04/10

Wallingford News April 2010

Editor’s Note: Please send news, ads, and items of interest by 4/21 to townclerk@wallingfordvt.com.

Support the Wallingford Newsletter with an ad in the Wallingford News. Rates are $50 for a business card size ad and $75 for a double ad. Your ad will run for 12 issues. For more information, call the Town Clerk's Office at 446-2336. Do you have a used car, boat or services to sell? A one-month ad, 25 words or less is $5. Is there anything you’d like added to the newsletter? Let us know. Issues of the newsletter can be mailed to you if you provide us with the self-addressed stamped envelopes (with 61¢ postage on each). The newsletter is also on the Web at www.wallingfordvt.com.

Don’t forget you can purchase your Passport application at the Wallingford Town Clerk ’s Office. Call 446-2336 for further information.

Help Wallingford receive its fair share of federal funding for health care, education, roads, etc. We encourage you to participate in the 2010 Census. Look for your census forms in the mail shortly. They must be mailed back between 3/15-4/15/10. Just 10 questions that take about 10 minutes to complete.

Summer Help Wanted
The Town of Wallingford is seeking qualified applicants for the 2010 summer season as follows: Director min. salary $12/hr.; Counselor (lifeguard certification preferred) min. $10/hr. and Lifeguards min. $10/hr. Salaries may be higher based on experience.

Standard First Aid and CPR certificate required for all positions. Proof of Lifeguard certification required for lifeguard positions. This is seasonal, part-time; therefore, no benefits will be provided.

Stop by the Wallingford Town Hall to pick up an employment application. References required.

Dog Licenses
Don’t forget your dog must be licensed by April 1^st. The fee is $10 for dogs that are spayed or neutered and $13 for non-spayed females and $16 for non-neutered males. Proof of a current rabies vaccine is required. After April 1^st, the fees increase. For more information, call 446-2336. By State Statute, ALL Dogs MUST BE LICENSED EACH YEAR by April 1. Licenses can be issued through the mail. Call the Town Clerk at 446-2336 to make sure we have a current rabies certificate on file.

Free Tax Help
Free tax preparation for taxpayers with middle and low income, with special attention to those 60 and older, is available from AARP-Tax Aide through April 15th at the Wallingford Town Hall. Please call 446-2336 for an appointment (Saturday appointments only).

Homestead Declaration Reminder
Don't forget to complete a Declaration of Homestead form H-22 in order to be billed the residential school tax rate. The Wallingford School District is 216 and your span # is on your tax bill. The deadline is April 15th. Form HS-122 can be found in the Vermont Income Tax Return Booklet or you can file on line at www.vermont.gov.

Auditor, Planning Commission and Recreation Committee Vacancies – please volunteer. Contact the Town Hall at 446-2872.

Town Moderator - A. Jay Kenlan 347
Town Agent - vacant
First Constable - Nelson Tift 304
Grand Juror - vacant
Delinquent Tax Collector - Lee Perry 331
Selectboard (2-yrs.) - William Brooks, III 319
Selectboard (3-yrs.) - Charlie Angel 279
Trustee of Public Funds - David Klock 325
Auditor - Eileen Tessier 306
Lister - Russell Lattuca 355

School Moderator - A. Jay Kenlan 337
Town School Director (2-yrs) - Chuck Piotrowski 304
Town School Director (3-yrs.) Ken Fredette 299
Mill River School Director (write-in) Diane Baker 86
Borrow Money - Yes 259; No 112
School Budget - Yes 214; No 165

Special thanks to all who helped on Election Day for setting up/taking down the booths, manning the polls all day and counters who came in at night: Justices of the Peace: Charlie Gauthier, Geraldine Weeks, Kurt Brown, Debbie Scranton, Sandy Eddy, Bill Seward, and Lowell Klock; Selectboard members Bill Brooks, Charlie Angel and Joan Crowley, and Rob Barker, Ceil Jancola, Sue and Gene Gilman.

{Please note that these meeting minutes are a brief summary and are not the final approved version.}

Selectboard

Charlie Gauthier received approval for a permit for the Fire Department’s annual fireworks display scheduled for Saturday, July 17^th.

Approval was given for a new first class liquor license for the White Rocks Inn.

Dog Warden Ben Morgan discussed recent complaints on barking dogs on Lidstone Lane.

Approval was granted for use of the upstairs on March 5^th at 6:30 p.m. for a meeting with the parents who are in need of childcare in Wallingford .

B. Brooks spoke with Attorney Kupferer who plans to research the specifics on what is the next step in the pursuit to take over the entire WFD #1.

Prudential Committee

Maureen stated that Dale had purchased the new meters and heads that were approved at the last meeting and did get them a little cheaper than expected. The complete meter was $133 down from the $164, and the heads were $78 not the $88.

The board discussed the 5% late fee that is added to all quarterly bills not paid on time and would like to see it go back to the original way by changing the bills being delinquent right after the due date and not wait until the end of the year. This way we would only have the 8% penalty. After some discussion, it was decided they would bring this up at the annual meeting and see what the voters want to do.

