the release said. The memorial is slated for a Memorial Day 2026 dedication in Veterans Park in Manchester, according to SWAM. See the Manchester Veterans Council’s Facebook page for more information on recent donations and images of the planned memorial.

Parenting help

The Upper Room Family Resource Center, based in Derry, will offer a virtual class, “Managing Emotions in Children (ages 3-12),” on Wednesday, March 25, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., according to a press release. The free class “will help parents learn new strategies to understand and handle a child’s strong feelings such as fear, anger, sadness, disappointment and anxiety,” the release said. To sign up, call 437-8477, ext. 126, the release said, and see urteachers.org for more on the organization.

Barn assistance

April 15 is the deadline to apply for Historic Barn Assessment Grants, meant to help preserve privately owned historic New Hampshire barns, according to the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance. The program offers $400 or $250 grants (coupled with some matching funds from the property owner) to hire a barn consultant to “inspect the barn, determine its age and key construction features, [and] assess what’s required to stabilize, repair, and reuse the structure. Grant recipients will receive a written report; that can be used as a valuable planning tool that identifies problems, proposes specific preservation strategies, and offers cost estimates for the needed repairs,” according to nhpreservation.org, where you can find a list of participating towns and details on how to apply.

Shamrock Shuffle

The Northwestern Mutual Shamrock Shuffle, rescheduled after Manchester’s St. Patrick’s Day parade was canceled for the year, will now take place on Saturday, March 14, at 11 a.m. with Lil’ Leprechaun Runs for kids starting at 10:30 a.m. The 2-mile run/walk on Canal Street will begin and end at Harpoon Brewery and the first 1,000 registrants will receive kilts, according to millenniumrunning.com/shamrock.

Night out for a cause

The Pinnacle Foundation, an organization “formed to positively impact chronic homelessness, build a bridge to homeownership through financial literacy and education, and support our communities’ veterans’ immediate needs in the greater Manchester community,” according to pinnaclefoundationnh.org, will hold its winter fundraiser on Wednesday, March 4, at 5:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester. The event will feature live music by the Chad LaMarsh Band, a silent auction, keynote speeches and more. See pinnaclefoundationnh.org/2026-winter-fundraiser for tickets.

Jazz for a cause

Concord Community Music School, 23 Wall St. in Concord, will hold its annual Jazz Night Fundraiser on Saturday, March 21, at 7 p.m., with a pre-show reception starting at 5:30 p.m., according to a post on the school’s Facebook page. The evening will feature the James Fernando Trio and proceeds will benefit the school’s Financial Aid Fund. Seats cost $80 each or $300 for a table of four, the post said. Call 228-1196 or go to ccmusicschool.org to order tickets.

“Through the Trees,” an exhibition featuring the works of Amira Nguyen-Hasoon, Kate Knox, and Rebecca Desrochers, is on display through March 1 at See Saw Art, 66 Hanover St., Suite 201, in Manchester. The gallery will be open Friday, Feb. 27, from 2 to 6 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. and Sunday, March 1, from 1 to 4 p.m., according to seesaw.gallery.

Cue Zero Theatre will hold auditions for adults for its June production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company on Sunday, March 15, with callbacks on Thursday, March 19, at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire, 19 Keewaydin Drive in Salem, according to a press release. See cztheatre.com for character details and audition information.

The Wilton Actor Guild will present Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Mystery, a Ken Ludwig-penned sequel to Baskerville described as fast-paced and funny, on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 7, at 2 p.m. at the Golden Brook School Auditorium, 112B Lowell Road in Windham, according to a press release. See windhamactorsguild.com for tickets.

You have until Sunday, March 1, to submit your 60-second film to the Tiny Film Festival at the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St. in Nashua. See nashualibrary.org/tinyfilmfestival for the rules. The films will be screened at the library on Friday, March 20, at 6 p.m.

Queen City to Music City

Southwest Airlines will offer nonstop flights from Manchester Boston Regional Airport to Nashville International Airport five days a week (Thursday through Monday) starting Oct. 1, according to an airport press release. A nonstop flight between MHT and BNA, Nashville’s airport, takes two hours and 40 minutes, according to southwest.com.

Play for the cause

The Majestic Theatre, 880 Page St. in Manchester, will hold a bingo night on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 6:30 p.m. to benefit the theater. The evening will feature a raffle, door prizes, refreshments and more, according to majestictheatre.net, where you can register in advance.

Manchester movie

The Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford St. in Manchester, will show “The Lost Films of Amoskeag” on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. The program includes a black and white film made in the late 1960s during redevelopment of the millyard and a 1978 half-hour program called The Amokseag Transcripts produced by WGBH-TV in Boston, according to manchesterhistoric.org. The event is included with regular admission to the museum; rsvp by calling 622-7531 or emailing history@manchesterhistoric.org, the website said.

Museum days

Some area museums will be open extra days for New Hampshire’s vacation week (Feb. 23-27 for many schools). The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, aviationmuseumofnh.org, will be open Monday, Feb. 23, and Tuesday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in addition to its regular hours Wednesdays through Sundays, with its Elite Flight Simulator operating Feb. 23, Feb. 25 and Feb. 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. for ages 13 and up and storytimes on Feb. 24 and Feb. 26 at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., according to a press release. SEE Science Center, 200 Bedford St. in Manchester, will be open Monday, Feb. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in addition to its regular hours, according to see-sciencecenter.org. The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, 2 Institute Drive in Concord, is open daily, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sunday, March 1, according to starhop.com. The Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St. in Manchester, has a three-day workshop for ages 6 to 13+ running Wednesday, Feb. 25, through Friday, Feb. 27, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to currier.org, where you can find pricing and registration information. The museum’s regular hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Community Players of Concord will hold auditions for the May production of To Kill A Mockingbird on Sunday, March 1, and Monday, March 2, at 6 p.m. for youth and starting at 7 p.m. for adults at the Community Players Studio in Concord. See communityplayersofconcord.org for details.

Kids Coop Theatre will hold auditions for the May production of Newsies for ages 8 to 19 on Sunday, March 1, from 1 to 9 p.m. at KCT Studios in Salem. See kctnh.org for show and membership details and to sign up for a slot.

The Merrimack Parks & Recreation Winter Carnival at Wasserman Park in Merrimack will take place Saturday, Feb. 21, from noon to 3 p.m., and feature a cardboard box sledding contest, ice carving and more, according to merrimackparksandrec.org.

The Hudson Recreation Department will hold a comedy night featuring Corey Rodrigues with Dave Rattigan and Ian Rice on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 8:30 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) at the Community Center, 12 Lions Ave. in Hudson, according to hudsonnh.gov/recreation, where you can purchase tickets.