The Essex County Ethics Board
will conduct a meeting at 9 this morning at the Board of Supervisors Chambers. The meeting is open to the public.
Vermont State Police from
the Rutland Barracks in conjunction with local and county law enforcement will
be conducting Sobriety & Safety checkpoints during the Christmas Holiday
enforcement period, which runs from December 14th thru January 1st. At this
time, Vermont statewide has experienced 74 fatalities in 67 crashes, up from 50
fatalities this time in 2011 with over 70% of the fatalities being
unrestrained. The scheduled checkpoints are an opportunity to use high
visibility enforcement to turn the tide, across the state, in the number of
traffic fatalities. In addition to
the checkpoints, Troopers will be aggressively patrolling and enforcing motor
vehicle laws with specific regard to aggressive driving, speeding, and seatbelt
usage in high crash areas.
There’s a lot of Holiday
Cheer planned this weekend here in Middlebury! Tomorrow will have events ranging from the Holiday Character
Breakfast getting underway at 8:30 AM at the Middlebury Inn, to visits with
Santa at Maple Landmark Woodcraft at 10 AM and Pet Photos with Santa at
Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Center from 10AM – Noon! Then on Sunday it’s a Hannukah Party
from 3 – 5PM at Havurah House and the Lessons and Carols for Advent and
Christmas at Mead Memorial Chapel at 4 & 7 PM! Learn more now HERE!
Next Spring the Middlebury
Community Players will branch out of the American canon to produce the most
successful musical to have come out of Germany, "The Three Penny
Opera". It’s been performed
over 10,000 times since its Berlin premier in 1928. Written and performed a year before the world’s most
dramatic economic crisis, "The Three Penny Opera" is still a play to
make us ponder the relationship between capital, power, gender, and
society. The show will be fully
staged in April at Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater. For audition or production information just visit www.middleburycommunityplayers.org.
Vermont Sate Police are
currently investigating a burglary in Bridport. On Thursday between the hours
of 7:30 AM and 5:00 PM, the residence of Gary Hutchinson in Bridport was
entered. Stolen from the residence was cash, jewelry, and a Kindle. Anyone with
information in reference to this burglary or who may have seen anything
suspicious in the Lake Region of Bridport is encouraged to call the Stated
Police in New Haven at 802-388-4919.
A developer has made a
pitch to Brandon town officials for an idea he said could keep hundreds of
thousands of dollars in annual heating costs circulating in the local economy. The founder and owner of Renewable
Energy Resources in Bennington, introduced the idea of creating a heating
district that would use a biomass system burning renewable agricultural sources
such as grass, straw and farm waste.
The presentation this week was the first time the idea was presented to
town officials. The state plans to create a similar heating district in
Montpelier that will be built around a plant fired by wood chips. A lot of work
and investigation must happen before the town can move forward, but the
developer hoped Monday’s presentation would start those conversations.
Vermont Adaptive Ski and
Sports, the largest year-round organization to offer daily adaptive sports
programs to people with disabilities, unveiled new headquarters at Pico
Mountain. Erin Fernandez is the executive
director of Vermont Adaptive and announced that in partnership with Pico Ski
Education Foundation and the Andrea Mead Lawrence family, the new headquarters
will be named the Andrea Mead Lawrence Lodge. The Lawrence family has committed to help raise $250,000
necessary to complete the $1.3 million facility. A special ceremony and
official announcement will be held at the project site at Pico Mountain on
Saturday December 15th at Noon.
A group of Ticonderoga
students have completed a community service project, while helping themselves. Ticonderoga Middle School seventh
graders recently sold more than 530 calendars for the community’s First 250
Year Committee. Proceeds from the 2013 historical calendars will help pay for
the group’s “signature event” during the 2014 celebration marking the 250th
anniversary of the community. The committee, co-sponsored by the Ticonderoga
Historical Society and the Ti Heritage Museum, has produced the calendar that
looks at a particular part of local history each month from November 2012
through December 2013. The Ti students received $2 for each calendar they sold,
raising $1,062. The money will be used for the annual seventh grade whale watch
trip in the spring. Calendars are
still on sale for $10 each and are available at various locations in Ti
including the Ti Chamber.
The Ti school board has
adopted a resolution asking the state to create a special fund for Adirondack
schools and is asking local school districts and other officials to join in the
campaign. According to Ti
Superintendent John McDonald, those who use the Adirondack Park could generate
the money for the education fund. The
Moriah Supervisor also likes the idea, but feels municipalities should be
included, too.
The Essex County Board of
Supervisors has decided to place on hold a move to increase the county
occupancy tax from 3 to 5 percent.
