Category: News

This Week 23/12/14

Big Events December 14, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, Dec. 14

The Palace Theatre’s (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) production of A Christmas Carol continues through Dec. 23, with showtimes on Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., with an additional show on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $28 to $59.

Thursday, Dec. 14

Author Daniel Dain will discuss and sign his bookA History of Bostontoday at 6:30 p.m. at Balin Books (Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St. in Nashua; balinbooks.com). Visit the bookstore’s website to RSVP.

Saturday, Dec. 16

The McAuliffe Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Dr. in Concord; starhop.com) will celebrate “Dozens of Decades of Flight” today and tomorrow, commemorating the Dec. 17, 1903, flight by Wilbur and Orville Wright. The event will feature aviation activities, speakers and guest organizations, including Capt. Shawn Grinnell of the U.S. Space Force on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 1 p.m. The celebration is included with admission, which costs $12 for adults, $9 for ages 3 to 12, $11 for 62+ and ages 13- college. Planetarium shows cost an additional $6. The center is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 16

The Little Mermen, described as “the ultimate Disney cover band for Disney fanatics of all ages,” will play the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com) today at noon; doors open at 10:30 a.m. Tickets cost $25.

Saturday, Dec. 16

Catch the NH Philharmonic’s annual Holiday Pops concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. at the Seifert Performing Arts Center (44 Geremonty Drive in Salem). Tickets cost $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, $10 for students and $5 for Salem students; see nhpo.booktix.com for tickets. A livestreaming ticket option is available for the Sunday 2 p.m. concert. See nhphil.org.

Sunday, Dec. 17

Catch a screening of Elf (PG, 2003) today at 3 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St.; nashuacenterforthearts.com). The event is free but go online to secure tickets. Find more fun family holiday screenings in the Kiddie Pool column on page 22.

Save the Date! Sunday, Dec. 31
The Grappone Conference Center (70 Constitution Ave. in Concord) will have a Disco-Themed New Year’s Eve Celebration on Sunday, Dec. 31, from 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The event will feature a buffet dinner, cash bar, cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres, dancing to music from DJ Nazzy and a midnight toast, according to a press release. Tickets cost $90 per person and are available via the Grappone Conference Center’s Facebook page and through eventbrite.com. Know of other fun ways to ring in 2024? Let us know at [email protected].

Featured photo: A Christmas Carol at the Palace Theatre.

The week that was

The Big Story – A Weird Local Week: No story dominated. The Red Sox actually got worse at the winter meetings and the Bruins surrendered their overall points lead in the NHL thanks to going 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, while thin-skinned refs heard it from Jaylen Brown after he was surprisingly ejected vs. New York on Friday. But most notable was D.C. political pub Politico reporting that for the first time in 20 years presidential primary candidates are now scheduling events during Pats games because the Pats are so bad. Exhibit A: the negative yacking about Thursday’s win over Pittsburgh because it may hurt their draft position in April.

That’s where we start the week.

Sports 101: OnSaturdayJayden Daniels became the third player from LSU to win the Heisman Trophy. Name their other two winners.

News Item – New Hampshire Athletes: Two locals were in the news last week. Steelers tight end PatFreiermuth of Durham had three catches for 18 yards vs. the Pats, and Merrimack’s Mickey Gasper was taken by Boston in the Rule 5 draft after spending five years catching in the Yankees organization. He’s got to stick all year with the Sox or he reverts back to New York.

Lakers Win First NBA In-Season Tourney: Yawn. That’s all we got for that.

The Numbers:

3.2 –NFLlowest yards per carry allowed by the stingier than you think Patriots defense.

50 – second best in the NBA blocked shots recorded by San Antonio 7’6” rookie Victor Wembanyama after 19 games, with the 50th being his viral swat off the backboard of a layup attempt by T-Wolves big Naz Reid.

129 – points averaged by the Indiana Pacers, which will set the NBA record for most points per game ever if the number holds.

