The City of Somersworth is developing a new Housing Plan as part of developing a new Master Plan. To jumpstart their efforts the City created a survey and want to hear from you! Your responses will give the City much needed input on the needs of our existing housing stock and how to create the appropriate size, type and location for new housing to meet current and future demands. What kind of housing do we need? What are the opportunities and challenges facing housing in our City? The survey ends on July 28th, so we appreciate any outreach before that date. Please visit this website to take the survey: ww.surveymonkey.com/r/67PTG9L

For more information on the City’s Housing Master Plan efforts, please visit: www.somersworthnh.gov/planning-office/pages/master-plan-update

Dover, NH - First Seacoast Bank (FSB) gets set to call in the summer season with an array of sponsorships to support its communities. Serving as one of the Seacoast’s few remaining locally headquartered financial institutions, FSB is proud to serve the community during business hours and beyond. A quick list of organizations that FSB has supported includes:

●      Oyster River Womenade

●      Portsmouth Pride Parade

●      Dover Chamber of Commerce Cochecho Arts Festival

●      The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Annual street.life!

●      Prescott Park Arts Festival

●      Durham Great Bay Rotary Summerfest

●      Big Brothers Big Sisters of NH

●      SENH Habitat for Humanity

●      Barrington Public Library Summer Reading Program

●      And more!

First Seacoast Bank is also a proud sponsor of both Dover and Portsmouth’s 400-Year Celebrations that carry on throughout 2023. Along with the aforementioned monetary sponsorships, FSB has a number of employees who happily volunteer and serve as board members in several of these organizations.

"Serving the community is at the forefront of everything we do here at First Seacoast Bank," said James R. Brannen, President and CEO. "We take great pride in being able to do our part to ensure the Seacoast remains a great place to live, work, and explore. There are a lot of fantastic organizations within our community, and we’re honored to be involved."

First Seacoast Bank has long been committed to positively impacting the communities they serve through both reinvestment and charitable giving. For more information regarding FSB’s mission to help the Seacoast area thrive, visit: www.firstseacoastbank.com/charitable-giving.

About First Seacoast Bank

First Seacoast Bank (FSB) is one of the oldest community banks in the region, serving individuals, businesses, and non-profit customers with a range of deposit, investment, and loan products and services. Founded in 1890, FSB has headquarters in Dover, New Hampshire, with additional branch locations and ATMs in Durham, Barrington, Rochester, and Portsmouth. First Seacoast Bank is online at www.firstseacoastbank.com.

MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank) is proud to announce that Christina “Tina” Simpson has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Commercial Loan Officer. In this role, she will originate a full range of commercial loans (including Small Business Administration loans), manage the bank’s Business Express digital lending platform and engage in a variety of business development activities.

“Tina is a rising star at MVSB and we are proud to support the continued growth in her banking career,” said John Swedberg, Senior Vice President & Commercial Loan Officer. “She has always been committed to providing high quality service and solutions to our business clients and the caring approach that Tina brings to her job every single day exemplifies what I believe community banking is all about.”

“Being a part of the team at MVSB has been an amazing experience and I am excited to come to work every day to support our local business community,” said Tina. “We’ve dedicated a great deal of time and effort to implementing digital initiatives for our customers and I look forward to exploring new opportunities to marry innovative technologies and local service to assist our clients.”

In 2014, Tina joined New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp, the shared services organization that supports MVSB, as Quality Control Analyst. She was quickly promoted to Credit Analyst and then Senior Credit Analyst for MVSB and later to Assistant Vice President, Commercial Digital Small Business Lending & Credit Analyst.

Tina earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and her Master of Business Administration degree from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a graduate of the Northern New England School of Banking and currently studying at the New England Center for Financial Studies at Babson College.

Tina has served as a volunteer softball coach in her community for more than 10 years. She also serves on the board of New Beginnings – Without Violence and Abuse and as a volunteer with Hands Across the Table and the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction. Each week, Tina also serves as a school banking volunteer at Inter-Lakes Elementary School. She resides in Meredith with her husband and their two daughters.