The moderator Kurt Brown called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Those present were the Prudential Committee members: Dennis Stocker, Charlie Baker, Scott Sendra and Maureen Duchesne the Clerk/Treasurer. There were 25 Fire District Residents, along with 6 visitors in attendance.

The legal voters of Fire District No. 1, Wallingford , Vermont are hereby warned to meet at the Wallingford Elementary School on Tuesday February 16, 2010 at 7:00 pm. for the Annual Fire District No. 1 meeting to act upon the following articles. The polls will be open on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Wallingford Fire Station on Railroad Street for the purpose of voting. (Australian Ballot) Kurt at this time gave an overview of the rules and asked for a motion from the floor to allow non district residents to speak at the meeting. Donnie Boyd made the motion and it was seconded by John Thomson, Sr. with no discussion a voice vote was called for and the motion carried. Kurt then introduced the members of the Prudential Committee and the Clerk/Treasurer.

Article 01. To approve minutes from previous Annual Meeting dated February 17, 2009.

Dennis Stocker made a motion to open the floor for discussion seconded by Bruce Duchesne.

Rose Regula questioned if these were legal to approve since the person that did them was not even at the meeting. Kurt explained that since the moderator and clerk are the only ones that need to approve the minutes it doesn’t really have to be on the warning to get voted on. With no more discussion a vote was called for and the Yea’s have it.

Article 02. Will the District vote to approve and authorize the Prudential Committee to expend the specific amounts of monies to be appropriated for all necessary Water Fund expenses and apportioned by the Prudential Committee for the several purposes provided as per the proposed 2010 January-June Budget and the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year Budget contained in the Annual Fire District No. 1 Report. (Australian Ballot)

Kandie Stocker made the motion and seconded by Donnie Boyd to open the floor for discussion. The motion carried.

Rose asked a question as to why there was no dollar amount under the delinquent rents line 4103. Scott explained that Quickbooks does not separate out payments to the delinquent line item. The total collected for the year does show up in the Tax Collectors Report. We will not even show those line items in next year’s report. Alicia Sharp as the delinquent tax collector tried to explain how the billing and receiving of payments comes up in Quickbooks so that people would understand the process.

Gary Fredette then asked if 4103 is a checkbook number since it is said that we cannot separate the payments out. Scott stated that it was used with a previous form of bookkeeping but is no longer used so it can be deleted.

There was quite a bit of discussion as to how the billing and accepting of payments is done with the Quickbooks system and that each district member has just one account not all separate for each item in their invoice so that the payments go to the account as a whole.

Rose then had a question as to when the board made the decision to go from a calendar year to a fiscal year. Scott said it was done during the year at the Prudential Committee meetings. Rose wanted to know exactly what month it happened as she felt the public should have been notified. Scott did state it was on the agendas for the meetings and people could have come to the meeting to voice their opinions.

Alicica Sharp made the motion to cease discussion on article 2 and Joel Mudge seconded it. The vote was called for and with none opposed the motion carried.

Article 03. Will the District vote to approve and authorize the Prudential Committee to expend the specific amounts of monies to be appropriated for all necessary Sewer Fund expenses and apportioned by the Prudential Committee for the several purposes provided as per the proposed 2010 January-June Budget and the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year Budget contained in the Annual Fire District No. 1 Report. (Australian Ballot)

Charlie Baker made the motion to open the floor for discussion; it was seconded by Kandie Stocker. The motion carried.

Charlie Baker stated the reasons why we were going to a fiscal year as opposed to the calendar year. He stated that with a calendar year we are spending money at the beginning of the year that we have not even voted on yet. The switch to a fiscal year will end this.

Rose Regula asked a question as to where the lost capital fund money was. Scott explained that this fund was consolidated into the regular water/sewer account a few years ago and he did not know the reason why. Scott did state that clerk is in the process of opening up a separate sewer capital fund again and the money would begin to get transferred back into that account.

Gary Fredette then asked if we only have one checking account then all the capital funds have to be in there. It was explained that the capital funds are savings accounts and separate from the checking.

Kurt asked if there were any other questions on Article 3, with none Donnie Boyd made a motion to end discussion. It was then seconded by Joel Mudge and a vote was called for with none opposed the motion carried.

Article 04. Will the District vote to approve and authorize the Prudential Committee to expend the specific amounts of monies to be appropriated for all necessary General Fund expenses and apportioned by the Prudential Committee for the several purposes provided as per the proposed 2010 January-June Budget and the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year Budget contained in the Annual Fire District No. 1 Report. (Australian Ballot)

Charlie Baker made a motion to open the floor for discussion and it was seconded by Donnie Boyd. The motion carried.

Rose wanted to know why there was no FICA amount in the budgets. Scott Sendra told her it was added into the salaries and not a separate line item any longer.

With no further questions Charlie Baker made the motion and Donnie Boyd seconded it that we end discussion on Article 4. A vote was called for and with none opposed the motion carried.

