“FRIDAY UPDATES”

Friday, March 19, 2010

 

 

A yellow Labrador retriever surveys the damage caused by last weekend’s heavy rain. (Courtesy Stephen Roberts). A number of roads in Town were closed due to flooding, including a section of Bennett Road (right). (Courtesy Sara Badger Wilson)

 

The spring-like weather has been much appreciated this week following the extensive rainfall we received last weekend. Spring officially arrives at 7:04 AM tomorrow morning, Saturday, March 20^th.

 

Spruce Forest Project CELCP Conservation Project Grant Application Filed by March 15th Deadline

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has submitted a Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) grant for the Spruce Forest conservation project in conjunction with the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game and Durham as co-applicant.  Under the terms of the grant application, the Town of Durham would acquire 176 +/- acres in fee located between Mill Road and the Oyster River containing forested uplands, grasslands and significant frontage on the Oyster River, a tidal tributary to Great Bay, and drinking water source for the Town of Durham and University of New Hampshire.  Significant features of the property include: 4,640 feet of frontage on the Oyster River, 155 acres of forested uplands and wetlands, and twenty-six acres of grasslands.  Immediately abutting over 2,200 acres of existing conservation land, this diverse array of habitats is home to fourteen state threatened or endangered plants and animals and several exemplary natural communities.  Under the proposed project structure, the property would be acquired by the Town of Durham subject to a conservation easement held by South East Land Trust of New Hampshire.  The CELCP grant award would be matched through a combination of state, local, and private grants as well as individual gifts of cash and donated land value which will be coordinated by The Trust for Public Land.  To view the actual CELCP application submitted by TPL click HERE.

 

Oyster River School Board Discussion on Council Resolution 2010-02 Dealing with 2009 District Surplus Funds

On Wednesday evening, March 17, 2010, the Oyster River Cooperative School Board (ORCSB) discussed with Town Administrator Selig Town Council Resolution 2010-02, a resolution requesting that the school board direct the Oyster River Cooperative School District administration to provide adequate documentation regarding the expenditure of surplus funds from the 2009 fiscal year. After discussion, the board asked that a response to the Council resolution be drafted for review at its next meeting. To view Resolution 2010-02 click HERE. To view a Foster's article regarding the issue, go to http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100317/GJNEWS_01/703179953/-1/FOSNEWS0102.  To view the specific DCAT/Channel 22 broadcast of the school board discussion regarding this item, visit http://vimeo.com/10281695.

 

Perfect timing? Stormwater issues addressed at Planning Board
On Wednesday, March 24, the Planning Board will hold a public hearing on amending the Site Plan Review and Subdivision regulations to include additional provisions for Stormwater Management. The EPA, under the Clean Water Act, regulates the discharge of stormwater from municipal systems through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit system.  Under NPDES, municipalities are required to develop a Stormwater Management Program.  These new regulations reflect current Best Management Practices and approaches to handling stormwater runoff.  They will also help clarify what developers are required to provide for information and what to submit with their applications regarding stormwater management -- currently missing from the regulations.  Members of the Water Resource Protection Subcommittee developed this set of regulations with considerations made toward development in Durham. To that end, they included a checklist to help the Planning Board move quickly through their evaluation of applications. At his presentation to the Board two weeks ago, Town Engineer David Cedarholm also explained how several downtown projects recently completed or currently in the works would have easily met the proposed standards. To view the agenda for this meeting, visit: http://ci.durham.nh.us/GOVERNMENT/boards/planning/planning_agenda.html.

 

Economic Development Committee (EDC)

At the February 12, 2010 EDC meeting, the Committee voted to change the day and time of their meetings.  The EDC will now be meeting the fourth (4^th) Monday of the month at 7:00 PM.  The EDC believes that Durham’s success in accomplishing thoughtful, productive economic redevelopment of Durham will only happen if the Committee engages more residents and property owners in its activities and discussions.  To that end, the EDC will be meeting this coming Monday, March 22, 2010 at 7 PM at Town Hall.  There are several items on the agenda including an open discussion with the Durham Landlords Association, reports from the several sub-committees of the EDC, and a discussion on having a market analysis done for the Town.  To see the full agenda for this meeting, visit http://ci.durham.nh.us/GOVERNMENT/Committees/economic%20development/economic_agenda.html.

