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NEWS AND HAPPENINGS ...
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Friday,
September 16, 2011
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Courtesy
Todd Selig
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Don'
forget! Tomorrow is the
annual Durham Day event at Wagon Hill Farm.
Durham Day kicks off at 12:30 with
a free resident barbecue and fun
activities for all. Activities include;
Climbing Wall, Music by FLING, Storytelling
with Shawn, Antique Car and Truck Show, Boat
Rides on the Bay, Bouncy House and more. In
addition, the Durham Conservation Commission
will sponsor a nature walk starting at 2:15
PM near the boat launch. All are
welcome to come learn about Wagon Hill's
special natural features. Walk led by
Duane Hyde and John
Parry.
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WHAT'S
HAPPENING AT THE TEDESCHI PARKING LOT? A
BIORETENTION
SYSTEM
The University of New Hampshire
Stormwater Center and the Town of Durham have
partnered on the installation of an
innovative Bioretention system to treat
stormwater runoff from the Tedeschi parking
lot in the center of downtown.
Bioretention systems, also known as
“rain gardens,” are among the
most common Low Impact Development (LID)
stormwater approaches in use
today.
Previously untreated, stormwater runoff
will now flow from the surrounding 0.7 acres
of impervious pavement and rooftops into
these landscaped depressions, where it
collects, filters through specially-chosen
plants and an engineered soil mix.
Excess water will flow through bypass pipes
and into existing storm drains and ultimately
discharge into Pettee Brook. The Pettee Brook
is listed by the State as being impaired by
pollutants from parking lots like this
one.
The soil mix and vegetation used in
this Bioretention system mimic the water
quality treatment similar to undeveloped
(“natural”) areas. Soil mix
design in this system incorporates a
state-of-the-art composition and modified
structure to specifically treat phosphorous
and nitrogen in the runoff. Nitrogen and
phosphorous from stormwater runoff contribute
to the degradation of New Hampshire’s
lakes, rivers, and the Great Bay. The project
was funded by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
The Town contributed significantly to
the installation effort through its donation
of materials and equipment, as well as the
professional expertise of the Public Works
staff. For more information about this
project or stormwater management practices
such as Bioretention systems, please visit
the website of the UNH Stormwater Center at
http://www.unh.edu/unhsc/.
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Members of the Durham Public Library
stand next to a lighting usage display. This
program is a partnership between the
Durham Energy Committee, Public Service
of New Hampshire, and nhsaves to bring
awareness and energy savings options to the
residents of Durham. Pictured are from
left to right: Lisa Kleinmann,
Children’s Librarian; Alix Campbell,
Library Assistant; Nancy Miner, Assistant
Director; and Tom Madden, Library Director.
Photo Courtesy Catalina Celentano,
PSNH.
DURHAM PLACES NEW ENERGY EFFICIENCY
EDUCATION TOOL IN PUBLIC
LIBRARY
A lighting usage display has been set
up in the Town Library that allows
residents to interactively compare ENERGY
STAR compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)
for energy consumption, color and brightness
in an effort to demonstrate to the
community the potential savings by
using energy efficient
lighting.
The program is a partnership
between the Durham Energy
Committee, Public Service of New Hampshire,
and nhsaves to bring awareness and energy
savings options to the residents of
Durham. With a limited number of units
available, Durham is the first community in
NH to set up this interactive display for the
town.
The lighting usage display at the
Durham Library has been well received,
according to Tom Madden, Library
Director. In addition to the usage
display, the library also lends out
Kill-A-Watt Meters, devises that residents
can take home and monitor how much
electricity an individual appliance is
using. These meters are also designed
to educate consumers on possible reduction
opportunities.
The lighting usage display is part of
the Energy Committee’s plans to reduce
Durham’s energy usage and will also be
present at the Energy Committee’s booth
during Durham Day.
For more information on all energy
efficiency programs offered by PSNH, visit
http://www.psnh.com/For-My-Home.aspx.
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VOLUNTEER PROGRAM MOVING
FORWARD AT POLICE
DEPARTMENT
The Durham Police Department, with the
assistance of the International Association
of Chiefs of Police and their model
“Volunteers in Police Service
Program” (VIPS), has begun to move into
the second phase of creating a volunteer
program for Durham. Chief Kurz is
looking for input from community members who
might be interested in volunteering with the
department. During the first phase the
department identified several tasks and
services they could benefit from including
statistical analysis, school crossing guards,
clerical assistance, equipment maintenance
monitoring, assistance with elderly service
programs and even telephone follow-ups with
victims of criminal incidents. In order to
better gauge the interest in providing
volunteer services Chief Kurz would welcome
comments from the public via his email at
dkurz@ci.durham.nh.us or to Captain
David Holmstock who is overseeing the program
at dholmstock@ci.durham.nh.us
.
