Category: News

This Week 26/07/23

Thursday, July 23

Organized by the Merrimack Valley Military Vehicle Collectors Club, the Weare Rally will run today through Saturday, July 25, at Center Woods School (14 Center Road, Weare). The rally features military vehicle displays, scenic rides, demonstrations, food and more, according to mvmvc.org.

Friday, July 24

The Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo runs today through Sunday, July 26, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St. in Manchester). The event features tattoo artists, daily contests, vendors, live music, food and performances, according to livefreeordietattoo.com, where you can find a schedule and purchase tickets.

Friday, July 24

Tickets are still available to maybe one of the greatest summer blockbusters ever? Go see 1975’s Jawsand then discuss. The movie will screen nightly today through Wednesday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Chunky’s in Manchester, according to chunkys.com, where you can purchase tickets.

Saturday, July 25

TheKinfolk Music & Arts Festival, described as “A day where reggae drifts into roots, jam bands run into songwriters, and by the end of the day it somehow all makes perfect sense,” will take place today from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Ragged Mountain Resort in Danbury, according to raggedmountainresort.com/event-overview, where you can purchase tickets. The lineup of musicians includes headliner Mihali as well as Joe Samba, Roots of Creation, Van Gordon Martin, King Kyote, Strange Machines, Mike Jetti Trio, Nate Ramos, Steve Rondo and Brendan Clemente as artist at large, the website said. The day will feature 65 artisan booths, interactive activities and demos, family fun, food trucks, a beer garden and more, according to a press release about the event.

Saturday, July 25

The Second Annual Five Senses Tour at Tiffany Gardens, a fundraiser for Community Caregivers of Greater Derry, will take place today and tomorrow, Sunday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the private Tiffany Gardens, a one-acre residential garden with more than 20 garden beds, according to comcaregivers.org/garden-tour, where you can purchase tickets.

Saturday, July 25

The Manchester Craft Market at the Mall of New Hampshire will hold its Local Author Book Fair today from noon to 4 p.m., featuring 75 New England area authors, according to manchestercraftmarket.com, where you can preorder some of the books.

Saturday, July 25

New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord) will hold the Capital Area Butterfly Survey on Saturday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to nhaudubon.org, where you can register to participate.

Wednesday, July 29

Celebrate the life and work of New Zealand actor Sam Neill at a screening of Jurassic Park tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Red River Theatres, 11 S. Main St. in Concord. See redrivertheatres.org.

Save the Date! Thursday, July 30
Get a taste of the New Hampshire Film Festival (2026’s is in October) on Thursday, July 30, at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre in Manchester for “The New Hampshire Film Festival Presents: NHFF Short Films — Best of the Fest part 1,” according to palacetheatre.org, where you can purchase tickets. The films include previous Film Festival entries, including shorts Jury Award winners and Festival Award winners, according to the website.

Featured image: Mihali in a photo from mihalimusic.com

Sox win streak hits 13

The Big Story – Sox Stay Hot: The scalding hot Red Sox pushed World Cup soccer out of the top story again. The Sox’ winning streak that started the day Jaylen Brown got traded hit a third best in franchise history 13 games after they swept the AL East-leading Rays coming right out of the All-Star break.

They did it with great pitching and clutch late-game rallies and they’ve even started to hit homers. It’s put them in the third wild card spot and at 50-48 moved them to within six games of Tampa Bay. Who’d have thought that on June 15?

Sports 101: Just two players have had three seasons with 50 or more doubles — name them.

News Item – Spain takes World Cup: The FIFA World Cup was mostly great. But the 1-0 Spain win over defending champion Argentina was a bit of a dud. Spain was so dominant Argentina didn’t get its first shot on goal until the waning minutes of regulation. But despite peppering the goal all game long Spain couldn’t get it past Argentina’s superb goalie Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez, until Ferran Torres finally did for the game winner in the first extra time period.

News Item – Patriots Open Camp: What with just free agency, the draft, a big trade for A.J. Brown and a weeks-long gossip-soaked scandal involving the HC it’s been a quick off-season. It ends Saturday when camp opens for all to see at 10:30 a.m. in Foxboro.

News Item – Caitlin Clark: If you missed it — CC went for 45 and 10 in a 119-107 Indiana win over Seattle to become the first in WNBA history to have a 40-point, 10-assist double-double. To her petty, jealous WNBA detractors: Take that.

