Strawbery Banke Presents 10th Annual American Celebration

PORTSMOUTH—
On Monday, July 4, Strawbery Banke Museum rings with an event and fun-filled family commemoration of the nation’s 235th birthday. The 10th annual An American Celebration! event takes place at the Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and includes Revolutionary War re-enactors, a visit from Abe Lincoln, an insider’s view of the shipyard where the new Gundalow is being built and nearly every kid’s activity imaginable.
From games and contests to kite flying to bubble-blowing plus a treasure hunt, the ever-popular 1940s candy counter and Victorian fairy houses, this is a day dedicated to family fun. The traditional Children’s Bike & Wagon Parade starts at 2:30 p.m. and children are invited to come early to decorate their entries between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Strawbery Banke Museum will also remember its role as the keeper of 400 years of Portsmouth history with historic house tours where costumed role-players welcome visitors to their eras, plus colonial hearth-cooking demonstrations and artisans at work in the cooper’s shed and potters’ shop. Visitors can participate in crafts, Children’s Garden activities and observe the Museum’s onsite archaeology excavation.
An American Celebration begins this year with the US Naturalization ceremony, welcoming new citizens to the public for the first time. 
“An American Celebration at Strawbery Banke is a family event that salutes what Independence Day really means,” said Lawrence J. Yerdon, President of Strawbery Banke Museum. “From welcoming new citizens to welcoming our neighbors and visitors, An American Celebration is a commemoration of the nation’s founding and the parts the people of Portsmouth played, a recognition of past challenges and opportunities and a rousing reaffirmation of what life in these United States means to us today.”
No American 4th of July would be complete without great food and great music and An American Celebration features both of those. Vendors will offer hot dogs, lobster rolls, milkshakes, watermelon, salads and cookies along with selections from Googies Sandwich Shoppe and Dos Amigos Burritos.
New this year is the First Annual Seacoast Professional Pie Baking Competition. Professional bakers from restaurants and bakeries around the area will each supply two pies: one for sampling by the judges and the other to be raffled off to benefit the museum’s historical cooking programs. The Bedford Big Band will present live swing music and popular favorites all day.
An American Celebration is the focal point of Independence Day celebrations on the seacoast and is one of Strawbery Banke Museum’s signature events, drawing thousands of visitors who mix comfortably across the 10-acre campus. Admission to An American Celebration is free to children under 17 thanks to sponsorship from BAE Systems. As a member of the Blue Star Museums program, Strawbery Banke Museum admits active duty military and their families free at all times. Museum members are also admitted free of charge. Adult tickets are $15 and available in advance on the Strawbery Banke website, www.strawberybanke.org or by calling 603-433-1107.
Photo caption: (Courtesy image of logo for the 10th annual An American Celebration! at Strawbery Banke Museum)

Remembering the Old Days of Banking in Dover

DOVER—
Many of you living in Dover can remember banking at the Merchants National or Strafford Savings Banks, and remember when there was a bank on the corner of Washington and Locust Streets called Dover Co-operative Bank. Those were days when banking was simple and everyone knew your name.
When kids turned in empty bottles and saved nickels and dimes in a special metal bank, they would go to the bank teller for a key to open and deposit the contents into a savings account book that you carried home with your empty bank, ready to be filled again.
Woodman Institute Museum trustee Thom Hindle and Federal Savings Bank (formerly Dover Co-Op) have prepared a special exhibit that represents those old days of banking. Sponsored by Federal Savings Bank, items from the Thom and Mira Hindle Dover Collection will be on display at the Woodman Museum throughout the 2011 season.
Remember the Hopalong Cassidy Savings Club of the 1950s? You received pins that represented different levels of savings. Tenderfoot, Wrangler, Bronc Buster and Trail Boss were some of the pins given out. You had a small bank that was a bust of Hoppy and coins would be inserted through a hole in his hat. Maybe you received a cardboard coin holder in the shape of a candy cane at Christmas or an Easter Bunny filled with dimes. Did you ever receive a nice mechanical lead pencil or a wood ruler from the bank, usually in celebration of an anniversary? Well these and many more pieces of banking memorabilia now on display should bring back fond memories.
Dover Co-operative was located in the Walker Block on Washington Street next to Robbins Auto. It was a three-story building until 1954, when the third floor was removed. That became Dover Federal Savings.
Merchants National Bank was located on the corner of Third Street and Central Avenue, now Baldface Books. Strafford Banks erected what would be called the “fortress of finance” in 1895 on the corner at Central Square. Strafford was established in 1804 near Tuttle Square.
Gone are the savings books and metal banks shaped like famous people, horses, cars, toy cash registers and buildings, replaced by drive-up windows, automatic teller machines and on-line banking. However, museum visitors can take a step back in time this season by viewing a display of these long-gone banking artifacts from our childhood.
The Woodman Institute Museum is located at 182 Central Avenue in Dover and is open Wednesday-Sunday 12:30-4:30 (except holidays). Call 742-1038 to reserve a group tour or visit www.woodmaninstitutemuseum.org.
Photo caption: The Woodman Institute Museum will host a special exhibit throughout the 2011 season featuring historic banking artifacts courtesy the Thom and Mira Hindle Dover Collection. (Courtesy photo)

