ARPA Funding Meeting....Competing Interests Present their ideas..
Fast Forward the video to 25:00, where the discussion starts about ARPA funding usage by the Select Board in Walpole June 7, 2022.
I was invited to this meeting, however I was told I would be given 5-10 minutes to present. I felt that my previous visit on 29 March, 2022, before the Select Board, recorded via video and available here on this petition, would suffice as representation on my ideas about using this money for our old town hall.
First, I note that this petition has gained nearly 100 more signatures since it was started...thank you all for signing it!
I'm going to ask a huge favor: though the signed petition has some significance, I truly believe that if all of you write either a letter or e-mail to the Select Board to Reinforce this petition, it may be most helpful. I had the feeling that though this petition did represent many folks, the medium is something new for our local officials and town politicians...I don't think they could imagine the 200-300 people who signed this petition present in the hall before them (they wouldn't fit anyway...its too small!)
The Old Town Hall needs a bundle of money to restore its main function hall.
I believe that hall, once restored, will be the catalyst to bring Walpole folks together like they've never been before. I ask you: What is Civic Pride? Is it to neglect our historic heritage? I'm hoping to also affect a change about how we thing about Walpole Center...or Downtown Walpole. I'm proposing here the phrases "Historic Walpole Center" or "Historic Downtown Walpole" to reinforce that heritage.
Did you know that on April 19, 1775, men and young boys left Walpole Center, most likely from the section of town common in front of the Old Town Hall, for Lexington.....on foot? Via dirt roads? And though arriving late for the principal battle of Lexington, helped the colonists of that area drive the British back into Boston?
So I'm asking all of you to at least write a short note specifying that you want to see a significant share of the ARPA funding to go towards our Old Town Hall....
Written:
Address:
Chairman, Select Board, Walpole
135 School Street, Walpole, Mass. 02081
e-mail:
akelly@walpole-ma.gov
Aoife Kelly, Executive Assistant, Walpole Select Board
I'm fairly sure that there are not going to be many writing/e-mailing on the presented subjects shown at this recent meeting.
Note: The photo included shows some kind of Halloween party taking place within the Old Town Hall....circa 1910-1925. The image was found on an old post card.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFLgMEpkl0w&t=1490s