Friday Updates - November 17, 2023

Friday, November 17, 2023

The beauty of the trees is now the raking chore of many! Courtesy, Todd Selig

Town Offices will be closed Thursday & Friday, November 23 & 24 in observance of Thanksgiving. There will be No Friday Updates next week. All Oyster River schools will be closed November 22-24, 2023, for Thanksgiving Break. The district office will be closed November 23 and 24.

There will be NO refuse and recycling collection on Thursday, November 23rd. This pickup will be on Friday, November 24th. As always, please have all items out by 7:00 AM. There will be NO commercial recycling collection on Friday, November 24th. The Raymond A. LaRoche Sr., Transfer Station and Recycling Center will remain OPEN on Saturday, November 25th. 

Congratulations to the Oyster River Girls Volleyball team on winning the state championship! And congratulations to the Oyster River Girls Cross Country team who won the state championship and placed 2nd overall at the New England championships.

DCAT Volunteer and Durham resident, Phil Kincade, was recently featured on the program NH Chronicle for his dog treat box on Bagdad Road. You can watch the program HERE.

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY - November 25, 2023

The Town Council approved a Resolution on Monday, November 13, 2023 to declare Saturday, November 25, 2023, Small Business Saturday. The Resolution states that:

WHEREAS, the Town of Durham celebrates its local small businesses and the contributions they make to the local economy and community; and

WHEREAS, according to the United States Small Business Administration, there were 138,199 small businesses (fewer than 500 employees) in New Hampshire in 2022, which represents 99% of all New Hampshire businesses; and

WHEREAS, according to the United States Small Business Administration, small businesses accounted for 49.7% of New Hampshire Employment in 2019, which exceeded the national share; and

WHEREAS, an American Express survey reported that in 2022, 72% of shoppers said Small Business Saturday makes them want to shop and dine at small, independently-owned retailers and restaurants all year long; and

WHEREAS, the Town of Durham supports its local businesses that create jobs, boost local economy, and preserve communities; and

WHEREAS, advocacy groups, as well as public and private organizations, across the country have endorsed the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Durham Town Council, the governing and legislative body of the Town of Durham, New Hampshire, does hereby approve Resolution #2023-27 proclaiming Saturday, November 25, 2023, as “Small Business Saturday” and urges the residents of the community to support small businesses and merchants in Durham on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year.

Rainbow seen over the farmhouse at Wagon Hill Farm. Courtesy, Rich Reine, Director of Public Works

NH PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY WILL BE JANUARY 23, 2024

The NH Presidential Primary will be held on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Voting will take place at the Oyster River High School Gymnasium from 7:00am to 7:00pm. Voters must be registered and domiciled in Durham, N.H. to vote at Oyster River High School. 

If you cannot make it to the polls on election day, you may qualify to vote by absentee ballot. Please note that New Hampshire does not offer mail-in voting, but rather “absentee voting,” which is limited to qualified voters that cannot appear in-person on election day. Applications for absentee ballots and information on absentee voting may be found on the Town of Durham’s website HERE or you may pick up an application at the Durham Town Clerk’s office between the hours of 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday.  

Please contact the Durham Town Clerk’s Office by email at rdeane@ci.durham.nh.us or by phone at 603-868-5577 if you have any questions about voting. Please see additional voting information below.

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY VOTING INFORMATION

Party changes can no longer be made until AFTER the January 23, 2024 Presidential Primary. Those of you who have registered as Undeclared for the first time need to know the following:

• At the Primary, you will choose either a Republican or Democratic ballot.
• You will be considered a member of that party until you officially change.
• You may stop at the Return to Undeclared table on your way out of the polls. 
• You will find a book there that should have your name in it (this book has ONLY people who are registered Undeclared before the Primary)
• Find your name, circle the party you voted, then sign your name.
• This gives us (Supervisors of the Checklist) permission to change you back to Undeclared.
• If you wish to stay in the party you voted, do not stop at this table.
• If you wish to belong to a party different from the one you voted, do not stop at this table. However, you do need to go to the Durham Town Hall whenever the Clerk’s office is open, to fill out a Change form. This can be done whenever the Town Hall is open, at any Supervisor session, or at the Town Election in March. 
• There will be a State Primary in September. You cannot change party within about 90 days of a primary, which means you need to make any changes by June (exact date to be announced later).