Opening Scenes: ‘Super 8’

By Chip Schrader
Movie Reviewer
“Super 8” begins with a high angle shot overlooking a factory with a sign that reads “Safety is our first priority.” A man is on the right taking off the numbers 784 and replacing them with 1 to signify the number of days without an accident. The scene shifts to a middle school-aged kid sitting on a swing with a locket in his hand. His friends are gathered inside with the rest of the mourners wondering if he will still want to work on his zombie movie project, even if his mother his dead. A man comes to the wake to mourn and is removed in handcuffs.
“Super 8” takes viewers back to the 1980s, a time when producer Steven Spielberg was in his prime, directing or producing blockbusters like “Goonies,” “Poltergeist,” and “E.T.” Old time Spielberg fans have waited for the day that he would ditch Tom Cruise and work on another movie centered on children and the classical form of science fiction that made him famous, namely “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Like Spielberg in the past, director J.J. Abrams directs the children in “Super 8” so well; the movie takes off and never lands.
Kids in backpacks riding their bikes through a suburban town marks a period of time when Internet and social networking has not spoiled childhood. The boys are out with their super 8 camera shooting that zombie flick they were talking about in the first scene.
The crew consists of five boys. Throughout the movie, only three have predominant roles: Joe, the sensitive child of the woman who died; Charlie, the wannabe film director and Cary, that kid that wants to blow things up. They are eventually joined by a talented girl, Alice, who aspires to be an actress.
The kids are very funny in this movie, and it has been a long time since such a fun story has been united with this caliber of acting. To dig too deep into the story would be to spoil the whole experience, but anybody who has a love for the old creature features will love this movie. The camera angles are dynamic and exciting, the special effects and action are wildly entertaining, and the story is interesting.
There are some flaws, though. Loose ends are either untied or unsatisfactorily resolved as the movie wraps up. One instance of this is that we never really discover why the dogs ran off just before the town turns into a war zone, nor do we see their reunion with the family. Instead, we just see a scene where we learn over a phone call that Joe’s dog, Lucy, was found in the next county.
There are also characters that vanish, and we never see their story completed. At 112 minutes, the movie could use at least another 20 minutes to more deeply explore the characters, only because they are so interesting.
Bottom line: long-time movie fans have waited twenty years for this film. It may have its flaws, but the movie is so entertaining that nobody cares; it just ends far too soon. This is Spielberg’s best project since “Schindler’s List,” and this film will propel J.J. Abrams’ career as a director.
The kids are all believable and funny in this movie, and young starlet Elle Fanning is unbelievably good. Her scenes with Joe take us all back to a time of our first crushes, so much so that the viewer can feel that pang that hasn’t been felt in years. The action sequences are intense and the language may deter the younger audiences, but this is the way movies used to be, and this will hopefully be the beginning of the end of corny and sanitized youth movies. 5 out of 5.
Photo caption: (Courtesy movie poster)

