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Radio Station at GMTCC
by Alicia Morissette
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the Green
Mountain Technology and Career Center's (GMTCC) application for a
low-powered FM radio station.
Larry Robert, the electronics teacher at GMTCC, stated that they applied
for the radio station three-to-four years ago and started working on the
station when they learned three weeks ago that the license was granted.
The station's call letters are WYTCC and the frequency is 89.1.
Unfortunately, the studio is being worked on by students, and the
station is not broadcasting yet. Robert stated he is "hoping within 30
days" to broadcast, but the joke in electronics class is that whenever
Robert says that, it always takes longer.
Students Cassi Holbrook and Erin Hill built between "75 and 80 percent"
of the radio station in the GMTCC Annex, according to Holbrook. Lori
Martin said she did "almost all mudding on the outside" and worked on
"soldering cable joints."
Then another student ran two cables under the GMTCC Annex, through an
office in LUHS, into a ceiling and into the telecommunication room to
connect to the transmitter, explained Robert. Now they need to collect
music and put together the finishing touches.
When the station is up and running, Robert is hoping the 100 watts will
reach 10-15 square miles, which would mean Johnson and Stowe could
receive the broadcast.
Robert stated, "the kids want to play mostly music," but he hopes that
community members will run the station when students are not there.
Robert also wants to "get kids of all ages... and local music" into the
station, and hopes to have sports and news sometime in the future.
The station is quite an accomplishment, since no other high school in
Vermont has a radio station, and no other high school will be able to
obtain a 100 watt license, according to Robert. From now on, only 10
watt licenses will be issued, but even then, there is only a certain
window of opportunity to obtain them.
Robert said that the students "have started playing around" with the
equipment to see what it will be like to broadcast. Students have also
been painting designs on the walls. Overall, Robert described the
station as "fun," and is hoping the community will be able to listen to
its first broadcast soon.
Morristown Library Receives Generous Gift
by Amy Kolb Noyes
MORRISVILLE - The Morristown Centennial Library received a bequest last
week totaling over $12,600. The gift came from the estate of John and
Georgina Hurd. While the couple lived most of their adult lives in the
Cleveland, OH area, Georgina was a Morrisville native and once served as
a library trustee. The couple moved back to Georgina's family home, on
Elmore Street, in their retirement.
Georgina's sister, Mary Lighthall, is executor of the Hurd estate.
Although the couple died within a year of each other, Mrs. Lighthall
explained Georgina predeceased John, so while the bequest technically
came from John's estate, it was Georgina's wish to have the money go to
her hometown library.
"I was very pleased to be able to write that check," said Mrs.
Lighthall. "I don't write checks like that," she added, referring to the
sum."
Mrs. Hurd and her mother, Mrs. Morris Greene, both served on the library
board of trustees at one time.
"Looking back over my family, I think they were users and supporters of
the library," Mrs. Lighthall commented.
The Greene family owned Morristown's foundry, which became Greene Corp.
Morris Greene, Mrs. Hurd's father, graduated from Peoples Academy in
1910. He studied German under librarian Anna Mower, according to Mrs.
Lighthall. Her aunt, Ruth Mould, painted the portrait of librarian Mower
that is part of the library's collection.
Current librarian Mary West said Georgina Hurd was also active in the
Friends of the Library for many years. She added Mrs. Hurd had a great
interest in books, local history, sewing and crafts, and she belonged to
the library's writer's group.
"She was an artistic person," West commented. West also noted the Hurds
were of limited means, and thus their generous gift showed the
importance of the library in their lives.
"It is especially appreciated because they remembered the library as
generously as they were able," said West. She said, as per the Hurds'
request, the gift will be put toward the library's building fund. She
said the fact that the bequest was earmarked for the library's expansion
"reflects Georgina's interest in the welfare of the community."
LNSU Testing Turnout
by Alicia Morissette
HYDE PARK - On Tuesday, January 18, in the Lamoille Union High School
library, over 30 people representing various roles of Lamoille County's
school system and two parents attended the Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) discussion.
John Ferrara, the Lamoille North Supervisory Union (LNSU) data analyst,
used a PowerPoint presentation to explain and clarify the No Child Left
Behind Act (NCLBA), as well as the AYP system that is a result of that
legislation.
Ferrara began by discussing the legislation that led up to the current
NCLBA. He stated that legislation began in 1994 with the federal
Improving America's Schools Act. Then, in 1997, the Equal Educational
Opportunity Act was brought about statewide as a result of Act 60.
Finally, in 2002, the federal NCLBA was imposed.
