Friday Updates - October 27, 2023

Friday, October 27, 2023

Some great costumes were seen at this past Sunday's Parks & Rec Downtown Trick-or-Treating event. Courtesy, Todd Selig

Carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating, and wearing scary costumes are some of the time-honored traditions of Halloween. Yet, the Halloween holiday has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “SAH-win”), a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor saints. Soon after, All Saints Day came to incorporate some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before All Saints Day was known as All Hallows Eve, and later, Halloween. Take a look at the origins of some of the classic Halloween traditions we know today (black cats, bats, and more) on the Library of Congress Blog HERE. 

If you missed the presentation by author David Moore on his book "Small Town, Big Oil," you can view it HERE.

HALLOWEEN IS A BUSY TIME IN DURHAM -Trick or treating in Durham will take place on Monday, October 30th, from 5 - 7:30 PM. The Durham Police Department wants to remind all parents to think “Safety First” and recommends high visibility costumes for your little witches and gremlins. It is expected to be a very active weekend for the department as we strive to maintain a proactive and high visibility presence designed to allow everyone to enjoy the various entertainment opportunities both on the UNH campus and throughout the downtown.  

A "Home Alone" family at the Parks & Rec Downtown Trick-or-Treating event. Courtesy, Todd Selig

FY2024 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IN FINAL STAGES LEADING UP TO PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL ON NOV. 6

Staff within the Administrator's Office and Business Office have continued over the last couple of weeks to be busy vetting the requested budgets from departments and external organizations as well as municipal committees for the Town's fiscal year 2024 (1/1/24 - 12/31/24). Increased spending requests total approximately $1.4 million on a $18.3 million budget, a percentage increase of 7.73%. This would have a tax rate impact of approximately 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, an increase of 4.36%. In conformance with Council goals, the Administrator is working to achieve a tax rate increase of 0% or less. The consumer price index increase for August is 3.7% for the United States.

Administrator Selig has until the last business day in October to submit a proposed FY2024 budget to the Council.

The Town Council will then have until the last business day in December to adopt a budget of its own. If no budget is adopted, the Administrator’s proposal becomes the budget of the Town by default.  

Quite a few families got in on the fun! Courtesy, Todd Selig

WAGON HILL FARM PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND TRAIL CONSTRUCTION TO COMMENCE THIS WEEK!

Durham Public Work’s contractor, SumCo Eco Contracting LLC will begin mobilization for the trail and bridge improvement project at Wagon Hill Farm beginning October 27th. The project involves 1) the removal and reconstruction of two existing footbridges 2) restoration of 445 lineal feet of existing walking trails 3) removal of invasive species in the project areas and replanting with native grasses/plants. The construction will require closure and rerouting of trails in the project area over the project timeline which is expected to be completed over the next 60 days.  

The Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire is a non-profit Joint Powers Agency incorporated on October 1, 2021, governed by communities, for communities, empowering towns, cities and counties across New Hampshire to:​

• ​Streamline the process for authorizing a Community Power program locally.
• Share services and staff support across member cities, towns and counties.
• Participate in joint power solicitations and local project development opportunities.
• Share knowledge and collaborate regionally on clean energy and resilient infrastructure development.
• Speak with one voice at the Legislature and Public Utilities Commission on public advocacy issues related to energy and Community Power.

As of June 30, 2023, the Coalition was made up of thirty-five municipalities and one county member. Durham was a founding member.

​Coalition Membership is open to all New Hampshire cities, towns, counties, and regionally operated Community Power Aggregations.

​There are no upfront costs to join the Coalition for Durham. The expense of launching and operating each member’s Community Power program will be repaid after program launch, through electricity rates, and the revenues received from participating customers in each program.

The Town Council at its meeting on September 27, 2021, unanimously authorized Administrator Selig to sign a Joint Powers Agreement and join the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPC-NH). By doing so, Durham joined other New Hampshire towns and cities in the effort to develop and implement Community Power Aggregation. The Council also appointed a representative and alternate to the CPC-NH Board of Directors, which are currently held by Durham residents Steve Holmgren and Todd Selig, respectively.

