Bethel Needs New Town Office, Present One Is Inadequate



Bethel Needs New Town Office, Present One Is Inadequate "We try to make do, but it’s really inadequate," said Bethel town manager Dell Cloud, referring to the old creamery "building where the town has had its offices for the past 40 years. The building was never constructed as a residence or as an office, but was designed to process and […]

Runnion’s View of Montpelier



MONTPELIER—Her husband didn’t want her to get involved in politics. That was his business. So now Rep. Sylvia Kennedy, R-Chelsea, is in her second term. "He never would expect me to do this," she says. "He" is the late Walter "Peanut" Kennedy, a very powerful Speaker of the Vermont House who dominated the podium, and the House if not the […]

Chelsea Woman’s Club Dissolves After 75 Years of Service



Chelsea Woman’s Club Dissolves After 75 Years of Service After over 75 years of service to the town and its citizens, the Chelsea Woman’s Club voted to dissolve at its meeting April 15 at the home of Mary Louise Upham. Finding its active members aging and finding little interest among young women, the club regretfully made the decision to terminate […]

Church Seeks Permit for Brookfield Property



A plan to convert the "Ashgate" property on Brookfield’s Ridge Road into a church and parsonage will be reviewed Tuesday, April 29, by the town’s Board of Adjustment. Property owner James Gerard and leaseholder Rev. Stephen Berry seek a conditional use permit for the 13-acre property, which is in a Residential/Agricultural zone. The house and barn had been the home […]

Rochester To Vote On Wastewater Project



Rochester voters will go to the polls Tuesday, April 29 to decide on a $1,968,000 bond for the town’s proposed new wastewater project. Polls are open from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. at the town office. The estimated local share is $703,000, with the remainder of the funding coming from the Agency of Natural Resources and the USDA’s Rural Development program. At […]

Tower Appeal Goes to Court

Bethel DRB Denied Comm. Tower on Christian Hill

Bethel DRB Denied Comm. Tower on Christian Hill The town of Bethel is scheduled to go to trial Friday at Windsor Superior Court in Woodstock, to defend against a communications tower appeal by Spectrum Resource Towers. Spectrum is appealing a unanimous decision by Bethel’s Development Review Board (DRB) last July to deny a permit for a 150-foot wireless telecommunication tower […]

DSL Internet Access Comes to Randolph



DSL Internet Access Comes to Randolph A new form of high-speed Internet access has been introduced in Randolph this month by SoVerNet. SoVerNet has installed SDSL service to both Randolph and St. Albans, offering high speed service to businesses within approximately three miles of downtown Randolph. Bethel and Rochester are already served with SDSL service because of commercial demand there. […]

That Boat Needs a Sail!

Local Firm Puts 'Em on Kayaks

That Boat Needs a Sail! Local Firm Puts ‘Em on Kayaks After a lifetime of sailing, Michael Kiley knew something was missing the first time he paddled a sea kayak. Obviously, he thought, the thing needed a sail. And for Michael Kiley, it’s a short step between thinking about something and making it. “I’ve always created things,” he explained simply […]

Difficult Sugaring Season Ends Sweetly for Some



Difficult Sugaring Season Ends Sweetly for Some As warmer temperatures finally arrived this past weekend, Rochester area sugarmakers were wrapping up what most agreed was a disappointing season. Heavy snows and winter weather that wouldn’t quit, made for a late start and a sporadic season for many. Last year, Dick White of Brook St. in Rochester reported "a great season […]

Chelsea Gets a Community Center

"Things don

"Things don’t always turn out the way you intended— “Sometimes, they end up way, way better." This is the philosophy and the simple truth of the matter for new Chelsea resident, Jennie Martin and her budding alliance with Chelsea’s South Common Community Center. The union of this vibrant, English woman and this young, ambitious community concept is a match made […]