News & Citizen

Serving the People of Lamoille County with News Since 1881

Volume 123     No 10 No 5569              February 8, 2007 Thursday                           Morrisville, VT 05661                        Web Edition

Local Officials Fight for Bypass Funding MORRISVILLE – This week, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is holding a public hearing to receive comments on proposed changes to the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP). The STIP is a document the state provides to the federal government to outline transportation project spending. Among the changes is the removal of all construction funds for the Morrisville Bypass, or alternative truck route, through fiscal year 2010. Local and regional officials are gearing up to fight to keep bypass construction funding in the transportation plan continued on page 2 Jon Gailmor and Tammy Fletcher will be performing at a special concert Feb.16, Friday to raise money for Peoples Academy Project Graduation Anthony Poland photo Click here to check out the new Lamoille Home Buyer Guide Hyde Park Town Budget Up Slightly by Mickey Smith HYDE PARK – Based on current estimations and the budget to be presented to voters at Town Meeting, Hyde Park voters are looking at an increase of approximately $39,207 to the bottomline, an increase of about 2.81%. continued on page 2 All Incumbents on Morristown Ballot MORRISVILLE – No new names will appear printed on the ballot in Morristown on Town Meeting Day. Monday, January 29, was the deadline for petitions to be filed by candidates in Australian ballot elections. Town Clerk Mary Ann Wilson said only the incumbents for the selectboard and the school board positions filed petitions to appear on the ballot. Challengers can still run as write-in candidates. continued on page 2    Visitors For Questions or Comments on this web site please contact webmaster at http://www.kingdomsedge.com dan@kingdomsedge.com New County Officials Wolcott Moving Town Meeting WOLCOTT – A recent Town Meeting survey sent out to Wolcott residents left the selectboard with no clear direction as to where and what time to hold Town Meeting. One thing did come across loud and clear, however. Wolcott residents wanted their annual town and school meetings both held on the traditional Town Meeting Day. In light of survey responses, the Wolcott Selectboard opted to move Town Meeting this year from the Town Hall to the gymnasium at the Wolcott Elementary School. In addition, the meeting will start one hour earlier than it has in the past. This year’s meeting will start at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6. continued on page 2   Sheriffs Department Asks for One More Position by Mickey Smith HYDE PARK – The Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department wants one more full-time officer on the roads of the county.  Currently, LCSD has five full-time officers and a handful of part-time officers providing 24 -7 coverage of Johnson, Hyde Park, and Wolcott.continued on page 2 Read all the News, Sports and More Click Here To Subscribe Today Looking for something? Search for: Copyright © 2004 News&Citizen Inc. All rights reserved. Have a press release? edit@newsandcitizen.com e-mail correspondence concerning advertising should be addressed to news@newsandcitizen.com

Things Look This Way to Me

Editorial by J.B. McKinley 2/8/07

Let’s Gamble on Our Own Time

Have you ever found yourself shifting from foot to foot as the person ahead of you took a time deciding, purchased, then scratched off five or more lottery tickets? Just when you thought you were done, the guy decided on a couple Powerball tickets while explaining to the clerk how he chose his number from his Social Security # and the date of his favorite dog’s birthday. Finally, the optimistic fellow pulled out his checkbook and began writing that out. By now the line behind you had swollen back to the bread rack in the store and nearly blocked the doors to the beer cooler! As the guy immediately behind the gambler (and feeling truly lucky for that blessing), you just pay up and hoof it out to your car, but imagine the fellow two back that potentially faces two more gamblers.

Up front, I have to say I can only thank those of us who contribute through the lottery system to education and I don’t have a hard and fast moral position on gambling, but isn’t there a way for this to happen that doesn’t hold up the rest of us? And, what about the poor clerk, how much time does he/she stand there each day watching the headscratching choice of colorful tickets and hearing the lucky number explanation, meanwhile someone is paying him to collect what is mostly the state’s money?

What about the gal that buys four or five scratch offs and has to do the scratching right there, right now? Isn’t that analogous to my buying a dozen donuts and being allowed to polish them off before I move away from the register? (We all have our addictions!) Why is it okay – almost expected – for us to patiently, even smilingly, wait while the gambler does his stuff, when you’d hustle your own kid to hurry up and choose his gum flavor so Mrs. Brown isn’t held up behind you?

There are solutions. Why aren’t lottery machines automated? They all  seem to  require even dollar amounts, why can’t the lottery be as automated as a laundry? Why can’t scratch offs utilize a plastic wand to scratch off the gray ovals on a video screen? That would save those expensively printed tickets too. How much does that fancy printing and the scratch off material cost?

Next time you are holding your cash and chafing at the bit to move it, move it, move it, think of this column and, do what? Why re-subcribe, of course!