7th Annual Seacoast Concert For A Cure Returns to Rye

RYE—

This year’s Seacoast Concert for a Cure, an annual music festival that raises funds for local breast cancer support programs, will feature a unique lineup of local favorites. The event, to be held Thursday, August 4, 2011 at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, NH, will feature Truffle, known for their upbeat and masterfully crafted music, and Bliss, a highly appraised all female blues, folk, country and bluegrass band.
“We’re very excited to once again be hosting the Seacoast Concert For A Cure at Seacoast Science Center,” said concert co-founder Katie Delahaye Paine. “Our mission is to raise funds for organizations that help breast cancer survivors. Since we began this effort in 2005 I am proud to say the we have raised more than $100,000 to support local non-profit organizations who provide much needed support programs to women and men right here in our own seacoast communities. And what better way to do that then to enjoy great music and dance the night away, all while overlooking the sunset on Odiorne Point!”
Past events have provided funding for: mammograms to those who can’t afford them; support weekends for survivors as well as children of those affected by cancer; an online support community where women can share their stories and get support from others going through a similar experience; and Dana Farber’s Survivorship Program – a program that helps more and more people survive cancer every year.
This year the money raised by the event will help the following non-profit organizations:
Betty J. Borry Breast Cancer Retreats: Providing adventure retreat weekends for women living after breast cancer.
BreastCancerStories.org / My Breast Cancer Support: Providing non-medical grants, travel scholarships, home assistance and additional support for local patients and their family members here in the greater seacoast area.
On Belay: Supporting children of those suffering from cancer or other life-threatening diseases. The organization was started by SCFAC founder and New Hampshire Volunteer of the Year, Crescentia Healy True, who sadly lost her battle with breast cancer in 2006.
Once again, Seacoast Science Center will host the event, continuing its Thursday night series for an extra week. There will be a large silent auction and food available for purchase. Attendees are welcome to bring their own picnics as well (alcohol may not be brought into the park – beer and wine will be available for purchase).
Tickets are $12 advance and $15 day of show (children ages 4-12 are $1, paid at gate only) and will be available at each of the Seacoast Science Center’s Music by the Sea Thursday night concerts as well as online at www.seacoastconcertforacure.com.
Sponsors of this year’s event include LWynn Sound, 92.5 The River, Measured Progress, WERZ, Hampshire First Bank and Exeter Health Resources.
Further details about the musicians, the recipient charities and the organizing team are also available on the web site, www.seacoastconcertforacure.com. For information on the Music by the Sea concert series go to www.seacoastsciencecenter.org.
Photo caption: All-female blues, rock, country and bluegrass band, Bliss, will perform along with Truffle at the 7th Annual Seacoast Concert For A Cure. (Courtesy photo)

Frisbie Memorial Hospital Donates $10,000 to Howie’s Field of Dreams

ROCHESTER—
Frisbie Memorial Hospital recently donated $10,000 to Howie’s Field of Dreams/ Rochester Rotary, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to build a handicapped-accessible baseball field for players ages five to 20 living with physical and/or mental challenges. The field will be made of a rubberized surface so that players who fall will not injure themselves, and will be located at Roger Allen Park in Rochester to accommodate a Buddy-Ball division league.
Howie’s Field of Dreams/Rochester Rotary has scheduled a 5K Road Race/Fun Run or Walk on July 23 at 9:00 a.m. to raise money for the field; Frisbie Memorial Hospital is the Race sponsor. The Race starts and finishes at Roger Allen Park (195 Chestnut Hill Road in Rochester) and participants have the option to run/walk one, two or 3.1 miles. The course is USATF certified and is flat and fast. The Race entry fee is $15.00 for adults ($20 for same day) and $7.00 for kids ages 12 years and younger. For more information on Howie’s Field of Dreams and/or to register for the Race, please visit www.howiesfieldofdreams.org.
Howie’s Field of Dreams was the vision of Howard “Howie” Seckendorf who suffered a fatal heart attack in 2009 at the age of 51. In honor and tribute to his memory, the Rochester Rotary and his family members have committed to making his dream a reality.
Photo caption: From left to right: Gerry Gilbert (Rochester Rotary), John Creteau (Past President Roger Allen Baseball), Gerry Bisaillon, Walter Hoerman, MD (Committee Chair), Molly Seckendorf (Howie’s daughter), Kim Seckendorf (Howie’s widow and Rochester Rotary) and Al Felgar, Frisbie Memorial Hospital President/CEO. (Courtesy photo)

