Category: News

This Week 23/01/05

Big Events January 5, 2022 and beyond

Friday, Jan. 6

Recycled Percussion wraps up a holiday week run of shows today (at 7 p.m.) and tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 7 (at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.), at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588). Tickets start at $37. See recycledpercussion.com for videos of the group’s high-energy performances.

Friday, Jan. 6

The play Scene Changesopens tonight at the Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315). In the show, a traveling production of A Christmas Carol loses its Bob Cratchit when he gets ill in Burlington, Vermont, and the show has to hire a new actor when it comes to Concord, causing “a clash of wills,” according to the website, which also says that the play contains adult language. The show will run tonight through Sunday, Jan. 22, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $22 for adults and $19 for students and seniors.

Saturday, Jan. 7

Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org) will screen the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 10 a.m. The morning will include complimentary coffee from Revelstoke and hot chocolate for the kids (or just the hot chocolate fans), according to the website. Dressing as a scarecrow in need of a brain or a girl from Kansas with a fabulous pair of shoes is encouraged, and the concession stand will feature some themed treats, the website said. Tickets cost $10 per person.

Saturday, Jan. 7

Looking to add more native plants to your garden? Winter is actually a good time to sow the seeds of native plants that need the cold as part of their growth process, according to NH Audubon, which is holding a class about winter sowing today from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; nhaudubon.org, 668-2045). UNH Extension master gardeners Donna Miller and Stacey Scaccia will lead the session; the cost is $15. Register in advance (by Thursday, Jan. 5).

Sunday, Jan. 8

The Kid Brother (1927), a Harold Lloyd silent comedy, will screen at the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St. in Nashua; nashualibrary.org, 589-4600) today at 1:30 p.m. with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis. The event is free and family-friendly, according to a press release.

Sunday, Jan. 8

Who will be the “Champion of Champions” is the question today from 1 to 5 p.m. at Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com) when four champions from previous years’ Pizzastock battle of bands take the stage for Pizzastock 6.5 Battle of Champions. The lineup is Fourth Degree, Crescendo’s Gate, Cozy Throne and Second to Last Minute, according to pizzastock.org, where you can learn more about the fundraising concerts and the Jason R. Flood Memorial. Tickets to the Tupelo show cost $20.

Save the Date! Friday, Feb. 3
Livingston Taylor will come to the Dana Center for the Humanities (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester; tickets.anselm.edu, 641-7700) on Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $45.

Featured photo. The Kid Brother.

Quality of Life 23/01/05

Be a champ

Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning is teaming up with the American Red Cross during January, National Blood Donor Month, in a call for blood and platelet donations to prevent a seasonal blood shortage. According to a press release from the Concord-based Northern New England Region Red Cross office, the Red Cross, in partnership with the National Football League, will enter everyone who donates blood, platelets or plasma now through Jan. 31 for a chance to win a trip for two to the Super Bowl LVII event in Arizona. Visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.

QOL score: +1

Comment: To book a donation appointment at a Red Cross blood donation site near you, download the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.

Land conservation

The New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) will award $4.3 million in matching grants to municipalities, nonprofit organizations and community groups to support 34 land conservation and historic preservation projects across the state. According to a press release, those projects include rehabilitating 17 historic structures and permanently conserving more than 2,700 acres of farm, timber, and ecologically significant land in all ten New Hampshire counties.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The grants will be additionally matched by more than $15 million funding from other public and private sources, according to the release. Recipients are expected to complete the funded projects within two years.

Hate crime increase

Newly released data from the FBI has revealed a significant increase in the number of hate crimes committed in New Hampshire, NHPR reported. New Hampshire law enforcement documented 34 reported hate crimes in 2021, up from 19 in 2020. Hate crimes are defined by the FBI as violent criminal acts against a person or property motivated by bias against a race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.

QOL score: -2

Comment: The hate crimes in New Hampshire included 16 instances of destruction or property or vandalism and 13 instances of intimidation. Nearly half of the crimes were targeted at Black residents, eight were motivated by religious bias and seven were related to sexual orientation, according to the article.

