Skeletal remains found in a dilapidated shed off North State Street have been identified by Concord Police as those of Michael Schilz Concord Police responded to the property at 282-284 North State Street after its owner reported finding a body inside a shed on April 21 The skeletal condition of the body indicated that it had been there for “an extended period of time,” possibly as long as years but no related charges are expected at this time The state sex offender registry lists Schilz who was convicted in 2005 of aggravated felonious sexual assault on a minor Schilz was released in December of 2021 and had been wanted on parole violations stemming from his original conviction since May 23 according to a state Department of Corrections spokesperson He had never been reported as a missing person to Concord Police the property was the site of an arson that killed Robert McMillan who owned and lived in a duplex there at the time he was convicted of second-degree murder for McMillan’s death It was purchased in early April by Benjamin Carbone of Hooksett The previous owners listed are Pennsylvania residents Catherine McLaughlin can be reached at cmclaughlin@cmonitor.com You can subscribe to her Concord newsletter The City Beat at concordmonitor.com you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users Rain giving way to foggy conditions overnight Officials have released the identity of a man found dead following an early-morning RV blaze in Concord on Saturday The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity of the victim as David Browall Browall’s cause of death was determined to be smoke inhalation and the manner was accidental The investigation is ongoing and no additional information is available at this time The Concord Fire Department responded to a report of an RV fire at about 3:30 a.m at 277 Sheep Davis Road — the address listed for a TD Bank branch by the Steeplegate Mall The first crews to arrive reported heavy flames coming from the RV and worked to extinguish the fire It was deemed under control within half an hour The incident is under investigation by the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Concord Fire Department and the Concord Police Department. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office at 603-223-4289 or fmo@dos.nh.gov pfeely@unionleader.com Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Would you like to receive our daily news? Signup today Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account New Hampshire (WGME) -- One person is dead after a fire in Concord fire officials responded to Sheep Davis Road for reports of a RV fire Crews say they saw massive flames and heavy smoke coming from the RV It took them over an hour to put out the fire Officials say they found a man dead inside the camper The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating John Swope donated family land to the city of Concord for conservation John Swope speaks to the employees at Chubb Life John Swope wasn’t picky about the performances he went to see at the Capitol Center for the Arts ‘I don’t know what this particular production is about Would you go with me?’” said his best friend and comedy in a theater that bore the name of the company Swope once ran a Concord business leader and philanthropist who presided over a decades-long transformation of the capital region’s art scene the performances were in many ways a culmination of his life’s work who served as the prime organizational and financial force behind the Capitol Center and many other ventures across the state where he and his wife moved to take his first job out of law school in 1963 He quickly ascended the ranks of United Life & Accident Insurance Co. ultimately becoming president of the company that acquired it dove into the civic life of their new home with gusto joining a host of city committees and boards “John Swope was an anomaly,” the Concord Monitor wrote in an editorial upon his resignation from Chubb in 1994 “Not many officers of a big company spend their whole career in one town And not many chief executives of out-of-state corporations become involved in their community with the intensity that Swope did.” the grandson of the former president of General Electric He followed his older brother to Amherst College when he gifted the couple’s former land to the city to create the Marjory Swope Park in memory of his wife “It was a nice spring day down in western Massachusetts We somehow got a small keg of beer and we went over to Mount Holyoke to see if anybody wanted to come and help us drink it.” Marjory was interested and “she was a keeper,” Swope said After they married and John graduated from Yale Law School the couple settled into an apartment on Pine Street so that John could start at United Life While Marjory would have been fine living in a major city John “liked trees” and “found cities a little too loud and overwhelming.” In Concord they found the right mix of city living and open space was asked by the then-president what he saw as his role “He always said a company has a primary responsibility to its shareholders but it also has a responsibility to its employees and it also has a responsibility to the community in which it exists,” Kevin Swope said “And he really exemplified that in all of the areas.” Swope first got involved in civic life as a member of the city’s human rights council in the 1960s at the height of the civil rights movement He later served on the zoning and planning boards but spent the bulk of his time and energy on philanthropy and comedy – became involved in turning Concord’s Capitol Theater into an arts center The Capitol Center for the Arts “would not exist without John Swope,” said Salvatore Prizio “He used his influence and his leadership over at Chubb Life to get Chubb Life to support the initial effort to get the building saved from the wrecking ball,” Prizio said Swope’s financial and leadership efforts continued Swope applied his executive skills to public broadcasting serving as an interim CEO and on the boards of both the New Hampshire and national PBS stations Swope served on the boards of many other institutions and did some legal work with the Sheehan Phinney law firm Swope came to be seen as a model to fellow business leaders statewide for how to engage with one’s community “He was a mentor to a whole generation of business leaders,” said Concord developer Steve Duprey “And I think one of the most important lessons he imparted to us all is that if you have the privilege and opportunity to run a business in the community or in the state you have an obligation to step up and have your business and individually to participate in the civic needs of the community.” In addition to his business acumen and generosity friends said Swope was known for his witty sense of humor John would always have an outrageously funny observation or quip that would help make the day.” who met Swope in 1991 when he got a job at Chubb ultimately became close friends and frequent lunch buddies with him Champlin recalled Swope as a “quiet presence in the city” who made a big impact “I think that he will be remembered as someone who was as generous as he was astute,” Champlin said remembered his father as intensely principled “He had very definite opinions and he had a very strong sense of right and wrong which I think we all appreciated,” Kevin said and the pair became known as “the odd couple in Concord,” according to Wilson the Wilsons would join the Swopes at their home in Woods Hole Swope convinced Wilson to get involved in the Capitol Center where they frequently went to shows together The pair went to their last performance in December Swope “sat down to watch the Super Bowl and then found out he couldn’t stand up out of his chair,” Kevin Swope said He was admitted to hospice care at Havenwood Heritage Heights in Concord seeing him for the last time two hours before he died on Tuesday “He was simply my best friend,” Wilson said Jeremy Margolis can be contacted at jmargolis@cmonitor.com InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/2025/05/01/hundreds-gathered-may-1-in-concord-and-around-nh-to-stand-with-immigrants-workers/) May Day demonstration in Concord on Thursday Arnie Alpert spent decades as a community organizer/educator in NH movements for social justice and peace.  Officially retired since 2020 he keeps his hands (and feet) in the activist world while writing about past and present social movements Get unbiased nonprofit watchdog news sent directly to your inbox The first day of May, which has been an occasion for labor rallies since 1886 and immigrants’ rights marches since 2006, has taken on new significance this year due to President Donald Trump’s assaults on immigrants and unions.  A thousand demonstrations were expected nationwide on Thursday including a rally at the State House arch on Main Street in Concord other public shows of support for immigrants and disapproval of Trump’s agenda were expected to take place in Alton This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License A generous gift in any amount helps us continue to bring you this service InDepthNH protects independent journalism that holds government accountable to the people Our investigative reporting prompts civil discourse that spurs citizens to action corruption and influence-peddling while giving voice to the disenfranchised InDepthNH fulfills the press’ watchdog role as envisioned by the founders of our democracy InDepthNH.org is published by the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News Several streets in downtown Concord will be closed Wednesday evening for the 23rd annual Rock’N Race a fundraiser supporting cancer programs and services for patients and their families and raises funds for the Concord Hospital Payson Center for Cancer Care is expected to draw thousands of runners for a 5K or a shorter 1-mile loop through downtown Concord more than 3,200 participants helped raise over $339,000 for the center North State Street at Pleasant Street (northbound) North State Street at Capitol Street (northbound) North State Street at Centre Street (southbound) between North Main Street and North State Street (westbound) between North Main Street and North State Street (eastbound) between Green Street and North State Street North Spring Street at Centre Street from 5:45 – 7:30 p.m Rumford Street at Centre Street from 5:45 – 7:30 p.m Parking is available in downtown Concord’s parking garages and limited street parking is offered on a first-come There will be no parking on Capitol Street For more information, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/NH/Concord/RockNRace Robert Maccini is an editor and a member of Concord Concerned Citizens noting that anger has produced incivility in some corners of public discourse “It’s just not the Concord that I’ve lived in for 40 years.” He sees the anger as a byproduct of polarization at the state and national levels “All politics is local.” I believe that the anger is sparked primarily by local officials disregarding the voice of the public unwilling to silently defer to elected officials are speaking up and questioning their decisions I heartily agree with the mayor on the need for civility who recently observed that sometimes a “holy anger” must be harnessed to bring about change The chief example of shrugging off public opinion is the school board after hearing months of overwhelming public testimony against relocating the middle school to Broken Ground when Concord Concerned Citizens (CoCoCi) properly followed the existing procedure