Dover Download

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.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with José Feliciano and Terry Ellen Carter from the Committee for Racial Equity and Inclusion (CREI). Carter opens with a land acknowledgment honoring the Abenaki, Penacook, and Wabanaki peoples, a practice the committee observes at every meeting. Feliciano, a mechanical engineer originally from Puerto Rico and current CREI chair, explains the committee was formed in response to the murder of George Floyd in 2020, serving in an advisory role to identify opportunities for Dover's government to address racial bias and promote inclusion. He highlights the committee's role in recommending the renaming of the First Settlers Cemetery to the Thomas Roberts Cemetery as an example of meaningful, representative action. Carter encourages broader membership, particularly business owners, noting gaps in Dover's offerings such as the lack of a salon serving Black women and the absence of an international grocery store. Feliciano discusses the committee's community outreach strategy, including attending a diversity celebration at Woodman Park Elementary School where they gathered feedback revealing a need for translation services in city offices. Looking ahead, the committee plans a chalk art event at Immigrants Park in partnership with the Arts Commission to represent the flags of immigrant communities not currently displayed there.

In This Week in Dover History, we learn about a 1923 incident involving the Soldiers and Sailors Civil War Monument. Residents discovered the bronze sword held by the sailor statue had been bent, with shoe prints along the base suggesting someone had climbed it. Police suspected youthful vandalism, given the monument's proximity to the high school. The local newspaper, Foster's Daily Democrat, called for repairs before Memorial Day and for the culprits to face the municipal court judge. The monument still served as the centerpiece of Dover's Memorial Day tribute that year, draped in an American flag and surrounded by flowers as 18 Civil War veterans marched in the parade.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Dover Public Library Director Denise LaFrance about the library's upcoming move back to its renovated building after operating out of temporary space in the McConnell Center for most of 2025 and into 2026. LaFrance announces that the move begins April 20 and will take approximately six weeks, with a grand reopening set for June 5. During the transition, library services will be significantly scaled back, with a small browse collection of newer books, Chromebooks, printing, and museum passes available in Room 306 of the McConnell Center. Hours will be limited to Mondays from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Holds on newer books will continue, but the broader collection will be in transit and unavailable. The three-week checkout period remains unchanged, book drops stay open, and the digital library through Libby and OverDrive has been expanded with additional purchases to help bridge the gap. LaFrance notes that story time and some book groups will continue during the move, and staff are both excited and anxious about the transition. The first two days — June 5 and 6 — will serve as open houses, giving the public a chance to tour the entire building, including staff spaces. Room bookings for the new community room will be available online roughly two weeks before reopening. Regular operations resume Monday, June 8. LaFrance encourages patrons to check out items sooner rather than later and to visit the library's website for updates.

In This Week in Dover History, we learn the story of Lucy Lambert Hale, a Dover native and daughter of abolitionist Senator John Parker Hale. Lucy was a sought-after Washington socialite whose admirers included Robert Todd Lincoln, but she secretly became romantically involved with, and possibly engaged to, John Wilkes Booth. When Booth was killed after assassinating President Lincoln on April 14, 1865, a photograph of Lucy was found on his body. Her family subsequently moved to Spain, and Lucy later returned to New Hampshire, married future U.S. Senator William Chandler, and lived quietly until her death in 1915.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Media Services Director Mike Gillis about key actions taken by Dover's boards, committees, and commissions during March. The two discuss the City Council's decision to pursue diver-assisted mechanical removal of milfoil in Willand Pond, a state-owned waterbody shared with Somersworth, opting against herbicide treatment despite the state's recommendation. They review the FY27 budget process, noting that public hearings have been held and final deliberations are expected in early April. Parker and Gillis also cover the reprogramming of surplus Capital Improvements Project funds toward the Horne Street reconstruction design and First and Second Street crosswalk enhancements, updated property tax exemptions, and the SchoolCare health insurance assessment issue, for which a joint Council-School Board meeting with the Secretary of State is planned. On the planning front, they highlight conditional approval of a Marriott hotel at the former Burger King site on Central Avenue and ongoing Transfer of Development Rights discussions. They also pay tribute to the late Cliff Blake, a dedicated community volunteer.

Parker then speaks with Deb Clough of Don't Trash Dover about the annual "Power of an Hour" cleanup event on April 25. Clough explains that volunteers check in at their ward locations by 9:15 a.m. and spend an hour picking up litter citywide. The event features a friendly ward-versus-ward competition with handmade "trash trophies," and last year volunteers collected a ton and a half of litter.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Community Services Director John Storer and Recreation Director Kevin Hebert to wrap up the podcast's look at the FY27 municipal operating budget.

Storer opens by walking Parker through the complexity of building Community Services' proposed $38 million budget, the largest departmental budget outside the School Board. He explains that more than half of that figure covers water and sewer enterprise funds, with the general fund portion including streets, snow plowing, facilities, and grounds. Because so many costs are driven by outside forces — electricity, chemicals, road salt, and fuel — Storer describes budgeting as a 365-day process of tracking trends and responding to market conditions. He highlights two notable swings in the wastewater budget: a $140,000 savings from improved biosolids disposal options as the industry adapts to PFAS concerns, offset by a $120,000 increase in curbside recycling tipping fees due to weak demand for recyclable materials. Storer also previews the city's transition from the bag-and-tag pay-as-you-throw program to automated curbside collection, set for July 1, 2027, which is expected to generate roughly $80,000 in first-year savings.

Hebert then discusses Recreation's FY27 priorities, including the expansion of Nebi Park, a new pilot volleyball program that nearly sold out immediately, and upgrades to the Jenny Thompson and Indoor pools. He notes that a proposed pool maintenance specialist position did not make the final budget but remains a priority for future years.

In This Week in Dover History, we look back at Dover's transition from a town to a city in 1856, when Andrew Pierce, a 70-year-old businessman and longtime civic leader, became Dover's first mayor, accepting the city's official seal and records from the outgoing Board of Selectmen. The segment covers how the new city charter enabled Dover to establish a municipal fire department, improve its waterworks and public schools, and replace a fragmented system of 12 separate school districts with unified city governance.