OKEMO HOSTS LIBERTY UNIVERSITY WIND ENSEMBLE Mar 12

Submitted by Okemo Mtn Resort

The Liberty University Wind Ensemble will perform a free concert in the Roundhouse at Okemo Mountain Resort’s Jackson Gore Base Area on March 12. The one-hour performance is slated to start at 7 p.m.

The Liberty University Wind Ensemble is comprised of approximately 60 college students from Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia. The wind ensemble performs a wide variety of music that appeals to a diverse audience. The public is invited to attend and there is no admission fee.

The Wind Ensemble will perform selections from their spring repertoire: Exultate by Samuel Hazo, Second Suite for Military Band by Gustav Holst, Lincolnshire Posy by Percy Grainger, Russion Christmas Music by Alred Reed, Inchon by Robert W. Smith, Scootin’ on Hardrock by David Holsinger, The Heart of Worship, Come, Now is the Time to Worship, There is a Fountain, Forever, My Life is in You, Lord.

The Liberty University Wind Ensemble is under the leadership of Dr. Stephen Kerr, director of bands. Dr. Kerr received his B.S. degree in Music Education from Liberty University in 1982. He holds the M.A. degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Virginia Tech. and the Ph.D. degree in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Nitka's Notes from Montpelier

By Senator Alice Nitka, Windsor County, February 20, 2009

An evening public hearing held earlier in the week saw farmers of every persuasion at the State House. The issues to be addressed were challenges and opportunities in farming, what should the legislature do to assist farmers and the vision for food and farming in VT. Over 300 people attended, were given two minutes to speak and stayed late into the evening and shared many stories.

With regard to dairy, a farmer’s milk check in March will be very low at about $11.00 per hundredweight, (100 pounds or 11.6 gallons). Although non farmers are accustomed to speaking in gallon terms, milk is produced in such quantities farmers use pounds as they weigh the milk. Incidentally, a gallon of milk weighs 8 pounds. In my trying to figure out the “weight” issue a farmer member of the House of Representatives reminded me of an old saying from his youth and mine of  “A pint is a pound the world around.”

Dairy consumption is down world wide due to factors such as the melamine scare in China which frightened people away from milk products causing demand to drop and the fact that the U.S. dollar value is stronger than it was, so now milk products are more expensive overseas.  We were exporting 11% of our country’s total production and basically now the market has dried up. We are overproducing 9 billion pounds of milk per year and this is four times VT’s milk production volume. VT does produce 60% of the milk consumed in New England. When a surplus in milk occurs, it is turned into less perishable products such as butter, cheese, yogurt and dried milk. Dried milk has a very long shelf life.  These products do not obtain as high a price for the farmer as fluid
milk. 

Right here at home, due to our economic problems, fewer people are eating out and that means less cheese used in fast food restaurants for cheeseburgers and pizzas which has had a direct impact on the industry due to the quantities formerly purchased. Another issue is whey, a by product of cheese making from which a protein concentrate can be extracted. The protein concentrate is used in sports drinks, energy drinks, power bars, etc. The consumption of these drinks in China was becoming popular but the sales have lessened, so dairy has taken another hit right now. There are about 1100 farms in VT and it will be very difficult for some of them to survive until milk prices increase. VT has little in the way of a remedy, given that milk prices are generally under the control of the federal government that sets the nationwide price via a formula that involves how much cheese is being sold by cheese plants in Wisconsin.  Organic dairy products do not have a federal base price.

Farming thoughts continued into the week with regard to the election in the Legislature of three University of VT Trustees. All four persons running for the office were native Vermonters with farming ties back many generations as well as some UVM ties going as far back. Today one is involved with a large horse farm, one, a tree farmer of the year and another has a large sugaring operation. The vote was initially counted as a tie for three out of the four candidates. A later recount determined two vote differences between the three.

Chief Justice Reiber of the VT Supreme Court spoke immediately after the vote to the Joint Assembly of the House and Senate re the financial crunch facing the courts, the need for the courts to be closed on certain days to save money and the need to preserve our justice system despite the money woes.

A last note about a VT food product:  Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie during the wait for the vote count reported to me that on 2/16, he and what must have been a large group of helpers put in 5000 taps and the next day more worker bees put in 3500. Certainly a sign that Town Meeting Day is just around the corner. 

