Updated Planning Board Agenda – 3/10/26

PLANNING BOARD 03/05/2026 Leave a comment

Walpole Planning Board Agenda

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Town Hall

7 pm

Roll Call: Appointment of alternates if needed.

Call to order: 

Minutes: Review minutes of the January 2026 meeting.

Old Business:

Public Hearing: No. 1 

Subdivision: Elisse McGuirk 2000 Living Trust, 167 Valley Road,  Tax Map 13, Lot 15 and Tax Map 12, Lot 76, Rural/Agricultural District, Proposed four lots: 1.94 acres, 36.75 acres, 7.53 acres and 5.87 acres. Proposed Use: Residential.

Public Hearing No. 2

Subdivision: William and Sally Allen, 142 Prospect Hill Road, one lot into two, Tax Map 8, Lot 68, Residential A.  Lot 1 1.48 acres with 254.21 feet road frontage. Lot 2 3.18 acres with 200.63 feet road frontage.

New Business:

Signage: Town Line Equipment, Route 12. Former Pinnacleview Equipment. 

Selectboard Meeting Agenda – 3/5/26

SELECTBOARD 03/05/2026 Leave a comment

TOWN OF WALPOLE

SELECTBOARD MEETING AGENDA

March 5, 2026

Starting at 6:30 PM in the Town Hall

HOOPER TRUSTEES MEETING

HOOPER TRUSTEES NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS: RSA 91-A:3 II (b)

HOOPER TRUSTEES PUBLIC BUSINESS

HOOPER TRUSTEES MINUTES

  • Hooper Trustees Meeting – February 19, 2026

SELECTBOARD MEETING

PAYROLL

  • Payroll Register totaling $2,715.38 dated 3/05/2026 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $247.09
  • Payroll Register totaling $37,310.01 dated 3/06/2026 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $7,065.80

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

  • Selectboard Meeting – February 26, 2026
  • Selectboard Non-Public Session – February 26, 2026

COMMITTEE REPORTS

  • Police Building Committee Meeting – February 18, 2026

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, North Walpole Trash Pickup

  • Reservoir Dam ARPA Grant Reimbursement Request
  • Road Closure Request for “Here, Kitty” Movie Filming
  • Traffic Detail Policy
  • Parking Ordinance
  • Police Building Committee Fundraising Letters
  • Citizen Letter re: School Withdrawal FMRSD Article

NEW BUSINESS

  • Annual Post Closure Report for closed landfill
  • Annual Facilities Report for Active Solid Waste Facilities
  • Emergency Response Plan for Water System
  • Accessible Voting System Agreement

NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS: RSA 91-A:3 II (b)

**Any recording, audio or visual, and/or other devices must be declared at the beginning of the meeting**

Obituary for Pam Bernard

COMMUNITY NEWS 03/05/2026 Leave a comment

PAM BERNARD

1944-2026

Award-winning poet, author, and beloved Walpole writing teacher Pam Bernard died peacefully on February 22, 2026, at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care in Lebanon, New Hampshire. 

Born October 21, 1944, in Branford, Connecticut, Pam was the youngest of nine siblings. Pam moved to New York City at 19 and immersed herself in the city’s creative scene. There, she met her husband, Harry Bernard. 

The couple moved to New England, settling in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in 1971. Pam juggled motherhood with artistic pursuits, eventually becoming a curator at the Brockton Art Museum. She went back to college in her 40s, earning a degree from Harvard College and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College. 

Pam taught at Emerson College, Franklin Pierce University, Keene State College, and other institutions. She led highly sought-after memoir workshops in Walpole, New Hampshire, where she moved in 2001. She published three poetry collections and Esther: A Novel in Verse, and received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the MacDowell Colony, along with many prizes for her poetry. 

Pam is survived by her son, Galen, daughter, Shea, and their families. Pam will be remembered for her unwavering belief in her students and her gift for helping them find their voices. Donations in her name can be made to the Friends of the Keene Public Library, 60 Winter St., Keene, NH 03431.

A memorial service will take place at 3 p.m. on April 18, 2026, at the Hastings House in Walpole, NH. For more information, email pams.tablenh@gmail.com. 

Hooper Institute Wish List

Uncategorized 03/04/2026 Leave a comment

Check out our Hooper Wishlist! Donations to our wishlist help stock our building and classroom with materials needed to run future programs including cooking classes, building rentals, camps, school programs, adult workshops, and more. The wishlist can also be found here on our website: https://www.hooperinstitute.org/support-our-mission.html

Walpole Junior Players Presents James and the Giant Peach – 3/14 & 3/15/26

EVENTS 03/04/2026 Leave a comment
A Walpole Junior Players Winter Production. Helen Miller Theater in the Walpole Town Hall. James and the Giant Peach. Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 1:00 pm. $5 for children and seniors; $10 for adults. No pre-sale tickets are available. From the book by Roald Dahl. Dramatized by Richard R. George. Cash or check made out to "The Walpole Players" will be accepted. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime. This is not a school sponsored event. Produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois. Reprinted by permission.

