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Property tax bills were
mailed August 12th. 1st
payment due
Wallingford Town
Clerk’s Office is open Mon.-Thurs.
Household
Hazardous Waste Day
Wallingford
’s last
scheduled day for this year is Saturday, September 26th from
Zoning Permits Issued
Russell Lattuca,
238 South Main Street;
repair foundation.
Kevin Fredette,
1345 Wallingford Pond Road,
replace camp.
Richard & Cyndie
Holden,
577 Dawson Hill Road;
3-car garage, porch and bedroom above garage.
Property Transfers
Seller:
James & Michelle Heilner,
{Please note
that these meeting minutes are a brief summary and are not the final approved
version.}
Selectboard
Lee Perry explained his tax collection policy
regarding tax sales, The Selectboard recommended changing the tax sale policy to
60 days, instead of two years, beginning April 2010, excluding those that
currently have an agreed upon payment schedule.
Mr. Perry will present a proposed tax collection policy to the
Selectboard.
The Selectboard read a memo from Shannon Pytlik
that cited her concerns that the some of the critical facilities and emergency
shelters are located within the FEMA 100 year floodplain and offered
recommendations. The information
will be passed on to Emergency Management Coordinator, Planning Commission and
the Wallingford Fire Department.
The
Selectboard signed a one-year agreement for Computer Appraisal Services with the
State.
A second quote to have the
cracks filled in on the tennis and basketball courts will be obtained.
Wallingford
resident
Thelma Perry will turn 100 years old on August 20th, which the
Selectboard proclaimed as “Thelma Perry Day” in
A July 29th email complaint on
Fiscal year 2009 ended with a budget deficit of $37,682.54,
all due to unpaid property taxes.
Tom Pelham, Commissioner of Taxes, set
Joyce Barbieri reported a grand list of $2,344,137,000,
compared to last year of $2,358,286,000. The
town budget of $522,225.63 equates to a town tax rate of .2228¢, compared to
.2452¢ last year. The Fire District
Tax for #1 and #3 will be .0934¢, up from .0506¢ last year.
The Local Agreement Tax Rate dropped from .0043¢ to .0038¢. The
Selectboard set the town and local agreement taxes.
J. Gilman was given approval to create a new Committee for the pit
development. Bill Burke gave
approval to remove the berm and grade the parking lot and walkway at the pit.
Mr. Burke would like to inspect the erosion control measures and be
informed about the plan during a site visit, prior to commencement of removal of
the berm.
J. Barbieri discussed her concerns with dirt bikes being ridden at the
“pit”.
The Selectboard approved proceeding with tax sale
against a property owner who may file bankruptcy.
If bankruptcy is filed, the Town would be liable for legal expenses up to
that point.
The Selectboard amended the 2010 local agreement tax
from .0038¢ to .0043¢ because the taxes for Wallingford Rescue were not in the
original calculation.
The Selectboard was given a recap of the five-week
program, which produced a profit.
Phil Baker reported on his offer to remove the berm,
etc. on
The Selectboard made the following appointments to
the newly created Recreation Development Committee: Ralph Nimtz, Deborah
Scranton, Tim Chila, Tom Phillips, Joshua Gilman, Peter Upton, and Carol
Macleod.
The Selectboard approved donating 30-40 of the
Town’s double wooden chairs for use at the Boy’s Camp.
The Selectboard approved letting the seniors have
space upstairs to put a desk, computer, printer, and filing cabinet for their
use. A thank-you letter will be sent to the Wallingford Historical Society for
their generous donation of $40,000, which went towards the HVAC installation.
The Selectboard agreed to the proposed questionnaire
that will be mailed to the lake pass holders to get feedback for next year..
Recreation Committee Chair Keith Shelvey expressed
concern that the profit from the summer rec program may not benefit the rec
field/lake. J. Barbieri explained what’s normally happened in the past. The
Selectboard recommended that the Rec Committee create a wish list.
C. Angel reported that on the advice of
representatives from Rutland Probation & Parole, the Department of
Corrections and the Rutland Co. Sheriff’s Department, the Selectboard should
suspend the effective date of the Child Safety Ordinance until further notice
due to the litigation and possible rulings from the Supreme Court as to the
authority of cities and towns to enact these ordinances. The Selectboard agreed
to this recommendation.
