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 NEWS AND HAPPENINGS ...
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Sledders at Wagon Hill Farm. Courtesy Susie Houle
Wagon Hill Farm has been a particularly active community resource since snow arrived in December. Young sledders, their families, and the automobiles used to get to Wagon Hill Farm put heavy demands on the limited parking available forcing residents to park along busy Route 4. This past Sunday, more than thirteen vehicles were parked parralel to Route 4 with young children and their sleds endeavoring to stay off the state roadway as they made their way onto the sleddig hill.
The Parks and Recreation Committee is presenlty evaluating solutions to parking challenges at Wagon Hill Farm.
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2013 MARCH TOWN ELECTION WARRANT AND OFFICE FILING PERIOD
The 2013 Town Election will be held on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at the Oyster River High School. Polling hours are from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Individuals interested in running for positions within Town government may do so during the filling period beginning Wednesday, January 23, 2012 and ending at 5:00 PM on Friday, February 1, 2013. For more information, please contact the Durham Town Clerk's Office at 868-5577.
The following positions will be available for citizens who might choose to become involved in Durham Town government:
Town Council 3 positions (3-year terms)
Library Board of Trustees 3 positions (3-year terms)
Trustees of the Trust Funds 1 position (3-year term)
In addition to the above, a $2,500,000 bond referendum question will also be on the ballot relative to the replacement of sludge dewatering equipment at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The question, and an explanation for the equipment replacement, will appear on the ballot as follows:
ARTICLE II
"Are you in favor of authorizing the issuance of not more than $2,500,000 of bonds or notes, issued in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Finance Act (RSA 33), for the replacement of the sludge dewatering equipment at the Wastewater Treatment Plant and to authorize the municipal officials to issue and negotiate such bonds or notes and to determine the rate of interest thereon. 2/3 vote required."
Reason for Proposed Bond: Durham’s wastewater sludge dewatering facility, located at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, dewaters the slurry of liquid and solids, otherwise known as sludge, which is removed during the wastewater treatment process. The facility’s sludge dewatering equipment had an expected life span of twenty years. It is now in its twenty-sixth year of operation and has exceeded its useable life. This improvement is included as part of the plant’s Facility Master Plan. Funding will be shared 1/3 Durham - 2/3 UNH in accordance with the Water and Wastewater Systems Agreement dated November 2005 between the Town of Durham and the University of New Hampshire.
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OYSTER RIVER COOPERATIVE SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTED OFFICES
The Oyster River Cooperative School District has two "At-Large" School Board member positions and one Moderator position on its ballot for the March 13th Town/School Election.
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The door to Administrative Assistant Jennie Berry's work area being swapped out. Courtesy Todd Selig
52 DEGREES AND SMOKEY | ISSUES AT THE TOWN OFFICE
The subject line above represents the condition of the Town Office this morning. When the staff arrived at work the oil burner on the Town Clerk's side of the building had malfunctioned and was not operational. Public Works had it up and running again by a little after 8 AM and the building slowly warmed, the scent of oil burner smoke hanging in the air.
Public Works also had to perform a minor plaster repair in the Town Office foyer where one of the inner door handles had punched a hole in the foyer wall. In addition, the door to Jennie Berry’s work area has been sticking badly for months and is no longer repairable due to warping/moisture/age so we are replacing the existing split door with a simple one-piece door. There was some sawing and dust generated today for those who might have stopped in and wondered why.
We are working to keep all repairs within the facility to a minimum with the idea that the Town Office functions will be moving across the street within the next 12 to 18 months.
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COMCAST CABLE NEGOTIATIONS – A REQUEST TO CONTINUE TO UTILIZE LEE, MADBURY, AND NEWMARKET CABLE SYSTEMS TO REACH DURHAM SUBSCRIBERS SERVICED THROUGH NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES
On Monday of this week, 1/7/13, representatives from the Town of Durham and Comcast met to negotiate over a successor cable franchise agreement. Durham has been in the process of conducting contract negotiations with Comcast for a successor franchise agreement for the last 18 months.
Durham's existing agreement extended from 2000-2012. After we had negotiated the 2000 franchise agreement with Media One, the prior cable service provider, we learned that not all of Durham was actually serviced through the Durham cable system. A portion of Durham was serviced through the Lee cable system, a portion through the Madbury cable system, and a portion through the Newmarket cable system.
