Category: News

This Week 26/10/08

Friday, Oct. 9

Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock Live will be presented at the Capitol Center for the Arts’ Swope Theater, 44 S. Main St., Concord, today at 7 p.m., according to ccanh.com, where you can purchase tickets.

Friday, Oct. 9

Between the Lines Jr., a Fall Youth MainStage production presented by Peacock Players (peacockplayers.org), opens this weekend at Janice B. Streeter Theatre, 14 Court St., Nashua, and will run from Friday, Oct. 9, through Sunday, Oct. 18, with shows at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays (as well as a 10 a.m. performance on Thursday, Oct. 15), according to the website, where you can purchase tickets. “Between the Lines Jr. is an empowering and enchanting musical for anyone who has struggled to find their place in the world. An outsider in a new town and a new school, Delilah seeks comfort in the pages of her favorite book, where she feels heard and understood by the handsome Prince Oliver. But as the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur in extraordinary ways, Delilah realizes her dreams in the real world are worth fighting for,” the website said.

Saturday, Oct. 10

It’s an arts tour weekend! Monadnock Art Open Studio Tour runs today through Monday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with at least 84 artists in 65 studios in Peterborough, Dublin, Jaffrey, Sharon, Harrisville, Hancock and Marlborough, according to an email from Monadnock Art and monadnockart.org, where you can find a map of participating locations and see works from the artists. The New Hampshire Wool Arts Tour will run today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at five farms in Deering, Antrim, Bennington, Greenfield and Lyndeborough and will feature demonstrations (creating yarn, weaving, knitting, felting and more), live music, live animals, food vendors, fiber vendors, artists and crafters set up at the farms and more, according to woolartstournh.com, where you can find locations and descriptions of participating farms.

Saturday, Oct. 10

A Fall Fair at Joppa Hill Educational Farm in Bedford will take place today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will feature hayrides, farm animal meet-and-greets, vendors, live entertainment, food trucks, apple cider doughnuts and more, according to jhef.org, where you can purchase tickets.

Saturday, Oct. 10

See the works of artists June Latti, Ben Wymer, Mark Ruddy, Scarlet Hao, Darren Taylor, Erica Bodwell and Robyn Witney Fairclough at the Oct. 9 through Nov. 9 Show at Glimpse Gallery, 4 Park St., Concord, which is open by appointment, according to its website. There will be an opening reception today from 5 to 7 p.m., according to theglimpsegallery.com, where you can RSVP to attend.

Sunday, Oct. 11

The Not Afraid To Fail Fest, held by Queerlective (queerlective.com), will take place today at 1 p.m. at BNH Stage in Concord, according to the website. “This benefit and variety show brings together first-time performers, emerging artists, and community members willing to step outside their comfort zones and try something big. Expect comedy, music, poetry, storytelling, drag, performance art, creative experiments, and ideas we may not have imagined yet,” according to the website, where you can purchase tickets.

Monday, Oct. 12

Indigenous People’s Day at Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum in Warner on Monday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. will feature free admission and hands-on activities, according to indianmuseum.org.

Save the Date! Saturday, Oct. 17
The 2026 Mount Uncanoonuc Brewfest will take place Saturday, Oct. 17, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Mountain Base Brewery, 553 Mast Road in Goffstown, which cohosts the 21+ event along with the Worker Bee Fund. The day will feature breweries and other beverage purveyors, food vendors, live music and more, according to Mountain Base Brewery’s Facebook page, where you can find a link to purchase tickets.

Sox bow out badly

The Big Story – Sox Go Down Hard:Well, the Red Sox season ended pretty much the way it started — badly — as they were swept out of the playoffs for the second year in a row by the Yankees. Making it worse was being run over by Boston area products their local scouts whiffed on, Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler, who they’ll now have to deal with for years, along with looking so overmatched against a team missing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

In the end it left all wondering who they actually were. The team that burned through most of June and July? Or the one that went 15-15 in their last 30 games?

See you next spring.

Sports 101: Who holds the NFL career record for most receptions by a non-drafted player?

News Item – Pats Beat Bills 26-24

Phew! That was close. But amid an up-and-down start they finished where they needed to be after their tough opening four games at 2-2.

