“FRIDAY
UPDATES”

February
6, 2009

The 2008 Annual Town Reports have
been delivered from the printer and will be mailed out to property owners next
week. This year’s report cover, shown above, was taken by Durham resident Andrea
Bodo. We thank Andrea for her contribution of this lovely
photograph.

For all of you dog enthusiasts, the
2009 Westminster Dog Show will start on Monday, February 9^th, in
Madison
Square Garden. This will be the 133^rd
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The first night of the show will be aired from
8:00 to 9:00 PM EST on the USA channel and will then switch over
to CNBC to finish out the 9:00 to 11:00 PM time slot. The second day of the
competition (Tuesday, February 10th) will be entirely shown on the USA Network
from 8:00 to 11:00 PM EST.

March
10, 2009 Town/School Elections

The Town and Oyster River Cooperative School
District elections will be held on Tuesday, March
10, 2009 at the Oyster River High School Multipurpose Room from 7:00 AM to 7:00
PM. Voters will park in reserved spaces along the front of the school and use
the Multipurpose Room entrance.

The following citizens have filed
for the Durham elected offices listed
below:

Town Council - 3 positions (3-year
terms):                       
Diana
Carroll, Richard Kelley, Robin Mower, Christopher
Mueller

                                                                                               
Neil Niman, Michael Skubisz

Library Board of Trustees - 2
positions (3-year terms):    Robin Balducci, Douglas
Bencks

Trustee of Trust Funds - 1 position
(3-year
term):            
George “Curly” Frick

Candidates running for Oyster
River Cooperative School District offices
include:

For
Moderator:                     
Richard Laughton

For School
Board:               
Donald W. Anderson, Brian Banafato, Henry Brackett, James T. Gard, Jocelyn
O’Quinn,

                                               
Mark Townsend, Edward Valena

Durham
Business Association TO SPONSOR Candidates FORUM

On Tuesday, February 17, 2009,
beginning at 7:00 PM, a DBA Candidates Forum for Town Council and Library
Trustee candidates will be held in the Council chambers of the Town Hall located
at 15 Newmarket
Road. The forums are being planned and hosted by the
Durham Business Association (www.durhambusinessassociation.org),
moderated by Town Moderator, Chris Regan, and will be broadcast on the
Durham Cable Access Television (DCAT) channel, Channel 22. The public is invited
to submit questions for Town Council and Library Trustee candidates who are
running for these elected offices at the March 10, 2009 Town Election. Questions
may be submitted by email to the DBA at d_b_a@myfairpoint.com. Please Note:  The Durham Business Association is a 501 (c) (6)
nonprofit and does not promote or endorse any specific political candidates.

DURHAM NEIGHBORHOODS
ALLIANCE TO
SPONSOR TOWN COUNCIL CANDIDATES FORUM

On Tuesday, March 3, 2009, beginning
at 7:00 PM, the Durham Neighborhoods Alliance (DNA) will sponsor a Town Council
Candidates Forum in the Town Council chambers of the Town Hall located at
15 Newmarket
Road. The forum will be moderated by Mimi Becker, an
associate professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy at UNH. Mimi
has extensive experience with facilitation and mediation. The forum will address
a broad range of issues affecting the Durham community. The public is invited to
attend or watch the forum on Channel 22. Interested citizens may send questions
to CitizensExchange@comcast.net, due by February 18.

Durham/UNH
Train Station - The Amtrak Downeaster

Durham residents can take the Amtrak
Downeaster from the Durham/UNH station north to Boston or south to Portland
from ... Durham.  While we do offer a discount for
year-round parking within the Depot Road Lot, residents can obtain a free
day pass to park and take the train by contacting the Durham Police Department
at 868-2324.  The Amtrak Downeaster web site can be accessed at http://www.amtrakdowneaster.com/. 
In addition, tickets can now be purchased at the newly renovated Durham/UNH
Train Station on Depot
Road.

Durham
In the News

There were several stories this week
focusing on Durham in the news.  To learn about a
development idea being discussed within the downtown area go to http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090203/GJNEWS_01/702039886/-1/FOSNEWS. 
To learn about discussions concerning the Durham District Court go to http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090203/GJNEWS_01/702039904/-1/FOSNEWS. 

