Washington Street Extension to Painter Road will be
closed here in Middlebury this Tuesday and Wednesday. Tom Scanlon said the streets will be closed Tuesday from 8 AM
to 5 PM at Painter Hills Road and Wednesday from 8 AM to 5 PM at Grey Ledge
Road. This work is for
installation of a water main across the road in both locations.
Various meetings are set to go this week here in
Middlebury. The Planning
Commission will meet this afternoon at 5:15 at the Police Department. Agenda
items include the Select Board Adoption of the Town Plan and discussion of the PC
Schedule for the Zoning Update and other Plan initiatives. On Wednesday the Middlebury Energy
Committee meets at 7:30AM and the Business Development Advisory Board meets a
2:00PM. Both of those meetings
will be held at the Town Offices.
On Thursday night the Vermont Gas Systems – Town Of Middlebury Public
Information Meeting will be held.
That takes place at 7:00PM at the VFW on Exchange Street here in
Middlebury. The Public Works
Committee is set to meet Friday morning at 7:30 in the Town Offices. Agenda
items include a continued review of the FY14 Capital Budget and status reports
on current and upcoming capital improvement projects. Stay up to date on all meetings and view complete agendas by
visiting the Town’s Website.
Vermont voters are headed to the polls tomorrow to
elect a governor, U.S. senator and their lone U.S. House representative. But it's expected the only statewide
political drama will be in the down-ticket races. Retired Middlebury College
political science Professor Eric Davis says Vermont voters have never turned
out an incumbent U.S. senator. Only twice in the past century have incumbent
governors or members of the U.S. House been defeated. That bodes well for the campaigns of Democratic Gov. Peter
Shumlin, independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter Welch.
Davis expects all of them to win re-election handily. Davis says the statewide political race to watch Tuesday is
the bitter contest for state treasurer. It pits Democrat incumbent Beth Pearce
against GOP challenger Wendy Wilton.
New Yorkers have a chance Tuesday to reshape the
state Legislature as in few election cycles before. All 213 legislative seats are up for grabs. More than two
dozen were seats vacated by incumbents or are filled by short-timers who won
special elections to fill partial terms.
The unusual amount of retirements coupled with others who took jobs in
the Cuomo administration provides a more open field than in most legislative
elections. Assembly Democrats are
expected to easily continue their majority in the 150-seat chamber. The most watched New York contest is
the fight for control of the Senate.
Republicans now have a 33-29 majority, the last GOP power base in state
politics.
Officials say a 72-year-old Vermont woman has lost
$5,000 in a phone scam. State
police said the Orwell woman was contacted by someone posing as a
representative from Bank of America who said she'd won a promotional contest
worth $350,000. The Rutland Herald
reported that the person convinced the woman to send $5,000 as part of the
terms of the contest. The woman
told police the person contacted her again to say she'd actually won $4.1
million but would need to send more money to collect. The woman then contacted a friend who told her it was a
scam.
The 1869 Stevens estate home in Vergennes is being
restored. The home's new owners
had a new, copper-roofed cupola installed atop the estate's back barn last week.
An historic plaque was presented to the Stevens family and will be affixed to
the Italianate-style building. John
Perkins, of Perkins Smith, Shelburne and designer Rebecca Duffy of Vergennes,
work to make decisions that show respect for the home’s origins while creating
a relevant interior environment and grounds.
A local soldier has lost his in Afghanistan. 29-year-old Dain Venne of Port Henry
was killed along with two other U.S. soldiers by a roadside bomb in
Afghanistan. His family got the news on Saturday. In 2011 he received the Firefighter Commendation Medal from the
Port Henry Fire Department for his life saving actions while rescuing several
stranded victims during Tropical Storm Lee.
A portion of the Creek Path in Rutland is
officially open. The first segment
of the 2.1-mile recreational bike path that travels along the East Creek was
opened to the public after a ribbon-cutting ceremony early Saturday morning. Various organizers and Rutland City
Mayor Christopher Louras were joined by more than 60 people, including local
and state officials, to kick off the first segment of the recreational bike
path that travels along the East Creek.
The new winter farmers market in Rutland opened on Saturday
morning. The day marked the first
day of Rutland’s winter market and the opening of the Vermont Farmers Food
Center, located at the newly transformed Mintzer Brothers building that sat
empty for years. The goal is for
the facility not only to be a place where community members have fresh,
wholesale food, but also an educational center, a commercial kitchen and a
distribution center for groups providing food. The Winter Farmers’ Market is
located at 251 West St. and will be open from 10 AM to 2 PM on Saturdays.
The New York State Olympic Regional Development
Authority and Centerplate Food Service will host a job fair at the Whiteface
Mountain Base Lodge from 9 AM to 1 PM Wednesday, November 14th. Both full-time and part-time positions
are available for the upcoming 2012-13 winter season at ORDA’s Olympic venues. Applicants should bring a resume and be
ready for interviews to take place at the Job Fair.
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is urging
New Yorkers who believe they are being scammed by cleanup and home repair
companies in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy to contact his office. According to Schneiderman, New York law
forbids those selling essentials - like food, water, gas, generators,
batteries, flashlights, cleanup and disposal services - from charging excessive
prices during abnormal market disruption.
He says consumers who believe they are victims of price gouging should
contact the agency's consumer helpline at 1-800-771-7755 or find the complaint
form online at http://www.ag.ny.gov. They are also advised to consult
insurers, check contractor references and licenses and get written repair
estimates.
Vermont and Maine troopers are heading south to
help with security efforts in storm-battered New Jersey. Vermont State Police say 11 Vermont
troopers are joining 15 troopers from Maine to assist state and local law
enforcement agencies in areas of New Jersey that were affected by Superstorm
Sandy. Vermont troopers left Sunday for a 7-day deployment. Officials say this is the second time
that Vermont State Police troopers have deployed to another state to provide
assistance. In 2005, Vermont State Police traveled to Louisiana and Mississippi
following Hurricane Katrina.
