Friday, June 05, 2015
News To Know May 6, 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.
*
For current news
look for "Berlin , Vermont " on facebook for 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:
For historical
news look for "Berlin , Vermont Memories" on facebook.
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Below you will find:
COMMUNITY
IS INVITED!
TAXES ONCE AGAIN DUE
TEEN JOBS BOARD
BURN PERMIT BAN GOES INTO EFFECT IN VERMONT
CATEFARM 'S SEEDLING SALES
CATE
CONSTRUCTION TO START ON BERLIN WATER SYSTEM
TOWN CONSIDERING RELOCATION OF DRUG CLINIC
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Fred Stone will be featured on WCAX TV - Long-time teacher and current
volunteer, Fred Stone, will be this week's "Super Senior." Please
join us in celebrating Fred and his Berlin Elem history. The session will be
aired this Thursday, May 7th at 6:40 pm and again on
Friday, May 8th at 6:25 am .
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COMMUNITY IS INVITED!
*THURSDAY, MAY 7th Berlin Elementary
School Spring Concert/Art Show....Grades 3 through 6 performing
groups only. Concert Dress Rehearsal
will take place at 2:30 pm in the Gym and the evening
performance will be at 6:30 pm .
The student K-6 Spring Art Show will take place in the Learning Center for
viewing before and after the concert.
*MONDAY, MAY 11th from 1:45-2:30 , the
Vermont Symphony Orchestra Harp Duo will present a program for the whole
school in the Berlin Elementary School Learning Center.
*THURSDAY, MAY 28th is the 5/6
Play "The Incredible Westward Movement" Dress Rehearsal will
take place at 1:30 pm on Thursday May 28th, evening performance will be at 7pm in the Gym.
*THURSDAY, JUNE 4th Band
students from all the schools in our district, as well as Montpelier and Orchard Valley School will
perform with the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra at Montpelier High
School at 6:30 pm . This performance will also include student singers
in grades 4-6 for two of the pieces.
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TAXES
ONCE AGAIN DUE
The next installment of Taxes are due on
Friday, May 15th. The Treasurer’s hours are Monday through Thursday 8am – 4:30pm and on Fridays 8am – 4pm. Payments can also be
left in the deposit box outside the front door. If mailing your payment,
payments postmarked by Friday, May 15th will be considered on time (not an
office meter but postmarked by the post office). Payments not made by the 15th
will incur a late fee of 8% penalty and 1% interest.
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ELLIE'S FARM MARKET
Ellie's Farm
Market has opened for the season!!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ellies-Farm-Market-Gift-Shop-Cider-Mill/134592046591819
Wednesday, May 20th Berlin, Vermont
- please come join the Berlin Historical Society as they present "Berlin
Pictures of the Past", a presentation of photographs from years gone by at
7pm, this follows the annual potluck dinner meeting at 6pm at the
Congregational Church, 1808 Scott Hill Road. Call Cheryl Poor,
Potluck Coordinator 223-5306. No reservation required to attend the 7pm program. Hope you'll take the time to join this
interesting look at Berlin .
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TEEN JOBS BOARD
Got Teens Looking For Summer Employment? Need to hire somebody? I heard
about this website a while back. There are jobs posted that are for companies
that are located throughout Vermont but there aren't
currently postings for jobs specific to Central Vermont . Maybe we could get
more people sharing this and posting opportunities!! The site also includes
some tips for teens.https://sites.google.com/site/teenoppsopportunityboard/home
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BURN PERMIT BAN GOES INTO EFFECT
IN VERMONT
MONTPELIER - May 5, 2015 - After a warm, dry weekend and a Red Flag warning yesterday that ended with more than 25 new reports of wild fires, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) has issued an order for all of the state's forest fire wardens to cease issuing burning permits as of 3:00 P.M. on May 5th through May 19th. A Red Flag Warning means there are critical fire weather conditions including low relative humidity, high winds with little to no precipitation had fallen in the past few days. Fires that ignite during these conditions spread rapidly and with high intensity. The ban may be revoked or extended based upon weather conditions.
"We have received notification from many Forest Fire Wardens that they have stopped issuing permits in their towns," said Lars Lund, VermontForest Fire Supervisor,
“This non-burn order supports their efforts.” This ban is a cooperative effort
between FPR and the Green Mountain National Forest .
"We are seeing fast moving fires burning intensely in difficult terrain and with damage to structures or with structures threatened,” saidLund . “Downed power lines caused the largest fire yesterday in Brattleboro due to high winds. While this type of fire can’t be avoided,
human caused fires can be prevented. Because of the warm weather, we know there
are a lot of people in the woods. Today's order will help us and help the
state's fire wardens reduce the sources of fires."
Lund stressed that the order is for two weeks, and if significant
rain falls anywhere in the state, the order can be revoked by county.
MONTPELIER - May 5, 2015 - After a warm, dry weekend and a Red Flag warning yesterday that ended with more than 25 new reports of wild fires, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) has issued an order for all of the state's forest fire wardens to cease issuing burning permits as of 3:00 P.M. on May 5th through May 19th. A Red Flag Warning means there are critical fire weather conditions including low relative humidity, high winds with little to no precipitation had fallen in the past few days. Fires that ignite during these conditions spread rapidly and with high intensity. The ban may be revoked or extended based upon weather conditions.
"We have received notification from many Forest Fire Wardens that they have stopped issuing permits in their towns," said Lars Lund, Vermont
"We are seeing fast moving fires burning intensely in difficult terrain and with damage to structures or with structures threatened,” said
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CATE FARM 'S SEEDLING
SALES
New this year, open four
Sundays - May 10, 17, 24 & 31 2015
Check out all their latest news at: www.catefarm.com
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Pub. 4/19/2015 Times Argus
BERLIN — Children who aspire to be the next
Bobby Fischer — or who enjoy the intellectual stimulation they can’t find in a
video game — demonstrated their skills Saturday during the 28th annual Vermont
State Scholastic Chess Championships.
