Budget
Time Underway
MORRISVILLE
– The Morristown Selectboard began its annual
budgeting process in earnest this week. Monday evening, November 19, the board
heard a budget overview from Town Administrator David Crawford and approved a budget
meeting schedule. The board also reviewed a proposed 2008-2009 highway budget
and discussed highway equipment purchases.
Crawford
told the board the proposed budget is quite conservative, seeking about a 4.4%
overall increase. According to Crawford, that would translate into an estimated
2.7 cent increase in the tax rate. In a memo to the selectboard,
Crawford explained the proposed budget is intended to be a “base budget” that
maintains the current level of town services, with inflation costs such as wage
and benefit increases and increases in the costs of goods such as fuel.
Crawford
added the selectboard plans to bring a basic budget
before the town at Town Meeting. All proposed new services or major expenses,
such as big equipment purchases, major building renovations, and a paving
program, will be taken up as special items on the Warning.
Over
the next two months, the selectboard will be working
on the final budget to be brought before the voters. Budget work session
meetings are open to the public, and budgeting information is being posted on
the town’s website at www.morristownvt.org.
Even
relatively minor purchases are being scrutinized, as was evidenced by a lengthy
discussion this week regarding the purchase of a snowblower
attachment for the town’s skidsteer. The board did
not approve the $4,800 request, categorizing it as a new item the town has
managed to do without to date. The snowblower
discussion was part of the selectboard’s preliminary
review of the highway department budget.
Beginning
Monday, December 3, the board will be meeting weekly, with the exception of
Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, to go through the proposed budget department
by department. Selectboard meetings will begin at 5
p.m. until the budget is finalized. The budget work session schedule is as
follows:
December
3 – Fire, 5 p.m.; Rescue, 5:20; Regular Selectboard
Meeting, 6-8; Police, 8 p.m.
December
10 – Library 5 p.m.; Recreation, 5:20; Town Clerk 5:40; General Government, 6
p.m.; Other Departments, 6:20; Revenues 7 p.m.; Capital Budget Review, 7:30.
December
17 – Regular Selectboard Meeting Items, 5 p.m.;
2007-2008 Audit Review, 6 p.m. with general review and decisions to follow.
No
meetings December 24 and December 31
January
7 – Review Revised Selectboard’s Budget, 5 p.m.
January
14 – Regular Selectboard Meeting and Special Warning
Items for library, rescue and paving, 5 p.m.
January
21 – Budget Review and Finalization, 5 p.m.
Town
Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 4, 2008. Towns must have Town Meeting
Warnings signed and posted by Sunday, February 3.
Deer Season Looking Good
by Mickey Smith
"It's always good to see the snow come," said Vermont's new Deer
Project Leader Shawn Haskell.
Haskell, who has been on the job since October, said preliminary reports show
numbers in line with what was reported during last year's rifle season. In
fact, Haskell said in some cases the numbers appear up from last year.
Haskell said the first weekend's bio-reporting stations were up slightly from
last year 592-581, and said it appears the early archery season is up quite a
bit, at last count 2,339 compared to a two year
average of 1,613 . Although those numbers can be slightly skewed, depending
when stations actually mail in their reports. Those counts are still coming in,
but Haskell said it is promising to see higher numbers this year.
An abundant apple crop could attribute to higher weights being reported as
well. A cursory comparison of this year's Lamoille County "Buck
Board" to last, shows in both years nine deer weighing 175 pounds or
greater were taken during the first weekend. A similar number of deer under 110
pounds were reported in both years, but there seemed to be more in the 150-170
pound range.
Haskell said on that first weekend, a lot more "older" deer (2 or 3
year olds) were seen, which would attribute to higher weights and point counts.
He said from the hunters he talked to, many were excited about seeing scrapes
and rubs in areas where there haven't been before.
Who
Said There’s No Free Ride!
MORRISVILLE
– LiveVT, Lamoille County’s new volunteer ride
program, has received a donation of a second vehicle for the program. The
Lamoille Family Center passed along to the RCT-run program a 1994 Toyota Camry.
