WVTKLLocal & State News October 7, 2011

The Addison County Humane Society broke ground yesterday on a major renovation and expansion project that will allow the organization to continue the work it does finding homes for the abused, and abandoned animals from our area. About 100 people turned out for the groundbreaking ceremony at the shelter's Boardman Street location, which included Bruce and Hobbes from WVTK's "Wake-Up Crew". The project holds a special significance for the duo, as Bruce adopted Hobbes, after the Humane Society rescued him from a domestic violence situation. Once the 1.12 million dollar "Homeward Bound Campaign" is completed next Spring, the facility will give the Humane Society about 7,500 square feet of space in which to care for the animals. Donations for the campaign can be sent to the Humane Society. (236 Boardman Street, Middlebury VT, 05753)

The Army Corps of Engineers has launched an investigation into the town of Middlebury’s remediation work in the Middlebury River after Tropical Storm Irene. In a recent letter the Corps indicated that the town might have violated federal law. Middlebury officials are going to cooperate with the Corps and are working on a response to the letter. The Town says that they were doing the work as proposed and as authorized by the state of Vermont. This all comes as officials in Vermont towns struggle in the wake of Irene-induced flooding to balance the requirements of environmental regulations vs. the need to repair infrastructure before the winter.

Lincoln officials had to remove rocks from the New Haven River last week without state authorization in order to get materials to fix roads damaged by flooding after Tropical Storm Irene. Town officials said they had been trying to get a hold of state officials for four weeks without success, and they moved ahead with the work so that necessary repairs could be finished before snow flies.

According to several downtown merchants and board members of the Vergennes Partnership challenges remain for the vitality of the Vergennes economy however there are reasons for at least cautious optimism. A number of empty downtown spaces are now being filled, some after long periods of vacancy, and shopkeepers said after a summer of weather-related setbacks business seems to be picking up.

Town wide efforts in Pittsford to raise money for people directly affected by Tropical Storm Irene are off to a great start. More than $27,000 has already been raised. Fundraising efforts will continue throughout the month of October with bottle drives, coin drops, car wash, and raffles. Collection boxes can be found at the town offices and in various vendors in town. A food drive and tag sale are scheduled for Saturday at the Pittsford town green, while Blanchard’s Auto Sales will host a car wash from 9AM to 3PM. The town's fire department will be donating a portion of the proceeds from their annual Haunted House as well. For more information on the fundraising efforts just contact the Pittsford Town Office. (802-483-6500)

A proposal before the Rutland Board of Aldermen would make downtown parking more expensive everywhere except for the deck. The draft proposal would increase rates at short-term meters from 50 cents an hour to 75 cents an hour and at long-term ones from 10 cents an hour to 25 cents an hour. Long-term parking passes would go from $16 to $35 a month while parking tickets would go from $6 to $15. These measures are all designed to get motorists, particularly those working downtown, into the state-owned downtown parking deck. In exchange, the city would ask the state to drop the price of a monthly pass to the garage from $55 to $35.

The Benson Select Board is considering several amendments to the town’s zoning and subdivision bylaw proposed by the town’s Planning Commission. The Planning Commission Chairman said the reason behind the amendments is that every once in a while issues related to zoning that are not clearly identified come up in the permitting process. The Planning Commission unanimously passed the proposed amendments. A public hearing on the amendments is scheduled before the Select Board on October 31st.

Vergennes resident Tom McGrath and the current Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center Co-Director helped the organization present a $5 million check to the University of Iowa Saturday as part of their five-year, $25 million commitment to finding a cure for diabetes. McGrath joined the Eagles in 1962 and is currently a member of Addison County Aerie 3801 in Vergennes. The check marks $15 million in donations made by the Eagles since the project began in 2008.

Beeman Elementary School in New Haven was the first school in Addison County to take advantage of Burlington based Local Motion’s one-week bike loaner program, which is free to schools within a 50-mile radius of Burlington. Growing out of a Burlington summer program to enhance kids’ bike skills and teach them safety measures, the loaner program took these bikes to schools for the first time this year. The bikes were integrated into the school’s annual health fair last Tuesday and were used for the school’s bike derby at the Addison County fairgrounds on Saturday.

Elizabethtown-Lewis, Keene, Westport and Willsboro school boards will meet at 6PM on Wednesday, October 19th, in the Elizabethtown-Lewis Central School auditorium. At the session, educational consultant Alan Pole will discuss shared services among school districts. The meeting is open to all.

