WVTK Local & State News March 27, 2012

Tonight the Town of Middlebury will hold its regularly scheduled Select Board Meeting at 7PM in the Town Offices Conference Room. Highlights on the agenda include comments from local citizens, an update on the Middlebury River Planning & Restoration Project, a report on the final meeting of Group of Five with recommendations on Tasks & Schedules going forward and the award bid for design of the Grit Drying Bed for the Wastewater Treatment Facility. Complete details can be found on the Town Of Middlebury’s Website.

Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras has called a special meeting for Tonight on a proposal for a drug treatment center in Rutland. Louras says he wants the board of alderman involved in the decision making process. Though a public meeting was held last November, Louras says this meeting is designed to allow the board to hear from state and medical officials on the status of their proposed Park Street location and for the board to air their concerns. He says though there is an immediate need, he doesn't want the decision making process to be rushed. The meeting is open to the public, but the Mayor cautions there won't be a public dialogue. He plans to schedule many public forums on the topic as plans develop further.

State Police have made an arrest in connection with last week's drive by shootings in Pittsford. Police say 31-year-old Zebulon Washburn of Pittsford was the driver during the shootings and he had two passengers. According to court documents, someone recorded a conversation with one of the passengers during which he gave information about the shooting. Records also state that same passenger was recently kicked out of a band by the Plains Road resident, whose blue car was shot at. No connection is mentioned about the two houses that were targeted. Washburn plead not guilty yesterday to charges of reckless endangerment and aiding in the commission of a felony.

The town of Monkton has selected a town flag to be dedicated on the town's 250th anniversary this summer. On Town Meeting Day, voters weighed in on their top three favorites of five designs chosen from a larger pool submitted by community members. Mount Abraham Union High School art teacher Linda Reynolds created the winning design. It depicts farm fields, mountains and ponds. Reynolds’s design was the first choice for 70 percent of the voters, and was in the top three for 89 percent of those who chose to vote. The flag was not part of the official Town Meeting Day ballot, but two-thirds of residents still weighed in. People in Monkton will be able to order their own town flag for the anniversary celebration on June 24th, and the design will also be turned into a postmark for that day.

Essex County lawmakers debated whether it had been legal to ask for new bids for the Horace Nye Nursing Home after the first offers had already been received. However the county's broker for possible sale of the Nursing Home didn't wait for final approval to seek new bids from those three firms. It instead went to the three bidders, each of whom previously bid the minimum $4 million asking price, and solicited higher purchase amounts. Although it won approval Monday from the Board of Supervisors, the county resolution to seek higher bids is still in preliminary stages and needs a final vote at the board's regular monthly meeting on April 2nd.

There have been new developments in the case of the missing St. Johnsbury woman, 33-year old Melissa Jenkins. The Vermont State Police announced they have discovered the body of a woman they believe is Melissa Jenkins. The body was found in Barnet. Police say the area where it was found had been disturbed, but they would not elaborate. Police say they will wait for an autopsy today before confirming the identity of the victim. Jenkins vanished Sunday night. Her car was found running near her St. Johnsbury home with her two-year-old sitting in the back seat. Police say there was evidence of a struggle.

A rise in crime has state police warning families in Franklin County to be high alert. Thieves are targeting homes on rural roads in broad daylight. Police say the criminals are taking a real risk targeting homes during the day that could have stay-at-home parents or kids at home, but when they find an empty house they are making off with almost everything they can carry out of the house. Police say they suspect low-level local criminals are responsible for the day time break-ins. It's important to note these types of break-ins are happening all over the state, not just in Franklin County.

A popular community recreation area in Rutland is finally back open after being severely damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. The Meadow Street facility, which houses a playground, softball fields, basketball and tennis courts, is back up and running but officials say the soccer fields are still a work in progress. The area was decimated when a nearby river overflowed its banks last August and was covered in a thick coating of mud. Many of the fields were washed away and playground equipment was damaged. The cleanup is expected to cost well over 60-thousand dollars and officials hope to see some reimbursement from FEMA.

New York's Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have quietly agreed to some of the budget bills they hope to pass this week. Three massive budget bills were submitted just before midnight Sunday so they could "age" as required over three days to allow public review before they are voted into law. The $132 billion budget is due by midnight Saturday.

