Start the year with a run

Races and running groups to get you moving

Looking to get out (or maybe get back out) and go for a run? We talked to running aficionados who are part of running groups and race series that will help you lace up and head out, even during these colder months. For additional motivation, we have a rundown of some upcoming road races. And, for those who prefer to run inside but are treadmill-averse, we found a few local spots with indoor tracks.

Picking up the pace

Why you should join a local running club or group

By Matt Ingersoll

[email protected]

Running is a sport that doesn’t always have to be done alone. Joining a local running club or group — especially when staying active during frigid temperatures sometimes proves to be a challenge — can serve as a valuable motivator for runners of all ages and abilities.

“I think it’s really a matter of being part of a group of other like-minded individuals,” said Stephen Rouleau, president of Gate City Striders, a Nashua-based running group that was founded in 1979. “I know that, for me, it’s tougher to get motivated to get out the door by myself, whereas if I have a group of people that I know I’m going to meet with there and go run, it’s more enjoyable. The shared miles make it so much better. … We also try to do a whole bunch of social events and other things within the community. In the past, for instance, we’ve rented out a theater and done a movie night. We have ice cream runs, we have our group socials and we try to do some speaker nights.”

With more than 600 members, Gate City Striders is one of the largest running clubs in the state.

“We try to make ourselves a home for everyone,” Rouleau said, “so we have everyone from starters … all the way up to your really competitive faster runners.”

The club is known for hosting a number of signature events and race series throughout the year — next up, Rouleau said, is the Freeze Your Buns 5K series, which kicks off on Sunday, Jan. 8, and will continue every other Sunday through March 5. Each race begins at 9 a.m. at the Conway Arena (Stadium Drive, Nashua), and is open to all registrants, regardless of your membership status with the club.

“The course is pretty much from the YMCA on roads down to Nashua High School [South]. You circle that a couple of times and come back to the finish line there,” Rouleau said. “It’s flat, it’s fast and it’s family-friendly, so it’s a great way to get out there and get your miles in.”

Each race takes place as scheduled, Rouleau said, unless inclement weather interferes with snow removal operations at the high school, or there are dangerously cold temperatures or wind chills. Registration is available online in advance or in person the day of, starting at 8 a.m.

“It’s open to the public, and there are a good number of non-members who run it, or they are members of other clubs in the area, so it’s a good mix,” Rouleau said.

The sense of community that comes with being part of a running group is also a major benefit for Blake Tyler, a lifelong Queen City native and a member of the Greater Manchester Running Club (formerly known as the Athletic Alliance Running Club). They currently meet for a run every Wednesday at 5 p.m. on the corner of Bridge Street and Mammoth Road, near the Derryfield Country Club, and also host group runs on Saturdays at 7 a.m., meeting at Fitlab in the city’s Millyard.

group of people standing in sports shop, posing in their running gear
Runner’s Alley Manchester running group. Courtesy photo.

“I’ve always been a socially sports-based person,” Tyler said. “I really enjoy sharing an activity that I like with fellow people who are part of that activity, and I just find that in particular, the running community is really [made up of] just very genuine folks. … People just love running, they love being around other people who love running, and speaking for me, in my opinion, it’s been a great boon to my mental health, especially coming off the Covid lockdowns and isolation and the lack of being able to connect with people.”

Tyler agreed that, especially during the winter months, connecting with other runners is crucial.

“You can ask any runner who’s been doing this for a while … that in the wintertime, when it gets dark by 4 or 4:30 and the days feel way shorter, it’s a lot easier to slide into habits of, ‘Oh, I’m not going to go for a run today. It’s dark and it’s cold,’” he said. “For runners, I think the ability to get out with other people, even if it’s only a mile or a couple of miles, I think there’s something to be said for that.”

Up in the Concord area, Northeast Delta Dental is a chief sponsor of two racing series set to begin this month. Their third annual Hopkinton Winter 5K series kicks off on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 10 a.m. at Storms Fitness Center (442 Pine St., Contoocook), followed by two other races on Jan. 22 and Feb. 5. Then, beginning Saturday, Jan. 14, Delta Dental’s Snow or No, We Go Trail series returns, first taking place at Highway View Farm (100 River Road, Boscawen). Other races in that series are set to take place on Jan. 28, Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 at Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road) and on Feb. 4 and March 4 at Prospect Acres (4 Beaumier Drive, Franklin). Each of those trail races is between 2 and 4 miles, running on one or two loops, and participants are encouraged to run on snowshoes.

