News & Citizen

Serving the People of Lamoille County with News Since 1881

Volume 123     No 10 No 5569            March 23 2007 Thursday                           Morrisville, VT 05661                        Web Edition

House Puts Bypass in Transportation Bill by Mickey Smith MONTPELIER – The Morrisville Alternative Truck Route, better known as the bypass, has been getting help from both ends of the county in the House transportation committee as Stowe Representative Heidi Sheuermann and Cambridge Representative Rich Westman sit on that committee. Continued on page 2 Click here to check out the new Lamoille Restaurant Guide Hyde Park Wrestles With School Budget by Mickey Smith HYDE PARK – At a meeting that lasted over three hours, community members expressed a concern with the school board that it will need to make significant cuts in order to get a school budget passed. The board met Monday night, March 19,  at the Hyde Park Elementary School library for their annual post-town meeting reorganization and to discuss a next step regarding getting a school budget passed. Continued on page 2 Pet Food Recall Widespread  by Amy Kolb Noyes Recall List  Toronto-based pet food manufacturer Menu Foods has issued a “precautionary recall” for 42 brands of cat food and 51 brands of dog food made in two U.S. plants between December 3, 2006 and March 6. All of the recalled products were wet “cuts and gravy” style pet foods sold in cans and pouches. The recalled products were pulled from local retail shelves over the weekend. Continued on page 2  Visitors For Questions or Comments on this web site please contact webmaster at http://www.kingdomsedge.com dan@kingdomsedge.com With Rep. Peter Peltz at far left, local farmers Jo-Anne Ring, of Hyde Park; Greg Beaudoin, of Cambridge; and Charlie Davis, of Hyde Park, listen to NRCS State Conservationist Judy Doerner at the Lamoille Senior Center. Doerner drafted a controversial plan that consolidates NRCS services in the state. Noyes photo Farmers Seek Answers from NRCS by Amy Kolb Noyes MORRISVILLE – Vermont State Conservationist Judy Doerner came to Morrisville this week to discuss her restructuring proposal for the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service field offices. About 30 Lamoille County farmers, politicians and other interested parties came to discuss the draft plan. Copies of the 16-page plan, including two pages of maps, were distributed at Monday’s meeting. Doerner started out by assuring the assembly the draft is far from set in stone. Continued on page 2 Third DUI for Elmore Man  by Mickey Smith LAKE ELMORE - A 55 year old Lake Elmore resident could be in prison for up to seven years following a no contest plea in Orleans District Court to a drunk driving charge and an additional driving with a suspended license charge. 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 3/22/07

Be a Trail Booster

The March newsletter of the Friends of the Lamoille Rail Trail, Inc. is circulating and these folks are serious about “The Longest Rail Trail in New England.”

That’s a quote from  Craig Della Penna, director Northeast Greenway Solutions, who addressed the Friends at their first annual meeting late last fall. He prophesied profits and economic development  for trailside communities.

Certainly good things can flow from promoting tourism along the trail, but to make that future real it will take forward looking planning, vision, work, innovation and good public relations and promotion. In short, since enough folks didn’t “get on board” back when the LVRR was running, now that we have a trail people still need to climb aboard this trail effort. Otherwise, the rail trail will be a good idea that isn’t needed and goes nowhere financially. If that is the case, not much will have changed.

The Friends of the Rail Trail are looking for members and some help with a web site, for either purpose check out FriendsLVRT@aol.com. With that contact, you can be forwarded the next (June) newsletter and find out how things are going with this year’s priorities which include fixing washouts and preventing erosion. And then there’s the slight matter of raising $1.5 million in matching funds!

Whatever your interest, you might enjoy the planned May 19 birding walk along the Rail Trail from Morrisville to Hyde Park, for details call 253-48965.

Hit the Trail, Podners!