This Week in History: November 20 - 26

10 years ago:
The MOOver held a grand opening and open house at their brand new, $5.6 million state of the art facility in Wilmington. The facility, built on the site of a demolished factory that had manufactured everything from plywood to off-road motorcycles during its long history, had been planned for almost 20 years. During that time, The MOOver utilized the existing factory premises to their best advantage, but the new facility centralized the company’s offices, bus maintenance, parking, and other operational necessities in one location. The new transportation center was substantially funded through a congressional “earmark.”
15 years ago:
The Vermont Attorney General's office announced an investigation into an alleged open meeting in Halifax. According to the complaint, a decision regarding the expenditure of public funds was made at a “work session.” The selectboard chair said the selectboard made no decision at the meeting, and the expenditures in question were under the highway supervisor's discretion.
The Valley Trail bridge over the Deerfield River was under construction in Dover. The bridge was the final element in the “B” section of Dover's Valley Trail, tying two previously completed ends of the walkway together.
20 years ago:
The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) asked Vermont Education Commissioner Richard Cate to block the proposed construction of a new Twin Valley Middle High School building just off Route 100 near the Wilmington/Whitingham town line. According to the CLF, the construction would constitute sprawl, and impact protected agricultural lands. Twin Valley School Board members responded that the proposed construction (which was later shelved) would likely save the parcel from more intensive development for upscale homes, and was unlikely to attract additional growth.
25 years ago:
Local health officials were concerned about an outbreak of pertussis, or whooping cough at Wilmington Middle/High School. The disease had been considered to have been wiped out by childhood DPT vaccinations, but it made a return in the late 1990s. At least two other schools in the sate were dealing with the contagious respiratory disease.
The Wilmington Police Department was back to a full complement of police officers after several officers left at the same time. One of the new officers, Frank Labombard, moved to the Wilmington department after a little more than a year with the Dover Police Department.
30 years ago:
Eva Sherman retired as postmaster of the East Dover Post Office after 21 years of service. Sherman started with the postal service as a clerk in 1974. Sherman said she retired at the right time, as a recent winter rate increase “was a lot to deal with, right after the Christmas rush.”
Mike Penson was named road supervisor in Wilmington, just in time for an early-season storm that dumped 6 inches of snow on the valley. Penson replaced Paul Allen, who retired after 19 years with the town, six as road supervisor.
Patience Merriman wrote about her very first experience at an East Dover Volunteer Fire Department square dance, where she paid $5 to dance with (then) Dover Road Commissioner Phil Bartlett. Merriman said her square dancing experience was “wonderful.”
35 years ago:
Dover Selectboard members were under pressure from groups in favor of paving Handle Road, and from groups that were against paving the gravel road. Mount Snow Vice President John Redd urged the board to consider paving the road at least as far as the entrances to condominium complexes. Handle Road residents said that the gravel road was used for hiking, jogging, walking, and for strolling with baby carriages. Some proponents of paving the road said it would open up a new corridor for visitors to the valley, easing weekend traffic in West Dover village. A member of the Handle Road Associates reminded board members that the town was blocked from paving the road in 1973, after Dr. George Humphreys obtained a court injunction when the board last expressed an intention to pave the road.
40 years ago:
Dover School Board members hired an attorney to negotiate with contractors who installed the leaky school roof five years earlier. The board said the roof leaked after it was installed, but the problems were compounded over the years.
The valley’s second annual Charity Ball was pronounced a great success. The ball, established to raise funds for the Guy Hawkins Cancer Fund, was held at the Snow Mountain Inn Conference Center.  
45 years ago:
Chet Page, former owner of Burrington Hill Ski Area in Whitingham, said he ran his first lift line by sight, lining it up with a chimney at the top of the hill. “I wasn’t much of an engineer, but the system worked,” he said. “I didn’t make a lot of money, but I had a lot of fun.”
Mount Snow was to become a “think tank” for ski instructors. The resort hosted three regional events focusing on ski instruction.
55 years ago:
The town of Dover took the owners of the West Dover Inn to court over what they said was the inn’s pollution of the Deerfield River. A judge issued a court order giving Chester Hagedorn, owner of the inn, 30 days to stop the dumping of raw sewage into the river.
Bromley held the first National Turfski Championships. Competitors skied downhill on grass, using “Turfskis,” a type of short ski fitted with rollers on the bottom. Turfskis were invented by Chuck Goodwin of Mount Snow.