“FRIDAY
UPDATES”

Friday,
May 21, 2010

 

 

This young Moose was seen on
Wednesday Hill
Road at Turning Point Farm early Tuesday morning of
this week.

Courtesy
Michelle Casey

 

This week, the Town Clerk came
across a folder containing old laws from the State of New Hampshire Office of
State Treasurer. One law from1959 pertaining to “Porcupines and Porcupine
Bounties” directed: “If any person shall
kill a porcupine within this state and shall produce the head thereof to the
selectmen of the town or clerk of the city in which it was killed and shall
prove to their satisfaction that such porcupine was killed by him, within the
limits of said town or city, the selectmen or city clerk shall destroy the head
so produced so that it cannot be offered again for bounty, and shall pay fifty
cents for each porcupine so destroyed.”
 

 

Right-to-Know
Law Educational Session – TUESDAY, MAY 25^TH

A final reminder that the
Right-to-Know law educational session will be held next Tuesday, May 25, 2010 beginning at 7:00 PM in the Town Council chambers. 
Attorney Christine Fillmore from
the Local Government Center
will be present to provide an overview of the law and to answer any
questions that board members may have. The general public and Town
department heads are invited and encouraged to attend the session, or to view it
on Durham Community Access Television (Channel 22). Oyster River School Board members are also invited to
attend, as well as board members from the communities of Lee and
Madbury.

 

TOWN
OFFICES CLOSED MEMORIAL DAY

The Durham Town offices will be closed on Monday, May
31, 2010 in observance of Memorial Day. All Town offices will reopen for regular
business on Tuesday, June 1, 2010. There will
be no change to the regularly scheduled Monday refuse and recycling collection
schedule.  Please have all refuse and recycling out by 7:00 AM as normally
required. 

 

TOWN
WIDE MARKET ANALYSIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The Economic Development Committee
(EDC) has been working diligently to improve the economic development
environment within the Town and has deemed it necessary to perform a market
analysis that assesses current and future opportunities within the Town's key
market segments. Therefore, the Town of Durham is soliciting proposals for professional
services for the creation of a town-wide market analysis. The data provided in
this analysis will assist the EDC, town officials, civic leaders, and businesses
in their ongoing efforts to create a more robust business base, larger tax base,
and improved quality of life for Durham residents. To view the Market Analysis
RFP, please click HERE.

 

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 Tuesday, June
29, 2010 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.

 

Durham’s
Spruce
Forest Conservation
Initiative Selected to Move Forward

Following a competitive state-wide
review, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services’ Coastal Program
has selected Durham’s Sprucewood Forest land protection proposal for
consideration for funding under the Federal Coastal and Estuarine Land
Conservation Program (CELCP).

 

If successful, the project would
permanently conserve 176 acres of land important for flood protection, drinking
water quality and wildlife habitat.  Project partners include: The Trust
for the Public Land, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Town of Durham, and Southeast Land
Trust of New Hampshire.

 

The Sprucewood Forest area sits in one of the most
ecologically important places in the Seacoast watershed, has numerous rare and
threatened species, and, at the same time, is a wonderful place for hiking and
running. These common goals of public access and coastal resource protection are
highlighted in this proposal.

 

This project has now been submitted
to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, where a group of CELCP
reviewers will rank the proposals on a national priority list. Then, depending
on CELCP funding availability, Congress will allocate funding using the list,
with grant monies becoming available in May 2011.

 

The CELCP program recognizes that
protecting exceptional coastal resources is of national importance. Ecological
value and other factors, such as project readiness, influence a proposal’s
ranking.

 

CELCP, a tremendously competitive
national program, aims to protect coastal lands with significant ecological
value. Qualifying land protection projects in New Hampshire must be located within the 42
coastal watershed towns and provide a one to one match. In addition, lands
designated as priorities for protection in New Hampshire are identified in NH’s CELCP
Plan.

 

Under the program, each of the 34
states with coastal management programs can participate. In addition, the CELCP
process requires states to develop a CELCP plan in order to be eligible to
nominate projects. The Land Conservation Plan for New Hampshire’s Coastal
Watersheds was initiated by the Coastal Program and Piscataqua Region Estuaries
Partnership to help fulfill that requirement, and has since served as the
foundation of the state’s CELCP plan. The Society for the Protection of N.H.
Forests, The Nature Conservancy, and the Strafford and Rockingham regional
planning commissions were all major players in the development of that plan.

 

More information on the CELCP
Program is available on www.des.nh.gov. Click on the search function
in the top right hand corner and search for “CELCP.”
 

