Category: News

This Week 26/08/06

Thursday, Aug. 6

The League of NH Craftsmen’s Annual Craftsmen’s Fair continues today through Sunday, Aug. 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury, according to nhcrafts.org, where you can purchase tickets and find the program with schedules of music and workshops and a map of the fair.

Thursday, Aug. 6

Delta Dental/Elliot Corporate Road Race takes place today in downtown Manchester at 6:20 p.m. with a 5K loop, according to millenniumrunning.com/corporate5k. Solinsky Cancer Center is listed as the event’s official charity.

Thursday, Aug. 6

Hudson Old Home Days start today and run through Sunday, Aug. 9, at 211 Derry Road in Hudson, according to hudsonoldhomedays.com. Catch carnival rides, games, food trucks and vendors and live music today from 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday from 5 to 11 p.m. The event runs from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, which will also feature a petting zoo and family fun zone, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, which will feature a craft fair, the website said.

Friday, Aug. 7

The “Dog Days of Summer” are the theme at tonight’s First Friday in downtown Concord, 4 to 8 p.m., followed by a free outdoor movie screening in Eagle Square. Music includes Senie Hunt at 4 p.m. (see page 22) and Rebel Collective at 6:15 p.m., according to firstfridayconcord.com.

Friday, Aug. 7

The Tempest, presented by the Nashua Theatre Guild, wraps up its two-weekend run with shows today at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 8, at 2 and 7 p.m. in Greeley Park in Nashua, according to nashuatheatreguild.org.

Saturday, Aug. 8

Dark Side Customs of Concord will present The Granite State Gitdown, a custom car and bike show, outside the Everett Arena in Concord today from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to an organizer email. The day will include food trucks and vendors and any car or motorcycle is welcome, the email said. See dark-side-customs.com.

Saturday, Aug. 8

The Concord Arts Market will be in Rollins Park in Concord today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. See concordartsmarket.org.

Sunday, Aug. 9

Today is the final day to catch the exhibition “Spray: Jules Olitski in the 1960s” at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester. The exhibit “invites you to rediscover a modern master who explored the possibilities of color with gumption, vision, and a passion for experimentation,” according to currier.org. The Currier is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 9

Celebrate the work of Rudolph Valentino nearly 100 years after his death at a screening of the silent film Son of the Sheik(1926) today at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St. in Wilton, featuring live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, according to an email. A $10 donation per person is suggested, the email said.

Save the Date! Saturday, Oct. 3
Lend Me A Theatre presents Occupation: Murder!, a murder mystery dinner theater event at Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St. in Derry, on Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4, according to tupelomusichall.com, where you can purchase tickets to dinner and the show or just the show and see show and dinner times. “Setting: A Television Studio in New York City/Present day. When the rehearsal begins for the TV quiz show It’s a Living! who would suspect that before the telecast is over, the hardest problem to solve would be ‘Who Killed Tony Fabrizi, the show’s sponsor?’,” according to the website, where you can also find the evening’s menu. See lendmeatheater.org for show details.

Featured image: Occupation Murder!

Sox sweep MLB-best Dodgers

The Big Story – Surging Red Sox: All through the 2013 season I kept saying, “I don’t know how they are doing this” — right up until they won the World Series.

And after seeing the Red Sox win a franchise best ever 21 of 24 games in July with their “who are those guys?” infield and a left fielder hitting below the Mendoza line but who seems to still get a big hit when needed, like Jarren Duran’s homer that iced the weekend sweep of the Dodgers in Sunday’s 8-4 win, that same feeling is coming back.

But it’s even bigger this time, as since June 25 they’ve won 14 straight over the Yankees, Rays, Dodgers and AL Central-leading White Sox. That’s a streak worthy of the 2018 Sox more than the 2013 club.

It left them four games up in the wild card race and five behind TB in the AL East at 60-51, with a chance to pick up more ground this week as all seven games come against the sub-.500 A’s and Blue Jays after three tough ones vs. the White Sox.

Sports 101: Who has driven in 150+ runs a most ever seven times?

News Item – Patriots Camp Opens: Here are the biggest stories this summer.

• Christian GonzalezContract: Which Bob Kraft is making worse by yacking about them already offering the biggest DB contract in history.

