Monday, June 16, 2014
News to Know June 12, 2014
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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
*
Check out the "Berlin , Vermont
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NOTES: U-32 GRADUATION
FRIDAY, JUNE 13TH AT 6:30PM
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This weekend is Free fishing on Saturday and Free admission
to VT State Parks & Historic sites on both Saturday and Sunday.
Below you will find:
TRAFFIC ALERTS
VENTURE VERMONT GET A FREE PASS
CHILDCARE AVAILABLE
JUNE IS ALZHEIMER'S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH
CLEARING UP THE POND ARGUMENTS
SHOULD RECREATION BE
BANNED ON BERLIN
PUBLIC SAFETY AUTHORITY
PETITION
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TRAFFIC ALERTS
HOSPITAL HILL - MOTORISTS CAN GO UP, BUT NOT DOWN
"Hospital Hill" in Berlin Barre-Montpelier
Road Berlin , Vermont
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EXIT 7 MILLING AND
PAVING
I-89 Exit 7 Berlin Southbound On and Off Ramps will be closed
Thursday June 19th, 2014
for milling and Sunday
June 22nd, 2014 for paving from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Please plan accordingly and
seek an alternate route.
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Very cool - house listings marked on a map to easily see
where they are located http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Berlin-VT/398919_rid/days_sort/44.2661,-72.512341,44.167307,-72.69413_rect/12_zm/
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CHILDCARE AVAILABLE
From Kimberly Boyd - I have been providing childcare for
young children for the past 16+ years and I am looking to provide care for a
few school aged children this summer. I have a 12 year old daughter, 9 year old
son and 7 year old son all of whom love to entertain younger children. I
provide many fun and structured activities and even provide the occasional
field trip from time to time. If you are looking for care for your school aged
child (3+) this summer, please feel free to give me a call at 229-9517. I'd
love to talk to you about the quality of care I can provide you and your child.
(When I spoke to Kim today she specifically said if there are some needs in
August she would be available)
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VENTURE VERMONT GET A FREE PASS
The Vermont State Park Vermont
http://www.wcax.com/story/25722105/destination-recreation-venture-vermont-outdoor-challenge
http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/venturevt.htm
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From Jennie Thompson - A Berlin Student
of U32 is going to the Special Olympic USA Games in Princeton , New Jersey June 21, 2014 . The
Student is my son Daniel Davis, who is graduating from U-32 this week and is
representing Vermont Central
Vermont for Bocce. They are Shane Morris, sophomore at
U32 from Orange East Barre ; and Kayla
Richard, Spaulding HS, from Graniteville.
This is a once every 4 year event. It is like the Olympics, but
just for Special Olympians.
GOOD LUCK DANIEL! - from your Berlin
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JUNE IS ALZHEIMER'S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH
Alzheimer's is a dreadful
disease. It's amazing how many people I
know have a spouse, parent, or grandparent with Alzheimer's. On a personal note, my mom moved in with us
in March 2012 when we knew something wasn't right and she was diagnosed with
Alzheimer's a few months later. She is
now 75. It is a difficult journey. This spring my mom moved into a facility
where they understand Alzheimer's.
Dear Abby:
More and more of my friends are trying to work and take care of parents who have Alzheimer’s disease. One of my closest friends’ husbands was recently diagnosed with it. He is only 62. I thought Alzheimer’s was only memory loss, but it seems like so much more. His personality has changed. She tells me he gets angry with her when she tries to help him.
More and more of my friends are trying to work and take care of parents who have Alzheimer’s disease. One of my closest friends’ husbands was recently diagnosed with it. He is only 62. I thought Alzheimer’s was only memory loss, but it seems like so much more. His personality has changed. She tells me he gets angry with her when she tries to help him.
What exactly is
Alzheimer’s, and what can be done to stop it?
