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Part of downtown
Durham today
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Town Council Candidates
Julian Smith  Address: 246 Packers Falls Road Elected office for which you are running: Town Council Occupation: Retired professor Education: Studied at Tulane and Columbia How long have you lived in Durham? My wife and I moved to Durham in 1965 when I joined the UNH faculty; we kept a permanent home here when I moved on to other teaching jobs. Have you previously served on any governmental/community/civic boards, commissions, committees, or organizations? If so, please provide a brief background of your prior experience. I have served on the Town Council for the last six years and have served as Council representative to various boards. At present, I am the Council representative to the Planning Board and the Planning Board representative to the Conservation Commission. I was also elected to two terms on the Durham Public Library Board of Trustees (2004-2010). Please provide a brief paragraph explaining your interest in being elected to the position for which you are running. In addition to continuing to work on such issues as the future of our downtown, our public library, and our historic Mill Pond, I would work to protect our water rights, expand our tax base, develop even more cooperation between the Town and UNH, and encourage the expansion of local agriculture and regional public transportation. Please provide any additional background information about yourself not included in your responses above, if applicable. My wife Monica (known to family and friends as Hannah) and I have been married for forty-seven years; we have three children and five grandchildren; we live in a house we built with our own hands on the foundation of an old barn overlooking a hay meadow. I dig ponds and create wetlands and waterfalls for recreation and enjoy giving tours of what I call Bayou New Hampshire. ------------------------------------------- Jim Lawson
Name: Jim Lawson Address: 24 Deer Meadow Road Telephone number(s), including cell phone if any: 868-1540 Email address: lawsonje24@comcast.net Elected office for which you are running: Town Council Occupation: Business Investment and Consulting Education: BSEE - University of New Hampshire How long have you lived in Durham? 5 Years Have you previously served on any governmental/community/civic boards, commissions, committees, or organizations? If so, please provide a brief background of your prior experience. McGregor Memorial EMS - Emergency Medical Technician & Treasurer
(2007 – 2010)
My decision to run for the Town Council was made after consulting with current councilors and people in the community familiar with my contributions to Durham over the past several years. I decided that serving on the Town Council is the best opportunity for me to expand my contributions to our community. I am committed to fulfilling the responsibilities of a Town Councilor in an accessible, open minded and collaborative manner. I believe tax stabilization, preserving the quality of life in traditional family neighborhoods and improving the downtown are among the most significant near term challenges facing the council. • Tax Stabilization. Durham’s Capital Improvement Plan is aggressive and includes needed infrastructure improvements, such as a new fire station, necessary capital replacements and a new library. Payment on increasing bond obligations through 2017 coupled with likely school tax increases cannot be accomplished by solely increasing property tax rates. Durham’s tax base must continue to expand in a balanced and responsible manner in order to stabilize tax rates while capital improvements are undertaken. I believe responsible economic development and preserving Durham’s unique character are not mutually exclusive, and the Town Council must continue its collaboration with the Town Administrator to develop fiscally responsible town budgets. • Neighborhoods. Vibrant and safe neighborhoods are critical to Durham’s future, and our traditional family neighborhoods must be protected from deteriorating and unmanaged rental properties, and the disruptive behavior associated with some of these properties. The Town Council should continue to develop and refine ordinances that will effectively deal with these properties without penalizing landlords that responsibly manage and invest in their properties. Expanded collaboration with the University will also be an important part of reducing disruptive student behavior. • Downtown. The Town Council should continue its focus on improving Durham’s downtown, and build on the programs and work that have been started. Improving the downtown requires an environment that facilitates and encourages redevelopment with community benefits such as increased retail, professional services, housing and employment.
I cofounded a communications technology company in 2002 after working
20 years in engineering, sales and management. My partner and I
shared an enthusiasm for entrepreneurship, like many in our community,
although I am embarrassed to say that our product prototypes were
developed and assembled in his basement – on a ping pong table.