B. Brooks recommended signing the existing
Wallingford Fire District #1 agreement knowing that the Selectboard will look
into allowing residents in Fire District 3 to vote on budget items. The item was
tabled until he can obtain a legal opinion because the Selectboard wants to make
sure any change is legally binding.
In regard to Act 178 (Ancient Roads), the Selectboard
agreed to hold a public hearing in order to perform a mass discontinuance that
will discontinue all roads not appearing on the VTrans highway map.
A Caterer’s permit was approved for Rubber Boot
Farm for an August 29th wedding at the White Rocks Inn.
Julie received an email this afternoon from the U.S.
Forest Service that from a quick read through looks like
Conservation Commission
There may have been a misunderstanding regarding the
scheduling of tonight’s meeting. Scheduled
events were reviewed: Late
August/early September: “How to prepare garden produce” Ralph will talk
to
Prudential Committee
Steve Baker asked for a lease so that he can tap the
trees on the land that the Fire District owns adjacent to his property. He
typically pays .50 cents a tap and estimates 800 trees.
The Board agreed to draw up a 10-year lease.
The committee reviewed and approved lodge rates for
2010. It was agreed that the peak season would run to the third Saturday of
October. The rates did increase just
a little for the peak season and a copy of the new rates will be posted outside
the office.
The Board approved the third quarter water rate of
$5.80 and sewer rate of $3.79.
The Board approved an adjustment to Carol McKeen’s
last billing to the sewer portion from a water leak in her house.
The Board approved two changes from the McKernon
Group except for changes to the roof over the entry.
Jeff Duchesne advised the Board that the overhead doors at Station
2 are in bad need of replacement or repair. He will look into getting some
quotes. He also stated that he believes they still have some past firefighters
that still have keys to station 2 as they are still seeing things disappear. The
Board agreed to have the lock replaced and only the Chief and his assistants
would have keys to that building. Jeff
also asked about the hydrant that needs to be replaced near the station. Scott
would talk to Dale about getting it done.
Dennis and Scott discussed the payment for the
tapping of the trees as suggested by Charlie; however, discussion was tabled
until Charlie is present.
The front steps at the Lodge were repaired by the
contractor as requested by the Board.
Maureen reported that Joyce offered some chairs
upstairs in the Town Hall for use at the Boy's Camp. Scott volunteered to look
at them and talk to Joyce.
The Mill Street Storage has some very heavy piping
that is stored overhead that really needs to be taken down as the weight is
making the rafters sag and Dale is afraid that it may collapse on the equipment
that is stored there. The Board approved having someone remove them. The roof is
also in need of repair, but this will probably have to wait until next year.
The board discussed getting new chairs for the lodge
as most of the chairs were ruined during the fire.
It was agreed to discuss this further since in the meantime, the Fire
Department could lend them some for our upcoming bookings.
Wallingford
Elementary School
Board
C. Watts reiterated the recent history of the Little
Red Schoolhouse and the choices before the board. Samantha Spoth, representing
the Little Red School House Co-operative, sent a note expressing interest of
restarting the cooperative preschool for the 2009-10 and/or 2010-2011.
Superintendent W. Goetz noted the building repairs
needed and the costs. The board, superintendent and public discussed many issues
including the fate and assets of the
The board expressed its support for the using the
school house for a cooperative, however it noted it had to ensure the safety of
the environment and the integrity of the building prior to any use.
The following next steps were agreed upon:
WES would check the building to discover what rehabilitation/repair is
necessary for habitation; and WES would like to receive a proposal from the
community for the use of the building, prior to any decision.
As recommended by the lawyer, the sidewalk project
should be put out for bid. It was
agreed that a note should go to the four companies who had previously submitted
proposals.
W. Goetz noted that VAC will soon have a certified
preschool teacher so that WES could enter into a cooperative agreement to cover
tuition for
Heating fuel with Irving Oil was agreed upon at $2.36
(may change depending on the day the contract is signed.)
C. Watts reported on teacher contract negotiations
and noted that fact finding will probably occur during next the school year.
C. Piotrowski noted that the RSSU Superintendent Search Committee will
reconvene in September.
Charlie Angel asked why the Board decided to return
to a preschool cutoff date of August 31st instead of staying with
December 31st if the later date would open opportunities for more
students. New ways to open
opportunities for more students have come to light, including collaboratives
with the VAC and other districts; an August 31st cutoff aligns with
starting ages for other grades; enrollment predictions for FY 10 are currently
very close to budget. He also asked
when the $21,000 payment from the Education Fund will be sent to the town.
