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Ray Boas's Memorial Day Address
Here is Ray Boas's Memorial Day Address...Good job Ray!
MEMORIAL DAY - May 30, 2005 -- Ray Boas, Walpole, New Hampshire
It is with a great deal of pleasure that I have this opportunity to speak to you on this Memorial Day 2005 to honor those who have died in our wars. I proudly served for 22 years in the US Navy from 1968 until my retirement in 1990. Serving our country 30 years ago was a different experience than today, and different from the experiences of those serving in previous generations -- but the men and women who have served and defended our freedoms have done so for a patriotic love of our country.
Memorial Day, which was originally called Decoration day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation‘s service, paying the ultimate price for our freedoms. Businesses closed for this sacred day. Towns held parades, just as we are still doing here in Walpole, to honor their fallen heroes, and the parade routes usually ended at the local cemetery, where Memorial Day speeches were given, veterans formed a firing squad and fired volleys, and taps was solemnly played. People took the time that day to clean and decorate with flowers and flags the graves of those who died in service to their country. How many of you remember decorating your bike with red, white and blue crepe paper, clipping a playing card with a clothes pin to your bike to make that "rat a tat tat," sound, and attaching flags to the handlebars? As a child I remember decorating my balloon tire bicycle, and riding the 5 miles to town to take part in the Memorial Day parade to Hillside Cemetery. As I listened to the speeches, the firing squad, and taps, my heart swelled with pride. I was proud being part of the tribute given to those who had fallen, and those who had served. My Dad served in World War II, and was a member of the American Legion firing squad. He now lays at rest in Hillside Cemetery in a decorated grave close to the spot where he fired those volleys, and one Memorial Day saved an empty cartridge for me as a souvenir.
There are many stories as to the actual beginnings of this day, and well over two dozen cities and towns lay claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War. As the Civil War still raged, grieving mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters, were cleaning confederate soldiers' graves in Columbus, Mississippi, placing flowers on them. Nearby, union soldiers' graves were overgrown with weeds. Grieving for their own fallen soldiers, the confederate women understood that the dead union soldiers buried nearby were the cherished loved ones of families and communities far away. So, they cleared those graves as well and laid flowers on them too. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5th 1868 by General John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11 which mandated the first Memorial Day on May 30th 1868. It is believed the date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. The order stated in part: "The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land." His order concluded saying, "It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades." Soon the tradition of a "Decoration Day" for the graves of fallen soldiers spread. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the "birthplace" of Memorial Day. There, on May 5, 1866, when the Civil War was over, Henry Welles closed his Waterloo drugstore and suggested that all other shops in town also close up for a day to honor all soldiers killed in the Civil War, Union and Confederate alike. It was a gesture of healing and reconciliation in a land that had been torn apart by conflict. By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30th throughout the nation. After World War I, Memorial Day was expanded to honor all those who had died in all of America's wars. The poem "In Flander's Field" written at this time, described a Belgium battlefield, now a cemetery, dotted with red poppies. The poem deeply touched the nation and the world, and, from that point on, poppies became known throughout the world as a memorial flower, a reminder of the lives lost in wartime. The VFW conducted its first poppy distribution before Memorial Day in 1922. The poppy soon became the official memorial flower, and they are assembled by disabled and needy veterans to provide them with some work. Poppies were available in Walpole the other day just as they always have been.
For decades, stores closed and communities gathered together on May 30th for a day of parades and other patriotic celebrations. Unfortunately, over the years the meaning of this day has sadly faded too much from the public consciousness. The National Holiday Act of 1971 changed Memorial Day to a three-day weekend ending with the last Monday in May. As a result, it has become easier for us to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of this day. From a solemn day of mourning, remembrance, and honor to our departed loved ones, it has become the start of summer with a long three-day weekend filled with picnics, shopping, sales and vacation travel. Many people today don't really know what the day stands for. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day." Because of this change, changes in our world and changes in the nature of war, it is even harder for us to understand what motivated, inspired, and enabled ordinary citizens to rise to the challenge of battle and be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for the cause of freedom - a freedom that is too often taken for granted. That inspiration and motivation came from the values held by these men and women. Our proud heritage is grounded in those core values which include: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.
• Loyalty means bearing true faith and allegiance to the United States Constitution, your military unit, and fellow soldiers and citizens
• Duty means fulfilling your obligations.
• Respect means treating people as they should be treated.
• Selfless-Service means putting the welfare of the nation, the military, and your fellow man before your own.
• Honor means to live up to all of these values
• Integrity means to do what's right, legally and morally.
• Personal Courage means the willingness to face fear, danger, or adversity, whether physical or moral.
These values made our citizens and our country strong, but in many aspects of American life we have gotten away from these basic core values.
