BOLTONVILLE—Plenty of advance notice will herald the closure, demolition, and reconstruction of the old 1946 Boltonville Bridge. The work is to begin June 12 with a crossing over the Wells River slated to reopen on Aug. 18.
The bridge, which the state of Vermont labels as Newbury Bridge 15, is owned by the town of Newbury and is located approximately 500 feet north of the intersection of Boltonville Road and Route 302.
NEWBURY—About four years ago, a bluebird logo sparked an idea which has grown into a yearly tradition.
The annual construction of bluebird houses is now anticipated by children of varying ages who participate in the afterschool programs at Newbury Elementary and Blue Mountain Union with Paul Jewett at the helm.
Jewett, who lives in Ryegate, has been coordinator for the afterschool program at Newbury for five or six years. This is his fourth year at Blue Mountain.
WOODSVILLE—There is another entry in what has been an unusual town meeting season after accusations of unlawful electioneering were reported to the New Hampshire Department of Justice, which enforces state elections laws.
The first complaint made to the DOJ has been addressed. The DOJ determined that a letter written and mailed to Woodsville residents constituted two counts of unlawful electioneering by Woodsville Fire District Administrator Kevin Shelton.
On March 3, NH Deputy Attorney General Jane Young sent a letter ordering the Woodsville Fire District to “cease and desist” engaging in further electioneering activities. According to the letter, the DOJ received a complaint that Shelton violated New Hampshire’s electioneering statute.
CORINTH—A man who fell approximately 150 feet down a mine shaft on Saturday night was injured and taken to the hospital after emergency responders performed a technical nighttime rescue.
The incident happened sometime on Saturday evening. The man, who has not been identified but was not from this area, was with a friend or friends when he fell down a shaft at Pike Hill Mine in Corinth. The fall happened at the Eureka mine opening, one of two located at the Pike Hill Mine complex.
WOODSVILLE—A New Hampshire House of Representatives committee will hold a public hearing next week on a proposed bill that would change state law on the highway department revenue-sharing formula between the town of Haverhill and the precinct of Woodsville.
Though dating back to the 19th century, the niche provision is at the center of a very big 21st century dispute that has driven a wedge in the community and prompted Woodsville to file a lawsuit against the town.
NORTH HAVERHILL—Some silver-haired seniors hope to feel the breeze blowing through their remaining locks soon when they hit the trails in an ATV.
Volunteers and some Grafton County Nursing Home staff members want to make that a reality for many of the home’s residents. So on Saturday, they hosted a car wash fundraiser in the Grafton County Courthouse parking lot.
Their goal is to raise $15-16,000 to purchase a six-to-eight-seat ATV for the residents, Terry Martin of Monroe told the Journal Opinion. They have about half the funds needed.
WOODSVILLE—On Friday evening, Chelsea Anderson of Warren was one of several people waiting in line at Sunny Garden restaurant for takeout. She and the others in line were all wearing masks and observed the recommended 6 feet of social distancing.
It was the same day that New Hampshire statewide mask mandate, in place since Nov. 20, expired. On April 15, Gov. Chris Sununu said a reduction in the state’s seven-day average of daily deaths to the lowest level since before the mask mandate warranted the decision. He added that hospitalizations were at manageable levels and over 70% of those 65 and older have been vaccinated.
PIKE—Haverhill Police Department says an investigation found that there was not a reported child abduction in Pike over the weekend, despite claims that circulated on social media.
BRADFORD—The Oxbow Unified Union School District budget for the 2021-2022 school year was approved on the first try last week.
On April 13 in Australian ballot voting, 243 people, or 59%, in Bradford and Newbury approved the $17,171,968 budget. There were 166 votes, or 41%, against the budget.
The 409 votes cast were fewer than the number of votes cast in the four rounds of voting required to pass the 2020-2021 budget. That $16,780,183 budget was approved on Jan. 13 after a pandemic-induced delay and subsequent voter revolts.
It’s almost May 1, which means it’s almost Green Up Day—that tradition when Vermonters grab a big bag and fill it with trash collected from roadways, waterways, and around communities throughout the state.
Green Up Vermont relies on the help of volunteers and town coordinators to help pick up trash—and the evidence speaks for its success. Kate Alberghini, executive director of Green Up Vermont, said 14,000 volunteers participated statewide last year, picking up 241 tons of trash and 900 discarded tires.