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Demolition of Memorial Bridge Begins With 'Float Out'
The demolition of the Memorial Bridge begins Tuesday.A The 90-year-old lift bridge, which crosses the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth and Kittery Maine, has long been in a state of disrepair.
DOT seeks comments from public on N.H. rail system
... of public meetings. The first in the series is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 29 from 6-8 p.m. at City Hall in Portsmouth. We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the ...
DOT Unleashes $500M in New TIGER Aid
... in the program's first three rounds. TIGER II provided $20 million to replace the Memorial Bridge that connects Portsmouth, NH, with Kittery, ME. The span has a sufficiency rating of six out of 100. As with the first three rounds, TIGER 2012 grants ...
Fire Commission encourages attendance at council meeting
The Portsmouth Fire Commission has requested from the City Council a supplemental appropriation in the amount of $150,000.00. There will be a public hearing for the requested amount at the City Council meeting, February 6th, 2012.
Piscataqua River closed as Maine-NH bridge demolition begins
... ver the coming months, workers will continue to dismantle the old U.S. 1 bridge that connects Kittery, Maine, and Portsmouth, N.H.
Portsmouth police log
3:19 p.m. - A caller said her former boyfriend was harassing her and showed up to her place of work intoxicated.
Schedule change for Memorial Bridge 'float out' event in Portsmouth
The 'float out' event originially scheduled to begin Monday, is now set for Tuesday, Feb 7 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. This is the first major event associated with the demolition of the Memorial Bridge that crosses the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine.
River closed as Maine-NH bridge demolition begins
... ver the coming months, workers will continue to dismantle the old U.S. 1 bridge that connects Kittery, Maine, and Portsmouth, N.H.
Loss a super disappointment for Pats fans
... the Patriots' 21-17 loss to the New York Giants in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game Sunday in Indianapolis. PORTSMOUTH - With tabs closed and coats already on, all that was left was a last-gasp Hail Mary pass before local fans of the New ...
Exeter man proposes yurts for homeless people
... homeless came to him while reading Herald news stories about people living in lean-tos and tents in the woods of Portsmouth. "It seems amazing to me that people are living in a tent," he said. "Yurts would make very cost-effective shelters for the ...
South Church youths get boost for Appalachia trip
Portsmouth resident Anne Deminoff receives a bowlful of chili from Alex Byfield, 17, during the Empty Bowls event at the South Church on Sunday.
Portsmouth Athenaeum series remembers War of 1812
... in battle with HMS Macedonia in 1812 in this painting by an unknown artist. The War of 1812 is the subject of the Portsmouth Athenaeum 2012 Program Series. PORTSMOUTH - Explore the often forgotten but pivotal conflict between a fledgling nation and ...
Around the City of Portsmouth
... For more news, notes and anecdotes from around the city, visit Charles McMahon's blog at blogs.seacoastonline.com/portsmouth-nh/ Girls in Grades K-5 are invited to attend the event along with their fathers, uncles, older brothers, grandfathers, or ...
Guinta, Shea-Porter fill campaign war chests
... a whole, she has raised more money than the two other contenders for the Democratic nomination. Joanne Dowdell, a Portsmouth-based investment firm executive, reported contributions of $41,500 for the last quarter, with total contributions of ...
UNH fair focuses on healthy living
... came up with the idea for such an event after volunteering at Camp Allen, in Bedford, and the Friends Project, in Portsmouth, where she worked with developmentally challenged and learning disabled persons. "I thought it would be great to do a health ...
Your Turn: Why America needs its shipyards, Portsmouth included
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard should not be on the Base Realignment and Closure list.
Ask the Expert - The Answer to New Hampshire's Job Crisis: Start-ups
... when we need job creation most. With nearly a dozen promising tech-driven companies housed at our center in Portsmouth and looking for precious early-stage rocket fuel, we're committed to overcoming this roadblock. A recent initiative spearheaded by ...
Fighting violence through art: V-Day presents the Vagina Monologues
Day Portsmouth is back and bigger than ever. On Feb. 17, 18, and 19, V-Day Portsmouth 2012 presents a benefit production of Eve Ensler's award wining play The Vagina Monologues for three performances only.
Currier Gallery of Art exhibition chronicles Modernist movement
... artistic language that their predecessors developed. Paul Caponigro, who lives in Cushing, Maine, Carl Hyatt of Portsmouth, and Arno Minkkinen of Andover, Mass., all clearly connect to modernism and are part of "A New Vision," curators said. The ...
Lake Street Advisors, LLC Continues Growth of Boston Office
... a conflict-free investment approach that allows for unbiased advice and execution. With offices in Boston, MA and Portsmouth, NH, our dedicated teams apply business discipline to all elements of personal financial strategy including investments, ...