Nearly 150 children from all grade levels gathered atBerlin Elementary School to put their skills to the test, with some of them
fighting for a shot to play on a national stage.
For the past six or seven years,Berlin residents Michael and Corinne Stridsberg have
organized the annual event. For them, it has been a family affair.
“When my kids were younger, they were really into chess and competed in tournaments,” Mike Stridsberg said of his children, who are now in college.
“Now, they help us organize the tournament,” Corinne Stridsberg said.
The Swiss pairing-style tournament — every competitor plays in every round — attracts both seasoned players who are coming from chess tournaments at their schools, and first-time competitors, who make up approximately one-third of the field.
Players in grades K-6 are grouped by grade level, with separate divisions for middle school and high school players. The winners from the middle and high school divisions have a shot to compete in the National Scholastic Chess Tournament.
It was the third state championship for Elrik Jay, a 9-year-old third-grader from Monkton. The tournament kicked off at10
a.m. , and by noon , Jay had won two of his three matches.
“Sometimes, I can still beat him once in a while,” said his father, Kalvin Jay.
Asked what he gets out of chess that he doesn’t get from playing video games, Elrik Jay said, “You don’t rot your brain out sitting in front of a computer.”
In between matches, competitors and their parents passed the time playing a host of other table-top games, from Risk to Battleship and Connect Four.
Dylan Morse, 12, a sixth-grader from Hartland, has been competing in the tournament since he was in kindergarten.
“You’re definitely more social when you play chess,” Morse said, comparing chess to video games, “and you get to exercise your brain.”
Nayeli Lopez, 10, a fourth-grader fromHyde Park , had played in small tournaments at her school
before coming to the state championship.
“It’s fun because it’s competitive,” she said, adding, “There’s strategy, and you don’t get that with video games,” Lopez said.
Tournament results and photos are available online at www.vtchess.info.
Nearly 150 children from all grade levels gathered at
For the past six or seven years,
“When my kids were younger, they were really into chess and competed in tournaments,” Mike Stridsberg said of his children, who are now in college.
“Now, they help us organize the tournament,” Corinne Stridsberg said.
The Swiss pairing-style tournament — every competitor plays in every round — attracts both seasoned players who are coming from chess tournaments at their schools, and first-time competitors, who make up approximately one-third of the field.
Players in grades K-6 are grouped by grade level, with separate divisions for middle school and high school players. The winners from the middle and high school divisions have a shot to compete in the National Scholastic Chess Tournament.
It was the third state championship for Elrik Jay, a 9-year-old third-grader from Monkton. The tournament kicked off at
“Sometimes, I can still beat him once in a while,” said his father, Kalvin Jay.
Asked what he gets out of chess that he doesn’t get from playing video games, Elrik Jay said, “You don’t rot your brain out sitting in front of a computer.”
In between matches, competitors and their parents passed the time playing a host of other table-top games, from Risk to Battleship and Connect Four.
Dylan Morse, 12, a sixth-grader from Hartland, has been competing in the tournament since he was in kindergarten.
“You’re definitely more social when you play chess,” Morse said, comparing chess to video games, “and you get to exercise your brain.”
Nayeli Lopez, 10, a fourth-grader from
“It’s fun because it’s competitive,” she said, adding, “There’s strategy, and you don’t get that with video games,” Lopez said.
Tournament results and photos are available online at www.vtchess.info.
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Pub 5/6/15 Times Argus by David Delcore
On a night when board members also took another stab at filling two vacant jobs, they received a series of updates Monday evening on the water project that could get a bit bigger and more expensive.
Preliminary plans call for restoring a leg of transmission line that was initially proposed to run along
That decision was made long before the design of the system was finalized, construction bids were in hand, and a suitable number of users had committed to buying water from the town. At the time, the cost-conscious board was told swapping
This week, Town Administrator Dana Hadley said preliminary estimates suggest the projected annual cost of water — $476 — is comfortably below the $600-a-year target. Given that, he said the board might want to revisit the
According to Hadley, estimates suggest the additional work would cost roughly $250,000. He said it is possible a contingency would cover the new expense and likely the town could increase the loan it obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program if need be.
The projected increase in construction costs would add about $40 per equivalent residential unit to annual water bills. However, based on current estimates, he said the total cost of water would be roughly $516 per ERU a year.
Board members said they’d like to hear more about the proposal, and Hadley said he would invite Mark Youngstrom, of Otter Creek Engineering, in to explain.
In other water system news, Hadley told the board that, while the easements have yet to be executed, the path is now clear to connecting a privately owned water system the town plans to buy. Also, the town is beginning to get requests for larger service lines than anticipated. By way of example, Hadley said the town has received one request to upgrade the ¾-inch water line that would have served a property with four mobile homes to a 4-inch service line with significantly more capacity.
In other business, board members who have struggled to fill a vacancy on the road crew and hire an additional police officer gave both another try this week.
With the deadline looming for enrolling in the next 16-week session of the
Board members also agreed to hire Ed Lapan for a $19-an-hour position on the road crew. Lapan works in the Public Works Department in neighboring
The board wasn’t as eager to act on accepting a grant of up to $30,000 to design and construct a community garden on
If there is little interest in the garden concept, board members said, they would be reluctant to invest in maintaining the parklike property.
Hadley offered to investigate the matter further and report back.
@Tagline:david.delcore @timesargus.com
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Pub. 4/29/15 Times Argus
by David Delcore
Indeed, this one didn’t happen overnight, and by all accounts it is difficult to understate the thirst-quenching potential of the multimillion-dollar infrastructure investment in an area that is saddled with contaminated groundwater but otherwise primed for development.
Those sentiments were shared by everyone from Select Board Chairman Ture Nelson all the way up to Gov. Peter Shumlin during a 30-minute ceremony that featured more than a little back-patting and self-congratulation.
