WVTK Local & State News February 9, 2012

There will be an information meeting for the Middlebury Business Development Fund tonight at 7:00 PM in the Ilsley Library Public Meeting Room. In preparation for the Middlebury Business Development Fund vote at Town Meeting in March, the committee will present for discussion the proposal contained in two articles on the Town Meeting Warning, one to establish the fund and the second to raise 1 cent on the tax rate annually for the next five years for the fund. These articles will be voted from the floor at Town Meeting on Monday, March 5th. You can visit the Town’s website for more information.

Middlebury College has made the Princeton Review list of best value private colleges in the nation. Middlebury costs over 50-thousand-dollars a year, but the report says that more than half of the students are recipients of need-based scholarship or grant aid. The report indicates that graduating students on average only have around 20-thousand-dollars in student loan debt. Middlebury is the only Vermont public or private school to make the list.

Last March eCorp English moved into Middlebury. The company relocated from France with the help of hundreds of thousands of dollars in low-interest loans. eCorp English teaches people around the world how to do their jobs in English. Their goal was to employ 125 people in Middlebury by next year. But right now eCorp has just 12 full-time employees and could be on the verge of bankruptcy. The company has had difficulty making payroll and paying other bills in recent weeks. However the CEO has said they have just secured an infusion of funds to make good on back pay.

The next Addison County Chamber “After Hours Business Mixer” will take place a week from today. You are invited to join the Chamber at Countryside Carpet & Paint on Creek Road here in Middlebury. Great networking opportunities, tasty food, beverages, super door prizes, and of course the Pot of Gold drawing! The mixer takes place on the 16th from 5 – 7PM. Please RSVP to Sue Hoxie by visiting www.addisoncounty.com.

The Rutland Board of Aldermen approved a contract for the search for a new police chief after receiving assurances about how it would be funded. The Board voted this week to authorize Mayor Christopher Louras to sign the contract with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The organization will get $28,000 plus expenses to advertise the position and vet candidates before making a hiring recommendation. The contract received the unanimous endorsement of the search committee.

Unusual weather conditions have forced race organizers to cancel the Romance Half Marathon Race and Tour that was scheduled for Saturday. Race officials made the decision based on the unseasonably warm weather, lack of snow and an unfavorable forecast going into the weekend. The 25-kilometer cross-country ski event was designed to be a classic technique ski tour starting at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton and following the Catamount and other trails in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area. Participants could also opt to ski a 15- kilometer course. The event is organized to promote the trails systems in the region as a winter sports destination. The event has been rescheduled for February 2013.

Even with a lack of snow in Ti, The third annual Ticonderoga WinterFest will go on Saturday despite the most mild winter season in memory. WinterFest activities will kick-off at 10:45 in the morning with a one-mile Snowman Fun Run, which is sponsored by LaChute Road Runners Club. WinterFest will continue from 11AM to 2PM People are asked to sign in at the registration desk in the public parking lot next to the Elks Building and sign up for prizes donated by supporters. Complete event details can be found at www.ticonderogany.com.

The redistricting plan proposed for the Vermont Senate would place the town of Charlotte with Addison County instead of Chittenden County. That potential change concerns some voters in Charlotte, who believe that the town doesn't align well with rural Addison County. If the plan is approved, Charlotte would become one of 24 towns sharing two senators from Addison County. Supporters of the change say it would prevent adding yet another senator to Chittenden County, which already has six members in the Senate. They say Chittenden is already more than well represented. The Senate Reapportionment Committee is asking for public input, and has scheduled a hearing in Montpelier for next Wednesday at 4:30PM at the Statehouse to take comments.

Essex County still wants to hike its county sales tax by ¼ percent. Previous requests have gone nowhere, so the County Board of Supervisors voted this week to again ask the State Legislature for an extra quarter percent in sales tax. The increased tax is permitted via Home Rule Law legislation, but the state never acted on the county's first two requests. The county now collects a 3¾ percent sales tax, which coupled with the state's 4 percent, makes the total sales tax 7.75 percent in Essex County.

Vermont's health commissioner is offering a compromise on his push to eliminate the exemption from school immunization for the children of parents who have philosophical objections. Dr. Harry Chen has been pushing an end to allowing parents to skip immunizations for philosophical reasons. He says the shots are an important public health measure. A religious exemption would remain. Chen has been running into stiff opposition from some parents who have questions about the health effects of some vaccines and who believe they should get to make decisions about their children's health care. On Wednesday, Chen proposed a compromise to a Senate committee. Parents could use the philosophical exemption, but would need to get a note from a primary care provider saying they'd been educated about vaccine risks and benefits.

