Friday Updates - March 6, 2020

Friday, March 6, 2020

Biscuit likes Bonnie.  Courtesy Mark Houle

DEPUTY TOWN CLERK-TAX COLLECTOR PRESENTED WITH A CHALLENGE COIN

This morning, resident and retired Army Colonel, Hunt Kerrigan, presented Deputy Town Clerk-Tax Collector Rachel Deane with a challenge coin for providing outstanding customer service.

According to Wikipedia, "A challenge coin may be a small coin or medallion, bearing an organization’s insignia or emblem and carried by the organization’s members. Traditionally, they might be given to prove membership when challenged and to enhance morale. In addition, they are also collected by service members and law enforcement personnel. Modern challenge coins are made in a variety of sizes and are often made using popular culture references to include superheroes and other well known characters in a way that creates a parody. Historically, challenge coins were presented by unit commanders in recognition of special achievement by a member of the unit. They are also exchanged in recognition of visits to an organization. Modern day challenge coins feature popular culture attributes."

2020 MARCH TOWN ELECTION – ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE

Durham residents that cannot attend the town election on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 may still vote absentee. Registered voters must complete an absentee ballot application in order to receive an absentee ballot. Please visit or call the Town Clerk’s Office at 603-868-5577 for more information.

FROM THE SUPERVISORS OF THE CHECKLIST

The Durham Supervisors of the Checklist will meet at the Durham Town Hall on Saturday February 29, 2020, from 3:30 – 4:00 PM to make corrections to the checklist and to accept new voter registrations.  Changes in party registration CAN be made at this time.  June 2 will be the last day party changes can be made until after the September 8 State Primary.

Prospective voters will be asked to show proofs of Identity, Age (18 by March 10), Domicile/residence in Durham, and U.S. Citizenship.  A driver’s license and a birth certificate or passport are useful.  Affidavits may be signed under oath if any proofs are lacking.

The Checklist for the Town Election may not be completely updated with party changes and new addresses.  Every attempt is being made to make sure parties are correct by the time the checklist has to be printed, but address changes take many, many hours after a large election.  Our limits are truly being tested with only 3 ½ weeks between the Primary and printing of the new checklist. 

Entrance to Merrick Woods off Bagdad Road. Courtesy Todd Selig

WHEN CALIFORNIA’S HOUSING CRISIS SLAMMED INTO A WEALTHY SUBURB, ONE PUBLIC SERVANT BECAME A CONVERT TO A RADICALLY SIMPLE DOCTRINE - Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build

Durham resident Walter Rous passed along an article from the NY Times written by Conor Dougherty from Feb. 13, 2020, which Planning Director Michael Behrendt shared with members of the Planning Board and Mr. Selig. As we embark locally upon a conversation around affordable housing, residents in Durham might find this article of general interest.

From the article...

"The City Council of Lafayette, Calif., met the public two Mondays a month, and Steve Falk liked to sit off by himself, near the fire exit of the auditorium, so that he could observe from the widest possible vantage. Trim, with a graying buzz cut, Mr. Falk was the city manager — basically the chief executive — of Lafayette, a wealthy suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area that is notoriously antagonistic to development.

With a population of just 25,000, Lafayette was wealthy because it was a small town next to a big town, and it maintained its status by keeping the big town out. Locals tended to react to new building projects with suspicion or even hostility, and over a series of Mondays in 2012 and 2013, Mr. Falk took his usual spot by the fire exit to watch several dozen of his fellow Lafayetters absolutely lose their minds."

Read the full article HERE.

CHARRETTE ON WORKFORCE HOUSING COMING TO DURHAM

Durham resident, planning board member, EDC member, and Executive Director of the Workforce Housing Coalition of the Seacoast is excited to be back on the University of New Hampshire campus this semester working with Mary Friedman, program coordinator and principle lecturer in the Community and Environmental Planning program.

The Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast is working in Durham this semester with students taking CEP 777: Advanced Topics in Planning. Students studying Community and Environmental Planning, Environmental and Resource Economics, and Environmental Conservation and Sustainability will use the Coalition's charrette process to consider how the Town of Durham can expand housing supply, diversity, and affordability. 

