Press Releases/What’s New

​CAPTION: The Clipper Strong Fund Committee presented a $1000 check to Deb Anthony, executive director of Gather, the largest hunger relief agency serving the Seacoast, including local business employees hard hit by the pandemic.

Mayor Rick Becksted has announced the formation of a Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Arts and Nonprofits, designed to respond to the needs of arts and culture nonprofits during the reopening and recovery phases ahead.

As part of the Sagamore Avenue Sewer Extension Project, borings are needed to collect data about the soils and bedrock in the project area. The first phase of borings was completed in the spring of 2020; and this work will complete the boring data collection.

Taking another significant step in its effort to protect the City of Portsmouth’s surface water supply by conserving lands surrounding the Bellamy Reservoir, the City’s Department of Public Works Water Division has partnered with Southeast Land Trust (SELT) to purchase a conservation easement on approximately 107 acres owned by Mary Ellen Duffy, adjacent to the Reservoir.

The Portsmouth community can now access the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and the Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) on the City of Portsmouth website. The City of Portsmouth prepares the CAFR and PAFR following the close of each fiscal year under the guidance of Director of Finance and Administration Judie Belanger.

A panel of judges aged 21-months to 18 years old has reviewed all 76 Holiday Lights Contest participants and selected three winners of the $500 gift cards donated by Ricci Lumber, Lowe’s and Home Depot:  Al Bailey, Jane Sprague and Nicole Beyer.

City staff are seeking residents’ help in illustrating what life is like in the City of Portsmouth. As staff prepare documents and presentations including the Budget and Annual Report, they like to include photographs of residents taking advantage of the programs, projects, services and “amenities” – both natural and manmade – throughout the City.

Some suggestions for images:

The McIntyre Subcommittee and Portsmouth Listens, with the support of project developer Redgate Kane and with assistance from Boston-based urban design firm The Principle Group, are initiating study circles in January to deliberate on the opportunity for new public space to enjoy at McIntyre.

CAPTION: Four students from the UNH Civil and Environmental Engineering Capstone Program are working with the City Department of Public Works to assess a new tool for the Stormwater Division to measure compliance with EPA permitting requirements. They are (left to right) Joe DeGregorio​. Brandon Belmonte, , Jessica Nekowitsch and Andrew Godfrey.

The Portsmouth Fire Department has just received word from the North Pole that Santa Claus is making a special trip to Portsmouth on Saturday, December 19 (rain/snow date: Sunday, December 20) to help plan his route through the neighborhoods for the big night.

Santa also learned that Portsmouth residents are making a special effort to decorate with Holiday Lights this year, so he wants to check out all the decorations.