“FRIDAY
UPDATES”

(On
Thursday, April 30, 2009)

A couple of youngsters cool off at
Jackson’s
Landing during last weekend’s heat wave

Courtesy Colleen
Yoder

Over the last few days, there has
been a great deal of media attention nationally
concerning identified cases of swine flu in the United States and Mexico.  In the spirit of reducing the spread of
viruses, an outstanding link to a sneeze/cough etiquette web video
entitled "Why Don't We Do It In Our
Sleeves?" follows. Although comical, the link hits home
with its message.  http://www.coughsafe.com/media.html  A thank you is
extended to resident Katherine Rannie for sharing this with
us. 

SWINE
FLU INFORMATION

The Town of Durham continues to receive the latest information and
guidance from the State of New Hampshire
and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  In an effort
to inform members of the Durham community relative
to this topic, we are passing along some succinct information provided
by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services concerning Swine
Flu. To view a fact sheet regarding this matter, click HERE.
To view the most frequently asked questions regarding Swine flue, click HERE.  A
"Hotline" (1-888-330-6764 between 8:00 AM
and 8:00 PM) has also been established by the
State of New Hampshire
designed to serve as a resource for N.H. residents with questions/concerns
about Swine Flu.  The University of New Hampshire also has an informative articles
regarding the Swine Flu that can be viewed at http://unh.edu/news/campusjournal/2009/Apr/29swine.cfm
and http://extension.unh.edu/news/2009/04/inform_yourself_about_swine_fl.html

REQUEST
FOR PROPOSALS FOR CONSULTANT

The Town has sent out "Request for
Proposals” for professional services (Consultant) for the review of the zoning
in the Central Business District (CBD) and recommendations for amendments
to the Zoning Ordinance. The Town seeks a Consultant to assist
with strategic planning in the CBD and downtown commercial core and for planning
services on an “as needed” basis to potentially include an upcoming Master
Plan update process. Proposals are due no later than 4:00 PM on Friday, May
29, 2009 at which time all proposals received will be opened. To
view the document, go to http://ci.durham.nh.us/generalpdfs/RFP%20for%20Zoning%203.pdf. 

WEDDING
BAND FOUND AT JACKSON’S
LANDING

A platinum and gold wedding band (it
appears to be a man’s ring) was found yesterday on one of the picnic tables at
Jackson’s
Landing near the playground.  The ring may be claimed by contacting the
Police Department at 868-2324.

BOBCAT
BOLT 5K/10K AND OYSTER RIVER FESTIVAL

A reminder that this coming
Saturday, May 9, 2009, the inaugural Bobcat Bolt 5K/10K and Oyster River
Festival, presented by Gault Builders, will be held at the Oyster River High
school where the race will begin. Residents
should expect traffic delays; especially in the area of the Oyster River High
School.

DOOR-TO-DOOR
SALESPERSONS

While springtime means warmer
weather and cleaning winter debris from our yards, it also means that residents
may encounter persons attempting to sell services such as driveway paving and/or
lawn maintenance, door-to-door.  While the majority of these vendors may be
legitimate business persons, the ability to approach a home without drawing
suspicion creates other opportunities for those with criminal intent. 

On Tuesday, a resident called the
police to report that a man had approached their home asking if they wanted a
quote for driveway paving.  The resident was suspicious due to the
salesman’s seemingly uninformed responses to questions and ultimately called the
Durham Police to report this suspicious encounter. When an officer arrived in
the neighborhood, she noted the truck described by the resident parked in front
of another home.  Upon exiting her cruiser and noting that the front door
was secure, she proceeded to the back door where the “salesman” ran out of the
front door attempting to escape to his truck.  The officer heard the
commotion and was quickly able to arrest the suspect as he approached his
truck.  Dennis Perkins, 29 of Seabrook, was charged with burglary, habitual
offender, and possession of a narcotic drug.  Mr. Perkins, who has an
extensive criminal history, remains incarcerated at Strafford County jail. 

The Durham Police want to remind
residents to trust their instincts.  If something appears to be wrong, it
probably is!  If not, then the police response resolved the matter and
eliminated the concern. 

FIRE
DEPARTMENT ENGINE 1 BACK IN SERVICE

The Fire Department’s Engine 1 has
been repaired and is back in service. All the work was completed under warrantee
at a repair facility in Buffalo, NY.  The department was responsible to
transport it to and from the facility. This was the closest location approved by
the manufacturer to complete the needed work. Most of the cracks on the body
were in the body filler portion, but there were a few cracks in the structure of
the body and those were welded and painted.

