Friday Update November 12, 2010

“FRIDAY
UPDATES”
Friday,
November 12, 2010

Tree
across from Holloway Common on the side of Campus Medical Building
during this
week’s rain.

Courtesy
Hana Bartos

Now that we are
no longer in Daylight
Saving Time, residents may have noticed that it gets dark VERY early...

Addressing
the Impact of Student Housing within Residential
Neighborhoods

For the last
eighteen months, the Durham Rental Housing Commission has been working
to
address the impact of student rental housing within Durham
residential neighborhoods,
particularly those surrounding the downtown core.  Durham
residents may be interested in
learning about challenges the City of Worcester, Massachusetts is
having with
this same issue by going to http://www.necn.com/11/11/10/Holy-Cross-dealing-with-rowdy-off-campus/landing_newengland.html?blockID=350751&feedID=4206

as well as
strategies which have been implemented in Portland, Maine to address
quality of
life issues like litter, graffiti, dumping, and disorderly houses at http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/14111/Default.aspx. 

. 

Public
Hearing on Proposed FY 2011 Budget and 2011-2010
CIP

Residents who
would like to provide feedback relative to Administrator Todd Selig’s
proposed
FY 2011 Budget and 2011-2020 Capital Improvement Plan do so in writing
by
sending feedback to jberry@ci.durham.nh.us
or attend the public hearing on these documents scheduled for Monday,
November
15, 2010, as part of the Town Council meeting for that date.
 The Council
meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.  To view the proposed budget and
CIP on line
go to http://www.ci.durham.nh.us/DEPARTMENTS/business_office/2011_budget.html. 
Hard copies of these documents are also available for public viewing at
the
Durham Town Office or at the Durham Public Library. 

School
District
Advisory Budget Committee Formed

A new Advisory
Budget Committee was
approved and charged by the Oyster River Cooperative School District
(ORCSD)
School Board on September 8, 2010.  The purpose of this
committee is “to
become educated about the ORCSD budget and provide budget
recommendations to
the School Board that meet the needs of the students and is fiscally
responsible to taxpayers.”  On October 21^st
the School Board
voted on the membership of the Advisory Budget Committee (ABC),
choosing eight
people from the 15 volunteers who applied.   Serving
on this committee
are Robert McEwan, Madbury; Jay Hilyard, Lee; Bill Bryon, Lee; Anne
Knight,
Durham; Jenna Roberts, Durham; David Proulx, Durham; David Taylor,
Durham, and
Tom Merrick, Durham. For more information, click HERE.

           
Pettee
Brook Lane
proposed improvements

Illustration
by
Janice Hoglund, DPW

Pettee
Brook Lane
Improvements Proposed as
Part of FY 2011 Budget/CIP Plan

The proposed
2011-2020 Capital Improvement Plan includes a $141,000 proposed
investment in
the Pettee Brook Lane corridor for 2011 depicted above (created by
Janice
Hoglund at DPW)
to include the
installation of our standard downtown ornamental lighting (with new
L.E.D.
energy efficient fixtures), sidewalk treatments, a clearly delineated
bicycle
lane, and roadway modifications associated with the new traffic pattern
along
Pettee Brook Lane such as bump outs, brick sidewalks, and parking
kiosks.
 In the depiction, you will note the former Don Thompson Real
Estate
building has been replaced with the proposed Kostis development for
this site. 

Morgan
Way/Route 4 intersection improvements
design

                       
Provided
by DPW

Morgan
Way/Route 4 Intersection Improvement Update

In the 2010
approved Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) budget, the Town allocated
$390,000 for
the construction of an east bound, left hand turn off Route 4 onto Morgan Way. 
Residents may recall that citizens who reside on Morgan Way
made a passionate plea in 2010
as part of the budget process requesting this new turn lane due to a
number of
rear end accidents that have occurred.  Durham Police and
Public Works
have worked closely with the NH Department of Transportation and Morgan Way
residents to improve safety at this intersection.  Now that
preliminary
engineering and construction costs have been refined, the new total
cost of
this project, including all engineering and contingency values is
$545,863.  As part of the FY 2011 budget proposal, an
additional $155,863
has been proposed for the project to bring it to completion as part of
the 2011
construction season if everything goes as planned.  Utilizing
the NH State
Highway Aid Program (State 2/3, Town 1/3) the state’s anticipated share
of the
total project is $363,909 (although the state’s share in the future is
dependent upon funding availability) and the Town’s estimated share is
$181,954.

