WVTK Local & State News June 6, 2011

A movement is under way to name the new Champlain Bridge for two state troopers from New York and Vermont who died in the line of duty. New York State Police Capt. John Tibbitts said he has submitted a proposal to name the new bridge in honor of both New York Trooper Lawrence "Larry" Gleason and Vermont State Trooper Gary Gaboury. The Crown Point Town Supervisor is looking for public input on the idea.

Lake Champlain is largely quiet. Beaches up and down the shoreline didn't open last Monday, the sand and playgrounds are submerged. There are few docks open for public boat access. And many marinas haven't been able to launch boats. At Westport Marina, harbormaster Bob Carroll said flooding curtailed Memorial Day operations. Lake Champlain water levels could drop a foot in a week if the weather remains dry.

For the last 15 years, Middlebury residents Julia Alvarez and her husband Bill Eichner have been planting and selling organic shade-grown coffee from their 260-acre farm in the mountains of the Dominican Republic. The couple has since entered into a partnership with Paul Ralston and the Vermont Coffee Co. here in Middlebury to create Cafe Alta Gracia USA, a not-for-profit organization where all the profit goes back to the community. The coffee can be found in stores, restaurants and cafes across Vermont.

Historic papers documenting the last military engagement at Fort Ticonderoga have been donated to the historic site. Officials at the Fort Ti say the four letters relate to the Revolutionary War raid on the Fort in 1777. American soldiers attacked the British-held fort and other redcoats on nearby Mount Independence on Sept. 18, 1777. The donated manuscripts give details of the fighting, which was the last time the fort was directly fired upon.

Fluctuating milk prices have long made dairy farming a risky business, and when milk prices crashed in 2002, Chris Lekberg of Brandon gave up. He sold his cows and bought goats. It turned out to be a wise decision. He now has more than 50 goats, and with growing demand for goat cheese, he gets a steady price for their milk from a nearby cheese maker. He sells his milk to Blue Ledge Farm, an 85-goat dairy and cheese maker in Salisbury. Nationwide, the number of dairy goats has been slowly but steadily increasing.

A former postal worker in Rutland has been sentenced to three months in prison and three months of home confinement after pleading guilty to embezzling mail while working at the post office in Rutland. The U.S. Attorney's Office says 38-year-old Michelle Donahoe, of Wallingford, must also serve three years of supervised release, pay about $1,800 in restitution and perform 80 hours of community service.

Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras said Friday that he might decide to close the Dana Center this week as the city reviews what it would take to keep the building open. The question was whether the upgrades to the recreation headquarters would total up to more than it was worth for the city to put into the building. Louras said inspections of the building are ongoing and that recreation department staff were updating a contingency plan for what would go where in the event of a closure.

The latest grants from the Downtown Rutland Partnership will help member business get on TV, radio and the web. The partnership announced six grants totaling $5,500. This was the second year the organization offered micro grants for marketing. The program was created following a recommendation in a 2009 marketing study. The partnership is considering offering another round in the fall, hoping to help businesses with the foliage and holiday seasons.

There were 82 people that attended a public hearing at the Westport town offices on May 25th, as the Planning Board offered an opportunity for questions and comment on the proposed Rolling Hills development of the former Treadwell estate. Further meetings of the Planning Board are scheduled for June 15th and 22nd, during which board Chairman William Johnston said he hopes the board will reach a decision on the special permit.

Vermont once again leads most of the nation in public school spending. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Vermont spent $15,175 per student in 2009, the fifth-highest per pupil spending amount in the country. New York leads the nation, spending $18,126 per student in 2009. New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and Arkansas also outspent Vermont in the Top 5.

Voters in five Vermont towns will head to the polls Tuesday to weigh in on an historic school district merger. The Chittenden East Supervisory Union wants to merge seven school districts and eight school boards into one. If passed, schools in Bolton, Huntington, Jericho, Richmond, Underhill, and Buel's Gore would operate under one budget. It would be the first school district merger in the state.

It was a rough ride for passengers on the Amtrak Vermonter Sunday night. Amtrak officials say the northbound train was forced to stop in Sharon after the train derailed just before 7:30 PM. They say none of the 85 passengers and five crewmembers on board were injured. Officials say the derailment involved one set of wheels on the rear portion of the third car. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Work continues in Barre and other central Vermont communities to clean up from floods that severely damaged many homes and businesses on May 26 and 27. Torrential rains hit Barre, Berlin and Montpelier among other communities. In Barre, several downtown businesses, including The Times Argus newspaper and Salvation Army, were forced to evacuate. Meanwhile, city officials await word from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to find out if a disaster declaration will make federal aid available.

The long-planned move of the Vermont secretary of state's office to a location closer to the Statehouse in Montpelier is about complete. The office is to be open for business today in its new spot at 128 State St., directly across the street from the Vermont Statehouse. The secretary of state is moving out of the Redstone building, where it's been located for decades on a hill at the west end of downtown Montpelier. This puts the office closer to the Legislature and makes it more accessible to the public.

Vermont education officials have granted waivers to at least a dozen public schools allowing them to cut the school year short of the 175-day minimum required under state law in the wake of spring flooding and heavy winter snows that forced many school day cancellations. The Education Commissioner says it's important to give a break to school districts that have already suffered a toll with this year's severe weather conditions.

A bill moving through the last hectic days of New York's legislative session would allow some cancer patients to avoid thousands of dollars in monthly bills for innovative oral chemotherapy pills. For some patients, oral chemotherapy provides a way to treat cancer at home instead of through intravenous methods in hospitals, and often with fewer problems such as hair loss and nausea. At least nine states and the District of Columbia now require oral chemotherapy to cost the same as traditional chemotherapy.

Realtors in our region say the housing market here is fairing better than other parts of the country. Sunday was the final day of National Open House weekend, an event where realtors around the U.S. open properties to first time buyers and the general public. Realtors say it's been an opportunity to speak to the housing community as sales are trending down in most states and it comes at a time when the housing inventory is high, but there is also an all-time low for interest rates.

A 59-year-old Ohio woman is being credited with rescuing a truck driver from a fire that engulfed his tractor-trailer in St. Albans. Cindi Ann Mitchell of Cleveland told the Burlington Free Press that she and a traveling companion saw flames erupt between the cab and the trailer of a nearby-parked truck at 6 AM Sunday. Mitchell said she ran to the truck and banged on the window, awakening 61-year-old Bill Speed of Apple Valley, CA, before his truck went up in flames. Nobody was hurt, but the truck was destroyed before firefighters could put out the fire.

An 81-year-old woman was among those receiving diplomas at Community College of Vermont's graduation ceremony. Jeanee Bernek became the college's oldest graduate ever when she received her associate of business diploma at Saturday's commencement in Northfield. She is now planning on working toward a bachelor's degree and eventually a master's degree as well.

The Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce is working to improve its community calendar of events in order to become the central calendar for the area. The Chamber is looking for area businesses, organizations and committees to share event information as well as a schedule of upcoming special events. The calendar will serve as the central location for community members and visitors in finding events within the area as well as a referencing tool used when planning future events in the Ticonderoga area.