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Friday, October 25, 2019
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Durham foliage on the Lamprey River. Courtesy Bernie Casey
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It’s hard to believe that October 23rd marked five years of operation for Durham’s new LEED Silver Certified Town Hall! It was officially opened to the public on October 23, 2014.
And October 27th is Diwali. Diwali, Deepavali, or Dipavali is the Hindu festival of lights, which is celebrated every autumn in the northern hemisphere (spring in southern hemisphere). One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
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DOWNTOWN DURHAM TRICK-OR-TREAT AND MAIN STREET MONSTER BASH IS TOMORROW/SATURDAY
A reminder that Durham Parks & Recreation is holding its annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat and Main Street Monster Mash Bash tomorrow, Saturday, October 26th, from 2 - 4PM. Participants can look forward to over 40 trick-or-treat stops, games, activities, spooky storytelling, and a Main Street Monster Mash Bash with WUNH! All ages are welcome, and participation is free! Participants can park and pick up their trick-or-treat stop list at Mill Plaza in the open between Rite Aid and the First Seacoast Bank. Hope to see you there!
Also . . . Trick-or-treating in Durham will be on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 from 5 - 7:30 PM. View some trick-or-treating safety tips HERE.
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PUBLIC HEARING SET ON AN ORDINANCE REGARDING THE PURCHASE, USE, AND SALE OF TOBACCO/VAPING PRODUCTS IN DURHAM
At its meeting on Monday, November 4, 2019, the Town Council will hold a Public Hearing on an ordinance which establishes the age of 21 to be the minimum required age of any individual in the Town of Durham to purchase, use or possess tobacco products, e-cigarettes, vaping products or liquid nicotine and requires Durham merchants to ensure this act by verifying legitimate identification at the time of purchase.
Town Council meetings are open to the public and interested individuals are encouraged to attend and express their views and offer comments with respect to this matter. Questions regarding the ordinance should be addressed to Administrator Todd Selig at 603-868-5571, mailto:tselig@ci.durham.nh.us. Written comments may be mailed to the Administrator’s Office at 8 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH 03824 or sent by electronic mail to mailto:jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.
View the proposed ordinance HERE.
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PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON PROPOSED CONCEPT TO INITIATE A PAY AS YOU THROW PROGRAM WITHIN THE TOWN OF DURHAM
At its meeting on Monday, November 4, 2019, the Town Council will hold a Public Hearing on a proposed concept to initiate a Pay As You Throw (PAYT) program within the Town of Durham. PAYT is a usage-pricing model for disposing of municipal solid waste. Users are charged a rate based on how much waste they present for collection to the municipality or local authority.
Members of Durham’s Integrated Waste Management Advisory Committee have held three public informational meetings to educate residents on Durham’s solid waste program, how and why the town recycles, and how the town might manage its landfill waste and recyclables, with PAYT and composting as the primary focus.
Town Council meetings are open to the public and interested individuals are encouraged to attend and express their views and offer comments with respect to this matter. Written comments may be mailed to the Administrator’s Office at 8 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH 03824. Electronic mail may be sent to the Durham Town Council at mailto:council@ci.durham.nh.us.
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TOWN COUNCIL STATEMENT SUBMITTED TO NH FISH & GAME - Three Proposed Marine Aquaculture License Applications
At the Town Council meeting on Monday, October 21, 2019, the Town Council approved/endorsed a letter that has now been submitted to the New Hampshire Fish & Game for consideration prior to its continued public comment period on November 2, 2019 relative to three Marine Aquaculture License applications to be placed at the mouth of the Oyster River located off of Wagon Hill Farm.
View the letter sent to the NH F&G HERE.
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DURHAM’S 2019 COMBINED FULL TAX RATE TO INCREASE BY 2.35% - Municipal portion of rate increases to $7.60, up from $7.37 where it had remained for 4 consecutive years (2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018).
Durham has just received the finalized 2019 tax rate from the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration.
