Archive - Oct 11, 2012
BRANDON — In the wake of two fatal human cases of Eastern equine encephalitis, area legislators who came to the monthly meeting of the Brandon Leicester Salisbury Goshen Mosquito District here last week said they hope to move quickly to drum up funding for mosquito control.
State funding of mosquito surveillance has been cut to the point where it pays only for the one state employee who does all of the testing for mosquito-borne viruses, or arboviruses, like EEE and West Nile Virus in Vermont.
VERMONT — Proposed changes to Vermont’s maple syrup grading system are stirring up controversy in the sugaring community.
The changes, which would implement a new set of international grading standards that are consistent across state and national boundaries, are supported by those who feel it will make Vermont syrup more competitive on a bigger world stage. But others say Vermont’s already got the upper hand, and a change in labeling would not help the Vermont brand.
MIDDLEBURY — Kate Gridley’s South Street art studio continues to draw visits from a “Who’s Who” in the world of politics, law and academia.
And it has nothing to do with this being an election year.
The Middlebury artist recently drew acclaim for immortalizing former Vermont Gov. James Douglas on canvas, a portrait that was hung in the Statehouse.
MIDDLEBURY — Many politicians have been expending a lot of shoe leather during these weeks leading up to the Nov. 6 General Election.
MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury selectboard on Tuesday continued to make its own tweaks to the town plan update, with the most prominent revision being a move to remove a reference to a 50,000-square-foot cap on new retail proposals. The board replaced mention of that cap with a stipulation that retail store applications must be consistent with the town’s zoning ordinances, noted Middlebury selectboard Vice-Chairman Victor Nuovo.
MIDDLEBURY — While many other public and private schools in Vermont are coping with declining enrollment, the Aurora School in Middlebury is planning to add seventh- and eighth-grade classes next year in reaction to demand by local parents. School officials are currently scouting two possible Middlebury locations at which to base the new middle school.
BRANDON/SUDBURY/WHITING — The efforts of legislators seeking increased funding for mosquito surveillance may be bolstered by a citizen’s petition seeking an in-state testing lab.
Colleen Wright, a friend of Scott Sgorbati, who contracted Eastern equine encephalitis and died last month, has started a petition seeking support for an in-state arbovirus surveillance lab.
MIDDLEBURY — The Vermont Citizens Awareness Network’s public discussion on decommissioning the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant drew only three members of the public to the basement conference room of Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury Tuesday evening.
Organizer Chris Williams and lobbyist Bob Stannard, both of VCAN, led the panel discussion. They gave an overview of the state of regulation of the Vernon plant, and talked about their organization’s efforts to close it down.