New registrations will be accepted in the Town Clerk’s office any time up until about 10 days before any election, including the Presidential Primary. Applicants for registration should bring with them proofs of identity, age, citizenship, and domicile (in Durham). Driver’s license and passport are very helpful. Affidavits may be signed under oath if proofs are lacking. 

A new voter checklist has been updated through August 21 and printed. There is a copy of the checklist in the lobby of the Durham Town Hall. You may also check your current party registration at https://app.sos.nh.gov. If you get a frowny face, scroll down to find your party affiliation and polling place. If you can’t find your name, please contact the Town Clerk’s office. We occasionally make an error with spelling or with Date of Birth. If you have changed your party or registered since August 21 and want to double check that you have been entered, you may call the Town Clerk’s office to check.  

On Thursday, November 09, 2023, Oyster River Middle School’s fifth graders visited the Durham Town Hall to cast their votes for the 2024 New Hampshire’s Kid Governor. Several students ran an electoral campaign to become Kid Governor. We are proud to announce that Noah Sanders (Team Ocean) was selected as candidate for the New Hampshire's 2024 Kid Governor alongside six other candidates selected throughout the state. 

The Town of Durham hosted a kid-friendly election, using a voter checklist, voting booths, and the 100-year-old Town of Durham voting box. Durham was honored as being one of the only communities in the state to host an election for this program. New Hampshire Kid Governor is a national award-wining civics program led by the New Hampshire Institute for Civics Education and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Please visit http://nh.kidgovernor.org/ for more information. 

As host to the University of New Hampshire, Durham has been included again, this time in the twelfth edition of the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index (MEI).

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Americans. The MEI is the first nationwide evaluation of municipal laws, policies, and services affecting the LGBTQ community.

The MEI examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ+ people who live and work there. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.

HOW WERE THESE COMMUNITIES CHOSEN?

The towns/cities selected for rating are: the 50 state capitals, the 200 largest cities in the United States, the five largest cities or municipalities in each state, the cities home to the state’s two largest public universities (including undergraduate and graduate enrollment), 75 cities with high proportions of same-sex couples drawn from an analysis of the 2010 Census results by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law which ranked the 25 large cities (population exceeding 250,000), 25 mid-size cities (population between 100,000 and 250,000), and 25 small cities (population below 100,000) and 98 cities selected by HRC and Equality Federation state groups members and supporters in 2016.

In the past eleven years, Durham has received the highest score in NH of those communities surveyed. The 2023 results follow:

2023 NH MEI Scores:

• Concord - 69
• Derry - 58
• Dover - 80
• Durham - 96
• Keene - 67
• Manchester - 85
• Nashua - 75
• Plymouth - 44
• Portsmouth - 89
• Rochester - 53

Town staff and the Town's Human Rights Commission will continue to evaluate MEI criteria to consider whether it is possible to increase our score for future years. Durham had sought to be the top scoring community in NH twelve years ago, and we have to date succeeded every year since that time, endeavoring to incrementally improve our openness and inclusiveness over time as appropriate. Durham's score is up 2 points this year over last.

Learn more by clicking HERE.

These lovely photos, taken by gardener Elise Sullivan, give a glimpse into the caring work that goes into making this abundance of beautiful veggies available where they are greatly needed. Anyone interested in becoming a gardener at Wagon Hill Farm Community Garden is most welcome to visit the garden website at https://wagonhillcommunitygarden.com to learn more about it. 