To ensure Durham cable subscribers were able to obtain the Town's emerging Public-Education-Government Programming ("PEG" Channel) on Channel 22-Durham Community Access Television (DCAT), we had reached out to Lee, Madbury, and Newmarket to ensure each community would not have opposition to Durham's PEG broadcast being transmitted through their respective cable systems to reach Durham residents.
At that time Lee, Madbury, and Newmarket assented to our request and Channel 22/DCAT has been in place ever since. This arrangement also allowed for Oyster River Cooperative School District (ORCSD) programming to reach all Lee and Madbury cable subscribers.
Our existing franchise from 2000 also envisioned one day launching a second PEG channel exclusively for the ORCSD and we are pursuing that at this time. Although Channel 22 is presently shared with ORCSD to accommodate both municipal and school programming, Durham and ORCSD desire to create a separate school channel allowing for enhanced school programming and expanded meeting coverage and rebroadcasts of both town and school public meetings.
On Monday of this week, Comcast unexpectedly informed us that we would again need to write to Lee, Madbury, and Newmarket to ensure the three communities remained comfortable with allowing Durham to continue to broadcast our Channel 22 and an additional channel for educational programming through their respective cable networks to reach Durham cable subscribers. The channel numbering for the second channel has yet to be determined by Comcast.
Other topics being discussed with Comcast include duration of the franchise, the institution of franchise fee (likely in the 3-5% range), the utilization of emerging technology, extending cable and broadcasting capabilities to the new library on Madbury Road, etc.
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Old confirguration of hydrant with painted nozzel attachment. Courtesy Todd Selig
DURHAM FIRE HYRANTS GOING LEAN
The Durham Public Works Department has historically worked closely with the Fire Department to color code the nozzle connections of fire hydrants to make it visually clear for firefighters to know exactly how much water a given hydrant would produce in the event of a fire.
Red is below 500 GPM (gallons per minute)
Orange is 500-1,000 GPM
Green is 1,000- 1,500 GPM
Blue is 500+ GPM
The challenge is that painting the nozzle attachments took time and entailed numerous steps to complete for Public Works.
Consistent with our Kaizen/Lean Manufacturing efforts, the staff at public works came up with a better approach. Rather than painting the nozzle attachments resulting in a labor intensive process, they researched whether they could find a product that would be color coded, easy to install, highly reflective, and would look attractive.
They ultimately arrived at an attachable highly reflective, color-coded, disk that was sized to match our hydrant nozzle attachments. The disks were initially field tested in a limited number of areas with success and are now being installed over a several year cycle and have met with much success to date. Residents may see them as they drive around town. That bright colored hydrant reflection in headlights as you round a corner at night is just one visual reminder of Public Works endeavoring to be Lean. Kaizen!
New configuration of hydrant with orange color-coed disk nozzle attachment indicating that this hydrant produces 500-1,000 gallons per minute. Courtesy Todd Selig
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TOWN COUNCIL ADOPTS NEW HEALTH AND SAFETY INSPECTION PROGRAM FOR RESISENTIAL RENTAL PROPERTIES BY VOTE OF 6-1
The Durham Town Council adopted a Housing Standards Ordinance at its meeting on January 7, 2013. This ordinance is designed to protect the health and safety of occupants of residential rental properties through a systematic inspection program.
To review an overview of the ordinance and the ordinance itself, as well as the inspection checklist, click HERE. The checklist will help property owners to review identified items before the department's inspection. A copy of the ordinance can also be obtained at the Planning, Zoning, and Assessing Office at Town Hall or at the Durham Fire Department.
What does this mean for Durham property owners? If you as a property owner have any portion of your property rented for residential occupancy, you must notify the Durham Fire Department no later than March 8, 2013 (within 60 days of the ordinance passing) to request an inspection for the address of the property you are renting. Rental properties must be inspected once every two years.
If property owners have any questions, please feel free to contact the Fire Department at (603) 868-5531.
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New configuration of hydrant with green color-coed disk nozzle attachment indicating that this hydrant produces 1,000-1,500 gallons per minute. Courtesy Todd Selig
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ADMINISTRATOR SELIG TO ATTEND UPCOMING NEGOTIATION PROGRAM AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Administrator Todd Selig has been accepted to attend a program in negotiations at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in April of this year.
The five-day course is titled Mastering Negotiation: Building Agreements Across Boundaries. It goes beyond basic negotiation skills training to address the challenges of building working relationships across cultures, sectors, and organizations. The program examines the effects of both social and organizational culture on negotiation, while at the same time helping participants develop the adaptive techniques needed to translate their skills and experience to novel settings.
