Friday Updates - July 7, 2023

Friday, July 7, 2023

A hummingbird moth enjoying some summer flowers Courtesy, Craig Stevens, DCAT Coordinator

It was great to see some sun this week!

DO YOU NEED TO REGISTER TO VOTE OR CHANGE PARTY AFFILIATION?

The Supervisors of the Checklist will hold the following session for the purpose of accepting new voters and for making changes in party, address, or name:

Thursday, July 13, 2023    7:00 – 7:30 PM     Durham Town Hall

Applicants for registration should bring with them proofs of identity, age, citizenship, and domicile (in Durham). Driver’s license and passport are helpful. Affidavits may be signed under oath if proofs are lacking. 

Keep in mind that our next election in Durham will be a primary (Presidential Primary). New Hampshire has not yet announced that date, but it could be as early as January. Cities in NH usually have an election in November. Any party changes must be made 90 days before a primary, unless registering to vote at the time. Now might be a good time to check your current party registration at https://app.sos.nh.gov. You may get a frowny face, but scroll down to find your party affiliation and polling place. You can easily change your party affiliation (Republican, Democrat, or Undeclared) by visiting the Town Clerk’s office and asking to fill out a “change of party” form.

This is also a good time for recent high school graduates to consider registering to vote here if they think they will want to vote in Durham in 2024, either in person or absentee. You may register to vote AS LONG AS you will be 18 by the next election (Presidential Primary).

DURHAM DAY DASH HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO JULY 15!

Durham Parks and Recreation and Growing Places invite you to run in the First Annual Durham Day Dash on Saturday, July 15th! (A thunder and lightning storm canceled the first scheduled date back on June 2nd). The Mini Dash 1/2 miler and 1 miler fun runs will take place at 9:00 am with the 5K starting at 9:30 am. Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities are welcome to participate! The race will be run on a certified 5k course with the start and finish at the Oyster River High School. There will be a Mini Dash ½ miler and Mini Dash 1 miler for our younger runners and families.

You can register for the Durham Day Dash by clicking HERE.

A lone heron was seen walking on the side of Durham Point Road Wednesday evening. Here a Durham Police Officer watches over the bird while waiting for Fish & Game to arrive. Courtesy, Jay Gooze

NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE ADMINISTRATION (DRA) IS MONITORING REVALUATION WORK DONE BY MRI - DRA Rep visiting Durham the week of July 17th.

As part of Durham's 2023 property revaluation process, the NH Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) is monitoring the work completed by Municipal Resources, Inc., the company hired by the Town of Durham to perform the full revaluation.

One phase of the monitoring process is to randomly select property record cards and review them for data accuracy ie. building dimensions, construction details, etc. 

During the week of July 17th, Allison Auger, Real Property Appraiser, and an assistant from the DRA will be visiting properties in Durham to perform this task. They will have photo identification and will be driving a State of NH vehicle (white Chevy Trax) that has the State of NH emblem on the side of the car.

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

PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANIMALS IN VEHICLES DURING HOT WEATHER

With the arrival of summer, the Durham Police want 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. 

TOWN PLANNER PRESENTS AT SEACOAST ROUNDTABLE

Town Planner Michael Behrendt recently gave a presentation to the Seacoast Roundtable about Durham, including a discussion about major developments over the past ten years, current issues, and prospective future developments. The Seacoast Roundtable is a group of business people in the Seacoast region who work to support economic development in the area. To download Planner Behrendt's short PowerPoint presentation, click HERE.

The Durham Swap Shop loves to see the citizens of Durham recycle their used items and toys! However, here are a few important things to keep in mind:

●      Please bring items that are clean, are working, and have all of their parts. The Swap Shop has no facilities for cleaning the items that you bring. Dirty items rarely find a new home.

●      Drop off children’s toys with all of their parts. Please bag all of the parts to keep them together. Often the correct balls, cars, or other parts are missing.

●      Check board games to see that they have all of their parts and pieces. Also check that you have removed record keeping from your past games.

●      Please save holiday items at home until it is the holiday’s season. We have limited space for storing items long term.

●      Visit the Swap Shop. It is the Ultimate Recycling Experience!

●      Have questions or want to volunteer? Check www.swapshopdurham.com .

Have you visited Packers Falls Park? If so, please help the Land Stewardship Subcommittee learn more about your experiences by completing the short questionnaire HERE.

DID YOU KNOW? - PLASTIC FREE JULY

Right now, more than 400 million tons of plastic are manufactured every year and over 300 million tons of plastic waste is created. Plastic production, use, and disposal in the United States contributed 232 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 – equivalent to 116 coal fired plants. 

The purpose of Plastic Free July is to raise awareness of the urgency of our plastic pollution crisis, and offer suggestions for reducing plastic waste at home, work, and in the community by refusing, reusing and refilling. 

Each week for the month of July, we will share some actions you can take to reduce plastic waste.

This week’s suggestion:

Grab a reusable cup for your morning coffee and skip paper or plastic. In the United States, we throw away 50 billion coffee cups every year. These cups are coated with plastic to laminate the inside and are not accepted in our curbside recycling. 

