| August Meetings in Council Chambers |
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City Council Meeting
Monday, August 14 at 7:00 pm
(please note: there is only 1 Council meeting in August).
Site Review Technical Committee
Wednesday, August 2 at 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, August 9 at 10:30 a.m.
Zoning Board of Adjustment
Wednesday, August 2 at 7:00 p.m.
School Board Meeting
Tuesday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 22 at 7:00 p.m.
Conservation Commission
Wednesday, August 9 at 7:00 p.m.
Planning Board
Wednesday, August 16 at 6:30 p.m.
Traffic Safety Committee Wednesday, August 16 at 2:00 p.m.
Historic District Commission
Wednesday, August 23 at 7:00 p.m.
To view Agendas of City Council meetings please visit City website
www.somersworth.com/calendar/
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City of Somersworth
City Hall
One Government Way
Somersworth, NH 03878
(603) 692-9555
City Hall Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday
City Hall is open until
6:00 p.m.
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 Stay in touch with City Happenings.
- Business Email List
- City e-Newsletter
- Recreation Department
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Did you know?
Picture is from Canal Street.
Historically this Fall is the "Great Fall" which is why Somersworth was known as Great Falls for many years.
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Photo courtesy of Jenne Holmes, Somersworth Now
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The Mayor's Corner
Live Life!
Each day we awaken, drink our morning coffee or tea and quickly become entrenched in our daily routines. With dedication we fulfill our missions of work or our choice career, respond to emails, voicemails, and memos. We fill our cars with gas and often times travel to places which sometimes are not our choices. We manage our household budgets, grocery shop, mow the lawn and attend a variety of functions. Each day we awake and go through routines often missing the mean of life; life.
We are a community, we are on the move, and we are achieving progress and greatness.
WE ARE SOMERSWORTH!
Mayor Dana Hilliard
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 City of Somersworth
2017 Municipal Election
Will be held on Tuesday
November 7, 2017
Votes will be cast for:
- Mayor
- City Council, Wards 1-5
- City Council, At-Large
- School Board, Wards 1-5
- School Board, At-Large
- Moderator
- Ward Clerk
- Selectman
In accordance with City Charter, Article II, Section 2.1, and City Ordinance, Chapter 6, and RSA 669, the filing period for Declaration of Candidacy will be: September 20 - 29, 2017
Voter Information
Residents want to register to vote, or make changes to their voter registration should stop by the City Clerk's Office.
Supervisors of the Checklist Session is scheduled for September 19, from 7:00-7:30pm and again on October 28 from 10:00-10:30am.
in the City Clerk's office in City Hall
Somersworth Election Officials Training is scheduled for Thursday, November 2 from 7:00-8:00pm to be held in the City Council Chambers in City Hall.
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Assessing Department
Cycled Inspection
The real estate property cycled inspection program will be starting again this summer. Official representatives from the City's Assessing Office will be measuring and inspecting properties for data accuracy. If you are not at home at the time of the 1st visit, we will verify the exterior dimensions and a notice will be sent requesting an interior inspection. The process will be ongoing into the fall and winter.
City Tax Maps 9 through 15 are slated for 2017 inspections. These Maps include the following streets: Ash, Bartlett, Beacon, Brian, Broad, Canal, Canney, Cass, Cemetery, Central, Cliff, Constitutional, Depot Doelson, Elm, Emery, Ford, Franklin, Fremont, Garden, Government, Grand, Green, Grove, Hamilton, Hanson, High, Highland, Hillside, Horne, Indigo Hill, John Parsons, Kings, Lincoln, Linden, Locke, Lords, Main, Maple, Marion, Market, Memorial, Morning, Mt Auburn, Mt Vernon, Myrtle, Nash, Noble, Page, Pearl, Pemberton, Plaza Terrace, Pleasant, Prospect, River, Rocky Hill, Ron-Wyn, School, Silver, Somersworth Plaza, South, Spring, Spruce, Summer, Union, W High, Washington, Water, Wells, Winter.
If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment, please call the Assessing Office at 603-692-9520.
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Somersworth Police Department
Community Access to Recovery - Substance Misuse Assistance
We have a partnered with Avis Goodwin, Wentworth Douglass Hospital and volunteer Recovery Coaches to offer "Community Access to Recovery" aimed at providing help to those suffering from misuse disorders. Simply come into the police station and ask for assistance. We will arrange assistance for you.
Locking Your Car Doors The Safest way to protect your vehicle and the contents in it is to LOCK YOU CAR DOORS. It only takes a minute!
Free A.L.I.C.E Training for Businesses
We are offering FREE Active Shooter Training for any business in Somersworth. ALICE stands for Alert-Lockdown-Inform-Counter-Evacuate.
Somersworth Police Department also utilizes Facebook page to provide important community information.