• Wide Receivers: They’re deep with some saying their new additions make Kayshon Boutte expendable. But unless it’s for a second-round pick or better, I say no. Depth matters.

• Shuffling on O-Line: It got run over in the Super Bowl. Was Will Campbell still hampered by his sprained knee? Or is he playing out of position?

• Stefon Diggs: What does his still being unsigned say about the Pats’ cutting him? Hard to deal with? ’Cause he was pretty good last year.

• Pass Rush: It seems like a possible issue since there are no obvious guys to lead the way. Especially with Harold Landry on the P-U-P.

News Item – Dodgers get Tarik Skubal: The call for a salary cap in baseball got louder last weekend when the oligarch Dodgers got (as usual) the biggest guy on the trade market for three top prospects.

The Numbers:

2 – at-bats it took newly acquired Red Sox Curtis Mead to get hit on the wrist with a pitch and possibly be lost for the season.

6 – first-inning walks incredibly recorded by ex-Cy Young winner/ Toronto hurler Shane Bieber before getting yanked after just 2/3 of an inning. Don’t think that’s happened since my friend Bob Procelli’s signature career Little League baseball win, when he somehow gave up 10 runs while pitching a one-hitter in his classic 56-10 win over the Larkfield LL Bees when he was 9.

15 – place Bill Belichick’s UNC Tarheels finished in pre-season polls for the 17-team ACC.

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – Turn-around of the Week: To gritty Sox shortstop Andruw Monasterio, who demonstrated getting beaned with a 99 mph fastball in the eighth inning didn’t intimidate him by hitting a game-winning two-run homer next time up in Wednesday’s 6-4 win vs. the Athletics.

NBA Rumor of the Week: It comes amid tense extension talks between Steph Curry and Golden State. It had Curry being sent to San Antonio for De’Aaron Fox and draft picks.

Random Thoughts:

Who can’t see the geographic sense to have SMU in the ACC?

Baseball does more dumb things to harm itself than the other three major sports combined. Starting with batting Shohei Ohtani lead-off. The dumbest thing I’ve seen since I started watching baseball in 1408 B.C.

Sports 101 Answer: Lou Gehrig is the all-time 150+ RBI seasons leader.

A Little History – Gehrig’s 150+ Seasons: His first came when he had 173 as teammate Babe Ruth hit 60 homers batting in front of him in 1927. The others included his AL record 183 in 1931 and two 173’s, with 158 his last in 1937.

Final Thought – Red Sox 2026: A few for the final two months.

Yes, Duran has struggled all year, but I bet he breaks out with a streak that carries them for two weeks at some point.

Is the back from AAA Brayan Bello destined for the Bob Stanley role of yesteryear the rest of the way? A reliever who pitches all over the game from a one-inning stint to pitching the final four scoreless innings to close it out like he did in Friday’s 9-4 win in L.A.?

Forget 2013: The way they keep coming back to win is starting to remind me of 1967. My nomination for the torrid Yaz-like last six weeks is Ceddanne Rafaela, who loves the big moment.

Not even L.A. will get as much at the trade deadline as Boston if Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony can come back healthy this month.

They need to go 31-21 the rest of the way to win 90 games.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Quality of Life 26/08/06

New Hampshire schools

A recent survey by financial website WalletHub.com rated New Hampshire’s school system as the fourth-best in the country. WalletHub’s report mentioned the state’s relatively high safety rating (15th in the country), our math scores (4th best), and our graduation rates (also ranked No. 4). Governor Ayotte’s office released a statement that read, in part, “New Hampshire is proud to have some of the best schools in the country, and this new ranking is a testament to our dedicated teachers, supportive parents, and hardworking students who helped make it possible…. New Hampshire will keep striving for #1 and prioritizing a best-in-class education for our kids.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Massachusetts schools received the study’s highest rating, and New Mexico scored the lowest. Visit wallethub.com/edu.

BitCoin scam – DENIED!

