April is the perfect time to refresh your home and embrace the changing season! At Heritage Home Service, we recommend taking advantage of the milder weather to schedule essential home maintenance.
Check your HVAC system to ensure it’s ready for warmer days, clean out gutters to prevent water damage, and test your sump pump for April showers. It’s also a great time to inspect your generator, so you’re prepared for spring storms. A little seasonal upkeep now can keep your home running smoothly all year long!
Home is Where the Harley Is
These words hang above a small window in our kitchen that looks out to our screened-in porch. With no natural light or view, the window had no actual function until Harley came along. Now, it's her window. After making her rounds in the backyard, Harley leaps onto the porch and then hops onto the couch, patiently waiting for someone inside to take note. There's no greater return on the happiness investment meter than when her little furry face appears in the win dow while you're prepping dinner or sipping morning coffee. Unconditional love, delivered in spades—wet-nose kisses in the morning and a wagging tail and a wiggly butt greeting you at the door after a long day.
When we renovated our kitchen a few years ago, we told our contractor the window had to stay. We are designing the kitchen around it. But, as renovations go, plans didn't quite align. The only option? Move the window, of course. Not the best investment decision for resale value, but the right one for us—home is where the Harley is.
Harley came to us through NicaLove, a nonprofit founded by Julie Burke, whose passion for animal rescue led her to invest heart and soul into this organization that ties two distant communities together, united in their mission to provide shelter, care, and community education to give animals a second chance. When people meet Harley on the beach or in the woods and ask what kind of dog she is, I simply say, "Perfect purebred NicaLove."
You will meet Burke and other like-minded "investors" inside this issue. Monica McCarthy knows a thing or two about wealth management, but her story is about investing in love and cycling to yield the highest returns. Then there's the performer and comedian who helps individuals invest in themselves to find their authentic voices through comedy and realize the healing power of laughter. And another mic-drop performance happens every day over in the West End at WSCA-LP, Portsmouth's beloved community radio station thriving now for two decades thanks to passionate volunteers who invest the most precious commodity of all—time—to show us and listeners around the world that community-driven radio is not just a frequency, but a movement.
We hope these stories lift your spirits into Spring and serve as a reminder that the best investments aren't always financial—they're the ones that bring purpose, connection, joy, and wet-nose kisses.
With love
Tara and Harley!
April 2025
PUBLISHER
Anne Moodey | Anne.Moodey@CityLifestyle.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Tara Phillips | Tara.Phillips@CityLifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Chelsea Lyn Agro | Chelsea.Agro@CityLifestyle.com
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Kevin Edge | Kevin@KePhoto.com
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Lisa Leslie
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Susan Gallagher, Rebecca Ingalls, Ann Kathryn Kelly, Judith Rubenstein
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Melissa Koren Photography, Mary Jo Brown, Julie Burke, Stephanie Lazenby
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
CTO Ajay Krishnan
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF SALES Andrew Leaders
AD DESIGNER Jenna Crawford
LAYOUT DESIGNER Amanda Schilling
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Hannah Leimkuhler
TARA PHILLIPS, MANAGING
10 16 24 30 16
Keeping the Vibe Alive
WSCA-LP, Portsmouth Community Radio, is a hivemind of creativity and endurance, led solely by volunteers.
Angels of the Animals
Saving suffering animals in Nicaragua is a mission of the heart for NicaLove founder Julie Burke.
Taking Humor Seriously
Harnessing the power of comedy to inspire growth and establish connection.
From Bike to Boardroom
Business owner and board director Monica McCarthy finds joy in the intersection between work and play.
WSCA-LP, Portsmouth Community Radio is a communityled effort where creativity and passion meet stamina and determination. Read all about the people who make it happen on page 10.
