Friday Updates - August 23, 2024

Friday, August 23, 2024

Late summer flowers. Courtesy, Carol Birch

The First Day for Oyster River Schools K-12 is August 28. For more information, please see below under Oyster River School News.

The annual budget development process for the Town is under way.

Enjoy the last week of summer through Labor Day!

TOWN CLERK-TAX COLLECTOR’S OFFICE CLOSED FROM 8AM-12PM, TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2024 - Preparations for upcoming state primary election.

The Durham Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s Office will be temporarily closed on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, from 8:00am-12:00pm to test the Accuvote Ballot Counting Device in preparation for the 2024 NH State Primary (NH-RSA 656:42). The testing will take place at the Durham Town Hall, Council Chambers, at 8 Newmarket Road in Durham, NH 03824. Please contact the Durham Town Clerk’s Office at 603-868-5577 if you have any questions about ballot testing. The office will resume normal business hours after testing is completed. 

TRAFFIC/CONSTRUCTION ADVISORY – Paving Operations

Please be advised that as part of the Madbury Road Complete Streets Project, Durham Public Works and its contractor, Continental Paving, will be performing paving operations on Madbury Road from Pettee Brook Lane to Garrison Avenue over the two-week period, beginning on Monday, August 26, 2024. The most impactful work to vehicle, pedestrian and multi-modal traffic will occur during roadway milling and paving operations currently scheduled for August 27, 30 and September 4, however this schedule is subject to change based on weather or unforeseen circumstances.

To facilitate this work, on-street parking on Madbury Road from Pettee Brook Lane to Garrison Avenue will be unavailable for several days, specifically, on August 26, 27, 30 and September 3 and 4. Parking restrictions may be required to access infrastructure located within parking stalls for limited spaces on other days. The traffic pattern along the Pettee Brook Lane to Garrison Avenue corridor will continue to accommodate Northbound vehicles only, however, we highly encouraged the commuting public to seek an alternate route to your destination as long delays can be expected.

Access to adjacent residences, businesses, and institutions within the work areas will be maintained at all times with temporary restrictions if construction equipment is working in the immediate area of your point of entry/exit. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and thank you for your patience and understanding during this important project. 

This schedule is subject to change without notice due to weather, mechanical issues, and other conditions.

For additional information please contact Durham Public Works at (603) 868-5578.

UNH CAMPUS EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM TO BE TESTED FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024

Regular testing of the University of New Hampshire’s outdoor notification system will occur Friday, August 30, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The test will include the siren, a “canned” message and a recording signaling the end of the test. The entire exercise will take less than 10 minutes.

In addition, the university will also simultaneously send test messages through its RAVE public safety alert system to all UNH faculty, staff and students UNH e-mail accounts, and those who have registered in the RAVE system. For more information about RAVE, click HERE.

The outdoor notification system is designed to not only alert the campus community when there is imminent danger but also follows up with voice instructions. This two-step approach, called Alert and Inform, helps reduce confusion and restore order.

Siren towers are located on the roof of the MUB, the roof of Morse Hall, in A-Lot and in the dirt parking lot near the equestrian facility. Each siren will sound once, but not at the same time. The siren and message may be heard up to a mile in all directions.

Contact UNH Police Chief Paul Dean, at 862-1427 or email UNH.Alertinfo@unh.edu for more information or with any questions.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott “Kidd” Poteet, a Durham native and University of New Hampshire graduate, who now lives in Stratham, will be piloting the upcoming civilian-led SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission to space, featuring a first-of-its-kind commercial spacewalk to be attempted 435 miles above the Earth.

The mission will depart NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Monday, August 26.

To read more about Lt. Col. Scott Poteet and this historic mission from fosters.com, click HERE or from unh.edu click HERE.

PUBLIC FORUM FOR THE DURHAM DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE - August 29th

On Thursday, August 29, from 7-8:30 p.m. come and hear from the 5 candidates running for 4 seats to represent Durham District 10 in the state legislature. These candidates are incumbents Marjorie Smith, Timothy Horrigan and Loren Selig, along with Gale Bailey and Wayne Burton. Al Howland who represents District 20 covering Durham, Lee, Madbury and Dover Ward 4 will also be participating. The forum will be held in council chambers in Town Hall, and it will be broadcast live on DCAT and online through Zoom. To register for Zoom, please click HERE. The Council chamber doors will open at 6:30 PM. 

