Dover Download

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Anne Hayes, executive director of Gather, a Seacoast-area food access and hunger relief organization.

Hayes explains that Gather was founded in 1816 by women from Strawbery Banke to support fishermen's families and has evolved significantly since rebranding from Seacoast Family Food Pantry in 2016. Operating from a new community food center at 124 Heritage Ave. in Portsmouth, Gather runs a low-barrier pantry market designed like a small grocery store where members shop by choice and receive food for free. Eligibility requires only that visitors live or work in New Hampshire or Maine. Produce is unlimited, and the pantry stocks proteins, dairy, breads, pet food, personal care items, and accommodates dietary restrictions.

Hayes describes Gather's two-pronged approach: "serving the line" through the pantry and roughly 40 to 45 monthly mobile markets (including three Dover locations and the refurbished "Gus the Bus" fresh food vehicle), and "shortening the line" through wraparound services, Cooking Matters classes, a teaching garden at the Seacoast YMCA, and the eight-week Fresh Start culinary workforce training program. A new production kitchen turns out about 3,000 prepared meals weekly, with a goal of 250,000 annually.

Roughly 35 to 40 percent of food comes from grocery rescue, with additional supply from the food bank, USDA programs, and 70-plus restaurant and manufacturer partners. Funding is largely from individual donations. Gather has 37 staff and 350 to 400 active monthly volunteers.

In This Week in Dover History, we learn that in May 1923, Foster's Daily Democrat announced plans for a special edition marking both Dover's 300th anniversary and the newspaper's own 50th.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Planning and Community Development Director Donna Benton and Housing Planner Abby Muirhead about Dover's ongoing housing efforts following their recent City Council presentation. Muirhead reports that Dover permitted over 500 housing units in 2024 and 159 in 2025, highlighting the city's Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) ordinance, which has produced 109 HUD-restricted units. Benton notes that without TDR, Dover would likely see only a handful of new units annually given how built out the city already is. The conversation acknowledges that while the city can encourage density and waive certain fees, market forces drive most costs, with construction running at least $300 per square foot and quarter-acre residential parcels averaging $234,000.

Benton and Muirhead discuss the recent accessory dwelling unit workshop, which drew a standing-room-only crowd and covered ADU basics, permitting, construction considerations, and financing. Dover currently has about 80 permitted ADUs, with 13 already filed in 2026. They also touch on Dover's role as a statewide leader on innovative land use policies, partnerships with the Workforce Housing Coalition and Home for All, and the Dover Housing Authority's role as the largest provider of affordable housing locally. Muirhead previews a forthcoming public housing dashboard and a new pilot program using CDBG funds to rehabilitate existing low-income rental units, preserving affordability while supporting local landlords.

In This Week in Dover History, we revisit May 1887, when Dover High School's student newspaper, The Enterprise, accused the School Board of corruption, religious discrimination, and bribery.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Mike Gillis about the major actions taken by Dover's boards, committees, and commissions during April. The City Council kicked off the month on April 1 by adopting a $227.3 million budget following weeks of workshops and public hearings, with Parker praising the balance between veteran councilors and new members learning the process in public view. A week later, the Council awarded an energy savings performance contract for the McConnell Center and is exploring solar and efficiency projects at other city facilities. The Council also continued reprogramming surplus debt-financed funds toward projects like the Henry Law reconstruction, the McConnell Center roof, and Horne Street design, helping mitigate future borrowing costs.

Parker and Gillis then turned to the Planning Board, which approved the Jefferson Drive transfer of development rights project 8-1, scaled back the Stark Avenue TDR, and reviewed proposed updates to site plan and subdivision regulations. The Waterfront Committee reelected its leadership and reviewed plans for a canoe and kayak vendor at the new Nebi Park pavilion. The School Board held two meetings focused largely on switching from SchoolCare to a new insurance provider, with the district filing suit for emergency relief ahead of a potential May 1 claims hold. Finally, the Parking Commission endorsed a swap of Orchard Street parking spaces with a private property owner to expand public parking downtown.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with returning City Attorney Joshua Wyatt and new Fire Chief Brendan Driscoll.

Wyatt, who previously served as city attorney from June 2019 to February 2025 before joining the Pease Development Authority as deputy general counsel, returned to the city role on Jan. 26, 2026. He walks through the broad scope of the city attorney's office, which serves as a centrally located legal service provider for all city departments and the school district, handling compliance, employment matters, and internal corporate issues, but not criminal prosecution, which is handled by a licensed attorney within the police department. Wyatt offers a primer on the Right-to-Know law (RSA 91-A), rooted in the state constitution, explaining that it governs both public meetings and records and is foundational to public trust in government. He describes how his office coordinates right-to-know requests, often working with requesters by phone to narrow broad inquiries into specific documents. Wyatt and Parker discuss the explosion of documentation in modern government, the challenges and benefits of email-era recordkeeping, and the value of keyword searching. Wyatt also introduces his team, including extern Catherine Carr, Deputy City Attorney Jennifer Perez, and legal assistant/paralegal Patty Moniello, and reflects on why in-house municipal work appeals to him more than private practice: one client, deeper relationships, and the ability to focus on public service rather than revenue generation.

Driscoll, who joined the Dover Fire Department in December 2009 and rose through the ranks from firefighter/EMT to paramedic, lieutenant, captain, and deputy chief before becoming fire chief on Feb. 1, 2026, discusses his family's deep Dover roots, including his father's tenure as chief. He emphasizes building his own reputation within the department while honoring that legacy. Driscoll describes a dedicated crew that requires no major cultural overhaul, with his focus instead on training a relatively young workforce across all levels, from ice water rescue to command training for officers. He reports that the battalion chief model, adopted just over a year ago, is working well, providing immediate on-scene command at large incidents while giving chiefs dedicated administrative areas of responsibility. Driscoll updates listeners on the training center, which has hosted a cooking-fire demonstration with the state fire marshal and will see live-fire training by late spring. He also covers space reallocation at the North End Station following Inspection Services' move to Mast Road, and the department's dramatic call volume growth, from about 5,000 calls annually in 2009 to 7,344 in 2025. Looking ahead, Driscoll plans to develop a five- and 10-year strategic plan involving firefighters, community members, and the City Council.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Deanna Strand, Director of the Dover Adult Learning Center, about the organization's mission, programs, and recent developments.

Strand shared how she came to DALC in 2009, stepping up from a coordinator role in Exeter to lead a much larger organization based at the McConnell Center. As the adult literacy agency for Strafford County, DALC serves learners age 16 and up across 13 cities and towns, with additional sites in Rochester, at Somersworth High School, and at the Strafford County Department of Corrections. Students come for a wide range of reasons — to earn a high school credential, master skills they missed earlier in life, improve English language proficiency, build digital literacy, or prepare for a career. Strand described the center as the "duct tape in the educational pipeline," emphasizing that students can return as often as needed with no expiration date.

A major highlight was DALC's new transportation program, launched after years of effort. Supported by a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and operated through Enterprise's van pool program, volunteer drivers now shuttle students to morning classes in Dover, boosting attendance and instructional hours. Strand put out a call for more volunteer drivers to expand service to Rochester and evening classes. She also addressed staffing challenges, the center's hybrid relationship with the Dover School Department, and the school department's recent commitment to fund an additional position. She closed by inviting listeners to visit doveradultlearning.org.

In This Week in Dover History, we revisit a 1906 competitive checkers tournament held at Ham's Hall on Washington Street, where the Bellamy Club claimed top honors, Charles Leighton captured the Barker Prize against a field of 40, and Dover's champion William P. Hartnett upheld his reputation in an era when checkers drew crowds and captured a city's attention.