Road safety reviewed at board meeting
WOODSVILLE—At the selectboard meeting on July 3, Haverhill Town Manager Brigitte Codling said work under a $200,000 Safe Streets for All grant the town recently received will get underway soon.
Different outlooks on cannabis sales
FAIRLEE—An upcoming vote in Fairlee on July 11 asks voters to consider two articles. One article calls into question whether to permit retail cannabis in Fairlee, and the other article is overhauling the town’s zoning laws in a revised zoning bylaw. The article regarding retail cannabis in Fairlee sparked some contention at a public hearing last week.
Town to buy new excavator
BRADFORD—The town will spend $160,000 in federal pandemic relief funds to buy a used excavator. At the Bradford Selectboard meeting on June 22, the board approved the purchase of a 2017 145 Volvo excavator to replace its existing 2004 model. The purchase will be made from a local operator in Fairlee.
Surplus stabilizes spending increase in Grafton County budget
NORTH HAVERHILL—The Grafton County legislative delegation overwhelmingly voted to approve a $53.7 million budget at a hearing on Monday morning.
Orange County Sheriff Dept. audit abandoned
There are so many financial irregularities at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department that a contracted independent auditor can no longer perform its duties. On Tuesday morning, Vermont State Auditor Doug Hoffer said that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department cannot be audited.
Zoning regs, cannabis votes coming up
FAIRLEE—Ahead of a special town meeting next month, the Fairlee Selectboard hosted public hearings on Monday night on the two separate articles under consideration. On July 11, voters will be asked whether to approve a new Unified Development Bylaw that overhauls the town’s zoning rules and whether to permit retail cannabis sales in the town.
BES plans library renovation
BRADFORD—At a school board meeting on June 21, Bradford Elementary School Principal Marla Ianello outlined plans to renovate the school library. The estimated $237,000 project would install a small mezzanine area to accommodate storage and an office. The renovation would open space on the main floor for increased student programming, by overhauling existing furnishings in that section.
Ex-telecom bookkeeper pleads not guilty
BURLINGTON—A Northfield man, who officials say embezzled about $560,000 from an Upper Valley nonprofit, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Burlington on June 14 to three counts of wire fraud. John Van Vught, 72, defrauded ValleyNet Inc., a nonprofit that had a contract to operate fiber-to-home internet networks serving customers in east central Vermont and Lyme, the indictment said. He worked under a contract and served as the bookkeeper for ValleyNet.
Survey to precede mine cleanup
VERSHIRE—A public meeting was held at the Vershire Town Center on June 13 to discuss cleanup plans for the Ely Copper Mine site, a project that has been in the works for years. The mine will receive funding from the 2021 federal infrastructure bill to remediate environmental pollution at Superfund sites.
Rivendell to study Academy building
ORFORD—The Rivendell School Board has hired an engineering firm to conduct a visual inspection of the old Orford Academy building to assess its structural condition.