Acorn Organic Salon sponsors hockey benefit for local mom

Next Saturday, the girls from Acorn Organic Salon will be in attendance at the Rinks at Exeter to watch as Team Bosworth takes on a squad of Boston Bruins Alumni featuring Rick Middleton, Terry O’Reilly, Brad Park, Reggie Lemelin, Bob Sweeney, and Bruce Crowder.

While the event promises to offer a day of fun and reminiscing for hockey fans, it also touts a deeper, more important purpose: To benefit Keri Bosworth, a Newmarket mother of two and Bauer Hockey employee who suffered a severe injury last summer.

Acorn’s Laura McKay says the salon – who is helping sponsor the event – was first made aware of the campaign when client and benefit organizer, Mike O’Neil, told her about his friend’s tragic accident.

“Immediately we all said, ‘anything we can do to help, we’ll do it,’” recalls McKay.

For the first two benefits (held earlier this month) Acorn donated a bevy of materials and gift certificates for raffles. This time around, however, the team was eager to lend their name to the cause.

“We thoroughly believe in the idea of community – it’s a huge part of what we do,” says McKay. “Beyond the benefit just being in Exeter, we’ve just always prided ourselves in helping anyone who needs it, whether it’s donations, sponsorships – anything.”

Tickets for the benefit are $10 – they can be purchased either at the door, or at Acorn’s Exeter or Dover locations – with all proceeds going to the Positive Thoughts for Kerry Fund.

To make the donation feel even better, Acorn will be giving away a $10 gift certificate to their salons for every ticket purchased.

Talk about giving back.

“We felt like it was the least we could do for such a great cause,” exclaims McKay.

The event begins at 6pm, and will include a silent auction, raffle prizes, as well as a visit from Max, the mascot for the Manchester Monarchs.

Those interested in contributing directly to the fund can make checks out to "Positive Thoughts for Keri,” to be sent to: Positive Thoughts For Keri, 23 Second St., Amesbury, MA 01913.

Also be sure to check out the benefit’s Facebook page by clicking here.

Volunteering & The Green Alliance Holiday Bash 2011

Since enrolling in the full time one year MBA program at UNH, I’ve been looking for companies that are doing good things and headed in the right direction. Upon learning about the Green Alliance (GA), I recognized that not only are they “doing good things” and “headed in the right direction”, but also that they are a business with real growth potential.

Brookford Farm needs your support this weekend!

Tomorrow marks a crucial day for Brookford Farm, the popular Rollinsford-based purveyor of organic meats, breads, vegetables, and dairy products which is seeking to move its operations north to Canterbury for the spring.

Town citizens are slated to vote on whether or not to sell Brookford a large parcel of town land, which Brookford's owners have stated is by far the most viable space they've come across since launching their search for a new home. If, for whatever reason, the town votes not to grant Brookford the land, the family may have to move its operations out of state.

What can you do to help? If you're looking to take a little road trip, you're invited to attend an open town meeting at 10am tomorrow, and lend your support for Brookford, who will be on hand discussing why they believe the farm will prove a valuable asset to the town and community.

If you can't make it, please post this blog on Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media outlet you can think of. Urge your friends and family to cast their vote in favor of Brookford and their organic, grass-based farming efforts.

For more info, visit Brookford's website at www.brookfordfarm.com

Children's Museum of NH launches Alzheimer's Café

For over twenty years, the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire has prided itself on being a place where memories are made. Now, they’re doing their part to help those struggling with Alzheimer’s hold onto them longer.

On October 20th, the Museum -- located in Dover -- will launch “Alzheimer’s Café,” a monthly event designed to help those living with the disease relax and socialize in a friendly, non-clinical setting.

The first of its kind in the Eastern United States, the Cafés will be held on the third Thursday of each month.

The concept of offering social gatherings as Alzheimer’s therapy began in Europe, where doctors routinely employ interpersonal interaction as a way of staving off the kind of degeneration that often results from isolation.

“People often find themselves feeling depressed and self-conscious after being diagnosed, and the people in their support network may also feel in need of support,” says Paula Rais, Director of Community Engagement for the Children’s Museum. “Having a regular place to go and meet others in a purely social setting each month can provide a welcome destination with an understanding community of people.”

While similar programs eventually made their way across the Atlantic – California, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and Nova Scotia, for example – the Children’s Museum’s Alzheimer’s Café will be the first of its kind anywhere in the region.

Traditionally, settings for Alzheimer’s support events tend to be those which offer a stimulating, engaging atmosphere: theatres, historic buildings, restaurants, and the like. The Children’s Museum will be no exception.

