WVTK Local & State News September 27, 2012

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, in partnership with the Vermont Sugarmakers Association and UVM Extension, will hold three public meetings to take comment on the proposed changes to the maple grading system.  The changes have been proposed to align the Vermont grading system with the standard recommended by the International Maple Syrup Institute. Members of the public will be given the opportunity to provide comment.  One of the three meetings will take place locally on Tuesday October 16^th at the American Legion Post 27 here in Middlebury. The meetings will begin promptly at 7:00pm. After a brief presentation outlining the proposed changes, Lynn Coale, Director of the Hannaford Career Center and a member of the Agriculture and Forest Products Development Board will moderate discussion. For more information, please contact Henry Marckres at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets: 802-828-3458

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont announced its collaboration with approximately 70 restaurants, food markets, and food cooperatives throughout Vermont for the 18th annual Share the Harvest.  The event takes place next Thursday October 4^th.  Participating restaurants and food outlets will donate a percentage of their food sales to NOFA-VT’s Farm Share Program.  The Program is dedicated to working with Vermont individuals who cannot afford to purchase fresh produce on a regular basis. Participating Share the Harvest businesses in this area include:  Good Times Cafe, in Hinesburg.  Here in Middlebury visit American Flatbread, Fire and Ice, Green Peppers Restaurant, Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op, Otter Creek Bakery and Stone Leaf Teahouse.  Also the Waybury Inn in East Middlebury, Toscano in Richmond, Three Tomatoes in Rutland, The Inn at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, and the Red Mill Restaurant in Vergennes.

A recent fundraiser for the family of one of Vermont’s two casualties of eastern equine encephalitis showed a community spirit that endured in the face of tragedy.  In three hours, more than 350 people from Sudbury, Brandon and Rutland and family friends from Pennsylvania raised more than $4,000 for the family of Scott Sgorbati at a spaghetti dinner at the Brandon American Legion on Saturday. A second major fundraiser, a jamboree at the Brandon American Legion from 3 to 8 PM. Sunday October 21, featuring the bands Footloose and Jokers Wild, will also be held to benefit the family.   The Scott Sgorbati Family Aid Fund account at the National Bank of Middlebury is available at any branch for people who wish to make donations.

Vermont State Police are investigating a theft from a boat docked on Lake Dunmore off Hooker Road.  Sometime between 8 AM on September 20th and 6 AM on the 25th, someone boarded the boat and stole two Cannon manual fishing downriggers and 6-inch aluminum mounting bases from the boat.  The items are valued at about $700.  Anyone with information about the theft can call the Vermont State Police New Haven Barracks. (802) 388-4919

U.S. Air Force Airman Nathan M. Swindell graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.  The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.  Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.  Swindell is the son of Kathleen Swindell of Bristol.  He is a 2011 graduate of Mount Abraham Union Middle-High School.

Port Henry will be a “village of public art” next weekend.  The community will be part of the second annual Adirondack Coast and Boquet Valley Studio Tour Friday and Saturday, October 5th and 6th. Port Henry’s art attractions will be the focus of free tours starting at the downtown information booth 10 AM to 5 PM. A map and descriptive brochure covering the full range of art will be offered. Port Henry’s historic architecture will also be part of the tour.

The Essex County Department of Mental Health will be using modern technology to help those in need with psychiatric services.  The County Board of Supervisors passed a pair of resolutions on to the full board during its Monday meeting, the first authorizing two budget amendments in the department and the second allowing the chairman and/or the county manager to execute a contract with Syracuse University for tele-psychiatry services and with Fore-Front Tele-care for the equipment to link up the tele-psychiatrist. The process for psychiatrist visits through the department would be similar to what Elizabethtown Community Hospital currently does with telemedicine.

Some new buses that the Essex County Transportation Department wanted and couldn’t get approval for are back.  With the request pared from five vehicles to two and the county share of federal funding from $100,000 to a mere $198, the County Board of Supervisors gave preliminary approval to the purchase this week.  A federal Rural Transit Assistance Program grant of $215,500 will buy one trolley, one bus, bus-stop shelters and signs. All of the purchases, except for some of the signs, are for the Village of Lake Placid. The $198 is the county’s share for the signs.

This week, the North Country SPCA would like to remind you that you could find their adoptable dog-of-the-week at the Keene Valley Farmer's Market, every Sunday until October 14th. You'll recognize him by his handsome "Adopt Me!" jacket. Why not plan to spend an hour or two exploring the delightful array of crafts, fresh-baked goods, and produce, and set aside a few minutes to spend getting to know their featured pup? Who knows, you may just meet your new best friend!  Learn more right now by visiting http://www.ncspca.org.

Rutland Public Schools leaders will soon reconsider how they handle school properties, as they prepare voters for two ballot questions this November.   According to Superintendent Mary Moran, an informational document will soon be posted on the city school district’s website, detailing what both articles mean for the district and for taxpayers.  On November 6th, the public will decide if both Watkins and Dana schools can be sold.

After coming up short in the Progressive Party primary for governor, Danby environmental activist Annette Smith says she will run as an independent write-in in the general election. Smith lost the primary to party chair Martha Abbott, who then renounced the nomination and withdrew her candidacy.

State leaders today are expected to lay out a new jobs initiative focused on northern Vermont. The announcement at Jay Peak is expected to touch on multiple projects in the region with the potential to create 5,000 jobs, according to some reports.

An international group providing business suits and mentoring support for disadvantaged women seeking jobs is set to open its doors in Vermont. Dress for Success Burlington will hold a grand opening tomorrow. The program began in New York 15 years ago and not reaches more than 65,000 women around the world each year.

More than 90 soldiers from the New York Army National Guard are back home after a nine-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. The troops were responsible for boosting the ability of Afghan National Security Forces to secure a major highway.