The Board sought verification from the VT Dept. of Education on the
proper way to handle this payment. He
asked the status of the Little Red School House.
The building and grounds are in need of repairs; the board is seeking
public input through September; a group has expressed an interest in starting a
new program, in the tradition of the former
Discussion continued around the LRSH. Walter will be
meeting with local architect Jay White to assess the repairs needed. C. Watts
had been contacted by a gentleman interested in purchasing some of the
playground equipment.
Business Manager Rita Tornatore distributed the
latest revenue and expenditure sheets. It currently appears that the district
ended FY 09 with a surplus of approximately $18,000, but not all figures are in
yet so that is subject to change. Board members asked several questions; further
discussions will occur when numbers are finalized in the future.
Jason’s written report included: Summer cleaning is
going along as scheduled. The SPED
room was painted and tiled. An
August 12th After School Program Q & A session at
Jason will be discussing a few of the school and
district initiatives and goals at the meeting for the upcoming year including:
After School Program; Response to Instruction; Use of AIMSWEB and MAPS
(Measures of Academic Progress); ALERT Now; Handwriting Without Tears;
Responsive Classroom; and Safe Routes to School.
The preschool program appears to be very close to
budget on for FY 10; distributed a handout detailing the
Walter reported that the revised RFP for the sidewalk
repairs resulted in all bids coming back pretty much unchanged. The Board
awarded the bid for $29,648.75 to Glendenning, LLC.
The
superintendent also reported that other districts had raised prices for
breakfast and lunch, and presented WES figures.
The Board raised the price for breakfast from $1.00 to $1.25, student
lunch from $1.75 to $2.00, and adult lunch from $3.00 to $3.50.
Walter also
advised the board that the district is locked in with
155 students
attended the RSSU Summer Camp, down from about 200 last year. There were varying
theories for the decline. Final
revenues/expenses for the first two years of the preschool collaborative with
the Wallingford Daycare/Preschool were in: no
Interested
Parties In The Little
Thursday, September 3,
Town of
Planning
Commission - Prepares a municipal plan, prepares and administers bylaws, and
undertakes studies and make recommendations on matters of land development,
urban renewal, transportation, economic and social development, etc. This is a
volunteer position.
Recreation
Committee -
Is responsible for designing, overseeing and supporting recreation programs and
services to fill the recreational needs of the community. This
is a volunteer position.
Tree Warden
- To act as overseer of public trees, organizing and implementing tree planting,
maintenance and protection programs. Three major areas are: to remove
trees that cannot be saved; salvage those that can be saved; and implement a
tree preservation program for the Town. There is a small stipend for this
position based on each duty performed.
Send letter of interest to the Wallingford Selectboard,
Visit our town website
www.wallingfordvt.com
“Wallingford
Seniors Happenings”
Foot and blood pressure clinic on Wednesday,
September 2nd at
Senior trip to
Join the Senior Planning Committee on Wednesday,
September 9th at
Remember Senior lunch every Monday at
The Gilbert
Hart Library – Read the September 2009 News by Linda Reeves, Director
Back
to School
Are those groans and moans we hear from the town’s
children! It’s back to school time! Time
flies when you’re having fun, and it can continue to be fun even after school
starts! The Library has some great
books to help make the idea of going back to school more enjoyable:
Title
Author
Emily’s
First 100 Days of School Rosemary
Wells
Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia
Peggy Parish
School Days
Laura Ingalls Wilder
The School Mouse
Dick King-Smith
Read with Dick and Jane
Grosset & Dunlap
Schoolhouse Mystery
Gertrude Chandler Warner
Annabelle Swift,
Kindergartner
Amy Schwartz
School Bells Among Green Hills
Association of Retired Teachers of
The School at
Thrush Green
Miss Read
Stop
by and check them out!!
Children’s Programs
a big success!! Speaking
of children, thanks to our Library Assistant, Kevin House, and members of our
Patron Volunteers Committee, the
library has sponsored two great programs over the last few weeks.
Kevin reported that on August 5, approximately 45
children, along with several adults, attended the “Build and Fly Your Own Airplane” program.