… Of the Week Awards:

Honors –Good guy Red Sox radio voice Joe Castiglione was elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame. After 41 years and 6,000 broadcasts he’ll go in next July as the recipient of the Ford Frick Award for broadcast excellence. It’s about time. Congratulations.

Grudge Match –The long feud between historically overrated Chris Paul and touchy referee Scott Foster grabbed headlines again after Paul claimed Foster’s tossing him with two quick T’s was “personal.” The interesting side note is Paul’s teamhas won just twice in the 20 games officiated by Forster since CP3 entered the NBA. It got both a (David) stern response from Commissioner Adam Silver to knock it off.

Stat – Patriots are 1-3 when they’ve given up 10 points or less, while the rest of the NFL is 53-0 when teams have done that.

Thumbs Up – Fisher Cats Sold: As first reported by the Union Leader, the F-Cats were sold to Diamond Baseball Holdings, the operator of 29 minor-league teams, who also bought the Red Sox AAA club in Worcester days earlier. Best of all they’re staying put.

Thumbs Down – Sports Illustrated: In the latest flash-over-substance drone pick, the teenagers now running Sports Illustrated (into the ground) somehow named Colorado Football Coach Deion Sanders as its Sports Person of the Year, a guy who following a 3-0 start after running off almost every Buffalo from 2022 finished at 4-9. Who was their runner-up, Kyrie Irving? What planet do you people live on?

Random Thoughts:

Sorry, Pat Mahomes, you can’t blame the refs for calling back Travis Kelce’s oh-so-alert cross-court lateral/pass to Kadarius Toney that went for a TD vs. Buffalo. Toney lined up in the neutral zone, a preventable mistake that was entirely Toney’s fault. No excuse for such a bonehead move.

Sports 101 Answer: The other two LSU Heisman Trophy winners were Joe Burrow in 2019 and running back Billy Cannon, who after winning in 1959 gave the AFL a huge publicity boost by being the first big name to sign with the fledgling league.

Final Thought – Yanks Got Better, Sox Got Worse: Aside from making their everyday line-up weaker by gift-wrapping Alex Verdugo to the Yanks for three pitchers no one ever heard of, Craig Breslow came away with a doughnut at last week’s winter meetings.

Not sure it was the first mistake of the Breslow era. But it made the Yanks seem less desperate to improve their outfield and thus took some of the leverage San Diego appeared to have as they pursued slugger Juan Soto, who they got the next day in a seven-player blockbuster deal for what’s been called a disappointing return.

This was done with a majority of the starting pitching trade options coming off the board and as the marquee free agents eliminated Boston from their wish list, most notably Shohei Ohtani. Though, since he almost landed in Toronto and got an astonishing $70 million for 10 years from the Dodgers, the dominoes fell right with him.

But if this doesn’t change right away, can you say last in the AL East? Again.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

News & Notes 23/12/07

Higher ed

Gov. Chris Sununu has established a Public Higher Education Task Force, as outlined in Executive Order 2023-06, to address the strategic alignment of public higher education in the state. According to a press release, the Task Force, which includes members from various educational, governmental and business sectors, will hold its first meeting on Dec. 21. The goal is to ensure New Hampshire’s public higher education institutions can navigate the changing educational landscape marked by declining enrollments and the rising costs of college education. This initiative follows unanimous support from the boards of both the University System and the Community College System of New Hampshire. The Task Force is expected to report its findings by March 31, 2024, aiming to maintain the state’s institutions as vital contributors to the workforce and culture amid demographic and economic pressures.

Historic preservation

The New Hampshire Land & Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) has announced grant awards for 12 historic preservation projects, facilitating essential rehabilitation and restoration efforts. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, a statewide nonprofit organization, has played a pivotal role in the success of these projects, providing planning grants for building assessments and technical assistance. Key beneficiaries include Mason’s 1848 town hall and the Brookside Congregational Church in Manchester, both of which received state recognition and planning grants thanks to the Alliance’s intervention. Additionally, Plainfield Town Hall, recently listed on the Alliance’s 2023 Seven to Save list, will receive LCHIP funds to address moisture issues affecting its historic stage set. The grants, matched by double the funds from private and public sources, contribute to local economies and the state’s cultural and historical fabric.

