BRADFORD—Bradford is not ready for a town manager, according to a finding by a task force that has spent over a year studying the town’s governance.
In 2021, the Vermont Council on Rural Development facilitated a community visit under the moniker Moving Forward Together Bradford. At the conclusion of the initiative, community members identified three priorities for volunteers to work on in an effort to support local leadership and strengthen civic ties.
NEWBURY—The case involving the state’s proposed juvenile detention center in Newbury appears to be head to the Vermont Supreme Court. On Oct. 18, the Vermont Environmental Court overruled the town’s rejection of a zoning permit application to redevelop a former bed and breakfast into a secure treatment facility.
Grafton County Commissioner Linda D. Lauer’s decision not to seek reelection this year has given two longtime public servants the chance to win the District 2 commission seat. Democrat Martha Strope McLeod, of Franconia, was first elected to the state legislature in 2006 and re-elected in 2008. Haverhill Republican Glenn Libby, a self-described “county man,” has worked in county government around New Hampshire his whole life.
Two candidates who emphasize environmental concerns but differ on abortion rights will square off in the midterm election for an open New Hampshire Senate seat.
Littleton businesswoman Carrie Gendreau, a Republican, is facing off against Rep. Edith Tucker, D-Randolph, who has served in the NH House since 2016. They’re vying for the District 1 Senate seat, which now stretches from Pittsburg to Piermont and Errol to Ellsworth.
FAIRLEE—The recurring algae blooms in Lake Morey have attracted attention from residents and others on why the blooms are more frequent and more intense. Many said there is an urgency to improve conditions in the lake so that it is safe and welcoming in the future.
The Fairlee Selectboard along with several state officials held a special meeting on Oct. 26 at the Town Hall to discuss this season’s cyanobacteria bloom, the general quality of the lake water, and plans for future potential treatments to control the outbreaks. About 30 people attended in person and 38 more participated via Zoom.
NEWBURY—Efforts by Newbury residents to keep a proposed juvenile detention center out of town were dealt a blow last week.
Superior Court Judge Thomas G. Walsh of Vermont’s Environmental Court overturned the Newbury Development Review Board’s decision to deny a development permit for Vermont Permanency Initiative, a Becket Family of Services subsidiary, to establish the Covered Bridge secure residential treatment center for justice-involved boys at former bed and breakfast on rural Stevens Place.
COOKEVILLE—The EPA has more than halved its estimate of anticipated truck traffic as part of the planned cleanup of an abandoned copper mine in Corinth.
WOODSVILLE—Woodsville Precinct will take its case for more than $600,000 appropriated at Haverhill Town Meeting in March to court. The precinct has filed suit against the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration after the state agency invalidated two petitioned warrant articles.
Voters may be familiar with the two candidates squaring off to represent the Orange-Caledonia District at the Statehouse.
The race for the Orange 2 House seat features two fresh faces for the Statehouse.
Bobby Farlice-Rubio is the only registered candidate in Caledonia 1.
WOODSVILLE—The fire that destroyed a vacant commercial building on Dartmouth College Highway in Woodsville last month was inadvertently caused by juveniles, according to state investigators.
Firefighters responded to the blaze near the Forest Street intersection during the early morning hours of Sept. 28. The fire completely destroyed the 10,000 square foot building, which once housed the Way We Were Radio Shack/movie rental/furniture store.
NEWBURY—After years of leasing the Newbury Village Fire Station, the Town of Newbury is obtaining ownership from the village trustees for the grand total of $1.
According to Newbury Selectboard Chair Alma Roystan, “Ownership has been discussed for a number of years on how to best serve the town and contain costs.”
Taking ownership of the Newbury fire station building will allow the town to expand and renovate to accommodate equipment. There is no immediate plan to acquire a new fire engine and one could not fit in the current three-bay structure anyway.