Friday Updates - June 30, 2023

Friday, June 30, 2023

Happy Independence Day! Courtesy, Todd Selig

People around the world are observing Eid al-Adha, one of the most important Islamic festivals in the Muslim calendar. Meaning the "feast of the sacrifice", Eid al-Adha commemorates the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son on God's orders and is marked by special prayers and feasts. This year, it begins on 28 June. The festival coincides with the end of the Hajj - the annual Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.

The 2023 summer solstice occurred on Wednesday, June 21 at 10:57 AM Eastern Time, mark-

ing the longest day and shortest night of the year, as well as the first day of astronomical sum-

mer in the Northern Hemisphere. (NOAA). The old timers say that New Hampshire has two seasons – Wintah and the 4th of July! Let’s make the most of the long days ahead in summer...

Just a reminder that all Town offices are closed on Tuesday for the Fourth of July Holiday.

REMINDER - PROPERTY TAXES ARE DUE MONDAY, JULY 3

Property Taxes are due on Monday, July 3, 2023. The Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s Office will be open on Monday, July 3rd, from 8:00am – 6:00pm. Town offices will be closed on Tuesday, July 4th for the holiday. The town will accept the postmark on all payments received on or before July 3, 2023. Questions may be directed to the Durham Town Clerk-Tax Collector, Rachel Deane by email: rdeane@ci.durham.nh.us or telephone: 603-868-5577.

Each year, a small group of senior local government managers meet to study the leadership lessons of Gettysburg.  The leadership lessons of the battle of Gettysburg, the leadership styles of those in command as well as those on the battlefield, and the aftermath or disaster recovery of the town of Gettysburg after the battle of 1863 form the core of this site-specific leadership institute offered in conjunction with the Gettysburg Foundation and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).  

Assigned reading for the course included The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, a novel about the four days at Gettysburg, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975. 

Mr. Selig reported for duty in Gettysburg on June 14, 2023. He found it to be a very worthwhile experience.  

At the June 26, 2023, Town Council meeting, two representatives from Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) gave a presentation on the process for the planned removal for the Mill Pond Dam on the Oyster River. They spoke on the design and permitting processes, the Section 106 historic mitigation process, as well as grant funding efforts by Town staff to date, which have been successful.

To view the full presentation on DCAT OnDemand, please click HERE.

ATTENTION DURHAM HOMEOWNERS: UP TO $6,000 AVAILABLE FROM EVERSOURCE VIA NHSAVES PROGRAM FOR UPGRADES TO REDUCE HEATING AND COOLING EXPENSES

Up to $6,000 is available for upgrades to reduce heating and cooling expenses and keep homeowners more comfortable in their homes all year round. Whether heating is accomplished with oil, propane, electricity, or something else, if the amount utilized for heating meets minimum requirements, property owners can apply for a comprehensive energy audit. Based on the findings, the auditor may recommend upgrades such as:

• Sealing air leaks to reduce drafts and keep pests and allergens out.
• Adding insulation so the home stays at the desired temperature using less energy.
• Sealing ductwork, if present, to ensure warmed or cooled air gets to the living space.
• Upgraded appliances and water heating equipment.
• High efficiency heating and cooling systems to lower energy use.

The energy audit is a $500 value offered to qualified enrollees for just $100, which can then be applied to the cost of any recommended upgrades homeowners decide to complete.

Eversource's qualified contractor will provide a detailed proposal outlining recommendations and the incentives available - up to $6,000.

Test your home to get started. Visit energyaudit.nhsaves.com and have your home's conditioned square feet and heating usage for the past twelve months on hand.

Even if a home falls short of the heating usage requirement, property owners may still qualify for some energy-saving upgrades at no cost.

Eversource customers who meet income eligibility requirements may receive services at no cost.

According to an article in The New Hampshire Bulletin, millions of dollars in federal funding is coming to New Hampshire earmarked for the project.

When the General Sullivan Bridge replacement project is complete, the restored link between Dover and Newington is expected to see close to 500 new bicycle riders daily, in addition to pedestrians and fishermen.

New Hampshire’s congressional delegation announced this week the state will receive $20 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation to replace the closed General Sullivan Bridge with what will be the only walking and bicycling access across Little Bay. The new two-girder superstructure will reopen as a multi-use path, with help from a grant from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program (RAISE).

The General Sullivan Bridge was constructed in 1934 and carried vehicular traffic until 1984. It closed completely in 2018 because of its deteriorating condition due to age and the harsh coastal climate.

To read the full article in The New Hampshire Bulletin, click HERE.

