Friday, October 14, 2011

Pumpkins and mums at Emery Farm. Courtesy Joan Weinstock

A reminder to residents that Trick-Or-Treating in Durham, Lee, and Madbury takes place on the night before Halloween from 5 - 7:30 PM.  

In addition, be sure to check out the 8th Annual Halloween Extravaganza - Thursday, Oct 27, 2011, 5:00 - 8:00 PM at Mills Hall, UNH. More information can be found in the Community Events section below.

RENTAL HOUSING ORDINANCE LEGISLATION TO BE CONSIDERED BY TOWN COUNCIL
Throughout 2010, the impact of college students renting properties located within neighborhoods once again become a focus for various Town departments, the Rental Housing Commission, and residents living within affected neighborhoods. Included as part of this ongoing challenge were the matters of parking, noise, vandalism, and crime in general.

The Rental Housing Commission worked diligently to develop potential ways in which to address these various issues, including the creation of a rental registry, a property maintenance code, a large gathering permit, amending the Town’s current Noise Ordinance, and adoption of a Disorderly House Ordinance.

An ordinance amending certain sections of the Town’s Noise Ordinance was introduced to the Council and adopted on June 21, 2010. In addition, a Disorderly House ordinance was adopted by the Town Council on September 13, 2010, the focus of which is not on tenants, but on property owners with the idea that ultimately the owner needs to be responsible for the behavior occurring on his/her property.

Town Councilor Jay Gooze has been in contact with attorney Cordell Johnston, counsel for the Local Government Center, to craft draft legislation language that would allow municipalities to adopt, by ordinance, requirements for annual licensing and inspection of non-owner occupied rental dwelling units.
 

Members of Durham’s legislative delegation were invited to the October 3, 2011 Town Council meeting where they were provided an update on the status of legislation which passed during last year’s session and any legislation being considered that may be of particular interest to Durham or the surrounding area. At that meeting, Councilor Gooze asked Senator Amanda Merrill about the idea of introducing the draft legislation crafted by attorney Johnston. Senator Merrill indicated that she would be willing to consider this draft legislation for introduction as a Senate Bill.

On Monday evening, October 17, 2011, the Council will give consideration to a draft resolution (Resolution #2011-19) requesting Durham’s legislative delegation to support and introduce legislation that would allow municipalities to adopt, by ordinance, annual licensing and inspection requirements for all non-owner occupied rental dwelling units as well as requiring the annual renewal of such licenses to ensure compliance with local laws, ordinances, codes, and regulations. The proposed language is as follows:

________________________

Amend RSA chapter 31 by inserting after section _____the following new section:

31:___ Licensing of Rental Dwelling Units

I.  Any college town, as defined in this section, may, by ordinance adopted by its legislative body, require the licensing of all non-owner occupied rental dwelling units with the town, and may require the renewal of such licenses not more often than annually. The ordinance may establish a license fee not to exceed $50.00 annually per unit as a condition to granting or renewal of a license. Any such ordinance shall not apply to (a) housing owned or managed by the college, or (b) units in an owner-occupied building containing a total of four dwelling units or fewer.

II.   For purposes of this section, a “college” means a private or public post-secondary degree-granting educational institution with more than 500 students in residence, and a “college town” means any town or city in which a college is located unless all students are required to live in housing owned by the college.

III.   A local ordinance adopted hereunder may provide for inspection of licensed rental dwelling units by an authorized officer of the town for compliance with all laws, ordinances, codes, and regulations. Any such inspections shall be performed not more often than annually, unless the authorized officer has reasonable cause to believe that the unit is in violation of any such law, ordinance, code, or regulation. The inspecting officer shall be required to give the landlord at least 24 hours’ notice of all inspections.

IV.  Licensing and inspection requirements under any ordinance adopted under this section shall not apply to any dwelling unit that is subject to regular inspections by another governmental authority for legal compliance under state or federal law.

V.  An ordinance adopted under this section may contain such additional provisions, not inconsistent with this section or with other laws, as may be necessary to carry out the intent of the ordinance.

