Category: News

This Week 24/07/11

Thursday, July 11

Pipe Dream Brewing (49 Harvey Road, Unit 4, Londonderry, 404-0751, pipedreambrewingnh.com) will host a Sea Glass Workshop tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. Create colorful sea glass art by using an assortment of shells, colorful pebbles, sand and sea glass. All materials are included in the price of the class, but participants are welcome to bring their own. This class costs $60 per person. Tickets are required and are available at thecanvasroadshow.com/#Classes.

Friday, July 12

The Raymond Town Fair returns for its 48th year starting today and continuing through Sunday, July 14, at the Raymond Town Common (Epping and Main streets, Raymond). It will feature live music, family-friendly entertainment, a children’s parade, a fireworks display and more. See “Raymond Town Fair” on Facebook to keep up to date on details.

Friday, July 12

Chunky’s (707 Huse Road, Manchester, 206-3888, chunkys.com) will host Feud Gone Wild tonight starting at 8:30 p.m. The game and answers will be on the big screen. Expect about six or more 15-minute rounds. Tickets are $20 at the Chunky’s website.

Saturday, July 13

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire’s (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org) annual Classic Car Show is happening today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., welcoming vehicles of all makes and eras. Trophies will be given out for the People’s Choice Award and the Museum Award. Vehicle registration is $10, or you can come as a spectator for $5 (cash only; kids ages 12 and under are free). A rain date of July 22 is planned. Visit nhahs.org.

Saturday, July 13

LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinery.com) will host an outdoor Vinyasa Flow Yoga class next to its vineyard, in partnership with New Hampshire Power Yoga of Merrimack. A glass of wine in the Bistro Restaurant may be added after your class; the class takes place from 11 a.m to noon. The cost is $20.

Saturday, July 13

The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road, Warner, 456-2600, indianmuseum.org) will host its 23rd Annual Intertribal Powwow from 10 a.m. today to 4 p.m. Sunday. There will be singing, dancing, drumming and more than 20 traders with handmade crafts. Admission is free for Native Americans, $15 for other adults; members and children are $8. Children 6 and under are free. Visit the Museum’s website.

Monday, July 15

900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria (50 Dow St., Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com) will host a Raising Dough event starting at 5 p.m. to benefit Jenni Share, of To Share Brewing. Jenni was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and the funds raised from this event will directly help with her medical bills. Visit 900degrees.com/events.

Wednesday, July 17

Bring your blankets and chairs to Veterans Park in downtown Manchester tonight at dusk for a screening of 1989’sHoney, I Shrunk the Kids. Concessions will be available for purchase, according to a post on the Manchester Economic Development Office Facebook page.

Save the Date! Sunday, July 21
North America’s premier Celtic act, Tartan Terrors, will play the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St, Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) Sunday, July 21 at 7 p.m. The Terrors blend the energy of a rock show with humor and step dance. Tickets start at $39.

Featured photo: Fireworks. Courtesy Photo.

Quality of Life 24/07/11

A date with giant balloons

Members of the Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps (spartansdbc.org) learned last week that they will march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York in November. WMUR reported in an online article July 4 that the Spartans “were selected from more than 100 applicants and were one of nine bands that received the invite.” The invitation came with a $10,000 donation from Macy’s to help with fundraising for the Spartans to travel to New York City next year. “What an amazing way to celebrate the Spartans’ 70th anniversary!” the Spartans posted on their website.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The Spartans describe themselves as “a community-based performing arts program in Nashua, NH.”

Laid-back in Nashua

In a recent study by WalletHub (wallethub.com), an online financial management website, Nashua ranked as one of the least stressed cities in America. Out of 182 U.S. cities, Nashua placed 175th. In a July 8 press release, WalletHub described the study. “WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 39 key metrics. The data set ranges from average weekly work hours to the unemployment rate to divorce and suicide rates.” Nashua scored in the 20th percentile or lower in terms of work, financial, family, and health & safety stress.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to this study, Cleveland, Ohio, is the most stressed-out city in America, and Charleston, South Carolina, is the least.

