Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra to Play at Carnegie Hall

John Page, conductor of the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra, leading a recent practice

Story and photo by Timothy Gillis

PORTSMOUTH –

All their practicing has paid off. The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra is going to play at Carnegie Hall, providing the music for a new special called “The Christmas Rose” on November 29. The orchestra will join multiple Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress Jane Seymour, PBS composer Tim Janis, and artistic director Brad Kenney of the Ogunquit Playhouse. A cast of 400 performers will fill the stage for an evening of music, dance, and drama.

“The Christmas Rose” is a whimsical, family tale that follows a young orphan named Annabelle into the desert, pursued by a team of bandits. She crosses paths with everything from the three wise men and singing angels to Mary and Joseph.

While providing music for such a spectacular will require all of their concerted efforts, the orchestra has several other events to occupy them.

On Monday nights, the orchestra practices at Portsmouth High School, transforming a momentarily-empty band room into a jam-packed session with more than sixty players.

This past Monday saw them rehearsing for their Fall Concert at the Music Hall on November 4 – featuring the music of Dvorak - before they turned their attention to the holiday special in New York City.

In their first concert of the 2012-2013 season, “the lyrical and affable 8th Symphony by Dvorak provides a good natured romp through the countryside and a welcoming start to the season,” according to their website. “It’s a life affirming mix of landscapes from dark shadowy woods to a rollicking harvest festival. Paired with the Dvorak, we are truly delighted to present Mark O’Connor’s Fiddle Concerto played by local musical legend, Andy Happel. Along with Andy, Thanks to Gravity will join the orchestra for the concerto and perform a piece specially written by Andy Happel for the occasion,” the site says.

There’s no time to rest, however. This Monday, they will hit the road to have a joint open rehearsal with the Northeastern Massachusetts Youth Orchestra at Masconomet High School in Topsfield.

“We will be playing with the youth orchestra and then they'll be observing us rehearse,” said John Page, conductor of the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra.

Page joined the PSO as music director last fall. Before that, he led a concert as a guest conductor during the year of their conductor search. Page has been around music for most of his life.

“I do, or should say, did play the French Horn and I also play piano and dabble in a few other instruments,” Page said. “I started at the age of eight in my hometown of Derry, Northern Ireland, through a visionary music education program that provided free instruments, tuition and ensemble participation to kids who showed the slightest aptitude.”

He shares this love of music with his orchestra through light-hearted banter mixed with demanding expectations. He interfuses his practice sessions with gentle hints and reminders, supporting his musicians while expecting their very best.

Page's conducting career began with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland in 2000. Prior to this he attended King's College London, University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and Harvard University. He studied conducting with Gerhard Markson and at the renowned Canford summer school with George Hurst. In Ireland, his 2002 performances of Viktor Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis with Opera Theatre Company garnered the prestigious Irish Times Opera of the Year award and he was subsequently invited to give a Lyric FM broadcast concert with the NSOI, according to the website.

More recently, John Page was Director of Large Ensembles for the New York City based Mimesis Ensemble, a group dedicated to the performance of music by living composers. He has performed with them in the Kennedy Center, Washington DC, and Symphony Space, New York, as well as conducting numerous studio recordings. In 2009 he travelled home to his native Northern Ireland to conduct the BBC Ulster Orchestra.

In spring 2011 Mr Page was a Visiting Associate Professor at Boston University assuming the duties of Director of Orchestral Activities. He was appointed Music Director of the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra, New Hampshire in 2011 and has been invited to conduct the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Maine. He is also the Artistic Director of the newly formed PARMA Orchestra which began an ongoing series of recordings in June 2011.

Page recalled an “enlightening” experience in his young PSO life.

“I suppose one PSO ‘moment’ is the time we performed Brahms' First Symphony last March in the Music Hall,” Page recalls. “The Music Hall is a wonderful old building and is full of character and quirks. During the performance the lights went out, just for the briefest moment, but in that time many thoughts flashed through my head, like ‘I'm having a stroke!’ When I realized what had actually happened, I thought ‘well it's fine, I know this score pretty well’ followed by ‘wait a minute, if they can't see me OR their music it doesn't matter what I know!’ The lights came on in what must have been a few seconds but in that time I had a humbling awareness of just how powerless a conductor can be! No one knew why it happened, it was simply a ghost in the machine, but it did make me think about the true nature of what it is to be a conductor. We are there to shape, encourage and unify but are silent leaders in a realm of sound. Ultimately, it's the players who have to play the music, we can only be their guide.”

Founded in 1997, the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra is a 60+ piece symphony orchestra comprised of local professionals, educators, dedicated amateurs and advanced students drawing audiences and members along the Seacoast from Newburyport to York and west to Bedford. The Orchestra presents three concerts each season at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH.

The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)3 tax exempt not-for-profit organization. All contributions are tax deductible. For more information, visit portsmouthsymphony.org.

28th Annual Apple Harvest Day Comes To Dover October 6

A crowd of more than 25,000 people is expected in Dover on Saturday, October 6, for the 28th Annual Apple Harvest Day (courtesy photo)

DOVER –

The 28th Annual Apple Harvest Day will take place in Dover on Saturday, October 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Seacoast’s premier fall festival will feature more than 300 vendors, six entertainment stages, fabulous food and amusements for the whole family.  The event, organized by the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce and underwritten by Federal Savings Bank, brings more than 25,000 people to downtown Dover every year on the first Saturday in October.

