If you've ever had to spend any time in the hospital, then you've probably come to appreciate just how important nurses are. They aren't just there to tuck you in and change your bedpans; they administer live-saving drugs and usecutting-edge medical technology. One mistake, one misturned dial or twisted tube could cost a patient his or her life. So it's obvious nurses…

The Food Snob recently paid a visit to the House of India restaurant on Pleasant Street. I've had my eye on this place ever since my induction to the ranks of Snobhood, and it was well worth the wait.My dining companion and I arrived for lunch early on a weekday afternoon and had no trouble getting a prime table in the half-full dining room. The scent of exotic spices swirled in…

It's the moment you've all been waiting for, readers: The 2011 Cappie awards have made have made their triumphant return to the Insider, and now it's time for you to vote for your favorite things about Concord.We know there's a lot to love about this great city: It's got swanky restaurants, a nice, walkable downtown, friendly business owners and shops aplenty.Last year was the debut of the Cappies…

Does your organization recruit and welcome volunteers? With National Volunteer Week scheduled for April 10-16, this will be your opportunity to celebrate volunteerism.Send columnist Paul Basham your story about how volunteers contribute to your program and he will include this information in a future issue of the Insider.Also, if you are a volunteer and you want to extol the satisfaction you receive from volunteering, send your story as well.National Volunteer Week is about inspiring and encouraging people to seek out creative ways to be a positive influence in their community.These stories…

• March 29, 1945: The Monitor reports that Sgt. Walter Carlson, missing in action since Dec. 21, is now known to be a POW in Germany. Carlson, a Concord police sergeant before the war, will remain in a prison camp for 71 days before being liberated. After the war, he will be Concord's longtime police chief.• March 29, 1945: Local grocers break the bad news even to customers who put in their orders early: Because of wartime shortages, there will be no hams for Easter this year.• March 30, 1965: The New Hampshire Education Association makes a pitch for a standard minimum teachers…

Each week, City Manager Tom Aspell rides his BMX bike past our house and throws a city memo on our doorstep, "Paperboy" style. Watch out for people breakdancing in the street!waste not want notLeaves of grassThe spring yard waste collection program is set to start, Aspell writes. The program runs from April 18 through May 27. All Concord residents who currently participate in the curbside trash collection program are eligible. Materials to be collected must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on the regular trash collection day.Residents have two options for pick-up:1) Yard waste is placed curbside…