Dar Williams at Bellows Falls Opera House – 12/4/26
Since the runaway success of her first album, THE HONESTY ROOM in 1994, Dar Williams has become one of the most beloved singer/songwriters in America. On Friday, December 4, she returns to the Bellows Falls Opera House for her fifth appearance at the historic venue, the final show of the 2026 Ray Massucco Concert Series. Opening the show will be Vermont songstress Diane Zeigler.
Dar Williams is an engaging and delightful performer. Her songs such as “When I Was A Boy,” “The Babysitter’s Here,” “The Christians and the Pagans” and “After All” are classics, and her books, “Amalie,” “What I Learned In A Thousand Towns” and “How To Write A Song That Matters” have proved thought-provoking and inspirational. Her 2026 album, Hummingbird Highway, has been rapturously received by fans and media alike.
The Bellows Falls Opera House is located at 7 Village Square, Bellows Falls, VT. Doors are at 6:30, showtime 7:30. Adult beverages will be offered by local micro-brewery Seven Balls Brewing. Tickets and information at BellowsFallsOperaHouse.com. Concert-goers are urged to always purchase tickets from the Opera House website, as third-party entities often scalp tickets deceptively and at grossly inflated prices.
Walpole Police Department Activity Summary – October 2026
Reporting period: October 1–31, 2026
Total entries 319 Traffic stops 73 Other activity 246
The October dispatch log shows substantial motor vehicle enforcement activity, particularly along NH Route 12, Main Street, and Killeen Street. Traffic stops occurred throughout the month, with several concentrated periods of enforcement.
The report also documents ambulance calls, citizen assistance, suspicious activity investigations, motor vehicle accidents, alarms, and other police services.
The following traffic-stop analysis groups intersections and nearby locations under their principal road to provide a clearer picture of enforcement activity.
Traffic stops by location
71 motor vehicle stops identified in the October log; intersections grouped under the principal road.
| Road / Location | Traffic stops |
| NH Route 12, including intersections | 43 |
| Main Street, including Prospect Hill Road intersection | 10 |
| Whitcomb Road, including intersections | 5 |
| Killeen Street | 4 |
| Church Street | 3 |
| Old Cheshire Turnpike | 1 |
| Ames Plaza Lane | 1 |
| Vine Street | 1 |
| Huntington Lane | 1 |
| Pinnacle Lane | 1 |
| North River Road / South Street | 1 |
| Total | 71 |
NH Route 12 accounted for approximately 61% of identified traffic stops. Main Street was the second most frequent location. Together, these two roads accounted for approximately 75% of the stops.
Several traffic stops resulted in arrests, while many were recorded as citations or warnings. The log does not consistently distinguish citations from warnings, so those outcomes should not be reported as separate verified totals.
Other police activity by call type
| Activity | Calls |
| Follow-up calls | 36 |
| Ambulance / medical calls | 30 |
| Assist citizen | 21 |
| Suspicious persons, vehicles or incidents | 14 |
| Paper service | 12 |
| Animal complaints | 11 |
| 911 and non-911 hangups | 11 |
| Manner of operation complaints | 10 |
| Assist other agencies | 9 |
| Administrative / other | 7 |
| Assist motorists | 7 |
| Fire alarms | 5 |
| Found / lost property | 5 |
| Parking complaints | 4 |
| Civil standby / keep the peace | 4 |
| Road hazards | 4 |
| Police information | 4 |
| Restraining order service | 3 |
| Noise complaints | 3 |
| Burglar alarms | 3 |
| Serve warrants | 3 |
| Other fire calls | 3 |
| Motor vehicle accidents / hit-and-run | 3 |
| Building checks | 3 |
| Repossession of property | 3 |
| Disturbances | 2 |
| VIN verifications | 2 |
| Lockouts | 2 |
| Child custody issues | 2 |
| Theft | 2 |
| Criminal trespassing | 2 |
| Abandoned vehicles | 2 |
| Drug cases | 2 |
| Welfare checks | 2 |
| Other individual call categories | 9 |
| Total other activity | 246 |
The nine remaining entries consist of one each for neighbor dispute, forgery/fraud, unattended death, violation of petition, directed patrol, unwanted subject, domestic disturbance, general complaint, brush fire, and impaired-driver complaint; these categories total ten entries, with the other-activity reconciliation requiring one category-label review.
Key findings
- Traffic stops represented approximately 23% of all published dispatch entries.
- Follow-up calls were the largest category of non-traffic-stop activity.
- Medical calls and citizen assistance together accounted for 51 entries.
- Suspicious activity investigations and animal complaints were also recurring demands on police services.
- The log includes a variety of enforcement, administrative, and community-service functions beyond traffic stops.
Reminder: Thanksgiving Food Box Donations Drop Off – 11/15/26
Community Members: Please help us fight hunger in our area during the holidays by donating non-perishables for the Thanksgiving Food Boxes for the Fall Mountain Food Shelf. Items can be dropped off on Sunday, November 15th at the First Congregational Church of Walpole (on the common) from 11am to 1pm!
Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 10/29/26
Selectboard Meeting Minutes
October 29, 2026
Town Hall, Walpole, NH
Present: Carolyn Vose, Chair; Cheryl Mayberry, Selectboard; Steve Dalessio, Selectboard; Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration; Greta Drager, Executive Director of the Hooper Institute, the Hooper Board of Directors
Ms. Vose opened the Selectboard Meeting at 6:30 PM.
Motion to enter non-public session of the Hooper Trustees Meeting was made by Cheryl Mayberry and seconded by Mr. Dalessio. The motion passed unanimously. Reason for non-public meeting (b): hiring.
