Tuesday, July 15, 2014

 

News to Know July 14, 2014

BERLIN NEWS TO KNOW  July 14 , 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 friends and neighbors.  If you're not already receiving this news directly by email, send an email to request this to corinnestridsberg@gmail.com.
*
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: 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, THE MILKMAN RETURNS
PROFILES IN COURAGE: AN OLYMPIAN'S BIGGEST CHALLENGE
FROM BERLIN FRONT PORCH FORUM
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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's Development Project 159 Paine Turnpike North
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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.   www.unadilla.org
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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
EAST MONTPELIER — Murphy’s law almost got the better of senior Adam Gowans and the U-32 boys track and field team this past spring.
   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
Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin to Fair Haven Union High School. A few hours later, The Times Argus Track and Field Boys Athlete of the Year walked away triumphantly with state titles in both javelin and shot put.
   “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
Mount Mansfield meet while placing second in discus.
   “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
Central Vermont’s top teams vied for local bragging rights. Gowans picked up victories in shot put (43 feet, 9 inches), discus (112 feet, 4 inches) and javelin (150 feet, 5 inches) while settling for third place in long jump (18 feet, 7 inches). He faced much more state-wide competition two days later at the Slater Invitational in Fair Haven but still prevailed in shot put (45 feet, 5 inches), discus (122 feet, 11 inches) and javelin (150 feet, 6 inches). Gowans served up his longest throw of the year to win the shot put (49 feet, 4.5 inches) at the Essex Invitational, where he also placed second in javelin (148 feet, 2 inches).
   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!

Dear Representatives and Senators,
We have hired Bluehouse Group (a Vermont company) to redesign the Legislature’s website.   To produce a better website, Bluehouse needs your input and thoughts.   Will you help?  The following survey will take 3-5 minutes to complete.  We know you are busy, but we would very much appreciate your input.  Please feel free to share this message and survey with your constituents or any other website users.  As you will notice, we have included a “comments” box after most questions to allow you to add any thoughts or suggestions that you wish.   We have also posted this survey on the main page of the website under “highlights”.  
 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, THE MILKMAN RETURNS
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 FRONT PORCH FORUM
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!

PEG E. MONLEY, LOVERS LANE
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!
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Full Time Home Care Giver Needed
Ron Lyon • Paine Turnpike South 
Posted to: Berlin
Looking for a live in caretaker for our elderly mother in Northfield. Vermont. 
Please call Patty at 223-8959 for details



 

News to Know July 10, 2014

BERLIN NEWS TO KNOW  July 10 , 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 friends and neighbors.  If you're not already receiving this news directly by email, send an email to request this to corinnestridsberg@gmail.com.
*
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:
The Waterbury Arts Fest is Friday and Saturday July 11th & 12th on Stowe Street http://waterburyartsfest.com/
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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
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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
BERLIN LOSING TOWN ADMINISTRATOR TO NORTHFIELD
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GURU IS NORTHFIELD'S NEW TOWN MANAGER
TOWN MEETINGS - UPCOMING
BERLIN HOME PRIVATE SALE
FIVE BANDS TO PERFORM LIVE ON MONTPELIER HILLSIDE ON JULY 19
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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 to connect with US 302 (Barre-Montpelier Rd.). It's now anticipated this project will start in early August
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BERLIN LOSING TOWN ADMINISTRATOR TO NORTHFIELD
Pub 7/5/14 Times Argus by Amy Ash Nixon
   NORTHFIELD — The town’s gain of a new manager is a loss for its neighbors in Berlin.
   Northfield Select Board Chairman John Quinn announced Friday the appointment of Berlin Town Administrator Jeffrey Schulz to the position of
Northfield town manager.
   Schulz will start his duties in
Northfield on July 21.
   Ture Nelson, chairman of the Select Board in
Berlin, said, “We’re sorry to see him go. He’s been with us for a little over seven years, and we’ve had some great times, but this looks to be some new opportunities for him, a town manager position and a larger community and everything, and you can never fault a person for looking for new adventures.”
   Quinn’s news release said Schulz’s contract is for three years. 
   Before serving as
Berlin’s town administrator, Schulz was the town manager in Fair Haven and had been development director for the village of Essex Junction. 
   He has held various planning and zoning positions in both
Vermont and Arizona.
  
