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NEWS AND HAPPENINGS ...
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Ken Rubin, President of Golden Goose Capital (developer of Madbury Commons), assists with the move-in of newly arriving UNH students on Thursday this week. Courtesy Todd Selig
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It has been a very hectic week as the Town gears up for the start of the UNH academic year. However, residents and businesses are glad to see the students return for the start of classes in the fall. Welcome back Wildcats!
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DOWNTOWN APARTMENT MOVE IN PROCESS
The week of UNH student move-in is upon us. Freshmen move-in day is Friday, August, 28th and while the Durham Police have significant experience with this historically challenging day, 3,500 incoming freshmen arriving with parents, siblings and often grandparents, creates a traffic problem regardless of the best plans.
Durham residents should be aware of the traffic problem that will be acute from 8AM to around 2PM on Friday!
The apartments under construction are another issue that generally, and most likely in the future will not pose any issues, but this year will.
The Henderson complex on the corner of Main Street and Madbury Road are already occupied as is Pauly’s on the corner of Mill Road and Main Street.
Madbury Commons will began to occupy on Wednesday of this week and everything has progressed smoothly there.
The Orion property located on Main Street/Church Hill was running behind on completion but we expect Buildings A and B to be ready for a TCO by noon Friday, although that will depend upon the actual final inspection.
In the years to come, the move-in strategy will not be so complicated as students will be moving in at various times without a mass influx as we face this year as construction winds down.
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DURHAM NOT JUST PAYING LIP SERVICE TO OFF CAMPUS STUDENT HOUSING HEALTH/SAFETY ISSUES
This week there was an article in the Boston Globe dealing with what the Globe describes as “dangerously overcrowded” off campus rental units in the City of Boston.
Reporter Thomas Farragher writes: "My Globe colleagues and I spent months chronicling the problem, laying out clear violations for inspectors who have since done almost nothing. We’ve been in attic units that don’t meet code. We’ve crawled through illegal basement units. I stood with one college kid in his third-story bedroom on Pratt Street when he wondered aloud: How would I get out of here in a fire? It’s all chilling. Why does this persist? Money.” To see the full Globe article, click HERE.
We had identified similar concerns here in Durham several years ago and with the support of the Fire Department, Code Enforcement Department, and the Town Council, Durham ultimately adopted a new Housing Standards Ordinance aimed at ensuring the safety of off campus rental housing within the community. The program requires that landlords register their properties with the Fire Department and that a cyclical health/safety inspection be accomplished by the Fire Department’s inspection division.
Between 2013 and today, a total of 1,784 inspections have taken place within off campus rental dwelling units (apartments) by the inspection division at the Durham Fire Department. The Fire Department staff has found 4,021 violations to date, of which 3,213 have been addressed by owners. There are 808 outstanding issues for which re-inspections are required/pending.
The top five life/safety/health deficiencies include:
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Egress/Escape
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Detection/Alarms (smoke/co)
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Electrical violations
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Separation from hazards
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Fire Protection Systems not being property maintained (fire alarms/sprinklers)
Durham's Housing Standards Ordinance is serving the purpose for which it was intended -- to make living conditions much safer for inexperienced students as well as adult tenants living off campus in the broader community.
The new housing stock in recent years constructed at The Cottages, Peak, and downtown has also served to provide state of the art housing in terms of life/health/safety code requirements, displacing some older structures, particularly along Madbury Road and Church Hill, where code issues were of concern.
Most Durham landlords have been extremely cooperative in working with the Fire Department to address deficiencies that have been identified.
If landlords have questions about Durham’s Housing Standards Ordinance, they should contact the Durham Fire Department directly at 868-5531.
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REAL ESTATE COVENANTS GOVERNING PRIVATE PROPERTY: WHAT CAN THE TOWN DO?
