10/08

Wallingford News - 41st Edition Oct. 2008

Editor’s Note: Please send news, ads and items of interest by 10/22 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. Or, 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 this monthly newsletter? Let us know. 12 issues of the newsletter can be mailed by sending a check for $10 and 12 address labels to the Town of Wallingford , P.O. Box 327 , Wallingford , VT 05773 .

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

Selectboard Meetings

09/02/08 . Present: B. Lohsen, F. Bruce, C. Angel, J. Crowley, and B. Brooks

The Wallingford Volunteer Fire Dept. was given permission to hold a coin drop on Saturday, October 11.

E. Wallingford Resident Shannon Pytlik offered assistance in completing grant applications for improving the drainage on Sugar Hill and Seward Hill through the Better Backroads Program.

Delinquent Tax Collector Lee Perry reported that four properties will proceed to tax sale tomorrow.

The Selectboard agreed to extend the suspension date for charging for scrap metal disposal from 9/1 to 12/1.

The Wallingford Fire District #1 Agreement will be revised to include a $1,200 collection fee payable to the Town for collection of the fire protection taxes for WFD #1.

C. Angel asked the Selectboard if they should consider a sex offender ordinance, similar to Rutland City , to make some of the village off-limits to live in for convicted child sex offenders.

09/15/08 . Present: B. Lohsen, F. Bruce, C. Angel, J. Crowley, and B. Brooks

The Selectboard started discussing the process for discontinuing roads under Act 178 that was passed by the Legislature in 2006.

The Selectboard will consider budgeting the expense for the extended warranty for the new truck later this year.

The Department of Environmental Conservation requested a written update on actions taken by 9/30 on the FEMA property issues. The Selectboard approved sending a letter drafted by Julie.

Bids for the purchase of winter sand and the hauling of it will be reviewed at the next meeting.

The Selectboard reviewed the Sheriff’s reports, which led into a discussion on Nelson’s role as Constable. B. Brooks felt Nelson should be reimbursed for his time. The purpose for contracting with the Sheriff was discussed. The Constable position is an elected position, which means the Selectboard has no jurisdiction over that position. They cannot ask him to pat rol a certain area or submit activity sheets. Nelson does, however, generate significant revenue for the Town. More discussion will follow at budget time.

Kudo’s were given to the Town of Fair Haven for considering a level funded budget next year. B. Lohsen would like the Selectboard to start considering this, and ask Wallingford Elementary School , Mill River Union High School , the Wallingford Fire District #1 and the library to do the same.

Guidance was sought on a complaint received about livestock getting loose and going on to Route 7 and/or neighboring properties.

The Selectboard received their invitation to the meeting regarding the affect of school spending on education taxes. The School Board would like to meet with the Selectboard afterwards for a roundtable discussion.

09/08/08 Present: J. West; L. Miller; A. Tiplady; E. Crelin , B. Brooks, and C. McClafferty

There was discussion on the revisions and definitions pending for the subdivision regulations.

WES’s rate for substitute teachers was mostly lower than surrounding areas. The Board approved raising the pay from $60 to $65 per day.

WES has a student that requires a paraprofessional. WES is mandated by the state to hire the position to meet the student’s need. This position was not budgeted, but around 57% the expense of the position will be reimbursed to WES from the state. Sue Duskiewicz was hired for the position.

Chuck P. and David reported on the meeting on vandalism in town. Ken noted that Poultney Radio requested a radio interview with Board Chair and Principal. At the VSBA retreat, they reported that 116 out of 304 schools are identified as failing per No Child Left Behind measures. None of the schools were in the RSSU.

Effective June 2009, U.S. Citizens must present a valid U.S. Passport Book, U.S. Passport Card, or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security, when entering the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry.

You can be ahead of the crowd by applying today at the Wallingford Town Clerk 's Office.

Passport Cards cost $35 under Age 16 and $45 Age 16 & Over. Passport Books cost $85 under Age 16 and $100 Age 16 & Over. Passport Book AND Passport Card costs $95 under Age 16 and $120 Age 16 & Over.

