On July 15, Walpole Grange #125 hosted its annual Community Awards Night presentation, honoring seven outstanding individuals and businesses for their contributions to our community. Walpole Grange is the local chapter of the National Grange, the oldest general farm and rural public interest organization in the United States. Walpole Grange has been serving the farmers and residents of Walpole and surrounding communities since 1887.
This year’s awards included: Young Farmer Award – Sage Stark; Educator Award- Mrs. Lisa Mulhearn; Youth Service Award – Scott and Judy Northcott; Business Award – Paul Tole, Sr. and Tole’s Automotive; Community Citizen Awards – Crystal Phillips and Kelly Patch. Short biographies of the award winners follow the image below.
-Leroy Watson
Young Farmer Award- Ms. Sage Stark joined Pinnacleview 4-H Club when she was 8 years old, showing various breeds of dairy cattle at local fairs and has been dedicated to agriculture ever since. She currently works at the Malnati Farm in Walpole and at the Putnam Farm and Bascoms Farm in Charlestown. She also manages her own herd of dairy cows and manages a herd of Wagyu beef cattle. Last year, Sage was awarded the NH Commissioner of Agriculture’s Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Agriculture for her dedication to animal agriculture in NH.
Educator Award- Mrs. Lisa Mulhearn, math teacher at Walpole Elementary School, brings math to life for her students by infusing each lesson with creativity, music, movement and excitement. Her passion for the subject of math is only exceeded by her dedication to make every student feel capable of success.Lisa is a reminder of the powerful difference one passionate educator can make on the lives of our children.
Youth Service Award-Mr. and Mrs. Scott and Judy Northcott have spent decades serving the young people of Walpole through various Boy Scout programs and fund raising events. Since 1987, they have sponsored an annual Scout’s fishing derby on their property, stocking the brook that crosses their land with trout provided by the NH Department of Fish and Game. In 2019, in cooperation with the Timber Framers Guild, they mentored local Cub and Boy Scouts to get hands on experience with the construction of a 24 by 40 foot timber frame pavilion on Hoague Base here in Walpole.
Business Award- Residents of Walpole have trusted Mr. Paul Tole and Tole’s Automotive for their automotive care and service since 1987. A family operated business, Paul’s wife Terry, and their sons Paul and John, have been important parts of the business. Paul’s life long interest in automotive repair dates back to his firstjob as a mechanic when he was 13 years old. Following his completion of vocational-technical school, Paul worked as a mechanic for several businesses including RN Johnson and the Town of Walpole, as well as starting other auto repair/garage businesses in NH and VT before Tole’s Automotive.
Communuity Citizen Awards- Ms. Crystal Phillipsand Ms. KellyPatch have been 4-H leaders and guided many 4H participants with their patience, wisdom and boundless care. Whether organizing events, mentoring youth, producing the live nativity display every Christmas Eve or just simply stepping in when something needs doing in our community, Crystal and Kelly step up, not for praise or recognition, but because they care about our community. Crystal and Kelly set high examples for community involvement for all of us!
The Walpole Clarion 