Friday Updates - August 11, 2017

                    NEWS & HAPPENINGS...

Friday, August 11, 2017

Youngsters participating in the Durham Parks and Recreateion summer program, Camp REACH, hiked to the top of Mount Agamenticus earlier this week. Mount Agamenticus, located in York, ME, is known for its unique trail system and rich natural resources. Courtesy Durham P&R

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The doldrums of summer have finally arrived.  Enjoy the beautiful weather and relaxing days.

PARKS & RECREATION SUMMER SPLASH POTLUCK PICNIC MOVED TO SUNDAY, AUGUST 13

The Durham Parks and Recreation and Committee Summer Splash event, originally set for Saturday, August 12, has been MOVED to Sunday, August 13 from 6 - 9PM.

Residents are invited to the UNH outdoor pool for a fun night out with others from the community! Enjoy live music, a potluck style picnic dinner, and family fun in and around the pool!! This is a FREE community event for all ages. Please visit HERE to register for the potluck.

2017 HOUSEHOLD ENERGY SURVEY

The Durham Energy Committee requests your participation in a short online survey. Due to a lower than expected response rate, we are sending the link around again, so if you participated earlier this summer, THANK YOU! If you didn't, we would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to provide feedback about how your household renewable energy use and opinion on state and regional questions of energy policy and practice.

This survey helps the Durham Energy Committee to meet its commitment to survey resident needs and guide future Town activities regarding our collective energy use. If you have any questions about the survey or are interested in serving on the Energy Committee, please contact us at dec@ci.durham.nh.us

Take the 2017 Household Energy Survey HERE.

You may have seen signs in Durham and surrounding towns promoting Energize 360 (http://energize360.org/), which is an effort undertaken by the Durham Energy Committee in collaboration with other towns' energy committees to promote a comprehensive approach to conserving energy.

Residents are guided through the process of apply energy efficiency technologies as well as generating electricity at their homes through the use of rooftop or ground mounted solar panels. We encourage you to check it out after you complete the survey. If you have any questions about either the survey or Energize 360, please contact the Energy Committee at dec@ci.durham.nh.us.

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER, 2017

The Town Council meeting dates for September will be Monday, September 11 and Monday, September 18, 2017.

ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE CLOSED NEXT WEEK
Due to vacation scheduling, the Administrator's Office will be closed next week, August 14-18, 2017. The office will reopen on Monday, August 21, 2017.

NO "FRIDAY UPDATES" PUBLICATION ON AUGUST 18, 2017

There will be no "Friday Updates" publication on Friday, August 18, 2017. The next publication will occur on Friday, August 25, 2017

A half mile accessible trail, built by AMC for the Town, leads from the Oyster River Forest trailhead to Spruce Hole Bog. Courtesy Ellen Snyder

DURHAM LAND STEWARDSHIP SUBCOMMITTEE WEEKLY REPORT (By Ellen Snyder, Durham Land Stewardship Coordinator)

Sustainable and Accessible Trails
At the Oyster River Forest volunteers are working with trails professional Lew Shelley, Snowhawk LLC, to restore and improve the Oyster River Trail that connects to College Woods. The next volunteer work day is set for Saturday, September 9th where we will build four bridges, paint new trail blazes, brush and clear sections of trail. No experience is necessary and all tools and gloves provided. Come for the morning or stay the whole day. If interested, please sign up through The Stewardship Network: New England for either a 9:00 am - 3:30 pm or 9:00 am - 12:00 pm shift, by clicking HERE. For more information contact ellensnyder1@gmail.com.

This week Ellen Snyder attended a workshop on Creating Sustainable Recreational Trails for All, hosted by NH Division of Forests and Lands and Parks and Recreation, UNH Cooperative Extension, and The US Forest Service. We learned how to build hiking/walking trails that are well-designed, sustainable, low maintenance, and accessible to all. Considerations include trail surfaces that are firm and stable, using either the natural soil base or bringing in a mixture of small gravel and soil (1/2 inch hardpack). This surface allows ease of travel for walkers, skiers, strollers, walkers, wheelchairs, and mountain bikes. Although often free and lightweight, wood chips are the least desirable for a trail surface as they are unstable, hold moisture, and decompose. Drainage is key for all trails. The Appalachian Mountain Club built a sustainable and accessible trail at the Oyster River Forest that leads from the trailhead to Spruce Hole Bog. Many resources are available for trail design, construction, and funding. For more information please contact ellensnyder1@gmail.com.

