Keeping the community up to date on community topics
April 18, 2026 – 9am race start
Join us for a run, community 5K run/walk in celebration of Earth Day to support our programs! This is a community-focused event, perfect for runners, walkers, families, and first-timers alike. We’ll have prizes for our top finishers and t-shirts for the first 50 people who register. Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome. Register HERE.
Applications are open for our HS Summer Work Program! Gain experience on a farm, as a camp counselor or in the gardens and get paid for your learning! Students must be 14 years old to apply. For questions or further information please contact George Gowdy at hooper.educator@gmail.com. Applications are due April 17th.
Applications can be found here: https://www.hooperinstitute.org/high-school-work-program.html
Police Building Committee Minutes
March 11, 2026
Peggy Pschirrer called the meeting of the Police Building committee to order at 6:30 pm in Walpole Town Hall. Those present were Steve Dalessio, Jay Punt, Andrew Dey, Chief Justin Sanctuary present by Zoom, and Cheri Watson. Trevor MacLachlan was absent.
Ms. Pschirrer acknowledged the resignation of Davd Adams and thanked him for his service. Mr. Adams will be kept remain on the email list for minutes and agendas.
The Committee received eight responses to the Committee’s Requests for Proposals. Mr. Dey distribute a scoring matrix for those proposals and suggested we eliminate those proposals the Committee did not believe met our criteria.
Mr. Dey led the discussion citing the features which did not meet our criteria.
Four proposals were eliminated from consideration and four were selected to have more extensive discussion at the Committee’s next meeting.
Each member of the committee will receive a by email a matrix for the remaining proposals to be completed and returned to Mr. Dalessio no later than March 18.
Because these are public minutes the firms will not be listed because no firm has been notified of the Committee’s decisions.
The Committee will meet March 25, 2026, at 6:30 PM at the Hooper Institute to further discuss the four remaining proposals in detail and decide whom to interview.
The group agreed we will need an Owner’s rep; we do not have the staff to handle all the details, grants etc.
At this point there is confusion in the NH USDA office because our federal grant is the same amount, $2,058,000, as the federal grant given to the Walpole Fire District. Mr. Dalessio is communicating with Rena Peck who is in the NH Office of the USDA. The staff at USDA has been significantly reduced so Ms. Peck’s workload has been increased.
Attorney Hockensmith has written our appeal for a special Town Meeting for the purpose of presenting a Warran to the voters for an approval of a Bond for the cost of the new police station.
The Committee will begin fundraising in mid-late April.
Peggy Pschirrer
Town of Walpole, New Hampshire
Meeting of the Selectboard
March 12, 2026
Selectboard Present: Steven Dalessio, Chair; Carolyn Vose and Cheryl Mayberry
Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, and Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
Guests Present: Tom Murray
Call to Order: Mr. Dalessio called the Selectboard meeting to order at 6:29 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.
The Non-Public meeting was moved to the top of the agenda to accommodate a guest.
Non-Public Business RSA 91-A:3 II (b)(c)
Ms. Mayberry moved to enter Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (b)(c) at 6:29 PM. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.
The meeting was reconvened at 7:46 PM.
Mr. Murray left the meeting during the Non-Public session.
Ms. Vose moved that the Non-Public Session Minutes be sealed. Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Ms. Vose, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.
Accounts Payable
Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Accounts Payable Check Register totaling $131,114.07 dated 3/17/2026 and a $583,655.19 ACH payment to Fall Mountain Regional School District for February. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Accounts Payable was approved.
Payroll
Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $33,899.69 dated 3/13/2026 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,390.70. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Payroll was approved.
Selectboard Meeting Minutes
Selectboard Meeting – March 5, 2026: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of March 5, 2026. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Selectboard minutes were approved.
Non-Public Selectboard Meeting – March 5, 2026: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard meeting of March 5, 2026. The minutes will remain sealed. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Non-Public minutes were approved.
Veterans’ Tax Credit:
Map and Lot # 007-024-000: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Veterans’ Property Tax Credit for Map and Lot# 007-024-000. The applicant served more than 90 days of active duty during a time of conflict and was honorably discharged. The property owners have moved their parcel into a revocable trust. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.
Solar Tax Credit:
Map and Lot # 007-024-000: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Solar Energy System Property Tax Credit for Map and Lot# 007-024-000. The property owners have moved their parcel into a revocable trust. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.
Old Business
Reservoir Dam: Mr. Dalessio attended a meeting today. The plan is to temporarily breach the dam but leave it so the breach can be filled back in some day if the Town has the funds to improve the dam. Fuss and O’Neill stated everything will be done by July 1st. DES approved the plan.
Architectural and Engineering Contract for the Walpole Fire Station: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Architectural and Engineering Contract for the Walpole Fire Station, and for the Chair to sign the contract on pages 26 and 132. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the contract was approved and Mr. Dalessio signed it.
Police Station: Mr. Dalessio stated that the Police Building Committee sent out twelve RFPs and received eight responses. All the companies are well qualified; the responses were very good and close in price. At the next committee meeting, they will whittle it down the proposals to four companies who will be interviewed.
