Maple Tradition Springs Anew on Turkey Hill Road



By M.D. Drysdale Maple sugaring—Vermont’s sweetest pastime—has always involved a lot of old-fashioned sociability. Most sugarhouses of any size have one or two old sofas, with or without springs, where members of the family can sit and chat with visitors. The Libbyland sugarhouse in Chelsea tends toward multiple games of cribbage. This week, as sunny days and cool nights spurred […]

Town Offices To Move For the Summer



  By Sandy Vondrasek When the Randolph Development Review Board next meets, Tuesday, March 31, it will review two applications, both from the Town of Randolph. The town will ask the DRB to grant site plan review for temporary relocation of the town offices to the WCRV radio building off Route 66, during a soon-to-begin renovation and expansion of the […]

Brookfield Fork Shop Auctioned to Inn Owner



  Brookfield Fork Shop Auctioned to Inn Owner   Auctioneer Thomas Hirchak with successful bidder Jane Doerfer, who has just purchased the 18th century Fork Shop in Brookfield’s picturesque Pond Village (in rear). The former pitchfork factory and restaurant comes with rights to the dam that creates Sunset Lake. (Herald / Bob Eddy) By Bob Eddy Amidst a gathering of […]

Bethel School Board Rejects Teacher Contract



  By Chris Costanzo The Bethel School Board voted 4-0 Monday to reject the recently-negotiated three-year contract with the teachers union. The vote was taken after the board came out of closed executive session. In such a situation, current procedures require that the agreement be brought again to the table for renegotiation. Although the reason for the rejection was not given publicly, […]

State Colleges Choose Chancellor



  The new chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges (VSC) will be Tim Donovan, currently the president of the Community College of Vermont. Donovan will replace VSC Chancellor Robert Clarke who, when he was selected, was the president of Vermont Technical College in Randolph. Clarke retires July 1 after a 25-year career with the state colleges. “Donovan brings outstanding strategic […]

Center Residents Critical Of VTC’s Pellet Boiler Plan



Center Residents Critical Of VTC’s Pellet Boiler Plan By Sandy Vondrasek An Act 250 hearing Tuesday morning at Vermont Technical Center attracted a dozen or so Randolph Center residents, most opposed to the college’s plan to install a wood-pellet boiler and two pellet silos outside the village’s historic Red Schoolhouse. The new-tech boiler would both heat the building and serve […]

Thinking, Communicating, Knowing, Changing Three Schools Agree on Goals



Thinking, Communicating, Knowing, Changing Three Schools Agree on Goals By Sandy Vondrasek What’s the best way to educate students for the future? After months of polling kids, teachers, and community members in Braintree, Brookfield, and Randolph about that question, the Orange Southwest Supervisory Union board has pared piles of input into four pithy goals.The district’s four top priorities are: • […]

Vt. Supreme Court At VLS March 25



Vt. Supreme Court At VLS March 25 The Vermont Supreme Court will travel to Vermont Law School in South Royalton Wed–nesday, March 25, to hear oral arguments in six cases. Continuing the court’s tradition of holding session at VLS each spring, arguments will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be heard in the Robert Fiske Jr. Courtroom on the second […]

Vermonters Guide to Stimulus Is Published by Congressman



Vermonters Guide to Stimulus Is Published by Congressman Congressman Peter Welch has released a guide to opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the stimulus act) for Vermont taxpayers, businesses, non-profits and municipalities. The User’s Guide breaks down the $787-billion stimulus package by category into funding opportunities and tax credits. The document also lists contact information for federal and […]

Schoolkids Devote A Year to Water

By Martha Slater

Schoolkids Devote A Year to Water As part of Randolph Elementary School’s year-long study of water, artist Marjorie Ryerson spent a week in the school, working on various art projects on the water theme. Kathy Nowlan’s kindergarten class worked with Ryerson to create necklaces symbolizing the Earth, with only one of the many beads representing the world’s drinkable water. (Herald […]