Sunday, April 19, 2015

 

News to Know April 11th

BERLIN NEWS TO KNOW  April 11, 2015
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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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On the BerlinVermont facebook page there is a constant flow of information.  You don't need to be a facebook user to access it, but if you do use facebook, be sure to "Like" it:
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Notes:
Does anybody have any old photos of the Little Valley School on VT Rt 12 in Berlin or know who would? Currently the Morgan home. In particular looking for photos from the 40's & early 50's - inside or outside, with people or not. If not photos, also interested in any stories of that school. 
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Reading that WCSU will have half hour early release on Wednesdays during the 2015-16 school year reminded me how when I attended U-32 (Class of '82) we only had a half day on Wednesdays.   You can find the calendar for the upcoming school year on the WCSU website: http://wcsuonline.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=285&Itemid=176

Reminders: 
Crosstown Road is closed for the duration of for mud season with a barricade .75 miles up from the Riverton side.
Four of the Berlin mobile home parks go up for auction on April 17th.
Ben & Jerry's free cone day is Tuesday, April 14th noon - 8pm.

Below you will find:
COMPUTER HELP AVAILABLE
BERLIN - LOOKING BACK
MONDAY, APRIL 13TH

NICOLE LAVIGNE NAMED ECAC LACROSS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

CONGRATULATIONS ERIC MORSE
UPDATE FROM THE WHOLLY KALE: RAW JUICE BAR
KELLOGG-HUBBARD LIBRARY - ONE CLICK DIGITAL
BROOKFIELD FLOATING BRIDGE GRAND OPENING
SATURDAY, APRIL 18TH
NEW EXIT 7 STORE CLOSER TO REALITY
EXPERIENCED EQUIPMENT OPERATOR NEEDED
FROM BERLIN FRONT PORCH FORUM
PAINTINGS WILL HAVE YOU LOOKING TWICE!!
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COMPUTER HELP AVAILABLE
Affordable, effective, and friendly computer help from a neighbor right down the road. 
If you have malware or viruses, are having trouble getting devices to connect, or just need help getting a new program to work properly, I am happy to help. I charge $20 an hour, but the vast majority of problems can be solved in an hour or two,... and there is no charge if I cannot fix your problem.
If you are interested, please shoot me an email at willom098@gmail.com or call 802-229-1252 and ask for William.
No problems too small or too big of a challenge.
William Odell-Monley
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BERLIN - LOOKING BACK
If you have a history with Berlin or are interested in history, you'll want to join the new "Berlin, Vermont Memories" facebook group which is about people, places, and events from years gone by - https://www.facebook.com/groups/BerlinVermontMemories/
The Berlin Historical Society members will be key in providing material to share with this group and we're hoping others will also have stories and memories to share and perhaps even a few photos.
The Historical Society in Berlin is a real gem and always welcomes new members.
Please mark your calendar for the Berlin Historical Society's annual potluck dinner and program coming up May 20th. Details to come.
Of note - the Berlin, Vermont facebook page focuses on current news and events. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Berlin-Vermont/205922199452224
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MONDAY, APRIL 13TH
The Sewer Commission meets at 7pm at the Town Office.
The Berlin Elementary School Board meets at 6:15pm at the school
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NICOLE LAVIGNE NAMED ECAC LACROSS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

