Friday Updates - May 12, 2023

Friday, May 12, 2023

This week's dandelion field photo comes from Dent, England courtesy of Town Council Chair Sally Needell who spent this past week on a walking tour in the area.

A reminder that Sunday is Mother's Day!

At it's upcoming meeting on May 15th, the Town Council will continue to discuss goal development, receive a presentation on the recently completed skating season at Churchill Rink, review a proposal to install energy efficient LED lighting at Churchill Rink, hold a first reading on designating Dame Road as a scenic road in response to a request from residents, review a contract to study Durham/UNH wastewater capacity west of the RR tracks from Main Street, and more. To see the Council agenda and packet, please click HERE.

DURHAM PLANNING BOARD HAPPENINGS - Looking for residents to join the board as alternates (a great way to learn the ropes and participate in local town government!)

On Wednesday, the Planning Board approved a conditional use application for a driveway and utilities to cross a wetland and wetland buffer for a new house on Longmarsh Road, continued its review of the zoning definitions, and reappointed Paul Rasmussen as board chair and Heather Grant as board vice chair. 

The board also discussed its goals for the next twelve months which include continuing its comprehensive review of the Zoning Ordinance pursuant to the adopted Master Plan, having a new draft for the Subdivision Regulations, seeing completion of several approved development projects, adopting the Climate Action Master Plan, continuing work related to housing in coordination with the Housing Task Force, and continuing coordination with UNH about the proposed West Edge project.

We currently have several vacancies for alternate members of the Planning Board. For more information, please contact Planner Michael Behrendt at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us.

Superintendent James Morse and the Oyster River Cooperative School District are pleased to announce that the Oyster River School Board has been named School Board of the Year by the New Hampshire School Boards Association (NHSBA). 

The NHSBA School Board of Excellence Award acknowledges the leadership, teamwork and effectiveness of school boards, and provides an opportunity for the chosen board to share its expertise with others throughout the State. School boards can be nominated for the award by their local members, administrators, or constituents.

To read the full press release, please click HERE.

The Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s office is happy to announce that Durham’s 2023 Top Dog is Gracie Anderson (owner Amanda).  

Gracie, an American English Coonhound, is five months old and a new resident of Durham, having moved here from Massachusetts to join another Northeast Coonhound Rescue alumna, Rose the foxhound. Gracie was among nine siblings born to a dog being fostered before they discovered how truly pregnant she was! If you remember the coonhound puppies featured on WMUR-Gracie was one of them.

Gracie is currently getting settled in and adjusting to longer walks and is enjoying meeting new friends around the neighborhood and at Great Bay Doggie Daycare. Gracie and Amanda will receive a donated gift basket of dog treats and toys. 

Congratulations to Ms. Gracie!  

The Tideline Public House at 15 Newmarket Road received their beer and wine license from the New Hampshire liquor commission on Wednesday, food and beverages rolled on site Thursday, and there began a LIMITED OPENING (food trucks, elevated bar snacks from the Tideline kitchen, Salt Shed, and outdoor seating and patio areas) on Friday, May 12, at 11am.

Main building Tap Rooms and Mercantile to follow in about 10-14 days.

Hours of operation will be Wednesday through Monday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The owners want to thank the Durham community for everyone's help in making the project become a reality!

Americans have a love affair with lawns⁠ — maintaining roughly 40 million acres (2% of land in the USA). As the largest irrigated crop that is grown in the USA, lawns require frequent mowing, raking, fertilizing, weeding, chemical treatment, and watering⁠—sucking up time, money, and other resources. Not only are lawns often burdensome to maintain, manicured lawns provide little positive benefit to pollinators and songbirds. The traditional monoculture lawn lacks floral resources for beneficial pollinators. In addition, lawns that are treated with pesticides can be harmful to honeybees, bumble bees, and butterflies.

The Durham Agricultural Commission and the Durham Land Use Subcommittee support the the “No Mow May” initiative in conjunction with Durham being a Bee City USA community. 

