1st Annual Dover School District Art Exhibition

The 1st Annual Dover School District Art Exhibition is displaying at various locations through June 3, 2011. This yearlong exhibition will showcase the numerous talents, creativity and meaningful learning that occurs within the Dover School District Fine Arts Curriculum. At the heart of this exhibit is a diversity of expressions, concepts, themes and inquiries that directly contributes to the cultural richness of each school and the community at large. The exhibit allows the entire community to engage in a visual and aesthetic experience that will evoke attention, appreciation and value for the fine arts.

See the artwork during regular busines hours Monday through Friday:

• November 22nd - January 7th at Dover Middle School
• January 10th - February 28th at Garrison Elementary
• March 1st - April 14th at Horne Street School
• April 15th - June 3rd at Woodman Park Elementary

Laconia Savings Bank Donates $14,000 to Rochester VITA Site

Photo Caption (L-R): Leslie Simpson, Assistant Vice President – Dover Office Manager; Karen Wilson, Assistant Vice President – CRA Officer; Katherine Fredette, CFP Asset Development and VITA Site Coordinator, CASH Campaign of Southeastern NH Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program; Patte Ardizzoni, Strategic Initiatives Director Rockingham Community Action.

Tax time is just around the corner and Rockingham Community Action is teaming up with IRS certified volunteers and Laconia Savings Bank to bring free tax preparation to the Strafford County community.

Rockingham Community Action has been teaching individuals how to manage their assets for the past 5 years. The scope of the program includes reaching out into the community to find partners who are already offering expertise in areas of financial stability, filling the voids in financial education offerings and providing tax preparation free of charge.

“With the $14,000 generously donated by Laconia Savings Bank, Rockingham Community Action is able to build upon the tax preparation program, expanding it from one permanent site in Portsmouth to a recurring site in Rochester in order to reach Strafford County,” stated Patte Ardizzoni, Strategic Initiatives Director for Rockingham Community Action. “Working with the CASH Campaign of Southeastern NH, we are able to bring not only Earned Income Tax Credit dollars to those working taxpayers, but also make the communities of greater Rochester aware that there are ways to build upon their assets, to connect with services and other resources. All of this work couldn’t be accomplished without the kind of support offered by Laconia Savings Bank and the other members of the CASH Campaign of Southeastern NH.”

To find out more about VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) and to locate the nearest site locations throughout New Hampshire, call 1-800-906-9887 or go online to http://www.irs.gov.

Laconia Savings Bank was founded in 1831 and provides deposit, lending and wealth management services within its network of 19 community banking offices located throughout the state. With assets exceeding $1 billion, Laconia Savings Bank is the largest and one of the strongest locally owned New Hampshire banks. Laconia Savings Bank helps businesses, consumers, not-for-profits and government entities achieve financial success. For further information, visit one of our local offices or log on to www.laconiasavings.com.

Laconia Savings Bank Named “Best Companies To Work For” Semi-Finalist

Laconia Savings Bank has been named a semi-finalist in the 2010 Business NH Magazine’s Best Companies to Work For in New Hampshire competition. This is the third time in five years Laconia Savings Bank has been awarded this honor. The competition is based on employee satisfaction within the workplace, innovative workplace programs and benefits.

Laconia Savings Bank is the premier, independent, full-service bank in New Hampshire. A large part of the Bank’s mission is to provide a positive and supportive atmosphere for employees where they take satisfaction in being part of the Laconia Savings Bank team, take great pride in the bank, in building strong customer relationships and delivering superior customer service.

Laconia Savings Bank offers outstanding benefits to their employees including paid volunteer time, tuition reimbursement, profit sharing allocation to employee 401K accounts, and Bravo!, an employee recognition program that celebrates workers who display team spirit and dedication. Each year the Bank also hosts an Employee Appreciation Day that has included excursions such as Duck Tours through historic Boston and a Mount Washington cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee.

Over the past 180 years, Laconia Savings Bank has seen significant growth. Much of this success is directly related to employee satisfaction. Laconia Savings Bank understands that with this growth came a responsibility to keep the “small bank atmosphere.” By sticking to their core values, Laconia Savings Bank has excelled in providing quality customer service, retaining happy employees and has once again gained the honor of being named one of the top companies to work for in New Hampshire.