NEW PARKING PAYMENT SYSTEM COMING TO DURHAM FOR DOWNTOWN PAY AND DISPLAY METERS
Durham has entered into an agreement with EasyPark, which is a comprehensive easy-to-use electronic parking payment system that provides a solution for drivers - paying for the exact period of time parked and receiving parking reports on usage and proceeds. This system will allow EasyPark holders to pay via the device for parking not only in Durham, but in Dover and Portsmouth as well.

The core of the EasyPark system lies in a “durable, adaptable, contactless, multi-application in-vehicle device.” Once a person purchases the EasyPark device either online or at the Dover Parking Services located at 46 Locust Street, funds can be loaded onto the device by using https://www.easyparkusa.com/home which eliminates the necessity to get out of one's vehicle to pay at the kiosk, get the receipt and return to the vehicle to place the receipt on the dashboard. Once a person arrive at a parking spot they turn on the EasyPark device, which will immediately display the balance on the device. Then choose the parking zone that will be displayed on the kiosk to find out the time limit and the hourly parking rate. The parker then place the EasyPark device on the window or dashboard so parking inspectors can easily locate it.

As stated, residents interested in this device can purchase the device in Dover at Dover Parking Services. View more information HERE which will provide data about the device and how it works.

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES AT DURHAM PD
Work at the police department this week was focused upon installing plumbing and preparing the foundation for pouring of the concrete floor for the “sally port” where cruisers will drive into the building as well as the booking and interview area which are also being relocated into the addition area. Back filling the foundation walls and preparing the added parking area for paving next week will be completed today. For Chief Kurz and his staff, this is the slow phase of the construction where progress is barely seen but with the awareness that it is an important phase where the infrastructure is critically important for the rest of the construction. This too shall change once the steel skeleton is installed and the framing commences next week.

FOOD FRIENDLY YARDS TOUR ON FARM DAY, SATURDAY, AUGUST 19TH

Please join the Agricultural Commission for the Food Friendly Yards Tour on Farm Day, Saturday August 19th. The walking tour starts at the corner of Madbury Rd. and Wood Road at 119 Madbury Road and visits 3 yards. The tour features raised beds, mushroom gardens, edible landscaping, chickens, and a wood fired cob oven. There will be a scavenger hunt for children and an opportunity to taste food harvested from residents' gardens.
 

Pre-registration required. Contact Theresa Walker at 603-659-7226, theresawalker@comcast.net to register. Parking on Wood Road.

DURHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT FULL-TIME POLICE OFFICER

The Durham, New Hampshire Police Department is seeking qualified applicants to establish a list for the position of full-time Police Officer. The applicant selected to serve as Police Officer will provide law enforcement and community-oriented services to this diverse Seacoast/University community.

Officers patrol an assigned area for the purpose of crime prevention and law enforcement. Duties include but are not limited to the investigation of crimes; identification/apprehension of offenders; traffic enforcement and the provision of emergency services. Candidates must have the ability to exercise good judgment, common sense, and discretion, and be able to analyze situations quickly and objectively. Applicants must be able to make decisions under pressure.

Applicants must be 21 years old by the anticipated date of appointment. Applicants must be a high school graduate or hold a GED; Bachelor Degrees from an accredited college or university are preferred. Applicants must have completed the Great Bay Police Testing Alliance written test list OR be a certified police officer in this or any other state accepted by the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council. Great Bay test participants may participate as long as they provide proof of their test score and the date the test was taken. Visible Tattoos will disqualify a candidate automatically.

Females and Minorities are encouraged to apply.

The anticipated date of appointment for this selection process is January 1, 2018. This date is subject to change.

Letter of Interest, Professional Resume and Town of Durham Employment Application must be received by:  Capt. David Holmstock by 5:00 PM, Friday, August 25, 2017
at: Durham Police Department, 86 Dover Road, Durham, New Hampshire 03824.

The Durham Police Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

MORE PHONE SCAMS
Residents may be seeing more caller ID indicating that the caller is local from the “868” start of the phone number. One resident notified the Durham Police that she received a call from an area resident upset that the resident had been calling her. When the resident stated that she did not know the caller, the caller stated that the resident’s “868” number was being displayed on the repeated calls to her home.

