Friday Updates - January 23, 2026

Friday, January 23, 2026

Viburnum berries in the snow Courtesy, Carol Birch

Snow showers and possibly snow squalls and frigid temperatures will impact areas from the mountains to the coast this afternoon into the evening. Confidence is also increasing that significant snowfall and continued frigid temperatures (wind chill of -17 degrees) will occur Sunday afternoon through Monday evening. Due to this incoming weather, some scheduling changes have been made:

• The Conservation Commission has rescheduled their meeting from January 26 to February 4.
• The Tour & Listening Session scheduled for January 26 at Moharimet School has been rescheduled to March 2, 6:00-8:00 p.m. View the updated Tour & Listening Sessions schedule HERE.

The winter newsletter for the Lamprey River Advisory Committee is out! You can download it HERE.

The Boston Globe recently published an article on the increase of parents using AI to help with their parenting. Tara Ryan, a Durham resident and founder of Confidantemoms.com, was featured along with Caren Cioffi, the founder of Agenda Hero scheduling software, which we use for Friday Update events. You can see the article HERE.

Finally, Durham and UNH are coordinating in advance of the forecasted severe cold/heavy snow for potential power outages Sunday into Monday. We're working to identify a possible on-campus location that could serve as a warming station for Durham residents only if needed. Should this become necessary, we will share additional information through this list server.

Additional fire personnel will be on duty throughout the storm period. Please note that the Department of Public Works continues to operate with several vacancies due to injuries and unfilled positions, and staff are doing their best to manage these winter events safely and effectively with part-time temporary staff and through contracted services.

ELECTIVE POSITIONS OPEN FOR MARCH 10, 2026, DURHAM ELECTION - Filing period ends Friday, January 30, 2026

The 2025 Town Election will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at the Oyster River High School, Multipurpose Room, Coe Drive, Durham, N.H. The polling hours are 7:00 am - 7:00 pm. Candidates interested in running for Town office should file their declaration at the Durham Town Clerk-Tax Collector's Office starting on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 8:00 am, through Friday, January 30, 2026, until 5:00 pm.

The following are the open Town offices and the residents who have currently filed for that office in red (listed in alphabetical order):

• Three positions for Town Councilor (3-year term) - Jim Lawson, Michael Lehrman, Peter Ventura, Carden Welsh
• One position for Town Councilor (2-year term) - Emily Friedrichs, Sally Tobias
• Two positions for Durham Public Library Board of Trustees (3-year terms) - Robin Glasser, Kimberly Sweetman
• One position for Moderator (2-year term) - Christopher Regan
• One position for Supervisor of the Checklist (6-year term) - Ann Shump
• One position for Town Clerk/Tax Collector (3-year term) - Rachel Deane
• One position for Town Treasurer (3-year term) - Karl Van Asselt
• One position for Trustee of the Trust Fund (3-year term) - Theodore Howard

To learn more about the candidates, click HERE. Please note that information will be continually added to this webpage as it is received. A candidate forum will be scheduled in February on a date to be determined.

UPDATES FROM TOWN DEPARTMENTS - Find out what’s happening in Town...

At this week’s Leadership Team meeting, the group reviewed a wide range of town development and operational issues, including downtown growth challenges, the slow pace of private projects and the slow pace of proposed zoning changes, and continuing concerns about Durham’s reputation as a difficult place to do business all impacting the interest of investors looking at Durham. Updates included assessment and revaluation work performing well against recent sales, pending abatement applications due March 1, 2026, along with discussion of assessment-related bills at the Statehouse.

​Public works reported on the (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation) NFWF-grant funded Living Shoreline project at Wagon Hill Farm with tree removal expected to begin in February, ongoing coordination for the Mill Pond dam removal (bid has been awarded to contractor/contracts signed) anticipated to move into construction in 2026, and winter operations challenges tied to road salt supply (last week the salt supply at the Portsmouth docks was exhausted) and multiple storms. The team also reviewed the upcoming transition to an automated curbside trash and recycling program targeted for July 2026, generator projects at key facilities, and the wastewater treatment permit’s new stringent copper limits under a just received federal discharge permit, with UNH and the Town needing to provide TBD upgrades to address copper and the sharing of related capital costs 2/3-1/3 per our operating agreement. 

