Berlin Community News

BERLIN NEWS TO KNOW  December 19, 2013

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This communication is put together and distributed on a volunteer basis by resident Corinne Stridsberg simply in an effort to share information and build community, it is not from the town of Berlin.

Please share this with your 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/pages/Berlin-Vermont/205922199452224

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Notes:  Please pardon my absence... just never enough hours in my days or weeks.  Please note that included below is a link to the town budget that is being worked on.  Hope to see many of you on January 4th for Jared Felch - An Evening of Music. There is a great photo of Jared on the Berlin, Vermont facebook page.   Be safe!

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Included below please find:

JARED FELCH - AN EVENING OF MUSIC SATURDAY, JANUARY 4TH

VERMONT ALERT

NEW AND USED FURNITURE

MONTPELIER MEMORY CAFE

VERMONT VITAL RECORDS .... A FEW KEYSTROKES AWAY

SUPERVISORY UNION BUDGET APPROVED

NEW PLAN IN WORKS AT BERLIN MALL?

PROTESTORS DISRUPT WAL-MART GROUNDBREAKING

BERLIN SELECT BOARD NOTES FROM DECEMBER 2ND MEETING

FROM BERLIN FRONT PORCH FORUM

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JARED FELCH - AN EVENING OF MUSIC SATURDAY, JANUARY 4TH

I am pleased and excited to share with you the following upcoming event:

An Evening of Music with Jared Felch Saturday, January 4th, 2014 at 6:30pm at the First Congregational Church of Berlin at 1808 Scott Hill Road. Admission by Donation. 
Special Guests: Meghan Anthony & Genna Rubenstein Accompanist: Kelly Horsted 
Mark your calendars and spread the word!  See you there!

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VERMONT ALERT

If you haven't signed up yet, find more details about this new emergency notification system here: http://vtrural.org/programs/digital-economy/updates/sign-up-for-vtalert

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NEW AND USED FURNITURE

Vermont Pine Craft and Second Chance Wood Furniture new, used, and custom made

Located on Middle Road in Barre (they actually used to be in Berlin!) - great place to find just what you're looking for at a decent price.

Website: http://vermontpinecraft.com/ On facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Second-Chance-Wood-Furniture/378868258865110

They also have postings on Craigslist.

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MONTPELIER MEMORY CAFE

   Montpelier Memory Café starts on a Saturday morning in January at the Senior Activity Center Call for Volunteers to help launch the first Montpelier Memory Cafe at MSAC
   The Montpelier Memory Cafe will be a unique monthly social gathering for people experiencing early to mid-stage memory loss (accompanied by their care partners).
The first Montpelier Memory Cafe will be on Saturday morning, January 11th, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. We are seeking volunteers to help staff a registration desk, serve refreshments, and facilitate activities when the café meets.

If you'd like to volunteer, please attend the next Montpelier Memory Cafe Steering Committee meeting at MSAC on Monday, December 16th at 6:00 pm, when Melitta Maddox will provide a brief training session. For more information contact Liz Dodd at ldodd2005@live.com or 229-9630.

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VERMONT VITAL RECORDS .... A FEW KEYSTROKES AWAY

Who knew you could search Vermont Vital Records online from 1760 to 1954

https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1784223

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SUPERVISORY UNION BUDGET APPROVED

Pub. 12/6/13 Times Argus

   EAST MONTPELIER — The school boards of Washington Central Supervisory Union approved their 2014-2015 supervisory union budget at a full board meeting Wednesday night at U-32.
   The members — representing Berlin Elementary School, Calais Elementary School, Doty Memorial School, East Montpelier Elementary School, Rumney Memorial School and U-32 Middle and High School — voted 14-0 to approve the nearly $2.44 million budget, which is 2.45 percent higher than the current budget.
   The new budget includes a 4.5 percent increase in health insurance costs, a 3.5 percent increase in salaries for professional staff, and a 3 percent salary increase for education support professionals. All other budget lines will be level funded.

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NEW PLAN IN WORKS AT BERLIN MALL?

