Merchants Row
To Get Facelift
By Pamala Yerrington

The Randolph Selectboard heard good news Monday night in the form of a $45,000 grant from the Vermont Downtown Program, as reported by Town Manager Peter Butterfield.

The matching grant will spruce up Merchants' Row streetscape with new lighting and sidewalks. This grant allows some of the match "in kind" so the town's cash portion of the match will be about $30,000.

Butterfield also reported a follow up meeting has been held to review Randolph's opportunity of acting as a pass-through administrator of a $750,000 community block grant to a New Hampshire medical incubator.

The Herald previously reported on this in September. The deal would potentially mean $375,000 in revenue for Randolph over the long term.

The recent meeting included Julie Iffland (RACDC), Ty Handy (Vermont Technical College), Michael Quinn (Commissioner of Economic Development), Neal Fox (GMEDC), and representatives from Dartmouth Hitchcock. Butterfield said that he is now waiting to hear from Michael Quinn on the state's intentions and will report back as information is made

No Sculpture

After discussion the Selectboard determined the Town would have to pass on adding sculpture to the new bridge.

Larry Townsend summed up for the board by expressing thanks to Jim Sardonis for his proposal, but noted that necessary monies are not available to pursue this proposal at this time. Sardonis had appeared before the board earlier this year, giving them a presentation of his concept with models and scale drawings of bronze fiddleheads.

Fuel Efficiency

Peter Butterfield reported that the committee had visited the town's three fire stations with Efficiency Vermont.

Budget recommendations will be made for repairs to East Randolph Community Hall, furnace replacement for Randolph Center and roof repair for the West Village.

Fee Increases

A package of program fee increases to users of recreation programs was unanimously approved by the Selectboard.

The Boys & Girls Club contract was unanimously approved.

Damon Lease also thanked Dawn Butterfield for her help in the contract and program process.

Other News

The selectboard approved the write-off of slightly more than $22,000 in loans to the Randolph Cooperative Market as unrecoverable debt.

The settlement of the assets of the now-extinct Co-op covered only the amount owed to the bank.

The board also acted to renew East Randolph's Village Designation, approved the release of $2000 in funding to the Orange County Sheriff, and renewed a cemetery mowing and maintenance contract.