WVTK Local & State News May 15, 2012

Teachers in the Addison Northeast Supervisory district are still working without a negotiated contract, and Monday night staged an informational picket. The demonstration was to put pressure on school boards, since teachers in Bristol, Lincoln, Monkton, New Haven and Starksboro have been without a contract for nearly two years. While school boards agreed a month ago for negotiations to resume, board members say talks are now halted at the teachers' request. A strike last year was called off at the last minute.

The statewide Way to Go Commuter Challenge kicked off in Hinesburg yesterday, as transportation and legislative officials officially launched the new bus service along Route 116. Way to Go Week is a statewide initiative that encourages Vermonters to find an alternative to commuting alone in a car. The goal is to share rides, ride a bike, or use public transportation like the new bus route that will ferry passengers between Middlebury and Hinesburg, and Hinesburg and Burlington. Way to Go Week lasts through Friday. Last year, organizers say they had more than 3,000 participants and saved more than 350,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Former, current and aspiring office holders sang Wendy Wilton’s praises as she formally announced her candidacy for state treasurer yesterday. About 60 people were at Rutland City Hall, including former governor and former State Treasurer Jim Douglas who praised Wilton’s commitment to transparency. Mayor Christopher Louras said that Wilton had been reliable both for accurate, up-to-date budget numbers as well as bond schedule analysis and health care projections.

Concerns about the bee population in Maine are reportedly not being experienced in Vermont. Honeybee populations around the country have been hard hit by mysterious colony collapses in recent years. This spring in Maine and in northern New York, beekeepers have reported seeing an explosion in the population of mites that infest hives and cause large die-offs. But experts at Champlain Valley Apia are not seeing that problem. They say their hives look strong and they have not heard any bad reports about bee health in other parts of Vermont.

You are invited to join the Addison County Chamber Of Commerce this Thursday for the after hours business mixer which is being held at Bristol Financial Services in Bristol. Plenty of great door prizes plus a chance to win the Pot of Gold, which is back to its starting value of $500! The mixer takes place from 5 – 7PM. For more information or to RSVP to Sue Hoxie just visit www.addioncounty.com.

The Lake Champlain Bridge Community Auction closes tonight at 11:59. If you've got your heart set on a special item you still have time to win! You can still bid on any of the special items in the auction right up to the final seconds of this exciting event. This may be your last chance to win that special item or to grab a great bargain. So don't miss out, BID NOW! Proceeds will help underwrite the cost of this weekend’s celebration activities!

CVAA would like to invite you to end senior hunger in the Champlain Valley by becoming a sponsor of the 6th Annual Top Chef of the Champlain Valley. This event has become one of the most eagerly anticipated culinary events in Northern Vermont. This event attracts over 400 people including those in the restaurant business, young professionals, and many upwardly mobile baby boomers. If your organization is looking for a way to give back to your community while getting some great exposure for your business this is a great opportunity for you. There is a package for every size business from $250-$2500! For more information contact Sarah Lemnah at 802-865-0360 or sarah@cvaa.org.

Excitement is building for Ilsley Public Library’s 2012 Summer Reading program. Summer Reading encourages local youth to read all summer long and to participate in the many programs and resources the library offers. Research shows that kids who participate in summer reading programs at public libraries are better prepared when they return to school in the fall. Last year, over 400 children participated in Ilsley’s program. As part of Summer Reading, the Library offers prize drawings and incentives that award reading. Younger kids choose a small prize when they complete a reading punch card. Older kids are invited to enter their completed cards in weekly drawings for slightly larger prizes. This year, Ilsley is asking local businesses to donate small prize items or gift certificates as reading incentives. Please feel free to contact Sarah Lawton at sarah.lawton@ilsleypubliclibrary with any questions about Summer Reading or to make a contribution.

The Best Fourth In The North Committee, which is now a subcommittee of the Ticonderoga Montcalm Street Partnership will host a Co-Ed Slow Pitch Softball Tournament on June 2nd and 3rd. The tournament will be held at the recreation field in Putnam, NY. The committee is looking for the participation of at least 10 teams. Teams must consist of 10 players with a minimum of three females on each team. The event is a double elimination tournament. There is a $180.00 registration fee for each team. To register call 518-321-4246. It is recommended to leave a message if there is no answer. Team play times will be drawn the Thursday before the Tournament.

