Life + Culture

Find Your Hygge for the Holidays

Seaside holidays bring glow, rosy cheeks, and ways to give Article by Peggy Newland Hygge is meant for the holidays and when you live in Portsmouth, there are many ways to find a “warm and cozy” community on the coast. Hygge, which is pronounced hoo-ga , comes from the Danish (and Norwegian) concept of finding contentment, wellbeing, and connection during the dark days of winter. Think of simple gatherings filled with laughter, connection, good food, generosity, and warmth shared. ...

Sports + Recreation

Currier Charm and Candlelight Cheer

Ice Dance International's skaters transport audiences back in time Article by Ann Kathryn Kelly | Photography by David Murray, ClearEyePhoto Imagine the scene: the smells of woodsmoke and hot apple cider drifting in the air. Shimmering lanterns twinkling. A crowd of families, friends, and neighbors gathering on a snow-dusted December night—bunching together—as the swell of a favorite Christmas song starts. A scrape of blades on ice, and magically, women in ankle-length, billowing velvet...

Event Planning + Services

A World of Difference

From its grassroots start, Seacoast Holiday has grown each year to touch the lives of hundreds of families Article by Rebecca Ingalls | Photography by Kevin Edge, Kevin Edge Photography It may not surprise anyone to know that the inspiration for Seacoast Holiday came from the heart of a child. Eight years ago, Justin Pike’s young daughter shared with him her awareness about the poverty that some of her peers were facing, with honest questions about what could be done to help them. Pike, whose...

Entertainment

Play, Dine, and Give Back

Portsmouth’s Black Rock Social Club Makes its Debut Article by Krysten Godfrey Maddocks | Photography by Kevin Edge, Kevin Edge Photography Step inside the sleek, dark-painted building of the Black Rock Social Club and walk the concrete “red carpet.” Following it will lead you past the dining area’s gleaming bar, into a massive space that includes golf and flight simulators, a stage, and plenty of space to gather. If that’s not enough, the venue also includes 20 flat-screen TVs and will soon...

Life + Culture

Wheels of Joy

Seacoast Pedal It Forward transforms used bicycles into freedom, connection, and opportunity Article by Susan Gallagher The battered bicycle lay half-buried in trash in the overflowing dumpster, handlebars bent at an odd angle, chain twisted and rusty, one wheel missing. To the eyes of the average person, the bike appeared useless. But to the trained eyes of the dedicated volunteers of Seacoast Pedal It Forward (SPIF), this crooked tangle of metal evoked an image of the bright, shiny...

Local Services

“We Just Show Up”

First responder Kayla Reno finds deep fulfillment in building community Article by Rebecca Ingalls | Photography by Kevin Edge The courageous individuals who occupy the “front line” believe in collective safety, for which they will risk their own. This month, as we express gratitude, we shine a light on Seacoast citizen Kayla Reno, firefighter and paramedic. We celebrate not only her courage, but also the grit of her journey and the community building that inspires her work.  For Reno, the...

Local Services

Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities

Northeast Passage empowers individuals with disability to realize possibility Article by Ann Kathryn Kelly For Luke, a 19-year-old sophomore nursing student at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), the chance to play lacrosse as a student athlete in a national tournament is a dream come true. What made that experience even more significant is that Luke was born with spina bifida, a condition where the spinal cord does not completely close during fetal development. Yet, as a UNH student...

Travel

A Seaside Escape Awaits in Cape Elizabeth

Rest before the rush of the holidays and find your inner calm Article by Peggy Newland Sometimes you just have to disconnect to reconnect, and if you give yourself some calm before the storm of holidays, you’ll be ready for the frenzy of family gatherings, neighborhood parties, and not enough wrapping paper. A quick jaunt up the coast to Inn by the Sea, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, is the ideal reset before the onset of holidays. Set like a jewel on Crescent Beach, this oasis of empty beaches...

Life + Culture

My "Big" Best Friend

Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire transforms lives, one dedicated mentor at a time Article by Susan Gallagher | Photography by Mary Ellen McNamara The only memories 18-year-old Lana has of her mother live in dog-eared photographs and time-faded stories from those who knew her. Just three years old when she lost her mom, Lana grew up as an only child raised by her father. By the time she was nine, her mother’s absence was an aching void that nothing could fill. Hoping to ease his young...

Home Services

Special Delivery

Meals on Wheels delivers more than meals to seniors on the Seacoast Article by Susan Gallagher | Photography by Deborah Parker Doris pulls back the curtain to peer out her front window, wincing at the arthritis pain in her fingers. Tony should be here any minute. She smiles at the thought of her special friend. The Meals on Wheels delivery driver she has grown so fond of is the only person 84-year-old Doris will see all week. In a neighboring town, a tremulous hand slips out of the door...