PORTSMOUTH NH 400TH INC

THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE 400TH ANNIVERSARY ARE OUTLINED BELOW.THREE SIGNATURE EVENTS IN 2023 - 2024 - AUGUST 6 - THE LITTLE ITALY CARNIVAL, HELD ON THE RIVERSIDE GROUNDS OF GRANITE STATE MINERALS, PAID HOMAGE TO THE FAMILIES DISPLACED BY 1960S URBAN RENEWAL AND REDEVELOPMENT, DISMANTLING THE CLOSELY KNIT ITALIAN AND MULTICULTURAL NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ONCE STOOD IN THE NORTH END OF THE CITY. CARNIVAL TENTS WERE ERECTED FOR THE BOSTON CIRCUS GUILD PERFORMERS, ACROBATS, CHILDREN'S GAMES AND ACTIVITIES, A BEER TENT, SPONSOR TENT, AND FEATURED A THREE-CHEF COOK-OFF WITH JUDGES. FOOD TRUCKS WITH ITALIAN THEMED OPTIONS LINED THE GROUNDS. THE MASQUERADE BALL HELD IN JULY RAISED FUNDS FOR THE LITTLE ITALY CARNIVAL TO MAKE IT FREE, ACCESSIBLE, AND INCLUSIVE. IT WAS A NIGHT OF OVER-THE-TOP EXTRAVAGANCE AT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB WITH VENETIAN DECOR, MUSIC, HEAVY HORS D'OEUVRES, LIBATIONS, RED CARPETS, PAPARAZZI, AND BOSTON CIRCUS GUILD PERFORMERS. ATTENDEES DRESSED IN GLAMOUROUS COSTUMES AND RECEIVED GIFTS OF VENETIAN MASKS. AUGUST 16, STREET.LIFE! 400, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER COLLABORATIVE OF GREATER PORTSMOUTH - 900 LOBSTER DINNERS SERVED OUTDOORS ON CONGRESS STREET; TOM BERGERON MC, DENISE & PAUL POULIOT PROVIDED LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (SEE ADDENDUM #3). FIRST EVER LASER LIGHT SHOW IN PORTSMOUTH BY LASERENCORE.COM THRILLED ALL THOSE IN THE DOWNTOWN.OCTOBER 1 - PNH400'S GREAT COMMUNITY PICNIC; 1,800 GUESTS CONSUMED 600 HAMBURGERS, 600 HOT DOGS, VEGGIE BURGERS, UNLIMITED PIZZA, KONA ICE AND ICE CREAM CONES; DANCED TO THE MUSIC BY WHEEL OF AWESOME BAND, ENJOYED ARTS, CRAFTS, GAMES, AND A LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME ORGANIZED BY COUNCILOR RICH BLALOCK. THE ENTIRE EVENT, INCLUDING FOOD, CRAFTS, GAMES, AND MUSIC WAS FREE TO GUESTS.PARTNERSHIP EVENTSSUMMER 2023 - PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD TOURS WERE OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC AT NO CHARGE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON A MONTHLY SCHEDULED BASIS, FROM MAY THROUGH OCTOBER, HOSTED BY MSGT JOE GLUCKERT , 429TH AIRLIFT WING HISTORIAN. MORE THAN 250 PEOPLE TOURED THE SHIPYARD GROUNDS BY BUS WITH A STOP AT THE PNSY NAVAL MUSEUM.JULY 27 - 31, 2023 - THE ANNUAL MARITIME FESTIVAL WITH VISITS BY THE TALL SHIPS IS ORGANIZED BY SAIL PORTSMOUTH (FORMERLY THE PORTSMOUTH MARITIME COMMISSION). FOR THE 400TH, FIVE TALL SHIPS PLUS THE GUNDALOW WERE SCHEDULED TO LEAD THE PARADE OF SAIL FROM PORTSMOUTH HARBOR UP THE PISCATAQUA RIVER TO DOCK AT PEIRCE ISLAND FISH PIER. PARADESTHE PNH400 TEAM MEMBERS REPRESENTED THE PNH400 EFFORT IN MULTIPLE PARADES, INCLUDING:HALLOWEEN PARADES, 2022 AND 2023JUNE 3, 2023, PNH400 GRAND PARADE WITH AN OVER-THE-TOP FLOAT PRODUCED BY MINISTER OF FUN DENISE WHEELER AND TEAM.ILLUMINATED HOLIDAY PARADES, DECEMBER 2022, AND 2023 WITH ANOTHER CREATIVE FLOAT PRODUCED BY DENISE WHEELER AND TEAM.LEGACY PROJECTSWE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR LEGACY PROJECTS THAT WILL LAST WELL INTO FUTURE YEARS:INSTALLED A STUNNING REMINDER OF THE 2023 ANNIVERSARY THEME HISTORY LIGHTS OUR WAY IN THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED SCULPTURE GARDEN IN THE BOHENKO GATEWAY PARK. THE SCULPTURE COMMISSIONED BY THE LEGACY COMMITTEE OF PNH400, ENDEAVOR, BY SIJIA CHEN, IS A 24 FOOT HIGH STEEL STRUCTURE OF TWO SAILS WITH 13 CUTOUTS DEPICTING PORTSMOUTH'S MARITIME AND EARLY HISTORY.A HISTORY OF PORTSMOUTH NH IN 101 