Article 05. Will the District vote to approve and authorize the Prudential Committee to expend the specific amounts of monies to be appropriated for all necessary Fire Protection Fund expenses and apportioned by the Prudential Committee for the several purposes provided as per the proposed 2010 January-June Budget and the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year Budget contained in the Annual Fire District No. 1 Report. (Australian Ballot)

Charlie Baker made the motion to open the floor for discussion; it was seconded by Dennis Stocker. The motion carried.

Rose asked a question as to why the money from the sale of the fire trucks did not show in the income. It was explained that it was used as expenditure right away and did not get entered as an income. We can easily have this fixed.

John Cotrupi asked if the trucks that were sold went out for bid. Dennis Stocker said that yes they did.

Rose asked about the sale of the gas left in the outside tank being sold to only fire fighters at cost. Dennis explained this was done to empty the tank as soon as possible because they had a security camera that had picked up people stealing the gas but could not get a good picture to tell exactly who it was.

Rose asked what grants the fire department had applied for and who signed the paperwork. Stephane Goulet explained that he is the one who writes and submits all grants. He said they had applied for an equipment grant, a vehicle acquisition grant, and a grant to remodel the fire house. At this time they have not received any grant money. Scott said that the board gave Stephane the authority to go for these grants as they are not going to be asking the voters for any matching funds, and he is allowed to sign all paperwork to apply for grants.

Kurt asked if there were any other questions on article 5, with none Joel Mudge made the motion to end discussion and it was seconded by Alicia Sharp. A vote was called for and with none opposed the motion carried.

Article 06. Will the District vote to have all Fire District Taxes, Water Bond, Water/Sewer Rents payable to the Fire District Treasurer when due?

Donnie Boyd made a motion and it was seconded by Charlie Baker to accept Article 6. With no questions a vote was called for and with none opposed the motion carried.

Article 07. Will the District authorize the Prudential Committee to borrow such monies as may be necessary to meet the operation expenses of the District?

Charlie Baker made a motion and it was seconded by Charlie Gauthier to open the floor for discussion. The motion carried.

Scott pointed out that the fire district did not have to take out any loans to operate this past year. He then stated that we are going to be using a flat rate throughout the year for the water/sewer bills. Donnie Boyd asked how this was determined. Scott stated that we took an average of three year’s worth of usage and came up with an amount for the year.

John Thomson, Sr. asked if we did it for each household or as an overall usage. Scott said it was an overall amount.

Gary Fredette then asked how we would show this at the end of the year. Scott said that if the amount was not enough it would then show as deficit and the board would look at something different for next year.

Donnie Boyd made the motion to end discussion and it was seconded by Charlie Gauthier. A vote was called for and with none opposed the motion carried.

Kandie Stocker made the motion to open the floor for nominations for officers of the Fire District and it was seconded by Joel Mudge. The motion carried.

Melissa Boyd nominated Alicia Sharp, Bill Brooks nominated Charlie Baker who then declined and Bill Brooks then nominated Gary Fredette who then declined. Charlie Baker made the motion to cease nominations and have the clerk cast one ballot for Alicia Sharp, it was seconded by Dennis Stocker. A vote was called for and with no “no” votes Alicia was elected for 3 years.

Alicia then said she would resign as the delinquent tax collector. Kurt told her she would need to send a letter to the board.

The next to be elected was Moderator a 1 year term. Charlie Baker nominated Kurt Brown with no other nominations a vote was called for. It was seconded by Charlie Gauthier. A vote of all yea’s and Kurt was elected for another term.

A letter was then read by Kurt from the Fire Department as to who was elected at their Annual Meeting held on February 8, 2010.

Dennis Stocker nominated Jeff Duchesne as Chief and it was seconded by Donnie Boyd and for the clerk to cast 1 ballot for Jeff. A vote with 1 no and the rest yeas votes Jeff was elected Chief.

Charlie Baker nominated Dennis Stocker as 1^st Asst. Chief and it was seconded by Joel Mudge and for the clerk to cast 1 ballot for Dennis. A vote of all yeas and Dennis was elected 1^st Asst. Chief.

Charlie Baker nominated John Thomson, Jr. as 2^nd Asst. Chief and it was seconded by John Thomson, Sr. and for the clerk to cast 1 ballot for John. A vote of all yeas and John was elected as 2^nd Asst. Chief.

Bill Brooks then asked if we shouldn’t go ahead and vote a Delinquent Tax Collector for the remainder of Alicia Sharps term of 2 more years since she will be resigning.

Charlie Baker then nominated Melissa Boyd and it was seconded by Scott Sendra. With no other nominations Charlie Baker asked for nominations to cease and have the clerk cast 1 ballot. A vote was then called for and with all yeas Melissa Boyd was elected for the remainder term as Delinquent Tax Collector.

Dennis Stocker made the motion to accept all reports as presented and it was seconded by Joel Mudge. With no discussion the motion carried with none opposed.

Dennis Stocker made the motion and it was seconded by Charlie Baker to open the floor for discussion. The motion carried.

John Cotrupi asked as to what the total amount was to repair the lodge. Scott said it came to around $340,000.00 It was then explained that we had contractors come to a board meeting and that the board made the decision to go with the McKernon Group. The board did say they did not have any local people come forward to ask about doing the work at the lodge after the fire.

