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 NEWS AND HAPPENINGS ...
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STONES
AND BONES
These
two photographs, taken by Town Councilor
Robin Mower yesterday, provide contrasting
views in the small wildlife refuge left to
the Town by the late Margery Milne. The
photograph above shows the inviting steps and
path created by our Public Works Department.
The photograph below shows one of the many
graffiti left recently by
vandals.
There's
an old Yankee saying: "When you buy land, you
buy stones; when you buy meat, you buy
bones." Durham did not have to buy the land
and its lovely stones--and we don't want any
more "bones" on our
stones.
This
promises to be a sunny and pleasant
weekend--a good time for families to visit
this lovely site and enjoy the view of the
Mill Pond.
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Text courtesy "An old friend of Margery
Milne".
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Last Friday the Town
launched its DCAT video streaming on the Town
web site. Interested viewers can access the
streaming site from the Town’s website
at http://ci.durham.nh.us/
or directly
by clicking
the DCAT on demand
logo,
http://dcat.pegcentral.com/.
The March 2nd Fire
Department C-Lot Charette is now available
for viewing, as well as the most recent Town
Council and Planning Board
meetings.
Please take a moment to
explore this new service and tell us what you
think. Comments welcome at dcat@ci.durham.nh.us.
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AN
UNEVEN PLAYING FIELD: THE DISPARATE IMPACTS
OF LOCAL AID CUTS TO NH MUNICIPALITIES -
POSSIBLE IMPACTS TO
DURHAM
In
presenting his budget message in February,
Governor Lynch proposed several changes to
the way the state provides financial
assistance to New Hampshire’s cities,
towns and school districts. That assistance,
known collectively as local aid, takes many
forms: public employee retirement costs,
school construction, special education
expenses, among others.
Cuts to local aid are often described as
“downshifting,” or the pushing of
costs to local taxpayers in an attempt to
save money in the state budget. Since the
only major revenue source available to cities
and towns is the property tax, the shifting
of state costs to municipalities often
results in higher local property taxes, a
trend that has been occurring for the past
decade.
Given the financial pressures in drawing up
the next state budget, some degree of
downshifting in the next biennium is highly
likely and Durham is working to be prepared.
In a newly released report, An Uneven
Playing Field: The Disparate Impacts of Local
Aid Cuts to NH Municipalities, the New
Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies
attempts to measure the various ways that
cuts to local aid programs would be felt in
communities across the state.
If the primary forms of state aid were
eliminated, Durham would stand to lose a
total of $1,056,300 in the following
areas: Catastrophic Aid (to school) -
$5,800; School Building Aid - $181,700;
Teacher Retirement - $391,900; Police/Fire
Retirement - $314,800; Fixed Revenue Sharing
- $162,100.
To
read the Center for Public Policies'
publication regarding this matter, which
contains a town by town and city by city list
of possible cuts, click HERE.
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PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 120
- AN ACT RELATIVE TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE
ADVERTISING
RESTRICTIONS
This
week, Administrator Selig, Police Chief Kurz,
and resident Peter Smith testified in Concord
before the Senate Commerce Committee
regarding a proposed amendment to Senate Bill
120, a bill which seeks to elimnate
restrictions on "Happy Hour" billboard
advertising.
To
read the testimony submitted by Administrator
Selig to the Committee and the proposed
amendment to SB 120 which Durham was
instrumental in crafting, click HERE.
To
read an article published in The
Lobby regarding this proposed bill,
click HERE.
The
underlying bill, SB 120, ultimately failed by
a vote of 2-2 in committee although it will
likely be brought forward on the floor of the
Senate by its sponsors.
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REVIEW
OF PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS IN DOWNTOWN
AREA
The
Police Department has prepared a report of
pedestrian accidents in Durham's downtown
area between the years of 1996-2011. To view
Police Chief Kurz's memorandum, including
this information, click HERE.