At a
later point, the department is planning to
host an informational meeting where more
definitive job descriptions can be discussed
with residents and additional feedback will
enhance the initiative. Chief Kurz
notes that by incorporating volunteers into
the Durham Police enables the department to
provide the best possible public safety
product, beyond what a department’s
budget can purchase.
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MASTER PLAN SURVEY RESULTS AVAILABLE
FOR REVIEW
The Master Plan Survey results are in.
Charlie French, a staff member of the UNH
Cooperative Extension, worked closely with
the a Survey Subcommittee of the Master Plan
Advisory Committee to create the survey
earlier this year and the survey was released
to the public in May and closed in June. Mr.
French then tabulated the results of the
survey in June with final edits made over the
summer.
The
tabulated results consist of four documents:
A brief summary booklet document; a summary
overview of the findings including basic
frequency statistics; a question by question
summary with bar charts and frequencies; and
a summary of the responses to the open ended
questions. They can all be viewed on
line at the Town’s home page at
www.ci.durham.nh.us under
“News”.
A total of 467 individuals responded to
the survey (397 full responses and 70 partial
responses). 52% of respondents were
female; 48% were male.
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RIGHT-TO-KNOW LAW
EDUCATIONAL SESSION SCHEDULED FOR BOARD
MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY - MONDAY, OCTOBER 31,
2011
The members of the Town of
Durham’s boards, committees,
commissions, Town Council, and Library
Board of Trustees serve as members of
public boards and are therefore responsible
to act in accordance with the Right-to-Know
law in the State of New Hampshire. The
Preamble of the Right-to-Know law
reads: “Openness in the
conduct of public business is essential to a
democratic society. The purpose of this
chapter is to ensure both the greatest
possible public access to the actions,
discussions and records of all public bodies,
and their accountability to the
people.”
In order to ensure that the members of
Durham’s public boards are given the
resources they need to act in accord with RSA
91-A, a Right-to-Know law educational session
has been scheduled for
Monday, October 31, 2011
beginning at 7:00 PM in the Town Council
chambers.
Attorney Christine Fillmore from the
Local Government Center will be present to
provide an overview of the Right-to-Know law
and to answer any questions that board
members may have. The general public and Town
department heads are invited and encouraged
to attend the session, or to view it on
Durham Community Access Television (Channel
22). Oyster River School Board members
are also invited to attend, as well as the
Selectmen and board members from the
communities of Lee and
Madbury.
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GRANGE
BUILDING WALKWAY CLOSED DURING
CONSTRUCTION
The Grange building public walkway
leading to the Mill Plaza below will be
closed beginning Monday, September 12, 2011
until construction is completed in the spring
of 2012.
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On Sunday, September 11th, members of
Durham's Fire Department held a
ceremony honoring those who lost their
lives and those families that were forever
changed on 09/11/01. Courtesy
Durham FD
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SEPTEMBER IS
"NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS
MONTH"
As part of the Durham Police
Department’s continuing partnership
with the Health & Safety Council of
Strafford County during the month of
September, the department is continuing
in its series of messages as it participates
in a Joint Information Virtual Exercise
(JIVE). The theme this week is the word
“LEAVE”.
In order to be prepared for an
emergency, it is important that you are able
to leave your home quickly and
safely.
LEAVE refers to the need to evacuate
because in an emergency it may be dangerous
to stay at home. This is not an easy thing to
do. Many people don’t want to evacuate,
but when local officials say it's time to
leave, don't argue with them. Your life is in
danger.
Having a go kit will make evacuation
easier. Instructions about where to go will
be provided by local officials. But you will
need to bring a change of clothing, personal
hygiene items, prescription medications, and
toys and other supplies for infants and young
children.
Remember that fire is still the most
common form of emergency in any household.
Make an evacuation plan with routes out of
the house and a place to meet at a safe
distance from the house. That way you can
make sure everyone got out safely. Many fire
deaths occur because someone re-enters a
burning building to search for a missing
person or pet. No one should ever go back
inside a burning building.
