Category: News

This Week 24/09/05

Friday, Sept. 6

Oliver!, the musical based on Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, kicks off the St. Mary’s Bank 2024-2025 Performing Arts Series at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) which offers a steampunk version of Victorian England for its production, according to a post on the theater’s Facebook page. The show runs tonight through Sunday, Sept. 29, with shows Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. as well as Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $45 to $59.

Friday, Sept. 6

September’s First Friday tonight from 4 to 8 p.m. in downtown Concord is all about Back to School. Find food trucks, yoga on the Statehouse lawn, a Children’s Entrepreneur Market run entirely by children, pot painting, face painting, wine-tasting and outdoor dining. Visit intownconcord.org.

Saturday, Sept. 7

There will be a Thunder Run (thunderrunnh.com) today at 446 Raymond Road, Candia (the former site of Candia Springs). This race features more than 20 different obstacles and 5K of varied terrain. It bills itself as the best obstacle run experience in New Hampshire. Registration is $75 for adults and $40 for children. Group discounts are available. Register at the event website.

Saturday, Sept. 7

This year’s Monarch Festival (petalsinthepines.com/monarch-festival) concludes this weekend at Petals in the Pines (126 Baptist Road, Canterbury, 783-0220, petalsinthepines.com). Online reservations for two-hour time slots are required; the cost is $7 for adults, $3.50 for kids, and infants (non-walkers) get in free. Learn about ways to help migrating monarchs and other pollinators at the festival, which will feature kids’ activities and games, monarch tagging, book readings, labyrinths, ask a master gardener, free milkweed seeds and 2 miles of woodland trails and garden paths, according to a press release. Butterfly wings and costumes are encouraged, according to the website.

Saturday, Sept. 7

Today marks the 19th annual Pedaling for Payson Bike Event at Elm Brook Park (2097 Maple St., Hopkinton). This community event annually attracts more than 300 cyclists who help to support Concord Hospital Payson Center for Cancer Care. Choose from various routes: 50-mile, 30-mile, 16-mile, mountain bike, 22-mile gravel and 45-mile gravel rides. New this year is the P4P Spin Ride; sign up for a 40-minute wave, either as an individual or as a team, and spin for a good cause. Visit runsignup.com/Race/NH/Hopkinton/PedalingforPayson for registration costs and information.

Sunday, Sept. 8

Granite State Antique Shows (506-9848, gsashows.com) will stage an antique show today from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Granite Town Plaza (185 Elm St., Milford). General admission is $5 per person; early admission (beginning at 7 a.m.) is $30 per person.

Sunday, Sept. 8

Second Chance Ranch Rescue (secondchanceranchrescue.com) in New Boston is hosting its 4th Annual Poker Ride today from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The participants (cars and motorcycles) must visit five checkpoints, drawing a playing card at each one to create a poker hand. Having the best hand and winning is purely a matter of chance. Begin at Manchester Harley-Davidson (115 John E. Devine Drive, Manchester, 836-4997, manchesterharley.com) at 9 a.m. and show your hand at the Auburn Pitts (167 Rockingham Road, Auburn, 622-6564, auburnpitts.com) by 1 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 12

The BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) will host Choir! Choir! Choir! tonight at 7 p.m. This is a fully interactive, participatory show that turns audience members into performers as they sing their hearts out with hundreds of other music-lovers. It’s like a big birthday party for the greatest songs of all time. General admission tickets are $43.75 in advance; balcony seats are $10 more. All tickets will cost an additional $5 at the door. Visit ccanh.com.

Wags to Whiskers Festival
Saturday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 DW Highway, Merrimack, 595-1202, anheuser-busch.com/breweries/merrimack-nh). It will be a day of fun, featuring vendors, food trucks, demos, games and raffles. There will be an adoption tent on site with puppies. Visit hsfn.org/wags-whiskers-festival. Tickets are $15 for adults 21 and up, $12 for ages 17 to 20. Ages 16 and younger attend free.

Featured photo: Oliver at the Palace Theater.

