Frustrations remain even after broadband funds flow

CORINTH—Dissatisfied with slow internet speeds while neighboring communities pay less for higher speeds, a group of Topsham Telephone customers has a new effort to call attention to their plight with highspeednow.org.
With more people working and learning online over the last 18 months, slow internet speeds in Corinth, Topsham, and other parts of the service area have intensified frustrations even as federal and state coronavirus relief funds targeted improvements.
In October, the Vermont Public Service Department awarded $971,242.50 through the Vermont Universal Service Fund to Topsham Telephone, which has approximately 1,300 internet customers, to build a fiber network to reach 350 locations.

Groton warns vote on 2A resolution

GROTON—Groton will hold a special town meeting on Aug. 4 to vote on a resolution that would declare the town a “Second Amendment sanctuary.”
If approved, the proposal would bar the town of Groton from using funds to store firearms that have been confiscated or are being stored “for the purpose of enforcing any other law that unconstitutionally infringes upon the right of the people of Groton, Vermont to keep and bear arms.”

Board adopts lake road speed policy

FAIRLEE—The Fairlee Selectboard voted to enforce a zero tolerance policy for speed infractions on Lake Morey Road on July 19.
The town is considering posting new speed limit signs along the road, as well as collecting data on traffic and bicycle speeds around the lake, in an effort to make Lake Morey’s recreational areas safer for pedestrians.

New coffee shop packs a punch

BRADFORD—A fresh jolt of energy arrived on Main Street in Bradford this spring.
Kendall and Travis Gendron of Corinth are the driving force behind Vittles House of Brews, a vibrant new destination for folks who crave a tasty cup of coffee.
Well-versed in the art of coffee brewing after her experience in Seattle coffee shops and some time managing a Starbucks, Kendall’s 12-year dream of owning a coffee shop has materialized.
Of course, Vittles isn’t new to Bradford. The Gendrons started their venture by launching the Vittles Espresso and Eatery a couple of years ago from a trailer on the Lower Plain near Kinney Drugs.

Balloon accident kills pilot

BRADFORD—The longtime owner of the Post Mills Airport died last week after a hot air balloon accident over Bradford.
Brian Boland, 72, was piloting a balloon with four passengers that took off from the airport during the late afternoon of July 15, according to Vermont State Police.
At approximately 7:45 p.m., after traveling northeast from their airport, the balloon descended. It briefly touched down on the ground, tipping the basket, and forcing one of the passengers to fall out. Boland, meanwhile, got entangled in equipment affixed to the basket. When the balloon floated back into the air, Boland was trapped underneath the basket. He eventually fell into a field near the Bradford Regional Community Center on the Lower Plain. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Board votes to pay off precinct debt

WOODSVILLE—Selectmen narrowly approved on July 19 spending more than $92,000 in municipal capital reserve funds that will be used to pay off debt held by Haverhill Corner precinct.
The vote came after town officials said state regulators and town attorneys signed off on the resolution to a thorny issue left after the newly formed town fire department absorbed the precinct’s fire department earlier this year.
The Haverhill Fire Department was formed in March following votes on the issue at town and precinct annual meetings in 2020. On March 17, Haverhill Corner voters opted to relinquish control of the precinct fire department and most of its assets to the town and become part of the town fire department.

Repairs underway after apartment fire

BRADFORD—Weeks after an apartment fire in Bradford, the building is under repair and some of its residents have returned.
The fire occurred on the morning of May 28 at the corner of South Main Street and Cobblestone Alley. No one was injured, but a family of four was displaced.
Two of the building’s three units, including the apartment where the fire started, are currently undergoing renovations, while the third unit was repaired within two weeks of the fire, according to Downstreet Housing Facilities Manager Bernie Woolums.
Although the fire investigation report came back inconclusive, Woolums believes the most likely cause was an overloaded power strip.

Community forums aim to better Bradford

BRADFORD—An effort led by Bradford residents in collaboration with the Vermont Council on Rural Development will get underway next week with the goal of moving the town toward a better future.
It’s all part of VCRD’s Community Visit program. The first step, in a three-step process, is on July 28 when there will be a series of forums throughout the day and evening with a free community dinner open to all.
The Community Visit program has been around for two decades.

New law ends highway deal

WOODSVILLE—Despite the enactment of a new state law that abolishes the highway revenue- sharing agreement between Haverhill and Woodsville, it may be a few months before any big changes are made.
On June 25, Gov. Chris Sununu signed HB2 into law. The omnibus bill incorporated, among dozens of other independent pieces of legislation, SB26—a bill introduced by state Sen. Bob Giuda, R-Warren, that essentially eliminates the agreement between the town and the precinct as enshrined in state law.

ZBA approves LP projects

BRADFORD—The Bradford Zoning Board of Adjustment approved two commercial projects on the Lower Plain after brief public hearings on the morning of July 12.
Thomson Fuels won approval to install three 30,000 gallon propane tanks at its property on 339 Waits River Road, which was formerly owned by Green Mountain Power. Stacey Thomson of Orford said he has owned the property, located along the railroad tracks, since 2017.
Over the past two years, Thomson’s timber harvest unit has used the 3.6-acre parcel as a logyard for storing, processing, and retail distribution of firewood to residential customers.