The tax increase would require the approval of home-rule authority from
the state Legislature and the adoption of a local law by Essex County. According
to County Treasurer Mike Diskin if enacted, the additional tax is expected to
reign in $1.2 million dollars for the county.
The Westport Central School
Board will meet at 6 PM on Thursday December 13th in the library. Agenda items include a discussion on
the 2013-14 budget calendar, facility-use requests and any other business
brought before the board. The
session is open to the public.
This year’s 113th-annual
Christmas Bird Count will take place in the Plattsburgh area on Sunday December
16th. Local birders and nature
enthusiasts join citizen scientists across the Western Hemisphere for the Bird
Count, which takes place throughout North America and beyond between December 14th
this year and January 5th, 2013. There is no fee this year, but Cornell
University and National Audubon Society welcome donations to help with expenses
for the count. Some other area counts
include Elizabethtown on Saturday the 22nd and Ferrisburgh, which is
included in the New York circle on Saturday December 15th. Learn more about the bird and other
counts at www.christmasbirdcount.org.
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin
says he's not going to host a traditional inaugural ball next month after he's
sworn in to his second term in office.
Instead he's going to host a free-to-the-public open house at the
Montpelier Statehouse that will also serve as a fundraiser for ongoing efforts
to help victims of last year's Tropical Storm Irene. The January 10th event in the House chamber will feature
music and light refreshments. The
funds will be donated to the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund, the private group
that has become a source of last-resort funds for people still struggling after
Irene who have no other sources of help.
Gov. Peter Shumlin has
appointed Louis Porter to be his point person in the Legislature as secretary
of civil and military affairs. Porter,
a former Statehouse reporter with the Vermont Press Bureau and most recently
the "lake-keeper" water policy lobbyist with the Conservation Law
Foundation, will coordinate the administration's contacts with lawmakers. Porter replaces Alexandra MacLean, who
announced her departure from the administration recently. The 37-year-old Porter will earn
$72,000 in the post.
The owners of the landfill
in Moretown have until Monday to come up with a plan to prevent noxious odors
at the site or face closure. The
Burlington Free Press reports that state officials warned regional solid waste
managers last week that the landfill is likely to close because of an inability
to comply with state solid waste regulations. Closing the landfill would leave Vermont with one certified
landfill operated by Casella Waste Systems in Coventry. Natural Resources Secretary Deb
Markowitz said if the landfill owners offer a convincing plan by Monday the
agency might be able to issue a permit.
A spokesman for the Moretown landfill said he believes the company has a
plan that will prove that it can comply with state standards.
The FBI says a confessed
Alaska serial killer who targeted people across the country told authorities he
planned to strike again in the state if he had gotten away with the murder of
an 18-year-old Anchorage barista. Before
killing himself in his Anchorage jail cell, Keyes told authorities he killed a barista
and at least seven others over the past decade, including Bill and Lorraine
Currier of Essex Vermont.
An 80-year-old Vermont
diner that's on the National Register of Historic Places is reopening soon. The Miss Bellows Falls Diner closed in
June. The Eagle-Times reports Brian
and Alisha McAllister bought the restaurant in August. The McAllister’s, who
also operate Father's Restaurant in Westminster, have done some renovations and
hope to have the diner open by mid-December. The 30-foot diner still has its barrel roof and porcelain
sheathing, resembling an old railroad car. It was added to the national list in
1983.
Yesterday around 5:45
state police responded to West Tinmouth Rd in Clarendon for a reported
theft. State police spoke with the
Lawrence Hawkins who said he had sugaring equipment stolen from his maple syrup
operation sometime over the last month. He further advised a sugaring vacuum
designed to collect sap was stolen.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Vermont State
Police at the Rutland barracks, 802-773-9101. Information can also be submitted anonymously online at www.vtips.info or text “CRIMES” (274637) to
Keyword: VTIPS
A program to purchase meat
from drought-stricken farmers is put to good use. The meat is being sent to food pantries and soup
kitchens. The Vermont Food Bank is
taking in and distributing more than 145-thousand pounds of chicken, pork and
sausage provided by the USDA program.
About half the meat has already arrived, with the other half expected to
be trucked in by January.
Governor Peter Shumlin
says he will listen to the roar of an F-35 jet himself. Debate has raged over whether to site
the F-35s at Burlington Airport with the Vermont Air National Guard. Residents say that the F-35 noise is
much louder than the F-16s the National Guard currently uses. Shumlin and other officials will go to
a base in Florida to hear the planes for themselves before making a final decision.
Rifle deer season is
closing this weekend, and numbers suggest more deer were harvested this
year. The current number is 4,087
deer taken by rifle, with numbers still coming in through the weekend. The yearly average is about 30 deer
fewer than that. A final report
will be issued in March.
