Monday, September 01, 2014

 

News to Know August 9, 2014

BERLIN NEWS TO KNOW  August 9, 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.
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Check out the "Berlin, Vermont" Community News page on facebook to find bits of current news, some not included here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Berlin-Vermont/205922199452224

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PLEASE NOTE:
On Front Porch Forum and in a previous News to Know there was mention of the "property on Muzzy Road that was bought out after being flooded by Irene".  The town does not yet actually own this property.  It is still privately owned and nobody should be on the property or removing anything from that property. 

The latest "Back to School" issue of the Montpelier Bridge has a lot of interesting information and can be read on line (http://www.scribd.com/doc/236221974/The-Bridge-August-7-2014).  Interested in getting out and hearing some music?  In their calendar of events you can find several Central Vermont Music Venues and what they have coming up, along with a Performing Arts listing.  Specific to Berlin is another Commentary regarding Berlin Pond.

Below you will find:

BERLIN WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
THE WHOLLY KALE! RAW JUICE BAR
TWIN CITY FAMILY FUN CENTER - GAME CARD
VT LAW ENFORCEMENT CHALLENGE AWARD TO BERLIN PD
CIRCUS SMIRKUS AT MHS
FREE BBQ IN BARRE TO RAISE AWARENESS & DONATIONS
CAPITAL CITY FARMERS' MARKET'S YOUTH DAY AUGUST 16TH
GRANITE STREET BRIDGE IN MONTPELIER WILL CLOSE AUG. 18 - OCT 20
DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
ICE CREAM (FROZEN YOGURT) SOCIAL AUG 22ND
CIVIC CENTER SUMMER ICE PARTY!
USED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT ANNUAL SALE
LIVING SMALL (AND PAYING TAXES) IN CENTRAL VERMONT
THERE'S A BETTER WAY - BERLIN PUBLIC SAFETY
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BERLIN WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
Rogers Farmstead now has their first batch of fresh whole wheat flour available.   This is in addition to there farm fresh raw milk, golden yoked eggs, and broilers.  The wheat was grown at their farm off Route 12.  This year's grains include oats, winter wheat, barley, triticale (a wheat/rye cross), and buckwheat.  Visit them at 934 Rowell Hill Road, call 371-5098, email: rogersfarmstead@gmail.com, find their website: www.rogersfarmstead.com or facebook page.  You can also find them at the Montpelier Farmer's Market.
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THE WHOLLY KALE! RAW JUICE BAR
"The Wholly Kale!" raw juice bar is opening at 67 Slayton Ave off Route 12 (next to GMTA), operating out of a food trailer.  Owned and operated by Lisa Lamoreaux and family.  They are serving fresh, cold pressed raw juice.  All of the ingredients are grown either on-site or bought locally and therefore are subject to change daily due to season / availability.  Initially hours will be 11am to 7pm.  Find more details at http://thewhollykale.wix.com/thewhollykale or call 802-249-5942
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TWIN CITY FAMILY FUN CENTER - GAME CARD
Looking for a gift for a teenager? One of my kids suggested a game card at Twin City Family Fun Center on the Barre-Montpelier Road. I gave them a call to find out more and they can load the game card (like a debit card) with whatever amount you want to pay and then it can be used on just about everything they have available (no alcohol) which includes bowling, cosmic bowling, laser tag, arcade, and food. Note there are specials (for example, currently Thursdays laser tag is just $5) which can stretch the game card dollars even further. Sounds like a great idea to keep a couple on hand for gifts but you could even end up using it yourself! http://twincityfamilyfuncenter.com/ Find them on facebook too.
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VT LAW ENFORCEMENT CHALLENGE AWARD TO BERLIN PD
   The Berlin Police Department has received an award from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program for the Vermont Law Enforcement Challenge.
   The department received a second-place distinction and was awarded a cruiser radar system worth $2,000. 
   The Vermont Law Enforcement Challenge is a program that evaluates a department’s efforts toward promoting highway safety. The Governor’s Highway Safety Program judges the applications, evaluating departments in seven categories. 
   Some efforts that brought the award include the department’s participation with child safety seat inspections and training, as well as participation in Governor’s Highway Safety Program mobilizations such as “Click It or Ticket” and “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” — both high-visibility traffic enforcement campaigns. 
