Longtime Lyndeborough resident Lucy Schmidt, who received the town’s Boston Post Cane in 2014 as its oldest resident, died June 19 at the age of 104, and the town has identified the cane’s next recipient.

Schmidt moved to Lyndeborough from Salem, Mass., when she was 16, and spent the rest of her life in town with her husband Edward and five daughters. A memorial service will be held for Schmidt on Friday, July 5 at South Cemetery in Lyndeborough. Lyndeborough Select Board members said Wednesday that they will present the Boston Post Cane to the next recipient as a surprise for the person’s upcoming 100th birthday.

New definition for roads

The Select Board also approved a new definition for “private roads” in the draft of the town’s 2024 zoning ordinance, which will be voted on at next Town Meeting. Previously, a private road was defined as “a road constructed to or exceeding the town standards for Class V roads.” The state of New Hampshire defines Class V roads as “traveled highways which the city or town has the duty to maintain regularly.”

The new definition, developed by board member Mark Chamberlain, reads, “A private road is defined as a way privately owned, either by a single person or entity, or by multiple persons or entities who share the use and maintenance of the road. Said road has not been dedicated or accepted by the state or local municipality [...] and shall not be maintained using public funds.”

The new verbiage also includes one exception that gives the Select Board the power to declare a private road an “emergency lane,” which would allow the town to maintain the road as needed in urgent situations.

Before approving the new definition, the Select Board asked Building Inspector and cOde Enforcement Officer Leo Trudeau if he had any thoughts on the new definition.

“I think Selectman Chamberlain’s version is fine, and his research is good” he said.

Subsequently, the board voted to adopt the new definition into the draft ordinance.

Work beginson detector ban

The Select Board also began the process of drafting an ordinance that would prohibit the use of metal detectors on town-owned property. Town Administrator Russ Boland said he was asked by a resident for permission to use his metal detector on certain areas of town-owned land. Boland noted that while there was no formal language that prohibited the use of metal detectors on town property, a previous  board had told residents that they could not use their metal detectors on town property.

“This topic has been talked about and addressed, they pretty much uniformly agreed it was a bad idea, but didn’t take it any further than that,” he said.

“After speaking with you about it, and thinking about it, I’m not so sure I like the idea of someone going someplace and digging holes, disturbing the ground and maybe creating some kind of hazard,” said Board Chairman Bob Howe.

“And also taking any artifacts that rightfully belong to the town,” Boland added.

All three members of the Select Board agreed that they would not allow metal detection on town-owned property, and would draft an ordinance to be brought to the next Town Meeting.