Friday Updates - February 9, 2024

Friday, February 9, 2024

An icy view from the Town Hall entryway on January 25th. Courtesy, Todd Selig

Valentine’s Day (February 14) is when sweethearts express their affection with greetings and gifts. Given their similarities, Britannica Encyclopedia suggests that the holiday has origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February. The festival, which celebrated the coming of spring, included fertility rites and the pairing off of partners by lottery. At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I forbid the celebration of Lupercalia and is sometimes attributed with replacing it with St. Valentine’s Day, but the true origin of the holiday is vague at best. Valentine’s Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century.

Whatever the origins, wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day next Wednesday!

ANNUAL EVALUATION FOR ADMINISTRATOR SELIG COMPLETED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL

The Town Council reviewed Administrator Selig’s 2023 Annual Evaluation on Monday evening, February 5, 2024, in public session. The review will continue at the next Town Council meeting, Monday, February 19, 2024. As has been Mr. Selig’s practice, the consolidated Council evaluation document, as well as individual Councilor evaluations and discussion, have been made public at his option and are currently posted on the Town web site HERE. Mr. Selig has made his annual evaluation public since he began working for the Town in 2001 as its manager. 

On January 8, 2024, the Council began the process for conducting Administrator Selig’s annual performance evaluation. Councilors decided to continue with the same process used in recent years in which the Council utilizes a one-page evaluation form/matrix outlining key elements of importance and ranking the administrator’s performance (on a scale of 1 to 5) for each element, which includes five categories: 

1. Ability to maintain or improve strong relationships
2. Financial oversight
3. Leadership
4. Initiative
5. Other

Rankings included: 5=Excellent, 4=Very Good, 3=Good, 2=Acceptable, 1=Unacceptable.

Mr. Selig’s average consolidated scores over the past fourteen years are as follows:

2010 - 4.3; 2011 - 4.4; 2012 - 4.5; 2013 - 4.0; 2014 - 4.3; 2015 - 4.4; 2016 - 4.5; 2017 - 4.8; 2018 - 4.6; 2019 - 4.65; 2020 - 4.8; 2021 - 4.7, 2022 - 4.9 & 2023 - 4.8.

Mr. Selig is currently under a 9-year employment contract with the Town of Durham through December 31, 2025.  The Council and Mr. Selig have begun conversations around a successor agreement.

Assessor Jim Rice was recognized by the Town Council on Monday, February 5, 2024, prior to his upcoming retirement on February 29, 2024. Jim began working for the Town of Durham in 2009 as a contract assessor. He was subsequently hired by the Town as the full-time assessor in 2013. Jim has accomplished much in his time with the Town of Durham. He worked with an outside contractor to fully update the Town’s Tax Maps in 2022, and he has overseen three Town revaluations with the most recent revaluation being a full measure and list of all properties in Durham. The Town's new Assessor, Jay Ferreira, has already begun working with Jim to learn about the Town and its assessing procedures. The Town wishes Jim and his family the very best for his retirement!

WORKFORCE HOUSING AMENDMENTS BEING PROPOSED FOR THE ZONING ORDINANCE - Durham is taking local action to evaluate ways to facilitate additional housing types without harming other important local priorities such as conservation, character of the downtown, agriculture, local history, preventing sprawl, sustainability, our pastoral gateways, etc.

The Durham Housing Task Force has prepared a set of proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, including the rezoning of one parcel of land, to accommodate Workforce Housing in the Research-Industry Districts. This change would not affect the four residential districts. The proposal will be presented to the Planning Board on February 14. The board will then likely schedule a public hearing on the proposal, or it could make revisions at its option. To download a set of these amendments, please click HERE. Please feel free to contact Michael Behrendt, Town Planner, with any questions about this proposal at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us

Town officials are closely following several proposed bills in Concord related to housing that could have a significant impact upon Durham. There is a housing shortage in New Hampshire, created over many years across the state, and the Town appreciates the extensive efforts of House and Senate members to search for solutions. 

Staff are watching the progress of bills that could be beneficial for the state, as proposed or with amendments; other bills that are probably neutral in their effect on Durham; and others that could be harmful, do not offer real benefits and should therefore be killed. Administrator Selig and staff are in contact with Durham’s representatives, officials from other college towns in the state, and the New Hampshire Municipal Association about these proposals.

