Friday Updates - April 10, 2020

Friday, April 10, 2020

Because some folks need a visual. Would you still go out if you could see it? Courtesy Worldwide Web

UPDATED COVID-19 CASE INFORMATION FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE (As of 4/9/20, 9AM)

Number of Persons with COVID‐19: 819

Recovered: 234 (29%)

Deaths attributed to COVID-19: 21 (3%)

Total Current COVID-19 Cases: 564

Hospitalizations: 124 (16%)

Persons Tested Negative at Selected Laboratories: 9,139

Persons with Specimens Submitted to NH PHL: 4,699

Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL: 155

Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time): 2,325

WITH COVID-19, COMMUNITY MITIGATION IS NOW BEING IMPLEMENTED ACROSS NH – But what the heck is Community Mitigation?

Community mitigation is a package of actions that don’t involve medicines or vaccines and are important for stopping the spread of COVID-19:

1. Staying home
2. Keeping a safe distance of at least 6 feet from others
3. Moving to remote learning for schools
4. Encouraging tele-work for businesses
5. Cancelling mass gatherings
6. Closing non-essential businesses

The goals of Community Mitigation are straightforward…

1. Slow how fast the epidemic is spreading
2. Spread out when people get sick (delay the peak)
3. Reduce the overall number of patients
4. Decrease deaths
5. Prevent overwhelming our healthcare system 

A Q&A WITH ADMIN. SELIG CONCERNING COVID-19’S LOCAL IMPACTS IN DURHAM

Last week, a local reporter asked Admin. Selig for some thoughts concerning the Pandemic. An edited/condensed version of that exchange can be found below

Q: How do you think COVID-19 has affected Durham so far, and how will this stay-at-home order change things?

A: The efforts being implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19 are simply unprecedented in modern experience so it’s hard to know how this will all play out. Plus there is still much unknown about this disease. Ideally, aggressive social distancing strategies in place now will flatten the curve here in NH sufficiently such that we won’t have overwhelmed hospitals with doctors having to determine who lives and who dies as a result of inadequate emergency supplies, ventilators, etc.

One big unresolved question about COVID-19 is whether, like the flu, its spread will slow substantially during the summer. But regardless, at least some of the social distancing measures now in place will have to continue into the summer and potentially the second half of the year. 

Perhaps outdoor activities in small groups would be able to resume in summer. Maybe restaurants would reopen, at least partially with decreased numbers of tables and new occupancy limitations. But large gatherings would likely still be banned. 

Sports leagues might resume in the summer but without crowds, and TV shows like American Idol might forgo studio audiences. Stores will probably have to continue to cap the number of shoppers allowed in at once. 

My understanding concerning the downside of a closer-to-normal summer is that a resurgence of the disease in six months or so might be a possibility -- in essence, a second wave of illness to some degree in the fall. If that came to pass, new social distancing measures would need to be implemented, similar to what we now have in place, or if people who have been infected do ultimately develop an immunity to COVID-19, and if we can obtain sufficient test kits to identify them in real time, perhaps social distancing requirements could be eased to some degree. By fall, hospitals would hopefully be in a much stronger position concerning things like having adequate protective measures, supplies, masks, and ventilators on hand to deal with a surge.

This is a hard time for our residents, for Durham’s Main Street, for all local businesses, and for UNH. No one knows exactly what the future holds. What we do know is that until a vaccine or a reliable treatment and testing regime is developed and distributed, we have entered a new normal.  

NEW WALK-UP WINDOW ADDED TO THE TOWN CLERK-TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE

The Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s Office is pleased to offer a new walk-up window to assist residents that cannot conduct their transactions online, through the mail, or by using the Town Hall’s drop box. The Town Clerk-Tax Collector still encourages residents to observe social distancing guidelines and to conduct all transactions safely from their homes, but we realize there are certain transactions that must be done in person. 

Examples of transactions that may need to be done in person include new vehicles or trailers purchased in a private-sale, marriage licenses, or notary services. 