The Durham Community Power Plan was adopted by the Town Council on October 3rd, 2022, and approved by the NH Public Utilities Commission on December 12th, 2022. Implementation of Durham Community Power may proceed subsequent to Town Council adoption of agreements with CPC-NH and approval of policies governing risk management, rate setting, and accrual and use of financial reserves associated with the program. Town Council approval of these policies and agreements delegates authority to CPC-NH to provide comprehensive services for energy procurement, retail data management and billing, customer service, and other services necessary to launch and administer Durham Community Power.

A separate Cost Sharing Agreement will ensure fair and proportional cost sharing among CPC-NH Members. It establishes a menu of services members may select from, defines categories of costs, requires monthly cost reporting, and provides operational clarity to all parties. By adopting the Cost Sharing Agreement Member Services Contract for the Complete Service Bundle, Durham would formally select CPCNH to provide comprehensive Community Power services. The Risk, Rates, and Reserves policies ensure financial safeguards in power procurement, describe how electric rates are set, and establish targets for accrual of financial reserves and how they may be used by and on behalf of Members.

Approvals at this stage in the process will position Durham to launch its Community Power Program through CPC-NH as part of CPC-NH’s estimated February/March/April 2024 offerings yet will still enable Administrator Selig, as the Authorized Officer, to delay up until the launch date should any concerns or issues come to light. 

Program Summary: In a nutshell, the Town’s goal is to move all electrical accounts in Durham (both public and private) not already contracted to another party to Durham Community Power as the default electricity provider, procuring energy through CPC-NH, at a price that is no more (and ideally less) expensive than Eversource (and in a few cases possibly New Hampshire Electric Co-Op), and contains a higher percentage of green renewable power than currently offered by Eversource (now at the state minimum green renewable content standard of 23.4%).  We anticipate that Durham will be able to launch at a green renewable mix of 33.4% or better. Customers would then be able either increase or decrease their renewable percentage by opting up or down to suit their own needs based upon pricing versus renewable content. Increasing the percentage of green power (wind, solar, etc.) servicing Durham will help Durham achieve our local Climate Action Plan goals.

In any case, this has been a long road over several years involving numerous volunteer and staff hours and it's exciting that the plan may finally be coming together in a positive way to help address climate change at the local level.

On Sunday, November 12, at 2:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers the Durham Historic Association is sponsoring a special presentation by Pamela Weeks on Civil War Soldiers’ Quilts. Pamela Weeks is the Binney Family Curator of the New England Quilt Museum. She is the author of the book Civil War Quilts, as well as numerous articles on quilt history. She lectures nationally on quilt-making and quilt history, using quilts to tell stories of the Civil War, women’s history, and industrial history. Weeks is a former resident of Durham and previously served as a Director for the Durham Historic Association.

Quilts made for use by soldiers during the Civil War are very rare--only twenty are known to exist, and Ms. Weeks has studied most of them in person. Ms. Weeks’ illustrated lecture will outline the origins of the U.S. Sanitary Commission at the beginning of the Civil War and will examine the roles women played on the home front, and as nurses. The stories of fourteen actual Civil War soldiers' quilts will be highlighted in this program.

This event is sponsored by the Durham Historic Association and provided by New Hampshire Humanities. This event is open to the general public. Refreshments will be served.

A hearty and enthusiastic group of scouts from Durham’s Troop 154 worked with Land Stewardship Coordinator, Sara Callaghan, to remove glossy buckthorn at Doe Farm. Glossy buckthorn is an invasive species introduced from Eurasia for creating hedgerows and was touted as a good landscaping shrub for wildlife. It has several characteristics that allow it to out-compete native plants: it leafs out earlier in the spring and drops its leaves later in the fall than most native woody deciduous plants, it is shade tolerant, can survive in a wide variety of habitats and produces large amounts of seeds that can remain viable for up to 6 years.

Scouts hand pulled small seedlings and used a weed wrench to pull out larger ones in an area recently harvested for red pine. The goal was to release the native hardwood seedlings, including maples and oaks, in the hopes that they can become established.

For more information about glossy buckthorn, visit UNH Cooperative Extensions website on invasives HERE.

A big thanks to Troop 154 for their volunteer efforts!