(HB means the bill is proposed in the NH House and SB means it is proposed in the NH Senate.)

HB 1281 is of particular concern.  It would substantially reduce the ability of municipalities to set limits on the number of unrelated occupants in a house or dwelling unit (It does not limit the number of occupants in a family). In most of Durham’s zoning districts there is not allowed more than three unrelated occupants in a unit. This ordinance has been extremely effective for many years in protecting the town's neighborhoods. Durham is a college town and UNH students are, of course, an essential and valued part of our community. However, students often have a different lifestyle than nonstudents; and student residences, especially with a larger number of occupants, can sometimes be disruptive to neighbors. HB 1281 would strike down Durham's no more than 3-unrelated zoning provision. The Administrator wrote a letter of opposition to this bill which can be read HERE. If you would like to write to the House Municipal and County Government Committee (the committee current reviewing HB 1281) concerning this bill, you can use the email address HouseMunicipalandCountyGovt@leg.state.nh.us.

SB 527 is also of great concern. This proposal as originally submitted would undermine the ability of cities and towns to regulate student housing. The Town communicated its concerns regarding the draft bill. An amendment to the bill now establishes a committee to study options for student housing.

HB 1291 could be helpful in New Hampshire in addressing the housing crisis, but it would have some impact on Durham. Several years ago, the state passed a law requiring municipalities to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in all zoning districts that allow single family housing. The Town supported that change because Durham was already receptive to ADUs, although many other municipalities were not. ADUs are an excellent tool for providing housing and they can fit into a neighborhood unobtrusively. Arguably, a push from the state was needed to work around the resistance in some communities to allowing ADUs. Nonetheless, most such proposals can have wide reaching consequences, and they must be carefully crafted and adopted only after taking input from local leaders who understand their local situation best. The Town believes that Concord did that in the case of that current ADU law, which Durham actually helped to craft. HB 1291 would go further, requiring municipalities to allow a second unit on single-family lots. This proposal is somewhat controversial, but there are a few built-in provisions that could give towns flexibility in implementing the requirement. The Town is watching this proposal carefully. 

SB 538, another bill written to pave the way for additional housing irrespective of local considerations, may inappropriately increase density in flood zones, climate risk areas (sea level rise or groundwater level rise), and wildlife risk areas. Another concern is that placing the majority of land in a municipality on a +/- 1-acre lot minimum will break up too many large parcels that have significant value for agricultural or future conservation potential and increase sprawl. And to put the issue further into context with an example: Durham currently has large lot minimums in our coastal and rural zones, and we also restrict how frequently curb cuts can be added in those rural areas and how many subdivided lots can be added to each driveway (porkchop subdivisions). The belief from our Master Plan is that these measures discourage sprawl, encourage a semi-rural character, and protect those lands for future agricultural or conservation use. If lot sizes are changed by state law to a +/- 1 acre minimum in a one size fits all statewide solution, will that also invalidate the part of Durham's zoning ordinance that restricts curb cuts and porkchop subdivisions, thereby threatening the Town's semi-rural character and will likely result in the loss of agricultural and open space lands.

There are several other bills in Concord which would provide incentives and funding to cities and towns, as well as developers, to accommodate and build workforce housing, without imposing any requirements. The Town supports and applauds those efforts.

The Town of Durham continues project planning to remove the Mill Pond Dam on the Oyster River (also referred to as the Oyster River Dam at Mill Pond) due to concerns regarding its structural integrity and stability and to improve habitat for anadromous fish. The proposed work will include the restoration of the Oyster River channel upstream of the dam and invasive species management in the drained impoundment area. A planting plan has also been developed to improve post-construction aesthetics while the project area revegetates. The project is funded by more than $4.0 million in state and federal grants.

A Standard Dredge and Fill Wetlands Permit Application will be submitted to the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) today (February 9, 2024) for the proposed work. This review will ensure that this project complies will all applicable state and federal environmental regulations related to wetlands and streams. Permitting through the NHDES Shoreland Program will also occur for impacts proposed within the 250-foot Protected Shoreland of the Oyster River, beyond the limits of Mill Pond. Among the numerous ecological benefits, this restoration project will improve upstream fish passage, restore the natural functions and values of the Oyster River, increase habitat diversity, and allow tidal flow to extend farther upstream. Extensive coordination with various parties (such as the NHDES, US Army Corps of Engineers, NH Natural Heritage Bureau, NH Fish and Game Department, NH Division of Historical Resources, Durham Conservation Commission, and many others) has been crucial for the permitting process and will be ongoing throughout construction.

