Woodstock boards okay updated, open-ended contract with municipal manager

The Woodstock Town Selectboard and Village Trustees on Monday evening approved an updated, open-ended, employment-at-will contract with municipal manager Eric Duffy that calls for the town official to be paid a salary of $176,000 for the 2026-27 fiscal year that gets under way on July 1 — a hike of just under 24.3% over the $141,620 Duffy is being compensated …

Village Meeting Preview: Residents will elect two new trustees

By Emma Stanton, Staff Writer The Village of Woodstock’s annual Village Meeting will be held at the Woodstock Town Hall on Tuesday, March 17. Voting, via Australian ballot, will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the two open trustee positions. One position will be for a three-year term, the other for a two-year term.  Two Woodstock Village …

Swanson’s public hearing is Monday; he remains out on medical leave

The latest demotion hearing for Police Chief Joe Swanson is expected to get underway Monday before the Woodstock Village Trustees, but don’t expect the veteran lawman to attend, nor any of the witnesses that testified against him the last time. Swanson is still recovering from major back surgery and has not been cleared by his doctor to attend the hearing …

Weathersfield explains why it pulled out of sheriff contract; Will meet Thursday with Reading and Cavendish

Concerns by the town leaders of Weathersfield about the current finances of the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department and the possible inability to complete its five-year agreement for road patrols were among the reasons the town pulled out of its contract last week, according to Municipal Manager Brandon Gulnick. Gulnick, during the Weathersfield Selectboard meeting this week, offered both details and …

Barnard selectboard approves Twin Farms rezoning request

The Twin Farms rezoning request for commercial expansion has been approved by the Barnard Selectboard by a unanimous vote at their meeting on Feb. 18.  Twin Farms, a luxury resort located on Stage Road in Barnard, had initially brought their rezoning proposal to Barnard’s planning commission. Twin Farms had submitted documentation requesting that one of the lots they recently purchased …

Car lands on frozen Ottauquechee River in Woodstock

A car accident resulted in a vehicle spinning off the road and landing on the frozen Ottauquechee River on Monday morning, Feb. 23. According to interim Woodstock Police Chief Chris O’Keeffe, the accident occurred around 9:20 a.m. when Esther Griffith (81) of Woodstock was traveling eastbound in her 2022 GMC Terrain on East Woodstock Road near the Taftsville Bridge when …

Weathersfield cuts ties with Windsor sheriff’s department, proposes regional police with Reading and Cavendish

The selectboard members in Weathersfield have voted unanimously to cancel the town’s patrol contract with the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department, and the community is looking to join with Reading and Cavendish to form a regional police force. The possible creation of the Mount Ascutney Regional Police Department will be discussed during a joint meeting of officials from the three municipalities …

Area residents arrested during protest at ICE facility

On Monday, Feb. 9, eleven people were arrested during a protest in Williston, including several residents of our area. The protest took place at a facility in the Williston White Cap Industrial Park that houses a large digital surveillance office run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  The eleven protestors arrested included three who reside in the Upper Valley …

East Barnard club seeks funds to help restore and winterize its Community Hall

By Justin Bigos, Staff Writer The East Barnard Community Hall needs a new roof, as well as ADA-certified accessibility, and they are asking for the public’s help to make the necessary renovations. Donations contributed before Feb. 28 can be matched up to $5,000, according to the East Barnard Community Club (EBCC) website, which states, “Two families are offering to match …