This project is already underway with students tackling the basics of workforce housing; collecting quantitative data; building a foundation of knowledge of Durham's current housing stock; and looking at case studies and various examples in New Hampshire and beyond. Next, the students will focus on the qualitative data, collecting feedback and insights from Durham residents and local leaders. The students will analyze the results of a survey conducted by the Workforce Housing Coalition last year, and conduct key informant interviews. Later in the spring, the students will use this information to inform their recommendations for regulatory change and create a library of design ideas. 

At the end of the semester, the students will have finished a report with a summary of qualitative and quantitative data (including feedback from stakeholders); a library of design ideas and a story map, outlining possible locations for future development/infill; and a set of recommendations for actionable next steps. All of this work will inform the new Housing Committee, the Planning Board, Zoning Board, Town Council, and Economic Development Committee moving forward. The students will present their findings at the May 13th Planning Board meeting at 7 PM. 

Stay tuned for more information.

SCHOOL BOARD NEWS - MARCH 2020

Oyster River School District elections are March 10 in Durham, Lee, and Madbury. Voters will decide on the proposed new middle school, 2020-2021 budget, teachers' guild contract, 2 school board members, and moderator. Please vote!

A Zero Waste Community Supper will be held April 22, sponsored by the ORHS Sustainability Club, ORCSD Sustainability Committee, Lee Sustainability Committee, and Oyster River Child Nutrition Department. Mark your calendars!

Candidates for Principal of Mast Way School will meet members of the public between 4:00 and 6:00 pm on Monday, March 9, in the Mast Way gym. This is an opportunity for all to ask questions of the candidates and provide input to the selection committee. 

The School District has been in frequent contact with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education regarding recommendations and response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), and is following latest CDC and State guidance. Special thanks to the Facilities, Transportation, and Child Nutrition departments, which have stepped up disinfection and cleaning procedures. 

Resident Beth Olshansky at the March 2nd Town Council meeting. Addressing outgoing Councilor Carden Welsh, Beth said that she could always count on him for his thoughtful consideration of all issues, looking at many different angles, and asking tough questions, which she appreciated. She said she was also in awe of his enduring patience while watching some of the slow and windy legislative processes move forward. Beth concluded by saying that Councilor Welsh had set a high standard and thanked him for all that he has given to the town. Courtesy Todd Selig

DURHAM-GREAT BAY ROTARY NO LONGER ABLE TO ORGANIZE DURHAM’S JULY 4TH FIREWORKS CELEBRATION – Citing financial and horse-related challenge.

The Town has received formal notification this week that the Durham-Great Bay Rotary is no longer able to organize the annual fireworks celebration.  Rotary had stopped hosting the event many years ago due to the club not being able to cover the cost of the event.  For the last two years, Durham-Great Bay Rotary organized the event once more and worked very hard to get donations to cover the costs and provide this wonderful community event.  While Rotary received many generous donations from businesses and families in and around Durham, unfortunately, the club was unable to fully cover the cost of the event and members had to cover the cost, which the club simply cannot sustain.  

In addition, apart from the inability to attract and event underwriter, for the last two years Durham-Great Bay Rotary has received complaints from the UNH Horse Barns.  Rotary received a communication two years ago from a concerned horse owner accusing the club of “cruel and inhumane torturing of animals.”  The club members were horrified at this accusation because in all of the past years of Rotary hosting fireworks at the site, this had apparently not come up.  Durham Great-Bay Rotary contacted the UNH Veterinarian responsible for the UNH Horse Barns and developed a “Horse Protocol” in conjunction with him.  Despite Rotary’s best efforts there were apparently still concerns at the UNH Horse Barns after the second year.

With these challenges, the club has decided due to funding limitations and horse-related issues regretfully it will not host the July 4th fireworks in 2020.  Rotary indicates it is saddened the club will not be able to continue this tradition but is looking into having other events that are more sustainable and have an impact upon the community.  

A thank you is extended to Durham-Great Bay Rotary for all of the club’s significant efforts as part of this event in Durham.  It has been greatly appreciated.