Kevin Edge
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
@PORTSMOUTHCITYLIFESTYLE
1: Jessica Bellanti and Rob Lariviere at Jessica Bellanti Salon Grand Opening benefiting the Moore Center. 2: Ribbon Cutting at Summer at Sage with owners, Jordan Cashman and Beverly Fowler, and Senior Designer, Emily Chreiman. 3: Jen Desrosiers, owner of Laney and Lu, and longtime friend, Shawn Gulla, enjoy the Grand Opening of Jessica Bellanti Salon. 4: Nancy MacDonald making tea when the sun doesn't shine. 5: It takes a village, and thanks to the hard work of Emily Flinkstrom and Megan Shapiro-Ross, Mainspring, a social services collective, is now open in Kittery. 6: Ciera Roy, Coastal Ridge Design, and Angela Turini, Feguson Kitchen and Bath Showroom, enjoying candlemaking at Portsmouth City Lifestyle event. 7: Congratulations to Celebrate Her Light Our Way Honorees Nicole Gagnon and Carolyn Milks with mentor Courtney Ritchings.
KEEPING THE vibe alive
WSCA-LP, Portsmouth Community Radio, is a hivemind of creativity and endurance, led solely by volunteers
ARTICLE BY REBECCA INGALLS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN EDGE PHOTOGRAPHY
Some of the passionate volunteers at WSCA 106.1
September 12, 2004. After a four-day barn-raising, Tim Stone and collaborators stood in tears, cheering as the airwaves caught the 106.1 FM frequency for the first time and WSCA-LP, Portsmouth Community Radio, was born.
Led by Stone, the project had taken years. Fundraising. Navigating FCC barriers. Volunteer collaboration from far and wide. Today, tucked in a segment of the old Button Factory in Portsmouth’s West End, WSCA is a colorful, eclectic space that is home to dozens of programs. Tune in throughout the week and you’ll hear jazz, blues, indie, oldies, metal, audio theatre, music from around the world, public affairs and current events emanating from Control Room A. The Podcast Lab is in Control Room B, and in the center sits the charming Button Factory Stage venue, which showcases live local and national artists and a monthly open mic night.
The “LP” in the call letters stands for “lowpower,” which gives smaller-radius, community-based stations a special place between the commercial and national public radio frequencies in the ether. And yet, the work of maintaining such a station is a behemoth undertaking. WSCA has witnessed both the thrill of progress and the austerity of just trying to keep the heat on, with waves of committed leadership from across professional disciplines, and downfalls that have left folks in dismay. Yet the station has stood strong.
Just over a decade after its first on-air date, the WSCA community was faced with a colossal task of moving the radio tower to reduce interference and increase broadcast reach.
Rick Pickford, then-President and Board Chair, whose expertise lay in electrical engineering and creative development, took it on. “I was willing to go to battle with whomever,” says Pickford. Negotiating the obstacles of funding, treacherous weather and hiring a crane, Pickford worked with other volunteers to relocate the antenna to where it stands now. When the tower was struck by lightning in 2018 and WSCA was knocked off the air, it was rescued again by the efforts of its relentless leadership and community supporters.
That “battle” to protect the station has been forged by many, but the dynamic evolution of WSCA’s programming and audience has been a cause worth fighting for. Mark Pruett, Program Director and host of Black Night Meditations, has been around since the beginning. “I don't like the term community radio,” he says. “It sounds like we only reach Portsmouth. We stream online, so the community is the planet. We have regular listeners from Europe, to South America, to Asia.”
While Pruett spins every imaginable genre of metal from 8 p.m. to midnight on Fridays, John “Supersport” Scavo, DJ and Audio Engineer, ushers in Saturday mornings with his 4-hour show “Scratchy 45s and Beyond,” one of the most popular in the line-up. For Scavo, the years of know-how and volunteer hours he has devoted to keeping the station alive are foremost in his mind: “I always knew that if the station was lost we would never get it back,” he says. Mark Lefebvre, Production Director and engineer by trade, says of WSCA, “It’s a safe place to take chances.” Host of Scurvy Dog Radio and the podcast, “It Takes a Village: Addiction Prevention and Recovery on the Seacoast,” Lefebvre explains, “I had never worked the right side of my brain ‘til I came here.” He calls the station his “happy place.”
