|
|
A fierce beast appeared over the Durham Town Hall sign last weekend. We still do not know who placed it there or how it was placed without anyone noticing. Courtesy, Todd Selig
|
Oyster River High School Graduation moved to the Whittemore Center - Friday, June 9. The doors will open at 5pm and the ceremony will begin at 6pm. Families do not need tickets. The ceremony will be live streamed HERE. Water and flowers will be available for purchase and sold by the Red Cross Club and Sophomore officers.
Last day of school for Oyster River School District is June 16 with an early release.
Durham's Farmers' Market is now open in the lot at 66 Main Street on Mondays from 2:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
The Durham Historic District Commission will be cleaning out the old farmhouse at Wagon Hill Farm this Monday, June 12. Everyone is welcome to help. Please come by any time after 9:00 am. Wear old clothes and bring work gloves.
|
TIDELINE PUBLIC HOUSE FULLY OPEN TODAY!
Tideline Public House opens its indoor taproom and retail store today, June 9, to accompany the already operating food trucks. There is an excellent article on Tideline Public House in Foster’s Daily Democrat today written by Jane Murphy in a Special to Foster’s. To read this article, click HERE.
|
Parks & Rec Director, Rachel Gasowski, and Assistant Parks & Rec, Kellie DeSimone at Durham Day June 3. Courtesy, Todd Selig
|
OYSTER RIVER HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2023 TOP 10 STUDENTS
The Oyster River Cooperative School District wishes to recognize and congratulate the top 10 students in the Oyster River High School Class of 2023. Valedictorian Kelly Zhang (Durham), Salutatorian Katherine McEwan (Madbury), Maya Ajit (Durham), Henry Hagen (Madbury), Chloe Hawkes (Lee), Haley Pickering (Lee), Zoe Selig (Durham), Siddharth Srivatsan (Lee), Devon Wasiewski (Lee), and Grace Webb (Durham). A full feature on each student is available on the Oyster River High School's website HERE.
|
NEW ASSESSED VALUES TO BE MAILED BY FRIDAY, JUNE 16th.
In accordance with standards set forth by the State of NH Department of Revenue and Assessing Standards Board, Municipal Resources, Inc. the Town of Durham, has completed a reassessment of all properties within the community to equalize assessments at fair market value as of April 1, 2023. Notices regarding the new assessments of residential and commercial/industrial properties will be mailed the week of June 12, 2023. At this point, these revised assessments are preliminary only, as they have not yet been approved by the Town Council.
The Town of Durham engaged the services of two companies to perform the revaluation of all property assessments in Durham. Municipal Resources, Inc. (MRI) updated the assessments of the residential, commercial, and industrial properties. George Sansoucy, PE, LLC is currently updating the assessments of the utility properties, which should be completed by August 1st. The University property assessments were revised in-house by assessor Jim Rice, CNHA. Both companies have been working in conjunction with the Durham Assessor’s Office.
The revised assessments reveal the following preliminary information:
|
There are a few things to keep in mind when you receive your revised assessment:
1) Unless you’ve made improvements/demolition, your current assessment reflects market value as of April 1, 2018, which is when all assessments in Durham were last updated.
2) Your revised (new) assessment reflects market value as of April 1, 2023.
3) The real estate market has changed significantly due to market trends over the last 5 years.
4) Do not use the current tax rate to calculate your property taxes. Based on the Town’s budget and revised assessments, a new tax rate will be determined by the NH Department of Revenue Administration sometime in September in preparation for the December tax bill.
Once you have reviewed your revised (new) assessment and would like to discuss it in greater detail with a representative from MRI, you may do so by scheduling an appointment on-line or by calling the phone number on the preliminary notification. Instructions will be on the preliminary notice. The meeting place for these appointments will be held at Durham Town Hall, 8 Newmarket Road. Please note, MRI Office staff will not be able to discuss your valuation or answer questions regarding your revised assessment when you call to schedule the appointment.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, you may send a relative or family member in your place to speak for you; OR you may send a professional representative (lawyer; real estate agent; tax consultant; appraiser, etc.) in your place with a letter of authorization signed by you. If you will not be in Town during the times available and wish to speak to someone regarding your assessment, please call the number and special arrangements will be made to accommodate you. Please do not call the Durham Assessor’s Office to discuss your assessment or to schedule appointments.
|
ANNUAL UNH 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.
|
Officer Noah Young and Officer Jasdeep Kaur assisted with the cruiser display for Special Olympic athletes and their families. The Special Olympics was held June 3rd at the UNH Whittemore Center. Courtesy, Sergeant Brett Pestana
|
DAME ROAD IS NOW A DESIGNATED SCENIC ROAD
On June 5, 2023 the Town Council voted on a Resolution to designate Dame Road as a Scenic Road. Durham already has 4 scenic roads - Packers Falls Road, Bay Road, Durham Point Road and Bennett Road. To view the Town's policy on scenic roads, please click HERE. To view State policy on scenic roads, please click HERE.
|
DURHAM HISTORIC ASSOCIATION ANNUAL PICNIC
|
You're invited! The Durham Historic Association is hosting its annual picnic on Saturday, June 24th, 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!
|
RESOURCES FOR POOR AIR QUALITY DAYS
Many will have seen news reports of poor air quality impacting much of the Northeast these past few days. So far, New Hampshire has not been as directly affected as other regions. However, that could change due to persistent Canadian wildfires that are the primary source of the smoke. Here are some resources which may be helpful to members of the community:
1. The CDC provides information on reducing the risk of poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke at their website HERE.