Pub. 12/10/13 Times Argus by David Delcore

   BERLIN — Thursday’s ceremonial groundbreaking for the already-begun expansion of the local Wal-Mart might not be the biggest news brewing at the Berlin Mall.
   The mall’s new owners apparently are interested in reviving plans to build something on the long-vacant parking lot where, more than 25 years ago, their predecessors proposed what would have been the state’s largest supermarket.
   That proposal was for a 52,000-square-foot Sun Foods supermarket. The parking lot has long since been used by neighboring car dealers with excess inventory and for an occasional summer carnival.
   However, representatives of Berlin Mall LLC, which acquired the mall more than three years ago, are taking a fresh look at the development potential of the once-controversial “out-lot” that is across the road from Central Vermont Medical Center and along the mall’s entrance off Fisher Road. 
   On Monday night representatives of the consulting firm Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. were scheduled to meet members of Berlin’s sewer commission to verify the availability of sewer capacity for a project that could be coming soon but hasn’t yet been clearly defined. 
   Commission members headed into the meeting with cryptic information involving the mall owner’s request for an additional 800 gallons per day of sewer capacity, and it was unclear how much additional detail would be provided. The meeting agenda indicated that “out-lot” is the site in question.
   Berlin Mall LLC, a joint venture of New Jersey-based development company Lerner-Heidenberg Associates and Rhode Island real estate investment company Goldstein Associates, hasn’t applied for state or local permits for a new project.
   Attempts to reach Ken Simon of Lerner-Heidenberg were unsuccessful Monday afternoon, though it appears the next step in the revitalization of the mall could involve the 6.7-acre parcel that was the focus of a battle over Sun Foods that spanned several years and put the state’s Act 250 development review law to the test.
   The traffic-related dispute, which involved a citizens group and a coalition of CVMC physicians, produced two permits — one that was overturned on appeal to the state Environmental Board and a second that included restrictions involving the use of the Fisher Road entrance that the developer requested and then sought to change before abandoning the project.
   Not long after scrapping plans for Sun Foods 20 years ago, the mall’s former owners proposed construction of a Red Lobster restaurant. However, that was also abandoned, leaving a paved parking lot with no business to serve.
   Enter Berlin Mall LLC, whose parent companies tout their track record for revitalizing older, underperforming shopping complexes.
   Since acquiring the mall in 2010, its new owners have completed interior renovations while swiftly moving to lock down Wal-Mart as an anchor tenant and obtaining approval for a plan that will increase the size of that store by nearly 30,000 square feet.
   Work on the Wal-Mart expansion has started, and Thursday morning it will be the subject of a ceremony that will start inside the mall’s center entrance at 10 a.m. before moving briefly outdoors.
   The Wal-Mart expansion involves a mix of new construction — an 18,700-square-foot addition — and reconfiguration of existing space within the mall. The expanded 93,000-square-foot store is expected to be finished by next fall. It will include a grocery department and is expected to create 50 new jobs. 
   The project also involves an upgrade to the Fisher Road intersection the mall shares with the hospital, pedestrian amenities and some additional parking.
   david.delcore @timesargus.com