   DANBURY, Conn.March 31, 2015 Colby-Sawyer freshman Nicole Lavigne (Berlin, Vt.) has been named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) New England Women's Lacrosse Rookie of the Week.  
   Lavigne, who also was named North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Rookie of the Week, collected eight points on six goals and two assists in a 2-0 week for the Chargers. She also had team highs of 10 ground balls and 13 draw controls. To begin the week, the freshman scored a game-high five goals and 11 draws to go along with a pair of assists and ground balls in a 19-8 road win at
New England College. One of her five goals was the game-winner. Lavigne ended the week with a score in an 8-7 win over Husson, but had a team best eight ground balls.
   Lavigne currently ranks 17th in the nation with a 6.4 draw control per game average.
   The Chargers begin a busy stretch of six games in eight days on Wednesday when the team hosts Castleton at
4:00 p.m. Colby-Sawyer and the Spartans are the only two teams in the league without a conference loss thus far. 
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CONGRATULATIONS ERIC MORSE
The 6th Annual Mt Washington Race Hall of Fame Inauguration June 20th will include Eric Morse of Berlin - "He has the Vermont state record for this race with his 1:01:09 from 1999. He is tied for the third most top 10 finishes with fourteen and is also tied for fourth with ten top five finishes" 
http://mwrrhalloffame.com/2015-inductees
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UPDATE FROM THE WHOLLY KALE: RAW JUICE BAR
If you'll recall last year they were vending from a camper off VT Rte 12 at Slayton Ave.
Here is what they've posted:
WOW! WHAT A WINTER!  This year we are selling our juice a little differently, so,
I will not be opening the raw juice bar again until next year.  Instead, I am thrilled to be a part of the Capital City Farmers Market in downtown Montpelier this season, beginning
MAY 2nd, where I will be selling delicious and nutritious cold pressed raw juice in assorted formulations and offering fresh wheat grass and garlic shots.  I look forward to seeing you all there..... Cheers to a great Spring and Summer in the Green Mountains of Vermont! We have earned it!
Great News! I will be selling my cold pressed raw juice (and wheat grass and garlic shots) at the Plainfield Farmers Market also this season; their season starts in June and is typically held on Friday afternoons.  That means I will be in
Plainfield on Fridays and Montpelier on Saturdays...wonderful!  Plainfield and Montpelier, prepare to be juiced! 
https://www.facebook.com/thewhollykale
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KELLOGG-HUBBARD LIBRARY - ONE CLICK DIGITAL
For those who have a library card at Kellogg-Hubbard Library (or are perhaps considering purchasing one):
The Kellogg-Hubbard Library is launching OneClickdigital, an online service that allows patrons to check out eAudiobooks and eBooks.  The library is offering the service in partnership with RBdigital from Recorded Books.  Patrons have free access to eAudio and eBooks at home, in the library, or on the go. Many titles are multi-access, so multiple users can check out a given title at the same time, eliminating holds. OneClickdigital is compatible with all popular listening devices, and mobile apps are available for the iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire. OneClickdigital features an easy-to-use interface with streamlined navigation, fast downloads, and automatic software updates. Live toll-free technical support is available at 1-877-77AUDIO. 
Details on how to access OneClickdigital may be found atwww.kellogghubbard.org or ask a staff member. One-on-one help is available at the library’s Digital Download Labs, each Thursday from
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Just show up or call (223-3338) with questions. If possible bring the device you want to use for downloading.
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BROOKFIELD FLOATING BRIDGE GRAND OPENING
So excited the Brookfield Floating Bridge will be opening again next month! The Randolph Union High School Marching Band will be part of the celebration along with Step 'n' Time line dancers, classic cars, and much more!  Check out these two facebook pages - the first has more details about the celebration on Memorial Day weekend and the second has old photos, time lapse videos of the previous bridge being taken out and of one of the new pontoons being fabricated. Cool stuff!
https://www.facebook.com/NewFloatingBridge
https://www.facebook.com/FloatingBridgeVT
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SATURDAY, APRIL 18TH