Some individual properties or subdivisions in Durham are constrained due to private real estate covenants or deed restrictions. Residents will periodically reach out to the Town to try to extinguish such restrictions. Can the Town extinguish these? The short answer is, No. Homeowner associations and even individual homeowners sometimes place restrictions on properties, ranging from the installation of clotheslines, to the keeping of chickens, to limits on the use of the property for rental income. These are private covenants. It may seem that the Town *should have* oversight, but that is not the case. While the Town has jurisdiction over many federal, state, and local codes/ordinances, typically dealing with health and safety issues, private covenants may be even more restrictive but are matters between individuals and do not typically involve the Town.
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TOWN OFFICES CLOSED FOR LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
All Town Offices will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2015 for the Labor Day holiday.
There will be NO CHANGE to the regularly scheduled refuse and recycling routes next week. As always, please have all items out by 7AM. There will also be NO CHANGE to the Transfer Station hours. It will be open on Saturday and Tuesday from 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM.
To view the 2015 recycling and holiday schedules, click HERE.
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY - Zoning, Code Enforcement, and Health Officer
As noted in an earlier "Friday Updates", longtime Zoning, Code Enforcement, and Health Officer Tom Johnson is retiring from the Town at the end of December this year.
The Town is currently seeking qualified candidates to fill the position. To view the advertisement and job description for this position, click HERE.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 5:00 PM, Friday, October 9, 2015.
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OYSTER RIVER SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
The Oyster River Cooperative School District is preparing for another school year as the daylight gets shorter and crickets start to chirp more slowly. The Town of Durham recently announced two projects related to the topic of sustainability: a 640 kW solar array at the Town’s gravel pit on Packers Falls Road and curb-side no-sort recycling program. Many Durham citizens have shifted their habits to more sustainable living due to increased knowledge and interest. Oyster River students also learn and practice sustainability strategies as they compost, recycle, research topics, grow vegetables in school gardens, and learn how animals adapt to our environment.
One group that supports the work of sustainability in the District is the Oyster River Sustainability Committee. Staff, citizens, students, and administration work collaboratively to achieve “green” projects. Charges are given by the School Board each year, goals are identified by the committee, and members select the projects that are of interest and the best fit for member’s schedules.
Past projects/initiatives have involved topics such as: energy reduction, writing, school gardens, recycling, composting, local food for the District’s nutrition program, community dinners, and support in classrooms.
Perhaps you are curious about the work of the Oyster River’s Sustainability’ Committee?
Their next meeting is on Tuesday, September, 22th at 7pm in the ORHS Library. The public is always welcome. Please email Cristina Dolcino at cdolcino@orcsd.org or call the School District’s office with any questions (868-5100).
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NEW BUSINESS COMING TO TOWN – ATTORNEY JOANNE STELLA
After 18 years of running a private law practice and serving as the legal services attorney for the students at the University of New Hampshire, Attorney Joanne M. Stella has opened a private practice of law here in Durham. In addition to the UNH position, Attorney Stella was a public defender in Rockingham County for many years. Her practice will focus on criminal defense, however, she is also available for general civil litigation, landlord tenant matters, and family law.
Her new office will be located at 9 Madbury Road, Suite 102, in the former home of SolSistar, and her email and phone number are: 603-312-2465, jstellalaw@comcast.net.
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Students began moving in to 23 and 29 Main Street this afternoon after the Town issued a temporary Certificate of Occupancy for the two buildings. Courtesy DCAT Studio
ORION STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT-DURHAM
A temporary Certificate of Occupancy has been issued this afternoon for both 23 Main Street and 29 Main Street, the two larger buildings of the six-building Orion project. 25 Main Street with six bedrooms, and 35 Main Street with five bedrooms, are still in need of major interior work and no occupancy is allowed in those two buildings. They will most likely take another 2-3 weeks to complete as per staff from Fulcrum, the project's General Contractor. The Orion owners have made other housing arrangements available elsewhere in Durham to those 11 tenants that had planned on moving into 25 and 35 Main Street.
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JULIAN SMITH TO STEP DOWN FROM TOWN COUNCIL ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 21ST
When Julian Smith stood for re-election in early 2014, his plan was to continue making his home in Durham for another three years before retiring to join his wife at their other home in Georgia. But Mr. Smith's family situation has changed in a number of unexpected ways in the last six months, which is why he informed the Town Council on Monday evening that he must resign from the Council at or before the September 21st meeting, which he hopes to be able to attend.