2. Current air quality conditions can be viewed by visiting the AirNow website HERE.
3. New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services publishes a once-a-week forecast of air quality which can be accessed HERE.
4. The EPA publishes a smoke and air quality map for the entire region HERE.
While even healthy people can expect to experience symptoms (shortness of breath and nose, throat, and eye irritation) on particularly poor air quality days, those most at risk include young children, older adults, expectant mothers, or those with pre-existing lung or heart diseases.
|
The Be SMART for Kids table at Durham Day, June 3. Courtesy, Todd Selig
|
PLANNING BOARD UPDATE - Continued Public Hearing on the Climate Action Master Plan on the next agenda.
The Planning Board is meeting this Wednesday, June 14. The agenda includes a presentation by Brandon Kelly about plans for the large facility at 121 Technology Drive, a public hearing about the Climate Action Master Plan, a conceptual review of a carwash at 28 Dover Road, and continued review of changes to the Definitions section of the Zoning Ordinance. The agenda can be found by clicking HERE. The Planning Board will meet again the following week on June 21. The Board will not meet on June 28 due to the Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha,.
|
Durham Human Rights Commission table at Durham Day, June 3 Courtesy, Todd Selig
|
DID YOU KNOW? - Eliminating Single-use Plastics
|
Are you looking for expert advice on how to get single-use plastics out of your life? Check out this video link HERE for three easy things you can do to cut back on your disposable plastic use. Please note: the video expert mentions the use of compostable utensils and items. It is true that compostable items cannot be recycled, but if composted properly through our commercial composter, Mr. Fox, it works!
Source: Northeast Resource Recovery Association
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
|
COME TO THE 1ST ANNUAL ROTARY SUMMER FEST - June 17, 2023. Noon - 6pm.
There will be:
-
Food Trucks & Vendors available the whole time.
-
Live Music: Wheel of Awesome, Jordan K, Monkey Fist, and Good Trees River Band
-
Cornhole Tournament Starts at 1pm with $1000.00 grand prize
-
Bubble Giveaway at Kids Club hosted by Service Credit Union
-
Kids Club will also include Giant Jenga Competition, Bouncy House & Giant Slide, Temporary Tattoos and more.
-
Visit Artisans and Organization in the Vendor Area
-
Touch-A-Truck in Vendor's Area.
-
Sensory Fidget Making Hosted by Twenty One Senses
-
Drawing for a 50/50 Raffle
|
Officer Noah Young and Officer Jasdeep Kaur assisted with presenting metals to this year’s Special Olympics athletes Courtesy, Sergeant Brett Pestana
|
DURHAM POLICE CALEA ACCREDITATION - PUBLIC COMMENT PORTAL
The Durham Police Department is an Advanced level CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) agency. As part of its re-accreditation process with CALEA, Chief Rene Kelley would like to announce the availability of the CALEA public access portal. For those interested, this portal allows commenting on the performance of the Durham Police Department. The link HERE is provided as an opportunity for comments, commendations, and other information regarding the agency’s quality of service or other information relevant to the accreditation process. If you have any problems with the website, please contact Captain Jack Dalton at: jdalton@ci.durham.nh.us.
|
DURHAM POLICE CAUTION RESIDENTS ABOUT A SCAM INVOLVING SUSPICIOUS PHONE CALLS
Recently, the Durham Police Department received information about a recent scam tactic.
A prevalent theme used by scammers is to claim that the person being called, or a family member may be involved in suspicious or criminal activity. Primarily these scammers seek money or other sensitive information for additional fraudulent activity. However, claims like these are always a scam as law enforcement will never contact members of the public over the phone demanding payment or requesting you to provide sensitive information in relation to criminal activity.
The Durham Police Department urges anyone who receives a suspicious phone call that they believe may be “spoofed” or a scam to remember the following tips to avoid becoming a victim:
-
Never share personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unsolicited phone calls.
-
Avoid answering unknown phone calls and don’t return calls from numbers you can’t identify. If the call is important, they’ll leave a message.
-
If someone calls you claiming to be from a law enforcement agency and you aren’t sure whether it is a scam, hang up and follow up directly with the law enforcement agency at their official phone number found on their webpage.
-
Resist the urge to act impulsively or respond to pressure over the phone. Scammers in these situations often rely on a ruse that attempts to make you act impulsively out of self-preservation.
These scam calls can happen to anyone! Town Administrator Todd Selig recently reported to the Durham Police Department a similar scam call. Prior to providing any information, a call was made to the Durham Police Department to verify the information, which was confirmed to be a scam.
