New Public WiFi Access at Town Hall Next to Old Fire Department and Post Office

There is a new public WiFi access point at the Town Hall (not the Town Clerks office) located on the exterior of the building. This new access point is very powerful and has a very wide broadcast range, extending many hundreds of feet in all directions. It can reach far up Cabot Rd, north and south along Rt 14, and to the school parking lot.

This is both good and bad news and gives the public many places where they can park and get a strong WiFi signal. This also applies to the bad guys that want to sit hidden someplace and monitor the public’s access to the WiFi and then pirate or steal information using software that’s readily available on the web.

To prevent this from happening the WiFi access point has to be password protected. There are multiple WiFi networks configured on the new Town Hall access point, all of which are password protected. The public WiFi network is called Town Hall and the password is:

townhall

in all lower case

Here’s the details on why a password is needed.

If the access point is open and does not require a password it would be like a party line telephone system, while the access point requiring a password would be like a private line telephone system.

I am old enough to remember my family having a party line (will any of you admit to being that old?), and anyone on that line could pick up their phone and listen in on any conversation on the line. The party line provided an unsecured single path to the phone company central office that was used by multiple subscribers.

The private line was a secure connection between each house directly to the phone company central office. No one could pick up the phone in their house and snoop on a phone conversation I was having in my house.

If we setup this new pubic WiFi access point without requiring a password that would be like using a party line telephone system. If we set it up requiring a password that would be like using a private line telephone system.

Unfortunately in today’s web based internet environment, cyber crime is pervasive. Given the range and speed of the new public WiFi access point, anyone with the right equipment and software, which is easily obtainable – can sit out of sight and undetected especially at night – and snoop or spy on an internet session if the session has been initiated without a password being required. Anything that a user was communicating in their internet session – personal or financial information, credit card numbers, or other private information – can be stolen by someone using spyware.

It is like being on a party line telephone system.

When a person logs on to the Town Hall network they will have to agree to a set of Terms and Conditions that says they will not use the network for illegal stuff and will behave. By agreeing, this will give the user an 8 hour license to use the network. This means that they will not have to sign in again in the current 8 hour period. Once that 8 hour period expires, they will have to log on and agree to the Ts & Cs again.

Also – security on this network is set up to prevent access to the dark web, pornographic websites, torrent down loaders, and other nefarious places on the web.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Enjoy the new Woodbury public WiFi access.

Skip Marchesani & Wayne Lappen
Town IT Team

From Saudia LaMont • State Representative, Lamoille-Washington House District

We Want to Hear from You!

Vermont’s education system is at a turning point, and as we work to create a sustainable, high-quality future for our schools, your input is essential. The Speaker’s office has put together a short survey to gather feedback from Vermonters on education reform.

Take a few minutes to share your thoughts on what’s working, what’s not, and what you’d like to see in the future. Your responses will help shape the conversations happening in the State House.

Feel free to share this survey with your friends, neighbors, and community members — every voice matters! If you have any questions or want to connect further, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Link to Survey is here.

Both the Hazen Union and Mountain View Union Elementary budgets for the coming fiscal year were approved in district-wide voting Tuesday, March 4.

Hazen Union budget of $9,092,308.11
YES 368, no 228

Mountain View Union Elementary budget of $8,973,600.32
YES 353, no 259

Bond of $1,200,000 to remediate PCBs at Hardwick Elementary School
YES 395, no 211

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At Woodbury Town Meeting, Laura Murphy was elected to the Hazen Union School Board.

At Mountain View Union Elementary’s annual meeting, Heather Meacham was elected to its School Board.

A summary of Town Meeting (unless otherwise noted, articles passed unanimously):

Outgoing Town Treasurer Brandy Smith received a standing ovation, thanking her for her 11 years of service.

– Stephen Murphy was re-elected Moderator.
– Robin Durkee was re-elected Town Clerk.
– Lilly Baron was elected Town Treasurer.
– Diana Peduzzi was re-elected to the Select Board.
– Sara Hedrick was elected as a Lister.
– John Reid was re-elected as an Auditor.
– Brandy Smith was re-elected Collector of Delinquent Taxes.
– Patti Garbeck was re-elected to the Cemetery Commission.
– Kimberly Winchell, David Barber and Tepin Delaney were elected as Library Trustees.
– Laura Murphy was elected to the Hazen Union School Board.

– All proposed budgets / appropriations were approved – for the Library, Cemeteries, Woodbury Volunteer Fire Department, General town operations, and Highways.

– All social services appropriations were approved, with one amendment that passed but not unanimously, which was to increase the appropriation for the Woodbury / Calais Food Shelf from $1,626 to $2,500 (despite Food Shelf Co-Director Carol Ray saying the increase was not necessary).

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At the Mountain View Union Elementary School District annual meeting, Heather Meacham was elected to the school board.