Quality of Life 24/09/05

Former Fisher Cat makes history

Danny Jansen, a catcher who previously played for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, made Major League Baseball history by being the first player to play for both teams in the same game. On June 26 Jansen was at bat for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Boston Red Sox, while Sox catcher Reese McGuire was behind the plate, when the game was postponed due to rain and rescheduled to Aug. 26. In the interim, Jansen was traded to the Red Sox, taking McGuire’s slot as catcher. When the game resumed, the Sox put Jansen in McGuire’s spot in the lineup, so he finished out the game as a Red Sox player.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The Blue Jays went on to win the game, 4-1.

Helpful doggos

In an Aug. 27 press release, New Hampshire Emergency Services and Communication (DESC), which operates New Hampshire’s 911 Emergency Number System, announced the start of a new comfort dog program. Winni, a young golden retriever, will be on site to give support to 911 dispatchers. Agent Winni will be available upon request, even during off-shift hours, to provide mental health support to DESC personnel. The press release quoted Robert Quinn, the Commissioner of New Hampshire’s Department of Safety” “Our skilled telecommunicators at New Hampshire 911 professionally handle emergency incidents every day, but we know sometimes the nature of the work takes a toll. I commend all those who worked hard to make this happen, and I look forward to seeing Winni at work.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Winni will be issued an employee ID and 911 agent number.

Challenges of a graying of New Hampshire

In an Aug. 16 report the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute (nhfpi.org) said the number of older residents in the state will soon outstrip the number of children. The report, titled “New Hampshire’s Growing Population and Changing Demographics Before and Since the Covid-19 Pandemic,” states that New Hampshire’s population is aging faster than the United States overall. “By 2030, the number of adults over age 65 in the state is expected to be larger than the number of children,” the report read, citing data from the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “With more residents reaching traditional retirement ages over the coming decade, many may leave the labor force, possibly contributing to workforce shortages and a smaller labor force,” the report said.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Find the report on the Fiscal Policy Institute’s website.

The Jaguars go global

The Windham High School Jaguars became the first football team from New England to play internationally, Friday, Aug. 23, when they played a Florida team at the Global Ireland Football Tournament in Dublin. As reported by the Boston Globe on Aug. 27, the Jaguars’ first game of the year was overseas. “Usually the first game is a 10-on-10 scrimmage,” the article quoted sixth-year Windham coach Jack Byrne. “Now all of a sudden, it’s the biggest game that we’ve ever played in.” The Jaguars played opposite the Maclay School from Tallahassee, Florida, as the first game in a triple-header.

QOL score: +1 for the global play

Comment: According to the NH Football Report (nhfootballreport.com), the Jaguars lost their game with Maclay, 35-23.

QOL last week: 78

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 80

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

Let us know at [email protected].

Local concerns about KC

The Big Story – NFL Season Opener Dead Ahead: It all gets started tonight in KC when the two-time defending champs take on the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game. Three things about KC are relevant to fans in these parts.

First, with three already and Patrick Mahomes in just his seventh season, KC is halfway to matching the six won by the Patriots in the Brady-Belichick era. Second, depending on how long he plans to coach, with 284 wins and his QB just entering prime years, 66-year-old Andy Reid has a realistic shot to catch Bill Belichick (333) and move past Don Shula (347) for most wins ever. Finally, Mahomes is on pace to roll by every one of Tom Brady’s all-time passing records. Long way to go, but that puts him on a path to eclipse TB-12 as the GOAT. Enjoy.

Sports 101 – For Level-A History Folks: Who was the last QB to wear a number above 19 in the NFL?

News Item – Jarren Duran: It’s been quite a year for the Boston speedster. In addition to being the All-Star Game MVP, last week he became the first player in history to have 40 doubles, 10 triples, 20 homers and 30 stolen bases in the same season.

News Item – Pitching Effort of the Week: Brayan Bello continues to pitch well after finding his groove from that big dip starting in early June. Exhibit A was last week’s two-hit, eight-shutout-inning, nine-strikeout masterpiece in a 3-0 win over Toronto. It moved him to 12-6 and dropped the ERA to 4.66, its lowest point since June 8.

News Item – Patriots 2024 Kick-Off:

News and thoughts ahead of Sunday’s opener vs. the Bengals, when Jacoby Brissett will start at QB.

Notable Roster Moves – Cuts – QB Bailey Zappe and power back Kevin Harris. PUP List – G Cole Strange and WR Kendrick Bourne.

