Have you ever seen the golf-ball-sized, apple-like objects growing on oak trees? They are caused by a tiny wasp that enlists the help of the mighty oak tree to shelter and care for its offspring. The female wasp, which is wingless, crawls up the trunk of the tree in the spring and goes out on a limb to implant an egg in a tender oak leaf bud. The result is an oak apple gall. Inside the…

With the holidays come special food and drink that you only see this time of year. One of my favorites is eggnog. Why do I love eggnog so much? Is it the creaminess? Perhaps the piles of sugar per glass? Or maybe – just maybe – I love the way it goes so nicely with rum. I don’t know – I just know I like it. Still, I’m glad it’s only available once a year. I don’t think…

Debbie Butler and her son, Ben Savard, a senior at Concord High School, scored an invitation to a recent White House Christmas party. Other Concord attendees included Jim Demers and Ned and Sally Helms. Ben took photos for his photojournalism class and, at the behest of his mom, shared them with us. Thanks, Debbie and Ben! Click on a photo to read the caption.

'Twas almost the night before Christmas, and that green sign of the season in your living room is looking a little droopy. You added the packet of tree food, you mixed sugar into the water, but it's shedding more than Fido and Fluffy combined. You've said it before, but this time you really mean it: The day after Christmas, you're making a beeline for the nearest sale on artificial trees. Well, before you swear…

Can't wait until January to watch "American Idol"? Thanks to the Pit Road Lounge, 388 Loudon Road, you don't have to! Okay, so Simon and Randy aren't exactly hanging out in Concord, but there is a karaoke contest going on at the Loudon Road lounge, Wednesday nights at 9. Much like "American Idol," contestants have to pick a song each week from the genre the DJ specifies. Then, three…

This mystery Concord leader, in bowtie at right, received a high public office from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, at left. At the same time, one could observe that the mystery man helped Ike get the job he held in 1957, when this picture was taken by a White House photographer. The mystery man is one of many lives remembered in "Crosscurrents of Change," the history of Concord in the…