Category: News

This Week 25/01/30

Thursday, Jan. 30

Guitarist Ace Frehley, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and founding member of Kiss, will perform at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) tonight at 8 p.m. This tour commemorates his 10th full-length solo album, 10,000 Volts. Tickets start at $75.

Friday, Jan. 31

Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St., Manchester, 836-6600, bookerymht.com) will host a Friday Night Jam tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. Attend in person or participate online. This is a monthly hybrid open mic event featuring performances by poets, writers, musicians and performance artists. Admission and performance are free, on a first-come-first-served basis. Visit bookerymht.com/our-events.

Saturday, Feb. 1

New cosplay, convention and travel store CosMom ConShop (100 Main St., Nashua, 438-0497, cosmomconshop.com) will celebrate its grand opening today, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. with tabletop games, video games, tarot readings, poetry readings and birthday cake. Come in costume to compete for prizes and to have your picture taken.

Saturday, Feb. 1

Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester, 206-3888, chunkys.com) will host a Roper Romp “Paint” Party tonight at 7:30 p.m., celebrating the character from the 1970s Three’s Company television series. Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite Helen Roper caftan .Reruns of the beloved sitcom will play throughout the event. Tickets are $45.

Saturday, Feb. 1

The New Hampshire Historical Society (30 Park St., Concord, 228-6688, nhhistory.org) will host a lecture today at 2 p.m.: “The Mammoth Road: New Hampshire Folk Tales as an Avenue to Local History and Culture.” Join genealogist, historian and librarian Erin Moulton to hear folk tales collected by the New Hampshire Women’s Federation in 1932 and dig into local resources in search of truths. Was it tall tale or town history? Admission is free for Society members and $10 for nonmembers. No registration is required.

Saturday, Feb. 1

The 20th New Hampshire Theatre Awards will be presented this evening at the Chubb Theatre (Chubb Theatre at CCA, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) beginning at 7 p.m. This will be a gala celebrating the finest achievements in New Hampshire’s vibrant theater scene. This prestigious event honors excellence in all major categories, from acting and directing to design and production. Tickets are $48.75, through the Capitol Center website.

Save the Date! Saturday, Feb. 8
There will be MMA action in Manchester when Combat Zone MMA returns to the the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., 644-5000, snhuarena.com). Combat Zone MMA events feature some of the world’s most skilled and talented mixed martial artists. From jaw-dropping knockouts to intense grappling matches, every fight is a showcase of skill, strength, and determination. Tickets start at $64 through GoTickets.com.

Featured photo: Ace Frehley.

Quality of Life 25/01/30

One way to wake up on a Monday morning

According to the United States Geological Survey (usgs.gov), there was a 3.8 magnitude (wmr) earthquake at 10:22 a.m. Monday, Jan. 27, off the coast of Kittery, Maine. It was felt throughout southern Maine and eastern New Hampshire and as far away as the Canadian border.

QOL score: +1, for the novelty

Comment: According to the USGS, an earthquake of this magnitude is generally “felt quite noticeably by persons indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings. Many people do not recognize it as an earthquake. Standing motor cars may rock slightly. Vibration similar to the passing of a truck.” Visit earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map.

Missing

As reported by WMUR in a Jan. 26 online article, a half-ton historical marker has disappeared in Henniker. A granite slab and plaque dedicated to the historic Ocean Born Mary House disappeared sometime within the past few months. WMUR quoted Sue Fitzer, a Henniker Historical Society board member. “Where is the marker and who took it and why and where is it? Because we’d really like it back,” she said. The stone slab is over 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 1,000 pounds, the story said.

QOL score: -1

Comment: WMUR reported that replacing the marker would cost approximately $2,000. There is a $500 reward for information leading to the marker’s return; ontact the Henniker Police Department.

Flu season

According to a Jan. 26 online story by WMUR, New Hampshire has one of the highest rates of respiratory illness risk in the United States. WMUR reported that “the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services says it’s recorded 11 adult deaths so far this flu season.” At this time, health officials are especially concerned with flu cases. The article quoted Dr. Lukas Kolm, Medical Staff president and director of emergency services at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. “Even though we’ve had an uptick in Covid cases, I haven’t seen the same severity and symptoms as for the flu,” Kolm said.

QOL score: -2

Comment: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists New Hampshire as one of three states with high respiratory illness risk per its latest data,” WMUR reported, “alongside New Jersey and Wisconsin. The latest numbers show Covid-19 and RSV viruses are also having their own smaller bumps at the same time as the flu.”

