Friday Update August 06, 2010

Friday,
August 6, 2010

Bales of hay being wrapped in a
field located along W. Arthur Grant
Circle

Courtesy Jim
Hornbeck

ABSENTEE
BALLOTS FOR PRIMARY ELECTION – SEPTEMBER 14^th 

The New Hampshire State Primary
Election will be held on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at the Oyster River High
School located on Coe Drive. Polling hours will be from 7:00
AM to 7:00 PM. Absentee ballots for the September 14^th Primary
Election are now available at the Town Clerk$B!G(Bs Office. Residents who will be
out-of-town during the Primary or who are physically disabled or observing a
religious holiday, may request an absentee ballot. Ballot requests may be made
in person at the Town Clerk$B!G(Bs Office between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM,
Monday through Friday, or with a written request by mail. Written requests must
contain your name, residence address, address to mail the ballot (if different
from the residence address), and a signature.  This is a Primary, so you will receive a ballot for
the party of which you are currently
registered. If you are undeclared (a.k.a., independent), you will
need to specify a Democratic or Republican ballot.  No party changes can be accepted until after the election. To view
a copy of the Republican absentee ballot, click HERE.
To view a copy of the Democratic absentee ballot, click HERE.

100
YEARS OF DURHAM
FIRE

The committee is firming up the
celebration of the 100 years of Durham, NH
Fire Department.  The celebration will feature a plaque ceremony at the
site of the first Fire Station which was in the $B!H(BPettee Block$B!I(B specifically
where the Red Carpet flower shop is built.  The second part of the
celebration will be a day-long event consisting of a fire truck parade, Fire
Department Muster, childrens$B!G(B activities, food, and displays.

A special patch has been designed
for Fire Department personnel to wear for the 100^th year and tee
shirts will be made available for anyone to purchase.  Please send an email
if you would like to pre-order your shirt.  It will have the logo and
information on the front and fire trucks on the back of a gray tee shirt. 

We are still looking for old
photographs/items particularly for events before WW II.  Periodic progress
reports will be published in future $B!H(BFriday Updates$B!I(B.  We welcome your
ideas and help, so please contact Melissa at 862-1426 or fire@ci.durham.nh.us.

Economic
Development Committee Business Visitation and Outreach
Project
The Town of Durham Economic Development Committee
(EDC) is beginning a comprehensive outreach to Durham business owners to learn more about their businesses
and their experiences doing business in Durham.  There are four objectives to this
project:
 

1.     
Shape the Town$B!G(Bs business and economic development
policies through a deeper understanding of current business segments and their
unique needs.  We will report back to the Town Council on our findings and
work with the market analysis consultant to conduct a $B!F(Bgap analysis$B!G(B between
current supply and forecasted demand for local goods and services.

2.     
Build relationships and trust
between Town, business community, and engaged citizenry.
 We
will employ a respectful, learning-oriented approach with an emphasis on
confidentiality.

3.     
Ensure business community$B!G(Bs
opinions and concerns are reflected in Town activities.  This includes a survey on
housing, parking, commercial development, and related topical issues.

4.     
Provide useful resources to
business owners, including support around RSA 79-E and ER-Z tax
incentives and small business assistance.

Our goal is to conduct 110+
interviews by the end of September and to complete the summary report and
recommendations by Thanksgiving.  To date, 22 volunteer interviewers
(including 7 Councilors) have signed up to interview 106 of Durham$B!G(Bs ~135 businesses.
 Community members who wish to learn more or serve as interviewers, and
business owners with questions or suggestions, should contact Yusi Wang Turell
at yusiwang@gmail.com or 397-5608.

DEADLINE
LOOMS! 30 RESPONSES TO DATE! 

PACE
Energy Efficiency Program: Do You Want To Participate?

In the last few weeks, the Friday
Updates has introduced readers to the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
program, which allows property owners to finance energy efficiency and renewable
energy improvements using low$B!>(Binterest bonds arranged by the municipality. The
Energy Committee must hear from you by August
25 if you wish to participate in Durham's first round of the program,
anticipated for this fall. Thirty enthusiastic residents have already expressed
interest.

Here is the background:
Durham is
not there yet, but the Energy Committee is working with the Town Administrator
to make it happen.

