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American flag at Durham's Memorial Park. Courtesy Todd Selig
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In late-December, Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski named Durham native Sam Fuld as the club's new general manager. Fuld, 39, spent the past three years in various roles with the Phillies, but his promotion makes him the team’s top dog! Fuld’s new role cements his rising-star status in the minds of top Phillies officials and others across baseball (something those of us in Durham have known all along). Congratulations, Sam Fuld!
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COMMENTS FROM ADMIN. SELIG REGARDING WEDNESDAY’S SEIGE ON THE U.S. CAPITOL
It was deeply unsettling to witness what happened on Wednesday of this week in Washington, D.C. when at the prodding of the President, thousands of Donald Trump supporters rushed and then forcibly occupied the U.S. Capitol Building. Five deaths to date are attributed to this violent and despicable act. Only twice in our nation’s history has the U.S. Capitol been forcibly occupied – the War of 1812 and now, astonishingly, at the behest of President Trump based on the false and debunked narrative that he won the 2020 Presidential Election, when in fact he did not.
Durham as the host to the University of New Hampshire has a long history of dealing with large, intoxicated crowds of 3,000 – 7,000 that at times have poured into our downtown and become riotous following significant events such as the World Series, the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four, etc. We also regularly host high level political candidates, social movement marches, the NH Legislature, and more. We’ve learned over time that the best offense is a good defense -- you have to look ahead and anticipate what might come to pass, and then have sufficient personnel, equipment, and logistical planning in place to manage the incident. For a high profile World Series involving the NE Patriots, for example, Durham (with close cooperation and support from UNH) has had 130-150 police officers in place with appropriate gear and materials to safely disburse crowds in an organized manner.
It’s unclear why there was not a sufficient police presence located at the U.S. Capitol building itself or stationed nearby in reserve to address the large crowds President Trump invited to Washington specifically to object to the confirmation of Joe Biden as the next President of the United States. A reasonable person must question why those responsible for protecting the U.S. Congress chose not to ramp up planning to adequately and safely deal with the gathering storm of Trump loyalists who simply refuse to accept the fact that their candidate, for good or bad, lost the election. Their siege on the U.S. Capitol was also a siege on our democratic form of government itself. For shame.
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VACCINE DISTRIBUTION FOR DURHAM’S FIRST RESPONDERS UNDER WAY – PHASE 1A
The Town has been working closely with the State of New Hampshire to secure vaccinations for our local police, fire, and EMS personnel. Unfortunately DPW staff were not covered by the Phase 1A distribution schedule. The vast majority of our police and fire personnel who want them will have received their initial vaccinations by the end of this week.
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The Falls by John Hatch. Courtesy Durham Historic Association
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MILL POND DAM ON OYSTER RIVER FEASIBILITY STUDY PUBLIC HEARING
The Durham Town Council will hold a public hearing on Monday, January 11, 2021 at 7:00 PM to receive input on the Oyster River Dam at Mill Pond Feasibility Study, which includes options for addressing water quality impairments and stabilizing or removing the Oyster River Dam at the Mill Pond located on the Oyster River along Route 108/Newmarket Road in Durham. The meeting will be held completely on-line using Zoom teleconferencing.
Questions regarding this matter should be addressed to April Talon, Town Engineer, at 603-868-5578 or email atalon@ci.durham.nh.us. Written comments may be mailed to the Administrator’s Office at 8 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH 03824 or sent by electronic mail to jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.
Prior presentations on the Feasibility Study and the full report, including appendices is posted on the Town’s website HERE.
Recommendations have been provided by the Conservation Commission, Historic District Commission, and the Durham Historic Association. The recommendations can be viewed HERE.
View a summary matrix of options and cost implications HERE.
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FILING PERIOD FOR ELECTIVE OFFICES COMING UP AT THE END OF JANUARY
The Town and ORCSD elections will be held on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at the Oyster River High School. Polling hours will be from 7AM to 7PM.
The filing period for local elective offices in the Town of Durham is Wednesday, January 20, 2021 through Friday, January 29, 2021 at 5PM.
