WOODSVILLE—Haverhill’s municipal welfare department will now be called the public assistance department.
During a selectboard meeting on July 5, the board reviewed changes to the town’s welfare administration guidelines as proposed by welfare administrator Valerie Morse and town manager Brigitte Codling.
Morse said the guidelines have not been updated since 2014 and the revisions were largely based on a state model.
GROTON—Selectboard members said last week that they will solicit assistance from the Caledonia County Sheriff’s Department to provide some patrolling services in town in response to complaints about speeding in the village.
At the town meeting in March, voters rejected a $30,543 contract with the Caledonia County Sheriff’s patrolling services when they voted down the budget. Many residents said they wanted a civilian constable who performed law enforcement activities.
BATH—A man was taken by helicopter to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center on the afternoon of July 4 after the tractor he was operating rolled over in a field while mowing.
BRADFORD—With community activities coming out from under the black cloud of Covid, people are happy for opportunities to enjoy summer events and great weather.
Fresh strawberry shortcakes and sundaes were in abundance to feed those opportunities thanks to the Bradford Strawberry Festival, a fundraiser for Lodge 43 Masonic Hall on July 1 at Denny Park.
FAIRLEE—Make hay while the sun shines is the adage that comes to mind. Quite a few days passed before this reporter found Larry Martin off his tractor long enough to sit for an interview.
The weather has been mostly dry lately. Rain finally fell hard enough to keep him from haying on June 27.
During the growing season, when it’s not raining, Larry is busy mowing and baling hay and chopping corn on and around the farm along Route 5 on the Fairlee-Bradford line.
FAIRLEE—On a lazy Sunday afternoon in May 2007, the heart of Fairlee became a conflagration when the Colby Block burned to the ground.
Swirling flames pierced the bright blue sky. Those who watched that horror wouldn’t soon forget the heat of the fire on their cheeks. One of those bystanders, Berne Traendly, watched a lifetime of memories disappear into smoke while standing on the steps of Chapman’s, his family’s country store.
BRADFORD—Voters will decide if retail sales of cannabis will be a part of Bradford’s future in a special vote to take place Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the Bradford Academy.
Vermont will legalize retail sales effective Oct.1, but it is still up to individual towns to decide whether they are willing to host retail outlets. Towns have no authority to regulate cultivators, manufacturers, wholesalers, and testing labs under Act 164.
NORTH HAVERHILL—The Grafton County legislative delegation approved a nearly $50 million operating budget for 2022-2023 during a meeting on June 24.
The vote was 17-0 with several members not in attendance. Although spending will increase by more than $1 million over the current year, the amount to be raised in property taxes will decrease for the second straight year.
Also on Friday, efforts to implement a delegation-led assessment and review of county facilities, including the farm and courthouse in North Haverhill, did not move forward.
BRADFORD—On a Friday afternoon in early June, librarian Gail Trede rang the bell at 10 a.m. to start weekly story hour. Trede, who children, and practically everyone else for that matter, call Miss Gail, has a four-legged helper these days.
A 5-month-old golden retriever named Waldei (pronounced Val-dee) who has been coming to the library since she was 8 weeks old.
Waldei, lives with Trede and her 93-year-old father, Hans, who suggested the name, which is German. Wald means “wood” and the “ei” feminize the name, so “Lady of the Woods.”
COOKEVILLE—Some 40 to 50 Corinth residents turned out for an informational meeting last week to hear from the EPA about plans to clean up the former Pike Hill Copper Mine, a Superfund site.
There will be one more informational session in July before a formal public hearing is held, likely in August on a proposed cleanup plan.