Tuesday, July 15, 2014
News to Know July 14, 2014
*
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
***********************
NOTE: Bee Balm - who knew?! I thought it was simply good for attracting
hummingbirds - be sure to check out the Front Porch Forum listing below!
Below you will find:
DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
BOARD MEETING POSTPONED
QUARRYWORKS IN ADAMANT
"TABLE MANNERS" AT UNADILLA THEATHER IN MARSHFIELD
BRIGADOON AUDITIONS
NO ACCIDENT: GOWANS NAMED TOP TRACK AND FIELD STAR
LEGISLATIVE WEBSITE REDESIGN (INPUT BEFORE JULY 25)
IN MAINE
PROFILES IN COURAGE: AN
OLYMPIAN'S BIGGEST CHALLENGE
FROM BERLIN
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DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
BOARD MEETING POSTPONED
The DRB meeting scheduled for July 15th has been postponed
to August 5th, 7pm at the town office.
The two applications are the continuation of Hooker's Redevelopment
Project 856 Route 302 and the review of Maplewood
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QUARRYWORKS IN
ADAMANT
One more week left to see the rousing QuarryWorks musical
"110 in the Shade"! For free
tickets call 802-229-6978. July 17, 18,
19, & 20 Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7:30pm and matinees Saturday and Sunday
at 2pm .
Make your reservations for great fun in the QuarryWorks
production of "Jack and the Beanstalk"! July 26 & 27 and August 2
& 3 Saturdays at 2pm and 5pm and Sundays at 2pm .
www.quarryworks.org
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"TABLE MANNERS"
AT UNADILLA THEATHER IN MARSHFIELD
Performances of Table Manners are coming up on July 15,
19, 23, 25, 31st and August 1. Curtain
time 7:30pm . Reservations 456-8968. Tickets $20.
501 Blachly Road , Marshfield
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BRIGADOON AUDITIONS
“Come ye from the hills! Come ye from the mills!” Singers,
dancers, and actors are invited to audition for Lerner
& Loewe’s timeless musical, Brigadoon, the story of a magical village in
the Highlands of Scotland and the miracle of love. Performances will be October
16-19 at The Old Meeting House in East Montpelier . Auditions at the Old Meeting
House on Sunday, July 20 from 11:30 to 3:00 . Callbacks will be Wednesday,
July 23, 6:00 to 9:00 . Questions? Contact Marcia Clark, 229-4889.
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NO ACCIDENT: GOWANS
NAMED TOP TRACK AND FIELD STAR
Pub 7/12/14 Times Argus by James Biggam
Almost.
Just about anything that could go wrong did go wrong for the highly favored Raiders, but despite a bizarre series of obstacles they rallied to capture their second consecutive Division II state championship. Gowans nearly missed the whole thing after being involved in a car accident, which landed him in the emergency room the morning of the competition. After finally being cleared to compete, he made the 84-mile trek from
“Adam just dominated the throws this year,” said 40-year veteran U-32 coach Mark Chaplin. “He had a rough state meet because of his car accident, but virtually every meet all season he was winning three throwing events and placing fairly high in the long jump as well.”
Gowans joined the track and field team as a sophomore, specializing in sprinting and jumping while packing in plenty of time in the weight room. A mid-season injury forced him to shift his focus from sprinting to throwing events, and the following year he emerged as a rare triple-threat to win shot put, javelin and discus at every meet.
“As a junior he really picked up the shot, and he was an instant success,” Chaplin said. “A lot of times kids will have a good throw early and then just plateau, and he kept getting better and better toward the end of the season.”
For decades U-32 had routinely settled for the bridesmaid role in D-II, but 2013 was truly a breakthrough season with state crowns for both the boys and girls. Gowans was the definition of a coach’s dream, single-handedly supplying 28 of his team’s 111 points at states to fuel a dramatic eight-point victory over runner-up Harwood. In addition to winning the javelin (152 feet, 11 inches), he was second in shot put (41 feet, 1.75 inches), second in discus (123 feet) and fifth in long jump (18 feet, 8.25 inches).
For a school with such a rich track and field history, last year’s championship was undeniably cathartic. But it was also the product of years and years of building a complete program despite up-and-down interest from student-athletes.