STRAFFORD COUNTY TO LAUNCH ‘OPERATION GREEN LIGHT’ IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL VETERANS

In advance of the upcoming Veterans Day holiday, Strafford County announced that county buildings would be illuminated green November 5th through the 12th as part of Operation Green Light, a new national collaborative initiative of the National Association of Counties (NACo) to support military veterans, as well as raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by many veterans and the resources that are available at the county, state, and federal level to assist veterans and their families.

In addition to lighting county buildings, residents and businesses are encouraged to participate by simply changing one light bulb in their house to a green bulb. This can be an exterior light that neighbors and passersby see, or an interior light that sparks a conversation with friends.

By shining a green light, we let our veterans know that they are seen, appreciated, and supported. While this event is focused around the week of Veterans Day (November 5th -12th), participants are encouraged to continue shining the light year-round. Residents can share their participation on social media using the hashtag #OperationGreenLight. 

A couple of Barbies enjoyed the Parks & Rec Downtown Trick-or-Treating event. Courtesy, Todd Selig

Fall decorations are often completely compostable but unfortunately never make it to a compost pile. Instead, they end up in trash bags and trash cans heading directly to the local landfill. In fact, by some estimates, three-quarters or more of all compostable fall decorations end up in a landfill each year! This costs our town (and us) money in landfill tipping fees to dispose of the waste and leads to more methane gas emissions. 

From pumpkins, gourds and squash, to corn stalks, flowering annuals and container plants, fall decorations are the perfect ingredients for filling a compost bin. 

In particular, not only do (unpainted) pumpkins, gourds and squash break down quickly, their larger size adds a tremendous amount of bulk material to a compost pile. In addition, they are an excellent source of nitrogen, and add beneficial bacteria to the compost to help break it down fast.

Source: Oldworldgardenfarms.com

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee 

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.

Durham's Sergeant Cazeau & Detective Bolton enjoyed interacting with future law enforcement at the Parks & Rec Downtown Trick-or-Treat event. Courtesy, Todd Selig

Durham Public Works Team members attended the NHPWA meeting on October 26th. Topics presented included ADA designs and going beyond compliance, an update on state and municipal electric vehicle initiatives and a presentation from NHDOT Commissioner William Cass focusing on NHDOT project and program updates.

Following receipt of funding from the stormwater asset management grant, a team consisting of members from Durham Public Works and engineering consultant Environmental Partners began the field work and condition assessment of the Town’s stormwater management infrastructure. This includes catch basins, manholes, culverts, inlets, and outfalls.  Using the ESRI platform and collaboration tool, GIS program administrator Steve Lutterman has developed a method to create a GIS database for this information that will be invaluable for capital and project planning, along with system maintenance.  

Detective Bolton started her career as a patrol officer before assuming the role of Problem Oriented Policing (POP) officer. Emily has excelled in every assignment, and we are confident she will excel in her new role. Detective Bolton takes over the role of Detective after Carrington Cazeau was promoted from Detective to Sergeant. After a selection process, the department will select a replacement for Detective Bolton’s former POP Officer position.

Congratulations Emily!  

The cotton candy was a popular snack during the Halloween event on Main St. Courtesy, Todd Selig

MCGREGOR EMS OFFERS FREE HOME VISITS FOR THOSE WITH ASTHMA

McGregor EMS recently received funding from the NH Asthma Control Program to support people with asthma through home visits. Visits are tailored to the needs of the individual but can include (1) help identifying or minimizing triggers in the home (2) review of symptoms and treatments (3) help with existing asthma action plans (4) help with how to take your asthma medications. Visits are funded entirely through the grant and are offered at no cost to the patient or community. Insurance is not required. Questions regarding the program can be emailed to asthma@mcgregorems.org

To sign up for a visit, please fill out the secure form available HERE. McGregor will contact you to schedule an appointment.

On Saturday, October 21, 2023, the Durham Fire Department hosted an open house at the fire station. In keeping with National Fire Prevention month, which occurs annually during the month of October, the open house hopes to bring awareness to the importance of fire prevention in the home and in the community. This year’s event theme “Cooking safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention” focused on cooking safety; offering simple but important steps that you can take to help reduce the risk of fire when cooking at home. 

