Goodbye Charlie, Hello Echo

by Mickey Smith

MORRISTOWN – For those who haven’t noticed already, things have changed at the Morristown Armory. For starters the operational tanks are gone, but more importantly Charlie Company is now Echo Company.

Vermont National Guard Captain Jim McBride explained when the local reservists involved in Task Force Sabre returned from Iraq they went through a reorganization and the unit was changed over to a forward support unit, linked to the 172^nd infantry division out of Jericho.

Capt. McBride said the 63 members of Company C were offered the chance to transfer to a different tank unit or remain at the Morristown Armory and change their MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) to be more aligned with the duties of a forward support unit. Capt. McBride said those who changed to one of the different tank units in the area, had to undergo a two-week training to relocate to a cavalry unit. He said the tanker occupational specialty has pretty much disappeared, requiring the need to change to cavalry. About 30 members remained with the local unit.

As an armor company the Morristown Armory was home to 63 members, now as a forward support unit they are authorized to have up to 120 members. Capt. McBride said currently they have about 55, so there is room for recruitment.

The change to a forward support unit could provide Echo Company with more opportunities to help the community here at home. He said in natural disaster situations they could have generators, cots, trucks, and other items of that nature available for assistance.

Health Rocks!

Helping Kids Make Healthy Choices

by Amy Kolb Noyes

MORRISVILLE – In the third school year of a pilot project, nearly every elementary school in Lamoille County offered Health Rocks! to selected students this year. Now, Lamoille County 4-H Educator Lauren Traister is taking the program statewide.

Health Rocks! is a smoking, alcohol and drug use prevention program aimed at students in grades four through six. The curriculum came out of the Mississippi State Extension 4-H Program, and is being offered locally through the University of Vermont Extension 4-H Program in Lamoille County. Three years ago, Traister wrote a grant to become the program’s pilot site in Vermont. She teamed with Lamoille Valley Tobacco Task Force Coordinator Danielle Thompson to train adult and teen volunteers to teach Health Rocks! in local schools.

Thompson and two teens attended an initial training in New Hampshire and returned home with a goal to reach 50 students with the Health Rocks! message. They far exceeded that goal by presenting the six-hour program at Cambridge and Wolcott Elementary Schools.

The following year, two teams of teachers and teens presented the program at the Bishop Marshall School, Hyde Park Elementary School and Morristown Elementary School. Traister said she likes to pair adult instructors with teen assistants because fourth, fifth and sixth graders better respond to the message if it comes from a teen. That said, Traister admitted it has been a challenge to find teens that are willing and available to volunteer during the school day.

In order to offer the program this year in all the schools interested in participating in Health Rocks!, Traister trained school personnel as well as volunteers in the Health Rocks! curriculum. This year the program was offered, either in school or as part of an after school program, at the Bishop Marshall School and public elementary schools in Cambridge, Eden, Hyde Park, Morrisville, Stowe, Waterville and Wolcott. Thus far, Traister said 334 Lamoille County kids have been reached by Health Rocks! By their taking the message home, Traister added, kids help spread the word about topics such as the dangers of second-hand smoke.

“Even if it helps to change one behavior, that’s a starting point,” said Traister practically.

Health Rocks! helps kids make informed decisions and healthy choices by giving them stress-handling techniques and making them aware of subliminal pressures such as product placement in movies and on television.

“This curriculum focuses specifically on life skills,” Traister explained. She said the Health Rocks! focus on positive life skills and decision making differentiates it from the D.A.R.E. program that has been offered at local schools in the past.

Traister said the premise behind Health Rocks! is both proven and simple, “If we give them the ability to make better decisions, then they will make better decisions.”

Now, Traister said, she’s excited to help bring that message to students across Vermont.

July 4^th Planners Wanted!

by Amy Kolb Noyes

MORRISVILLE – Seven weeks and counting, and Morristown is struggling for a plan on how to pull off its annual Fourth of July Celebration. After advertising and asking around, the selectboard has come up short on volunteers to organize the big event. With planning time dwindling, selectmen are pleading for help and scaling back on the event.

At its meeting Monday night, May 14, the selectboard considered various options, presented in writing by absent Selectboard Chair Shaun Bryer. For several years Bryer served as chair of the town’s Fourth of July Committee, before stepping down prior to last year’s event. Bryer offered his expertise and assistance in pulling the 2007 event together.

