WVTK Local & State News April 25, 2012

The memorial service for Sheriff Jim Coons will be held 11:00 a.m. on Monday, April 30 at Mead Chapel at Middlebury College with the reception immediately following at the American Legion Post on Wilson Road behind G. Stone Motors. There is NO PARKING area at the chapel. Public parking is provided at the Center For Fine Arts and at the Nelson Arena on Route 30 and at the American Legion Post. Shuttle vans/busses have been arranged to bring people from the parking areas to the Chapel. The Legion shuttle will run between 9:30 and 10 only. Please do not use Route 125 Hillside or Adirondack View for parking.

The Crown Point Central School Board will hold a special meeting at 7:45 Thursday morning in the superintendent's office. On the agenda will be the CVES budget vote and elections. The public is welcome.

Yesterday morning (April 24th) co-workers notified the Rutland City Police Department that James Patten did not show up for work Tuesday and this was highly unusual. Co-workers had located James Patten’s vehicle unsecured in the Price Chopper parking lot at the Rutland Shopping Plaza. He was seen last on the night of April 23rd at approximately 10:30PM. James Patten is believed to be despondent and suffering from depression. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Rutland City Police Department (802-773-1816) or the Vermont State Police. (802-773-9101)

Vermont Farm Tours is ready to roll on May 1st. Vermont Farm Tours is a culinary tour company that offers personal tours led by local food and wine expert, Chris Howell. Rooted in his experiences as a farmer, educator, and community organizer, Howell cultivates an authentic interest in local foods by immersing guests in the connection between taste, place, and producer. This year, groups of any size can enjoy a variety of engaging biking, walking, and van tours and guided tastings. Vermont Farm Tours has been in operation since 2009 and has won numerous accolades including recognition as one of Vermont’s 2011 Best Attractions by Yankee magazine. Call 922-7346 for more details.

The Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce 10th Annual Fundraiser Dinner and Auction will be held Friday, June 15th at Silver Bay YMCA (Gullen Lounge). You are invited to attend as well as be a sponsor of this wonderful event that supports the Chamber and their mission to serve, market and promote the Ticonderoga Area. The goal for this year is to have the Annual Fundraiser Dinner & Auction be the TACC premier fundraising event supporting the ongoing efforts of the Chamber. For details and to make your reservation today because space is limited, visit www.ticonderogany.com.

Ticonderoga could soon have a new department store. Stage Stores, Inc. is in discussions that could lead to the opening of a Peebles in the community. According to the company website, Stage Stores “brings moderately-priced, nationally-recognized brand name and private label apparel, accessories, cosmetics and footwear for the entire family to small and mid-size towns and communities across 40 states.” Ticonderoga supervisor Deb Malaney said she understands the company is considering placing a Peebles in the former Grand Union building located at the intersection of Routes 9n and 74.

Brandon Music on Country Club Road in Brandon will present Trio Balkan Strings this Sunday at 7pm. The concert is a part of the year-round weekly “Sunday Jazz” series hosted in the intimate Brandon Music Café. Tickets are $15 in advance, and $18 at the door. The trio is world-renowned for high-energy virtuosic performances that flow seamlessly from solo features to ensemble pieces, and include their own technique for playing with six hands on one guitar. For more information just visit http://www.brandon-music.net/sundayjazz.

The Vermont Ski Areas Association hired Sarah Neith as its new director of public affairs. Neith will work with Vermont ski resorts to strengthen winter tourism through Ski Vermont’s public relations efforts and the association’s youth and agricultural programs. She’s a 2003 graduate of the University of Vermont, has been a ski patroller in Vermont since 2004 and has a strong understanding of the sport and mountain culture.

The North Country Community College Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Steve Tyrell to serve as the college’s sixth president, effective June 15th. Following a nationwide search, the Presidential Search Committee and the Board of Trustees interviewed four candidates. The Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution at a special Board meeting held yesterday appointing Dr. Tyrell as President.

The House is expected to vote later this week on a measure that would intervene in the Public Service Board's review of a proposed utility merger. Critics of the deal between Green Mountain Power and Central Vermont Public Service have focused on $21 million in ratepayer funds that bailed CVPS out of financial trouble a decade ago.

A Rutland newspaper publisher is throwing his hat into the ring in the race for governor. According to the Rutland Herald, Roy Newton will challenge state senator Randy Brock in the Republican primary. Newton publishes both the Rutland Sun and the Lakeside News. He has never held elected office.