Please call Town Clerk-Tax Collector at 603-868-5577 to make an appointment before coming in for transactions that need to be done in person.  

DURHAM’S LEADERSHIP TEAM MET VIRTUALLY ON APRIL 15TH TO ADDRESS DEPARTMENT MATTERS AND TO PROVIDE ROUNDTABLE UPDATES – Here’s what was learned…

The Council passed a resolution on April 14th, stating its appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the Town employees on behalf of Durham residents during the Pandemic. Todd Selig complimented Luke and Craig as the meeting was all online and went very smoothly. The Council added topics regarding solid waste, recycling, the transfer station, and the Coronavirus to the working draft of Council goals.

Emergency Operations Plan/Continuity of Operations planning was a major discussion. Our consultant’s business has been severely impacted by the Pandemic. This will delay our local efforts. At the same time, Captain Holmstock at the DPD is making good progress on honing our operations plan for the Pandemic.  

Public Works is having to modify plans almost daily, but is managing to get a lot of work done. They are striping parking lots and crosswalks downtown, work that is usually started in June. Admin. Selig mentioned discussions last Fall about some minor reconfigurations at Sammy’s lot to create more parking capacity. He asked if DPW Director Mike Lynch if he could work this plan into spring DPW efforts, time permitting, and it appears it can be accomplished. Additional design work is now needed.  



Police Department reports that with UNH students largely out of town (though 30-50% of off campus private housing is still occupied) there are fewer typical calls for service. Instead, many calls they are getting are related to COVID-19.  

Pandemic Plan is coming along, as noted above. Information about businesses has been added and Captain Holmstock has indicated there are some other items still to address. It was stressed that this Plan should be a “living document” incorporating lessons we have learned thus far to help in the future.

Economic Development has been extremely busy assisting businesses get resources they need.  

Assessing is doing only exterior inspections now. The Town Council approved the last of the abatements. Of $125,000 set aside for abatements there is some money left over but it may be needed as part of ongoing appeals that remain outstanding.  

The Pines Land. An unknown party has a P&S Agreement on land owned by the Jaques adjacent to the Pines Inn. The Town does not know as yet who the buyer is. This is zoned Coes Corner. Riverwoods Durham purchased the 22-1/2 acre parcel across from their site on Stone Quarry Drive for $800,000.  

Middle School. Oyster River School District will be coming in with a building permit application to start site work on the new middle school project in the next few weeks. The project is proceeding.

The Library is adding some new online resources including Canopy movie streaming service.  

Town Clerk’s Office is doing great. Staff is working on making the Town website more accessible for online transactions. Staff is busy with dog licensing, registrations, water billing, etc.  

Recreation is working on a virtual recreation center. They are considering offering adult fitness classes on line, perhaps with instructors coming into the main room in Recreation and broadcasting from there. They are working with Celebrate Durham on events – a concert, potential fundraisers, the Memorial Day Parade (likely to occur in a virtual format). They don’t know if these events will happen. She is talking with Asst. Supt. of Schools Todd Allen about REACH summer camp, to the extent it will be able to occur due to the Pandemic.

Business Office is working on the accounts payable program. A new COVID-19 form to use for any employee who is out on leave has been distributed to departments for tracking purposes. It must be filled out carefully. The FY 2019 audit is supposed to go on this week but the audit schedule is being impacted by the Pandemic.

Coronavirus/COVID-19 information. The group discussed all of the available information. Information about donating food to food pantries, an updated link to businesses, information about the upcoming fire “parade” in the neighborhoods, and a summary of this meeting. The updated lists of businesses are on the website.

Beech Hill Tower. Staff is working on a revised RFP; the initial proposals were in excess o budgeted amounts. Evaluating whether DPW can undertake some of the site work. The tower will be either 150 or 180 feet high, and will be used solely for emergency service land and mobile radio communications. The selection process will extend into early May. The team would like to get on the Planning Board agenda to discuss plans in an advisory capacity around May before breaking ground.  

