Grand Prize Shopping Spree Awarded

DOVER—
It’s never too late to shop locally. Just ask Amber Payne of Dover, who filled out an entry form for a purchase made on the last day before the Grand Prize drawing in the Dover Chamber’s “Shop Dover First”campaign. Ms. Payne’s entry was selected the very next day, making her the winner of the Grand Prize, a Local Shopping Spree consisting of $3,000 worth of Gift Cards to local businesses.
“I’m a huge proponent of spending locally, so I took notice of the Chamber’s ‘SHOP DOVER’ campaign right away,” said Payne, whose winning purchase was made at Dover Cyclery on Chestnut Street. “I’m thrilled to have won, of course, but I’m also pleased just to see people making the effort to support our local economy.”
The “Shop Dover First”campaign, which the Chamber has produced with sponsorship help from Federal Savings Bank, has been a huge success this holiday season, with entries totaling nearly $2 million in local spending.
“Judging from the feedback we’ve been receiving from local businesses, the campaign has really begun to change people’s mindsets and affect their buying behavior,” noted Chamber Executive Director Kirt Schuman. “We felt this needed to be done, and I’m gratified to see that the response has been so overwhelmingly positive.”
In fact, the Chamber decided to extend the campaign through the end of the year in order to build on the momentum that has already been generated, and to help local merchants finish the year as strongly as possible.
“Business has been good,” noted Dover Cyclery owner Wayne Richard, “and I really think the Chamber staff deserves a lot of credit. People see the “Shop Dover First”posters and entry boxes all over town, and sooner or later, the message begins to resonate.”
Chamber Marketing Manager Aaron Wensley added, “It’s important for people to understand that the message we’re promoting is ‘Shop Dover First,’ as opposed to ‘Shop Dover Only.’ Everyone’s going to do some online shopping, or make a special trip to an out-of-town favorite, and that’s OK. We just want people to consider looking close to home first, and then to use those other outlets to fill in the gaps. If every resident could just make that one change in their habits, that commitment to shopping the local guys first, it would make a world of difference.”
Ms. Payne heartily agrees. “Everyone likes having neat shops and a unique, vibrant community that people want to be a part of, but if we want our favorites to survive, we have to make the effort to support them.”
Photo caption: Amber Payne of Dover is presented with the Grand Prize in the Dover Chamber’s SHOP DOVER FIRST campaign, a $3,000 Local Shopping Spree. Pictured from left are: Grand Prize winner Amber Payne; Mike Beshey of Dover Cyclery; Wayne Richard of Dover Cyclery; Chris Caughey, fiancée of Ms. Payne; and Chamber Marketing Manager Aaron Wensley. On the counter is the winning purchase, a shiny blue BMX bike that was purchased for the winning couple’s son, David. (Courtesy photo)

Opening Scenes

By Chip Schrader
Movie Review Editor
The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, opens with surveillance equipment set within a van that oversees a Paris estate. Elise Ward, played by Jolie, struts through the gate of the estate, and the van slowly follows her seductive stride to a cafe in a populated square where she awaits breakfast and a note. Upon reading the note, she burns it, causing the agents to scramble after it.
From scene one, Jolie’s character is identical to numerous other roles she has played in the past. She mostly goes through the motions of the stock role of femme fatale in this updated noir. The character is somewhat convincing, but very Hollywood at the same time. Jolie’s makeup does a majority of the acting for her as she keeps the run of the mill stone faced performance. While Jolie fans will get what they expect, she does not contribute anything new to the screen.
Depp’s role, on the other hand, has some nuance. “Frank” is quite the gentleman, who hands people luggage off of a train for them, smokes electronic cigarettes, and teaches math for a small college in the Midwest. Depp plays a very serious role in this film, but in line with his signature style, he adds some fanciful humor to his body language and persona in suspenseful scenes.
One example comes during a chase where Frank is pursued among the terracotta roofs of Venice. Depp daintily flails his arms out like a juvenile ballerina wearing striped pajamas as he leaps and bounds across the Italian rooftops. His character also tries to speak Spanish with Italian officials after getting nabbed for dumping an officer in the canal. Long time Johnny Depp fans get another treat to his self-mocking style in this film.
The cinematography is exquisite, traversing from one European city street to another. The action takes place on foot, by car, plane, and by boat in the canals of Venice and are shot masterfully with the evening lights reflecting off of the water, and in the midday amongst the many exotic street sides and bridges. The gadgets and technology are a fun piece of the film, and the supporting cast does a crack job holding down a great deal of screen time playing as government agents and organized crime members.
Fans of classic Hitchcock’s mistaken man and espionage thrillers will enjoy this cliffhanger. The suspense is drawn out in believable ways that don’t appear as obvious devices to delay the story. Another notable element is the quotable dialog that establishes a playful chemistry between Depp and Jolie as they challenge each other’s intelligence. Some films also make the mistake of using dialog to make obvious cues as to what is happening, and what the conflict is. The Tourist is clearly written while viewers don’t depend on obnoxious story points made in the dialog.
The scenes are long, giving the film a deep attention span affording the audience to get acquainted with the intrigue that keeps them guessing until the last scene. Duplicity, twists, and action without gore make The Tourist a tasteful international thriller that is reminiscent of a weekend getaway in an Italian villa. There is a good reason this film brings Oscar buzz in Depp’s direction despite Jolie’s standard performance. 4 out of 5.
Photo caption: (Courtesy movie poster image for “The Tourist”)

Local Hockey Team Gives Back

ROCHESTER/SOUTH BERWICK—

Each year, the Berwick Academy Boys Varsity Hockey team sponsors a family through Rochester Catholic Charities to ensure that they do not go without for Christmas. This has proven to be a rewarding and worthwhile experience that these young men take very seriously and the sponsored families greatly appreciate their efforts. (Courtesy photo)