Second Chamber Shopping Spree Awarded

DOVER—
Thanks to a recent purchase at Central Paint, Dover resident Beth Driscoll has been selected as the winner of the second “Local Shopping Spree” in the Greater Dover Chamber’s “SHOP DOVER FIRST” campaign.
The prize, which was the second of three being award by the Chamber throughout the holidays, contained nearly $900 in Gift Cards from local businesses.
“I’m thrilled to have won,” beamed Driscoll, adding “We’re working on some renovations to our home, so I’m sure some of these gift certificates will go toward that, I’ll use some for Christmas shopping, and some I plan to use on myself.”
Included in the winning package were Gift Cards from Papa Gino’s Pizza, Harvey’s Bakery, Jewelry Creations, Dover Bowl, Gene Paltrineri Photography, Kaleo Coffee, Dover Wine, Twice the Fun, Janetos, Ross Furniture, The Oaks Golf Links, Infinite Imaging, New Hampshire Coffee Roasting Co., Forty-five Market Street Bakery, LaFesta Brick & Brew, Nicole’s Hallmark, Red’s Shoe Barn, Philbrick’s Sports and Acorn Organic Salon.
“I think the ‘SHOP DOVER FIRST’ program has really made a difference this year,” noted Parker Humphrey, owner of Central Paint where the winning entry was submitted. “We’ve been telling customers all along to make sure they enter,” he said, pointing at the white entry box on the counter beside the register. “But you can tell that they’re starting to understand what it’s all about because more and more, they’re entering for themselves without being prompted. It’s neat to see one of them actually win.”
What will be even more dramatic will be to see who wins the Grand Prize Shopping Spree, which will be drawn on December 17th - just in time to do some last-minute holiday shopping – and is worth over $3,000.
“There’s still plenty of time to enter for a chance to win the Grand Prize, and people can submit as many purchases as they want,” said Chamber Marketing Manager Aaron Wensley, noting that area residents can enter local purchases online at dovernh.org, in person at the Chamber Visitor Center on Central Avenue, or on paper in at any of the various businesses throughout the community displaying a white entry box.
“The winning entry can be for any purchase made in Dover, whether it’s a haircut, a sandwich, a bottle of aspirin, or a new minivan. No matter what it is, someone is going to be awfully glad they took the extra couple of seconds to enter their purchase.”
Photo caption: Beth Driscoll of Dover is presented with the second of three Local Shopping Spree prizes being awarded. Left to right: Parker Humphrey of Central Paint, site of the winning entry; contest winner Beth Driscoll; and Chamber Marketing Manger Aaron Wensley. (Courtesy photo)

“A Very Ida Christmas” Comes to Rollinsford

ROLLINSFORD—
Poolyle Productions presents “A Very Ida Christmas,” the “funniest holiday show in Maine. Heck, in New England!” Humorist Susan Poulin, creator of “Ida: Woman Who Runs With the Moose!” “Ida’s Havin’ a Yard Sale!” and writer of the popular Maine humor blog and podcast, Just Ask Ida at DownEast.com, spreads Ida’s good cheer as she celebrates Christmas in Mahoosuc Mills, Maine.
Ida just loves Christmas, and she has the inside scoop on everything: the Not-So-Secret Santa plan, the dos and don’ts of Holiday decorating and more! Come hear what Charlie and the boys are up to, and prepare to be dazzled by Ida’s latest craft project with her pals, the Women Who Run With the Moose. Ida is no Scrooge, though, so banish your bah-humbugs and come prepared to laugh!
Selected by Portland Magazine as one of the “Ten Most Intriguing People in Maine,” writer/performer Susan Poulin has been creating and touring her original theatrical productions since 1992. She was a featured performer in The Mirth of Venus and The Mirth Canal at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, and at The Maine Festival, the Minneapolis Fringe Theater Festival and Portland, Maine’s Cassandra Project. Her work has been supported by the NH State Council on the Arts, the Maine Arts Commission and the Maine Humanities Council. Susan is also a popular keynote speaker, and has brought her humor and insight to presentations for groups such as Seacoast Women’s Week, the American Cancer Society (New England Division), and the Personal Historians National Conference.
Working in collaboration with artist, musician and actor, Gordon Carlisle, Susan’s critically acclaimed plays, In My Head I’m Thin, Shutting Up Peggy Lee!, Spousal Deafness…and Other Bones of Contention, Pardon My French!, Ida: Woman Who Runs With The Moose (Seacoast Media Group 1998 Spotlight on the Arts Award for Play of the Year and Best Actress), Ida’s Havin’ a Yard Sale! (SMG’s 2005 Spotlight on the Arts Award for Best Original Script and Best Actress in a Play), A Very Ida Christmas! and A Visit With Ida have broken box office records throughout the Northeast, playing in theaters and colleges. Their plays have also been used as fundraisers for a wide variety of organizations.
Susan’s latest endeavor is a motivational speech and stage performance called “The Moose in Me, The Moose in You! by Ida LeClair, Certified Maine Life Guide.”
“A Very Ida Christmas” runs for three shows only, December 17-19 at Garrison Players, Route 4, Rollinsford, NH: Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm and Sunday at 3:00pm. Tickets are $15, $10 for students. To reserve, call 603-750-4ART or 800-838-3006, or visit www.garrisonplayers.org.
Photo caption: “A Very Ida Christmas” will be running performances from Dec. 17-19 only, at Garrison Players. (Courtesy photo)