This is how it works: Residential and commercial
property owners may opt in to the program to receive long-term financing (up to
20 years) for improvements. They then repay the loan through a separate property
tax assessment. This arrangement spreads the cost of clean energy improvements –
such as energy-efficient boilers, upgraded insulation, new windows, solar
installations, etc. – over the expected life of the improvement. The program
also allows for the repayment obligation to transfer automatically to the next
property owner if the property is sold.

Here's an example of how this
would work. Let$B!G(Bs say a homeowner receives PACE funding for a solar photovoltaic
installation. For a typical system of 3 kW, the net cost would be on the order
of $8,400 (assuming $6/watt installed, a $6,000 rebate from NH, and a 30% tax
incentive from the federal government). This system would be expected to produce
approximately 4,800 kW-h per year -- or about $720 of electricity per year,
assuming a constant electricity cost of 15 cents per kW-h. (This example uses a
3 kW system that produces about 13 kW-h per day, which is enough to run an
energy efficient house.) The loan repayment over 20 years would amount to
approximately $610 per year, depending on the interest rate on the
loan. 

You do the planning and the math for
your property under PACE. We would do the setting up of the program for the
town. 

Interested in
participating? Please send a brief note to the Chair of the Energy
Committee via this link dec@ci.durham.nh.us. Describe what kind of
energy efficient improvement you are considering. (Note: This is just a feeler,
to get a sense of community interest. Details on your anticipated installation
cost will be required before we proceed to the next step of setting up such a
fund.)  

Responses must be received
by August 25, 2010 for this first round.

Vacancies
on Various Town Boards

The Durham Town Council is seeking
interested residents of the Town of Durham who have the ability, desire, and time
needed to serve on the Town boards and/or committees listed below that currently
have vacancies. Citizens interested in board appointments should contact the
Town Administrator$B!G(Bs office at 868-5571, or email Jennie Berry at jberry@ci.durham.nh.us and request an
application form. Interested residents may also stop in at the Town Clerk$B!G(Bs
office located on the first floor of the Town Hall, 15 Newmarket Road,
and complete an application. Applications are also available on the Town$B!G(Bs
web site at: www.ci.durham.nh.us under the heading $B!H(BI
want to$B!I(B on the right-hand side in the blue box. Completed applications may be
mailed to the Town Administrator$B!G(Bs office, or submitted via email to jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.

Parks and Recreation Committee (1
alternate vacancy)

Rental Housing Commission (1 tenant
representative)

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

Durham Energy Committee (2
vacancies)

Integrated Waste Management Advisory
Committee (3 vacancies)

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

Cable
Franchise Agreement Renewal Process – An Update

The Town of Durham is currently in the
process of negotiating a renewal of its cable franchise agreement with Comcast,
the incumbent cable operator. The renewal process is an opportunity for the Town
to ascertain the future cable-related needs and interests of the community and
to negotiate with Comcast to meet these needs in the renewal franchise
agreement. As part of the process, the Town will be holding a public hearing a
public hearing to ascertain the future cable-related needs and interests of the
community on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 beginning at 7:00 P.M. The hearing will
be held in the Town Council Chambers at the Durham Town
Hall located at 15 Newmarket
Road.

CIVIL
FORFEITURES FOR UNLICENSED DOGS

Civil
Forfeitures (a fine and summons to court), will be issued August 13th to owners,
or keepers, of dogs that remain unlicensed per RSA 466:1.  There are still
80 residents that have not responded to our attempts urging them to comply with
this State law.  If you have received notification from us and you no
longer have the dog or have moved from town, you must contact us so that we can
update our records.

Durham
Police Officer – Top of the Class

At last week$B!G(Bs graduation from the
New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council academy, Pamela Donley, one of Durham$B!G(Bs newest officers, graduated academically number one
in her class consisting of 67 police officers from all areas of New Hampshire. 
Officer Donley is currently working with her Field Training Officer,
Jennifer Kelly, on the 9PM to 7AM
shift.