Biggest highlights: (1) Drake Maye had a couple of scary plays, but in throwing for 268 yards and three TDs he looked back on track. (2) Spectacular one-handed catches by Romeo Doubs and Efton Chism on the Pats’ last two TDs. (3) Decent job by the D containing Josh Allen without the Christians Barmore and Gonzalez.

Special teams: Bad all day by allowing several big kickoff returns and the punter kept killing the net gain by sending booming punts into the end zone rather than dropping them inside the 20.

The Numbers:

17 – catches by Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb for 189 yards in Dallas’ comeback 36-30 win over Houston.

94.8 – the average mph of all 2026 MLB pitches according to MLB Statcast, up from 91.9 mph when tracking began in 2015.

658 – days (and 643 attempts) between interceptions before Minkah Fitzpatrick got one to end the Jets’ 21-game streak without a pick. Though they’re still the Jets, who lost 23-12 to a Bears team using their third-string QB.

… Of the Week Awards:

• Thumbs Up – Drake Maye: Patriot Nation gets to breathe easier since he returned to normal on Sunday.

• Thumbs Down – U of Texas DE Colin Simmons and RB Raleek Brown: For their vulgar on-field “celebrations” during the top-ranked Longhorns win over Tennessee.

• Quote of the Week: Texas AD Chris Del Conte wrote“… it was embarrassing to our proud and widely respected football team…” in a blog post apologizing for his nitwit players. Nice, but a two-game suspension would have been better.

• Play of Week – Igor Shesterkin: The New York Rangers have had 93 goaltenders since entering the NHL in 1926-1927. And none had scored a goal until Thursday when Shesterkin buried an empty netter in NY’s opening night 5-1 win over Tampa Bay.

Sports 101 Answer: With 903 Wes Welker has the record for most NFL receptions by an undrafted player.

Final Thoughts – On The Red Sox’ Demise

• Chad Tracy: He deserves much credit for righting the ship after taking over for Alex Cora. But, while they still would’ve lost, he turned manageable deficits into full Yankee blowouts by panicking to yank Payton Tolle and especially Sonny Gray far too early.

• Roman Anthony: Lost year for a guy who many thought was on track to be Yaz-like. He’ll be more of a question mark next spring because after missing most of 2026 and with his first two seasons ending early he’s starting to look brittle.

• Early Signings Strategy: With Anthony missing most of the year, Brayan Bello being so awful he got sent to AAA in June and Kristian Campbell still buried there, the “let’s sign the young guys early” strategy to lower their cost as the career progresses ain’t working out too well.

• Off-Season Work Ahead: To start, they need; a BIG bopper to hit fourth, to re-sign Gray and a permanent second baseman.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Quality of Life 26/10/08

Canobie Lake is running low

According to a September briefing from 20 Windham lake-front abutters, presented to the Windham Board of Selectmen on Sept. 27, Canobie Lake’s water level is historically low. According to graphs presented to the Board which you can see at windhamnh.gov/DocumentCenter/View/21010/Canobie_Lake_BOS_Presentation, the lake has historically been considered full when water levels reach 220 feet. This year, the presenters said, “The lake peaked at 218.76 ft on May 1 — the lowest spring peak in the 2022–2026 record — then fell 1.40 ft over eleven weeks to 217.36 ft.” The group pointed out that water consumption from the lake has outstripped the area’s population growth. “Population has grown roughly 10% since 2000. Water demand grew more than four times as fast — 42% — in just the last eight years alone.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: Some concerns stemming from the lake’s lower water levels include “higher algae risk, reduced spawning habitat, reduced waterfront [property] value, lower marketability, docks losing water access, and lower long-term tax revenue.”

Cooking and heating and apparently fire season

Oct. 4 through Oct. 10 is Fire Prevention Week, according to an Oct. 5 press release from the Red Cross of Northern New England. So far in 2026, its volunteer disaster teams have responded to 129 home fires “assisting more than 530 Granite Staters,” the release said. “Cooking and home heating are two of the leading causes of home fires,” the release said. Get a free smoke alarm from the Red Cross by going to RedCross.org, and scrolling down to the “Fire Prevention” icon, which takes you to a page with fire prevention tips and a link via “Smoke Alarms” to a page to sign up for a smoke alarm installation.

QOL score: +1 for the help

Comment: The fire prevention page also features a fun video with cooking fire related tips featuring the advice “keep an eye on what you fry.”

