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Oyster River at Old Landing during mid-summer at high tide
Courtesy Jean McPeak
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Today is National Parks & Recreation Professionals Day! The Durham Parks & Recreation Committee would like to recognize our DPR director, Rachel Gasowski, and her staff on this day! Thank you for the hours you all put in, for the extra effort to offer safe programming during COVID, and for continuing to champion the recreational interests of Durham citizens.
Happy NPR Professionals Day!
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We’ve received word that The Nature Conservancy will be running the Town of Durham Community Oyster Garden this summer at Old Landing. (It could not occur last year due to the pandemic.) Details to follow in the near future.
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Police Chief Rene Kelley, Deputy Chief David Holmstock, Captain Jack Dalton, and Administrator Todd Selig participated via Zoom today by the CALEA board for reaccreditation. Courtesy Todd Selig
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DURHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES NATIONAL REACCREDITATION TODAY FROM COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES (CALEA)
Durham was one of seven police departments reviewed today by the CALEA board for reaccreditation. Due to the pandemic, the session was conducted remotely via Zoom. Following introductions, Q&A, and closing comments, the board was very very complimentary of the team at the Durham Police Department and unanimously granted reaccreditation for another 4-year period. To review the CALEA on-site examiner report from Durham, click HERE. At the close of the session, Admin. Selig offered the following comments:
Honorable Members of the Commission,
It gives me great pleasure to be here today on behalf of the Town of Durham, NH, accompanying the staff of the Durham Police Department as part of this year’s CALEA re-accreditation process. I am honored to say that this is the seventh re-accreditation session I have attended with our department during my tenure serving the citizens of our community.
Over that timeframe, I have watched this department, and in particular the fine officers, supervisors, detectives, support staff, citizen volunteers and skilled administration, work day after day and night after night to meet the exceptionally high standards that an engaged, forward looking, and welcoming college community like Durham brings to bear.
Not only does our department serve traditional residents with their families like you and me, but it also serves the roughly 15,000 University of New Hampshire students who reside in or around Durham, who were just like you and me when we were 18-22 years of age. I ask you, members of the Commission, would you want to have policed you when you were 18-22 years of age? It’s not an easy job!
It takes patience, skill, hiring carefully, training, dedication, and integrity. But it takes something more as well, and that is having the right playbook on hand to ensure that the work that our staff undertakes meets nationally accredited standards. We want to “do it right.” But how does a community know its police department is doing it right?
From my perspective it’s through national CALEA accreditation, where the very best practices in policing developed to date are regularly evaluated, scrutinized, disseminated to participating departments, implemented through policy, and then tested every three to four years for adherence by independent CALEA examiners.
Through the CALEA process, Council Chairpersons, Mayors, Town/City Managers like me, governing boards, and communities as a whole, can have confidence that their police departments are not only talking the talk, but that they are in fact walking the walk. In other words, that they are doing policing right!
I thank you and CALEA for your dedication in supporting national excellence in policing. I thank Police Chief Rene Kelley, Deputy Chief David Holmstock, and Captain Jack Dalton for their leadership in Durham over the course of the pandemic and during a time of national social upheaval and introspection surrounding policing. I thank retired Durham Police Chief David Kurz for introducing CALEA to the community over two decades ago. And I acknowledge, thank, and commend the staff at the Durham Police Department — those sitting here with me today and the rest of our staff who could not be -- for their fine police work, and for striving to meet, and for meeting, the high expectations of the Durham community situated on the banks of the Oyster River within the beautiful Seacoast of NH.
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DURHAM BUSINESSES: PLEASE TAKE THE COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY SURVEY
This week, local businesses received an email from Community Economic Development Director Christine Soutter inviting them to take a Community Sustainability Survey. This survey is part of a research project created by UNH researchers, working with the Regional Compost Working Group (comprised of representatives from the Towns of Durham, Lee, the Oyster River School District, and the University of New Hampshire), and is designed to inform future local sustainability initiatives, such as community-scale composting, renewable energy implementation, and other sustainability programs.
To all Durham businesses: help us understand your sustainability practices and needs and get your voice heard! Please take the survey by July 23rd. Thank you!
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DID YOU KNOW?
There are easy ways you can cut back on the use of single use plastics in your own bathroom shower.
Consider using bar soap instead of liquid body wash. Some bar soaps even come packaged in paper instead of plastic. Body and face scrub as well as moisturizer can also be found in bar form instead of a tube or container.