FIRE
DEPARTMENT MEDIC 1 TRUCK

The Fire Department Medic 1, 1998
Dodge Ram, has responded to its last call. Due to a costly transmission problem,
which was estimated at approximately $2,500, the medic truck is out of service
permanently. The Fire Department has taken delivery of the replacement chassis
and that will be moved to the Hooksett, NH facility where this facility will be
installing the body over the next few weeks.

FIRE
DEPARTMENT RAPID INTERVENTION TRAINING

The Durham Fire Department has been
donated the use of 261 Mast
Road property for training. This property was donated
by Perry Bryant. The property will be used for Rapid Intervention Training over
the next month and then on June 20^th we will be conducting live fire
training throughout the day and will end by burning the structure down to the
basement. Expect delays in the area of Mast Rd. on that day.

2009
UNH Outdoor Swimming Pool Vouchers

The Town is assisting the University
once again with the cleaning of the outdoor pool in preparation for the 2009
summer season. 

Pool pass vouchers will be available
at the Town Hall, Town Clerk’s Office, 15 Newmarket Road beginning Tuesday, May 26,
2009. The Town Clerk’s Office is open 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM,
Monday through Friday. This year there will be 447 pool vouchers available only
for Durham
youths ages 2-17 and senior citizens 62 years and older to receive a $45.00
discount off the full price of a season pass. This is an additional $10.00
discount over last year. Vouchers are issued on a first come, first served
basis. Pool pass vouchers must be picked up BEFORE purchasing a pool
pass, and are sold at the Front Service Desk at the Hamel Student
Recreation Center, located next to the Whittemore Center on the UNH campus.

More information as to when pool passes
will go on sale and when the UNH outdoor pool will open for the season may
also be obtained by calling the UNH Campus Recreation Department at 862-2031
or visiting their website at http://campusrec.unh.edu.

Spring
Cleanup

The annual bulky waste collection
will be held starting Monday, May 11^th, all items out by 7:00
AM.  This is the Spring Cleanup where residents may put out their bulky
waste for collection instead of bringing it up to the Transfer Station with a
coupon.  Remember that electronics will still need to have their stickers
attached in order to be collected.  The details for the collection are in
the Spring Newsletter which residents should have received. 

GATE
VALVE EXERCISING AND FLUSHING OF WATER
MAINS

The Town of Durham and the University of New
Hampshire will be exercising gate valves starting
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 through Friday, May 8, 2009, from approximately 7:00 AM
to 4:30 PM.  In addition, water mains will be flushed beginning Monday, May
11, 2009 and ending on or before Friday, May 22, 2009.  Flushing will be done at night between the hours of 9:00
PM and 7:00 AM.  These procedures are necessary to eliminate the buildup of
sediment in the water mains.  Gate valve exercising and flushing of the
mains may cause temporary discoloration of the water however the water remains
safe for drinking.  This discoloration will disappear with normal household
use.  It is suggested that sensitive laundry not be washed if the water is
obviously discolored. Residents are cautioned to not draw water if they observe
flushing in your area.  Please call the UNH Water Supply at 862-1390 or the
Department of Public Works at 868-5578 with questions and/or
concerns.

Oyster
River
Dam Public Hearing

On Monday, May 4, 2009, the Durham
Town Council will hold a Public Hearing to receive input regarding options for
repairing, replacing, or removing the Oyster River Dam at the Mill Pond located
along Route 108/Newmarket Road in Durham. Following the public hearing on this
matter, the Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting (if time allows).
Since a large number of residents is expected to speak to this specific issue,
the agenda will not include the usual Public Comments
period.

The Public Hearing will begin at 7:00
PM and will be held at the Oyster River High School Multipurpose Room, Coe
Drive. Interested citizens are encouraged to attend
the public hearing and express their views.  Written comments will be
accepted until 5:00 PM on Friday, May 1, 2009, at the Town Administrator’s
office. Comments may also be sent by electronic mail to jberry@ci.durham.nh.us A copy of the
final report relative to the cost comparison for rehabilitation versus decommissioning
of the Oyster River Dam may be viewed at the Town Administrator’s Office located
on the second floor of Town Hall, 15 Newmarket Road, or on the Town’s web
site at www.ci.durham.nh.us.

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.

Town Council – Monday, May 4, 2009 –
Oyster River High School Multipurpose Room,
7:00 PM

Integrated Waste Management Advisory
Committee – Tuesday, May 5, 2009 (7:30
AM)

Planning Board – Wednesday, May 6,
2009 

Historic District Commission –
Thursday, May 7, 2009

Economic Development Committee –
Friday, May 8, 2009 (7:30
AM)

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 

Durham
Garden Club Plant Sale
On Saturday, May 9th, from 9:00 AM
to 2:00 PM the Durham Garden Club will hold its annual plant sale at St. George's Episcopal
Church. Look for perennials, annuals, a few bushes and small trees, and a
variety of vegetable and herb plants. Regulars know to line up before 9 AM so as
to get the best selection when the doors open. As usual, Master Gardeners will
be on hand to answer questions. Funds raised from this sale support two $1,000
scholarships for UNH students pursuing a gardening-related major, as well as
community projects such as the Joe
B. Parks Public
Garden in Dover. One of the
scholarships is named for Marjorie Milne, a long-time Garden Club member.
Indeed, later this spring the Garden Club will be creating a wildflower garden
on the Milne land bequeathed to the Town, as Marjorie proposed.