As far as Shumlin was concerned everyone could take a bow, because the project was a success story on many levels.
“Good things take time, but it takes a community coming together to make a project like this work,” he said.
Shumlin described the water project as a strategic solution to multiple problems in an area where most well water is undrinkable due to dangerously high levels of sodium, fire protection is a growing concern, and both issues have held back development near Interstate 89.
“That’s what this is about,” he said. “It’s about ensuring residents get clean (drinking) water. It’s about ensuring (the Fire Department) has the water available to keep people safe. And it’s about the town’s future.”
Shumlin said the recent addition of the psychiatric facility in a service area that is already home to Central Vermont Medical Center, the Berlin Mall, E.F. Knapp State Airport, the local elementary school, the volunteer fire station and the town’s municipal offices underscored the strategic value of the location.
“This area has huge potential for growth, for jobs (and) economic development,” he said, suggesting a reliable, high-quality water system was the missing piece.
Shumlin got no argument from others who spoke, including Ted Brady, state director of USDA Rural Development for
Brady offered the most spirited assessment of the project that officials expect will be producing water before the snow flies.
“This is a big deal,” Brady said. “This is a $5.8 million ‘big deal.’”
According to Brady, Rural Development supplied the town with a $1.8 million grant and a $4 million loan. The project will include the construction of a 400,000-gallon water storage tank, 32,000 linear feet of water transmission line, a pump station and 40 fire hydrants.
The grant alone, Brady said, shaved roughly $200 a year off the water bill for users of the system. That keeps rates in the range local officials projected when they pitched the project, which voters narrowly approved during a special election in 2013.
“It directly goes to the pocketbooks and wallets of people in
Like Shumlin, Brady said the water project would create jobs — from the Munson Earth Moving workers of Williston who will build the water system to the future jobs tied to potential development.
“It means economic opportunities around Berlin Corners,” he said.
Brady said the planned addition of 40 fire hydrants in an increasingly commercial corner of
“That’s a big deal for a rural community,” he said.
Though none of
Chris Saunders, who stood in for Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said his boss was proud to have advocated for the project.
“This is really government at its best,” Saunders said. “The federal government working with the state government working with a local community that has stepped up, identified a need, and said: ‘We’re going to invest in our community.’”
None of those pieces quickly kicked into place, according to resident Tom Willard, who served as chairman of the town’s water committee and was introduced by Nelson as “Mr. Water.”
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Willard, who is among the residents whose wells produce water than isn’t suitable to drink and is looking forward to tapping onto the town-run system.
That system, Willard said, is a credit to local officials who dusted off old studies, rekindled the conversation about a municipal water system, hired an engineer, and risked investing borrowed money in drilling wells that might not have been adequate.
In retrospect, locating suitable wells was one of the easier parts of the project, which also required negotiating easements, persuading customers to commit to the system, and securing long-term financing needed to keep rates affordable.
It took seven years, but all of those hurdles were eventually cleared, paving the way for Monday’s ceremonial groundbreaking. Even as Shumlin, Brady, Willard and Ashley Lucht, of the state Department of Environmental Conservation, joined Nelson and other members of the Select Board in plunging shovels into a small patch of grass outside the fire station, excavators from Munson Earth Moving were busy digging along a stretch of
@Tagline:david.delcore @timesargus.com
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CONSTRUCTION TO START ON BERLIN WATER SYSTEM
Pub. 4/17/15 Times Argus by David Delcore
A crew from Munson Earth Moving plans to start work as early as Monday, kicking off a project that had been casually discussed for decades and is the product of planning that started in 2007.
Eight years, one successful bond vote and more than a little arm-twisting later, the area known locally as Berlin Corners is now just two seasons away from being able to tap into a town-owned water system.
James Farnsworth, project manager for Munson Earth Moving, said work will start next week and is expected to continue deep into the fall.
“Once snow flies we need to be done,” said Farnsworth.
According to Farnsworth, work will start on the
In all, the project will require the installation of roughly 6 miles — 31,500 linear feet — of line to distribute water from three town-owned wells on
Late last year, Farnsworth said, Munson Earth Moving did some clearing in the vicinity of the wells to make room for a 400,000-gallon water storage tank that will be constructed as part of the project, as well as a pumping station that will be installed there. He said construction of the tank and the pumping station will occur later in the project and the initial focus will be installing the distribution system.
According to Farnsworth, that work will focus on
Town officials have spent years planning for the project, then locking up federal financing and finally persuading property owners to become customers.
That was more challenging than initially anticipated in a service area where the absence of potable groundwater has been a long-running inconvenience for many, as well as an impediment to future development. However, officials were able to secure commitments from enough current and future users to say that water rates will be in the range they projected.
Based on the customers committed to the project — 383 out of a maximum of 432 equivalent residential units, or ERUs — the annual average cost per ERU is expected to be roughly $600.
In a service area that includes
Officials are tentatively projecting a $207,000 annual budget for the water system, with $167,000 earmarked to cover the cost of a loan obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the balance for operation and maintenance. Those figures don’t yet reflect the need for the district to repay the town nearly $177,000 in taxpayer money that was used to advance the project.
The town has spent roughly $1.2 million on the project and been reimbursed just over $1.03 million to date. The balance — $176,661 — will be rolled into the new rate structure, though the Select Board hasn’t settled on a repayment schedule.
Over the next few months the board will have to select on operator for the water system, finalize the acquisition of the Berlin Water Co., and establish rates for users.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
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Pub. 5/1/15 Times Argus by
David Delcore
BERLIN — An annual mud bog masquerading as a
birthday party this year is confounding local officials, whose ability to
regulate the three-day event is limited to a 33-year-old ordinance written for
carnivals, circuses and the like.
The “amusement ordinance,” which was adopted in 1982 and never amended, doesn’t talk about mud bogs, much less parties, and its plain language and uneven application have fueled frustration and contention.
