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Friday, February 28, 2025 Volume 21 • Issue No. 9
Peer Group Supports Significant Others of First Responders YORK COUNTY A peer group for significant others of first responders from across York County – police, fire and emergency medical services, dispatchers, corrections, and emergency managers – recently launched its latest series of meetings. This marks the third year for Homefront, formerly known as Behind the Line. Meetings are held on the last Sunday of each month and are designed to offer support and guidance in navigating the lifestyle and challenges of being married to or in a relationship
with a first responder. Homefront leader Jill Belleard said education and support are tailored to encourage a healthy relationship between the first responder and their sig-
nificant other. The free monthly meetings are not gripe sessions, notes Belleard, who runs the peer group with co-runners Kristi Carr and Abi Brown (pictured). Instead, discussions
focus on communication, finances, gratitude, compassion fatigue, and more. A game night and a trail walk are on the schedule of planned events, along with plenty of meaningful conversation. The three moderators will cover topics such as coping when family plans are disrupted by unexpected work demands, raising children while a first responder spouse or partner works long hours, managing opposite shifts as a couple, and supporting a first responder after a particularly grim day. They will
talk about the times when the significant other’s own challenging day takes a back seat. Then there’s the constant worry – the fear that their loved one could be injured or worse. Somet i mes a f i r st responder can become cynical, and there is always the risk of burnout. “If you don’t cope, you become resentful,” said Brown. “How do we make this work?” At the peer group sessions, the three moderators offer guidance, suggestions, and support. See SUPPORT on page 14 . . .
22nd David Surette Mandolin Festival Next Weekend KITTERY The 22nd David Surette Mandolin Festival will present a weekend of concerts and work shops celebrat i ng t he many voices of the mandolin, a stringed instrument heard in bluegrass, old-time, classical, swing, blues, Brazilian, Italian, and Celtic music. The concerts will take place Friday, March 7 at the Dance Hall in Kittery, and Saturday, March 8 at the Concord Community Music School in Concord, NH. The workshops, which will also take place at the Concord Community Music School on March 8, will give mandolin players of every level the chance to work on their skills with world-class instructors. This year’s lineup includes
New England-based musicians Carlo Aonzo, Sharon Gilchrist, Will Patton, and Neil Pearlman (pictured). The festival is named for its founder, Seacoast musician David Surette. With a reputation across the U.S., Canada, England, France, and Italy, Surette was admired as a player, composer, and teacher. After his passing in 2021, his wife, Susie Burke, and daughters, Isa and Julianna, decided to continue the festival. The Concord Community Music School, where Surette taught for over 30 years, is the major sponsor. “David really
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WELLS Irish stepdancing continues to be a wildly popular art form for performers and audiences alike. Ogunquit Performing Arts (OPA) celebrates this unique style of dance at this most appropriate time of year, by welcoming back the Stillson School of Irish Dance on Saturday, March 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Wells Junior High School. The award-winning Stillson dancers will perform a brilliant array of jigs and reels, dressed in a variety of dazzling, handmade costumes. The performance will consist of both the fluid soft shoe style as well as the rhythmic hard shoe popularized by shows such as Riverdance and
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See SURETTE on page 16 . . .
OPA Welcomes Back Irish Stepdancers
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loved sharing his enthusiasm for the mandolin and for musicmaking in general. He was an inspiring musician and teacher, and I was lucky to live, work and perform with him for 35 years,” said Susie Burke. “I am so pleased that our daughters are part of the festival and all will be performing at both concerts as well. Carrying this event forward is such a meaningful way to honor their dad.” Featured musicians include the following: Carlo Aonzo began his mandolin education with his
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Lord of the Dance. At the end of the performance, the dancers will invite audience members to join them onstage to learn some steps. In addition to the dance performance, Director Carlene
Stillson will present the history of the dance and explain the reasons for the design of the many different costumes worn by the dancers. Traditional Irish dress is represented in the school dress which features embroidery de-
signs taken from the Book of Kells. Irish stepdance is a style of public performance rooted in traditional Irish dance. It is typically characterized by a stiff upper body and fast, precise movements of the feet, and can be performed solo or in groups. In addition to public performances, there are step dance competitions held worldwide. From the late 1800s, with the organization of cultural festivals by the Gaelic League, Irish stepdance began to incorporate a competitive element. Throughout the 20th century, competition structures developed and spread globally. See IRISH on page 8 . . .
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