Public
Works Salt Supplies

The Public Works Department has not
run out of salt.  The Town has reserved $34,000 of salt supplies for
the 2009 winter season. The Town has to date spent $6,039. Public
Works orders salt on an as needed basis, which comes from Newington, NH. The deliveries take less than 24 hours. By
only ordering small deliveries Public Works accomplishes two things:
1) The Town does not have to build a large storage building as is
the case in most communities. 2) The balance of our $34,000 stays in the
general fund account and does not sit in a building for weeks or months. Both of
these strategies save the Durham tax payer money.  The price of salt
has increased from $45.96/ton in 2008 to $59.23/ton in 2009. As a result, and
in an effort to minimize the impact of salt on the
environment, Public Works is utilizing more sand than salt this
year. 

Durham
Resident Stickers

In addition to providing free access
to the Transfer Station and Recycling
Center, Durham resident stickers allow
residents/taxpayers to park for 2 hours in each of the posted 1 hour,
non-metered spaces along Main
Street or in the Store 24 Parking Lot.  To
obtain a sticker, stop in at the Town Clerk/Tax
Collector's Office or at the Department of Public Works. 

Spread
the Word about the "Friday Updates"

If you enjoy reading the weekly
"Friday Updates" list server broadcast each week, or if you find them helpful
during an emergency such as extended power outages or during 100 year
floods (which seem to be occurring more frequently of late), consider telling a
friend about them.  Subscription is largely by word of mouth.  They
are also available via the Town's web site at http://ci.durham.nh.us/Fridayupdate2.asp. 
At present, we have 1,389 subscribers.

"Friday
Updates" in Hard Copy at Library and Town Office

In order to ensure residents who do
not utilize the internet are able to access the weekly "Friday Updates," we will
now begin to print out a hard copy for viewing by residents in the foyer of the
Town Office and at the Durham Public Library.

Electrical
Fire due to deteriorated electrical
equipment

On Thursday evening, January
29, 2009, an electrical short circuit caused a small fire at
a Durham
building.  The fire was quickly controlled by Durham firefighters using
dry powder fire extinguishers.  Due to the involvement of electricity,
water was not used.  This fire was the result of deteriorated electrical
equipment that was installed in 1938 and non-compliant installation work done at
the time.  In 1938 Durham did not have code
enforcement procedures and electricians were not licensed in New Hampshire. This
fire and its origin serve as useful reminders regarding the age
and condition of the electrical systems in some of the properties in our
community.  As the age of much of the electrical equipment in use in
Durham buildings
continues to increases, 100 year old wiring is not uncommon, and concern for its
safety, reliability, and adequacy for today’s needs and increased circuit
loading has become an important issue in the safety and insurance
industries.  It is recommended that all electrical systems over 40 years
old be evaluated by a New
Hampshire licensed electrician.  While it is
difficult to inspect every inch of an electrical system, a New Hampshire
Licensed electrician can identify many potential hazards and make
recommendations for corrective action. 

PUBLIC
HEARINGS – DURHAM TOWN COUNCIL
MEETING

On Monday, February 16, 2009, the
Durham Town Council will hold public hearings on the following two ordinances in
the Council chambers at the Durham Town Hall: Ordinance #2009-01, amending
Chapter 175 “Zoning”, Article XXIV “Septic Systems”, Section 175-139 and 175-40
of the Durham Town Code and Ordinance #2009-02, amending Chapter 4
“Administrative Code”, Article IV, Section 4-18(9)(a) of the Durham Town Code by
reducing the number of Council representatives on the Economic Development
Committee from two to one.

Questions regarding Ordinance
#2009-01 should be addressed to Town Planner Jim
Campbell at 868-8064. To view this ordinance, click HERE.
Questions concerning Ordinance #2009-02 should be addressed to Administrator
Todd Selig at 868-5571. To view this
ordinance, click HERE.
Interested citizens are encouraged to attend the public hearings and express
their views.  Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 PM on Friday,
February 13, 2009 at the Town Administrator’s office. Comments may also be sent
by electronic mail to:  jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.

Oyster
River
Mill Pond Dam – PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING

On Wednesday, March 4, 2009, at 7:00
PM, the Department of Public Works will hold a public informational meeting in
the Council Chambers of the Durham Town
Hall to present information about the Oyster River
Dam and Mill Pond and discuss available options concerning deficiencies with the
dam.  The inspection of the dam last fall revealed serious structural
problems that need to be addressed. A memorandum that describes the
problems and compares preliminary costs of rehabilitating or decommissioning the
dam was prepared by the engineering firm who inspected the dam. To view this
document, click HERE.
The March 4^th meeting will also be broadcast on Durham’s local cable
channel, Channel 22.

