Category: News

This Week 26/06/04

Friday, June 5

Theatre Kapow will present Morning Sun, a play by Simon Stephens, at the BNH Stage in Concord today through Sunday, June 7, and at the NH Theatre Project in Portsmouth the next weekend, according to a press release. “In Greenwich Village a generation or so ago, the city is alive. Joni Mitchell sings, friends and lovers come and go, and the regulars change at the neighborhood tavern. As 50 years pass, one woman’s life is revealed in all its complexity, mystery and possibility in this play about mothers and daughters, beginnings and endings. As it picks apart evolving ideas of identity, family, memory, and more, Morning Sun reminds us that the interruptions in our lives are the ghosts we carry with us,” the release said. ASL Interpretation will be available at the Sunday, June 7, 2 p.m. performance, the release said. Shows take place at 7:30 p.m. on June 5, June 6 and June 12; at 2 p.m. on June 7 and June 14, and at 4 p.m. on June 13, the release said. See tkapow.com for tickets. (Courtesy photo.)

Saturday, June 6

The Rotary Club of Goffstown will hold its 13th Annual Car Show today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Parsons Drive in Goffstown, according to an email from the club. “Entering a show car costs $20, spectators enter for free. Proceeds from the event are given as grants to area charities,” the email said. See goffstownrotary.org.

Saturday, June 6

The Concord Arts Market will return to Rollins Park in Concord for another season of Arts in the Park dates starting today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to concordartsmarket.org.

Saturday, June 6

The closing ceremony for the 2026 Nashua International Sculpture Symposium will take place today at 1 p.m. starting at the Picker Artists building, 3 Pine St. in Nashua, with visits to the sculptures’ installation sites. See NashuaSculptureSymposium.org.

Sunday, June 7

The Northern New England Book Fair will take place today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Everett Arena in Concord along with a show from New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association in the same location, according to apassion4books.com. Admission costs $5 and the event will feature more than 90 dealers, the website said.

Sunday, June 7

The Dover Community Trail Advisory Committee will hold its second annual ChalkFest today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. when “[p]articipants of all ages can create chalk art along the trail between the Fisher Street Trailhead and Central Avenue. Each artist gets a five-foot-by-five-foot square, with chalk provided or feel free to bring your favorite colors,” according to a post on the trail Facebook page, which also includes a link to register and a note that a $5 donation is suggested.

Sunday, June 7

“US@250: Brewing Conflicts” with Historic Pursuits a living history group from New York, will present a “dramatic performance in a ‘colonial coffeehouse,’ with music, costume, trivia and refreshments” about the American Revolution today at 2 p.m. at the Slusser Center next door to the Hopkinton Town Library, 61 Houston Drive in Contoocook, according to hopkintontownlibrary.org, where you can RSVP to the event (space is limited). Intended for adults and kids 12+, the website said.

Save the Date! Thursday, July 23
Tickets are on sale now for the annual Shakespeare on the Green presentation at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, according to a press release. This year’s show, presented by Theatre Kapow, will be William Shakespeare’s As You Like It. The show will run Thursday, July 23, through Saturday, July 25, and Thursday, July 30, through Saturday, Aug. 1, with performances at 7:30 p.m. See tickets.anselm.edu. (Photo is from a previous year’s production.)

The week that was

The Big Story – Wait Until Next Week: With the Red Sox scuffling along 10+ games out of first in the AL East and local teams long gone from the spring playoffs, there is no local big story. We’ll have to wait until next week when the World Cup and its incredible price-gouging/fan rip-offs begin.

Sports 101: Michael Jordan won the NBA Finals MVP a record six times. Who is second with four Finals MVPs and who are the three others who’ve been Finals MVP three times?

News Item – Red Sox Update

Who’s Hot: Connelly Early is 5-2 with a 2.97 ERA after last week’s seven shutout innings vs. Atlanta. Jarren Duran – The guy nitwits on talk radio say should be traded is back to leading off, where in the last 10 games in May he went 15-44 (.341) with 8 runs scored, 5 homers and 11 RBI, raising the average from the. 150’s to .219.

The GM: The answer is 19 and four wins and losses immediately after alleged pitching guru Craig Breslow gift-wrapped Quinn Priester (13-3) last year and Kyle Harrison (6-1) this year to Milwaukee in consecutive deals for two minor-leaguers we’ll probably never see and a third baseman now hitting .185.

On the plus side, the Giants are 60-78 since Raffy Devers arrived to play first base in SF.

In Case You Missed It – Mickey Gasper: The Merrimack product is getting regular at-bats for Boston after hitting .333 with three doubles and three RBI in 17 games.

News Item – Yankee Firsts: Given their history it’s hard to do anything for a first time in Yankee history. But they did it in last week’s 15-1 24-hit assault of KC, where for the first time every Yankee in the starting line-up got at least two hits in a game. Then on Sunday they had another first ever by batting around three times in a 13-run second inning of a 13-8 win over Oakland. Then ironically didn’t get another after that.

