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Dividends-December 2003 Guest Message There is something about this time of year that makes most of us pause and reflect on the events of the past 12 months. I am certainly one of those people who, in looking back over the past year, could not have anticipated what 2003 would hold for me. And if you had told me that I would be writing this letter to you in Dividends, I would have told you that you had the wrong Barbara. On Monday, February 10, 2003 something important took place at 500 Market Street. I met with Joshua Cyr, board president of Pro Portsmouth, Inc. and Peter Hamelin, president of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce. We discussed Pro Portsmouth and its place in the community, the importance of its role as a non-profit organization supporting the efforts of Seacoast musicians, performers and artists. Closing it down last October was one of the most difficult things we had experienced, and now it was time for Pro Portsmouth to be reborn. The fact that Pro Portsmouth was dormant during the winter of 2003 was not lost to me. When the partnership was formed between the Chamber and Pro Portsmouth in February - hibernation time was over! With Children's Day and Market Square Day just around the corner, we alerted our volunteers, our partners in the business community and, of course, the artists, performers and craftspeople of the Seacoast. Thankfully, you all came out of hibernation as well proving that building community through downtown events is a powerful force in our city. And just when it seemed like there might be some time to catch a breath or two…there was Summer On The Street. This pilot program, run on Market Street and Pleasant Street on Saturday evenings, was a joint effort between the Downtown Business Association and the City of Portsmouth. Folks from town, as well as visitors to the Port City, enjoyed street performers, music and the pleasure of wide-open spaces (only a slight exaggeration…). In September, we partnered with Folk Horizons to produce the Maritime Folk Festival, a two-day homage to the maritime music and history in Portsmouth. As you read this, the Snowflake Festival is underway. Beginning with the Holiday Tree Lighting Dec. 5, and ending on Dec. 31 with New Year's Portsmouth 2004, Snowflake is a compilation of holiday events in Portsmouth including a Downtown Storefront Decorating Contest. Brochures containing a calendar of events, and a ballot for selecting the Best Decorated Store, are available at many stores and restaurants downtown. Please vote and redeem your ballot for a 10-percent off promotional coupon good at participating stores. Winning store owners will receive prizes for their decorating efforts including tickets from Southwest Airlines, gift certificates from the Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel, Portsmouth Courtyard by Marriott, Holiday Inn, and Jardiniere Florists; and dinner certificates from some of Portsmouth's finest restaurants! We certainly hope that you will celebrate the last night of 2003 with us at New Year's Portsmouth 2004. The event features fireworks, ice sculptures and lots of great entertainment. The year's celebration was produced in the same fashion as previous New Year's events and revolves around multiple venues throughout the downtown area. Buttons purchased for New Year's Portsmouth will be honored at all of the indoor events that are part of the program. Ice sculptures will once again adorn the brick plaza in front of the North Church, young and old alike will boogie down at a street dance on Pleasant Street, and fireworks will light up the night sky at 7:30 p.m. at the South Mill Pond. We thank all our venues for hosting this year's schedule of New Year's entertainment. You allow us to spend an evening in some of the most beautiful, historic buildings in town. To our sponsors, Comcast, Fox Run Mall, Service Credit Union, RAM Printing, Inc., Ocean National and the Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel, your continued financial support helps us produce one of the most memorable and enjoyable celebrations in the region. To our volunteers - we count on all of you to make this night happen! There is not enough space to thank everyone who made Pro Portsmouth's return possible. Since February, I have been fortunate to speak or work with many of you at meetings and events. The board and staff of the Chamber, as well as the board of Pro Portsmouth, Inc., believed that supporting the Seacoast's arts, culture, history and community had value - thank you for your vision. Working with the City Manager John Bohenko, Mayor Evelyn Sirrell and the various departments has been tremendously rewarding. We are a team - thank you for your belief and support. As for the future… anything is possible, but nothing happens without your support. Get involved - volunteer for an event, be a part of a committee, fundraise - help Pro Portsmouth continue to create and foster community on the Seacoast. For more information on Pro Portsmouth or coming holiday events, visit www.proportsmouth.org. I hope to see you soon at one of the events. Good health and a Happy Holiday Season to you and your families! Chamber News Sen. Gregg to Speak at December Breakfast Forum U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg will be the guest speaker at a special breakfast forum scheduled for 7:30-9 a.m., Dec. 12 at the Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel. The breakfast is part of the Fleet Speaker Series. Senator Gregg is expected to talk about current pressing issues in Washington that have an impact on New Hampshire and the Seacoast. He will also talk about several unique local projects that he has been working to secure federal dollars for over the past several years. Some of those projects