The new combined full rate (Town, County, State School, Local School) for 2019 is $27.43, an increase of 63 cents (or 2.35%) compared to the 2018 rate of $26.80.
For several years the Town experienced a sizable broadening of the tax base through the construction of new taxable development added to the tax rolls, which is a significant factor in the rate stabilization (formerly $8.48 but adjusted to $7.37 due to 2018 statistical revaluation update) experienced by Durham taxpayers between 2015 - 2018 despite new costs such as the new Durham Public Library, a new Town Hall, downshifting of state costs, increased wages, increased insurance costs, CPI increases, etc.
In terms of allocation of the different portions of the tax rate, the Town portion of the rate represents 27.7% of the total Durham property tax bill. The County portion represents 9.114% of the bill. The School portion represents 63.17% of the bill (55.85% Local School and 7.32% 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. If spending goes up due to cost of living and revenue + increased valuation cannot offset those increases, the tax rate must go up.
Below is a Tax Rate Comparison chart.
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ANNUAL LEAF RAKING FUND-RAISER BY THE STUDENT ATHLETIC TRAINING ORGANIZATION AT UNH
AATO, the Student Athletic Training Organization at UNH, will be doing their annual Leaf Raking Fund-raiser on Saturday, November 2nd and Saturday, November 9th. Students from SATO will be raking yards throughout the day in exchange for donations to their organization.
Durham residents interested in having members of this organization rake their yards should contact Melanie Lamar at (603) 401-9873.
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IT'S HALLOWEEN IN DURHAM!
The date for Halloween Trick and Treating is Wednesday, October 30th, and the Durham Police will once again have officers on bicycles in residential neighborhoods to be seen and interact with all the little ghosts and goblins! Durham Recreation has a “monster” of an event on Main Street tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) from 2:00PM to 4:00PM!
For downtown activity over the weekend the Durham Police will have an expanded compliment of officers on duty to handle the older ghosts and goblins. UNH Football has a bye week but will be playing Villanova at home next weekend on November. It is expected to be a very active weekend for the department as they strive to maintain a high visibility of officers to actively monitor gatherings via a proactive strategy that is designed to prevent issues while allowing students to enjoy the various entertainment opportunities both on the UNH campus and throughout the downtown.
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BE A STEWARD OF DURHAM’S HISTORY
Durham's Historic District/Heritage Commission currently has 2 three-year term openings.
Requirements:
- Must be a Durham resident.
- Demonstrate an interest and ability to understand, appreciate, and promote the purpose of the HDC/HC.
Questions concerning the Historic District/Heritage Commission may be directed to Michael Behrendt at 603-868-8064, or mailto:mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.
Applications for board appointments are available on the home page of the Town’s web site, http://www.ci.durham.nh.us/ under "Helpful Resources" at the top of the page, then "Town Documents", "Forms & Applications", “Application for Appointment”.
Completed applications may be mailed to the Town Administrator’s office, or submitted via email to mailto:jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.
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THE BIG BEAN CAFE COMES TO DURHAM - Located on Jenkins Court in the heart of downtown.
The immensely popular Big Bean Café in Newmarket recently opened their second location right here in downtown Durham!
The restaurant will have the same made from scratch menu as the Newmarket location-great news for their loyal patrons. One difference between the two locations is that the Durham Big Bean offers both traditional table service or walk up counter service. The counter service, referred to as “Bean Café,” is directly accessible from Sammy’s parking lot and its menu lends itself to the “grab and go” customer. “The Bean Cafe allows us to incorporate some really creative twists making our take-out line quicker and more transportable,” stated Jon.
With 83 seats in the dining room the restaurant can accommodate larger groups while the Bean Café area offers 25 seats to relax and enjoy your meal.
The Big Bean Durham is open daily from 7am to 2pm until November when the hours will be extended to 6pm. The entrance to the restaurant is at 8 Jenkins Court and their menu can be found HERE. Of course, you can also find them on Facebook and Instagram or give them a call at 603-815-4965.