VI.  Violation of any ordinance adopted under this section shall be deemed a violation.

The Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity sits prominently on Main Street in Durham.

Courtesy Assessing Database

ALPHA TAU OMEGA (ATO) FRATERNITY SUSPENDED FROM UNH
The Town of Durham has been notified by UNH that the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity located at 66 Main Street has been sanctioned with organization suspension from the University effective from the date the Delta Delta Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity ceases active operations and disbands for five years. Suspension involves the loss of privileges granted to recognized student organizations including, but not limited to:

• Use of University name in association with the organization.
• Use of University facilities, materials and support services.
• Use of University SAFO funding.
• Participation in University sanctioned events.
• Participation in intramural athletics.

NEW HAMPSHIRE REDISTRICTING

The State of New Hampshire is currently in the process of redistricting the House of Representatives, the State Senate, Executive Council, County Commissioner Districts and the two Federal Congressional Districts.  The new districts are being drawn based on the recent 2010 Census data.

Public Hearings have been scheduled in each of the counties.  The goal of these hearings is to get a clear understanding of how citizens feel they should be represented.  Communities and/or individuals with specific concerns or thoughts regarding how the new districts are formed are encouraged to attend.  These hearings will be open for verbal as well as written testimony. 

More information may be obtained from the Special Committee on Redistricting web page:  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/committeedetails.aspx?code=H48.

The public hearing in Strafford County will be held on Tuesday, October 25th, 7:00 pm, at the Strafford County Superior Court, Court Room 1, Dover.  

Durham Firefighters pose in pink duty shirts last week honoring

Breast CancerAwareness Month

Courtesy Mike Ross, UNH Photo Services

DURHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATES IN BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Captain Brown, Firefighter Blatchford, Firefighter Boutin, and Call Firefighter Brenner take a break from training to show off their pink work uniform shirts. This year the Durham Fire Department will be participating in the recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The department supports this awareness campaign because women have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of 1 in 8. The breast cancer advocates were the first of the cancer advocates to rally behind their cause and promote awareness. Breast Cancer Awareness Month fosters awareness, action, and funds research and access to treatment.

Durham the week of October 2-8, members of Durham's Fire Department showed their support by wearing the Durham Fire Department pink duty shirts. The rest of the month shifts can wear the uniform if they wish.

New energy efficient street lights being installed at Post Office location.

Courtesy Todd Selig

ENERGY EFFICIENT STREET LIGHT REPLACEMENT PROGAM IN DOWNTOWN DURHAM UNDERWAY SAVING $239,000 IN FUTURE ENERGY AND LAMP COSTS
The Town of Durham competed for and was successful in obtaining an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant for street lighting upgrades sponsored by the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning valued at $167,310. Funds will reimburse the Town 100% of the cost of retrofitting all of the ornamental street lighting along the Main Street corridor and intersecting roadways. The grant will reimburse Durham for replacing the existing 175 watt, Metal Halide Lighting and accessories with a Light Emitting Diodes (LED) retrofit kits within our current municipal street lighting fixtures.

The benefit of this energy grant will be the following:

• Replacing inconsistent lighting patterns of multiple colors.
• Upgrade 234 less efficient street lights.
• Projected savings of 70.2 metric tons of CO2.
• Avoid future energy and lamp costs of $239,089.
• Estimated MMBTU savings 18,053.
• Proposed Energy Savings 1,756,212 (kWh).
• Simple payback is 4.5 years.
• Estimated 650 hours of jobs created.
• Lower operating fixture wattage from 175 to 38.
• Increase longevity of lamp from 2.8 years to 12 – 15 years. 

HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEW UNH WIND TUNNEL?
The UNH Flow Physics Facility, http://www.ceps.unh.edu/facilities/fpf.html, the world’s largest scientific quality boundary-layer wind tunnel, opened in November, 2010.  Located on Waterworks road just west of the railroad tracks and north of the Oyster River, the facility generates high levels of noise with its two 400-hp fans, noise which travels well beyond the University boundary and into surrounding residential areas.  

