Broadband Bill Signed in Elmore
Governor Presents Wolcott $50K Grant
ELMORE – Elmore State Park was teeming with politicians, lobbyists and reporters late Tuesday morning, May 29. They gathered at the day use area, around Governor Jim Douglas, for the ceremonial signing of the state’s new broadband bill. There was only one hitch, the bill was held up in the Legislature’s proofreading process and had not yet been forwarded to the Governor for his signature.
Instead, Governor Douglas thanked those present for attending “a celebration of a bill that will be signed…a virtual bill.”
The official name of the bill, which is over 70 pages thick, is H.248 An Act Relating to Establishing the Vermont Telecommunications Authority to Advance Broadband and Wireless Communications Infrastructure Throughout the State. The bill creates a Telecommunications Authority and lays out a plan to have cell phone and broadband internet service throughout the state by 2010. Governor Douglas said the bill sets a goal of having 90% of the state covered by the end of this year.
“It’s that last ten percent that’s really tough,” Gov. Douglas added, referring to the state’s dips and valleys. Even so, the state is now committed to “true universality as far as cell phones and broadband is concerned” within three-and-a-half years.
While other state legislatures are considering wireless issues, only Vermont and Rhode Island have set goals for statewide coverage. Douglas conceded Rhode Island, due to its size and geography, may get the job done more quickly.
“It really puts us on the map as being the first e-state,” Douglas said. “I know what Rhode Island says but they’re a ninth our size and they’re flat.”
The Governor thanked many people for their work on the bill, including Warren Kitzmiller, chairman of the House Commerce Committee, which drafted the bill. Kitzmiller credited a bipartisan effort for the passage of the bill “in the spirit of cooperation.” He added, “And even the House and Senate agreed on this one.”
Douglas also thanked State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding for advising the Legislature on bonding opportunities to fund the bill’s goals.
Once established, the Telecommunications Authority will be authorized to sell $40 million in bonds to fund the necessary infrastructure. The state will own the cell and broadband towers and antennas, and lease them to companies that provide wireless services.
Among those companies is Stowe-based internet service provider Power Shift Online. Power Shift owner Joe Allen was at the signing, along with a crew of technicians who brought temporary broadband service to the state park for the event.
Allen worked in cooperation with the Town of Wolcott to draft a plan to bring broadband to that community. The Wolcott Broadband Committee, represented by Town Clerk and State Representative Linda Martin, received a $50,000 grant from the state to begin the process of bringing broadband to Wolcott. The Governor also presented an oversized ceremonial check to the town on Tuesday.
Douglas said the broadband bill is important for business and commerce, public safety, “and most importantly because it is expected in this era.”
The lack of a paper copy of the bill for the Governor to sign did not deter him from signing his approval. The Governor “penned” his signature on an electronic copy of the bill using a laptop and a stylus. He was not, however, willing to give away the bill-signing pen.
Allen/Churchill Combo Does it Again
by Mickey Smith
BURLINGTON – In high school it was Mark Churchill’s coaching advice that helped propel Brad Allen to victory; this past Sunday, May 27, at the Vermont City Marathon, Churchill put his money where his mouth is (or more importantly his legs) and teamed up with his friend to win the inaugural half marathon relay.
Each runner ran a 13.1 mile leg of the race, and in the end their combined time beat the 64 other teams competing in the event. In second place, were two faces also familiar to Churchill… Tyler Ludington and John Ostler. Ludington and Ostler were also stars on Churchill-coached cross country teams at Peoples Academy.
Churchill’s 1:17:57 put the team in about fifth place at the half way point, but Allen turned up the heat to give the team a 1:30:08 overall time.
The team of Ludington and Ostler put together a 1:15:04 first leg and a 2:32:09 overall time to take second place.
Churchill was a late addition to Allen’s team. Allen’s original partner went down with a knee injury so he contacted his former coach to find a new teammate. Churchill offered himself, and the two, who still run together about once a week, worked together one more time.
Author to Speak on End of Life
MORRISVILLE – Vermont author Stephen Kiernan will speak at Morrisville’s Out & About Adult Day Services Center Wednesday, June 6 at 7 p.m. Kiernan is a Charlotte resident and author of Last Rights: Rescuing the End of Life from the Medical System.
Kiernan asserts dying in America is changing. However, he states our cultural attitudes, heathcare policies and medical communities have not adapted to that change.
“Unlike past generations, when people died of sudden causes like heart attacks and strokes, today they succumb to slow illnesses like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and organ failure. Last Rights encourages an open dialogue about the many difficult yet necessary life – and death – decisions that must be made. At a time when people have unprecedented opportunities to determine their own futures, few are doing so – and instead letting the system decide how they and their loved ones will die,” a press release on the book states.
The book asks questions about how society, families, the government and the medical establishment can better deal with death and the dying. Stephen Kiernan spent 14 years as a writer and editor at The Burlington Free Press. He has been honored with several awards including the Gerald Loeb Ward for Financial Journalism, the Associated Press Managing Editors’ Freedom of Information Award, and the George Polk Award.
Head On Crash Slows Route 100 Traffic
by Mickey
Smith
MORRISTOWN – Shortly after 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, two cars collided head on in front of the Jersey Heights development in Morrisville.