Help for families

Bank of New Hampshire has made a $5,000 donation to Harbor Care to support its efforts to help families that are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness. According to a press release, Harbor Care serves more than 5,000 individuals through housing and residential services, primary and behavioral health care, substance use disorder treatment, home care, HIV/AIDS care, veteran services and food pantries and kitchens that make more than 100,000 meals available annually.

QOL score: +1

Comment:“Support from Bank of New Hampshire will provide thousands of meals and, in the long term, help create the foundations for our clients to build their lives,” Henry Och, President and CEO of Harbor Care, said in the release.

QOL score: 50

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 51


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

What’s in store for 2023

Our 15th annual predictions for the year ahead.

January: A day after their disappointing season ends, Patriot Nation files a restraining order to prevent Matt Patricia from being within 200 yards of the Patriots offense or Mac Jones in 2023. Coach B hears the begging from all corners of New England and announces Patricia has been “re-assigned” to a front office role. Heavyweight boxing is heard from for the first time in decades when, during an appearance on the Hitman Hearns podcast to commemorate the 50th anniversary of George Foreman winning the Heavyweight crown in 1973, the two-time champ asks what ever happened to Heavyweight boxing. And no one knows the answer.

February: After digging themselves out from the 13th western New York blizzard in 30 days, Buffalo wins the Super Bowl over surprise NFC entry New York Giants. With the Bills a 16-point favorite, the G-Men consider bringing Tom Coughlin out of retirement to engineer another massive SB upset, but decide against it. They then lose by 17 to make the folks giving the points happy dudes. In a bid to break Michael Jordan’s record for most retirements by a GOAT, Tom Brady retires again.

March: John Henry acts like an owner and talks to the media for the first time in two years early in spring training. But he soon retreats to the bunker after being bombarded with questions about his team’s epically low 2023 expectations.

April: When the “I’m sorry, I’ll do it your way” bid fails to get Yoko back, Brady unretires again and is traded to the hometown 49ers. The Sox go into 2023 with an average age of 43 for its starting rotation. The good news is, it beats the Vegas over-under of 45 after ancient Rich Hill somehow gets another team to give him a contract leaving him to flee faster than a guy finding an open lifeboat seat as the Titanic was on the way down.

May:After 47 trade-down and trade-up moves in Rounds 1 and 2, Bill Belichick selects punter Ray Guy IV with his top pick. Tampa Bay uses an all-time record 32 pitchers in a rain-shortened six-inning dumpster fire game at Fenway that takes 6 hours and 31 minutes to play.

June: In a first ever for the gentle sport of golf, a massive on-course brawl breaks out between LIV players and old-guard PGAers to mar Day 1 of the U.S. Open. After going down early in the marquee “animal” match-up between a Tiger and a Shark, Time magazine’s “Sports Weasel of the Year” Greg Norman squeezes his way out of the bottom of the scrum to start throwing sucker punches from behind like he’s Mickey Rivers in 1976’s famed dust-up between the Sox and the Yanks. The Celtics return to the NBA Finals, but this time they win in a sweep of Golden State when Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown live up to the billing. In the NBA draft, 7’4” Frenchman Victor (the victor) Wembanyama falls one letter short of Michael Olowokandi’s all-time record for having the most letters in the full name of a first overall pick.

July: Not that anyone but puckheads notices, but the Bruins join the Celtics as world champs when the ice hockey season concludes in the calendar year’s hottest month. Raffy Devers is sent packing at the trading deadline to complete the destruction of the Red Sox franchise for a raft of young players ballyhooed by the Sox brass but described by most baseball insiders as “worse than the box of rocks Chaim got for Mookie Betts.” At the presser announcing the move, Boston’s sports answer to George Santos says Devers will be his top priority to re-sign in the off-season.

August: Patricia is detained by security at Pats pre-season camp when he breaches the 200-yard boundary he’s required to maintain. He then quits in protest after learning the restraining order was actually taken out by owner Bob Kraft.