Source: York EcoHomes Action

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? Check out this site to find out: www.recyclesmartma.org

Want to know more about the Swap Shop?  Find out HERE.

The Emerson Road Ash Tree Removal Project aimed at mitigating the impact of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation on ash trees along Emerson Road and throughout Durham is progressing smoothly. To date, approximately 60 trees have been successfully removed as part of the effort.

The collaborative efforts of Durham Public Works, the Durham Tree Warden, and the consulting utility forester contracted by Eversource Energy have been instrumental in the efficient execution of the project. The joint assessments conducted along the corridor from Edgewood Road to Bagdad Road have identified and addressed the hazards posed by these compromised ash trees.

In addition to the 54 dead or severely declining ash trees that were posing risks to the public and to Eversource's electrical infrastructure, another 35 trees within the Town's right-of-way have been identified for removal. The project team has been actively engaging with abutting property owners, ensuring that they are well-informed and support the project and removal of any trees on their property by Eversource.

EMERSON ROAD GAS MAIN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT PROGRESSING SMOOTHLY

Unitil’s excavation contractor, NEUCO, continues to make steady progress on the Emerson Road Gas Main Construction Project. The team has completed the Madbury Road segment and is currently situated on Emerson Road. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of the month.

Durham Public Works leads the coordination efforts with Unitil regarding natural gas retrofits that are necessary for the successful replacement of the Edgewood Road over Littlehale Creek culvert. To ensure a seamless process, the natural gas main, which currently runs over the culvert, needs to be temporarily repositioned in order to bypass the culvert excavation site. This essential task is being carried out by NEUCO, the designated contractor for the gas main project.

Due to the complex topographical conditions near the excavation site and the need to maintain gas service on Edgewood Road, Unitil has determined that the most practical approach is to extend and loop the gas network from its current termination point at the intersection of Madbury Road and Wood Road. The extension involves the installation of a new gas main, which will run north on Madbury Road and south on Emerson Road, ultimately reaching the intersection with Edgewood Road. This crucial component must be completed before the Edgewood Road over Littlehale Creek culvert replacement project can proceed.

The Durham Public Works' Highway Team successfully undertook an emergency replacement of a cross culvert pipe on Colony Cove Road this week. Recognizing the structural vulnerabilities exposed by small sinkholes above the existing 12" corrugated metal pipe, they promptly replaced it with a new 12" corrugated HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) pipe. The decisive action came in the wake of substantial stormwater flows experienced in the area due to an impressive 6" of rainfall since June 17th.

2023 ROAD AND SIDEWALK PROGRAM – Construction to Begin Next Week

Durham Public Works' contractor for its Road and Sidewalk Program, Continental Paving, will begin construction on the Sidewalk Program next week. This project consists of the continued phased reconstruction of sections of deteriorated concrete sidewalks with brick edging within the Downtown corridor. Construction improvements this summer include the sidewalk segment on Main Street that extends from Smith Park Lane down Newmarket Road to Mill Pond Road. These sidewalks currently have non-complainant accessible ramps, areas of failed and overturned curbing, dislodged bricks with upheaved and deteriorated concrete panels. This project will remove the existing concrete and brick banded sidewalks and replace them with new concrete panels eliminating the failed brick banding and sections of upheaved bricks. Additionally, the bituminous sidewalks along Emerson Road from Bagdad Road to Edgewood Road will be replaced and compliant ADA ramps installed. Temporary closures of these sidewalks can be expected during normal business hours. 

The FY2023 Budget included funding to address deteriorating concrete on a portion of the basement floor at the Durham Police Department. Durham Public Works and its contractor, Epoxy Floor New England, removed the existing coating and applied a Dur-A-Chip Micro Chip Flooring System. This seamless, decorative flooring system consists of 100% solids epoxy body coats with a decorative colored vinyl chip broadcast, finished with a durable urethane topcoat ensuring excellent wear and chemical resistance. 

EDGEWOOD ROAD SEWER COLLECTION PIPELINE REHABILITATION PROJECT

The Sewer System collection piping improvements have been completed on Edgewood Road. Project Contractor, Green Mountain Pipeline Services, overseen by Durham Public Works Wastewater Division team members, installed a new epoxy resin sleeve inside the existing sewer pipe.  Improvements were targeted where the host pipe has degraded resulting in the pipe being structurally compromised, allowing extraneous groundwater flows to enter the wastewater collection network. A grout coating and sealant was sprayed on of inside of the ten sewer manholes in the project area, making for watertight structures. This work will ensure the longevity of the sewer system as well as reducing undesirable groundwater from entering the sewage collection system resulting in unnecessary treatment and costs.

SOLICITATION ALERT - Durham resident receives letter from company in Utah asking to purchase their property

Recently a Durham resident received this misleading purchase and sale agreement for their property in the mail. Please be aware that this is a solicitation. The cash purchase price is often significantly lower than the actual property/land value. This solicitation may be specifically targeting the elderly population or those facing financial difficulties. If you received this letter in the mail and have further questions, please contact the Durham Police Department, otherwise we recommend you shred the documents.

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 #26

Summertime means fun in the water. Smokey wants us all to be safe near the water so, for some helpful tips, click HERE.