Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending April 27, 2013

Town-Wide Reappraisal Informational Meeting  April 30

from the Town's email distribution list
The reappraisal of all Norwich properties is proceeding on schedule. The property tax bills that will be sent in July will be based on a new Grand List and new values for all Norwich properties. A draft of the new values  will be sent to all property owners on or about May 5, 2013 and this will be followed by an informal process during which you will have an opportunity to meet with the Assessor to review your values. This will be followed by the official notice of Grand List values on or about June 1, 2013 followed by the formal grievance process to the Board of Listers.  For the first time your property record card will be on-line so that you can review your structure and property information and see how your property value was determined. There is an IMPORTANT Public Informational Meeting on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 starting at 7:00 pm in the Multipurpose Room at Tracy Hall with Assessor Bill Krajeski to discuss the reappraisal process and to respond to questions related to the reappraisal.

State Rep Cheney Votes For Tax On Bottled Water

Letter: Key Votes in Montpelier
Valley News  
April 27, 2013 
Based on how legislators have voted on important bills in Montpelier, it would appear that the majority of Vermont voters favor higher taxes and more state spending.
Here are scorecards on a couple of bills:
H.528, to expand the Vermont sales tax of 6 percent to bottled water, clothing (including shoes) over $110, candy, soft drinks and dietary supplements, and to increase the tax on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco by 50 cents (total: $3.12) and 88 cents (total: $3.12) respectively. Also, to increase the rooms and meals tax from 9 percent to 9.5 percent for 2014 and to apply the meals tax to food sold out of vending machines. Voting yes: Reps. John Bartholomew, D-Hartland, Sarah Buxton, D-Tunbridge, Margaret Cheney, D-Norwich, Alice Emmons, D-Springfield, Sandy Haas, Progressive/D-Rochester, Cynthia Martin, D-Springfield, James Masland, D-Thetford, Donna Sweaney, D-Windsor, Sheila Vowinkel, D-Hartford, Teo Zagar, D-Barnard.
House Bill 530, to increase state spending by 4.7 percent, which is nearly 21/2 times the rate of inflation. Voting yes: Bartholomew, Buxton, Cheney, Masland, Martin, Kevin Christie, D-Hartford, Alison Clark, D-Woodstock, Sarah Copeland-Hanzas, D-Bradford, Sweaney, Vowinkel and Zagar.
The Valley News could provide a tremendous service to its readers by printing a weekly summary of key bills in both New Hampshire and Vermont and a roll call of votes when the Legislatures are in session. 
Read the rest of the story. 
http://www.vnews.com/opinion/5834075-95/letter-key-votes-in-montpelier

State Senator McCormack Votes To Ban Corporate Campaign Contributions

According to the Progressive Party web site, only one of the three State Senators from Windsor County voted to ban corporate donations from a major campaign finance reform bill. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) voted for the ban, while John Campbell (D-Windsor) and Alice Nitka (D-Windsor) voted to allow corporate contributions.
Read the rest of the story.


LINKS:
http://www.vnews.com/opinion/5834075-95/letter-key-votes-in-montpelier
http://progressiveparty.org/blog/2013/roll-call-which-senators-chose-corporate-money-over-real-election-reform

The Norwich Observer. Aggregating news and information about Norwich, Vermont with occasional commentary ... . 

Norwich School Board Agenda - May 1, 2013

NORWICH BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS

REGULAR MEETING

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

7:00 P.M., MARION CROSS SCHOOL LIBRARY

AGENDA

This meeting will be convened in public session.  Other topics arising after the posting of this notice may be discussed and acted upon.

1.                     Call to order:  7:00 p.m., Marion Cross School Library

2.                     Public Input

3.                     Agenda Review

4.                     PTO Report

5.                     Principal’s Report

6.                     Business Requiring Discussion

                        a.         Enrollment update

                        b.         Solar panels

c.            Update from the Long-Range Planning Committee

d.           Update plans for the Board Retreat

                        e.         Update on statistical analysis of NECAP tests           

7.                     Business requiring action

                        a.  Approval of minutes of the regular meeting and executive session of the

                                    April 3, 2013

                        b.         Acceptance of resignation of Melanie Devoid

                        c.         Appointment of Special Educator Anna Turner

                        d.         Appointment of French Teacher Elina Farnsworth

                                                                       

8.                     Communications and Reports

                        a.  Report of the Chair

                        b.  Communications to the Board

                        c.  Reports of Administrators

9.                     Executive session in accordance with Title 1, Section 313, for a discussion of                                                 personnel matters

10.         Adjournment

NEXT MEETINGS:      Retreat:  5-9 p.m. Thursday, May, 2, Norwich Inn

                                                            Regular Meeting:  Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Minutes of this meeting will be available for public inspection within five business days after the meeting (RSA 91-A:2).  Such minutes may be reviewed in the office of the Superintendent of Schools, 41 Lebanon Street, Suite 2, Hanover, NH.