Don’t hesitate to call the Durham Police Department to help verify a phone call you receive that you believe could be a scam.
|
Sergeant Greg Ruby standing by to provide a tour of a Durham police cruiser during the Durham Day Celebration, this past Saturday. Courtesy, Sergeant Brett Pestana
|
TIPS ON FIRE SAFETY FROM SMOKEY THE FIRE DOG
|
The Durham Professional Firefighters Local #2253 would like to introduce Smokey the Fire Dog. Smokey will give short tips on Fire Safety, weekly so Parents can generate conversation with their children about Fire Safety. Keep an eye out in the weekly updates These small questions and tips are a great way for you as a Parent to teach your kids about Fire Safety, the more they know the safer they will be.
WEEK #23
Well summer is just around the corner and Smokey wants you to be safe when you’re outdoors, don’t forget to protect your skin from the sun and heat. For a helpful link with more tips click HERE.
|
The Durham Historic Association table at Durham Day, June 3. Courtesy, Todd Selig
|
NOTES FROM THE OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL BOARD
The Oyster River School board met on Wednesday and began by saying thank you and goodbye to two amazing people. ORMS Principal, Jay Richard, has accepted a job as the principal of the Concord Middle School and will be leaving Oyster River. Mr. Richard has done a tremendous job and will be missed. Paige Burt, the student representative to the school board, is graduating and will be attending NYU next year where she will focus on Women’s Studies. Paige has been an invaluable member of the board providing advice and commentary from the student perspective. Good luck to both Paige and Mr. Richard!
The end of the year brings lots of activities and lots of fun. The rising 5th graders from both Moharimet and Mastway will visit the Middle School on June 9th. They will spend the day learning about their new school and eat lunch in the cafeteria. It is a fun and exciting day.
The board listened to an excellent presentation by Ella Higginson (Class of 2024) about her extended learning opportunity (ELO) in the marine biology and laboratory science field. ELOs offer experiences for students to focus on areas of interest outside the offered curriculum. The program is coordinated by Sean Peschel and any students interested in more information should contact him.
|
FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON CAMPUS EACH WEEK IN UNH TODAY ... AND VIA THE UNIVERSITY’S ONLINE CALENDAR PAGE
UNH Today is the official online publication of the University of New Hampshire. It delivers news, events, and multimedia devoted to bringing community members a weekly glimpse of the remarkable things happening on campus, in New Hampshire, and around the world.
As a subscriber, you'll learn about student and faculty achievement, the impact of UNH in the community, and timely information on the arts, sports, and special events that make UNH (and in part Durham) a vibrant place.
You may sign up to begin receiving UNH Today by clicking HERE.
As you know, there is always a great deal happening on campus, and many events are not mentioned in UNH Today. Many other campus happenings can be researched via the UNH online calendar, which can be accessed HERE.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
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.
|
THIS WEEK AT DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY!
|
This year’s Summer Reading Program theme is “All Together Now!” – A celebration of Community
|
Get ready for a fun summer of Reading! Registration for youth summer reading begins on June 12th and adults can begin picking up their summer reading challenge cards beginning on the 12th as well! This year's theme is "All Together Now!" and the official 5 weeks of summer reading runs from June 26th through July 28th. All of the program information (continually updated) can be found on our website!
Join DPL on Tuesday, June 27th at 6:00 pm to welcome back art historian Jane Oneail to our adult summer reading programming! Instead of "All Together Now", let's take a look at the opposite - art's greatest rivalries and frenemies! This virtual program will examine the ways some of the world’s greatest artists challenged and competed with each other for commissions, sales and status. You can register for this program, Frenemies: The Art World’s Greatest Rivalries with Jane Oneail, HERE.
Want to become a certified babysitter? McGregor EMS will be here on Saturday, June 17th from 10-2 pm to facilitate! All of the registration information is available on their site located HERE!
Summer concerts on the lawn are back! Generously sponsored by the Friends of the Durham Public Library, join DPL every Wednesday through July beginning on June 28th at 6:30PM as folk band Green Heron kicks off the season!
What's happening in the Children's Dept? The Library is so excited for summer reading! Join DPL on June 29th at 10:30 am for our joint library summer reading kick-off with Keith Munslow at the Durham Public Library. Keith Munslow is a highly entertaining and interactive storyteller, singer, and comedian. Don't miss it!
Questions? The library staff is always available to answer your questions during business hours at 603-868-6699 or any time at durhampl@gmail.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HISTORY OF DURHAM - Pettee Block Fire
|
In February of 1924 Durham firefighter volunteers were called to a fire at the Pettee Block building on Main Street. The block housed Durham's Cash Market, a men's furnishing and tailoring store and the College Pharmacy on the first floor with Bates Barbershop in the basement. The upper story held lodgings for 16 students. One student hoping to save his money, threw his pants and wallet out the window only to have them land on a burning wire. While the student escaped unharmed, his pants and money went up in flames.
Source: Durham New Hampshire, A History, 1900-1985
|
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?
---
|
|
|
|
|
|
