The Walpolean

This sounds like a sure sign of Spring! – Lil

Save the date!  On Saturday, March 26^th at 10 AM the Walpole Community Garden will be hosting those interested in knowing more about this jewel of the community.  Join us at the Hooper Institute, 165 Prospect Hill Rd, across from the golf course.

Perhaps you are new to gardening or to organic gardening?  Perhaps you are downsizing from a large garden and would prefer a smaller plot?  Perhaps you are an ambitious gardener who needs a bit more space?  All gardening levels are welcome.  Our membership has a diverse background of growing experiences.  We love to share what we’ve learned with others and would love to learn what you have to share.  Perhaps this is the year for you to participate in this really fun and satisfying pursuit?

Come to tour our peaceful garden site, overlooking the Hooper Institute meadow and pond. Learn about our unique “no till” organic practices that continuously improve the garden soil and tilth.   See the heirloom apple orchard with its supportive plant guilds. Understand the expectations for membership, as there are communal chores that help the plants thrive.  Plan to bring lots of questions for our veteran gardeners.

New member sign-ups will take place at the Community Garden meeting.  We look forward to seeing your there! Membership dues are $20 per family.

If you have any questions, please call the Hooper Institute at 756-4382 or e-mail us at HOOPERINSTITUTE@myfairpoint.net.

Eloise Clark & Rebecca Whippie

Hooper Institute educators

Debra Pawelczyk asked me to put this reminder in this week. – Lil

Cubscout Pack 299 is hosting their Annual Easter Egg Hunt on the Historical Society lawn on Saturday March 26th. This is open to children ages infant thru grade 5. We have a special section just for the little kids. This event starts at 10:00 am and goes till all the eggs are found. Prizes are being donated by the Walpole Creamery and the Scoop Shop. Please bring a baskets and come look for eggs.

Agenda for Zoning Board of Adjustment

Wednesday,  March 16, 2016

Walpole Town Hall – 7:30 pm.

Roll Call: Appointment of alternates if needed

Minutes: Review minutes of February and Executive Session

New Business: Barry Bellows is back to talk about a variance for Mr. Crouse and Kay Enokido, 195 March Hill Road – a garage apartment that will be used for visiting family

Old Business:

Bob Anderson will enlightening us further about junkyards.

Continued work on matrix.

Mr. Hockensmith’s response to Mr. Hanna

Next meeting Wednesday, April 20, 2016

For those who are out and about in the early AM, you may remember Walter Curley, Red Sox fan par excellence.  His funeral was held on the Cape making it hard for most to attend.  Hats off to Burdick’s for making time available on March 29th for friends to share their memories.  I know Dave and I are going to do our best to be there to share in the event.

Thank you Rich Kreissle for sending the town election resultsa nd Misty Bushee the school district ones.  – Lil

SELECTMAN – Three Year Term – Vote for One

Joseph Aldrich – 484

John Pratt – 278

Jamie Teague – 172

MODERATOR – Two Year Term – Vote for One

Ernest D. Vose – 880

TREASURER – One Year Term – Vote for One

Thomas Goins- 824

TRUSTEE OF THE TRUST FUNDS – Three Year Term – Vote for One

Karen Galloway – 879

PLANNING BOARD – Three Year Term – Vote for Two

Joanna Andros – 390

Dennis Marcom – 511

Robert Miller – 447

Jeffrey White – 185

ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT – Three Year Term – Vote for Two

Jan Galloway-LeClerc – 765

Myra Mansouri – 717

CEMETERY TRUSTEE – Three Year Term – Vote for One

John L. Sheldon – 834

SUPERVISOR OF CHECKLISTS – Six Year Term – Vote for One

Joanne H. Hurlburt – 868

SUPERVISOR OF CHECKLISTS – Two Year Term – Vote for One

Gary T. McCormick – 817

LIBRARY TRUSTEE – Three Year Term – Vote for Three

Jean Kobeski – 716

Frederick V. Ernst – 459

Gail LaHaise – 459

Christie Winmill – 452

The Zoning Ordinance passed 725-124

School District Results

The incumbents were re-elected and Tim St. Pierre won as a Write-in

Article 1: regarding the Budget was defeated 222-550 in Walpole, 900-1614 District-wide

Article 2: regarding Collective Bargaining Agreement was approved in Walpole 634-282, 1683-1174 District-wide.

Articles 3 & 4 were approved by the voters in those towns.

Article 5: regarding doors, the playground and new carpet tiles was approved 748-168.

Article 6: regarding bleachers, lighting, and exterior doors at the high school was approved in Walpole 672-225, 1901-715 District-wide.

Article 7: regarding creation of a District Offices Capital Reserve Fund was approved in Walpole 606-288, 1662-1136 District-wide.

Article 8: regarding the High School Capital Reserve fund was approved in Walpole 639-240, 1823-972 District-wide.

Article 9: regarding change in the formula for funding schools was defeated in Walpole 31-906, 913-1970 District-wide.

That’s all for this year folks!  Next voting is in November!

