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 NEWS AND HAPPENINGS ...
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Courtesy Jessie McKone
This is Homecoming weekend at the University of New Hampshire. In addition to the football game with the University of Richmond, the University has many other activities planned. To view the event schedule, click HERE.
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HOMECOMING TRAFFIC PATTERNS TO CHANGE
This weekend is UNH Homecoming and the Durham Police realize there will be a large attendance at the football game with the University of Richmond. While the game begins at 12 noon between the schools who are tied at 4-2 in their division, tailgating and those seeking good seats will result in significant volumes of traffic coming into Durham. Anticipating this influx, there will be a change to the traffic patterns on Saturday, October 13th beginning at 6:00 AM. Main Street from Mast Road to the UNH Field House will be one-way for all eastbound traffic with traffic traveling westbound diverted onto Mast Road Extension at the UNH Field House and exiting onto Main Street by the Route #155 A/Main Street intersection. It is recommended that motorists seek alternate routes if not attending the Homecoming football game. Regular traffic patterns will res
ume as soon as the football game begins at noon.
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TOWN COUNCIL TO CONSIDER SPRUCEWOOD FOREST CONSERVATION PROJECT
On Monday, October 15, the Town Council will vote whether to set a date for a public hearing on a request by the Conservation Commission asking the Town to accept fee title to the property known as Sprucewood Forest. The property abuts the UNH College Woods and includes over a mile of Oyster River frontage. If the proposal is approved, the Town would own the property subject to an easement held by the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Efforts to protect this 176-acre combination of woodlands and open fields began more than three years ago. During the intervening time, the Conservation Commission has worked in partnership with The Trust for Public Land (TPL). The Commission has ranked this project as its highest priority for the past few years, primarily for the protection afforded to two public water sources, both current (Oyster River) and future (Spruce Hole aquifer). On October 3, 2012, it voted unanimously to support the purchase of the property with $375,000 from the Conservation Fund.
NRCS is enthusiastic about the site's potential for providing habitat for the threatened New England cottontail rabbit. NRCS would provide majority funding for the project and become responsible for all costs related to the cottontail habitat restoration and to monitoring the easement.
Public access would include low-impact recreational uses, such as birding, fishing, hiking, and cross-country skiing. The property provides easy access from an abandoned forest road and affords significant opportunity for trails on the property itself and as part of a network of trails on nearby properties.
To download the Council Communication on this proposal and supporting documents, click HERE. Those documents and others may also be downloaded from the Project page on the Conservation Commission’s website: https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/boc_conservation/sprucewood-forest-conservation-project-durham-nh.
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GENERAL ELECTION - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2012
The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 at the Oyster River High School. Polling hours are 7AM to 7PM. Volunteers are needed the day of the election. Residents interested in volunteering may contact Town Clerk-Tax Collector Lorrie Pitt, 603-868-5577, lpitt@ci.durham.nh.us; Supervisor of the Checklist Ann Shump, 603-868-1342; or Moderator Chris Regan, 603-868-2414.
To view the election ballot or to obtain an absentee ballot for the General Election, click HERE.
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UNH MASTER PLAN UPDATE
The UNH Campus Planning office has posted the final draft of the Campus Master Plan Update (dated September 24, 2012) on the project web site for public review prior to the final presentation and Forum scheduled for October 18th. You can go directly to a .pdf download of the final draft plan by clicking HERE.
Durham residents are encouraged to visit the project website: http://www.unh.edu/cmp/ as it has seen significant updates since the early summer.
Presentation and Public Forum Date:
Thursday, October 18, 12:30-2:00
Huddleston Hall Ballroom, Main Street
The Plan is scheduled to be finalized and presented to President Huddleston in November.
Comments may also be submitted through the website or directly to cmp.ideas@unh.edu.
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PUBLIC WORK SESSION - PROPOSED FIRE STATION
On Monday, October 15, 2012, beginning at 2:00 PM, the Durham Fire Department will hold a public work session in the Town Council Chambers at Town Hall. The purpose of the work session is to talk about the specific needs of a proposed new fire station. Architect Lynn Reda will be presenting the proposed floor plan and space needs. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.