“Delta Dental sponsors us so all the registration money can go to charities,” series coordinator Ellen Raffio said in an email, adding that the 2-mile option for the Snow or No, We Go Trail series is the perfect distance for a beginner on snowshoes. “Every series we do … brings a different crowd, and they’re always great people. It’s a lot of fun.”

Winter Races

• The Snowflake Shuffle will take place on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 9:30 a.m. from 25 Constitution Drive in Bedford. The cost for participants age 21 and up is $35 in advance and $40 on race day, and the cost for youth participants is $30 in advance and $35 on race day. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. There will be a post-race beer garden and refreshments. Visit millenniumrunning.com/snowflake.

• The Northeast Delta Dental Boston Prep 16-Miler and 5-Miler organized by the Greater Derry Track Club will take place on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 10 a.m. at West Running Brook Middle School (1 W. Running Brook Lane, Derry). The cost for the 16-miler is $75 in advance until Jan. 20, $80 in advance after Jan. 20 and $85 on race day. The cost for the 5-miler is $40 in advance until Jan. 20 and $45 after Jan. 20 and on race day. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups for the 16-miler and to the top three male and female participants overall for the 5-miler. The first 325 runners will receive a race shirt. An after-party will be held at 603 Brewery in Derry, and all participants age 21 and up will receive a voucher for a free beer. Visit gdtc.org/run.

• The 50 Football Fields Road Race will be held on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 11 a.m. at 2 Delta Drive in Concord. The cost is $25. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. Visit runsignup.com/Race/NH/Concord/50FootballFieldsRoadRaceJanuary2911am.

• The Super Sunday 4-Miler will be held on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 9:30 a.m. at 1750 Taphouse (170 Route 101, Bedford). The cost for participants age 21 and up is $35 in advance and $40 on race day, and the cost for youth participants is $30 in advance and $35 on race day. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. There will be a post-race party at 1750 Taphouse with entertainment and refreshments. Visit millenniumrunning.com/supersunday4miler.

• The Hampton Half Marathon & 5K returns to Hampton Beach on Sunday, March 5, at 10 a.m. The cost for the 5k is $39 in advance through Jan. 8, $44 in advance through Feb. 5 and $49 until registration closes. The cost for the half marathon is $74 in advance through Jan. 8, $79 in advance through Feb. 5 and $89 until registration closes. There will be an after-party at the Ashworth By The Sea Hotel with hot soup and complimentary Smuttynose beer for participants age 21 and up. Visit hamptonhalf.com.

• The Shamrocks and Shenanigans 4-Miler will take place on Sunday, March 12, at 9 a.m. from Great North Aleworks (1050 Holt Ave., Manchester). Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. The participant age 21 or older who is wearing the best representation of a kilt will win a pint. All participants age 21 and older will receive free beer vouchers redeemable following the race at Great North Aleworks or The Wild Rover Pub in Manchester. The cost is $35 for participants age 12 and up and $30 for youth participants age 11 and under. The first 400 registrants will receive a race shirt. Visit totalimagerunning.com/shamrocksandshenanigans4m.

• The Together We Fight 5K and 10K, to raise funds for Dana Farber for Nancy Rank and the American Liver Foundation for Bill Ducasse as they raise funds for the 127th Boston Marathon, will be held on Sunday, March 19, at 9 a.m. at 2 Delta Drive in Concord. The cost for the 5k is $20 until Jan. 31 and $25 after Jan. 31. The cost for the 10k is $35 until Jan. 31 and $40 after Jan. 31. Awards will be given to top participants within age groups. Additionally, there will be a free kids fun run at 8:45 a.m. Visit runsignup.com/Race/NH/Concord/TogetherweFight5K10K.

• The Citizens Bank Shamrock Half Marathon & Relay will be held on Saturday, March 25, at 8:50 a.m. at Veterans Park in downtown Manchester. The relay splits are 5.2, 3.2 and 4.7 miles, and awards will be given to the top three teams in the male, female and co-ed divisions. The cost for the three-person relay is $135 in advance until Feb. 28, $145 in advance after Feb. 28 and $155 on race day. The cost for the half marathon is $85 in advance until Feb. 28, $95 in advance after Feb. 28 and $105 on race day. The Citizens Bank Shamrock Shuffle, a 2-mile race, will be held the following day, Sunday, March 26, at 11 a.m. at Veterans Park in downtown Manchester. The Stonyfield Organic Lil’ Leprechaun Runs, a 100-yard fun run for kids age 8 and under, will precede the Shuffle at 10:30 a.m. The Manchester Saint Patrick’s Day Parade will follow the Shuffle at noon. The cost for the Shuffle is $25 in advance and $30 on race day for participants age 21 and up, $20 in advance and $25 on race day for youth ages 12 through 20 and $10 in advance and $15 on race day for kids age 11 and under. There will be medals for finishers, and awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. The first 1,250 registrants will receive a long-sleeved race shirt. Visit millenniumrunning.com/shamrock.

