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Announcing The Walpole Players' "A Christmas Carol"
December 14, 15, 16 and 17 Benefitting The Fall Mountain Food Shelf and Our Place Drop-In CVenter
The Walpole Players' "A CHRISTMAS CAROL"
The Walpole Players are pleased to announce their Fourth Annual production of Charles Dickens’ classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL in The Helen Miller Theater at the Walpole Town Hall December 14, 15, 16, and 17, 2011 as its gift to the community.
The performance will begin at 7 PM when Mr. Charles Dickens arrives to read his classic tale. In conjunction with Dickens’ reading, the Players uniquely and magically perform twelve scenes from the story as the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future escort Scrooge through his redemption and transformation. In the keeping of the Christmas Spirit, as learned by Ebenezer Scrooge, the performances will be held to benefit the Fall Mountain Food Shelf and Our Place Drop-In Center which have both long provided meals and needed groceries to people in Alstead, Acworth, Bellows Falls, Langdon, North Walpole, Saxtons River, Walpole, and Westminster. Admission is free, but tickets are required because of limited space.
Tickets are available at Real to Reel, Galloway Real Estate, Village Square Booksellers, Costume Ladies, Murray’s and Jake’s. In lieu of paid admission, the Players are asking each person attending to make a monetary donation to the Fall Mountain Food Shelf and Our Place Drop-In Center. Donations from the first three years of The Walpole Players' production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL have raised $8,590.74 for those in need. For further information call: Ray Boas 603 756-4545 or Tara Sad 603 756-4861
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Walpole Selectmen Name Hooper Advisory Committee
Peggy Pschirrer Named the Chair
11-22-2011
Walpole Selectmen Name Hooper Advisory Committee
by Chuck Bingaman, Contributing Writer
Walpole Selectmen last Thursday swore in a special committee of town citizens to advise them on how to solve the financial and legal problems plaguing the Hooper Golf Course and related property that was put in trust in the 1920s to benefit the town.
Walpole resident Peggy Pschirrer was named chairperson of the ten-member committee, and Drewsville resident Steve Dalessio was named vice chair. Pschirrer has extensive career experience in business and education prior to attending law school later in her career, practicing for years in Connecticut and moving to Walpole. Dalessio is the general manager of Lake Machine in Claremont. Both are past participants in the Walpole Leadership Academy.
Other advisory committee members are Joe Dion, Peter Kenney, Holly Gowdy, Charlie Lennon, Jeff Miller and ex-officio members Jerry Galloway, Sheldon Sawyer and Vickie Gohl, Secretary.
“I’m seeing the task as a challenge in strategic planning for the town,” Pschirrer said Saturday, “grounded in developing a full understanding of the past and present of the Hooper trust. We’ll be looking into the financial records of the trust and getting legal counsel along the way.”
Pschirrer added that she has no pre-conceived notions as to solutions to the fiscal and legal challenges and looks forward to working through the process with the other committee members, many of whom she doesn’t know well at this point.
“I do want people to understand,” she added, “that people will need to be patient and understand that the problems will not be solved yesterday! It’ll take time!”
In the 1920s George L. Hooper created a trust in his will that took effect at his death. It funded the Hooper Institute as a school for agriculture, forestry, botany and soils and included 148 acres of land. The trust named the selectmen of Walpole serving from time to time as the trustees and charged them with achieving a high return on the property to support the Institute and the buildings on the property, including the 1795 mansion that had been used used for decades as the Watkins Tavern, and has been used since as a B&B and as a dining room for golf course activities.
Since the 1920s the trustees have leased the property on the south side of Prospect Hill Road to the Hooper Golf Club. In recent years the portion of the golf course rent allowed under the trust to be used for course and building maintenance has not always been sufficient for the needs. Under pressure to earn more return from the property from the state attorney general who enforces provisions of trusts, the selectmen last year indicated an inclination to sell the golf course property. Citizens of the town raised a loud outcry about the possibility of selling the course and the possible outcomes of such a sale. Walpole has been papered with “Save Hooper” signs since mid-summer.
