Sail Portsmouth Commemorates War of 1812 Bicentennial

The Pride of Baltimore II (courtesy photo)

 

PEIRCE ISLAND –

Sail Portsmouth 2012 is all about American history.  The Piscataqua Maritime Commission, which organizes the annual event, are thrilled to welcome the Pride of Baltimore II, a reproduction of an 1812-era topsail schooner privateer, and Providence, a replica of the first command of John Paul Jones.

“We are a totally non-profit, volunteer organization that exists to promote the maritime heritage of the region,” said Donald Coker, chairman of the PMC.

This year's festival is July 13-15. Once again it will be held at the Fish Pier at Peirce Island.

Pride of Baltimore II is Maryland’s working symbol of the great natural resources and spectacular beauty of the Chesapeake Bay region. She is a Baltimore Clipper, fast enough to evade the British battleships in 1812, while armed with cannon and crews willing to fight.  Since this replica was commissioned, this 157' vessel has sailed more than 200,000 miles and visited 200 ports.

In 1775, a year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Colony of Rhode Island bought and refitted the schooner Katy. She was renamed Providence and in May, 1776, she was the first command of John Paul Jones. Providence participated in sixty engagements with British ships and sank or seized forty enemy vessels.

Portsmouth's own Gundalow Company has launched a new vessel this year, called Piscataqua. She will participate in Sail Portsmouth's Parade of Sail and be located near the pier where she will take passengers on day sails. Gundalows were the equivalent of today’s tractor-trailer rigs, carrying cargo between ocean going schooners and the growing towns in the region. The weekend features day sails, the popular Parade of Sail, deck tours, a Captains' reception, exhibits, food, music, and souvenirs.

The tall ships started coming to Portsmouth in the mid-1980’s.

“There were two generations,” Coker said of Sail Portsmouth’s history. “There was the Maritime Heritage Commission – it was called – that brought class-A tall ships. These are the big boys. They came from Germany, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina – all over the world.” After three or four years, the MHC disbanded.

“We picked up in 1998,” Coker said. ‘And we’ve been doing it every year since then.”

Folks can relax and daydream on a two-hour day sail, or be a passenger in the thrilling Parade of Sail into Portsmouth harbor accompanied by tugs, fireboats, private boats, and cannon salutes.

For people who want to witness the majesty of the Parade of Sail on Friday morning, good viewing spots are Four Tree Island in Portsmouth, Great Island Common and Portsmouth Yacht Club in New Castle, and Fort Foster in Kittery.

Megan Lyman, Miss New Hampshire 2012, will visit Friday at 3 p.m. Under the tent, there are maritime exhibitors, fresh food from Seaport Fish, and souvenir merchandise.

The New England Brethern of Pirates will be roaming about as well. Dine and chat with the captains and crews at the Captains' Reception on Saturday evening. The Piscataqua River Brass performs at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Fish Pier.

Through a co-promotion with Strawbery Banke, the Sail Portsmouth ticket will also get you half-price admission to many historic sites.

To purchase tickets for a day sail or to ride in the Parade of Sail, please go to www.gundalow.org. For more information, visit pmcportsmouth.org.

Mark Wentworth Home Celebrates a Century of Caregiving

Deborah Rodier, executive director of the Mark Wentworth Home, speaks at the 100^th annual meeting (courtesy photo)

 PORTSMOUTH –

The Mark Wentworth Home, a non-profit assisted living community in the heart of Portsmouth’s historic south-end, recently celebrated its 100th year of operation with the 100th annual meeting of the board of incorporators.

The board of incorporators is a 120-member board of local citizens who have an interest in the home and who provide oversight for the formation of the board of trustees.  At its recent annual meeting, attended by ninety of the home’s incorporators, the following new incorporators were inducted: Glenn Costigan, Maura Fleming, Ronald Furst, Cynthia Harvell, Daniel Lajoie, Alan Lincoln Linda Pasakarnis, John Randall and Joan Sweeney. The following board of trustees and officers were voted in for another term: president  Ray Ambrogi; vice president Cynthia Knapp; treasurer Susan Tober; secretary Karen Freda; trustees: Donald Bliss, Lis Connors, Joseph Diament, Jay Gibson, Ruth Griffin, John Hebert, Joan Nickell, and Diane Share.

Executive director Deborah Rodier addressed the group, saying “The mission of the Mark Wentworth Home remains the same as it was one hundred years ago, and that includes continually contributing to the community around us. With the support of the many members of the home’s corporation, we are poised to provide opportunities for our residents and staff to grow and to meet the needs of the Seacoast senior population for another one hundred years.”

The Mark Wentworth Home is a senior living community designed to create a culture of successful aging through age-in-place assisted living and state-of-the-art dementia care. A welcoming landmark to seacoast and New Hampshire seniors since 1911, the Home has a deeply-rooted tradition of providing a nurturing environment and personalized service for its residents.

6th Annual Americana Festival Held in Portsmouth

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Slaid Cleaves, who will perform at the Americana Festival (courtesy photo)

PORTSMOUTH –

The 6th Annual Americana Festival at Prescott Park will place the spotlight on an eclectic group of performers with a varying degree of ties to the Granite State. Slaid Cleaves, the Makem & Spain Brothers, the Hanneke Cassel Trio, and Dan Walker will perform on Saturday, July 14, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Always a favorite of fans and staff alike, the Americana Festival showcases the broad lines and rousing remedies that run thickly through the lifeblood of roots-laden music. The festival also coincides with the Portsmouth Tall Ships, held at the pier adjacent to Prescott Park.

Festival goers will gather in abundance to welcome home Seacoast staple Slaid Cleaves, who moved from Maine, to Austin, Texas a number of years ago. His returns are very limited, and performances coveted amongst the scene. Cleaves, who headlines this year's Americana festival is a troubadour with serious credentials.

"I'm glad I found Slaid Cleaves, because my life would have been poorer without him. You'll feel the same, I think, when you listen to this beautifully crafted album (“Everything You Love will be Taken Away”). Listen, go to one of Slaid's shows, take a friend, and pass on the news: not all the good guys wear hats," says Stephen King. The Maine author writes the liner notes for the album.

And speaking of local favorites: several pieces of the Makem & Spain Brothers take residence in Dover. Playing acoustic instruments and singing tales that may be heard sitting 'round the fire, the Makem and Spain Brothers are continuing on the Celtic folk traditions of their famous forefathers. Every generation has a few acts that define where a musical genre is going, performers so confident in their chosen field that they are able to completely embrace the genre and yet introduce something new to it. In Irish folk music today, that act is the Makem and Spain Brothers.

Hanneke Cassel captured her 1997 U.S. National Scottish Jr. Fiddle Championship here in the Granite State and went on to study the instrument on scholarship at the Berklee College of Music down in Boston. She is a decorated performer and songwriter with other prestigious credentials including the 2008 USA Songwriting Contest.

Rounding out the Americana Festival's lineup is one of the most incendiary and playful singer/songwriter/guitarist's on the Seacoast today - Dan Walker. Walker's playing is of the highest quality in both musicianship and entertainment value.

“The Americana Festival lineup is stacked from top to bottom this year,” says executive director Ben Anderson. “I couldn't be happier with the way it looks on paper, and I know I'll only add to that happiness when I see it on our stage. We're all in for a treat.”

All events offered at the Prescott Park Arts Festival are presented free of charge with a suggested donation of $5 - $10. Audience members are permitted to bring chairs, or rent those offered by the festival. For more information on the festival, or to see a full schedule of events, visit www.prescottpark.org or call 603-436-2848.