Keeping the community up to date on community topics
Walpole Players Annual Meeting
Sunday, January 5th
5:30pm in the Helen Miller Theater
We have 2 open positions on our Board of Directors.
Anyone not on the board is considered a ‘Friend’ of the Walpole Players and is welcome to attend the meetings and be involved in non-voting discussions.
Thank you for supporting our community theater for over 38 years!
-Walpole Players Board of Directors
Walpole Planning Board Agenda
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
7 pm
Town Hall
Roll Call: Appointment of alternates if needed.
Call to order:
Minutes: Review minutes of the December 2024 meeting.
New Business:
Voluntary Merger: Larry Britton won the sealed bid for a small landlocked lot that abuts the Britton Farm. He wants to merge the new lot with one of his lots.
Fieldstone Land Consultants
Contact is Jim Acton.
Blue Seal (former Agway) subdivision: one lot into two, Commercial District. Request a public hearing.
Public Hearing No. 1: Recommendation of Planning Board for a petition to be placed on the March 2025 warrant.
To see if the Town will vote to Amend (Article VI, Section B, 3) of Zoning Ordinances.
“Shops, restaurant and other retail building not exceeding 40,000 square feet in gross floor area, except to protect the welfare of the inhabitants of the Town of Walpole with respect to traffic, pollution, health, and safety, and to preserve the unique and distinctive appeal of the Town’s character and commercial development, drive-up window service shall not be allowed.”
By petition: 31 signatures.
Doug Palmer, 308 Main St., Tax Map 24, Lot 14, commercial district, new business.
Walpole Veterinary Hospital, Simon Gascoyne, 6 Walker Road, Tax Map 18, Lot 2, additional space.
Next meeting: February 11, 2025.
Workshop: ?
According to an article in today’s Keene Sentinel, Luca Paris, founder of Luca’s Mediterranean Café in Keene, will take on a new role as general manager of The Restaurant at Burdick’s and the Walpole Grocery later this month.
The Sentinel reports that Paris has served as the president and CEO of the Greater Monadnock Collaborative Regional Chamber of Commerce since 2021, and that he will be stepping down from that position, effective January 10, 2025. The article also states that Paris is no longer involved in the direct operations of his namesake restaurant.
“Paris said he’s excited for how he can strengthen how the restaurant and grocery are involved with the Walpole community,” writes Sentinel reporter James Rinker, who also notes that ” . . . [Paris] does plan on introducing new initiatives at both establishments . . . However, he said he primarily wants to learn from staff and work closely with Executive Chef Wesley Babb to build on the restaurant’s roughly 20-year legacy.”
by Kelli Wilson
Walpole Planning Board Agenda
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
7 pm
Town Hall
Roll Call: Appointment of alternates if needed.
Call to order:
Minutes: Review minutes of the December 2024 meeting.
New Business:
Voluntary Merger: Larry Britton won the sealed bid for a small landlocked lot that abuts the Britton Farm. He wants to merge the new lot with one of his lots.
Fieldstone Land Consultants
Contact is Jim Acton.
Blue Seal (former Agway) subdivision: one lot into two. Request a public hearing.
Public Hearing No. 1: Recommendation of Planning Board for a petition to be placed on the March 2025 warrant.
To see if the Town will vote to Amend (Article VI, Section B, 3) of Zoning Ordinances.
“Shops, restaurant and other retail building not exceeding 40,000 square feet in gross floor area, except to protect the welfare of the inhabitants of the Town of Walpole with respect to traffic, pollution, health, and safety, and to preserve the unique and distinctive appeal of the Town’s character and commercial development, drive-up window service shall not be allowed.”
By petition: 31 signatures.
Next meeting: February 11, 2025.