We also send out Nixle alerts for parking bans and other important information to cell phones and emails. You can sign up for Nixle at
www.Nixle.com
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Somersworth Crime Line
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You can leave anonymous information at 692-9111
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Many thunderstorms and high winds occur during the summer months. Occasionally there are high winds that accompany the storms. Power loss can occur and electrical wires can be knocked to the ground by fallen trees or branches. It is best to have a plan beforehand to deal with these occurrences:
- Have flashlights easily available in the home.
- Have a battery operated radio to get updates about the storm and conditions on the roads.
- Enroll your cellphone with NH Reverse 9-1-1 or Nixle for emergency messages.
- More information on the city website or ReadyNH.gov
Summer means outdoor grilling of food, among other things. Grills fueled by LP gas are abundant. Fires sometimes occur when the open flame impinges on rubber hoses delivering the fuel to the grill. Wind driven flames or grills needing cleaning or maintenance often are the cause of fires as well.
- Keep grills away from buildings and combustibles (10 to 15 feet).
- Clean your grill frequently.
- Maintain your grill in good condition.
Gasoline usage during warm months can be dangerous due to fume discharge and pouring gasoline into lawn mowers and other machinery with hot motors. Remember that gasoline is highly flammable and fumes can travel distances and ignite. Small motors usually dissipate heat quite well but injuries and deaths occur every year due to gasoline accidents.
Portable Fire Extinguishers
Everyone should carry a portable fire extinguisher in their car and have at least one located in the home - preferably close to the kitchen. An A-B-C type should be used as it will extinguish all types of fires except flammable metals. At least a 10 pound unit should be purchased. Only those with metal triggers/nozzle assemblies typically can be recharged. Most dry chemical extinguishers today are disposable (plastic parts) and usually can hold a charge for 10-12 years. As they are mostly disposable there is no way to recharge them if used or the charging agent leaks out.
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Information from Public Works
692-4266
Road and Transportation Improvement Updates
Progress continues to be made with the Indigo Hill Road reconstruction project. The new water line has been installed to Davis Street and water utility tie ins to the new water main are now complete. Our contractor is now completing remaining work on the new sidewalk, crosswalk at Chapel Street and installation of additional curbing along the upper south side of the street. Base pavement has now been installed and the staff anticipates the overall project completion toward the end of August.
Road Paving Bids were released recently to area and interested contractors. Bids are due on August 3. Streets planned for overlay include:
- Blackwater Road from Rte. 108 to High Street
- Maple Street from Blackwater Road to Linden Street
- Green Street from Franklin Street to Washington Street
- Rocky Hill Road from Tates Brook to Winter Street
- Winter Street from Rocky Hill Road to Page Street
Bid results and pricing will dictate if other spot repairs can be made on other selected streets as well.
The City is also soliciting proposals for complete street design and engineering services for future reconstruction of the following streets:
Constitutional Way, Main Street from John Parsons Road to Indigo Hill Road and Cemetery Road from Maple Street to W. High Street.
Northcoast Railroad will be completing the replacement and upgrade of the track crossing at Centre Road at Main Street. Work is set to begin on Friday July 28 and be completed by July 31. The upgrade will also include a portion of older track line to be replaced along with the improve surface.
Highway personnel continue to sweep City streets and will have completed all City streets by early August. In addition, Highway personnel will be repainted stop bars and arrows on local streets not addressed by the Department's lane marking contractor.
Eversource announced that they will be continuing with their Enhanced Tree Trimming program, focusing more tree removal and trimming work on Blackwater Road and Old Rochester Road. Eversource is reaching out to meet with property owners who live along the route to discuss the trimming and removal plans.
Affinity LED lighting is 95% complete with replacing all City Street lights with new LED technology. The City has approximately 749 Street Lights and the new LED lighting provides improved lighting, requires less energy, less maintenance and is a savings in electrical cost to the City. We anticipate the investment to be recovered over 2 years from energy savings.
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What is Somersworth Reading in August
 "The Circle" by Dave Eggers
When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world's most powerful internet company, she feels she's been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users' personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency.
As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company's modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO. Mae can't believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in the world-even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman's ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.
Still Time to Build a Better World This Summer
Want to get cool stuff for your summer reading?
Stop by the library, sign up and get a registration packet including information about the program, the schedule of activities, and your first reading incentive for reading through the summer to maintain reading skills over the break from school. Sign-ups will be accepted until August 11, 2017.
Borrow the Museum Pass to the Seacoast Science Center
Get your hands wet! The Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne State Park is the perfect place to explore, discover, and connect with nature-especially the salty kind. To borrow the pass that will get you for half price, you will need a library card or prove you are a resident of the city. The Museum is open daily 10am - 5 pm. As you will have to pay admission to the State Park, plan to spend some time exploring the trails and seashore of the park as well. The museum pass may be reserved ahead of your visit by calling the library at 692-4587.
Tues - Thurs 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sat 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Closed Sun, Mon and Holidays.
If you have any questions, call the Library at 692-4587 or visit our website.
