Hackmatack Playhouse Turns 40

BERWICK, ME —
As they tie up the loose ends of their 2010 season, the Hackmatack Playhouse is beginning to plan for the summer of 2011: their 40th year!
It was 40 years ago this winter that Producer Michael Guptill and his father, along with many other volunteers, cleaned out the hay, cemented the floor, installed the seats and built the stage that would become the Hackmatack Playhouse.
The mission was to create a summer home for high caliber, live theater entertainment and education in a relaxed country setting. Then, as now, they did not rely on government and foundation monies, but rather on the generosity and support of patrons and local business.
And the Playhouse is in need. Their original lighting system consisted of tin can stage lights - some of which you can still see used above the audience seats - but they want to update to a more contemporary and efficient lighting system. Also on the to-do list are the installation of hot water in their bathrooms, and a thorough repainting of the chipping and peeling barn.
Many audience members who love the rustic and endearing charm of Hackmatack have asked them not to change a thing, but the proposed upgrades are clearly necessities as the Hackmatack Playhouse move forward into their big 4-0. Despite the changes, they promise never to change their style!
The Hackmatack Playhouse is accepting 40th Birthday donations in the suggested amounts of $40, $400, and $4,000, but any amount is greatly appreciated.
Donations can be made by check or online by visiting their secure donations page.
For more information, visit www.hackmatack.org.
Photo caption: Artwork by Dean Diggins, depicting the Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick, Maine. (Courtesy photo)

NH Experiences Spectacular Foliage, Beautiful Weather, and Leaf Peepers

NEW HAMPSHIRE —
New Hampshire saw a steady stream of leaf-peepers this Columbus Day Weekend, making it a great success for the tourism industry. Traffic through the tolls for Friday through Monday was up 2% over last year’s Columbus Day Weekend, with more than 1.4 million people on the road. Many of the people who visited New Hampshire for peak foliage were from out-of-state, including Canadians and other international visitors.
“Blue skies, great weather and spectacular foliage really made the holiday weekend a huge success,” said Tai Freligh, Communications Manager for the Division of Travel and Tourism Development. “We heard from a lot of properties around the state that business was up over last year and in some cases, record-breaking” he added.
Here’s what members of New Hampshire’s tourism industry had to say about the Columbus Day Weekend...
Valerie Rochon, Tourism Manager, Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce said, “The weather in Portsmouth and along the Seacoast was spectacular this weekend, which brought many locals and visitors out to enjoy the many activities and events and, of course, the fall scenery. Our Visitor Information Kiosk in Market Square saw a 14% jump in visitors over last year, with the highest increase on Monday. The Visitor Center saw a 6% jump as well. Our lodging properties were almost completely booked in advance for Saturday night, with very limited availability for Friday and Sunday nights as we headed into the weekend. All in all, a superb way to wrap up this terrific summer season!”
While Kirt Schuman, Executive Director, Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce said, “Columbus Day Weekend was amazing in Dover, as our foliage peeked at the right time. Residents and visitors descended on our historic downtown to enjoy our shops, restaurants and attractions during the seasonably great weather over the course of the 3-day weekend. Our city parks and open spaces, including our new Dover Community Trail were awash in the typical hues of autumn and experienced a significant increase in utilization over the weekend as well. Attractions like the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire and the Woodman Institute Museum reported high traffic as well.”
To see a calendar of harvest and holiday events, suggested things to do and other planning tools for your trip to New Hampshire, go to the www.visitnh.gov home page. You can look at Yankee Dollar-Stretchers for lodging, restaurants and attractions and also find links to Travel and Tourism on Facebook, Twitter and Flicker. (MetroCreative photo)

SBA Growth Capital Program Provides Record $1.59 Billion in Financing

WASHINGTON, DC —
At a time when capital was scarce for small business, financing from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s growth capital program increased 23 percent in fiscal year 2010, providing a record $1.59 billion to help small businesses grow and create jobs, according to SBA Administrator Karen Mills.
The fiscal year 2010 volume is the highest single-year volume in the 50-year history of SBA’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) debenture program. Increased volume in the program is in part a result of changes made by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Those changes contributed to an increased number of new SBIC licenses, decreased license processing times, and initial capital to new funds rose dramatically.
“At a time when access to capital was tight, including from the traditional sources for growth capital, SBA helped fill some of that gap with a record amount of financing through our SBIC program,” Mills said. “Across the country, there are small business owners and entrepreneurs who are well-positioned to take that next step, grow their business and create good-paying jobs. Our efforts to strengthen our program efficiency and increase funding available through the SBIC program has provided another critical tool to help these small businesses get the capital they need and drive economic growth.”
The SBIC program was created to stimulate the growth of America’s small businesses by supplementing the long-term debt and private-equity capital available to them. SBA’s SBIC fiscal year 2010 results included the following:
Record High Financing to Small Businesses: Total financings to the SBA SBIC debenture program grew to a 50-year record high of $1.59 billion in fiscal year 2010 – a 23 percent increase over an average $1.29 billion in the four previous years. Debenture program obligations grew to $1.17 billion from an average $750.6 million, another 50-year record high.
More Licensed SBICs and Faster Processing Times: Twenty-one (21) new SBIC licensees were issued in fiscal year 2010, a 130 percent increase over the four-year average of 10 per year. Additionally, SBIC license processing time improved to just 5.8 months in fiscal year 2010, a nearly 60 percent decrease from an average of 14.6 months in 2009.
Record High Capital Commitment to Support Small Businesses: SBA capital commitments to new funds broke yet another 50-year record increasing to $1.23 billion in fiscal year 2010, a 135 percent jump from an average of $524.3 million in the four previous years. Equally important, the programs attracted record levels of private capital commitments, increasing to $615 million in 2010 from $262.1 million in previous years - another 135 percent increase. Combined total initial capital to new funds increased to $1.845 billion in FY 2010 from an average $786.4 million.
Since the SBIC program’s formation in 1958 through April 2009, it has invested approximately $56 billion in more than 100,000 small businesses in the United States. For more information about the SBA’s Investment Division and SBIC program, go to www.sba.gov/INV or call 1-800-U ASK SBA.