Laconia Savings Bank, founded in 1831, provides deposit, lending and wealth management services to families and businesses throughout New Hampshire. With 19 community offices within the state and assets exceeding $1 billion, Laconia Savings Bank is the largest independent bank in New Hampshire. Because Laconia Savings Bank is a mutual organization, it doesn’t answer to stock holders and can focus on the success of its customers, communities and employees. Throughout its long history, Laconia Savings Bank continues to be a strong and stable financial organization.

For more information, call 1-800-832-0912 or visit www.laconiasavings.com.

Service Credit Union fulfills Christmas wishes for Somersworth Youth Safe Haven Families and Children

Service Credit Union recently donated 62 gift cards valued at $25 each to the Somersworth Youth Safe Haven for the families and children in its program. The gift cards will be used toward Christmas presents and food during this holiday season.

The Somersworth Safe Haven program mentors youth ages 6 - 18 in an afterschool homework lab, activities program, gym program, community service opportunities, and a six-week Summer Program. One of their main focuses is giving youth a place to do their homework and get help if they need it.

“We had some families who cannot afford any Christmas presents this year and some families who cannot afford food,” says Betty Eaton, Executive Director of the program. “If it wasn’t for Service Credit Union and their help, many families and children would go without. I can’t say enough about their phenomenal support.”

A major supporter of the Safe Haven Program for the third consecutive year, Service Credit Union contributed to the summer program and gave school supplies earlier this year. Service Credit Union introduced a youth financial education program to Somersworth Youth Safe Haven to help children with financial literacy and readiness goals. The five-week series helped participants, grade 5 through high school, with checkbook basics, personals budgeting, savings and career choices. The Youth Safe Haven program is designed to help low-income at-risk children ages 6-18 who live mainly in the Somersworth Housing Authority homes or are referred by the local SAU. The program currently services more than 50 children from working low-income families.

“We are extremely fortunate to be able to aid our community in this important way,” says Gordon Simmons, President/CEO of Service Credit Union. “Somersworth Youth Safe Haven/Police MiniStation Program fits into our vision of helping others.”

Service Credit Union Somersworth Branch Manager Patti Coffin, left, and Marketing Assistant Manager Aimée Sundstrom, right, present Somersworth Safe Haven Executive Director Betty Eaton, center, with $1,550 worth of gift cards.

With growing competition from chain stores and the Internet, independent music shops are adapting to the times to keep locals rocking

Great article in The Wire about local music shops, including Ralph's House of Tone! Click here to read.

Dover Cyclery Patron Wins $3000 Local Shopping Spree

It's never too late to shop locally.

Just ask Amber Payne of Dover, who filled out an entry form for a purchase made on December 16th, the last day before the Grand Prize drawing in the Dover Chamber’s SHOP DOVER FIRST campaign. Ms. Payne’s entry was selected the very next day, making her the winner of the Grand Prize, a Local Shopping Spree consisting of $3,000 worth of Gift Cards to local businesses.

“I’m a huge proponent of spending locally, so I took notice of the Chamber’s ‘SHOP DOVER’ campaign right away,” said Payne, whose winning purchase was made at Dover Cyclery on Chestnut Street. “I’m thrilled to have won, of course, but I’m also pleased just to see people making the effort to support our local economy.”

The SHOP DOVER FIRST campaign, which the Chamber has produced with sponsorship help from Federal Savings Bank, has been a huge success this holiday season, with entries totaling nearly $2 million in local spending.

“Judging from the feedback we’ve been receiving from local businesses, the campaign has really begun to change people’s mindsets and affect their buying behavior,” noted Chamber Executive Director Kirt Schuman. “We felt this needed to be done, and I’m gratified to see that the response has been so overwhelmingly positive.”

In fact, the Chamber has decided to extend the campaign through the end of the year in order to build on the momentum that has already been generated, and to help local merchants finish the year as strongly as possible.

“Business has been good,” noted Dover Cyclery owner Wayne Richard, “and I really think the Chamber staff deserves a lot of credit. People see the SHOP DOVER FIRST posters and entry boxes all over town, and sooner or later, the message begins to resonate.”

Chamber Marketing Manager Aaron Wensley added, “It’s important for people to understand that the message we’re promoting is ‘Shop Dover First,’ as opposed to ‘Shop Dover Only.’ Everyone’s going to do some online shopping, or make a special trip to an out-of-town favorite, and that’s OK. We just want people to consider looking close to home first, and then to use those other outlets to fill in the gaps. If every resident could just make that one change in their habits, that commitment to shopping the local guys first, it would make a world of difference.”

Ms. Payne heartily agrees. “Everyone likes having neat shops and a unique, vibrant community that people want to be a part of, but if we want our favorites to survive, we have to make the effort to support them.”

