Friday, August 2, 2024

Courtesy, Internet

The Paris Olympics are in full swing! Ever wonder how the five Olympic rings came to be and what they stand for? Check out this great, short YouTube video HERE to answer all your questions.

The Durham Historic Association regrets to announce that the annual picnic meeting planned for this weekend is canceled because the weather forecast is unfavorable again. The DHA very much looks forward to sponsoring at another time a picnic meeting with a presentation by Diana Carroll about Margery and Lorus Milne, the Keepers of the Swans, and their gift to Durham of the Milne Nature Sanctuary. Thank you for your understanding.

WATER AND SEWER BILLS DUE BY AUGUST 23, 2024

The 3rd installment for the 2024 Water and Sewer bills are due on Friday, August 23, 2024. The 2024 Water and Sewer rates are: W=$10.61 per 100 CF and S= $10.31 per 100 CF. Mailings Unlimited, the company that the Town of Durham hires to print and mail out bills, printed the old rates on the 3rd installment billing. Despite the misprint, the 3rd installment bills were calculated using the 2024 rates and the total amount due is correct. 

Additionally, Mailings Unlimited accidentally inserted the wrong return envelopes in about half of the bills that were sent out. Please do not use any envelopes with the Town of Durham, 630 Hollowell Rd, Maine, 04222 printed on them. If you are unsure if you received the wrong envelop and you already mailed your bill, we will retrieve your payment for you. Town Clerk-Tax Collector Rachel Deane has contacted Mailings Unlimited and was reassured that any payment sent to Maine will be returned to Durham in a timely manner. As usual, the Durham Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s Office will honor the original post mark for all bills received by mail. Please contact Rachel Deane at EMAIL: rdeane@ci.durham.nh.us or PH: 603-868-5577 if you have any questions. 

Water & Sewer bills are sent four times a year (January, April, July, and October) and are due 30 days after the bill date. Bills may be paid by cash, check, or credit card. Additional fees apply for credit cards. Payments are accepted in person, online, by mail, or in the Town Hall drop box. The Town Clerk-Tax Collector's Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm. For your convenience, the office will be open from 8am-6pm on Monday, August 5, 2024.

SEACOAST COMMUNITY POWER COMMUNITIES LAUNCH GREEN ENERGY CHALLENGE TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE 

The towns of Durham, Newmarket, and Exeter, along with the cities of Dover and Portsmouth, are challenging each other to see which community’s residents can do the most to fight climate change.

Specifically, the municipalities are launching a friendly competition to see which town can convince the highest percentage of customers of their community power programs to “opt-up” to greener (generated by from more renewable sources) electricity choices.

All the cities and towns are members of the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH), which is now the default source of electricity supply for their residents and small businesses. Each town or city’s Community Power program offers green energy options not available in the past through Eversource or Unitil.

Durham customers can pay a bit more to choose Clean 50 (50% renewables) or Clean 100 (100% renewables). The default mix for Durham customers beginning with the August 1st meter cycle is Granite Plus (33% renewables).

CPCNH uses the rate premiums to buy Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) creating more demand for RECs on the energy market that in turn encourages more investments in renewable energy production projects.

Durham’s Climate Action Plan from 2022 establishes a course of action for local efforts toward a reduction in GHG emissions of 2019 levels by 42.8% by 2030 and achieving zero emissions by 2050. Because the Built Environment and Transportation sectors represent around 93% of Durham’s overall emissions, the faster we can move electrical consumption to renewable sources, the more rapidly we can move the needle on lowering local emissions.

May the greenest community win!

The Community Church Steeple Campaign raised $22,710 with donations from fifty-eight individuals and several community organizations! With this, we will be able to repair and maintain this historic icon of Durham.

The Community Church extends a thank you to each of its community and individual donors, and to residents for sharing the information with friends. This support increases the project's eligibility for a grant from the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. 

The Church extends a thank you for financial contributions from:

• An anonymous organization
• Durham Great Bay Rotary
• Durham Business Association
• Friends in Action
• Hannaford's charity of the month
• Tideline and the food trucks: Tim's BBQ, Up Street, Local Lunch Box and Local Dough for contributing 10% of their proceeds received at our campaign dinner.

And a thank you for letters of support from the:

• Durham Historic Association
• New Hampshire Preservation Alliance
• Town of Durham.

The Community Church of Durham appreciates the participation and enthusiasm of the Durham Community.