Northfield conducted a four-month search for its new manager, with assistance from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, according to Quinn. More than 50 applications came in from across the country.
   Schulz, a graduate of
Plattsburgh State University and the University of Southern Maine, where he earned his master’s in public policy and administration, also did extensive course work in urban planning at the University of Arizona, the statement said.
   “Schulz takes the position in
Northfield at a time of considerable change, as the town and village of Northfield have merged as of July 1, 2014, after 150 years as separate entities,” said the statement from Quinn on the town’s behalf. “In addition, the merged town will benefit from a multiyear rebuild of the downtown area completed by the village prior to merger and growth at Norwich University, which is experiencing significant increases in both enrollment and facilities.”
   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,
Northfield’s population — including the student body at Norwich University — is about 6,400.
   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
Northfield maintains 80 miles of roads and streets; operates municipal water, sewer and electric utilities and a Memorial Park and recreation program; provides a full array of administrative services to the public; and provides major support for the operation of the Brown Public Library, the statement said.
  
Berlin is already planning for Schulz’s departure, posting on its website a notice that it is soliciting applications for the job.
   amy.nixon @timesargus.com
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GURU IS NORTHFIELD'S NEW TOWN MANAGER
Northfield News by Bill Croney / Kathleen Lott
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. 
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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)
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The next selectboard meeting is Monday, July 21st at 7pm at the town office.
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The Planning Commission next meets on Wednesday, July 23rd at 7pm at the town office.
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BERLIN HOME PRIVATE SALE
Berlin home on Highland Avenue for sale - 3 bedrooms, 1300 sq ft, on 1.3 acres with an above ground pool.  Ready for new family to move in.  Details at:
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FIVE BANDS TO PERFORM LIVE ON MONTPELIER HILLSIDE ON JULY 19
Daylong music festival will also feature food, music, family activities
   Montpelier, Vermont – Acclaimed singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson and his band will perform, along with four more bands, in a free concert at the inaugural Do Good Fest on the lawn of National Life Group in Montpelier on July 19.
   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.
   Hutchinson is known for hits such as “Rock and Roll,” “Best Days,” “Watching You Watch Him,” and “Tell the World” from his new album.
   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’s 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.
   For more details, visit the Do Good Fest website or email info@DoGoodFest.com.
   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

BERLIN 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 friends and neighbors.  If you're not already receiving this news directly by email, send an email to request this to corinnestridsberg@gmail.com.
*
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:
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's 3rd of July celebration or the races & fireworks at ThunderRoad.
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Take a minute to refresh what you know about lightning safety (see below) and be sure to share the information with your kids!
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Barre-Montpelier Road changes - Article below about the possibility of new buildings where Hooker's Furniture and Rubber Bubbles are which will house unknown tenants.   Also according to this article, in addition to the Dollar General opening in the building near the bottom of Hospital Hill, Fastenal currently on Gallison Hill will relocate there and Ormsby's Computer store will move from Barre to this location.

Below you will find:
LIGHTNING SAFETY - BE SAFE
LOOKING FOR HOUSE RENTAL
JEFF DANZIGER AT KELLOGG-HUBBARD LIBRARY JULY 9TH
UPCOMING HOSPITAL HILL ROAD CLOSURE
TOWN OF BERLIN UPDATES
REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY
BARRE-MONTPELIER ROAD: HOOKER PLAZA EYED FOR REBUILDING
BERLIN FACILITY CALLED 'SHINING EXAMPLE'