Points in History

By Chip Schrader
Book Review Editor
“Decision Points” is former President George W. Bush memoir surrounding one of the most turbulent periods of American History. His presidency endured 9/11, two wars, and ended during an economic meltdown. As with any presidency during turbulent times, many of his decisions were questioned and criticized.
“Decision Points” is an attempt to get beyond the soundbites that satisfy the Television World’s attention span, and he details how his background, knowledge, friends and associates shaped his decisions. Rather than doing a chronological account of his presidency, he breaks the memoir up around pivotal issues he faced serving his term to allow for a clear extraction of incidents and anecdotes that lead to his decision.
While avid Bush supporters are sure to desire this read, critics will have plenty of interest in what Bush has to say. Some incidents, like his decision on stem cell research, or to go to war with Iraq will remain controversial after reading this. However, there is an opportunity for understanding why he made these decisions. Rather from shooting from the hip, as it appeared, Bush weighed every opinion regarding using stem cells.
Eventually, he decided to compromise and allow the current stem cells to be used, but after that, to allow research find another way to get these cells. As the current administration has learned, compromise only makes both sides angry.
One issue that takes up a bulk of the book, as it should, is the war in Iraq. Bush recalls the unilateral call to deal with Iraq after Afghanistan. He stated in a debate in 1999, in opposition to Gore, that nation building should not be a priority of our foreign policy. He admits that during the Afghan War, his opinion had switched upon seeing the liberated people rejoice and stand in line for their first free election. According to Bush, 80% of registered voters showed up to the poles facing threats from extremists.
While Iraq and Afghanistan were completely different situations, it’s apparent that Bush had the same vision for a free Iraq. This war began, Bush assures, after several sanctions Hussein failed to abide by, and using UN money intended to feed his people to build weapons. Whether one agrees with him or not, he lays out his thoughts, feelings, and knowledge of the issue so that skeptics can at least see it was a very difficult decision, and a great deal of reason was applied to the decision process. At the beginning of the book, Bush admits that time will tell with some of these decisions.
Decision Points is a forum where Bush uses Abe Lincoln’s advice to convince readers they’re his friends to make allies. His anecdotes are sensitive, funny, and told with colorful language at times. His writing is enjoyable, even when the reader doesn’t see eye to eye with all of his decisions. What he does achieve, though, is he paints himself as a compassionate, fiery, and caring person who spent a great deal of his time weighing the hefty consequences of his decisions. This book could well serve as a great document of our nation’s history beside the writings of Kennedy and Clinton. Recommended for righties and lefties!
Photo caption: Book cover for Decision Point by George W. Bush (Courtesy photo)

