Friday Update March 18, 2011

NHDOT
FUNDING AND THE $30 MOTOR VEHICLE
SURCHARGE - IMPLICATIONS FOR
DURHAM

The $30 motor vehicle registration fee
increase was a temporary, two year measure
that was established in HB2 Chapter 144, Laws
of 2009. This surcharge was expected to raise
approximately $86 million dollars in total
and will expire on June 30,
2011.

The money that is levied by this fee is
solely for the purpose of New Hampshire's
transportation system and allows NHDOT to
leverage an authorized portion of USDOT
funding. This surcharge also allows the
capital construction program to move forward,
and covers operating costs for servicing the
highway system.

Without replacement revenue, NHDOT will
need to change its approach with implications
for basic road, bridge, and winter
maintenance.

Currently no bills have been put
forward with alternative funding
sources.  This will likely mean a
reduction in NH Highway Block Grant
assistance to Durham in the amount of $45,000
and the elimination of the scheduled 2012
Durham-Newmarket Rt. 108 Bicycle
Lane/Shoulder/Flood Mitigation Project
(including scheduled improvements on Rt. 108
at Hamel Brook)($4.2 million) and the 2014
planned interchange improvement at Route 4
and Route 108 ($.5
million).

For the complete listing of projects
that may be impacted in our area, please
visit http://strafford.org/cmsAdmin/uploads/TYP_Project_ChoppingBlock.pdf 

 "A FAMILY LIVES HERE"
SIGNS AVAILABLE AT
ADMINISTRATOR'S
OFFICE

The sign shown above was created by a
Realtor in Plymouth, NH who is also a landord
in the Plymouth community. He has generously
provided Durham with 45 of these signs which
are available now. Reisdents interested in
placing a sign on their property may pick up
a sign at the Town Administrator's
Office, between the hours of 8:00 AM and
5:00 PM, Monday-Friday.

 New advertising
panels in place at UNH-Durham Train Station
Platform for Downtown Businesses and
UNH

ADVERTISING
PANELS IN PLACE AT UNH-DURHAM TRAIN STATION
-- MORE PANELS
AVAILABLE

The Public Works Department has
installed the first set of advertising panels
under the RR Trestle at the UNH-Durham Train
Station platform.  As you may recall,
this had been a problematic site for graffiti
for many years.  The new program
endeavors to both dissuade future graffiti
and promote downtown Durham businesses
and UNH.  If downtown Durham businesses
are interested in purchasing a space on any
of the remaining vacant panels for the next
twelve month period, contact the Public Works
Department for details at (603) 868-5578 or
email  jhoglund@ci.durham.nh.us.

WHAT ARE the
"FRIDAY
UPDATES"?

Each week, the Town's various
departments, boards, and committees—as
well as citizens—forward informational
pieces to the Administrator's Office to
include as part of "Friday Updates." 
These are then reviewed and edited by
Administrative Assistant Jennie Berry and
Administrator Todd Selig. In addition,
the Administrator's
Office prepares items for the
weekly Friday
broadcast. 

Originally, the "Friday Updates" were
created in an effort to keep members of the
Town Council and town departments informed of
what was going in Durham -- and this is
still their core
function. 

Over time, the listserver has also
become an important means of relaying
information concerning all things Durham and
local emergency situations, most notably the
ice storm in December 2009 and the wind storm
event in February 2010, both of which left
many Durham residents without power and
stranded for a number of
days. 

We hope that you will decide to join
the 1800 Durham residents who already
subscribe to this FREE e-mail list
service, and that you will find
its contents both informative and
fun.  Please pass them along as well to
people whom you know that may be
interested.  Our subscriber base is
generated by word of
mouth. 

If you are interested in receiving this
service, go to the Town web site at http://ci.durham.nh.us/ to
"Friday Updates" sign up on
the right side of
the page. 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
BUSINESS VISITATION
INTERVIEWS

The Economic Development Committee
(EDC) was presented with preliminary results
form the Business Visitation interviews and
survey.  EDC Member Yusi Wang Turell has
been heading the effort and will be putting
the finishing touches on the final
report.  The final survey results
will be made available to the Committee
and the community at large. The EDC’s
next meeting is scheduled for March 28,
2011.

TWO RSA 79-E
COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION TAX RELIEF
APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FROM DURHAM PROPERTY
OWNER MATT
CRAPE

The Town has received two new
applications for the Community Revitalization
Tax Relief Incentive Program, also known as
RSA 79-E. Both applications were
submitted by Matt Crape. One is for his
newly completed project at 8 Jenkins Court
and the other was for his soon to be
redeveloped parcel at 9-11 Madbury Road (The
Stats Place location). The applications
will be on the March 21, 2011 Town Council
agenda for a presentation by Mr. Crape
followed by a public hearing on the April 4,
2011 Town Council agenda for public
hearings.  After the hearing the Town
Council will have 45 days to render a
decision on the
applications.

