Portsmouth offers free public Prescott Park Garden tours on Fridays
PORTSMOUTH – The seasonal gardens of Prescott Park are in their prime, following weeks of planting, weeding, and cultivation. The City of Portsmouth Parks & Greenery Department is inviting the public to join members of the gardening team for free weekly tours of the formal gardens.
The garden tours are offered on Fridays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., through Aug. 23. The one-hour tour starts at the Liberty Pole on Marcy Street and explores the extensive garden beds of the South Lawn and the formal garden planted around the anchor sculpture. While discussing the plants and the care necessary to maintain the gardens, the Parks & Greenery staff will answer questions and identify plants. The tours are led by four horticulture interns: Olivia Buzzell, Carolyn Yates, Erin Finkel, and Talia Monroe.
Rochester, NH Elk member installed as District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler
ROCHESTER — On Wednesday, July 3, Matthew Sanborn from the Rochester, NH Elks Lodge #1393 was installed as District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler (South) for the State of New Hampshire.
The installation took place at the Elks Grand Lodge Convention in Austin, Texas. Sanborn was one of hundreds of district deputies installed at the convention. Over 6,000 people from all over the United States and US Territories were in attendance at the convention which started on Sunday, June 30 and concluded on July 3.
Sanborn is a Past Exalted Ruler of the Rochester Elks and his duties will include visiting 7 Elks Lodges in his district, performing inspections of those Lodges and providing an evaluation to the Grand Lodge. He will be assisted with these inspections by other members of the Rochester Lodge who will evaluate administrative, financial and safety procedures in each facility. In addition, Sanborn will be a contact point for Lodges in his district to answer questions and concerns about Lodge operations, etc. He will also be required to conduct two training clinics for Elks Officers, briefing them on the latest requirements and updates to existing Elks volunteer programs.
Sanborn will serve as District Deputy for one year, his appointment ending in July of 2025. Sanborn is employed in sales for Certa Pro Painters and his wife Beth is a teacher in the Somersworth School System. They are Rochester residents and have been active members of the Rochester Elks Lodge #1393 for a number of years.
Dover Police host National Night Out event
DOVER — Dover Police Chief William M. Breault announced that the Dover Police Department will be participating in National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The event will take place at the police station located at 46 Chestnut St., from 4 to 7 p.m., and is free to the public. National Night Out is a time for community members to meet with police officers, discuss issues, learn what the police do, and unite with the common goal of crime prevention and safety.
The public will be able to take tours of the station and see a variety of displays around the building including some of the specialized equipment and vehicles that the police use. These will include a police cruiser, the police motorcycle, the crime scene vehicle, and the tactical rescue vehicle. Several officers, including Dover's K9 officer will be at the event and interacting with the public.
There will also be other City of Dover departments as well as community organizations on hand to provide literature and other information related to health, safety, and wellness. Information on drug prevention, treatment and recovery resources, violence prevention, and local mental health resources will be available to the public through various booths at the event. The Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 443 will be outside the station cooking burgers and hot dogs free for the public.
Dover’s National Night Out is a family oriented event and is affiliated with National Night Out, which involves over 35 million people in more than 10,000 communities across the nation.
City of Portsmouth NH announces event parking shuttle for Sail Portsmouth
PORTSMOUTH — Sail Portsmouth welcomes a parade of the US Coast Guard barque Eagle and a flotilla of other vessels to Portsmouth on Friday, July 26 starting at 9 a.m. The Parade of Sail features an impressive lineup of vessels, including the Ernestina-Morrissey and Denis Sullivan , along with the iconic gundalow Piscataqua , a US Navy tug, the City fireboat, and a multitude of supporting pleasure craft and fishing vessels. Local boat owners are encouraged to join the Parade of Sail, gathering at the mouth of the Piscataqua that morning to be part of the maritime procession. For the full schedule, visit: sailportsmouth.org .
Tours – Free Tours of the USCG Eagle are offered on Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the Port of Portsmouth (555 Market Street). Visitors should expect to wait in line to board.
Parking –ADA-accessible public parking is available at the Hanover Garage and the Foundry Garage. All parking is first come, first serve and provided at regular rates.