Tracking down yetis

The Southern New Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Haverhill Bank, wants you to take selfies with yetis. According to a post on the Chamber’s Facebook page, from Feb. 17 until March 9 people who take pictures of themselves with yetis at participating business throughout the area and post them online will be entered into a raffle to win prizes, including a cruise vacation for two. Cindi Woodbury, executive director of the Southern New Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, told Patch.com, “The Great Yeti Quest isn’t just about finding Yetis — it’s about discovering new ways to support local businesses.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: For a complete list of participating businesses and full contest details, visit linktr.ee/SouthernNHChamber.

QOL score: 55

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 54

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

Let us know at [email protected].

KC and Philly in SB 59

The Big Story – The Super Bowl Match-up is Set: The Kansas City Chiefs’ effort to outdo the Patriots dynasty continued Sunday by beating Buffalo again when it counted, this time 32-29, to give themselves a chance to be the first team to win three straight Super Bowls. They’ll try to do that in a rematch of SB 57 thanks to the Eagles crushing Washington 55-23 in the NFC title game.

A win over Philadelphia will put the Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes Chiefs two wins shy of the Pats’ six SB wins and move 29-year-old Mahomes one step closer to matching or passing Tom Brady’s seven titles, all with TB-12 in the booth calling the action for Fox.

Sports 101: Lamar Jackson will find out next week if he’ll be NFL MVP for a third time. Name the six players who’ve won it three or more times already.

News Item – Philly Runs Over Washington: That is what the Eagles did in going for 229 yards on the ground and a league record seven rushing TDs in their 55-23 win over Jayden Daniels and company. Three of those TDs came from Saquon Barkley and three more from QB Jalen Hurts with rookie Will Shipley getting the final one.

Barkley’s first was a 60-yard scamper on Philly’s first play from scrimmage to give him a league record seven TD runs of 60 or more yards in one season. Overall it was 115 yards on 15 carries.

News Item – Red Sox in Free Agency: It was another week of the brass treating their fans like they’re stupid by talking a good game and doing nothing as the Dodgers signed the best closer on the market, 23-year-old Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, and Alex Bregman is looking like he could be headed back to Houston.

News Item – NBA Feb. 6 Trade Deadline Predictions:

Portland refugee Lob it to Robert Williams is reunited with Ime Udoka via a trade to the surging Houston Rockets.

Despite sinking in the west, Golden State holds on to dynasty relic Draymond Green six months after losing Klay Thompson for nothing.

Pat Riley doesn’t give in to petulant Jimmy Butler and give himthe ticket out of Miami he wants.

Brad Stevens has Celtics fans saying “I hope you’re right” when he does little to add to his bench.

The Numbers:

11.9 – far short of the 75 percent needed for election, percent of voters saying Dustin Pedroia belongs in Cooperstown.

18 – after sitting on the bench for over seven minutes to start the NFC title game the number of seconds it took the Eagles offense to score when Barkley ran for that 60-yard TD.

… Of the Week

Thumbs Up – Josh McDaniels Returns as Patriot OC: He’s not the New Age thinker Ben Johnson is but he has the championship resume and after doing a great job with Mac Jones in his rookie year he’s a good fit for Drake Maye.

Thumbs Down – Notre Dame: After their championship game loss to Ohio State USA Today’s Dan Wolken reported a locker-room scene with players cursing out reporters for asking questions they didn’t like, him being threatened as he left and ND staffers contributing to the chaos.

Why Can’t We Get Guys Like That Award – JuJu Smith-Schuster: The latest recent ex-Patriot to do something big in the playoffs was Ju Ju coming up with two huge catch-and-runs of 32 and 29 yards on separate drives KC cashed in for TDs vs. Buffalo.

What a Stupid I Yam Awards – Me: Whiffed on both predictions for last weekend’s games.

Random Thoughts:

Earth to Tony Romo – It’s true no QB has ever led his team to three straight Super Bowl wins as he reminded us Mahomes is trying to do. But the Super Bowl is just a fancy name for winning the NFL Championship and Bart Starr and Green Bay did that in 1965, ’66 and ’67.

Sports 101 Answer:Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre and Tom Brady all won MVP three times, while Aaron Rodgers did it four times and Peyton Manning five.

