Mold, Rot and More Raise Questions at School Street Center
by Amy Kolb Noyes

WOLCOTT - To alleviate overcrowding at the Wolcott Elementary School,
school directors made the decision to move the preschool and
kindergarten programs down to the old school building, now called the
School Street Center. Many Wolcott parents and grandparents were happy
to see Wolcott kids return to their old school. However, as school
custodian Phil Cardinal points out, there were reasons the state deemed
that building unsafe as a public school building 15 years ago. Is it a
safer building today?
Cardinal said he does not want to alarm parents, but there are many
unanswered questions to issues regarding the School Street Center.
Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union Co-Superintendent Mark Andrews said
the cost to bring the School Street Center up to snuff for educational
purposes is a big unknown. Concerns, if the building is to continue to
house school children, include the status of the roof, heating system,
air ventilation system, and fire code issues. The exiting playground
structures have also been deemed unsafe, and are off-limits to the kids.
"This is not a place where we want to educate our kids long-term," said
Andrews.
Cardinal shared concerns that the flat roof on the addition does not
shed snow, and that there are structural problems evidenced by door
frames that won't stay intact. Is it a load bearing problem? Cardinal
wonders, "Everything wants to move. Why?"
Peeling exterior paint also raises alarm bells for Cardinal. He said he
has painted portions of the building himself, but the paint just won't
stick. Are there moisture problems? Mold in the walls? With a building
the age of the School Street Center, lead paint is also a concern -
especially with kids under six attending school there.
On the top of school officials' long list of concerns is pervasive mold
and rot, obvious in the kitchen addition. The solution, thus far, has
been to seal off the School Street Center kitchen. But is that enough to
ensure the indoor air quality is acceptable?
Cardinal opened up the kitchen for the News & Citizen. He pointed out
brown drips of unknown origin marking the walls. Merely tapping the wall
with his hammer, Cardinal exposed layers of rotted wood. Pulling up a
mold-stained rug, he similarly sunk the hammer into the floorboards.
Because the School Street Center kitchen is not usable, Wolcott school
cook Bonnie Kreis said she stores milk in a cooler in a separate room at
the center. Kindergarten children are either bussed up to the big school
for lunch, or the kitchen staff packs bagged lunch for the kids. The
lunches are then driven down to the School Street Center, and the
leftovers driven back up the hill to the elementary school.
Kreis said the bagged lunch system is costly and time consuming. She
noted bags are expensive, as is purchasing individual size items such as
apple sauce and snacks, versus the economy size items purchased for
children eating in the cafeteria. She added it takes about an hour to
prepare bagged lunches for seven or eight kindergartners, while it only
takes a couple hours to prepare hot lunch for the remainder of the
school population.
"It's not the most convenient of situations," Kreis commented.
Principal Merri Greenia has shared with school directors other
logistical issues, such as the need to use bottled water. While it tests
safe, she said the water is unpalatable due to a strong sulfur taste and
odor.
Ironically, Cardinal said the original portion of the old school
building is in the best shape. It is the additions, such as the kitchen
and newer sections closer to the parking lot, that raise the most
concerns. Cardinal said he hopes the community will find a way for the
old school building to continue to play a role in the community.
"This building has a lot of sentimental value and it's a part of the
community," Cardinal noted.

