LIVERMORE FALLS — The Livermore Falls Downtown Betterment Group held what may be its last annual meeting last week after selectmen in the town voted not to include an article requesting funding for the group on the warrant.

President Bob Berry gave a brief recap of the many ways the Betterment Group has supported the town before presenting two awards to deserving individuals. History Night and the Spruce Mountain Sled-In are two area events conceived by the group. Support is also given to the Apple-Pumpkin Festival.

The Betterment Group has been involved with many town improvements including a new sign at Gateway Park and flower plantings in the park and the downtown. Clean Up Day is held each May prior to History Night. Trash is picked up and other efforts make the town look better, Berry said.

Picnic tables and benches were painted for the Apple-Pumpkin Festival last year and the group supports the Spirit of the Season Committee which allows town children to buy presents for family members. “We wrapped hundreds of gifts and Roger Kay made boxes,” Berry said.

Berry noted the group also assisted with ATV Ride-Ins and the Androscoggin Land Trust Paddle Series. “We helped other groups. We gave of our time,” Berry said.

Group members also meet with new business owners to see how they can help. “We’re on the front line for all businesses,” Berry said.

After introducing the board members, Berry then presented the Livermore Falls Community Betterment Award to Michelle Coates and the Spirit of America Award to Sarah Delaney. “Sarah is a force of nature,” Berry said when announcing the award. Delaney will be recognized later this spring with other award recipients.

The Spirit of America Award is for an individual or group who volunteers their time. The board votes on a nominee from the town after town officials suggested the Betterment Group as a fitting recipient and then asked the group to take over after they won the award.

Former UMF professor and chaplain at FMH Doug Dunlap then shared pointers on singing the praises of outdoor recreation opportunities in your community. He has written two books and has several others in the works.

Dunlap began writing when he spoke with a previous editor at the Franklin Journal about there being nothing printed in the local paper about the many recreational opportunities to be found in this area. He suggested assigning a reporter to it, but the editor asked Dunlap to write a story and send it to him.

Dunlap wrote articles on Blueberry Hill in Weld and Chain of Ponds and began writing more articles. Someone asked when he was going to write a book and it progressed from there.

Dunlap asked the group to identify places where they like to walk or hike, put together a brief description about those places, and create a flyer to promote local attractions. The same can be done for canoe or kayak destinations.

Dunlap encouraged everyone to take kids outdoors, sit down with them and listen to the natural world around them. The nature of Maine is in our backyards. Share and promote it, he said.

Berry then spoke briefly about the challenge now facing the group. He said that every group goes through the same five cycles of start, growth period, working period, decline and end. The Betterment Group has been in a period of decline and this may be the time to end the group given the lack of support from the selectmen.

The group had always believed that their activities were covered by the town’s insurance but that has recently been found not to be the case. Insurance needs would require a budget 3-4 times larger.

After the selectmen voted not to put the group on the town meeting warrant, Berry said he and other members of the group felt they were unappreciated. “It was a little bit of a slap in the face,” he said.

Board members will meet again next month to decide the next steps for the group.