June 17th Select Board Newsletter

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

• Staff Meeting June 22nd - Town Offices Closed in AM
• From the Town Clerk's Office 
• Summer Fest - July 16th
• Mental Health  -  NH Rapid Response Access Point
• Senior Events Calendar
• Staff Updates 
• Low to Moderate Income Tax Relief
• Library News

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 website and check the "Select Board" box under News and Announcements.

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

STAFF MEETING - TOWN OFFICES CLOSED 
All town offices will be closed the morning of Wednesday, June 22, until 1:00 for an all-staff meeting with the Select Board.  We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we gather as a larger staff team.  

FROM THE TOWN CLERKS OFFICE
Dog Licensing.  If you have a dog and have not yet registered them for 2022, please do so.  As of July 1st, additional late fees and civil forfeitures will be applied. Pursuant to New Hampshire RSA-466:1, all dogs must be licensed with the Town Clerk annually beginning April 30th.  You can renew online here.  If you have a new dog, the registration must be done in person with proof of rabies vaccination papers from the vet.  Thank you for your cooperation with ensuring all Stratham dogs are licensed.

Property Tax Reminder.  The 2022 1st Half Property Taxes are due July 1st.  If you have a mortgage and you are unsure if your taxes are escrowed, we suggest that you contact your lender for confirmation.  There are several options available for payment.  We take checks and cash here in the office.  We are unable to process credit cards over the counter for property taxes.  However, you may do so here.  

STRATHAM SUMMER FEST - SATURDAY, JULY 16 - 9AM TO 6PM
Sponsored by Stratham Fire, Stratham Police, Stratham Parks & Recreation.
FREE Admission - Donations Welcome

Please save-the-date for this new one-day family focused community event at Stratham Hill Park.

While there will not be a Stratham Fair this year, this smaller event will feature livestock barns & exhibits from the Rockingham and Stafford County 4H organizations.  In addition, the event will include an Antique Tractor Show, rescue dog demos, small animal petting zoo, and plenty of food and ice cream.  The afternoon will conclude with the first-ever Stratham Fire vs. Stratham Police Softball Game at 4PM.

NEW MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE 
In response to the increasing awareness of mental health, New Hampshire has created the Rapid Response Access Point, a program designed to respond to people having a mental health crisis.  The program offers a 24/7 phone line answered by trained mental health staff and a mobile crisis response team that will be dispatched if more assistance is needed.  This DHHS poster provides details.

SENIOR EVENTS CALENDAR
You should have heard the ukeleles in the Municipal Center this week!  What great fun and energy.  Check out the senior events here!  If music isn't your thing, check out the cribbage action (yes, we said action) taking place on Thursdays at 1:00 p.m.

MUNICIPAL CENTER STAFF UPDATES
We are pleased to share that Tara Madden has accepted the position and begun serving as the Building Inspection and Code Enforcement Coordinator.  Tara has been serving for the last two years as a part-time Office Assistant in the Clerk’s Office.  Tara, a Stratham resident, will bring her customer service skills, service orientation and familiarity with the Town and municipal government with her.  Tara also has been serving as the Town’s Wellness Coordinator bringing a variety of informative and healthy programming to our workplace in coordination with our health insurance provider.  

Please join us in congratulating Town Planner Mark Connors on completing the 6-month Leadership Seacoast training program.  Leadership Seacoast is a nonprofit, civic engagement organization which focuses on regional issues that have a direct impact on the lives of Seacoast residents.  Mark joined 30 other local leaders in business, non-profit, and government for program days focusing on the environment, health and human services, economic development and criminal justice.  We look forward to Mark applying this new knowledge to enrich our community.  

Program Coordinator Cantrece Forrest in our Parks and Recreation Department will be leaving us at the end of this month after eight years.  Cantrece brought great skills in managing and juggling many different programs and many many volunteers.  Cantrece also built tremendous relationships in the community, not only with sponsors and volunteers, but also individual seniors who have responded so positively to the new senior gathering space and programming that Cantrece was critical to getting off the ground and growing.  Her resilience through the pandemic’s many phases were a great credit to the Town as she worked through the complex challenges unique to Parks & Rec programs.  Thank you Cantrece.

LOW TO MODERATE INCOME TAX RELIEF
Low to Moderate Income Tax Relief by the State (Forms available in May and should be sent directly to the State of NH by June 30th each year) If you have a substantive question or need assistance completing a form, please contact Taxpayer Services at (603) 230-5920.


Crafts are back at the library!  Saturday, June 25, at 10AM, you can make your own Patriotic Wreath featuring decorative red, white, and blue artificial flowers.  Hang it on your door, wall, or wherever you want to show your pride in the USA.  For this craft, there is a $5 fee to partially offset the cost of materials.  (You can pay by cash or check at the time of the event.)  Join us in-person for this special craft and you'll have your wreath up and ready for Fourth of July!  Space and materials are limited to 10 participants so registration is required on our website.  There will be a waiting list in case of cancellations. 

Are you subscribed to the library's newsletters? There's something for everyone! The library is open and awesome Mondays from 9:30AM - 7PM, Tuesdays through Fridays 9:30AM - 6PM, Saturdays 9:30AM - 3PM.  Check out our brand-new catalog!