PUBLIC MEETING OF THE STRAFFORD COUNTY DELEGATION

A Public Meeting of the Strafford County Delegation is scheduled to be held Wednesday, March 11, 2020, 7:00 p.m. (Snow Date: Saturday, March 14, 2020, 9:00 a.m.) in Superior Courtroom II, second floor of the William A. Grimes Justice and Administration Building, County Farm Road, Dover, New Hampshire, to conduct the following business: 

• Receive Recommendations of the Delegation Executive Committee on Commissioners’ 2020 Proposed Budget
• Vote on Acceptance of the Strafford County 2020 Budget
• Receive & Vote on Recommendation of Policy & Procedures Subcommittee for 2021-2022 
• Elected Officials Salaries
• Approve Minutes of January 22, 2020 Public Hearing
• Any other business which may legally come up at that time

Into the woods at Merrick Woods. Courtesy Todd Selig

BENNETT ROAD RR BRIDGE TO BE RESURFACED BY NHDOT BEGINNING WEEK OF MARCH 23, 2020.  

I heard back from Pan Am this morning. They cannot accommodate our bridge work the week of 3/16, but they were able to schedule us the following week (Monday 3/23/20). We are planning on beginning on 3/23/20 with the daily closures from 8am to 3pm, M-F. If you have any concerns or comments feel free to contact me. Thanks,

The NHDOT Bureau of Bridge Maintenance is planning to replace the timber deck on bridge Durham 093/080 (Bennett Rd over PAR). The bridge is a timber bridge with concrete/masonry abutments over the Pan Am Railway. NHDOT IS only anticipating replacing the 3”x 8” timber deck planks. This bridge has been “red listed” by the NHDOT due to the deterioration of the deck planks.

To perform the work NDHOT will close the bridge between the hours of 0800 and 1500 on weekdays beginning March 23rd for around 11 days. Closing the road will allow NHDOT to complete the work significantly faster and cheaper. NHDOT will provide all necessary signage to complete the work and close the road. NHDOT will utilize variable message boards at the NH 108/Bennett Rd and Bennett Rd/Packer Falls Rd intersections a week in advance of the work advertising the closure hours. NHDOT will also put out a press release in advance of the work.

NHDOT is coordinating directly with Pan Am, which owns the RR line and coordinates flagging along the RR tracks.  

View of Riverwoods from the Merrick Woods. Courtesy Todd Selig

Downed trees in the Merrick Woods prior to last week’s rain. Courtesy Todd Selig

THE MILL POND

We received an email from resident Robin Mower with a suggested "Friday Updates" item. Her email reads:

"I recently came across the below piece by Margery Milne and thought that the Friday Updates would be a way of sharing anew her observations of life at the Mill Pond that ground us in Durham, but more importantly her closing quote that urges us to be mindful of fragility among us."

REPORT ON THE DURHAM SWANS, Durham 1987 Town Report

For the Durham Swans survival is the name of the game. Once again they continued their pattern of flying free from the iced fresh waters of the millpond in November to the open waters of the sea in Portsmouth. In February they returned to Durham to tackle family life in the same nesting site in the millpond. But they were flooded out of their nest with storms aplenty and high water levels. Bravely Lorus J. Milne went out to the nest and environs to search for eggs or cygnets. None were in sight. They could have been washed away. The swans will have a chance to try again, unlike your faithful swankeeper Lorus J. Milne. In his reverence for life he enjoyed the comings and goings of the swans, and their companions the assorted ducks, the mallards, mergansers, buffleheads, and the black-crowned night and white herons and the occasional coot and cormorants enjoying the fish. The sounds of the bullfrogs and green frogs that kept company with the swans and painted turtles and domineering snapping turtles were and still are a delight to observe. Of course, the swallows and bats and hooting owls on a summer night are there with the swans and the blinking fireflies.

Our millpond is more than a swan sanctuary -- It is a place to make friends with people, plants and animals -- so we do as Ralph Waldo Emerson advised, "Show kindness to all life, for you never know how soon it will be too late."

Margery Milne, Keeper of the Swans  

As you know, a feasibility study is now under way that will help guide Town decisions on the future of the Mill Pond Dam.

STRAFFORD COUNTY FARM BUREAU 7TH ANNUAL BREAKFAST FUNDRAISER - Sunday, March 15, 2020

This event, co-sponsored by the Lee and Durham Agricultural Commissions, will be held from 7:30AM to 12:00 noon at the Jeremiah Smith Grange Hall, 1 Lee Hook Rd Lee NH. Proceeds benefit agricultural outreach and youth grant programs. Tickets $10/adult, $7/children 14 and under. Purchase tickets at the door. Call Matt Scruton, 941-4956, or Laura Gund, 659-2044, or Erick Sawtelle, 659-8106, for more information.