DURHAM HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ENDORSES AN AMENDED RESOLUTION DEALING WITH THE MAY 1st EVENTS ON THE UNH CAMPUS 

At the meeting of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) this week on July 30, members of the board reviewed and endorsed an amended draft resolution pertaining to the events that took place on the UNH campus on May 1st.  Town Councilors Burton, Register, and Friedrichs created an initial draft for presentation to the HRC, which was amended by Admin. Selig, Councilor Register, and then by the Human Rights Commission.

To watch the HRC meeting from July 30 on DCAT On Demand, please click HERE. 

To review endorsed resolution, please click HERE.

The resolution will come before the Town Council for discussion and possible adoption on August 12, 2024.

The Durham Historic District/Heritage Commission recognized Scott and Karen Letourneau Thursday night (Karen was not able to attend) for their outstanding adaptive reuse of the Old Town Hall into Tideline Public House. 

The Letourneaus lived in Bend, Oregon before moving to Durham. They observed the thriving food truck culture there and borrowed the best of what they had seen in producing Tideline Public House. The interior includes a tavern and restaurant on two levels, a retail store, meeting rooms, and a short-term rental facility. Outside, they converted a parking lot and two outbuildings into a remarkable food truck emporium, installing Town water and sewer, electricity, and propane to seven pads where food truck operators can simply drive up and connect; burying power lines and adding attractive fencing, flowers, lighting, and paving; hiring Pele Harrison to paint a fanciful mural on the walls inside; and generally constructing an inviting atmosphere that is drawing visitors from all over the Seacoast.

Two separate houses composing the main building were erected in the late 19th century. The Town of Durham purchased the houses in the 1970s, added an ell in the middle, and converted the building into a Town Hall. Applied Geosolutions, a spatial information services consulting firm, bought the property in 2015 and completed an extensive renovation using the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (the only use of this powerful preservation tool in Durham to date). The Letourneaus acquired the site in 2022.

AN UPDATE FROM DURHAM’S HOUSING TASK FORCE

Like many communities across the country, Durham is wrestling with the housing challenge. In New Hampshire, there are not enough housing units, housing is very expensive, and there are generally not a lot of choices for types of housing. The issue is acute for people with low and moderate incomes including those in the workforce who are starting out in their careers or are in positions that are not highly compensated: teachers, daycare workers, nurses, other healthcare workers, firefighters, police officers, tradespeople, retail workers, and others. In addition, current residents who have an interest in downsizing have very limited choices in Durham. The 2015 Durham Master Plan calls for increasing housing opportunities and the Town Council has charged the Durham Housing Task Force with examining this issue.

Housing costs have increased at a much greater rate than incomes over the past 25 years. Durham has become prohibitively expensive for many who might have been able to afford a home here in the past. For those who work in Durham, people are now commuting longer distances from more affordable towns such as Farmington, Milton, and New Durham. The situation has adverse effects on the environment (contributing to a greater carbon footprint), the economy and diversity and vitality within communities. 

In the past, particularly prior to World War II, a variety of housing types developed organically to meet the wide range of needs in a community: single family houses on narrow town lots, estate houses, row-houses, duplexes, triplexes and the vaunted New England triple decker, small courtyard apartments, accessory dwelling units, cottage courts composed of small units clustered together, and apartments over stores. The marketplace supported the creation of these housing types and they seemed to mix in a harmonious manner. Looking at pictures of historical towns or cities, you see such structures everywhere.

Unfortunately, for various reasons, including the restrictions imposed by zoning, this is no longer the case, especially with housing for people of limited incomes where the costs of development are not covered by rents. In considering the costs of providing housing “The five L’s” impact affordability: land, labor, lumber (i.e. materials), lending (i.e. financing) and laws (zoning, in particular).

In recent years Durham has added numerous large student housing projects, large senior projects, and expensive single-family houses. The Housing Task Force hopes to facilitate the creation of other types of housing to accommodate a broader mix of residents. Look for further updates on housing in Friday Updates in the coming months.

TOWN COUNCIL SCHEDULES PUBLIC HEARING ON POTENTIALLY AMENDING THE “SERVICE-CONNECTED TOTAL DISABILITY TAX CREDIT” AND ADOPTING THE “ALL VETERANS’ TAX CREDIT.”

