Friday Updates - January 13, 2023

Friday, January 13, 2023

A yearly Town of Durham Resident/Taxpayer Permit is required to access the Raymond A. LaRoche Sr. Transfer Station and Recycling Center at 100 Durham Point Road. 2023 permits are now available at the Durham Public Works main campus located at 100 Stone Quarry Drive or at the Durham Town Hall.

This Resident/Taxpayer Permit is free of charge and allows residents to dispose of municipal solid waste and recycling materials. (The disposal of bulky waste and construction debris is not covered by this permit and requires separate bulky waste coupons, which are available for purchase at Durham Public Works or the Transfer Station.)

Displaying the Resident/Taxpayer Permit also provides an additional hour of free parking for our downtown 1-hour free kiosk-controlled parking spaces such as in the University Market Lot or along Main Street in the general vicinity of Town & Campus, Clark's American Bistro, and Wildcat Pizza/JP's.

POSITIONS OPEN FOR MARCH 14, 2023 TOWN ELECTION - Filing period begins January 25.

The 2023 Town Election will be held on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at the Oyster River High School, Multipurpose Room, Coe Drive, Durham, N.H. The polling hours are 7:00am-7:00pm. 

Candidates interested in running for office should file their declaration at the Durham Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s Office starting on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, through Friday, February 3, 2023.

The following offices are open:

• Three positions for Town Councilor (3-year term)
• Two positions for Durham Public Library Board of Trustees (3-year term)
• One position for Durham Public Library Board of Trustees (1-year term)
• One position for Trustee of the Trust Funds (3-year term)
• One position for Town Clerk-Tax Collector (3-year term)
• One position for Town Treasurer (3-year term)

If you would like to learn more about any elective office, responsibilities, time commitments, etc. please give the Administrator's Office a call at (603) 858-5571 or write to kedwards@ci.durham.nh.us.

NEED TO CHANGE YOUR VOTING STATUS OR REGISTER TO VOTE?

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

Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 7:00 – 7:30 PM at the Durham Town Hall

This will be the last date for new voter registrations to be accepted before a new checklist will be printed for the Oyster River School District Deliberative Session on February 7. New registrations will not be accepted at the Deliberative Session but will still be accepted at the Town Hall through March 4 for the Town/School Election.

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

2023 Dog licenses are now available in the Durham Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s office. Durham offers dog licensing online HERE. All dogs must have a valid rabies vaccination to obtain a license, which may be uploaded online or emailed to clerk-collector@ci.durham.nh.us. Residents may also come into Town Hall to get a dog license during the clerk’s hours on Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm.

New Hampshire law requires all dogs aged 3 months and older be licensed every year. You must show proof that the dog has a valid rabies vaccination at the time of registration.  License fees are as follows:

• Unaltered Male or Female $10.00
• Spayed or Neutered Dog $7.50
• Senior Citizen Owner (65+) – 1st Dog $2.00

TOP DOG RAFFLE: The Town of Durham is excited to announce the return of the Top Dog Raffle. This raffle was created to motivate and remind dog owners to license their pets every year by April 30. Residents automatically register for the Top Dog raffle when they obtain a dog license before April 30. The winner of the Top Dog raffle will receive a gift basket donated by the clerk’s office and their dog’s biography will be featured in the Durham Friday Update. Hunter McCluskey was the lucky winner in 2022. Your dog could be the next Top Dog! 

RULES & REGULATIONS

• Contestants will automatically be entered into the raffle when they register their dog(s) before April 30 (only open to Durham residents).
• Residents who DO NOT want to be included in the raffle may opt out by writing, calling, or emailing the clerk’s office.
• Contestants must be 18 or older and be the owner of the dog on file with the clerk’s office. Town of Durham employees and elected officials are not eligible.
• The contestant must have a 2023 Town of Durham dog license by April 30. A current rabies vaccination will be required to obtain the license.
• The raffle winner may submit a digital photo and brief biography of their dog. Photos of the 2023 raffle winner’s dog will be included in the Durham Friday Update.
• The winner will be drawn at random by clerk’s office in May 2023.