News Item – NBA Finals Update

After the upstart Spurs knocked off defending champion OKC, it started in San Antonio yesterday (Wednesday). It’s been 27 years since the Knicks were last in the Finals and 53 since they last won it all in 1973. NYK’s opponent in 1999 ironically was SA when Tim Duncan won the first of his four titles.

Victor Wembanyama’s shoe size is 20.5. That’s the largest since Shaq, and before him big Bob Lanier, of whom people said his toes entered a room at 12:00 and the rest of him got there at 12:05.

Spurs star Stephon Castle’s father Stacey was a teammate of the greatest Spur of them all, Duncan at Wake Forest.

Love that Jalen Brunson led NY to the Finals after Dallas let him walk for less money to sign Kyrie Irving. After KI got hurt again, they’re back to a well-deserved place in the lottery.

Why do so many yack about SGA’s “flopping” to get foul calls and no one says anything about Steph Curry flopping on almost every shot he takes?

The Numbers:

2 – number of teams currently in the three-spots-available AL Wild Card race that were over .500 on June 1.

4 – games the alarmingly disappointing Red Sox are somehow only out of a wild card playoff spot.

14.3 – strikeouts per nine innings by flame-throwing 22-year-old Milwaukee phenom Jacob Misiorowski in 2026 after striking out 49 over just 31 innings while giving up one run and 11 hits in his five May starts.

… Of the Week Awards

Alumni News – Dustin May: The disaster in Boston stayed that way in St. Louis, where he took a no-hitter into the eighth vs. Milwaukee before losing it and the game 2-1. It left him 3-6 with a 4.97 ERA.

Chris Sale: The big lefty can still pitch when not injured. He has a second best in baseball eight wins after beating the Sox last week.

Astonishing Basketball Fact of the Week – MVP Voting: Saw on my friend Tommy Ameen’s Facebook feed that an American hasn’t won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award since James Harden in 2018. Wow!

Sports 101 Answer: Most NBA Finals MVP’s are six for Jordan, four for LeBron James, three for Magic Johnson, Shaq and Tim Duncan.

Final Thought – Stephen A Blowhard Under Fire: Must say I love it when a guy who kills people on TV regularly can’t take it when people fire back. That’s the case for Steven A these days where Jaylen Brown yacked back at him on Twitter to retire, then challenged him to a debate at Harvard or MIT. Then “his friend” Kevin Hart put Stephen A on his Mt. Rushmore of Sports Racism during his recent roast.

Steve, if you’re gonna yack at people you can’t have the whiney, thin-skinned response you’ve been giving. Take things aimed at you in the same way you expect them to be taken on things said by you about them.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Quality of Life 26/06/04

It only seems soggy

As reported by WMUR in a May 21 online article, “The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows a sharply divided water situation across New Hampshire,” the story read. Despite a very green spring, “about 75% of New Hampshire remains in drought conditions, largely due to dry weather that began last summer and a prolonged lack of groundwater recharge.” Water from this spring’s rain has been absorbed by growing vegetation, so, although there is a lot of healthy vegetation, very little water has seeped deep into the groundwater.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Many residents are not well positioned to deal with droughts that may occur later this year, WMUR reported. “54% of the wells in the state’s groundwater monitoring network remain below normal levels for this time of year, according to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.”

Ice cream-cation

In a May 21 press release the State Division of Travel and Tourism announced that it “expects visitation and spending for New Hampshire’s 2026 summer travel season to remain consistent with last summer’s, with an estimated 4.8 million visitors generating approximately $2.6 billion in visitor spending statewide.” The press release said that a key part of the State’s tourism strategy this year will be the New Hampshire Ice Cream Trail, a list of 69 ice cream stands across the state. “New Hampshire farms are known not only for producing healthy, delicious food but also for turning agriculture into memorable experiences through agritourism activities like the Ice Cream Trail,” said Josh Marshall, Assistant Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. There is an interactive website that lets you look at the stops on this year’s Ice Cream Trail and filter the results alphabetically, by region, by town, and by amenities available. Visit visitnh.gov/things-to-do/food-drink/ice-cream-trail.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Enthusiasts who fill out an Ice Cream Passport with visits to at least two official stops in each region of the state and 55 stops in total can mail their passports in to the Department of Tourism at the end of the season for bragging rights and a commemorative T-shirt.

