ORFORD—At the Orford Selectboard meeting on Dec. 22, a proposal to purchase property was an item being considered as a warrant article for the March 2022 town meeting agenda.
Looking ahead to Orford’s future growth, the selectboard is putting forth a plan to purchase a property rich with sand to meet the town’s current and future needs and, at some point, after the sand has been exhausted, provide space upon which to build a municipal complex to house town offices.

FAIRLEE—The Fairlee Selectboard opted against a mask mandate after discussion on Monday night. Instead, town officials said they will recommend that businesses ask patrons and employees to wear a mask in public indoor settings.
After a special legislative session in November, Gov. Phil Scott signed a law permitting municipalities to require face coverings and masks in public indoor settings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The mandate remains in effect for 45 days unless the selectboard or city council renews the measure for 30-day increments.

VERSHIRE—After decades of study and funding uncertainty, the long-awaited cleanup of the Ely Mine appears to be closer .
Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that $1 billion in funding from the first distribution of the infrastructure bill signed into law by President Biden in November will be used to clear the backlog of 49 previously unfunded Superfund sites across the country, including the former copper mine in Vershire. The other Superfund site in Vermont is in Williston.

NEWBURY—An Upper Valley company wants to turn the former Newman Lumber Mill in the Newbury Industrial Park into a wood pellet plant.
The Newbury Development Review Board will hold a public hearing later this month on the proposal by PK Wood Pellet.

BRADFORD—It is a long way off and nothing is set in stone, but the Bradford Selectboard signed off on a plan to develop a public dog park on Memorial Field last week.
The board approved a preliminary proposal to develop a dog park on an unused northeast section of Memorial Field near Bugbee Landing. The vacant parcel is located in the floodplain near the Waits River.