This Week’s News
Brandon SB fills vacant seat under shroud of controversy
Several members of the public were on hand to voice their displeasure with the board during the public comment period of the subsequent selectboard meeting—which occurred before the board’s eventual public vote to appoint Mr. Ethier.
Preservation Trust of Vt. partners with ZION Growers for new industry in Proctor
After a decade of ownership and successfully securing the collections of the Vermont Marble Museum, the Preservation Trust of Vermont has transferred ownership of the former Vermont Marble Company facility in Proctor to ZION Growers, a Vermont- based industrial hemp processing company.
Otter Valley School Board faced with a number of challenges
Superintendent Kristin Hubert spoke at length about a number of challenges facing OVUU, such as the ongoing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, equity and staffing, as well as trauma, mental health, and cyberbullying issues.
Brandon PD’s new e-bike is the first in Vermont
The Brandon Police Department (BPD) made national news last week as it became the first police department in the US to incorporate the affordable Kollter ES1electric motorcycle as part of its fleet—fitting for the town where the electric motor was invented.
What can I do about deer eating my garden?
In Abby Adam’s delightfully funny and irreverent book on gardening, The Gardener’s Gripe Book, deer kick off the chapter entitled “Enemies List.”
Photos of the Week
Sports
Otter Valley puts up a fight, but loses in Championship game to powerhouse Woodstock
The Otter Valley football team made an unanticipated trip to the Vermont Division 3 championship game but lost 65–14 to a fast and dominating Woodstock team that featured 13 seniors.
OV football stuns BFA Fairfax; will play division championship
Last Saturday, in a show of outstanding football, the Otter Valley Otters defeated the BFA Fairfax Bullets in a show of stellar offense and gutsy defense. On a raw day with occasional sleet, a crowd of 300 showed up in Fairfax to witness the semifinal game which looked to be a sure thing for the Bullets, who were undefeated at 10-0 versus the Otters at 5-4.
OV Football wins big in playoffs, moves to state semis
Isaac Whitney had a huge game, gaining 180 yards and scoring 4 touchdowns to lead the Otter Valley football team to a 46–14 playoff win over rival Mill River Saturday night under the new lights at Markowski Field.
Local group proposes multi-town community rec center
On a rainy Sunday afternoon, a bunch of middle-aged friends in Pittsford want to play some pick-up basketball. Or some older folks want to continue their daily exercise walks when the snow is knee deep outside in winter. Or some kids want to play volleyball but the school gyms are all closed. Where can they go?
‘Game Seekers’: local hunters use online platforms to reach an audience
Fall in Vermont means foliage, cider, pumpkins, and, for a good number of our neighbors, hunting. Every year, people across the state pick up their bows and rifles and head out into the woods, hoping to bag a big-antlered buck or a fat, feathered turkey.