Despite hail, record rainfall and Tropical Storm Irene, Vermont's apple growers are optimistic that this year will be a good one overall. That's the word from Steve Justis, executive director of the Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association. Some individual apple growers also support that view. Vermont's McIntosh harvest is winding down, but Empire, Red Delicious, Northern Spy, Gala and other varieties are still waiting to be picked.

Six weeks after taking heavy damage from Tropical Storm Irene, a four-mile section of Route 100 in Readsboro has reopened to traffic. Some parts of the road are still gravel and officials say more work will be needed. State transportation officials say the quick work to reopen the roadway is a testament to the hard work of hundreds of people.

A man from Rhode Island learned it's not nice to fool with nature, or Vermont for that matter, in claiming the syrup he was selling over the Internet was Vermont maple syrup. An investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined it was anything but that, with tests showing it was pure cane sugar. That's why Bernard Coleman is charged with adulteration, or misbranding of a food, which could result in a one-year prison term and a ten-thousand dollar fine.

Vermont Yankee's future may be tied up in federal court but the nuclear plant's parent company is investing 100-million dollars to refuel the plant. Yankee will shut down this weekend so new fuel rods can be installed and some repairs made. Yankee sued the state in federal court to stay open after its operating license expires next year. There is still no decision in the case.

Vermont authorities plan to conduct another search for an Essex Vermont couple missing since early June. Essex police said Thursday that a new lead is prompting them to do a sixth search for Bill and Lorraine Currier but would not say when or where the search would take place. The Curriers were last seen on June 8th. Police say they suspect foul play in their disappearance. Authorities are still asking for the public's helping in finding them. Anyone with information about the Currier's disappearance is asked to call the Essex Police Department.

If Congress passes the American Jobs Act, Vermont could get more than $130 million to improve and repair state roads. It's estimated that Tropical Storm Irene caused more than $500 million in damage to state roads. That's almost as much as the VTRANS budget for the entire year. Spring flooding and a harsh winter have taken a serious toll on the budget. Even though the state has taken a huge financial hit the agency still has enough money to continue making repairs.

New England's power grid operator says the system in changing in ways that can't be ignored and could affect reliable electricity delivery. An analysis by ISO New England released Thursday spelled out several challenges facing the region in the next seven years. The report says the region is increasingly relying on natural gas for both heat and power, and must build capacity to handle spikes in demand for both uses. Meanwhile, a quarter of the region's electricity generation capacity is tied up in plants older than 40 years, which are likely to soon be retired. Also, renewable sources like wind must be increasingly integrated into the grid.

A Vermont court has ruled for the Vermont's attorney general's office in its suit against the Republican Governors Association for alleged violations of the state's campaign finance laws during last year's gubernatorial campaign. The RGA argued that its ads criticizing then-Sen., now-Gov. Peter Shumlin and praising Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie were independent expenditures not connected to Dubie's campaign for governor. But Washington Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Crawford disagreed. He said the negative ad against Shumlin could serve no likely purpose but to influence the outcome of the election. Crawford made a similar ruling against a Democratic political action committee in June in a suit brought by Attorney General William Sorrell's office.

New crime numbers might bring comfort to people living in the North Country. A New York state division of criminal justice study shows crime throughout the state is declining. The 2010 study shows that in Clinton, Essex and Franklin County the amount of violent crimes dropped dramatically this past year. But it also shows property crimes on the rise. Some officials say that increase is because of drugs. While drug related activities may be up in the North Country. Local law enforcement says they're working hard to crack down.

Omya’s big pit located off Route 7 in Middlebury will be open to the public on Saturday, October 15th from 10AM – 4PM. The open house is part of national Earth Science Week. Buses will shuttle visitors from the surface to three activity “stations” in the quarry. Many earth science activities can be enjoyed before or after each tour. You’ll be able to learn more about Vermont’s geology through family activities including rock collecting, mineral testing, and a scavenger hunt.

Fort Ticonderoga will host Flashlight Nights on Fridays and Saturdays, October 21st and 22nd and October 28th and 29th, from 7 to 9PM. The program will uncover Fort Ticonderoga’s layers of history and haunted stories at night in the fort and in the six-acre corn maze. The nighttime tours of the fort will be led by costumed historic interpreters and will allow guests to enter areas of the fort where unexplained events have occurred. The tour offers historical context to the many ghostly stories that are part of Fort Ticonderoga’s history. For more information and tour times visit www.fortticonderoga.org.