“We’d been second a number of times, and I think the difference comes down to a number of factors,” Chaplin said. “For one, the coaching is much more balanced. We have pretty strong coaching in all areas of track, as opposed to early years when we’d try to win it from the distance events. At the moment, we’re getting contributions from all areas of the team.
“Another major factor is lacrosse. When lacrosse started - and some schools had lacrosse, and other schools didn’t - it completely unleveled the playing field. We were one of the first schools to get lacrosse and it wiped us out: It took every kid who was a sprinter or jumper. Some years, I couldn’t even find four kids for a sprint relay team. There was a long time, at least 15 years, when it was very difficult to get sprinters and jumpers out for the team. But now lacrosse has sort of calmed down. They get kids just like other sports, but they don’t get all the kids. And at the same time, other schools that didn’t have lacrosse before are getting it now, so their numbers in track are coming down. It’s not the same as baseball, tennis and golf: They don’t take the same athletes. Lacrosse takes the same kids you need for a track team.”
Gowans is a prime example of that quintessential all-around athlete with all the tools to pick up a new sport like lacrosse. But strength-training for track and field events was a better fit in the spring, allowing him to bulk up in preparation for football in the fall.
“In football he was a star — and I think that’s his real love — so that provided the motivation for him year-round,” Chaplin said. “He wants to be strong for football, he wants to be fast for football — that’s what makes him get up and work hard in the morning. His long-range goal is in football, not track, so every day he was in the weight room for a portion of the practice - just getting strong. And what that translates into most directly is shot put.”
Last football season Gowans racked up 16 touchdowns, 1,171 rushing yards and a team-high 41 tackles to earn Times Argus Football Player of the Year honors. He helped the Raiders reach the D-II title game in basketball before kicking off the track and field season by sweeping all three throwing events at a home meet, including season-best efforts in both discus (123 feet, 9 inches) and long jump (19 feet, 4 inches). Three days later he won long jump, shot put and javelin during a
“I can’t remember anyone else who was quite as good as him at all three (throwing events),” Chaplin said. “Luke Hadden was better at javelin, and maybe better at the discus, but not as good at the shot. I think Adam is a little bit more of a natural athlete. He did it with strength more so than technique, and he was such a gamer. If someone in the javelin managed to throw it a foot or two farther than what he’d thrown, if he still had another throw, you could count on him to throw it farther. At least in the javelin and the shot, he would rise to the level of the competition and come through — especially this year.”
It was the same story at the 2014 Monster Meet, where
U-32’s chances of earning a repeat victory at states were sky-high during the final weeks of the season, despite the fact that a knee injury had sidelined star sprinter Andrew Danyew for the entire spring. On paper, the Raiders were seeded light years ahead of contenders Fair Haven, Lyndon, Harwood and Middlebury as Chaplin and the team boarded the bus to head down to states June 7.
Even after news arrived of Gowans’ accident, the Raiders were still clear-cut favorites to repeat as champions. But an early-morning injury to freshman Jalen Carter threw another wrench in U-32’s title plans, and suddenly the Raiders were in a dogfight with Fair Haven as both teams scrambled for points.
“Jalen slipped on the long-jump board and twisted his knee and he ended up not even being able to run the 100 and 200, and he was No. 2 seed in both and he was also the anchor in the 4x100 relay,” Chaplin said. “Another problem was that our best pole vaulter (Michael Dunkle) was entered in the pole vault and the 800 simultaneously. They were vaulting all day-long, but when they finally got to his height they had just started the 800. And when you just finish an 800 and try to pole vault, it usually doesn’t go so well. He wound up in a three-way tie for second, so that was OK, but he was a foot below what he was capable of.”
Unlike regular-season meets, coaches do not have the option of switching up their entrant lists during state championships. With Gowans locked in for all four of his signature events, Chaplin was forced to wait helplessly and prepared to take a complete loss.
“I knew we had a big cushion because we were pretty strong this year,” Chaplin said. “But I heard about Adam’s car accident, and he’s seeded for 38 points. And Jalen goes down early in the meet, and he’s seeded for close to 20 points. And I’m like, ‘Oh my god, there goes the cushion. It’s gone.’”
Gowans’ mother had called to update Chaplin of her son’s condition, though it was still unclear whether or not he’d be able to compete. Gowans had already been scratched in the long jump, where he was seeded second, by the time he finally arrived in Fair Haven.
