Dover Download

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Doug Glennon from Jewelry Creations and Shelby Meyrowitz from Hip Finds Company about upcoming holiday shopping events in downtown Dover. They discuss several initiatives including Plaid Friday (Dover's version of Black Friday), Small Business Saturday, Artists Sunday, and a Holiday Stroll. The guests...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Transportation Advisory Commission (TAC) Chair Michael Williams and Police Lt. Marn Speidel about the unique structure and function of Dover's TAC. The commission consists of nine members, including three voting staff liaisons and six citizen appointees, making it distinct from other city boards. They...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Perry Plummer, Dover's new Fire Chief, who is returning to the role after previously serving as Fire Chief from the late 1990s to early 2000s. Plummer discusses his extensive career, including his time as director of New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management and assistant commissioner fo...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Kevin Hebert, Dover's new Recreation Director, who replaced longtime director Gary Bannon in April. Hebert discusses his 25-year background in education and athletics, including roles as Athletic Director at various schools, including Somersworth High School and Spaulding High School in Rochester. As a...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with City Clerk Jerrica Vansylyvong-Bizier about voting in the upcoming General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. They discuss Dover's six polling locations, voter registration processes, absentee ballot procedures, and ballot counting methods. Vansylyvong-Bizier explains the rigorous checks and balances in plac...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Dana Lynch, a long-time advocate and member of the Cochecho Waterfront Development Advisory Committee, and Jamie Stevens, the city's project manager for the waterfront development project. They discuss the progress of the project, which has been in the works for over 30 years. Lynch reflects on the pro...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Planning Director Donna Benton about the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for 2026 to 2031. Benton explains the process of creating the CIP, which begins in the summer with department heads submitting requests for new projects or changes to existing ones. The program covers various categories includi...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Jackson Kaspari, former Resilience Manager for the City of Dover, about the one-year anniversary of Dover's Community Power program and the city's resilience plan. Kaspari explains that Community Power is a coalition of New Hampshire communities that have joined together to provide competitive electric...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Margaret Joyce and Jed Allen from the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce about the upcoming 40th annual Apple Harvest Day on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. They discuss the event's growth from its humble beginnings to becoming a major regional attraction, drawing visitors from far and wide. The conversation co...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, the final in a three-part series, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Amanda Russell, a former Dover School Board member who served for 10 years from 2012 to 2022. Russell discusses her experiences on the board, including her initial motivation to join due to concerns over budget cuts and program eliminations. She reflects on the challen...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Britt Ulinski Schuman, a former Dover School Board member who served from 2007 to 2009. Schuman discusses her roots in Dover, her educational background, and her decision to run for the School Board as a way to give back to the community. She shares insights into her experience on the board, including...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Sam Allen, who served on the Dover School Board from 1993 to 1996. Allen reflects on his time as a board member and later as chair, discussing the challenges and accomplishments during his tenure. He describes the community's atmosphere in the early 1990s, the board's efforts to increase accoun...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with William Harbron, the superintendent of Dover schools, about the upcoming school year and recent developments in the district. Harbron discusses the implementation of a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) for students, ongoing facility improvements, and his upcoming retirement. He also touches on curr...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Dover's Facilities and Grounds Superintendent Mark Colonna, Planning Department intern John DesRoches, and Dover's Resilience Manager Jackson Kaspari about Dover's street tree replacement program. They discuss the multiple benefits of street trees, including aesthetics, drainage, reducing h...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Vicki Harris, the Police Department's Prevention Services Unit Supervisor, and three Youth to Youth program participants about their recent campaign launch and press conference. Harris explains that the Youth to Youth program, initiated by the Dover Police Department over 30 years ago, empowers you...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Police Lt. Marn Speidel, the traffic coordinator from the department, and Kelley Tidball from the Police Records Bureau about the process of obtaining permits for community events in Dover. They discuss the recent change in administering these permits, which has moved from the City Clerk's office t...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Brian Early from Media Services about recent meetings of the city's public boards, committees and commissions. They discuss the ratification of seven union bargaining agreements, updates on the Inspection Services building construction, and waterfront development projects. Parker then speaks with P...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Planning Director Donna Benton about recent development activities in Dover. Benton provides an overview of various projects approved by the Planning Board in the first half of 2024, including housing developments, commercial projects, and amendments to existing plans. They discuss the challenges of ba...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Rob Dapice, the director of the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority. They discuss the role of the authority in supporting affordable housing initiatives and the challenges facing the housing market in New Hampshire. Dapice explains how the organization works with partners to create housing solution...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Erin Bassegio, Outreach Coordinator for the Planning Department and Office of Business Development, and Jackson Kaspari, the city's Resilience Manager, about the ongoing update to the Conservation and Open Space chapter of Dover's Master Plan. They discuss the chapter's last update in 2012...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Jane Bard of the Children's Museum of New Hampshire and Jonathan Nichols of the Woodman Museum about upcoming events and developments. Bard discusses a new exhibit called "Opposites" that is opening in July and features artwork from 11 New England artists. She also reveals plans for a maj...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with representatives from the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce about the upcoming Cochecho Arts Festival. Margaret Joyce, Cliff Blake, and Jed Allen discuss the festival's lineup, which includes Friday night headliners, children's shows, and a Creative Arts Showcase. They highlight the event's...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with City Attorney Joshua Wyatt about transparency and the public's right to access government records under New Hampshire's Right-to-Know law (RSA 91-A). They discuss the process of handling public records requests, the legal exceptions and redactions that may apply, and the importance of transpare...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Denise LaFrance, the Director of the Dover Public Library, about the upcoming renovation plans for the historic library building. LaFrance explains that after over 30 years since the last major renovation, the building needs upgrades to its infrastructure, accessibility, and meeting spaces to better se...

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Rob Simmons, the director of development at Cathartes (the private developer for the Dover waterfront project), and Jamie Stevens, the city's project manager. Simmons discusses the construction timeline and plans for the first phase, which includes 220 residential units across five buildings (with...