Wednesday, September 25, 2013
News to Know September 24, 2013
BERLIN NEWS TO KNOW September 24, 2013
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Sent by Corinne Stridsberg and also posted at: http://socialenergy.blogspot.*
(if you're new to the send list, this is where to find previous postings)
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Please share this with you Berlin friends and neighbors. If you're not already receiving this news by email, send an email to request this to corinnestridsberg@gmail.com
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Check out the Berlin, Vermont Community News page on facebook to find bits of current news: https://www.facebook.com/
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Note: Sorry about the confusion with the last News to Know on September 15th - if you didn't receive it in your email I hope you found the time to look for it on line (http://socialenergy.blogspot.
Included below please find:
BLOOD DRIVE AT U-32 HIGH SCHOOL 9/25/13 8AM-1PM
BERLIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY "EXPLOSION AT BENJAMIN FALLS" 9/25/13POTATO PICKING RESCHEDULED - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH
RALLY TO RAISE FLOOD INSURANCE AWARENESS
FLOOD INSURANCE NEWS SHOCKS BERLIN HOMEOWNER
PAUL GILLIES - TRACING VERMONT'S LEGAL HISTORY
VERMONT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CONFERENCE
VERMONT'S 17TH ANNUAL WOMEN'S ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY CONFERENCE
FROM BERLIN FRONT PORCH FORUM
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BLOOD DRIVE AT U-32 HIGH SCHOOL 9/25/13, 8AM-1PM
U-32 High School is hosting a Blood Drive on September 25 from 8am- 1pm. Walk in for an appointment, or visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.Location: 930 Gallison Hill, Montpelier, VT. The Blood Drive will take place in the gymnasium.
Sponsored by: Student Council
All presenting blood donors will receive a coupon for a FREE round of golf in October!
Please spread the word; tell your friends and family! People are ALWAYS in need of blood. Make a difference and give blood at U-32 on September 25! See you there!
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***BERLIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY "EXPLOSION AT BENJAMIN FALLS" 9/25/13
Berlin Historical Society Program Announcement September 25th, 2013 7 PM at the Berlin Town Hall, The Tragic Death of Mary Jane Neill On August 1932 the dynamite shack located on the Benjamin Falls farm exploded and created a huge crater. This was just downhill from the present Central Vermont Medical Center and towards the Barre - Montpelier Road, Maudean Neill of the Berlin Historical Society will tell us a lot more of the details of this accidental incident and its consequences. We think you will enjoy finding out more about this big bang in Berlin.
Please join us on September 25 to find out more about this tragic event that took place in Berlin
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***POTATO PICKING RESCHEDULED - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH
Chappelle's pick-your-own potatoes had too much rain in their field last weekend and so the event is next Sunday, September 29th 9am - 5pm. Signs are always posted no matter which direction you're coming from. The fields are up on South Hill in Williamstown. Fantastic prices. Last year I think it was 35 or 40 center per pound. Bring some buckets and burlap bags (or some kind of containers). Wear shoes or boots that can get dirty. Pick as few or as many as you want (you pay by the pound) and whatever size you prefer. You can also buy bags of prepicked potatoes if you don't want to get your own. Pick for yourself, for friends and family, for an upcoming fundraiser dinner or breakfast, or maybe your kids want to resell them as a school trip fundraiser. They will have some large bags there at the field for you but be sure to bring containers to pick into . NOTE: Although there is only one pick-your-own potatoes day, you can contact Barbara & Bob Chappelle 802-433-5930 as they sell 50lb bags of pre-picked potatoes on a seasonal basis from their warehouse there in Williamstown.
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Did you see the Chappelle pick-your-own story on WCAX that was broadcast on Sunday and Monday? Our daughter, Lora, and grandson, William were part of the story. http://www.wcax.com/story/
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RALLY TO RAISE FLOOD INSURANCE AWARENESS
Saturday, September 28th
12:00 Noon
State House Front Lawn, Montpelier
If you live in a floodway and currently have flood insurance, huge premium increases may be coming your way. Implementation of new flood maps combined with higher flood insurance rates starting October 1 will have an effect on your property values and have the potential to create mortgage defaults and financial hardship for anyone who currently carries flood insurance or who was drawn into the flood zones in FEMA’s new maps.
Please join us on Saturday to learn how this might affect you and how you can help make a difference. This rally is a part of nationwide gatherings in at least nine other states to oppose a well-intentioned but poorly implemented law called the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012.
Congress authorized FEMA to balance its budget by charging the “actual risk” of properties in the high risk flood zones as determined by FEMA. The aim was to make the program self-sustaining by raising insurance premiums over time.
The new rates are shocking. Homeowners in other states, and now in Vermont, are seeing rates of several thousand dollars per year. New rates begin October 1 for some properties. Others policy increases are phased in over time at 25% per year until they reach “actual risk” rates. The new high rates are also triggered upon sale of a home, a lapse in a policy, new construction, or a new flood map.
This will have a tremendous impact on property values and local economies by impeding property transfers and introducing uncertainty into the market. If the increases are allowed to stand, they may lead to mortgage defaults and financial hardship for hundreds of families in central Vermont alone.
Because of the phasing in of grandfathered properties and policies, the full effects of Biggert-Waters are not known and many Vermonters are not even aware this is looming on the horizon.
Please attend our rally on September 28th at noon to gather information for yourself and to help your fellow Vermonters delay implementation of Biggert-Waters until the economic impact can be studied and fully understood.