The following TOWN elected positions are open during this election cycle:
Durham Town Council: Three (3) positions with 3-year terms
Library Board of Trustees: Two (2) positions with 3-year terms
Trustee of the Trust Funds: One (1) position with a 3-year term
The following ORCSD elected positions are open during this election cycle:
School Board representatives: Three (3) positions for each town with 3-year terms
One (1) at-large seat with 1-year term
Moderator: One (1) position with 1-year term
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YEAR END WRAP UP FOR 2020 – A summary of where we’ve been over the past 12 mo. by Admin. Todd Selig
Town staff, elected, and appointed officials continue to work diligently to address community needs, control costs, and maintain the municipality’s fiscal position despite many competing pressures. From preserving the quality of life within our traditional residential neighborhoods, to actively monitoring the Eversource Seacoast Reliability Project construction process, to grappling with human rights and societal issues such as the tragic death of George Floyd, to successfully coordinating four elections (during a pandemic!), to completely revamping the very method of public meeting access via socially distant Zoom technology, to managing development pressures, to exploring new ways to address solid waste and recycling amidst market headwinds, to striving to be sustainable on numerous fronts, many individuals have collectively worked hard on behalf of the community in 2020. Yet, the reality is that the elephant in the room for 2020 was the Covid-19 pandemic. It had the effect of sidelining many less pressing matters in an effort to ensure continuity of operations for municipal departments, informing and protecting public and staff members alike in accordance with the latest public health information, jointly working with UNH to address complex and multifaceted issues surrounding the University’s fall 2020 reopening and organizing a pandemic mobile field unit at the Hamel Recreation Center, the implementation of an emergency facial coverings ordinance for the Durham community, assisting UNH with hosting the Covid-19 displaced state legislature on multiple occasions on campus, and much, much more.
2020 saw the retirement of two dedicated long-time Durham public servants: Public Works Director Michael Lynch and Police Chief David Kurz. Mr. Richard Reine was selected as the Town’s next DPW Director. Long-time Deputy Police Chief Rene Kelley was promoted to Chief at the police department.
Our weekly “Friday Updates” continue to keep the Town Council and members of the community informed of news and happenings in Durham. Nearly 3,500 individuals subscribe to this weekly broadcast. Durham also continues to bolster its Twitter and Facebook presence in order to meet the demands of residents’ changing preferences for information distribution. Our goal is to keep residents informed of local affairs so they may become engaged when issues are of interest/importance to them. It’s not a professional publication however, so subscribers are asked to keep their expectations for coverage reasonable as we work to provide updates as time allows amidst many other competing responsibilities!
Many months of budget planning looking ahead to FY 2021 led to the projection of $13 million in new value; an increase of only 1%. To offset the typical growth in municipal expenditures, we would ideally bring on an additional $20 – $30 million annually. For comparative purposes, between 2008-2012, Durham saw average annual valuation increases around $6 million. During the recent development experienced in Durham between 2014-2017, the community saw average annual increases of $28 million. It was this new development, combined with ongoing careful budgetary management, that allowed Durham to keep the local/municipal portion of the tax rate flat for four years in a row in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Unfortunately, General Fund revenues, driven by widespread impacts from the pandemic, were down by about $150,000 from what was projected for 2020, representing a significant negative impact to the Town’s bottom line. Costs for managing our parking program and credit card fee processing for the downtown parking kiosks were up and although we have increased some parking fees in an attempt to offset this trend – the pandemic has stripped downtown Durham of demand for spaces resulting in a dramatic shortfall in revenue for 2020 and projected into 2021. Revenue projections continue to include an annual $145,000 payment from UNH to compensate the community for the University’s financial impact upon the Town in the area of policing services, plus certain actual roadway costs associated with the upkeep and maintenance/resurfacing of Main Street running through the UNH campus between Pettee Brook Lane and the Rt. 155A intersection. UNH also supports 50% of the Fire Department operational and capital budgets, 2/3 of the cost of joint water and wastewater capital projects, and a pro rata (rolling 36 mo. average) share of the shared water and wastewater operating budgets for Durham and UNH (currently at 59% UNH and 41% Durham for Water; and 57.7% UNH and 42.3% Durham for Wastewater). These and other revenue numbers were helped by a projected $676,700 per year in revenue (an increase of $302,700 over 2020) from our PILOT with Riverwoods Durham ($850,000 payment minus Riverwoods bond payment for water/wastewater utility extensions totaling $173,300), which began in 2019. The Riverwoods PILOT payments to Durham will incrementally increase over the next few years.
Moody’s Investors Services reported on Nov. 5, 2019 that the credit position for Durham was very good. Its Aa2 rating is slightly higher than the median rating of Aa3 for cities nationwide. The notable credit factors include a strong financial position, a very strong wealth and income profile, and a modestly sized tax base. The Town has a strong financial position, which is relatively favorable in comparison to Durham’s assigned rating of Aa2. These indices are all indicative of measured success in realizing the Town’s fiscal goals.
