2021 looking southward from the corner of Concord and Elm
read more…: 2021 looking southward from the corner of Concord and ElmA look through the seasons of 2021 watching southward from the corner of Lowell and Elm
Community Bulletin Board
Weddings, anniversaries, engagements, Valentine’s Day love notes, military promotions or accolades, graduation shout-outs, obituaries or tributes to a loved one, pet obituaries/tributes, and other personal news and milestones shared by you, the community.
Also a place where conversation happens – from Letters to the Editor and Op/Eds to The Soapbox, you’re welcome to tell us how you really feel.
The Soapbox: Criminal justice, and justice for criminals: in Support of HB 598
read more…: The Soapbox: Criminal justice, and justice for criminals: in Support of HB 598Let’s get these folks out, recovered, healthier, and maybe even back to work. After all, genuine rehabilitation, preventative healthcare, and education are both cheaper and much sounder investments than jails. They invest in the future, rather than paying down past debts.
How to make New Year’s Resolutions like a middle-aged man with high cholesterol
read more…: How to make New Year’s Resolutions like a middle-aged man with high cholesterolRip a piece of paper from the notebook you vowed to diligently write in each day last year. The last entry is dated February 2, 2021. Write down your list of resolutions, the road map to finding your Best Self.
My house for the holidays, aka ‘the black gap off Bodwell Road’ – and other holiday musings
read more…: My house for the holidays, aka ‘the black gap off Bodwell Road’ – and other holiday musingsIt’s not that I’m some kind of Scrooge or a holiday curmudgeon. I’m simply too lazy and indifferent to string lights on my house and trees. Besides taking the dog out [4], I seldom leave the house or, more specifically, my Man-Cave in the basement.
Take gerrymandering off the table for both parties
read more…: Take gerrymandering off the table for both partiesThis is a tactic that has been employed by both parties over the years, begging the question: what can be done to take power out of the ruling party’s hands and place it back in the voter’s hands? One answer is the Freedom to Vote Act, currently up for debate in the US Senate. Contrary to popular belief, this is a bill that enjoys widespread support among a broad range of voters and lawmakers spanning the political spectrum.
Ode to Chelsea Paolini, whose shining light burned out too soon
read more…: Ode to Chelsea Paolini, whose shining light burned out too soonThe last time I saw Chelsea Paolini was in the parking lot at WKXL in Concord two summers back. She had just done a performance on Granite State of Mind and was ripping on a bowl of smoke before her ride back to Dover. The video attached to this story is of that performance. And as you can see, Chelsea is on her game, looking strong, tanned and present, belting out an original, as she always did.
Surviving the holidays, family feuds and how to be OK in any situation
read more…: Surviving the holidays, family feuds and how to be OK in any situationA recent poll conducted by OnePoll concluded that 75 percent of Americans admit they need to escape family during the holidays. With the added contention surrounding COVID and political discourse, we reached out to mental health counselor, hypnotherapist and certified integrative medicine practitioner Nicole Sublette, who has been featured on NHPR, WMUR, and the New Hampshire Business Show, to provide sound advice on surviving the holidays.
Manchester Rising: Making a difference one story at a time
read more…: Manchester Rising: Making a difference one story at a timeWe have until December 31 to raise $100,000 for our Manchester Rising reporting campaign. It is a lofty goal, one I set deliberately, not just because it would be heaven to be able to support two full-time employees, but because it allows me the opportunity to inform you, dear readers, of the financial reality of operating a legitimate daily news site.
Break out the Christmas light boxes (or confronting SAD)
read more…: Break out the Christmas light boxes (or confronting SAD)And for God’s sake, if anyone reading this is struggling to manage right now, know that you’re not alone and please reach out to someone[9]. In this battle with our mental health, we need to have each other’s backs.
Dear Hope Nation, I have COVID-19. It sucks.
read more…: Dear Hope Nation, I have COVID-19. It sucks.Do whatever you can to prevent yourself from getting it, unless you like losing your sense of taste and smell, feeling sore all over, coughing, being chilled and needing to sleep 18 hours a day. If you’re not vaccinated, please get vaccinated. If you’re not wearing a mask indoors in areas where community transmission is high, please start. If you don’t wash your hands regularly, please do so. I don’t want you or anyone else to feel the way I do right now.