There are several ways to practice “No Mow May”: 1) initially mow at the maximum height of your lawn mower, 2) reduce the frequency of mowing, 3) avoid mowing in areas where wildflowers (especially dandelions!) are present, and 4) allow the lawn to become a more diverse and natural landscape of grass and wildflowers.

By purposely leaving your lawn unmown during May (or at least mowed less often), you will be creating a habitat that is beneficial for both insect pollinators and songbirds. 

To learn more, click HERE. 

Have you visited any of the Oyster River Greenway’s three properties - Milne Nature Sanctuary, Mill Pond Park, and Town Landing? If so, please help the Land Stewardship Subcommittee learn more about your experiences by completing a short questionnaire which you can find by clicking HERE.

DID YOU KNOW? - Staples has recycling options!

Staples stores recycle many household items. Below please find a partial list of items Staples accepts in-store as a free service. You can even earn rewards for recycling these items. 

Tech:

• Gaming consoles/controllers
• Hard drives
• Headphones and earbuds
• Computers/Laptops
• DVD players and discs
• Monitors (CRT, LED / LCD, plasma)
• Phones

Printer Cartridges

• Ink cartridges
• Toner cartridges

Batteries

• Single-use alkaline (!)
• Non-rechargeable lithium

Writing Tools

• Pens and markers 
• Mechanical pencils

Staples also offers recycling kits that you can pack and ship. To learn about the kits, the MANY other items Staples accepts for recycling in-store, and the items they do not accept, please check HERE.

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee

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

SCAM ALERT #1 - A Durham senior was duped out of more than $20,000 this past week.

This week a Durham citizen was scammed out of a large amount of money in excess of $20,000.00. The Durham Police Department asks that residents always remain vigilant and if residents suspect that any email or contact received is fraudulent, do not respond. Residents can always contact the police department to help verify any suspicious interaction or email received.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in 2021, over 92,000 victims over the age of 60 reported losses of $1.7 billion and that number increased in 2022. In 2023, area police agencies are reporting even more increased scam activity. Although many scammers prey on the elderly, it is a crime that impacts all ages.

Many of the scams all start off the same. For example, one type of scam follows this familiar pattern: “Your grandson or granddaughter was in an accident and is in jail. They need your help.” The caller goes on to identify (usually accurately) the name of your actual grandchild and says they are in a local jail. They may provide a phone number to an attorney or public defender and say that without sending cash, they will be in real trouble. 

If you get a call similar to this, here are some tips:

• Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story sounds.
• Take time to verify the information being given to you. You can always call the Durham Police Department to assist you. We have the ability to verify if someone is arrested and in custody, even in another jurisdiction. 
• Collect as much information as possible about the person asking for the money.
• Call a verified phone number for the person who says they are in jail. Talk to your friends and family about the situation before acting on anything. 
• NEVER wire money, send a check or money order, or agree to have someone come to your house to collect cash. If a legitimate arrest has been made, no law enforcement agency in New Hampshire would ever do this. You would be required to come to a police station or jail facility to bail a person out.
• Try to obtain as much information about the person calling you as possible. The telephone number they are calling from (if you have caller ID), a telephone number you can call them back at, their name, an address they would want the money sent to.
• Contact the Durham Police Department immediately. 

Do not become the victim of a scam. If something seems odd or not true, it likely is. Never hesitate to hang up and contact the police, we are here to assist you in determining if this is a real event or likely a scam!

SCAM ALERT #2 - A Durham youth was targeted this past week for extortion due to nude photographs sent on line.

Be aware that there is an online exploitation crime directed toward youth in which money is demanded from the victim. These crimes originate when someone begins messaging (typically on social media application platforms), with users they have never met or talked to before. 

After a brief conversation, the victim sends nude photographs of themself. Once the unknown user has possession of the photographs, they threaten to expose the embarrassing photos to the victims friends and family, if the victim does not pay or send them money. Many teens and young adults become panicked and try to resolve the issue by sending whatever money they can. However, the scam doesn’t end. More money is requested and threats increase. 

If it happens, there is help! 

