2026 Woodbury Town Meeting
by Nataliya Zahn
Tire disposal, new fire dept plans nixed
by Raymonda Parchment
CABOT – Two articles that were heavily discussed on social media prior to town meeting did not receive enough votes to pass.
Article 12, asking voters to grant the Cabot Conservation Fund a sum of up to $10,000 for the removal and disposal of used tires that have been dumped at a property in lower Cabot by the property’s previous owner, failed to pass on a voice vote .
Also failing was the non-binding advisory Article 13 that asked voters to approve the construction of a new Volunteer Fire Department building at 2466 Main Street.
Walter “Skip” Bothfeld was elected to a two-year select board seat and Fred Ducharme to a three-year seat. Other town officers elected were Brittany Butler as town clerk for the next three years; Jason Monaco as school director for two years and Ellen Cairns, school director for three years.
Town meeting results are now available at cabotvt.us.
550 vote on Town Meeting Day
by Paul Fixx
CALAIS – In Australian balloting on Town Meeting Day Teegan Dykeman-Brown won the town clerk spot with 545 of the 550 votes cast. Jordan Keyes and William Davis will fill select board spots and Toby Talbot will serve as lister.
Appropriations pass easily
by Raymonda Parchment
CRAFTSBURY – All articles taken up by residents in-person at the Craftsbury Town Meeting last Tuesday passed by wide margins with six or less no votes in all cases.
Operating expenses for the town are projected to come to $1,116,584 in FY27, begninng July 1, 2026. Voters approved raising $723,471.86 in taxes to cover the noin-revenuw balance.
Fire department operating expenses of $72,500 were also approved.
Eight Craftsbury activities and expenses totaling $33,800 were approved as a block to cover $2,500 for the block party fund, 8,000 for cemeteries, $7,000 for the conservation fund, $10,000 to pay stipends to fire department volunteers, $3,500 for the recreation committee, $500 for the energy committee, $800 to the energy committee and $1,500 to the village improvement society.
The community care center received $14,500, the library $50,500 and Saplings $6,000 as a single vote
Fourteen additional appropriations received a total of $53,794, with the largest allocation of $27,852 to the Hardwick Rescue Squad, followed by $5,000 to the Hardwick Area Food, $4,500 to the Greensboro Nursing Home, $4,200 to Orleans Essex V.N.A & Hospice, $3,500 to Rural Arts and $1,500 to the John Woodruff Simpson Memorial Library
Other organizations receiving less than $1,500 each include AWARE, Green Mountain Farm to School, Lamoille County Mental Health Services, Lamoille Family Center, Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging, Northeast Kingdom Human Services, NVDA and Rural Community Transportation.
Taxes will be due on July 15 and September 15, with the balance due on November 15 to avoid interest.
Craftsbury Old Home Day will be Saturday, Aug. 8.
The following individuals were elected as town officers; James Jones to a three-year select board seat; Tom Boyle as lister; Ann Ingersol, auditor; Mike Martin, cemetery commissioner; Rudy Chase, trustee of public funds; Bruce Urie, WWII Memorial Fund Trustee and Jeannine Young as moderator for the coming year.
Complete Craftsbury Town Meeting results are available via craftsbury.gov.
Town meeting less contentious, Smith’s receive Greensboro Award
by Raymonda Parchment
GREENSBORO – Like last year’s town meeting, the proceedings began with the discussion of a letter, as well as some complaints. The recipients of the annual Greensboro award were revealed to be residents Cilla and Nat Smith, introduced by Mike Metcalf. Both are long-term residents and have contributed much to their community.
Cilla, a founding member of the Greensboro Ladies Walking Society (GLWS), also arranges flowers weekly for services at the United Church of Christ. She also organizes and leads the weekly bone builder’s exercise group, among her many other activities. She is listed as this year’s town tree warden. For many years, she compiled the “Green Sheet” calendar of summer events around town, biking around to gather information. She is a deacon with the United Church of Christ, and regularly helps with pancake breakfasts and church suppers.
Nat too was noted for his several positions serving the community. Former president of Mountain View Country club, he was referred to as the current “czar” of the men’s scramble. He is the current Secretary of the Greensboro Land Trust, as well as vice-chair of the Development Review Board, as well as serving on the board of the Greensboro Fire District No.1., and on the board of Hardwick Electric Department. He also organizes weekly bridge games, now online post-pandemic, with regular players in Greensboro, Hardwick and in several other states.
The following individuals were elected as town officers: Mavis MacNeil, moderator; Judy Carpenter, three year select board seat; Ellen Celnik, two-year select board seat; Kim Greaves, town clerk three years; Mike Cloutier, collector of delinquent taxes, one year; MacNeil, cemetery commissioner, three years; Jan Terwiesch and Carol Reynolds were both elected library trustees with three year terms.
Town meeting results are available via greensborovt.gov
Augeri wins select board seat in write-in balloting
by Paul Fixx
WALDEN – Walden’s Town Meeting last Tuesday, began with the election of Carolyn Greaves as moderator, after which the town and highway budgets passed without discussion.
In Walden’s Australian balloting, 125 of the 783 registered residents cast ballots. Jon Augeri won a seat on the Walden Select Board with 22 write-in votes against 14 other write-in candidates, including Bob Hatch with three votes and others with less. Seats for two cemetery commissioners and a constable remain open and will need to be appointed by the select board.
Other elected officials are Listers Emily Varvir and Dia Michaud, also the collector of delinquent tax; Auditor Judith Clifford; Library Trustee Sarah Augeri and Cemetery Trustee Daniel W. Mencucci.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
Most town positions filled in Australian balloting
by Raymonda Parchment
WOLCOTT – Two hundred thirty-five of the 1,228 Wolcott voters cast Australian ballots in Town Meeting Day voting, with 49 absentee ballots cast.
Joe Hester-Ingram was elected moderator; Linda Martin to a two-year select board seat and Michael Paradee for three years. Nicollete A. Leriche won a two-year term as library trustee and Edith Duff for five years. Derrick Lowell will serve four years as a cemetery commissioner and Lucien Gravel for five years.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
A lister and library trustee position failed to reach enough write-in votes to be filled and will need to be appointed by the select board.
Complete town meeting results can be found at wolcottvt.org.
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
