Category: News

This Week 24/03/07

Thursday, March 7

The Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., 624-6550, manchester.lib.nh.us.) will host a performance by the New England Irish Harp Orchestra today at 6:30 p.m. The New England Irish Harp Orchestra performs traditional Irish dance tunes, slow airs and songs, according to the library website, where you can register for the free event. See neiho.org for more on the orchestra and to hear their music.

Friday, March 8

The Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S Main St. in Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) presents Romeo and Juliet as presented by S—Faced Shakespeare, an entirely serious production of the Shakespeare play but with one cast member drinking throughout the show and growing progressively more intoxicated. The show starts at 8 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $39.75 in advance, $5 more at the door.

Saturday, March 9

Today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Manchester Harley-Davidson (115 John E. Devine Dr., 782-4997, manchesterharley.com) will hold Part 2 of its Custom Audio Bike Build, a live demonstration by a master technician of how to design a custom sound system for a motorcycle.

Saturday, March 9

Comedian Steve Sweeney will perform tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Greenside Restaurant function room (360 Laconia Road in Tilton). Tickets cost $25 and are available in advance at birdease.com/comedyshow. Find more comedy this weekend and beyond in the Comedy This Week listings on page 36.

Saturday, March 9

Dance to the music of Bad Bunny tonight at Benito’s Birthday Bash at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashucenterforthearts.com) at 8 p.m. Bad Bunny will not be there but fans can celebrate his March 10 birthday with DJs playing all of his hits, according to the website, where you can get tickets (which cost $19 to $24).

Sunday, March 10

The 2024 Battle of the Badges Hockey Championship to benefit Dartmouth Health Children’s and the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (CHaD) will take place at SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; 644-5000, snhuarena.com) at 1 p.m. This annual game brings together firefighters, first responders and police officers to fight it out for charity. Tickets cost $16 and are free for children 5 and younger.

Save the Date! Sunday, March 24
The Citizens Bank Shamrock Shuffle will take place on March 24, shortly before Manchester’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The course for the annual run/walk will be 2 miles long. A 100-yard fun run for children 8 years old and younger will start at 10:30 a.m. The Shamrock Shuffle itself will begin at 11 a.m. The race will start and finish at Veterans Park on Elm Street in downtown Manchester. Participants can register online at runreg.com/shamrock. Millennium Running, the organizer of the event, can be reached at 488-1186, millenniumrunning.com.

C’s on a major roll

The Big Story – Patriots Rebuild Strategy: Withthe NFL’s new calendar year two weeks away from beginning (March 13), the Patriots are on the clock. The first task is to decide what they want to be and who from 2023 should be part of that.

Then the first issues are filling two holes on the o-line, adding team speed, especially on offense, and of course what to do at quarterback. We’ll start with QB today and discuss the others throughout March.

Sports 101: Alabama and Purdue each have a most-in-history three alumni QBs who led their teams to a Super Bowl win. Name those players.

News Item – Patriots QB Question: I know Mac Jones was awful last year. But, since this is going to be a two-year rebuild at the least, my general feeling is unless they can get the guy, they are better off filling in as many other holes as they can before bringing in the long-term solution next year. Because having the infrastructure in place first gives young QBs a much better shot at success.

I’m OK with a short-term solution like Baker Mayfield. But, and I know I’m probably crazy, I can live with seeing what Mac can do with actual talent at the skill positions if he wins the job in camp. It nags at me why he was pretty good in 2021 and hadn’t been since.

Maybe because I know what Jim Plunkett became (again) after he was run out amid howling fandom and Mac’s situation is similar. Besides, if he’s bad again, they’ll likely be at the top of the draft to make it easier to draft or trade for a good one.

News Item – Crazy New College Hoops World: With the NCAA Basketball Tourney on the horizon, raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of St. Mary’s College. For those of us who complain that nothing changes among the top teams, tiny St. Mary’s from Morgana, California, (wherever that is) headed to the dance after somehow climbing to be ranked 21st in the country.

The Numbers:

0.9 – assists per game Denver center Nikola Jokic is away from becoming the third player in NBA history to average a triple down in a season with per game averages of 26 points, 12.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists.

… Of the Week Awards

Honors – Buddy Teevens: Nice to see Dartmouth will rename its football field Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field to honor their late coach who died last September from injuries suffered in an off-season bicycle accident.

Thanks for the Memories – Matthew Slater: Upon his retirement after 16 years of stellar play on Patriots special teams and overall leadership. Well done, young fella.

Thumbs Up – Scot Pollard: For news the short-time Celtic came through heart transplant surgery well last week. It followed an arduous search for a heart large enough to support the demands of his 7-foot frame.