Big Tupper Ski area will remain closed this winter. The grassroots group “Adirondack Residents Intent on Saving our Economy” said they lost investment resources to reopen the ski center this season because of a lawsuit filed against developers who own the mountain property.  This winter would have been Big Tupper’s fourth year of volunteer-based operation.

Allegiant Travel Co. is set to meet the growing demand for flights to Las Vegas from Plattsburgh.  Allegiant will begin non-stop service from Plattsburgh International Airport to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas December 19th on 757 jets that seat 233 passengers.  Fares will be sold for as low as $150 one way until October 2nd.

Gov. Peter Shumlin says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will continue funding the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington.  The home was undergoing an inspection on Wednesday and had faced possible decertification after deficiencies were found earlier this year. The home was required to correct at least three deficiencies including an alleged assault of a resident by a nurse.  Shumlin said Wednesday that CMS has agreed to continue funding the home after meeting with state officials.

Nearly 20 years after the Vermont and Texas Legislatures first agreed to have Vermont ship low-level radioactive waste to the Lone Star State, the first shipment of waste has been made.  The Texas-Vermont Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact Commission was created by the two states in 1993. Then it took years for a disposal site in West Texas to win state licensing there.  The commission held a meeting in Montpelier on Wednesday, where it was announced that the first shipment - a 30-gallon drum containing radioactive waste from the University of Vermont and Burlington's Fletcher Allen Health Care hospital - was shipped recently.  The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant - by far Vermont's largest radioactive waste generator - also has begun making shipments.

The Vermont Commission on Women has a new executive director.  Cary Brown of Montpelier most recently served as internship coordinator for Norwich University. Previously, she served as interim executive director of Turtle Island Children's Center and the director of girls' programs for Vermont Works for Women.  She also directed the Women in Technology Project, a summer technology camp for girls at Vermont Technical College.  Brown joins the commission at the end of October.  The commission is a non-partisan state agency charged with reducing discrimination and encouraging opportunities for women.

Firefighters are trying to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a vacant home in Vermont.  Fire officials say the house in Stone Village in Chester caught on fire about 10 PM Tuesday.  No injuries were reported.  Route 103 was closed until about 2:30 AM Wednesday while crews knocked the fire down.

A Vermont town is holding a meeting to discuss the future of a now-vacant school.  Options for the Perkinsville School include stabilizing a portion built in 1879 and demolishing additions, and rehabilitating one addition for lease to a private school.  The Eagle Times reports the costs for the proposals range from $570,000 to $1.35 million.

The Hay Days in Killington are well under way this fall.  Organizers say this year it's bigger than ever. More than 30 businesses have created hay animal sculptures on display in front of their stores.  Town officials added more events, including restaurant week and the brew fest, set to take place this weekend on the mountain.  Officials say it's a great way to kick off the fall season and bring in tourists between Labor Day and Columbus Day, which is usually a slower time of year.

A moose spent much of yesterday wandering around downtown Bennington.   According to Bennington Police Chief Paul Doucette, calls started coming in around daybreak and continued through much of the day.   The moose spent several hours behind a house at the intersection of County and North Branch streets.  Doucette said that as of around 1:30 PM, the moose had last been seen on the east end of town and he hoped it was heading back to the woods.

Brandon Music on Country Club Road in Brandon will present Jerry Sabatini’s Sonic Explorers this Thursday at 7:30pm. General Admission is $12.  Brandon Music offers an Early Bird dinner special, which includes a ticket for the jazz performance, for $22 per person. Their music reflects a deep love and respect for modern jazz, soul, and folk, as well as music from the Middle East, Asia, and from 20th and 21st century classical composers.  For Information & Reservations: (802) 465-4071 / info@brandon-music.net. www.brandon-music.net. 

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

Vermonters ingrained in the healthcare community, had the chance to sound off on addiction and mental health services.  The speakers included people in need of help as well as those giving it. Those listening were policy makers at the state level, jotting down notes constantly to make sure they captured every concern presented.  It was a full room of passionate people at the Elks County Club in Montpelier and each time someone spoke the room reverberated with hope of fixing a recognized problem.  "We're doing this on a wing and a prayer," Mark Ames said.  Ames is the Coordinator of the Vermont Recovery Network helping people bounce back from drug and alcohol abuse when they might be most vulnerable of regressing after they leave hospital treatment.  "Addiction is a chronic disease but we've been treating it with an acute care response, i.e. a short period of time of treatment," Ames said.  Karen Lorentzon sees the same thing in her line of work at the Vermont Psychiatric Services of Rutland.  "You're expected to be cured in 21 to 28 days," Lorentzon said of patients in need of mental health services.  While Lorentzon's and Ames' work might seem disconnected, Ames says that up to 75% of the people that go to Vermont recovery centers have received mental health treatment before. But these programs are running on fumes from a lack of state funding, Ames recovery program gets only $55,000 of support a year.  Other issues brought up at the forum included the medication of mental health patients and a lack of compensation for professionals who received many degrees and licenses, at a high cost.  As a long-term recovery addict, Ames is pressing hard to find the support that helped him fight his addiction.  "I was a success in recovery because I had recovery supports and what we're trying to create that broad level of support for people," Ames said.  It was the kind of support Lorentzon wishes she had when she was taking care of her mentally ill mother as a teenager...when she was fifteen her mother died because of a drug overdose and she found herself homeless.  "Had we gotten the proper services and support that we needed to continue our lives perhaps things would have had different outcomes there's no guarantee of that but these stories continue today," Lorentzon said.  Robin Lunge, Health Care Reform Director in Vermont, sat on the panel today. She says that the panel will take their notes from the forum and go to the drawing board to see how and if they can implement some of the ideas shared today, eventually taking their report to the state legislature.