Police Building Committee Meeting Minutes – 2/18/26

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Police Station Building Committee Minutes

February 18, 2026

The Police Building Committee was called to order in the Walpole Town Hall at 6:30 pm by Peggy Pschirrer.  Present in person were Steve Dalessio, Jay Punt, Andrew Dey, Chief Justin Sanctuary, and Zoom, Cheri Watson and Trevor MacLachlan.

Mr. Dalessio distributed a list of the architects/engineering companies who had indicated they are interested in submitting a proposal for the new Police Station.  The deadline for proposals is February 27, 2026. The Committee will meet on March 3 at Town Hall to review the proposals.

The Committee agreed that a construction manager should be sought before the owner’s representative.

Mr. Dalessio will contact Rena Peck to discuss our USDA grant and its requirements.

Chief Justin Sanctuary has created stationery for the Committee to use in its fundraising which will not begin before the middle of April.  The Committee has made suggestions for changes in the stationery.  

Attorney Hockensmith has drafted an appeal for a special Town Meeting to present a warrant to the voters authorizing the purchase of a bond for the construction of a new police building.

The next meeting of the Committee will be March 3, 2026, at Town Hall to review the proposals from architects and engineers.

Red Cross Blood Drive in Walpole – 3/19/26

EVENTS 03/03/2026 Leave a comment

Giving blood can save lives. Every 2 seconds someone in the USA needs blood. One donation can save up to 3 lives.

Join us at the Red Cross Blood Drive: Thursday, March 19, 2026 from 12:00-4:30 pm.

Hosted by St John’s Episcopal Church at the First Congregational Church of Walpole on the Common.

[Editor’s Note: You can make an appointment to donate blood at this event by visiting https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive. Enter your zip code and click or tap Find Drive. Next, scroll down to the event at First Congregational Church of Walpole. Then click or tap “See Times” and follow the directions to make your appointment.]

Open House at Springfield Area Adult Day Services – 3/28/26

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[Editor’s Note: Though it’s not located in Walpole, the Springfield Area Adult Day Services is a community resource that might have something to offer Walpole residents.]

Springfield Area Adult Day Services warmly invites community members to attend a special People First Health Fair on Saturday, March 28, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at its facility located at 266 River Street, Springfield, VT.

This free event will offer attendees the opportunity to receive complimentary wellness services, including balance screenings, checking of blood pressure and other vitals, and sharing of various health education tips designed to promote safety, mobility, and overall well-being.

Guests will also enjoy light refreshments and have the chance to enter a raffle drawing for a hand-made quilt and free membership at the Edgar May Health and Wellness Center.

In addition to wellness services, visitors will be able to tour the Adult Day campus, meet staff members, and learn more about the programs and support services available to older adults and those who might have physical or cognitive impairments. The center provides engaging activities such as bingo and arts, health monitoring, nutritious meals, social opportunities, and caregiver support in a safe and welcoming environment.

The event is free and open to the public. No appointment is necessary.

For more information, please contact:
Shelly Holley
802-885-9881
sholley@springfieldhospital.org
www.springfieldhospital.org/adult-day-service

Reminder: Burned by Billionaires Book Talk at the Library – 3/5/26

EVENTS 03/01/2026 Comments: 2

Book Talk with Author at Walpole Library:

Burned by Billionaires by Chuck Collins

Thursday, March 5 at 6:00 pm

At Walpole’s Bridge Memorial Library

Don’t miss this engaging talk followed by a Q&A.

Books signed by the author will be available for sale.

Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet by Chuck Collins is a book that argues extreme wealth concentration among the ultra-rich negatively impacts society, politics, and the planet, leading to issues like political hijacking, housing crises, and environmental damage. Collins, a scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies, details how the actions of the top 0.01% rig the system in their favor, undermining democracy and creating a “myth of meritocracy”. The book serves as both a critique and a call to action, offering solutions for a more equitable society with universal abundance. 

Seating is limited. RSVP is required by emailing rsvp.walpole@gmail.com. Please indicate if you would like to join the event via Zoom, and we will send you the link before the event. 

Sponsored by Working for Democracy

March 2026 Clarion Now Online

Uncategorized 02/27/2026 Leave a comment

And at the post offices for mailing to all postal addresses in Walpole, North Walpole, and Drewsville — 1,549 addresses. Again 20 pages and many articles focused on Town Meeting and School Withdrawal that is on the school ballot for the 10th of March, plus other articles for your enjoyment (hopefully).

Remember, Town Meeting with elections and the school ballot on Tuesday the 10th, followed by the meeting on Saturday the 14th. The Warrant Articles and information on School Withdrawal are on the CLARION website linked from the home page — so take a look and be informed to vote.

For now CLICK THIS LINK for the MARCH issue, or on the front cover below. Stay safe and well, yours, RAY BOAS, Publisher