After some talk about the people who always seem to come up in the delinquent tax report and what the district can do about it Bruce Duchesne made a motion that we go back to collecting the 8% penalty after the 15 day grace period of when the payments are due and not wait until the end of the year. The motion was seconded by Joel Mudge.

Gary Fredette asked if a lawyer doesn’t check for delinquencies when they are doing a title search. He was told that they usually do but not all the ones in the fire district get caught.

Joel Mudge asked if the board felt that going back to the original way would help out in the amount of delinquencies. Scott stated that he felt it would now give people the incentive to pay on time and not be late.

Bill Brooks said that a policy could be set up as far as liens on properties for the tax collector. This is something the board will be working on this year.

Kurt then asked if there were any other questions and with none a vote was called for. With none opposed the motion carried.

Dave Gilman then asked about the grant for the fire house. Stephane Goulet explained that it is a totally funded grant to do a total renovation of the existing fire house keeping the historic look though.

Stephane did explain that if the fire department gets any of the grants the Fire Protection Budget would then go down as they would not need to collect the money from the town’s people as the grants would pay for things like gear.

Ann Jarrosak then asked why they needed a new fire house and couldn’t they use the money for better things. Stephane explained that the grant money can only be used for what is stated in the grant and nothing else.

Joel Mudge then made a comment as the Safety Officer it was his job to make sure that everyone is following all safety regulations while on the scene of a fire, such as always having on an air pack to enter a burning structure. He said that this is sometimes not followed because it cost money every time you have to refill an air bottle.

Jeff Duchesne as the Fire Chief at this time presented Charlie Baker with a plaque for 20 years of service on the Fire Department as he was not at their annual banquet. He also announced that Charlie Gauthier got a 25 year plaque.

Kurt then asked if there was any more business to come before the meeting. Hearing none Charlie Baker made the motion to recess the meeting and it was seconded by Charlie Gauthier. The annual meeting recessed at 8:46 p.m.

Hadwin Young received permission to tap a few trees that are on Fire District property.

The board looked over the Policies and Procedures between the Fire Dept and the district and made no changes at this time. They will wait to see what the Fire Dept comes up with for changes and it will be signed after that.

Maureen said that Mark had asked about getting TracFones for both him and Dale to use for Fire District business and make it easier for the office to get in touch with them when they are out of the building. After some discussion on different types of phones, Scott said that he will do some research and the board will make a decision at the next meeting.

Reviewed where we are on energy inventory; more data still needs to be recorded. We’ll need to decide which municipal building. we should first focus on. WES needs to get data to Tim. RRPC has money for one energy audit per town.

Tim has RRPC sample energy planning document and will use this to start a draft for the town plan energy section.

We’ll try to do two home assessments this weekend. We have 14 homes signed up now.

3/9 Rutland County Energy Challenge meeting – will put a face on all of these energy savings efforts, raising awareness, some buzz. The old refrigerator exchange program by Efficiency VT is a bust for this area.

March--Joint meetings with Danby, Tinmouth and Rutland County town Energy Committees to pool resources, rally the troops, and. VCEM launch meeting.

Hubbard will pick up the recyclables at Wallingford House and recycle them if we set up the bins and sort the materials.

David and Ralph proposed a two or three sided structure (triangular in shape) kiosk possibly with solar lighting. We might be able to get some of the local businesses to donate some of the materials

We received $2,100 from Better Backroads to upgrade the road to the beach and $4,300 from the Watershed to build the rain garden and a nature trail.

The Planning Commission would like our help in writing the natural resources section of the plan.

Tree Warden Steve Pytlik will be contacted about coordinating on a tree planting related project for Green up Day

Kim will email Shannon regarding both the timeline and the process for completion of the watershed grant.

Spring Presentations: Monica Erhart (connectivity), vegetable gardening/natural fertilizers/gardening for bees and birds (one presentation—ask Debbie for her ideas about presenter), bobcat presentation (Kim)

Debbie will bring a poster to town meeting. Tim will talk briefly about the WCC accomplishments this year as well as the Energy Committee activities.

Below excerpted from the Vermont Green Up Day website (www.greenupday.org) and a speech by Governor Deane C. Davis.

Vermont was the first state to designate a day to clean up the entire state. Started in 1970 by Gov. Deane C. Davis, our unique tradition continues with thousands of Vermonters taking care of Vermont .

The results of the first Green Up Day exceeded expectations. Four thousand truck loads were reported hauled by the Highway Department comprising over 20,000 cubic yards of trash removed from the Interstate and other state roads, and another 20,000 cubic yards, or more, were removed from town roads.

It was estimated that 90% of the litter consisted of beer bottles and cans. Other unusual items recovered were: $150 in cash, a dozen dead deer, one dead cow, a stolen purse belonging to a Boston, Mass. woman, a refrigerator, one revolver, two safes, a sleeping bag, a fishing pole, a bathtub, one bed and many small dead animals such as voles, dogs, cats, and raccoons.

It was believed to be the largest statewide, voluntary, unified citizens' effort ever organized in Vermont.

