WVTK Local & State News May 18, 2011

Voters in the city of Vergennes overturned a Town Meeting Day decision to form a unified union school district. The five towns of the Addison Northwest Supervisory Union have tried three times to form a unified union. The measure passed by a two-thirds majority on Town Meeting Day, but petitions forced re-votes in Addison and Vergennes. Yesterday, voters in Addison upheld the town meeting day vote, but Vergennes reversed course, so the unified union will not go forward.

Yesterday saw various NY School budget votes. In Crown Point the $6.08 Million budget passed. In Moriah the $13.85 Million budget and a proposition to but three new school busses for $307,000 passed. In Ticonderoga the $19.08 Million budget failed. Westport voters approved their budget. Schroon Lake’s budget of $7.35 Million failed however voters there passed a proposition to lease a school bus for $18,000.

In a response to a wave of rising crime locally, the Town of New Haven will host a Crime Watch Informational Meeting tonight at 7 at the New Haven Town Hall cafeteria. Residents are invited to voice their concerns about rising crime in the community. The meeting will also provide tips to better protect property and local neighborhoods. For more information, call the New Haven Town Office at 453-3516.

Special teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are in Vermont to assess damage from recent flooding, and Gov. Peter Shumlin is urging people to call 211 to let the teams know where the worst-hit areas are. Shumlin says homeowners with property damage should report it to help the state qualify for federal assistance for homeowners. Separate teams looking at public infrastructure damage already have determined that several counties are eligible for a federal disaster declaration. They include Addison, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orleans, and Washington. The Small Business Administration will also be in the field today. The SBA could offer low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and businesses damaged by the flooding.

The American Red Cross in Vermont has maxed out its budget with the flooding damage in Vermont. The Red Cross says it hasn't seen a disaster like this in five years. The organization has been helping communities all across northern Vermont, aiding families with shelter, food and clothing. The Red Cross also says a number of fires this winter added to its financial woes. If you want to help, you can donate to the American Red Cross.

Former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas has a new gig. He has been elected to the Board of Directors of National Life. He'll get paid $50,000 a year. Douglas served eight years as governor. He is also on the board for Union Mutual Insurance Company and NBT bank. And he teaches part time at Middlebury College and is working on a book about his almost four-decade career in politics.

A Rutland city official joins several legislators to discuss the state’s new health care law today. Sens. Kevin Mullin, Margaret Flory along with Rep. Cynthia Browning of Arlington and city Treasurer Wendy Wilton will discuss the legislation’s expected impact. The discussion takes place at 6:30 PM at the Godnick Center. Reps. Peter Fagan of Rutland and Jim Eckhardt of Chittenden will host the discussion.

General Electric's GE Aviation plant near Rutland will be hosting businesses from around Vermont with the aim of sharing some of its innovations in energy efficiency. Also on hand this afternoon at the plant in North Clarendon will be officials from Efficiency Vermont - the statewide energy-saving program. They'll be talking about changes GE made that are saving it more than $1 million a year in power costs.

Safety behind the wheel is the focus of a Vermont Agency of Transportation event in Montpelier. The event, at the National Life campus, will include a golf cart texting course to discourage texting while driving, a vehicle rollover crash display and a driving simulator. Gov. Peter Shumlin plans to take part in the event this afternoon.

The state of Vermont will continue to auction off its surplus vehicles and equipment each year in Berlin. The state had considered eliminating the auction, which is typically held each spring, and replacing it with an online format. But Gov. Peter Shumlin said that the event would continue.

Supporters of legislation that would allow Vermont childcare workers to unionize say they'll continue pushing for it when lawmakers return in January. The bill easily won House passage just before lawmakers went home for the year on May 6, but it failed to see Senate action. That means it will still be pending when lawmakers return.

Peter Shumlin has announced the appointment of a special "climate cabinet" responsible for developing strategies to reduce Vermont's greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. Shumlin said that he believes the heavy snow storms and flooding of recent years are tied to climate disruption, and that the state needs to manage the threats and impacts. Deb Markowitz who is secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources will chair the Climate Cabinet.

Vermont's congressional delegation says a new Department of Labor grant will help young Vermonters earn their high school degrees and develop valuable skills. The grant of slightly more than $1 million under the federal YouthBuild program will go to ReSOURCE, a training program that will enroll 64 students in Burlington and Barre.

According to state and federal officials “Smart-grid” technology has a vital role to play as Vermont and the nation move toward a greater reliance on renewable energy and away from foreign oil and electricity derived from coal. The smart-grid technology would allow Vermonters to closely monitor their home energy use, curtailing consumption when there’s high demand, so utilities don’t have to purchase as much power from coal-burning plants out of state. Vermont’s utilities have begun the effort to deploy smart grid technology and are expected to gain greater momentum this summer and fall.

New York's Senate wants everyone convicted of boating while intoxicated to earn a safety certificate before they could operate a boat again. The bill approved Monday by the Senate would require completion of a safe-boating class to secure the certificate. State law already requires that step for boaters 21 years and older. The new bill would require the same of those under 21 years old. The bill has been sent to the Assembly for its consideration.

An aerospace company with plans to bring nearly 1,000 jobs to the Plattsburgh, NY airport says it will still happen. It will just be delayed. Laurentian Aerospace says there are some money problems. After years of trying to land an investor, the company in March said they had basically found the money. Laurentian needs $175 million to open the Plattsburgh facility to repair planes. But the company says construction has been stopped after running into problems finalizing the money for the project.

The Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s “Fanfare” Brass Trio will present three performances on May 27th at three Addison County schools. The day has been made possible with support from Neat Repeats Resale Shop of Middlebury and by the Turrell Fund. These performances are part of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s statewide SymphonyKids education program. Performances take place at Monkton Central School at 8:45 AM, Ferrisburgh Central School 10:30 AM and Addison Central School at 1:30 PM.

It's that time of year when biologists say drivers need to be extra-cautious about driving, particularly at night and early morning, because of moose. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says the big animals are more likely to be crossing highways as they move from winter to spring habitats. Drivers are warned to slow down when they see moose crossing signs. If you see a moose ahead, don't try to speed past it before it moves onto the highway, but slow down or stop instead.

The “Patriot Flag,” a 55-foot U.S. flag touring the country to mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and honor those presently serving in public safety roles, will hang outside City Hall in Rutland on June 28. Merchants Row will be closed off at the end of the block as the flag hangs from 3 to 6 PM. The traveling exhibit is run by the nonprofit organization World Memorial.