UNH, CHURCHILL RINK DASHER BOARD REPLACEMENT ON HOLD DUE TO PANDEMIC 

A brief update on the arrangement the Town had pending with UNH to acquire the Whittemore Center’s used dasher boards, that had been slated to be replaced by the University this summer as part of a substantial retrofit of that facility.  Based on current circumstances, UNH has put the project on hold.  Although they may proceed with the refrigeration room segment of  the work before next season if things clear up soon, Durham Rink Manager Bill Page has been notified the concrete slab and board work have been cancelled for now.  No indication at this juncture what plans are for the long term future on those.  Preferred Contractors is processing a refund check for the deposit made by the Town.  

Based on all that’s going on, Bill Page will be evaluating where we go from here in the coming weeks and months as information becomes available regarding our region’s eventual recovery from the Pandemic.  There is plenty of work that needs to be undertaken at the Churchill Rink  that will require limited expense around the rink and in the office which is positive as bill will be proceeding in a very fiscally conservative manner until the proverbial coast is clear.  

FORCE MAIN PROJECT UPDATE

The Town’s contractor Sargent Corporation is moving along nicely with construction of the new 20” wastewater force main. Sargent Corporation recently returned from a short winter shutdown and is working on completing the section of the project within Old Piscataqua Road.

Pictured above is a portion of a 100 Ft section that was fused together on Thursday and is in the process of being backfilled today. Wright Pierce is overseeing all aspects of the construction including administration and coordination with residents who will need to have their utilities switched over to the newly constructed lines.

The Town of Durham owns, operates and maintains 17 miles of sanitary sewer, including the existing 3,000-foot Dover Road Pump Station force main. The 18-inch asbestos-cement (AC) force main was originally installed in 1967 and conveys all the Town’s wastewater flows to the Durham Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF). Because of the location and age of the force main, coupled with no immediate backup provisions, and the fact that the existing force main represents a potential single point of failure, the existing force main was recommended for upgrade. The purpose of this project is to replace the existing force main with a new pipe located upland of the high tide line, along an accessible alignment.

The selected force main alignment will be routed along the shoulder of Route 108 (Dover Road) for approximately 400 linear feet, and then continue within the paved travel-way of Old Piscataqua Road. Old Piscataqua Road dead ends approximately 1,500 feet east of Dover Road. The sewer alignment will continue in an easterly direction through a short stretch of Town-owned property before entering NHDOT’s extended Route 4 road right-of-way. The force main alignment will parallel Route 4 and be approximately 100 feet south of the centerline of Route 4. West of the WWTF property, the force main alignment will turn and continue in a southerly direction. The force main alignment will cross a private property owned by UNH before entering the Town-owned WWTF property. The alignment ends at the southern side of the WWTF property where the force main will connect to the existing Headworks building. 

The total anticipated length of the new future force main piping is approximately 3,400 linear feet of 20-inch HDPE.

The existing force main will remain in service to provide redundancy to the system. Following the completion of the construction of the new force main the Town will investigate the interior condition of the existing force main to determine if any modifications or improvements need to be made.

One of the houses on Faculty Road decorated for the amusement of the many children walking by. Courtesy Jennifer Lee

HANNAFORD DURHAM TAKES STEPS TO KEEP CUSTOMERS, STAFF SAFE FROM COVID-19 – Consider shopping locally at Hannaford in Durham; it’s much less crowded than many of the larger grocery stores in other communities around us.

In response to some questions from residents this week and a query from the Town, Hannaford in Durham indicates it is working hard to keep customers and associates safe, informed by the latest CDC guidance regarding COVID-19, implemented as quickly as possible amid this fast-moving pandemic. Hannaford’s first and foremost goal is to create social distance in all Hannaford stores between associates, with customers and between customers. Close contact should not be happening, and store manager Steven Bouchard will reinforce for the team that they need to be vigilant around this topic.

Hannaford has voluntarily instituted limits in New Hampshire on the number of customers who may be in the store at any one time. They have signage, overhead announcements, and other measures to highlight this crucial policy and remind everyone to keep a 6-foot distance.