View bills and committee schedules at www.leg.state.vt.us  Visit the State House, hear testimony on bills and consume some VT food in the cafeteria. Feel free to contact me at home, 228-8432, or at the State House, The Senate Chamber,  05633-5201 or  PO Box 136, Ludlow, VT 05149.

Fletcher Farm Course Catalog for 2009 Available

Submitted by Fletcher Farms School for Arts and Craft

Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts announces that the 2009 Summer Catalog is off the press and ready to move into homes.

If you would like to request a catalog filled with information about the fine arts, special interests, glass, quilting, fiber arts, jewelry arts, wood carving, early American decorative arts, and young artists courses please contact the Fletcher Farm School at 802-228-8770 or e-mail them at info@fletcherfarm.org. You can also pick a catalog up at the school which is located at 611 Route 103 South, Ludlow, VT  05149.

CCCA to Rebroadcast Cavendish Meet the Candidates Night

Submitted by Peter J. LaBelle

On Tuesday, February 24th, and continuing a tradition begun in 2006, The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association held a Meet the Candidates Night at the Cavendish Town Elementary School.  Each candidate for Town office was invited to share his or her position on any town issue that they wished to address.  Citizens could meet the candidates, discuss the issues, and also had the opportunity to discuss with town officials each of the articles proposed for a vote at Town Meeting.  For those who were unable to attend the Candidates Night presentation, it was recorded and will be rebroadcast on the local cable channel, LPC-TV.  Please check the channel listings for times.

Items coming to a vote at town meeting include the town and school budgets, exemption of Fletcher Farms from town taxation, and a proposal to reallocate funds from specific bridge improvements to general infrastructure improvement funds.  There is also a proposal to eliminate publication of the cemetery perpetual care accounts from the town report, and a proposal to increase the veterans’ exemption from $20,000 to $40,000 per year.  This year the Town Meeting will fall on Monday, March 2nd with balloting to follow on Tuesday, March 3rd.  For further information, please contact Will Hunter at 226-7852.

Cavendish Holds Candidates Forum Feb. 24

Submitted by Robin Timko

Cavendish is sponsoring a Meet the Candidate night on Tuesday, Feb 24th at 7p.m. in the Cavendish Town Elementary School. Candidates will be addressing why they feel public service is important, what their office entails and the current issues they feel are important. The event is sponsored by the CCCA and will be moderated by Will Hunter. Cavendish citizens are encouraged to attend and ask questions.

Folk Art & the Creation of the Shelburne Museum

Submitted by Lynn Herbst

Folk art has been a part of the American culture throughout our entire history and continues to be an important part of our lives.  Valerie Biebuyck’s book so beautifully describes the elements of folk art and its relationship to our current concerns for recycling.  Join us at the Mount Holly Town Library on February 28th at 11 am as Ms. Biebuyck tells us about her book Electra to the Rescue: Saving a Steamboat and the Story of the Shelburne Museum.

The book centers on the life of Electra Havemeyer Webb, her passion for collecting and the creation of a museum.  Valerie, a Rutland author, will read passages from her book while showing slides of Electra’s life and the objects she collected (including wooden Indians, duck decoys, carousel figures, and a 900-ton steamboat!).  She will also talk about the elements of folk art and engage kids in a discussion of the question “What is folk art?”  After the talk, Valerie will do a simple hands-on craft project that allows kids in the audience to make their own piece of folk art.  Children are encouraged to bring a photo for the project (wallet-sized or 4”x6”)!

This book and program is appropriate for children and adults.    Illustrated throughout with archival images and full-color photographs of items from the Shelburne collection,
the book is a splendid introduction not only to a dynamic, unconventional woman but also to the rich, colorful world of Americana.  Books will be available for purchase with 20% of the purchase price going to the library.  A display of folk art objects made by community members will be on display.  We hope you will join us for this fun and informative program. 

The library is located in the Village of Belmont at 26 Maple Hill Road.  For more information, call 259-3707 or Email: mhlibrary@vermontel.net.

Ludlow Candidates Forum Feb 19

 

On Thursday, Feb. 19, candidates for the Ludlow Select Board will participate in a Candidate's Forum.  The forum, sponsored by the local news TV program, That Was The Week That Was (TW3), is set to begin at 7 PM in the Conference Room at Ludlow Town Hall.
 