The 2012 road construction season is off to an early start thanks to warmer than usual winter. Work on Route 302 in Barre is the largest and most disruptive project in progress in the state and will continue through the summer. Big paving projects will also mean delays this summer on Route 7 between South Burlington and Charlotte and on Interstate 89 between Richmond and Waterbury.

The Vermont Senate has passed stage two of Vermont's push to get as close as it can to a universal, single-payer health care system by late in this decade. By a 20-7 vote, the Senate approved a House-passed bill that sets up a regulated health care marketplace, or exchange, and requires employers with 50 or fewer workers to either enroll their employees in the exchange or let them do so on their own. In the House meanwhile, lawmakers gave initial approval to a bill designed to increase transparency in the health insurance industry. It requires insurers to report annually on what percentage of claims are denied and to make top executives' salaries public.

Sweet 16 doesn't just come with a driver license anymore it now comes with the ability to save a life. Vermont became the 39th state in the country yesterday that allows 16 year-olds to donate blood. The Red Cross estimates that about one thousand more people will be donating every year. According to the bill, teens will not need parental consent.

White River Junction's mail processing center is no longer on the short list for possible cuts. The news comes as the Senate is considering legislation to save the U.S. Postal Service from bankruptcy. Sen. Bernie Sanders called the announcement a major accomplishment, speaking from the Senate floor where they debated dozens of amendments to comprehensive postal reform. Sanders says he expects the Senate to pass reform by the end of business today, however the House may prove to be more of a challenge for the reform bill.

Court records say a Vermont woman charged in the death of Melissa Jenkins has provided DNA samples to police. The Caledonian-Record reports the samples were obtained from Patricia Prue at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Center on April 18th. The 33-year-old Prue and her husband, 30-year-old Allen Prue of Waterford are charged in the March 28th death of Melissa Jenkins of St. Johnsbury.

It's on to the desk of Governor Peter Shumlin for an education bill that had been sought by him and at least two predecessors. The measure changes the title of Vermont's top education officer from commissioner to secretary. The bill also allows for the governor to pick a candidate form three nominees suggested by the state Board of Education. Currently, the board picks the state's education chief.

Backers of marijuana decriminalization have failed in their effort to bring the measure to the full Vermont House for a vote. The measure had been held up in the House Judiciary Committee, with House Speaker Shap Smith opposed to it. The bill called for someone caught with an ounce or less of marijuana to be punishable by a civil fine of $150.

State police say a Vermont inmate facing charges of sending threatening letters to Governor Peter Shumlin has been accused of attacking and seriously injuring another inmate in a fight. Police said 21-year-old Dakota Gardner allegedly attacked 19-year-old Ryan John on Monday inside the prison in Springfield. Correctional officers and medical staff administered life-saving measures to John, who was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

New York police are stepping up enforcement on cell phone use during their Operation Hang Up campaign. According to a press release, police issued more than 150 tickets in the first 12 hours of the campaign. The total number of tickets issued so far in Essex County this year was 46. Governor Cuomo signed a law in July 2011 making the use of a handheld electronic device a primary traffic offense. This allows law enforcement to stop motorists solely for using their cell phones. The penalty was also increased from two to three points.

The Tenth Annual North Country Spelling Bee is scheduled to take place at the Harrietstown Town Hall in Saranac Lake this Saturday. Registration begins at 9:30AM and the Spelling Bee begins at 10:00. Everyone is invited to join in the fun! Spellers compete in teams of two: two adults, an adult with any-age student, or two students 12 years or older. Created and organized by Literacy Volunteers of Essex/Franklin Counties, this event will generate proceeds through team sponsorships to fund free educational programs for adults, children, and families. If you want to have fun as a speller or sponsor other spellers, please call Literacy Volunteers at Saranac Lake, 891-5567; Port Henry, 546-3008; or Malone, 483-9366.

The Independence Petting Farm in Orwell is offering free tickets to the farm to the first 20 visitors to arrive on Saturday May 5th. The petting farm, which has all kinds of animals including goats, pigs and even a baby lamb, will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The farm’s store also has fresh and canned goods for sale. The Independence Petting Farm is located at 134 Old Stage Road in Orwell. It is open from 8AM to 6PM every day. For more information, call 948-2429.

The Rutland Area Farm and Food Link will benefit from an all-day food event at Roots the Restaurant on Wales St. in downtown Rutland on Thursday. The event runs from 11AM to 9PM. The restaurant will donate 15 percent of sales and all tips to support Rutland Area Farm and Food Link’s work within the community. Local celebrities will be guest servers throughout the day. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 747-7414.