Li Shen

Fallout from the delay of Thetford Elementary School ’s solar expansion by the VT Public Utilities Commission

“The State of Vermont and the Legislature have made it clear that Vermont’s energy future relies on renewable energy. Yet the PUC seems to be putting up every obstacle to encouraging renewable energy projects.”

You can build back, but not better, through FEMA

"There was not a hydrological study done for that location, and in my experience they will not accept our recommended solution without a recent study."

Delays, detours and … what’s behind the concrete barrier?

Town highways are forever a work in progress.

Is it time for a Town Social Worker?

Brattleboro and Burlington offer similar services.

EVENT: Going out with a bang; Last free “Porch Concert” features noted percussionist

Free - Thetford Hill Congregational Church, Saturday August 19th at 1:00 pm.

Teamwork takes down TCCA’s tricky tree

This remarkably generous deed was performed as a contribution to the TCCA by Ellis and Steve at their own expense.

A bustling beginning for the new Town Manager

The Town is fortunate to have hired a new manager who is familiar with how things work in Vermont.

Town-wide reassessment of property value is not to be feared

It does not necessarily mean that property taxes will go up.

There was flood damage, but Thetford dodged a major bullet

At its height, the water behind Union Village dam was at 97.07 feet.

Church musician moves on to work on human potential

While she loved her job at the church, the urgency of our times has inspired her to help people “become their best selves.”

Is it risky to build “upwards not outwards”?

Thetford could experiment with allowing three- or four-story buildings in village centers by changing their zoning bylaws.

Event: Front Porch improvised jazz concerts migrate to Thetford Hill Church with an impressive line-up

On Saturday, July 1st, 2023 at 1pm, and it's free.

Event: Here comes Riverfolk Festival 2023

While there is a superabundance of music on the internet, the Riverfolk team believe there is a place, a desire even, for people getting together to enjoy live music events.

The future (and past) of oaks

The evolution of oaks is complex, but in a nutshell (no pun intended), the data shows they existed over 56 million years ago.

Agricultural Tax Stabilization, finally

A measure proposed as pandemic relief by then-Selectboard Chair Nick Clark.

June 11th: Celebrate community with the renaissance of the Rice’s Mills Schoolhouse

The pandemic starkly highlighted that peoples’ overall well-being is bolstered by social and community connections.

A new tick on the block

As the climate warms, southern species that were formerly deterred by long cold winters are making their way north.

Trails and natural resources, what’s next?

The trails in the Army Corps of Engineers flood control area have been open to the public for decades. Unfortunately, unauthorized trail building became a problem.

Solar saga at Thetford Elementary

It appears that the solar expansion at Thetford Elementary will likely proceed, although its excess electricity will be eligible for just the current net metering rate.

“Turf Wars” — No Mow May or a nuanced approach?

At this point, nature needs all the help it can get.

Comings and goings in Thetford

The gas tanks were removed from the Village Store, while Baker's reopened with new offerings.

Big Night - salamander casualties despite some human intervention

Wetland conservation and vernal pool mapping have helped protect amphibians’ sensitive breeding areas. Unfortunately, the migratory paths leading to these breeding habitats are little-studied and completely unprotected.

Planning for revitalization - Town Plan, budgeting and Capital Program

Long story short, a Capital Program is just the start of a ten-year process that outlives the Town Plan from which it came.

Easing up on ADUs in Thetford

The demand for affordable housing is unlikely to abate anytime soon, so the odds are high that this bylaw will become permanent.

Humans and salamanders gearing up for the Big Night

Let’s hope the volunteers don’t get discouraged, because the salamanders are not. They surely will have their Big Night before May is here.

PFAS everywhere always

The true scale of contamination is likely much greater, because PFAS have been around for almost 80 years.

The huge development that wasn’t

The land was purchased sometime in the late 1980s, and subdivision designs were crafted.

Watershed Action Plan; Halting Lake Fairlee pollution requires cooperation of many

Once projects are identified, conceptual designs will be made and a draft Lake Watershed Action Plan will be released.

Why have a Town Manager

The recent resignation of Thetford’s town manager has left some residents scratching their heads and wondering if town manager governance is what we really need in Thetford.

Dollars and sense; spending the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds

Any money remaining by December 31, 2026 shall be returned to the U.S. Treasury.

Setting limits on wake boats - an economic analysis

The rule-making process now moves on one more step — a public comment meeting.

Introducing the new owner of the North Thetford Church

We welcome this new energy and vision of community.

The Town Accountant; new position, familiar face

We are lucky indeed to have such skilled and dedicated staff.

