Friday Updates - May 27, 2022

Friday, May 27, 2022

Courtesy Todd Selig

MONDAY, MAY 30TH, IS MEMORIAL DAY

The origins of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, lie in the Civil War. Southern women laid claim to the custom of a day set aside to decorate the graves of the war dead. Union veterans laid claim to a specific date, May 30th, but it wasn't until after World War II that North and South were willing to observe Memorial Day on the same date.

If you are observing the weekend as most Americans do as the semi-official start of the summer vacation season, please pause occasionally to reflect on the meaning of the holiday.

Durham's annual Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony will begin at 10AM, Memorial Park, downtown Durham on Monday, May 30th.

Durham Parks & Recreation invites the Durham community to a Remembrance Ceremony at Memorial Park on Main Street to pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to serve and protect our country. The ceremony will begin at 10:00 am on Main Street with special guest speakers, musical tributes, laying of the wreath at Memorial Park, and more to honor and remember the military personnel that have died while serving our country.

Similar to the Memorial Day event organized last year, there will only be the Remembrance Ceremony at Memorial Park, without the parade prior to the gathering downtown. The Parks & Recreation Committee along with members from the community who help plan and organize this event believe that the ceremony downtown is the most fitting way to properly pay respect to those for which the day is intended.  

Please join us on Memorial Day to honor and remember.

"MENDED, NOT DISCARDED" (Evidence of Repair) - Catherine Michel

Catherine Michel, a new resident to Durham and artist, stopped into Town Hall this week with an American Flag she discovered that was in bad disrepair and had been discarded. In her description below, Ms. Michel writes about her process of repairing the flag:

"Most of the while was gone. Most of the blue had faded. Most of the red was torn to shreds.

The flag could have been respectfully burned or buried. To me, these felt like giving up; repair offered a better option.

I mended this flag using bits of old fabric I collected for their unique designs and beautiful patterns. Fabrics respected for their strengths and textures. Fabrics made by hand and machine for many uses. These now have become part of my mended flag.

My thoughts, while mending, turned to our nation. To me, the mending of 'my' flag came to symbolize the mending of 'my nation' ... one stitch, one patch, one embellishment at a time."

UNH SET TO WELCOME LARGEST INCOMING CLASS SINCE 2018- Representation among high-achieving, multicultural, and first-gen students looks strong.

According to an article in UNH Today last week, the University of New Hampshire will welcome its largest incoming undergraduate class since 2018 this fall, a class that represents significant increases in several key demographics, including high-achieving, multicultural and first-generation students.

The incoming class currently features a 15% increase in students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and a 39% increase in honors students over last year. It also includes 22% more multicultural students and 20% more first-generation students.

These statistics are for the Durham campus only. Official statistics representing the Durham class won’t be finalized until several weeks into the fall semester, so all numbers are subject to change. UNH indicates there are currently 3,041 deposited students.

Many of those students have chosen their home state’s flagship university, as the first-year class represents a substantial influx of New Hampshire students, with an increase of 4% over 2021 and a jump of more than 37% since 2020.

There will still be plenty of geographical diversity among first-year students. UNH indicates it continues to see growth in the mid-Atlantic region of the country, up more than 10% over last year and more than 67% over 2020. In all, 39 states and 18 countries are currently represented in the incoming group.

The average GPA of the class currently stands at 3.62, and it includes 390 honors students.

RECEPTION FOR RETIRING ADMIN. CLERK DONNA HAMEL ON MAY 31st

The Town of Durham’s Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s Office will host a reception to honor Donna Hamel on May 31, 2022 in the Town Hall, Council Chambers at 2:00 p.m. This event is open to the public.

After twenty-seven years of service, Donna will retire from her position as an Assistant Town Clerk/Administrative Assistant on May 31, 2022. The Town of Durham extends a sincere thank you and congratulations to Donna for the dedication, hard work, and outstanding service she has provided to the community over the past twenty-seven years. Light refreshments will be served.

Event: Donna Hamel Farewell Reception

Date: Tuesday, May, 31, 2022

Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Location: Town Hall, Council Chambers, 8 Newmarket Road, Durham, N.H. 03824

MESSAGE FROM ORCSD SUPERINTENDENT JAMES MORSE TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY FOLLOWING TUESDAY’S SCHOOL SHOOTING IN UVALDE, TEXAS

You will be receiving a communication from our counseling staff regarding the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. School shootings are more than tragic, and we all feel deeply for the families impacted by the loss of their children and for the school community who lost adults who dedicated their life to these children. I have received several emails regarding safety protocols in our schools that I will address below.