Festival attendees can expect all of the events and activities from past years’ including the WOKQ Apple Pie Judging Contest, Apple Harvest Day 5K Road Race and Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, and three new venues this year: The Orchard Street Stage, Todd’s Touch Auto Alley and McConnell Center Arts Pavilion.

The Bernson Legal, PLLC Orchard Street Stage, which will be located next to The Dover Brickhouse, is sure to be the hot new music venue of the festival featuring performances by The Mallett Brothers, Whiskey Kill Duo, Eli Autry and other local musicians.

“I think the Orchard Street Stage is going to be a great addition to the festival,” said Chris Serrecchia, co-owner of the Dover Brickhouse. “We have a great band lineup planned that will attract people to Orchard Street and expand Apple Harvest Day.”

The McConnell Center Arts Pavilion will transform Dover’s community center into a local arts haven with artists, crafters and musicians filling the lawn outside of the Center.  Although the McConnell Center lies outside of the traditional Apple Harvest Day boundaries, many festival attendees park at the McConnell Center Lot and are encouraged to stop at the Arts Pavilion on their way to other festivities on Central Avenue and Henry Law Park.

The Todd’s Touch Auto Alley will take place on First Street and will feature a collection of super-modified sports and muscle cars, in addition to a monster truck on display.  Festival-goers will be allowed to take a close look at all of the vehicles and pose for pictures with the monster truck. 

“We are very excited about the three new venue additions this year,” said Christine Goodwin of WB Mason, chair of the Apple Harvest Day committee. “The stage on Orchard Street adds yet another fantastic music venue to the event and the McConnell Center Arts Pavilion is a great opportunity to showcase all of the wonderfully talented artists and crafters that call Dover home. I think the Todd’s Touch Auto Alley will be a big hit with the kids.”

For the fourth straight year, the 5K Road Race will kick-off Apple Harvest Day.  The race begins at 8:30 a.m. and will start and finish on River Street. The USTAF-certified course winds through historic downtown Dover and is suitable for beginner runners and walkers, as well as advanced racers. Registration for the 5K Road Race is now open and can be done by visiting the Apple Harvest Day page at www.dovernh.org.  Racers are encouraged to register early as the first 250 participants to signup receive a free 2012 Apple Harvest Day 5K t-shirt. PainCare and Salmon Falls Family Healthcare are the 5K Underwriter Sponsors along with Bernson Legal, PLLC and Kennebunk Savings.

“Every year the road race continues to grow,” said Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce Community events manager Michael Mengers.  “Just a few years ago there were a few hundred runners.  Last year there were nearly 700.  We anticipate the race will continues to grow as it gains notoriety around the Seacoast.”

Directly following the 5K Road Race at 9 a.m., the Apple Harvest Day Opening Ceremonies featuring the Dover High School Marching Band, will take place on the Comcast Community Stage in Henry Law Park. As usual, the venue will be hosted by the WOKQ morning waking crew’s Mark Ericson. In addition to hosting performances by the Garrison Players, Extreme Air of New Hampshire and Sole City Dance, Ericson will also conduct the 27th Annual WOKQ Apple Pie Contest at 11 a.m.

Additional entertainment stages will include the Ralph’s House of Tone North End Stage hosted by 98.7FM The Bay in the Ross Furniture parking lot on Third Street, the Urban Tree Service Songwriter Stage hosted by The Shark 105.3FM in Waldron Court and the Cocheco Arts & Technology Academy Stage in the Cocheco Courtyard.

Much to the delight of young festival attendees, the Service Credit Union KidZone will be back in Lower Henry Law Park with over a dozen inflatable amusements. Henry Law Park will also feature the Profile Bank Roaming Train, Dover Auto World Traveling Barnyard and Public Service of New Hampshire Pony Rides.

Henry Law Park will also be the location of Apple Harvest Day’s largest food court, which will be complete with traditional carnival foods, as well as seasonal favorites like candy apples and caramel popcorn. An additional food court will be located in the Ross Furniture parking lot. Early risers can attend the Kiwanis pancake breakfast on Orchard Street from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Festival attendees may park at the Dover Library on Locust Street and the Dover Transportation Center on Chestnut Street. Both lots will be serviced by the Apple Harvest Day Shuttle provided by Maple Suites, which will drop passengers off in the heart of the festival at Henry Law Park and at the Janatos Parking Lot. The Janetos parking lot will also be the originating point for free wagon hayrides provided by Dover Main Street.

For up to date information on Apple Harvest Day  visit www.dovernh.org, www.facebook.com/doverappleharvest or call the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce at 603-742-2218.

Old Hampton Tavernwalk Kicks Off 375th Birthday Year

(courtesy image)

 HAMPTON -

The town of Hampton, originally part of Massachusetts, dates its founding to October 14, 1638. While there are big plans to celebrate the town’s 375th birthday later in 2013, the Hampton Historical Society is kicking off the start of this milestone year with the Old Hampton Tavernwalk, a light-hearted celebration of the town during the 17th and 18th centuries. The event is also the official book launch of “A Meet and Suitable Person: Tavernkeeping in Old Hampton, New Hampshire, 1638-1783,” by local history writer Cheryl Lassiter, and takes place in downtown Hampton on Saturday, October 13 from 2-5 p.m.