Memorial Day is the time for Americans to reconnect with their history and these core values by honoring those who have given their lives for the ideals we cherish. It is a time to remember those who gave their lives. But why Remember? Their sacrifice is meaningless without remembrance. America’s collective consciousness demands that all citizens be aware of and recall the wartime deaths of their fellow countrymen.
Far too often our nation as a whole takes for granted the freedoms all Americans enjoy. Those freedoms were paid for with the lives of others few of us actually knew. It is our civic obligation to honor our nation’s war dead to preserve their memory and thus their service and sacrifice. How do we remember and honor? Means of paying tribute vary. Pausing for a few moments of personal silence and prayer is available to everyone at any time. Attending ceremonies as we are doing today in Walpole is the most visible way of demonstrating remembrance. Also placing flags at gravesites, marching in parades, dedicating memorials and wearing Poppies are additional examples of displaying our patriotism.
I like to think of the military as an insurance policy. Something we have to have, but hope we never have to use. We are here today because that insurance policy has been used to preserve freedom throughout the world, and many have died in preserving that freedom. As Abraham Lincoln said, they "gave the fullest measure of devotion." Many powerful, memorable speeches and addresses have been delivered during our nation’s history. All I need to mention are the names Lincoln, FDR, MacArthur, or JFK, and those singular words will come to mind. My intent here today is not necessarily to leave you with a memorable quote, but I strongly desire that you depart today forever remembering those who gave their lives in time of war for your freedoms, and reconnect with the values that they held so sacred. Please remember and share the history and significance of this Memorial Day - May 30th. Thank you.
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Tentative Schedule for Walpole Old Home Days
Something Fun for EVERYONE!
Here is the tentative schedule of Walpole Old Home Days events!
Wednesday, June 22
5:30 p.m. Block Party Sponsored by Connecticut River Bank, NA and the Hubbard Family
Thursday, June 23
7:00 p.m. The Walpole Players present A Midsummer Night’s Dream Opening Night at the Town Hall ($)
Friday, June 24
4:00-6:00 p.m. Murray’s Restaurant Strawberry shortcake social to benefit Walpole Grange
3:30 p.m. Participants sign in for talent show at Town Hall
4:30 p.m. Talent Show (in downstairs of Town Hall) (Awards following the show)
7:00-11p.m. Street Dance (Walpole Savings Bank parking lot on Westminster Street) Music by Country Hearts
7:00-11:00 p.m. American Legion food booth ($)
9:15 p.m. Fireworks Display (Shot from High Street over the village)
Saturday, June 25
7:00-9:00 a.m. Breakfast at the Walpole Academy for all who attended the academy and their spouses (Prizes for youngest, oldest, and longest distance traveled to get there!)
8:30 a.m. 5K race & Children’s race (12 & under) ($) (Start & finish at Town Hall)
10:00 a.m. Parade: Starts at Walpole School (Awards presented Sunday evening at Band Concert; 6 categories: 1st-3rd in each category plus overall best entry
1. Most original
2. Funniest
3. Best theme
4. Best neighborhood
5. Best band
6. Best junior
11:00-12:00 Noon Junior Firefighters’ Challenge (Age 6-12 years behind Telephone Building)
11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Antique Car Show on Historical Society Lawn (Vote for your favorite!!)
9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Exhibits on the Common (Fundraising for Not-for-Profits)
Hooper Hill Hoppers: Hamburgers/sausage grinders/soda/chips
Walpole Fire & EMS Ladies Aux: Popcorn & cotton candy
Walpole Recycling Action Program: Educational
Boy Scouts Troop 299: Hot dogs/soda and games
Harvest Christian Fellowship: Root beer floats
Walpole Historical Society: Information
Walpole Cadet & Senior Girl Scout Troop 3005: Balloons
Walpole Senior Citizens: Baked goods
Hooper Institute: Exhibit and live animals
St. Johns Episcopal Church: Ice cream sundaes
Walpole Society for the Pursuit of Horse Thieves: Information
Pinnacleview 4-H Club: Petting zoo, homemade ice cream & flavored milk
Unitarian Church of Walpole: Educational
Walpole Old Home Day Committee: Information, souvenir T-shirts, bottled water
Fall Mt. Cross Country Skiing/Running Booster Club:
Walpole Fire Department: Safety exhibit
Congregational Church: BBQ tickets
Walpole Democratic Party: Information
Walpole Grange: Bat Houses
Walpole Conservation Committee: Information
Women of Walpole: Raffle
Fall Mountain JROTC: Information
Friends of the Walpole Town Library: Information
11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Basketball Shoot-out @ Savings Bank of Walpole parking lot