Kids Compete in Striped Bass Tournament

NEW CASTLE—
Despite grey skies, heavy rain, heavy seas and chilly temps, there was also a heavy turnout for the fourth annual Wentworth Marina Striped Bass Tournament for Kids.
The popular catch and release fishing tournament for Striped Bass added a Mackerel division in 2009 to increase the opportunity for success for its youngest participants. Both species were presented to the judging station on the docks of Wentworth Marina.
Braving some really challenging conditions, fishing began at sunrise Sunday, June 12, for the 80 plus participants ranging in age from 8-16.
Some anglers left from the Marina on the Tournament’s vessel; the Atlantic Queen and others from their own private boats or chartered captains. Many were forced to return early given the 6-8 foot swells. Others found some respite in the rivers and channels, where a 42” Striper was netted.
A former three-time Tournament winner and now Trinity College swimmer won the new alumni category.
The 4th Annual Wentworth Marina Striped Bass Tournament Winners are listed below.
Mackerel Category,
including weight
Juveniles (8-10 yrs.): First, Quinn Alessi, .77; Second, Reid Alessi, .71; Third, Colby Muise, .55. Schoolies (11-13 yrs.): First, Paul Holloway, .71; Second, Nathan Barone, .38; Third, Malcolm Hughes, .21. Lunkers (14-16 yrs.): First, Dylan Muise, .18. Alumni: First, Ryan McCann, .12.
Striped Bass Category,
including length and girth
Juveniles: First, Elizabeth Holloway, 34, 19; Second, Noah Burnside, 34, 17; Third, Nicholas Nold, 32.5. Schoolies: First, Ben Sandquist, 42; Second, Hans Pohl, 31.5; Third, Niko Alexandropoulos, 31. Lunkers: First, Theo Alexandropoulos, 32; Second, Brody Sandquist, 31.25; Third, Matthew Webber, 31.
Organized and managed by the Little Harbor Charitable Foundation Board, each year the Tournament supports a designated beneficiary organization in service to children and youth on the Seacoast.
This year, Tournament proceeds will build upon the success of a 2010 initiative, to expand development and delivery of enrichment service programs and opportunities for children living at Cross Roads House and the Portsmouth Housing Authority. “Summer Lab” a brand new learning initiative will pair these children with exceptional educators, mentors and consultants at the Dondero School (Portsmouth).
Little Harbor Charitable Foundation is credited with gifting over 60 programs and raising over $1.65 million dollars in support for Seacoast area organizations since 1997.
Lead sponsor Mercedes-Benz is joined once again by a number of returning organizations, including; Holloway Automotive, WMUR-TV 9, Wentworth Marina, Pro-Mariner, Fidelity Charitable Giving, Clear Channel, Bid2Win Software, Inc., Construction Services of NH, Center for Assessment, Actio Corporation, Seacoast Media Group, and many others.
Sponsor funds, 100% of which is annually channeled directly to the designated beneficiary organization have subsequently assisted thousands of children with basic health, welfare, education services and crisis care in addition to stimulating interest in and access to the arts and personal enrichment opportunities.
Please visit www.LHCFonline.com or www.stripertournament.com for additional information and a full list of sponsors.

