WVTK Local & State News January 24, 2012

The organizing committee for the “Middlebury Maple Run – The Sweetest Half” is pleased to announce that Ingrid Punderson Jackson (IPJ) Real Estate in Middlebury has committed to become the race’s title sponsor. Scheduled for Sunday, May 6th with a start time of 9AM, the Middlebury Maple Run is becoming one of New England’s “must-do” races and organizers hope to attract at least 1,000 runners for this year’s event. Yours truly (Gale Parmelee) is already registered to run again this year. It was by far my favorite race in 2011 and I’m looking forward to this year’s event. The proceeds from 2011’s Middlebury Maple Run were donated to several worthwhile charities. In 2012 the Addison County Humane Society will be added to the list of recipients. Get more info and register now by clicking HERE.

In preparation for the fire facilities bond vote at Middlebury’s Town Meeting in March, the Fire Department's Fire Station Committee will present building designs and estimates of the cost of improvements for both fire stations. Tours of Fire Station #1 will also be offered after the informational meeting. The meeting is set for Thursday, February 2nd at 7PM at Fire Station #1 in Seymour St. Information on the project is also available on the Fire Department's website, www.middleburyfiredept.org.

Firefighters battled a tough blaze on Old Ti Road in Hubbardton on Monday morning. A long icy road made truck access difficult until sand trucks arrived and chains were put on the fire engine tires. It is the second fire this month to burn down a home in Hubbardton. A home on Delancey Road burned down January 11th.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move ahead with proposed bridgework along Route 116 in Bristol. The proposed project will replace two deficient bridges beginning this year. VTrans proposes to place fill material in the New Haven River, an unnamed tributary and adjacent wetlands relating to the two Route 116 deficient bridges. The existing pony truss of the Route 116 Bridge 8 will be replaced with a new two-span 361-foot steel girder bridge. Traffic during construction will be detoured to a temporary bridge on the downstream side of Bridge 8.

Last week the Bristol Planning Commission said that a zone prohibiting gravel extraction in and around Bristol’s downtown area would still be included in the new town plan. The perimeters of that zone and the language that accompanies it are still being worked out. After commissioners realized last year that there were discrepancies between different accepted versions of that no-extraction zone, they decided to go back to the drawing board to better define it.

In the wake of a burglary at Monkton Central School last week, school staff and students are putting the school back together and returning to a normal routine. According to Principal Susan Stewart the teachers and staff are keeping things as normal as possible. There hasn’t been any huge interruption. The investigation into the burglary continues.

After an unprecedented $141,000 plus of dorm damage in the 2010-11 academic year, Middlebury College saw a 44.5 percent decrease during the first semester of the current academic year. According to data released by Assistant Director of Custodial Services Linda Ross, there was a little over $21,600 of damage this past fall semester. Comparatively, the College suffered over $48,000 during the fall of 2010. Ross attributed the turnaround to this year’s first-year class and a “phenomenal” residential life staff.

The latest version of state’s multiyear transportation program has a lot of rail projects in it, but not the Western corridor. After repeated failed attempts at securing federal funding to extend passenger service from Rutland to Burlington, state officials said last year they were eyeing the $14 to $20 million remainder of a $26 million federal earmark retired senator James Jeffords secured for rail development in the state. Rep. Patrick Brennan said on Monday that was not looking like an option. He said the state’s commitment to the project remains strong, but that the project remains beyond Vermont’s means without federal money.

The deadline to apply for tax exemptions in Ticonderoga is approaching. Property owners have until March 1st to seek a reduction on their tax bills. If you have any questions you can call (585-5285) or stop into the Ticonderoga Community Building from 3:30 to 5PM Monday through Thursday and 8AM to 4:30PM on Friday. There are several different tax exemptions available in Ticonderoga.

