Category: News

Quality of Life 25/09/11

A little off the back, and not so fluffy

WMUR reported in a Sept. 5 online article that a family of baby squirrels was rescued from a Manchester barbershop on Tuesday, Sept. 2. “[The squirrels] had become trapped inside the wall of a local barbershop after a repair accidentally sealed them in, locking their mother out,” the story read. Staff at the barbershop became aware of the problem — presumably by frantic scratching on both sides of the wall — and re-opened the wall.

QOL score: +1 for a happy ending

Comment: “Manchester Animal Control safely removed the babies and reunited them with their mother,” WMUR reported.

Emu spotted

The Concord Monitor reported in a Sept. 5 online article that an unidentified emu was spotted near the shore of Penacook Lake in Concord on Wednesday, Sept. 3. “The owner of the emu is still unknown,” the Monitor story read. “Authorities from the Concord Police Department said no one has reported an emu missing. While not their normal missing animal post, Granite State Dog Recovery did alert its followers that the emu was spotted on the loose in Concord. ‘Is anyone missing an emu?’ the alert read.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Good luck catching the emu. According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo website, “The emu is a fast runner and can reach speeds of up to 31 mph (50 km/hr). Their long legs enable them to walk considerable distances or outrun danger. Emus are also strong swimmers.”

Butterfly survey

In a Sept. 1 press release New Hampshire Audubon (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, 224-9909, nhaudubon.org) conveyed the results of its Butterfly Survey earlier this summer. “On July 26, 32 volunteers divided into 5 teams and surveyed 14 sites across the Capitol Area,” the statement read. “Together, NH Audubon volunteers and staff counted a total of 482 individual butterflies of 35 species.” While fewer species were spotted this year than in 2024, that might be explained by our extremely wet spring, followed by the area’s hot, dry summer, the report concluded.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Highlights included “two Common Sootywing — a species which is uncommon in New Hampshire … [and] the newly described Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail,” the Audubon said.

QOL score last week: 69

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 72

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Roman’s empire falls

The Big Story – Roman Anthony: We were going to ask this week if a guy who was brought up from AAA in early June could be considered in the MVP race. Because, while Roman Anthony’s .292, 48 runs, 18 doubles, 8 homers and 32 RBI season numbers in 71 games won’t match Seattle’s Cal Raleigh or Yankee Aaron Judge, given how it all turned around for the staggering Red Sox from the day he arrived he certainly embodied the phrase “valuable.”

But instead, after suffering one of the most damaging local sports injuries in recent years, the rookie star is likely out for the rest of the year thanks to the lat muscle he strained last week.

They lost the first three without him. But after Sunday’s 7-4 comeback win over Arizona, they were 1.5 behind the Yanks for the top wild card spot with a 3.5-game lead over Seattle for the second wild card spot.

Sports 101: Which two players hold the all-time record for hitting the most homers in September in one season with 17?

News Item – Aroldis Chapman: As the week began he hadn’t allowed a run his last 18 appearances. The last was Sunday when he struck out four batters in the ninth after one of the K pitches got by the catcher to let the batter get to first after the swing and miss. Astonishingly he’s given up just one run in his last 35 appearances. Which leaves him with a 0.95 ERA with 29 saves and 81 strikeouts in just 55.0 innings.

News Item – Alumni News:

Down Goes Belichick: To say his college debut was inauspicious is a massive understatement. At least that’s what a 48-14 loss to TCU at home says to most of us. UNC did rebound with a 20-3 win over Charlotte.

Kyle Schwarber: He became the 21st player to hit four bombs in a game with his historic four-homer, nine-RBI day in a 19-4 win over Atlanta. It gave him 180 for the Phillies since the Sox let him walk for the same $20 million per they gave to Masataka Yoshida, who’s hit just 37 for Boston.

Duran Harmon: The clutch Patriot safety with the knack for making game-clinching interceptions for the three Super Bowl winners announced he was retiring after 11 years in the NFL, seven with the Patriots. A job well done.

The Numbers

6 – seconds into the season it took Philly DL Jalen Carter to be ejected after spitting at Cowboys QB Dak Prescott.

121 – pitches thrown by 42-year-old Justin Verlander in just five innings as he hung in long enough to pick up his 265th career win when SF downed Baltimore 13-2.

… Of the Week Awards

Comeback of the Week – Orioles Stun Dodgers: With Yoshinobu Yamamoto one out away from a no-hitter and L.A. up 3-0 disaster struck. First Jackson Holliday homered to end the no-hit bid. Then L.A. manager Dave Roberts yanked a guy who made one bad pitch all night in favor of two struggling relievers who then gave the game away as Baltimore won it 4-3 helped by stat geek managing over common sense by Roberts.

