■Concord Regional VNA is holding Senior Health Clinics at Briar Pipe Apartments on Fridays, October 11 and October 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All Senior Health Clinic services are provided for a suggested donation of $10, however, services are provided regardless of a person’s ability to pay. Services offered include foot care, blood pressure screening, B-12 injections, medication education, and nutritional education. Call (603) 224-4093 or (800) 924-8620, ext. 5815 for an appointment.
■On Monday at 7 p.m., a piano/mezzo soprano duo will perform at the United Church of Penacook as part of the fall series of concerts presented in conjunction with Avaloch Farm Music Institute. Anne Rainwater and Melinda Becker will perform three song sets – Gabriela Lena Frank’s Quatro Canciones Andinas in Spanish, selections from Barber’s Hermit Songs in English, and Debussy Trois Chanson de Bilitisin in French. Samples of their work can be found at newmoonduo.com. Find additional concert information and directions to the church at ucpnh.org.
CHERYL STINSON
news03303@aol.com
■Concord Grange will meet Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the IBEW Hall, 48 Airport Road. Please note the change in date.
■The Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 189 Loudon Road, will feature Blessing of the Pets today, both real and stuffed, at 1 p.m. in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, outside on the parish grounds.
■Broken Ground School is offering a workshop for “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” on Tuesday evenings, Oct. 8, 15, 22 and 29 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. They will discuss the joys and challenges of raising grandchildren and explore a variety of topics to help support this important parenting journey. A light family meal and child care/children’s program will be offered. This is open to Concord families only. Please call Ruth Christino at 225-0855 or email rchristino@sau8.org to register.
■Merrimack Retired Educators Association will meet on Thursday at Makris Lobster & Steak House on Route 106. The business meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m. followed by the program at 11 a.m. Rick Trombly, executive director of NEA-NH, will present work done on behalf of public education in N.H. this year and update retirees on legislation affecting them. All retired teachers, support staff and professional associates from the Concord area are welcome to attend. New retirees can join with free membership for one year. Reservations for the noon luncheon may be made by email at lizjane1945@gmail.com.
■It’s what Saturday nights were made for in this part of the world! Join us for a classic New England Ham & Bean Supper at East Congregational Church, 51 Mountain Road, on Oct. 19, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The menu includes two kinds of made from scratch beans, baked ham, homemade brown bread, coleslaw, assorted casseroles, and a scrumptious dessert buffet. Adults just $9, children 6 to 12 are $5, age 5 and under are free. Takeout is available, and the church is wheelchair accessible. Raffle tickets will be sold for an expertly handcrafted quilt which will be drawn at the Holiday Fair on Nov. 2. For more information, call 224-9242 or visit eastchurchucc.org.
RICHARD PATTEN
496-2917
dickpatten7@gmail.com
■With Halloween around the corner, “Laughta in New Hampsha” is pleased to kick off the “Season of Scares” on Thursday at Tandy’s Pub, 1 Eagle Square. The Comedy Club kicks off with comedian and host Scott MacNeil and features five talented comics: Doris Ballard, Rick Gauthier, Wes Martens, Rob Steen and headliner Pat Napoli. Be sure to reserve your tickets since seating is limited. Tickets are $12 and available at Eventbrite NoDo Productions, and at the door starting at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. and show starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information, email info@nodoproductions.com.
■The Friends of the Audi are offering a free Walker Lecture event, “Above and Beyond” with author Michael Tougias’s gripping account of John F. Kennedy and America’s most dangerous Cold War spy mission on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium. Walker programs are free and open to all. Doors open at 7 p.m. For more information, call 333-0035.
■The Greater Concord Chronic Pain Support Group will meet Tuesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 274 Pleasant St. Whatever pain you are experiencing, learn from each other, from speakers and from resources. For more information, contact painconnection.org or call 540-3119.
■The library is offering Paws for Pages, a program designed to help kids improve their reading and communication skills on Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mr. T and Clarabel are certified through Therapy Dogs International, and will be on-hand with their handlers in the Children’s Room. Children who attend will each have 15 minutes of undivided attention as they read aloud to the dog. For more information, call 225-8670, ext. 4.
■Everett Arena is open for public ice skating today from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $5 per person and children under three are free. Skate rentals are also available for $5. For more information, call 228-2784.
■Support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central NH at the 14th Annual Taste of New Hampshire on Oct. 17 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Grappone Conference Center. This year’s event features 35 great restaurants and businesses, chef cooking demos, live music, door prize raffle, and a silent auction. Tickets are $35 or 10 for $300 and may be purchased at Cimo’s South End Deli, the 99 Restaurant, or Arnie’s Place. For more information, go to tasteofnewhampshire.com.
■One of Concord Community Music School’s most exciting days of the year is coming: Fall Fiddle Fest! Fiddlers from Scottish, Irish, and Québécois traditions will convene at the music school for the fourth annual festival, a full day of workshops and jam sessions for fiddlers and violinists, followed by an exhilarating evening concert of fiddle music open to the general public on Oct. 19. The session runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 23 Wall St., and the cost to attend is $75 which includes a full day of workshops and jams and the evening concert ticket. Space is limited and registration is required. For more information or to register, go to ccmusicschool.org or call 228-1196.
LYNDA PLANTE
717-1632
soxpatscats@gmail.com
■Grab the “cheaters” and get some new bookmarks! You’ll need them for all the events at Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 South Main St.