 

Calling
all Garden Enthusiasts (or wanna-be’s) and Educators – NEW SENSORY GARDEN AT
JACKSON’S
LANDING

The Parks & Recreation Committee
is excited to announce the creation of a sensory garden at the Jackson Landing
Playground.

 

We need your help!  Please
consider volunteering to help for an hour or more.  There are 3 committees
forming that need volunteers.  If you are interested in helping out, please
send an e-mail to Jenna Roberts, jennajroberts@yahoo.com and Jean
Olson, jbolson1@comcast.net.  To
view sensory garden bed examples, click HERE.

 

3 Committees in need of
Volunteers:

 

Committee #1:  Installation of
Garden

Time frame:  Saturday, May 29th
(rain date on Sunday, May 30th) 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (9:30-12:30--prepping
begs) (12:30-3:30 planting)

Commitment: 1 day—1-3 hours of
work--don't forget your garden gloves

Tasks:  Prep the beds and
plant

Supplies Needed:  Prepping:
shovels, wheel barrels, garden gloves; Planting: trowels, garden
gloves

 

Committee #2:  Maintenance of
Garden Beds

Time frame:  June-October—1
hour per week, plus a brief training (choose one week or multiple
weeks).

Tasks:  The plants will be
weeded, tended, and watered. 

 

Committee #3:  Educational
Tours

Time frame:  June-Sept - 30
minutes per week, plus a brief training (choose one week or multiple
weeks).

Tasks:  Conduct a weekly 30
minute tour about the garden and encourage participants to use their five senses
to investigate each plant.

 

Oyster
River School
District
Community Survey

The ORCSD Strategic Planning
Oversight Committee is conducting a community survey to gather input from
community members regarding our school district.  Please click on the
following link to participate in this survey: http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/orcsd510.html.

 

This survey will end on June 1,
2010. Your input is greatly appreciated, and all responses will be
confidential.  The results of the survey will be made public upon
completion of the report.  The Strategic Planning Oversight Committee
thanks you in advance for your time.

 

UNH
Graduates Saturday

The University of New
Hampshire is graduating Saturday morning, May 22^nd in
the Memorial Field directly in front of the Whittemore Center.  While traffic is always a
challenge in the downtown area during graduation exercises, businesses will be
open and traffic patterns may be modified to assist in easing the traffic
exiting the various parking lots.  UNH is providing handicap parking in
close proximity as well as shuttle buses to transfer friends and relatives from
satellite parking areas to Memorial Field.  Durham Police have been
retained by the University to assist in ensuring that traffic and other safety
concerns not mar this exciting event. 

 

 

100
YEARS OF DURHAM
FIRE

In 2011, the Durham Fire Department
will be 100 years old. A committee has been formed to plan a celebration for
this event. Conversations have started for a day-long set of events and other
related activities during the year.  The activities discussed to date
include a special publication or video, parade of trucks, event at the “Wagon
Hill” park, special Christmas ornament and some fund-raising ideas.  More
information will be provided in future “Friday Updates”.  We welcome your
ideas. Please contact  Melissa at 862-1426 or email fire@ci.durham.nh.us.

 

FEMA
REIMBURSEMENT FOR FEBRUARY WIND STORM

Department of Public Works
administration spend a considerable amount of time this week compiling and
summarizing data, for reporting purposes, to FEMA in order to be eligible
for reimbursement for the February wind storm.  The department wishes to
thank the Police and Fire Departments, as well as the Business Office, for their
participation and patience during this process. 

 

From
the Supervisors of the Checklist 

On September
14, 2010, there will be a State Primary Election.  All registered voters
may vote at this election whether Republican, Democrat, or Undeclared, unlike in
some states.  However, if you are registered as a Republican or a Democrat,
you must vote within that party at the Primary.  If you are registered
Undeclared, you may choose which ballot you want at the Election.  June 1 is the LAST day you can change your party
affiliation before the Primary.  There are currently two checklists
available to check your status – one in the Durham Post Office on a table near
the mailboxes and one at the Town Hall (kept behind the desk).  An updated
checklist will be available in those same places on or about May 21. You may
change your party affiliation up through June 1 at the Durham Town Hall during regular business hours or
on the evening of June 1 between 7:00 and 7:30.  New voters may register
(and choose their party) any time up through September 7. New registrations will
also be accepted at the polls on Election Day, but no changes to party can be
made on that day.

 

PUBLIC
MEETING SCHEDULE

The following public meetings are
scheduled for the coming week in the Town Council chambers at the Durham Town
Office. All meetings begin at 7:00 PM and are held in the Council chambers at
the 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, May 24, 2010. 