Anniversary of the Week – Cal Ripken: That magical Orioles win also came on the 30th anniversary of the glorious 1995 night at Camden Yard when Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s record for most consecutive games played.

Immaculate Inning of the Week: San Diego’s Mason Miller did it by striking out three Baltimore batters on nine total pitches with an awesome slider in the eighth inning of a 7-5 loss.

Thumbs Down – The Great Montreal Goalie Ken Dryden Passes: I’m no hockey expert but I do know dazzling when I see it and that’s what he was when as a rookie with six career NHL games under his belt he shut down the unstoppable Bruins in the 1971 Stanley Cup playoffs before beating Chicago for the Cup. He went on to win five more as Montreal dominated most of the 1970s. He succumbed to cancer at 78. RIP.

Random Thoughts:

While he had a big day (169 yards rushing and two TDs) in Baltimore’s shocking last-second 41-40 collapse to Buffalo on Sunday night, can’t believe Derrick Henry was in just 19th place on the all-time rushing list when 2025 started and still needs over 7,000 more to catch all-time leader Emmitt Smith.

Sports 101 Answer: Albert Belle hit his record-tying 17 September homers in 1995 when he became the only player to hit 50 doubles and 50 homers in the same season. For Babe Ruth he needed all 17 to set the then all-time homer record of 60 in 1927.

Final Thought – Coach B Bans Pats Scouts From UNC Practices: A question and a comment.

How does that help the players you’re supposed to be trying to help get to the NFL, Bill? You’re acting like a fool and a crybaby. You’re 73 — time to grow up buddy.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 25/09/11

EEE

A batch of mosquitoes collected in Manchester on Aug. 27 has tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis virus, according to a Sept. 5 press release from the Manchester Health Department. The batch was the first this year (and the first since 2019) to test positive for EEE, the release said. There have been seven batches this season to test positive for West Nile virus, the release said. The city is currently listed at “moderate” risk level for mosquito-borne disease and the health department will continue mosquito surveillance into October, the release said. The Health Department recommends that people use a mosquito repellant, avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk and remove standing water around their homes, the release said. “Adult mosquitoes can be active through the first ‘hard frost’ of the season,” the release said. See manchesternh.gov/departments/health for updates and for information about both viruses.

Road work

Expect nighttime lane closures for the next two months in the westbound travel lanes between mile markers 69.3 and 65.4 in Auburn and Candia on Route 101 for pavement resurfacing, according to a New Hampshire Department of Transportation press release. The construction will take place between 7:30 p.m. and 5 a.m., the release said. See newengland511.org for traffic updates.

‘Civics at the Cinema’

NHPR’s Civics 101 will present Civics at the Cinema at Red River Theatres in Concord, featuring screening of four government- and civics-related films and post-film discussions with Civics 101 hosts Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, according to a theater email. Tickets cost $15 general admission. The lineup of screenings on upcoming Saturdays at 10 a.m. is Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) on Sept. 13; All the President’s Men (1976) on Sept. 27; Network (R, 1976) on Oct. 11 and Election (R, 1999) on Oct. 25. See redrivertheatres.org.

Free music

Both the City of Manchester as submitted by City Year New Hampshire and the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord are finalists for a Levitt Music Series Grant, which will provide “matching grant funds for free outdoor concerts,” according to press releases from those organizations and a post on the Levitt Music Series Facebook page. Vote for up to five proposals through 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, at levitt.org/vote or by texting “877-409-5525 using the proposal’s unique keyword,” the post said (each proposal’s keyword is given at the website). Manchester’s proposal would bring a free concert series to Veterans Memorial Park, according to the Levitt website. The Capitol Center’s proposal “would help bring a series of 10 outdoor concerts to Concord each year for … three years starting in 2026” according to an email from the center.

Concord Community Concert Association will open its season at the Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St. in Concord, on Friday, Sept. 12, with “Bach & The Brandenburgs – Acronym Baroque Ensemble,” described as “a feast of musical delights in its CCCA debut … [whose] members perform on strings, violas da gamba, theorbo and keyboards,” according to the Association’s website. Tickets cost $20 at the door or $24 at ccca-audi.org.

Mosaic Art Collective, 66 Hanover St., Suite 201, Manchester, mosaicartcollective.com, will hold an artist reception on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 4 to 8 p.m. for the exhibition “Full Circle 2025,” which will run through Friday, Sept. 26. The show reflects “on growth, transformation, and creative milestones,” according to the website. See Saw Art, a 120-square-foot exhibition space within Mosaic Art Collective, will also hold an opening reception on Sept. 13 from 4 to 8 p.m. for “As a Bright Star Unseen” featuring works by Caleb Swann, which will run through Sunday, Sept. 28.

