PCA Academic Competition Team Takes On the World

DOVER—
Who coined the term Newspeak? Which state has a national park encompassing a deep-blue lake in the heart of a dormant volcano? If the sum of all the edges of a cube is 48 inches, what is its volume? Which is the largest European sea? (Answer: George Orwell, Oregon, 64 cubic inches, Mediterranean Sea).
Thirty-one Portsmouth Christian Academy students from junior high and high school faced their computers and 200 rapid-fire questions like these, as they competed against thousands of international students in the 53rd Knowledge Master Open academic competition, held Dec. 2. This online competition is judged both on the basis of accuracy and speed of answer.
PCA was the only junior high school in New Hampshire to compete, and one of only two state high schools taking part in the competition. All four PCA teams played well, with PCA’s Upper and Lower School “A Teams” showing particularly strong results. PCA’s Upper School “A-team” scored 1338 of 2000 possible points, answering 173 out of 200 questions correctly the first time. These results placed PCA in the top third of the 678 high school teams who participated.
PCA’s Lower School “A-team” correctly answered 172 of 200 questions on the first try, for a total score of 1321 out of 2000 possible points. This result placed the team in the top 100 of 577 teams competing.
The Knowledge Master Open runs on classroom computers to allow all students the opportunity to compete in a large academic event without the expense of travel. Results of the contest are tabulated into overall, state and enrollment-size rankings by Academic Hallmarks, a Colorado publishing firm that hosts the event. Contest results and example questions are available at www.greatauk.com.
“We compete in this event regularly and it always amazes me to see how much the students know, or, if they don’t know the answer, how well they reason it out together,” says Quiz Club coach Donna Capern. “We compete in several different academic competitions and this is always one of the most challenging. I’m proud of how well our students have performed, and they just keep getting better.”
Portsmouth Christian Academy is located at 20 Seaborne Drive, Dover. PCA offers a challenging academic curriculum from preschool through high school along with competitive athletic programs and other stimulating extra-curricular activities. For more information, please call 603.742.3617 or visit the school’s web site at www.pcaschool.org.
Photo caption: Thirty-one Portsmouth Christian Academy junior high and high school students competed against thousands of international students in the 53rd Knowledge Master Open academic competition, held Dec. 2. This online competition is judged both on the basis of accuracy and speed of answer. (Courtesy photo)

Inauguration Events in Somersworth

SOMERSWORTH—
The public is invited to attend the Inauguration Ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Somersworth City Hall. There’s also the Somersworth Potluck Inaugural Ball, a celebration of public service on Friday, Jan. 8th, from 7-11 p.m. There are limited tickets at $10 - advanced sales only. The gala is at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4485, Ornate 1827 Hall at 43 High Street in Somersworth. Ben Baldwin and the Big Note will provide the music. Evening attire is suggested. Supporters include Profile Bank, General Linen, Riverside Garage, and Wentworth Greenhouses.
Tickets are available at Bangs, 45 Market Street Bakery & Cafe, Great Falls Cleaners, Poppy Seed Studio, Leroy’s Styles, and the Greater Somersworth Chamber of Commerce. Billed as a celebration of public service, the “evening attire” event will give guests the chance to thank those who served in elective office and meet those who just won the election on Nov. 3.

