Friday Updates - July 21, 2017

                    NEWS & HAPPENINGS...

Friday, July 21, 2017

On Sunday afternoon, July 16, 2017, firefighters worked to put out a fire at the Harmony Homes facility on Stagecoach Road. Shown above, the Durham Fire Department's new aerial platform truck, T3, dousing the barn roof with water. Courtesy Todd Selig

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The Fire Department was active on Sunday evening, July 16th, working to extinguish a four alarm fire in a 5,000 sq. ft. storage barn that was fully involved behind the Harmony Homes facility at 1 Stagecoach Road in Durham.  Route 108 had to be closed from Bennett Road to the Newmarket town line for a few hours. 

Truck 3 (T3), the new aerial platform truck, was put to good use and was attributed as playing a major factor in saving portion of the structure and preventing the fire from spreading further.  The red car and white van pictured above parked directly in front of the barn had to be sprayed with water to prevent them from catching fire.

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In addition, Durham continues to have conversations with a local LED lighting provider based in Dover and the NHDOT concerning re-energizing the "decorative" lighting on the Scammell Bridge.  This week, Eversource and the NHDOT energized the bridge for one evening so the lighting provider could evaluate electrical systems along the structure.  

WHAT TO DO WITH THE TOWN-OWNED WILLEY AND ELLINGWOOD CONSERVATION TRACTS?
Durham’s Land Stewardship Coordinator, Ellen Snyder, presented her recommendations recently to the Land Stewardship Subcommittee relative to the Willey ( 20 acres) and Ellingwood ( 4 acres) parcels that fall adjacent to the Sweet Trail ( both are off Dame Rd ). She visited the areas with the Nature Conservancy and asked them if they would like to link these into their ownership. She recommends that the Town convey to the Nature Conservancy and Fish and Game these properties at no cost with the Nature Conservancy and Fish and Game covering any administrative costs associated. She noted that these are not lands suitable to farming or parks ( wetlands and rocky outcrops) with limited road access and feels they are best conveyed as suggested.

Durham acquired both these properties at no cost and Ellen believes it is best to convey without cost. Neither parcel have any restrictions at present. Resident Dennis Meadows, who attends the Land Stewardship Subcommittee meetings, suggested that perhaps the Town should attach some restrictions to the property before conveying that would ensure the land remain in a natural state. Ellen was reticent to have any easement attach to it but understood the desire to secure it for conservation purpose but feels The Nature Conservancy or Fish and Game should be responsible to this cause. Members of the Land Stewardship Subcommittee will bring the idea back to their core committees to obtain further thoughts and feedback about this idea.

Durham resident and Fire Department Secretary Kelly Lacoste writes down her idea for what she would like to see happen in Durham 10 years from now. Courtesy DCAT Studios

DO I REALLY HAVE TO GIVE MY AGE? - What do you hope to see in Duram's future?

You probably know the Future Land Use Committee is gathering community input for Durham's Master Plan in several ways, including a few posters around town where you can express yourself as you pass by.

Giving your first name and age is optional, but it's helpful for compiling data. You can always fuzz it up a little by skipping the first name and just putting your age. Or put your first name and add something like 39 (wink), teen, grownup, 60-ish or some such indicator. Be creative! Thanks for your great ideas.

Courtesy Barbara Dill

FUTURE LAND USE SUBCOMMITTEE CONTINUES TO SEEK FEEDBACK

The Durham Land Use Committee is seeking more input from town residents to help in the development of the Future Land Use Master Plan. Please click on this email – durhamnhforum@gmail.com - and answer these two questions about your vision for Durham ten years from now:

• What do you hope will stay the same?
• What should be different?

Please also give your first name and your age.

Alternatively, you can note your responses to these questions on posters placed around town at Town Hall, the Durham Public Library, Young’s Restaurant, the Durham Community Church, St. George’s Church, and St. Thomas More Church. Thank you!

View the Final Summary of the May 13th event HERE.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS FOR SUMMER 2017 SEASON

Listed below are projects currently underway at the Department of Public Works. We thought it might be helpful to provide a sense of the scale and scope of the department's activities taking place this summer.