The program runs from April 14-19, 2013, and is held at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.
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PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN VISIT DATING TO 6/25/12 - $13,000 DONATION RECEIVED
As noted in December, the Town has received a donation for $13,000 dating to the June 25, 2012 Presidential campaign visit to the Oyster River High School in Durham. The total cost of the visit to the Town was $12,998.29. To view the letter we have received from Attorney Abigail Sykas on behalf of her client who wishes to remain anonymous, click HERE. The donation is unrestricted. Administrator Selig directed the Business Office to deposit the monies as u
nanticipated General Fund revenue for FY 2012. In early 2013, we will bring forward a resolution to the Council as we do each year noting all of the various donations received in 2012 for formal Council acceptance. Because this donation is in excess of $5,000, it will also require a public hearing for the acceptance. As noted previously concerning this topic, Durham has received anonymous donations in the past, most notable in support of the Durham Farmers Market.
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DURHAM GREAT BAY ROTARY CLUB OFFERS UPCOMING SPEAKER OPPORTUNITIES
On January 23rd, the Durham Great Bay Rotary Club will host Chris Clement, Commissioner of NH Department of Transportation, as its Speaker. On January 30th, the club will host Sharon Meeker who will talk about the Lamprey River Management and Protection program.
The Durham Great Bay Rotary Club meets weekly at the Three Chimneys Inn every Wednesday at 7:30 AM. The club welcomes visitors and encourages anyone interested in learning more about the organization to attend.
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At the Durham Town Council meeting on Monday evening, January 7th, Richard "Stogie" Many was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation recognizing his 34 years of service to the Durham Fire Department as a Call Firefighter. To read the certificate presented to Mr. Many, click HERE. Courtesy Bill Cote
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WHAT HAPPENS TO CHRISTMAS TREES WHEN THEY ARRVE AT DURHAM PUBLIC WORKS?
In the past few years, the Public Works Department has stockpiled Christmas trees at the Packers Falls Road gravel pit with other debris from storms such as downed trees. The department has a tub grinder come in on occasion to chip the stockpile. A portion of the wood chips end up at the Raymond A. LaRoche Transfer Station & Recycling Center located on Durham Point Road for residents to use. The other portion is taken by the company to offset the cost of the grinding.
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2013 TRANSFER STATION PERMITS
Residents please remember to get your 2013 Transfer Station Permits if you have not done so already. They are available at the Public Works Office as well as the Town Clerk’s Office, Residents will need to provide their license plate numbers and registrations. If residents only need a bulky waste coupon or electronics sticker, they may get them and their 2013 permits at the Public Works Office only.
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CHANGES AT THE TRANSFER STATION
Cash will no longer be accepted at the Transfer Station per a new policy adopted for January 1, 2013. Checks will only be accepted for the purchase of electronics stickers effective immediately. There will be a grace period through February 15th, after that it will be strongly enforced.
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TRANSFER STATION DEDICATION - JANUARY 28TH COUNCIL MEETING
At the January 28th Town Council Meeting the Transfer Station and Recycling Center will officially be dedicated to the late Raymond A. LaRoche, Sr. The dedication will take place at the beginning of the meeting.
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DO YOU RECOGNIZE THESE GLOVES? - GLOVES LEFT AT DPW OFFICE
A resident left these gloves behind earlier in the week at the Public Works Office. If they belong to you, then please stop by or call 603-868-5578. Hope they find their owner!
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DURHAM HISTORIC ASSOCIATION BOARD MEETING
The Durham Historic Association has scheduled a board meeting for Monday, January 21, 2013 at 4PM at the Durham Museum. Residents who have an interest in Durham history, the museum, genealogy, or any other related topic are invited to attend and participate in the board meeting. The DHA will be taking stock of where it is and shaping future programming, membership development, and increasing usage of its resources. Questions may be directed to Marjorie Smith at msmithpen@aol.com.
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ORCSD BUDGET FORUM IN DURHAM TOWN COUNCIL ROOM
Superintendent Jim Morse from the Oyster River School District has organized an informational budget forum for Thursday, January 17, 2013, at 6 PM in the Town Council chambers at the Durham Town Office. This would be a good opportunity to meet Dr. Morse and to learn more about the district’s planning for FY 2014.
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DURHAM’S FRIDAY DEALS
Friday Deals are offered by Downtown merchants. Click HERE to see the deals on food, health, and services that are being offered. Shop locally and support area business. Money spent locally stays local.