The program was hosted by Mike Cange and Kevin House with refreshments
provided by Lois Johnstone and Adrian Eisler.
The aircraft were decorated to the pilot’s preference, assembled, and
then flown on the library grounds. If
you drove by the library around
On August 19, Sara Eizenhaurer from the Vermont
Institute of Natural Science (VINS) presented a Raptor Encounter program.
She brought along 3 great birds: a barn owl, American kestrel, and a red
tail hawk. Approximately 77 children
and adults attended the program and all enjoyed Sara’s informative
presentation. The program was
planned and coordinated by Katie Goetz and Kevin House.
Thanks to Connie Johnson, Adrian Eisler, and Clare Bornarth for providing
refreshments.
Kevin tells me that
he and Angela Woodbury, another member of our Patron Volunteers Committee, are
planning an exciting Children’s Program for mid to late October that will be
fun and magical.
I understand plans include, among other surprises, a real magician!!
Stay tuned and watch for information on the library’s sidewalk sign and
flyers posted around town. You may
also call the library for more information (446-2685).
“Take What You
Want/Give What You Can” day to be held on September 24.
Most of you are aware that the library is working to automate library
services. A by-product of this effort is that books and other materials are
being discarded on a daily basis. Many
of these items have been sold; however, many remain in the Klock Room and need
to be moved out to make room for new, discarded materials that will be made
available for sale.
To facilitate this effort, the library will be hosting an “almost free” day where folks will
be invited to come to the library and take as many books as you want in exchange
for a small monetary donation. No
limit – take as many items as you want, but we do ask that you “give what
you can.” Fun starts at
New
arrivals:
Title
Author
The
Wilderness Warrior
Douglas Brinkley
The Winter Harvest Handbook Eliot
Coleman
The Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison
The Bourne Deception
Eric Van Lustbader
The Boys of Summer
Roger Kahn
Goat Song: a Seasonal Life, a Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making
Cheese
Brad Kessler
Book Review:
Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, a Short History of Herding, and the Art of
Making Cheese was written by novelist Brad Kessler.
Mr. Kessler lived in
Goat Song
tells about what it's like to live intimately with animals who directly feed
you. As Kessler begins to live the life of a herder -- learning how to care for
and breed and birth goats -- he encounters the pastoral roots of so many aspects
of Western culture. Kessler reflects on the “history and literature of
herding, and how our diet, our alphabet, our religions, poetry, and economy all
grew out of a pastoralist milieu among hoofed animals.”
In the tradition of Thoreau's Walden
and Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker
Creek, Goat Song is both a
spiritual quest and a compelling and beautiful chronicle of living by nature's
rules. An interesting, informative,
and enjoyable read!
Hart Lines by
The Friends of the Gilbert Hart Library
With our summer, weather-wise, only beginning and children going back to school, the Friends are organized for an interesting Fall.
The first event is a Whist party on Friday, September
4. The parties have been going on
all summer, actually, but numbers have been down – there’s so much more to
do in the summer! There’s another
party on September 18. These are on
Friday evenings at
Book discussions also start on September 16.
The first book is Lincoln’s Virtues by William Lee Miller.
A book we really should have tackled for the anniversary observed back in
February. This is really a different
sort of biography. Miller explores
how
Other
books we will be reading and discussing are:
October
14 Seize
the Day Saul Bellow
November 18
---Winter break---
March 17 The Realms of Gold Margaret Drabble
April 21 The Shadow of the Wind C.
Ruiz Zafan
May 19
Rebecca
Daphne du Maurier
We
hope some of these titles will inspire you to join us.
We have settled on a menu for the Community Heritage
Dinner, which will be in October. We
hope that everyone in town will contribute to this dinner; however, some of you
will be called for specific recipes. As
now planned, we will offer Seafood Newburg, Beef Stroganoff, Chicken and
Biscuits all served with vegetarian dishes; Vegetable Lasagna and Macaroni and
Cheese. Side dishes will include
deviled eggs, baked beans, and potato-spinach casserole.
Salads are a variety of molded salads, Waldorf and bean salads.
There will be assorted breads, pies, and beverages.
We
realize it is still early, but we do want full community participation, and
there are even committees for set-up, dishwashing, clean-up, and serving.