The Numbers:

0 – hits by the Red Sox while somehow scoring three runs in the third inning of Sunday’s 6-1 win on four walks, a hit batter, a passed ball and a fielder’s choice.

3:42.66 – time it took Josh Kerr in minutes and seconds to set the world record for the mile run last week in London.

270 – Ryan Fox’s 10 under par British Open winning score finished off a dramatic 18th-hole birdie that pushed him one shot past runner-up Cameron Young.

Game of the Week: That would be Washington’s 23-4 pasting of Oakland as Andres Chaparro drove in eight runs in a two-homer, 4-for-5 night.

A Little History – First Sub-4 Minute Mile: The latest evidence today’s athletes are bigger, faster and stronger came from London when Kerr set that world record for the mile.

As if you could somehow put him into the same race with Roger Bannister on the day he broke the once thought to be unbreakable four-minute mile with his 3:59.4 run on May 6, 1954, RB would have finished an astonishing 46 yards behind Kerr.

For a visual, that is 11 yards farther behind Kerr than Twice a Prince was when finishing second as Secretariat blew away the field by 31 lengths to win the first Triple Crown in 25 years at the 1973 Belmont Stakes. Which, oh by the way, I witnessed in person.

Random Thought: How in the name of Joe Castiglione did Greg Weissert somehow “earn” that win vs. Tampa Bay after entering in the third inning Friday with it tied 3-3? He then pitched to four batters over parts of two innings giving up two hits before getting yanked. But after they rallied to lead 4-3 in the bottom of the third he got the win after getting just two measly outs despite being out-pitched by all five pitchers who followed him.

Sports 101 Answer: The two with three seasons of 50+ doubles are Tris Speaker and Stan Musial, who are also Nos. 1 and 2 respectively in doubles all-time.

Final Thought – World Cup Leftovers:

Most Notable Players: Hey, while that Lionel Messi guy didn’t have a great Final, he’s pretty good. Ditto for French star Kylian Mbappé.

TV Ratings: The 33 million watching U.S.-Belgium was the largest audience ever for an English-speaking soccer broadcast according to World Cup broadcaster Fox Sports.

Financial: In taking in $9 billion worldwide the 2026 FIFA World Cup was the largest sporting event in history. The $27 beer prices tell you all you need to know — gouging on everything was the order of the day.

Commercials: Don’t want to sound like one of those goobers who watch the Super Bowl only for the commercials. But the World Cup’s clear winner were those Lysol ads with women’s star Julie Ertz. She wasintense and funny scaring the bee-jeebers out of hubby/Washington TE Zach Ertz.

Long-Term Impact: It remains to be seen if soccer takes a big step forward in popularity because of the World Cup or it finds its place where track and field is, an amazing spectacle seen just every four years in the Olympics.

Miscellaneous: With 36 different countries and many languages involved, how did the refs know when disgruntled players were swearing at them?

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Quality of Life 26/07/23

Smoky summer

Last week saw hazy, smoky skies from Canadian wildfires. Even as conditions improved toward the weekend, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services declared a Code Orange for air quality on July 18. “A Code Orange Air Quality Alert means that air pollution concentrations may become unhealthy for sensitive groups,” according to a July 17 release. “Sensitive individuals include children and older adults; anyone with lung disease such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis; and people who are active outdoors. Even healthy individuals may experience mild health effects and should consider limiting strenuous or prolonged outdoor activities.”

QOL score: -2

Comments: You can keep an eye on air quality in New Hampshire at des.nh.gov/air, which offers information about current conditions and a forecast for a few days out. Get a look at the rest of the country at the EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map at fire.airnow.gov with explanations for what the color-coded conditions mean at airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics.

We bring tendies to the “Potluck”

For its America 250 speciality issue “America’s Potluck,” America’s Test Kitchen (the group behind Cooks Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines and the PBS series America’s Test Kitchen, among other endeavors) gathered “75+ recipes, representing every state in the USA to celebrate America’s milestone birthday,” according to the magazine’s description. New Hampshire’s contribution: “Puritan Backroom-Style Chicken Tenders” along with a “Puritan Backroom-Style Sweet and Sour Sauce.”