Twelve months later we were hiring employees, leasing office and
manufacturing space, and shipping hundreds of systems. Our company
was acquired in 2005, and the technology and products continue to
be sold and installed worldwide. I believe the skills I developed
during my career, including starting and managing a technology business,
will be a valuable complement to the experience of other Town Councilors. ----------------------------------------------------
Katherine "Kitty" Marple
Name: Katherine “Kitty” Marple Telephone number(s), including cell phone if any: 868-7013 Email address: kittyfmarple@comcast.net Elected office for which you are running: Town Council Occupation: Former government engineer, homemaker Education: BS Mechanical Engineering, University of New Hampshire How long have you lived in Durham? 35 years Have you previously served on any governmental/community/civic boards, commissions, committees, or organizations? If so, please provide a brief background of your prior experience. I am currently a Resident Advocate member of the Rental Housing Commission. I support initiatives to protect the rights of permanent Durham residents and their neighborhoods. I sat on an oral hiring review board for the Durham Police department. Was one of two residents who provided a community perspective on the hiring of a police officer. I volunteered at the elementary and middle schools. I register voters at the polls on most election days
My initial impetus to become engaged in town government was to offer protection to homeowners dealing with town-gown issues. My interest in broader topics has grown through communication with town staff and other volunteers and through attendance at Town Council meetings and Zoning Board hearings.
Alternative energy initiatives for the municipality, residents and local property owners Smart redevelopment of the core downtown areas (including parking) to encourage new business Support of police and fire departments Encouraging local food production Support of the new library Protection of water resources and other “taken for granted” amenities such as infrastructure and public areas Allowing neighborhoods to maintain a tranquil quality of life
Library Board of Trustees
Richard Belshaw
Name: Richard Belshaw Address: 2 Cutts Road, Durham Telephone number(s), including cell phone if any: 868-5134 (h) Email address: rwbelshaw@earthlink.net Elected office for which you are running: Library Trustee Occupation: DCAT television control room operator (part-time nights),
at-home Dad, Education: B.A. Connecticut College '79, M.Div Episcopal Divinity School '08 How long have you lived in Durham? 14+ years Have you previously served on any governmental/community/civic
boards, No, this election is a first; largely due to recent vocational
schooling/training coupled Please provide a brief paragraph explaining your interest in being
elected to the position I am attracted to this work primarily because I view public libraries
as absolutely Please provide any additional background information about yourself
not included in I have been married for 20 years to Julia Gittes Belshaw, a web/digital
information/small business identity consultant and designer, who
has been active locally as a NH certified tree steward (primarily
as a water tester) and rower. Our two kids have grown up in Durham
and have journeyed through the school system, with our youngest
currently a freshman at the high school. In my free time I am a
writer and a book collector (literature, theology, visual art criticism,
baseball history) and am enrolled in UNH's certificate program "Coaching
Children and Teens" (counseling-related). Organizational, idea/creative-solution
making, and "people-person" skills are particular strengths.