The dinner will be held at the Rotary building on Saturday, October 17,
with two (2) seatings:
Another event we want you to keep in mind is the
return of Helene Lang on October 21 at
And last, but definitely not least, is the Chocolate
Shoppe, which will be held on December 5. Planning
for this event will begin soon. How
fast the time goes when you’re having fun!
Library Hours
M – closed
Tu, Thu, Fri –
Wed –
Sat –
Su – closed
Linda Reeves,
Library Director
Kevin House, Assistant
Telephone: 446-2685
Coming Events
for the Maple Valley Grange #318 on Route 7 in
Every Tuesday from
The Chipman Lodge 52 FAM holds meetings on the
second Thursday of each month at
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,
Lunch,
Love & Laughter
Come join us for lunch at the Wallingford
Congregational Church on
Wallingford
Neighborhood Watch
If
you’d like to receive emails under the
Fuel Assistance
For Seniors
For older Vermonters who are concerned about paying
their heating bills this winter, it might be time to consider applying for help
through the Vermont Home Heating Fuel Assistance Program. To qualify, the gross
monthly income limit for people over the age of 60 is $1,379 for a household of
one and $2,018 for two. Savings cannot exceed $10,000 for either. Homeowners,
renters and those living in heated rentals can qualify.
To receive the maximum fuel benefit by November, it's
important to apply by the August 31 deadline. Those applying before the second
deadline of November 30 will receive a full benefit in January. After that
deadline, the benefit will arrive later and be a reduced amount. To obtain an
application, or to discuss the program, call the Senior HelpLine 802-786-5991,
1-800-642-5119, or the Office of Home Heating Fuel Assistance 1-800-479-6151.
The Senior HelpLine is a free service of the Southwestern Vermont Council on
Aging, serving
2009 Vermont EMS District #10 First Responder Course
Wallingford Rescue is hosting this year’s District
10 First Responder/Emergency Care Attendant course.
The course is the minimum requirement to work on an
The First Responder course will begin
Information/application forms/deadline can be
obtained from Bastian Auer on or before September 1-- e-mail at bastian@auerplanet.com
(preferred) or by phone at (802) 345-3829. Applications
received after that date may not be considered if the class is full.
Attention
Hunters
Free Hunter Safety Course – in September or October
Pre-registration is required. To
register, call Pittsford Recreation Director at (802) 483-6500, X17.
Rick Hedding, Instructor. Location
to be announced.
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department recently
announced that in the past, the Youth Deer Hunting and Youth Turkey Hunting
Weekends were open to residents only, but this has now changed and is open to
both residents and nonresidents.
Green
The Green Mountain Passport Program was started in 1973
by enactment of the Vermont General Assembly. Holders of this card are
eligible for free
admission to state parks, museums and fully state sponsored events.
To be eligible for a passport you must be:
A resident of
The Fee is $2.00 and you can come into the
Town Clerks office and fill out an application and pick your card up today!
Angel Food
Ministries
Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit,
non-denominational organization dedicated to providing substantial grocery
savings to communities
throughout the
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.
Order deadline for next delivery is Sunday, September 13th.
A Thanksgiving Holiday Box is also available now for pre-order. Questions can be directed to Carleen Eaton at (802)
342-2703. Gift cards are now
available for Angel Food!
Do You Want to
Save Money and Help The Environment?
Then join the Wallingford Conservation Commission at
Stay tuned for more presentations coming this Fall including COMPOSTING WITH WORMS!
First
Congregational Church Ham Dinner
The Ladies Aid of the First
Congregational Church of Wallingford will be hosting our annual Wallingford
Locker ham supper on Thursday, September 17th at the
Also, we would like to publicly extend
our thanks to Tom Truex, Oz Mercado, Oscar Daubenspeck, Hugo Bailey and Roger
Smith for their many hours of volunteer time and labor to make our new
church kitchen a reality. The proceeds from the ham dinner will help to defray
some of the expense associated with this project.
Any inquiries pertaining to the dinner
may be made to Evelyn Smith at 446-2341.
Annual Lobster
Festival
Wallingford Memorial Rotary Club’s Annual Lobster
Festival will be held Sunday, September 20th from
Seniors Meeting
On September 21st at
Meeting
about Solar Energy
On September 21st at
Wallingford
Historical
Society Program
Join us for a talk by Betty Ann
Lockhart on her newest book, Maple Sugarin' in Vermont: A Sweet History, on
Tuesday, September 29th at