As part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, the Durham Police participated in messaging aimed at teens and young adults for Safer Internet Day, which occurred on Tuesday. The Durham Police, as part of a nationwide trend, have seen an unfortunate uptick in these cases. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has set up a task force to deal with this crime, however many of the investigative leads end in Nigeria, where there is little to no help with bringing those responsible to justice. There are numerous online resources available if you have questions regarding this unfortunate trend. 

If you have a teen or young adult in your life, it is an important topic to talk about!

MAY IS BUILDING SAFETY MONTH! - Prepare your home for a disaster.

The International Code Council (ICC) has declared the month of May as Building Safety Month. Each week in May there will be a topic in Friday Updates on Building Safety for both individuals and communities. This week's topic is Prepare Your Community. This week of Building Safety Month 2023 focuses on how to protect your home and your community from disaster.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), one of the most cost-effective ways to safeguard our citizens and our communities against disasters is to adopt and follow hazard-resistant building codes. When adopted and enforced, building codes can save lives, save billions of dollars and protect property for generations to come. Here are a few facts to consider:

• Since 1980, the average number of billion-dollar disasters has been six per year, but from 2016 to 2018, the number jumped to 15 per year.
• A staggering 65 percent of counties, cities and towns across the U.S. have not adopted modern building codes.
• Only 27 percent of hazard-prone jurisdictions in the U.S. adopted the latest two editions of hazard-resistant building codes.
• The I-Codes could help communities avoid $132 billion to $171 billion in cumulative losses through 2040.
• If all new buildings across the U.S. were built to modern editions of the I-Codes, the country would save more than $600 billion by 2060.

Click HERE to learn more.

From May 3rd to May 6th, Problem Oriented Police Officer Emily Festa attended the inaugural Professionalizing Law Enforcement–Community Engagement Training (PLECET) Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. 

The conference featured a group of instructors, speakers, presenters, community leaders, scholars, researchers, and community engagement practitioners with proven successes.

The conference focused on best community outreach practices and resources through multiple classes and discussions including Community Outreach Before, During, and After a Crisis and Harnessing the Power of Community-Police Partnership. The conference additionally created a forum for networking with other law enforcement professionals working in similar roles across the nation. 

On Monday, May 8, 2023, Durham Police participated in an end of semester celebration for UNH commuter students located in UNH A-Lot. The celebration, hosted by the Department of Off-Campus Engagement & Fraternity and Sorority Life, provided coffee and handouts from various UNH groups such as Housing, Athletics, and several of Durham’s landlords and large apartment complexes. 500 free coffees were distributed to students from 7:30 AM until the last coffee was served at 2:10 PM. It was a great event for all.

DURHAM POLICE CONDUCT VENDER ALCOHOL/VAPING COMPLIANCE CHECKS – All six establishments in town properly refused to sell to underage buyers.

On Wednesday, May 8th, 2023, the Durham Police Department, in conjunction with the New Hampshire Liquor Commission Law Enforcement Division, conducted a tobacco and vaping compliance check at all vendors who are licensed to sell such products in Durham. An underage volunteer, trained by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission to perform compliance checks, attempted to purchase tobacco and/or vaping products from six locations in Durham that are licensed to sell such products. All six establishments refused to sell to the underage buyer, identifying that she was under the age of 21. No establishments failed this compliance check. 

Assistant Chief Randall Trull and Firefighters Barry LaVigne, Devon Skerry, and Robert Rosselli, recently attended the Fire Department Instructors’ Conference (FDIC) International 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. FDIC International is an annual event attended by fire and rescue professionals from around the world. Participants attend classes and workshops taught by quality world-class instructors and have many opportunities to enhance their skills by learning about the latest technology and techniques with hands-on training. FDIC’s show floor features live demonstrations, competitions, and challenges with more than 800 exhibitors showcasing innovative products and services.

More than 34,000 industry professionals from around the world attended FDIC International 2023, giving attendees the opportunity to develop stronger industry relationships, learn from other departments, and bring back new insights, knowledge, and skills to their departments. 

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 #19

Well Kids, Smokey has been giving good tips to you for the last few weeks This week Smokey is going to help parents or guardians with a tip. Since its spring-cleaning time, here are some helpful household cleaning tips for smoke detectors.   Click HERE for more information. 