Due in large part to the efforts of long-time Durham resident (and retired UNH Professor) Dennis Meadows and a number of other dedicated volunteers, as well as closely coordinated efforts between the Town and the ORCSD, we closed in late-2019 on a 40-acre parcel along the Oyster River (utilizing private donations) between Thompson Lane and Orchard Drive. Funds were then raised through grants and private donations which allowed us to move forward with building a small pedestrian bridge spanning the river, directly linking downtown Durham, our Faculty Neighborhood, and the UNH core campus to 2,000 acres of conservation land – creating an easily accessible future natural oasis for residents on future hot 100 + degree days resulting from the anticipated impacts of climate change.
Oyster River School District Superintendent of Schools James Morse and I continue to work to remain in regular communication with one another regarding issues of mutual interest/concern. Construction of the new Middle School has been a top priority and area of focus for 2020, a project that will likely result in some modified traffic patterns around the facility along Dennison Avenue, Coe Drive, and Strafford Avenue. It is important to note as well that Town Councilors Kenny Rotner and Allan Howland also served as members of the ORCSD School Board, and in this way strived to ensure there was is good communication between Durham and the ORCSD School Board relative to issues of mutual interest.
The death of Dr. Kenneth Rotner occurred in 2020, around which a wonderful celebration of life was organized by the community at Wagon Hill Farm on Sunday, September 13, 2020. Dr. Rotner’s immeasurable contributions to the Durham and Oyster River Communities over many years will have positive lasting impacts for all of the lives he touched in positive ways. The new pedestrian bridge (currently in construction as of the writing of this report) over the Oyster River at Thompson Lane/Orchard Drive was named after Dr. Rotner by official resolution of the Town Council.
Under the leadership of Director Rachel Gasowski and the Parks & Recreation Committee, we’ve seen interest and participation in Parks & Recreation programming flourish in Durham. Durham’s vision for its Parks & Recreation Department is that it will offer a wide variety of opportunities and concentrations for all residents of any age wishing to participate in accessible, affordable activities. The department also plans/ coordinates community-wide events such as Durham Day, summer children’s programming in conjunction with the school district, the summer concert series, as well as managing the Churchill Rink. The new recreation van has also opened up new possibilities such as senior trips to regional museums, etc. While the pandemic put a crimp in many of our typical programming, P&R is hopeful we can resume a more normal schedule by summer 2021.
Durham again received the top-ranking score in NH by the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equity Index relative to addressing LGBTQ concerns. We sponsored programming celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day both in 2019 and 2020.
We are a community that truly welcomes and encourages citizen involvement/ engagement, and visitors from the around the world continue to visit Durham (virtually at present via Zoom) to learn from our efforts as part of the World Affairs Council of N.H. programming in conjunction with the U.S. State Department Bureau of Visitor Affairs. We have the privilege of discussing challenging topics in Durham, in part due to the openness of our local government and in part due to the talented staff and Town Councilors, who work tirelessly to keep the municipality prudently managed and on an even keel, allowing citizens to focus their efforts on deeper social, quality of life, and aspirational issues.
Over the last year, Durham has continued to pursue Long-Term Economic as well as Environmental Sustainability, which are inextricably linked. Without economic sustainability, the Town will not have the financial resources available over the long-term to stabilize the tax rate, pursue desired projects or necessary municipal infrastructure enhancements, preserve open space, etc. Without a healthy natural environment, we will not sustain the Durham in which residents hope and desire to live, work, and play. Both the 2011 and 2017 Master Plan processes indicate residents of the community seek balance.
Projected sea level rise will contribute in the years ahead to the gradual inundation of coastal areas. We’re already seeing it -- and are responding locally. A brand new living shoreline at the Town’s Wagon Hill Farm was completed in late 2019, so we now have 350 feet of shoreline restored, re-graded, armored with natural hard and soft-scape materials, and planted to restore the salt marsh and tidal buffer that has eroded over time. It’s a project that has taken 4+ years of design and close collaboration between the Town, state/Federal regulators, the NHDES Coastal Program, the Harbor Master, the Strafford Regional Planning Commission, and UNH environmental researchers utilizing around $500,000 in local and state grant funds. It has become a regional demonstration project for living shorelines, and an additional $213,765 is now targeted for 2021 utilizing monies negotiated with Eversource, along with matching funds from a highly competitive National Fish & Wildlife Foundation matching grant the Town received in 2020, to continue to make shoreline stabilization enhancements at the property and beyond.
Durham continued working with the Strafford Regional Planning Commission in 2020 utilizing NHDES funding to study the potential impact of sea level rise on fresh water private wells within the community. It’s an interesting initiative focusing on an issue that, until now, has literally been out of site and out of mind.
