WVTK Local & State News May 18, 2012

The re-opening celebration of the new Lake Champlain Bridge is this weekend! There will be activities on both sides of the lake with most of them occurring on the grounds or nearby the Chimney Point State Historic Site and the Crown Point State Historic Site. There will be crafters, artisans, food vendors, musicians, performers, tours and more all weekend and it’s all FREE! More than 10,000 attendees are expected throughout the weekend. The bridge will be closed ONLY during the parade, which starts at 11AM on Saturday. Expect the closure to last 60 to 90 minutes—depending on the number of parade participants. This is the only traffic restriction during the weekend. Join Bruce, Hobbes and myself tomorrow morning at the Bridge Restaurant for a special edition of the “Wake-Up Crew”!

According to the Vermont State Police a May 15th accident during a heavy rainstorm on Route 7 in Waltham, was caused by an intoxicated truck driver. The accident occurred on the south slope of Woodman Hill south of Vergennes. Troopers said a tractor-trailer rig operated by Michael J. Duplin of Cliffwood Beach, NJ, brought down a Green Mountain Power utility pole. The accident disrupted power as well as telephone and data lines locally. A VSP investigation revealed Duplin was under the influence of alcohol. He was processed for DUI.

Public transportation users are applauding the opening this week of the Route 116 commuter bus line between Middlebury and Burlington. The route has stops in Bristol, Starksboro and Hinesburg. Chris Cole is the director of policy, planning and intermodal development for VTrans. He says the new route is just one part of Vermont's public transportation plan, and that it's important to balance a variety of transportation needs. Most recently, VTrans applied for an additional 53 spaces at the Park and Ride lot in Richmond. Cole says the state's public transit system must be inter-dependent, maintaining what is currently in place, while building to meet future needs.

The Vermont Software Developers’ Alliance is pleased to announce the first winners of the Bentley Awards. The projects recognized will help to honor the spirit of invention and ensure students are prepared for a future of constantly changing technology and advancements in science. The three winning applicants are Mt. Abraham Union High School Integrated STEAM project, Hinesburg Community Middle School Astronomy classes, and Grafton Elementary School Geo-caching. The Winning Proposals were Mount Abe’s Integrate physics, industrial technology and CAD and Hinesburg Community School’s iPads to teach astronomy. The program was initiated in memory of 12-year-old Bentley Davis Seifer who passed away in 2011.

The City of Rutland has choice between adding a filter or changing disinfectants in the municipal water supply. The Department of Public Works has completed its study on dealing with disinfectant byproducts in the drinking water. The final report, available on the city website, presents two options: a filtration system estimated to cost $3.3 million or a shift to a new disinfectant at an expected cost of about $100,000.

An unidentified buyer placed the winning bid of roughly $2.8 million for the Holiday Inn in Rutland during an online auction yesterday afternoon. Owner C-III Capital Partners of Irving, Texas, placed the 151-room hotel on the website auction.com. The building and 14-acre parcel are assessed at $5.6 million. The website’s procedures say the buyer will have to sign a contract and make payments before closing the sale.

Paul Brown recently learned that Rutland County is the only county in Vermont that does not have an active Habitat for Humanity chapter. The Pittsford resident is now part of a countywide group that is working on revitalizing the chapter that closed almost 10 years ago. An informational and planning meeting is scheduled for 1PM Sunday at the Fellowship Hall at Grace Congregational Church in Rutland. Dick Malley, executive director of the Bennington Area Habitat for Humanity, will be speaking at the meeting.

NRG Systems of Hinesburg is letting go 18 employees, reducing its workforce to about 100. The company makes equipment for testing potential wind power sites. Company officials say external forces are hampering the wind power industry, including an uneven playing field for U.S. energy subsidies, the looming expiration of the Production Tax Credit for wind, and abnormally low natural gas prices. The workers will get severance pay, unemployment benefits and access to NRG's employee assistance program. NRG chief executive Jan Blittersdorf says she's sad to have to make the move, but needs to do so to secure the company's long-term future.

The Willsboro Central School Board will hold a board meeting/retreat at 8:30 Saturday morning in the conference room. Goals for next year will be discussed. No action will be taken during the meeting. The public is welcome to attend.

Fort Ticonderoga offers visitors a new exhibit this season. “Bullets & Blades: The Weapons of America’s Colonial Wars and Revolution” is now available for view at the historic site. It features more than 150 weapons from the museum’s collection. The exhibit explores the weapons used in America from the early 1600s through the end of the American Revolution. For more details visit www.fortticonderoga.org or call 585-2821.

Ticonderoga Arts is preparing for another season. The local artists gallery will open Thursday, June 7th. The gallery is located in the Hancock House at Moses Circle. Ticonderoga Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local artists by promoting education, exhibitions and sales. It was established in 2008. The group plans to again collaborate with the Ticonderoga Heritage Museum this summer on a series of children’s arts programs. Ticonderoga Arts has also joined forces with other local groups, such as the Ticonderoga Historical Society and Ticonderoga Central School.

The mail processing plant operated by the U.S. Postal Service in White River Junction has dodged a bullet, with the announcement that the facility will remain open, saving 245 jobs. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch announced yesterday that the Postal Service plant, which earlier had been threatened with closure, will remain open under legislation the Vermont delegation championed. Sanders says keeping the center open also will help ensure good postal service in Vermont.

Vermont's governor made a mistake when he said 25,000 of the ‘Vermont Strong' license plates were sold. As of yesterday, the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicle said just over 7,800 plates have been sold, not 25,000. In April, the governor held a celebration for what was thought to be the halfway point in the quest to sell enough plates to raise $1 million for the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund. The fund was created over a year ago following the spring flooding. According to the governor's office, Gov. Shumlin thought he was buying the 25,000 plate sold, but it was actually the 25,000 plate made. The governor's office said they obviously made an error and apologizes.