Selectboard Agenda -- April 24, 2013 -- Norwich, VT

Agenda for the Selectboard Meeting of Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 6:30 PM

(Times Are Approximate)

1)      Approval of Agenda (Action Item) 2 minutes

2)      Public Comments (Discussion) 10 minutes

3)      Town Manager’s Report (Discussion) 5 minutes

4)      Finance – Board to Sign Accounts Payable/Warrants (Action Item) 5 minutes

5)      Town of Norwich Open Positions Interviews/Appointments (Action Item) 15 minutes

Applicants:

Craig Layne (Conservation Commission)

Norman Miller (Conservation Commission)

Frank Olmstead (Conservation Commission)

Bonnie Munday (Deputy Health Officer)

John Carroll (Development Review Board)

George Loveland (Development Review Board)

Stanley Teeter (Development Review Board)

Cheryl Herrmann (Historic Preservation Commission)

William Flynn (Planning Commission)

Nancy LaRowe (Planning Commission)

Jeffrey Lubell (Planning Commission)

6)      Town of Norwich Subdivision Regulations Amendments (Discussion/Action Item) 15 minutes

7)      Certificate of Public Good for Communications Tower Process (Discussion) 15 minutes

8)      Term of $275,000 General Obligation Bond (Discussion/Action Item) 10 minutes

9)      Correspondence (Discussion/Possible Action Item) 10 minutes

a)    Email from Kathy Cadow Parsonnet Re: Hate Crimes in Norwich

10)   Selectboard

a)    Approval of the Minutes of the 3/27/13 Meeting (Action Item) 5 minutes

b)    Between Meeting Communications (Discussion) 10 minutes

c)     FY13 Goals Status (Discussion) 10 minutes

d)    Review of Next Agenda (Discussion/Possible Action Item) 5 minutes

Next Regular Meeting – May 8, 2013 at 6:30 PM

To receive email notices of Selectboard meetings and hearings, agendas, minutes and other notices, send an email to manager-assistant@norwich.vt.us requesting to be placed on the Town Email List.

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending April 20, 2013

Two From Norwich Named To Mascoma Bank Board

Mascoma Savings Bank recently named four new members to its Board of Directors, two are residents of Norwich, according to a display ad in the Valley News on April 18. The two are Deidre Goodrich, a CPA at Nathan Wechsler & Co, and Catherine Richmond, a lawyer at Stebbins Bradley.

ECFiber Gets Grant; VTel May Lose One

ECFiber is the recipient of a Vermont grant of almost $170,000 to expand its broadband internet network by about 6.5 miles in Norwich and Thetford, VT. The grant is the first for ECFiber which has raised $3 million through grassroots funding. Meanwhile, VT Digger Reports that VTel is in danger of losing its $5 million grant from  the Vermont Telecommunications Authority.  
Telecom Authority Grants To Help Broadband Expansion
By Steve Zind, VPR News
April 19, 2013
In the state’s effort to provide broadband access to all Vermonters by years’ end the focus is on some of the most difficult to reach areas.
Many of them involve just a handful of addresses.
One recent state grant designed to bring service to a small part of Orange County also represents a milestone in the history of ECFiber.
The non-profit municipally owned provider has relied almost exclusively on small local investors to build its network.
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority grant for $167,000 is intended to provide broadband service to 17 addresses in  Norwich and Thetford.
For ECFiber, which is working to run fiber optic lines to some of the state’s most isolated areas, the grant is significant.  After 5 years of disappointment it’s their first successful broadband grant application.
Without grants or ready access to large sources of capital, ECFiber has created a grassroots funding model fueled by small investments from residents of the nearly two dozen communities it hopes to serve.
Once it raises enough money in a town, it expands service to that community.
So far it’s raised $3 million. Chairman Irv Thomae says he hopes the grant money will help boost ECFiber’s effort to raise money from local investors, particularly in the towns the grant will serve.
Read the rest of the story.
$5 million cell phone expansion grant to VTel under question
by Nat Rudarakanchana, VT Digger
April 12, 2013
A $5 million grant Gov. Peter Shumlin touted last December that would bring cell phone service to severely underserved parts of southern Vermont appears to be in trouble and may end up being yanked.
The grant’s status was thrown into uncertainty after a subgroup of the state’s Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) failed to reach an agreement with Springfield based VTel on a final contract on Thursday.  Read the rest of the story.