What the Durham Police have learned is that there is now technology that allows scammers to fake or “spoof” caller ID information. They have the ability to make it appear that they are calling from a different place or phone number.

Scammers use this trick as a way to get around call-blocking and hide from law enforcement. They hope you’ll be curious enough to pick up. If you don’t know the number, wait for the call to go to voice mail before identifying the person calling you. If there is no response, you “spoofed” them! The real callers could be calling from anywhere in the world.

Previous "Friday Updates" have discussed these kinds of tricks before where scammers pretend to be the IRS and faked caller ID so people thought it really was the IRS calling.

It is sad that things are to the point where residents cannot answer their phone but the best strategy if you don’t know the number that displays is to wait for the voicemail.

5TH ANNUAL DURHAM FARM DAY - Saturday, August 19th, 10am - 4pm 

August 19th is the 5th Annual Durham Farm Day, 10am - 4pm, rain or shine! Pre-registration is required for the tours of UNH Woodman Farm, beginning at 10am and 11am, and for the Food Friendly Yards Tour, which begins at 1pm. Please contact Theresa Walker to register, theresawalker@comcast.net or 659-7226. View the full list of activities HERE.

DHA SUMMER SATURDAYS AT THE MUSEUM

The Durham Historic Association is hosting “Summer Saturdays at the Museum,"  where every Saturday afternoon 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. throughout the summer visitors may explore Durham’s history in eight chronological periods from the 17th century to the present in air-conditioned comfort.  The museum is located on the second floor of the old brick Town Hall/District Court building at the traffic light on the corner.

GENERAL SULLIVAN HOUSE OPEN TO PUBLIC - SATURDAY, AUGUST 12

The General Sullivan house, 21 Newmarket Road, will be open to the public on Saturday, August 12, 2017 from 1 - 4PM to celebrate its 300th birthday. It was purchased in August of 1717 by Parson Hugh Adams. "(It) was then a new house." History of Strafford County, John Scales 1914

Courtesy Barbara Dill

FUTURE LAND USE SUBCOMMITTEE CONTINUES TO SEEK FEEDBACK

The Durham Land Use Committee is seeking more input from town residents to help in the development of the Future Land Use Master Plan. Please click on this email – durhamnhforum@gmail.com - and answer these two questions about your vision for Durham ten years from now:

• What do you hope will stay the same?
• What should be different?

Please also give your first name and your age.

Alternatively, you can note your responses to these questions on posters placed around town at Town Hall, the Durham Public Library, Young’s Restaurant, the Durham Community Church, St. George’s Church, and St. Thomas More Church. Thank you!

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY - Morning of Saturday September 30, 2017
The 2017 Household Hazardous Waste Day will be held at the Department of Public Works facility located at 100 Stone Quarry Drive. As in the past, all hazardous waste will be collected by appointment only, between 8-11:30AM. To register, you must call the Department of Public Works at 868-5578 or e-mail publicworks@ci.durham.nh.us. Remember - The MAXIMUM COLLECTED PER HOUSEHOLD IS FIVE GALLONS.

NO EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS, RADIOACTIVE WASTE, ASBESTOS,
SILVEX OR INFECTIOUS/BIOLOGICAL WASTE WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Consider reducing your purchase of products with hazardous ingredients; read labels thoroughly. Use and store products containing hazardous substances carefully to prevent any accidents at home. Never store hazardous products in anything other than their original containers and never remove labels. Never mix HHW with other products. Incompatible products might react, ignite, or explode, and contaminated HHW might become un-recyclable. Remember to follow any instructions for use and disposal provided on product labels.

NOT ACCEPTED AT HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY- LATEX AND OIL BASED PAINTS, MOTOR OIL, AND ANTI-FREEZE. These items can be brought up to the Transfer Station with your permit throughout the year. Latex paints must be dried out first, motor oil, anti-freeze and oil based paints can go up as is. Typically, hazardous waste is categorized as toxic, ignitable, corrosive, reactive or otherwise hazardous. Please check the manufacturer’s label.

EXAMPLE OF COMMON HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE ITEMS

DURHAM FARMERS’ MARKET OPEN MONDAY AFTERNOONS AT JACKSON’S LANDING
The Seacoast Growers Association is operating the Durham Farmers’ Market on Mondays at Jackson’s Landing, 10 Old Piscataqua Road, from 2:15 – 6 PM. The season officially opened June 5th.