Category: News

Final 4 set to blast off

The Big Story – The Final Four: To paraphrase legendary New York TV sportscaster Warner Wolf: If you had Purdue, NC State, Alabama and defending champion UConn going to the Final Four, YOU WIN! The Wolfpack and Boilermakers kick it off Saturday at 6:09 p.m. followed by the Huskies and Bama.

Sports 101: Name the only coach to officially take three different schools to the Final Four.

News Item – Early Red Sox Update: Yes, Nick Pivetta came up short in the 1-0 Game 2 loss. But by giving up just three hits and no walks while striking out 10, he basically picked up where he left off in 2023 after pulling himself together during a mid-year exile to the bullpen. Ditto for Garrett Whitlock, who exactly matched Pivetta’s effort except he struck out just eight in Sunday’s 5-1 win. Both were the bright spots in the season-opening 2-2 series split in Seattle.

The Numbers:

30 – to 0 run by the UConn during its 77-52 Elite 8 rout of Illinois.

30 – point lead blown by the Celtics in their latest infuriating loss, which came last week, 123-122 to Atlanta.

84, 84, 84, 81 – pitches thrown by Sox starters in their four opening games to make you wonder if 80 is the new 100 in the pitch count department for Alex Cora.

… Of the Week Awards

What a Stupid I Yam Award – To Me: My friend and long-time reader Cliff Otto points out Red Sox prospects Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony were sent to AA Portland, not AAA as I said. But while I was incorrect, the larger point is they’re not far off from joining the young core and likely will be in AAA by mid-summer.

Survey Question: Whose Press Conference Statement Now Looks Dumber? (1) Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner saying the team was going to go “full throttle to improve the roster” and then doing nothing to do it? or (2) New Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo saying on the eve of free agency they were ready to “burn some cash” before doing almost nothing but re-sign players from a 4-13 team?

Random Thoughts:

Speaking of Warner Wolf, when he was unceremoniously dumped by CBS it was a huge deal in NYC. But the interesting local note was the young turk who took over was one-time UNH wide-out and later WMUR sports reporter Chris Wragge. And, now as Paul Harvey used to say, you know the rest of the story. So where does Bob Kraft blaming Coach B for being the one who didn’t want to spend in free agency stand now after his team went into free agency with the most money in the league and then basically did squat?

Sports 101 Answer: At Providence, Kentucky and Louisville Rick Pitino is the only coach to take three different programs to the Final Four. John Calipari also did it, but UMass and Memphis later vacated their berths due to rules violations. So his only team in the official record is Kentucky.

Final Thought – NCAA Tournament:

Thanks to the one-and-done my interest has waned recently for college basketball. That’s because it took away our chance to see young players who make their mark grow into stars on their way to being seniors as the likes of Lew Alcindor, Patrick Ewing and Christian Laettner did through the years.

It’s what I enjoy most. And since evolving history has disappeared, it hasn’t seemed worth investing time in what the current format yields.

But that’s the glass is half empty. Because when I pulled my head out of the rabbit hole, there’s actually some real history being made in 2024. Like UConn will be looking to cement its place as — dare I say it — a college basketball dynasty?

I don’t throw the D-word around lightly. But if they win Monday it’ll be their sixth title since 1999 and only UCLA has done better than that over a 25-year span.

They’ll also be trying to become the first repeat winner since 2007, when Al Horford-led Florida did it by knocking off Greg Oden and Ohio State 84-75. Before that it was Duke in 1991 and 1992, whose point guard Bobby Hurley is the older brother of Huskie coach Danny Hurley. Beyond that, 11-seed NC State matches the lowest seed ever to make the Final Four. Which they did after miraculously surviving five games to win the ACC Tournament to just get in the tournament. Now they’ll be trying to emulate the similar miracle pulled off by the last Wolfpack team to get to the Finals, when Jim Valvano led NC State to an upset of highly favored Phi-Slama-Jama Houston for the title on a last second put-back by Lorenzo Charles in 1983.

Purdue will be there for the first time since 1980, while folks all over Bama are excited that for the first time the famous football school has made it to the dance at all.

All of that are reasons to tune in at 6:09 on Saturday night. Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 24/04/04

Manchester budget

According to a March 28 press release, Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais outlined the city’s budget when he delivered the FY 2025 budget address before a special meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The budget included a historically high 4 percent cost of living adjustment.

Ruais detailed several decisions made to reduce spending, including the elimination of $792,957 from the Cash CIP project line, and did not allocate funding for $1,839,748 in department requests, according to the press release.

Mayor Ruais said in a statement that a “hiring freeze will continue for non-emergency personnel until our fiscal condition dictates otherwise.”

In regard to the school budget, Mayor Ruais said in a statement, “we were able to invest an additional $1 million into our School District. The $227 million we are proposing to allocate … represents the most ever allocated by the City of Manchester.”

Public safety and first responders garnered funding for mental health clinicians for the Manchester Police Department, the retention of 10 police officers previously funded by the federal government, and the hiring six additional police officers since Jan. 2 as well as $100,000 for firefighter protective gear and $3 million in upgrades to city fleet including MTA, Police, Fire and Highway Departments, according to the press release.

The budget allocates money from the FY 2025 CDBG and ESG programs to end homelessness such as Families in Transition, which will receive $70,000 for family emergency housing. WayPoint will receive $89,000 for their homeless youth shelter, YWCA will receive $70,000 for Emily’s Place, and 1269 Café will receive $50,000 to double its residential room capacity, according to the same release.

The press release also mentions the allocation of $1.65 million of federal funds to help construct 45 units of affordable housing on the Pearl Street parking lot.

The budget also includes investing $5.3 million in road infrastructure and improvements, allocating $1 million toward sidewalk maintenance and upgrades to promote pedestrian safety and investing $1 million in park renovations, upgrades and maintenance that includes significant playground renovations at Livingston, Wolfe and Howe parks and an additional allocation of $200,000 for a league partnership program, according to the same release.

Further community investment includes $50,000 for the Manchester Police Athletic League CHOICES program, $20,000 to Hillsborough County Child Advocacy, $110,000 to Manchester Community Resource Center, $42,000 to Meals on Wheels, $100,000 for Fun in the Sun summer camps for students in grades 1 to 7, and $150,000 to six agencies to provide youth services counseling, according to the same release. Visit manchesternh.gov/Government/Mayor-and-Aldermen/Mayors-Office/Press-Room.

Funding for shelters

A March 27 press release stated that the Executive Council approved $8.5 million in funding for local emergency shelter services supporting individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness while $6.74 million of those funds approved were allocated in Gov. Sununu’s FY2024-2025 budget. This includes $1,929,200 to Families in Transition serving Hillsborough County, $1,446,900 to New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence with statewide services, $1,019,200 to Cross Roads House in Rockingham County, $773,500 to Southwestern Community Services serving Cheshire and Sullivan counties, $755,300 to The Salvation Army serving Belknap and Merrimack counties, $464,100 to The Front Door Agency serving Hillsborough County, $436,800 to Hundred Nights serving Cheshire County, $419,200 to Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter serving Hillsborough County, $291,200 to Marguerite’s Place serving Hillsborough County, $263,900 to My Friend’s Place serving Strafford County, $254,800 to The Friends Program serving Merrimack County, $236,600 to Tri-County Community Action Program serving Coos and Grafton counties, and $209,300 to New Hampshire Catholic Charities serving Rockingham County, according to the release.

McAuliffe art competition

According to a March 29 press release, the Christa McAuliffe State House Memorial Commission announced the creation of a student arts-based competition to correspond with the creation, installation and unveiling of the new Christa McAuliffe Memorial in 2024. Submissions for the arts-based competition will consist of three categories — a visual art medium, poetry, and an essay shorter than 1,000 words — and will be divided into three grade levels — K-4, 5-8, and 9-2, according to the same release.

The contest’s theme is the life and work of Christa McAuliffe, a longtime educator and selectee of the NASA Teacher in Space Project. Winners will be recognized at the unveiling ceremony. All submissions must be entirely original, not utilize any form of artificial intelligence software, and must be delivered by Saturday, June 1, according to the release. Physical submissions must be sent to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (Attention Jeanne Gerulskis), 2 Institute Drive, Concord, NH 03301, and works of writing must be sent in a word processing document to arts@doe.nh.gov.

At Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord (45 S. Main St.) on Wednesday, April 10, at 6:30 p.m., Concord author Renee Plodzik, APRN, returns to discuss her book Eat Well Move Often 2. Plodzik will share nutrition and wellness practices to help cancer survivors and the community stay strong, according to the event website. Visit gibsonsbookstore.com or call 224-0562.

On Thursday, April 4, at 7 p.m. the Exploring Aviation presentation series at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry) presents a User’s Guide to the 2024 Total Eclipse that will review everything you need to know about the rare total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. Visit aviationmuseumofnh.org or call 669-4820.

Craft and Chat on the first and third Thursday of every month at Kelley Library (234 Main St. in Salem) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Adults can gather, craft and chat. Participants are welcome to bring whatever project they are working on, according to their website. Visit kelleylibrary.org or call 898-7064.

This Week 24/03/28

Thursday, March 28

Fulchino Vineyard (187 Pine Hill Road in Hollis, fulchinovineyard.com, 438-5984) will host a Cigar Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20 and include a cigar and a glass of wine.