You're invited! The Durham Historic Association is hosting its annual picnic on Saturday, July 1st at 5:30pm at the Nutter House, located at 14 Newmarket Road. Adjacent to the Oyster River Dam and Mill Pond, the Nutter house is one of Durham's oldest, circa 1720-1740. In the picture detail it is the yellow house on the right with the center chimney. (Rain date Sunday, June 25th).

Bring your chair and picnic supper to the expansive backyard to meet property owners, DHA’s new Director Myrta Janosz and her husband, Tom. What a grand opportunity to see and enjoy the sound of the water flowing over the dam and to learn of the latest research by DHA’s Vice President Janet Mackie about this historic property.

Parking is available at the Town Hall, on one side of Mill Pond Road, and at the Landing off Old Landing Rd. It is possible to park in the breakdown lane temporarily to unload passengers, chairs, and picnic baskets, before finding a permanent parking spot. This promises to be an enjoyable evening!

A bard owl was spotted at 32 Bagdad Road this week. Courtesy Ken & Nancy Lynch

GREAT BAY ROWING ATHLETES FROM OYSTER RIVER COMPETE IN U.S. ROWING YOUTH NATIONALS

Great Bay Rowing (GBR), a non-profit rowing club originally established at least in-part in Durham but now based in Dover, qualified and raced four boats at this year's U.S. Rowing Youth Nationals Championship Regatta, held in Sarasota, Florida from June 8th to June 11th.

GBR athletes went on to finish with the best Nationals results the club has ever had, including Ava Cathey finishing in 4th place in the Women's U17 1x. Cathey's finish marks the first time GBR has ever appeared in a Nationals Grand Final.

Five of the ten athletes who competed at Nationals for GBR are (or were until this June’s graduation) students at Oyster River High School - Katherine McEwan, Ava Cathey, Oliver Johnson, Colin Caron and Griffin Oake-Libow. These athletes raced in the Women's 4x (McEwan and Cathey), the Women's U17 1x (Cathey), and the Men's U17 4x (Caron, Johnson, Oake-Libow) events. 

Complete Nationals Results for GBR were: 4th Place Women's U17 1x, 15th Place Men's U17 2x, 19th Place Women's 4x, 23rd Place Men's U17 4x.

Did you forget to license your dog this year? The deadline to receive a dog license without penalty was April 30th, but owners should still license their dog as soon as possible.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

How do I License My Dog?

Dog licenses may be obtained at the Town Clerk’s office, by mail, or online HERE. The Durham Town Clerk’s office is located at 8 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH 03824.  Business hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm, and until 6:00pm the first Monday of every month. All questions may be directed to the Town Clerk-Tax Collector, Rachel Deane, email: rdeane@ci.durham.nh.us or telephone: 603-868-5577.

What Do I Need To License My Dog?

You need a rabies vaccination certificate from your veterinarian or animal care provider, payment, and if you are registering for the first time, proof that the dog has been spayed or neutered. 

How Much Does It Cost?

·      Puppy (ages 4-7 months) $7.50

·      Neutered or spayed dogs $7.50

·      Unaltered male of female dog $10.00

·      Senior citizen dog $2.00 (owner who is 65 years old or older on the first dog only)

·      Replacement tag $1.50

What Happens If I Don't License My Dog?

Failure to license your dog is a violation of NH State law (RSA 466:1). In addition to the annual license fee, you will be charged a late fee of $1.00 per month, per dog, for each month after June 1st. After August 1^st, a S25.00 civil forfeiture fee will also be charged. If the forfeiture fee is not paid within the designated time, a summons to appear in court shall be issued.

DURHAM DAY DASH HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO JULY 15!

Durham Parks and Recreation and Growing Places invite you to run in the First Annual Durham Day Dash on Saturday, July 15th! (A thunder and lightning storm canceled the first scheduled date back on June 2nd). The Mini Dash 1/2 miler and 1 miler fun runs will take place at 9:00 am with the 5K starting at 9:30 am. Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities are welcome to participate! The race will be run on a certified 5k course with the start and finish at the Oyster River High School. There will be a Mini Dash ½ miler and Mini Dash 1 miler for our younger runners and families.

You can register for the Durham Day Dash by clicking HERE.

UPDATE ON SEVERAL COURT CASES INVOLVING DECISIONS OF THE PLANNING BOARD

1) Mill Plaza. Mill Plaza has been purchased by Torrington Properties. The Planning Board denied the site plan application for a redevelopment of the plaza from Colonial Durham Associates, the former owner. The Housing Appeals Board upheld the Planning Board’s decision and Colonial Durham appealed to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Colonial Durham withdrew that appeal as a condition of the sale. The case had not yet reached the Supreme Court. 

