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.