“We
have this great car, thanks to the folks at the Family Center,” said program
coordinator Dan Noyes, of RSVP. “It’s been serviced, insured and is ready to
go. All we need are volunteers.”
LiveVT utilizes volunteer drivers and donated
vehicles to give rides to local folks in need of a lift. With a second vehicle
now in the program, Noyes said they are seeking additional volunteer drivers to
help address personal transportation issues.
“Transportation
is more than the bypass and bridges, when you think of it,” Noyes commented.
“Low income and elderly folks just don’t have a way to get to the store, to an
appointment, or to volunteer. That’s the goal of this program, utilizing
volunteer drivers in donated cars to attempt to address the unmet transportation
needs of the people, here in our community. We just need people to come forward
and volunteer, on their schedule, in our car.”
The
donated Camry needed brakes, a muffler and a few odds and ends. So it’s first stop was to the GMTCC auto shop, where instructor
Todd Bedard had his students get to work on the car.
Charley, from Napa Auto Parts, in Morrisville, gave RCT a deal on the parts.
Now the car is road worthy, and joins the already-in-service volunteer van, to
double the size of LiveVT’s vehicle fleet.
From Where the Bell Tolls
by Mickey Smith
It's quite easy to deduce for whom the bell tolls at Peoples Academy, but these
days there is a bit of a question as to from where the bell can be heard
ringing!
A few years ago, longtime Peoples Academy History teacher Marc Ducharme came across an essay from the 1930 Peoples Academy
yearbook.
The essay, written by Constance Calkins, spoke of hearing people discussing the
school bell that used to reside in the clock tower of what is now referred to
as the graded building.
Calkins tells when the students climbed the hill to the new Copley Building, so
did the bell. According to her essay, the bell was placed behind the clock
which adorns the front of the PA building.
Though she described the bell as being "retired from active service,"
she said it still was rung occasionally, especially when PA "wins a
prominent game."
A Morrisville Messenger story, from August 7, 1929 confirms the intent was to
move the bell to that location, but the two stories differ slightly in the age
of the bell. Calkins' essay says the bell had been calling students to
"dear Peoples Academy" since 1847, but the Messenger story says the
bell wasn't cast until 1850. Morristown Two Times, the latest town history,
adds to this date, saying it was cast in Boston by Henry N. Hooper and Co.
Learning of this bit of history connecting PA's current building with its past,
a group of teachers ventured onto the roof and opened up the clock tower to
check out the condition of the old bell. Surprisingly the room behind the clock
was empty, but for a soda can circa the 1970s and some graffiti dating back to
1973. Older faculty members were questioned, but none were sure what happened
to the bell.
The mystery of the disappearance of the bell, might explain a blip in the
timeline of the bell in the Grange Hall. In conjunction with
the Grange Hall's refurbishment by River Arts. Local historian Dawn
Andrews said the bell in the Grange Hall's tower is the original bell, and was
returned to the tower when it was rebuilt in the 1970s, but she was unsure
where it had been stored until that time.
In Morristown Two Times, Robert Hagerman writes that the bell was purchased by
Col. E. B. Herrick as a gift to the school. It was passed on to the second
Peoples Academy (the Graded Building) and then "removed, but preserved,
when it was torn down in 1929."
The "it" Hagerman refers to appears to be the bell tower, which once
adorned the top of the building – not an entire building.
By linking this information, to the story of moving the bell to the Copley
Building, one can surmise the same bell has peeled from the tops of all three
Peoples Academy buildings, and is now back to its original home atop the first
Peoples Academy/the Grange Hall/the home of River Arts.
If anyone
personally recalls transferring the bell from Peoples Academy (Copley Building)
to storage or the Grange, they should give Mickey Smith a call at 888-2212.
Pediatric Patients Doff Fun Scrub Hats
by Mickey Smith
Looking at the thermometer, one might not see much of
a similarity between Vermont and Florida, but the staff at Copley has found one
area which is universal between the two states... children heading into surgery
can be made a little more comfortable by having a little fun. And research has
shown a less anxious patient can experience a smoother recovery.