Please feel free to contact me, Chris Winters, for more information or visit my Facebook page “Vermont Flood Insurance Forum”
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***FLOOD INSURANCE NEWS SHOCKS BERLIN HOMEOWNER
Pub 9/22/13 Times Argus by David Delcore, Staff Writer
BERLIN — When Chris Winters and his wife, Sarah, went house hunting in central Vermont in 2010 they knew just what they could and couldn’t afford. It’s why, he said Saturday, they settled on the converted grist mill that has stood a stone’s throw from the Dog River since 1848 only after confirming they didn’t need to incur the added expense of flood insurance.
They do now.
Thanks to what he described as “a perfect storm” of events, Winters and his wife learned back in June they would be required to obtain flood insurance — a development they shrugged off at the time as the price of living next to a river. It wasn’t until several weeks later when they received a jaw-dropping $8,000-a-year estimate that they started to ask questions.
Winters said he has been asking them ever since and, frustrated by the answers, has decided to add a Vermont voice to a growing national chorus calling for a delay in the implementation of what he and others view as an ill-conceived plan to restore solvency to the National Flood Insurance Program.
It’s called the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 and it has started to make headlines from New York and New Jersey to Florida and Louisiana as affected residents, like Winters, learn just how much it is going to cost them when the law goes into effect next month.
With four children who range in age from 3 to 15, student loans that haven’t yet been paid off, and a mortgage they thought very carefully about before buying their Brown’s Mill Road home, Winters said there just isn’t enough play in his household budget to absorb an added monthly expense of $666.BERLIN — When Chris Winters and his wife, Sarah, went house hunting in central Vermont in 2010 they knew just what they could and couldn’t afford. It’s why, he said Saturday, they settled on the converted grist mill that has stood a stone’s throw from the Dog River since 1848 only after confirming they didn’t need to incur the added expense of flood insurance.
They do now.
Thanks to what he described as “a perfect storm” of events, Winters and his wife learned back in June they would be required to obtain flood insurance — a development they shrugged off at the time as the price of living next to a river. It wasn’t until several weeks later when they received a jaw-dropping $8,000-a-year estimate that they started to ask questions.
Winters said he has been asking them ever since and, frustrated by the answers, has decided to add a Vermont voice to a growing national chorus calling for a delay in the implementation of what he and others view as an ill-conceived plan to restore solvency to the National Flood Insurance Program.
It’s called the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 and it has started to make headlines from New York and New Jersey to Florida and Louisiana as affected residents, like Winters, learn just how much it is going to cost them when the law goes into effect next month.
“At an extra $8,000 a year we are very soon going to be underwater on our mortgage,” he said, suggesting his family, which is better off than many, isn’t alone.
Not in Berlin, not in Vermont, and not nationally, because when Biggert-Waters passed without discussion or debate last year, Winters said no one thought through what it might mean for homeowners and their property values in a still-fragile economy.
The law did call for an affordability study that was due earlier this year, but hasn’t been completed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Winters, whose day job is running the office of professional regulation for Secretary of State James Condos, said getting the federal flood insurance program back in the black is a laudable goal. However, he said, the shift to risk-based rates and the phasing out of federal subsidies that have made flood insurance affordable for decades deserved additional analysis.
“These rates are crazy,’ he said. “Unfortunately, it’s literally going to take an act of Congress to stop them.”
Toward that end Winters has reached out to all three members of Vermont’s congressional delegation, is planning a rally at noon next Saturday on the Statehouse steps, and persuaded members of the Berlin Select Board to hold a community forum on the issue Oct. 7.
“This has to be fought politically at the federal level,” he said, suggesting those affected by the new law received little to no notice and he is still trying to get to the bottom of why he is confronting such an expensive flood insurance bill.
“We’re trying to figure it out, but it is a maze of (flood) maps and forms and regulations,” he said.
Ironically, when Tropical Storm Irene unleashed the Dog River two years ago, floodwaters flowed across Winters property — depositing several recreational vehicles from a business on nearby Route 12 — but left his three-story house high and dry.
Though many homes and businesses along the Route 12 corridor received federal assistance in the aftermath of the storm, the only public help Winters requested was the right to use the town’s stump dump to dispose of trees that were knocked over by the floating RVs.
“We didn’t even file a claim with FEMA,” he said. “We didn’t need to.”
According to Winters, he didn’t learn that his home was in the “high-risk” floodway until getting a notice from his lender in June. At the time, he assumed the change in status was tied to new federal flood insurance maps for Washington County that finally went into effect earlier this year.
However, it appears a portion of the property might have been included in the earlier maps, raising questions about how the family was able to obtain a federally-backed mortgage without obtaining flood insurance at the time.
“Every time we think we have an answer there are more questions,” said Winters, who has been hit with higher rates that he believes have devalued his property, leaving his family in a no-win situation.
“Like most people our home is the only asset we have,” he said. “Under these conditions we can’t afford to stay (here) and we probably can’t sell it for more than we owe on our mortgage.”
Paying off the 27 years remaining on the mortgage isn’t a realistic option, though it would negate the need to buy flood insurance, according to Winters, who said abandoning the home’s lowest level would bring down the annual premium, but eliminate needed living space.