A Little History –The Historic 100-Point Game: March 2 is the anniversary of WiltChamberlain’s seemingly impossible 100-point game in a 169-147 win over the Knicks in 1962. Here are a few interesting facts.

It was a “visiting home” game in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with no TV broadcast or any film of the game at all. The notoriously bad free throw-shooting Wilt was 28 for 32 from the line and 36 on (a whopping) 63 FG attempts. Three Knicks players, Richie Guerin (39), Cleveland Buckner (33) and Willie Naulls (31), scored 30+. And, oh by the way, Wilt had 25 rebounds as well.

Random Thoughts:

I don’t know if any NBA team has ever had three guys from the same NCAA championship-winning team like the Knicks have in Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart from the 2016 Villanova team. That’s kinda cool.

Sports 101 Answer: The six SB winning QBs are, from Alabama, Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler, and from Purdue, Len Dawson, Bob Griese and Drew Brees.

Final Thought – Spring Baseball Update: A curious side note to the opening of spring training is the plight of Blake Snell. That the reigning NL Cy Young winner remains unsigned in free agency is a surprise to some. But given his asking of $30 million per for nine years, it may be a sign folks in baseball are not always as dumb as they’ve acted since 1976. Yes, he won his second Cy in 2023, but with a measly 14 wins. Big deal. And between 2023 and when he won his 21-5 Cy Young year of 2018 he was 25-26 and never won more than eight games, which came in 2022, when he lost 10 times. So who in their right mind would give this 31-year-old a nine-year deal, especially when he’s averaged just 23 starts his last five seasons?

Well, actually giant money has often been wasted on guys coming off a big season they never matched again. But for once it appears sanity temporarily reigns.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

C’s on a major roll

The Big Story – The Streaking Celtics: Their winning streak hit 11 games on Sunday as they annihilated nemesis Golden State 140-88 on national TV. So with just 22 games left to play, they start the week with an 8.5 -game lead in the Eastern Conference and 6 up on OKC out west for home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Next up is the five-game road trip that started Tuesday in Cleveland. Followed by toughies in Denver and Phoenix, who they’ll face again back home the game after the trip concludes. They come through that stretch 4-2 or better, they’ll lock the top spot.

Sports 101: Who has played in the most games in NBA history?

News Item – Sunday’s Record-Breaking Demolition: It’s true 50+-point wins in the NBA are generally a shake-it-off aberration. But to counter Stephen A. Blowhard’s post-game comments about that, this wasn’t, for two reasons.

First, because they’re the first NBA team to ever win by 50+ three times in the same season. That says they’re scary when rolling.

Second, while GS will just forget about it, the Celtics need to learn how to beat the Warriors. Especially Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who’ve had a series of duds to downright chokes vs. GS, including during the 2022 Finals and while blowing a 19-point lead to them in a December loss.

Other notables from the game include holding Steph Curry to just four points, Brown throwing five first-quarter 3-balls in Draymond Green’s face as he dared him to shoot, and the Jays going for a combined 56 points in 47 minutes before being yanked with them up 52 points. Oh, and they did it with Kristaps Porzingis getting yet another unnecessary day off by Uncle Joe.

News Item – Priority Free Agents Moves: NFL free agency opens next week and after releasing J.C. Jackson the Patriots have a most-in-the-NFL $100 million to spend. Here are a few suggestions for how to proceed.

Top Priority – Michael Onwenu: A talent-devoid team can not let its best players walk. Especially when there’s only one other tackle in the Top 100 free agents. Franchise him. It’s only for a year and draft his replacement.

Kyle Dugger: The D’s leader is the other must-keep guy. He’ll probably cost $17 million to make it $37 million combined for both. Do it.

Top FA Target – Cincy OT Jonah Williams: Not great, but the best of free agent tackles. If the O-line is set, they’ll have a better focus going into the draft with the third overall pick.

Wide Receiver: This depends on whether they’re going QB at 3. If so, then they must target at least one speed receiver like Calvin Ridley or Indy’s Michael Pittman.

Home Run Pick – Saquon Barkley: Not sure what he’ll cost, but he’s a playmaker who, teamed with low-cost Rhamondre Stevenson, will give the O versatility, unpredictability and insurance against one going down to injury.

The Numbers:

19 – inconsequential points scored by Kyrie Irving in his latest boo-filled Boston visit as the C’s croaked Dallas 138-110 on Friday.

21 – average margin of victory during that 11-game Celtics winning streak.

40,000 – career point milestone reached on Friday by LeBron James as he became the first in NBA history to do that.