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Radiant heat pex tubing prior to the concrete slab pour at the new library site. Courtesy Walter Rous
DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Despite a spate of difficult weather over the past two weeks – rain and wind – work to prepare for pouring the monolithic library floor slab continued. Under slab insulation was set, buried electrical conduit was run, piping was installed for the first floor toilet rooms, vapor barrier, steel reinforcing mesh and the bright orange pex tubing for the radiant heat were all set by last Friday. A welcomed break in the weather on Monday of this week allowed the slab to be poured, a job that took 10 concrete workers and finishers and several concrete truck deliveries about 8 hours to complete. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather turned cloudy with light sprinkles, perfect weather for curing the slab. Concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, stone, called aggregate, and water. In order for concrete to reach its desired strength, the concrete needs to sl
owly cure and begin to lose its water content. As with Goldilocks, you don’t want it to be too hot or the water will evaporate too quickly and the chemical reaction that the water started in the Portland cement won’t allow the concrete to reach its maximum strength. Also, you don’t want it to be too cold or the water in the concrete could freeze. Very bad!
Meanwhile, the masons were having an on again, off again affair with the rain. Finally, by the end of the week, anchors that would support the elevator cab’s rails had been buried in the interior walls of the elevator shaftway and the concrete block shaft, 38 feet in all, had been topped out.
Next week, steel and wood framing begin!
Construction crews finish the monolithic concrete slab at the new library site. Courtesy Walter Rous
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BEING ARRESTED IN THE DURHAM-UNH COMMUNITY
Several years ago, the Durham Police collaborated with the UNH Police and the Vice President’s office to develop a video, entitled “Choices Matter”. UNH has the video posted on their website and encourage all parents and students to view the Choices Matter video. When the page displays, the video is to the right of the page. Click the video to view. The project was funded by the UNH Parents Association and highlights the consequences of violating alcohol and other drug-related rules and laws both on and off campus. Durham residents may be interested in one of the many initiatives that UNH has developed to address the issue of alcohol consumption/abuse by their students on and off campus.
To view the Choices Matter video, click HERE.
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Members of the UNH Cycling Club provided their assistance during a recent Bike Rodeo hosted by the Durham Police Department.
DURHAM POLICE HOST BIKE RODEO
The Durham Police hosted a Bike Rodeo at the Oyster River Middle School last week. A rodeo is a bicycle skills event which provides an opportunity for young bicyclists to practice and develop skills that will help them to become better bicyclists and avoid typical crashes. The goal is to provide an opportunity for the kids to learn, practice, and demonstrate their bicycle handling skills in a fun, noncompetitive atmosphere. This was the first event of this kind and was designed to offer/encourage middle school aged students to utilize alternative methods to travel to school. Through the Safe Routes to School grant and the co-authoring efforts of Cathy Leach and Jacqui Spinney, the Durham Police and the Oyster River School District provided various safety tips, bike maintenance and other rules of the road including a helmet station to check if helmets are properly fit; a bike ins
pection station to perform a quick check for air, brakes, and chain; and several riding skills stations where rules of the road and safety techniques were discussed and reinforced.
A special thanks to all the volunteers including MacGregor Ambulance, the UNH Cycling Club and their members who generously gave of their time acting as role models as well as Gary Smith from Independent Fabricators of Newmarket who had a station where he talked about caring for your bike, shifting techniques, maintenance hints and bike security. Of course all the teachers and aids who graciously gave of their time and energy to make the first bicycle rodeo an outstanding success!
