Dover Download

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Jeff Spires from Dover Main Street about the organization's ninth annual Run Before You Crawl 5K road race and restaurant crawl on Saturday, March 18. The race kicks off the 2023 Dover Race Series. Over 15 Dover restaurants are participating in this year's crawl. As one of Dover Main Street's longest-serving board...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr. about the proposed budget for the next fiscal year. The city manager presented the proposed FY2024 budget at a special meeting of the City Council on Wednesday, Feb. 15, kicking off several weeks of budget meetings, workshops and public hearings. In this episode, the city manager...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Erin Bassegio, the Planning Department's Outreach Coordinator, and Planning Director Donna Benton about the ongoing work to update the Vision Chapter of the City's Master Plan. The Vision Chapter aims to captures the long-term view of the City by residents and stakeholders.  In This Week in Dover History, we...

In this episode of Dover Download, another in our "A Day in the Life" series, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker digs deeper into the work of the Office of the City Clerk and Tax Collector with City Clerk Susan Mistretta. In This Week in Dover History, we look back at a former winter attraction in Dover that drew thousands to the city.

In this episode of Dover Download, another in our "A Day in the Life" series, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker digs deeper into the work of a police officer with Police Chief William Breault and Police Officer Dennis Elbert. In This Week in Dover History, we remember a World War I veteran from Dover who received a special and overdue honor in his final year.

In the latest episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Don Briand, whose voice was heard on Dover's radio airwaves for decades. In addition to his familiar voice, Don Briand is also known for emceeing many of Dover's special events, including the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce annual awards gala, and the inauguration ceremonies of Dover's elected officials. B...

In this episode of Dover Download, another in our "A Day in the Life" series, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker takes a deeper dive into Community Services, the department responsible for the city's roads and streets, maintenance of city facilities, the water and wastewater systems and infrastructure, public cemeteries, and much more. Joining Chris to talk about why every day at Community Ser...

In this episode of Dover Download, another in our "A Day in the Life" series, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker discusses the planning and logistics of plowing city streets and roads during a snowstorm. Helping dig into the nuts and bolts of the city's plowing operations are Superintendent of Public Works Joe Boucher, Heavy Equipment Operator Brian Landry, and Director of Community Services J...

In this episode of Dover Download, the first of season two, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Erin Bassegio, the Planning Department's Outreach Coordinator, and Planning Director Donna Benton about the department's outreach efforts. In This Week in Dover History, we look back to one of the city's most devastating fires, which destroyed an entire city block and destroyed one of the...

In this episode of Dover Download, the last of season one, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker introduces "A Day in the Life," an occasional series showcasing various city services and functions. This episode digs deeper into the work of a firefighter with Fire Chief Michael McShane and Firefighter Jonathan Demers. In This Week in Dover History, we look back to a radio program that sparked a Ch...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker discusses how Dover Police and the City of Dover are responding to mental health calls for service and needs with Dover Police Chief William Breault and Police Social Worker Kaitlin Jones. Among the topics discussed in this episode are how police are responding to those in need of mental health services, the role of the Poli...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker discusses the Willand Warming Center with Tory Jennison, Strafford County's Population Health Systems Chief; and John Burns, the director of SOS Recovery Community Organization. SOS was awarded a bid by the cities of Dover, Rochester and Somersworth to operate the tri-city warming center this winter. Strafford County is over...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker sits down with Mike Gillis, the city's director of Media Services, to answer some of the questions received from listeners and residents. Some of the topics include community engagement, the City Manager and City Council form of government, and plans for the redesign of the city's website.  In This Week in Dover History...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Cathy Beaudoin, Dover's former longtime library director, a local historian, and a past Citizen of the Year. Parker and Beaudoin discuss a variety of topics, including the history of Dover's mills. In This Week in Dover History, we look back to 1924 and one of the worst storms to hit Dover.

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker discusses infill development and how it's used in Dover. Infill development typically involves reusing underutilized urban land for new construction. Parker is joined by Dover's Director of Media Services, Mike Gillis. In This Week in Dover History, we revisit a terrible tragedy atop Garrison Hill.

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr. and Finance Director Dan Lynch about the city's budget process, including how the budget is prepared, deliberations by the City Council, and what happens after a budget is adopted. This year's budget process is already underway, beginning with the presentation of the School Depar...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Gail Daudelin, Chair of Dover Main Street, and Jennifer Brown, Dover Main Street's Treasurer, about what's on tap from the organization this holiday season, including the annual food drive, the popular ice sculptures, and the Santa Parade. Daudelin and Brown also discuss Dover Main Street's mission, some of the or...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Deputy Mayor Dennis Shanahan about the city's new ward boundaries, and why the boundaries changed after the last Census. In February, the City Council adopted new ward boundaries through an ordinance change to ensure near-equal representation in Dover’s six wards based on the 2020 Census data.   In This Week...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Jane Bard, president of the Children's Museum of New Hampshire, and former Dover Mayor Jack Buckley about the Children's Museum of New Hampshire's move to Dover from Portsmouth in 2008, and why the museum is a vital hub of Dover's downtown. To learn more about the museum, visit https://childrens-museum.org/ . In T...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with City Clerk Susan Mistretta about the upcoming General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Mistretta discusses how to register to vote, absentee ballots, polling places and times, and much more. For more information about the upcoming General Election, visit https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/open-government/electi...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Community Services Director John Storer and Environmental Projects Manager Gretchen Young about stormwater. Stormwater, which comes from ran, snow and other precipitation, is absorbed by soil and plants or remains on impervious surfaces, like pavement or rooftops. Young and Storer discuss how Dover manages stormwa...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker talks with City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr. and Director of Media Services Mike Gillis about how citizens can stay informed and be engaged. The Lothrop family businesses were once staples in the downtown. In this segment of This Week in Dover History, we look back to a day when the J.E. Lothrop Piano Company turned potenti...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker talks with Jonathan Nichols, the executive director of the Woodman Museum in Dover. Nichols discusses the museum's varied collections, previews upcoming events, and shares his favorite piece at the museum. For more information about the museum, visit https://woodmanmuseum.org/ . September 1911 offered good news about Dover's...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker talks about the city's strategic planning and how Dover's Master Plan works, including its history and which chapters of the plan are currently in the works. Dover's form of government -- City Council-City Manager -- hasn't always been how the city governed. In This Week in Dover History, we look back to when the city's form...

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Director of Planning and Community Development Donna Benton about the Capital Improvements Program (CIP), and how it helps the city manage its infrastructure over several years. The proposed CIP for 2024 to 2029 will be presented to the Planning Board and City Council during a joint session on Sept. 21, 2022.&nbsp...