On Town Meeting Day Voters in Hinesburg said no to a nearly $3 million bond issue that would have provide the town with a hybrid police and fire facility, meeting room, and a community green park. Voters defeated the measure 877-460. They did however approve $487,106 for the police department budget.
Organizers say the effort to urge Congress to amend the U.S. Constitution to help keep money from having too much influence in politics was passed by 58 Vermont communities on Town Meeting Day. State. Sen. Virginia Lyons says there is a number of communities that considered the “corporate personhood” amendment issue Tuesday that still haven't reported their results. Lyons says two towns failed to pass the issue.
Police have expanded their search in last month's deadly hit-and-run crash in Rutland. Officers initially believed the vehicle that struck and took the life of Deborah Campbell and injured her wheelchair-bound husband was red based on a mark found on the wheelchair, but they now believe the mark was pre-existing. Police also say that because no debris from the car was found at the scene, there may be no visible damage to the car. Instead, they're asking you to take note of vehicle owners' behavior as that, more than a dent or a scratch, could be a sign of guilt. Witnesses reported a white SUV fleeing the scene. Police say they have since located that car and have ruled the driver out as a suspect.
One of our fine local companies is making its debut at the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. Games made by Maple Landmark Woodcraft of Middlebury won't be on exhibit, but will soon be sold at Smithsonian gift shops. Sales Manager Jill Stackhouse says she had always wanted to sell to the Smithsonian but never had any luck. That was, until last year when Sen. Bernie Sanders claimed he visited a Smithsonian gift shop and found no American-made products. Sanders' office helped the shop get in contact with the museum and the toys will be on store shelves any day now.
Federal prosecutors say a Brooklyn, NY man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for conspiring to sell cocaine and heroin in Rutland. 23-year-old Floyd Artis was sentenced on Wednesday. He bought heroin and crack cocaine from sources in Brooklyn and then sold the drugs in Rutland between the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009. Officials say he committed the crime while on probation for a felony drug offense in Vermont.
The Ticonderoga town board has asked its attorney to review the local fire district budget to determine if it was adopted legally. Ticonderoga Fire District commissioners are confident the budget meets all statutory requirements. The 2012 fire district budget totals $323,590, which is a 22 percent increase from the 2011 spending plan. The new state tax cap requires that any tax increase of more than 2 percent be approved by 60 percent of a governing body. Ticonderoga Supervisor Deb Malaney believes fire commissioners acted properly, but wants to be certain. That’s why the town board has asked the town attorney for an opinion.
There's enough evidence of wrongdoing by two county employees for the Essex County Ethics Board to hold disciplinary hearings behind closed doors. County Attorney Daniel Manning III said the pair is involved in possible ethics violations, but he wouldn't release names. Manning also would not say if any of the individuals are public officials.
Vermont's governor and education commissioner want algebra and geometry to be required for Vermont students to graduate from high school. They say the proposed change would better prepare students for jobs, college and training after graduation and improve their performance on tests. The latest test results released last month show a significant drop in math scores when Vermont students enter high school. Most schools require students to take three years of math but don't specify which courses. The proposed change, which must be approved by the state Board of Education, would require algebra I for 9th graders and geometry for 10th graders this fall.
Sen. Bernie Sanders wants to hear from Vermonters about dental care. He has been speaking up recently about what he terms a crisis in the lack of affordable dental care for Americans. He says he wants to hear Vermonters' stories at a town meeting he's organizing this weekend at Montpelier High School. The event is set for Saturday morning. Refreshments will be served at 10:30 with the meeting set to get under way at 11.
Less than a week into his new gig as head of Vermonters for Health Care Freedom, Jeff Wennberg is wasting little time pleading for bucks from opponents of Peter Shumlin’s single-payer proposal. In a fundraising letter shipped to inboxes this morning, Wennberg said the governor’s health care “scheme” “goes against our freedom, thriftiness and independence.” Wennberg isn’t looking to play small ball. The letters asks for $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 “to protect your health care freedom.” The money, Wennberg says, will be used in part to continue radio attack ads aired first under Johnston’s watch.
Vermont Air National Guard officials are planning to outline staffing changes at the South Burlington base as a result of a new Air Force staffing proposal. The number of personnel at the Vermont Air Guard base is expected to increase by six full-time positions by October 2013. However, that gain comes mostly from replacing full-time Air National Guardsmen with active-duty personnel. The changes are part of $487 billion in reductions approved by Congress last year.
The Burlington Telecom and Citibank controversy will not be heard in court today as planned. Citibank filed a preliminary injunction that would require Burlington Telecom to give up its equipment. It's part of the $33 million lawsuit Citibank filed against Burlington Telecom for its failure to make payments. The city owned utility has already absorbed $17 million in taxpayer money for this case, which has been rescheduled for next Thursday.
Wilmington voters approved a tax hike this week. Tropical Storm Irene wiped out the town's entire business district. They're hoping a one percent sales tax on meals and alcohol will help them rebuild. The tax is expected to take affect July 1. Those opposed to the tax say it will turn away tourists, which is the town's main source of income. 70 percent of the sales tax income will go to the town the other 30 percent will go to the state.
The town of Athens can no longer afford its public library. On Tuesday the town voted to close the library that's been in the town since 1895. The Brattleboro Reformer is reporting citizens who voted to keep the library open are now considering starting their own free library with donated books. So far one woman has 4,000 books that have been donated.
New England's unemployment rate was significantly lower than the national average in 2011, with Rhode Island the only state in the region that posted a higher average for the year. The New England office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the regional jobless rate was 7.7%, down eight-tenths of a point from 2010. Rhode Island's rate was 11.3%, down four-tenths of a point. Four of the region's six states had averages considerably lower than the national average with Vermont at 5.6%. The national average for 2011 was 8.9%.
With less than two weeks before the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant's initial 40-year license period expires, questions remain about the plant's future. A recent federal court ruling sent back to the state Public Service Board the question of whether the plant would get a new state permit to operate for another 20 years. It won federal approval to do so about a year ago. But the board recently asked lawyers for Vermont Yankee owner Entergy Corp., the state and anti-nuclear groups questions indicating there's a possibility the plant might have to shut down on March 21. The board has scheduled a hearing on the status of the plant for Friday.
The ten-state Republican Super Tuesday presidential contest generated more than 530,000 comments on social media over 24 hours, far outpacing any other primary or caucus night so far. Bluefin Labs, a Cambridge, MA social analytic company that tracks digital chatter around television, tabulated the comments on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Men accounted for 64% of the social media comments about the race, while women offered 36%. A CNN debate in October received 548,000 comments, the most of any campaign event so far. Super Tuesday placed second.
Kennedy Taylor wants to be a runner. Sadly, illness is keeping the Moriah Central School fifth grade student on the sidelines, so others will run for her this Sunday. The Run/Walk for Kennedy will start and finish at Moriah Central School. Registration for the 5-kilometer event will begin at 9AM with the run-walk at 9:30AM. There is no entry fee, but donations will be accepted. Proceeds will go the Taylor family. The course will go from the school to Taylor’s home so she can see the runners as they pass by.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center's Norris Cotton Cancer Center employees are testing a machine developed at the facility, which records high levels of radiation. The noninvasive device scans teeth and then records radiation level in them on a portable computer. Doctors say high levels of radiation are permanently stored in teeth, making mouths a natural fit for testing for exposure. Currently, they say, there is no portable way of testing a large quantity of people for radiation exposure all at once. With help from millions of dollars in federal research grants, Norris Cotton is collaborating with General Electric to make thousands of the machines. The goal is to get accurate radiation readings as quickly as possible to speed up treatment and hopefully save lives. By August 2016, the Cancer Center hopes to have Food and Drug Administration approval from the machines and mass production.
Judges at the 2012 World Champion Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin presented Cabot with a blue ribbon for its sharp cheddar aged two years or more. The top rating in that category means the cheese was also selected as one of the 16 best overall. More than 2,500 products from all over the world were entered this year. The competition is held every 2 years.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
WVTK Local & State News March 7, 2012
Yesterday residents in the Town Of Middlebury voted by Australian ballot on a couple of key Articles. Article 9 was voted to exempt the real and personal property of the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association from taxation for a period of five years, commencing April 1st of this year. Article 10 regarding the Middlebury Fire Department Seymour Street Fire Station #1 expansion and renovation and the East Middlebury Fire Station #2 replacement was approved. The Four Million Six Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollar ($4,625,000) bond was approved 782 – 367.
Changes are coming to the Brandon Select Board following an upset during town elections yesterday, while a single vote decided the Listers race. Select Board incumbent Kellie Martin could not hold off challenger David Atherton for a three-year seat after receiving 381 votes to Atherton’s 467 votes. Selectmen Devon Fuller and Ethan Swift were re-elected for a pair of one-year seats on the board. The town’s other contested race for a three-year lister seat saw Maria Ammatuna overcome Louis Faivre by one vote, 429 to 428. During voting, residents approved the town’s general budget of $3,105,900 by a vote of 505 to 356. All other money articles were also passed, including the Brandon town school budget and the Otter Valley Union School District budget.
Some other “headlines” from this year’s Town Meeting Day:
Voters in Pittsford unanimously approved a level-funded general town budget for the fourth year in a row at the town’s floor meeting Monday.
Residents in Hubbardton voted to approve a budget $48 lower than the amount proposed at town meeting.
Three Union High School budgets passed in Rutland County. Voters passed Fair Haven Union High School’s budget for the coming year, by a vote of 1,378 to 864. Mill River Union High School’s budget passed by a vote of 764 to 579 and Otter Valley Union High School’s budget was adopted by a vote of 1,144 to 771.
In Sudbury voters had a heated talk about health care in the rural town and voted to approve the town and school budgets for the coming year. They also voted that corporations weren’t citizens and voted to give $5,000 for the support of after-school and summer programs.
In the Town Of Orwell there were no contested offices. The Village School Budget passed 81 – 38. By a floor vote the Town Budget was approved and the Senior Housing Research fund passed by a voice vote as well.
The Town of Sudbury Vermont has declared March 12, 2012 as Girl Scout Day, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the organization!
At Monday’s Town meeting, Shoreham residents approved all resolutions including a new Town Clerk’s Office. They also approved money for Fireworks to be included in the Shoreham Festival.
Voters in Pittsford unanimously approved a level-funded general town budget for the fourth year in a row at the town’s floor meeting Monday. About 100 people attended the annual floor meeting where they voted to appropriate a general fund budget of $1,273,688. Voters also approved money for highway expenses and $19,000 for the Village District’s expenses that will be paid by village property owners. All articles were approved unanimously. The town’s only contested race for a three-year Lister seat included John A. Eugair Sr. and Jack Rogers. Eugair won by a 321 to 216 vote. The Pittsford town school district budget of $3,648,281 was approved by a 350 to 206 vote.