Over the years, Durham has replaced all of its roadside and decorative street lighting with energy efficient LED fixtures. We’ve installed, under an umbrella power purchase agreement (or PPA), 120 kW of solar capacity at our police station, the public library, and Churchill Rink. This was followed up with a 640 kW solar array at our gravel pit in Lee, NH. Together, these efforts have allowed Durham to offset 100% of the electric demand of all municipal infrastructure with renewable power with the exception of our wastewater treatment plant. As part of the FY 2021 budget development process, the Town Council approved a recommendation of the Energy Committee to move forward in 2021 with the purchase of the solar arrays at the rink, police station, and library.
We have painstakingly worked over many years to create a municipal water system that is inherently resilient in order to reliably provide approximately 1.2 million gals/day of water to both town and campus. Together, Durham/UNH operate four water sources, one of which utilizes an artificial recharge system pumping raw water from the Lamprey River to our Spruce Hole Aquifer in Lee during times of plentiful flow, increasing our reserves for drought conditions. A new $20 million Water Treatment Plant on the UNH campus was also completed in 2020, deploying state of the art technology – replacing an aged/outdated facility, for the benefit of UNH and Durham water users alike. While the entire region struggled with drought conditions this past summer/fall, the Durham water supply remained sustainably secure for our water users. This is the result of good planning and active collaboration between Durham and UNH.
The Town and UNH, through the joint administrative Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, and Roads Committee, continue to address a multitude of Town/Gown items to include efficient operation of our water combined system as described above, focusing attention on water quality deficiencies within the Great Bay Estuary (nitrogen) as identified by the NHDES and the EPA, meeting EPA wastewater and stormwater MS-4 mandates (the Total Nitrogen General Permit was ultimate issued by EPA in December 2020), maintaining a required NHDES backflow prevention program, general water/sewer infrastructure, the Lee water line extension in coordination with the NHDES and the Town of Lee to address MBTE contamination at the Lee Traffic Circle, and more. On the front lines of our utility infrastructure both on and off campus, the Town and the University are joined at the hip and work seamlessly together.
On this note, we have developed cooperative and collaborative efforts with UNH to enhance the mutual intellectual, cultural, environmental, social, and economic benefits associated with hosting New Hampshire’s flagship state university, including redevelopment of 66 Main Street, the creation of a West Edge Innovation District, and more. Unfortunately, both aforementioned projects were put on the back burner in 2020 due to the pandemic. Town and gown continue to communicate and work toward the redevelopment of 66 Main Street. Following many months of review by USNH Board of Trustees/UNH/developer, a delegation from UNH/Town traveled to meet with Elliott Sidewalk Communities in late-January 2020. Durham and UNH are currently exploring the potential sale of 66 Main Street from the University to the Town based on appraised valuations of the parcel.
Through the efforts of Ellen Snyder, our part-time contract Land Stewardship Coordinator, and the Land Stewardship Subcommittee of the Conservation Commission, we continue to make significant inroads in properly managing the numerous lands and easements under the Town’s stewardship. The Council also established the Durham Town Land Stewardship Patron’s Trust back in 2018 to enable citizens or organizations to donate money to support our local conservation land management efforts, rather than relying solely on tax dollars for this purpose. These monies, as well as the Conservation Fund under the oversight of the Conservation Commission, have provided an ongoing source of modest funding to move targeted stewardship initiatives forward.
In closing, I would like to note that our Town employees within public works, police, fire, planning, zoning, town clerk/tax collector’s Office, IT, DCAT, and more — are terrific people, working hard with finite resources to meet the needs of a demanding citizenry with high expectations for exceptional service delivery at the local level. Our Town Council is comprised of thoughtful, hard-working, and dedicated individuals with varied backgrounds and perspectives. The Council, along with the benefit of ongoing public feedback and active involvement by dedicated citizens on local boards, committees, and commissions, all contribute to ensuring Durham remains a strong, vibrant, and welcoming community. While this has been a challenging year in Durham as a result of the pandemic, our town has accomplished an awful lot very well under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
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WHEN CAN I GET MY COVID-19 VACCINE?
The Town has received many calls this week from residents desirous of obtaining Covid-19 vaccine from the Town, and specifically from the Town’s Health Officer – Audrey Cline. Please know, that Ms. Cline does not administer vaccine!
According to NH Public Radio, state health officials estimate that it could be six to 12 months until there is “widespread access” to the vaccine. They say they will be vaccinating those in phase 1a -- a group that includes over 100,000 people (emergency responders, hospital workers, assisted living facilities) -- until the middle or end of January.