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REPLACING THE OUT OF ORDER LIBRARY EV CHARGING STATION
The Durham Energy Committee continues to work on finding the best solution for out-of-order electric vehicle charging station at the library. If you didn’t respond to last month’s survey, we would still like your input to help us decide whether to recommend replacing it with a reliable unit by telling us:
- How often would you use a charger in this location? If you used the original charging station, how often did you use it?
- If you are thinking of purchasing an electric vehicle, is the availability of charging stations in Durham an important part of your decision making?
- In addition to the library location, the town also maintains a charging station in the Pettee Brook parking area. Is there another location where you would like to see a charging station? If you had to prioritize the list of locations, where would the library charging station be in your list?
Please share your answers and any other thoughts on EV charging stations with mailto:John.lannamann@unh.edu
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EVENTS SCHEDULE FOR 2019 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY IN DURHAM
There have been a number of events scheduled in Durham around the Indigenous Peoples' Day holiday. View the program of upcoming events HERE. View the Facebook page with events and other information HERE.
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l-r: Carl Weber, Nate Katz, Don DeAngelis, Jon Wortmann
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DURHAM FIRE CAPTAIN NATE KATZ GRADUATES FROM PRIMEX3 EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM
The Durham Fire Department is delighted to announce that Captain Nate Katz recently graduated from the Primex3 Emerging Leaders Program. The Primex3 Emerging Leaders Program is an intensive 7-month professional development opportunity designed to discover one’s strengths and develop competencies needed to grow in leadership effectiveness. Fifteen individuals from around the State of New Hampshire were carefully chosen among those individuals who demonstrate high leadership potential and who were nominated and endorsed by their supervisors. The program consisted of a competency-building curriculum including workshops, reading and assignments, discussion boards, simulations, and a real-world project. The curriculum included topics such as: How to be a Resilient Leader; Behaviors, Motivators, Emotional Intelligence and the Public Sector Leader; Leadership Levers: Building Critical Strengths; Communicate to Influence; Conflict Management; Coaching for Performance; and Emerging Through Exploration and Reflection.
The real-world project created by Nate was an initiative entitled Leadership Flowpath which explored officer and leadership development within the Durham Fire Department.
The Durham Fire Department appreciates Nate’s enthusiasm, dedication, and commitment to pursuing this incredible opportunity and completing this valuable program. Congratulations, Nate!
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EVERSOURCE SEACOAST RELIABILITY PROJECT - ANTICIPATED CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE - Updated October 22, 2019 (All dates are in 2019 unless otherwise indicated.) Schedule is subject to change and will be updated periodically.
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DURHAM POLICE COMMUNITY SURVEY IS HERE
Every three years the Durham Police conducts a community survey. This year for the first time the department is accomplishing the survey “online”! Chief Kurz would sincerely appreciate if you could take a few minutes to complete the online questionnaire (link provided below) about your perceptions of crime and policing in the Town of Durham.
Your input provides an updated understanding of the perceptions and wishes of the community and allows the Durham Police and Town to recognize if these attitudes are changing. The results are used to enhance policing services and to direct the department as they strive to provide the most responsive, cost-efficient and compassionate police services possible to the Durham community. The survey is completely confidential.
If you prefer to complete a paper copy of this survey, they are available at the Durham Town Hall, the Public Library and at the Durham Police Station.
Chief Kurz and his staff truly appreciate your taking time to provide your input. Please complete the survey by November 15, 2019. If you have any questions about the survey, please email Captain David Holmstock at mailto:dholmstock@ci.durham.nh.us or Officer Tom Kilroy at mailto:tkilroy@ci.durham.nh.us or feel free to call either at 603-868-2324.
Click HERE to participate in the survey.
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This plan depicts the path of the Portsmouth water line project. Courtesy City of Portsmouth, NH
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PORTSMOUTH WATER MAIN PROJECT PROPOSES TO CROSS LITTLE BAY
The Durham Conservation Commission is reviewing a wetlands permit application to the New Hampshire Division of Environmental Services this Monday, October 28, for geotechnical exploration in Little Bay for possible replacement of Portsmouth’s water main.