Come join us for Green Up Day number 40 and help continue the tradition of caring for Vermont ’s environment. The Wallingford Conservation Commission will be passing out bags, gloves, and coffee on Saturday, May 1^st, at the Wallingford Rotary building from 9 to 12. The transfer station will be open until 1:00 pm. Let’s celebrate the 40^th with a record turn out.

The Wallingford Elementary School will do their Green-Up on a day to be coordinated with the school staff.

2/18/10. Present: K. Fredette, D. Klock, C. Piotrowski, P. Rondinone, and C. Watts

The situation relating to the students at Wallingford Pre-School and Day Care was discussed. It was noted that Clarendon could take the students and this was preferred by the Principal. Jason noted that WES doesn't have space in the building at this time and reconfiguring teaching staff and physical space would be extremely difficult. The detached trailer could be used, but there are security concerns with having students there. They also discussed having the pre-school in the building next school year. Jason noted that this was possible and would look at it. The board concurred that Clarendon is the best option for the short term and encouraged Jason to notify the appropriate parents of this option.

The board agreed to send a letter to the Wallingford Teachers Association with the purpose of clarifying the board's position on specific issues noted during negotiations.

3/04/10. Present: K. Fredette, D. Klock, C. Piotrowski, P. Rondinone, and C. Watts

C. Watts was elected Chair, K. Fredette was elected Vice Chair; C. Piotrowski was elected Clerk. Other designations made: Truant Officer: Jason Morse; Designation of Bank: Chittenden; Designation of Newspaper: Rutland Herald; Regular meeting date and time: 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of the month at 6:30 p.m.; Committee Assignments: Wallingford Scholarship – D. Klock; RSSU Policy – C. Watts; Negotiations – C. Watts and D. Klock; RSSU Finance – C. Piotrowski ; RSSU Transportation – P. Rondinone; RSSU Superintendent Evaluation – C. Piotrowski; RSSU Voting Members: Ken Fredette, C. Piotrowski and P. Rondinone.

Walter distributed a sheet showing the voting results throughout the RSSU. The Wallingford budget passed with 56% of all votes cast for the budget, 214 to 165. 379 people voted on the budget out of 389 total voters (There were 1,536 registered voters).

W. Goetz noted that contracts for teachers needed to be issued and signed. He noted that this is the 3rd year without a master agreement and, therefore, these contracts are at the rates specified in the 2007-08 master contract. The Chair was authorized to sign them.

K. Fredette reported on the status of the sinking funds. The Board approved transferring $15,000 from the Bus Sinking Fund to the Building Sinking Fund to correct a bookkeeping error, with the balance of $563 from the final bus payment to be put back into the general fund as an adjustment.

The Board approved offering Jason Morse a 2-year contract to serve as Principal at the annual salary of $73,130 in the first year of the contract and the second year salary to be negotiated.

Foot and blood pressure clinic on Wednesday, April 7th at 10:30 a.m. at the Wallingford House.

Our next Planning meeting will be Wednesday, April 14th at 10 a.m. at the Town Hall. We hope to see some new faces and we could use your input.

Remember Senior’s lunch every Monday at Noon at the Rotary. Contact Linda Weightman at 446-2301.

We will hold bingo on the 2nd Monday of each month at the Rotary building at 1 p.m. The public is welcome.

Our Seniors’ trip for April will be on Wednesday, April 21^st to the Quechee Gorge Village for lunch on your own at the Historic Diner and then to the Vt. Toy and Train Museum. The bus leaves the Wallingford House at 11:30 a.m.

Many of you read in last month’s Wallingford Newsletter about the proposed policies and administrative changes the Library is being forced to make – well that’s no April Fool’s joke! The projected deficit of over $10,000 is forcing the Board of Trustees to make some very difficult decisions including requiring non-residents to purchase library cards and the Library being closed on Saturdays except for the 1^st Saturday of every month.

Following is a summary of the changes in policies and hours of operation. You will note some of the proposed changes made last month are NOT included.

Non-resident patrons over the age of 12 years old will be required to purchase a library card. Students will not be required to purchase a card. Annual fees are due by April 1 of each year:

Individuals or groups using the Klock Room before or after library hours will be asked to make a donation. The suggested donation amount is $15 per use.

Patrons with overdue materials will be asked to make a donation (pay a fine) of no less than $1.

Patrons who are habitually late in returning items will be restricted to borrowing one item.

Membership and fund-raising effort: A letter requesting your financial support during these hard times was mailed during the week of March 22, 2010. When you receive the letter, please give generously. The Library needs your support and the community will benefit from your generosity!

A big THANK YOU to Helen Weidman, Rosemary Kafarsky, Evelyn Smith, Carol Pratt, and Priscilla Auer for their help in stuffing the envelopes and preparing the letters for mailing.

”Off he goes, into the wild blue yonder” -- Goodbye and good luck wishes to Kevin House, Library Assistant. Kevin has worked as the Assistant for over a year and done a great job! Kevin will be moving from the area and is looking to “fly the friendly skies” again in some capacity. So on a “wing and a prayer”, we wish him good luck as he flies off into the sunset. Kevin, you will be missed.