Residents in Castleton overwhelmingly voted down a proposed $2 million bond for a new municipal office complex and fire station at town meeting yesterday. The vote was 715 against the bond to 382 votes in favor of the project.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has won Vermont's Republican presidential primary, while Democrat Miro Weinberger won a three-way race for mayor of Burlington. With most precincts reporting late Tuesday night, Romney was easily beating Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, who were vying for second place in the GOP nominating contest. Newt Gingrich was in single digits. But Romney did not appear destined to reach the 50% threshold, meaning the 14 Vermont delegates up for grabs will be distributed to the candidates proportionately. In Burlington, Weinberger's victory over Republican Kurt Wright and Independent Wanda Hines means a Democrat will take the city's top job for the first time after more than three decades of nearly continuous rule by left-leaning Independents and Progressives.
Early exit poll results show female, conservative and older voters helped Mitt Romney win Vermont's Republican presidential primary. About half of Vermont's GOP voters described themselves as moderate or liberal, and Romney and Ron Paul each picked up about a third of those votes. But Romney also won over about 4 in 10 of the conservatives. About 4 in 10 women favored Romney, as did nearly half of voters’ age 65 or older.
Vermonters took on a national issue at the polls yesterday and it could become a constitutional amendment. More than 50 towns had the Citizens United amendment question on their Town Meeting Day ballots and dozens of those towns approved. As of late Tuesday evening, unofficial results shows voters in at least two dozen towns have passed resolutions they hope will change the way corporations can contribute to political campaigns.
Vergennes Police Chief George Merkel is inviting you to a follow-up meeting on what you can do to combat drugs and drug use in our communities! The next Vergennes Community Action Group meeting will be held at VUHS this evening at 7:00PM in the VUHS auditorium.
Montpelier voters have rejected the idea of implementing a local tax on rooms, meals and sales. Voters apparently followed the lead of the Capital City's business community, which campaigned heavily against the local option taxes. The Montpelier City Council had pushed the 1 percent tax on rooms, meals and sales as a way to raise money to repair streets, and to ease the residential tax burden in the Capital City.
Essex County no longer has a residency policy for employees. The Essex County Board of Supervisors passed a pair of resolutions at its Monday meeting, rescinding the county's residency policy as well as granting residency waiver requests for 14 current out-of-county residents. County attorney Dan Manning said that the waivers were needed because the employees felt that their departments had told them that they had already received a waiver.
Transmission Developers Inc. announced a Joint Proposal of Settlement has been filed with the New York State Public Service Commission regarding the plan for the Champlain-Hudson Power Express, a 333-mile, 1,000 megawatt direct-current electric transmission system that would run through buried lines from Canada through Lake Champlain and the Hudson River to New York City. The $2 billion project has a projected in-service date of late 2016. The agreement comes after 15 months of negotiations.
About 60 full time Vermont Air National Guard members will be let go in July. This is part of the Air Force's plan to cut costs. According to Senator Leahy's office, while 60 Vermonters will lose their jobs, the Air Force will bring in 66 full-time employees from elsewhere in the country. Leahy says he's disappointed, but notes that Vermont's Guard made out better than the Guard in other states.
Gov. Peter Shumlin and the Education Commissioner are announcing proposed changes to math requirements for all Vermont high school students. The proposed changes are in response to the latest test results that show a significant drop in math and science scores when Vermont students enter high school. Students are currently required to take three years of math but the standards don't specify which math courses. Shumlin will hold a press conference with the Commissioner today to discuss the proposed changes.
College For Every Student can raise up to $10,000 this week as featured nonprofit partner of GE. General Electric chose the Essex-based program that helps under-served youth to go to college as its featured nonprofit partner for this week. GE gives $1 to College For Every Student each time someone clicks on "Like GE on Facebook," submits a photo and caption or votes on a submission HERE.
Taxpayers and tax professionals can keep up on many state-related tax issues on Twitter now. Follow the New York State Tax Department @NYStaxnews to get a "direct feed" from the department on a regular basis. The posts announce initiatives and services such as filing reminders, the location of clinics that help low-income taxpayers complete returns, or the details of critical and timely changes to the tax law, and more.
Changes are coming to the Brandon Select Board following an upset during town elections yesterday, while a single vote decided the Listers race. Select Board incumbent Kellie Martin could not hold off challenger David Atherton for a three-year seat after receiving 381 votes to Atherton’s 467 votes. Selectmen Devon Fuller and Ethan Swift were re-elected for a pair of one-year seats on the board. The town’s other contested race for a three-year lister seat saw Maria Ammatuna overcome Louis Faivre by one vote, 429 to 428. During voting, residents approved the town’s general budget of $3,105,900 by a vote of 505 to 356. All other money articles were also passed, including the Brandon town school budget and the Otter Valley Union School District budget.
Some other “headlines” from this year’s Town Meeting Day:
Voters in Pittsford unanimously approved a level-funded general town budget for the fourth year in a row at the town’s floor meeting Monday.
Residents in Hubbardton voted to approve a budget $48 lower than the amount proposed at town meeting.
Three Union High School budgets passed in Rutland County. Voters passed Fair Haven Union High School’s budget for the coming year, by a vote of 1,378 to 864. Mill River Union High School’s budget passed by a vote of 764 to 579 and Otter Valley Union High School’s budget was adopted by a vote of 1,144 to 771.
In Sudbury voters had a heated talk about health care in the rural town and voted to approve the town and school budgets for the coming year. They also voted that corporations weren’t citizens and voted to give $5,000 for the support of after-school and summer programs.
In the Town Of Orwell there were no contested offices. The Village School Budget passed 81 – 38. By a floor vote the Town Budget was approved and the Senior Housing Research fund passed by a voice vote as well.
The Town of Sudbury Vermont has declared March 12, 2012 as Girl Scout Day, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the organization!
At Monday’s Town meeting, Shoreham residents approved all resolutions including a new Town Clerk’s Office. They also approved money for Fireworks to be included in the Shoreham Festival.
Voters in Pittsford unanimously approved a level-funded general town budget for the fourth year in a row at the town’s floor meeting Monday. About 100 people attended the annual floor meeting where they voted to appropriate a general fund budget of $1,273,688. Voters also approved money for highway expenses and $19,000 for the Village District’s expenses that will be paid by village property owners. All articles were approved unanimously. The town’s only contested race for a three-year Lister seat included John A. Eugair Sr. and Jack Rogers. Eugair won by a 321 to 216 vote. The Pittsford town school district budget of $3,648,281 was approved by a 350 to 206 vote.
Residents in Castleton overwhelmingly voted down a proposed $2 million bond for a new municipal office complex and fire station at town meeting yesterday. The vote was 715 against the bond to 382 votes in favor of the project.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has won Vermont's Republican presidential primary, while Democrat Miro Weinberger won a three-way race for mayor of Burlington. With most precincts reporting late Tuesday night, Romney was easily beating Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, who were vying for second place in the GOP nominating contest. Newt Gingrich was in single digits. But Romney did not appear destined to reach the 50% threshold, meaning the 14 Vermont delegates up for grabs will be distributed to the candidates proportionately. In Burlington, Weinberger's victory over Republican Kurt Wright and Independent Wanda Hines means a Democrat will take the city's top job for the first time after more than three decades of nearly continuous rule by left-leaning Independents and Progressives.
Early exit poll results show female, conservative and older voters helped Mitt Romney win Vermont's Republican presidential primary. About half of Vermont's GOP voters described themselves as moderate or liberal, and Romney and Ron Paul each picked up about a third of those votes. But Romney also won over about 4 in 10 of the conservatives. About 4 in 10 women favored Romney, as did nearly half of voters’ age 65 or older.
Vermonters took on a national issue at the polls yesterday and it could become a constitutional amendment. More than 50 towns had the Citizens United amendment question on their Town Meeting Day ballots and dozens of those towns approved. As of late Tuesday evening, unofficial results shows voters in at least two dozen towns have passed resolutions they hope will change the way corporations can contribute to political campaigns.
Vergennes Police Chief George Merkel is inviting you to a follow-up meeting on what you can do to combat drugs and drug use in our communities! The next Vergennes Community Action Group meeting will be held at VUHS this evening at 7:00PM in the VUHS auditorium.
Montpelier voters have rejected the idea of implementing a local tax on rooms, meals and sales. Voters apparently followed the lead of the Capital City's business community, which campaigned heavily against the local option taxes. The Montpelier City Council had pushed the 1 percent tax on rooms, meals and sales as a way to raise money to repair streets, and to ease the residential tax burden in the Capital City.
Essex County no longer has a residency policy for employees. The Essex County Board of Supervisors passed a pair of resolutions at its Monday meeting, rescinding the county's residency policy as well as granting residency waiver requests for 14 current out-of-county residents. County attorney Dan Manning said that the waivers were needed because the employees felt that their departments had told them that they had already received a waiver.
Transmission Developers Inc. announced a Joint Proposal of Settlement has been filed with the New York State Public Service Commission regarding the plan for the Champlain-Hudson Power Express, a 333-mile, 1,000 megawatt direct-current electric transmission system that would run through buried lines from Canada through Lake Champlain and the Hudson River to New York City. The $2 billion project has a projected in-service date of late 2016. The agreement comes after 15 months of negotiations.
About 60 full time Vermont Air National Guard members will be let go in July. This is part of the Air Force's plan to cut costs. According to Senator Leahy's office, while 60 Vermonters will lose their jobs, the Air Force will bring in 66 full-time employees from elsewhere in the country. Leahy says he's disappointed, but notes that Vermont's Guard made out better than the Guard in other states.
Gov. Peter Shumlin and the Education Commissioner are announcing proposed changes to math requirements for all Vermont high school students. The proposed changes are in response to the latest test results that show a significant drop in math and science scores when Vermont students enter high school. Students are currently required to take three years of math but the standards don't specify which math courses. Shumlin will hold a press conference with the Commissioner today to discuss the proposed changes.
College For Every Student can raise up to $10,000 this week as featured nonprofit partner of GE. General Electric chose the Essex-based program that helps under-served youth to go to college as its featured nonprofit partner for this week. GE gives $1 to College For Every Student each time someone clicks on "Like GE on Facebook," submits a photo and caption or votes on a submission HERE.
Taxpayers and tax professionals can keep up on many state-related tax issues on Twitter now. Follow the New York State Tax Department @NYStaxnews to get a "direct feed" from the department on a regular basis. The posts announce initiatives and services such as filing reminders, the location of clinics that help low-income taxpayers complete returns, or the details of critical and timely changes to the tax law, and more.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
WVTK Local & State News March 6, 2012
Voters are headed to the polls and attending Town Meetings all across Vermont today. Polls here in Middlebury are open from 7AM – 7PM today at the Municipal Auditorium-Gymnasium. In addition to Presidential Primary voting, residents will also be voting on local Articles Nine through Eleven as provided by the Middlebury Town Charter. Article Ten is the Bond Vote for the proposed expansion of the Middlebury Fire Station and replacement of the East Middlebury Station.
With only weeks remaining in the 2011-2012 United Way of Addison County campaign, the organization has received a Challenge Grant of $8,500 from a few anonymous donors who have agreed to match any additional donations to the United Way dollar for dollar between now and March 31st. This year more than ever community support is needed as continuing economic issues and the outpouring of support for victims of Tropical Storm Irene had an impact on the local campaign. Anyone who would like to participate in this Challenge Grant should contact the United Way office at 388-7189, mail a donation to PO Box 555, Middlebury, VT 05753 or make your gift online at www.UnitedWayAddisonCounty.org.