Introducing the Green Alliance Benefactor program!

During the course of its three year history, The Green Alliance has grown from a handful of community members to almost 2,000, and from two Business Partners to almost 100. We've also helped businesses minimize their impact on the environment, and make sure that consumers understand what that means. in areas ranging from renewable energy to local food to waste management, and much more.

Patterns and Puzzles Day at the Children's Museum of New Hampshire, on August 18!

How can children build math and problem-solving skills in fun, creative ways? By coming to the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire’s Patterns & Puzzles Day on Thursday, August 18 from 10 am – 3 pm. All the day’s special activities are included in the museum’s standard price of admission ($8 for adults and children, $7 for seniors and no charge for museum members).

“When children recognize, compare and create their own patterns, they are laying the foundation for understanding many math concepts,” explained Jane Bard, Education Director at the Children’s Museum of NH. “We are surrounded by patterns in life and in the museum. Having a special day for children and families to explore patterns is a way to develop critical problem-solving skills, and for some, to look at the world in a whole new way.”

Habitat for Humanity, Ridgeview Construction team up on affordable green homes

Habitat for Humanity has long been known for its work on behalf of affordable housing. Now, two of the Southeastern New Hampshire chapter’s projects are adding their own, green twist.

Southeastern New Hampshire Habitat is currently completing construction of a two-family duplex on Silver Street in Rochester. Along the way, they were aided by Shane Carter and Ridgeview Construction, a company known for its environmentally-friendly methods and approaches to home building.

The Deerfield-based Ridgeview helped with much of the site work, excavation and foundation, and is poised to help with the frame. The end result? The two most recent Habitat homes will end up with EnergyStar certification.

Both Ridgeview and Habitat’s ReStore – a repurposing outlet boasting everything from paint to plywood to furniture, located in Dover – are longstanding members of Green Alliance, through which Southeastern Habitat President Tom Boisvert and Shane Carter met.

“Shane and I had talked a few times about working together on a Habitat house,” said Tom Boisvert. “He always wanted to help with a project, and when that opportunity finally came, he jumped at it.”

Long before any official partnership was formed, Carter would often donate materials and supplies leftover from renovation jobs to the ReStore, all of whose profits go directly to Habitat for Humanity.

A Perfect Move and Gentiques raise $1600 for children's literacy

The folks from A Perfect Move and Gentiques would like to thank everyone who attended last week's Chairs for Charity Auction. It was a huge success, with $1600 being raised to help benefit the Children's Literacy Program. Click here to see video footage taken from the event!

The money raised will help purchase books to give away to local children ranging in age from 3-6 years. The following are the dates and locations of the upcoming Summer Story Hours. If you know of a family who’s children could benefit from an activity like this, please extend a personal invitation to one of the hours. There is no cost – that has been covered by your support of the Chairs for Charity Auction!

Story Hours are complimentary, open to the public, and appropriate for children ages 3-6 years old with a caregiver. RSVP to kmaloney@gentiques.org or 207-438-0421 for any of the locations and dates:

• Camp Kittery Estates June 23, 2011 11 am; Camp Stories and activities in Celebration of National Camping Month 220 State Road Kittery, ME
• July 20, 2011 11 am; The Mark Wentworth Home 346 Pleasant Street Portsmouth, NH -- Theme to be announced!
• August 25, 2011 11 am; Langdon Place of Dover 60 Middle Road Dover, NH -- Theme to be announced!
• September 22, 2011 11 am; Sentry Hill of York Harbor 2 Victoria Court York Harbor, ME -- Theme to be announced!

Suntree & Cornerstone donate time and effort to maintain city park for Arbor Day

This Friday, arborists from four local tree care companies will continue a volunteering tradition three years in the making.

In recognition of Arbor Day, the owners and employees of Northeast Shade Tree, The Organic Arborist, along with GA Business Partners Suntree Tree Health Care and Cornerstone Tree Care, will donate their time helping to clean out and beautify Portsmouth’s Langdon Park.

As in past Arbor Day events, this year’s efforts will be geared towards removing deadwood from the overstory or canopy of the trees, as well as trimming them of unhealthy – and potentially dangerous – branches.

Micum Davis of the Portsmouth-based Cornerstone Tree, who along with Suntree’s Chris Kemp has served as the event’s chief organizer since the first incarnation three years ago, is looking forward to this year’s challenges.

