Category: News

This Week 26/07/16

Friday, July 17

Need baseball? The Nashua Silver Knights play the Worcester Bravehearts tonight at 6:03 p.m. at Holman Stadium in Nashua, according to nashuasilverknights.com. After the game, stay for the fireworks. Tomorrow, Saturday, July 18, they’ll face the Westfield Starfires, also at 6:03 p.m.

Friday, July 17

Disney’s Frozen will be presented Friday, July 17, through Sunday, July 19, by the Windham Actors Guild at Windham High School, according to windhamactorsguild.com where you can purchase tickets.

Saturday, July 18

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, will hold its annual Classic Car Show today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to a press release. “Admission to the grounds for spectators is $10 per adult; children 12 and under free. Admission is cash only,” the release said. The day will also feature food trucks, and admission to the museum is included with admission to the car show, during the show, the release said. See aviationmuseumofnh.org.

Saturday, July 18

Stratham Summerfest 2026 will take place today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Stratham Hill Park and feature 4-H animal barns, exhibits and more; magic shows, live music, kids’ activities, helicopter exhibits weather permitting, a pie-eating contest and more, according to strathamnh.gov.

Saturday, July 18

Manchester Parks and Recreation will hold the first of four upcoming concerts on Saturdays at 10 a.m. at Livingston Park today with musician Miss Alli between Brigit’s Garden and the playground, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. The concerts are free, the post said.

Saturday, July 18

The BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St. in Concord, will hold a “World Soccer Championship: Third Place Play-Off Viewing Party” today at 4 p.m. Tickets are free but must be obtained at ccanh.com. A “Finals Viewing Party” will take place tomorrow, Sunday, July 19, at 2 p.m.; see the website for tickets.

Saturday, July 18

Mel’s Funway Park, 454 Charles Bancroft Highway in Litchfield, will hold a Pig Roast and Lobster Bake today from 4 to 8 p.m., according to melsfunwaypark.com, where you can purchase tickets (tickets offer different food and activity packages). The event will feature music by DJ Rick, a pig roast, a lobster bake and hamburger and hot dog options, the website said.

Tuesday, July 21

The NH Fisher Cats return to Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester for six games against the Somerset Patriots starting tonight at 6:03 p.m. for a Tender Tuesdays game with a Manchester Chicken Tenders bobblehead available to the first 500 fans, according to milb.com/new-hampshire, where you can purchase tickets.

Save the Date! Thursday, Aug. 20
Chunky’s in Manchester has several specialty screening of 1985’sThe Goonies on its schedule, starting with a Family Treasure Hunt Movie Night on Thursday, Aug. 20, with a treasure hunt starting at 5:45 p.m. and the movie starting at 6:30 p.m., according to a theater email. The family event will also be held Saturday, Aug. 22, with the treasure hunt starting at 5:15 p.m. and the film at 6 p.m. A 21+ screening will take place Thursday, Aug. 20, with the treasure hunt starting at 7:30 p.m. and the screening starting at 8:15 p.m. as well as a menu of specialty Goonies-themed cocktails, the email said. See chunkys.com for tickets.

Featured image: Classic Car Show at the Aviation Museum of New Hamsphire. Courtesy photo.

Sox crushing it

The Big Story – Red Sox Rolling: Don’t look now, but having suddenly won 16 of their last 21 the Red Sox have old-timers thinking Morgan Magic of 1988!That’s because, after a mostly awful first half, the not too long ago moribund local nine will open the second half on a nine-game winning streak and just a half game out of the final playoff spot. Starting Friday, though, we’ll get to see if it’s for real or not.

Sports 101: In terms of doing it in the fewest games Shohei Ohtani became the seventh fastest to reach 300 homers. How many of the six who did it faster can you name?

News Item – World Cup Notes: How much extra inspiration did Belgium get from President Trump getting pathetic FIFA Chief Gianni Infantino to roll over and rescind Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension without doing it for any other red carders? Given the embarrassing way they showed USA the door in the Round of 8, it seemed like a lot.

News Item – Red Sox at the Break: Given recent trends, here are some things to like.

• Ceddanne Rafaela is hitting in the .280s after learning the strike zone better and is Jackie Bradley Jr. good in CF.