Mr. Smith indicated that it has been a great honor to have been chosen to serve our town for the last ten and a half years as a member of the Durham Town Council.
The Town Charter provides that when a vacancy occurs on the Council, the Town Council shall appoint a resident to fill the vacancy until the next regularly scheduled election (March 2016), at which time someone can run for the remaining term of that office.
Residents interested in filling this upcoming vacancy should complete an application for board appointment form available for download here and submit it to Jennie Berry at jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.
Residents should feel free to speak with a member of the Town Council or Administrator Selig about what being a Town Councilor entails.
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10 CHAPTERS OF DURHAM MASTER PLAN ENDORSED BY PLANNING BOARD
After 4 years of work and approximately $180,000 in cost, 10 chapters of the Durham Master Plan were endorsed by the Planning Board on Wednesday evening.
The Planning Board endorsed the final two chapters at its meeting on Wednesday, August 19th - Downtown & Commercial Core and Economic Development – with numerous changes that will be incorporated by Matt Sullivan, SRPC planner.
All of the endorsed chapters can be viewed on the Town’s website below (the document shown at the top under each chapter), except for Downtown, Economic Development, and Historic Resources, for which SRPC is incorporating changes first. The Planning Department staff will upload them as soon as the changes are finished.
After that, there are some final details to be added to the chapters (such as finishing pointers to other chapters and making any adjustments in formatting). When those are completed all of the chapters will be brought back to the Planning Board together for another public hearing, and then all will be adopted by the Planning Board (most likely) together.
The intent for the final public hearing and review is primarily to reconcile any inconsistencies among the chapters, as appropriate.
The Strafford Regional Planning Commission reports that for the recent chapters, for every $1 spent creating the chapter, $2 was spent on public engagement and responding to community feedback.
Only $5,000 remains in the 2015 budget to support further Master Plan work so once the initial 10 chapters are adopted, the process will take a break until additional funding can be budgeted for 2016. We estimate it will take approximately another $30,000 to work through the Future Land Use Chapter in 2016.
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Phyllis Wheeler Bennett (1941 – 2015)
A LIFE REMEMBERED - PHYLLIS WHEELER BENNETT
A gathering to celebrate the life of Phyllis Wheeler Bennett will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2015, 1:00 PM, at Oyster River Farm, 14 Deer Meadow Road. For more information, view the invitation HERE.
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SITE PLAN REGULATIONS OVERHAUL
The Planning Board has completely rewritten the Durham Site Plan Regulations. A public hearing was held on August 26 and it is continued to September 9. Interested citizens are encouraged to review the proposed new regulations and to attend the public hearing or submit comments in advance. You can email any comments, in whatever format is most convenient for you, to Michael Behrendt, Durham Town Planner at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us. The public hearing will likely be closed on September 9 so the earlier you send comments the better, but by September 9, at the latest.
The board will then likely review all of the comments and revise the document one more time on September 23 or at a subsequent meeting. It will then hold one more public hearing on the revised document, probably on October 14, but the public is encouraged to submit comments by September 9, as the board will be wary of making any additional changes pursuant to the October 14 public hearing (for if it does, yet another public hearing would be required).
You can see proposed new regulations HERE.
Feel free to contact Michael with any questions or concerns, at his email address or at 868-8064.
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REDEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG DRIVE - Conceptual Plan to be Presented to Planning Board on September 9th
A conceptual plan for the redevelopment of Young Drive will be presented to the Planning Board on September 9. The proposal is to remove the existing duplexes and erect several large buildings for senior housing (55+). To view the application and rendering of the site, click HERE.
There is no public hearing for conceptual applications but the Planning Board can accept public comments at its discretion. After the conceptual application, the applicant would likely submit a more detailed design review application, which would involve a public hearing.
