Memorial Bridge Closes To Walkers and Cyclists

PORTSMOUTH—
In preparation for demolition work for the replacement of the Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth, the bridge will be closed to all pedestrian and bicycle traffic beginning Monday, January 9, 2012 at 8 a.m.
A new shuttle bus service associated with this bridge replacement project will begin operations on January 9 at 5 a.m. The bus will accommodate 12 passengers and seven bicycles and is handicapped accessible.
The shuttle service will run daily from 5 a.m. until 1 a.m., seven days a week, leaving from Kittery on the hour and Portsmouth on the half-hour. The Kittery pickup location will be just north of Warren’s Restaurant on Water Street. The shuttle will be in Kittery at the top of every hour until midnight (last scheduled pickup).
Beginning in Portsmouth at 5:30 a.m., the pickup location will be at the corner of Daniel and Bow Streets. The Portsmouth shuttle will leave at the bottom of the hour (i.e. 5:30, 6:30, etc.) until the final pickup is made at 12:30 a.m. and drop-off in Kittery by 1 a.m. The shuttle will then resume four hours later in Kittery.
A new Memorial Bridge project web site will be available later this week that will include a shuttle route map and full schedule. A toll free number will also be available for those who want to comment on the shuttle bus service.
Memorial Bridge lift operations will continue “on demand” for river traffic for the next few weeks. Electronic message boards are in place at the bridge advising pedestrians and bicyclists of the pending closure. The bridge was closed to motor vehicle traffic on July 27, 2011.
The Memorial Bridge project will replace the bridge that carries US 1 over the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth and Kittery. Archer Western Contractors, of Canton, Massachusetts, is the general contractor for the $81.4 million project. An informational “Open House” on the project will be held on January 12 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Portsmouth City Hall Council Chambers (1 Junkins Ave.).

Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce Names Citizen and Business of the Year Honorees

DOVER—
The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce has announced their Citizen and Business of the Year Honorees, recognizing individuals who have made major contributions of time and energy to the progress and betterment of the Dover community. Recipients were selected from nominations submitted to a committee of Chamber, business and community leaders.
Dover’s 2011 Volunteer of Year Award Recipient, Calling All Cargo Moving and Storage is nominated not just as a moving company; this year, Calling All Cargo donated its moving services to multiple causes close to their hearts. Big Brother, Big Sister of the Greater-Seacoast was moving into a larger, updated facility and needed help getting there. Calling All Cargo donated a moving truck, five movers and supplies to help Big Brother Big Sister move into a better place, which will allow them to help more kids. Additionally, Calling All Cargo donated its truck and movers to Celebrate Pink, an organization for making a difference in the lives of women undergoing breast cancer treatment. They needed help with the set up and break down of a fundraising event for which they gladly supplied the muscle.
2012 Nonprofit of the Year honors The Strafford Rivers Conservancy—a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and conserving the scenic beauty, natural resources, and unique character of the Strafford County region. Since 1989, the SRC has been the only local land trust for Strafford County and southern Carroll County. The SRC staff and volunteer board members meet with landowners who wish to conserve their property and educate them on how to protect their land via a conservation easement or outright gift of land. The SRC provides guidance throughout the process and helps organize community support, funding, legal arrangements, etc. to move the project to completion.
In the organization’s 22-year history, it has increased the number of properties on which it holds conservation easements from its initial 48-acre parcel along the Salmon Falls River on the Dover/Rollinsford border to 58 parcels with 3,270 acres of forest, farm, riverfront, and lakefront property. Ten of these properties are in Dover and range from 4 to 77 acres.
This year, the Business of the Year Award was bestowed upon Measured Progress.
Founded by two passionate educators, Measured Progress (then Advanced Systems) in 1983, they could not have predicted that their small assessment firm would one day assess more than 2.5 million students nationwide. Measured Progress is an industry leader in the development of customized, K-12 student assessments for schools, districts, and states. With more than 400 employees and offices in four states, the non-profit company remains true to its founders’ philosophy: assessments are a means, not an end. It still is all about student learning.
Measured Progress believes that all students can achieve a quality education, especially when they understand what they need to accomplish and have the educational support to get there. This is why the company has dedicated itself to investing in research that provides insight into assessing students with cognitive disabilities. There are precious few companies that invest even half the time and resources in advancing education that Measured Progress does. The organization’s commitment to education excellence is both unparalleled and inspiring.
The 2012 Citizen of the Year Award was presented to Pam Simpson. The list of boards, committees, charities, volunteer efforts, and general community work that Pam has participated in and in most cases led is endless. To list them now would surely miss many, but suffice to say, if there is something new and exciting happening in Dover—it’s likely that Pam was at the center of it.
She has served on the Dover Children’s Home Board for a number of years helping to raise funds for this worthy organization. And, while serving on the Board, Pam was honored with the Paul Harris Award from the Dover Rotary.
When Pam agreed to join the Board of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce after many years as a member of the Chamber and serving on many committees, she didn’t expect the tasks she would encounter during her year as Chair. She was working hard on the Board, helping to develop and organize the Capital Campaign for the purchase of a new facility, when she was also tasked with the management of the organization and the search for a new Executive Director. Without complaint she realized she would have to increase her volunteer hours and work with the Chamber Board and Staff on a daily basis, not only to manage the daily running of the organization, but the continued efforts of the Capital Campaign to raise funds, along with the management of the renovations of the new facility and organizing the move.
This year’s honorees have done much for the city of Dover, and it is with much gratitude that the Chamber and its community bestow these awards upon them.

