All Entries in the "Grafton" Category
Iberdrola offers ‘partnership’ payment to Grafton voters
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Iberdrola Renewables is offering the registered voters of Grafton a minimum $428 annually in “partnership” payments should its pared down 24-turbine ‘industrial wind farm be built on the Stiles Brook property that straddles Windham and Grafton. EXCLUSIVE: Iberdrola sweetened the pot, but Windham residents stirred it. On Wednesday […]
Iberdrola sweetened the pot, but Windham residents stirred it
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Following the rollout on Tuesday of Iberdrola Renewables’ “sweetened deals” to the towns of Windham and Grafton, there were outcries that the Spanish wind company was “bribing” and “buying votes.” (See also, Iberdrola offers Grafton voters ‘partnership’ payments) However, the new proposals, which eliminated four of the 20 […]
Grafton board officially sets wind vote for Nov. 8
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 – Telegraph Publishing LLC The Grafton Select Board on Monday night voted unanimously to make Tuesday, Nov. 8, the date for the townwide vote on the Iberdrola wind project and also adopted the same language that Windham adopted for its vote. Registered voters in the Town of Grafton will be able […]
Iberdrola cuts number of turbines in Windham, ups its financial packages
By John Hoover and Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC At its much anticipated meeting with Windham residents on Tuesday, Oct. 4, Iberdrola Renewables has changed its industrial wind proposal by cutting the number of turbines planned for the Town of Windham from 20 to 16 and raising the benefits package from $715,000 to $1 […]
Grafton Planning Commission won’t present draft Town Plan to Select Board on Monday
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Grafton Planning Commission will not be presenting a draft Town Plan at the Monday, Oct. 3 Select Board meeting as the board had hoped, a development that Select Board chair Ron Pilette called “very disappointing.” The board has considered the Town Plan — even a draft — […]
Iberdrola schedules residents’ meetings in Windham, Grafton
©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Iberdrola Renewables has invited Windham and Grafton residents to two meetings next week that it will hold in their communities. The meetings, according to Iberdrola communication director Paul Copelman, will “present changes to the project footprint and to the community benefits package.” Residents will learn about the revised plans to both […]
Grafton board changes direction, shoots for wind vote on Nov. 8
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a surprising change, the Grafton Select Board now believes it may be able to hold a formal, binding vote of registered voters on the proposed Iberdrola wind project to coincide with the presidential election — Tuesday, Nov. 8. The Spanish wind company is proposing to construct 28, […]
Grafton board says formal vote on wind project to occur in late 2016, early 2017
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC On a 3-to-1 vote, the Grafton Select Board agreed on Tuesday night to tell Iberdrola, the Spanish wind company, that it would not be ready to hold a vote of registered voters on the company’s controversial wind project until late 2016 or early 2017. This formal vote is […]
Grafton begins crafting wind survey, sets up wind info panels
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Monday night’s Grafton Select Board meeting could have gone the way of many meetings in the past few years, turning into a pitched battle of finger-pointing and legal arguments, but board chair Ron Pilette wasn’t having it. Pilette moved the meeting forward, setting aside an ongoing ethics complaint […]
Grafton 2nd homeowners given voice in wind poll
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC After a long discussion, punctuated by comments from first- and second-homeowners alike urging that the Grafton Select Board act, the board on Monday night approved going forward with a nonbinding poll to find out how all town residents and taxpayers view the proposed Iberdrola industrial wind project as […]
Grafton group seeks to sway Chester board against wind project
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The July 20 Chester Select Board was a presentation-rich environment, with information on an impending townwide reappraisal and an offer to donate the north shore of the Rainbow Rock swimming hole to the town. The longest, however, was a PowerPoint presentation by opponents of the wind project […]
Candidates for lt. gov., governor talk industrial wind power, citizen input at Grafton forum
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The small crowd gathered before even one candidate entered Grafton’s White Church on Monday night got the biggest treat of the day, when young Ripley Schemm practiced a solo soprano performance with one of the world’s most famous arias. Accompanied by his father on piano, Ripley, who is […]
Pilette, new chair to Grafton Select Board, moves wind info-gathering forward
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Monday’s Grafton Select Board meeting was a long one made up of fits and starts as Town Attorney Robin Stern attempted to instill order in what has habitually been easily-derailed proceedings. She was largely successful, thanks to newly elected Select Board chair Ron Pilette, who despite his own […]
Turner wins Grafton Select Board seat; opponent Dougall hospitalized before polls open
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Grafton voters went to the polls today and elected John Turner to a Select Board seat left vacant by the resignation of Gus Plummer. But the voting developed an unexpectedly sad tone just before the polls closed this evening as word got out that candidate Don Dougall had […]
Burglars hit Grafton Garage
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The Vermont State Police in Rockingham are investigating a break-in and burglary at the Grafton Garage at 21 Route 121 in Grafton. Police responded to the burglary report this morning and say the crime was committed overnight. A small amount of cash, three checks and a digital camera were stolen. […]
Grafton board hopefuls offer two views of government, wind project
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC In what was promising to be a stormy Thursday night – at least outside – about 75 people gathered at the White Church in Grafton to hear from two candidates who hope to be elected to fill the unexpired term left by Gus Plummer’s resignation in mid-May. That […]
Grafton town attorney sees ‘no violations’ in Sands’ meeting; suggests use of Iberdrola-funded escrow account
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Grafton town attorney Robin Stern, in an email to Town Administrator Emily Huff and copied to Select Board chair Al Sands and Town Clerk Kim Record, says that she has found no violation of the Grafton Code of Conduct on Sands’ part in meeting with Iberdrola Renewables and […]
In an agreeable meeting, Grafton board sets election date, foregoes bid process on winter sand
By Cynthia Prairie ©Telegraph Publishing LLC Monday’s Grafton Select Board meeting was a quiet and quick affair. With only three of four board members present — chair Al Sands was away — vice chair Skip Lisle moved through the long agenda relatively quickly. It would likely have been a longer meeting if, as suggested by […]
Sands may have violated Grafton Code of Conduct in meeting Iberdrola
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Grafton Select Board chair Al Sands may have violated the town’s two-year-old Code of Ethics by meeting with representatives of international wind industry company Iberdrola Renewables. That possibility was brought up on Thursday, May 26, at Town Hall, during a special Select Board meeting held for the purpose […]
Improper warning forces rescheduling of Grafton special meeting; Sands questioned on meeting with Iberdrola
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC What was supposed to be a special meeting of the Grafton Select Board to begin — and maybe even fill — the vacancy left when Gus Plummer resigned exactly one week previous turned into an informal session in which new Town Administrator Emily Huff plead mea culpa for […]