Most Improved on D – Keion White: Think he’s going to be a difference maker.

Most Improved on O – Demario Douglas: Showed flashes last year he could be their next go-to slot receiver.

Biggest Surprise – The D: Since they were better after he went down for the season I don’t think they’ll miss Matthew Judon that much. And while losing Christian Barmore is another story, I think White will pick up the slack and they’ll piece it together.

Worst Part of Team – Offensive Line: Its being so bad is the reason I thought drafting a QB with the third overall pick before fixing it was a big mistake.

The Numbers:

20 – consecutive years in the majors for 44-year-old Rich Hill after returning this week for his third stint with the Red Sox.

85 – most-in-the-majors unearned runs allowed (at press time) by the porous Red Sox defense, 21 ahead of second-worst Miami.

… Of the Week Awards:

Dumbest Rule of the Year – New NFL Onside Kicks: Amid a number of new rules for the on-side kick, including that you can only do it in the fourth quarter and you have to be losing, the dumbest is having to tell the other team you’re going to do it.

Alumni News – Mac Jones Update: If you’re interested, here’s what the exiled Patriots QB did under an offensive head coach and with real receivers to throw to during the exhibition season: 38 for 52, completion average 73.3 percent, 421 yards, 8.1 yards gained per attempt, three TD passes, no picks, long gain 31 yards and a QB rating of 115.3.

What A Stupid I Yam Award – Me: Yaz actually turned 85 on Aug. 22, not 84 as I said. Thanks to eagle-eyed SF Giants fan/reader Dick Lombardi for catching that.

Random Thoughts

My only complaint about trading Judon is the brass should have anticipated he’d whine in the final year of his contract and traded him before the draft so they’d have that third pick now instead of having to wait until 2025.

Sports 101 Answer: JohnHadlwas the last above-19-wearing QB when he wore 21 for four teams starting with San Diego in 1962 through 1978.

Final Thought – Big Patriots Questions and Predictions:

Biggest Question – Jerod Mayo: He’s a first-time HC so expect hiccups, especially as the lifetime defender tries to untangle the offensive malaise of the last two years.

Should They Tank? Sadly with their schedule they don’t have to. But, while I hate trying to lose, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t play all their young guys to gain as much experience as possible. That includes Drake Maye and if they lose as a result that’s OK.

When Will Maye Take Over? Week 7 vs. the Jets at home on Oct. 27.

2024 Season Prediction – 3-14: It ain’t like the old days when the question was will they win 13 or 14. Instead, it’s for how many losses. And they don’t get their last two until December.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

News & Notes 24/09/05

Listeriosis

The New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has identified an uptick in cases of listeriosis this summer compared to recent years and many of these have been in sheep or goats showing neurologic signs, according to their website.

The most likely route of exposure is feed contaminated with the infectious organism, as hay or other feed that has spoiled after getting wet is a common source of infection, according to the website. The bacterium that causes listeriosis, listeria monocytogenes, can be infectious to people as well, so if you suspect listeriosis in your animals, contact a veterinarian. For more detailed information about listeriosis, see cfsph.iastate.edu/FastFacts/pdfs/listeriosis_F.PDF and cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/listeriosis.pdf. But if you have questions about listeriosis in humans, contact your health care provider, according to the same website. Visit agriculture.nh.gov

New Craftsmen

The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Meredith Fine Craft Gallery has announced that their newest juried member is Steve Arcone, who creates striking art of ice in macro images on aluminum.

Arcone’s macro-imaged subjects mix art and science using an abstract process that captures details that are too small to see with the naked eye. Most of Arcone’s ice images are of thin pond crystals during change and decay caused by melt, sublimation and recrystallization. Arcone enhances the photos using digital editing tools to highlight the ice’s details, which are intertwined with twig, leaf or other colorful fall organic debris protruding or resting on the water surface, according to the press release. The images are printed on aluminum and finished off with a protective coating. Most of the images are from a near-shore area of a pond near Arcone’s home that were taken during the fall, early winter and early spring, the release said. Call 279-7920 or visit meredith.nhcrafts.org.

Clean streets

According to an Aug. 18 press release, Mayor Jay Ruais celebrated the city’s new street cleaning team for making a big difference in the downtown area after only one month on the job.

