Category: News

This Week 25/04/17

Friday, April 18

Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester, 206-3888, chunkys.com) hosts a Gilligan’s Island Paint Night this evening beginning at 7:30 p.m. Participants will be guided through painting an island landscape, looking out at the ocean, while reruns of the beloved 1960s television seriesGilligan’s Islandplay on the big screen in the background. Cocktails and snacks will be available, and there will be music to fit the evening. Tickets are $45 each.

Friday, April 18

The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) presentsJesus Christ Superstar beginning tonight through May 11, Fridays through Sundays plus Thursday, May 8.

Friday, April18

Famed storyteller Garrison Keillor will take the stage at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) tonight at 7:30 p.m. for an evening of stand-up, storytelling, audience song, and poetry. One man, one microphone. Tickets start at $29 .

Friday, April 18

The Salem Animal Rescue League (4 Sarl Drive, Salem, 893-3210, sarlnh.org) hosts an evening of musical bingo tonight at the Windham Country Club (1 Country Club Road, Windham, 434-2093, windhamcc.com) beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $60 each and include dinner, one drink and one Bingo card per game. Purchase tickets at tinyurl.com/SARLMusicBingo.

Saturday, April 19

Symphony NH presents a performance at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St, Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) tonight at 7:30 p.m., consisting entirely of overtures. Appropriately titled “It’s All Overtures,” this show will feature some of the most well-known overtures, ranging from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro to Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. Tickets start at $32 through the Center’s website.

Wednesday, April 23

Catch “A Tribute to Duke Ellington with the Aardvark Orchestra,” a free presentation of the Walker Lecture series, tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). Doors open at 7 p.m.; see walkerlecture.org. This event is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, April 23

Celebrate “25 years of ska punk party mayhem” with The Planet Smashers along with PWRUP and Threat Level Burgundy tonight at 7 p.m. at Jewel Music Venue (61 Canal St. in Manchester). Find them on Facebook

Save the Date! Saturday, April 26

Saturday, April 26, is Independent Book Store Day. Offerings usually include previews of upcoming books as well as in-store celebrations. Bookery (844 Elm St. in Manchester; bookerymht.com) has plans for local authors, giveaways, discounts, live music and more, according to an email from the store. Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookestore.com) is also making plans, which will include “exclusive merch, giveaways, maybe even some games and activities,” according to an email from the store. Check with your favorite indie bookstore for updates.

Featured photo: Independent Bookstore Day Logo.

Quality of Life 25/04/17

*#$^&@-%! weather

A reminder that New England can still New England in April, the snow totals from last weekend’s snowfall reached 7 inches in Temple, 6 inches in Deering, 5.9 in Francestown and 8.1 in Greenville, according to a snow total rundown from WMUR on April 12. Between 2 and 4 inches seemed to be the totals for most towns between Nashua and the Concord area. According to the National Weather Service, the forecast for the coming weekend in the Manchester area is for a mostly sunny Friday (April 18) with highs near 61, a mostly cloudy Saturday with highs near 64 and a mostly sunny Sunday with highs near 56. Get predictions for weekend weather and beyond at weather.gov.

QOL score: -1

Comment: In Maine the New Hampshire Fisher Cats had two games postponed last weekend against the Sea Dogs in Portland due to snow (Saturday) and “inclement weather” (Sunday). But they’re back for this weekend’s warmer weather to play as Los Gatos Feroces and the New Hampshire Space Potatoes in Manchester.

Job opportunities in Manchester look good

According to a recent study by employment website Indeed.com that ranked 390 cities in the United States by their job prospects, Manchester is the 10th best city in the country in which to look for a job. Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the study reported that Manchester boasts of annual job growth of 3.5 percent, an average annual salary of $62,810, an unemployment rate of 2 percent and more than 100,000 people employed.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The top-ranked city in the study was Midland, Texas, with a job growth rate of 5.1 percent. Visit the report at indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/best-cities-for-jobs.

Clean up, clean up

Manchester organizations are collaborating to hold a city clean-up event deploying more than 200 volunteers on Monday, April 21, according to a press release. The Park2Park cleanup will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. in 14 city parks and the streets in between. The event is a joint effort of Manchester Connects, the SEE Science Center, and the city’s parks and rec department. Many local businesses and nonprofits are participating in the effort. Individuals may sign up to help SEE with the cleanup from Arms Park to Gateway Park at bit.ly/SEEPark2Park until April 15; volunteers must be 18 or older.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Is that song in your head now? You’re welcome.