Some would like it to do more, though they concede crafting the right language is tricky business. No one is rushing to do a rewrite.
Others claim the problem isn’t the ordinance but the town’s attempt to selectively stretch its stated intent to rope in activities that weren’t contemplated by the Select Board that adopted it.
There is merit to both arguments, which explains why the current board hasn’t been more heavy-handed when it comes to the mud bogs held for more than a decade on the Herring Family Farm.
Although they’ve consulted the town’s attorney and discussed the matter behind closed doors in response to complaints that date back more than a year, members of the Berlin Select Board haven’t used the amusement ordinance to shut down the event or even dictate conditions under which it operates.
Part of the reason can be traced to ordinance language that is arguably muddier than the three soon-to-be-flooded trenches in the middle of the hay field across Route 12 from Fresh Tracks Farm.
Here’s what it says: “Any person or entity seeking to conduct or operate a carnival within the town of Berlin … wherein mechanical rides or other carnival-type equipment is used, or any person or entity seeking to conduct a traveling enterprise offering amusements and meaning to include a circus, mid-way enterprise or other like activity shall first obtain written authorization from the Berlin Board of Selectmen.”
There is an application for an amusement permit and an opportunity for the board to include conditions it sees fit. Until last week, however, the only requests the board has received in recent years have come from a group that holds a series of summer footraces inBerlin , and a local insurance company that holds a
once-a-year walk at lunch.
Other events — some fairly sizable — haven’t generated complaints and have remained under the town’s radar. The mud bog is an exception. When town officials learned this year’s event starts tonight and runs through Sunday, they contacted Michael Herring and instructed him to fill out an application.
Herring, who doesn’t believe he needs the town’s permission, filed the application late last week.
At the time, Herring says, he was told the board would take the matter up at a special meeting Tuesday, but when he swung by the town offices to ask about the time he was told it had already happened. However, Herring’s application wasn’t considered at a hastily warned special meeting called because town officials were all present for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the municipal water system. Though the application was in hand when notice of the meeting went out Monday, its approval wasn’t included as an agenda item, and no permit was issued, according to Town Administrator Dana Hadley.
Hadley said board members are aware of the application and have expressed their concerns electronically, but they won’t meet again until Monday.
Copies of the emails were among the documents on the subject that The Times Argus requested Thursday, but they were not immediately available.
Herring said he has repeatedly had difficulty obtaining information about the specific nature of the complaints, but made no apologies for what he said amounts to the latest in a long line of family parties on his property.
According to Herring, the first mud bog was part of a celebration for his late mother, Muriel, back in 2004. He said this weekend’s event is a birthday party for his daughter, Sarah, who will turn 24 over the weekend.
Though Herring filed the application that hasn’t yet been considered, and provided the town with proof of insurance, he maintains that was more of a courtesy than a necessity.
“I don’t need a permit,” he said. “That’s the whole big deal. I do not need a permit to have my party. It’s that simple.”
Herring said that would be his position even if he hadn’t canceled plans for a zip line as part of the donation-only mud bogging event, which will feature food, face painting, a bonfire and live entertainment. Although most of the activity is concentrated on Saturday, he said some family and friends will camp out tonight and leave Sunday.
“We’re just having a party like we usually do,” he said, suggesting he has “10 acres of parking” and the absolute right to turn away anyone he wishes.
“What people do on their own property is their own business,” he said, echoing an opinion he expressed in the letter that accompanied his application.
In the letter, Herring noted he asked the town awhile back whether an amusement permit was required to host a birthday party or a wedding reception, because he was planning to host the latter on his farm. He maintains he didn’t get an answer from the town before the wedding and the reception occurred as planned in September.
As far as Herring is concerned the question of whether the town believes it can use the amusement ordinance to regulate birthday parties, wedding receptions or even lawn sales has yet to be answered.
Herring did say he got a call from the secretary of state’s office Thursday afternoon advising him to contact the state Racing Commission. He said he did as instructed and once he explained what he had planned, he was told it wouldn’t be a problem with the commission.
It isn’t clear where Herring stands with the town, however. Among the shortcomings of the amusement ordinance is the fact that it doesn’t include a penalty provision.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
The “amusement ordinance,” which was adopted in 1982 and never amended, doesn’t talk about mud bogs, much less parties, and its plain language and uneven application have fueled frustration and contention.
Some would like it to do more, though they concede crafting the right language is tricky business. No one is rushing to do a rewrite.
Others claim the problem isn’t the ordinance but the town’s attempt to selectively stretch its stated intent to rope in activities that weren’t contemplated by the Select Board that adopted it.
There is merit to both arguments, which explains why the current board hasn’t been more heavy-handed when it comes to the mud bogs held for more than a decade on the Herring Family Farm.
Although they’ve consulted the town’s attorney and discussed the matter behind closed doors in response to complaints that date back more than a year, members of the Berlin Select Board haven’t used the amusement ordinance to shut down the event or even dictate conditions under which it operates.
Part of the reason can be traced to ordinance language that is arguably muddier than the three soon-to-be-flooded trenches in the middle of the hay field across Route 12 from Fresh Tracks Farm.
Here’s what it says: “Any person or entity seeking to conduct or operate a carnival within the town of Berlin … wherein mechanical rides or other carnival-type equipment is used, or any person or entity seeking to conduct a traveling enterprise offering amusements and meaning to include a circus, mid-way enterprise or other like activity shall first obtain written authorization from the Berlin Board of Selectmen.”
There is an application for an amusement permit and an opportunity for the board to include conditions it sees fit. Until last week, however, the only requests the board has received in recent years have come from a group that holds a series of summer footraces in
Other events — some fairly sizable — haven’t generated complaints and have remained under the town’s radar. The mud bog is an exception. When town officials learned this year’s event starts tonight and runs through Sunday, they contacted Michael Herring and instructed him to fill out an application.