September: Patricia quickly finds work as offensive coordinator at Memorial High and vows he’ll resurrect the dormant-for-decades Crusaders offense. Mayor Joyce Craig immediately tries to overturn the move by telling (shouting at, actually) the school board in front of an overflow open SB session crowd, “Didn’t you people watch the Patriots offense last year?” For her strongly worded commendation, Craig gets an immediate 15-point bump in the polls ahead of her mayoral campaign.

October: Betts and the newly acquired Devers hit six homers off Nathan Eovaldi in Game 7 as the Dodgers top Texas to win the World Series.

November: Xander Bogaerts wins the National League MVP Award in a unanimous vote.

Despite scoring only 21 points on offense all season, Memorial somehow wins the Division 1 Football crown for the first time since Dave Croasdale was a pup. After years of hibernation, UCLA comes out of nowhere to finish in the Top 4 ranked teams in college football to set up an all-Manchester opening-round match-up (in January) between Chip Kelly’s Bruins and fellow Central alum (and Chipper’s old QB at the U) Ryan Day and Ohio State. The Manchester PD begins planning for handling lines at Billy’s Sports Bar, expected to snake past the back entrance to Elliot Hospital.

December: Devers signs with the Yankees in free agency. Mac Jones throws his 40th TD pass to help the Pats clinch a playoff spot, but resists the temptation to flip off the now adoring crowd that was calling for his head just 60 days earlier. After accepting MLB’s new Harry Frazee Team Wrecker award at a lavish gathering at New York’s No No Nanette Theater for discarding Betts, Bogaerts and Devers with astonishing speed, John Henry announces on what’s left of Twitter that he has sold the team to Elon Musk. He’s then installed by Vegas odds-makers and DraftKings as the odds-on favorite to win MLB’s Be Careful What You Wish For award in 2023.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

Graphic history

Marek Bennett continues Freeman Colby’s story

Henniker comic artist and educator Marek Bennett discussed the third volume of his historical graphic novel series, The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, due out on Jan. 25. The book is available to preorder now at marekbennett.com.

How did you start this series?

In December 2012 … I realized I knew very little about local history here in New Hampshire, where I grew up. I started poking around in the local historical society, just curious about the photographs and old documents and things there. I came across this diary written by a guy from Henniker, Freeman Colby. It covered his service in the Civil War. I thought it would be fun to doodle a little stick figure comic to see what this [story] looks like when it’s drawn out. … That’s how I got started. I said, ‘I’ll just draw a little eight-page mini comic using the story and then put it down and let people read the diary themselves.’ Instead, I got hooked on it and kept drawing it.

What is Volume 3 about?

In each book, I try to unfold the story and find a new dimension to the story. Volume 1 is basically Freeman Colby’s diary verbatim, but in a comics format … For Volume 2, I started finding other people’s stories and weaving them in to help flesh out the narrative and figure out what was really going on. … That’s when the series really started taking its shape. … The next level is orchestrating all of those stories; that’s Volume 3. I realized it’s not enough just to have a lot of these other people … pop in and tell a short story and then disappear. I need to bring them in and let them be in conversation with each other. It was really a fun challenge to … see how they can all fit together on the page in a way that I can draw it. … It’s pulling together all these little puzzle pieces that haven’t been put together in quite this way before.

So is Freeman Colby still the main character?

Freeman Colby is still the throughline — he’s in the background of the scenes — but 90 percent of the book [consists of] materials taken from other storytellers who can flesh out his story. … For example … Freeman Colby ends up teaching a literacy class for freed people who had been enslaved … and I realized I could have a couple of his students tell their stories, too, in a way that is culturally relevant.

How do you choose which stories to include?

I’ve realized that history, in some ways, has very little to do with the past and a whole lot to do with the present, because we’re finding this information in the present. We’re putting these pieces together and crafting this new narrative in the present. … As I worked on this book, I tried to … choose stories and weave them together in such a way that it casts more light on the things [of the present] that connect us to that time period. … I just couldn’t help but notice that as I’m drawing people debating and acting and struggling to confront armed rebellion in the United States, there’s an armed rebellion — people marching on the Capitol — happening on the news.

Was it always your plan to create multiple volumes?