Great Bay Discovery Center Presents Special Collections Exhibit

GREENLAND—
The newest feature at the Great Bay Discovery Center, the Special Collections Exhibit, is having a grand opening on Saturday, June 25, from 10:00 to 1:00. The public is invited for refreshments, tours and an informal ribbon cutting to mark the opening of this unique exhibit.
The Special Collections Exhibit is located in the lower level of the Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center. The focus of the exhibit is the history of hunting and fishing in the Great Bay Estuary. Many of the articles in the collection were donated by local people whose families have lived in the area and carried on the pastimes of hunting and fishing. Some of the items were the property of Richard Schanda, who for many years wrote a column about the outdoors for the local papers under the pen name of Joe Dixx.
Many of the hunting artifacts on display demonstrate the techniques of duck hunting and the equipment used. Two antique sneak boats, both of which were used extensively on Great Bay, are part of the exhibit. There are many different donated decoys, from early, carved ones to modern ones on display. Also shown are a classic “bob house” or “fish shanty” along with a sled used to transport the fishing equipment and “bob house” onto the ice. Shellfishing was once a major activity on the bay and there are many items in the collection that reflect this. Old photographs, fishing and hunting licenses, advertisements and other ephemera are also incorporated into the exhibits.
The Great Bay Discovery Center and Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center are located at 89 Depot Road just off Route 33 on the Greenland/Stratham town line. The Center is the educational facility for the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and is funded by NOAA and administered by NH Fish and Game Department. Relay NH 1-800-735-2964 for TDD access. Please call the Center at 603-778-0015 for more information about this event and other programs or check our web site www.greatbay.org.
Photo caption: The Special Collections Exhibit at the Great Bay Discovery Center focuses on the history of hunting and fishing in the Great Bay Estuary. (MetroCreative photo)

Wentworth Greenhouse Farmer’s Market Opens

ROLLINSFORD—
June 18th will mark the beginning of a fourth season of Summer Farmers’ Markets, held at the Wentworth Greenhouse’s parking lot at 141 Rollins Road, Rollinsford.
This year also marks the second year of Saturday Markets which will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every week thru October 29th, and showcase over 26 local farmers, growers, and local food producers.
Each Market will consist of approximately 20 vendors, and will feature (in part): locally grown organic vegetables, free range beef, turkey, chicken, pork, lamb, chicken and quail eggs, honey, leeks, peas, beets, carrots, broccoli, parsnips, heirloom dried beans, tomatoes, fresh herbs, plums, blueberries, peaches, apples, aged and mold aged goat cheese, home made Greek Style Yogurt, artisanal crackers, fresh cut flowers, home made granola, jams, jellies, sauces, fresh baked breads, fruit pies, specialty cakes, tea breads, scones, cinnamon rolls, locally sourced soups and chili, juried select crafts, and a complete roster of live music.
For a complete listing of Market products, and a full listing of scheduled summer music, visit the Markets on Face Book, or go to www.wentworthgreenhouses.com.
Photo caption: Shoppers at last year’s market. (www.wentworthgreenhouses.com photo)

The Wizard of Oz to be Presented at Prescott Park Arts Festival

PORTSMOUTH—
The greatest family musical of all time comes to Prescott Park as part of the Seacoast’s most-loved summer traditions beginning Friday, June 24 and running each Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through August 21.
Join Dorothy, Toto, Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man and other members of the cast for a special kids event featuring a variety of crafts, fun, brunch and select performances from the musical on Saturday, June 25 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. for an Over The Rainbow Picnic: A Day with Dorothy and Friends. Come dressed as your favorite Wizard of Oz character, or simply as you are and enjoy meeting the cast and lots of fun activities. The afternoon will include: Lunch worthy of Dorothy and her friends; plenty of chances to meet the Wizard of Oz cast and songs performed by the cast (with flying!). Each guest will receive a ticket for a future performance of Wizard of Oz in Prescott Park, which is recommended for ages 3 to 10 and families always welcome. Tickets are limited and past events have sold out. Reserve Early.
This magical production, based on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s celebration of the 1939 MGM movie, is presented in partnership with the Seacoast Repertory Theatre and will prove to sweep audiences away, from the moment the tornado twists its way into Kansas.
Dorothy, Toto and their friends the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow are transported Over the Rainbow to adventures in Munchkin Land, the Haunted Forest, and the Emerald City.
Featuring the classic songs Over the Rainbow, Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, and If I Only Had A Brain. Along with the beloved characters, The Wizard of Oz will have the entire family captivated as they travel down the yellow brick road for an unforgettable evening in the Park. For a complete schedule of show times, visit www.prescottpark.org.
Volunteers Needed
A troop of volunteers for this kid event is needed as kids from all over will take to the park to meet the cast of this year’s production, The Wizard of Oz. Families look forward to this day every year, but we can’t pull it off without the help of our dedicated volunteers! 20+ Volunteers are needed to man the many fun stations the kids will visit. These will include face painting, photos with Dorothy and Toto, a Flying Monkey Toss (Kids launch stuffed flying monkeys through the mouth of a big Wizard head!), coloring ruby slippers and rainbows, and making tissue-paper poppies. We need 2-3 volunteers per station as well as a few to walk around as floaters and make sure everything is going smoothly, dessert servers, and merchandise booth operators.
To volunteer, please contact Liz Plourde, Festival Coordinator, 603-436-2848 or email: info@prescottpark.org.

