Photos by Nanci Blog

March 29, 2017 Weathersfield, Vt. Weathersfield select board news: Kirk Shields from Green Mountain Power (GMP) explained, at the March 20 select board, meeting the proposed microgrid project to be constructed on 20 - 25 acres of land owned by the Hodgdons on Route 5 south of Ascutney. The project will combine a large solar array (16,000 panels) with battery storage. He said the project is designed to increase reliability and to provide energy during peak demand times or when the grid is impacted during severe storms. At this stage GMP is seeking comments from the public to help fine-tune the project. More information about the select board and the town, contact Town Manager, Ed Morris, at 802-674-2626 or townmanager@weathersfield.org. Weathersfield School news: Thanks go out to the Blake Family (Carol, Shawn and Kameron) they asked Walmart for a donation to the WS Athletic Program for new basketballs. Walmart donated $100 and Kameron Blake, Grade 4, added his own money ...

Annie and Sandy March 24, 2017 Hartland, Vt. Hartland Elementary School Drama Club brought the musical "Annie" to life in three performances this past weekend. Friday night was sold-out, standing room only. Ruby Doolan was perfect playing Annie and Joey Beggs, who recently took over the role of Daddy Warbucks played the right amount of rich guy aloofness and kindness once Annie came into his life. Lily, Miss Hannigan and Rooster But the shining stars of the show were Remy Lambert as Miss Hannigan and Lilly Kendall Bergstresser as Grace Farrell. Grace Farrell, Annie and Warbucks Lambert portrayed the nasty and hung-over matron of the "Hartland Home for Girls" and the audience ate it up. Kendall Bergstresser's singing was quite impressive and her acting in the role of the assistant to Warbucks was so fluid you never once thought she was anything more than an adult. Not sure who played Sandy the dog but he/she was so patient on stage and v...

March 22, 2017 Weathersfield, Vt. Town Challenge April 8, Do you Have Your Team Ready? Do you have your Town Challenge team together yet? The 6th annual town-wide trivia challenge is just two weeks away. Which team will have bragging rights for a year as the most knowledgeable group in town and have their name engraved on THE plaque? Meet me at the Weathersfield School on April 8 at 7 p.m. and find out. In the meantime, get your team form from Library Director, Mark and start your fundraising for the Library's Capital Campaign Fund-The Children's Room expansion project. Of note, the Library received a $15,000 matching grant from the Byrne Foundations so any funds raised at the Challenge will be doubled with this generous grant. (Your private donations to the Library will also be matched, if you don't plan forming a team or supporting them in their fundraising efforts.) In other town news-The Country Creemee at Downer's Four Corners has been sold to Jai...

Woodstock, Vt. Woodstock Vermont it's time to get your Maple On! Forget the NCAA March Madness it's time for Maple Madness . The Woodstock Chamber has been busy planning some very "sweet" events for everyone to celebrate Vermont's liquid gold-Maple Syrup. In their third year hosting the event, the Chamber has recruited area artists to paint sap buckets that have been placed around town for people to bid on. There are 25 buckets (this reporter found 10 on Saturday while hunting around town.) The buckets will be in area stores and restaurants until Friday afternoon and will be moved to Suicide Ski Area (S6) for final bidding Saturday evening. Most buckets are filled with gift certificates and products from area merchants. Buckets include a golf bucket worth over $400 and a Falcon bucket (at the Woodstock Inn and Resort Gift Shop) filled with over $300 worth of merchandise. "I feel like I've been painting sap buckets forever" said ...

March 22, 2017 Weathersfield, VT The Weathersfield Planning Commission is encouraging comment and debate on significant changes and additions to the Town’s zoning bylaws. The goal is to improve the effectiveness of the bylaws, using a Municipal Grant, and working with the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission. The main changes to the bylaws are scheduled for completion by early June 2017. Over time, different approaches and incremental adjustments in local zoning have resulted in an unintended patchwork of bylaws that in some cases have been confusing for residents to understand and for the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) to apply consistently. For example, the Villages of Perkinsville and Ascutney have lot sizes and setbacks in their zoning which have led to a significant number of lots which are non-conforming, creating particular difficulties for village landowners. The new approach seeks to explore: · Lot sizes and setbacks consistent with today’s uses a...

March 15, 2017 Weathersfield, Vt. Happy Birthday Royal E. Houghton. On Saturday, March 11 friends and family gathered to wish Royal a very happy birthday, he turned 90 years young in February. Saturday was also his wedding anniversary. He and Marilyn have been married 62 years. Lots of champagne was popping on Saturday in Ascutney. Go Cats Go-good luck to the University of Vermont Catamounts as they play the Purdue Boilermakers on Thursday night in round 1 of March Madness.. Also Happy St. Patrick's Day-we'll all get to be Irish for a day: green beer, corned beef and cabbage and the hunt for the local leprechauns. Remember when you change the clocks, change your smoke detector batteries. This week's music adventures had me in Londonderry NH on Friday night and Plymouth NH on Saturday night. Chuck Cannon opened for Shawn Mullins at Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry NH, one of the last shows in this location. Tupelo ...