Recovery help

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has teamed up with Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to introduce the Strengthening Communities of Recovery Act. This legislation aims to reauthorize and boost funding for recovery resources to support individuals with substance use disorder (SUD), addressing the severe behavioral health crisis and the rising number of overdose deaths, which in New Hampshire increased by 11 percent last year. The Act proposes to raise the grant program’s annual funding from $5 million to $16 million over five years, enhancing peer recovery support and services such as advocacy, education and employment assistance. Sen. Shaheen also contributed to the FY 2023 government funding legislation, which includes increased funding for SUD response grants and resources for supportive housing for women in recovery.

Funds for health

New Hampshire’s community health safety net, comprising 11 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), has received a $500,000 donation from Northeast Delta Dental. According to a press release, this contribution comes at a crucial time as four of the largest health centers in the state face a collective financial shortfall of $3.5 million due to the public health pandemic, low Medicaid reimbursements and reduced pharmaceutical savings. This funding will help these centers continue to provide critical services such as primary care, behavioral health therapy and substance use disorder services to more than 102,400 people annually. Leaders from FQHCs across the state emphasized the importance of this donation, noting that without it the loss of services would lead to increased strain on emergency departments and gaps in treatment for chronic and emerging health conditions. The gift from Northeast Delta Dental is seen as a vital contribution to stabilizing the network and maintaining integrated health care services across New Hampshire.

Funds for BAE

U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, alongside U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, joined Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Nashua to announce a $35 million CHIPS funding award to BAE Systems. According to a press release, this federal investment, derived from the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, will modernize BAE Systems’ Microelectronics Center, a Trusted Foundry for the Department of Defense, enhancing U.S. semiconductor technology access for military use. The initiative aims to bolster the U.S.’s economic and national security, reduce dependency on international semiconductor manufacturing, and create jobs. Part of this funding will also foster a partnership with Nashua Community College to develop a workforce training program, reinforcing New Hampshire’s position in the national defense manufacturing sector and contributing to the state’s economic growth.

The New Hampshire State Forest Nursery in Boscawen is accepting online orders for spring 2024, according to a press release, with limited quantities of conifer species due to adverse weather last year. While popular Christmas tree varieties are affected, the nursery offers a range of shrubs and hardwoods, including red-berried elder and winterberry holly, and an expanded pollinator pack. Customers can purchase seedlings through the nursery’s online store, buynhseedlings.com, which provides up-to-date inventory. Despite the reduced availability of certain species, this offers a chance to diversify plantings. To view available species, visit nh.gov/nhnursery.

The Christa McAuliffe State House Memorial Commission has selected artist Benjamin Victor of Boise, Idaho, to design the Christa McAuliffe Memorial to be placed on the Statehouse lawn in Concord. Victor is the youngest artist to have a sculpture in the U.S. Capitol National Statuary Hall, where he has three sculptures (Sarah Winnemucca, Dr. Norman Borlaug and Chief Standing Bear), according to a press release from the governor’s office.

The City of Manchester has scheduled a public informational meeting to discuss the rehabilitation of the Amoskeag Eastbound and Canal Street Ramp bridges. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 18, at the Rines Center (1528 Elm St.) The objective, according to a press release, is to provide the public with details about the proposed project and to gather community feedback to ensure the project aligns with public transportation needs, community objectives and environmental considerations.

Quality of Life 23/12/07

Funding the show

The Community Players of Concord, an all-volunteer theater company founded in 1927, received a significant boost with a $50,000 matching gift from an anonymous donor. According to a press release, this gift is aimed at establishing an investment fund to secure the long-term future of the nearly century-old organization. The fund, named “A Fund for the Players,” requires the Players to raise an additional $50,000 to access the full pledged amount. Already over halfway to their goal, the group plans to meet this challenge before their annual meeting in June 2024.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Contributions to this fund can be made through the Community Players of Concord’s website, communityplayersofconcord.org.