12:00 p.m. Pet Show behind Telephone building (Prizes awarded for…
1. Longest tail 2. Shortest tail
3. Cutest pet 4. Funniest pet
5. Smallest pet 6. Largest pet
7. Most unusual pet 8. Best costume
9. Best behaved pet 10. Cutest name
11.Judges favorite 12.Adult/pet look alike
13.Child/pet look alike
1 p.m. Children’s games on the Common (Ribbons for all, 3 divisions)
1. wheelbarrow race 2. 3-legged race 3. steeplechase relay
4. sack race 5. top-model relay 6. pass the peanuts relay
7. sleeper 8. can & ball relay 9. there/back w/o a break relay
10. hop on one leg 11. balloon between the knees relay
12:00 Noon-3:00 p.m. Hayrides around town by R.N. Johnson’s, Pinnacleview Equipment & Steve’s Equipment
1:30-3:30 p.m. Junior Firefighters’ Challenge behind Telephone building (Age 6-12 years)
1:30 p.m. Children’s Woodsmen’s Contests (On skating rink on Westminster Street, next to St. John’s Episcopal Church; Junior Division age 8-12, Senior Division age 13-18)
2-person team: 1. Log roll 2. Chunk throw 3. Crosscut saw 4. Surprise event
2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Fire Department Lobster/clam bake located behind Connecticut River Bank, NA ($ Advance tickets)
3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Jazz Concert in front of Burdick’s in memory of Lou Andreoli (Music by: The Zaccai Curtis Quartet)
3:00 p.m. Adult Woodsmen’s contest (On skating rink; age 19 and up)
2-person team 1. Log roll 2. Chunk throw 3.Cross-cut saw
4:00 p.m. Tug of war on skating rink (18 and over & 17 and under )
7:00 p.m. Walpole High School Reunion classes of 1951-1966 at Walpole School
7:00 p.m. Walpole Players present A Midsummer Night’s Dream ($)
Sunday June 26
7:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Breakfast at the American Legion: Benefit for Veterans Memorial (S)
Church Services
8:00 a.m. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Walpole
9:30 a.m. St. Peter’s Catholic Church, N. Walpole
10:00 a.m. First Congregational Church of Walpole
10:00 a.m. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Walpole
10:00 a.m. Harvest Christian Fellowship, N. Walpole
10:30 a.m. Walpole Unitarian Church
2:00 p.m. Cemetery Tour by the Historical Society (Meet in front of Walpole School)
3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Fashion Show and Tea @ Hastings House
3:00 p.m. till sold-out Congregational Church Chicken Bar-B-Cue Dinner $
5:30 p.m. Boy Scouts Band Concert w/ Bob Cunniff Orchestra ($) donation (Presentation of Parade awards at band concert intermission)
7 p.m. Walpole Players present A Midsummer Night’s Dream ($)
Open Houses:
Walpole Community Pool 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Walpole Historical Society 9:00-10:00 a.m. AND 12:00 Noon-5:00 p.m. Saturday
$ Denotes tickets need to be purchased. No $ means free to participate
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Notes from Tuesday's First Planning Board "Working" Session
The Walpole Planning Board agreed at its May 10 meeting to add a second monthly meeting to its agenda that would focus exclusively on broader planning issues and needs than the usual monthly meeting can. This second monthly meeting is set for the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall through 2005.
I applaud these volunteer public servants for their willingness to devote even more time to our town!
At my request, Mel Schupack, who attended Tuesday evening's first "working meeting" of the town Planning Board, shared his notes with me. While we may be able to post the official minutes of the meeting after they are prepared and approved, I thought it worthwhile to get these informal notes out quickly so Walpoleans could know what topics were discussed and to begin thinking about them.
Mel said, "It was, I thought, a very useful session. Eric Merklein chaired it as Jeff Miller and David Edkins, the chairman and vice chairman respectively, were away on business and vacation.
Pam Azlinger, a Planning Board Alternate who previously had been active on the Warner, NH Planning Board for many years including, I believe, some time as Chair, I thought contributed a good deal.
The items on the agenda and what stuck with me were:
1) They generally agreed to re-establish rules of procedure for the Board.
2) The need to revision of subdivision regulation as the regs state 4 lots or less, while RS (Revised Statute) 676:4 pg 415 gives it now as 3. The
idea was for creating a subcommittee to review that, application procedures and compliance hearings as well. The motion to do so carried.
3) Class VI/Private Road Issues - required by RS674:41. Motion to appoint a subcommittee to study these issues passed.
4) Master Plan Update - in order to do a capital improvements update, the master plan needs to be updated as much has changed in the town since it was done. The Board will form a committee to tackle this and will seek volunteers from the community. (I'll be one of those.)
