The Supervisors of the Checklist will be in session Tuesday, May 31, 2022, from 7 to 7:30pm, at the Orange Town House.
For additions and corrections to the checklist.
This is the last day for voters already registered to change or declare a party and vote on primary election day.
Cemetery Trustees of Orange are hosting a NH Old Graveyard Association workshop on how to straighten, clean and repair stones.
Location: French Cemetery, Cardigan Mountain Rd (south side of the road and west of the Town House)
Date: Sunday, May 22, 2022
Time: 1:00 pm
Bring spade, work gloves, outdoor wear, water/snacks for yourself
For more information, contact Anita Garland: (603) 523-7141
All are welcome!
The Cemetery Trustees will meet 6:30pm Thursday, December 16, in the Town House, to follow up on a plan for tree work in the Orange Common Cemetery.
Dave built the capsule with concrete blocks and a concrete floor, measuring 32x32x24 inches.
Dave Stacy has built a time machine—well, capsule—under the Town House, to give future Orangeites a glimpse of life today. While he made it “bombproof,” our descendants will be able to remove a block to get to the contents. The Orange Historical Commission is ordering a plastic plaque.
Interesting in contributing to the future? Talk to Sharon Proulx, (603) 523-4590. You need to provide your own small waterproof container.
Dorothy and Jay talk to the NH Bulletin about the need for genuine broadband as a way for residents to make a living while keeping Orange rural. You’ll find the piece here.
If you haven’t filled out the broadband survey yet…
Go to www.speedtest.net and note your current upload and download speeds.
Complete this 5-minute survey.
Nik Coates, the Bristol town administrator, reports that the Grafton County Broadband Committee recently received grant funds to support high-level design work for Orange and other towns to connect into the “middle-mile network.” This is the backbone of the Internet.
Meanwhile, the committee applied for a $26.2 million grant from the National Transportation Infrastructure Agency (NTIA) to fund the construction. The agency has been asking follow up questions about the project that “we believe to be encouraging,” Nik says. The committee should learn this month about grant approval.
To improve the chances, the committee needs some additional data by Monday. Please help bring real broadband to Orange!
Go to www.speedtest.net and note your current upload and download speeds.
Complete this 5-minute survey.
Even if you’ve filled out the survey before, it would help to do it again. The more responses NTIA get from our county—particularly our corner of it—the better.
The Orange Conservation Commission is hosting a special event Saturday, November 6, from 3pm to 5pm: Naturalist Michael Wojtech, author of Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast, will give us a walking lecture through our woods.
We’ll meet at the Heinrichs place, 148 Cardigan Mountain Road; the drive is just opposite Tuttle Hill Road. Dress for a walk in the woods—shoes that can get wet, November-friendly outer gear—as well as something orange for hunting season. A hot dog roast will follow. Bring money if you want to buy a book!
Let Sandi Pierson know if you’re coming: 603-523-7936.
Monthly Saturday morning hours have been rescheduled to Saturday 10/9, 9:00 - 11:00 am.
The Orange Planning Board will hold a public hearing at its regular meeting, 6:30pm Tuesday, October 19, to receive public comments on proposed amendments to the Town of Orange Driveway Regulations. The meeting will be held remotely on Zoom. You can find link and call-in details on the Calendar.
You can find the draft revisions here, and the current regulations here.
Gulley Dunlap asked us to post this:
The Orange Cemetery Trustees will be hosting a workshop on the proper care and maintenance of old gravestones. John Lord of the New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association will lead the workshop on September 18, 2021, 2-4pm, at the Orange Common Cemetery on Tug Mountain Road. Interested in helping preserve this important piece of Orange’s history? Please RSVP to Anita Watson Garland (523-7141/anitawats at hotmail.com) or Gulley Dunlap (ecossaise at comcast.net).
Eula Lee Kozma, the foundation’s executive director, asked us to post this:
The Friends of Mascoma Foundation has been working with the UNH Extension on a project called Mascoma Builds Community Resilience. UNH Extension received a grant to facilitate this project in three rural NH communities; Mascoma was selected as one of the three. While this is different from the Enfield Master Planning process that a group is undertaking in Enfield, we will be working collaboratively.
