This Week in History October 22-28

10 years ago:
The Dover Selectboard struggled to enforce their order to euthanize a vicious dog that had attacked several people. In a complaint to the board, one woman said the dog “bit off the top of my hand and basically ate it.” After the board ordered the dog to be euthanized, it was kept in a boarding facility by the town’s dog warden pending an appeal of the decision. The owner was allowed access to the dog during at the boarding facility, and the dog warden complained that the owner was not following the board’s order to use a muzzle when he took the dog for a walk, and to adhere to hours set by the board.
15 years ago:
Wilmington Town Manager Fred Ventresco resigned after less than seven months on the job. At the time, the town was in the midst of recovery efforts from flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene. Wilmington Selectboard members appointed Paul Myers, a former board member, to serve as interim town manager.
20 years ago:
School officials released a 34-page report documenting the “resounding success” of the Twin Valley School District. According to the report, students had significantly more opportunity – at least 55 new courses – and high scores on statewide tests, even with minimal or no budget increases. But despite the budget restraint, school officials noted that Act 68’s funding formula was responsible for annual tax increases.
25 years ago:
“Whatever happened to Sweet Pie?” asked Rutland native and filmmaker Michael Brunelle. Brunelle was interviewing fans of Sweet Pie, a local entertainer who performed at Fat City, the White House of Wilmington, and several other local inns and night clubs in the late 1960s and early 1970s, for a documentary on his search for the legendary piano man. Sweet Pie was known as much for his attire – a thong – and his bawdy lyrics and jokes as he was for his “boogie-woogie” piano. Sweet Pie, whose real name was Paul Winer, owned and operated The Reader’s Oasis, a bookstore in Quartzsite, AZ, until his death in May, 2019.
30 years ago:
The DVTA MOOver received a $480,000 federal grant to implement a public transportation system in the valley. The new bus system would be running by Thanksgiving weekend, DVTA board member Linda Anelli said, and would be fully operational by mid-December.
35 years ago:
Renovations were underway at Wilmington Town Hall. The $366,000 project was originally slated to be completed by March 1992, but after a few “surprises” were found, the date was pushed back. One of the problems was the discovery of mysterious drains with unknown outlets. The plumbing contractor agreed to run a dye through the drains to determine if the drains were intended to carry rain water to the Deerfield River.
40 years ago:
Jolene Toby said her favorite part of Halloween was getting candy. “You go to people’s houses and say ‘Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.”
A group of East Dover residents banded together to bring action against the Southern Vermont Opportunity House, a children’s group home on Holland Road. East Dover residents claimed that the group home needed an Act 250 permit, didn’t have sufficient sanitation facilities for the number of residents, and didn’t have enough parking spaces for the number of staff. One resident complained that some of the kids at the group home had stopped her children as they were walking home from school and accosted them using foul language. “How many incidents do we have to have before safety is taken into account?” she asked.
45 years ago:
Dot’s Restaurant was slated to open in November after John Reagan, a local chef, purchased the popular eatery. Dot’s, a favorite spot for locals and visitors alike, had been closed for most of the summer. Reagan said the restaurant would open after he completed renovations.
50 years ago:
Tom Politano Jr., Peter Boisvert, Scott Boyd, and Peter Niemi were competing in the “first annual” Lions Club Soap Box Derby on Boyd Hill in Wilmington. Niemi, the winner, said the secret was to keep a steady hand on the steering wheel and to “push” forward at critical points on the hill.
55 years ago:
After West Dover businessman Tom Meade proposed a 287-acre public campground in Somerset, Gov. Deane C. Davis requested a 90-day delay of the Act 250 application so that he could have a chance to “check into the effects of the proposed development.” Meade’s plans for the campground included 700 camping lots and facilities such as tennis courts, a swimming pool, archery range, and a camping equipment store.