The Friends of the DPL has been selected as Hannaford’s Bloomin’ 4 Good philanthropy for November. Buy a $10 bouquet marked with Bloomin’ 4 Good at Hannaford’s in Durham’s Mill Road Plaza in November. Hannaford’s will donate $1.00 to the Friends for every bouquet purchased

PHOTOS OF ICE RINK WANTED!

This year's Town Report will feature the 50th Anniversary of the Jackson's Landing Ice Rink which opened in the winter of 1973. If you have any photos from the 1970's of skaters at the rink, we would love to have them for the Town Report. Actual physical photos are needed, not scanned copies, so that they can be scanned here for the best quality. Any photos submitted will be returned. You can submit the photos to Karen Edwards in the Administrator's Office of the Town Hall.

Durham has received the finalized 2023 tax rate from the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration. 

The new combined full rate (Town, County, State School, Local School) for 2023 is $20.48, a decrease of $8.56 cents (or 29.47%) compared to the 2022 rate of $29.04. The decrease is due to the full revaluation conducted in Durham this past year. 

In terms of allocation of the different portions of the tax rate, the Town portion of the rate represents 28.1% of the total Durham property tax bill. The County portion represents 8.6% of the bill. The School portion represents 63.3% of the bill (56.5% Local School and 6.8% State School).

Each of the levels of government, Durham Town Council, ORCSD School Board, and Strafford County Commissioners, work diligently to keep spending to a minimum while still endeavoring to meet the ever-changing demands of the community.

In the end, three factors impact the tax rate: spending (intended to meet goals/community programming expectations), revenue (user fees, grants, motor vehicle registrations, permits, etc.), and assessed valuation. 

Auditors Plodzik & Sanderson completed the Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. Auditors will provide a presentation to the Town Council on their findings at the upcoming regularly scheduled Council meeting on November 20, 2023. You can view the report online HERE. 

Kudos are offered to the hard working staff in the Durham Business Office for all of their work on the annual audit process.

The prior audit firm, Melanson, provided auditing services to Durham for the last ten years. By Town Charter, every ten years the Town must engage a new independent auditing firm.

In accordance with the Town Charter, Administrator Selig has provided to the Town Council for review and consideration a proposed 2024 Budget, which includes the General Fund, Water Fund, Sewer (Wastewater) Fund, Library Fund, Parking Fund, Depot Road Lot Fund, Churchill Rink Fund, and Downtown TIF Fund budgets, as well as the Administrator’s proposed 2024-2033 Capital Improvement Plan incorporating the FY 2024 Capital Fund budget utilizing a ten-year time horizon.  

This year’s budget cycle has resulted in a proposed 2024 General Fund budget totaling $19,315,015 -- a spending increase of $1,058,766 or 5.8% compared to FY 2023.  Spending increases proposed by the Administrator were 2.31% for 2023 and 5.8% for 2024, totaling an increase over two years of 8.11% versus a combined 2023/24 CPI increase of 11.9% (U.S. CPI of 8.2% in 2023 and 3.7% in 2024). Increases are due to required wages and benefits as a result of recently ratified collective bargaining contracts, a 3% COLA for non-union personnel, insurance increases, energy/fuel costs, steep increases in various supplies, materials, and construction services, and other miscellaneous requests that will be discussed as part of the upcoming budget process. 

In total, this year’s budgetary proposal is projected to maintain the 2024 local municipal portion of the tax rate with a 0.00% increase -- the same level as proposed in 2023 at $5.75 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. For comparative purposes, the tax rate had remained at $7.37 (formerly $8.48 but adjusted due to 2018 statistical revaluation update) for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. The proposed budget would therefore cost the average Durham property taxpayer with a home valued at $450,000 an additional $0.00 in taxes for 2024 for the municipal portion of the tax rate.  This budget proposal is consistent with Town Council goals.  

The proposed Water Fund budget carries an anticipated 1.9% increase in user fees (a rate of $10.61 per hundred cubic feet) for FY 2024.  