QOL score: +1, for New Hampshire being represented by something actually New Hampshire famous (and tasty!)

Comments:It claims that the tenders take 45 minutes plus 1 hour of marinating time. Or we can use our living-here privilege and just order.

Girl Scouts doing good

The Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains have sent out some recent press releases about Girls Scouts doing good:

• Gold Award Girl Scout Kaelyn Gagnon received a $5,000 scholarship from the Girls Scouts of the USA, according to a July 13 release. “Gagnon, 18, of Manchester, NH, earned the Girl Scout Gold Award last year for creating a Young Athletes Program through Special Olympics in Goffstown,” the release said. “The Special Olympics Young Athletes Program in Goffstown is still running strong today. Gagnon continued volunteering with the program after earning the Gold Award because it is close to her heart.”

• The Girl Scouts at Captain Samuel Douglas Academy elementary school in Brookline earned a Bronze Award for building and painting a new gaga ball pit, according to a July 15 release. According to a statement in the release, “the troop said, ‘We wanted to make a sturdy gaga ball pit that could be used by our current and future classmates.’”

• Annabelle Moriarity of Amherst earned a Silver Award by addressing “book deserts”: “She collected and distributed more than 1,000 books … created book and literacy kits and donated them to public schools in Nashua, the Boys & Girls Clubs, the Nashua Children’s Home, Marguerite’s Place, St. Gianna’s Place, and other community organizations,” according to a July 15 release.

QOL score: +3

Comments: See girlscoutsgwm.org for information about the Girl Scouts.

QOL score last week: 50

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 52

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/07/23

Let us abstain

Don’t eat the recalled iceberg lettuce products from Taylor Fresh Foods, the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Public Health, advised in a July 19 press release. “The lettuce may be contaminated with Cyclospora, a parasite that can cause foodborne illness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that Taylor Fresh Foods is voluntarily recalling certain iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico. To date, DHHS has not identified any cases of cyclosporiasis (Cyclospora infection) in New Hampshire linked to the national outbreak,” the release said.

“The recalled products were distributed to retailers and food service customers, including locations in New Hampshire, between June 29 and July 16, 2026. The FDA website contains a complete list of products and lot numbers. At this time, there is no information indicating that any recalled products were distributed directly to consumers through New Hampshire stores, but restaurants and other food service entities should check their inventory for recalled products,” the release said. Find the list of recalled products at taylorfarms.com (click on “Statement regarding Cyclospora information”) or at fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/taylor-fresh-foods-recalls-iceberg-lettuce-central-mexico-because-possible-health-risk

“People infected with Cyclospora may develop symptoms including watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, and low-grade fever. Symptoms typically begin about one week after consuming contaminated food and can last for several weeks if left untreated. Anyone experiencing these symptoms with potential exposure to recalled lettuce should contact their health care provider,” according to the release, which said the Granite State has recorded six Cyclospora infections in 2026.

New chancellor

The Board of Trustees of the Community College System of New Hampshire have selected Dr. Chuck Lloyd as the next chancellor, according to a July 16 press release. “Dr. Lloyd currently serves as CCSNH’s vice chancellor, a position he has held since 2023. From 2017 to 2023, he was president of White Mountains Community College (WMCC) with campuses in Berlin and Littleton, N.H.” the release said. “Dr. Lloyd was chosen through a search process led by Donnalee Lozeau, chair of the CCSNH Board of Trustees, and unanimously endorsed by the full board,” the release said. Lloyd will begin the role on Aug. 24, with current chancellor Dr. Mark Rubinstein retiring at the end of August, the release said. The Community College System of New Hampshire consists of seven colleges — Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth; Lakes Region Community College in Laconia; Manchester Community College; Nashua Community College; NHTI – Concord’s Community College; River Valley Community College in Claremont, Lebanon and Keene; and White Mountains Community College in Berlin and Littleton — and serves more than 25,000 students annually, the release said. See ccsnh.edu.

Granite State Roller Derby will hold Skate-A-Thon 2026 to celebrate the season’s final public skate at Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Road in Concord, on Sunday, July 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission costs $6, with $6 for skate rental if needed, according to an email from the event organizers. “All proceeds support local women’s flat track derby,” the release said. “The lights will be dimmed, music and party lights will be on, the snack bar will be open, and skating will be a blast.” See granitestaterollerderby.org.