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PROTESTERS DISRUPT WAL-MART GROUNDBREAKING

Pub. 12/13/13 Times Argus by David Delcore 

   BERLIN — Santa with a shovel was part of the script for Thursday’s ceremonial groundbreaking for the expansion of the local Wal-Mart. Sign-toting protesters were not.
   And yet there they were, crashing a brief ceremony that began just inside the center entrance of the Berlin Mall before dignitaries moved outdoors for a little shovel work and a photo op with Santa.
   Marshfield resident Jay Moore, a member of the group Occupy Central Vermont, cut off mall owner Ken Simon in midsentence, decrying the employment practices of the world’s largest retailer while holding a sign with an evil smiley face that said: “Low Wages, always.”
   “Wal-Mart makes an obscene amount of money,” Moore bellowed. “Why can’t they pay living wages to their workers? This is unacceptable.”
   Moore started to complain about the tax break Berlin officials recently granted for the mall expansion when fellow protester Brian Tokar, of East Montpelier, chimed in.
   “We have too much Wal-Mart already,” said Tokar, one of perhaps a half dozen protesters who turned out for a 10 a.m. ceremony during which Simon praised Wal-Mart while acknowledging some view the retail giant differently.
   “I know there’s a lot said about Wal-Mart, but working with Wal-Mart I know I can say they’re a very, very fine professional organization that is dedicated to their mission of providing the best merchandise … at the lowest possible price,” Simon said.
   That was before Moore and Tokar briefly stole the show with a peaceful protest that began while Simon was thanking a long list of people who encouraged and helped advance the project, which includes the construction of an 18,700-square-foot addition to the mall.
   The addition, coupled with the conversion of existing mall space, will boost the size of the Wal-Mart from 67,260 square feet to 93,539 square feet — allowing it to vastly expand its grocery department and the mix of merchandise it carries.
   Simon said he and his partners view the Wal-Mart expansion as a significant upgrade to a shopping complex they purchased in 2010 and have sought to improve in more subtle ways since.
   “This is a great step forward in our commitment to make Berlin Mall a place that is a destination for the entire area, to satisfy the needs of the market, and to make this facility something that we and the community can (be proud of),” he said.
   Though Wal-Mart representatives were on hand and market manager Travis Smith was scheduled to speak, that portion of the program was scrapped after the protesters piped up.
   According to prepared remarks included in a news release, Smith did have something to say.
   “We are very excited to be starting the process of expanding the existing Wal-Mart in Berlin to the benefit of central Vermont,” the news release quoted Smith as saying. “The expansion is a testament to how popular the Berlin Wal-Mart is in the area.”
   You couldn’t tell it by talking to Tokar, who said he isn’t alone.
   “Many of us … feel that central Vermont has had enough Wal-Mart,” he said. “They claim that Wal-Mart is good for the community, but Wal-Mart has been bad for every town in every part of the country where it’s established itself.”
   Though Wal-Mart expects to hire 72 additional employees — adding to its 144-member workforce — once the project is complete next year, Tokar said they could expect to be paid “slave wages,” receive no benefits and work irregular schedules.
   The protesters were outnumbered at the event, which attracted more than 40 people, many of whom had a hand in a project they believe will be good for the mall, good for Berlin and good for the region.
   Gov. Peter Shumlin sent a prepared statement.
   “For the past 20 years, the Berlin Mall has served central Vermont as a place to shop and to meet,” Shumlin said. “This expansion opens a new chapter for this mall, and I extend my congratulations to the owners as they diligently work to meet the needs of central Vermonters of all ages.”
   The ceremonial groundbreaking for the Wal-Mart expansion came three days after Berlin’s sewer commission concluded it did not have enough information to act on an informal request from a consultant representing the mall’s owners as they explore the potential to develop a vacant parking lot on the property, across Fisher Road from Central Vermont Medical Center.
   Asked about that request, Simon said there was nothing to report at this time.
   “We are doing some preliminary homework to determine what, if anything, is the potential for that lot,” he said.
   david.delcore @timesargus.com

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BERLIN SELECT BOARD NOTES FROM DECEMBER 2ND MEETING

Jeremy 
279-6054

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FROM BERLIN FRONT PORCH FORUM

Below are several recent postings .... there have been many more about a variety of topics, looking for services, garage sales, meeting announcements, events, etc.  Membership is free - to join go to: http://frontporchforum.com

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GAME FEED DEC 20TH (FPF Issue No 260 on 12/13)

Lorelei Lissor • Route 302 

Event: Dec 20, 2013, 6:30 PM

Game Feed put on by Sons of the American Legion Squadron 3, Main St, Montpelier, vT 05602
Friday, December 20, 6:30 pm. $16 per person, Venison, elk, bear and bison will be served. Tickets and further information available at American Legion Post 3. 229-9043.

