Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility wins awards; SEED awards grants: Community news update

Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility upgrade receives awards

PORTSMOUTH — Both the Water Environment Federation, a national nonprofit association that provides technical education and training for water quality professionals, and the Associated Builders and Contractors of New Hampshire and Vermont (ABC NH/VT) have selected Portsmouth Department of Public Works and Methuen Construction for awards for the Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility upgrade project. WEF presented a Project Excellence Award to the city; and ABC NH/VT awarded both their Excellence in Construction (EIC) Award and the ABC VT/NH Chairman’s Award.

Department of Public Works Director Peter Rice said, “The Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility upgrade was the largest project in the city’s history, supported by the largest State Revolving Fund low-cost loan ever made, and completed under year-round weather conditions and without interruption to the continued operation of the existing treatment facility. City residents should be proud that this state-of-the-art facility is getting national attention for accomplishing our mutual goal of improving the environment by significantly increasing the level of wastewater treatment provided at the facility, resulting in improved effluent discharged to the Piscataqua River.”

Portsmouth was one of just three municipalities to receive a WEF 2021 Project Excellence Award, along with Metro Denver and Longmont, Colorado. The award is based on a review of municipal water quality projects around the country, based on the following criteria: Complexity of the water sector problem or situation addressed; Future value to the water sector; Innovation, originality, and creativity in solutions; Sustainability considerations (environmental, social, and economic); Meeting the owning agency's needs related to budget, schedule, project quality and/or cost effectiveness;Contribution to the well-being of people and communities.

In announcing the Project Excellence Award that was presented to the City of Portsmouth, its project engineering consultant AECOM and the project contractor, Methuen Construction, WEF president said, “WEF's annual Project Excellence Award pays tribute to excellence and innovation in the execution of projects and programs in the water sector. The Peirce Island WWTF Upgrade sustainably upgraded an operating water resource recovery facility on an island with limited access and extensive archaeological and recreational resources located in historic downtown Portsmouth. The team delivered a successful project on schedule with increased capacity, secondary treatment, and total nitrogen removal.”

In announcing the ABC NH/VT awards, President Joshua Reap said, “For more than 30 years, ABC NH/VT has honored award-winning construction projects because the team’s work exemplifies excellence in our industry. The 2021 EIC honorees set the standard in safety, quality and innovation. The successful completion of the state-of-the-art Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility – while the plant was still fully operational -- shows how the success of a construction project is largely attributed to collaboration between the Owner, Engineer, and General Contractor. Over the project duration, these solutions and ingenuities were on such a grand scale as to make the project award-winning.”

Dover Realtor donates to SEED

DOVER — Seacoast Endowment for Education in Dover (“SEED”), a nonprofit organization dedicated to lifting academic excellence in Dover schools,has announced it has received a $5,000 donation from Mindy Marcouillier, a Realtor at Great Island Realty.

Throughout 2021, Marcouillier pledged a portion of her entire year’s sales to donate to SEED.

This donation comes in conjunction with SEED’s annual appeal. “This is the second straight year Mindy has earmarked proceeds for SEED,” said Natalie Koellmer, chair of the SEED Board of Directors. “Our annual appeal is a pinnacle to our ability to fund grants twice a year.”

SEED just completed its fall funding period where it donated more than $14,000 for tools, professional development and curriculum for Dover public schools not otherwise available through traditional school budgets. SEED has backing from businesses and residents alike who believe in achieving the highest level of educational opportunity for Dover students to make the schools even better and the city a more appealing place to move a family. To learn more about SEED or make a donation, please visit www.DoverSEED.org.

Rochester Elks provides welcome home kit to a veteran in transition

ROCHESTER — As part of the Elks Veterans Welcome Home Kit Program, the Rochester Elks recently assisted veteran Arthur Kerr who moved from the Nashua area to Rochester. Needed household items were provided by the Lodge to Kerr at his new residence. Making the visit and providing the items were Exalted Ruler Jerry Skidds, Esteemed Leading Knight Matt Sanborn and Past Exalted Ruler Mark Guilmett.

Most veterans in this program move into their homes with a need for various household items and small appliances. Elks help veterans establish their homes by building Welcome Home Kits. Generally, this kit includes some small furniture, kitchenware, and cleaning supplies.

Elks pledge "So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them." The Elks National Veterans Service Commission takes that pledge one step further, and promises service to our nation's veterans and military members, with a special focus on service to those in need. Thousands of Elks volunteers give generously of their time, energy and resources to serve veterans and military members each day, to ensure that pledge is not an idle one.

SEED donates $14K to Dover Public Schools

DOVER — Seacoast Educational Endowment for Dover, a nonprofit organization dedicated to lifting academic excellence in Dover public schools, recently awarded just more than $14,000 for tools, professional development and curriculum for Dover schools not otherwise available through traditional school budgets.