A key Vermont lawmaker says he expects to offer an amendment on a budget bill that could put the state on a path toward majority ownership of the backbone of its electricity grid. Sen. Vincent Illuzzi's comments came near the end of a hearing on Wednesday on legislation that would have the state take 51% ownership of the Vermont Electric Power Company. Illuzzi has been pushing majority state ownership of VELCO since it was announced its two largest current owners - Green Mountain Power and Central Vermont Public Service - were planning to merge into one company owned by the Montreal-based energy firm Gaz Metro. Illuzzi says his amendment, which he expects to offer on a mid-year budget adjustment bill, is needed to protect the public interest.

Governor Peter Shumlin is urging local voters across the state not to increase local school funding next year. Shumlin says Vermonters can't afford to pay higher property taxes. He says rejecting budgets that he feels are too high would be the best way to send a clear message.

Police in Chittenden County say vandals have been using BB guns to shoot out windows of homes, businesses and cars, including moving cars. Car tires have also been slashed. No arrests have been made, but Williston police have identified five suspects who they believe committed at least 60 acts of vandalism over the past few weeks. The young men, ranging in age from 16 to 21, could face serious charges. Anyone in Chittenden County who has found a broken window or a flat tire in recent weeks should call their local police to report the incident.

The University of Vermont and city of Burlington plan to start a pilot program to increase weekend police patrols in some neighborhoods. The patrols will start in April. Burlington Police Chief Michael Schirling said they will address noise complaints and other "quality life" issues.

President Barack Obama has opened a re-election campaign office in Lebanon, NH. The office is located in the Rivermill Complex on Mechanic Street. Political pundits say New Hampshire could be a key swing state in the upcoming November election.

Details of President Obama's trip to Vermont next month have been released. The president will host two fund raising events on March 30th at the Sheraton Hotel in South Burlington. The first event is open to people who donate at least 100-dollars, with 500-dollars getting a rope-line handshake, and five grand for a photo with the president. A 100 person lunch follows, costing 75-hundred-dollars a person and ten-thousand a plate.

The warm winter and lack of snow is taking its toll on the snowmobiling industry in Vermont. The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers says the season is half over, and there are a very limited number of snowmobile trails open in the state. While the ski mountains can make snow when Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, the snowmobile industry does not have that luxury. While the start of the year has been slow, the association says it is too early to figure the financial impact of the lack of snowfall.

The Vermont Supreme Court rejects a bid by Hinesburg Sand & Gravel to increase its compensation for a 76-acre sand pit on Redmond Road. The decision effectively ends the 20-year court battle between the Chittenden Solid Waste District and Hinesburg. The district has owned the land since 2009 when it paid the company four-million, but use of the land had been stalled while the two sides fought over the property's value.

As of February 2nd the New York state government began requiring boards to give the public access to their records scheduled for discussion at meetings. Those packets that members of the town board, school board or any public board have with them during the meeting must now be made available for the public to review before or during the meetings. This change to the Open Meetings Law was made so those interested in the work of public bodies should have the ability, within reasonable limitations, to see the records “scheduled to be discussed” during open meetings prior to the meetings.

The Ticonderoga Middle School Drama Club, under the direction of Andre Gordon, will present Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” a family musical, in the school auditorium next Tuesday and Wednesday at 7PM. Tickets are $5 for people age 12 and older.

Efficiency Vermont is holding their 14th annual Better Buildings By Design Conference this week in Burlington. The two-day conference offers information about the latest technical innovations and best practices in energy-efficient construction and design. The executive director of Efficiency Vermont says that innovations in efficiency could save Vermonters a significant amount of money that's currently being spent on out-of-state fuel services. Wednesday's keynote speaker addressed how realtors can play a role in transforming the market for energy-efficient design, construction and sales.

Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean says the fight for workers' rights is far from over. In Montpelier Wednesday, Dean was the recipient of the first "John Murphy Labor Award." Murphy was a longtime Vermont legislator and labor supporter who died in November. Labor leaders say they chose Dean for the award because of his record of standing up for workers. In these days of high CEO pay, Dean says he supports the Occupy Wall Street movement and fighting for the 99-percent.