Also, start using shampoo and conditioner bars.Many local businesses sell these products. If you prefer using liquid shampoo and conditioner, consider re-using your plastic bottles by refilling them with shampoo and conditioner at a local store like We Fill Good in Kittery, Maine.
Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee
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Mill Pond dam. Courtesy Todd Selig
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VHB COMPLETES SUPPLEMENTAL ANALYSIS OF MILL POND DAM ON OYSTER RIVER
At the Town Council meeting on Monday evening, July 12th, the Council received a presentation from VHB regarding the supplement to the Mill Pond Dam Feasibility Study. The VHB team completed a supplemental analysis of Alternative 3 (Dam Stabilization) without Option 1 (Pond Restoration Dredge). The goal of this supplemental analysis was to determine whether the water quality impairments within the Mill Pond impoundment can be addressed through a series of watershed management strategies. The analysis focused on answering the specific questions posed in an email from Town Councilors Welsh and Lawson to Councilor Marple dated February 24, 2021, as discussed at the March 1 Town Council meeting, as well as subsequent communication with the Town.
The VHB team will return to the Town Council meeting on August 16, 2021, to continue discussions with Council members. Interested members of the public are asked to submit any questions and concerns relative to the Mill Pond dam to Town Engineer, April Talon, mailto:atalon@ci.durham.nh.us by Friday, July 30, 2021 in order to allow time for the VHB team to review and be able to address additional questions and concerns at the August 16th Council meeting.
No decision regarding the dam will occur until the Town Council’s first meeting in September, 2021.
The approved scope of work can be found HERE.
The supplemental analysis to the dam feasibility study is now available for public review and can be found on the Town website or viewed HERE.
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DURHAM PUBLIC WORKS PLANS TO COMPLETE A RE-INSPECTION OF THE MILL POND DAM THIS SUMMER WITH VHB AND PARE CORPORATION
The Department of Public Works plans to reinspect the Mill Pond Dam this summer to monitor structural deterioration of the concrete, primarily one of the ribs nearest the gate structure. This may require lowering the Mill Pond by a few inches depending on flows in the Oyster River. More information will be provided to the public and abutters when the work is scheduled.
Questions and comments should be directed to Town Engineer April Talon at (603) 868-5578, or email atalon@ci.durham.nh.us
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Sean Owen Starkey, July 23, 1977 - July 04, 2021
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UNTIMELY PASSING OF SEAN STARKEY
On July 4th, Durham resident and former member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, Sean Starkey, passed away unexpectedly in his home. Sean served in various capacities --Alternate, Member and Chair-- of the Durham Zoning Board from 2008-2019. His knowledge and professional expertise contributed greatly to the board’s task of reviewing and making sound decisions on countless applications for variances, administrative appeals, special exceptions, and rehearing requests.
The Memorial Service will be held Saturday July 17th at 1pm at St. George Episcopal Church, 1 Park Court, Durham, NH 03824. Residents may also participate via a Zoom video of his Memorial Service HERE. Zoom login-in will open as early as 12:30 PM.
View Sean' obituary HERE.
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DON'T FORGET TO APPLY FOR YOUR SOLAR EXEMPTION - A reminder from Assessor Jim Rice.
While inspecting properties for improvements/renovations, it has been noted that several property owners in Durham who have installed solar equipment have not applied for their solar exemption.
If you own property in Durham and have recently installed, upgraded or replaced a “solar energy system” that utilizes solar energy to heat or cool the interior of your building; heat water or to provide electricity, you may qualify for a solar exemption. If you are already receiving a solar exemption, you do not need to reapply.
The Town of Durham adopted the Exemption for Solar Systems per RSA 72:62 where you may qualify for a solar exemption from your property tax assessment.
To qualify for this exemption, you must submit a PA-29 exemption application by April 15, 2022. Applications are located on the Town’s website or you may pick one up at the Assessor’s Office. Your application must also include the total installation cost and a detailed list of what equipment was installed on your property.
If approved, this exemption will be applied to your assessment.
If you have any questions, please contact the Assessor’s Office at 603-868-8064.