Four Stellar Acts for Showcase Festival at Prescott Park

PORTSMOUTH—
As part of the Prescott Park Arts Festival’s 37th season, the Showcase Festival will bring Patty Larkin, Jon Nolan, Jason Spooner and Martin England to the FairPoint Communications MainStage on Saturday, July 9. The arts festival looks forward to kicking things off on a high note at the first music festival of the 2011 Summer Season with a fantastic lineup of talented musicians.
Returning to the Prescott Park Arts Festival stage is urban-folk/pop music phenomenon Patty Larkin. The self-described “guitar driven songwriter” has wound her way through soundscapes of evocative vocals, inventive guitar wizardry, and imaginative lyrics to reinterpret traditional folk melodies, rock, pop, and bossa nova.
Also returning to the stage this year is veteran performer Jon Nolan. Nolan’s most recent album, When the Summers Lasted Long, was a self-recorded, debut solo release. Chronicling Nolan’s transition from youth to adulthood, this honest and charming Americana/pop record garnered critical success and solid reviews from No Depression Magazine and the Boston Herald.
Festival-goers will welcome multi-award winning New England-based songwriter Jason Spooner. Spooner’s third album, Sea Monster (2010), has been praised by Sirius/XM as “a very rare and special record that is destined to put Spooner on the musical map” and has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered. Spooner and his band have toured extensively in the past few years, sharing the stage with artists including Ray LaMontagne, Brandi Carlile, Amos Lee, and more.
Rounding out the Showcase Festival’s lineup is the latest rising star of the Seacoast, Martin England. Winner of the Spotlight Single of the Year award, England’s solo debut, Razed and Reconstructed (2010), marks a new direction for the singer-songwriter. Formerly with Northeast regional band Pondering Judd, England’s imaginative blend of Americana, folk, roots rock, and occasional old school country will engage and capture audience members.
“Showcase Festival this year features a fantastic mix of emerging and well established musical greats, and we couldn’t be happier with the lineup,” says Executive Director Ben Anderson. “Whether you’ve seen Patty, Jon, Jason, and Martin before or not, our first music festival of the year is going to be one everyone will enjoy.”
The Showcase Festival is part of the Prescott Park Arts Festival’s 37th season that also features the musical “The Wizard of Oz,” running every Thursday through Sunday until August 21, 2011. The season also includes the River House Restaurant Concert Series, which will feature music legends such as the Taj Mahal Trio, Arlo Guthrie, Shawn Colvin, and Greg Brown each Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. through August 26.
All events offered at the Prescott Park Arts Festival are presented free of charge with a suggested donation of $5 - $8. For more information on the festival, or to see a full schedule of events, visit www.prescottpark.org or call 603-436-2848.
Photo caption: Patty Larkin is one of four special acts that will perform at Prescott Park Showcase Festival. (Courtesy photo)

It Takes a Community to Build a Gundalow

PORTSMOUTH—
As part of the campaign to raise $1.2m to build a new gundalow and expand Gundalow Company programs and operations, efforts were boosted at the shipyard from the early support of some special people and businesses from the seacoast area. In-kind services and materials have been valued at over $50,000 towards the project. Strawbery Banke has been instrumental in giving the location to build the boat and site support. Collaborative education programs are ongoing with both organizations. 

In the fall of 2010, Appledore Engineering – a division of Tighe & Bond, provided pro-bono civil engineering and site plans for the Puddle Dock construction site, and supported the gundalow staff through the regulatory and permitting process. McLane Law Firm’s team fielded various legal questions, while Gove Construction created a level gravel pad as the base for the shipyard. 

Tony Coviello at Summit Engineering provided structural engineering plans for the shipyard cover from conceptual designs by the Steve Jones Architectural Design Program at Portsmouth High School. The tool shed that is now at the Puddle Dock shipyard was also designed by students, and built by Dexter Roblee’s Building Trades program students. Over 700 hours were donated in labor to design and build the impressive 10’x20’ shed, delivered in early April. Four Seasons Fence donated the labor to surround the shipyard in fencing, and gundalow volunteers crafted the gate. Vince Todd of V. Todd & Co., built the temporary shipyard cover and contributed his time to plan and oversee its construction. The shipyard was completed by early May with the support of Moores Crane Company, Ricci Lumber, Second Nature Landscape Outlet, A.H. Harris & Sons, Inc., Green Velvet Landscape, Independent Boat Haulers, Jackson’s Hardware & Marine, Jeffrey Knapp Construction, Keith Bridge Electrical, Kevin Knapp, North Hampton Grocery, Peter Coren Builder & Cabinetmaker, Rainscape, Rick Stevens Custom Lumber, Rockingham Electric Supply Co. and Tri-State Fire Protection. 