Our holiday look

A “Most Popular Christmas Decorations 2023” study conducted by Lombardo Living found that New Hampshire ranks 7th among states for the most holiday decorating in 2023. The study, which analyzed Google search terms related to Christmas decorations, also indicates that the most popular decoration in New Hampshire is the window candle. This preference places New Hampshire within a unique niche of states that have chosen a specific type of holiday decoration that differs from the more commonly seen Christmas trees and lights that dominate other states’ preferences.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The study reports that 83 percent of Americans are decorating for the holidays this year, spending an average of $140 on decorations.

Jewelry thefts

The Manchester Police Department reported three mid-business-day jewelry thefts happening within a little more than a week at two local jewelry stores, according to a press release. Starting on Nov. 20, Day’s Jewelers fell victim to a “snatch-and-grab” theft of a gold chain, a tactic repeated in a subsequent theft at the same store on Nov. 25. A similar theft took place at Market Square Jewelers on Nov. 28, involving a gold rope chain, the release said.

QOL score: -2

Comment: Manchester Police Department asks anyone for information about the thefts to call Manchester Police Detective Andrew Choi at 792-5514. Descriptions and photos of the men suspected in the thefts are posted on the police department’s Facebook page.

QOL score: 87

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 87

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?
Let us know at [email protected].

This Week 23/12/07

Big Events December 7, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, Dec. 7

Head to the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) for today’s Art After Work (when admission is free from 5 to 8 p.m.). Tonight’s musical performer is Joey Clark & The Big Hearts. And on Saturday, Dec. 9, admission is also free then for New Hampshire residents (the Second Saturday program sponsored by The Botnick Family Foundation and E&R Laundry and Dry Cleaners). The museum is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 9

The Currier and Ives Cookie Tour will run today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature 16 stops at inns, restaurants, galleries and more in the Monadnock region. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased, starting at the Inn at East Hill Farm in Troy and Frogg Brewing in Swanzey. See currierandivescookietour.com and our story on page 30. Or make a weekend of cookie adventures with the Annual Holiday Inn to Inn Cookie Tour today and Sunday, Dec. 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day at nine White Mountains inns stretching from Jackson to Eaton, with inns at least 15 minutes apart. See cookietour.square.site to purchase tour tickets for $35.

Saturday, Dec. 9

The 9th annual Hollis Luminaria Stroll & Town Band Concert will start today at 10 a.m. and include more than 2,000 luminaria lanterns, a Santa tractor parade, holiday craft shopping, a chili and cornbread dinner, music performances in Monument Square, a gingerbread house contest and a bake sale. The stroll and tree lighting will be at 4 p.m. at Monument Square. Visit hollisluminaria.org for a complete event schedule.

Saturday, Dec. 9

New England College will hold a Holiday Maker Fair today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at French Hall (148 Concord St. in Manchester). The event will feature arts and fine craft made by students, faculty and others, according to nec.edu/event/holiday-maker-fair. The event is free and open to the public. Demonstrations will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the website said.

Saturday, Dec. 9

Symphony NH will hold their Holiday Pops concert conducted by Maestro Roger Kalia today from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua), and Sunday, Dec. 10, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). The performances will feature an assortment of seasonal works and carols. Tickets start at $10. Visit symphonynh.org.

Saturday, Dec. 9

Relax into your Saturday evening with the Dave Matthews Tribute Band performing tonight at 8 p.m. at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com, 437-5100). Tickets cost $35. Find more ticketed concerts in our Concert listings on page 50.

Save the Date! Friday, Dec. 15
Professional Bull Riding: Unleash the Beast will come to the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com) on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7:45 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 16, at 6:45 p.m. Tickets start at $25. To get the rules on bull riding and see videos of previous events, go to pbr.com/unleash-the-beast.

Featured photo: Christmas cookies.

Breslow now on the clock

The Big Story – Big Week for New Red Sox GM: Except for the St. Louis Cardinals, the action all over baseball has been pretty slow so far this off-season. But with the winter meeting happening this week in Memphis that’s expected to change.

