Berlin Community News

RIVERTON FIRE STATION

SELECTBOARD MEETING APRIL 21ST

CELEBRATE EARTH DAY AT THE CO-OP TUESDAY, APRIL 22ND

GARDEN SHED CONSTRUCTION WORK DAY APRIL 23RD

2014-2015 SCHOOL CALENDAR

U-32 GREEN FESTIVAL THURSDAY, MAY 15TH

MONTPELIER / U-32 SCHOOL DISTRICTS -  MAXIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES APRIL 23RD

HOW THE LAW MADE VERMONT WITH PAUL GILLIES APRIL 23

NATIONAL POEM IN YOUR POCKET DAY - APRIL 24

DOG RIVER FARM - MONTPELIER BRIDGE ARTICLE

BOOK SALE AT ALDRICH PUBLIC LIBRARY IN BARRE APRIL 26

GREEN UP DAY

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY - MAY 3RD

VENTURE VERMONT OUTDOOR CHALLENGE HAS BEGUN

VT-ALERT - FREE SIGN-UP FOR WARNINGS AND EMERGENCY INFORMATION

REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY AUTHORITY - READ THE CHARTER

BERLIN TO WAIVE WATER HOOKUP FEES (FOR LIMITED TIME)

BERLIN POND SURFACES AT MONTPELIER CITY COUNCIL

Note: you can look at previous issues by visiting: http://socialenergy.blogspot.com

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RIVERTON FIRE STATION

From the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department - "The corporation decided to stop renting the Riverton Station while we decide whether to renovate or take down the hall. We have been considering renting on long term basis' but this is on a case by case."

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SELECTBOARD MEETING APRIL 21ST

The Selectboard next meets on Monday, April 21^st at the town office at 7pm.  The agenda can be found on the town website or by following this link: http://berlinvt.org/Select%20Board%20Agenda%204-21-14-04182014160548.pdf

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CELEBRATE EARTH DAY AT THE CO-OP TUESDAY, APRIL 22ND

Tuesday, April 22nd from 10am - 5pm at the Hunger Mountain Coop you're invited to join in the fun.  Take home free samples and enter to win great prizes; bring books for the 4th Annual Community Book Swap (bring books / take books, no charge) under the tent; bring the kids for free face painting from 10am - 1pm, kids can plant their own seedlings or make an Earth Day Flag at the kids table; learn how to reduce your environmental impact from local organizations; recycle cell phones and rechargeable batteries at the recycling station, use alternative transportation (bike, walk, carpool) to get to the Coop on Earth Day and win a prize!  Meet vendors and sample their goods (VT Cheeseless 11-2pm; Runa Tea 11-3pm; Vermont Soap Co. 2-5pm; Ariel's Infused Hone 3-6pm)

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GARDEN SHED CONSTRUCTION WORK DAY

Wednesday, April 23^rd (during school vacation) is a garden shed construction work day at Berlin Elementary School, if you're able to help, please call the school office 223-2796.

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2014-2015 SCHOOL CALENDAR

The school calendar has been finalized for our district and can be found at:

http://wcsuonline.org/images/stories/2014.2015%20Final.pdf

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U-32 GREEN FESTIVAL THURSDAY, MAY 15TH

The U-32 Green Team is seeking businesses, organizations, and others with a stake in a greener world to have informational tables at the U-32 Green Festival on May 15^th from 9am – 3pm.  The festival celebrates all that can be done to improve U-32 and the five towns in the supervisory union for the benefit of the environment.  To be part of the festival or for more information Michael Horowitz at mhorowitz@u32.org or call 498-8210.

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MONTPELIER / U-32 SCHOOL DISTRICTS - HOW TO MAXIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES

News Release — Rep. Tony Klein  802-793-6032  twk@tonyklein.com

EVENT DATE: April 23, 2014  TIME: 6-8pm  WHERE: Room 11, State House

Representatives and Senators from the Montpelier and U-32 school districts will host a conversation with community members about increasing educational opportunities for students. During the 2013-14 biennium, the Legislature improved educational opportunities by:  increasing the number of eligible students from low-income families who can now afford school lunch; providing high school students with more flexible pathways to graduation, including access to college courses; requiring personal learning plans for all of our secondary school students; and passing landmark legislation that creates universal access to publicly-funded preschool for any 3 or 4 year old who enrolls in a high-quality program.  We now need to discuss how our two school districts can remove barriers and further increase educational opportunities in the face of rising costs, increased property taxes, and declining student enrollments. This is one of the most vital issues facing our communities. Your legislators would like to hear from community members willing to share their ideas for the future of our students. All citizens are welcome and encouraged to attend.