If you have concerns about the noise emanating from the new UNH Flow Physics Facility, please send an e-mail to FPF.noise@gmail.com and indicate where you live and how the noise affects you.  This will assist us in obtaining information as to the extent of impact the facility has upon the surrounding residential neighborhoods. 

DURHAM QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

Revenue Update

Durham’s revenues are showing 58.4% collected as of September 30th.  It is estimated that the Town's revenue will be under projections by $75,000. This loss in revenue is mainly attributed to a reduction in motor vehicle permit fees, interest earned, and fewer court fines.

In addition, the taxes revenue line reflects the amount paid out for abatements. It is anticipated Council will have approved up to $300,000 in abatements by December 31st. The Town had budgeted for an estimated $125,000 which will require either an increase to the overlay line at tax setting time by approximately $175,000 thereby increasing the local portion of the tax rate or the use of fund balance which will further deplete unreserved fund balance below generally accepted accounting levels and Council policy.  It is important to note that we are projecting $300,000 for overlay in 2012 as well due to the number of large multi-unit appeals which are still pending dating to the 2008 revaluation.

We have begun receiving building permit fees from Capstone within the last few months which, although unbudgeted for, have been taken into consideration when estimating out revenues for the year. Building permit fees for the Capstone project will exceed $100,000.  In addition, we had also planned to offset additional construction code compliance inspections with a portion of the funds.

Expense Update

The Town’s expenditures as of September 30, 2011 show a total expenditure of $8,053,034 or 73.1% of the total approved budget.

At this point the areas which are showing a large percent expended include:

• Legal line
• DCAT line due to the installation of equipment to allow the replaying of meetings on-line costing $12,488 (anticipate offsetting this cost with funds budgeted in the Town’s contingency line).
• MIS due to the need to rewire the Police Station to allow for the installation of new computers at a cost of $14,328 (anticipate offsetting this cost with funds budgeted in the Town’s contingency line).
• Police Department due to the increase in retirement costs.
• Building Inspection and Public Works Engineering due to the hiring of additional support staff to perform inspections at the Capstone project.
• Communication Center and Ambulance Services have been paid in full for the year.
• Direct Assistance (welfare) is currently over expended. Based on past history we had budgeted $10,000 for 2011, however, due to the economic times we have seen an increase in the number of individuals requiring assistance.
• $70,000 has been allocated from the contingency line to cover cost overruns associated with concrete anchors at the Wiswall Dam project.

We anticipte being able to bring in the budget on target and within appropriation due to the spending freeze implemented across all departments as well as the curtailing of hiring a 19th police officer and a fire inspector.  It will be extremely close, however.  The Business Office continues to monitor the situation carefully.  

Logo developed following EDC downtown business visitation program survey.

Courtesy Yusi Wang Turell

TOWN-WIDE MARKET ANALYSIS OF DURHAM

Earlier this year, the Durham Economic Development Committee received a presentation from Mr. Ian Colgan of Development Concepts, Inc. regarding the Town-Wide Market Analysis for Durham. 

The report was written by Mr. Colgan, Dr. Ross Gittell from the University of New Hampshire, and Dr. Charles Colgan from the University of Southern Maine.  The purpose of the report is to help the community better understand the economic market in which we exist with the long-range goal of capitalizing on available opportunities to enhance the vibrancy of Durham and broaden the local tax base in a desirable manner. 

Highlights from the report follow:

DURHAM DEMOGRAPHICS

• The Town of Durham’s population is 14,638 according to the 2010 Census.
• Approximately 58-60% of the Town’s total population is made up of UNH students. 
• Utilizing 2010 Decennial Census data the consultant estimates a UNH student population of 8,323 and a full time Durham resident population of 6,527.
• Durham residents are highly educated - more than 40% have professional or graduate degrees. 74% of the Town’s population has a bachelor degree or higher.  The population average of all other geographies in Southern New Hampshire is between 20-30%.