April is Prevent Child Abuse Month! Contact Prevent Child Abuse Vermont at 1-800-CHILDREN if questions or concerns. Stop by the Library and see our display and get a free pinwheel (while supply lasts).

Book Review: I Said No! A Kid-to-kid Guide to Keeping Your Private Parts Private was written by Kimberly King and Sue Rama. To help Zack cope with a real-life experience he had with a friend, he and his mom wrote a book to help prepare other kids to deal with a range of problematic situations. I Said No! uses kid-friendly language and illustrations to help parents and concerned adults give kids guidance they can understand, practice and use. Using a simple, direct, decidedly non-icky approach that doesn't dumb down the issues involved, as well as an easy-to-use system to help kids rehearse and remember appropriate responses to help keep them safe, I Said No! covers a variety of topics, including:

When and where to go for help, and what to do if the people you are turning to for help don t listen.

This book is recommended for children ages 9-12 and is one of the many books we have at the library on this subject. Please stop by and educate yourself and your child (children). You won’t regret it!

The next Gilbert Hart Library Association Board of Trustees meeting will be held on April 13, 2010. Please join us as we discuss current and future plans for the Library. The meetings are open to the public and we welcome and need your input. Tell us what you think!

There are currently a few vacant seats on the Board and some of the members are facing expiration of their terms as members. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Board of Trustees, please contact Connie Johnson, Board President or call the Library at 446-2685. We need your help!

There is also an opportunity to volunteer your time in working as the Treasurer of the Board. Currently the library is paying for the services of an accountant, and it will be a revenue-savings venture if someone volunteered to help with library finances. If you have time and are interested, please contact the library.

Saturday - closed (except for 1^st Saturday of every month) 1^st Saturday - 9 - 12

Events for the Maple Valley Grange #318 on Route 7 in South Wallingford ……

Every Tuesday from 6-9 p.m. Line Dancing. $5 per person. Snack bar available. Beginners & experienced.

The Chipman Lodge 52 FAM holds meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Lodge.

Suicide Survivors Support Group meetings for those who have lost a loved one or friend through suicide are held at the Maple Leaf Clinic, 167 North Main Street in Wallingford (446-3577) on the third Tuesday of each month.

Come join us for lunch at the Wallingford Congregational Church on South Main Street every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

If you’d like to receive emails under the Wallingford “Neighborhood Watch” system, send an email to townadmin@wallingfordvt.com and keep updated on vandalism, thefts, etc. in Wallingford and surrounding towns.

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing substantial grocery savings to communities
throughout the U.S. Angel Food is available monthly to any household in a quantity that can fit into a medium sized box at $30. Each month’s menu is different and consists of both fresh/frozen items with an average retail value of $60. Generally, one box of food assists in feeding a family of four for about one week or a single senior citizen for almost a month. Angel Food gladly accepts debit/credit cards, cash and food stamps.

You may have heard that they no longer require the purchase of a Signature Box, Allergen Free or Senior Convenience Box to order specials, like the fresh produce box, the chicken or the beef grill boxes, so please take a look at the new Angel Food Ministries offerings at www.rutlandangelfood.com. Questions can be directed to Carleen Eaton at (802) 779-8078. Gift cards are now available for Angel Food!

Orders will be taken in person by a volunteer who will be at the Town Hall on Tuesday, April 6th from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Stop by. Debit/credit cards, EBT (food stamps) or Cash accepted.

Rutland Area Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Lecture Series Winter 2010

The Rutland Area Osher Lifelong Learning Institute exists to promote continuing education for area residents aged fifty and over. Started in 2003 as an affiliate of the University of Vermont with a startup grant from the Osher Foundation, we are an all–volunteer, nonprofit organization.

Each of them will be from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM on a Friday afternoon at the Godnick Adult Center, 1 Deer Street (off Woodstock Avenue) in Rutland. For directions to the Godnick Center or for program information, call 773-0184.

Purchase of a membership card entitles you to attend all 12 sessions during the winter 2010 term.

Nonmembers may attend individual sessions for $5 at the door. Reservations are NOT required. Memberships may be purchased at any session. Regular price: $40.

Richard Dunworth, a resident of Ludlow, is a student of Zen Mountain Monastery in the Catskills since 1992. A social worker by profession and a volunteer at the Great Meadow Prison in Comstock, NY , Mr. Dunworth will describe his "Journey to Buddhism".

Michael Atkinson, an Emeritus Professor from UVM, notes that psychology has been called "the indigenous American religion – our most widely shared belief system". Carl Jung's insights speak to the same questions many religions address. Some find his concept of the archetype to be a profound explanation of religion's power, while others find in it a substitute for religion itself. Join us as we explore the ways in which our daily lives are illuminated by the deep structures of the unconscious.

Rev. Gary Kowalski is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, the author of several books, and currently minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington. He asks whether America 's founders intended the United States to be a Christian nation or a secular republic. What would modern believers think of Ben Franklin re-writing the Lord's Prayer, or Thomas Jefferson editing his own version of the Bible? Would any of the Constitution's framers be electable today?

