A roundup of community gatherings that will honor American men and women who have lost their lives at war.

The Random Shopper’s Darius Kazemi comes to Portsmouth to talk about the art and aesthetics of creative coding

The Next Big Thing in the literary world may not be the next Great American Novel, but a piece of randomly-generated e-literature. And if you’re waiting for the next genre-defining album to drop, you might look to a remix instead, a mash-up created from an algorithm that tracks MP3 streams online. This is creative coding, an avant-garde aesthetic movement that uses aspects of open source computing code in service to purely abstract or artistic ends, instead of being confined to solving business-based practical problems. Pixel Media will host a creative coding conversation with Darius Kazemi on May 30, an event that speaks directly to the creative minds of the Seacoast tech community but is free and open to all.

While the federal government works with local communities to reduce pollution in Great Bay caused by aging wastewater treatment plants, a new study shows that the majority of nitrogen that’s choking the bay comes from places like our septic systems and our evil lawns.

Heather Maloney’s blend of rock, country, folk and indie music filled the cozy Music Hall Loft on Friday, May 17, when the artist and her band arrived in Portsmouth after two weeks on the road promoting their new self-titled album. For a group that has only been together a year and a half, they have not only found their sound but tightened it into a presentable and enjoyable gift for their audience.

After departing their space in Kittery Foreside midwinter, Just Us Chickens has re-opened on Route 236, two doors down from the Post Office. The cooperatively-run gallery has been a fixture in Kittery for seven years. Their retail store offers a mix of locally-made arts, jewelry, clothing, household items and more.

Serena Films, 1964: This film belongs to the genre of cheap period horror films that were churned out in Europe throughout the 1960s. They were taken somewhat seriously by audiences there, but largely ended up in drive-ins over here. The film has a creepy and cozy Gothic feel, from the gypsy caravan wagon used by the troupe, to the requisite rowdy tavern (“Wench! More wine!”) to the Count’s ghastly castle.

At first it seemed like 2009’s J.J. Abrams-directed “Star Trek” was a reboot of this sort, like “Battlestar Galactica” or “Batman Begins,” as it recast all the characters, radically upgraded the visuals, and even changed a few key pieces of story. It was fresh and fast and dazzlingly bright, something which still felt like Star Trek and yet looked nothing like the past. With “Star Trek: Into Darkness,” though, it’s clear that there is something even stranger afoot.

The towns and cities of the Seacoast offer a host of enrichment courses for adults in topics from art to cooking to foreign languages. “My goal is to make (the students) feel as comfortable as possible,” Tiffany Brand says. “No question is too crazy or too stupid.” In Computer Novices class, she helps everyone find the power button and login. Then, she goes through the steps to open the program for the game Solitaire.

Charles Simic conjures up this interior cast of characters from a lifetime of crafting poems. These ten populate a single stanza near the end of his most recent book, “New and Selected Poems: 1962-2012.” They’re a scant handful of the roles he and his characters play in this 50-year compendium. The collection samples broadly from more than 13 of his 20-plus poetry volumes. Including memoirs and translations, Simic has published over 60 books.

Most people think of “Cooking Italian” and “Introduction to Watercolor”—enrichment courses—when they hear “adult education.” But there is another side to adult ed: adult basic education, which prepares adults to take the GED or for college or the workplace. Next year, those courses are facing major changes as the new GED is unveiled in January 2014. The changes to the GED include a new scoring system, combining two sections (reading and writing) into one, and increased test difficulty. The new GED will also be entirely computer-based, with no option for a paper-and-pencil test.

The Maine House and Senate have voted to urge the state’s congresional representatives to craft a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court ruling known as “Citizens United.” The bi-partisan vote was 111-33 in the House and 25-9 in the Senate.

It’s not surprising Brandon Lepere has been able to land gigs opening for Keith Urban, Hootie and the Blowfish, Edwin McCain and more. His voice, pitch-perfect-country, has been been winning him awards since the age of 15. On the new album "The Road," his songs are polished with the veneer of time well spent in the studio.

On a warm rainy evening—the first spring rain, with zero sleet mixed in—members of the Rollinsford Community Garden gathered in the Rollinsford Public Library, housed in a corner of the brick mill building downtown. Suzanne Huard, president of the Rollinsford Garden and Local Sustainability Club, which runs the garden, stood to welcome everyone and hand out paperwork. “If you have any friends or neighbors who want to garden,” she said, “send ’em our way.” There are still plots available in the 28-bed garden, located on Foundry Street.

Science Café series brings science out of the lab and into the lounge

“Everyone likes a good brain massage,” says JT Thompson, Minister of Propaganda for Smuttynose Brewing Company and The Portsmouth Brewery. And last Wednesday, the Brewery helped to give craniums a good rubdown during the Science Café—a lively and informal discussion held several Wednesdays throughout the year at Portsmouth Brewery’s Jimmy LaPanza Lounge

excitement about this year's season finales has us remembering the best

The year “Dallas” debuted, “The White Shadow” season finale of 1978 featured the basketball team deciding to form a singing group; in the “Mork & Mindy” season finale, Mork befriends a caterpillar. But by the time the curtain closed on the Ewing’s Southfork Ranch in May of 1991, “L.A. Law” was throwing people down elevator shafts and “St. Elsewhere” was smashing wrecking balls through its own hospital walls.