The proposed Sewer (Wastewater) Fund budget reflects a 7.69% increase in user fees in 2024 (a rate of $10.31 per hundred cubic feet).  

A public hearing on the proposed budget was held on November 13th at 7 PM at a special budget work session scheduled by the Town Council. Only one member of the public attended to comment. You can still provide feedback for consideration at council@ci.durham.nh.us. 

Below are the links for the 2024 Proposed Budget, 2024-2033 Proposed CIP and the 2024 Proposed Information Booklet. If anyone would like to view a hard copy of these documents, they can be viewed in the foyer at the Town Hall or at the Durham Public Library.  

Proposed 2024 Budget - Click HERE

Proposed 2024-2033 CIP - Click HERE

Proposed Budget Information Booklet - Click HERE

Deputy Town Clerk Audrey MacKenzie and Town Clerk Rachel Deane check in students on voting day for Kid Governor.

TOWN COUNCIL APPROVES DURHAM FOR WAVE 2 LAUNCH WITH THE COMMUNITY POWER COALITION OF NH

After more than two years of planning and study, the Town Council, upon recommendation of the Administrator, voted unanimously this past Monday evening to authorize Durham to switch to CPCNH as the default power provider for the Town, starting in March 2024.

The default utility rates for Eversource for the winter-spring season will be known by mid-December, and CPCNH will set their rates about a week later.

There will be an outreach plan to educate and prepare residents for the transition, with more details in the coming months. 

This marks a major milestone for the launch of Community Power in Durham in which the idea is to offer a default electric supply at a rate equal to or less than Eversource and/or NH Elec. Coop. with a higher mix of renewable energy. Moving more residents to forms of energy with a higher renewable content will help to further Durham’s climate and sustainability goals per our Climate Action Plan which you can read HERE.  

At the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Annual Conference in Austin, TX this year, Administrator Selig was recognized for his 30 years of service in the field of local government management. 

Todd has been the Administrator for the Town of Durham since 2001. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Syracuse University, Mr. Selig went on to complete a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of New Hampshire. He has served in a variety of positions within both the municipal and school sectors including positions in Raymond, Laconia, New Boston, Hopkinton, and now Durham, NH.

The Administrator is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Durham town government and reports directly to the nine member Town Council.

Plastic, and the profusion of waste it creates, can hide in plain sight, a part of our lives we rarely question. But a closer examination of the situation can be shocking. Notably, unused and un-recycled plastic doesn’t chemically degrade but rather becomes a fixture of our world. It breaks apart to form microplastics, pieces smaller than five millimeters in diameter. 

In the past few years, scientists have found significant quantities of microplastics in every part of the ocean, in snow and in rainfall. One document estimated that the average person consumes five grams of plastic every week—mostly from water and food.

The Microplastic Madness movie is the story of 56 fifth graders from P.S. 15 in Red Hook, Brooklyn, whose actions on plastic pollution morph into extraordinary leadership and scalable victories. These 11-year olds take a deep dive into root causes of plastic pollution. Taking on the role of citizen scientists and community advocates, they collect local data, lead community outreach and use their own local data to inform policy by testifying and rallying at City Hall. They then turn their focus back to school, taking action in their cafeteria to eliminate all single-use plastic.

Making less plastic is the most important goal—and the most politically charged one, given the immense profits and political power of plastic manufacturers. We as consumers can push back by choosing not to purchase single-use plastics and deciding to reuse what plastics we can. (For example, consider refilling a plastic shampoo bottle at a place like The Refillery in Dover instead of tossing the bottle after one use).

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee and Durham Public Library

Questions about recycling or composting? Email us at DurhamRecycles603@gmail.com

Not sure if an item can be recycled? Click HERE.

Want to know more about the Swap Shop?  Click HERE.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED ADDING AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT TO YOUR HOME?

