Thursday, February 6, 6:30 PM @ Fall Mountain Regional High School Library is the date and time to hear about the school district budget, learn how other voters are feeling and express your opinion. It’s an important meeting because it is the only chance voters have to amend the budget either up or down. This is where you can hear how your vote in March will impact the education of our students as well as your taxes.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am sure you realize that I am a retired educator and a school board member.  I am also a long-time resident of New Hampshire and taxpayer in Walpole. For these reasons, I am hoping we will have a large number of people at the meeting Thursday to hear how hard our administrative team has worked to create a budget that is actually lower than what the Default Budget will be if it is defeated.  I want a big turn-out so people can see what the continued cuts in state aid to our schools is doing to your taxes.  If revenues to our schools go down faster than the budgets can decrease, the net result will continue to be increased property taxes.

See you Thursday – Lil

I just had an email from Melina at the Bellows Walpole Inn requesting that I do what I can to alert people to the fact that the Inn is NOT opening tonight.  The opening has been delayed.  Stay tuned for more information at a later time. – Lil

This letter from Peggy and Ryan really says it all.  No need for explanation here. – Lil

“Save Hooper” signs, which dotted lawns in Walpole, meant something different to everyone who planted them. However, the majority agreed that saving Hooper meant saving the land from development. For two years a committee appointed by the select board – who are also the trustees of the Hooper Trust – worked to find a solution that could “Save Hooper” while simultaneously fulfilling the fiduciary obligation of the trustees. That solution is pending approval by the New Hampshire Probate Court.

A licensed appraiser appraised the property for its highest and best use, which was found to be the current use – a golf course. The fair market value of the property as determined by the appraiser is $1,188,000. In other words, if it were put up for sale today, that is the price one could expect from the open market of potential buyers. Of this total, the appraiser determined the value of a conservation easement on the property – in effect, the development rights alone – as $450,500. The balance, $737,500, is the estimated market value of the property after the conservation easement is put in place.

What is not indicated in the January 29 Keene Sentinel article about Mr. Stephen J. Varone’s objection to the Hooper plan is that the plan calls for two steps:1) Through the sale of a conservation easement at fair market value, the Hooper Trust is increased by $450,000. 2) When the property – the golf course, historic mansion, cottage and other outbuildings as well as the surrounding timberland – is then sold, that sale price may not be lower than $737,500, which will also be added to the Hooper Trust.

In the end, the Hooper Trust, established for the education of Walpole’s youth, will grow by at least $1,188,000 – the total unencumbered value of the property – which will more than double the liquid value of the Trust, and which can be put to use for a greater rate of investment return for the Trust’s educational purposes. The overall return is different from selling the property without a conservation easement in only one way: the property, which the residents of Walpole love as open space, could never be developed further.

Peggy L. Pschirrer, Chair
Hooper Study Committee
11 Old North Main Street
Walpole, NH 03608
756‐4138
Ryan Owens, Executive Director
The Monadnock Conservancy
PO Box 337
Keene, NH 03431
357‐0600 ext. 103

The Walpole Seniors will meet for potluck lunch at the Town Hall on the Walpole Common at noon on Monday, February 17, 2014. (Note date and location as there are renovations at the Church.) Everyone is asked to bring a contribution for the Fall Mountain Food Shelf. Bring a dish to share. All Walpole Seniors are welcome. Come for fun and good socialization.

Thank you to Elaine Heleen for forwarding the minutes because Regina has been in the hospital.  Hope she is doing much better. – Lil

TOWN OF WALPOLE

PLANNING BOARD MEETING

JANUARY 14, 2014

Presiding:         Robert Miller (Vice-Chair); James Aldrich, Henry Fletcher, Dennis Marcom,

Eric Merklein

Alternates:       Steve Dalessio, Jeff White

Recording:      Elaine Heleen, Acting Recording Secretary

These Minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the February 11, 2014, meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions.  There were five people present in the audience.

Meeting Opened:  Mr. R. Miller, Vice-Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.  He advised that meetings are tape recorded therefore asked anyone that wishes to speak to identify themselves.

Roll Call:  Mr. R. Miller noted that Mr. Jeffrey Miller, Chair, was not present therefore he called upon alternate member, Mr. Steve Dalessio, to sit on the PB in that seat.   Regular member, Mrs. Jamie Teague, is also absent however as the Selectboard representative an alternate member cannot be called upon to replace her.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING on December 10, 2013. There was no Workshop Session in December due to the holidays: 

Mr. Dalessio moved to approve the Minutes of the regular PB meeting on December 10, 2013 as printed.  Seconded by Mr. Fletcher.  With all members in favor, the Minutes were approved.