Under this law, a framework had to be established. Ferrara explained
that the framework was comprised of standards, assessments, and
accountability.
Standards "establish what all students should know and be able to do,"
said Ferrara. Assessments "provide information on the extent to which
students are attaining those standards," explained Ferrara, and
accountability (the AYP system) tracks school progress and provides
support to schools that are having difficulty achieving the standards.
In addition to this information, Ferrara stated, "standards go up every
3 years." This is a negotiation Vermont made in order to maintain
"communication," as well as a political standpoint, said Ferrara,
because they were "unsure of how things would roll out."
According to a graph of AYP's main goal, after 14 years of escalating
standards, the AYP of each school is expected to be 100 percent. In
accordance to the three year AYP rule, Vermont's standards for the
2005-2006 school year is going to be raised, and with LUHS and the
middle school obtaining their first warning checkmarks, "It's not if we
get identified, it's when," stated Ferrara.
Lamoille Union Middle School (LUMS) received its checkmark for the
free/reduced lunch group's English target and LUHS also received its
checkmark in the English target, but the group was white students.
LUHS Principal Sharon Fortune said she found that LUHS had received its
checkmark because, either parents refused to let their children take the
test, or children themselves refused to take the test. "If those seven
kids had taken the test and done something," LUHS would not have
received its checkmark, stated Fortune.
Ferrara informed everyone that a school must receive two consecutive
checkmarks in the same target in order to be identified. Thus, LUMS and
LUHS would each have to receive another warning checkmark in the English
target to be identified.
How did LUHS and LUMS compare to other schools in Vermont? They were two
of 37 schools (12%) that missed at least one target. The rest of the
schools either met all targets (268 or 88%) or were formally identified
(28 or 9%). Currently, "no LNSU schools are identified," assured
Ferrara.
However, some changes will be occurring in the near furture - which was
one of the reasons for calling the public meeting. This spring, 2005,
grade 10 will complete testing as usual, but those tests will be changed
at an uncertain time in the future. Fall 2005 will bring new math and
reading testing for grades 3-8 and new writing testing for grades 5 and
8. Finally, in January or February 2006, AYP targets will increase.
For more information, AYP reports can be found on the Vermont Department
of Education website (www.state.vt.us/educ),
click on "Programs and
Services" and choose either "Accountability" or "Assessment" from the
drop-down menu. Channel 15 will also be airing information during the
"Spotlight On School" segment.
Cambridge Reappraisal
by Alicia Morissette
The Cambridge Town Listers recently started their reappraisal of
property in Cambridge, because the town's Common Level of Appraisal
(CLA) has fallen below 80%.
First, what is the CLA? In technical terms, it is "the ratio of the
aggregate value of the local education, property tax and Grand List to
the aggregate value of the equalized education property tax Grand List,"
said Cora Conly, a Cambridge lister. In more basic terms, it is the
average of the sales of the past three years.
Now the two year process has begun again. The Cambridge reappraisal has
been underway for approximately three-to-four months, and should be
completed by April 1, 2006. The reappraisal will include Jeffersonville.
Cambridge is required to reappraise its property, because according to
state law, all towns whose CLA falls below 80% must do so. Cambridge is
currently at 77%.
The last time Cambridge underwent a reappraisal was back in 1993, and it
was performed by Tom Vickery, according to Conly, but this time,
Cambridge has hired out a Vermont appraisal company. Ted Nelson will be
responsible for the land schedule, commercial property and farmland, and
Vickery will complete Smugglers' Notch.
How will this reappraisal affect Cambridge residents? According to Bill
Shipley, another town lister, stated property values will go up, and
property taxes for residents will vary. Approximately "one third will go
up, one third will go down and one third will stay the same," stated
Shipley.
While property values will increase, Shipley stated, "taxes will not
necessarily go up." Currently, the base rate for the entire state is
$1.04 for residents and $1.54 for non-residents. For Cambridge
residents, the rate is $1.66, because town listers must take the base
rate for the state and divide it by last year's CLA of 82%.
Therefore, when Cambridge's reappraisal is completed in 2006, the CLA
will be 100%, and the property tax rate will be equal to that of the
state's base rate.
Regarding the reappraisal's effect on education, Shipley was only able
to state, "it affects education." The listers are unsure of how the CLA
will affect education, especially since they are unsure of what the
Cambridge Elementary School plans on doing.
Overall, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the effects the
reappraisal will have on the Cambridge and Jeffersonville communities,
but the one thing the listers are sure about is that the reappraisal
will have some effect.
Petitions Are In...
by Amy Kolb Noyes
Monday, January 24, marked a deadline for towns electing officials via
Australian ballot on Town Meeting Day. Monday was the last day for
candidates to hand in the petitions necessary for their names to appear
on the ballot. In Lamoille County, the towns of Hyde Park, Johnson,
Morristown and Stowe use the Australian balloting system to elect town
officials in March. Other Lamoille County towns nominate candidates from
the floor of Town Meeting.
Morristown will have contested races for both school board and
selectboard positions. On the selectboard, longtime chair Brian Greenia
will not be seeking re-election. Both Ron Stancliff and Steve Bousquet
are running for that three-year term. Brian Kellogg is seeking to retain
his two-year seat on the selectboard. Nacklie Bou-Nacklie is challenging
Kellogg for the two-year term.
Kathy Demars is running for re-election to the three-year term she
currently holds on the school board. Ken Schramm is challenging Demars
for that seat. David Ford is not seeking another term on the Morristown
School Board. George Gruner is the only candidate on the ballot for the
two-year school director seat.
There are no contested races in the Town of Hyde Park. There, also, the
longtime selectboard chair has decided not to seek re-election. Because
Ken Harvey is not running for the three-year term, Selectman Russell
Lanphear is running for that seat. Duncan Nash is running for the
two-year seat now occupied by Lanphear.
Incumbents Mike Aither and Brian Marshall are uncontested in their bids
for their seats on the Hyde Park School Board. Balu Raman is not seeking
re-election to the Board of Directors of Union High School District #18.
There will be no name printed on the ballot for that vacant seat.
Johnson will also have a vacancy on the school board ballot. Diana
Osborn did not turn in a petition for the three-year school director
term of which she had filled the final two years. Terri O'Hear is
seeking re-election to the two-year term on the school board.
Incumbent Johnson Selectmen Eric Osgood and Franklin Hooper are
unopposed in their bids for re-election.
Stowe, likewise, will not see any contested races on the Town Meeting
ballot this year. Helen Beckerhoff is stepping off the Stowe
Selectboard. Former Selectman Steve Riley is running unopposed to fill
the two-year term. Riley served on the selectboard for nine years until
2001. Now that he's had a few years off he said he's ready to get back
at it.
"I like to stay involved," Riley told the News & Citizen. "There was a
vacancy, so I threw my hat in and it turns out it was the only hat."
Riley said the town is facing several important issues including the
VELCO power transmission line and the continuing effects of a statewide
property tax on the town budget. He said Stowe should also examine
options such as impact fees and a local option tax.
Dick Marron is uncontested in his re-election bid for the three-year
selectboard term. School Directors Cameron Page and Terry Dwyer are
uncontested for their three- and two-year terms, consecutively.
Editor's Note to above: We discovered after the print edition was
circulated that there is another candidate who has filed a petition in
Morristown. Peter Jones, an employee at the Union Bank, has filed for
the two year
school director position in Morristown. He has lived in town for four
years and has four children in the local school system and is active in
many organizations. See next week's print edition for details.
HPES Playground Update
by Amy Kolb Noyes
HYDE PARK - The Hyde Park Elementary School Playground Committee
received some good news from the school board last week. If the
committee is able to secure a Land & Water Conservation Fund grant to
revamp the school's large playground, the school board will match the
grant funds.
The playground's pressure treated wooden structures are now 15 years old
and showing wear. With the successful rebuilding of the smaller
preschool/kindergarten playground under their belt, playground committee
members are now gearing up to tackle the big job.
Committee member Judith Mathison explained the Land & Water Conservation
fund is a cooperative project between the National Parks Service and the
Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. The grants tend to
run between $30,000 and $40,000. Hyde Park must have its grant
application submitted by February 28. Committee members will know by May
if their project was awarded funding. This is the same grant that helped
Morristown build its new playground.
Mathison said her committee is also pursuing other funding avenues.
Fundraising letters went out to area businesses on Friday. The committee
has also applied for a Ben & Jerry's grant, in the $1,000 range, and a
grant of up to $10,000 from the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
The committee has been working with a playground designer from Miracle
Recreation Equipment Company, of Burlington. Between talking with the
Hyde Park kids and working with the experts, they have come up with a
design for their "dream playground." The playground would have plastic
structures, similar to the playground in Morrisville. The cost would be
approximately $44,000, according to Mathison.
Donations for the new HPES playground can be sent to the attention of
the Playground Committee at the Hyde Park Elementary School, 50 East
Main Street, Hyde Park, VT 05655.
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