"I’m not sure what we’re going to do, but we have to figure something out soon,” he said.
david.delcore@timesargus.com
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***PAUL GILLIES - TRACING VERMONT'S LEGAL HISTORY
Paul Gillies was recently on VPR talking about his new book: "Uncommon Law, Ancient Roads and Other Ruminations on Vermont Legal History." You can listen to the broadcast at: http://digital.vpr.net/post/
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***TED TALKS
"Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world"
Lots of fascinating topics, here's one I watched recently and thought I would share:
Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
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VERMONT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CONFERENCE
Vermont Emergency Preparedness Conference Oct 18 & 19 - free to attend, pre register BEFORE Oct 3rd at https://www.surveymk.com/s/First look at the details of what's included at:
http://vem.vermont.gov/sites/
The conference is sponsored by the Department of Public Safety's Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (DEMHS) and Division of Fire Safety. It will be held at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. In addition to free registration and attendance, morning refreshments, lunch, and snacks are provided each day of the conference. Overnight accommodations are NOT included, they are however offering a discounted rate.
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***VERMONT'S 17TH ANNUAL WOMEN'S ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY CONFERENCE
This annual free day long conference (even includes lunch) is held at Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center on Saturday, October 19th. Preregister by October 10th.
Every year this free conference draws hundreds of women from around the state who want to hone their business skills, polish their résumés or explore new career possibilities. It is a day to establish new professional connections and refresh old ones. This year’s conference will feature nearly 30 morning and afternoon workshops, including a range of offerings designed to help you make better use of social media.
More info:
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/
Workshop Schedule:
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/
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***FROM BERLIN FRONT PORCH FORUM
Below is a recent posting... there have been many more about a variety of topics, looking for services, garage sales, meeting announcement, events, etc.
Membership is free - to join go to visit http://frontporchforum.com
Chicken Pie Supper Oct. 12
CHERYL POOR – Richardson RoadEvent starts October 12 at 5:00 PM
The First Congregational Church of Berlin
1808 Scott Hill Road
Annual Chicken Pie Supper
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Two seatings: 5:00pm and 6:30pm
Adults $10.00 Children (6-12 yrs) $5.00 Under 6yrs Free
Reservations only - call 223-5748
Menu: Chicken & Biscuit, mashed potato, winter squash, peas, coleslaw, cranberry sauce, apple, pumpkin or chocolate pie plus beverages
May also reserve take-out
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Berlin News to Know September 15
Sent by Corinne Stridsberg and also posted at: http://socialenergy.blogspot.com
(if you're new to the send list, this is where to find previous postings)
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Please share this with you
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Check out the
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Included below please find:
TODAY!!! Sunday, September 15th - No Strings MarionettesTODAY! Sunday, Sept 15 BARN DANCE & FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL
POTATO PICKING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
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PHONEBLOKS
CAPITAL CITY GRANGE CONTRA DANCES
FLOOD-RESISTANT MOBILE HOMES IN THE WORKS
REFLECTIONS: PORTRAITS OF THE ELDERLY AS THEY ONCE WERE
SOME EMPLOYERS SEE PERKS OF HIRING OLDER WORKERS
SING FOR PEACE 9/22 , FREE ADMISSION, DONATIONS TO PLANTING HOPE
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TODAY!!!
Sunday, September 15th - No Strings Marionettes, performing "Treasure Hunt" at
11:30, 1:30 and 3:30 at the Adams Apple Orchard in Williston, Vermont.
The Fall
Festival at Adams Apple Orchard also includes a petting zoo, bounce house, face
painting, hay wagon rides, a craft show and APPLE PICKING!
http://adamsfarmmarket.com/?page_id=47
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***TODAY! Sunday, Sept 15 BARN DANCE & FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL
A great family event, the Barn Dance includes refreshments, live music, hayrides, games, and a silent auction. Silent auction items include Green Fees at Stowe Mountain Resort, Lift tickets to
Cost: $20 for the entire family! Parking is in field across from barn
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***Please share the following information about pick-your-own potatoes with your neighbors, friends and family. It is a fantastic way to support a local farmer and get some delicious low cost food!
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POTATO PICKING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Chappelle's pick-your-own potatoes is next Sunday! Signs are always posted no matter which direction you're coming from. The fields are up on South Hill in Williamstown. Fantastic prices. Last year I think it was 35 or 40 center per pound. Bring some buckets and burlap bags (or some kind of containers). Wear shoes or boots that can get dirty. Pick as few or as many as you want (you pay buy the pound) and whatever size you prefer. You can also buy bags of prepicked potatoes if you don't want to get your own. Questions? Just ask. We've been doing this for over 20 years. Pick for yourself, for friends and family, for an upcoming fundraiser dinner or breakfast, or maybe your kids want to resell them as a school trip fundraiser. It's my favorite day of the year. See you there! They will have some large bags there at the field. NOTE: Although there is only one pick-your-own potatoes day, you can contact Barbara & Bob Chappelle 802-433-5930 as they sell 50lb bags of pre-picked potatoes on a seasonal basis from their warehouse there in Williamstown. Cost varies depending on what class of potatoes you choose - the cheapest are the UNCLASSIFIEDS and they go up in price for UNCLASSIFIED CHEFS, #1s, CHEFS and finally, BAKERS.
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Berlin Historical Society Program Announcement
Please join us on September 25 to find out more about this tragic event that took place in
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AP -
ROCHESTER, Vt. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service says three popular Vermont campgrounds in the Rochester and Middlebury area will stay open through Columbus Day weekend this year.
The Chittenden Brook, Moosalamoo, and
Officials say extending the season will give the public an opportunity to camp during the fall foliage season and attract visitors the area.
Chris Mattrick, district ranger on the
All three are primitive campgrounds with no electric hookup or sewer provided. Water is available from hand pumps at the Moosalamoo Campground.