■Today at 2 p.m., Archer Mayor returns to present his newest Joe Gunther novel, Bomber’s Moon.
■On Tuesday at 6 p.m. as John C. Porter presents the new edition of his classic, Preserving Old Barns: Preventing the Loss of a Valuable Resource. A wonderful resource for barn owners to assess, care for, and celebrate their special structures.
■Poets Willie Perdomo and Matt W. Miller visit on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Perdomo is a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and winner of the International Latino Book Award; and the PEN Open Book Award, and a finalist for the Poetry Society of America Norma Farber First Book Award. Miller is the 2012 Vassar Miller Poetry Prize winner and the 2015 River Styx Micro-Beer, Micro-fiction Prize and Iron Horse Review’s 2015 Trifecta Poetry Prize. He teaches English and coaches football at Phillips Exeter Academy where he also co-directs the Writers’ Workshop at Exeter.
■Finally, on Saturday at 11 a.m., picturebook illustrator Mark Hoffmann shares his newest books in a storytime! He’ll share the stories and pictures of his newest projects, the high-flying poetic Hawks Kettle, Puffins Wheel: And Other Poems of Birds in Flight (written by Susan Vande Griek), and the down to earth Poop (written by Poppy Champignon). They’ll also have Fruit Bowl on hand, which Mark wrote and illustrated!
■A few doors from Gibson’s, go to Red River Theatres and see the glorious Downton Abbey movie until Thursday. This week, make sure you take a look at their Downton Abbey themed teas available at the concessions stand! You can also enjoy until Thursday, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice.
■It Was Fifty Years Ago Today … A Tribute To The Beatles White Album, features Christopher Cross, Todd Rundgren, Micky Dolenz, Jason Scheff and Joey Molland at the Chubb Theatre at the Capitol Center For The Arts. Go tonight at 6 p.m. The musical artists will be performing their greatest hits, along with songs from the White Album. Tickets: $79.50, $69.50, $49.50. See our entire schedule of upcoming shows and events at ccanh.com
■National Theatre Live In HD encore performance of The Audience at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage is today at 12:55 p.m. For 60 years, Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren; The Queen) has met with each of her 12 prime ministers in a private weekly meeting known as The Audience. No one knows what they discuss, not even their spouses. From the old warrior Winston Churchill to Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher and finally David Cameron, the Queen advises her prime ministers on all matters both public and personal. Through these private audiences, we see glimpses of the woman behind the crown and witness the moments that shaped a monarch. Tickets start at $15.
■Later this evening at the Bank of N.H. Stage, see Lee DeWyze, ninth season winner of American Idol, at 6 p.m. Singer-songwriter DeWyze’s rousing emotionality and storyteller songwriting has enthralled both fans, and high profile film/TV/advertising sync licensing tastemakers, earning him over 30 prime placements in just a few years. Tickets starting at $75 for VIP or theater seat for $22.
■Today Kalia Conducts Brahms & Tchaikovsky at 3 p.m. at the Audi.
■Rogerson Luminosity’s Symphony N.H. premiere includes Brahms Violin Concerto, D Major and Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, F Minor. Samuel Fischer, acclaimed soloist and concertmaster of California’s Opera Santa Barbara and the Redlands Symphony, will step in for the season’s opening concerts.
■On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., The Walker Lecture Fund presents “Above and Beyond,” with author Michael Tougias’s gripping account of John F. Kennedy and America’s most dangerous Cold War spy mission, the U-2. Free with no tickets. Open seating. Information at walkerlecture.org.
■Next Sunday, Oct. 13, at 6:30 p.m. is The Friends Of The Audi Quarterly Meeting. Everyone is welcome as the Friends meet to review and plan the theatre’s upgrade projects and upcoming events. The program starts with a dessert party. Information at 344-4747.
■Be sure to get your tickets early for Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. for The Community Players of Concord’s Children’s Theatre Project of Disney’s Frozen Jr. This is an all-ages treat presenting the young actors’ version of the tale of princesses Elsa and Anna. An area premiere with all the special characters: Kristoff, Reindeer Sven, Prince Hans, and the magical snowman, Olaf. Get reserved seats for $15 by Oct. 15 at communityplayersofconcord.org or the box office. Information at 344-4747.
■Hatbox Theatre in the Steeplegate Mall is very proud to present Background Check, the hit comedy by acclaimed New Hampshire playwright G. Matthew Gaskell. It is the “utterly hilarious, smart farce” you won’t want to miss. It runs through Oct. 20; Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Have you ever wondered about your spouse’s deepest, darkest secrets? What if they all came crashing through the door on a single night? What if yours did, too? What if that night was the first night of your honeymoon? So, please join us for a night so silly and absurd you’ll probably need to see it twice! Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for members, seniors, and students, $12 for senior members. Tickets can be reserved by calling 715-2315 or purchased at hatboxnh.com.
■A belated but sincere “Shanah Tovah Umetukah” to those celebrating the New Year of 5779! Also, G’mar Hatima Tova and have a meaningful fast, this week!
■It is with great honor and humility, I am happy to say that as of this column, I have been your South End Town Crier for four years! How did that happen? Time flies but with every week and year, I grow more in love with Concord! This is my seventh state, and if I can’t be home, this is where I want to be! Thank you for such a great city. It’s always a treat to meet you around town. Thank you for “tuning in” every Sunday! Thanks also to our editors and staff!
JEAN VER HOEVEN
856-304-5830
jeanann@voicenet.com