WVTK Local & State News October 25, 2011

VTrans will be closing a temporary bridge for more than a week. The one-lane Route 73 Bridge near the Brandon Gap will close Wednesday, so it can be replaced by a two-lane culvert. The closure will mean residents cannot use Route 73 to reach Brandon and will have to detour using Route 125 North or Route 4 South.

Beginning this Wednesday at 6AM our two best buddies Bruce & Hobbes will be embarking on a 3-day broadcast in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound,” campaign. The duo is launching a 72-hour fundraiser in support of the Addison County Humane Society’s 1.125 million dollar expansion & renovation project for its’ Boardman Street location. Cash For Paws, You pay – We Play, will get under way. Make a donation to the campaign and they’ll play your song, pretty much ANY song! The goal for this 3-day fundraiser is $10,000! Get the scoop now, click HERE!

Google is coming to Middlebury. A Google seminar providing the tools and resources for Vermont businesses to get online and succeed online is coming to Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater on Thursday, November 3rd with a morning session from 9 to Noon and an afternoon session from 1 to 4. This is a free seminar for small businesses run by Google employees. Space is limited to 25 people per session, so register now! For more information, or to register for the seminar, just visit http://sites.google.com/site/vtgyboreg.

More than a dozen people were present at the Hancock town office last week to urge the select-board to take steps to open the still-closed Upper Churchville Road. Nearly two months after Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont, the two Addison County towns hit hardest by the storm Granville and Hancock are still finding it impossible to restore traffic on all town roads before the snow flies. In Granville, Buffalo Farm Road is the only town road still closed, but town clerk and treasurer Kathy Werner said the town would not be able to fix the road before next spring. In Hancock, road commissioner Jim Leno said Texas Falls Road and the portions of Churchville Road that remain closed to through-traffic due to extensive damage will also not be fixed before the spring.

The Town Of Salisbury is looking to make repairs to the Town Hall. Next March residents will be asked to approve a plan to preserve the town hall to make it more weather-tight, sturdy and usable into the future.

U.S. Census numbers appear to be off in Starksboro. The results show a population drop in town, and selectmen plan to contact Census officials to question the data. According to the 2010 Census, Starksboro’s population is 1,787, down 121 from the 2000 number of 1,898. But according to Town Clerk Cheryl Estey, the town’s voter checklist increased by 257 in the same decade, from 986 to 1,243.

The Addison County Relocalization Network, the Addison County Economic Development Corporation and the Addison County Regional Planning Commission are launching a local money conference to bring together the regional capital community and Champlain Valley entrepreneurs with businesses involved in food, agriculture and forestry. The conference, “Financing the Working Landscape,” is scheduled for November 10th from 8:30AM to 4:30PM at the American Legion in Middlebury. The networking event is designed to educate entrepreneurs and students about different types of capital and how to prepare their businesses for capitalization. It will also explore alternative strategies for financing and showcase entrepreneurs currently looking for capital.

Construction of a new water district in Moriah will begin this week. The $1.8 million project in water district 4 will serve the Forge Hollow, Elk Inn Road and Stone Street area. Construction will continue as long as weather allows. It will be completed in the spring. The entire project is expected to take 12 to 15 weeks. A pair of unexpected grants totaling $1.8 million is financing the project. The grants will pay for the entire project.

Officials say the initial cleanup and stabilization of the Vermont state office complex in Waterbury that was damaged by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene has been completed. State officials estimate the cost of that process will be between $20 million and $25 million and most of it should be covered by insurance.

Some of the marchers in this weekend's Halloween parade in Rutland may be looking to spook the rich. Occupy Rutland, one of hundreds of offshoots of the Occupy Wall Street movement plans to have a large contingent in this year's parade, which steps off on Saturday evening.

Vermont's Burlington Electric Department says it has begun to receive electricity generated from a wind farm in Sheffield. Burlington Electric says the Sheffield project will help it move toward its goal of providing 100% renewable energy. Sheffield will provide Burlington Electric with 13% of its total energy needs. Another project in the town of Georgia, due to be online in 2013, will provide another 9%. The utility's goal is to get a third of its power from Hydro-Quebec, another third from a wood burning power plant in Burlington and a third from wind power.