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PHONEBLOKS
This week, Dave Hakkens introduced his design for Phonebloks, a smartphone that has detachable components on its front and back so that everything from the processor to the camera can be easily upgraded without discarding the rest of the phone
Have you seen the video about Phonebloks? What a concept!! Take a couple minutes to check it out! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/12/phonebloks_n_3908611.html
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Always wonderful activities going on down the at the
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CAPITAL CITY GRANGE CONTRA DANCES
Contra Dances are held at the Capital City Grange on
Contra dancing is done to live music - guitar and fiddle and other instruments, playing jigs and reels. A caller teaches each dance, and tells you what to do. You just need to know how to walk! No need to bring a partner--men and women ask each other to dance.
Next Dance: September 21, 2013 - STEVE ZAKON-ANDERSON
Randy Miller, David Cantieni, Julie Vallimont
Annual Challenge-Grant Fund Raiser to Benefit the Grange. Donations Appreciated!
Instruction for newcomers at 7:30! We'll teach some of the basic "figures" that will be called when the dance begins at 8:00. No partner needed, just bring a willingness to smile and have a good time!
For more information on the Contra Dances visit http://capitalcitygrange.org, you'll also find an event calendar
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FLOOD-RESISTANT MOBILE HOMES IN THE WORKS
AP -
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — A new, more durable mobile home is being manufactured in
The
“Tropical Storm Irene really showed us how vulnerable our mobile home communities are,” he said.
Mobile homes are a critical part of
“They are poorly built structures for the most part,” he said. “Many of them are very old structures that people are still living in and (the homes) are sort of beyond their life span.”
Mobile home residents also spend a greater portion of their income on energy than other homeowners do, he said.
Now a pilot project is under way in White River Junction to build a more energy-efficient and flood-resistant mobile home.
The new home is expected to have about a third of the energy costs of a typical mobile home.
“We’re really well insulated,” said Steve Davis, who is building the first of 10 mobile homes.
They also will be tied to either frost-protected piers or to a frost-protected foundation and will not be built on flood plains, Schneider said. “So none of our units are going to be sitting on cinder blocks and up in the air where they could literally float away.”
But the new high-quality homes are more expensive than typical mobile homes, selling for about $90,000, which is roughly $30,000 more than other new mobile homes.
That price is justified by the energy savings, said Craig Peltier of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, which is offering a $20,000 subsidy on each of the first 10 homes.
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REFLECTIONS: PORTRAITS OF THE ELDERLY AS THEY ONCE WERE
There is a wonderful set of portraits you can view on line where Tom Hussey portray the elderly as they reflect on their younger selves in the mirror. Check it out:
http://fstoppers.com/pics-reflections-portraits-of-the-elderly-as-they-once-were
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SOME EMPLOYERS SEE PERKS OF HIRING OLDER WORKERS
By Matt Sedensky, Associated Press PUB
Older people searching for jobs have long fought back stereotypes that they lack the speed, technology skills and dynamism of younger applicants. But as a wave of baby boomers seeks to stay on the job later in life, some employers are finding older workers are precisely what they need. For the complete article go to: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/employers-perks-hiring-older-workers-20247920
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SING FOR PEACE 9/22 , FREE ADMISSION, DONATIONS TO PLANTING HOPE
The 6th annual SING FOR PEACE,
Members of the VT Symphony Orchestra Chorus; The VT Choral
Friday, September 06, 2013
News to Know September 6
Sent by Corinne Stridsberg and also posted at: http://socialenergy.blogspot.com
(if you're new to the send list, this is where to find previous postings)
*
Please share this with you
*
Check out the
NOTE:
What A LOT of news included below. I apologize for the length, a few articles I
even just included a paragraph with a link to find the complete article. This option seemed better than sending out
several emails. There are several recent
postings from the Berlin Front Porch Forum as I know lots of you on this email
list don't subscribe to FPF - info being shared there includes the announcement
of the new Town Treasurer and a job posting for an Assistant Town Clerk.
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Included below please find:Letter to the Editor - GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT (re
TURNOVER CONTINUES IN
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT STONEWORKS? FIND OUT MORE
SING FOR PEACE 9/22 , FREE ADMISSION, DONATIONS TO PLANTING HOPE
STATE COMMITTED TO 25 BEDS AT NEW
COST-SHARING AMONG
TWO YEARS AFTER TROPICAL STORM IRENE
TROPICAL STORM IRENE:
FROM
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It's been "Reba" round white potatoes they usually have for picking. To get there, drive to Williamstown and head south of town where you'll find easy to follow signs pointing you to the field they'll be using. Their address is
If you want more details, please ask - our family (the Stridsberg's) have been going to the Chappelles for potatoes for over 20 years! If you can't make it on the pick-your-own day and you want some of these fresh potatoes we can bring back extra... it will just cost you more than the pick-your-own price - send us an email and we can work out the details.
The pre picked 50 lb bags of potatoes are available not only on the pick-your-own day but also at the Chappelle warehouse throughout the season.
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Pub 8/26/13 Times Argus By Art
Edelstein, Correspondent
BERLIN — The Edward F. Knapp State Airport located in Barre remains an
integral part of the Capitol Region’s economy even with diminished used by
corporate travelers due to the economic downturn in the past few years.
“Knapp State Airport Vermont
In addition to businesses, charter operators and multiple based and transient aircraft utilize the airport.
An indication of the use ofKnapp Airport
George Malek with the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce sees the airport as an important contributor to the local economy because it provides easy access to the Barre-Montpelier area for corporate executives visiting their branches.