Free Shuttle –Three shuttles (one ADA-equipped) will operate on a free 10-minute loop between the parking garages and the Port of Portsmouth (Granite State Minerals, 555 Market Street), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 27 and July 28. For the shuttle map, visit: portsnh.co/sailshuttle24 . Please note: There will be a 1.5-hour period each day when only two shuttles are operating to allow the drivers to take their lunch breaks. At those times there may be a longer wait for service.
Dillon Guyer partners with Rochester National Night Out to provide backpacks to students in need
ROCHESTER — For the ninth consecutive school year, Dillon Guyer, C.E.O of Guyer Travel International and C.F.O of Karlees Home Team, is working with Rochester Schools to provide fully stocked backpacks to students in need during National Night Out. Held this year on Aug. 6 at Spaulding High School, National Night Out is a national event geared at connecting communities to their local resources, safety teams, police, fire, and recreation departments. Lead by Nicole Rodler, notable mentions would be attendance from Boy Scouts of America with their obstacle course, Touch a Truck, Karate Lessons, performances from Studio 109, music by Toby McCallister from Sparks the Rescue, petting zoo, face paint, S.C.A.R.E, giant lawn games, community vendors, food trucks, and more!
According to Guyer, the group raises thousands of dollars’ worth of supplies to fill each backpack through tangible and monetary donations, with each donation valued and entries to win a free seven night all-inclusive vacation the grand prize. Each bag includes a binder, notebooks, folders, pencils, pens, glue sticks, pencil erasers, crayons, colored pencils, and scissors, headphones, water bottle, and lunch box with additional supplies to choose from.
Organizers are still seeking donations and financial contributions. An Amazon Wishlist is found directly on their social media, and monetary donations made through their venmo or cashapp accounts.
“Donations valued at $10 or more gains you entry to win a free all-inclusive vacation for seven nights, with the option of a cruise or land stay available” said Guyer. “All paid for by Guyer Travel International.”
The deadline for monetary donations is Aug. 5, tangible donations can be dropped off as late as 3 p.m. Aug. 6 at Spaulding High School. For more information or to make a contribution, contact Dillon Guyer at 603-973-0812. Backpacks will be stuffed and distributed to students directly 6 p.m. Aug. 6, at Spaulding High School during National Night Out.
Portsmouth Public Library receives Community Service Award
PORTSMOUTH — Portsmouth Public Library staff were honored to receive the annual Jim Horrigan Community Service Award from the Portsmouth Democrats. During the COVID lockdown, the staff stood outdoors in freezing temperatures, dressed in mittens, masks, and heavy coats, making sure our kids had books to study, read, and enjoy during those dismal days. What would we have done without them?
The award ceremony was held at the annual “Hot Dogs and Democrats” cookout and picnic on Four Tree Island, on a steamy but beautiful evening, July 15. Local Democrats gathered for food, folks, and politics, and enjoyed great scenery with old friends and new.
The Portsmouth Democrats present the Jim Horrigan Award annually to an organization or an individual for outstanding service to the Portsmouth community. Horrigan was a State Representative, a member of the Conservation Commission and the Board of Adjustment. Horrigan was a lifelong advocate for environmental causes both local and national; he was also a community volunteer for many organizations.
Horrigan has passed on, but his son, New Hampshire State Representative Tim Horrigan from Strafford County, was on hand for the ceremony. Shanika Amarakoon, Portsmouth Democrats Chair, bestowed the award. Gretyl Macalaster, Supervisor of Youth Services and Christine Friese, Director of Portsmouth Public Library, were on hand to receive the award.
City of Portsmouth NH accepting public comment on Draft Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan
PORTSMOUTH — The City of Portsmouth is updating its Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan and is seeking community input. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires every community to develop and maintain a Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan with the goal of increasing resilience to natural hazards such as flooding, storm surge, extreme temperatures, wildfires, and other natural disaster threats to health and safety.
Fire Chief William McQuillen invites community members to share their comments on how and where natural hazards impact the City, and their neighborhoods. Citizens should review the draft of the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for Portsmouth and then provide comments to Chief William McQuillen at wjmcquillen@cityofportsmouth.com or 603-427-1515.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Free garden tours, National Night Out, Sail Portsmouth shuttle: Community news update
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