Department heads shared updates on financial and administrative operations, including strong tax collection performance (right on track at 93% collected at this time of year - ahead of average in fact), preparation for the March town election, FY 2025 initial external auditor visits in February and March, and recent completion of W‑2 (state form to the Dept. of Rev. Admin.) processing. IT Manager Luke Vincent highlighted the launch of a town website redesign targeting late May or early June, along with implementation of a town-wide Staples account to streamline purchasing using the Sourcewell. Sourcewell is a U.S. public cooperative purchasing organization that runs a centralized, competitively bid contracting program governments can “piggyback” on instead of doing their own full RFP for many goods and services to obtain competitive pricing. The Town already has an Amazon account — so this will give another outlet for competitive purchasing of Town supplies.

The group discussed a full calendar of community events and stewardship efforts, including the Durham Public Library Oyster River Community Read kick-off featuring The Book of Joy at the Freedom Café on February 6, spring walks and trail events, Astronomy Night at Wagon Hill, and a BioBlitz planned for May. Veronique Luddington’s transition to full-time (35 hr/wk) in April prompted discussion of office space options and expanded work on accessibility, trail maintenance, GIS mapping, and volunteer engagement.

Public safety updates covered fire department training, DPW facilities work, and use of UNH interns for community risk reduction, as well as police planning for possible Super Bowl–related activity downtown in coordination with UNH. The team also reviewed changes to downtown parking associated with 66 Main Street and began exploring alternative locations for the farmers market (it will need a new location for 2026), while monitoring proposed legislation affecting firearms on the UNH campus.

DURHAM PREVAILS IN PSNH D/B/A EVERSOURCE ENERGY v. TOWN OF ALLENSTOWN, ET AL. - A $360,000 +/- decision in Durham’s favor validating town assessments of electric utility infrastructure locally

The long-running PSNH/Eversource utility tax abatement litigation has concluded with a strong outcome for the municipalities. The Merrimack County Superior Court issued its final order on December 17, 2025, largely upholding the municipal assessments and denying PSNH’s abatement requests, except in limited instances where the municipal expert reports themselves identified overassessments; those specific corrections are summarized in the tables on pages 30–31 of the court’s order. In its detailed decision, the Court found the municipalities’ experts, George Sansoucy and Brian Fogg, to be more credible than PSNH’s expert, adopted the municipal appraised values, and emphasized that because the ruling rests heavily on credibility determinations, PSNH would face a very large hill to climb to succeed on any appeal.​

The order follows an eleven‑day bench trial, extensive post‑trial memoranda, and several years of coordinated defense work among participating municipalities and counsel at Mitchell Municipal Group and Drummond Woodsum, including work by former Durham assessor Jim Rice, current assessor Darcy Freer, and Admin. Selig. While the Court granted limited abatements consistent with the municipalities’ own concessions (in communities other than Durham), it otherwise rejected PSNH’s claims and noted that, absent a broader legislative solution for valuing transmission assets, similar statewide litigation is likely to continue; nonetheless, this decision represents a major validation of municipal valuation practices in this highly technical area. The decision is subject to rehearing request and appeal to the NH Supreme Court. 

To read the court decision, click HERE.

A view of the Oyster River after a snowstorm Courtesy, Larry Brown

HB 1474 - MEALS AND ROOMS TAX DISTRIBUTION CHANGE THAT WOULD REDUCE REVENUE SHARING TO DURHAM BY OVER $1 MILLION - Read more to learn how you can contact state representatives to let the know you thoughts.

Durham is closely watching House Bill 1474, which would significantly change how the State of New Hampshire distributes Meals and Rooms (M&R) tax revenue to cities and towns. If enacted as drafted, Durham’s annual M&R distribution would be reduced by roughly 70 percent, or about $1,055,000, which would shift more of the cost of municipal services back onto local property taxpayers. 

The NH Municipal Association reports that a spreadsheet provided by the bill sponsor and based on a draft amendment he handed out at last Wednesday’s hearing, listed 34 municipalities that would get no M&R revenue under the bill, and another 16 that would see a reduction of more than 50% of their current share. (To see the spreadsheet, click HERE.) More than one-quarter of cities and towns would see a reduction of 30% or more, and 100 municipalities would lose some portion of their current M&R share. As one legislator who spoke against the bill pointed out, M&R funds are not a state subsidy akin to education funding, they are revenue sharing. 

The Town has submitted formal testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee in opposition to the bill, emphasizing that M&R revenue is a form of revenue sharing, not a state subsidy, and that the proposal would create substantial inequities for many communities, including Durham.