OBJECTS PRINTED BOOK WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM 80 AUTHORS AND HISTORIANS AND 15 PHOTOGRAPHERS, RESEARCHED 101 OBJECTS THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF PORTSMOUTH AND TELLS THE STORY OF EACH.THE PORTSMOUTH TIME MACHINE BOOK FOR READERS OF ALL AGES, AUTHORED BY J. DENNIS ROBINSON, ILLUSTRATED BY ROBERT SQUIER. TWO YOUNG STUDENTS USE THEIR PHONES TO TRAVEL THROUGH TIME AND MEET PORTSMOUTH'S HISTORICAL FIGURES.TWENTY-SIX ORAL HISTORIES CAPTURED OF THE ITALIAN FAMILIES WHO LIVED IN THE LOST NORTH END NEIGHBORHOODS WAS COMPILED INTO A 30-MINUTE TEASER DOCUMENTARY FIRST SHOWN AT THE OCTOBER 2023 NH FILM FESTIVAL. "THE CIRCLE BUILDERS" SCULPTURE BY ANTOINETTE PRIEN SCHULTZE, HONORING THE LOST ITALIAN NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE NORTH END, WILL BE PLACED IN THE ITALIAN SCULPTURE GARDEN NEXT TO THE DEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY AT THE CORNER OF MAPLEWOOD AND DEER STREETS.PNH400'S EDUCATION TEAM, LED BY PORTSMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL 'S MARLON PINTO (SOPHOMORE THROUGH SENIOR YEARS), DR. ROBERT LISTER, AND TREVOR BARTLETT, WITH MAJOR SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE FROM PPMTV (PORTSMOUTH PUBLIC MEDIA), CREATED ORAL HISTORY VIDEOS OF 28 LOCAL RESIDENTS AND LEADERS WHO HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN PORTSMOUTH AND RYE (ALSO CELEBRATING THEIR 400TH ANNIVERSARY). THE VIDEOS WERE COMPILED BY DARCI CREATIVE INTO FIVE 30-MINUTE VIDEOS AVAILABLE ON PNH400'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL. THEY TELL THE STORIES OF THE LAST FIFTY YEARS OF PORTSMOUTH'S GROWTH. THE 2023 PORTSMOUTH NH 400TH ANNIVERSARY PHOTOS, A PRINTED CAREFUL CURATION OF THE BEST OF THE 7,000 IMAGES TAKEN BY OUR MANY VOLUNTEER PHOTOGRAPHERS, DOCUMENTING EVENTS AND PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT 2023. EDITOR KARINA QUINTANS; AVAILABLE JUNE 2024.NOVEMBER 5, 2023 THE MUSIC HALL - IN HONOR OF PORTSMOUTH'S 400TH ANNIVERSARY THE PORTSMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND THE MUSIC HALL CO-COMMISSIONED AT THIS POINT,A 45-MINUTE WORK FOR ORCHESTRA, CHORUS, SOPRANO AND NARRATOR WRITTEN BY COMPOSER GREGORY BROWN. THE COPY, WRITTEN BY TODD HEARON, POET AND MUSICIAN, TELLS A STORY IN EIGHT PARTS ABOUT PORTSMOUTH, FEATURING SOME OF OUR TREASURED LANDMARKS LIKE STRAWBERY BANKE, THE AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND, AND THE NORTH CHURCH. PORTSMOUTH PRO MUSICA, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF PRISCILLA FRENCH, ACCOMPANIED THE PSO. THIS WORLD PREMIER CONCERT WAS CONDUCTED BY JOHN PAGE, PSO'S MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR. THE PORTSMOUTH TIME CAPSULE, ORGANIZED BY JIM SPLAINE, COLLECTED MORE THAN 800 LETTERS TO PORTSMOUTH'S RESIDENTS TO OPEN IN 2123. BANNERS, BOOKS, BUTTONS, AND OTHER MEMENTOS WERE ALSO DEPOSITED IN THE TIME CAPSULE TUBES WHICH WERE SEALED IN A CEREMONY ON DECEMBER 31, 2023. THE PORTSMOUTH HISTORIC PLAQUES PROGRAM WAS REINSTATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE SOUTH END (FOSE), THE CITYWIDE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMITTEE (CNC), THE PORTSMOUTH HISTORICAL SOCIETY (PHS), AND THE PORTSMOUTH ATHENAEUM (P.A.). HOMEOWNERS WHO APPLIED DURING 2023 TO UNEARTH THEIR HOME'S HISTORY, VERIFIED BY P.A. AFFILIATED MARGARET HODGES PLGCS, RECEIVED PLAQUES WITH THE 2023 THEME, DATES, AND PNH400 NAMED. THE PROGRAM WILL BE ONGOING THROUGH PHS TO ENCOURAGE HOMEOWNERS TO DISCOVER MORE ABOUT PORTSMOUTH AND EACH HOME'S HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.