The Office of the Town Clerk will be Closed
Tuesday October 28th through Tuesday November 4th.
I apologize for the inconvenience.
Sincerely,
Meghan Hansson
Town Clerk
Notice Regarding Burn Pile at the Transfer Station
Until further notice, the Walpole Recycling Center and Transfer Station will not be accepting items such as brush, pallets, tree sections, untreated lumber, and other burnable items for the burn pile until the proclamation of the prohibition that was signed by Gov. Ayotte is rescinded. The order was signed on September 22, 2025.
For questions and assistance regarding the burn pile, contact the Recycling Center at transfer@walpolenh.us or call 603-445-5197
Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 10/15/25
Town of Walpole, New Hampshire
Meeting of the Selectboard
October 15, 2025
Selectboard Present: Steven Dalessio, Chair; Carolyn Vose and Cheryl Mayberry
Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, and Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
Call to Order: Mr. Dalessio called the Selectboard meeting to order at 6:34 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.
Payroll
Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $32,435.54 dated 10/17/2025 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,176.96. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Payroll was approved.
Selectboard Meeting Minutes
Selectboard Meeting – October 9, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of October 9, 2025. Mr. Dalessio seconded. With Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Selectboard minutes were approved.
Non-Public Selectboard Meeting – October 9, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard meeting of October 9, 2025. The minutes will remain sealed. Mr. Dalessio seconded. With Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Non-Public minutes were approved and remain sealed.
Committee Reports
Ms. Mayberry brought to the chair’s attention the following committee reports:
- Police Station Building Committee Meeting – September 4, 2025
- Police Station Building Committee Meeting – October 8, 2025
- Conservation Commission Meeting – October 6, 2025
Mr. Dalessio acknowledged these minutes.
Building Permit
2025-36, Map and Lot# 020-011-000: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve Building Permit #2025-36 for Map and Lot # 020-011-000 to construct a 132’ x 40’ school building for the Walpole Village School. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.
Old Business
November 13th In-Person Staff Meeting: The meeting will discuss how to prepare for the December budget meetings where each department manager meets with the Selectboard to discuss the 2026 budget and any special needs they anticipate. Ms. Mayberry will write a summary to help the managers prepare for the 11/13/2025 meeting.
1st Selectboard Meeting in November: Ms. Mayberry may need to request a change from Wednesday, November 5th. She is waiting to hear back from her manager at work.
New Business
HealthTrust Benefits Renewal Package with Transmittal: The rate is up 6.8% from 2025. One signature is needed. Ms. Mayberry moved to accept the package for 2026 and for the chair to sign. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the renewal package was approved, and Mr. Dalessio signed the form.
HealthTrust Medicare Advantage with Prescription Drug Plan with Transmittal Package: Currently no employees are on this plan. However, it must be available for future retirees. Ms. Mayberry moved to accept the Medicare Advantage package for 2026 and for the chair to sign. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the renewal package was approved, and Mr. Dalessio signed the form.
Reservoir Dam ARPA Grant Reimbursement Request: The request is for $2,855. Ms. Vose moved to approve the request and for the Chair to sign it. Ms. Mayberry seconded. With Ms. Vose, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the reimbursement request was approved, and Mr. Dalessio signed the ARPA Grant Reimbursement Request.
Drewsville Common Christmas Event: There was a request from the organizer of the Drewsville Common Christmas Event for $200. One hundred dollars ($100) will be used to pay Warren’s Farm for the horse and carriage rides. The other $100 will be used for light replacement, cookies and cocoa. By consensus, the Town will reimburse up to $200 in expenses and the money will come from the Recreation Revolving Fund. A board member commented that In the future, this request needs to go through the Recreation Department and be part of that budget.
Hooper Trustees
Ms. Vose moved to enter into the Hooper Trustees meeting at 6:52 PM. Ms. Mayberry seconded. With Ms. Vose, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.
The meeting was reconvened at 7:03 PM.
Non-Public Business RSA 91-A:3 II (A)(b)
Ms. Mayberry moved to enter into Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (a)(b) at 7:03 PM. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.
The meeting was reconvened at 7:32 PM.
Ms. Vose moved that the Non-Public Session Minutes be sealed. Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Ms. Vose, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.