• The Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter’s Run and Walk for Food & Shelter will take place on Sunday, March 26, at 1 p.m. outside the Muldoon Fitness Center on the campus of Rivier University (420 S. Main St., Nashua). There will be a 5k race, a 10k race and a 3k walk. Additionally, there will be a kids sprint for kids age 7 and under preceding the main event at 12:30 p.m. The cost ranges from $30 to $45 for adults and from $20 to $35 for students for the 10k; from $25 to $40 for adults and from $15 to $30 for students for the 5k and the 3k, depending on the registration date. The cost for the kids sprint is $5. Visit nsks.org/run-and-walk-for-food-and-shelter.

• The SEA 5K Road Race and Fitness Walk, a fundraiser with proceeds going to Operation Santa Claus, will be held on Saturday, April 1, at the Governor Meldrim Thomson State Office Complex (27-29 Hazen Drive, Concord). Visit seiu1984.org/sea_5k.

• The Easing Heartbreak Hill 5K: Don’t Forget Your Wings, to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will be held on Sunday, April 2, at 10 a.m. at 2 Delta Drive in Concord. The cost is $25. There will be awards for top racers overall and within age groups. Search “Easing Heartbreak Hill 5K: Don’t Forget Your Wings” on eventbrite.com.

• The Cheap Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifier with a half marathon and full marathon, will take place on Sunday, April 16, at the Derry Rail Trail (1 E. Broadway, Derry). The full marathon will begin at 7:30 a.m., and the half marathon will begin at 8:45 a.m. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. The cost ranges from $26.21 to $49.99 in advance and is $60 on race day. Visit millenniumrunning.com/cheapmarathon.

• The NHTI/Northeast Delta Dental 5K Road Race will be held on Friday, April 21, at NHTI (31 College Drive, Concord). The cost is $20. Visit runreg.com/nhti-delta-dental-5k.

• The Stonyfield Earth Day 5K will take place on Saturday, April 22, at 9 a.m. at Londonderry West Soccer Fields (90 West Road, Londonderry). A 100-yard fun run for kids age 8 and under will follow the race at 10:15 a.m. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. The cost until March 11 is $25 for adults, $20 for youth ages 12 through 20 and $10 for kids age 11 and younger; the cost increases by $5 after March 11; the cost on race day increases by $10. The first 1,000 registrants will receive a race shirt. Visit millenniumrunning.com/stonyfield5k.

Local running clubs and groups
Here’s a list of locally based community organizations that are currently operating and promoting the sport of running through weekly meets and runs, special race series and more. Did we miss any? Let us know via email at [email protected].

Gate City Striders
gatecity.org, follow them on Facebook @thegatecitystriders and Instagram @gatecitystriders
How to join: Registration is available online at $30 per year for individuals or $40 per year for families. Individuals must be a minimum age of 13 and families must be a maximum of two adults and four children. Benefits include access to their bi-weekly email newsletter and discounts at some local businesses, like Fleet Feet Sports (4 Coliseum Ave., Nashua)

Greater Derry Track Club
gdtc.org, follow them on Facebook @gdtc78 and Instagram @gdtc_derrynh
How to join: Registration is available online at $25 per year for individuals and families, plus a $2.50 processing fee. Member benefits include discounts at some local and online vendors, access to monthly meetings, an annual dinner and more.

Greater Manchester Running Club
gmrcnh.org, join the Facebook group @gmrcnh
How to join: Registration is available online at $30 per year for individuals or $35 per year for families. Member benefits include access to weekly emails providing information on group runs and races, as well as some discounts.

Millennium Running
138 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, millenniumrunning.com/club, or see “Millennium Running Club” on Facebook
How to join: Registration is available online at $75 per year. Member benefits include club singlets, 15 percent off all purchases at Millennium Running’s retail store, weekly group training and workout opportunities and more.

3 people running along edge of road on cold day
Run Walk Brew, running group from Total Image Running in Auburn. Courtesy photo.

Run Walk Brew
Total Image Running, 63 Coleman Road, Auburn, totalimagerunning.com/club, or see “Run Walk Brew Social Club” on Facebook
How to join: Registration is available online at $80 per year. Member benefits include 10 percent off all purchases at Total Image Running, Runner’s Alley and Her Tribe Athletics, as well as $10 off on two of Total Image Running’s signature races per year. New members also receive some Total Image Running swag, and membership renewals receive 30 percent off one item through their online store.

