Dover Download

• Nebi Park Takes Shape: A Waterfront Transformation Update

  In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Jamie Stevens, project manager for Dover's waterfront development, about the significant progress made on the project over recent months. Stevens describes the substantial visual improvements to Nebi Park, including green grass, tree and shrub plantings, sidewalk installations, lighting systems, and the erection of the pavilion building's timber frame structure, which should be weather-tight within a month. The park features multiple distinctive areas designed to connect users with the water, including the Granite Bridge deck area with rustic hand-split granite blocks, an overlook area with an illuminated flagpole and etched city seal, and the Great Lawn sitting area near the pavilion. The understory area offers an urban walkway with a stabilized stone path designed to provide a woodland experience while connecting residents with nature. Stevens highlights the innovative stormwater management systems incorporated throughout the site, featuring approximately six different processes to retain and treat surface water. The project will continue through winter months, with Stevens now transitioning to also manage the Henry Law Park reconstruction project, ensuring seamless coordination between the two initiatives. Both Parker and Stevens express pride in transforming the former recycling center site into what they describe as a game-changing community asset, scheduled for spring 2026 completion. Stevens recently provided a video tour of the site, which can be viewed at https://dovernh.viebit.com/watch?hash=zaq1xQCWYnGGgSC3In This Week in Dover History, we learn about a tragic celebration in November 1856, when Dover Democrats planned a jubilant event atop Garrison Hill to commemorate James Buchanan's presidential election. The centerpiece was a War of 1812 British cannon transported from Portsmouth Shipyard. During the celebration's salute, the cannon fired prematurely, instantly killing shoemaker John Foss and seriously injuring George Clark, who died hours later. The cannon remained on Garrison Hill, fired only once more in 1875, before being moved to the Woodman Museum after repeated vandalism.

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• "Our Father Who Art in an Iron Lung": Doug Dodd's Memoir of Resilience and Family

  In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Doug Dodd, a longtime builder and developer who has written a memoir about growing up with a father who contracted polio. Dodd's father developed bulbar poliomyelitis during the 1955 polio epidemic in eastern Massachusetts and spent nearly a year at Massachusetts General Hospital before returning home, where he lived in an iron lung for roughly 20 years. Despite his paralysis, Dodd's father remained an active presence in his children's lives, managing the household, helping with homework, and serving as a father confessor to the neighborhood. Dodd describes how his father never presented himself as helpless, instead focusing on others and maintaining his authority as a parent. The book, titled "Our Father Who Art in an Iron Lung," explores these memories and the choices people make when facing adversity. Dodd shares how writing the memoir brought him closer to his sisters as they revisited shared experiences. He discusses memorable moments, including rebuilding a Volkswagen engine with his father despite the challenges of working around medical equipment. The book is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, and local bookstores including the Book Nook in Portsmouth. Dodd is considering a companion volume featuring stories from others whose lives were touched by his father's resilience.

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• 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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