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Durham Town Hall was paid a visit by this creature today--a turkey vulture! Courtesy DCAT Studios
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DON'T LEAVE ANIMALS IN VEHICLES DURING HOT WEATHER
With the arrival of summer-like weather, Durham Police Chief Rene Kelley wants to remind all pet owners to please leave their pets at home instead of bringing them with you and leaving them alone locked in a vehicle. Temperatures inside a parked car can rise quickly to levels that are dangerous to our furry friends.
Please view information HERE from the Humane Society of the United States for helpful information and their warning of the dangers of leaving a pet unattended in a parked car.
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IF YOU CATCH A PESKY VARMINT AT YOUR HOME, PLEASE DON’T RELEASE IT AT WAGON HILL FARM!
The rain and heat have sent the gardens at Wagon Hill Farm into overdrive, and garden volunteer Lyn Howard reports they are starting to produce handsomely! Unfortunately, this also means that garden pests are emerging and causing problems for gardeners. In particular, this year there is a problem with woodchucks in the garden. This is not something that gardeners have had a large problem with in the past, so the gardeners are wondering if people are possibly relocating woodchucks, skunks, etc. that they have trapped at their homes to Wagon Hill Farm, since it is a wide open space.
While it’s not for certain this is happening, we just want to discourage people from doing any pest relocation to the farm.
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The Reverend Nathan Bourne and his wife Nicole. Courtesy St. George's Episcopal Church
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ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH REOPENS FOR IN-PERSON WORSHIP - Sunday, July 11th at 9AM
St. George’s Episcopal Church is excited to announce that we will once again be open for in-person services. The church’s first service will be this Sunday, July 11th, at 9am in our sanctuary at 1 Park Ct. There will be a single service each Sunday at 9am for the remainder of the summer. For more than 16 months, we have offered services solely online, on Zoom. The online format, while limiting in some ways, has opened up new possibilities for people to worship from anywhere. We will continue to livestream its worship on Zoom, creating a hybrid experience open to those who can and cannot gather in person. You can find more information on joining virtually at our website (https://www.stgeorgesdurham.org/). There you can also find the Covid-19 precautions that will be in place to make worship safe and comfortable for all who want to participate. St. George’s is open to and welcoming of all people. We would love for you to join us for worship.
St. George’s also recently called a new Rector (head pastor) to serve both the church and their chaplaincy to UNH. The Rev. Nathan Bourne comes to St. George’s after having served for four years at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth. Nathan holds a Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and was ordained in Western North Carolina, where he was born and raised. Before ordination, Nathan worked as a gardener at a Convent in Tennessee, spent a year doing botany research, and taught English in the Republic of Georgia. He and his wife, Nicole, are expecting their first child later this month. We are excited to welcome them to the community and for this next chapter in the life of the church.
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A doe with her fawn kicking up its heels crossing Durham Point Road. Courtesy Audrey Cline
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PART-TIME TRANSFER STATION ATTENDANT VACANCY
The Town of Durham is looking for a part time Transfer Station Attendant. The position is part time, non-benefits. Applicants must be comfortable dealing with public and have a Solid Waste Operators License, level 1 minimum or the ability to obtain license within 2 months of hire. Duties include checking in residents, ensuring materials are disposed of in proper locations, ability to operate a loader and skid steer, maintenance and cleaning of facility. Pay $14-$17/Hr based on experience. Hours will be Saturday from 7am-3:30pm, potential for more hours. Valid driver’s license, background check will be performed. Applications accepted until the position is filled.
Applications are available at the Public Works Office, contact below:
Janice Richard
Assistant to the Director
100 Stone Quarry Drive
Durham, NH 03824
868-5578
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NEW TO A DURHAM BOARD OR COMMITTEE -- WATCH THE REPLAY OF THE ANNUAL ORIENTATION FOR NEW BOARD/COMMITTEE/COMMISSION MEMBERS WITH MR. SELIG ON DCAT ON DEMAND
On June 19, 2019, Administrator Selig organized an orientation session for chairs, vice chairs, and other committee members of the various Town boards, commissions, and committees. It was a a full evening of orientation concerning the rules of the road for board members on topics such as the Right-to-Know Law, posting meeting, minutes, public comment, etc., and something that members of all town boards, commissions, and committees need to be aware of.
Following a year + under the pandemic, rather than host a new workshop, we are encouraging interested board members to watch the replay from 2019.
The orientation can be viewed on DCAT On Demand.
