This Week in History
10 years ago
Twin Valley School Board members touted the benefits of their K-12 consolidation plan. The plan called for consolidation of the Whitingham and Deerfield Valley elementary schools in Wilmington, and the existing Twin Valley middle and high school grades in Whitingham. The benefits to taxpayers included a savings of about $500,000 a year in costs connected to the old high school building in Wilmington. Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation Executive Director Jeff Lewis expressed interest in working with Wilmington or Twin Valley to repurpose the former high school building.
15 years ago
A group of local residents who petitioned a special meeting to reconsider the Twin Valley School District budget may have been disappointed by the result of their efforts. Many supporters of the petition hoped to make substantial cuts to the budget, but the 230 voters who turned out to the meeting had other ideas. Instead of cutting the budget, they increased it by $42,000, enough for the board to consider hiring an additional middle school teacher. It was, however, the last time the budget would be discussed and voted on during the same meeting. A ballot question mandating future budgets be voted by Australian ballot passed the next day.
Police charged a Readsboro teen with fabricating a report that she had been kidnapped. Police said they were suspicious when they discovered that the person who had been named as the assailant provided an airtight alibi. After questioning the teen, she admitted that the story had been concocted.
20 years ago
Wilmington Middle School teacher David Larsen was selected to chair the Vermont State Board of Education. During his 10-year term as legislator, Larsen had also served as chair of the House Education Committee. He went on to serve as the interim commissioner of education.
25 years ago
A newly formed organization calling itself the Deerfield Valley Transit Authority planned to bring a public transportation system to the area. The group was an offshoot of Vision 2000, an economic development effort led by local businesses.
Valley residents were concerned when the owner of The Last Shot, a bar in West Dover, featured live nude dancing at his establishment every Thursday night. The entertainment alternated between male and female dancers from week to week.
30 years ago
Dover Selectboard members were considering a proposal for a recreational bicycle path in town. According to Mount Snow Vice President John Redd, the town could receive a $100,000 grant for the project. Initial plans called for a broad path leading from the base of Mount Snow to the Dover business district. Building the bicycle path would take up to two years and cost about $200,000, plus annual maintenance, according to proponents.
35 years ago
Jean Canedy was elected chair of the Wilmington Selectboard and Denise Allen was elected clerk. Clyde Jones was honored for 30 years of service on the Dover School Board.
In correspondence to the Wilmington Selectboard, Lincoln Haynes expressed his appreciation to the town for voting to negotiate a tax stabilization plan for his Vermont Barnboard company.
45 years ago
The Green Mountain Boys, a conservative property rights group headquartered in Newfane, called for a state investigation into an alleged zoning violation in Dummerston. The group claimed that a property owner, who was a member of the town’s planning commission and married to the executive director of the Windham Regional Commission, may have been shown favoritism when she was allowed to develop a large printing operation in what was once a barn.