In the COVID years and since, WSCA has received an infusion of new energy. Nicole Seaward, who stepped down as President in late 2024, originally trained to be a DJ but found herself leading the next phase of the station’s growth. The job required her to learn the intricacies of bookkeeping, regulations and state reporting, but she also had to address city officials and launch a campaign to move the station when its location was at risk. With a hands-on,
WSCA-LP | 106.1 FM
Volunteer at WSCA and be part of something rare and vibrant—a space where creativity thrives, individuality is celebrated, and community is built. Your time fuels music, performance, and education, keeping indie arts alive in the Seacoast. Shape the future of WSCA, share your passion, and help others find their place in this one-of-a-kind creative hub.
Mark Lefebvre
Kathy Somssich and Larry Drake
“I don't like the term community radio. It sounds like we only reach Portsmouth. We stream online, so the community is the planet. We have regular listeners from Europe, to South America, to Asia.”
sophisticated approach to diversity and empowering great ideas, her love for WSCA has inspired others to do some of their best work. Paul Gilson, teaching professor in finance at UNH, offered his expertise to Seaward a couple of years ago and now serves as WSCA’s Treasurer, host of the show “The Button Factory Soundcheck,” and grant writer. “You’ll find me working here in the middle of the night,” he says. “I have learned so much at WSCA that I can take to the classroom–I now give stickers to my students, like bands do.”
WSCA is looking ahead toward continued growth: more dedicated volunteers, programming, and community events. Seaward’s successor, Courtney Daniel, DJ and long-time WSCA volunteer, now serves as President and Board Chair. Motivated by her love for music and the station’s potential to be a community beacon, she has her eye on bolstering the Board with community members who bring a range of skill sets and visions. Her message: “It’s a vibe. You can’t describe it. You have to be there. It’s not an option to walk away.”
Tune in to WSCA on the dial at 106.1, via the WSCA app, or online at wscafm.org
John Scavo
NeuroStar TMS is a safe, effective, FDA-approved treatment for depression that doesn’t involve drugs or invasive methods to help patients. This is the treatment option for those who aren’t satisfied with the results of antidepressants.
THE SEACOAST DWELLINGS TEAM SD
ELEVATING YOUR LIFESTYLE, ONE HOME AT A TIME.
Liz Levey-Pruyn, Realtor®, Licensed in ME & NH
LISTING AGENT | BUYER AGENT
175 Market Street #1, Portsmouth, NH, 03801
603.502.7014 | 603.501.0463 x754
Liz@seacoastdwellings com
ANGELS OF THE ANIMALS
Saving suffering animals in Nicaragua is a mission of the heart for NicaLove founder Julie Burke
ARTICLE BY SUSAN GALLAGHER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY JO BROWN
Mimi Loureiro
Kids at the clinic with their pets
It was on her third visit to Nicaragua that Julie Burke first saw the dog. Mangy, ragged, and emaciated like the others on the dirt roadside, this one seemed to know her—his unwavering eyes bored into hers. When the same dog turned up on the patio of her Nicaraguan second home, she knew it was fate. The newly named Flaco stirred something deep in Burke. “He is what brought me to NicaLove,” she says, speaking of the animal rescue nonprofit that is her life’s passion.
Burke is more than your average animal lover; she is a kindred spirit to all members of the animal kingdom. As a child growing up on the Seacoast, she longed to be part of this realm—to be equal with the animals. When the young Burke wasn’t befriending pigeons or woodchucks, she anguished over the falling rain that mercilessly washed the earthworms onto the concrete. The softhearted girl would rescue them, one at a time, from the rainstorm, always striving to save just one more.