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PLANNING BOARD APPROVES FINAL DESIGN FOR REDEVELOPMENT OF BICENTENNIAL PARK
The Planning Board approved the final design for the redevelopment of Bicentennial Park at its meeting on August 26. The park is located at the corner of Main Street and Mill Road. Mike Lynch, Public Works Director, is overseeing the project, which was designed by landscape architect Robbi Woodburn. To view the final design, click HERE.
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Downtown Main Street this afternoon during move-in of UNH students. Courtesy DCAT Studio
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VEHICLE SPEED MONITORING ON PACKERS FALLS ROAD
There is a concerted effort to place the Durham Police Department’s Kustom StealthStat™, which has a Traffic Statistics Computer built into the unit, at various locations throughout the community.
As noted in previous Friday Updates, this box type radar unit is discretely mounted on sign poles or other vertical objects and allows the Town to track and analyze traffic that passes in front of the machine without the use or need for road tubes.
Additionally, the statistical computer software plots and graphically displays the number of vehicles vs. time of day, vehicle speed vs. time of day and vehicle speed vs. number of vehicles.
The computer was set up on Packers Falls Road where the posted speed limit is 35 MPH. Data was collected on 6,819 vehicles with the 10 mph “pace speed”, which is defined as the 10 MPH range containing the greatest number of vehicles, was determined to be 32-41 MPH. During the week, the frequency of vehicles exceeding the posted 35MPH by 10MPH was 2.9% with approximately 125 vehicles per hour traveling through this area!
On the weekend 3.2% of the vehicles exceeded the posted speed limit by 10MPH with an average of 78 vehicles per hour traversing Packers Falls during this period.
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(2016) CROMMET CREEK BRIDGE PROJECT - Informational Meeting Scheduled for Interested Residents
The Town of Durham Department of Public Works will be holding an informational meeting for the 2016 Crommet Creek Bridge Project in the Durham Town Council Chambers, on Thursday, September 17, 2015, starting at 7 PM. We cordially invite you to this meeting to help you learn more about this important project and answer your questions.
Town staff and Design Engineers, Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, will be available at the meeting to answer questions.
If you have any questions, please call Town Engineer April Talon, P.E. at 603-868-5578 or email atalon@ci.durham.nh.us.
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ALLEYFEST 2015 IS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH
The Main Street Makery and The Candy Bar will host Durham's 2nd annual AlleyFest and party in the alley. It includes free crafts, face painting, games and lots of nice surprises.
Music as well. Acoustic Truffle will start the event, be playing from 11-1ish. Sam Southworth, a local musician, will spend some time again this year. In the afternoon, there will be more local talent. The Whiskey Barrel Ramblers will come by and play.
Come listen to some great music, get creative, craft and play. Like last year, attendees will be working on a community mural.
Come by and help make this a special day in Durham.
Sunday, September 20th, 11-4pm.
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DCAT CABLE CHANNEL 22
Bus Tour of Eversource Energy’s Seacoast Reliability Project - Total Run time: 21 Minutes. Join Durham residents along with Administrator Selig and James Jiottis, Manager & Transmission Engineer at Eversource Energy, tour residents around Durham. This video will be available for viewing on Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 PM & 6:30 PM, Monday at 11:30 AM, Tuesday at 11:00 AM & 5:30 PM, Wednesday at 8:00 AM & 5:00 PM, Thursday at 9:30 AM & 5:00 PM and Friday at 8:00 AM & 10:00 PM, also on our On Demand site.
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If you missed the last “Music by the Bay” series on July 16th, no worries, DCAT 22 Studios was there to capture the show. Watch the Marcy Drive Band play many of your classic rock favorites, or just tune in and have it on as background music. This video is only available on our On Demand site. DCAT 22 replay times: 10:30 & 5:00 PM, Saturday & Sunday.
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Join DCAT 22 Studios on a time lapse video tour of our New Town Hall. Watch from a bird’s eye view as the Town Hall starts as the old bank and quickly transforms into our new space. This video is only available on our On Demand site.
____________________________ DCAT is Live Streaming
Please join DCAT for any of our regularly scheduled meetings live-streamed directly to the device of your choice . It’s easy, all you have to do is go to: live-stream.com and follow the prompts to set up your live stream account. You’ll receive email updates as to when the meeting will be held and the start time. All you have to do is click and watch. Live-stream works on any PC (just remember to update your Adobe Flash player), Apple or Android device. Please contact dcat@ci.durham.nh.us with any questions.
