CHARLESTOWN — Construction work on Route 12 will resume on Monday in Charlestown and Walpole, N.H.
Motorists can expect to be delayed by one-way traffic and lane shifts during the rehabilitation and road widening project until late November or early December. The $14.8 million project — which includes 3 miles of Route 12, beginning at the intersection of Main Street in North Walpole to the intersection of Route 12A in Charlestown — has an end date of Aug. 7, 2021, according to a news release from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Signs and message boards will be used to point motorists in the right direction.
Lanes on Route 12A will be widened to 11 feet and shoulders on each side will be between 4 and 5 feet wide, according to the department. As part of the project, drainage and stormwater management will improve, utilities will be relocated and guardrails will be installed.
EAST THETFORD — East Thetford residents Jack and Terri Lyons recently donated a parcel of farm land to the Vermont Land Trust, which facilitated the sale of the land to Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center.
The land includes a 2-acre area farmed by Willing Hands, which provides fresh produce to food-insecure people throughout the Upper Valley.
“I am really happy to know that the farm is in the hands of Cedar Circle Farm because I have a lot of respect for the work they do,” Jack Lyons said in a news release.
Bob Linck, central Vermont director of the Vermont Land Trust, said that the donation ensures that the Lyons’ land will continue to be used for farming.
“Jack and Terri reached out to us a couple years ago, and described their hopes for the future of their rich and productive farmland,” he said. “The Vermont Land Trust already knew of the good work of Cedar Circle Farm, since we steward a conservation easement on their land just to the north. Learning that some of the Lyons property also benefited Willing Hands, it did not take long for us to begin working to help Jack and Terri permanently conserve it and facilitate its purchase by Cedar Circle.”
RANDOLPH CENTER — Vermont Technical College has hired Jason Enser as the new dean of students.
He replaces John (Jay) Patterson, who served as dean for six years.
Enser previously served as dean for student affairs at SUNY Adirondack Community College and associate dean of students at Clarkson University.
Enser said he came to Vermont Tech because of the college’s size, mission and the people. He hopes to create meaningful engagement opportunities that support student retention, including the development of a leadership program for students.
“I really value the education Vermont Technical College can provide to our students, as well as develop career-ready graduates to enhance the local workforce,” Enser said in a news release.
WOODSTOCK — Registration is open for the fifth annual Puppies & Pooches on Parade Dog Show, taking place Saturday, Aug. 31, from 10:30 a.m-noon on the Village Green in Woodstock.
The show is put on by The Friends of the Norman Williams Public Library, which uses the event as a fundraiser. This year, the money will be go toward updating the library’s HVAC system, a project estimated at $500,000.
The registration fee is $15 per dog. Registration forms are available at the library’s front desk, at the Yankee Book Shop on Central Street, or by emailing Peggy Fraser at fraserusa@att.net; they must be completed by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28.
ENFIELD — The winners of the quilt show put on by the Enfield Old Home Days committee have been announced.
June Marshall won the full size category; Jane Rippe won the lap size category; and Barbara Gifford won the mini category. All the winners are Enfield residents.
WELLS RIVER — Vendor applications are being accepted for the Wells River So Long Summer, Hello Fall festival, taking place Saturday, Aug. 31, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Wells River.
Booth space is $8, to celebrate the festival’s eighth year. Nonprofit organizations and groups providing information can register for free.
Applications are available at Baldwin Memorial Library in Wells River or by emailing wrapwr@gmail.com with the subject line SLSHF AP REQ. For more information email wrapwr@gmail.com or call Richard Roderick, festival chairman at 802-757-2708.
— Compiled by Kelly Burch