To that end, Copley Hospital's Denise Marcoux, R.N.,
got in touch with Saundra Faulk, a registered nurse in Florida who along with
another registered nurse, Rebecca Neal, was one of the organizers of the Sew
Angelic Caps project. From Faulk, she was able to learn more about bringing the
colorful and merrymaking scrub hats to Lamoille County. The premise behind Sew
Angelic is to replace the typical uniform scrub hats with something brighter
and more individualized for younger patients. In keeping with the theme,
doctors and nurses who will be in the operating room with the young patients
don their own fantastic scrub hats.
At Copley Hospital, the hats have been sewn by a group of locals who volunteer
their time and talents to the wonderful project. The hats are delivered to
patients before they head into the operating room. Youngsters can choose from a
variety of patterns including flowers and butterflies, race cars, even Spongebob Squarepants. After
surgery, they can keep their hats as a reminder of their stay at Copley (a lot
better reminder than bringing your tonsils home in a jar).
The bright colors and fun characters help to distract the pediatric patients,
and help them form a bond with their doctors and nurses.
Sew Angelic can provide hospitals with starter kits which include a sample hat,
sewing directions, notions, and a "getting-started" letter detailing
ways to involve the hospital and greater community.
Marcoux anticpates the
hospital will give out about 150 hats during the course of the year. Currently,
the volunteer tailors or seamstresses purchase the materials and donate them to
the Copley project. Anyone interested in learning more about the program, or
perhaps if you would like to make some hats, may call Denise Marcoux at Copley Hospital at 888-8391.
Tribble Asking for Sixth Lawyer
by Mickey Smith
HYDE PARK – With both accused murderer Dennis Tribble
and his defense attorney, Kevin Griffin, using the word "adversaries"
when describing their relationship, Lamoille County Judge Brian Grearson is deciding whether or not Tribble
is entitled to be assigned a sixth lawyer by the court. Tribble
went before the court in Hyde Park last Friday, November 16.
Tribble stressed, to the point of being admonished
several times about interrupting and being respectful, he does not want to
continue "pro se" (acting on his own behalf). But he said he feels he
has the right to complain and to have a lawyer who will work in a timely manner
and keep his promises.
"I expect people to keep their promises, is that wrong?" asked Tribbble.
Stressing the importance of the situation, Judge Grearson
gave Tribble two weeks to put in writing the reasons
he feels Griffin is incompetent. The judge said he does not want a conclusionary letter, but a list of facts.
In court, Tribble said his reasons stem from a
promise made regarding having a core group of 12 potential witnesses
interviewed by the end of summer. Tribble said the
investigator assigned to the case has only done about two of those 12, and
pointed out it is no longer summer.
Tribble was very upset with the progress that has
been made, noting Griffin has been on the case for seven and a half months,
"and all I have to show for it is a motion for a change of venue."
Despite the interviews not having been completed, Tribble’s
trial appeared to be on track for a March 2008 start. But, with the fate of Tribble's legal counsel still in the air, this date now
seems in jeopardy.
"I don't think I've ever withdrawn from a case of this magnitude in 25
years," said Griffin, noting also it was the first time he had ever been
sued by a client.
"We have no relationship except that as adversaries," said Griffin.
Griffin said at the very least, the case has lost the services of the
investigator, as she will no longer work with him.
Griffin said the motion to remove himself as counsel was filed after a November
1 meeting. At that time, Griffin planned to spend a half a day with Tribble working on the case. After a brief meeting, Griffin
said Tribble told him he was very dissatisfied with
his representation.
Griffin said after that he prepared the one paragraph motion requested by Tribble. After submitting the motion, he received notice of
the civil lawsuit filed by Tribble which Griffin said
seeks $50,000 in compensatory damages and $50,000 in punitive damages from the
attorney.