There are several reasons to stop by the Vermont State Scholastic Chess Championships - play in a simul with Dave Carter (or just watch!), check out the chess products, solve a chess puzzle, watch a few of the high school matches in the Learning Center (the younger students may not have spectators).  Breakfast and lunch are available on site.  For more info call Mike Stridsberg at 223-1948 (or visit vtchess.info)
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NEW EXIT 7 STORE CLOSER TO REALITY
Pub. 4/10/15 Times Argus by David Delcore
   BERLIN — The Select Board this week blessed revised plans for a major new convenience store and state-sanctioned visitors center that they were told will expedite the Paine Turnpike project by resolving an environmental appeal filed by some of its unhappy neighbors.
   It isn’t a done deal yet, but the proposed revisions, which range from a reconfigured and slightly smaller parking lot to a more aggressive landscaping plan, represent the framework for a settlement that has been the subject of discussions since shortly after neighbors appealed the project’s local permit in November.
   That appeal was the subject of an
Environmental Court hearing Monday in a case the developers hope will be resolved well before the next scheduled status conference in mid-May.
   With construction season looming and a state land-use permit still to obtain, Wayne Lamberton, of Maplewood Limited, urged the board to approve the revisions to expedite the settlement.
   “Time is money, especially now,” he told the board at its meeting Monday night.
   Board members were unable to act on Lamberton’s unwarned request at that meeting but scheduled a special meeting Wednesday, where they endorsed the list of changes.
   The project won approval from the Development Review Board last fall, prompting the appeal filed on behalf of a group of neighbors by
Montpelier lawyer Daniel Richardson.
   Contacted Thursday,
Richardson confirmed that there have been productive settlement discussions with representatives of Maplewood Limited.
   He suggested that his clients’ primary interest is to ensure a “solid transitional buffer” between their neighborhood and the 9,000-square-foot convenience store and welcome center proposed for the 6-acre field across Paine Turnpike North from the Shaw’s plaza entrance.
   The store would replace the Maplewood Convenience Store & Deli on a campus that includes Comfort Inn and Applebee’s restaurant. The new store, three times the size of the existing one, would be built closer to
Crosstown Road and the boundary between the commercial and residential districts.
   Proposed modifications include shrinking one of the parking areas; narrowing and moving an exit road to prevent tractor-trailers from parking; constructing three significant earthen berms topped by a 6-foot-tall wooden fence in the southwest corner of the property; and moving the convenience store an additional 10 feet back from Paine Turnpike. The exit has been moved 20 feet farther from
Crosstown Road.
   Lamberton said the project is behind schedule but he hoped to obtain all the necessary approvals in time to break ground by this summer, with an eye toward opening early next year. Construction is expected to take roughly six months.
   david.delcore @timesargus.com
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EXPERIENCED EQUIPMENT OPERATOR NEEDED
Town of Berlin Highway Department Equipment Operator The Town of Berlin is seeking an experienced equipment operator-highway laborer, for its highway department. This position performs a variety of tasks associated with highway maintenance tasks. Applicants are required to have the ability to operate large trucks with snowplows, wings, excavators, loaders and road graders. Candidates must be in good physical condition. Experience driving 10 wheel trucks, operating highway equipment and construction skills will be given preference. Candidates must to possess a Class B CDL driver’s license with a trailer endorsement or obtain the trailer endorsement within six months. Mandatory overtime is required as conditions dictate. Salary is commensurate with experience. The Town offers an excellent benefits plan. Candidates are asked to submit their interest by April 24, 2015. Applications and Resumes can be delivered, mailed or emailed to: Dana Hadley, Town Administrator Town of Berlin 108 Shed Road Berlin, Vermont 05602 townadministrator@berlinvt.org
Job application is posted on the Town website: www.berlinvt.org/highway-department-looking-equipment-operator/
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FROM BERLIN FRONT PORCH FORUM
Below are several recent postings .... 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

