The Middlebury River Task
Force meets at 9 this morning in the Town Offices. Agenda items include the Middlebury River Engineering
Analysis and recommendations to the Select Board on Engineering Proposals. Mitigation planning and a status of the
stream restoration effort will also be discussed. For a complete agenda just visit the Town Of Middlebury’sWebsite.
The Essex County Ethics
Board will conduct a meeting at 9 AM this Friday at the Board of Supervisors
Chambers. The meeting is open to
the public.
The organizing committee
for the “Middlebury Maple Run – The Sweetest Half” is pleased to announce that
Ingrid Punderson Jackson (IPJ) Real Estate will be returning as the race’s
title sponsor. The Middlebury
Maple Run is one of New England’s “must-do” races with an estimated 800 to
1,000 runners expected for the 2013 edition on Sunday May 5th. The proceeds from 2012’s Middlebury
Maple Run were donated to several worthwhile charities. A total of $6,500 was
distributed among one national charity, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and
several Addison County-based charities that included H.O.P.E., Homeward Bound
Animal Welfare Center, Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Girls
on the Run, MVAA, and the Middlebury Police Department. The Addison County Chamber of Commerce
estimates the Middlebury Maple Run provides direct economic impact to the area
of at least $100,000. Organizing
and hosting a 13-mile footrace is a large undertaking and the organizing
committee is soliciting additional sponsorships. If you’re interested in
learning how race sponsorship can benefit your business, please contact Andrea
Solomon at vermontadventuregal@gmail.com.
Middlebury College’s rich
history is now online. Among Middlebury College’s faculty and alumni are some
of America’s most distinguished names ranging from scholars, authors,
educators, activists, and entrepreneurs.
Now Middlebury College is celebrating and sharing its special history
online via a unique undertaking known as Middlebury History Online. Middlebury
History Online was launched last summer and the LIS staff are interested in
feedback from visitors to the history site.
The Salisbury Free Public
Library will hold its annual holiday celebration, hayride, and tree lighting at
3:30 this Sunday afternoon. Enjoy Christmas
music, refreshments, and a story about sharing and friendship for the kids,
followed by hayrides from the library up to the tree, where there will be hot
cocoa and a bonfire and the lighting of a giant evergreen tree.
A series of break-ins at a
self-storage site in Bristol has Vermont State Police putting renters of units
at the facility on notice. According
to Police Bristol Stor-Mor storage on Burpee Road has been the scene of
repeated thefts since November 16th. In the most recent break-in reported November 28th, someone
used bolt cutters to open a padlocked unit and then replaced the lock with a
new one after rummaging through the unit’s contents. Anyone with information about the break-ins is asked to
contact VSP in New Haven at 802-388-4919.
A Brandon man was placed
on probation Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to charges of possessing child
pornography on his computer.
28-year-old Theodore E. Gould had initially pleaded innocent to the two
felony charges brought against him in 2011. But as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, Gould
agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a four to five year suspended sentence.
He must also register with the Vermont Sex Offender Registry.
A homeowner in Rutland was
injured when he came home and interrupted a burglary. Police say it happened at a house on Oak Street Extension.
When the homeowner entered his house, he was assaulted by the suspect and had
to be hospitalized for facial injuries.
Rutland police say it's rare for a burglar to become aggressive;
normally they flee as soon as they're caught. Police are warning homeowners to
stay out of their home if they think someone is inside and instead to call
police. They say it's more important to be a good witness than to possibly get
hurt. They believe the suspect fled on a bicycle after
the assault.
With the first major
holiday still three weeks away, Vermont ski areas are reaping the added benefit
from an early start to the ski season.
Thanks to ideal temperatures and snowmaking upgrades, nearly 20 percent
of the skiable terrain in the state is open. According to the Vermont Ski
Area's Association, that's the most terrain open since the 2008-2009 season. Several
of the state's resorts boasted early openings, including Killington Resort,
Okemo Mountain Resort, Jay Peak Resort, Smugglers' Notch Resort and Burke
Mountain. Middlebury College Snow Bowl plans to open for the season on
Saturday; Bromley Mountain and Burke Mountain will reopen on Saturday as well.