“It was a long time between when I first heard he was going to come to the state meet and when he actually arrived - it must have been at least four hours,” Chaplin said. “He got there and he couldn’t compete in the long jump because all the preliminaries were done by that point. And they actually held the discus for him. We convinced them to allow him to throw because I’d talked to the meet director and explained the situation. The discus was essentially over, so he warmed up and took his three throws. He’s always had sector problems and he threw three fouls, so he went from being top seed to getting nothing in the discus.”
Just as prospects of a stunning meltdown began to seep into reality, the Raiders began to turn things around. Senior David Koonz leapt to a surprise victory in the triple jump, Henry John picked up another 10 points by winning the high jump and Gowans came through with victories in javelin (157 feet, 3 inches) and shot put (45 feet, 5 inches). He beat his closest javelin competitor by nearly 13 feet and won shot put by almost 4 feet.
“Adam had an inauspicious start but then he pulled it together in the shot put and the javelin, and he just dominated those events,” Chaplin said. “And the other guys started to step up too.”
During Chaplin’s four decades of coaching, there have only been a small handful of athletes to make an impact like Gowans. He graduated last month ranking third all-time at U-32 in shot put behind Jeff Guilmette and Jon Pagel, and he stands fourth all-time in javelin behind Hadden, Anthony Miller and Ben Cole.
“We’ve had some pretty outstanding throwers over the years, but they’re mostly either javelin throwers or discus throwers or shot-putters,” Chaplin said. “Maybe some do two of the three, but they usually never even compete in the third. It’s very unusual — boys or girls — to be good in all three.”
***
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LEGISLATIVE
WEBSITE REDESIGN (INPUT BEFORE JULY 25)
Hello folks,
If
you have an interest in improving user-friendly and accessible access to the
legislative web site, here is your opportunity!
It
has grown in leaps and bounds in the past two years, with the handouts received
by the members of a committee all posted on each committee page, for example,
but there are plenty of avenues to improve.
If
you have ever tried to track a bill, look up a statute, or follow legislative
action, and have been frustrated, send in your input.
Anne Donahue
From: Luke Martland
Sent:Monday, July 14, 2014 9:20 AM
To:ALL _HOUSE; ALL _SENATE
Subject: We are redesigning the website, and need your help!
Sent:
To:
Subject: We are redesigning the website, and need your help!
Dear
Representatives and Senators,
We
have hired Bluehouse Group (a Vermont
Please
respond by Friday, July 25th. We need to get
feedback as quickly as possible so that Bluehouse can incorporate everyone’s
input into their proposed redesign.
Thank you,
Luke Martland and Duncan Goss
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IN MAINE
Wouldn't it be awesome if
this old tradition could return! It
would seem that a delivery fee would be worth the savings in time and gas.
http://www.pressherald.com/2014/07/13/in-maine-the-milkman-returns/
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PROFILES IN COURAGE: AN OLYMPIAN'S BIGGEST CHALLENGE
On the CBS News tonight was
this is a story about an Olympic gold swimming champion who had life changing
injuries in an ATV accident - her attitude is amazing
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amy-van-dyken-remains-positive-after-severe-spinal-injury/
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FROM BERLIN
Below are a couple of recent posts .... 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
Bee Sting Cure...Bee Balm!
Bee Sting Cure...Bee Balm! (Hence the Name)
Hello neighbors,
I was walking across my yard yesterday and stepped on a bee. He
stung me right between my toes. OUCH! (actually I said something a little
different... but I was alone :)
I looked up how to deal with bee stings and found the suggestion
of "Bee Balm" leaves. Bee Balm is a most often red flower that looks
like a space alien or some underwater creature... anyway... it's everywhere in
my yard...
I took off two leaves, chewed them lightly and slapped them onto
the sting. (bee balm is related to mint and is not unpleasant to taste) By the
time I counted to 5 the stinging had stopped. Left on for 15 minutes, my toes
were fine. No swelling, no problem walking, nothing.
I thought that was news worth spreading. :) I sure love summer!
***
Full Time Home Care Giver Needed
Posted to: Berlin
Looking
for a live in caretaker for our elderly mother in Northfield Vermont
Please call Patty at 223-8959 for details
Please call Patty at 223-8959 for details
News to Know July 10, 2014
*
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
***********************
NOTE:
The Waterbury Arts Fest is Friday and Saturday July 11th & 12th on
Stowe Street http://waterburyartsfest.com/
*
The Stoweflake Hot Air Balloon Festival is this Friday evening through
Sunday, July 11th-13th, see the schedule and details at: http://www.stoweflake.com/activities_balloon_festival.aspx
*
The next Historical Society meeting is Tuesday, July 22nd, 7pm at the town office.