include the Portsmouth Riverwalk Project, the Seacoast Science Center expansion and renovation, land protection efforts relating to the Great Bog and Sagamore Creek, preservation and renovation of The Music Hall, and the acquisition of the McIntyre Building for the citizens of Portsmouth. Sen. Gregg holds several key leadership and committee positions that give him an influential voice in national affairs including chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee; the Appropriations Committee, where he serves as the chairman of the Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Subcommittee and he is an influential member on the Interior, Defense, Labor-Health-Education, and Foreign Operations subcommittees; and the Budget Committee. Cost is $12 for Chamber members and $15 for nonmembers. Reservations are requested. To RSVP, or for more information, call (603) 436-3988 or email info@portsmouthchamber.org. Pro Portsmouth Announces Plans for Holiday Season Pro Portsmouth and the Chamber invite the business community to downtown Portsmouth for the month-long Snowflake Festival and New Year's Portsmouth. This year most of the popular holiday activities return, many of which may be found in the Snowflake Festival brochure that is available at the Chamber and many downtown merchants. A new holiday initiative and shopping incentive program in 2003 is the Storefront Holiday Decorating Contest. This is the way it works-shoppers in downtown pick up a copy of the Snowflake Festival brochure and use the attached ballot to vote for the store with the best decorations. They may then take that completed ballot to the Chamber, Attrezzi or Fleet's Market Square Branch to trade for 10-percent off coupon good at participating downtown merchants. Winning store owners get special prizes like Southwest Airlines tickets and other valuable gifts. New Year's Portsmouth returns to tradition this year with fireworks, buttons and a complete schedule of locally grown holiday entertainment. So mark your calendar today for a special night out. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.proportsmouth.org. PixelMEDIA Wins Coveted 2003 eCoast Award Tekkies from around New England were on hand Nov. 6 as New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson presented the 2003 eCoast Technology Company of the Year Award to PixelMEDIA at a special eBrew hosted by the Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel. The eBrew was organized to coincide with the "Future Forward" Technology Conference held Nov. 6-7 at the Sheraton. The Governor praised Pixel founders Erik Dodier and Tom Obrey for their community involvement, business track record and entrepreneurial, spirit quipping that he taught them everything they know (both Dodier and Obrey worked for Benson when he was president of Cabletron). PixelMEDIA is one of the few eCoast companies that not only survived the tech downturn-it sustained steady double-digit growth through that past several lean years. The Roundtable also recognized the efforts of Erik Crago, Port City Web; D. Scott Campbell, Campbell & Associates Public Relations, and Dave Gibson, general manager at BayRing. The threesome teamed up this summer to bring free Wi-Fi wireless Internet service to Market Square. The Chamber's first Big Fish Little Fish program was a "swimming success" according to Kendra Frangos, the Chamber's membership manager and Big Fish coordinator. Thirty-three Chamber members qualified to participate in the first series of interviews with inaugural "Big Fish" Seacoast Newspapers. "Seacoast Newspapers provided us with 15 categories related to products and services they were interested in purchasing locally," said Frangos. "Each of the 33 participants got 10 minutes with a newspaper representative to sell their business and differentiate their products and services from the competition. Everyone was thrilled to have the opportunity to make connections with bigger businesses in the area." Frangos said the next series of Big Fish Little Fish appointments are scheduled for Jan. 22 with Timberland. A notice about the opportunity will be sent out via email, and by mail to those members without email. Representatives at Timberland have identified needs in 49 categories they are looking to fill locally. Those with questions about the program may contact Frangos at (603) 436-3988. ext. 18 or kfrangos@portsmouthchamber.org. Chamber Events Holiday Auction Gala More than 150 Chamber members and guests turned out for this year's Holiday Auction Gala, held Nov. 12 at the New England Center in Durham. Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed a smorgasbord of savory delights created by the New England Center's culinary staff and competed with other bidders for some great bargains including 5 days and four nights at a castle in France, airline tickets, designer jewelry, cruises, art, tickets to Red Sox and Bruins games and a host of other unique gifts. The evening's bidding netted nearly $9,000 which will be used to fund Chamber programs. Five percent of those proceeds will be presented to a local nonprofit organization at the Holiday Wine Tasting which is set for Dec. 17 at the Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel. The Chamber thanks all those members who contributed to this year's auction. The Chamber also thanks the following sponsors for supporting this year's program: Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Gala Sponsor; Irving Oil, Reception Sponsor; Vital Design, Program Design Sponsor; New England Center, Host; and supporting sponsors: Fast Signs, Floral Expressions and Federal Savings Bank. Breakfast with NH DOT Commissioner The traffic bottleneck on the Little Bay Bridge and other Seacoast transportation infrastructure issues were hot topics at the Chamber's November breakfast forum featuring