Dear Stratham Residents,
Please read below for news and notes from the Town of Stratham. In this edition:
The Select Board would like to say a big "thank you" to the organizers of Summerfest and all those that volunteered their time and talent to make this year's Summerfest as successful as it was. We also thank you, the public, for attending. It wouldn't have been the great event it was without you. We look forward to next year's event! Please see the message below from the Summerfest Committee.
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
Please note: Town offices will be closed the afternoon of Thursday, August 1st (12:30 pm to 4:00 pm).
Building Inspection note: Please plan ahead if you are in need of any building inspections July 31st to August 7th; as there will be very limited on inspection availability. Remember you can now schedule your inspections online as well as apply for permits online through the Town's website at Permit Applications. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
FIELD OF FLAGSComing this Veteran's Day: a "Field of Flags" display at Stratham Hill Park. The local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution invites you to honor your veterans and active duty personnel in a large display of American flags to be planted at the park on November 9th. Each flag will bear a name, rank and military conflict they were involved in. The display will stay up for Veterans Day week. Order forms are in the lobby of the Stratham Town Hall, near the 5-flag display.
New to the 2024 Revaluation Website: an "Explainer Video" for Stratham property owners, which describes what a revaluation means in New Hampshire and much more information.
KEY STRATHAM HILL PARK PROPERTY SECURED - CLOSING COMPLETED FOR ROSS PROPERTY
The Town of Stratham has completed the acquisition of the Ross Property off of Gifford Farm Road, a 17-acre parcel that has long been utilized by town residents and others for recreation, in a transaction that was completed on July 19. The parcel is undeveloped except for an extensive and widely used trail system that radiates out from the nearby Stratham Hill Park. Located directly adjacent to Stratham Memorial School, the parcel links several publicly owned and conservation tracts, including Stratham Hill Park and the Gordon Barker Memorial Town Forest, across a publicly accessible area which spans nearly 500 contiguous acres. Please stay tuned as we look forward to celebrating with our partners - Southeast Land Trust (SELT), Conservation Commission, Select Board, and the Town’s Planning & Community Development and Parks & Recreation staff.
Is your college student ready to vote in the upcoming elections? Absentee ballot request forms are available through the Town website. A separate form needs to be filled out for each election if they are requesting a ballot for both the State Primary on September 10th and the State General Election on November 5th. Not registered to vote? Stop by the Town Clerk’s Office with your driver’s license and birth certificate OR passport. We’ll gladly guide you through this quick and easy process.
Stratham Parks and Rec is having a busy summer for both the young and not so young. Camps are going strong, lots of beach, boating, bike races, and of course ice cream! We are busy working on our fall calendar for the not so young. Please stay tuned.
As always, we welcome your suggestions on any programs or events you would like to have us offer. Your feedback is very important to us. Thank you for supporting our Mission to provide a vibrant community.
DPW NEWSRoadside Mowing Announcement
From July 29 through August 9, the Stratham Public Works crew will be performing roadside mowing. To maximize the efficiency of the 2 week-long equipment rental, the crew will operate over two shifts. The equipment will be operational from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
Attention will be focused on clearing overhead and understory vegetation along main thoroughfares. After the rental period, DPW staff will prune specific vegetation encroaching the right of way by hand.
Town awarded grant funds to support community Septic System Vulnerability Assessment
The Town has been awarded grant funds to support a community-wide septic system vulnerability assessment with a focus on protecting public drinking water sources. The $23,000 grant award, provided by the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership, will identify areas susceptible to septic system leaks or failures based on a GIS and record analysis, soil factors, and proximity to water bodies and public drinking water sources. The project will result in the creation of a comprehensive community-wide septic system database and inventory. The project will include public outreach and education regarding best practices for septic system upkeep and maintenance. The Town’s Planning & Community Development Department will work with its consultant FB Environmental to complete the effort. Stratham is almost entirely dependent on on-site septic systems for the Town’s wastewater management needs.
The Stratham Historical Society is pleased to announce that the Winfield L. Foote Award for Academic Excellence 2024 has been presented this year to ten (10) outstanding applicants. They are as follows:
Congratulations to all ten of these very deserving students. The Stratham Historical Society is particularly gratified to support their academic achievements in 2024 and wishes them the very best in their next chapter. In addition, the Benefactor Grant awardee for 2024 is Robert Lister Ed.D., Portsmouth, NH. He will be organizing a program in the Stratham Memorial School to motivate students to embrace local history. Special thanks to the Scholarship Committee Chair Gary Abreu and the entire committee for its hard work and outstanding results. For more info, email: info@strathamhistsoc.org, or visit the Society’s website.
Stratham Summerfest 2024 is now in the books! We enjoyed beautiful weather and a strong attendance. Our goal is to deliver a family fun day to the community while showcasing our great town departments. We have an amazing cooperative effort between Stratham Fire, Stratham Police, Stratham Parks & Recreation, Stratham Public Works, Rockingham County & Strafford County 4H, Scouts Troop 185, and the many friends & family participants who make it all possible. The spirit the former Stratham Fair lives on in this smaller event package. This is evident in the planning, set-up, operation, and tear-down, and especially in the crews that run our food shacks. We wish to thank ALL of the VOLUNTEERS who donated time and energy to help make this community day a success, and also to our SPONSORS: Kennebunk Savings, Compass Development, Exeter Lumber, and the Stratham Hill Park Association. Special thanks to the Rockingham County & Strafford County 4H groups for providing the important agriculture component to our day.
Kudos to the many organizations and individuals that provided activities, such as: Stratham Fire Department Junior Obstacle Course, Stratham 76rs Pie Eating Contest, Touch-a-Truck large commercial vehicles, Antique Tractors, Helicopter visits from LifeFlight of Maine, and the NH State Police… and the many other interactive displays.
Congratulations to Stratham Police – achieving another victory at the 3rd Annual Stratham First Responders Softball Game. Final Score: Police 16 / Fire 7
Our thanks to content providers at the game – Greta Geyer singing the National Anthem, Umpire Jeff Chaissen, and the Voice / Sound Crew of Jeff Gallagher and Derek Hall.
The planning committee and town leaders have debriefed and offered feedback for improvements to consider for next year’s event. We hope that you will join us again next year for Stratham Summerfest 2025!