EVERSOURCE ENERGY PRICE DECREASE EXPECTED FOR FEBRUARY 1ST The cost of natural gas and electricity and all other home heating fuels continue to be high for people across the state due to increased global demand for gas and electricity. 

On February 1, an average customer that uses 600 kWh per month and has Eversource as their energy supplier, will see a decrease in their total bill by approximately 5.5% or $11. 

This is a result of the decrease in the energy supply rate from $0.22566 to $0.20221 per kWh and an adjustment to the Stranded Cost Recovery Charge from $0.00273 to $0.00718* per kWh. The energy supply cost continues to be the most significant factor impacting customers’ total monthly bills.  

In NH, the energy supply price changes twice a year – February 1 and August 1 – representing the cost that Eversource pays generators for the power that customers use. Eversource only charges customers what it pays generators for producing the power – it does not earn a profit on the cost of electricity. 

How much a customer pays will ultimately depend on how much energy is used, their rate category, and weather conditions. All Eversource customers have the option to buy their power from state-approved retail suppliers or to receive the energy company’s Default Service Rate. Customers can find out more information about retail supplier rates at the Department of Energy’s website.

Programs Offered to Help Energy Customers: 

• See how the weather impacts your bill and how small adjustments to your thermostat can help save with our Heating Cost Calculator. 
• Equalizing monthly energy bills to avoid seasonal spikes with Budget Billing. 
• Even if customers have never needed help before, they may now qualify for special programs to help lower their monthly bill, reduce a past due balance, or extended payment plans. 

Note as well that Durham is exploring potential membership in the Community Power Coalition of NH, which if it works successfully, would bring greener power to energy customers at no more, and hopefully less than, that offered by Eversource.

LARRY O'CONNELL, FORMER DURHAM SELECTPERSON AND LONG-TIME RESIDENT AND UNH FACULTY MEMBER, PASSES AWAY

Lawrence O’Connell of Durham died December 28, 2022, at Portsmouth Regional Hospital after a brief illness.

Larry was a very active member of both his local and statewide community. Larry remained most proud of his service as a Selectman in the Town of Durham from 1971-1980 where he proudly and defiantly fought against the proposed Onassis oil refinery.

He was a keen observer of the world and read voraciously, consuming 4 newspapers each and every day without fail. Even in his final days he was found debating NH school policy with his doctors.

To read full obituary, click HERE.

CALL-BACK NOTICES BEING SENT TO DURHAM PROPERTY OWNERS FOR REVALUATION DATA COLLECTION

Municipal Resources, Inc. (MRI) has been hired by the Town of Durham to conduct a town wide revaluation, in accordance with the NH Constitution Part II, Article 6 and RSA 75:8a, for the 2023 tax year. The purpose of the project is to bring property assessments uniformly in line with market conditions as of April 1, 2023.

To date, most of the properties in Durham have been visited at least once. Call-back notices are currently being mailed to those properties where MRI was unable to verify the accuracy of the data on the assessment record card and asking the property owner to contact MRI to schedule an interior inspection or to verify the information by phone. Appointments may be scheduled with an MRI representative by clicking HERE or by calling their office at 603-279-0352 ext. 300. Monday through Friday, except holidays, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. through January 20, 2023. Appointments will take place the week of January 23, 2023.

Any questions regarding the project should be directed to the Durham Assessor’s Office at 603-868-8064. Updates regarding the project will be posted in the Friday Updates newsletter and through mailings. We greatly appreciate your cooperation throughout this project

Sunrise at Wagon Hill Farm Courtesy Denise Day

PUBLIC HEARING ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PROPOSED STRAFFORD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OPERATING BUDGET FOR 2023

NOTICE is hereby given that a Public Hearing and Meeting before the Strafford County Delegation will be held on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in Superior Courtroom II, Second Floor of the William A. Grimes Justice and Administration Building, 259 County Farm Road, Dover, New Hampshire on the Strafford County Commissioners’ Proposed Operating Budget for 2023. The Public Hearing is to receive public input on the Proposed Operating Budget. A Public Meeting will be held after the Public Hearing to hear any other business that may legally come before the Delegation at that time.