The dam removal is subject to review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires the federal agencies leading the project to identify and evaluate the impacts the project may have on historic and archaeological resources. Section 106 is a four step consultation processes, and as part of that process the Town, US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NH Division of Historical Resources (NHDHR) have been regularly meeting with a large number of “consulting parties,” which include property owners, the Durham Historic District/Heritage Commission, Durham Historic Association, Tribal representatives, conservation organizations, and others with an interest in historic resources. The agencies and consulting parties have worked through the first three steps, identifying the historic and archaeological resources through research and surveys and assessing the adverse effects that would be caused by the dam’s removal. The next consulting party meeting is scheduled for March 26, 2024, where the Town, agencies, and consulting parties will continue discussing potential measures that will be taken to mitigation the adverse effect caused by the project. These mitigation measures will be written into a Memorandum of Agreement to be signed by the Town, NHDHR, NOAA, and the Corps.

The Town is planning to advertise the project for construction bids. Given the complex nature of dam removal and river restoration construction, only bids from prequalified contractors will be considered. First, interested contractors will be invited to submit a prequalification statement demonstrating relevant experience with successful projects as well as sufficient staff and equipment to complete the work. After the Town and VHB have identified qualified contractors, full bid documents will be made available for qualified contractors to submit competitive bids for construction.

The project team is also working on two related efforts – improving fish passage on the Oyster Reservoir Dam (the “UNH Dam”) upstream of the Mill Pond Dam, and planning improvements to the Mill Pond Park to adapt that public space to the restored Oyster River. Project renderings of the Oyster River, following channel restoration, along with the preservation of the historic abutment, which includes a single Ambursen style dam cell, are shown above as examples.

Depending on a number of factors, the Town hopes to begin removing the dam and restoring the river as soon as this summer. More information about this project along with the wetlands permit application and full renderings are available through the Town's website HERE.

AMTRAK DOWNEASTER SEES INCREASE IN RIDERSHIP TO/FROM DURHAM/UNH STATION IN 2023

2023 saw a 12% increase in ridership to/from Durham to over 53,000 trips. October was the highest month OF Durham-UNH ridership in eight years at over 7,600 travelers. College Six-Trip passes valid for 12 months continue for 2024 @ $96.

Separately, UNH plans to issue an RFQ/P for station enhancement architect services in mid-2024.

ZIPCAR TO RESTORE SECOND VEHICLE TO DURHAM/UNH FLEET

The Town has been notified that ZipCar plans to restore a second car to the campus/town fleet this spring. To find out more about the flexibility of carshare at UNH go the ZipCar website HERE or download the App. First Month membership is free with the code MONTHOFF.

This year's Town Report celebrates the 50th anniversary of public skating at Jackson's Landing. Printed Town Reports are available in the Town Clerk's Office at the Town Hall as well as the Durham Public Library. To read the Town Report online, please click HERE.

2023 YEAR END GROSS WAGES COMPILED FOR DURHAM

We have compiled and uploaded the 2023 year-end gross wages for Durham on our web site as we do every year. This information can be accessed HERE.

While the Town is under no obligation to do so, Administrator Selig believes it is important for the community to be able to easily understand what public employees and officials are paid by the municipality in a completely open manner. Business Manager Gail Jablonski therefore annually prepares the costs of full time, part-time, overtime wages, and other compensation-related payments. 

OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO HELP WITH PROPERTY TAXES

If you are in a situation where you are finding it difficult to pay property taxes, there are programs that have been adopted by the Town of Durham that may be of assistance. These programs are in the form of property tax exemptions, credits, low to moderate income tax relief, and property tax deferrals for the elderly and disabled. Information and applications pertaining to these programs can be found on the right-hand menu of the Town of Durham Assessing website HERE. 

Tax deferrals for the elderly and disabled are due March 1, 2024. Applications for tax exemptions and credits are due by April 15, 2024.

If you have any questions, please contact the Durham Assessor’s Office at (603) 868-8064.  

ASSESSOR TO INSPECT PROPERTIES ISSUED BUILDING PERMITS IN 2023 & 2024

Durham’s new municipal assessor, Jay Ferreira will be inspecting all properties in Durham that were issued building permits between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024 for new construction, renovations and demolition projects.     