Participating in the event are three of the area’s most popular eating and drinking establishments, The Old Salt, 401 Tavern, and the Galley Hatch. At each location costumed history presenters will entertain and enlighten walkers with little-known but fascinating facts about Hampton's provincial and colonial tavernkeepers. Each location will serve a unique sampling menu of traditional colonial fare prepared by professional chefs and spirit purveyors, and will feature one segment of “Do You Think You're a Meet and Suitable Person?” This is a fun card-based game, created especially for the event, in which everyone is eligible to win some great prizes. For the walk between locations, the Historical Society will be posting information to further the “Old Hampton” experience. If you thought the Puritans were prudish, stuffy, and boring, this event is sure to change your mind!

This is a 21 and over event. Tickets are $15 per person and are available at all Tavernwalk locations. You may also buy tickets at the Tuck Museum, 40 Park Avenue, during regular hours, Wed-Fri-Sun 1-4 p.m. Start at any of the three taverns, no later than 3:30 pm, to allow you and your party adequate time to enjoy the unique programs at each stop. For the day of the event only, ticketholders who dine at any of the three participating locations will receive ten percent off their bill. This offer cannot be combined with other discounts. Alcohol not included. For information, contact Cheryl Lassiter, 603-929-3682 or hamptonwriter@gmail.com.

St. Anselm Students Discover Pyramid-Style Structures in Italy

Nick Walsh (class of 2012) and Merike Youngs (class of 2014), two of the St. Anselm’s students who discovered a room with artifacts dating to 1000 BCE (Photos courtesy of Dr. David George and St. Anselm College)

Only such excavation on record anywhere in country

MANCHESTER –

Students from Saint Anselm College have been working on the first-ever excavation of a series of pyramidal structures underneath the city of Orvieto, Italy. The existence of these structures carved into the rock of the tufa plateau on which the city stands were not known until recently. Dr. David B. George of the Department of Classics at Saint Anselm and Dr. Claudio Bizzarri of the Parco Archeogico Ambientale dell¹Orvietano are co-directors of the excavation and the lead archaeologists.  At the time of their discovery, the structures had been largely filled, leaving only the top-most modern layer which had been modified in modern times and was being used as a wine cellar. Within this upper section, there was one feature that caught the archaeologists’ eyes: that was a series of ancient stairs carved into the wall. They were clearly of Etruscan construction. The Etruscans were the people who had controlled Orvieto from 1000 BCE until the Roman conquest of the city in 264 BCE. It was noted the walls tapered up in a pyramidal fashion. As intriguing were a series of tunnels, again of Etruscan construction, that ran underneath the wine cellar, hinting at the possibility of deeper undiscovered structures below. 

The owner of the cellar, Antonio Pagliaccia, was intrigued by the mystery of what it could be and encouraged its exploration. Working with the local inspector for the Soprintendenza per I Beni Archeologici dell¹Umbria, Dr. Paolo Bruschetti, George and Bizzarri helped to obtain a permit to explore the feature through the Fondazione per il Museo C. Faina. 

Excavations commenced on May 21 of this year, at first digging through a mid 20^th century floor and trash layer complete with old tennis shoes, mid 20^th century broken plates, and other early 20^th and late 19^th century ephemera. After moving a meter of dirt and debris, the diggers reached a medieval floor. Immediately beneath this floor was a layer of fill that, to the surprise of all, contained material and artifacts, such as Attic red figured pottery from the middle of the 5^th century BCE, to 6^th and 5^th century Etruscan pottery with inscriptions, as well as sundry objects that dated to before 1000 BCE. The excavators were surprised at the leap back in time but explain it as resulting from the structure being sealed at the middle of the 5^th century BCE and stumbled upon during the Middle Ages and used as a cellar.  As excavations continued below this layer of fill, they came upon 1.5 meters of gray sterile fill intentionally deposited from a hole in the top of the structure now obliterated by a medieval ceiling.

“Below that material, there exists a layer of a brown material that we continue to excavate,” said George in a press release. “The stone carved stairs which gave the first hints of the structure¹s origins continue down the wall and turn at one corner, below which it appears like some sort of wooden structure had been built into the wall to continue the decent with wooden stairs.”

The material from this level all dates around the middle of the 5^th century BCE, with nothing later. At this level, a tunnel running to another pyramidal structure was also found. The tunnel dates from before the 5^th century BCE.  To date, the excavators have pushed down three meters and the pyramidal structure continues.  It is now quite cavernous rising about ten meters from the current point of excavation to the current ceiling. The lead archaeologists are still perplexed as the function of the structure

though it is clearly not a cistern. Bizzarri notes that there is nothing like these structures on record anywhere in Italy or the Etruscan world. George believes that it could be part of a sanctuary, and calls attention to the pyramid structures that were described in literary sources as being part of Lars Porsena¹s tomb. Porsena was an Etruscan king who ruled Chiusi and Orvieto at the end of the 6^th century. Bizzarri cautions that these parallels are not exact, but intriguing. Both George and Bizarri agree that the answer waits at the bottom probably four or five (or more) meters below the current level.

It was the discovery of a lifetime for the Saint Anselm classics professor and his students. “This is actually a really cool structure,” George said. “It's underneath the city of Orvieto, and it's a pyramid.”

The group’s digging continued through August, unearthing layers of time until they reached the pyramid.

“Right below the medieval floor, we jumped from 1200 A.D. to 400 B.C., nothing in between,” George said.

The structure, which is likely a tomb or some sort of religious structure, had been sealed for centuries. “I mean, students were walking on floors that they were the first to step on in two and a half millennia,” George said.