Falling for love

Ninety-year-old Manchester man Bill Rogers sky-dived last Sunday to celebrate his anniversary with his late wife, Natalie. According to a July 7 online story by WMUR, Rogers completed his sixth skydive in Pepperell, Mass., with an eye toward teasing his wife, like he would have if she were still alive. “Every time I jump out of a plane, I can hear her say, ‘Billy, you’re as crazy as ever,’’” WMUR quoted him.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to Guinness World Records (guinnessworldrecords.com) the oldest skydiver on record is 106-year-old Texan Alfred Blanschke, who broke his own record in May of this year.

Goodbye to Bob’s

On July 1, Bob’s Stores announced it would close all its remaining stores, which included one in Salem, New Hampshire. Bob’s Stores began with a single store in Connecticut and eventually expanded throughout the Northeast. Meanwhile, several Eastern Mountain Sports stores, including the one in The Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, are closing as well. EMS and Bob’s Stores are owned by the same parent company, which recently filed for bankruptcy protection.

QOL score: -1

Comments: The going-out-of-business sale at Bob’s was expected to continue through July 14, according to a story on WMUR.com. EMS still operates its Eastern Mountain Sports School in North Conway and is the official outfitter of the Mount Washington Observatory. (Bob’s Stores, by the way, are NOT affiliated with Bob’s Discount Furniture, a whole separate company that sent out a press release to clear up confusion, according to a July 9 Boston Globe story.)

QOL score: 72

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 74

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

Let us know at [email protected].

Sox in thick of things

The Big Story – Red Sox Are Rolling: After coming back to beat the Yanks in dramatic fashion 5-3 on Friday with ninth- and 10th-inning homers and again 3-0 on Sunday with three more, they’ve won 16 of their last 21. It’s turned a 13.5-game Yankees lead over them to just 4.5 by Monday. It also has them 1.5 games up on KC for the final wild card spot. That’s shaken up the conversation over what to do at the trade deadline and let the thought creep into Red Sox Nation’s mind that maybe John Henry’s been right and they’ve been wrong all along.

Sports 101: Name the five pitchers who have started the All-Star game for both the AL and NL.

News Item – Who’s Hot:

Jarren Duran: With three homers last week he became the first person ever to have 100 hits, 10 homers, 10 triples and 20 stolen bases before the All-Star break. Which is why he was named to the AL All-Star team.

CeddanneRafaela: After doing what Dustin Pedroia did as a rookie in battling to get over the Mendoza line through the first two months, he’s now on a tear. And it’s not just the two big homers he hit over the weekend. Friday’s 10th-inning game-winner came in his first ever game at Yankee Stadium. The 412-foot shot to dead center raised his average to .311 since the switch got flipped on June 1. Then he did it again in the eighth in Sunday’s win.

It left him with 11 homers and 50 RBI in his first 85 games. Both are the most by anyone hitting in the 9-hole this year.

Rafael Devers: He topped his young friend by hitting three homers and having six hits vs. the Yanks. That pushed him over the 1,000 career hit plateau, while the homers are something not even all-time great sluggers like Jimmie Foxx, Harmon Killebrew, Yaz or even Ted Williams ever did. They gave him 16 career homers at Yankee Stadium to tie him with Big Papi and leave him just three behind all-time visiting Stadium homer king Jose Bautista.

Which I find amazing.

News Item – Celtics Keep Team Together: Brad Stevens wasted little time locking up his team for a run to repeat. That included signing Jayson Tatum and Derrick White to max extensions that run through 2027, and also bringing back Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman.

The Numbers:

11 – MLB-leading wins for Chris Sale after allowing one run on six hits over six innings while striking out nine in a 3-1 win over the Giants.

12 – record-tying consecutive hits recorded by Twins infielder Jose Miranda over four games last week, last done in 1952 by Sox first baseman Walt Dropo.

$1,193,248.20 – annual payment Bobby Bonilla has received every July 1 from the Mets in deferred income since 2011 and will continue to get until 2035 even though the ex-Met and Pirate outfielder retired in 2001.

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – Celtics Brass: For putting their money where their mouth is to keep the team together.