Herring, who doesn’t believe he needs the town’s permission, filed the application late last week.
At the time, Herring says, he was told the board would take the matter up at a special meeting Tuesday, but when he swung by the town offices to ask about the time he was told it had already happened. However, Herring’s application wasn’t considered at a hastily warned special meeting called because town officials were all present for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the municipal water system. Though the application was in hand when notice of the meeting went out Monday, its approval wasn’t included as an agenda item, and no permit was issued, according to Town Administrator Dana Hadley.
Hadley said board members are aware of the application and have expressed their concerns electronically, but they won’t meet again until Monday.
Copies of the emails were among the documents on the subject that The Times Argus requested Thursday, but they were not immediately available.
Herring said he has repeatedly had difficulty obtaining information about the specific nature of the complaints, but made no apologies for what he said amounts to the latest in a long line of family parties on his property.
According to Herring, the first mud bog was part of a celebration for his late mother, Muriel, back in 2004. He said this weekend’s event is a birthday party for his daughter, Sarah, who will turn 24 over the weekend.
Though Herring filed the application that hasn’t yet been considered, and provided the town with proof of insurance, he maintains that was more of a courtesy than a necessity.
“I don’t need a permit,” he said. “That’s the whole big deal. I do not need a permit to have my party. It’s that simple.”
Herring said that would be his position even if he hadn’t canceled plans for a zip line as part of the donation-only mud bogging event, which will feature food, face painting, a bonfire and live entertainment. Although most of the activity is concentrated on Saturday, he said some family and friends will camp out tonight and leave Sunday.
“We’re just having a party like we usually do,” he said, suggesting he has “10 acres of parking” and the absolute right to turn away anyone he wishes.
“What people do on their own property is their own business,” he said, echoing an opinion he expressed in the letter that accompanied his application.
In the letter, Herring noted he asked the town awhile back whether an amusement permit was required to host a birthday party or a wedding reception, because he was planning to host the latter on his farm. He maintains he didn’t get an answer from the town before the wedding and the reception occurred as planned in September.
As far as Herring is concerned the question of whether the town believes it can use the amusement ordinance to regulate birthday parties, wedding receptions or even lawn sales has yet to be answered.
Herring did say he got a call from the secretary of state’s office Thursday afternoon advising him to contact the state Racing Commission. He said he did as instructed and once he explained what he had planned, he was told it wouldn’t be a problem with the commission.
It isn’t clear where Herring stands with the town, however. Among the shortcomings of the amusement ordinance is the fact that it doesn’t include a penalty provision.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
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TOWN CONSIDERING RELOCATION OF
DRUG CLINIC
Pub. 5/6/15 Times Argus by David Delcore
BERLIN — You wouldn’t have known
it by reading the posted agenda, but the town’s Development Review Board was
scheduled to consider the planned relocation of a local drug addiction
treatment clinic when it met Tuesday night.
Proposed onIndustrial Lane property owned by
board member Henry LaGue, the project would facilitate moving the clinic from
nearby Granger Road to a new, larger
5,288-square-foot facility on Industrial Lane .
The posted notice for the meeting and the material that was provided to abutting property owners outlined plans to construct a 50-by-100-foot “commercial building” onIndustrial Lane without identifying
the proposed use.
Select Board members learned of the planned relocation of the clinic at their meeting Monday night and were told the review was scheduled to take place Tuesday night.
LaGue owns both locations and considered expanding the current building to meet the needs of BAART Behavioral Health Services, before plans for a new building were floated.
The 2-acre lot targeted for development is onIndustrial Lane between Comcast and a
series of storage units.
The proposed single-story building would be slightly larger than the 5,000 square feet described in the notice and would be accompanied by parking lots in the front and rear.
According to the application, there would be 50 parking spaces in all. That would be more than enough to satisfy the town’s requirements and enough to handle traffic generated by the clinic, which is expected to treat 250 clients a day who are battling drug addiction.
According to the application, there would be 14 full-time employees at the clinic’s new site, which would be open from8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The application doesn’t indicate whether the number of patients expected to be treated on a daily basis or the number of employees represents an increase from the current clinic, which is in a converted truck stop on Granger Road.
Based on his involvement with the project, LaGue wasn’t expected to participate in the review of his permit request during Tuesday night’s hearing.
TheBerlin clinic is one of
three BAART operates in Vermont . The other two are in
St. Johnsbury and Newbury. All offer suboxone treatment and counseling for
those struggling to overcome various drug addictions.
@Tagline:david.delcore @timesargus.com
Proposed on
The posted notice for the meeting and the material that was provided to abutting property owners outlined plans to construct a 50-by-100-foot “commercial building” on
Select Board members learned of the planned relocation of the clinic at their meeting Monday night and were told the review was scheduled to take place Tuesday night.
LaGue owns both locations and considered expanding the current building to meet the needs of BAART Behavioral Health Services, before plans for a new building were floated.
The 2-acre lot targeted for development is on
The proposed single-story building would be slightly larger than the 5,000 square feet described in the notice and would be accompanied by parking lots in the front and rear.
According to the application, there would be 50 parking spaces in all. That would be more than enough to satisfy the town’s requirements and enough to handle traffic generated by the clinic, which is expected to treat 250 clients a day who are battling drug addiction.
According to the application, there would be 14 full-time employees at the clinic’s new site, which would be open from
The application doesn’t indicate whether the number of patients expected to be treated on a daily basis or the number of employees represents an increase from the current clinic, which is in a converted truck stop on Granger Road.
Based on his involvement with the project, LaGue wasn’t expected to participate in the review of his permit request during Tuesday night’s hearing.
The
@Tagline:david.delcore @timesargus.com
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News To Know April 30, 2015
*
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.
*
For current news
look for "Berlin , Vermont " on facebook for 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:
For historical
news look for "Berlin , Vermont Memories" on facebook.