Now, this same drive to save one more propels her mission to rescue, sterilize, and rehabilitate abused and neglected animals in Nicaragua. The longtime Rye resident fell in love with this beautiful but impoverished Central American country in 2012
on a trip there with her husband, Matt. The country, its people, and its plethora of suffering animals resonated with her. “It woke something up in my soul,” she says.
Burke began her philanthropic work with the people, volunteering at an orphanage, where she later adopted a daughter. But the pull to save the animals was strong. In 2017, she began working with animal outreach and rescue, volunteering for Elisa Quiroz and her local animal welfare organization Fundación ADAN. Quiroz would soon become Burke’s invaluable partner.
The partnership between Burke and Quiroz blossomed into a mobile clinic that included the veterinary team Aprovet of Granada. Loaded with supplies, the small band of animal saviors sprang up in buildings or pitched tents, tending to needy
CONTINUED >
Julie and some of her furry gang
“MY HEART IS ANIMALS. AROUND THEM, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HAPPIEST AND FELT MOST COMFORTABLE. THEY ARE PART OF MY BEING.”
animals in the area, many of them heartbreakingly starved and maimed. Their mobile mission continues today, with the prime goal of spaying and neutering as many animals as possible and offering essential health care. The team primarily serves pets and working animals—dogs, cats, and horses—but also rescues the occasional monkey or parrot, sending them to a wildlife shelter for care.
In 2019, Burke teamed with a nonprofit fiscal sponsor to form NicaLove, giving
name to her crusade. But this ardent animal advocate was just getting started. She resolved to open a shelter in Playa San Diego, a small fishing and agricultural village 40 miles from the capital city of Managua. In 2020, she and her husband purchased 17 acres of land for the project.
NicaLove became an independent nonprofit in 2021, and Burke forged ahead. The long-anticipated shelter opened its doors in February of 2023, becoming the organization’s headquarters in Playa San Diego. Today, the shelter is a safe haven for 300 rescued animals that were once homeless or abandoned. Burke stresses that her ever-stronger alliance with Fundación ADAN is what empowers this loving mission to flourish. While she spends two to
six months a year in Nicaragua, Quiroz’ full-time presence and management of the shelter is vital. It is also Quiroz’ commission to rehome rehabilitated animals.
Beyond benefiting the animals, NicaLove’s work significantly impacts and uplifts the local community. The shelter employs nine community members, supports a local construction company and land management personnel, and sponsors a veterinary student. The organization also educates families in
essential animal care and health at every mobile clinic.
None of what Burke has accomplished in Nicaragua would be possible without the generosity of the people here on the Seacoast. Her tireless work has inspired the community to invest in helping these suffering animals and people. Several Rye families, including Burke’s own parents, have traveled to Nicaragua to volunteer. The financial and emotional investment in this worthy cause is bringing the Seacoast community together in a shared goal.
NicaLove’s fundraising needs have grown with the nonprofit’s success. What began with roadside lemonade stands has burgeoned into a full-blown community effort. Donations are crucial, and Burke
>
has high expectations for New Hampshire Give Day, a June 11-12 online fundraiser for state-based charities including NicaLove. Beyond financial support, she welcomes new volunteers and board members willing to “roll up their sleeves and get to work.”
Burke’s childhood dream to someday help animals “in a big way” has come true, exceeding her wildest little-girl expectations. While saving just one is still gratifying, she is overjoyed that her charity has now saved thousands of animals. “My heart is animals,” she says, her eyes shining. “Around them, I have always been happiest and felt most comfortable. They are part of my being.”
Elisa and Julie
Nose kisses from Dylan. Photo by Julie Burke
ARTICLE BY JUDITH RUBENSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
MELISSA KOREN AND STEPHANIE LAZENBY
Harnessing the power of comedy to inspire growth and establish connection
Taking Humor
Seriously
Several times a year, eight to 10 strangers gather at 3S ArtSpace in Portsmouth to begin a journey of self-exploration and -expression. Over the next five weeks, these individuals will support one another in a unique and intimate way—through humor.
