The year in Dunbarton featured a revitalized sense of history and controversy over changing the traditional voting process, public comment at selectmen meetings and gas pumps.

Making and reliving history

• In February, the Dunbarton Historical Society announced a contest for students ages 3 to 13 to help locate the town’s oldest resident to receive the Boston Post Cane. The contest winner received a $50 savings bond and a commemorative pin. At Town Meeting in March, 95-year-old Murray McKay was presented the Boston Post Cane. McKay could not attend the meeting himself, but his daughter, Judith McKay Doucet, accepted the cane on his behalf. Selectmen later officially presented the replica to McKay in person at the Hillsborough County Nursing Home.

• John Swindlehurst II, a former Dunabarton selectman, police officer, fireman, fire warden and member of several other town boards and offices, died at age 73 after battling cancer.

• The Dunbarton Garden Club announced it would plant a special red-and-white bulb in memory of Swindlehurst as part of its Daffodils for Dunbarton campaign.

• The Dunbarton American Legion, led by Major Gary Maccubbin, honored its veterans with a Memorial Day celebration at the community center.

• The town of Dunbarton hosted a special parade for resident Vera Fogg, 86, who was terminally ill with pancreatic cancer. Fogg also led the Old Home Day parade in September. Fogg expressed appreciation for her fellow residents, who showed her their love and devotion to her during her final days. Fogg died Sept. 29.

• Gary and Koren Maccubbin were honored by Sen. Ted Gatsas for preserving history by restoring their home in the town center. The building was once the Maple Tavern.

• On Oct. 15, former selectman and firefighter Peter Montgomery died at age 67.

• Several residents, including Donna Dunn, Jan VandeBogart, Gail Martel, Nancy Frost, Bob Boynton, Harvey Provencher, Bernie Bastian, Bud Marcou and Beth Lamarca volunteered their skills to restore the old town hearse, which had been severely damaged in a 1958 fire.

• Bud Noyes, Nancy Frost, Marion Crosby, Donna Dunn, and Linda Peters, among others, restored and organized the Hadley-Tucker Photos and written history collection, which the town bought three years ago.

SB2

• Resident Karen Harrington submitted a petitioned warrant article calling for Dunbarton to change from traditional Town and School District meetings to SB2, or official ballot law. The change would have moved warrant articles from the meetings to official ballot voting on Election Day. Residents would still be able to discuss and amend articles at a deliberative session of Town Meeting before voting by official ballot.

• Residents at Town and School District meetings, rejected SB2 by a 502-241 vote on the town side and 487-251 on the school side.

Gas pumps

• Four years after proposing gas pumps at Page’s Country Store, owner David Barkie revived his plans to offer gasoline service at his business. The news was met by opposition and skepticism by some residents, despite Barkie’s promise to create a safe, environmentally friendly system. Barkie was supposed to meet with the zoning board of adjustment Nov. 13, but canceled to better prepare his presentation.

• In response to a petition signed by many Dunbarton residents, Barkie formed a counterpetition, filled with hundreds of names of gas pump supporters. In December, Barkie again canceled a meeting with the zoning board. His presentation is scheduled for Jan. 8.

Town common

• At Town Meeting, voters rejected a warrant article to add sidewalks and lighting to the town center. About $271,000 of the $338,750 cost would have been paid through a grant.

• At Old Home Day, resident Donna Dunn revealed three architectural drawings depicting possible town common improvements, which will include a bandstand, more shrubbery and the reconstruction of Robert Rogers Road to have only one access lane onto Route 13.

Public comment

• Resident Lori Davis and others openly complained when Dunbarton selectmen decided to restrict public comment at its meetings. Chairman Mert Mann said the policy was intended to create a more orderly meeting and if a resident wants to speak at a meeting, they must call town offices the day before a meeting and be placed on the agenda. Criticism over the policy continued as Dunbarton residents expressed confusion over the need for the policy. Town Administrator Janice VandeBogart reaffirmed that the policy does not discourage public comment, but rather seeks order. Moreover, Mann said the policy had been in place for years and he simply chose to enforce it.

Other town news

• Selectmen, at a Feb. 9 budget hearing, proposed a $1.67 million operating budget, a 7.4 percent increase over the previous year. Selectmen said the increase would be offset with $98,900 in surplus money.

• At Town Meeting, voters approved an 11.2 percent budget increase to $1,769,688. The town also approved a new $39,000 police cruiser and a $75,000 road grader, but rejected the hiring of a new full-time police officer.

• In March, an 88-unit condominium complex was approved after two years of deliberation between the Dunbarton Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment. The condos for 55-and-older residents would be built next to Countryside Gold Course in south Dunbarton.

• In April, resident Margaret Watkins was awarded the second annual Sarah Thorne Conservation Award.

• May floods caused the closure of several roads in town, but no significant evacuations occurred.

• The Dunbarton Town Library published a community contact guide to provide information on local businesses and organizations.

• The Dunbarton Police Department earned national recognition for excellence after completing an arduous program aimed at training part-time officers to full-time standards in July. The department became the smallest in the country to receive the honor. State Sen. Ted Gatsas presented a proclamation to the department with several weeks later.

• In August, 6-year-old Gabrielle Proksa won the USJA National Judo Competition in Boca Raton, Fla. She would go on to with the Ocean State Judo Tournament in Rhode Island and New Hampshire/Maine Judo Games as well.

• Dunbarton celebrated Old Home Day on Sept. 16.

• Tax bills were released in late October, and taxes jumped 7.2 percent, due, in part, to unanticipated tuition, energy and benefit costs within the school district.

Other school news

• The Dunbarton School Board proposed $525,000 to cover renovations to the elementary school’s heating and ventilation system and roof repairs. At School District Meeting in March, voters approved the renovations and a $318,072 budget increase, or 7.2 percent.

• John Herlihy won his fourth term on the Dunbarton School Board.

• On Oct. 19, the Dunbarton Garden Club planted baby daffodil bulbs with kindergartners as part of its Daffodils for Dunbarton campaign.