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.

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