Renowned Swimmer and Musician Dives in for a Cause

RYE/KITTERY, ME—
Beginning at about 1:30 p.m. on February 26, well-known accordionist and “Creekman” Gary Sredzienski will swim four miles in icy water (roughly 35 degrees “warm”) to raise funds for the preservation of historic lighthouses. While Gary swims in local waterways year-round, this route has particular significance, bringing attention - and funding - to the nonprofit American Lighthouse Foundation and its local chapter, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. Gary will start out swimming from Odiorne Point (Rye, NH) to Whaleback Lighthouse (Kittery, ME) to Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (New Castle, NH) to the Kittery Point Town Dock behind Captain and Patty’s restaurant on Pepperrell Road (Route 103).
Gary has been swimming all his life and has done three other long distance winter swims for charities. In his spare time, he pursues his other calling as a professional accordion player, having picked up the instrument at the age of 9. He performs 1960s surf rock, traditional ethnic, and original accordion compositions with the Portsmouth-based group, the Serfs, and he also hosts a radio show, “Polka Party,” weekly on WUNH-FM in Durham.
Following the swim on February 26, Gary and his band, the Serfs, will play at a celebration party upstairs at Captain and Patty’s restaurant in Kittery Point. The 5 p.m. party is sold out, but the public can still come to the restaurant to dine downstairs and listen to the music during the party.
The funds raised will be split evenly between the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF), and the foundation’s local chapter, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses (FPHL). ALF, a nonprofit organization based in Rockland, Maine, cares for 23 historic lighthouses in the Northeast. FPHL cares for Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, NH, and Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery, Maine. Whaleback is in dire need of restoration that will cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
See www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org for more information about the event, and to find out how to donate in honor of Gary’s incredible commitment.
Photo caption: Gary Sredzienski playing his accordion at the top of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. Gary will swim four miles from Rye, NH to Kittery Point, ME on Feb. 26 in order to raise money for this and Whaleback Lighthouse. (Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont)

Local Students Participate in ‘Poetry Out Loud’

DOVER—
St. Thomas students Ellen Bruton, Ashley Puffer, Jake Horne, Mike Dunbar, Anna Domings, Candice Ellis, and Alison Hiatt all showed that words live a more powerful life coming from the heart and mind of an imaginative and impassioned reader. Senior Mike Dunbar of Hampton, NH was named 2nd Runner-up, sophomore Anna Domings of Merrimac, MA was named 1st Runner-up, and senior Ashley Puffer of Kittery, ME was named the winner. As the contest winner, Ashley, and the first alternate, Anna Domings, were awarded merit scholarships from New England College--$15,000—and the University of South New Hampshire--$11,000 respectively should they decide to attend those schools. Ashley and Anna will go on to participate in the NH semi-final competition in March at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, and then hopefully on to the State and National finals in April.
Photo caption: Mike Dunbar (class of 2011 from Hampton, NH), Ashley Puffer (class of 2011 from Kittery, ME) and Anna Domings (class of 2013 from Merrimac, MA) with Principal Kevin Collins after receiving their awards. (Courtesy photo)

CSA Day Coming to Winter Farmers’ Market

ROLLINSFORD—
Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown can be challenging. But for many people, joining a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture farm provides an easier avenue, letting them get to know the farmers growing their food and return week after week to the same farm. It is an ideal connection to knowing what you’re eating and many farmers in the greater seacoast area offer CSA shares with ample opportunities to participate. This year, get fresh, local food all summer long and really get to know your farmer by purchasing a Community Supported Agriculture share from a local farm.
Seacoast Eat Local will be hosting CSA Day at the Market at their upcoming Winter Farmers’ Market on Saturday, February 26, at the Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford. Residents will have the opportunity to learn more about CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), meet the farmers offering shares, and sign up for the 2011 season. Sixteen CSA farms are signed up to take part in this event, representing over 1,500 available shares in our region.
Community Supported Agriculture offers a terrific way for people to get a steady supply of local food directly from farmers. Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a partnership between consumers and farmers in which members buy shares of the farm’s harvest and receive regular allotments of food throughout the growing season.
For farmers, this provides much needed cash flow for the beginning of the season, as well as a ready market and community of supporters. Shareholders join in the risks of the growing season but reap the benefits of the harvest. Community Supported Fisheries, or CSFs (modeled after CSAs), are a way to buy seafood directly from fishermen, and support our local fisheries by purchasing seasonal shares.
Each CSA and CSF has its own structure, pricing and distribution schedule, and some farms have work requirements. Many different models of CSAs exist, including diverse pick-up locations and hours. Some farms have started offering a market style CSA where customers can shop at the farmers’ market after purchasing credit with the farm.
A list of CSA farms in the Rockingham, Strafford, and York Counties is available at Seacoast Harvest, www.seacoastharvest.org, the online guide to local food.
More information about CSA Day can be found at www.seacoasteatlocal.org. Wentworth Greenhouses is located at 141 Rollins Road, Rollinsford, NH, a mile past Red’s Shoe Barn of Dover.