If you own a single-family house, you might consider adding an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), if you don’t already have one. ADU’s, sometimes called in-law apartments, granny flats, or backyard bungalows, can provide significant extra income for homeowners, usually with minimal maintenance or management needed. They also provide badly needed housing, whether for undergraduate students, graduate students, UNH staff and faculty, retirees, or others. In most cases (but not necessarily), ADU’s are connected to houses that are owner occupied, and they usually accommodate only one, or perhaps two occupants, so they tend to be well supervised if that is a concern of neighbors.

Accessory dwelling units are full independent units with a sleeping area, kitchen facilities, and a bathroom. They may be situated within an existing house, attached to an existing house, incorporated into an existing freestanding structure such as a garage, or built as a separate structure. There is a minimum size of 350 square feet and a maximum size of 800 square feet and some other minor requirements specified in the Zoning Ordinance. The Zoning Ordinance also states that units not located within or attached to the house (“detached units”) are not allowed in the core Residence A and Residence B districts. There is no review involved by the Town other than obtaining a building permit. 

If you have any questions, please email the Town Planner at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us. You can also read several articles about ADU’s on the Durham Housing Task Force’s website HERE (under Supporting Documents and Weblinks).

Long shadows in a forest. Courtesy, Carol Birch

LONGTIME TOWN ASSESSOR JIM RICE WILL RETIRE AT THE END OF FEBRUARY 2024 -- TOWN ASSESSOR POSITION AVAILABLE

Town Assessor, Jim Rice, has announced that he will be retiring at the end of February 2024. Therefore, the Town is accepting applications for the position of Town Assessor. This is a full-time, 40-hour per week position, with a salary range of $83,232 – $105,932. The anticipated start date will be January of 2024.

The Town Assessor is responsible, in part, for supervising and administering the inspection and appraisal of residential, commercial, and industrial property to establish the appropriate property value for tax assessment purposes, performing statistical updates and valuations of all property types in the town, utilizing computer assisted mass appraisal systems (CAMA), ensuring proper administration of state laws, rules, regulations, and procedures concerning property appraisal, taxation, exemptions, credits, easements, abatements, utility, timber, and excavation taxes, and creating and delivering the real estate tax billing file and warrants to the Tax Collector. For a full job description see https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/jobs.

The potential candidate will have a Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university in Business Management, Finance, Public Administration, or other related field; and, five or more years of progressively responsible experience as an appraiser of real property, assessor, or in other related fields involving Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal and/or Multi-Regression Analysis; or, any combination or education, training and experience which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the job.

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. Application deadline is December 1, 2023. Position open until filled.  

The Durham Police Department would like to remind all community members that hunting season continues in New Hampshire and it is important to stay safe and wear orange when entering the woods. All dates listed below may be subject to limitations in certain areas. Please click HERE for updated information concerning when and where hunting is authorized to occur.

September 1                                Black bear/dates vary for method and WMU

September - January                   Waterfowl/dates vary by species and zone

September 15 - December 15     Deer/archery

September 15 - December 15     Fall turkey/archery

October 16 - October 22             Fall turkey/shotgun 

September - March                     Small game and fur bearers/dates vary by species and region

October 1 - December 31           Pheasant

October 21 - October 29             Moose (by permit only)

October 21 - 22                          Youth deer-hunting weekend

October 28 - November 7           Deer/muzzle loader

November 8 - December 3         Deer/regular firearms (closes one week early in WMU A)

MADBURY ROAD COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT UPDATE AND OPEN HOUSE  - November 30, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Durham Public Works and the Madbury Road Complete Streets Project Team continue to advance the complete streets design for planned construction improvements beginning in 2024. This project involves the approximately 8,200 lineal foot Madbury Road corridor, connecting Main Street in downtown Durham to Route 4.

The first phase of major culvert construction has been awarded to Severino construction. Construction improvements of these two culverts, conveying Littlehale Brook, is scheduled to begin in early 2024.  Phase One water and sewer utility construction, between approximately Main Street and Edgewood Road, is scheduled for advertisement and bidding in early January. This work is planned to begin early in the 2024 construction season, weather permitting. Design of the Phase I Roadway improvements, between Main Street and Garrison Road, are nearing completion with construction planned for the 2024/2025 construction season.