5) Capital Improvements Plan (and the need to consult with Southwest Regional Planning Commission (SWRPC) to see what progress has been made on their study of the data.) The need for this has to do with being able to anticipate future needs based on both the current town
infrastructure and projections about additional changes that will require more capital in the future. (SWRPC can help with the projections.) One of the
important things this might provide would be to develop a 10-year capital fund plan, updated each year perhaps, to budget each year for the funds (in reserves) that will become needed and to avoid
sudden needs (and taxes) when something major has to be spent.
6) Growth management - where does the Walpole Today (WT) petition stand? John Hansel reported that WT had dropped the request for this in view of the revision in the Site Review Ordinance providing for impact studies. There was considerable discussion and some doubt if those revisions
would actually allow control of something like the Berkshire Development plan for a 55,000 square foot supermarket. The Planning Board will look at this and perhaps consult with the SWRPC. As part of one of these discussions I handed out a list of concerns the Walpole Tomorrow Fact Finding group had, and I attach it below. There was also some
discussion of how to define "not being a regional economic center". I gave Eric a copy of an ordinance from a small town in Cal. that I thought did this in an ordinance. (Available by email as a PDF attachment if anyone is interested.)
7) Zoning Amendments for 2006? Consider re-zoning in some districts? Concern with lot sizes, uses etc. that perhaps need to be improved for
some districts. (Currently the requirements in both Rural-Agricultural and Timberland districts are the same as in Residential A.) There was some discussion about if an increase in lot size requirements or some other means might be considered with the Town.
8) The need to fill 2 more alternate positions, possibly a North Walpole rep. or a Zoning Board member.
9) The need to improve regular meeting procedures according to Robert's Rule of Order and to structure future agendas to reflect the Rules. There was quite a bit of discussion about how to improve the regular meetings. It was suggested that the alternates should sit at the table with the members and have name signs in front of everyone indicating their position with the Board as well. Pam Azlinger, with my enthusiastic support, recommended that there be an agenda published at least a week in advance of the meeting and to have it posted in various places including at www.TheWalpolean.com. (I emphasized the need for that.) There was
also mention of having a large town map put up at meetings so that locations being discussed could be located for the audience. There was some discussion about getting some map(s) on which the parcel lines could be superimposed.
All of this is from the printed agenda Eric handed out and from my probably selective memory, such as it is, of the discussion."
Submitted by Mel Schupack
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Appendix Memo to Walpole Planning Board from Fact Finding Subcommittee of Walpole Tomorrow
We want to thank the Planning Board for setting up a series of work meetings open to the public to explore how the town might best guide future growth and the possible changes in ordinances that might help achieve this. The Walpole Tomorrow group has been discussing it as well and we would like to show a brief outline of some areas of our concern.
Among the issues we would like to see explored:
A) The town’s master land-use plan clearly states that this small, rural town should not become a regional economic center. There are ways of developing this principle into specific zoning ordinances. There is at least one excellent example from another town where this has been done.
B) There are various economic studies showing that large chain businesses export out of a host community a much larger portion of their revenue than do locally owned businesses. Chain retailers also often cost more in town services than they pay in taxes, which is far less often true of locally owned businesses.
C) The master plan suggests the adoption of a scenic overlay district. While the existence of such a district may be implied in the current site review impact requirements, we hope the board will explore the possibility of expressly defining such a district and its boundaries as part of the zoning ordinance. Towns such as Bennington, Vermont, have adopted design standards; Keene has adopted architectural and visual appearance standards as part of their development guidelines. We also hope the board will consider adopting similar standards in Walpole.
D) The master plan calls for support of our existing agricultural economy. We would like to explore how the planning process and zoning ordinances can assist in this.
E) We applaud the site plan’s requirement that studies of potential impacts be paid for by developers. We hope the board also will consider requiring these studies to be performed by independent experts acceptable to the Planning Board.
F) We believe the protections afforded our rural agricultural and timberland areas need to be reviewed and analyzed.
G) The need for affordable housing that will not alter the integrity of the town might be explored. (Cluster development requiring surrounding green space and landscaping as one example.)
H) We applaud the Board’s support and work with the Walpole Conservation Commission in the commission’s efforts to define a "green infrastructure" plan that could be adopted as part of the master plan and implemented in zoning and site plan review ordinances. The commission’s green infrastructure plan could be an effective way of addressing the master plan’s call for the adoption of a river corridor protection overlay district and a natural resource protection district.
The master plan states that it is "only an advisory document that must rely on action by the Town to effectively implement the recommendations". The planning board has made some initial progress in addressing the issues raised in the master plan, but there is still much that we feel is needed in order to implement the master plan. The Walpole Tomorrow group is very concerned about protecting the integrity of our town while guiding our town’s future growth. We look forward to the opportunity to explore these and other issues in an ongoing dialogue with the board.
Chuck Bingaman
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Using Firefox by Mozilla as My Internet Browser Program
A Better Way to Skin the 'Web Cat!
