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Nelson Community Forum

By admin |

Nelson residents will soon be receiving an invitation to the Nelson Community Forum. The forum is a chance for Nelson residents (both the year-round and the summer variety) to come together and discuss the future of our town. It is a chance to share reflections on what makes Nelson such a great place to live and to cultivate new ideas that will make it even better. It is a chance to connect with neighbors; but like every other chance, it is only worth something if you take it.

Forums such as this one are not new to our part of the world. Stoddard and Hancock held one a few years back, and Harrisville is going to hold their second town-wide forum this fall.  These forums resulted in a number of projects coming to fruition, such as the creation of a Community Supported Agriculture Farm, the re-opening of a general store, and the establishment of a town newsletter. These are some concrete examples of what other towns decided their communities needed to become stronger. What will be the results of Nelson’s forum this September? No one knows–that’s the beauty of it. When one hundred people or so get together to toss ideas back and forth, who can say what the outcome will be?

While this may sound like a recipe for chaos, the forum will be professionally facilitated. People brainstorm in small groups of ten or so, and report their ideas to the larger group. The result is a slate of ideas and projects that, with the support of forum participants, can move forward constructively and bring the community closer together.

Your voice is unique and your viewpoint is valuable. Wouldn’t you like the chance to share them? Consider accepting the invitation to the Nelson Community Forum on September 17th and 18th.  The Forum will be held at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music. To find out more information, or to sign up for the forum directly, visit the Moving in Step table at Old Home Days, surf over to www.movinginstep.org, or call Betsey Church 847-3206 or Kathy Schillemat 847-9785.

Published on July 29th, 2010 | Category: Civic Opportunity, Community Gathering | Click here to comment on this article |

Nelson's Earliest Roads

By Rick Church |

Cemetery RoadEditors Note: The images in this article may be clicked, and a larger version will open in a separate browser window. The images displaying hand writing were scanned from our town archives.

Nelson’s earliest roads were made and maintained by hand, using men and teams of oxen — the same methods that cleared farms. Road layouts reflected that labor intensity. They tended to be built straight up and down hills rather than be bench cut, and they were likely to follow property lines and avoid using already cleared and productive farmland. However, early property deeds made it clear that all property was “subject to all necessary highways.” Between its founding and today, Nelson has laid out, built, relocated and improved several hundred roads.

In May 1834 the selectmen received a petition from a number of residents to layout a new road. A public meeting was held and the town approved the following road: “Beginning at the Stoddard line near the brook in said Nelson thence south 34 degrees west through land of James Clark 12 rods to a stake and stones. Thence south 12 degrees west 16 rods 9 links. Thence south 5 degrees west 20 rods 12 links to the bank of the brook. Thence south 40 degrees west across the brook to the old road near James Clark’s cider mill 6 rods. The above line is to be the center of the highway which is to be 3 rods wide.”

This road is part of the current Old Stoddard Road from the Stoddard town line to the big culvert that carries Bailey Brook.  The stone foundation visible on the north side of the road today is probably James Clark’s cider mill.

CLCK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE→ Nelson’s Earliest Roads

Published on July 14th, 2010 | Category: Rick Church History Articles | |

Town of Nelson Email Addresses

By ADMIN |

New @townofnelson email addresses have been established for town officials and town boards.

When mail is addressed to one or more of the addresses below, it is forwarded to the individual(s) who can best respond. In some cases this may be a board chair, or in other cases it may go directly to the town office, where a determination will be made as to who should receive it. One value to this new process is that when town officials change, the email address can remain the same, but it is forwarded to the new town official.

Individuals who have been regularly corresponding with any town officials at previously established email addresses should make note of the new addresses, as the old ones will eventually be phased out.

Please remember that many town officials are volunteers, and the administrative staff and paid officials work only part time. Therefore you should not expect an immediate reply when sending email.

The addresses are:

The Town Office               admin@townofnelson.com

The Board of Selectmen        selectmen@townofnelson.com

Conservations Commission        conservation@townofnelson.com

Fire Department             firechief@townofnelson.com

Library                   library@townofnelson.com

Planning Board                planningboard@townofnelson.com

Police                    police@ townofnelson.com

Tax Collector                taxcollector@townofnelson.com

Town Clerk               townclerk@townofnelson.com

Zoning Board of Adjustment         zoningboard@townofnelson.com

Published on June 13th, 2010 | Category: Town Business | |

A Visit to the Montshire Museum

By ADMIN |

Nelson School’s sixth graders spent the night at the Montshire Museum in Norwich, VT on Thursday, June 3.

They arrived at the museum around 6:00 pm, after an early dinner at Friendly’s, and spent the evening rotating in small groups through three different activities:  StarLab, Evening Walk, and Science Discovery Lab.  The activities were followed by a light evening snack and then the students drifted off to sleep in the main exhibit hall.

In the morning, following breakfast, the students headed out to explore some of the trails with a self-guided nature hike.  As the sun came out and the day began to warm up, the sixth graders put on their bathing suits and splashed around in the 250-foot interactive watercourse.  They had a lot of fun floating balls downstream, making dams by redirecting the water flow, and watching patterns of light and shadow as water spun around cylinders and moveable shapes.