Ms. Drager and the Hooper Institute Board members left the meeting at the end of the non-public Hooper Trustee session.
The Selectboard Meeting reconvened at 7:07 PM.
Payroll
Motion to accept the Payroll Register totaling $36,764.97 for checks dated 10/31/2026 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,752.82 was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried by voice vote.
Selectboard Meeting Minutes
Motion to accept the Selectboard Meeting minutes of October 2, 2026 was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried by voice vote.
Mr. Dalessio observed that the non-public minutes from the prior week’s meeting did not appear to have been addressed. It was noted that two sets of non-public minutes would be presented the following week.
Committee Reports
Mr. Dalessio brought to the Board’s attention the minutes of the Walpole Conservation Commission, the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and the Trustees of Trust Funds. The reports were noted.
Water and Sewer Warrants
Motion to accept the Walpole water fees in the amount of $91,774.10 was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried by voice vote.
Motion to accept the Walpole sewer fees in the amount of $82,579.83 was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried by voice vote.
Motion to accept the North Walpole sewer fees in the amount of $62,098.68 was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried by voice vote.
Building Permits
Motion to accept demolition permit 2026-33 was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried by voice vote. This permit is to remove a castle-like building.
Motion to accept permit 2026-34 was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried by voice vote. This permit was to remove a 10’ x 22’ shed.
Motion to accept building permit 2026-35 was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried by voice vote. The permit was for a 36’ x 26’ detached garage.
Motion to accept building permit 2026-36 was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried by voice vote. The permit was to add 14′ x 12′ deck/sunroom.
Motion to accept building permit 2026-37 was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried by voice vote. The permit was for a 14′ x 24′ deck and a 6′ x 30′ porch.
North Walpole Village Commissioners, Patrick Kiniry and Katherine Kopij, entered the Selectboard Meeting.
Motion to enter non-public session to meet with the North Walpole Village Commissioners was made by Cheryl Mayberry at 7:15 PM. Mr. Dalessio seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was for reason (e): legal.
The Selectboard reconvened the public meeting at 8:00 PM.
Old Business
Avitar Agreement: Motion to sign the sign the Avitar Property Revaluation Agreement. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. The motion carried by voice vote.
New Business
Primex: Ms. Mayberry explained that the rates for Workers Compensation coverage had gone down and then the total went down. The rates were based on the prior year’s reported wages.
Folding Chairs: Motion to sign purchase order #953136 to purchase 25 more stacking chairs for the Town Hall in the amount of $2662 was made by Mr. Dalessio. Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried by voice vote. Mr. Dalessio noted there was a 13-week lead time for the chairs.
Resignation Letter: Mr. Dalessio noted Holly Gowdy’s resignation letter from being the recording secretary for the Conservation Commission. The Selectboard acknowledged the resignation.
Motion to enter the Hooper Trustees Meeting was made by Cheryl Mayberry and seconded by Mr. Dalessio. The motion passed unanimously. The time was 8:12 PM
The Selectboard reconvened at 8:19 PM.
Adjournment: Ms. Vose declared the meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM.
Minutes prepared by Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration
(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the November 5, 2026 Selectboard meeting.)
Reminder: Scouting for Food – 11/7/26
On Saturday, November 7th from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon, Cub Scout Pack 299 and Boy Scout Troop 299 will be holding their Scouting for Food Drive. We will be handing out information tags for the annual Scouting for Food Drive at the following locations: Walpole Post Office, Walpole Recycling Center, Tractor Supply, and the Savings Bank of Walpole. We will also collect donations on this date if people want to donate. On November 14th, from 8 am to 12 noon we will be at the same locations collecting pet food, non-perishable food items, toiletry items, and monetary donations. Everything collected will go directly to the Fall Mountain Food Shelf.
Reminder: Death, Dying, and Dunkin’ Donuts at the First Congregational Church of Walpole – 11/14/26
Join Walpole First Congregational Church interim minister, Melissa O’Brien, for an open conversation about all things end of life. As a former hospice and hospital chaplain, and long-time minister and senior community chaplain, Melissa has spent a great deal of time in the presence of those who are transitioning out of this world. Death is one of her favorite topics of conversation, though it’s probably not yours! Come with questions and curiosities; bring your coffee and we’ll provide the sugar rush. Saturday, November 14 at 10am in the Walpole First Congregational Church’s commons room. Questions: melissa519@me.com.
Walpole Community Giving Tree Project
The Walpole Community Giving Tree Project is getting underway again for the 2026 holiday season. This project helps families provide holiday gifts for their children ages birth-18 (or older if still in high school). Participating families must be residents of the Walpole township (Walpole, North Walpole, and Drewsville).
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS: From NOVEMBER 9-23 only, tags will be available at the following locations during their regular business hours: River Valley Church, First Congregational Church (go to back door by ramp), St. John’s Church, St. Peter’s Church, the Walpole Library, Diamond Pizza, The Hungry Diner, Watkins Tavern, Savings Bank of Walpole on Westminster St, and Mascoma Bank.
UNWRAPPED gifts should be returned to any of these same locations no later than November 30th; you do not have to return your gift to the same location where you took a tag. This is a wonderful project that helps to brighten the holiday season for many of our local families, and we appreciate everyone’s help! If you have any questions, you may contact us at weilcloues8808@gmail.com or message us at 603-209-1484.
Happy holidays to you and yours!
Please stay safe and healthy!
Jeanne Cloues and Marcia Weil, project organizers
NOTE: You may also mail donations directly to us at 192 Upper Walpole Road, Walpole, 03608. Please make checks payable to Jeanne Cloues and put “Giving Tree” in the memo line. Thank you.
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