As rural communities emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, we working together to gather information, make organizational connections, apply lessons learned, and re-emerge stronger than ever.
We are working to:
- Build a regional team of partners and community members interested in building resiliency in the Mascoma region.
- Come together as a community to learn about each other, our assets, and where to go from here.
- Begin to identify ways to build resiliency in community and to take action as part of a regional team.
Ways to get involved today:
LAST CALL FOR THE SNA: As part of the Mascoma Builds Community Resilience project, we are conducting a Social Network Analysis (SNA) to better understand what organizations are currently collaborating with each other in the region and at what level. Please fill out our quick survey to help us see who you are already connected to in the Mascoma region: This survey will close on Friday August 6th.
We are trying to get a better understanding of what ‘community’ means to folks generally and specifically what they like (or do not like) about the Mascoma Valley Region. Please answer the three questions on this form.
Help us spread the word! Share information about this project with your friends, neighbors, and co-workers. The more folks who know and participate, the better the results !
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Eula at elkozma@friendsofmascoma.org.
At this point, 57.7% of New Hampshire residents are fully vaccinated against Covid-19—well above the national rate of 49.1% but behind all our New England neighbors (Vermont leads the nation at 67%). The Upper Valley Public Health Emergency Preparedness team is pushing ahead with more vaccine clinics on our side of the river.
Here are some of the walk-in clinics being scheduled. Some offer vaccination to anyone aged 12 and over; others require a minimum age of 18. For more information, go to Vaccines.gov.
July 22, 4-7pm
Lebanon Farmers Market, Colburn Park, Lebanon
Hosted by Lebanon Fire
Offering J&J and others based on availability
Open to anyone aged 12 and older
July 23, 10am-1:30pm
Listen Thrift Store, 387 Miracle Mile, Lebanon
Offering J&J and Moderna, based on availability
Open to anyone aged 18 and older
July 23, 3-6pm
MTD Building Contractors, 9 on the Common, Canaan
Offering J&J and Pfizer, based on availability
Open to anyone aged 12 and older
July 27, 12-3pm
Orford Congregational Church, Rt. 10, Orford
Offering J&J and Pfizer, based on availability
Open to anyone aged 12 and older
August 7-8
Orford Flea Market, On the Common, Orford
More details to be determined
August 20-22
Cornish Fair, Fairgrounds, Cornish
More details to be determined
New Hampshire law requires that the Supervisors of the Checklist verify the checklist every ten years. Any person on the checklist who has not voted in the past four years must re-register to remain on the checklist.
The Supervisors are sending notice letters to these voters at the address the voter provided when registering.
The Supervisors of the Checklist for the Town of Orange will hold a session for re-registering voters who have not voted since April 1, 2017, accepting applications for new voter registration, accepting requests for the correction of the checklist, and or change of political party affiliation on:
Date: Monday, June 21, 2021
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Location: Orange Town House
Cardigan Mountain Road
Orange, New Hampshire
Voters may check party affiliation on-line:
https://app.sos.nh.gov/Public/PollingPlaceSearch.aspx
Doug and Trish Weekes have been working diligently on grants to be used to restore our historic Town House’s roof. They are applying for a Moose Plate grant, a competitive process that includes getting a letter of support from as many residents as possible.
If you see someone at the Town House, please consider stopping in to sign the letter of support which is posted on the bulletin board in the foyer.
You may also send a letter of support by snail mail (P.O. Box 37, Canaan) or email (townoforangenh@gmail.com). Your letter of support should read something like this:
The Orange Town House is critical to our small, rural community and we want to be sure it is restored so it can continue to be the seat of government and place for meetings and community gatherings. As residents of Orange, NH, we strongly support our town’s pursuit of Moose Plate Grant funding for help in restoring our historic Town House’s roof.
The Loco Races 100 on 100 Relay, traditionally run in Vermont, is being moved to New Hampshire this year because of Vermont’s continuing Covid restrictions.
With a start line in Lebanon on the Northern Rail Trail, the course covers 46 miles to Franklin, then heads back 54 miles through Danbury to Lebanon. Our stretch of the course takes the runners down the length of Tuttle Hill Road from Grafton, turning left onto Cardigan Mountain Road.
