the show ain’t over for the Rochester Opera House

As the Rochester Opera House neared its 100-year anniversary last year, the community feared it would be the last.
But the reorganization and new strategic business plan is working and, in a display of confidence and commitment, the city of Rochester signed a five-year lease with the Opera House this February.

The historic theater at Town Hall was run by the city until its restoration in 1996, when it was leased on a one to three year basis as a not-for-profit. The new lease is a public-private partnership, with the city acting as landlord. The community support makes it more likely that the Opera House will secure grants, said co-executive director Susan Page.

“A year ago, the doors were about to close,” she said. Necessary repairs were made and the Opera House no longer has the outstanding debt that was threatening its future. “We made a turnaround that even surprised ourselves.”

The partnership also encourages the Opera House to reach out to the community and attempt to provide entertainment that interests all sectors, Page said. The program in general, though, will remain similar with both local and national acts for all ages.

The Opera House also plans to “keep shows affordable and keep the people coming,” said Page. It offers lower ticket prices than most comparable theaters in the area, an advantage to the community, particularly in poor economic times.
Page said one reason the theater stays afloat is its small, but talented staff.

Upcoming events include live music in Americana, Irish and classical genres, as well as The New Shanghai Circus on Friday, March 6. Visit www.rochesteroperahouse.com. The Rochester Opera House is located above City Hall at 31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 603-335-1992.

N.H. puts out bids for stimulus transportation projects

Just days after President Barack Obama signed a $787 billion economic stimulus package into law on Feb. 17, N.H. Gov. John Lynch and Transportation Commissioner George Campbell announced the state is putting some transportation projects out to bid.

The Department of Transportation is dedicating stimulus funds to a number of projects that are ready to go and have already been identified in the state’s 10-year plan. Last week, the DOT began advertising bids on a pavement rehabilitation project on Route 101 expected to cost around $9.5 million. The work will extend almost 10 miles from the east side of the Lamprey River in Epping to exit 9 in Exeter.

Another target for early stimulus funds is an estimated $31 million project to construct a new northbound section of Interstate 93 in Windham as part of a larger effort to rebuild and expand the highway between Salem and Manchester. Other pending projects include constructing a section of the new Manchester Airport Access Road for $14 million; building a Route 4 truck detour bridge over the Connecticut River between Lebanon and Hartford, Vt., for $4.5 million; and pavement reconstruction on Interstate 93 from Woodstock to Lincoln (exits 30 to 32) for $7.6 million.

The N.H. DOT expects to receive a total of $129 million in federal stimulus funding for infrastructure improvements to roads and bridges. The state plans to award contracts for half of these appropriations by the end of June.

“The timing could not be better for moving ahead with several key transportation improvement projects in New Hampshire that have been ready to go but otherwise would not have funding,” Campbell said in a press release. “This is about doing the right thing for our highways and putting people to work at jobs that are sorely needed.”