Category: News

This Week 24/11/28

Saturday, Nov. 30

Brookford Farm (250 West Road, Canterbury, 742-4084, brookfordfarm.com) will host Christmas with the Cows today and Sunday, Dec. 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (as well as next Saturday, Dec. 7, and Sunday, Dec. 8). This German-themed event will feature musician-led caroling with the cows from 3 to 5 p.m., opportunities to feed calves and piglets, campfire and hayrides, samples of salami and sauerkraut as well as crafts-to-make for purchase (gnome home, wreaths, candles) plus Christmas trees and farm-to-table foods. The farm will feature a German Christmas market and items such as German wurst, sauerkraut, hot mulled wine, goulash and stollen, according to the website.

General admission tickets (for ages 13+) are $10 online and $15 at the door. Children’s tickets (3 to 12 years old) are $7 online and $10 at the door. Children 2 and under attend free. No pets. Visit brookfordfarm.com/events.

Friday, Nov. 29

The Candia Farmers Market will partner with Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia) for a Holiday Gift Barn Open House today from 5 to 9 p.m. featuring 29 vendors (most from the past season of the market), free admission to the farm, live music and storytelling, the Children’s Christmas Choir at 6:30 p.m. and more, according to candiafarmersmarket.org.

Saturday, Nov. 30

Pembroke City Limits (134 Main St. in Pembroke; pembrokecitylimits.com) will host Poets on the Loose, a gathering of local poets (all welcome) today at 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 30

The Rotary Club of Merrimack will kick off its annual Christmas Tree Sale today at Watson Park (447 DW Highway in Merrimack) open weekdays 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 8 to 8 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. until the trees sell out. See merrimackrotary.org.

Saturday, Nov. 30

Aquanett will bring the rock and metal of the 1980s to Lakeport Opera House (781 Union Ave., Laconia, 519-7506, lakeportopera.com) on tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $38.56, plus fees.

Sunday, Dec. 1

There will be a showing of the classic silent WC Fields comedy So’s Your Old Man (1926) today at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre (40 Main St., Wilton, 654-3456, facebook.com/wiltontownhalltheatre) at 2 p.m. This silent film will have live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis. Admission is free; donations are accepted, with $10 per person.

Wednesday, Dec. 4

Chunky’s (707 Huse Road in Manchester; chunkys.com) will host a 21+ Scratch Ticket Bingo on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. A $13 admission (plus fees) gets you a seat, a $5 food voucher for that evening, a pass for a future movie and a chance to win $5 scratch tickets.

Save the Date! Saturday, Dec. 7
Heavy metal band In This Moment will play the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) Saturday, Dec.7, as part of its Godmode tour. The show will feature the song “I Would Die for You” from the soundtrack of John Wick: Chapter 4, and performances by Kim Dracula, Nathan James and Mike’s Dead. Tickets start at $37.

Featured photo: Courtesy Photo.

Quality of Life 24/11/28

Some rain, some drought

The U.S. Drought Monitor for New Hampshire reported on Nov. 21 that a small section of southeastern Rockingham County was in “extreme drought” while portions of Rockingham, Hillsborough and Cheshire counties were still in “severe drought” with the rest of those counties plus all of Merrimack, Sullivan, Strafford and Belknap counties listed as in “moderate drought” along with parts of Grafton and Carroll counties. The rest of the state was labeled as “abnormally dry,” the map reported.

QOL score: -1

Comments: According to WMUR, the report looks at rainfall Tuesday to Tuesday, so it does not include the rain from the second half of last week — here’s hoping the next report, which you can find at drought.gov/states/new-hampshire, is more promising.

Fun for data nerds

New Hampshire’s Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau has released an application that allows users to examine data for the 234 incorporated cities and towns in the state. In an Oct. 23 email the ELMI — part of the Department of Employment Security — explained, “Data on many topics are available ranging from population and demographics as well as income, labor force, educational attainment, housing units, and property taxes. Additional information on school and day care enrollment, as well as other specific data provided by the municipalities, can be compared.” If you’ve ever wondered what the average weekly wage in Derry is, for instance, it’s $1,281. Or it ever seemed to you that there are more men than women walking around Concord, you’re right — there are 22,879 men, versus 21,170 women (as of 2023).