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

The Durham Historic District/Heritage Commission is hosting three roundtable discussions in early 2024 to talk about the Oyster River Massacre Marker and potential revised language for the marker. The marker was removed from its location on Newmarket Road several years ago by NH Historic Resources and NHDOT, along with numerous other signs statewide, pending a re-evaluation of the appropriateness of certain existing markers. See the picture of the former sign above. The first roundtable discussion was on January 18. You can see a video recording of the meeting HERE. The next meeting is on February 15 in the Council Chambers in Durham Town Hall from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The Town of Durham has hired Charlotte Bacon and Barbara Will of Montgomery Will Consulting to facilitate a conversation about the sign, potential new language for the sign, and how the community might address broader related issues more effectively.  

The NH Division of Historical Resources had solicited feedback from several interested parties over the last year in working to formulate revised language for the marker, but no agreement has been reached among the parties. To view the various draft suggested language proposals received to date, click HERE.

In order to help address the issue, the Durham Historic District/Heritage Commission (HDC/HC) offered to host discussions among the stakeholders. NHDHR, in coordination with NHDOT, will make the final determination about how to handle the marker but they will likely defer to any consensus reached in these discussions.

Larry Brickner-Wood, chair of the HDC, will chair the meetings. Two representatives from the HDC, Human Rights Commission, District Historic Association, NH Division of Historical Resources, and NH DOT, along with the chair of the NH Commission on Native American Affairs and a representative of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki People will participate.

These meetings will be open to the public, but due to limited time, there will probably not be an opportunity for members of the general public to share comments at the meetings. Any interested person is welcome to send a note to Town Planner, Michael Behrendt at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us.

We have a significant amount of history and intriguing commentary about this issue on the Town’s website by clicking HERE.

For the entire month of February, purchase this reusable Community bag for $2.50 at the Hannaford in Mill Road Plaza, Durham, and Hannaford will donate $1.00 to The Friends of the Durham Library.

Oyster River Community Read (ORCR), a grassroots collaboration aimed at using books as tools to help foster connections and build common understandings among community members, will be taking place from February through April 2024.

This year’s Read will feature two books that address the topic of poverty: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver and Poverty, by America, by Matthew Desmond. The Durham, Madbury, Lee, and Newmarket libraries will have books available for patrons. ORCR will offer a variety of free, weekly programs that address poverty, including its roots, the systems that perpetuate it, and ways to overcome it. In panel discussions, book groups, podchats, selected films, lectures, and an original reading by Prof. David Richman, the community is invited

to examine the relationships between poverty and mental health, homelessness, public policy, food insecurity, and addiction. According to Madbury Public Librarian, Susan Sinnott, “In 2023, these two very different books about the causes and effects of poverty became bestsellers. The library is exactly the place to explore the many facets of this troubling and urgent subject.”

ORCR was generously funded this year by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Thorland Fund and Charlie Bucket Fund, the Rotary Club of Durham-Great Bay, New Hampshire Humanities, the Trustees of the Durham Public Library, and the Friends of the Madbury Public Library. The kick-off event will include a soup social, live music by The Chickenshack Bluegrass Band, and a presentation by our local food pantries. We invite guests to bring non-perishable items to the event which will be held on Friday, February 9, from 6pm-8pm at St. Thomas More Center on 6 Madbury Rd, Durham. To RSVP and to see the full calendar of events, visit the Oyster River Community Read website HERE.

FRUIT TREE PRUNING WORKSHOPS TO BE HELD IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH

With the Durham Agricultural Commissions' endorsement, a series of fruit tree pruning workshops are being held in the months of February and March within the watershed community. Join in reconnecting with the landscape to restore and recommit relationships to place. These workshops will be held in different locations on Saturdays from 1-4pm. During the workshop techniques and practices of pruning will be discussed with fellow community member Bryan Cassidy, who will support participants in actively engaging in pruning in the later part of the workshop. Bryan believes that pruning fruit trees benefits the ecosystem (wildlife and human) through shelter, fruit, and health but maybe more importantly our interdependence of belonging and supporting the abundant gifts that come from a little attention close at hand and foot.

 When: Saturdays 1-4pm.