Frisbie Adopts iPhones for Point-of-Care Communication

ROCHESTER —
Nurses and other point-of-care workers at Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.H. will soon be using iPhones to improve their communication and increase efficiency, thanks to Voalté’s first-of-its-kind integrated communication solution.
The Voalté application consolidates voice, alarm and text on the versatile iPhone platform. The solution will enable the nurses and clinicians at Frisbie to send and receive presence-based text messages and make high definition voice calls across the hospital VoIP system, providing faster response to patient needs.
Frisbie’s selection of the Voalté solution was the result of a technology review and assessment that began more than one year ago.
“Antiquated communications solutions, such as voice-only devices, are no longer adequate in the hospital environment because both parties must be available in order to communicate,” said Sally Reeves, Frisbie’s Healthcare Project Director. “We evaluated all of these options and selected Voalté as the best solution to streamline our nurses’ needs.”
Frisbie Memorial is the first acute care hospital to implement the Voalté solution in the northeast and the fourth hospital in the country. The installation will be integrating to the hospital’s PBX and WiFi system thus leveraging existing infrastructure.
“Nurses are challenged with managing multiple patient requests, paperwork and other responsibilities,” said Trey Lauderdale, vice president of innovation at Voalté. “Oftentimes, performing their job successfully requires the ability to quickly communicate with other nurses, physicians and healthcare workers.”
“Innovative hospitals like Frisbie are recognizing the importance and value of smartphone technology and how it can improve patient care,” he said.
Photo caption: The Voalté application consolidates voice, alarm and text on the versatile iPhone platform. (www.voalte.com photo)

Seacoast Business Expo Taking Shape

STRAFFORD COUNTY —
The Seacoast Business Expo, the largest business networking event of the year. Formerly, known as the ‘Seacoast Schmooze,’ this event takes place on Thursday, October 21st from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at the Celestica Building on Pease Tradeport.
Each year this one-of-a-kind event brings together dozens of businesses and hundreds of contacts, giving all the opportunity to effectively connect with hundreds of potential business partners during the 3-hour event.
The Seacoast Business Expo is the first public event presented by the recently formed Seacoast Chamber Alliance that includes representation from the Dover, Exeter, Hampton, Portsmouth, Rochester and Somersworth Chambers and is designed to enhance membership value, to promote regional economic development, and to reduce expenses for the independent chambers by realizing economies of scale.
“We are excited to have the Alliance take center stage at the premier networking event on the Seacoast,” commented Portsmouth Chamber President Doug Bates. “Every year we see hundreds of people attend for an evening of networking and camaraderie. Business connections truly happen at the Seacoast Business Expo.”
Public Service of New Hampshire is the event underwriter, the event is sponsored by Daystar Computer Services, FairPoint Communications, Federal Savings Bank, Service Credit Union, Comcast Cable, D.F. Richard Energy and Unitil.
Exhibitor space is currently available for this event. Previous exhibiting local businesses have included including Infinite Imaging, Granite State College, DF Richard Energy, BayRing Communications, Staff Hunters, and William C. Huff Moving & Storage and the sponsor companies.
Partners include Clear Channel Communications and Gentle Giant Moving Company. Vital Design is the brand partner of the Seacoast Business Expo and the Seacoast Chamber Alliance and produced logos and collateral for the event.
A variety of local restaurants will provide hors d’oeuvres, and there will be a cash bar. Cost is $10 for pre-registered Chamber members, $15 at the door. To attend, register online at seacoastexpo.com.
Businesses interested in exhibiting are invited to contact Mike at the Exeter Area Chamber at 603/772-2411.
Photo caption: Seacoast Business Expo logo (Courtesy photo)

