Dover Download

City of Dover NH

Dover Download is a weekly look at what's happening in the City of Dover, New Hampshire, hosted by Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker. Tune in for a closer look at the city's programs, services, public bodies and projects, as well as a look back each week at Dover's history.

  1. 5D AGO

    Reaching for the Top: How One Dover Nonprofit Is Changing Lives for Children and Families

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Amy Rich Crane, executive director of Reach for the Top Therapy, a nonprofit organization located in the McConnell Center that provides therapeutic services for children and young adults from birth to age 21. Crane, a dual board-certified pediatric occupational therapist with more than 15,000 hours of clinical experience, took over the organization in 2021 after leading clinics across the country during her husband's military career. She describes Reach for the Top's neuro-affirming, strength-based approach to serving children with a wide range of needs, including autism, ADHD, anxiety, complex feeding disorders, and the effects of trauma and abuse. The organization offers occupational, physical, speech, and, as of October 2025, mental health therapy, along with specialty programs such as hippotherapy, aquatic therapy, and community-based sessions at locations like the Children's Museum of New Hampshire. Since its founding in 2014, Reach for the Top has grown from serving 80 children a year to nearly 500, drawing clients from 48 surrounding towns and cities. Crane discusses how the organization supports families through educational resources, webinars, and community trainings, and she notes that volunteers can help through board service, deep-cleaning events, and donations of supplies and funds. As the outgoing Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit of the Year, Crane encourages community collaboration and says Dover is already leading the way in child development, mental health, and school safety. Listeners can learn more at https://reachftt.org/ In This Week in Dover History, we look back at Abraham Lincoln's 1860 visit to Dover, as remembered by George W. Benn in a 1909 Boston Globe feature that captured firsthand recollections of Lincoln from people who had seen him in person. Benn recalled Lincoln's powerful, plainspoken speech delivered just days after his famous Cooper Union address. Today, Lincoln's Dover connections remain tangible at the Lincoln Building on Locust Street, where he spent the night, and at the Woodman Museum, which holds the original lectern from which Lincoln spoke.

    23 min
  2. JAN 27

    Community Power in Dover: An Update with Jackson Kaspari

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Jackson Kaspari, Director of Member Services for the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire. Kaspari, who previously served as Dover's resilience manager and helped launch the city's Community Power program, reflects on the coalition's growth since Dover became a founding member in October 2021. The organization has expanded to 68 member communities with 50 operating programs, serving approximately 175,000 customers statewide. The conversation covers how community power works, including the opt-out structure, product tiers offering varying levels of renewable energy, and the ease of switching between options. Kaspari explains that about 60% of Dover customers currently participate in Community Power. He discusses the upcoming Feb. 1 rate of $0.14 per kilowatt hour, which will be higher than Eversource's rate, attributing the differential to changes in how utilities now purchase power and the coalition's decision to build community reserves. About two cents per kilowatt hour goes toward these reserves, which Kaspari says will enable more competitive rates and local energy projects in the future. He highlights Dover's participation in the state's largest solar array in Warner, New Hampshire, which will benefit the municipality in the long term. In This Week in Dover History, we look back at the devastating Cocheco Manufacturing Company mill fire of Jan. 26, 1907. The blaze at Mill No. 1 claimed six lives after a malfunctioning sprinkler head was shut off for repairs just minutes before workers spotted smoke. The fire spread rapidly through the five-story brick building as below-freezing temperatures froze hoses and equipment. After two days of firefighting, the upper floors collapsed, causing $1 million in damage. The mill was rebuilt and reopened by October 1908 with improved safety measures.

    27 min
  3. JAN 20

    Inside Strafford County's Warming Center, and a Look at the Future

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Melanie Haney of East Coast Evolution Leadership and Strafford County Commission Chair George Maglaras about the Strafford County Warming Center's current operations and future expansion. Haney explains how her company evolved from Thrive Outdoors' leadership development work to operating emergency shelters across New Hampshire. East Coast Evolution now staffs the warming center, focusing on providing safety and security while connecting guests with community resources. The low-barrier facility welcomes individuals as they are, though no substance use is permitted on-site. Guests sign agreements, secure their belongings, and receive dinner, coffee, snacks and access to bunks or cots. The center, located on Willand Drive in Somersworth, operates when temperatures drop below 32 degrees or during inclement weather, with capacity for 26 beds and additional floor space. For more information about East Coast Evolution Leadership, visit https://www.eastcoastevolutionleadership.com/ Maglaras outlines plans to transform the warming center into a year-round homeless services facility at the county complex. The new 5,000-square-foot building, targeted for November opening, will offer extended stays and wraparound services including medical care, substance abuse treatment, mental health support and job placement. By leveraging existing county resources like the jail's kitchen and pursuing federal grants, Maglaras aims to address root causes of homelessness while minimizing taxpayer costs. Currently funded through $75,000 contributions from Dover and Rochester, plus Somersworth's in-kind services, the initiative represents a regional approach to providing sustainable solutions beyond temporary shelter.