The Town of Durham is accepting applications to fill an open vacancy and to create a hiring eligibility list for the position of Firefighter/AEMT. The hiring eligibility list may be active for up to eighteen months.

The full position posting and Town of Durham application may be found on the Town’s website HERE or click on the QR code above.

Application deadline is Friday, May 12, 2023, at 5:00 pm. Position to remain open until filled.  

EMPLOYMENT POSITION OPEN FOR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT IN THE PLANNING/ZONING/ASSESSING OFFICE

The Town of Durham, NH is accepting applications for the position of Administrative Assistant to the Planning/Zoning, Building, and Assessing Offices. This is a full-time, 40-hour per week position, with good pay and benefits, starting as soon as possible.

The Administrative Assistant is responsible for processing building permits; scheduling appointments and meetings; placing notices for public hearings; assisting residents, builders, developers, businesses, and board members; maintaining records, and generally ensuring the smooth operation of the department. For a full job description click HERE.

An Associates degree and three to five years of experience in a comparable administrative capacity, or an appropriate combination of education and experience, is required. The successful candidate will have strong computer, organizational and customer-service skills, and be able to multi-task and prioritize multiple projects. They will find the work engaging and challenging with new issues continually presenting themselves. We support career growth, continuing education, and participation in professional associations. 

The Town of Durham prides itself on being an outstanding place to work. The Town boards and the Town Council are excellent and appreciate the efforts of the staff. Our workplace culture is open, friendly, and supportive. 

Please mail resumes with references and cover letters to the Town of Durham, Attn: Karen Edwards, 8 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH 03824 or email them to kedwards@ci.durham.nh.us. Position open until filled. Therefore, a prompt reply is encouraged.  

ORHS STUDENT MAGAZINE HONORED BY NEW HAMPSHIRE PRESS ASSOCIATION

The Oyster River High School Student Magazine, Mouth of the River, earned second place honors in the New Hampshire Press Association (NHPA) Distinguished Journalism Contest. The NHPA held its inaugural Student Awards Luncheon and Workshop on April 14 at the University of New Hampshire Memorial Union Building, with more than 50 students from six high schools and two colleges attending.

Mouth of the River, which is produced entirely by students with no editorial input from district staff or administration, earned second-place honors, but was still described by judges as “the gold standard for high school reporting in the state.” To read the full press release, please click HERE.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - DISMISSAL TIMES AT ORCSD

The last day of classes for the Oyster River Cooperative School District for the 2022/23 school year will be Friday, June 16. Please note the following early dismissal times:

• Oyster River Middle and High Schools will be dismissed at 12:00 pm
• Moharimet and Mast Way Schools will be dismissed at 12:35 pm 

On June 16, students will be served lunch at school and buses will provide service to their usual routes. As a reminder, Friday, May 26, previously a teacher workshop day, is now a regular school day. This decision was made by the School Board with the students and staff’s best interests in mind and to stabilize the calendar due to the large number of snow days that were experienced this winter. 

Oyster River students and staff have created hand-made bowls to donate to an upcoming fundraiser. On May 17, guests will choose a bowl and enjoy ice cream during the event. They keep the bowl as a reminder that there are always people with empty bowls in the world. In exchange for ice cream and the bowl, the guest contributes a donation.

Proceeds from the event will support End 68 Hours of Hunger, a public not-for-profit effort to confront the approximately 68 hours of hunger that some school children experience between the free lunch they receive at school on Friday afternoon and the free breakfast they receive at school on Monday morning. Hersheys and Shain's of Maine are donating the ice cream for the event.

The same evening, the 7th & 8th grade students will be hosting the first ever art exhibition of their own art in the middle school (hence the "grand opening").

ORHS MUSIC CONCERT MAY 24, 6 - 7:30 PM

Support the Oyster River High School band, string orchestra, and chorus students at the Oyster River Middle School Concert Hall.

When: Wednesday, May 24, 6:00 - 7:30 pm| Where: Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824) 

HERRING AID 2023 IS COMING RIGHT UP ON SATURDAY, MAY 20TH