Tessa Theriault was one of the students who spent six weeks in Italy on the excavation. Inside, they found ancient artifacts and pottery. “(We) got to be part of actually finding the artifacts, as well,” said Theriault, a sophomore at Saint Anselm. She said the experience has been life-changing.

“This trip has pretty much cemented, in my mind, that this is what I want to do as a career and made it that much more real for me,” Theriault said.

It could be some time before it's learned exactly what the structure was used for. The professor and his students will head back to Italy to continue their research next spring.

St. Anselm students who worked with Dr. George on the project are Tessa Theriault, Kiran Ganguly, Merike Youngs, Kristin Harper, Carlo D'Anselmi, Elizabeth Walston, Alexandra Madsen, Caroline Drennan, Ethan Lawrence, and Nick Walsh.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School Teacher to Speak at National Teachers’ Convention

From left to right - Katie Wheeler, Kristina Peterson, Mariah Kirsch, and Bridget Leonardis  - all co-presenters at the National Council of Teachers of English conference in Las Vegas. Kirsch teaches at St. Thomas Aquinas in Dover. (courtesy photo)

DOVER -

The National Council of Teachers of English is a highly influential and well-respected educational organization, often at the forefront of academic innovation.  Each year, thousands of teachers attend the NCTE’s annual convention where they can “get fresh teaching ideas, be inspired, and make lifelong connections.”

This year, St. Thomas Aquinas English Teacher Mariah Kirsch has been selected to present at the annual convention.  She and her co-presenters titled the session “Positively Defiant: Bending Rules to Enhance Student Success.”  An excerpt from the description of this session in the convention program reads: “Good teaching is difficult, especially in an era when creativity and dialogue are limited. Join a panel of teachers (just regular ol’ teachers) as they discuss their dreams for better classrooms and the connections they formed, which empowered them to ignite thinking in their own communities.”

Kirsch met a group of like-minded English teachers at the Literacy Institute at the University of New Hampshire last summer. Her group developed a support network that remained in the fall when they went their separate ways. Out of this collaborative effort came a proposal to present the fruits of their efforts and successes.

Kirsch said she never dreamed the proposal might turn into a speaking engagement. “NCTE only accepts a small percentage of proposals that come their way. My friends and I put together our proposal fully expecting rejection. We thought it would be a good professional experience just to try,” Kirsch said. “We aren’t famous. We aren’t published authors. I guess NCTE saw promise in our collaboration.”

As the group noted, “True collaboration provides teachers with support, validation, and the courage to be ‘positively defiant.’” The group’s panel discussion will focus on three subjects that helped them become teacher leaders:  Mentors and Models, a Support System, and being Positively Defiant.

An eight-year teaching veteran, Kirsch has been a member of the St. Thomas Aquinas English faculty since 2009.  In addition to her teaching duties, she has worked to stay on top of the enormous changes that have occurred in education, from the technological to the pedagogical.

The other teachers in the presentation are Katie Wheeler, from McCormick Junior High in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Kristina Peterson, a teacher at Exeter High School, and Bridget Leonardis, of North Andover Middle School in Massachusetts. The conference is being held in Las Vegas, Nevada, this year.

“People’s reaction has been ‘I know why you applied for that conference,’” she said of the Sin City locale. “But really, the English teacher in me was hoping for something a bit more cultural.”

The group has been hard at work, honing their presentation while collaborating online.

“What we are doing is a panel discussion, splitting time between the four of us. We’re showing how we built up our own communities, and found mentors and strategies to inform our teaching,” she said. “What I’m personally speaking on is how I’ve tried to work on professional development at St. Thomas, to show how teachers can be leaders in our own schools.”

Kirsch started her career in a public school in Delaware, “so I’ve seen both sides,” she said. “It was a very different situation, a Title I school with a high free and reduced lunch rate.”

Now, she says her teaching experience is different at St. Thomas Aquinas, a private, Catholic school.

“At St. Thomas, we’re free to be creative without that aspect of state testing looming over us. Tests are good but can be restrictive,” said Kirsch, who also credits a supportive administration in her success story.

An example of this support occurred when she asked to break school rules regarding cell phone use so she could better illustrate a class lesson.

“We’re hoping to show teachers in different situations,” she said, and plans to take turns with the other panelists, who all teach at public schools. “We’re hoping teachers at the convention will take away the belief that they too can do something like this with little formal experience in presenting.”

Kirsch is a frequent presenter at faculty meetings, and this year was selected by principal Kevin Collins to co-chair the school’s new “Instructional Leadership Team.”. Kirsch plans to speak on her passion for professional development during her panel time at NCTE.

“Professional Development is a major goal for St. Thomas Aquinas,” Collins has said.  “It is vital that our faculty be open to discovering new and effective ways of developing our students’ minds, and to be willing to put in the necessary time to become expert at these techniques. Mariah has been more than willing to be a trailblazer in this regard.”

St. Thomas Aquinas has long prided itself on its academic successes.  Students at STA consistently produce scores above both the state and national level. In addition, the school has devoted efforts to developing and implementing programs as well as investing in the necessary infrastructure to facilitate those programs.

However, as Collins adds, “we view both our teachers and students as true resources for the local community and the world at large. St. Thomas has made great strides in many areas, from community outreach to academically-oriented programs. That’s why we have also encouraged our faculty to share their successes in education, service and other programs with other organization.”

Among the programs that St. Thomas Aquinas has developed recently include its “Saints Taking Action Day of Service,” a summer reading program, and an independent study program.