Summer Jobs for High School Students - FPF #589 April 9th

George Gross Murray Rd 
Posted to: Berlin
Dog River farm is hiring 3-4 high school students this summer to harvest vegetables mornings. 
Work Monday through Saturday on a rotational schedule 
Work day is from 7-12 
Work rain or shine 
Must have reliable transportation 
2 work or personal references required. 
If interested contact - dogriverfarm@gmail.com
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Seedlings for Sale - FPF #589 April 9th

Lora Stridsberg Junction Road 
Posted to: Berlin
Hello Neighbors! 
This spring I will be selling some vegetable and herb seedlings. I will have: 
Red Bell Peppers 
Walla Walla Onions 
Red Brandywine Tomatoes 
DiCiccio Broccoli 
Italian flat leaf parsley 
Sage 
Sweet basil 
Thyme 
Oregano
Please let me know if you'd be interested. I may have others later. I'm thinking plants will be roughly $1 each, perhaps slightly more for large ones.
~Lora
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Free Concert - FPF #589 April 9th

Thanna Adams Highland Avenue 
Posted to: Berlin
The group I sing with, "Alive! With Song," is putting on a FREE concert at Bethany Church Chapel, 115 Main St., Montpelier on Sunday, April 12, at 6:00pm.
We are a group of cancer survivors and care givers who love to sing.
Come and enjoy a fun evening of song!
Thanna Adams
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By Raiders for Raiders! - FPF #589 April 9th

Bill Kimball • Superintendent, Washington Central Supervisory Union 
Posted to:
Berlin, Middlesex, Worcester, East Montpelier, Calais
The Inc. class at U-32 teaches the challenging world of entrepreneurship. It's a student run class that operates one semester and creates its own business model. The class teaches the various aspects of how a business is run and how to pursue work in a business arena. Products are chosen by the students based on their market research and are designed and developed in teams that ultimately collaborate on the final decisions.
U-32 Inc. is selling blankets, water bottles, vinyl graphics, tee shirts, and hoodies! Tee shirts and hoodies are customizable with a name and number on the back. All of these products display a U-32 logo on them that has been created by a senior and local artist, Ethan Fielder.
To get your Raider's gear visit: Facebook.com/u32inc2015 to get a School Pride order form.
Buy Raiders for Raiders!
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PAINTINGS WILL HAVE YOU LOOKING TWICE!!
Let's end with something fun.  Are you a fan of Star Wars, Dukes of Hazards, the Stay Puft Man, Where the Wild Things Are, or Dr. Who? Check out how David Irvine has taken paintings that are kicking around second hand shops and yard sales and reworked them.  If you enjoy seeing the five shown at this link you'll want to then Google on "David Irvine Painter" and see some more.   Until I saw this, when I would see a second hand painting it was really the frame I was looking at wondering if I could use it.  Now I'm thinking what could I do with some paint ... or maybe adding some cut out figures.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/canadian-artist-adds-pop-thrift-store-paintings-ups/story?id=30116973
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Saturday, April 11, 2015

 

News to Know March 31, 2015 - Part 2

BERLIN NEWS TO KNOW  March 31st, 2015 PART 2
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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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On the BerlinVermont facebook page there is a constant flow of information.  You don't need to be a facebook user to access it, but if you do use facebook, be sure to "Like" it:
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Sometimes it's minutes, sometimes hours, after I hit the send button that I realize there is still more news to share.  There's probably more but this will have to do for today!

I haven't been to the "Totally Rad 80's Night Dance Party!" but Clare and others rave about it!

Big news is that three Berlin Mobile Home Parks are going up for Auction April 17th.

