“FRIDAY
UPDATES”

March
27, 2009

With the arrival of warm weather and
melting snow, crocus are coming up--a sure sign of
spring.

Courtesy Jean
McPeak

Residents should expect to receive
the spring edition of the Down to Earth
newsletter by mid-April.  Among many interesting articles, the newsletter
provides details regarding the annual bulky waste collection, which will be
held on May 11^th this year. For more information regarding the bulky
waste collection, please click HERE.

Economic
Stimulus Update – Wastewater and Water

In last week’s “Friday Updates” the
Department of Public Works provided a list of wastewater and water projects
that were eligible for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 (Stimulus Package) for the Clean Water Fund. This week, the Town
was notified that some of these projects were included in the states draft
list of recommended projects to fund. To view an updated status of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Plan and the Town’s economic stimulus package request,
click HERE.

DURHAM
POLICE DEPARTMENT APPLIES FOR STIMULUS GRANT
FUNDS

The police department has applied
for grant funds that are part of President Obama’s stimulus initiative. 
Under the direction of the Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented
Policing, a program entitled the COPS Hiring Recovery Program will reimburse
communities who have lost police positions due to the economy allowing for the
rehiring of those positions.  During last years’ budget deliberations, one
officer was eliminated in the operating budget through attrition due to the
retirement of an officer.  If Durham’s grant
application to the COPS office is successful, the Federal government will
reimburse Durham
for the total cost (salary and benefits) of one officer for three years.

ORIENTATION
FOR CHAIRS & VICE CHAIRS OF TOWN BOARDS

In an effort to provide chairs, vice
chairs, and other committee members with information on the proper structure of
meetings, the role of the committee chair, vice chair, secretary, alternates,
and Council representatives, as well as outlining the basics of the
Right-to-Know Law including agenda preparation and posting, minutes of meetings,
and e-mail correspondence, Town Administrator Todd
Selig will hold an orientation session for chairs and vice
chairs of the various Town boards, commissions, and committees on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 from 7:00-8:30 PM in the
Council chambers at Town Hall. At the conclusion of the orientation,
the administrator will open the floor for a question and answer session. All
board and committee members are welcome to attend this important and informative
orientation.

PUBLIC
MEETING SCHEDULE

The following public meeting is
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.

Rental Housing Commission – Monday,
March 30, 2009 (4:00
PM)

Historic District Commission –
Thursday, March 2, 2009  

To view the agenda for the meeting
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 CABLE ACCESS
TELEVISION PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE

To view a listing of the DCAT programming
schedule, click HERE 

Annual
Easter Egg Hunt

The annual Easter Egg Hunt, hosted
by the Durham
Parks and Recreation
Committee and Oyster River Parents and Preschoolers, will be held on Saturday
morning, April 11, 2009, at 10:00 AM, at the Old Town Landing.  Children
will hunt for eggs, meet the bunny, check out a fire engine, and meet members of
Durham’s Fire
Department. There will be prizes and refreshments. Bring your basket and arrive
early, as the hunt will start promptly at 10:00 AM. Please contact Sara Wilson
at badgernh@comcast.net with any questions
regarding this event.

BABY
BRAGGING

Jenna
Roberts (Director of Oyster River Parents & Preschools and Parks &
Recreation Committee member), husband Tom Bebbington, and big brother Miles
welcomed Eva Ann Roberts Bebbington on March 13, 2009. Congratulations to Jenna
and her family.

HICKORY POND
INN

Hickory Pond Inn is pleased to announce
NEW hours for
public dining Thursday – Saturday 5:00 to 8:00
PM and Sunday Brunch 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM. This Saturday evening dine to the Piano Stylings of Richard
Cummings from 6-8pm.  Reservations are welcome,
but not necessary. Mention this announcement and receive a
$10.00 discount. Visit the
Hickory Pond Inn’s website at www.hickorypondinn.com.

Moharimet
School
Annual Pancake Breakfast

On Saturday, March 28, 2009, the
Moharimet
School will host its tenth
annual Pancake Breakfast from 8:00 to 11:00 AM. There will be music, maple
syrup, and mingling and merriment with friends and neighbors, plus a performance
by the Oyster River Middle School Jazz Band from 9:45 to 10:30 AM. Cost: $2 per
child, $3 per adult, $10 family maximum. For more information on this event,
please contact Kate MacGregor at kmacgregor712@yahoo.com

ST.
BALDRICK’S FOUNDATION FUND-RAISER

On Sunday, March 29, 2009, a local
St. Baldrick’s Foundation (http://www.stbaldricks.org/)
fund-raising event, organized by Durham resident Scott Righini, will be held to
raise money for children’s cancer research.  Scott, along with resident
Craig Haskell, UNH Professor Tuck Pescosolido, and a team from Durham’s Wildcat Fitness
will completely shave their heads to show solidarity to those children afflicted
with cancer.  The event begins at 3:00 PM at Libby’s Bar and Grill. 
Please go to: http://wildcatfitness.wordpress.com/st-baldricks/
for more information.

FUND-RAISER
FOR ORHS SENIOR CLASS

Parents of Oyster River High
School's 2009 seniors are selling raffle tickets to
raise funds for Project Graduation. Project Graduation is a parent-supervised
event that provides seniors with a fun-filled, safe evening of activities to
celebrate their high school graduation. Drawings for all three raffle winners
will be held in the very near future, so for those who have been meaning to
purchase any raffle tickets, now is the time.

Raffle tickets can be obtained
through committee co-chairs, Diane Gallant (coyotemesa@yahoo.com) and Sheila Harding
(smdh@comcast.net). Raffle tickets for
sale are:

·       
4 Red Sox Field Box tickets to a home game. 
Winner will select date based on availability. $5 for 1 chance, $10 for 3
chance.    

·       
Chances to win a jewel-tone, handmade twin-size quilt
made by a senior mom. $5 for 1 chance, $10 for 3
chances.

·       
March Raffle Calendar for $10 per calendar. Drawing
date is 4/1.

Earth
Hour

At precisely 8:30 PM on Saturday,
March 28^th, the diesel generators will be switched off on the Chatham
Islands, a small archipelago off the east coast of New Zealand,
heralding the start of a worldwide event - Earth Hour 2009. 
Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia in 2007, when 2.2 million
homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message
had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching
off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco,
Rome’s Coliseum, the Sydney Opera House, and
the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all
stood in darkness.  In 2009, Earth Hour has a goal of 1 billion
people switching off their lights.  For more information, go to http://www.earthhour.org/about/. 

Weekly Police Arrest Report

Week –
12           
              
                              
1 UNH (08%)        11 Other
(92%)

*2008/09 Academic Year – 636
    
              
404 UNH (64%)   232 Other (36%)

Calendar Year
–159                                        
98 UNH (62%)     61 Other (38%)

*Commenced September 1, 2008 

Historical data
for the same week

FROM
HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL – 1600 – 1976

“1903 – Goat Island, owned by
Newington, was
the home of a squatter, Jim Murtaugh, for 22 years. Everyone left him alone,
because of his fierce dogs and excellent aim. He did hunt, fish and lobster. He
was friend of the Dunlaps, Emersons, Jones, Langleys and Watsons, especially at
mealtimes.”

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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