The Town of Wallingford is seeking a temporary highway worker for the approximate period of November 1, 2008 through April 1, 2009 . This position is on an “on-call” basis and involves snow removal.

Applicant must be able to operate trucks and other light equipment to complete highway maintenance work, must have snowplowing experience, must have a good driving record, and possess a valid CDL. There will be no benefits provided. Position pays $12 per hour.

Stop by the Wallingford Town Hall at 75 School Street in Wallingford to pick up an employment application. References required. Application deadline is October 15, 2008 .

General Election Day is Tuesday, November 4^th. The last day to register to vote before this election is on Wednesday, October 29^th at 4:30 p.m. at the Wallingford Town Clerk’s Office.

Seller: Travis & Nicole Kennedy, 138 River Street , Buyer: Anna Hopkins, Sales price $132,000; assessed value $98,700.

Seller: John & Wendy Ledley, 125 Willow Heights , Buyers: Jonathan Fisher & Gretchen Brummel, Sales price $299,900; assessed value $278,400.

You may have noticed Planet Aid has removed the “book bin” at the Transfer Station because they are no longer collecting used books.

The Rutland County Solid Waste District has partnered with www.gotbooks.com for the free collection of books, videos, CDs, DVDs, Audio Books, Video Games, Sports Cards and small Sports Memorabilia, plus LPs/Records. No encyclopedias or law books are accepted. Material can be dropped off at the Gleason Rd transfer station in Rutland Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 7-3.

Did you know that you can dispose of your kitchen stove, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, etc. FREE at the Wallingford Transfer Station! Any scrap metal disposal is free until December.

The first installment of Wallingford Property Taxes is due on Monday, October 20th by 4:30 p.m. in the Town Clerk's Office.

Foot and blood pressure clinic and flu shots at the Wallingford House on Wednesday, October 1^st at 10:30 a.m.

Clarendon Seniors Trip -To the Christmas Tree Shop in Williston, Friday, October 24^th. Lunch at Ponderosa. Bus will leave Clarendon Grange at 9 a.m. Contact Nancy Buffum at 773-7861.

Remember the Seniors Lunch every Monday at Noon at the Rotary. Contact Linda Weightman at 446-2301.

Watch the Town Hall and Library Bulletin Boards for any other trips in October, or contact Peggy Rice at 446-6050.

I turned around twice (or turned two cartwheels in the leaves!) and now it’s October! Can you believe it?! We are planning numerous activities at the Library to help make your Fall more colorful, interesting, and exciting. The first book discussion of the year was held on September 17. Needle felting classes led by Library Assistant Sue Carey will be held on October 8, 22, and 29 from 7-9 p.m. Tai Chi classes are held each Tuesday evening from 6 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Bone builders meet each Tuesday and Thursday morning from 8:30 – 9:30 . The Friends are planning their annual Fall dinner scheduled for October 18 to help raise money in support of the Library (more details in the Hart Lines that follows this article). Weekly children’s programs continue each Wednesday starting at 10:15 a.m. , and we are planning more children and young adults programs for the Fall and Winter months. Stay tuned for more information that will appear in later issues of the Wallingford News or call the Library for more information (446-2685).

The Board of Trustees will be hosting the Library’s annual meeting on October 14, at 7 p.m. AND every one is invited! Please join us and learn more about the interesting activities that occurred during 2008 and all our plans for the library in 2009. We welcome your ideas and opinions.

The month of October also brings Banned Books Week, celebrated this year during the week of September 27 through October 4. Observed since 1982, this annual event reminds us not to take the precious democratic freedom to READ for granted. It is also intended to celebrate (1) our freedom to read an author who expresses his or her opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular; (2) it stresses the importance of ensuring the availability and accessibility of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

A few Library pat rons have asked me to explain the difference between materials that have been banned and materials that have been challenged. A banning is the removal of materials from an identified source, e.g., library, school. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials from distribution and/or circulation, based upon the objections of a person or group. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the school curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access to the material by others.

