Belmont announces Community Heritage Award winners

The Belmont Heritage Commission and the Belmont Board of Selectmen proudly announce its 2022 Community Heritage Award winners. This annual event recognizes individuals, organizations and businesses that have contributed to the town’s history and heritage.  

The Exceptional Commitment to Community Award was overwhelmingly chosen to be given to Jeanne Beaudin. Beaudin retired last spring from the town administrator’s role after a long tenure. Jeanne’s professionalism and eagerness provided a great teamwork environment. 

Her assistance to the Heritage Commission especially was invaluable. She consistently went above and beyond to assist its new members and guide the commission. Her guidance was important to the role of the Heritage Commission and its importance to the town. Jeanne’s many years as the town’s administrator was always held in high regard. She provided experience beyond compare and was proven time and time again to be immeasurable to the town of Belmont. The Heritage Commission was greatly enhanced by her guidance and counted on Jeanne’s support, confidence and expertise. Her knowledge and persistence to help them in every way possible could not be overlooked. Her exceptional commitment to the community will be felt for many years to come for all that she accomplished and gave to the Town of Belmont.  

Smith’s Apple Orchard also received an award for their part in giving to the town community and to its heritage. Many Belmont townspeople visit Smith’s Orchard yearly, but it is also a favorite to surrounding towns in the Lakes Region and also to families who travel from other states. Smith Orchard has an astounding following of patrons every year. The Preservation and Agricultural Traditions Award easily fits the orchard’s long standing role in what it has given to the town. The words "tradition" and "preservation" in the award give credit to Wende Richter and her family for their dedication to continuing the deep heritage and history of farming and the harvesting of various types of apples in Belmont. Smith Orchard has been owned and operated by Rob and Wendee Richter since December 1985. The Richters bought the farm from Charlie Smith, who planted 800 trees in 1929. Wende and her son Chad continued the operations of the farm after Rob’s passing in 2018. 

The orchard has also been recognized as a Farm of Distinction by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. The Heritage Commission was honored to acknowledge Smith Orchard for their contributions to the town. The town of Belmont truly appreciates the Richter family for their true gift of giving to their community and creating happy traditions to many families.

This year the Community Heritage award proudly includes a leadership award. 

The Youth Leadership Award was named to Victoria Ribeiro. For two years she held the Student Representative position for the Belmont Heritage Commission. The Heritage Commission’s goal was to have a student representative attend and participate in monthly meetings to learn more about the history and heritage of their town. Although Victoria is not a voting member, she provided valuable input to the commission. Victoria was a huge help with the Senior Citizens Soup Bags project created last winter. She also eagerly worked on projects to prepare for Old Home Day. Victoria’s involvement with the Heritage Commission proved to be insightful for its members as well. She brought an exciting energy and a younger perspective in discussions about the town’s history and heritage. Victoria graduated from Belmont High School in June and presently attends Southern New Hampshire University.