No Norwich Pool This Summer

As reported last week here, the Norwich Pool will in likelihood not open this summer.  The Valley News followed our lead with a detailed story on April 17, Norwich Likely Without Pool Again.

Police Have Infant Car Seats To Lend

from the listserv on April 17
Over the past several months I have seen several requests on the List Serve asking to borrow a car seat for a visiting relative or friend. The Norwich Police Department now has two Infant Car Seats that we will/can loan out if you have visiting friends or relatives in need of the car seats.

Teen Is Second At Squash Nationals

Margaret Werner of Norwich, VT placed second in an Under-15 national tournament for squash.

Norwich’s Werner Second at U.S. Squash TourneyStaff Reports, Valley News
April 18, 2013
Norwich’s Margeret Werner came home with runner-up hardware on Sunday, working her way to the finals of the girls under-15 division at the U.S. Squash Association’s Junior Silver Squash Championships at the Squash Club at Episcopal Academy.
Read the rest of the story.

Funeral Planners To Meet At Norwich CC

The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Vermont will hold its Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 4th at the Norwich Congregational Church.  Author Gail Rubin will deliver the keynote address, "Laughing in the Face of Death: Funny Films to Start Serious Funeral Planning Conversations".   The FCA-VT is a volunteer-run, nonprofit association of “consumers from all walks of life who want a dignified alternative to the elaborate and increasingly expensive funeral services promoted by the funeral industry.” The May 4 Norwich meeting is free and open to the public. Read the rest of the story at Montpelier's community paper The Bridge.  The FCA-VT’s website is http://vermontfca.org/

LINKS:
http://digital.vpr.net/post/telecom-authority-grants-help-broadband-expansion
http://vtdigger.org/2013/04/12/5-million-cell-phone-expansion-grant-to-vtel-under-question/
http://www.vnews.com/home/5706392-95/norwich-likely-without-pool-again
http://www.vnews.com/sports/5747624-95/norwichs-werner-second-at-us-squash-tourney
http://www.montpelierbridge.com/2013/04/heard-on-the-street-4-18-13/
http://vermontfca.org/


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The Norwich Observer. Aggregating news and information about Norwich, Vermont with occasional commentary ... . 

Marathon Memorial

Two young boys leave messages with chalk on a sidewalk near the finish line of Monday's Boston Marathon explosions, which killed at least three and injured more than 140, Thursday, April 18, 2013, in Boston. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) 

People gathered at a makeshift memorial for victims near the site of the Boston Marathon bombings on Saturday. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending April 13, 2013

Norwich Pool Will Not Open This Summer

"It is unlikely that the [Norwich Pool] will be open this summer", said Town Manager Fulton in his written report to the Selectboard issued earlier this month. Since the public forum in late August 2012, the Town has worked with Vermont permitting authorities but it is slow going.
The Town Manager's monthly report says:

The project to replace the Norwich pool is proceeding slowly. Preliminary plans and estimates of probable costs have been prepared and presented at a public forum. The project will be using a labyrinth dam which will reduce the overall width of the dam without reducing the effective dam crest length. We are continuing to work with representatives of the Agency of Natural Resources on permitting requirements for the replacement Pool Dam. We met with the Commissioners of the Departments of Environmental Conservation and Fish and Wildlife of the Agency of Natural Resources as well as the General Counsel of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. This meeting was arranged by Representative Cheney who also attended the meeting. It is unlikely that the pool will be open this summer

Norwich Women's Club Sets Grant Application Deadline

Proceeds from the March Spring Gala go right back to the community. The Norwich Women's Club recently set May 1, 2013 as the deadline for organizations and individuals to apply for grants that "enhance educational, civic and cultural activities in Norwich." Last year, community project grants totaled $21,712 distributed to 16 groups. The grant application form is at the Norwich Women's Club web site. 

Police Chief Against Decriminalization Of Pot

Decriminalization is WRONG
Norwich listserv post by Police Chief Robinson
April 11, 2013
Decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana is wrong, This was sent to me by a colleague and I felt that it was important enough to pass it along.  I have also sent this to the Windsor County representatives.  It this does anything at all I think it will at least give some one something to think about.