Several months ago, I switched to using Firefox from www.Mozilla.com as my Internet browser program, rather than Internet Explorer by Microsoft. It's a real improvement!
1. Firefox is free, and it blocks nearly all pop-up and drop-down ads.
2. It is faster than Explorer.
3. It seems to show www.thewalpolean.com better.
Simply go to www.mozilla.com and sign up!
Chuck Bingaman
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New "Working" Meeting of Walpole Planning Board Tuesday Evening, May 24
The First of Newly Added Sessions
Planning Board member Eric Merklein tells me that at its last meeting the Planning Board agreed to set a second monthly meeting for the rest of the year devoted exclusively to discussing broad issues of planning and zoning and not for hearing specific petitions of individual citizens.
The first of these special meetings, Tuesday eveing, May 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall is open to the public, and Merklein hopes that a large number of people will attend. (Board Chair Jeff Miller is away on business, and Vice Chair David Edkins is away on vacation, but other members of the board will attend.)
Merklein noted that New Hampshire is the fastest growing state in New England and that we have a crisis in "workforce housing," i.e. housing other than the high-priced variety. Merklein hopes that "we can get everyone working together to plan for balanced growth rather than unplanned or unconctorlled growth." As he puts it, "We don't want to look like Route 5 north of Brattleboro!"
The next regular Planning Board meeting is June 14, and the next "working " session is set for June 28.
Chuck Bingaman
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Upcoming Garden Tour/Lunch Outing Sponsored by the Library Book Group
Join Us in Visiting Pikity Place in Mason, NH
At Nancy Shepard's colorful spring luncheon for the Library Book Group a few weeks ago, we all decided that another garden luncheon was in order.
We decided to go to Pikity Place in Mason, NH where they have a vast number of herbs, perennials and gardens to see. Lunch is attractively served and includes herbs from their gardens. The cost of lunch is approximately $15.
I have made some reservations for June 16 for 12:45 p.m. to allow a leisurely trip over (takes about an hour), a short view of the gardens beforehand and time after lunch to complete our touring and shopping. We will gather around 11:15 a.m. at the library to arrange carpooling.
If you are not familiar with Pikity Place you may see more on its web site...www.pikityplace.com.
Please call me at 756-9268 if you would like to go, and I will adjust the reservations accordingly. It will be a fun outing!
If you know someone without email who would like to go please tell them and ask them to call me. Let's hope for a nice sunny day!
Sue Bingaman
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Walpole Conservation Commission Info; Request for Input
Peter Palmiotto, an alternate member of the Town Conservation Commission, asked that I share the following letter that the commission recently sent to the Walpole Board of Selectmen and the Town Planning and Zoning Boards...
May 10, 2005
Dear Selectmen, Planning and Zoning Board members,
The Walpole Conservation Commission is beginning the process of writing a conservation plan entitled, “Farms, Forests, Streams and Wetlands: Preserving Walpole’s Natural Character.”
The farms, forests, streams and wetlands conservation plan will provide a guide to preserving the character of Walpole. The plan establishes priorities that will aid the town in fulfilling the Master Plan goals of “protecting and preserving the Town’s critical resource areas in an effort to maintain a balance between the Town’s existing and future development needs and its natural environment . . .” Specifically, the purposes of this conservation plan are:
- To provide a plan that identifies priorities that will guide town
leaders in conservation and development decisions.
- To protect and enhance the ecological integrity of Walpole’s natural
resource base and overall environmental health.
- To protect and enhance both the Town’s agricultural and local business bases that promotes a sustainable and viable local economy.
- To inform the residents of Walpole of the options available to help
protect the quality of life issues that are important to them.
The Conservation Commission would appreciate community input during the planning process and on the draft plan once it is complete at the end of the year. For information or to send comments, contact Peter Palmiotto, P.O. Box 338, email him at ppalmiotto@antiochne.edu or contact any of the conservation commission members.
Sincerely,
Walpole Conservation Commission
Gary Speed, Chairperson
Larry Britton, Marcia Galloway, Paul Happ,
Mel Schupack, Lew Shelley, Duncan Watson
Peter Palmiotto, alt.
Chuck Bingaman
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Yalowitz World Affairs Program Tomorrow Evening
You are invited to attend a program of The Windham World Affairs Council to hear Ambassador Kenneth Yalowitz speak on “The Baltics: A Story of Success--Countries of the South Caucuses: A Success?” tomorrow, Friday, May 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., Brattleboro.
Yalowitz is currently Director of the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, at Dartmouth College.
Ambassador Yalowitz retired from the State Department in September 2001 after 36 years a diplomat and member of the Senior Foreign Service. He served twice as a U.S. ambassador: to the Republic of Belarus from 1994-1997; and to Georgia from 1998-2001. His other foreign assignments included two tours of duty in Moscow, The Hague and the U.S. Mission to NATO in Brussels.