Proposed
FY 2011 Road Program – Specific Roadways
Included in Proposed Budget

The proposed
FY 2011 capital budget includes a total of $417,917 for the road
program to be
bonded rather than paid for with cash.  The list of roadways
included for
2011 includes:  Back River Road,
Bucks
Hill Road, Comorant Circle,
Croghan
Lane, Daisy Drive, Davis
Avenue, Emerson
Road,
Jenkins
Court,
Partridgeberry
Lane,
Razorbill
Circle,
Shearwater
Street,
Sumac
Lane,
and Woodman
Road.

  
    Main Street
downtown looking southeast

                       
Courtesy
Todd
Selig

Downtown
Durham TIF
District?

In October
2007, the Town Council created the Stone Quarry Drive Tax Increment
Finance (TIF)
District to fund public improvements and
infrastructure necessary to attract and advance desirable mixed use
development
off of Stone
Quarry Drive. 
Unfortunately the developer involved with the Stone Quarry TIF did not provide the
required surety to protect
the interests of Durham
taxpayers necessary to get the project off of the ground so the project
never
materialized.  This was unfortunate as the community did
everything
possible to promote the broadening of the tax base at Stone Quarry and
Route
108. 

Looking to
the future there may be value in the creation of a TIF
district focusing specifically upon Durham’s downtown commercial core
to fund
infrastructure (roadways, sidewalks, lighting, etc.) needed to leverage
investment or to help pay for structured parking (potentially C-Lot) to
support
existing and prospective business within the Central Business
District. 
To this end, Administrator Selig is working with the firm of Municipal
Resources Inc. (MRI)
to develop a
preliminary outline of a draft TIF
district for the downtown commercial core to be further discussed and
refined
by the Durham Economic Development Committee in the months to come.

Light
up Durham
– An Update

We are
pleased to report that the Seacoast Repertory Theatre will
very likely be
co-sponsoring the annual Light Up Durham celebration with the Town on
Sunday,
December 5 at 6 PM on Main Street
across from Memorial Park in downtown Durham.  
Cast members of The Rep's mainstage show, A Christmas Carol, and the
youth
production of Madeline's Christmas will tentatively perform musical
selections.  There will also tentatively be holiday
performances by The
Rep's Teen Chorus and Black Box Theater Company.  Refreshments
will
tentatively be available for purchase.  The music will
tentatively be
followed by an appearance from Santa Claus (who we must still contact
to ensure
he is available – yes Durham
does have a direct line to Santa Claus!), and will
tentatively end with the
lighting of the tree around 6:45 or 7 PM.  More details to
follow in the
next week.

Annual
Light
Up Durham
Lighting
Contest

The
Durham Business
Association (DBA) will once again host the
Annual Light Up
Durham Lighting Contest and is going
for greater participation to make this year’s contest bigger
and better.
The DBA is encouraging all businesses and
Greeks to light their
business fronts/houses and share in spreading the joy of the season.
The goal is
to have all of Main Street
from
Holiday Inn Express to Ballard’s, Jenkins Court,
Pettee
Brook Lane, and all of Mill
Plaza
lit, as well as Madbury and Strafford Roads. The
contest is
open to all Durham
businesses and recognized Greek fraternities and sororities.

Guidelines for
judging include: The
effectiveness of lights creating the display; the placement and
uniformity of
the lights; the use of design and color to create the decorations; the
use of
special lighted displays; and the ingenuity, originality, and
creativity
exercised in the decorations.

Holiday lights are
available for sale at Town
& Campus and Rite Aid. Help support Durham’s
local businesses. For more information please contact the Durham
Business
Association at durhambusinessassociation@gmail.com.