• February 17th: Emery Farm (older apples) 147 Piscataqua Rd, Durham, NH
• February 24th: LaRoche Farm (varying ages of apples) 41 Bennett Road Durham NH
• March 2nd: Tuckaway Farm (blueberries) 36 Captain Smith Emerson Rd, Lee, NH

What to bring: Wardrobe for the weather, water/snacks, and any tools available to you (loppers, pruning saw, pole saw, gloves, safety glasses to prevent falling wood shavings from saw cuts.) 

Cost: These workshops will be by donation to welcome all who are interested without a fee for entrance. Any donation is gratefully accepted by cash or check without any expectation by Bryan.

Please RSVP to bryancassidy77@gmail.com or with any further questions!

The shadows on the path in UNH College Woods creates a "barcode" look. Courtesy, Jean McPeak

Every year, fires caused by improper battery disposal cost over 1.2 billion dollars and threaten the lives of hundreds of waste, recycling, and scrap operators. In fact, the town of Lee had a fire at their transfer station in 2022 due to poor battery disposal.

Along with the risk of fire, batteries that must be recycled are a danger to the environment.

So, what do I do with my batteries?

Staples stores offer free recycling for many battery types:

• Single-use alkaline
• Lithium ion (Li-Ion)
• Nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH)
• Nickel zinc (Ni-ZN)
• Non-rechargeable lithium
• Rechargeable nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd)
• Small sealed lead acid (SSLA/Pb)

Our transfer station in Durham  will accept the following types of batteries for recycling:

• Lithium-ion
• Lead-acid
• Silver Oxide
• Mercury
• Lithium Iron Phosphate
• Nickel-Cadmium
• Nickel-Metal Hydride
• Lithium Polymer
• Zinc-Carbon

Note: Alkaline batteries are also accepted at the transfer station provided the terminals are taped or each unit individually bagged. These are disposed of in the household trash container.

Household single use batteries

Household non-rechargeable single use alkaline and carbon zinc batteries (includes AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt batteries that are non-rechargeable) have a few safe options for disposal: 

• Bring to a local Staples to recycle at no charge.
• Tape the ends and then throw into the regular trash.
• Pay to send in single use batteries for recycling through Call2Recycle.
• Tape or bag separately and bring to the transfer station for disposal in landfill trash.

Other battery types

For information on how to safely dispose of the many other types of batteries (including button cell and rechargeable), please refer to this quick and helpful video created by the Northeast Resource Recovery Association: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

 Source: The Northeast Resource Recovery Association 

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee 

Not sure if an item can be recycled? Check here: www.Recyclesmartma.org

Police Chief Rene Kelley and the team at the DPD have been working over last semester with Dr. Andrew Macpherson and his students at UNH regarding the viability of transitioning the current fleet of hybrid cruisers at the department to all electric. Questions under evaluation include:

• How could EVs help the Police Department/Town of Durham environmental goals?
• Could adoption of EVs result in cost savings for the department?
• Do available EVs meet operational requirements?
• Are such vehicles available for police use?
• What infrastructure would be required for an adoption of EV’s for police use?
• Project limited to operational vehicles (no parking/utility/etc.)
• Class project – 15 weeks

The class provided a progress update on the review this week to the Energy Committee. Dr. Macpherson, a Durham resident, is an assistant professor in security studies at UNH.  

Detective Sergeant John Lavoie of the Durham Police Department guest lectured at an Introduction to Forensic Science class at UNH, instructed by Dr. Bonnie Brown, Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. Sergeant Lavoie has been presenting to the spring semester class for the last three years.  

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 #6

Over the past few weeks, we have learned about calling 911, and how important it is to know our address. Also, what are smoke detectors sound like and when we need to change the batteries. We have decided to have a meeting place when there is an emergency and most important that the whole family has an escape plan for getting out of the house. Now it's time to put it all together, Mom and Dad need to gather up the family and have a fire drill. Afterwards we can all talk about the things we need to fix or improve on. 

For a helpful link on this topic, click HERE.

The Durham Fire Department is hiring for the position of Firefighter/AEMT. The full position posting may be found on the Town’s website HERE or by clicking on the QR code above.

Resumes will be reviewed as submitted. Position to remain open until filled. 