Construction of the new gundalow began in early May under the direction of York, ME Paul Rollins, boatbuilder. Materials, services and supplies were supported by Bartlett’s Farm & Sawmill, Brentwood Machinery & Tools, Dixon Mills, Fastener Warehouse, Lamprey Oil, Rand Lumber, Sanborn Mills Farm, and Urban Tree Service. Early corporate and business donations from Appledore Real Estate, Piscataqua Savings Bank, Infinite Imaging, Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café, Federal Savings Bank, Granite State Minerals, Property Tax Advisors, Waterfront Engineers, and Jeffrey H. Taylor & Associates covered early costs associated with the start of construction.
About the Gundalow Company: Since 2002, the non-profit Gundalow Company has used the Captain Edward H. Adams – a replica modeled after the last gundalow to carry cargo on the bay – to provide “dockside” programs to more than 100,000 visitors. However, the Adams is too authentic to comply with modern U.S. Coast Guard safety requirements. Recognizing the need to get students of all ages to genuinely connect with their rivers and bay, the Gundalow Company is building a new gundalow that will have the safety features and structural integrity required by the U.S. Coast Guard for passenger-carrying vessels.
For centuries, gundalows connected up-river seacoast communities with Portsmouth, the region’s seaport and primary market town. Harnessing the wind and riding the tide, gundalows moved bricks, hay, firewood, and goods crucial to the economy and everyday life. The Gundalow Company takes its inspiration from the vital role of those historic gundalows, vessels unique to the Piscataqua Maritime Region. This new gundalow’s educational purpose is as important for the future as its predecessors were for the past. For more information, www.gundalow.org, info@gundalow.org or 603-433-9505.
Photo caption: A crane hoists the gundalow shipyard cover wall into place on Puddle Dock at Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth, NH. (Photo by David J. Murray)

Music-by-the-Sea Concerts Begin

RYE—
The Seacoast Science Center’s Music-by-the-Sea outdoor concert series will start the season in the spirit of summer. On July 7, Islandside will take the stage with their authentic Caribbean sound. Kick off your shoes, breathe in the salt air and enjoy the seaside sounds of reggae, soca, and calypso.
Entrain returns for a tenth season on July 14. Entrain never fails to get the crowd on the dance floor with their infectious percussive rhythm. Gnarlemagne will get you on your feet with their funky blues, classic rock dance music on July 21.
One of the most fun-loving, local party bands, Jumbo Circus Peanuts will close the series on July 28. MBS concert-goers cannot seem to get enough of their swinging-pop-jazz, crazy costumes and tossed-into-the-crowd beaded necklaces.
All concerts are held under a festive tent and take place rain or shine. Just bring your beach blankets and chairs; enjoy hot-off-the-grill fare and great beverages from local vendors, grab an ice cream and stroll along the shore at sunset. The Center and Nature Store are open during all concerts.
Concerts begin at 6:00 p.m.; gates open at 5:00 p.m. for dining. Tickets are $8 for adults and $2 for children ages 3-12. You can purchase your tickets in advance at the Center or online at seacoastsciencecenter.org/events. Present your SSC membership card to purchase your ticket at half price. Bring your friends — if they join that night they can enjoy on-the-spot discounted concert tickets! For more information call 603-436-8043.
Sponsors include Access Sports Medicine, Allegra Marketing Print Mail, Clear Channel Radio, Exeter Events & Tents, Flatbread Pizza Company, Liberty Mutual, Liquid Planet Water Park, Northeast Delta Dental, People’s United Bank, Piscataqua Savings Bank, The Portsmouth Herald, Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Public Service of New Hampshire, Salient Surgical Technologies, Smuttynose Brewing Company, Westinghouse Electric Company, and WMUR TV ABC9. All proceeds from the Music-by-the-Sea concert series benefit SSC.
Photo caption: The Music-by-the-Sea concert series at the Seacoast Science Center kicks off on July 7. (Courtesy photo)