The workers wear distinct royal blue shirts and start their day early, taking care of trash, needles and waste and interacting frequently with the public, providing directions, responding to requests and meeting with local businesses, according to the release.

In a statement about the cleanliness of Manchester’s Central Business District (CBSD), Mayor Ruais said, “In only one month, they picked up 3,150 pounds of trash, 52 needles, and 34 piles of human/animal waste. Additionally, they’ve recorded 57 one-on-one contacts with the public that help make our city even more friendly and responsive. As a result, we’re getting very positive feedback from residents, businesses and visitors.”

Mayor Ruais noted the program is currently in its 90-day startup period with more staffing and equipment on the way and once fully operational the Streetplus Ambassadors will provide a range of services, including litter, debris and graffiti removal, plus power washing, along with sidewalk, pedestrian pathway and tree well cleaning, according to the same release.

Stethoscope presentation

According to a press release, Plymouth State University hosted its sixth annual Stethoscope Ceremony for Nursing Students with funds to purchase stethoscopes donated by local health care organizations and faculty.

Third-year nursing students were presented with engraved Littmann double-sided stethoscopes in a ceremony on Monday, Aug. 26. The ceremony marks the students’ transition to clinical practice, according to the release. Senior nursing students already working in clinical practice present the stethoscopes to the third-year students in a tradition that was started in 2019 by PSU nursing program alumna Lauren LaMontagne to ensure each nursing student enters the field with equitable access to this necessary but expensive equipment.

Tower is clean

The cooling tower located behind the Riverwalk Resort in the downtown area of Lincoln was successfully cleaned and disinfected with no elevated risk of Legionella infection from the tower, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services on Aug. 21. The DHHS’s Division of Public Health Services and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Service tested water samples from the tower after it underwent disinfection and the test had negative results for the bacteria, the release said. DHHS has identified seven people who have been confirmed to have Legionnaire’s disease after visiting downtown Lincoln in June and July, the release said. For information about Legionella, see the DHHS Waterborne Disease webpage at dhhs.nh.gov.

The 19th annual Pedaling for Payson event will be held on Saturday, Sept.
7, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Elm Brook Park in Hopkinton
(102 Elm Brook Park Road) with proceeds going to assist individuals
receiving cancer treatment at the Concord Hospital Payson Center for
Cancer Care. To register or make a donation, visit
pedalingforpayson.org or call Concord Hospital Trust at 227-7162.

The Concord Community Music School (23 Wall St., Concord) will hold an open house on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to noon where guests will be able to meet faculty and staff and tour the facilities. There will be demo classes, jam sessions, information sessions, an instrument “petting zoo,” giveaways and refreshments, according to the website. Visit ccmusicschool.org.

The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester and Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., Manchester) offer a conversational group for seniors on Mondays at 10:30 a.m at Manchester’s Cashin Senior Activity Center (151 Douglas St.), with the first session on Sept. 9. Virtual attendance is also available. The discussion topic for Sept. 9 is: Who was your favorite teacher and what do you remember about him or her? Call Susan Harmon at 624-6550, ext. 7620, or email [email protected] for details. Pre-registration is encouraged. Visit manchester.lib.nh.us

This Week 24/08/29

Thursday, Aug. 29

Don’t miss this year’s Hopkinton State Fair, a Labor Day weekend tradition happening today through Monday, Sept. 2, at the Fairgrounds (392 Kearsarge Ave., Contoocook). See hsfair.org and check out the Kiddie Pool column on page 18 for more details.

Thursday, Aug. 29

Get an early start on the last (unofficial) weekend of summer with some “Piano Man” at Scenes: A Billy Joel Experience tonight at 7:15 p.m. at LaBelle Winery in Derry. Tickets cost $40; see labellewinery.com.

Friday, Aug. 30

Monstersongs presented by Actorsingers opens today in Nashua. “Monstersongs puts audiences in a synthesized world of graphic novels, rock musicals, live performance and new technology. … Monstersongs flips the switch on the monster narrative, inviting audiences to explore the humanity that binds us all,” according to actorsingers.org. The production runs today and Saturday, Aug. 31, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 1, at 2 p.m. at Janice B. Streeter Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua). Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for students (plus online fees).