Below you will find:
UPDATE ON THE
"HOSPITAL HILL" BRIDGE WORK
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GURU IS NORTHFIELD NEW TOWN MANAGER
TOWN MEETINGS
- UPCOMING
BERLIN HOME PRIVATE SALE
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UPDATE ON THE "HOSPITAL HILL" BRIDGE WORK
We hear it's been
decided that this project can be done while maintaining traffic across the
bridge at all times. The contractor will
have six weeks to complete this work. Traffic speeds through the project area
will be reduced, however, there should be no noticeable delays in using this
bridge and the Berlin State
Highway Barre-Montpelier
Rd.
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Pub 7/5/14 Times Argus by Amy Ash Nixon
Northfield Select Board Chairman John Quinn announced Friday the appointment of Berlin Town Administrator Jeffrey Schulz to the position of
Schulz will start his duties in
Ture Nelson, chairman of the Select Board in
Quinn’s news release said Schulz’s contract is for three years.
Before serving as
He has held various planning and zoning positions in both
Schulz, a graduate of
“Schulz takes the position in
Schulz will report to the nine-member Select Board for the first nine months in his new post, according to Quinn. That board is made up of a combination of the membership of both the town and village boards prior to the merger. In March, the board serving the unified community will revert to five members as outlined in the town charter.
According to the statement,
Major projects that will be waiting for Schulz include water system improvements expected to cost some $2 million; centralization of the town’s public safety services to include police, fire and ambulance in one location; and the replacement of housing damaged by Tropical Storm Irene with a public park on the banks of the Dog River.
The town of
amy.nixon @timesargus.com
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GURU IS NORTHFIELD NEW TOWN MANAGER
http://www.thenorthfieldnews.com/news/2014-07-03/Front_Page/Economic_Development_Guru_is_Northfields_New_Town_.html
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TOWN MEETINGS - UPCOMING
The Sewer
Commission meets on Monday, July 14th at 7pm in the town office.
*
The
Development Review Board will next meet on Tuesday, July 15th at 7pm at the town office.
There are two
applications on the agenda: 1) demolition of existing structures and
construction of three new buildings with associated parking and utilities (this
is where Hookers & Rubber Bubbles are currently located); 2) development of
convenience store including deli and fuel island (this is to the left of where
Maplewoods currently is)
*
The next
selectboard meeting is Monday, July 21st at 7pm at the town office.
*
The Planning
Commission next meets on Wednesday, July 23rd at 7pm at the town office.
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BERLIN HOME PRIVATE SALE
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Daylong music festival will also
feature food, music, family activities
Hutchinson, who released his third album, Pure Fiction, this spring, will
headline the daylong music festival, which is co-sponsored by The Point
Radio Network and Seven Days along with the National
Life Group Foundation.
In addition, the Gordon Stone Band, the
Patrick Fitzsmmons Trio, Pale Cowboy and PaDulabaum will perform from the main
stage.
“This is a great lineup of talented
musicians who appeal to wide audiences,” said Mehran Assadi, President and CEO
of National Life Group. “We’re excited that they will help us do good in our
community while we enjoy a day of food, fun and music.”
The Do Good Fest is free and open to the
public. A fee of $20 per car will be charged for parking at National Life Group
and all the proceeds will benefit Branches of Hope, the cancer patient fund at Central Vermont Medical Center National Life Cancer Treatment Center
Food trucks serving everything from Asian to
southern barbecue to gelato will be on the grounds throughout the day, along
with a beer tent. A children’s area featuring face painting and other
activities will be under a tent alongside a “nonprofit village.”
The festival is a rain-or-shine event and runs from 1 p.m. through 9 p.m. Eric Hutchinson is scheduled to take
the stage at 7 p.m. Blankets
and chairs are welcome. Sorry, no bottles, cans or coolers.
The companies of National Life Group offer a broad range of
financial products, including life insurance, annuities, and investments, and
financial solutions in the form of estate, business succession and retirement
planning strategies. They are a leading provider of 403(b) and 457(b)
tax-deferred retirement plans, primarily in the K-12 school
marketplace.