— Unsure in Oak Park , Illinois
Dear Unsure: I’m
sorry to say – from personal experience – that Alzheimer’s disease, while often
thought of as “minor memory loss,” is a disease that is ultimately fatal. Its
cause is not yet understood. I lost my mother to it. Alzheimer’s kills nerve
cells and tissue in the brain, causing it to shrink dramatically. It affects a
person’s ability to communicate, to think and, eventually, to breathe. At least
44 million people worldwide are living with Alzheimer’s disease and other
dementias. As our populations age, those numbers will swell to 76 million by
2030.
Currently there is no way
to prevent, stop or even to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Some
drugs manage the symptoms, but only temporarily. This is why more
funding for Alzheimer’s and more support for the families who are caring
for loved ones who have it are so urgently needed.
Please suggest to your
friend that she contact the Alzheimer’s Association for help because it offers
support groups for spouses.
Readers, June is
Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. If you are concerned about Alzheimer’s
disease – and we all should be – you can get involved by joining the global
fight against this very nasty disease. To learn more, visit alz.org/abam.
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COMMENTARY by George E. Rice
CLEARING UP THE POND ARGUMENTS
Pub. 6/4/14 Times Argus
I attended the public hearing
at Berlin Elementary School
was difficult for me not to rise up and speak. But then I quickly realized that the house was stacked.
As far as I could tell, this was like a town meeting. Folks don’t attend to listen to both sides of an argument in order to make an educated decision. They attend because it is entertainment or they want to hear themselves speak and receive accolades from their friends.
Prior to continuing, it is only fair that I disclose my own interests in the outcome of this discussion. I am not advocating one way or the other. I simply wish to elaborate on some facts and augment some of the statements made.
First, I moved toMontpelier Rutland Vermont
The Water Resources Board was responsible for classifying the waters. Class A was for drinking water, and other uses were restricted. Class B was for swimming and other recreational uses. There were other classes for uses that were safe for neither drinking nor swimming, etc.
Some bodies of water (such as Lake Champlain) could not be classified as Class A even though it was the drinking water source for Burlington and other municipalities. The commercial use of the lake prevented a change in classification.
Berlin Pond was special. One hundred years ago, someone built a dam in a stream and created a pond to be used as a drinking water source forMontpelier
After leaving the attorney general’s office, I was elected to the Montpelier City Council. I remember clearly a particular council meeting when someone from the Health Department spoke to the council and encouragedMontpelier Berlin Berlin
The new plant was built to protect the citizens from any and all dangers, or so we were told. During the same period of time, the city upgraded its sewage treatment facility to a state-of-the-art tertiary level, meaning that the discharge from the plant, after final chlorination, aeration downstream and dilution, was safe to drink.
Having provided a bit of history, I would like to respond to, or simply comment on, statements that were made by both sides during the hearing. The group advocating for drinking water safety is not addressing the real issue for limiting the use of the pond. The pond will be in no more or less danger no matter how the water is classified. Complete protection can only be obtained with physical security. That is not anticipated, nor is it feasible.
Recreational use will not prevent continuing treatment and clean drinking water. Animals defecating, dying and decomposing, as well as pesticides and herbicides will continue to get to the treatment facility. The quality of the water is further diminished by the decomposing plants along the water’s edge. That facility purifies the water through filtration, chlorination and an extended contact time before it is sent down the line to the city.
Today’s plants may use better systems, such as ultraviolet light or osmosis, but the 30-plus-year-old plant is what we have. Non-gasoline-powered boating and fishing will do nothing to change the quality of the water, and for that reason there is no continuing need to maintain an A classification.
One or two witnesses spoke of the threat of increased treatment because of recreation, resulting in the need of more chlorine or the addition of other chlorine-based chemicals.
I would argue that the amount of chlorine discharged into theWinooski River
One or two witnesses argued that boating would result in milfoil and zebra mussel invasions. That is no different from the fear of those invasions in any other body of water inVermont Lake Champlain has been invaded by
zebra mussels. (I now reside on the shore of Lake Champlain
Yes, the zebra mussels hurt one’s feet when stepping on them barefooted, but the water quality in the lake has improved as a result, and steps have been taken to successfully keep the mussels out of water intakes. The zebra mussels survive on food that damages the water quality of the lake.
