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
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.