“I go by Knapp and there are always different planes parked and landing at the airport,” he said. Malek has observed “expensive jets,” although he could not identify the owners.
The airport, says Malek, is not necessarily in the public’s eye at all times, but that does not mean it is without importance to the health of the local community. “If you didn’t have the airport we would miss it greatly,” he offered. “We might not know it affected the economy but it would.”
While local economic powerhouses like National Life Insurance of Vermont would not relocate without a local airport, Malek said “there would be branch offices getting less attention from their corporate home, and fewer bigwigs would visit than there are now because they can land here.”
An important asset to the local community, provided by Wiggins Air, which operates here, is the delivery of both FedEx and UPS parcels. “I know there are two fleets of trucks that would not exist if not for Knapp,” said Malek.
Airport manager John Roberti, who owns the Vermont Flying Service, paints a picture of an airport that has been affected by the poor economy of the past five years.
“There hasn’t been a lot of traffic,” he noted. He has seen a decline in corporate jets. As businesses try to save money in difficult financial times they are now purchasing a share in the use of a corporate jet. Knapp, like other airports of its type without commercial air service. is seeing these leased planes arrive. As a result, he said, “most of the traffic in corporate jets is with arrivals we cannot identify.”
Among those arrivals that are identifiable, Roberti has seen corporate business persons from Family Dollar, Cracker Barrel, which does business with Cabot Cheese, Home Depot, and Fisher Auto Parts.
Roberti said he tries to identify the company arriving by asking the pilot, but some are wary of identifying their passengers due to competition. He said in today’s business climate flying executives “don’t want their competition to know they are in the area.”
Roberti, whose family has operated the flying service since 1985, saidKnapp Airport
According to Roberti, a local airport like Knapp is essential to corporate customers because these busy executives can avoid commercial flights that eat up time on crammed schedules.
Recent statistics compiled by the airport and reported for 2012 show that Knapp averages 66 aircraft operations per day. Of that number 60 percent are classified as local general aviation, a third are transient general aviation and four percent are military. There are 53 aircraft based at the field, 50 are single-engine planes, two are multi-engine and one is a helicopter.
Flights in and out of the airport have slackened in recent years, Roberti said. “Back in the 1980s and 1990s we had twice as much traffic or more,” he contends. He blamed the overall economy for diminished traffic here and at other local airports.
The traffic count at Knapp is mostly small, privately owned aircraft. Day trips and pleasure flights account for the majority of traffic. Few of the planes based at the airport are used for business travel, according to Roberti.
Military flights are for the Army Guard, which, according to Roberti, “uses it once or twice a week for training.” Some flights are generated byNorwich University
The Vermont Flying Service school “is very slow,” reports Roberti. Lessons have declined steeply in recent years due to the economy. The cost of gas has doubled in the past few years, raising the cost of the lessons. Flying lessons currently are $160 an hour. “People have less money to play with,” said Roberti who now has just two airplanes and one part-time instructor. In the 1970s the company operated six airplanes and employed several full- and part-time instructors.
During the depth of the recent recession the federal government through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 allocated funds for local airport improvements.Knapp Airport
“You need the facilities for the air traffic,” said Roberti. “The traffic, especially jet traffic, on business travel has to be doing a lot for the local economy.” He deems the airport “a necessary and integral part of the local economy.” With the federal money the airport, in his estimation, ‘‘is well maintained and people comment how nice it is.”
Roberti said airport traffic would increase when the local and national economy rebounds to pre-2008 levels. At that point, he predicted, “the current airport could handle a big increase in traffic with no problems.”
Rouelle said the goal of his department “is to grow the use of theKnapp Airport Sep
3, 2013
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“
In addition to businesses, charter operators and multiple based and transient aircraft utilize the airport.
An indication of the use of
George Malek with the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce sees the airport as an important contributor to the local economy because it provides easy access to the Barre-Montpelier area for corporate executives visiting their branches.
“I go by Knapp and there are always different planes parked and landing at the airport,” he said. Malek has observed “expensive jets,” although he could not identify the owners.
The airport, says Malek, is not necessarily in the public’s eye at all times, but that does not mean it is without importance to the health of the local community. “If you didn’t have the airport we would miss it greatly,” he offered. “We might not know it affected the economy but it would.”
While local economic powerhouses like National Life Insurance of Vermont would not relocate without a local airport, Malek said “there would be branch offices getting less attention from their corporate home, and fewer bigwigs would visit than there are now because they can land here.”
An important asset to the local community, provided by Wiggins Air, which operates here, is the delivery of both FedEx and UPS parcels. “I know there are two fleets of trucks that would not exist if not for Knapp,” said Malek.
Airport manager John Roberti, who owns the Vermont Flying Service, paints a picture of an airport that has been affected by the poor economy of the past five years.
“There hasn’t been a lot of traffic,” he noted. He has seen a decline in corporate jets. As businesses try to save money in difficult financial times they are now purchasing a share in the use of a corporate jet. Knapp, like other airports of its type without commercial air service. is seeing these leased planes arrive. As a result, he said, “most of the traffic in corporate jets is with arrivals we cannot identify.”
Among those arrivals that are identifiable, Roberti has seen corporate business persons from Family Dollar, Cracker Barrel, which does business with Cabot Cheese, Home Depot, and Fisher Auto Parts.
Roberti said he tries to identify the company arriving by asking the pilot, but some are wary of identifying their passengers due to competition. He said in today’s business climate flying executives “don’t want their competition to know they are in the area.”