keynote speaker Carol Murray, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Tranportation. The breakfast, a Fleet Speaker Series program, was held Nov. 18 at Redhook Brewery. Murray kicked off the forum with bad news for more than 100 guests, many of whom came expecting to lobby the commissioner for a shorter timeline on the Dover Point bridge project. "We are seriously broke to the point where we've had to move all projects out to the future," said Murray. She added that expansion of the Little Bay Bridge has been moved two years from 2008 to 2010, and that construction would not be completed until 2016 at the earliest. The projected cost for the expansion is $120 million. According to Murray, the state is planning to spend nearly $500 million on the I-93 corridor which she said has been operating beyond its design capacity for more than a decade. She mentioned that only those projects seen as critical safety concerns are currently rising to the top of the state's priority list. Murray urged Seacoast community leaders to come up with "creative" interim solutions to Little Bay Bridge bottleneck including the promotion of ride sharing and the use of other public transportation alternatives. To reduce the number of traffic snags, she said the state is also working on ways to speed up its response time to accidents in the bridge area and to introduce a 511 cell phone program that travelers can use to get updates on traffic and weather conditions. Health Care Forum Representatives from the state's healthcare industry traveled to Portsmouth Nov. 20 for a morning-long forum on the status of care in the state and the impact of NH Senate Bill 110. The program was organized by the Chamber in response to requests from members who asked for a face-to-face meeting with leaders in the industry. Speakers for the event were NH Sen. Russell Prescott, Senate Bill 110 sponsor; NH Insurance Commissioner Roger Sevigny; Clark Dumont, Anthem BlueCross Blue Shield; Steve Donahue, Atlantic Benefit & Retirement Company; Judith Chimenti, JF Chimenti Financial Services; Richard Kumpu, Harvard Pilgrim Health; and Sean Lynch, John Alden Health. Sen. Prescott said the bill was meant to introduce competition among healthcare providers and provide an incentive for other companies to start offering service in New Hampshire. He added that the bill, scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, is not an experiment but a "time-tested" solution that has shown success in 37 other states. The new law changes the definition of the small group from one to 100 employees, to two to 50 employees and makes health reimbursement and medical savings accounts available to all state employees. Members of the group said that the North Country and Seacoast regions of New Hampshire pay the highest insurance premiums and that those rates are tied to the higher cost of health care in both regions relative to the rest of the state. Movers and Shakers Good Leads invites the Chamber business community to a free marketing workshop set for 9 a.m.-noon, Dec. 16 at the historic Searles Castle in Windham, N.H. The seminar, entitled Twelve-Step Marketing Best Practices Program, is free and open to anyone interested. For more information, visit www.goodleads.com or call (866) 894-5323. Federal Savings Bank recently awarded 10-year-old Karen Mawikere with a $50 EE US Savings Bond. The Barrington resident is a member of the Kids' Club at Federal Savings Bank, a passbook savings club that teaches kids how to save. Each quarter a member's name is drawn to receive a $50 bond. The Federal Savings Bank kids' club is open to children aged 12 and under. For more details, visit www.fsbdover.com. Calypso Communications recently announced that Boston, MA-based Babcock Power Inc. has selected the New Hampshire agency's subsidiary, Calypso Environmental, to conceive, develop, and produce a trade advertising campaign that will help the company announce its family of integrated industry technologies, products, and services, and promote its leadership position in the power generation industry. For more on Calypso, visit www.calypsocom.com. Four W's Properties LLC/New England Correct Craft, Inc., of Rochester, N.H. has purchased five acres of land located at 15 Calef Highway (Route 125) in Rochester, N.H. Jean Kane and John Valyo, brokers of The Kane Company, represented the seller in the transaction. Founded in 1981, The Kane Company is the leading commercial and industrial real estate services company in New Hampshire, southern Maine and northern Massachusetts. For more, visit www.netkane.com. Rumbletree's work for The Green Company was recently recognized by The Builders Association of Greater Boston at its PRISM Awards dinner. The agency received top honors for Best Brochure, Best Direct Mail, and Best Sales Center. The PRISM awards recognize excellence in building, remodeling, design, and sales and marketing across the New England region. Two years ago, Rumbletree received a gold PRISM award for Best Brochure, and silver awards for Best Marketing Campaign and Best Website. For more on the Portsmouth-based agency, visit www.rumbletree.com. Banknorth Insurance Group recently announced the opening of a new agency location in Bedford, New Hampshire. The new office is located at 116 South River Road and will serve customers in southern and central New Hampshire as well as parts of northeastern Massachusetts. The agency will be known as Banknorth Insurance Agency. The new office will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. An Open House will be held later this month. For more information about Banknorth Insurance Group or its agencies, visit the company online at www.banknorth.com/insurance. Standard Plumbing & Heating Supply, LLC of Portsmouth, N.H. recently changed its name to Standard of New England, LLC. According