to propose amendments to the school district charter the board spent the public’s money on lawyers trying to prevent voters from having a say in the matter the board presses on toward spending $164 million for a middle school most likely with little or no state building aid even though there is widespread public opposition to this sort of exorbitant price tag regardless of the school’s location the Concord of the past forty years is vanishing in another way It appears that gentrification of the city is proceeding full speed ahead A realtor in my neighborhood just listed a fairly modest house for $580,000 This is now typical of the astronomical house prices in Concord She tells me that buyers are normally well-heeled older folks and that young families are priced out of the market of the 234 incorporated towns and cities in New Hampshire Concord ranks 156th in median household income which puts us about two-thirds of the way up on the income ladder — far from the top rung the median household income in Concord was $83,700 It seems like our elected officials are either unaware of that or don’t care about it as they are placing some $375 million worth of projects on the table all at once: a middle school Exhausted homeowners and renters are struggling to keep their heads above water in the steadily rising river of tax increases The new property reassessments will only exacerbate these increases the brunt of which will be borne by those least able to do so As the mayor himself warned in his “From the Mayor’s Desk” email on April 4 based on the experience of other communities it’s likely that lower-valued homes in high demand — such as manufactured housing and condominiums — as well as multi-family properties and apartment buildings will see the highest percentage increases.” On top of this the school board says that the building of a $164 million middle school with no state aid will increase the property tax on a house assessed at $350,000 by $1,113 over the first two years “I think we can hash out our differences and our challenges by sitting down around the table and how often I have wished that city officials would actually do this CoCoCi’s repeated requests to the school board for face-to-face dialogue have been met with silence Our comments to the board at their public meetings have sometimes been met by eyes either rolling or fixed on electronic devices and always — unless we can speak for less than 180 seconds — by being cut off in mid-sentence with The mayor says that he is “looking for ways to promote and participate in community conversations.” I’m glad that he is and I hope that the school board will do likewise has been identified as the man who died inside a burning RV parked at the former Steeplegate Mall early Saturday morning The state medical examiner determined that Browall died of smoke inhalation though the fire itself is still under investigation by state and local officials Concord Fire responded to the parking lot on the east side of the property around 3:30 a.m The blaze was knocked down within half  an hour according to an announcement from the State Fire Marshal’s office The RV was hitched to a GMC Yukon on elevated blocks Two other trailers were parked in the area a man died at a campsite on the same property Demolition of the mall, sought by the property owner since last summer, has been held up by lawsuits from tenants and neighbors a mixed-use development to bring hundreds of apartment units alongside retail and grocery stores has yet to emerge from the city permitting process but the developer requested permission to tear down most of the mall in advance citing public safety concerns including trespassing trash dumping and intrusions by trend-seeking “urban explorers.” A man died following an RV fire in the parking lot of the Steeplegate Mall early Saturday morning A man died following an RV fire in the parking lot of the Steeplegate Mall on early Saturday morning A man died following an RV fire in the parking lot of Concord’s Steeplegate Mall early Saturday morning The Concord Fire Department received a report of “something burning” at around 3:30 a.m. Crews worked for about half an hour to get the flames under control “It was burning and when we discovered there was someone inside we ended up calling the state marshal,” Chisholm said The state fire marshal did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of its investigation The identity of the deceased individual has not been released the charred-out Sportsmen trailer remained unmoved Saturday afternoon its sides blown out and the contents of the inside blackened and unrecognizable It sat next to two other trailers near the TD Bank who declined to give his name or answer detailed questions said that he had arrived in the parking lot a few days ago and didn’t have contact with the owner of the trailer that burned which had already been in the parking lot at the time of his arrival “There have been trailers back there for months and months,” said Chisholm though he was not aware of how long the trailer that burned specifically had been there The trailer was connected to a rusty blue GMC Yukon on stilts The main entrance of Rundlett Middle School Bob Maccini doesn’t like to think of a new petition about Concord’s middle school project as an ultimatum Bring the cost of a new middle school down the petition communicates to Concord’s school board “I don’t like to think in those kinds of terms,” Maccini said “But I think that’s what a lot of people are kind of saying We just cannot afford this kind of building.” The new petition argues that the school board should be stripped of its ability to set the budget for school construction or renovation projects If the board could put forward a “reasonable” total The building in question is a new middle school on South Street. If the board proceeds with the plan adapted from the school designed a year ago, it could carry around a $164 million price tag perhaps more due to rising construction costs and tariffs Especially as the chance of any help from the state fades several board members have indicated that they couldn’t abide that total and plan to make cuts —if they move forward this year at all But Maccini and a group of residents he helps lead don’t trust that they’ll bring it down far enough “It’s one thing to say you’re concerned about the price,” he said “It’s another thing to actually come in with a reasonable number.” The confrontational approach is one of exasperation With what they see as a deluge of upcoming city and school projects with six the Concerned Citizens group has sought to claw back a sense of control from local leaders Last year, the group succeeded with a different ultimatum about the school. Through petitions and widely successful ballot measures, the school board felt it had no choice but to acquiesce to demands to “rebuild at Rundlett.” That push last year started with an online petition and resulted in two amendments to the district charter the Concerned Citizens have focused on the proposed cost which could wind up being the most expensive school ever built in the state School board members have expressed frustration with what they see as the group “moving the goalposts” on the debate over this project Before changing the school location in January the board broadcasted that doing so would be $8 million more expensive than sticking with their existing plan and $12 million more than if the charter amendments had never passed at all When it came down to it, people affiliated with the Concerned Citizens said they saw the cost difference as “a non-issue” and told the board that it was “preferable to spend more on a good decision than less money to perpetuate a bad one.” That doesn’t mean they want the board to pursue the full $164 million cost The $164 million price tag is a preliminary estimate from HMFH the architecture firm hired for this project and a more detailed new design and cost estimate are expected in the next few months The firm’s fees have already influenced the bottom line as the school board recently agreed to pay HMFH an additional $3 million to design a school at the Rundlett site bringing their total contract to $13.3 million the board could whittle down the features of the building to lower expenses and set a new budget in August It’s the same process the district followed last year when it lowered a $176 million preliminary estimate down to $152 million — but that was for a school at Broken Ground It was before building aid from the state was all but nixed and before the board acquiesced to moving the project back to South Street The Concerned Citizens found that reduction said he believes the board would approve the $164 million number today if a vote was held He wants to see signals that they’re serious about bringing it down and that they really listen when people say they can’t absorb it Maccini argued that the board should set a cost ceiling now and design to that number giving residents some stability in an aspect of the project that has fluctuated over time It’s an approach some members of the school board’s building committee have advocated “It would be good if they did come in with a number and stuck to it,” Maccini said though he acknowledged that what constitutes a “reasonable” total would be in the eye of the beholder It’s not clear whether another amendment to the school district charter would even apply to this project if the board sets a budget for it over the summer Many of those who opposed the amendments last year agreed with their end goal about the project’s location but feared the delays and cost increases that they have brought about Maccini said even if the petition doesn’t move forward towards a charter amendment it makes clear to the school board that residents in Concord care deeply about costs “We’re worried about peo ple making ends meet,” he said Sisters Kiley Taylor (left) and Maggie Taylor (right) run towards each other to embrace after the pair helped lead the Concord High School softball team to a 7-6 walk-off victory over Dover in eight innings on Friday at Memorial Field Kiley hit a double to the left field wall that brought home Maggie for the game-winning run Kiley Taylor connects for a double in the eighth inning to lead the Concord High School softball team to a 7-6 walk-off victory over Dover on Friday at Memorial Field Her double brought home her older sister Maggie for the game-winning run Maggie Taylor heads for home plate to score the game-winning run to secure the Concord High School softball team’s 7-6 walk-off victory over Dover in eight innings on Friday at Memorial Field Her younger sister Kiley hit a double to deep left to bring Maggie home The Concord High School softball team celebrates a 7-6 walk-off in eight innings over Dover at Memorial Field on Friday The Crimson Tide went 4-0 over the April vacation week outscoring opponents a combined 49-7 and playing three consecutive error-free games In the preseason Duke Sawyer’s two biggest questions were how the Tide would score runs and how the newcomers would fit into a shifting lineup If there were any lingering concerns heading into Friday’s game for the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure a 7-6 victory for the Concord High School softball team (5-3) over the Dover Green Wave (3-5)on Friday evening at Memorial Field The walk-off capped a near-perfect day for Kiley who was 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI and extended the Crimson Tide’s win streak to four games It was also the Tide’s third straight error-free game as Concord’s fielders