LCSD Warns of Vehicle Thefts

by Mickey Smith

On Friday, May 2, the Lamoille County Sheriff's Department received seven complaints of thefts from vehicles on Adams Court, Sargents Drive, and Plains Drive in Johnson.

The thefts are believed to have occurred between 10 p.m. May 1 and the next morning. In all of the cases, the cars were unlocked.

The Lamoille County Sheriff's Department would like to remind people to lock their cars and keep valuables out of sight.

Anyone with any information regarding these thefts is encouraged to call the Sheriff's Department at 888-3502.

Catalytic Converters Stolen

by Mickey Smith

The Vermont State Police are investigating the theft of catalytic converters from the Stowe Moving Company’s Waterbury office.

According to the VSP press release, several converters were removed from the vehicles while they were parked in the company lot at about 1:25 a.m., on Friday, April 25.

Similar incidents have been reported in Morristown. According to one report, a catalytic converter was stolen from a car parked on Cherry Street Monday evening, May 5.

Catalytic converters are an item of interest to thieves, due to the value of the platinum in them.

Anyone with any information regarding the thefts is asked to call the Vermont State Police at 229-9191. Morristown residents experiencing like problems, or with information, may call MPD at 888-4211.

Things Look This Way to Me

Editorial by J.B. McKinley 5/8/08

Financing the Green Margin?

Don’t we all want to build green buildings, save energy, avoid off-gassing, utilize alternative energy/heating systems and more? Certainly many of us have wished we had the cash on hand to buy some item of green technology that made long term sense, for example by saving its cost in a few years and providing a golden future at least for a few years after the payback period. Having thought those thoughts, for many the cold hard reality is that the 10, 15 or 20 percent premium on such items, or building, is the cold hard cash needed up front that leads to the long term savings.

Let me give you an example, I was involved with the “Centennial Center” planning (that voters eventually defeated), we were involved with architects and Pizzagalli Construction in that plan. When we talked “green” construction, we were informed that things like radiant heating, cork or bamboo flooring, thermostatic sunshades, geothermal heat meant adding about 15% to the bottomline. With a project already costing several million, how could that cost be justified? Well, the fact is the cost can be easily justified by quoting long term savings and health benefits. It’s also a fact it’s a losing argument to talk to struggling or fixed income voters and voters who are looking glumly and solely at next year’s tax bill for whatever reason about securing savings for their kids or grandchildren by spending more now.

So for building green public buildings is there a future? Is there an answer that could make it possible to build green public buildings in Vermont’s future? Maybe. Here’s an idea I discussed with Sen. Susan Bartlett the other day.

She said the state has passed a little law that will make Vermont a good home for socially conscious investors and investor groups. You may know the folks of whom we speak. These are the guys who got Harvard to quit investing in South Africa and who find out things like soccer balls being stitched up in Pakistan by three year olds. These are people who will take a little less profit as long as your product is a wind generator or a locally raised, organic heiffer. The idea is that these groups might be induced to finance “the green margin,” that 10 or 15% part of a public building project that can’t be justified to voters who think short term. Consider a $2 million project. If adding $200,000 would make that building greener than St. Patrick’s Day and these groups would finance that addition at 1 percent, would you vote for it?

Think about it. It would be going green at a bargain. Heck, if the state wasn’t broke, it might make sense for government, but it really makes sense as a privately funded initiative.

Such a financing scheme for public buildings (at least) would mean Vermont could go green not just at the margins, but could build green public buildings for any community in the state.

Indoor Grilling, Yields Indoor Growing

by Mickey Smith

The Hyde Park Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire on Commonwealth Avenue in Hyde Park Village, Friday, May 2, only to discover the source was an attempt to use a charcoal grill indoors. While the fire was not serious, an evident indoor marijuana growing operation led to charges for the resident.

While extinguishing the fire, the Hyde Park Fire Department found what they believed to be a marijuana growing operation in the bathroom.

As a result, the Lamoille County Sheriff's Department obtained and executed a search warrant at 36 Commonwealth Avenue. According to LCSD Corporal Christian Watson's press release on the incident, the deputies found 22 marijuana plants, a power supply, and grow light.

Robert Schrader, 29, of Hyde Park, was arrested for violations of conditions of release, possession of marijuana, and cultivation of marijuana. He was lodged at Northeast Regional Correctional Facility in St. Johnsbury for lack of $1,000 bail.

Johnson Traffic Woes to Continue

by Mickey Smith

The good news is when the highway projects are all completed, travel in Johnson will be a lot smoother. But in the meantime, motorists will soon have other issues to deal with.

Work is continuing on the Main Street Bridge. Johnson Municipal Administrator Duncan Hastings said they are doing some approach work, after which traffic will be re-routed onto the finished portion of the new bridge – which should help move cars through more quickly.

A second work project will be starting up in Johnson very shortly. Hastings said the village signed a contract with GW Tatro to upgrade the water line on Route 100C. Hastings said the work will be between Powerhouse Bridge and Fairbanks Motors and when finished will upgrade about 1,300 feet of the existing line, which Hastings described as sub-standard.

This work is scheduled to be done before a massive paving effort on Route 100C begins. Starting about May 12, the state will be repaving Route 100C from the intersection with Route 15 to North Hyde Park. From DJ's up to about the Twin Bridges, the state will be grinding the current pavement and adding a new layer. Above the bridges, to North Hyde Park, Hastings said he has been told the road will be getting a full reclamation of the pavement.