SHARE THE
ROAD BUMPER STICKERS AT TOWN
HALL 

One road, many users. What’s the
solution? Share the road! Spring is just
around the corner, and so are better
bicycling days. Show your support for
bicyclist safety by adding a "Share the Road"
sticker to your car bumper. Pick one up today
at the Town Clerk’s office at the
Durham Town Hall.

Seasonal safety
brush-up:

Bicyclists, the same
laws that apply to motorists apply to
cyclists. Always ride in the same direction
as traffic and signal to drivers your
intentions (yield, turning, stopping).
Drivers, yield to cyclists.
Bicycles are considered vehicles. Reduce
speed when encountering cyclists. Recognize
hazards cyclists may face and give them
space. New Hampshire state law requires
motorists to keep at 3-foot distance when
passing a bicycle at speeds under 30mph and
4-feet when going 40mph.

(Thanks to Seacoast Area Bicycle Routes
(SABR) for providing the
stickers.)

NEW POLICE
OFFICER
HIRED

Gregory A. Ruby has been hired
effective March 28th to fill the vacant
position of the “19th Officer”
that had been eliminated during budget
deliberations in 2009 and restored this past
year. 

Durham’s selection process is
arduous to ensure that the appropriate
person/s are hired to provide law enforcement
services to the Durham community.  With
the receipt of a resume, candidates are
subjected to a physical agility process that
is required of all entrants into the New
Hampshire Police Academy. This process
reduces the applicant pool to a manageable
number for interviews by a panel of Durham
police as well as two citizens representing
the community. A special thank you goes to
Johanna Knight and Jim Lawson who graciously
gave a day of their valuable time to offer
insight to Chief Kurz.  The oral board
identified several candidates to move forward
in the process commencing with an extensive
background investigation that includes
financial stability.  Medical,
psychological, and polygraph examinations
complete the process and ultimately
identified Greg Ruby as the sole
candidate.  

Mr. Ruby has been employed in law
enforcement as a New Hampshire Marine Patrol
Officer for the past five years.  He is
a 2005 graduate of the University of New
Hampshire, graduating with honors in
Political Science.  While at UNH he
participated in a variety of organizations
including the Woodsman and Rugby clubs. 
As a certified law enforcement officer, Greg
will not be required to attend the police
academy but will commence his field training
familiarization of the Durham Police on
Monday March 28th.  This process will
last from six to twelve weeks as Officer Ruby
learns the Durham policies, procedures,
streets, report process and essentially the
nuances of policing in
Durham.

CHURCHILL
RINK - CLOSING FOR THE
SEASON

The Churchill Rink at Jackson’s
Landing will be closing for the season on
Saturday, March 19, 2011.  The regular
schedule will apply through Friday, March
18th. 

On Saturday, March 19th there will be a
free Public Skate from 12:00 – 3:50 PM.
This will conclude the skating season. 
Thanks to all for a fantastic winter, hope to
see you next season! 

COMMUNITY
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CLASS TO BE OFFERED IN
DURHAM

The Strafford County Citizen Corps is
excited to be teaming up with the Town of
Durham to offer the Community Emergency
Preparedness Class (CEP Class) this March at
the Durham Police Department. The CEP Class
is a comprehensive preparedness training
developed by FEMA and used in all 50 States,
3 territories and 6 foreign countries. It is
designed to help residents take care of
themselves, their families and neighbors
during an emergency. Topics include: Disaster
Preparedness, Fire Safety, Disaster
Psychology, Safety Strategies involved in a
Terror Attack, Light Search and Rescue,
Incident Command Systems, CPR and First Aid.
Those who complete the course will receive a
Certificate of Completion from the NH Fire
Academy, and CPR and First Aid certification
from the American Heart
Association.

This
class completes the core training
requirements for the Strafford County Citizen
Corps (SCCC), a team of medical and
non-medical volunteers who train to support
and assist local first responders during
emergencies. No commitment to the SCCC is
required from those who enroll in the class.
Following the completion of Community
Emergency Response, participants can continue
to attend trainings through the SCCC (such as
Traffic Control, Search & Rescue, Basic
Disaster Life Support, Fire Rehabilitation,
etc.), which are offered every other
month.

The
Community Emergency Preparedness Class will
meet Wednesdays March 23rd – April 27th
from 6:30-8:30pm (there will be no class
April 13th) AND Saturday, April 2nd from
8:30am-4pm at the Durham Police Department.
For more information, or to register, contact
Samantha Brann at sbrann@hscstrafford.org or
603-335-0168.

PUBLIC
MEETING
SCHEDULE

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.