    35 min
  4. JAN 13

    From Grilled Cheese to Gourmet: Chef Evan Hennessey's Culinary Evolution

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Chef Evan Hennessey, a Dover native who has become a prominent figure in the culinary scene. Hennessey, whose mother was a French teacher in Dover, left the area after graduating from Dover High School to work in Boston, New York and Chicago before returning to establish his career in his hometown. He discusses his journey from wanting to be a Disney animator to becoming a chef, starting as a prep cook and dishwasher at Newick's restaurant. Hennessey reflects on how his cooking style has evolved over 30 years, learning to simplify dishes rather than over-complicate them. He shares his passion for Dover as a small, growing community with great proximity to both mountains and ocean. The conversation highlights the collaborative nature of Dover's restaurant community, where business owners support each other rather than compete. Hennessey discusses his current restaurants, Stages and The Living Room, his appearances on the Food Network show Chopped, as well as his upcoming venture, Topolino, opening this spring at 9 River St., which will feature casual Mediterranean cuisine with roughly 70 seats, a bar, and a patio on the river. He also mentions his participation in a Friends of the Library fundraiser on Jan. 27 at Chapel + Main, featuring a live-streamed mystery basket cooking challenge. For more information about the Friends of the Library fundraiser at Chapel + Main with Hennessey, or to purchase tickets, visit https://dovernh.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/cook-for-the-books-friends-of-the-library-fundraiser/ In This Week in Dover History, we learn about the development of winter sports in Dover over the past century. The segment traces how a 1923 Dover Chamber of Commerce meeting led to discussions about forming a hockey team and allowing skiing at Garrison Hill, including construction of a ski jump. These early efforts eventually resulted in a ski area at Garrison Hill with a rope tow that operated until the 1960s, a public skating rink behind the library that was later converted to parking, and the opening of the Dover Ice Arena in the 1970s. By 1999, demand had grown enough to warrant a second sheet of ice, leading to the construction of the Holt rink, which was completed in 2001 alongside a reconstruction of the Robert H. Foster rink, making the arena a year-round community destination.

    26 min
  5. JAN 6

    No Wrong Door: How CAP Serves Dover and Beyond

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Betsey Andrews Parker, Chief Executive Officer of Community Action Partnership of Strafford County. This episode kicks off Season 5's special focus on nonprofits serving the Dover and Seacoast area. Betsey explains that CAP, which traces its roots to President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty, operates as an umbrella organization providing a wide range of services including fuel assistance, weatherization, Head Start early childhood programs, food distribution to 24 soup kitchens and pantries, homeless shelters, senior housing, domestic violence and human trafficking programs, and home visiting services for newborns. She emphasizes that many working families qualify for assistance without realizing it, with programs serving households earning up to 200% of the federal poverty level. CAP operates on a $20 million annual budget, with 84% coming from federal sources that require matching funds. Betsey discusses her background in public health and bioterrorism preparedness, including work on pandemic planning that proved valuable during COVID-19. She stresses the importance of partnerships with municipalities, other nonprofits, and the community, noting that CAP's 120 employees work collaboratively to serve residents. Volunteers and donors can find opportunities at straffordcap.org, and the organization's main office is at 577 Central Avenue in Dover, with additional locations in Farmington and Rochester. In This Week in Dover History, we look back at the inauguration of city officials on Jan. 6, 1925, when Mayor John P. Morrison took office amid crowded Council Chambers at City Hall. The segment contrasts Dover's partisan, bicameral government of the past with today's nonpartisan City Council-City Manager system, while noting that the tradition of January inaugurations continues to this day.

    26 min
  6. 12/23/2025

    Dover Green: Mayor Bob Carrier's Journey from Hill Street to City Hall

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, the first of two parts, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with retiring Mayor Bob Carrier about his deep roots in Dover and lifelong commitment to community service. Carrier, who grew up on Hill Street in Dover, shares memories of his childhood in the 1950s and 60s, attending Horn Street School and Dover High School before earning a business and marketing degree from Plymouth State College. Despite his educational background, Carrier followed his family's tradition by entering the building trades, establishing a successful contracting business. Throughout the conversation, Carrier reflects on his extensive volunteer work, including leadership roles with Dover Baseball and various community boards. He discusses how Dover has changed over the decades, from bustling downtown businesses to evolving neighborhood dynamics. Carrier emphasizes that his community involvement has always been about contributing rather than seeking recognition, a philosophy instilled by his parents. The episode concludes with Carrier explaining how he entered politics through a special election following the death of his mentor, Ward One Councilor Robert Keays. Keays, whom Carrier had supported as campaign manager, asked Carrier on his deathbed to consider running for council. When candidates Carrier deemed unsuitable entered the race, he decided to run, launching an 18-year career on the City Council that included six years as mayor. Carrier's time on the City Council and as mayor are the subject of part two of this series.

    27 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Dover Download is a weekly look at what's happening in the City of Dover, New Hampshire, hosted by Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker. Tune in for a closer look at the city's programs, services, public bodies and projects, as well as a look back each week at Dover's history.

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