This Week’s News
Proctor settles on concept for town office
By RUSSELL JONES The Proctor Selectboard has settled on a design concept, the eleventh draft so far, for renovating the town offices to make them handicap accessible. They met for a special meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 6, to discuss what the selectboard and the designing firm said was a nearly finished design. “A lot of […]
Test scores show students close to poverty falling behind their peers
Free and reduced lunch program comes under fire By RUSSELL JONES A snapshot from the state of how local schools performed on state tests show a sharp disparity in performances between those on free and reduced lunches and those who are not on the program. Now, a new change in federal law could compound that […]
The Brandon Buzz
A tribute to Art Doty By BEN LAWTON Art Doty was indeed the father of mosquito control in the Otter Creek valley. During the early 70s, the Lake Dunmore /Fern lake Association had been doing some mosquito control, albeit primitive by modern standards. The group involved in the spraying asked Art if he would be […]
Youth Conservation Corps makes trails, bridges through marsh
By RUSSELL JONES WEST RUTLAND — A small group of dedicated youth have spent the past two weeks toiling in the hot sun, braving mud and mosquitos, to improve the quality of the trails in the West Rutland marsh. The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps has been working on a project in the area to clean […]
Otter Creek wetlands class change altered after opposition
By RUSSELL JONES BRANDON — The steering committee that has been working to reclassify the Otter Creek wetlands from a Class II wetlands to a Class I wetlands announced this past week that they would be seeking to change the classification only for parcels of land that have willing landowners. The move comes after the […]
Photos of the Week
Sports
Politano, Coolidge selected as OV’s 2021 leaders
BRANDON — For the Class of 2021, Mia Politano and Grace Coolidge, both of Brandon, have been selected as this year’s Valedictorian and Salutatorian, respectively, by Otter Valley Union High School. Mia is the daughter of Paul and Erika Politano and Grace is the daughter of Brian and Kelly Coolidge. Both have earned extraordinary honors […]
Otter Valley’s Walking Stick Theatre to perform annual spring musical al fresco
Pandemic compelled director and students to learn to create theatre in different ways March 10, 2021 By JOSIE GAWRYS BRANDON — Otter Valley Union High School’s Walking Stick Theatre group will be performing Disney’s “Descendants” musical this spring — but not in their standard theater. The show will be performed live at Markowski Field behind […]
Let the kids play?
Petition launched by Proctor parent and coach against delaying fall sports season By LEE J. KAHRS PROCTOR — A petition protesting the Vermont Principal’s Association’s (VPA) plan to postpone the beginning of fall high school sports has garnered more than 1,900 signatures in two weeks. It all started in Proctor, where soccer is not just […]
OV hires new field hockey girls soccer coaches
BRANDON — Otter Valley Union High School has hired new coaches to lead two varsity girls’ programs this fall, both with coaching experience at the school, according to Athletic Director Steven Keith
OV graduates 65 who look beyond the pandemic
Families attend drive-in style graduation following social distance protocols.