Friday Updates - November 14, 2025

Friday, November 14, 2025

On November 12, the United States Mint produced the last penny! The first penny was designed by Benjamin Franklin in 1787. It wasn't until 1909 that Abraham Lincoln's image appeared on the penny, marking the first time a real person was featured on a U.S. coin. You do not need to start hoarding your pennies, however. There are billions of pennies already in circulation, so you won't see them disappear anytime soon!

As a reminder, the Durham Police will be conducting a food drive for End 68 Hours of Hunger tonight from 4:00 - 6:30 PM at the Mill Road Plaza.

NOVEMBER 17 TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS

• Adoption of the 2025-2030 Climate Action Plan (watch UNH Sustainability Fellow Sophie Goodwin present the plan to the Council on 11/3/25 HERE at 37.39 on DCAT OnDemand.)
• Referral of a Non-Industrial Wastewater Discharge Permit Application for Riverwoods Phase II to the Durham Water/Wastewater/ Stormwater Committee for Detailed Review and Recommendation for Approval/Denial
• Presentation on Parks & Recreation Committee activities this year
• Presentation on Energy Committee activities this year
• Presentation by Assessor, Darcy Freer, on the 2025 Statistical Revaluation Results
• Public Hearing on Ordinance #2025-10 to expand upon the explanation of Neighborhood Property Passes
• Public Hearing on Ordinance #2025-11 to update the Zoning Ordinance due to new State Laws passed this year
• Public Hearing on the proposed FY 2026 Operating, Capital, and Special Fund Budgets (watch this week's Town Council budget work session HERE on DCAT OnDemand.)

Autumn colors at Wagon Hill Courtesy, Lori Mendelsohn

BEWARE OF SCAM TARGETING APPLICANTS TO TOWN OF DURHAM BOARDS

The Planning Office again received an email from a Planning Board applicant that they had received an "invoice" by email supposedly from the Town of Durham for additional Planning Board fees. This is a scam! Someone had used the information on the town website to try and obtain this money from the applicant.

Be aware that the Town of Durham Planning Department will never send an invoice for money or use a wire-transfer to collect the money. Administrative Assistant Tracey Cutler is in contact with applicants via email or phone regarding Planning Board fees which need to be paid by check or cash.

To avoid being scammed for any reason, it is always good to check the email address of the one sending the email. In this case the email with the invoice attached was not a Durham town email address. Thankfully, the applicant contacted Tracey directly rather than responding to the email

The public hearing on the FY 2026 proposed Budgets will be on Monday, November 17, during the Town Council meeting. People can attend in person or on Zoom. The registration link for Zoom can be accessed HERE.

The FY 2026 budget book, the 2026-2035 CIP, and a supplemental information booklet are each available in hard copy form at the Town Hall and the Durham Public Library. These documents can also be found on the Town’s web site HERE.

A recent story at UNH highlights the ginkgo tree near James Hall and the university’s longstanding tradition of tracking its “leaf off” moment each fall. The ginkgo is famous for dropping all its leaves virtually in a single day, a dramatic event that faculty, students, and staff observe annually as a sign of changing seasons. This year’s leaf drop, in particular, has drawn attention from both campus community and scientists.​

UNH professor Serita Frey, from the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, explains that the ginkgo’s leaf drop is triggered by a hard frost, typically when nighttime temperatures reach around 25°F. Because of how ginkgo trees form a scar layer for all leaves at one time (separating leaf from twig), the entire canopy can fall at once after the first hard frost. This trait has been observed by students and faculty for over 50 years (!), creating a quirky tradition at UNH of watching and recording the event.​

Tracking the leaf-off date is also a tool for monitoring climate change’s local impacts. Recent years have seen the ginkgo’s full leaf drop occurring later in the fall, suggesting that frost arrives increasingly later due to warming trends. UNH researchers use these records to highlight how NH's falls are lasting longer and winters are starting later, reflecting broader regional climate shifts.​

Apparently, there is a contest each year to see who can guess the exact date of leaf drop! Learn more in this interesting video HERE.

The Bickford-Chesley House Advisory Committee received a $3,000 donation from Kennebunk Savings Bank for the Bickford-Chesley House Gallery at Wagon Hill Farm.

The Committee appreciates Kennebunk Savings' partnership and commitment!

Are you looking for an innovative way to lower food costs and help reduce food waste?

Too Good To Go was founded in 2015 as a social impact company with a mission to reduce food waste. It works by connecting users with local restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores to sell surplus food at a discount in "Surprise Bags". Users download the free app, find nearby businesses with available bags, reserve and pay for a bag through the app, and then pick it up at the specified time. This reduces food waste for businesses and provides customers with discounted food. Bags are typically sold for 25–50% of their original retail price. 

The contents of the bag are a surprise, as they consist of whatever surplus food is left at the end of the day. 

NOTE: If you have allergies, you may be able to communicate with the store staff packing the bag to see if they can accommodate you, though this is not guaranteed and depends on the store. 

Click on the link HERE to learn more.