District elementary teachers Sara LaPierre, Erin Murphy and Roseanna Drysdale were given $6,400 to purchase 75 Ukulele Makala set classroom kits for students across the district to build their musical skills in melody, harmony, rhythm and ensemble (teamwork). Along with the instruments, SEED will provide funding for teacher training, instructional books, and wall hooks and care for the instruments.

At Dover High School, SEED funded $7,000 to outfit 14 science classrooms with Vernier probes, Geiger counters and other data collection tools to allow students to plan and carry out their own small group investigations, wrestle with the analysis of big data sets, and create models to make future predictions. The grant was a combined application from science teachers Amy Poirier and Peter Seekamp.

At the Bellamy Academy at Dover High School, Brian Beck was awarded $800 to purchase inventory for its school store and create a modern banking system with data tracking capabilities at the Bellamy River Café. Part of Bellamy Academy’s Economies/Entrepreneurs course, students participate in lessons that teach the theory and practice of entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and how to foster a culture of ideas that can lead to a successful business. Students gain authentic real-world practice with leadership, management, marketing, finance, business essentials and business strategies.

Through grant applications, SEED provides inspired Dover educators with the instruments they need to create new curriculum, access additional resources, and attend educator development training, to create a 21st century learning environment. Since inception, SEED has provided more than $265,000 in tools, training, and equipment to Dover public school students while simultaneously building an endowment fund to perpetuate giving for years to come.

Completely funded by philanthropic giving from businesses and individuals, SEED is underway with its annual appeal help fund future grants for Dover teachers to provide students with the skills they will need for post high school success. To learn more, volunteer, or donate, visit www.DoverSEED.org.

Rochester schools partners with Frisbie Memorial to expand nursing training opportunities

ROCHESTER – Superintendent Kyle Repucci and Director of Career Technology Education Michele Halligan-Foley have announced the Rochester School Department is once again partnering with Frisbie Memorial Hospital to provide additional, hands-on training opportunities to Licensed Nursing Assistant students.

About 12 students are taking part in the program, which allows them to volunteer at the Hospital to experience all facets of clinical operations, and to collaborate with health-care professionals. The students shadow these professionals during “Fridays at Frisbie,” where they receive knowledge critical to the advancement of their nursing careers.

The district and hospital have collaborated to provide this training for many years, but the program was placed on hold at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

To be licensed, an LNA needs at least 60 hours of theory and hands-on practical training, and pass a state licensure examination. Rochester students will receive at least 70 hours of training, both at Frisbie and at a long-term care facility.

Frisbie Hospital also has agreed to donate supplies and older equipment, allowing LNA students to practice their skills in their Health Science Technology classrooms at R.W. Creteau Technology Center.

“We are grateful to reenergize this important initiative with Frisbie Memorial Hospital, and thank them for their support and generosity,” said Director Halligan-Foley. “Nursing is a high-demand field in New Hampshire. Our students are receiving experience in a variety of settings and will start on the pathway to employment in their chosen field.”

Chris’ Hero Pets teams up with ARLNH to help veterans

STRATHAM — Chris' Hero Pets has teamed up with the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire to help adopt shelter pets into loving homes with veterans. Many know the healing power of the companionship of an animal so this partnership helps both the veteran and the pet. Adoption fees for cats, dogs, and small animals will be covered by Chris' Hero Pets, a new program of the N.H. based nonprofit Hero Pups.

When gold star mom Jo-Ann Clark lost her son Chris Journeau due to undiagnosed post-traumatic stress, she wanted to show veterans they were appreciated no matter how they were impacted by their time in service, and hopefully prevent another veteran from facing their challenges alone.

This program is made possible thanks to public donations. Additional information may be found at HeroPups.com.

“We are firm believers in the power of the human-animal bond and are so excited and honored to partner with Chris’ Hero Pets and Hero Pups to help our nation's heroes,” Marianne Jones, Director of Administration & Communications at the ARLNH, said.

The program thanks the ARLNH for being the flagship shelter so more pets can find homes and veterans can find their new family member.

Applications for pets can be found at https://heropups.com/chris-hero-pets/ or https://www.rescueleague.org/

Thompson Endowment Fund awards $129,000 in grants to organizations benefitting the local community

PORTSMOUTH – The Roger R. and Theresa S. Thompson Endowment Fund announces the awarding of $129,000 in grants to six non-profit organizations in New Hampshire and Maine with programs that benefit Seacoast residents.

Theresa Thompson established the endowment fund in memory of her husband Roger, to make a difference in the local community by rewarding six specific educational and charitable organizations whose work was having a positive local impact on the Seacoast communities of N.H. and Maine. It was important to her to retain local administration of the grants so that there was a direct connection between the Trustees and the organizations she believed were the best able to create a lasting legacy in the names of Roger R. and Theresa S. Thompson. Although the six organizations named in the Fund are set, the Trustees determine each one’s eligibility for grants on an annual basis, reviewing not only their proposals but their achievements working with previous grant funds.