The next stage in NH’s draft vaccination plan, phase 1b, includes people with comorbidities that put them at significantly higher risk and all adults over the age of 75. This stage also includes staff and residents of IDD facilities, corrections officers and prison staff. That phase could begin as early as the end of January or the beginning of February.
Phase 2, which could begin in March - May, includes other high risk groups like teachers and other school and childcare staff. Adults between the ages of 65 and 74 will be vaccinated in phase 2A, and those who are 50 - 65 years old in phase 2b. Officials are aiming to vaccinate 100 people per hour at 13 fixed state sites once this phase begins.
Phase 3A, which could begin in May and beyond, will include those who are medically vulnerable, under 50 years old, and are considered to be at moderate health risk. Phase 3B will conclude with everyone who has not already been vaccinated.
Providers like physicians and pharmacies are also currently enrolling with the state to get vaccines and assist with distribution starting soon, so you may be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine from your primary care doctor, just as you would other routine vaccines. However, those not included in the current vaccination group, phase 1a, cannot yet register to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
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REMEMBERING LINDA HOLLISTER
Along with many Durham residents, the Swap Shop volunteers want to express our gratitude for the life of Linda Hollister, who died this past week. For over 20 years, Linda worked with other volunteers to create the Durham Swap Shop. Linda often described this community gathering place as her “happy spot.” She had a way of brightening everyone’s day as she organized, sorted and chatted with residents as they dropped off unwanted items and discovered things to take home. Linda will be greatly missed and remembered by her many friends! Her generous spirit will continue to live on through the volunteers of the Swap Shop and the shared passion for fostering community, Yankee thriftiness, being good to the earth and community service.
Linda's obituary can be viewed HERE.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Nearly 1,000,000 plastic beverage bottles are sold every minute. In addition, Americans use an average of 500 million straws every single day. That’s enough to wrap around the earth 2.5 times and straws are not even recyclable.
This year, skip the straws and the plastic bottles in favor of reusable drinkware to reduce demand for these products and keep plastic out of our landfills and the ocean.
Source: http://4Ocean.com/
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RESTAURANT BINGO
Show your support of our great Durham restaurants and possibly win a prize with Restaurant Bingo. Starting Friday, January 15th you can pick up your restaurant bingo card at any our participating restaurants. Get your card “stamped” each time you spend at least $10 at one of the locations and you are on your way to getting BINGO. A complete list of participating restaurants will be published next week. Drop off your completed card at the Town Hall, the Freedom Café or the Three Chimney’s Inn and you will be entered to win a prize. Weekly drawings begin on Friday, January 29th. The game is expected to run through at least mid-February.
Restaurant Bingo is a collaborative effort by The Durham Business Association, Celebrate Durham and the Town of Durham.
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IS THE COVID-19 VACCINE IMMEDIATELY EFFECTIVE IN PEOPLE?
No, the vaccine does not provide immediate protection from COVID-19. However, the FDA reports that the Pfizer-made vaccine does begin to provide protection for some recipients about 10 days after the initial dose, according to data released by the agency. The second dose, delivered 21 days after the first dose, boosts immunity above 90 percent and is highly recommended.
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EXPANDED PARKING LOT AT 19-21 MAIN STREET
The Planning Board continues its review of the proposed site plan and conditional use for an expanded parking lot at 19-21 Main Street behind the Red Tower near the top of Church Hill. The project involves reconfiguring the entrance and adding parking at the rear for a total of 183 spaces. Key issues that the board is looking at include traffic impacts, stormwater management, ecology of the existing site, construction of a tall retaining wall, and potential visibility of the parking lot from residential areas. The public hearing is continued to January 27. The project is also on this Wednesday’s agenda when the board will discuss the eight conditional use criteria and speak with Steve Pernaw, the traffic engineer (but not accept any public input at the meeting).
There has been discussion about two different driveway designs: a boulevard type design with separate entrance and exit lanes and a tree-planted median and a conventional driveway with contiguous lanes. The project is also subject to review by the Historic District Commission but the HDC has a very limited purview here, involving only the physical design of the front of the property. The HDC approved the project last night including use of a conventional driveway. In the event that the Planning Board specifies anything different in the layout, the two designs would need to be reconciled. Y
View the documents related to the project, including the design approved by the HDC (“Revised layout 1-6-21”), HERE. Please feel free to contact the Town Planner with any questions or concerns at mailto:mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us.