The City of Portsmouth owns a cross-country transmission line that brings treated drinking water from the Madbury Water Treatment Plant. The 24-inch concrete main carries about 60% of the water serving the City’s regional system. It passes through Durham along an easement owned by Portsmouth and transitions to two 20-inch cast iron pipes that run under Little Bay for about 3,200 feet to Fox Point shore in Newington. The pipes enter Little Bay just to the east of Wagon Hill Farm.
The two pipes were installed in the 1950s and a dive inspection in 2016 revealed that portions have corroded significantly and become exposed to salt water. Portsmouth is exploring repair and replacement options and plans to assess the soils near the lines on both sides of Little Bay with 16 borings to a depth of 10-15 feet. According to Wright-Pierce, the project manager, the borings will be taken from a tracked drill rig that will move over temporary mats which prevent disturbance in sensitive areas. Wright-Pierce says the process is not anticipated to impact public commerce, navigation, or recreation. The spoils from drilling will be placed back into the bore holes.
Municipalities are exempt from local zoning so the Town of Durham does not have review authority over the project, plus we do not have jurisdiction in Little Bay. However, the Conservation Commission may provide comments to NHDES which will be considered during that agency’s review.
View the complete application HERE.
Interested parties can offer comments or ask questions at the meeting or send a note to the Town Planner at mailto:mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us.
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DURHAM FIRE 3RD QUARTER STATISTICS - TOWN-WIDE INSPECTIONS
The Durham Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau has compiled the Quarter 3 statistics for the period July 1 - September 30, 2019. The information below shows the 2019 Year to Date statistics for town-wide inspections in Durham. It will give you a sense of how we are deploying inspection resources at the department...
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IT’S BUDGET SEASON, SO PLEASE EXCUSE THE DELAY IN MR. SELIG FOLLOWING UP ON EMAILS, VOICEMAILS, LETTERS, ETC.
Budget season is upon us in Durham and as such, Administrator Selig is actively working with the Business Office and our various department, boards, committees, and commissions in formulating a proposed budget for consideration by the Town Council. By Town Charter, Mr. Selig has until the last business day in October to propose a budget to the Council. The Council then has until the last business day in December to adopt a budget of its own, or the Administrator’s proposed budget becomes the FY 2020 budget by default.
At this time of year, Mr. Selig is in constant budget meetings, in additional to normal responsibilities, and as such responding to correspondence is typically delayed. Urgent matters should be sent to the attention of Administrative Assistant Jennie Berry, mailto:jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.
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PUBLIC WORKS - PART-TIME MECHANIC POSITION WANTED
DPW is in seek of a part time mechanic to assist in performing equipment maintenance on the Town's fleet. Requires knowledge of regular fleet vehicles and heavy equipment repair, diagnosis of malfunctions utilizing test equipment and technical repair manuals. Employee will work 15-30 hours per week, flexible scheduling available. High School Diploma or G.E.D. and one year of formal training in fleet vehicles and heavy equipment repair. Certification to perform NH Safety Vehicle Inspections highly sought after. Hourly wage starting at $20/hour, higher possible depending on experience. Interested parties please send application/letter of interest/resume TO:
Michael Lynch, Director of Public Works
100 Stone Quarry Drive
Durham, NH 03824
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Hay bales on Mast Road. Courtesy Todd Selig
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DURHAM PARTICIPATES IN NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY PANEL DISCUSSION
The use of new technologies has become widespread amongst local governments across the US in the last several years. But in all the rush to adopt solutions aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of services, the underlying question of the security of highly connected digital tools and related data has not been sufficiently scrutinized.
Local governments have been behind the curve on cybersecurity for quite some time. In 2016, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, conducted the first survey to assess local government attitudes, actions and experiences with cybersecurity. The report disturbingly found that local governments were largely unaware of cybersecurity issues and underprepared for a cyber incident.