 

Annual Appointments of Citizens to Fill Vacancies on Various Town Boards

On April 30, 2010, terms on various Town boards, commissions, and committees will expire. In mid-April, the Town Council will begin the process for making its annual appointments/reappointments to Town boards, with appointments to take effect May 1, 2010. The Durham Town Council is seeking interested residents of the Town of Durham who have the ability, desire, and time needed to fill these vacancies. Citizens interested in board appointments should contact the Town Administrator’s office at 868-5571 and ask for a board application form, or stop in at the Town Clerk’s office located on the first floor of the Town Hall, 15 Newmarket Road, and complete an application.  Applications are also available on the Town’s web site at: www.ci.durham.nh.us under the heading “Features” at the bottom of the page. Completed applications may be mailed to the Town Administrator’s office, or submitted via email to jberry@ci.durham.nh.us. Deadline for receipt of completed applications is Friday, March 26, 2010.

 

Conservation Commission - (2 regular vacancies; 1 alternate vacancy)

Durham Cable Access Television (DCAT) Governance Committee - (1 regular vacancy; 1 alternate vacancy)

Durham Energy Committee (3 vacancies)

Economic Development Committee – (1 regular vacancy; 1 alternate vacancy)

Historic District Commission - (1 vacancy)

Integrated Waste Management Advisory Committee - (2 vacancies)

Lamprey River Management Advisory Committee – (3 vacancies)

Parks and Recreation - (4 regular vacancies; 1 alternate vacancy)

Planning Board - (2 regular vacancies; 1 alternate vacancy)

Rental Housing Commission – (1 Tenant representative vacancy; 1 Neighborhood representative vacancy)

Strafford Regional Planning Commission & MPO Policy Committee - (1 vacancy)    

Zoning Board of Adjustment - (2 regular vacancies; 1 alternate vacancy)

 

Environmental Services Urges Safety of Drinking Water in Flooded Areas

Private Drinking Water Wells Susceptible to Flood Contamination

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) encourages residents to take precautions during and after the flooding that has occurred in some areas of the state, including protecting their drinking water. Flooding can cause the contamination of water with fecal matter from sewage systems, septic tanks, as well as contamination from oil, gasoline, and other chemicals.

 

How to make sure your drinking water is safe:

§         Disinfect and test flooded private water wells after floodwaters recede.

v      To request a test container from the DES Laboratory, please contact 271-3445.

v      For information on disinfection of private wells, please go to Disinfecting A Private Well (DES Fact Sheet).

v      For information on proper construction of private wells, please go to Bedrock (Artesian, Drilled) Well Design for bedrock (artesian, drilled) wells (DES Fact Sheet), Dug Well Design for dug wells (DES Fact Sheet), Point Well Design for point wells (DES Fact Sheet).

§         Safe water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene includes bottled, boiled, or treated water. Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, wash hands, or make baby formula.

§         If you use bottled water, be sure it came from a safe source. If you do not know that the water is from a safe source, you should boil or treat it before you use it.  http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/flooding/drinking_water.htm

 

Preventing and Dealing with Mold after Heavy Rains

Mold can be a serious problem when the interior of a building becomes wet. Try the following steps in order to control indoor mold growth after water damage occurs:

§         Make sure the materials that get soaked do not contain asbestos. If in doubt, they should be tested.

§         Dry out any materials that have been damaged by the water. Completely drying out materials will take time, and you may have to remove ceilings, wallboard, insulation, flooring, and other materials. Microorganisms will continue growing as long as things are wet. When fumes aren’t a problem and if electricity is available and safe, you can remove moisture by closing windows and running a dehumidifier or a window air conditioner.

§         If you see mold or if there is an earthy or musty smell, you should assume a mold problem exists. Once you have discovered the mold, any porous materials like sheet rock, insulation, carpets, plaster, ceiling tiles, and paper products with mold growth need to be bagged and removed. Non-porous surfaces like hard plastic, concrete, glass, metal, and solid wood can usually be cleaned with detergent and water, and dried completely. A disinfectant may be used to eliminate any mold missed by the cleaning. Keep people with mold allergies out of the area while cleaning. Everyone should use protective equipment and techniques while cleaning up mold.

 

For more information about mold cleanup, please call (603) 271-3911 or visit www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/air/pehb/ehs/iaqp/index.htm. For information on asbestos testing, please call 271-1373.