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A MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY FROM POLICE CHIEF RENE KELLEY
It saddens me to inform the community that Richard (Dick) Martin passed away on Monday, January 4th, after a valiant battle with cancer. Dick was a 20-year member of the Durham Police Family having such assignments as Parking Enforcement Officer; Part-time Police Officer, Evidence Technician, Parking Clerk; Animal Control Officer; and anything else that needed doing.
Dick started with Durham PD as the Parking Enforcement Officer after retiring from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Prior to his career at the Shipyard, Dick spent over twenty-years in the United States Air Force where his duty assignments took him all over the United States, as well as two tours of duty in Vietnam. Those who didn’t know Dick missed knowing a very good man who had a heart of gold. For those of us who knew and worked with Dick our hearts are broken. Dick is survived by his wife and biggest fan Joan, his children Doug, Brian, and Marcy, as well as his grandson, Hunter, whom Dick absolutely adored.
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PAWSOME NEWS FROM THE TOWN CLERK-TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE
The 2021 dog tags are now available and residents may obtain their licenses starting Monday, January 11, 2021. Please note that NH-State law requires that all Durham residents license their dogs no later than April 30, 2021. You may renew your dog license online at https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/clerk/about-us or by visiting the Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s office Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm. New dog licenses must be done in person or by mail. If you have any questions, please contact the Town-Clerk Tax Collector’s office at ph: 603-868-5577.
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2021 TOP DOG RAFFLE - Will your loyal companion be next year's "Top Dog"?
Entries accepted after January 1, 2021
The Town of Durham is proud to announce the 2021 Top Dog raffle. This raffle was created to motivate and remind dog owners to license their pets every year by April 30, as state law requires. Residents automatically register for the Top Dog raffle when they obtain a dog license before April 30, 2021. The winner of the Top Dog raffle will receive a gift basket donated by the clerk’s office.
The clerk’s office will not seek donations from our local pet businesses this year. In lieu of the town seeking donations for the top dog raffle, residents are welcome make a donation to support a local business of their choice that may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please contact Deputy Town Clerk-Tax Collector Rachel Deane at mailto:rdeane@ci.durham.nh.us if you would like to make a donation. Local businesses that donated to the raffle last year included:
- The Yellow Dog Barn, 136 Old Concord Turnpike (RTE 4), Barrington, NH 03825
- Oyster River Veterinary Hospital, 157 Calef Highway, Lee, NH 03861
- Take Five DOGCARE, LLC, 122 Mast Road, Lee, NH 03861
- Great Bay Kennel, 27 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH 03824
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 2021 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 2021 raffle winner’s dog will be included in the Durham Friday Update.
- The winner will be drawn at random by clerk’s office at a Town Council meeting in May 2021.
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John Pacheco, local mail carrier.
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THANK YOU JOHN PACHECO!
The job of mail carrier is not an easy one. As years go by, winters get harder, and the packages become larger, heavier and more numerous—especially this year. John Pacheco, the carrier in the Faculty Rd. area since 2010, was thinking of retiring, much to the consternation of the residents on his route. However, although he will be leaving us, he will not retire but go to the tiny New Castle post office as a part-time window clerk. He will be on his route the next two Saturdays while attending training in Portland during the week. After passing the exam, he will begin work in New Castle on January 16, which, he says, “is the exact date, 11 years ago, I started working in Durham.”
John has many fans and has been an important part of the neighborhood. He often contributed photos to Friday Updates of neighborhood activities, such as lemonade stands (which he patronized) and yard displays, attended our picnics and potlucks, was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable taste-tester for cooks, and was alert to any problems along his route. Last winter, for example, he noticed an open front door of a house whose owner was gone and notified neighbors. Mail carriers like John knit us together in a longstanding American tradition of community. We wish you well, John, and thank you for your years of service and friendship.
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PLANNING BOARD
The Planning Board has a busy agenda for its meeting this Wednesday, January 13, with four public hearings including one for numerous proposed downtown zoning amendments. You can see all of the background documents, including emails and letters sent by residents, at this link to the agenda. Just click on the green highlighted items: https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/boc_planning/planning-board-meeting-447. Please feel free to contact the Town Planner with any questions or comments at: mailto:mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us.
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COVID-19 ACTIVE CASES
The Town continues to carefully track Covid-19 cases locally. Durham is currently trending around the 50 number. We anticipate an uptick in the next two weeks following the Christmas and New Year’s holidays when larger than normal groups of people including extended families got together to celebrate (or engaged in high-risk travel outside New England to warmer climates) despite public health cautions to the contrary.
