Friday Updates - July 12, 2024

Friday, July 12, 2024

Some geese were seen cooling off at the Town Landing Courtesy, Craig Stevens, DCAT Coordinator

Town meetings are now broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook. To view meetings on YouTube, please click HERE. To view meetings on Facebook, please click HERE.

DURHAM COMMUNITY POWER ANNOUNCES NEW RATES – Offered through participation with the Community Power Coalition of NH (CPCNH) 

Below you will find the electric utility rates for the fall (August 2024 through January 2025) rate period through the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH) of which Durham is a (founding!) member:

Eversource (25% green) - 10.458 cents/ kWh

Granite Basic (25% green) - 8.9 cents / kWh, 14.9% savings [optional default rate]

Granite Plus (33% green) - 9.6 cents, 8.2% savings [optional default rate]

Clean 50 - 10.3 cents, 1.5% savings [not currently an option as the default rate]

Clean 100 - 12.3 cents [not currently an option as the default rate]

Administrator Selig’s direction from the Town Council from the prior rate setting period, which carries forward, is to select the greenest plan possible through CPCNH that is also less expensive than the Eversource default rate. As such, Admin. Selig is pleased to report that Granite Plus (33% green), which is currently the highest green product allowable by CPCNH as a local option default rate, will be the Durham default mix for the upcoming rate period.

For this cycle and moving forward, CPCNH is also offering the possibility of adding a "surcharge" to fund a discretionary fund/project for use by the local community at local option. Because Durham has not yet discussed this, we will opt out of this option for now but should plan to talk through the topic at the Energy Committee and ultimately with the Council over the coming 6-month period.

By selecting Granite Plus as the default with a 33% green mix versus the 25% default green mix with Eversource, we will be saving Durham residents 8.2% over the Eversource rate and making strides toward our Climate Action Plan/greenhouse gas reduction goals.

It’s been three years now but we’re starting to make progress. A brief note to thank Steve Holmgren who is Durham’s representative to the CPCNH Board. Steve is doing Yeoman’s service in representing Durham on the board.  

Note as well that Durham, Exeter, Newmarket, Dover, and Portsmouth are planning a competition to be announced shortly in order to highlight opportunities for residents to opt-up to a high renewable mix of energy. Stay tuned for details in the coming weeks.

UPDATE FROM THE TOWN CLERK’S OFFICE

Town Clerk/Tax Collector Rachel Deane notes that the Team in the office did an outstanding job making sure tax payments were posted quickly and accurately to resident accounts this collection cycle. The department processed most of the payments in the Town Clerk’s office during this cycle, discontinuing our lockbox service in Manchester. The transition was a success! Rachel is very grateful for the dedication and hard work of the staff in the office!  Information on this cycle’s collections can be found below…

1^st Property Tax Installment 2024 

• Tax Warrant: $18,996,709
• Payments Received as of 7/3/2024: $17,323,816.92
• 92% Collected on or before due date

SAVE THE DATE - FARM DAY IS AUGUST 17!

Save the date for the 11th annual Farm Day! Visit farms and gardens across Durham, Lee, and the UNH campus. Join the Durham and Lee Agricultural Commissions in this free and family friendly celebration of our working landscape. Full list of events available soon.

Smith Chapel on a hot summer's day. Courtesy, Jean McPeak

DO YOU NEED TO REGISTER TO VOTE?

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

A person’s party is not important EXCEPT at a primary. The next election in Durham will be the NH State Primary, September 10. The final date to change party has passed.  You may check your status at https://app.sos.nh.gov/voterinformation. If you have trouble finding your personal information, please call the town clerk’s office. There were a few instances where the wrong date of birth was listed. 

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

Date:              Friday July 26, 2024

Time:             11:00 – 11:30 AM

Place:            Durham Town Hall

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

TIS THE SEASON FOR FRESH FOOD!

Freshly grown food is in abundance this time of year and the Durham Agricultural Commission encourages everyone to seek out local farms when food shopping. The Seacoast Eat Local Durham Farmers’ Market on Mondays from 2:30pm – 6:00pm, downtown at 66 Main Street is a great place to start!

The Seacoast Harvest Local Food Guide is another great place to find sources of locally produced food in Strafford, Rockingham, and York Counties. Click HERE for this Guide. If you eat, you’re in!

The Oyster River Marker Roundtable discussions concluded with a successful resolution. Several years ago the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) removed the “Oyster River Massacre” marker from Durham Town Landing (near the footbridge), among numerous signs statewide, pending a re-evaluation of the appropriateness of certain existing markers.

On July 18, 1694 a band of Wabanaki Indians attacked the fledgling settlement of Oyster River killing more than 100 residents. There was a significant back story that was not included, and many found the tenor of the sign offensive and one sided. Others, however, believed the language to be historically accurate and thus felt that the text should not change.