TOWN OF WALPOLE, NEW HAMPSHIRE
MEETING OF THE SELECTBOARD
DECEMBER 24, 2024
Selectboard Present: Cheryl Mayberry, Chair; Steven Dalessio and Carolyn Vose
Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration; Jodi Daigle, Administrative Assistant and Tax Collector, and Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
CALL TO ORDER: Ms. Mayberry called the Selectboard meeting to order at 9:00 AM in the Walpole Town Hall.
PAYROLL
Ms. Vose moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $32,799.54 dated 12/27/2024 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,817.49. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES
Selectboard Meeting – December 19, 2024: Ms. Vose moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of December 19, 2024. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the minutes were approved.
Non-Public Selectboard Meeting – December 19, 2024: Ms. Vose moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard session of December 19, 2024. The minutes will remain sealed. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the minutes were approved, and the minutes are sealed.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Ms. Vose brought to the chair’s attention the following committee reports:
Ms. Mayberry acknowledged these minutes.
OLD BUSINESS
Second Tax Warrant for 2024: Ms. Mayberry stated that the total amount of the warrant was $7,382,202 with Walpole having a tax rate of $18.12 and North Walpole having a tax rate of $20.11 per thousand. The difference between the rates is related to the two Fire Departments. Tax bills will be mailed on or before Friday, December 27th. Tax bills will be due on Monday, January 27, 2025. Mr. Dalessio made a motion to issue the Tax Warrant for $7,382,202. The tax rate is $18.12 for Walpole and $20.11 for North Walpole. Ms. Vose seconded. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion passed, and the Tax Warrant was signed.
Draft Purchase and Sales Agreement for Police Station Land: It was reported that Peggy Pschirrer sent the draft agreement to Attorney Hockensmith who has confirmed receipt. This item is holding for the Attorney’s comments. The location of the parcel in the agreement needs to be corrected in the sections of the document.
Thank you Note: Dave Chioffi thanked the Selectboard Office for assistance for having the old poles removed from Elm and South Streets.
NEW BUSINESS
NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS RSA 91-A:3 II (a) (c)
Ms. Vose moved to enter into Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (a) (c) at 9:06 AM. Mr. Dalessio seconded. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
The meeting was reconvened at 9:24 AM.
Mr. Dalessio moved that the Non-Public Session Minutes be sealed. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
ADJOURNMENT: Ms. Mayberry declared the meeting adjourned at 9:24 AM.
Respectfully submitted,
Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the December 31, 2024 Selectboard meeting.)
Walpole Junior Players Present…
Auditions and Info for “Happily Never After” by Tim Kelly
Sunday, January 5th 4-5pm at the Walpole Town Hall
This will be a child run production facilitated by Jenny Plante
For children ages 10-14 years old
Mandatory Parent/Guardian Info Meeting at 4:45pm
There are 12 speaking roles in the show as well as the opportunity to take on a role of all that goes on to make a theater show successful behind the scenes.
Lighting, Sound, Costumes, Directing, Stage Managing and Producing, will all be done by children!
MOST Rehearsals will be on Sundays between 1-3pm
Show Date is set for Thursday, February 13th at 6pm
*This is not a School Sponsored Event*
WALPOLE PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC NOTICE
You are hereby notified of the following three Public Hearing to be held on January 14, 2025 at 7 pm in the Town Hall. The following application will be reviewed for completion by the Board and a Public Hearing will be held.
Public Hearing No. 1: Recommendation of Planning Board for a petition to be placed on the March 2025 warrant. “to see if the Town will vote to Amend (Article VI, Section B, 3) of Zoning Ordinances. Shops, restaurant and other retail building not exceeding 40,000 square feet in gross floor area, except to protect the welfare of the inhabitants of the Town of Walpole with respect to traffic, pollution, health, and safety, and to preserve the unique and distinctive appeal of the Town’s character and commercial development, drive-up window service shall not be allowed.”
All townspeople and interested parties are encouraged to attend. To be heard on this matter, you or a duly authorized agent must either attend the hearing in person or submit your comments in writing, prior to the hearing to the Planning Board, PO Box 729, Walpole, NH 03608.