Bryer suggested a “scaled-back” celebration, in which afternoon events at Peoples Academy begin at 5 p.m. and continue until the fireworks show at 9 p.m. In the past, the children’s attractions, musical entertainment and other events at the school have begun immediately following the morning parade. The abbreviated celebration would still include all the major components including the parade, vendors, and fireworks followed by a community dance. Rather than vendors selling lunch at PA after the parade, Bryer suggested local restaurants and organizations could offer barbecue lunches at their own locations.

Bryer suggested the town either hire an event planner to help organize and execute the event, or hand the entire affair over to the Lamoille Valley Chamber of Commerce to work with local businesses in putting on the celebration. Town Administrator Dave Crawford said he is not sure an event planner would take on the job for the $500 the town could afford to spend.

Acting Selectboard Chair Steve Bousquet found himself in an awkward position leading the discussion, as he was recently named Executive Director of the Chamber. Stepping away from the table and into the audience, Bousquet spoke as Chamber Director.

“I don’t think there’s enough time for us to pull this together as the Chamber, but I’d have to bring it to our board,” said Bousquet. He added he thinks the celebration is a good event for bringing people to the area and called it a wonderful opportunity for the Chamber, but said the timing wasn’t good.

Selectman Brian Kellogg suggested the town pursue both options – asking the Chamber to help and hiring a planner. Highway Superintendent Bob Melfy added his department could take care of “the physical stuff” such as setup and cleanup. Crawford said what the town needs most is someone to make phone calls, deal with parade registrations and generally offer administrative support. Crawford said that, paired with Bryer’s expertise, is what’s needed to get the job done.

Anyone interested in helping organize Morristown’s Fourth of July Celebration should call the town’s administrative office at 888-5147 or email Crawford at tamorristownvt@pshift.com.

Things Look This Way to Me

Editorial by J.B. McKinley 5/17/07

Wishing of How to

Do Things Effectively??

Looking around Lamoille County’s towns at continuing and current issues, I see several towns grappling with growth related projects. Often these are widely perceived as necessary projects – just too expensive in a time with high property taxes and the erosion of family incomes by high priced energy. Towns are scrapping over education spending, building projects, policing – you name it. Our towns’ infrastructure from roads and sewers to office space is aging and often undersized. And how are we dealing with these problems? Very differently, but mostly not efficiently or quickly. Sometimes it doesn’t even seem that we deal with these things sensibly; that is, does it make sense to defeat several budgets and then grudgingly approve the very same budget? Is the “message” worth the cost?

Take the contrast between Morristown’s and Wolcott’s separate needs for more and more efficient town office space. At a quick glance, if you’ve followed the evolution of the Morristown Town Clerk’s space, Morristown has planned and planned. Much money and time was spent on developing a grant friendly joint project with the aging library. Voters rejected those plans. Planning looked at many sites and finally the town (and its citizens) basically let private enterprise take over, threw up its collective hands and decided to rent. At this point, even planning for any new town-built and owned office space is a dead issue. Meanwhile, in Wolcott, the town and townspeople have decided to essentially go it alone, bypassing lots of consultants and planning. The selectboard has decided to simply and relatively inexpensively go ahead and renovate some old school space and solve their problem.

However, whatever approach a town decides to adopt, is there an easier way? In these cases and many others (for example the current impasse that both Eden and Hyde Park have over approving a school budget) the only way forward has been through many a meeting, sometimes heated. It seems awfully hard to find the mutually agreeable middle ground on some of these issues. Maybe there’s a role in here for an agency such as the Lamoille County Planning Commission.

I’m not suggesting that LCPC get deeply involved in any of these town issues. What I am suggesting is that an organization like LCPC could perhaps compile a file of solutions that other Vermont towns, perhaps of similar size, have already figured out. Is it possible that much bickering and bitterness might be avoided by learning from some other town that’s been there and done that?

We in Lamoille County, are not alone with the costly pain of growth. Yes, it’s probably true that our endless meetings and redundant discussion are what democracy is all about, but are we all children and have to learn everything the hard way? Maybe it’s dreaming, but if a little out of town, out of county data gathering and exploration could hand one of our towns a solution on a platter, I’d be all for the idea.

Waterville Sees Historic District Nomination

by Mickey Smith

WATERVILLE – Interested community members from Waterville gathered at the Town Hall on Monday night, May 14, to look over the town’s nomination to be included in the National Register for Historic Places.

The nomination, which was prepared by Devin Colman, of Colman Consulting, includes a rather complete history of Waterville dating back to the late 1700s when the area was known as Smithfield. The main part of the nomination looks at the 54 buildings and structures contributing to the nomination.

