Portsmouth Herald
ONE OF THE BOYS
DURHAM — The Oyster River Middle School boys lacrosse team is scheduled to open its season April 9 against Rundlett Middle School of Concord. The team will be without Rynn Haley, a 12-year-old seventh-grade girl who has been playing boys lacrosse with...
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Lenny’s Lobster Shack to open in Seabrook
SEABROOK — Lenny’s Lobster Shack — a tribute to 103-year-old World War II veteran Lenny Atkinson — is eyeing an early-July opening on Route 286, just in time to mark America’s 250th birthday with a hometown hero in attendance. Bradford Atkinson said...
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‘It’s such an intense, powerful letter’
PORTSMOUTH — A 1962 letter from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to a Portsmouth minister and civil rights activist received an appraisal of tens of thousands of dollars on “Antiques Roadshow.” The late Rev. John Papandrew received King’s letter that...
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SURVEYING THE SCENE
PORTSMOUTH — Defendant Andrew Lucas returned to the High-Hanover parking garage April 7 as jurors in his negligent homicide trial surveyed the scene of Rochester resident Zachary Colbroth’s August 2023 fatal three-story fall. Rockingham County...
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TRIAL BEGINS
BRENTWOOD — Prosecutors in the negligent homicide trial of Andrew Lucas urged jurors on April 6 to consider the defendant had “opportunity after opportunity” to back away after allegedly assaulting a Rochester man moments before his August 2023 death...
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HISTORIC BARN VS. TWO NEW HOMES
PORTSMOUTH — A group of neighbors are asking a city board to reconsider its decision to grant several variances needed to redevelop a 238 Austin St. property, which includes a plan to demolish a historic barn. The neighbors filed a request for a...
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Hampton’s Old Salt at Lamie’s Inn to be sold
HAMPTON — A sale of the Old Salt at Lamie’s Inn will soon be finalized, transferring control of a Hampton institution to a hospitality group that owns and operates hotels in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The centuries-old property that sits...
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THE BEST OF THE BRUNCH
Brunch elevates your everyday breakfast and dresses it in its Sunday best. Instead of sipping a smoothie behind the steering wheel during your harried commute, brunch can stretch for hours and actually cover two meals in a relaxing atmosphere that can...
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‘He could fix anything’
HAMPTON — Phil Cote, the man who helped generations of local DIYers fix what was broken, died March 26 at age 84. For 35 years, Cote managed Hampton Center Hardware — a post-World War II landmark at the corner of Lafayette Road and High Street —...
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‘Crunch time’ for new Portsmouth master plan
PORTSMOUTH — Planning Board Chairman Rick Chellman stated it’s “really becoming crunch time” in the development of the city’s new master plan. “Think about how and whether you might want to possibly get more involved as we go forward,” Chellman told...
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BIG PLANS FOR HISTORIC STAGE
OGUNQUIT, Maine — As the Ogunquit Playhouse nears a century of providing top-notch entertainment to theatergoers, a sweeping, three-phase vision is now taking shape for the iconic landmark’s next 100 years. Once achieved, the Playhouse will be a...
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‘It’s time for a break’
NEWFIELDS — At the historic Conner Bottling Works in Newfields, 17 bottles of small-batch soda rattle off the lone production line each minute, clanging as they hit a spinning collection plate. For Tom Conner — whose greatgrandfather started the...
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DEMOLITION PREP WORK IS UNDERWAY
DOVER — Demolition prep work has begun on the old Gen. Sullivan Bridge, and both drivers and boaters can expect traffic closures this summer. The 1934-bridge has been closed for years. It’s located adjacent to the Little Bay bridges, which carry...
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‘No Kings’ protesters reject Trump and ‘concentrated power’
“No Kings” protesters gathered in Portsmouth’s Market Square, in Exeter, in Dover, and in more communities around Seacoast New Hampshire and Maine, Saturday, March 28, totaling more than 3,000 locations around the nation. The events were a coordinated...
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FACING THE MUSIC
PORTSMOUTH — The Music Hall hopes to hire a new president and chief executive officer between July and September, tasking a new leader with helping move the theater past a 2025 controversy and toward its milestone 150th anniversary. The new leader...
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‘Things fell into place’
HAMPTON — Now open in the town center, Variegated Roots is a new retail shop its owner hopes will grow into a community gathering spot reminiscent of the beloved business that stood there for more than eight decades. Located at 457 Lafayette Road...
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Portsmouth police seek 2nd social worker for homeless
PORTSMOUTH — Upwards of a dozen homeless encampments are scattered throughout Portsmouth, according to city police, a primary reason the Police Department is looking to hire a second social worker. “My guess is there are far more homeless encampments...