To learn more about what you should do
to prepare to evacuate your home during an
emergency, review the “leave”
checklist at:
http://www.nh.gov/readynh/documents/readynh_stay_leave_connect.pdf
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PUBLIC HEARING ON LAND USE
CHANGE TAX PROCEED
DISTRIBUTION
On Monday evening, September 26th, the Town
Council will hold a public hearing on a
resolution regarding the distribution of Land
Use Change Tax proceeds and more
specifically, whether they should be
allocated 100% toward the conservation fund
as is presently the case, or whether these
funds should instead be diverted for a
limited time period to the Town’s
general fund due to challenging budget
circumstances. The Council meeting will be
held in the Council chambers at the Town Hall
and will begin at 7:00 PM
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BRING YOUR
GADGETS FOR CASH TO DURHAM
DAY
Have a used smartphone you want to
trade-in or recycle? Or any laptops or
iPods? Bring them to Durham
Day on Saturday and Idea Greenhouse will help
you trade it in for cash or recycle it for
FREE.
Idea Greenhouse will be on hand to
evaluate your used but useful electronic
items and help you trade-in or
recycle.
For more information about the Gadgets
for Cash program, visit http://www.ideagreenhouse.biz/gadgetcash.
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ORCSD
SUPERINTENDENT LEON LEVESQUE TO SPEAK AT
OYSTER RIVER TAXPAYERS
MEETING
The Oyster River Taxpayers will hold a
meeting on Tuesday, September 20, 2011
beginning at 7:00 PM in the Council chambers
at the Durham Town Hall. Oyster River
Cooperative School District Superintendent
Leon Levesque will be available to answer
questions and share his views concerning the
ORCSD at the present time. Members of the
public are invited to
attend.
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PUBLIC
HEARING ON NHDOT GACIT PROJECTS IN DURHAM
AREA
On Thursday, September 22, 2011
beginning at 7:00 PM, officials from the
State of New Hampshire Department of
Transportation will hold a public hearing in
the Town Council chambers at the Durham Town
Hall to discuss with interested members of
the public the 2013-2022 Ten Year
Transportation Plan for projects in the
Durham area. These hearings, called the
Governor's Advisory Commission on Intermodel
Transportation (GACIT), are required by State
Law.
Written comments should be addressed to
William E. Watson, P.E., Administrator,
Bureau of Planning and Community Assistance,
New Hampshire Department of Transportation, 7
Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03302-0483, bwatson@dot.state.nh.us by November
10, 2011.
The ten year plan documents can be
obtained at http://www.nh.gov/dot/org/projectdevelopment/planning/typ/index.htm.
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PUBLIC
MEETINGS: SCHEDULE AND VIDEO ON
DEMAND
The following public meetings are
scheduled for the coming week All
meetings begin at 7:00 PM and are held in the
Council chambers at the Durham Town Hall
unless otherwise indicated below. To view the
agenda 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.
VIDEO ON
DEMAND: Meetings can also be
viewed via Video on
Demand. Interested viewers
can access the streaming site from the
Town’s website at http://ci.durham.nh.us/ or directly
by clicking
the DCAT on demand
logo,
http://dcat.pegcentral.com/.
Economic Development
Committee - Monday,
September 19, 2011.
Oyster River
Taxpayers - Tuesday, September
20, 2011
Rental Housing
Commission - Wednesday,
September 21, 2011 (4:00
PM)
NHDOT GACIT Public
Hearing - Thursday, September
22, 2011
Parks & Recreation
Committee - Thursday, September
22, 2011 (7:00 PM at
P&R Building)
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.
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DURHAM PARKS
& RECREATION PROGRAMS AND
EVENTS
Check out our New
Recreation Classes for the
Fall:
Learn to Speak Spanish - This
class for 3-5 year olds along with their
parents. Have fun with games and activities
while learning to speak Spanish. Class begins
Oct. 5th. Wednesdays: 1-1:45pm
$40/8 weeks.
Kid’s Yoga – This
class works on flexibility and strength for
ages 9 – 12. Class meets Wed. 4:30
– 5:30pm. Cost is $40/8wks.
Learn to Run – Go from walking
and learn to run. This class begins with
walking for exercise and will build your
stamina to prepare you to run a 3 mile race
by October. Come check it out on
Thursdays at 6pm. Also a great way to kick
off a weight loss program! Group meets
at Town Hall Lot.