Can they get there from here? Land Trust explores regional wildlife connectivity

The lack of information about wildlife movement through our broken-up landscape inspired the Upper Valley Land Trust that oversees conserved properties to launch a study on the topic

Thetford generator failure impacts EC Fiber’s internet and phone hub

An ECFiber technician worked all day on December 19th “to provide a fix for all the phone customers served from the Thetford hub (~450 customers).”

Thetford School’s solar expansion, delayed by State Commission, will set precedent for “Net-Metering Credits”

The overall affordability and long-term payback for the school’s solar expansion could be impacted by the outcome.

Goodbye Wings, hello Pump and Pantry

It is unknown whether the pump will follow the pantry to East Thetford, where there is already one gas station.

Regional Energy Coordinator moving on

At least he’s not going very far; the office of Norwich Technologies is down the road in White River Junction.

Deer season, forests and gardens

House lots encroaching on woods put entire areas off-limits to hunting.

A chip off the forest block

When we plan for our future, we will need to consider where we live and how it does, or does not, support our economy, reduce energy use, encourage a sense of community, and protect our natural resources.

Tiny home dilemma

Is a HOUS (House of Unusual Size) a house?

Bold vision for Baker’s Store

To date, there has been no deal with Baker’s current owner.

Cell tower on Quail John Road to grow by fifteen feet

T-Mobile is hoping to expand their coverage.

What happens to electronic “waste”?

Thousands of pounds of electronics are collected every year in Thetford.

From Hatch’s Store to short-term park: a progression in pictures

This land will soon grow green and might possibly become known as “Hatch’s Park.”

Mundane but essential; energy-efficient HVAC for Town Hall

A majority of the Selectboard approved this proposal on September 19th, with one member opposed.

Gasoline negotiations put an end to Baker’s and Village Stores

Both Baker’s and the Village Store were listed for sale on business real estate websites.

The end is nigh - demolition of Hatch’s Store soon

“If you see a piece of trash on the ground you pick it up, not because it’s your trash but because it’s your community,” John said.

Treasure Island; Shoreland Protection Analyst issues memorandum

It remains to be seen how the Town will proceed from here.

Thetford’s unconventional playwright, Duncan Nichols, premieres “Myth Makers” on August 28th

No reservation needed. By donation, cash or check. All proceeds benefit Doorways Into Good Shelter.

Landfill legacy - groundwater pollution and solar promise

There is an acute housing shortage. Water quality around the Post Mills landfill isn't helping.

EVENT: Last porch concert of the season on Friday Aug 12th

Summer is racing onward in a flurry of events and entertainments.

Renting the commons

The Facility Use Policy and Facility Use Agreement will be applied to the Thetford Hill common and the Post Mills common (Veterans’ Park), as well.

Make hay - square or round - while the sun shines

As long as there are small fields to mow, horses to feed, and people like Ellis to run the equipment, the square bale will likely persist.

Classical ballet flourishes in Thetford – and White River Junction

As Ruth Mayer puts it, “dance is here and gone."

EVENT: Tradition be damned — Creative Music at Seven Stars

Neither musician will adhere to the traditions associated with their respective instruments.

Construction underway on the AT&T telecomm tower

The tower will hopefully come online by September.

A music hub - Here in The Valley!

On a quiet back road in Thetford, not far from Norford Lake, ideas have been brewing.

Trails and tribulations at Treasure Island

As stated in the Wildlife Action Plan, preventing degradation of these corridors is a high priority.

Village water part 2; East Thetford‘s struggle

The fewer the number of users, the more each one has to pay.

Front porch improvisational jazz concerts return

Concerts are free. Bring a chair, bug dope, a hat, and sunscreen.

North Thetford water companies - between a rock and a hard place

At this point the state has not come down hard on North Thetford to force compliance — yet.

Mud season in review - what would it take to do better?

A lot. It’s the price we have to pay for our car-dependent, rural way of life.

The loon and the goose, volunteer intervention on Lake Fairlee

Loons are long-lived (20-30 years) and will defend their nests and chicks ferociously.

A novel approach to the housing shortage — the Livable Real Estate Cooperative

It's an idea that started in Thetford: locally-controlled housing development.

End of an era, Watson’s Automotive closes down

Our local garage in East Thetford will be sorely missed.

How Vermont became a destination

In 1911, the Vermont legislature mounted a full-fledged campaign of tourism promotion.

The changing of the guard

Are we ready to grace our informal and picturesque backroads with bright, shiny guard rails?

Latham Road, the last road refurbishing for now?

Unless Congress approves funds for infrastructure improvements...Thetford’s future road repairs may well lie dormant for a while.

Can a petition strike a balance between wake boats and other lake users?