FEBRUARY
ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MEETING - CANCELLED

As no applications were received
prior to the deadline for consideration by the Durham Zoning Board in the month
of February, the Zoning Board will not hold its regular meeting in
February, originally scheduled for Tuesday, February 10, 2009. The next meeting
of the ZBA will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 7:00 PM.

PUBLIC
MEETING SCHEDULE

The following public meetings are
scheduled for the coming week in the Town Council chambers at the Durham Town
Office and will begin at 7:00 PM unless otherwise indicated
below.

Zoning Board of Adjustment –
Tuesday, February 10, 2009       

Planning Board – Wednesday, February
11, 2009

Conservation Commission – Thursday,
February 12, 2009

Economic Development Committee –
Friday, February 13, 2009 (7:30
AM)

To view the agendas for the meetings
listed above, please click HERE. 
All meetings recorded on DCAT are available on DVD at the Durham Public Library
for checkout and viewing. 

To view the Oyster River School Board
meeting schedule, click HERE. 

To view the Durham Public Library Board of
Trustees meeting schedule, click HERE.

DURHAM ENERGY COMMITTEE
“VISIONING” MEETING

The Durham Energy Committee (DEC) is
developing a chapter in the Durham Master Plan, and a comprehensive vision and
strategy for the future.  As a follow-up to its first public “visioning”
meeting held last November, the committee invites the public to once again share
their ideas and vision at the next public “visioning” meeting to be held on
Wednesday, February 18, 2009, at 7:00 PM in the Town Council chambers. 
Bill Schoonmaker will once again facilitate the meeting.  Come join the
members of the DEC for continued conversations on how Durham can ensure its
economic vitality and energy stability and reduce its environmental impact,
focusing on: transportation, architecture/land use, and alternative
energy.  To view the DEC’s Energy Vision Statement, click HERE.

PUBLIC
WORKS JOINS PSNH’s PEAK SMART PLUS PROGRAM

This week, Department of Public
Works staff met with Public Service of New Hampshire officials to discuss a new
program called the Peak Smart Plus program.  The program will
specifically be applied to the Wastewater Treatment Plant as it takes large
amounts of electricity to run the plant (bill averages $12,000 per month) and
has a generator capable of fully supplying its own power to the plant during
outages.  The program is designed to have participants run on their
generator power during times of peak demand from PSNH, such as brown-outs or
during other outages, and it rebates the monthly electricity bill.  In
the case of the WWTP, the rebate on the monthly bill will be approximately
$1,000.  This plan will not be mobilized often, and then, only during
normal workdays, Monday-Friday, so it will not require additional overtime needs
for the department. 

INFORMATION
FOR BIRDWATCHERS

The Parks
and Recreation Committee has the following suggestion for birdwatchers in Town –
please click on the following link and have fun sharing your observations with
other like-minded naturalists:  

http://www.nhbirdrecords.org/bird-conservation/backyard-winter-survey.htm

The committee would also like to
suggest some parks located within Town for great bird viewing beyond your back
yard: Adams Point, Cedar Point, Colby Marsh, Jackson's Landing, Longmarsh Road, Mill
Pond, Old Reservoir, Oyster River Landing, Wagon Hill Farm. Please visit the
Parks and Recreation Committee’s website (link below) for locations and
additional information.  Happy birding!

PARKS AND
RECREATION COMMITTEE SPONSORS HOT CHOCOLATE AT WAGON HILL
FARM

The members of the Parks and
Recreation Committee are sponsoring hot chocolate at Wagon Hill on Sunday,
February 8, 2009, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.  Come join them for a warm beverage
up by the wagon!  You are welcome to bring any food or snacks to share with
other community members, but that certainly is not required.  Come enjoy
this fantastic Town property during the winter.

PARKS
AND RECREATION COMMITTEE BROCHURE
The Parks and Recreation Committee
has a new brochure available with information regarding activities and
facilities throughout the town.  They are available to pick up at the Town
Hall or Durham Public Library.  You may also e-mail the committee at: parksandrec@ci.durham.nh.us with
any questions or suggestions.  Please also check out the Parks and
Recreation (soon to be updated) website: http://ci.durham.nh.us/community/recreation.html
for additional information.

Winter
Farmers' Market - February 7th in Exeter
Fresh greens, eggs, shrimp + lobster,
milk + yogurt, poultry, beef, pork, potatoes, carrots, organic teas, breads,
turnips, and much, much more will all be on sale at the next winter farmers'
market at The Congregational Church in Exeter,  10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on
Saturday, February 7, 2009. The next winter market after that isn't until March
7, 2009, at the Stratham Town
Hall, so come and restock your supply of local
food!

