Monday, July 2, 2012

WVTK Local & State News July 2, 2012


One of downtown Middlebury's busiest streets reopened on Friday.  Seymour Street had been closed to through traffic since May 31. The street had been closed at Main Street and at Elm Street.  Seymour was reconstructed from Main Street north past the main fire station. The street and sidewalks were lowered as part of this project.  Access to businesses and residences north of the fire station are open again.

The Middlebury Business Development Fund Advisory Board will be hold their meeting this afternoon at 3:30 in the Main Conference Room at the Town Offices.  Today’s Agenda items include a review of the June 18th meeting along with discussion, review and revisions to the Statement Of Need and Work Plan.  The next meeting date will also be set. 

A high-speed chase led by Vermont State Police troopers ended in a crash on Route 17 in Bristol after a man called VSP to report that his car had been stolen from his Bristol property. Police located the car traveling on Route 17. Attempts by troopers to stop the driver failed.  The 'carjacker', 20-year-old Jacob Bachand of Leicester, crashed the car when he lost control of the vehicle. Police reported that he hit a telephone pole and a tree. Bachand sustained minor injuries as a result of the crash.  State Police have charged him on several violations including attempting to elude law enforcement authorities, excessive speeding, driving under the influence, as well as several others.

Vermont's U.S. Marshal says federal agents and Vermont law enforcement officers captured a fugitive member of the Bloods street gang in Salisbury.  35-year-old Jamal Hall of New York was arrested last week.  Hall was arrested on warrants from New York charging him with possession of a firearm, assault, criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and parole violations.

Vermont State Police say a 10-year-old boy has been killed in a lawn mowing accident in Benson.  Police say Maxwell Burns was mowing a field for a family friend on Friday when the mower overturned. The mower rolled down an embankment, trapping Maxwell underneath it.  Rescue workers tried to revive the boy, who was taken to Rutland Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.  Police are investigating the incident.

Foreign-owned Gaz Métro has finalized its acquisition of Central Vermont Public Service Corp. The utility is now under the name of Green Mountain Power.  CVPS's operations are being merged with the Canadian-owned Green Mountain Power Corporation.  CVPS' office in Rutland will remain open.  Company officials said they were not planning any staff layoffs.

Rutland-area outdoor enthusiasts will have something new to celebrate in July.  Work on the new Rutland Creek Path will begin Monday, July 9th near the Northwest School on Pierpoint Avenue. A groundbreaking ceremony at 10AM will kick off several weeks of construction work on the path.  Several years in the planning, the path will provide bicyclists and walkers with another trail for exercising.  The Rutland Regional Planning Commission, Rutland Creative economy, and the City of Rutland are making the path possible.

A 13-year-old Ticonderoga girl has been arrested and charged with vandalism in downtown Ticonderoga.  The girl was charged yesterday with third degree criminal mischief. Her case will be handled by Essex County Family Court. Vandals destroyed flower boxes on the Montcalm Street Bridge June 25th, the second time in the past three years the flowers have been ruined.

The Ticonderoga town board has authorized a parking ban for the Fourth of July from 10AM to Midnight on the south side of Burgoyne Road from Tower Avenue to Frazier Bridge Road, on the north side of Burgoyne Road from Frazier Bridge Road to Mt. Hope Cemetery, on the north of side of Burgoyne Road from Canal Street to State Route 22, on the south side of Cossey Street to Rock Street and on the north and south sides of Cannonball Path. Burgoyne Road will be completely closed during the fireworks display.  Penalties will be imposed for those in violation.

Six residents of Essex and Franklin counties, including a man who once led police on a high-speed car chase, were arrested in a drug sweep.  Police said the six sold drugs to an undercover police officer in the area over the past year; authorities say the investigation showed they possessed and sold cocaine, Ecstasy and other drugs.  Arrested last Thursday, they were arraigned on felony drug charges and sent to Essex County Jail without bail, with a September 13th court date set.

A proposed meat-processing plant in Ticonderoga has won Adirondack Park Agency approval.  The APA Board of Commissioners has OK’d the Adirondack Meat Company project, which will be the first U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified meat-processing facility inside the Adirondack Park. The Adirondack Meat Company will be located in the Town of Ticonderoga. According to the Meat Company, the business will employ 12 full-time and two part-time employees. The company anticipates the project will support jobs for 24 full-time and six part-time workers in related industries.

The Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce will host their ongoing Open Houses with the North Country Small Business Development Center and OneWork Source in July.  The North Country Small Business Center will be at the Chamber office on Wednesday, July 11th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Services provided by the North Country SBDC are normally available directly at the Chamber office on the second Tuesday of each month unless otherwise advertised. The Ti Chamber will also host a OneWorkSource and the InternetXpress @ Your Library services Open House at the Chamber office on Wednesday, July 18th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For more information on the Open Houses at the Chamber Office visit www.ticonderogany.com, email chamberinfo@ticonderogany.com or call 518-585-6619.

Federal funding for public transportation in Vermont is expected to climb more than 50% in the next two years, which should be a boon to the state's commuter buses.  Sen. Bernie Sanders says a transportation bill that passed Friday increases funding for public transit in Vermont from its current $6.2 million to $9.5 million in 2014.  Overall, the state will reap $464 million in the next two years from the bill, with most of the money to be used to fix roads and bridges.