Vermont State Police in New Haven have received a vandalism complaint from Hardscrabble Road in Bristol. Reportedly, at approximately 1:30 yesterday afternoon a white Subaru operated by a young female had gone off Hardscrabble Road and damaged property on 3 resident's lawns. This subject then left the scene without notifying the residents or leaving her name and contact information for them. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the State Police in New Haven. (802-388-4919)
A disoriented driver smashed into a utility pole in Addison yesterday. Emergency crews says they man was heading south on Route 22A when he ran into the pole, that now needs to be replaced. It is not clear what caused the driver to go off the road, but firefighters say the man appeared disoriented, like he had been sleeping. The driver was taken to the hospital for observation.
The Rutland Fire Chief announced yesterday morning that the boil water order for Rutland has been lifted. According to a press release, “water quality tests performed after the water leak experienced March 3 showed no evidence of contamination.” The Chief said that residents could freely drink or use their water. A connection to a fire hydrant has been identified as the broken pipe that caused the leak. The break spilled half a million gallons of water, causing a drop in water pressure around the city Saturday night. While city officials had earlier attributed the break to a century-old 12-inch main, the Department of Public Works found it was actually an 8- or 10-inch pipe connecting that line to a hydrant at the corner of Wales and Center streets.
The Moriah Central School Board will hold a meeting to work on the budget at 6PM tomorrow in the High School library. Budgets presented at the session include those for the high school; elementary school; special education; buildings, grounds and transportation; central administration; and athletics. The public is welcome to attend.
Excessive overtime at Essex County Jail could be reined in with a new correction-officer scheduling system just approved by the Board of Supervisors. The program from VCS Software would cost $15,600 but could alleviate some of the $50,000-a-month drain on county coffers from overtime at the jail. Sheriff Richard Cutting said there's a trial period for the program, at a cost of $630 a month for three months as a test period.
Essex County, New York is looking to secure funding to complete a nine million dollar replacement of its current emergency radio system. Right now most of the communication system is considered outdated. During Tropical Storm Irene many first responders could not communicate with each other. This week a number of representatives from Essex County are attending the National Association of Counties in Washington. They are meeting with federal officials to lobby for funding. The overhaul of the radio system is expected to cost nine million dollars, but so far the county only has about two million to spend on it.
More than 50 Vermont communities are going to be using their annual Town Meeting Day to push for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution declaring that corporations are not people. States and communities across the country have considered or are considering similar calls. The goal is to overturn the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. Critics say it poisoned the electoral process by unleashing unlimited and unregulated volumes of money into the electoral cycle. Two Vermont communities that held their meetings over the weekend approved the idea by overwhelming votes.
As many as 15,000 Vermonters are expected to fill out Senator Bill Doyle's Town Meeting Day survey this year. The 2012 survey marks the 44th consecutive year that Doyle has solicited the opinions of voters on a variety of issues facing the state. Doyle originally started the survey in 1969 to gauge his constituents' opinion on Governor Deane Davis's plan to implement a state sales tax in Vermont. One of the questions Doyle is asking this year is whether Vermont's bottle deposit law should be expanded to include all bottled beverages. Last year, 79 percent of people responding to the survey said yes. Doyle's 2012 survey also includes questions about the future of Vermont Yankee and approval ratings for Governor Peter Shumlin and the Legislature.
In more than half of Vermont's cities and towns today’s Town Meeting Day ballots will be counted by hand. The state has the technology to change that, but many towns are not making the switch. Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos is hoping the use of electronic tabulators will spread and has roughly 14-million dollars in federal money to cover the tab for communities that want to get on board. Condos says the machine can cut down the final count from hours to just minutes and calls the technology, that's been around for years, "very accurate." The Vermont Legislature is considering a plan to require communities of more than 1-thousand to use the tabulating machines to determine their final counts.
Acting Essex Police Chief Brad LaRose is now the official chief of the city. The announcement came Monday night at the annual Essex town meeting, with the audience of 200 giving LaRose a standing ovation. When the former chief retired last year LaRose was given the job of acting chief until a permanent one could be named. Apparently, town leaders didn't need to look very far, although 40 people applied for the job.
Manchester Vermont voters say they are opposed to smart meters. At their Town Meeting Saturday they held a non-binding vote asking if the town should oppose smart meters. Voters said yes by a 2-to-1 margin. The wireless technology is designed to help manage electricity use, making real time data available to users and utilities. But some believe the systems are an invasion of privacy and emit harmful radiation.
Senator Bernie Sanders and like-minded members of Congress once again are calling for a crackdown speculation in crude oil markets. The Vermont independent is 1 of 23 senators and 45 House members to sign a letter calling on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to curb speculation as gasoline prices at the pump near $4 per gallon.
The state of Vermont is getting about $3.4 million in federal funds to help support Head Start education programs in Barre and Burlington. The Central Vermont Community Action Agency in Barre has been awarded $1.8 million, and the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity of Burlington has received $1.5 million.
Students around the area celebrated the birthday of children’s book author Dr. Seuss. Most schools marked March 2nd as the date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association. Seuss published 46 children's books. At the Neshobe Elementary School in Brandon, school librarian Chris Naylor focused a library bookshelf display of Seuss books and a life-size, stand-up Cat in the Hat model. First graders in teacher Beth Greeno’s class had a breakfast of green eggs and ham—colored green with organic food dye—and discussed their favorite books including a visit to the official Dr. Seuss website. Some schools will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday this week. Younger students at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Middlebury plan a green eggs and ham breakfast in their pajamas tomorrow.
The Carillon Garden Club will start its new club year on Thursday, March 15th, with a regular business meeting at the Hague Community Center on Route 8 in Hague at 10AM. The Carillon Garden Club was founded in 1974 and now has 49 members. The objectives of the club are to promote interest in gardening, aid in the protection and conservation of natural resources, protect civic beauty, and to study and advance the fine arts of gardening, landscape design, floral design and horticulture. New members are encouraged to join and share in the projects, the informative meetings and fellowship with other gardeners.
The Ticonderoga Festival Guild will mark a milestone this summer as its Arts Trek program celebrates its 30th anniversary. Arts Trek is the series of free children’s programs held each summer by the guild. Arts Trek has become the centerpiece of the Ticonderoga Festival Guild, which was formed in 1980 to present performing arts in the Ticonderoga area. The guild is now in the midst of its spring fund raising campaign. Letters were recently sent to members and community leaders announcing the summer programs and inviting memberships for the coming year. Arts Trek will open with a birthday party on Tuesday July 3rd at 10:15AM at the Knights of Columbus pavilion.
With only weeks remaining in the 2011-2012 United Way of Addison County campaign, the organization has received a Challenge Grant of $8,500 from a few anonymous donors who have agreed to match any additional donations to the United Way dollar for dollar between now and March 31st. This year more than ever community support is needed as continuing economic issues and the outpouring of support for victims of Tropical Storm Irene had an impact on the local campaign. Anyone who would like to participate in this Challenge Grant should contact the United Way office at 388-7189, mail a donation to PO Box 555, Middlebury, VT 05753 or make your gift online at www.UnitedWayAddisonCounty.org.
Vermont State Police in New Haven have received a vandalism complaint from Hardscrabble Road in Bristol. Reportedly, at approximately 1:30 yesterday afternoon a white Subaru operated by a young female had gone off Hardscrabble Road and damaged property on 3 resident's lawns. This subject then left the scene without notifying the residents or leaving her name and contact information for them. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the State Police in New Haven. (802-388-4919)
A disoriented driver smashed into a utility pole in Addison yesterday. Emergency crews says they man was heading south on Route 22A when he ran into the pole, that now needs to be replaced. It is not clear what caused the driver to go off the road, but firefighters say the man appeared disoriented, like he had been sleeping. The driver was taken to the hospital for observation.
The Rutland Fire Chief announced yesterday morning that the boil water order for Rutland has been lifted. According to a press release, “water quality tests performed after the water leak experienced March 3 showed no evidence of contamination.” The Chief said that residents could freely drink or use their water. A connection to a fire hydrant has been identified as the broken pipe that caused the leak. The break spilled half a million gallons of water, causing a drop in water pressure around the city Saturday night. While city officials had earlier attributed the break to a century-old 12-inch main, the Department of Public Works found it was actually an 8- or 10-inch pipe connecting that line to a hydrant at the corner of Wales and Center streets.
The Moriah Central School Board will hold a meeting to work on the budget at 6PM tomorrow in the High School library. Budgets presented at the session include those for the high school; elementary school; special education; buildings, grounds and transportation; central administration; and athletics. The public is welcome to attend.
Excessive overtime at Essex County Jail could be reined in with a new correction-officer scheduling system just approved by the Board of Supervisors. The program from VCS Software would cost $15,600 but could alleviate some of the $50,000-a-month drain on county coffers from overtime at the jail. Sheriff Richard Cutting said there's a trial period for the program, at a cost of $630 a month for three months as a test period.
Essex County, New York is looking to secure funding to complete a nine million dollar replacement of its current emergency radio system. Right now most of the communication system is considered outdated. During Tropical Storm Irene many first responders could not communicate with each other. This week a number of representatives from Essex County are attending the National Association of Counties in Washington. They are meeting with federal officials to lobby for funding. The overhaul of the radio system is expected to cost nine million dollars, but so far the county only has about two million to spend on it.
More than 50 Vermont communities are going to be using their annual Town Meeting Day to push for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution declaring that corporations are not people. States and communities across the country have considered or are considering similar calls. The goal is to overturn the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. Critics say it poisoned the electoral process by unleashing unlimited and unregulated volumes of money into the electoral cycle. Two Vermont communities that held their meetings over the weekend approved the idea by overwhelming votes.
As many as 15,000 Vermonters are expected to fill out Senator Bill Doyle's Town Meeting Day survey this year. The 2012 survey marks the 44th consecutive year that Doyle has solicited the opinions of voters on a variety of issues facing the state. Doyle originally started the survey in 1969 to gauge his constituents' opinion on Governor Deane Davis's plan to implement a state sales tax in Vermont. One of the questions Doyle is asking this year is whether Vermont's bottle deposit law should be expanded to include all bottled beverages. Last year, 79 percent of people responding to the survey said yes. Doyle's 2012 survey also includes questions about the future of Vermont Yankee and approval ratings for Governor Peter Shumlin and the Legislature.
In more than half of Vermont's cities and towns today’s Town Meeting Day ballots will be counted by hand. The state has the technology to change that, but many towns are not making the switch. Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos is hoping the use of electronic tabulators will spread and has roughly 14-million dollars in federal money to cover the tab for communities that want to get on board. Condos says the machine can cut down the final count from hours to just minutes and calls the technology, that's been around for years, "very accurate." The Vermont Legislature is considering a plan to require communities of more than 1-thousand to use the tabulating machines to determine their final counts.
Acting Essex Police Chief Brad LaRose is now the official chief of the city. The announcement came Monday night at the annual Essex town meeting, with the audience of 200 giving LaRose a standing ovation. When the former chief retired last year LaRose was given the job of acting chief until a permanent one could be named. Apparently, town leaders didn't need to look very far, although 40 people applied for the job.