At an open meeting October 6, more than two hundred fifty people attended, and dozens spoke out against the idea of selling the property. But few offered suggestions for raising investment revenues or further providing for property maintenance. One speaker suggested that the selectmen appoint a special advisory committee to investigate all options and to make recommendations to the select board/trustees. The new committee is the selectmen’s response to that suggestion.
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Opinion: Get Roger Carroll's Column in Today's Eagle Times
Opinion: Eagle Times Editor Roger Carroll has an outstanding column in today's Eagle Times about child abuse, including his personal experiences with it and his path toward healing. It's so important and so well-done that I would share it in full with you here, but the Eagle Times does not have an electronic version. Hence I'm suggesting that you get today's edition on paper. You'll be informed, inspired and glad you read it. Chuck Bingaman
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Christmas Toy and Food Drive Launched in Walpole
Led by Burdick's Chocolate Employees
Christmas Toy and Food Drive Launched in Walpole
Led by Burdick's Chocolate Employees
Burdick's Chocolate employees this week launched a food and toy drive with the ambitious goals of delivering to the Fall Mountain Food Shelf on December 16 1500 toys for needy families and an 18-wheeler of non-perishable food.
"My heart broke when I learned recently that as many as 700 families in our immediate communities are facing very limited Christmas gifts over the holidays, and three-quarters of them have children," Burdick's general manager Cathy Watson said today.
"We're urging everyone in the community to contribute to the food and (unwrapped) toy collection boxes in the chocolate shop and the Walpole Grocery."
Watson added that Alysons Orchard had offered to contribute 40 bushels of apples and that Burdicks would be providing 750 bags of chocolate and 750 bags of turkey stuffing to the Food Shelf.
Cafe manager Sarah Batchelder is seen below organizing the collection boxes now set up in the Burdick's Chocolate shop.
Please make your donations early and often! CCB
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Thanks to Friends of the Walpole Town Library
Thanks to Friends of the Walpole Town LIbrary
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR LIBRARY BOOK SALE!!
The Friends of the Walpole Town Library thank all of you who braved the Halloween snowstorm, on October 28th, 29th and 30th, to support our annual book and tag sale. Thank you to our generous donors, our dedicated volunteers and our eager customers. The sale raised $5,900, all of which goes directly to support both the Walpole and the North Walpole Libraries. The money raised provides funding for library equipment, museum passes, and innovative programs for children and adults, guaranteeing, that our library remains a vibrant and essential part of our community.
The Friends would also like to extend a special thank you to Carol Christian, whose dedication, commitment, organization, and energy, has made our annual Halloween sale a continued success.
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Walpole Community Thanksgiving Dinner and Service to Benefit Walpole Giving Tree Project
Ed. Note: This notice is provided by Rev. Telos Whitfield of the Walpole Unitarian Universalist Church. CCB
Community Thanksgiving Dinner and Service
to Benefit Walpole Giving Tree Project
The congregations of Walpole, New Hampshire have a Community Christmas Fund that is generously supported by our community and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Each year we hold a Community Thanksgiving Service at an area church where we take an offering to support this fund and the Giving Tree Project.
There are more and more people who are struggling financially than we have ever seen. We have thirty-six families in need in Walpole and North Walpole that will benefit from this project and receive holiday gifts for their children, gas and food cards. This year, we will be sharing in a Community Thanksgiving Meal and Simple Service on Tues. Nov. 22 at 6pm at the Hastings Parish House of the Walpole Unitarian Church on Union Street. All are welcome to attend!
We will have special music and songs, offer the town proclamation and the Rev. Craig Breismeister, minister of the Walpole Congregational Church, will offer a reflection as part of our service following our meal.