Thursday, March 28

Catch comedian Lenny Clarke tonight at 8 p.m. at Chunky’s (151 Coliseum Ave. in Nashua; chunkys.com). Tickets cost $35.

Friday, March 29

The Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com, 657-8774) will host Taylor’s Version, an 18+ DJ dance event featuring music from every Taylor era, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets start at $19.

Saturday, March 30

Because of last weekend’s weather, the Easter Bunny is now scheduled to touch down at the Aviation Museum (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820) in a student-built airplane today at 9 a.m. The event is free; the museum asks anybody wanting to see the touch down to come at 8:30 a.m. After deplaning, the Easter Bunny will visit with attendees and hand out candy, according to a press release. Find more egg- and bunny-related events in the March 21 issue of the Hippo in the story on page 23. See hippopress.com for the e-edition.

Saturday, March 30

Shop Concord’s Giant Indoor Yard Sale at the Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road in Concord) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be thousands of items at dozens of stalls. Adult admission costs $5; children 12 and under are free.

Saturday, March 30

To Share Brewing Co. (720 Union St. in Manchester, tosharebrewing.com, 836-6947) will host Big Gay Bingo at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 30. This 21+ event is a fun and educational twist on bingo for anyone who wants to learn more about LGTBQ+ culture. Admission is $5; bingo is free.

Saturday, March 30

WWE’s Road to Wrestlemania will bring the action to SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester, snhuarena.com, 644-5000) beginning at 7:30 p.m. This will be a Triple Main Event with 2024 Royal Rumble winner “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes facing off against Drew McIntyre in a Grudge Match. Tickets start at $30.

Sunday, March 31

Enjoy a special Easter brunch or dinner. Find our rundown of special meal offerings in the March 21 issue of the Hippo; see hippopress.com for the e-edition. The story is on page 26.

Wednesday, April 3

See the screening of Harold Lloyd’s 1927 film The Kid Brotherat Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord, in Concord’s City Hall, theaudi.org, 228-2793) , at 7 p.m.. Musical accompaniment for this silent film will be provided by Jeff Rapsis. Admission is free.

Wednesday, April 3

Andrew North and the Rangers provide the backing band for tonight’s open mic show at BNH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) at 6 p.m.

Save the Date! Tuesday, April 9
The Fisher Cats will have their first home game of the season at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Dr. in Manchester, milb.com/new-hampshire/tickets, 641-2005) on Tuesday, April 9, at 6:35 p.m. Tickets start at $10.

Featured Photo: The Easter Bunny at the Aviation Museum of NH. Courtesy Photo.

Quality of Life 24/03/28

Not so fast, spring

Winter wasn’t done with New Hampshire. According to WMUR, the Saturday, March 23, storm dropped snow across the state, ranging from a coating to a few inches (often mixed with rain) to more than a foot for some parts of the Granite State. The fallout from the storm: power outages. More than 75,000 customers lost power during the peak of storm outages. On the morning of March 25, more than 20,000 customers were still powerless; by the afternoon WMUR reported that most customers would have their power restored by the end of the day.

QOL score: -2, because we were all set with winter

Comments: OK, who put away all their winter boots and coats and jinxed us? Nobody pull up their driveway stakes until at least mid-April.

Meanwhile…

Ski NH reported Sunday, March 24, that the storm brought more than 2 feet to some ski areas in the state. Wildcat Mountain in Jackson received 30 inches while Cannon Mountain in Franconia and Waterville Valley Resort each reported 27 to 30 inches, according to Ski NH’s press release. Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway received 2 feet and may reopen this coming weekend, the release said.

QOL score: +1

Comments: “23 inches over the last 24 hours, bluebird skies and patrol dropping rope as we speak. Get ready for the best day of the season!” read a Sunday post on the Cranmore Facebook page.

On the other hand…

At 8:03 a.m. on Sunday, March 24, Gilmanton and Alton firefighters responded to a rescue call on Crystal Lake to save a deer that had fallen through the ice about 200 yards from shore, according to the Gilmanton Firefighter’s Association Facebook page. From the pictures the Association posted, it appears that there was only a thin crust of icy snow on the surface of the lake after last Saturday’s snow storm. Rescuers responded in rescue watercraft and pulled the deer from the water.

QOL score: +1 for the assist

Comments: “The deer was rescued, tired, exhausted and shivering but it was last seen up and walking around,” according to the Association’s Facebook page.

Preserving history

Canterbury Shaker Village and the American Independence Museum in Exeter each received grants from Americana Corner, an online resource for education about America in the 1700s and 1800s, according to press releases from the sites. The American Independence Museum was awarded a 2024 “Preserving America” grant for $10,000, which it will use to “fund essential preservation work at Folsom Tavern such as repairs to — and restaining of — various sections of clapboard siding,” the press release said. Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury will use its $7,500 award “to preserve ten windows in its historic Meeting House,” its release said.