 

Preparing for Weather-Related Emergencies: UNH Cooperative Extension

Over the last couple of years, many residents have experienced extended loss of power and property damage due to significant storms. An underutilized resource available to all that provides answers to many homeowner questions is the UNH Cooperative Extension. Its website on "Preparing for Emergencies" includes help on a long list of topics, among them  Electrical Safety During an Ice Storm; Ice Damage and Trees; Preventing and Thawing Frozen Pipes; Using Generators for Emergency Power; and a link to a set of Emergency Response Fact Sheets. <http://extension.unh.edu/counties/Cheshire/WeatherRelatedEmergencyInformation_000.htm.

 

DURHAM ADMINISTRATOR NAMED CHAIR OF THE NH CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY STUDIES

Town Administrator Todd Selig was recently appointed as Chair of The New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies, a non-profit, independent, non-partisan public policy research organization based in Concord. To view the Foster’s Daily Democrat article:  

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100319/GJBUSINESS_01/703199978/-1/fosbusiness

 

Tour the First LEED Designed Building in Durham: Saturday, April 17

An 18-month renovation of UNH’s elegant but aged James Hall has produced a striking building that is Smart, LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) (certification expected to be granted in 6 months) and uses energy, water and other resources wisely and innovatively.

 

Durham residents are invited to tour the building with the Project Manager, Brenda Whitmore, who has worked on this renovation from  the first ideas brought forth to the move in of faculty, staff and students and who will continue to be the point person for the building.

 

There is so much to see, learn and experience from the basement to the green, garden rooftop that there will be 2 different tours given:

9:00 – 10:30  will be a general tour of how the building works

10:30 – 12:00 will be a technical tour for those who want to learn how the specific technologies work

 

To sign up for the tour, please email jberry@ci.durham.nh.us. To learn more about the James Hall renovation, please click HERE.

 

PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULE

The following public meetings are scheduled for the coming week in the Town Council chambers at the Durham Town Office. All meetings begin at 7:00 PM and are held in the Council chambers at the Town Hall unless otherwise indicated below. To view the agendas for the meetings listed below, please click HERE.  All meetings recorded on DCAT are available on DVD at the Durham Public Library for checkout and viewing. 

 

Economic Development Committee – Monday, March 22, 2010

Rental Housing Commission – Tuesday, March 23, 2010 (4:00 PM)

Zoning Board of Adjustment – Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Planning Board – Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Parks and Recreation -

 

Oyster River School Board meeting schedule, please click HERE. 

Durham Public Library Board of Trustees meeting schedule, please click HERE.

DCAT Programming Schedule, please click HERE

 

DURHAM PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

§         March Parks & Recreation Reminder: Stay up-to-date on all of Park & Recreation’s current classes and programs.  Click HERE to view the March 2010 Reminder.

§         Saturday, April 3, 10:00 AM, Durham Town Landing: Annual Easter Egg Hunt. The Durham Parks and Recreation Committee and Oyster River Parents and Preschoolers will hold their annual Easter Egg Hunt. There will be free refreshments, pictures with the Easter Bunny, and much more. Bring your basket and be prompt…the eggs will go fast.

§         Saturday, April 24, 10:00 AM – Noon, Great Lawn at UNH, near Thompson Hall: World Tai Chi Day Event. Join Durham Parks & Recreation and instructor Lin Lin Choy for a morning of Tai Chi demonstrations and instruction.  This free event is FREE.

§         Saturday, May 8, 9:30 AM – Noon, Durham Parks & Recreation Building:  Introduction to Digital Photography Program. Professional documentary photographer Audrey Gottlieb is coming to Durham P&R to teach you how to take that perfect photo with your digital camera. The class is $25 per person or $40 for a family. 

 

To register for any of the above classes please contact Durham P&R Director Michael Mengers at 817-4074 or mmengers@ci.durham.nh.us.

 

COMMUNITY EVENTS

§         Three Chimneys Inn is offering a number of specials during the month of March including: a Magical March Green Spring Getaway Package, dining specials, and Portsmouth Restaurant Week. For more information, contact the Three Chimneys Inn at 868-7800, or visit www.threechimneysinn.com.

§         Durham Public Library, BIG READ: NH Reads To Kill a Mockingbird. Durham Public Library is one of more than 100 partners working with The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library to bring The Big Read: NH Reads To Kill a Mockingbird to the Granite State during March 2010. Durham Public Library, in partnership with the libraries in Madbury and Lee, and the UNH Museum of Art, are sponsoring several programs related to the book:

 

ü      Atticus Finch: A One-Man Show with Richard Clark - Monday March 29, 6:30 PM at Madbury Town Hall.