The Corral returns

As reported by Patch.com on April 13, nearly 200 people waited in line for the official re-opening of Manchester’s Golden Corral Buffet & Grill on Thursday, April 10. “The restaurant at 655 South Willow Street had closed in September,” Patch.com reported. Many of the people in line were previous customers who were excited about the re-opening of the popular buffet restaurant, and others queued for a chance to win free dinners for a year.

QOL score: +1

Comment: While there are more than 370 Golden Corral locations, according to its Wikipedia entry, this is the only one in New Hampshire.

QOL score last week : 60

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 62

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at [email protected].

Celtics go for 19th title

The Big Story – Celtics Begin Title Defense: The play-in Tournament Tuesday to send four teams to the NBA’s main playoffs which starts Saturday. The Celtics begin their title defense Easter Sunday. Enjoy.

Sports 101: Just four players in NFL history have had four consecutive 100-catch, 1,000-receiving-yard seasons. Name them.

News Item – NBA Regular Season Ends: A few season notables.

Nikola Jokic became the third to average a triple double — 29.8 points, 12.8 assists and 10.3 assists.

Denver and Memphis fired their coaches two weeks before the playoffs start. Sayonara to them.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring at 32.7 ppg and OKC won a fourth best ever 68 games.

How bad was the Southeast Division? Only 41-41 Orlando wasn’t below .500.

Coaches who once got unfairly fired in Kenny Atkinson and Doc Rivers got their measure of revenge on their nemeses. Doc by digging out of a big early hole to be the 4-seed in Milwaukee, as Philly, who fired him, finished 24-58. For Atkinson it was winning the East in Year 1 with the Cavs, while the punks who stabbed him in the back in Brooklyn (just because they could) got theirs — Kyrie Irving with the latest injury, a torn ACL, and after costing a billion draft picks to get Kevin Durant to form a supposed super team, the 36-46 Suns didn’t even make the playoffs.

Brooklyn, who let those two do that to Atkinson, went 26-56 and is farther away than ever.

After going 20-7 since falling into their lucky trade for Luka Doncic, the Lakers are a real threat to re-tie Boston for first in championships with 18.

SGA gets MVP over Jokic because he is by far the most valuable player on the team with the best record.

News Item – College Football: Who didn’t see NIL holdouts coming?

Well, it happened at Tennessee last week when starting QB Nico Iamaleava sat out spring practice amid contract talks. UT’s response was “go fly a kite” and they immediately dropped him from the program.

News Item – The Masters: Notable happenings over the weekend.

Rory Mcllroy finally held onto a lead to win and become the sixth to win golf’s grand slam. But with all those makeable missed putts on that rollercoaster of a back nine he sure didn’t make it easy for those rooting for him

Clutch putt on the 72nd hole by Justin Rose to force the playoff, then he missed basically the same putt on the same hole (18) in the playoff to lose.

Sixty-seven-year-old Bernard Langer missed the cut by one shot in his final Masters thanks to a double bogey on the dastardly 15th hole.

Scottie Scheffler buried a 62-foot putt during Thursday’s opening round.

The Numbers:

19 – MLB-leading errors the Red Sox committed in their first 15 games. Meanwhile Dave Dombrowski’s Phillies have made just three all year.

31 – first-half points scored by the jacked and pumped Doncic in his return to Dallas before finishing with 45 in L.A.’s 112-97 win.

80 – hard-to-believe age legendary baseball reporter Peter Gammons turned last week.

… Of the Week Awards

Better Late Than Never Award – NCAA Final Word: We’re 10 days past Florida’s win over Houston for the national basketball championship. But it’s worth mentioning the most amazing stat of that game is that Florida somehow managed to win despite trailing for 38 minutes and 57 seconds of its 40 minutes. Big D that forced Houston turnovers in the final two minutes was the difference. It was the first time since 1989 that a freshman didn’t play in the game.

Sports 101 Answer: The four 100-1,000 players are Antonio Brown, Marvin Harrison, Dasante Adams and newly signed Patriot Stefon Diggs.

Final Thought – Celtics Playoff Keys: Having won 22 of 27 since the All-Star break, they go in playing well, with the quest for Title No. 19 starting Sunday. Here are their keys for a solid run:

Having an inside scoring Plan B for when the 3’s aren’t falling, which inevitably will happen.

Health — Brittle Kristaps Porzingis is always just one play away and the big unknown is the knee issue dogging Jaylen Brown. Is it just an annoyance or worse?

