WVTK Local & State News December 3, 2010

State transportation officials say work is nearly finished on the underpinnings of the new Lake Champlain Bridge. New York state Department of Transportation officials gave an update on the $70 million project yesterday. The installation of the six massive steel shafts for the bridge's in-water support piers is wrapping up. A seventh pier on the Vermont shoreline is finished. Construction of the steel superstructure is set to begin this month and the bridge is expected to open by early October 2011 as planned.

The cleanup continues today after Wednesday's wicked weather. Homeowners are still dealing with downed trees and property damage, while crews will spend the day trying to get the power back on for thousands. At the peak of the storm, 35-thousand customers were without power. Crews say it could be days before everyone is out of the dark.

A Pittsford man is behind bars after police say he went into a Rutland City home and Tased the man who lives there. Police say Jason Bessette and the victim were in an ongoing dispute over money. He's charged with simple assault and burglary and is being held until he's arraigned.

Change is coming to the Hannaford Career Center here in Middlebury. Over the past few years enrollment in adult education programs at the technical center has declined. They are now looking at creating a series of “institutes” that are grouped together and would offer a specific core of training with a certificate at the end. Part of the goal is to make the offerings more desirable to students and potentially make students eligible for financial aid other than from current non-degree funding sources.

A nonprofit group has been working for the past several years to establish an “Addison County Dental Center” in Middlebury. They are now looking to partner with an organization trying to establish a Federally Qualified Health Center in Bristol. It’s a partnership that boosters believe could provide one-stop shopping for medical, dental and mental health services for county residents who are uninsured or cash-strapped.

Former state Sen. Gerry Gossens of Salisbury may have retired from the Legislature six years ago but is now a member of the Vermont Apportionment Board, a seven-member panel that will redraw House and Senate district lines. The panel will take into consideration the new census numbers that is consistent with the Constitutional standard of one-person-one-vote.

Shoreham voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, December 7, to pick one of two possible makeovers for their town offices or decide not to make any changes at all. Around 100 residents gathered on November 29th to hear presentations on two options for replacing the current municipal office building on the town commons. The current offices were built in 1962 as a one-person set-up.

The tentative 2011 Essex County budget now contains a 9.5 percent tax hike, which is down from 14 percent as of November 15 and 30 percent the week prior. But whether the hike is low enough for the majority of the county board remains to be seen. County supervisors stripped about $560,000 in equipment costs from the budget Monday morning.

Vermont's incoming governor is giving school districts more time to make a total of $23.2 million in budget cuts outlined in legislation passed this year. Gov.-elect Peter Shumlin is telling schools he doesn't expect them to achieve the total savings this year considering the state is getting $19 million in federal stimulus money for education.

As lawmakers look for ways to cut the nation's budget, the Deficit Reduction Commission is recommending the F-35 fighter jet program be scaled back or even scrapped, which would be bad news for Vermont. The Vermont Air Guard had been a top candidate to host the new jets when they went into service.

Vermont's Governor-elect, Peter Shumlin, along with several other newly elected governors, sat down with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden yesterday. Shumlin was one of 23 newly elected governors who attended the meeting. Governor-elect Shumlin has chosen the State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding to be his Administration Secretary.

A national report says Vermont has eliminated all of its high school "dropout factories." That translated to 604 more Vermont students graduating from high school, the 3rd greatest improvement in the nation. The report from America's Promise Alliance defines a dropout factory as a high school where fewer than 60% of students who started as freshmen remain enrolled four years later.

The winners in three Vermont legislative races have prevailed in recounts. But in one race, Democrat Sam Young beat incumbent Democrat John Rodgers by just one vote for a House seat representing Caledonia and Orleans counties. In Franklin County, incumbent Republican Peter Perley prevailed over Progressive Cindy Weed. Republican Tom Burditt beat Republican Richard Norris for a Rutland County seat in Tuesday's recount.

Eighty more Vermont National Guard soldiers are back home after a yearlong deployment, which included about nine months in Afghanistan. A plane carrying the Vermonters arrived at the Burlington International Airport yesterday.

Tomorrow marks the Holiday Kick-Off Weekend for A Very Merry Middlebury! Watch Santa Arrive By Fire Truck over the Cross Street Bridge and up Main Street at 9:30 AM. You can then visit with Santa from 10AM – 12:30PM at Middlebury Community House. Other activities that day include Horse Drawn Wagon Rides, the Hot Chocolate Hut, Free Gift Wrap Service for any gift purchased in Middlebury, Nativity Scenes from around the world and so much more! WVTK will even provide the soundtrack all weekend beginning Friday at 2PM with Continuous Christmas Classics! Get more info now here!

Christmas will arrive in Port Henry tomorrow. That's when the Town of Moriah Chamber of Commerce will host its 21st annual Moriah Midnight Madness. Midnight Madness will take place 1-6 PM and feature store sales, giveaways, street vendors, music, fire truck rides for the children, candy, face painting, balloons, games and more. Santa will arrive on a Port Henry Fire Department truck and will meet with children and adults on Main Street.

The annual Holiday in Hague will be held tomorrow. Sponsored by The Hague Chamber of Commerce and the town of Hague the event will be noon to 4 PM. The town businesses and community organization will offer a variety of things on sale from Christmas trees to hand crafts, to boutique items, to gifts for children to purchase and wrap. A holiday parade will be held at 2:30 p.m. featuring community groups and "Dressed up Doggies."

For the next few weeks, residents of Port Henry, Westport and Elizabethtown will start to see little blue markers on storm drains around their towns. The Westport Central School environmental science class is installing storm-drain markers. Students have been learning about what each of their households can do to help keep storm water clean. These markers are a reminder to the community that if we all take responsibility to practice good household habits we can keep our waterways healthy.

People have an opportunity to get a warm feeling while staying warm this winter. Avery Energy of Crown Point is donating 1 cent for every gallon of heating fuel it sells to residential customers this season to the Ronald McDonald House in Burlington. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Burlington is a "home away from home" for families with seriously ill children who seek treatment at Vermont Children's Hospital at the Fletcher Allen Health Care Facility. The promotion will continue indefinitely.

A fresh Vermont Christmas tree can be had for just $5 if you're willing to cut it yourself and maybe do a little hiking. Permits are available to cut down Christmas trees in the Green Mountain National Forest. The $5 Christmas Tree Removal permits can be purchased at Forest Service offices in Rutland, Middlebury, Manchester Center or Rochester.