$15 Million So Far Mine Cleanup Half-Way Complete



$15 Million So Far Mine Cleanup Half-Way Complete By John Freitag Two town roads will need to be closed for work on the Elizabeth Mine site, according to project manager Ed Hathaway of the EPA, who recently met with Strafford selectboard members. Parts of the mine road were built with tailings from the mine and will need remediation. This will […]

$200,000 Deficit Is Unveiled To WNWSU Board



$200,000 Deficit Is Unveiled To WNWSU Board By Chris Costanzo The Windsor Northwest Supervisory Union (WNWSU), is running a budget deficit of approximately $200,000, the WNWSU board was told last Wednesday. According to Supt. Tim Mock, the deficit stems from poor or incomplete accounting that dates back three years or more. “There were expenditures made against grants and revenues that […]

Randolph Selected As ‘Creative Community’



Randolph Selected As ‘Creative Community’ The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has selected Randolph as one of its newest participants in their statewide Creative Communities Program. This program provides technical assistance, planning support, and strategies for building “creative economy” resources. Other communities selected have been Grand Isle, Hardwick, Plainfield, Rockingham / Bellows Falls, Rutland City, St. Albans City, St. […]

Bethel and Rochester Discuss Sharing Resources



Bethel and Rochester Discuss Sharing Resources By Chris Costanzo Last Wednesday the Bethel and Rochester school boards heard a presentation by principals Andrew West (Bethel) and Robert Gray (Rochester) regarding a possible scenario for the sharing of resources. It was clear at the outset that the principals were talking about more than an administrative sharing of resources and, in fact, […]

Development Rights Preserved Opn 1470 Acres in Stockbridge



Development Rights Preserved Opn 1470 Acres in Stockbridge By M. D. Drysdale When he was in prep school, one of Dick Rose’s teachers remarked that the best thing her student might do would be to find a New England hill farm and “plant trees for your old age.” So in 1935, as a sophomore at Middlebury College, Rose and a […]

Equine Studies Program



Launched by Vt. Tech. By M. D. Drysdale Vermont Technical College will start an innovative new degree program in Equine Studies next fall which could point students toward promising careers in Vermont’s growing horse industry. It will also be VTC’s first bachelor-degree program that is not also offered as a “two-plus-two” program, thus accelerating the college’s drive toward four-year status. […]

‘Ancient Roads’ Search Three Area Towns Get Money for Research



‘Ancient Roads’ Search Three Area Towns Get Money for Research Bethel, Pittsfield, and Sharon will receive state grants to resolve the sometimes thorny issue of "ancient roads." They are among the 22 Vermont towns that will receive state grants to research and map these former roads in an effort to resolve potential legal disputes over the sometimes forgotten roadways. The […]

School Board Hears Early Survey Results



School Board Hears Early Survey Results By Martha Slater School Board Hears Early Survey Results By Martha Slater At its Dec. 19 meeting, the Rochester School Board heard from selectboard member Charlie Biederman, who spoke about preliminary results from the Quin-Town survey. The survey is part of a regional planning project done in cooperation with the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission. […]

First Chamber Lights Contest Attracts 26 Bright Entries



First Chamber Lights Contest Attracts 26 Bright Entries The Chamber of Commerce’s first Holiday Lighting Contest, sponsored by the Randolph Area Business Committee, yielded 26 contestants, according to Chamber executive director Lynn Irish. It was open to businesses and residences in Randolph, Braintree and Brookfield. The winners were as follows: Business category—New Covenant Church, Brookfield, first place; Randolph National Bank, Main […]

Seeds of Change Planted In Bethel During 2006



Seeds of Change Planted In Bethel During 2006 By Chris Costanzo The year 2006 saw the beginning of what might prove to be profound changes in the town of Bethel. Downtown Good things happened in Bethel village in 2006. Last spring the Second Cup Café opened its doors to provide a long-needed venue for breakfast and early lunch. Although it closed […]