QOL score: +1

Comment: To access the application, visit nhes.nh.gov/elmi.

We’re woodworking winners

New Hampshire carvers dominated the recent New England Woodworking Competition, which featured works by professionals, amateurs and students, held at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. In a Nov. 15 press release, The Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers wrote that there were 150 entries from New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts including more than “60 elementary, middle school, high school and college students.” The three Judges Awards all went to Granite Staters: David Foote of Barrington; Ronald Litalien of Canterbury and Ted Blachly of Warner, the release said. In the student categories, Michael Franta of Contoocook won first prize in the Middle School division (for “Cherry Wood Coffee Table”) and Gabriela Crinigan of UNH won first prize in the College division (for “Tooth Box”). New Hampshire woodworkers swept the Amateur Woodworkers division: Joe Marshall of Nashua in Carving; Edward Marks of Nashua for Turning between Centers; Ron Marcoux of Bedford for Bowl Turning; Jim McLaughlin of Warner for Amateur and David Labrie of Manchester for Traditional, the release said.

QOL score: +1

Comment: To see this year’s winners and their winning works, visit the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers website at gnhw.org.

QOL score last week: 74

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 75

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

Let us know at [email protected].

Football’s big weekend

The Big Story – Football on Thanksgiving Weekend: It’s the best weekend of the regular season in the NFL and college games, where along with the usual family debates, arguments and near fistfights, the motto is, eat, drink and watch football. Enjoy.

Sports 101: What was the shortest overtime in a game in NFL history?

News Item – Sale Wins Cy Young: You can’t blame the Red Sox for sending him away. But you just knew after all the misery his avalanche of injuries caused them as it cost them $120 million for 11 measly wins that he would miraculously get healthy and turn back into the guy he once was. Which he did by going 18-3 to win the Cy Young Award last week.

News Item – Ovechkin Closing in on Gretzky: I know I checked out on hockey sometime after the Rangers finally won the Cup in 1994, but I had no idea Alex Ovechkin was so close (894 to 865), as he went to the short-term injured list last week, to passing The Great One as the most prolific goal scorer in NHL history. I had thought that record was unapproachable.

News Item – Rodgers to Jets a Total Failure: The Coach has been fired. The GM has now been fired. And the team is 3-8 after finishing 7-10 last year. So the yacking from Jetland that Aaron Rodgers in New York meant the Super Bowl was a lock has turned out to be just the latest blast of hot air coming from the Big Apple.

The Numbers:

9 – incredible place the Patriots could actually pick in Round 1 of the 2025 draft despite their awful 3-8 (at my early deadline) record thanks to the dearth of horrible NFL teams who can finish below them.

528,750 – dollars paid at auction last week for Ted Williams’ 1946 MVP trophy.

… of the Weekend – Top 5 Games:

Tradition at its Best – Bears-Lions, 12:30 p.m.: It would be better if it were the Packers, because the Bears stink and that would also take me back to the first one of these I’ve seen when the Lions handed GB their only loss in 1962. But nothing’s better than the game on Thanksgiving in Detroit and this time the Lions are headed to the SB.

Most Competitive College Game – #3 Texas-#15 Texas A&M, Saturday 7:30 p.m.: The winner gets a spot in the SEC Championship game.

Rivalry Game, Saturday at noon: UM is unranked this time but Michigan vs. Ohio State is the best rivalry in college football. Plus we get to see Ryan Day and Chip Kelly in action.

Indy at New England – Sunday at 1 p.m.: This was once the game, but now it’s a chance to see more of Drake Maye.

Best NFL Game – Eagles at Ravens, Sunday, 4:25 p.m.: Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley are the top two rushers in the NFL, while Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts are exciting two-way threats. Buckle up.

Random Thoughts:

Sorry, Sam Kennedy, but I don’t believe a word you said at last week’s presser about the Red Sox being willing to spend big this offseason. Actions speak louder than words. Until we see it, you’re just a mouthpiece for an owner who doesn’t have the guts to face the music himself. The outspoken thing has worked out pretty well financially for Kendrick Perkins. But I’ve got to think a lot of past and present NBA players think he’s pretty mouthy for a guy with a dinky five points per game career score.

