WVTK Local & State News February 1, 2012

The Town Of Middlebury’s Design Advisory Committee meets this afternoon at 1 in the Town Office Rotary Conference Room. Items on the agenda today include a design review of Gardner Stone’s proposed 11,900 square foot building on Route 7 South. Also a design review of Anthony Neri’s proposed 7,500 square foot building on Route 7 South. More information is available on the Town’s Website.

Most Rutland County towns have at least one competition on their town meeting ballots. In Brandon, David Atherton has challenged Selectwoman Kellie Martin for her three-year seat on the board. Pittsford has one race; with lister Jack Rogers facing a challenge from former lister John Eugair Sr. Rutland Town voters have three choices for an open two-year seat on the Select Board. Voters will also be asked to decide on $9,000 to renovate the Center Rutland Fire Station, $130,000 for solar panels and $600,000 in renovations to the second floor of the school. And Sudbury elects officers from the floor.

Castleton Town officials will ask voters to approve a $2 million bond for the construction of a new municipal office building and a fire station during town meeting in March. Officials voted at a special meeting Monday to approve the bond warning that will ask voters for $2 million over 20 years with a 3.4 percent interest rate. The Select Board rescinded a previous bond article for $750,000.

Evergreen Slate Company, Inc. is the largest domestic slate company in the United States. They operate a large quarry located in the Vermont-New York Slate Valley and have dedicated resources for continuing education programs designed for architects, facilities managers, general contractors, roofing consultants and slate roofing contractors. Since the programs’ inception, the company has hosted several hundred participants in two-day programs. Select programs are registered with the American Institute of Architects for educational credits. More programs are on the schedule for April in Granville, NY and a second one in Indiana.

Teachers and school officials are at odds in Poultney, Middletown Springs, Wells and Tinmouth after teachers have gone 82 weeks without a contract. The school boards of the Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union and the teacher’s union representing all of the district schools are in disagreement over salary, health care contributions and automatic pay increases. The negotiation process has gone from face-to-face talks, to mediation, to fact-finding. Now the two sides, debating either a one-year or a three-year contract, are at an impasse. The next bargaining session is scheduled for today.

Members of the Essex County Board of Supervisors are attending the New York State Association of Counties annual conference at the Desmond Hotel in Albany. All resolutions passed by the committee will go on the agenda for the regular February board meeting set for 10 AM on Monday, February 6th in the Old County Courthouse in Elizabethtown.

Vermont business people who want to speak out about Gov. Peter Shumlin's plans for health care reform have a chance to do so today. Two legislative committees will hold a joint hearing from 5 to 7PM in Statehouse room 11 to talk about a bill under consideration to begin implementing the ambitious reform agenda approved in principle last year.

There's more grant money available for Vermont farmers hurt by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene. Farmers who need help can apply for assistance from the Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund. Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross says feed has become an urgent need for some Vermont farmers. To date, the Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund has awarded $1.5 million to 177 farmers affected by Tropical Storm Irene. As of January 25, the fund had received or been pledged to receive more than $2.4 million. The state is also looking for farmers with surplus feed for sale or that they are willing to donate.

Congressman Peter Welch says it's unlikely that a bill aimed at Internet piracy will be revived this session. The House bill is known as the Stop Online Piracy Act and it set off a lot of protest from members of the on-line community. Backers of the bill said the legislation is necessary to help prevent the piracy of music, books and movies on the Internet. But opponents said the bill would give law enforcement the power to shut down Internet Service Providers that were used by people stealing copyrighted materials. Welch says he understands the need to stop piracy but he says this bill was way out of balance.

Senator Bernie Sanders says the U.S. Postal Service needs a new business model. Sanders is pushing Congress to help ease financial pressure on the U.S. Postal service hoping that will help avoid 200-thousand layoffs and the closure of thousands of mail facilities across the country including the mail center in White River Junction. The USPS says the Internet has cut demand and that first class mail is down 20 percent. Sanders' postal service bill would allow workers to make copies, notarize documents and sell hunting licenses.

The Vermont House has advanced a bill calling for a 3-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in oil and natural gas wells. No such wells exist in Vermont, but lawmakers were told a geologic shale formation that could contain oil and gas extends under parts of the northwestern part of the state. The House gave the moratorium preliminary approval yesterday and a final vote is expected today.

The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant is asking the state Public Service Board to issue promptly a Certificate of Public good to operate beyond its original March 21st closure date. The move follows a ruling by a federal court judge who found that the state didn't have the authority to close the plant as it had wished. But the decision said the plant needed to seek a new or amended certificate of public good from the utility-regulating board.

The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission is urging a federal appeals court to throw out suits filed by the state of Vermont and the nuclear watchdog group New England Coalition. The suits, which a federal appeals court has combined into one, say the NRC improperly issued the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant a new license last year even though it didn't have a required water quality certificate.

Vermont officials say they're going to rebuild the state's mental health system better than it was before the remnants of Hurricane Irene flooded and closed the centerpiece state psychiatric hospital. For now, they acknowledge that there's been a crisis, with community hospitals around the state trying to care for acutely mentally ill patients who formerly would have gone to the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury.

Starting in January 2013, the sale of bottled water from UVM's vending machines and campus eateries will be banned. The administration says the new policy is sure to put a dent in the more than 1 million bottled beverages it sells annually. UVM says it will save 200,000 water bottles each year by doing away with water bottles sales on campus. The plan is to retrofit all 75 water fountains on campus. They'll be converted to bottle filling stations like one in the Davis Center. The new policy also calls for one-third of drinks offered in vending machines to be healthy options.

It’s months until Ticonderoga hosts its annual “Best Fourth in the North,” but planning and fundraising are well under way. This year the organizing committee for the July 4th celebration has established a goal of $30,000. There will be a pan fishing tournament Sunday, February 12th, at the Ticonderoga ferry landing. There will be a chicken barbecue March 2nd at the Ti Knights of Columbus. The annual Ticonderoga High School alumni basketball tournament and spaghetti dinner will be held Saturday, March 31st. Coin drops are scheduled June 23rd, June 24th and July 7th. There will also be several raffles throughout the year. Any individuals, businesses or organizations interested in helping can get information online at www.best4thinthenorth.com.

The Fresh Air Fund's Essex County committee seeks volunteer members and host families so that visiting inner-city children can enjoy new experiences and lasting friendships this summer. Each summer, close to 4,000 New York City children ages 6 to 18 enjoy vacations for up to two weeks with volunteer host families in suburban, rural and small-town communities across 13 states in the Northeast and Canada. Learn more at www.freshair.org.

Brandon’s Winter Arts and Wine Festival is coming up February 18th & 19th! Art in the Snow 2012 offers an opportunity to experience Brandon, Vermont in a whole new way. Come see why Brandon is “The Art and Soul of Vermont!” Book a two-night stay at any participating lodging places and get $50 in Brandon Bucks to spend in town. Learn more at www.brandon.org. Also, join Brandon Music on Sunday, February 19th at 2PM as they host a benefit concert featuring Rutland area vocalist Olivia Gawet accompanied by Rip Jackson. Proceeds will support the developing Compass Music and Arts Center in Park Village. Get details on the concert and the Arts Center at www.brandon-music.net.