           
  Advertising
panel frames at Depot Road

                       
     Courtesy
Todd Selig

NEW
ADVERTISING PANEL FRAMES IN PLACE AT DURHAM/UNH
TRAIN STATION PLATFORM

Both Durham
and UNH have been struggling with
graffiti underneath the railroad trestle where train riders wait for
the Amtrak
Downeaster. To address this problem, the Town undertook an innovative
approach
to not only paint over the graffiti (courtesy UNH), but also to install
nine
large advertising panel frames for use by downtown businesses to
promote Durham’s
downtown
business area. The advertising panel frames are now in place and five
of nine
have been sold at a price of $50/year. Businesses must also pay for the
cost of
printing the sign (approximately $125). If there are additional Durham
businesses that
would like to utilize these panels, please contact the Durham Public
Works
Department at 868-5578, or the Durham Business Association at 868-1123.

Strafford/Woodside
Sewer Repair and Rehabilitation Project Public Informational Meeting

The Department of
Public Works is
holding a public informational meeting to inform abutters about this
project on
Tuesday, November 30, 2010 in the Town Council Chambers
at the Durham Town Hall
beginning at
7pm. The purpose of the project is to repair and rehabilitate this
older
section of sewer main and certain sewer manholes that run along the
eastern
side of Madbury Road starting near the intersection of Madbury and
Edgewood
Roads and continuing South to Woodside Dr., crossing Madbury Rd., and
cross
country to Strafford Ave. Being one of the oldest sewers in town there
are
numerous deficiencies that need to be corrected. Notification letters
were sent
to project abutters this week.

Contact Town
Engineer David Cedarholm,
868-5578, dcedarholm@ci.durham.nh.us
or
Assistant Town Engineer April
Talon,
atalon@ci.durham.nh.us,
with questions or concerns.

National
Sustainability Education Week

November 8-13 is
National
Sustainability Education Week. In recognition of its efforts to promote
sustainability education, the UNH Office of Sustainability asked
Governor Lynch
to sign a Proclamation. To read the Proclamation, click HERE.

Innovative
Energy Committee member in the news—again!

Peter Ejarque, a
former aerospace
engineer and inveterate do-it-yourself-er, is proving that harnessing
solar
energy is within reach of the average homeowner. Last July, he held a
free
solar water heater class at his home, where he demonstrated to 30
attendees how
to build a heater from reused materials such as those found at the
Durham Swap
Shop and Transfer Station. (Anyone interested in attending his next
class may
contact him at 603-509-2907.) Peter recently provided a tour of the
energy-efficient Quonset-style house he built to a class of 45 UNH
students
studying Environmental and Civil Engineering. On Sunday, November 7,
Peter and
his solar hot water heater starred in an article in Foster’s. Check it
out:
“Solar power: Affordable alternative energy” at http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010711079908.

SEED
SAVING GROUP

On
Thursday this week, a small group of Durham citizens
met at the Bagelry to start a
seed saving group.  This group would like to hear from other
area citizens
who have interest in saving and
sharing seeds from
plants that grow especially well in their
gardens in the Oyster River
area.  Contact
Suzanne at sgmac@aol.com.

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. 

Town Council –
Monday, November 15,
2010. To view the complete Council packet for this meeting, please
click HERE

Master Plan
Advisory Committee (MPAC)
–  Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Integrated Waste
Management Advisory
Committee – Thursday, November 18, 2010

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

   
2009 Turkey Trot , Courtesy
Jenna
Roberts

Annual
Children's
Turkey Trot at Wagon Hill
on
Thanksgiving Day – SPonsored by Durham Parks and
Rec and ORPP

Send a parent
with all the kids while
you finish getting ready for all those in-laws. Meet at Wagon Hill on
Thanksgiving morning from 10:00-11:00 AM. We will trot down to the boat
ramp
following the turkey feathers to find our way to donuts and hot cocoa.
This
annual event is a hit. A RSVP is appreciated so that Tom the Turkey
knows
how many donuts to bring. But, please still come last minute if plans
change.
RSVP and questions, email parksandrec@ci.durham.nh.us.

