WVTK Local & State News May 8, 2012

The Vermont Attorney General's office and the Addison County state's attorney say a state police trooper who shot and wounded a man during a domestic dispute in Salisbury last fall was justified in firing his weapon. The investigation into the November 17th incident determined that 52-year-old Gerald "Dusty" Woodburn committed suicide by shooting himself after he had been wounded in the arm and abdomen by a shot fired by Trooper Lewis Hatch. When troopers arrived to investigate the domestic they saw Woodburn pinning a woman to a wall. Woodburn was shot after he pointed a handgun at the troopers. He then retreated to another room where he took his own life.

The next Town Of Middlebury Select Board Meeting will take place this evening at 7 in the Town Offices Conference Room. Items on this week’s agenda include Nominations & Appointments to Town Boards and Commissions that include the Development Review Board and River Task Force. There will also be an update on the Fire Facilities Project and year to date results as of April 30th from the FY2012 Budget. Additional information about most Agenda items is available on the Town's website, www.middlebury.govoffice.com, on the Select Board page.

You are invited to join the Addison County Chamber of Commerce tomorrow for a presentation on "Federal and State Health Care Reform: Major Changes and Impacts Coming Soon for Employers and Employees” The event runs from 8 – 9:30AM in the Community Room at the Ilsley Public Library. Cost is only $5 for Chamber members and $10 for non-members. Coffee and pastries will be provided. Get more information and RSVP to Sue Hoxie by clicking HERE.

Vermont State Police are currently investigating the report of a Burglary from an unsecured residence in the Town of Addison on Mountain Road. Approximately $1,000 in gold jewelry was stolen from inside the home while the homeowner was away. Anyone with information should contact the Vermont State Police Barracks in New Haven (1-802-388-4919). Vermont State Police are encouraging you to secure your homes while away to deter this type of criminal activity.

A public forum on the state’s ongoing efforts to implement a single-payer universal health care system will be held today in Rutland. Hosted by the state Agency of Administration, the hearing, part of a series of “listening sessions” is designed to gather public input on what health benefits should be included in the proposed health care system. The event, held in the Fox Room at the Rutland Free Library will run from 6 to 8PM.

Julie Berg of Middlebury won a national Rachael Ray-hosted Car Care Center Sweepstakes sponsored by Parts Plus/Sanel Auto Parts through County Tire Center on Seymour Street here in Middlebury. Berg’s grand prize includes airfare for two from Vermont to New York City, round-trip ground transportation, hotel accommodations, and dinner reservations.

In celebration of their town's 250th Anniversary, community leaders in Bristol have planned over two weeks of special events from June 9th through July 4th. The celebration will commence with Pocock Rocks on June 9th and culminate with the well-known Bristol Independence Day festivities on July 4th. These two celebrations will bookend a series of events to mark the long history of the town known as the Gateway to the Green Mountains. In addition to these special events, there will also be ongoing opportunities to learn about Bristol and its history.

Brandon Music Café in Brandon, Vermont, has been recognized as a 2012 “Editors’ Choice” winner in Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide to New England, on newsstands now. Termed the “newest British invasion” by Yankee Magazine, Brandon Music Café is open for lunch and afternoon tea from 11:30am to 5:30pm every day, except Tuesday. In addition, the Café now offers an Early Bird dinner special on Sundays, which includes a ticket for the Sunday Jazz series, for $25 per person. Enjoy the chef’s award-winning chili and cornbread as well as dessert before listening to world-class jazz. Reservations are required. Visit www.brandon-music.net for more information or to make a reservation.

Essex County lawmakers are being asked to OK a new low bid for a sprinkler system at Horace Nye Nursing Home. That price is $397,600 for both buildings at the county-owned facility, from Albany Fire Protection. The previous bid was from RBM Guardian Fire Protection of Albany, for $509,897. The county is under an order from the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to install a sprinkler system. The county could lose its authorization to accept Medicare/Medicaid patients if sprinklers are not installed by August 2013.

The Ticonderoga Montcalm Street Partnership’s is recruiting vendors for its 2012 StreetFest! StreetFest is an annual community celebration of arts and crafts, shopping, food, fun, entertainment, and family activities to bring people to Ticonderoga's historic Montcalm Street district. New events are being included this year and excitement is growing as plans come together. Registration is $50 per 10 x 10 space. If you want to join the fun as a vendor, check out the Ticonderoga Montcalm Street Partnership website www.timainstreet.org.

Three people were killed in a two-car crash on I-89 yesterday in Bolton. Vermont State Police say the three people who died were all riding in a car that crossed the median and collided with a pickup truck pulling a small trailer. The driver of the pickup truck was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The names of the victims won't be released until their families have been notified. The crash occurred at about 7:30AM Monday. Both southbound lanes of the interstate were closed until about 1PM. The investigation into the cause of the crash is continuing.

If you live in Vermont. get ready to pay more. Lawmakers passed several bills before the end of the session that will cost you more money for everything from driving to enjoying the outdoors. Fox 44's matt Austin has more on the increase in fees. Thanks to Vermont lawmakers if you need something from the state of Vermont you'll soon pay more. Take driving for instance. Registration fees for cars, trucks and motorcycles will go up. For cars, 64 dollars to 69 a year. With license plates, many people like to support a cause or show their personality. But vanity plates, which used to cost 38 dollars, will soon cost 45 a year. For those people who want to enjoy Vermont’s outdoors lots of those hunting and fishing fees are going up. A fishing license will jump from 22 to 25 dollars a year. All these little fee increases are a bit annoying to Vermont state senator Vince Illuzzi. "When you raise a tax or fee that only affects Vermonters, I think that's a bit unfair." Illuzzi says out of staters could help the budget by increases in the income and sales tax. But in this year of fee increases, Illuzzi says one tax is going away. "There's an expression that no good deed goes unpunished." That's because Illuzzi says last year dentists had to start paying sales tax on gifts they gave to patients including toothbrushes. But that tax is set to end later this year. While it means the state will lose about 40-thousand dollars it used to collect Illuzzi says that's a small price. "I think it sends the right message to the dentist who do the right thing. Many of the fee increases start in July. The rest at the end of this year or next year.