Potty drama

In a May 28 online article Nashua InkLink reported a new development in Nashua’s City Hall Plaza ongoing portable toilet predicament. “Clean Restroom Rentals — the company contracted to maintain the porta-potty on City Hall Plaza — notified the city last week that they are no longer able to maintain it due to its current state and ‘constant abuse,’ according to Administrative Service Director Tim Cummings,” the article read. “Cummings told the Committee on Infrastructure Wednesday night that some ‘behaviors and activities’ are making it problematic for them to keep up with the management of it, which includes the pumping and disposal of waste.” The story said that according to Nashua Police, issues around the porta-potty over the past two months have included “people congregating in the area of the porta-potty, alleged drug use, and people sleeping in the unit at night.” There have also been issues of trash and needle caps being disposed of in the unit, the article said.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Nashua InkLink quoted Alderman Patricia Klee, who has looked into how other cities deal with this sort of issue. “San Francisco has porta-potties throughout their entire city that self-wash and so on. Nobody will stay in them for any length of time because they will be locked in there and ‘chemicaled’, Klee said.”

QOL score last week: 48

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 47

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/06/04

Tick reminder

The most common tick bite-spread infections in New Hampshire are “Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus, and hard-tick relapsing fever (Borrelia miyamotoi),” according to a May 27 press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

The release also reminds residents that mosquitoes in New Hampshire “can spread illnesses such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), West Nile Virus, and Jamestown Canyon Virus.”

“Ticks are typically most active from April to November, with tick encounters peaking in May and June. … Warmer weather also brings mosquitoes, and the risk of diseases spread by mosquitoes begins in the spring and continues throughout the summer and into the fall. DHHS partners with municipalities across the state to trap and test mosquitoes from June through October, using test results to inform communities of local risk for diseases carried by mosquitoes,” the release said. At dhhs.nh.gov, you can see the press release and find a link to the Department’s tickborne diseases page, which offers tips on protecting yourself and an explanation on the blacklegged tick (deer tick) life cycle.

According to a May 29 press release from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, while at a press conference in New Hampshire, Department Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “announced a series of major initiatives to strengthen the nation’s response to Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.” See hhs.gov/press-room.

NH’s own Seth Meyers

Comedian and host of NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers, Manchester High School West alum Seth Meyers will perform at the SNHU Arena in Manchester on Friday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m. The performance will benefit CASA of New Hampshire and the Granite State Children’s Alliance, according to a SNHU Arena press release. See snhuarena.com for tickets.

Conference update

The New Hampshire Writers’ Project has changed the date and venue for its upcoming 603 Writers’ Conference, according to a press release. The conference will take place Saturday, Nov. 14, at Grappone Conference Center, 70 Constitution Ave. in Concord, the release said. The event will still feature keynote speaker author Chris Bohjalian and “expert-led workshops, a moderated AI panel discussion, the signature Pitch Party & Social, catered meals, and networking opportunities,” according to a press release. See nhwritersproject.org to register.

NH’s outdoors

The Granite Outdoor Alliance will hold its “Outdoor Industry Day 2026: The Barn Raiser” on Wednesday, June 10, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the Barn on the Pemi in Plymouth, according to a press release. “Outdoor Industry Day is GOA’s annual gathering celebrating New Hampshire’s outdoor economy and the businesses, nonprofits, public partners, and leaders helping shape the sector statewide,” the release said. See graniteoutdooralliance.org/nh-outdoor-industry-day for tickets.

Concord Parks & Rec and Merrimack River Watershed Council will hold a Park Clean Up Day on Saturday, June 6, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Healy Park and Exit 13, on Basin Street, according to the City Manager’s May 29 newsletter. Volunteers must be 18+ and sign a waiver; wear long pants and boats and bring work gloves and bug spray, the newsletter said.

Allenstown will hold a townwide yard sale on Saturday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to allenstownnh.gov, where you can check for a listing of addresses holding a sale.

The summer Free Fishing Day in New Hampshire is Saturday, June 6, when residents and nonresidents can “fish any inland water — or saltwater — in New Hampshire” without a fishing license, according to wildlife.nh.gov, which noted that season dates and other fishing regulations still apply.

The Nashua ER, a free-standing emergency room that is a campus of Catholic Medical Center at 338 Amherst St. in Nashua, will hold a community event and open house on Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring a touch-a-truck, free hot dogs and snow cones, kids’ games and free stuffed monkeys (while supplies last) and live entertainment, according to a press release.

This Week 26/05/28

Thursday, May 28

Manchester’s Taco Tour takes place today from 4 to 8 p.m. in downtown Manchester. See tacotourmanchester.com and our story in the May 21 issue on page 24, available in our digital library at hippopress.com.

Saturday, May 30

Sip and Sun Brew Fest will take place today from noon to 4 p.m. at Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield, featuring tastings from local breweries, live music from The Slakas, food trucks and more, according to melsfunwaypark.com, where you can purchase tickets.

Saturday, May 30

NH Roller Derby continues its season with a doubleheader against Garden State Roller Derby today at 4 p.m. at JFK Coliseum, 303 Beech St. in Manchester, according to nhrollerderby.com.

