WVTK Local & State News July 12, 2011

Each evening through Saturday, Route 7, North Pleasant Street, will be closed from the Middlebury Inn to Elm Street from 10:00 PM to 10:00 AM. This is necessary as part of the Stewart Lane Infrastructure Project. All traffic will be diverted onto Seymore, Exchange Streets and back to Route 7. Local traffic only will be permitted on Elm Street.

The Trustees of the Middlebury Area Land Trust will meet next month to discuss future operations of the organization in wake of the resignation of its most recent executive director, Josh Phillips. They stressed that MALT will continue as a local conservation organization but notes that this is a good opportunity to reevaluate the organization. Both town officials and residents are encouraged to share feedback and thoughts on how MALT can best serve the town.

Vergennes teens looking to keep their brains active during the summer months without missing out on fun and games should check out the Summer Adventures in Learning program now taking place at Vergennes Union High School. SAIL is a summer enrichment program that offers numerous classes designed to be both educational and exciting for students from 7th to 11th grade. The program runs daily from 8AM – 1PM and provides free breakfast and lunch as well as busing home in the afternoon. To sign up for either the second or third sessions of SAIL, email Jill Strube at jstrube@anwsu.org.

After five months of revisions, the Bristol Planning Commission has released a new draft of the town plan. This is the first plan since it took a poll on Town Meeting Day regarding gravel extraction. The ‘Core’ area has been redefined and is essentially all of the zones contained within and adjacent to Main Street up until the conservation zone. The planning commission’s meeting this week will be held at 7 this evening in Howden Hall and residents are encouraged to attend.

Three Ferrisburgh residents have stepped forward and offered t fill the remainder of the term recently vacated by Selectman Bob Jenkins. The Ferrisburgh select-board will interview all three candidates today. Select-board Chairwoman Loretta Lawrence anticipates she and her colleagues will select a candidate this evening following the interviews.

Middlebury College’s language schools continue to grow. While the number of students in Middlebury remains relatively stable from year to year, the program this year is continuing its recent trend of expansion both in number of students and geographically.

The developer of a proposed wind farm on Grandpa’s Knob said he is still actively pursing a project that would install about 20 turbines along the ridgeline. The managing director of Reunion Power of Manchester says it is premature to give out definitive facts and information on the project. The proposed project would touch West Rutland, Castleton, Hubbardton and Pittsford. Reunion Power acquired the project after closing a deal with the previous developer, Noble Environmental Power in late 2009.

A wanted man who police say fired a handgun while trying to rob a couple at a Rutland motel Sunday appeared in Rutland criminal court yesterday where he answered to a misdemeanor charge that is separate from those offenses. Sean V. Miller pleaded innocent to a charge of possessing the stolen .40-caliber gun that was allegedly used in the incident. Miller, who told police he came to Rutland from Bronx, NY a month ago, was ordered held on $50,000 bail. He remained behind bars as of last night.

The fate of Essex County's garbage when its disposal contract expires in a few years is being decided now. Once reason a new contract is being considered now is because the Franklin County Solid Waste Authority is asking the State Department of Environmental Conservation for a permit renewal for its landfill, which is where Essex County currently trucks its trash. The Board of Supervisors has authorized the County Manager to negotiate the new agreement with Franklin County.

Police in Vermont say four young boys have been cited into court for vandalizing a grain silo in St. Albans. The four, who ranged in age from 9 to 12 years old, were spotted Sunday night climbing on and smashing equipment at grain silos owned by Bordeau Brothers. The boys vandalized a tractor, a Central Vermont Public Service meter box and a door to the silos' control room, doing about $1,000 damage. They've been cited along with their parents into Franklin County Family Court, charged with trespassing and unlawful mischief. Their names aren't being released because of their age.

Gov. Peter Shumlin says he hopes New England states can work together in developing new renewable energy sources. He says multi-state cooperation in the development of large wind, solar and biomass generation will be the goal of coming talks among state energy officials. The governor also reiterated his view that he believes that of the two Canadian companies bidding to take over Central Vermont Public Service Corp., Gaz Metro is offering a better deal than Fortis Inc. in terms of its impact on Vermont ratepayers and job growth.

Vermont has had several drowning deaths this season, and state officials from the Health Department, Emergency Management and the State Police are issuing a reminder that swimming in a natural body of water, or enjoying the day on a boat, can be risky. They're advising Vermonters to learn how to swim, never swim alone, wear a life vest when boating, never leave a child unsupervised around water, and avoid rivers and streams with high water or strong currents.

The Red Cross says there's a critical shortage of blood around the country. Carol Dembeck says summer is traditionally a slow time for blood donations, and that this year in particular has been a struggle. The organization has responded to more than 40 major disasters across the country in the past three months alone. For more information on donating blood call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit www.redcross.org.

Congressman Peter Welch is urging Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress to issue statements reassuring people that the United States won't default on its debts. He is urging congressional leaders to send a clear and unequivocal message to the American people that their failure to reach an agreement will not result in the failure of America to pay its bills. The Treasury Secretary has warned that the U.S. could begin defaulting on its obligations if Congress doesn't agree on raising the debt ceiling by August 2nd.

Vermont wildlife officials say two meetings have been set for next month, one in Burlington, one in Whitehall, NY, to gauge Lake Champlain hunters' sentiment on bag limits and other issues. The August 9th meeting will be held at the Skenesburgh Rescue Squad building in Whitehall. The August 10th meeting will be held at the University of Vermont, in Billings Lecture Hall. Both meetings run from 7PM – 9PM.

An unknown number of FairPoint Communications customers in northern New England were unable to rely on their Internet or voicemail, due to a power outage outside the company's offices in Manchester, NH. According to the Vermont Department of Public Service the Monday afternoon outage caused a power surge that blew out a power panel at the FairPoint office before the system could be switched to a backup generator. A FairPoint spokeswoman says Internet and voice mail were affected in parts of Maine and Vermont.

Not all protein bars are made the same and many lack flavor. But two women in Charlotte hope to change minds with their Made in Vermont bars. They don't want their bars to taste healthy, however they are. Each has 15 to 17 grams of protein. Typical protein bars contain 7 to 8 grams. Wholesome Cravings bars have a moist, sponge-like consistency. They're low carb, sugar-free and they say can help lower cholesterol. The handmade bars have a shelf life of seven days or six months in the freezer. Wholesome Cravings sells in stores around Chittenden County for now and hopes to expand soon.