In addition to the communications measures, Hannaford Durham has installed physical safeguards, such as plexiglass shielding at registers; significantly enhanced its already rigorous cleaning regimes; and instituted new practices around things like how cash payments are handled, and identification is checked for age-limited purchasing of alcohol. Every store associate has access to face shields and gloves, should they choose to wear them, and gloves are required for those jobs where the CDC and other health officials have provided guidance that they should be worn.

Until recently, the CDC was not advising masks for the general public, including retail workers, though Hannaford has allowed associates to wear them. Immediately after the CDC changed its guidance, Hannaford ordered masks that will be available to any associate as soon as it can get them delivered, likely by the end of the week.

After hearing reports last weekend of how crowded the larger grocery stores were all around the area, Admin. Selig undertook grocery shopping at Hannaford Durham and found it to be a very pleasant experience with relatively few customers in the store.  

NEWS CONCERNING BUNKER CREEK BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT ON ROUTE 4

Roadway widening and drainage installation have been completed on the north side of the existing bridge. In addition, all twelve micropiles at both bridge abutments and one of the four bridge abutment sections are complete.

Upcoming work includes concrete placement of the remaining bridge abutments and remaining road work on the eastern side of the bridge to Morgan Way.

Work will be contingent on weather conditions and current COVID-19 constraints.

Resident David Strong took this photo at Doe Farm on Monday, 4/6. It captures the isolation many of us are feeling right now. Doe Farm is a quiet, peaceful place to reflect and to give thanks for all the blessings we have, especially during this difficult time. 

HELP BUILD A NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ON THE MERRICK EASEMENT: $2,270 RAISED SO FAR!

Tom and Mary Merrick conveyed a conservation easement on their 23-acre property to the Town of Durham in 2006. The Merrick family continues to own and manage their property, while the easement protects their land in perpetuity from further development. A network of public trails connects the entrance off Bagdad Road, near the Oyster River High School, with an entrance and small parking area off Canney Road, close to the new Riverwoods complex. The trail entrance off Bagdad Road runs through a wet section of the property and despite several attempts to cross this wet section with wood bridges or stepping stones in the past, they have not lasted. Our plan is to build a solid, decked bridge that would allow water to flow underneath and cross the wet, muddy stretch of trail. Our goal is to raise $2,500 for the cost of materials by May 1, 2020 so that we can complete the project with volunteers by September 1st.  You can read more about the project HERE and find a pledge form HERE.

DURHAM HIRES A NEW POLICE OFFICER 

Craig Forrest has been offered a position as patrol officer to fill the vacancy of Danny Brooks who left Durham to assume the role as Deputy Chief in Barrington.  In an interesting full-circle story, Craig had applied for a full-time position at Durham Police in 2014 and ironically would have been offered a position with Durham but Rochester’s process was slightly ahead of ours and he obviously accepted the “sure thing!”  

We are excited to be able to obtain the services of Craig who brings six years of experience in Rochester combined with his BS in Criminal Justice from Roger Williams University.  Craig is married to Amanda and they have a 1 year old daughter Keira and live in Barrington.  Craig will begin his Durham career on May 4th.  Although Craig is a certified police officer in New Hampshire, he will be assigned to work with a certified Field Training Officer (FTO) for the next 8 to 12 weeks.  During this phase Durham officers are indoctrinated to the policies and procedures of how a Durham officer provides guardian services to the community.  There will be familiarity to the roadways, radio systems and all of the policies and procedures of the organization.  Once completed, Craig will be assigned to a patrol shift and begin working singularly.

The Durham Police currently has one vacancy due to School Resource Officer Tom Kilroy resigning to accept employment with the Federal Probation and Parole Agency. Another position will become vacant with the retirement of Chief Kurz in July.  Both these positions will remain vacant for the remainder of the year.  After January of 2021, the department will begin a selection process to identify potential candidates.  