Wellness For Seniors - Emphasis is on
flexibility, balance and fun! Class meets
Tuesdays 10AM. Cost is $40/8
weeks.
For a list of all classes scheduled for
the Fall, click HERE.
For more information on any of these
events, please contact P&R Director Sandy
Devins at 603-817-4074, sdevins@ci.durham.nh.us Also
check out our new Facebook account on
“Durham Rec”.
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DURHAM PUBLIC
LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND
EVENTS
With your support, the Durham Public
Library will open its new doors in the summer
of 2013. We are eager to welcome you in our
10,500 square foot, eco-friendly, dynamic,
state-of-the-art community library at 49
Madbury Road. Our goal is to raise $900,000
before a bond vote in March 2012. To date
more than $500,000 has been raised from
private sources. But we still need another
$350,000. You can help by making your
own pledge; volunteering to host an event;
volunteering to talk to friends and neighbors
about the project and ask for pledges
directly; and volunteering to help get out
the vote in March 2012. Visit our
website http://www.durhampubliclibrary.org/durham/ for
details. Sign up to volunteer at NewLibraryVolunteer@gmail.com and
thank you for your support.
Preschool Storytimes -
Tue., Sep. 20th and Thu., Sep. 22nd, 10:30
a.m. This week: Fall and
Squirrels. All are welcome to enjoy
stories, songs, fingerplays, feltboard, and a
craft.
All in the Family: Navigating Senior
Care Options for Your Parents -Tue.,
Sep 20th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Have you
been wondering how to start the conversation
with your parents about their long-term care
needs? Instead of searching the
Internet, come join the conversation in
Durham. Four area professionals,
including an attorney, long-term care
insurance agent, and two senior care
advisors, will offer practical advice about
this difficult process. Case studies of
real families will be used to illustrate the
pitfalls to avoid and the benefits of
planning ahead.
Bookeaters, Middle School Book
Club begins on Wed. Sep.
21st, 2:45-4:00 p.m. Come and discuss
this month’s book Hide and
Seek by Katy Grant with other
Middle Schoolers. Copies of the
selected book are available at the library.
Pizza is served.
An Evening of Adventure with
International Motorcycle Traveler Ben Slavin
- Wed., Sep 21st, 7:00 pm. In October 2009,
Ben Slavin left his home in Hooksett, NH in
search of adventure. Over the course of six
months he rode his motorcycle 23,000 miles
through 15 countries until he reached the
southernmost city in the world - Ushuaia,
Argentina. He documented the journey on his
blog,
http://afewmoremiles.com/.
Humanities Book Discussion
- Friday, September 23, 10:00 AM.
Funded by the NH Council for the Humanities.
Discussion Leader: Jennifer Lee. The
short stories of Anton Chekhov
(1860-1904) Much is in the
details. We will focus on the following
stories: The Lady with the Pet/Little/Lap
Dog, Gooseberries, The Kiss and The
Darling. Your copy awaits you.
Tour of UNH Campus - Sunday,
September 24, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. A
tour of the UNH campus for Durham residents
led by UNH Architect and DPL Board Chair Doug
Bencks. Parking is available at the
Visitor Parking Lot on the corner of Main St.
and Edgewood Rd. (next to the pool and New
Hampshire Hall). We will meet in the lobby of
New Hampshire Hall which faces directly onto
Main Street at the traffic light intersection
with College Road. There will be a
presentation in Room 208 before the tour
begins. The entire session should be about 90
minutes.The Dairy Bar has generously agreed
to provide 20 free small ice cream cones to
participants - first come, first
served.
Pajama Storytime
begins on Tue., Sep 27th at 6:30
p.m. Join ORPP and the library for our
pajama storytime. All are welcome, The theme
this month is Superheroes/Heroes. We will
read stories about superheroes and heroes and
make a superhero craft.
Raccoon Readers (2nd -4th
grade Book Club will begin on
Tue., Oct 4th, 6:00-7:00
p.m. This month’s book is Mr.
Popper’s Penguins by Florence and
Richard Atwater We will discuss the book(s),
author(s), play games, and make a
craft. Books are available at the
library.
Young Adult Writing/Blog
Group, Tue., Oct 4th, 7:00-7:45
p.m. Like to write? Join us for
this Young Adult writing/blogging group that
will meet once a month.
Authors Toby Ball and Kristin
Duisberg to speak, Wed., Oct 5th,
6:30 p.m.