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HOW THE LAW MADE VERMONT WITH PAUL GILLIES APRIL 23

Berlin's Paul Gillies, historian, writer and attorney discusses how early founders and the Green Mountain Boys created a new system to administer justice.  1:30pm at the Aldrich Public Library 6 Washington Street, Barre.  Free for members; $5 suggested donation for non-members.  Part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

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NATIONAL POEM IN YOUR POCKET DAY - APRIL 24

Thursday, April 24th is National Poem In Your Pocket Day when everyone is encouraged to carry a favorite poem and share it with friends and neighbors.

A personal favorite:

IT COULDN'T BE DONE by Edgar Albert Guest (1881 - 1959)
Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.
.
Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.
.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it

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DOG RIVER FARM - MONTPELIER BRIDGE ARTICLE

May 1st is the deadline for receiving bonus bucks on the Dog River Farm cards... it's a great deal and supports a local farm family... read more about it in the Montpelier Bridge article http://www.montpelierbridge.com/2014/04/dog-river-farm-dollars-a-new-tech-twist-on-the-old-csa-concept-proves-a-win-win-for-both-farmer-and-consumer/  or check out their website.  Looking forward to shopping at the new farm stand.

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BOOK SALE AT ALDRICH PUBLIC LIBRARY IN BARRE APRIL 26

Friends of the Aldrich Public Library Spring Book Sale 10am - 3pm.  Plenty of gently used books and other items for all ages at rock bottom prices.  Milne Community Room.  6 Washington Street

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GREEN UP DAY

Plans are still being finalized for Green Up Day.  Officially it's on Saturday, May 3rd.   More information to come as to where you can pick up Green Up Bags. The elementary school may do a school-wide Green-Up effort on Friday, the 2nd.  You can contact the principal, Chris Dodge 223-2796 if you're interested in helping out.

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FREE COMIC BOOK DAY - MAY 3RD

The annual FREE Comic Book Day is always the first Saturday in May.  You can get your FREE COMIC at Wonder Cards & Comics on the Barre/Montpelier Road on Saturday, May 3rd from 12-5pm.  A special food shelf drive incentive - bring in a vegetarian item, get 1 extra free comic.  Also, consider helping to clean up the banks of the Stevens Branch of the Winooski behind the store in the morning on May 3rd.  476-4706. 

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VENTURE VERMONT OUTDOOR CHALLENGE HAS BEGUN

The Vermont State Parks 2014 Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge has begun.

Do fun outdoor activities listed on the score sheet between April 15 and October 15, 2014 (bonus activities posted to their facebook page) and be sure to take photos of your activities.  When you reach 250 points you submit your score sheet  and photos (score sheet needed for each member of family but photos can be group ones) you'll receive a VIP gold coin which is good for free state park entry for the rest of this year and all of next!  Download a scorecard and start your adventure today: http://vtstateparks.com/htm/venturevt.htm

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VT-ALERT - FREE SIGN-UP FOR WARNINGS AND EMERGENCY INFORMATION

Are you signed up for VT-Alert?  By doing so you can receive warnings and emergency information via the web, your cell phone, email and other technologies.  Signing up for VT Alert is free.  Your information is protected and never shared with any one else.  You can modify what type of information you receive or unsubscribe at any time.  It is a tool to provide you with critical information when you may need it most. If you are not able to sign up on line at vtalert.gov, you can call the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security in Waterbury.  Their number is 800-347-0488.

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REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY AUTHORITY - READ THE CHARTER

   In the coming weeks a petition will likely be circulating requesting Berlin residents to vote on the regional public safety authority charter. If the town of Berlin votes yes on this item, it will join Berlin to a regional governing authority and merge Berlin’s public safety services (police, fire, EMS) with Barre City and Montpelier. A no vote on this item will allow Berlin to retain local control over these important services.  

   Public safety expenditures in Berlin are second only to education and are the largest part of the municipal budget. Giving up control of that portion of our budget is giving up significant control of our town.

   Right now Berlin has 100 percent control over its emergency services.  If we join the authority, our ownership, control, and ability to make decisions regarding public safety will no longer be our own.

   Compared to Berlin, Barre and Montpelier are both developed cities with large government structure, combined populations of about 17,000 people, aging complicated infrastructure, and combined annual budgets in excess of $22,500,000. Berlin has approximately 2,900 residents, a budget of about $2,500,000 and doesn't even have a downtown. This disparity creates a high probability that Barre and Montpelier will find common ground due to their similarities and drive the decisions concerning the costs and direction of the authority.