to company representatives, the name more accurately reflects the wide range of products and services that the company offers. In addition to plumbing and heating supplies, Standard has become a local leader in the pipe, and valve and fittings industry. The company also continues to operate a Kitchen and Bath Showroom. The Lollipop Tree recently announced the addition of "Complements" to its specialty food line. The new Cranberry Pear Butter, prepared with seasonal fruits and accented with spice, is a great complement to the company's Celebration Bread mixes. To find out more, visit www.lollipoptree.com. The Library Restaurant, a favorite Portsmouth dining spot for almost 30 years, has introduced a new steakhouse menu feature some of the finest prime beef found anywhere. According to Owner Bruce Belanger, the new menu was created in the tradition of Grill 23, Abe and Louie's and McCormick and Schmidt's. The lineup includes 24 oz. bone-in Rib eye, veal and pork chops, and prime New York sirloin. For more on The Library, visit www.libraryrestaurant.com. The Pease Development Authority recently officially accepted fee title and appurtentant rights to more than 2,500 acres of the former Pease Air Force Base as part of a Public Benefit Transfer from the Department of the Air Force. To date, the PDA has developed the Tradeport under a 55-year lease from the Air Force. The recent PBT conveys ownership of the property to the PDA. Michael C. Harvell, an attorney at the law firm of Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green, was recently elected chair of the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance which is headquartered in Concord, N.H. The alliance is a statewide organization dedicated to preserving historic buildings, communities and landscapes through leadership, education and advocacy. Harvell was also a former member of the Chamber's board of directors. Office Interiors Limited of Dover, N.H. recently welcomed Kathleen Hegarty as an account executive. Hegarty brings five years of office furniture experience to the company. Office interiors operates a showroom in Dover and offers the services of six interior designers for space planning, design; furniture, fabric and finish selection, flooring, carpeting, window treatments and artwork. For more information, visit www.officeinteriorsltd.com. Jewett Construction of Raymond, N.H. was recently honored by the New Hampshire/Vermont Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors with three Excellence in Construction Awards. The company received the Award of Excellence in the Commercial-Under $2 Million category for the new dining facility for the Daniel Webster Council of the Boy Scouts (at Camp Carpenter in Manchester); an Award of Merit in the Historical Restoration category for the new Credit Union Museum in Manchester; and an Award of Merit in the Metal Building category for the Granite Ford Dealership in Rochester, N.H. For more, visit www.jewettconstruction.com. Exeter Fine Crafts has selected David Beffa-Negrini as its November Artist of the Month. Beffa-Negrini is know for his "Fool's Gold" puzzles cut by hand-one piece at a time. To see his work, visit www.exeterfinecrafts.com. Calendar of Events Snowflake Festival Throughout December Pro Portsmouth, Inc, in collaboration with the Portsmouth Neighborhood Association, will kick off this year's Snowflake Festival with the traditional Holiday Treelighting Ceremony scheduled for 6 p.m., Dec. 5 in Market Square. The evening will feature entertainment by local artists and a chance to sample the downtown businesses vying for the Best Holiday Decorations title. The Portsmouth Neighborhood Association will decorate Market Square's Unity Tree based on a Victorian theme. Sponsored by Ocean National Bank, the Treelighting is one of many events that make the Holiday Season special. From the Nutcracker Ballet performance at The Music Hall and wine tastings at Attrezzi to the Storefront Decorating Contest Downtown, December is filled with something for everyone - and it ends with a bang on Dec. 31 with New Year's Portsmouth 2004. Breakfast with Sen. Judd Gregg 7:30-9 a.m., Friday, Dec. 12 Join us to meet and talk with U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg, your senate representative in Washington. The Senator's visit is part of the Fleet Speaker Series. Senator Gregg is expected to talk about current pressing issues in Washington that have an impact on New Hampshire and the Seacoast. He will also talk about several unique local projects that he has been working to secure federal dollars for over the past several years. Some of those projects include the Portsmouth Riverwalk Project, the Seacoast Science Center expansion and renovation, land protection efforts relating to the Great Bog and Sagamore Creek, preservation and renovation of The Music Hall, and the acquisition of the McIntyre Building for the citizens of Portsmouth Cost of the breakfast is $12 for Chamber members and $15 for nonmembers. RSVPs are requested. To sign up, contact the Chamber at (603) 436-3988, ext. 13 or email info@portsmouthchamber.org. Holiday Winetasting 5:30-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 17 The Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel will once again host what has become one of the most popular holiday events of the year. Mark your calendar today for an elegant evening of wine, music and some of the Seacoast's finest hors d'oeurves, desserts and specialty dishes prepared by the Sheraton's world class troupe of chefs. Cost of the event is $15 for members and $25 for nonmembers. Mid-Day Meet Noon-1 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 18 If getting to know people at big events is a little overwhelming, the Chamber now has someth
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