Granite State Rural Water Association is pleased to announce the 7th annual Drinking Water Taste Test Contest will be hosted on Sept. 14 at their annual Operator Field Day. This event will take place at the Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury, New Hampshire. Once again, Eastern Analytical Inc. of Concord, is generously sponsoring the state-wide contest. Drinking water systems will be submitting water samples to a panel of expert judges including representatives from New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Judging criteria include taste, aroma, and clarity. The winner of the contest qualifies for participation in the Great American Taste Test Contest – an annual, national contest hosted in Washington, D.C. by National Rural Water Association. The Drinking Water Taste Test Contest is a way to celebrate and highlight the importance of water as a critical, natural resource. By sharing this event with the public, they can understand the important role of drinking water utilities regarding public health and safety. Clean, safe drinking water is something that is often taken for granted, whereas hard work and dedication, on the part of drinking water professionals, goes into providing the public with this resource. Operator Field Day provides training opportunities for drinking water and wastewater system operators. There are over 50 exhibits where vendors display the latest products and services for the industry. Granite State Rural Water Association is a trade association and state affiliate of the National Rural Water Association. GSRWA provides training, technical assistance, and legislative representation for drinking water and wastewater utilities throughout New Hampshire.
The Hopkinton Historical Society and the Abenaki Trails Project will present “History of Corn Production along the Contoocook River” on Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bohanan Farm, 945 Penacook Road, Hopkinton. It is free, open to the public and family-friendly. Join in for Skamonkas (Corn Maker Moon) and learn from Nulhegan Abenaki tribal members about traditional planting and harvesting methods and try your hand at grinding corn in a wooden corn mortar to make skamotahigan (cornmeal). Tribal and non-tribal members working with the Abenaki Trails Project will share the long history of corn production along the Contoocook River. The program will take place at the large stone mortar in the corn field. It will be led by Dan Shears of the Nulhegan Cultural and Historic Preservation Department. For more information, call 603-746-3825 or visit hopkintonhistory.org.