May 6th Select Board Newsletter
Dear Stratham Residents,
Please read below for news and notes from the Town of Stratham. In this edition:
- Proposal to Name Livestock Barns and Room A at the Municipal Center
- Town Clerk Office Closure May 11th
- Municipal Clerks Week - May 1 - 7
- First Half Tax Bills and Income-eligible Tax Relief
- Top Dog Winners!
- Upcoming Events
- Parks & Recreation - Food Truck Festival - May 7th
- Historical Society Program - May 9th
- May 14th is Clean Up Stratham Day!
- Age-Friendly Forum - May 25th
- Memorial Day Observance - May 30th
- Stratham receives Casella Sustainability Award!
- Boards & Committees - Planning & Zoning Boards
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
PROPOSAL TO NAME LIVESTOCK BARNS AND ROOM A AT THE MUNICIPAL CENTER
There will be a Public Hearing on May 16th at 7:00 pm to name Town facilities in honor of individuals from our community. Under the Board's Naming Facilities Policy, two proposals have been submitted: one to name Meeting Room A at the Municipal Center the “Joan Sewall Room” in honor of the longtime Stratham Memorial School food service director and a second to name the two livestock barns in Stratham Hill Park after “James & Lorraine Stuart” longtime contributors to the Stratham Fair and broader community. To submit comments to the Board, please e-mail Executive Assistant Karen Richard at krichard@strathamnh.gov or attend the public hearing.
AGE- FRIENDLY FORUM
What makes Stratham a great place to grow up and grow old? Do you have thoughts on how Stratham can best engage and support older adults? We want to hear from you! Please join us Wednesday, May 25th, to talk about what makes Stratham an Age-Friendly community. Stratham has been working with the Rockingham Planning Commission to understand the needs of older adults in the community, specifically regarding housing, transportation, social engagement, and inclusion. The purpose of the community forum is to review the feedback from Stratham’s Community Survey and discuss ways in which the town can better support residents as they age.
The Age-Friendly Community Forums will be held May 25 in Room A of the Municipal Center. There will be two sessions, both of which will cover the same topics. Session 1 will be held from 9:00 – 10:30am. Session 2 will be held from 7:00 – 8:30pm. All residents are welcome to attend! We encourage you to RSPV at least five days in advance at this site.
Refreshments will be provided for both sessions. For questions, please contact the Rockingham Planning Commission at 603-778-0885. We hope to see you May 25th!
STRATHAM RECEIVES CASELLA SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
The Town of Stratham and six other public entities and private companies throughout New England have been recognized by Casella Waste Systems for leadership in sustainability. The award recognizes the overall efficiency, safety, and environmental impact of our automated curbside collection system and effort to leverage grant resources for the transition. Read more here. We appreciate all who worked on this project and especially the residents who leant great cooperation to the transition. Thank you.
NEWS FROM THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE
The Town Clerk's office will be closed on Wednesday, May 11th so that they may attend an off-site training. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for your understanding.
MUNICIPAL CLERK'S WEEK - MAY 1 - 7, 2022
In recognition of the vital services they perform and their dedication to serving the community, Governor Sununu - and our Select Board - proclaimed the week of May 1st as Municipal Clerks Week. We greatly appreciate the effort and hard work of Stratham's own municipal clerks, who make us proud all year long. Thank you Deb, Jim and Tara.
TAX BILLS
Residents should expect to see the first half of the 2022 tax bills the week of May 16th, with a due date of July 1st. Taxpayers are encouraged to contact their mortgage companies if their taxes are escrowed for confirmation of payment.
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.
TOP DOG
Stratham’s Top Dog winner is Luna Rose and Runner-up is Jake! The winners were picked by random draw of 1,303 currently registered dogs. We look forward to this contest again next year. We still have 170 dogs that remain unregistered in Stratham. As a reminder dogs were due to be licensed by April 30th, May is the grace period with late fees going into effect June 1st.
Great Bay Food Truck Festival is BACK for 2022!
The 2nd Annual Great Bay Food Truck Festival, underwritten by Service Credit Union, is happening this Saturday, May 7, 2022 from 12-5pm at Stratham Hill Park. A lot of fan-favorite food trucks will be back as well as some new trucks from around the state will be joining us. Click here to learn more and to secure your tickets. We expect this event to SELL OUT prior to Saturday so don’t delay in purchasing tickets!
*** Attention Residents **** Please try to avoid Rt. 33 between the Stratham Fire Station and Lovell Road on this Saturday, May 7th between the hours of 11am – 6pm. We are expecting traffic delays due to the large event taking place at Stratham Hill Park, The Great Bay Food Truck Festival.
Tickets on Sale NOW for the 2nd Annual Great Bay Food Truck Festival
CLEAN-UP STRATHAM DAY SLATED FOR MAY 14th
The Conservation Commission will hold its Annual Clean Up Stratham Day on Saturday, May 14 from 9 am to 12 pm. In the event of rain or inclement weather, the event will be held on Sunday, May 15 from 9 am to 12 pm. Interested residents should plan to meet at the Front Pavilion of Stratham Hill Park. Gloves, vests, and trash bags will be provided. Come take part in this fun social event to ensure our community remains attractive and litter free. Please contact Bill Kenny with questions at (603) 264-3866. We hope to see you there!
MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE - MONDAY, MAY 30th
In observance of Memorial Day, there will be a parade beginning at 1:30 (along Rt 33, from Jack Rabbit Lane to Stratham Hill Park). This will be followed by a ceremony at Stratham Hill Park Veterans Memorial Garden at 1:45. Further details will be provided in the next newsletter. .
Town offices will be closed on Monday, May 30th in observance of the holiday.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY PROGRAM - MAY 9th
Monday, May 9, 2022, at 7:00 p.m., the Stratham Historical Society and Wiggin Memorial Library will jointly host “Paine Wingate”, a presentation by his third great grandson, John Wingate Seavey. Paine Wingate moved to Stratham in 1776 from his role as Pastor at the Congregational Church in Hampton Falls. He owned a large and strategically significant farm in Stratham. His children and grandchildren succeeded him as Stratham property owners and well-known contributors to the community. Mr. Seavey’s program aims to share greater knowledge of Paine Wingate and his family, a few laughs and perhaps a few of his artifacts. Join us….the program is FREE and open to the public. LOCATION: Morgera Community Room, Stratham Fire Station, corner of Winnicutt Road and Portsmouth Avenue. The program will start at 7:00 p.m., following a 6:00 p.m. meeting of the Stratham Historical Society members.
PLANNING & ZONING BOARD VOLUNTEERS
Have you served on a Planning or Zoning board previously? Even in another Town? If you have interest in exploring service in Stratham, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you and answer your questions. Please contact our Town Planner at planning@strathamnh.gov to learn more.
SELECT BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE IN MAY
This month the Select Board will be meeting on May 16th and May 31st (a Tuesday). There will be no meeting on the first Monday in June in order to accommodate a scheduling conflict. The regular schedule (1st and 3rd Mondays of the month) will resume on June 20th.
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