did an excellent job supporting starter Natalee Rowell who allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings “Overall it was a good win for this part of the season The kids bore down and did what they had to do and got some timely hits,” Concord head coach Duke Sawyer said but there’s quite a bit of softball experience among them We’re starting to get more stabilized in the infield and outfield The Tide responded to multiple deficits on Friday night trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third Kiley Taylor had clutch hits multiple times on Friday who advanced on a double by junior Jaylyn Wessling and scored the game-tying run to force extras thanks to an RBI single from freshman Bailey Cassin Kiley Taylor also had an RBI single in the third to put Concord on the board and had an RBI double in the fourth to give the Tide a 4-3 lead Maggie Taylor was 2-for-4 with a double and had an RBI single in the fourth they follow their sister Sarah,” said Sawyer a 2024 graduate and who is now playing Division I college softball at Stonehill Concord also had a strong day at the plate from senior Andie Moreira (1-for-2 double) had a big hit in addition to getting the win in the circle was 1-for-3 with an RBI and struck out the side in an inning of relief while Wessling was 2-for-4 and nearly gave Concord the win in the sixth inning Freshman second baseman Ella Chrabolowski played well in her first varsity start snagging a hard hit line drive out of the air for a key out and contributing to Concord’s error-free performance but Concord faces stiffer tests this week against Salem They’re getting more comfortable out there They’ve been playing very well as far as defense goes right now,” Sawyer said “But (this) week is going to tell how far we’ve come so far this year.” Rob Knight and Fran Philippe look at an old footing for the ski jump on the trail connecting Marjorie Swope Park and the Carter Hill Orchard on Thursday Fran Philippe and Rob Knight walk up the trail connecting Marjorie Swope Park and the Carter Hill Orchard on Thursday Fran Philippe and Rob Knight look up from the historical sign showing the site of the old Concord Ski and Outing Club’s Winter Recreation Area by Russell Pond on Thursday Rob Knight stumbled upon the historic site around Russell Pond entirely by coincidence He was in the process of helping the Concord Trails committee create a trail connecting Marjorie Swope Park to Carter Hill Orchard The trail was initially supposed to cut through a different area of the woods exactly at the former site of the Concord Ski and Outing Club’s Winter Recreation Area this great half circle disappearing down the side you could see the old bases for the ski jump which consisted of a 30-meter wood trestle ski jump the only physical remnants include a steep dip in the terrain where the slope and chute used to be – although both areas have since been grown over with trees and brush – and piles of stone that used to make up the ski jump’s base “I think a few people might hike right past this and never even notice it,” Knight said formerly the chair of the trails committee discovered the site around a decade ago and wanted to get signs put in along the trail to educate hikers about their surroundings the project has finally been completed thanks to a grant from AARP which has previously helped provide informational signage on other local trails “Part of our having the trails out there is somewhat education so that people experience different parts of the city,” said Fran Philippe current chair of the Concord Trails subcommittee which is an offshoot of the city’s Conservation Commission “Getting into the historic part is what makes it all the more interesting who helps run community outreach and advocacy for AARP explained how the signage falls into the organization’s mission “A huge part of our work is in livable communities,” Davis said “So we have a whole national team that works on livable communities and the Age-Friendly Network One of the domains of livability that AARP focuses on is outdoor spaces and accessibility.” Seeing the finished signs has created an added layer of fulfillment for Knight who sourced information on the site from local historians and has been wanting to share this information with people for a while He enjoys learning the context of the nature around him I’ve loved being out in the woods,” he said “I started hiking when I moved to my house in Hopkinton in 1984 and we started going into the woods and poking around and finding old trails and old roads.” Knight and Philippe are both trail stewards meaning they have assigned trails for which they are responsible a process Knight said is more complicated than people might expect The first step is getting landowner permission to build a route “Then you have to walk back and forth number of times to figure out a route to take,” Knight said which is cutting the brush and clearing out the trail.” Russell Pond and the new historical signs can be reached from District 5 Road or via the main entrance of Marjorie Swope Park For more information on the Concord Trails Subcommittee can be found at www.concordnh.gov/1436/Conservation-CommissionTrails-Subcomm Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com and Kathy Kammer share a drink on the patio overlooking the practice green at Beaver Meadow Golf Course and now play together several times a week "It all happened at the Beav," Mulleavey said Emily and Keith Duclos had worked for the previous restauranteur at Beaver Meadow but they didn't want to leave — so they started their own business designed roof trusses in Boscawen for decades "It's not worth renovating," he said of the current clubhouse brought him to the simulators at Beaver Meadow on a rainy Tuesday afternoon Cam Fortier of Concord tees off on the first hole with the Beaver Meadow clubhouse in the background on Tuesday Fortier lives nearby and walks from home to play Steve Quinn sees Beaver Meadow Golf Course as the 18-hole equivalent of Cannon Mountain one where the loyal regulars have returned for years and try to entice others to join them The cars in the parking lot might not be as nice as those at other places Being owned by government entities keeps both places humble and has nurtured more blue-collar roots in a way that their devotees wear with pride He learned the sport at Manchester’s Derryfield Country Club — the only other remaining municipal course in the state — and knows firsthand that municipal courses bring in new players who couldn’t afford to golf elsewhere the course rides the line between humble and shabby before quickly correcting himself: “The building is a dump.” Quinn — who bought a membership when he retired four years ago but has played at the course for far longer — supports the idea of a new clubhouse at Beaver Meadow He noted chronic issues with ugly backups in the bathrooms and pointed to rotting out corners of the wooden beams at the entrance The Henniker resident, though, won’t be among those on the hook for most of the costs to construct an $8 million new building. One of the foremost criticisms of the plan is the expense will largely be funded by city taxpayers. Many residents who have spoken out against the project don’t oppose it outright — though some do — but have urged the city to find other ways to pay for it wrapping up a session on the simulator or loading their clubs into their trunks Beaver Meadow golfers broadly agreed that “something’s got to be done” to repair and upgrade the clubhouse Some want to see the building host more private events and beckon in more non-golfers and applaud the proposal to build a new one Few were familiar with the particulars of the city’s plan or its price tag especially those who lived outside the city citing the expense and seeing something more scaled back People who lived in neighboring communities were more surprised that the course wouldn’t cover the cost on its own “I would think it would pay for itself,” he said Concord residents were more or less split on the idea – some cited a glaring need for an updated facility others pointed to their ever-rising tax bills and hope for some relief Relying on money from golfers to cover the full cost of the clubhouse – like a private course would have to do – has been a non-starter for the leaders and politicians in the city of Concord who say the city asset deserves public funding no differently than the library or public pools Quinn figured it might help keep greens fees down I’m donating the money to buy them a clubhouse.” while Mulleavey was playing and Stone was working in the restaurant and Stone is now engaged to Mulleavey’s sister “It’s the community around this place that keeps it going,” said Stone said he has watched friends his age leave Beaver Meadow to play more appealing courses in Pembroke and Canterbury “It’s hard to see people leaving to go to nicer facilities and nicer areas,” he said “But you see people realizing that we’re paying more in membership While significantly lower than many surrounding courses the $2,295 annual membership at Beaver Meadow is up $1,000 A $3 resident discount was added this year but it’s only available for those playing 18 holes with no cart and 27,805 rounds of golf were played there last year Mulleavey and Stone like that it’s “homey” at the Beav But they think it could be so much more — and see the clubhouse as holding it back When golfers talk about the promise of a bigger restaurant — one without the simulator taking up space in it — they often say it’s for the sake of “the Broken Tee.” Emily and Keith Duclos started their business inside the club this winter when the previous restaurant tenant left They stayed because they love the community at Beaver Meadow “With a proper building and an actual restaurant maybe our winter business wouldn’t be so difficult,” Emily Duclos said “we’re leaning heavily on friends and family The restaurant’s few dozen seats are almost exclusively used by those hitting the links The Ducloses believe the space could be more “They would be stopping the growth of the community here if they don’t build a new one.” Chris Ralphs argued that opponents view a new clubhouse and the course itself too narrowly “Why are people so blinkered on it being a clubhouse for golfers?” said Ralphs who described himself as a Concord taxpayer “Why can’t it be a multifunctional city building giving more opportunity for the city to make more money?” larger clubhouse would create opportunities beyond golf activities Projections from the city manager’s office expect to charge an additional $50,000 in restaurant rent and bring in an additional $35,000 in simulator fees every year in a new clubhouse who currently lives in Sanbornton but was a Concord resident for decades you need to make it bigger so other people can use it for other things,” she said Space for skaters and cross-country skiers in the winter is among them “It doesn’t need to be Pembroke Pines,” Ralphs said three-floor clubhouse at a neighboring private course with its own bridal suite for hosting weddings Frugalists in the city have made the point that if your house needs a new bathroom or has rotting wood you repair it – something the city distinctly decided against renovating what’s currently at Beaver Meadow would be “lipstick on a pig,” and would still cost a lot of money The city committees that rejected the $5.4 million renovation option felt the same way and project engineers have warned that a simple facelift won’t fix the building’s biggest issues who serves on the golf course advisory committee gets why his