A new report predicts
continued sluggish economic growth in New England and cautions that most states
in the region won't return to pre-recession employment levels until 2015. The
forecast from the New England Economic Partnership says Massachusetts, New
Hampshire and Vermont will have the region's strongest economies.
The Vermont Department of
Environmental Conservation is working to reduce water pollution in the Lake Champlain
watershed by requiring a number of municipalities and other groups to do more
to control storm water runoff. The new permit requires 13 communities, the
University of Vermont, the Burlington International Airport and the state
Transportation Agency to develop storm water management plans to reduce the
amount of polluted runoff that flows into streams, rivers, ponds and lakes.
The state of Vermont has
reached an agreement with computer giant Hewlett-Packard to end the state's
contract with the company for modernization of the Department of Motor
Vehicles' computer system. The
settlement calls for HP to refund the state $8.37 million and the state to
return to HP physical and virtual rights to all software and documents created
by HP. The state will retain
certain components developed by HP, such as the point-of-sale system now in
use, various equipment purchases and upgrades to DMV's printing capabilities.
The refund reflects nearly the entire amount paid to the vendor. Officials say DMV computer system that
has served the state for over 35 years still works and will continue to be used
as the agency evaluates its options.
The medical director of
the Vermont State Hospital is leaving. Dr. Jay Batra is taking a job in the
private sector. Acting Mental Health Commissioner Mary Moulton says his
departure could delay the opening of a new, interim state hospital in
Morrisville.
Snowmobile registrations
are now renewable online through the State of New York Department of Motor
Vehicles website. At the time of
online renewal, riders will also be provided an option to print a temporary
15-day certificate of registration from their own computers that will be valid
immediately and can be used until the new registration arrives by mail. In
addition, riders who belong to a New York State Snowmobilers Association Club
can enter their membership information and register at a discounted fee. There is no additional charge for
renewing online or for the temporary document, the release said. For more information, visit www.dmv.ny.gov. Learn
more about snowmobile clubs at www.NYSnowmobiler.com.
Governor Andrew Cuomo is
criticizing state Senators a day after Republicans created an unprecedented
coalition with five breakaway Democrats to form a bipartisan majority to
control the chamber. Cuomo criticized Republicans for blocking progressive
measures for decades while they were in charge. He also says his fellow
Democrats squandered their leadership when they held the majority from 2008 to
2010.
Vermont cheese-makers have
won several awards at the 2012 World Cheese Awards in Great Britain. More than 2700 cheese-makers from 30
countries participated. Among top winners from Vermont were Harbison from
Cellars at Jasper Hill and Shepsog from Grafton Village Cheese Company, which
were voted among the top 16 cheeses in the world. Other Vermont high honors winners included Alpha Tolman from
Jasper Hill and Barndance from Grafton. Cabot Creamery, Spring Brook Farm, and
Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery also took awards.
A manhunt is underway for
30-year-old Jason Cannon, wanted by the Vermont Department of Corrections for
cutting off his ankle monitor.
Cannon is believed to have burgled a salon in Georgia and is a person of
interest in three armed robberies in Colchester and South Burlington. He was disturbed by a Fairfax homeowner
who came upon Cannon sleeping in his garage.
Governor Andrew Cuomo is
withholding judgment on a report that seems to indicate New York State will get
a lot less than it wanted in Hurricane Sandy relief funds. A report indicates the White House
plans to ask Congress for about 50 billion dollars in hurricane relief for all
states, much lower than the 82-billion dollars New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
have combined to ask for. Cuomo
says the White House has said the report is premature, but he's waiting to see
what the final verdict is.
Governor Andrew Cuomo
continues to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the new power
sharing agreement in the state Senate.
Cuomo says the only thing that is important to him is a Senate that
operates smoothly, and that passes his legislative agenda. The governor says it will be
interesting to watch the chamber during the first few days of legislative
action next month.
Tis the season for holiday
lights and National Grid is offering just a few tips to save on your energy
bill. They say that LED lights are
the best way to go due to using 90 percent less electricity and they are more
durable then the traditional lights.
Generally they stay cooler and last longer. The other tips they are offering include turning off lights
when necessary and avoid overcrowding electrical circuits.