Yalowitz was chosen for the Ambassador Robert Frasure award for peacemaking and conflict prevention in 2000 for his work to prevent the spillover of the Chechen war into Georgia.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Doors open at 7:15 p.m.
I serve on the board of directors of the Windham World Affairs Council, and I can assure you that its programs are interesting, substantive and far more valuable than most foreign affairs accounts in the news media.
BTW, the Windham World Affairs Council’s annual meeting program is Friday evening, June 3 at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, and the speaker is Phyllis E. Oakley, a former U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration. Ms. Oakley will speak on “United Nations Reform: Possible and Needed” at 7:30 p.m. in the International Center. A dinner and short WWAC business meeting will precede her talk. To reserve space for dinner, call 802-365-4488.
Phyllis E. Oakley is currently the Chair of the Board of the U.S. Committee for the United Nations Population Fund, the world's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programs. Since it began operations in 1969, the Fund has provided nearly $6 billion in assistance to developing countries.
As a Foreign Service Officer until her retirement in 1999, Oakley twice served as Assistant Secretary of State, heading the Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration and later the Bureau for Intelligence and Research (INR). She was the first woman spokesman for the State Department, a role she filled from 1986 through 1989.
While there is a charge for dinner, Oakley’s talk is free and open to the public.
Chuck Bingaman
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Great to Be Back in Walpole!
Sue and I returned Tuesday from a week in Alaska where I was a speaker at the joint annual meeting of the Alaska Bar Association and the Alaska Judges Association in Juneau ("Getting Things Done: Coping with 21st Century Workloads"), and we agree that it is GREAT to be back!
Alaska presented amazing, dramatic wilderness with snow-capped mountains in all directions, pristine fjords, and wildlife galore (even a moose strolling along a busy street in Anchorage), but it was great to return to our little post office filled with friends and to the green and friendly hills surrounding "our" town. We're very lucky to be here!
Chuck Bingaman
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Malnati Reports Fall Mountain High School Spring Festival
Fall Mountain High School student Eric Malnati reports that the school will be holding its first annual Fall Mountain Spring Festival on Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Malnati says "The Spring Festival Committee, of which I am a part, is trying to get the word out to the community.... We thought The Walpolean would be an excellent place to publish information."
Currently we need people willing to donate some time to help out, to entertain or to have exhibits."
Outdoor games, a craft fair, an open mic, theatrical performances, food, live music, academic displays, and an evening contra dance are all on the agenda.
Planning for the festival has been under way for several months, spearheaded by a group of high school students. Kathleen Markiewicz, one such student, hopes the day will witness more than just creative fundraising. "The Festival," she says, "will bring the community together in a fun spring event that we can build on in future years."
"Our high school lies at the end of a very long driveway in the middle of rural Langdon," says Cassandra Kreek, another student coordinator. "But we're isolated in more ways than one. Sometimes it seems that the school is completely cut off from the larger flow of community life."
Tom Ferenc, the principal of Fall Mountain Regional High School and advisor to the student Festival Committee, shares his students' vision. "School should be a reflection of the values and beliefs of the community," he says. "This is an opportunity to manifest these values and beliefs."
"We're inviting local crafters, businesses, musicians, and other entertainers to get involved," says Kreek. "We'll need other volunteers to help run the sporting events and the children's games. Even more importantly, we're hoping local community groups will contact us and set up presentations to show the community who they are and what they do. The Festival, as a community event, really depends on the community."
"And if the Festival's popular this year, we're planning to do it again," says student coordinator Emily Ranauro, "and it will just get better each year."
For more information about the Spring Festival and how you can be involved, contact Cassandra Kreek at cmkreek@earthlink.net or call (603) 756-4381.
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Tarantino-Munn Exhibit at Burdick's: See It!
Changing Each Thursday Afternoon
Walpole painter Barbara Tarantino and floral artist Jayson Munn have an ongoing collaborative show at Burdick's through the end of the month. Barbara is showing a number of her watercolors, mainly flowers and fruit still lives, and Jayson is complementing them with flower arrangements keyed to featured paintings. The flower arrangement and the featured painting change each Thursday afternoon. So...there's a new combination featured today.
Chuck Bingaman
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Parenting Teenagers: St. Johns Sunday Evening Series
St. Johns Episcopal Rector Susan Kershaw reminded me that the church is sponsoring a series on parenting teenagers this coming Sunday, the 15th, and Sunday the 22nd. This Sunday's theme is "Hello! Did you Hear Me? and the next Sunday's theme is "But Everyone Else is Doing It!" The leader is Elizabeth Raposa, Coordinator of the Parent Outreach Project of Monadnock Family Services. Each session is separate and lasts from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. They are free and open to the public. For further information, Susan welcomes your call at 756-4533.
