Each year, as we prepare our Year in Review, we look back at the significant stories in the 16 towns we cover. In some cases, the summaries you’ll see today and Thursday will offer the backstory on events that will unfold in the months ahead. 

Chief among them is the Conval reconfiguration. After receiving a recommendation from Prismatic Consulting, the School Board has decided to develop a warrant article calling for the closure of four schools: Francestown Elementary School, Dublin Consolidated School, Pierce School in Bennington and Temple Elementary School. 

It is a decision that encompasses numerous issues: under-enrollment, taxation, educational opportunity and equity, the proper size for a school district, appropriate class sizes, town identity and attractiveness for people who may want to move to the area. The arguments have already begun, and likely will continue right up until the vote on March 12.

And because of the way the district’s Articles of Agreement are written, if more than one-third of voters say no, the whole process starts anew.

We wonder, too, if two long-running battles will come to a conclusion in 2024. Will neighbors opposed to Silver Scone Teas in New Ipswich be able to stop the business through one of their municipal or court appeals, or will they finally run out of options?

When will Hancock Inn reopen? 33 Main Street, LLC, bought the historic business in early 2022, with the intent of reopening after renovation this summer. Plans are bogged down over a dispute between the owners and the Zoning Board and the Hancock Historic District Commission about the proper building material for a fence. Perhaps a recent court decision in favor of the town will provide some impetus to move forward.

And, there’s a presidential primary coming up in January. This year’s first-in-the-nation primary carries the added feature of being in defiance of the national Democratic Party, which had scheduled the state’s contest for February.

For all the unresolved matters from 2023, 2024 will also be defined by things that are as yet unknown – the achievements, controversies, transitions, heartbreaks and triumphs that no one can predict.  Whatever they are, we at the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript will do our best to cover them and do all we can to keep you informed and our community strong.

Happy New Year.