THE DURHAM HOUSING MARKET

• Median Durham family income is significantly higher than surrounding areas - at $114,757. This number reflects the non-student population only.
• Durham’s housing market, which the consultant deems affordable for current residents, may act as a barrier to new residents wanting to relocate from other parts of the Region.
• Even with a national recession affecting housing cost, the median annual sales price of single family homes in Durham have increased 15% over the last two years, with the median annual price of all for-sale product increasing by 11%. Regional trends and the pressure on the local market will influence the local housing market, maintaining a relatively high housing cost.
• Amenities and availability of land have significant influence on the cost of housing  --more than Durham’s relatively high tax rates.
• Housing is not affordable for low to average wage workers in Durham, who would need to average $48 per hour ($100,000 in annual salary) in order to meet average housing cost.
• The Town’s highly rated school system and the location of the University of New Hampshire within proximity to downtown Durham provides ample amenities that attract residents.
• The Oyster River Coop School District is ranked 10th in the State of New Hampshire for all school districts with 1,000 or more students (ranking is based on test scores.)  The strength of the district is an asset to the community which helps to bolster housing prices.

DURHAM'S STUDENT HOUSING MARKET

• University of New Hampshire students exert the most pressure on the housing market. The lack of on- and off-campus housing opportunities for students has forced many to seek alternative housing options within residential neighborhoods and in surrounding communities.
• It is estimated that approximately 2,600 UNH students live in off-campus housing within the Town of Durham, while 4,300 UNH students live outside of the community.
• It is estimated that as many as 30% of all UNH students live outside of Durham. Given the appropriate circumstances, there may be an opportunity to broaden the tax base by attracting some of these students back into town via new and/or updated housing offerings.

DURHAM'S RETAIL MARKET

• The potential to expand Durham’s retail market exists, but on an incremental level. The Town should focus on “enhancement” over “expansion,” aiming to add an additional 25,000 – 35,000 square feet.
• Durham should focus the majority of its “enhancement” on retail targeted to the resident and employee populations.
• At the time of this Study, much of Downtown’s businesses were aimed at University students, marked by the high numbers of limited service restaurants, student services, and college themed stores. With the existing student housing demand unfulfilled, the potential to add student-focused retail should only be encouraged when the demand for student housing is met with additional units in the Downtown area.
• Downtown Durham is the best location for retail enhancement due to higher than average population densities and traffic counts.
• Currently a $30 million dollar retail gap exists for Durham residents and employees ($ spent outside of Durham which could realistically be spent here instead). Some of this leakage maybe recaptured by increasing the goods and services targeted towards these two population groups.
• There appears to be an opportunity to attract 25,000 - 35,000 sq. ft. of new retail, much of which will materialize as smaller scale “storefront” retail that draws upon residents, employees and residents of nearby towns like Newmarket and Lee.

DURHAM'S HOSPITALITY (HOTEL) MARKET

• Currently there are two hotels in Durham with a total of 91 rooms.
• The number of hotels located in communities surrounding Durham is evidence that there is a sufficient market to support additional hotel space in Durham.
• There is currently a high supply of conference / meeting space in Durham. However, with the New England Center vacating 12,000 square feet of space it is plausible additional space could be absorbed in the market.

DURHAM'S OFFICE & INDUSTRIAL MARKETS

• One of Durham’s best opportunities for non-university based employment growth is to focus on incrementally increasing job opportunities in the health care sector. If the market continues at a similar rate, Durham could expect to add 51 jobs in the health care sector alone.
• The largest hurdle to growth in the employment sector is Durham’s short supply of available office space.
• The lack of immediately developable land does little to help the deficit of available office space.
• While sites exist in Durham, very few exist that are development ready, and many lack utilities and other infrastructure needed for development.
• Durham should focus on a long term strategy to add office space on the land that is ready for development, such as the Durham Business Park, but the Town will require a corresponding economic development strategy to attract businesses due to the lack of speculative office / industrial market.
• The lack of available office space makes it difficult to gauge demand for this type of space in Durham. Demand may exist, particularly from University commercialization efforts, but without an inventory of available space, trends in the office or industrial market are difficult to predict.
• Existing vacant office space is currently the only option for growth opportunities for new businesses in Durham.
• One major reason for Durham’s lack of available space, is the lack of development ready land.