Nashua Multicultural Festival will take place Sunday, Sept. 14, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Nashua Public Library. The event is described as family-friendly and will feature art, dance, music and food, according to nashuanh.gov/1237/ Nashua-Multicultural-Festival.

This Week 25/09/04

Friday, Sept. 5

The 36th Annual Hampton Beach Seafood Festival will kick off today from noon to 9 p.m. and continue Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 7, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Ocean Boulevard (Center Beach) in Hampton Beach. The weekend will feature an extensive line-up of live music, kicking off with Mica’s Groove Train today at 1:30 p.m., a lobster roll eating competition on Sunday, fireworks Saturday evening, a 5K on Sunday, culinary demonstrations, a cornhole competition on Saturday, crafters and, of course, seafood, according to seafoodfestivalnh.com, where you can see the planned menus for the festival’s food vendors. Find multiple lobster roll and chowder vendors, as well as items such as a lobster slider from Charlie’s Tap House, Scallops wrapped in bacon from the Purple Urchin, fried lobster tails from Ray’s Seafood Restaurant and oysters from Swell Oysters, according to the website which also lists lots of non-seafood and dessert food options.

Friday, Sept. 5

The theme for September’s First Friday in downtown Concord is “‘Fall’ in Love with Concord.” The event takes place ,along Main Street from 4 to 8 p.m. Food trucks will be on site from Batulo’s Kitchen, Kona Ice, and Teenie Wienies. There will be free yoga on the Statehouse lawn, live music from Tyler Levs, and a children’s entrepreneur market. Visit firstfridayconcord.com/september.

Saturday, Sept. 6

The 20th annual Pedaling for Payson, a bicycle-centered fundraising event to benefit Nurse Navigation at the Payson Center for Cancer Care, takes place today starting in the morning at Elm Brook Park in Contoocook. There will be 16-, 30- and 50-mile road rides, 22- and 45-mile gravel rides, a mountain bike loop, a 2-mile short course, and a stationary spin ride. Visit runsignup.com/Race/NH/Contoocook/PedalingforPayson.

Saturday, Sept. 6

Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church (3 Peabody Row, Londonderry, 437-8333, stpeterslondonderry.org) is holding its 38th Fall Artisan Craft Fair today from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and tomorrow, Sunday, Sept. 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 6

The Humane Society for Greater Nashua hosts Wags to Whiskers Festival today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the fields of Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 DW Highway, Merrimack, 595-1202, anheuser-busch.com/breweries/merrimack-nh). This dog-friendly event will feature K9 demonstrations by the Merrimack and Nashua Police Departments, performances by Granite State Disc Dogs and adoption opportunities. Visit hsfn.org/wags-2025.

Sunday, Sept. 7

Guitarist Shaun Hague leads Journeyman,a tribute to Eric Clapton. Catch them today at 4 p.m., BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St, Concord, $35 and up at ccanh.com.

Save the Date! Monday, Sept. 15
The 2025 VoxPop Poetry Slam Finals will erupt onto the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) Monday, Sept. 15, starting at noon. Prepare to be captivated as the city’s sharpest wordsmiths, fiercest spoken word artists and most captivating storytellers go head to head. Tickets are $20 each in advance through the Capitol Center’s website, or $23 at the door.

Quality of Life 25/09/04

Fashion-forward vultures

The New Hampshire Audubon Society announced in an Aug. 18 online article that it is celebrating its newest “”animal ambassador,” a turkey vulture, by sponsoring a T-shirt design contest. “We’re inviting artists, illustrators, designers, and creatives of all kinds to submit original artwork” the announcement read. “The winning design will be printed on the back of the T-shirt (with NH Audubon’s logo on the front) and offered in a variety of colors, like our previous Barred Owl artist-designed shirt.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the announcement, his project is open to New Hampshire-based artists, and submissions must be original artwork and must include the label “Turkey Vulture” somewhere in the design. The deadline is Monday, Sept. 8. Visit nhaudubon.org.

Lights, camera, abduction!

New Hampshire Public radio reported in an Aug. 27 online article that the supposed alien abduction of Barney and Betty Hill in New Hampshire in 1961 is set to become the subject of a feature film starring Demi Moore and Colman Domingo, based on the podcast Strange Arrivals by New Hampshire podcaster Toby Ball. The Hills’ story was one of the first alien abduction stories to receive public attention.

QOL score: +1

Comment: This movie will be made by SeeSaw Pictures.

