Dover Download

• Never Forget: Planning Dover's Sept. 11 Memorial

  In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Police Chief David Terlemezian and Fire Chief Perry Plummer about plans for a Sept. 11 memorial, and with Brian Early of Media Services and City Planner Erin Bassegio about October Planning Board and City Council activities.Terlemezian and Plummer discuss the community initiative to create a permanent memorial for the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. The chiefs explain how the Dover Police Charities and firefighters' organizations have committed to helping fund the project, which will honor four victims with Dover connections and serve as a "field trip-worthy" educational site downtown. Mayor Robert Carrier launched the initiative during this year's Sept. 11 recognition ceremony. The memorial committee, comprising municipal employees and residents, is working with a private property owner to secure a visible, accessible downtown location for annual remembrances.Early and Bassegio provide updates on the October Planning Board and City Council meetings.

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• Your Vote, Your Voice: Dover's 2025 Municipal Election Guide

  In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with City Clerk/Tax Collector Jerrica Vansylyvong-Bizier about Dover's upcoming municipal election on Nov. 4, 2025. Voters will elect a new mayor, six city councilors (one per ward), two at-large councilors, six school board members, and various election officials. While the school board races are uncontested, several city council races are contested.Vansylyvong-Bizier explains that existing registered voters need only bring photo ID to their unchanged polling locations, open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. New residents must provide photo ID plus proof of Dover address, and can register at City Hall through October 27th or at polling places on Election Day. Recent law changes now require photo ID for absentee ballot requests, and new voters must prove citizenship through documents like birth certificates, passports, or naturalization papers.The city's election webpage -- https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/open-government/election-information/2025-municipal-election/ -- maintains updated candidate information and financial disclosure forms. While this municipal election typically sees lower turnout than state or federal races, Vansylyvong-Bizier emphasizes that local elections directly impact residents' daily lives and encourages maximum participation. In This Week in Dover History, we learn about Franklin Academy, Dover's first brick public building, incorporated in 1818 on Central Avenue. The private college prep school operated for 75 years, closing in 1896 after educating generations of local youth.

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• Planning Dover's Progress: The CIP Process Explained

  In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Planning Director Donna Benton about Dover's Capital Improvements Program (CIP). Benton explains that the CIP is a long-range planning document for purchasing or constructing capital assets. The process begins in early summer when departments submit project requests, which are then reviewed by a committee including the finance director, planning director, and city manager.The CIP encompasses diverse projects ranging from water and sewer line work to facilities improvements, recreation projects, and technology upgrades like network improvements. Each project must align with Dover's master plan and meet the city's financial policies. Benton notes that while there's no shortage of desired projects, capacity constraints in both staffing and funding require careful prioritization.Notable projects in the current CIP include the Broadway neighborhood improvements, which have been long-awaited since 2017, recreation court reconstruction, street tree and lighting improvements, and the Pointe Place roundabout. The fire department has also freed up approximately $1 million through strategic equipment purchases, allowing for reallocation to other projects.The CIP undergoes public review through the Planning Board and City Council, with public hearings scheduled in October and November. The Planning Board ensures alignment with the master plan while the City Council handles the financial approval. Projects with debt financing can begin before July 1st, though actual construction timing depends on whether design work has been completed.In This Week in Dover History, we learn about the devastating 1956 fire that destroyed Meyer Siegel's Central Avenue store, occurring just as he returned from court defending his right to open on Sundays.

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• Patience and Perseverance: How Dover Finally Developed the Waterfront

  In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, the fourth episode in a series on the history of the Cochecho River, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with George Maglaras and Dana Lynch about the decades-long journey to redevelop Dover's waterfront. The conversation traces the project's origins back to the early 1990s when Maglaras, then mayor, formed the city's first waterfront task force. Lynch, a civil engineer who chaired the task force, discusses how the initial vision centered on mixed-use development with public access to the river.The guests describe numerous challenges and setbacks, including community concerns that waterfront development would compete with downtown businesses, the 1990 recession, and the difficulty of securing financial commitments without proper due diligence, such as soil surveys and environmental studies. A pivotal 1996 charrette helped generate momentum, leading to requests for proposals from developers. However, the project experienced significant delays, including a nearly decade-long pause during the Great Recession.Both guests emphasize that the lengthy timeline, while frustrating, allowed for crucial community consensus-building through thousands of public meetings. They credit the 2010 Cochecho River bridge with symbolizing the connection between downtown and the waterfront. Lynch, who said he became emotional at the 2023 groundbreaking, reflects on the countless volunteer hours invested over three decades. Both men express pride in seeing the project finally come to fruition, noting it will expand rather than eclipse downtown Dover. They acknowledge the contributions of former city planner Steve Bird and numerous other volunteers who maintained momentum throughout the challenging development process.

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• Leading with Experience: Dover's New Police Chief David Terlemezian

  In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with David Terlemezian, Dover's newly appointed Chief of Police. Terlemezian, who has served the Dover Police Department for nearly 30 years, discusses his journey from patrol officer to chief, sharing how his career path evolved after starting as an economics major at UNH and discovering his passion for law enforcement through an internship with the New Hampshire State Police.Chief Terlemezian addresses the challenges of modern policing, including national narratives about law enforcement and maintaining officer morale. He emphasizes that Dover's police department benefits from strong community support due to professionalism, quality training, and effective hiring practices. With nearly 100 employees, including about 50 sworn officers, the department has hired 19 officers between 2020 and 2023, creating a need for enhanced training programs to address experience gaps.The new chief outlines his priorities, including conducting individual meetings with every department employee and implementing brief "primer trainings" on essential skills. He explains the rigorous hiring process for new officers, which typically takes about a year from initial testing through academy graduation and field training. Terlemezian also discusses the importance of specialized assignments within the department as both recruitment and retention tools, allowing officers to develop varied careers within the organization. He stresses that policing is fundamentally about human service, noting that in a community of 34,000 residents, officers frequently interact with the same individuals in different capacities over time.In This Week in Dover History, we learn about the launch of Dover's innovative "Bag and Tag" program on Oct. 7, 1991, which dramatically reduced residential waste by more than half while increasing recycling rates above 50%. The program, pioneered by citizens like Earl Goodwin and Councilor Gary Gilmore, became a model for other New England communities and will transition to automated carts in 2027.

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