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The Idea Greenhouse offers office space for
professionals looking for an easy,
affordable, and flexible place to work and
meet in the Seacoast region. Courtesy Tom
Elliott
THE
IDEA GREENHOUSE OPEN HOUSE AND INNOVATORS
FAIR
Today,
March 25, 2011, the Idea Greenhouse will hold
an Open House from 4:30 to 7:30 PM. Located
in the fourth floor of the new building
behind Breaking New Grounds, Idea Greenhouse
joins two other new businesses in the 8
Jenkins Court block: What a
Crock! featuring homemade soups and
Clemento's Pizzeria & Brew. The Idea
Greenhouse connects the starters who make new
ideas grow. It is a membership-based
2,400 square foot office facility for
professionals looking for an easy,
affordable, and flexible place to work and
meet in the Seacoast region. Members share
office and events space, high
speed Internet, office equipment, and their
collective creative energy.
To
learn more about the Open House and to
register, visit http://www.ideagreenhouse.biz/news/40-idea-greenhouse-opening-night-a-innovators-fair
To
learn more about the Idea Greenhouse, visit
http://www.ideagreenhouse.biz/about
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UNH DEAN OF STUDENTS and
ADMINISTRATOR SELIG URGE STUDENTS TO ENJOY
SPRING AND BE RESPECTFUL OF DURHAM
NEIGHBORS
The
March 22, 2011 edition of The New Hampshire
published a joint message from Administrator
Todd Selig and UNH Dean of Students Anne
Lawing asking students to be respectful of
Durham residents. To read this message, click
HERE.
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"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 landlord in the
Plymouth community. He has generously
provided Durham with 45 of these signs which
are available now. Residents 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. To read the article
published in the New Hampshire Union
Leader concerning this effort, click
HERE.
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SPRING
CLEANUP
The
annual Spring newsletter will be coming out
shortly to inform folks about Spring
Cleanup. Remember this is the curbside
collection of bulky waste items that
residents would normally need to purchase
bulky waste coupons for to bring to the
Transfer Station. Spring cleanup will
be taking place beginning on Monday, May
2nd. All items need to be out by 7am on
the 2nd, but can be placed out as early as
Saturday, April 30th. Electronics that
require a sticker will still need one but may
be put out during this collection as
well. To view the newsletter, click
HERE.
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DURHAM
POLICE DEPARTMENT-ACCREDITATION DATE
APPROACHING
In
preparation for Durham Police
Department’s inspection by assessors
for the Commission on Accreditation for Law
Enforcement Agencies, (CALEA) that will occur
from April 30th through May 3rd,
approximately one hundred of the
department's compliance files were sent
to the two assessors for review prior to
their arrival. The accreditation process
currently has 463 standards in the Law
Enforcement Accreditation Program that the
Durham Police must comply with or address in
some fashion. The files contain Durham
Police policies and certain supporting
documents which demonstrate that the
department adheres to its policies. By
sending the files for review before the
assessors arrive in Durham, they are more
able to focus their time on observing the
officers, administration, and the operation
of the department. From their
inspections and observations the team will
prepare a report for submission to the
Commission recording their findings of the
Durham Police compliance with applicable
standards.
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CHIEF
KURZ PARTICIPATES IN OYSTER RIVER HIGH SCHOOL
JOURNALISM
CLASS
Annually,
Police Chief Dave Kurz visits the Journalism
class of Judy Kucera at the Oyster River High
School to be interviewed by a number of
students. Other officials such as Deputy
Fire Chief Steve McCusker participated to
provide the students with real-life interview
opportunities. The questions from the
students are insightful and challenging, and
as Chief Kurz stated, “You get a true
grasp of the intelligence and thoughtful
consideration that the students have put into
this exercise as the questions are not
simplistic to answer. These kids are
asking some very thought provoking questions
about law enforcement and how services are
delivered in
Durham.”
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SUSTAINABILITY
COMMITTEE
The
The Oyster River School Board is
searching for volunteers to fill its advisory
Sustainability Committee, created by Warrant
Article #7 on the ballot that voters
passed at the March 8th
election.
The
committee will meet during the 2011 calendar
year and examine the integration of
sustainable ecological, economic, and
cultural equity policies and practices into
school operations and the curricula,
presenting its findings and recommendations
to the School Board at its first meeting in
November 2011.
Letters
of interest may be submitted to
the School Board at 36 Coe Drive,
Durham, NH or E-mail orcsdsb@orcsd.org.