If you would like information on the event, please contact Rev. Telos Whitfield at 802-376-4977 or at the Walpole Unitarian Church office at 603-756-3961 or check the church web site at www.walpoleunitarian.org. Many families have to choose how they use their limited resources and it must go to heating their houses and putting food on the table before winter clothing, books or a toy for their child. Thank you to all who have contributed to this project in past years. The Walpole Community Christmas Fund is truly a project that benefits our whole community. This event is hosted by the clergy and congregations of Walpole: Walpole Congregational Church, St. John’s Episcopal, All Saints Parish and the Walpole Unitarian Church. We hope you can join us on Tuesday, Nov. 22 for this community event!
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St. John's Sponsors "Advent Unplugged: Preparing for the Holidays in a New Way"
Ed. Note: This announcement comes to us from Rev. Susan de Puy Kershaw of St. John's Episcopal Church in Walpole. Susan says, "St. John's is sponsoring an Advent retreat to which the whole community is invited. We need to get the word out early as we are hoping to sign up 25 participants. CCB
Advent Unplugged: Preparing for the Holidays
in a New Way
St. John's Episcopal Church is hosting a mini-retreat called Advent Unplugged: Preparing for the Holidays in a New Way, on Saturday, December 10, 2011, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., at the church at Elm & Westminster Streets (across from Town Hall), Walpole, New Hampshire. The retreat is non-denominational and is open to anyone seeking a richer Advent experience this year.
Advent, Susan says, is one of the most meaningful seasons in the Christian calendar. But how do we get there? In this 6 hour mini retreat, you will have time to reflect on your priorities, learn a new spiritual tool, engage with the advent stories from the Christian tradition, and feel the support of a church community. The core of the retreat is the presentation of and interaction with the Call Spiral, a tool designed to help people and churches better listen for God’s call in their lives.
This retreat will be facilitated by Doug Wysockey-Johnson, Executive Director of Lumunos, national retreat leader, and author of Called Together. For over 70 years, Lumunos has gathered diverse people in groups to help them discover what matters most and to support making choices around those deeper values. In its retreats and programs, Lumunos uses a relational group process which provides a way for people to reflect on their lives, connect with what matters most, and discover next steps. Storytelling, reflection questions, and establishing common ground for support of one another are Lumunos core competencies.
The fee for the retreat is $29. Lunch is provided. Participants must pre-register by calling St. John’s Church, 603-756-4533, or by emailing St John’s Church: rector@stjohnswalpole.org. Checks for the retreat fee may be made out to St. John’s Church, with “Advent Unplugged” noted on the memo line, and mailed to St. John’s Church, PO Box 179, Walpole, NH 03608.
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9th Annual Walpole Artisans Tour November 25, 26 and 27th
9th Annual Walpole Artisans Tour
November 25, 26 and 27th
It's coming soon!
The 9th annual Walpole Artisans Tour.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, November 25, 26 and 27.
Step into our local microcosms of art, at all five of the Tour locations:
In downtown Walpole, you'll find Carolyn Kemp's studio and the Co-op Gallery where all the artisans have works displayed.
Four artisans will be at David Howell's studio at 250 Old Keene Road, Walpole.
Bob Taylor, maker of the Great Wooly Mammoth, will be in his workshop in Alstead.
And 5 artisans will be on display at Chris Sherwin's workshop at 33 Bridge Street Bellows Falls.
The artisans also have two NEW participants: Curtis Mead, a woodworker, will be at the Bellows Falls location; and Jeanette Lovett, who works in ceramics and oil paintings, will be at the Howell Studio on Old Keene Road.
The Walpole Artisans hope to see you.
Come browse and enjoy.
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Fall Mountain Special Olympics Hosting 2nd Annual Fall Breakfast
December 10 Charlestown Senior Center
Ed. Note: Bill Moses sends the following notice of a special area event that many Walpolean readers will wish to attend. CCB
Fall Mountain Special Olympics Hosting 2nd Annual Fall Breakfast
The all-you-can-eat menu includes a wide array of breakfast items including pancakes made-to-order, eggs made-to-order, bacon, sausage, egg casserole, toast, English muffins and more.