Nelson School’s sixth graders had a wonderful class trip, and would like to thank all those who supported their fund raising efforts this year.

Published on June 8th, 2010 | Category: Uncategorized | |

Building the Early Town: First Roads.

By Rick Church |

Nelson Highway DeptThe charter granting Monadnock Number Six to those early proprietors required that they provide the basic necessities for the new community’s viability.  Of necessity, building roads came first.

Breed Batchellor was the town’s first resident, settling as early as 1766.  He moved into an early structure built by Josiah Billings just over the east line of Keene in Monadnock Number Six, comfortably in Roxbury today.  That part of Keene was settled sparsely, but Batchellor’s home had access to Keene over Keene roads.  Dr. Nathaniel Breed followed Batchellor, building a large log cabin on the Old Stoddard Road followed shortly thereafter by Joseph Stanhope who built on the north slope of Osgood Hill on today’s Homestead Lane. Aaron Beel, James Bancroft, Phineas Stanford, Thomas Upham and Eleazer Twitchell are mentioned in the first road records as living in town. Certainly they created trails to serve their farms and these probably became the first roads.

In 1768 Breed Batchellor and Nathaniel Breed were appointed to layout roads.
Their layout is lost but we know there were at least five early roads that predate the first recorded layout in 1773:

  • From the site of the future Packersfield meetinghouse to Keene
  • From the meetinghouse site to Joseph Stanhope’s and on to Limerick (Stoddard)
  • From the meetinghouse site to the outlet of Pleasant Pond (Silver Lake)
  • From the meetinghouse site to the outlet of Center Pond
  • From the outlet of Pleasant Pond to Eleazer Twitchell’s

The first of these connected our town with the region’s most established town: Keene. It went from the old meetinghouse site west along the current Lead Mine Road as far as the house currently owned by Dorothy Iselin, where it turned south through the woods.  Then as now, it shortly crosses a brook and turns west south west and runs north of Woodward Pond. It comes out at the old Roxbury Center and passes Breed Batchellor’s cellar hole in present-day Roxbury. Roxbury calls its end “Middle Town Road” today. CLCK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE→ Building the Early Town: First Roads

Published on May 29th, 2010 | Category: History, Rick Church History Articles | |

Town Office Summer Hours

By ADMIN |

The Town Office (including selectmen and town clerk) will be closed on the following Wednesdays:
June 9, 23, July 7, 21, August 11, 26, September 8

Please make note of this (this information is also published on the left sidebar of this web site).

Published on May 22nd, 2010 | Category: Town Business | |

Nelson School Field Trip

By ADMIN |


Nelson School’s fifth and sixth grade had a wonderful trip to Ferry Beach Ecology School in Saco, Maine the week of May 10.  Students attended three lessons a day, exploring different ecosystems and gaining a better understanding of how cycles, change, succession, and disturbance work in different areas of our environment.  Lessons included the ABCs of Ecology, Astronomy, Abiotic Adventures, Beach and Dunes, Marine Lab, Salt Marsh, Forest, Nature at Night, Tide Pools, and Student Choice.  The final lesson, Connections, was an overview of the relationship between humans and their environment, with an emphasis on sustainability.  Between lessons, students had a chance to relax in their dormitories, walk the beach, and play on the volleyball and basketball courts. The fifth and sixth grade students enjoyed the opportunity to learn outside the classroom as well as bond with their classmates.

Published on May 18th, 2010 | Category: Uncategorized | |

News Flash: Auction Nets $8400!

By Betsy Street |

The 2010 Nelson School Auction raised $8400, a stunning total that means the students will get their new swings for the playground.  Thanks to all who participated!

Published on May 5th, 2010 | Category: Community Gathering, Nelson School | |

Time for Minutes

By ADMIN |

Nelson Town Officials are now providing pdfs of minutes of the various official meetings that take place in town. These minutes are provided at a special web site dedicated to this purpose: www.minutes.townofnelson.com (see also the link to the left)

Since this is a new process, there is some getting used to it, but in general the various boards will attempt to post the minutes in a timely fashion after each meeting. Please note that minutes from meetings are generally approved at the next meeting, so the most recent minutes are considered to be pending approval.

If you have questions about meeting minutes, please stop by the town office during business hours.

Published on May 2nd, 2010 | Category: Town Business | |

Nelson School Performs Oliver Twist Fri., April 16

By Betsy Street |

...

The students from Nelson School will be performing an original musical adaptation of Oliver Twist at Keene High School at 6:30 pm on Friday.   Admission is free (donations gladly accepted).   Oliver Twist is an original musical adaptation of the classic Dickens tale of the orphaned boy whose good and sturdy spirit support him through the difficult and exciting times of growing up in Victorian England.

The one hour performance is the culmination of a week long residency with Children’s Stage Adventures.  The play was cast on Monday, rehearsals take place all week, and they will be production ready by Friday evening!  Nelson School has worked with Children’s Stage Adventures in previous years and it is always amazing how much the students can learn in one week and what a good production they produce.

If you cannot attend the evening performance, please feel free to join us for the dress rehearsal at 10 am Friday at Keene High School.

Published on April 13th, 2010 | Tags: | Category: Dancing, Entertainment, Music, Nelson School | Click here to comment on this article |