One Liberty Lane Welcomes Leading Seacoast Caterer Galley Hatch at Newly Renovated Event Center

Office, conference and event center "One Liberty Lane" this week proudly welcomed Seacoast hospitality leader Galley Hatch Catering as its newest resident. The move to Liberty Lane places a full-service caterer onsite at a facility that hosts weddings, corporate functions, and special events.

Established in 1995 and headquartered in Hampton, NH, Galley Hatch Catering is a sister company to the

Galley Hatch Restaurant, a local favorite for 40 years. With services that already range from weddings

and corporate outings to golf tournaments, family gatherings, boat cruises, corporate meetings, seminars,

and open houses, Galley Hatch Catering co-owner John Tinios described the Liberty Lane move as a

significant growth opportunity.

“We are excited as a company to take on the challenge of making a great property a great hospitality

venue for catered events and meetings,” Tinios said. “We have a team of professionals with decades of

experience in providing exceptional food and beverage service to the greater Seacoast.”

Great Bay Community College Addresses Projected Caregiver Shortage

Great Bay Community College’s Business & Training Center (BTC) is leading the way in addressing projected caregiver shortages in the home care arena. Supported by a grant from The International Longevity Center, Great Bay will be offering a seven week, 40-hour certificate course - Personal Care Attendant Training starting in February 2011 to prepare participants for work in the field of elder and disability care as personal care attendants.

Demand for caregivers is high and growing: personal care and home care aides are in the top 10 fastest growing jobs in the country. According to Department of Labor statistics, by 2020, the number of trained in-home caregivers needed will nearly double. The New Hampshire Employment Security, Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau projects health care support occupations to show a 26.8% gain in employment over the next 10 years.

Currently, family caregivers and friends provide 90% of all home care, but that will change as baby boomers age. Not as many family caregivers will be available to care for baby boomers because boomers had fewer children and 12 % had no children. Boomers are also more likely to be divorced and to live alone as they become elderly. The dwindling source of caregivers makes it clear that the demand for paraprofessional caregivers such as personal care attendants will become even more urgent in the coming years.

Medifecta Healthcare Training, developers of the course curriculum, has been recognized by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the National Hospice Foundation for its quality programs. The course will include instruction in infection control, safe wheelchair use, positioning in bed, personal care, measuring vital signs, fall prevention, fire safety, and more. It will include both classroom and simulated skill practice.

According to Lin Tamulonis, Associate VP of Corporate and Community Education for Great Bay, “creating training programs to develop workforce capacity in our region is our goal. We make sure our programs meet professional standards so that employers know that our students have the skills and knowledge that the occupation demands.”

Christopher Lawrence, Director of Community Education at the BTC, emphasizes that “the population over age 65 in NH is increasing at twice the rate of the rest of the population putting these skills and occupations in the ‘high demand’ area.”

The first scheduled course will meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5:50-8:30PM starting February 23, 2011 at Great Bay Community College located in Portsmouth at the Pease International Tradeport (320 Corporate Avenue). For more information or to register, contact Mickey Pike at 603-427-7654.

City of Dover Food Drive collects thousands of food items for local pantries

This year's annual City of Dover food drive generated thousands of food items and over $4,000 for local food pantries.

Each year, City departments compete to raise the most nonperishable food items and monetary donations, which are distributed to various local pantries and agencies. This year, City employees, their friends and families, and residents donated about 4,300 nonperishable food items and $4,019. Food and cash donations were accepted at most City facilities through Dec. 15.

Community Services led the City with an average of nearly 86 items donated per person, followed by the Recreation Department, with an average of nearly 50 items donated per person.

Food items and cash donations will be distributed to Community Action, St. Joseph's Food Pantry and the Dover Food Pantry.

For more information on the annual food drive, call Colleen Bessette in the City Manager's office at 516-6023.

Holy Rosary Credit Union promotes Debbie Smith to Senior Loan Officer

Ms. Smith began her career with HRCU in 1988 as a part time teller/Financial Services Associate and moved to full time in June of 2000. In September of 2000 she was promoted to Assistant Loan Officer and focused her attention on the Lending facet of the Credit Union. In November 2002 Smith was promoted to Loan Officer. Debbie Smith holds a Level III Lending status and is also a licensed insurance producer for HRCU. As Senior Loan Officer, Smith is currently studying to become a Certified Financial Counselor for HRCU. She resides in Rochester with her family.