According to TW3 cohosts, Ralph Pace and Leo Graham, the candidates will be asked to address important questions facing the town and surrounding area during difficult economic times.  In addition to questions from the TW3 hosts, the audience is invited to ask direct questions of the candidates.
 
Both Pace and Graham urged Ludlow voters to attend the forum.  "It's one of the few times you have a chance to ask a candidate why he deserves your vote," Pace said. 

Ludlow Schools Shut Down After Bomb Threat

All three Ludlow schools shut down Thursday, Feb 5, after a bomb threat was reported in one of the Black River High School restrooms.  According to Jim Frail, BR Principal, the message consisted of one word and a time in the main level boys' bathroom of the high school.  It was reported to school authorities around 10:30 am; all three schools were closed down and students transported to pre-planned sites by 10:45 am.

In a message to parents, Rutland Windsor Supervisory Union Supervisor Judith Pullinen indicated that the shutdown procedures followed emergency policy procedures and "a safe and orderly dismissal occurred and within 15 minutes of the 10:45 am dismissal time both school buildings were closed.  All after school activities have been cancelled."

Frail said, "The school has a camera which shows people entering and leaving the bathroom at specific times.  School officials interviewed all the people who used the bathroom from the time the school building was open until it was reported by a student.  We concluded and later verified by students that the message was not written on Thursday morning.   The incident is still under investigation by the Ludlow Police Department."

In her note to parents, Pullinen noted that the decision to close the school rather than conduct a temporary evacuation was based, in part, on the "frigid" temperature to which the students would have been subjected under the evacuation plan.

Nitka's Notes from Montpelier

By Senator Alice Nitka, Windsor County, February 6, 2009

The week of February 2nd was one that saw many students at the State House for various reasons. Farmers’ Night, a weekly event at the Capitol with a history dating back to when many members of the Legislature were farmers and invited musical groups or others to entertain still occurs, even though few farmers remain. The public and  members of the Legislature are invited to attend these events held in the well of the House of Representatives. Seventh and eighth grade members of the Kurn Hattin School jazz band and choir appeared this week in their marching uniforms to perform and so many beaming happy faces haven’t been seen in this building in quite a few weeks.  Their performance ranged from the VT state song, “These Green Mountains” to the “1812 Overture”. The school, located in Westminster has about 100 students at their residential campus and they hail from VT and other nearby states. Volunteers, staff and the principal who doubled as the school bus driver all hoped the students who were really wound up after their success would sleep on the two hour drive back to the school. They were great!

Another event that involved students on the same day was a program to bring attention, education and recommendations on the ALCOPOPS issue.  ALCOPOPS are classified as flavored malt beverages and are sweetened alcoholic beverages that resemble soda, beer and energy drinks. The Dept of Liquor Control is reviewing how these beverages should be marketed, sold and taxed. High school students tested a few legislators as to whether they could identify which drinks contained alcohol or not by looking at them. Most did not know what ALCOPOPS were and the only way to distinguish which was which was by reading the labels carefully. A House bill is circulating but is not yet introduced that proposes to classify them as spirits which would mean they could only be sold in liquor stores.

Lyndon State College students testified re financial assistance before the Senate Ed Committee and additionally mentioned their appreciation of the Communications and Meteorology majors at their school. To their surprise, the national network news person who was in the committee filming for a show was a graduate of Lyndon with a major in Communications. What an inspirational for them.

President Fogel of UVM and several of his students were also in the building. Financing a college education is a concern for many these days and UVM and some other colleges are trying to build safety nets for students re finances to retain their students and enable others to enter. Of note is that 29% of VT students attending UVM paid nothing for tuition to attend. Some of these students were merit scholars while some were children of employees of UVM and the state college system.  Seventy-eight percent of VT students had financial assistance and the end cost for tuition was $6100 per year. The remaining VT students paid full tuition. Full tuition and fees for a VT student are $12,844 and for an out of state student $29,682. Average room and board is extra at $8,534.

In Fall, 2008 there were 660 VT students who enrolled at UVM out of 1500 granted admittance from the 2,107 who applied.  Re out of state students for the same period, there were 1,838 who enrolled out of 12,151 granted admittance from the 19,000 who applied.  A good reasonably priced door into UVM and the state college system is through the Community College of VT. Courses are available around the state and credits are transferable thus you could complete two years before starting to pay higher tuition. President Fogel reports that students who choose this route have done very well at his school.  Talk to the VT Student Assistance Corporation, (VSAC) re financial assistance if you are considering college or are already there. The federal Economic Stimulus package proposes to make available more money for Pell grants for college as well.