As reported in a July 28 press release by the Manchester Police Department, three senior customers at the Varney Street Quick Stop in Manchester were saved from an expensive scam by store employees last month. “On three occasions in July,” the press release stated, “seniors entered the store with cash they intended to deposit into a cryptocurrency ATM. Employees recognized signs of a scam, warned the customers and contacted Manchester Police. Officers responded and confirmed that all three were being victimized.” The scams would have cost the victims more than $17,000.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Before these incidents,” the press release read, “Manchester Police Fraud Detective Ray Lamy contacted the store owner to discuss scams targeting seniors. The owner educated his staff and promised to intervene when customers appeared to be at risk.”

Meteor showers are the best showers

Mid-August is one of the best times of the year to see shooting stars. That’s when the Earth passes through a cloud of space debris resulting in the Perseid Meteor Showers. As reported in an Aug. 2 online article by New Hampshire Public Radio, “as Earth plows into these tiny particles, they burn up in our atmosphere, producing bright streaks across the night sky.” Conditions for watching meteor showers should be especially good this year; the peak will coincide with a new moon. The darkness will give extra contrast to the trails the meteorites leave behind them.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The NHPR article advised stargazers to find a dark, open area away from artificial light in the hours just before dawn for the best viewing conditions. According to astronomy website earthsky.org, “the mornings of August 12 and 13 are probably your best bets [to see meteorites].”

Aren’t the mosquitoes bad enough on their own?

An Aug. 1 online article by WMUR reported that “Hampton and Derry are now the latest communities where mosquito batches have tested positive for Jamestown Canyon Virus. Positive batches have also been found in Exeter, Fremont, Kingston and Salem.” The virus can be spread to humans through mosquito bites. There have been no reported cases of human or animal infection in New Hampshire this year.

QOL score: -1

Comment: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, symptoms of Jamestown Canyon Virus “can include fever, headache, and fatigue, but disease can also be more severe. No vaccines or medicines are available to prevent or treat Jamestown Canyon virus disease.” Visit cdc.gov/jamestown-canyon.

QOL score last week: 56

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 58

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/08/06

Movie Night

Movies in the Park returns to Manchester starting this Friday, Aug. 7, at 8:15 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Park featuring The Wild Robot(PG, 2024), according to a post on the Manchester Parks & Recreation Facebook page. The next movie will be Zootopia (PG, 2016) on Friday, Aug. 21, also in Veterans Park at 8:15 p.m., the post said. Two movies will then be screened in Derryfield Park: on Friday, Sept. 18, at 8:15 p.m. catch Inside Out 2 (PG, 2024) and on Friday, Oct. 16, at 8:15 p.m. catch Hocus Pocus 2 (PG, 2022), the post said. BYO chairs, blankets and snacks, the post said.

Walk the Millyard

The Manchester Historic Association will host a Millyard Walking Tour on Saturday, Aug. 15, at 11 a.m. “exploring the history of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company and the district it built,” according to an Association press release. “There’s so much history packed into this stretch of the city — from the origins of the canals to the effects of the great 1936 flood and even the outbreak of anthrax in the ARMS textile mill,” Jeff Barraclough, MHA Executive Director, said in the statement. “The 90-minute, mile-long tour examines the Millyard’s rise, decline, and rebirth following the bankruptcy of Amoskeag, while also exploring the Merrimack River, the Amoskeag Falls, and the history of individual mill buildings,” the release said. The cost is $20; register at manchesterhistoric.org.

Franco Fest

The Franco-American Centre will hold its inaugural Franco Fest on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord, according to facnh.com/franco-fest, where you can purchase tickets. “This vibrant, family-friendly festival brings together music, food, art, culture, and community for a day of discovery and celebration. … Spend the day exploring artisan vendors, savoring delicious international cuisine, enjoying live entertainment, discovering cultural exhibits, and connecting with community organizations that celebrate the many cultures of the International Francophonie,” according to the website, which listed singer-songwriter Josée Vachon as slated to perform.

Green city

The Manchester Parks and Recreation department will hold “Growing a Greener Manchester” on Friday, Aug. 21, from 3 to 6 p.m., at Sweeney Park on South Main Street in Manchester, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. “Come out to the park and enjoy family-friendly activities, meet local partners, and learn how you can get a free tree planted in your neighborhood or on your private property,” the post said. The event will feature community tree planting, free saplings, “Growing a Greener Manchester” grant updates and free ice cream, the post said.