All proceeds will help the Fall Mountain area athletes continue to participate in the 2012 New Hampshire Special Olympics.
Where: Charlestown Senior Center, 223 Old Springfield Rd, Charlestown, NH 03603
When: December 10, 2011-----8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Who: All welcome
Cost: $10 Adults, $5 Children 10 & Under.
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St. John's Church Set to Host Annual Holiday Bazaar
Ed. Note: This message from Rev. Susan de Puy Kershaw. CCB
St. John’s Church Set to Host Annual Holiday Bazaar
St. John’s Episcopal Church in Walpole will host its annual Christmas on the Green holiday bazaar on Saturday, November 19th, 2011 from 9 AM to 2 PM in the parish hall on Elm Street.
Come browse our tables of hand-crafted gifts; holiday ornaments; plants, dried goods, and bulb kits; Christmas Attic Treasures; baked goodies; and of course, our famous cookie cans filled with homemade delectables.
The Jewelry table is back at the St. John's Bazaar! A parishioner has donated a collection of her mother's jewelry to the church -- just in time to add sparkle to a table at the Bazaar! Colorful necklaces, dainty pins, whimsical collar ornaments, earrings -- perfect for a Christmas gift for yourself or a friend. This collection is lovely but won't go far.
One table will be stocked with crafts made by this year’s Art After School students, with proceeds to benefit Heifer International.
St. John’s is a small town church with a big heart on the corner of Westminster and Elm Streets in Walpole. Sunday School begins at 9:45 each Sunday; services begin at 10 AM, followed by coffee hour. All are welcome.
# # #
For more information about Christmas on the Green holiday bazaar, the Art After School program, or about St. John’s Church, please call the church office at 603-756-4533.
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October 2011 Planning Board Minutes
Ed. Note: Thanks to Ben Daviss, here are the October Planning Board minutes. CCB
October 2011 Planning Board Minutes
PLANNING BOARD MEETING
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Presiding: Jeffrey Miller (Chair); Robert Miller (Vice-Chair); Ben Daviss, Henry Fletcher, Peter Kenney
Alternates: Steve Dalessio, Ed Potter, Jeff White
Recording: Regina Borden, Recording Secretary
These Minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the November 8, 2011, meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions. There were ten people present in the audience.
Meeting Opened: Mr. J. Miller called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.
Roll Call: Mr. J. Miller noted that regular member Eric Merklein, Selectman Sheldon Sawyer and alternate member Donn Lounsbury were not present. He called upon Ed Potter to sit on the Board for Eric Merklein.
Approval of Minutes of the Regular Planning Board Meeting of September 13, 2011 and Workshop Session on September 27, 2011:
Mr. Fletcher moved to approve the Minutes of the regular Planning Board meeting of September 13, 2011, and the Workshop Session on September 27, 2011, as printed. Seconded by Mr. R. Miller. Vote called, all members were in favor, motion carried.
Public Hearing:
John O. & Carole C. Cramer, Map #020, Lot #061 and Fred Dill, Jr. Map #020, Lot #060 in the Commercial Zone: Mr. J. Miller called this Public Hearing to order at 7:03PM. He advised that this application was duly advertised, posted and the fees paid. All abutters were notified.
Mr. Daviss moved to accept the Cramer / Dill application as complete. Vote called, all members were in favor, motion carried.
Mr. Cramer advised that they have a right-of-way at the north end of what is now the Dill property. They wish to purchase this strip of land that is 14-feet north from their northern property line to the Westberg’s property line and 100-feet east from Elm Street. There were no abutters present.
Mr. J. Miller closed this Public Hearing at 7:08 PM.