Saturday, May 30

Synthfest 2026, an evening of live electronic music, will take place today from 5 to 8 p.m. in Rollins Park Gazebo in Concord, according to boseyjoe.com/synthfest. The line-up includes Bosey Joe, Green Leader and Hyponova, according to the website.

Saturday, May 30

Concord Community Music School’s “New England Roots & Branches” series will hold a Contra dance today, starting with an open slow jam session at 6 p.m. followed by a dance called by David Millstone at 7 p.m. at the Citywide Community Center on Canterbury Road in Concord, according to a school newsletter. Performers include Audrey Budington, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, and Liz Faiella on fiddles and Dan Faiella on guitar, the newsletter said. See ccmusicschool.org.

Saturday, May 30

Just Another Day, “a heartfelt and humorous theatrical production starring acclaimed actors Dan Lauria and Patty McCormack,” will be presented by The Front Door Agency at Souhegan High School in Amherst today at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 31, at 2 p.m., according to a press release for the Front Door Agency, an “organization that invests in New Hampshire individuals and families as they transition from crisis to self-sufficiency.” Lauria is best-known for his role as Jack Arnold, Kevin’s dad, on the original The Wonder Years, and McCormack’s career in theater, television and film included her role in The Bad Seed as a child, the email said.

Saturday, May 30

The Nashua Chamber Orchestra wraps up its 2025-2026 season with a concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Nashua Community College featuring “the next generation of award-winning musical talent,” according to a press release. “Sixteen-year-old Antonio Casarano will perform Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major. The orchestra commissioned a new work, Celebratory Overture by Nashua High School senior, composer & oboist Anthony Umbro, which will be premiered. Other works performed will be Delius’ On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring and Schubert’s ‘Tragic’ Symphony,” the release said. The orchestra will also play Sunday, May 31, at 3 p.m. at Milford Town Hall. See nco-music.org for tickets.

Sunday, May 31

The Palace Theatre’s annual Kitchen Tour will take place Sunday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring a self-guided tour of kitchens in southern New Hampshire, according to palacetheatre.org, where you can purchase tickets (a lunch is included).

Friday, June 19
Northlands Music and Arts Festival will take place Friday, June 19, through Sunday, June 21, at the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey, according to northlandslive.com, where you can purchase passes to the festival for three days or one day and find information about camping and parking. You can also find the line-up of bands on each day (Dirty Heads, pictured, is slated to perform Friday) on the website as well as information on food, craft and art vendors, health and wellness activities and kids’ activities.

Quality of Life 26/05/28

Hey! Their feelings are tender, too!

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats occasionally play under two other names during home games: the Manchester Chicken Tenders (to celebrate Manchester’s reputation as the “Chicken Tender Capital of America”) and the New Hampshire Space Potatoes (celebrating New Hampshire’s special history of UFO reports). In an open letter to the team on May 12, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine asked the team “to retire your Manchester Chicken Tenders identity and stop Tender Tuesdays, both of which promote unhealthy fried chicken.” The letter went on to explain that “eating 300 grams of poultry — about six typical chicken tenders — per week has also been found to increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and death from all causes.”

QOL score: -1 because, we know, docs, but hands off our tendies (meanwhile, chicken tender fans can head to instagram.com/tendertownies to check out the 2026 Chicken Tender Passport challenge and contest going on until July 21 at participating Manchester restaurants)

Comment: In a May 20 email to the Hippo, Fisher Cats General Manager Taylor Fisher wrote: “We are aware of the press release from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The Chicken Tenders is an alternate identity meant to capture the fun, quirky nature of Minor League Baseball, an experience we’re proud to create for our fans no matter what we’re playing as. We’re equally proud of the local history the identity is based on, paying homage to Manchester’s Puritan Backroom Restaurant, where the chicken tenders were invented in 1974, a legacy our community understands and celebrates.”

Spring can be hard on a person’s lungs

Last week was a rough week for air quality. In a May 19 online article, NHPR reported that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services had issued a Code Orange alert “in anticipation of unhealthy ground-level ozone in Rockingham County,” adding, “The air quality alert also covers parts of the state that are higher than 2,000 feet in elevation.” Additionally, a May 22 forecast on accuweather.com predicted levels of airborne tree pollen between “high” and “very high” for the following week in the Manchester area.

QOL score: -2

Comment: According to the NHPR article, “a ‘code orange’ is an alert issued when air pollution levels are considered unhealthy for children and older adults, anyone with lung disease, and people who are active outdoors. Experts recommend people take precautions by limiting outdoor exertion.” AccuWeather.com advised pollen-sensitive breathers, “During peak season for tree pollen, keep your windows and doors closed, especially on windy days. Avoid outdoor activities in the early morning, and be sure to shower and change clothes after coming indoors. Taking allergy medication can also help alleviate symptoms.”

QOL score last week: 51

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 48

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

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