After several efforts by NHDOT and New Hampshire Historical Resources to develop new language among various stakeholders failed, the Durham Historic District/Heritage Commission (HDC) offered to host roundtable discussions to try to create new text that all parties could support. Durham hired consultants Charlotte Bacon and Barbara Will of Montgomery Will Consultants to facilitate three meetings in Council Chambers. Participants included representatives of the HDC, Durham Historic Association, Durham Human Rights Commission, NH Historic Resources, NHDOT, and the Native American community.

Happily, a consensus was reached among the participants. Here is the language for the new marker, on two sides, which will be installed in the coming months.

“OYSTER RIVER … IS LAYD WASTE”

On July 18, 1694, a force of 250 Wabanaki, principally Norridgewocks and Penobscots led by Bomazeen and Madockawando, attacked the

village of Oyster River. The French persuaded them to break the

1693 Pemaquid Treaty to continue the French war against the English

known as King William’s War. Prior to the peace treaty, the Wabanaki

had been fighting the English over land encroachment and on

behalf of the French who had no militia. The surprise was complete.

More than 100 residents were killed or taken away and most buildings

burnt. “Oyster River … is layd waste” read the dispatch sent to Boston.

TIMELINE (on the reverse side of the sign)

12,800 BCE – Wabanaki and their ancestors lived here in N’dakinna

1635 – Village of Oyster River settled by the English

1688 to 1699 – Second Anglo-Abenaki War

1689 to 1697 – King William’s War

1693 – Treaty of Pemaquid signed

1694 – Raid on Oyster River breaks the Treaty of Pemaquid

1732 – Town of Durham incorporated

2017 – Durham is the first N.H. town to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Truth and reconciliation are ongoing.

There are no significant applications before the Planning Board now, but the board is busy with several significant zoning amendments. The board completed an extensive update to the Definitions section of the ordinance as part of its ongoing zoning rewrite. We received numerous comments from Town Council members on the draft. The board is now reviewing those comments and will be scheduling another public hearing soon on a revised draft. The board is also finishing a proposed Workforce Housing Ordinance which will be going out for a public hearing soon. 

At its meeting on July 22, the Conservation Commission will continue working on a complete overhaul of the Wetland and Shoreland Overlay Districts, discuss the Climate Action Plan with Durham Sustainability Fellow Sophie Goodwin, and review plans for continued shoreland restoration at Wagon Hill Farm. 

Last night the Historic District/Heritage Commission met with the potential buyer for the historic 1713 gambrel house at 53 Bagdad Road (not located in the Historic District) to discuss his plans for the property (See photo above). 

The Housing Task Force will be meeting with numerous Town boards and commissions over the next two months and then with various community organizations to talk about housing issues.

In support of the Plastic-Free July movement, we focus on the top four single-use plastics we can’t ignore.

They’re those single-use plastics that are everywhere – plastic bags, plastic bottles, takeaway coffee cups and plastic straws. By saying no to even one of the top four single-use plastics (it’s OK to start small ), you can make a significant impact and reduce the amount of plastic waste you produce. 

Single-use plastic bags

It’s hard to overstate the damage plastic bags make on our environment. Due to their chemical make-up, it takes hundreds of years for these bags to disintegrate and an alarmingly high percentage never get recycled. Instead, they end up polluting our communities and killing wildlife. 

Bring reusable bags to the store so you don't come home with a pile of single-use bags.

Single-use plastic bottles

Plastic bottles are a major source of plastic waste. Luckily, there are plenty of convenient alternatives. 

Opt for beverages that come in aluminum cans or glass bottles. If you have to go plastic, get large containers instead of single serving bottles.. Get in the habit of choosing a reusable water bottle and bringing your own beverage when possible.

Single-use coffee cups

In most instances, single-use coffee cups and lids are not recyclable and must be thrown in the trash. Get in the habit of bringing your own coffee cup to be filled.

Plastic straws

An individual plastic straw is small, but they pile up into a big problem for our environment. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of plastic waste found in our oceans. Avoid contributing to this problem by choosing reusable or biodegradable straws made of paper, bamboo, or stainless steel -- or by skipping straws altogether. (Ask for no straw when ordering your drink).

Source: NH Public Interest Research Group

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee 

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

Check us out on Instagram: sustainable.durham.nh

Not sure if an item can be recycled? Check here: www.Recyclesmartma.org

Want to learn more about the Swap Shop? Click HERE.

On Monday heirs of Olinthus Doe - Catharine Decker and her 90-year-old aunt Katherine Doe Abbody - visited the Doe Cemetery on the conserved land of Doe Farm. Olinthus N. Doe bequeathed Doe Farm to the Town upon his death in 1909.