Barre and Montpelier together spend 900 percent more money every year than Berlin does. As members of the authority they will always have more votes to apply toward their common interests leaving Berlin defeated.  

   Basic business practices and common sense thinking say, don’t sign anything you haven’t read and thoroughly understand. If you have not read the charter, that proponents are so anxious to have us sign first and understand later, do not sign a petition. I have read the charter several times; it is complex, lengthy, and unfavorable to Berlin. Get your copy at: http://leg.state.vt.us/docs/2014/bills/Intro/H-892.pdf

If you don’t have time to read the charter, I am confident that every select board member has Berlin’s best interests in mind and it is public knowledge that we have been unanimously opposed to Berlin’s participation in the authority.

Berlin has a bright future ahead of it and there is no need to sell our soul and lock ourselves into this authority.  There will be more public safety options available that will allow us to retain the freedom and control of our town and still provide public safety to meet our growing needs.

   - Pete Kelley, Berlin

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BERLIN TO WAIVE WATER HOOKUP FEES (FOR LIMITED TIME)

Pub. 4/13/14 Times Argus by David Delcore

   BERLIN — The Select Board is poised to put potential users of a proposed municipal water system on the clock.
   In a move it hopes will prompt property owners in the Berlin Four Corners area to commit now to connecting to the water system once it is constructed, the board has agreed to waive any future hookup fees for those who sign and return soon-to-be-mailed legal agreements in the next six weeks.
   The board’s Memorial Day deadline is designed to create a sense of urgency among potential users of the water system by offering a window of opportunity for them to avoid having to pay for the privilege of hooking on to the system down the line.
   It’s a carrot that could go a long way toward quickly converting what for many have been informal expressions of interest in the municipal water system into the sort of binding agreements that the board wants in-hand before soliciting bids and authorizing construction of the $5.5 million infrastructure project.
   Though copies of the proposed agreements aren’t yet ready for public review, barring some unanticipated delay, they are expected to be mailed out this week. Board members agreed last week they should be time-sensitive, because their offer to waive a yet-to-be-set connection fee shouldn’t be open-ended.
   Though the connection fee hasn’t been formally established the number suggested to the board for its consideration is $1,500 per “equivalent residential unit.”
   That could add up for high-users like the Comfort Inn and the Berlin Mall, which use many times the amount of water consumed by a typical single family home.
   After months of outreach aimed at coaxing property owners to verbally commit to the project, board members agreed six weeks should be more than enough time to review, sign and return legal agreements committing to buy water from the town once the proposed system is built.
   The town started actively recruiting potential water customers last October and has made slow, but steady progress toward cobbling together the critical mass of users needed to guarantee the affordable rates that were floated in the run-up to a 14-month-old special election.
   At that mid-February special election voters narrowly approved a bond issue for a project that will be financed with favorable federal funding that was subsequently obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program.
   The financing package includes a $1.5 million grant with the balance of the project being financed through a $4 million low-interest loan that will be repaid by ratepayers over 40 years.
   In order to keep rates affordable the board needs up-front commitments from enough users to comfortably proceed with construction.
   The magic number, based on latest calculations, is said to be the equivalent of roughly 350 single-family homes. That number that finally appeared to be within reach a month ago in an area that includes a mix of commercial and residential users, as well as a good bit of undeveloped land just off Exit 7 of Interstate 89.
   Town officials have been tight-lipped about who has expressed interest in the water system and who hasn’t, though as contracts are signed and returned in coming weeks that should become clear.
   One of the challenges faced during the recruitment phase involved properties that have invested relatively recently in expensive upgrades to private water systems, another stumbling block involved high-volume users holding out for a more favorable rate.
   The town has not proposed a two-tiered rate structure and done its best to persuade potential customers of the long-term advantages of hooking on to the municipal system.
   That system contemplates the construction of a 400,000-gallon storage tank, a pumping station and, perhaps most importantly, five miles of distribution line for water from three wells town-owned wells that have already been drilled, tested and permitted on Scott Hill Road.
   Once constructed, the proposed water system would instantly cure a chronic problem with salt contamination experienced by several private water supplies — including the one that serves the town offices. Officials hope it also will serve as a catalyst for development in a strategically located section of town that is saddled with water quality issues.
   Though the project is now running a couple of months behind schedule, officials haven’t publicly written off the potential for starting construction later this year. First they need agreements with customers and the proposed deadline should help determine in the next few weeks whether the pool of committed users is big enough to proceed.
   Meanwhile, the board is facing a deadline of its own. The town’s option to acquire the privately owned Berlin Water Co. is scheduled to expire in June, and while an extension is a possibility, getting the deal done is a priority.
   The private system, which serves a section of the Barre-Montpelier Road corridor between Evergreen Drive and Highland Avenue, is considered key to the project. Notwithstanding its potential for future expansion in another commercial area of the community, the town’s application for federal financing was predicated on taking over that system.
   Town Administrator Jeff Schulz told board members last week that town representatives were actively working on the planned acquisition.
   “They fully understand the need to make this happen,” he said.
   With some important decisions looming for the board, Schulz said members likely will start seeing more of the town’s consultant, Mark Youngstrom of Otter Creek Engineering. Youngstrom is currently working on the final design of the proposed water system and will be asked to meet at least monthly with the board over the next few months.
   Youngstrom has been working primarily with the town’s water supply committee, while meeting occasionally with the Select Board, during a process that started with a study back in 2007 and has progressed to the point where it will soon be time to decide whether to solicit bids. That decision will almost certainly be influenced by the response to the agreements that are scheduled to go out in the mail this week.
   david.delcore @timesargus.com