Pease Greeters Roll Out the Welcome Mat for Arriving Troops

By Larry Favinger
Staff Columnist
PEASE TRADEPORT—
A tradition begun in 2005 continues today to impact the lives of many veterans, men and woman on active military duty, and civilians.
It was in that spring that the Seacoast Detachment, Marine Corps League met the first flight of troops landing at Pease and returning from the battlefront in the Near East. Since then, according to Jack P. Savastano of North Hampton, the Pease Greeters public affairs officer, more than 320 flights of men and women, going to and coming from the battlefront, have been met.
“This is not a small piece of Americana,” Savastano said earlier this week. “It’s a big piece of Americana.”
Back in 2005, the Pease Development Authority noticed the situation with the troops coming in and contacted the Marine Corps League. It has grown from there.
“We started basically with an empty air terminal,” Savastano said. “Now you’re talking overflow parking.”
Since it began, the Pease Greeters group has not missed a single flight and has grown to well over 100 elders and youths, all offering their thanks and greetings for these heroes, said Ed Johnson, chairman of the group, in a letter on the Greeters’ website.
Now, veterans and civilians of all ages join the Greeters, who come from throughout the Seacoast area of Southern Maine and Southeastern New Hampshire and beyond. “The kids are very happy to come meet the troops,” Savastano said.
Even as the reputation of the Pease Greeters grows, there is, Savastano said, “Still a little bit of shock and awe” once they arrive here.
Many of them bring gifts, especially those retuning from overseas. These artifacts presented by the troops are on display in the terminal.
One of the main displays is from a different era, a 48-star American flag that hit the beach at Guadalcanal in 1942. One of the Greeters, Jerry McConnell, Savastano said, was with that flag when it went ashore.
With the crowds growing, at times even including a high school band, new sound equipment was needed, so a group of students from Marshwood Middle School raised $1,600 to buy a new, bigger system in two hours at a bowl-a-thon.
The Greeters don’t know what services those arriving are from, but as soon as they find out, that service’s song is played in the terminal as the troops enter and they are greeted by handshakes, cheers and flashing cameras.
While on the ground they are welcome to call anywhere they wish on a special bank of phones. Initially, Johnson said, cell phones were freely offered by the Greeters for the troops to call home with news. Now a bank of phones may be used free of charge, exclusively for the veterans, courtesy of Whaleback Systems, a company located in the Pease Tradeport.
There are refreshments available and, if by chance a soldier comes from the area, efforts are made to get the family together for at least a few minutes.
Savastano noted that parents of one arrival were contacted and brought to the terminal by police escort. Another troop mentioned he had a brother in the Coast Guard serving “at the shipyard up here.”
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Security was contacted. They located the young man and he was brought to Pease for a short but heart-felt reunion with his twin brother.
There have been troops come through who were born here while a parent was serving at the now closed Pease Air Force Base or the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
The stories are endless.
Each group that comes through is photographed and those pictures are displayed in the terminal and on a website the troops can access.
In a short ceremony they are welcomed, there is a short session where old warriors meet the young warriors, and each of the troops is given gifts, most of which are donated by people and businesses in the area.
Lindt Chocolate and the Bose Corporation have donated items, among others, area women have baked thousands of cookies, and the commander of each unit is presented a sweatshirt signed by the Greeters.
Savastano has been impressed by the faces of the young Americans who have come through the terminal.
“You look at the faces of these kids,” he said. “It’s infectious. It is an eagerness to serve their country. That’s what you see in their faces.”
Information on arriving flights and the nationally known and honored Pease Greeters is available at the group’s website, www.peasegreeters.org.

Visitor Center Named Favorite Place on Google

DOVER—
The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center at 550 Central Avenue in Dover was recently named a Favorite Place by Google Maps of Mountain View, CA. Only 100,000 locations were identified as Favorite Places, representing less than 1% of the 28 million U. S. businesses. The selection is partly based on search rankings, between July 1 and Sept. 30, Google users found the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center listing over 7,680 times.
As part of the program, there is a Favorite Place window sticker with a unique barcode at the Visitor Center. With just a simple scan of the code with a cell phone or mobile device such as Blackberry or IPhone, you can quickly read reviews to see what other users think about the location; upload community photos and video; star the location to remember to check it out later, or to remember to visit again.
“We are happy to have been selected as a Favorite Place, it demonstrates that our facility is literally on the map,” stated Kirt Schuman, Executive Director of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce. “Favorite Place is an intriguing technology that allows small organizations to not only dial-in local search rankings, but allows them to reach a wider audience.”
The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce moved into its new facility in May of 2009 and is in the midst of a Capital Campaign of which 75% of a $400,000 goal has been attained. For more information regarding the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center please visit www.dovernh.org.
Photo caption: The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce location has been named a Favorite Place by Google maps. (Courtesy photo)