Final Thought – Last Week’s Hall of Fame Voting: The biggest takeaway should be to take away the voting rights of the only person who voted against Ichiro to prevent the Japanese great from being the second unanimous selection behind Mariano Rivera. Of course Willie Mays had people who voted against him, so my grandfather was right when he said there are more horses’ behinds in the world than there are horses. But congrats to CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, who deserved their selections as well. And the same people who let steroids enabler Bud Selig breeze in still held it against three high-profile users who Bud looked the other way on during his watch in A-Rod, Manny Ramirez and Andy Pettitte. If Bud’s in, they should be too.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

News & Notes 25/01/30

JetBlue to FL

On Jan. 23, JetBlue launched service from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport with flights to Orlando International Airport as well as seasonal flights to other Florida airports. The Orlando flights will be year-round and daily, according to a press release on the airport’s website. Flights to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers (three times weekly) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (four times weekly) will be seasonal, the release said.

Math & science teachers

Five New Hampshire teachers received the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, according to a Jan. 22 press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education. The awards were announced the previous week by former President Joe Biden and honor teachers from the 2021, 2022 and 2023 award application cycles, the release said. The teachers are John Tietjen from Lebanon HIgh School (for 2021); John Blackwell from Phillips Exeter Academy (for 2021); Susan Leifer from Mast Way School in Lee (2022); Joanne Goelzer from Coe-Brown Northwood Academy (2023) and Sandra Swiechowicz from Raymond High School (2023). For more information on the awards, see paemst.org.

Lotto scam

The office of New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella issued a Consumer Alert for New Hampshire residents regarding a rise in reports of scammers perpetrating lottery and sweepstakes scams, according to a press release. “In these scams, a scammer contacts the victim and falsely claims that the victim has won a lottery or sweepstakes, such as the Publishers Clearing House (PCH) sweepstakes. The scammer tells the victim that before the prize money can be issued, the victim must pay certain fees upfront, such as taxes, legal fees, or processing fees. In many cases, the scammer instructs the victim to pay these fees by wire transfer, Bitcoin ATM, or prepaid gift or debit cards. In two recent reports, the scammers demanded fees in increments of $8,500,” the release said. The release said the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes never calls in advance to tell you that you’ve won and if you receive a call claiming to be from the sweepstakes, hang up and call Publishers Clearing House at 800-392-4190. Also, generally, “You will never have to pay a fee to claim a prize from any legitimate sweepstakes or lottery,” the release said. Report the scam to your local police department, the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau of the Attorney General’s Office at 271-3641, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Adult and Aging Services at 1-800-949-0470 or to doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints/index.htm, the release said.

The Last Ice, a short documentary by New Hampshire science teacher Greg Stott and Vermont filmmaker Nick Natale, will screen Friday, Feb. 7, at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord (starhop.com) as part of this month’s Super Stellar Friday programing, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Stott, the 2023 NH Charitable Foundation recipient of the Christa McAuliffe Sabbatical award, used his sabbatical to make a film about the last ice age and its effect on the Connecticut River Valley, according to the website. Admission costs $13 for adults, $12 for 62+ and ages 13 through college, and $10 for ages 3 to 12.

The Center for the Arts in New London will host master fly fisher Scott Biron on Monday, Feb. 17, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the art of fly tying, according to a press release. See centerfortheartsnh.org.

Sunday, Feb. 2, is the final day to view the exhibit “Dan Dailey: Impressions of the Human Spirit,” featuring the works of the “New Hampshire artist whose creative ideas and innovations in glass have expanded the canon of art,” at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester; currier.org). The show will feature more than 75 of Dailey’s pieces, according to a Currier press release. The Currier is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Recycled Percussion will perform four shows this weekend at the Nashua Center for the Arts — Saturday, Feb. 1, at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 2, at 1 and 5 p.m. See nashuacenterforthearts.com.

This Week 25/01/23

Thursday, Jan. 23

There will be an author talk at the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., Nashua, 589-4600, nashualibrary.org) tonight from 6 to 7 p.m., “The United States of Cryptids.” From the legendary Bigfoot to the obscure Snallygaster, writer J. W. Ocker uncovers the bizarre stories of these creatures and investigates how communities have embraced and celebrated their local cryptids. This event is free and open to the public.

Friday, Jan. 24

Esperanza Spaulding, one of the greatest jazz bassists playing today, will take the stage at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $59 and are available through the Center’s website.

Friday, Jan. 24

The curtain rises on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. presented by the Majestic Academy of Youth/Teens (majestictheatre.net) at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway, Derry) tonight through Sunday, Jan. 26. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. tonight; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25; and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost $12 to $16.