“We are very proud that Mariah has been selected to share her insights and experiences to a national audience.  We know that they will find her views as compelling and professional as we do,” Collins said.

Each year, the NCTE Annual Convention draws thousands of K-12 teachers, college faculty, administrators, and other educational professionals from around the world. They gather to hear award-winning speakers, attend idea-packed sessions, share best practices, participate in workshops, and test the latest teaching materials. The 2012 Annual Convention will be held November 15-18. For more information, visit http://www.ncte.org/annual.

Rochester Fair Revs Into 2nd Weekend

(courtesy photo)

 

ROCHESTER –

The Rochester Fair got its first taste of bad weather this week, but organizers expect this weekend to feature sunny skies and record-breaking crowds.

The school bus demolition derby last weekend was so popular that the organizers of the 137^th installment of the Fair have brought it back for this Saturday, September 22.

Mark Perry, general manager for the 11^th year, said he is pleased with the event’s success.

“It’s been excellent - good crowds, the people are happy. Spending seems to be back a little. I’m very very pleased.”

Mother Nature had been kind until Wednesday, when rain and winds stirred up a bit of trouble, but it’s to be expected.

“When you’re a ten-day event, you can’t expect to get perfect weather all ten days,” Perry said. “Especially in this part of the country. Onto the fair, a little rain must fall.” Perry and others who run the popular fair expect a big finish this weekend.

“We try to showcase some of the agricultural activities kids are doing. Too often, you only hear about the bad kids.”

Perry touted the $75,000 in prizes and awards the Fair offers to all types of participants.

There’s a wide range of awards. The giant pumpkin contest offers $750 for first place, while crafts and quilts may win a $10 prize. With thousands of different line items, it adds up to a lot of money, said Perry, crediting the Fair’s success to its longevity..

“It’s been here a while, and there’s a lot of traditional fair kind of entertainment,” he said.

The school bus demolition derby was new this year.

“It was such a runaway hit, we decided to do another one this Saturday night,” Perry said.

Folks can enjoy what seems like an endless array of amusements, including horse pulling, a Paul Bunyon lumberjack show, pig racing, music, carnival rides, food, and games. For more information, visit rochesterfair.com.

Great Bay Community College off to a Strong Start

Students at Great Bay Community College are excited to get back to school (courtesy photo)

Plans underway to open academic center in Rochester

PORTSMOUTH –

At the start of classes this week, Great Bay Community College is again reporting an increase in enrollment for the start of the academic year.  According to Dr. Bruce Baker, vice president for enrollment management and student services, enrollment numbers are expected to be up 5 percent, in keeping with the growth trend in recent years.  Lower tuition rates, strong academically relevant programs and an environment that supports academic success have helped to foster growing interest in the college. Currently, GBCC offers more than thirty associate and certificate degree programs in addition to non-credit courses and customized training offered through their Business & Training Center.

“New students alone are up 24 percent” said Baker, “and we continue to see an increase in our Liberal Arts programs, traditionally filled by students looking to complete their associates degree and transfer on to a four year program.  This fall, the Liberal Arts Engineering Science Program, Liberal Arts Biological Sciences, Biological Sciences Transfer and Chemistry programs, as well as our new Liberal Arts Environmental Studies program are particularly strong. Each provides a transfer pathway program developed specifically with the University of New Hampshire. This is particularly encouraging given our focus on increasing graduates and transfer students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).”  Baker also reports that the college’s cohorts for technical allied health programs - capped programs that include nursing, veterinary technology and surgical technology - are all at full capacity.

“I am excited to start the year,” said Jessie Schanck of Dover, a first year student enrolled in the liberal arts Pre-Nursing program. A licensed Practitioner Nurse in the Army Reserves, Schanck was encouraged to apply for the program by her squad leader who is also at Great Bay.  “After high school, my vision of college was not well established.  Seven years later, I am so glad to be at this point.  I can see my goals and I know it can be done. The people at Great Bay that I have met don’t just love the school, they are passionate about it!”

Twenty-three year old Marketing major Ashleigh Cronshaw of Dover was also excited about the new semester.  “I was ready to start, be with people my own age and learn something.  Getting started has been really easy. They never made me feel rushed or pressured into doing something that I didn’t want to do,” she said.

In addition to Liberal Arts Environmental Studies, Great Bay has also added other new programs and initiatives this fall, including a new Health Information Technology (HIT) Associate degree program.  According to Nancy Withee, program coordinator for the HIT program at Great Bay, HIT graduates will be able to choose from a variety of career opportunities, including Health information Technician, Health Information Analyst, Coding Technician, and Utilization Review Coordinator. They can also work in a multitude of settings throughout the healthcare industry, and graduates are also eligible to sit for the CCA (Certified Coding Associate) or CCS (Certified Coding Specialist) exam through the American Health Information Management Association  (AHIMA).

In terms of non-credit offerings, the college continues to offer programs designed specifically to enhance workplace preparedness. Since starting last October, WorkReadyNH , a program funded by a grant from the New Hampshire Job Training Fund, has seen a steady increase in enrollment. The program is designed to provide unemployed or underemployed individuals who work thirty hours per week or less, the training to build competitive job entry skills. In addition to focusing on developing skills in communication and teamwork, participants also prepare for the interview process as well. Graduates receive a National Career Readiness Certificate.