 

All events are free. For more information, visit the Library's website www.durhampubliclibrary.org

§         Saturday, March 20, 10:30 AM, Durham Public Library:  Make a Paper Crane Workshop. Learn about the Japanese origami art of Paper Crane Folding from Carolyn Thomas and Jane Kaufmann. Hear about the history and legends of the paper crane. For more information, please contact (603) 862-3712, www.unh.edu/moa, museum.of.art@unh.edu.

§         Wednesday, March 24, Noon, Room A219, Paul Creative Arts Center:  ArtBreak: Slide Lecture, Can’t Give This War Away: The Art of Photojournalism, From Three Iraqi Summers by Nathan Webster, photographer and adjunct professor of English, UNH. For more information, please contact (603) 862-3712, www.unh.edu/moa, museum.of.art@unh.edu.

§         Wednesday, March 24, 5:00 – 7:00 PM, UNH Hamel Recreation Center: Basic CPR Class. Open to members of the community. $5.00 fee for Durham residents. No cost to UNH students, staff, or faculty. To register, please contact Amy Cunningham at 862-0309 or discovery.program@unh.edu.

§         Wednesday, March 24, 6 – 8:00 PM, OR High School Cafeteria:  Great Bay Rowing Spring Meeting for High School Students. This meeting is intended for High School age students. Visit our web site for schedules and download and print registration forms. The spring season runs from Monday, April 5 through Sunday, June 13. http://www.greatbayrowing.org/Home.html.

§         Saturday, March 27, 8 – 11:00 AM, Moharimet Elementary School: Moharimet Pancake Breakfast. Come celebrate the maple sugaring program at Moharimet with a breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and (of course) maple syrup. The Oyster River Middle School Jazz Band will perform from 9:45 to 10:30 and the Moharimet sugar house will be open to visitors throughout the breakfast.  $3.00 per adult, $2.00 per child, with a maximum of $10.00 per family.  Please join us for music, mingling and merriment with your friends and neighbors.  All are welcome!

§         Wednesday, April 7, Museum of Art, Paul Creative Arts Center, Noon: ArtBreak: Discussion Al Porsche, M.Ed., counselor, Vet Center, Manchester, NH, discusses mythical vs. sensory issues associated with warfare. Offered in conjunction with the current exhibition, War and Remembrance. Free. For more information, please contact (603) 862-3712, www.unh.edu/moa, museum.of.art@unh.edu.

 

EARTH HOUR 2010

Earth Hour is an annual international event to raise awareness of the need to take action on global warming. The World Wildlife Fund is asking people to turn their lights out for one hour on Saturday, March 27, 2010 from 8:30 – 9:30 PM. Earth Hour began in 2007 with the World Wildlife Fund in Australia and has gained support throughout the world.  Participants range from individuals to businesses to governments--all showing their support and commitment to find solutions for global warming.  In 2009, hundreds of millions of people worldwide shut their lights out for an hour, including landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.  For more information, visit http://www.earthhour.org/about/.

 

DURHAM DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE

The Durham Democratic Town Committee will meet on Wednesday, March 31, 2010, 7:00 PM, at the Durham Recreation building (the former Durham Courthouse), 2 Dover Road to elect officers for the next two years. The four committee officers and an at-large delegate to be elected at the committee caucus meeting will represent Durham at the New Hampshire Democratic Party state convention May 22. All registered Democratic voters in Durham are already members of the town committee and are eligible to vote in the March 31 caucus. For more information on the meeting or party activities in Durham, contact Durham Democratic town chair Tim Ashwell at 868-3775 or durhamnhdems@comcast.net.

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE TRIVIA & TIDBITS

“New Hampshire did not officially adopt a state flag until 1909. Prior to that, New Hampshire was represented by numerous regimental flags. The present flag has been changed only once, in 1931 when the state’s seal was modified.” AmericanProfile Magazine – First appeared: 12/30/2007

 

Have a good weekend.

 

Todd

 

Todd I. Selig, Administrator
Town of Durham
15 Newmarket Road
Durham, New Hampshire 03824
Tel (603) 868-5571
Fax (603) 868-5572
tselig@ci.durham.nh.us
www.ci.durham.nh.us

 

The Town of Durham has developed a list server. The server provides interested individuals with updates and announcements concerning the community. Individuals interested in subscribing should send an email to Town_of_Durham@ci.durham.nh.us and type the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.