When I did the first book, I thought that would be it. … Then it was selected as a great graphic novel for teens by the American Librarians Association. That got my attention and I thought maybe there’s an audience for this. … Right around that same time, I heard from some descendants of the Colby family, and they mailed me a packet of 80 pages of letters that Freeman Colby had written home that I hadn’t seen before. … I thought, well, that’s a sign, then, that people are interested in the book, and they want to see more.

Was your research or creative process for Volume 3 different in any way?

Yes, partly because of Covid. … The pandemic was so disorienting, it took me almost a year of false starts and multiple drafts of a short section. It just wasn’t working. Then, at a certain point, I realized I just needed to get this book done. … I gave myself a daily deadline: I have to draw two pages a day. Even if they’re not the finished version, it doesn’t matter if they’re good or bad, I just have to have those pages done. … That was really helpful.

What now?

I’m going to get right to work on the next volume, on the most important parts, and just see how it fills out. … I have a New Year’s resolution where I’m blocking out a couple of weeks a month to be focused on Volume 4. … [While] I bring Volume 3 around to people, I want to keep working on Volume 4 … and keep it moving forward.

Featured photo: The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby.

News & Notes 23/01/05

Opioid settlement

New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella has joined a national attorneys general settlement with pharmaceutical retailers CVS and Walgreens for a total of $10.7 billion in regard to the companies’ alleged contribution to the opioid crisis. According to a press release, the civil lawsuit alleges that the companies overly distributed and irresponsibly dispensed prescription opioids at their retail stores. The settlement has brought the national amount from investigations and litigation against the pharmaceutical industry for its role in the opioid crisis to more than $50 billion. New Hampshire stands to receive nearly $57 million from the CVS and Walgreens agreements, which will be dedicated to opioid treatment and prevention programs in the state. CVS has agreed to pay $5 billion over a period of 10 years while Walgreens has agreed to pay $5.7 billion over a period of 15 years, with payments expected to begin during the second half of 2023. “People trust their local pharmacies and these pharmacy chains failed to provide the people of New Hampshire with the pharmacy care and protection they had a right to expect,” Attorney General Formella said in the release. “This agreement mandates significant changes to these pharmacy chains’ business practices, including court-ordered monitoring to ensure checks that should have been in place will now be aggressively enforced.”

New director

The City of Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved the nomination of Michael Quigley for the position of Director of the Office of Youth Services. According to a press release, the city department provides youth programming designed to engage young people who are experiencing difficulties with academics, anger and aggression, bullying and fighting, changes in behavior, communication, changes in family structures, self-harm, death and loss, homelessness, isolation, tensions at home, substance abuse, trauma and more. Quigley, who holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a master’s degree in adult education and leadership, has worked in youth services since 2007 and has extensive experience working with families, schools, nonprofit partners and government agencies to help better the lives of youth. “I am inspired by the young people in Manchester and believe in their endless potential,” Quigley said in the release. “I am eager to take part in the great work that OYS is currently doing in the community and will work to broaden our impact by strengthening our mission and vision. … The Office of Youth Services will do this by providing new opportunities, partnerships and programs that will allow youth to thrive, and provide spaces for them to use their voice to help this community continue to grow.” Quigley assumed the role on Dec. 27, according to the release.

New logo

Manchester School District has unveiled a new logo that incorporates visual elements from the city. According to a press release, students and school staff were presented with a number of potential logos and asked to vote for their favorite. The logo depicts a school clock tower, the Merrimack River and ornamental flourishes inspired by architecture and signs of Elm Street, in a color inspired by the red brick exteriors of the city’s schools and mill buildings. “We are excited to share this new logo with the community,” Jennifer Gillis, superintendent of the Manchester School District, said in the release. “It’s a significant change, but we feel this logo does a great job of capturing our community and history. In focus groups we held, the historical elements in this logo really resonated with people, particularly our students. We feel this logo does a great job of tying together our present and our past.” The new logo will be implemented as the District launches its new website this month.