Manchester Vermont voters say they are opposed to smart meters. At their Town Meeting Saturday they held a non-binding vote asking if the town should oppose smart meters. Voters said yes by a 2-to-1 margin. The wireless technology is designed to help manage electricity use, making real time data available to users and utilities. But some believe the systems are an invasion of privacy and emit harmful radiation.
Senator Bernie Sanders and like-minded members of Congress once again are calling for a crackdown speculation in crude oil markets. The Vermont independent is 1 of 23 senators and 45 House members to sign a letter calling on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to curb speculation as gasoline prices at the pump near $4 per gallon.
The state of Vermont is getting about $3.4 million in federal funds to help support Head Start education programs in Barre and Burlington. The Central Vermont Community Action Agency in Barre has been awarded $1.8 million, and the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity of Burlington has received $1.5 million.
Students around the area celebrated the birthday of children’s book author Dr. Seuss. Most schools marked March 2nd as the date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association. Seuss published 46 children's books. At the Neshobe Elementary School in Brandon, school librarian Chris Naylor focused a library bookshelf display of Seuss books and a life-size, stand-up Cat in the Hat model. First graders in teacher Beth Greeno’s class had a breakfast of green eggs and ham—colored green with organic food dye—and discussed their favorite books including a visit to the official Dr. Seuss website. Some schools will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday this week. Younger students at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Middlebury plan a green eggs and ham breakfast in their pajamas tomorrow.
The Carillon Garden Club will start its new club year on Thursday, March 15th, with a regular business meeting at the Hague Community Center on Route 8 in Hague at 10AM. The Carillon Garden Club was founded in 1974 and now has 49 members. The objectives of the club are to promote interest in gardening, aid in the protection and conservation of natural resources, protect civic beauty, and to study and advance the fine arts of gardening, landscape design, floral design and horticulture. New members are encouraged to join and share in the projects, the informative meetings and fellowship with other gardeners.
The Ticonderoga Festival Guild will mark a milestone this summer as its Arts Trek program celebrates its 30th anniversary. Arts Trek is the series of free children’s programs held each summer by the guild. Arts Trek has become the centerpiece of the Ticonderoga Festival Guild, which was formed in 1980 to present performing arts in the Ticonderoga area. The guild is now in the midst of its spring fund raising campaign. Letters were recently sent to members and community leaders announcing the summer programs and inviting memberships for the coming year. Arts Trek will open with a birthday party on Tuesday July 3rd at 10:15AM at the Knights of Columbus pavilion.
Town Of Middlebury Annual Town Meeting Results
TOWN of MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT
Annual Town Meeting Results
March 5, 2012
Voters of the Town of Middlebury met on Monday, March 5, 2012 to act on the following Articles:
Article 1: Accepted the reports of the Town Officers as submitted by the Auditors.
Article 2: Adopted the proposed budget for the Fiscal Year 2013 (July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013) in the amount of $8,420,920 with a portion thereof in the amount of $5,819,322 to be raised by taxes.
Article 3: Authorized the Board of Selectmen, pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §1786a(b), to replace one police cruiser, 1 tandem plow truck and one stake bed truck by borrowing funds in a total amount not to exceed $251,000 over a term not to exceed five (5) years.
Article 4: Voted to collect taxes on real and personal property for fiscal year 2012/2013 in three equal installments due and payable on the 15th day of August 2012, the 15th day of November 2012 and the 15th day of March 2013 with only USPS postmark accepted as proof of payment date.
Article 5: Established a Middlebury Business Development Fund pursuant to the provisions of 24 VSA § 2804, said fund to be expended for economic and business development, and other related expenses, including, but not limited to, hiring a Middlebury Director of Business Development to complement existing business recruitment and growth initiatives, by paper ballot, with 125 yes and 64 no votes.
Article 6: Voted to annually add one cent on the tax rate for a period of five years for the Business Development Fund created in Article 5 above by a voice vote. This Article was amended to include a requirement for a written report to the Town from the Business Development Fund oversight board at least annually.
Article 7: Designated the Town of Middlebury as a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) District under 24 VSA 3261, et seq., and authorize the Selectboard to enter into an agreement with Efficiency Vermont under which Efficiency Vermont will be authorized to (a) administer the PACE home energy improvements program on behalf of the Town, and (b) arrange for the provision of financing to participating property owners through the PACE program, provided that such financing does not require any indebtedness to be incurred by the Town.
Article 8: In other business, voters heard information about ballot items scheduled for voting Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, polls open in the Municipal Gym, 94 Main Street, from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Ballot items are as follows:
Article 9: Shall the voters of the Town of Middlebury vote to exempt the real and personal property of the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association from taxation for a period of five (5) years, commencing April 1, 2012? (Editor's note: this is a five-year renewal of the exemption, which has been in place for many years).
Article 10: Shall the general obligation bonds of the Town of Middlebury in an amount not to exceed Four Million Six Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($4,625,000) be issued for the purpose of financing construction and land acquisition costs for the expansion and renovation of Fire Station #1 on Seymour Street and the construction of a new fire station to replace the existing Fire Station #2 on King's Row in East Middlebury? The estimated cost of the construction project is Four Million Six Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($4,625,000).
Article 11: To elect officers as required by the Middlebury Town Charter.
Annual Town Meeting Results
March 5, 2012
Voters of the Town of Middlebury met on Monday, March 5, 2012 to act on the following Articles:
Article 1: Accepted the reports of the Town Officers as submitted by the Auditors.
Article 2: Adopted the proposed budget for the Fiscal Year 2013 (July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013) in the amount of $8,420,920 with a portion thereof in the amount of $5,819,322 to be raised by taxes.
Article 3: Authorized the Board of Selectmen, pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §1786a(b), to replace one police cruiser, 1 tandem plow truck and one stake bed truck by borrowing funds in a total amount not to exceed $251,000 over a term not to exceed five (5) years.
Article 4: Voted to collect taxes on real and personal property for fiscal year 2012/2013 in three equal installments due and payable on the 15th day of August 2012, the 15th day of November 2012 and the 15th day of March 2013 with only USPS postmark accepted as proof of payment date.
Article 5: Established a Middlebury Business Development Fund pursuant to the provisions of 24 VSA § 2804, said fund to be expended for economic and business development, and other related expenses, including, but not limited to, hiring a Middlebury Director of Business Development to complement existing business recruitment and growth initiatives, by paper ballot, with 125 yes and 64 no votes.
Article 6: Voted to annually add one cent on the tax rate for a period of five years for the Business Development Fund created in Article 5 above by a voice vote. This Article was amended to include a requirement for a written report to the Town from the Business Development Fund oversight board at least annually.
Article 7: Designated the Town of Middlebury as a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) District under 24 VSA 3261, et seq., and authorize the Selectboard to enter into an agreement with Efficiency Vermont under which Efficiency Vermont will be authorized to (a) administer the PACE home energy improvements program on behalf of the Town, and (b) arrange for the provision of financing to participating property owners through the PACE program, provided that such financing does not require any indebtedness to be incurred by the Town.
Article 8: In other business, voters heard information about ballot items scheduled for voting Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, polls open in the Municipal Gym, 94 Main Street, from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Ballot items are as follows:
Article 9: Shall the voters of the Town of Middlebury vote to exempt the real and personal property of the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association from taxation for a period of five (5) years, commencing April 1, 2012? (Editor's note: this is a five-year renewal of the exemption, which has been in place for many years).
Article 10: Shall the general obligation bonds of the Town of Middlebury in an amount not to exceed Four Million Six Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($4,625,000) be issued for the purpose of financing construction and land acquisition costs for the expansion and renovation of Fire Station #1 on Seymour Street and the construction of a new fire station to replace the existing Fire Station #2 on King's Row in East Middlebury? The estimated cost of the construction project is Four Million Six Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($4,625,000).
Article 11: To elect officers as required by the Middlebury Town Charter.
Monday, March 5, 2012
WVTK Local & State News March 5, 2012
Vergennes Police Chief George Merkel has announced a follow-up meeting on what folks can do to combat drugs and drug use in our communities and everyone is invited to attend! The next Vergennes Community Action Group meeting will be held at VUHS this Wednesday, the 7th of March at 7:00PM in the VUHS auditorium.
Plans are moving forward with the Lake Champlain Bridge Grand Celebration scheduled for the weekend of May 19th & 20th! Now is your chance to be part of this once in a lifetime event. Organizers are currently looking for artisans, crafters and food vendors and the deadline to apply for those spaces is March 16th. Space is limited. Applications received after that date may be allowed to participate if space allows but may not be included in the official commemorative program. The deadline for advertisers in that program is this Friday the 9th. 12,000 copies will be available for sale before and during the event. Proceeds directly benefit the celebration. Get details right now at www.champlainbridgecommunity.org.
The Addison County Legislative Governor’s Luncheon is coming up a week from today, March 12th at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton. Lunch begins at Noon. The cost is $7.50 and will feature a menu of local products. No RSVP necessary. Get more information HERE.
Maple Landmark Woodcraft and Sen. Bernard Sanders have won their battle, finally persuading The Smithsonian Institution to carry some of its Vermont-made wooden toys. The Smithsonian agreed to carry Maple Landmark Woodcraft yo-yos with an American flag along with a memory game designed with American landmarks. For several years the company had been working to get its American-made products into the museum. Sanders said in a statement that the decision by the Smithsonian would help Maple Landmark, one of the few toy makers left in the United States.
A break in a 12 inch water main at the corner of Wales and Center streets in downtown Rutland has affected water pressure throughout the City, especially in the upper elevations to the west of the City. This would include the Campbell Road and Upper State Street Neighborhoods. The Department of Public Works has issued a boil water order until further notice for all customers on the Rutland City Water Supply. Repairs are being done at this time by the Rutland City Department of Public Works.
Firefighters and fire instructors spent Saturday debunking electric car myths at the Vermont Fire Academy in Pittsford. About 50 firefighters and instructors from across the state showed up to take what they learned back to their departments. This program hopes to reach all 1.2 million firefighters in the United States to better prepare them to deal with electric vehicles at the scene of an accident. Governor Shumlin's energy plan calls for 90 percent renewable energy in the state by mid-century. As Vermont focuses more on renewable energy, familiarizing responders with the different technologies is key.
Hannaford Supermarkets wants to hear the ideas of Hinesburg residents for the look of its proposed store at a community discussion event. This will be an architectural design brainstorming session. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 13th in the cafeteria of Hinesburg Community School from 7 to 8:30PM. The meeting will focus on the appearance of the building: the overall style of the storefront as well as details such as rooflines and materials.
The Board of Trustees of the Rowland Foundation has announced its 2012 fellowships. The foundation is a Vermont-based organization focused on high school transformation in the state. To date the foundation has awarded $2 million in grants to Vermont high schools. The foundation accepts proposals from visionary educators who wish to improve the culture and climate of the learning environment. Schools, which have received grants from the Rowland Foundation, include Fair Haven Union High School, Mt. Abraham Union High School, Otter Valley Union High School, Rutland High School, Vergennes Union High School, and Vermont Adult Learning.
