The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the “Newsletter” button. Here are some highlights:
City meetings
City meetings will be held in person in Council Chambers at 37 Green St. (unless otherwise specified on the city’s calendar). Upcoming meetings include:
Zoning Board of Adjustment, Oct. 6, 7 p.m.
City Council, Oct. 12, 7 p.m.
Planning Board, Oct. 20, 7 p.m.
Visit https://concordnh.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx for agendas, which are posted prior to the meetings. View the city calendar for more meetings and events.
Street closures
Please note the following upcoming street closures during events taking place in Concord:
Friday, Sept. 24: Warren Street between North State Street and Green Street will be closed from 3 to 9 p.m. for the YMCA of Concord Block Party.
Friday, Sept. 24, to Sunday, Sept. 26: South Main Street will be closed from Concord Street to Hills Avenue from 11 a.m. on Friday until 11 p.m. on Sunday for Capital Arts Fest. South Main Street will be closed from Hills Avenue to Pleasant Street on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. for Capital Arts Fest.
Concord Airport
The Concord Municipal Airport has issued a Request for Statements of Interest (RFI) for development of land within the fence line at the airport. The RFI deadline is Oct. 29. The RFI document is available on the city’s website or via the following link: concordnh.gov/1854/Airport-Development-Opportunity-RFI.
N.H. BioBlitz in Concord
Discover the plants, wildlife, insects, and other species in Concord and help our community learn more about our natural areas! Through the end of September, join the NH BioBlitz, a species scavenger hunt where volunteers help find and record data on as many different wild living things as possible in a certain area and a short amount of time.
Learn more about how to participate at extension.unh.edu/nhbioblitz.
Not sure where to go? The Conservation Commission recommends the following city-owned conservation or park lands that have habitat diversity and easy trail access. (Note: you will find more diversity away from trails, so for this exercise only, we recommend you roam off the trails a bit. Please remember to leave no trace, and remain on city-owned land).
Weir Road lot (Trail Map 4)
Spears Park Lot (Trail Map 7)
Riley Lot (Trail Map 8)
Merrill Park (Trail Map 13)
Broken Ground lots (Trail Map 30)
W. Portsmouth Street Lot (Trail Map 20)
Trail Maps can be found here: http://www.concordnh.gov/trails.
If you take photos, here are some recommended hashtags: #naturecountsinnh, #nhbioblitz, #nhcitizenscience, #naturenh, #science, #conservation, #citizenscientist, #wildlife, #citizenscience, #optoutside, #explorenature.
New business expenses program
The Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) launched the COVID-19 Expenses Relief Program to assist New Hampshire for-profit Main Street businesses with COVID-19 related business expenses in 2020 and 2021.
“Thousands of New Hampshire small businesses have been helped through our state programs to address the economic impacts of COVID-19,” said Commissioner Taylor Caswell, Executive Director of GOFERR. “We realize, however, that as many small businesses have continued to adapt their operations throughout the pandemic many remain in need of financial assistance. The COVID-19 Expenses Relief Program will help small businesses offset a portion of these COVID-19 related costs.”
Eligible businesses can apply for reimbursement of a portion of their eligible expenses until 4 p.m. on October 1, 2021, via the GOFERR portal. Awards will be issued following the application deadline, on a capped, pro-rata basis dependent upon total eligible expenses.
Eligible expenses for reimbursement include but are not limited to the following categories:
Costs incurred while closed due to COVID-19 (such as prorated rent, mortgage payments, and utilities).
Costs incurred as a result of reopening after COVID-19 related closure (such as PPE, workforce safety training, and installation of physical safety measures).
Increased costs of doing business as a result of COVID-19 (such as HVAC improvements, creation or addition of indoor or outdoor space for social distancing purposes, and increased costs due to supply chain disruptions or increased demand).
Storrs Street legislative parking garage work
The State of NH has a contractor team working on rehabilitating the deck and supporting structure of the Storrs Street Legislative Parking Garage. This work will involve intermittent lane closures and maintenance of one-way traffic underneath the garage, as well as parking space and sidewalk closures. Work is expected to continue through September.