New assistant commish

Gov. Chris Sununu and the Executive Council have approved the nomination of David Rodrigue for the position of New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) Assistant Commissioner, according to a press release. Rodrigue, who has a bachelor of science degree from the University of New Hampshire, has worked for NHDOT since 1991 in the Bureaus of Highway Design, Construction, Traffic and Highway Maintenance. He became the Department’s first Intelligent Transportation Management System Program Manager in 2005, where he worked to construct, outfit and open the Bureau of Transportation Systems Management Operations, also known as New Hampshire’s Transportation Management Center. He has served as the director of operations since 2016.

The Dairy Queen on Second Street in Manchester finished 2022 as the highest-earning Dairy Queen location out of 4,353 locations throughout the country, WMUR reported, with a $3,000 lead over the Dairy Queen in Gray, Georgia. The Manchester restaurant has come close in the past, finishing second last year to the Dairy Queen in Medford, Massachusetts, and it has held the No. 1 spot for total ice cream sales for three years running.

Jaffrey couple Chelsie and Jeffrey Thibault welcomed New Hampshire’s first baby born in 2023, WMUR reported. Cayson Thibault, who was originally due on Jan. 3, arrived early on Jan. 1 at 12:36 a.m., at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, to ring in the new year. He is the couple’s second child, little brother to their 4-year-old son.

With the new year comes a new policy on overdue books at Nashua Public Library, WMUR reported. The library is no longer issuing fines, and all existing fines have been forgiven. Library director Jennifer McCormack said in the article that fining people for late books is largely ineffective at ensuring that books are returned on time and often deters people from using the library.

This Week 22/12/29

Big Events December 29, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, Dec. 29

The SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester) is hosting the Harlem Globetrotters today at 2 p.m. The team will show off their basketball skills with trick shots, routines and more. Ticket prices start at $29. Visit snhuarena.com to buy tickets.

Thursday, Dec. 29

See Joe Gatto for a night of comedy tonight at 7 and 9:30 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord). Gatto, a comedian, actor, author and podcaster, has performed to sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City and the O2 Arena in London. Tickets start at $40 and can be bought at ccanh.com.

Thursday, Dec. 29

See The Wizards of Winter, a holiday rock event featuring former members of some of classic rock’s biggest names, including Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult, Def Leppard and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, at The Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center (39 Main St., Plymouth) today. Tickets start at $49 and can be bought at flyingmonkeynh.com

Saturday, Dec. 31

Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry) is having The Adam Ezra Group perform tonight at 9 p.m. Buy tickets for the show only (doors open at 8:30 p.m.) for $45, or tickets for dinner and the show (starts at 5:30 p.m.) for $95, at tupelohall.com.

Sunday, Jan. 1

The Apple Therapy and Derry Sports & Rehab Millennium Mile, a one-mile downhill race on Mammoth Road in Londonderry, starts today at 2 p.m. Registration costs $20 for ages 12 and up and $10 for 11 and under, with the first 1,250 registrants getting a winter hat (if available, registration on race day costs $5 more). See millennium-running.com to register in advance.

Sunday, Jan. 1

Today is the last chance to see the Gift of Lights at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1122 Route 106, Loudon). The show, which has more than 3 million lights, is 2½ miles long with 80 different scenes. The shows start at 4:30 p.m. and admission for one car costs $35. Tickets can be bought at nhms.com.

Sunday, Jan. 1

Join NHSCOT for a Hogmany at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111, Derry) today at 3 p.m. Celebrate the New Year in a Scottish way, with traditional board games, dancing, music, food and more. Tickets cost $32 per adult ages 15 and older, $15 per child ages 6-14, and kids ages 5 and younger are free. For more information, see the story in the Dec. 15 on page 14 (find the e-edition at hippopress.com) or visit nhscot.org.

Save the Date! Thursday, Jan. 19
It’s the opening night of the Cirque du Soleil show Corteo at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester). The show will have acrobats from around the world performing death-defying stunts. The show will be in town until Jan. 22. Opening night show will start at 7:30 p.m. Visit snhuarena.com for more information or to order tickets.

Featured photo. Harlem Globetrotters. Courtesy photo.

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