Town Council - Monday, March 21, 2011.
To view the entire Council packet for
this meeting, click HERE.

Durham Energy Committee - Tuesday,
March 22, 2011

Planning Board - Wednesday, March 23,
2011

Parks & Recreation Committee -
Thursday, March 24, 2011(P&R
Building)

Oyster River School Board meeting
schedule, please click HERE. 

Durham Public Library Board of Trustees
meeting schedule, please click HERE.

DCAT Programming Schedule, please click
HERE.

DURHAM PARKS
& RECREATION PROGRAMS AND
EVENTS

Easter Egg Hunt, Sat.,
Apr 23, 2011 - 10 AM sharp
at the Town Landing. Bring your basket!
Refreshments, a visit from the Easter Bunny,
non candy prizes, and a fire truck. There
will be two separate egg hunts for younger
and older children.

Wellness Seekers Class for
Seniors, Tuesdays, 10-11 AM
to work on flexibility $40/8wks.
Kid's Yoga, Wednesdays, 5-6
PM at the Durham Parks & Recreation
Bldg. $40/8wks
Womens' Pick Up Basketball,
Saturdays, 6-8 PM
- Free!
 

Watch for Pick up Co-ed Volleyball
coming soon!
 

For more information contact Durham
Parks & Recreation at 603-817-4074 or
mailto:sdevins@ci.durham.nh.usPARKS

PARKS & REC IS LOOKING FOR PICKUP
RECREATION
ENTHUSIASTS

Are you crazy for Croquet? 
Wishing for more Wiffleball?  Looking
for Ultimate Frisbee?  Missing your old
Mountain Bike Club?  If so, contact
Parks & Recreation Director Sandy Devins
(817-4074, sdevins@ci.durham.nh.us  We
are currently looking for volunteers to help
coordinate all types of Spring & Summer
pickup games.

SESAME STREET
LIVE IS COMING TO THE WHITTEMORE
CENTER

Sesame Street Live is coming to the
Whittemore Center on March 29th & 30th.
Through Durham Parks & Recreation
residents are offered a discount of $3 off
tickets. To order tickets log on
to 

http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/8352/1231952.
Enter
Discount code: 10SCAR

NEW LOOK FOR
THE LIBRARY
NEWSLETTER 

The Durham Public Library has
updated and upgraded its weekly
email newsletter. Years in development,
months in execution, involving dozens of
graphic artists, copywriters, consultants,
and hangers-on in what has to be the most
tremendous, innovative media transformation
of the 21st century.
Okay, so it was thrown together in a week.
Hopefully subscribers will find this new
format easier to read, more graphically
interesting, and ultimately more informative
than the previous newsletter. Included in the
newletter will be information on
upcoming programs, building project news,
photos and stories of library events, contact
information, and much more. Not on the
mailing list? Sign up on the
library's website homepage at http://www.durhampubliclibrary.org/durham/.

DURHAM PUBLIC
LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND
EVENTS

Preschool Storytime,
Tue., March 22nd and Thurs., March 24th,
10:30 a.m. - This week:  Ducks and
Spring.  All are welcome to enjoy
stories, songs, fingerplays, feltboard, and a
craft.
Not a Victim!  Tales of Survival
in Nazi Budapest, Wed. March 23rd ,
6:30-8:00 p.m, is a first-hand account of
Exeter author Thomas Weisshaus' experiences
as a teenager during the Nazi occupation of
Budapest in 1944-45. Beginning in 2003, Tom
has visited many schools and organizations in
the New England area, sharing his stories of
survival and discussing the importance of
bearing witness to the tragedies of the
Holocaust.
Join the Patch Program, the
library's 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 March and
April.

COMMUNITY
PROGRAMS AND
EVENTS

The Laramie
Project, presented by the Black Box Theatre
Company, Tue., Mar 22,
2011, 7:00 PM, Exeter High School.
Production is directed by 17 year old Bridget
Regan of Durham. Many of the cast members
attend ORHS. Tickets are $5 at the door. This
show was added at the request of residents
who were unable to obtain tickets for the two
prior sold-out performances at The Rep. For
more information call
603-534-0158.

Museum
of Art, UNH, Slide Lecture by Artist Sam
Cady, Wed., Mar 23, 2011, 12:00 noon
in Room A219 Paul Creative Arts Center.
Cady's lecture is offered as part of the
Museum's ArtBreak: Brown Bag Lunch
series of programs. His work is included in
the Museum of Art's current exhibition,
ReView: Recent Work by UNH Alumni.
The exhibition and lecture are open to the
public free of
charge.

Museum of Art, UNH,
One-day Trip to Peabody Essex Museum, Salem,
MA, Fri., Mar 25, 2011. Advance
reservations must be received by March 11,
2011. Please visit http://www.unh.edu/moa/events.html to
complete the form and pay by credit card or
e-check, or call 603-862-3713 to register by
phone or to obtain more
information.