A water bragging rights upset

According to a Sept. 30 Concord Monitor online article, “Concord was disqualified from a state drinking water taste test.” For the past eight years, according to the Monitor article, Concord “brought home the title of best-tasting tap water in New Hampshire in six of the annual state competitions.” In the blind taste-test of drinking water from towns across the state conducted by the New Hampshire Drinking Water Coalition at its annual festival, the rules state that all water samples must be fresh tap water, served at room-temperature, the article said.. This year, Concord’s sample was noticeably cooler than samples from other towns. Though Concord’s water was tasted, ultimately, “contest officials ended up disqualifying it for being too cold.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: Plymouth was victorious after Concord’s disqualification, the article said.Oh well, there’s always next year.

QOL score last week: 63

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 62

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/10/08

Ed Aloise

Edward Aloise, the Manchester restaurateur who opened Republic Cafe & Bistro and Campo Enoteca and before that Café Pavone and Milltowne Grille, died on Sept. 25 at the age of 72, according to his obituary at the Connor-Healy Funeral Home website, connorhealy.com.

Aloise is survived by his wife, Claudia Rippee, with whom he owned and operated the restaurants, the obituary said. His family also includes his brother and sister-in-law, nieces, great-nieces and -nephews, cousins “and many dear friends,” the obituary said.

“Eddy lived every day to the max, including Friday when he left us after his final bike ride that morning. Please keep Eddy in your thoughts and hearts to keep him alive forever,” Rippee said in part in a post on her Facebook page.

A statement posted on the Facebook page for Campo Enoteca, which Aloise and Rippee sold when they retired from the restaurant business, reads: “Stepping into Campo Enoteca means stepping into an environment created by Ed and Claudia. On a nightly basis, you will hear reminiscing, laughter, and stories about Ed and Claudia and what they meant to each and every one of you. The impact they’ve left on our community is deeply cherished and unmatched. Their love for life is truly inspiring. Claudia — our deepest condolences to you and your family. You always have a home here. Ed — your enjoyment of travel created a unique menu that our guests today still love. Every touch thoughtfully created, which made you the legendary chef that you are. We honor you. RIP Chef Ed Aloise”

“A gifted writer, Ed had two books of short stories published and was completing a novel at the time of his passing,” the obituary said. Those books are The Boardroom and Other Stories, published in 2025, and The Muse and Other Stories, published in May 2026, according to their Amazon listings.

In a December 2022 story in the Hippo when Aloise announced plans to sell what was then “Republic of Campo” — both Campo Enoteca and Republic operated out of 969 Elm St. since August 2020 — Aloise described meeting Rippee in Boulder, Colorado, in the late 1970s.

“Claudia was a cocktail waitress and I was a bartender,” he said. “It was an over-the-bar love affair.” (Find that story, which looks back at Aloise and Rippee’s time as Manchester restaurant owners, in the Dec. 15, 2022, issue of the Hippo, in the digital library at hippopress.com.)

The obituary said a party “celebrating Eddy will be held at Republic Brewing Company, 72 Old Granite St., Manchester” on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 4 to 8 p.m. “Memorial donations in honor of ‘White Wing’ may be made to the NH Audubon Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way, Auburn, NH 03032, nhaudubon.org/center-and-events/massabesic-center-auburn. The Connor-Healy Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 537 Union Street, Manchester, NH has the honor of assisting the family. For more information or to sign the online guest registry, please visit www.connorhealy.com,” the obituary said.

The Manchester Garden Club will meet on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 12:30 p.m. at St. Hedwig Church Hall, 17 Walnut St. in Manchester, and feature “Amy Cardello, a ‘Proven Winner’ representative from Pleasant View Gardens,” who will “explain what it means to be a ‘Proven Winner’ plant and also give information as to what is new for 2027,” according to an email from the club. See manchesternhgardenclub.webly.com.

According to a sign on the property, Flatbread Co., which has locations in Portsmouth and North Conway as well as in other New England states and in Hawaii, will open a location in Bedford at 224 S. River Road, the former spot of the IHOP. See flatbreadcompany.com.