Professor William Mann, educated at Stanford and the University of Minnesota, is Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy and Chair of the Philosophy Department at UVM. For many, science appears to pull in opposite directions concerning religious belief. Evolutionary biology may tend to undermine belief that the world is the creation of a providential deity. Yet physical cosmology may suggest that the probability of the existence of our universe is so low that it is best explained as the work of a deity. Prof. Mann will explore these two thoughts.

Community Playgroup: For children ages birth and up with a parent/caregiver. Come visit with other adults/families, let your children play in a safe and fun environment! Mondays 9:30-11:30 Pack a snack!

Home School Gatherings: Little Red Schoolhouse is available to home schooling families to gather, special activities and more! Wednesdays 9:30-3:30

Asperger’s Parent Support Group: 4th Tuesday of every month from 7:15-8:30. The Asperger’s support group is open to any families wanting to gather and discuss issues relating to Asperger’s, high-functioning Autism or NLD

Join us for ZUMBA on Tuesday nights 6:10-7 pm starting March 30th thru April 27th!

Egg Hunt & Visit with the Easter Bunny!: April 3^rd 10:00 Wallingford Elementary School . For all ages! Breakfast Concessions, Fun Raffle and more!

Concert Fundraiser! Saturday, April 17^th 3:30-6:30. Rick Redington & The Luv! Family friendly! Children’s activities, live music, concessions! Tickets and info available on the website!

Bird Feeders! Saturday, April 24th 5:30-7:30 Come make bird feeders out of wood, recyclable and edible materials. Great for all ages! Please pre-register so we have ample supplies!

Tie-Dyeing Saturday, May 1st. 9:00 am-11:00 am. Bring your white tee shirt, socks etc and join us for tie-dyeing! Rubber bands, dyes and patterns will be available!

GREAT ESCAPE TICKETS! Enjoy a day of fun at Six Flags Great Escape for a discounted price! Little Red Schoolhouse will be selling Spring Spin Tickets for only $19.99 plus tax! Tickets are good any operating day in May 2010. Includes a voucher for a return visit for only $13.99(valid any day in the 2010 operating season) or upgrade to a season pass for only $34.99( a $15.00 savings of the original season pass price!) Tickets will be available for purchase thru May 15, 2010. See our website for more information!

The Wallingford Congregational Church will be housing an Emergency Community Food Shelf. Supplies will be given by appointment only. Contact Robin Milner at 446-3966.

I just wanted to thank the Town of Wallingford and its’ residents that contributed to the box of goodies that you sent to me here in Afghanistan. It was a pleasant surprise and all the items in the box were shared among the Soldiers stationed here and those that are just passing through Bagram.

Wallingford Fire District #2 will be holding their annual meeting on Monday April 26, 2010 @ 8:00 PM at the East Wallingford Fire Station.

April is national poetry month. To celebrate, the Wallingford Historical Society will present a night of poetry. The coffee house event will be held at the Wallingford Town Hall on School Street from 7-8 pm on Tuesday, April 27.

We encourage you to bring a poem about Wallingford or Vermont to be read at this event. Participation is not required for attendance. For more information, contact Chris Bannerman at 446-3560.

Wallingford Rotary…would like to thank you all for the support in “Small Town, Big Heart, Soup Dinner for Haiti.” A total of $500 was collected for Pure Water for Haiti! A big thanks!

Friends and Neighbors, It’s hard to believe that my second year in Montpelier is more than half over. Legislative time can move very fast. Part of that is the natural fast pace of 200+ people interacting in a relatively small building every day. Part of it is the quantity and variety of work required every day. Part of it is probably that time moves faster in general the older we get.

My work in the Judiciary Committee has been exceptionally challenging and interesting this year. We developed a sweeping bill on judicial restructuring based on a report from a special commission, and hours of testimony from all stakeholders in the Judicial System. I’m proud of the bill that we’re sending to the Senate for concurrence. I believe the judicial process will be more efficient and better able to function, particularly in times of financial difficulties. While this bill took most of our time, we also passed out a bill that protects parental rights of our deployed servicemen and women (VT 533). We recently voted out a bill that will require mediation in some cases to get homeowners and lenders to modify mortgages to keep people in their homes and benefit the banks as well. We are still working on a bill that would implement ignition interlock devices as a method of keeping drunk drivers off our highways.

The House unanimously passed a Jobs Bill (S 288). The goal is straight forward: create jobs short term and long term. It accomplishes this by investing 8.7 million in Federal stimulus funds on projects including:

Two years ago I promised that I would work hard at this job and I can say without reservation, that promise has been kept. The legislative, deliberative process is fascinating and humbling. Sitting in Committee, taking both written and oral testimony, listening to your colleagues both liberal and conservative, teaches you that your ideas are not the only good ones. This is important, as it allows you to move your position, to compromise, to see the value of other opinions you might have dismissed otherwise. This is the positive nature of true compromise – and how things get done.

Some of you have contacted me, by phone or e-mail or in person with concerns or ideas. I’m very thankful for this, and only wish that more of you would take the opportunity to participate in our democratic process. There are four thousand of you and one of me. I promise to introduce your ideas to the appropriate committee heads or agencies. This is the beauty of Vermont’s accessible democracy. Your idea could end up on a bill that is taken up and passes within a matter of weeks, or it may never be considered, or may be taken up in a year. You gotta play to win!

