WALDEN – in 2025 Walden’s story was about voters adopting a long-awaited town plan, volunteers answering fire calls, students graduating and neighbors gathering for events and meetings.
With snow on the ground in January, Town Clerk and Treasurer Debbie Messier prepared election materials and financial reports, while the Walden Select Board planned its early-year agenda. Community listings in The Hardwick Gazette reflected the season’s slower pace, with library hours and church gatherings planned.
At its February 10 meeting, the select board reviewed road conditions, committee appointments and inter-town school matters, including continued involvement with the Rural Community Schools Alliance.
At the March 6 Town Meeting Day, Walden voters approved both the general and highway budgets and adopted the town’s first official town plan.
The plan’s passage was years in the making, offering Walden a formal framework for land use, housing and infrastructure. Voters re-elected Debbie Messier as town clerk and treasurer and returned Brenda Huntoon to the select board. Town meeting reflected what one observer described as “a clear commitment to local control and long-term planning.”
In April, road maintenance dominated select board discussion, alongside appointments and emergency planning. The board approved updates to Walden’s Local Emergency Management Plan, aligning the town with state standards and regional response networks.
May blended governance with public safety. The select board approved roadside mowing contracts and maintenance work for town buildings, while continuing discussions around broadband infrastructure and grant funding.
A Vermont State Police report of a two-vehicle crash on Route 15 drew a response from the Walden Volunteer Fire Department.
June brought both fiscal scrutiny and celebration. At its June 2 meeting, the select board reviewed budget pressures, FEMA reimbursements tied to past storm damage and a Better Roads grant for guardrail and infrastructure improvements.
Walden’s eighth-grade graduation ceremony marked the transition to middle school.
Summer governance continued with a late-July select board meeting focused on roads, tax bills and seasonal maintenance. The town’s calendar filled with regional events, recreation and informal gatherings, noted in The Gazette’s calendar listings.
The Walden Fire Department remained active, responding to motor vehicle incidents.
Fire department responses continued in August, including mutual aid calls with neighboring towns.
A Walden United Methodist Church benefit dinner brought an end to summer when employees in the Walden Town Clerk’s Office, the Walden PTO and Walden residents showed their support for new Walden Elementary School Principal Jessica Kenyon and her family who lost their home to fire within days of the school year starting.
An Army National Guard veteran received a free Kubota tractor through the company’s Geared to Give program.
October was Walden’s most visible month in Vermont news, with the Walden Town Report winning a Vermont League of Cities and Towns award for communities under 1,000 residents.
A report on the possible closure of Danville High School examined how proposed changes in regional school governance could affect Walden students’ secondary school choices.
The history of the Walden Community Library, highlighted its 130 years of service to the community in a story by Sandy Scotts.
November passed uneventfully, with winter weather setting in early.
December brought holiday events and emergency responses, with the Walden Fire Department participating in regional mutual-aid calls.
Editor’s note: This story appeared in the January 14 edition of The Hardwick Gazette. The Walden Year Review story, “Town plan adopted, fire dept. active,” should have read that Brenda Huntoon was reelected to the Selectboard and the Walden United Methodist Church benefit dinner brought an end to summer when employees in the Walden Town Clerk’s Office, the Walden PTO and Walden residents showed their support for new Walden Elementary School Principal Jessica Kenyon and her family who lost their home to fire within days of the school year starting. It was corredcted here on Janaury 18, 2026.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