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Thursday, July 03, 2014
News to Know July 3, 2014
*
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
***********************
NOTE:
Happy Fourth of July! If
you're looking for some fun festivities: http://www.wcax.com/story/25862063/4th-of-july-celebration-festivities
(there are additional activities listed in the comments on that page)
Tune
into WDEV to see if the anticipated weather today changes any of the plans for Montpelier
*
Take a minute to refresh what you know about
lightning safety (see below) and be sure to share the information with your
kids!
*
Below you will find:
LIGHTNING SAFETY - BE SAFE
LOOKING FOR HOUSE RENTAL
JEFF DANZIGER AT KELLOGG-HUBBARD
LIBRARY JULY 9TH
UPCOMING HOSPITAL HILL ROAD
TOWN OF BERLIN
REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY
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LIGHTNING SAFETY - BE SAFE
http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/tips.htm
*
Lightning: What You Need
To Know
NO PLACE outside is
safe when thunderstorms are in the area!!
If you hear thunder,
lightning is close enough to strike you.
When you hear thunder, immediately move
to safe shelter: a substantial building with electricity or plumbing or an
enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with windows up.
Stay in safe shelter at
least 30 minutes after you hear the last sound of thunder.
*
Indoor Lightning Safety
Stay off corded phones,
computers and other electrical equipment that put you in direct contact with
electricity.
Avoid plumbing, including
sinks, baths/showers and faucets.
Stay away from windows and
doors, and stay off porches.
Do not lie on concrete
floors, and do not lean against concrete walls.
*
Last Resort Outdoor Risk
Reduction Tips
If you are caught
outside with no safe shelter anywhere nearby the following
actions may reduce your risk:
Immediately get off
elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges or peaks
Never lie flat on the
ground
Never shelter under an
isolated tree
Never use a cliff or rocky
overhang for shelter
Immediately get out and
away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water
Stay away from objects
that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.)
***
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LOOKING FOR HOUSE RENTAL
Family with two teenagers looking
for a 3 (or more) bedroom house to rent in the U-32 school district with a
10-12 month lease. Country setting preferred and the closer to I89 the better —
Berlin
***
***
JEFF
DANZIGER AT KELLOGG-HUBBARD LIBRARY JULY 9TH
Jeff Danziger, a longtime political
cartoonist, will speak at Kellogg-Hubbard Library on July 9 at 6:30 p.m. about his latest book, “The Conscience of a Cartoonist,” an
account of America
“Danziger documents, via cartoons and extensive educational commentary, the tragedy of that day and the politically disorganized response that followed,” according to a news release for the event.
The coffee table book is “also his elucidation on the art of editorial cartooning.”
Bear Pond Books will be selling copies of his book at the event, which Danziger will sign.
Danziger is a political cartoonist syndicated by The New York Times worldwide. He was a finalist for the 1993 Pulitzer Prize, won the 2006 Herblock Prize and the 2008 Thomas Nast Prize, and is a decoratedVietnam
Danziger was included in the recent French documentary “Cartoonists: Foot Soldiers of Democracy.” It was shown at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, which he attended.
His cartoons will be on exhibit at the library during July and August.
“Danziger documents, via cartoons and extensive educational commentary, the tragedy of that day and the politically disorganized response that followed,” according to a news release for the event.
The coffee table book is “also his elucidation on the art of editorial cartooning.”
Bear Pond Books will be selling copies of his book at the event, which Danziger will sign.
Danziger is a political cartoonist syndicated by The New York Times worldwide. He was a finalist for the 1993 Pulitzer Prize, won the 2006 Herblock Prize and the 2008 Thomas Nast Prize, and is a decorated
Danziger was included in the recent French documentary “Cartoonists: Foot Soldiers of Democracy.” It was shown at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, which he attended.
His cartoons will be on exhibit at the library during July and August.
***
***
UPCOMING HOSPITAL HILL ROAD
"Tentatively we are starting the closure on July 8th now. We are
also going to work 24 hours a day to get the repair completed in 15 days, to
lessen the impact on the public." "Hospital Hill" in Berlin Barre-Montpelier Road Berlin , Vermont
***
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TOWN OF BERLIN
The Town Offices will be closed on Friday, July 4th.