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PLANNING BOARD SITE WALK
The Planning Board is holding a site walk this Wednesday, January 13, at 12:00 noon to look at the proposed 15-unit subdivision located off Gerrish Drive. The site walk will start at the curve of Gerrish Drive and Ambler Way. You can see the documents related to the project HERE.
Feel free to contact the Town Planner with any questions or comments at mailto:mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us.
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NEWS FROM THE OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL BOARD - January 6, 2021
The Oyster River School Board will host the annual public hearing on the 2021-2022 budget on January 16, 2021, at 7:00 pm in the High School auditorium.
The annual Oyster River School District Deliberative Session is planned for February 2, 2021 at the High School. Both dates are subject to weather. The budget hearing is an opportunity for Oyster River residents to learn about and provide input on the budget. The deliberative session is voters' opportunity to review, amend, and approve the budget and other items, which will be on the ballot for March 9, 2021 Town and School elections.
Superintendent Morse announced that fully remote school across Oyster River will be extended one more week through January 15. This window provides additional time for post-holiday quarantine. School lunches are still available to all children in Oyster River during remote learning.
The School District asks all parents and guardians to assess the health of their students each day before sending kids to in-person school or activities. The checklist is posted online HERE. Students coming to school with symptoms or while close family members are ill has resulted in classes, teams, and programs shutting down at least temporarily due to potential exposure. Please be cautious and feel free to contact your student's school nurse if you have any doubt about whether to send your student to school. This is a situation where individual actions can have major impacts on others in the school community. Thank you for your continued diligence!
The outstanding school nursing team proposed metrics to be used as input to school leadership in making decisions about changes to the level of in-person school. The metrics, emphasizing test availability, contact tracing capacity, state and local coronavirus transmission trend, and school staffing capacity will be updated weekly and linked on the ORCSD web site.
High School Principal Suzanne Filippone presented a proposal for a 50% in-person educational model under which classes would be offered remotely in the morning and in-person in afternoons 4 days per week, with Wednesdays available for office hours, advisory, clubs, and flex programming. The school board authorized Principal Filippone to develop and share further details with the school and parent community. No change will occur until at least February.
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TRANSITION IN LAND STEWARDSHIP COORDINATOR POSITION IN THE WORKS FOR SPRING 2021
Land Stewardship Coordinator Ellen Snyder will be transitioning out of her role as Durham’s go-to lands expert in May of this year. We are pleased the Town has engaged the services on a contract basis with Tom Brightman who has extensive background and experience. Tom will be shadowing Ellen over the next several months to become fully acclimated to the role and the community. Welcome aboard, Tom!
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WAGON HILL FARM BARN AND FARMHOUSE NOW ALARMED FOR BURGLARS AND FIRE
We are pleased to announce that both burglar and fire alarms at Wagon Hill Farm are now in place and operation through American Alarm to Strafford County Dispatch. Training is coming up in next week or so for DPW staff. Kudos to Durham Public Works, Fire, and Police for making this a reality.
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SEACOAST D.O.G. GROUP FORMS IN AN EFFORT TO EVALUATE POSSIBLE WAYS TO PRESERVE OFF LEASH HOURS AT WAGON HILL FARM
A group of dedicated Wagon Hill Farm off-leash dog walkers has come together to create an advocacy group for the purpose of working with the Town and any other interested agencies or stakeholders. Seacoast D.O.G. (Dog Owners Group) hopes to work with the Town to identify key concerns and come up with solutions that sustainably preserve the off-leash play hours for dogs at Wagon Hill Farm. They invite people to join the Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1082576135598799
Join their email update list or request more information at http://SeacoastDOG@gmail.com
The primary mission of the Group is to advocate for the sustainable maintenance of off-leash dog access at Wagon Hill Farm and to provide a point of engagement with Seacoast area off-leash enthusiasts. Additional goals include:
- Educate dog owners regarding off-leash rules at Wagon Hill Farm
- Promote responsible dog ownership and good behavior practices
- Help educate non-dog owners about dog behaviors
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A dozen people participated in a tour this week of the planned timber harvest at Doe Farm. The trees to be harvested are marked in blue paint. Courtesy Ellen Snyder
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WINTER 2021 TIMBER HARVEST PLANNED FOR DOE FARM
The Town of Durham is planning a timber harvest on Doe Farm beginning next week. Doe Farm will be closed during the timber harvest, which may last about two weeks. The specific timing of the harvest will be based on weather conditions. A primary purpose of this planned harvest is to salvage most of the red pine that is infested with the invasive red pine scale. Once the trees are infected it spreads quickly and the trees die within a few years. Bear Brook State Park was infested recently causing a similar salvage harvest to take place there. Consulting forester Charlie Moreno is overseeing the logging operation and his crew has marked about 500 trees for removal. The change will seem dramatic, but Charlie notes that there is a nice understory of native trees that will grow and mature with time. You can read more about this planned harvest HERE.