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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.
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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.
Economic
Development Committee - Monday, March 28,
2011
Master
Plan Steering Committee - Tuesday, March 29,
2011
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.
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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, sdevins@ci.durham.nh.usPARKS.
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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 at
603-817-4074, sdevins@ci.durham.nh.us
We are currently looking for volunteers to
help coordinate all types of Spring &
Summer pickup games.
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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
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NEW
ENGLAND COTTONTAIL RABBIT: PRESENTATION,
MARCH 25, 7;00
PM
As part of the monthly meeting of the Oyster
River Watershed Association (ORWA), a
presentation on the New England cottontail
rabbits is scheduled for Friday, March 25,
2011, 7:00 PM at the Madbury Public
Library. Note that this meeting also serves
as the ORWA Annual Meeting.
New England cottontail rabbits were recently
added to the endangered species list in New
Hampshire and are under consideration for
federal protection under the Endangered
Species Act. The presenter will be Emma
Carcagno, Wildlife Program Assistant with the
UNH Cooperative
Extension.
For more information on the rabbit, join us,
or visit
http://extension.unh.edu/Wildlife/Cottontails.htm
Durham residents who have become aware of
nearby logging operations related to creating
habitat for the New England cottontail
rabbits may find this presentation of
particular interest.
The Madbury Library address is: 9 Town
Hall Road Madbury, NH 03823. A simple
map may be found at http://www.lefh.net/madbury/html/town_map.html
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DURHAM
PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND
EVENTS
Preschool Storytime, Tues., March
29th and Thurs., March 31st, 10:30 a.m. -
This week: Art/Sculpture. All are
welcome to enjoy stories, songs, fingerplays,
feltboard, and a craft.
Pajama Storytime, Tues., March 29th,
6:30 p.m. - Join ORPP - the Oyster River
Parents and Preschoolers group – for
the library's monthly night-time storytime.
Come wearing your pajamas. This month the
library invites you to come and learn
about art. Stories will be read
about art and sculpture and make a clay
sculpture. This is a fun time for kids and
networking parents. All are
welcome.
Bookeaters, Middle School Book
Group, Weds., March 30th 2:45-4:00
p.m. - This month's book is "The Secrets of
Truth and Beauty" by Megan Frazer.
Copies of the selected book are available at
the library. Pizza is
served.
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.
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Womenade
volunteers recapture wayward ducks that
floated downriver after last year's
QuackFest
Courtesy
Loren Selig
YOU
MAY BE ONE LUCKY
DUCK!
The
ducks are coming back to the Oyster
River! QuackFest, an early evening
rubber duck race down the Oyster River at the
Durham Landing is scheduled for May 7th at
5:00pm. Ducks will launch at
6:00pm. This is guaranteed to be
a fun family event with activities, a BBQ
and, the Oyster River Middle School Jazz
Band. Really stormy rain date – 5/8 (no
events).
Buy
a duck or a few, and you may win great prizes
like a kayak, mountain bike, grill, gift
certificates to local businesses including a
chance to win $250.00 of free oil, and lots
more while contributing to a great
cause. Oyster River Womenade is a local
non-profit providing immediate assistance to
community members in Durham, Lee, Madbury and
Newmarket. To learn more about Oyster River
Womenade and the QuackFest go to http://www.orwomenade.org/.
You
do not need to be present on race day to win.
Chances cost $5.00 per duck or 5 ducks for
$20.00. All proceeds go directly to
Oyster River Womenade! Ducks are sold
at the event, and at the Durham MarketPlace
service desk.
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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 meetings are
Wednesday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 26,
2011 at 7:00 PM.
To
RSVP or request more information, contact:
Jenna Roberts, jennajroberts@yahoo.com
or ChrisAnn Wiechert cawdaisy@yahoo.com.
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SUMMER
CAMP PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AGES 5 TO
12
Growing Places, a non profit early education
and youth recreation agency, offers two
different camp programs for
children:
Camp Cowabunga for children ages
5-7. This camp offers arts and crafts,
games, swimming at the Durham Pool, and a
field trip every
Wednesday.
