WVTK Local & State News April 10, 2014

The Addison County Regional Planning Commission voted last night to support phase two of the Vermont Gas pipeline expansion. The vote was 15 to 11 in favor of the expansion, which would take the natural gas pipeline from Middlebury, under Lake Champlain, and into Ticonderoga to the International Paper mill. Phase two of the expansion still needs to be approved by the Public Service Board. Phase one, expanding the pipeline into Middlebury, has already been approved by the PSB.

In 2012, they won the Vermont State Division II Championship, now; the Vergennes Union High School Varsity Baseball team is no more. School officials announced that there was not enough students interested in playing to field a team. Coach George Ringer said he had no seniors for the team; only first year and sophomore players were interested. He added, you can’t field a varsity team with those level players. Ringer also said it could take up to 3 years to rebuild the J.V. and Varsity Programs.

The District 9 Environmental Commission has issued an Act 250 permit to WhistlePig LLC to build a rye whiskey distillery and related infrastructure off Quiet Valley Road in Shoreham. WhistlePig currently imports whiskey from Canada and bottles it in Vermont. But the new permit allows them to make and bottle whiskey onsite and store up to 6,000 barrels. Some neighbors were concerned because fermenting whiskey can produce black mold. The commission says they are confident that black mold will not colonize on the neighbor's crops as long as WhistlePig stays within its 6,000 barrel limit.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced $40 million in state funding to help local governments make necessary repairs to highways and bridges. A press release says local governments will be able to use the funding on capital projects to repair and improve infrastructure and to help with core construction programs. Essex will be receiving over $387,000.

The Middlebury selectboard has set a date for the revote on the town offices-recreation center project. On town meeting day, residents approved the $6.5 million dollar plan to build new town Offices and Municipal Gym. A petition was submitted with the correct number of signatures triggering a revote on the issue. On Monday, May 12 at 7 PM in the current municipal gym, there will be an informational meeting about the project. Then on Tuesday, May 13, residents will decide the fate of the project by Australian ballot.