The nominated district extends from the McFarland House, just south of Oakes Road up to the Willey House at the base of Lapland. The Wilber House at the Lapland turn, is the northern most building on Route 109.

For the most part, the houses follow Route 109 on the east side of the North Branch of the Lamoille River. The Baker House, just over the river on Church Street was included because of being prominent when looking through the covered bridge. Also included was the Bierbriar House on Beals Hills Road.

To be included as a contributing part, the building/structure needs to be at least 50 years old and have retained its integrity (not significantly remodeled over the years). Places that didn’t meet those categories are included as non-contributing pieces. Colman explained, in years to come, some of those may meet the 50-year requirement and this way the legwork has been done. One structure, the covered bridge on Church Street, is already listed on the National Register.

Part of the nomination includes the justification, or the “Statement of Significance.” Of the four areas of possible significance, Colman said Waterville hits on two. He said Waterville typifies the early development of a lumber town and the continuity of design amongst the buildings.

The history summary follows Smithfield through its time as Coit’s Gore, Whitelaw, Savage, and Williamsburgh. A parcel known as “The Leg” was annexed to Bakersfield, but was brought back into Waterville in 1824, about the time the town was officially designated Waterville.

Timothy and Mary Brown are credited with being the first permanent residents, arriving in 1797, but it’s believed a couple of other families may have been in the area dating back to the original charter in 1788.

The nomination includes a long look at the industrial and manufacturing history, as well as the commercial, religious, and educational history of the town.

A few additions were made as people read the paper, and Colman encouraged people to include other things. He explained this was not meant to be comprehensive, so suggested a working version be kept to allow updates as new information is gathered.

Through the discussion, two mysteries perplexing residents might have been linked. A question was raised about a lone grave on property near the Town Hall. A second mystery involves the burial plot of one of Moses McFarland’s daughters – the only one whose grave cannot be located. McFarland was involved in the handing over of the original Universality meetinghouse to the town for use as the Town Hall. Could the lone grave be that of the missing daughter?

Once the report has been reviewed for accuracy and omissions, it will move along the process to approval. Colman hopes to have a response by September for the town.

Wolcott Voters Approve All

by Amy Kolb Noyes

WOLCOTT – More than 130 Wolcott voters, about 13% of the town’s checklist, turned out for a special Town Meeting Tuesday night, May 15. At that meeting, Wolcott residents approved the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department’s 2007-2008 road patrol budget, overturning a Town Meeting Day vote. Voters also approved spending up to $150,000 to renovate the old School Street school building for new town offices and selling the current Town Clerk’s office building and a landlocked parcel on the Craftsbury line. The proceeds of both sales are to go toward the School Street building renovations.

Before getting down to business, Selectman Robert Harris gave a certificate of appreciation to Claude Cross for helping out the town’s road crew this winter “and going above and beyond.” Cross has stepped in and helped the short-handed road crew with everything from plowing to collecting Green Up trash bags.

Once business began, most of the discussion centered on the $126,434.59 road patrol budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Despite a few objections, the rules of order were suspended to allow nonresidents Lamoille County Sheriff Roger Marcoux Jr. and Vermont State Police Lieutenant Dee Glynn to speak. Sheriff Marcoux defended the 12% increase in his budget, saying the three-town partnership of Johnson, Hyde Park and Wolcott voted to add an additional full-time officer. Although Wolcott did not vote in favor of the staff increase, the two larger towns prevailed. Without the additional officer, Marcoux said his budget increase would have been three percent.

Marcoux added Wolcott pays 19% of his budget, based on population. He said, in recent years, his officers have spent 20% to 21% in Wolcott. Marcoux noted it is impossible to quantify the deterrent factor of a law enforcement presence in town.

“We can’t really put a number figure on the crimes that aren’t occurring because we’re out doing patrol,” said Marcoux. “We can’t put a figure on the accidents that aren’t happening because we’re out writing tickets.”

Selectman Marquis Houle, who spent the past year looking into alternative law enforcement options for the town, estimated Sheriff’s Department budget increases, when compounded over the past six years, amounted to about 104%.

Marcoux conceded the decision was ultimately up to Wolcott voters, and if the town decided not to pay for road patrol through the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department, LCSD would still back up the state police in life-and-death situations as it does in other non-contract towns in the county.

“You’re not going to be without police coverage,” said Marcoux. He added of the state police, “If we have to leave in July, they’re going to be here.”