neighbors in Concord are worried about their budgets “I understand that people are worried that their taxes are going to go up but it’s not going to be that much money.” city estimates for a new clubhouse call for $6.8 million of the $8 million price tag to paid for by a taxpayer bond it would add a little over eight cents to the tax rate or $33.98 onto the bill of a $400,000 home Investing in city amenities that you don’t use is part of being a taxpayer “but I don’t have a problem supporting any of those things.” The clubhouse isn’t the only major project up for debate in the city’s 2026 budget which councilors will shape over the next month Councilors receive a copy of the city manager’s proposed budget on May 9 Capital projects will be taken up in detail on May 22 Public hearings on the budget and a final vote are scheduled for June 5 City Councilors will also weigh $38 million for a police station, $2.6 million in tax dollars alongside federal grants to help pay for major repairs of the Loudon Road Bridge and $1 million for improvements to City Hall, according to projections in the current budget. The $65 million slate of capital improvements, if undertaken in full later this month, would be more than four times the capital budget last year, which was itself the highest capital spending plan in at least five years Both Darby and Jim Zellers live mere minutes from the course They both said that the current building needs far more than just a facelift But Zellers can’t stomach the money coming from taxpayers I would totally agree with a non-golfer that it’s not worth it,” he said “I understand where those people are coming from.” Beaver Meadow has ended the year with a surplus — and paid around $120,000 back into the city’s general fund That surplus isn’t big enough to cover the costs of a new clubhouse or other major improvements on its own like irrigation and a parking lot overhaul and a clubhouse The city manager’s office projects the course will pay an additional $115,000 back into the general fund every year to help cover the clubhouse debt payments Course supporters have committed to fundraising $250,000 over ten years as well He figured this was probably an unpopular opinion one others at the course wouldn’t thank him for putting out there The vision that others shared — for the clubhouse to become a community watering hole where young couples tie the knot and neighbors bring their spouses for a weeknight dinner — it sounds nice to him “But I don’t feel they’ve justified the large expenditure.” You can subscribe to her Concord newsletter The City Beat at  concordmonitor.com Editor’s Note: This story  was updated to correct the first name of Broken Tee owner Concord’s Shelly Smith (2) races alongside Phillips Exeter's Ava Bullock (1) in the 5,000 meters at the inaugural NH Distance Festival at Souhegan High School on Friday 16 seconds is the 28th fastest high school time in the nation this season and qualified Smith for the Nike Outdoor National Championships in June Kearsarge’s Daniel Dalbec crosses the finish line to finish second in the 1 mile race at the inaugural NH Distance Festival at Souhegan High School on Friday Dalbec finished second out of more than 70 competitors Key players: Concord – Shelly Smith (1st 5,000 in 18:16); Exeter  – Eli Cross (1st 1 mile in 5:18.36) Alexis Paterna (2nd 1 mile in 5:18.59); Hopkinton –  Shaylee Murdough (3rd 1 mile in 5:19.76) Reese Bove (5th 1 mile); Coe-Brown – Anabelle Lovett (12th 1 mile) Highlights: Smith was the first of 20 racers to cross the line in a Nike Outdoor National Championship qualifying time to win the 5,000 meters at the inaugural N.H Smith’s time is the 28th fastest in the nation this season Smith will compete at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene in June before heading to the University of New Hampshire to run for the Wildcats in the fall Key players: Concord – Mahalie Burdette (1st 3,200 in 12:09) 4x100 (5th); Coe-Brown – Lilah Fitzpatrick (1st 100 in 13.00 Highlights: Burdette won the 3,200 meters and also ran a leg of the winning 4x800 relay with Doherty Price and August Doperalski to lead the Tide to second out of 17 teams at the Salem Kiwanis Freshmen/Sophomore Meet Key players: Hopkinton – Aisling Madden (1st 100 in 13.01 Sofia Upton (3rd 800); Belmont – Mia Ellis (1st 100 hurdles in 18.30 4x400 (2nd); Kearsarge – Ainsley Frenkiewich (1st pole vault at 8-6 Amelia Clark (3rd discus); Winnisquam – Denessa Williams (3rd 100 Highlights: The Hawks won a 13-team meet hosted by Winnisquam Monadnock (55) and Winnisquam (50) were the top six teams Key players: Kearsarge – Daniel Dalbec (2nd 1 mile in 4:27.76); Bishop Guertin – Carson Fischer (1st 1 mile in 4:26.67); Coe-Brown – Luc Kerouac (6th 1 mile) Landon Graveline (12th 5,000); Phillips Exeter – Bocelli Howland-Vlahakis (1st 5,000 in 15:29) Highlights: Dalbec finished second out of over 70 competitors at the inaugural N.H Distance Festival hosted by Souhegan High School The 5,000 meters was the other race that was contested with 16 runners competing Key players: Concord – Thomas Saysaw (1st triple jump in 43-2.25 4x200 (5th); Coe-Brown – Jackson Doran (1st long jump in 20-7) Highlights: Saysaw won the triple jump and anchored the second-place 4x100 relay to lead the Tide to third place out of 17 teams at the Salem Kiwanis Freshmen/Sophomore Meet Coe-Brown (18) and Hollis-Brookline (18) were the top eight teams Nepal and Savard joined Saysaw on the 4x100 Key players: Winnisquam – Brendan Goodwin (1st 800 in 2:02 Dylan Griffin (tied 1st pole vault at 8-6) 4x400 (1st); Belmont – Brady Filteau (1st discus in 119-5) 4x100 (2nd); Hopkinton – Kristoff Cauley (2nd triple jump 5th 110 hurdles); Kearsarge – Jacob Dunn (3rd 110 hurdles Highlights: The Bears won a 14-team meet on their home track Trinity (67) and Hopkinton (61) rounded out the top five with Kearsarge finishing 10th with 26.5 points Key players: Concord – Liam Yeatman (3 goals) Highlights:  The Tide defeated Keene for the second time this season Key players: Concord  – Emma Pelletier (2 goals) Highlights: Concord held high-scoring Exeter to just four goals in the first quarter Coach’s quote: “We were missing three starters today but the girls who were out there played hard and we did the best we could against Exeter.” – Concord’s Mike Zahn Three family members, including an infant, were hospitalized Monday when they were struck by a vehicle while walking on a rail trail in Concord, according to a joint press release from Concord Police Chief Thomas Mulcahy and Fire Chief Thomas Judge Concord Police and Fire were dispatched to the area of Old Marlborough Road by Williams Road for reports that three pedestrians had been struck by a vehicle firefighters found three people — a grandmother all were taken to area hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening 'Critical to moving forward': Several MetroWest communities benefit from more than $12M in MassTrails grants The driver of the vehicle that struck them remained at the scene and is cooperating with police The area where the crash occurred is a crossing point for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail a 25-mile route along the old New Haven Railroad between Lowell and Framingham The trail is open only to walkers and non-motorized vehicles But it crosses several roads along the route Concord Police are investigating the crash Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/2025/05/02/notable-new-hampshire-deaths-concord-community-leader-john-swope/) John Garvey and Michael Brosnahen were two young men from Ireland who came to America in search of a better life in the 19th century They died within weeks of each other and are buried side by side in Newmarket’s Calvary Cemetery Garvey lived to age 29 and died in 1886 of consumption (now known as tuberculosis) She and her husband Bert purchased the Parker & Holmes Funeral Home and expanded it to become Bryant Funeral Homes She was the bookkeeper and also served on boards and organizations including the Androscoggin Valley Hospital Auxiliary where she served for many years as treasurer She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star She helped her father run the Sunoco Station in West Stewartstown then became a telephone switchboard operator in West Stewartstown She and two other women were hired and told not to get pregnant All three were pregnant within a few months she and her husband Dean opened Bunnell’s Sales and Service in Colebrook He was a member of the Army National Guard and was a firefighters in the Wellesley and volunteered in the Franconia and Sugar Hill fire departments He was a Grafton County Police and Fire dispatcher for many years He also dispatched for New Hampshire State Police – Troop F and Department of Transportation in Lancaster he was a financial adviser in New York City and relocated to New Hampshire in 1969 he founded and managed the Prudential Securities office in Manchester later finishing his career at Merrill Lynch He was past president of the Manchester Rotary Club board member of New Hampshire Delta Dental and a founding member of the Bedford Soccer League and the Farnum Center in Manchester He coached the Saint Pius X CYO basketball team She served on the Goffstown School Board in the mid-1960’s and worked as a field coordinator in New Hampshire for the 1964 Presidential campaign of Nelson Rockefeller She was co-chair of the New Hampshire Young Republicans during the 1968 Presidential campaign then worked and volunteered for Democratic presidential and congressional campaigns Department of Employment Security and worked in the marketing departments of several publishing companies in New Hampshire and Boston She was a lifelong member of Temple Adath Yeshurun in Manchester and a long-term member of its board of directors He was an attorney who left a long legacy of public service including many years dedicated to public broadcasting His connection to NHPBS began in the 1980s later serving as interim president and CEO He served nationally as interim president and CEO of PBS in 1999 According to the website of Granite United Way were charter members of United  Way’s Rumford Leadership Society He retired as an attorney with Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green PA He was president of Chubb Life and its predecessors from 1977 through 1994 He was a trustee of the Currier Museum of Art and a member of the corporation at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and overseer of the Marine Biological Laboratory He was trustee emeritus of  the Capitol Center for the Arts where he helped lead the campaign that reopened the old Capitol Theater into the current Capitol Center His generous challenge gifts helped inspire others to contribute.