Friday Update December 17, 2010

“FRIDAY
UPDATES”

Friday,
December 17, 2010

 

 

The Oyster River Middle School Jazz
Band performed during Winter Carnival on December 16, 2010. The band’s
performance was also videotaped as an audition tape to compete with other bands
for a trip to Disney World in the spring of 2011. Courtesy Todd
Ziemek

 

Durham
Police Department Enhances Downtown Business Parking Permit
Program

As part of the Durham Police
Department’s desire to improve the Business Parking Permit system, the
department implemented a Kaizen review of the entire program and concluded the
exercise with a totally revamped permit system.  Business owners utilizing
Durham’s
downtown parking spaces should review the new program available. Please click HERE.

 

Kaizen
Continuous Improvement Initiative in Durham – Depot Road Permit
Process

Kaizen (quality improvement)
interventions have been implemented in a number of departments to date including
a review and streamlining of the permit process at the Fire Department, a review
and reworking of the Building Department permit process, a review and refinement
of the payroll process within the Business Department, as well as a series of
conversations and initiatives within the Town's department head group which have
led to a variety of innovations and pilot programs saving money, enhancing
organizational capacity, making the municipality more customer focused, and
asking "Why not?" in a safe, structured, and organized manner to encourage risk
taking and out of the box thinking on the part of staff. 

 

The Depot Road Lot Parking Permit
Kaizen exercise conducted earlier this year represented the first attempt by the
Town to utilize a “Value Stream Mapping” tool intended in this application to
reveal the intricacies of the systematic process leading to the issuance of
parking permits -- ultimately at the Depot Road Parking Lot -- at the Durham
Police Department.  To view the full report of the Depot Road Parking Lot
Kaizen, click HERE.

 

Fire
Department Plan for Reaching Bennett Road and Cold Springs Road
Residents During Flood Events

It is not too soon to begin to think
about the potential of spring flooding, particularly the Fire Department’s plans
for response within the potentially flooded areas of Bennett Road and
Cold Springs
Road.  During the last spring flood, the
department paid close attention to the weather and rising waters and when it was
determined that the Bennett Road/Cold Springs Road area was going to be flooded,
the fire department placed our forestry vehicle inside the stranded area. The
department borrowed a vehicle from the Madbury Fire Department that was able to
drive through high running water and placed that on Newmarket Road. Two
firefighters were assigned these vehicles. These firefighters were equipped to
handle medical aid calls and quick attack fire calls. These
firefighters did visit every home within the flooded area and consequently the
Fire Department was able to get in groceries and medical prescriptions to that
area. This assignment remained in place within the stranded area until the water
was at a point that the normal Fire Department equipment could go through it on
a response.

 

If Durham runs into the same flooding situation in
2011, we will plan on the same type of set-up. The staff at the Fire Department
will be talking about that potential over the next couple of months and will
have a plan of action. 

 

Residents should also recall that
the Department of Public Works has been working with the N.H. Department of
Transportation to address flooding along Newmarket Road at Hamel Brook.  The
Public Works Department has also submitted a grant application to address
flooding at Bennet
Road by LaRoche Brook.

 

Trust
for Public Land receives $500,000 in funding
from grant to partially support Spruce Forest Conservation
project

The N.H. Department of Environmental
Services Aquatic Resource Mitigation (ARM) Program has awarded the Trust for Public
Land (TPL) a $500,000 grant award
to support the Sprucewood Forest conservation project.  The
grant monies are the result of funds in the Piscataqua River watershed mitigation bank.  The
latest grant round had $1.5 million in available funding and the Sprucewood
Forest program ranked #1 and was the largest single grant recipient.  
The Spruce
Forest tract is a170 +/-
acre parcel located off of Mill
Road.  The Property includes 4,640 feet of river
frontage on the Oyster River and is situated between the Spruce Hole aquifer
and the Oyster River, an area long recognized as an important source
of drinking water for the town and the University of New
Hampshire.  In addition, it was reported last
week in the “Friday Updates” that out of 72 applications submitted from across
the United
States (2 per eligible state) for Coastal and
Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) grant consideration, 42 of these
applications were identified as being national priorities.  Durham’s Spruce Forest tract was listed as #12. 

 

A
Graphic Video of the Consequences of Drinking and Driving for the
Holidays

Last week we provided a link to a
video produced by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), a Victoria,
Australia government-owned
organization that pays for treatment and benefits for people injured in motor
vehicle accidents.  TAC is involved in promoting road safety in Victoria and in improving Victoria's medical trauma system. 

