Friday Updates - April 3, 2020

Friday, April 3, 2020

Pictured are Fire Captain Gary Kustra, FF Brendan O'Sullivan, and FF Arthur Boutin. Courtesy DFD

A PARADE OF FIRE TRUCKS MAY BE COMING TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TONIGHT OR ON ANOTHER NIGHT IN THE COMING DAYS - Durham Fire Neighborhood Lights

The Town of Durham’s available emergency services units will be conducting a rolling community visit through some of Durham’s neighborhoods tonight, April 3, 2020, between 6:00 and 7:00 PM. 

An apparatus parade will trail through the following streets twice: Buck’s Hill, Partridge-Berry Lane, Sumac Lane, Daisy Lane, Ambler Way, Gerrish Lane, Sophie Lane, Noble K. Peterson Drive, and Strout Lane. 

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 during the COVID-19 crisis. Different neighborhoods will be visited each week. 

This event subject to pending emergency or service responses. 

UPDATED COVID-19 COVER CASE INFORMATION FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE On Thursday, April 2, 2020, DHHS announced 64 new positive test results for COVID-19. There have now been 479 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in New Hampshire. The new cases are 42 adult females and 22 adult males. The new cases reside in Rockingham (17), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (12), Strafford (6), Merrimack (4), Cheshire (1), Grafton (1), and Sullivan (1) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (19) and Nashua (3).

Ten of the new cases were hospitalized for their illness; thus far, 73 (15%) of the 479 positive cases have been hospitalized. Thirty-seven of the new cases have no identified risk factors.

Community-based transmission continues to increase in the State and has been identified in all counties with cases. Most of the remaining cases have either had travel to domestic or international locations or have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.

DHHS has also announced the fifth death related to COVID-19. The person was a male resident of Hillsborough County under the age of 60 years old with underlying medical conditions. 

WHERE IS DURHAM CURRENTLY ON THE CENSUS COUNT? Have you completed your US Census questionnaire yet?

Well, Durham is coming in third at the moment with 40.3%, while Newmarket is at 44.3% and Dover at 46.5%.

With the current health emergency situation, it is easy to understand how completing the census is not a priority. However, I urge you to please understand how much we can do for our community if our government gets the complete and full census number of people living in our town. Durham will receive it’s fair share of federal funding for health care, education, infrastructure, fire, roads etc..

Here are the FIVE BIG reasons why you should fill out your census forms:

1. Help Your Community Thrive. Does your neighborhood have a lot of traffic congestion, elderly people living alone or over-crowded schools? Census numbers can help your community work out public improvement strategies. Non-profit organizations use census numbers to estimate the number of potential volunteers in communities across the nation. 
2. Get Help in Times of Need. Many 911 emergency systems are based on maps developed for the last census. Census information helps health providers predict the spread of disease through communities with children or elderly people. When floods, tornadoes or earthquakes hit, the census tells rescuers how many people will need their help. When Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida in 1992, census information aided the rescue effort by providing estimates of the number of people in each block. 
3. Make Government Work for You. It’s a good way to tell our leaders who we are and what we need. The numbers are used to help determine the distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal and state funds. We’re talking hospitals, highways, stadiums and school lunch programs. Using census numbers to support their request for a new community center, senior citizens in one New England community successfully argued their case before county commissioners. 
4. Reduce Risk for American Business. Because census numbers help industry reduce financial risk and locate potential markets, businesses are able to produce the products you want. “All the Basic Facts You Need to Know to Start a New Business,” a publication of the Massachusetts Department of Commerce, shows small businesses how to use census numbers to determine the marketability of new products. 
5. Help Yourself and Your Family. Individual records are held confidential for 72 years, but you can request a certificate from past censuses that can be used as proof to establish your age, residence or relationship, information that could help you qualify for a pension, establish citizenship or obtain an inheritance. In 2072, your great-grandchildren may want to use census information to research family history. Right now, your children may be using census information to do their homework.

HELP BUILD A NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ON THE MERRICK EASEMENT: $2,279 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.

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.

US postal carrier John Pacheco submitted the above photo of a chalk drawing on a driveway at Mill Pond Road created by Corinna Sietz.

MESSAGE FROM THE US POSTAL SERVICE CONCERNING COVID-19

The US Postal Service has released a statement concerning the COVID-19 virus. Part of the full statement reads:

"To reduce health risks, we are temporarily modifying customer signature capture procedures. While maintaining a safe, appropriate distance, employees will request the customer’s first initial and last name so that the employee can enter the information on the electronic screen or hard copy items such as return receipts, PS Forms 3811 and 3829. For increased safety, employees will politely ask the customer to step back a safe distance or close the screen door/door so that they may leave the item in the mail receptacle or appropriate location by the customer door."

View the statement in its entirety HERE.

FRIENDLY REMINDER TO LICENSE YOUR DOG BY APRIL 30, 2020 - Attention all dog owners!

This is friendly reminder to all dog owners that they must license their dogs by April 30, 2020. Residents are automatically entered into the town’s first annual Top Dog raffle if they register their dogs on time. The gift basket currently includes over $225 of donations and gift cards from the Yellow Dog Barn, Oyster River Veterinary Hospital, Take Five Dogcare, LLC, and Great Bay Kennel. The raffle will be held in May 2020. The Town Clerk’s Office would like to extend a big thank you to all of our local businesses that contributed to the gift basket. 

Please note that the Town Clerk’s Office is closed to the public at this time, but you may complete your dog license registration online, by mail or through the Town Hall’s drop box. If you are not renewing online or if this is your first time registering your dog in Durham, please make a check payable to the “Town of Durham” and mail it to the Town Clerk at 8 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH 03824. Spayed and neutered dogs are $7.50 each and non-altered dogs are $10.00 each. Your dog’s rabies vaccination must be current in order to receive a license.

Another thank you sign located at the entrance to the Durham Historic Association on Main Street. Courtesy DCAT Studios