• Pitching With no Garrett Crochet and a bunch of young guys they closed at 16-5 when they astonishingly have given up just 2.47 runs and more than three runs just four times.

• The ‘Who Are They?’ BrigadeWith unfamiliar names like Cheng, Eaton, Seigler and Monasterio in the line-up, it reminds me of Butch Cassidy yelling “WHO ARE THOSE GUYS” at the posse he and Sundance couldn’t shake.

• The Acquisitions Hard to find fault with Sonny Gray (11-1, 2.54) and free agent Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.15), who (somehow) made the All-Star team. Then there is that Willson Contreras (.285-20-61) has out-hit all the possible past and current first base targets — Raffy Devers (2.49 -19-52), Pete Alonso (.252-21-65) and Japanese import Munetaka Murakami (.232-20-42).

• Caleb Durbin vs. Alex Bregman: He started awful and still is only hitting .230. But that’s up from .150 in mid-June and is beating Bregman in all run-producing stats for less than $1 million to Bregman’s $40 million per salary.

The Numbers:

10 – consecutive years women at Wimbledon will have a new champion after defending champion Aryna Sabalenka went down to former Naomi Osaka.

12 – record-tying consecutive hits made by KC’s Tyler Tolbert in games vs. the Mets and Phillies.

20 – points scored by Ebuka Okorie in Summer League Game 1 for Detroit to give the Nashua native a solid start to his NBA career

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – Red Sox Turn Around: We’ll see, but it could mean the summer may not be ruined after all.

Thumbs Down – Gianni Infantino: For the slimy WBC chief rescinding that red card simply to appease political interests without doing it for anyone else. BOOOO!

Let Me Get This Straight – Adam Vinatieri: The legendary Patriot got into the Colts Hall of Fame last week before he got into the Patriot Hall of Fame.

Really? All he did here was (1) make the greatest NFL kick ever through a blizzard and later the game winner to kickstart the dynasty, (2) win two SBs with FGs as time expired, and (3) run down Herschel Walker from behind for the greatest special teams tackle by a kicker ever.

This year’s guy, Gronk, was lovable, great and deserving. But he came after V and has no franchise-altering plays to V’s four, so there’s no way he should’ve gone in before him.

Random Thoughts:

Yes the Pats got A.J. Brown, but they should not move on from deep threat Kayshon Boutte, who caught nine TD passes. What’s wrong with giving the most accurate deep thrower I’ve seen since Roman Gabriel in the ’60s two very good deep threats?

Sports 101 Answer: Ohtani reached 300 homers in his 1,121st game. The ones to do it quicker were Ralph Kiner, Ryan Howard, Juan Gonzalez, Alex Rodriguez, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

Final Thoughts – Celtics Press Conference: If you read this space regularly you know I said last summer the Celtics needed to do what they did last week: rid themselves of one of their max contracts to avoid the punitive player acquisition troubles they caused.

Only problem with Celtics GM Brad Stevens saying they needed a shake-up after early exits from the playoffs the last two years is it’s not true.

Sorry, Brad, while the players are the ones who missed the shots, roster composition is not why they lost either time. It was because of the incompetent game coaching of the Grady Little of basketball, where Slo Joe Mazzulla sat on the bench like Nero as Rome burned and made no adjustments as they blew five 20-plus-point leads after the 3-balls stopped falling vs. New York and Philly.

And I’m not alone in knowing that.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Quality of Life 26/07/16

Buttons

As reported in a July 6 press release from the National Button Society (nationalbuttonsociety.org), “a new [television] series, Hot Buttons, is under production for PBS and will be filming at the National Button Society convention in Manchester, N.H., July 27 through Aug. 1.” The series “celebrates the artistry and history of old buttons with fashion enthusiasts and hosts, [who will] embark on a worldwide adventure to discover rare and unique buttons and meet the collectors and curators who are custodians of these tiny pieces of art.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the National Button Society the group has members in 16 countries and every state.

It’s true; we are pretty damp

According to a recent analysis of Google Keyword data, of every 100,000 internet searches in New Hampshire more than 300 are related to mold and mold abatement, according to a study by Besroi Roofing and Siding. According to the study, New Hampshire ranks “2nd in the nation and leads every other state in the Northeast, despite being the 41st largest state by population.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: A key takeaway from the study, wrote its authors, is that “New Hampshire’s mold search rate of 312.90 per 100,000 is 1.37 times the national median of 228.66, confirming that mold is a materially elevated concern for residents relative to most of the country.” Virginia was the only state in the study more searchy about mold than New Hampshire. Googlers from Alaska asked the fewest mold-related questions.