Jeffrey H. Taylor & Associates Recognized for Dover’s Form Based Code

CONCORD / DOVER —
Jeffrey H. Taylor & Associates was recognized recently during the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association (NNECAPA) annual conference for its work with City of Dover, NH, on its Form Based Code. Dover is the first community in northern New England to adopt Form Based Code.
Form Based Code is a method of regulating land use that emphasizes community character and the public impact of development rather than exclusively focusing on building usage. A guiding principal behind the development of a Form Based Code is that buildings and physical alteration of land is more long lasting than the initial use for which a building is constructed.
Over the course of 18 months, Jeffrey H. Taylor & Associates led the collaborative project with the Dover City Planning staff and Architect Mike Lassel. The effort included extensive mapping and measuring of the downtown area, two design charettes, and ongoing public involvement. The Form Based Code was adopted in December 2009 and incorporated into the city’s zoning ordinance. Dover Planning Director Chris Parker was pleased with this effort. “Many consultants come into a community with pre-conceived solutions to local problems. Jeff Taylor and his team worked with us, listened to us, and collectively we created an exciting product that will serve Dover well for years.”
“Traditional zoning focuses on a building’s use rather than on its compatibility with its surroundings and most rezoning projects reinforce that way of thinking,” noted Jeff Taylor, President of Jeffrey H. Taylor & Associates. “The City of Dover demonstrated true vision by recognizing that they needed to promote the classic development characteristics found in its central business district. The Form Based Code will ensure that as development continues, those characteristics are reinforced and celebrated.”
Prior to receiving this regional award, The City of Dover also received the 2010 Project of the Year award for its Form Based Code work with Jeffrey H. Taylor and Associates by the New Hampshire Planners Association. For more information about the New Hampshire Planners Association visit www.nhplanners.org or about the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association visit www.nnecapa.org.

Annual Somersworth Pumpkin Festival this Weekend

SOMERSWORTH –
For families looking for something memorable to do together, the 8th annual Somersworth Pumpkin Festival might be just right!
Organizers of the event have worked hard over the last few years to gear the festival toward children of all ages, offering activities that parents and children can do together, according to Festival Director Darryl Cauchon — All with one common theme — pumpkin, pumpkin, and more pumpkins!.
The event, set to take place on Saturday, Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will feature pumpkin carving, pumpkin painting, a pumpkin catapult, pumpkin smashing, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin basketball shooting, pumpkin putt putt golf, pumpkin masking making, scarecrow making, pumpkin pie eating contests, stage entertainment, a Pumpkin Parade, among a myriad of other activities.
With crowds continuing to increase dramatically over the past four years, Cauchon said they decided to double the number of pumpkins ordered over last year, double the amount of scarecrow making supplies, bump up the cookies and cupcakes for the pumpkin cookie/cupcake decorating area, just to name a few, in an effort to meet demands.
“There’s something for everyone at our Pumpkin Festival,” Cauchon said. “Families can carve a pumpkin together, make a scarecrow together, paint a pumpkin together, take a hay ride together, get their picture taken together with an autumn backdrop, march in the parade together.”
“Yet an older boy or girl can still have fun on their own by smashing a pumpkin, bowling with a pumpkin ball, triggering the potato launch gun or pumpkin catapult, or carving a pumpkin on their own,” Cauchon added.
The festival takes place in front of the Somersworth Plaza on Main Street, near General Electric and the Public Library and will be held rain or shine. All pumpkins and supplies are included within the cost of the $10 bracelet for children, with adults attending for free.
New this year will be the potato launch, a “Mummy Wrap” contest in which teams will try to wrap their “mummy” from head to toe with paper towels, and a bead necklace making area. Additional stage acts will also perform, including the Extreme Jump Roping Team, the Dance Envy dancers, the Murray Irish Dance Academy and the Country Clogging Express.
The Doug Mitchell Band will return to highlight the main stage, which will also feature local choruses from the Tri-City Christian Academy and Somersworth High School. Tricky Dick the Magician will perform at 3 p.m.
The popular Jack’s Dash will take place, allowing festival-goers to trick-or-treat at a number of participating downtown stores. Costumes are encouraged but not required to take part in this, as well as the Pet and Pumpkin Parade, which kicks off promptly at 3:45 p.m.
Amato’s Restaurant will be selling pizza and subs, and the Boy Scouts will be serving up hot dogs and hamburgers. The Lions Club plans to offer fried dough and other groups, primarily from the high school, will have cotton candy, nachos, chowder, and other items up for sale. Somersworth Girl Scout Troop 20095 will also be participating in the festival with a chili cook-off to raise funds for their group.
For the third year, the event will fall under the umbrella of the Somersworth Festival Association, which took over following the closure of the city’s Main Street Program. “The SFA helps out a lot, most of all by allowing the use of their large tents, stage, their tables, chairs, and a host of other equipment needed to make the festival run smoothly,” Cauchon said. “A strong contingent of their members also pitch in with volunteering throughout the day as well.”
Volunteers are still being sought to help out the day of the festival and anyone interested in lending a hand, even for an hour or two, should call Cauchon at 817-9751 or e-mail him at dcauchon@somersworth.com or Anna Houde at annahoude@yahoo.com.
Photo caption: The 8th Annual Somersworth Pumpkin Festival offers pumpkins galore! (MetroCreative photo)