WVTK Local & State News August 6, 2010

Both the towns of Ripton and Weybridge are seeing declining student enrollment in their elementary schools. Ripton school directors will be asking residents to weigh in with ideas on how to sustain the local elementary school through a declining enrollment. Weybridge officials will be doing the same with a series of public forums beginning in October. Both towns are keeping their options open.

Republican Mark Young of Orwell is returning to politics. He’ll be competing for one of Addison County and Brandon’s two seats in the Vermont Senate. He has been involved in public service since graduating from Champlain College in 1973 and has served as Orwell town treasurer for more than a quarter-century. He also currently serves as a University of Vermont trustee, and is a member of the boards of the Vermont Economic Progress Council and Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association.

Property tax rates will increase anywhere from less than 1 up to 5.5 percent in the five towns of the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union in the next fiscal year. The new rates will mean increases in taxes on residential properties valued at $200,000 ranging from $37 outside the Bristol police district to $304 in Starksboro.

Ferrisburgh selectmen this week took steps to open public discussion about the town’s possible purchase of one property and to list for sale a town-owned parcel next to the Agency of Transportation’s Route 22A commuter lot. The potential purchase that is subject to voter approval in November is of a home next to the town office building. The land lies south and west of the Grange Hall lot and also abuts Ferrisburgh Central School.

Officials with Addison County Transit Resources hope to soon start using an already-secured $2.85 million federal grant and move toward building a new headquarters on Creek Road. They’ve also applied for an additional $1 million to make the facility as energy efficient as possible.

The Bristol select board is considering what to do with the recently closed South Street Bridge. The town shut it down last week because of safety concerns. Three options the town could adopt to reopen the span were outlined at a meeting on Monday.

New England Woodcraft has bought the former Nexus building on Mount Pleasant in Brandon. Jeff Thurston of New England Woodcraft confirmed the sale on July 19. According to the new deed and property transfer papers filed with the Brandon town clerk, the Forest Dale-based company bought the 33,000-square-foot building for $340,000. The 2008-2009 assessed value of the property was $863,000.

Officials in Fair Haven and Castleton said this week that a proposal to merge their police departments is on hold but not off the table. The idea seemed to have picked up some momentum in the past year, with the towns creating a joint committee to study the idea. According to Chairman Ron Adams the committee had not met since early June and had no meetings scheduled.

Voters in Ticonderoga are getting the chance to switch from an elected to an appointed highway superintendent. The Town Council has voted to put the question on the November ballot. If voters pass the referendum, the switch would take effect January 1, 2012. The town is holding a public hearing next Thurday at 6 PM at the Ticonderoga Community Building.

The fungus that destroys tomato and potato plants is back in Vermont. UVM scientists say they found Late Blight on plants in 2 different backyard gardens in Lamoille County. Spores can spread easily in the wind and the disease spreads faster in wet weather. If you find Late Blight on your plants you should put them in a plastic bag and throw them in the trash.

Vermont Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders are praising the Senate's OK today of a jobs bill that includes $19 million to save teacher jobs in the state. The measure is up for a rush vote in the House. It could offset some of the cuts districts were told to make yesterday by the state.

FairPoint Communications has hired a lawyer with experience before state utilities regulators in northern New England. Patrick McHugh is being made a vice president with the telecommunications company, and will lead the utility's internal legal team in the region.

Authorities say a South Burlington teen helped avert a tragedy when he refused to get into a car with his mother, shortly before she was charged with DUI. Williston police say Nancy Contois' blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit for driving when she was arrested Tuesday.

Fort Ticonderoga's own Fife & Drum Corps welcomes the Seth Warner Mount Independence Fife & Drum Corps and the 3rd New Jersey Field Music Company tomorrow. The bands will perform individually throughout the day and will have several combined shows with a special concert at the end of the day. An abbreviated performance is scheduled for 7:30 Saturday evening at the Hancock House in Ticonderoga. Information on everything that is happing at the Fort and The King's Garden is available at FortTiconderoga.org.

While most of us are more aware of the environmental impacts of car emissions, it seems Americans are actually carpooling less often than 30 years ago. A new report shows a significant decrease in ride sharing in the last 30 years with the exception of a few states, including Vermont. Despite the national trend, more Vermonters are opening their doors to carpooling. In fact, the state program has more active members than ever before.

A few more details are coming out about the budget problems in South Burlington. The problem is the city pension fund, which is now about 9 million dollars short. The City Manager, Sanford Miller, says the former city manager and current assistant city manager, Denis Gravelin, knew about the shortfall last October but didn't tell the city council about it until a few weeks ago. Gravelin is now on administrative leave. Miller says everything is on the table in order to cut spending, from layoffs to cutting services to even tax increases.

The Winooski City Council will have the final say on what happens to a pit bull and its guardian. Police say in the last 2 years, the pit bull has bitten 3 people. Tony Frenette says his dog has never been super aggressive, just jumping up and nipping. The council can order punishment from a warning to actually having the dog put down, but for now, the city has ordered the dog be confined to its home, and muzzled if outside.

Clinton Community College is asking the county for about the same amount of fuinding as last year; however there will be a slight tuition increase. The tuition increase will be $30 per semester for full-time students. Part-time tuition will rise $2 per credit hour.

Police in Burlington are looking for a group of men that attached another man. Investigators say the victim was walking in the area of South Willard Street and Pearl Street early Thursday morning when 4 men approached him, assaulted him, and took off with his personal property. The victim was not seriously hurt. Anyone with information should call Crimes Stoppers.

The 3rd annual Festival of Fools is underway in Burlington, and runs through Sunday. It's all free, and on Church Street. It's a chance to see all sorts of street performers, from comedians and musicians to trapeze artists and even yo-yo experts. The organizer says the point is to remember the importance of fun and laughter. The festival got an early start yesterday with a free screening of the Charlie Chaplin classic silent film, "Modern Times."

The 29th Annual Champ Day will be held this Saturday in Port Henry. Champ Day will include sidewalk sales, street vendors, entertainment, children's games, pony rides and a "Champ Hunt" starting at 9 AM. The alleged Lake Champlain creature, "Champ," has been seen near Port Henry for hundreds of years.