News

School board looks to deal with budget gap

WILMINGTON- The final year of the Twin Valley Joint School District may end with an uncharacteristic budget deficit, Windham Southwest Supervisory Union’s business manager Karen Atwood warned Tuesday evening.
Atwood told board members that, according to the latest budget forecast, the...

Scott Mackie is part of a group that seeks to bring a marijuana dispensary to Dover. He is seen here at an information meeting held in March at the Dover Town Hall.

Board to survey voters about dispensary ban

DOVER - At its meeting Tuesday night, the Dover Selectboard was told it could not hold a special Town Meeting for a vote about proposed town ordinances banning marijuana dispensaries. Town clerk Andy McLean said the course of action wouldn’t follow the appropriate procedure for adoption of...

Somerset Reservoir and Stratton Mountain, seen from the summit of Mount Snow at sunrise on opening day of the 2017-2018 ski season, November 11, 2017.

Forest service seeks input on plans

STRATTON - The US Forest Service is hosting a public meeting and open house in Stratton on May 2. The meeting will focus on the upcoming Somerset Integrated Resource Project in which the forest service will employ “management activities” to achieve the goals set out in the Green Mountain National...

Flowers adorn Wilmington village.

Flower barrel program to bloom again

WILMINGTON- The Great Flower Barrel Controversy of 2018 has been settled.
At least that’s what selectboard members are hoping after approving a new plan at their regular meeting Tuesday evening.
Acting on a new recommendation by the Wilmington Beautification Committee, the board approved...

A CoverageCo wireless cell repeater, similar to ones that line Route 100 and Route 112 in Readsboro, Whitingham, and Halifax.

Wireless network still operational

WHITINGHAM- CoverageCo’s cellular network remains operational, and the company’s interim CEO, Richard Biby, says he’s working to find a way to turn the beleaguered company around.
Last month, it was announced that CoverageCo, which was contracted to address cellular connectivity issues...

The Hermitage Club gatehouse and trails at Haystack mountain.

Bank moves to take over troubled club

Seeks receivership for Hermitage properties NEWFANE- Berkshire Bank has asked Windham County Superior Court to appoint a receiver to manage Hermitage assets currently under foreclosure.
On Monday, April 16, Berkshire Bank attorney Elizabeth A. Glynn filed an emergency motion...

This temporary cell tower, right, was brought to Grace Cottage Hospital to offset the loss of cell phone coverage caused by the financial difficulties of CoverageCo.

Potential loss of cell service highlights lack of coverage, again

TOWNSHEND - Gov. Phil Scott announced this week that AT&T will mitigate cell service disruption at Grace Cottage Hospital with a “Cell Site on Wheels,” or COW. Grace Cottage was facing a loss of cell coverage due to a possible shutdown of CoverageCo, a company the state contracted with in 2012...

Local rep says finance bill is “bad, bad juju”

WARDSBORO - At the River Valleys Unified School District board’s meeting on Monday, April 2, board member Rep. Laura Sibilia provided a legislative update in which she cautioned that H. 911, an act relating to changes in Vermont’s personal income tax and education financing system, is the “ugliest...

Board reverses earlier vote, agrees to even split

WHITINGHAM- Twin Valley board members had a change of heart last week, following a supervisory union board vote that would have shifted state grant money to Twin Valley.
At a recent supervisory union board meeting, board members discussed how they would split about $112,000 in remaining...

Club’s woes continue

NEWFANE- A Windham Superior Court judge has issued a decree of foreclosure on the Hermitage Club’s Sawmill Inn property in West Dover.
According to court documents, Judge John Treadwell signed the decree on March 30, ordering the Hermitage Inn Real Estate Holding Company to pay more than $1.2...