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BERLIN POND SURFACES AT MONTPELIER CITY COUNCIL

Pub 4/12/14 Times Argus by Amy Nixon

   MONTPELIER — Residents urged the City Council this week to seek a moratorium from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources over the opening of access points on Berlin Pond for recreational use until two petitions have been heard by the state.
   Petitions include the city’s effort to ban motorized watercraft and a request by Citizens to Protect Berlin Pond to ban all human activity at the pond, which is Montpelier’s water supply.
   The council agreed to have the city manager write a letter to the agency requesting a moratorium on the use of the pond until a decision is reached on the two petitions.
   At the meeting, the citizens group handed out buttons featuring an image of water and wildlife. State Rep. Warren Kitzmiller told the council he has heard back from several ranking state officials since sending a letter last week to bring the issue to their attention and expressing his alarm that a boat ramp may be under consideration at the pond.
   A challenge from residents to a century-old ban on recreational activity at the pond — which is also the water source for part of Berlin, including Central Vermont Medical Center — led to the state’s highest court determining that Montpelier does not wield that degree of power over the pond, and would need to seek such authority at the state level. Montpelier owns most of the land surrounding the pond, but not all.
   Kitzmiller said he has been assured “that they would not do anything until things got decided, and I understand that (ANR Secretary) Deb Markowitz has also responded. I think that we’re in pretty good shape on that.”
   He said he had not heard from the governor. “I think it’s safe to assume that they very much understand it would be a travesty to do something like (a boat ramp) until a decision has been made (on the two petitions).”
   Kitzmiller said of the petitions, “Those are going to be considered sooner than we could possibly consider legislation” to control activities on the pond.
   Councilor Dona Bate first asked council members to seek a moratorium from the state until the petitions are heard.
   To that, Kitzmiller said, “Even though I believe we’re safe, one more nail in the coffin never hurts.”
   Mayor John Hollar said he had spoken to the president of the Senate, who is supportive of the issue.
   Councilor Thierry Guerlain proposed constructing a covered bridge at a spot where a road crosses over a culvert from city-owned property to city-owned property, saying doing so would prohibit people from putting in kayaks at the culvert. It would be a “faux covered bridge,” he said, to prevent access to the water.
   To that point, Maxine Leary, a resident handing out the “Protect Berlin Pond” buttons, said, “Only in Vermont!” She urged the council and city officials to protect the city’s water supply. “I just want to say, I want clean drinking water.”
   City Manager William Fraser noted there are actually two pieces of land that are not in Montpelier’s hands and could provide access. There is a causeway, he said, which people can use directly, and an area where people park and walk in, which is “possibly an old Berlin town road, and Berlin is claiming that they have rights of ownership to that.”
   Fraser said, “The land issues are not 100 percent yet” and the city is working with its attorney on the issue.
   Fraser said that while Kitzmiller has been assured the process for a possible boat ramp will not advance, he has been told that “they’re moving ahead fairly steadily,” looking at a ramp in “the area that is in question.”
   The council will hear again from Citizens to Protect Berlin Pond at its meeting Wednesday. Several councilors gave their support.
   “It’s so straightforward,” said Bate. “It’s about our drinking water, our tap water.”
   Guerlain said there are so many ponds and lakes for recreational use in Vermont, “I just don’t understand why. ... It’s the water for us. It’s the water for the hospital.”
   According to Leslie Welts, staff attorney at the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Agency of Natural Resources will consider each Berlin Pond petition on its own merits under the Vermont use of public waters rule and past Water Resources Panel decisions. But, Welts said, it will issue a consolidated decision on whether to proceed with rule-making to amend the Vermont use of public waters rule, and the specific amendments if ANR determines rule-making is appropriate.
   amy.nixon @timesargus.com