NEIGHBORHOOD LIGHTS - The DFD will visit Durham neighborhoods Saturday nights in a parade-like fashion to lift spirits as outlined below.

The Town of Durham’s available emergency services units will be conducting rolling community visits through Durham neighborhoods on Saturday evenings between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. for the next several weeks. Residents are encouraged to exercise appropriate social distancing with their neighbors if they come outside during the parade.

The apparatus parade will train through the following streets twice during their visits:

Saturday, 04/11/2020: Faculty Road, Mill Pond Road, Burnham Avenue, Thompson Lane, Valentine Hill Road, Garden Lane, Magrath Road, Croghan Lane, Oyster River Road, Hoitt Drive, Foss Farm Road, Stevens Way, Ryan Way, Orchard Drive. Hemlock Way, and Church Hill Road.  

Saturday, 04/18/2020: Sunnyside Drive, Pinecrest Lane, Denbow Road, Ffrost Drive, Cutts Road, Palmer Drive, Hamel Drive, Sandy Brook Drive, Longmarsh Road, Stagecoach Road, Ross Road, Meader Lane, and Simons Lane. 

Saturday, 04/25/2020: Woodridge Road, Moharinet Way, Bartlett Road, Meserve Road, Fogg Drive, Mill Road, Worthen Road, Edendale Lane, Britton Lane, Carriage Way, Surrey Lane, and Griffith Drive.  

Saturday, 05/02/2020: Davis Avenue, Fairchild Drive, Rocky Lane, Adams Circle, Edgewood Road, Meadow Road, Maple Street, Madbury Road, Wood Road, Lundy Lane, Hampshire Avenue, Scotland Road, Tom Hall Road, and Emerson Road.   

Saturday, 05/09/2020: Durham Point Road, Deer Meadow Road, Fox Hill Road, Mathes Cove Road, Colony Cove Road, Edgerly–Garrison Road.  

Saturday, 05/16/2020: Stone Quarry Drive, Briggs Way, Riverview Road,  

Shearwater Street, Cormorant Circle, Morgan Way, Williams Way, Tirrell Place, and Cedar Point Road.  

The intent of this visit is to spread cheer by giving the kids and families something to look forward to as well as to let the community know that their emergency responders are still here and available to respond. Different neighborhoods will be visited each week. 

This event subject to change due to emergency or service responses. 

MOHARIMET COMMUNITY CAR PARADE SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 14TH 

Members of the Moharimet Elementary School community will be driving through neighborhoods on Tuesday, April 14th, starting after 3PM. Parents and teachers will be celebrating the district’s students, families, and the entire community. In an effort to reach as many neighborhoods as possible and to keep the amount of cars to a minimum, there will be multiple routes.

The three general routes will be (with off-shoot neighborhoods included when possible):

    - Lee Five Corners and Madbury through Hayes Rd. and Town Hall Rd.

    - Durham Point Rd. and Mill Rd.  

    - Perkins Rd., ORHS neighborhoods, Madbury Rd.

If the parade of cars comes through your neighborhood, feel free to celebrate with them. 

Please remember to follow all safety rules during this time: practice social distancing, stay in your own yard, and wave and cheer!  

BRIDGE PROJECT ADVANCEMENTS FOR STEVENS WOODS

The need for social distancing has shown many of us how incredibly lucky Durham Residents are to have easy access to miles of walking trails in the surrounding forests. To make the situation even better, a community effort is advancing construction of a pedestrian bridge linking the center  of Durham with the town's new property, Stevens 

Woods,  and with the miles of trails south of the Oyster River that lead to Doe Farm. 

A NH engineering firm has been selected to plan and supervise the initial planning work for the bridge. Next week their surveyors will be on site delineating the wetlands. On April 21st or 22nd a subcontractor will obtain data on the subsoils available for supporting the abutments. 

Even with all the distractions caused by the virus, it is still possible the bridge will be built before the end of the year. 

TICKS ARE NO JOKE AND SMALL TICKS ARE NOW ACTIVE – Take precautions to protect yourself and your family!