Friday, Aug. 30

Tribute band Marcus Rezak’s Gumbo Live Phish Experience will perform at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) tonight at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $24 in advance, $5 more at the door.

Friday, Aug. 30

Jewel Music Venue (61 Canal St., Manchester, 819-9336, jewelmusicvenue.com) hosts Leathal Weekend 7, a shredding Labor Day weekend event, through Sunday, Sept. 1. Seventeen intense bands will take to the stage over three days, including Kottonmouth Kings, First Jason, Dr. Gigglez, Problemattik, and Lex the Hex Master. This is an 18+ event; ID is required. Single-day passes are $35; weekend passes are $90. Tickets are available through eventbrite.com.

Saturday, Aug. 31

Labor Day weekend is a big weekend for paintball. Paintball companies throughout the region are holding special events this weekend, including AG Paintball (158 Deering Center Road, Weare, 529-3524, agpaintball.com) and OSG Paintball (1053 North Barnstead Road. Center Barnstead, 800-707-7529, osgpaintball.com).

Saturday, Aug. 31

There will be a Taylor & Olivia Dance Party at the BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) tonight at 7 p.m. Vampires and Lovers should be ready to spill their guts and shake it off on the dancefloor to Taylivia faves. This is an all-ages event. Tickets are $21.75 and are available at ccanh.com.

Save the Date! Sunday, Sept. 15
Less Leg More Heart (lesslegmoreheart.com), which supports amputees, will host a Firetruck Team Pull at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 DW Highway, Merrimack)h) on Sunday, Sept. 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Teams of up to 12 get two attempts to pull a 40,000- to 60,000-pound fire engine 50 feet. The top three teams will win a trophy. Individuals can also pull a 1938 antique fire truck weighing nearly 11,000 pounds. The top three individuals will win a trophy. Registration is currently free for teams with a pledge to raise $250 in fundraising; individual registration is $25. Register at lesslegmoreheart.com/events.

Featured photo: Hopkinton State Fair.

Quality of Life 24/08/29

Love Is Blind recruits

In an Aug. 23 article, New Hampshire Public Radio reported that the producers of Netflix’s Love Is Blind are scouting out New England as a potential location for its reality dating show. NHPR reported that in addition to looking for potential filming locations, producer Donna Driscroll is hoping to cast New England singles in the show, where couples get to know each other through conversation without being able to see or touch each other.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Apply to be on the show at libcasting.com.

Not your typical commute

If all goes according to plan, when you read this Stratham resident Scott Poteet will be closer to the moon than anybody has been since 1972. As reported in an Aug. 20 online story by New Hampshire Public Radio, the SpaceX Polaris Dawn Mission, which was expected to launch Tuesday, Aug. 27, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will travel more than 1,000 km past the orbit of the International Space Station, and Poteet is its pilot. “Over the course of their five days in space, the crew plans to complete the first commercial space walk,” NHPR reported, “test SpaceX’s Starlink communication system, and conduct more than 40 experiments to better understand the effects of space travel on astronauts.” Poteet, who grew up in Durham and graduated from the UNH, has trained for this mission for the past two years, along with fellow astronauts SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis, and billionaire Jared Issacman, who paid for the Polaris program and has traveled to space on other self-funded missions.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Poteet told NHPR that this mission’s crew spent a lot of time getting “comfortable in uncomfortable scenarios,” by training on simulators, climbing mountains, and even skydiving.

Tank-treaded chair means more park access

As reported by the Concord Monitor (.concordmonitor.com) on Aug. 21, a new mobility chair recently acquired by Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown has made parts of the park newly accessible to some visitors. The motorized chair, with tank-like treads instead of wheels, is designed to clamber over rocks and branches and through sand and mud, and has opened up new areas to many types of park guests, including some the Park staff hadn’t considered. “We expected it would be people with mobility challenges,” Christina Pacuk, Manager of Bear Brook State Park, told the Monitor, “but we’ve also heard from people on oxygen who are not able to traverse the trails normally. They want to go with their family but can’t. Some elderly people say ‘I haven’t been able to get out like I used to and I want to be able to have that experience again.’”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Users report that the main drawback of the new chair is getting so engrossed in exploring that the battery runs low.

QOL score: 75

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 78

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

Let us know at [email protected].

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