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Giving back
Each year, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute awards roughly 500 charity bibs to runners hoping to take on the Boston Marathon in support of its mission. ● Thousands of applicants from across the country— each with their own personal reason for...
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Complementary restaurants
DOVER — Renowned chef Evan Hennessey has a new vision for Topolino, his Mediterranean restaurant set to open March 31 in the city’s emerging Waterfront District. ● Hennessey said the restaurant is a “totally different idea” than his Dover restaurant...
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The Brook’s big bet
SEABROOK — With its 24,000-square-foot expansion and renovation nearing completion, The Brook’s leadership believes the venue is poised to cement its status as a destination in New Hampshire’s growing charitable gaming scene. Eureka Casino Resort, a...
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Demolition of Mall at Fox Run on hold for now
NEWINGTON — The demolition of the closed Mall at Fox Run and the adjacent Newington Park Shopping Center buildings appears to be on hold for now, pending a town vote on Torrington Properties’ tax increment financing district proposal. Torrington...
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‘Simply superb’
YORK, Maine — Marilyn Willey once loved the freedom of two wheels — whether pedaling her bicycle or cruising on her motorbike near her cottage in the northern woods. Now 84 and living at Durgin Pines Nursing Home in Kittery, she thought those riding...
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Rebuilding ‘Founders Building’
RYE — Star Island’s motel-style “Founders Building” is poised for demolition and redevelopment following the summer season. The five-unit visitor’s quarters, one of four on the island, would be razed and rebuilt. Three other five-unit buildings for...
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Portsmouth OKs $400K more to fight lawsuit
PORTSMOUTH — The City Council voted to approve a $400,000 supplemental appropriation this week to continue paying for outside counsel to fight a lawsuit brought against the city in 2022. City Attorney Susan Morrell told the council the city has...
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CAMPUS CARRY BILL OPPOSED
DURHAM — University of New Hampshire students widely oppose a bill that would allow students to openly carry firearms. ● A Student Senate survey with 2,361 responses from UNH’s Durham campus shows 81.8% “strongly oppose” HB 1793 while 3.5% are...
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More affordable housing
KITTERY, Maine — The town’s Planning Board has signed off on Blue Hour Housing’s pitch to turn a Ramada Inn into a largely affordable housing complex. The 108-room hotel will be converted into a 119-unit workforce housing site by the New York-based...
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Two-way traffic plan nixed by city
PORTSMOUTH — The city will not move forward with a trial plan to convert State Street to two-way traffic while work is being conducted on a Congress Street utility project, Mayor Deaglan McEachern confirmed. “Right now there’s not an enormous push...
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‘I gasped, then could instantly breathe’
EXETER — Exeter resident Chad Dixon believes he owes his life to seeking care fast and the expert care he received at Exeter Hospital after suffering what is commonly known as a widowmaker heart attack. ● Dixon, 54, is in remarkably good health,...
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JOINING FORCES
NEWINGTON — There is “no bigger morale boost” for 157th Air Refueling Wing members deployed as part of Operation Epic Fury “than knowing our citizens back home have their backs,” said Greg Heilshorn, public affairs director for the New Hampshire Air...
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PMAC plan for South Meeting House wins HDC approval
Team members shared their plans this week to redevelop the historic city-owned South Meeting House and convert it to a visual arts school for Portsmouth Music and Arts Center. ● Russ Grazier, the CEO and founder of PMAC, said the nonprofit arts...
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Newsom: ‘Trump is in retreat’ after Noem firing
PORTSMOUTH — California Gov. Gavin Newsom seized on President Donald Trump’s firing of Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary March 5, minutes after he took the stage at The Music Hall. “Donald Trump is in retreat,” Newsom said. “Today is a...
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ICONIC EATS
They’ve served decades of satisfied customers, provided a welcoming atmosphere for every family celebration and innovated their menus and cooking techniques to keep up with the times, the trends and diners’ changing tastes. And they’re still in...
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‘The adrenaline is still going’
WELLS — One of the world’s best heavy equipment operators lives right in Wells, according to Caterpillar, the maker of such machinery. Brian Hayden won the Caterpillar Global Operator Challenge Finals in Las Vegas on March 3. He was one of 10...
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Seacoast Landing subdivision at Fox Run mall site approved
NEWINGTON — Torrington Properties has cleared the first major hurdle in its pursuit to redevelop the Mall at Fox Run and Newington Park Shopping Center and build Seacoast Landing, a new shopping center and office site. The company’s subdivision plan...