Wolcott to Tackle Big Questions Town Meeting Day
by Amy Kolb Noyes

WOLCOTT - Only about a dozen interested citizens came out Monday
evening, February 21, to hear the Wolcott School Board's presentation on
the school bond vote set for Town Meeting Day. The school board is
seeking to add 9,500 additional square feet to the school building,
including six classrooms and a new library and administration/lobby area.
The construction project is scaled back somewhat, but not significantly
different from the project turned down by voters in October. Parking lot
paving, estimated to cost $80,000, has been removed from the proposal.
The school board has also pledged to trim back an additional $20,000 to
$25,000 in unspecified areas of the $3.5 million project.
School Board chair DJ Masi presented project plans at the meeting, held
at the Wolcott Town Hall. In addition to new construction, Masi said
$400,000 to $450,000 of the project costs would cover mechanical
upgrades such as a building-wide lighting retrofit for energy efficiency
and two new boilers. Masi and other school officials explained experts
recommended a new boiler as well as a backup boiler. School officials
said they learned firsthand the importance of a backup system when the
school's boiler broke down over Thanksgiving break.
School directors estimate the town will need to bond for $2.8 million
for the project. The school board plans to use $100,000 from a building
maintenance reserve fund. The state has pledged over $668,000 in school
construction aid.
Some residents questioned the need for brick construction and so many
new classrooms. School directors defended their plan, saying they want a
building that will hold up over the "long haul."
"The intent is to provide a building that meets the educational
requirements of Wolcott today and into the future," said School Director
Jan Roy. She added the school board is determined to bring all the
students back into one building, rather than trying to operate on two
campuses.
Masi added, "We're expecting a significant growth in our community and
we're trying to plan for it."
Lister Arlo Sterner backed Masi's sentiment, noting building lots and
new homes in Wolcott are being created at an alarming rate.
"I would like to see the best new building we can afford to build
because I've seen all the building that's going on in town."
Sterner noted Wolcott is on the brink of undergoing a reappraisal, and
the project's estimated 9.5 cents on the tax rate will likely decrease
after the reappraisal.
"If you're gonna build something you better build it now because next
year it's gonna cost you twice as much," said Sterner.
Superintendent Mark Andrews said, if the bond were secured today,
Wolcott would be locked in at a 3.8% interest rate.
The school board estimated the proposed project would increase taxes on
a $100,000 homestead by $95 annually. The board broke that cost down to
$1.83 per week, and compared that cost to a half-gallon of milk per week.
Several residents expressed concern that building six new classrooms
would mean the school would hire six new teachers. Principal Merri
Greenia explained all but one of the rooms are already staffed, due to
teachers working at the School Street Center and in a double classroom
at the elementary school. She explained the plan calls for one of the
existing classrooms to be used as a computer room. She said if the
school were to eventually need another classroom, the computer room
could be turned back into classroom space.
Wolcott voters will decide on the school construction bond via
Australian ballot on Town Meeting Day. Also by Australian ballot,
Wolcott voters will be asked to approve changes to the town's zoning
bylaws and subdivision regulations. Polls at the Wolcott Town Hall open
at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1, and will remain open until 7 p.m.
On the floor of Town Meeting, which begins at 10 a.m. at the Town Hall,
voters will elect town officials and vote on the town and school
budgets. The proposed town budget, if all articles pass, is for $772,669
of which $595,353 is to be raised by taxes.
Among the town's increased expenses are services provided by the
Lamoille County Sheriff's Department. Voters will also be asked to
appropriate $10,000 from the "new office revenue fund" and raise an
additional $10,000 through property taxes to replace the roof on the
Town Hall. Voters will also be asked to expend $10,000 in equipment
funds toward the purchase of a new vehicle for the Wolcott Volunteer
Fire Department.
Although the selectboard is not promoting the idea, voters will be asked
if the town selectboard would be increased from three to five members.
If that article is approved, two additional members would be elected at
the 2006 Town Meeting.
Under other non-binding business, the selectboard will ask voter opinion
on whether the town should take over three private roads and reclassify
a class four road to class three. The board will also be asking for
volunteers to sit on a new committee to study options for a new town
office.
Last year voters approved the transfer of the School Street Center from
the school district to the town for possible use as town offices. The
selectboard is waiting until the school is finished using that building
for educational purposes before taking ownership.