The group is participating in a workshop series called Couch to Mic™, learning to reveal their authentic voices and connect with others through comedy. The workshops are facilitated by Stephanie Lazenby, a Portsmouth performer, producer, and creator of comedy.
Photo: Melissa Koren Photography
An only child who grew up in the 1970s, Lazenby spent a lot of time alone in her New York living room, watching television. A young (perhaps inappropriately young) fan of “Saturday Night Live,” she was especially taken with the talents of female cast members like Jane Curtin and Gilda Radner. She noted John Ritter’s effortless physical comedy in “Three’s Company.” And movies such as “Young Frankenstein” and “Animal House,” helped her develop insight about what was (and was not) funny.
As she took in the rich comedy offerings of the times, Lazenby observed a few things that have guided her life ever since. Firstly, she recognized the power of comedy to reveal truths and bring people together. Secondly, she noticed that men took up most of the comedy airspace (with the exceptions of superstars like Joan Rivers, Lily Tomlin, and Whoopi Goldberg). Thirdly…she realized that she was funny. Fast forward (we’re talking VHS tape, here) to Emerson College and performing with the Emerson Comedy Workshop. Doing sketch comedy with this illustrious group gave Lazenby the confidence to think “I can do this!” Since college, she has been creating and performing comedy and educating others about comedy—first in New York, and now on the Seacoast.
In 2019, Lazenby sought a new way to bring her skills and passion to others. She discovered that the Seacoast offered no standup comedy classes or opportunities for fledgling comedians to try out their routines. Thus, Couch to Mic was born. Lazenby’s description of the Couch to Mic process is deceptively simple: Over the course of four weekly sessions, participants write, refine, and rehearse short comedy routines. They give each other feedback to help focus and improve each other’s work. The fifth session is a performance at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth, open to the public, in which each student presents their comedy piece.
All-Star Showcase performer
Nadine Hill of Dover
Brenna Jennings
"WHAT LIES BEHIND THIS SIMPLE SEQUENCE IS AN INTENSE COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF EACH PARTICIPANT. EACH PERSON INVESTS—
NOT JUST TIME AND MONEY FOR THE SESSIONS, BUT IN EXTENSIVE PREPARATION AND SELF-REFLECTION."
Photo: Melissa Koren Photography
What lies behind this simple sequence is an intense commitment on the part of each participant. Each person invests—not just time and money for the sessions, but in extensive preparation and self-reflection.
Lazenby has firm guidelines for the group: When giving feedback, be kind. When creating, do not base your comedy on mocking yourself or others—in her view, this is lazy comedy. Instead, each person must explore their own authentic experience, often expressed in stories of their fallibilities, challenges, and pain.
Nadine Hill of Dover, who provides bookkeeping services to small businesses, attended Couch to Mic in 2023. Hill had always been fascinated with comedy and thought of herself as humorous.
Hill can’t say enough in praise of the Couch to Mic experience. She noticed from the first session of Couch to Mic that the atmosphere was extremely comfortable and supportive of people of all ages and identities. She came with an initial idea about the focus of her piece, but feedback from Lazenby and the group helped her identify the heart of her story. “Stephanie has a way of getting you to dig deeply to discover what it is that really jazzes you up, and what part of that is especially funny.”
With ongoing feedback and practice, Hill refined her comedy piece and performed it to enthusiastic response. She went on to perform at an “All-Star” showcase and completed the workshop series a second time in 2024.
“Taking this step to challenge yourself and bring laughter to others—it’s not just about comedy, it’s about wellness,” says Hill. “Pushing yourself, finding connection, and spreading joy can be one of the most healing things you do for yourself and for others.”