Zoom access to the meeting is available by clicking HERE. (Meeting ID: 818 8121 0726 Passcode: 676481 or Dial by your location: +1 646 931 3860 US One tap mobile +16469313860,,81881210726#,,,,*676481# US)

To read the full public announcement and proposed budget click HERE.

The Planning Board denied the site plan application for the redevelopment of Mill Plaza this past May. Colonial Durham Associates, owner of the property, appealed the decision to the New Hampshire Housing Appeals Board. (Parties appealing Planning Board decisions pertinent to residential development have the option of appealing to Superior Court or the Housing Appeals Board.) The appeal was based on two issues: the Town’s requirement for a supermajority of five out of seven members for approval of a conditional use application and the procedure the board followed in seating alternates for the project. On October 31, the three-person board ruled unanimously in favor of the Town of Durham. Colonial Durham requested a rehearing with the board, but that request was denied. Colonial Durham has now appealed the case to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, the court of last resort for this project. The Supreme Court has discretion whether or not to hear the case. They will likely decide to hear it, in part to adjudicate the novel issue raised by Colonial Durham about the Town’s requirement for a vote of five out of seven for a conditional use approval. No court decision or date has yet been set.

OYSTER RIVER CYCLE & SPORT IS CHANGING THE WAY THEY DO BUSINESS

Oyster River Cycle and Sport has moved out of its shop on Dover Road. They have created a new model for the business which you can see at their website HERE. 

Brian Keegan, General Manager and Partner, says, “The new model is completely service focused, and we come to the client. Appointments can be booked through the book now tab on the website. Just select the date and time you would like the service, answer a few simple questions and book the appointment. We encourage people to get their services done soon to avoid the big rush that typically comes in the spring. We will be available for onsite service (as weather allows) or for pick up and drop off. For those looking for a new bike we are offering the bike concierge service where we help the client find the right type and size of bike, then build and fit the bike to them. Appointments for that can also be made through the book now tab."

The Cat Trax Bike Share program will be starting back around March 20th, just after Spring Break. It is a collaborative effort between UNH, Oyster River Cycle and Sport and the Town of Durham. It would be great seeing more Durham residents making use of this excellent program to help more people easily access sustainable local transportation.

We are pleased that Brian will continue to serve the community in the same friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive manner as he always has.

THE NH WASTEWATER SURVEILANCE DASHBOARD HAS ARRIVED – And Durham is among the group of 14 participating communities.

The NH SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance Dashboard now joins the suite of COVID-19 dashboards available publicly. 

There is a 10-Day wastewater dashboard lifecycle starting each Monday with the data updated and publicly available on Thursday of the following week. Every Thursday, the updated wastewater dashboard presents data collected from the 14 Wastewater Treatment Facilities from the samples collected approximately 10 days earlier. 

Check it out at https://www.covid19.nh.gov/wastewater-surveillance.  

People who live, work, and recreate in New Hampshire’s coastal communities are already experiencing impacts from high tide flooding. High tide flooding occurs several times a year when tidal waters flow above the natural landscape onto roadways, driveways, and yards, and interrupt daily routines. These tides offer a glimpse into what daily water levels could be like in the future as sea levels rise.

The Rising Tides Photo Contest is a unique opportunity to use photography to learn how places are already being impacted by high tide flooding and will be affected by rising sea levels. This year, the Rising Tides Photo Contest will focus on documenting higher-than-normal tides and showcasing the area’s resilient ecosystems, economies, infrastructure, and communities.

