This Week in History October 15-21

10 years ago:
A former Wilmington Selectboard member was busted for feeding bears at his Route 9 residence. A local game warden said he had witnessed the 60-year-old man feeding bears on three occasions, and that on one of the occasions, there were five bears “loitering” on the property waiting to be fed. The bears had become so habituated, according to wildlife officials, that even the presence of several law enforcement officers on the property during the arrest failed to drive them off the property.
15 years ago:
Hermitage Inn owner James Barnes closed on a deal to buy the former Haystack Club properties, including Haystack Ski Area and Haystack Golf Course. Two days later, Barnes was already operating the Golf Course, had resumed construction on Haystack townhouses, and had sold several memberships to what would soon be renamed the Hermitage Club.
The Obama administration fast-tracked the Deerfield Wind project, a 30-megawatt, 15-turbine wind facility to be built on Green Mountain National Forest land in Searsburg and Readsboro.
20 years ago:
Dore & Whittier architects met with Twin Valley Facilities Committee members to gain the firm’s insight into issues with the former Wilmington High School building. Dore & Whittier had been involved with renovation and construction planning at the school for several years. Meanwhile, the Whitingham School Closure Group successfully petitioned for a special meeting and vote to withdraw from the Twin Valley Joint Contract School District. If the vote was successful, the group planned to pursue school choice for Whitingham high school students.
25 years ago:
Wilmington firefighters collected $2,500 during a boot drop over Columbus Day weekend, twice the donations firefighters usually collected on the day. All of the proceeds were donated to the New York City Firefighters 9/11 Fund.
The state Agency of Transportation go the okay from the Army Corps of Engineers to move forward with their plan to rebuild Route 9 West. The reconstruction project upgraded a section of road in Wilmington and Searsburg that had become infamous for accidents.
30 years ago:
Wilmington merchants were frustrated by delays that extended work on water mains in the village into peak leaf peeper season. Merchants said the work, which began in late May, had already cut their income for the year.
Whitingham’s wastewater system experienced a mysterious increase in its normal flow – from about 5,000 gallons per day to about 7,500 gallons per day – some days the flow was as high as 10,400 gallons per day. An audit of household meters in the sewer district revealed no unusual increases in usage. Jillson said he was “baffled” by the mystery.
35 years ago:
Students at Wilmington Middle/High School were using a computer with a modem to communicate with students from France, Alaska, Idaho, New Jersey, and New York. The pre-internet project, sponsored by AT&T, allowed students at the schools to coordinate a worldwide project on climate, the environment, and economic growth.
40 years ago:
Wilmington Town Manager Sonia DeLury resigned after 10 years, with plans to relocate to Boston, MA. DeLury recalled that she assumed her duties a month before Hurricane Belle, in 1976, and spent much of her second month inspecting roads, climbing under bridges, and assessing damage. “I don’t sleep very well when it rains,” she commented.
45 years ago:
In a letter to the editor, Hans Hoeffer lamented the closure of Haystack Ski Area, which he said made skiing affordable for valley children. “Seeing these youngsters skiing down the mountainsides makes one realize they are this valley’s best ambassadors,” he said. “Now are we to let a generation of potential ski ambassadors go down the TV drain?”
50 years ago:
The Wilmington Historical Society was a little more than a year old. In their first year, the society held a quilt exhibit, a contra dance, an exhibit of memorabilia at the Deerfield Valley Farmers’ Day Fair, and participated in a number of bicentennial activities.
55 years ago:
A Vermont State Police Trooper stationed in Wilmington was held in connection with a shooting incident. According to reports, the trooper fired his revolver at Wilmington Police Chief Charles Goodnow when Goodnow responded to a report of a disturbance at an apartment occupied by a local woman.