Vergennes Cub Scout Pack
539 will hold a special collection for the Addison County Food Shelf on
Saturday, December 15th from 9 AM to Noon at Gaines Insurance Agency
on Monkton Road in Vergennes. The
food shelf is need of donations of toiletries for the holiday season. You are being asked to donate any of
the following items: soap, shampoo, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste,
disposable razors, shaving cream, tissues, and more. These items are needed for many of our local families who
depend upon the local Food Shelf for assistance. The Cub Scouts will be in front of the Gaines office collecting
the items on Saturday the 15th.
Schroon Lake will host its
Old Tyme Christmas celebration this Saturday beginning at 5:30 PM. The Schroon
Lake Chamber of Commerce sponsors this event. The town Christmas tree will be lit at 5:30 kicking off the
celebration in the town park. A
living nativity scene will march from the park to Our Lady of Lourdes Church on
Main Street, followed by holiday carolers. Santa will arrive at the Strand Theater to greet children at
6 PM where they will receive a gift from Santa as well as a book from the
Friends of the Schroon Lake Library. There will also be opportunities for
children to have photos taken with Santa.
Brandon Music Café on
Country Club Road in Brandon will host the 6-time Grammy winning baritone
saxophonist Gary Smulyan this Thursday at 7:30 PM. Gary is critically acclaimed
and recognized as a major voice on the baritone saxophone. General Admission is $15 and reservations
are strongly encouraged. BrandonMusic Café offers a concert and dinner package, which includes dinner and a
ticket to the show for $30 plus tax per person. Dinner reservations are required. Brandon Music will now present a
monthly jazz concert on a Thursday evening, and all other previously publicized
Jazz Thursday shows will be postponed to later date. For reservations contact Brandon Music @ (802) 465-4071 or info@brandon-music.net
Vermont State Police say
they're investigating a bizarre series of people impersonating workers from the
Department for Children and Families.
In some cases, police say the imposters knocked on doors, went into
homes, and even checked out the children.
"It's just a series of unusual circumstances," says Karen
Shea, DCF Child Protection & Field Operations director. In the past month or so, police say
imposters showed up at homes in St. Johnsbury, Lyndonville and most recently
Sunderland Monday. "They
don't have much rhyme or reason in terms of location or why certain people are
being targeted," says Shea. Police
say the culprits sometimes worked alone or in groups. In some cases, they went into the home and even checked out
the child. DCF says none of the
families were actually being investigated by DCF. DCF says it has 150 social workers who make thousands of
home visits every year, sometimes completely unannounced. So what should you do if someone knocks
on your door and says they're from DCF?
"You can expect if someone from DCF arrives if they don't know you,
they would identify themselves," says Shea. Shea says workers carry state badges and you can ask to see
it. She says if you're still
suspicious call DCF. "Or just
call 911 if they have concerns about their safety," says Shea. DCF says someone can't take your child
without a court order. If the
worker claims to have one, ask to see it.
Milk prices could triple
by next year if congress doesn't get the farm bill passed. That could really hurt Vermont’s dairy
farmers by putting milk at 8- dollars a gallon! Fox 44's jenny day has more. At the Fairmont farm in east Montpelier seven hundred cows
are milked three times a day. "We
ship about 30 million pounds of milk a year." Vermont’s dairy business is strong but with uncertainty
looming around the unpassed farm bill, the price of milk could skyrocket to
eight dollars a gallon! "A
shock like that to retail prices may turn people off from drinking milk, they
may just say forget it." If
the farm bill doesn't pass by January first... We'll revert back to an archaic
cost basis formula from the
*1940's* that would really hurt farmers. "I bet the folks at USDA are dusting off the books to remember
how to do this." The farm
bill expires at the end of this year and isn't even on the table yet. "Very concerning to farmers, it
doesn't give them any kind of certainty on what to do for next year." So even though this farmer says that eight
dollars a gallon will probably just never happen, he does think that prices
have a good chance of going up, but even if they do, they're likely to go back
down. "I think food costs are
going to be higher this year because of the drought." The bill also provides a safety net for
farmers. If unpassed they wouldn't get help from the federal government program
that pays dairy farmers when milk prices fall below a certain level. The farm bill also includes programs
like three squares Vermont’s food stamp program.