Plans this fall are also underway for Great Bay Community College to open an academic center in Rochester early in 2013.  Last year, the Community College System of New Hampshire was awarded a $19 million grant through the US Department of Labor to develop training programs for advanced manufacturing.  The grant involves all of the state community colleges with Great Bay being the lead on the project.  To start, the new Rochester site will enable the college to offer a range of programs linked to industry partners Albany Engineered Composites, Inc. and Safran Aerospace Composites - global leaders in advanced composite manufacturing for the aerospace industry.

“This partnership will significantly impact the local economy by providing our workforce training and education for middle skill career opportunities in advanced manufacturing,” said Dr. Will Arvelo, president of GBCC. “These are the jobs of the future. They will require strong communication, analytical, math, technical and team building skills, and they are the jobs that will advance the economy in New Hampshire and keep us competitive on both a regional and global stage.”

For more information on Great Bay Community College, visit www.greatbay.edu

Local Fishing Culture, Industry & Food Featured at 4th Annual Fishtival

 A child from last year’s Fishtival makes a T-shirt (courtesy photo)

New Hampshire Fish and Lobster Festival at Prescott Park to Celebrate 400 Years of Local Seafood

PORTSMOUTH –

The fun, informative and flavorful 4^th annual NH Fish and Lobster Festival, aka “Fishtival,” returns on Saturday, September 22, in Prescott Park, Portsmouth, from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Admission and all activities at Fishtival are free, thanks to the support of festival sponsor Smuttynose Brewing Company and grant funding from UNH Sea Grant. Tastings are pay-as-you-eat, at $4 each or $8 for whole lobsters.

The largest festival focused on local food in New Hampshire comes together once again in Prescott Park along the working waterfront where residents of all ages will have the opportunity to learn, explore and celebrate a community-based local fishing fleet and its fresh, healthy harvest. Attendees are encouraged to visit with numerous environmental, heritage and cultural non-profits along with working fishermen, restaurants and markets for a treat of the senses and to learn about local seafood resources. This is a great opportunity to support and honor our local fishing community by bringing fun and fish together.

To highlight the diversity and quality of the local fishing industry, visitors are invited to board a local fishing boat, taste freshly-landed local seafood prepared by Seacoast chefs, learn to identify and prepare local fish, watch a live celebrity chef cook-off competition, investigate the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, enjoy local musical performances, and meet local fishermen. Participants can event create one of a kind fish print t-shirts with a real fish!

Chefs from local restaurants, markets and culinary programs across the region will prepare creative, delicious samplings fresh from local boats. Each participating chef will be assigned, by lottery, a different locally-caught seafood species to prepare and serve.

Tastings will be prepared by chefs from The Blue Mermaid, Bonta, The Common Man, The District, Jumpin' Jay's Fish Cafe, The Old Salt, The Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth Lobster Co., Seaport Fish, Portsmouth High School Culinary Arts, and The Stone Church, among others. Attendees can taste each of the diverse, uniquely prepared arrays of seafood selections.

Activities will be hosted by the Blue Ocean Society, Seacoast Science Center, Gundalow Company, NH Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program, New Hampshire Children's Museum, Portsmouth Historic House Associates, Strawbery Banke Museum, UNH Marine Docents, and the Yankee Fisherman's Co-op, among others.

Also during the afternoon, there will be opportunities to meet a lobster, interact with two touch tanks worth of sea animals and paint with a fish. Aboard fishing vessels, captains will show how they bring in their haul; on land, listen to different talks about the aspects of the fishing industry, including innovations and sustainability in the industry, and watch first-hand the art of net building. Local fishmongers will show how to process several species of whole fresh fish, and share fish selection and preparation tips.

And for the third year, the festival features an exciting celebrity chef Seafood Cook-off where the defending champ, Susan Tuveson, will MC the challenge between two chefs selected from participating restaurants.

Smuttynose Brewing Company, the Seacoast's uniquely local and award-winning craft brewery, is the festival sponsor. Grant funding is provided by UNH Sea Grant. Generous in-kind support is provided by Seaport Fish Market, participating restaurants, educational non-profits, and Seacoast Growers' Association.

The NH Fish and Lobster Festival is produced by a variety of community organizations and businesses collaborating to support the local fishing industry. Seacoast Local and Prescott Park Arts Festival co-host the event in collaboration with local fishermen through NH Sectors, NH Commercial Fishermen's Association and Granite State FISH, as well as local food advocates including Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, NH Seafood Fresh and Local (www.NHSeafood.com) and UNH Slow Food and their Get REAL campaign.

Fishtival takes place amid a week of events promoting the local food and maritime heritage on the Seacoast. Events include the Heirloom Harvest Barn Dinner in Stratham on Sunday, September 23, featuring traditional food from local fields and fisheries, and the Maritime Music Festival in Portsmouth on Saturday, September 29, celebrating the local and national heritage of seafaring and maritime trades by taking nautical songs and music to the pubs, cafés, churches, and streets of Portsmouth. These singers and musicians will present a sampler of their lively songs on the stage at Fishtival.

More information is available at www.fishtival.org. To find out more information about the movement to support New Hampshire's local fishing industry, visit www.nhseafood.com.

Back to School Means Back to the Beach

Hundreds to collect trash, record data for marine research

SEACOAST NH –

It may say September on the calendar, but some New Hampshire students are still heading for the beach. Students from all over the state will gather at Hampton Beach State Park, North Beach, Foss Beach, and Wallis Sands on Friday, September 14 to participate in the New Hampshire Coastal Cleanup. New Hampshire schools include Little Harbour and Dondero Elementary Schools from Portsmouth, Hampstead Middle School, Nottingham School, Sant Bani School and Nute Middle School. Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation is coordinating the cleanup, which is expected to involve more than 400 students.