“We’re always excited to give back by volunteering our time and expertise to our community in a way that benefits a common space,” exclaims Davis. “We feel like our costs are outweighed by the benefits of bringing the community together around something that we all share in common.”

“It just feels right,” he said.

Portsmouth can certainly use the help. Because many of the trees in the city’s parks are so old, keeping them well maintained is not only a matter of aesthetics, but one of safety as well.

“Without the removal of deadwood from trees, it’s kind of like leaving a rotten tooth in the jaw,” explains Davis. “Over time, it will damage other parts of the system. This makes the removal of deadwood critical for maintaining long term tree health as well as park safety.”

5th Annual Kittery Fire Association 5K Run and Walk

If you drive into Kittery on the morning of May 22, do not be surprised to see fire trucks and hundreds of people running. What you are witnessing is not an emergency – it is the 5th Annual Kittery Fire Association 5K Run and Walk.

Kittery’s volunteer Fire Department turns 101 this year, giving the entire community plenty of reason to celebrate. The fun kicks off on Saturday, May 21 with a $5 Pancake Breakfast at the new Fire Station located on Gorges Rd, off the Route 1 Bypass. Firefighters will be flipping flapjacks and serving them up to the community from 7:00 to 10:00 AM. Adult runners and walkers will then have about 24 hours of digestion time before the 5K departs from the same location at 9:00 AM Sunday.

A Kids’ Run for ages 5-12 is also planned for Sunday, with a start time of 8:15 AM. Be sure and stop by the Family Fun Area for more kid friendly fun, including a bounce house, fire truck tours for kids, face painting, and safety.

Parents will also appreciate this fundraiser’s unique claim to fame. “We’re the only race I know of that has a fastest stroller competition,” according to race Director and fifth year volunteer fireman Dan Hale. Another popular category is the Fastest Firefighter competition, now in its second year. Last year, firefighters from as far away as Somersville, MA journeyed to Kittery to test their speed. They weren’t alone. Visitors from all over Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts have started showing up for the annual event. There were even a few Canadians aboot last year.

“This race has doubled in size,” Hale happily to reports. “We had 150 people show up the first year, 300 last year. I’m hoping for 400 this time around.”

5K Race to Benefit the Seacoast Science Center!

No, it’s not a whale of a tale, it’s A Whale of a 5K Trail and Kid’s Fun Run! 

A Perfect Move responds to chaotic month of growth the only way they know how: through charity

Last month they opened a brand new, giant office and warehouse along Route 1 in Kittery. A few weeks later, they launched a non-profit repurposing store called Gentiques.

But if you think A Perfect Move – a locally-owned moving company specializing in “green” and community-oriented options and alternatives – is ready to rest on its laurels, you’ve got another thing coming.

The Kittery-based APM recently recently announced their latest in a long line of charitable initiatives, “Chairs for Charity”, which held its kickoff event in late March.

At the initial March 22nd gathering, held at their new Route 1 space (240 Route 1, just north of the Kittery Traffic Circle), A Perfect Move invited guests to select chairs to paint or decorate. The newly embellished chairs will then be auctioned off for charity on April 21st.

According to Genevieve Benton, owner of A Perfect Move, around 30 people showed up to select their chairs for decoration.

“The initial turnout for the people selecting the chairs was very impressive,” said Benton. “People were very enthusiastic about having the chance to make the chairs their own and see how they’d do at the auction.”

In fact, APM’s upcoming April Chairs for Charity event is being held in tandem with the GA’s monthly Business Partner meeting. But unlike most Green Alliance meetings, this one will be open to the public, in part as a way of drawing attention to APM’s sustained commitment to their two Gs: green and giving.

All proceeds from the April 21st auction event will benefit the Children’s Literacy Program.

Whaleback Environmental Film & Art Festival set for May 13-15th

by Dyanna Smith, President, Red Eft Project
 
We are pleased to announce a new event designed to unite the voices of environmental artists and filmmakers right here in Portsmouth, called the Whaleback Environmental Film & Art Festival.

The vision of Whaleback is to create a weekend where artists and filmmakers come together to provide thought-provoking commentary and entertainment around issues of sustainability, personal responsibility and our connection with nature. With three days of film screenings, parties, and art installations in the heart of town, we see Whaleback as a chance to ignite new ideas and action in our community -- bringing our voices together for positive change.

Portsmouth is the perfect location for this event. The seacoast has long been known for its strong arts community, but few realize that the city is gaining international recognition as an eco-municipality. Whaleback, which is of course named after the iconic lighthouse that marks the entrance to Portsmouth harbor, seems a fitting emblem for an event that illuminates and draws in the stories and imagery that celebrate our environmental culture.

