Finance + Legal Services

Guidance That Grows With You

Art Meconi and Team Make the Impossible Possible Article by Ann Kathryn Kelly What do horse racing and financial planning have in common? More than you think, and it’s not tied to a betting window! In a recent conversation with private wealth advisor Art Meconi, CRPC®, CDFA®, APMA®, he framed a racetrack analogy that resonated with this writer: “When it comes to following a financial plan, I tell my clients: Be like a racehorse, keep the finish line in sight and your blinders on to deter...

March 2024

Local Services

ALL HAIL THE KING OF BLINDS

Doing Business is Personal for Budget Blinds’ Ian Kaner Article by Susan Gallagher | Photography by Ruth Ganev In 2016, this entrepreneur boldly ventured into the franchise world with high hopes, but he never imagined the success he would achieve. He credits much of it to his personal approach to doing business. The irrepressible Ian Kaner talked with me about his journey, franchise know-how, and royal moniker.  Ian Kaner What is your favorite part of your work? Definitely the people...

March 2024

Life + Culture

Investing in Sustainability

Meet Six Local Entrepreneurs Dedicated to Minimizing Waste, Improving Ecosystems, and Inspiring Sustainability in Their Communities Article by Lisa Leslie April is Financial Literacy Month and Earth Month, so it’s only fitting that we share stories of local businesses encouraging their communities to minimize waste and practice more sustainable living—while also busting the myth that sustainability is “too expensive.” Meet Ed Szczepanik, a skilled woodworker committed to minimizing lumber...

March 2024

Home + Design

Forty Years Framing Our Priceless Treasures

David and Becky Pratt: Masters in the Art of Framing Article by Anne Richter Arnold | Photography by Original Artwork by Don Gorvett Whether an original painting, a map, or a paw print of a beloved pet, each piece that passes through the doors of D. Pratt Framer is “priceless.” David Pratt started the business in 1984, and over the decades, he and his wife, Becky, have earned a reputation for superior design and quality. With locations in Kittery and Rye, they work with clients on the Seacoast...

March 2024

Home + Design

Lived In & Loved

Unique Design Concepts Driven by Art and Psychology Article by Ann Kathryn Kelly | Photography by Kevin Edge Art and psychology meet in the middle to inform Sheri Gibson’s interior design philosophy. Sheri, owner of Rein & Co. Design, combines her love of houses dating back to childhood with her college studies in art and psychology. The result balances the aesthetics of art with her clients’ psychological wants and needs. “I help clients create spaces that are uniquely theirs,” Sheri...

February 2024

Local Services

On the Doorstep of Dignity

A New Social Services Hub Under One Roof Article by Susan Gallagher Hope is settling into a new home at Mainspring: The Seacoast Social Service Collective. This groundbreaking nonprofit will be an inviting sanctuary amidst today’s challenging economic times for people in need across Southern Maine and the NH Seacoast because poverty doesn’t conform to town, county, or state lines.  Slated to open in the Fall of 2024 in Kittery, Mainspring embraces the growing trend of integrating social...

February 2024

Home + Design

The Renaissance of the West End

Live, Work, and Play in Chinburg’s Transformed Historic Brew Yard Article by Lisa Leslie | Photography by Ruth Ganev Once the “frontier” of Portsmouth, the West End neighborhood has undergone a significant transformation—a renaissance; now, everyone is trying to claim a spot in this hidden gem, nestled in one of the most charming cities in the Granite State. With boutiques, gyms, salons, and restaurants sprinkled throughout, it’s an extension of downtown Portsmouth–without the hassle of...

February 2024

Home + Design

Thinking About Downsizing? Talk to Liz Levey-Pruyn

Seacoast Realtor and Downsizing Expert Helps Rightsize Your Next Home Search Article by Tara Phillips | Photography by Ruth Ganev Empty nesters? Retirement nearing? Living in just three rooms—the rest collecting dust? Time to downsize? After snow blowing the driveway and shoveling out a space for Fido, the last nor’easter has you ready to shed this “mortal coil.” Dreams of effortless living—someone handling the shoveling and trimming the bushes, dance in your head. “What I see more often is...

February 2024

Entertainment

Meet The Very Talented Jon McCormack

Longtime Local Musician and Performer Shares His Musical Journey Article by Tara Phillips | Photography by James Jay Fortin Highlights from my conversation with Jon McCormack about his music and many collaborations. Don’t miss seeing Jon and friends perform.  What sparked your musical journey? My sister’s Columbia Record Club subscription. Anything non-disco landed in my bedroom. I heard Van Halen, and that was it. I immediately bought an electric guitar and took lessons from local teacher...

January 2024

Food + Beverage

The Art of Chocolate

Master Chocolatier Samantha Brown Creates Enticing Delights for Seacoast Chocolate Lovers Article by Anne Richter Arnold | Photography by Ruth Ganev For La Cascade du Chocolat owner and Master Chocolatier Sam Brown, a chocolate lover and life-long learner, chocolate making is her   passion, a creative outlet, and a source of inspiration. Obsessed with all things chocolate since childhood, Sam smiles, recalling her chocolate-scented calculator, pens, pencils, stickers, lipstick, and the many...

January 2024