More Granite Staters

According to a June 26 online report by WMUR, “A new report shows that New Hampshire has grown in population over the past five years, but that growth has not been spread evenly across the state.” An analysis by the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute reported that ”while New Hampshire’s population grew by about 36,590 people (2.7%) between 2020 and 2025, growth was not evenly distributed across municipalities.” Smaller communities in the southern part of the state saw noticeable growth, the analysis reported, and an influx of retirees to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains was another area of population growth. “At the same time, population growth among the state’s three largest cities, including Manchester, Nashua, and Concord, has remained relatively static over the past five years.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Between 2020 and 2025, Epping saw the fastest population increase among all of New Hampshire’s municipalities, adding about 820 residents (11.5%) over the five-year period,” the report read. Visit /nhfpi.org/blog.

QOL score last week: 49

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 50

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/07/16

Funds for Volunteer NH

Volunteer NH, “New Hampshire’s designated State Service Commission … a nonprofit dedicated to engaging communities to solve local challenges through volunteerism,” has received grants of nearly $3.2 million from AmeriCorps that “will expand where Volunteer NH has been providing statewide services for Granite Staters for over 25 Years,” according to a July 7 press release. “These grants allow organizations to recruit, train, and supervise AmeriCorps members who are providing services in NH to support education, environmental stewardship, and economic opportunity,” the release said. “These AmeriCorps members will serve with a variety of organizations — City Year New Hampshire, Lakes Region Conservation Corps, Manchester Excels and SCA-New Hampshire Conservation Corps. Additionally, funding will be given to Archways in the form of a planning grant focused on housing resource supports. Learn more about New Hampshire service opportunities: servelearnearn-nh.org,” the release said.

Open gardens

The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program will take place Saturday, July 18, at seven private gardens that vary in size and plantings in Hillsborough and Merrimack counties, according to a press release. Go to gardenconservancy.org for details about each garden and to register to visit that garden (find registration fees and times on the website). Participating gardens include Our Country Garden in Hudson, Fiona’s Secret Garden in Manchester, New Shire Gardens in Manchester, Gardens of Yvonne Casimir in Milford, The Big Little Garden in Nashua, Longview Gardens in Pelham and Pages and Petals in Hooksett, the press release said. There are gardens in other New Hampshire towns also holding an open garden on Saturday, see the website for details.

The Gardens, open

The Gardens at Queen City Center, described as the indoor sister location to The Gardens at Uncanoonuc Mountain in Goffstown, officially opened at 215 Canal St. in Manchesterwith a ribbon-cutting on July 7. “The event marked the launch of a new year-round weddings and private events venture,” the release said. See gardensatuncanoonuc.com.

ER open

Catholic Medical Center’s Nashua ER opened July 13, according to a press release. The freestanding emergency room at 338 Amherst St. in Nashua is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, “offering the same level of emergency care patients expect from a hospital-based emergency department,” the release said. “Community members are encouraged to seek care at Nashua ER for serious illnesses and injuries, including chest pain, stroke symptoms, breathing difficulties, severe abdominal pain, fractures, head injuries, and other medical emergencies,” the release said. See catholicmc.org.

Jerry!

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld will perform at the Capitol Center for the Arts on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m., according to a Capitol Center announcement last week. Tickets will go on sale Friday, July 17, at 10 a.m. See ccanh.com.

The city of Concord will hold its next group hike with Trail Ranger Carl on Saturday, July 18, at 10 a.m. at Jim Hill Riverwalk (see map 2 at concordnh.gov/trails). “A variety of birds, deer & an occasional otter are often seen along the route, which will begin at the kiosk at the end of Runnels Road & follow the river to Daisy Beach & beyond. There are a couple of different length routes depending upon the group. Plan for a couple of hours. … Questions? Please contact Kearsten O’Brien at kobrien@concordnh.gov,” according to a city newsletter.