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PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Durham Parks and Recreation, its Director and Committee, strive to offer a wide range of quality programs, parks, and facilities that encourage all community members to participate in healthy, fun, and enriching activities. Together, they celebrate the essential role public recreation plays in fostering a cohesive and vibrant community.
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Public Works Director Mike Lynch with UNH students from PrOVES program. Courtesy P&R Department
UNH PrOVES Partners with Durham Parks & Recreation & Department of Public Works. Since 2001, PrOVES has provided an opportunity for service-oriented students to learn more about the local community. The PrOVES program is exclusively for incoming first-year students at UNH. PrOVES students arrive the week prior to the start of classes and spend that time getting to know one another along with the area while volunteering at various sites throughout the Seacoast. This year, the students worked with the Parks & Recreation Department & Department of Public Works to clean and clear overgrown shrubs, invasive weeds and vines and trim back low hanging limbs at Old Landing Park. The groups provided three days of dedicated work revitalizing the original landscape. We are grateful for their hard work and effort and we look forward to this annual partnership between the Town of Durham and UNH!
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Durham Day 2015 WANTED:
Exhibitors/Participants We are currently looking for businesses and organization to be part of the Durham Day celebration. This is a great way to get the word out about what you do and give back to the community. Registration forms are available at Durham Town Hall, the Parks and Recreation Department office or by visiting our website. Click HERE for registration details.
Boats and drivers - Boat rides around the bay is a Durham Day favorite. If you are available to donate your boat and time for group tours, please sign up, we’d love to have you! Boat rides will take place from 12:30-2:00pm (changed due to tides).
Volunteers - Volunteers are needed to make Durham Day a success! Please email Rachel rgasowski@ci.durham.nh.us if you’re able to assist with the logistics and coordination for this event.
Save The Dates-Fall After School Programs! Some last minute details are being ironed out before registration for these programs is officially open. Stay tuned!
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Coyote Club- Mondays, starting September 21st.
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After School Adventures Paddling- Mondays & Wednesdays, starting September 21st.
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After School Adventures Mountain Biking- Mondays & Wednesdays, starting October 19th.
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Our Fall Brochure will be available week! Durham Parks & Recreation has eight NEW programs to offer this fall in addition our regular fall schedule of programs and classes!!
Parks and Recreation Committee Vacancies. The Parks and Recreation Committee has three vacancies to fill. If you are passionate about recreation here in Durham and would like to help support and guide the Parks and Recreation Department, please consider joining this committee. Those who are interested should contact Parks and Recreation Director, Rachel Gasowski at rgasowski@ci.durham.nh.us or committee chair, Mike Sievert at mikesievert@mjs-engineering.com. All three vacancies are three-year terms.
We want to hear from you! Have a new exciting program idea? Please be sure to share your vision with Parks and Recreation Director, Rachel Gasowski. Stop by the Recreation Department Office (2 Dover Road), or call/email the department at (603) 817-4074/ rgasowski@ci.durham.nh.us.
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COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
UNH Museum of Art - Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle Looking Where it Ain’t Artist Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle manipulates language, images, and myths to create a personal narrative presented in three bodies of work: The Kentifrica Project, The Uninvited series, and drawings based on I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem. The Prints of Jacques Callot and Millie Chen’s Miseries & Vengeance Wallpapers. This fascinating exhibition of more than 35 etchings and engravings by French printmaker Jacques Callot (1592-1635) is drawn from the collection of the Reading Public Museum and includes prints from the permanent collection of the Museum of Art. Complementing the prints is the Miseries and Vengeance Wallpapers by artist Millie Chen. One World Language School - Now accepting new students for Spanish, German, French and Chinese Classes Communicative, Game based approach.
