This Week’s News
Brandon voters say no to budget and solar; Bailey, Ethier, & Nelson win seats on SB
After a tense election season in which Brandon residents expressed extreme frustration with budget increases and rising taxes, voters in the town rejected the proposed FY25 budget.
Otter Valley budget rejected
In what’s shaping up to be a season of “nay” in the area, the proposed OVUU FY25 school budget was rejected by district voters on Tuesday, with 891 votes (40%) in favor and 1325 votes (60%) against.
Pittsford’s Joe Gagnon leaves Selectboard but plans to stay involved
Joe Gagnon’s scarred face and wiry frame tell a tale of a man who’s labored hard his entire life. Now 87, he’s still working in the lumber yard that bears his name on land that his French-Canadian grandfather bought back in 1880.
Names Lost in Vermont, Part 19: Wisell and Welcome
By MICHAEL F. DWYER Five Wisell brothers all bore decidedly Yankee names: Clayton (1879–1964), Otis (1882–1949), Thaddeus (1888–1967), Fordyce (1889–1975), and Noble (1895–1969). Neither their first nor last names give […]
Let’s Fly: Planning and Packing
This week’s piece broaches the subject of planning and packing. During my time as a flight attendant for over a quarter of a century, I have seen it all in terms of luggage!
Photos of the Week
Sports
Namaste! Yoga options increase in our area
Yoga is a set of ancient practices, with origins in the Indian subcontinent thousands of years ago. The word itself means “union” in Sanskrit and is related to the English word “yoke,” in the sense of “to join together.”
OV’s Brooke Kimball named Unified Basketball Coach of the Year by Southern VT League
What really matters about sports? 2025 Southern Vermont League Unified Basketball Coach of the Year Brooke Kimball of Otter Valley said, “I love how much joy it brings.”
Nesobe Golf Club is no longer a “Hidden Gem”
Neshobe Golf Club hosted the 96th New England Amateur Championship with the best golfers in New England competing over three days.
A new generation of duckies takes the podium
The last few racing seasons, and all their attendant scandals, have left the local duckie community feeling unsettled.
Nifty Thrifty sponsors swim lessons for July 4th Duckies
Every July, hundreds of rubber duckies from all over the world descend upon Brandon for the Independence Day Duckie Race on the Neshobe River.