Dover Expanding Paid Parking

DOVER—
Starting in January, the City of Dover will expand paid parking onto Central Avenue and Washington Street. This decision is the result of numerous studies and extensive public deliberation. While it is recognized that a transition to paid on-street parking is a change for the community, it is also the next right step for Dover to address its parking challenges. This next phase and the entire parking program have been endorsed by the independent boards of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce and Dover Main Street Program.
Once the hurdles of behavioral change are overcome, this system will achieve its goal of keeping parking spaces open for short-term (up to 3 hour) customers and clients of downtown businesses while providing long-term parkers with convenient off-street parking that is either free or very affordable. Paid on-street parking will be enforced Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm.
The lack of downtown parking is significantly hindering economic development activities to bring larger employers and companies into our downtown. These daytime downtown tenants are the lifeblood of our downtown economy. It is our hope that this transition allows the City to manage parking more effectively and better utilize the inventory that exists. Revenues created by the program are used to further enhance the parking amenities in the City to include, better signage, increased lot maintenance, development of new facilities and broader marketing of the system.
It’s important to note that consumers will be able to pay for on street parking in as small an increment as 20 minutes. Also, the City is implementing a discounted token program where token users can take advantage of up to a 20% discount on parking fees. Lastly, the Chamber and the Main Street Program encourage downtown shops and restaurants to adopt the token program as a way to give customers an incentive to return to downtown.
Dover, like many NH municipalities, faces significant pressures on its property tax base. The parking system has, and will continue to be, a self-sufficient function that derives no operating expense from property tax revenue. The operation of the system is made up from the user fees and fines collected, much like any other city utility like sewer or water.
Reflect for a moment about the successful downtowns in our area that have a high sense of place and a serious economic vibrancy – Portsmouth, Concord, Newburyport, and Portland. All of these communities have a parking system that has a combination of paid and free on and off street parking. Dover’s transition is to a similar system. Those who are willing to walk a little further still have access to many free parking opportunities.
This article was submitted by Kirt Schuman, Executive Director of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce and Carrie Eisner, Program Director of the Dover Main Street Program.

Opening Scenes: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One

By Chip Schrader
Movie Review Editor
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One” begins with off-camera squeaking and whispering, setting an eerie tone for the very eerie penultimate installment of the legend. The first thing we see is a man’s eyes in a tight close-up shot, his voice saying, “These are dark times, there is no denying.” The image pans back revealing the voice belongs to the Minister of Magic, likely still stunned by Dumbledore’s assassination, just as the group of somber people he is addressing are likely feeling.
The most notable entry in the film is that of Professor Severus Snape slipping magically through the darkened gates of an ominous estate that is the meeting place for the Death Eaters, the clan that is after Harry Potter, and Voldemort is at the helm. The first half hour seems to be completely set in twilight, and the entire film is gloomy and overcast with muted colors.
The color has a tinge of blue throughout, and resonates with the emotion and anxiety that has overcome the characters. This effect alone creates great effect, but viewers are also treated to a high-speed chase that begins in the clouds and lands on the motorway in London, a wedding that Death Eaters invade, and a magical shootout in a cafe, reminiscent of gangster films. This is still just the first 45 minutes, or so.
The imagery is unbearably scenic as the three friends Harry, Hermione, and Ron traverse vast and barren landscapes that show how alone they are in fighting the immense evil that has ascended. Many scenes are reminiscent of the approach Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman used in the classic “The Seventh Seal,” where a crusader duels with the angel of death for his life.
Many scenes test the young actors’ – already veterans – dramatic skills, as the mountains and cliffs in the background oversee their delivery of somber and sober acting that is top notch. Not only is there fear, but at sixteen, their eyes are opening to matters of the heart. It is staggering to watch these scenes that seem to be in slow motion like in old European cinema, and the sound of the radio naming off names of the condemned half-bloods further shapes the uneasy aura of the film as the camera sweeps over an abandoned village.
The best scene comes when Hermione recites the tale of the Deathly Hallows, where viewers are treated to an animation sequence that seems to be shot in black and white film negatives heavily dosed with shadows and fog. Emily Watson’s delivery of the tale was spot on.
Bottom line, this film is likely the best installment of the series to date. The last two films were very good, but didn’t quite hit the spot. Not so with “The Deathly Hallows Part One.” As expected, the who’s who of British celebrity deliver great acting, the scenery is creepy and amazing, and the action and drama gets moments of comic relief when characters transform themselves into other characters.
The settings, shooting and pace of the film is the highest cinematic experience, and the story, or this half of it, is amazingly deep and dark. It’s hard to imagine Harry Potter without Hogwarts or Dumbledore, but it works like a charm. Beware; it is a frightening experience with plenty of dark creatures. 5 out of 5.
Photo caption: Movie poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One (Courtesy photo)