Sports 101 Answer: The shortest OT in an NFL game is 13 seconds, which is how long it took Chicago’s Dave Williams to take the OT kickoff 92 yards to the house to beat Detroit on Thanksgiving Day 1980.

A Little History – Game on Thanksgiving 1980: Making the Bears’ win even more improbable was QB Vince Evans running 4 yards for a TD as time expired to tie it at 17-17 after the PAT. Then came Williams’ TD meaning they’d scored 13 points in 13 seconds for the 23-17 win. Oh, and they had been down 14-3 in the fourth quarter.

Final Thought – Local Sports Things to Be Thankful for at Thanksgiving

I wasn’t for drafting a QB this early in the rebuild because I thought they needed more talent in place to help him when he did arrive. But the Patriots brass appears to have gotten it right with Drake Maye and he’s making what was a dull, boring team before he started to play a lot more interesting to follow.

Derrick White and Jrue Holiday — Tatum and Brown get all the attention, but these two accept lesser roles than they’d have elsewhere because they’re true team players who just want to win. Ditto for ageless Al Horford.

The young core already at Fenway and the four others not far from getting there promise to make it exciting for several years. But only if John Henry is willing to spend to bring in high-end pitching this winter to complement those everyday players.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

News & Notes 24/11/28

E-ZPass scam alert

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation reported that a smishing scam targeted New Hampshire residents by texting people with links to settle outstanding toll amounts, according to a Nov. 19 press release. “NH E-ZPass will never send text messages requesting payment for tolls with late fees,” the release said. Check accounts via the official NH Turnpike E-ZPass website, ezpassnh.com. “Those who receive a fraudulent text can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center atic3.gov. That is a site dedicated to sharing information on Internet crimes across law enforcement agencies. Recipients can also forward the suspicious message to 7726 (SPAM) to alert their mobile provider,” the release said.

Support for youth

The New Hampshire Department of Corrections and the Manchester Police Athletic League announced a partnership program called the CHOICES initiative, a “restorative justice program aimed at fostering positive community impact by supporting high-rish youth in greater Manchester,” according to a Nov. 22 Corrections release. “The CHOICES initiative — Creating Hope, Opportunities, Inspiring Change, Excellence & Success — builds on MPAL’s mission of strengthening bonds between young people and law enforcement while addressing the challenges faced by at-risk youth. Through this collaboration, NHDOC will provide unique mentorship opportunities by involving individuals under the department’s supervision, who have completed training and demonstrated their commitment to community betterment,” the release said. In addition to mentorships, the program will participate in guided visits to state prison facilities for candid discussions about the long-term impact of choices, the release said. For more information on CHOICES and MPAL and NHDOC’s work with youth, see manchesterpoliceathleticleague.org.

Google news

New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella is joining other state attorneys general and the United States Department of Justice in
“proposing a package of remedies to end Google’s unlawful monopoly over internet search engines and to restore competition to benefit consumers,” according to a press release from the Attorney General’s office on Nov. 21. “In a landmark decision in August 2024, a D.C. federal district court judge ruled that Google violated federal antitrust laws by illegally maintaining a monopoly in online search and search text ads. At issue now are the remedies the court will impose to end Google’s improper conduct that has stifled competition and harmed consumers, and the steps necessary to restore competition for the benefit of consumers,” the release said.

“The proposed final judgment, … filed with the court seeks to end … Google’s search distribution contracts and revenue sharing agreements by prohibiting Google from paying to be the initial default search engine on any phone, device, or browser. Google is also required to share its data and information …with rivals to improve the competitive choices available to consumers,” the release said. A hearing on the proposed remedies is scheduled to begin on April 22, the release said.

Dam news

According to a press release, The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services announced that the Governor and Executive Council approved $475,000 for the Fiske Dam Removal project in the town of Hinsdale and this Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund grant was awarded to the Nature Conservancy. The Fiske Dam Removal project will restore riparian and wetland functions on a portion of the Ashuelot River, according to the release. The concrete dam removal will also restore aquatic organism passage and reconnect 7.44 miles of upstream river and streams in the Ashuelot River System to the Connecticut River and Atlantic Ocean with additional benefits that include restoration of approximately 154 river and stream miles for fish, mitigation of flood risks for Hinsdale and surrounding community areas, creation of a permanent Ashuelot River access point and providing conservation areas with improved water quality for ecosystem health, according to the release.