New Hampshire requires safety plans to be developed by each school with review by the Chief of Police in each town. The plans are submitted annually to the Department of Education. During April vacation, a tabletop exercise was held with law enforcement, fire personnel, and school officials to discuss ORCSD’s Emergency Operation Plans. Various scenarios were discussed amongst those who attended. This was designed to identify flaws, practice our emergency responses, and brainstorm additional ways to keep our students and staff safe. In addition, we annually practice shelter-in-place, lockdown, active shooter, and evacuation drills. These drills are not only meant for students and staff to protect themselves at school, but to protect themselves from situations, like the Las Vegas shootings, for the rest of their lives.

At our schools, there are numerous cameras that monitor entryways and help monitor the perimeter of the building. We are consistently updating our school security to include panic alarms and additional security cameras. Several years ago, we implemented procedures in which all doors are locked during the school day. Visitors would need to ring a doorbell, identify themselves, and state why they are visiting the school. Once inside the school, there are badges that visitors need to wear to identify who they are. 

We take the safety of your children and our staff seriously. We will continue to improve our systems, enact safety drills, and work on preventative measures to continue keeping everyone safe. It is unfortunate that people exist who are determined to cause harm to innocent persons. Nothing prepares us for senseless violence against children, but we will continue working diligently to keep ORCSD students and staff safe.

With grief and sadness

DID YOU KNOW? - Disposal of Different Types of Lids

Lids can be tricky when it comes to recycling.  With take-out items, here are some guidelines:

Plastic take-out food container lids

Recycle non-black take-out containers and/or lids only (e.g. clear; white; orange). Black plastic should be placed in the trash because it is missed by optical sorters at recycling sorting facilities and will either end up in the trash or contaminating other materials. Note: Please rinse or wipe clean all food residue before putting in recycling.

Clear plastic cup lids

Put this item in your trash bin.

Coffee cup lids

All of these types of lids, regardless of color, go in the trash.

Brought to you by the Integrated Waste Management Committee

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

LINDA H. HOLLISTER SWAP SHOP RULES

A Reminder For Residents - Durham Public Works and Swap Shop Volunteers would like to kindly remind residents to please limit their visits to 30 minutes or less due to high traffic volumes and limited parking availability. Additionally, minors under the age of 18 who visit the Swap Shop must be accompanied by a parent / legal guardian at all times. 

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE CHALLENGE | And the winner is … Durham!  

What an amazing, inspiring past few weeks! Thank you to Dover, Newmarket, and Durham for the partnership and commitment to spreading the word about and generating a lot of interest in the tri-town/city challenge blood drives. The Red Cross reports it had a great turn out at each drive and without further ado, the contest results were as follows…

• Newmarket took 3rd place at 92.6%
• Dover took 2nd with 92.9%
• Durham is taking home the title with 114%!

The true winners are the volunteer donors who selflessly rolled up their sleeves to give the gift of life. Thank you one and all! The Red Cross is interested in exploring the possibility of making this an annual event between Newmarket, Dover, and Durham when the timing is right.

MANY DEMANDS ON DURHAM PUBLIC WORKS – Complaint received regarding mowing in Town cemetery | Response.

This week, Admin. Selig received a letter of complaint from a visitor to the Town cemetery on Old Concord Road along with photographs of several-day old mowed grass and tufts of brown cut grass. It read in part as follows, “I do not think our cemetery should look like a hay field especially just before Memorial Day.” 

This is an instance where the many interests of the Town are unintentionally (yet with all of the best intentions) out of alignment.  

Because Durham cares about the environment and pollinators, we overtly opted to hold off on mowing many of our Town properties to allow pollinators access to spring flowers (including dandelions growing in grassy areas). In fact, we are working to observe “No Mow May” in Durham. This caused the grasses to grow long in May, not to mention perfect grass growing conditions over the last couple of weeks. The grasses at the Town Hall, for example, were probably 18 “ tall prior to mowing on Monday.

Yet in advance of Memorial Day, we wanted to ensure the Durham cemetery was mowed for citizens to access the grave sites to be able to pay respects and remember loved ones. So prior to the end of No Mow May, DPW did ultimately mow the cemetery in advance of Memorial Day Weekend – twice in fact last week, on Monday and Friday. The cemetery is scheduled to be mowed next this Friday. 