Thumbs Down – Celtics For Sale: Because Wyc Grousbeck and company have been great owners and they’re really hard to come by. So, Celtics Nation, keep your fingers crossed.

Good News / Bad News Award – Caleb MartinTo 76ers: He hurt the C’s badly in the playoffs two years ago. So his leaving Miami is good for them. Except he signed a four-year deal with a better team in Philly, so they’ll still likely face him in the playoffs.

Har Dee Har Har Award: To the Lakers brass for saying at his introductory press conference that four-point-a-game-scorer-at-USC Bronny James “earned” being drafted in the second round last week to counteract the belief by every other person in the universe that it only happened to keep papa LeBron from leaving as a free agent.

Random Thoughts:

If the Red Sox are going to add at the trade deadline, forget rentals. Make a major/real deal that brings back a starter who’ll be under their control for a few more years.

Sports 101 Answer: The five who started All-Star games for both leagues are Vida Blue, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Roy Halladay and Max Scherzer.

Final Thought – Caitlin Clark Records First WNBA Triple Double: This is not aimed at Clark’s 19-point, 13-assist, 12-rebound effort in Indiana’s win over New York on Saturday. It’s just that folks are making a big deal about that being the first triple D in WNBA history and I’m asking why it took so long.

It’s not like dunking, which is a size and jumping thing. It comes from just playing, where it happens all the time in the NBA and I even did it five or six times myself in college.

The league started in 1997, so why did it take that long? Style of play, bad coaching or the players themselves not playing all-round games? It just seems weird.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

News & Notes 24/07/11

Firefighter cancer screening

According to a press release, Gov. Chris Sununu signed SB 352 into law at the Manchester Central Fire Station establishing an early detection cancer screening pilot program for active and retired firefighters.

In a statement, Gov. Sununu said that “the dangers of being a fire fighter go beyond running into a burning building, and today, New Hampshire is taking a leading role in having the backs of these heroes. This cancer screening program will have a lifesaving impact. New Hampshire’s fire fighters are the best of the best.”

This bill makes New Hampshire the first state in New England to establish an early detection cancer screening pilot program for firefighters.

Vote in honor of vets

According to a press release, Secretary of State David M. Scanlan and Senior Deputy Secretary of State Patricia Lovejoy introduced the “Vote in Honor of a Veteran” program, which gives New Hampshire voters the opportunity to recognize veterans and service members in their lives.

New Hampshire voters can visit.sos.nh.gov/vote-honor-veteran to submit the name of the veteran or service member they are voting in honor of and are given a chance to write a short testimonial on what their service means. The Secretary of State’s Office will send them a “Vote in Honor of a Veteran” pin to wear at the polls on Election Day, according to the press release.

In a statement, Secretary of State David Scanlan said, “New Hampshire enjoys free and transparent elections thanks, in large part, to the sacrifices of our veterans and service members. We’re pleased to officially vote in their honor and encourage New Hampshire voters to do the same.”

In a statement, Senior Deputy Secretary of State Patricia Lovejoy said that “the ‘Vote in Honor of a Veteran’ program provides New Hampshire citizens with a visible tribute to those who so proudly serve and have served this country in the United States Military Service. This program recognizes their efforts to keep our democracy strong and to ensure that we may continue to cast a ballot each election day. Through this initiative, New Hampshire voters can demonstrate the pride they feel for an individual, and, at the same time, encourage others to vote on Election Day.”

Navy Veteran Jacob Aldridge, who worked on the USS New Hampshire and as an engineering tech at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, designed the “Vote in Honor of a Veteran” pin, and was also a recipient of five Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medals and is currently pursuing a degree in fine arts at Great Bay Community College, according to the the release.

Wild, wild turkeys

According to a press release, the New Hampshire 2024 spring turkey harvest was lower than in recent seasons due mainly to decreased reproductive success and poult survival in 2023. Hunters harvested 4,563 turkeys this spring, which is a decrease of 18 percent from 2023’s tally (5,580) and 17 percent below the previous five-year average (5,503), but the 2024 harvest level was similar to 2017 and 2018.

Reproductive rates for wild turkeys are high during years with warm, dry spring and summer weather, but the opposite occurs when cool, wet weather persists for an extended period of time, according to the release.