Well, I’ll Be...: A Review of “Damned”

By Chip Schrader

Staff Book Review
Chuck Palahniuk’s latest novel, “Damned,” combines themes of several of his previous works: the grotesque depiction of American celebrity he mastered in “Tell All,” the taboo of basic human drives he broke out within “Choke,” and the supernatural elements that made his masterpiece “Lullaby” a page turner. Having several of his books adapted to film, including his breakthrough novel “Fight Club,” Palahniuk is a staple on must-read lists worldwide. A note on local facts, he has stopped in Portsmouth during two of his recent book tours.
The titular “Damned” refers to the main character, Madison, the thirteen-year-old daughter of “Brangelina”-esque celebrities who is said to have died from an accidental overdose. Beyond dying early, Madison has somehow fallen from ‘grace’ and sentenced to spend eternity in the “lake of fire.”
From the opening chapter, this concept treads upon the hokey side because of its lack of proper imagery of Hades and depicts a teenage rivalry between two condemned souls. As the story progress, she meets a group of friends that prompts a reference the “Breakfast Club.” There is the jock, the geek, the prom queen, the punk and Madison herself, the undesirable girl or recluse—she compares herself to the Ally Sheedy-played recluse of the famous John Hughes film.
Further on in the story, we learn that the reasons the characters have ended up in hell range from an offside penalty, to stealing bread for a hungry family. Much like Dante, Palahniuk masterfully inserts dozens of other reasons for condemnation: saying the ultimate swear word more than 700 times in a lifetime, practicing Buddhism at any point, and honking a horn too many times—which condemns cab drivers on the spot.
Humorous anecdotes like the aforementioned make an otherwise slim early narrative both fun and engaging.
Further into the book Madison endeavors to take over Hell. Her nerdy friend knows the origin and taxonomy of each demon, and the readers are treated to his history lessons in world religion, as demons are merely gods of dead religions. Through this trek through the underworld, they travel through a river of clipped fingernails and various other unbecoming collections of human waste to allow Madison to reach her goal.
“Damned” slowly evolves into an adventure-story that makes up for a slow beginning. A story dependent upon character set-up, layered themes flesh out the narrative as Madison’s story unfolds. The scenarios are hilarious and outlandish—though sometimes become so explicit that readers may envision the adult-oriented cartoons of R. Crumb. Especially during at least one scenario that remains too graphic to depict in this publication.
As readers laugh their way through this book, much of the satire and jabbing seems both indulgent and unnecessary. As the book winds down to its last pages, thoug, Palahniuk proves his skill as a master satirist as he crosses every “T,” dots every “i,” and proves each pun intentional.
“Damned” is a fun and unique romp from a modern disciple. Kurt Vonnegut’s latest—though a tad more adult-oriented than some may think—is ultimately a solid read. (Courtesy image)