Dear Stratham Residents,
Please read below for news and notes from the Town of Stratham. In this edition:
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
We want to thank the Stratham Volunteer Fire Department for their effective and widely praised response to the fire on the CSX rail trestle this past week. This demanding response was managed over many overnight hours in difficult conditions over challenging terrain. We are grateful for your service and skill SVFD. Thank you.
Be on the lookout for Stratham's annual Lights 4 Lives holiday lights parade! Click here for more information and to view the parade route.
Attention Stratham Residents: 2025 Transfer Station Stickers are now available for purchase! A valid 2025 sticker is required to use the Transfer Station starting January 1st, 2025.
Cost: $5.00 each (check payment only at the transfer station & DPW).
Can’t purchase in advance? No problem! Stickers will also be available for purchase at the Transfer Station, at the Town Clerk’s Office, and at the Department of Public Works during regular operating hours for each location. But don’t wait—get your 2025 Resident Sticker today and ensure uninterrupted access to the Transfer Station in the new year!
SMS 5th Grade Christmas Tree Pickup Fundraiser - Saturday, January 4
Leave the tree removal to us and help support a good cause! Your $10 donation for tree pickup will help fund activities for SMS 5th Grade students. Deadline to register is Wednesday, January 1. SIGN UP HERE.
Stratham Lights4Lives Community Bonfire
The collected trees will be donated to Stratham Parks and Recreation for a bonfire at 6pm on Jan. 4 at Stratham Hill Park. Join us for a fun, open to all, community event!
Hello from Stratham Parks Rec!
A note of gratitude for continuing to participate in our programs in support of our Mission to create a community of friends.
We hosted our First Annual Christmas Cookie Competition on Friday in support of Seacoast Family Promise. I am excited and grateful to report, it was a huge success. We raised $420.00 which will go toward gas and grocery gift cards. Our judges, Seth and Zach, did a great job tasting some of the most yummy cookies. We all left with a feeling of JOY and GRATITUDE to be part of this community.
Warmest wishes for a HAPPY AND HEALTHY HOLIDAY SEASON. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year!
Diane, Seth & Zach
The Stratham DPW brought festive cheer to the Exeter Holiday Parade this year with a beautifully decorated skid steer and plow truck. Our skid steer stole the show, winning the Best Decorated Skid Steer prize!
A big shout out to Britt Fowle for her creative drawing and painting of the reindeer, Trevor for his ingenious wiring trick that gave Rudolph’s nose its signature glow, and Blain and Chuck for their meticulous work stringing the lights to perfection. During the parade, Blain proudly drove the award-winning skid steer while DPW Director Tim Stevens took the wheel of the plow truck.
We’re thrilled to have been part of this community event and to spread holiday spirit with our hard work and teamwork!
We’d like to thank the Exeter Holiday Parade volunteers for making this event so magical!
A reminder that we have officially begun Winter Hours at the Transfer Station. Between December 1st and March 31st, the Transfer Station is open on the 1st and 3rd Saturday from 9:00am to 4:00pm only. But here's some festive news! To make your holiday clean-up easier, the Transfer Station will be open an extra Saturday on December 28th. Swing by to recycle all those holiday boxes, wrapping paper, and more!
WINTER PARKING BAN IN EFFECT
As a friendly reminder, the Town of Stratham’s Winter Parking Ban is in effect from November 1st through April 30th, per Town Ordinance Chapter 1-10. During this time, no vehicles may be parked in the roadway, whether for a few minutes or overnight. This ordinance is in place to ensure the safety of our community and our dedicated DPW crews, as well as Fire and Police vehicles responding to emergencies.
It’s important to note that this ban applies to all road maintenance activities—not just snow removal. Salting for icy conditions is a critical task to keep roads safe, and vehicles left in the roadway can disrupt these operations.
Violators may face penalties, and the Town reserves the right to tow vehicles at the owner’s expense if they are found in violation of this ordinance.
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep Stratham’s roads clear, safe, and well-maintained throughout the winter season.
November SMS board meeting
The board had a lengthy discussion about the first draft of next year’s budget. There is a proposed 4.9% increase, which is in large part due to the increase in special education costs, which have increased nationally and even more so locally over the last several years. The board discussed possible ways to decrease the budget, acknowledging that many taxpayers are feeling the tax burden right now.
The building committee moved forward with the company Careno as a pre-construction manager. They are working on getting the board some estimates on the “must have” list for the renovation. Careno will be presenting the board with their list and cost estimates to the Sub Committee on Thursday December 12th at 5:30pm in the SMS Library/Learning Commons and is open to the public.
The board was briefed on the Multi-Tier System of Support coordination and how education is tailored to each student to maximize learning. Click here to view the slidedeck.
All students are being tracked by this MTSS approach, and approximately 25% receive academic intervention, 18% receive special education services, and 33% receive social and emotional intervention.
The board hosted a Fireside chat with our Finance Director, Mollie O’Keefe, to discuss how the school budget impacts the tax rate. You can watch the recording here. For more, please see the full meeting minutes here.
For questions, email Board Chair Jennifer Scrafford. Our next board meeting will be Wednesday, December 18th at 6pm at the SMS library.
REMEMBERING DOTTIE CLEMONS
It is with sadness we let you know that Stratham's oldest resident and Post Cane recipient, has passed away at the age of 105. Read Dottie's obituary here.