The United Way of Greater Nashua will hold its Care-E-Oke 2026 fundraiser on Friday, Nov. 6, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St. in Nashua, according to a press release. “Those interested in competing are encouraged to sign up early to secure their place on stage before the roster fills. Contestants will perform in front of a live audience and panel of celebrity judges while competing for bragging rights, community recognition, and the title of Care-E-Oke Champion,” the release said. “For tickets, contestant registration, sponsorship opportunities, or more information, contact United Way of Greater Nashua at info@unitedwaynashua.org or 603-882-4011 or visit unitedwaynashua.org/event/care-e-oke.”

This Week 26/10/01

Thursday, Oct. 1

Bach’s Lunch, a series of lectures and performances, returns for a new season at Concord Community Music School, 23 Wall St. in Concord, according to ccmusicschool.org. Today’s presentation, which runs from 12:10 to 1 p.m., will feature Jim Prendergast on the folk music revival of the 1960s, the website said.

Thursday, Oct. 1

The Scarlet Letter (1926), a silent film starring Lillian Gish and featuring live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, will screen tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Nashua Public Library, according to silentfilmlivemusic.blogspot.com. See nashualibrary.libcal.com.

Thursday, Oct. 1

Chunky’s, 707 Huse Road in Manchester, kicks off its screening of classic horror films this week; catch the second screening of A Nightmare on Elm Street tonight at 7 p.m., according to chunkys.com, where you can purchase tickets. Next week’s film is Friday the 13th, screening at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6, and Thursday, Oct. 8.

Friday, Oct. 2

Downtown Concord celebrates an Oktoberfest-themed First Friday today from 4 to 8 p.m., according to firstfridayconcord.com. Tonight’s musical lineup is Heather Smith & The Constants (4 p.m., City Plaza), Robin Gaming (6:15 p.m., City Plaza), Lucas Gallo & The Guise (Bicentennial Square, 4 p.m.; pictured, image from lucasgallomusic.com), and Up (6:15 p.m., Bicentennial Square), the website said. Food trucks slated to attend include The Treat Trolley (with whipped coffee, a brookie sundae, boba lemonade and more), Wicked Tasty (smash burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches) and Teenie Wienies (“a handcrafted sausage-centric menu”), the website said. Other activities include a craft for kids, Concord Arts Market in Eagle Square, a belly dancing class on the Statehouse lawn at 5:30 p.m., glitter tattoos for sale by KP Sparkles, a performance by the Wicked Witches of the Lakes Region Dance Performance in City Plaza at 6 p.m., a Girl Scouts STEM van and more, the website said.

Friday, Oct 2

Ride the Cyclone, described as “[d]arkly funny, deeply heartfelt and full of unforgettable music,” will be presented by Cue Zero Theatre, cztheatre.com, tonight and tomorrow night, Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. at Arts Academy of New Hampshire, 19 Keewaydin Drive, Salem, according to the website, where you can purchase tickets.

Friday, Oct 2

Emma, one of the shows Michael Witthaus discussed in last week’s cover story looking at the season of theater, will be presented by the Nashua Theatre Guild, nasthuatheatreguild.org, tonight through Sunday, Oct. 4, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Janice B. Streeter Theatre/Court Street Theatre, 14 Court St., Nashua, according to the website, where you will be able to purchase tickets. Find the story in the Sept. 24 issue in the digital library at hippopress.com.

Saturday, Oct. 3

Center for the Arts in New London will host an Open Studio 2026 today and tomorrow, Sunday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to centerfortheartsnh.org. The event “features live demonstrations, local art, and studio tours. Located at 428 Main St. [in New London] and various locations, these events provide a behind-the-scenes look at artists’ work spaces and foster community interaction, often including painting workshops,” the website said.

Save the Date! Saturday, Oct. 17
Fly Me To the Moon Arts Ball to benefit Nashua Community Arts will take place at the Nashua Center for the Arts, nashuacenterforthearts.com, on Saturday, Oct. 17, starting at 6 p.m. It’s an “evening inspired by Frank Sinatra and the golden age of swing” featuring live music and dancing, cocktails, fine dining and more, according to artsballnashua.com, where you can purchase tickets.

Featured image: Lucas Gallo.

Yanks and Sox meet again

The Big Story – Sox and Yanks Face Off Again: It’s playoff Round 7 of baseball’s greatest rivalry. And since I’m writing on Monday morning, it could be over by the time you see this or it could be the decisive Game 3 happening.