A new study says that
Vermont ranks in top ten of states for smoking prevention. But the report also says that the state
is not spending enough on programs.
Vermont spends four-million dollars on smoking prevention programs,
falling short of the recommended amount of ten-point-four-million. Every year, 700 Vermont youth begin
smoking, 800 adults die from smoking related diseases, and the state spends
233-million on healthcare for smoking-related illness.
A new study by the Natural
Resources Defense Council says that warmer temperatures will adversely impact
Vermont's economy. According to
the study, current rates of carbon emissions will drive temperatures higher,
making winter temperatures unstable.
This will affect the amount of snowfall Vermont receives. Winter sports such as skiing and
snowboarding will be affected.
Warmer temperatures will also impact timing of ice-in and ice-out on
ponds important to ice-fishing.
Governor Andrew Cuomo
sounds upbeat about the prospects of the coalition government that has formed
in the state Senate. Cuomo tells
former Governor David Paterson on his radio show that he had no intention of
getting involved in the deliberations over who would run the Senate, and says
he just wants to see the chamber perform for the people. The governor says should the coalition
government between the Republicans and the IDC fall apart, there could be chaos.
New Yorker’s wanting to
make changes to their Medicare coverage should be aware today is your last
chance. Open enrollment will end
as of midnight tonight. This
allows those with coverage to review and make any necessary changes to the
health and prescription coverage.
For more information you can visit CDPHP.com or you can call 1-800-993-7299.
It appears New York State
residents want to hit the jackpot more than folks in any other state. New U.S. Census numbers show the Empire
State is tops in the nation in lottery ticket sales, bringing in roughly seven-billion
dollars in 2011. New York also ranked
first in lottery prizes awarded, at roughly four-billion dollars.
Every day that goes by,
there's more worry about whether you and I will have to pay more in taxes come
January first. No surprise here, still no deal. The deadline is the end of the
year. Today, the President reinforced he's optimistic. Even though he doesn't
want to sign anything that doesn't include an increase for wealthy Americans.
Republicans so far, aren't budging. One thing we know for sure... This decision
on the fiscal cliff will impact a lot of people, not only through finances, but
through non-profits that people use every day. Organizations such as LIHEAP, Outright Vermont and Food
Banks. Non profits all across the
country are going to feel the pinch. In Vermont alone there are four thousand
of them, and one of those we took a closer look at today shows the impact the
fiscal cliff will have on the Boys and Girls Club in Vergennes. Money from the government that it's
relied on in the past is going to be cut by $70,000. Imagine it's three o’clock; the Boys and Girls Club in
Vergennes would be swarming with kids.
"We see about 40 kids a day," Mike Reiderer, Executive
Director of the Club said. It
costs about $275,000 to keep the club running, a big chunk of that comes from
the federal government. "The
last couple of years we received a hundred thousand dollars and this year, we
just got notice that it's going to be $30,000 so it's a big hit," Reiderer
said. A 70 thousand dollar hit
that will wipe out programs, staff, and maybe even kids. "We are looking at closing down
our youth center," Reiderer said.
The Vermont Community Foundation President says sadly, no matter which
way the fiscal cliff pans out, cuts at the federal level mean cuts all across
the board, tax increases on the middle class mean fewer donations... same thing
with tax increases on the wealthy because there wouldn't be tax incentives. So
even with uncertainty looming, non profits know they're getting the ax. "It's our future here, it's all we
got are kids, I mean after we go, hopefully the next generation is good or
better," Boys and Girls Club Board President Ed Biello said. So in the meantime, like non profits
do, they're looking to the community to make it through. "Hoping that everybody can chip in
and minimize the impact," Reiderer said. Biello says, out of all the programs the teen center is one
that really has to stay because the kids that it serves are at such a critical
age. "A lot of our members
come from challenging family backgrounds and the club can really provide a good
safe place for them to grow and develop," Reiderer said. The Boys and Girls Club says cutting
this funding could have long term effects on communities, by not having
prevention programs for kids. What
you can do is donate your money or time to your favorite nonprofit.
The Vermont disaster
relief fund is helping Vermonter’s pick themselves up after Irene delivered
horrible devastation. Yesterday in
Montpelier governor peter Shumlin gave an update on how the fund is doing. Six point eight million dollars
has been raised to date but they're still hoping to raise 10-million
dollars. The easiest way to help
is by donating or buying an “I am Vermont strong” license plate. All the money
goes to the aid of people like Anne Marie Bolton. “I’ll be honest if it wasn't for the disaster relief
fund I would probably still be in my apartment unclear of where or how I’m
going to buy a home and so it's because of all the generosity of Vermonters that
my dream was made possible.” Another
opportunity to raise money is to go to the state inaugural open house. That
will be on January tenth at 4:30 pm.