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SWAP SHOP TO REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
DPW officials recently met with a subcommittee of the Integrated Solid Waste Committee and coordinators of the Swap Shop to evaluate the possibility or re-opening. The consensus was to continue to keep closed. A poll was taken of the volunteers to determine if there was any interest in opening and found that concerns over Covid including possible spikes in the fall and winter remained and people felt it was a better approach to keep closed until spring. We will keep updating the community as things change.
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TOWN OF DURHAM FACEBOOK AND TWITTER ACCOUNTS
Did you know that the Town has a Facebook & Twitter account and frequently posts Durham & UNH news, happenings, and articles of interest in our area and the seacoast?
Like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.
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Durham Parks and Recreation, its Director and Committee, strive to offer a wide range of quality programs, parks, and facilities that encourage all community members to participate in healthy, fun, and enriching activities. Together, they celebrate the essential role public recreation plays in fostering a cohesive and vibrant community.
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DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY
Check out our Upcoming Virtual Events and Digital Resources at Durham Public Library!
We Have some great virtual programs coming to DPL in January including, Not So Elementary, My Dear Watson: The Popularity of Sherlock Holmes with Ann McClellan along with brand new sessions of Unlimiting Access and Meditative Yoga! We will also be holding career services programming including recruiter and career coach Gary Gekow to talk about Changing Careers: Reinventing Oneself in Today's Job Market! There are also many great resources to be discovered on the DPL website on your own and at any time! Stream movies and music, check out ebooks and audiobooks, take professional development and language courses, get live device help each week, research with EBSCO and explore Novelist, Consumer Reports, Explora, and more! Questions? Contact us at 603-868-6699. We are happy to help! Also…Interlibrary Loan is available! The State Library has been able to resume ILL delivery service and our patrons are once again able to make requests for personal or book group use; either through the ILL page on our website!
Sign up for Youth Services Programs!
See what’s new in Youth Services! Register Here for Music with Mr. Aaron Zoom Show on Sat. Jan. 16th at 10:30 am. This is a joint library program with the Durham, Lee and Madbury Libraries! Sign up for regularly-scheduled programming including Zoom Storytime, Baby Lap-sit, STEAM crafts to go, YA Zoom Compassion Project, Raccoon Readers (2nd-4th grade) book group, Patch club and more! Or download the complete January calendar!
Give to the Annual Appeal!
The DPL Board of Trustees Annual Appeal is underway! Please consider giving this season by clicking HERE or visiting our website at mailto:www.durhampubliclibrary.org.
Daily Operations!
The Library is currently open for 20-minute visits to the Library for quick browsing, checkouts and the use of computers, the printer and copy machine. Notary services are available by appointment. Meeting rooms and the Cafe remain closed. At this time, we are limiting the number of patrons in the building to no more than 50% of our normal comfortable browsing capacity on the main floor. We request that anyone using the Library do so wearing a cloth mask or face covering and masks are available to patrons who request them. We ask that patrons not gather or congregate in the Library and for those uncomfortable coming in, our contactless “Library to-go” services continue!
Please visit our website at http://www.durhampubliclibrary.org/ for complete information! Still have questions? We can be reached at 603-868-6699 during open hours or at mailto:durhampl@gmail.com any time!
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*Academic year commences the third week of August through graduation at UNH in May.
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HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL - A Brief History of Durham, NH 1600 - 1976 (A little volume that was the Heritage Project of the Durham Historic Association Bicentennial celebration)
Preface - "Since before God made the first little green apples, oysters have probably been growin in the Oyster River; and some of the largest and juiciest to be found anywhere in the world are still growing here today. The following vignettes from rollicking history of Durham town on the Oyster River are therefore presented between the shells of an oyster."
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1691 - Gundalows were a type of heavy flat-bottomed cargo vessel, unique to the Piscataqua River system. Up to 70 feet long, they made good speed with a huge lateen sail raised on a 10-foot stump mast. When necessary, they were poled by manpower or rowed with great sweeps or oars.
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Have a very nice weekend.
Todd
Todd I. Selig, Administrator
Town of Durham, NH
a: 8 Newmarket Rd., Durham, NH 03824 USA
t: 603.868.5571 | w: www.ci.durham.nh.us
He/him/his pronouns
Everyone can tackle climate change. How can you reduce your carbon footprint?
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