I embrace consensus-building over micro-managing as a leadership
style, working well within groups. I am fiscally frugal by nature
and habit but open to risk-taking should the long-term rewards to
the many prove irresistible. -------------------------------------
Arthur P. Young Name: Arthur P. Young Address: 9 Sandy Brook Drive, Durham, NH 03824-3137 Telephone number(s), including cell phone if any: 603-868-1609(home), Email address: ayoung@niu.edu Elected office for which you are running: Library Board of Trustees Occupation: Retired Librarian Education: BA, Tufts University; MAT, University of Massachusetts; Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign How long have you lived in Durham? Five years Have you previously served on any governmental/community/civic boards, commissions, committees, or organizations? If so, please provide a brief background of your prior experience. In my 38-year career as an academic librarian, I served on many committees of the American Library Association and on university press journal editorial boards. I also served as president of the 3,000-member Illinois Library Association. Please provide a brief paragraph explaining your interest in being elected to the position for which you are running. My library administrator experience involved fund raising($20 million),
public relations, and library construction projects. These assets
should be helpful as the town of Durham progresses toward a new
library facility. ------------------------------------
Meredith Davidson
Name: Meridith Davidson Address: 2 Sumac Lane Telephone number(s), including cell phone if any: (h) 868-5076; (cell) 812-5630 Email address: meriw@hotmail.com Elected office for which you are running: Library Board of Trustees Occupation: Development Associate w/ the N.H. Preservation Alliance Education: B.A., Boston College 1996 How long have you lived in Durham? Approximately 3 ½ years Have you previously served on any governmental/community/civic boards, commissions, committees, or organizations? If so, please provide a brief background of your prior experience. Organizing Committee and Community Service Chairperson, BC Alumni
Cleveland Chapter, 2003-2005 : Planning Committee and Volunteer Chairperson, American Diabetes
Association’s Tour de Cure bike race in Southern Maine, 1999-2001:
Please provide a brief paragraph explaining your interest in being elected to the position for which you are running. I have always believed that the library is an integral part of the community providing cultural and educational enrichment for everyone. As mother of a five-year old, I am very excited and optimistic about the new library project, and excited for the new opportunities it will bring for my daughter. With over eight years of experience working in fundraising, and six of those being spent on two different capital campaigns, I feel I can offer expertise and leadership to the Library Board of Trustees. I also hope to add another voice for the young families in our community.
From 2002-2005, I was the Capital Campaign Coordinator at the Cleveland Foodbank in Cleveland, OH. The project was a $10 million, 100,000 sq. foot food distribution center. From 1999-2002, I worked at the University of New England in Biddeford
and Portland, ME as the Campaign Coordinator and later as the Assistant
Director of the Annual Fund. ------------------------------------- Trustee of Trust Funds
Bruce Bragdon
Name: Bruce R Bragdon Address: 7 Colony Cove Road Telephone number(s), including cell phone if any: 6038685129 Email address: tthdr@aol.com Elected office for which you are running: Trustee of the Trust Funds Occupation: Dentist Education: BS Bowdoin 1970 DMD University of Pennsylvania Dental School 1974 How long have you lived in Durham? Since 1975 Have you previously served on any governmental/community/civic boards, commissions, committees, or organizations? If so, please provide a brief background of your prior experience. I have been a Trustee of the Trust Funds for two three year terms. I have served on and chaired the Town Council, Planning Board and the Parks and Rec Committee. I also was on the Town Charter Committee.
I would like to continue our work in maintaining prudent investing
for the Town funds and continue to update and improve the Town cemetery
and graveyards. We are also currently working on the Doe Farm. ---------------------------------- Town Clerk
Name: Lorrie Pitt Address: 30 Wiswall Road Telephone number(s), including cell phone if any: Office 868-5577 Email address: lpitt@ci.durham.nh.us Elected office for which you are running: Town Clerk-Tax Collector Occupation: Town Clerk-Tax Collector Education: Oyster River High School. During my 12 years working at Durham Bank, I attended many classes involving banking, accounting and customer service. During my time with the Town of Durham, I have attended many classes and workshops covering the many aspects of my position. In August 2007 I completed a four year Town Clerk-Tax Collector Certification Program. How long have you lived in Durham? Most of my life, my father was in the military so we were gone for periods of time, but always returned to Durham. Have you previously served on any governmental/community/civic boards, commissions, committees, or organizations? If so, please provide a brief background of your prior experience. Prior to being elected as Town Clerk-Tax Collector in 2004 I held the position of Deputy Town Clerk-Tax Collector for 12 years. Please provide a brief paragraph explaining your interest in being elected to the position for which you are running. I am committed to serving the people of Durham. I believe my 18
years of experience first as Deputy then as Town Clerk-Tax Collector
speaks for itself.
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