This paper ran an interesting article last week about a Barn Tour sponsored by the Temple Historical Society that was to be held on July 25. It mentions fun activities at several farms including milking demonstrations and a performance by the Temple Dance Band. Very puzzling as I couldn’t think of a single dairy farm in Temple and I knew that the Temple Stream Theater Jazz and Stilt Dancers’ Band would be at the Farmington Summer Fest. What finally became evident about midway through the article was the fact that the tour was taking place in Temple, New Hampshire.

I had never given much thought to Temple NH before now, even though we are the namesake of New Hampshire’s Temple’s. Located east of Sharon, west of Wilton and Mount Vernon, and north of Greenville, the New Hampshire town is about 80 miles due west of Newburyport, Mass., and 200 miles southwest of us.

Its land area is 23.7 square miles and the population density is 57.8 persons per square miles. The terrain is “uneven and rocky” according to one website. People are much less densely packed in our 35.8 square miles, at about 15 per uneven square and rocky mile. In New Hampshire, Temple’s elevation is 1,024 feet and in Maine, it is 1,230 feet.

The other Temple was first settled in 1758, only about 40 years prior to our Temple, and they incorporated 1768. Their population is now 1,366, making them nearly three times our size. The town has their own elementary school, serving approximately 60 kindergarten thru 4th grade students. Older students attend Contoocook Valley district schools.

Two major routes, 45 and 101, serve our NH parent and the town has a sizable reservoir within its borders. The NH town grew 5 percent between 2000 and 2010, where our population fell 7 percent during the same period. Their median age is just slightly younger than ours even though New Hampshire as a whole is slightly older.

There is a big disparity in income between the two towns. Our median household income in 2013 was estimated to be $43,294, while Temple, NH’s was $71, 518. The cost of living index, however, is 121 in New Hampshire, but here in Temple, Maine it is 95. (The US average is 100). The income is higher but it costs more to live there.

The Temple, Maine Historical Society hopes that no one was inconvenienced by the mix-up. Perhaps we shall one day host a tour of some sort, although it is not likely to be of our distinguished barns.

Temple was one of four towns voting a second time to reject the RSU 9 school budget for 2015/16. With a vote 54 in favor and 57 against, just 111 residents registered their opinion. The vote in Temple was closer than in any other town.

At the time of the June 9th vote, 62 residents voted to defeat the budget 42 to 20.

Many voters questioned whether the School Board members had made a serious attempt to trim the budget. Others felt that the increased budget was unavoidable as general expenses continue to rise. This new version of the budget includes our portion of an extra $25 million in state subsidies which resulted from a legislative decision that was made after the initial district-wide budget vote in early June. Consequently, the mil rate for the school budget is 8.23 and the amount towns in the district have to raise is $301,000 less than anticipated.

While traffic was brisk at the Town Hall all day during the polling hours, voter turnout was just under 25 percent of registered voters. Given all the recent debate about the budget and all the Vote No and Vote Yes signs, one might have expected the turnout to be higher.

Temple has 438 registered voters at present but the list includes a number of people who have moved away or died and whose names have not been removed. According to the 2010 census, we have 419 residents age 18 or older, and only about 100 children who are school-aged. By extrapolation, each adult in Temple is responsible for the education of one forth of a child. I should like to see more of us voting on behalf of that quarter child.

This is a fine time of year to sit on a porch during the late afternoon. On the shady side of a house, the breezes are just enough to cool things off and keep the bugs away. A house with a good porch is blessed, and doubly so when friends sit there together.

I had the pleasure recently of sitting with Paul Hodgkins on the porch at his house in West Farmington, chatting about life in Temple and the changes in the world. Paul finds it particularly curious that traffic on the road to Temple seems to keep up all night long when not so many decades ago few would be found roaming about past eleven in the evening, even in the summer.

Adding to the Historical Society’s baseball memorabilia, Paul has recently donated to the archives the catcher’s mitt his father used when playing for the Temple Townies ball team in the early days. His donation is much appreciated as the Townies played an important role in Temple’s sense of community.

Temple residents, please feel free to call me at 778-3856 with news or announcements, or if you see your neighbors planning a trip to Temple, New Hampshire.