Potential Downtown Rutland face-lifts could take shape in the coming weeks. The Downtown Rutland Partnership announced last week it would begin taking applications for facade improvement grants later this month. The program is funded with $30,000 that the partnership received from Green Mountain Power and Central Vermont Public Service Corp. It was one of a number of concessions the city negotiated in exchange of its endorsement of the merger of Vermont’s two largest utilities.
Town of Thurman Supervisor Evelyn Wood announced yesterday that she’s a candidate for the state Assembly post to be vacated this December by Teresa Sayward. Wood joins several other area politicians that have expressed interest in running to represent the 113th Assembly District. Warren County Board of Supervisors Chairman Dan Stec announced his candidacy Friday, soon after Sayward publicized her impending retirement. Talk has also circulated that former Glens Falls Mayor Bob Reagan and Essex County Board of Supervisors Chairman Randy Douglas are interested in the post.
Essex County plans to officially end its residency rule for employees today. In fact, local lawmakers recently decided that even a hint of residency preference in hiring would be bad. The Board of Supervisors decided to not only to scrap the proposed residency law but also to remove the residency requirement from the employee handbook. The County Board of Supervisors will take a final vote on ending residency mandates at 10 this morning in the Old County Courthouse.
Essex County Sheriff Richard Cutting would like to warn the citizens of Essex County to be extremely careful when dealing with telephone calls soliciting funds. The Essex County Sheriff's Office does not do random calls to solicit funds. If you receive any fundraising calls or mailings concerning sheriff's programs and you are in doubt, do not hesitate to call your local sheriff and inquire as to the legitimacy of the request.
For the first time in decades, Ticonderoga voters will have a new polling site in 2012. Local residents will cast their ballots at the Ticonderoga Middle School auditorium this year. Voting had been at the Ticonderoga firehouse for years. The fire commissioners expressed concern that voting could conflict with some of their events at the firehouse.
Governor Peter Shumlin says he's optimistic that federal tax credits for renewable energy scheduled to expire at the end of the year will be renewed. Shumlin says there's support for the tax credits from governors of both parties, which should help their chances in Congress. There's been fear that expiration of the tax credits would slow development of renewable energy projects and hurt wind and solar-power industries in Vermont and elsewhere.
State senators are set to review a bill that would authorize the Agency of Natural Resources to write rules on how materials, from batteries to paper, should be thrown out. The bill pushes the state toward a goal of recycling and composting more solid waste while putting less trash into the landfills. The bill also says waste haulers must offer recycling at no additional charge. The House gave the measure final approval on Friday.
Millions of dollars are headed Vermont's way to help maintain Lake Champlain. Sen. Patrick Leahy announced Friday that he has secured $3 million in the new federal budget. How exactly the funding will be spent is not yet known, but officials say the money will go toward a number of different projects. Leahy also announced another $450,000 in grant money now available through the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Thirty grants will be handed out. The deadline to apply is March 27th.
The legal arguments over the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant continue, with parties to file this week on how the state Public Service Board should handle its review of a new state permit for the plant. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking toward March 21st, when the company's permission to store more high-radioactive nuclear waste on its plant site in Vernon may expire.
Police say the 17th annual Mardi Gras parade in Burlington went off smoothly. Thousands of people turned out for Saturday's festivities, which many see as an opening to spring. Organizers say they sold out of beads, and hope to exceed their fundraising goal of $30,000. Event proceeds benefit HOPE Works, a Burlington-based anti-sexual violence non-profit.
The Middlebury Snow Bowl is in full operation currently with the ski area’s “backside” now open. New snow arrived on the mountain during the first days of March. However, due to reduced weekday visits by skiers during March, the Snow Bowl will reduce hours. Beginning this week, the Snow Bowl will operate Wednesday through Sunday through April 1st. Starting March 14, weekday hours of operation will be 10AM – 5PM with weekend hours 8:30AM – 4PM. According to Manager Peter Mackey, They are offering current season pass holders ‘bring a buddy day’, which allows any current season pass holder a one time free lift ticket any day until the end of the current season.
Five months after the remnants of Hurricane Irene hit Vermont, people from one end of the state to the other are recording their memories of what happened. In Waterbury, one of the hardest-hit communities, the soft-cover book "When the River Rose" is part community memoir and part recovery fundraising tool. In Bethel, a group of seventh-graders shared their stories in a separate memoir titled "Grab your Toothbrush and a Flashlight!" The book has sold well enough for the kids to make a donation to the town select board to help pay for ongoing recovery efforts.
A new airline has landed at Plattsburgh International Airport. PenAir will provide 12 roundtrip flights a week between Plattsburgh and Boston. Peninsula Airways replaces Colgan Airlines, which used to provide U.S. Airways service to Boston. Tickets will start at $80 and the planes will remain the same size. PenAir is expected to begin operations at the end of this month or early next month.
Plans are moving forward with the Lake Champlain Bridge Grand Celebration scheduled for the weekend of May 19th & 20th! Now is your chance to be part of this once in a lifetime event. Organizers are currently looking for artisans, crafters and food vendors and the deadline to apply for those spaces is March 16th. Space is limited. Applications received after that date may be allowed to participate if space allows but may not be included in the official commemorative program. The deadline for advertisers in that program is this Friday the 9th. 12,000 copies will be available for sale before and during the event. Proceeds directly benefit the celebration. Get details right now at www.champlainbridgecommunity.org.
The Addison County Legislative Governor’s Luncheon is coming up a week from today, March 12th at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton. Lunch begins at Noon. The cost is $7.50 and will feature a menu of local products. No RSVP necessary. Get more information HERE.
Maple Landmark Woodcraft and Sen. Bernard Sanders have won their battle, finally persuading The Smithsonian Institution to carry some of its Vermont-made wooden toys. The Smithsonian agreed to carry Maple Landmark Woodcraft yo-yos with an American flag along with a memory game designed with American landmarks. For several years the company had been working to get its American-made products into the museum. Sanders said in a statement that the decision by the Smithsonian would help Maple Landmark, one of the few toy makers left in the United States.
A break in a 12 inch water main at the corner of Wales and Center streets in downtown Rutland has affected water pressure throughout the City, especially in the upper elevations to the west of the City. This would include the Campbell Road and Upper State Street Neighborhoods. The Department of Public Works has issued a boil water order until further notice for all customers on the Rutland City Water Supply. Repairs are being done at this time by the Rutland City Department of Public Works.
Firefighters and fire instructors spent Saturday debunking electric car myths at the Vermont Fire Academy in Pittsford. About 50 firefighters and instructors from across the state showed up to take what they learned back to their departments. This program hopes to reach all 1.2 million firefighters in the United States to better prepare them to deal with electric vehicles at the scene of an accident. Governor Shumlin's energy plan calls for 90 percent renewable energy in the state by mid-century. As Vermont focuses more on renewable energy, familiarizing responders with the different technologies is key.
Hannaford Supermarkets wants to hear the ideas of Hinesburg residents for the look of its proposed store at a community discussion event. This will be an architectural design brainstorming session. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 13th in the cafeteria of Hinesburg Community School from 7 to 8:30PM. The meeting will focus on the appearance of the building: the overall style of the storefront as well as details such as rooflines and materials.
The Board of Trustees of the Rowland Foundation has announced its 2012 fellowships. The foundation is a Vermont-based organization focused on high school transformation in the state. To date the foundation has awarded $2 million in grants to Vermont high schools. The foundation accepts proposals from visionary educators who wish to improve the culture and climate of the learning environment. Schools, which have received grants from the Rowland Foundation, include Fair Haven Union High School, Mt. Abraham Union High School, Otter Valley Union High School, Rutland High School, Vergennes Union High School, and Vermont Adult Learning.
Potential Downtown Rutland face-lifts could take shape in the coming weeks. The Downtown Rutland Partnership announced last week it would begin taking applications for facade improvement grants later this month. The program is funded with $30,000 that the partnership received from Green Mountain Power and Central Vermont Public Service Corp. It was one of a number of concessions the city negotiated in exchange of its endorsement of the merger of Vermont’s two largest utilities.
Town of Thurman Supervisor Evelyn Wood announced yesterday that she’s a candidate for the state Assembly post to be vacated this December by Teresa Sayward. Wood joins several other area politicians that have expressed interest in running to represent the 113th Assembly District. Warren County Board of Supervisors Chairman Dan Stec announced his candidacy Friday, soon after Sayward publicized her impending retirement. Talk has also circulated that former Glens Falls Mayor Bob Reagan and Essex County Board of Supervisors Chairman Randy Douglas are interested in the post.
Essex County plans to officially end its residency rule for employees today. In fact, local lawmakers recently decided that even a hint of residency preference in hiring would be bad. The Board of Supervisors decided to not only to scrap the proposed residency law but also to remove the residency requirement from the employee handbook. The County Board of Supervisors will take a final vote on ending residency mandates at 10 this morning in the Old County Courthouse.
Essex County Sheriff Richard Cutting would like to warn the citizens of Essex County to be extremely careful when dealing with telephone calls soliciting funds. The Essex County Sheriff's Office does not do random calls to solicit funds. If you receive any fundraising calls or mailings concerning sheriff's programs and you are in doubt, do not hesitate to call your local sheriff and inquire as to the legitimacy of the request.
For the first time in decades, Ticonderoga voters will have a new polling site in 2012. Local residents will cast their ballots at the Ticonderoga Middle School auditorium this year. Voting had been at the Ticonderoga firehouse for years. The fire commissioners expressed concern that voting could conflict with some of their events at the firehouse.
Governor Peter Shumlin says he's optimistic that federal tax credits for renewable energy scheduled to expire at the end of the year will be renewed. Shumlin says there's support for the tax credits from governors of both parties, which should help their chances in Congress. There's been fear that expiration of the tax credits would slow development of renewable energy projects and hurt wind and solar-power industries in Vermont and elsewhere.
State senators are set to review a bill that would authorize the Agency of Natural Resources to write rules on how materials, from batteries to paper, should be thrown out. The bill pushes the state toward a goal of recycling and composting more solid waste while putting less trash into the landfills. The bill also says waste haulers must offer recycling at no additional charge. The House gave the measure final approval on Friday.
Millions of dollars are headed Vermont's way to help maintain Lake Champlain. Sen. Patrick Leahy announced Friday that he has secured $3 million in the new federal budget. How exactly the funding will be spent is not yet known, but officials say the money will go toward a number of different projects. Leahy also announced another $450,000 in grant money now available through the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Thirty grants will be handed out. The deadline to apply is March 27th.
The legal arguments over the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant continue, with parties to file this week on how the state Public Service Board should handle its review of a new state permit for the plant. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking toward March 21st, when the company's permission to store more high-radioactive nuclear waste on its plant site in Vernon may expire.
Police say the 17th annual Mardi Gras parade in Burlington went off smoothly. Thousands of people turned out for Saturday's festivities, which many see as an opening to spring. Organizers say they sold out of beads, and hope to exceed their fundraising goal of $30,000. Event proceeds benefit HOPE Works, a Burlington-based anti-sexual violence non-profit.
The Middlebury Snow Bowl is in full operation currently with the ski area’s “backside” now open. New snow arrived on the mountain during the first days of March. However, due to reduced weekday visits by skiers during March, the Snow Bowl will reduce hours. Beginning this week, the Snow Bowl will operate Wednesday through Sunday through April 1st. Starting March 14, weekday hours of operation will be 10AM – 5PM with weekend hours 8:30AM – 4PM. According to Manager Peter Mackey, They are offering current season pass holders ‘bring a buddy day’, which allows any current season pass holder a one time free lift ticket any day until the end of the current season.
