WVTK Local & State News July 16, 2010

Officials say it could take about a week to clean up the gasoline leak in the Neshobe River. Yesterday they discovered the source of the leak to be an old gas tank at the Mobile Station on Route 7. Until the river is clean, people and pets are advised to stay out of the water. The Department of Environmental Conservation says it's unlikely there will be any fines.

Originally both Vermont and New York agreed that the new Crown Point Bridge would not be a union-based job. Now Flatiron Construction, the company that's under contract to build the new bridge, has hired unions from both states to work on the project. Officials with Flatiron say that this is not just a union job; they are also looking to hire 20, non-union, general laborers.

Inter-Lakes Heath in Ticonderoga will now be affiliated with Fletcher Allen Health in Burlington. As part of the new affiliation, Fletcher Allen will provide some of the physicians at Inter-Lakes Health. Officials at Inter-Lakes Heath say they like the idea of being able to provide their patients the benefits of an academic medical center.

Middlebury voters passed a $3 million bond on Tuesday to support a mounting backlog of needed repairs to the town’s water system infrastructure. The work will take place during the next three fiscal years. The bond passed 65 – 28.

There could be more senior housing coming to Middlebury. One of the nonprofit developers of Middlebury Commons is planning another affordable housing project for seniors — this one in Middlebury South Village off Court Street.

Developers of the proposed Eastview at Middlebury retirement community are seeking $1 million in federal funds to leverage more financing. The 98-unit project is slated for land next to the Porter Medical center campus off South Street.

The five towns in the Addison Northwest Supervisory Union received their state educational property tax rates last week for the next fiscal year. The educational rates will remain stable relative to recent years. These rates typically make up about three-fourths of the towns’ total residential tax rates.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded the Addison County Community Trust just over $1.35 Million Dollars in grants to help finance a proposed 25-unit senior housing project off of Monkton Road. The grant was a key-funding component to the $5.8 million project that will be built adjacent to the Vergennes American Legion and the Shaw’s Supermarket plaza.

The 2010 Schroon Lake Tennis Tournament will be played in August. Players of all ages and abilities are invited. There are categories for singles and doubles, for children and adults, including century doubles and parent and child. The tournament will be held from Monday, Aug. 2, through Saturday, Aug. 7. The matches are played at the Schroon Lake town tennis courts. Application forms can be obtained at the Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce.

The 16th annual Addison County Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Golf Tournament was held on June 25th at Middlebury College’s Ralph Myhre Golf Course. The Chamber hosts this annual tournament to raise money that funds a $4,000 scholarship ($1,000 per year for four consecutive years) which is awarded to a graduating senior from the Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center. This year’s scholarship recipient is Alexa Clarisse, the daughter of Judi Ellwood of Salisbury. Alexa will be attending Purdue University this fall, majoring in Engineering. She has been very involved in athletics at school, participating in soccer, track and field and alpine skiing. She has done a great deal of community service, participating in Hands to Honduras, Special Olympics, Relay for Life, United Way Days of Caring, and Dragon Boats. She is also a member of the National Technical Honor Society and an excellent student in Hannaford’s Engineering/ Architectural Drafting program.

New campaign numbers are out in the race to become Vermont's next governor. Republican Brian Dubie has raised the most cash. And in the crowded five-way Democratic primary race, Deb Markowitz is working to cement her lead in the Democratic primary race for governor. She has raised the most of the five Democrats at nearly 524-thousand dollars.

Police and U.S. marshals spent the week checking up on Chittenden County's 288 registered sex convicts. They discovered 21 are missing. Some of the missing have been cited into court and police will apply for an arrest warrant if they cannot track others down. Face-to-face sex offender checks are required under the federal Adam Walsh Act.

State economists say Vermont's economy is slowly recovering. The economists say after several tough years, the state will start to see steady growth. They also claim tax collections are doing better and fewer people are out of work. Despite the recent improvements, next year's budget already has a 100-million-dollar shortfall.

A manhunt continues this morning in Lamoille County for a fugitive wanted on multiple warrants. Police spent much of yesterday searching a wooded area in Morristown, looking for Darren Bingham, who is wanted on domestic violence and other charges. The search for Bingham started with a chase in the Stowe area yesterday morning.

Clinton County legislators are once again bringing up the idea of abolishing term limits for themselves. They voted on the issue last year and it didn't pass. Legislators will be holding a public hearing on the issue July 28, and then vote on whether to put it on the ballot. If it passes, the motion would be on the ballot for the voters to decide later in the fall.