Office hours
The Durham Town Office hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; closed Wednesday; and Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. For more information, call 353-2561.
Meetings
Durham selectmen will meet Tuesday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m., at the Town Office.
The next regular Planning Board meeting is Wednesday, April 1, at 7 p.m.
The Durham Eureka Community Center Committee meeting is Thursday, March 19, at 6 p.m., at the community center. New members are welcome.
Election, town meeting coming up
Municipal elections are Friday, April 3, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., followed by town meeting Saturday, April 4, at 9 a.m. Both are held at the Durham Community School.
Absentee voting is available now at the town office during regular business hours, until March 31.
Sample ballots are posted at the town office. There will be more sample ballots posted at the Durham Community School and the Durham Get & Go.
Those who are not currently registered in Durham can register prior to Election Day or on Election Day, with proper identification – a valid driver’s license or a photo ID. Also needed is a major bill with the registrant’s name and Durham address on it.
There are 45 articles in the town meeting warrant.
For more information on town elections or town meeting, call the Town Office at 353-2561.
There will be no delivery of town reports. They will be available at the Town Office for pick-up only at the end of March and available on the Durham website.
CEO hours
Hours for Paul Baines, Durham’s codes enforcement officer, are Mondays and Tuesdays, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; and Thursdays, 1-6 p.m. He can be reached at 376-6558 or codes@ durhamme.com. For more information, call the Town Office, 353-2561, ext. 13.
New scholarship named for Denise LaFlamme
The first annual Denise LaFlamme Scholarship will be awarded to a current Freeport High School senior from Durham, Pownal or Freeport.
“We want this student to represent everything that was important to Denise; the kind of passion and hard work that gets results,” describes Tracey Jordan, one of the scholarship organizers. “This student does not have to be in the top 10 academically. They don’t have to be the best athlete. We are looking for a student who makes a difference.”
Friends of Denise LaFlamme, known to each other as the “Durham Moms,” are the organizers of this scholarship effort, and also the creators of a quilt designed in LaFlamme’s memory, which will be raffled to raise funds for the scholarship. The quilt, designed with fabric chosen by LaFlamme’s friends, will also be embroidered with some of LaFlamme’s favorite sayings and words of wisdom.
“Our goal is to award a $1,000 scholarship to a graduate from Freeport, Durham or Pownal,” said scholarship organizer Wendy Marstaller. “The amount will depend on the ticket sales for the quilt, but with the passion behind this effort, $1,000 should be easy to raise.”
LaFlamme grew up in Durham, was well known for her support of Durham Community School as PTA president and was a favorite substitute teacher.
She succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2013.
To purchase tickets for the Denise LaFlamme Scholarship Quilt Raffle, go to www.durhammoms.com, purchase them at Durham town meeting on April 4 or watch for volunteers selling tickets at Bow Street Market and the Durham Get & Go in April. Pictures of the quilt and scholarship updates can also be found at https://www.facebook.com/Durhammoms.
Applications for the Denise LaFlamme Scholarship are available at the Freeport High School Guidance Office.
Help out class of 2015
As part of Project Graduation fundraising, Freeport High School class of 2015 is holding a fundraising bottle and beverage can drive at Bow Street Market during March. Bottles and cans can be brought directly to the store or a pickup can be arranged. Dunkin’ Donuts Community Mugs are also available. Buy a mug for $20 and bring it into any neighborhood Dunkin’ Donuts in Maine or Coos and Carroll counties in New Hampshire and receive free hot or iced coffee every Sunday in 2015. For more information, contact Aly at jane_nomore@yahoo.com or Liz at jjlsbaker@gmail.com.
Environmental film series returns
The First Congregational Church of Durham, 773 Royalsborough Road, will show “Chasing Ice,” a 2012 documentary film about the efforts of nature photographer James Balog to publicize the effects of climate change, a second time. Many missed it last year. The showing will be Thursday, March 19, at 7 p.m. Guests are asked to arrive by 6:45. Snow date is Thursday, March 26, at 7 p.m.
On April 16, the documentary “Fresh, ” with Will Allen, Joel Salatin, Michael Pollan, George Naylor, Diana Endicott, and many more, will be shown. Gather at 6:30 for 6:45 start. For more information, see www.FRESHthemovie.com.
Sign up for youth baseball
Durham Youth Baseball 2015 season registration is open now through April 5. Those interested can sign up online at www.durhambaseball.com or come to one of the two in-person signups at the Durham Community School, on March 18 and April 1, from 6-7:30 p.m., in the library. Registration forms are also available at the Durham Get n’ Go.
Kindergarten registration
Durham Community School kindergarten registration is now available for children who were born before or on Oct. 15, 2015. Online registration can be found at dcs.rsu5.org.
Late fee for dog licenses
Dog registration regular fees are $6 for altered dogs and $11 for unaltered dogs. Proof of rabies and first time for neutered or spaying will need to be seen by the registering clerk. This is once-a-year registration. A $25 late fee per dog will now be added to the regular fee. For more information call Town Clerk Shannon Plourde at 353-2561, ext. 11.
AMVETS members
AMVETS supports other veterans, families and the local community. Post 13 in Durham is seeking members. For information, call Chad Burke, 798-0956.
Rent Eureka Center
The Durham Eureka Community Center is available for rent. The maximum amount of people the hall holds for an event is 50. Contact Nancy Decker at 751-1323 or the Town Office at 353-2561.
Cribbage, couponing
The Durham Eureka Community Center, corner of Route 9 and Route 136, hosts cribbage every Tuesday from 9 a.m.-noon.
Couponing for the Community meets at the Community Center two Wednesdays each month from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The next sessions are March 18, April 1 and 15. It is a chance to learn couponing basics including where/how to find and collect coupons; how to organize them; and how to begin using them. Pat Provost heads this project with the hopes that some of the skills acquired will be used to give back to the community by helping families in need. Anyone who already uses coupons or would like to know or learn about ways to coupon is welcome. Those who want more information can call Pat at 212-5156.
Food pantry
The Lisbon Area Christian Outreach (LACO) food pantry, which serves the towns of Durham, Bowdoin, and Lisbon Falls, is open Wednesday from 6-8 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m.-noon and Saturday from 8-10 a.m. The LACO Food Pantry is located at the Marion T. Morse School on School Street, Lisbon Falls. The parking lot is behind the Lisbon United Methodist Church, off Berry Avenue. There is also a free clothing bank. For more information, see www.lacopantry.org or call Deb, 240-1637.
Town info
Durham puts out a weekly bulletin of all posts, events and meetings for the upcoming week in the town/area. To sign up for weekly emails, go to durhamme.com and enter your email at bottom of the home page. To get nonprofit information/event or meeting on the website or town channel, email it to durhampublicinfo@gmail.com, or jricker@durhamtown.comcastbiz.net or call 207-353-2561 EXT 16. All town meetings can be seen on demand at http://durhamtown.pegcentral.com.
Church services
The First Congregational Church of Durham UCC, 773 Royalsborough Road, holds
Sunday worship at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Peter Mercer.
Shiloh Chapel, Beulah lane off Shiloh Road, holds services
Sundays at 10 a.m. Ron Parker is pastor.
Durham Monthly meeting of Friends, 532 Quakermeeting House Road, at the corner of Route 125, every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. The pastor is Douglas Gwyn.
Tuesday morning cribbage players enjoyed a six-way game on March 10 at the Eureka Community Center in Durham. Clockwise from center are Jack Dupal, Donna Ricker, Steve Agurkis, Bart King, Ed Madden and Milt Mead. Staff photo by Larry GrardSend questions/comments to the editors.