View newly introduced bills and committee schedules at www.leg.state.vt.us.  Feel free to contact me at home, 228-8432, or at the State House, 1-800-322-5616, or at anitka@leg.state.vt.us.    Mailing addresses are: The Senate Chamber,  05633-5201 or  PO Box 136, Ludlow, VT 05149.

Ludlow SB Agrees to "Bailout" Union - Halfway, Anyway

By Leo Graham

Jeffrey Wilmette (shown at the meeting in inset), business manager and financial secretary of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 300 (the union that represents many Ludlow Municipal employees) came before the Ludlow Selectboard on Monday night to press his case for two municipal transit system drivers (bus drivers) who found themselves owing the Municipality money after the Union contract was ratified.

It works like this: two of the bus drivers (who were never mentioned by name at this meeting or the one before it) agreed to be paid strictly by the hour instead of by the hour and by the run (completed route of which there are usually several). Wilmette asserts, and he is not contradicted by anyone involved on the Municipal side, that the bus drivers in question knew they would be making somewhat less money than they had been.

Here is the devil in this detail: the contract expired on July 1, a new one wasn’t ratified by the rank and file of the Union nor the two Municipal boards until sometime in late October. Once ratified, the contract calls for all wage adjustments to be made retroactive to July 1, 2008. But any new wage structure doesn’t come into force until the contract is ratified. Thus, the union workers expected to see their pay increases – about 3 percent – paid-in-full in their first paychecks. What the union hadn’t anticipated – and Wilmette is clear that it was a union oversight during the negotiation process – is that the two bus drivers in question were being paid at the old rate until the contract was ratified; as is standard practice. So the two bus drivers received a bill along with their first post-ratification paycheck because they had been paid at the old rate during the time between the formal expiration of the old contract and the ratification of the new one. The bills weren’t small either, a total of $1,600 is legally owed by the two men to the municipality.

At the Ludlow Selectboard meeting prior to last Monday’s Wilmette was asked if the union was willing to contribute to – in Board member Bruce Schmidt’s phrase –  make the workers “whole again;” meaning that if the Municipality was willing to put some money forward to forgiving the bus drivers arrears would the union do so as well. Wilmette’s answer at the time was terse: “no.” In a brief interview outside of the Ludlow Town Hall after this week’s meeting, Wilmette told this reporter that the Union “will contribute” something to help the bus drivers out of their dilemma. He confirmed that this was for the record. He also made it clear he wasn’t about to negotiate exact percentages off the top of his head in the middle of a public meeting. That fact went unknown throughout last Monday’s meeting. When Wilmette's position was made known to Board Chair Howard Barton, Jr. by this reporter, Barton replied, “Why didn’t he tell us that?”

At last Monday’s meeting Selectman John Neal took the point saying the “Town was willing” to help in the matter but that he was also “looking for the union to participate.” Neal asserted his belief that if the Union was willing to do so everyone could “resolve this very quickly.” Barton, echoed Neal’s comments.

Later Neal said that the Municipality was willing to do something to help the workers; he thought the workers were as well but he believed a “third party” had to step-up. Neal was seemingly talking about the IBEW.

Wilmette replied, “I don’t think there is a third party here.”

When pressed by Selectman Bruce Schmidt about just what it was Wilmette expected, Wilmette avoided the question by stating that he wanted to be careful because, “I don’t want to be misquoted.”

At that time, Schmidt started to make a motion about what he believed the Board should do about the issue. At first he began a motion that seemed to indicate he was simply willing to forgive the whole of the bus drivers’ financial liability to the Municipality. He stopped in the middle of his motion and asked to rephrase. The motion he did make was that the municipality would make good 50 percent of what the bus drivers owed. He made it clear he didn’t much care where the other 50 percent came from.

Thus a series of letters seeking what is called a “release agreement” will circulate between Wilmette and Ludlow Municipal Manager Frank Heald. The result of that correspondence/negotiation should be made clear at the next meeting. Both the Selectboard and the Union asserted they would like this issue to be in the past tense.

In the meantime, the drivers in question have not have wages garnisheed nor have they paid any of the bill.

The ball – somewhat in defiance of the laws of physics – remains in everyone’s court.