PC/Laptop
Clinic,
Sat., Mar 26, 2011, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM, Durham
Evangelical Church. Bring in your "sick"
Windows PC and have some basic diagnostics
test performed for FREE. For more
information, call Ron Streelman at
603-397-7600.

ORMS Jazz
Band Presents A Music
Celebration, featuring the
ORMS Jazz Band, Tri City Almighty and Fling,
Sat., Mar 26, 2011, 5:00-10:00 PM, Huddleston
Ballroom, Durham. Live and silent auction.
Lite fare, dancing, and fun.
$20/person-a benefit for the 2010/11
ORMS Jazz Band. For tickets, email: kayajewelers@comcast.net.

8th Annual
Todd's Trot 5K Road Race/Walk, Sat.,
Apr 2, 2011, Oyster River High School.
Registration begins at 8:30 AM with a 10:00
AM start time. For more information, visit
http://www.toddstrot.org/.

Museum of Art, UNH, Slide
Lecture by Main E Artist Janvier
Rollande, Wed., Apr 6,
2011, 12:00 noon in Room A219 Paul
Creative Arts Center. Rollande's lecture is
offered as part of the Museum's ArtBreak:
Brown Bag Lunch series of programs. Her
work is included in the Museum of Art's
current exhibition, ReView: Recent Work
by UNH Alumni. The exhibition and
lecture are open to the public free of
charge.

2011 USA Jump
Rope Regional Tournament, Sat., Apr
9, 2011, Oyster River High School gymnasium.
Opening ceremonies begin at 8:00 AM, followed
by speed events, single rope and double dutch
freestyle, Group Team Show, and concluding
with an awards ceremony at 5:15 PM. Admission
is free--donations appreciated. Breakfast,
lunch, and healthy snacks will be sold
throughout the day.

Conservation
Options Workshop, sponsored by
Strafford Rivers Conservancy and UNH
Cooperative Extension, Mon., Apr 11, 2011,
6:30-8:15 PM, Dover Public Library, 73 Locust
Street, Dover, NH. Preregistration required.
Deadline: Fri., Apr 8th. Call Deb at
UNH Cooperative Extension, 603-679-5616,
deb.stevens@unh.edu.

Doe Farm
Restoration Work - Volunteers
Needed, Sat., Apr 30 and Sun., May
1, 2011, 9:00 AM-3:00 PM both days, Doe Farm.
Parking off Bennett Road in Durham. Bring
heavy gloves, sturdy boots, long sleeves and
pants (possible exposure to poison ivy and
ticks). Email Malin Clyde at malinelyclyde@gmail.com to sign up.
Click HERE for more
information.

PARENTING
SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN SUPPORT
GROUP

Parents in the Oyster River community
are invited to join a new group providing
information and emotional support to parents
of children with special needs (diagnosed or
not). This group is open to
parents of children (birth-high school) with
behavioral, emotional, physical, or mental
health needs. 

The group's next social support meeting
is Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 7:00 PM in
the Tavern at
Three Chimneys. 

To RSVP or request more information,
contact: Jenna Roberts, jennajroberts@yahoo.com or ChrisAnn
Wiechert cawdaisy@yahoo.com.

WEEKLY POLICE
REPORT

Week
- 11                                        7
UNH
(64%)             4
Other (36%)

*2010/11 Academic
Year
-631        356
UNH (56%)  
      275 Other
(44%)

 Calendar Year
–139                        82
UNH (59%)   
       57 Other
(41%)

*This data represents
the 2010/11 academic year report which began
August 27th when UNH dormitories officially
opened and students begin arriving in
Durham.

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

“Graveyards and Cemeteries
- There are several graveyards for pets in
Durham, one of which was located behind the
Smith mansion on Main Street. Hamilton Smith,
Durham's first recognized millionaire, was a
dog lover. He always had a dog companion with
him and, therefore, established his own
little dog graveyard. Here were buried five
of his pets, their graves marked with granite
stones and surrounded by a chain-link fence.
Another pet graveyard is located east of
Newmarket Road at Beech Hill. This is a
private site, enclosed by an iron rod fence.
Here lie the remains of the Walter Flanders'
family dog, marked by a stone inscribed
'Bennie Flanders/June 17, 1909/Sept. 11,
1917. Gone but not forgotten."
Published in 1985 by
the Durham Historic
Association.

Have a good weekend.

Todd

Todd I. Selig,
Administrator

Town of Durham, New
Hampshire

T: 
603-868-5571    F: 
603-868-5572

tselig@ci.durham.nh.us    http://www.ci.durham.nh.us

Everyone can tackle climate change. How
can you reduce your carbon
footprint?