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SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER VACANCY (FPF Issue No 258 on 12/10)

Lori Dutton-Renaud • Paine Turnpike North 

The Board of Directors of the Berlin Elementary School seeks to fill an interim position on the School Board. The position runs until Town Meeting Day. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest outlining qualifications by December 20th to:

William Kimball, Superintendent
Washington Central Supervisory Union
1130 Gallison Hill Road
Montpelier, VT 05602

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BERLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GARDEN SHED (FPF Issue No. 257 on 12/8)

Cynthia Gauthier • Paine Turnpike North 

Event: Dec 14, 2013, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Hello Berlin Community,
You may have read or heard that your Berlin Elementary School received a grant to build a garden. Last spring and summer your neighbors, staff and students constructed Phase 1 of the garden, we planted, studied and harvested a good crop for our first year. Our garden is now sleeping but staff, students and community members are busy planning and building. We need help on Saturday, December 14 to complete work that has been started on a garden shed. The shed will hold tools, it will be used to start some plants and the roof will act as a water collection area. If you have a few hours or the morning to help out please email cgauthier@u32.org

As always, I am deeply appreciative to be part of a community the values the education of its children. If you are interested in being part of our work to educate Berlin's children about gardening and the importance of knowing where your food comes from please be on the look out for future notices of the Berlin Eat Local Team (BELT) or email cgauthier@u32.org to have your name added to our distribution list.
Thank you!
Cynthia Gauthier

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GMTA SEEKING VOLUNTEER DRIVERS (FPF Issue No. 255 on 12/6)

Tawnya Kristen • Community Relations Mngr., GMTA 

Green Mountain Transit Agency (GMTA) has a current need for Volunteer Drivers to provide coordinated rides to those residing outside the fixed route service area. Volunteer Drivers offer cost effective transportation services under the management of GMTA. Drivers are reimbursed for the miles they drive and are the foundation of our rural services. If you are interested in becoming a GMTA Volunteer Driver within your community, please contact us at 802.223.7287 or info@gmtaride.org.

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GOT ODD JOBS?  CLEANING, ORGANIZING, HOUSESITTING, RUNNING ERRANDS? (FPF Issue No. 242 on 11/17)

Nate Buck • Brookfield Rd 

I'm a sophomore in college coming home for my break starting December 10th. I would love to earn a little cash while I'm home for doing some odd jobs. I would apply to somewhere but I think that would be a waste of time because I need to be back at school by January 5th.

SO, if you are looking for someone to watch your house while you're away for the holidays, I'm your guy. I am responsible, reliable, and harmless. I have plenty of references that would back me up! Or if you need someone to just watch/walk/take care of your pets while you're away...I can do that too.

I like to clean, so if you don't like to clean, I will clean for you. I can also organize things well. I can run errands for you that you don't have time to do. I'm a little guy, I can't do a whole lot of labor intensive jobs, but I can shovel some snow here and there.

I'm also an art student majoring in photography, so I can take portraits, I can sell you photos!

check out my flickr: flickr.com/natebuckphotography

I have retail experience (I currently work at an Urban Outfitters in Savannah while I'm in school), I worked at an asian cuisine restaurant in Savannah, I have barista experience from the Skinny Pancake, I was a bellman at the capitol plaza...I have held all jobs for long periods of time and haven't been fired from any!

Help me out, I'll help you out. Happy Holidays and I hope to hear from someone!!

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INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL FOOD ISSUES? (FPF Issue No. 242 on 11/17)

Allison Levin • Lord Road 

Event: Nov 22, 2013, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

Interested in Talking About the Food Our Kids Are Getting at School?
A group of Berlin parents is forming a committee in conjunction with the elementary school's Berlin Eat Local Team (BELT) and Food Service Program to look at and discuss the Berlin Elementary school's lunch program.

The Healthy School Lunch Committee invites you to join us for our introductory meeting on Nov 22, 6PM in the school library.

Some of topics that have already come up in discussions include: length of lunch periods, an interest for more local food on the menu, healthier food options, the quantities of food going to waste, how to make healthy meals financially viable, and involving the kids in the discussion.

For more information, contact Allison Levin at 229-4281 or allison.c.levin@gmail.com.