Essex County is making necessary legal preparations for the possible sale of Horace Nye Nursing Home. Late last year, the county contracted with a national real-estate broker for sale or lease of the Nursing Home, which is losing millions of dollars annually. The County needs to conduct a Phase One environmental evaluation of the facility and its grounds followed by a full title search. The county seems to be leaning toward sale instead of lease of the facility and several contract restrictions will protect patients and staff at the Nursing Home.

The implications of a federal court ruling over the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant will be the topic of a forum at the Vermont Law School. Faculty experts on Wednesday will discuss what's next in the ongoing legal battle. Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin met with Attorney General William Sorrell on Monday to discuss whether to appeal the federal court decision. The Vermont Law School forum will be held on Wednesday at 2:30PM in Oakes Hall, room 12. It's free and open to the public.

The number of people taking off from the Burlington International Airport is down slightly from last year. The airport tracks the number of passengers boarding flights and says more than 648,000 passengers did so in 2011. That's down from about 3,000 a year earlier.

The Burlington City Council rejected a plan last night to bring a proposed tax hike before voters. The proposal by Mayor Bob Kiss would have raised about $700,000 to maintain police and fire services in the city. Councilors shot down the measure by a vote of 11 to 3.

If you're a Vermont parent with school-aged kids there could be major changes coming to what the state says you have to do to keep them healthy. Lawmakers are looking at changing the rules on who has to get immunized. Advocates for immunizing Vermont's kids say it's a matter of life and death. This morning a public hearing at the statehouse in Montpelier will raise the issue of getting in line with states like New York and New Hampshire by taking the philosophical exemption off the table for parents.

FairPoint Communications says Vermont utility regulators are making it easier for the company to be more flexible in the prices it charges its customers. The utility says the Public Service Board has approved a 4-year regulatory plan that allows FairPoint to offer competitive pricing. In the past such changes could take up to seven weeks to approve.

Governor Peter Shumlin is going to be meeting with Attorney General William Sorrell to decide whether to appeal a decision by a federal court that allows the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant to continue operating. Shumlin made the comments today at an event sponsored by the Lamoille Valley Chamber of Commerce in Morrisville. Shumlin says he will have little to say about a possible appeal before Wednesday.

Critics of Vermont Yankee are not giving up their fight. A few dozen activists rallied outside the statehouse late Monday afternoon. They thanked Governor Shumlin and other lawmakers who called for Yankee to close on time. They say they're disappointed in the judge's decision last week that prevented the state from closing the plant. They called the ruling a setback but not a defeat.

Some people are concerned that cars and trucks are rusting quicker because of what the state uses to prevent icy roads. Vermont transportation crews started using brine, a pre-mix of water and salt, three-years ago. Its use is growing across the state but that has not ended concerns about what brine could do to cars and trucks. VTrans says the real corrosion culprit is salt and crews say the switch to brine means less salt used on Vermont roads. Also they say studies in other states that have used brine for a while has found no link between brine and more corrosion.

The United Way of Addison County has a very strong commitment to literacy. The nonprofit organization announced this week a three-year, $30,000 commitment to promoting reading in four county grade schools. It all begins with Salisbury Elementary.

Crown Point children will have a chance to learn about ice fishing from experts. The Vermont Sportsman Association will hold a free ice-fishing clinic for children age 15 and younger Saturday, February 11th from 10 to Noon at Monitor Bay Park. All children need to be accompanied by an adult or guardian and are advised to dress warmly and appropriately. An introduction to the equipment used, proper ice fishing techniques and ice safety will be covered. Prizes will be awarded.

The Vermont Inn, one of the area’s landmark inns is back up and running. Under new owners Jeremy and Samantha Smith, the bed and breakfast is open for business, accepting guests and serving dinner to the public. Rutland natives and 1998 graduates of Rutland High School, the Smiths purchased the 16-room bed and breakfast at auction in November. After some sprucing up they reopened the inn on December 28th. Innkeeper Tim Hammond said the menu has stayed largely the same.