Town concerned about illegal dumping of used hypodermic needles

NEWFANE — During the roads report segment of the Dec. 21 Selectboard meeting, the roads crew alerted the board to a new scourge on South Wardsboro Road: someone has been dumping used hypodermic needles in a pull-off area on the Newfane portion of the road.

According to the report, read by board member Dennis Wiswall, the roads crew had to clean up the needles three times so far.

The roads crew asked the Selectboard to do something about it. One suggestion was to ask the Vermont State Police to increase patrols along that road.

But, Wiswall noted, with a slight hint of irony, that catching the perpetrator is like “finding a needle in a haystack.”

Instead, Wiswall recommended temporarily installing a game camera at the dump site to catch the hypo scofflaw.

Members of the Selectboard agreed that publicity generated by mentioning the crime at the meeting, where it will be broadcast on Brattleboro Community Television, might deter future incidents.

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