Vermont Yankee is operating at reduced power due to problems with its condenser. The plant was at 94 percent power Monday and has been reducing power ever since last Wednesday when problems first appeared. The condenser has created problems at the plant before. It's scheduled to be replaced some time in 2016 at a cost of $150 million. Engineers are currently working on a short-term fix.

Leaders at the two largest medical centers in the Champlain Valley say it's time work more closely together. CVPH and its affiliate, Elizabethtown Community Hospital, want to form an affiliation with Fletcher Allen partners. CVPH could provide primary care training and experience to UVM medical residents. That could, in turn, lead to more hiring opportunities. An affiliation would also make each member part of a larger network, which would provide more resources and buying power. They expect the affiliation to clear in about nine months if all goes smoothly.

Fans of President Barack Obama are counting down to his visit to Vermont on Friday. But Preparing for a presidential visit is both an honor and a top-secret headache for local law enforcement. The South Burlington police are working with the U.S. Secret Service to ensure President Obama's visit Friday runs smoothly. Although the chief could not confirm the logistics, it's expected that the president will fly into Burlington International Airport before making his way to the Sheraton Hotel and the University of Vermont.

A Vermont judge has rejected the latest challenge to a breath analysis machine used to determine whether a driver has been under the influence of alcohol. Superior Court Judge Robert Bent of Newport ruled the DataMaster DMT machine was properly approved under Vermont Health Department regulations in 2010. The Burlington Free Press reports Bent turned down a motion to exclude the breath-alcohol tests against 18 criminal defendants in Orleans County.

Two properties covering 680 acres have been added to the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont. The stretch of the Deerfield River in Readsboro will link three previously unconnected parcels in the forest, conserve wetlands and wildlife habitat and offer new public access for recreation. It includes nearly 100 acres of wetlands, two miles of streams, and beech, birch, maple and conifer stands. There's habitat for black bear, deer, moose, turkey, beaver and migratory waterfowl.

As of yesterday there's good news for New York-bound airline passengers. Delta Airlines is adding 100 additional flights in and out of LaGuardia International Airport. That includes flights to and from Burlington. Delta is investing $100 million to expand its services at the LaGuardia. Once work is complete, the airline will have 26 gates at the airport.

Middlebury Union Middle School’s Drama Club is gearing up for the production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, an entertaining musical based on the 1964 children’s book. The stage version of the book first appeared in the 1980s, plus two popular film versions have been released since the 1970s. The school will stage its production at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury on Wednesday April 11th. This is a unique multidisciplinary arts venture that spans the school’s drama, music and language arts programs.

The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers and the Forest Service have officially closed all snowmobile trails after a winter of little snow and nearly a week of summer-like temperatures. VAST has posted an historic photo of a car traveling through mud on its website saying the season has ended. The Forest Service said Friday that it works together with VAST to maintain 472 miles of national forest system trails that are part of the statewide snowmobile trail system.

A Crown Point woman has written a book about her memories as a child growing up in Port Henry. Jean Arleen Breed has authored “Paper Girl — A Nostalgic Look at Port Henry During the 1950s and 1960s.” The book is expected back from the publisher in April and will then be available locally. A portion of proceeds will go the Sherman Free Library in Port Henry. She believes the book will be especially entertaining for people who lived in Port Henry during that time period.

The third concert in Brandon Music’s benefit series for the Compass Music and Arts Center will take place this Friday at 7:30PM in the Brandon Congregational Church. This Chamber Music Program will feature Paul Orgel on piano, Flutist Laurel Ann Maurer, and Cello Virtuoso John Dunlop. Friday evening’s program of chamber works includes music by Prokofiev, Martinu, Villa-Lobos, and Haydn. With a varied selection of familiar and new music, this concert will appeal to a wide audience. For ticket information and to learn more about CMAC, visit www.Brandon-Music.net.

The Central Vermont Music Festival brings classical music to the Green Mountain State every summer, but this year some of its youngest fans are getting a sneak peek. Monday afternoon the common space at the Wellspring Waldorf School in Tunbridge was filled with classical musicians sharing their craft. The concert for kids from pre-school through grade eight was put on by Peter Sanders, the creator of the Central Vermont Music Festival. At yesterday's special show they were sharing favorites including Mozart and Bach.