Colorful foliage predicted

An Aug. 19 forecast by NewEngland.com predicts an especially “vibrant foliage display in New Hampshire this autumn.” Apparently this is a result of this spring’s unusual weather. “It rained (or snowed) for 12 Saturdays in a row! Beautiful weather during the week, then … a wet weekend,” the report read. “If we get a string of warm, sunny days and crisp, clear nights leading up to the trees changing, it will set the stage for a spectacular color show,” the forecast concluded.

QOL score: +1

Comment: If dry conditions persist, the article reported, this foliage season will be brighter but shorter. Visit newengland.com/foliage.

QOL score last week: 66

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 69

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Great sports month ahead

The Big Story – Sept. 1: It’s hard to pick the top story this week because there are two. It’s the opening week of the NFL season and baseball moves into its final month of the pennant chase.

For Patriot Nation, thanks to having a new coach in Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye’s entering his Year 2 season, there’s the excitement of a new season, though it’s tempered by many locals’ having convinced themselves they’re better than they’ll actually be. For Red Sox Nation no other sport matches the day-to-day thrills and chills of a season’s final month when their team is in a heated pennant race, which is where the Red Sox find themselves. So buckle up, because this is the most fun part of the year.

Sports 101: Who returned the most kickoffs (two did it three times) and punts (four) for TDs in Patriots history?

News Item – 5 Keys to Patriots’ Season

Drake Maye: He needs to take a solid next step in his development.

Rookie Linemen: Will Campbell and Jared Wilson need to deliver on Day 1, which is a lot to expect from rookies.

The CB Are Keys to the Defense: Media maven Greg Bedard thinks the defense is the biggest problem area. He sees them more than me, but I think it’s the opposite, provided that Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis are healthy and can add the shutdown element that gives the improved pass rush more time to get to the QB.

TreVeyon Henderson: If he’s as good as he looked in pre-season it gives them a play maker and real depth in the backfield.

Milton Williams is worth the money.

News Item – Interesting 2025 NFL Stories to Follow

Travis Hunter:Can he play on both sides of the ball on this level?

The Coaching Hot Seat – Who Gets Fired First: BrianDaboll (Giants), Kevin Stefanski (Browns), Zac Taylor (Bengals) and others are in play. Having three disappointing season endings on the resume, my first choice, Miami’s Mike McDaniel, recently got an extension until 2028.

Pete Carroll in Las Vegas: It’s interesting minority owner Tom Brady passed on picking 73-year-old Bill Belichick to coach LV in favor of picking the even older by 200 days Carroll.

The Numbers:

22 – Maye’s rank among starting QBs to start the season in a recent poll by The Athletic of 40 NFL coaches and executives.

33 – career NFL wins Andy Reid needs to pass Belichick for second most all-time, which at the current Reid-Mahomes pace would happen sometime in 2028.

245 – career TD passes after eight seasons for soon to be 30-year-old Patrick Mahomes. Career TD leader Brady had 197 at the same point in his career.

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Down – Eliot Wolf: The latest evidence that the Pats’ VP of Personnel is completely asleep at the switch came last week when he let the Packers trade for unhappy Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons. They could/should have beaten the price of two first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark GB gave up to get him. And with the most cap room in the NFL they could have matched the whopping salary Parsons got as well. This is a much worse miss than Craig Breslow’s not getting a starter at the trade deadline, because nobody he was after was what Parsons is — a gettable franchise-changing talent.

Random Thoughts:

Can’t figure out who Efton Chisholm III reminds me of — Wes Welker or one-time Jets pain in the butt Wayne Chrebet.

Sports101 Answer: With four, Julian Edelman has the most punt returns for Patriots TDs. Raymond Clayborn (all in 1977) and Ellis Hobbs (2006, ’07 and ’08) are the TD kickoff leaders with three each.

Final Thought – Predictions

Biggest Surprise – Jacksonville: Because Trevor Lawrence finally has a season that lives up to the billing.

Biggest Disappointment:Thanks to its owner trading his best player too late to reap immediate benefits and the annual Dak Prescott injury, Dallas has my Cowboys-loving friend George Copadis in despair as they plummet to the bottom of the NFC East. But at least we’ll get to see how good Joe Milton actually is.

The Geezer QB Follies: We’ll see the Giants’ latest QB disaster, where the over-under for Russell Wilson’s benching is Game 10. Ditto for what’s likely a one and done season for Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh.

MVP:Unless he gets hurt from running too recklessly, Jayden Daniels.

Rookie of the Year: Defense, Abdul Carter (NYG).Offense, Ashton Jeanty (LVR).

Drake Maye:With 25 TD passes and 14 interceptions he comes close to Brady’s 28 and career-high 14 picks in Year 2 as a starter.

The Patriots: It won’t satisfy the media yackers who are expecting a 4-13 team to become a playoff team out of thin air. But they improve four games to 8-9 in Vrabel’s first year.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

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