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LIGHTNING SAFETY - BE SAFE
http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/tips.htm
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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.
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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.
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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 would be ideal. We have two well-behaved pets - a 33-pound dog and a 7-pound indoor-outdoor cat.  All leads welcome, email cmchant1@aol.com.
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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 in the aftermath of 9/11.
   “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
Vietnam veteran. He has produced 10 books of cartoons and a children’s book, as well as a book about the Vietnam War. His 40-year cartooning career spans the New York Daily News, The Times Argus, the Rutland Herald and the Christian Science Monitor. He also was a teacher at U-32.
   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.
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UPCOMING HOSPITAL HILL ROAD CLOSURE
"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 will be closed to traffic going DOWN to the Barre-Montpelier Road, you'll still be able to go up.  The detour will take you down the beltline into Barre.   For questions contact:Jason.Cloutier@state.vt.us  (for a map see the Berlin, Vermont facebook page)
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TOWN OF BERLIN UPDATES
The Town Offices will be closed on Friday, July 4th
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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.
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The Economic Development Committee will meet on Wednesday, July 9th at 5:30pm at the town office.
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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.
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The Town Clerk’s office will be closed Thursday, July 10th and the Treasurer’s office will be closed Friday, July 11th
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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.
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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 participate in local government.  Only 4 percent of voters showed up at town meeting and only 12 percent voted on the 5.5 million dollar water bond.
   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 if Berlin joined the authority.
   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 agree to get tangled up with that.
   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 to commit to such a significant and complex agreement as regional public safety with Montpelier and 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 will remain confident in their Select Board and themselves to move forward with Berlin’s best interest in mind, and not be misled by pressures suggesting the Berlin Select Board is depriving you of your right to vote.
Peter Kelley
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BARRE-MONTPELIER ROAD: HOOKER PLAZA EYED FOR REBUILDING
Pub. 7/2/14 Times Argus by David Delcore
   BERLIN — With one of his Barre-Montpelier Road redevelopment projects coming together nicely, Patrick Malone is turning his attention to the one just down the road that has been on the back burner since he acquired the Hooker Plaza a little more than a year ago.
   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
Barre-Montpelier Road and the shopping center anchored by Price Chopper supermarket.
   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
Barre-Montpelier Road and would include 6,600 square feet of commercial space. 
   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
Hooker Plaza even as a new Dollar General just opened in a portion of a 20,000-square-foot building he’s renovating.
   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
Barre-Montpelier Road building later this year.
   @Tagline:david.delcore @timesargus.com
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BERLIN FACILITY CALLED 'SHINING EXAMPLE'
Pub 7/2/14 Times Argus by Neal Goswami
   BERLIN — Gov. Peter Shumlin joined lawmakers and state officials Tuesday to open a psychiatric hospital that will serve as the centerpiece of Vermont’s decentralized system of care.
   The site of the new, 25-bed
Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital was selected after Tropical Storm Irene damaged the antiquated state hospital in Waterbury. The state had been seeking a new psychiatric hospital since 2005, but that effort was fast-tracked after flooding forced the Waterbury facility to close.
   “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
Central Vermont Medical Center. It features outdoor treatment spaces as well as a library, a greenhouse and exercise space.
   Officials said the
Berlin facility is the capstone of a 45-bed inpatient system also spread across two other facilities — Rutland Regional Medical Center and the Brattleboro Retreat. There are six beds in Rutland and 14 in Brattleboro. Eight temporary beds in Morrisville created after the closure in Waterbury will now be discontinued.
   Another temporary facility in Middlesex hasn’t yet been slated to close.
   “This is a big day for
Vermont. It’s a big day for our health care system,” Shumlin said. “This is a big day for the patients that we love, care about and have wanted to treat in a state-of-the-art facility for over 30 years. This is our moment for Vermont.”
   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
Vermont have stepped forward, and now we have a new look at how we provide the care and treatment for people with mental illness.”
   The governor said he opted against rebuilding the site in
Waterbury because it was not meeting the needs of Vermonters, choosing instead to embrace the distributed care model.
   “As long as I’ve been in politics in
Vermont, that facility has not dignified the quality of care that we should be giving to our most vulnerable patients,” Shumlin said. “We have been operating from crisis to crisis with our most vulnerable mental health patients without adequate health facilities to put them.”
   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,”
Racine said. “We have got a much stronger system.”
   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.
Vermont has been on a long crusade over the last several decades to try and fix that,” he said. “I think today, this opening, is more than a symbolic indication that we finally want to put our money where our mouths have been and deliver the best mental health facility and the best mental health care system in America.”
   @Tagline:neal.goswami @timesargus.com

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