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Housing project on hold
PORTSMOUTH — Developer Mark McNabb is seeking a second one-year extension of the site plan approval he received for a major housing project on Lafayette Road. • The city Planning Board granted site plan approval in May 2024 for McNabb’s plan to build...
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MUSIC HALL WINDFALL
PORTSMOUTH — The Music Hall on March 2 announced the largest gift in its history: a $3 million pledge from Martha Fuller Clark, a former state senator known for her philanthropy. In recognition of the donation, the organization’s recently acquired...
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‘$750,000 is not a lot of money’
PORTSMOUTH — The City Council has scheduled a public hearing for March 16 on several potential changes to the city’s elderly and disabled tax exemptions, including one that would dramatically increase the asset limit while still allowing people to...
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Buckley’s on the Water to open in April
PORTSMOUTH — Waterfront dining enthusiasts, mark your calendars: Buckley’s on the Water, the restaurant succeeding the famed former Martingale Wharf, will open by late April. Management from Michael Timothy’s Dining Group, owner of the restaurant...
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READY TO ROCK
HAMPTON — Melissa Etheridge, Lita Ford, David Lee Roth and the 502s are among the artists heading to Hampton Beach this summer as the Casino Ballroom launches its 99th season. The lineup so far also includes comedian Becky Robinson and “Long Island...
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Historic home saved from four-alarm fire
RYE — Seacoast-area firefighters saved a historic Rye home from destruction during a four-alarm fire Feb. 26, battling deep snow and structural challenges. A building fire at 50 Red Mill Lane was reported to the Rye Fire Department just before 8:30...
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Dick Durette of Dover shares the key to his longevity Going strong at 109
Richard “Dick” Durette celebrated his 109th birthday in February. He credits proper nutrition with supplements of vitamins and minerals not in the food as the key to his health, and his longevity. ● “I can’t say on the whole that I regret my life, what...
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THROWBACK BREWERY UPGRADES
NORTH HAMPTON — Throwback Brewery is seeking approval to expand its outdoor amenities with a permanent ice rink, two mobile sauna units, and a year-round climate-controlled greenhouse. ● Owners Annette Lee and Nicole Carrier recently presented their...
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Hazardous weather
PORTSMOUTH − The New Hampshire Seacoast and southern Maine endured white out conditions and coastal flooding as a blizzard tore through the states on Monday, Feb. 23. “The greatest potential for blizzard conditions will exist during the daylight hours...
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Hampton Beach Casino project delayed until ’27
HAMPTON — The redevelopment of the Hampton Beach Casino complex is now expected to begin after the 2027 summer season, allowing its historic concert venue to reach its 100th season. “We’ve got 99 seasons, but this ain’t the last one,” Casino Ballroom...
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How co-living fits Mark McNabb’s downtown vision
PORTSMOUTH — Developer Mark McNabb believes his plan to redevelop the former J.J. Newberry department store with the city’s first co-living housing project will offer people a key housing option. “I believe we have to have alternatives to people...
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INDELIBLE LEGACY
PORTSMOUTH — One of the most prominent developers working in Portsmouth says he may soon step away from the business because of his frustrations with the expense and time it takes to get projects approved by city land-use boards. Mark McNabb, 64, who...
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Thanks to one student’s drive
HAMPTON — As a manager for the Winnacunnet boys hockey team, Anthony Del Medico’s schedule was already looking rather busy this winter, but the 16-year-old from Hampton decided to up the ante just the same. Del Medico, with a big assist from WHS...
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Newington presses for Seacoast Landing details
NEWINGTON — The town’s selectmen are eyeing a potential May 30 special town meeting on Torrington Properties’ proposed tax increment financing district at the site of the future Seacoast Landing development. Seacoast Landing is the large-scale...
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Phillips Exeter Academy unveils major developments
EXETER — Phillips Exeter Academy, widely regarded as one of the most prestigious private schools in the United States, is embarking on a series of building and infrastructure projects in line with a broader plan for its future. The goal, according to...
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Tax grab rejected
CONCORD — The House Ways and Means Committee has overwhelmingly voted down a bill that would have stripped millions in tax revenue from property-rich communities like Hampton and Portsmouth. The committee, charged with overseeing legislation impacting...
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Dog-walking changes
DURHAM — An upcoming shoreline restoration effort at Wagon Hill Farm may lead to a pause on off-leash dog-walking hours at the town landmark. The town’s Land Stewardship Subcommittee voted Feb. 11 to recommend ending off-leash hours during the course...
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POSITIVE EXPRESSION
Art can be a lifeline for a person with their own creativity helping to clear their head, their stress and their vision for what they want in life. This can be especially vital to a teen in high school surrounded by the pressures of academics, of...