Pro Portsmouth Presents Market Square Day 2011

PORTSMOUTH—
On Saturday, June 11, Pro Portsmouth will present its 34th Annual Market Square Day Festival & 10K Road Race, the City’s premier Downtown festival.
At a recent press conference, Pro Portsmouth’s Executive Director Barbara Massar thanked the many area businesses who make Market Square Day possible – in particular several of the long-term partners including the Title Sponsor of the Road Race, Access Sports Medicine & Orthopedics and longtime Festival and Race Supporting Sponsors Liberty Mutual, Oakhurst Dairy, Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Coca Cola of Northern New England.
Festival and Race Sponsors also include this year’s Program Partner, Irving Oil. They are joined by Bottomline, Runner’s Alley, PowerAde and Dasani.
The press conference introduced Dawn Pepe as the 2011 Logo Artist. Dawn’s design was chosen from nearly 80 submissions and will be featured on all Race and Volunteer T-shirts as well as the Festival T-shirt which will be available at the Pro Portsmouth booth in Market Square during the event. The second and third place designs were both submitted by member’s of Terra Merry’s Portsmouth High School Computer Graphics’ classes with second place going to Kevin O’Leary ($125) and third to Andy Zou ($75). Previously, Pepe’s work was featured on the 2004 Market Square Day logo.
This year’s Market Square Day Historic Walk takes place on Friday, June 10 at 6:00 p.m. The Walk begins at Market Square in front of the North Church.
Market Square Day features entertainment throughout the day on three stages. Various acts will fill the Downtown with music and dance. “We’re very pleased to feature our First Night® ‘Battle of the Bands’ winner, The Grounded,” noted Massar. “This year’s musical offerings take on a very diverse sound with Salt River, Grupo Fantasia, Martin England and Djoliba Kan – just to name a few.”
An abundance of crafters, local businesses and food vendors will set up ‘shop’ on the streets of Portsmouth. Over 150 will be on hand for this year’s festival.
Parking restrictions do take place in Downtown Portsmouth beginning at 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 11. Streets will be posted on Friday, June 10 to indicate where parking is prohibited during the festival. Parking restrictions will be enforced and vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense. The Parking Garage offers a flat fee of $5.00 from the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and $3.00 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Shuttle service provided by First Student Transit/Pro Portsmouth runs from the overflow lot at the Fox Run Mall (across from the JC Penny/Lens Crafters side of Mall) to the Hanover Street Bus Station across from the Hilton Garden Inn (Hanover Street Bus Stop) in Downtown Portsmouth. The shuttle runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The event, often referred to as the unofficial start to summer on the Seacoast, draws on nearly 2,000 runners and competitive walkers for the 10K race and 80,000 festival-enthusiasts to the heart of the City. The Road Race starts at 9 a.m. in Market Square. The Festival runs from 9 a.m. through 4 p.m.
Market Square Day is produced by Pro Portsmouth. Pro Portsmouth, Inc. is a 501c (3) organization serving the Seacoast area. Its Mission is to promote the arts, culture, history and community of the area through such events as Children’s Day, Market Square Day, Summer in the Street and First Night® Portsmouth. For more information on the group, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.proportsmouth.org.
Photo caption: Pro Portsmouth’s Market Square Day 2011 will take place this Saturday, June 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 2011 MSD Logo is the creation of Dawn Pepe, whose artwork will be featured in all Market Square Day marketing and on the Race, Volunteer and sale T-shirts. (Courtesy image)

