Friday Updates - August 9, 2024

Friday, August 9, 2024

Corn is in season at Tecce's Farmstand! Courtesy, Theresa Walker

You know it's high summer when Tecce Farm has fresh corn for all to enjoy!

WHAT THE HECK IS ALL OF THAT CONSTRUCTION ON MADBURY ROAD? An update for those who have not been following the project until now. 

A lot has been happening on Madbury Road this summer and several residents have asked over the course of the last couple of weeks what it's all about. 

It's important to note that Madbury Road is in significant need of reconstruction due to the existing pavement condition, undersized and failing drainage systems, deficient and continually deteriorating water and sewer infrastructure, and obsolete design approach. The incremental costs to undertake this reconstruction work as a complete streets project to improve streetscape aesthetics, traffic calming, lighting, pedestrian safety, and multimodal transportation improvements represents an important part of the total project cost, which is financially prudent to invest in now while the much larger roadway and utility project is completed. It also moves forward a host of Town sustainability/Smart Growth goals.

To learn more about the project, click HERE.

In terms of cost, Phase I of the Madbury Road roadway Complete Streets Project ($2,286,000) is funded for FY 2024 as part of the General Fund budget that was approved by the Town Council in December 2023. The project had been several years in development with several public forums at the Durham Public Library to understand what the community wanted and to give folks impacted by the project an opportunity to provide direct feedback on myriad design aspects of the plan. 

The project (Phase I) extends from Main Street to Garrison for roadway work, and then farther toward Route 4 for water line replacement - an additional $1,980,000 funded from the Water Fund budget specifically addressing old water lines with a history of ongoing water main breaks. Only residents who are connected to the municipal water system will support the cost of the water line work through their water bills. 

As noted for several years now, this overall investment represents a significant, multi-million-dollar phased capital undertaking for the Town in the coming years. In the budget letter this past year to the Council and community Admin. Selig was clear: “It is recommended that Councilors and the community review this project closely in the attached CIP plan.” Over four years (and four separate finite phases 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027), the project cost, undertaken as multiple separate and distinct projects, and allocated across different funds as appropriate, is around $13 million. 

ABSENTEE BALLOTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE 2024 NH STATE PRIMARY

Interested in voting in the 2024 NH State Primary, but afraid you can’t make it to the polls to vote in person on September 10, 2024? You may qualify for an absentee ballot. Please visit the Durham Town Clerk’s Office between 8am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday, or log onto the town’s website HERE for more information on absentee voting. Please note that absentee voting in New Hampshire is different than other US States and is limited to only certain voters that qualify. Please direct all questions to Town Clerk Rachel Deane by emailing rdeane@ci.durham.nh.us or calling 603-868-5577.

The 11th Annual Farm Day is Saturday, August 17th and showcases farms and gardens across Durham, Lee, and Madbury. The event takes place rain or shine and is free and family friendly. Here’s a small sample of activities:

• LaRoche Farm – 41 Bennett Road, Durham, 10am – 4pm, - hayrides, community picnic at noon featuring sweet corn from Tecce’s Farm, honey and maple syrup tasting, Durham’s farming history, and much more.
• Misty Meadows Herbal Center – 183 Wednesday Hill Road, Lee –10am – 4pm - Forest plant identification guided walk at 10:30, https://www.mistymeadows.org/
• UNH Kingman Research Farm – 334 Knox Marsh Road, Madbury – Tractors Galore from 10am – Noon - Look, touch, and sit in farming and forestry trucks, tractors, loggers!
• Great Bay Wool Works at Liberty Hall Farm – 62 Bennett Road, Durham, 10am – 2pm – Meet this award-winning sheep flock and learn how wool grows, https://greatbaywoolworks.com/
• Garden Tour at the Langley Family Home – 234 Longmarsh Road, Durham, 11am – Noon – Guided tour at 11am of a 3,500 sq. ft. collaborative, neighborhood-scale garden featuring no-dig and vertical gardening techniques, goat-herd management, and more.

There is much more to see and do. Download the full list of Farm Day events HERE.

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.

Goldenrod in bloom at Thompson Forest. Courtesy, Jean McPeak

PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENT TO CREATE WORKFORCE HOUSING OVERLAY DISTRICT TO BE HELD AT THE PLANNING BOARD'S AUGUST 14 MEETING

Residents and public officials in New Hampshire have been discussing a lack of affordable housing for a number of years. The Durham Housing Task Force is charged with exploring strategies to expand housing opportunities in town and recently completed a Housing Needs Assessment, the Strafford Regional Planning Commission produced a regional assessment in March of 2023, and the state legislature deliberated numerous bills this session, of varying merit, though few were ultimately adopted into law. There are several existing state laws that promote affordable housing.