QOL score: +1

Comments: See shakers.org and independencemuseum.org for more on the two sites.

QOL score: 61

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 62

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Sox are off and running

The Big Story – Baseball’s Opening Day: After an awful off-season and what was the most subdued spring training in decades, the Red Sox kick off the 2024 season today in Seattle vs. the Mariners. As you can guess, it begins without high expectations in light of John Henry’s reversal of his once free spending ways. Especially in a division where everyone is spending but the Orioles, who, along with Atlanta, have the best young talent in baseball. Sorry to kick it all off with such an optimistic note, but that’s how it stands on Day 1.

Sports 101: It has only happened once in baseball history that the batting average of every player on one team stayed exactly what it was before the game started. How did that happen?

News Item – Ohtani’s Interpreter Fired After Gambling Disclosure: We could be at the beginning of a whopper of a story around the gambling-related firing of Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, on Friday. Conflicting stories have emerged about the $4.5 million wire transfers to pay off Mizuhara’s gambling debts. Nothing has indicated Ohtani did any betting. There are still many holes to be filled in on what could become baseball’s worst gambling nightmare since Pete Rose was banned for life in 1989 if it’s more than just some guy getting in over his head while gambling.

News Item – NCAA Tourney Delivers Usual Thrills: Award winners from Weekend 1:

Best Comeback: Daytona trailed Nevada by 17 before a 24-4 over the final 7 minutes made them 63-60 opening-round winners.

Biggest Upset – Yale Over Auburn: Who had Ivy League champion Yale taking out a SEC power when the 13-seed Bulldogs shocked everyone with a 78-76 win over the 4-seed Tigers?

Say What? Award: OK, maybe the student section at Oakland University (of Michigan) has a point saying 14-seed OU’s 80-76 win over 3-seed Kentucky was a bigger upset.

Phew … Win of the Weekend: Speaking of major upsets, after being just the second 1-seed to lose a 16 last year, Purdue fans breathed a sigh of relief Friday when they put Grambling away early in a 78-50 romp.

Biggest Blown Call: With all the stupid use of replay these days, why don’t they have one for a crucial play like in the Kansas-Samford nailbiter? The zebras clearly blew the call on a spectacular chase down block by A.J. Staton–McCray on a Nick Timberlake breakaway in a one-point game with 15 seconds left. It robbed Samford of getting the final shot to conclude a 22-point comeback. Instead Timberlake made two gift free throws and KU won 93-89.

Revenge Win: He’ll probably never admit it, but Tennessee’s 62-58 win over Texas had to feel good for Rick Barnes after being fired as Texas HC not long ago.

The Numbers:

7 – magic number over their last 11 games for the Celtics to clinch home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

… Of the Week Awards

Bracket Buster Award – Sorry, Charles: That thud you heard was Charles Barkley’s bracket being busted as Creighton ran past Oregon 78-63 on Saturday. Chuck had the 11-seed Ducks somehow making it all the way to the final fame. He also had opening-round 12-seed George Mason loser taking out 5-seed Wisconsin and 4-seed Duke and going to the Sweet 16. Oh, and King Charles went to Auburn, so it wasn’t a good weekend all around for Chuck.

Sports 101 Answer: It happened April 16, 1940, when Cleveland fireballer Bob Feller no-hit the White Sox on opening day, leaving all of Chicago’s hitters with the same .000 batting average every player starts their season at.

Final Thought – How To Enjoy The 2024 Red Sox: First you put a pin in your learned experience from around 1994 to realize they’re not getting within three or four time zones of the World Series. Then focus on watching what happens with their young players to see how good they become by September.

I’m looking forward to seeing if Triston Casas can grow into one of the best hitters, as some believe he can. There’s also the young outfield of Jarren Duran platooning in left, Wilyer Abreu in right and exciting rookie Ceddanne Rafaela, a gifted center fielder who hit .284 with three homers in 64 spring at-bats.

There’s promising second-year hurler Brayan Bello, the first home-grown pitcher since now retired Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester to give any sense of promise. Plus it’ll be interesting seeing if second baseman Atlanta import Vaughn Grissom is the first good team-building move by new GM Craig Breslow or part of the Chris Sale salary dump. And with top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer a step away in AAA this could be the start of a promising young core. Time will tell.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 24/03/28

Crime stats

Calling 2023 “a year of great progress for this agency,” the Manchester Police Department reported that “we have continued a trend of crime reduction” according to the message from police chief Allen Aldenberg in the department’s 2023 Annual Report, which is available on the police department’s website (manchesternh.gov/Departments/Police). According to the report, “the violent crime rate for 2023 decreased by 8 percent compared to 2022 and was down 32 percent compared to the 10-year average,” with 482 violent offenses reported in 2023.