Catch the 1926 silent film The Johnstown Flood, presented with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, Sunday, July 19, at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St. in Wilton, according to a press release. The movie tells the story of the 1889 Pennsylvania flood, the release said. A $10 donation per person is suggested. Find the theater on Facebook for details.

“Quelle Horreur: Authors of Fear,” a program that “explores the world of horror through the voices of authors and artists connected to French-Canadian and Franco-American heritage,” will take place Thursday, July 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Dana Center Room 1D at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, according to facnh.com/beliveau-arts-series. The program is part of the Beliveau Arts Series from the Franco American Centre and will feature moderator J. Edwin Buja (author) in conversion with J-F. Deubeau (author), Tony Tremblay (author) and François Vaillancourt (illustrator), according to a press release.

The Craftworkers Guild will hold an indoor yard sale of craft supplies and equipment on Saturday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oliver Kendall House, 5 Meetinghouse Road in Bedford (house at the bottom of the parking lot at the Bedford Public Library), according to an email from the guild. The sale will feature yarn, fabric, beads, jewelry supplies, papercraft, needlecraft, books, patterns and more, the email said.

This Week 26/07/09

Friday, July 10

The Majestic Theatre presents The Secret Garden, the musical based on the 1911 Frances Hodgson Bernett novel, this weekend at the Derry Opera House, 29 West Broadway in Derry, according to a press release and majestictheatre.net, where you can purchase tickets. “Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his disabled son Colin. The estate’s many wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and the ‘Dreamers,’ spirits from Mary’s past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden’s compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal,” the release said. Catch the show tonight at 7 p.m.; Saturday, July 11, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, July 12, at 2 p.m.

Friday, July 10

The Raymond Town Fair will be held today through Sunday, July 12, featuring “live music, fireworks, children’s activities, educational exhibitions, games & vendors,” according to facebook.com/RaymondTownFair. On Saturday, July 11, there will be a children’s parade, with registration at 9:30 a.m. at the middle school. On Sunday at 11 a.m., catch the dog parade on the common (register your dog at 10:15 a.m. at the middle school), a post said. The Hugh Holt Memorial Road Race, a 5-mile race, will also take place on Sunday, with registration at 7:30 a.m. at the middle school and the race starting at 8:30 a.m., according to the Hugh Hold Memorial Road Race Facebook page, where you can preregister.

Saturday, July 11

Shop the Concord Arts Market at Rollins Park in Concord today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to concordartsmarket.org. Arts in the Park features local artists and makers as well as food vendors, live music and activities, the website said.

Saturday, July 11

Get more outdoor art at the Art Walk in the Garden today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the NH Audubon’s Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way in Auburn, according to nhaudubon.org, where you can RSVP for the event. “This family-friendly gathering will feature local artists and delicious food truck eats from Cali Arepa,” the website said. A guided tour will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. and the Summer Camp Art Show will run inside the center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the website said.

Saturday, July 11

The American Independence Center will hold the American Independence Festival in downtown Exeter today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring a live reading of the Declaration of Independence, demonstrations of historic 18th-century trades, reenactment groups, colonial games and music and more, according to aicnh.org/american-independence-festival.

Saturday, July 11

The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, 18 Highlawn Road in Warner, will hold its 25th annual Pow Wow today and Sunday, July 12, with gates opening at 10 a.m. and a grand entrance at noon, according to indianmuseum.org, where you can purchase tickets. “Experience the vibrant colors of regalia, powerful dances, heartwarming music, and over 20 traders with handmade crafts,” the website said about the event. Admission costs $17, $10 for children, with discounts available, the website said.

Wednesday, July 15

The Granite VNA Hospice Home & Garden Tour of homes on or near the waterfront of Lake Winnipesaukee will take place today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to granitevna.org/ways-to-give/hospice-home-garden-tour, where you can buy tickets.

Save the Date! Monday, July 20
Catch Shinedown on their “Dance, Kid, Dance Act II” Tour at SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St. in Manchester, on Monday, July 20, at 7 p.m. with Coheed and Cambria, From Ashes To New and DJ Rock Feed, according to snhuarena.com, where you can purchase tickets.

Featured image: Shinedown

World Cup mania continues

The Big Story – Is USA Still Alive: We ask it that way because right after I file this on Monday they face Belgium in their first chance to get to the Round of 8 in the World Cup since 2002.