DURHAM'S UNIVERSITY RELATED OPPORTUNITIES

• The core of a university based commercialization strategy exists and Durham is likely to be a key player in the regional context.
• Start-ups and university-led commercialization initiatives will present a limited opportunity for the Town. But without the necessary space to compete for businesses, the start-ups will eventually out grow Durham and seek alternative communities for the 2nd and 3rd Phase growth.
• A strategy to increase space will allow Durham to be competitive in the regional market. This opportunity will most likely be centered on real estate development, and it is up to Durham to decide how aggressive an approach to take.
• UNH’s Research & Commercialization and InterOperability Laboratory are poised for upcoming growth.
• The IdeaGreenhouse and Innovation Commercialization Center (ICC) will likely be crucial first stage components of a University commercialization strategy.
• University R&D led development efforts surrounding UNH are too nascent to be able to predict specific real estate impacts and growth. Opportunities exist, but local efforts in engaging UNH will need to be proactive in order to capitalize on future commercialization growth and expansion should it happen, as well as prevent a significant percentage of that growth from moving to other communities.

Photo of beautifully restored historic Smith Chapel exterior - Mill Pond Rd.

Courtesy DPW

SMITH CHAPEL RESTORATION

Work continues on the Smith Chapel restoration project.  At this point, the majority of exterior work has been completed.  There will be concentration on interior work in the coming months.   

WORKFORCE HOUSING - POTENTIAL CHANGES TO BE DISCUSSED
At its October 3rd meeting, the Council discussed the proposal to amend the zoning ordinance by adding a new Workforce Housing Option (WHO) section to "Article XIX. Conservation Subdivisions" and voted five to four to adopt that amendment as presented.

On Monday evening, the Council will consider a proposal by Councilor Julian Smith concerning whether it has an interest in amending the Workforce Housing Option by adding the Residential Coastal (RC) and Multiunit Dwelling/Office Research (MUDOR) districts to the "Applicability" section.

Why RC? Because continuing to exclude this district may leave the impression that the Council and the Town have a bias against workforce housing in the area where land prices tend to be highest, whereas inclusion is the ostensible goal. (The development of the WHO was facilitated through the Inclusionary Zoning Implementation Program, designed "to assist NH communities create and adopt inclusionary zoning ordinances.") In addition, there is a considerable amount of undeveloped open space in that district.
 
Why MUDOR?  Because much of that district is owned by UNH and requires a minimum lot size of 40,000 square feet, as opposed to the 150,000 required in Rural (R) and RC. If UNH is serious about helping to provide affordable housing near campus for faculty, staff, and married graduate students, the amendment suggested would make the MUDOR district attractive to a developer for purchase and thus attractive to UNH for sale.

The Council will also consider whether it desires to ask the Planning Board to clarify what is meant by the "Alternative Lot Sizing" section of the WHO, which stipulates that "The Planning Board may authorize variations from the minimum lot sizes and lot dimensions specified by standards of the underlying zone through the Conditional Use Permit . . . "  That is, what range or limit of variation might be considered? Under what conditions?

Among possible amendments to the Table of Uses in our Zoning Ordinance, Councilor Smith would suggest including several new categories of use: "Workforce Housing Duplex," "Workforce Accessory Apartment," and "Workforce Housing Accessory Dwelling Unit." These new uses would, of course, require new definitions. In the case of accessory apartments and accessory dwelling units, it may also be useful to make changes to the performance standards and to amend the Table of Dimensional Controls.

The newly installed culvert under the Depot Rd. Brownfield Site next to

Durham/UNH Train Station.  