Girl Scout news

Girl Scouts from New Hampshire and Vermont were recognized for their achievements at a Young Women of Distinction ceremony held by the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains on Nov. 10 in Bedford. Eight of the 13 Girl Scouts who earned Gold Awards (the highest award in Girl Scouts) attended the event to talk about their projects, which require 80 service hours, according to a press release. The event also honored Silver Award and Bronze Award winners, the release said.

Girls interested in learning more about Girl Scouts can check out “Explore Girl Scouts” events on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 6 p.m., at Northwood School, 511 First NH Turnpike in Northwood and on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 6 p.m. at Peter Woodbury School in the music room, 180 County Road in Bedford. See girlscoutsgwm.org.

Concord Communcity Music School (23 Wall St. in Concord, ccmusicschool.org) will feature Zefira Trio (violinist, cellist and pianist) for its Bach’s Lunch on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 12:10 p.m.

Author Ty Gagne will discuss his new book The Lions of Winter: Survival and Sacrifice on Mount Washington, about a 1982 four-day search for two missing ice climbers on Mount Washington, with Laura Knoy on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m. at Gibson’s Booksetore (45 S. Main St. in Concord).

Balin Books (Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St. in Nashua; balinbooks.com) will host two authors on Saturday, Nov. 30. At 11 a.m., Hattie Berstein will sign and discuss her book Don Quixote’s Hammer: Tapping into the Healing Power of the Nervous System. At 2 p.m., U.S. Marshal Steve Monier will sign and discuss his book No One Has To Die about the 2007 standoff in Plainfield.

Damian Costello will discuss “Maple, Medicine of Connection: Indigenous Wisdom and Communal Medicine” at the Pembroke Town Library (313 Pembroke St.) on Monday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Blessed Sacrament Parish (14 Elm St., Manchester, 622-5445, blessedsacramentnh.org) will serve a Thanksgiving feast Thursday, Nov. 28, from noon to 2 p.m. All are welcome.

The United Way of Greater Nashua will hold its next “Coffee and Causes” talk on “Preventing Falls and Fires at Home” on Friday, Dec. 6, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Dartmouth Health Lower-Level Conference Room in Nashua. The event is free; register at tinyurl.com/Dec2024-Coffee.

This Week 24/11/21

Thursday, Nov. 21

Jazz and R&B fusion artist RaJon Marshal of Black Pumas will take the stage at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $30.75.

Friday, Nov. 22

The Artimus Pyle Band honors the music of Ronnie Van Zant Lynyrd Skynyrd at Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St. in Derry, tupelomusichall.com, tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25.

Friday, Nov. 22

Keys Piano Bar & Grill (1087 Elm St., Manchester, 836-7796, keysmanch.com) will present its Dueling Piano Show tonight and tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 23, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Talented pianists will go head-to-head, taking your song requests and turning them into an epic musical showdown. From classic hits to modern favorites, they’ll keep the tunes rolling and the crowd singing along all night long. Tickets are $10 through the Keys website.

Saturday, Nov. 23

There will be a Very Merry Gift Festival today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Doubletree Expo Center (700 Elm St., Manchester, 625-1000). Browse a variety of vendor booths and support local small businesses while doing all your holiday shopping. Enjoy vendor demonstrations, kids’ activities, a visit from Santa, a special kid-only shopping area, festive sounds of the season live from the expo stage, a 21+ holiday spirits aisle and more. Adult tickets are $6, tickets for seniors are $5, and children under 14 attend free. Visit simpletix.com for tickets.

Saturday, Nov. 23

Find produce, baked goods, cheese and more eats for your Thanksgiving week meals at the Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market, 9 Eagle Square in Concord, from 9 a.m. to noon. Doug Farrell is slated to perform. See dcwfm.squarespace.com.

Saturday, Nov. 23

We’re in the thick of craft fair season. Today, check out the Craft Fair at White Rock Senior Living (6 Bow Center Road in Bow) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to bownh.gov. Find more craft fairs listed in the Arts section on page 18. Know of an upcoming fair? Let us know at [email protected].