Right to Know Informational
Presentation – Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Planning Board – Wednesday, May 26,
2010

Parks and Recreation Committee –
Thursday, May 27, 2010 (Durham 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 AND RECREATION
PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

Stay
current with all Durham P&R programs by viewing the April Recreation
Reminder, please click HERE. 
Also, visit our website at http://www.ci.durham.nh.us/COMMUNITY/recreation.html or on Facebook - search ‘Town of Durham
Parks.’ 

 

To register for any of the classes
below, please contact Durham P&R Director Michael Mengers at 817-4074, mmengers@ci.durham.nh.us, or visit
the Town Clerk’s Office.

 

§        
Monday, May 31, 10:00 AM, starting at
Town Landing – Memorial
Day Parade

§        
Saturday, June 12, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM –
The Durham
Bazaar. Reserve your spot today!

§        
Join the Durham Tennis Ladder online at
http://www.globaltennisnetwork.com/tennis-ladders/ladders/tennis-ladder-page/ladder/1443-durham-parks-a-rec

 

Line
Dancing to start at Parks & Rec

Line
Dancing class will begin at Parks & Rec on Thursday, June 24^th at
1:00 PM. The class will meet every Thursday at 1:00 PM for 6 weeks.  The
entire 6-week program is $40.   Instructor Gerry Mullen mixes in the
Waltz, Tango, Polka, Swing and more.  Gerry has been working in the
Seacoast for years, most recently at the Seabrook Recreation Department and at
Spinnaker Point in Portsmouth.  For more information, please
click HERE. Contact
P&R Director Michael Mengers to reserve your spot in class, mmengers@ci.durham.nh.us,
817-4074.

 

Yoga
at Wagon Hill on Wednesdays This Summer

Starting Wednesday, June
2^nd there will be free Yoga offered at Wagon Hill Farm every
Wednesday from noon until 1:00 PM.  Durham resident Hannelore Moebius, as well as
past and current graduates of The Prana Studio's Integrative Yoga Therapy
Teacher Training, will lead sessions each week.  Class will run every
Wednesday through August 25^th.  Class will take place on the
green down by the water at the end of the dirt road.  Contact Parks & Recreation Director Mike
Mengers (817-4074, mmengers@ci.durham.nh.us) or Hannelore Moebius (868-6753,
yoga@moebiusyoga.com) with questions.

 

COMMUNITY
EVENTS

§        
Wednesday, May 19, 7:00 PM, Hugh Gregg Coastal
Conservation Center, 89 Depot Rd., Greenland,
NH:  Public Meeting of the Great Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve. For more information, call Reserve Manager
Peter Wellenberger at 603-868-1095. Read more at http://www.wildnh.com/Newsroom/News_2010/News_2010_Q2/Great_Bay_Hrg_2010.html

§        
Fri., Sat., & Sun., May 21-23, UNH Kingman
Farm:  Family Boatbuilding.
Sponsored by the UNH Marine Docents. For more information, contact 868-7180 or
http://marine.unh.edu/resources/marine-education.html.

§        
Wednesday, May 26, 4:30 – 6:00 PM, Moharimet Elementary
School:  One World Language School Registration and Information
Night. Classes are for children 3 to 15 years of age and are held
Wednesday afternoons at Moharimet. Classes begin September 29, 2010. For more
information, please contact Julie Reece at julie.reece@oneworldlanguageschool.org or
866-0364.

§        
July 5-9, 8:30 – Noon, UNH Paul Creative
Arts Center:  Music For Youth.   Designed for
band students entering 5^th and 6^th grades in the fall.
Daily instrumental lessons are taught by experienced UNH music education majors.
For more information, contact Sarah DeTurk at sarah.deturk@gmail.com.

§        
August 2-6 and September 9-13, Museum of Art, UNH Paul
Creative Arts Center:  Summer Art
Camp. For complete description of classes or to register on-line,
visit www.unh.edu/moa or contact Catherine A. Mazur
at Catherine.mazur@unh.edu,
862-3713.

§        
Raffle to
Benefit UNH Sailing Centre. For more information, visit www.unh.edu/sailing-club/ or contact
Coach Diana Weidenbacker at 868-5189, dianaw46@comcast.net.

§        
ORYA Travel Soccer Tryout
pre-registration forms are due by 5/30 for all
players interested in playing travel soccer next fall and spring. Please return
these to the ORYA office no later than 5/30.  Tryouts will be held starting
June 9^th for the girls and June 10^th for the boys. A
registration form and your child’s birth certificate are required for
pre-registration. To access a registration form, please click HERE.