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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 directly 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, some not included here:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Berlin-Vermont/205922199452224

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NOTE:

Many upcoming events I don't have details on yet but be sure to mark your calendars!!

GREEN UP DAY SATURDAY, MAY 3RD

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY AT WONDER CARDS & COMICS, MAY 3RD

ONION RIVER SPORTS BIKE SWAP (USED BIKES) MAY 3RD  (find details at:

http://www.onionriver.com/bikeswap)

NATIONAL TRAIN DAY IS ON SATURDAY, MAY 10TH (marking the anniversary of the Golden Spike being driven in 1869)  Amtrak celebrates this day by offering free train rides. Limited tickets which are free will become available soon but will go quickly and you must have a ticket to board.  Last year the free event was taking the train down from our station here in Berlin "Montpelier Junction"  (folks also get on at other stations Essex, Waterbury, Randolph, etc) to Bellows Falls, back to White River Jct where you received a box lunch and then were bused back to the train station here  (if you wanted to ride the train back later you would have to pay the fee). 

Included below please find:

HOUSING NEEDED

DAN GANDIN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

U-32 PRODUCTION "ALMOST, MAINE" FRIDAY & SATURDAY

CROSSTOWN ROAD IS INDEED BARRICADED

TOWN OF BERLIN RESOURCE LINE

DOG OWNERS - PLEASE REGISTER YOUR DOGS!

SCHOOL GARDEN - CEDAR POSTS NEEDED & WORK DAY

US 302 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN

TEEN FINANCIAL LITERACY SERIES - FREE!
KIDS GARDENING PROGRAM AT BERLIN ELEMENTARY

SELECTBOARD MEETINGS

BERLIN BEGINS EXPLORING PATH OPTIONS

PUBLIC SAFETY AUTHORITY: BERLIN SPLIT OVER NEXT STEPS

Note: you can look at previous issues by visiting: http://socialenergy.blogspot.com

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HOUSING NEEDED

Some folks are looking to move into Berlin a.s.a.p., she will be a manager at a store in town.  They would like to find a place with 2-3 bedrooms, washer/dryer hookup, preferably heat included, space for children to play, parking for at least one car. Have one spayed and declawed cat, but can place if necessary. 

You can contact them @ 207-551-4342. 

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DAN GANDIN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

After 36 years with the U-32 program, Dan is retiring. 

Story at: http://www.u32.org/grades9-12/athletics

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U-32 PRODUCTION "ALMOST, MAINE" FRIDAY & SATURDAY

The U-32 production of "Almost, Maine" will be on stage April 11 & 12 at 7:30pm.

Berlin students involved include Minda Stridsberg, Adam Brewer, and Kira Johnson who are in this production along with Nathan Chan - music, and Kay Bushman, Molly Cowan, Trey Croteau, & Madeline Goodard who are student directors.

"Almost, Maine" by John Cariani is comprised of nine short plays (each directed by a different U-32 student or faculty member!) that explore love and loss in a remote, mythical almost-town called Almost, Maine. This delightful play examines the magic and absurdities of falling in... and out... of love.  Tickets are available at the door $8 adults/ $5 students and seniors.

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CROSSTOWN ROAD IS INDEED BARRICADED

Crosstown Road in Berlin is barricaded as of 4/2/14, .75 miles up from the Riverton side. It will remain closed through mud season.   Look for photos on the town website www.berlinvt.org or on the Berlin, Vermont facebook page.

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TOWN OF BERLIN RESOURCE LINE

Call 552-8805 for updates on meetings, events, deadlines, and more.  This recorded message will be updated on Fridays.

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DOG OWNERS - PLEASE REGISTER YOUR DOGS!