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Notes:
I realize
the article regarding the referee is long (see below, last item) ... it is so
refreshing to read a positive story on a basketball official... and even
better, it's one of our kids!! Clark was the
official at several games at various schools here in Vermont in January
and is looking forward to being the official at many this summer. Yes, I am indeed a proud mom!
Below you will find:
GREEN UP DAY ALWAYS FIRST
SATURDAY IN MAY
SATURDAY MAY 2nd ONLY - FREE COMICS AT WONDER
CARDS AND COMICS
THUNDER ROAD OPENING
SUPER SENIOR STELLA LAFOUNTAIN
OPEN MIC STAND UP COMEDY
HELP FOR YOUR OUTDOOR CLEAN-UP PROJECTS
SMART TRIP
CHALLENGE - CUT CARBON POLLUTION
ENJOY SOME BERLIN HISTORY
PROJECT
PREPARES FOR UVM EXTENSION MOVE
JUNIOR QUALIFIES FOR
NATIONAL REFEREEING TOURNAMENT
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I'm researching Davis Bros. which was located in Riverton. My
great-grandfather Daniel Davis was one of the three Davis brothers who owned
it. You can see the foundation of the
Davis Bros. building between Riverton Memorial, Inc. and the river. Unfortunately the business name which was on
the foundation seems to have been taken, I wish it was still there to be part
of the history. Does anybody have ANY
information about this business - stories, photos, know who worked there (or
maybe is a relative of who worked there), have a Davis Bros. calendar or other
artifacts? If so I would love to talk
with you!! - Corinne
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Did you know there is an enormous amount of information that is
available regarding Norwich University in a digital format
and that you can access it right from home?
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GREEN UP DAY ALWAYS
FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY
Green Up Day 2015 is Saturday, May 2nd! Your help to Green Up Berlin
would be appreciated. An official sponsor of the event, Twin City Subaru is Central Vermont 's dedicated bag
pick-up and trash drop-off location for Green Up Day 2015. And they're making a
party out of it! Volunteers will enjoy free food, drinks, and Green Up Day
goodies on Green Up Day. Twin City Subaru staff will also be joining in to do
their part to Green Up Vermont!
Twin City Subaru's goal is
500 bags and a full dumpster at the end of the day! Please help us help the
environment and Green Up Vermont with Twin City Subaru at 142 Mall Road in Berlin !
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Used bike sale outdoors at Onion River Sports on Langdon Street 9am - noon Saturday, May 2nd only.
If you have a bike to sell it needs to be brought in no later than May
1st.
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SATURDAY MAY 2nd ONLY
- FREE COMICS AT WONDER CARDS AND COMICS
As part of the 10th annual National Free Comic Day, Saturday, May 2nd
from 11am-5pm at Wonder Cards and
Comics on the Barre - Montpelier Road . Live superheroes all day. Vegetarian food drive- bring food for more
free comics. Everyone gets a handful of
free comics, not just one! 20% EVERYTHING in the
store.
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THUNDER ROAD
OPENING
The Thunder Road Car Show is on Saturday, May 2nd from 9am - noon , followed by
practice. The season opener for Thunder Road is on Sunday, May
3rd at 1pm , this is the 56th season of
competition. All the details are at:
www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com
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SUPER SENIOR STELLA LAFOUNTAIN
WCAX Super Senior featured Stella LaFountain who turns 90 in May 2015. Stella lived in Weston Mobile Home Park here
in Berlin when Tropical Storm
Irene came to town. Complete story here:
http://www.wcax.com/…/288843…/super-senior-stella-lafountain
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OPEN MIC STAND UP COMEDY
Laugh Local VT Comedy has an Open Mic every month at the American Legion
in Montpelier . This month it's May 1st at 8pm . You don't have to be a Legion member to attend. There is no
set admission charge, the comedy folks ask that you make a donation.
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HELP FOR YOUR OUTDOOR CLEAN-UP
PROJECTS
From Jeff Young "Spring
is here and along with it comes a lot of yard clean up. I am Scoutmaster of our
church BSA Troop #748 located in Berlin , VT. To help us raise money for Scout camp we are
offering the opportunity to "Rent-a-Scout" (or better said a few
scouts with their leaders), for outdoor clean-up projects. You can either
respond by email (jeffandtrina@gmail.com)
or call 802-272-3806 (leave a message if no answer)."
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Sue Kingman of Central Vermont Academy (located on Vine Street here in
Berlin) tell me that their high school was not able to be open this year
because of low numbers, however, elementary school is holding on and she would
love to speak with you if you may want to enroll your child. Their website is cva-sda.net. Their mission statement: “We honor God
by providing a Christ-centered, quality education that prepares our students
for service today and for eternity.”
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SMART TRIP CHALLENGE - CUT CARBON POLLUTION
Join the 2 week smart trip
challenge from May 4th-15th. Lets cut carbon and reclaim our rides! Have you
signed up for Way to Go! Challenge? Fire up your coworkers, friends, and
classmates to ditch their car and help us cut carbon pollution in Vermont ! Sign up today at www.waytogovt.org and help us spread
the word! Questions? Contact info@waytogovt.org or
call 800-685-RIDE.
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Larry Perry was awarded a Blue Ribbon up in St. Albans at the Maple
Festival for his maple syrup. We've purchased some of his syrup previously and
know it's delicious but I didn't know when or how he got started sugaring.