The first order of business for new Red Sox GM Craig Breslow is finding two starting pitchers. And if the desire is to preserve as much of the young farm system talent assembled over the last three years as possible, at least one needs to be a free agent.

The top target is Japanese import Yoshinobu Yamamoto. But with almost every team looking to upgrade their pitching and the pool of quality free agent arms limited, Breslow will need to have the checkbook open and be ready to act quickly if he is to get things started on the right foot.

Sports 101: Who is the oldest player to win an NBA championship?

News Item – Tiger Woods Returns: The biggest takeaway from Tiger Woods’ return to golf last weekend at the Hero World Golf Championship was that his health/back held up. But in his first tourney since the Masters he was, as expected, rusty in finishing 18th out of 20 players and 20 shots behind the winner. Still the story was how he fared physically, so the weekend was good news.

News Item – Victor Wembanyama Update: The brouhaha over the 7’6” French import isn’t translating into wins. The Spurs started the week 3-16 and battling it out with Detroit for the worst record in the league. For his part Wembanyama is leading the Spurs in scoring (19.2), rebounding (9.7) and blocks (2.7) while shooting at 43.7 percent. That puts him in a tight battle for Rookie of the Year with Oak City’s Chet Holmgren, whose numbers are 17.6, 8.0 and 2.2 while shooting 53 percent.

News Item – Three Red Sox Questions:

(1) Should they get in the Shohei Ontani sweepstakes? Yes — expensive, but getting Ohtani would give them the clean-up hitter needed to use Raffy Devers in a trade for a major starter.

(2) Trade Devers? Yes. He’s a terrific hitter but a lousy third baseman who can’t be moved to first base with Triston Casas the future there. Plus he’s got a body that’s a bad risk for the back end of his 10-year deal.

(3) How Do You Fix the Bullpen? Give the seventh and eighth innings Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock and make Chris Sale the closer. Risky, I know, but I’m betting the 3- to 4-inning-a-week workload does for Sale what moving from starter to closer did for Mariano Rivera and Dennis Eckersley. Plus moving on from Kenley Jansen gives them more trade ammo.

The Numbers:

1 – wins the Patriots have the four times they’ve held their opponent to 10 points or less including Sunday, when they were a 6-0 baseball score loser to the L.A. Chargers.

12.3 – points per game the Patriots offense is averaging, which is the lowest in their 62-year history.

… Of the Week Awards

Win – The 49ers’ 42-19 demolition of Philly in a chippy showdown win on the Eagles home turf.

‘How’d They Do That?’ Loss: The Dallas Mavericks, who somehow managed to lose to Oak City 126-120 despite having a 30-to-nothing run in the fourth quarter on Saturday.

Random Thoughts:

It’s his life, but seeing Tiger struggle to make the cut each week is tough to watch. Fine for others, but he’s a historic icon.

Aside from top pick Trevor Lawrence the supposed Year of the QB 2021 NFL draft that had five taken in Round 1 has been a bust. While seeing Justin Fields (11th ) as the 14th-ranked passer is a bit surprising, his Bears are just 4-8, while 30th-ranked Mac Jones (15th) is benched and likely done in New England, Bret Wilson (second) is at 33 and a total bust in New York and third overall pick Trey Lance has already been traded by SF.

A Little History – Great Rookies: Putting the hype aside, Wembanyama has a long way to go to match the career starts of Larry Bird, Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Shaq, who joined teams that had won just 29, 27 and 21 games respectively and by Year 2 Bird’s and Kareem’s teams won the title and Shaq had Orlando in the Finals.

Sports 101 Answer: The oldest NBA champion was 43-year-old Robert Parish as a reserve with Chicago in 1997.

Final Thought – Florida State Gets Screwed: The latest example of how morally bankrupt big-time college football is came Sunday when 13-0 Florida State was left out of the four-team CFP tournament because their starting QB, Jordan Travis, is out for the year. Which means a team that demonstrated the fortitude to overcome losing its first- and second-string QBs to remain undefeated is denied what they earned because the TV ratings won’t likely be as good without Travis. Greed, Greed, GREED!

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

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