Above-average rainfall during the spring and summer of 2023 resulted in lower nesting success and fewer turkeys maturing into the fall population last year, so a reduced harvest is conceivable, according to the release.

The 2024 harvest consisted of 12 (less than 1 percent) bearded hens, 661 jakes (14 percent), and 3,890 toms (85 percent), with the lack of juvenile males reflecting the poor weather conditions of 2023 and the overall decrease in harvest in 2024 presumably relating to the decrease in juvenile turkeys on the landscape, according to the release.

At the individual Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) level, turkey densities remained either above or consistent with objectives specified in the New Hampshire Game Management Plan in nearly all WMUs, according to the release.

Young hunters registered 423 birds during the special youth weekend that took place at the end of April and represented 9.3 percent of the total spring harvest, similar to the number of birds harvested by young hunters over the past two years, according to the release.

Of the 3,742 successful hunters this spring, 2,921 registered one bird and 821 registered two birds. Of the 821 hunters who registered two birds, 751 were adults and 70 were young people under the age of 16. The proportion of hunters who harvest two birds during the spring has remained consistent at 22 to 24 percent of hunters each year, according to the release.There was an increase again this year in online registrations with 3,150 (69 percent) of birds being registered online versus 1,413 (31 percent) that were registered in person, with participation in the online registration system growing each year, according to the release.

The summer 2024 Online Brood Survey is now underway, where Granite Staters can help monitor the wild turkey population and this year’s breeding productivity by reporting sightings of hen turkeys and their poults online at wildnh.com.

Wild turkey management in New Hampshire is funded in part through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Restoration Program. Visit nhfishgame.com.

It’s New Hampshire Telephone Museum Benefit Night at Reed’s North Restaurant in Warner (2 E. Main St.) on Wednesday, July 17, in support of NHTM’s upcoming Honor Bear Project installation, taking place July 20 at the NHTM. The Honor Bear Project is a nonprofit charity organization that publicly coordinates the Flags for Forgotten Heroes program around New England to bring public awareness to the issue of veteran and first responder suicide, according to their website. Visit nhtelephonemuseum.org.

The Nashua Historical Society at the Speare Museum Library (5 Abbott St., Nashua) will host a free screening of At Home and Abroad: Nashua and World War II, a locally produced and professionally developed oral history project that features Nashua’s WWII veterans, homefront civilians and Holocaust survivors, on Saturday, July 13, at 1 p.m. The film lasts approximately one hour; doors open at 12:30 p.m. Visit nashuahistoricalsociety.org.

The Andres Institute of Art in Brookline (106 Route 13) presents a show of more than 350 oil portraits rendered by Anne Marie Zanfagna that were selected portraits from “Angels of Addictions,” with a special reception with the artist on Sunday, July 14, starting at 2 p.m. Visit andresinstitute.org.

This Week 24/07/04

Thursday, July 4

Concord celebrates Independence Day today at Memorial Field (70 S. Fruit St.) with food, vendors, and music starting at 6 p.m. and fireworks at 9:20 p.m. See concordnh.gov. For more July Fourth celebrations, see the story on page 18 of the June 27 Hippo issue; find the e-edition at hippopress.com.

Saturday, July 6

The Fourth Annual Lions Club Car Show will be held today at The Nick recreation park (10 Trotting Track Road, Wolfeboro) from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. This is a free, fun-filled experience for car enthusiasts of all ages. Unlike traditional car shows, the Lions Club Car Show is a non-judged event with no classes, allowing participants to showcase their vehicles without the pressure of competition.

Saturday, July 6

Release your inner singer at Rockstar Karaoke at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) from 7 to 11 p.m., with George Cox. This is a 21+ event, and free and open to the public. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Saturday, July 6

Roller Disco returns to Manchester at Remix Skate and Event Center (725 Huse Road, Manchester, 912-7661, skateremix.com) from 9 p.m. until midnight. Remix’s adult nights are a crowd favorite. Admission is $20 per person and includes rentals of roller skates or roller blades, if needed. There will be drink specials, games and prizes all evening. Tickets are available online.

