HARDWICK – As Vermont governor Phil Scott signed the first U.S. legislation banning the toxic herbicide paraquat into law last week, Emily Lanxner, a founding member of the Vermont Poison and Pesticide Action Network (PAPAN) said work on this bill was a struggle similar to previous legislation protecting humans and[Read More…]
Paul Fixx
Ducharme promoted to road crew foreman, board opposes Act 181 road rule
WALDEN – May was a busy month for the Walden Select Board with meetings on the fourth, the eighteenth and a special meeting on the twentieth. Following its executive session at the May 20 meeting, the board offered the Walden Road Foreman position to Bill Ducharme, who accepted the position.[Read More…]
The Hardwick Gazette’s 2025 Impact Report
The Hardwick Gazette had an impressive year by almost any standard; by the end of 2025 we had doubled the 16 pages that were standard when Northeast Kingdom Public Journalism (NEKPJ) became its publisher in January 2024. We now average 30 to 32 pages with an occasional outlier running to[Read More…]
Caja Madera opens smoked barbecue joint
HARDWICK – Chef Bryan Palilonis opened his Hardwick BBQ for the first time on Wednesday, May 20, next door to the Caja Taqueria at 154 Vt. Rte. 15 in Hardwick, and quickly sold out. The barbecue joint was closed Thursday, with the Caja Madera Facebook site reporting, “We SOLD OUT[Read More…]
Daily Express cuts back to print three days each week
NEWPORT – In a story May 17 titled, “Big Changes Coming at The Newport Daily Express,” the daily newspaper explained they planned to cut back beginning May 25 and “begin publishing our print editions on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday each week.” The expanded Tuesday, Thursday and Friday editions “will deliver[Read More…]
Hardwick Kiwanis Club Spring Festival Parade and SpringFest
Town forest funded, voter engagement explored
HARDWICK – Voters gathered for three hours at a special town meeting in the Town House last Tuesday to debate and vote on two articles. For the second time town voters approved providing $25,000 toward the estimated $700,000 cost of acquiring roughly 329 acres of land to become a town[Read More…]
Towns develop creative solutions to address voting accessibility
HARDWICK – Following a special town meeting last Tuesday, the Hardwick Select Board is charged with creating a process to “maximize engagement and democracy and to maintain an amendment process at town meetings.” Coming after extended debate where many made the case for secret Australian balloting, while others made similarly[Read More…]
MVU budget passes
AREA TOWNS – Voters passed the third offering of the Mountainview Union Elementary School District (MVU), May 20 in a vote by 612 members of the district’s four communities, with 361 in favor and 251 opposed.Turnout exceeded the second vote in April,.but fell short of the Town Meeting Day turnout[Read More…]
Legion honors memory of deceased, fallen comrades on Memorial Day
HARDWICK – Memorial Day ceremonies for Hardwick’s American Legion Post 7 began downtown as an honor guard and several dozen community members marched to the North Main Street.bridge over the Lamoille River. There post Chaplain Lynn Sweetser-Bessette prayed for departed comrades and a wreath was deposited into the Lamoille River[Read More…]
AG Clark takes enforcement action against unregistered residential contractor
MONTPELIER – Attorney General Charity Clark announced her office filed a lawsuit against residential contractor Jesse Reeder of Montpelier based on a complaint involving a homeowner in Hardwick, for failure to register under Vermont’s Residential Contractor law. Since 2023, residential contractors have been required to register with the Secretary of[Read More…]
Burtt’s amendments pass as Tier 3, Road Rule scraped by House
MONTPELIER – Amid this legislative session’s turmoil over Act 181’s land use revisions to Act 250, adding three tiers and a road rule, and the turmoil of an extended floor debate last week, Rep. Greg Burtt (R-Cabot) scored a win for Republicans. His two pro-farm amendments to Senate bill S.325,[Read More…]