 

The video, with a link below, is a
very compelling depiction of the results of drinking and driving.  The
movie is professionally accomplished with background music by REM of their song
“Everybody Hurts” that significantly adds to the power of the video.  The
five-minute video is extremely graphic in its depiction of motor vehicle
accidents and should be viewed by parents first and certainly warrants family
discussion to determine whether it is appropriate for others in the
household.  The video may be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Z2mf8DtWWd8.

 

 

 

2011
Durham
Resident/Taxpayer Permit Stickers

A reminder that residents will need
to obtain their 2011“Durham Resident/Taxpayer
Permit” to access the Transfer Station and Recycling Center by the end of January.  The
grace period to allow 2010 permit holders in is through  the last week in
January, 2011.  Residents can acquire the permit (sticker) at the
Department of Public Works office at 100 Stone Quarry Drive or at the Town
Clerk’s office at the Town Hall . The sticker entitles residents FREE access to
enter the Transfer Station in order to drop off household trash, recyclables and
brush/grass clippings on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM. The free
sticker also allows residents/taxpayers who display the sticker an additional
hour of parking in the existing downtown one-hour, non-metered spaces for a
total of two hours.  Bulky waste and electronics will require additional
stickers or coupons which can be purchased at the Public Works
building. Residents can refer to the annual newsletter that was recently
mailed, or call the Department of Public Works at 868-5578 for more
information.

 

Durham
Master Plan Visioning Forum Scheduled for January 28th

The Town of Durham in conjunction with
the Planning & Community Development Department and the UNH Cooperative Extension is preparing to update the
Master Plan. The visioning process will be the first step toward updating
several chapters of the Master Plan including the Commercial Core chapter, Land
Use Regulations chapter, Environmental/Cultural Resources chapter, Tax
Stabilization (Economic Development) chapter, and a new Energy chapter.

 

The visioning forum will be a public
forum that will allow citizens to provide their vision for a variety of topics
that will be related to the chapters being updated after the visioning process
has been completed.  The planning process needs input from the entire
community.  

 

Please plan on joining us Friday,
January 28, 2011 at 5:30 P.M. at the Oyster River
Middle School.  The
evening will begin with a free community spaghetti dinner hosted by Durham
Marketplace followed by small group workshops on each chapter being updated.
Children’s activities and childcare will be provided. 

 

Look for further details in future
“Friday Updates”

 

For questions please contact Jim
Campbell, 868-8064 or jcampbell@ci.durham.nh.us

 

Dover
Children’s Home Bin at the Transfer Station

In the next few weeks during
Transfer Station Hours, Tuesday and Saturday from 7:30 AM - 3:00 PM, there will
be a bin from the Dover Children’s Home collecting coats, scarves, hats,
mittens, and gloves of all sizes for people in need of warm outerwear for the
winter. 

 

         

 

Sand/Salt
for Town Residents

As always, sand and salt mix is
available for Town residents at the shed behind Town Hall. 

 

Winter
DPW Newsletter

By now, most residents should have
received their winter newsletter.  Please note and read through the handful
of changes in the newsletter starting on January 1, 2011. Transfer Station
hours are slightly changed--still on Tuesdays and Saturdays but from 7:30 AM –
3:00 PM, swap shop closing at 2:30 PM.  Also, starting in the new year, on
the comingled week of recycling, all plastics can be accepted (1-7’s), instead
of just 1’s and 2’s. Also, for business/commercial recycling collection on
Friday’s, beginning on Friday the 7^th, the commercial pickup will go
single stream, which means that all recycling material can be co-mingled on the
Friday route.  Businesses and commercial buildings were contacted
separately on this matter earlier in the week. 
  

 

Churchill
Rink at Jackson’s
Landing

The rink is closed on Saturday,
December 25^th for Christmas Day.  There will be a special youth
pickup hockey session on January 1^st from 12:00pm -1:20pm, ages 9-12,
squirts and pee-wee’s.  Full equipment is required and the cost is
$5/person, limit of 30 plus 2 goalies.  Remember that ice time is available
to rent at $185/ hour. Please inquire with Andy Buckman at the rink if
interested at 868-3907. 

 

HOME
CANDLE FIRES

Every day, an
average of 42 fires are started by the use of candles in the home, and the
incidence of candle fires peaks during the holiday
season. 