• Removal of Littlehale Dam, restoration of Littlehale Brook
• Crommet Creek Bridge
• Longmarsh Road Bridge Project
• 2017 Road Program
• Equipment Replacement Program
• Mill Pond/Mill Pond Dam investigation
• Old Landing Park Improvements
• Madbury Road speed table installation
• Multiple roadway culvert replacements
• Wagon Hill Barn project
• Transfer Station and Recycling Facility repairs
• Mill Pond Road sidewalk replacement
• LED street lighting upgrades
• Town Hall emergency generator installation
• Wagon Hill Farm shoreline erosion mitigation project
• Cedar Point Road – initial engineering of potential paving and drainage
• Wiswall Dam spillway
• Tree removal and roadside brush trimming
• Miscellaneous traffic markings
• Depot Road parking lot soils monitoring program
• WWTP 18” Forcemain Replacement engineering
• Bagdad Road neighborhood sewer pipe slip lining
• Exploratory Lee Well line extension to Lee Circle to assist Town of Lee and NHDES in address petroleum contamination there
• 2017 Driveway, excavation and utility connection permits

A picture of some of the historical artifacts at the Durham Historic Assoc. Museum, located upstairs at the Old Town Hall/Fmr. Courthouse (with the beautiful curved brick front entrance) at the corner of Dover and Newmarket Roads.  Courtesy DHA

DHA SUMMER SATURDAYS AT THE MUSEUM

The Durham Historic Association is hosting “Summer Saturdays at the Museum,"  where every Saturday afternoon 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. throughout the summer visitors may explore Durham’s history in eight chronological periods from the 17th century to the present in air-conditioned comfort.  The museum is located on the second floor of the old brick Town Hall/District Court building at the traffic light on the corner.

This building, now destroyed, located behind the General John Sullivan House in Durham, is believed to have been slave quarters. It was photographed around 1934 for the Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy Library of Congress

DURHAM'S GENERAL JOHN SULLIVAN - Some Durham history in this week's Union Leader.

In 1763, John Sullivan, the 23-year-old son of Irish immigrants, became the first person to practice law in Durham. In the years that followed, his aggressive manner earned him more enemies than friends. He eventually succeeded in polishing his social skills, and established himself as a leading citizen. He was even able to count Portsmouth’s John Wentworth, the royal Governor of New Hampshire, as a friend.

According to the Union Leader article, Sullivan acquired a handsome fortune through his legal work and land deals. He also profited from his ownership of water-powered mills along the Lamprey River and other streams, including a grist mill (for grinding grain), a bolting mill (for sifting flour), a fulling mill (for finishing wool cloth), and a mill for grinding blades for scythes (tools used for cutting grass and grain).

During the 18th century slave ownership was not uncommon among the wealthier families in the seacoast region. In 1773, according to census records, there were 15 male and nine female slaves living in Durham. John Sullivan’s household included a man named Noble, and several other slaves who lived in a building behind the family’s house. They were often seen rowing Sullivan’s boat on the Piscataqua River, as they transported him the 9 miles between Durham and Portsmouth where he conducted business.

When New Hampshire established its revolutionary Provincial Congress in 1774, Sullivan was elected to represent Durham. At the Congress’ first meeting in Exeter that July he and a man from that town, Nathaniel Folsom, were elected as New Hampshire’s delegates to the First Continental Congress, which met in Philadelphia in September and October 1774.

As is clear in the next item in this week's "Friday Updates" concerning the controversial "Cruel Adversity" mural at the Durham Post Office, what we know or learn about the history of a place or person is not always kind.  It is history, nonetheless -- and from that history we can learn and improve moving forward.  

Read more about Durham’s General John Sullivan in an article in this week’s Union Leader HERE.

Part of mural set at the Durham Post Office. Courtesy Todd Selig

UPDATE RELATIVE TO “CRUEL ADVERSITY” MURAL AT POST OFFICE
At Monday’s Town Council meeting, Council Chair Kitty Marple provided the Council with an update relative to the most recent meeting of the NH Commission of Native American Affairs (NHCNAA), which took place in Durham (and was in fact hosted by Durham) on July 11, 2017.

Following discussion, the Town Council asked that Mr. Selig convey to the US Postal Service that the Town supports the inclusion of interpretive text such as what has been drafted to date by the historian of the US Postal Service, or can be enhanced with suggestions from the NHCNAA or others. In addition, the Town Council is not supportive of removing or covering the Durham Post Office mural.

At this point, the Council believes it best if the USPS and the NHCNAA work through any remaining questions the NHCNAA may have concerning the underlying USPS policies regarding artwork directly, as well as finalizing interpretative language to install within the post office lobby in Durham.

To view a letter to the USPS concerning this matter from Administrator Selig dated July 19, 2017, click HERE.

DURHAM HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETING TO DISCUSS INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY PROPOSAL ON JULY 26TH 
The Durham Human Rights Commission next meets on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, at 9 AM in the 2nd Floor Conference. Room at the Town Hall. Commission members include Town Council Chair Kitty Marple, Business Manager Gail Jablonski, and Admin. Todd Selig. Agenda topics include:

• Follow up regarding request from a resident to create an Indigenous Peoples’ Day
• Update regarding the controversial mural at the Durham Post Office
• Discussion regarding the composition of the Human Rights Commission
• Update relative to the Municipal Equity Index Survey from the Human Rights Campaign

The LEED Silver Certification plaque at Durham's Town Hall  Courtesy Todd Selig

LEED CERTIFIED TOWN HALL DEMONSTRATES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
One of the innovations at the Durham Town Hall is the hydration station just off the main lobby. When Durham was developing it's LEED certified Town Hall, we talked about ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. One area identified was to eliminate the need for people to l use plastic water bottles. We moved forward with the hydration station, and to date it has saved the use of 4,922 plastic bottles since the building was occupied in 2014. Kaizen!