Courtesy DPW

DEPOT ROAD CULVERT REPLACEMENT

Replacement of the 60” culvert is now completed at the Depot Road site.  This project was part of an EPA Brownfield’s grant.  

UNH CAMPUS SAFETY WALK

Chief Dave Kurz was invited by the University of New Hampshire to participate in an annual campus safety walk this past Wednesday evening.  The goal of the walk is to inspect areas of safety concerns that may be darkened by the lack of lighting, high bushes or some other obstruction that can be addressed.  While the main focus is upon the UNH campus, with many of Durham’s streets and walkways adjacent to the campus, the safety walk provided an informative opportunity to enhance the safety of students and residents alike as they traverse to and from the downtown area. 

ORCSD SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR ADVISORY BUDGET COMMITTEE
The Oyster River School Board is looking for new volunteers for its Advisory Budget Committee.  This commitment can be time-intensive.   The purpose for the committee is as follows: "To form an advisory committee that becomes educated about the ORCSD budget and provides budget recommendations to the School Board. ‪These recommendations put the needs of the students first and will be fiscally responsible to taxpayers."  Any interested persons from the Oyster River School District should send along a letter of interest with qualifications to wdifruscio@orcsd.org, or mail to ORCSD School Board, c/o Wendy DiFruscio, 36 Coe Drive, Durham, NH  03824.

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://www.ci.durham.nh.us/ by clicking the DCAT on demand logo, or directly at http://dcat.pegcentral.com/.

Town Council - Monday, October 17, 2011. To view the complete packet for this meeting, click HERE.

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.

VACANCIES ON VARIOUS TOWN BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES

The Durham Town Council is seeking interested residents of the Town of Durham who have the ability, desire, and time needed to fill the vacancies on its various Town boards, commissions, and committees listed below. 

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 http://www.ci.durham.nh.us/ on the right-hand side in blue.

Completed applications may be mailed to the Town Administrator's office, or submitted via email to jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.

Conservation Commission - (1 alternate vacancy)

Durham Cable Access Governance Committee - (2 regular vacancies; 1 alternate vacancy)

Durham Energy Committee - (1 vacancy)
Historic District Commission - (1 vacancy)
Integrated Waste Management Advisory Committee - (1 regular vacancy; 1 alternate vacancy)
Parks and Recreation - (1 alternate vacancy)
Planning Board - (1 regular member; 1 alternate vacancy)

Rental Housing Commission - (1 neighborhood representative vacancy)
Strafford Regional Planning Commission & MPO Policy Committee - (1 vacancy)   
Zoning Board of Adjustment - (1 alternate vacancy)

DID YOU KNOW COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP OF STRAFFORD COUNTY OFFERS LOW-COST BUS RIDES TO ANYONE AGE 60 AND OVER?

A wheelchair-accessible bus will pick you up at your door (and help you on and off) for anyone age 60 and over. The requested fare is just $2.00 per roundtrip.

The program operates Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and the majority of the rides are to grocery, discount and clothing stores, area malls, and shopping plazas.

Where does the bus go? Below is a sample of routes, which can change depending upon rider needs:

• Monday morning: Gonic/Rochester/East Rochester to Rochester stores.
• Monday afternoon: Dover to Dover stores.
• Tuesday morning: Dover and Somersworth to Dover stores
• Tuesday afternoon: Dover to Dover stores.
• Thursday morning: Barrington/Durham to Lee Plaza.
• Thursday: Rochester/East Rochester to Rochester stores.
• Friday morning: Farmington to Rochester stores.
• Friday afternoon: Dover and Rochester alternate bi-weekly. Rochester to Dover or Newington area stores, and Dover to Newington area stores.
• How do I get a ride?

To schedule a ride, call our driver Sandy at 603-817-8207
Each rider is asked to fill out an emergency contact form, which the agency keeps on file and is not shared with anyone. Call 603-817-8207 or visit http://www.straffordcap.org/ for details.