Cochecho Arts Festival Lineup Announced

DOVER—
The 25th Anniversary season of the Cochecho Arts Festival opens on Monday, July 4, 2011 at the Rotary Arts Pavilion in Henry Law Park with an Independence Day celebration, sponsored in part by Liberty Mutual.
This year, the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce is pleased to kick off the Festival’s Headliners Series with a Fourth of July performance by one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “Top 6 Breakout Bands to Watch,” Wisconsin “Garage Pop” band, Locksley. The concert will begin at 7:00pm at the Rotary Arts Pavilion, concluding with the July 4th Fireworks display at 9:15.
The Festival’s Friday Night Headliners Series presents local and regional music performed by artists like Gazpacho, Wooden Eye and The Spectras. Following the July 4 season opener, the Friday Night Headliners Series continues with: Rock My Soul, July 8 – presented by Wentworth-Douglass Hospital; The Don Campbell Band, July 15 - presented by Federal Savings Bank; Gazpacho, July 22; Wooden Eye, July 29 – presented in part by Measured Progress; Tuckermans at 9, August 5 – presented by D. F. Richard Energy; The Spectras, August 12 - presented by the Rotary Club of Dover
This year’s Friday Night concerts will also feature local artisans displaying their work on the Festival grounds, as well as select food vendors providing picnic-friendly wares, and the ever-present Dover Fire Department Popcorn Stand.
The Tuesday Children’s Series, which is underwritten by Liberty Mutual, has grown dramatically in recent years, and these popular family events now average about 500-700 attendees per week. The Rotary Arts Pavilion’s Henry Law Park location is just footsteps away from the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, the City’s Indoor Swimming Pool, the public playground and grassy riverside expanse of the Park itself. There are also several family-friendly restaurants and retail shops in the immediate vicinity, including the Noggin Factory Toy Store, Ralph’s House of Tone, LaFesta Brick and Brew, Lucy’s Art Emporium and Harvey’s Bakery. Collectively, this creates a template for an extremely enjoyable and fun-filled day that takes place in a very cozy, yet highly visible area of downtown.
Each week, the Tuesday Children’s Series features a different performance, including music, dancing, puppeteers, jugglers, magicians, unicyclists and theatrical performances: The Little Red Wagon, July 5 – presented by CHaD – Dover; Jody Gourlay, July 12 - presented by St. Thomas Aquinas; Wayne from Maine, July 19 - presented by Musical Arts Academy; Todd Wellington, July 26 – presented by Holy Rosary Credit Union; BJ Hickman, August 2; Marcus Gale, August 9.
The Rotary Arts Pavilion is also home to the popular “Shark in the Park” summer lunchtime concert series featuring many of the area’s most popular rock bands. The “Shark in the Park” Series is designed to give downtown residents and employees a chance to get outside during the summer months to enjoy the concerts and the beautiful surroundings of the Henry Law Park. The Thursday noon “Shark in the Park” Luncheon Series includes performances by Big John & The Twins on July 7, Rosie on July 14, The Jen Thayer Band on July 21, Truffle on July 28, Rockfish on August 4 and The Twitch on August 11.
After being successfully introduced to the Festival in 2010, the Wednesday Market Series is being offered again this year between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. every Wednesday from July 8 through August 10, and is the only segment of the Cochecho Arts Festival that is not held at the Rotary Arts Pavilion. The Wednesday Market Series consists primarily of “unplugged” acoustic music, and the setting is the Dover Farmers Market, situated directly in front of the Chamber Visitor Center at 550 Central Avenue. The Farmers Market is presented by the Seacoast Growers Association, with all of the produce, herbs, meats and poultry, cheeses, baked goods and other items being locally grown, produced and harvested. Other nearby points of interest are: Simply Green Biofuels; the Re-Store, where salvaged construction materials are sold to benefit Habitat for Humanity; Dover Cyclery; Garrison Hill Florists; Khaophums Thai Restaurant and the Dover Natural Marketplace.
In celebration of the Festival’s 25th Anniversary, the Festival Committee is also introducing a new component this year. On Saturday, July 16, the Cochecho Arts Festival will proudly present the first ever Festival Movie Night. This highly anticipated event is being co-sponsored by Marion Cheney ReMax legacy, Federal Savings Bank and Bernson Legal, and will feature a showing of the beloved American classic film Casablanca. The event will begin at dusk in lower Henry Law Park, offering attendees the opportunity to enjoy a riverside picnic on the lawn with unobstructed views of the 20’ inflatable outdoor movie screen.
Visit www.CochechoArtsFestival.org for more information on the season’s schedule, including photos of the performers and links to their websites, a history of the Festival, directions to Henry Law Park, news articles, information on how to get involved, and much more.
Festival-goers are encouraged to show their support for the Festival by purchasing a Festival button for $10. This commemorative Button features a unique 25th Anniversary Festival logo for 2011, and includes discounts and free benefits from supporting businesses. In addition to the customary “Button Benefits” that patrons can receive by wearing their Buttons to participating businesses, Button purchasers will also be given “Instant Benefits” packets, which contain coupons and Gift Certificates worth in excess of $250.
Buttons and official Cochecho Arts Festival programs will be available the end of June at the Chamber Visitor’s Center, as well as at all Festival events. The program also will be available through state and local Visitor Centers and various Dover downtown merchants.
The Cochecho Arts Festival is a summer-long series of music and entertainment that is 100% admission free for the entire community, and operated using sponsorship funds from local businesses. The Festival draws tens of thousands of attendees annually to a diverse array of over 25 outdoor events and performances. The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce’s Festival Committee has been producing the event for the past 25 years.
Photo caption: During a recent press conference at the Chamber Visitor Center, the 2011 Festival Schedule, Performance Lineup, and 25th Anniversary Festival Logo were unveiled. (Courtesy image)