Mr. Daviss moved to grant final approval to this Lot Line Adjustment for Cramer / Dill as presented. Seconded by Mr. Potter. Vote called, all members were in favor, motion carried.
New Business:
Susan Jasse and Mark Houghton – Subdivision: Mark Houghton wants to buy this wooded portion of land off Route 12 from Susan Jasse of Alyson’s Orchard. He has a tentative agreement with the Bureau of Trails as the State has a right-of-way for the trails. The railroad tracks divide this parcel from his property.
Planning Board Meeting –October 11, 2011- Page 2
Mr. Potter moved to schedule a Public Hearing in November on the Two Lot Subdivision for Suaan Jasse. Seconded by Mr. Daviss. Vote called, all members were in favor, motion carried.
Prelininary Consultation on Route 12 Property – Dr. Alabbadi: Dr. Alabbadi inquired about the set-back requirements on 539 Main Street. It has 165-feet of frontage on Route 12. It is in the Commercial Zone therefore a new building would have to be 200-feet back from the road. Mr. J. Miller noted that a building would have to be within 20-feet of the boundary on all sides and there is a 30% of open space requirement.
Kenneth Burns: Mr. Steve Smith and Patty Lawlor, representing Kenneth Burns, advised that Mr. Burns would like to sub-divide his lot on North Road from a total of 7.2 acres into two acres of 2.1 acres and 5.1 acres. He will retain some of the orchard in the 2.1 acres. They will submit a completed application in a few days.
Mr. R. Miller moved to schedule a Public Hearing in November on this Two Lot Subdivision for Kenneth Burns. Seconded by Mr. Fletcher. Vote called, all members were in favor, motion carried.
Old Business:
Avanru Development Group, LTD. – 504 Main Street / Route 12, Map #012, Lot #013-000: During the Workshop Session on September 27, 2011, the applicant, Avanru Development Group LTD. submitted documentation on the three conditions contingent upon approval of their Site Plan as stated in the Minutes of the Planning Board meeting on June 14, 2011. Mr. J. Miller noted that receipt of these conditions concludes this approval.
Mr. Potter moved that acceptance of these three conditions makes this approval final. Seconded by Mr. Daviss. Vote called, all members were in favor, motion carried.
Communications and Miscellaneous:
Site Plan Review: Mr. J. Miller received a legal opinion from Attorney Jeremy Hockensmith relative to the proposed Site Plan Review revisions. This will be a topic of discussion at the next Planning Board Workshop on Tuesday, October 25, 2011. All members can take a look at the letter and they will proceed from there.
Adjourn Meeting:
Mr. R. Miller moved to adjourn this meeting. Seconded by Mr. Fletcher. Vote called, all members were in favor, motion carried. The time was 7:31 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Regina Borden, Recording Secretary
cc: PB, ZBA, WCC, Town Offices, BOS
Posted: Town Hall Lobby and Outside Bulletin Board, Burdick’s, Walpolean
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Allen Brothers Store Now Open in Temporary Quarters
Allen Brothers Store Now Open in Temporary Quarters
Allen Brothers on Rt. 5 in Westminster Vermont has now opened its store in temporary space immediately north of the original store that was flooded in Hurricane Irene. While it has no dairy products at this time, it DOES have vegetables, baked goods (including donuts, pies and cookies), wine and beer, apples and cider, winter keeping potatoes, soft drinks, coffee and Vermont t-shirts and sweatshirts. Allen's is open every day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The phone ## is 1-877-722-3395. CCB
P.S. The original store is being reconfigured and rebuilt with expanded eat-in space upfront and expanded grocery space in the back. CCB
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New Walpolean Winter Masthead Photo by Brian Shriver
Walpole photographer and engineer Brian Shriver has contributed the beautiful new masthead photo for The Walpolean that you see above. Brian's spectacular panoramas are also featured this month in the visiting exhibit on the walls of Burdick's Restaurant. Stop in and check them out! Chuck Bingaman
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Opinion: Two important editorials worth reading AND ACTING ON by all of us
Opinion: Here are two editorials from weekend Washington Post editions that appear in today's Eagle Times that I think are worth reading and acting on by all of us. Chuck Bingaman
Just by listening, civilians can help veterans heal
By Paula J. Caplan, Published: November 4
We are a war-illiterate nation, and our ignorance can be obvious when civilians say to veterans: “Thank you for your service.” That simple phrase might seem like the best thing to say — it strikes us as easy, respectful and appreciative — but some veterans find the thank you disturbing, even if they realize that the speaker has good intentions.