The Sox’ biggest problem going in is their lack of hitting, where they averaged just 2.3 runs a game in their final 13 games, exacerbated by the iffy status of Willson Contreras. Of course, Aaron Judge was the same for NY and most would take that one-for-one trade.

Prediction: Sox in three.

Sports 101: With 45 homers and 40 steals Pete Crow–Armstrong became the seventh member of baseball’s 40-40 club. Name the other six.

News Item – Pats Embarrassed 35-6 by Jax: Maye-day, Maye-day is what the pilot of Patriot Nation Airlines is screaming into the mic after seven turnovers in the first three games as the confidence drains from their young star Drake Maye. Question: Why in the name of Babe Parilli did Mike Vrabel take a T.O. with just 49 seconds left in the first half when Jax had the ball on its own 20, no timeouts left and having the kicker with the league’s strongest leg?

Time to panic? No. I said in my pre-season predictions they’d be doing well to get out of their first four games at 2-2. But it does make next week in Buffalo huge!

News Item – Red Sox Prediction: I had them going 92-72. Missed by five games. My biggest miss since taking Baltimore big in SB 3.

News Item – Baseball 2026 Notables:

• Anyone else notice old friend Eduardo Rodriguez had the second most wins in baseball in going 16-7 with a 2.89 ERA?

• Jacob Misiorowski: The young Milwaukee hurler had 252 k’s in 174.2 innings. At that rate of 13 k’s per 9 innings, if he pitched the same 335 innings Sandy Koufax did when he struck out 382 in 1965, Miso would whiff 492.

• Houston somehow won the pathetically weak AL West with the worst ever division-winning record of 81-81.

• Got to love the All Name Team Trade executedby now St. Louis GM Chaim Bloom of sending Brendan Donovan to Seattle in a three-team deal that brought back pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje along with outfielders Tai Peete and Colton Ledbetter.

• Love seeing the second-highest-payrolled $350 million Mets finish last in the NL East at 74-88, while $128 million Milwaukee produced baseball’s best record at 103-59.

The Numbers:

7 – Brewers struck out by the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler to start the game in a win last week.

224 – MLB record most batter strikeouts in one season recorded by White Sox infielder Colson Montgomery.

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up OTW – Detroit Tigers: For their classy celebration of certain Hall of Famer Justin Verlander’s final game by having daughter Genevieve come to the mound for an emotional embrace and be with him as he left it for the final time.

Broadcasting Faux Pas OTW: Tom Brady saying, “oh, [blank]” live on Fox as Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow in an ugly sight. Realizing the whoops, the quick thinking we’re accustomed to followed as he immediately said “excuse me.”

Weird NFL Stat OTW: After being the second guy on a hook and ladder play, SF wideout Deebo Samuel was credited with 80 receiving yards and a receiving TD despite having no official catches in SF’s 36-30 win over Arizona.

Random Thought: What’s with those yellow batting gloves from Caleb Durbin? He looks like he’s in a 1960s TV commercial doing the dishes with Palmolive.

Sports 101 Answer: Jose Canseco (42 & 40), Barry Bonds (42 & 40), A-Rod (42 & 46), Ronald Acuña (41 & 73), Shohei Ohtani (54 & 59) and Alfonso Soriano (46 & 41) are the members of 40-40 club.

Final Thought – Prospect Expectations vs. Reality:

Red Sox Nation spent the 2025 off-season talking/lusting over/bragging about the four supposedly can’t miss guys they had from MLB’s Top 35 prospects. Here’s what all have done two years later.

Kyle Teel – The catcher who delivered Garrett Crochet in a big trade struggled through an injury-riddled season where he hit .210 with five homers and 26 RBI in 28 games.

Kristian Campbell – still in the minors searching for a position since his 2025 demotion last June where he hit .256 with eight homers and 51 RBI. Good thing they hired those Driveline swing coaches, ’cause all they did was wreck the swing of a guy who hit .362 on the way up in 2024.

Marcelo Mayer – the biggest bust. The once fourth overall pick hit .223 with seven homers and 32 RBI in 114 games over two years, which both ended with him on the DL.

Roman Anthony – After a solid Year 1, he was .243-5-15 in 54 games in 2026. True, it was affected by injury, which has already wrecked or ended his two seasons. The 2026 numbers project to 15 homers and 45 RBI in a full season. Hardly superstar numbers.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

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