WVTK Local & State News October 21, 2011

An Orwell family is looking for their lost dog, named Emma. She’s a Brown – Black Rottweiler Lab Mix weighing about 45 pounds, wearing a brown leather collar and has been missing since Tuesday. She was lost in the vicinity of Chipman Point Road in Orwell. If you see her or have any information please contact Gina at 802-989-5444. The family is really heart broken and anything you can do to help is most appreciated.

Next spring, Green Mountain Power is planning to install smart electric meters on the sides of all Vergennes homes and businesses. By the end of next year, GMP and Central Vermont Public Service will have installed the new devices at all participating homes and facilities across Addison County. Smart meters record a customer’s electricity use every 15 minutes and send that information to a wireless data collector nearby, which then transmits that to the utility. The U.S. Department of Energy in 2009 awarded a combined $69 million in grants to most Vermont utilities to install smart meters on 85 percent of Vermont residences and businesses.

The Bristol select-board approved two new fiscal policies this week. One was an amended purchasing policy and a set of conditions for town credit card use. The credit card policy was approved on the heels of recent select-board debate surrounding the issuance of town credit cards to department heads. That discussion began because of a People’s United Bank policy, which only issues credit cards to specific individuals. The bank is unwilling to issue just one town credit card.

It was at this time last year that the $16 million Cross Street Bridge project was completed in downtown Middlebury with hopes that it would clear Main Street traffic jams and provide a vital, second crossing of the Otter Creek as an insurance policy for emergency vehicles. So far, those hopes seem to be fulfilled as early supporters and detractors alike are touting the project as an aesthetic and functional asset to the community. It also appears that the local option taxes have not discouraged people from doing business in Middlebury.

The Bristol Planning Commission completed its draft of the town plan and has sent it to the select-board for its review and two further public hearings. After hours of deliberation on public comments and concerns submitted via letter and voiced at the September 22nd public hearing, the planners made many revisions to the draft. They unanimously agreed, however, that there were “no substantial changes to the town plan,” which means the document is ready for the select-board.

Members representing the Vermont Working Landscape Partnership launched the Revitalizing Vermont’s Rural Economy campaign this week in Bridport. The campaign is focused on achieving the five goals outlined in the Partnership’s Action Plan, Investing in Our Farm and Forest Future. Paul Costello, executive director of Vermont Council on Rural Development, noted that the Action Plan represents a jobs strategy that builds from Vermont’s brand identity and our fundamental values. He noted, “All Vermonters benefit from the working landscape, and we should all contribute to keeping it strong.

Police say they have linked a Fair Haven man to more than a dozen burglaries and thefts and could bring charges against him for many more. Evidence seized during a search of Jesse R. West’s River Street home last month linked him to burglaries and thefts in Rutland, Fair Haven, Castleton, Whitehall, NY, and Lake George, NY, where police say a large carved wooden bear found in West’s apartment was reported stolen.

The town wide efforts to raise money for Tropical Storm Irene victims by the town of Pittsford has surpassed $45,000 and more is still coming in. The town began fundraising at the beginning of October to help surrounding communities that were heavily affected by the August 28th storm. The initial goal was to raise around $25,000. The town's fire department will also be donating a portion of the proceeds of this year's Haunted House starting this weekend and continues next weekend.

The proposed 2012 Moriah town budget falls within the new state 2 percent tax cap. The town’s preliminary budget totals $4,094,489. That’s an increase of 3.9 percent. The preliminary 2012 tax levy totals $1,978,306. That’s an increase of 1.47 percent. A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held Thursday, November 10th at 5:45PM at the town courthouse.

Users of Moriah Town Water District 3 are going to get a big price hike next year because their water comes from the Village of Port Henry. The town buys the water from Port Henry and passes the cost on to residents of the south-end district. The Village of Port Henry water rates will rise 39 percent, from $3.89 per 1,000 gallons to $5.40. Village officials say the increase is necessary because their water system is losing money. The new rate will take effect May 1, 2012. A public hearing on the rate increase for Water District 3 is set for 5:40PM on Thursday, November 10th in the new Moriah Town Courthouse on Park Place.