   The challenge is based on the National Law Enforcement Challenge, partly funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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CIRCUS SMIRKUS AT MHS
The Circus Smirkus 2014 Big Top Tour will be at Montpelier High School August 10th at 4pm and August 11th - 13th at 2pm and 7pm.  For tickets 1-877-smirkus (877-764-7587) or www.smirkus.org.  Note that these shows have certainly been known to sell out.
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FREE BBQ IN BARRE TO RAISE AWARENESS & DONATIONS
The Abbey Group will be hosting a FREE BBQ in Rotary Park in Barre on Friday, August 15th. All are welcome! The event is in collaboration with Hunger Free Vermont to help raise awareness and donations. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, pasta salad, watermelon and drinks will be offered from 5-7pm. A $3 donation is suggested but not required. The event is primarily to promote programs that can help Vermonters. All money that is raised will go directly to Hunger Free Vermont.  Rotary Park is located on Parkside Terrace in Barre - turn right off South Main St (Route 14) onto Parkside Terrace (it's where the city pool and tennis courts are located).
Hunger Free Vermont (formerly the VT Campaign to End Childhood Hunger) is an education and advocacy organization with the mission to end the injustice of hunger and malnutrition for all Vermonters.  www.hungerfreevt.org
For those not familiar with the Abbey Group, they do food service at Barre Town Elementary School and also at the VT Fish and Game Buck Lake Conservation Camp.  www.abbeygroup.net
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CAPITAL CITY FARMERS' MARKET'S YOUTH DAY AUGUST 16TH
Once a year kids sell a variety of items they've made themselves http://www.montpelierbridge.com/2014/08/kids-day-at-the-farmers-market/
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GRANITE STREET BRIDGE IN MONTPELIER WILL CLOSE AUG. 18 - OCT 20
The Granite Street Bridge will close on or about August 18th to begin a bridge preventive maintenance project. The project will generally consist of lead paint removal, select repair or replacement of structural elements as needed, and other maintenance related activity. Following completion of the painting project, the wooden bridge deck will be resurfaced. Reopening of the bridge is anticipated the week of October 20th.
Motorists are encouraged to use the detours as follows:
• US Route 2 (River Streets) & Barre Street - to access or depart downtown Montpelier
• Pioneer Street & Main Street Bridges – alternate river crossing
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DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
The Montpelier Pool goes to the dogs once a year for this doggie swim fundraiser.  Bring your dogs for a swim to benefit shelter animals.  Bring your dogs for a swim to benefit shelter animals.  Limit two dogs per adult August 20th 5:30pm - 7pm.  Rain date: August 21.  Montpelier Pool at Montpelier Recreation Field on Elm Street.  Admission by cash or check donation to Central VT Humane Society 476-3811 (This event takes place after the pool has closed for the season for public swimming).
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ICE CREAM (FROZEN YOGURT) SOCIAL AUG 22ND
One Stop Country Pet Supply at the Twin City Plaza on the Barre-Montpelier Road is having an Ice Cream (Frozen Yogurt) Social on Friday, August 22nd from 2pm - 5pm.  They invite you to bring your dog on a leash and join in the fun.
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CIVIC CENTER SUMMER ICE PARTY!
Friday, August 22nd $5 per person Lace up your skates and go to the COOLEST place in town.  Bring the while family and join in for the first ever Sizzling Summer ICE Skating Party!  After the skating there will be family fun bon fire and s'mores.  Ice Skating 6pm - 8pm and Bon Fire 8pm - 10pm. 
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USED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT ANNUAL SALE
August 23rd 9am to 2pm at the Bethany Church, 115 Main Street, Montpelier.  Produced by Central VT Share the Music, Inc.  All profits of the sale will be used to provide music scholarship assistance to individuals.  229-0295 cvsm@comcast.net www.sharethemusicvt.org (note: drop off hours are 4pm - 7pm on August 22nd)
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LIVING SMALL (AND PAYING TAXES) IN CENTRAL VERMONT
Interesting story about how a family built a house with less than 500 square feet of living space where their garage had been and are now renting out the house.  http://www.montpelierbridge.com/2014/08/living-small-family-builds-diminutive-house-on-garage-footprint/