*
The next Selectboard meeting is Monday, July 7th at 7pm at the town office.
As a reminder, potential water system users who return their
signed commitment form prior to the project going out to bid will have the
connection fee waived. This is potentially a $1,000-$1,500 savings.
The Selectboard anticipates placing the water supply project out to bid at
their July 7th meeting,
so send in your completed form as soon as possible if you want to take
advantage of this savings. Of course you can submit your commitment form
after the project has been put out to bid, however, your connection fee
will not be waived.
*
The Economic
Development Committee will meet on Wednesday, July 9th at 5:30pm at the town office.
*
The Planning
Commission meets the 2nd and
4th Wednesdays of the
month with their next meetings being on July 9th and 23rd at 7pm at the town office. They’re currently discussing
subdivision regulations.
*
The Town
Clerk’s office will be closed Thursday, July 10th and the Treasurer’s office will be
closed Friday, July 11th
*
The
Development Review Board will next meet on Tuesday, July 15th at 7pm at the town office. Agendas are published in the Times
Argus, are posted on the board at the town office, and can be found on the town
website www.berlinvt.org.
***
***
REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY
The Select Board is doing what’s best for Berlin
Pat McDonald, a former two-term state lawmaker, and
candidate for the Vermont Senate, leaves no doubt as to where and with
whom her allegiance lies when she says, “The administration as well as the
legislature wants to see the authority succeed and hopefully be repeated
throughout the State. I want to get our town on board up front” (Times Argus 3/28/14 ).
One can only come away from that quote
realizing it is not what’s best for Berlin that is driving McDonald to
circulate a petition overruling the Select Board and requesting residents to
blindly vote about regional public safety to meet her goal of getting “our
town on board up front.”
In the few years I've been on the
select board I have seen firsthand how a few phone calls, e-mails, name
recognition, and a little leg work can influence a situation like this because
so few people in Berlin
It’s a lot easier to influence a small
number of voters then it is to change the minds of a dedicated select board.
Public safety is not a one time cost to be paid for by user fees like the water
bond. It’s a forever expense that quite likely could be dictated by Barre
and Montpelier Berlin
I have read the public safety charter
four times complete with highlighter and pen in hand, and for the life of me
cannot figure out why anyone would suggest that Berlin
I don’t need to sit down at the table
and have further discussions to know we should stop right here. There are
simply too many differences between “us” and “them” for Berlin Montpelier Barre City
If McDonald was interested in doing
what’s best for her own hometown instead of advancing her political aspirations
and the agenda of the administration and legislature, I’m confident we wouldn't
even be talking about this. On November 6, 2013 , at a publicly warned meeting, the
Berlin Select Board withdrew from the authority and didn’t hear anything about
it again until McDonald announced her candidacy for the senate in 2014.
I hope the residents of Berlin Berlin
Peter Kelley
pkselectboard@yahoo.com
(802) 476 7391
***
***
Pub. 7/2/14 Times Argus by David Delcore
On Tuesday night Malone was scheduled to appear before Berlin’s Development Review Board to pitch his plan to clear the lot that is home to three buildings — one that houses Newhouse Furniture and Barre Electric Supply, and two side-by-side shedlike structures occupied by Rubber Bubbles party store and a shop that specializes in countertops. A small storage structure would also be razed as part of the $2.2 million redevelopment project that Malone has proposed for the 2.9-acre parcel, which sits between the
Malone wasn’t expecting to get an answer Tuesday night, and the review board is scheduled to continue the hearing July 15.
However, after months of speculation about what Malone had in mind for the property that he acquired from the Newhouse family for $1.6 million, at least one question has been answered. His preference isn’t to rehab any of the existing buildings, but to start from scratch.
Plans submitted on Malone’s behalf call for the construction of three buildings on the site. Those would be configured differently from the ones they would replace, allowing for a vastly expanded parking area.
Assuming he is able to obtain permits for the project, Malone said the future tenant mix is a huge question mark — a fact that is underscored in his application.
“Specific uses for each building are unknown at this time,” the application states, holding open the door for a broad range of commercial uses, from office and retail to a restaurant.
Since Malone acquired the property, rumors about potential tenants have ranged from a Goodwill thrift store to an Olive Garden restaurant, though none has been substantiated.