The report did list 8 murders in 2023 (compared to 5 in 2022), 51 reported rapes (compared to 38 reported rapes in 2022) and 99 robberies (compared to 87 in 2022), with aggravated assault being the number that decreased in the violent crime category — 294 in 2023 to 355 in 2022.

There were 2,309 property offenses, which is a 21 percent decrease from 2022 and a 27 percent decrease compared to the 10-year average, the report said. “Overall, Manchester’s total crime rate decreased by 19% compared to 2022 and decreased 36% compared to the 10-year average,” according to the report.

Militello nominated for Poet Laureate

According to a Press Release from March 22, New Hampshire’s Executive Council has confirmed Gov. Chris Sununu’s nomination of Jennifer Militello of Goffstown as the next New Hampshire Poet Laureate. Militello will serve a five-year term beginning in April as an ambassador for all poets in the Granite State and will work to heighten the visibility and value of poetry in the state, according to the same release.

The New Hampshire Poet Laureate position includes an honorarium of $1,000 for each year of the five-year term to help the next Poet Laureate achieve their stated mission with contributions from the Walter Butts’ New Hampshire Poet Laureate Fund and coordinated through the Poetry Society of New Hampshire, which also contributes to the honorarium, according to the same release.

Militello is an acclaimed poet, author and teacher and has supported poetry in New Hampshire throughout her life, including as a founding director of the New Hampshire Poetry Festival and Director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at New England College, according to the press release. She has written five books of poetry and won the Dzanc Nonfiction Prize, with her third book of poetry, Body Thesaurus (Tupelo Press, 2013), named one of the top books of 2013 by Best American Poetry, according to the release..

In a statement, Militello said, “New Hampshire boasts one of the richest poetry traditions in the nation, and it will be my deepest honor to celebrate and nurture that statewide love of poetry as New Hampshire’s next Poet Laureate.”

Melanie Chicoine, President of the Poetry Society of New Hampshire, said in a statement, “Jennifer’s passion for poetry is evident in all she has accomplished in both writing and teaching. … We are excited for the opportunities we know Jennifer will bring to the poetry community across New Hampshire and in the surrounding communities.” The New Hampshire Poet Laureate is an honorary five-year position and was established by the state legislature in 1967. Visit the NH Poet Laureate page at psnh.org and see nh.gov/nharts/artsandartists/poetlaureate.html.

New Arts Council logo wanted

The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2025 and is seeking an artist to design and create a new logo to appear on the Council’s print and electronic materials starting in 2025, according to a press release. The logo development will be a collaborative process with Arts Council staff as they review proposals and select artists to interview, and selected artists are expected to work cooperatively with the Council staff to make necessary adjustments to the proposals.

This opportunity is open to professional artists over 18 years old, and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts will honor the copyright and intellectual property rights of artists submitting proposals, according to the press release. A total budget of $2,500 has been allocated to commission this project, including artist-design fees, any associated travel costs, and insurance. The deadline for submission is April 5. For details and the full request for proposal, see www.nh.gov/nharts/aboutus/newnhscalogo.htm.

Poetry Out Loud

The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts announced in a March 18 press release that Morgan Cole from Portsmouth High School is the winner of the 2024 New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud High School Championship, and George Fortin from Holderness School was selected as alternate champion.

Cole will represent New Hampshire at the national finals, which are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., April 30 through May 2. Visit nh.gov/nharts.

The 10th annual “Easing Heartbreak Hill 5K: Don’t Forget Your Wings” will take place on Saturday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to noon in Concord (2 Delta Dental Drive). The event website said that this race is featured as part of one runner’s fundraising efforts for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the official charity of the 2024 Boston Marathon (Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge) with all race proceeds going toward Beth’s goal of $13,100 for cancer research at Dana-Farber. Registration is $25. Visit www.eventbrite.com/e/easing-heartbreak-hill-5k-dont-forget-your-wings-tickets-787223776507

Saint Anselm College’s women’s softball team will play two home games on Saturday, March 30, at noon and 2 p.m. against the Assumption Greyhounds at the South Athletic Fields at Saint Anselm College in Manchester (100 Saint Anselm Dr.). Games are free. Visit saintanselmhawks.com.

Tickets are on sale now to see authors Joe Hill and Michael Koryta in conversation on Monday, April 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Nashua Public Library (2 Court St. in Nashua). Tickets are $10, or $39 for admission and a book, plus fees, via nashualibrary.org; admission ticket sales end March 31 and ticket-plus-book sales end March 29.

This Week 24/03/21

Thursday, March 21

The Prombegins its final weekend at Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Other shows this weekend are Friday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 23, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.. Tickets cost $38 to $59.