PUBLIC
ART DISPLAY AT MURKLAND COURTYARD, UNH CAMPUS

A Seat at the Table
and The Weight of
Wealth: Public art installation on the University Dialogue
topic Poverty and the Growing Divide, by senior and sophomore seminar students
of Art and Art History at UNH. Murkland Courtyard and beyond. Now through
Thursday, May 7th. Please click the link for more information: http://unh.edu/news/campusjournal/2009/Apr/29art.cfm

UNH FOOTBALL TEAM
ASSISTS TOWN IN
CLEANUP

On Saturday, April 25^th,
the UNH football team, working with the Durham Department of Public Works,
hauled sand, raked leaves, repaired fencing, and cleaned up debris from the
December ice storm at Wagon Hill Farm. The group also cleaned up the Town Cemetery located on Old Concord Road and
the cemetery located on Schoolhouse
Lane. This was a community service project for the
team aimed at “giving back” to the town they call home. The project was arranged
by UNH Coach Sean McDonnell and Town Councilor Karl Van
Asselt.

Cemetery off of Schoolhouse Lane,
Courtesy Cathy
Leach

POWER
OF ONE PROJECT

For their Power of One project, ORHS
ninth graders Logan Miller and Eric Mulligan will hold a raffle outside the
Bagelry this Saturday morning (May 2) to bring attention to the issue of water
poverty and to raise funds to purchase a hippo water roller for a community in
South
Africa.  They say, “Children in communities around the world who have
inadequate access to water often have to miss school in order to retrieve water
from unclean water sources and they hurt their spines in the process.  The
water rollers allow them to get five times the amount of water without straining
their bodies.”  Items and gift certificates have been donated by
local businesses such as JP’s Eatery, Moe’s, Stat’s Place, Red Carpet Flower
Shop, and Hayden Sports, along with The Herbal Path in Dover. 

WALK
NH 2009 EVENT

On Wednesday, June 3, 2009, the University
of New Hampshire (UNH) and Durham will celebrate
Walk NH Week 2009 with a 3-mile walk around the UNH campus and the Town of
Durham. New
Hampshire Governor John Lynch has proclaimed June 1-7 Walk NH Week as a way
to promote walking and help keep New
Hampshire residents on a healthy path. The goal of
Walk NH Week is to inspire participants to continue walking as part of a healthy
lifestyle long after the June events end. For more information and to register
online, visit  http://www.unh.edu/hr/walkNH2009.html.
Questions regarding the walk can be addressed to Christina VanHorn at 862-0519,
Chris.VanHorn@unh.edu.

GROWING
PLACES SUMMER CAMPS

Growing Places, a non profit early
education and youth recreation agency, offers three different camp programs for
children!  Camp Cowabunga is for children ages
5-7 and offers arts and crafts, games, swimming, and a field trip every week.
Bridge Camp, for children ages
7-9, offers a more active day with team building games, sports, and enrichment
activities, daily swimming and field trips.  At Adventure Camp, for ages 10-14, children
are involved in more challenging activities, including outdoor adventures,
service projects, water sports, and camping trips. All programs are licensed by
the state of New
Hampshire and have low staff to camper ratios. 
Programs run for 8 weeks starting on June 29.  Part time, full time and
extended care is available.  Tuition assistance is available for eligible
families.  Please contact 868-1335 for more information and a registration
packet. 

Weekly
Police Arrest Report

Week -
38                                         
21 UNH (55%)           17 Other
(45%)

*2008/09 Academic Year -771
      492 UNH (64%)  
      279 Other (36%)

Calendar Year
–294                        
186 UNH (63%)         108 Other
(37%)

*Commenced September 1, 2008 

Historical data
for the same week

FROM
HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL – 1600 – 1976

“1910 – Ice harvesting was done from
the Mill Pond, College Reservoir, Lamprey River and a small pond on Adams Point Road.
Albert DeMerritt sold ice from his 20’ x 250’ storage shed to village homes, but
most farmers had their own ice houses. Ice was usually cut into 22”
cakes.”

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

Our weekly
“Friday Updates” provide updates and announcements concerning the community for
interested individuals and we’ve now made it even easier to subscribe. 
Please visit this
link and fill
out our new form to sign up.