CONSIDER HELPING OYSTER RIVER END 68 HOURS OF HUNGER THROUGH DONATIONS OF FOOD OR MONEY

The Oyster River End 68 Hours of Hunger is the local chapter of a large non-profit organization that provides school aged children with weekly bags of healthy food to supplement the meals they receive at school. The intent is to ensure that no child is hungry over the weekend - during those 68 hours between Friday’s school lunch and Monday’s school breakfast. Even in a relatively privileged community like Oyster River, we have too many children living with food insecurity. With food and fuel prices rising rapidly, more families than ever are struggling to meet their children’s nutritional needs. 

Thanks to the support of local community members, Oyster River End 68 Hours of Hunger has continued to support the children of our community during a time of increased financial stress. We are reaching out to the members of our community for help in sustaining this program. Your donation enables us to continue the delivery of nutritious meals to students who need them across the Oyster River school district, including during the school year and summer. 

You can send a tax-deductible contribution to ORCSD End 68 Hours of Hunger, 33 Coe Drive, Durham, NH 03824. Food donations are accepted at this address as well as at school-sponsored events as posted on the school calendars, when End 68 Hours of Hunger volunteers are present. 

The types of food you can donate (no glass containers) are peanut butter, pretzels, canned beef stew, pasta, ravioli, chili, soup, and beans, Hormel complete meals, nutrition bars, instant oatmeal-individual packet box, juice boxes, small, rather than family sized, cereal boxes, mac and cheese. 

You can find more information HERE.  Ninety-five percent of your donations go to purchasing food for children. Thank you for your generosity!  

ORCSD KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION TO OPEN FEBRUARY 5-13

Oyster River kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year will be open February 5-13, 2024. 

Mast Way Elementary School

• For questions, please contact Christine Nelson by clicking HERE or phone (603) 659-3001, ext. 3300
• Mast Way registration packet is available HERE.

Moharimet Elementary School

• For questions, please contact Helen Holmes by clicking HERE or phone (603) 742-2900, ext. 4302
• Moharimet registration packet is available HERE.

In-person registration information is available on the district website HERE.

OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL BOARD DELIBERATIVE SESSION UPDATE

On February 6, the School Board met for a regular meeting and the annual Deliberative Session. Warrant articles were finalized and can be viewed on the district website HERE. Thank you to all who attended. Voting for the budget, warrant articles, and school board open positions will be held in each town on Election Day March 12, 2024. 

ORCSD PLACES 3rd IN POST PANDEMIC RECOVERY 

The New York Times recently published the results of a study conducted by Sanford and Harvard researchers evaluating grades 3 through 8 math test scores for public school districts in 41 states. The study explored how elementary and middle school students were recovering from pandemic learning losses. You can read the article HERE.

OYSTER RIVER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT PLAYS IN O-D ALL-AMERICAN BOWL

Junior Colton Brisard of Lee was recently selected as the only New Hampshire athlete to participate in the 2023 Offense-Defense High School All American Football Bowl game held in Florida. The event is a showcase of the top football players in the country. Brisard is also a member of the National Honor Society.

UPCOMING OYSTER RIVER SCHOOLS EVENTS

• Lunar New Year Community Day - February 10, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the Oyster River High School Cafeteria
• Moharimet School 3rd Grade Music Festival - February 15, 6:30 p.m. at the Oyster River Middle School Concert Hall
• Mast Way School 2nd Grade Ode to Joy Music and Movement - February 20, 6:00 p.m. at the Oyster River Middle School Concert Hall

APPLY NOW FOR THE 2024 BRIDGES TRAINING SERIES AT UNH

The Bridges Training Series, offered through the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), is an online college and career training series designed to prepare young adults, ages 18–24, with an intellectual and/or developmental disability for higher education, independent living, and careers.

Available Online Trainings:

Tools and Tech for Academic Success

• Learn about computer programs used in college and many workplaces, including Zoom and Microsoft Office.
• Learn about assistive technology that can help you reach your goals.

Setting and Realizing Goals Using Person-Centered Planning

• Set goals for life after high school.
• Learn about person-centered planning.
• Learn to problem solve and advocate to reach your goals.

Healthy and Social Aspects of Life

• Learn about different parts of being healthy and well as an adult, including social well-being, spiritual well-being, financial well-being, and well-being at work.

Next Steps in Person-Centered Planning

• Make a plan for career and employment OR college.
• Identify next steps for your goals.
• Learn about and identify the people and resources who will help you reach your goals.

Have Questions? Check out the FAQs on the website HERE. Please contact IOD.Bridges@unh.edu if you have further questions.