Learn more about LEED certified buildings HERE.

This display shows how many plastic water bottles have been avoided by people obtaining water at the hydration station at the Durham Town Hall.  Courtesy Todd Selig

SWAP SHOP CORNER: A NEW FEATURE IN FRIDAY UPDATES
Heads up! Durham’s Swap Shop, located at the transfer station, soon will be undergoing changes in procedures to help ensure that it continues to function as a favorite spot to meet other community members as well as a way to give used items a new life.

Dedicated volunteers make it work (and have fun at the same time), but they could really use both cooperation from Swap Shop patrons and more help. Volunteers for specific projects, for regular scheduling, and for occasional pitching in are all welcome, as are graphic artists and writers!

If residents want to learn how to get involved, please come to the Heritage Room at the Durham Public Library for an informal meeting of volunteers next Thursday, July 27, at 1:00 p.m. The previous meeting was fun and productive, and this meeting is expected to be fun as well. 

If residents cannot attend but are interested, please call Jane at 603-868-7598.

DURHAM LAND STEWARDSHIP SUBCOMMITTEE WEEKLY REPORT (by Land Stewardship Coordinator Ellen Snyder)

On these hot, humid summer days, I like to do my fieldwork in the morning, then retreat inside to read, research, and write. Wednesday this week was a good example. I hosted a wild parsnip workshop at the Oyster River Forest, teaching about the ecology of this invasive plant and proper techniques for pulling and piling to avoid getting a rash from its sap and to prevent further spread of the plant in the 20-acre field. Five women joined me to pull 219 plants –all the plants in a patch in the west field. Several enjoyed it so much they will join me next week to tackle the big patch in the east field.

Wednesday afternoon I read an article provided to me by Agriculture Commission member John Carroll: “Healing and Repairing: Re-Imaging Conservation From Where Our Lives Intersect,” by Peter Forbes. The paper explores how conservation can heal some of the divides between us, while strengthening people’s connections to a healthy landscape. Through conversations with an array of land trusts in Maine, he builds the idea of “community conservation,” where land conservation connects people to place and people to people and reaches everyone in a community or region. Our land stewardship efforts in Durham are working in this spirit: making town open spaces more accessible, searching for opportunities to sustain local agriculture and forestry, engaging more people in stewardship.

If you are interested in volunteering for any aspects of land stewardship on town lands or helping with easement monitoring please contact Ellen at ellensnyder1@gmail.com.

UPDATE ON THE THOMPSON FOREST
The Town is presently facing some issues in regard to the easement restrictions and requirements a the Thompson parcel off Wednesday Hill Road along the Lamprey River, adjacent to the D-UNH Water System intake pump house. There has been some Conservation Commission volunteer work to remove some of the invasive plants from the trail to allow for better access to the property. However, there are easement requirements on the property for notification and approval from the Natural Heritage Bureau and Historical Resources . The site is noted as highly sensitive for Native American artifacts. Southeast Land Trust , which holds an easement, pointed out on a visit to the site that a phase one Archaeological study must be done on various spots on the property prior to doing any disruptive work.

Ellen has received cost information on this and found that is higher an expense than she thought. She continued to research requirements with a goal of finding the most responsible and cost effective approach. Admin. Selig has utilized contract service money within the Administration budget to pay for an initial 1A study ( a 1A study shows where one might find artifacts ) by Monadnock Archaeological Consulting, LLC, which is a lower cost , and that will suffice us now. If the Town wants to do further work, we would then do further studies as will be presented to us in the 1A study – at an additional cost of around $6,000. Town will need to pursue grant funds for the 1B study.

AN UPDATE ON EFFORTS AT ESTABLISHING COTTONTAIL RABBIT HABITAT AT WAGON HILL FARM NORTH (40 acres on the opposite side of Rt. 4 from the wagon)
NH Fish and Game have been in to remove some invasive ( buckthorn) and Ellen Snyder will be organizing a group to get in there to continue with some other removal.

EASEMENT MONITORING AT CAPSTONE COTTAGES
The Town has engaged the services of a firm to undertake the required easement monitoring of that property since we do have a Stewardship fund ($28,000) for that property.

UPDATE ON OYSTER RIVER FOREST PARCEL
There will be chemical treatment of invasive species on the riparian area of property by the Conservation District in the fall .There has also been more work on the trail . The Conservation Commission is waiting for a consultant to come back on information on the bridge. Land Stewardship Coordinator Ellen Snyder plans more work to clear up some messy areas left from the timber cut and some invasive control.

BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS DURING THE SUMMER - Permit approval process can take up to two weeks in summer.

Residents are reminded that due to increased numbers of building permit applications submitted during the summer months, approval of a residential building permit can take up to two weeks.

Residents are encouraged to submit building permit applications for their projects well in advance of the start date to ensure that they will have a building permit before the project begins. 

No work is allowed on a home without a building permit.

Construction on pouring the foundation of the addition at the DPD this week.  Courtesy DPD

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES ON $1.96 MILLION DURHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT ADDITION/RENOVATION

Work at the police department this week was focused upon completing the concrete footings and the foundation walls. From his office window, Chief Kurz has a bird’s eye view of the outline of the building as it takes shape with the foundation walls. This week’s picture depicts the pouring of the footings and the foundation walls.

Sergeant Greg Ruby, Durham PD

NEW PROMOTION AT DURHAM POLICE - Meet Sgt. Greg Ruby!
To replace the vacancy created when Sergeant Michael Bilodeau left to become Police Chief in Newington, the agency commenced a selection-promotion process to identify his replacement. The process involved a written examination, an oral board of outside police supervisors, an “in-basket” exercise as well as a review of the past performance evaluations by the all the supervisors of the department.

Six officers participated over this past week completing each step with Officer Greg Ruby emerging as the top candidate. Sergeant Ruby has been with Durham PD for the past 6 years having previously been a New Hampshire Marine Patrol officer for 4 years.

Greg has a BA from UNH and serves as a defensive tactics instructor and is also a member of the Strafford County Regional Tactical Team.

AND THE SCAMS KEEP COMING!

This week Durham Police took several calls from residents stating that they had received a message from their “grandchild” who was calling because they were in some kind of difficulty. One even indicated that they were in jail and needed bail. The strategy is to entice you to provide information such as “is this you Johnny?” so that the scammer gathers information and can add it to the storyline making the call seem more true!

These calls are distasteful and very troubling to all of us as they clearly are designed to weaken our resolve and part you with hard earned money. Even when we know that the call is not true and is a scam, most of us receiving the call are troubled and exhausted in the aftermath.

While most of these cases are virtually impossible to resolve as they routinely operate from third-world countries, The Durham Police believe to be informed is to be forearmed. If in doubt of a call or a letter, please feel free to contact the Durham Police at 868-2324.

UPDATE ON THE REACH CAMP AT PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Our first two weeks of REACH went well! We put the leased white van to good use transporting campers to the pool and Wagon Hill Farm, the Woodman Institute, etc. for some afternoon fun!

GUITAR/UKULELE LESSONS AT PARKS & RECREATION FOR TEEN/ADULTS
Durham Parks & Recreation had a new teen/adult program start up last week- Beginner Guitar/Ukulele Lessons and Adult Guitar Lessons. There was a solid turn out for both classes and it was nice to see some new faces taking advantage of DPR programs. Director Rachel Gasowski believes this is another program that will continue to grow over the next year!

UPCOMING PARKS & RECREATION PROGRAM AT THE UNH OUTDOOR POOL – Summer Splash & Potluck Picnic at the UNH Outdoor Pool
A new DPR event is now scheduled for Saturday, August 12th- Summer Splash and Potluck Picnic from 6-9pm at the UNH Outdoor Pool. Jen Malone from UNH was great to work with and comped the department an hour out of the 3hour rental. We will have live music for this event too!

Folks can sign up for the potluck HERE.

SAVE THE DATE! - 5TH ANNUAL DURHAM FARM DAY - Saturday, August 19th, 10am - 4pm.  A celebration of Durham's working landscape!  Tour gardens and farms across town and campus.  Lots of family friendly activities.  Full schedule of events available soon.  Sponsored by the Durham Agricultural Commission.

DURHAM FARMERS’ MARKET OPEN MONDAY AFTERNOONS AT JACKSON’S LANDING
The Seacoast Growers Association is operating the Durham Farmers’ Market on Mondays at Jackson’s Landing, 10 Old Piscataqua Road, from 2:15 – 6 PM. The season officially opened June 5th.

LAMPREY RIVER ADVISORY COMMITTEE SUMMER NEWSLETTER
The Lamprey River Advisory Committee has published its 2017 summer newsletter which is available for viewing HERE.

Support your small business drink stand.  While on his mail route recently, postal worker John Pacheco came across Thomas and Krysta Babon selling cold drinks. Thomas was selling lemonade and Krysta cucumber-lime water. Admin. Selig has taken the position for many years that the Town does not regulate temporary children's lemonade stands.  Parents are asked to be attentive to ensuring such stands are set up in a safe location.  Courtesy John Pacheco