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MARINA'S MILES 5K RUN/WALK
Marina’s Miles 5K Run/Walk will be held virtually July 18 through August 18, 2021 (Marina’s birthday). Run or walk 5K anywhere. Registration is $20 and includes a free t-shirt if registrations are received by July 14, 2021.
Registration forms are available on the MarinasMiles website or the Facebook page. The course map is located at the bottom of the website page. Sign up, time yourself, and email us at MarinasMiles5K@gmail.com and let us know your results. Results will be posted on the website and Facebook, along with a picture of you running if you choose to send one. Registrants will automatically be entered in the door prize raffle.
Help remember an enthusiastically loving person and barefoot championship runner, Marina Slavin, who died in 2013 of a heart infection at the age of 20. Proceeds go to a college-bound student at Oyster River High School in Durham, NH (Marina’s alma mater). Donations for the scholarship are accepted via Paypal (https://marinasmiles.org/donate/), or a check made out to Marina’s Miles can be mailed to Marina’s Miles, 10 Burnham Ave, Durham, NH 03824. We are a 501c3 charitable organization, so your donation is tax deductible as allowed by law.
Major sponsor for the event is Trueworthy and Associates.
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Do you Want to be a Citizen Scientist this Summer?
If you are a college or high school student living in the Durham NH area and want to benefit your community and the planet while learning about climate science, then this is an opportunity for you. Your participation will help continue a research project about urban heat island effect and its impacts on the Town of Durham and UNH campus. View the project’s initial results in the UNH Undergraduate Research Conference media gallery HERE.
Volunteers will visit various sites throughout Durham to monitor the natural conditions of several common land covers (e.g. grasses, pavements, water, etc.). Responsibilities include writing descriptive observations of the sky and ground at each site, using handheld equipment to gather environmental and meteorological measurements, and recording organized data. Volunteers will be trained on how to use each piece of equipment (shortwave pyranometer, soil moisture sensor, IR thermometer) and shown proper data collection techniques. These skills will be of great use to an aspiring scientist!
The schedule for data collection is ongoing from July to early September 2021, ideally Monday to Friday from 12 Noon - 3PM but may vary slightly on a week-to-week basis, as all work is outdoors and very weather dependent. Volunteers are not expected to collect data on days with considerable overcast, precipitation, or storms. Data collection will only occur on days with a clear sunny sky.
If this opportunity appeals to you, and would like more information about this seasonal experience, or results of the previous year’s project, please contact Connor Melican, UNH CEPS ’21 - Earth Climate Science, B.S., at cmm1090@wildcats.unh.edu
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On Saturday morning six scouts from Durham’s Scouts BSA Troop 154, one scout from Newmarket and four adult leaders, left for ten days of hiking and activities at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. At 125 square miles Philmont is the largest youth camp in the world and a working cattle and horse ranch. Courtesy Tom Richardson
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OYSTER RIVER HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATORY WEEKEND OF SOCCER
In an effort to recognize the phenomenal 60 year success of the Oyster River High School Soccer program, Paul Bamford, OR’s golf coach and soccer alum, is organizing a celebratory weekend of soccer to be held September 24-25, 2021 at the high school. The event is doubling as a fundraiser for the proposed press box/sound system ($175,000+) to be attached to the newly installed bleachers. “The Voice of the Boston Bruins” and former OR/UNH soccer star Jack Edwards will serve as MC.
To commemorate the weekend, a unique event T-shirt, co-designed by Elijah Edwards, Jack’s son (front of shirt), along with Wolfe Ramsay, a star member of this year’s OR basketball team (back of shirt) is being offered. T-shirts can be ordered separately for $25. All orders are on-line only, to be picked up at the event.
Registration instructions for attendance, game/food ticket purchase, and all other information are included HERE.
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Courtesy Laura Harper Lake of ArtfulHarper Design
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DURHAM FARM DAY RETURNS!
Durham Farm Day returns on Saturday, August 21st rain or shine from 10am – 6pm with free, family-friendly activities all across town, including a scything demonstration at 10am at LaRoche Farm on Bennett Road. Before lawn mowers and weed whackers there was the scythe. Sleek, silent, nonpolluting, and with a little practice, nearly as fast at mowing and trimming. A good workout and a manicured lawn all done while the dew is still on the grass! LaRoche Farm will be hosting many activities during Farm Day, including demonstrations of bee keeping and honey extraction, sheet mulching for gardens, and sheep shearing demonstrations. Full list of events available soon!