Saturday, Jan. 24

There will be a Puzzle Swap at the Derry Public Library (64 E. Broadway, Derry, 432-6140, derrypl.org) today from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Love puzzles? This program is for you! You can donate your old puzzle to our puzzles, and take a new one home with you, whether you’re just taking a puzzle or leaving one. All are welcome.

Saturday, Jan. 24

Positive Street Art (48 Bridge St., Nashua, 589-9003, positivestreetart.org) will host a reception this evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Artists Michelle Peterson, Laura Zorawovicz, Dei Xhrist and Yasamin Safarzadeh will present a body of work one year in the making. Webs, wool and wood, mostly collected from rural spaces, some from commercial salvage, have been claimed and reworked. This event will include an orchestral performance by NH Philharmonic instrumentalist lead Nicholas So, a sound art piece by Dei Xhrist, and a string figure performance piece.

Saturday, Jan. 25

The Hooksett Winter Carnival will take place at the Hooksett Memorial School (5 Memorial Drive, Hooksett, 485-9890, memorial.sau15.net) today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be entertainment, vendors, snowshoeing, a bonfire with s’mores, a blood drive and more. Visit k16021.site.kiwanis.org/hooksett-winter-carnival.

Sunday, Jan. 26

Japan’s famous Yamato Drummers will perform at the Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) this afternoon beginning at 4 p.m. Tickets start at $38, through the Capitol Center’s website.

Save the Date! Saturday, Feb. 1

Queen City Black Market will be an event focused on the alternative, antique and oddity culture in New Hampshire. It will be held at the Henry J. Sweeney American Legion Post #2 (251 Maple St., Manchester, 623-9145, sweeneypost.org) on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 1 to 8 p.m. The market will pay homage to the alternative, punk, goth, DIY-scene in New Hampshire & New England. “Come join us and 20+ weirdo vendors” with a cash bar and food trucks, said the eventbrite page. Visit eventbrite.com to reserve a spot.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 25/01/23

What about “Clear-o-Pathra”?

The results are in. On Monday, Jan. 13, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation announced the winners of this year’s “Name a Plow” contest to find official names for some of its snowplows. “After receiving 975 name suggestions and over 3,000 votes from across the state,” the agency posted on its Facebook page (facebook.com/NHDOT), “we are excited to showcase the ingenuity and humor of our Granite Staters.” The New Hampshire public suggested possible names in one round of voting in December, then chose from a slate of those names in another vote. The winning names were CTRL-SALT-DELETE with 21 percent of the votes, Tomie dePlowa and Live Free and Plow with 15 percent each, followed by Adam Sander and 6 Snow 3 with 13 percent each, The Big Leplowski with 12 percent, and Fritz Plowerbee with 11 percent.

QOL score: +1

Comment: In its announcement, the NHDOT reminded drivers “to give snowplows plenty of room to work!”

Cash, boom bang

In cooperation with the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, popular percussion-based band Recycled Percussion surprised students at Charlotte Avenue School in Nashua on Friday, Jan. 17 with a concert. The school was also presented with a check of $2,500 from the Lottery Commission. According to a Jan. 17 press release from the Commission, “the Charlotte Avenue Elementary School was randomly selected through a New Hampshire Lottery Facebook contest that generated over 800 entries.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: “Recycled Percussion is known as the original junk rock band and originally formed in Goffstown, NH,” the press release read. “The group performs across the globe using instruments built from recycled materials. Recycled Percussion placed third on season four of America’s Got Talent in 2009 and had a residency in Las Vegas for 10 years.”

More broadband coverage

As reported by Nashua Ink Link in a Jan.13 online article, New Hampshire is halfway toward meeting its goal to provide broadband service to more than 40,000 unserved or underserved addresses across the state. “The project, part of $122 million provided to the state for broadband under ARPA’s Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, must connect a total of 48,016 homes and businesses by the end of 2026,” the article read. In a press release, Taylor Caswell, the Commissioner of the state Department of Business and Economic Affairs, was quoted as saying, “As of Dec. 1, about 28,000 addresses, or 58 percent, now have access to high speed, reliable internet access. This was an historic investment and the results are significant.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the same press release, “Well over 1,000 miles of fiber was installed, much of it in rural towns, but also places like the summit of Mount Washington, to help operations and communications at the state park and for the meteorologists at the Mt. Washington Observatory.” See nheconomy.com.

QOL score: 52

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 55

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

Let us know at [email protected].

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