PIERMONT—A large barn on Dartmouth College Highway in Piermont was destroyed in a fire on Sunday night.
Several area fire departments responded to the scene at 321 Route 10 north of the village at approximately 10 p.m. after a neighbor spotted the blaze.
Piermont Fire Chief Bruce Henry estimated the barn was 150 feet in length.
FAIRLEE—With a new building ban along Lake Morey set to expire next month, the Fairlee Selectboard is considering an extension.
Following a public hearing on Sept. 27, 2021, the board adopted a temporary moratorium on certain construction on Lake Morey in an effort to reduce cyanobacteria blooms in the lake.
NEWBURY—Over 30 members of the public appeared at a Newbury Selectboard meeting on Aug. 18 to discuss the town’s American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Board chair Alma Roystan and members Jeff McKelvey and Joe Parsons were on hand, and speakers were allowed five minutes each to present their ideas for ARPA spending consideration. Those wishing to follow up with support or suggestion were allowed two minutes each.
BRADFORD—Before the heat of the day beats down at noon, volunteers gather at The Hub Bradford Teen Center. It’s moving day from 9 Barton Street upstairs to 134 Main Street.
Wendy Wightman, a volunteer who read about the move on the listserv, carries boxes packed with books. She and Jared Pendak, Frank Tegethoff, Nick Phelps, Bridget Peters, David Richey and his son Dave join Emily Cummings, director of The Hub, to move chairs and tables, sofas and carpets to the new space upstairs. Gaining huge windows with natural light, they leave behind what was once Middle Earth Music Hall, aptly named for its cave-like space.
CORINTH—As Corinth prepares for the Environmental Protection Agency’s cleanup of the Pike Hill Mine site, slated to begin in 2024, opinions among town residents range from firmly opposed to cautiously optimistic about the estimated $18 million project.
Designated a Superfund site in July 2004, meaning it was deemed to be among the most hazardous polluted areas in the country, the site consists of three abandoned copper mines—Eureka, Union, and Smith—that operated from 1853 to 1919. Subsequently, raw ore was occasionally transported for processing to the Elizabeth Mine in Strafford, which operated until the early 1950s.
WOODSVILLE—The Haverhill Selectboard formally voted on Aug. 15 to support the planning of a new public safety facility to house the town’s fire and police departments in the future.
The vote was unanimous. In discussion prior to the vote, board members described the measure as preliminary, intended only to endorse the planning process, and broad.
PIERMONT—Highview Meadows residents have asked the selectboard to take responsibility for maintenance of the lone roadway serving the neighborhood.
The subdivision overlooks the Connecticut River just below the village. Highview Meadows Lane is currently a private road that intersects Route 10 across from the South Lawn Cemetery.
ORFORD—Looking to the future, the Orford Selectboard is exploring the acquisition of an existing office complex to house a community center, consolidated library, and, potentially, municipal offices.
At the March 15 town meeting, voters authorized the selectboard to start work on a purchase and sale agreement for 14 acres near Route 25A and Townshed Road. This property was to provide additional sand to the town, but selectboard members said the site could be used for other future uses like a new municipal complex.
NEWBURY—“We’re at the mercy of the water table,” Jeff McKelvey, water commissioner for the Village of Newbury, said this week.
A shrinking water table has ushered in outdoor water use restrictions for the 170 households connected to the system.
The low water table is the result of low snowpack, early spring melt, and below-normal precipitation.
NORTH HAVERHILL—Two former inmates who accused a Grafton County Corrections Officer of sexual assault have filed suit against Grafton County and the former guard.
In March, Max Fournier, 24, of East Ryegate was indicted on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of one woman and one count of sexual assault of a second woman at the Grafton County House of Corrections in 2019.