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SOARING MARKET
RYE — Another month, another record in the Seacoast’s pricey real estate market. The median sales price of Seacoast single-family homes exceeded the $1 million threshold in January for the first time. Seacoast Board of Realtors statistician John...
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‘I’m so excited that this is finally happening’
ELIOT, Maine − Tami Schoff, a 6th grade teacher at Marshwood Middle School, will be off to Alaska later this month, representing the state of Maine as one of three national finalists for the 2027 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail program. The Iditarod...
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Man shoots self at condemned bookstore
PORTSMOUTH — Police said a man was hospitalized Feb. 11 after an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on the property of the condemned Antiquarian Bookstore, where the store’s owner has been at the center of an eviction dispute with the city. The...
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Il Cornicello ranks high
EXETER — Il Cornicello is among some elite company. ● The rustic Italian eatery on Water Street, renowned for its handmade pasta and rotating menu, was among the top 10% of all U.S. restaurants on Resy, the reservation platform owned by American...
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Portsmouth store owner ends fight
PORTSMOUTH — The owner of a condemned bookstore off Lafayette Road has dropped his appeal of an eviction notice ordering him and his 21 vehicles full of books off the property, according to City Attorney Susan Morrell. The bookstore owner, 80-year-old...
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Seacoast’s most romantic restaurants
It might be the glow of warm candlelight. It might be the pristine white tablecloths. It might be the beauty of a dining room’s architectural details or the staying power of 300-year-old historical elements that have stood the test of time. Whether...
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Portsmouth students walk out to protest ICE Seeking to ‘make a difference’
PORTSMOUTH — Three Portsmouth High School seniors — Lyla Caldwell, Luci DiMeco and Amelia Murphy — organized a student walkout from classes Feb. 3 to take a public stand against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions under the Trump...
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‘It’s been very aggravating’
PORTSMOUTH — Middle Street resident Paula Chalfin said she is tired of having snow plowed from the street up against her historic home. ● The 79-year-old said Feb. 2 that ever since she moved into her home 12 years ago at 496 Middle St., she has faced...
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EXPANDING BREWS
EXETER — Fat Hen Brewing Co. may not be just a microbrewery for much longer. The longtime friends behind a taproom that has become a favorite of locals since its opening in October 2024 are planning a large expansion of their production capabilities,...
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‘Membership discount club’ unveiled for plan
NEWINGTON — A 152,000-square-foot membership discount club has been unveiled as part of Torrington Properties’ plan for the future Seacoast Landing development. The Boston-based company’s negotiations with anchor tenants for the redevelopment of the...
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ROCKINGHAM COUNTY Protesters urge rejection of detainee deal with ICE
BRENTWOOD — In her six years as a county commissioner, Kathryn Coyle has “never seen so much community engagement” at a meeting. Coyle, a Portsmouth Democrat, was referring to the crowd that arrived in Brentwood Jan. 29 to demonstrate against the...
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Seacoast realtors foresee a ‘strong seller’s market’
Single-family home sale prices on the Seacoast have skyrocketed since 2020, with some communities registering a 50%-plus increase. ● While prices are no longer climbing as fast, they’re not expected to come down in 2026, according to local realtors. ●...
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Roberto’s Restaurant hits the market in Ogunquit
OGUNQUIT, Maine — A local restaurant is on the market for the first time since it opened close to 50 years ago, with its longtime owner ready to pass the torch. Roberto’s Restaurant, located at 200 Shore Road, is for sale for roughly $2.78 million,...
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False gun report blamed on Nextdoor app
PORTSMOUTH — Superintendent Zach McLaughlin is assuring the community there was no student with a gun on the Portsmouth Middle School campus, contrary what he said was a false notification through an outside mobile app. McLaughlin emailed the school...
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HISTORIC LISTING
YORK, Maine — The historic beach house at 99 Freeman St. — long shrouded in mystery because officials could not identify its owner — is now on the market a year after the town foreclosed on it for unpaid taxes. Known as Pebbledene, the three-story...
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The magic of learning from Christa McAuliffe
Grief still catches in MaryJo Drewn’s throat when she tries to talk about the Challenger tragedy. She can still feel the harrowed silence of the auditorium at Concord High School, where she and other students gathered to watch the space shuttle launch...
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NH BILL SEEKS TOLL INCREASE
HAMPTON — Tolls at the I-95 plaza in Hampton could double from $2 to $4 for out-of-state and cashpaying drivers under a proposal now before state lawmakers. The increase is part of a bill from Sen. David Watters, D-Dover, who told the Transportation...
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