The Project Team has scheduled a Public Workshop and Open House for Thursday, November 30, at which time representatives from the Town, and its consulting team, VHB Engineering and CMA Engineers, will present updated design plans, streetscape renderings and project timelines. The meeting is an open house format for residents to drop in anytime between 5:00-7:00 PM at the Durham Public Library to learn more about the project and ask questions. The project team cordially invites the public to attend.   

In addition, please click HERE for a Madbury Road Complete Streets Story Map which provides updated designs, important project information along with an opportunity to use an interactive map where residents, businesses and corridor users can provide project feedback. 

FALL LEAF AND BRUSH CURBSIDE COLLECTION COMPLETE

Durham Public Works recently completed the annual Fall leaf and brush curbside collection.

93 truckloads of material totaling 66 tons were collected. This effort marks the end of the construction season for Durham Public Works, with all attention now focused on winter operations. 

School Resource Officer (SRO) Michael Nicolosi wishes to thank students, parents, guardians, and community members for their collaboration and patience during school pick-up and drop-off at the Oyster River middle and high schools. Due to the increased amount of traffic this year, SRO Nicolosi urges drivers to remember the importance of the following safety rules.

Respect dedicated drop-off and pick-up areas.

Drop-off areas in front of the school are designed for the overall safety of our students. Unauthorized student drop-off and pick-up on the street creates hazardous situations. It can be helpful to remember that insurance companies will find you at fault if you cause an accident because you are blocking the roadway. Anyone observed stopping on the street may be stopped and educated by the police. The Durham Police Department patrols the area every morning and afternoon. Please see NH RSA 265:69, Stopping Standing, Parking, for additional information. 

Do NOT attempt to pass vehicles in the middle/opposite lane of Bagdad Road.

Before 3:00 p.m. on school days, the School Resource Officer or other traffic safety officer will make sure traffic is clear and incoming traffic can safely pass the vehicles waiting in line. Once student dismissal begins at 3:00 p.m., incoming vehicles must stay in the waiting line until instructed otherwise by a police officer. Through traffic may want to find an alternate route during afternoon pick-up. 

When instructed to stop, you must STOP immediately.

Do not attempt to drive around the School Resource Officer or other traffic safety officer. 

Do NOT make U-Turns in the road. 

U-Turns are a dangerous maneuver that can cause an accident. Making a U-Turn is against the Town of Durham Traffic Regulations, Chapter 153

Some things you can do to help with pick-up and drop-off:

• Anticipate delays due to traffic and plan your commute accordingly. 
• Find a parking spot. Seniors at ORHS leave school early if they have a free period. There will be parking spaces open in the parking lots. You can park in any of these spots and your student(s) can walk to your vehicle. 
• Wait fifteen minutes after the bell rings for student dismissal. There will be very minimal traffic, and you can pull right up to the front door. 
• Do NOT pick-up your student on the road. Doing so is hazardous for everyone involved and in direct violation of NH RSA 265:69. 
• Plan an alternate meetup place for your student, such as the downtown area. 
• Ask your student to ride the bus. Fewer cars mean less traffic and a more sustainable commuting option.
• Pull up to the blue line in front of ORHS. This will allow people stuck on Bagdad Road/Coe Drive to get off the road quicker. 

Also, be advised that the cut-through from the Durham Public Library to Strafford Avenue has been fenced in and we ask that you speak with your student(s) and let them know they will no longer be able to use this path. 

Thank you for your help with keeping Oyster River students safe!

SCAMS CONTINUE - Stay Vigilant and Continue to Question Anyone or Any Message You Do Not Recognize!