Five months after the remnants of Hurricane Irene hit Vermont, people from one end of the state to the other are recording their memories of what happened. In Waterbury, one of the hardest-hit communities, the soft-cover book "When the River Rose" is part community memoir and part recovery fundraising tool. In Bethel, a group of seventh-graders shared their stories in a separate memoir titled "Grab your Toothbrush and a Flashlight!" The book has sold well enough for the kids to make a donation to the town select board to help pay for ongoing recovery efforts.
A new airline has landed at Plattsburgh International Airport. PenAir will provide 12 roundtrip flights a week between Plattsburgh and Boston. Peninsula Airways replaces Colgan Airlines, which used to provide U.S. Airways service to Boston. Tickets will start at $80 and the planes will remain the same size. PenAir is expected to begin operations at the end of this month or early next month.
Friday, March 2, 2012
WVTK Local & State News March 2, 2012
At Tuesday’s Middlebury Select-Board Meeting the property owner of 1 Mill Street, Edgewood Property Holdings, LLC, is considering further development of its property there to add a restaurant and residential units. There will be a public hearing on Edgewater's proposal to acquire the property from the Town at the Select Board's March 27th meeting. Meanwhile the Butternut Ridge Road project is out to bid for construction this summer, with bids due March 9th. The design plans for the South Street/Green Mountain Place project are currently in development for bidding this spring, with construction starting this summer and completed in the summer or fall of 2013. After extensive review, the Town's Auditor has re-issued the FY2011 Audit Report and the Town Manager noted that there is an Open House/Information Meeting on plans for Vermont Gas to extend natural gas lines to Addison County at the American Legion in Middlebury set for Thursday, March 15th from 7 – 9 PM. Get a complete update in the meeting by visiting the Town’s Website.
Police were investigating the collision of milk truck on Route 17 in Addison yesterday. While traveling eastbound, 27-year-old Kyle J. Adams of St. Albans lost control of the rig and traveled off the south side of the roadway. Adams subsequently collided with a sign and an electrical pole. There were no injuries. Road and weather conditions included snow. Vermont DMV commercial motor vehicle inspectors responded to the scene to inspect the site. Neither speed nor impairment were contributing factors in the collision.
Vermont Electric Power Company is the recipient of the 2012 NWTF’s Energy for Wildlife award for the company’s commitment to develop and improve wildlife habitat. Jeffrey Disorda, VELCO’s supervisor of right of way management, accepted the award for the company during the 36th annual NWTF National Convention and Sport Show in Nashville. Rutland based VELCO is a Corporate Silver Life member of the NWTF and has been a member of the Energy for Wildlife program since 2006.
Miss Vermont 2011, Katie Lavasseur visited the Hub Teen Center in Bristol last week, and spoke to a small but interested group about community service and fundraising. Lavasseur is no stranger to a variety of teen topics and was eager to offer advice and lend an ear to the varied ideas put forth by her audience. One of the main topics was how to raises funds for a new sprinkler system for the Hub. Together they brainstormed ideas, including holding a spaghetti dinner in a nearby community hall, a chowder making competition and asking local businesses to dedicate a time period when they will share a percentage of the proceeds with the Hub.
The Lincoln Community Elementary School will have to find a new way to fund upgrades to their computer lab after thieves made off with over $1,400 worth of copper scrap that was slated for sale to fund the improvements. The copper was part of the school’s old heating and plumbing system that was replaced during a recent renovation project. Since the price of copper has skyrocketed in recent years, they had planned to sell it and use the proceeds to purchase new chairs for the computer lab and possibly to finance other improvements. So far there are no leads in the theft. If you have any information please contact VSP at the New Haven Barracks.
At this year’s town meeting, voters in Castleton will get the chance to approve or reject a $2 million bond for the construction of municipal offices and an emergency services complex. The issue regarding the town offices was raised at town meeting last year. Since then, plans to build a new complex for the town have been in the works. If passed, the estimated annual bond payment is $139,101. It would add $32.35 for a $100,000 home tax payment.
Former Rutland City Mayor Jeffrey Wennberg will take the reins at the state’s highest-profile anti-single-payer organization. Vermonters for Health Care Freedom has helped galvanize opposition to the health care reform legislation signed into law last year by Gov. Peter Shumlin. Darcie Johnston, founder of the group said that she’d be stepping aside to focus on her consulting business. Wennberg, who also served as commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation under the Douglas administration, will take over as executive director.
Mount St. Joseph Academy's cheerleaders landed a third place trophy at the Vermont Cheerleading Coaches Association Annual Cheerleading Competition last week. The team competed in the Small Varsity Division at the event held in Windsor. The team will compete again at the state competition at Vergennes Union High School tomorrow. Doors will open to the public at 2PM and the competition begins at 4.
Republican Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward has announced she will not seek re-election. She represents Ticonderoga, Moriah, Crown Point and Schroon Lake. It was a family decision made by the desire to spend more time with her husband after recently celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. She is very grateful for all who have supported her over the years.
A project to make the former Moses Ludington Hospital a senior citizen housing complex is on schedule. Liberty Affordable Housing Inc. and Inter-Lakes Health have informed town officials they expect to begin work on the $7 million project in June. Completion is anticipated in September 2013. The project will turn the now-vacant facility into 31 one-bedroom units for low-income seniors. It will be called Moses Circle Senior Apartments.
The Crown Point Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its one-year anniversary this Monday at Frenchman’s Restaurant at 6:30PM. There will be time throughout the evening for current members to renew their membership as well as time for new members to join. The board meeting will start at 6:30 with a potluck to follow.
The Vermont Senate has given preliminary approval to a bill that would end the philosophical exemption that allows families to skip childhood immunizations for their children. But the bill advanced by senators’ left a religious exemption intact; meaning parents opposed to immunizations still could avoid their children having the shots. It needs final Senate approval before moving to the House.
The good-government group Common Cause of Vermont has set up a database of campaign contributions made to candidates in the state during the 2010 election cycle, and it's urging the state to do something similar. Executive director Wally Roberts says Vermont is behind many other states in that it lacks a searchable online database that allows visitors to see easily which candidates are getting how much money from what sorts of groups.
The Vermont House has given preliminary approval to legislation that would push the state toward the goal of recycling and composting solid waste, with as little as possible going to landfills. The bill would authorize the Agency of Natural Resources to write rules mandating recycling of materials ranging from batteries to paper.
Officials are trying to determine how many endangered Canada lynx live in Vermont. This week wildlife officials on snowmobiles are conducting the state's first lynx survey. They hope the new snow will help them get an idea of lynx activity in the northeastern part of the state.
The Vermont Public Service Board says it will set its own pace in deciding whether the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant gets a state permit to operate for another 20 years. A federal judge in January issued an order blocking an effort by Vermont lawmakers to close the plant down, and sent the issue back to the Public Service Board. The owner of the plant first said the board had all the information it needed to go ahead and issue a new permit. Then, this week, Entergy Corp. asked the federal judge to make changes to his January decision and for the board to wait. The board says its review is continuing.
The Vergennes Opera House kicks off Local Music Showcase Weekend with a benefit show featuring the local band Panton Flats at the Vergennes Opera House on March 10th at 8PM. Panton Flats is set to rock the house with their sweltering blend of Motown, blues, funk, country, and rock and roll. They will be adding to their repertoire five brand new originals in anticipation of recording this spring. Tickets are $10 and available at www.vergennesoperahouse.org, at Classic Stitching or by calling 877-6737.
The Ticonderoga First 250 Years Committee is seeking a logo to represent the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the settlement of Ticonderoga. The logo will be featured in promotions on-line and printed on various materials. The group is holding a contest to find a logo. The competition is open to any individual, organization, business, educational institution or group. All submissions must contain a primary graphic that is a visual/artistic representation of the commemoration and must include the text: Ticonderoga, 250 Years, 1764-2014. The entry deadline is April 25. You can get more information through the Ticonderoga Chamber Of Commerce.
The Lyndon State College student chapter of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association will host the 47th annual Northeastern Storm Conference in Rutland this weekend. The conference is the largest student-run conference in the nation. In past years attendance has reached more than 300 people. The event aims to bring together scientists, professionals and students to share new ideas and knowledge in the atmospheric sciences. The conference focuses primarily on weather in the New England region.
New Orleans may have wrapped up their Mardi Gras festivities earlier this week, but the celebration is in Burlington Saturday. That's where the 17th annual Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade will be, and if it's anything like previous years, it will draw thousands to downtown. Over 30 floats will come down Main Street to the waterfront Saturday afternoon, with about 25-thousand spectators watching, cheering, and catching beads and candy thrown from the floats. The entry fees paid by float sponsors go to HOPE Works, previously known as the Women's Rape Crisis Center. The parade usually raises about 30-thousand dollars each year for the non-profit.
Police were investigating the collision of milk truck on Route 17 in Addison yesterday. While traveling eastbound, 27-year-old Kyle J. Adams of St. Albans lost control of the rig and traveled off the south side of the roadway. Adams subsequently collided with a sign and an electrical pole. There were no injuries. Road and weather conditions included snow. Vermont DMV commercial motor vehicle inspectors responded to the scene to inspect the site. Neither speed nor impairment were contributing factors in the collision.
Vermont Electric Power Company is the recipient of the 2012 NWTF’s Energy for Wildlife award for the company’s commitment to develop and improve wildlife habitat. Jeffrey Disorda, VELCO’s supervisor of right of way management, accepted the award for the company during the 36th annual NWTF National Convention and Sport Show in Nashville. Rutland based VELCO is a Corporate Silver Life member of the NWTF and has been a member of the Energy for Wildlife program since 2006.
Miss Vermont 2011, Katie Lavasseur visited the Hub Teen Center in Bristol last week, and spoke to a small but interested group about community service and fundraising. Lavasseur is no stranger to a variety of teen topics and was eager to offer advice and lend an ear to the varied ideas put forth by her audience. One of the main topics was how to raises funds for a new sprinkler system for the Hub. Together they brainstormed ideas, including holding a spaghetti dinner in a nearby community hall, a chowder making competition and asking local businesses to dedicate a time period when they will share a percentage of the proceeds with the Hub.
The Lincoln Community Elementary School will have to find a new way to fund upgrades to their computer lab after thieves made off with over $1,400 worth of copper scrap that was slated for sale to fund the improvements. The copper was part of the school’s old heating and plumbing system that was replaced during a recent renovation project. Since the price of copper has skyrocketed in recent years, they had planned to sell it and use the proceeds to purchase new chairs for the computer lab and possibly to finance other improvements. So far there are no leads in the theft. If you have any information please contact VSP at the New Haven Barracks.
At this year’s town meeting, voters in Castleton will get the chance to approve or reject a $2 million bond for the construction of municipal offices and an emergency services complex. The issue regarding the town offices was raised at town meeting last year. Since then, plans to build a new complex for the town have been in the works. If passed, the estimated annual bond payment is $139,101. It would add $32.35 for a $100,000 home tax payment.