2) 19 Main Street. The Planning Board denied this application for a large parking lot on Church Hill. The Superior Court upheld the Planning Board's decision. The Town does not know if the applicant will appeal that decision to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. 

3) Gerrish Drive Subdivision. An abutter appealed the board’s approval of this subdivision on a parcel located off Gerrish Drive. The Superior Court remanded the decision back to the Planning Board to address a deficiency. The board addressed the deficiency and re-approved the application. The abutter appealed that decision back to the Superior Court. A hearing was held, and the Town awaits the court’s decision. 

4) 74 Main Street. An abutter appealed the Planning Board’s recent approval of a mixed-use building at the juncture of Main Street and Pettee Brook Lane. The case has not yet gone to court.

CLIMATE ACTION MASTER PLAN ADOPTED BY THE PLANNING BOARD

The Planning Board voted to adopt the Climate Action Master Plan at its meeting on June 14. Strafford Regional Planning Commission prepared the master plan with direction from the Town staff. The board’s adoption included a number of minor changes to the document which will be incorporated. The final plan will be uploaded to the website shortly.

Durham now has twelve chapters in its master plan. You can see the ten chapters from 2015 and the Future Land Use Chapter from 2018 on the Town's web page by clicking HERE. 

The Climate Chapter states, “Developing a comprehensive climate action chapter will strengthen Durham’s understanding of its vulnerabilities and create a framework for a more resilient and sustainable community. This chapter includes a summary of recent climate data, as well as existing reports completed in New Hampshire to provide Durham staff, decision-makers, local boards and commissions, and community stakeholders with the knowledge and tools needed to act. The purpose of the chapter is to consolidate many of the adaptation and resilience planning efforts the Town has completed over the years and identify the most significant climate change risks and vulnerabilities that need to be addressed to protect and enhance Durham’s natural and built environment, the welfare of residents and visitors, economic well-being, and overall quality of life.”

The Durham Historic Association Museum doors are open to the public this summer every Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00pm. Explore Durham's 400-year history in eight chronological periods, from the 17th century to the present, in air-conditioned comfort. Come see the latest exhibits and improvements to this historic space. The museum is located above Parks & Recreation on the second floor of the old brick Town Hall/District Court building on the corner of Rt. 108 at the traffic lights.

Last Friday, June 23, marked the 46th anniversary of the death of illustrious UNH architect Eric Huddleston. Here are excerpts from the article “One Man’s Vision: Eric Huddleston’s Legacy is the Campus We Know Today” by John Milne which appeared in UNH Magazine Online in the Winter of 2002.

"When Eric Huddleston arrived in Durham in 1914, he looked at a handful of buildings scattered across the muddy acres of a farm and saw a college campus. As the supervising architect for the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts and the University of New Hampshire, he spent the next 30 years building a campus to match his vision. His legacy is the way UNH looks today.

Hud, as everyone called him… designed, remodeled or built 22 of the principal buildings on campus…Huddleston designed buildings in the 18th-century Federal/Georgian style, faced with water-struck red brick. Some of his trademarks were white woodwork, column-framed entrances, Palladian windows and peaked slate roofs with gables and moldings on the eaves.

[After graduation from Cornell and a brief period working in Chicago, UNH President] Edward T. Fairchild lured him to Durham to become head of the department of drawing and the college's supervising architect. He was 26 years old, nicknamed the Kid Professor…[He] began working on a broad plan for a campus of Georgian brick buildings spaced around what is now called the Great Lawn. He pictured a more compact campus than the one we have today, with more buildings at the core along Main Street, emphasizing the closeness of this community of scholars."

Here are the main buildings at UNH designed by Huddleston (source: Wikipedia):

• Huddleston Hall (1919)
• Congreve Hall (1920)
• Hetzel Hall (1927)
• Murkland Hall (1927)
• James Hall (1930)
• Hood House (1932)
• Scott Hall (1933)
• Field House (1937)
• Pettee Hall (1938)
• Gibbs, Engelhardt and Hunter Halls (1946)

UNH ANNUAL EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM TO BE TESTED MONDAY, JULY 3, 2023

Regular testing of the University of New Hampshire’s Durham campus outdoor notification system will occur Monday July 3, 2023, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The test will include the siren, a “canned” message and a recording signaling the end of the test. The entire exercise will take less than 10 minutes.  