Friday, March 22

zClub Fitness (100 Factory St., 4th floor, Nashua, zclubnh.com, 521-7625) will hold a “Shamrocks and Shenanigans” 21+ Zumba party and wine tasting tonight from 6 to 8 p.m., with a high-energy Zumba session from 6 to 7:30 p.m. featuring Irish tunes. At 7:30 p.m., there will be a wine-tasting. This event open to members and nonmembers. Admission costs $15.

Friday, March 22

The 13th annual Black Ice Pond Hockey Championships and Winter Festival starts today and continues through the weekend at Tri-Town Ice Arena in Hooksett (311 W. River Road, tri-townicearena.com, 485-1100). Admission is free for spectators. For a schedule of events, see blackicepondhockey.com.

Saturday, March 23

The Great New England Fine Craft and Artisan Show takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Capital City Sports & Fitness Complex (10 Garvin Falls Road in Concord, just off Exit 13 of Interstate 93). There will be 100 exhibitors, live music, free parking, food trucks and an appearance by the Easter Bunny. Tickets are $5; see gnecraftartisanshows.com.

Saturday, March 23

Spyro Gyra brings their 50th Anniversary Tour to the Tupelo Music Hall in Derry (10 A St. in Derry, tupelomusichall.com, 437-5100) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $57.

Saturday, March 23

The Currier Museum’s (150 Ash St. in Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org) “Looking Together” series takes close looks at particular work of arts, guided by a docent. Today the painting will be “Fishwives”(1883) by Winslow Homer. Tomorrow’s session (March 2)4, will examine “The Family” (1963) by Marisol. Looking Together takes place at 11 a.m. and noon. These sessions are included with the purchase of a museum general admission ticket. Participants should meet in the lobby.

Sunday, March 24

Manchester’s annual St. Patrick’s Parade steps off today at noon and runs down Elm street from Salmon to Center streets. The parade will include fire trucks, pipe and drum bands, mounted police officers, marching bands, Irish dancers, therapy dogs and more according to saintpatsnh.com.

Wednesday, March 27

The Walker Lecture Series presents “An Evening of A Capella with Tonehenge and the Afternotes” tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord, theaudi.org, 228-2793). Tonehenge is a seven-man a cappella group and the Afternotes is a women’s a cappella group based in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire and southern Maine. Admission is free. See walkerlecture.org.

Save the Date! Thursday, April 4
New Hampshire Craft Beer Week is a 10-day celebration of the craft beer scene across New Hampshire. The highlight of the week will be New Hampshire Pint Days, from Sunday April 7, through Saturday, April 13, when breweries across the state feature special events and promotions. Visit nhbrewers.org.

Featured Photo: . Courtesy Photo.

Quality of Life 24/03/21

Warmest winter

This has been New Hampshire’s warmest winter on record. As reported by New Hampshire Public Radio on March 12, the winter season was 9 degrees warmer than usual on average. According to NHPR’s report, at the National Weather Service’s climate site in Concord the temperature never dropped below 0 degrees, something that has only happened twice since 1868, when weather records started being kept in the state.

QOL score: -1 for the general weirdness of it all

Comments: According to a March 17 story by WMUR, as of Sunday afternoon, March 18, Lake Winnipesaukee is completely ice-free, again setting a new record.

Household bills above average here

According to a recent report, Manchester residents pay $5,547 more per year on their household bills — about 22 percent more — than the national average. According to the 2024 U.S. Household Bill Pay report by Doxo, a bill-paying smartphone app, the average American household spends around $2,126 each month on its most essential household bills, and the average Manchester household pays $2,588, or approximately 42 percent of its household income. These bills run the range from rent or mortgage to cable bills to life insurance. According to the same report, things look better for New Hampshire as a whole.

QOL score: -1

Comments: The average monthly cost of bills statewide was $2,052, about 4 percent lower than the national average, the report said.

Missing something?

According to a March 15 Facebook post, a brewer at To Share Brewing Co. in Manchester found something unexpected as he was processing the grain for a batch of smoked IPA last Wednesday: a wedding ring. Brewery co-owner Aaron Share reports that he found the ring as he was straining out the grain from the beer he was brewing, and was briefly afraid that the ring was his, but his own ring was still on his finger.

QOL score: -1 for some anonymous grain malter

Comments: According to the Brewery’s Facebook post, To Share has reached out to its suppliers to try to track down the ring’s owner, but at this point it is still a mystery.