Rates to register dogs are now $12 if spayed/neutered and $16 if not.  If you're having trouble getting to the Town Clerk's office M-Th 8:30-3:30, please note this is something you can do by mail.  Checks should be made payable to "Town of Berlin".  If the current rabies vaccination paper is not on file (call & ask if you're not sure - 229-9298), you'll need to include a copy.  If it's your fist time registering the dog and it is spayed/neutered a copy of that certification is also needed.  Even if it's something you don't have paperwork on, usually the local veterinarian's office can verify that and fax that over to the Town Clerk (fax 229-9530). 

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SCHOOL GARDEN - CEDAR POSTS NEEDED & WORK DAY

Thirty or so six foot cedar fence posts are needed for the garden at school.  Anybody know somebody these could be purchased from or even better, may be willing to donate?

A construction work day for the Garden Shed at Berlin Elementary School has been scheduled for during the week of school vacation on Wednesday, April 23rd.  Volunteers are needed.  If you're available, please call the school office at 223-2796.

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US 302 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN

Quite a few people attended the selectboard meeting this last Monday regarding the bicycle and pedestrian study of the corridor along the Barre-Montpelier Road.  If you'd like to be on the email list for receiving updated information, send an email to Lucy Gibson at DuBois & King lgibson@dubois-king.com   From Lucy - "Essentially, after a very long struggle, it has been concluded by VTrans that there is no possibility of using the railroad right-of-way for the bike path. So, our task is to look at alternatives, including the Route 302 right-of-way and also we will look at a path behind the stores, as there was clearly support for that concept. We will include a cost analysis of the project. Any type of bicycle or pedestrian facility will have a cost, and it will be up to the town voters to decide if the benefits are worth the costs. Our job will be to present the choices clearly, with as much information as possible." http://berlinvt.org/Route%20302%20Bike%20and%20Ped%20Study-03282014153250.pdf

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TEEN FINANCIAL LITERACY SERIES - FREE!
This Teen Financial Literacy Series at Kellogg-Hubbard Library is FREE! They are 1 hour workshops open to all! All start at 10:30 AM on the following Saturdays:
Saturday, April 12: Budgeting, Spending, and Saving: How to Make the Best Choices You Can with Colin Ryan: Comedian and Inspirational Speaker
Saturday, May 10: Budgeting Your Money with Alvah Newhall, VSECU Montpelier branch manager
Saturday, May 24: Establishing Credit, Understanding and Managing Credit/Debit Cards with Ellen Aseltine, Assistant Branch Manager, Northfield Savings Bank
Saturday, June 7: Interest Rates and Mortgages: What Are They and How Do They Work? With Elizabeth La Perle, Mortgage Officer, VSECU Berlin Branch
Co-sponsored by Girls/Boyz First Mentoring, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, National Life, Northfield Savings Bank, and VSECU

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KIDS GARDENING PROGRAM AT BERLIN ELEMENTARY

Register by 4/25/14 with the workshop held on Wed. 5/21/14

The UVM Extension Service continues to offer the Junior Master Gardener program which has been well attended by kids from throughout the area for many years. Registration is due on Friday, April 25th at the UVM Ext. Office at 617 Comstock Rd in Berlin.  You don't need to have a large space to garden in, just a small plot will do or many vegetables can be grown in containers.

Cloverbud - ages 5 - 7

Beginner - age 8+ and who have had their own garden or have helped in their family garden for one or two years

Advanced - age 11+ who have had their own garden or have taken major responsibility for their family garden for three or more years. 

Wednesday, May 21st at 5:30pm will be the "Plant Your Garden" workshop at Berlin Elementary School where kids will receive free seeds and plats and attend workshops.  There are opportunities to exhibit items you've grown at events in the summer and fall and the kids are invited to the Rotary Banquet in September for recognition and the auction. Rotarians will set up garden visits to offer their support and encouragement.

If you're interested, give the UVM Extension service a  call at 223-2389 x205 between 8am and 4:30pm.

You can find the brochure/registration form at:

https://www.facebook.com/225468414261660/photos/a.225475484260953.1073741828.225468414261660/384498535025313/?type=1&theater

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SELECTBOARD MEETINGS

Selectboard meetings can be found on line at:

http://www.orcamedia.net - look for the listing of "Berlin Selectboard"

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BERLIN BEGINS EXPLORING PATH OPTIONS

