![by Gabrielle Gervais LOWELL — At 15 years old, lifelong NEK resident Jake Swanson already knew what he wanted to do for a living. Naturally, it involved a chainsaw. He used one a lot as a teenager growing up in the area, mainly to cut up firewood. “I kind of just started hacking away at a sculpture one day, and kept going, and kept going, and I was able to make a living out of it.” He recalled that first […]](https://bartonchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/sculptures-dragon-dpi-72-1400x912.jpg)
![by Joseph Gresser ORLEANS — Vermont parades almost invariably save fire engines, with their lights flashing and sirens blaring, for the final act, finishing up the lineup. Not so on Saturday, when a parade wound its way through Orleans. It had shiny red engines in front, in the middle and at the end of the procession. That was fitting, as the parade was held to honor the one-hundred-and-fiftieth birthday of the Orleans Fire Department. Much of that department’s origins are […]](https://bartonchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/orleans-fd-1938-LaFrance-engine-cmyk-dpi-72-1400x912.jpg)
![by Joseph Gresser NEWPORT — U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders made what, for him, at least, was a flying visit to Newport Friday afternoon. Vermont’s senior senator was at the Gateway Center for one of his annual visits with local seniors, but untypically, he spoke and answered questions for less than an hour. Senator Sanders explained he had been invited to speak at an event being held to mark the sixty-third anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington led by Martin […]](https://bartonchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/bernie-in-newport-canada-cmyk-dpi-72-e1788362650657-1400x900.jpg)
![by Gabrielle Gervais MORGAN — In positive news: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings draw quite the crowd at Morgan Country Store. On the downside, select board member Larry Labor says it’s causing traffic concerns for both pedestrians and vehicles passing by on Route 111. “They’ve made an arrangement to use the church parking lot, and that seems to be working well. But therein lies your problem: crossing the road,” Mr. Labor said. Plus, he said, once the country store’s own […]](https://bartonchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/morgan-select-cmyk-dpi-72-1400x912.jpg)
Stunning wood sculptures from a Lowell artist
by Gabrielle Gervais LOWELL — At 15 years old, lifelong NEK resident Jake Swanson already knew what he wanted to do for a living. Naturally, it involved a chainsaw. He used one a lot as a teenager growing up in the area, ma... More »
Orleans Fire Department marks a century and a half
by Joseph Gresser ORLEANS — Vermont parades almost invariably save fire engines, with their lights flashing and sirens blaring, for the final act, finishing up the lineup. Not so on Saturday, when a parade wound its way throu... More »
Senator Sanders pays a visit to Newport
by Joseph Gresser NEWPORT — U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders made what, for him, at least, was a flying visit to Newport Friday afternoon. Vermont’s senior senator was at the Gateway Center for one of his annual visits with local... More »
In Morgan, good times cause traffic trouble
by Gabrielle Gervais MORGAN — In positive news: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings draw quite the crowd at Morgan Country Store. On the downside, select board member Larry Labor says it’s causing traffic concerns for b... More »