Thus they need no disappearing games from Jayson Tatum, which has been a past playoff (and Olympics) issue for him.

Consistency from the Top 3 on the bench.

Can Mazzulla please come up with a better end of the game (quarter) scoring play beyond the isolation fall away that Tatum always misses?

Hoping for the Knicks in Round 2 and the Lakers in the Finals.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

News & Notes 25/04/17

Senate race update

Former Governor Chris Sununu told WMUR that he will not run for the U.S. Senate seat in 2026. The race will have no incumbent for the seat as Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has said she will not run for reelection. U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, a Democrat, announced his campaign for the seat in early April. Sununu, a Republican, said the commitment to serve in the Senate was “not right for my family at this time,” according to a report by Adam Sexton on WMUR on April 8. See wmur.com.

Family meal

The Mast Road Community Market is offering a nonperishable meal kit for Pinardville families who need a meal as part of their “Meal Kit Program,” according to mrcm-nh.com/meal-kit-program. Upcoming distribution days are Thursdays, April 17, April 24 and May 1, from 5 to 6 p.m. at Jacques Flower Shop, 712 Mast Road in Manchester. No preregistration is required, participants are asked to fill out a registration form at the site, according to the website, where you can find more information about receiving or donating to a meal kit.

Center center

The Center for the Arts, a New London-based organization with arts programming in for the Lake Sunapee Region, celebrated the grand opening of its Gallery & Studio and Creative Classroom at 428 Main St. in New London, according to a press release. The Center for the Arts officially opened its new center on April 10 and the gallery currently exhibits art from more than 30 local artists on the theme of spring, the release said. See centerfortheartsnh.org.

Cats prez leaves

Rick Brenner, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats president, is leaving the organization to focus on teaching at Plymouth State University, according to a Fisher Cats press release. His final day with the Fisher Cats will be May 1, the release said. Brenner “is the Assistant Professor of Practice, as well as the Director of the Sales Institute, in the School of Business at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire. He began in his roles at Plymouth State in August 2024,” the release said.

TB testing

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and the Manchester Health Department held additional testing clinics for people who might have been exposed to a person with tuberculosis who visited the Families in Transition Adult Shelter and 1269 Cafe in Manchester in January, according to a press release. People without a primary care provider can call 211 for information on testing and treatment, the release said. Call 271-4496 or go to the DHHS TB webpage, at dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/disease-prevention/infectious-disease-control/tuberculosis-tb, for more information.

Concord’s Giant Indoor Yard Sale is slated for Saturday, April 19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road in Concord). Admission is $5 per adult. Find the event’s page on Facebook.

The University of New Hampshire Durham will hold the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival on Saturday, April 19, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The free festival features readings, workshops, a small press fair, performances, a celebration of the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Prize and the Granite State Poetry prize and more. See unhpoetry.com.

Milford Drive-In (531 Elm St., Milford, milforddrivein.com) is slated to open for the season this weekend, with shows Friday, April 18, and Saturday, April 19. The scheduled double-feature screenings are A Minecraft Movie and Paddington in Peru on Screen 1 and Sinners and One of Them Days on Screen 2.

Poet Liane St. Laurent will read her poems followed by an open mic on Saturday, April 19, at 2 p.m. at Balin Books, 375 Amherst St. in Nashua, balinbooks.com. St. Laurent did a Touchstone Talk for the Poetry Society of New Hampshire in February; listen to it at psnh.org/touchstone-talk-liane-st-laurent-interview.

New Hampshire Poet Laureate Jennifer Militello will speak at the Monadnock Writers’ Group meeting on Saturday, April 19, at 9:45 a.m. at the Peterborough Town Library, 2 Concord St. in Peterborough. The event is free and open to the public. See modnadnockwriters.org.

This Week 25/04/10

Saturday, April 12

Today is Record Store Day! You can score special releases including some that will only be sold at indie record stores. See recordstoreday.com for updates on this year’s titles. According to that website, local participating stores include Metro City Records, 691 Somerville St. in Manchester (which will be open special hours, 9 a.m .to 2 p.m.) and Pitchfork Records, 2 S. Main St. in Concord (opening at 8 a.m. on Record Store Day) as well as Music Connection in Manchester; Toadstool in Peterborough; Bull Moose in Plaistow and Portsmouth; area Newbury Comics and more. See recordstoreday.com.

