More than 200 buildings in downtown Concord are heated by steam, which floats through an underground network of pipes almost 8 miles long. That unseen labyrinth leads back to Concord Steam on Pleasant Street, a local energy corporation that has been owned by exactly two families in its seven decades of operation.Cool, huh?(Well, steam's actually pretty hot, but you catch the drift.)Meet…

It was another busy week in the Insider Madness tournament, as we saw eight teams chopped down to the Final Four. Here's who won their matchups:Matt Bonner over NHTI.The Insider over Tara Mounsey.Tom Aspell over the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.The Friendly Kitchen over Hannah Dustin.We'll narrow that Final Four down to two midweek, and then the championship will be determined…

Name: Seth NasonButcher, The MeathouseAre you a vegetarian? Any vegetarians working here?No, I don't think a single one of us is a vegetarian.What's the choicest cut of meat, here or that you've ever had?The choicest one I ever had, and one we do get from time to time, is Kobe Beef or Waagu. It's just a fine cut of meat, very tender, buttery, you can almost cut it with…

On a hike with my daughter, Carolyn Blasko, I came upon a tree that used its body language to tell us its life story. When the tree was a mere sapling, it was bent over by an event it does not remember. Maybe it was a strong wind, a heavy snowfall or a rambunctious moose. Whatever the cause, the tree found itself lying horizontal to the forest floor, but its roots were securely anchored…

The women of Granite State Roller Derby will open their second season on April 7 at Everett Arena.The "Sibling Rivalry"-themed bout features a rematch against the Queen City Cherry Bombs, a team from New Hampshire Roller Derby of Manchester. Local favorite Captain Chet Lawson's Snake Oil Review will perform at halftime. Doors open to the public at 6 p.m.; the game begins…

April 3, 1865: Concord's church bells ring and a cannon fires in response to news of the overwhelming defeat of Gen. Robert E. Lee's army at Petersburg, Va.April 3, 1905: Douglas Everett is born. Everett will become a member of the 1932 U.S. Olympic hockey team, win a silver medal and be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The Everett Arena in Concord will be named in his honor.April 3, 1909: In perhaps the first full-page automobile ad in the Monitor, Concord dealer Fred Johnson describes in detail the new Buick "Model 17 Touring Car." It has five seats, two in front,…