… Of the Week Awards

Saddest Note of the Week – Jay Dufour: It was the passing of the friend to many, former Central basketball coach and long-time assistant to Stan Siprou at NHC/SNHU. He was a great basketball coach, a wonderful guy and even better human being. RIP my friend.

Game-Winning Miracle of the Week: A desperation heave by Cleveland’s Max Strus to stun Dallas after they’d taken the lead with two seconds left. Since the Cavs had no time out, Max let fly from 59 feet for a miracle 121-119 win.

Sports 101 Answer: With 1,611 the great Robert Parish played in the most games in NBA history.

Final Thought – Mock Drafts: While mock drafts are fun, please don’t be like my college friend John Garner, who emails every

News & Notes 24/03/07

Town voting

Tuesday, March 12, is town election day in many New Hampshire towns. Check with your town’s city clerk’s office for your town’s hours, voting registration requirements and sample ballots.

Virtual ER

Elliot Hospital announced in a press release that it is unveiling a new online avenue called VirtualER for patients with non-life-threatening ailments or injuries (such as minor burns, cold and flu symptoms, or UTIs). Dr. Matthew Dayno, of Elliot’s Emergency Department, said in a statement, “The program brings board-certified emergency physicians directly to the fingertips of the patient to help assist with either attending to their care virtually or getting them to the right location at the right time.”

In a press release, Elliot said the VirtualER service is an online platform that will virtually connect patients to Elliot emergency-certified physicians to ensure they receive the same level of expertise they would expect from an in-person visit at their Emergency Department (ED). Patients can be treated virtually, through verbal or visual instruction, or be triaged to an urgent care center or the ED for a physical exam, according to the release.

Patients will need to have a MyChart Patient Portal account to use Elliot’s VirtualER but should know that it’s free to use the VirtualER service. Once logged into their MyChart account, patients will be able to request a same-day appointment by selecting from available time slots, which exist in 15- to 20-minute increments, according to the release.

Assistance ends

The New Hampshire Homeowner Assistance Fund (NH HAF) announced in a release that the program will stop accepting applications on Friday, March 8, because funding for the program is projected to be depleted. If an application has already been submitted, it will be placed on a waitlist and those applicants will receive a notice regarding their eligibility and the availability of funds, according to the release.

The NH Homeowner Assistance Fund program was launched two years ago in March 2022, and the fund has helped eligible New Hampshire homeowners through grants for past-due mortgage payments, utility bills, property taxes and association fees. The NH HAF has awarded more than $36.5 million in grants funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

The NH Homeowner Assistance Fund is a temporary relief program federally funded through the NH Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery and administered by New Hampshire Housing.

Crop loss help

On March 1, Gov. Sununu and Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food Commissioner Shawn N. Jasper announced in a press release that the Crop Loss Program, totaling $8 million, would begin accepting applications that same day. Developed in collaboration with UNH Cooperative Extension, the Crop Loss program is designed to help New Hampshire farmers who suffered significant losses because of extreme weather conditions during 2023.

Surveys that were conducted by the Cooperative Extension after the severe weather found that fruit growers lost almost all their peach crop due to extreme low temperatures, according to the release. The release went on to say that this loss was followed by a late freeze that destroyed a significant portion of the state’s apple crop as farms saw additional losses throughout the growing season due to an excess accumulation of rain.

The release also stated that the program is open to any farm that suffered at least a 30 percent loss of any commodity, had a gross farm income of at least $30,000 in the previous three years, and was neither closed nor currently in bankruptcy.

Funding for the program was repurposed from ARPA funding and was approved at the Executive Council Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 21. All applications, which will be reviewed weekly, must be received by May 15. Additional payments may be made if funding allows, according to the release, and no payments will exceed their loss, but they will include a reasonable allowance for an owner’s operator labor. Applications can be completed by visiting www.agriculture.nh.gov.

Pollinators in the city

The Tuesday, March 12, Science on Tap presentation from SEE Science Center will focus on “Sharing our cities with pollinators,” according to see-sciencecenter.org, where you can register for this free program, which takes place at 6 p.m. at Stark Brewing (500 Commerical St. in Manchester).

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in Londonderry is holding a volunteer open house on Tuesday, March 12, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.Volunteers are needed in aspects such as community outreach, aviation research, engineering and more. Those interested can contact the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, 669-4877) or email [email protected].

A new exhibition, “I live a journey of a thousand years,” featuring the work of French artist Raphaël Barontini, opens Thursday, March 7, at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester. The exhibition comprises about 20 works, according to a press release, and will run through June 23. The museum will host an opening celebration on the evening of March 7 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with the artist and Currier staff. The opening reception is $20 for non-members and $10 for members. Visit currier.org.