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 HERE

A turkey strolls through a neighborhood in Durham. Maybe getting a head start to Feather Fest? Courtesy, Carol Birch

Durham's Land Stewardship Coordinator, Veronique Ludington, led a neighborhood teaching exercise in removing invasive plants along Canney Road. Five neighborhood residents learned how to identify invasive plants (Common Buckthorn, oriental bittersweet and burning bush at this location), how to use a Weed Wrench tool (find out more HERE) and strategies to tackle invasives without chemicals.

Read more about the "growing" issue of invasive plants in the Northeast HERE.

Durham's Agricultural Commission member Bryan Cassidy is offering two hands-on workshops on broom making this Fall with Seacoast Permaculture. You can also find his brooms for purchase at Emery Farm and Tuckaway Farm.

The workshops are on November 22 and December 6 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at Tuckaway Farm in Lee. You can register for the November 22 workshop HERE. You can register for the December 6 workshop HERE.

On November 18 and 19, there is scheduled police training on UNH property that will be held at two separate homes on Spinney Lane. The training is for local and state police canine odor detection & tracking, which will take place throughout the home and property. There will be highly visible police training signs posted in both areas.

On November 12, Officers from the Durham Police Department transported nonperishable food item donations collected at the station to the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Pi Kappa Phi members Dylan Cosette and Owen Dewey accepted donations delivered by Officer Andruzzi, Officer Graham and Sergeant Pelletier to be taken to the Waysmeet Center. These donation items were collected in collaboration with Pi Kappa Phi fraternity as part of their philanthropic charity efforts this semester. The Durham Police were proud to partner with the fraternity to help end hunger. 

GOOD PLANET APPAREL HOSTING A FUNDRAISER FOR GATHER FOOD PANTRY

Good Planet Apparel at 13 Jenkins Court will be hosting a "Fill a Bag Sale" on Sunday, November 16, from 12-4:00 p.m. and donating 25% of the proceeds to the Gather food pantry in Portsmouth! Bring your own bag any size, or we will provide one to you. You will pay $15 at the door where you will receive your bag.

If you want to shop and not participate in the bag sale, you can still come shop our regular priced items! For more information on Gather, click HERE.

Oyster River Seniors of 2026 need your help in creating a safe and memorable night for them!  Project Graduation is an annual all-night event created to promote a safe, substance-free evening for ALL graduating seniors.  

How you can help… 

• Buy a Holiday Wreath, HERE, to be available the first week of December (delivery available for Durham, Madbury, Lee and Barrington residents)
• Make a Tax-Deductible Donation by January 15, HERE
• Sponsorship with promo opportunities for your own business, a local business, your employer. Contact us at orhspg@gmail.com to share your interest in/idea for a potential sponsor, and to receive our sponsorship info 
• SHARE all of these opportunities with friends, family & fans of our seniors

Thank you for helping to give them a special night they deserve! We appreciate you! 

The Oyster River and Newmarket High School girls' lacrosse team is holding a fun lacrosse clinic on November 22 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the Oyster River High School. Anyone from the surrounding communities is welcome! All skill levels are welcome! To register, click on the QR code above or click HERE. 

OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL NEWS

Planned November School Closures

• November 26-28: All Oyster River schools will be closed for Thanksgiving Break. The SAU office will be closed on November 27-28.

Important Inclement Weather Information

On November 12, Superintendent Shaps shared an inclement weather communication with families, explaining the decision-making process and the district's three options (delayed starts, snow days, and remote learning). You can read his message HERE.

Elementary Project Update

An updated scope of work has been made available on the district website for Mast Way School HERE and Moharimet School HERE. The project's planning history is also available HERE.

On November 5, the ORCSD School Board decided to move forward with the proposed expansion and renovation project at Mast Way and Moharimet schools. ORCSD is currently working with municipal partners to finalize the projected tax rate impact for each town. The district's guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for this project, which cannot be exceeded, is $9,827,000.

School News

ORCSD Schools' Health Offices Share Resources for Families

Oyster River families in need of assistance can contact their school nurse or counselor for confidential support. The resources listed by each school can help families locate food pantries, community programs, and essential services, just click on the school link below.

• Mast Way School
• Moharimet School
• Oyster River Middle School
• Oyster River High School

Coming Events

The following events are free and open to the public.

• December 4, 6:30-7:30 p.m.: Mast Way 4th Grade Chorus Concert - Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824).
• December 5, 3:15-6:15 p.m.: ORMS 3rd Annual Dodgeball Tournament - Students vs. staff. Gymnasium at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824). 
• December 8, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.: ORHS Blood Drive - Multipurpose Room at Oyster River High School (55 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824).
• December 9, 6:00-7:30 p.m.: ORMS/ORHS Orchestra Concert - Grades 6-12. Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824). Snow date: December 12.
• December 10, 6:30-7:30 p.m.: Mast Way 3rd Grade Concert - Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824).
• December 11, 6:30-7:30 p.m.: Moharimet 4th Grade Winter Concert - Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824).
• December 13, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.: ORMS Robotics Competition - Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824). Snow date: December 14.
• December 16, 6:00-8:30 p.m.: ORMS/ORHS Band Concert - Grades 6-12. Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824). Snow date: December 19.
• December 18, 6:00-7:30 p.m.: ORMS/ORHS Chorus Concert - Grades 6-12. Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824). Snow date: December 19.