Others advocated that the surrounding wetlands serve as habitat for wildlife and recreational use would disrupt that habitat. I would submit that other man-made impoundments have the same issues and also have wildlife habitats that are being used for recreational purposes. Peacham Pond and the Green River Reservoir come to mind.
On the other side of the argument, there were those few individuals advocating unlimited recreational use of the pond because its use is already degraded as a result of the noise on local roads and the fast food wrappers found along the side of the roads, hardly a rationale for unlimited use. To simply state that the area is not treated with respect is not any more of a reason to worsen the situation than for a group to oppose any use under any circumstances.
The alleged fragility of the area should prevent unlimited and uncontrolled use resulting in aConey Island atmosphere.
Neither side, however, was very convincing with respect to their representations about the current condition of the “wetlands” or the lack thereof.
Nor was there any credible representation about the danger to the shoreline resulting from any access. Neither side seemed to offer any credible rationale for amending the restrictions already in effect for Berlin Pond.
Is this not simply a battle between two municipalities? It reminds me of the ongoing dispute over the future location of the Air Force F-35s. They would be located inSouth Burlington , a municipality that does not want them,
but favored by Burlington
I am reminded of how judges admonish parties to a lawsuit. A court decision usually results in neither side being satisfied with the result. Parties are encouraged to settle their differences by themselves.
If there is truly no health reason to prevent limited use of the pond, should the two municipalities work out an arrangement that is somewhat palatable to both? If the pond is so valuable to the city, then the land surrounding it must have some substantial value that should add to the town’s grand list. Would not the residents of both municipalities gain from some limited use of this resource? I would not bet the ranch in this instance.
- George E. Rice is a formerMontpelier
was difficult for me not to rise up and speak. But then I quickly realized that the house was stacked.
As far as I could tell, this was like a town meeting. Folks don’t attend to listen to both sides of an argument in order to make an educated decision. They attend because it is entertainment or they want to hear themselves speak and receive accolades from their friends.
Prior to continuing, it is only fair that I disclose my own interests in the outcome of this discussion. I am not advocating one way or the other. I simply wish to elaborate on some facts and augment some of the statements made.
First, I moved to
The Water Resources Board was responsible for classifying the waters. Class A was for drinking water, and other uses were restricted. Class B was for swimming and other recreational uses. There were other classes for uses that were safe for neither drinking nor swimming, etc.
Some bodies of water (such as Lake Champlain) could not be classified as Class A even though it was the drinking water source for Burlington and other municipalities. The commercial use of the lake prevented a change in classification.
Berlin Pond was special. One hundred years ago, someone built a dam in a stream and created a pond to be used as a drinking water source for
After leaving the attorney general’s office, I was elected to the Montpelier City Council. I remember clearly a particular council meeting when someone from the Health Department spoke to the council and encouraged
The new plant was built to protect the citizens from any and all dangers, or so we were told. During the same period of time, the city upgraded its sewage treatment facility to a state-of-the-art tertiary level, meaning that the discharge from the plant, after final chlorination, aeration downstream and dilution, was safe to drink.
Having provided a bit of history, I would like to respond to, or simply comment on, statements that were made by both sides during the hearing. The group advocating for drinking water safety is not addressing the real issue for limiting the use of the pond. The pond will be in no more or less danger no matter how the water is classified. Complete protection can only be obtained with physical security. That is not anticipated, nor is it feasible.
Recreational use will not prevent continuing treatment and clean drinking water. Animals defecating, dying and decomposing, as well as pesticides and herbicides will continue to get to the treatment facility. The quality of the water is further diminished by the decomposing plants along the water’s edge. That facility purifies the water through filtration, chlorination and an extended contact time before it is sent down the line to the city.