Roberti, whose family has operated the flying service since 1985, said
According to Roberti, a local airport like Knapp is essential to corporate customers because these busy executives can avoid commercial flights that eat up time on crammed schedules.
Recent statistics compiled by the airport and reported for 2012 show that Knapp averages 66 aircraft operations per day. Of that number 60 percent are classified as local general aviation, a third are transient general aviation and four percent are military. There are 53 aircraft based at the field, 50 are single-engine planes, two are multi-engine and one is a helicopter.
Flights in and out of the airport have slackened in recent years, Roberti said. “Back in the 1980s and 1990s we had twice as much traffic or more,” he contends. He blamed the overall economy for diminished traffic here and at other local airports.
The traffic count at Knapp is mostly small, privately owned aircraft. Day trips and pleasure flights account for the majority of traffic. Few of the planes based at the airport are used for business travel, according to Roberti.
Military flights are for the Army Guard, which, according to Roberti, “uses it once or twice a week for training.” Some flights are generated by
The Vermont Flying Service school “is very slow,” reports Roberti. Lessons have declined steeply in recent years due to the economy. The cost of gas has doubled in the past few years, raising the cost of the lessons. Flying lessons currently are $160 an hour. “People have less money to play with,” said Roberti who now has just two airplanes and one part-time instructor. In the 1970s the company operated six airplanes and employed several full- and part-time instructors.
During the depth of the recent recession the federal government through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 allocated funds for local airport improvements.
“You need the facilities for the air traffic,” said Roberti. “The traffic, especially jet traffic, on business travel has to be doing a lot for the local economy.” He deems the airport “a necessary and integral part of the local economy.” With the federal money the airport, in his estimation, ‘‘is well maintained and people comment how nice it is.”
Roberti said airport traffic would increase when the local and national economy rebounds to pre-2008 levels. At that point, he predicted, “the current airport could handle a big increase in traffic with no problems.”
Rouelle said the goal of his department “is to grow the use of the
***
***
Letter to the Editor - GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT
Letter to the Editor - GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT
Regarding the recent front-page article on the E.F. Knapp State Airport
The photo accompanying the article is depicted as the airport might look to the public arriving by air. However, the photo was taken before the $6.6 million improvement completed in 2010 which altered its appearance considerably. There is now a parallel taxiway the entire length of the north-south runway and the east-west runway was shortened so it no longer intersects the north-south.
The airport is located inBerlin
~Richard Turner,Montpelier
The photo accompanying the article is depicted as the airport might look to the public arriving by air. However, the photo was taken before the $6.6 million improvement completed in 2010 which altered its appearance considerably. There is now a parallel taxiway the entire length of the north-south runway and the east-west runway was shortened so it no longer intersects the north-south.
The airport is located in
~Richard Turner,
***
***BERLIN WATER SYSTEM FINANCING SET, CUSTOMERS NEEDED
Pub 8/23/13 by David Delcore, Staff Writer
BERLIN — A municipal water system that has been the subject of on-and-off discussions for nearly two decades could be under construction by next spring.
Town Administrator Jeff Schulz told Select Board members this week that the town’s consultant, Mark Youngstrom, of Otter Creek Engineering, is advocating an aggressive schedule that would involve putting the $5.5 million project out to bid this fall with an eye toward starting construction as soon as the snow melts.
All that remains, according to Schulz, is for Youngstrom to complete the final design of the system that would serve the Berlin Four Corners area and for the town to lock down enough prospective customers to make the system financially viable.
Schulz described both as critical next steps in what has easily been the most sustained and successful effort to create a municipally owned water system in that key area of
Though past efforts have fizzled, the latest, which now dates back six years, has cleared several key hurdles, including locating a suitable water source, obtaining voter approval, and securing favorable financing.
Schulz delivered a bit of good news on the financing this week, telling board members that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is prepared to finance the entire project through its Rural Development program.
Schulz said the town can count on receiving a $1.5 million grant, with the balance of the project — $4 million — being financed through a long-term loan at 2.5 percent interest. Those terms, he said, can be frozen for up to three years, though waiting doesn’t appear to be the preferred option.
Schulz said the design work is underway and potential users will be invited to a public rollout of the proposed system being planned for next month.
The goal, he said, is to obtain commitments from enough large users to comfortably proceed with construction of a water storage and distribution system that would be fed by wells that have already been drilled, tested and permitted to produce nearly 110,000 gallons of water a day.
According to studies produced by Otter Creek, that is more than enough to meet the demand that currently exists in a service area that would include portions of Airport, Crosstown, Comstock, Fisher, Granger, Scott Hill and Shed roads, as well as the full length of Industrial Lane and a short section of Paine Turnpike in the vicinity of Route 62.
With the planned construction of a 400,000-gallon water storage tank on Scott Hill Road, it is also enough to serve additional development in the area, which is already home to the town offices, the local elementary school, the Berlin Mall and several other high-volume water users.
Schulz said several of those users have expressed interest in hooking on to the town system and that he is optimistic many would sign user agreements in coming months.
Though the proposed water rates are still something of a moving target, Schulz said, the USDA financing should enable the town to deliver water to the average home for about $580 a year.
Town officials have repeatedly promised that the cost of developing and constructing the system — including all the work that has been done to date — will be built into the water rates and repaid by users and not taxpayers at large.
The idea of creating a reliable, cost-effective municipal water system in an area that is ripe for development but hampered by groundwater contamination and an inordinate number of private wells that don’t produce potable water, is not new. Earlier studies, including one in 1994, were shelved before the idea was revived and Otter Creek was retained by the town in 2007.