EXCITING CHANGES AHEAD FOR YMCA DAY CAMPS

Expanded programming in response to community needs

With 51 summers of camp and over 12,000 area youth served, leaders of Meeting Waters YMCA are excited about some community-responsive changes they’re making this year.

The regional Y is adding a ninth week of camp, one more than in the past. They’ll also be offering before- and after-camp programs for the first time to provide greater supports for working parents.

Meeting Waters Y—which serves the Fall Mountain, Bellows Falls, Springfield, and Brattleboro regions—offers four different camp experiences for youth ages 5-15 and families. Its Y Day Camp for 6-13 year-olds offers nine one-week sessions between June 20^th and August 19^th. The Y’s Leader-in-Training program provides a week of leadership development (June 27-31) with youth leadership author and consultant Steve Fortier, followed by three weeks working alongside camp staff. Family Camp takes place on Saturday July 23^rd. KinderCamp provides children entering kindergarten in the fall with a confidence-building experience from August 15^th through 19^th.

All camps are based at the regional Y’s 52-acre Lewis Day Camp facility, located on Route 5 in Springfield, just off I-91. Bus service is provided to and from camp each day from Walpole, North Walpole and Charlestown, as well as six towns in VT.

The regional Y’s camps participate in the federal Summer Food Program. All campers—regardless of town of residence or family income—qualify for a free healthy lunch each day.

Registration for the upcoming camp season has begun. To ensure that all youth have the chance to experience camp, the regional Y offers financial assistance from donations to its Reach Out to Youth Fund and accepts NH’s Child Care Scholarship subsidies.

A Camp Open House will be held on Saturday, May 21^st from 1-3pm at the Y’s Lewis Day Camp facility on Missing Link Road/Route 5 in Springfield. For more information or to enroll, visit http://www.meetingwatersymca.org or call the Y office at 802-463-4769.

Cubscout Pack 299 is hosting their Annual Easter Egg Hunt on the Historical Society lawn on Saturday March 26th. This is open to children ages infant thru grade 5. We have a special section just for the little kids.

This event starts at 10:00 am and goes till all the eggs are found. Prizes are being donated by the Walpole Creamery and the Scoop Shop. Please bring a basket and come look for eggs.

If you have followed the Comments, you will note some confusion regarding the School Board position on changing the apportionment formula.  I visited the Fall Mountain Regional School District website for a copy of the Annual Report.  This was copied from that document although my chart doesn’t come out as clearly as the one in the actual document. Hope this helps. – Lil

Warrant Article 9.

To see if the school district will vote to change the school district’s apportionment formula for operational and capital outlay costs in accordance with RSA 195:8 to 195:7 formula II option (b) & RSA 195:13 “one-half of all such costs shall be apportioned on the basis of the ration that the equalized valuation of each pre-existing district bears to that of the cooperative district and 1⁄2 shall be apportioned on the average daily membership of the preceding year to include Roman Numeral (II) all expenses referenced in roman numeral (II): High School. By Petition.

The School Board DOES NOT recommend this article (1-Yes, 5-No, 0-Absent).

2/3 Ballot Vote Required for Passage

Explanation on Warrant #9: This warrant article is petitioned by taxpayers residing in Charlestown and would change the present formula in the Articles of Agreement for sharing High School expenses from a 100% ADM (average daily membership) to a formula based on 50% ADM and 50% Equalized Valuation. Equalization is the process by which the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration makes adjustments to each municipality’s locally assessed values to calculate the estimated 100% value of the municipality, effectively making lower assessed towns on par with higher assessed towns.

Based on present membership for 2015-2016, if this article passes the change in apportionment formula and tax assessments would be as follows:

2015/2016 2015/2016 If Passed -Estimated Change:

Present High School HS Formula Change Increase/ On Town’s total

TOWN  Formula- 100% ADM      50%ADM/50%Eq.Val.      (Change)      Assessment

Acworth              6.0210%                          8.0712%                      2.0502%         $166,040

Alstead                16.5044%                       16.2976%                    (0.2068)%       ($16,749)

Charlestown       44.5308%                      35.4472%                     (9.0836)%      ($735,662)

Langdon                  5.1314%                         5.6778%                       0.5464%         $44,256

Walpole                 27.8124%                       34.5062%                      6.6938%         $542,115

Please keep in mind that Average Daily Membership for the district towns change yearly based on number of students enrolled and attending. With current formula, a town’s percent of shared costs can go up if they have more students enroll or go down if they have less students enroll.

Thanks Ray Boas for the heads up AND all your work on this publication. – Lil

The March 2016 issue of The Walpole Clarion is going to press, Monday, 22 February 2016. But, it is now posted on the website for your reading pleasure. — http://thewalpoleclarion.com

This is our annual Local Election Issue, and we are very proud of it. Proud, not only for its content, but also layout and design. Every page deserves to be read and shared. And, I encourage you to do so for the timeliness of the articles.

If you would like to get a notice that the new issue is on-line directly in your email in-box (and have not already done so), please follow the instructions on the CLARION home page on the right where it says: “Follow Blog via Email.”

The closing date for the April 2016 issue is March 23, 2016.

Thank you, yours, RAY BOAS, Publisher