WVTK Local & State News October 31, 2011

H A P P Y H A L L O W E E N!

Paving will take place today on South St. beginning around 8AM from the south entrance of the Hospital, south to the end of pavement. At 8AM crews will be working on the South Side of Court Square to the intersection of Court St. north. During this time all southbound traffic will be detoured south on South Pleasant St. and there will be a uniformed Police officer at the intersection of South Pleasant and Cross St. to facilitate in traffic flow. Once done on Court Square the milling crew will proceed to Seminary Ext. to mill the Sewer leak. The paving crew will move from South St. to Court Square to pave there and same detour will apply during paving. Paving crews upon completion will then move to Seminary Ext. and pave in the milled area there.

Bruce and Hobbes would like to thank YOU for your support of the Addison County’s Humane Society’s “Homeward Bound” Campaign during “Ca$h For Paws” last week. With your generous support the Humane Society has an additional $11,250.00 to go towards the expansion of the Boardman Street Shelter. You can still help them out and learn more about this wonderful project by clicking HERE! By the way, HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY to Hobbes today!

On Friday Sen. Bernie Sanders visited the Addison County parent-child center in Middlebury to announce two grants that he secured totaling $340,000 that support early childhood education and support for young parents and pregnant teens. Later in the day, the senator toured the Stanislaus Apartments in West Rutland, where a $175,000 federal grant helped finance energy efficiency and weatherization work on the historic St. Stanislaus School and Convent buildings. The Housing Trust of Rutland County converted the buildings into a 17-unit affordable housing project.

On Saturday afternoon Vermont State Police troopers from New Haven were notified of four lost hikers on the Sunset Rock Trail, which is part of the Long Trail at the top of Lincoln Gap. Two adult hikers and two children from New Jersey were part of the lost hiking party. Members of the Lincoln Fire Department ultimately located the lost hiking party at approximately 3:40 PM south of the trailhead. The two adults their two young children were assisted out of the woods safely before nightfall and drastically reduced temperatures set in.

State Police are investigating the theft of approximately $200.00 from a farm stand lock box in Starksboro on Sam Stokes Road. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the New Haven Barracks.

State Police are investigating a mailbox vandalism on Plank Road in Bristol where someone put a roman candle in the mailbox, causing the mail to start to burn. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the New Haven Barracks.

The number of homes and businesses without power on the East Coast stands at more than 3.1 million after an unusually early snowstorm. Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says the more than 800,000 customers without power there breaks a record set when the remnants of Hurricane Irene hit in August. He says people could be without electricity for a week. More than 670,000 have lost power in Massachusetts. Those without electricity number 285,000 in New Hampshire and at least 145,000 in Maine. Central Vermont Public Service says more than 6,300 there had no power.

Today is National Weatherization Day, and throughout Vermont services will be held to showcase the latest technology and ways to weatherize your home. Open houses will be held at several facilities throughout the state beginning at 9AM, followed by a site visit to a project in progress at 11:30AM. To learn more about your local event, please contact your local weatherization partner or click HERE.

The Town of Crown Point's draft budget for 2012 rolls in under the state's 2-percent tax cap. The budget has a tax levy of $980,270, which is 5.7 percent under the $1.04 million collected this year. Crown Point Town Supervisor Bethany Kosmider said they shaved about $60,000 off last year's budget. The council is holding a special meeting at 10AM tomorrow at the Town Hall to approve the tentative budget and officially set the hearing date. The public hearing for the budget will be at 5:45PM Thursday, November 10th, at Crown Point's Knapp Senior Center.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has endorsed Bethany Kosmider in her bid to be re-elected Crown Point supervisor. It’s believed to the first time a governor has ever formally endorsed a local supervisor candidate. Republican Charles Harrington is challenging her.

The Trestle Walking Bridge over the LaChute River will add another historic and scenic stretch to the LaChute River Trail. You are invited to celebrate the new walking trail in a ceremony at 4PM this Thursday at the former railroad trestle. Converting the old, unused train trestle has been part of the town's plan for the recreational trail that now follows alongside the river all the way from the northern end of Lake George to the Lower LaChute Falls in Bicentennial Park.

Vermont officials are expected to update damage estimates from Tropical Storm Irene. Gov. Peter Shumlin and administration officials are holding a media briefing today. Some estimates say Vermont suffered $1 billion in damage from Irene flooding to roads, bridges and homes.

The union representing striking teachers in southwest Vermont says it plans to meet with the school boards again to try to end the strike. The union says a meeting has been planned for today to consider teachers' latest offer. The two sides did not meet on Friday, after negotiating throughout the week. School in the Southwest Supervisory Union has been canceled during the strike, which enters its ninth day.

The competition will be heating up next month, when culinary students from across the state cook off in the fourth annual Vermont Culinary Classic Competition. Students from 11 schools will have 90 minutes to create a menu. New England Culinary Institute chefs will then judge the students. The event takes place November 18th at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier.

The Vermont office of the United States Attorney says it helped collect about $6 million in civil penalties and criminal fines in fiscal year that just ended. The office says it collected $3.9 million in civil judgments, with most of that coming from health care fraud cases. Another $830,000 was collected from criminal fines, special assessments and restitution. Assets forfeited to the federal government had an estimated total value of $1.5 million. Funds from criminal fines and special assessments, totaling almost $120,000 were deposited into the crime victim's fund, which are distributed to the states for their victim assistance programs. Other funds were paid directly to crime victims. Much of the money derived from forfeitures was distributed to local and state law enforcement agencies in Vermont.

An attorney says 5 of 6 lawsuits filed by female patients against a former orthopedic surgeon in Vermont have been settled. Burlington lawyer Jerome O'Neill says he can't disclose the terms of this week's settlements. But he tells the Burlington Free Press his clients are happy with the outcome. The lawsuits against Joseph Abate, of Colchester claimed Abate touched the patients inappropriately during physical examinations.

Saturday night’s snowstorm did not hit Burlington but parking ban lights will still flash downtown today. The city is testing the system, which alerts residents to a temporary ban following storms or other events. Despite the lights, residents will be allowed to park overnight without risking a 1-hundred dollar ticket.

Occupy Vermont Protestors continue to brave the elements outdoors. About a hundred members stuck it out overnight against the cold temperatures in Burlington. They are part of the national protests going on rallying against corporate greed and financial inequality. Protesters say they were expecting the storm to hit them Saturday night and were prepared for it. The protesters plan to stay in City Hall Park indefinitely and they still don't plan to seek a permit from the city to stay in the park.

The public will get a chance to see young Vermont musicians in action when the Vermont Youth Orchestra holds an open house next month. All interested families, students, instructors and community members are invited to St. Michael's College on Sunday afternoon, November 13th. They will get a chance to see and hear the three full orchestras rehearse. There will also be a demonstration of instruments and question and answer session with students. The open house, which takes place from 3PM to 6PM, is free and open to the public.

Skiers took to the slopes during the first day of skiing at the Killington ski area on Saturday. Killington will remain open for skiing and riding as long as the conditions permit. Stay up to date by visiting Killington's Website.