DURHAM PARKS & RECREATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

NEW PROGRAMS:

Parents & Preschoolers Exercise Class for Infants to 5 year olds along with a parent. Class begins soon and will be held on Thursdays 9am – 10am at the Durham Parks & Recreation Building.

Prenatal Yoga begins in November. Connect with other moms-to-be and a great relief from common physical discomfort. Class will be held on Tuesdays 5pm at Durham Parks & Recreation Building.

Please check out our Fall/Winter class schedule which provides recreation for the whole community. To view the schedule, click HERE.

Exercises with Kathy for a Cure October 15th at Oyster River High School anytime between 8am – 3:15pm. To view the schedule, 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”.

FRIENDS OF THE DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY ANNUAL FALL BOOK SALE

The Friends of the Durham Public Library Fall Book Sale will kick-off at the Durham Public Library on Thursday, November 3rd from 6pm to 7pm with an Early Bird Preview--admission to this special one hour event is $10.

The sale opens to everyone from 7pm to 8:30pm Thursday evening. The sale will continue on Friday, November 4th from 10am to 5 pm and on Saturday, November 5th from 10am to 2pm.

Book prices are $2.00 for hardbacks, $1.00 for paperback, and $0.50 for children books. DVDs, CDs, and books-on-tape are $1.00. VHS tapes are $0.50.

All proceeds from the Friends Fall Book Sale support Durham Public Library programs.

Courtesy Durham Public Library

DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

DPL Public Hearing Announcement
The Durham Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing on Thursday October 20, 2011 beginning at 6:30 p.m. to vote to accept donations for the Durham Public Library’s building fund totaling $55,339.79. The hearing will be held at the Durham Public Library, 7 Mill Road Unit H, Durham, and is open to the public.

Wildcat Fitness Donates to Library Building Fund

Wildcat Fitness, located next to the library in the Mill Plaza, has a great opportunity for you that will benefit the library. Have you been postponing joining a gym? Wildcat Fitness will donate $10 to the New Library Campaign Fund for each person who signs up under a new promotion. You will also receive $30 off the $45 sign-up fee.

Don’t wait to take advantage of this great opportunity to benefit the New Library Campaign while also saving money. Simply pick up a promotion flier at Wildcat Fitness or at the library.

All Together Now For the Durham Public Library a Success

Thank you to all who joined us on Sunday evening for the New Library Campaign Kick-off celebration with Beatles tribute band "All Together Now!". Close to 200 people attended this event.

____________________

Preschool Storytimes - Tue., Oct. 18th and Thu., Oct. 20th, 10:30 a.m. This week: Tools/Building. All are welcome to enjoy stories, songs, fingerplays, feltboard, and a craft.

Bookeaters, Middle School Book Group: Wed. Oct. 19th, 2:45-4:00 p.m. Join the Bookeaters.This month’s book is Frozen in Time by Ali Sparkes.  Books are available in the library.  Pizza is served.

Pajama Storytime begins on Tue., Oct. 25th, 6:30 p.m. Join ORPP and the library for our pajama storytime. All are welcome. The theme this month is Halloween.  We will read stories about Halloween and make a Halloween craft.  Wear your Halloween costume and trick-or-treat at the library.
ORHS Poetry Night, Wed. Oct. 26th , 7:00-8:00 p.m. Join Oyster River High School Students for a night of creative poetry readings as well as the announcement of the Oyster River High School new Poet Laureate.  Refreshments will be served and all are welcome!
Humanities Discussion, Fri. Oct. 28th, 10:30 a.m. Join the discussion of Elizabeth Bowen's Death of the Heart, facilitated by Jennifer Lee. Copies of the book will be available at the library prior to the talk. Paid for by a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

Raccoon Readers (2nd -4th grade Book Club) - Tue., Nov 1st, 6:00-7:00 p.m. This month’s book is your Mystery choice. Read either The Sherlock Files: The 100 Year Old Secret by Tracy Barrett or a Mystery book of your choosing. We will discuss the book(s), author(s), play games, and make a craft. We will also solve some mysteries. Books are available at the library.