BA Eighth Grader Wins Gold at National Taekwondo Championships

RYE BEACH/
SOUTH BERWICK, ME—
Berwick Academy 8th grade student Kenny Berger, son of Trish and Ken Berger of Rye Beach, NH recently won two gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze medal at the Black Belt National Championships in Dallas, Texas. He will be competing in the Taekwondo World Championships in Little Rock, Arkansas, this June.
Beginning his martial arts training when he was only 3½ years old, Kenny has been training with Master Kenneth Church, a 7th degree black belt and World Champion, and Mrs. Trish Church, a 4th degree black belt and World Champion for the past six years. Church’s Martial Arts is in Carmel Valley and Encinitas, California and is affiliated with the American Taekwondo Association. While in New Hampshire, he also takes lessons from Mr. Robert Roy, 5th degree Black Belt and World Champion in Amherst, NH.
Currently, Kenny is a 3rd degree black belt and World Champion. In 2009, he earned four California State Champion Titles and won the gold medal in Traditional Weapons and the silver medal in Traditional Forms at the Taekwondo World Championships. Last year, Kenny won four California State Champion Titles and 3 bronze medals at the World Championships. Throughout the year, Kenny travels around the country competing, balancing his schoolwork, school sports, and training into his busy schedule. He has consistently won gold medals at the National Championships held in Orlando, Florida; Dallas, Texas; and Las Vegas Nevada. Most recently, Kenny won two gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze medal at the Black Belt National Championships in Dallas, Texas.
This June, Kenny will be competing in 7 different events at the World Championships: Traditional Forms, Traditional Weapons, Sparring, Extreme Martial Arts Forms, Extreme Martial Arts Weapons, Creative Forms, and Creative Weapons. To be eligible to compete at the World Championships, participants must qualify in the top ten in their country in each event. Kenny is only 12 years old and will compete in the Boys 11-13 year old 3rd degree black belt division.
In addition to his Taekwondo training, Kenny also competes in cross country, wrestling, cycling, chorus, and was the lead in this year’s Berwick Academy Middle School production of Aladdin. Kenny is also an active participant in Mixed Martial Arts classes as part of his training and is a certified level two instructor with the American Taekwondo Association, where he teaches both group and private lessons. His hobbies include surfing, reading, and science.
For more information on the American Taekwondo Association visit www.ataonline.com. For more information on Church’s Martial Arts visit www.churchsmartialarts.com.
Photo caption: NH resident Kenny Berger recently medaled at the National Taekwondo Championships in Dallas, Texas. (Courtesy photo)

Critical Piece in Great Bay Conservation Puzzle Put into Place

DOVER—
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, working with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership, acquired a conservation easement on 33 acres in Dover at the mouth of the Bellamy River where it enters Little Bay.
“We’re proud to partner with TNC and the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership to conserve this important section of the Great Bay shoreline,” said Forest Society President/Forester Jane Difley. “This area of the state has been recognized as an estuarine ecosystem of local, regional, and national importance.”
This property adds nearly 800 feet of protected shoreline, extending an unbroken string of protected Bellamy Riverfront properties that begins not far from downtown Dover. On the other side of the conservation easement, only another 800 feet separates this conserved area from the Madbury town line and other lands under easement with the Forest Society. From there the string of protected shoreline continues all the way to the Durham town line, with its cluster of conserved land around Wagon Hill Farm.
In addition to its importance to the estuary as a buffer, the property includes an unusual salt panne, a pond that sits a few feet above sea level but just a few steps from the bay. The pond’s impervious clay bottom retains the water, which very slowly seeps away through a small outlet. The pond is replenished whenever an unusually high tide brings water up over its banks.
The easement has a system of zones to ensure that the management of the land continues to protect the bay. The property is managed to maintain a protective vegetated buffer of forest and scrubland along the shore.
Great Bay has been a focus of New Hampshire’s conservation planning and management since the 1940s. The Bellamy River, along with four other rivers flowing into Great Bay, draws a tidal flush of salt water from the Atlantic Ocean nearly five miles east of the estuary itself. The mixing of fresh and salt water creates a rich aquatic habitat. The estuary’s healthy salt and brackish marsh, eelgrass beds, and mud flats provide feeding, breeding, and nursery grounds for finfish, oysters, shellfish, waterfowl, wading birds, and shorebirds.
The Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership is a group of organizations committed to protecting the important habitats of the Great Bay Region. Since 1994, the Partnership has conserved more than 5,500 acres within the watershed.
“The Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership could never have achieved over 5,500 acres of conserved land around Great Bay without the willingness of landowners to work with us on conservation opportunities for their property,” said Duane Hyde, director of protection for The Nature Conservancy.
The Partnership’s conservation efforts include science and research based decision making for land conservation actions, collaborative landscape scale stewardship and management, and providing recreation and education opportunities. For more information, visit www.greatbaypartnership.org.
Photo caption: The recently conserved land includes this salt panne, a pond that sits a few feet above sea level. The pond’s clay bottom holds water, which slowly seeps away through a small outlet. (Photo by Dea Brickner-Wood)

