The Town Of Middlebury will hold its regular Select
Board Meeting this evening at 7 at the Russ Sholes Senior Center. Items on the agenda at today’s
meeting include a Riverfront design update, the FY2013 water and wastewater
budgets, a public hearing on reducing the South Street speed limit from 30 to
25 MPH from Porter Field Road to the Eastview Entrance and the award bid for
construction of a Grit Drying Bed for the wastewater treatment facility. For a complete agenda just visit the
Town Of Middlebury’s Website.
The Moriah Central School Board will hold its
annual organizational meeting today in the High School library. The meeting will begin at 5 PM, which
is one hour earlier than usual, with the board entering executive session at
5:30 to hold interviews for teaching positions. Agenda items include the swearing-in of board members,
annual business, financial reports and personnel hiring. The meeting is open to all.
The Vergennes Day race committee is inviting you to
join them at the 31st annual Vergennes Day race on Saturday, August 25th. Bring
your entire family for their annual Little City Race. They have a 5K run and
walk and a 10K run for those more serious runners, which has a challenging hill
climb on Route 66 at the 3-mile mark. You can see color race course maps of
both courses by checking out their on line registration site, www.runvermont.org/littlecity. There will be awards and raffle prizes
at the conclusion of the race for all events. The committee anticipates a large
turnout of runners and walkers this year, so they highly recommend
pre-registering on line. This year the race will help benefit the Boys &
Girls Club of Greater Vergennes.
The Union Church of New Haven Mills has been
awarded a 2012 matching grant of $11,400, from the Vermont Division for
Historic Preservation for window repairs.
The 20 over 20 original window sashes have been removed and are being
completely restored off-site employing historic preservation standards. The “Mills Church,” which was erected
in 1851, served the then-thriving community of New Haven Mills as a town hall
as well as a place of worship.
After the town was devastated by the great flood of 1927 the mill was
not re-built and the town’s population moved away. Now the church is used for weddings, concerts, lectures,
family reunions and other functions.
The Preservation Society of the Union Church is a 501(C)(3)
organization. The organization is
always looking for people who are interested in historic preservation and who
might help support the restoration of this lovely Greek Revival building.
New York Senator Chuck Schumer is calling on
Agriculture officials to step up the fight against Armyworms. The senator wants
the invasive species on the high priority list of pests. Agriculture officials
say armyworms sightings are on the rise this year and the pests can devour
entire crop fields. Some farmers
choose to spray their fields with insecticides but it's unclear if that can
completely eliminate the worms. Vermont has also experienced problems with
Armyworms this season with many fields in Franklin and Addison County under
attack.
Essex County lawmakers gave preliminary OK yesterday
to tax breaks for a meat-processing plant planned for Ticonderoga. The slaughterhouse would be located
adjacent to the existing Ticonderoga Commerce Park, with construction of a
7,500-square-foot building to start this summer. Essex County Industrial
Development Agency Co-Director Jody Olcott said her agency recommended a
10-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement. The project would pay no property
taxes the first two years, 50 percent the third then the figure would be
increased gradually to 95 percent of full taxation the 10th and last year. It
will get another vote at July 30 Ways and Means session, and if approved then,
a final vote at the August board meeting.
After 58 years of dedicated service the Moriah
Volunteer Fire Department chief will be retiring. Ralph Jaquish has been a member of the Moriah department for
58 years and served as chief for 53.
Recently recognized as the longest continually serving fire chief in the
state of New York, he recently said he felt his career has gone out with a
bang. Brian Glebus will take Ralph’s position as the new fire chief of the
department. Brian was sworn-in during a department meeting June 14th. He has served in the department for the
past two years and has been a volunteer firefighter for the past 20 years
serving in Crown Point.
Vermont State Police say two motorcycles traveling
over 120 mph led police on a brief chase in the town of Mount Holly. Authorities say they clocked the
motorcycles traveling 124 mph in a 50 mph zone Monday night on Route 103. State police say a trooper followed,
and after nearly three miles one of the motorcycles stopped. The other did not. Officials say 21-year-old Mark Green of
Proctorsville faces charges of attempting to elude and careless and negligent
operation. Anyone with any
information is asked to call the state police Rutland barracks.
