We don't care what the calendars say . . . it's not officially spring until the Concord Public Library announces its springtime hours! Spring hours begin on May 1. Here they are: Sunday: closed Monday-Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday: 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Okay, now that we've said that, you may now resume your springtime activities (i.e. purchase capris, eat ice cream, frolic about town, send love letters to The Insider - you know, whatever it is you people do.)

The Concord-Merrimack County SPCA's fifth annual Dinner with the Animals held April 17 at the Grappone Conference Center was a success! Approximately 250 animal lovers attended the event, compared to 230 people last year. With all proceeds benefiting the shelter, it's good to know that people still have plenty of love for the animals, despite the poor economy. A few furry friends attended…

The Common Man family of restaurants has donated $22,000 to the New Hampshire Food Bank and dedicated hundreds more to assist the nonprofit in ending hunger in New Hampshire. Common Man CEO Jason Lyon and more than 40 members of the restaurant company's management team visited the food bank and made the donation during a presentation to the organization's volunteers and staff. Lyon said proceeds from a charity coupon book sold during December 2008, filled with monthly offers for the family of restaurants, were dedicated to the food bank, resulting in the $22,000 donation. The restaurants will…

Lots of wonderful programming on Concord TV this week. Our picks are: On Public Access Channel 22, watch the taping of “Dogs’ Night Out: Three Great Poets,” sponsored by the Concord Monitor, on May 2 at 9:30 p.m. On Government Channel 17, there are four excellent choices: - On April 28 at 6:30 p.m., Concord TV will air its annual budget presentation, live. - On April 29 at 7 p.m.,…

NHTI’s Environmental Action Club is sponsoring an electronics recycling day on April 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a great opportunity to safely and responsibly dispose of your old electronics, including computers, monitors, TVs and more. A truck will be stationed in NHTI’s parking lot B to collect your equipment. There is no charge for computers, computer accessories and other electronics. A small fee of $8 to $12, depending on TV housing type will be charged for televisions. This fee will be waived for NHTI students with valid ID. All electronics will be disposed of in an environmentally…

Q&A time Tom talks Fisherville We got a letter from a person (who would like to remain anonymous) about the work being done on Fisherville Road. She wrote: You keep mentioning that the road work along Fisherville Road is getting its finishing touches. Is this really the best it’s going to be? There are several areas where the new pavement has been torn up by snow plows, water freezing, daily use or whatever. You can see the old road through the holes. The paving edges are rough and uneven, and let’s not even mention the breakdown lanes. How much money was spent to pave it and then have…