If you have questions for the candidates, please submit them to reganroman@comcast.net by noon on Monday, August 26.

THE NH STATE PRIMARY IS COMING - DO YOU NEED TO REGISTER TO VOTE?

The NH State Primary is September 10. Residents of Durham who are not yet registered to vote, may do so at the Town Clerk’s office any time that office is open. Residents who are already registered may change address or name, also at the Town Clerk’s office any time that office is open. Voters cannot change party at this time.

A person’s party is not important EXCEPT at a primary. The final date to change party has passed.  If you are registered as Undeclared, you may choose which ballot you want on the day of the primary election, and return to Undeclared as you leave the polls, or any time thereafter. You may check your status at https://app.sos.nh.gov/voterinformation. If you have trouble finding your personal information, please call the town clerk’s office. We have had a few instances where we had the wrong date of birth. 

Residents may also register to vote or change name with the Supervisors of the Checklist on the following date:

           Date:             Wednesday, September 4, 2024

           Time:             7:00 – 7:30 PM

           Place:            Durham Town Hall

This will be the last date for any new voter registrations until election day. Residents may register to vote at the polls (Oyster River High School) with proper identification. Please note that you must be a resident of Durham.

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 other proofs are lacking.  

RESCHEDULED DURHAM HISTORIC ASSOCIATION ANNUAL PICNIC TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

Please pack a picnic supper and join the Durham Historic Association at the Milne Nature Sanctuary on Mill Pond Road for the Durham Historic Association’s annual picnic on Saturday, September 7th at 3pm. Diana Carroll will share her recollections of her long relationship with Margery and Lorus Milne, the Keepers of the Swans, who gave this land to the Town. If the weather deteriorates at the time of the picnic or during the picnic, we have arranged to move Diana Carroll’s presentation to the Durham Town Council Chambers. Attendees may then picnic in the lobby as food is prohibited in the Council Chambers.

Parking is limited in the area of the Milne Nature Sanctuary to about 20 cars, so plan to carpool, contact a friend in Faculty Development to share their driveway, or walk from the Town Hall or Community Church parking lots.

LAND USE BOARDS UPDATE - Several Changes to the Zoning Ordinance in the Works

The Planning Board has continued the public hearing on the proposed Workforce Housing Ordinance to Wednesday, August 28 at 7:00 p.m. You can see the documents related to this item HERE. 

The Conservation Commission continues its review of a completely rewritten Wetland and Shoreland Ordinance on Monday, August 26 at 7:00 p.m. You can see the proposed ordinance HERE. 

The Historic District Commission will be considering some amendments to the Historic Overlay District ordinance on Thursday, September 5 at 7:00 p.m. 

The Housing Task Force will be discussing potential amendments to expand residential development in the downtown area on Monday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m.

Farm Day was a huge success, and the Agricultural Commission would like to thank the hundreds of people that took part in this annual celebration of farms and gardens. Suggestions for 2025 Farm Day are welcome.

Please email the Agricultural Commission your ideas at theresawalker@comcast.net.

(The writer of "Did You Know?" articles is on vacation this week, so we are re-publishing a previous post.)

We know about the importance of reusing, repurposing and recycling. But inevitably we end up with items that we just aren’t sure what to do with.

By clicking HERE, you will find a link to a very helpful guide with a list of items that may be more challenging to dispose of in a responsible way.  We will highlight some of these items in future weeks but for now, we’d like to share the entire guide with you.

Source: Bluedotliving.com

A big thank you to resident Diane McCann for sharing this great information!

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee 

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

Check the IWMAC Committee 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.

THE SWITCH IS ON - (Solar in the Shade, Old Roofs, & Renters)

Are you shaded by trees, renting, or have an older roof? Residents billed through Eversource can still get the cost savings of owning solar (including a 30% residential or commercial tax credit) through a new Community Solar project.

To learn more, please click HERE. 

Have any energy questions? Contact the Durham Energy Committee at dec@ci.durham.nh.us.