Music Hall Announces Summer Historical Tours

PORTSMOUTH—
The Music Hall, Portsmouth’s landmark Victorian theater and arts center, has announced its schedule for Summer 2011 historical tours. The behind-the-scenes tour of the historic theater, designated An American Treasure, will run on alternate Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m., June through September. Running approximately 75 minutes, the tour includes visits to the backstage area where 1901 Vaudeville era “technology” is still in use, the antique front of house dating to 1878, and the enchanting lobby renovated with great flair in 2008.
Arranged and guided by Music Hall Historian Zhana Morris, also the theater’s production manager, the historical tour paints a full picture of the history of the treasured theater, including the tales of sailors who rigged the theater in the late 19th Century, its flashy and famous owners, and stars across three centuries. Its performers have ranged from Mark Twain to Wynton Marsalis and David Crosby; Vaudeville acts with animals to “RENT” the musical and violinist Joshua Bell. Visitors will see the passage of time through the building’s award-winning restorations and renovations, which have brought back details dating back to 1878 and 1901, the hall’s periods of architectural significance.
First stop is the Beaux Arts lobby which has been heralded in the regional and national press as “jaw-dropping” and a “a one-of-a-kind surprise…. a world class space.” The 2,600 sq. ft space, including the box office, lower lobby, restrooms, elevator and coat check, reflects the Beaux Arts beauty of the theater above and showcases the theater’s history in a bold and theatrical way while offering striking 21st century amenities. Since the Lobby opened in September 2008, it has be compared to the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the design of ships that once filled Portsmouth’s harbor, the lushness of turn-of-the-century Colorado gold rush hotels, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The tour continues into the theater’s auditorium and up to its magnificent horseshoe balcony. There the main attractions are the restored decorative paintings on the ceiling dome and the proscenium arch adorned with cherubs – award-winning restorations unveiled to the public in September 2007 and 2006. The extraordinary decorative artistry had been covered over and forgotten for decades, the work of original owners of The Music Hall and artisans from 1878 to 1901. Visitors gain insight into the paintings’ history and their one-of-a-kind discovery in Winter 2007 – a find architectural conservators called “so dramatic, it takes your breath away.”
Finally, visitors are invited backstage to view antique riggings still operating today. Merging a colorful past and present, the tour provides tour-goers with unique perspectives on yesterday, today, and the future of the oldest operating theater in northern New England.
Said Morris, “The artists who come here today are amazed, first, at how beautiful the theater is and, second, how we operate simultaneously in the old world and the new world in terms of technology and architecture. When they see the packed audiences and hear the acoustically perfect sound that comes with our 1878 design, they are even more aware of what a gem The Music Hall is, the ‘beating cultural heart of the New Hampshire Seacoast region.’ Our guest book is full of quotes worthy of framing, from my perspective. All of them encourage us to keep up with our work restoring the theater.”
Historical Tours of The Music Hall will be held on alternate Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.: on June 15, and 29; July 13 and 27; August 10 and 24; Sept 7 and 21 at 5:30 p.m. Tour tickets are $7.50 ($5 member) and can be purchased in advance at www.themusichall.org or at 603-436-2400, or on the day of the tour at the theater’s box office, 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, NH. Box office hours are noon-6:00pm Monday through Saturday.
Photo caption: The Music Hall in Portsmouth has announced its schedule for the Summer 2011 historical tours. (Photo by Blind Dog Photo, courtesy The Music Hall)