The Durham Housing Task Force developed a proposed zoning amendment for workforce housing in January of this year. The draft was conveyed to the Planning Board, which held two public hearings on the amendment in February and March. Numerous people spoke, both in favor of the plan and in opposition. Having listened carefully to the comments, the Planning Board opted not to proceed with the draft and instead wrote a new plan, retaining the best portions of the original. 

The Planning Board now has a new proposal to create a workforce housing overlay district that will be presented for a public hearing on August 14. To download a copy of the proposed zoning amendment, please click HERE. 

Please feel free to email the Town Planner at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us with any questions or if you have any comments to share with the Planning Board. If/once a draft is acceptable to the Planning Board, following one or more hearings, it will be forwarded to the Town Council for review and possible adoption.

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! 

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.

It is estimated that 90% of the roughly 200 billion plastic pill bottles manufactured every year wind up in landfills, contributing to the plastic pollution problem we have in the world. Here’s what you can do instead of throwing those old pill bottles into the trash.

Which pill bottles are recyclable?

Prescription medication containers are considered prescription drug waste and should NOT go in the recycling bin.

If what you have are over-the-counter med containers (vitamin bottles, aspirin, etc), it is okay to put them in the recycling as long as they are bigger than 2 inches by 2 inches. Anything smaller than that will fall through the cracks and will not be recovered.

What do I do with my prescription pill bottles that I cannot recycle?

Donate them! A surprising number of organizations are looking for donated pill bottles:

• Animal shelters are almost always happy to take donated pill bottles, because they use a lot of them. The Pope Memorial Humane Society - Cocheco Valley in Dover accepts small and medium sized pill bottles (be sure to remove the labels first). You can leave the pill bottles in their donation bin out front. (NOTE: They have limited amounts of storage, so they can’t take large quantities all at once).
• Humanitarian Aid organizations need pill bottles. Matthew 25 Ministries will accept donations of clean, label-removed pill bottles for example. Their website offers instructions on how to prep your bottles, as well as a mailing address. You can see their website HERE.
• Homeless shelters sometimes accept donations of pill bottles, though you’ll probably have to contact them directly to see if they have a need for them.

By recycling or donating your old label-removed pill bottles, you’ll avoid adding to plastic pollution and potentially providing an important service to our community.

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.

TRAFFIC/CONSTRUCTION ADVISORY – ROADWAY PAVING

Please be advised that Durham Public Works’ contractor for its Road Program, Continental Paving, will be performing paving operations on Durham Point Road between Longmarsh Road and Colony Cove Road on Wednesday, August 14.

The roadway will be restricted to one lane in the work area with alternating traffic between 7:00am and 5:00pm.  Access to adjacent residences, businesses and institutions within the work areas will be maintained at all times. Disruptions to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic are expected to be minimal however we ask that the commuting public seek alternative routes if possible and allow additional time to reach their destinations. We thank you for your patience. 

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.

Another look down the new culvert which was installed below Edgewood Road several weeks ago. Courtesy, Richard Meyer

MADBURY ROAD COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT UPDATES

Traffic Pattern Modifications Remain In Effect

To facilitate Phase 1 Roadway and Drainage Improvements, Madbury Road continues to remain open for Northbound traffic only between Pettee Brook Lane and Garrison Avenue. Please follow the posted detour. Access to businesses within the project limits will remain OPEN at all times. Durham Public Works extends its appreciation to the community and commuting public for their patience as we work to complete this critical infrastructure replacement project.

Roadway and Drainage Improvements – Phase 1

Durham Public Works and its contractor, G.W. Brooks + Son, Inc. continue to progress on the Phase 1 Roadway and Drainage Improvements portion of the Madbury Road Complete Streets Project. Drainage construction continued this week at the Pettee Brook Lane intersection along with stone masonry wall construction at #26 and #28. Grattan Line Construction, an Eversource contractor, began utility pole relocations this week in advance of multiuse path construction later this summer. Following the relocation of the overhead electrical wires, Breezeline, First Light, Comcast, and Consolidated Communications will move their respective utilities to allow for the complete removal of the existing poles.

