WVTK Local & State News June 17, 2011

A receding Lake Champlain is revealing the real disaster left behind in Vermont. Federal money has been made available to flood victims but the cleanup is already underway. FEMA is encouraging Vermonters to register for assistance. The agency is also preparing to open disaster centers to help walk people through the process. Until those centers open, FEMA offers this advice: Take pictures of any damage in a home or business. If you've already spent money to make repairs, be sure to keep the receipts. Vermonters can qualify for up to $30,000. The number to register for assistance is 1-800-621-FEMA. You can also register online at Disasterassistance.gov.

A large house in Charlotte caught fire yesterday afternoon. A floor renovator in the house noticed a burning smell and called 911. Multiple crews were called to battle the blaze. Fire officials say the hot weather was forcing them to rotate firefighters more than usual, so the extra manpower was needed. The house owned by Eliza and Robert Browning has been under extensive renovation since March and was only days away from being finished.

Vermont State Police in New Haven received a stolen ATV complaint from Salisbury on June 15th. The ATV is a green 2000 Arctic Cat 300. It had a winch on the front. The ATV was stolen from the victim’s property in Salisbury some time between 6PM on June 14th and 4PM on June 15th. Anyone with information regarding this stolen ATV is encouraged to contact the State Police at the New Haven Barracks. (802) 388-4919.

For the time being Granville and Hancock were granted a reprieve in a search for a new supervisory union. In a March 2010 Town Meeting Day vote, residents of Bethel and Rochester voted to leave the Windsor Northwest Supervisory Union. Since those towns contain the only two high schools in the supervisory union, the resolutions prompted a lengthy study on closing the supervisory union by the state Board of Education.

Citing a steep decline in property sale values over the past two years the town of Leicester has successfully appealed to the state of Vermont in the hopes of getting a more favorable education property tax rate. In what is said to be a rare ruling, last month the state Department of Taxes approved the town’s requested adjustment to its Common Level of Appraisal.

A public forum about the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant will be held on Monday (June 20) at 7:30PM at the Middlebury Congregational Church. Sponsored by the Citizens Awareness Network a panel of experts and activists opposed to nuclear power will outline how citizens can get involved with the shutting down and cleaning up of Vermont Yankee. The Citizens Awareness Network is a New England-based nonprofit dedicated to a renewable energy-focused economy.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission members are refusing to say whether they've asked the U.S. Justice Department to intervene on behalf of Entergy in its suit against Vermont over the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. Entergy has been pressing for the government to join the company in its claim that Vermont is pre-empted by federal law from trying to shut down the Vernon reactor.

The Addison County Chamber of Commerce announced the opening of Vermont SpineWorks and Rehabilitation, Middlebury's first community-based medical spine center. They diagnoses and treat conditions that affect how you move. Their goal is to relieve pain and improve function without surgery. Vermont SpineWorks and Rehabilitation is located at 99 Court St. here in Middlebury.

This month marks the beginning of the Middlebury Language Schools' summer sessions, known internationally for their intensive immersion approach to the teaching of language and culture. Since 1915, more than 40,000 students from all walks of life have attended one or more of the Language Schools. Corporate executives study side-by-side with writers, journalists, doctors, lawyers, missionaries, government officials and diplomats. The Language Schools also host cultural events that are often open to the public.

The town of Fair Haven will not be acquiring three dams on the Castleton River anytime soon after the Select Board voted to rescind a May 17th board vote. The board decided to forgo purchasing the dams from Vermont Structural Slate until they knew for sure what titles the town would acquire if the purchase were made and what rights they would have for any feasible hydroelectric project.

Killington’s Economic Development and Tourism Department is taking the first visible step in a plan to develop and market the mountain resort town as a destination for healthy recreation. The director of the town department known as the EDT, told the Select Board last week that he’s investing $10,000 into a new, 4.3-mile walking trail loop linking River Road and Thundering Brook to keep the town up to speed with other communities that are drawing more summer tourists.

Robinson Elementary School librarian Ann Watson will retire earlier than she expected this year due to budget cuts. After 30 years working as a librarian in Addison County schools she will leave because her position will be reduced next year from three days a week to two half-days a week. Ann first worked at Mary Hogan Elementary School for four and a half years and then at Robinson for 26 years.

After 31 years of teaching kindergarten and first grade at Bristol Elementary School, Sharon Donahue taught her last class yesterday. Provided with what she considered a sub-par elementary education, Donahue knew from a young age that she wanted to inspire young children as an influential teacher. Meanwhile in New Haven Deb Cross will retire this week after 36 years of teaching and 26 years at Beeman Elementary School. Over her years at the New Haven school officials say she has made a deep impact on the school.

An audit of Town of Essex finances by the State Comptroller's Office says the town needs to strengthen oversight of public officials who disperse funds. The report found two financial irregularities: $22,000 owed to Essex by the Town of Willsboro for transfer station trash-bag stickers; and $367,000 owed to the general fund by the new sewer project. The Essex Town Supervisor said the town has since collected $20,000 of the amount owed for stickers and expects to get the remaining $2,000 soon.

Senator Patrick Leahy is pleased with a vote on Thursday to end ethanol tax subsidies. He says the subsidies are costing taxpayers more than $5 billion a year. The 73-member Senate majority voting to end the subsidies also includes Bernie Sanders, who says the subsidies drive up prices for food by diverting corn for fuel production. The Obama administration opposes the move to end the subsidies, with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack saying the result may be job losses and greater dependence on foreign oil.

Riders of the Amtrak Vermonter service that runs through Vermont and New Hampshire will be riding buses this summer. The Vermont Agency of Transportation says construction work on the New England Central Railroad will mean that buses will serve stations north of Springfield, Mass., on the Vermonter route from June 17th to September 15th.

New vendors are invited to join the Ticonderoga Area Farmers Market, set for 10AM – 1PM on Saturdays starting July 2nd and running through October 1st. The chamber is looking to expand the market to better serve the members of the community and area visitors. Farmers and other vendors who'd like to participate should call or email the Ti Chamber. For more information click HERE.

New York lawmakers have voted to add directors of children's overnight or summer day camps to the list of those required to report suspected child abuse or maltreatment to the state and to local social services officials. Current mandated reporters include police, doctors, social workers, school officials, psychologists, registered nurses, and licensed family therapists.

Bristol’s Main Street will shut down to traffic this Saturday and open up to the third annual Pocock Rocks music festival and street fair. From 10AM – 3PM downtown Bristol will transform into a haven for rocking tunes, craft brews, local wines, chocolate pairings, cheese tastings, specialty foods and crafts of all kinds.

The spirit of New Orleans will hit Vergennes. Grammy award winner Charles Neville will play with piano legend Henry Butler and the band Gent Treadly on Saturday, July 2nd, at the Vergennes Opera House. This lineup of world-class musicians will feature a blend of New Orleans jazz, blues and funk. Local group, Panton Flats, will kick-off the event at 7PM with a blend of rock and R&B classics. For more information just visit www.vergennesoperahouse.org.

A Vermont high tech company is moving into the Champlain Mill in downtown Winooski, which city officials hope will draw more businesses to their newly redeveloped community. MyWebGrocer has purchased the former woolen mill, which was converted into a retail mall 30 years ago. The company plans to occupy the entire fifth floor by January with more than 100 employees.

One hundred years ago, IBM started out as a clock company. A century later it has become a powerful force in the technology world. IBM is also a major factor in Vermont's economy, serving as the largest private industrial employer. Yesterday the Essex Junction branch celebrated its company's milestone. With so much history now in the past, officials say they can't wait to see what will happen during the next one hundred years.