Dover Download

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Mike Gillis, the city's Director of Media Services, to recap highlights from January's board, committee, and commission activities.

The conversation begins with the Jan. 5 inauguration of the City Council, including four new city councilors and a new mayor, with Lindsey Williams unanimously selected as deputy mayor. The School Board also took the oath of office, retaining Robin Trefethen as chair. The new Council quickly got to work with a workshop and goal-setting session.

The School Board adopted a proposed budget of approximately $102.8 million that will continue existing programs without staff cuts. Parker and Gillis discuss the Planning Board's annual land use meeting, which brought together volunteers from various boards for networking and updates. A significant milestone was the Planning Board's adoption of the new land-use chapter of the Master Plan.

Other key Council actions included approving phase one of the Central Avenue water main replacement project, declining a state grant for milfoil treatment at Willand Pond due to PFAS concerns, and approving additional funding for the permanent 9/11 memorial. The Council also discussed Community Power rate changes and decided to move some city accounts back to the default energy provider.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Jackson Kaspari, Director of Member Services for the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire. Kaspari, who previously served as Dover's resilience manager and helped launch the city's Community Power program, reflects on the coalition's growth since Dover became a founding member in October 2021. The organization has expanded to 68 member communities with 50 operating programs, serving approximately 175,000 customers statewide.

The conversation covers how community power works, including the opt-out structure, product tiers offering varying levels of renewable energy, and the ease of switching between options. Kaspari explains that about 60% of Dover customers currently participate in Community Power. He discusses the upcoming Feb. 1 rate of $0.14 per kilowatt hour, which will be higher than Eversource's rate, attributing the differential to changes in how utilities now purchase power and the coalition's decision to build community reserves. About two cents per kilowatt hour goes toward these reserves, which Kaspari says will enable more competitive rates and local energy projects in the future. He highlights Dover's participation in the state's largest solar array in Warner, New Hampshire, which will benefit the municipality in the long term.

In This Week in Dover History, we look back at the devastating Cocheco Manufacturing Company mill fire of Jan. 26, 1907. The blaze at Mill No. 1 claimed six lives after a malfunctioning sprinkler head was shut off for repairs just minutes before workers spotted smoke. The fire spread rapidly through the five-story brick building as below-freezing temperatures froze hoses and equipment. After two days of firefighting, the upper floors collapsed, causing $1 million in damage. The mill was rebuilt and reopened by October 1908 with improved safety measures.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Melanie Haney of East Coast Evolution Leadership and Strafford County Commission Chair George Maglaras about the Strafford County Warming Center's current operations and future expansion.

Haney explains how her company evolved from Thrive Outdoors' leadership development work to operating emergency shelters across New Hampshire. East Coast Evolution now staffs the warming center, focusing on providing safety and security while connecting guests with community resources. The low-barrier facility welcomes individuals as they are, though no substance use is permitted on-site. Guests sign agreements, secure their belongings, and receive dinner, coffee, snacks and access to bunks or cots. The center, located on Willand Drive in Somersworth, operates when temperatures drop below 32 degrees or during inclement weather, with capacity for 26 beds and additional floor space.

For more information about East Coast Evolution Leadership, visit https://www.eastcoastevolutionleadership.com/

Maglaras outlines plans to transform the warming center into a year-round homeless services facility at the county complex. The new 5,000-square-foot building, targeted for November opening, will offer extended stays and wraparound services including medical care, substance abuse treatment, mental health support and job placement. By leveraging existing county resources like the jail's kitchen and pursuing federal grants, Maglaras aims to address root causes of homelessness while minimizing taxpayer costs. Currently funded through $75,000 contributions from Dover and Rochester, plus Somersworth's in-kind services, the initiative represents a regional approach to providing sustainable solutions beyond temporary shelter.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Chef Evan Hennessey, a Dover native who has become a prominent figure in the culinary scene. Hennessey, whose mother was a French teacher in Dover, left the area after graduating from Dover High School to work in Boston, New York and Chicago before returning to establish his career in his hometown. He discusses his journey from wanting to be a Disney animator to becoming a chef, starting as a prep cook and dishwasher at Newick's restaurant. Hennessey reflects on how his cooking style has evolved over 30 years, learning to simplify dishes rather than over-complicate them. He shares his passion for Dover as a small, growing community with great proximity to both mountains and ocean. The conversation highlights the collaborative nature of Dover's restaurant community, where business owners support each other rather than compete. Hennessey discusses his current restaurants, Stages and The Living Room, his appearances on the Food Network show Chopped, as well as his upcoming venture, Topolino, opening this spring at 9 River St., which will feature casual Mediterranean cuisine with roughly 70 seats, a bar, and a patio on the river. He also mentions his participation in a Friends of the Library fundraiser on Jan. 27 at Chapel + Main, featuring a live-streamed mystery basket cooking challenge.

For more information about the Friends of the Library fundraiser at Chapel + Main with Hennessey, or to purchase tickets, visit https://dovernh.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/cook-for-the-books-friends-of-the-library-fundraiser/

In This Week in Dover History, we learn about the development of winter sports in Dover over the past century. The segment traces how a 1923 Dover Chamber of Commerce meeting led to discussions about forming a hockey team and allowing skiing at Garrison Hill, including construction of a ski jump. These early efforts eventually resulted in a ski area at Garrison Hill with a rope tow that operated until the 1960s, a public skating rink behind the library that was later converted to parking, and the opening of the Dover Ice Arena in the 1970s. By 1999, demand had grown enough to warrant a second sheet of ice, leading to the construction of the Holt rink, which was completed in 2001 alongside a reconstruction of the Robert H. Foster rink, making the arena a year-round community destination.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Betsey Andrews Parker, Chief Executive Officer of Community Action Partnership of Strafford County. This episode kicks off Season 5's special focus on nonprofits serving the Dover and Seacoast area.

Betsey explains that CAP, which traces its roots to President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty, operates as an umbrella organization providing a wide range of services including fuel assistance, weatherization, Head Start early childhood programs, food distribution to 24 soup kitchens and pantries, homeless shelters, senior housing, domestic violence and human trafficking programs, and home visiting services for newborns. She emphasizes that many working families qualify for assistance without realizing it, with programs serving households earning up to 200% of the federal poverty level. CAP operates on a $20 million annual budget, with 84% coming from federal sources that require matching funds. Betsey discusses her background in public health and bioterrorism preparedness, including work on pandemic planning that proved valuable during COVID-19. She stresses the importance of partnerships with municipalities, other nonprofits, and the community, noting that CAP's 120 employees work collaboratively to serve residents. Volunteers and donors can find opportunities at straffordcap.org, and the organization's main office is at 577 Central Avenue in Dover, with additional locations in Farmington and Rochester.

In This Week in Dover History, we look back at the inauguration of city officials on Jan. 6, 1925, when Mayor John P. Morrison took office amid crowded Council Chambers at City Hall. The segment contrasts Dover's partisan, bicameral government of the past with today's nonpartisan City Council-City Manager system, while noting that the tradition of January inaugurations continues to this day.