A rabid raccoon was running loose in Elizabethtown and was reported to State police by a local homeowner. According to Essex County Public Health Director Linda Beers no one got bit. It was the second confirmed rabies case in the county this spring, and Beers reminded residents to avoid contact with wild animals and any stray dogs and cats seen wandering around. Preventive Services Director Kathy Daggett said anyone bitten by a suspected rabid animal should contact a veterinarian for medical care and call Public Health at 873-3500. Additional rabies vaccination clinics have been scheduled for pets as a result of the Elizabethtown incident. The next one is from 6 to 7PM next Tuesday the 22nd at the Westport firehouse.

“A Royal Affair” is the theme of the 10th annual Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce fund raising dinner and auction that will be held Friday, June 15th at the Silver Bay YMCA’s Gullen Lounge. “A Royal Affair” will begin with appetizers at 6PM followed by a buffet dinner at 7, a silent auction, a limited live auction, music and dancing. Tickets are $42 a person. Early reservations are suggested since space is limited. Assisting in this year’s event as the auctioneers for the evening will be our very own Bruce and Hobbes from “The Wake Up Crew!” For more information and reservations visit www.ticonderogany.com.

Incumbents Fred LaVallie, John Lenhart and James Wells hope to keep their seats on the Ticonderoga Central School Board and Mary Meserve hopes to win one. The school election is from Noon to 8PM today at Ticonderoga Elementary-Middle School and Hague Community Center, with the proposed 2012-13 school budget also on the ballot. Ticonderoga is a bi-county school district that includes the towns of Ticonderoga in Essex County and Hague in Warren County.

According to the U.S. Attorneys Office A New York man who fired a gun during a failed hold-up at a Rutland motel was sentenced to serve 100 months in jail on a federal firearms violation. Following his plea of guilty to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Sean Miller of Bronx, NY, was sentenced to jail on Friday by federal Judge William Sessions who also imposed three years of supervised release following his release from jail.

Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan has announced he has the support of the Vermont Democratic Party in his campaign for attorney general but incumbent William Sorrell also expects to get the party's backing. Sorrell says the backing at Saturday's meeting is a way to eliminate candidates who are not legitimate Democrats. He says he expects to get the party's endorsement as he has in the past. Donovan, who is running against Sorrell in the primary, said he was "honored to get the party's endorsement" and is "happy to have such a strong showing" for his candidacy.

Burlington city leaders are struggling with how to handle the Occupy Vermont movement. On Friday, a handful of Occupy members camped in Pomeroy Park in the Old North End. Police say they were aware of the campers, but decided to allow them to stay, despite the fact that they were breaking city ordinances. This comes after former Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss allowed Occupy members to camp in City Hall Park last fall. Police shut that encampment down after a man took his on life in one of the tents.

Gov. Peter Shumlin said yesterday that Tropical Storm Irene will not be the last natural disaster to hit Vermont, and signed a bill aimed at better preparing for the next one. Shumlin signed S.202, the “rivers bill,” which establishes state regulation of flood hazard areas in compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program and allows towns to adopt more stringent requirements than the state ones. He signed it at Williams Farmstead Gardens on Route 7, in front of a field that flooded during the storms. Uprooted trees from the storm still line the bank of East Creek.

Canadian and U.S. officials have reached several key agreements aimed at ending delays on trains between Montreal and New York City. For years, Amtrak trains traveling from Montreal south into the United States have at times been held up for as long as two hours at Rouses Point for inspection and screening. Following a recent meeting with officials in Quebec Sen. Charles Schumer announced that Quebec is building prescreening facilities at the Montreal train station. And after the facilities are built and operational, Amtrak has agreed to end the Rouses Point stop.

The Vermont Attorney General's office has received approval to hire a special investigator to target child pornography cases. Cindy Maguire of the attorney general's office tells the Bennington Banner that person will be devoted to building cases against people generating or sharing child pornography over peer-to-peer networks.