Adjournment: Mr. Dalessio declared the meeting adjourned at 7:32 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the October 23, 2025 Selectboard meeting.)
Scouting for Food Drive – 11/1 & 11/8/25
From Deb Pawelczyk:
Scouting for Food
On Saturday, November 1 from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon, Cub Scout Pack 299 and Boy Scout Troop 299 will be holding their Scouting for Food Drive. We will be handing out information tags for the annual ‘Scouting for Food Drive’ at the following locations: Walpole Post Office, Walpole Recycling Center, Tractor Supply, and the Savings Bank of walpole.
Then, on Saturday, November 8 from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon, we will be at the same locations collecting pet food, non-perishable food items, toiletry items, and monetary donations. Everything collected will go directly to the Fall Mountain Food Shelf. Last year we collected 800 items of food and $3,200.
A Message from Lucy Weber About Changes to Medicare Advantage Plans
[Editor’s Note: Lucy Weber is the State Representative for Cheshire County District 5, which includes Walpole and Surry.]
Hello, friends,
I have heard from a number of people affected by the departure of several Medicare Advantage plans from our region. The situation is complicated because Humana, which runs several of the remaining plans, has not reached a network agreement with Dartmouth Medical and its affiliates, including Cheshire Medical Center and its satellite offices.
This link is to a communication from Joseph L. Perras, MD, President and CEO of Cheshire Medical Center.
It explains the current situation, and includes some further links to Medicare and to the NH Department of Insurance for further information and help with choices going forward.
https://www.cheshiremed.org/health-wellness/article/letter-community-medicare-plans
I hope this is helpful.
Onward,
Lucy
Fall Rail Trail Maintenance Event – 11/8/25
FALL RAIL TRAIL MAINTENANCE EVENT
Saturday, 11/8/25, 9 am – 12 pm
The Walpole Trail Committee needs volunteers to give Walpole’s section of the Cheshire Rail Trail a drainage system tune-up. On Saturday, November 8, at 9 am, we are holding a trail work event to perform maintenance on culverts, drainage ditches, and water bars along the rail trail. The trail work will involve digging, raking and similar tasks to clear out silt and debris.
Our goal is to ensure that water flows smoothly in the drainage system through the winter and that the trail emerges relatively dry in the spring. Everyone who uses the rail trail in Walpole will benefit.
Please sign up for this rail trail work event by November 5 so that we can allocate the available volunteer workers to priority projects. We will send out details about where to meet, what tools to bring and what projects will be tackled shortly before the November 8 event.
To sign up or to get more information, please send an email to Wendy Grossman at walpoletrailhelpers@gmail.com. Advance sign-up is required.
Please join us at the Walpole Trail Committee’s Fall Rail Trail Maintenance Event on Saturday, November 8!
Woodfield Press Autumn Open House – 11/7 & 11/8/25
Cider • Donuts • Holiday Treasures
Friday, November 7 & Saturday, November 8
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM each day
6 Baine Way, Alstead, NH 03602
Enter through the Mole Hill Entrance on Gilsum Mine Road
Come meet Cindy & Peter and the Woodfield Family
Shop directly from our warehouse stacks:
• Notecards
• Matted Prints
• Calendars & Advent Calendars
• Giclée Prints (framed and unframed)
• Special sale on print proofs (BATs)
A Season of Giving
A portion of all Open House sales will support:
Alstead Christmas Fund – bringing holiday joy to local families
Multicolores – supporting Maya women artists in Guatemala http://www.multicolores.org
Bring the family • Celebrate the season • Find something beautiful
Walpole Community Giving Tree Project
The Walpole Community Giving Tree Project is getting underway again for the 2025 holiday season. This project helps families provide holiday gifts for their children ages birth-18 (or older if still in high school). Participating families must be residents of the Walpole township (Walpole, North Walpole, and Drewsville). PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS: From NOVEMBER 8-22 only, tags will be available at the following locations during their regular business hours: River Valley Church, First Congregational Church (go to back door by ramp), St. John’s Church, St. Peter’s Church, the Walpole Library, Diamond Pizza, The Hungry Diner, Savings Bank of Walpole on Westminster St, and Mascoma Bank. UNWRAPPED gifts should be returned to any of these same locations no later than November 30th; you do not have to return your gift to the same location where you took a tag. This is a wonderful project that helps to brighten the holiday season for many of our local families, and we appreciate everyone’s help! If you have any questions, you may contact us at weilcloues8808@gmail.com.