When asked by Judge Grearson, if not for the civil
complaint, could the two of them continue to work together? Griffin said, based on Tribble's history, he
saw no way it could happen.
"I will not have a relationship with Mr. Tribble..."
said Griffin, noting Tribble will not take any calls
from him or see him.
Judge Grearson asked if the relationship was
"irreparable" and Griffin agreed.
Lamoille County State's Attorney Joel Page said Tribble
expects the case to move at his pace. He pointed out Griffin is a well
respected and very good attorney and knows what he is doing.
Page said Tribble should "cut them some slack,
and let them do their job."
He noted a trend forming where lawyers are being fired just as the case is
about ready to start.
Judge Grearson reiterated the notion that because
things don't seem to be moving fast enough for Tribble
does not mean they are not being done in a timely matter.
Griffin noted he made sure, going into the case, that Tribble
was clear he had other cases pending and would not be able to devote his full
time to the case. "There will never be an investigator or attorney for
Dennis who has no other cases," said Griffin.
He repeatedly asked Tribble to show facts as to how
Griffin is showing ineffective assistance of counsel.
Judge Grearson said he is going to have to review the
entire record of the case in making a decision regarding the motion. Judge Grearson said the court understands attorneys and clients
don't always see eye-to-eye on strategies.
But at the same time, he pointed out, if there is no support for a claim of
ineffectiveness, it is not an automatic decision for new counsel to be
assigned.
"The last thing I want in this case is for you to have to represent
yourself, but we are perilously close to having to do that," said Grearson.
Judge Grearson said he recognizes this is the most
important thing in Tribble's life, but noted later
"there is nothing automatic" about being appointed counsel.
Judge Grearson said there comes a time when though a
person does not ask to defend himself, his actions leave the court no other
alternative.
Judge Grearson stopped short of saying this case was
at that point, but stressed to Tribble that was an
option.
Griffin said, no matter who continued with the case, they will have the luxury
of a comprehensive case file. Griffin said his office has put together 10
binders including information from the previous counsels, work Tribble did while serving as his own lawyer, and all the
court documents from the case.
"I don't want this man as my lawyer... I don't want this man interfering
with my business, said Tribble.
After being told by Judge Grearson he needs to show
everyone in the courtroom respect, Tribble said, " there is no one in this court who has been more
disrespected then I have."
Tribble then sat down grabbed his papers, and
shuffled out of the courtroom in shackles and escorted by deputy sheriffs.
Tribble is accused of killing his neighbor, Michael Borello, in September of 2000. According to police records,
Tribble turned himself into the Lamoille County
Sheriff's Department and said he shot Borello first
with a pistol and then with a 12-gauge shotgun. At the time of the shooting, Tribble alleged a long standing rift between himself and
the Borellos as the cause of the incident.
Tribble was found guilty of the crime in 2002. At the
time, Tribble had fired his first three lawyers and
the judge in the case refused to grant him a fourth. In protest, Tribble refused to attend the trial and his sentencing, when
he received a 35 years to life sentence. In 2005, the state Supreme Court
overruled the conviction stating the decision not to allow Tribble
another attorney violated his rights.
Two Eden Residents Injured in Moose
Collision
by Mickey Smith
A collision with a moose, along Route 118 in Eden, sent Lorraine Masi and
Ernest "Stub" Earle to the hospital last Thursday, November 15.
According to Vermont State Police Sergeant Greg Campbell's press release, Masi
was traveling east on Route 118 when her 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier collided with
a moose that was in the eastbound lane at about 4:40 in the afternoon.
Sgt. Campbell said the Hyde Park Fire Department was called in, as both the driver
and passenger had to be extricated using the Jaws of Life. The two were
transported from the scene by NEMS rescue, and were transferred to Fletcher
Allen.
Campbell said after hitting the moose, the car veered off the right side of the
road and down an embankment.
The car was ruled totaled with heavy damage to the front end, hood and roof.
Lawrence Earle, Stub's brother, said as of Tuesday, November 20, the two
accident victims were both still at Fletcher Allen Healthcare.