Special Events Planned at Children’s Museum of NH

DOVER—
The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover is hosting a wide range of special events for families this summer. From a local foods farmer’s market to tender loving care for tattered teddy bears, the museum’s special events are all open to the public and included in the regular price of admission: $8 for adults and children, $7 for seniors age 65+, and free for children under one year old. During the summer, the museum is open to visitors seven days a week.
The Children’s Museum of NH is located in Henry Law Park on the Cochecho River in downtown Dover, making it an ideal day-trip destination. Several free outdoor concerts are held in the park each week, there is a playground and picnic area, and dozens of restaurants and shops are within an easy walk. More information on planning a trip to Dover can be found at www.dovernh.org.
This summer’s special events at the Children’s Museum of NH include:
Four on the Fourth
Monday, July 4, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. - Celebrate the Fourth of July with $4 admission all day long. This half-price admission applies to adults as well as children, and visitors are free to leave for lunch and come back in to play later!
Colossal Construction Day
Monday, July 11, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Can we build it? Yes we can! Join us for a day of design and engineering challenges for all ages. From buildings and bridges to vehicles and your own imaginative creations, the sky is the limit on Colossal Construction Day. Lego your Mind will be providing kids with LEGO building elements, axles, and wheels of all sizes to enable them to free build rolling creations that will be tested down a ramp for speed and distance.
Local Roots Food Fair
Tuesday, July 20, 1-4 p.m. - Discover the joy of eating local at this seasonal food fair, presented in partnership with Hannaford Supermarkets. The museum will welcome a variety of area farmers and local food purveyors for an afternoon of tasty sampling, hands-on activities for kids, and coupons and information for parents.
Bubble Science Day
Tuesday, July 26, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Parents and children can roll up their sleeves for some good, clean fun when the Children’s Museum celebrates Bubble Science Day. The museum’s large classroom will be transformed into a bubble laboratory where families can experiment with bubble shapes, colors and sizes, and build 3-D bubble shapes, walls and windows. In the museum’s Project Area, children can make bubble wands to take home, and parents can pick up hand-outs with more ideas for bubble play to continue the learning at home.
Teddy Bear Clinic & Tea Party
Wednesday, August 10, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. - Children are invited to bring their favorite stuffed friend to the museum’s annual Teddy Bear Clinic from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a Teddy Tea Party from noon to 12:30 pm. This event is designed to not only be fun, but also help children who may be anxious about visiting the doctor. Volunteer health professionals will be on hand to issue each animal an ID bracelet, perform health check-ups, and conduct minor surgery on furry friends in need of repair. At the noontime tea party, guests will enjoy juice, animal crackers and fruit.
Patterns & Puzzles Day
Thursday, August 18, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Patterns are everywhere! Join us as we look at the world in a whole new way as we seek out patterns and get creative with exhibit-related pattern activities and take-home projects throughout the museum. Older children and adults will scratch their heads as they work to solve brainteasers and riddles sure to give your brain a workout!
Build It. Fly It. Day
Tuesday, August 23, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Young imaginations will soar as children create their own flying machines using a variety of everyday materials in this high-flying challenge. Kids will learn about the principles of aerodynamics and flight as they test their creations in the museum’s two-and-a-half-story Build It. Fly It. exhibit. Whose invention will fly, flip or flop? Visitors can also try their hand at constructing some other simple flyers to test and take home.
The museum will also be staying open extended hours on the nights of Cochecho Arts Festival evening performances in Henry Law Park. On Friday nights between July 8 and August 12, the Children’s Museum of NH will remain open to the public until 7 p.m. to welcome families arriving early for the concerts.
More information can be found at www.childrens-museum.org. The Children’s Museum of NH is open all summer Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 12-5 p.m.
Photo caption: Braeden of Kittery experiments with creating multiple linked bubbles. (Courtesy photo)