The Goffstown Public Library Foundation will hold a FUNdraiser on Wednesday, July 29, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Remix Skate & Event Center, 725 Huse Road in Manchester, at which “a percentage of each paid admission will go to the Goffstown Public Library Foundation’s mission to raise funds to support the capital needs of the Goffstown Public Library,” according to an email from event organizers. See gplnhfoundation.org/events to purchase tickets.

Colson Whitehead, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Nickel Boys, presents his new book Cool Machine, Book 3 in the Harlem Trilogy, on Friday, July 24, at 7 p.m. at BNH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord) as part of the Author on Main series. Tickets cost $40 via ccanh.com.

The Griffin Free Public Library (griffinfree.org) in Auburn will hold its annual book sale at the Auburn Village School gym on Saturday, July 25, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, July 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the library’s Facebook page.

This Week 26/07/16

Friday, July 17

Need baseball? The Nashua Silver Knights play the Worcester Bravehearts tonight at 6:03 p.m. at Holman Stadium in Nashua, according to nashuasilverknights.com. After the game, stay for the fireworks. Tomorrow, Saturday, July 18, they’ll face the Westfield Starfires, also at 6:03 p.m.

Friday, July 17

Disney’s Frozen will be presented Friday, July 17, through Sunday, July 19, by the Windham Actors Guild at Windham High School, according to windhamactorsguild.com where you can purchase tickets.

Saturday, July 18

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, will hold its annual Classic Car Show today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to a press release. “Admission to the grounds for spectators is $10 per adult; children 12 and under free. Admission is cash only,” the release said. The day will also feature food trucks, and admission to the museum is included with admission to the car show, during the show, the release said. See aviationmuseumofnh.org.

Saturday, July 18

Stratham Summerfest 2026 will take place today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Stratham Hill Park and feature 4-H animal barns, exhibits and more; magic shows, live music, kids’ activities, helicopter exhibits weather permitting, a pie-eating contest and more, according to strathamnh.gov.

Saturday, July 18

Manchester Parks and Recreation will hold the first of four upcoming concerts on Saturdays at 10 a.m. at Livingston Park today with musician Miss Alli between Brigit’s Garden and the playground, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. The concerts are free, the post said.

Saturday, July 18

The BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St. in Concord, will hold a “World Soccer Championship: Third Place Play-Off Viewing Party” today at 4 p.m. Tickets are free but must be obtained at ccanh.com. A “Finals Viewing Party” will take place tomorrow, Sunday, July 19, at 2 p.m.; see the website for tickets.

Saturday, July 18

Mel’s Funway Park, 454 Charles Bancroft Highway in Litchfield, will hold a Pig Roast and Lobster Bake today from 4 to 8 p.m., according to melsfunwaypark.com, where you can purchase tickets (tickets offer different food and activity packages). The event will feature music by DJ Rick, a pig roast, a lobster bake and hamburger and hot dog options, the website said.

Tuesday, July 21

The NH Fisher Cats return to Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester for six games against the Somerset Patriots starting tonight at 6:03 p.m. for a Tender Tuesdays game with a Manchester Chicken Tenders bobblehead available to the first 500 fans, according to milb.com/new-hampshire, where you can purchase tickets.

Save the Date! Thursday, Aug. 20
Chunky’s in Manchester has several specialty screening of 1985’sThe Goonies on its schedule, starting with a Family Treasure Hunt Movie Night on Thursday, Aug. 20, with a treasure hunt starting at 5:45 p.m. and the movie starting at 6:30 p.m., according to a theater email. The family event will also be held Saturday, Aug. 22, with the treasure hunt starting at 5:15 p.m. and the film at 6 p.m. A 21+ screening will take place Thursday, Aug. 20, with the treasure hunt starting at 7:30 p.m. and the screening starting at 8:15 p.m. as well as a menu of specialty Goonies-themed cocktails, the email said. See chunkys.com for tickets.

Featured image: Classic Car Show at the Aviation Museum of New Hamsphire. Courtesy photo.