Selectboard member Pam Hammel asked Sheriff Marcoux to explain the protocol if there is an emergency in a town with only state police coverage, but the state police are unavailable to respond right away. Although he said there is no written protocol, Marcoux answered, “Calls where anybody’s life is in danger, we’re going to go…we’re going to do the right thing.”

Marcoux said he’s taken a lot of criticism in Wolcott for responding to non-contracted towns but he will continue to do what he feels is ethically correct.

“We’re still small town Vermont and we still have to help each other out, and if I’m the one who has to take the hit for that, I will,” said Marcoux.

Don Putvain asked if Wolcott could contract an arrangement with the Sheriff’s Department for a set number of road patrol hours per month, such as Elmore has done and Eden is currently considering. Hammel said the selectboard asked for such an arrangement but, “We were turned down flat by Johnson and Hyde Park.”

Marcoux clarified Wolcott is currently in a partnership with the other two towns. He said that partnership would have to dissolve before he could negotiate a separate arrangement with Wolcott.

“Next year I would like to sit down and talk and see what we could do,” said Marcoux. “The problem here is the partnership.”

Harold Schwartz warned against prematurely breaking Wolcott’s partnership with Johnson and Hyde Park saying, “It’s my opinion that it’s much easier to dissolve a relationship with the other two towns than it would be to recreate it, if we find out it doesn’t work.”

Vermont State Police Lt. Glynn was allowed much less time at the front of the room before the question was called. However, she was direct in making her point that VSP does not provide 24 hour coverage, but will he available to take complaints from 7 a.m. until around 2 a.m. She said Wolcott residents won’t get the “quality of life” issues addressed and the “personal one on one contact” they have had with a LCSD contract. She also noted VSP will not be adding to the current five-trooper Lamoille County staff if it takes on Wolcott.

“I can’t promise the rapid response time you’re used to,” said Lt. Glynn.

When the question was called and the paper ballots were counted, the LCSD road patrol budget was approved 85 to 45, with one spoiled ballot reading “maybe.”

The second article was passed over, as it was only pertinent if the LCSD budget did not pass. The next item considered borrowing up to $150,000 to begin renovations of the old school building for a new town office.

Ed Lowell was the first to speak on this issue, saying the town should apply for grants for the renovation, rather than asking taxpayers to foot the entire bill. Robert Harris said the town already has $80,000 “stashed away” for the project, and is asking for permission to sell two properties so those proceeds can also be put toward renovations. He added the board would like to start the project immediately so the town offices can be moved in the fall.

“We’ve stripped the building completely inside,” said Harris. “We’re ready to go back the other way.”

Town Constable Bob Bovat worked with a prison work crew from the St. Johnsbury Correctional Center to bring the interior of the newer portion of the building down to its studs. The oldest portion of the building has been turned over to the Wolcott Historical Society. Bill Cotten stood and gave Bovat and the crew kudos for “an unbelievable job.” The entire demolition project cost the town about $5,000 after the price of salvaged scrap metal was recouped.

The question was called and passed on a clear voice vote.

The next article sought voter approval to sell an 8.3 acre landlocked parcel known as the Gore land for fair market value. Selectman Fred Martin said the town hopes to sell the property, on the Craftsbury line, to an adjoining landowner. He said the land has been appraised and, because it is landlocked, the town can expect to receive no more than $6,000 for the property. That article also passed on a clear voice vote.

More discussion occurred on article five, which sought to sell the current Town Office building. Michael Gohl argued the town should retain that property, tear down the office building and use the parcel to add updated kitchen and bathroom facilities to the Town Hall. Hammel countered the money would be better spent renovating the School Street property.

Tony Smtih again raised the issue of securing grants for the School Street project. Zoning Administrator Tom Martin said he served on the building committee that recommended the town office move to School Street. He said he worked with Planning Commission Chair Dan Noyes on securing grants for the project, but came to a dead end when the selectboard decided not to hire an architect to draft a plan.

Martin said the town could seek grants, “But we’ve got to have a real plan.” Gesturing to a floor plan drafted by the selectboard he added, “This seat-of-the-pants stuff – we’re paying.”

When question five was called, it also passed on a nearly unanimous voice vote.

The meeting ended as it began, with special recognition for a town resident. Hammel thanked Bovat for a great job at School Street and a fabulous job working with another crew of prisoners, picking up town roads for Green Up Day. Bovat and his crew picked up 50 bags of trash on the North Wolcott Road alone!