Ms. Mayberry contacted Senator Shaheen’s office and requested that they contact the USDA to get updated information on the grant for the Police Station for the Town Meeting on Saturday.
New Business
North Walpole Library Lease Agreement: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the two-year contract ending 3/31/2028 for the North Walpole Library to rent space in the North Walpole Village building at 70 Church Street in North Walpole. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the lease agreement was approved and signed.
Date Changes for Selectboard Meetings: By consensus, the Selectboard agreed to change the March 19, 2026 meeting to March 18th so the Selectboard can attend the Fire Department annual meeting and groundbreaking for the Fire Station expansion. The April 23, 2026 meeting is changed to April 22nd to avoid a SWRPC Selectboard Roundtable meeting conflict.
Walpole Police Benevolent Association Kids Fishing Derby: The Police Benevolent Association will sponsor a Kids Fishing Derby on May 23rd at Whitcomb Pond.
2026 Selectboard Liaison Assignments: The Selectboard Liaison sheet was distributed in preparation for completing it next week.
Adjournment: Mr. Dalessio declared the meeting adjourned at 8:37 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the March 18, 2026 Selectboard meeting.)
T’AI CHI CH’UAN
NEW BEGINNERS CLASS
Starting: Thursday, April 7, 2026.
Classes will meet: Weekly on Tuesday evenings from 7-8 pm.
Location: Hastings House (past the WUUC), 14 Union St., Walpole, NH.
Registration is open through April 28th for new participants.
Classes taught by: Djemila Cavanaugh (Long River instructor)
Cost: $65.00 per month
For more information and to register
call/text or email Djemila:
phone: 802-490-0225
email: djem.translator@gmail.com
TOWN OF WALPOLE
SELECTBOARD MEETING AGENDA
March 18, 2026
Starting at 6:30 PM in the Town Hall
SELECTBOARD MEETING
OPENING OF MEETING
ELECTION OF CHAIR
SELECTBOARD LIAISON ASSIGNMENTS FOR 2026
PAYROLL
SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES
COMMITTEE REPORTS
SOLAR ENERGY TAX CREDIT
TIMBER INTENTS
OLD BUSINESS
Pending Further Actions: Old North Main and High Streets Bridges/Culverts, School and Union Street Drainage, 250th Anniversary of American Independence, Parking Ordinance
NEW BUSINESS
NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS: RSA 91-A:3 II (b) (C)
HOOPER TRUSTEES MEETING
HOOPER TRUSTEES MEETING
HOOPER TRUSTEES PUBLIC BUSINESS
HOOPER TRUSTEES NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS: RSA 91-A:3 II
**Any recording, audio or visual, and/or other devices must be declared at the beginning of the meeting**
Walpole Town Library
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 10, 2026
Present : Kathy Nerrie (Treasurer), Gail LaHaise, Bill Ranauro, Susan Johnson, Erin Bowen, Jean Kobeski (Recording Secretary), Jane Malmberg (Library Director)
Absent: Amy Howard (Chair), Jana Sellarole, Sarah Mann
Susan called the meeting to order at 4:10 in the Community Room of the Main Library.
Approval of Minutes: Gail made a motion to accept the February minutes as written. Erin seconded and all voted to approve. Motion carried.
Treasurer’s Report: Kathy sent her report to the board prior to the meeting.
Bills: Jane reported that we received a bill from the town attorney for reviewing the Circulation Policy.
Jean made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report and Bills; Erin seconded and all voted to accept. Motion carried.
Amy joined the meeting at at 4:20.
Old Business
Long Range Planning: Jane emailed copies of the long Range Plan prepared in September to board members prior to the meeting. There was a brief discussion about the plan. Gail suggested including something about the Ken Burns display, which needs to be updated. Jane said she will make coordination with Florentine Films a performance goal for one of our staff members.
Jane will take out the goal of updating the phone system because that has been done.
Jane will also include a new goal of making the library website compliant for ADA which is due by next year. She said Julie is already working on that using an AI tool Jane believes is from Anthropic. Jane will also state in the plan that Chromebooks will be replaced as needed.
Amy suggested adding a goal of continuing to reevaluate services and resources in North Walpole.
Jane said we will add new library passes; she suggested adding Fort at #4.
Jane said she would add the suggestions to the plan and bring it back to the board for approval.
Operations:
Board Elections: At next month’s meeting in North Walpole we will conduct board leadership elections.
Programs: Jane reported that the library collaboration with the Hooper Institute is going well.
Upcoming programs include:
Friends of the Library: The annual meeting will be in March.
Other Business: Director Jane Malmberg announced to the board that she will retire at the end of February, 2027. At this meeting trustees discussed steps for finding Jane’s replacement. They agreed the first step is to assemble a search committee including board, staff, and community members. They decided the search should begin in August, six months prior to Jane’s leaving.
Jane said she would have the library budget and staff performance reviews finished before leaving.
Adjournment: With no further business to discuss, Gail moved to adjourn to executive session; Erin seconded and Amy adjourned the meeting at 5:02 p.m.
The next meeting will be April 14, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. in North Walpole
Respectfully Submitted,
Jean Kobeski, Recording Secretary
** These minutes are in draft form until approved at the April 14, 2026 meeting.
The Walpolean 
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