Join our Lego Club, Thu.,
Oct 6th, 3:45-4:45 p.m. for 1st-5th
graders. Like to build Legos?
Come to the Lego club in the Children’s
Room to start constructing.
All Together Now For the Durham
Public Library, Sun., Oct 9th,
3:00-7:00 p.m. Beatles tribute band "All
Together Now" performs at the Mill Plaza as
we kick off the Durham Public Library's new
library building campaign. Come enjoy the
Beatles timeless music and show your support
for the Library. This concert is free and
open to all.
Registration for Tales for
Tails has begun. Have a young reader
who could use some non-judgmental
encouragement for reading aloud? A Delta
Therapy dog is waiting for your child. Sign
up in September for a session beginning late
Sep.
Sign-ups have started for Seacoast
Reads (UNH Reading Buddies).
Have a child in 1st through 3rd grade who
could use some help reading? Sign your
child up for a UNH Reading Buddy.
Weekly sessions hope to start
mid-October.
Join the Patch Program, our
reading incentive program for children aged
2-12 years. Children earn patches for minutes
read or being read to as well as a Durham
Library book bag. If new to the program, stop
by and register. Thanks to the Friends
of the Durham Public Library for their
continued support of this program. We
have new patches!
Thanks to
the children/families who signed-up this
summer to have a Japanese Pen Pal. All
18 Japanese students have been assigned to
Durham Library children/families and have
started receiving their letters. If you
are unable to continue writing please let
Miss Lisa know at ekleinmann@ci.durham.nh.us.
Check out our website www.durhampubliclibrary.org for
more info.
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COMMUNITY
PROGRAMS AND
EVENTS
Turf
Management Workshop - Hosted by the
Seacoast Stormwater Coalition, Mon., Sep 19,
2011, 8:15 AM-12:00 noon, Portsmouth Public
Library, 175 Parrott Avenue. This workshop is
FREE. Register by emailing Cathy Coletti at
catherine.coletti@des.nh.gov
or calling
603-559-0024.
New Hampshire
Youth Band - Wed., Sep 21, 2011,
6:30 - 8:00 PM at the Paul Creative Arts
Center (PCAC) at UNH. The Youth Band is an
enrichment concert band for players of
woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments
who seek advanced performance opportunity
with like-minded middle school and high
school age band students from the Seacoast
area. For more information,
contact Mark DeTurk at mark.deturk@unh.edu
Oyster River Clean-up
- Hosted by the Oyster River
Watershed Association, Sat., Sep 25,
2011, 9:00 AM.
Meet at
Durham Landing (via Old Landing Road, off of
Route 108 [Dover Road]). Coffee will be
available.
Volunteers will be supplied with
gloves, trash bags, and tally
sheets. This is intended to
be a family-friendly event. Wear old
clothes and boots. For more information,
contact Dick Weyrick, 868-2862, dweyrick@comcast.net.
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WEEKLY ARREST
REPORT
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FROM
“DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE A HISTORY
–
1900-1985”
Business (1900-1930): "Along
Main Street, the Grants twice remodeled their
restaurant, encompassing all their street
frontage and adding a second story for living
space. Farther east, several small teashops
flourished - one, the Blue Goose, occupied
the old post office building on the south
side of Main Street (the post office had
moved into the Hardy-Philbrick Block in
1923); the other, across the street, utilized
several rooms in the historic Ebeneazer Smith
house. From the mid-1920s to the early 1930s,
Mary Langley operated a quaint tearoom on
Madbury Road among the sororities. It was a
picture-book cottage, set back from the
street, with brightly painted furniture,
decals on the walls, and cretonne at the
windows. Coeds served lunch and dinner to an
appreciative college clientele. One other
such enterprise was formally introduced to
the public by way of an engraved card that
read:
The Misses Belle and
Dorothy Smith
Announcing
'Ye Olde Stage Coach
Tea Room'
Monument Square,
Durham, N.H.
on Sunday, June 29,
1930
Fried Chicken and
Waffles (Specialty)
Luncheon, Teas,
Bridges catered to
Needlecraft and Gift
Shoppe Tel.
8249"
Published in 1985
by the Durham Historic
Association.
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Have a nice
weekend.
Todd
Todd I. Selig,
Administrator
Town of Durham, New
Hampshire
T:
603-868-5571 F:
603-868-5572
tselig@ci.durham.nh.us http://www.ci.durham.nh.us
Everyone can
tackle climate change. How can you reduce
your carbon
footprint?
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