If your business has a Friday deal to offer please send it to Ken Entz at sentz@comcast.net.
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INVITATION TO THE FIRST PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL WORKSHOP - PROPOSED DURHAM/UNH OYSTER RIVER INTEGRATED WATERSHED PLAN JANUARY 24th, 2013
If you live or work in and around the Oyster River watershed, please join us for the first public informational workshop hosted by the Town of Durham and UNH partnership to discuss the proposed study elements of the future Oyster River Integrated Watershed Plan (ORIWP). On January 24th, two workshops will be held to provide an option of attending an afternoon or evening session. The afternoon workshop will be held at 3:00 pm at the Lee Safety Complex off of George Bennett Road in Lee and the evening workshop will be held at 7:00 pm at the Madbury Town Hall. The primary purpose of these workshops is to inform watershed residents, community officials and other stakeholders of the proposed study elements of the ORIWP to be initiated in 2013 as well as to gain insight, comments and information from residents that have relevant knowledge of the watershed conditions and activities. This integrated watershed approach seeks to combine knowledge, planning and implementati
on efforts with other watershed stakeholders to develop effective and sustainable solutions to reduce pollutant loading, including nitrogen, within the watershed. For more information contact Town Engineer Dave Cedarholm at dcedarholm@ci.durham.nh.us , or call the Department of Public Works at 603-868-5578.
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The library is taking shape, both inside... Courtesy Walter Rous
DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION UPDATE - Mind the Gap!
Carpentry, roofing, and insulation work dominated this week’s efforts at the library site. Interior partitions have been framed at the basement, main level and second floor. Windows have been installed on the east, north, west and portions of the south elevations. Roof shingling work is complete on the north, west, and south sloping roofs and on the tricky curved south-facing double height bay. A challenge to the roofer’s art, to say the least. Last Saturday, spray foam insulation was applied to the ceiling and the exterior walls of the adult reading bay. The area needed to be curtained off and heated to be sure the installation would be successful. Similar efforts are underway in preparation for spray foaming the young adult and toddler areas.
In London, you can purchase a t-shirt with the phrase “Mind the Gap” printed on it. “Mind the Gap” is a warning to “Tube” passengers to take caution while crossing the gap between the station platform and the train door. It was introduced in the London Underground in 1969. This week, the gap that needed minding was the gap between the new construction and the existing structure where they meet on the east elevation facing Madbury Road. This thorny junction requires knitting together the existing roof and brick wall with the new roof and brick veneer - complicated to a degree by the elevator shaft - while striving for visual harmony and a seamless transition that will minimize future maintenance issues.
and outside! Courtesy Walter Rous
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PUBLIC MEETINGS: SCHEDULE AND VIDEO ON DEMAND
The following public meetings are scheduled for the coming week All meetings begin at 7:00 PM and are held in the Council chambers at the Durham Town Hall unless otherwise indicated below.
Agricultural Commission - Monday, January 14, 2013. For agenda and other information, click HERE.
Oyster River Cooperative School District Budget Forum - Thursday, January 17, 2013.
All meetings recorded on DCAT are available on DVD at the Durham Public Library for checkout and viewing.
VIDEO ON DEMAND: Meetings can also be viewed via Video on Demand. Interested viewers can access the streaming site from the Town’s website at http://ci.durham.nh.us/ by clicking the DCAT on demand logo, or directly at http://dcat.pegcentral.com/.
Durham Public Library Board of Trustees meeting schedule, please click HERE.
DCAT Programming Schedule, please click HERE.
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PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Alternate Member Needed on Parks and Recreation Committee
The Parks and Recreation Committee is searching for an alternate member. If you are interested in learning more, please email Nate Trauntvein, Chair, at neh34@unh.edu
Volunteers Needed for Winter Carnival
Parks and Recreation is currently looking for volunteers to help out with its Winter Carnival taking place in February. Don’t miss out on this FUN event! Contact: sfrazee@ci.durham.nh.us
To view the schedule of classes for January, click HERE.
For more information regarding any of the classes or events offered by Parks and Recreation, visit the P&R web site at https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/boc_parksrec.
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COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Durham Newcomers Unlimited Meeting, Friday, January 18, 2013, 9AM-social hour, 10AM-speaker, Fellowship Hall at Community Church of Durham. "Fishermen and Flower Gardens: A Virtual Walking Tour of Start Island". For more information call Brenda Sargent at 603-868-7355.