Due to the increase in property assessments from the 2023 revaluation and cost-of-living increases, the Service-Connected Total Disability Credit for those Veterans who are totally and permanently disabled needs to be reviewed and possibly revised. Additionally, the All-Veterans’ Tax Credit should be reviewed and possibly adopted.

In 2023, the Town of Durham increased the exemption amount for disabled persons who are not Veterans from $110,000 to $175,000. Using the current tax rate of $20.48, this exemption amount calculates to an exemption of $3,584 in property taxes ($175,000/1,000 x $20.84).  

Currently, the Veteran tax credit for Veterans who are totally and permanently disabled is $2,500.

The Town of Durham last updated the Veterans Tax Credit for Veterans who are totally and permanently disabled on August 16, 2021, from $2,000 to $2,500. Between 2021 and the current data for 2024, the inflation rate based upon the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased 20.1%. Additionally, because of the 2023 revaluation, property assessments for single family homes have increased an average of 48%. Due to these changes, it is time to review, discuss, and potentially revise the Veterans Tax Credit for Veterans who are totally and permanently disabled as deemed necessary.

The All-Veterans’ Tax Credit, RSA 72:28-b, went into law effective August 8, 2016. This law allows for Veterans who did not serve during active war time to still be eligible to receive a credit on their property taxes. These Veterans are typically referred to as “gap” Veterans. To evaluate the impact on the Town, data from the New Hampshire Employment Security agency and the Housing Assistance Council has been analyzed to infer an estimated number of “gap” Veterans. From these calculations an estimated 72 “gap” Veterans may be eligible to receive this credit.

Typically, Durham is compared to nine different Seacoast cities and towns. When comparing these cities and towns, only three have yet to adopt the All-Veterans’ Tax Credit. Due to this, it is time to review, discuss and possibly adopt the All-Veterans’ Tax Credit.

It should be noted that any increase to the Service-Connected Total Disability Credit and the possible adoption of the All-Veterans’ Tax Credit would have an effective date of April 1, 2025.

At its meeting on July 15, 2024, the Town Council scheduled a Public Hearing for these items for their meeting on Monday, August 12, 2024. The estimated tax impact on the full tax rate would be approximately $.02 each. 

Presently, the Town of Durham has not appropriated any additional monies to cover any additional tax credits as estimated by the adoption of RSA 72:28-b All Veteran’s Tax Credit or for increasing the total and permanent disabled veteran tax credit. If approved/adopted, monies will be appropriated for the 2025 town budget.

There are myriad areas in which Durham and UNH collaborate with one another. Residents may find the list below of general interest:

• The University and Town, in coordination with NHDOT, have secured federal funding for the upgrade of the NH 155A/Main/Mast junction to more safely accommodate traffic and transit system operations.  Design will start this winter. A preferred alternative at this point is a roundabout, which would accommodate traffic more safely and reduce vehicle queuing/emissions;
• The UNH Wildcat and Campus Connector Transit systems continue with full service this coming year. UNH continues to offer free service to all on the Durham based Campus Connector system.  In FY 24-25, UNH will be modifying the route of the West Edge Express Connector to navigate Madbury Rd. and Garrison Ave. (as opposed to Pettee Brook Loop) to provide more transit access for the increasing numbers of private and fraternity/sorority residents along the corridor – reducing the temptation to use private vehicles for trips to campus;
• Durham and UNH continue to collaborate across our two Traffic Safety Committees and this fiscal year are moving to implement the findings of the 2023-2024 pedestrian safety report completed by the engineering firm Tighe & Bond.  This will result in upgraded pedestrian crosswalks, signage, and lighting, which will be implemented in phases over the next several years. Residents will note the new RRFB crossing systems on Church Hill, at 66 Main Street, and shortly in front of Town Hall and at Young Drive;
• The Town has representation on the UNH Transportation Policy Committee, chaired by VP Ken Holmes.  The Committee continues its efforts to manage UNH parking and transportation demand management policies and respond to the changing dynamics of transportation and parking needs in Durham. UNH also has representation on Durham’s administrative Traffic Safety Committee. 
• UNH and Durham remain active supporters of the Amtrak Downeaster service. UNH contributes approximately $30k/year to cover Amtrak and required NNEPRA insurance coverages and CSX easements for the service stop in Durham.  Durham owns/maintains the RR Trestle under which the platform is located. Later this year, UNH will begin the FTA funded $1M renovation of the north end of the station.  This completion of the station renovations and expansion will result in easier access and expanded ridership.  The station is in its 113th year of service to Durham and is a major selling point for both Durham and UNH;
• UNH has been successful in applying for and, with the Town’s full support, being awarded over $5M in Federal Transit Administration funding to support replacement of transit fleet and the improvement of alternative fuel systems.  UNH is currently in final design for upgrade of the CNG fuel station and hopes to issue an RFP for selection of a consultant(s) to assist with transit fleet electrification in the next nine months.   UNH has committed to moving forward with CNG and electric transit fleet.  UNH has purchased its last diesel-powered transit vehicle and believes it is on-track to retiring diesel powered buses (biodiesel) in the next decade, which will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from UNH and Durham;
• UNH Sustainability and Transportation Services continue to manage the Cat Trax Bike Share program (50% funded by Durham) – which is a community-based bike share program open to all, including both townspeople and residents/faculty/staff/visitors of the campus. The University also has departmental bikes available for sponsorship;
• UNH continues to host ZipCar car sharing on campus and Durham provides spaces off campus as the program scales up;
• UNH and Durham actively participate in the Strafford Regional Planning and Strafford MPO, which coordinate regional efforts and are the gatekeepers for federal USDDOT and other agency funding.