Portsmouth Brewery’s Kate the Great Day helps two local conservation organizations

By J.T. Thompson, Portsmouth Brewery

When the Portsmouth Brewery celebrated Kate the Great Day at its downtown locale on March 7, it took all of 7 hours to exhaust the near 700 gallons of the famous brew.

But unlike the potent Russian Imperial Stout itself, the goodwill from the day’s festivities managed to extend far beyond the brewpub’s Market Street walls, and into the coffers of two local nonprofit organizations.

The Brewery recently announced it has donated $20,000 to two conservation groups: the Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire – an Exeter-based concern – and the Center for Wildlife, located in York, Maine.

The donation funds were generated by the sale of 10,000 scratch tickets, of which only 900 were “winners”. Each winning ticket allowed the holder to purchase one 22-ounce bottle of Kate the Great, with some lucky enough to score two or more of the brews. Tickets were gone just 27 hours after going on sale January 29th.

“We printed scratch tickets as a fun way to pre-sell all 900 bottles, in part because the lines that formed each release day congested sidewalk traffic in downtown,” said Peter Egelston, owner of Portsmouth Brewery. “We had to make a changes for the 2011 Kate release, but we discovered very early in the process that we could make a difference beyond downtown Portsmouth.”

Named ‘The Best Bear in America’ and ‘2nd Best Beer in the Universe’ by Beer Advocate in 2006, the strong stout rarely lasts more than 8 hours after its semi-annual restaurant tapping, with frenzied fans lining up as early as midnight the night before just to taste the lauded libation.

Over 10 years later, WinterKids rolls on!

It started with a relatively modest idea back in 1997 - keeping kids in Maine active and healthy during the state's notoriously long Winter. It's now blossomed into a thriving, independent non-profit organization featuring Board members from leading organizations such as L.L. Bean, Hannaford's, Maine Medical Center, the American Cancer Society and more, featuring a plethora of Winter activities and events for the whole family.

It's WinterKids, and it's helping to get Maine families out during the cold weather months to take advantage of Maine's climate, topography and natural beauty. Whether it's snowshoeing, ice skating, or apline or nordic skiing, there's something for everyone, at a price any family can afford.

For example, the WinterKids Passport offers all Maine 5th, 6th and 7th graders the ooportunity to learn and enjoy Winter sports, with free and discounted tickets lessons and rentals at 50 outdoor recreation areas, including ski areas, nordic ski centers and ice skating arenas for only $25. For younger kids, the WinterKids FunPass offers Maine children from preschool through 4th grade the chance to try cross-country skiing and snowskoeing at 20 locations at no charge!

And WinterKids is very involved with school systems - so much so that they've developed the Guide to Outdoor Active Learning (GOAL), a teacher-friendly resource book that makes it easy for teachers to integrate fun outdoor activity into academic lessons. 

As you might expect, our friends at Shawnee Peak are an active participant in WinterKids. In fact, WinterKids actually kicked off the 2010/2011 Winter season last December 19 at Shawnee Peak with "Cooper Campbell Day", when the resort offered 75 and adults children and adults the chance to try skiing and snowboarding for the very first time, with free lessons, rentals, and lift tickets - all in the memory of Cooper Campbell, a young man who was tragically killed by a drunk driver on the Maine Turnpike. 

For more information on WinterKids, call 207-871-5700, or visit www.winterkids.org   

Windham stoneworker puts final – and free – touches on new High School

For weeks this past summer, there was something just a little bit off about Adam Bennett’s commute.

Bennett, owner of Windham-based Colonial Stoneworks, couldn’t help but notice that the sign outside the brand new Windham High School was, let’s just say, aesthetically lacking.

“At a certain point I just felt like a high school that nice and that expensive deserved a better sign,” recalls Bennett, a Windham native and graduate of Salem High School.

While the sign’s lettered top may have passed muster – although, as Bennett pointed out, some of the original factory stickers still remained – the base was little more than an unfinished slab of rough concrete, complete with jutted-out iron clamps.

Towards the end of the summer, Bennett finally approached the school board with an offer they couldn’t refuse: he’d refurbish the base of the sign using his own materials. What’s more, he would do it free of charge.

“I just thought it would be nice to do something like that for the community,” said Bennett.

It took a few weeks, but Bennett eventually got the go-ahead from the school board. By October, he had hauled over the materials for the sign’s new base. He dug down a few inches, drilled some holes near the bottom of the original base, fastened some fresh rebar, before pouring in an 8-inch concrete lip all the way around.