Good and Bad News for Belvidere Budget
by Alicia Morissette

The good news for Belvidere is the selectboard budget for 2005, which
has actually decreased from last year by a total of $10,519.
Unfortunately, the bad news is that the Belvidere school budget is up,
which happens to be a common theme among Lamoille County towns this
fiscal year.
According to the school directors' report, the school budget has
increased 18.41% from last year, and is primarily due to increased
Special Education costs. These costs include tuition, transportation and
Speech and Language Services. Special Education costs total $54,080,
which is an increase of 96.63% from fiscal year 2003-2004.
Unfortunately, these increased costs were not balanced by the $14,000
decrease in the selectboard budget. The decrease was due to the fact
that Belvidere had finished its reappraisal, which meant town listers
were not needed to perform as many services or put in as many hours for
the town as they had the year before.
However, these were not the only surprises in the Belvidere Town Report;
the report's dedications are of some interest. The town decided to
dedicate this year's report to "Misty" the cow and "Beaver" the horse,
both of which passed away in January 2004!
According to the dedication, both animals dedicated their lives to the
community; Misty posed for photos, and Beaver gave rides to members of
the community. Amazingly, Beaver was 31 years old when he passed away.
Belvidere's Town Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 1, at 10:00 a.m.
at the Belvidere School.

Waterville Budget Up to Cover Education
by Alicia Morissette

Waterville's proposed budget for 2005 is one of the few budgets that has
not had a dramatic increase. The few increases can be attributed to the
Lamoille County Sheriff's Department (LCSD) budget and the school budget.
Last year's general expenditures totaled $162,826.95, and this year's
proposed budget is only $165,730.30, a difference of only $2,903.35. Of
this increase, according to general expenditures in the town report, the
LCSD communications budget accounts for $2,012.41.
As can be read in Sheriff Roger Marcoux's letter, the additional funds
will be used to alter the pay scale and benefit package for the
Communications Center, so LCSD can compete with nearby agencies for
manpower.
The other increase in Waterville's budget is due to education costs,
which have increased 10.9% from last year. The proposed elementary
budget totals $1,092,504, of which Waterville is responsible for $808,569.
The increase in school budget is primarily due to the Early Essential
Education/Pre-school programs, the Special Education program, Special
Education Transportation and technology support and instruction. The
collective amount of these costs account for $143,217 of the budget.
According to Waterville Elementary Principal Bonny Grant's letter, the
Pre-school program will be expanding from a six-hour per week program to
a 10-hour per week program. Overall, the increase in the school budget
has increased the school tax rate by .101 cents, bringing this year's
tax rate up to $1.311.
Some of this year's Town Meeting business, both binding and non-binding,
includes electing town officers, deciding on the apropriations of sums
to go to various service providers, deciding whether or not to support
various options having to do with Genetically Engineered food and
deciding whether or not to approve the resolution concerning the war in
Iraq and the deployment of members of the Vermont National Guard.
The meeting to vote on the budgets, town officers and other issues will
be held on Tuesday, March 1 at 10:00 a.m. in the Waterville Town Hall.