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On October 1, 2012, Town Clerk Lorrie Pitt swore in Durham's newest Police Officer, David Carpenter. Courtesy Durham PD
DURHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT WELCOMES NEW OFFICER - DAVID CARPENTER
Durham's newest police officer, David Carpenter, was sworn in last week by Town Clerk-Tax Collector Lorrie Pitt. Officer Carpenter is from Oakland, New Jersey. He attended Indian Hills High School in Oakland, New Jersey. Upon graduation, he enrolled in Drexel University's Criminal Justice program for one year. In order to be closer to his family, Officer Carpenter transferred to Ramapo College of New Jersey for the remainder of his college education where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Officer Carpenter also attended the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute in Mahwah, New Jersey to complete a basic EMT course and a Special Police Officer’s class. He then went to MICCOM in Totowa, New Jersey where he took a 911/EMD/ETC dispatcher course.
Prior to coming to Durham, Officer Carpenter was employed as a part-time dispatcher by the Washington Township Police Department and Pompton Lakes Police Department, both located in New Jersey. He was a volunteer basic EMT with the Oakland First Aid Squad in Oakland, New Jersey. He was also a Special Police Officer with the Hackensack, New Jersey, Police Department. Officer Carpenter has ties to Stratham, New Hampshire and therefore sought employment in this area.
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HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY PARTICIPATION
Many residents participated in the annual Household Hazardous Waste Day which was held on September 22nd at the DPW office. For those unfamiliar with the event, it’s the time of year when the Town hires a licensed hazardous waste handler to come in and collect items to be disposed of such as pesticides, insecticides, and other dangerous chemicals that the Town does not have a license to collect throughout the year. The handler then safely and properly disposes or transfers these chemicals. Thank you to all the participants for their cooperation this year.
Statistics from the 2012 collection: 60 people contacted us since the Spring 2012 newsletter and through the several Town updates mentioning the event. Of those 60, 5 people never returned a call when we went to set appointments, 52 people set appointments to bring items, 3 cancelled before the day of the event, 2 people did not show up, a total of 50 people did come with items and participate in the event.
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BABY BRAGGING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
The Department of Public Works is pleased to announce the birth of baby Fletcher Anderson Richard, born 10/7/12 at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital to parents Janice and Dwight Richard. Baby Fletcher weighed in at 6 lbs., 15 oz. and 20.5" long. Congratulations Richard family!
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DURHAM’S FRIDAY DEALS
This program is intended to give local merchants an opportunity to encourage residents to shop locally.
Wildcat Fitness, 397-3200, http://www.wildcatfitness.net/
$15 sign-up, $15 a month (billed to a checking account)
Located at the far end of the Mill Plaza
Red Carpet Florist, 868-7021, http://www.myredcarpetflorist.com/
$5 bouquets of flowers every Friday
Located at 56 Main St.
Mino’s Roast Beef, 397-5261, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Minos-Roast-Beef/171148346284660
$6.50 Chicken Kebab Salad (Regular Size) on Friday
Located in the Mill Plaza
Domino’s Pizza, 868-6230, http://pizza.dominos.com/new-hampshire/durham/
$.99 Small Cheese Pizza every Friday
Located in the Mill Plaza
Uppercut Hair Salon, 868-7363 http://www.facebook.com/pages/UpperCut-Hair-Salon/226530887441101
20% off all hair care products every Friday
Located in the Mill Plaza
Mama Mac and More, 868-7449 http://www.durham-menus.com/mama_mac_menu.pdf
$5 for an 8" sub or salad (add $2 for chicken or steak on salad)
Located at 38 Main Street
Durham House of Pizza, 868-2224 https://www.facebook.com/durhamhouseofpizza
$4 for a small cheese pizza
Located at 38 Main Street
Candy Bar, 397-5154 https://www.facebook.com/thecandybarnh
Free dark caramel and sea salt chocolate truffle with every $10 purchase
Located at 44 Main Street
Bindy’s Boutique, 590-0044 http://www.bindysboutique.com/
20% off on Fridays when you mention this ad from the Friday Updates
Located at 42a Main St.
Wiswall House Antiques, 659-5106, http://www.wiswallhouseantiques.com/
20% off all antique and vintage table lamps
Located at 28 Wiswall Road
Perfect Tan, 868-3200, http://www.the-perfect-tan.com/
Buy a single session, get a single session free
Located at 13 Jenkins Court
Money spent locally stays local. Support Durham business. If your business has a Friday deal to offer please send it to Ken Entz at sentz@comcast.net.