The FBI is working with the Vermont State Police and the Essex Police Department to search a Coventry landfill as part of an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of a husband and wife from Essex who have been missing almost a year. The office of Vermont's top federal prosecutor says the search of the landfill owned by Casella Waste Management is a follow up to a search last month of a location on Vermont Route 15 in Essex. Fifty-year-old William Currier worked at the University of Vermont and his 56-year-old wife worked for Fletcher Allen Health Care. They were last seen June 8. Police suspect foul play was involved in their disappearance. The Coventry search is expected to last from one to three weeks.

Construction is set to begin this fall on renovations to the Vermont state office complex in Waterbury. On Monday, Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law a state building projects bill that includes $12 million to begin the process of bringing up to 900 jobs back to Waterbury. The money is part of an $18 million Irene recovery package. Officials are hoping to add up to another $15 million in state money for the Waterbury project. The plan is to demolish some of the flood-damaged buildings, renovate others and then build a new flood-proof office building. The entire project is expected to cost close to $100 million. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state's insurance carrier are expected to make significant contributions to the final cost.

Voters in the town of Springfield are headed to the polls today to make a final decision on the school budget. The 27-million-dollar plan includes a 41-thousand-dollar reduction in administrative travel, along with cutting out paying for electronic aids such as iPads and Kindles. The proposed budget is about two-percent less than the original one defeated earlier this year at town meeting day.

Attendees at the Vermont Foodbank's annual conference are expected to hear that demand for the services of its anti-hunger programs are up by 15 to 20%. The Foodbank's executive director, John Sayles, says that at the same time, donations of food and money to the Barre-based organization are down. Sayles says food being made available by federal commodity programs has been reduced significantly. The result is the Vermont Foodbank is struggling to serve its network of 280 food shelves, meal sites, senior centers, shelters and afterschool programs. Advocates are gathering today at the Sheraton in South Burlington for the Foodbank's annual hunger conference.

New York's senior senator is hoping to preserve a tax credit aimed at helping the state's microbreweries. New York, like other areas, has seen an explosion in the last few years of small craft brewers. Until now, they have enjoyed an exemption from the state's excise tax. But a recent court decision ruled in favor of an out-of state brewer, that the exemption is unconstitutional. Senator Chuck Schumer says it's important to help the small breweries grow, expand, and make beer that's affordable. He's proposing a cut in federal taxes to offset the new state increase.

The Middlebury Arts Walk returns to our downtown for another season. This free event happens the second Friday of each month, from May to October, from 5 to 7PM. This year participants have a choice of taking a guided tour. Meet around 5PM at 51 Main and an experienced Arts Walk committee member will give a guided tour. Many new and familiar stores and businesses will stay open after regular business hours to support the arts in our downtown district. Walking maps are available at venues and online two days before the event. More information and links to the flyer can be found at www.MiddleburyArtsWalk.com or on the arts Walk Facebook page.

New York Heritage Weekend will be observed in Ticonderoga. The Ticonderoga Historical Society will mark the event during an open house reception Saturday, May 19th from 1 to 3PM at the Hancock House. Admission is free and discounts will be given on select items in the gift shop. New York Heritage Weekend is a statewide event highlighting heritage and cultural destinations throughout the state. Ticonderoga Arts, located downstairs in the meeting room at the Hancock House, will host a gallery preview during New York Heritage Weekend. The official Ticonderoga Arts grand opening will be in June.

The Living Green Expo will take place from 9AM until 4PM on Saturday on Route 7 in East Dorset. The Expo will have hands-on workshops, a plant swap, a community tag sale, a local food market, green games for kids, presentations, green vendors and clubs. The Living Green Expo will be held in the Vermont Renewable Fuels building and all profits will be donated to local charities. Admission is free. More information is available on the website at www.LivingGreen-EXPO.org.

What a difference a year can make. Just 12 months ago, Lake Champlain was at its highest level since records were kept, and that impact was felt hard by Burlington's Community Sailing Center, which had to postpone its opening. The sailing center credits the community for helping to get it back up and running. Organizers say they're confident this year will be a huge success. This year the Lake Champlain sailing center is ready to set sail on time, "We are opening Saturday, May 27th," said Nick Neverisky, Program Director, for the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center. Last year's record spring flooding forced the sailing center to open a month later than usual, "We had to cancel weeks of programming in the spring, we had to spend a lot of money on repairing the facility, reinforcing the shore line from erosion and getting them back in operating condition," said Neverisky. In all, the sailing center had to repair about 75,000 dollars worth of damage. Neverisky says it could have never re-opened without help, "Thanks to truly the support of the community we were able to pull through." The sailing center offers lessons, rentals and summer camps but the main goal is to just get people out on the lake. "Sometimes that's just providing equipment and sometimes that's just involving expertise and so in each case we provide whatever it takes," said Neverisky. The community sailing center will open Memorial Day weekend and plans to stay open until mid October.