After Bradford vote, cannabis store lined up

BRADFORD—A retail cannabis shop could soon occupy an empty storefront on Main Street in Bradford.
Flyers have gone up around town for the Devil’s Den dispensary, which Kendall and Travis Gendron of Corinth hope to open in the space next to Blue Wave Taekwondo.
If the Gendrons’ license is approved by the state, Devil’s Den will be one of the first businesses southbound travelers on Route 5 see when they roll into the business district — and the couple hopes the store will help bring traffic to other shops.

Moratorium in Fairlee extended for now

FAIRLEE—The Fairlee Selectboard extended the building moratorium around Lake Morey on Monday night following a public hearing. An initial one-year moratorium was set to expire on Sept. 27.
Still, town officials said they are hopeful of lifting the moratorium well before September 2023. They hope to put proposed zoning bylaw amendments in front of voters next spring that would increase oversight of new building and septic capacity around the densely developed lakeshore.

Legion post faces uncertain future

WOODSVILLE—Though the Ross-Wood American Legion Post #20 is carrying on business as usual, it has lost its nonprofit status and faces an uncertain future.
Hundreds of veterans have gathered at 4 Ammonoosuc Street throughout the post’s 102-year existence to hold meetings, play cribbage, and socialize while grabbing a bite to eat or drink at the canteen.
Ross-Wood Post #20 currently has over 300 members which include the American Legion (approximately 120), the Sons of the American Legion (over 100) and the Auxiliary (approximately 100).
The canteen shut down unexpectedly in early 2022 in a move unrelated to Covid, but no one at the post was willing to comment at that time. But now some with knowledge of the matter say the conditions that led to the canteen’s sudden closure have persisted.

Many close calls in NH primary results

New Hampshire residents cast their ballots in the New Hampshire state primary election on Sept. 13.
Most of the contested elections were on the Republican ballot, including two federal offices that were settled by relatively narrow margins.

Finding balance on Vershire pony farm

VERSHIRE—As the late summer sun dappled across the arena, Sarah McRae Thrasher stood in the center of the space. Her small frame commanded everyone’s attention with her voice — not loud or commanding, but direct.
While instructing two students, one a novice and the other an intermediate equestrian, she gave each attention and encouragement.

Charles Clark was Bradford’s hero

BRADFORD—Next month marks the 100th anniversary of the death of a man whose figure still looms over downtown Bradford. So who exactly was Charles Clark?
Charles Edgar Clark was born in the family home on South Main Street on Aug. 10, 1843.
He was the second son of parents James Dayton and Mary Sexton Clark. The family genealogy shows the future rear admiral descended from military stock on both sides of the family with ancestors serving in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

JO day moves to Thursday

Beginning with the Sept. 21 issue, the Journal Opinion will start arriving on newsstands on Thursdays. As most know, this means the paper will be out one day later than it has been for the last 16 years.
This is not a change we want to make.
We were notified in early August that Upper Valley Press in North Haverhill will dismantle the press where our newspaper has been printed. It will not be replaced.
We were initially told that the Aug. 31 edition would be the last paper printed in North Haverhill before given a two-week extension.

OESU Board says no to Lincoln

BRADFORD—The Addison County town of Lincoln, Vermont is closer to Lake Champlain than the Connecticut River, but continuing fallout from a wave of education governance consolidation has its school district seeking a new home farther afield.
Depending on how things play out in neighboring towns, including Ripton, in the coming weeks, Lincoln’s school district may be in need of a new supervisory union.

Residents criticize algae response

FAIRLEE—Fairlee residents expressed frustration Monday that they’ve been kept in the dark by officials about cyanobacteria blooms in Lake Morey and that leaders have done too little to deal with the situation.
A half dozen residents that night criticized the Fairlee Selectboard, along with state regulators, for their seemingly slow response to the spread of toxic blue-green algae blooms on the lake, a popular swimming site and draw for tourists.

RISD teachers claim salary discrepancy

WEST FAIRLEE—Several teachers in the Rivendell Interstate School District asked board members to examine educator salaries at the meeting on Sept. 6.
Rivendell Academy digital culture leader and robotics teacher Kerry Browne said teacher salaries in the district lag behind other area districts.