The Music Hall Presents Ladysmith Black Mambazo

“Sheer joy and love emanates from their beings.” – Paul Simon

PORTSMOUTH—
The Music Hall, the landmark Victorian theatre in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire will be welcoming South African musical group Ladysmith Black Mambazo to the stage on Friday, March 4, 2011 at 8 p.m. For more than 40 years, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has married the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music. The result is a musical and spiritual alchemy that has touched a worldwide audience representing every corner of the religious, cultural and ethnic landscape. Their musical efforts have garnered praise within the recording industry, but also solidified their identity as a cultural force to be reckoned with.
Assembled in the early 1960s in South Africa by Joseph Shabalala – then a young farmboy turned factory worker – the group took the name Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Ladysmith being the name of Shabalala’s rural hometown; Black being a reference to oxen, the strongest of all farm animals; and Mambazo being the Zulu word for axe, a symbol of the group’s vocal ability to “chop down” all things in their path. Their collective voices were so tight and their harmonies so polished that they were eventually banned from competitions – although they were welcome to participate strictly as entertainers.
According to Therese LaGamma, Programming Manager and Curatorial Associate, “Ladysmith Black Mambazo is back by popular demand - their live performances do not disappoint and will have you wanting to kick off your shoes and dance!”
Ladysmith Black Mambazo will perform at The Music Hall on Friday, March 4, 2011 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $38; $26. FMI: 603-436-2400 or www.themusichall.org.
Photo caption: South African musical group Ladysmith Black Mambazo comes to The Music Hall on Friday, March 4. (Photo by Lulis Leal, courtesy www.mambazo.com)

Renowned Jazz Guitarist Peter Bernstein to Headline Seacoast Jazz Society Event

PORTSMOUTH—

The Seacoast Jazz Society has announced that renowned jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein will headline the next SJS Jazz Appreciation Project event on Sunday, February 13 from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. at the Press Room on Daniel Street in Portsmouth, NH. The event will precede the weekly Sunday Jazz at the Press Room show from 6 to 9 p.m. Joining Bernstein will be pianist Ryan Parker, bassist Will Slater and drummer Brooke Sofferman.
Peter Bernstein is one of the most remarkable guitarists on the jazz scene today. Master guitarist Jim Hall has said of Bernstein “…He plays the best of them all for swing, logic, feel and taste.” Bernstein has been a long time member of the band of saxophonist Lou Donaldson. Bernstein has also played and recorded with a variety of jazz artists including trumpeter Jim Rotondi, saxophonist Eric Alexander and pianist/organist Mike LeDonne. LeDonne, Bernstein and Alexander along with drummer Joe Farnsworth have performed every Tuesday evening for over 10 years at the New York City jazz club Smoke. Their 2010 release on Highnote Records, “The Groover” was one of the top recordings for the year. Bernstein is also an in demand clinician and teacher around the United States.
The Seacoast Jazz Society’s Jazz Appreciation Project is an ongoing series where musicians hold pre-performance discussions to talk about how they approach the creative process as well as how they interact with each other. Previous clinicians have included Boston based saxophonists Allan Chase and Jerry Bergonzi.
The Jazz Appreciation Project event is free and open to the public. The normal Sunday Jazz cover charge of $10 applies for the evening performance. For more info, visit the SJS website at www.seacoastjazz.org.
Photo caption: Peter Bernstein headlines Seacoast Jazz Society Event on Sunday, Feb. 13. (Photo courtesy www.peterbernsteinmusic.com)