 

According to the National Fire
Protection Association, every year over 15,000 fires are caused by the use of
candles in the home. That’s an average of 42 a day, or one every 30
minutes. Annually, an average of 166 civilians die, and 1,289 are injured
in these candle fires. These candle fires are also responsible for $450
million in direct property damage. More than one-thind of home candle fires
start in the bedroom and nearly half of all deaths and injuries are in
bedrooms. More than half of home candle fires occur when combustible
materials are too close to the candle. Almost all home candle fires are
accidental.

 

When evaluating a candle as a cause
for fire origin, there are several factors to consider.  Candles are often
used as a substitute for electrical power during temporary outages. An NFPA
study found that 1 out of every 4 candle fire deaths occurred in a home where
the electrical power was temporarily cut off. More than half of all candle
fires start when something located too close to the candle ignites. Candle
fires can start with a variety of materials as the first material
ignited. The most common first materials ignited are mattress or bedding,
window coverings (curtains or blinds), cabinetry, and upholstered
furniture. For candle fires that started in December, holiday decorations
were the first materials ignited in almost 20% of the incidents. Typically,
the use of seasonal decorations plus the increased use of candles during the
holidays heighten the candle fire risk. 

 

It should come as no surprise that
most home candle fires were the result of unattended or abandoned
candles. Falling asleep is a major factor associated with home candle fires
as well as home candle fire fatalities. Candle fires peak in December,
especially during the holidays.  The incidence of home candle fires is 1.6
times the monthly average for the rest of the year. The top five days are
Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day, Halloween and December
23^rd. 

 

Consumers are also warned to look at
product recalls. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled more
than 100 candles and candle-related products because of fire danger.  These
product problems included ignition of items embedded in or decorating the
candle, excessively high flames, and candleholders that ignited or
overheated.  The number of recalls continues to climb.  To find out
more about candle recalls, please go to http://www.cpsc.gov.

 

From all of us at the Durham Fire
Department, thank you for helping us help you enjoy a happy and safe holiday
season.

 

TOWN
OFFICES HOLIDAY CLOSING SCHEDULE

Friday, Dec 24^th,
Christmas Eve    
-          
Closed

Monday, Dec
27^th                                      
-          
Closed

Friday, Dec 31^st, New
Years Eve   
-          
Closed

 

Christmas
Holiday Recycling and Refuse Collection

Friday, Dec 24^th
      
-           No COMMERCIAL
recycling collection

Saturday, Dec 25^th
   -          
Transfer Station and Recycling Center CLOSED

Monday, Dec
27^th    
-           No change to the
regular schedule for collection

 

2011
MARCH
TOWN ELECTION WARRANT AND
OFFICE FILING PERIOD

The 2011 Town Election will be held
on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at the Oyster River
High School.  Polling
hours are from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.  Individuals interested in running for
positions within Town government may do so during the filling period beginning
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 and ending at 5:00 PM on Friday, January 28, 2011.
For more information, please contact the Durham Town Clerk's Office at
868-5577.

 

PROSPECTIVE
TOWN COUNCIL CANDIDATES

Citizens who may be considering
running for the three Town Council seats in March are invited to contact any of
the current Town Council members or the Town Administrator to obtain information
about and discuss what serving as a Councilor involves. Click on the following
link to access the telephone numbers for current Council members: http://ci.durham.nh.us/GOVERNMENT/council/council_members.html.

 

PUBLIC
HEARING ON Council-Initiated Zoning Ordinance Change That Would Amend Article
XIX “Conservation Subdivisions”, Section 175-107 (B) “Applicability”, to Add
ORLI and MUDOR Zoning Districts to the List of Zones to Which
Conservation Subdivision Regulations
Apply

On December 20, 2010, the Town
Council will hold a Public Hearing on a Council-Initiated Zoning Ordinance
change that would amend Article XIX “Conservation Subdivisions”, Section 175-107
(B) “Applicability”, to add ORLI and MUDOR zoning districts to the list of zones to which
Conservation Subdivision Regulations apply.  The Council meeting will begin
at 7:00 PM and be held in the Council chambers at Town Hall. To view the
proposed ordinance, click HERE.

 

PUBLIC
HEARING ON RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE AND EXPENDITURE OF FEMA
FUNDS

On December 20, 2010, the Town
Council will hold a Public Hearing on a resolution authorizing the acceptance
and expenditure of $90,012.27 in unanticipated revenue from the State of New
Hampshire Department of Safety following the FEMA Disaster Declared During the
February 2010 Wind Event. The Council
meeting will begin at 7:00 PM and be held in the Council chambers at Town Hall.
To view the proposed resolution, click HERE.