Recently the Durham Police Department has received several reports of the same Apple Computer related scam. In the recent cases, the intended victim was contacted on their computer with a message telling them their computer was compromised. The message directed the intended victim to call an Apple Support phone number. The phone number forwarded the intended victim to a person that identified himself and requested that the intended victim provide him their current savings account balance, in addition to their last three transactions. The intended victim was then directed to go to their bank and withdraw their savings so she could deposit it into a Bitcoin machine. Remember to question anyone or any message asking you for account information of any type. Additionally, the request to convert to Bitcoin is a common request in many current scams. If you are ever in doubt, please call the police department and an officer can assist you in determining the authenticity of a request. 

APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR DURHAM FIREFIGHTERS HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE PROGRAM

The Durham Professional Firefighters are hosting the annual Toy Bank for the Oyster River Community residents. This year there is an application program to assure no child falls through the cracks this holiday season. 

Click HERE for an online application or contact the fire station at (603) 862-1426 and one of our Elves will get back to you! Application due date is Friday, December 15th. Toy pickup will be set up by appointment December 18-22 at The Durham Fire Station (51 College Rd Durham NH 03824).

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 #45

While you’re playing outside in the Fall and early Winter, click HERE for some things to think about while you're having fun outside.

AMARE CANTARE PRESENTS MORE LOVE AT OYSTER RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL

Please join Amare Cantare for a concert on Sunday, November 19, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. at the Oyster River Middle School exploring various facets of love, ranging from Haydn’s humorous depiction of “Harmony in Marriage” to Gwyneth Walker’s energetic arrangement of “How Can I Keep from Singing?” and Elaine Hagenberg’s eloquent “When We Love.” The centerpiece of the program is “Five Hebrew Love Songs” by Eric Whitacre, which features guest artists Ryan Shannon, violin, and Catherine York, piano. To purchase tickets, please click HERE.

Amare Cantare is an auditioned chamber chorus that strives for musical excellence in the performance of challenging and diverse repertoire. They seek to foster a vital arts community, collaborate with other organizations, provide opportunities for artistic fulfillment for singers, and a shared love of music with audiences. Since 1977, Amare Cantare (“to love to sing”) has performed masterworks and choral music from six centuries. Based in Durham, New Hampshire, the group’s members come from all over the Seacoast. 

OYSTER RIVER HIGH SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH PANEL NOVEMBER 20

The ORHS Student Senate invites community members to attend the rescheduled Mental Health Matters: Breaking the Stigma, on November 20 at 6:00 p.m. in the Oyster River High School auditorium (55 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824). The goal of this panel conversation is to continue our community conversation on mental health. The theme is "breaking the stigma related to mental health". Panelists will reflect a variety of perspectives including students, faculty, and mental health professionals in our community. You may submit a question for the panel by completing the submission form HERE.

UPDATE ON THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH

The Superintendent Search Screening committee concluded their search this week. The committee interviewed multiple candidates and have proposed finalists. Once those candidates have decided to move forward in the process, the names will be released to the public.

In late November, the candidates will be touring the district and meeting with the students and staff. In addition, each candidate will meet with the public. Please visit the district website HERE for the dates as they become available.

VETERAN'S DAY BREAKFAST WAS A SUCCESS!

On November 9, veterans, active military and service providers from Durham, Lee, and Madbury were invited to attend a celebration in honor of Veteran's Day at the Oyster River Middle School. A breakfast was provided by the school PTO and culinary team and students of all grade levels were invited to seize the opportunity to honor family members. 

8th grade student Georgia Leone sang the national anthem and Principal Sullivan thank everyone for attending. Both veterans and active military personnel in attendance were invited to introduce themselves and were celebrated by a round of applause from the audience. To learn more about the celebration, please click HERE.

UNH EXPERIENCING HOUSING CRUNCH FOR NEXT YEAR'S UPPER CLASSMEN

WMUR recently wrote an article on how UNH is seeing more and more juniors and seniors requesting on-campus housing as they cannot afford to live off-campus. This has caused a housing dilemma as UNH seeks to find on-campus accommodations for everyone next year. To read the full WMUR article, please click HERE.