To Johnny: A pilgrimage to a poet becomes a saving grace
read more…: To Johnny: A pilgrimage to a poet becomes a saving graceEver since a visit to Frost’s house in Derry, N.H. a few weeks ago, our evening reading sessions have involved a variety of the poet’s poems. Little Bean likes his nature or animal poems the best, though as accessible as Frost can be, there’s still quite a bit of explaining that needs to follow for a 6-year-old to wrap her head around the poet’s use of symbolism and analogy. But it’s fine. Our studies have given me a chance to brush up on my own connections to the poet.
A favorite new Thanksgiving tradition – with a twist
read more…: A favorite new Thanksgiving tradition – with a twistHere’s a unique recipe for your next gathering – pass around a share of mental wellbeing. It’s not exactly the turkey/centerpiece topic of the table (vaccinations perhaps?) There is still room for the expected topics – the newest achievement of the family all-star, or the great unifier of sports. But encourage everyone to try a small serving of something new.
An Open Letter to the OED Editors advocating for ‘shitification’
read more…: An Open Letter to the OED Editors advocating for ‘shitification’I fully acknowledge your venerable positions as the gatekeepers of the English language—and completely appreciate the stressors associated with being the experts who study the fickle nature of etymology. Yet I need to make a pressing and ardent plea for the addition of a single word in 2022: “shitification.”
Protect American Voters and end gerrymandering
read more…: Protect American Voters and end gerrymanderingPoliticians shouldn’t be able to pick their own voters; voters should pick their politicians. Every American should be able to get to the polls without worrying about missing work. Dark money groups should be outlawed. And casting a ballot should be safe and secure.
University of New Hampshire students seek meeting to air concerns over student safety
read more…: University of New Hampshire students seek meeting to air concerns over student safetyThe group has been working with Senior Vice Provost for Student Life Kenneth Holmes, Chief Diversity Officer Nadine Petty, and multiple other administrators to change a culture on campus which promotes sexual violence and institute preventative measures against sexual assault.
Hell may be hot, but cold is Hell: ‘Hope for the Winter at the Twelve’ warming station opens Dec. 1
read more…: Hell may be hot, but cold is Hell: ‘Hope for the Winter at the Twelve’ warming station opens Dec. 1Who will step up to run a warming station, open from December 1 until March 31 from 11 p.m. to 7 p.m.? FIT has its hands full with its shelter and, much as they might like to, they can’t do more. Hope for New Hampshire Recovery and the 1269 Café (aka The Twelve) are two small nonprofits, one serving people struggling to recover from addictions and the other a Christian organization helping people who are homeless. Still, both places value dignity, oppose suffering and want to prevent needless death. neither of these small organizations have the budget to operate a warming station this winter, but it is obvious that Manchester needs a warming station staffed by human beings demonstrating love and respect.
Road trip: Motoring to the deep South, hungry for the blues
read more…: Road trip: Motoring to the deep South, hungry for the bluesThis story starts in Atlanta, amid the sprawling stench of urine-soaked streets near the Peachtree/Alabama block of the city, where myself and two other travelers were staying at a hotel that even the valet attendant warned us, “This is a bad neighborhood, man. The $40 is worth it. Trust me.”
The Ritual of Ritual: Learning to be present this holiday season
read more…: The Ritual of Ritual: Learning to be present this holiday seasonThe point is that on that evening when we darken the house lights and switch on the holiday lights there will be a glorious, fleeting moment when nothing else matters; when the connection between our parents’ lives and our lives and the lives of the kids of our children to come are all on display.
The Soapbox: Honoring and supporting Veterans – today and every day
read more…: The Soapbox: Honoring and supporting Veterans – today and every dayI am inspired by how much veterans have sacrificed over the course of our nation’s history to ensure that every American could have the opportunity to be safe, secure, and free. And I am inspired to see how much they give back to their communities long after their service.
Communicast: Manchester is the linchpin to NH Rail Trails and the Granite State Rail Trail Corridor
read more…: Communicast: Manchester is the linchpin to NH Rail Trails and the Granite State Rail Trail CorridorNew Hampshire’s major spine is the Granite State Rail Trail and its biggest gap is from Concord to Manchester. it is the segments within the City of Manchester that have become the focus of the all-volunteer Manchester Moves organization.