The race organizer originally asked permission to go through Orange via Burnt Hill and Cardigan Mountain Road. But the Selectboard, road agent, and emergency management folks deemed the course too dangerous. The intersection with the access road to the state park, along with the dirt portion of the state road, gets a lot of traffic on a Saturday afternoon in August.
So expect to see as many as 150 teams of up to six runners, with a support van for each team. One racer per team will be running at a time. The race begins at 5:00am with most participants finishing around 11:00pm. We can expect to see them in Orange between 3:00 and 7:00pm.
Here’s a screen shot of the course. You can see the full interactive map in detail on the race site.
Loco 100 by 100 Relay
Gulley Dunlap reports:
The Cemetery Trustees will meet at the Church Cemetery on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Action items include approving the April 20, 2021 minutes, surveying the condition of cemetery headstones in the Church Cemetery, discussing flag placement responsibilities, and general long-term planning.
The meeting is open to the public.
Bridget Labrie, regional recreation coordinator for Mascoma Valley Parks and Rec, reports on this summer’s events and outdoor activities. You can find its calendar here.
Enfield Market Starts This Saturday
From 10am to 1pm at Huse Park in Enfield, the market will be open on the second and fourth Saturdays until October 9. The organizers are seeking vendors, food trucks, and live music. Email Bridget for more information.
Youth Programs
Challenger Sports Soccer Camp: Register here.
Paul Hogan Basketball Camp: July 12-15. Grades 1-4, 8-10am; grades 5-8, 10 to noon. Information and registration here.
Volleyball Skills Clinic: July 19-23, 3-6pm, for students entering grades 6 through 9. Register here.
Adult & Family Recreation Opportunities
Adult Co-Ed Recreational Volleyball: Shaker Recreation Field. Information to come. Watch the Parks & Rec calendar or email Bridget.
Adult Co-Ed Softball League (Rubberball League) in Canaan. Check out the group’s Facebook page or email them here.
Disc Golf? There is interest in getting courses started here in the Mascoma Valley. It’ll require fundraising, volunteer workers, and people to spread the word. Email here if you’re interested.
Get Outside
The Trail Finder, covering Vermont and New Hampshire, lets you print out trail maps or download them to your phone. (Also see Sandi Pierson’s guide to Orange area hikes in the Natural Resources Inventory.)
UNH Extension is offering many workshops.
Upper Valley Trails Alliance is taking applications for the Upper Valley High School Trail Corps program. This is an opportunity for high school students to spend time outdoors and learn about trail building in a sustainable way.
Check out other UVTA opportunities and programs for all ages here.
Follow Mascoma Valley Parks & Rec
You’ll find it on Facebook and Instagram. And you can email Bridget here.
Alasdair Dunlap-Smith, who serve’s on the Town’s ad hoc broadband committee, says that the Grafton County Broadband Committee still wants responses to its survey on internet service. The county will use the data for broadband planning, so it’s important to show how badly we need better service here.
Please take a couple minutes to fill out the survey here.
Meanwhile, Alasdair reports that major funding for broadband in New Hampshire seems likely.
Orange officials and volunteers have met with Mapping and Planning Solutions, a firm in Twin Mountain, to work on the required five-year update to the 2016 Orange Hazard Mitigation Plan. More meetings are being scheduled over the next few months to address flooding, hurricanes, drought, landslides, wildfires, and other natural or human-caused hazards.
The Hazard Mitigation Planning Team is currently being formed. Orange citizens and any interested stakeholders are invited to participate. The next meeting will be held Monday, May 10, 7:00-9:00 PM via Zoom. To be added to the invite, email Dorothy Heinrichs at nhdorothy@gmail.com. Additional meetings are scheduled for 7pm Mondays, June 14 and July 12.
The team will determine efforts to mitigate the effects, examine potential shelter sites, and decide on the need for generators at those sites. By examining critical infrastructure and key resources, along with past hazards, the team will establish priorities for future mitigation projects and steps that can be taken to increase public awareness of hazards in general.
The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires all municipalities to complete a local Hazard Mitigation Plan to qualify for FEMA funding after a natural disaster. The planning processes are made possible by grants from FEMA.
For more information on the hazard mitigation planning process, call June Garneau at Mapping and Planning Solutions, 603-991-9664.