While I was conducting a study at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government about civilians listening to veterans, one veteran of the war in Afghanistan told me: “They blurt out, ‘Thanks for your service,’ then run away. They don’t really want to know how it was for you.”
However, there is a productive way that every civilian can relate to veterans, no matter how we feel about war: We can simply listen to their stories. Veterans tend to suffer in isolation, and vast research shows that isolation worsens nearly every kind of emotional pain. We ignore the silent suffering of untold numbers of the 23 million American veterans while substance abuse, family breakdown, domestic violence, homelessness and suicide rates among their ranks steadily rise. Although only about 7 percent of Americans have served in the military, veterans account for20 percent of suicides in this country. In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that veterans make up about one-fifth of the homeless population. At a Harvard conference this past week on welcoming veterans home, Andrew McCawley, chief executive of the New England Center for Homeless Veterans, predicted that the numbers will rise even more when currently deployed service members return.
There are three reasons that veterans don’t offer up their tales from the front lines: They don’t want to upset civilians by telling us what they have seen and done; they are afraid we will think they are mentally ill; and they fear that if they tell us, we might not understand — and that the chasm between them and the rest of the community will become even greater.
Civilians tend not to ask veterans if they want to talk, because they fear that they won’t know what to do. In our profoundly psychiatrized society, many people mistakenly believe that only therapists know how to heal those veterans who are experiencing grief, fear, shame, anxiety, loss of innocence or moral anguish. Nothing could be further from the truth. The mere act of listening is often deeply healing.
The Kennedy School study that Heather Milkiewicz and I conducted this year involved having untrained civilians listen to veterans’ stories. They began the listening sessions by saying, “As an American whose government sent you to war, I take some responsibility for what you experienced at war and then trying to come home. So if you want to talk, I will listen for as long as you want to speak, and I will not judge.” We advised the civilians to avoid speaking the rest of the time and just actively listen with 100 percent of their attention. This allowed the veterans to say what they most needed to say, without having to respond to questions, interpretations or restatements of what they had said. We assured the civilian listeners that their total concentration would convey tremendous respect.
The veterans said that just being given a chance to tell their stories and be listened to intently made it possible for them to speak, to feel respected and sometimes to say things they had never told anyone. Such listening makes the environment safe: Veterans know they will not be criticized or grilled — and the listener’s silence gives them permission to tell their stories in the way they choose.
For the civilians, the experience was transformative. Whether it was bonding over the sadness of losing a loved one, a sense of powerlessness in not being able to help someone in danger, or a shared understanding of the fragility of life, civilians who had thought they’d have nothing in common with veterans were surprised by how easily they could relate to their experiences.
inWhen I began listening to veterans years ago, I discovered the power of this simple act. These veterans are the forward observers for the rest of us. They have encountered the most extreme situations, fought for their lives, seen buddies blown apart, killed other human beings and forged intense bonds with other service members. They have experienced the most powerful emotions — positive and negative — that anyone can have. All of that, combined with the honesty of the veterans who spoke to me, made these sessions sacred time.