Below you will find:
CHESS - A FEW MORE INTERESTING DETAILS
MONOPOLY
TOM HANKS FAN?
U-32 GRAD SCORES SCHOOL-RECORD 8 GOALS FOR HUSSON UNIVER. - ABI STAAB!!
DRIVERS NEEDED
2015 "TOTALLY RAD 80's NIGHT DANCE PARTY!" APRIL 4TH
EASTER BUFFET AT THE STEAK HOUSE
EASTER SERVICES
9th LEAP ENERGY FAIR (and MARKO THE MAGICIAN)
MOBILE HOME PARKS TO GO UP FOR AUCTION (APRIL 17, 2015)
NEW PANHANDLING RULES STUDIED IN BERLIN
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CHESS - A FEW MORE INTERESTING DETAILS
The 28th Annual Scholastic Chess Tournament on April 18th at Berlin Elementary School - please note that Dave Carter will be on hand during the morning to play a simul.  He plays up to 12 games simultaneously against anybody who would like to play against him.  Yes, both kids and adults!  Dave is a United States Chess Federation (USCF) Master and the highest rated chess player in Vermont.  He usually leaves by lunch time so if you're interested head on over by 10 or 11 am!  Also, it will be the Ladies Auxiliary of the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department (BVFD) who will be offering breakfast and lunch during the tournament.  A variety of foods will be available and will raise money for their organization.  It's also the BVFD that brings many of the tables over to help make this outstanding community event happen each year.  This event usually brings in 150 students from throughout Vermont to participate.  Feel free to stop by to check out the chess products that Rochester Chess Center will have available, play in a simul against Dave Carter, solve a chess puzzle, and watch a few of the high school matches in the Learning Center (the younger students may not have spectators).  Details at: http://vtchess.info/