Museum of Art, UNH, two new exhibitions featuring the photography of Portsmouth, New Hampshire artist Carl Austin Hyatt as well as Californian impressionist landscapes from The Irvine Museum open to the public at the Museum of Art, University of New Hampshire (UNH), on January 26, 2013. A public reception for Sacred Landscapes of Peru: The Photographs of Carl Austin Hyatt and California Impressionism, Paintings from The Irvine Museum place on Friday, January 25, 2013 from 6-8 p.m.
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DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Interested in EBooks? Please Take Our Survey! Please take a minute to complete a short survey on our website www.durhampubliclibrary.org to help us determine our patrons' interest in borrowing e-Readers from the library. We own a Kindle and a Nook that can be checked out just like books. Each reader is loaded with at least a dozen titles selected from bestseller lists. We also have free eBook downloads through our website to your device. Please answer a few short questions about your eBook use so that we can better serve you. Thank you.
Preschool Storytimes, Tues. Jan. 15th and Thurs. Jan. 17th at 10:30 am – This week: Dinosaurs! Join us for stories, fingerp
lays, songs, feltboard and a craft. All are welcome.
Off the Clock- Moving Education from Time to Competency, Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 6:30 p.m.: Fred Bramante, Durham resident and author of Off the Clock- Moving Education from Time to Competency, will speak about the redesign of public education. The state regulations were changed in 2005 to move our schools to a competency based model, but how are our schools doing? What's the role of higher education in all of this? New Hampshire has won the prestigious 2012 State Innovation Award from the Education Commission of the States, but how are we doing on implementation of these innovations? Bramante speaks around the country about this topic. He is past- Chairman of the NH Board of Education and is a former science teacher. He was charged by Gov. Benson to lead this effort toward competency-based learning. Bramante will speak about how this new attitude toward learning will lead to a better, mo
re cost-effective, customized education for every child by pulling the entire community into the process of education.
Exploring Turkey! Tues. Jan. 22nd at 6:30 p.m. - Feel like taking an exotic trip to Turkey? Come learn about this beautiful country, its culture, and its history from Durham resident Tom Bebbington, who recently visited Turkey. Tom is an excellent speaker who is sure to delight you with stories and photographs from this fascinating country!
Bookeaters, Middle School Book Group, Weds, Jan. 23rd, 2:45-4:00 p.m. - Join us for this Middle School Group! This month's book is "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. Walk from the Middle School to come and discuss the book of the month. This group is facilitated by Ruth Wharton-MacDonald. Pizza is served! All are welcome.
Register for Tales for Tails! Have a young reader who could use some non-judgmental encouragement for reading aloud? A Delta Therapy dog is waiting for your child. Sign up now to start mid-late January for a session.
Registration for Seacoast Reads (UNH Reading tutors) has started for the second semester. Does your elementary school aged child need extra help reading? Come to the library to sign up for a Seacoast Reads Reading tutor. Your child will be paired with a student tutor and they will meet once a week at the library starting in February. Space is limited so sign-up soon!
Join the Patch Program, our reading incentive program for children aged 2-12 years. Children earn patches for minutes read or being read to as well as a Durham Library book bag. If new to the program, stop by and register. Thanks to the Friends of the Durham Public Library for their continued support of this program.
Check out the library's website at http://www.durhampubliclibrary.org/durham/ for more information.
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FROM "DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE A HISTORY - 1900-1985"
"Farm Life in Durham: "Down the Point Road a piece the next farm was that of David Albert Watson. David Albert was well known as 'Tate' Watson, the Potato King of Durham, because of the quality and quantity of potatoes he raised. The usual farm crops, as well as hayfields and apple orchards, made up the rest of the farm. Tate's son George inherited the farm, and in 1932 sold it to Shakrallah (which means 'Thank you, God') Jabre. The Jabre family abandoned potato raising but brought the apple orchards to peak production. Many Durham people remember the beautiful sight of springtime clouds of apple blossoms extending from Durham Point Road to the Oyster River. Along with the apple crop, there was a cider mill business; both operations did well until 1979, when Mr. Jabre died. The apple business has been discontinued. The hayfields are kept mowed, and three horses remain." Published in 1985 by the Durham Historic Association.
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And finally, some children's humor ...
Where does a snowman keep his money? In the snow bank!
Have a nice weekend.
Todd
Todd I. Selig, Administrator
Town of Durham, New Hampshire
T: 603-868-5571 F: 603-868-5572
tselig@ci.durham.nh.us http://www.ci.durham.nh.us
Everyone can tackle climate change. How can you reduce your carbon footprint?
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