Larry's also a good photographer and his photos have been on the cover of the
Town Report. I emailed Larry and asked for photos for the "Berlin , Vermont " facebook page
and more information including if there were other Berlin entries. Here's his
response:
"Here’s a picture of how many ribbons we have won. In 2011&12 we did not enter. We have always entered in the maple festival inSt. Albans . This is our sixth year doing it. In 2009 I tapped a maple
tree up front of the house and hung a milk jug. I eventually filled a big pot
on the grill out on the deck. Well I thought why not boil this down and see
what we can get. Well it took all day, not a good place to boil sap you loose
to much heat around the bottom of the pan so I wrapped flashing around it to
keep the heat in. Well I ended up with a very small amount in a glass jar but
it tasted very good. That’s when I said we need a small hobby sugar house. Now
we tap some where around 200 trees and have a lot of fun doing it. This was a
tough year getting started, lot’s of snow but we did it and when the sap
finally started flowing it all came at once for us. First part of April we
boiled every afternoon for about a week but it really filled things up with
sap. When all was said and done we made
just shy of 20 gallons of syrup. Most all of it was Grade A “dark robust
taste”. Everybody so far loves the taste, even the judges in St. A. I put most everything in quarts, I do have a
few pints. 18.00 for qts and 12.00 for Pts.
I think there probably might be others from Berlin or close by because when I took my pint up to the UVM
extension office in Berlin there was a lot of other entries there. I’m not sure if they
could give you a list of them or not.. -
Larry"
"Here’s a picture of how many ribbons we have won. In 2011&12 we did not enter. We have always entered in the maple festival in
***
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VTrans Berlin-Barre City
NH SURF(44) project - includes roadway work along VT 62 between Berlin and Barre City . Project work is planned to begin April 22, 2015 and continue through mid-July 2015. Traffic will be reduced to one-lane and detoured
around construction activities. The work will consist of patching, pot hole
repair, crack sealing, hot-in-place recycling and overlay of pavement, traffic
markings and other highway related items on Vermont 62 for 3 miles between Berlin and Barre City . You will begin to see
impacts to traffic and one lane closures the week of May 13th. This information is from Project Outreach
Manager, Jacqueline Dagesse at jdagesse@eivtech.com /
802-324-5522
Note: Details including a
map are posted to the Berlin , Vermont facebook pagewww.facebook.com/pages/Berlin-Vermont/205922199452224
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ENJOY SOME BERLIN HISTORY
Hoping that
the May 20th Berlin Pictures of the Past is on your calendar. 6pm is the
potluck (call Cheryl 223-5306), or just show up for the photo presentation that
starts at 7pm . This
Berlin Historical Society event will be held at the Congregational Church at 1808 Scott
Hill Road .
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PROJECT PREPARES FOR UVM EXTENSION MOVE
Pub. 4/27/15
Times Argus David Delcore
More than half of the building that doesn’t yet exist has already been spoken for and will accommodate the planned relocation of the
According to Fred Connor, co-owner of Connor Contracting Inc., the family-owned company has pre-leased 4,800 square feet of the new building to the extension service, leaving roughly 2,500 square feet of commercial space yet to be committed.
The recently permitted $440,000 redevelopment project started earlier this month and, Connor said, the new building, complete with a 40-space parking lot, will be ready for occupancy in September.
Two neighboring commercial buildings were recently leveled and the two small lots — both roughly two-fifths of an acre — merged as part of a redevelopment plan that brings the property into compliance with the town’s zoning regulations and setback requirements.
One of the two razed buildings was most recently home to the Micro Business Development program run by Capstone Community Action. However, longtime residents remember it once housed an A&W restaurant, was later home to Fisherman’s Galley restaurant, and briefly served as an Army recruiting center.
The mixed-use building that until recently was located next door included both residential and commercial space and past tenants included Morel Electronics.
In two weeks’ time both buildings were torn down, the merged lot fenced in and construction preparation begun, prompting many — including some town officials — to wonder about the tenant that was referenced but not identified in the application submitted in January and reviewed in late-February, resulting in a permit that was issued on March 25.
Although the UVM Extension Service won’t be new to
Based on the application, the balance of the building could be used for anything from office to retail.
@Tagline:david.delcore@timesargus.com
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JUNIOR QUALIFIES FOR NATIONAL REFEREEING TOURNAMENT
Pub. 4/22/15 , The Ithacan, by Vinica Weiss, Staff Writer
Making sure to keep up
with the hustle of the players, junior Clark Stridsberg’s lanky 6-foot 2-inch
frame quickly moves up and down the basketball court. With intense
concentration and confidence, his eyes are locked on the ball and the
competitors’ every move. The sound of the rapid movement of feet resonates
across the court, but a whistle blows, and the high-pitched squeaks of
shuffling feet pause for a moment.
While Stridsberg may be
running across the court, he is not one of the 10 players competing. He is an
official. When he’s donning the black-and-white striped shirt, black pants,
black shoes and whistle around his neck — the attire that has come to define a
basketball referee — his job isn’t to score 3-pointers or block an opposing
player’s shot. Instead, he is one part of the triangle of officials maintaining
the rules, order and flow of the game.
Stridsberg said he has
played basketball since he was a kid, and having an abundance of experience
playing the game helped ease the transition from player to official.
“I’ve played basketball
every year for as long as I can remember … so that’s the one [sport] I
definitely feel the most comfortable reffing, too, because I feel like I have
the best understanding of it,” Stridsberg said.
As an official in the
Office of Recreational Sports at the college since he was a freshman,
Stridsberg has had the opportunity to learn and fine-tune his skills over his
college career.
But recently, Stridsberg
was able to take his abilities to a higher level of play when he received the
opportunity to be an official at the 2015 National Intramural-Recreational
Sports Association National Basketball Championships held at North Carolina State University from April 17–19 in Raleigh , North Carolina .
The tournament is made up
of 96 club and intramural basketball teams from all over the nation, and
Stridsberg is the second Ithaca College student to get the opportunity to officiate at the competition after
Becca Lewis ’14 went two years ago. Stridsberg said being an official at the
tournament was a tremendous experience because he was able to attend various
workshops at the competition, which in turn helped him develop his own skills
on the court.
“It’s definitely another
level, not only for the participants competing, but for the officials because
it’s usually just the top couple officials from the regional tournaments plus
some at-large bids,” Stridsberg said. “So, as an official, it was a really good
experience because you’re working with a lot of people that really know what
they’re doing.”