Durham also keeps a careful eye on our local operational expenses, which impacts our staffing and contracted services at DPW and impacts how frequently the department can address maintenance across all Town properties.  

Note as well that it is not easy to hire staff for many DPW summer positions these days – I believe we’ve only been able to hire two out of seven open summer positions to date. 18-year old local youth don’t seem to want to work outdoor DPW jobs as they used to years ago. As a result, we are contracting out mowing at the cemetery.  

While your concerns are both understood and appreciated, we are working to carefully balance many interests amid constrained resources.

Have a peaceful Memorial Day Weekend, and a good summer season to follow. Thank you again for taking the time to write.

TOWN CLERK-TAX COLLECTOR’S OFFICE WELCOMES NEW EMPLOYEE

The Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s Office is pleased to announce that Cheryl Hildreth has joined their team as the new Assistant Town Clerk-Tax Collector.  Cheryl has over nine years of municipal experience and served for over three years as the Deputy Town Clerk for the Town of Hampton.  Cheryl holds an Associates of Science degree in Accounting and Business Management and has completed one year of certification through the New Hampshire City & Town Clerk Association (NHCTCA).  Cheryl will take over for Donna Hamel who will retire on Monday, May 31, 2022.   

MILL PLAZA APPLICATION DENIED BY PLANNING BOARD

This past Wednesday, the Planning Board denied the application from Colonial Durham Associates for the redevelopment of Mill Plaza. The review is now closed. The application involved retaining the current building housing Hannaford’s grocery store and demolishing the rear building. Several new buildings would have been constructed with about 80,000 square feet of commercial floor area, dwellings for 258 residents, and a total of 372 parking spaces. The main component of the application, a conditional use for mixed-use with residential, failed to gain the required number of votes by the board, so the application had to be denied. The original application for preliminary review was submitted in September 2014. The review process was extraordinarily long and challenging for all parties. We will learn soon if the applicant files an appeal of the decision.

TOWN COUNCIL REFERS REVISED SOLAR ORDINANCE TO PLANNING BOARD

Last Monday, the Town Council voted unanimously to refer the Solar Ordinance to the Planning Board as a Council initiated zoning change.   Prior to the vote, the Council held a Public Hearing on the ordinance and the comments were positive after several changes were incorporated.   This is very different versus the draft from several years ago when the Council decided not to move a proposed solar ordinance to First Reading and a public hearing because of concerns expressed by many residents in the community. 

TRANSFER STATION CONTAINER FOR THE COLLECTION OF TORN AND TATTERED AMERICAN FLAGS

The town Transfer Station now has a container, provided by the VFW, for the collection of worn, tattered, and faded flags for proper and respectful disposal by the VFW or American Legion. The container is located at the attendant's shack and will allow residents a means to properly dispose of flags.

The U.S. Flag code states that, “the flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” Thus, when a flag is torn and tattered beyond repair, it’s time for it to be retired and replaced with a new flag.

SCRAP METAL RECYCLING – A Reminder From Durham Public Works

The Durham Public Works Department would like to remind residents that items disposed of in the scrap metal pile at the Raymond A. LaRoche, Sr. Transfer Station and Recycling Center must be free of all fluids, i.e. petroleum products used in internal combustion engines. The Transfer Station accepts used oil year round and gasoline/diesel/kerosene may be disposed of at the Durham Public Works Facility on Household Hazardous Waste Day in October.

PLANTING OF RED HORSE CHESTNUT TREE IN TOWN CEMETERY TO HONOR MILITARY VETERANS

The planting of a tree to honor the military veterans who are buried in the Town of Durham Ceremony was recently completed. The tree, a red horse chestnut (Aesculus carnea), has particular significance. On or about Memorial Day (30 May) clusters of red blossoms typically bloom. In the fall season, the nuts underneath the tree represent “fallen” soldiers. Ideally, these nuts will be gathered and commemorated on Veterans Day (11 November). At Arlington National Cemetery (near Washington, DC) there are at least three horse chestnut trees, including one that was recently planted near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

This project was accomplished as a joint effort by the Durham Cemetery Committee, Parks and Recreation, and Department of Public Works. That the project was only recently initiated and completed prior to the upcoming Durham 2022 Memorial Day Ceremony next Monday (30 May) is testament to the Town of Durham’s ability to get things done. Bravo Zulu! 