What to Enter: Photos must be taken during the contest period along New Hampshire's tidal shoreline. For tips on where to go, explore the 2023 Rising Tides Photo Contest Map. Additionally, photos must be entered into one of four contest categories:

• Picturing Change: Atlantic Coast
• Picturing Change: Great Bay
• Picturing Resilience: Atlantic Coast
• Picturing Resilience: Great Bay

Examples of eligible images in each category and a list of communities in each geographic area are available on the CAW website.

How to Enter: Photo entries must be submitted via the online entry form available on the CAW website during the Contest Submission Period, January 21-24, 2023. Entries submitted via mail, email, or social media will not be accepted.

Prizes: One winning entry will be selected in each of the four Contest Categories through a public voting process. The entries that receive the most votes by the end of the voting period on February 2, 2023, at 11:59 PM ET will win a $50 gift card to a local restaurant of the winner’s choosing.

CAW is excited to host guided flood tours during the contest period. These events will provide a guided opportunity to take photos of high tide flooding and learn about the impacts of sea level rise in your community from lived and diverse perspectives. Volunteer boards and municipal staff, technical assistance providers, natural resource professionals, researchers and students, elected officials, interested residents, community leaders, and Rising Tides Photo Contest participants are encouraged to participate. Stay tuned for more information and event registration coming soon.

THE LAND STEWARDSHIP SUBCOMMITTEE NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Have you visited the Longmarsh Preserve Property and its trails? If so, please help the Land Stewardship Subcommittee learn more about your experiences by completing the Longmarsh Preserve questionnaire HERE. The map above highlights the trails in the preserve along with connecting trails.

Thank you! The Land Stewardship Subcommittee.

DURHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO BE CAUTIOUS!

The recent and tragic deaths of four University of Idaho college students has brought great concern to UNH college students and their families. Although Durham, NH consistently falls within the top ten safest college towns, crime can happen anywhere. The Durham Police Department is dedicated to ensuring students feel as safe as possible in their homes and apartments. In an effort to help students feel safe, if requested, an officer will check your off-campus house or apartment for any major safety concerns. Additionally, Durham Police wants to remind you of things you can do to increase your safety at your home/apartment:

1. Keep your doors and windows locked at all times
2. Do not answer the door for anyone you do not know
3. Add a security system or surveillance camera (Ring, trail camera, Nest)
4. Build in a nightly security routine to check all doors and windows to ensure they are locked
5. Call the police immediately if there is someone suspicious inside or around your home/apartment
6. Be cautious of what you post on social media
7. Talk to your landlord about their safety recommendations

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 can generate conversation with their children about Fire Safety. Keep an eye out in the weekly updates These small questions and tips are a great way for you as a Parent to teach your kids about Fire Safety, the more they know the safer they will be.

WEEK #2

In Week 1 we talked about DIAL 911 FOR AN EMERGENCY!!!!

This week we want to ask?

DO YOU KNOW YOUR ADDRESS?

Your address is very important when you call 911. It helps the people that are responding know exactly where you live.

Your address is a key element for responders to respond to your household. Does your mailbox and house have a number on it? Can it be seen from the road? Are there any key landmarks that would help describe where you live?

A NEW LOGO FOR SUSTAINABLE DURHAM CAMPAIGN

The Integrated Waste Management Advisory Committee (IWMAC) and the Durham Public Works staff are working on a variety of initiatives associated with reducing solid waste generation, increasing recycling participation, and supporting composting. A new “Sustainable Durham” branding campaign spearheaded by the IWMAC, but available for use for other sustainability-related initiatives, is under way for a 2023 launch. 

TIME TO BRANCH OUT? Trees put lawns in the shade when it comes to tackling climate crisis according to new article in The Guardian.

If a third of the world’s city lawns were planted with trees, it is estimated that more than a gigatonne of carbon could be removed from the atmosphere over two decades, researchers from Auckland University of Technology found. The problem is not the grass itself, but the mowing, fertilization and irrigation required.