Natalie MacMaster Comes to the Rochester Opera House

ROCHESTER—
Light up your holidays with the fiery brilliance of virtuoso fiddler Natalie MacMaster in a Christmas in Cape Breton at the Rochester Opera House on Monday, December 6 at 7 p.m. MacMaster’s electrifying energy captures the audience with foot-tapping rave-ups, masterful step-dancing and phenomenal fiddling prowess. Her majesty with the bow commands her fiddle to sing rousing Celtic melodies, heart-wrenching ballads and Christmas Carols that have her audience clapping, stomping and hollering for more. MacMaster has appeared with legends Yo-Yo Ma and Luciano Pavarotti, released ten albums with multiple gold sales and has won numerous Juno and East Coast Music Awards.
This show is sponsored in part by Eastern Propane & Oil, L.Wynn Sound, Foster’s Daily Democrat, Waste Management, Bernier Insurance and Hourihane, Cormier Associates with Tim & Sally Fontneau. Reserve tickets online at www.rochesteroperahouse.com or call/stop by the box office (603) 335-1992, M/W/F from 10-5 and before the show. The Rochester Opera House is located in City Hall, 31 Wakefield Street, Rochester NH. The season continues with A Christmas Carol 12/17&18 and Cabaret 1/20-29. Tickets are $42 and $38.
Photo caption: Natalie MacMaster will perform at the Rochester Opera House on Monday, December 6 at 7pm. (Courtesy photo)

The Festival of Trees Comes to Dover

DOVER—
The Festival of Trees celebrates the joy of the holiday season on Friday, December 3 from 6 to 8pm at Dover City Hall, with 21 beautifully decorated trees by talented citizens and businesses from the seacoast area.
Enjoy live entertainment from The Sounds of the Seacoast, Parish of the Assumption Choir and The Dover High Chorus while you stroll among the trees in Dover’s City Hall.
Santa will be arriving and greeting the children, so feel free to bring your camera for photos with Santa. Enjoy hot cocoa, cookies and a festive fun-filled evening, while taking part in the silent auction of these beautiful trees. All trees will be auctioned off that night. Calling All Cargo will be available to deliver the tree to your home that evening.
Trees are being uniquely decorated by: The American Legion Auzuiliary, Artisan Electrical Contractors, Century 21 Central Falls (Kim Lielinski & Sheri Becker), Century 21 Central Falls (Paula Forbes), Cochecho Valley Humane Sociely, Dover Girl Scouts, Dover Main Street, Dover Public Library, Elizabeth Fischer, Federal Savings Bank, Holy Rosary Credit Union, Just the Thing, Loyal Order of Moose-Dover #443, Nicole’s Hallmark, Paint for Fun, Patti Kemen Re/Max Legacy (Dover Children’s Home), Sounds of the Seacoast, Southern NH Habitat for Humanity Restore, Sweet Meadows Flower Shop, St. Mary’s Academy, Tutor Doctor, and Wiggin-Purdy-McCooey-Dion Funeral Home (Peggy Purdy).
All contributions to the Festival of Trees will go directly to Lighting Up Dover and the Dover City Lights Committee. The committee is a collaborative effort led by the Dover Chamber of Commerce, Dover Main Street, The City of Dover Community Services, Dover Business owners and many residents of Dover. The committee is tasked with the logistical planning and fundraising to improve the festive lighting in the downtown and other parts of the city.
The Festival of Trees is a free event and open to the public. Do not miss this breathtaking event! For further information regarding this event, please contact Pam Simpson, Harvey’s Coffee Shop, Dover.