Carol Coronis returns to the Seacoast Artist Association at 130 Water St. in Exeter for their Second Friday artist reception on Friday, March 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. She will perform a Celtic music program to get everyone ready for St. Patrick’s Day, according to a press release. The public is invited, and donations are appreciated. See more at seacoastartist.org.

The Portsmouth Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St.) will host bestselling author Andre Dubus III on Wednesday, March 13, at 7 p.m. to talk about his new book Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin. The event will be moderated by Lara Prescott, author of The Secrets We Kept. Tickets cost $50. Visit themusichall.org

This Week 24/02/29

Friday, March 1

The Prom begins its four-week run at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) tonight when the curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $28 to $49. Small-town politics, a high school prom and Broadway performers looking for redemption come together in this musical, which first premiered on Broadway in 2018 and had a film adaptation premiere on Netflix in late 2020, according to Wikipedia. The show runs Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 & 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. and Thursday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 1

Intown Concord’s First Friday returns tonight from 4 to 8 p.m. with participating shops in downtown Concord open until 8 p.m. and some offering special activities on this month’s theme, which is “Health, Wellness, Beauty,” according to a newsletter. Food trucks slated to appear are Wicked Tasty Food Truck (“a twist on New England classics,” parked on Main Street) and Teenie Wienies (sausages, parked on Bicentennial Square), the newsletter said. See intownconcord.org.

Friday, March 1

This month’s Super StellarA Friday presentation at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop, 271-7827) is “How New Hampshire-Built Sensors Took Mankind To the Moon: and Other Challenges of Temperature Measurement for Space Exploration” featuring a representative of RdF Corp. from Hudson. The program starts tonight at 7 p.m Admission costs $13 for adults, $10 for ages 3 to 12 and $12 for 62+.

Friday, March 1

Tickets go on sale today for the 16th annual New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival (which will run April 4 through April 14, with a bonus week of virtual screenings through April 21). See 2024nhjff.eventive.org for this year’s line up of films and events and the available film ticket packages.

Saturday, March 2

Symphony New Hampshire presents Penelope, a song cycle inspired by Homer’s Odyssey by Sarah Kirkland Snider featuring vocalist Corrine Byrne today at 7:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) where tickets cost $29 to $39. The production will also be presented at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Sunday, March 3, at 3 p.m. where tickets cost $20.74 to $47.75.

Saturday, March 2

Comedian Brian Beaudoin brings the laughs to Chunky’s Cinema Pub (151 Coliseum Ave. in Nashua; chunkys.com) tonight at 8:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20. Find more upcoming comedy in Comedy This Week on page 45.

Wednesday, March 6

One of the “free” events mentioned in the recent “63 for Free” cover story (see hippopress.com to find the e-edition of the Feb. 15 issue), the Walker Lecture Series presents the Freese Brothers Big Band: Celebrating the Swing Era and the Great American Songbook tonight at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. See walkerlecture.org.

Save the Date! March 30
WWE Road to Wrestlemania comes to the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com, 644-5000) on Saturday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $30 on snhuarena.com. See wwe.com for videos.

Quality of Life 24/02/29

Not the Disney direct!

According to a Feb. 22 report from WMUR, Spirit Airlines is suspending service at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport effective May 8. The change affects two routes — to Orlando and to Myrtle Beach — the story said. The airline blames “ongoing operational constraints related to Pratt & Whitney GTF engine availability and seasonal demand for our MHT (Manchester–Boston Regional Airport) flights” for the suspension, according to the WMUR report. In a Feb. 23 story, Ted Kitchens, airport director of aviation, said he hopes Spirit will come back in the winter.

QOL score: -2

Comments: At least the suspension of service hits after April school vacation.

More meals on wheels

Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County cut the ribbon on their new nutrition site and headquarters on South Main Street in Manchester, the former home of Blake’s Restaurant and Creamery, on Feb. 20, according to a press release. The state’s largest Meals on Wheels agency, Hillsborough County’s Meals on Wheels served more than 380,000 meals to more than 4,100 people throughout the 31 towns and cities in the county in 2023, the release said. The Meals of Wheels of Hillsborough County is currently raising money to renovate former Blake’s restaurant in the coming years to offer community dining, the release said.

QOL score: +1

Comments: Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County is holding a fundraiser called Festival of Fives on Thursday, April 11, 6 to 8:30 p.m., at LaBelle Winery in Amherst. The event features a buffet dinner, live music, a silent auction and more. Tickets cost $90; see hcmow.org, where you can also find information about volunteering as a driver.

