Friday Updates - March 15, 2024

Friday, March 15, 2024

Congratulations to the Oyster River Boys Hockey Team for winning the State Championship on March 9! Courtesy, Todd Selig

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is considered a holy month that honors the time when Allah, via the angel Gabriel, revealed the first verses of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, to a caravan trader named Muhammad. This year, Ramadan began at sundown on Sunday, March 10, and end at sundown on Tuesday, April 9. The final evening of Ramadan consists of a celebration called Eid al-Fitr, when the traditional month-long fast is ended with a feast.

Spring Break at UNH begins today through March 22nd. Our downtown Durham businesses need the support of residents to remain viable, particularly during times with UNH is out of session. To that end, we hope you’ll stop down to support local restaurants and other businesses during this otherwise slower time.

This weekend is NH Maple Weekend! Click HERE for a map of sugarhouses near you.

CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING FOR A TOWN BOARD, COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION!

On April 30, 2024, terms on various Town boards, commissions, and committees will expire. In April, the Town Council will begin the process for making its annual appointments/ reappointments to Town boards, with appointments to take effect May 1, 2024. The Durham Town Council is seeking interested residents of the Town of Durham who have the ability, desire, and time needed to fill the vacancies, which are listed below. 

For more information or to request an application for board appointment, please contact Administrative Assistant, Karen Edwards, at kedwards@ci.durham.nh.us.

On March 11th, a group of officials from Albania under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, via the World Affairs Council of NH, met at the Town Hall in Durham to learn about internal government systems at the local level to promote transparency and accountability, monitoring and enforcing ethical guidelines and rules established to safeguard public integrity, and to view online platforms designed by government agencies to increase transparency of governmental services.  

The Durham Historic District/Heritage Commission is hosting three roundtable discussions in early 2024 to talk about the Oyster River Massacre Marker and potential revised language for the marker. The marker was removed from its location on Newmarket Road several years ago by NH Historic Resources and NHDOT, along with numerous other signs statewide, pending a re-evaluation of the appropriateness of certain existing markers. See the picture of the former sign above. The first roundtable discussion was on January 18. You can see a video recording of the meeting HERE. The second roundtable discussion was February 15. You can see a video recording of the meeting HERE.

The last roundtable discussion will be held Thursday, March 21, at 4:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The Town of Durham has hired Charlotte Bacon and Barbara Will of Montgomery Will Consulting to facilitate a conversation about the sign, potential new language for the sign, and how the community might address broader related issues more effectively.  

In order to help address the issue, the Durham Historic District/Heritage Commission (HDC/HC) offered to host discussions among the stakeholders. NHDHR, in coordination with NHDOT, will make the final determination about how to handle the marker but they will likely defer to any consensus reached in these discussions.

Larry Brickner-Wood, chair of the HDC, will chair the meeting. Two representatives from the HDC, Human Rights Commission, District Historic Association, NH Division of Historical Resources, and NH DOT, along with the chair of the NH Commission on Native American Affairs and a representative of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki People will participate.

This meeting will be open to the public, but due to limited time, there will probably not be an opportunity for members of the general public to share comments at the meetings. Any interested person is welcome to send a note to Town Planner, Michael Behrendt at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us.

We have a significant amount of history and intriguing commentary about this issue on the Town’s website by clicking HERE.

Spring has sprung in some parts of Durham! Courtesy, Diane McCann

UPDATE ON PLANNING BOARD PROCESS ON WORKFORCE HOUSING AMENDMENT

The Planning Board closed the public hearing for the Workforce Housing zoning amendment at their meeting of March 13. You can see a recording of that meeting HERE. Staff and the board will now write a new/revised draft of the Workforce Housing amendment using the prior proposal and comments received during the public hearing. When a new proposal is ready, it will be presented through a new public hearing. Feel free to send an email to Michael Behrendt, Town Planner if you would like to be included in his Planning Board Updates Email at: mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us

There is a lot of activity in Durham and around the State now focused on housing. You can see numerous interesting and pertinent documents and articles related to housing at the Durham Housing Task Force website HERE.

SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS AVAILABLE

The National Main Street Center has announced a program from American Express offering grants to small local businesses. Eligible business owners can apply for $10,000 grants for projects that grow or improve their businesses by building community, supporting their economic viability, or bolstering meaningful change. Applications will be accepted up to 1:00 pm on April 7, 2024 (or once 5,000 applications have been submitted, whichever occurs first). For a link to the program, click HERE. 

