Mill St Bridge Closed

The Mill Street bridge in Ludlow, long a subject of question regarding its structural stability, was closed to traffic last week.

A state inspector examined the bridge at the town's request and determined it was unsafe for vehicular traffic.  A spokesperson for the Municipal Office believed the bridge would be a major item at the November meetings of both the Ludlow Select Board and Village Trustees.

As a side note, the weight limit sign from the Mill Street approach indicates the maximum allowed weight of a vehicle to be 3 tons while that on the Pleasant Street approach is listed at 2 tons.

Foliage Scene from Ludlow

Photo courtesy of Phil Carter

Cavendish Offers 2008 Calendar

The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association has announced that their “Cavendish Alive!” 2008 Calendar is available for purchase at locations throughout Cavendish. It contains twelve colorful, close-up pictures of nature scenes from throughout the town. Local photographers Winston Churchill and Hans Schrag collaborated to produce stunning photos that remind us just how beautiful our countryside can be. The calendars cost ten dollars each and are available at Crows Bakery, Singleton’s Market, The Village Clipper, Cavendish Pointe Hotel, and at Town Offices.

Ludlow Group Tours Paris

 

On Wednesday, October 10, the Almonds, Moores, and Paces flew to Paris for a full four days of sightseeing. It was a fun trip and for most of the participants their first view of the city of lights.

• Day 1 - we bought Metro tickets and wander up to the Eiffel Tower and had our first sidewalk cafe lunch near the tower as we dealt with jet lag. That evening we travelled to the Ecole Militaire area to enjoy a very small restaurant, P'Tit Troquet. It lived up to its name, the little cafe, as it could seat only twenty people. But it was most enjoyable as everything ordered was prepared from scratch.
• Day 2 - David and Darrah left early to catch a train to Normandy to tour the D-Day beaches and American cemetery, all of which they thoroughly enjoyed. The ladies and Ralph took a walking tour of La Marais (the marsh) section of the city to view the old homes and buildings used by the nobility. Pam, our guide, provided a detailed background to the history of the area. Following the walk, we stopped for lunch and then went to Musee de l'Orangerie to see Monet's huge oils of water lilies. The guys returned on an earlier train from Normandy so we went to an Italian restaurant then took a tour of Paris by night (the illumination tour) that was great. This was followed by a trip to the Moulin Rouge. After standing in line for an hour, we finally were seated, amongst the mob of other tourists, for a very long show. Got back to the hotel after 2 am.
• Day 3 - This was the day we saw virtually everything in Paris. We had arranged a private tour called the Best of Paris with Sophie, a sophisticated and charming young lady. Our itinerary included Notre Dame, the Lourve (with Sophie's fantastic narratives), lunch on a lovely restaurant boat as we plied the Seine, followed by a tour of everything imaginable in Paris from the Champs Elysee to the Place de la Concorde. Of course, the Eiffel Tower seemed to be everywhere we went. The evening concluded with a dinner at La Tour d'Argent.
• Day 4 - At Darrah's urgings, we set out on our own walking tour of the Ile St. Louis to discover an ice cream source that was famous. We had a pleasant walk throughout the area, enjoyed the ice cream (although we still think Ben and Jerry's is the top), and returned to the hotel to be picked up by Marie for a private tour of Versailles. Versailles was a magnificent experience with its beautifully manicured landscapes and majestic chateau. We enjoyed our "last supper" at Altitude 95 in the Eiffel Tower (photo above).

All in all, it was a great trip. Even the flights were tolerable. Some of the photographic highlights of the long weekend in Paris are available by clicking here.

Graham Quits Vermont Journal

Leo Graham announced Thursday, Oct 4, that he had quit as editor of the Vermont Journal (VJ), a weekly newspaper located in Ludlow, owned by Robert Miller and covering the Black River area. Graham made his announcement on the weekly airing of the channel 8 TV news show, That Was The Week That Was.

In explaining why he quit the VJ, Graham indicated that publisher Miller had agreed to certain salary and editorial conditions requested by Graham only to have Miller renege on them. In his letter to Miller announcing his resignation, Graham said, "I have concluded that I cannot continue to work with you in any capacity. I believe you to be both dishonest and dishonorable."

Graham proceded to detail a series of salary agreements allegedly agreed to by Miller that were subsequently ignored or unilaterally changed by Miller. He also noted that Miller had compromised the editorial integrity of the paper by demanding that news releases from advertisers be given preference to more legitimate news.

Miller issued the following statement to the Black River Reporter, "I am very sad that Leo is leavening [sic]. He has taken the Vermont Journal to the next level. Having him leave is like losing my right hand. Him [sic] knowledge of the players in the Black River Valley was enormous and will be greatly miss as his jokes."

This represents the third change in the editorial leadership of the VJ since its initial publication start in Ludlow in late December 2006. The paper, originally printed as the Vermont Journal in the Stowe area, saw Ralph Pace as its original editor in its Ludlow start-up followed by a consortium of writers under Miller before Graham assumed the helm in the Spring of this year.

BRAT Offers Bug Hunt

submitted by Black River Action Team

Summer's over, it's too cold to swim, the river is empty...or is it?  From 2pm till 4pm on Saturday, October 13th, take a closer look!  The Black River Action Team invites everyone to a Bug Hunt ~ explore the realm beneath the waves to discover a wide assortment of critters and to learn a little about how the bugs can give clues about water quality.  The Bug Hunt takes place (rain or shine) on the bank of the Black River, behind the Springfield Community Center in the Welcome Park.  Located behind and below the Center, park there or on the street, walk down to the river behind the Center, and follow the narrow path.  No experience or supplies are required, the BRAT will provide all materials.  This event is being held in conjunction with World Water Monitoring Day, so Girl Scouts can work toward the "Linking Girls with the Land" patch from the Bureau of Land Management.  To learn more about Water Quality Monitoring Day, visit www.worldwatermonitoringday.org; the website for the Patch is www.epa.gov/linkinggirls.   Contact Kelly Stettner, BRAT Director, for more information about the Bug Hunt at [email protected] or 802-885-1533.

Ludlow Property Transfers Updated Through September

Click here to access Ludlow Property Transfers updated through September 2007.