Durham’s concern is heightened because the bill would exclude from the population count those living in tax‑exempt housing such as on‑campus college housing, even though these individuals use local infrastructure, rely on police, fire, and emergency medical services, and contribute directly to state Meals and Rooms tax collections through their local spending. Removing these individuals from the formula would dramatically understate the true service demands placed on host communities like Durham, Plymouth, and Hanover, while also ignoring the economic activity they generate. 

Residents who wish to share their views may contact members of the House Ways and Means Committee HERE, which currently has jurisdiction over HB 1474, as well as Durham’s own legislative delegation at the NH State House HERE. The Durham delegation has been made aware of the concern. 

Those who choose to weigh in are encouraged to highlight how M&R revenue helps support local services, the role that UNH students and visitors play in Durham’s economy, and the importance of maintaining a fair and predictable state–municipal revenue sharing framework.​

HOW SIGNIFICANT WAS DURHAM’S ROLE IN THE START OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR?

Please join the Durham Historic Association on Saturday, January 24th at 2pm in the Town Council Chambers to find out! Thomas F. Kehr, Revolutionary War historian will present his latest research into the local events that precipitated the start of the American Revolution shedding new light on past scholarship.

Thomas Kehr is the former president, historian and member of the New Hampshire Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Through his efforts in 2000, the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution officially recognized participation in the raids on Fort William and Mary as American Revolutionary War service. Mr. Kehr achieved his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law and his BA in History from the University of New Hampshire. He actively engages in research, writing and lecturing on New Hampshire during the early Revolution. He is also known for his first-person portrayals of John Langdon, appointed ‘Agent of Maine’ on the Piscataqua by the Continental Congress, and later Senator and Governor of New Hampshire. This presentation promises to be a fascinating look at what really happened and who the players were.

This lecture is the first in a series of presentations by the Durham Historic Association recognizing the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution.

Oyster River from the Kenny Rotner Bridge Courtesy, Carol Birch

With the holidays behind us, many families may be asking, “What do we do with all of the old toys our kids have outgrown or no longer play with?”

The amount of discarded toys is a big issue, because approximately 80% of them are made with plastics that are really hard to recycle. In fact, millions of toys end up in landfills around the world each year.

Toycycle is one of a number of online stores where parents and caregivers can buy and sell used toys on consignment.  They are committed to reducing plastic waste in many ways, including offering excellent-condition, open-box, and pre-loved toys and baby items.  

At Toycycle you can:

• Save money and resources by shopping in their secondhand online thrifting store.
• Buy new products made from sustainable materials.
• Sell your outgrown baby items and toys or trade them in.

Check out the link HERE to learn more about Toycycle.

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee 

Questions about recycling or composting? Email us at: DurhamRecycles603@gmail.com

Check us out on Instagram: sustainable.durham.nh

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

Want to learn more about the Swap Shop? Click HER

Durham’s young forests are home to the New England Cottontail, a threatened species that depends on dense, shrubby habitat. This rabbit is shy and elusive, and in decline due to habitat loss, even though its more common cousin, the Eastern Cottontail, is thriving. The Conservation Commission, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and N.H. Fish & Game, has been working on Town lands – including Oyster River Forest, Thompson Forest, and Wagon Hill North - to restore this special environment that cottontails need for foraging and protection from predators. Preserving this habitat promotes biodiversity by also supporting other species reliant on thickets and young forests including birds, small mammals and amphibians.

The New England Cottontail is the state’s only native rabbit. Shrublands in New Hampshire were abundant in the decades following the large-scale abandonment of farms (1900s through 1960s) but much of this land has reverted to forests and been fragmented with development. The cottontail does not survive in small patches, preferring parcels of 25 acres or more. The population of coyotes and foxes, the primary predators, have grown significantly in recent years. The Eastern Cottontail was introduced into New England as a game species in the early 1900s and has since become the dominant rabbit in New Hampshire. They have larger eyes than cottontails, which helps them detect predators more easily, and thus venture further out of their main habitat.

You see read more about the New England Cottontail, Eastern Cottontail, and Snowshoe Hare, HERE on the Land Stewardship Committee website.

On Tuesday, February 3, at 6:30 p.m. at the Durham Public Library, Ranjit Bawa will give a presentation on an overview of non-native woody trees and shrubs present in New Hampshire, and in the northeastern US more broadly; including identified species, predictors of growth, and management strategies for control. A notable portion of the talk will be devoted to considering the economic estimates of eradication and mitigation of spread. 