Roadway milling and the initial binder coarse roadway paving activities are currently scheduled for the week of August 26. The project team is working closely with their paving contractor, Continental Paving, to strategically plan a phased construction approach that minimizes impacts to motorists, businesses, and residents within the project limits. Commuting traffic is strongly encouraged to enter the UNH campus via the NH-155A exit on US-4 to avoid delays during this period of time.  

Water and Sewer Replacement – Phase 1

Durham Public Works and its contractor, Joseph P. Cardillo and Sons are in the final stages of the  Phase 1 Water and Sewer Replacement Project. The team completed water main replacement between Davis Court and Maple Street this week and the road base on Madbury Court was prepared for binder course paving. Individual water service connections between Davis Court and Maple Street will occur next week in addition to paving on Madbury Court.

Littlehale Creek Culverts Replacement/Rehabilitation

Durham Public Works and its contractor, Severino Trucking, Inc. are in the final stages of the culvert replacement/rehabilitation portion of the Madbury Road Complete Streets Project. Remaining items include guardrail installation on both the Madbury Road and Edgewood Road over Littlehale Creek culverts in addition to sidewalk paving on Edgewood Road between Madbury Road and Perley Lane which are scheduled to occur next week.

Durham Public Works and its contractor, Continental Paving, remain hard at work on the 2024 Sidewalk Program this week. Improvements this summer include 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 currently have non-complainant accessible ramps, areas of failed and overturned curbing, significant cracking, delamination, and aggregate loss. Temporary closures of these sidewalks will continue during normal business hours. Binder course pavement application was completed this week with wearing course application scheduled for Tuesday, August 13. Thereafter, concrete, accessible ramp construction will take place from August 19 – 21. 

With Summer in full swing and more bicyclists on the road, please continue to be aware of Durham’s use of shared lane markings known as “sharrows”. A sharrow is a large painted arrow on the road that accompanies an image of a cyclist and is intended to encourage the sharing of general-purpose travel lanes by automobiles and bicycles. The position of the painted sharrow and the direction of the “arrows” indicate the position of travel and suggested lane position for the bicycles. Durham has sharrows on many of its arterial and collector roadways, notably in areas where narrow lanes exist and where cyclists are encouraged to ride away from parked cars. Durham Public Works Traffic Control Division team member Tom Macaione is seen in the photo freshening up a sharrow marking on Packers Falls Road recently.

DURHAM PUBLIC WORKS CONTINUES TO SEEK PART-TIME EQUIPMENT MECHANIC

The 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 at www.ci.durham.nh.us/jobs.

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.

The above “subscription expiration notification” was emailed to a resident this week. Thankfully, the resident recognized this as another scam and forwarded it to the police department. 

If you receive unsolicited email and don’t recognize the sender, or they ask you to provide personal information such as birth dates, account numbers, credit card information, etc., DO NOT respond and delete the message. 

If you have questions, please call the Durham Police Department at 603-868-2324.  

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 #32

Fun with the family means walking tails or hiking. You need to have the right equipment to make it safe.  For some helpful tips, click HERE.

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.

Learn about the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station (NHAES) research and the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture’s Farm to You program in a fun, family-friendly way during this year’s Farm Day, held rain or shine on Saturday, August 17. The Farm Day event is organized by the Durham Agricultural Commission and Lee Agricultural Commission. Participating partner Granite State Dairy Promotion will also be on-site at UNH's Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center, offering free milk while supplies last.

Starting at 10 a.m., stop by UNH’s Kingman Research Farm in Madbury to learn about ongoing agricultural research at the farm and sit inside large tractors and other heavy farming and logging equipment used by NHAES staff and scientists to manage agricultural, environmental, and forestry studies, and to grow food for UNH’s research and teaching animals.

Also opening at 10 a.m., with a guided tour at 2 p.m., is the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center in Durham, which houses UNH’s conventional dairy herd and serves as a hub for regional dairy research. Visit with NHAES farm managers and scientists and discover how feed trials and other studies at this facility have made a lasting impact on the dairy industry and on dairy operations in the Northeast.

At 1 p.m., UNH’s horticulture teaching high tunnels, located adjacent to the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center, will open for a guided tour of the Farm to You program — a two-semester hands-on horticulture training class in which students plant, grow, and harvest food that is then provided to the University community in the UNH dining halls.

"We are thrilled to be participating in this educational event,” said Amy Hall, Executive Director of the GSDP. “UNH stands out among research centers with their studies being published both nationally and globally. Their endeavors and dedication to educating the future of agriculture are extraordinary, and we feel very fortunate to be included in this farm day.”