Pub 4/9/14 Times Argus by David Delcore

  BERLIN — The public rollout of a plan to explore creating amenities for bicyclists and pedestrians along a stretch of the Barre-Montpelier Road received mixed reviews this week.
  Though no decisions have been made and the process has barely begun, some residents were less enthusiastic than others about the prospect of shifting focus from a railroad right of way parallel to the Barre-Montpelier Road to one that would potentially use a portion of that well-traveled state highway.
  The idea of incorporating bike lanes in a stretch of road that is five lanes wide in one location and narrows to two in another was described by one resident as “a golden opportunity” and by another as “a really important transportation alternative.”
  However, it was panned by others who said a roadside path would be a dirty and dangerous substitute for an off-road option.
  “It certainly wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice to do it that way,” one resident said.
  Lucy Gibson, of the engineering firm DuBois & King, acknowledged it wasn’t the first choice but said that without a guaranteed easement from a railroad that isn’t willing to provide one, it would be impossible to secure federal funding to construct the bike path that was originally proposed.
  “It may be the only choice,” Gibson said of the evolving plan, which will involve exploring ways to extend a multi-use path from the Wayside Restaurant to the Price Chopper Plaza.
  According to Gibson, that plan would likely include incorporating portions of the path into the current paved roadbed, which is scheduled to be resurfaced by the state next year.
  “These are options that could fit right in with the paved area that you have now,” she said, reviewing alternatives that ranged from buffered bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the road to a two-way “cycle track” on one side of a reconfigured road.
  Wayside Restaurant and Bakery owner Brian Zecchinelli said he was a bike path supporter but was skeptical of the possibility of creating bike lanes on a commercial stretch of state highway that is busy enough to be dangerous.
  “Hopefully we can pursue something off the beaten track ... not necessarily the railroad bed, but in a more refreshing, rural (setting),” he said.
  While some said they believed an alternative that ran behind Barre-Montpelier Road businesses should be pursued to the exclusion of ones that use the road itself, others said both were important and could be an asset to businesses, as has been the case in communities like South Burlington.
  Jonathon Goddard said he liked the idea of connecting one of Berlin’s commercial centers in a “complete streets manner.”
  “I think it could really be a boon for businesses,” he said of the prospect of having bike- and pedestrian-friendly access.
  “Whenever I see someone walking along that road I just sort of cringe because it truly is awful,” he said.
  According to Gibson, the consultant-led study will explore a number of alternatives that will be discussed with the state Agency of Transportation and property owners before they are presented at a second public meeting in August.
  Input from that session will lead to the selection of a preferred alternative that will be refined and presented at a public meeting tentatively planned for October.
  The well-attended overview of the scoping study was held in conjunction with Monday’s Select Board meeting.
  In other business the board approved a five-year tax stabilization agreement with Northfield Savings Bank and a $1-an-hour pay raise for Town Treasurer Diane Isabelle.
  The bank plans to break ground on a two-story, 20,800-square-foot office building that will initially bring 65 employees to the intersection of Paine Turnpike and Stewart Road in Berlin. The town’s economic development committee recommended the stabilization agreement, which is similar to one approved for the expansion of Wal-Mart. Select Board member Jeremy Hansen voted against the agreement.
  Board members said they were pleased with Isabelle’s performance in her first six months on the job and agreed to boost her pay to $24 an hour.
  david.delcore @timesargus.com

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PUBLIC SAFETY AUTHORITY: BERLIN SPLIT OVER NEXT STEPS

Pub. 4/9/14 Times Argus by David Delcore

  BERLIN — A verbal tussle over whether Berlin voters will be given the opportunity to decide if their town should join Barre and Montpelier in a regional public safety authority continued this week, and it probably isn’t over yet.
  Proponents of what they view as Berlin’s no-risk participation in the new authority say they plan to circulate a petition to obtain the public vote that was requested by a majority of those at last month’s town meeting.
  They are welcome to do so, according to Select Board Chairman Ture Nelson, who claimed Monday night the board would be within its rights to ignore a petition — even if it is signed by the requisite 5 percent of the town’s registered voters.
  That assertion took two former board members — Patricia McDonald and Paul Irons — aback, though Town Administrator Jeff Schulz said he’d researched the issue and was confident the board could not be compelled to warn a vote on the proposed charter if one is requested by petition.
  Schulz said after Monday night’s meeting that he had consulted the town’s attorney, Rob Halpert, before arriving at that conclusion.
  Contacted Monday, Halpert declined to comment on what he said was a privileged conversation. 