Caption: Tina Simpson, MVSB Assistant Vice President, Commercial Loan Officer

MVSB has been serving the essential banking needs of people, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities for over 150 years. As a mutual savings bank, MVSB has no stock-holders but rather operates for the benefit of its customers, employees and community. Since our founding, one thing has always remained true: caring is at the heart of everything we do. By building and nurturing relationships, we believe that we can cultivate a community where we all thrive. It all starts with caring about our customers and neighbors. To learn more, visit any of the local branch offices located in New Hampshire in Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Melvin Village, Meredith, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Rochester or Wolfeboro, call 800.922.6872 or visit mvsb.com.

 Dover, NH (June 21, 2023) - The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (CMNH) is excited to share that they have been awarded $175,000 in Tax Credits from the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA). CDFA awarded eleven nonprofits a total of $1.4 million in tax credit resources to advance their missions and implement community economic development initiatives. These tax credits have been granted to the Museum to help fund an expansion of the second floor. This expansion will add two new exhibit spaces, allowing CMNH to better serve children, families, and the community.  The Museum will launch this project in 2024, with the goal of opening the additional 1,000 square feet of engaging activities in 2025.

“Organizations awarded Tax Credit resources have demonstrated a strong commitment to their communities,” states  Katy Easterly Martey, Executive Director, CDFA. “These community builders are driving positive, long-lasting change in New Hampshire.”

“We’re thrilled to have this funding from CDFA to kick start our second floor facility expansion” states Museum President Jane Bard. “The two new exhibits we have in the works include one dedicated to our youngest visitors, ages 0-5, similar to our popular Primary Place, and another designed to be a creative open space for changing exhibits.” 

The Museum has felt the pressure to adjust and grow to adapt to community needs. Current lack of childcare and preschool openings are bringing to light a demand for socialization and learning opportunities for children ages 0-5, as well as for their caregivers. As the Museum’s visitor numbers increase and community needs change, the new flexible space will allow CMNH to be responsive, not just through changing exhibits that can be catered to different age groups and interests, but also as a space to use for play groups, meetings, and school field trips. 

Recent statewide data and feedback from Museum visitors also indicates an urgent need for resources to support child and family emotional wellbeing. Educational pieces related to social/emotional learning will be integrated into these new exhibits. CMNH is also in talks with local experts in the mental health field to evaluate existing exhibits in the Museum to discuss what kinds of changes could be made to support children and family emotional health in an approachable and age-appropriate way. 

If you are a business that pays NH taxes and are interested in purchasing tax credits from the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire to support this exciting facility expansion, or have questions or would like to connect, please contact Monique Deforge, Director of Development, monique@childrens-museum.org, (603) 742-2002. More information about the tax credit program can be found on the CDFA website: www.nhcdfa.org.

About the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire

The 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Children’s Museum of New Hampshire is located at 6 Washington Street in Dover and offers two levels of hands-on, interactive exhibits for children from newborn to middle school. Children can explore a wide range of subjects, from dinosaurs, music and aeronautics to world cultures, art, natural history, and S.T.E.A.M.. Open year-round, the Silver LEED-certified museum specializes in creating memorable family learning experiences and works closely with schools, social service agencies, and educators. A central part of the museum’s mission is ensuring accessibility, and the “Reach All Initiative” works towards this goal by welcoming over 28% of yearly visitors for free or reduced admission. The museum also hosts a variety of live performances, workshops, classes and special events for families. For more information, please call the museum at (603) 742-2002 or visit www.childrens-museum.org 

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Children’s Museum of New Hampshire

Contact: Neva Cole, Communications Director

6 Washington Street

Dover, NH 03820

(603) 742-2002

neva@childrens-museum.org

www.childrens-museum.org

Two $1 Days at the Children’s Museum of NH This July

Dover, NH – (Wednesday, June 28, 2023) When the Children’s Museum of NH opened to the public 40 years ago, admission was only $1 per person! To help celebrate their 40th anniversary year, CMNH has scheduled two special $1 Admission Days this July, one specific for Dover residents, and the other open to everyone. The museum’s 40th Anniversary Year and $1 Days are exclusively sponsored by Kennebunk Savings:

Dover Resident’s $1 Day

Saturday, July 1, 9am-Noon or 1-4pm

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire is offering $1/person admission (which is what the museum charged when it first opened in 1983) for all Dover residents on this special Saturday, which coincides with Dover’s Downtown Block Party. Everyone is welcome to visit the museum on this Saturday, but only Dover residents can enjoy the special $1/person admission! Online reservations are still required for this special Dover Resident’s Day. For Dover residents wishing to take advantage of the $1/person deal, please reserve spots using the “Adult w/discount: will pay at door” price type, and then when you arrive at the museum, you will be asked to show proof of your Dover residency, and pay admission then. Learn more online at www.childrens-museum.org 