Local families attended the event which included a hose demonstration, tours of the fire apparatus, fun photo opportunities and a visit from Smokey the Bear. Children attending the event were delighted to receive their red junior fire hats and badges.

The Fire Department appreciates the dedication and commitment of the members who organized and participated in this event as well as the support of community members who attended the event. The Department also wishes to thank members of Theta Chi who assisted with the event.  

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 #42

Smokey would like to pass on some more Family Fall Safety tips.

Click HERE for some helpful tips.

Oyster River Parents and Preschoolers (ORPP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit preschooler activity group open to all families in the Oyster River school district (the towns of Durham, Madbury, and Lee) with at least one child not yet in kindergarten.  

Throughout the school year, ORPP members organize community tours, playground meetups, farm visits and nature hikes for children and their caregivers on weekdays, parents gathering in the evenings/weekends, and whole family get-togethers on the weekends. Some examples of past activities include apple picking at Butternut Farm, touring the Durham fire station, a flower planting workshop at Wentworth Greenhouse, exploring the insect collection at UNH, holiday sleigh rides at Coppal House, and countless playground meetups and local hikes in the area. Members volunteer their time and knowledge to introduce children and families to the wonders of the Oyster River area and beyond. Each year the group also makes a rotating donation to one of the three towns - past donations include an adaptive swing for Woodridge playground in Durham, a feature in the Madbury Library nature playground, and a rink liner for the Lee ice skating rink. 

For a nominal annual membership fee, families may join online HERE.  

The cotton candy production team deserves a lot of credit. It was a sticky job! Courtesy, Todd Selig

OYSTER RIVER HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT GRADUATION: COMMUNITY SUPPORT NEEDED!

This annual all-night event promotes a safe, substance-free evening for graduating seniors. It is the most inclusive night of the year, as it is free to all seniors! This event is not sponsored/paid for by the school and organizers need to raise funds to pay for all 216 students to attend, at a cost of around $150 per student. This event is especially important for this senior class, whose 8th grade milestones (i.e., DC trip, dance, graduation) were entirely canceled due to COVID.

There are THREE ways community members can support Project Graduation:

PURCHASE A HOLIDAY WREATH

LOCALS get FREE DELIVERY to your house ALL Thanksgiving week this year (except on Thanksgiving day). So if family is coming to visit, they TOO can buy their wreaths and take them home with them! Some big gun designer decorators have been lined up, so expectations are high on design! All proceeds go to the ORHS Senior Class 2024 Project Graduation. Learn more and purchase wreaths HERE.

DONATE USED CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

Through a partnership with the Savers FUNDrive Program, Project Graduation will receive money for every pound of clothing and household items donated. We are asking the community to bag up all coats, clothes, shoes, books, magazines - any household items you don’t use - and let the members of Project Graduation 2024 come take everything away before December 1!  There will also be times to drop off items on October 30 and November 13. Click HERE for further information on drop off times and what items can be donated.

MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION HERE.  Own a business? Contact us about how to become a corporate sponsor.    

A "spider" dog at the Parks & Rec Downtown Trick-or-Treating event. Courtesy, Todd Selig

ORCSD SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE SPECIAL EVENT

On November 6, 2023, from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. the ORCSD Sustainability Committee invites Oyster River students, parents, caregivers, and community members to a unique event hosted in the concert hall of the Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Drive). Join in to view the abridged 45-minutes long version of the acclaimed documentary "Kiss the Ground" (winner of 25 awards). The movie will be followed by student presentations about their school's sustainability practices and a panel conversation. 

Always good to have the Incredible Hulk around when you need him! Courtesy, Todd Selig

OYSTER RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HOST VETERAN'S DAY BREAKFAST

Oyster River Middle School Principal Bill Sullivan invites veterans, active military, and service providers from Durham, Lee, and Madbury to attend a celebration in honor of Veteran's Day on Thursday, November 9, 2023, starting at 9:00 a.m. with a breakfast provided by the Oyster River Middle School PTO and Culinary Team at the Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Drive).

Please RSVP for this event by clicking HERE.