Students will pick up trash on the beach and record their findings on data cards for further study by Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation and the Ocean Conservancy as part of their efforts to learn more about marine pollution, both locally and internationally.

This is no ordinary day at the beach. Before heading out to the cleanup, students will learn about the environmental problems related to marine debris, including the dangers to marine mammals, fish, and birds from entanglement or ingestion. Through their participation in the cleanup, students will have a hands-on experience with scientific data collection. Their data sheets will contribute important data to ongoing research concerning the worldwide sources of marine debris. Ultimately, the trash that these students collect will help us to learn how we can prevent more from showing up in its place.

Last year, more than 500 students, teachers and chaperones participated in the cleanup and collected 19,946 pieces of trash. The number one item collected was cigarette butts - close to 11,000 were collected by students alone.

The cleanup continues for the general public on Saturday, September 15, when more than twenty sites will be cleaned. Volunteers are needed in Durham, Rye, and Hampton. In addition to the cleanup, Blue Ocean Society offers interactive presentations about marine pollution, research, and conservation to area schools. To learn more about the cleanup or to schedule a presentation, call 603-431-0260 or visit www.blueoceansociety.org.  

Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation is a Portsmouth-based non-profit organization whose mission is to protect marine mammals in the Gulf of Maine through conservation, education, and research. Blue Ocean Society conducts much of its work in the New Hampshire Seacoast region. Funding to coordinate the Coastal Cleanup was provided by the New Hampshire Coastal Program (NHCP) under the Coastal Zone Management Act by NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. The NHCP is a federally approved coastal program and is administered by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. The NHCP strives to maintain a balance between the use and preservation of coastal resources. Through partnerships, funding and science, the NHCP works to improve water quality and decision-making in forty-two coastal watershed communities, supports maritime uses, and restores coastal wetlands.

Run for the Fallen NH Back Again This Year

A runner from last year's Run for the Fallen NH (courtesy photo)

“Together in Gratitude” trolley ride for last quarter mile

By C. Ayn Douglass

Staff Columnist

RYE -

Inspired by her participation three years ago in the Ogunquit to Portland Run for the Fallen in Maine, Hampton Falls resident Julie Hurrie discovered there was not a similar event in New Hampshire and decided to spearhead the effort to honor the memory of military men and women who have fallen in combat on foreign soil since 9/11.

With no military background of her own, the mother of four-year-old twins said, “I like to think this particular event crosses all divides because without these brave men and women, all the other things that we're passionate about in our daily lives wouldn't exist.”

This year, the second consecutive year the event has taken place, the rain-or-shine twelve-mile run will take place on Sunday, September 16, at Odiorne State Park in Rye. The course will feature posters of the sixty-five men and one woman who died in military action from all over New Hampshire. The number has increased by eleven since last year.  Members of the families of these men and women will be at each poster, and Hurrie said she expects 174 family members to be in attendance thanking the runners as they pass by. Hurrie said family members are coming from as far away as Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.

“Although this event is on the Seacoast, it honors Heroes from all over the state,” she said.

The day will start at 8 am at the main parking lot at Odiorne and will open with the reading of the names of the fallen, a 21-gun salute and the National Anthem. Runners will then proceed along the marked course for twelve miles and at 10:45 am board trolleys supplied by York Trolley Company and Seacoast Trolley Company to walk or run the last quarter mile collectively in a procession called “Together in Gratitude.”

Hurrie is expecting an uptick in participation from last year when approximately 250 runners and walkers completed the course.

“We're hoping for 500 this year,” she said. “We need runners. As many people who can get out for this. It's open to everyone including families with children.”

She stresses that it's not necessary to complete the entire course on foot. “People can walk for a ways and take a break on one of the trolleys that will be along the course and continue if they want to,” she said.

Along with approximately 120 volunteers who assist at registration and at the water stations, Hurrie is supported by three main staff members, Fran Lefavour and Nic Ayotte of Newmarket and Cindy Blodgett of Hampton. None have military backgrounds, but Hurrie describes them as three people “who really appreciate our freedom.”

Hurrie said she and her staff members are dedicated to a continuation of the event and hopes that, as it attracts more participants, the New Hampshire Run for the Fallen will be able to assist military families in other ways.

“We are in our infancy and are able to pay for expenses (for the Run) but hope that in the future we can assist families with their needs. What's nice about this is while writing checks is good, this is an emotional 'check' and sometimes families need that more than money.”

At the end of the course, Carrabba's Italian Grill will be catering the food for “The Hero's Lunch” and the Afterburners – the USAF Band of Liberty from Hanscom Field will be furnishing the musical entertainment.

Hurrie said she is grateful to the corporate sponsors of the event which include the Rotary Club of Hampton, Exeter Events and Tents, Devine/Millimet, Leddy Group, Hannaford, Globe, as well as the two trolley companies and Carrabba's.

Anyone wishing to participate in the event can get more information or register at: www.runforthefallennh.org.

Tickets Now On Sale For Dover’s Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest will take place in Dover on Saturday, September 15.  Tickets are now on sale at fifteen area restaurants and at the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce.” (courtesy photo)

 

DOVER –

Downtown Dover restaurants will be opening their doors on Saturday, September 15, from 12 to 5 pm for their annual Oktoberfest celebration. This year, fifteen Garrison City restaurants will be participating.  Tickets are available for purchase at all participating restaurants for $15 ($20 day of event).  Ticket purchasers will be given a green wristband that will give them access to a free German appetizer at each restaurant, as well as an opportunity to win prizes and giveaways courtesy of event sponsors, Samuel Adams and 100.3 WHEB.

