This Week in History, September 17-23

10 years ago:
Preservation work on the dam and spillway at Lake Sadawga resulted in a temporary reduction of the water level at the lake. Lakeside property owner and naturalist Ed Metcalfe said the lower water levels increased the distance between the water and shoreline around the lake, which attracted a large number of inland shore birds, including great blue herons, plovers, and egrets. Metcalfe said the birds were attracted by the “easy pickings” of their favorite foods, including crayfish, frogs, and small fish in the shallows created by the drawdown.
15 years ago:
Someone damaged the pergola in Wilmington’s downtown Bank Park. Just two weeks after Tropical Storm Irene flooding devastated the village, a vandal tried to pull the structure down by pulling out one of the supports. The new damage was discovered by Eric Sprenger, who originally built the pergola, when he inspected the flood damage at the park before planning repairs to handrails along the boardwalk.
20 years ago:
Celebrate the Valley, a local nonprofit group, kicked off their first event, Taste of the Valley. The event brought together local restaurateurs and food producers to provide visitors and locals with a chance to try the best foods and crafts the valley has to offer.
Mount Snow announced they were planning to present a proposal to withdraw enough water from Somerset Reservoir to provide 100% snowmaking coverage. The plan was the latest in Mount Snow’s decades-long quest for water, and the second time that they had considered Somerset Reservoir as a source. The plan was eventually abandoned.
25 years ago:
The valley was mobilizing equipment and manpower, joining in Vermont’s massive volunteer effort to help in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Within five hours of the attack, Vermonters had already assembled a list of 400 volunteer emergency medical personnel, firefighters, doctors, and nurses ready to leave for New York City. Many Deerfield Valley residents were among the volunteers. Within days of the attacks, local residents were raising money to help victims.
30 years ago:
Whitingham dedicated Eames Park in Jacksonville, created with money left to the town by lifelong Halifax resident Ed Eames. Eames died in 1980 after a lifetime of frugality, saving, and investing. His will specified that income from his estate should be split between the towns of Halifax and Whitingham.
The new Deerfield Valley Transit Association hoped their MOOver buses would be on the road for the first time by November.
35 years ago:
Local resident Dale Doucette was profiled in The Deerfield Valley News. Doucette, a stage and lighting designer, worked with performers like Aerosmith and Michael Jackson, in places as far away as China and Europe.
A federal judge approved the proposed lease agreement between Mount Snow and Haystack. Marble Bank, of Rutland, protested the deal, calling it “woefully inadequate.” The bank complained that the deal failed to address $4 million in outstanding secured debt on the ski area. Mount Snow was to pay $312,500 for the first year of the lease, and $225,000 per year for the following two years. After that, Mount Snow would have the option to purchase the resort for $2.5 million.
40 years ago:
Vermonters continued to donate money to farmers in southern states who were in deep trouble from an ongoing drought. Earlier in the season, local farmers organized a “haylift,” sending tons of hay to the drought-stricken South.
45 years ago:
Junios Chambers, a New York advertising salesman and part-time writer, pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault for incidents that occurred in the Deerfield Valley. Chambers had been arrested earlier in the year after he was shot by one of his intended victims in an apparent robbery attempt. After the initial incident, Chambers was charged with several sexual assaults that had plagued the valley. Later, Chambers was charged and convicted of a murder in New York.
45 years ago:
Keith Noll, president of the Wilmington Centenary Committee of Wilmington, Australia, sent a letter to residents of Wilmington, Vermont, in recognition of the bicentennial celebrations in the United States. “On behalf of the people of Wilmington, South Australia, I wish you and your people health, happiness, prosperity, and God speed,” wrote Noll.
50 years ago:
Vermont Governor Deane C. Davis was in Dover. While he was in town, he posed with Miss Vermont, Sandra Taft, of Dover; backed a bypass to alleviate Wilmington traffic; opposed an east/west highway; and declined to offer any support for the construction of a sewer treatment plant in Dover.