Thursday, April 10

Described as a “unique blend of traditional brass instruments with a full complement of drums and percussion,” Dallas Brass performs at Stockbridge Theatre in Derry tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $30. See stockbridgetheatre.showare.com.

Thursday, April 10

The Merrimack Valley/Purple Finch Flute Choir performs tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., Nashua, 589-4600, nashualibrary.org). This concert is free and open to the public.

Friday, April 11

The teens of Ovation Theatre Company (ovationtc.com) present Monty Python’s Spamalot School Edition this evening at 7 p.m. and tomorrow, Saturday, April 12, at 1 and 7 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Dery). See derryoperahouse.org for tickets.

Friday, April 11

Comedy star Paula Poundstone performs at the Chubb Theatre (Chubb Theatre at CCA, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $23.

Saturday, April 12

The Stonyfield Organic Earth Day 5K steps off at 9 a.m. today. The race, held by Millennium Running, also features a kids’ fun run and is followed by an Earth Day Fair with games, vendors and more. See millenniumrunning.com/stonyfield5k.

Saturday, April 12

The Manchester True Collaborative Center (72 Concord St., Manchester, manchestertrue.org) is hosting a Bug Out Basics workshop today from noon to 2 p.m. Learn how to create a bug out bag and valuable emergency preparedness tips.

Saturday, April 12

The New Hampshire Philharmonic presents “Drawn to the Music —The Planets” featuring visuals by local students paired with Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” today at 2 p.m. and tomorrow, Sunday, April 13, at 2 p.m. at Seifert Performing Arts Center in Salem. Tickets cost $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, $10 for students. See nhphil.org.

Saturday, April 12

There’s a Punk Rock Masquerade Ball tonight at Terminus Underground (134 Haines St., Nashua, newhampshireunderground.org) starting at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $15.

Save the Date! Saturday, April 19

Concord’s Giant Indoor Yard Sale will take place Saturday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road, Concord). Admission is $5 per adult, according to the event’s Eventbrite page. See facebook.com/CapitalEventsNH.

Featured photo: Yard Sale. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 25/04/10

Share your two cents about sidewalks

The Manchester public is invited to share ideas and feedback on the Downtown Sidewalk Improvement Project at two public sessions on Friday, April 18, at the Spotlight Room (96 Hanover St.), according to a Monday, April 7, story in the Manchester Ink Link. The Project focuses on the block bordered by Elm, Chestnut, Concord and Manchester streets, the article said, and the visioning sessions will be hosted by the Manchester Economic Development Office, the Department of Public Works, and Plan NH. The first session will be from 3 to 4:30 p.m. and the second from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Public outreach is a requirement of the $1.8 million federal grant that’s supporting the project,” the article said, and the funding is “explicitly designated to enhance pedestrian infrastructure….”

Two more warm destinations

Avelo Airlines (aveloair.com) announced on April 3 that it has added two new non-stop routes from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport: Wilmington (NC) International Airport (ILM) and the Grand Strand’s Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR). Flights to Wilmington will fly out of Manchester on Thursdays and Sundays. Flights to Myrtle Beach will leave Manchester on Mondays and Fridays. The press release stated that one-way fares started at $39.

QOL score: +1

Comment: These two new routes bring Avelo’s services to North Carolina to four, according to the press release, including Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), and Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA) in Charlotte.

… If they can get there

WMUR reported on April 5 that the FAA said an Avelo Airlines flight from MHT to Concord, North Carolina, was illuminated by a laser about 15 miles from the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport on Friday, April 4, around 9:40 p.m. Laser light can interfere with pilots’ vision.

QOL score: -1

Comment: “Anyone who shines a laser at an aircraft can face fines up to $11,000 per violation” and other penalties, WMUR said.

Maple sap thief on the loose

Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm in Northwood reported the theft of 1,200 gallons of maple sap from a collection tank back in March. “Between 11 and 5 today someone stole 1,200 gallons of sap on Route 43, between Lucas pond road and Route 4,” the farm posted on its Facebook page on March 11. In a Monday, April 7, story in the Union Leader, Sugarmomma’s producer Debra Locke said she reported the theft to Northwood’s police department. In the story, the police chief is quoted as saying that the case remained open and there were no other reports of sap thefts in the area. Locke said the sap would have produced 30 to 35 gallons of syrup, according to the story.

QOL score: -1

Comment: If you have any information about the missing sap, call the Northwood Police Department at 942-8284, the story said.

QOL score: 60

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 60

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at [email protected].

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