DURHAM RECEIVES $284,226 GRANT FROM CRITICAL FLOOD RISK INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM TO SUPPORT RESTORATION OF OYSTER RIVER THROUGH REMOVAL OF THE MILL POND DAM – The first of several grants the Town is pursuing for this purpose.

Durham has received notification from the NH Department of Environmental Services that by the Public Works Department submitting an application for a Critical Flood Risk Infrastructure Grant (CFRING), the community has taken an important step toward implementing a project that will enhance flood resilience and address stormwater management needs in New Hampshire and within the Oyster River. 

Thanks to funding available from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), DPW has been informed that Durham’s dam removal project was selected for partial funding up to $284,226, subject to recommendation to and approval by the Governor and Executive Council.  

The Critical Flood Risk Infrastructure Grant is one of several grant applications Durham is pursuing as the community works toward removal of the Mill Pond Dam on the Oyster River over the next couple of years. The $284,226 will cover a significant portion of the engineering/design cost for dam removal.  

Following a referendum vote of the Town on March 8th of this year, 74% of voters ultimately supported the Town Council decision to move forward with removal of the historic, head of tide Mill Pond Dam on the Oyster River.  

The windows in the MUB's Memorial Room were designed by UNH Art Professor John Hatch. Hatch taught at UNH from 1949 - 1985 and was best known as a painter of landscapes.

When plans were being made in the 1950’s for the construction of building and the Memorial Room, John Hatch was honored with the opportunity to design a tribute window. Having served in World War II in the Pacific campaign, he was a perfect choice. It was the only window Hatch ever made although he painted murals throughout the University and in other public buildings. Today, the windows are a revered piece of public art on the UNH campus.

ASSESSOR TO INSPECT PROPERTIES REQUIRING BUILDING PERMITS IN THE COMING WEEKS

It’s that time of year again when assessor, Jim Rice, will be inspecting all properties in Durham during March and April that have recently undergone new construction such as building new homes, additions, made renovations or have recently been demolished.   

If you have any questions, please contact the Assessing Department at (603) 868-8064. 

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT MAJOR COMPONENT UPGRADES

Following a request for qualifications advertisement, Durham Public Works has selected Environmental Partners Group to design the required rehabilitation and replacement of major components at the Town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) located on Piscataqua Road. The Town’s wastewater treatment plant went through a substantial process upgrade in the past five years when the secondary treatment system’s aeration basins were modified to the 4-Stage Bardenpho process. 

The wastewater process improvements have resulted in effective nitrogen removal and enabled the Town to meet their facility discharge permit without the need for additional nutrient removal upgrades. These improvements have allowed the Town to prioritize other facility rehabilitation and replacement needs, including recent WWTP odor control upgrades. 

Durham Public Works had a preliminary assessment completed in September 2021 which recommended rehabilitation of the facility’s primary and secondary clarifiers as well as completing concrete repairs for the underground pipe gallery tunnel, the retaining wall adjacent to the aeration basins and secondary clarifiers, and exterior surfaces of the control building. This assessment serves as the basis for design for this project and development of the project design scope. A recommendation for contract award is planned to be brought to the Town Council in the June/July timeframe.

SPRING BULKY WASTE CURBSIDE COLLECTION – Over 304,000 Pounds Collected!

The Durham Public Works Department’s Highway and Solid Waste Team’s completed the 2022 Spring Bulky Waste Curbside Collection this week. Over the last four weeks, both teams performed exceptionally well, individually handling over 304,000 pounds of bulky waste materials by hand. Department veterans are calling this one of the largest collections they have witnessed in their careers. 1,800 yd3 of material were transported to Waste Management’s Turnkey Landfill in Rochester, NH. 

NOTICE TO VOTERS – Declaration of Candidacy for the 2022 NH State Primary

The 2022 NH State Primary will be held on September 13, 2022 at Oyster River High School, 55 Coe Drive, Durham, N.H. 03824. The polls will be open from 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM. 

Declaration of candidacy filings may be received June 1st -- June 9th through the mail or hand-delivered. All filings received on the last day (June 10th) must be made in person by the candidate. Pursuant to RSA 652:20, the Durham Town Clerk’s office will be open on the last day of the filing period until 5:00 PM to accept filings in person by the candidate. Please call the Durham Town Clerk’s office at 603-868-5577 if you have any questions about the declaration of candidacy process. There are fees and forms that must be completed. Do not email declaration of candidacy forms.  

