“FRIDAY
UPDATES”

October
16, 2009

Courtesy Larry
Harris

Town Councilor Diana Carroll
addresses a crowd of approximately 60 attendees during the dedication of the
Milne Remembrance Stone on Saturday, October 12^th.

We have received input from several
residents that the “Friday Updates” have become too lengthy making it
increasingly difficult to read through its contents. With that in mind, this
week we are changing the format of the updates, using instead only an
introductory sentence or short paragraph and referring the reader (if they
desire more information) to links that may be indicated as either “click here”,
or noted within the introduction of an item. We hope that you will find this new
format easier to navigate through and would appreciate receiving your feedback
to determine whether or not we will continue using this format for future
updates.

2009
Tax Rate (Unofficial) Set

On Thursday morning of this week,
Business Manager Gail Jablonski traveled to the N.H. Department of Revenue
Administration in Concord to set the Town of
Durham's 2009
Tax Rate (Unofficial).  Until the Department of Revenue formally sends the
Town notice of the rate it is still deemed "unofficial" but will likely be the
rate which the Tax Collector's Office utilizes to produce the 2009 Tax Bill for
Durham property
owners.

The Town reduced General Fund
expenditures by approximately $100,000 in FY 2009 in order to keep the projected
2009 Town-portion of the tax rate stable. Unfortunately, FY 2009 revenues are
lower than anticipated by approximately $200,000 due to downshifted costs from
the State of New
Hampshire and the falling off of motor vehicle
registrations as residents have chosen not to purchase new, more expensive
vehicles.  Consequently, the Town utilized $210,000 in unreserved fund
balance to maintain the desired 0% tax rate impact on the Town side of the tax
bill. This reduces Durham's unreserved General Fund balance to
$742,075.

TOWN
OF DURHAM/USNH
MUNICIPAL SERVICES AGREEMENT

On Thursday, October 15, 2009, the
University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees unanimously ratified a
Municipal Services Agreement with the Town of Durham in which the University will pay the
Town $200,000 per year to offset the costs associated with roadways, traffic
control, and policing services within the community. On Monday, October 19,
2009, the Durham Town Council will be asked by the Administrator to act on the
agreement. To read the New Hampshire Union
Leader article regarding this item, please click HERE.

Durham
Public Design Workshop for Downtown, November 5 through 9

The consultants hired by the Town to
review the Central Business District Zoning and help with strategic planning for
our commercial core will hold a public design workshop to invite both formal and
informal public input. Professional facilitators will guide the public and
design team through this process. To view a complete schedule for the workshop,
please click HERE
or contact Town Planner Jim Campbell,
868-8064, jcampbell@ci.durham.nh.us with
questions.

Churchill
Rink at Jackson’s
Landing

The rink is scheduled to open on
Monday, October 19, 2009. Visitors will notice several changes to the rink that
the Department of Public Works staff has worked on throughout the summer and
fall, including: a new entrance way, a new scoreboard, new doors, new bleachers,
and an extensive amount of fresh paint. To view the 2009/10 skating schedule,
click HERE, or contact the Department of
Public Works at 868-5578 with questions.

Madbury
Road

In response to several concerns
regarding speed and safety issues along Madbury Road and at the Edgewood Road
intersection, the Department of Public Works has designed changes to the
corridor that will occur in the near future, including: updating the high
intensity speed limit signs, replacing the existing stops signs with larger more
reflective signs, and trimming of brush in the immediate stop sign area to
increase visibility.  “Stop Ahead” symbols will also be painted on the
roadway to better identify the intersection. 

ANNUAL
FALL CLEANUP

Fall Cleanup will begin on Monday,
November 9, 2009.  All items must be out by 7:00 AM that day and fit the
criteria to guarantee their pickup.  Please follow these GUIDELINES to guarantee a successful fall
cleanup or contact the Department of Public Works, 868-5578, for more
information.

WOODSTOVE
INSTALLATION SAFETY

The National Fire Protection Agency
(NFPA) 211 “Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances” lists the requirements for safe wood
stove installations.

The following links,
(WOODSTOVE
CLEARANCES),
(CLEARANCE REDUCTION
TABLE), and
(CHIMNEY
INSPECTION)
illustrate the dimensional criteria necessary for safe installation and the
requirements for proper chimney inspections. For additional information or
questions regarding woodstove safety, please contact Brendan Sullivan at the
Durham Fire Department, 858-5531, bsullivan@ci.durham.nh.us.

More conversation about drugs and
parents

No one thinks their child
will become a drug addict. But almost everyone knows someone whose child has
become addicted to alcohol or other drugs.  To view some tips for parents,
please click HERE.

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.

DURHAM PARKS & RECREATION
PROGRAMS

§        
Sunday, October 18, 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.

§        
Monday, October 19, 2009, 5:00 PM, Durham Courthouse
building, activities room:  Monday Evening
Yoga.

§        
Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 5:30 PM, Durham
Courthouse building, activities room: Tai Chi for Free!

§        
Saturday, October 31, 2009, 5:30-7:30 PM, Jackson’s Landing: 
Durham
Spookfest. 

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”. 

         
*******************************************************        

COMMUNITY 
EVENTS

§        
Sunday, October 18, 2009, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM,
Community Church of Durham:  “Parents
Talking About…”. For
more information, contact  Bryn Burns, brynb07@comcast.net,
603-868-1230.

§        
Saturday, October 24, 2009, 5:00-7:00 PM, Young’s
Restaurant:  “On a
Mission to Wipe Out Blood Cancers”. For more information,
contact Alyson Mueller, alyson.mueller@comcast.net,
603-978-6944.

§        
Sunday, October 25, 2009, 3:00 PM, Durham Public
Library:  Active Retirement
Association Memorial Fund and River Run Bookstore are hosting a
book event on Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 3:00 P.M. For more information,
contact Beverly Johnson, bhjohnson@comcast.net.

§        
Friday, October 30, 2009, 5:00-7:30 PM: 
Durham Trick-or-Treating

FROM
HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL – 1600 – 1976

“1955 – The Oyster River
Cooperative School District was formed, combining the schools of
Durham, Lee, and
Madbury. By 1956 all pupils, kindergarten through grade 12, were housed and no
longer did local students have to go out of town to high school. Present
enrollment is 1776, with 86 teachers.”

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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