(New Hampshire PBS) He worked for General Foods before beginning a doctorate program in microbiology then becoming a dentist who practiced in Connecticut he volunteered as an Eastern Slope Ski Club ski instructor and also working as a ski instructor at Mt He designed and marketed a pocket-size boot carrier and ice scraper called a “Slope Rope.” And was a successful woodworker and taught at the Windsor Institute WORDS OF WISDOM: “I had always hoped that this land might become a safe and agreeable asylum to the virtuous and persecuted part of mankind to whatever nation they might belong.” – President George Washington A Buddha sits on a stake in a garden plot at the Sycamore Community Gardens at NHTI in Concord earlier this week Board member Julia Freeman-Wolpert looks up at where the solar panels were stolen at the community gardens Wednesday The pump system that sends water to nearly 200 plots at the Sycamore Community Garden was suddenly dry Volunteers checked on the problem and discovered the solar panels that powered the system had been stolen president of the garden’s board of directors looked at the empty frame of the small array on Tuesday with a mix of shock and disappointment She understood when the panels were installed three years ago that someone might try to take them There’s been some food theft over the years but never anything major — it’s the groundhogs who’ve been the biggest issue for Sycamore “I’m the kind of person that expects the best from people… I thought 'who would come all the way out here and take these?’” she said is a community garden located on NHTI property and its volunteer base wants to make gardening accessible to all city residents by providing a space to grow food organically in an area that is also accessible by public transportation The vast majority of those who use it are people who came to Concord as immigrants or refugees with what they got from a hand pump well and lugged to their plots The installation of solar-powered well pumps changed everything someone cut the wires and walked away with those panels as well as a few tools from the garden’s locked shed Heath said they’re looking into replacements but gardeners will have to go back to moving water by hand in the meantime so grateful that year we put the water system in,” Heath said “It made so much of a difference to them.” The solar panel and pump system was bought and installed with donated time and money and a quote from a California panel company that said it would take a little less than a week and around $700 to replace the panels Even if police solve the crime and locate the original panels the way the community responded and made the system happen in the first place,” she said Joe Sweeney stepped up to the microphone to deliver what he called a “simple clear message” on behalf of New Hampshire residents: “If you are here illegally He then testified during a public hearing on his legislation would back up that message with action by banning policies to establish sanctuary cities and local attempts to hinder cooperation with national immigration enforcement The law would require police departments to comply with federal immigration officials with “no excuses Sweeney’s efforts come as President Donald Trump has issued a crackdown on illegal immigration nationwide though his message may not resonate for all of New Hampshire Several towns across the state have adopted policies to prevent their local police departments from aiding in immigration enforcement in various ways and the president’s policies have solicited a great deal of attention at protests around Concord and the state in recent months has not taken a public stance on the bill or the president’s policies Mayor Byron Champlin declined to answer questions about how the city’s police department would operate during Immigration Customs and Enforcement investigations “I feel that municipal policy is best set at the local level,” Champlin said “That’s kind of a basic ground rule for me.” The Concord Police Department does not participate in immigration enforcement unless someone’s status relates to a broader criminal investigation according to comments made by an officer to the Concord school board in March The proposed state law brings up bigger questions for towns like Hanover which all adopted ordinances during the first Trump administration to prevent their local police departments from aiding in immigration enforcement in various ways Places with those policies are often dubbed “sanctuary” or “welcoming” cities and towns A small cohort of people from Peterborough defended their town’s decision to state senators during the bill’s public hearing earlier this week “You’re instructing our police to go in and do something that the town itself is against,” said resident Linda Field “You’re instructing us to be bystanders by law when we don’t see that a crime has been committed.” Sweeney’s HB 511 wouldn’t force local law enforcement to participate in any partnership with U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement but would prohibit them from actively interfering with any ICE investigation It would also strip the rights of towns to adopt so-called “sanctuary” policies the new state law would outrank local policies The attorney general’s office could step in if any municipality attempted to defy it The bill soared through the House of Representatives on its first vote with a 351-6 margin which reviews all passed legislation with a budgetary impact A second vote by the full House still passed The debate struck a chord for some from the town of Harrisville said this same issue was debated several years ago A request was made at town meeting to have the town’s police department work with ICE “The people at that annual meeting were very concerned about having our local control of our small taken away from us and used in ways that we don’t want to,” Robins said Kelly Ayotte has encouraged police departments to sign up for active partnerships with ICE If a police department applies and is approved officers in that jurisdiction can be deputized to carry out immigration checks during routine operations The issue also hits especially close to home for Peterborough where federal agents searched a local Mexican restaurant in February and said they located four individuals they were seeking the Peterborough Police Department did not get involved with the search “We keep being told that there are criminals or dangerous people and they’re going to protect us from these dangerous people,” Field said “What they did was they found some person who had been living in our town everything was lovely – they took him away.” ICE has not yet released the names or statuses of the four people that federal agents arrested in the town Republican lawmakers argued that even if residents may not see a crime actively being committed people who are in the country without proper documentation are breaking the law “Entering the country illegally is a crime “If you do not come into this country with documentation Many who testified argued that the bill would stifle local control a Peterborough resident who said she is a legal immigrant from South Africa told senators that she moved to New Hampshire because of its “history of grassroots democracy.” She argued that towns should be able to govern themselves with each given the right to ground their policies in their specific values But Berry maintained that local rights are given and can be taken away “Every right that a town has actually flows from the state down to the town,” Berry said “We as a state have every right to tell a town you cannot adopt this sanctuary city policy.’” a Republican who heads the Senate Finance Committee argued that the state needs to step in on some matters because a town’s actions don’t exist in a vacuum because the actions of your town will let the people in who the rest of the state may not have?” Gannon asked “Your actions are going to affect the next town.” Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Concord Monitor and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America subscribe to her Capital Beat newsletter and send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/2025/04/30/may-1-a-day-for-pro-immigrant-and-pro-labor-rallies/) The first day of May, which has been an occasion for labor rallies since 1886 and immigrants’ rights marches since 2006, has taken on new significance this year due to President Donald Trump’s assaults on immigrants and unions.  A thousand demonstrations are expected nationwide on Thursday.  New Hampshire will see at least 11 Arnie Alpert will lead the singing of  the labor anthem “Solidarity Forever,” with backing from the folk duo other public shows of support for immigrants and disapproval of Trump’s agenda will take place in Alton Stating that “The Trump administration continues to escalate attacks on protesters and anyone speaking out for justice,” the national ACLU held an online “Know Your Rights” training on Tuesday evening.  “The First Amendment protects all of us—regardless of immigration status,” said the group which has filed numerous lawsuits against Trump administration actions.  carpool to Concord from NH Visitors Center in Conway at 3:30 pm and Unitarian Universalist Church in Tamworth at 3:45 pm May 1 as a day of protest for workers’ rights began in 1886 when rallies for an 8-hour day took place throughout the country.  “Eight hours for work eight hours for what you will,” went a popular song of the period.  At that time in Chicago whose owner was trying to replace workers with machines When police killed 2 strikers on May 3 and a protest rally was held the next day a bomb detonated at the site killed several police officers and strikers.  Although no one knew who set off the bomb leaders of the 8-hour movement were blamed despite the absence of any evidence tying them to the violence May Day was observed in their honor throughout the world and became known as International Workers Day May Day’s significance was displaced by Labor Day on the first Monday of September and further discredited during the second “Red Scare” of the post-WW2 period.  To counter what they perceived as communist influence in the labor movement the Veterans of Foreign Wars re-named May 1 as “Loyalty Day” in 1947.  Nine years later the American Bar Association re-branded it again the first of May as a labor holiday was largely forgotten in the USA but not in the rest of the world.  In 2006 thousands of immigrants from Latin America where International Workers Day is observed took to the streets to denounce anti-immigrant legislation in Congress and to demand a pathway to citizenship for millions of people who had over-stayed visas or crossed borders without authorization.  To highlight the crucial role played by immigrants in the labor force That was the first year in recent memory that May Day was observed in New Hampshire where Eva Castillo of the NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees led a rally outside City Hall in Manchester.  In nearly every year since Castillo has led May Day rallies in a variety of New Hampshire communities to highlight the cause of immigrants’ rights and related labor issues.    This year’s May Day rallies are also a major outpouring of the anti-Trump sentiment which has made itself known at events large and small coordinated by networks such as 50501 and Indivisible.  The description on the internet event page for an action in Littleton puts it this way: “Across the country—from fruit fields in California to classrooms in Chicago from kitchens in Queens to loading docks in Atlanta—working people are rising up We are demanding a country that puts our families over their fortunes—public schools over private profits Trump and their fellow profiteers are trying to create a race to the bottom—on wages We’re organizing for a world where every family has housing Eva Castillo will be present again on Thursday in Concord where she will co-emcee a rally at the State House arch on Main Street starting at 5 pm.  Sebastian Fuentes the NH Democratic Party’s political director Invited speakers include Representatives Luz Bay and Allisandra Murray Deb Howes of the American Federation of Teachers Grace Kindeke of the American Friends Service Committee Gail Kinney of the NH Faith and Labor Alliance and James McKim of the Manchester NAACP.  “The Manchester NAACP is proud to stand in solidarity with workers across New Hampshire and beyond on May Day This event represents a powerful opportunity to affirm our commitment to economic justice we can continue to fight for policies that ensure fair wages and the elimination of discrimination in the workplace,” McKim said in a news release sent out by Welcoming NH The Concord May Day rally is co-sponsored by 19 organizations representing the largest coalition yet seen in local demonstrations held since Trump’s inauguration Two days after President Trump boasted about further militarizing the Mexican border ending the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship and sending immigrants to a foreign prison known as a torture center the rally will push back against what Welcoming NH calls “an anti-immigrant culture.”   “We don’t have an immigrant crisis we have a labor crisis and immigrants are the answer,” said David Holt a spokesperson for the group.  As an example he said immigrants make up a majority of workers in the construction industry.  “They are not taking homes recently won the USCAA Track and Field National Championships in 1500m John Stark graduate and NHTI Track and Field runner Eli Lemire won a triple crown by placing first in the 1500 meter Collegiate Athletic Association National Championships last weekend in Springfield The freshman also won the USCAA Cross Country 8k National Championship in the fall with a time of 27:23.50 and has already cemented himself as one of the most talented runners in the school’s history His record in the 1500m in high school was 4:28.20s “I knew I had a decent chance in both the 5k and the 10k When asked about his high school personal record even doubting that his high school time was that low His championship-winning times were not his personal bests but as he grows and continues to train there’s no telling how fast he could go Coach Graham Hayslip said Lemire really thrives on competition he needs other competitors around him to push him and find enjoyment in the run “He’s one of those runners who’s hitting his peak blooming at the top of the game for all of his preferred distances right as he’s becoming a freshman in college,” Hayslip said really cool because no one really knows where his ceiling is right now.” Lemire said another racer caught up to him a few miles into the 5k and there was a hint of adrenaline in his voice as he recalled the moment “I wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen the multiple Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) runner of the week honors YSCC Runner of the Year and All-American awards His friendly and quiet demeanor does not give away that he’s an elite runner He even said that his teammates celebrated his victories more excitedly than he did Hayslip confirmed that as soon as the meet was over Lemire was already focused on getting back to study for his finals especially a big project that was due during the week That’s the life of a student-athlete winning on and off the field “He gets on the starting line and he wants there to be someone 10 seconds faster than in current PR who will really give him a run and he wants to go after the most challenging people every day.” Lemire will continue working toward a civil engineering degree to become a land surveyor expanding into longer distances and getting his cross-country 8k time below 26 minutes in the fall to continue winning He comes from a family of runners and has been in running circles his whole life but he’s not sure what his future in the sport holds Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com By Elissia WilsonPublished: May 2025 at 5:55 PM EDTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCONCORD (WBTV) - Thursday will remain mostly sunny in Concord North Carolina -- though we’re tracking possible storms coming soon May 1 as part of our new In Your Community forecasts Tune in live throughout the afternoon using the video player up above Here’s a look at what’s coming to Concord over the next few days The day will wrap up with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies in Concord isolated to widely scattered storms were possible on Wednesday Highs will be in the low 80s Thursday afternoon There will be a chance for isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms on Friday afternoon expect partly cloudy skies in Concord on Friday a cold front will move through the Carolinas and widespread showers and thunderstorms into Concord and surrounding areas of Metro Charlotte.  some storms could briefly become severe and produce damaging winds and hail.  Highs on Saturday will be in the lower 80s Sunday will be cooler in the lower 70s with mostly sunny skies You can watch the Concord forecast in the video player below our First Alert weather team will be delivering a live forecast from a specific community in our area You’ll mostly see meteorologist Elissia Wilson out in the field These forecasts are an opportunity for us to highlight the many communities that make up our region Catch the special forecasts on WBTV in the afternoons You can watch live in the video player at the top of this article These special forecasts are weather permitting and are subject to change at any given time We’re posting our weekly forecast destinations on social media ahead of time: Download the free WBTV Weather app on your mobile device to receive weather alerts and get your latest WBTV weather forecast on the go You can also get the latest weather forecast on Roku and Amazon Fire’s WBTV app to the May Day rally at the State House on Thursday The family sat on their car parked on Capitol Street across from the rally The crowd reacts to cars passing in front of the State House during the May Day rally on Thursday Candace Bergstrom has a plan in mind if U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement ever comes knocking on her classroom door I would stand in front of a student,” the NHTI faculty member said Bergstrom stood with several hundred other protesters in front of the State House arch in Concord She’s seen the national rhetoric filter down to the state level and she said that the nation has become too concerned with immigration Selchen drove an hour and a half from the North Country town of Wonalancet to put her anger to good use People from across the state acted on that sentiment as they gathered Thursday evening for May Day a moment on the calendar that celebrates workers’ and immigrants’ rights Granite Staters who rallied – some of them immigrants – took the opportunity to express their dismay over the Trump administration’s immigration policies and actions as well as drawing attention to immigrants’ contributions to America “They work and contribute to our society,” Bergstrom said with bringing their cultures and experiences to us Several people took issue with an apparent lack of due process in the Trump administration’s arrests and deportations specifically the mistaken deportation of a Maryland man Those who support the president’s policies say it’s a necessary effort to remove people who may be in the country illegally Bergstrom wonders whether the fear of heightened immigration enforcement has affected her class participation saying she thinks her students “feel unsafe.” A Stoddard resident and professor at the New Hampshire Technical Institute she also teaches English to migrants through the International Institute of New England and the New Hampshire Humanities Council’s Connections program She’s noticed fewer people attending in person recently than when she started in December she often paused to wave her sign as passing cars honked in support on their way down Main Street a throng of boisterous protesters held their flags and signs and sang to the Woody Guthrie anthem It was at least the eighth anti-Trump protest in Concord since he took office in January from Ireland about 45 years ago and obtained citizenship about 25 years ago He doesn’t necessarily worry about being deported himself but he imagines it could happen – especially with his thick Irish accent as a giveaway he can arrest me because I am an American citizen but I don’t carry my passport with me and I have no way of proving that I’m an American citizen,” Kenny said “It’s getting more like Germany in the forties “They’re kicking a lot of good people out of the country – I’m sure bad ones as well – but a lot of good people,” Neil said The back of Gary Gordon's wheelchair with the emblems from his service in Vietnam A Vietnam-era uniform is in the State Archives It is part of the Vietnam War 50th Anniversary display at the Hall of Flags in the State House on Wednesday Gary Gordon reads the names of more than a dozen Vietnam Veterans of America members – many who’ve since passed away – who helped bring the traveling wall to Concord in 1990 with the Vietnam War display in the background The date is the anniversary of the final day of the war Gail Gordon looks over the Vietnam War 50th Anniversary display that is displayed in the New Hampshire State House Hall of Flags on the day the Vietnam War came to end Gail Gordon gazes up at the DAV flag that her husband placed in the Hall of Flags at the State House on Wednesday This display marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War Gary Gordon in front of the Vietnam War display at the Hall of Flags at the State House on Wendnesday Gary Gordon remembers marching through the streets of Washington with fellow veterans at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial’s dedication in 1982 and they half expected to get spit on and treated as poorly as many Vietnam veterans were in the years since they’d come home he and a band of other local veterans endeavored to bring the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall – a smaller replica that toured the country – to Concord where it stayed for a week as about 60,000 people from New Hampshire and around the world visited it He and his group stood by it the entire time the memories came to Gordon as he entered the New Hampshire State House on Wednesday to see an exhibit honoring the moving wall’s time here and the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War “This all is something that I don’t try to think of but it’s something that I can’t stop thinking of,” said Gordon The small exhibit opened in the State House Hall of Flags on Wednesday and will remain there through May 26 photographs and other artifacts that visitors left at the traveling memorial in 1990 this is the first time these pieces have been presented to the public put together by the New Hampshire State Archives Gordon remembers spending the next week helping to catalog what he estimated were nearly 1,000 items He remembers one young woman whose father’s name was on the wall so she pulled out her expired driver’s license and wrote on it with a magic marker: “I miss you The day the exhibit opened at the State House a steady stream of people stopped by to look at the memorial as Gary and his wife regaled with stories of the traveling wall and his time in service moving all over the world with his father: He climbed the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa he ran around the Coliseum in Rome and he shook hands with the emperor of Ethiopia is that after witnessing his dad’s career in the Army he knew he didn’t want to march like they did is that he followed in his dad’s footsteps and those of his dozen or so other family members who have served He also learned something growing up in the Army “It’s like somebody had once told me about the butterfly effect If a butterfly is in Africa and it flaps its wings He