The Vermont attorney general's office has reached settlements with four companies accused of bill some consumers for unauthorized or misleading services on their telephone bills. The companies will pay over $230,000 to more than 1,300 Vermont consumers and businesses. The attorney general's office said yesterday that Bizzfinders.com, LLC and Ebizz, LLC charged more than 500 Vermont businesses over $150,000 for web site support and other services. The office says the two other companies - Member's Edge, LLC and Residential Voice Mail, Inc. each charged hundreds of consumers tens of thousands of dollars for email and/or voice mail services. Each company will pay the state $10,000 in penalties and costs for the so-called "cramming."

The state of Vermont is on track to record a small surplus at the end of the current fiscal year. But there are some troubling employment signs that could signal that the economic recovery in the coming months could be slow. According to the latest revenue report, the state's General Fund increased little more than 6 percent last month and this growth helped erase a shortfall from previous months. Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding said the new report shows that Vermont's economy is experiencing some mild growth. But he's concerned that there are indications that there may be some weaknesses in the state's employment picture. He said he wouldn’t know until next month if these losses were the result of a disappointing ski season or an indication that the state's recovery is slowing down.

The attorneys general of New Hampshire and Vermont are reaffirming the border between the two states. New Hampshire Attorney General Michael Delaney and Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell met yesterday at the center point over the Connecticut River on the bridge between Norwich, Vermont, and Hanover, New Hampshire. State laws require the attorneys general to meet to reaffirm the border every seven years.

From Fox 44 and ABC 22 News:

Hundreds of people turned out for the public discussion on F-35A jets possibly being based in Burlington. The auditorium inside South Burlington High School was packed Monday night. "I think it's more of a human rights issue," said a member of the audience. People came here to voice their opinion about Burlington being considered as a possible home to the F-35A jets. "F-35A is all wrong for a civilian neighborhood," said Joe Randazzo, who is against the jets coming to Burlington. One of the main issues folks have here is the noise; in fact they were handing out packets saying say no to deaf-35."It will be twice as loud as the F-16 and to have this flying in and out of civilian areas is just unacceptable," said Randazzo. Rod Williams lives right near the airport, "When the F-16s take off we can see the after burners from our house, it is loud and it takes about 30 seconds and it's gone. "The Vermont Air National Guard says if the city were chosen, Burlington would receive an economic boost. "Maintaining the relevancy of this air national guard absolutely we become part of the community and will be remain part of that community for decades to come," said Brigadier General Steve Cray, with the Vermont Air National Guard. There are six total cities in the running, but Burlington is considered a preferred location. Williams says he supports the basing of the jets, "They are here to protect our country. If you don't like the noise, don't move by the airport." If chosen, the first delivery of the up to 24 jets could be as early as 2015. The selection process is still in the beginning stages. The air force is expected to have a decision by the end of the year.

Verizon spokesperson Michael Murphy showed off the company's latest Internet service Monday in Burlington. 4G long-term evolution, or LTE, has been around for about a year. It allows users wireless access to the Internet wherever they get a phone signal. On Thursday it finally comes to Northern Vermont. It's ten times faster than 3G, which is the most commonly used, and provides a service similar to broadband Internet. Murphy says converting to 4G wasn't easy in the Green Mountain State. "The process of getting LTE in Vermont has gone from planning stages throughout 2010 and 2011 into actually building and putting investments into the ground," said Murphy. The faster Internet will be used in smart phones, tablets and help people who don't have access to broadband. "Imagine an antenna on your house that takes our LTE signal and then transmits it throughout your house through wifi," said Murphy. Just because you have a Smartphone or tablet doesn't mean you'll be able to access the 4G networks. That's because many of the devices weren't made with that newer technology. If you have an iPhone you're out of luck, none of them have it and only some of the tablets, including the new iPad, are 4G ready. As for the rest of Vermont: "We anticipate bringing 4G LTE to Southern Vermont where we have our 3G coverage area in the future. No timeline to share yet, but it's something that's certainly in the works," said Murphy. 4G has some real practical uses too. For example, it allows users to upload high-resolution photos and access larger documents faster.