Catch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (PG-13, 2003) on Friday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m. in Eagle Square in downtown Concord at a free outdoor screening, according to a post at Red River Theatres’ Facebook page. The screening is part of the First Friday events in the downtown. See firstfridayconcord.com.

Seth Meyers returns to New Hampshire to perform Friday, Aug. 7, at 6 p.m. at the SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St. in Manchester, in a show that benefits CASA and Granite State Children’s Alliance, according to snhuarena.com, where you can purchase tickets.

Learn to grow garlic on Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Educational Farm at Joppa Hill in Bedford. The cost is $25. See jhef.org/event/growing-garlic.

Tours and scavenger hunts from the Nashua Historical Society will take place Sunday, Aug. 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Abbot-Spalding House, 1 Nashville St., and the Florence H. Speare Memorial Museum, 5 Abbot St., both in Nashua. according to a press release. The Abbot-Spalding House is a “Federal revival-style house Museum [that] has previously served as the home to a succession of prominent Nashua citizens including Daniel Abbot, the father of Nashua. A special 1940s era collection will be on display,” the press release said. See nashuahistoricalsociety.org.

This Week 26/07/30

Thursday, July 30

The Nashua Silver Knights have a packed schedule of games at Holman Stadium in Nashua for the next few days. Catch them tonight at 6:03 p.m. against the Norwich Sea Unicorns. They will play next on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 6:03 p.m. against the Vermont Lake Monsters. On Sunday, Aug. 2, gametime is 3 p.m. when the Silver Knights will play the Westfield Starfires. Then on Monday, Aug. 3, the Norwich Sea Unicorns return for a 6:03 p.m. game before the final two games of the regular season on Thursday, Aug. 6, and Friday, Aug. 7. See nashuasilverknights.com

Saturday, Aug 1

Pizzastock 10, a fundraiser put on by the Jason R Flood Memorial featuring 12 bands on two stages, will take place today from noon to 6 p.m. at Pinkerton Academy in Derry (near the football field), according to a post on the Jason R Flood Memorial Facebook page and pizzastock.org. Band include “Punching Pedestrians, Spectrum, Paradox, The Hand Me Downs, Rite of Passage, Tumbletoads, Neverless, Sucker Punch, Echo Avenue” and more according to the website. The event is geared toward all ages with games including wiffleball and cornhole, activities for little kids, community organizations with information available, pizza slices from Kendall Pond Pizza as well as other food offerings, raffles and merch, the post said. See pizzastock.org for more on the event and organization.

Sunday, Aug. 2

Antiques Week in New Hampshire gets going with a Granite State Antique Show today from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Granite Town Plaza, 185 Elm St. in Milford, according to gsashows.com. The event will feature 50+ exhibitors in antiques and collectables “with a concentration of Americana and fine art” as well as free parking and coffee and baked goods for sale, according to antiquesweeknh.com.

Monday, Aug. 3

The Deerfield Antique Show takes place today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Deerfield Fairgrounds, 34 Stage Road in Deerfield, according to antiquesweeknh.com. The show features 85 exhibitors of fine antiques, Americana and decorative accessories, the website said. See gurleyantiqueshows.com for more on this event.

Tuesday, Aug. 4

The Concord Antique Show will run today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Douglas Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Road in Concord, featuring 60 exhibitors, according to petermavrisantiqueshows.net, where you can see a dealer list.

Tuesday, Aug. 4

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats begin a six-game stretch against the Portland Sea Dogs tonight at 6:03 p.m., when the F-Cats will take the field as the Manchester Chicken Tenders, according to milb.com/new-hampshire, where you can find ticket information. The game on Wednesday, Aug. 5, takes place at 12:05 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 5

The Collector’s Fair held by Disaia Management will take place today and tomorrow, Aug. 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Sullivan Arena at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, according to a press release. The entry fee is $15, the release said.

Save the Date! Thursday, Aug 6
The New Hampshire Antiques Show, hosted by the New Hampshire Antique Dealers Association, returns to the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester) Thursday, Aug. 6, through Saturday, Aug. 8, featuring 59 antiques dealers, according to nhada.org, where you can find details on tickets, parking and more. The show starts at 10 a.m. and runs until 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday, according to a press release.

Featured image: Pizzastock.