The Vermont Community Foundation has set up a
website giving information on where people can donate to disaster relief
efforts following Superstorm Sandy.
The foundation's site includes options for national and regional relief
efforts, as well as links to volunteer organizations and social media sites
that are coordinating volunteers and donations. The American Red Cross is also taking cash donations to help
those in need.
Vermont transportation officials say Route 107 in
Stockbridge isn't expected to be fully reopened until November 20. The
eastbound lane of the main route between eastern Vermont and the Rutland area
has been closed while crews work to trim back ledge and clear trees from the
side of the road. Now the Vermont
Agency of Transportation says it's extending the closure of the eastbound lane
of state Route 107 for about a third of a mile for about three more weeks. Speeds are reduced to 40 mph from their
normal 50, and traffic signals have been put in place at either end of the project.
A Vermont judge has set a hearing Thursday morning
to hear a complaint from Republican attorney general candidate Jack McMullen
about incumbent Democrat Bill Sorrell's alleged ties to a PAC that supported
him during the Democratic primary.
McMullen says Sorrell violated the state law saying such PACs need to
operate without any coordination with a candidate when they're making
independent expenditures on a candidate's behalf. McMullen points to the role
of former Gov. Howard Dean, who he says both advised Sorrell about campaign
strategy and appeared in pro-Sorrell ads for a PAC called the Committee for
Justice and Fairness. Both Sorrell
and Dean have denied any wrongdoing in the matter.
Santa's Land is coming back to Vermont, at least
for 11 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Eleven months after announcing they were closing the
55-year-old holiday-themed park, the owners now say it will be open 11 weekend
days later this fall. The first
day the park will be open will be the Friday after Thanksgiving. It will be
open the rest of that weekend and every Saturday and Sunday through December 23rd.
Coming up on Saturday December 1st it’s
the Vergennes Holiday Stroll! There will be Family fun throughout the little
City of Vergennes for all ages! Eat breakfast with Santa at VUHS, enjoy the
Winter Holiday Craft Fair, the Bixby Library Silent Auction, the bake sales, the
stroll, the sing, visit & have a picture taken with Santa, read with Mrs.
Claus, make decorations in Santa's workshop, decorate cookies, make Christmas
cards & crafts, enjoy the Champlain Brass Quintet, Victory Baptist Church
Choir, Dickens Carolers, Jon Gailmor, the lighted SD Ireland Holiday Mixer
Truck, the Addison County Gospel Choir, and of course the City Park and Memory
Tree lighting. View the
complete schedule by visiting: www.addisoncounty.com/holidaystroll
Info: 802-388-7951 x1
Folk-rock musician Arlo Guthrie will honor the
music and legacy of his legendary father on the centennial of Woody Guthrie’s
birth with a night of songs and stories at the Paramount Theatre this Sunday at
6 PM. Throughout his own career,
Arlo Guthrie has honored his father in song as well as in life. With the
centennial of Woody’s 100th birthday, Arlo continues the celebration of Woody’s
contributions to the landscape of American folk music. Tickets are available online at www.ParamountLive.org
and at the Paramount Theatre Box Office in downtown Rutland. Call 775-0903 for
details.
The Elizabethtown Community Hospital Auxiliary will
be selling pies for Thanksgiving. Now
in its eighth year, the Thanksgiving pie sale is one of the auxiliary’s most
popular fundraisers. The auxiliary produces cherry, apple and pumpkin pies for
purchase by community members. Each pie costs $14 and comes boxed and labeled.
Last year, the group produced 98 pies. Orders for pies will be taken until 3 PM
on November 16. Payment is due when the order is placed. Pies are made on
November 20 and may be picked up in the hospital lobby on November 21 from 2 to
4 PM. To place an order, call Jane Hooper at 873-3003.
Favorable snowmaking production will help
Killington Resort open advance terrain on the Upper Great Northern and Rime
trails at 9 this morning. The K-1
Express Gondola and North Ridge Triple will be running from 9 AM to 4 PM. The
K-1 Express Gondola will provide uploading and downloading of skiers and
riders, who will be able to use the Great Northern to access terrain in the
North Ridge area. No beginner terrain or terrain park features will be
available today.
Although they actually won't leave for about six
weeks for Afghanistan, the Vermont Air National Guard's 158th Civil Engineer
Squadron has already had its send-off ceremony. That happened over the weekend with friends, family and
Senator Patrick Leahy all present.
About 30 members will be deployed, with the mission of supporting flying
missions in Afghanistan.
The Castleton police department is growing in
personnel and coverage hours. The
Rutland Herald is reporting two more officers were recently hired. The police chief says coverage hours
for Thursdays through Sundays are also increasing to about 24 hours a day. He says the increase is thanks to a
donation of five-thousand dollars from Castleton State College.
The New York State Canal System has reopened after
being closed for almost a week after being closed because of Sandy. The state closed the canal system as
the storm neared and the water level was reduced to lower the risk of possible
flooding from the storm. Governor
Andrew Cuomo says there was no damage to the canal system, which reopened a day
ahead of schedule yesterday. All
vessels will be allowed to continue their trips before the system is shut down
for the winter November 15th.
State Police and the New York State Thruway
Authority are alerting drivers that deer season is now underway. In issuing the "antler
alert," the two agencies are urging drivers to be attentive of deer that
may be in the road or entering the roadway. Most collisions between deer and vehicles in New York occur
between October and December.
Traveler safety tips for avoiding collisions with deer can be located on
the Thruway Authority web site.