Saturday, July 6

Moody Blues guitarist Justin Hayward and 1980s singer-songwriter Christopher Cross will play at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Unit 3, Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) tonight at 7 p.m. with support from Mike Dawes. Tickets start at $99 and are available through the Music Hall’s website.

Sunday, July 7

The New England Reptile Expo is today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester). The show features more than 200 vendor tables full of reptiles, pet supplies and more. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for kids ages 7 to 12 and free for kids ages 6 and under. Visit reptileexpo.com.

Monday, July 8

Roland Emmerich: King of the Disaster Film? This program at 6:30 p.m. will look at the surprising inspirations for some of Emmerich’s movies. Register for this online event at the Derry Public Library (64 E. Broadway, Derry, 432-6140, derry.org).

Tuesday, July 9

New Hampshire Humanities (117 Pleasant St., Concord, 224-4071, nhhumanities.org) will present “12,000 Years Ago in the Granite State” tonight at the Goffstown Public Library (2 High St., Goffstown, 497-2102, goffstownlibrary.com) at 6:30 p.m. with Franklin Pierce College’s Professor Robert Goodby. The event is free and open to the public.

Save the Date! Friday, July 26
The 15th annual Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo, runs Friday, July 26, through Sunday, July 28, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester). The event features tattoo artists, contests, vendors, live music and performances. Show hours are from 5 p.m. to midnight on Friday, from 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. See livefreeordietattoo.com.

Featured photo: Fireworks. Courtesy Photo.

Quality of Life 24/07/04

Sad ice cream news

On June 24 the Food and Drug Administration announced a recall on ice cream made by Totally Cool, Inc. of Owings Mills, Maryland. In a press release, the FDA wrote that the company is voluntarily “recalling multiple brands of ice cream products, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.” The recalled products include Friendly’s ice cream cakes, several Hershey’s ice cream cakes and cones, and Cumberland Farms’ ice cream sandwiches. For a full list of recalled products, visit fda.gov/safety.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Consumers who have recalled products in their possession are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Totally Cool, Inc. at 410-363-7801 or [email protected].

Number of deadly fires is up

WMUR reported in a June 29 online story that deadly fires in New Hampshire have increased significantly from the last two years, and that the number of deaths so far this year has surpassed the total number from last year. Quoting the State Fire Marshal’s Office, WMUR reported “13 deaths from 11 unintentional fires so far this year. In comparison, authorities recorded 12 deaths from 11 unintentional fires in all of 2023 and nine deaths from eight fires in 2022.” So far this year Hillsborough County has had the largest number of fatalities. WMUR reported, “From Feb. 20 to June 17, officials said there were five deadly fires in Hillsborough County.”

QOL score: -3

Comment: Worryingly, the Fire Marshal’s Office confirmed that several deaths occurred in buildings without working smoke alarms.

Kudos to Nashua and Manchester

In a recent ranking by WalletHub.com, an online financial services company, Nashua is the fourth best-run city in the United States. It was ranked No. 4 out of 148 cities included in the study, which focused on factors such as financial stability, education, health, safety and infrastructure. The study ranked Nashua as the safest city in America. Manchester came in at No. 18. See wallethub.com/edu/best-run-cities/22869.

QOL score: +1

Comments: Virginia Beach was the highest-ranking city on the list, and Detroit was the lowest.

Local organizations recognized with grants

In a July 1 press release, the Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation, a philanthropic organization with a mission to aid nonprofit organizations in Manchester and Amherst, announced that it has awarded $178,000 across six local nonprofit organizations. This set of grant recipients includes Families in Transition (fitnh.org), Girls, Inc. of NH (girlsincnewhampshire.org), the Manchester Police Athletic League (manchesterpoliceathleticleague.org), NH Audubon Society (nhaudubon.org), the New Hampshire Historical Society (nhhistory.org) — all located in Manchester — and Opportunity Networks (opportunitynetworks.org), in Amherst.

QOL score: +1

Comments: Visit beanfoundation.org.

QOL score last week: 74

Net change: -2

QOL this week: 72

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

Let us know at [email protected].

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