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Deadline Reminder for June 25 Exhibits on the Common
Part of Old Home Days Activities
If your group is planning to exhibit on the Common on Saturday, June 25 as part of Old Home Days, please call Joe or Peggy Dion at once at 756-3160. While the deadline was May 1, Joe tells me that they don't want to leave anyone out, and you can still be included if you call SOON!
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Saturday Morning Plant Sale at Bridge Memorial Library
Annual Fund Raiser for The Friends of the Library
Lucy Weber reminds me that the Friends of the Walpole Town Library will be hosting their annual plant sale fundraiser next to the Bridge Memorial Library, this Saturday, May 7, from 9-12, rain or shine. "We get a fine mix of plant donations which change from year to year but which usually include old favorites like peonies, daylilies, and iris and many other offerings," according to Lucy. "People (I would say experts, but one of them is me) will be on hand to identify plants and give gardening advice, if needed."
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Walpole Site Based School Committee Is Recommending Transferring All 3rd and 4th Graders to North Walpole School in the Fall
School Board to Act on the Recommendation Next Monday
Following a two-hour public forum with over 120 Walpole parents, teachers and school administrators Wednesday evening at the North Walpole School, Walpole’s Site Based Committee decided to recommend restructuring Walpole schools by sending all third and fourth grade students to the North Walpole School beginning next year.
Walpole School Principal Sam Jacobs moderated the session and, noting that it “has become a very passionate issue” reminded those present that “our ultimate goal is to think of what is best for all of the kids.”
Jacobs explained that, because Charlestown had voted to expand its school facilities and take its fifth grade students back beginning in the fall, there would be four empty classrooms at North Walpole School. That, in turn, has led the Site Based Committee to consider how it might use that “found” space to alleviate serious overcrowding in the Walpole School that currently houses elementary (3rd through 5thth grades) and middle school students (6th through 8th grades).
Noting that he, other district administrators and the Site Based Committee had considered a range of possible uses of the space, and also recognizing that there is no perfect solution that could make everyone happy, Jacobs laid out the plan that the Site Based Committee intended to recommend to the School Board next Monday night, barring any changes to be made in the plan as a result of Wednesday’s forum.
The Jacobs’ plan calls for primary grades—K through 2—be offered in both Walpole and North Walpole, for ALL 3rd and 4th graders in the district attend in North Walpole, and for 5th through 8th grades be held for all students at Walpole School. As Jacobs described it, the plan makes use of the four open classrooms in North Walpole where the building and grounds are perfectly sized for elementary students, addresses Walpole School improvement needs as suggested by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges including appropriate space for art, music and group projects, gives 3rd and 4th graders a small elementary school atmosphere as opposed to a middle school atmosphere they are now, and fits with the nationwide trend toward smaller schools. Further Jacobs argued that the plan might foster better integration between Walpole and North Walpole, save the expenses of one and possibly two teaching positions whose cost would approximate $100,000, and give all students more defined primary, elementary and middle school programs.
The downsides of the plan, as Jacobs conceded, include longer bus rides for 3rd and 4th grade students from Walpole, longer bus waits (although Jacobs said planners had been working on ways to minimize this issue), two school transitions for students to adjust to, greater geographic separation for some families, and the loss of benefits of integrating younger students with older students.
In the public forum part of the meeting, Nancy Hague, a Walpole School 4th grade teacher who will need to transfer to North Walpole, read a statement from herself and other teachers saying that the proposed shift “would foster academic and social growth as well as alleviating serious space problems in the Walpole School.” Walpole School support staff member Judy Fortin agreed with Hague and noted that the support staff is “very much in favor because of the overcrowding.”
Several Walpole parents questioned whether the committee had considered all possible alternatives, whether it had a “Plan B” or backup plan should the chosen one fail, and whether it had considered the possibility that added time riding busses would seriously impact learning time in the classrooms.
Katie Brown of Walpole said that, under the plan, she would have four students in four different schools next year but that she favored the plan “and would love to see Walpole and North Walpole treated as single district”—a comment that drew applause.
Several parents with experience in the North Walpole School emphasized what a friendly, welcoming, “family” atmosphere it has and how pleased they had been with their children’s academic and social progress there.
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Schupack Forming Heating Oil Coop Now for Next Winter
A Great Way to Save on Winter Heating Costs
Mel Schupack of 33 Webster Lane, Walpole is setting up a buyers' cooperative to purchase heating oil in a large enough quantity to get a significant price discount beginning next fall. This will be Mel's third year of operation in town. Participants have to committ to buying a certain minimum number of gallons and, in return, their price per gallon will be less than the market price. Mel and his co-hort, Dana Hemenway of Old Keene Road, are gearing up for negotiations with a number of suppliers. The more members the coop has, the stronger their bargaining power and the better price they'll be able to get us. If you would like to explore coop membership, email Mel at melschupack@aya.yale.edu.