An Iraq war veteran who was built like an NFL tackle told me that he had gone to Iraq to protect America, believed that he had liberated the Iraqis and would go back in a moment if he had not been so horribly injured in an attack there. I said nothing, just waited. And then he said, “But every night, I hear a woman scream.” He went on: “There was a woman across the street from us, and we thought she had dynamite and was going to kill us. So I killed her.” Again, I waited. He said, “And, um, it turned out she did have dynamite and was going to kill us.” Again, I maintained silent contact, keeping my eyes on him. “But every night I hear her scream, because, well, I wasn’t raised to kill.”
At some point in the sessions, the listeners would say, “If I had been through what you just described, I am sure that I would be feeling what you are feeling, and that is not a mental illness but a deeply human response to war.” In that single sentence, weight was lifted from the emotional rucksacks they had brought back from war. More veterans than I can count have treasured that statement and held it close.
As veterans open up in these listening sessions, they can more easily give voice to what else they need — from practical help finding jobs, shelter or medical care, to grappling with moral and existential crises, to turning from a culture of defense, attack and destruction to one of connection, creativity and care.
The next step for all of us is to make Veterans Day, 11/11/11, a National Day of Listening to Veterans, as one Vietnam vet suggested to me. If every civilian listens to one veteran’s story, we will become a war-literate nation, a country filled with people who know a great deal about what our 23 million veterans have been through and what many of them still live with. We will become a real community, where veterans know that their pain will be heard and understood.
outlook@washpost.com
Paula J. Caplan, a clinical and research psychologist, is a fellow in the Women in Public Policy Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She is the author of “When Johnny and Jane Come Marching Home: How All of Us Can Help Veterans.”
A menacing message
The supercommittee should resist AARP’S attempt to take Social Security off the table.
THE WORD “THUGGISH” comes to mind. “I’m not a number,” says the older man in a television ad funded by the seniors’ lobby AARP. “I’m not a line item on a budget. And I’m definitely not a pushover.” He walks toward the camera, joined by a growing mob. “But I am a voter. So Washington, before you even think about cutting my Medicare and Social Security benefits, here’s a number you should remember: 50 million.” Subtle — no. Effective — no doubt. Responsible — no way.
The crunch time for the congressional supercommittee has arrived, and with it comes a new round of self-centered, shortsighted intransigence on the part of AARP and its fellow don’t-touch-mybenefits purists. This unyielding position, undergirded by a multimillion-dollar ad campaign, is as wrongheaded as the equivalent line-drawing of Grover Norquist and the no-new-taxes crowd.
As tiresome as it may be to see these points repeated, it seems necessary to restate them: First, the only reasonable solution to the debt problem will be a balanced approach that combines new revenue with spending cuts. Second, dealing with the spending side of the ledger requires getting entitlement spending, first and foremost Medicare, under control. Third, while cuts in promised benefits are not necessarily required, it is counterproductive to take them off the table. It is unacceptable to argue that no senior, no matter how well off, can be called on to sacrifice for the greater good.
David Certner, AARP’S legislative policy director, says that a 30-second ad “is not intended to be particularly nuanced.” AARP argues that a debt reduction committee is not the proper place to be discussing Social Security because it did not contribute to the problem. “The rest of the federal government is badly in the red — including the money it owes to Social Security,” Mr. Certner told us. “But Social Security didn’t create all that debt.”
True, but the brutal fact is that Social Security cannot pay all promised benefits, and a debt discussion is a useful place to make reasonable tradeoffs.
As to Medicare, Mr. Certner said, “There are lots of places to go to save money in Medicare, but our members firmly believe that, one, they already pay a lot for health care, 20 percent of their incomes typically; and two, that we ought to do all these other things first before we start asking people whose average incomes are around $19,000 to pay even more out of pocket.”
Yes, those in greatest need should be shielded from changes — but there are reasonable benefit adjustments that can be done in tandem with other cuts.
The coming decade is going to be a time of painful choosing among competing priorities. Not every worthy program will be affordable. Not every desirable benefit can be paid. Some people, probably more of them than President Obama and fellow Democrats have let on, are going to have to pay more in taxes.