John Deere may not have been in Rutland long, but a
new historical marker bears witness to the fact that this is where he started. The marker, installed yesterday in Main
Street Park, notes Rutland as the birthplace of the man who invented the first
commercially successful steel plow. The Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce is
planning an unveiling ceremony July 18th at 1:30PM. Deere was not in Rutland
long. The family moved to Middlebury not long after he was born and another
sign here already memorializes Deere’s first apprenticeship in Middlebury. Tom
Donahue, executive director of the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, said he
did not see the Rutland and Middlebury sites as competing, but rather as
complementing each other.
Despite a down winter for the ski industry, the
first five months of this year were actually very good for Vermont. The Vermont Department of Tourism and
Marketing reports the number of visitors to state welcome and information
centers was up by about three-percent when compared to the same period, January
through May, last year. The
tourism industry generates about one-and-a-half billion dollars in revenue for
Vermont. As for the individual
welcome centers, the Guilford center on Interstate 91 north saw an 8-percent
increase in traffic while Lyndonville saw it go up 17-percent. Other centers saw an increase, but not
as dramatic.
Northern Vermont's Jay Peak Resort has won approval
- with some caveats - for an expansion that would boost its capacity for skier
visits by about 50%. The Caledonian-Record
of St. Johnsbury reports that the District 7 Environmental Commission has given
conceptual approval to a next phase of development that includes two new hotels
and five new lifts. The commission
told the resort to keep up a water quality remediation plan implemented in
2006, and to study whether a proposed new entrance to the resort should have a
turning lane. Jay Peak President
Bill Stenger says the expansion would allow the resort to accommodate more than
6,500 visitors per day.
The state is giving away office equipment to local
municipalities, schools and nonprofits.
The state needs to get rid of the goods that survived the storm before
they can get to work on rebuilding the complex in Waterbury. Desks, chairs, tables, bookcases, lamps,
fans and air conditioners are up for grabs. Whatever isn't claimed will be available to the public at
surplus prices this Saturday, and again on July 28.
The natural gas company that serves northwestern
Vermont has announced its 13th rate decrease since 2008. Vermont Gas says a 3.6% rate drop will
take effect on July 21. The company says the decrease will result in prices
that are 40% less than fuel oil and 51% lower than propane. The company credits strong North
American gas supplies for the string of rate drops. Vermont Gas serves only Franklin and Chittenden counties
now, but is looking to expand southward into Addison County. No other parts of Vermont have natural
gas service.
Assistance from New York State is available for
low-income New Yorkers whose health issues pose a medical emergency during the
extended period of hot weather predicted for coming days. The state has set aside $3 million in
funding through the federally funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
to buy air conditioners. To
qualify, a household must: meet LIHEAP low-income guidelines; include at least
one person with a chronic or acute medical condition that is aggravated by
extreme; and provide a doctor’s note saying air conditioning is critical. To
learn more, call the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity of Clinton and
Franklin Counties at 561-6310; Adirondack Community Action Programs in Essex
County at 873-3207; or Comlinks in Franklin County at 483-1261. Or call the New
York State HEAP Hotline at (800) 342-3009. Check for eligibility, as well, at www.mybenefits.ny.gov.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation
to help protect students from cyber-bullying Monday. A press release says the new law is designed to
strengthen a school's response to harassment and bullying through improved
reporting, investigation, intervention and training. The new law will require
schools to take action when students experience cyber-bullying or other forms
of harassment. The new law cracks down on cyber-bullying by requiring schools
to act when cyber-bullying occurs on or off campus. The new law goes into
effect on July 1, 2013.
“In the Groove to Move” is the theme for Arts Trek tomorrow
at 10:15 AM. The Arts Trek
programs are presented at the Knights of Columbus pavilion in Ticonderoga and
are free to area children and those who bring them. Brian Gillie will begin the
day with a workshop at the Heritage Museum at 9 AM, teaching dances including
one to be performed later at the Arts Trek. For information about any
Ticonderoga Festival Guild programs or about membership, call the executive
director, Cathie Burdick, at 585-7015.