The petition does not seek a ban on wake boats. “If adopted, the proposed rule would balance the enjoyment of the ... sport with the need to limit these activities to appropriate water bodies...."

A passion for pollinators and more

Use Zoom to attend the first class in series called "gardening with native plants to bring back the animals that we love."

With skill and strategy, Thetford robotics teams qualify for world championship

Besides being an engaging challenge, robotics contests are a way to invest in the future.

It’s always spring at Talking Well Farm

To many, “life is not complete without flowers.”

Logging and carbon sinks

Forests are getting a second look, not as a source of wood products but as buffers against climate change

Town of Thetford, police union reach agreement

Among other things, the police officers will be issued with body cameras that will be used in compliance with state mandates.

Post Mills landfill - solar power to the people

Or in this case, to out-of-state utilities that are still burning fossil fuels.

Church puts on Extravaganza Talent Show with high tech help

In spite of the logistics involved in holding a public event in a pandemic, “the show must go on” — safely.

Grain farmer seeks land

Much of the good land, and even marginal land like “lowlands” or “wet meadows” (all former wetlands), is taken up by dairy and haying, its sister operation.

The Clean Heat Standard – a proposed route to reducing emissions in the fight against climate change

At present, heating buildings with fossil fuels like oil, propane, and fracked natural gas accounts for 34% of Vermont’s climate-warming carbon emissions.

The case for using herbicide in Lake Fairlee – Milfoil then and now

In 2009, with strong public backing, the LFA started the lengthy permit process to treat the lake with herbicide.

Route 132 rebuild - by the numbers

"A good rule of thumb is that every mile of road costs at least one million dollars to repave." – Roadbotics.com

Chad Finer - documenting musicians of the Upper Valley, and Thetford

Every day he continues this remarkable labor of love, editing one more recorded tune and posting it on YouTube

Let it glow! A sampling of festive lights in Thetford

Midwinter lights to drive out darkness and welcome in the new year.

The Police Chief and the clock tower

The clock in the steeple of Timothy Frost has to be reset after every power outage, a job the Chief of Police has taken on.

Emerald ash borer is coming to Thetford. Does the Town need a plan?

The Town Manager's proposed budget cuts the contribution to the Town Tree Fund by 50%, leaving enough money for the removal of one, maybe two, trees.

An action plan for Lake Fairlee’s faltering health

We'll be expecting the final report around May 2023.

Many parties help to restore a floodplain in Post Mills

Majestic silver maples may once again preside over the rise and fall of floods.

A bountiful deer season, but are ticks, COVID part of the picture?

While deer evidently spread COVID among themselves, the odds of a hunter contracting COVID from a deer seem minuscule

Recycling and the plastics challenge

What happens to the plastics brought to Thetford Recycling?

Fire Ponds are part of our essential town infrastructure

Thetford has 27 fire ponds, many of which were built in the 1960's.

Long-time Listers Diane Osgood and Janet Stowell retire

We will greatly miss the expertise, judgment, and experience of these dedicated, long-time public servants.

Front Porch Concert series embraces new talent and moves indoors

This unique combination may well be the first ever performed for these instruments.

Easing the housing crisis with regional zoning modernization

Thetford is joining with Bethel, Hartford, Randolph, Rochester, Strafford, and Woodstock.

Can the Climate Council Deliver? Selectboard and School Board sign petition

Who is the Climate Council and what does this petition mean?

Private water companies look for a municipal plan

They're hoping for an engineering assessment of potential and existing water systems in Thetford's villages.

Town Hall eyes the challenge of climate change

The Town can set an example others should follow, because, let’s face it, time is running out.

A maintenance plan for gravel roads

Gravel roads are where a large part of the Thetford population lives.

Conservation of Town Forest land is well-deserved

AT&T predicts the tower could be complete by spring of 2022.

Honoring Brian Boland; experimental hot air balloons fly again in Post Mills

It's only when you make a ballon yourself that you know it intimately.

Post Mills Labor Day parade in memory of Mike Pomeroy and Brian Boland

A photo essay.

Training your local bear

We are both omnivores.

The language of road cracks informs a five year repair plan

The amount of road deterioration from one pass of a tractor-trailer is equivalent to that from 9,600 passenger cars.

August goes out with another front porch concert

Something is happening here beyond what we think of as “world music.”

Grain farming, with a twist, returns to the Upper Valley

The fine sandy loam soli at Birch Meadow Farm makes it possible to grow spring wheat.

A new wave of tick-borne diseases

Unlike Lyme disease, anaplasmosis is lethal in roughly 1 out of 200 of cases

Flood regulations; why and wherefore

The Selectboard will hold a hearing on August 23rd to consider updated flood regulations.