RESIDENT SURVEY FOR WATER SERVICE LINE INVENTORY FOR FEDERAL LEAD AND COPPER RULE COMPLIANCE

Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures. The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures. In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water. Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. Among homes without lead service lines, the most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and plumbing with lead solder.

Our community cares deeply about clean and safe water and is doing its part to continue to ensure compliance while delivering the highest quality drinking water to its customers. In 2021, the EPA updated its regulations on permissible concentrations of lead in drinking water in an effort to decrease public health impacts from lead. Referred to as the Lead and Copper Rule Revision, this policy requires water system operators to collect data on lead service lines, as well as create a plan to remove and replace these lines. Durham Public Works asks that you please assist them and help Durham by completing the Water Service Line Inventory Survey. Please provide this information by August 15. Completion of the survey is only necessary if you are connected to town water. To complete the survey, click HERE.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ARE NOT ACCEPTED AS HOUSEHOLD TRASH – A Reminder from Durham Public Works

Durham Public Works would like to remind those who participate in its Curbside Collection Program and users of the Raymond A. LaRoche Transfer Station and Recycling Center (TS), that hazardous materials are NEVER accepted as household trash.

Over the last several weeks, Solid Waste Division Team Members have removed dozens of gallons of paint products from the household trash container at the TS and several quarts of motor oil. Furthermore, Collection Equipment Operators have reported an increase in the occurrence of liquid paint mixed in with trash left curbside.

Oil-based paint products are accepted year-round at the TS. Latex paint can be disposed of as household trash provided it has been dried before disposal. Used motor oil can be disposed of at the following local locations:

·        NAPA Auto Parts – Dover, Portsmouth

·        O’Reilly Auto Parts – Portsmouth, Rochester

·        Advanced Auto Parts – Portsmouth, Rochester

·        Autozone – Portsmouth, Rochester

·        Jiffy Lube – Portsmouth, Rochester

·        Pep Boys – Portsmouth

·        VIP Tires & Service – Portsmouth, Rochester

·        NAPA Auto Parts – Portsmouth

Durham Public Works is actively exploring other options for used motor oil disposal, including at the annual Household Hazardous Waste Day Event in the Fall.

Traffic Pattern Modifications Remain In Effect

To facilitate Phase 1 Roadway and Drainage Improvements, Madbury Road continues to remain open for Northbound traffic only between Pettee Brook Lane and Garrison Avenue. Please follow the posted detour. Access to businesses within the project limits will remain OPEN at all times.

Water and Sewer Replacement – Phase 1

Durham Public Works and its contractor, Joseph P. Cardillo and Sons remain hard at work on utility construction. Water service connections to the new main took place this week at #46-#52 Madbury Road. Sewer main construction was completed from 14 Strafford Avenue through the woods to 5 Madbury Court. Beginning on Monday (July 15) Madbury Court will be fully closed during normal business hours to facilitate the construction of new water and sewer facilities. The closure is expected to last 1.5-2 weeks.

Roadway and Drainage Improvements – Phase 1

Durham Public Works and its contractor, G.W. Brooks & Son, Inc. continue to progress on the phase 1 roadway and drainage improvements portion of the Madbury Road Complete Streets Project. Concrete cheek walls were poured at 26 and 28 Madbury Road in preparation for the construction of new staircases there. 500’ of new drainage piping was installed as well as several new stormwater collection structures. Drainage construction will continue next week with utility pole relocations scheduled during the week of the July 22.

The scope of this project includes the construction of stone masonry walls to support the installation of a varying width 8’-10’ wide multi-use pathway on the Eastern side of Madbury Road, reconstruction of other sidewalks, installation of decorative lighting for the corridor, installation of traffic calming measures, inclusive of pump outs at three pedestrian crossings, and landscaping and hardscape improvements. Test pitting to determine the elevation of existing buried utilities and the delivery of stone for the retaining walls occurred over the past week in preparation for the project

Durham Public Works and its contractor, Severino Trucking, Inc. continue to make steady progress on the culvert replacement/rehabilitation portion of the Madbury Road Complete Streets Project. Littlehale Creek is now flowing through the new 6’x6’ concrete box culvert underneath Edgewood Road. The nearly 1200 cubic yards of material excavated to allow for the installation of the new structure is slowly returning to the site as Severino backfills the excavation area. The reinstallation of the water and sewer utilities removed for the project will continue through next week.

Durham Public Works and its contractor, Apex Construction, completed multiple repairs to leaking water infrastructure on Technology Drive this week. Recently, it was discovered that an isolation valve feeding the old pressure-reducing valve (PRV) station was leaking water out of the valve box. A similar situation was discovered further up the road at the Clubhouse Street intersection. Due to the minor nature of the leaks, Durham Public Works was able to schedule these repairs and provide advanced notice of the temporary shutdown to the affected customers. A full valve replacement was required at the PRV station, and a gasket replacement resolved the issue at Clubhouse Street. 

