J. Dennis Robinson
Slogans, like bumper stickers, tend to fade with age, but they stick like glue. Once applied, they can be tough to remove. Since this city first began courting tourists at the bicentennial celebration of 1823, Portsmouth has had its share of catchy promotional phrases. We were “An Old Town by the Sea,” thanks to the title of an 1883 book by Thomas Bailey Aldrich. But by the dawn of the 20th century, that slogan already carried a whiff of decay.
While old colonial mansions drew visitors to New Hampshire’s only seaport, they were of no interest to companies seeking to plant a factory or a new business. Potential companies wanted railroad lines, paved roads, cheap land, and a willing workforce. Members of the Portsmouth Board of Trade and the Merchant’s Exchange recognized what today we call “a branding problem.” So in 1914, they combined forces to publish a slick brochure advertising the city.
Daily News staff
PORTSMOUTH An episode of the television program Kindred Spirits filmed at the Valley Inn Restaurant on West Main Road will debut this week.
The episode titled False Witness, part of the fifth season of the show that examines supernatural occurrences, is set to premier Jan. 16 at p.m. on the Discovery Channel.
The show’s description says: “In 1673, Rebecca Cornell was found murdered in her Rhode Island home; days later, her ghost testified against her son; the team attempts to conjure the spirits who played a part in the centuries-old crime and reveal the truth.”
According to the History channel, the case has ties to Fall River s Lizzie Borden murder case. Thomas Cornell was accused of and later hanged for burning his mother to death; Lizzie Borden was a direct descendant.
10 to Watch 2020 winners are Seacoast young leaders
Staff report
PORTSMOUTH The winners of the seventh annual 10 to Watch contest are being celebrated as leaders in the Seacoast’s up-and-coming generation.
The 2020 contest is presented by Catapult Seacoast, the local young professionals network, and Seacoast Media Group with lead sponsors Bank of America and Eversource. People ages 21 to 40 who live and/or work in the Seacoast are eligible.
The contest highlights young professionals who have a vision for community service and will contribute to the Seacoast for years to come.
The 2020 winners were selected by a panel of judges from New Hampshire young professionals networks outside the Seacoast. Here they are: