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Event cancellation for Sept. 10
RUTLAND - The open house at Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 10, has been postponed. The organizers of the event, VT AOT resources and airport equipment are being utilized in the recovery effort resultant from tropical storm Irene. The airport open house will be rescheduled for a future date.
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VT Law School Continues FEMA Assistance for Residents
VLS's Land Use Clinic and South Royalton Legal Clinic are continuing to help residents to fill out FEMA applications for Tropical Storm Irene-related damage from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Friday in the VLS Library. The South Royalton Legal Clinic also will provide civil legal assistance. For more information, call 802.831.1028.
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Update from Woodstock Inn & Resort - from Courtney Lowe
Friends,
It's been a tough week for all of us, and we are thankful that all our employees, guests, and friends in the town weathered the storm safely.
As many of you know, the Woodstock Inn & Resort did not escape without incident, so we are temporarily closed as we clean ourselves up and dust ourselves off. Here's the story: The lower floors of the inn experienced flooding, which damaged several meeting rooms, 13 of the 142 guest rooms, and the banquet kitchen facilities. The golf course, outdoor tennis facilities, and some other outdoor recreation facilities were also affected, and these will require significant clean-up and restoration. This will take some time, and for the safety and comfort of our guests, we are rescheduling all guests who had reservations with us through the month of September. We will keep them closely apprised of the situation.
And now for the good news...
The Racquet & Fitness Club is open (with both power and water) and all the indoor amenities there are fully operational.
Though currently closed, all the upper floors were undamaged and require only minimal cosmetic attention, including 129 guest rooms and suites, The Red Rooster and Richardson's Tavern, The Spa, and all the public spaces. Suicide Six suffered no harm.
We have an aggressive clean-up and renovation plan in place – indeed, a large crew arrived over the weekend and continues to work 24 hours a day. As the days progress and the authorities give us the proper clearance, we will begin opening parts of the resort to both the community and guests. We must make these decisions day by day, and we will certainly keep you informed as news arises.
We know that many of you rely on us to bring tourists to the area, and we are eager to fill that role again soon. But right now, we need YOUR help. Our guests are now turning to our Facebook page to show their support and get the "real news" about how the town is doing. So, we've decided to chronicle the entire clean-up effort on our Facebook site, and reassure people that Woodstock – despite the sensational news reports – was NOT washed away by the storm.
Please...join the dialogue. Like us on Facebook. Post information about your own business. Be willing to be captured in "candid" photos by members of our marketing team, who will be out and about snapping photos in the community. Together, we can make sure that travelers stay engaged, get involved, and become excited to come back to this area very soon!
Thanks for all the support you've shown us through this challenging time. And stay tuned!
Best,
Courtney Lowe
Director of Sales & Marketing
The Woodstock Inn & Resort
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Vermont Apple Growers Optimistic About Fall Crop
MONTPELIER - Despite the numerous punches thrown by Mother Nature so far this year, Vermont’s apple growers are still standing.
“Most growers are subscribing to the concept of the glass being half full, not half empty,” reports Steve Justis, Executive Director of the Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association. “Tropical storm Irene did cause some damage to orchards, but overall, losses were fairly light. We have a good crop of apples, and we’re still pretty early in the season.”
Many growers saw apple-laden trees blown down from Irene’s strong winds and heavy rains, but Justis estimates that less than one percent of the state’s trees were damaged. “Several growers last week felt that the rains were a mixed blessing--- many orchards were getting dry---they needed the rain”, Justis noted.
“A few early varieties, including Jersey Mac and Paula Red have already been harvested, but the main season is still ahead of us”, notes Justis. “McIntosh, Cortland, Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Empire, Macoun and others will be ready for picking in a matter of days.” While McIntosh is still the state’s leading variety, representing over 50 percent of the crop, some newer varieties, including Honeycrisp, are growing in popularity. Vermont also excels with many heirloom and antique varieties, ranging from Ananas Reinette (1500’s, France) to Wolf River (1850’s Wisconsin).
Vermont’s 2011 apple harvest is expected to be 600,000 bushels, down 28 percent from the 833,000 boxes harvested in 2010 and 35 percent below the five-year average of 919,000 boxes. The Vermont crop was hindered by record rainfall at the beginning of the season, but recent widespread hail took the biggest bite of production.
The national apple crop is expected to be down three percent in the East, up 58 percent in the Midwest. The western states will be down three percent, for a national gain of three percent over the 2010 crop, and equal to the national 5-year average.
Vermont apple growers are concerned about the numerous road closings across the state, which may keep retail customers away. The Vermont apple growers association has stepped up its marketing efforts this year. Many Vermont growers are participating in the Pick for Your Neighbor program with the Vermont Foodbank and the Apples to iPods promotion with the Vermont Department of Tourism.
Growers have also incorporated artwork by nationally acclaimed Vermont graphic illustrator Hal Mayforth to encourage consumers to eat more apples.
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