city of rochester

Rochester Farmers Market Names New Manager for 2019

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  City of Rochester
Blaine Cox, City Manager
31 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH 03867

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

Media Contact: Jordan Mayblum
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Rochester Farmers Market Names New Manager for 2019

ROCHESTER — City Manager Blaine Cox is pleased to announce that the Rochester Farmers Market has named a new manager for the 2019 season.

Rochester resident Vicky Poland has taken on the responsibilities of overseeing the Farmers Market. For the past ten years Poland has organized and managed numerous events in the greater seacoast area. Along with her new role as Market Manager,
she will continue in her existing roles as entertainment manager for the Deerfield, Belknap and Stratham Fairs, as well as the Hampton Seafood Festival and Wings and Wheels Rochester.

Poland will take over for two Farmers Market founders, Jeanne Grover and Alicia Frye, who had committed to manage the organization through the 2018 season. The pair also founded the Vouchers for Veterans program, which they are now working to expand throughout Strafford County.

“I am looking forward to helping build upon the excellent market that has come to be a staple of summers in Rochester,” Poland said. “I’m also grateful for the foundation that Jeanne and Alicia have laid during their time as managers of the market, and I hope to meet as many Rochester residents as possible at this year’s events.”

The market will be held every Tuesday from 3-6 p.m. at the Rochester Commons, starting June 11 and continuing through Sept. 24. As in past years, the market will feature both a variety of quality vendors and diverse live entertainment options.

“We are very excited to welcome Vicky as the manager for 2019,” City Manager Cox said. “She is a great choice for the market, and we’re all confident that the market will continue to thrive and expand under her stewardship.”

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Rochester Residents Take Part in Coffee With the Mayor

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  City of Rochester
Blaine Cox, City Manager
31 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH 03867

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, Dec. 17, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Rochester Residents Take Part in Coffee With the Mayor

ROCHESTER — Mayor Caroline McCarley provided residents with key updates about the city of Rochester, and took part in a discussion about their individual feedback at the informal Coffee With the Mayor event late last week.

On Thursday, Dec. 13, residents and city employees joined the mayor at the Governor’s Inn for a wide-ranging discussion about what the city accomplished in 2018, as well as what they’d like to see city leaders prioritize in 2019.

The mayor praised newly-named City Manager Blaine Cox for his early work transitioning into his role following the retirement of his predecessor, Dan Fitzpatrick, and highlighted several other key developments. Among them were the re-paving of streets downtown, improved sidewalks, expanded bike lanes and the installation of new way finding signage in the business district.

The conversation was meant to give residents an opportunity to hear about the progress their city is making, and also provide critical feedback to guide the city’s future.

“I like to hear from people because it’s really helpful to know what the community is thinking,” Mayor McCarley said. “It’s on us to talk about our community, and I couldn’t be happier to have been mayor for the last three years, and I look forward to doing it for one more year.”

McCarley also noted the difficult decision to raise the city’s tax cap this year, which was done largely to ensure adequate funding of the city’s schools.

“It’s not an easy decision and it’s not one anyone was looking forward to having to make,” she said. “But, if you’re not committed to public education then, to me, your commitments are misplaced.”

McCarley said that a delegation from Rochester will be going to the state capitol soon to advocate for continued state support of the ongoing renovation at the high school’s Creteau Technology Center, and indicated that she’d ask the city council next month to identify its top three priorities for the year to come.

For her part, the mayor said she hopes to one day see a covered market take hold in the Hoffman building and is looking forward to the responses to the recently-issued request for proposals for the Scenic Theater and Salinger Block on North Main Street. She also hopes that the Rochester Fair complex will become a stronger asset for the community.

Residents at the event expressed praise for the improvements downtown, and some suggested they’d like to see improvements like better lighting at some of the crosswalks in the city. To conclude the event, attendees provided feedback about projects that they believed might improve the Riverwalk.

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Rochester City Employees Earn Degrees and Certifications

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  City of Rochester
Blaine Cox, City Manager
31 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH 03867

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Rochester City Employees Earn Degrees and Certifications

ROCHESTER — City Manager Blaine Cox is pleased to announce that multiple city employees recently earned post-secondary degrees and industry certifications.

Economic Development Manager Karen Pollard completed her master’s degree in finance and international business at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business.

Additionally, Senior Executive Assistant Samantha Rodgerson recently graduated summa cum laude in August, earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Franklin Pierce University.

Along with Pollard and Rodgerson’s newly earned degrees, Senior Planner Michelle Mears received her certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Certified planners verify their academic and professional achievements by passing a rigorous, comprehensive examination. The American Institute of Certified Planners is the American Planning Association’s professional institute and provides the only nationwide, independent verification of planners’ qualifications.

To earn certification, professional planners must first demonstrate their commitment to upholding the highest standards of practice, ethics and professional conduct, and to keep their skills sharp and up to date by continuously pursuing advanced professional education.

By earning her certification, Mears joins her colleagues, Planning Director Jim Campbell and Chief Planner Seth Creighton in doing so.

“I’m extremely proud of the work Karen, Samantha and Michelle have done to further develop their skills and expertise,” City Manager Cox said. “By earning these degrees and certifications, they have displayed their commitment to constant self improvement and we all will benefit from their continued service to the City of Rochester.”

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City of Rochester Earns Brownfields Grant to Support Wallace Street Lot Cleanup

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  City of Rochester
Blaine Cox, City Manager
31 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH 03867

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

City of Rochester Earns Brownfields Grant to Support Wallace Street Lot Cleanup

A Brownfields cleanup grant will fund a large portion of the cleanup effort at the vacant lot on Wallace Street. (Courtesy Photo)

ROCHESTER — City Manager Blaine Cox is pleased to announce that the City of Rochester has earned a Brownfield cleanup grant from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

The $200,000 Brownfields cleanup grant will support the city’s efforts to remove contaminated soil at the lot located at 10-16 Wallace St. The project will ultimately improve the environment around the lot, while also preparing it for potential redevelopment.

Brownfields are former industrial or commercial sites where future use is hindered by contamination from the sites’ previous uses.

With the grant, the City of Rochester will work to remove soil contaminated with chlorinated solvents. The soil is a contributing source of ongoing groundwater contamination and, if left unaddressed, could pose problems for future buildings on the now-vacant site.

The contamination dates back to 1892, when the site was first developed as a foundry and was subsequently occupied by multiple foundries and other industrial and commercial operations, including a metal recycling facility that closed in 2007.

Once decontaminated, the site would be open to potential redevelopment as either a residential, commercial or industrial use under its existing zoning. 

“This lot is a linchpin property in the city’s ongoing revitalization efforts,” City Manager Cox said. “Earning a Brownfields grant to overhaul this land is a tremendous step forward as we look to further enhance our downtown area and support growth that’s in line with our economic development goals.” 

Rochester was one of two cities in New Hampshire to earn the 2018 Brownfields grant, with Manchester securing the other. Funds for these grants were made available from the Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF), which provides financial support for the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties. Program income from this RLF was utilized in an effort to clean up Brownfield sites and position these properties for redevelopment.

The grant is expected to cover the majority of the cost of the cleanup project.

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