A dramatic rescue

A worker at a construction site on Canal Street in Manchester was rescued after he became trapped under an excavator last Tuesday, March 12. As reported on March 12 by Manchester Ink Link, Manchester fire companies responded to an accident on the worksite and found an excavator upside down in a trench, with its operator pinned on the underside. According to a March 12 from the Fire Department, Manchester crews performed a technical rescue that involved “stabilizing, lifting, cribbing and shoring up the machine.” The fire companies used hydraulic rams, high-pressure airbags and hand tools to free the worker, who was transported to Elliot Hospital with what the Union Leader’s story about the event described as serious injuries.

QOL score: +1 for the rescue, and hopefully a speedy recovery for the worker

Comments: The department’s press release described the rescue as a “high-risk, low-frequency event” and noted, “A successful extrication under the circumstances requires a well-trained, highly focused, and professional team working in a complex and dynamic environment.”

QOL score: 63

Net change: -2

QOL this week: 61

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Time to dance

The Big Story – The NCAA Basketball Tournament: The overall top seed is defending champion UConn, who begin that defense at the TD Garden in Boston in a regional that oddly has three of last year’s Final Four teams in San Diego State, Florida Atlantic and aforementioned UConn. Overall it’s 68 teams playing at four sites around the country. Let the mayhem begin for what is the best four-day extravaganza American sports has to offer.

Sports 101: From the all-time leader to fifth, who are the top five career scorers in the NCAA Basketball Tournament history?

News Item – Are Pats Preparing to Tank? The new people in charge of Patriots personnel have been underwhelming so far. Which means after re-signing their own free agents from a 4-13 team, they’ll leave free agency with the exact three needs they had when it started: a big play receiver, a left offensive tackle and a real starting QB, not a one-year place filler with a career record as a starter of 18-30.

News Item – Proposed Trade: Given how obvious the Patriots issues are, drawing up the plan doesn’t seem that hard. It’s a two-year rebuild at best, so we’ll let the QB wait till next year and attack it via a trade down from the third overall pick. The following example (not real) illustrates the concept: Pats give up third overall pick to Minnesota and their third-round pick in 2025 for the 11th and 23rd picks this year, Minnesota’s 2025 first-round pick and receiver Jordan Addison. (90 catches for 911 yards and 10 TDs), then use the first-round picks on a O-tackle and big play guy. Then fill the next biggest needs, a guard and run-stopping D-lineman.

News Item – Red Sox Spring Update: You can’t count on spring training records, but the 14-9 start is encouraging. The two most interesting questions so far: (1) Will gifted rookie Ceddanne Rafaela win the CF job or be sent back to AAA? He’s currently tied for the team lead with four homers while hitting .273 with 8 RBI in 43 at-bats; (2) Will they finally put Tanner Houck in a starting role where he belongs? He’s off to a 2-0 start with a 2.40 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in 15 innings.

News Item – Rick Pitino: From his days complaining about no fan support at BU to his excuse-filled stint as Celtics coach to his “it wasn’t my fault” major rule violations that led to his being fired at Louisville, little Ricky is still whining after all these years. This time over 20-13 St. John’s not making the NCAA tournament and then petulantly refusing to play in the hometown NIT.

The Numbers

10 – magic number for the Celtics to clinch home court throughout the NBA playoffs.

Thumbs Up – Celtics: True, the Utah Jazz aren’t very good. But considering the obstacles faced, the Celtics’ 123-107 win over Utah last week earns a shoutout, as (a) it was the final of a five-games-in-eight-nights road trip covering 3,400 miles and (b) it came on Game 2 of a back-to-back, (c) after arriving from Portland, Oregon, at 3 a.m. while also losing an hour due to time zone hopping, and most importantly (d) three of their top six players, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown, sat out with injuries. They stayed focused and finished off the road trip with a business-like win.

Sports 101 Answer: With 407 points Duke’s Christian Laettner is the Tournament all-time leading scorer. He’s followed by Elvin Hayes (358), Danny Manning (328), Tyler Hansbrough (325) and Oscar Robertson (324).

Final Thought – A Little History – What a Game! Saturday (March 23) is the 50th anniversary of the most monumental college basketball game in history.

No, not Bird vs. Magic in 1979. That had big TV ratings but the game was boring as Indiana St. was barely in it, Bird played terribly and Gregory Kelser was MVP, not Magic.

This was five years earlier, where UCLA’s never-to-be-matched streak of winning seven straight NCAA titles was ended by NC State in an epic double-OT battle.

