Page 7 - SEPT2024

September 2024
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
Page 7
Community
Peter Brown was awarded the Newfound Lake Region Associ- ation’s Founders Award earlier this year, which acknowledged his lifelong “efforts to inspire and support land and water protection in the Newfound Watershed.” Those wishing to acknowledge Peter’s work can contribute in his name to the NLRA via www.newfoundlake. org or send contributions by check to Jane Brown Sparks at 200 West Shore Rd, Bristol 03222.
Friends and family will hold a cel- ebration of Peter’s life on September 28th in Alexandria. Please contact Jane at 603-583-7409 if you wish to attend.
protect natural resources, including the region’s aquifer, educate young and old about the fragility of the watershed, and en- courage environmentally friendly economic devel- opment. There was also a political goal to facilitate a cooperative relation- ship between the towns of the Newfound Region as those communities faced the evolving challenge of maintaining Newfound Lake’s reputation as the cleanest body of freshwa- ter in the country.
As if all the ongoing pro- grams were not enough to deal with, Peter experienced the high drama of an emergency in the first year of his presidency, giving evidence that his work might well require a 24 hour, seven days a week vigilance. In early August 1990, heavy rains fell on the Newfound Region; it was deluge not seen before or since. Peter Brown’s phone began ringing at 3:45 AM on the night of August 11th. Panicked callers were re- porting that Newfound Lake was flooding. Peter got in his car to see
per minute. The flood- waters receded. Peter Brown’s drive through wind and rain had saved the day.
One can imagine the days when Peter sailed on Newfound Lake and how he was moved not only by the “reflecting waters” he spoke of in his writings but also by the mountainous hori- zon and the watershed it embraced. Often, as his sailboat “came about,” the shifting horizon might first disclose the
bald beauty of Mt. Cardigan in the West, then to the North, he would see the exposed cliffs of Mt. Crosby, in the East the modesty of Plymouth Moun- tain would be revealed. Finally, as the turn was complete and the sails filled again, Peaked Hill and Gordon Hill would appear. This mountainscape was not only the reservoir of Peter’s be- loved watershed but also gave the helmsman an aesthetic expe- rience that would elicit emotion, inspiring his conservation work with the abiding spirit of loving
life and nature. Peter, as was his way, shared a touching reflection about the course and approach- ing consummation of his life by saying simply, “I am a fortunate old man.” We, in turn, are fortu- nate to have known Peter Brown. It seems to me the following poem by Elizabeth Hardy cap- tures the essence of our helms- man’s most recent journey.
I have peacefully furled my sail
In mooring sheltered from storm or gale
And greeted friends who have sailed before
O’er the unknown sea,
To the unknown shore.
Madelyn and Peter
for himself. Roads were awash, lake waters ran over docks, and streams jumped their banks. By 4:15, Peter was on the phone to urge the Water Resources Board to release more water through the Newfound River dam. There was no response to the calls until Peter reached Bob Fay, the dam attendant. Finally, Fay got through to the WRB and the dam was opened. Its normal openings that released 50 cubic feet per minute were opened to allow the rush of 2,000 cubic feet
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