Since that time town officials have invested heavily in the project. They spent $106,000 acquiring the land where the three wells have since been drilled and executed a series of no-interest loans totaling more than $375,000 that will be rolled into the project cost if the system is built.
If for some reason the system isn’t, the town will have to start repaying the first of those loans — $175,000 that paid for preliminary engineering, as well as drilling, testing and permitting the wells — starting in 2015. The town would have until 2018 to start repaying a second loan obtained this year to finance the final design. That loan was for $202,000.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
***
***TURNOVER CONTINUES IN
Pub 8/23/13 by David Delcore, Staff Writer
BERLIN — A Select Board that is looking to fill two vacancies in the town offices learned this week there will soon be a third due to the looming departure of veteran administrative assistant Rebecca Richardson.
The Select Board learned of Richardson’s newly tendered resignation on a night when former Town Treasurer Patti Lewis offered to resume her old role on an interim basis and the board cut a deal to outsource most of those duties to a private company at a discounted cost of $75 an hour.
Board members took no action on Lewis’ unsolicited offer and did not inquire about the conditions under which she would agree to return. She held the job for nearly nine years before resigning in November, citing time constraints associated with her role as a local legislator.
The town has hired two treasurers since Lewis left the now-appointed position. Amy Kuzio held the position for about a month, and Marcey Carver, who was hired Feb. 28, abruptly resigned early last month.
Carver’s resignation prompted the board to launch yet another search while at the same time advertising for a new assistant for Town Administrator Jeff Schulz. Kristen Vrancken was hired to fill that position earlier this year but left after less than a month on the job.
At least one board member expressed concern that the search for Schulz’s next assistant had “languished” too long and the hunt for Carver’s successor seemed to lack the urgency he would expect.
“I just don’t want to see this (hiring) process drag on and on and on,” Selectman Ture Nelson said, noting the deadline for resumes was last week and the hiring committee won’t meet for the first time until next week.
“I’d like to have had the interviews today,” Nelson said. “That’s how fast we need to be moving.”
The board did move swiftly to lock down a discounted rate with the company that has been providing the town with accounting and bookkeeping services since Carver resigned.
Despite Lewis’ standing offer to pinch hit, the board agreed to hire the
Schulz urged the board to approve an agreement that would retroactively reduce the center’s rate from $125 to $75 an hour.
“At this point it’s a significant savings over what we’re paying now,” Schulz said, noting the town has already received roughly 14 hours of assistance from the center.
Nelson said the arrangement didn’t necessarily preclude the board taking Lewis up on her offer, and Chairman Brad Towne noted some of the $7,200 commitment could be used to pay for training yet-to-be hired town employees, Town Clerk Rosemary Morse and Richardson.
Towne seemed genuinely surprised when he learned moments later that
Schulz joined the board in expressing regret over
“We need to have a serious conversation about what positions you want to combine,” he said, provoking a cryptic one-word response from Selectman Pete Kelley.
“Outsource,” Kelley said.
With one assistant’s position now vacant, another soon to be and no town treasurer, the municipal office staff will be reduced to Schulz, Morse and Mary Wissell, who works part time for the sewer commission.
***
***
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT STONEWORKS? FIND OUT MORE
On Sept. 14, the VT Historical Society offers a Second Saturday Gallery Talk featuring Italian-American Stoneworkers at the VT History Center at
Middlebury College Professor Ilaria Brancoli-Busdraghi will present a short talk about the heritage and history of Italian-American stoneworkers in
The Society’s Leahy Library at the
The library is open Tues.-Fri.
***
***SING FOR PEACE 9/22 , FREE ADMISSION, DONATIONS TO PLANTING HOPE
The 6th annual SING FOR PEACE,
***
***STATE COMMITTED TO 25 BEDS AT NEW
VTDIGGER
Secretary of Administration Jeb Spaulding says that if
See more at: http://vtdigger.org/2013/08/30/state-committed-to-25-beds-at-new-berlin-state-hospital/
***
***COST-SHARING AMONG
VTDIGGER
The cities of
- See more at: http://vtdigger.org/2013/08/05/cost-sharing-among-ways-vermont-cities-and-towns-could-save-money/
***
***TWO YEARS AFTER TROPICAL STORM IRENE
Note - I was seeing a lot in the news regarding the two year anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene but not a lot specific to
Hi Corinne,
The following are some responses to your questions regarding
post Irene efforts.
Q1: The one Berlin
A1: The property owners (the Brennans) received
official FEMA approval for the buyout of the property several weeks
ago. The approval for this property took extra time because
the property was not originally shown to be in a flood hazard area. The
property has been reclassified as being in a flood hazard area and the FEMA
maps have been received. The next step in the process is to get a
property appraisal and for FEMA to finalize the paper
work.
*
Q2: I believe there was a survey being done in the town as
to the number of culverts and the size and I'm wondering how many culverts have
been replaced with larger ones and how many more are planned to be
replaced?
A2: Regional planning was assisting the town on this effort;
they collected the data and are going to prepare a final report. I will
check with Regional Planning on their progress. Also, I
have directed the Road Foreman to keep a detailed list of all new and replaced
culverts (size, length, location). In addition, after the
storm numerous culverts were replaced (and
documented).
*
Q3: Are there any bridges that need work done?
A3: The only bridge that sustained damage was the Lovers
Lane Bridge Lovers
Lane Bridge
*
Q4: How many homes had structural damage and have
those issues been resolved?