The researchers reviewed 65 studies of emissions and sequestration of carbon by turf or lawn compared with trees. They concluded that, globally, the equivalent of 157 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per hectare could be avoided, and up to 1,630m tonnes of carbon absorbed from the atmosphere over 20 years if a third of mown grass in urbanized areas were planted with trees.

As climate breakdown drives more extreme weather, droughts have highlighted the irrigation demands of velvety turf. In response, anti-lawn and “rewilding” movements have seeded across the UK, with advocates pushing to replace the lawn with trees, shrubs or a more diverse mixture of unmown wildflowers and native grasses. In 2021, 30 UK councils adopted “No mow May” to encourage wildflower growth and natural pollinators. 

Prompted by the leadership of the Agricultural Commission, Durham has been encouraging a “No mow May” for several years. 

To read more in The Guardian, click HERE.

ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING STATION IN METERED PARKING LOT ON PETTEE BROOK LANE TEMPORARILY OUT OF SERVICE

During the storm event on December 23rd 2022, a utility pole was compromised within the Metered Parking Lot resulting in extensive damage to some of the electrical infrastructure within the Lot. While a new utility pole was set, new electrical conduit still needs to be run from the pole to the meter pedestal which regulates the electricity feeding the charging station. Durham Public Works has a work ticket in with Eversource but was advised that it may be several weeks before service is restored.

DURHAM PUBLIC WORKS SEEKS PART-TIME TRANSFER STATION ATTENDANT

The Town of Durham in New Hampshire’s seacoast region is one of the most beautiful and desired locations in the State and is home to the University of New Hampshire. The Durham Public Works Department, a recognized leader in the Public Works field, is fully integrated and progressive using modern equipment and facilities to achieve its goals. The Department is seeking a highly qualified team member to join an exceptional team of Public Works professionals to serve in the role of Transfer Station Attendant.

The successful candidate will assist in the operation of the Raymond A. LaRoche, Sr. Transfer Station and Recycling Center during public open hours on Saturdays. The Transfer Station Attendant will frequently interact with residents to ensure that materials are placed in the proper receptacles and answers questions regarding solid waste and recycling. Additionally, the Attendant will perform general facility maintenance and cleaning as well as operates a skid steer and backhoe to transport/consolidate materials.

The salary for this part-time position is $17/hr.

The successful candidate will possess an NHDES Solid Waste Operator License or the ability to obtain within (6) months of hire.

Applications are available at the Department of Public Works Main office or online at www.ci.durham.nh.us/jobs.

Please send resume and completed application to Town of Durham, Department of 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.

STATE MAKES CHANGES TO NH HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

You will find below an overview of changes made by Governor Sununu, Education Commissioner Edelblut, and the State Legislature. The change to graduation requirements is statewide and impacts all students graduating from high school within NH. 

Civics Instruction and Assessment: House Bill 157:1, effective July 1, 2023, requires students to pass a locally developed competency assessment in civics, and pass the naturalization examination developed by the 2020 United States Citizen and Immigration Services with a 70 percent or better, in order to graduate from high school. School districts will be required to submit the results of both tests by June 30th of each year to the NH DOE. 

What does this mean for students? Oyster River students will receive multiple opportunities to demonstrate their competency in both the locally developed assessment as well as the naturalization examination developed by the 2020 US Citizen and Immigration Services. These assessments will be given to most students in their junior year while they are enrolled in an already required course, Citizen Education. All students must pass both assessments to be eligible for graduation beginning in 2024. The Oyster River Social Studies Department has already made the necessary adjustments to accommodate the new requirements within the Citizen Education course. Juniors taking Citizen Education this year have been engaged in fulfilling their graduation requirement.  

