“FRIDAY
UPDATES”

November
20, 2009

On Tuesday, November 17, 2009,
approximately 30 participants attended an unveiling ceremony of the official US
Government bronze plaque given to the Town by The National Parks Service (NPS)
recognizing the Spruce Hole bog as a unique geological occurrence. Deb
DiQuinzio, National Natural Landmarks Program Coordinator NPS Northeast Region,
presented the plaque to the Town. Courtesy
Todd Selig

There will be no
publication of “Friday Updates” next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The
next edition of “Friday Updates” will be sent on Friday, December 4, 2009. Have
a Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels.

TOWN
OFFICES CLOSED FOR Thanksgiving Holiday

A final reminder that all Town
Offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday and Friday,
November 27 and 28, 2008.  All offices will reopen for business on Monday,
December 1^st at 8:00 AM. Residents
whose regularly scheduled pickup day for trash and recycling is Thursday should
put their items out on Friday morning by 7:00 AM instead.  There will be no
commercial pickup of recyclables on Friday.

Rev. Congreve Hamilton Quinby and
wife Connie   Rev. Congreve Hamilton Quinby, Doug
Bencks,

visit Durham’s Historic Museum.
                       
And Andrea Bodo at T-Hall on the UNH campus.

Courtesy Andrea
Body                           
            Courtesy Andrea
Bodo

48
HOURS WITH CONGREVE HAMILTON
QUINBY

The beginning of this week, Historic
District/Heritage Commission member Andrea Bodo arranged for the visit of
Reverend Congreve Hamilton Quinby and his wife Connie to visit Durham. Congreve (Con) is
the youngest son of Alice Hamilton Onderdonk, grandson of Edith Onderdonk, and
great grandson of Hamilton Smith. To read Andrea’s report of the Quinby’s visit,
click HERE.

Got
an energy link?

The Durham Energy Committee is compiling
a list of helpful energy-related websites for the Town’s new website. Currently,
the categories include carbon emissions, global warming, green building/sustainability,
energy use and conservation, peak oil, and alternative energy resources. If
you are enthusiastic about a reputable site that provides good information,
advice, or referrals, please send that website address (link) and the category
to which it should be added to dec@ci.durham.nh.us. 

Town Engineer David Cedarholm begins the
process         A view of the Mill Pond
upon completion of

of draining the Mill
Pond. Courtesy Andrea
Bodo              
draining. Courtesy John
Kraus

OYSTER RIVER DAM CONCRETE
INVESTIGATION - DRAINING OF MILL POND

The Oyster River Mill Pond was
drained this week in preparation for an investigation of the dam’s concrete
issues. The Town’s dam consultant, Stephens Associates, and UNH Professor David
Gress who is the leading expert on all aspects of concrete, have both been
retained by the Town to assess the concrete deterioration problems identified
during the dam inspection.  The investigation will include obtaining core
samples from various faces of the dam’s concrete, analyzing the cores for
strength and composition, and providing recommendations for the dam’s repair.
  The cores will be filled with quick setting high strength cement
that will be stronger than the original concrete.  The core sampling was
supposed to be conducted today, however was delayed until Monday due to the
rain.

Wiswall
Bridge
Construction Update

Progress on the new Wiswall Bridge was temporarily put on hold this
week.  The subcontractor constructing the sheet pile coffer dam ran into
difficulty after last weekend’s heavy rain raised the water level in the
Lamprey
River to a point where they
could not access their work.  Hopefully they will be able resume work next
week.

Beard’s
Creek Sewer Manhole Repair

The repair of a sewer manhole in
Beard’s Creek was completed without complication and on schedule this
week.  The manhole, which resides in the impoundment north of Route 108 and
south of Coe
Drive, sits on the outside edge of a large stand of
cattails.  It was necessary to drain the impoundment to gain access to the
site.  The manhole was damaged from years of ice pushing against it
requiring that the upper concrete manhole section be replaced.  The
top of the manhole structure also needed to be raised as it would frequently
become submerged during big rain storms.  The contractor, CGH Excavating of
Newmarket, did a fabulous job of accessing the manhole using large interlocking
fiberglass mats which were placed on the ground allowing the heavy equipment to
maneuver out to the manhole without disturbing the roots of the wetland plants.

ANNUAL
FALL CLEANUP - COMPLETED

This week the Public Works
Department concluded the annual Fall cleanup of brush and leaves.  A “thank
you” is extended to everyone for their cooperation during the cleanup process.
For those who may have missed the collection, please bring leaves and brush to
the Transfer Station along with the regular permit on Tuesdays and Saturdays
between 7:30 AM and 3:15 PM. 

US
ROUTE 4/MORGAN WAY INTERSECTION

The Department of Public Works has
begun discussions with NHDOT officials regarding the safety improvements to the
US Route
4/Morgan Way intersection. The Town will be applying for a program called
State Highway Aid which allows municipalities to make improvements to locations
that intersect with state highways.  The program would fund 2/3 of those
improvements and the Town would pay 1/3.  Because the project has been
moved forward to 2010, the Town will have to proceed with paying 100% of the
project up-front with the state reimbursement portion to be paid back in the
years to come.  The improvements will include an eastbound (Portsmouth bound side)
left-hand designated turning lane into Morgan way. 

DPW
SNOW FIGHTER’S TRAINING WORKSHOP

The Department of Public Works will
hold its annual snow fighter’s training workshop on Monday, November 30, 2009.
This workshop is to review and refresh drivers on procedures and operations for
the winter season, which is right around the corner.  Notice to
residents: plow drivers may take a test run in their trucks to make sure
they are aware of any changes on their routes.
 