A sport management major
from Berlin Corners, Vermont ,
Stridsberg came to the college knowing he wanted to work in the sports
industry, and he applied to be a referee for intramurals at the beginning of
his freshman year. In recent years, however, he has taken on multiple roles in
the program. Currently, in addition to being an official, he is a field
supervisor and an office assistant for intramurals. Through the program, he has
also received the opportunity to be a high school basketball official at nine
schools in the Tompkins County area.
Scott Flickinger, former
program coordinator of intramurals at the college who is now the assistant
manager of Intramural and Club Sports at Boston University, said as a
basketball player, Stridsberg came in with prior knowledge of the game, but
while that knowledge base is valuable, it did not necessarily help him become a
talented official. Rather, he said it was Stridsberg’s commitment to his craft
that has made him a strong official over the years.
“Clark has just worked extremely hard in taking a look at plays, analyzing
plays as they come to him and then making the right decision with each play,
and that comes with experience,” Flickinger said. “With every play he sees, he
gets better because he is consistently exposed to those plays. And when that happens
Clark ’s intelligence and his hard work really shine
because as he sees that, he catalogs that so he has that knowledge to fall back
on when he sees that again.”
Before qualifying for the
national competition, Stridsberg went to three regional tournaments. He
qualified to be an official at Boston University , the University of Dayton and the University
of Massachusetts , Amherst .
It was at the UMass
Amherst tournament that Stridsberg was recognized, as he was ranked as one of
the top-two officials at the tournament. At each regional tournament, there is
an official’s committee of about a dozen people, made up of mostly graduate
assistants and intramural coordinators.
Stridsberg said similar to
the elimination style tournament for the teams, referees are also competing to
go further, and as an all-tournament official, he received an automatic bid to
referee at the national tournament in North Carolina . Stridsberg was one of 50 officials from all over
the nation to receive the opportunity.
The NIRSA basketball
tournaments are geared toward helping officials, as there is a big commitment
to professional development. Flickinger said the tournament serves as an
officiating camp of sorts and is an opportunity for Stridsberg to continue
refining his skills.
“It’s always nice that he
got this opportunity to go to nationals, but the one thing I do want to
emphasize is that it’s not about that, and Clark knows that,” Flickinger said. “Clark knows that it is about getting better as an official and doing the
game justice by improving his officiating so that everybody that experiences
the game he’s working experiences a fair and unbiased game.”
At both the regional and
national tournaments, each official has games videotaped with a voice over from
one of the clinicians. When this is done, Stridsberg is able to break down the
film with the official’s committee clinicians, and the videos are also posted
online so he can review them himself.
Similar to how players
watch game film, Stridsberg said watching film of himself during the game helps
him make adjustments because he is able to take the feedback and incorporate it
into his officiating.
“It’s super helpful to be
able to watch yourself because as you’re doing it, you don’t necessarily know
what you look like and what you might be missing,” Stridsberg said. “But it’s
super helpful to be able to go back through certain plays and look at what you
called, and your mechanics, so I think that helps the most.”
Stridsberg said the career
development component has been his favorite aspect of participating in the
tournaments because it gives him the opportunity to learn and to help other
students. He said he enjoys passing on what he’s learned from the tournaments,
even if that means telling people about the disagreement that comes from
players and coaches.
As seen at all levels of
play, referees are often remembered for the calls that they miss, but
Stridsberg said he cannot focus on this.
“Whether you’re a
[Division I] official or in the pros, you’re still not going to get everything,
and even when you do get it right there’s a lot of players and coaches who will
still disagree with you,” Stridsberg said. “When I’m telling the current
intramural referees, I’m always just like, ‘Don’t get discouraged from that,
just do what you’re doing because people always get upset, but you just have to
take it in stride.’”
Stridsberg also said being
an official for intramurals has actually helped when it comes to avoiding
impartiality because many of the players who he officiates are his friends.
Additionally, Stridsberg has had to officiate multiple games for the women’s
club basketball team this past year, including a regional tournament game, and
he said because of his intramurals experience, he has not had to face any
problems regarding impartiality.
“Some people might have a
problem calling a foul on a friend of theirs, but I think honestly officiating
intramurals helped with that because that’s a lot of my friends doing
intramurals, and I still have to officiate those games,” Stridsberg said. “In a
way, it actually helps because if there is a disagreement, you can talk to them
better, you already kind of have a relationship there, so you can explain it to
them and they’re usually very understanding whether or not it’s in their
favor.”
Chris Thomas, intramurals
program coordinator at the college, said it is evident Stridsberg is committed
to helping other officials and enjoys taking on a sort of teaching role. Thomas
also said now that Stridsberg has progressed to this national tournament, he thinks
other intramural officials will try to take that next step as well.
“He’s gone through a lot
of the clinics for the national tournaments and through his high school
certification, so he knows how to train refs, how to relate to them, give them
examples on how to improve their skills as well,” Thomas said. “He is just very
hands-on with them, and I’d say he is very good at relaying information to them
in a way that they understand.”
Stridsberg, who will be a
senior in the fall, said he is planning on officiating at the NIRSA tournament
next year, and he hopes other officials at the college will consider it as
well. When it comes to his future, Stridsberg said he certainly wants to
continue officiating after college.
“Of course, the higher
level, the better when it comes to officiating as far as currently doing high
school,” Stridsberg said. “Eventually I’d like to move on, hopefully do college
games at some point, whether that’s DI or DIII here at Ithaca . But there’s always a higher level to strive for in
the field.”
Added note: Becca Lewis
represented IC for two years at the national tournament. She went in 2013 and
2014. Clark represented IC in 2015. IC has had a
representative there for 3 straight years... and to have a school do that...
let alone a D3 school with a smaller rec program... is quite the
accomplishment! Way to go! - Scott Flickinger, Asst Mgr, IM & Sport Clubs
at Boston Univ PERD
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