The positive message of Banned Books Week, Celebrating Your Freedom to Read, is that due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.

Stop by the Library and check out our Banned Books Week display and get a copy of the list of books that have been challenged or banned during 2008. You will be surprised at some of the books on the list. Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers, National Association of College Stores, and is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

You can also celebrate your freedom to read by stopping by the Library and getting your FREE library card. A library card could be the most important school supply for your child! Stop by and get a card for each member of your family. Call the Library for more information.

New Arrivals at the library:

Blacklisted by History, The Untold
Story of Senator Joe McCarthy M. Stanton Evans

Book Review: Vermont is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty and is also blessed with an abundance of weather! As a result, every month is different, virtually a season unto itself. The Twelve Seasons of Vermont explores the month-by-month progression of the year and presents a unique portrait of the annual cycle of Vermont ’s natural beauty. In poems and short essays by twelve noted contemporary Vermont authors and in the glorious photographs for which Vermont Life magazine is know, the book presents the beauty and significance of each month.

Movies! Audios! Music! The Library welcomes your donations of DVD, VHS, or CD materials that are in good shape. Share them with your neighbors! Call me at the Library if you have questions.

Whew! The Friends’ schedule gets busier and busier. Note the following activities, starting now and going through October.

First of all the raffle, with several items of food added to the very elegant backpack, all out-fitted for four people, with plates, cups and proper utensils – the name of the lucky winner will be drawn at the next Friends’ meeting on October 8. Sorry for the delay!

Book discussions started in September with Peace Like a River by Lief Enger, and will continue in October with Home… a Short Story of an Idea by Witold Rybczynski on October 15 at 7 p.m. in the Klock Room. The complete schedule is posted in several places in the Library and will be passed out to participants. Anyone may come to these discussions, and books are available at the Circulation Desk about a month prior to each discussion.

Whist parties start again in October and will be held on October 3 and 17at 7 p.m. in the Klock Room. Those wanting more information may call Dawn Morse at 446-2571.

The annual fund-raising dinner is set for Saturday, October 18, at the Rotary Building . Hours are from 5-7 p.m. and prices remain at $10 for adults and $5 for those under age 12. The food will be from the Mediterranean area using all those good tomatoes, eggplant, lamb, beef, and hearty seasonings. As presently planned, we are offering Dolmathes (rice stuffed grape leaves); Tapenade (olive spread); Tuscan country-style bread; Tabouli (cracked wheat salad); Spanakotiropita (spinach cheese pie); Mussaka (lamb and eggplant in sauce); Baklava (nut-filled pastry); Baked Apple Compote. The Friends are sponsoring this event and will be looking for “volunteers” to provide dishes and other “man-or-woman-power”, so you might be called!

Also, during the month of October, Sue Carey, the new Library Assistant, will be conducting felting classes at the Library. Classes will be held on October 8, 22, and 29, from 7-8:30 p.m. , in the Klock Room. The cost is $25 for all three classes or $10 per class. All materials will be provided. A donation will be made to the Library. Call the Library for more information.

I want to point out to readers that a new lecture series from the Vermont Humanities is adding the Rutland Free Library to its list of venues. Manchester ’s First Congregational Church was added last year, and even more convenient is the Rutland Library. The first two programs at Rutland are on October 1, 7 p.m. , “Jefferson and Madison in Vermont ” by Willard Sterne Randall and November 1, “Stark Decency: German POW’s in a New England Village ” by Professor Allen Koop of Dartmouth . In Manchester on October 1, “The Regeneration of an Artist: Frank Lloyd Wright after 1932” and November 1, “ Jefferson and Madison in Vermont .” All programs are free. The complete schedule is posted at the Library. Let’s think about car-pooling to some of these lectures and take advantage of some unique opportunities!

And, finally, plans are underway for our Holiday Chocolate Shop that we’ll offer to the community on December 6. More details to follow!