Most downtown Durham businesses are probably eligible to apply. The grant covers the following (with examples in parentheses):

• Accessibility Upgrades (ramp, menu translation, accessible website redesign for visually impaired people)  
• Community Events and Programs (open mic night, public educational/training workshops, hosting community fund raisers, partnerships with other small businesses)  
• Equipment and Inventory (point of sale device/software, purchasing of items for sale, display cases, kitchen equipment)  
• Marketing (investing in social media campaign, building a website)  
• Operational Strategy (branding package, accounting software, business coaching, and other types of support that would increase the viability of your business)  
• Physical Improvements (signage, awnings, painting facade, new shelving, new lighting)  
• Sustainability Upgrades (solar panels, rain garden adjacent to business, investing in reusable/compostable/recyclable packaging alternatives)  
• Technology Upgrades (building an online storefront, online ordering system, or other e-commerce platform) 
• Utilities (Note: Must not be more than $2000 or 20% of the requested funds) 

Contact the Town Planner at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us with any questions.

The hard plastic toppers/handles for 4-packs and 6-packs of craft beer cannot be recycled curbside or at the Durham Transfer Station. There are, however, options to keep these items out of the landfill. 

The following local businesses accept plastic toppers/handles which will be recycled and repurposed and given a third life as park benches, pots, and even new toppers/handles.

Chapel + Main Brewing 

83 Main Street

Dover, NH 03820

Stoneface Brewery

436 Shattuck Way

Newington NH 03801

Definitive Brewing Company - Kittery

381 US-1

Kittery ME 03904

For more drop-off locations, check out this link HERE.

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee

This DYK? tip was sent to us from resident Linda Stoxen 

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

The Linda Hollister Swap Shop will be opening for the season on Saturday, April 6, 2024! Durham Public Works and Swap Shop Volunteers would like to remind residents that the Raymond A. LaRoche Sr. Transfer Station (Transfer Station) and Recycling Center’s Swap Shop does not accept certain items. While we would like to keep reusable items out of the waste stream and the landfill, indoor storage space is limited, and other safety concerns must be considered. When entering the Transfer Station, it is mandatory to stop and check-in with one of the Attendants to review the items you wish to donate to the Swap Shop. The Attendant(s) will evaluate each item(s) based on the criteria below to determine if it will be accepted. A bulky waste coupon may be required in situations where the item(s) is not accepted.

Residents are encouraged to discuss other options for donating their goods with the attendants and Swap Shop Volunteers. A reminder that users of the Swap Shop are encouraged to remain at the facility for no longer than thirty minutes during any one visit to allow other residents an opportunity to view and take items. The following is a list of items that are not accepted at the Swap Shop:

• Dirty, moldy or stained items. Stained fabrics may go into the Ecosmith Textile Recycling bin.
• Broken, non-functioning or items missing pieces (a chair without a leg, desk without a drawer or drawer knobs, etc..)
• Boxes full of unsorted items (unless approved by a Transfer Station Attendant or Swap Shop Volunteer.)
• Upholstered furniture (mattresses, box springs, chairs, couches, headboards, pillows, etc.).
• Electronic items (all of which require an electronic coupon for disposal): (Refrigerators, Dehumidifiers, Air Conditioners, Other items containing a refrigerant, Televisions and Computer Monitors)
• Construction materials of any kind (wood, shingles, sheetrock, insulation, etc.)
• Concrete, bricks, stone, solid fill.
• Appliances larger than a microwave (appliances containing refrigerant that have an electronic coupon will be considered for donation).
• Hazardous Materials or Chemicals (oils, gas, diesel, kerosene, propane, oxygen, mercury containing items, etc.)
• Food, beverages, cosmetics
• Textbooks, dated manuals, reference books (can be recycled using the Discover Books bin)
• Skies, ski boots, snow boards
• Child safety equipment (car seats, helmets)
• Weapons
• Broken glass (including glass from picture frames)
• Clothing and shoes (Use the Salvation Army bin for clothing and shoes in good condition. The Ecosmith bins for these and any stained bedding, towels, fabric stuffed animals, etc.)

LAND STEWARDSHIP COORDINATOR, SARA CALLAGHAN'S PROGRESS AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY

--Supported the Stewarding Our Lands Working Group efforts to create a spreadsheet that provides an overview of stewardship goals and needs, current management activities, and existing improvements for each property and an estimate of their associated maintenance or replacement costs.

--Continued to assist the Trustees of Trust Funds in updating the Forest Management Plan, including meeting with Kyle Pimento from the Strafford Regional Planning Commission about receiving funds through the Coastal Watersheds Program to incorporate climate resiliency into the plan.

--Communicated with Rockingham County Conservation District about the follow-up treatment of invasive species, most notably buckthorn, at Doe Farm.

--Attended Land Stewardship Subcommittee, Stewarding Our Lands and Trustees for Trust Funds meetings.

--Presented information to the Parks and Recreation Committee about the volunteer trail stewards program and land stewardship efforts associated with trail maintenance on Town Conservation Areas.

