Join Master Gardeners at Weekly Open House

BRENTWOOD—
All are welcome to join UNH Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners as they plan, plant, weed, and tend trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables in the display and test gardens on Mondays from 4 to 7 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through September. Come tap the knowledge and expertise of highly trained Master Gardeners who are ready to answer home gardening and lawn care questions. They bring many years of experience and are well prepared to guide their fellow home gardeners.
The Demonstration and Instruction Garden is a multi-acre site sponsored by the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program. Its mission is to promote environmental awareness through education, demonstration, conservation, and research. The gardens include a children’s garden, butterfly garden, trial garden, and many other theme gardens. The Masters Gardeners welcome visitors of all ages who would like to join in the gardening or just stroll the grounds.
Located across from the Rockingham County Complex at 113 North Road in Brentwood, the garden is in the meadow, at the bottom of the hill, behind the maintenance buildings. Please park in the lot directly across from the complex at 113 North Road and walk down the dirt road to the garden
UNH Cooperative Extension provides New Hampshire citizens with research-based education and information, enhancing their ability to make informed decisions that strengthen youth, families and communities, sustain natural resources, and improve the economy. For more information about the Master Gardener Program, or to learn about educational programs in Rockingham County, call (603) 679-5616 or visit http://bit.ly/rockingham.
Photo caption: The UNH Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners welcome visitors of all ages to join them at the Demonstration and Instruction Garden in Brentwood on Monday evenings and Thursday mornings through September. (Courtesy photo)

2010 Cochecho Arts Festival is a Hit

DOVER—
For 24 years, the Cochecho Arts Festival has been a source of pride and entertainment for residents of Dover, as well as thousands of Garrison City visitors. Each Friday morning, blankets and chairs can be spotted in Henry Law Park, stationed there by seasoned Festival veterans looking to secure their favorite spots for viewing that evening’s concert.
“It seems to get a little bigger and a little better each year,” agrees Chamber Executive Director Kirt Schuman. “People have come to expect great things from the Festival, and we go to great lengths to see that they don’t leave disappointed. Adding Livingston Taylor to the entertainment lineup this year really raised the bar for future seasons, but the fact that 10,000 people came out to the Park that night certainly tells us that we’re headed in the right direction.”
Interestingly, however, it isn’t just local residents who have flocked to the Festival, but local businesses as well, with literally dozens of them supporting the Festival through sponsorships, vending opportunities, and participation in the Festival’s “Button Benefits” program.
“It’s fantastic,” notes Mike Macone, Manager at Papa Gino’s, who has been selling pizza in the Park on Friday nights during the Festival. “It’s a great opportunity for us to not only make money, but also to get a lot of community exposure.”
Papa Gino’s is also participating in the Button Benefits program, offering a coupon for a free slice of pizza to all Button purchasers. Over two dozen local businesses are also participating, offering a wide variety of free and discounted food, entertainment, merchandise and services.
The Button program has always been successful, but this year’s Button sales have been especially brisk, exceeding last year’s record totals in the very first week of the Festival. Aaron Wensley, Marketing Manager at the Chamber, attributes the sharp uptick in Button sales to the addition of “Instant Benefits” to the program.
“In past years, you’ve had to wear the Button around town in order to access the Benefits,” comments Wensley, “and that’s been a bit of a negative for some people, who either forget to wear their Button, lose it, or simply don’t like wearing it. The idea behind the Instant Benefits was to give people coupons and Gift Cards - things that they’re much more comfortable with, and more accustomed to using – and to give people enough value that it made the purchase of a $10 Festival Button purchase a no-brainer.”
“Unlike other major Festivals in the seacoast, we don’t force people to contribute when they arrive to our ‘free’ shows,” commented Schuman. “However, we think the Button Program is an incredible way to support the Festival. Your $10 button gets you over $300 worth of value - it’s a great way to help the Chamber cover the costs of bringing you over 30 free musical performances every summer.”
“It’s been great,” says Dover Bowl owner Mark Bowen, whose Instant Benefit is a $10 Gift Card to his Central Avenue bowling center. “People started redeeming the coupons almost immediately, so it’s clear that the Buttons are helping to drive customers through the door.”
Dover Bowl also took advantage of the opportunity to sponsor a Tuesday Children’s Series event, during which they offered the audience an afternoon of free bowling.
“We really appreciate how creative the people at the Chamber are when it comes to promoting member businesses,” remarks Bowen. “No matter what the event, they really go out of their way to make sure you get some bang for your sponsorship buck, as opposed to just a thank you letter or a logo on the back of a program. It makes a huge difference.”
“We’re constantly looking to pair member businesses and non-profits with opportunities that really fit,” acknowledges Schuman, adding, “It doesn’t make sense for us to just go around with our hand out, when we can instead offer members something truly valuable in exchange for their participation.”
Photo caption: Livingston Taylor drew 10,000 people to the Cochecho Arts Festival on the 4th of July (Courtesy photo)

Garrison Players to Hold Auditions for Crimes of the Heart

ROLLINSFORD—
Garrison Players will hold auditions for its October show, Beth Henley’s “Crimes of the Heart,” on Wednesday, Aug. 11and Thursday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Garrison Players Arts Center, Route 4 in Rollinsford. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. There are roles for two adult males and four adult females. The play will be directed by Debra Martuscello Wiley. Performance dates are Oct. 22-24, and 29-31.
This Pulitzer Prize-winner is a deeply touching and funny play about three eccentric sisters from a small Southern town rocked by scandal when Babe, the youngest, shoots her husband. Humor and pathos abound as the sisters unite with an intense young lawyer to save Babe from a murder charge, and overcome their family’s painful past. 
 Garrison Players is a nonprofit, volunteer-based community theatre group dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the area by presenting high-quality theatrical performances geared for family audiences. Established in 1953, the players encourage people of all ages to enjoy and participate in the many facets of the performing arts; and to help maintain the new Garrison Players Community Arts Center. For more information about garrison Players or this audition, call 603-516-4919 or e-mail info@garrisonplayers.org. Visit the website at www.garrisonplayers.org.