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MONOPOLY
The surprising history behind the board game "Monopoloy".  Did you grow up thinking Charles Darrow invented Monopoloy during the depression?  Think again.
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-surprising-history-behind-the-board-game-monopoly/
If the history of Monopoly has you intrigued there is lots more information available including: http://landlordsgame.info/; the rules of the 1904 Landlord's Game http://landlordsgame.info/games/lg-1906/lg-1906_egc-rules.html; and be sure to search on Elizabeth "Lizzie" Magie, her married name was Elizabeth Phillips.
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TOM HANKS FAN?
This is fantastic!!  Tom Hanks and James Corden give you a glimpse of ALL the Tom Hanks movies... in only 7 minutes!!  www.youtube.com/watch?t=399&v=1ZWLWxpBv5g
A couple more Tom Hanks notes -
have you seen his music video with Carly Rae Jepsen, "I Really Like You"  www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV5lzRHrGeg;
and have you seen his "Hanx Writer" App?  Don't you just love the sound of a typewriter?! I first heard about it when Tom was talking with David Letterman about it "I've figured out how to make a computer act like a typewriter": www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQcyi29PLCM
and here's one of the demos to hear it and see the various typewriters and their sounds and fonts: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg2ed8Sl1uk
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U-32 GRAD SCORES SCHOOL-RECORD 8 GOALS FOR HUSSON UNIV. - ABI STAAB!!
   Abi Staab, of Berlin, Vermont, scored a school-record eight goals to lead the Husson University (Bangor, Maine) women's lacrosse team to a 16-5 win over Johnson St. on Saturday afternoon.  Husson took a quick 2-0 lead courtesy of goals from Amanda Deshaies and Mattie Russell, but the Badgers scored three straight and took a 3-2 lead with 13:48 left in the first half.
   Staab responded for the Eagles.  She got things going when she went into the middle and fired a low shot to beat the Badgers' goalie.  Staab then gave the Eagles a lead they would not relinquish when she came from behind the net and beat the goalie high.
   Rashell Saucier, Charlotte Gerhardy, and Deshaies scored goals less than three minutes apart giving the Eagles a 7-3 lead with 5:48 left, and two more Staab tallies made it a 9-3 with 4:44 remaining.
   Nichole Weeks got a goal back for Johnson St., but Staab once again answered when she took a pass from Mariah Carrier and raced forward until she had the goalie one-on-one and rifled a shot by her, putting the Eagles up 10-4 at half.
   Gerhardy gave Husson an 11-4 lead when her shot beat the goalie high, and Staab tied the school record with 21:37 left when she went to the left side of the net and once again rifled a shot by the goalie.
   Staab set the school-record when she beat the goalie with 18:47 remaining by ripping a shot in the top corner.
   Russell and Michaela Bicknell each added tallies before Weeks scored for Johnson St., and Staab completed the game with her eighth goal with 1:47 remaining.
   Staab will help coach the U-32 Varsity girls lacrosse team this spring with Emilee Clark.
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DRIVERS NEEDED
Volunteer drivers are needed to help transport Veterans in the Barre-Montpelier area to appointments at the V.A. Hospital at White River Junction, even if only one day per month.  Vehicle, gas, and meal provided by the DAV.  Usually start picking up passengers around 7am and back by 2pm.  Call Don at 229-4571.
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2015 "TOTALLY RAD 80's NIGHT DANCE PARTY!" APRIL 4TH
It's on like Donkey Kong! Are you totally ready to get rad again!?!!
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Central VT: Team Ella-Vators is hosting the 4th Annual "Totally Rad 80's Night Dance Party!"  $10 per person suggested donation at the door.  April 4th
8pm at the Montpelier Elks Country Club. Event is 18+.  Cash Bar Available with proper 21+ ID. Proceeds to benefit the 2014 American Cancer Society: Central Vermont Relay For Life. (www.relayforlife.org/centralvt ) Please share this event page on FB even if you can't make it... You should be there though. You'll be stoked you came!
Let's go CRAZY! Sweet 80's Outfits are optional but we'll have contests for the best costume and best group costume too!!... Hmmm... are you and your friends going to arrive as the 'Breakfast Club' cast? Maybe you plan to recreate the epic parade float scene in 'Ferris Buellers Day Off'? ...maybe 'Miami Vice' attire is in your future? Whatever it is... we'll see you and your friends on April 5th. Oh and start practicing your 'Robot', 'Moonwalk' and other sweet dance moves too! Totally! We. Are. So. Like.... Psyched.  Questions? Info@musicRPM.com
RPM Entertainment and Green Mountain Sound and Entertainment join forces every year to make this event happen! Thanks to them for donating their time and services to support Relay!
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EASTER BUFFET AT THE STEAK HOUSE
Sunday, April 5th 9am - 3pm enjoy the Easter Buffet at the Steak House on the Barre-Montpelier Road.  Reservations are suggested.  $17.99 adults / $6.99 under 12.  Contact 479-9181.  Buffet - Belgian Waffles, French Toast, Blueberry Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Eggs Benedict, Maple Baked Ham, Bacon, Sausage, Home Fries, Orange Chicken, Chicken & Biscuits, Sirloin Tips, Seafood Newburg, Fried Seafood, Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Baked Seafood, Steamed Vegetables, Penne Pasta, Meatballs, 30 item Salad & Sundae Bar and more.
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Northfield's American Legion Easter Breakfast Buffet 7am - 11am $8 adults, $4 children under 10.  Eggs & omelets made to order, chopped beef on toast, pancakes, French toast, bacon, sausage, home fries, fruit, juice, coffee, tea.
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EASTER SERVICES
The First Congregational Church of Berlin - Maundy Thursday, April 2, 7pm service.  Easter Sunday 9:30am April 5.  Interim Pastor: Rev. D. Gene Kraus.  1808 Scott Hill Road.
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Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church - Maundy Thursday Worship, April 2 6:30pm; Good Friday Worship, April 3 6:30pm; Sunrise Easter Worship: Sunday, April 5, 7am; Easter Festival Worship: Sunday, April 5 10am. Pastor: Dustin Bergene.  46 Warner Road, just off Airport Rd.