Granite State Choral Society Presents Holiday Concert

ROCHESTER—
The Granite State Choral Society will be performing a holiday concert entitled Gloria! featuring a number of holiday classics. The program will include two spirituals, Round the Glory Manger and Hail Mary as well as some classical repertoire such as Gloria In Excelsis by Mozart and a few choruses from Messiah (Glory to God and the Hallelujah chorus). Randol Alan Bass, has written some absolutely stunning music for the holiday season and we will be preparing two of his larger works. Gloria! (which lends its name to our concert title) and A Feast of Carols.
The concerts will be held on Saturday, Dec. 12th at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 13th at 3 p.m. Both performances will take place at the First United Methodist Church, 34 South Main Street in Rochester.
Now in its thirty-fifth season, the Granite State Choral Society is a non-auditioned community chorus dedicated to presenting quality choral performances, ranging in styles from classics to Broadway, and to promoting the appreciation of the choral arts. The members come from all walks of life and range from experienced singers to novices just discovering the joys of choral singing.
The director, Seth A. Hurd, is a native of Maine and resides in Acton. Mr. Hurd earned a Bachelor of Music Degree with emphases in Organ and Conducting at the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management at the University of Phoenix (AZ). He is currently an administrator at Berwick Academy in South Berwick and a member of the drama faculty. He has been the Music Director for the Upper School Musicals, coaching recent productions of The Boyfriend, Oklahoma!, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, and Oliver.
Mr. Hurd is the Director of Music and Organist at the North Parish Congregational Church in Sanford, Maine, a former Director of the Sanford Community Chorus and a former Director of the Seaglass Chorale in Kennebunk.
Tickets for general admission are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased at Care Pharmacy or from any GSCS member. For more information, call (207) 457-1576 or visit us at www.gschoralsociety.org.
Photo caption: The Granite State Choral Society will perform this weekend in Rochester (www.gschoralsociety.org photo)

A Christmas Carol: Musical Version Strikes Responsive Chord in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH—
Every December an overabundance of stage versions of A Christmas Carol proliferate through theaters across the country.
Stage adaptations are almost too numerous to count: Because Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas novella has long been in the public domain, dozens upon dozens — perhaps hundreds — of scripts have been specially created for many theaters. Often these are written by the theaters’ artistic directors themselves.
Some of these versions are perfectly faithful renditions of Dickens’ beloved ghost story, but most add an artistic twist or two. A prime example is the version which opened last weekend at Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth.
It’s distinguished by two salient features. First, it’s a musical version, with original songs interpolated among several familiar Christmas carols. The total effect strikes a very responsive chord. Second, there’s an intriguing method of framing the story for the stage.
Seacoast Rep’s version of the script is obviously successful; it was produced for nearly two decades at Massachusetts’ prestigious North Shore Music Theater. The book was written by Jon Kimbell, David Zoffoli and David James, while lyrics were penned by Kimbell and James with original music composed by Alby Potts and James Woodland.
Seacoast recently acquired the rights to this show and is introducing it in Portsmouth. Last weekend was the first time I’d seen this version, and I was quite favorably impressed.
Veteran professional actor David Coffee plays the pivotal character of Ebenezer Scrooge — the ill-humored curmudgeonly miser whose transformation at the hands of a trio of ghosts represents the heart of the story. Coffee’s Scrooge is a tour de force of acting, a delightful rendition honed by many years of experience in the role at North Shore Music Theatre. It was much appreciated by Seacoast Rep’s sellout crowd.
Gordon Baird, another veteran professional actor, delivers a stellar performance as the Ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s long-dead business partner who haunts him on Christmas Eve. And Baird’s horrific makeup job deserves an award for green room excellence!
Christopher Bradley, a Seacoast Rep regular, delivers a sincere and convincing interpretation of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s long-suffering employee and struggling family breadwinner.
I also liked the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present, played by Sara Thomas and Jim Burkholder respectively. (The Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come doesn’t say a word, but I felt that his overtly Darth Vader-style costume and light sword were too far out.)
And kudos to Carolyn Hause, who plays two small roles. Her vocal expression, body language and demeanor were delightful.
The Narrator, played by Ryan Bates, is a role that is introduced by North Shore’s version of the script. At first I thought the role was created to simplify the theatrical framing and assist the presentation of Dickens’ narratives.
But the Narrator’s surprise revelation in the denouement is simply enchanting. Definitely outside Dickens’ story — but totally in keeping with the author’s spirit.

Somersworth Youth Connection holds “Got Art?” Contest

SOMERSWORTH—
The first “Got Art?” contest was an enormous success, with over 120 Somersworth Middle School students submitting their artwork to be chosen for the first Somersworth Youth Connection art calendar. Students of all grades participated. This was an annual fund raising event for SYC, the after school program located at Somersworth Middle School. The contest began on Oct. 15 and ended Nov. 6. Thirteen works were chosen for the calendar by nine judges from the community. With so many submissions and so many talented artists in the Middle School, it was very difficult to choose just 13. The order forms are now available for the 12-month, full color calendars, which will be delivered by Dec. 14. The cost of the calendar is $12.
The winners were announced on Nov. 9. They are: Mason Cashman, Kathryne Cotler, Sophie Rancourt, Mychal Croteau, Taylor White, Chamaar Ollivierre, Jaimie Sharpe, Rhiannon Amereo, Dakota Paine, Dannon McGarrity, Tia Cloutier, Hilsa Parinding, and Kulin Krishan.
SYC would like to thank the generosity and support of those in the Somersworth community who were full banner sponsors, including Tri-City Dodge, Eastern Propane, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Profile Bank, DF Richard, and partial banner sponsors, including Labelle Building and Siding, Wicked Good Software, Anderson Computer, End the Violence, and Borderline Fuels.
If you are interested in purchasing a calendar or would like more information about the SYC program call Maureen Jackman at 603-692-2126, ext. 209.

