— This Moment in NHMA History —

2004 – 19 years ago…

3Municipal officials became increasingly concerned about the availability and quality of groundwater in their communities. Approximately 60% of the state’s population depends on groundwater as its primary source of water and the other 40% rely on surface water, which comes in part from groundwater. The drought of 20012002 played no small role in raising municipal awareness about our dependence on groundwater.

4In an effort to slow down the pace of losing 12,000 to 15,000 acres of open land per year to development, according to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, municipal officials and voters began to stop that trend by buying up open space through public taxpayer dollars. Some 29 cities and towns across the state considered proposals for bond issues to finance land conservation projects. Most of the 29 municipalities approved their land conservation proposals by large majority.

In 2004, Cotton Cleveland, specializing in leadership and organizational development, presented a list of “Best Practices” at NHMA’s Annual Conference designed to increase municipal volunteerism. Mather’s research showed that the more sense of community a town or city had, the more volunteerism existed. Also, the more effectively led a municipality was, the more volunteerism existed. Lastly, the more municipal volunteers saw themselves as part of a well-run government, the more they volunteered and the more they encouraged others to volunteer. It’s a classic case of the better it gets, the better it gets.

Name That Town Or City

Do you recognize this town office?

According to its website, this town began as a part of Middleton, New Hampshire, which was granted by the Masonian proprietors on April 27, 1749, to Ebenezer Varney and others. Middleton was incorporated on March 4, 1778. The inhabitants of the north and second division of Middleton attempted to incorporate as a separate township in 1785 without success.

Finally, by act of the legislature, the town was incorporated on December 30, 1794. In 1840, the town became part of Carroll County and Middleton stayed part of Strafford County. The county and town boundary lines, following the same co-ordinates, zig zag through the Moose Mountains, separating the towns.

When you have figured out the answer, email it to tfortier@nhmunicipal.org. The answer will appear in the September/October 2023 issue.

ANSWER TO PHOTO IN THE MAY/JUNE ISSUE: The photo on page 47 in the last issue of New Hampshire Town and City magazine is that of the Town of Epsom.

Special thanks to: Candace Bouchard (Concord); Marshall Buttrick (Greenfield); and Tim Metivier (Portsmouth) who all responded with the correct answer.