Other churches in Berlin:
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints / Mormon Chapel, 244 Hersey Road
Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 297 Vine Street
Bible Baptist Church, 68 Vine Street
Jehovah's Witnesses, 2070 Airport Road

Interesting fact - did you know the Christ Church at 64 State Street in Montpelier was built of granite from Berlin, Vermont?  In going to find a history to link to share the details and photos, it seems there is some Barre granite in it also: http://christchurchvt.org/about-us/history-2
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9th LEAP ENERGY FAIR (and MARKO THE MAGICIAN)
Saturday, April 11th at the Crossett Brook Middle School Gym in Duxbury 9am - 3pm FREE.  Tour 70+ exhibits and talk with dozens of experts about energy audits, solar power, heat pumps, weatherization, geothermal, biomass, pellet stoves and much more.  Learn how to reduce fuel bills, save energy and shrink emissions.  Free electronic recycling onsite.  Kids can enjoy a free show by Berlin's Marko the Magician at 11am
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MOBILE HOME PARKS TO GO UP FOR AUCTION (APRIL 17, 2015)
Pub. 3/31/15 Times Argus by David Delcore
   BERLIN — Five 50-year-old mobile home parks that collectively account for nearly 25 percent of the lots that can be leased in Washington County will be the subject of a court-ordered auction next month.
   The auction, which is set for
10 a.m. on April 17 at the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier, will cap a protracted legal battle that began in 2002 when park owner R&G Properties defaulted on a $2.15 million loan it obtained two years earlier.
   Nearly 13 years, one complicated bankruptcy and at least two trips to the Vermont Supreme Court later, R&G Properties is on the verge of losing the five mobile home parks that it hasn’t had much to do with for nearly a decade.
   The mobile home parks — four in
Berlin and one in Northfield Falls — have been managed by a court-appointed “receiver” since 2006 while the foreclosure case was working its way through the court system. That arrangement lasted for longer than John Wilking, of Neville Companies Inc. in South Burlington, expected when the court assigned him the responsibility of managing the mobile home parks that will soon be sold to the highest bidder, or bidders.
   “It’s been a while,” said Wilking, who noted he recently ran into the former employee who he assigned to manage the properties back in 2006.
   “I didn’t recognize him,” he said. “It’s been that long.”
   Though Neville Companies has become familiar with the parks and its tenants over the years, Wilking said he would consider it a conflict of interest to bid on any of them. If they all sell — he expects most will, though there will likely be multiple buyers — Wilking said he could be two months away from shedding an assignment that he accepted nearly nine years ago.
   “We’re expecting that by the end May we’ll be done with our duties,” he said.
   If one or more of the parks don’t sell that could change, according to Wilking, who acknowledged some of the properties are more attractive investments than others, but all have sparked interest as word of their looming availability became public.
   The parks collectively account for nearly 150 of the 607 mobile home lots in
Washington County, including 51 in the Northfield Falls Mobile Home Park on Route 12.
   Two of the remaining four mobile home parks have at least 30 lots, according to a state survey, though flooding at one of them — River Run Manor — has rendered more than half of the 35 lots unusable. Located along the Stevens Branch of the
Winooski River just off the Barre-Montpelier Road in Berlin, the River Run park has flooded twice in the past few years, including a devastating flood in 2011.
   The 30-lot
Berlin Mobile Home Park, which is located on the opposite side of the Stevens Branch on Cedar Drive in Berlin, has been running at or near capacity.
   Though both are somewhat smaller, the same is true of the two other
Berlin parks that will be auctioned off on April 17 — the 23-lot RMC Mobile Home Park on Junction Road and the nine-lot Eastwood Manor Mobile Home Park on Route 2.
   All of the parks could be sold to a single investor, or each could be purchased individually depending on which generates more money to pay off R&G’s creditors.
   Arthur Hamlin, of the state Department of Housing and Community Development, said it is unlikely a nonprofit organization would emerge as the high bidder for all, or any of the properties, given the nature of the foreclosure auction.
   According to Hamlin, the auction is exempt from state requirements that tenants be notified, though safeguards in the law will protect them once the properties change hands.
   “Whoever owns them (the parks) after the sale, the same rights apply,” he said.
   Hamlin said the new owner, or owners, would be required to follow notice requirements spelled out in state statute for everything from raising lot rents to closing the park.
   david.delcore@timesargus.com
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NEW PANHANDLING RULES STUDIED IN BERLIN