Ranjit Bawa is an assistant professor in Natural Resources and the Environment at UNH. He holds a Ph.D. In Forestry from the University of Georgia. His background is in applied natural resource economics, with a focus on valuing ecosystem services, much of which involves examining ecological-economic trade offs associated with land-use change. 

This program is sponsored by the Durham Conservation Commission and the Land Stewardship Subcommittee.

The Durham Fire Department recently conducted a member recognition program to celebrate significant milestones and outstanding service within its ranks. 

The event honored Captain Jim Brown for 25 years of service to the Durham Fire Department, acknowledging his leadership in overseeing the department's maintenance division and consistently completing challenging projects.

Firefighter Steve Jautaikis was recognized for 20 years of service and celebrated for his key role in the department’s annual September 11th remembrance programs and memorial garden.

Three members received recognition for their outstanding service in 2025:

• Call Firefighter Mike Rosen was honored for his efforts in operationalizing the department's first boat, including company training and assisting with water rescue boat operator technician classes, which allowed two rescue groups to train simultaneously.
• Firefighter Dan Brothwell was recognized for developing and conducting a program to train new recruits in two-week blocks resulting in a streamlined process to onboard new firefighters and brief shift captains on their individual progress.
• Deputy Chief Rob Atwater was celebrated for introducing several critical training programs to the department. These included a confined space technician class, high rise fire operations program, rapid intervention team/self-rescue course, behavioral health programs, and the Blue Card incident management system.

Chief Emanuel and Administrator Todd Selig concluded the program by thanking members for their dedication and contributions to making 2025 a successful year for the Fire Department and serving the Town of Durham.

On Tuesday, January 20 and Friday, January 30, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, there are police training schedule to be held at the New England Center, located at 15 Strafford Avenue. The training will involve the New Hampshire State Police K9s and their Special Response Teams and will focus on odor detection and active threat response. There will be several police cruisers parked in the area during the training hours. There will also be highly visible police training signs posted at the location.

OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL NEWS

Scheduled January School Closures

January 26: Teacher Workshop Day

2026-2027 Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten registration for the 2026-2027 school year will open on January 27. Our in-person registration schedule, registration packet, and requirements are available on our Kindergarten Registration web page HERE. 

2026 School Board Openings and Warrant Deadline

Individuals wishing to file for a school district opening must do so between Wednesday, 1/21/26, and up until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 1/30/26: one moderator position (1-year term) and two At-Large School Board members for the ensuing three years. There is no filing fee to register for placement on the ballot. Contact School District Clerk Susan Ca swell at 603-550-2592 to set up a time to file, or Wendy Defrays at the SAU 603-389-3286 to make an appointment.

School News

ORHS Students Earn 50 Scholastic Art Awards and Top Honors

Oyster River High School (ORHS) is celebrating an exceptional year in the 2026 Scholastic Art Awards, with students earning a total of 50 awards for their outstanding creativity and craftsmanship. Thirty-two students were recognized, several for multiple works of art. To learn more, click HERE.

Wee Delivery is Mast Way's Student-powered Mail Program

Mast Way School’s hallways are buzzing with a unique kind of activity: student postal workers sorting and delivering mail across the school. In the classrooms, children are writing letters, addressing them, and gluing stamps. To learn more, click HERE.

Coming Events 

Please consider supporting Oyster River students and staff by attending the following exciting events in our schools! Our full calendar of events is available online.

January 29: Moharimet 3rd Grade World Music Concert 6:30-7:30 p.m. Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824)

January 29: ORHS Coffee House 6:00-8:00 p.m., MPR at Oyster River High School (55 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824). Coffee House celebrates the quarterly launch of the award-winning student publication Mouth of the River. The $5 admission can be purchased at the door and is one of MOR's primary fundraising sources. Food and drink are included with admission.

February 2: ORHS Blood Drive 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Multipurpose Room at Oyster River High School (55 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824)

February 7: ORHS Spring Festival Community Day 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. At Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824)

February 13: ORHS Dance Showcase

6:30-8:30 p.m. Auditorium at Oyster River High School (55 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824). No tickets required, donations will be accepted.

February 17: Mast Way 2nd Grade Chorus Concert

6:30-7:30 p.m. Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824)