§        
9^th Annual ORYA Golf
tournament
is being held at Wentworth by the Sea Country Club on Monday June
21^st.  Registrations forms are available at www.oryarec.org.

 

Durham
Public Library Programs and Events

Visit our website at www.durhampubliclibrary.org for
more information.

 

§        
Tue., May 25, 6:00 – 7:00 PM:  Pajama
Storytime.

§        
Tue., May 25,
7:00 – 8:00 PM:  ORHS Poetry Night

§        
Wed., May 26, 6:00 – 8:00 PM:  Oyster River Environs Archaeology Project

§        
Tue. & Thu., May 25 and 27, 10:30 AM: 
Storytime.  This week, Summer
Vacation and Gardening

§        
Fri., May 28, 10:30 AM:  NH Humanities Book
Discussion Group

§        
Mon., May 31 – Annual Treasure Hunt & Picnic
immediately following the parade and ceremonies. Sponsored by the Durham Public Library Board of Trustees and Durham Parks and Recreation.

 

Come in and decorate a hat in the
children’s room all week if you will be marching with the library in the
Memorial Day Parade.

 

 

TREASURE
HUNT – SPONOSRED BY THE DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEES AND PARKS &
RECREATION

Come to the Library and pick up your
clue sheets after the Memorial Day Parade. Match clues to the pictures, get
stamped at each site, and you'll receive a surprise at the Town Landing when
finished. Walk around with your neighbors and learn something new!  Wear
comfortable shoes, bring a pencil, and be ready to have some
fun.

 JP's
Eatery will have food for sale.

 

 

 

UNH/DURHAM
COMMUNITY CELEBRATES WALK NH WEEK 2010

On Wednesday, June 2^nd,
the UNH/Durham community will celebrate Walk NH Week
2010 with a walk around the UNH
campus and the Town of Durham.  UNH and Durham community members will join other groups throughout
New Hampshire in recognizing Walk NH Week 2010 by holding a community walk
during the first week of June.

 

Walk NH
Week is an event designed to encourage
people of all ages to get out, get moving, and participate in a one to three
mile community walk.  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 event’s end.

 

The UNH/Durham walk, organized by
Healthy UNH and UNH Campus Recreation, will begin at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, June
2^nd. Participants should gather on Carpenter Plaza in front of the UNH Whittemore
Center Arena. In case of rain, the event will be moved to the Sweet Oval,
located in the Field House. Be sure to let your friends, family, and co-workers
know about this special event.

 

For the scheduled walking route
information and to REGISTER for
this event, please visit www.unh.edu/hr/walkNH2010.html. Registration will also be
available on the day of the event, but participants should arrive early to
ensure enough time to register.

 

For more information, contact Chris
VanHorn at 862-0519.  Also visit Walk NH’s
website at www.WalkNH.org for more details about the Walk
NH program.

 

WILDCAT
FITNESS BOOTCAMP PROGRAM

Wildcat Fitness will run a 6-week
BOOTCAMP on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 5:30-6:30 AM, May 24-June 30, 2010
(No class Memorial Day). Class will be held at Jacksons Landing rain or shine!
For more information, visit: http://www.wildcatfitness.net/groupfitness.html

 

Weekly
Police Arrest Report

Week – 38	27 UNH (71%)	11 Other (29%)
*2009/10 Academic Year – 898	599 UNH (62%)	337 Other (38%)
Calendar Year – 355	223 UNH (63%)	132 Other (37%)

*Commenced September 1, 2009 

 

Historical data
for the same week

This data represents the 2009/10
Academic year report which begins anew each

August when UNH students begin
arriving in Durham.

Year	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Week	10	31	22	19	38
Academic Year	1057	1001	892	900	898
Calendar Year	395	498	451	432	355

 

HISTORY
OF THE STATE FLOWER

The purple lilac, Syringa vulgaris,
is the state flower of New
Hampshire. New
Hampshire historian Leon Anderson writes in to this day that the
purple lilac was first imported from England and planted at the Portsmouth home of
Governor Benning Wentworth in 1750. It was adopted as our state's flower in
1919. That year bills and amendments were introduced promoting the apple
blossom, purple aster, wood lily, Mayflower, goldenrod, wild pasture rose,
evening primrose, and buttercup as the state flower. A long and lively debate
followed regarding the relative merits of each flower. The purple lilac was
ultimately chosen, according to Anderson in
New Hampshire's Flower -- Tree -- Bird because
it "is symbolic of that hardy character of the men and women of the Granite State."

 

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

 

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Town of Durham
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