In this environment of limited resources, the inevitable tradeoffs will require a degree of political risk-taking. The seeming stalemate in which the debt reduction supercommittee finds itself reflects lawmakers’ reluctance to take such risks. And the menacing message of AARP — lay off our benefits or we’ll punish you in the voting booth — is a depressing example of what feeds that cowardice.
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Special Holiday Shopping Fete November 19
Three Great Venues Around the Common
Special Walpole Holiday Fête November 19
Walpole, NH (November 5, 2011) -- The Walpole Holiday Fête on Saturday, November 19, will offer one-stop shopping for both Thanksgiving meal preparations and gifts for the December holidays. Park near the Common and visit three venues within an easy walk of each other.
Get an early start on shopping for the December holidays at the First Congregational Church’s Mistletoe Mart, St. John’s Episcopal Church’s Christmas on the Green holiday bazaar, and the Walpole Farmers Market’s (WFM’s) Thanksgiving Market. All three venues feature gifts, crafts, baked goods and more!
At the Thanksgiving Farmers Market there will be fresh, locally grown produce for your holiday meal and to store for winter. Weather permitting, there should still be fresh salad, pot greens and storage crops like pumpkins; winter squash in many colors, sizes and shapes; potatoes; beets; cabbage; Brussels sprouts; garlic and carrots. A number of different meats, sourdough and traditional Italian breads, dairy products, maple products, and wine can round out meal preparations. Gluten free baked goods, animal and plant fibers and the products made from them, diverse crafts and prepared foods will also be available.
At St. John’s Christmas on the Green holiday bazaar you’ll find the ever popular “cookie can.” You can select your own mix of home made cookies to fill a holiday-decorated can. There will be tables of hand-crafted gifts, holiday ornaments, plants, dried goods, and bulb kits, Christmas Attic Treasures and baked goodies. The sale of crafts made by this year’s Art After School students will benefit Heifer International.
First Congregational’s Mistletoe Mart will be serving hot coffee and luncheon. It will also offer a long table laden with home made fudges and candies. The ladies of the church have labored long and hard to create luscious baked goods, crafts, gifts, and holiday trims for sale. You’ll also find tables of white elephants at the Mistletoe Mart.
All three events run from 9 am to 2 pm on Saturday November 19th, on or just off the Common. St. John’s is on the corner of Westminster and Elm Streets, across from the Town Hall. First Congregational in on Washington St, just opposite the middle of the Common, and the Thanksgiving Market is on the Common. It is an easy walk between the events, which are less than a block apart. All events are wheelchair accessible. For more information about the Mistletoe Mart, please call Gwen Yardley at 603-756-3677; about the Christmas on the Green holiday bazaar; please call St. John’s at 603-756-4533; and about the Thanksgiving Market, please call 603-756-3168 or email jill@walpolefarmersmarket.com.
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Walpole Winter Road Notices
Walpole Winter Road Notices
TOWN OF WALPOLE
Walpole, North Walpole and Drewsville
Notice is hereby given motor vehicle owners and operators in the Town of Walpole that beginning November 15, 2011 and continuing until April 15, 2011, in accordance with RSA 231:90 and 231:92a, all motor vehicles parked on any street or highway within the limits of the Town of Walpole between 11PM and 7AM during snowstorms or snow removal will be towed away at any time at the owner’s expense and risk.
During a major storm (6” or more) daytime parking on all streets or highways shall be limited to 2 hours. Cars parked for more than 2 hours will be towed away at the owner’s expense and risk.
Notice is also given that in accordance with RSA 231:79 the following road will be subject to No Winter Maintenance – Meetinghouse Road between Prospect Hill and County Road.
Per Order of Road Agent, Jim Terrell
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See Shriver's Panoramas at Burdick's This Month
Walpole resident Brian Shriver has a spectacular collection of photo panoramas of Walpole on display through November at Burdick's Restaurant. Check 'em out! CCB
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