Report
Suspicious Activity

The Seacoast region has been
experiencing similar suspicious activity where a man and woman team appear to be
approaching homes with concocted stories of being lost, looking for a resident
or a home somewhere in the area, etc.   Last week a vehicle with
out-of-state plates approached a home with a $B!H(BFor Sale$B!I(B sign and a female
approached the house but left rapidly when a pest control service entered the
driveway.  Similar activity has occurred where Lee Police observed a
vehicle parked at the end of a driveway with a male behind the wheel and a
female walking down the driveway towards the vehicle. The officer scrutinizing
the situation was advised by the female that she knew the homeowner from work.
As they drove off, the Lee police officer was simply not comfortable with the
situation and decided to stop the vehicle.  Ultimately, it was discovered
that the out-of-state driver was under suspension in New Hampshire and he was
arrested.  After further investigation later in the evening, the female$B!G(Bs
story about knowing the homeowner was discovered to be untrue.  The
homeowner had no knowledge of either person.  In all likelihood, the
actions of the officer prevented a burglary into the vacant home.

Given these situations, Durham residents are urged
to contact the Durham Police if any activity appears to be unusual and/or
suspicious.  It is an easy task for the police to verify the veracity of
the situation while ensuring the security of the community.  With your
alert partnership, the Durham police will be significantly more
effective in deterring crime.

TRAINING
FOR TRANSITION TWO-DAY COURSE

August 14-15, Transition
United States
(www.transitionus.org)
is
offering the two-day Training for Transition course as developed by the
Transition Network in England.  It will be held in room 119 Nesmith Hall on
the UNH campus. The course is an in-depth experiential introduction
to Transition for those considering community
change toward sustainable, productive and happy lives after peak oil.  The
course describes how to catalyze, build, and facilitate a successful Transition
Initiative. It is packed with imaginative and inspiring ways to engage your
community, and delves into both the theory and practice of Transition that has
worked so well in hundreds of communities in the U.K. and around the world. This course is
affordable by all. Cost is normally $200.  If you can give extra money,
your generosity will help those with lower incomes to
attend.  If
finances are stretched, but you care about your community and want to attend,
then please contribute whatever you can afford. Contact Robert Eckert r.eckert@unh.edu for more
information.

UNH
OUTDOOR POOL EVENTS AND INFORMATION

$B!x(B        
Swim under the lights at the UNH Outdoor Pool and
enjoy some BBQ on Wednesday, August 11^th from 7:00 – 9:00 PM. 
Membership or day pass required.  Hamburgers, chips, and soda will be
available for purchase.

$B!x(B        
Pool hours change to Noon – 6:00 PM on Monday, August
16^th until September 1^st. The pool will have modified
hours after September 2^nd.

TOWN
COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE

Due to the upcoming Labor Day
holiday, the Town Council meetings in September will be held on Monday,
September 13 and Monday, September 27.

Council meetings in October will be
the normal first and third Monday schedule with meetings to be held on Monday,
October 4 and Monday October 18.

DURHAM ENERGY COMMITTEE
MEETING FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 9^TH -
CANCELLED

The Durham Energy Committee meeting,
scheduled for Monday, August 9, 2010, has been CANCELLED. The next meeting of
the DEC will be held on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 7:30 PM in the Council
chambers at Town Hall unless otherwise posted.

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 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. 

Zoning Board of Adjustment –
Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Planning Board – Wednesday, August
11, 2010

Conservation Commission – Thursday,
August 12, 2010

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

Reggae
Night at Wagon Hill Farm – Friday, August 20^th – 6:00pm to
7:30pm

Join Roots, Rhythm & Dub and the
Parks & Recreation Department for Reggae Night at Wagon Hill Farm on Friday,
August 20^th from 6:00pm to 7:30pm.  Roots, Rhythm & Dub is a
reggae band from Southern Maine.  Their
music touches on Jazz, Blues, Latin Rock, R&B and Folk all the while staying
true to their Reggae roots.  Bring a picnic, blanket and lawn chair and be
prepared to enjoy beautiful views of the Little Bay, great music and the company
of family and friends.  Free
admission. 

Two
New Adult Fitness Programs beginning at Parks & Rec in
September

Parks & Recreation is pleased to
announce two new adult fitness classes with instructor Pam Faltin beginning in
September.  On the Ball, a
stability ball based class, offers low impact training in a high energy cardio
burning class.  On the Ball will meet on Tuesdays at 6pm at Durham Parks
& Rec starting September 14^th.  The 8 week program is
$64.  For more information, please click HERE.

Walking to
Wellness is
a traditional walking program mixed with periods of high intensity interval
training.  Walking to Wellness will meet on Saturdays at 9am at the Durham
Town Landing starting September 18^th.  The 6-week program is
$50.  For more information, please click HERE.