Skating at Everett Arena
Ice skating hours are Sundays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday hours will begin on October 9 and will also be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is $6 and free for kids ages 3 and under. Skate rentals are available if needed for $5 at the arena’s pro shop. Ice skating lessons will be offered by Concord Parks & Recreation. Session one will be available November through December and session two will be January through February. Classes have limited registration that must be completed with Concord Parks & Recreation by mail, fax, online, or in person starting in October. Registration for skating lessons cannot be done at the Everett Arena.
Adult stick practice (ages 14 and up) hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Additional hours will occur Monday through Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. through November 24. Admission will be $10.00 and free for goalies. Helmet and gloves are required and full equipment is recommended.
Youth stick practice (ages 13 and under) hours are on Friday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. starting September 10 through November 26. Admission will be $10 and free for goalies. Full equipment is required.
Ice season will continue through mid-March. Lace up those skates! Find more information at concordnh.gov/skating.
Indoor sports for adults
Basketball: The Parks and Recreation Department is offering Adult drop in basketball on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the City Wide Community Center (14 Canterbury Road). The cost is $3 for residents (with ID) and $4 for non-residents. The drop in program ends on Saturday, Oct 30.
Pickleball: The Parks and Recreation Department is offering drop in pickleball on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the City Wide Community Center (14 Canterbury Road). There will be two courts open and the cost is $3 for residents (with ID) and $4 for non-residents. The drop in program ends on Thursday, October 7.
Get a library card
September is National Library Card Sign Up Month! If you sign up for a library card, renew your card, or refer a friend to get a library card during the month of September, you’ll be entered to win a prize!
The library now subscribes to U.S. Newsstream through ProQuest. This online service provides access to many of the most widely read major newspapers in the United States!
Updated daily you can read current issues, search the archives for older articles, and even setup automatic alerts for new issues and articles to be sent to your email. Accessible publications include the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and the L.A. Times.
Tour the State House
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce will welcome the public to the New Hampshire State House on Saturday, September 25 for complimentary guided tours. All tours will depart from the State House Visitor Center at 107 North Main Street every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is part of the Capital Arts Fest weekend.
Capital Arts Fest
The Capital Arts Fest will return September 24-26 with indoor and outdoor events that showcase the best of the region’s culture, arts, and food. The 2021 Capital Arts Fest will be anchored by a Fine Art and Craft Fair presented by the League of NH Craftsmen. Learn more on the event website. Please note that South Main Street will be closed from Concord Street to Hills Avenue from 11 a.m. on Friday, September 24 through 11 p.m. on Sunday, September 26. South Main Street will be closed from Hills Avenue to Pleasant Street on Sunday, September 26 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Walker Lecture Series
Since 1896, the Walker Lecture Series has brought stimulating speakers and musicians to Concord. COVID forced a change from live performances to virtual ones, but now the series is back in the Concord City Auditorium for the fall 2021 season. “We plan to be in the Audi for the year,” said Walker trustee Jon Kelly. “If things change, we will adjust.”
Travelogues have long been a staple of the Walker Lecture Series and fall 2021 includes trips to southern England, Guatemala, and space. Space? Yes, Actor Mike Francis will open the season as Galileo, explaining his latest invention, the telescope.
The upcoming season also includes two piano concerts. William Ogmundson, a classically-trained pianist and award-winning composer, will perform his popular ‘Americana’ concert that will include works from a diverse range of great American composers, Gottschalk, Sousa, Joplin and Gershwin. Most recently, Ogmundson won “Best Musical Score” at the New York Theatre Festival in 2019 for composing music for “Georgia O’Keeffe Paints Paradise.” He has recorded twelve albums, and has more than 13 million streams on Pandora and Spotify.
Adam Swanson, a four-time winner of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest, will perform ragtime and early jazz.
In the Walker tradition, all performances are free with no tickets or reservations required. All programs start at 7:30 p.m. Except for The Messiah, all programs will be at the City Auditorium.