Dover is Decorated for the Holidays!

DOVER—
Dover’s Holiday Decorations received a boost from the generosity of local organizations and businesses who worked with the City of Dover to bolster the decorations.
Led by the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce, the Holiday Lighting effort focused on decorating key areas of the downtown. Many organizations and businesses contributed to the effort. All the new lights, with the exception of the Rotary Holiday Tree, will be on in time for the Holiday Parade on Sunday the 29th.
The Rotary Club of Dover provided 4,500 LED lights to re-string the Living Holiday Tree in Rotary Garden. The City of Dover will celebrate the tree lighting on December 4th at 6:30 p.m. The lights were installed by volunteers from Urban Tree Services.
Waldron Courtyard received 700 feet of rope lighting compliments of Harvey’s Bakery and Coffee Shop, Jewelry Creations and Nicoles Hallmark. The trees on the Joe Parks Riverwalk were lit from a contribution from Kareltiz and Kennedy. Franklin Plaza was illuminated by Summit Land Development.
The Fountain on Central Avenue is to be decorated by volunteers of the Chamber of Commerce and Main Street with support from Century 21 Central Falls Real Estate.
“During difficult times, we realized that we should be looking inward to see how we could all make a contribution to our community. The reality is, we need to partner with each other and the City, rather than look to City Hall for everything. We are appreciative of our partners and look forward to expanding this effort for next year,” said Chamber Executive Director Kirt Schuman.
Photo caption: Right: Crews from Urban Tree Service install 4,500 LED lights on the Tree in Rotary Gardens. The lights were funded through a contribution from the Dover Rotary Club. (Courtesy photo)

A Novella that Promises to Please

By Chip Schrader
Book Review Editor
In The Christmas Promise, English author Anne Perry continues her tradition by publishing her seventh holiday mystery in a compact book that is sure to promise her fans a Christmas treat. The tale is set in a time of mules, horse drawn carriages, homemade Christmas toys, and homey ornamentations along the slums of London. The hardcover edition itself seems to be an homage to the original copy of A Christmas Carol with its pocket size, and pastoral painting on the cover.
The story begins with a poor thirteen year old named Gracie who encounters a crying eight-year old named Minnie Maude whose family’s donkey is missing. As Gracie talks with Minnie Maude, she finds that more than the donkey is Missing. “Uncle Alf” was en route with this creature, and neither made it home.
As Minnie Maude fears that without this mule, her family would starve, any of the grownups they encounter also overlook the fact that Alf is missing, too. Gracie, in spite of Alf’s reputation as being less useful than the mule, insists on finding this man. Her promise to Minnie Maude is to have the donkey back by Christmas so that the holiday could be saved.
Together Gracie and Minnie Maude interview grownups who had seen Alf on that last day, Gracie stubbornly insists something has happened. Quickly, the reader begins to wonder if anything the grownups say is actually truthful, as these children wander through the streets of nineteenth century London finding facts.
The “wiseman” Mr. Balthazar tells the girls he will look into the case, but this is not enough of a promise to keep them home and out of trouble. The intelligence and defiance of Gracie and Minnie Maude is charming, and their inquisitiveness nicely propels the narrative of this tale. But just as they get wise to some of the false leads, the girls set out to retrace Alf’s steps. Gracie must disobey orders and set out by herself on a mission she now knows could be much more perilous than she initially anticipated, but she has no choice at this point.
While the descriptions and Christmas setting evokes the style and spirit of Dickens, the reader might even draw similarities with the poverty described in Frank McCourt’s Limerick from Angela’s Ashes. The story itself has a solid arc that never leads the reader astray with a fresh economy of word use.
While it does take a few chapters to get used to the dialect in which the characters speak, the language creates a great deal of the mystery’s ambiance, and paints a deeper image of the time period. The prose is well laid out, and the descriptions would be well accompanied by a warm fire in the hearth. The ease of reading makes this a nice book to savor during an otherwise busy time of year. A first class holiday read.
Photo caption: Cover of The Christmas Promise by Anne Perry. (Courtesy photo)