But the recent run of high-profile ransomware attacks in places such as Atlanta, Baltimore, and Durham, NH (hit by the Cryptowall virus in 2014 as reported on ABC News) with the associated costs of responding to these events—may finally have been the tipping point that is altering local managers’ mindsets on their role in cybersecurity.
During the 2019 ICMA Annual Conference this past week in Nashville, TN, several city and county managers discussed the shift they are seeing in the mindset of local managers. Participants included...
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Xavier Hughes — ICMA Chief Technology, Smart City Tech Expert, and Innovation Officer and Former Technology Advisor to President Obama.
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Tad McGalliard — ICMA Director of Research and Expert on Local Government Cyber Security
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Amy Ahner — Director of Administrative Services at Village of Glenview, IL and board member of the GIS IT Consortium
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Todd Selig — Administrator, Town of Durham, NH
Read an article on the discussion in Route 50 HERE.
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THE SWAP SHOP IS AT THE RAYMOND LAROCHE, SR. TRANSFER STATION AND RECYCLING CENTER!
Volunteers have noticed a significant increase in the number of residents who visit the Swap Shop on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Please observe the hours to drop off items - 7:30 am-2:00 pm. Larger items should be dropped off in the morning to increase the chances of being taken. The Swap Shop has limited storage space.
Items being dropped off need to be in good working condition and clean (please check for mice nests!). Please speak to a volunteer when you have items you want to drop off.
Special thanks to some of the volunteers from the last couple of months; Eli, Dawn, Eileen, Joanna, Sally, Julie, Jane, Jerry, Daphne, Janet, Ro, Vinny, Bill, Cathy, Will, and Sally.
Swap Shop volunteers are appreciated! Why not become one? We need volunteers!
We have recently experienced difficulty filling both the morning and afternoon volunteering opportunities. There have been times when no volunteer has been available to help residents. This is not a good situation for the residents who want the Swap Shop to remain open to the community. Thank you for considering to at least give it a try!
It’s an easy commitment of 3 hours - as often as you want. Signing-up is easy!
Click HERE to sign-up to learn about volunteering! It’s neighborly, fun, and rewarding! Look for the “Shadow-New volunteers” option.
You can also call or text 603-969-4732 or mailto:foggdrive@yahoo.com
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DURHAM TOWN OFFICES HOLIDAY CLOSING SCHEDULE
Below is the Holiday closing schedule for the Durham Town Offices for the remainder of 2019 and beginning of 2020.
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HUNTING SEASON IN DURHAM (AND ACROSS NH) BEGINS NOV. 2
Deer hunting season is quickly approaching with muzzle loading season starting November 2nd through the 12th and all deer hunting from November 13th through December 8th.
It is the hunter’s responsibility to check if permission is granted for hunting on all lands. Those hunting in Durham should remember that there is no hunting allowed on land owned by the Town of Durham except for the Oyster River Forest, which must remain open for hunting per the terms of the Town’s easement with LCHIP.
Hikers and walkers should be aware that UNH does grant hunting permits on the following properties: Burley-Demeritt and Bartlett-Dudley farms in Lee, the Kingman Farm in Madbury as well as the Moore Fields and adjacent areas as well as the Thompson and Foss Farms in Durham. Additionally, State and Federal lands routinely allow hunting and it should be noted that 80% of New Hampshire's forestland is privately owned. Generally speaking, most private lands, especially larger tracts, remain open to hunters across New Hampshire, unless otherwise posted against hunting. While the Durham Police and New Hampshire Fish and Game highly recommend that each hunter personally contact landowners whenever possible and seek permission to hunt, this is not always accomplished. It is noted that even land posted to hunting can be accessed by contacting the owner prior to hunting. We urge all hunters to please respect all landowners wishing to keep their lands posted.