Linda Reeves , Library Director
Sue Carey, Library Assistant
Telephone/Fax: 446-2685

Sunday & Monday - closed
Tu, Thu, Fri – 10:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Wed – 10:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Sat – 9:00 – noon

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

October 11, Saturday – Harvest Dinner; 5 p.m. til ? Complete turkey dinner. $8 per person.

October 24, Friday & October 25, Saturday – Haunted House; 7 to 10 p.m. $5 per person.

October 29, Wednesday – Bingo – “Dress Up” Bingo; Prizes awarded for best Halloween costumes.

For older Vermonters worried about the cost of heating their homes this winter, it might be time to consider applying for help through the Vermont Home Heating Fuel Assistance Program. To qualify, monthly income limits for people over the age of 60 are around $1,234 for a household of one and $1,759 for two. Savings cannot exceed $5,000 for either. Homeowners, renters and those living in heated rentals can qualify.

To receive the maximum fuel benefit in November, it's important to apply by August 31. Those applying before the second deadline of November 30 will receive a full benefit in January. After that date, 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 Rutland and Bennington Counties , web site www.svcoa.org. and email seniorhelpline@svcoa.org.

Want to help your community? Join Vermont ’s SHIP volunteer crew at the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging, serving Rutland and Bennington counties. Vermont SHIP is a federally funded program that provides education, counseling and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries free of charge. All talents and skills are needed. Call SHIP today 802-786-5991, 1-800-642-5119. Learn more online at www.medicarehelpvt.net.

CENTRAL VERMONT FOOD, FUEL & TRANSPORTATION WINTER PREPAREDNESS COALITION

The costs of heat, food and fuel are rising. But there are many state, regional and community agencies that you can turn to for advice and support. The contacts below can help you get the information you need to weatherize your home, find temporary accommodations or nearby food shelves, find out about health and human service organizations and programs, and more.

If there is an emergency, you should call 9-1-1 . If you are seeking information or non-emergency assistance, you should dial 2-1-1 . Vermont 2-1-1 is FREE and available 24 hours. Operators give you accurate information about state & local resources.

If you are a senior and need help, call the Senior Helpline: 1-800-642-5119. If you have access to the internet, you can also log on to the following sites:

Open House - Sunday, October 5th from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Tinmouth Community Center to celebrate Truman Young's 90th birthday.

Suicide Survivors Support Group meeting for those who have lost a loved one or friend through suicide at the Maple Leaf Clinic, 167 North Main Street, Wallingford, 446-3577. September 23rd from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and the third Tuesday of each month thereafter.

The Chipman Lodge 52 FAM holds meeting the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. The next two meetings are October 9th and November 6th.

The Gloryland Singers from Madison , Texas will be at the Wallingford Baptist Church on Saturday, October 11^th at 6:30 p.m. for a one-hour congregational singing. Free and open to the public.

The Mill River Auditorium Chair Committee is springing into Action! Tax deductible donations for replacement seating are now being accepted. Please make checks payable to Mill River Auditorium Chair Campaign and mail to MRUHS, PO Box 6, North Clarendon , VT 05759 . Questions, email Margie at mcongdon@rssu.org or call 775-3451.

Since the Public Forum on vandalism held in August, we’ve had a rock thrown through the front door window at the library on9/18; vandalism at the Wallingford Fire District #1 building on Meadow Street; and stolen flags along Main Street. If you witnessed any of these acts of vandalism, please contact the Vermont State Police. Along with documentation, we need the names of these people!!

Health and wellness is receiving a lot of attention in today's workplace. A well-constructed and well-run worksite wellness program can reduce costs to the employer and improve employee health and morale. Here in Vermont , more and more work sites are instituting these programs. By providing support and tools such as the Worksite Wellness Resource, the Department of Health is an active partner in helping employers make their wellness efforts a success.

Learn more about the Work Site Wellness Conference being held on October 7^th at the Hilton Hotel in Burlington by logging on to http://healthvermont.gov/family/fit/worksitewellness.aspx. The Thrive Center of the Green Mountains is one of the gift-in-kind sponsors and is leading one of the health breaks!