SCAM BUSINESS ADVERTISED ON FLYER FOUND POSTED AT A LOCAL BUSINESS

On 7-11-2024, the Durham Police Department received a photograph of a flyer that was found on the bulletin board at a local business. The flyer purported to provide free service for landscaping and alleged those efforts would “increase property values in your neighborhood by $23,479 for free!” At the top of the flyer was the Harvard University emblem and the Durham Police Department patch. The number indicated on the form was determined to be a non-traceable number that a person can rent, and it can change owner from day-to-day. The flyer also asked any interested party to provide their address and a picture of the flyer when calling the number, and additionally gave a one-day deadline to call, probably because of the type of phone number they were using.

PLEASE REMEMBER, scams only work when the person can gain your trust. Providing symbols like a police patch or the Harvard Logo are meant to do just that. Please be careful whenever entering a deal with an unknown source. Look for indicators such as timelines, personal information requests, and alleging affiliations without showing proof. If in doubt, please call the Durham Police Department at (603) 868-2324 so they may assist you in determining if a proposal is legitimate before entering into a deal you may regret later. 

Congratulations to Captain Jason Best on completing 25 years of service to the Town of Durham. Jason was hired as a full-time firefighter at the Durham Fire Department on June 26, 1999.

Jason was promoted to fire captain in 2011 and has served on the Executive Boards of the Durham Professional Firefighters Association as well as the Durham Professional Municipal Managers Association. He also currently serves as the department’s coordinator for small engines and rescue equipment. Jason’s strong dedication and commitment to service, combined with his knowledge, skills, and abilities, are a tremendous asset to the fire department and to the Durham/UNH community. 

The department recently held an informal celebration attended by Jason’s family, fire department staff, Mr. Selig, and Durham Town Council members, to recognize Jason’s dedicated service to the fire department and the community.

Congratulations, Jason!  

The Durham Professional Firefighters Local #2253 would like to introduce Smokey the Fire Dog. Smokey will give short tips on Fire Safety, weekly so Parents and guardians can generate conversation with their children about Fire Safety. Keep an eye out in the weekly updates These small questions and tips are a great way for you as a Parent to teach your kids about Fire Safety, the more they know the safer they will be.

WEEK #28

Cooking outside is always a great family time. This week Smokey has some tips for Dad.  For some safe grill tips, click HERE.

Research by New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station (NHAES) scientists seek to understand how effectively growing duckweed in different bodies of water can capture excess nutrients, and then how to safely use the resulting harvested living duckweed as fertilizer on farms. If successful, the discoveries could not only help mitigate adverse impacts of increasing urbanization across the state but increase the sustainability of New Hampshire’s food production.

“Unlike chemical fertilizers, which provide quick nutrient boosts but when mismanaged can also lead to adverse environmental impacts, green manure releases nutrients slowly and supports microbial activity, thus enhancing benefits to plants,” said Anna O’Brien, an assistant professor in the UNH College of Life Science and Agriculture and a scientist with the NHAES. “We chose duckweed as a possible green manure because it’s a native plant in New Hampshire, it’s naturally abundant in our water bodies, and research shows that it can recapture nutrients in runoff and agricultural wastewater.”

In previous studies led by O’Brien, she found that duckweed, when interacting with microbial organisms that live on or inside the plants, can transform certain pollutants into forms that are predicted to be less toxic. Through similar mechanisms, the duckweed microbiomes could significantly reduce how much nitrogen and phosphorus that can run off agricultural operations ends up in lakes, rivers and oceans, where an overabundance of these nutrients can impact groundwater and drinking water quality and lead to large algal blooms and oxygen-depleted “dead zones” in which fish and other species struggle to survive.

Common duckweed grows rapidly and easily, and can be found in ponds, lakes and slow-moving streams across the world, including New Hampshire and northeastern New England. This makes this aquatic plant ideal plant for applied and experimental use, O’Brien said.

O’Brien and her team, including Alyssa Daigle, a microbiology graduate student at the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, are first focusing on how differences in the genetic makeup of duckweed species—and their associated microbial communities—impact the effectiveness of nutrient remediation as well as the ability of the resulting green manure to promote crop growth. To do this, they’ve collected duckweed samples from across New Hampshire and are growing them in small micro-environments, called microcosms, and then testing how many nutrients each microcosm recaptures.

The research will include applying duckweed green manure to germinating lettuce and measuring for toxin transfer in the resulting crop. The results of that study will help the research team identify the feasibility of using duckweed as a soil amendment for agricultural operations and backyard growers.