Next month I’ll be able to report on the all important budget, the transportation bill, as well as other bills that are coming over from the Senate. Keep in touch.

Green Hill Cemetery Association is a non-profit organization that is responsible for running the cemetery on South Main Street in Wallingford. This association is in need of a Treasurer. This is a part-time job that pays a reasonable wage for the work needed. If you are interested in earning a little extra money, please call Fred Thurlow, 446-2880.

We are going to have a sunrise service at 7 a.m. on April 4^th with breakfast to follow, and move our regular service time to 10 a.m.

As people age, health insurance becomes more important and often times more expensive. Older Vermonters on a limited income can find it difficult to pay the premiums, deductibles and co-payments connected to Medicare and Medicare Drug Plans, or to purchase private insurance if they are not yet eligible for Medicare. The state of Vermont offers several programs that can assist with these costs: private health insurance (VHAP and Catamount), Medicare Drug Plans (VPharm), the Medicare part B premium (Medicare Savings Program), and the co-payments and deductibles not covered by Medicare (Medicaid & QMB). Eligibility is based mostly on income. To learn about these programs, who qualifies and how to apply, call the Senior HelpLine 800-642-5119 or 786-5991; this is a community service of the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging serving Rutland and Bennington counties since 1974. Web site www.svcoa@svcoa.org, email: seniorhelpline@svcoa.org

With the arrival of spring, thoughts of summer do not linger far behind. The days grow longer, nature comes alive around us and summer plans begin to take shape. Summer provides an opportunity for us to share the sights and sounds of Vermont with others that are less fortunate. Since 1877, the Fresh Air Fund has provided summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income neighborhoods. Through the Fund’s Friendly Town Program, children ages 6-18 are able to experience the joy of a summer visit with volunteer host families. The Fresh Air Fund is looking for more volunteer families to provide inner-city children with a two week respite from the hot city streets and crowded concrete playgrounds. By volunteering as a host family, you can help a child form lasting memories, make new discoveries and share the joys of life in a small town. The friendships that develop between hosts and Fresh Air visitors often last a lifetime. Please consider making a difference in the life of a child this summer by opening your heart and your home. For more information on how you can become a host, please call Samantha Spoth 259-7817, Lisa Pearson 773-6383 or The Fresh Air Fund at (800) 367-0003.

During the first two weeks of February, the WES, Wallingford Town Hall , Gilbert Hart Library , WDC, and the Thrive Center of the Green Mountains collected 400 non-perishable items for the Rutland Community Cupboard [RCC]! The amount collected this year increased by 40 items; with the need of this kind of drive growing more and more each day.

Children from Ms. Valente's 2nd grade and Mrs. Bartlett's 3rd grade classes participated in this project. "All of the classrooms had collection boxes, and our students collected items throughout the weeks and recorded data from each class on a bar graph in the multipurpose room", said Bartlett . On February 12th., the items were delivered to the "cupboard", by Ms. Valente's class, where the students eagerly & energetically stocked the shelves.

"The children were fantastic with the collecting, counting and graphing during this project. The kindergarten & first grade sorted the items; the 2nd. grade did the collecting and the delivery; and the 3rd. grade coordinated the project and did the final graphing. Just remarkable! I am so proud of them", further added, Patty Bartlett.

The collection project, coincides with Annual Thrive Center of the Green Mountains "Spirit Week: Giving from the Heart" promotion, which has been occurring for the last 10 years.

"During this week, patient/clients bring in non-perishable food donations. In addition, to our food collection, our Center donates a portion of all sales/ monies collected from [chiropractic co-pays, massage appointments, gift certificates, retail sales, etc.] to the Rutland Community Cupboard, in the form of Rutland Natural Food Market: "The Co-op" vouchers", said Lisa Donohue, of Thrive.

"The vouchers allow Community Cupboard customers access to the healthy, natural and fresh foods available at the Co-op, but not generally available at the Cupboard. Carol Tashie inspired us in 2008 with this idea. Our donation, this year will allow for 32 ~ $5 vouchers to be purchased. When we were approached by Mrs. Bartlett to work with the greater community via the WES students, the Town Hall, the Gilbert Hart Library , and WDC we were once again, delighted to combine our annual promotion. It truly created a win-win-win for everyone and it's good business citizenry. A sincere thank you to everyone who participated to make this collection happen.", further adds, Donohue.

For more information about this effort, contact Patty Bartlett at 446-2141 (x32) or the Thrive Center at 446-2499. For more information about the Rutland Natural Food Market: "The Co-op" vouchers and the winter indoor, Saturday Farmer's Market located directly behind the Co-op, call 773-0737.

Summer Camp for Rent on Tinmouth Pond

Two bedrooms (one double bed/two bunk beds), 1 bath, with phone, TV w/cable, kayaks and paddleboat. Fully furnished. $500 per week (7 days/6 nights). No pets allowed. Payment due upon reservation. Call (802) 446-2902.