The Ticonderoga Police Department, after several years of discussion, may be moving to a new home downtown. The Ti town board has directed its attorney to begin negotiations to lease the former Rite Aid building on Montcalm Street as a new police headquarters. The board’s action followed a presentation October 13th by a committee that has been investigating the current police building and options. Ticonderoga officials have long discussed moving the police downtown.

Striking teachers have rejected the latest offer from the school boards in southwest Vermont, in the third round of negotiations in three days. The two sides failed to reach agreements in two prior meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting teachers to go on strike Wednesday morning. The Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union and the union representing teachers started meeting again Thursday morning but the union said in the afternoon that the negotiators rejected the board's latest offer, calling it insulting.

FEMA is making changes to its flood plain maps and they could be costly for Vermont homeowners. For example The Tree Top Complex in South Burlington made it through spring flooding and Irene without water damage. Now changes from FEMA mean it's in a flood plain and mortgage companies are starting to tell customers they need to pay up for flood insurance.

The Vermont Labor Board continues to consider an unfair labor practice charge that stems from a teacher's contract dispute in South Burlington. The incident centers on an email from Vermont NEA director Joel Cook to the chair of the South Burlington school board, Richard Cassidy. The School District filed an unfair labor practice complaint in May, saying Cook had threatened Cassidy. The Union maintains there was no intimidation. The hearing will begin again on November 21.

New York is seeking a $100 million grant to make students better prepared for kindergarten. Governor Andrew Cuomo says 44 percent of New York's third graders don't meet state reading standards, giving students a bad start to their academic careers. Officials say the grant would help the state Board of Regents to improve the readiness of students from pre-kindergarten through elementary school. The funding would be partly used for a new assessment process that would evaluate if a student is ready to advance to the next grade.

The head of the Vermont Bankers Association says local lenders are trying to work with borrowers whose property was severely damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. The flooding damaged or destroyed some 700 homes. In some cases, homeowners are faced with paying a mortgage on property that no longer exists. The president of the Vermont Bankers Association says most banks are being flexible with borrowers affected by Irene.

Five companies that charged Vermont consumers and businesses for services on their telephone bills without permission have agreed to refunds. The Vermont Attorney General's office said today that the five firms billed more than 3,600 consumers and businesses more than $280,000, all of which must be refunded. In addition, each company will pay the state $10,000 in penalties and costs.

Local health officials are worried about the increase in child obesity. To help combat it, they're asking the owner of a number of McDonald's in New England to change its marketing. At a press conference Thursday in Burlington, a few of the health professionals spoke about the dangers of using characters like Ronald McDonald. They say diabetes is on the rise from eating too much McDonald's-style junk food. The group wants to bring attention to healthier eating and curbing fast food marketing towards children.

1 of Ben & Jerry's newest ice cream flavors is getting a cold shoulder from some supermarket chains. The new Schweddy Balls limited-edition flavor featuring fudge-covered rum balls has brought chuckles from fans of the "Saturday Night Live" skit on which it's based. But some supermarket chains aren't laughing or sticking the item on their shelves since it was introduced last month. The chains aren't saying whether it's a response to complaints from the One Million Moms group. A spokesman for Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's says Schweddy Balls is stocked in about 30% of stores where its products are sold, and is its most popular limited-edition flavor so far.

There will be a benefit for the Hancock Hotel and the Vermont Home Bakery, which have been a community center for not only Hancock, Ripton, Rochester, Granville and Warren, but also a stop along the way on Routes 100 and 125. The purpose of the benefit is to assist with short-term expenses related to not having a working well and boiler and thus no income since Hurricane Irene. The hotel plans to fix the problems and reopen, but needs the help of surrounding communities. There will be a benefit concert and potluck at noon Saturday.

The City of Vergennes and the Addison County Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring two family-friendly events. The 4th Annual Haunted Warehouse, previously known as Haunted Forest, will be held tomorrow at the former Kennedy Brothers Marketplace. The 5th Annual Pumpkins in the Park will be held on Saturday, October 29th in City Park. The Haunted Warehouse is designed for older children, although kids under 10 will be admitted with parents’ permission, and Pumpkins in the Park is an event for all ages. For more information on either event, call 802-388-7951 x1 or email marguerite@addisoncounty.com.