Parks
& Rec On The Ball holiday
mini session begins on Tuesday, November
16th 

Join Parks
& Recreation and
Instructor Pam Faltin for a holiday session of On the Ball. This
stability ball
based class offers low impact training in a high energy cardio burning
class.  On the Ball begins Tuesday, November 16th. 
The class will
also meet on 11/30, 12/7 and 12/14.  All classes will take
place at Durham
Parks & Rec at 6:00pm.  The 4-week session is
$30.  Contact
Michael Mengers at 817-4074, mmengers@ci.durham.nh.us.

Durham
Public Library Programs and
Events

Special Family
Programming - World Tales
with Shawn the
Storyteller! Sat. Nov. 13^th at 10:30 a.m. -Join
us for this fun
program for all ages.  Talented, local storyteller Shawn
Middleton will
tell us “Tales from Around the World”.  Shawn’s stories are
very
interactive and fun.  Don’t miss it.  This event
kicks off
International Education Week at the library.

Preschool
Storytime Tues. Nov. 16th
and Thurs. Nov. 18^th
at 10:30 a.m. - This week: Around the World. Join us for stories,
fingerplays,
songs, feltboard and a craft.

International
Education Week.  Come
into the Children’s Room
all week to make a different International Craft.

The patch
program, our reading
incentive program for children aged 2-12 years has started. 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 4 week sessions
beginning in October. There will be a new session in November and
another one
in December.

Young adults
interested in writing a
review of a book, play, movie, event?
Email the children’s librarian at ekleinmann@ci.durham.nh.us
or stop by the circulation desk
and we’ll put you in contact with our partner, YA author Megan Frazer,
who is
helping us with this blog. Visit our website at www.durhampubliclibrary.org for
more information.

COMMUNITY
EVENTS

§ 
Thu., Fri., Sat.,
Nov 18^th,
19^th, and 20^th, 7:00 PM -
Oyster
River High School
presents Arthur
Miller’s “All My Sons”. Tells the story of a man who hastily
sold defective
airplane parts to the Army, which caused the crafts to crash, killing
21 men.
His crime, which he long had deflected by blaming his business partner,
comes
back to light as his son plans to wed the partner's daughter. Tickets:
$8.00/adults; $5.00/students.

§ 
Saturday,
November 20^th,
Lee Church Congregational – Holiday
Festival.  Will begin at 7:30 AM with “Breakfast
With Santa” at the
Lee Safety Complex on George Bennett Road
followed by a ride with Santa in a
horse drawn wagon. Shopping at the Lee Church Congregational, Route
155, Lee,
is from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. 

§ 
Sat., Dec 11^th,
11:00 AM –
4:00 PM, UNH
MUB Food Court
– Second Annual Gingerbread House Event sponsored
by On Belay. Supplies
will be provided; however, all are welcome to bring their own candy,
etc. for
decorating. Entry cost is $10 per team. For more information on the
organization visit www.on-belay.org,
or
contact Ruth Abelmann, ruth.abelmann@unh.edu.,
with questions.

McGregor
EMTs Renew Skills at Regional EMS
Conference

Forty McGregor
EMTs each received 15
hours of training this past weekend at the Focus EMS Conference on the
UNH
campus. Assistant Durham Fire Chief (and Paramedic) Jason Clearly also
attended. The conference, which is hosted by McGregor, is the leading
regional
EMS conference and serves EMS professionals from Hew Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.
Over 140 EMTs attended. The conference focused on special patient
populations
that EMTs often find challenging, including pediatric, geriatric, and
bariatric
patients.

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

“In the early
1900s the
Durham-University of New Hampshire (then New Hampshire College) fire
department’s response to fires was haphazard, to say the least. When
the fire
alarm sounded, anyone so inclined could run to the shed on campus
behind
Thompson Hall, where the hose reel was housed, and haul it by hand to
the fire.
A hand-drawn trailer with a few ladders stacked on it and a hand-drawn
chemical
tub completed the department’s fire-fighting apparatus. Later, a Reo
chemical
truck replaced the hand-drawn tub, and the university’s service
department converted
an old International truck into a ladder truck.” Published
in 1985 by
the Durham
Historic Association.

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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