According to the plans, the new main building — at 15,600 square feet — would be noticeably smaller and set significantly farther back from the road than the 24,100-square-foot building currently occupied by Newhouse Furniture and Barre Electric. Pushing the main building closer to the rear lot line shared with the Price Chopper plaza would create space for four full rows of parking in front, according to the plans, which indicate that center lot would include just over 100 of the 139 parking spaces in the project.
According to plans prepared by DeWolfe Engineering Associates Inc., the balance of the spaces would be dedicated to two separate structures that would bookend the main building. One of the two smaller buildings would be parallel to the entrance to the Price Chopper plaza and perpendicular to the
The other building would be roughly 6,900 square feet and would be constructed along with 20 parking spaces on the portion of the property where Rubber Bubbles and the countertop shop are currently located and near where the entrance to the entire complex is planned.
The consolidation of the entrance and exit would eliminate two of the three grandfathered curb cuts that span the majority of the property and would create separation from the entrance to the Price Chopper plaza.
Although the entire parcel is in the federally mapped flood hazard area, none of it is in the more restrictive floodway. Plans call for “significant filling” of the site so the proposed buildings can be constructed with first floors that are 1 foot above the base flood elevation. Malone would need to truck in enough fill to raise the grade of the site nearly 7 feet to allow the new buildings to be constructed above the base flood elevation.
The plans call for a net reduction in combined square footage on the site. The existing buildings collectively cover 33,727 square feet, not counting the storage building, while the proposed structures would cover a combined 29,100 square feet, according to the application.
Malone said his plans for the property will almost certainly require at least the temporary relocation of all of the current tenants and that he has tried to be as accommodating as possible given the uncertainty of the permit process.
“I’m trying to give all of the tenants as much notice and as many options as I can,” he said.
At least one of his current tenants, Rubber Bubbles owner Debbie Hemmings, said she has had preliminary conversations with Malone about an alternate location, though the one he suggested was out of her price range. Hemmings said Malone hasn’t indicated when he hopes to start work — in part because he hasn’t yet obtained the permits he’ll need — but she is bracing to move the business she opened in 1990.
“I know it’s inevitable,” she said.
Malone said he has reached out to all of the current tenants, offering them alternative space, while stressing he is at the front end of what could be a very time-consuming process given the need to obtain various state and local permits.
“This process could take a couple of years,” he said. “I hope not, but it could.”
Malone is shifting his focus to the
According to Malone, all but 2,500 square feet of that building has been spoken for. Next month, he said, Fastenal will move its store from another building he owns at the base of Gallison Hill into the Dollar General building, and Ormsby’s Computer Store will relocate from downtown Barre to the
@Tagline:david.delcore @timesargus.com
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BERLIN
Pub 7/2/14 Times Argus by Neal Goswami
The site of the new, 25-bed
“This is the shining example of how to turn tragedy into opportunity,” Shumlin, a second-term Democrat, said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning.
The hospital sits on more than 5 acres adjacent to
Officials said the
Another temporary facility in Middlesex hasn’t yet been slated to close.
“This is a big day for
The inpatient beds will serve Vermonters with acute mental health treatment needs, with other outpatient services available in communities across the state. The Shumlin administration and lawmakers opted for the distributed system of care that allows mental health patients to receive treatment closer to their home communities.
“Today marks over two years of the creation and the expansion of our mental health system,” said Mental Health Commissioner Paul Dupre. “A lot of hard work has gone in. This building is just one piece of a large system of care throughout our community. All the hospitals in the state of
The governor said he opted against rebuilding the site in
“As long as I’ve been in politics in
He thanked the health care personnel and law enforcement officers across the state who “have all risen to the challenge and delivered the best care they could under extraordinarily difficult circumstances” after the closing of the state hospital.
Human Services Commissioner Doug Racine noted the effort state employees have made to continue caring for their patients, even as they were displaced and moved to different locations.
“Throughout this whole crisis, and it’s been an ongoing crisis as the governor said, they and so many people have stepped up,”
The hospital cost $28.5 million to construct. The Federal Emergency Management Agency covered $12.5 million, while insurance paid $3.5 million. The state contributed $12.4 million to the effort.
Shumlin said the state’s newest facility and its system of care will improve the lives of Vermonters struggling with mental illness.
“We have learned from the mistakes of the past. We know that mental health patients, historically, have been discriminated against when compared to other diseases.
@Tagline:neal.goswami @timesargus.com
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