WALDEN – May was a busy month for the Walden Select Board with meetings on the fourth, the eighteenth and a special meeting on the twentieth.
Following its executive session at the May 20 meeting, the board offered the Walden Road Foreman position to Bill Ducharme, who accepted the position. He replaces former foreman Bob Bell and was to attend the June meeting to discuss job requirements. Ducharme’s promotion leaves his former road crew position open so the board decided to advertise to fill that vacant position.
Work at the May 4 meeting saw Jon Augeri and Susanna Jones assigned to work on a letter about the Act 181 road rule. Rep. Michael Southworth (D, Cal-2) requested the select board weigh in on as the legislation had passed the House and was scheduled for Senate consideration.
Walden Fire Department Chief Jason Larrabee discussed a possible rescue truck replacement with further research to be done.
Town Clerk Debbie Messier reported the tire bin was filled up on Green-Up Day and there was less trash than usual, with the school not contributing this year.
The 250 Walden Celebration volunteers met again to continue coordinating the activities of June 6, she said. The activity schedule is filling in; more volunteers will be needed the day of the event.
The office received an updated FY26 Education Spending Summary showing the town had been billed and overpaid by $45,060.10. The Caledonia Central SU will send a reimbursement check, said Messier.
The board, with the town clerk went into executive session to evaluate road foreman applications, then came out of the session after 30 minutes and adjourned the meeting with no action taken.
During public comments on May 18, Eugene McAllister and Jenna Zampieri brought up issues with problem dogs barking excessively. McAllister agreed to become constable again. Randolph Wilson said he will speak with the Caledonia Sheriff’s Department about dogs.
Messier reported her office has been reviewing the surveys of town-owned properties and the possibility of having remaining properties surveyed.
Augeri’s Act 181 letter about the select board’s opposition to its road rule provisions was approved and signed by the select board and Messier will submit it to the state.
A Northeast Kingdom Broadband proposal to install underground fiber optic conduit along the town road right of way on Summerhill Rd. was approved.
The board again went into executive session to discuss employment of a road foreman for 41 minutes and took no action before adjourning.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