  
Seacoast News Feature  Seacoast News Feature Minimize

Seacoast Alert: Endangered Piping Plovers Need Your Help

CONCORD, N.H. -- The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department urges residents and visitors to New Hampshire's beaches to do their part to help protect the state-endangered and federally threatened piping plovers nesting on New Hampshire's seacoast.

To protect the birds, Fish and Game has set up fencing along the beaches and posted signs near piping plover breeding areas. The fencing will remain in place until all chicks have fledged or have left the beach for wintering areas. These measures help provide the birds with space free from disturbance by humans and predators, where the plovers can perform courtship and mating and establish nests.

"As the beach season gets underway, we want to remind people to respect the fenced-off areas and give the birds space to perform their mating rituals and raise their young," said John Kanter, Coordinator of Fish and Game's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program. "Together, we're helping to give an endangered species a chance for survival."

Here's how you can help protect piping plovers:

1. Respect signs and fences around nesting areas.
2. Be a responsible pet owner - walk dogs in areas where piping plovers are not present and keep cats indoors. Dogs can chase plovers and step on eggs and chicks, killing them. Cats are a major predator of many types of birds, including piping plovers.
3. Fill in holes on the beach. Piping plover chicks can fall in and become trapped.
4. Fly kites a safe distance away from plovers.
5. Don't approach or linger near piping plovers or their nests.
6. Teach children safe viewing and respect for wildlife.
7. Obey local fireworks laws. Fireworks stress adult piping plovers and their chicks and can cause accidental fires that destroy dune vegetation.
8. Pick up trash and food on the beach. Garbage attracts predators, such as gulls and crows, which prey on plover eggs, chicks and sometimes adults.
9. Report observations. Report unlawful fireworks, off-leash dogs or fencing vandalism to your local police department.
10. Volunteer! If you enjoy watching birds and want to help protect the piping plovers, call New Hampshire Fish and Game at (603) 271-2461.

In addition to fencing measures, mechanical cleaning or beach raking will be temporarily restricted in areas where piping plover chicks are present (typically during parts of June and July). This is important because the wrack, or seaweed, that washes ashore provides a vital food source to young chicks, and motorized vehicles can crush eggs and young birds.

"We appreciate the public's patience, cooperation and understanding of the need to respect nesting areas and avoid beach raking during a critical time for the plovers," said John Kanter, coordinator of Fish and Game's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program.

So far this year, there are two known pairs of piping plovers on New Hampshire's seacoast. Both pairs are in Hampton; one pair has nested and the second pair has been observed mating. Fish and Game biologists are continuing to monitor Seabrook and Sun Valley beaches, among other locations, for additional piping plovers.

Last year, feral cats and storms took their toll on nesting piping plovers; only an orphaned pair of chicks survived. In 2004, the plovers fared better, with four pairs of piping plovers nesting at Seabrook Town Beach and Hampton Beach State Park, fledging four chicks. Since protection efforts began in 1997, more than 74 chicks have fledged from New Hampshire's seacoast. New Hampshire's efforts are part of a region-wide protection program; overall, the Atlantic coast population of piping plovers continues to hold steady.

Piping plovers are small shorebirds that are sand-colored on top and white underneath. They can be distinguished from other shorebirds by a black band across the forehead, a black band around the neck and bright orange legs. Plover nests are small scrapes or depressions in the sand, typically containing three or four eggs. When the tiny chicks hatch, they look like cottonballs on toothpick legs. Plover chicks can walk and eat within hours after hatching, but are unable to fly for the first 30 days of life. During this time, they are extremely vulnerable to predators like gulls, crows, cats, foxes and skunks, and are susceptible to being trampled by dogs or people who aren't aware of their presence.

 Protection of this endangered species is a cooperative effort of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, N.H. Fish and Game, N.H. Parks and Recreation, the Town of Seabrook, the Town of Hampton, volunteers, local residents and beach visitors.

For more information on piping plovers, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife website at http//:plover.fws.gov.

  
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