WALKING/RUNNING
SAFETY – NIGHT VISIBILITY

One of the biggest dangers in
walking or running in the dark is that vehicles do not expect or cannot see you.
Wearing dark clothing can make being seen even more difficult. Below are some
safety tips for increasing visibility while exercising at night:

·       
Wear reflective clothing. Avoid dark colored
clothing. Light colors reflect more light. Light colored clothing is a good
start, but modern highly-reflective clothing that is designed for maximum
nighttime visibility is much better.

·       
Buy reflective
tape that is designed to reflect light back to its
source. Apply this tape liberally to your exercise clothing. Drivers from any
direction will see the bright strips.

·       
Wear a reflective safety
vest, similar to those worn by highway workers. It
can be worn over exercise clothing to allow drivers to see a bright human
outline. It can be worn with any exercise outfit and does not require modifying
your clothing.

·       
Many running clothing companies sell exercise apparel
made of highly-reflective
fabrics. This clothing is often sold as running gear,
but can also be used for walking, bicycling, or any other exercise. This
highly-reflective running clothing serves the dual purpose of making you visible
at night and keeping you warm in winter weather.

·       
Adding LED safety
lights with any of these options will increase your
visibility.

Courtship
Tea with Rita Parisi – Durham Public
Library

Back by popular demand, on Saturday,
February 14, 2009, from 2:00-3:30 PM, Rita Parisi will tell tales of how Mr.
Gordon courted Mrs. Gordon in the 1890's. Enjoy tea and goodies while you listen
to Mrs. Gordon's entertaining tales. What an appropriate and pleasant way to
spend a wintery Valentine's Day. Seating will be limited, so please call the
library at 868-6699 to register. This event is intended for ages 13 and
up.

Seacoast
Active Retirement Association General Meeting

The Active Retirement Association
General Meeting will be held on Monday, February 16, 2009, at the Durham Evangelical Church at 1:30 P.M. The Speaker will be
Kenneth Johnson, PhD, Senior Demographer, The Carsey Institute, UNH.  Learn
how New
Hampshire's population is changing and what that means
for public policy, the economy, and the environment. Membership is open to all
50 and over.  The annual membership is $45.00. For more information,
contact Beverly Johnson at (603) 868-1087 or visit the ARA website at: www.learn.unh.edu/ara

TASTES
OF NEW ENGLAND TO HOST BUSINESS AFTER
HOURS

Realizing that few networking
opportunities exist in the Durham area, Tastes of
New England, a retailer, distributor, and promoter of New England-made products
in Durham, will
be hosting two Business After Hours events for area professionals. On Monday,
February 9 and Wednesday, February 18 from 5:30 – 8:00 PM, Tastes of New England
will host Business After Hours at its retail store in Durham. Attendees will be
able to network with other area business professionals from Durham and surrounding
towns. In addition, refreshments and snacks made from local specialty foods will
be available. Tastes of New England is located at 7 Jenkins Court in
Durham (next to
Wings Your Way). RSVP is requested and can be made by calling owner Mary Reed at
(603) 762-4155. Plenty of parking will be available. For more information or
directions, visit www.tastesofnewengland.com.

FEBRUARY
EVENTS AT CHurchill Rink SCHEDULE

Valentine Skate – skate with your
sweetie!

  
         Saturday, February 14, 2009,
7:30-9:00 PM. FREE for all ages

Teen Skate
Night

           
Saturday, February 21, 2009, 7:30-9:00 PM, Cost: 
$3.00

Public skating – times offered every
day

Stick and Puck – Monday – Friday and
Sunday

Pick Up Hockey – Monday – Friday and
Sunday

For more information, call the rink
at 868-3907, or visit our website at www.churchillrink.com

Weekly
Police Arrest Report

Week – 15    
                                   
8 UNH
(53%)             7
Other (47%)

*2008/09 Academic Year –
523     338 UNH
(65%)         185 Other
(35%)

Calendar Year –
46                         
32 UNH (70%)           14
Other (30%)

*Commenced
September 1, 2008 

Historical
data for the same week

FROM
HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL – 1600 – 1976

“1885 – Townspeople depended upon
springs or dug wells for water. Whitcher, Hoitt, Smith, and later, Pettee,
drilled wells and used wind – or gasoline-powered pumps to service the village.
NHC used its own electric power. Follet Brook was dammed for fire
protection.”

Have a nice
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

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