Pub. 3/18/15 Times Argus by David Delcore
  
BERLIN — Concerned that panhandling might be getting out of hand in commercial corners of the community, the Select Board is considering an ordinance that would set new restrictions on those soliciting money.
   On its face the draft ordinance, which the board has asked attorney Rob Halpert to review, would prohibit everything from coin drops to the Salvation Army’s red kettles — though those aren’t the kind of activities members say they are concerned about.
   According to Town Administrator Dana Hadley, the goal is to address reports that a few folks asking for handouts might be getting too forceful and some who live and shop in the community are starting to feel intimidated.
   “We’re hoping … to curtail the aggressive type of issues we’re having,” he said during the board’s Monday night meeting.
   Chairman Ture Nelson agreed, suggesting that the ordinance was drafted in response to recent complaints and had less to do with the activity than the behavior of those who engage in it. 
   “The act of panhandling itself is not what we’re against,” Nelson said. “That’s not what we’re trying to restrict. We’re trying to restrict the aggressiveness, the property damage, the threats (and) people being fearful when they go into a business.”
   Nelson offered his observation after board member Roberta Haskin shared conversations she has had with residents concerned about an increase in the number of seemingly homeless people on the street asking for money and with police who say that — without an enforceable ordinance — there isn’t much they can do. 
   “(Police) have been paying attention to the situation,” she said. “They’ve offered help, made suggestions … but a certain group of people doesn’t really want help. … They want to be out there.”
   According to Haskin, one woman kicked and dented the car door of someone who had just rebuffed her request for money.
   “It’s turning into aggressive behavior,” she said. “They are asking people for money, and they are getting a little aggressive about it.”
   Haskin said a board-adopted ordinance would provide the Police Department a response to behavior that doesn’t rise to the level of criminal activity.

However, the draft ordinance, which the board did not discuss in detail, would go much farther than that.
   Among other things, the ordinance would prohibit solicitation within 15 feet of any building entrance, any vehicle or “any handicapped parking space, taxicab stand, bus, train or subway station or stop or in any public parking lot or structure or dedicated walkway to such parking lot or structure.”
   Board member Jeremy Hansen worried that sweeping prohibitions and vague language might make the ordinance vulnerable to a court challenge.
   “It’s a lot more likely that this would survive legal challenge if it was targeted strictly at aggressive panhandling,” he said.
   Hansen said there were provisions of the draft ordinance — including a prohibition on soliciting money for a specific need and then using it on something else — that were practically unenforceable. Others, he said, such as requiring renewable permits from the Police Department, were questionable.
   “It sort of seems like a tax on poor people,” he said.
   According to Hadley, the intent wasn’t to charge for the 15-day permits, simply to require they be obtained and a town-issued placard prominently displayed at all times.
   The draft ordinance would also prohibit converting solicited money for private use, soliciting while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, and soliciting in an aggressive manner in any public place.
   As defined in the draft ordinance, “aggressive manner” would include using violent or threatening language or engaging in physical contact; persisting after being refused; or “soliciting anyone who is waiting in line.”
   Haskin said she’d heard from residents who turn right when leaving the Price Chopper plaza on the
Barre-Montpelier Road because they are intimidated by purportedly homeless people who frequently solicit donations in the median of the entrance to the shopping complex.
   “That’s not fair,” she said.
   The Price Chopper entrance drive and the areas around
Central Vermont Medical Center and Applebee’s Restaurant were all mentioned as ones where those soliciting money can be found fairly regularly.
   Board member Pete Kelley said he was troubled by reports of aggressive behavior and suggested those concerned about the activity were looking to the board for leadership.
   “If something starts to escalate there’s no reason for it to stop if we don’t stop it,” he said.
   “It could get ugly,” Hadley agreed. “That’s what we’re trying to avoid.”
   david.delcore @timesargus.com

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