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PUBLIC MEETINGS: SCHEDULE AND VIDEO ON DEMAND
The following public meetings are scheduled for the coming week All meetings begin at 7:00 PM and are held in the Council chambers at the Durham Town Hall unless otherwise indicated below.
Town Council - Monday, October 15, 2012. To view the agenda and other documents, click HERE.
Public Work Session Regarding Proposed Fire Station - Monday, October 15, 2012 (2:00 PM)
Integrated Waste Management Advisory Committee - Thursday, October 18, 2012. To view the agenda and other documents, click HERE.
All meetings recorded on DCAT are available on DVD at the Durham Public Library for checkout and viewing.
VIDEO ON DEMAND: Meetings can also be viewed via Video on Demand. Interested viewers can access the streaming site from the Town’s website at http://ci.durham.nh.us/ by clicking the DCAT on demand logo, or directly at http://dcat.pegcentral.com/.
Oyster River School Board meeting schedule, please click HERE.
Durham Public Library Board of Trustees meeting schedule, please click HERE.
DCAT Programming Schedule, please click HERE.
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WELCOME BACK PORTSMOUTH ATLANTIC INSURANCE AGENCY
Jon Merwin and Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance Agency is back in Durham. They are now sharing an office with Mariner Realty, at 54 Main St, Durham, NH 03824. Their office hours are from 9 AM to 5 PM.
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COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Oyster River Folk Music Series, presenting The Mary Maguire Band, Saturday, October 13, 2012, 7:00 PM, Durham Unitarian Univeralist Fellowship
Live Music with Dave Gerard, The Candy Bar (outside the store), Sunday, October 14, 2012, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM
Plant Lover's Journey Through Gardens, Traditions, and Cultures of Belize, Saturday, October 13, 2012, 6:30-8:30 PM, Misty Meadows Herbal Center. For more information contact mistyoffice@comcast.net.
Durham-Great Bay Rotary Club, Wednesday, October 17, 2012, 7:30 AM, Three Chimneys Inn. Guest speaker will be UNH Hockey Coach Dick Umile.
Invasive Species Work Days at UNH College Woods-Volunteers Needed, October 17 & 18, 2012, 2-4:30 PM. Meet at entrance to College Woods behind the Field House. Contact 603-534-7979 or woodlands@unh.edu for more information.
Durham Newcomers Unlimited Club, Community Church of Durham, 10:00 AM. Amanda Merrill is the guest speaker.
Fall Open House at 3 Bridges Yoga, 37 Main Street, Durham. Will be hosting 2 free classes at 8: AM and 9:30 AM with special charity donation class at 11:00 AM for Oyster River Womenade. For more information, contact 603-590-0010 or visit http://3bridgesyoga.com/
Annual Fair Trade Products Sale, Saturday, October 20, 2012 from 10AM-2PM; Sunday, October 21, 2012 from 11:15 AM-1PM, Community Church of Durham Fellowship Hall.
Parenting in These Times, presentation by Paula Norbert, Dir. of Educational Ministries, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, Community Church of Durham. RSVP cedirector@durhamcommunitychurch.org.
Durham Garden Club, Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 6:30 PM, Madbury Town Hall. Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper Peter Wellenberger will talk about the current threats and issues facing the Great Bay Estuary.
Halloween Extravaganza, Thursday, October 25, 2012, 5:00-8:00 PM, Mills Hall, UNH. Child-friendly haunted house, games room, and hall full of trick-or--treating. For more information, contact ashley.kysor@unh.edu, 603-862-1111.
Durham Trick-Or-Treating, Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 5-7:30 PM.
Seminar: Going Deeper Into Our Soils, Sunday, November 4, 2012, 9AM-5PM, Waysmeet Center, 15 Mill Road, Durham. For more information and to preregister contact amyla44@juno.com.