The state of Vermont's top environmental official has three words about a smart meter that's soon going to be installed in her home: "I can't wait."  Deb Markowitz, secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources, has written an op-ed column touting what she sees as the benefits of the new generation of digital electric meters.  Critics say the meters pose health risks and are an invasion of privacy, but Markowitz says they'll enable power companies to track electric usage more closely and respond to power outages more efficiently. She also says they point to a future when more families will have smart appliances that will be able to be controlled from a cell phone.

A new program intended to help financially troubled New England dairy farmers by raising money and educating consumers about the benefits of local farms isn't providing as much assistance as it would like because it has had to pay taxes on the money it takes in.  The Keep Local Farms program last year helped 1,370 farmers around New England to the tune of $100 each. But an audit that the program had sought found that it owed $63,000 in taxes, or nearly a third of the $220,000 raised over two years.  The program, whose funds were handled by a dairy cooperative, is now reorganizing to have the funds managed as a nonprofit. It's also rethinking how the money will be used so it will provide a greater benefit to farmers.

Fort Ticonderoga’s role in the community, now and in the future, will be discussed during a public forum.  Fort administrators have invited community members to join them for a meeting Thursday, July 12th at 6:30PM at the Ticonderoga Community Building.  Fort Ticonderoga recently completed the initial phase of its comprehensive plan with the assistance of global destination planning consultants, PGAV. Phase one articulates Fort Ticonderoga’s long-term vision to be the premier military history site in North America. Fort leaders will also present information current programs at the historic site.

Brandon Music’s Jazz Series is moving to Thursday nights starting this week! Join them July 5th for NY Jazz Vocalist Teri Roiger at 7:30pm. This is the first concert in the new Thursday night jazz series, which will run throughout the summer. The series, previously held on Sunday nights, has been very well received by patrons who have expressed their enjoyment and awe with comments like: “Such wonderful music!”; “Just incredible!”; “What a treat! … A slice of metropolitan culture.”  General Admission for the Thursday night series is $12. Brandon Music offers an Early Bird dinner special, which includes a ticket for the jazz performance, for $22 per person. Reservations are recommended.  Get details now at www.brandon-music.net

The Adirondack Waterfest is coming to Penfield Museum in the Crown Point hamlet of Ironville.  The 18th annual event will be held Friday, July 13th from 10AM to 4PM. It is a free day of water-related exhibits and events, entertainment and food. For more information call the Essex County Soil & Water Conservation District at 962-8225.



Huntington Gorge has claimed another life.  Over the weekend, a young Burlington man drowned there, the 25th person to die in 40 years at the popular swimming spot.  This time it was on Saturday afternoon, when the 24-year-old man from Burlington was swimming with friends in the area of the falls.  They say he was caught in a current and whirlpool, and was dragged under.  Others managed to pull him out a short distance downstream and despite rescue crews performing C-P-R for about 30 minutes he could not be revived. 

If all goes as planned, the popular bike and pedestrian route across Lake Champlain between Colchester and South Hero should re-open next year.  The Island Line causeway was badly damaged by the spring floods of 2011, and on Saturday, a bicycle advocacy group launched the final phase of its fundraising campaign to pay for the repairs.  Local Motion is spearheading the "Big Fix" campaign, which picks up the 25-percent federal emergency funds will not.  About half a million dollars worth of repair work will begin in mid-July.

The weekend-meteorologist for Fox-44 has a new gig:  She's the new Miss Vermont 2012.  Chelsea Ingram won the crown Saturday night, competing against nine other contestants from around the state.  Her platform issue is heart disease, and she will speak all over the state through next year's rein trying to get government, business and community groups involved in more heart health programs.  As Miss Vermont, Ingram receives nine-thousand dollars in scholarships, more than 12-thousand-dollars' worth of prizes, and will represent the state in the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas.

From Fox 44 and ABC 22 News – Your Voice in Vermont & New York:

People will soon have to leave the butts behind when they visit Vermont State Parks.  That's because a legislative committee has approved a smoking ban.  Right now people are allowed to smoke anywhere at the parks, but in about two weeks that will change.  Recreational areas, such as the beach at the Sand Bar will be smoke free.  There will still be other areas for people to smoke, but park leaders say they received hundreds of cigarette complaints.  Some park goers say they're a fan of the new ban.  "I think that it's a lovely idea. I think that when one person smokes it affects not just the individual who is smoking, but everyone around them too," said Noah Jacobson-Goodhue.  "I don't want to smell it. It's bad for the environment, it's bad for me, and it's bad for my kids. It's just a horrible smell in general," said Christine Orr.  The ban will go into effect 15 days from today.  Park leaders say they will put signs up to let people know where the designated smoke-free locations will be.

Yesterday marked the last day of the Champlain fishing derby.  The outdoor expo also took place with people lined up waiting for the doors to open at noon.  The expo was family and kid friendly... The first 300 kids got a free fishing rod and reel.  As for the competition... The final weigh in took place at 4 Sunday afternoon.  "We target families and especially young children because if we can expose them right now to this fishing and let them see what's going on, we may have fishing fans for life. Its great for the sport, its great for FLW, its great for families".  The winner this year was David Dudley of Lynchburg Virginia.  He reeled in a combined weight of just over 78 pounds of fish over the four-day event.