Just when you thought it was warm enough to venture outdoors again, health officials are warning that the number of Americans infected by mosquito, tick, and flea bites has more than tripled in recent years.

Tick-borne diseases like Lyme and Rocky Mountain spotted fever have been increasing in the Northeast, Upper Midwest and California, and mosquitoes may be carrying West Nile virus and, in some parts of the United States, Zika. 

The only flea-borne disease is the plague, but it, thankfully, is extremely rare!

There’s no magic pill or vaccine to prevent disease infections, but you can take steps to protect yourself and your family from bites — and it all starts with awareness according to Roni Caryn Rabin for the NY Times:

Cover up, even when it’s hot out

If you’re going hiking in Durham, wear long pants, long sleeves, shoes and socks, and tuck your pants into your socks to avoid any exposed skin around the ankles. Wear a hat. Treat clothes with insect repellant.

Use insect repellent on exposed skin

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency recommend using mosquito repellents that have as their active ingredient either DEET; picaridin; IR3535; oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD); or 2-undecanone. Only DEET, picaridin and IR3535 are effective agents against ticks

Check yourself for ticks after a walk in nature

Take a shower after your hike and check yourself for ticks. Make sure to feel your scalp under your hair, and check folds of skin, your private parts, behind your ears and behind your knees. Parents should check their children, and adults should have someone else check their backs. And look in your clothes for ticks.

TickSmart™ Tip #1: Dry clothes first, then wash.

Most ticks are VERY sensitive to dryness. The very first action to take after working in the yard is to strip clothing off and throw it in the dryer. Deer ticks are most susceptible, while American dog ticks, Lone Star ticks and other Amblyomma species are more robust. To be sure that each species achieves fatal crispiness, leave clothes in the dryer on high for 15 minutes.

Minimize exposure in your home and yard

Mosquitoes breed in fresh water and can reproduce in as little as a bottle cap full of water, so rid your yard and deck of empty flower pots, bird baths or bowls where water can accumulate. (If you keep a dog’s water bowl outside, empty and refresh it frequently). Make sure your window screens are intact — It doesn’t take a very big hole to let mosquitoes in.

Another surprisingly easy low-tech way to protect yourself from mosquitoes is to set up an electric fan on a table near your seating area. The breeze it creates disperses the human scents that draw female mosquitoes, and mosquitoes have a hard time flying into the wind.

DOWNESTER SERVICE TO BE SUSPENDED TEMPORARILY, EFFECTIVE MONDAY, APRIL 13TH 

The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority Board voted today to temporarily suspend Amtrak Downeaster passenger rail service, effective Monday, April 13, 2020. The suspension will remain in effect through at least April 30, 2020, which is the scheduled expiration date of Governor Mills’ Executive Order 28.

The Downeaster team has been working to balance public safety with public service and fiscal responsibility since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ridership has continued to decline as travel restrictions have grown, and this difficult decision was made in the best interest of the public. The Board, including MaineDOT, remains extremely supportive of the Downeaster and of the value it provides to our region. Efforts will be made to resume service as quickly as possible when feasible.

The Town of Durham's Ordinance Regulating Heavy Hauling will be in effect from Tuesday, March 15, 2020 at 12:01 AM, until Saturday, April 30, 2020 at 11:59 PM. 

The Durham Town Council has given the Director of Public Works authority to impose the load limit regulations before or after these dates if deemed necessary. Please be on the lookout for posted signs indicating the beginning of the restricted area(s). The Ordinance restricts hauling over six (6) tons on specific Class V roads within the Town of Durham. The roads affected, exempted hauling and other information is contained in Ordinance 96-02; Code of the Town of Durham, Chapter 153, section B and is available at the Durham Public Works Department, 100 Stone Quarry Drive, Durham or by calling (603) 868-5578.

A pleasant surprise greeted workers at the Durham post office. A local resident painted these "thank you" signs and posted them on Madbury and Cowell Roads. Best use of those political signs that were all over the town earlier in the year. Courtesy John Pacheco