Durham Public Works and its contractor, Continental Paving, completed the 2024 Sidewalk Program this week. Improvements included the reconstruction of 2,300 feet of bituminous sidewalk on the North and South sides of Bagdad Road from #57 - #66 and a segment on Dover Road from Young Drive to Bayview Road. These sidewalks had non-complainant accessible ramps, areas of failed and overturned curbing, significant cracking, delamination, and aggregate loss. The project scope also included repairs to degraded panels and ADA truncated plates within the downtown area which could potentially pose a tripping hazard. In total, eleven (11) new ADA accessible ramps were completed as part of this project with an additional crosswalk for increased sidewalk connectivity installed from #57 to #52 Bagdad Road. 

Durham Public Works and project contractor, Apex Construction, have completed the construction of the new drinking water booster pump station located on Technology Drive. This project is entirely funded through the State of New Hampshire’s MTBE program and will provide reliable, state-of-the-art system pumping capacity for the Lee Well drinking water supply and Beech Hill storage tank located in the town’s high-pressure zone. Over the last several weeks the project team completed the placement of loam, seed and crushed stone in addition to final grading and paving. The station has reached substantial completion with final tree planting planned over the next several weeks.

DURHAM PUBLIC WORKS CONTINUES TO SEEK PART-TIME EQUIPMENT MECHANIC

The Durham Public Works Department is seeking a highly qualified team member to join an exceptional team of Public Works professionals to serve in the role of Regular Part-Time Equipment Mechanic.

The successful candidate will assist the Fleet Services Supervisor in the maintenance, repair, and installation of a variety of mechanical and electrical equipment within the Public Works Fleet. Responsibilities include diagnosing and troubleshooting equipment malfunctions, performing regular preventative maintenance on equipment, ensuring equipment is operating safely and efficiently, and keeping accurate and detailed maintenance records. In this versatile and exciting role, you will report to the Fleet Services Supervisor and Operations Manager.

The salary for this position is $23.00 - $25.00/hr, depending upon qualifications. Flexible scheduling is available for this 24 hour per week position, with normal work hours from 7:00am – 3:30pm Monday – Friday.

The successful candidate will have a minimum of (1) year of experience or formal training in the maintenance of fleet vehicles and heavy equipment. Possession of a Class B Commercial Driver’s License and State Inspection Certification desired.

Applications are available at the Department of Public Works Main office or online HERE.

Please send resume and cover letter to Durham Public Works, Attn: Shannon Shaw, Assistant to the Public Works Director, 100 Stone Quarry Drive, Durham, NH 03824 or by email to sshaw@ci.durham.nh.us.

VOLUNTEERS FROM DURHAM POLICE SERVE PIZZA AT OYSTER RIVER FRESHMAN ORIENTATION

Each year Oyster River High School has a half-day orientation for the incoming freshman class. While the students navigate through the high school for the first time, Durham police officers take this opportunity to say hello by serving the new Freshmen class lunch. For the past twenty-five years, the Durham Police have interacted with the kids at this exciting time in a very non-law enforcement manner. What better way than to provide them with food! Working with the Durham House of Pizza, police officers don serving gloves and provide a variety of pizza with bottled water, as they end their orientation events and begin their high school career. Thanks to the officers who volunteered their time and the Durham House of Pizza for their outstanding assistance!

Since 1986, Make-A-Wish New Hampshire has been helping make dreams come true for children with critical illnesses. 

Seven years ago, Evelyn was born prematurely with a rare, congenital heart disease. In a recent Union Leader article, Evelyn’s mom, Melissa, noted that “While Evelyn’s prognosis is good, she has experienced a lot of bumps along the way” but has also had much happiness including what she gets from watching American Ninja Warrior and Ninja Kidz on YouTube. – Union Leader, July 23, 2024.

It was Evelyn’s wish for a backyard Ninja Warrior course which Make-A-Wish staff, volunteers, and donors brought to fruition. During the wish reveal on August 17, 2024, members of the Durham Fire Department stopped by Evelyn’s home to celebrate with Evelyn, her family, and the Make-A-Wish team. 

Congratulations, Evelyn!  

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 #34

Playing outside at night is always fun but we need to be safe. For some helpful tips on safety, click HERE.

OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL NEWS

No School: Labor Day

All ORCSD schools will be closed Friday, August 30, and Monday, September 2, in observance of Labor Day. School will resume Tuesday, September 3.

ORCSD Registration

Oyster River families should complete the registration process to provide the district and schools with the information needed to plan for our students' learning experience. Register HERE. If you have any questions about registration, please reach out to your school's front office and they will assist you.

Transportation and Safety Information

You may find your child(ren)'s bus number and bus stop location by visiting our website's bus route page HERE. Due to several ongoing road work projects in Durham which will remain active through the end of fall, we strongly encourage all middle and high school students to ride the bus. Fewer cars mean less traffic and a more sustainable commuting option. Additional information about transportation and safety may be found HERE.

Please note that bus routes are subject to change as additional requests are received. We therefore strongly encourage families to check this information again prior to the first day of school.

Free and Reduced Meals 

To continue receiving free or reduced meals for the 2024-2025 school year, your application must be received by October 13, 2024. To apply, click HERE. Free and reduced meals applications are also available throughout the school year at your child's main school office and nurse's office upon request. 

ORCSD to Offer a Seal of Biliteracy Award

Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, the ORCSD will be offering a district-level Seal of Biliteracy award. This award will recognize the value of language diversity and encourage students to pursue language learning. Additional information about the Seal of Biliteracy may be found HERE.  

ORMS Teacher Named 2024 NH History Teacher of the Year

Oyster River Middle School (ORMS) Social Studies Teacher Valerie Wolfson has been named the 2024 New Hampshire History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Wolfson has taught Social Studies at ORMS since 2005. She was named New Hampshire Social Studies Teacher of the Year in 2020. 

Oyster River Parents and Preschoolers (ORPP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit preschooler activity group open to all families in the Oyster River school district (the towns of Durham, Madbury, and Lee) with at least one child not yet in kindergarten.  

Throughout the school year, ORPP members organize community tours, playground meetups, farm visits and nature hikes for children and their caregivers on weekdays, parents gathering in the evenings/weekends, and whole family get-togethers on the weekends. Some examples of past activities include apple picking at Butternut Farm, touring the Durham fire station, a flower planting workshop at Wentworth Greenhouse, exploring the insect collection at UNH, holiday sleigh rides at Coppal House, and countless playground meetups and local hikes in the area. Members volunteer their time and knowledge to introduce children and families to the wonders of the Oyster River area and beyond. 

Each year the group also makes a rotating donation to one of the three towns - past donations include an adaptive swing for Woodridge playground in Durham, a feature in the Madbury Library nature playground, and a rink liner for the Lee ice skating rink. 

For a nominal annual membership fee, families may join online by clicking HERE.

PARTICIPATE IN AN EXCITING VIRTUAL REALITY RESEARCH STUDY!

Dr. Ferdinand Delgado from the Kinesiology department at the University of New Hampshire is seeking 9 participants aged 65 years and older to join an innovative 8-week research study exploring the impact of different virtual reality programs and applications on cognition and physical function. This study offers a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge technology while contributing to important research.

Study Details:

• Duration: 8 weeks
• Sessions: Twice a week, each session is 60 minutes long
• Start Date: Earliest start is September 30, 2024 (Scheduling is flexible)
• Location: UNH Durham campus
• Special consideration may be given to meeting some of the time at your residence, depending on scheduling availability and your location.
• Parking: Available upon request

What's Involved:

• Full Cognitive Assessment: Conducted before and after the virtual reality experience, with results provided to you.
• Physical function assessment: Various balance and walking tasks will also be conducted before and after the virtual reality experience.
• Virtual Reality Experience: Engage in interactive sessions designed to test the feasibility and effects of VR on cognitive and physical health.
• Meeting twice a week for 8 weeks. Each session will last approximately one hour

Eligibility:

• Must be 65 years or older
• Other criteria must be met, which will be sent to you given your interest.

How to Join: For more information or to sign up, please contact Ferdinand Delgado, PhD at ferdinand.delgado@unh.edu.