Former Rutland City Mayor Jeffrey Wennberg will take the reins at the state’s highest-profile anti-single-payer organization. Vermonters for Health Care Freedom has helped galvanize opposition to the health care reform legislation signed into law last year by Gov. Peter Shumlin. Darcie Johnston, founder of the group said that she’d be stepping aside to focus on her consulting business. Wennberg, who also served as commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation under the Douglas administration, will take over as executive director.
Mount St. Joseph Academy's cheerleaders landed a third place trophy at the Vermont Cheerleading Coaches Association Annual Cheerleading Competition last week. The team competed in the Small Varsity Division at the event held in Windsor. The team will compete again at the state competition at Vergennes Union High School tomorrow. Doors will open to the public at 2PM and the competition begins at 4.
Republican Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward has announced she will not seek re-election. She represents Ticonderoga, Moriah, Crown Point and Schroon Lake. It was a family decision made by the desire to spend more time with her husband after recently celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. She is very grateful for all who have supported her over the years.
A project to make the former Moses Ludington Hospital a senior citizen housing complex is on schedule. Liberty Affordable Housing Inc. and Inter-Lakes Health have informed town officials they expect to begin work on the $7 million project in June. Completion is anticipated in September 2013. The project will turn the now-vacant facility into 31 one-bedroom units for low-income seniors. It will be called Moses Circle Senior Apartments.
The Crown Point Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its one-year anniversary this Monday at Frenchman’s Restaurant at 6:30PM. There will be time throughout the evening for current members to renew their membership as well as time for new members to join. The board meeting will start at 6:30 with a potluck to follow.
The Vermont Senate has given preliminary approval to a bill that would end the philosophical exemption that allows families to skip childhood immunizations for their children. But the bill advanced by senators’ left a religious exemption intact; meaning parents opposed to immunizations still could avoid their children having the shots. It needs final Senate approval before moving to the House.
The good-government group Common Cause of Vermont has set up a database of campaign contributions made to candidates in the state during the 2010 election cycle, and it's urging the state to do something similar. Executive director Wally Roberts says Vermont is behind many other states in that it lacks a searchable online database that allows visitors to see easily which candidates are getting how much money from what sorts of groups.
The Vermont House has given preliminary approval to legislation that would push the state toward the goal of recycling and composting solid waste, with as little as possible going to landfills. The bill would authorize the Agency of Natural Resources to write rules mandating recycling of materials ranging from batteries to paper.
Officials are trying to determine how many endangered Canada lynx live in Vermont. This week wildlife officials on snowmobiles are conducting the state's first lynx survey. They hope the new snow will help them get an idea of lynx activity in the northeastern part of the state.
The Vermont Public Service Board says it will set its own pace in deciding whether the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant gets a state permit to operate for another 20 years. A federal judge in January issued an order blocking an effort by Vermont lawmakers to close the plant down, and sent the issue back to the Public Service Board. The owner of the plant first said the board had all the information it needed to go ahead and issue a new permit. Then, this week, Entergy Corp. asked the federal judge to make changes to his January decision and for the board to wait. The board says its review is continuing.
The Vergennes Opera House kicks off Local Music Showcase Weekend with a benefit show featuring the local band Panton Flats at the Vergennes Opera House on March 10th at 8PM. Panton Flats is set to rock the house with their sweltering blend of Motown, blues, funk, country, and rock and roll. They will be adding to their repertoire five brand new originals in anticipation of recording this spring. Tickets are $10 and available at www.vergennesoperahouse.org, at Classic Stitching or by calling 877-6737.
The Ticonderoga First 250 Years Committee is seeking a logo to represent the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the settlement of Ticonderoga. The logo will be featured in promotions on-line and printed on various materials. The group is holding a contest to find a logo. The competition is open to any individual, organization, business, educational institution or group. All submissions must contain a primary graphic that is a visual/artistic representation of the commemoration and must include the text: Ticonderoga, 250 Years, 1764-2014. The entry deadline is April 25. You can get more information through the Ticonderoga Chamber Of Commerce.
The Lyndon State College student chapter of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association will host the 47th annual Northeastern Storm Conference in Rutland this weekend. The conference is the largest student-run conference in the nation. In past years attendance has reached more than 300 people. The event aims to bring together scientists, professionals and students to share new ideas and knowledge in the atmospheric sciences. The conference focuses primarily on weather in the New England region.
New Orleans may have wrapped up their Mardi Gras festivities earlier this week, but the celebration is in Burlington Saturday. That's where the 17th annual Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade will be, and if it's anything like previous years, it will draw thousands to downtown. Over 30 floats will come down Main Street to the waterfront Saturday afternoon, with about 25-thousand spectators watching, cheering, and catching beads and candy thrown from the floats. The entry fees paid by float sponsors go to HOPE Works, previously known as the Women's Rape Crisis Center. The parade usually raises about 30-thousand dollars each year for the non-profit.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
WVTK Local & State News March 1, 2012
Candidates for the two contested races on the town of Brandon’s ballot this year will participate in a candidates forum starting tonight at 7:30 at the Brandon Senior Citizens Center. The candidates include Select Board incumbent Kellie Martin who is being challenged by David Atherton for a three-year seat, while Lou Faivre is being challenged by Maria Ammatuna for a listers seat. The candidates’ forum is sponsored by the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce and will be moderated by Charlie Jakiela.
Addison County’s Premiere music quartet, Zephyr, will perform on March 17th at 7:00 PM in the Music Café at Brandon Music. This Americana music quartet brings together influences of folk, bluegrass, blues, gospel, country and the singer-songwriter tradition. Members of the band include Matthew Dickerson, Susan Nop, Kathleen Smith, and Dutton Smith. Zephyr has been performing together for two years. Tickets are $15 per person, and the concert is a benefit for the new non-profit Compass Music and Arts Center in Brandon. For more information on the concert and CMAC visit www.brandon-music.net.
Come meet with your Addison County legislators on Monday morning during the next Legislative Breakfast. It takes place at the American Legion in Vergennes. Breakfasts start at 7AM and the program runs from 7:30 - 8:45. Purchase of breakfast not required to attend but helps to defray the cost of opening facility for this event. Get details HERE.
The Rutland School Board approved the $100,000 sale of the Watkins School to the Housing Trust of Rutland County on Tuesday. All that’s left to complete the sale is the approval of the Board of Alderman mid-March. Superintendent Mary Moran said she expects it all to go smoothly with no hang-ups. The money will flow back into the school district’s budget for capital improvements like windows or other infrastructure.
The Rutland Department of Public Works has established an initial five-year plan for seven bridges and major culverts in the city. The plan includes extensive repairs or replacements of the bridges on West Street, Ripley Road, River Street, Church Street, Crescent Street, and Forest Street. Three of the projects are being run by the state, and the city’s role is primarily limited to information gathering. To date, they have secured nearly $8 million of grant money for the seven projects. The city will need to raise $2 million through the bridge bond as a local share to take advantage of this grant money. The bridge bond will be voted on during Town Meeting Day this year.
Faced with a lack of availability, Moriah Town Justice Jeff Farnsworth resigned yesterday. He said he will preside over court for one last time but isn't accepting any new cases. He was first elected to the bench in 2006, taking office January 1, 2007, for a four-year term. Farnsworth was re-elected to a second four years and is leaving two years into that term. Farnsworth said that serving as town justice in Moriah is a lot of work and at times requires close to a full-time commitment and he no longer has the 25 to 30 hours to put in anymore. However he will miss it. Meanwhile the Moriah Supervisor said the town has no plans to appoint someone to replace Farnsworth. The post will be on the fall election ballot.
The Westport Central School District is seeking candidates interested in a five-year term vacancy on the School Board. The seat is currently held by Dwayne Stevens. Any candidate seeking this position must be a qualified voter of the district who is able to read and write, a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age and a resident of the district for at least one year before the election. Petitions are available in the District Office from 8AM to 4PM Monday through Friday until April 16th. Potential candidates must submit a petition to the district clerk signed by at least 25 qualified voters of the district by 4PM April 16th.
Green Mountain College has received a $10,000 grant from the Windham Foundation to provide new food processing equipment for the College's Solar Harvest Center commercial kitchen. The purchase of small appliances and wares will allow the kitchen to offer services to farmers, producers and community groups that are not available elsewhere in Rutland County. Renovation of the kitchen, which included a ten-burner, two-oven Garland range, a commercial dishwasher, a three-bay sink, and a commercial-scale refrigerator, was completed last February.
The volunteer firefighters in Rochester hope voters will grant them their wish. Their 50-year-old firehouse no longer fits their needs, and they’d like to build a new one just a few yards away on Route 100. A new building would also allow the department to train and certify volunteers on site. Currently, most of the training happens outside of Rochester because of the lack of space. Voters will decide later this year if they want to move forward with the project. The committee has raised about $90,000 for the project.
The state of Vermont has once again received high ratings from the three major investor services. Moody's Investor Services, Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor's have reaffirmed their previous assessments, giving Vermont the highest general obligation bond ratings of all the New England States. The agencies cited Vermont's strong financial management and conservative debt management among the reasons for the state's ranking. State Treasurer Beth Pearce says this bodes well for the future financial stability of Vermont.
The attorney general's office has rejected a complaint against an advocacy group that advertised about education funding. Democrats complained that the Campaign for Vermont should file as a political committee, because it spent more than $500 in an ad critical of Governor Peter Shumlin. But the attorney general's office says the group is required to file as a political committee only if it were advocating for or against a particular candidate. The attorney general says the ad in question was a message on an issue, not a political commercial.
Gov. Peter Shumlin issued an executive order Wednesday that protects 80 state hospital workers set to lose their jobs. President Pro Tem John Campbell said the news of layoffs disturbed so many members of the Legislature; they went to the administration in protest. The executive order forces the state to offer any open position within the Agency of Human Services to Vermont state hospital workers who lost their jobs. It also gives employees the opportunity to return to their job when the new state hospital opens.
A Vermonter who had been carrying around an old coin for decades as a good luck piece found out it's also a valuable good luck piece. Gary Cucci bought the coin more than 40 years ago at a flea market for a dollar. He recently learned it's now worth a little over a hundred thousand dollars, and plans to sell it to a collector or dealer with the best bid. The coin was minted in 1776, and was one of the first ones made by the Continental Congress. While Cucci knew it was old, he thought the "Continental Congress" thing on the coin was fake.
The Vermont Senate has given final approval to a bill revamping Vermont's mental health system, an effort set in motion when the state hospital in Waterbury was closed by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene. Both House and Senate versions of the bill call for smaller facilities around the state to replace the 54-bed Waterbury hospital. But the two chambers disagree on the size of a new hospital to be built in Berlin, just south of Montpelier. The Senate supported a 16-bed hospital after backers of that size said anything larger wouldn't be eligible for federal funding. They said building a larger hospital - like the 25 beds sought by the House would cost the state between $8 million and $10 million a year in federal funding.