Sox crushing it

The Big Story – Red Sox Rolling: Don’t look now, but having suddenly won 16 of their last 21 the Red Sox have old-timers thinking Morgan Magic of 1988!That’s because, after a mostly awful first half, the not too long ago moribund local nine will open the second half on a nine-game winning streak and just a half game out of the final playoff spot. Starting Friday, though, we’ll get to see if it’s for real or not.

Sports 101: In terms of doing it in the fewest games Shohei Ohtani became the seventh fastest to reach 300 homers. How many of the six who did it faster can you name?

News Item – World Cup Notes: How much extra inspiration did Belgium get from President Trump getting pathetic FIFA Chief Gianni Infantino to roll over and rescind Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension without doing it for any other red carders? Given the embarrassing way they showed USA the door in the Round of 8, it seemed like a lot.

News Item – Red Sox at the Break: Given recent trends, here are some things to like.

• Ceddanne Rafaela is hitting in the .280s after learning the strike zone better and is Jackie Bradley Jr. good in CF.

• Pitching With no Garrett Crochet and a bunch of young guys they closed at 16-5 when they astonishingly have given up just 2.47 runs and more than three runs just four times.

• The ‘Who Are They?’ BrigadeWith unfamiliar names like Cheng, Eaton, Seigler and Monasterio in the line-up, it reminds me of Butch Cassidy yelling “WHO ARE THOSE GUYS” at the posse he and Sundance couldn’t shake.

• The Acquisitions Hard to find fault with Sonny Gray (11-1, 2.54) and free agent Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.15), who (somehow) made the All-Star team. Then there is that Willson Contreras (.285-20-61) has out-hit all the possible past and current first base targets — Raffy Devers (2.49 -19-52), Pete Alonso (.252-21-65) and Japanese import Munetaka Murakami (.232-20-42).

• Caleb Durbin vs. Alex Bregman: He started awful and still is only hitting .230. But that’s up from .150 in mid-June and is beating Bregman in all run-producing stats for less than $1 million to Bregman’s $40 million per salary.

The Numbers:

10 – consecutive years women at Wimbledon will have a new champion after defending champion Aryna Sabalenka went down to former Naomi Osaka.

12 – record-tying consecutive hits made by KC’s Tyler Tolbert in games vs. the Mets and Phillies.

20 – points scored by Ebuka Okorie in Summer League Game 1 for Detroit to give the Nashua native a solid start to his NBA career

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – Red Sox Turn Around: We’ll see, but it could mean the summer may not be ruined after all.

Thumbs Down – Gianni Infantino: For the slimy WBC chief rescinding that red card simply to appease political interests without doing it for anyone else. BOOOO!

Let Me Get This Straight – Adam Vinatieri: The legendary Patriot got into the Colts Hall of Fame last week before he got into the Patriot Hall of Fame.

Really? All he did here was (1) make the greatest NFL kick ever through a blizzard and later the game winner to kickstart the dynasty, (2) win two SBs with FGs as time expired, and (3) run down Herschel Walker from behind for the greatest special teams tackle by a kicker ever.

This year’s guy, Gronk, was lovable, great and deserving. But he came after V and has no franchise-altering plays to V’s four, so there’s no way he should’ve gone in before him.

Random Thoughts:

Yes the Pats got A.J. Brown, but they should not move on from deep threat Kayshon Boutte, who caught nine TD passes. What’s wrong with giving the most accurate deep thrower I’ve seen since Roman Gabriel in the ’60s two very good deep threats?

Sports 101 Answer: Ohtani reached 300 homers in his 1,121st game. The ones to do it quicker were Ralph Kiner, Ryan Howard, Juan Gonzalez, Alex Rodriguez, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

Final Thoughts – Celtics Press Conference: If you read this space regularly you know I said last summer the Celtics needed to do what they did last week: rid themselves of one of their max contracts to avoid the punitive player acquisition troubles they caused.

Only problem with Celtics GM Brad Stevens saying they needed a shake-up after early exits from the playoffs the last two years is it’s not true.

Sorry, Brad, while the players are the ones who missed the shots, roster composition is not why they lost either time. It was because of the incompetent game coaching of the Grady Little of basketball, where Slo Joe Mazzulla sat on the bench like Nero as Rome burned and made no adjustments as they blew five 20-plus-point leads after the 3-balls stopped falling vs. New York and Philly.

And I’m not alone in knowing that.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

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