CORNWALL — Only a few months after settling the longstanding question of what to do with the old Lavalley store building (it will be removed), Cornwall citizens must now consider the future of another historic structure: School house No. 5, located on South Bingham Street.
The old school building, currently unused, needs roof repairs, according to Cornwall Road Foreman Stu Johnson.
Officials are considering whether shingles, slate or some other material should be used in repairing or replacing the roof.
Cornwall was among area communities affected by a major rainstorm last May 29, resulting in significant damage to Clark Road, which had a substantial washout and culvert damage. This damage forced some resident of the road to have to access their homes via either Route 74 or Route 30. A substantial culvert project is in the works.
The selectboard has hired a contractor to install outdoor lighting at the town hall property. The project, to cost up to $3,000, will include two lights to be installed on poles that will illuminate the town hall building and related parking area. Photo sensors will control the lights.
A local group of history buffs will be scheduling a series of events to mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
Meanwhile, the planning commission continues to prepare an update of Cornwall’s town plan.
In school news, Bingham Memorial School directors have decided to increase the student lunch cost to $2.25 and bump milk to 40 cents, effective this fall. The increase is being driven by the fact that the school currently loses 26 cents per meal, according to school officials.
As previously reported in the Addison Independent, Bingham Memorial may soon host a solar array project, for education and financial benefits.
PROPERTY TRANSFERS:
•  S.D. Ventures to U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation District, 153.5 acres off the west side of West Street, $132,810, April 11.
•  Estate of Arthur Blaise to Brian Blaise and Elsie Johnson, a home at 2529 Route 30, $96,000, March 27.
•  Alexander Chapin to William Amidon and Susan Parsons, a home at 351 Cross St., $183,000, March 29.
•  Adam and Rise Wilson to Alicia Romero and Rene Langis, a home at 86 Estelle Road, $414,00, March 7.
•  Thomas and Doris Bechtel to Booth and Naomi Hodde, a home at 287 Cobbs Corner Road, $417,000, March 9.
•  Green Tree Servicing to Jill and Stewart Hobbs Jr., a mobile home at 1011 Galvin Road, $45,000, Feb. 29.
•  Herbert Dalton Jr. to Eugene and Lillian Devlin, a home at 1634 Route 30, $315,000, Feb. 2.
•  Foote Farm LLC to Gregory Dennis, lot No. 17 (2.8 acres) Foote Farm Road, $74,500, Jan. 18.
•  William Porter and Martha Alexander to Joan Lynch, a home at 1363 South Bingham St., $285,000. Jan. 10.
Weybridge mulls town meeting change
WEYBRIDGE — Weybridge residents are being asked to weigh in on a potential switch of date and time for their annual town meeting.
As is the case in many other Vermont towns, the annual meeting in Weybridge is currently held the first Monday morning in March at 7:30 p.m., with Australian ballot voting the following day. Residents began the discussion of a possible time/date switch at the most recent town meeting last March. As a result, residents are being asked to respond to a short survey in this month’s Weybridge newsletter. Residents will be asked whether they want to keep the current time and date of town meeting; keep it on Monday, but start it earlier in then evening; convene at 9 a.m. on the preceding Saturday; or at noon on the preceding Saturday. Respondents are being asked to fill out the survey and turn it in to the town offices.
The Weybridge Energy Committee has been busy with several projects in the last several months. The panel has continued to help the town implement the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, which Weybridge endorsed on Town Meeting Day. It has also helped the town and the school look at installing solar trackers, and is looking for ways to get information about energy efficiency for residents of Weybridge.
A school steering committee is exploring the feasibility of creating a preschool program, as the town has been looking at ways to boost enrollment. Staff will research the idea this summer and report to the school board this fall.
PROPERTY TRANSFERS:
•  Anne Goodrich to Kenneth and Emelda Dahms, a home at 194 Pulp Bridge Road, $84,442, March 27.
Town office repair begins in Bridport
BRIDPORT — Exterior repairs are scheduled to begin this month on Bridport’s town office building. Officials have already budgeted $50,000 for the work, which will involve fixing rotting spots on the outside walls, replacing siding and installing new windows on the fire department side of the shared structure. It was last year that workers repaired the foundation to the building, which is a former schoolhouse. Town Clerk Valerie Bourgeois said construction will not interrupt business at her office.
“They will work around me,” she said. “We will still be open.”
Meanwhile, warm weather has made it perfect for the scheduled painting of the Bridport Masonic Hall.
The warm weather has also brought out mosquitoes. The selectboard recently appointed resident Russell Sherman to the Lemon Fair Insect Control District.
The town road department received delivery of its new loader, for which the town took out a $60,000 loan.
Bridport has forwarded its town plan update to the Addison County Regional Planning Commission for its review.
Bridport school directors  have been talking about the possibility of eliminating the 2:30 p.m. bus route in an effort to extend the length of the school day. The maximum length of the school day according to the current teachers contract is 6 hours and 45 minutes. The board is exploring the potential cost savings that could be derived from eliminating the 2:30 p.m. run and keeping students until the 3:45 p.m. run.
School board members and the selectboard have been discussing the potential of writing a joint community newsletter.
Improvements to the school playground continue. With work on the sand box complete, the next step will be a erecting a pavilion for shade and picnicking.
PROPERTY TRANSFERS:
•  John Cannon to Catherine S. Manegold 2012 Living Trust, 5.85 acres at 1372 Forrest Road, $60,000.
•  Equity Trust Co. to Triple “E” Farms LLC, 131 acres at 203 Route 22A, $273,000, Feb. 21.
•  Leslie and Jennifer Foshay to Triple “E” Farms LLC, 113.5 acres off Rattlin Bridge Road, $283,750, March 15.
•  D. Thomas Robillard to Shawn and Kimberlee Gero, a home at 1711 Route 125, $163,900, April 24.
•  David Miller to David K. Smith Jr., a home at 1786 Lake St., $150,000, April 24.
•  Patricia Thompson to Joseph Garafono, a home at 923 Torrey Lane, $55,000, May 4.
•  Nathan and Alice Leaman to Charles and Edith Sora, a home at 889 Torrey Lane, $120,000, May 17.
•  Barbara Cate Living Trust to Valhalla Acres LLC, a home on 40 acres at 915 Snake Mountain Road, $875,010, Jan. 13.
Reporter John Flowers is at johnf@addisonindepende