I totally agree with the comments in the Clarion concerning the curbing issue.  The result is that the borders around the common are scruffy at best, with granite curbing sporadically distributed along the roadway. And why destroy the grass border for no reason at all? It looks and feels terrible.  

One of the possible forces in the Select Board’s decision to reject the offer from one of our citizens to pay in full to install granite curbing around the entire common was that Mike Rau, head of our highway department, told the Select Board that he didn’t want the curbing because “it would interfere with snow plowing, and we didn’t reallyneed all that granite around the common”.  Excuse me?

You must understand that Rau and his crew operate as they wish, with minimal constraint by the Select Board.

Over the last three winters, the highway crew has destroyed the erosion-resistant grasses along my roadside property, smashed all our metal stakes and reflectors, and dug up the rock material that I paid to put along the road to stop erosion after the grass was plowed up. We are now left with a ditch that is eating away our land whenever it rains. 

The crew also took away all the rock borders that I had set along our property, just atthe entrance to what was Carol and John’s Hubbard’s field, to prevent any damage.

The sad thing is that, even after neighbors and I met with the Select Board about this problem, they have done absolutely nothing to help us.

The destruction continues, and what this rogue Highway Department crew has done throughout the town is going to result in very severe damage when we are hit with a once every 15-year rain event.  The cost could be overwhelming to us all.

I am now in the process of having to hire an attorney to help us fight the Select Board and have the road crew repair our damaged property. 

If you have had issues with the Walpole Highway Department, please email us at:

roadestruction.com.  (only one ‘d’).

Eric Merklein