Preregistration is required for both
programs.  Contact Michael
Mengers at 817-4074, mmengers@ci.durham.nh.us.

Family
Dragonfly Day – Saturday, August 21^st – 2:00pm – John Hatch Park

Join
Suzanne Petersen of the Lamprey River Advisory Committee for a day of dragonfly
fun.  This free program includes a lesson on dragonflies, catching and
releasing specimens, species identification and more.  The program is for
children entering 3^rd through 6^th grade, but the whole
family is encouraged to attend.  Please RSVP Michael Mengers at 817-4074, mmengers@ci.durham.nh.us.

The
Parks & Recreation Nature Note – Adams Point

Perhaps because it is
managed by the NH Fish & Game Department or maybe due to its remote
location, many Durham residents do not know that Adams Point
is open to the public and offers a wealth of nature trails and stunning views of
the Little Bay. 

Adams
Point, located off of Durham Point
Road, offers over 2 miles of well maintained nature
trails with minimal changes in elevation.   The main trail follows the
shoreline of the Little Bay offering plenty of open water views. 
Creatively constructed benches dot the trail and offer relaxation and photo
opportunities.  With just a little bit of searching explorers can find a
hidden rope swing and an impressive obelisk that is a memorial to the Adams$B!G(B family who lived on the expansive property dating
back to the early 1800s.  There is also a lookout platform close to the
parking area that offers panoramic views of the Bay during the
winter.

Adams
Point offers water access during high tides with a boat ramp.  The area is
also home to Jackson Estuary Laboratory, a marine program at UNH.

The
area is open daily from dawn to dusk and admission is free.  To find
Adams Point take Durham Point Road
south.  After approximately 4 miles on your left
you will see signage for Jackson
Estuary Laboratory/Adams Point Road.  Follow
this road to its end where you will see various parking areas once you are
inside the recreation area.  For a map of Adams Point, go to:
http://www.ci.durham.nh.us/COMMUNITY/recreation/adamspoint.pdf

(Every week in the
Friday Updates the Parks & Recreation Department will be highlighting a
Durham natural
area to make residents aware of all of the great natural areas right here in
Town.  If you have a spot that you think should be highlighted email
mmengers@ci.durham.nh.us with your
location.)

DURHAM PARKS AND RECREATION
PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

$B!x(B        
Wednesday, August 11^th –
Free Yoga at Wagon Hill Farm – Noon to 1:00pm

$B!x(B        
Wednesday, August 11^th – UNH
Outdoor Pool Night Under the Lights – 7:00pm

$B!x(B        
Friday, August 20^th –
Reggae Night at Wagon
Hill – Roots, Rhythm & Dub –
6:00pm

$B!x(B        
Friday, August 21^st –
Family Dragonfly
Day – 2:00pm at John Hatch
Park

$B!x(B        
Wednesday, September 15^th –
Sound
Beginnings youth music program
starts

$B!x(B        
Sunday, September 26^th –
Durham Day –
12:30pm to 4:00pm – Wagon Hill Farm

COMMUNITY
EVENTS

$B!x(B        
Aug. 2-6 and Aug. 9-13, Museum of Art, UNH Paul
Creative Arts Center:  Summer Art Camp. For complete
description of classes or to register on-line, visit www.unh.edu/moa or contact Catherine A. Mazur
at Catherine.mazur@unh.edu,
862-3713.

$B!x(B        
MUB Summer Series.  Everything is FREE and OPEN
to all! For more information and to view schedule of events, go to www.unhmub.com or call Dave at
862-1586.

FROM
$B!H(BDURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE A HISTORY –
1900-1985$B!I(B

$B!H(BAt article in the 1923 town meeting
asked for the appointment of a district supervisor and surveyor of town highways
to control town services better, but the vote was postponed. At the time,
Durham had a
road agent system, which had started when Ed Chesley was hired as road
supervisor in 1912; he served in that capacity almost continuously until his
death in 1947. His characteristic drawn-out $B!H(Bw-e-l-l n-o-w$B!I(B, when addressed on
any subject, is well remembered. His farm, situated on the corner of Main Street and
Mill
Road (land later occupied by the Durham Shopping Plaza), extended along College Brook
almost to Mill Pond
Road. His barns (and later garage buildings) leased
to the town were the base for all town operations while Ed worked for the town.$B!I(B
Published in 1985 by the Durham Historic
Association.

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.