‘Overboard!’ Survival Story at the Dover Public Library

DOVER—

In early May of 2005, Captain Tom Tighe and First Mate Loch Reidy took on three passengers for a five-day voyage from Connecticut to Bermuda. The sailboat, Almeisan, offered offshore sailing and the adventure of a lifetime for these three extra crewmembers. On the fourth day, a massive storm struck, and washed the Captain and First Mate overboard leaving the three crew members on the boat rapidly being torn apart by the storm.
“Overboard: A True Bluewater Odyssey of Disaster & Survival” is the rousing story of the rescue by the US Coast Guard in a desperate, complex and dangerous pursuit. The Friends of the Library are pleased to present author Michael Tougias on Tuesday, February 15 at 7 p.m. in the library’s Lecture Hall. Tougias will highlight his talk with slides from the storm, the sinking sailboat, and the rescue mission to bring this story to life. He will also be accompanied by Ron Burd, the Dover resident who survived this devastating storm.
Michael Tougias is a lecturer and award-winning author of nineteen books. His work has been praised as “breathtaking, marvelous, and terrifying” by no less than the Los Angeles Times. He has researched dozens of survival stories and among his recent works are “Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea” about two Massachusetts fishing boats caught in a ferocious storm off Georges Bank, and “The Finest Hours,” the true story of the US Coast Guard’s daring rescue of two oil tankers off Cape Cod in 1952.
All lectures in the Friends of the Library’s Cultural Series are free and open to the public. Refreshments will follow the program. FMI: Call 516-6050.
Photo caption: (Courtesy book cover image of “Overboard”)

Chamber Names Board of Directors

ROCHESTER—
The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce its recent elections to the Board of Directors beginning in 2011.
Officers for the organization include Chairman of the Board – Gerry Gilbert, Profile Insurance Group; Chair-Elect - Brian Hughes, Holy Rosary Credit Union; Vice Chair, Governmental Affairs – Patrick Hourihane, Hourihane Cormier & Associates; Vice Chair, Member & Community Development – Bruce Boudreau, Acme Rug & Upholstery; Vice Chair – Events & Fund Raisers, Judy Ouellette, Rochester District Visiting Nurse Association; Treasurer – Mary Henderson, Federal Savings Bank; and Immediate Past Chairman – Carl Potvin, Law Offices of Carl W. Potvin.
New directors recently elected to the board to serve a three year term on the board beginning in 2011 are: Mark Farrell, Laars Heating Systems, Patrick Gagnon, Granite Steak & Grill/Windjammer’s Seafood Restaurant and Rich Hilow, Edward Jones Investments.
Other members of the Chamber’s board of directors are Judi Angelo, Executive Properties; Vicki Beaudoin, Hawkins Safety Equipment; Rhonda Bisson, PSNH; Steve Cates, Waste Management; Jeff Dillion, Eastern Propane & Oil/Raspberries Hair Salon; Jeanne Grover, Jeanne A. Grover, JP; Thomas “T.J.” Jean, Frisbie Memorial Hospital; Steve Marcotte, Collins Sports Center; Christine McCluskey, MetroCast; and Darlene Towle, MLC Catering.
2011 Chairman of the Board, Gerry Gilbert of Profile Insurance Group and board members were formally introduced to the Chamber’s membership and the public at the annual Chamber Showcase & Annual Meeting Business After Hours at the Rochester Elks Lodge in Rochester.
The Board of Directors is responsible for governance, policy formulation, and the fiscal management of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce.

Special Valentine Exhibit at Children’s Museum of NH

DOVER—
Local historian, photographer and nationally known collector of photographica, Thom Hindle, will share a collection of camera-related Valentine’s Day cards, some dating back to the early 1900s, during the month of February in a special exhibit at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover.
Many of the cards have illustrations of children taking pictures of their valentines with old-fashioned box cameras. Mass production of cards began as early as 1800. In 1840, the first mechanical valentines were introduced. By pulling a tab, a figure or object on the card could be made to move. Some had elaborate honeycomb “pop-outs” or various other three dimensional features.
Other cards on display are from the 1940s and 1950s, when American school children usually celebrated Valentine’s Day with a party at school. Prior to the party, the children would make a decorated box with a slot in the top. During the party, the children would distribute valentines to their classmates’ Valentine Box. Samples of early embossed mechanical and 1940s school cards are featured in the exhibit at the Children’s Museum of NH.
Sue Kaufmann, Director of Exhibits, stated, “We are happy to be hosting this month-long exhibit that bridges two of our favorite subject: art and history. Thom Hindle’s colorful collection of Valentine’s Day cards is of great interest to kids as well as adults. Because the cards feature a photography theme, children can see the evolution of cameras from back in the days when posing for a photo was quite a big deal and required much larger equipment than the pocket-sized digital cameras of today.”
The Valentine exhibit will be on display at the museum through February 28, and can be viewed when the museum is open to the public: Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday 12-5 pm. Visitors wishing to come in and view just this exhibit may do so at no charge by checking in at the front desk for a gallery visitor badge. People wishing to explore the entire museum will pay the standard admission fee of $8 per person.
Photo caption: Vintage Valentine’s Day card from the private collection of historian Thom Hindle on display at the Children’s Museum of NH during the month of February. (Courtesy image)