A third project in the village, the Pearl Street Bridge, is scheduled to go out for bid this fall. Hastings said they may begin building a temporary bridge this winter, but that would be up to the contractors chosen. The temporary bridge approach will utilize the municipal parking lots on either side of the river, just to the west of the road, in front of the Vermont Studio Center's buildings that used to house the fire department and town offices.

By that time, the Main Street bridge should be completed, as well as at least the village portion of the paving.

Historical Membership Drive

by Amy Kolb Noyes

WOLCOTT – More than 30 members of the Wolcott Historical Society attended a reception and presentation at the town office building Monday evening, May 5. The event was in celebration of an extremely successful spring membership drive.

WHS Co-chairs Linda Martin and Renee Wahler welcomed members, new and old, on Monday. Wahler explained WHS’s vision to collect, document and archive artifacts from the town’s past. She said many objects have been recovered from barns, garages and basements around town, and are now in the town vault for safekeeping. Now WHS is setting its sights on locating a permanent home for the collection.

Membership Chair Ginger Cotten was next to speak. She said WHS now boasts 127 members including 78 Wolcott residents, 27 people from other Vermont towns and 22 out-of-staters. The membership drive added $600 to the society’s account, which now stands at approximately $7,800. Bill Cotten added much of the money raised by WHS has been through the sale of Ruth Reed’s history Yesteryear in Wolcott 1789-1939. He added, “Everybody that lives in Wolcott ought to have a copy.”

With that, Everett Demeritt went on to show a film with snow removal footage from the winter of 1939-1940 and discuss how roads were cleared back in the day. Wahler promised WHS will be presenting more informational programs in the future.

Senator Sue Touts Corrections Changes

by Mickey Smith

Fresh off an earlier than normal exit from the Vermont Legislative session, Lamoille County Senator Susan Bartlett stopped by the News & Citizen on Tuesday, May 6, to discuss changes in the corrections system which are coming down the pike.

Senator Sue said all through her tenure on the appropriations committee, joined by education and the health system, corrections has been one of the three areas she described as growing “alarmingly.” She said, annually, the corrections budget increases 10-12%, and it’s an area of spending where the state does not receive any federal funds – not for housing, health care (including mental health) or programs.

“It is all [state] general fund dollars,” said Senator Bartlett.

Bartlett said while a lot of bad news about this year's financial forecast has been reported, she did note some good news. She said the state is starting to see programs that are beginning to save the state money. As an example, she said places where they might have anticipated a program would cost $120 million to run, that program might have come in at $109 million.

She said they have been particularly pleased with programs targeting kids and families, the ones designed to modify behavior. Smoking and seatbelts have been areas where these programs have been successful.

Drinking, and other substance abuse, is an area she said that remains a big concern and those concerns tie in to the changes to the corrections system.

Substance abuse has long been a driving force behind the number of inmates in the corrections system, either from people breaking the law while under the influence of something or out of desperation to get more drugs.

Many of these crimes fit into the “non-violent offender” category, a category that has been on the rise in recent years, and sees a 55% rate of recidivism (re-offending). Bartlett said Vermont has about 250 people incarcerated who would not wind up in jail in other states, and another 150-200 inmates who are waiting to get out, but there is no housing in place for them.

Bartlett said this leads to transitional housing, substance abuse treatment, and job education as being the three areas where work needs to be done. All areas that have not been well funded because the money is being used in the jails.

As a first step to freeing up money to begin work on programs designed to help released inmates get back into society, the State of Vermont has made plans to undergo a radical redesigning of the prison structure in the state.

Under the new plan, Vermont will close the Dale Women's Facility (the average inmate at this facility costs the state $75,000 per year) in Waterbury and consolidate those prisoners with the female prisoners currently housed in Windsor to the St. Albans facility. That facility is big enough that even with housing the approximately 170 female prisoners in the system, there will be room for the potential for transitional housing, as well as maximum security (if the need arises).

The Southeast State Correctional Facility in Windsor will then become a low risk male facility that can also be used for transitional housing and a base for a work crew. Springfield and Newport will be used for the more long term violent offenders.

For the time being, long term violent offenders will still be sent out of state, but while the swapping around of facilities will mean a short term rise in prisoners shipped out of state, over the next few years it will bring more prisoners back into the state. Currently, Bartlett said, it is actually cheaper to send prisoners out of state than to house them in-state (about $26,000 out of state, compared to an average of $45,000 in-state).

Because of the costs associated with the switching, Bartlett said the savings in the first year (2009) would be small, about $500,000. But, she said, they are predicting by 2010 the state should see savings of about $4 million – money she would like to see used to create some programs to help people get out of the system.

“For an awful lot of people, a little bit of success can go a long way,” said Bartlett.

She cited work the Lamoille County Court Diversion is doing with its juvenile justice program as a prime example. The program targets youths who come from homes where the parents have had legal problems. She said they are making great strides in helping these youths learn there is another way of life and this is a program that is costing only about $110,000 per year. If it keeps three people out of jail for a year, it’s a winner!

Senator Bartlett said working together is a big key to getting things done. She said while it’s hard to track successes of keeping people out of jail, by having involved groups communicate, they can observe the progresses being made. Corrections has already seen progress with their Community High School of Vermont program... a chance for inmates to get their diplomas. The program became so popular inmates did not want to be let out of jail until they could get their diploma; so programs were created to allow them to continue their education.

She hopes this kind of communication can shift to the entire corrections program and can help reduce that 55% recidivism rate.

“Our approach has not been effective,” Bartlett said.

“Communities need to acknowledge they have people in their communities with real substance abuse issues and they are going to be coming back into the community,” said Bartlett.