The Northeast’s dairy industry has changed dramatically over the past 50 years, and it will continue transforming and evolving for the next 50 years, as current and future dairy farmers explore new technologies and management practices to make their operations more sustainable and capable of supporting regional food systems. However, innovative research, led by scientists right here at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station (NHAES) at the University of New Hampshire, will play a key role in supporting and advancing that change, offering solutions to everything from herd health and nutrition, disease management and operational costs — all with the goal of making dairy farming more efficient, effective and sustainable.

Healthier Calves, Lower Costs - Peter Erickson, Professor of Dairy Management

Healthy calves and cost-effective feed are two key components to a successful and sustainable dairy, as well as a research focus of Peter Erickson, Station scientist and a professor of dairy management. For calves, Erickson’s work aims to strengthen the animal’s immune system through feed additives that may prevent calves' susceptibility to a debilitating and potentially life-threatening disease called coccidiosis, as well as assessing adult cows’ milk production in response to feed supplements made from lobster and crab shells – a seafood byproduct that could be used to increase milk quality.

Methane-reducing Dairy Feeds - Andre Brito, Associate Professor of Organic Dairy Management

Station scientist and associate professor of organic dairy management Andre Brito explores innovative dietary strategies to reduce methane emissions in organic dairy cows from the process where microbes in the stomach of cows break down carbohydrates and release methane. One focus is on using essential oils, Brito's studies have shown that integrating essential oils into the diets of grazing dairy cows decreases methane emissions while improving milk production and composition. Additionally, essential oils have been shown to aid the cows' digestive processes, leading to better feed efficiency and increased milk fat and yield. Brito is also investigating the use of red seaweed (Asparagopsis taxiformis) as a feed additive. Red seaweed has shown potential in reducing methane emissions from dairy cows by over 90 percent. The more widely available brown seaweed was shown to decrease methane emissions by 12 percent.

Optimizing Dairy Health & Productivity, Through Technology - Claira Seely, Assistant Professor of Precision Dairy Management

Precision dairy farming leverages advanced technologies to more frequently monitor and manage more detailed aspects of individual cows’ health, behavior and productivity, helping dairy farmers detect diseases early, improve cow comfort, and optimize production processes​. Claira Seely, a precision dairy management specialist at UNH, researches how integrating these technologies into dairy herd management could improve farm efficiency and animal health. By using devices such as ear tags, collar tags and bolus pills—nondigestible pills that remain in the rumen of the cows—Seely can monitor cow health indicators like rumination patterns, activity levels, and gut health. These data could allow farmers to identify and address health issues promptly, reducing the risk of disease outbreaks and improving overall herd health.

Enhancing Dairy Reproductive Health - Paul Tsang, Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences

Infertility in dairy cows can be an issue that leads to substantial economic losses for farmers. Reproductive problems in dairy cows can result in decreased milk production and increased rates of removing cows from the herd, costing the dairy industry between $1–$2 billion annually. Station scientist Paul Tsang, a reproductive biologist at UNH, focuses on addressing these reproductive challenges by studying the corpus luteum—a gland formed in the ovary during a cow’s estrous cycle, and is critical to producing a hormone that's essential for maintaining pregnancy in dairy cows called progesterone.

Optimizing Dairy Nutrition with Amino Acids - Nancy Whitehouse, Research Assistant Professor in the department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems

Optimizing dairy cow nutritional management can boost milk production, as well as reduce the concentration of nitrogen in manure. When manure is spread on agricultural fields as a form of fertilizer, reduced nitrogen content can lower the risks of this nutrient entering nearby waterways and contributing to algal blooms. Nancy Whitehouse, a research scientist in dairy nutrition at UNH, is testing whether including rumen-protected amino acids in dairy cow diets can reduce nitrogen concentrations. Rumen-protected amino acids are designed to not break down in the cow’s rumen, but rather pass through this stomach area to the small intestine, where they can be absorbed more effectively and contribute to greater milk production and overall cow health.

Free live music on the Three Chimneys Inn terrace on Thursday, August 29th at 6pm. Enjoy the incredible sounds of Jack and Kristin Bishop for an unforgettable evening of music, fun, and good vibes. But that’s not all – there will be a Bliss mini reunion in store, too!

Three Chimneys Inn opens at 5pm, call 603-868-7800 to make reservations.