Monument, Playground Fodder for Town meeting Discussions
by Amy Kolb Noyes

HYDE PARK - A new playground and a veterans memorial will be among the
topics discussed at Hyde Park's Town Meeting next Tuesday, March 1. Hyde
Park voters will convene at the elementary school gymnasium at 9 a.m.
The ballot box will also open at that time, and polls will remain open
until 7 p.m.
On the floor of Town Meeting, Hyde Park voters will be asked to
appropriate $7,500 for a veterans' memorial to honor the men and women
from Hyde Park who served in the armed forces. Hyde Park Postmaster Gary
Rushford is one of the people working to erect the new monument.
Rushford told the News & Citizen the monument will stand on the
courthouse lawn.
Rushford estimated the monument will cost $25,000. He said the design
will mirror the veteran's monument on Craftsbury Common. The monument
will include the names of servicemen and women from Hyde Park, dating
back to the Civil War. Thus far, approximately $12,000 has been raised
through businesses and private donations. Rushford said he hopes someone
will actually amend the article requesting $7,500 and have the town
appropriate the $13,000 remaining to be raised.
Town Meeting voters will also be asked to approve a town budget of
$1,405,065, of which $1,284,815 would be raised by taxes. Despite a 6.6%
budget increase, Town Clerk Gary Anderson estimates the town tax rate
would remain about the same, thanks to a three percent growth in the
town's Grand List.
During the School District portion of the meeting, voters will be asked
to authorize a FY2004 school district surplus of approximately $35,600
to be used for new playground equipment at the Hyde Park Elementary
School. The playground committee estimates the new playground will cost
about $70,000. They hope to receive a grant for $30,000 to $40,000, but
a local match will be required to secure the grant funds. Playground
Committee member Judith Mathison said the committee has also been
fundraising for the project. She added the Hyde Park Village Trustees
recently gave $500 for the new playground. Plans call for a new-style
playground constructed with powder-coated steel. The equipment would
come with a lifetime warranty.
Hyde Park votes its school district budget by Australian ballot. The
proposed $5,850,042 budget is up 3.6% over the current budget.
This will be the last Hyde Park Town Meeting as a selectman for Ken
Harvey. Harvey, to whom this year's Town Report is dedicated, has
decided not to seek re-election after 25 years on the board. Selectman
Russ Lanphear is running uncontested to take over Harvey's three-year
term. Duncan Nash is uncontested in his bid for the vacant two-year seat.
School board incumbents Brian Marshall and Mike Aither are also running
uncontested. The ballot is blank for Hyde Park's seat on the Board of
Directors of Union High School #18. Balu Raman decided not to seek
re-election to that post.

Big Budget Increase For Eden!
by Alicia Morissette

Many parts of the proposed Eden budgets have increased this year.
Education costs have risen 15.15%, the selectboard fund has increased by
$57,264.75 and the highway department has increased by $46,792.50.
Like all other schools in the district, the cost of education has risen
due to Special Education Services. The elementary school budget's
Special Education costs alone have increased $110,640, making this
year's Special Education total $348,923.
Another large increase is due to Pre-school costs. This year the Eden
Central School is asking for $52,825, a difference of $27,685 from last
year. This more than double increase is due to an increase in staff
spending for the Pre-school program, including additional expenses for
salaries, health insurance and dental insurance.
Add to this the large increase in the Lamoille Union Middle and High
School budget as well as the Green Mountain Technology and Career Center
budget, and Eden is looking at a rise of $506,866 from last year for
education alone. However, the revenue for the Eden School District has
increased by $550,922, which is primarily due to Special Education
reimbursement.
The proposed selectboard budget totals $338,163.25, an increase of
$57,264.75 from last year, and the reasons for this increase are town
office and the fire department expenses. The $26,910 difference in the
town office budget is due to the $24,310 increase in office labor.
However, this increase in office labor costs is merely due to an
accounting change. The town clerk will now be paid a salary instead of
both a salary and fees.
The large fire department increase of $15,100 is primarily due to a line
item of $13,000 under new equipment. According to Ricky Morin, selectman
and road commissioner, the North Hyde Park/Eden Fire Department bought a
new fire truck. Eden is sharing this expense with North Hyde Park, and
Eden's share is $13,000, which they will be paying off for the next five
years.
Morin then explained the $15,000 increase in paving this year. He stated
that last year the Highway Department used $33,000 to pave East Hill,
and Morin decided to ask for another $15,000 to either finish this
project or pave the Knowles Flat Road.
The determining factor will be whether the Highway Department recieves a
grant they applied for. If the grant does not come through, Morin stated
they would use the $15,000 to pave the Knowles Flat Road. If the grant
is received, both stretches of road will be paved.
Some of the warned articles concern whether or not the town will vote to
allow the Masonic Lodge in Eden Mills to be property tax exempt for five
years, town appropriation values, summer and winter road maintenance,
summer maintenance around Lake Eden and the South Pond Road, and others.
To be a part of these important decisions, attend Town Meeting, which
will be held at the Eden Central School on Knowles Flat Road on Tuesday,
March 1 at 9:00 a.m.