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FRIENDS OF DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY FALL BOOK SALE
The Friends of the Durham Public Library Fall Book Sale kicks off at the Durham Public Library on Thursday, November 1st, from 6pm to 7pm with an Early Bird Preview--admission to this special one hour event is $10 for best selection!
The sale opens to everyone from 7pm to 8:30pm Thursday evening. The sale will continue on Friday, November 2nd, from 10am to 5pm and on Saturday, November 3rd, from 10am to 2pm.
Come browse quality books and a great selection! Pick up your winter reads while supporting the Durham Public Library. All proceeds from the Friends Fall Book Sale support Library programs.
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DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Preschool Storytimes Tues. Oct. 16th and Thurs., Oct. 18th, 10:30 a.m. – This week: Building/Tools! All are welcome to enjoy stories, songs, fingerplays, feltboard and a craft.
Ella Fitzgerald It Don’t Mean A Thing, Tues. Oct. 16th, 6:30 p.m. - The singer that all other singers call the best – Ella Fitzgerald. This is the story of a young woman who against impossible odds achieved fame as a Jazz singer by the age of seventeen.
Bookeaters, Middle School Book Group, Weds. Oct. 17th, 2:45-4:00 p.m. – Join us for this middle school book group. This month’s book is “Lockdown” by Walter Dean Myers. Ruth Wharton-MacDonald is the facilitator and pizza is served.
Lego Club for 1st-4th graders, Thurs. Oct. 18th, 3:45-4:45 p.m. - Lego Club is back for 1st -4th graders. Like to build with Legos? Join us for 6 Thursday afternoons as we build with Legos.
That Reminds Me of a Story: Yankee Humor and the New England Storytelling Tradition, Tues. Oct. 23rd, 6:30 p.m. - Humorist Rebecca Rule will prime the pump with stories she's collected at small-town gatherings, often at historical societies and libraries, over the last ten years, plus a classic or two.
Register for Tales for Tails! Have a young reader who could use some non-judgmental encouragement for reading aloud? A Delta Therapy dog is waiting for your child. Sign up now to start mid-late October for a session.
No Book Donations please for the last week in October as the Friends of the Library prepare for the Friends Fall Book Sale November 1, 2, and 3.
The Friends of the Durham Public Library Fall Book Sale kicks off at the Durham Public Library on Thursday, November 1st from 6pm to 7pm with an Early Bird Preview--admission to this special one-hour event is $10 for best selection! All proceeds from the Friends Fall Book Sale support Library programs.
Join the Patch Program, our reading incentive program for children aged 2-12 years. Children earn patches for minutes read or being read to as well as a Durham Library book bag. If new to the program, stop by and register. Thanks to the Friends of the Durham Public Library for their continued support of this program. We have new patches!
Check out the library's website at http://www.durhampubliclibrary.org/durham/ for more information.
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WEEKLY ARREST REPORT
*Academic year commences the third week of August through graduation at UNH in May.
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FROM "DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE A HISTORY - 1900-1985"
"Farm Life in Durham: Not far away from the Fitts and Littlehale farms,in a village house at 76 Madbury Road, an unusual farming industry flourished from 1944 to 1962. The Billy Hepler Seed Company, started by Raymond Hepler, professor of plant science at the University of New Hampshire, was a family-oriented business. The six Hepler children worked long hours harvesting the seed, drying it in the basement of their home, packaging it, and filling mail orders. The fruits and vegetables they grew were not only harvested for seed, but some were sold from the Hepler home, or delivered by cart around town by the Hepler children. Mrs. Rebecca Hepler recalled that on many days the youngsters' sales included generous 'baker's dozens'." Published in 1985
by the Durham Historic Association.
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Have a nice weekend.
Todd
Todd I. Selig, Administrator
Town of Durham, New Hampshire
T: 603-868-5571 F: 603-868-5572
tselig@ci.durham.nh.us http://www.ci.durham.nh.us
Everyone can tackle climate change. How can you reduce your carbon footprint?
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