Leavitt Keeps the Bell Ringing

East Barnard Man Quietly Lends a Hand

Final piece of a month-long series on volunteers in the White River Valley. J ohn Leavitt, now 80, lives alone at the crest of the hill above the East Barnard Community Church. He is no hermit, however. His is a life connected to neighbors through a rich tapestry of activity and memory. For eight decades, save an Army stint in […]

Study Group Picks Single H.S. Model

Bethel, Rochester, Royalton To Vote In April on Plan

After six months of researching options for an Act 46-compliant merger, voting members of a three-town, PreK- 12 Study Committee unanimously chose last week to further develop a “Model 1” merger plan for Bethel, Rochester, and Royalton. This model, which will be presented in a few months to the State Board of Education for its review, calls for all three […]

Pritchard Shared Stories of Holocaust Survival with U.S.

Former Vershire Resident, War Hero Dies at Age 96

Dr. Marion Pritchard, a psychoanalyst who, during the Nazi occupation of Holland, rescued over 100 Jewish children, has died. A resident of Vershire for over 30 years, she died Sunday, Dec. 11 in her Washington, D.C. apartment, peacefully and with dignity, said her son, Ivor Pritchard, of Washington. She is survived also by her older son, Arnold, of New Haven, […]

Happy 200th!



Tom Harty, the United Church pastor, and the whole congregation waves while Associate Conference Minister Jim Thomas snaps a selfie with them during Saturday night’s Christmas Eve service. About 200 packed into the Bethel church to celebrate the season and the 200th anniversary of the opening of the historic church building. (Herald / Tim Calabro)

Randolph Ctr. Lab Still in the Works

State Aims for April Ground-Breaking

A year ago, state officials hoped that construction would begin in 2016 of the proposed $26-million state lab adjacent to Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center. That hasn’t happened, but project manager Mike Kuhn of the Department of Buildings and General Services said this week that groundbreaking still might occur as early as April, if bids can go out in […]

Considering the Paths We Walk



I searched my files this past week for a photograph to consider at year’s end. With this season’s white Christmas, I was determined to find something wintery. Well, the image we consider here is anything but wintery! Despite my efforts to find something seasonal, this image forced its way onto the page; it would not be denied. On the face […]

Four Vehicles Collide On Slick Route 107



An ever-changing mix of snow, rain, and freezing rain caused accidents throughout the area this holiday season. One four-vehicle pile-up closed down Route 107 for an hour on Thursday, Dec. 22. The accident occurred on Route 107 in Royalton at Waterman Road at about 5:27 p.m., reported Royalton police officer John Breault. It involved a Chevrolet Trailblazer operated by Riley […]

A Bad Idea: Don’t Do This While Driving



A South Royalton woman was charged last week by Royalton police with a unique form of “reckless endangerment.” Police said that Calen M. Vaine, 19, was in a car driven by Darrell Duprey, 33, of Chelsea, when she allegedly pulled the keys out of the ignition while the car was in motion. This led to the operator losing control of […]

Pomfret Thieves Out of Touch With the Season



The U.S. Postal Service is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to arrest and conviction of the perpetrator or perpetrators of a very un-Christmas like break-in at the Post Office in Pomfret, as well as the adjoining store. On Dec. 22 at about 8:15 a.m., State Police out of Royalton responded to a report of a […]

Four Charged With Driving Violations



Four area drivers were charged with various motor vehicle infractions over the last two weeks. Arresting agencies included the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Royalton Police Department, and Vermont State Police. Rodney L. Sherwin, 60, of Randolph was cited on a charge of DUI #2 after he was stopped December 23 at a sobriety checkpoint on Route 66. Jordin Carpenter, […]