COASTAL ACCESS MAPS AVAILABLE AT TOWN HALL OR LIBRARY

The Town has received Coastal Access Maps that are now available to the public. 

These maps were put together by the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and other conservation groups. The map includes 90 locations showing boat ramps, fishing spots, walking trails, picnic areas, and swimming locations along the New Hampshire coast; in Great Bay, Little Bay, and the Oyster River in and around Durham; and in the tidal portions of the Piscataqua, Salmon Falls, Bellamy, Lamprey, and Squamscott Rivers. 

You can pick up a free map at the Town Clerk’s office or at the Library, or you can download the pdf version HERE.

Did you know the UNH Cat Trax Bike Share program is available to the community of Durham AND you can ride for free? It's an app-based system; and bikes can be rented from, and returned to, any public bike rack in Durham. The UNH Sustainability Institute, in partnership with the Durham Public Library, is hosting a Pop-Up Cat Trax Information Session at the Durham Public Library on Saturday, August 10th from 10am-2pm. Come on by to learn more about the Cat Trax program and for a live demonstration of renting a bike! 

DURHAM SWAP SHOP REQUEST

The Linda H. Hollister Swap Shop is looking to replace some 6-foot plastic display tables. If you have one to donate, please drop it off at the Swap Shop or email durhamnhswapshop@gmail.com the location of where to pick it up.

Swap Shop Reminders:

• DIRTY and BROKEN items, especially small appliances and kitchen items, plus ITEMS WITHOUT THEIR PARTS including children’s toys and board games (tracks without the trains or cars, young children’s ball runs without the balls) rarely find new homes.
• Items with multiple parts should be taped or tied together so that the parts do not get separated. Clear plastic bags allow everyone to see what’s inside.
• Furniture is left outside in the rain. Please do not bring upholstered furniture.
• When possible, bring furniture early in the day.
• Unique items should be identified with a label.
• Check the Swap Shop before making new purchases!
• Become a volunteer. It’s easy! Check https://swapshopdurham.wordpress.com/

Thank you for helping to keep reusable items out of the landfill!

If you wear contact lenses on a daily basis, the packaging waste can add up fast. Instead of throwing the packaging away, consider bringing it to a local business that will recycle it sustainably.

We have confirmed that Hampton Eyecare Associates, P.A., 760 Lafayette Rd in Hampton accepts contact lens packaging as part of the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Free Recycling Program.  

Click HERE to access the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Free Recycling Program website where you can check for other local drop off recycling centers.

NOTE: Be sure to call first to confirm - some of the businesses are no longer accepting contact lens packaging for recycling.

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee 

Questions about recycling or composting? Email us at: DurhamRecycles603@gmail.com

Check us out on Instagram: sustainable.durham.nh

Not sure if an item can be recycled? Check here: www.Recyclesmartma.org

Want to learn more about the Swap Shop? Click HERE.

FEDERAL FUEL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM APPLICATIONS FOR UPCOMING WINTER SEASON AVAILABLE

The Community Action Partnership of Strafford County is pleased to announce the opening of the Federal Fuel Assistance Program for the upcoming season. This program is designed to help eligible households manage their energy costs and ensure they stay warm during the colder months. CAPSC is accepting priority fuel applications for the 2024-2025 fuel season. Priority applicants are those ages 60 years or older, have a documented disability, have a child under the age of 6 years old in the household, or are using wood as a primary heating source.  Non-priority applications open September 1st, 2024. To apply or learn more, click 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/Guardian to teach your kids about Fire Safety. The more they know the safer they will be.