$1 Family Fun Day at CMNH

Saturday, July 22, 9am-Noon or 1-4pm

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire will offer $1/person admission to all its visitors on this special Saturday! $1 admission is what CMNH charged when it first opened its doors 40 years ago in 1983. This special Family Fun Day is one of many ways the museum is celebrating its 40th Anniversary Year in 2023! Online reservations are still required, and the museum does have a capacity limit. Tickets are on a first come, first served basis. CMNH Members will still get in for free on this day, as usual. Learn more and reserve online at https://childrens-museum.org/things-to-do/40th-anniversary-in-2023. 

About the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire 

The 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Children’s Museum of New Hampshire is located at 6 Washington Street in Dover and offers two levels of hands-on, interactive exhibits for children from newborn to middle school. Children can explore a wide range of subjects, from dinosaurs, music and aeronautics to world cultures, art, natural history, and S.T.E.A.M.. Open year-round, the Silver LEED-certified museum specializes in creating memorable family learning experiences and works closely with schools, social service agencies, and educators. A central part of the museum’s mission is ensuring accessibility, and the “Reach All Initiative” works towards this goal by welcoming over 28% of yearly visitors for free or reduced admission. The museum also hosts a variety of live performances, workshops, classes and special events for families. For more information, please call the museum at (603) 742-2002 or visit www.childrens-museum.org 

Children’s Museum of New Hampshire

Contact: Neva Cole, Communications Director

6 Washington Street

Dover, NH 03820

(603) 742-2002

neva@childrens-museum.org

www.childrens-museum.org

Video available here >>

Digging into Discovery!

Learning Garden at Children’s Museum of NH 

Dover, NH – (Wednesday, June 28, 2023) The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover grows a Learning Garden every summer, and then offers a host of summer and fall activities centered around the little ecosystem the garden creates. Every Thursday, visitors can drop in to a guided activity that is included with museum admission to learn about things like pollinators, planting seeds, making pots, seed balls or flower art, garden harvesting and more. Museum staff will open the garden, which is located inside the Dover Adventure Public Playground in Henry Law Park, and offer kids a chance to explore the garden, water the plants, identify bugs, snack on a vegetable, and more. 

This summer the museum has planted a “three sisters” garden bed that includes bean, corn, and squash. A “three sisters” garden includes three main crops of various Indigenous peoples of North America: squash, maize, and climbing beans. When planted together, the “three sisters” work together to help one another thrive and survive.

The Learning Garden and related activities are sponsored by Whole Foods. Garden activities are included with museum admission, and as always, free for Members. Learn more at www.childrens-museum.org.

About the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire

The 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, is located at 6 Washington Street in Dover and offers two levels of hands-on, interactive exhibits for children from newborn to middle school. Children can explore a wide range of subjects, from dinosaurs, music and aeronautics to world cultures, art, natural history, and S.T.E.A.M.. Open year-round, the Silver LEED-certified museum specializes in creating memorable family learning experiences and works closely with schools, social service agencies, and educators. A central part of the museum’s mission is ensuring accessibility, and the “Reach All Initiative” works towards this goal by welcoming over 28% of yearly visitors for free or reduced admission. The museum also hosts a variety of live performances, workshops, classes and special events for families. For more information, please call the museum at (603) 742-2002 or visit www.childrens-museum.org 

ROCHESTER, NH (June 26, 2023) – HRCU announced the winners of its 2023 HRCU Annual Scholarship Program. The credit union gave thirteen outstanding area students a total of $13,000 in scholarship awards. Each year, this program recognizes members of HRCU who are pursuing higher education as either full or part-time students. HRCU has awarded 264 scholarships worth more than $266,000 since the program’s inception in 1996.

“Each year we receive applications from many deserving young members and it is always a challenge for our scholarship committee to make the selections among such impressive students,” said Brian Hughes, President and CEO, HRCU. “We have no doubt this year’s award recipients have bright futures ahead of them, and we are proud that HRCU can play a role in their education.”