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2017 Somersworth SAU 56
School Information
August 2017
Aug 29 Maple Wood Open House Kindergarten: 4pm - 5pm
Grade 1-5: 5pm - 6pm
Aug 29 Idlehurst Open House Kindergarten: 4pm - 5pm.
Grade 1-5: 5pm - 6pm
September 2017
Sept 7 Fall Family Kick Off: 6pm - 7pm at High School Cafe
Sept 14 High School Open House: 6pm - 8pm
Sept 21 Middle School Open House: 6pm - 8pm
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Somersworth Farm to School Project
Radishes, Lettuce & Peas...Oh My!!!
Harvest time has begun, and many vegetables from both the SYC/Plants for Growth Gardens and the newly built Idlehurst Gardens are here. Radishes, peas, and several varieties of lettuce have been donated to the Food Pantry at 176 West High Street. The Food Pantry is grateful for all donations, and the arrival of summer's fresh produce is an added delight to their clients. Produce was also donated to the 45 Market Street Cafe in downtown Somersworth as a token of pre-appreciation for the sweet reward they will provide for Summer Reading Program participants. This will be a delight to all the smart elementary school summer readers!
Girl Scout Troop #12325 will undertake the building of ADA compliant garden beds this summer. Thanks to a grant through the Strafford Co. Master Gardeners, co-leaders Charlene Dibenedetto and Melissa Whiteman will have enough materials for 3 ADA Beds to be used at the elementary schools and Middle School. With the grant covering almost all the necessary materials, a big thank you goes to Middleton Lumber for helping fill the small gap that remained, and to Dave Kimball from Middleton Lumber for his friendly and patient design consultations.
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 Somersworth Youth Connection (SYC)
This Fall!
SYC is excited to be starting another school year this fall! With extended-day learning programs at both the elementary and middle school level starting on Tuesday, September 5th. The SYC programs offer many dynamic and exciting clubs and activities developed in collaboration by certified teachers, education professionals, and students like skateboard design: "Paint and Skate", slime making: "Slime Time", Crocheting, Video Editing, woodworking, art, chess club, and so much more. SYC strives to offer programming that enriches the lives of students in many ways including social emotional learning, academic and homework supports, building leadership skills, creating a sense of community, and strengthening values.
"This program has really been a model, not just for New Hampshire, but for schools across the county" - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
The elementary program is held at Idlehurst Monday through Friday with transportation from Maple Wood, and the middle school program is held at SMS Monday through Thursday, with periodic Drop-In Nights on Fridays. To learn more about the SYC program, pricing, how to donate, volunteer opportunities, or to sign your student up, visit
www.somersworthyouthconnection.org or contact Maureen Jackman at (603) 692-2126 x1439. Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with our events and programs!
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EVENTS AROUND THE CITY
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
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Summer Sunday Afternoons at
Forest Glade Cemetery
Artful Noise String Quartet
Sunday, July 30 at 2:00 p.m.
Melissa Waterhouse and Lynn McMahon on Violins
Sally Wituszynski on Viola and Gary Hodges on Cello
They will be performing Romantic String Quartets by Elgar and Rachmaniniff
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Somersworth Festival Association Presents:
 Kids Koncert Series
Free Admission
Festival Pavilion
(Somersworth High School Football Field)
Wednesday, August 9
at 6:00 p.m.
"WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS"
Sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance
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 Summersworth Historical Society & Museum Celebrates it's 15th Anniversary
Summersworth Historical Society & Museum
157 Main Street
Sunday, August 13 from 12:30 - 3:30pm
You are cordially invited to join the members of the Summersworth Historical Society and Museum as they celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Museum.
The museum is located at 157 Main Street, Somersworth and has grown over the past 15 years from it's humble beginnings of one room in the building to nineteen rooms that are packed with the rich history of Somersworth. There will be a special exhibit celebrating all of those members who have helped make the Museum the success that it is today.
Not only will we will be celebrating this milestone in our own history, the 125th Commission will be there to unveil a very special logo that will help celebrate our City's rich history throughout 2018.
All are invited and welcome to attend. There will also be refreshments and cake...lots of cake!
SAVE THE DATE!!
Sunday, September 17
"Celebrating Somersworth Churches"
at the Historical Society
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RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE
City Hall, One Government Way, City Council Chambers
Friday, August 25th from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
NATIONAL EMERGENCY APPEAL!
Due to the extremely low Blood Supply, we are asking for your help! Appts. are available, sign up at
redcrossblood.org and walk-ins are welcome!
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Save the Date!!
Saturday, September 16
Hilltop City Bluegrass Festival
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 SAVE THE DATE
Celebrate Pink
5K Run or Walk
Sunday, September 17
Downtown Portsmouth over the Memorial Bridge
Run or walk to support Local Breast Cancer Patients.
or call 603-759-5640
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Save the Date!!
Thursday, October 5
Somersworth Senior Picnic
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Quality Service, Quality Schools
Quality Somersworth
Vision 2020
"We Believe in Somersworth"
Proud Past, Bright Future
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