A standoff in Cavendish ended peacefully yesterday. Police say, Douglas Thompson of Chester arrived at a residence on Chubb Hill Road with several firearms. The resident did not know Thompson and told police he had made statements about wanting to confront police and appeared to be preparing for an armed confrontation. The resident then contacted State Police. No one was injured as a result of this incident. Thompson has not been charged with a crime and no charges are expected as a result of this incident.

Gov. Peter Shumlin announced today he vetoed a bill that would have required a study related to Adult Protective Services. The administration is embroiled in a lawsuit with advocates for vulnerable adults, who say Adult Protective Services has failed to investigate reports of abuse cases as quickly as state law requires.

Vermont’s attorney general says Vermont will share in a settlement with a footwear company over unsubstantiated health claims about its shoes. Skechers USA Inc. will pay $40 million to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission that the company made unfounded claims that its Shape-ups shoes would help people lose weight and strengthen their butt, leg and stomach muscles. Consumers who bought the shoes will be eligible for refunds. Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell said Wednesday that Skechers would pay 43 states and Washington, D.C., a total of $5 million for deceptive advertising, of which Vermont will get $70,000.

Prosecutors and police are remaining silent about two simple assault cases filed against a former state trooper. Both are in connection with an on-duty incident, but Attorney General William Sorrell says he doesn't want anyone in his office or state police giving out details about the case against former Senior Trooper Eric Howley. He'll appear in superior court in Brattleboro next month. BurlingtonFreePress.com reported earlier this week Howley had resigned earlier in the day while a criminal investigation was underway into unspecified conduct.

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From Foxx 44 and ABC 22 News:

A top Verizon Wireless official announced that the company is ditching its unlimited data plan, Wednesday. It was first reported by Fierce Wireless that Verizon CFO Fran Shammo made the announcement at an industry conference. The news went viral, and other news outlets, including CNN and ABC jumped on board. This is not a new message from Shammo. According to a video from May 2011 by Reuters, he set up the end of unlimited back then. "More and more people are going to be downloading video to their handsets so unlimited doesn't work anymore," Shammo said. To be clear, last July, Verizon announced that all new customers could not get an unlimited data plan. However, it allowed any previous customers with data to continue to get unlimited. That means Wednesday's announcement would get rid of unlimited plans for all Verizon customers. The message seems loud and clear from Shammo. But, Verizon released a vague news release, Thursday saying, "we will share details of the plans and any related policy changes well in advance of their introduction." We reached out to a Verizon spokesperson to clarify. They responded saying,” I don't think there is a story - nothing has changed - no announcement has been made." Shammo does not appear to be on the same page. "You're going to have to pay for your usage cause it's not going to be economical," Shammo said last May. Verizon is not the only major company to talk about the end of unlimited. AT&T has already gotten rid of the option and reports are that Sprint will as well. One option that remains is straight talk, a prepaid wireless service that does not require long-term contracts.

Jean Britt sat quietly taking notes Thursday as Vermont law enforcement agents spoke about a new phone scam affecting millions of Americans. It's a scam Britt knows all too well. "They are so good at what they do," said Britt. Nearly three weeks ago the Castleton woman got a call that her grandson was in trouble. She then wired money to what she thought was his attorney. "Coming home from sending the last payment that's when I said, "Oh Jean you've been scammed," said Britt. And not for a little bit of money. "I lost thousands," said Britt. Britt then wondered if she'd ever get it back. "What to do I do now? Who do I call," said Britt? Questions the Vermont attorney general, Rutland Police and Fair Point Communications are answering. First thing first, according to Attorney General William Sorrell, if you see the area code 876 pop up on your phone do not answer. It's usually a scammer, and get this numbers with that code call the United States 300,000 times a day. In Vermont he says at least a thousand people have fallen victim to the scam over the past two years. "If you're victimized by a phone scam they money you wire is gone," said Sorrell. There are some things you can do to protect yourself. Sorrell says make sure you have caller ID on your phone. Also, have the phone company block international calls. Another thing Sorrell says don't be embarrassed to tell someone. For Britt, she's glad she's learning more to protect herself in the future. "First thing I'm doing is getting caller ID," said Britt.

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Coming up this Sunday Brandon Music will be featuring Israeli Born tenor saxophonist Benny Sharoni in the Music Café! The concert is a part of the year-round weekly Sunday Jazz series. Tickets are $15 in advance, and $18 at the door. Brandon Music offers an Early Bird dinner special, which includes a ticket for the jazz performance, for $25 per person. Enjoy the chef’s award-winning chili and cornbread as well as dessert before listening to world-class jazz. Reservations are required for dinner. Visit www.brandon-music.net for details!

The Wilson Castle in Proctor kicks off the summer 2012 season May 25th with an Open House from 5 to 7PM with free admission, food and refreshments, music, and more. The Castle opens daily May 26th. “Murder Mysteries Live!” returns on June 16th. A donation includes full tour, light dinner, refreshments, music, and mystery and surprises. Castle ghost hunt events return this year as well.

Vermont Lake Monsters 2012 Tickets are on sale now!! It's going to be an action-packed summer!! Get your tickets today and make sure you don't miss out on the fun! The boys of summer are back in town starting June 18th, and tickets are going fast. Grab your glove, your favorite Lake Monsters hat and catch tomorrow's star. For tickets and a season schedule visit www.vermontlakemonsters.com.