Laughter, love and tears at Brian Boland's memorial gathering

There is no life or death, it all exists on one continuum

A spotlight on culverts

Only 51 culverts in Thetford were rated as “Poor."

Give "LakeWise" a chance on Lake Fairlee

Will Treasure Island lead the way?

Thetford to receive $264,965 from American Rescue Plan Act

The funds will be distributed in two installments in 2021 and 2022.

Latham Library opens today

Open without appointment, Monday through Thursday, and Saturday.

Front porch concerts - a high five lineup on July 25th

Free form jazz on the front porch at 1590 Tucker Hill Road – bring your own chair.

Brian Boland will be remembered

Brian fell to his death from a hot air balloon on Thursday evening.

Wakeboarding boats are making waves on Lake Fairlee

Strong waves from passing wakeboats pose a serious threat.

Flowers - lest we forget

Today the Memorial looks appropriately respected and honored as the tradition of care lives on.

Town excavator idled for now

It seems likely that the excavator will continue to sit at the entrance to Asa Burton Road at least through the weekend, until Doosan sends the right part.

Selectboard approves second year of Regional Energy Coordinator

Thetford is represented by Erica Ko, who was appointed by the Joint Town/School Energy Committee last year.

Town baited by biodiesel rap

Sadly, many towns were sent the misleading biodiesel article because they use the VT-Local Roads Listserv.

The Post Mills Montague Dam removal project

Ron Rhodes said that the schedule for the project is not yet fixed. It could possibly start this year, but could also be postponed till 2022.

Festive installation of Sayre Bridge signs

The bridge itself is thought to date from about 1840 and is unique in having a “Haupt Truss with kingpost” structure.

Lake Fairlee phosphate - too much of a good thing

The problem - phosphate levels in the water have been steadily climbing.

Selectboard almost returns bicyclist safety grant

The objections were mostly along the lines that they would spoil the scenic look of the road, were “urban,” and might not work.

African harp will grace next Front Porch Jazz Series presentation

Wednesday, June 16th at 1:00 pm

EXPECT DELAYS: Route 132 reconstruction project gets underway

Residents will be able to sign up for a service that will send automated text updates, details to be announced.

From logs to lumber (in pictures)

Ellis Paige operates a private sawmill and transforms trees he harvests from his own land into valuable lumber.

It's not too late to pull garlic mustard

Garlic mustard is the epitome of an invasive plant and a very aggressive spreader.

Clean-up day at Treasure Island

The gates at Treasure Island were open on Saturday May 22nd, but not for lakefront recreation.

Will Relicensing of Three Hydroelectricity Dams Help With River Bank Collapse and Fish Passage?

The joke among river scientists is that topsoil is the Upper Valley’s biggest export.

Front Porch Music Series Welcomes Groundbreaking Jazz Tuba Player on Memorial Day Weekend

All four musicians are well-recognized jazz improvisors and composers

Thetford’s trash and the long haul

Maybe “one of the best landfill sites ever considered in Vermont” has trash in its future after all.

A Most Successful Green Up Day

The actual weight of the trash collected is still to be announced.

Get Better Bones - there’s no time like now

An informal group of residents are meeting at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the beautifully redecorated Thetford Center Community Association (TCCA).

Sounds of Spring; Free-Form Jazz coming soon to Tucker Hill

An offering of respite from the pandemic in the form of outdoor, socially distanced entertainment.

Automotive EV-olution; A family auto repair business stays current in the changing world of automobile technology

Watson’s is “in the people business, where we happen to fix cars.”

ANR examines proposed tower site for ecological impacts

Vermont recognizes the value of its forested ecosystems.

Cedar Circle teams up with local seed-savers to restore rare cabbage

The alarming loss of diversity in vegetables and other crops is prompting gardeners to start saving their own seeds, especially of rarer heirloom varieties.

A Bike for All Seasons

Jonas Cole's experience in helping participants on outdoor trips feel prepared has translated easily into showing clients how to use equipment like the eBikes he rents out.

Water woes in Post Mills (Part 2)

Will the Post Mills landfill get a new owner?

A Store is Born (or ... re-born)

Cameron Gregory hopes he can be “half as good as Mike Pomeroy” at running the store and being involved in the community.

Water woes in Post Mills (Part 1)

During the 1980s when the state was closing landfills built without an impervious liner, the landfill in Post Mills continued to accept trash from around the state. It too is an unlined landfill.

2021 Sugaring Season: average or bust?

Both Jessica Eaton and Donn Downey agreed that maples are under stress.

The Mystery of the Shrews

It is still a mystery why the shrews in my yard died. They had almost made it through the winter.