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Public Forum on Moving Walpole Students from Walpole School to North Walpole School Next Year
Chas Street tells me that there will be a public forum at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 4 at the Walpole School to discuss a possible plan to transfer all 3rd and 4th grade students from the Walpole School to the North Walpole School beginning in the fall. Obviously it is a complex issue with many aspects. Currently Walpole School is a bit overcrowded and, with Charlestown's 5th graders returning to Charlestown in the fall, the North Walpole School expects to have some excess classroom space.
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Welcome to the Walpolean!
New Web Log or "Blog" Chronicles Walpole
Greetings! Welcome to the Walpolean, a web log or “blog” that will report many happenings and events in and around Walpole. I expect to add new material several times each week.
You can read The Walpolean by going to www.TheWalpolean.com. Then you can sign up on the site to get an email each time we add new material to the site. (Or, you can sign up for a “news aggregator” such as www.bloglines.com where you can have all blogs you follow register new materials whenever they are posted. With Bloglines, you see the headline of the new stuff and can read it, save it for future reference, or discard it after you read it.)
Also—and I hope you’ll pursue this path—you can become a registered member of The Walpolean. That enables you to post comments on the entries Sue and I write for the site. By having other Walpole residents writing comments, additions, or alternative points of view, it will make the whole site that much more complete, interesting and valuable. So, please take a minute to register when you check the site and prepare to participate! There is, of course, no charge.
If, after you review the site, you have any questions, suggestions or ideas for stories to post on the site, please email me at chuck@chuckbingaman.com or call me at 756-9268.
Let’s work together to make The Walpolean a really valuable community resource!
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Montgomery Opens Her Memoir Cafe'
New Web Site Business Based in Walpole
Veteran French language and literature teacher Stephanie Montgomery of Walpole has created, in www.memoircafe.com, a web site, an innovative business and a multifaceted medium for helping women tell stories about their lives in ways that foster their growth as people and writers.
Just over a year ago, Montgomery conceived the web site business as a way to share her passion for encouraging other women to write the stories of their lives just as she has done for many years. “I chronicle as best I can the era in which I grew up and the one I see before me now. I write for myself and for my children,” Montgomery says. “The process of writing memoirs allows one to savor the funny stories, to reflect on the harsh ones, and to find that one’s understanding broadens in the process. It’s a powerful tool, and the web multiplies that power!”
And it's a medium that Montgomery expects to resonate with women around the world who value their life experiences, want to express them in ways that touch others on an emotional level, and wish to grow as writers. “I hope,” she says, “to become a builder of colorful, emotional bridges. Every story in Memoir Café connects a woman with another story and another woman. Members find these connections both stimulating and reassuring. I relish process in which every woman finds her writer’s voice and explores the possibilities memoir offers. If women do not record their struggles and preoccupations, their wonders and delights, their romances and losses, then they will surely be forgotten--entirely lost. Truly, it will be as if they had not lived.”
www.memoircafe.com offers a treasury of Montgomery’s own memoir pieces—detailed accounts of childhood vacations, parental acts of wisdom and mystery, and even her experiences and lessons learned from teaching at Middlebury, The Putney School and Vermont Academy.
And the site offers much more! Women who choose to pay the nominal fee to become members of Memoir Cafe can post their stories on the site and get supportive feedback on their work from other site members. They can take the site’s writing course focusing on women’s memoirs, and they can use the site’s Daily Writing Prompts. Knowing what a challenge it can be to begin to write and to share one’s work, Montgomery offers a trial month for free.
Montgomery has been very careful to build in levels of privacy that women need and choose so that they may share their work as broadly or as narrowly as they decide.
While writing for publication may be the goal of some Memoir Cafe participants, the work itself, the outpouring of the stories and their validation as crucial parts of the writers’ lives, are at the heart of the venture. “My goal,” emphasizes Montgomery, “is to support women’s efforts to come alive to their own inner intellectual and emotional lives. I believe that writing affirms our potential and increases our connection to the world.”
“Women … possess vast and fascinating quantities of history, real history, in the form of stories only they know. A woman is not only the keeper of her own and her mother’s legacy but also, if she has children, of the rhythms and patterns of their early years, and she provides the bridge between them. What happened in school and on the playing fields,” Montgomery argues, “matters at least as much as what happens in the big world, those front page headlines. It is important to record struggles at work and in love. Food matters. Hemlines matter. Laughter and silly, tender moments matter. The life of the heart is the very heart of life.”
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