as activists protest Afghanistan troop surge, Peace Treaty Forum shows Obama’s Nobel Prize speech

Many are skeptical of the Nobel Committee’s decision to give Barack Obama the prize for peace—especially in light of the president’s recent announcement of plans to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Obama made the announcement on Dec. 1, detailing his plan to begin withdrawing troops in mid 2011. The next day, anti-war activists rallied in downtown Portsmouth to protest the surge. Meanwhile, the Peace Treaty Forum, will Obama's historic Nobel acceptance speech with a full rebroadcast on Saturday, Dec. 12, at Wentworth by the Sea Hotel in New Castle.

opinion

Portsmouth could be in danger of losing some of its downtown festivals, but residents now have an opportunity to come to the rescue.

composting programs are piling up on the Seacoast

The Seacoast doesn't have curbside composting yet, but a growing number of restaurants and businesses have begun sending their waste back to the farm. In its first week of business this fall, EcoMovement—one of several new companies offering hauling services—recaptured nearly a ton waste from just four businesses, while restaurants like Beach Pea Baking Co. are diverting 90 percent of their waste from the landfill and slowing global warming. Find out why brown is so very green.

WXGR and TVP Records share new studio and events in Portsmouth

It was squirming room only at the Dolphin Striker’s Spring Hill Tavern in Portsmouth on Dec. 3, as TVP Records and WXGR hosted the first Winter Chill.

movie review

Consider the armored truck: a civilan vehicle built like a tank, driven by armed men who aren’t police. It’s kind of neat, when you think about it—there are probably all sorts of cool secret things about armored trucks that would make great fodder for a movie, psychological insights to be made into the minds of their high-powered rent-a-cop crews, and possibly even fun new stunts that could be done with these hardcore vehicles.

Tales from the Video Vault

A priest's suicide has cracked the barrier between the world of the living and the dead—a crack that will become permanent within three days. A psychic medium and a journalist pair up in a mad race to destroy the priest’s re-animated corpse before the world is consumed by a host of supernatural fiends.

new art galleries open in Portsmouth and Dover

Portsmouth Art Exchange allows several artists to display in their own rooms, which are roughly 10 by 10 feet The former office spaces at 220 State St. in Portsmouth now feature more than 20 local artists, adding up to more than 200 pieces of work. Lucy’s Art Emporium, across from Dover City Hall on Central Avenue, focuses on regional fine art, crafts and vintage home decor.

Seacoast Rep celebrates new Durham property and Portsmouth lobby makeover

A holiday festival on Sunday, Dec. 6, marked the grand opening of the Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s newly acquired Mill Pond Center in Durham, while the Rep’s theater lobby and reception area in Portsmouth recently received a long-awaited makeover thanks to the generosity of local businesses. The renovated space was unveiled on the opening night of their production of “A Christmas Carol” on Dec. 4. 

Tales from the Video Vault

“Equinox” started as a student film project by Dennis Muren, now known for his special effects work on most of the sci-fi blockbusters from the 1970s through the ’90s, including the “Star Wars” trilogy, “E.T.” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” In "Equinox," Muren’s miniatures include a collection of winged devils, flailing tentacles and angry ape-men.

upcoming festivals carry on seasonal traditions

Dedicated volunteers are organizing festive celebrations around the Seacoast to build community cheer and charity fundraisers. It's like a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past, since scenes like these turn back time to New England holidays before the era of Cyber Monday.