PARKS
& RECREATION DOE FARM CENTENNIAL
CELEBRATION

On Sunday, November 15^th,
Parks and Recreation held its Doe Farm Centennial Celebration to celebrate the
generosity of Olinthus N. Doe, a prominent Durham
resident who bequeathed his family homestead to the Town of Durham one hundred years
ago. Guest speakers Suzanne Peterson, Lamprey River Advisory Committee, and Dick
Lord, Durham Historic Association, provided the history of the Doe family, the
property, and the surrounding area as well as the conservation issues pertinent
to the Doe Farm and the Lamprey River to the 35 people in
attendance. Courtesy Dick
Lord.

PUBLIC
MEETING SCHEDULE

There are no public meetings
scheduled for the week of Monday, November 23 – Friday, November 27,
2009.

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 & RECREATION
PROGRAMS

§        
Sunday, November 22, 2009, 12:00 noon - 2:00 PM,
Oyster River Middle School Athletic Field: Pickup Ultimate Frisbee. Enjoy a relaxed,
family-friendly game of pickup ultimate Frisbee.  Bring a light and dark
colored shirt.

§        
Thursday, November 26, 2009, 9:30 AM, Wagon Hill
Farm:  Turkey Trot. Start
Thanksgiving Day off right with this annual event put on by Oyster River Parents
& Preschoolers and the P&R Committee.  Head to the water at WHF for
apple cider, donuts, the turkey feather gathering, and
more.

§        
Saturday, December 12, 2009, 7:00 – 8:30 PM,
Churchill Rink:  Holiday
Carol Free Skate. Bring the entire family for a free skating
event featuring sounds of favorite holiday carols.

You can sign up for P&R classes
at the P&R office, 2 Dover
Road, or at the Town Clerk’s Office located in Town
Hall. Contact Michael Mengers at 817-4074, mmengers@ci.durham.nh.us, for more
information or to register. Follow the Town of Durham Parks & Recreation Department on
Facebook. Search “Town of Durham Parks”. 

Display Your Art
at Parks & Rec:  The new P&R Activities Room has bare
walls!  If you would like to display your art work, photography or other
art medium on the walls, please contact P&R Director Michael Mengers. Art
work can be returned to the owner at their request. 

COMMUNITY EVENTS

§        
Friday, November 20 & Saturday, November 21,
2009, 7:30 PM, Oyster River
High School:  ORHS Presents Our
Town

§        
Friday, November 20 or Saturday, November 21, 2009,
Stillings, 20 Ballard
Drive: Simply
Southern – The Heart of Hospitality, hosted by the UNH Department of
Hospitality. Cocktail reception and hors d’oeuvres at 6:00 PM, followed by a six
course gourmet dinner. For tickets, visit www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner.

§        
Saturday, November 21, 2009, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM,
Mast
Way Elementary
School:  Mast Way School Holiday Shopping Bazaar
featuring 30+ local craftsmen and area at-home businesses (including jewelry,
apparel, crafts, and homemade pies). The PTO will be selling a variety of
refreshments. For more information, contact amberpuppy@aol.com.

§        
Sunday, November 22, 2009, 9:00 AM, St. George’s Episcopal
Church:  Public forum featuring
Professor Deborah Kinghorn, “When You Walk, Do You Feel Like You Are
Dancing?”

§        
Thursday, November 26, 2009, 12:00 noon – 4:00 PM,
Three Chimney’s Inn:  Thanksgiving Day Buffet. For more call
868-7800, or visit http://www.threechimneysinn.com.

§        
Saturday, November 28, 2009, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM,
Durham Market
Place: Fresh Cut
Local Christmas Trees. Durham Boy Scout Troop 154 will again be
selling fresh-cut local Christmas trees.  Trees will be on sale each
Saturday & Sunday throughout December until they sell out.  All trees
come from a farm in Farmington NH,
loaded with the assistance of the Scouts. 

§        
Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 6:30 – 8:00 PM, Durham
Public Library: Noted musicians Harvey Reid
and Joyce Andersen perform a free program based on the painting “The
Sources of Country Music” by Thomas Hart Benton.

§        
Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 7:00 PM, Durham Public Library:
Survival This Way: Contemporary Native
American Poetry With Cheryl Savageau.

§        
Thursday, December 3 – Saturday, December 5, 2009:
Annual “Light Up
Durham” Event

§        
Saturday, December 5, 2009, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: 
Annual Christmas Fair Day -
Community Church
of Durham, St. Thomas More, St.
George’s Episcopal Church, and the Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship will participate.

§        
Sunday, December 6, 2009, 4:30 PM, Community Church
of Durham: Resources and
Support for Parents Caring for Teens, sponsored by Oyster River
Teen Initiative (ORTI). For more information, contact ORTI Chair, Mary Westfall,
868-1230.

§        
Sunday, December 6, 2009, 4:00 – 7:00 PM,
Mill Pond Center
for the Arts:  Seacoast Repertory
Theatre Grand Opening Holiday Festival.
For more information, visit www.seacoastrep.org or email info@seacoastrep.org.

§        
Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 6:30 PM, Durham Public
Library:  Jane Cowen-Fletcher: A Visit
With a Children’s Author/Illustrator.

Weekly
Police Arrest Report

*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.

FROM
HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL – 1600 – 1976

“1962 – Following years of
Puritanical conservatism and the injury and death of numerous students returning
from Dover with
internal cargoes of beer, the Town voted to permit the sale of beer. This has
now been extended to the Student Union. It not ‘wet’, Durham is at least
‘moist’.”

Have a safe and Happy
Thanksgiving.

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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