served from 1967 to 1971 on a Navy aircraft carrier Gary worked as an EMT for 18 years and as a mental health worker at the state hospital for 21 years His experience led him to get involved with veterans’ advocacy and support He spent years teaching lessons on the history of the war and he worked with a former Concord legislator to write a bill compelling New Hampshire to follow federal law on when to raise and lower U.S Gary also became president of his local chapter of the nonprofit group Vietnam Veterans of America That organization also put together a flag display that still stands in the State House His tenure as president was also when he discovered the traveling memorial After Gary went to see it in western Massachusetts he and more than a dozen other veterans in the organization began to raise money to bring the replica to New Hampshire an effort that was supplemented by the state’s broadcasters’ association and the New Hampshire Union-Leader Gary and his group camped out with it for the full week on the campus of the New Hampshire Technical Institute They pitched a tent and brought sleeping bags Keeping the memorial open through the night was vital “The people who really needed this wall were like us “They would be the ones that would be showing up at three and four and five o’clock in the morning.” He remembers one veteran who visited in the wee hours of the morning It was dark and foggy out as the man placed his necklace at the memorial The chain featured a number of religious symbols “He figured that if one god didn’t protect him “That’s the way he lived for the year or so that he was in Vietnam.” also remembers the effect the monument had on people Some pictures show visitors kneeling by the wall Gary and the other veterans collected all the artifacts that people had left throughout the week: the driver’s license They spent the next several days documenting each one in a photograph and writing down which panel they were left on and the person who each item was associated with He’d gotten permission from the state’s governor to do so and the collection now lives in the State Archives Gary said he’s glad to see it brought out into the public – even if the display represents just a sliver of his efforts The traveling wall was a chance to educate people and open their eyes and to help them remember what the war was like “It did what it was supposed to,” Gary said Fire officials say at least one person is dead after a fire in Concord early this morning The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office said the fire happened around 3:30 a.m WTPL ONLINE PUBLIC FILE WTSN ONLINE PUBLIC FILE WEMJ ONLINE PUBLIC FILE FCC APPLICATIONS EEO DOVER UNIT EEO CONCORD-LAKES UNIT EEO NASHUA-MANCHESTER UNIT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Privacy Policy If you need help accessing the online public file due to a disability, please contact us The renovation of the former Holiday Inn in downtown Concord is underway After the interior renovations are complete the site will reopen as a Hilton DoubleTree hotel The current round of townhouse construction will continue to remake Fisherville Road in Penacook Mary’s Bank is almost finished and the construction of a new retirement complex will begin nearby Work has started on the new 400-space parking garage for lawmakers and staff across from the Legislative Office Building The renovation of the former First Church on North Main Street is coming along The deconsecrated church will be home to 30 market-rate apartments The Arts Alley project is coming along as workers build the outside of the Friendly Toast building on South Main Street The exterior of the two-story Arts Alley project is taking shape on South Main Street in downtown Concord With projects in various stages of development across Concord we thought we’d give you a visual tour of just some of the new additions as the building season goes into high gear There’s been significant progress downtown with the new legislative garage Arts Alley and a renovation of the former Holiday Inn A revamped Fisherville Road and projects along South Main Street and Manchester Street are further changing the landscape of the city Those who donated to a fraudulent GoFundMe account that was created to make them believe they were helping the family of one of three Concord-Carlisle High School students killed in a crash in Florida have been refunded a company spokesperson told the Daily News The fundraiser in the name of Hannah Wasserman had raised more than $5,700 before it was taken down “Our hearts go out to the community after this tragedy,” the spokesperson wrote being a safe and trusted place to give and receive help is our top priority and we are continuing to monitor the platform for any fundraisers related to this incident.” along with classmates Jimmy McIntosh and Maisey O’Donnell died from injuries suffered in a crash on Monday A fourth student suffered critical injuries Earlier: Three Concord-Carlisle High seniors killed in Florida crash, fourth seriously injured a GoFundMe account with the title “Help cover funeral costs for Hannah Wasserman,” was created and it sought $10,000 The GoFundMe used the name of another Concord-Carlisle student whose mother said did not create the fundraiser “We became aware tonight that the following GoFundMe has been posted under Rex’s name ‘in support’ of the Wasserman family after their tragedy,” Jayme Kennedy Riessen said in a Facebook post later on Tuesday Please do not donate as this is not a verified effort.” Riessen didn't respond to a request for comment sent via Facebook Messenger Concord Police Capt Brian Goldman said police are investigating to try to take advantage of people in their darkest hour,” he said Goldman said it's not easy to spot a fake GoFundMe particularly due to the prevalence of people starting them in the wake of fires “They’re posted all of the time and people take it at face value that it’s going to the people it is supposed to,” he said He suggested that those interested in donating should try to contact the subjects of the fundraiser “Those are tricky because a lot of times friends and family set things up,” said Goldman 'Total package': Florida crash victim from Concord-Carlisle was among nation's top divers The GoFundMe spokesperson said such incidents are “very rare,” but when they do happen a full refund is guaranteed through the company’s “GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.” the spokesperson said once the company was notified that the fundraiser may be fake the company reached out to the creator of the page The money had not been dispersed and was held by payment processors during the review of the page “As our Trust & Safety team did not receive a response to our outreach all donors have been refunded and the fundraiser removed,” the spokesperson explained Investigators trying to track down the scammerGoldman said Concord Police investigators are working with GoFundMe to investigate the fake fundraiser He said banking information and other identifying information typically has to be shared with GoFundMe so they will be seeking that information to see if they can track down those responsible we kind of go on a hunting trail to track where the money was going to go,” he said The fatal crash remains under investigation Grief counselors will be on hand Monday at the school with classes resuming after April vacation The vast majority of state funding to the state’s University System is used to lower tuition for in-state students which is as high as $15,520 this year at the UNH Durham campus Without that state aid and the assistance it affords students Granite State families would inevitably be forced to pay more to attend a state four-year college Chancellor Catherine Provencher told lawmakers Staring down the barrel of a roughly 30% cut from the state the system’s leaders argued that hiking tuition to make up the difference — in a state that’s already one of the most expensive to attend college – simply isn’t an option: They’d lose students our enrollment is going to fall off if we increase tuition,” Provencher said The system’s board has already approved a tuition increase for next year Kelly Ayotte’s proposed 4% reduction — bringing state funding down from $95 million to $91.2 million each year — but the House’s reduction would tank annual funding to $66.2 million She called that “unsustainable” and asked senators during a budget hearing to reverse it Provencher said the savings will have to come through cuts to services and “massive restructuring.” the cost to attend the University of New Hampshire for in-state students is $38,000 a year making it more expensive for Granite State families than many out-of-state colleges The state’s university system – which includes the University of New Hampshire Keene State College and UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law – is one of several state entities requesting the Senate to restore funding that was cut by the House of Representatives would get more money than it did last year under proposals from both the House and Ayotte asked how much tuition for university students would rise if the House’s cuts pass New Hampshire students on average pay about $7,000 per year in tuition and out-of-state attendees pay around $16,600 “Even if we tried to pass it through over the next three-year cycle it would price us out of the market for available students,” Pilot said “We would become so expensive relative to the opportunities that we would not be able to enroll our class putting further pressure on the revenue and making the operating deficit even bigger.” Pilot and Provencher instead tried to convey higher education’s value to the state’s economy The system’s roughly 26,000 students — about half of whom hail from New Hampshire — are the key to building a younger workforce and a thriving economy The Granite State’s working population is the oldest in the country with people over age 55 accounting for 27% of the state’s workforce A pipeline to grow and attract business in the state,” Provencher said New Hampshire colleges are trying to catch up with a “tectonic shift” in industry pressures “We find ourselves with a structural deficit,” Pilot said “We’ve got a system that’s built for a market that is no longer available to us.” Senators seemed receptive to the college leaders’ request others echoed concerns about pushing tuition increases to students and further digging the university system into a financial hole “You would not be able to raise tuition on the incoming class during that same period of time that you’re having the decrease in state funding and therefore not be able to raise that tuition until a year later,” said Sen a Republican from Rochester who chairs the Senate Finance Committee Gray is the Senate’s non-voting representative to the university system’s board is a faculty member in the UNH business college In accordance with a new legislative ethics law both disclosed their involvement but said it didn’t constitute a conflict of interest Both said they plan to vote on higher education funding in the state budget tens of thousands of people descended on Lexington and Concord to commemorate the historic start of the American Revolution exactly 250 years after the “shot heard round the world.” The reenactments and parades attracted history buffs politicians and protesters to the Massachusetts towns Heidi Webster and Mark Alexander arrived in Concord before dawn to march for the Massachusetts Lions a service organization that helps underprivileged people across the country “It is just