Friday Updates - August 11, 2023

Friday, August 11, 2023

A recent aerial shot of Wagon Hill Farm taken by DCAT Coordinator, Craig Stevens

LIGHTNING STRIKES CAUSE DAMAGE TO HOMES - No injuries reported

Multiple lighting strikes hit the Emerson Rd., Littlehale Rd. and Fitts Farm Drive neighborhoods at about 2:30 PM last Friday. Most of the damage was concentrated in homes at the upper end of Fitts Farm Drive with one home and a pole mounted transformer being hit. The transformer was destroyed, and a fire was ignited in a wall of the home. The fire was promptly extinguished by the Durham Fire Department. A small section of wall in a second home was also cut open due to visible smoke. Fortunately, it never really caught fire. 

The lightning surge or surges traveled in the gas and water pipes into several homes at the upper end of Fitts Farm Drive. Gas was promptly shut off when holes were found in several gas pipes inside homes. Electrical surge damage was also present in homes on Littlehale and Emerson Roads. Several water meters, gas pipes, generator control systems, receptacles, a sump pump, a microwave oven, garage door openers, an irrigation control system and other items were damaged or destroyed.

All homes on Fitts Farm Rd. were inspected by the fire department. Several homes were reinspected by the Durham Fire Marshal and Durham Electrical Inspector when the power comes back on at about 6 PM. No one was injured and damage should be relatively easy to repair. 

A big thank you to all participating in this multi-home incident - Durham and Lee fire departments, Unitil, Eversource, McGregor EMS, Mechanical Inspector Dick Kearney, Electrical Inspector Tom Richardson and two technicians from Generator Connection. Durham Fire was the lead agency in-charge for this complex incident.  

This past Sunday, August 6, marked the 25th anniversary of the death of John Hatch (1919 to 1998), one of Durham’s most illustrious and beloved residents. He was a remarkable artist, having produced fanciful murals (including those of Durham in the Durham Community Church and the house at 1 Durham Point Road, and one of Rochester in the cafeteria at Frisbie Memorial Hospital), a stained glass window at UNH, the diorama of Durham in the Town Hall lobby, and countless paintings. His late wife Maryanna Hatch was one of the founders of the Riverwoods retirement development in Exeter. Both John and Maryanna were active in the life of the Durham community, having served on various boards, over many years. He received the New Hampshire Living Treasure Award from the governor in 1997.

NH DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE TO MONITOR 2023 REVALUATION

As part of the 2023 property revaluation, the Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) will be monitoring the work completed by Municipal Resources, Inc., the company hired by the Town of Durham to perform the full revaluation.

One phase of the monitoring process is to randomly select property record cards and review them for data accuracy ie. building dimensions, construction details, etc. 

During the week of August 14, Allison Auger, Real Property Appraiser, and an assistant from the DRA will be visiting properties in Durham to perform this task. They will have photo identification and will be driving a State of NH vehicle (Black Ford Focus) that has the State of NH emblem on the side of the car.

If you have any questions, please contact the Durham Assessor’s Office at (603) 868-8064.      

August 19th is Farm Day, rain or shine! The Durham and Lee Agricultural Commissions invite you to the 10th Annual Farm Day, featuring farms across Durham and Lee. Free and family friendly activities, information on backyard food production, behind the scenes farm tours, and much more. Download a full list of the events by clicking HERE.

DO YOU NEED TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN DURHAM OR CHANGE YOUR PARTY AFFILIATION?

The Supervisors of the Checklist will hold the following session for the purpose of accepting new voters and for making changes in party, address, or name:

Monday, August 21, 2023  7:00 – 7:30 PM     Durham Town Hall

Applicants for registration should bring with them proofs of identity, age, citizenship, and domicile (in Durham). Driver’s license and passport are helpful. Affidavits may be signed under oath if proofs are lacking. 

Keep in mind that our next election in Durham will be a primary (Presidential Primary). New Hampshire has not yet announced that date, but it could be as early as January. Party changes MUST be made before the filing period opens, which will probably be in early November. To check your current party registration, click HERE. You may get a frowny face but scroll down to find your party affiliation and polling place. You can easily change your party affiliation (Republican, Democrat, or Undeclared) by visiting the Town Clerk’s office and asking to fill out a “change of party” form or by coming to the above Supervisor Session.

If you are registered as Undeclared at the time of a Primary, you will be asked to choose either a Republican or Democratic ballot. You will then become a member of that party until you request to be returned to Undeclared. You will have a chance to do that as you leave the polls that day, or you may do it any other day in the Town Clerk’s office up until about 90 days before the next Primary.

This is also a good time for recent high school graduates to consider registering to vote if they think they will want to vote in Durham in 2024, either in person or absentee. You may register to vote AS LONG AS you will be 18 by the next election (Presidential Primary).

THE LAND STEWARDSHIP SUBCOMMITTEE NEEDS YOUR HELP! - Fill out a questionnaire on Wiswall Dam and John Hatch Park

Have you visited Wiswall Dam and John Hatch Park (outlined in purple on map above)? If so, please help the Land Stewardship Subcommittee learn more about your experience by completing a short questionnaire. You will find the link to the questionnaire at the website HERE.

Thank you! The Land Stewardship Subcommittee

DID YOU KNOW? - TRASH 2 TREASURE

Trash 2 Treasure (T2T) is a Sustainability Institute program at UNH organized by students with the mission of assisting students, the university and the local community in reducing waste. 

T2T collects large quantities of furniture and dorm items from students at the end of each school year to recycle or resell at discounted prices the following fall. Since its inception, T2T has saved students over half a million dollars in back-to-school expenses and diverted over 174 tons of waste from entering landfills. 

Get your move-in checklist done and make an impact! Come to the Trash 2 Treasure (T2T) sale!

August 24, 25, 26 -- All day in the MUB, Granite State Room

Gently used fridges, small furniture, mirrors, lamps, storage drawers, clothing, dishes, and kitchen items, and more at super low prices!

Source: unh.edu

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee

Questions about recycling or composting? Email us at Durhamrecycles603@gmail.com

Not sure if an item can be recycled? Check out this site to find out: www.recyclesmartma.org

Want to know more about the Swap Shop?  Find out HERE.

The Durham Professional Firefighters Local #2253 would like to introduce Smokey the Fire Dog. Smokey will give short tips on Fire Safety, weekly so Parents and guardians can generate conversation with their children about Fire Safety. Keep an eye out in the weekly updates These small questions and tips are a great way for you as a Parent to teach your kids about Fire Safety, the more they know the safer they will be.

WEEK #31

Summertime means camping! For some helpful safety tips on camping, click HERE.

Do you have a child starting Kindergarten at Mast Way or Moharimet this fall? Come meet classmates at these summer 2023 playground events hosted by Oyster River Parents and Preschoolers and the Oyster River Alumni Association. Siblings Welcome!

Moharimet Kindergarten Meet-Up:

Saturday August 19th 10am-12pm at Moharimet Playground, 11 Lee Rd, Madbury

Mast Way Kindergarten Meet-Up:

Saturday August 19th 10am-12pm at Mast Way Playground, 23 Mast Rd, Lee

Please also join the (private) "Oyster River Class of 2036" Facebook group by clicking HERE.

Email the organizers at: rskoysterriver@gmail.com

For more information, please click HERE.