--Met with several Town employees and committee members to discuss land stewardship goals and projects and opportunities to collaborate, including Michael Behrendt, Rich Reine, and Erin Hale.

--Met with Steve Lutterman to get assistance in navigating the Town’s GIS system, improving efforts using GIS to document and communicate stewardship issues and discussing a timeline and plan for creating new maps at Jackson Landing.

--Completed a site walk with trail steward and Land Stewardship Subcommittee Chair, Ann Welsh, at Jackson Landing to review property boundaries and trail condition.

--Completed a site walk at Longmarsh Preserve to verify trail steward reports of down trees to communicate chainsaw work needed to Rich Reine, collect trail counter data and evaluate the success of recent trail re-routes.

On March 7 Officer Micheal Nicolosi and Sergeant Carrington Cazeau conducted an Active Shooter and Emergency Response seminar for 30 supervisors and managers of Riverwoods Durham. The following topics were discussed.

• The importance of preparing for an active attack event.
• Overview of active attack events at assisted living centers.
• Overview of the RiverWoods policies and how they coincide with the information taught during the presentation.
• How to respond efficiently to active attack events to increase the survivability of inhabitants inside the building.
• Psychological and physiological effects of stress and how to reduce it to make better decisions.
• When to call 911 and what a typical police response will look like.

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 #11

NEVER HIDE IN CLOSETS OR UNDER THE BED DURING A FIRE.

Tell your kids to make as much noise as possible and not to be afraid of how a firefighter is dressed. The more noise that is made, the easier it is for firefighters to find you. Remember we do not live in your house. We do not know the layout. 

For a helpful tip, click HERE.

OYSTER RIVER SCHOOLS NEWS

Election Day Results

On Tuesday, March 12, the Towns of Durham, Lee, and Madbury voted in support of the Oyster River Cooperative School District budget.

Oyster River High School: Little Women

Presented at the Oyster River High School Auditorium March 22-23, 2024. Tickets are available for purchase here.

Save the Date: April 11, 2024, Community Dinner

The ORCSD Sustainability Committee will be hosting a community dinner on April 11, 2024, at the Oyster River High School. The dinner will be followed by a musical performance of Mast Way students in the auditorium. Additional details will be made available in the coming weeks.

Oyster River High School Students Exhibit at DPL

Eighteen Oyster River High School students were honored at the Scholastic Art Award of New Hampshire ceremony on February 11, 2024. Their artwork, along with the artwork of other Oyster River High School students, will be on display at the Durham Public Library (DPL) until the end of March.

UNH MACFARLANE RESEARCH GREENHOUSES OPEN HOUSE BEING HELD APRIL 6 FROM 9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.

The New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station (NHAES) is hosting its Macfarlane Research Greenhouses Open House on Saturday, April 6, from 9:00 a.m. – 3 p.m. This longtime annual event—which is free and open to the public—highlights the research and work of NHAES scientists and UNH Extension education specialists.

Guests can explore the various compartments of the Macfarlane Research Greenhouses and learn about some of the research taking place in each, explore and discover how a research greenhouse operates, and meet the researchers working at the facility and the staff who operate it. Additionally, the Open House will feature speakers and a tour of the UNH teaching plant high tunnels. 

Schedule of Events:

9 a.m. – Macfarlane Research Greenhouses Open House begins.

11 a.m. – UNH Extension presentation: Climate Resilient Gardens: Gardening for Extreme Weather Conditions with Sean O’Brien and Steph Sosinski from UNH Extension’s Home Horticulture Program

11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Lunch provided from the Gather food pantry. Lunches available to all, but donations encouraged.

12 p.m. – Guided tour: Growing Food for Campus: Discovering UNH’s Teaching High Tunnels led by Susan Soucy, UNH Horticultural Program Coordinator. Transportation will be provided to the high tunnels (located across from the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center), however, guests are welcome to also drive themselves.

1 p.m. – NHAES presentation: Grow Your Food Year-Round: Leveraging Indoor Food Production Systems for a Bountiful Annual Harvest with Md Sazan Rahman, assistant professor of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems

2 p.m. – NHAES presentation: Growing Sweet potatoes in the North: How to Succeed with These Delicious Roots with Becky Sideman, chair of COLSA’s Agriculture, Nutrition and Food Systems department; professor of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems

The Macfarlane Research Greenhouses offers a controlled environment for a diversity of agricultural and floricultural research projects that includes ornamental and food crop breeding, sustainable ornamental plant nutrition and development, aquaculture, biological pest control, bioremediation and plant genetic diversity. The greenhouse environments are monitored and precisely regulated through a computer-based control system that creates a sustainable growing environment through the conservation of heat, electricity, water and fertilizer, and increased plant resistance to insect pests and diseases.