Bridge Camp for children ages 8-12.
This camp offers many of the same
opportunities as Camp Cowabunga.
Different themes, age appropriate arts and
crafts, and sports and games will keep the
children engaged and having fun. Bridge
Campers attend the Durham Pool three to four
days a week, and go on weekly Wednesday field
trips with Camp Cowabunga, including SEE
Science Center, and York Wild
Kingdom.
Both camps are housed at Moharimet Elementary
School in Madbury. Camp Directors are
professional full-time teacher/directors at
Growing Places. There is a 10% discount for
full time siblings. Pay 50% of summer
tuition by May 2, and you will receive a 5%
discount for the entire summer. Camp
Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with
extended care available until 6 p.m.
Part-time or full-time schedules available.
Tuition assistance is available for eligible
families. Please contact 868-1335 for
more information, or email Director Jen
Hayward at moharimet@growingplacesnh.org.
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EARTH HOUR
Earth
Hour is an annual international event to
raise awareness of the need to take action on
global warming. The World Wildlife Fund is
asking people to turn their lights out for
one hour on Saturday, March 26th,
8:30-9:30 PM. Earth Hour began in
2007 with the World Wildlife Fund in
Australia and has gained support throughout
the world. Participants range from
individuals to businesses to
governments - all showing their support
and commitment to find solutions for global
warming. In 2010, hundreds of
millions of people worldwide shut their
lights out for an hour – including
landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in
San Francisco and the Sydney Opera House in
Australia. For more information,
visit http://www.earthhour.org/Homepage.aspx
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COMMUNITY
PROGRAMS AND
EVENTS
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.
Trash 2 Treasure Banquet &
Fundraiser Event, sponsored by the
UNH Student Environmental Action Coalition,
Sun., Apr 10, 2011, 5:00-7:00 PM, Granite
State Room (MUB). $10 suggested donation for
non-students. For more information,
click HERE.
Cuban Historian Speaks on the True
Story of Castro's Rise to Power,
Sun., Apr 10, 2011, 2:00 PM, Durham Community
Church. Professor Emeritus Manuel
Marquez-Sterling will speak about his time in
Cuba from the beginning of Fidel Castro's
rule through the seven years of Cuban
Revolution. He will also present his latest
book, “Cuba 1952-59, The True Story of
Castro's Rise to Power”. This book
event is sponsored by the Memorial Fund of
the Active Retirement Association and is free
and open to the public. Signed copies of Dr.
Marquez-Sterling's book will be available.
Please contact Carol Caldwell at(603)
343-1004 or ccaldwell57@comcast.net,
with questions.
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.
UNH May Day Carnival,
sponsored by the Campus Activities Board,
Sat., Apr 30, 2011, 3:00-9:00 PM, C-lot on
UNH campus. Featuring rides, live music,
games, food for sale, and giveaways. Harry
Potter 7 part 1 will be showing as a free
Outdoor Movie on the Great Lawn in front of
T-Hall beginning at 9:00 PM. The event is
free for UNH ID holders, including faculty
and their families, non-ID holders: $5
each.
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.
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WEEKLY
POLICE
REPORT
Week
- 3 1 UNH
(34%) 2
Other (66%)
*2010/11
Academic Year -
634 351
UNH
(56%) 277
Other (44%)
Calendar
Year
–142 83
UNH (58%)
59 Other
(42%)
*This
data represents the 2010/11 academic year
report which began August 27th when UNH
dormitories officially opened and students
begin arriving in
Durham.
Historical
Data for the
Same Week
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FROM “DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE A HISTORY
–
1900-1985”
“Justices
of the Peace, long familiar as the principal
local magistrates in England and most of the
American colonies, were established in New
Hampshire in 1682, shortly after it became a
province separate from Massachusetts. A
justice of the peace could try minor cases,
or bind the accused over for trial by the
Quarter Court of Sessions in a serious case.
This court was composed of all the justices
of the peace in the province and met in
different towns four times a year. The county
Courts of General Sessions, which tried all
criminal cases and heard appeals from the
judgments of the individual justices, were a
later development." Published in 1985 by the
Durham Historic
Association.
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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?
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