Runner’s Alley
669 Elm St., Manchester; 142 N. Main St., Concord; see “Runner’s Alley Concord Run Group” or “RA Manchester Run Group” on Facebook
How to join: Runner’s Alley’s run groups are free and runners are welcome each week. The Concord group meets on Thursdays at 6 p.m. and runs through all parts of the city, while in Manchester, groups meet Tuesday nights at 5:45 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. The Tuesday night group in Manchester features a 1-mile loop on Elm Street that you have 30 minutes to complete. The Saturday morning group is about 5 miles with shorter options possible.

To Share Run Club
To Share Brewing Co., 720 Union St., Manchester, see “To Share Run Club” on Facebook or follow them on Instagram @tosharerunclub
How to join: This club meets every Friday at 6 p.m. at the brewery, and all are welcome regardless of age, pace or running ability. Runners make their way around downtown Manchester with a lot of flexibility to choose your own distance.

Taking the inside track

A winter run doesn’t have to mean braving the elements

By Katelyn Sahagian

[email protected]

There are different options to running in the cold New Hampshire air this winter: treadmills, of course, but also indoor tracks.

“Treadmills have their values, but it does a little bit of the work for you,” said Mike Davis, the head running coach and owner of No Finish Line Fitness in Dover. “It’ll direct and force your movement and pace.”

According to Davis, who specializes in gait analysis and has been coaching people on running for 15 years, running on a treadmill can make it challenging for runners to know exactly how they’re moving.

Form is very important, he said, and keeping a good form is one of the few ways runners can protect their legs and joints from injury.

Davis’ advice to new runners is to get the right equipment (meaning a good pair of running shoes that fit well), to not download a one-size-fits-all running plan from the internet and to not sign up for a race that’s only six months or less away.

Davis recommends using a time-based model for training, starting at 30 minutes a few times a week, and doing intervals of walking and running until it gets easier. He said that listening to your own body is key in making good running decisions.

“I always say be conservative, take it easy, find your happy pace, and don’t sign up for a race too soon,” Davis said.

Indoor tracks

Here are a few locations with indoor tracks. Some locations require a membership to be able to run on the track while others will charge for a day pass.

• Executive Health and Sports Center (1 Highlander Way, Manchester; ehsc.com, 668-4753) Call for pricing details.

• Hampshire Dome (34 Emerson Road, Milford; hampshiredome.com, 673-7123) $6 for a one-day pass, $80 for a 20-visit punch card. Members of Hampshire Hills Athletic Club can use the facility for free.

• Health Club of Concord (10 Garvins Falls Road Concord; healthclubofconcord.com, 224-7787) Call for pricing details.

• Nashua YMCA Branch (24 Stadium Drive, Nashua; nmymca.org) $100 to join; adult pricing starts at $49

• Merrimack YMCA Branch (6 Henry Clay Drive, Merrimack; nmymca.org) $100 to join; adult pricing starts at $49.

Upcoming winter running series
Here are a few upcoming organized running series brought to you by local clubs and groups.

Freeze Your Buns 5K series
Gate City Striders, gatecity.org
When: Sundays, Jan. 8, Jan. 22, Feb. 5, Feb. 19 and March 5; races kick off at 9 a.m. each day
Where: Conway Arena, 5 Stadium Drive, Nashua
Cost: $5 registration per race, or $20 for the entire series ($12 for runners ages 17 and under); a virtual option is also available

Hopkinton Winter 5K series
runsignup.com/Race/NH/Contoocook/HopkintonWinter5kSeries
When: Sundays, Jan. 8, Jan. 22 and Feb. 5; races kick off at 10 a.m. each day
Where: Storms Fitness Center, 442 Pine St., Contoocook
Cost: $25 registration per race; a virtual option is also available

Snow or No, We Go trail series
shakers.org/winterraces
When: Saturdays, Jan. 14, Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18 and March 4; races kick off at 10 a.m. each day
Where: Locations vary depending on the date; the Jan. 14 race will take place at Highway View Farm (100 River Road, Boscawen), the Jan. 28, Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 races will take place at Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road), and the Feb. 4 and March 4 races will take place at Prospect Acres (4 Beaumier Drive, Franklin).
Cost: $25 registration per race; each race is limited to 75 participants

Featured photo: The Gate City Striders’ Freeze Your Buns 5K. Courtesy photo.

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.

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