The best state capital in our state

Citing Concord’s low crime rate, the personal-finance website WalletHub has ranked it as the 10th most livable state capital in the country. According to the website, Concord has the lowest violent-crime rate per 1,000 residents, 13.3 times lower than in Little Rock, Arkansas, the capital city with the highest.

To identify the most livable state capitals, WalletHub rated each city, using 48 key measurements, ranging from the cost of living to K–12 school-system quality to the number of attractions.

QOL score: +1

Comments:It’s good to get recognition for what we’ve already known — that Concord is a solidly good place to live.

QOL score: 59

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 59

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

Let us know at [email protected].

Pats on the clock

The Big Story – Patriots Rebuild Strategy: Withthe NFL’s new calendar year two weeks away from beginning (March 13), the Patriots are on the clock. The first task is to decide what they want to be and who from 2023 should be part of that.

Then the first issues are filling two holes on the o-line, adding team speed, especially on offense, and of course what to do at quarterback. We’ll start with QB today and discuss the others throughout March.

Sports 101: Alabama and Purdue each have a most-in-history three alumni QBs who led their teams to a Super Bowl win. Name those players.

News Item – Patriots QB Question: I know Mac Jones was awful last year. But, since this is going to be a two-year rebuild at the least, my general feeling is unless they can get the guy, they are better off filling in as many other holes as they can before bringing in the long-term solution next year. Because having the infrastructure in place first gives young QBs a much better shot at success.

I’m OK with a short-term solution like Baker Mayfield. But, and I know I’m probably crazy, I can live with seeing what Mac can do with actual talent at the skill positions if he wins the job in camp. It nags at me why he was pretty good in 2021 and hadn’t been since.

Maybe because I know what Jim Plunkett became (again) after he was run out amid howling fandom and Mac’s situation is similar. Besides, if he’s bad again, they’ll likely be at the top of the draft to make it easier to draft or trade for a good one.

News Item – Crazy New College Hoops World: With the NCAA Basketball Tourney on the horizon, raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of St. Mary’s College. For those of us who complain that nothing changes among the top teams, tiny St. Mary’s from Morgana, California, (wherever that is) headed to the dance after somehow climbing to be ranked 21st in the country.

The Numbers:

0.9 – assists per game Denver center Nikola Jokic is away from becoming the third player in NBA history to average a triple down in a season with per game averages of 26 points, 12.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists.

… Of the Week Awards

Honors – Buddy Teevens: Nice to see Dartmouth will rename its football field Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field to honor their late coach who died last September from injuries suffered in an off-season bicycle accident.

Thanks for the Memories – Matthew Slater: Upon his retirement after 16 years of stellar play on Patriots special teams and overall leadership. Well done, young fella.

Thumbs Up – Scot Pollard: For news the short-time Celtic came through heart transplant surgery well last week. It followed an arduous search for a heart large enough to support the demands of his 7-foot frame.

A Little History –The Historic 100-Point Game: March 2 is the anniversary of WiltChamberlain’s seemingly impossible 100-point game in a 169-147 win over the Knicks in 1962. Here are a few interesting facts.

It was a “visiting home” game in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with no TV broadcast or any film of the game at all. The notoriously bad free throw-shooting Wilt was 28 for 32 from the line and 36 on (a whopping) 63 FG attempts. Three Knicks players, Richie Guerin (39), Cleveland Buckner (33) and Willie Naulls (31), scored 30+. And, oh by the way, Wilt had 25 rebounds as well.

Random Thoughts:

I don’t know if any NBA team has ever had three guys from the same NCAA championship-winning team like the Knicks have in Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart from the 2016 Villanova team. That’s kinda cool.

Sports 101 Answer: The six SB winning QBs are, from Alabama, Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler, and from Purdue, Len Dawson, Bob Griese and Drew Brees.

Final Thought – Spring Baseball Update: A curious side note to the opening of spring training is the plight of Blake Snell. That the reigning NL Cy Young winner remains unsigned in free agency is a surprise to some. But given his asking of $30 million per for nine years, it may be a sign folks in baseball are not always as dumb as they’ve acted since 1976. Yes, he won his second Cy in 2023, but with a measly 14 wins. Big deal. And between 2023 and when he won his 21-5 Cy Young year of 2018 he was 25-26 and never won more than eight games, which came in 2022, when he lost 10 times. So who in their right mind would give this 31-year-old a nine-year deal, especially when he’s averaged just 23 starts his last five seasons?

Well, actually giant money has often been wasted on guys coming off a big season they never matched again. But for once it appears sanity temporarily reigns.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

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