If final action is delayed or the hearing continued, the application will remain on the agenda for the following Planning Board meeting, or until a decision is reached, without further notice. A plat of the property and the application are available for public inspection at the Town Offices. Meeting minutes and public notices are posted inside the Town Hall and on the bulletin board outside the Post Office.
Marilou Blaine
WPB Secretary
From Ray Boas:
HAPPY NEW YEAR – which means I changed the year at the top of the CLARION masthead which is now on-line. Your hardcover should be in the mail by the end of the year, the Wednesday holidays impacting normal scheduling, but as promised last month – posted on-line today.
So CLICK THIS LINK to take a look, or click on the front cover image below. Wishing you the best in this coming year, RAY BOAS, Publisher
POLICE BUILDING COMMITTEE MINUTES
December 17, 2024
Steve Dalessio opened the meeting at approximately 6:31 pm in the Office of the Selectboard.
Present were Dave Adams, Chief Justin Sanctuary, Peggy Pschirrer and by Zoom, Cheri Watson and Rod Bouchard. Absent were Jay Punt, Trevor MacLachlan, and Andrew Dey.
Ms. Pschirrer reported that Jim Clifford of Ball Park Realty will send the Committee as well as the Town Attorney a Purchase and Sale Agreement this week. The Planning Board has approved the subdivision of the land owned by Dunkin Donuts and the issue of driveway cuts has been resolved. The Police Station will have one driveway which will split into two when inside the property line – one way will lead to public parking, the other to private impound areas.
Ms. Pschirrer has written a grant writer in Westmoreland but has not had a reply. (The day after the meeting Ms. Pschirrer spoke with Lauren Bressett and will have another conversation after the New Year.)
The group agreed to ask Michael Petrovick for new drawings that can be posted on the Town’s website. Ms. Watson reported that members of the Walpole community do not know what the building looks like. The drawings of the new building have been part of a public meeting, but Chief Sanctuary will see that these drawings are posted on the Town website. In addition, it was agreed that Michael Petrovick will be asked to create some posters of the new building which can be displayed in the Town Hall.
Chief Sanctuary asked if we could put a Warrant on the Town Meeting agenda asking voters to approve the new police station to be built when the Town has raised four million dollars and had approval or a 3.5-million-dollar bond. There is precedent in Town Meetings to approve capital expenditures dependent upon fund raising.
The committee also discussed fund raising within the community and offering naming opportunities for individual rooms in the new station.
The Police Department has not had a Capitol Reserve Fund, so the discussion led to a proposal that a warrant article to create a CRF for the Police Department be put on Town Meeting agenda for $100,000 dollars.
The Police Department’s Annual Report will include pictures of the site and building.
The next meeting will be January 13, 2025, in the Selectboard Office.
The meeting adjourned about 7:35 pm.
From Sarah Downing:
Fall 2024 Property Tax Bills are Mailing 12/26/24
The second or “fall” property tax bills are mailing today, 12/26/2024. For property tax owners that wish to submit payment before the end of year and do not wish to wait until the bill(s) arrive in the mail, visit https://www.nhtaxkiosk.com/default.aspx or type nhtaxkiosk into the browser search field to find the website. Once on the landing page, choose Walpole as the municipality. Once on the Walpole page, there are 3 search options being owner name, property address, and map and lot to find the tax detail for a property. One also can call the Selectboard Office for assistance at 603-756-3672.
To drop off a tax payment and have your tax bill stamped with the payment date, the Selectboard Office will be open from 8 AM to 4 PM on Thurs.-12/26, Fri.-12/27, Mon.-12/30, and Tues-12/31.
For questions related to claiming tax payments on 2024 Federal income tax through itemization or as a business expense, please contact your tax preparer for financial advice.
The current tax rates are Walpole @ $18.12 per thousand and for North Walpole @ $20.11 per thousand. Tax bills will be due on Jan. 27, 2025.
The Walpolean 
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