One category of current use tax reduction requires the landowner to keep their land open to public use, including hunting, in order to get an additional 20% tax reduction. Regardless, the discharge of a firearm within 300 feet of a permanently occupied building owned by another is unlawful. If residents are concerned about any gunshots, the Durham Police are poised to respond and investigate the situation.
Residents should also be aware that the Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Newington holds a special hunt on the first weekend of the regular firearms season. The shotgun-only white-tailed deer hunt serves the dual purposes of supporting the state's effort to control the deer population while providing recreational opportunities on the 1,100-acre refuge. A total of 40 hunters (20 each day) are selected through a free lottery for one-day hunting permits.
Finally, while there are a number of residents deeply concerned about the concept of hunting, during this season, hunting will occur legally and walkers/hikers should be appropriately dressed with highly bright blaze orange apparel and not be afraid to make noise.
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KING TIDE PHOTO CONTEST DETAILS ANNOUNCED – Contest runs from 10/27 - 10/30
The King Tide Photo Contest begins this Sunday, October 27 and runs through next Wednesday, October 30.
Here’s what Durham residents can do to participate:
- Take 1-3 photos of the NH coast at high tide featuring one of the following three themes: a) vulnerability; b) resilience; or c) Halloween
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Post your photos to social media (Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter—make sure post is shared publicly) with hashtag #KingTideNH2019 or email them to mailto:nhcoastaladaptation@gmail.com by 11:59pm on Oct 30
- Get your friends, family, and colleagues to participate, too!
Full contest rules are available HERE.
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DURHAM STAFF AND TOWN ATTORNEY WORK TO PROVIDE LIST OF CHARTER UPDATE RECOMMENDATIONS TO TOWN COUNCIL
As part of the approved Town Council goals for 2019-2020, the Council included:
“Staff and Legal Counsel conduct a review of the Town Charter and bring forward recommendations, as needed, for alignment with current state laws and adjustments to address identified deficiencies over time and recommendations relative to borrowing threshold limitations to account for inflation over the last 30-year timeframe.”
Some examples of topics being included in the recommended update are: adding the ability to include alternates on several boards (HDC, Trustees of Trust Funds, and Parks & Recreation ), increasing the $1 million bond threshold triggering the need for a referendum vote to reflect the rate of inflation since the Charter was adopted in the late-1980’s, conflict of interest, institutionalizing the current procedure for determining the order of names on the local election ballot via drawing names from a hat, annual board/committee presentations to the Council, requirement for annual meeting between Administrator and board chairpersons, etc.
We hope to provide an initial presentation to the Council in the coming weeks.
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FALL LEAF AND BRUSH CURBSIDE COLLECTION BEGINS ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH
All items must be out by 7am! During Fall Cleanup, Public Works picks up brush (natural material from trees) first followed by the collection of leaves. Fall Cleanup is separate from your regular curbside collection!
Leaves should be placed in paper leaf bags (remember, plastic bags are not recyclable and will not be picked up). Paper bags may be purchased at Aubuchon Hardware and stores such as Lowe's or Home Depot. Loose leaves will not be accepted but may be brought to the Transfer Station & Recycling Center on Durham Point Road.
- Brush should be placed in one direction, bundled and tied with string (no wire please).
- Brush and limbs must be no greater than 5 feet in length and 5 inches in diameter.
- No stumps will be accepted.
- The amount of brush and limbs is limited to ONE TRUCKLOAD PER HOUSEHOLD.
- Cutting off small limbs from branches will help maximize each load.
Remember, backyard composting of your leaves and brush reduces the flow of waste, while at the same time, produces valuable organic matter for the soil. It improves your soil and the plants growing in it.
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DURHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT HOSTS FIRE PREVENTION OPEN HOUSE
On Sunday, October 20, 2019 the Durham Fire Department hosted its annual open house at the fire station. The open house, which is held annually during National Fire Prevention Month, hopes to bring awareness to the importance of fire prevention in the home and in our community. Several local families attended the event which included a hands-on demonstration in the use of fire extinguishers, an escape simulation from a smoke-filled house, and a visit from Sparky the Fire Dog. Those attending the event were also treated to tours of the fire apparatus, as well as light refreshments courtesy of the Durham Professional Firefighters Association and member families. The children attending with their families were delighted to receive their junior fire hats and stickers. Families were also reminded of the importance of creating a family fire escape plan.
