Dover unveils online portal, class of '62 reunion: Community news update
Dover High School and St. Mary High Class of 1962 reunion planned
DOVER — A 60th reunion is planned for Dover High School and St. Mary High Class of '62. The event will be held Saturday, Sept. 17, at Blue Latitudes Bar and Grill in downtown Dover from 2 to 5 p.m. Appetizers will be served and a cash bar will be available. Cost is $25 per person. Classmates should RSVP by Aug. 15 by sending a check to: Mary Ulinski, 200 First St., Unit 206-2, Dover, NH 03820.
The following day, Sept. 18, classmates will gather for a bring-your-own picnic that will be held at Hilton Park.
Great Bay Yacht Club annual Fall Merry Mac Regatta
DOVER — Great Bay Yacht Club of Dover, announced the annual MerryMac Fall Regatta will be held on Sunday, Sept. 11, at Hilton State Park, Dover. Over the years, GBYC has been working with local sailors to keep the spirit of the historic sailboat alive in the Great Bay area. Previous regattas have been held with much success. The regatta is also open to Oyster River Cats.
GBYC is located on Wentworth Terrace, Dover Point, a very short walk from Hilton Park. Registration officials will be at Hilton Park by 9 a.m. and the Skippers Meeting will be held there where sailing instructions will be discussed. The entry fee is $40. Register at merrymac2022.brownpapertickets.com.
Entry includes a tradition of a great Race Committee and support boats, and after racing cookout and a variety of beverages.
For more information, contact Board of Governors, GBYC at greatbayyachtclub@gmail.com or Tom Brown, Race Committee Principal Race Officer, tacheson.brown@gmail.com for a full version of the Notice of Race.
Portsmouth400 announces Bank of America as Lightkeeper sponsor
PORTSMOUTH – The Portsmouth400 management team has announced that Bank of America has made the significant commitment to be the 400th Anniversary’s foundational Lightkeeper sponsor.
Portsmouth 400 Managing Director Valerie Rochon and Community Engagement Officer Susan Labrie explained that the Lightkeeper Sponsor commitment of $50,000 enables operational and logistical planning to advance for the PNH400 signature events – the June 3, 2023 Parade, Aug. 28, 2023 Community Dinner and recently-announced Sept. 9 to 10, 2023 Thunder Over New Hampshire Air Show.
Bank of America New Hampshire State President Ken Sheldon said, “At Bank of America we believe creating meaningful connections in the communities we serve is one of the most important investments we can make. We are proud to take a leadership role, partnering with the local leaders and organizations who are collaborating on the Portsmouth 400th Anniversary, as the values of PNH400 are a reflection of those Bank of America pursues in all ninety communities we serve: to advance racial equality and economic opportunity, to support diverse entrepreneurs, to help people succeed in today’s and tomorrow’s economy and to do our part to protect the planet through sustainable investments. Working together with our partners provides a lens into the need of our communities to help break down barriers and create opportunities for progress and growth.”
For more information on sponsorships, donations and other funding opportunities, please contact PNH400 Community Engagement Officer Susan Labrie at susan@portsmouthnh400.org. About Portsmouth NH 400th, Inc.: PortsmouthNH400.org.
Dover unveils online portal to submit, track projects, permits
DOVER – The City of Dover has created a new online system to streamline the process for applying and renewing permits and licenses, submitting construction plans and scheduling inspections.
Available 24 hours a day, the city's portal for permits, plans and licensing at permits.dover.nh.gov allows customers to utilize the system without entering a municipal building. It is geared to residents, contractors, real estate developers and businesses that support operations within the city. The portal has about 60 applications for permits, plans and business licenses, ranging from a driveway permit to a Class I Health License. Customers can view the status of their application at any time, pay fees online, receive email alerts when a permit or license is issued and download that permit or license from the site.
"This new system is designed to improve our customer service by increasing efficiency and transparency while reducing the turnaround time for approving permits and licenses," said Dover Inspection Services Building Official James Maxfield. "The system will also assist our inspectors in the field by providing them access to a wealth of information, such as regulatory checklists to ensure code compliance. We'll also be able to complete inspection reports in the field and share them with permit holders in real time."