Additions made to the state’s graduation requirements impact students throughout the state. The ORCSD indicates that Oyster River will continue to provide students with opportunities to build individualized programs of study that align with student interests as well as meeting all graduation requirements. 

OYSTER RIVER STRIKES GOLD - New Middle School Achieves LEED Gold Certification!

The new Oyster River Middle School Building has been LEED Gold Certified by the US Green Building Council. ORMS is the only LEED Gold certified school building in New Hampshire. Fewer than 800 school buildings in the US have achieved this distinction.

LEED-certified green buildings are generally better buildings. LEED provides a framework for healthy, efficient, carbon and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement, and it is backed by an entire industry of committed organizations and individuals paving the way for market transformation.

How LEED works…LEED certified buildings generally save money, improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions, and create healthier places for people to work, learn, and live.

To achieve LEED certification, a project earns points by adhering to prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, human health, and indoor environmental quality. Projects go through a verification and review process by GBCI and are awarded points that correspond to a level of LEED certification: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points) and Platinum (80+ points).

The Durham Town Hall is a LEED Silver Certified building. 

Congratulations to the Oyster River Cooperative School District Team for this significant achievement!  

The ORHS Girls and Boys Basketball Teams welcomes you to come and support your teams! $10 Season Pass, $3 per game, Seniors and Students Free.

All games are held in the Oyster River High School gymnasium at 55 Coe Drive, Durham, NH 03824. For more information and updated game schedules, please visit Oyster River High School (oysterriverathletics.org).

The Museum of Art at the University of New Hampshire is pleased to present Dinh Q. Lê: Fragile Springs, on view at the Museum of Art at the University of New Hampshire January 26 – February 20, 2023. The public is invited to a free opening reception on Thursday, January 26, 4:00-6:00pm. All programs are open to the public and free of charge.

Dinh Q. Lê’s work and art practice revolve around the themes of identity, history, and memory, which span various mediums from his well-known woven photographs and tapestries to handmade paper, and video and mixedmedia installations that question the reception and consumption of images and how visual culture may inform a national identity. Lê and his family left Vietnam in 1978 and lived in refugee camps in Thailand before relocating to the United States. In California where he lived and went to art school, Lê was sparked by the prevailing perceptions of the Vietnam War and its lingering consequences on the Vietnamese people.

Dinh Q. Lê was invited to the LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies at the School of the Arts at Columbia University in 2011 to collaborate with Gregory Santos on an edition of prints inspired by the September 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement along with other concurrent international protest movements. The result is Fragile Springs, a portfolio of 10 screenprints with varnish all on view in the At the Museum of Art. The portfolio was purchased in 2021 by Museum of Art for the Permanent Collection.

Ten countries are the subjects of Fragile Springs: Burma, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Thailand, Tibet, Tunisia, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Yemen. Of the collaboration and creative process, Lê comments: “Occupy Wall Street was in the air and the revolutions and protest in the Middle East were still happening and Libya had finally gotten rid of Gaddafi. In Vietnam the young people were learning how to protest again and to make their voices heard. I spent time that weekend browsing around on the Internet and became intrigued by how each revolution had been assigned a name and a color. There was the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the Green Revolution in Iran, the Pink Revolution in Yemen, the Red Revolution in Thailand, and the Saffron Revolution in Burma. It was interesting to see how the use of a single color gave such a collective sense to each movement. But I also kept asking myself: Who are the people in the crowd? Whom do I look for that I can connect to somehow? When you look at a crowd, you always look for the one person whom you connect to.”

Fragile Springs is on view in collaboration with the Global Racial and Social Inequality Lab (GRSIL) at the University of New Hampshire. GRSIL is envisioned as a dynamic site of research, pedagogical activity, and community engagement. Learn more about GRSIL by clicking HERE.

Would you like to bring a group to explore Fragile Springs? Contact Education and Outreach Manager Molly Bolick to discuss experiential learning opportunities for groups and classes. Molly.bolick@unh.edu