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SUPERVISORS OF THE CHECKLIST
The Supervisors of the Checklist will hold a session on Thursday July 22 from 7:00 – 8:00 PM at the Durham Town Hall in the office of the Clerk. The purpose of this session will be for new voter registrations, requests for the correction of the checklist, and/or change of political party affiliation. Voters may check party affiliation online HERE.
Residents who have received a letter from the Supervisors regarding being removed from the Checklist during our verification process may re-register at this session. All of these tasks may be accomplished at the Town Hall any time during regular business hours.
Applicants for registration or re-registration, whether at the Clerk’s office or with the Supervisors, should bring with them proofs of identity, age (18 by the next election, which is March 2022), citizenship, and domicile. Affidavits may be signed under oath if proofs are lacking.
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DURHAM FIREFIGHTERS COMPLETE FIRE INSPECTION 1 COURSE
Firefighters Warren Kadden and Devon Skerry recently completed the Fire Inspector 1 course at the New Hampshire Fire Academy. Based on NFPA 1031, this course provides firefighters with a wide variety of skills to aid in fire prevention and inspection activities. Some of the topics covered in this course include building construction, decorative material and furnishings, fire drills, inspection procedures, code enforcement, fire alarms and communications. This course reinforces a deeper understanding of applicable codes and standards, covering various types of inspections and preparing the Inspector for the plans review process. This certification is yet another tool that will help our firefighters to keep residents of Durham safe.
Congratulations to Warren and Devon on completing this valuable course!
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Ellie Lonske, resident of Riverwoods, shared this handsome watercolor rendering of the Durham Community Church. The distinctive Greek Revival structure was built in 1848. According to the walking tour published by the Durham Historic Association in 1992, the church was paid for with proceeds from the sale of pews. It is the fourth meeting house constructed by the congregation. The first, erected in 1655, was a crude shelter on the south bank of the Oyster River ‘half-way between the falls and the oyster beds.’ “Corner posts at the Sullivan Monument mark the foundations of the 1716 and 1792 meeting houses that overlooked, a waterfront settlement clustered at the falls.” The superb painting by Durham’s own John Hatch, “The Waterfront at the Falls of the Oyster River, Durham, New Hampshire, circa 1822” hangs in one of the church’s community rooms.
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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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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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Join DPL for Tails & Tales this July!
All summer reading is under way and this year's programming runs this year from June 28th through July 30th!
Join us this coming Monday, July 19th at 6:00 pm to welcome back Ann McClellan as she traces the history and development of electronic literature and hypertext media, the rise of social media and the emerging field of transmedia storytelling and their effect on digital literature (fan fiction, online role playing games, Twitterature, etc.) with Storytelling in the Digital Age!
And our ongoing Meditation & Yoga with JiongJiong Hu continues through August 1st this summer and Ask Your Ambulance! with McGregor EMS returns on August 5th with more emergency-focused tips and training! This month's topic centers on bleeding control.
Register today! Return your Adult Summer Reading Challenge card each week for our Friday drawings! Need a new one? Download one HERE or pick one up at the library! There is NO registration and no pressure. Write down your book titles and contact info. on the card and return the card with your books! Congrats to our Week 2 winners, Cindy Schram and Molly Dorsey!
Summer Reading 2021 registration is still open in Youth Services! Summer reading this year runs from June 28th through July 30th and you can register any time! Join us for our weekly Joint Library Zoom Program Turtle Time with Seacoast Science Center beginning next Thursday, July 22nd at 10:30 AM. Turtle Time Session 1 is currently full but Session 2 registration is open! Register for a NEW joint program HERE each week of summer reading!
This summer is packed with reading fun from reading logs/Bingo boards, prizes, beading, crafts, YA Zoom Mondays, Storytime, Baby Lap-sit, Crafty Critters grab 'n go crafts and much more! We will be using READsquared again and Page Turners is new to us this year! The full youth July calendar is also available to download anytime!
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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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1755 - The Parish of Madbury incorporated from Dover and Durham, 12 years after petitioning for separation, and was empowered to raise money for paupers, preaching and schools. The boundaries of the 3 towns came together at Cedar Point at the joining of the Bellamy River and Little Bay.
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If you know of others who might find Durham's weekly "Friday Updates" of interest, please pass them along. It's possible to sign up for them HERE.
It looks like more rain may be inbound for next week in Durham. Have a good weekend.
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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