part of our history and a big part of the community,” said Webster “Our children learn it in the schools and they’re all excited to be here and celebrating today.” He said he’s fortunate to be in the area where history was made “You think about what it was like 250 years ago and what people saw and what special spot it is here in America,” he said Cheering crowds lined the streets in Monument Square as Concord’s parade kicked off at 8:30 Saturday morning marching towards the Old North Bridge where a monument marks where the first British soldier fell after being outnumbered by Colonial forces the champions of freedom once again — not just because it is rooted in our past and it is our hope for the future,” she said “It is what we owe to those who came before us here in Concord and it is what we owe to the generations who come after us all across America.” As the Concord Minute Men fired cannons and muskets Henry Wan watched with this two young children who were asking questions about the historic moment that unfolded here “Being able to hear the sights and sounds and feel the cannon fire I think brings a level of realism that we can’t get from a book,” the father said with a smile also found value in the reflections shared at Old North Bridge “A lot the words that Maura Healey said today really resonated especially in light of what’s happening in this country,” he said “I think America is great because we stand up for what we believe in and democracy.” Neighboring Lexington marked the first battle of the American Revolution with a pre-dawn reenactment Reenactors gathered on the green with the vivid account of the Battle of Lexington in the moments after Paul Revere rode from Boston to alert communities the British were coming Fred Mulligan attended the events with his daughter “You hear the fife and drum coming over the hill before you see them and it’s pretty neat,” Megan said “It gives you a little sense of what the day was like.” As Mulligan watched his family take the moments in “It’s the 250th anniversary of the revolution that ended up establishing our democracy “I hope the whole country realizes this and stands up for freedom There were no organized permitted protests according to Lexington and Concord police departments but groups of activists came out to both towns “We’re here to stand our ground and kick off resistance to the unconstitutional efforts of the Trump administration,” said Steven Singer a group of residents that organized the protest activity Other people scattered along a three-block area echoed Singer’s comments Retired financier and Lexington resident Tom Tommster said the demonstration on the 250th anniversary could not be more appropriate He said he had never taken part in any kind of protest but felt that the historical fight for freedom is “analogous to the beginnings of autocracy and tyranny that are clearly happening now.” Your essential daily newsletter delivering trusted news and can't miss programs from Boston and beyond A rare recording has resurfaced from the repository of GBH Archives shared an eyewitness account of the first Patriots’ Day She had witnessed the dramatic events firsthand as a child growing up in Waltham who was then the general manager of the Lowell Institute Cooperative Broadcasting Council You can hear an excerpt from that recording above Parker Wheatley: "By the rude bridge that arched the flood and fired the shot heard round the world." That’s how Ralph Waldo Emerson described the battle at the Concord Bridge in his "Concord Hymn." What did the Battle of Lexington and Concord mean to people living here in 1775 Alfred Worcester will tell you what the Battle of Lexington meant to his great-grandmother who was a little girl living in Waltham 175 years ago on the original Patriot’s Day Worcester was told this story by his great-grandmother 90 years ago and he has been passing it on for many years transcribed direct from the study of his home in Waltham by the Lowell Institute in cooperation with Boston College Alfred Worcester: I’m going to tell you today what I heard from my great-grandmother about 90 years ago She told me what she remembers of the Battle of Lexington and her story went back to when she was a little girl of 5 or 6 wrinkled-face woman with a lace-ruffled cap the first words were: "My father had gone on the day of the Lexington battle The Minute Men were called out in the night And the fight — the soldiers have stopped on their march They say there’s been fighting up in Lexington and the British have come to search all our houses They think the British are after the Minute Men’s stores of guns and powder "I don’t believe I had any breakfast that day We children had been playing in those meadows And Grandma and Grandfather’s house was over the corner of the Lexington road and the Lincoln road And though we could not of see them from where we lived I ran across country to my grandfather’s house and there the soldiers were on the opposite side of the road and their wives and their children with them would be at the mercy of the British soldiers A horseman — one after another — would come with news She said the danger was — why the women and children were there — the danger was that the British might come back not from Concord where they’d been fighting but might come back either by Lincoln or by Lexington they would go down through the Waltham settlement "I don’t know does exactly what time it was but it was long hours after I reached Grandfather’s house And I stayed til the news came that the soldiers I remembered that she had nothing to say about the reinforcements that saved those harassed Britishers She said "I’ve seen many sad partings in my long lifetime but never have I seen any sadness like to them for many of those men have never seen a life afterwards." And what had really impressed — more than the guns that she heard the British guns — for the relief of the Concordites and then the British reinforcements got up as far as Lexington The first cannonading came as the troops were leaving Concord but I think I’ve told you all that I want to carry away: the picture of the Battle of Lexington that my great-grandmother would give me out of memory I can see the wrinkles on grandmother’s face I still do love her wrinkles of the aged face for that was the last they ever saw those they loved." Now I must say goodbye telling the story of the Battle of Lexington as it was told to him by his great-grandmother 90 years ago was a practicing physician in Waltham from 1883 to 1925 Oliver Professor of Hygiene emeritus at Harvard Worcester was among the first physicians to operate for appendicitis and he was the founder of the Waltham Training School for Nurses is the oldest living graduate of Harvard College and for several years he has led the alumni procession at Harvard commencement This special Patriot's Day broadcast was transcribed for you by the Lowell Institute Cooperative Broadcasting Council and presented as a public service by station WCOP and WCOP FM Allenstown Select Board member Kathleen Pelissier shows Elizabeth Neveu the petition for residents to ask for a special town meeting to talk about the town's transfer issues Allenstown Select Board member Kathleen Pelissier shows residents Brian and Terri Harriman the petition for residents to ask for a special town meeting to talk about the town's transfer issues Allenstown Select Board member Kathleen Pelissier shows Elizabeth Neveu the petition for residents to ask for a special town meeting to talk about the town's transfer issues GEOFF FORESTER / Monitor staff Justin Federico and his family left Manchester five years ago for the quieter small-town charm of Allenstown attracted by the promise of a community offering all the essential services they needed he’s wondering whether Allenstown was the right place to settle down the town’s board of selectmen voted to end curbside trash collection and stop accepting solid waste at the town’s transfer station The decision wasn’t unanimous—three of the five board members voted in favor Allenstown residents will have two options: pay out-of-pocket for private waste haulers to pick up their trash or haul their garbage to Concord’s transfer station which is about a half-hour round trip from town hall This is a responsibility that I’ve already paid for,” Federico said and that’s going to cost us roughly an additional $500 or more per year.” The decision comes after voters rejected the proposed budget during March Town Meeting triggering a leaner default budget of $5.5 million— $657,000 less than what town officials had hoped to get approved said the decision came after consulting with department heads Cutting from the police or fire departments would have directly impacted essential public safety services “We didn’t think it prudent to take money and degrade our safety services for trash pickup,” said McDonald but officials must still find other areas to reduce spending to make up the rest of the budget gap Many Allenstown residents haven’t taken the decision lightly Elizabeth Neveu said that for many residents like her traveling to another town’s dump isn’t a realistic option I can’t put my garbage on my back and carry it,” said Neveu The town’s waste collection and disposal are managed through a contract with Casella Waste Systems People cannot get to the dump,” said Neveu “I think there’s going to be a major problem and people are going to start throwing the trash everywhere I might be able to arrange to put my trash in somebody else’s trash a select board member who voted against scrapping trash service She’s rallying support for a petition that would restore funding for trash pickup at next year’s town meeting She’s collectged about 400 signatures so far She said that if all departments had reduced spending in areas that wouldn’t significantly impact their ability to provide services the town could have preserved solid waste services One proposal Pelissier hopes to get approved next year is to set aside $450,000 specifically to fund solid waste services She thinks it would be best to be a specific warrant article as opposed to part of the budget Frustrated and upset about losing trash service residents have turned to social media to voice their concerns and push back against the three select board members — McDonald Diane Adinolfo and Laura Lambert—who voted to eliminate trash pickup “It’s really sad because there are a few of us who are really nervous for our physical safety,” said McDonald “There’s been some things said out there that are really edgy Tensions have also been high at recent select board meetings Pelissier has faced criticism from fellow members who say her social media posts have stirred personal attacks she said she uses the platform to share information and help people better understand issues While she tries not to influence others’ decisions directly she isn’t afraid to express her support or opposition to the choices being made “I think that the board is threatened by my social media use,” said Pelissier “I unfortunately think the board has a skewed perception that there has been a lot of anger and backlash at the decision that they’ve made they incorrectly seem to think that’s the cause.” Even though the transfer station will stop taking trash next month It will remain open for yard waste disposal and a list of accepted recyclables will be posted soon on the town’s website so residents know what they can still drop off Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com. Subscribe to her Trash Talk newsletter for more reporting on the environment and solid waste