May 3rd Select Board Newsletter

Dear Stratham Residents,
Please read below for news and notes from the Town of Stratham.  In this edition:

• Great Bay Food Truck Festival - May 4
• Conservation Commission Sponsors Annual Clean Up Day - May 11
• DPW Open House May 22, 2024 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Memorial Day Ceremony
• Information about Select Board Appeal of ZBA Decision at 15-17 Stoneybrook Avenue 
• Clerk's Corner
• DPW News
• Local School District (SMS) and SAU 16 Information

To sign-up for these updates and other notifications, please visit this section on our website and check the "Select Board" box under News and Announcements.

The Select Board
Michael Houghton, Chair                   Allison Knab, Vice-Chair                   Joe Anderson
 

GREAT BAY FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL
Once again, the Great Bay Food Truck Festival will be coming to Stratham!  Join us on Saturday, May 4th and enjoy over 20 food trucks, lawn games, live music and family fun.  There are still a few tickets left, get yours today!  

 

STRATHAM MEMORIAL SCHOOL WELLNESS WALK
On Friday, May 10th, Gifford Farm Road to Long Hill Road will be closed from 1:15 - 2:15 for a Wellness Walk.  Thank you for your patience.


CONSERVATION COMMISSION SPONSORS ANNUAL CLEAN UP DAY!  
Please come help pitch in to clean up your community during this fun, family-friendly event!  We will be meeting on Saturday, May 11, at the Scamman Pavilion (located near the playground) at Stratham Hill Park from 9 am to 12 pm.  E-mail planning@strathamnh.gov with questions


MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY
A Memorial Day parade and ceremony will be held on Monday, May 27th at the Veterans Memorial Garden in Stratham Hill Park.  The parade will begin at 1:30 pm; the ceremony will begin at approximately 1:45 pm.  Stratham residents, sports, civics and extra-curricular groups and antique car owners are invited to participate in the parade.  Contact Memorial Day co-chairs:  Jeff Gallagher and Geri Denton. 

SELECT BOARD ISSUES STATEMENT ON APPEAL OF ZBA DECISION AT 15-17 STONEYBROOK AVENUE
This week the Select Board met in a special meeting and decided to pursue an appeal of a recent Zoning Board action to Superior Court.  The Select Board’s statement can be found at this link. 

CLERK'S CORNER

• The Supervisors of the Checklist will be in session Thursday, May 16th from 9:30-10:00 am to accept new voters and any changes to the checklist.  Please ensure that you bring your birth certificate or passport and driver’s license. 
• Tax bills are expected to go out mid-May with a due date on July 1st.  If you escrow, please contact your bank for confirmation of payment.
• The Town Clerk’s Office will be closed, Wednesday May 15th for a Regional Town Clerk Conference.
• We have received the 2024-2025 NH Fish & Game All-Terrain Vehicle decals from the state.  The owner of the vehicle must register in person.
• Most Stratham dog owners have already licensed their dog.  State laws require all dogs to be licensed; the deadline was April 30th.  Delaying registration will result in additional fees.  Come to the Town Clerk's office to register your dog(s) today!  If you no longer have the dog, please let us know.   

DPW IS HIRING!

The DPW also has two vehicles for sale.  Follow this link for details.

TRANSFER STATION
Attention all community members using our transfer station brush pile:  Let's keep it clean and green!  We welcome your yard waste and tree trimmings with open arms, but its crucial to remember what doesn't belong.  While we appreciate your efforts to tidy up, please refrain from tossing trash, rocks, grass, pine needles, or dirt into the brush pile.  Why?  Well, these sneaky culprits can wreak havoc on our chipper, causing unnecessary delays, costly maintenance headaches, and extra work for our limited crew.  Please feel free to throw all of your grass, pine needles, and other very small organic matter into the compost pile on site (but please keep the rocks at home).  With your cooperation, we can ensure a smooth and efficient operation that benefits everyone.  So, next time you're at the transfer station, remember:  Only tree debris between 1/2" and less than 6" belong in the brush pile.  Let's "chip" in together to keep our community clean and our equipment happy.  Thanks for your understanding and cooperation!

STRATHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Check out the latest installment of "Faces of Stratham".  Learn the fascinating story of John Fred Emery.


SUPERINTENDENT COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS 
The Wiggin Memorial Library and Superintendent Dr. Esther Asbell will be hosting an informal Community Connections event on May 22 from 5 pm - 6 pm. This is an opportunity for community members to come in, ask questions and learn more about the priorities of SAU 16.  Flyer here.

STRATHAM SCHOOL BOARD VACANCY
If you have you ever wanted to be more involved with your school or town, now is your chance.  The Stratham School Board has had a recent vacancy.  To learn more about this important position, please follow this link.

SCHOOL BOARD UPDATES:
As part of the Stratham Local School District and SAU 16’s communication efforts, we have been asked to include content in our newsletter related to the schools, which readers have seen here previously.  We are pleased to do so!  Please be on the lookout for more announcements in future newsletters, like the ones below.

The School Board has also asked that we remind those interested to sign up for the May 7th online presentation for Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) here.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING SUMMARY POSTED FOR APRIL
The SMS School Board is preparing meeting summaries of its School Board meetings and the meeting for the April summary can be found here in this link to the SMS newsletter.  The entire summary is pasted below for quick reference.

SMS April Board Meeting Summary - For greater transparency and improved communication, the SMS board will now be sending out summaries of their meetings via three digital newsletters and the SMS PTO Facebook page.  Financially, there is a larger than usual fund balance this year due to the inability to fill positions and other unexpected expense reductions.  The school calendar was approved and students will have two full weeks off for the December holiday break.  The Building Committee is doing due diligence to understand what the structural and academic "must haves" vs "wants" are for a massive SMS building renovation to be financially prudent.  One board member announced their early departure from the board due to increased work obligations so the board is seeking to fill their remaining 11 months on the board.  Interested applicants should check the SMS homepage.  Ms. Lucas updated the board that school breakfast is $2.00, lunch is $3.35, and there are 36 students receiving free or reduced lunches.  The SMS water system has slightly high levels of PFOA's so the school is looking into remediation which will likely have full reimbursement from NH Dept of Environmental Services.