“FRIDAY UPDATES-POWER RESTORATION UPDATE”

Thursday, December 18, 2008

 

 

UNH Sorority, Kappa Delta made its annual delivery to the Durham Police of dozens of teddy bears.  Kappa Delta sisters obtain the bears knowing that they provide solace as well as forge a bond between police and a child in crisis.  The bears have become a normal part of police interaction with young children after a study conducted by “Caring for Children Inc., a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, determined that giving the bears “is a way of hugging a child without physically hugging them'' as the teddy bear is a familiar transitional object for children that offers security and can ease traumatic situations.  Each of Durham’s patrol cars will have bears that can be distributed in the aftermath of a vehicle accident or any other incident where having an object like a teddy bear can be calming.

 

 

FINAL POWER OUTAGE UPDATE

How Much of Durham is Still Without Power?

At the present time, we have approximately 35-60 individual household services without power in Durham.  PSNH service crews have been working on these areas throughout the day. 

 

Updated Roadway Closures/Obstructions

The following roadways remain either partially or completely closed due to downed power lines:  

 

All roadways in Durham are now open!

 

How Much $ Has Durham Expended Over the Course of the Storm

As of Tuesday of this week, the Town of Durham had expended over $40,000 in overtime, supplies, fuel, and materials associated with the ice storm/power outage.  All of our departments are tracking these expenditures for what we hope will be future reimbursement under the Federal disaster declaration for the State of New Hampshire. 

 

Kudos to UNH for Standing With Durham Residents During the Power Outage

A thank you is extended to President Mark Huddleston and the entire staff at the University of New Hampshire for opening the campus so fully to the Durham community during the ongoing power outage.  Many residents took advantage of showers at the Hamel Recreation Center, enjoyed entertainment at the MUB, and ate meals at Holloway Commons.  By charging Durham residents $5 for an adult/$2.50 for a child for meals at Holloway, UNH sold meals well below the actual cost of food production.  When this fact was discussed during a UNH Emergency Group meeting on campus late Sunday afternoon involving Todd Selig, President Huddleston made it clear that during such an emergency situation, UNH needed to do what it could to be supportive of the residents of the broader community who were so deeply impacted by the storm event.  This kind of cooperation is indicative of increasing cooperation and collaboration between UNH and Durham.  On behalf of the broader community, thank you.

 

Appreciation Extended to Oyster River Cooperative School District and the Great Bay Chapter of the Red Cross

The ORSD and the Great Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross were just fantastic in opening a shelter at the High School for many days on end with little advance notice.  In particular, Red Cross Shelter Manager and Durham Resident Mary McCrae was amazing -- remaining at the shelter day and night to care for residents.  Durham resident and Red Cross volunteer Carly Hellen was also at the shelter for many hours, as were others from Durham who pitched in to help out.  Several Red Cross volunteers traveled from as far away as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut to help at the shelter in Durham.  ORSD Business Manager Blaine Cox, the High School custodial staff, and the High School food service staff were also magnificent in providing whatever the Red Cross needed.  Once again, thank you.

 

Do Not Assume PSNH Knows You Have No Power!

Individuals who do not have power should contact Public Service of New Hampshire on a daily basis until power is restored at  1-800-662-7764.  In addition, individuals who still do not have power should let the Town know by contacting the Town Clerk's Office at 868-5577 (Fax: 868-8033) or by emailing us daily until power is restored at jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.  Each day we are forwarding our confirmed list of outages to PSNH for resolution. 

 

What to do with Brush/Limbs?

The Public Works Department will open our Packers Falls Road gravel pit located on Packers Falls Road in Lee from 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Tuesday (12/16/08) through Saturday (12/20/08) for residents who wish to dispose of brush and tree debris/limbs.  For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 868-5578.

 

PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULE

There are no public meetings scheduled for the week of December 22-26, 2008

 

Churchill Rink AT JACKSON’S LANDING PUBLIC SCHEDULE

Holiday Skate for all ages!

Saturday, Dec. 20, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. FREE!

 

Public skating - times offered every day

Stick and Puck – Monday – Friday and Sunday

Pick Up Hockey – Monday – Friday and Sunday

 

Call the rink for times:  868-3907, or visit our new website at www.churchillrink.org.

 

BOY SCOUT TROOP 154 ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE SALE

Durham Boy Scout Troop 154 will be selling Christmas trees and popcorn at the Durham Market Place plaza again this year.  Trees are available on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM each day.  This is Troop 154’s major fundraiser of the season.

 

A WORD FROM SHAKESPEARE…

The following was submitted from a couple of senior citizens who prefer to be known as Puddy and Hannah:

 

More than four hundred years ago, during the "little ice age", Shakespeare celebrated the mixed pains and pleasures of winter in a poem that's relevant to our recent ice storm:

 

When icicles hang by the wall,

And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,

And Tom bears logs into the hall,

And milk comes frozen home in pail,

When blood is nipped, and ways be foul,

Then nightly sings the staring owl,

To-whit! To-Whoo!--a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

 

When all aloud the wind doth blow,

And coughing drowns the parson's saw,

And birds sit brooding in the snow,

And Marian's nose looks red and raw,

When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,

Then nightly sings the staring owl,

To-whit! To-Whoo!--a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

 

In our household, we hauled in wood for the stove that supplied our heat--and buckets of pond water to flush our toilets.  No steaming crabapples hissed in a bowl beside our fire, but my wife's apple and pecan pies cooking in a makeshift Dutch oven on the woodstove filled the house with fragrance--and we keeled (i.e., skimmed) pots of soup or stew on that stove.

 

Have a nice weekend.

 

Todd

 

Todd I. Selig, Administrator
Town of Durham
15 Newmarket Road
Durham, New Hampshire 03824
Tel (603) 868-5571
Fax (603) 868-5572
tselig@ci.durham.nh.us
www.ci.durham.nh.us

 

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