Dover Dines ’11 Restaurant Week: Take a Bite Out of Dover

DOVER—
Dover, NH has claimed its place on the map as a place to find fine dining at a reasonable price. In an effort to promote the fabulous restaurants Dover has to offer, Dover Main Street and the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with Reverie Designs and PortsmouthNH.com, along with support from Foster’s Daily Democrat, The Shark, Seacoast Media Group, The Wire and Taste of the Seacoast, are all very excited to announce Dover Dines ’11!
June 4-11th will be a week of fine dining at a great fixed price with each participating restaurant offering a 3-course prix fixe dinner for $15.95 or $21.95; many restaurants will also offer a $7.95 two-course lunch.
“This is a great opportunity for people to get out and rediscover a restaurant they might not have been to in awhile or to support a few of their favorites without breaking the bank,” says Carrie Eisner, program director for Dover Main Street.
With 11 local restaurants participating, from a full range of cuisines and tastes, event organizers and Dover Main Street board members. Mike Cartelli and Martha Mason are looking forward to a successful event. “There really is something for everyone being offered this week. We hope people will take advantage of the event and try a couple of different places throughout the week.”
Restaurants participating are Alexander’s Italian Restaurant, Blue Latitudes, Cartelli’s Bar & Grill, Harvey’s Bakery & Coffee Shop, The Farm Bar & Grille, Krave, Kelley’s Row, La Festa Brick & Brew Pizzeria, Orchard Street Chop Shop, Three Chimney’s Inn and The Weathervane Seafood Restaurant. With participation from most of Dover’s fine restaurants, you are bound to be treated to a great meal at a great price.
Molly Hodgson Smith, Executive Director of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce, notes, “It’s the perfect week to come to Dover for dinner with family and friends, or lunch with co-workers. The fixed price menu gives you the opportunity to sample all the unique and interesting restaurants in the city at a very affordable price. Now more than ever, it is important for everyone to be supporting locally owned businesses in our community.”
For more information visit the Dover Dines website dedicated to the event through www.WeShopDover.com or by calling the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce at 603-742-2218 or Dover Main Street at 603-740-6435.
Photo caption: Dover Dines ’11 Restaurant Week Logo (Courtesy image)

Annual Wentworth Marina Striped Bass Tournament Returns

NEW CASTLE—

The fourth annual Wentworth Marina Striped Bass Tournament for Kids returns June 12, with a brand new category for entrants. The alumni category now allows anyone who fished in any previous Striped Bass Tournament as a youth entrant to participate in this year’s tournament.
The popular catch and release fishing tournament for Striped Bass added a Mackerel division in 2009 to increase the opportunity for success for its youngest participants. Fishing begins at sunrise Sunday, June 12, and concludes with an awards ceremony and entertainment on the Marina docks by 2 p.m. Registration is limited to the first 100 entrants. Thirty-five spots will be available on a Tournament vessel for Mackerel Fishing, on a first come, first serve basis.
Organized and managed by the Little Harbor Charitable Foundation Board, each year the Tournament supports a designated beneficiary organization in service to children and youth on the Seacoast.
This year, Tournament proceeds will build upon the success of a 2010 initiative to expand development and delivery of enrichment service programs and opportunities for children and families living at Cross Roads House and the Portsmouth Housing Authority.
Lead sponsor Mercedes-Benz is joined once again by a number of returning organizations, including Holloway Automotive, WMUR-TV 9, Wentworth Marina, Pro-Mariner, Mark and Eva Stern Foundation, Clear Channel, Bid2Win Software, Inc., Construction Services of NH, Center for Assessment, Actio Corporation, Seacoast Media Group, and many others.
Little Harbor Charitable Foundation is credited with gifting over 57 programs and raising over $1.5 million dollars in support for Seacoast area organizations since 1997.
Sponsor funds, 100% of which is annually channeled directly to the designated beneficiary organization, have subsequently assisted thousands of children with basic health, welfare, education services and crisis care in addition to stimulating interest in and access to the arts and personal enrichment opportunities.
Please visit www.stripertournament.com for additional information and your application.
Photo caption: Pictured is a participant in the original Wentworth Marina Striped Bass Tournament in 2008. The event, now its fourth year, will take place on June 12. (Photo courtesy www.lhcfonline.com)