Tuesday, Nov. 26

Celebrate Taco Tuesday tonight at the Flying Monkey in Plymouth were admission is free, first come first served, to a screening of Guardians of the Galaxy (PG-13, 2014) at 7 p.m. and a menu of taco specials. See flyingmonkeynh.com.

Save the Date! March 6

Tickets are on sale for the Granite State Game Summit at Doubletree by Hilton Nashua (2 Somerset Pkwy., Nashua, 886-1200, hilton.com/en/hotels/ashssdt-doubletree-nashua) Thursday, March 6, through Sunday, March 9. Granite Game Summit focuses on social, open board gaming, with the goal of bringing people new and old to the hobby. More than 800 tabletop games will be available, and attendees are encouraged to bring games from their own collections. Tickets cost $80 (plus fees) for four-day general admission, $35 (plus fees) for four-day youth badges.

Save the Date! March 6
Tickets are on sale for the Granite State Game Summit at Doubletree by Hilton Nashua (2 Somerset Pkwy., Nashua, 886-1200, hilton.com/en/hotels/ashssdt-doubletree-nashua) Thursday, March 6, through Sunday, March 9. Granite Game Summit focuses on social, open board gaming, with the goal of bringing people new and old to the hobby. More than 800 tabletop games will be available, and attendees are encouraged to bring games from their own collections. Tickets cost $80 (plus fees) for four-day general admission, $35 (plus fees) for four-day youth badges.

Featured photo: Very Merry Gift Festival.

Quality of Life 24/11/21

Sad news for local music fans

The sudden passing of Brooks Young on Nov. 8 shocked the local music-loving community. The level of commitment he brought to his music was inspirational, and his success was a combination of talent and tenacity. The guitar-slinging bandleader wasn’t content to simply meet his heroes, playing with icons like B.B. King, Robert Cray and Jimmie Vaughan, and touring with George Thorogood & the Destroyers multiple times. Once he performed in front of 20,000 fans with Sammy Hagar, Jason Bonham and Van Halen’s Michael Anthony. Young, however, brought the same intensity when he played for a handful of fans at Concord Craft Brewery. He’ll be missed.

QOL score: -5, but really incalculable

Comment: Young leaves two daughters and a son, and a GoFundMe (gofund.me/b05711e5) has been established for them. A memorial concert organized by Young’s family and his musician friends is in the planning stages, as is an annual blues festival that will happen on the anniversary of his death.

Manchester gets a puppy

As reported in a Nov.14 article by Manchester Ink Link (manchester.inklink.news), the Manchester Fire Department has brought a new member of its support team back from hurricane rescue work in North Carolina. “The firefighters also brought home a dog named Bo,” the story read, “a shortened new name from its original moniker of Boone, one of the cities in North Carolina where Manchester’s firefighters operated.” Members of the Manchester Fire Department were deployed to western North Carolina as part of an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) response to damage from Hurricane Helene earlier this fall. As reported in a Nov.14 online story by WMUR, “Months-old puppy Boone was adopted from the Meat Camp Fire Department, where they lived with local families during the second half of their time in North Carolina.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: On its Facebook page, the Meat Camp, N.C., Fire Department posted, “We’ve been happy to provide a place for our friends from City of Manchester, NH Fire Department to clean up and lay their heads at night after working tirelessly serving the hurting folks of our county and surrounding counties. We’re glad to have them and thankful for their efforts to help us in this recovery. They’re a great team and bring valuable knowledge and assets to our efforts.”

Hannaford Supermarket is back online

In a Nov. 17 online story, WMUR reported that the Hannaford Supermarket chain is back online, following complications relating to cybersecurity issues. “It had been down since earlier this month and customers could not access online order services or the app,” the story read. According to a Nov. 12 article in the Boston Globe, the same issue “reportedly affected the ability of some stores to accept payments via gift cards or debit cards.”

QOL score: -1 for the missed coupon opportunities

Comment: According to a message on hannaford.com: “Hannaford.com and our app are online! Hannaford To Go pickup and delivery orders may be placed as slots become available. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your continued understanding.”

QOL score last week: 79

Net change: -5

QOL this week: 74

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

Let us know at [email protected].

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!