HRCU was honored to award scholarships to these exceptional students:

• Anilise Brooks, Dover High School, University of New Hampshire
• Haley Faucher, Spaulding High School, University of New Hampshire
• Sebastian Gannon, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Emory University
• Theo Grandmaison, Somersworth High School, Gordon College
• Timothy Grosky, Spaulding High School, University of New Hampshire
• Rhegan Hart, Spaulding High School, University of New Hampshire
• Ryan Hilliard, Somersworth High School, University of New Hampshire
• Emalie Johnson, Spaulding High School, University of New Hampshire
• Anderson Pickard, Berwick Academy, Rice University
• Jadyn Stevens, Spaulding High School, University of New England
• Jennalyn Williamson, Spaulding High School, Syracuse University

Student scholarship winners joined by HRCU scholarship committee, board members, and CEO.

This year, HRCU added a new scholarship award for the children of employees. The 2023 recipients were Samantha Dunton and Colin Bissonnette, who were each awarded $1,000. Dunton is the daughter of Carlynne Pouliot, HRCU AVP of Financial Services. She graduated from Coe Brown High School and will attend Colby-Sawyer College in the fall. Bissonnette is the son of Travis Bissonnette, SVP of Lending at HRCU. He is a 2023 Spaulding High School graduate and will attend the University of New England.

(L-R): Rosemary Shields, EVP & COO; Samantha Dunton, scholarship winner and daughter of Carlynne Pouliot; Carlynne Pouliot, AVP of Financial Services; Travis Bissonnette, HRCU SVP of Lending; Colin Bissonnette, scholarship winner and son of Travis Bissonnette; Brian Hughes, President & CEO

To learn more about HRCU’s Annual Scholarship Program, visit: https://www.hrcu.org/youth/annual-scholarship-program/

About HRCU

HRCU (Holy Rosary Credit Union) is a state-chartered and federally insured community credit union serving more than 24,000 members throughout New Hampshire and York County, Maine. Established in 1962, HRCU has several branches in the NH Seacoast region with assets exceeding $400 million. HRCU prides itself on helping its members achieve their financial goals through convenient, technology-driven services and a compassionate, personalized approach.

Have you ever dreamed of traveling to the South Pacific, staying at a 5star resort, being treated to luxuries such as sunset dinner on a yacht, long tail boat rides to exotic islands and private beaches, meeting elephants and monkeys? If you think it’s not affordable, it can be with Club Seacret. You don’t need to be a club member to go on this vacation. I’m planning to take 20 people in early October. Let me know if you are interested. That’s all for now, just interest.

Text Matt at 603-767-6500 for details before July 7.

MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank) has been voted first place (gold) for Best Place to Work and Best Home Mortgage, as well as second place (silver) for Best Bank/Credit Union in the Laconia Daily Sun’s Best of the Lakes Region contest. The Bank was acknowledged amongst other category winners at the fifth annual celebration of winners at Gunstock Mountain Resort on Wednesday, June 21.

“Best of the Lakes Region is a great opportunity for the public to show support for the local businesses and services that they care about and we are honored to be included in that,” said Marcus Weeks, MVSB President. “Our employees truly care for each other, our customers and the communities they serve and we are excited to have that dedication and effort reflected in this recognition. We would like to thank everyone for voting for us.”

Best of the Lakes Region is an annual publication by the Laconia Daily Sun that showcases the top businesses, people and places in that Lakes Region as voted on by the public each spring. Go to bestofthelakesregion.com to read more.

MVSB employees pose with the Bank’s Best of the Lakes Region awards June 21 at Gunstock Mountain Resort. From left, Elise Cushing, Assistant Vice President, Business Development Officer, Jessica Ruel, Branch & Business Development Manager, Cindy Hemeon-Plessner, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Experience Officer, Stacy Trites, Senior Vice President, Senior Retail Banking Officer, Marcus Weeks, MVSB President, and Joe Collie, Business Development Officer. Courtesy Photo

MVSB has been serving the essential banking needs of people, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities for over 150 years. As a mutual savings bank, MVSB has no stock-holders but rather operates for the benefit of its customers, employees and community. Since our founding, one thing has always remained true: caring is at the heart of everything we do. By building and nurturing relationships, we believe that we can cultivate a community where we all thrive. It all starts with caring about our customers and neighbors. To learn more, visit any of the local branch offices located in New Hampshire in Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Melvin Village, Meredith, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Rochester or Wolfeboro, call 800.922.6872 or visit mvsb.com.