Today’s plants may use better systems, such as ultraviolet light or osmosis, but the 30-plus-year-old plant is what we have. Non-gasoline-powered boating and fishing will do nothing to change the quality of the water, and for that reason there is no continuing need to maintain an A classification.
One or two witnesses spoke of the threat of increased treatment because of recreation, resulting in the need of more chlorine or the addition of other chlorine-based chemicals.
I would argue that the amount of chlorine discharged into the
One or two witnesses argued that boating would result in milfoil and zebra mussel invasions. That is no different from the fear of those invasions in any other body of water in
Yes, the zebra mussels hurt one’s feet when stepping on them barefooted, but the water quality in the lake has improved as a result, and steps have been taken to successfully keep the mussels out of water intakes. The zebra mussels survive on food that damages the water quality of the lake.
Others advocated that the surrounding wetlands serve as habitat for wildlife and recreational use would disrupt that habitat. I would submit that other man-made impoundments have the same issues and also have wildlife habitats that are being used for recreational purposes. Peacham Pond and the Green River Reservoir come to mind.
On the other side of the argument, there were those few individuals advocating unlimited recreational use of the pond because its use is already degraded as a result of the noise on local roads and the fast food wrappers found along the side of the roads, hardly a rationale for unlimited use. To simply state that the area is not treated with respect is not any more of a reason to worsen the situation than for a group to oppose any use under any circumstances.
The alleged fragility of the area should prevent unlimited and uncontrolled use resulting in a
Neither side, however, was very convincing with respect to their representations about the current condition of the “wetlands” or the lack thereof.
Nor was there any credible representation about the danger to the shoreline resulting from any access. Neither side seemed to offer any credible rationale for amending the restrictions already in effect for Berlin Pond.
Is this not simply a battle between two municipalities? It reminds me of the ongoing dispute over the future location of the Air Force F-35s. They would be located in
I am reminded of how judges admonish parties to a lawsuit. A court decision usually results in neither side being satisfied with the result. Parties are encouraged to settle their differences by themselves.
If there is truly no health reason to prevent limited use of the pond, should the two municipalities work out an arrangement that is somewhat palatable to both? If the pond is so valuable to the city, then the land surrounding it must have some substantial value that should add to the town’s grand list. Would not the residents of both municipalities gain from some limited use of this resource? I would not bet the ranch in this instance.
- George E. Rice is a former
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SHOULD RECREATION BE
BANNED ON BERLIN
Story in Seven Days Vermont
http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/should-recreation-be-banned-on-berlin-pond/Content?oid=2376413
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PUBLIC SAFETY AUTHORITY
PETITION
From Pat McDonald
For those Berlin voters who are interested in having a say
in whether Berlin becomes a part of the Central Vermont Public Safety
Authority, a petition to require the Selectboard to call the necessary hearings
and provide a vote (on whether Berlin should join the Central Vermont Public
Safety Authority) at the August 2014 Primary Election or November 2014 General
Election is ready for your signature. We need 100+ signatures and hope you will
consider signing the petition and moving this issue along to the voters. Cathy
Hartshorn, Bob Wernecke, Rep. Patti Lewis, Paul Irons and me (Pat McDonald)
have copies of the petition and are busy getting the requisite signatures. A
copy of the petition will also be available at Berlin
Here is the link for the complete text of H.892 (Central
Vermont Public Safety Charter):
http://www.leg.state.vt.us/database/status/summary.cfm?Bill=H.0892&Session=2014 .
http://www.leg.state.vt.us/database/status/summary.cfm?Bill=H.0892&Session=2014 .
Also you might be interested in reading a summary of the
Charter (H.892 -Act No. M-17): "This Act establishes the Central Vermont
Public Safety Authority and adopts and codifies a Charter for the Authority.
The Authority is designed to provide public safety services (fire, police,
ambulance, and dispatch) to the towns that are members of the Authority. As of
the date of enactment, the Cities of Barre and Montpelier
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# posted by Corinne's blog of Berlin and area happenings @ 4:28 PM 