There’s truth behind the saying “laughter is the best medicine.” Research shows that laughing provides physical benefits, including improved organ health, increased immunity response, and reduced stress. As Lazenby puts it, “comedy is powerful.” To laugh collectively, she says, “is to recognize your own and the other person’s humanity. Comedy makes us feel less alone.”
For Couch to Mic participants, the power of comedy is personal. “One of the most powerful things you can do is make someone—let alone an audience of 150 people—laugh. I mean, once you’ve done that, you can do anything!” says Lazenby.
The next performance of Couch to Mic is on April 10, 2025. For information, go to 3Sarts.org .
Sara Cleaver workshop alum taking the stage
From Bike to Boardroom
Business owner and board director Monica McCarthy finds joy in the intersection between work and play
ARTICLE BY ANN KATHRYN KELLY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN EDGE
“I’ve never seen a demarcation between work and play,” Monica McCarthy observes during our phone conversation on a winter morning. “I do what I love and love what I do.”
It’s this mindset that defines both her firm—Seascape Capital Management in Portsmouth—and her personal journey. “One thing spills into another,” she continues. “Clients become friends, activities and interests become charitable endeavors, exercise creates relationships and community.”
McCarthy leads a team of five financial professionals at Seascape Capital Management, each bringing deep experience
and a client-first mentality. The firm takes a personalized approach to wealth management, catering to high-net-worth clients.
With CFA®, CDFA®, CPWA® and CEPA® certifications, McCarthy combines her expertise as a financial and wealth advisor with a passion for fitness and charitable support that drives her professional and personal life. There’s a sixth VIP—Very Important Pooch—at the firm: Chloe, McCarthy’s beloved yellow Labrador and “Chief Morale Officer.”
“We always check with clients ahead of time to make sure they’re comfortable around dogs,” McCarthy says with a smile.
“But Chloe has a way of making everyone feel at home, especially in New England winters, when she’s an expert at keeping feet warm under the conference table.”
A runner for many years, McCarthy pivoted to cycling as a lower-impact sport and built endurance while riding with friends around the Seacoast. Her late husband Jim, who founded Seascape Capital Management in 2003, had fundraised and rode for several years in the Pan Mass Challenge, the grueling 200-mile bike ride to raise money for The Jimmy Fund and cancer research. When he encouraged her to join, she initially saw it as just another endurance event before discovering something much deeper: a broader perspective on perseverance, teamwork, and long-term vision—the same principles she applies to wealth management.
She went into it, she explains, understanding certain givens. It would be a well-supported and well-organized fundraising event. She would have her teammates around her at all times for motivation. She would need to balance the urge to go fast and prove herself on her first outing with the “long game” pacing approach needed to climb steep hills and wind through dozens of towns.
But what McCarthy came away with after that first ride were profound and life-affirming lessons. Of determination. Resilience of the human spirit. Physical, emotional and mental support for a cause that touches loved ones and strangers alike.
“Seeing mile after mile of crowds of people holding thank-you signs for the riders, raising their voices and arms to cheer us,
“I’ve never seen a demarcation between work and play, I do what I love and love what I do.”
seeing little kids with no hair and big smiles all along the route,” McCarthy remembers. “I had to say to myself, don’t start crying. I’m reading signs that say ‘I’m alive because you ride.’ It was powerful and humbling and unforgettable.” She went on to complete the ride for 10 consecutive years.
McCarthy is also deeply committed to philanthropy and the arts, seeing both as vital extensions of her values. She is a longtime supporter of Crossroads House in Portsmouth, sits on the board of the NH SPCA, and has served on the board of Portsmouth’s nowclosed Museum of New Art (MONA). “Art and finance may seem like different worlds,” she says, “but both require vision, creativity, and a deep understanding of how all the pieces come together.”
Thank you to the Gallery at Jimmy’s for providing the perfect backdrop for Kevin Edge to capture Monica McCarthy for this story.
Seascape Capital Management 99 Bow St., Suite 300 | Portsmouth | Seascape-Capital.com