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THERE'S A BETTER WAY - BERLIN PUBLIC SAFETY
   Believing that Berlin, Barre Town, Barre City, and Montpelier can combine their individually existing emergency services, (fire, police, ambulance, and dispatch) merge their union members, equipment, responsibilities and duties into one, independent public safety authority that can provide equal and adequate services for a large, diverse geographical area when they haven’t been able to complete a bike path project together,  jointly own a single piece of equipment, or share a dispatch service, is ignoring the real-life challenges facing this endeavor.
   One example of joint ownership that in theory offered benefits to both town and city but in reality failed is Barre and Barre Town’s attempt at joint ownership of a vactor truck. The first sentence of the article titled “Barre town terminates Barre agreement” reads “Scratch a sewer vactor off the short list of joint ventures involving Barre and Barre Town” (Times Argus November 9, 2009 ) This highlights the real-life challenges that terminated joint ownership of a vactor truck between Barre and Barre Town due to availability issues and expense-sharing concerns, resulting in Barre town pulling out of the deal.
   Another failed attempt at combining services between Barre Town and Barre City directly related to public safety is dispatch. The public safety authority suggests dispatch be the first service participating towns create an MOU for. In the article “Town cuts off city dispatching” (Vermont Today March 10, 2011) Barre Town rejects the city’s attempts to resurrect the dispatch services from the city due to “what Chairman Jeff Blow described as long-standing customer service problems. The town board voted Tuesday night to sever ties with city’s emergency dispatch center in favor of saving $16,000 and obtaining those services from the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department.” Blow said “I hate that we’re leaving Barre City, but I think our emergency services deserve a better quality product for what we pay,” he said. “It’s a simple thing, but they (city officials) refused to fix it.” (Vermont Today March 10, 2011)
   A third example (and three strikes, “you’re out”) of seemingly simple joint ventures that are proving to be far more difficult, time consuming, and expensive than originally thought are bike paths. Add up the time, money and energy spent on bike paths, re-spent on bike paths only to be re-spent again over the past 20 years and it will flatten your tires. And that’s just bike path’s. I can only imagine how tied up we would get attempting to create a four-tiered public safety authority.
   If Pat McDonald wants to tell you that signing the charter and agreeing to move forward with the public safety authority is “risk free” that’s her choice and her way of doing business. “Based on the plain language of the legislatively approved charter, McDonald said she believed Berlin could have a risk-free opportunity” (Times Argus July 27.)  Finance and develop a few projects with your own money and you’ll find risk and challenges around every corner you never knew existed. Nothing is risk free. The language of the charter may be plain, but the weave of the words is not. Once caught in that complex web it will be very difficult to get out. Barre Town’s attorney Michael Monte said “ Barre Town may be potentially bound to this,” “there is some ambiguity there”. “I don’t know, it’s contradictory in my opinion,” referencing parts of the charter at Tuesdays July 29 Barre Town Select Board meeting.
   Why take the risk? A safer route for Berlin that makes sense for our small town is to save our resources and wait to see if Barre and Montpelier can make this work between themselves. If they do, the charter allows the authority to contract individual services to other towns on an  a la carte basis. At that point, without losing any control of our town and being locked into stifling agreements,  Berlin could review each service individually the authority offers and decide if any of them fit our needs and budget. Berlin already outsources fire, ambulance, and dispatch services.  When and if the time comes, the authority could be one more option from which Berlin can choose their emergency services on a contractual basis only, with no other obligations or commitments to them whatsoever. And that’s about as risk free as its going to get.
Pete Kelley, Berlin Selectboard
Berlin, Vermont 05641
pkselectboard@yahoo.com  (802) 476 7391
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# posted by Corinne's blog of Berlin and area happenings @ 8:08 PM
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