March 10th Select Board Newsletter

Dear Stratham Residents,

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

• Transfer Station Make-up Day this Saturday
• Clerk's Corner
• Pancake Breakfast 
• Water Testing Event Thank You
• Summer Camp - We're Hiring!
• Board and Commission Openings
• Stratham Historical Society Scholarship Applications Available
• Stratham Historical Society Programs 
• Veterans Memorial Garden Applications

Please remind your neighbors about this resource for keeping on top of information from the Town.  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, Chairman                    Allison Knab, Vice-Chair                   Joe Anderson


TOWN ELECTION AND TOWN MEETING
The Town Election will be on Tuesday, March 14th at the Stratham Memorial School, 39 Gifford Farm Road.  The polls will be open from 7 am - 7 pm.  The Town Meeting will be on Saturday, March 18th beginning at 9:00 am.  It will also be held at the Stratham Memorial School.  Please visit our Town Meeting 2023 webpage for more information.


TRANSFER STATION
The Transfer Station was closed due to the storm last Saturday, so it will be open tomorrow, March 11th.  Thereafter, regular winter hours will resume.  Please remember, the Transfer Station accepts checks only (cash and credit/debit cards are not accepted).  
 

CLERK'S CORNER
The Town Clerk’s office will be closing at 5 pm Monday, March 13 to prepare for the Town Election.  The Town Clerk/Tax Collector office will be closed on Tuesday, March 14th due to the election.  Beginning April 3, 2023, the Town Clerk/Tax Collector’s Office will be closed daily from 12-12:30 Monday - Thursday.  Thank you for your understanding.     

PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Eagle Scout Tyler Denton will be holding a fundraiser to support his Eagle Scout project of building a 9/11 memorial at the Stratham Fire Station.  This fundraiser will take place on Sunday, March 19th from 7:30-11:30 am in the Morgera Room at the Fire Station.  See the flier for more info.  Come enjoy some pancakes and support his project!


PRIVATE WELL WORKSHOP REVIEW
The Workshop held on February 22nd for private well users in Stratham was a huge success!  Close to 300 households attended the important presentation on natural and human-caused drinking water contamination in New Hampshire.  Attendees picked up sample bottles with a specific date to return them to Town Hall for delivery to the laboratory.  Of Stratham’s residents, 68% are served by private wells where there is no statewide testing or treatment requirements.  NHDES recommends routine testing of private wells annually for bacteria and nitrate and every 3 to 5 years for other contaminants.  Existing data from the NH Public Health Lab shows that more than half of the private wells in Stratham are over the health limit for arsenic and 40% are above the limit for radon.

If you missed the workshop, information on water quality, well construction, and how to sample your water is available on the Town’s website here.    


SUMMER CAMP - WE'RE HIRING!
Stratham Parks and Recreation is hiring for our School Aged Summer Camp!!  Please visit our town website for details

Stratham Parks and Recreation would like to give a sincere thank you to all of the coaches, refs, volunteers, and board members that made the 2022-2023 Basketball season a big success!  We could not do it without you.

We have lots of fantastic programs available with more being offered on 3/13/23!  Visit https://stratham.recdesk.com for registration details.

BOARD AND COMMISSION OPENINGS
The Town Meeting marks the end of 2023 terms on our Boards and Commissions.  At this time, we currently have openings listed here, including the Recreation Commission and Planning Board.  Meanwhile, if you have an interest in getting involved in any Board or Commission, we encourage you to call (or visit) the Town Administrator's office at 603-772-7391 ext. 187 so we can connect you with a staff person or current board member who can answer your questions.  Follow these links to find current openings and application forms. 

STRATHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY - SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE
Applications are being accepted for Stratham Historical Society’s Winfield Foote Scholarships.  Detailed instructions as to eligibility, application forms, deadlines, list of required documents and method of submission may be found on the Stratham Historical Society’s Scholarship page.  Any questions may be left on the voicemail at (937) 478-0125, well in advance of the deadline.  To date, the Winfield L. Foote Scholarships for Academic Excellence program has awarded over $110,000.


NEW ENGLAND LIGHTHOUSES AND THE PEOPLE WHO KEPT THEM
Monday, March 13, 7:00—8:00 pm, Morgera Meeting Room, Stratham Firehouse
Everyone knows that there's "something about lighthouses" that gives them broad appeal, but their vital role in our history and culture is little appreciated. Our early nation was built on maritime economy, and lighthouses were part of the system that made that possible. Due to automation, traditional lighthouse keeping is a way of life that has faded into the past. Jeremy D'Entremont tells the history of New England's historic and picturesque lighthouses primarily focusing on the colorful and dramatic stories of lighthouse keepers and their families. The snow date for this program is March 20, 2023.  Read more here.  This program is a joint presentation of Stratham Historical Society and Wiggin Memorial Library, made possible by a grant from New Hampshire Humanities. 

      
VETERANS MEMORIAL GARDEN APPLICATIONS
Stratham’s Veterans Memorial Garden at Stratham Hill Park includes bricks honoring Stratham veterans and granite obelisks honoring those who left their homes in Stratham to serve during wartime.  Use this link for the application and the policy.  Forms are also available from the Town Clerk.

Applications for inclusion in the Garden by Memorial Day are due by March 15. 



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Want to provide us with your feedback?
Please click here to reach out to each member of the Select Board.
Please click here to reach out to the Town Administrator, David Moore.