Classes offered for students’ Pre-k through High School. Class offerings vary by location. Find out more HERE, or contact Matthew Jones at matt.jones@oneworldlanguageschool.org
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DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
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Reading Patch Club starts September 1st! Ages 2-12 years - Earn patches and a tote bag for hours that you read! Program sponsored by The Friends of the Durham Public Library.
The library will be closed on Monday September 7th in observance of Labor Day. Storytimes begin! Tues. Sept. 8th and Thurs. Sept. 10th, 10:30 a.m. – This week: Squirrels! Join us for stories, finger-plays, felt board, songs and a craft. Alzheimer's Café Friday September 4, 10:30 am-12 noon - First Friday of each month an informal Alzheimer’s Café for dementia patients still residing in their own homes & their caregivers. Participation is free, open to all, no commitment, and drop-ins are welcome. Offering an opportunity to socialize & relax with new friends who share similar circumstances. Facilitated by Nicole Moore, DPL 603-868-6699 & Erika Lee, Cornerstone VNA 332-1133 x203. Held at Durham Public Library Cafe. Heartsaver First Aid Class Tuesday September 8, 6 pm - McGregor Memorial EMS This course is for anyone with limited or no medical training who needs a course completion card in first aid to meet job, regulatory or other requirements. Visit https://cprsafe.org for information and to register. Fee is $20.00 Acoustic Open Mic starts up! - September 9, 6:30 pm. - Come to listen, come to perform. The hootmeisters are Peg Chaffee and Cheryl Sager of "Nice and Naughty" fame. Food, drink and live music. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Durham Public Library and held in the Durham Public Library Cafe. Family Storytime begins! Sat., Sept. 12, 10:30 a.m. – This week: Pandas! Come and hear panda stories, do fingerplays, feltboard and a craft. Crafternoon begins! Sat., Sept. 12, Drop-in 12 noon-4 pm - Come to the Craft/Storytime room and create a fun craft! All ages are welcome. Tales for Tails sign-ups begin the week of Aug. 31st – Have a child who needs to increase their confidence in reading? Have them read to one of our Pet Partner dogs! Sessions run for 4 weeks starting the week of Sept. 21st. Your child will read ½ hour once a week to one of the dogs and their handlers. Lego Club will begin Thursday, Sept. 24th from 3:45-4:45 pm – For K-4th graders. Knitting Club will begin Weds. Sept. 23rd from 4-5 pm – For 3rd-5th graders. Sign-up at the Children’s desk. Baby Lap-sit will begin Weds. Sept. 23rd at 10:30 am – For ages 2 & under with their care-giver. Mother Goose on the Loose! We do songs, fingerplays, stories, movement and fun. There is a time to play and socialize afterward. Sign-up at the Children’s desk. Game Afternoon will begin Mon. Sept. 21st from 2:45-4pm – For ages 10 & up – Come and play some board games weekly in the Young Adult room. Home-schooling Group will begin Friday Sept. 25th at 10:30 am – Geared to home-schoolers but all are welcome. Pajama Storytime will begin Thurs. Sept. 24th at 6:00 pm – Join Oyster River Parents & Pre-schoolers and the Durham Public Library for our monthly PJ Storytime. Come wearing your pj’s! This month: Cows! We read stories, do feltboard, fingerplays, and a fun craft. Snack is provided by ORPP. All are welcome. Young Adult (ages 10 & up) monthly writing group will begin Monday, Oct. 5th at 6:30 pm – Like to write? Join us. We do writing exercises, talk about your writing and add to our blog “Write-Away”. All are welcome. Raccoon Readers (2nd-4th grade) Book Group will begin on Tues. Oct. 6th at 6:00 pm – This month’s book is “The Tale of Despereaux” by Kate DiCamillo. We will talk about the book, author, play some games, do some puzzles and make a craft. Book is available at the check-out desk. Bookeaters, Middle School Book Group will begin on Weds. Oct. 14th at 2:45-4pm – This month’s book is “The Mark of the Dragonfly” by Jaleigh Johnson. Walk from the Middle School! Ruth Wharton-MacDonald is the facilitator. Pizza is served and books are available at the circulation desk. All are welcome. Like to Knit? Tuesday September 1, 7-9 pm - All levels of knitters & crocheters are