Trade deadline arrives

The Big Story – Red Sox Shift Trade Deadline Plans: The idea of their being sellers went out the window thanks to the 15-game winning streak. So they shifted plans to make the Aug. 1 trade deadline come early with (take your pick) the surprising/stunning/shocking news of their sending their second promising young lefty pitcher away since March. This time it’s 25-year-old lefty Connelly Early to the Nationals for third baseman/DH Curtis Mead.

Mead likely will DH, maybe as the platoon right-handed bat. His 17 homers are by far his most homers in any season in minors or majors as the once Top 50 prospect has never lived up to that initial evaluation.

At least, the Breslow AC is hoping, not yet.

Sports 101: Who’s the only player to have 50 doubles and 50 homers in the same season?

News Item – Baseball Enters the Final 2 Months:

• Red Sox: Their chances of making the wild card playoff game are better than you think. At 54-49 they’re 1.5 games up for the fourth wild card spot, and all of the teams not currently holding a wild card berth are under .500.

• Chicago White Sox: Two years ago they set the record for most lost games in a season at 41-121. Fast forward to July 26, where amazingly at 55-49 they have the best record in the AL Central. The previous worst record holder, the 40-120 expansion NY Mets of 1962, went 53-109 in 1964, 50-111 in 1965 and didn’t even finish a season near .500 until they morphed into the Miracle Mets of 1969 and beat Baltimore in the World Series.

• Kyle Schwarber: It should still rankle Red Sox fans that for idiotic stat geek reasons Chaim Bloom let him walk after 2021 over the same $18 million per Bloom gift-wrapped to Masataka Yoshida. With Schwarber on pace to hit 50+ homers (51) for a second straight season, that’ll give him about 240 in five seasons for Philly. Meanwhile Yoshida has hit 33 in his four Boston seasons.

News Item – Trade Grade: ESPN gave the Sox a C for the deal and the Nationals an A-. The grade favors pitching-needy Washington getting a promising young lefty under contractual control for years.

But given their pitching depth, especially if Garrett Crochet comes back from the IL this century, the success for Boston lies in if Mead is a late bloomer finally playing well, or it’s just a hot streak that will make sending Early away for a needed (cheap) right-handed bat a big mistake.

Politics and Sports Intersection of the Week: A first of its kind battle where former NFL kicker Jay Feely and physician Amish Shah will square off for an Arizona congressional seat in November after being part of the Jets organization together in the 2000s when Feely was the kicker and Sha on the medical team.

The Numbers:

5 – homers by Wilyer Abreu during Boston’s 15-game winning streak.

391 – career saves reached by Aroldis Chapman to move past Dennis Eckersley into ninth place all-time.

38.1 – million World Cup Final viewers was the largest TV audience for soccer in U.S. history.

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – Manager John Schneider: Holy cow! A 21st-century manager actually let an unhittable pitcher complete the game. In this case, when Blue Jays hurler Dylan Cease one-hit the Sox Saturday while striking out 12 in a 6-0 shutout. Most amazing was Schneider’s allowing Cease to throw 120 pitches to do it!

Thumbs Down – Argentina World Cup Team: The crybabies get it for boycotting media responsibilities after losing the World Cup to Spain. Like it was the media’s fault the team didn’t get even one shot on goal in regulation.

You laid the egg, fellas, not them.

What a Stupid I Yam Award – Me: Regular reader/math major Glenn De Noble points out my math in last week’s mention of Roger Bannister breaking the 4-minute mile was like what Rodney Dangerfield heard when asking for directions — “you’re way off.”

I said Bannister would’ve been 46 yards behind Josh Kerr when he set the new 3:42 mile record. In fact it would be an astonishing 123 yards behind Kerr.

Now you know why I had to go to summer school in 10th grade to retake geometry.

Sports 101 Answer: Albert Belle is the only 50 doubles and 50 homers player, which came for Cleveland in 1995.

Final Thought – Who Cares Moment of the Week – LeBron James: Class would have been going back to Cleveland or even Miami, as other greats like Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron once did to finish off the final seasons of their great careers playing for fans who knew them first. Instead, his moving to Philly last week cements LeBron’s legacy of glomming on to someone else’s title run instead of staying and earning one with the team he started with like Magic, Larry, Michael, Kobe, Jerry West and other true greats did.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

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