Which pushes the Celtics’ controversial trade of Jaylen Brown to Philly to story 2.

The good news, however fair it is or not, is top USA scorer Folarin Balogun will play in the game after his red card penalty/suspension from their win over Bosnia-Herzegovina was magically pushed into the future after the convicted felon in the White House appealed to FIFA chief Gianni Infantino because “it was unfair” and he rolled over like he was about to face a primary challenge for disagreeing with the boss.

Belgium was justifiably irate, as United States corruption now extends to even World Cup soccer.

Sports 101: With baseball’s All-Star Game coming up on Tuesday seems a good time to ask: \Who holds the ASG records for RBI, homers and games played?

News Item – Celtics Trade Jaylen Brown: No, that was not an earthquake aftershock that hit Celtic Nation last week. It was Red Auerbach rolling over in his grave at the dumbest trade made in team history.

It sent the prime-of-life 29-year-old coming off an MVP-caliber year to the 76ers for limping-to-the-finish-line 36-year-old one-time All-Star Paul George, who has averaged playing just 47 games per year over the last seven seasons. A preposterous move that sets them back and makes their historic rival co-favorite (with NYK’s) in the Eastern Conference.

News Item – Mind Numbing All-Star Picks: Somehow wins don’t matter these days in MLB. The latest example is 10-1 Sonny Gray with a 2.69 ERA somehow being passed over for the All-Star squad in favor of teammate Ranger Suarez, who is 4-3, 2.94.

Love to hear the rationale on that.

The Numbers:

2 – more professional athletes added to growing list of sports gambling indictments. This time it’s Malik Beasley, who’s kissed his multi-million-dollar NBA career goodbye along with Bucks teammate Ed Davis.

6 – errors by Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu, which is a lot for a full season, let alone by mid-year. There goes that third straight gold glove.

1,364 – career strikeouts by Aroldis Chapman where the K of the Angels’ Denzer Guzman on Friday made him the all-time strikeouts leader among closers.

… Of the Week Awards

Who’s Hot – Caleb Durbin: On June 1 Durbin was hitting .186 with 2 homers and 22 RBI. As of Sunday he’s up to .227, 8 homers, 37 RBI, 8 stolen bases. Not great, but comparable to the departed Alex Bregman’s .240, 7 homers and 31 RBI with the Cubs. They even are identical in the field with each having 4 errors and .978 fielding averages. The only difference is that Bregman makes $40 million per and it’s $790 K for Durbin.

Rumor Mill: The most interesting recent one has former Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck among the bidders to buy the Seattle Seahawks from the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Random Thoughts:

I’ve got zero interest in LeBron James’ coming narcissistic “hey look at me in my final year” tour.

Hate to tell LBJ, the truly beloved players are identified with their team — Jordan/Bulls, Bird/Celtics, Duncan/SA, Kobe/Lakers. Which of the four teams you abandoned will you be identified with?

Definitely not L.A. And unless he goes back to Cleveland it’ll probably be none.

Instead he’ll likely go to Miami or Philly because he wants to close it out with another manufactured title team that he had to join others to get. That’s the career pattern anyway.

Sports 101 Answer: With 12 Ted Williams has the ASG record for RBI. Stan Musial’s 6 are the homer record. Musial, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron played in a record 24 games.

Final Thought – Thumbs Down On Jaylen Brown Trade: Brad Stevens is not dumb enough to make the worst trade in Celtic history. Which is to move a 29-year-old coming off a powerhouse season for an injury-prone 36-year-old cheaper guy.

If they’d gotten electric rookie VJ Edgecombe, fine. Instead it’s for a guy who’s missed 35 games played for seven seasons, two first-round picks too far into the future to help now and two second-round picks who’ll likely have little impact.

So why do it? Money, of course. Brown is eligible later this month for a two-year extension to the remaining three years on his already giant contract and ownership apparently didn’t want to pay it. Hence the willingness/haste to accept a deal that makes them immediately weaker and their archrival much better. Where if Philly does win the title, to me it will be the new owner’s Bill Buckner moment.

But at least the playing hurt Buckner tried to catch Mookie Wilson’s grounder, while the Celtics just let the moment go by without much effort.

Booooo!!!!

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!