  However, based on Secretary of State James Condos’ emailed response to an inquiry from The Times Argus, the board might want to think twice before discarding a petition.
  “The statute … is quite clear: ‘A proposal to adopt, repeal, or amend a municipal charter may be made by the legislative body of the municipality, or by petition of five percent of the voters of the municipality,’” Condos wrote. “The petition process is a valid mechanism for initiating the adoption of a municipal charter and does not leave the select board any discretion to deny such a petition.”
  McDonald said Tuesday she had also reached out to Condos and a petition is in the works.
  “What we’re asking for is the right to vote on an issue we have a right to vote on,” she said.
  The only reason the issue was on Monday night’s agenda was the board’s recent retraction of a letter reiterating that it wanted no part of the regional authority. That letter, which was written on the board’s behalf in the wake of the nonbinding vote on Town Meeting Day, prompted McDonald and Rep. Patti Lewis to claim the board violated Vermont’s open meeting law by agreeing to send the correspondence without first publicly discussing it.
  Based on that criticism, board members agreed to rescind the letter last month and defer discussion of what to do about it until Monday’s meeting.
  Nelson told board members they had three options: resend the letter that reflected the unanimous view of the board, modify it, or simply opt not to send it and “move forward.”
  Nelson recommended the latter — a course he said wouldn’t change the board’s position but would, he hoped, eliminate what has become a distraction.
  The discussion got off to a somewhat testy start when McDonald, who was critical of the letter’s content, as well as the process that led to it being sent out, raised her hand.
  “Do you want us to send the letter, or not send the letter?” Nelson asked curtly.
  “Can I comment further?” McDonald asked.
  “No, we’re just discussing the letter right now,” Nelson replied.
  Less than a minute later — after the board agreed to scrap the letter with nothing more than a series of head nods, McDonald raised her hand and was recognized.
  The letter aside, McDonald told the board she remained interested in a public vote on the proposed charter that she said was requested by a majority of voters at town meeting.
  “They wanted the opportunity to vote,” she said, suggesting that message was seemingly lost on a board that abruptly ended its four-year participation in a study that town taxpayers helped finance before work on the proposed charter was finished late last year.
  “A lot of us would like the opportunity to vote on this charter and have the ability to sit at the table with the public safety authority,” McDonald said. “How do we make that happen?”
  Nelson said the advisory vote suggested the issue be included on the ballot for the next annual or special town meeting.
  “I’m not going to hold a special town meeting just for that topic,” he said. “I’m not going to spend the money on that.”
  That’s when McDonald wondered aloud if a petition might change the board’s mind and Nelson contended it wouldn’t be binding.
  Irons questioned that opinion, only to be told by Schulz that, even if presented with a valid petition: “The board would not be legally bound to have a vote.”
  Legality aside, McDonald said she was troubled by the “incomprehensible” resistance of a board that let Nelson do all the talking.
  “You’re so dead set against this … that if we were to submit a petition you would not consider that you would want to hear from members of this town that you represent?” she asked.
  Another former board member, Bob Wernecke, suggested the question could be asked in conjunction with this year’s primary or general elections if cost was a concern.
  “I would think we would take that under advisement,” Nelson said.
  Several members of the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department, including Chief Miles Silk Jr., attended the meeting but didn’t say anything.

However, Lewis’ husband, Albie, who served in the department for 25 years including a couple as chief, said he was having a hard time understanding the board’s reluctance to participate in a regional authority that will evaluate the potential for consolidating some or all emergency services in participating communities.
  “Was there additional cost that they were asking for … or did you just decide that you did not want to participate even though there was no cost?” he asked.
  Nelson said he objected to what he described as a “totally backward” process that required towns to adopt a charter before being presented with a detailed implementation plan.
  “If they come forth with a concrete proposal I would be much more in favor of taking a look at it,” he said, accusing the committee that Patti Lewis served on for more than four years of “wasting our time” by focusing its efforts on a charter that has now been approved by voters in Barre and Montpelier and a funding mechanism.
  Patti Lewis said Berlin should not forgo the opportunity to have risk-free, no-cost representation on a yet-to-be-selected board that will be tasked with answering the sort of detail-oriented questions Nelson posed.
  “I think we owe it to our taxpayers and … our neighbors to at least go the next step and investigate it,” she said, suggesting to do otherwise would be shortsighted.
  “You need to look at the future,” she said. “It’s not just about tomorrow. It’s about 10 years from now (and) 15 years from now.”
  McDonald agreed. She said there was “no downside” to signing on to the regional effort and a potential benefit to helping chart a direction for the authority.
  “I don’t understand the resistance to sitting at the table with our friends and neighbors,” she said. “I just don’t understand the reluctance.”
  If Condos is right, and a petition calling for adoption of the public safety authority charter is filed with the appropriate number of signatures, the board would be obligated to warn a vote on the question.
  david.delcore @timesargus.com