welcome for a couple of hours of knitting and chatting. We spend time together sharing advice and support. Oyster River Knitters meets the first Tuesday of each month from 7:00-9:00 pm. Contact Amanda Anderson tintin59@hotmail.com Upcoming Adult Programs in October. Unraveling the Mysteries of Classical Music - One hour 4-5 pm Mondays starting October 5th. Four part series: Baroque, Classical Romantic and Contemporary. Presented by Patricia Terrill, Music History Master’s Degree/UNH. Enriches and exposes listeners to the various styles & periods of music. Contact Armida Geiger ageiger@ci.durham.nh.us Prince & Princess Royal Tea Party Saturday, September 19th 10:30 am - Your presence is requested to a Prince & Princess Royal Tea Party with Northeastern Ballet Theatre. Dance with Belle, Cinderella, Elsa, Snow White & Prince Charming! All welcome to dress in royal attire. Cinderella family movie rated PG, Sat. Sept 19 at 2 p.m. - Enjoy watching the movie and eating popcorn. All are welcome. Movie shown in the Oyster River Community Room. Reading Patch Club starts September 1st! Ages 2-12 years - Earn patches and a tote bag for hours that you read! Program sponsored by The Friends of the Durham Public Library. Friends of Durham Public Library Meeting- Wednesday September 2, 1:30 pm Social time: 1-1:30 pm. Meeting time: 1:30 pm. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month. All are welcome to attend. End of Life Happens...At Any Age, At Any Time - Monday September 14, 6:30 pm Registration is open. Back by popular demand. Find out how to plan for the inevitable with grace & practicality, plus clearly organize your personal wishes and intentions. Presented by Barbara Bates Sedoric, author of The Lasting Matter Organizer. Register by contacting Armida Geiger at 603-988-6616 ageiger@ci.durham.nh.us Attention Middlemarchers: Wednesday, September 16, 10:30-12:30, Middlemarch discussion facilitated by Jennifer Lee, the finale of the Friends' adult summer read. All are welcome: those who finished, those who began and those who would begin... Peru Humanitarian Expedition Wed. September 23, 6:30-8pm - Information presented by Christine Watts, Durham resident. Interested in working at an orphanage and remote Andean villages to improve the lives of street children? Contact Armida Geiger: ageiger@ci.durham.nh.us or Christine Watts: artnic@comcast.net. Visit http://genhu.org Generations Humanitarian Join the crowd of golden daffodils! - Want to beautify the library grounds and support programs like the Summer Concert Series, Open Mic, the children’s Patch Program? The Friends of the Durham Public Library’s annual membership drive gets underway September 1st and this year, with your ANNUAL dues of $20, a beautiful Dutch Master’s daffodil will be planted in the library garden!! Your name will be placed on a garden poster which will be displayed in the library. Stop by and pick up a membership form today! Contact Friends’ email: friendsdpl@yahoo.com Durham Public Library @ Durham Day! Sat., Sept. 26 from 12:30-4:30 pm. - Come to Wagon Hill for Durham Day. Stop by and say hello to your friendly librarians, check out upcoming programs and create a fun craft at the crafting table. Adult Writers Meet-Up - September 3 & 17, 6-8 pm. Breaks for August, will resume in September on the first and third Thursday of each month. Contact Mary Ellen Humphrey mary.ellen.humphrey@gmail.com Armida Geiger ageiger@ci.durham.nh.us Technology Help - The library offers help for people who need assistance using technology, such as computers, iPads and phones. Call us to check on the availability of our volunteers at 868-6699 or email us at durhampl@gmail.com.
For more information, visit the Durham Public Library website.
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FROM "HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL - A BRIEF HISTORY OF DURHAM, NH, 1600 - 1976 written by Philip A. Wilcox and members of the Durham Historic Association 1975 - Spruce Hole was purchased by the Conservation Commission for the Town. This fine example of a glacial pot hole was formed when a huge block of ice was covered by sand and gravel. When the ice melted the hole remained, and its biologically unique enviornment will be protected.
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