Museums Open Free to the Public in the Piscataqua Region

PORTSMOUTH/
SOUTH BERWICK, ME—
For over one hundred years, Historic New England has served as the region’s storyteller, opening its doors to share four centuries of New England home and family life. On Saturday, June 4, Historic New England celebrates the 2011 season opening of their historic house museums by welcoming visitors free of charge. Come hear about the people and stories of coastal New Hampshire and Maine as you tour through houses that range from the c.1664 Jackson House in Portsmouth, NH, which chronicles the evolution of rural life over three centuries, to the majestic Colonial Revival interiors of the Hamilton House of South Berwick, ME. Six of Historic New England’s Piscataqua Region museums will offer tours beginning at 11 a.m. and the last tour will start at 4 p.m.
In Exeter, visitors will be welcomed to Historic New England’s Gilman Garrison, 12 Water Street. John Gilman’s 1709 “Logg house by the bridge” was gentrified by his son with a finely ornamented addition c.1770. The interior was restored in the 1950s by direct descendant William Dudley, who opened the house to the public as a private museum.
In Portsmouth, visitors are invited to experience three of Historic New England’s houses. The Rundlet-May House, at 364 Middle Street, is a Federal-style mansion built by merchant James Rundlet in 1807. It is filled with most of its original locally crafted 19th century furniture and a variety of “modern” heating and cooking technologies. The formal garden at Rundlet-May blooms all spring and summer with fruit trees, trellised roses, fragrant peonies, abundant hollyhocks, and vibrant poppies, to name a few, all scattered along narrow pathways original to the 1812 garden plan that survives in the house. The c.1664 Jackson House, 76 Northwest Street, is the oldest surviving wood frame house in northern New England. Visitors at Jackson House will find themselves in the midst of an old two-acre apple orchard overlooking the North Mill Pond, the last surviving orchard in NH that still abuts tidal water. The 1784 Governor Langdon House, 143 Pleasant Street, home to John Langdon, a signer of the United States Constitution and three-term governor of New Hampshire, is considered to have the best interior carvings to be found north of Boston. The garden of the Governor Langdon House features a 180-foot rose and grape arbor as well as expansive lawns edged by a perennial border, and an intimate shade garden hidden among a stand of mature evergreens.
In South Berwick, the 1774 Sarah Orne Jewett House, 5 Portland Street is not to be missed. Set in the heart of downtown South Berwick, this special home is where the famous 19th century writer spent many years of her life. Visitors can pause in the wide hall on the second floor hallway, by the author’s desk, to look out the center window and imagine Jewett’s artistic inspiration. Also in South Berwick is the c.1785 Hamilton House, 40 Vaughn’s Lane, which was restored at the turn of the century into a romantic summer retreat that draws from the house’s Georgian design and colonial past. Surrounded by beautiful formal gardens, the Hamilton House sits on a high bluff overlooking the Salmon Falls River. The interior of the house displays the height of fashion for summer residences at the turn of the 20th century.
In all, thirty-one of Historic New England’s historic house museums will be open free of charge that day. For a full list of sites, please visit www.historicnewengland.org and click on Open House under the Events tab. While visiting Historic New England’s six Piscataqua region historic house museums, plan to check out several other nearby events. Taste the best area restaurants have to offer at the all-you-can-eat 27th annual Chowder Festival in Prescott Park (www.prescottpark.org). Immerse yourself in maritime fun at the free Piscataqua Waterfront Festival, presented by Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden (www.moffattladd.org). Discover the Kids’ Day Festival in downtown South Berwick (sbkidsday.blogspot.com) where free and low cost activities make for a great family-friendly day of games, crafts, a parade, touch-a-truck, free cotton candy, giveaways, and entertainment.
Photo caption: The 1784 Governor Langdon House in Portsmouth is one of the six Historic New England house museums in the Seacoast region that will be open and offering free admission on June 4. (Photo courtesy Historic New England)