Book Review: ‘The Whisperers’

By Chip Schrader
Book Review Editor
Set between Southern Maine and the wilderness-shrouded highways of the Quebec border, “The Whisperers” is John Connolly’s newest installment of Detective Charlie Parker’s adventures. Parker is a whip smart private eye who is deeply tied with the city of Portland, Maine and its surrounding cities. More often than not, his knowledge of the who’s who of the region gets him out of jams, into a few pickles, and lands him some good leads.
A troubled Gulf War Veteran’s treatment of his girlfriend has her boss concerned for her well being, and has the boss wondering of his own son’s, another Veteran, suicide. As Detective Parker starts snooping and contacts an old friend, Jimmy, to get some dirt, the detective finds himself in the irony of being water boarded by a group of men associated with this Veteran.
The story takes some turns as more Gulf War Veteran suicides crop up. These deaths begin shortly after Herod, an elderly man riddled with disease and an icy moral code, offers an ultimatum to a father that is too grizzly and heart wrenching to depict in this review.
Herod is a fascinating character who is often described with zombie-like features, and has a history of his own with death. As we learn more of this almost superhuman (or subhuman) villain, we also learn of a mysterious organization that collects ancient relics that are believed to possess supernatural powers. As these deliveries fail to make their destination to the organization, more suicides emerge.
Connolly’s astute use of recent politics and history by injecting details like water boarding, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the lack of veterans’ benefits adds a sufficient amount of cultural context to an otherwise straight ahead piece of hard-boiled fiction.
The local references like the Great Lost Bear in Westbrook, or the Longfellow Bookstore in the Old Port will attract local interest, but more interestingly, this is another nationally bestselling author who brings Southern Maine into the spotlight.
As for the writing, Connolly writes smoothly. The descriptions slide down easily and the transitions from connected story lines are seamless and each chapter leaves threads that will be picked up in future chapters. His descriptions of the characters are his strongest asset as they are depicted in full dimension and color, and the converse naturally in unique voices. But, with each chapter, Connolly feeds his audience just enough detail and dirt to satiate readers until the next chapter as the pages beg to be turned.
While the Private Eye has a quick wit, like many other private eyes, his persona doesn’t get much deeper than that for the most part. But, who reads hard-boiled mysteries to look into the mind of the P.I. when the diabolical mind like Herod’s often more interesting?
Charlie Parker is the classic “Code Hero” from the Sam Spade and Jake Barnes (The Sun Also Rises) school of heroes. Connolly uses first person narration from Parker’s point of view and two other third person points of view, a method that nicely adds layers to the storytelling. This is a fun and well-written book that pulls in elements from the headlines and the horror genre to reel in readers. Highly recommended!
“The Whisperers” by John Connolly, Atria July 2010. 416 pages.
Photo caption: (Courtesy book cover image of “The Whisperers”)

Arctic Plunge to Benefit Local Nonprofit

HAMPTON BEACH—
Ethel’s Tree of Life will be hosting their Third Annual Arctic Hardshell Plunge on Saturday, February 19 at Hampton Beach, NH. The event will include prizes, laughter, and fun. Participants (plungers) will receive a t-shirt while supplies last. Warm beverages will be served along wonderful Weathervane Chowder. Sign in begins at noon, plunge is at 1 p.m. sharp.
Registration for the event costs $10 for pre-registrants, $15 day of the event. Registration fee is waived for those who will raise at least $100.00 in donations. Monies raised will go to support Ethel’s Tree of Life.
It is the mission of Ethel’s Tree of Life, Inc. (ETL) to provide transitional training in life and work skills for youth of age 14 up to young adults of 25 who live with disabilities and/or special needs. ETL serves Seacoast New Hampshire and Southern York County, ME.
Form a team, come in costume if you like, and, prepare to have fun! ETL is also seeking corporate sponsors and volunteers. For more information, please go to http://www.ethelstree.org and click on the 2011 Plunge tab. Registration forms and donor forms are available there.