In addition, the university will also simultaneously send test messages through its alert system to registered Durham campus cell phones, and e-mail accounts.

The outdoor notification system is designed to not only alert the campus community when there is imminent danger but also follows up with voice instructions. This two-step approach, called Alert and Inform, helps reduce confusion and restore order. 

Sirens are located on the roof of the MUB, the roof of Morse Hall, A-Lot and the dirt parking lot near the equestrian facility. The system reaches nearly a mile in all directions.  

Contact UNH Police Chief Paul Dean at 862-1427 for more information or with any questions. 

The Durham Swap Shop loves to see the citizens of Durham recycle their used items and toys! However, here are a few important things to keep in mind:

●      Please bring items that are clean, are working, and have all of their parts. The Swap Shop has no facilities for cleaning the items that you bring. Dirty items rarely find a new home.

●      Drop off children’s toys with all of their parts. Please bag all of the parts to keep them together. Often the correct balls, cars, or other parts are missing.

●      Check board games to see that they have all of their parts and pieces. Also check that you have removed record keeping from your past games.

●      Please save holiday items at home until it is the holiday’s season. We have limited space for storing items long term.

●      Visit the Swap Shop. It is the Ultimate Recycling Experience!

●      Have questions or want to volunteer? Check www.swapshopdurham.com .

Have you visited Packers Falls Park? If so, please help the Land Stewardship Subcommittee learn more about your experiences by completing the short questionnaire HERE.

DID YOU KNOW? - DURHAM'S SPRING BULKY WASTE CLEANUP

Durham’s Spring Bulky Waste Cleanup numbers are in. This year, the curbside service pickup collected 92.97 tons of bulky waste at a cost to taxpayers of $9,369.52 in disposal fees at the solid waste facility. This figure does not include the cost of fuel to transport the 114.5 truckloads of waste or the cost of personnel hours spent on this project which were 392 hours.

Landlords brought an additional 23.19 tons of solid waste to the transfer station at a cost of $2,337.09 in disposal costs.

For those residents who brought their solid waste to the transfer station instead of leaving it curbside, town workers were able to strip down the items and remove any metals or possible recyclable parts before sending them to the landfill. This helped to keep disposal fees down.

Additionally, some residents brought their reusable bulky waste to places like Savers or Best Buy, who have robust reuse/recycling programs. 

Thinking creatively about ways to cut down on landfill waste helps all taxpayers save money and resources.

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee

Questions about recycling or composting? Email us at Durhamrecycles603@gmail.com

Not sure if an item can be recycled? Check out this site to find out: www.recyclesmartma.org

Want to know more about the Swap Shop?  Find out HERE.

HISTORIC DISTRICT/HERITAGE COMMISSION CHAIR DELIVERS ANNUAL UPDATE TO TOWN COUNCIL

Larry Brickner-Wood, chair of the Durham Historic District/Heritage Commission provided the annual update to the Town Council on the commission’s work this past Monday. You can read the report HERE.

CEMETERY COMMITTEE UPDATES THE REGULATIONS REGARDING BURIAL AT TOWN CEMETERY

At its June 23 meeting, the Cemetery Committee voted to adopt updated Procedures and Regulations regarding burial at the Town Cemetery, including increased prices for burial plots. The updated regulations will go into effect September 1, 2023, and can be read HERE.

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 #25

Now that the temperatures are rising, we all need to be aware of how the sun and heat affect our bodies. For some helpful tips, click HERE.

READY, SET, KINDERGARTEN! - Opportunities available for families with incoming Kindergarten children to get together.

Do you have a child starting Kindergarten at Mast Way or Moharimet this fall? Come meet classmates at these summer 2023 playground events hosted by Oyster River Parents and Preschoolers and the Oyster River Alumni Association. Siblings Welcome!

Joint Mast Way & Moharimet Kindergarten Meet-Up:

Saturday July 8, 10am-12pm at Woodridge Park (Fogg Dr. and Merserve Rd.), Durham

Moharimet Kindergarten Meet-Up:

Saturday August 19th 10am-12pm at Moharimet Playground, 11 Lee Rd, Madbury

Mast Way Kindergarten Meet-Up:

Saturday August 19th 10am-12pm at Mast Way Playground, 23 Mast Rd, Lee

Please also join the (private) "Oyster River Class of 2036" Facebook group, by clicking HERE.

Email the organizers at: rskoysterriver@gmail.com

More information can be found by clicking HERE.

Durham's beautiful traffic islands are in bloom thanks to the good work of DPW staff! Courtesy, Todd Selig