The Fire Department truly appreciates the dedication and commitment of our members who organized and participated in this event and also appreciates the support of the community in attending this fantastic event.
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WINTER PARKING BAN
The Durham Winter Parking ban commences Friday November 1st and will be in effect through April 1, 2020. As many know, parking on Main Street, Jenkins Court and any Town owned parking lot is prohibited between 1:00AM and 6:00AM throughout the year. But the Winter Parking ban prohibits parking ON ANY STREET from November 1st to April 1st between 1:00AM and 6:00AM. As the ordinance states,
“Any vehicle so parked during the prohibited hours and dates shall be subject to being towed away at the owner’s risk. The owner or owners shall be required to pay all towing costs and a fine before the vehicle is released.”
For the first few weeks, the Durham Police will endeavor to issue warnings designed to remind everyone of the Winter ban but were a surprise snowstorm to occur during this period, there should be an awareness that vehicles may be towed to allow for Durham Public Works to more effectively plow the streets and roadways of Durham.
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VOLUNTEER WORK DAY AT OYSTER RIVER FOREST: SATURDAY, NOV. 2ND
Please join us on Saturday, November 2nd from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm for a volunteer work at Oyster River Forest. We will be fixing several muddy spots on the popular Oyster River Trail that extends from Packer’s Falls Road to College Woods. This requires some heavy lifting, moving some rocks and gravel to the work site, which is a good distance into the property.
If you can join us….please sign up HERE. We will have all the tools, including gloves, snacks, and water. Meet at the parking lot at the corner of Mill Road and Packers Falls Road. We will carpool as close to the trail site as possible.
For more information contact Ellen Snyder, Durham Land Stewardship Coordinator, mailto:ellensnyder1@gmail.com
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Local Scout Eric Donovan sits at the picnic table that he built for his Eagle Scout project; he installed the table at the picnic area that overlooks the Lamprey River on Durham’s Thompson Forest conservation area. Courtesy of Kevin Donovan.
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ERIC DONOVAN COMPLETES HIS EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT
Local Scout Eric Donovan constructed a picnic table and two Leopold benches and installed two sign posts at Durham’s Thompson Forest for his Eagle Scout project. These were placed at the picnic area on the shore of the Wild & Scenic Lamprey River, which is reached by a loop trail from the parking area off Wednesday Hill Road. Thank you, Eric, for enhancing this 54-acre conservation area. If you haven’t visited, it is worth a trip; You can walk, run, bike, snowshoe, or ski. The trail winds through a 15-acre meadow managed to benefit wildlife. Several benches offer a place to pause to enjoy the vistas and listen for songbirds. To learn more about Thompson Forest, visit this Story Map.
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ARRESTS IN DURHAM
Last year at this time Chief Kurz was reporting that arrests were greatly reduced when compared to each of the same weeks since 2005. That trend is continuing again as demonstrated by the data for the calendar year. Arrests are down about 16% from last year and remain on par with all other of categories.
This week’s arrests at 8 highlight the weekend after Homecoming but are still relatively low compared to other Homecoming weekend data. The Durham Police have never measured the necessity to arrest a person as successful policing but the data does provide insight as to the activity the police encounter on busy weekends.
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You never know who you might run into at the annual ICMA Conference in Nashville!. Administrator Selig and Durham Cemetery Committee Chair and Trustee of Trust Funds Craig Seymour, who was in Nashville running the trade booth for his business, RKG Associates, Inc. during the conference.
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TOWN OF DURHAM FACEBOOK AND TWITTER ACCOUNTS
Did you know that the Town has a Facebook & Twitter account and frequently posts Durham & UNH news, happenings, and articles of interest in our area and the seacoast?