A4: 70 homes within the Westons
Park
*Q5: How many homes had mold issues and have those issues been resolved?
A5: I/we have not heard of any mold problems recently.
*Q6: How many homes at Weston's mobile home park were lost and how many of those have now been replaced?
A6: (see above)
*Q7: What is the status of River Run Manor?
A7: There was a total of 16 homes destroyed at River Run in
the May 2011 storm. No homes can be replaced without extensive
filling and flood mitigation efforts. In addition, it will require
DRB review and approval; which may be difficult considering that much of the
property is at least 2 to 3 below the base flood elevation.
We discussed a potential state buyout, however, the
state indicates that a buyout may be difficult at this time considering that
the property is in foreclosure.
*
Q8: Have businesses that had Irene related losses received
assistance? How many businesses were affected?
A8: The Town does not get involved with this issue as the
businesses had to work through the Federal SBA Program for assistance (also see
above).
*Q9: Is the town prepared to help folks and/or home relocate from the flood plains before or after the next flood?
A9: The town does not have funds and typically does not
allocate funds for such relocations – it would have to come from the federal or
state government. If individuals approached the town
regarding such a program or assistance, the town may be willing to assist with
applications and outreach to the federal government.
*Q10: How much money was spent by the town on Tropical Storm Irene (and what was the breakdown of how this money was spent) and how much was reimbursed by FEMA? How much was reimbursed by the state.
A10: The Town had a total of $470,000 in damage to roads and
bridges during Irene. The federal government reimbursed the
town 90%, and the State 5%.
*Q11: Was there any work done on the rivers?
A11: The Town has not performed any mitigation efforts on
the rivers. The Board did invite Pat Ross, ANR Rivers
Engineer, to a meeting to discuss potential river alteration and mitigation
measures on the Dog River Dog River
*Q12: What steps have been taken in
A12: As noted above, the Town has performed extensive
culvert and drainage work within and along roads in the town right of
way. In addition, the town has revised its zoning regulations to
restrict new development from special flood hazard areas (the floodplain) along
the Dog River
*
Jeff Schulz, Town Administrator(802) 223-4405 jschulz@berlinvt.org
***
***TROPICAL STORM IRENE:
VTDIGGER 8/28/13
At the Weston Mobile Home Park, there are two neat rows of
refurbished mobile homes and newly seeded grass. But beyond them are mounds of
dirt and construction machinery where, pre-Irene, other homes were located. See more at: http://vtdigger.org/2013/08/28/tropical-storm-irene-mobile-home-parks-slowly-recovering-while-state-and-nonprofits-work-to-prevent-future-disasters/
***
***
FROM
Below are several recent postings... there have been many
more about a variety of topics, looking for services, garage sales, meeting
announcement, events, etc.
***
ANDREA CHANDLER– Crosstown Road
The
***
Selectboard
Update (New Treasurer!) (posted JEREMY HANSEN – Selectboard Member,
The first news is that we appointed a new Town Treasurer last night:
A few other notes from last night's meeting:
* As part of the continuing work on the water system, our
contractor Otter Creek Engineering will be in
* The Vermont Agency of Transportation is planning some
paving work for 2015 on portions of Hwy 62, Berlin State Highway Barre-Montpelier Road
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns! Jeremy
279-6054
***
GMTA is
Launching a New Website Sept. 9 (posted
TAWNYA
KRISTEN – Community Relations Mngr., GMTA
New Website - Same URL - www.gmtaride.orgWe'll be making public transportation easier than ever, with online purchasing of bus passes, and Google Transit to plan your trips. A mobile-friendly design makes it convenient when you are on the go. From local routes to our regional connections with CCTA, you'll find everything you need to get you where you need to go. Try it out on September 9th at gmtaride.org
***
Berlin School Seeks Driver for Single Student Two Mornings
per Week (posted CHRIS DODGE •
Posted to:
Categories: Seeking
The
***
JEREMY HANSEN •
Posted to:
Categories: Seeking
Hi everybody-
The Town of
*****
The Town Clerk for the Town of Berlin, VT seeks a qualified person to fill the position of Assistant Town Clerk. This support staff will have the primary responsibility to provide administrative support to the Town Clerk.
The ideal candidate will have experience in a business or municipal office setting in which there is direct contact with the public. This position requires interaction with the public and town employees. This is an appointed position that reports to the Town Clerk, and is a part-time (25) hours per week.
Candidates must have the necessary job related experience to fulfill the minimum requirements of the job. The salary is commensurate with experience.
To apply, send resume, cover letter and list of three references by
*****
You can direct questions about this position to our Clerk Rosemary Morse at the address above or via email at townclerk@berlinvt.org
And just to keep you all in the loop, we have already interviewed a handful of candidates for the Assistant Town Administrator position and will be interviewing some great candidates for Treasurer this evening (Thursday, August 29th). We should be back up to full staffing before too long.
Thanks!
Jeremy
279-6054
***
Seeking to Help a Berlin Neighbor (posted
CHRIS DODGE •
Posted to:
Categories: Discussion and organizing
The
boys shoes size 5 1/2
boys husky jeans - 14 or 30/26
boys t-shirts 14-16 XL
boys long sleeve shirts 14-16 XL
short sleeve button up shirts 14-16 XL
socks (for a 10 year old)
boxers 30 waist
Donations of non-perishable food or gas/grocery cards also gladly accepted.
Thank you!
Chris Dodge, Principal