With all due respect to Magic and Larry, this game’s stars were better college players, and both played big as UCLA’s Bill Walton went for 29 points and 18 rebounds while David Thompson scored 28 points for NC State. The Bruins let big leads slip away in the final minutes of regulation and the second OT. But after UCLA’s frantic four-shot last gasp, NC State hung in to win 80-77 as the streak finally was ended.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 24/03/21

Bears are back

The Granite State’s black bears are appearing from their winter dens and starting to search for any available food sources, according to a press release from New Hampshire Fish and Game on March 14. Bears will be attracted to a wide array of human food sources, such as bird feeders

Dan Bailey, Bear Project Leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game, explained in a statement that “bears denned rather late last fall due to a plentiful amount of natural foods and they then remained inactive almost all winter despite fairly mild temperatures. However, spring has arrived a few weeks early, and bears are becoming active in various areas of the state. This is a common sign of spring in New Hampshire and should not be a cause for concern to residents. It simply means that it is time to prepare for foraging bears and remove or secure all backyard food sources.”

In the same press release, state officials asked the New Hampshire public to take down bird feeders no later than April 1 in all areas of the state, or earlier if bears are already present. They mentioned that backyard farmers should protect poultry, livestock and bees with electric fencing, and to remember this when acquiring new chicks this spring. Additionally, the release said residents can help prevent attracting bears by securing dumpsters and garbage cans as well as storing grills, pet food and animal feed indoors.

“Building good bear–human relationships is far more successful when people are proactive, and it is easier to avoid a conflict than resolve one,” Bailey said in the statement. “Bears have an extremely acute sense of smell, long memories, and high intelligence. We really need the help of residents to inhibit emerging bears from returning to locations where they have been previously successful in finding backyard food sources. Largely, the public can control bear behavior and activity by controlling food attractants around their homes. Human responsibility and awareness are the most important tools for preventing conflicts with bears.”

Twenty-five percent of annual bear-human encounters are directly caused by bird feeders, the release said. The same release noted that since food is plentiful for birds in the spring and summer, people should consider bird baths or flowering plants to attract birds instead.

Other top bear attractants include unprotected chickens and other poultry, and unsecured garbage cans and dumpsters, the release said.

“If the public would be willing to address these three common attractants, we could quickly reduce annual bear–human encounters by more than 80%, which would be tremendous,” said Bailey.

For more information, call -888-749-2327 (1-888-SHY-BEAR) , which is coordinated jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department or visit nhfishgame.com

Moose hunt lottery

New Hampshire’s 2024 moose hunt lottery is open, according to a March 13 press release from New Hampshire Fish and Game. There is entrance fee of $15 for New Hampshire residents and $25 for nonresidents, with applications online or available at any Fish and Game license agent, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department headquarters, and Fish and Game regional offices.

The same release said moose hunt lottery applications for 2024 must be postmarked or submitted online by midnight on Friday, May 31, and can also be delivered to the Licensing Office at New Hampshire Fish and Game Department headquarters (11 Hazen Dr. in Concord) before 3:45 p.m. that day. Winners of the 33 permits are selected through a computerized random drawing and will be announced on Friday, June 21.

According to New Hampshire Fish and Game, the current moose population in New Hampshire is around 3,000 animals. This year’s hunt will run from Oct. 19 to Oct. 27. Visit wildlife.nh.gov/hunting-nh/moose-hunting-new-hampshire.

Conservation grants

The New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation is accepting proposals for the 2024 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant, which is funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior – National Park Service to provide financial assistance to local units of government and is administered by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and Division of Parks and Recreation, according to a press release. The LWCF program funds projects to develop, renovate and acquire public outdoor recreational spaces. It was recently approved for funding picnic area constructions, development of the new Canal Street Riverfront Park in Concord, and the replacement of playground facilities, among other projects, according to the same release. The application deadline is Friday, June 7. State Parks will determine eligibility. Visit nhstateparks.org/about-us/community-recreation/land-water-conservation-fund-grant.

Wetland restoration

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services will hold a virtual office hour on Friday, March 22, at 10 a.m. for interested applicants to learn about the more than $5.5 million available for wetland and stream restoration through the Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund for five watersheds: the Merrimack River, Pemigewasset-Winnipesaukee River, Saco River, Salmon Falls-Piscataqua River and Lower Connecticut River service areas. Pre-proposals are due May 31. Visit des.nh.gov or email des.arm@des.nh.gov. Register at atdes.nh.gov/news-and-media/more-55-million-available-wetland-and-stream-restoration.

On Thursday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m. Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord (45 S. Main St.) will host #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner as she promotes her new thriller Still See You Everywhere. According to Gibson’s website, Gardner will talk about her latest in the Frankie Elkin series with New Hampshire thriller writer Paula Munier, author of the Mercy Carr mystery series. Visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

On Tuesday, March 26, families can come together to play board games or complete puzzles in the children’s room at Manchester City Library (405 Pine St.) from 5 to 7 p.m. for Family Game Night, according to the library website. Visit manchester.lib.nh.us or call 624-6550, ext. 7628.

Salem Winter Market will be held at Labelle Winery in Derry (14 Route 111) on Sunday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. Visit salemnhfarmersmarket.org.

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