Sen. Bernie Sanders is trying to highlight the need for better access to dental care in the United States. The Vermont independent held a hearing of his Senate subcommittee on Wednesday at which he heard testimony that many Americans forego needed dental care because they lack insurance and can't afford it. Sanders’ says Vermont has seen progress, with 25 thousand people being served with dental care at community health centers. The subcommittee also heard evidence that more and more Americans are turning to expensive hospital emergency room care for routine dental problems.
Former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu is urging Vermonters to support Mitt Romney when they go to the polls in next week's Republican primary. Sununu joined Republican legislative leaders and other party activists from around the state at a Statehouse event yesterday to drum up support for the former Massachusetts governor.
A Vermont police department is investigating the killing of 2 Holstein cows on a St. Albans dairy farm. Police were called to the Ladd Farm on Saturday and determined that 1 of the cows had been killed while tied in barn. The second animal was killed in an adjacent pasture. Police are asking anyone with information on this incident to contact them.
A new report is decrying the physical conditions in Vermont's only prison used to hold women inmates. The report by a group of women's advocates found worms in the showers at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington. It also says there are too few toilets and there is frequently too little heat or too much. State officials acknowledged the deficiencies and say there are plans to correct them.
Dorothy’s not in Kansas anymore she’s in Ticonderoga. Dorothy and a host of other beloved characters will take the stage at Ticonderoga Elementary School as students present “The Wizard of Oz” Tuesday, March 13th, at 7PM. Thanks to the 1939 MGM movie, it is one of the best-known stories in American popular culture. Organizers have noted the contributions of many parents, Walmart of Ticonderoga and Fabian’s Costumes of Rutland in making the production a reality.
If you enjoy model trains then Essex Junction is the place to be this weekend! Northwestern Vermont Model Railroad Club's goal is to pass the art of model railroading on to the next generation. They're hoping people will hop on board the hobby at the Model Railroad Show. Experts say one part of that is making sure people know how much the technology has advanced, such as the ability to now run multiple trains at once on the same tracks. The event is Saturday from 10AM – 4PM at the Champlain Expo in Essex Junction and is the largest one in the state. They expect more than 1,000 people to turn out this year.
Hundreds of people witnessed an unexplained bright flash in the sky Tuesday night. There is speculation it could have been a meteorite. The flash was so big and so bright there were reports extending into Canada and Nova Scotia. On Tuesday night around 10 hundreds of people reported seeing a bright flash in the sky. There is even a photo out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire that captured what was believed to be a meteorite. Many people sounded off on various social networks soon after it happened, describing a bright flash of light with green and blue colors.
A big honor has been placed on a longtime Vermont official. Con Hogan is one of the recipients of the 2012 New England Higher Education Excellence Awards. Hogan is currently the board of trustees chair for the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Hogan is also a member of the Green Mountain Care Board. Before that he was a director at Fletcher Allen and the secretary of Vermont's Agency of Human Services.
Addison County’s Premiere music quartet, Zephyr, will perform on March 17th at 7:00 PM in the Music Café at Brandon Music. This Americana music quartet brings together influences of folk, bluegrass, blues, gospel, country and the singer-songwriter tradition. Members of the band include Matthew Dickerson, Susan Nop, Kathleen Smith, and Dutton Smith. Zephyr has been performing together for two years. Tickets are $15 per person, and the concert is a benefit for the new non-profit Compass Music and Arts Center in Brandon. For more information on the concert and CMAC visit www.brandon-music.net.
Come meet with your Addison County legislators on Monday morning during the next Legislative Breakfast. It takes place at the American Legion in Vergennes. Breakfasts start at 7AM and the program runs from 7:30 - 8:45. Purchase of breakfast not required to attend but helps to defray the cost of opening facility for this event. Get details HERE.
The Rutland School Board approved the $100,000 sale of the Watkins School to the Housing Trust of Rutland County on Tuesday. All that’s left to complete the sale is the approval of the Board of Alderman mid-March. Superintendent Mary Moran said she expects it all to go smoothly with no hang-ups. The money will flow back into the school district’s budget for capital improvements like windows or other infrastructure.
The Rutland Department of Public Works has established an initial five-year plan for seven bridges and major culverts in the city. The plan includes extensive repairs or replacements of the bridges on West Street, Ripley Road, River Street, Church Street, Crescent Street, and Forest Street. Three of the projects are being run by the state, and the city’s role is primarily limited to information gathering. To date, they have secured nearly $8 million of grant money for the seven projects. The city will need to raise $2 million through the bridge bond as a local share to take advantage of this grant money. The bridge bond will be voted on during Town Meeting Day this year.
Faced with a lack of availability, Moriah Town Justice Jeff Farnsworth resigned yesterday. He said he will preside over court for one last time but isn't accepting any new cases. He was first elected to the bench in 2006, taking office January 1, 2007, for a four-year term. Farnsworth was re-elected to a second four years and is leaving two years into that term. Farnsworth said that serving as town justice in Moriah is a lot of work and at times requires close to a full-time commitment and he no longer has the 25 to 30 hours to put in anymore. However he will miss it. Meanwhile the Moriah Supervisor said the town has no plans to appoint someone to replace Farnsworth. The post will be on the fall election ballot.
The Westport Central School District is seeking candidates interested in a five-year term vacancy on the School Board. The seat is currently held by Dwayne Stevens. Any candidate seeking this position must be a qualified voter of the district who is able to read and write, a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age and a resident of the district for at least one year before the election. Petitions are available in the District Office from 8AM to 4PM Monday through Friday until April 16th. Potential candidates must submit a petition to the district clerk signed by at least 25 qualified voters of the district by 4PM April 16th.
Green Mountain College has received a $10,000 grant from the Windham Foundation to provide new food processing equipment for the College's Solar Harvest Center commercial kitchen. The purchase of small appliances and wares will allow the kitchen to offer services to farmers, producers and community groups that are not available elsewhere in Rutland County. Renovation of the kitchen, which included a ten-burner, two-oven Garland range, a commercial dishwasher, a three-bay sink, and a commercial-scale refrigerator, was completed last February.
The volunteer firefighters in Rochester hope voters will grant them their wish. Their 50-year-old firehouse no longer fits their needs, and they’d like to build a new one just a few yards away on Route 100. A new building would also allow the department to train and certify volunteers on site. Currently, most of the training happens outside of Rochester because of the lack of space. Voters will decide later this year if they want to move forward with the project. The committee has raised about $90,000 for the project.
The state of Vermont has once again received high ratings from the three major investor services. Moody's Investor Services, Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor's have reaffirmed their previous assessments, giving Vermont the highest general obligation bond ratings of all the New England States. The agencies cited Vermont's strong financial management and conservative debt management among the reasons for the state's ranking. State Treasurer Beth Pearce says this bodes well for the future financial stability of Vermont.
The attorney general's office has rejected a complaint against an advocacy group that advertised about education funding. Democrats complained that the Campaign for Vermont should file as a political committee, because it spent more than $500 in an ad critical of Governor Peter Shumlin. But the attorney general's office says the group is required to file as a political committee only if it were advocating for or against a particular candidate. The attorney general says the ad in question was a message on an issue, not a political commercial.
Gov. Peter Shumlin issued an executive order Wednesday that protects 80 state hospital workers set to lose their jobs. President Pro Tem John Campbell said the news of layoffs disturbed so many members of the Legislature; they went to the administration in protest. The executive order forces the state to offer any open position within the Agency of Human Services to Vermont state hospital workers who lost their jobs. It also gives employees the opportunity to return to their job when the new state hospital opens.
A Vermonter who had been carrying around an old coin for decades as a good luck piece found out it's also a valuable good luck piece. Gary Cucci bought the coin more than 40 years ago at a flea market for a dollar. He recently learned it's now worth a little over a hundred thousand dollars, and plans to sell it to a collector or dealer with the best bid. The coin was minted in 1776, and was one of the first ones made by the Continental Congress. While Cucci knew it was old, he thought the "Continental Congress" thing on the coin was fake.
The Vermont Senate has given final approval to a bill revamping Vermont's mental health system, an effort set in motion when the state hospital in Waterbury was closed by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene. Both House and Senate versions of the bill call for smaller facilities around the state to replace the 54-bed Waterbury hospital. But the two chambers disagree on the size of a new hospital to be built in Berlin, just south of Montpelier. The Senate supported a 16-bed hospital after backers of that size said anything larger wouldn't be eligible for federal funding. They said building a larger hospital - like the 25 beds sought by the House would cost the state between $8 million and $10 million a year in federal funding.
Sen. Bernie Sanders is trying to highlight the need for better access to dental care in the United States. The Vermont independent held a hearing of his Senate subcommittee on Wednesday at which he heard testimony that many Americans forego needed dental care because they lack insurance and can't afford it. Sanders’ says Vermont has seen progress, with 25 thousand people being served with dental care at community health centers. The subcommittee also heard evidence that more and more Americans are turning to expensive hospital emergency room care for routine dental problems.
Former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu is urging Vermonters to support Mitt Romney when they go to the polls in next week's Republican primary. Sununu joined Republican legislative leaders and other party activists from around the state at a Statehouse event yesterday to drum up support for the former Massachusetts governor.
A Vermont police department is investigating the killing of 2 Holstein cows on a St. Albans dairy farm. Police were called to the Ladd Farm on Saturday and determined that 1 of the cows had been killed while tied in barn. The second animal was killed in an adjacent pasture. Police are asking anyone with information on this incident to contact them.
A new report is decrying the physical conditions in Vermont's only prison used to hold women inmates. The report by a group of women's advocates found worms in the showers at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington. It also says there are too few toilets and there is frequently too little heat or too much. State officials acknowledged the deficiencies and say there are plans to correct them.
Dorothy’s not in Kansas anymore she’s in Ticonderoga. Dorothy and a host of other beloved characters will take the stage at Ticonderoga Elementary School as students present “The Wizard of Oz” Tuesday, March 13th, at 7PM. Thanks to the 1939 MGM movie, it is one of the best-known stories in American popular culture. Organizers have noted the contributions of many parents, Walmart of Ticonderoga and Fabian’s Costumes of Rutland in making the production a reality.
If you enjoy model trains then Essex Junction is the place to be this weekend! Northwestern Vermont Model Railroad Club's goal is to pass the art of model railroading on to the next generation. They're hoping people will hop on board the hobby at the Model Railroad Show. Experts say one part of that is making sure people know how much the technology has advanced, such as the ability to now run multiple trains at once on the same tracks. The event is Saturday from 10AM – 4PM at the Champlain Expo in Essex Junction and is the largest one in the state. They expect more than 1,000 people to turn out this year.
Hundreds of people witnessed an unexplained bright flash in the sky Tuesday night. There is speculation it could have been a meteorite. The flash was so big and so bright there were reports extending into Canada and Nova Scotia. On Tuesday night around 10 hundreds of people reported seeing a bright flash in the sky. There is even a photo out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire that captured what was believed to be a meteorite. Many people sounded off on various social networks soon after it happened, describing a bright flash of light with green and blue colors.
A big honor has been placed on a longtime Vermont official. Con Hogan is one of the recipients of the 2012 New England Higher Education Excellence Awards. Hogan is currently the board of trustees chair for the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Hogan is also a member of the Green Mountain Care Board. Before that he was a director at Fletcher Allen and the secretary of Vermont's Agency of Human Services.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg){kind=small}