[Mark S.]

My wife met a lady from Richford the other day. The lady told her that this used to be an idyllic small town in northern Vermont, not far from the Canadian border. But in recent years the area (which is still very rural) has been infected with drugs, prostitution, and worse.

Anyone else know anything about this?

If true, is it true of the surrounding areas like Newport?

[vter]

Don't know about the prostitution (which I imagine is exhaggerated), but drugs are everywhere. Unfortunately no community is immune to drugs. Richford is a small rural community ON the Candian border. There is/was some small industry there, but the town is isolated enough that a commute anywhere else would be a bear.
Newport is a nice lakeside community. Not a whole heck of a lot of industry. The State has a fairly large office there. Sherbrooke is about 20 minutes north for nightlife and shopping. Montreal about 1.5 hours.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by vter

Don't know about the prostitution (which I imagine is exhaggerated), but drugs are everywhere. Unfortunately no community is immune to drugs.

That's true. But there's a difference between a town where there are drugs (which is everywhere) and a town where there is a drug problem. People using drugs in the privacy of their own home and minding their own business aren't really a problem most of the time. But when people are serious addicts and are burglarizing, robbing, or engaging in other illegal activities to finance their habit, then the town has gone beyond just a "drug" problem.

Do you know if this has become serious up north?

I have no idea. I'm just repeating what a local resident told us and would like a second opinion.

[DaisyM]

The thing about small town locals is they tend to exaggerate simply because they don't know what a real drug problem or whatever is. I grew up in a small town in VT and am probably relocating from upstate NY to Richford. I wouldn't worry about what she said. When a lot of people hear "drug problem" or prostitute, they get images of inner cities, kids selling on the streets, etc. This woman could have easily just seen or heard about a few kids who are doing drugs and some girl who is easy. I sincerely doubt there are drugs on every corner, women selling themselves everywhere, graffiti on walls....you get the point.
I feel I should warn you though. A lot of teens in rural towns do drugs. Not heroine or coke or anything, but a lot smoke pot and drink, simply because there's not much else to do. I don't think they cause much harm at all because they're just doing it in someone's basement or something where nothing can really happen. Like I said, they're just bored. You'll find that in any rural area. But with drugs everywhere, being in a small town can be an advantage since everyone knows everyone else and if someone sees your kid, they'll probably scold and lecture him/her themself and let you know what they saw. I'm probably going to go look at it within the next week, so I'll let you know more about it.

[ab8mi]

I am new to Vermont (been here a few weeks) but my job takes me into all parts of Northern Vermont including Richford and Newport. Before that my job took me into Detroit on a daily basis. Drugs are indeed a problem in any community but in Newport and Richford your family and mine could safely walk the streets anytime day or night.....try that in Detroit. That may give you some perspective.

[DaisyM]

Well I finally got to visit Richford, and we're moving this weekend. We looked for houses to rent when we were there and we asked people working in different stores and gas stations. I have never seen a town so full of helpful and kind people. Everyone knows everyone and we received numerous phone numbers of people renting. In fact, my husband asked the people he will be working with to keep their ears open for any places for rent. Then someone who knows someone working there heard we needed a place. They'd had a house for sale that they put a lot of time and money into, but decided that they could rent it to us instead since we needed it. I didn't see a single prostitute or even a "sketchy character". It's a dream come true.

[Suzet2262]

Originally Posted by DaisyM

Well I finally got to visit Richford, and we're moving this weekend. We looked for houses to rent when we were there and we asked people working in different stores and gas stations. I have never seen a town so full of helpful and kind people. Everyone knows everyone and we received numerous phone numbers of people renting. In fact, my husband asked the people he will be working with to keep their ears open for any places for rent. Then someone who knows someone working there heard we needed a place. They'd had a house for sale that they put a lot of time and money into, but decided that they could rent it to us instead since we needed it. I didn't see a single prostitute or even a "sketchy character". It's a dream come true.

Congrads Daisy, I wish you and your family well on your move. My family and I are coming out in Oct to do some house hunting. We will be looking in the Manchester, Dorset area, and possibly Bennington.

[mirandathornton]

There are plenty of drugs and alcoholism in Richford. It's ridiculous to say there's nothing to do when you can go to Burlington and Montreal, plus tons of skiing. Some women prostitute themselves for drugs. There was news about prostitution in Burlington. The 23 year old woman was renting a hotel room with guys coming in and out of her room. Someone reported her and apparently the man she was with admitted to giving her $200 for sex. Prostitution has been around forever, nothing wrong with it unless the woman is doing it and it damages her or underage prostitution. Some countries have sex slaves, forced to do it. That's wrong as well. If it's kept under wraps so women aren't walking the streets propositioning.