Happy holidays to you and yours!
Please stay safe and healthy!
Jeanne Cloues and Marcia Weil, project organizers
NOTE: You may also mail donations directly to us at 192 Upper Walpole Road, Walpole, 03608. Please make checks payable to Jeanne Cloues and put “Giving Tree” in the memo line. Thank you.
Walpole Town Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes – 10/14/25
Walpole Town Library
Board of Trustees Meeting
October 14, 2025
Present: Amy Howard (Chair), Kathy Nerrie (Treasurer), Gail LaHaise, Susan Johnson, Jana Sellarole, Sarah Mann, Bill Ranauro, Jean Kobeski (Recording Secretary), Jane Malmberg (Library Director)
Absent: Erin Bowen
Amy Howard called the meeting to order at 4:40 p.m. in the North Walpole branch.
Approval of Minutes: Gail made a motion to accept the September 2025 minutes as written. Kathy seconded and all voted in favor. Motion carried.
Treasurer’s Report: Kathy emailed the Treasurer’s Report to the board prior to the meeting. She reported that we are right on track with income and expenses.
Bills: Jane sent a copy of the bills to the trustees prior to the meeting. There were no questions or comments. Amy made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report and Bills. Gail seconded and all voted to accept; motion carried.
Old Business
Long Range Planning: Jane distributed copies of a draft of the new Strategic Plan. Trustees were asked to read it and be prepared for a discussion at the November meeting.
2026 Budget: Jane made a few changes to the budget she presented last month. She has taken some money out of magazines and moved it to technology, explaining that we need to replace some Chrome Books.
Jane also suggested that we look into buying a Smart TV for the Community Room in an effort to upgrade equipment for presentations and movie viewing. Kathy said her husband did extensive research into smart televisions and will have him send Jane information that he gathered.
Committee Assignments
New board committee assignments are as follows:
- Buildings and Grounds – Kathy, Amy
- Technology – Amy
- Personnel – Susan, Jana, Sarah
- Scholarship – Bill, Gail
New Business
Staff Appreciation: The trustees have set a tentative date of January 16, 2026 for a cocktail party at the library to honor staff, volunteers, and Friends of the Library. Each of the trustees will contribute appetizers and Kathy will purchase beverages and paper goods for the event.
Operations: Jane emailed her monthly report to the board prior to this meeting. At the meeting she explained that Baker and Taylor, the wholesale book vendor that our library uses, is shutting down operations. Jane is now looking for a new vendor and has an appointment with Ingram, another company that offers similar services to Baker and Taylor. In the meantime she will order books from Amazon and wait to hear what will happen with backorders from Baker and Taylor.
Jane announced that on October 21, Julie Rios will present “North Walpole History in Pictures” at the North Walpole Library. This is an encore presentation of the popular program she presented at the Walpole Historical Society.
Jane attended a meeting led by the Asst. State Librarian, where they discussed the new law granting parents/guardians access to their children’s library records. State librarians were advised to have town attorneys sign off on any new policies pertaining to library cards. Jane asked that we have a more detailed discussion on this topic to make sure we have all bases covered. It was agreed that we would discuss this at our November meeting. We have until January to make changes.
Buildings and Grounds: Don Sellarole examined the column on the right corner of the library and felt that it looks stable and the foundation is okay. He does not feel that anything needs to be done at this time.
Technology: Jane and Julie tested Mango and determined that demand at our library does not justify the price of the program.
Friends of the Library: Jane reported that the Friends are getting ready for their book sale and have stated they no longer want any book donations at the reuse center. They have as many as they can handle at this time.
Gail made a motion to adjourn; Susan seconded the motion. Amy adjourned the meeting at 5:31 p.m.
Note that the next trustees meeting will be Wednesday, November 12, at 4:30 p.m. in the main branch of the library.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jean Kobeski, Recording Secretary
** These minutes are in draft form until approved at the November 12, 2025 meeting.
The Walpolean 
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