This new service also supports land use and development process from application to signed, stamped plan, to site work, to construction and ultimately resulting in a certificate of occupancy, completion or business license. As part of the application process, customers can submit plans electronically and view City of Dover staff feedback as electronic plan markup on the plans submitted and listed in a corrections report in the portal.
"The City of Dover is always seeking new and better ways to serve the public," said Planning Director Donna Benton. "The new online portal will allow our residents and businesses to access critical information quickly from anywhere at any time."
From its inception as a Lean initiative, this project, led by the Office of Information Technology, is a collaboration of many municipal groups, including the Inspection Services and Engineering divisions, Planning and Community Development, Police and Finance departments, and offices of the City Clerk and City Attorney. Lean is an organizational management system that public, private and non-profit sectors use to improve processes by removing waste, increasing efficiency and elevating quality.
"This online permitting, plan and licensing portal strives to meet the customer where they are at. Customers can take full advantage of the online service, continue to utilize paper applications or land somewhere in the middle," said Information Technology Director Annie Dove. "True to Lean principles, employees at all levels of the organization have provided great insights to improve this complex process and the systems that support it. I am grateful for everyone's work on this project."
Customers can provide feedback to improve the system at support@dover.nh.gov.
For more information about the project and its use, contact Inspection Services at 603-516-6038, Planning and Community Development Department at 603-516-6008, the Engineering Division at 603-516-6450, or the Office of Information Technology at 603-516-6099.
Cochecho River exhibit at Children's Museum reopens
DOVER — Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 3, the re-imagined Cochechosystem Nature exhibit at the Children's Museum of New Hampshire will re-open. Celebrating the vibrant wildlife along the state's Cochecho River, visitors will be immersed in the sights, sounds and activities of animals and people along the river.
The Cochecho River is a tidal river, which flows through the Children’s Museum’s backyard and feeds into the Piscataqua River. When families enter the Cochechosystem Nature exhibit, they are introduced to a river ecosystem inhabited by osprey, beavers, and fish, all creatures who use rivers to engineer their lives. With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the actual river, the Cochechosystem Nature exhibit demonstrates how rivers throughout New England support thriving ecosystems of many interdependent creatures.
"The Museum's Cochechosystem Nature exhibit upgrades incorporate new activities to encourage deeper family engagement and appreciation for the natural world," said Jane Bard, Museum President. New components include welcoming children to dress up as beavers, build lodges and feed their young kits, watch the osprey guard their nest as they add to their own, fish on the exhibit's riverbank, hop aboard the replica gundalow and load cargo for a trip upriver and take a close look at the river outside.
In addition to exploring the exhibit on Aug. 3, visitors are invited to join our educators to explore beaver artifacts and make their own beaver paw track to take home at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Families planning to visit the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire on any day are asked to reserve online to help the museum maintain capacity limits. Adults and children over the age of 12 months are $12.50, seniors (65-plus) are $10.50 and kids under 12 months, Members are free. To make reservations or learn more about the museum, visit www.childrens-museum.org.
Portsmouth 400 seeks essays about city memories for commemorative book
PORTSMOUTH — Portsmouth400. plans to bring the historical record compiled in 1973 for the city’s 350th anniversary up-to-date in 2023 with a commemorative book, filling in the history of the past 50 years. The book will also include a list of sponsors, donors, and the 400th Anniversary events, projects and programs being offered throughout 2023 to celebrate.
The "eyewitness" memories of residents who have experienced the life of the city during the years 1973 to the present are the key component of this book. The committee is collecting accounts from everyone who would like to participate in the project. Short essays of 400 words or less are welcome.
Chuck McMahon, author of Legendary Locals of Portsmouth, is collecting the entries. “Not all essays will make it into the book, but we’re inviting anyone who lived or worked in Portsmouth in the last 50 years to submit a 400-word short story or essay chronicling a special memory you have about this great city. Bring us back to the moment, describing in vivid detail what Portsmouth was like during this time. We will accept stories about any event since 1973, even if your memory is a recent one. We invite you to help us write the history of the last half-century!”
Anyone who wants to participate in the Commemorative Project should submit a story of 400 words or less, as a Word document or link, in an email to Stories.PNH400@gmail.com. Submissions will be reviewed for accuracy and edited for length and content. The deadline is Nov. 1.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Dover unveils online portal, class of '62 reunion: Community news update