Bennett then pieced together a brand new veneer of ornately-placed granite and other stones, in the process transforming the sign into one more befitting the new school’s clean, sturdy aura.

While as novel as it was creative, Bennett’s use of recycled and reclaimed materials is nothing new. Indeed, he’ll often source the stone for his clients’ projects right from their back yard – literally.

Shawnee Peak's Moonlight Charity Challenge

On Friday evening, February 4, our friends at Shawnee Peak will be hosting their annual Moonlight Charity Challenge fundraiser to benefit Camp Sunshine (a Casco, ME-based retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families) and the Shawnee Peak Adaptive Ski Program!
 

Contestants can put together teams of four, with the team fee of $300, and these teams take turns doing one run through a modified slalom course. The team with the fastest time wins! Teams can also “buy” time in order to raise money for the beneficiaries of this great event; for example, for every $100 over your team fee, a second is taken off your course time. Raise an extra $1000, and your team time decreases by 10 seconds!
 

So don’t worry if you’re just a beginner skier or snowboarder. The race runs from 4:30 -7:00 PM, with a dinner and socializing in Blizzards Pub from 6:30 – 8:00 PM, and the awards ceremony and raffle at 7:30. All participants get dinner, a t-shirt, a lift ticket from noon – 10 PM that day/night, and the wonderful satisfaction that comes from helping out two fantastic programs!
 

Share Your Love Gourmet Dinner - Early Valentine's Anyone?

February 9th RiRa is hosting Share Your Love, an annual event that benefits the Cooking Matters program of Share Our Strength. Cooking Matters is a program that educates at-risk adults, teens, and kids on how to cook for themselves in a healthy and nutritious way on a small budget. Local chefs love volunteering their signature dishes because they know the money raised will go to such a worthy cause. Tickets are $100 per person, but for all the gourmet food and fine wine it is not a bad price at all, and that isn't even considering the fact that you are supporting the health and well-being of deserving people from Exeter to Dover to Portsmouth.

Green Alliance Business Partner Beach Pea Baking Co. is one of the featured establishments. If the $100 per person tab isn't your quite speed, stop by their Kittery location and ask them what they are bringing to Share Your Love and get a free loaf of bread for every $20 you spend when you show your Green Card.

For more information and to buy tickets go to www.strength.org/portsmouth

Green Alliance Sponsors the Kittery Road Race in May

For all those of you out there who love running, but for some totally unexplained reason don't feel like even thinking about it when the number of inches of snow on the ground is higher than the number of degrees on the thermometer, we have something for you to look forward to!

This May is the Fifth Annual Kittery Fire Association 5k Run and Walk!

The Green Alliance is a sponsor of this event that supports the Kittery Fire Association and it's programs.  Last year GA Director Sarah Brown ran in the race and had a great time.  What she didn't think was so great was the lack of a recycling program and the huge amount of waste that resulted.  This year, as one of the event sponsors, the GA is going to organize the recycling program at the event.  We will put up several specially marked (with our beautiful logo) recycling bins for runners and spectators to put their used water bottles etc.

Now that you've had a few weeks to think about your New Year's resolution and reflect on it, you might add getting ready for a 5k to the list.  It is a great way to get more active, spend time training with friends, and feel accomplished when you complete it.  Also don't forget that you're supporting the programs of the Kittery Fire Department, too.

For more information and to register, go to www.kittery5k.com

If you're one of the first 200 registrants you will receive a t-shirt that will have logos of sponsoring organizations... that's right you'll have a t-shirt with the GA sunflower on it!  Also, every runner will get a coupon in their race packet for a reduced price on membership in the Green Alliance.

Help the Marine Environment at Blue Ocean Society's Volunteer Night

Portsmouth, NH - Looking for some volunteer opportunities in the seacoast area? The Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation is hosting the first of its monthly Volunteer Nights on Wednesday, January 12 from 5-7 PM at the organization's office at the Gov. Langdon House in Portsmouth. This is a great opportunity to get involved with the organization and protect the marine environment that is so valued here on the seacoast.

You can help the marine environment and meet other like-minded folks by joining Society staff members for 2 hours to work on projects in the organization’s office. Volunteer Nights will be held the 2nd Wednesday of each month in 2011.

No special skills are needed, although volunteers will need to park off-site and must walk up a long flight of stairs to the organization’s 2nd floor office. Food and drinks are provided Please RSVP by email to
info@blueoceansociety.org, or call 603-431-0260.