The traveling show called Adirondack Waterfest is
headed for Crown Point’s Penfield Homestead Museum this year. The free Waterfest features
water-related interactive booths, games and prizes, with activities for
children and adults. Waterfest
2012 takes place from 10 AM to 4 PM Friday at the Penfield Homestead in the
hamlet of Ironville, sponsored by the Essex County Soil and Water District and
the Greater Adirondack Resource Conservation and Development Council. The
mission of Adirondack Waterfest is to provide information and education about
local water quality, watershed protection, invasive species, home septic-system
maintenance and shoreline-erosion prevention.
The summer concert series in Castleton continues
tonight with the return of the Starline Rhythm Boys. The concert, set for 7 PM,
will be held at the Castleton State College campus. Starline Rhythm Boys, a fan favorite at last year’s concert
series, will feature tunes from Elvis, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Buddy Holly
and more. The concert is free and
open to the public. For more
information, call 273-2911.
From Fox 44 and ABC 22 News – Your Voice in Vermont
& New York:
The license plates aimed at creating unity and
raising money for Irene victims are such a hot commodity one man says his was
stolen right off his car. Sean Ward, of Montpelier man is sending a message
warning others of the ‘Vermont Strong' thief. Ward lost his home and two cars last August when Irene hit,
"Having gone through Irene, I felt I was very much Vermont Strong." Which is why he ordered the flashy
Vermont strong license plate aimed at helping Vermonters get back on their feet
by donating the proceeds to the relief fund. But last week, he was stunned when he saw, "Not only
were the screws gone but both plates." Someone had stolen his Vermont Strong plate and valid
license plate underneath. "It
was parked in a spot about 500 yards away from the police station, in broad
daylight," said Ward. And now
instead of having a sense of unity when seeing the plate on other cars,
"My first thought is, is that my plate? Is that my plate?" said Ward. But he refuses to let the thief ruin
that feeling of camaraderie and has already ordered a second plate, with an
added twist. This time around Ward installed bolts rather than screws to try
and make the process more difficult for a thief. "Maybe it will be a little bit harder to take
off," said Ward. Other folks
like Richard Angany in Montpelier understand Wards frustration, "Hope
that's just a rare incident that won't happen again." But if it does, Ward has a message
waiting for them, "On the back side of this, I also wrote, Thief! Buy your
own plate." Montpelier police
say stealing a license plate is considered petit larceny with fines facing up
to a thousand dollars and up to a year in jail.
The warehouse at Granite Importers in Barre,
Vermont is filled with hundreds of pieces. On Monday, certain slabs though were getting more attention. Employees are finalizing work on 2,000
square feet of granite slabs that will make up the base of the Statue of
Liberty. "It is a great honor
to do such a monument in this country. Especially for the City of Barre and the
State of Vermont," said plant manager Justin Colgan. The group already delivered some pieces
to New York City. "It was
great to see our stones sitting on Liberty Island," said Colgan. And in two weeks, Colgan says his
company will deliver the rest. He
says this project was challenging.
"The stone that is on the building was all done by hand," said
Colgan. Even though there are
tools now, they had to match the old with the new. The granite comes from a Maine quarry, but all the work to
shape the rock is done in Vermont.
Colgan says this isn't the biggest project they've worked on, but it
surely will be one they'll remember.
"It just feels good to be doing something so important," said
Colgan. The next time you visit
Lady Liberty you can say a part of her was made in the Green Mountain State. The completed project will be on
display in September. By the way
this isn't the first historical project for the Barre Company. They've worked on the Federal Triangle
in Washington DC and the New York City free library.
Vermont's lone congressman is making an effort to
help small businesses. At Burlington
international Monday morning, congressman Peter Welch announced a new proposal
to help those businesses hit hard by tropical storm Irene. It's known as a "micro loan program." Under it...businesses would have to
fill out less paperwork for federal aid after a disaster. Welch says that would ultimately speed
up response time. "Part of
the process of filling out that paperwork was they wanted me to go back three
years and give them monthly information and when I heard that I said I just
don't have access to it right now.”
After Irene...under the current loan program...more than 2-thousand
applications were handed out to small businesses. The feds only received 200 back.