 

WILDCAT
FITNESS – “TOYS FOR TOTS” AND NH
FOOD BANK DRIVE

Wildcat Fitness will be hosting a “Toys for Tots” NH and
NH Food Bank drive from November 20^th –December 27^th,
2010. Wildcat Fitness is a registered
drop off location for both of these organizations and is hoping to spread the
cheer and community support around the state. Last year, Wildcat Fitness collected over 400 toys and 18 bags of
food and the staff is hoping to break that record this
year.

 

BOX
TOPS AND LABELS FOR EDUCATION

Moharimet, Mast Way and the
Middle School earn points for each Label for Education submitted. The points are
then used to “buy” school materials out of their catalog. There is currently a
little black collection box in the Durham Library’s Children’s Area to collect
Box Tops and Labels for Education from community members.  All Box Tops and
Labels for Education collected in the library collection box will be split
equally between the 3 schools.  For more information, click HERE or contact
Kristin Carpenter at Kristin.carpenter@unh.edu.

 

ANNUAL
CHRISTMAS TREE SALE by
Boy scout Troop 154

The Durham Boy Scout Troop 154 will
once again be selling locally cut Christmas trees at the Durham Marketplace
parking lot for the next three weekends.  Sales run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
on Saturdays & Sundays until they sell out.  The trees are cut in
Farmington and transported to Durham by the Scouts. 
Christmas tree sales represent the Scout's major fund-raiser for the
year.

 

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. 

 

Town Council – Monday, December 20,
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

 

BETTER
HOMES AND GARDENS THE MASIELLO
GROUP FOOD DRIVE

Better Homes
and Gardens The Masiello Group Durham office is having a food drive to fill the
shelves of Durham’s local food pantry located at
St. Thomas
More Church. Non-perishable food items and
canned goods are gratefully accepted.

 

Drop off
locations:  10 Pettee Brook Lane, Durham Marketplace, Durham Town Hall
lobby.

 

Durham Public Library
Programs and Events

Preschool
Storytime Tues. Dec. 21st and Thurs. Dec. 23rd at 10:30
a.m. - This
week: Holidays.  Join us for
stories, fingerplays, songs, feltboard and a craft.

Pajama Storytime,
Tues. Dec. 21^st at 6:30 p.m.-  Join the Durham Library and ORPP for
this fun night time storyhour. Wear your pajamas! This month we will hear
Holiday and Baking stories, make a craft and
decorate a holiday cookie.

Granite
Earth Book Discussion: Voluntary Simplicity, Tues. Dec. 21st,  and again on
Tues. Jan. 4^th (no session on Tues. Dec. 28^th) 7:30-9:00
p.m. -
Another section of the Granite Earth series,
Voluntary Simplicity is a 5 week discussion group on Tues eves beginning Dec.
7th and ending Jan. 11th, with no meeting on Dec 28th. Please register and get
your book at the library.

Library Holiday
Hours: The library will close at 5 p.m. on
Thursday, December 23^rd and will not reopen until Tuesday, December
28^th at 10 a.m. The library will also be closed from Friday, December
31^st until Tuesday, January 4^th at 10
a.m.

Make a craft all
week in the Children’s room during vacation week , Dec. 28^th through
Dec. 31st.
There will be no storytime this week.  Storytime will begin again on Tues.
Jan. 4^th at 10:30 am.

Racoon Readers
(2^nd-4^th grade book club), Tues. Jan. 4^th, 6:00
p.m. - This
month’s book is either “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” by Grace Lin, or “The
Borrowers” by Mary Norton.  Your choice.  We will discuss the book(s),
author(s), play some games and make a craft.

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.

Registration for
Tales for tails. 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 now at the library for a 6 week session in
January.

Registration for
Seacoast Reads Second Semester has begun.  Sign-up for a UNH reading buddy for your
child in grades 1^st through 3^rd.  Sessions will begin
in February.

 

COMMUNITY
EVENTS

§        
Thursday, January 13^th, 2011, 4:45 PM,
Community Church
of Durham – Winter Ballet Classes. For more information
contact the Great Bay Academy of Dance at 603-433-4200 or visit www.gbadance.com.

 

FROM
“DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE A HISTORY –
1900-1985”

“Until the development of a
statewide road system, access to Durham from the
seacoast was by ferry and primitive road sections through Newmarket and adjacent
towns. The First New Hampshire Turnpike placed Durham on a major highway for transporting goods and moving
people from the seacoast to Concord, the state capital, and the interior of
the state.” 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.