WVTK Local & State News July 5, 2011

Milling and paving begins today on Weybridge Street and Washington Street here in Middlebury. Work is expected to be completed by July 26th. Both streets will remain open during this process however parking will be limited. Also included in this project is the replacement of drainage and sewer frames and covers. Get complete project details HERE.

The Middlebury select-board has unanimously endorsed a proposal to install a 650-panel, 150-kilowatt solar array project on municipal land behind the police headquarters. Organizers hope to be producing energy by the end of the year. The project being spearheaded by the Acorn Energy Co-op would generate an estimated 172,500 kWh of electricity each year. That’s enough to provide electricity to 30 average-sized homes. The Middlebury project will be roughly one-seventh of the size of the solar farm off Route 7 in Ferrisburgh.

A three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is underway that aims to educate and develop strategies to combat possible hazards to the Vermont agricultural system, especially dairy farms. The UVM Extension Service is developing emergency action plans with four Addison County dairy farmers. Julie Smith of UVM Extension Says it’s important not only for farmers to be aware of vulnerabilities in the system, but for all Vermonters to have a grasp of the issue. Anyone in the county wanting to learn more about biosecurity can find information on UVM Extension’s website, and can attend a public issue forum in Vergennes on September 14th.

The gymnasium in the New Haven Town Hall will be closed for energy efficiency renovations from now through the start of the school year. The Mary Johnson summer children’s program that runs throughout the summer will not be interrupted but indoor basketball players will be forced to use outdoor courts.

Ferrisburgh selectmen and former town fire chief Bob Jenkins recently decided to step down from the select-board. He is still an active officer of the Ferrisburgh Volunteer Fire Department. Jenkins’ letter of resignation simply cites “personal reasons.” He said he enjoyed many aspects of his service on the board, but preferred to devote his time and energy to the fire department.

A portion of Creek Road in Clarendon will be diverted onto a nearby property to offset water issues from the river. A short section of the road will be rerouted away from Otter Creek onto land currently owned by the Congdon family. A state transportation official conducted an inspection of Creek Road and agreed high waters had impacted the shoulder of the road and action needed to be taken. The Select Board Chairman said the work would commence soon if both sides agreed to wording on the deed and sign final drafts of the document.

The sole speaker at Essex County's recent Occupancy Tax Law renewal hearing said the money collected would be better disbursed outside the Lake Placid tourism hub. The county charges a 3 percent tax on lodging, 95 percent of which goes to the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, also known as the Lake Placid-Essex County Visitors Bureau. Margaret Bartley of the Elizabethtown-Lewis Chamber of Commerce said chambers in the area could use some financial help from the bed tax.

Safety issues have prompted Essex County lawmakers to order the removal of the dairy barn at the County Fairgrounds in Westport. The demolition is due to disrepair and snow damage that occurred over the winter. The 4-H barn at the fairgrounds will be used to house animals that would have been at the dairy barn. The 4-H barn was recently painted and is in good shape. Officials say the dairy barn should probably be replaced for the 2012 fair.

As the summer travel season nears full swing, even more parking spaces are being added at Plattsburgh International Airport. The county is adding 352 spaces at the far north end of the airport property near Route 22 in what was once a large grassy area. The work is being done in-house by the county's Highway Department, and should be complete by mid July. The new spaces will be part of the economy parking area, which costs $3 per day.

Vermont’s largest electric utility is being recognized for having its tree-cutting crews use biodegradable chain saw oil. The Central Vermont Public Service Corp. said it won the Governor’s Environmental Award for switching to the biodegradable oil from traditional fossil fuel oil used to lubricate the bars and chains of chain saws. CVPS Forestry Manager Duane Dickinson said petroleum-based oil takes years to break down. The oil CVPS now uses breaks down in a matter of days, and there is no chance of contamination of water sources or the food chain.

The company that owns a tugboat that sank in Lake Champlain almost 50 years ago is going to hire a contractor to visit the wreck to see if its fuel tanks contain fuel that could pollute the lake between upstate New York and Vermont. The EPA had been moving forward with plans to hire a contractor on its own to check on the tug William McAllister, which sank about five miles south of Port Kent in 1963 after hitting a reef. The EPA is concerned the tug could contain thousands of gallons of diesel fuel that could cause an environmental disaster.

New England groups that advocate for farm workers are receiving about $1.3 million in federal money for training, employment and other support for those workers. The U.S. Department of Labor says nearly $84 million will be available nationally for programs to fight chronic unemployment and underemployment among migrant and seasonal farm workers. The National Farm worker Jobs Program helps eligible people improve their agricultural job skills and train for careers in growing industries and occupations with higher wages and more stable employment. The program also offers services such as child care, health care and transportation assistance.

Vermont State Police say a 20-year-old pedestrian is in critical condition after being hit by a pickup truck while walking on Route 2 in Grand Isle. The driver fled the scene following the noontime crash on Sunday, but he was later arrested in Milton after a witness provided a license plate number and description of the vehicle. The driver, 22-year-old Kyle Harvey of Georgia was jailed for lack of $10,000 bail.

The city of St. Albans is preparing to challenge Census figures that show that the city lost almost 10% of its population in the last decade. The figures show that Franklin County grew by 5%, the town of St. Albans by 18% and neighboring Fairfax by 14%.

A state official says the new Vermont State office building and courthouse in Bennington should be finished by the end of December or early next year. The old state office complex in Bennington was abandoned in 2007 after employees complained of respiratory ailments and several cases of a relatively rare disease.

A University of Vermont professor says he's found an organic way to slow the spread of a pest that threatens the state's hemlock forests. Scott Costa has developed a product, which helps an insect-killing fungus adhere to hemlocks.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says Amtrak's Vermonter passenger rail line will get a $73 million upgrade. LaHood says the improvements will cut about 30 minutes from travel time through Massachusetts. The project will upgrade 50 miles of Massachusetts track between Springfield and East Northfield. Combined with last year's $50 million improvement to Vermont rails, travel time will be reduced by about an hour in Vermont and Massachusetts.

PRIDE of Ticonderoga will host the dedication of the historic Frazier Bridge at 4:30 Friday Afternoon. After a decade-long restoration project, the bridge, "among the oldest bridges in the world" according the 2007 Winter Issue of the Adirondack Architectural Heritage, will be celebrated. Tickets are available at the PRIDE office for $15 or two for $25 or at the tent that will be erected at the Frazier Bridge site.

Charlotte's Annual Town Party will be held this Saturday. The event includes various activities in town including food, fun and a book sale. Charlotte-based non-profit groups are invited to join the party and set up a table at the day's festivities. To reserve a table, contact Nan Mason via e-mail at anne.mason@uvm.edu. Books for the Friends of the Library book sale may be dropped through Thursday.

Rutland will make an appearance on PBS this month when the network airs an episode of “History Detectives” that visited here on the trail of Theodore Roosevelt. The show follows historians as they try to authenticate or learn more about specific historic objects and in this case a 3 1/2-foot, three-pronged wooden war club found in the attic of a dairy barn. An inscription on the club reads “Bull Moose War Club — From the Green Mountains near the City of Rutland, VT, and to the Great Chief Teddy Roosevelt, Aug. 29, ’12.” The Rutland episode is scheduled to run July 19th.