According to Morristown Senior Patrolman Ryan Bjerke a Volkswagen Cabrio convertible being driven by John Cowan, 57, of Richmond, and a Dodge Caravan being driven by Valerie Hunt, 47, of East Hardwick, collided head on.
Senior Patrolman Bjerke said it appears Cowan fell asleep at the wheel, causing his vehicle to drift left of center and into oncoming traffic. Cowan’s Volkswagen was struck by Hunt’s minivan.
Bjerke said no excessive speed was involved, and it was a case of Hunt having no time to react to the vehicle coming in lane. He said the investigation showed no skid marks as she simply had no time to brake.
Hunt and her passenger were treated for bumps and bruises, according to Bjerke. He believed Cowan was kept overnight at Copley Hospital for observations, but released the next day.
Project Maple Leaf 07
MORRISVILLE – Maple Leaf has been a wonderful tradition for Morristown’s Peoples Academy sixth graders for 30 years now. Each year, new middle level students enjoy a great opportunity to learn about what it’s like to have jobs. A large number of new choices have been added on to the program just this year.
Kids have a wide range of businesses to choose from that includes restaurants, municipal department offices, stores and other places around Lamoille County that make up its economical community. Kids this year have gone to many, many places including Copley Hospital, Stowe Soaring, McDonald’s, Bourne’s and Olympia Sports. Each kid had positive feedback about their experiences in learning how their favorite money-spending places operate.
We talked to several students who gave us the inside story on what they got to do. One student was psyched about getting to watch examinations and surgeries at Lamoille Valley Vet Service. Celebrating the 100th birthday of a senior citizen was part of the excitement at Out & About for two of our fellow classmates. Everyone came back to school with lots to talk about whether it was their trip to the court house with the police or the brownies and soda they made at The Bee’s Knees. From taking inventory at Footloose to packaging parts at Concept 2, everyone was able to participate in some way. Maybe their job was to clean or maybe it consisted of writing an article, but each individual found a way to help out their community and get a feel for what it’s like to be a working citizen.
DRB Approves Pope Meadow Plan
MORRISVILLE – The Morristown Development Review Board, last week, approved developer Virtual Realty’s application for the proposed 44-unit Pope Meadow subdivision. The approved plan subdivides about nine acres near the Village boundary, on Elmore Street, into 22 lots and proposes building a duplex on each lot.
Zoning Administrator Mark Leonard said the Development Review Board voted to approve the application with several conditions. Leonard said he is in the process of drafting a formal written decision outlining the conditions that the board will sign within the next few weeks.
The DRB decision was unanimous, although of the seven board members two had recused themselves from the Pope Meadow hearings and one was not present for the vote. One alternative DRB member was called in for the final five-person decision. Leonard noted there is still an opportunity for the many neighbors who turned out to oppose the application to appeal the decision. He said the project must also win Act 250 approval.
Vermont Downtowns Honored
by Amy Kolb Noyes
MONTPELIER — Vermont’s historic downtowns received international acclaim, this
month, at the World Travel & Tourism Council’s annual Global Travel &
Tourism Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.
The London-based World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) chose Vermont’s downtowns, and the Vermont Downtown Program, as a finalist in the 2007 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Destination Award category. The other two Destination Award finalists were the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Greenbox ecotourism program in Ireland. The Great Barrier Reef was announced the winner at the summit.
“Being a finalist in this competition brings worldwide recognition to the remarkable qualities of Vermont’s downtowns,” said Governor Jim Douglas. “We’ve seen tremendous change in these communities, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our local downtown organizations and their hundreds of volunteers.”
Morristown is among Vermont’s designated downtowns. According to Community Development Coordinator Heidi Krantz, the designation has afforded Morrisville’s downtown property owners many opportunities.
"Downtown Designation has been catalyst for so many positive changes in our downtown,” Krantz commented. “Numerous property owners have used over $150,000 in tax credits to make improvements on the buildings; we have received grants to help with the sidewalk improvements and plantings; we are installing new lighting on Copley Ave; we have a committed group of volunteers who plan great festivals and we have a community that is making things happen.”
Krantz added, “We have accomplished a lot since we received designation in 2003, and there are many projects in the works. This town has so much to be proud of – and the fact that our statewide downtown program was a finalist for this prestigious award reflects how what we have here in Vermont is valued by others.”
According to the WTTC, finalists in the Destination Award category have proven that their destination ensures maximum benefits and minimum impacts to the natural environment and local communities.
The summit focused on managing tourism and travel growth responsibly and investing in a sustainable future by integrating economics, the environment, and social and cultural priorities. WTTC research suggests that the demand for global travel and tourism will grow at an annual rate of 4.3 percent over the next 10 years.
“Vermont is ahead of the curve and well positioned for managing tourism growth responsibly,” said State Tourism and Marketing Commissioner Bruce Hyde, who attended the summit. “Vermont already has a great deal of land in conservation, and we are a leader in the national effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
The Global Travel and Tourism Summit is the industry’s highest profile event and provides a unique platform for discussion between the leading public and private sector decision makers who will shape the future of travel and tourism, one of the world’s largest industries.
“Choosing a winner for the Destination Award was the most difficult,” Hyde said. “Judges agonized for three hours between the State of Vermont and the Great Barrier Reef before making a decision.”