NEW BUSINESS:

Mr. Joe DiBernardo, Land Surveyor with DiBernardo Associates, LLC, was present to represent Aumond Realty Corp in North Walpole for a Boundary Line Adjustment to make 3 lots into 2 lots.  The Residential B property is at Mountain View Rd & Taylor St. Mr. Aldrich moved to schedule a Public Hearing for the “Aumond Realty Corp Boundary Line Adjustment” for the February 11^th meeting.  Seconded by Mr. Fletcher.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Mr. Thomas Bogar was present to ask for a Voluntary Merger of Map 7 Lots 25 & 25-1.  It is zoned Rural Agricultural on Old Keene Road. It is for a possible future pole barn.  The single lot will be 34.3 acres. Mr. Aldrich moved that this Voluntary Merger be approved with no Public Hearing needed.  Seconded by Mr. Merklein.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Mr. Dalessio on behalf of The Wellhead Protection Ordinance Committee has presented updated Source Water Protection maps to be added to the current ordinance to ensure that the correct delineations will be used.  Mr. Aldrich moved that these maps of the River well and the Watkins Hill well delineations be accepted by the Planning Board.  Seconded by Mr. Merklein.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Other Business:

Workshop Session:  There will be a Workshop Session on Tuesday, January 28, 2014, at 7:00 PM in the Town Hall Downstairs Office.  The PB members will review the Timber and Excavation Tax as it applies to the Site Plan and RSA 72-B. A question arose as to whether the measurement of 100,000 cubic feet as listed in the minutes is correct or should it have been cubic yards.

Adjournment:  Mr. Aldrich moved to adjourn this meeting.  Seconded by Mr. Fletcher.  With all members in favor, the motion was approved.  The time was 7:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Elaine Heleen, Acting Recording Secretary

Sally McGaffigan asked me to share this announcement from the Historical Society. – Lil

Gail Golec “Fables vs. Forensics” February 22, 2014

            The Walpole Historical Society will present the third of their Speaker Series on Saturday, Feb. 22,2014 at 7:00 PM at the Walpole Town Hall.  The event is free and open to the public.

Gail Golec, a Project Archaeologist with the Monadnock Archaeological Consulting, LLC, will be the speaker.    In “Fables vs Forensics”, Golec will walk the audience through the research that led to a surprising conclusion to a puzzling Walpole Historical Society mystery. Historical research coupled with a forensic anthropological assessment, shed a new light on a set skeletal remains at the WHS with a fabled past.

Golec will explain how the unique landscape and natural resources of the area has attracted people continually for over 10,000 years and what led to this area becoming a hotbed of conflict during the French and Indian War (1755-1763). Walpole and the surrounding region served as the frontlines of a terrifying guerrilla-style war, leading to atrocities and casualties on both sides. It is against this backdrop that Golec’s research has focused, taking an objective view of all known information of the attacks in and around Walpole during 1755 and presenting a coherent narrative of events and how they relate to the skeletal remains.

I hope Jennifer Kelley doesn’t mind but I consolidated the weekly events with dates.  My hope is to highlight the special events . – Lil

Mon. Feb. 3rd, 10th, 17th, 23rd – 2 p.m. Knitting Club – everyone is welcome, beginners as well as experienced knitters.

Tues, Feb. 4th, 7 p.m., Non-Fiction Bookclub “All the Tea in China”

Wed. Feb. 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th – 10:15 a.m. Story Time 

Wed. Feb. 5th, 6:30 p.m. Spanish Conversation Group

Thurs. Feb. 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th – 10 a.m., Homeschooling Group

Mon. Feb. 10th, 17th, 24th, – 10 a.m. Baby Lap Sit

Tues. Feb. 11th, Library Trustee’s meeting, 7 p.m.

Wed. Feb. 12th, 7 p.m. Evening Classics Book Club (Anthony Trollope’s Barchester Towers)

Sat. Feb. 15th, 10-11:30 a.m. Writing It Down

Thurs, Feb. 27th, 12 p.m. Library Afternoon Book Club  (George Orwell’s 1984)

The Walpole Historical Society will sponsor another free Genealogy
Workshop on Thursday February 8, 2014 from 10-12 noon. We welcome
beginners as well as experienced persons. Hints regarding research
sources as well as stone walls will be shared. Call for reservations
at 603 756-2933. More information can be found on the Walpole
Historical Society website: walpolehistory.org.

Jeanne A Jeffries
Box 933
Walpole NH 03608
603 756 2933