Those restaurants participating include: Asia, Christopher’s Third Street Grill, Cartelli’s Bar & Grill, Blue Latitudes, Kelley’s Row, The Spaghetti Stain, Central Wave, The Dover Brickhouse, Orchard Street Chop Shop, Barley Pub, LaFesta Brick & Brew, Fury’s Publick House, The Farm, Castaways and Harvey’s Bakery & Coffee Shop.

The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce, at 550 Central Avenue, will also be a ticket selling location.  For the third consecutive year, Oktoberfest will be donating 80 percent of all proceeds generated from ticket sales at the Chamber of Commerce to City Lights, a volunteer Dover committee that illuminates the downtown area during the holiday season.  Over the past two years, Oktoberfest has donated more than $6,000 to City Lights.

“Oktoberfest is a great event for bringing people out to downtown Dover,” said Oktoberfest coordinator Brian Kelley, owner of Kelley’s Row. “It is also great that we are able to give a portion of the proceeds to City Lights every year.”

In 2011, more than 1,700 Oktoberfest tickets were sold.  Kelley expects more than 2,000 people at the event this year. Attendees are encouraged to buy their tickets early as the first 500 purchasers will receive a Samuel Adams beer stein and Oktoberfest t-shirt.

For more information, visit www.octoberfest.weebly.com or call the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce at 603- 742-2218.

New Fairy House Trilogy in Time for 8th Annual Tour

Children showing off their fairy house. Visitors can make their own, and check out more than 400 houses at the Fairy House Tour, in Portsmouth next weekend. (courtesy photo)

Tracy Kane, author & illustrator, talks about her work

 

By Timothy Gillis

Staff Columnist

PORTSMOUTH -

Just in time for the 8^th annual Portsmouth Fairy House Tour, author and illustrator Tracy Kane has released a trilogy of her popular books. As kids of all ages get ready for the tour, they can peruse more than 140 pages of pictures of fairy houses from the illustrated books “Fairy Houses,” “Fairy Boat” and “Fairy Flight” now available in one volume.

The author will be at the tour in Portsmouth next weekend, September 15 and 16, signing books and meeting fans. “I’m pretty busy for the two days, but it’s a lot of fun,” she said.

Though it’s her busiest time of the year, she took time out this week to discuss the fairy house craze, a New England phenomenon that is spreading across the country.

“The first books came out in 2000,” Kane said. “I was inspired by visiting Monegan Island, off the coast of Maine, where they have a tradition of building fairy houses in the Cathedral Woods. I was inspired by it to come up with a children’s book.”

Kane was working as an artist for New Hampshire Public Television at the time, and had no idea the book series, and the tour based on it, would become so popular.

“This is the eighth year they’ve been doing this. It started out as a tour of gardens with fairy houses in them, and 1200 people showed up first year. Now it’s close to 5000, focused mainly in Prescott Park and Strawbery Banke, which is the hub of it,” Kane said.

A ticket to the Fairy House tour will also gain you admittance to the historic houses in the area, so the weekend event offers something for everyone.

“All the money gets divided to help neighborhood non-profits,” she said. “It’s great family fun. The thing about fairy houses is that it’s an activity enjoyed outside by families. There’s a real movement in the country to get kids outside, with computers and video games so popular with kids.”

Kane just returned from a fairy houses event in Colorado, so it’s starting to spread across the country, she said, and offer more of a national appeal. “Portsmouth is more elaborate in that they have children build houses and then people can take tours,” she said.

Kane does not have children of her own. “By the time I went to art college, I was ready for a career so I went that direction. It’s kind of a Peter Pan thing though. I have so much fun meeting children, and I feel like one myself,” she said.

An earlier book, released this June, is called “Fairy Houses… Unbelievable!” offers lots of photographs of the various tours.

“It shows how they have developed over the years, you see everything from rustic to mansion in terms of style,” she said.

The Fairy House Tour  takes place Saturday, September 15, from 9 am to 1 pm and Sunday, September 16 from 11 am to 3 pm on the grounds of Strawbery Banke, the Governor John Langdon House, Prescott Park and Peirce Island in Portsmouth. Visitors are encouraged to make note of the new times this year.

Inspired by Kane’s Fairy Houses series, and produced by Friends of the South End with the assistance of Canoe Harbor Consulting, the Fairy House Tour takes place in the South End of Portsmouth. The annual event attracts an estimated 4,000 families and fairies each year. On display will be dozens of fairy houses built by artists, florists, garden clubs, businesses, families, students and others with vivid imaginations and a keen understanding of what attracts fairies.

Proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships are donated to the nonprofit organizations, schools and civic groups that participate in the tour. Since the Fairy House Tour began, nearly $125,000 has been returned to the community.

Kane gives fairy house workshops at schools, libraries, garden and nature centers and other venues related to the “No Child Left Inside” initiative, an endeavor to get kids back to nature.

“The thrust of the book is to use the allure of building a fairy house to get kids to spend time in nature. Visitors from nature to a fairy house are based on the items used in making it,” she said. “At the end of the tour, families that participate are invited to build a house. There will be about 400 houses on Peirce Island by the end of the weekend.”

For more information on fairy houses or on The Fairy Houses Series of books and video, visit www.fairyhouses.com.