Like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.
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BUYING SHOES AND PURCHASING PATRIOTISM: THE POLITICIZATION OF FOOTWEAR, 1760s-1770s
UNH History Professor Kimberly Alexander will take us from the ground up, in her presentation “Buying Shoes and Purchasing Patriotism: The Politicization of Footwear, 1760s-1770s” on Sunday, Nov 3, 2019, 1PM, Council Chambers, Durham Town Hall, 8 Newmarket Road. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Light refreshments will be served. November 3rd is the first day after Daylight Savings Time, so please remember to set your clocks back or you will arrive an hour early!
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Durham Parks and Recreation, its Director and Committee, strive to offer a wide range of quality programs, parks, and facilities that encourage all community members to participate in healthy, fun, and enriching activities. Together, they celebrate the essential role public recreation plays in fostering a cohesive and vibrant community.
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The library held a reception for the Friends of the Library last Monday afternoon in appreciation of the support they provide to the library. Pictured is Charlotte Ramsay, Chair of the library Board of Trustees, and Deborah Hirsch Mayer, Chair of the Friends of the Library. Durham Town Council issued a proclamation declaring October 20-26, 2019, as Friends of Libraries week. Support the library by becoming a ‘Friend’. Visit our web site or stop by to pick up a membership form.
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DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY UPCOMING EVENTS
We Have a New Library Director!
The Board of Trustees of the Durham Public Library is very pleased to announce Sheryl Bass as the new Library Director. Sheryl's first day will be November 18, 2019. A full biography will follow soon.
Welcome Sheryl!
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Please Join us . . .
Tuesday, October 29th, at 6:00 pm for A Portrait of Beethoven with Robert Hoffman
The first of a 3-part Classical Music Lecture Series with Robert Hoffman, music professor and long-time PSO member. October 29th, November 12th and November 19th at 6:00 pm. Open to all!
AND ...
Monday October 28th, 6:30 - 7:30 for a Young Adult, Compassion Project
A program connecting the Library with the community. We will be making kindness bookmarks to hide throughout the library and....we will be celebrating Halloween with some fun games and treats! Pizza will be served and volunteer hours may be earned. Ages 10 and up.
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*Academic year commences the third week of August through graduation at UNH in May.
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HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL - A Brief History of Durham, NH 1600 - 1976 (A little volume that was the Heritage Project of the Durham Historic Association Bicentennial celebration)
Preface - "Since before God made the first little green apples, oysters have probably been growin in the Oyster River; and some of the largest and juiciest to be found anywhere in the world are still growing here today. The following vignettes from rollicking history of Durham town on the Oyster River are therefore presented between the shells of an oyster."
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1940 - The last of the one-room schools at Packers Falls was closed in 1915 and the Point School in 1921. The Schoolhouse Lane School in the village was built in 1890 with 2 rooms, with tower and bell. Enlarged to 4-room in 1917. The tower was removed.
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Old farm structure on Wiswall Road. Courtesy Todd Selig
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Have a very nice weekend.
... And if you find the weekly "Friday Updates" of interest, please pass along to a friend/neighbor and encourage them to subscribe. While the weekly publication is long (sorry!), the reality is that there is a LOT happening in this wonderful community and we work hard to let people know about it so they can become involved. Currently we have around 3,300 active subscribers plus those who view them on line and via social media. It also doubles as an integral part of our emergency broadcast system. In essence, the "Friday Updates" is Administrator Selig's weekly update to the Town Council that is also shared with the community. In Durham we try to be very open with what is going on so people can both understand issues and become involved if they choose to do so.
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Todd
Todd I. Selig, Administrator
Town of Durham, NH
a: 8 Newmarket Rd., Durham, NH 03824 USA
t: 603.868.5571 | w: www.ci.durham.nh.us
He/him/his pronouns
Everyone can tackle climate change. How can you reduce your carbon footprint?
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