Declarations of Candidacy to be filed with the NH Secretary of State at 107 N. Main Street, State House, Room 204, Concord, NH 03301:

• GOVERNOR
• UNITED STATES SENATOR
• REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
• EXECUTIVE COUNCILOR
• STATE SENATOR
• COUNTY OFFICER

Declaration of Candidacy to be filed with the Town Clerk a 8 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH 03824:

• STATE REPRESENTATIVE
• DELEGATE TO THE REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION (ELECTION)

DELEGATION FROM AZERBAIJAN VISITS DURHAM

Earlier this month, in conjunction with Friends Forever International (based in Durham), a team of Azerbaijan think tank analysts met with Mr. Selig to discuss how local policies are set and implemented. The program in with the visitors were participating was intended to expose the delegates to current trends and technologies used in influencing public opinion, as well as combatting disinformation. The delegates visited parts of the USA to learn how policymaking works in the United States, including the role of government agencies, lobbyists, NGOs, opinion leaders, and traditional and social media. The program was intended to demonstrate how think tanks can directly affect local communities and generate grassroots activism, as well as how domestic political factors influence decisions about trade, border issues, immigration and refugee policies, and other issues of national importance.

ICONS OF DURHAM POSTER - IMAGE #5

The beautiful poster “Icons of Durham” created by Ellie Lonske is now available.  Just stop into the Town Clerk’s office to place an order.  Here is the rendering of Folsom’s Tavern.

Folsom’s Tavern / Odiorne Farm is a landmark along one of the state’s most historic transportation routes, the First New Hampshire Turnpike, now known as US Route 4 (located at the prominent site at the juncture with Back River Road).  The tavern served travelers on the newly built turnpike at the north end of the Piscataqua Bridge. The farm and outbuildings also document close to 200 years of tidal farming along Royalls Bay and Little Bay.

SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING CURBSIDE COLLECTION ROUTE CHANGES EFFECTIVE MONDAY, JUNE 27TH 

The Durham Public Works Department would like to make residents along the following roadways aware of a schedule change to their curbside solid waste and recycling collection day:

1. Newmarket Road (Durham Point Road to Dover Road)
2. Dover Road (Newmarket Road to Route 4 overpass)
3. Schoolhouse Lane
4. Bayview Road
5. Old Landing Road
6. Young Drive
7. Old Piscataqua Road

To improve the efficiency of Monday’s and Wednesday’s curbside solid waste and recycling collection routes, effective Monday, June 27th, 2022, the scheduled collection will change from Wednesdays to Mondays. 

As they have been in the past, solid waste and recyclables must be placed curbside by 7:00am on your collection day. The collection equipment passes through each neighborhood once and will not return for solid waste and recycling that is placed curbside late.

For commercial properties within these bounds that do not participate in our program, please ignore this notice.

We understand that this change may be inconvenient and disrupt normal routines. However, your understanding and cooperation is appreciated. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Durham Public Works Department at (603) 868-5578.

BUCKS HILL ROAD CULVERT REPLACEMENT

The Durham Public Works Department’s Highway Team completed an emergency replacement of a cross culvert in the vicinity of 6 Bucks Hill Road this week. A 40-year-old corrugated metal pipe had failed due to excessive corrosion. Bucks Hill Road was closed for 5 hours during construction.

ANNUAL HVAC PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE IS IMPORTANT IN TOWN BUILDINGS

The Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system is a critical infrastructure component of a facility. They provide a comfortable indoor environment for visitors and employees by controlling the temperature, humidity, and air quality. 

Preventative maintenance of an HVAC system will help ensure that it runs as efficiently as possible, avoiding costly breakdowns and premature failure of wear components. Other benefits include increased air quality and overall comfort.

The HVAC systems within the newer Town facilities, namely the Town Hall, Police Station, and Library are advanced systems that require specialized training and licensing to service and repair. As these systems continue to age, a yearly preventative maintenance plan is essential for their continued uninterrupted operation.

The Durham Public Works Department awarded a contract to ENE Systems of New Hampshire to perform this work semi-annually. The Spring preventative maintenance of the air conditioning and air handling systems at the Library, Town Hall, Police Department, Parks + Recreation Facility and Public Works began this week.