Seacoast Mystery Writer KD Mason to speak, Tues. Oct. 11th,  6:30 p.m.: Rye mystery novelist KD Mason will speak about his books, including Harbor Ice
Young Adult Writing/Blog Group, Tue., Nov 1st, 7:00-7:45 p.m.  Like to write?  Join us for this Young Adult writing/blogging group that will meet once a month.
Join our Lego Club, Thu., Oct 20th, 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.
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 at the library.

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!

Check out our website http://www.durhampubliclibrary.org/ for more info.

Pumpkin patch at Emery Farm - Courtesy Joan Weinstock

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS 

The New England Fall Astronomy Festival: Discovery, Observation & Fun, UNH Observatory, Friday, Oct. 14, 2011, 6:00 PM and runs into the wee hours of Sunday morning. Gates open at 10:00 AM on Saturday. FREE to the public. For more information, visit http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2011/oct/bp03observatory.cfm or contact Karen Burnett-Kurie, 603-862-1044, karen.burnett-kurie@unh.edu.

Know the Coast Day - Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, at UNH’s three marine laboratories: Jackson Estuarine Laboratory and the Jere Chase Ocean Engineering Laboratory in Durham, and the Coastal Marine Research Facility in New Castle. Hosted by UNH Marine Program, N.H. Sea Grant, and the UNH Marine Docents. FREE to the public. For more information, visit http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2011/sep/bp26ktc.cfm.

Big Green Bus Stop Event, Saturday, Oct 15, 2011 - Hosted by the Oyster River Sustainability Coalition. For details, click HERE.

Family Program Offered at Museum of Art, UNH:  Lions, Tigers and Animals Galore!, Sunday, Oct 16, 2011, 2:00 PM. The program will include a look at the animals found in the paintings of renowned Maine artist Dahlov Ipcar with ecologist Michael Palace, as well as a reading of Dahlov’s beloved children’s book, The Calico Jungle. FREE to the public.

Durham Newcomers Unlimited Host Free Program, Friday, Oct 21, 2011, 10:00 AM, Durham Community Church Fellowship Hall - China: The Next Superpower? featuring guest speaker Lawrence Reardon of the UNH Political Science department, a recognized expert on the Chinese economy and the role of China in Asian and international politics. For more information, contact Alison Sweatt, 603-868-7364, alisonsweattrRNMS@aol.com.

8th Annual Halloween Extravaganza - Thursday, Oct 27, 2011, 5:00 - 8:00 PM, Mills Hall, UNH. Children in Durham and other surrounding communities are invited to dress in costume, come trick-or-treat in the building, go through a kid-friendly Haunted House, and play in a games room.

UNH Homecoming – October 28 - 30. Durham families are encouraged to participate in UNH Homecoming events. Check out all of the action at http://www.unh.edu/homecoming.

Durham Trick-Or-Treating - Sunday, Oct 30, 2011, 5:00 - 7:30 PM.

ECHO Community Thrift Shop - Durham Community Church, 17 Main Street, Durham. The economical and environmentally friendly way to shop. Hours: Wednesday 10 am-5 pm, Thursday 10 am-7 pm, Friday 10 am-5 pm, Saturday 10 am-2 pm. Offering clothing, accessories, small household items, and vintage. Gladly accepting donations of clean and gently used items during hours of operation. For more information contact: 603-868-1230 or office@durhamcommunitychurch.org. The Thrift Shop entrance is at the back of the Church in the lower parking lot.

DURHAM POLICE WEEKLY ARREST REPORT

 *Academic year commences the third week of August through graduation at UNH in May.

Last weekend was originally designated as Homecoming for UNH but the conflict with Yom Kippur postponed that event until the weekend of October 29th.  For the past two-years this has been the weekend for Homecoming and the arrest data from 2009 and 2010 demonstrate the activity associated with the event.  Given the outstanding weather of last weekend, there was a collective sigh of relief that many young folks took advantage of the three-day weekend and went home for the holiday.  Durham police officers are TIRED.