WEEK #31

Summertime means camping. For some helpful tips for camping, click HERE.

LIVE MUSIC AT THREE CHIMNEYS INN

On August 9 come hear the Dueling Pianos. $65 includes a three-course meal and the show, $29 is for the show only which begins at 7pm. Tickets may be purchased through a link on their website, threechimneysinn.com or at Headlinerscomedyclub.com.  

MEET AND GREET WITH SUPERINTENDENT ROBERT SHAPS

The ORCSD warmly invites the Oyster River community to attend a Meet and Greet with Superintendent Robert Shaps on Wednesday, August 14. During this event, Dr. Shaps will share key ideas and listen to community feedback, thoughts, and hopes for ORCSD. No RSVP required.

Date: Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Time: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Location: Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824)

ORCSD REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR

The start of the school year is upon us, and the 2024-2025 registration portal is now open. Please register your student(s) via PowerSchool's parent portal HERE. 

The ORCSD leadership asks that you please complete the registration process no later than Monday, August 19, 2024, to provide us with the information we need to plan for our students' learning experience this year.

If you need PowerSchool login assistance, please contact your school directly.

Mast Way Elementary School: 603-659-3001

Summer hours until August 23: Tuesday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.

Moharimet Elementary School: 603-742-2900

Summer hours until August 23: Tuesday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.

Oyster River Middle School: 603-868-2820

Summer hours until August 23: Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Oyster River High School: 603-868-2375

Summer hours until August 23: Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Salmon farms have been an important part of the northeast U.S. aquaculture industry for over 50 years, but sea lice, a pesky parasitic crustacean that feed on and injure the salmon, have been a million-dollar problem for salmon farmers who may not be able to sell infected fish. Integrating lumpfish—a cleaner fish that naturally feeds on sea lice off salmon—into aquaculture farms can provide a sustainable mitigation strategy, but this species can be aggressive toward other, younger lumpfish, which can reduce the strategy’s effectiveness. Research at the University of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station found that lumpfish hatcheries can reduce such behavior by altering light conditions and fish densities inside tanks.  

"Lumpfish are crucial in addressing the high demand for cleaner fish in salmon farming, but their aggressive behavior, including cannibalism, poses a challenge," said Station scientist Elizabeth Fairchild, a research associate professor with UNH’s College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA). "Understanding the factors that exacerbate lumpfish aggression, and providing guidelines for mitigating this behavior to aquaculturists, are essential for increasing hatchery production and rearing efficiency." 

Fairchild and her co-authors, including Brittany Jellison, an assistant professor in UNH’s biological sciences department, and Shelby Perry, a Master of Science student in COLSA’s marine biology program, recently published their research in the North American Journal of Aquaculture. Conducting their research at the UNH’s Coastal Marine Lab, the scientists found that, especially for smaller lumpfish, instances of tail fin nipping as a sign of aggression lessened when the fish had 12 hours of light followed by 12 hours of dark (versus constant light) and when the density of fish was reduced. 

These management conditions become less influential as lumpfish grow larger, allowing for more flexibility in rearing practices, said Fairchild. However, further research is needed to explore the long-term impacts of these conditions and to develop comprehensive guidelines for lumpfish rearing. 

As more becomes known about sustainable lumpfish management in aquacultural operations, the knowledge and practices could help further develop salmon farmers’ resiliency to sea lice. The species that is particularly impactful, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, feeds on the mucus, skin and blood of salmon, causing lesions, stress and sometimes mass mortality of salmon and can cost an estimated $1.3 million per farm over a two-year production cycle in sea lice infestation management. Current mitigation methods for sea lice, including waterjets, hot water showers and other mechanical and thermal treatments, aren’t fully effective and can harm the fish, resulting in lower growth and survival rates for the salmon.  Which is why finding optimal environmental conditions for lumpfish development, thus enhancing their effectiveness as a cleaner fish in aquaculture settings, is so critical, said Perry. 

For further details, you can read the full research article "The effects of light, rearing density, and fish size in culturing juvenile Lumpfish" in the North American Journal of Aquaculture by clicking HERE.