Police plan to do another ground search today for missing Essex couple William and Lorraine Currier, who disappeared in early June. The Burlington Free Press reports today's search will include a stretch of the Winooski River. Investigators have offered few details on the case but have said they suspect foul play.

Occupy Vermont activists will soon be taking up residence in Burlington's City Hall Park. The group is affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement. They began demonstrating four weeks ago, but only on weekends. They now plan to make their protest permanent. Starting at 3PM Friday, the group plans to begin camping out in City Hall Park.

Hundreds of people showed up for a shot at just a couple dozen open jobs in South Burlington yesterday. Vermont's unemployment rate dropped last month to 5.8%. That's good news for the state but makes little difference to those people out of work. Nearly 400 people entered the Sheraton in South Burlington Monday. They hope to work at Allscripts in South Burlington. It's a healthcare based hi-tech company that is expanding at a time when many businesses are shrinking.

Congressman Peter Welch is introducing a bill that would provide tax relief for low-income Vermonters affected by Tropical Storm Irene. Welch announced the legislation at Burlington International Airport yesterday morning, as he got ready to head back to Washington. The most crucial component of his bill is a child tax credit and earned income tax credit for low-income families. If passed, Welch says his bill would also allow a $500 tax exemption to those who provide housing to individuals displaced by Irene, and it would strip limitations on personal casualty losses caused by the disaster.

New details are emerging surrounding an investigation into a murder-suicide in Newport, Vermont over the weekend. Newport police say it was a 911 call that led them to discover the death of Mellissa Tinker and Thomas Ballou on Sunday. Now, investigators are revealing the call for help came from inside the home where the two were found.

Vermont's Republican Party has a new executive director. Mike Bertrand is taking over. He is succeeding Tayt Brooks, who is stepping down so he can focus his time on helping Kurt Wright's campaign for mayor of Burlington. Bertrand served in several different positions during the Douglas administration, including commissioners of labor and industry, insurance, and banking, insurance, securities and health care administration. Since leaving state government in January, he has been working as a consultant. He assumes his new duties next week.

According to the Consumer Sentinel Network, which tracks consumer fraud, Vermont reported nearly 1,200 complaints of fraud last year to the tune of nearly $2 million. Many of these complaints involve telephone and Internet scams, which can be difficult to prosecute. Besides credit card fraud, Vermont's attorney general's office has recently investigated even more complaints involving wire transfers.

Talks were suspended yesterday between striking teachers and school boards in southwest Vermont. The two sides plan to meet again today to try end the strike and after negotiating for more than 50 hours in the last week. The teachers' union and school boards met Monday afternoon until talks were suspended to accommodate a meeting of the school boards. The issues up for discussion today include salaries, health insurance and time spent with students.

Did you know that corn is a grass and an artichoke is in the sunflower family? The Willowell Foundation invites you to find out what you are eating at the Botany of Food, a workshop with agricultural consultant and Panton resident Teena Hayden. The workshop will take place on Wednesday from 7 to 8:30PM at the Congregational Church in Vergennes. The suggested donation is $10 to support the Willowell farm to school garden. The workshop will provide a basic understanding of the botany of the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds we eat for sustenance, flavor, and satisfaction.

As the local gardening season draws to a close, the Carillon Garden Club has recognized the landscaping and floral plantings that have enhanced the quality of life in the communities of Hague and Ticonderoga this year. All plantings recognized had to be visible from the road or street and the names of the businesses or residents available. Various businesses and residences in both towns were honored.

A horse is recovering after hitting a car. The crash happened near the UVM horse barn in South Burlington Monday afternoon. UVM police say a horse got free from the barn, knocked down a trainer and ran into the road hitting a car. Police say besides some bumps and bruises everyone, including the horse, seems to be doing okay.

There will be a big boost for the Vermont Foodbank and its efforts to help families after Irene. The couple that created the "I Am Vermont Strong" T-Shirts will present the Foodbank with a 60-thousand dollar check this Thursday. It went viral and they started selling T-shirts. The Foodbank says the big donation will help ensure clients impacted by Irene will have wholesome food on the table as cold weather sets in.