The Trustees of the Trust have approved grants for the following initiatives planned by the non-profits designated in the Trust: Strawbery Banke Museum of Portsmouth N.H. – for the design of a new Scholar-In-Residence program at the museum; Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, Dover N.H. – to enhance its Cochecosystem Nature Exhibit; Crotched Mountain Community Care of Greenfield N.H. – to help underwrite the fund earmarked for emergencies and critical human services needs for Crotched Mountain Community Care (CMCC) clients who live on the Seacoast; Future In Sight (formerly NH Association for the Blind) of Concord N.H. - to support the growth of its Living Well with Vision Loss Initiative that benefits the public, including Seacoast residents; Pine Tree Society for Handicapped Children and Adults of Scarborough Maine – to launch the Pine Tree Camp on the Road program and to extend the impact of the camp for children with developmental disabilities to the NH Seacoast and Maine; Berwick Academy of Berwick Maine - to support the Thompson Scholars scholarship program for local youth.

In making the announcement, Managing Trustee Charles B. Doleac said, “As the pandemic continues to demonstrate the importance of local organizations and initiatives working to benefit the Seacoast community, the Roger R. and Theresa S. Thompson Endowment Fund trustees are pleased to recognize the work of the six Thompson Fund beneficiaries by awarding this year’s grants. Theresa Thompson chose the specific framework of the Fund because she believed it was critical to have local Trustees, who not only retained oversight of a fund benefitting local organizations but could foster an environment that trained future trustees for the fund, the beneficiaries and the community. The Thompson Fund also offers an example of how benefactors can retain local control and make a local impact.”

The distributions are not guaranteed and the non-profits named in the Trust must apply each year to be considered for the beneficiary awards that are paid from the income of the Roger R. and Theresa S. Thompson estate trust fund. To learn more about Thompson Fund beneficiaries and prior grant-funded initiatives, visit ThompsonFund.org and follow the Thompson Fund on Facebook.

Rye resident Anne Richter Arnold receives Louise Tallman Award

RYE — In 2012, the Rye Heritage Commission created the Louise Tallman Award to be presented annually in acknowledgement of an individual who has significantly contributed to the preservation of historical resources for the Town of Rye. Louise Tallman was a dedicated preservationist who passed away in 2011 at the age of 90. She researched flora and fauna and the history of Odiorne Point State Park.

Her extensive research on old graveyards is being carried forward by the Rye Heritage Commission’s commitment to the restoration and preservation of over 60 historic graveyards located in Rye. Tallman’s documentation of Rye genealogy, historic homes and gravesites resides at the Rye Public Library and the Rye Historical Society Museum.

On Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021, the Louise Tallman Award was presented at the annual Rye Heritage Commission holiday reception at the Rye Town Museum owned by the Rye Historical Society on Old Parish Road. The award was presented by charter member of the Rye Heritage Commission and last year’s recipient of the award, Mae Bradshaw.

This year’s Louise Tallman Award was presented to Anne Richter Arnold, a talented writer and journalist. A Rye resident for the past six years, she first became involved in promoting the rich history of the town through the Rye Historical Society, where she was on the board and contributed to the most recent exhibition in the town museum.

She has also served as an alternate on the Rye Planning Board. As a member of the Rye Heritage Commission, she applied her creative talents to brochures and campaigns to fundraise for such causes as rehabilitating the Rye Town Hall. Her efforts in that regard have also been successful as a charter member and current Treasurer of the Friends of Rye Town Hall (FORTH), a non-profit volunteer organization and a proponent of restoring and improving the town hall to be a center of the community, as it once was. FORTH is currently participating with the Rye Heritage Commission in refurbishing the ten monumental windows on the second story of Town Hall.

Richter Arnold has a master’s degree in marketing from Columbia University and uses her business and writing skills to help nonprofits and organizations in the area, which have included the Black Heritage Trail of N.H., Arts in Reach and 3S Artspace. Her most recent challenge is to assist with the marketing and fundraising for Portsmouth’s 400 in 2023.

For the last several years, she has written extensively about Rye history, from profiles on important historical homes to regular articles on the fascinating past of Rye Town Hall. As a published journalist, she has blessed the community with a number of articles with pictures of historic places and buildings in Rye, all published in Rye Magazine. In this additional way, she has made a significant contribution by promoting preservation of the many historic properties throughout the Town of Rye.

The Heritage Commission is proud to have Anne Richter Arnold’s name memorialized on the Rye Heritage Commission plaque which hangs at the Rye Town Hall and to present her with the honorary Tallman glass paperweight.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Update: Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility, SEED, Rochester Elks