No matter what your personal position is on this issue, the fact is that decriminalization of marijuana is counter to what is expected and required in the workplace, and what we are teaching our kids ~ future employees! ~ in the classrooms!
The wrong message we are sending our youth is not only that marijuana use is "legal", but also that the use of it does not affect them in life!
When we are working with kids (middle and High School age) with career exploration & job placement, we discuss whether or not they can pass a "pee test". We discuss it bluntly and let them know that employers must get assurances from them that they can pass.  Employers have a right to test and they do test; in all sectors of business.
IT IS A SHAME, that every year, without exception, we need to explain to at least a few kids, that "I only smoke marijuana" means that they WILL NOT pass a drug test!! In the classroom we need to stress that marijuana IS a drug! This is already shameful.....what can we expect if it's use is assumed to be "legal"?
Mixed messages are never good. We know that drug use is not just a problem with our youth, it is wide spread across demographics. States spend considerable human and financial resources combating this problem, ensuring the safety of their children, employees and their communities........If for no other reason, and I personally believe that there are many more, this legislation defies what is required in the workplace.

Just my two cents


Earlier This Week In The Norwich Observer

Selectboard Asked To Speak Out Against Latest Incident Of Hate Speech

Fire Department Recognizes Tebbetts For 50 Years Of Service 

LINKS:
http://norwich.vt.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/TMReport2013-04-05.pdf
http://www.norwichwomensclub.org/communityprojects.html

Fire Department Recognizes Tebbetts For 50 Years Of Service

The Norwich Fire Department recognized Assistant Chief Lloyd “Sonny” Tebbetts for 50 years of service at its annual dinner held last month at the Montshire Museum.  In addition, Peter Griggs received the Firefighter of the Year Award.  Other awards and their recipients include:
Above and Beyond Award - Lieutenant Chad Poston;
Jump-Start Award - Firefighter Aaron Lamperti;
Response to Alarms Award - Firefighter EMT Linda Cook; and
Behind the Scenes Award - Firefighter EMT Matt Herbert.

Fire Chief Stephen Leinoff makes presentation to Sonny Tebbetts
(photo courtesy of Norwich Fire Department)

The Norwich Fire Department has provided fire protection services to Norwich, Vermont since 1920. The members of the department are volunteers who live in Norwich and surrounding communities. For more information about volunteering, see Fire Department Recruitment Q and A's.
LINK:
http://norwich.vt.us/fire-department-recruitment-q-and-as/


The Norwich Observer. Aggregating news and information about Norwich, Vermont with occasional commentary ... . 

Selectboard Asked To Speak Out Against Latest Incident Of Hate Speech

Anti‐semetic graffiti is shocking to see, more so when it appears in your own small town, as it has in Norwich on occasion over the last two years.  The latest instance occurred last week.  Kathy Cadow Parsonnet has asked the Selectboard to speak out against such hate speech.  It is Item 8b on the Selectboard's agenda for Wednesday, April 10.  Let's hope the Selectboard agrees with the request.  Ms. Parsonnet's letter to the Board is below.

To the Norwich Selectboard,

I am sure you are well aware of the anti‐semetic graffiti that has popped up in Norwich over the past two years, as are most people in Norwich and the greater Upper Valley.

I understand from news articles and word of mouth that the Norwich Police have been attending to this issue and are trying their best to identify the perpetrator(s) of these hate crimes. I also hear that many Norwich residents are afraid to speak out about it because they are afraid that the suspected perpetrator (in their minds) may burn their homes or do some other vengeful act.

Such is the state of our safe Norwich community.

While I understand that it is the Police's job to investigate and enforce the laws against hate crimes, I believe that it is the Community's responsibility to speak up ‐ very loudly ‐ about its zero tolerance for these types of crimes. The lack of doing so sends an even louder message that a few swastikas and incorrigible words about a race or religion is not really much of a big deal.

So, I will draw upon my experiences of September 2000, when Norwich faced similar assaults. I am enclosing a few scans of the reports by the Valley News back then, to refresh your memory. The outpouring of concern by all segments of the population in the Upper Valley was evident; each of the schools took the assaults seriously, an interfaith coalition was formed, and a community vigil for respect and understanding was held to send a strong message that those incidents would not be accepted in this community. Later that year, the Anti‐Defamation League of New England awarded and honored The Upper Valley Community for its strong stand and response. I am enclosing the write‐up they included in their 2000 Annual Report.

I am also enclosing the photo of the graffiti on the I‐91 bridge over Rt 132 last evening, for you to contemplate. This is not simply an eyesore.

I encourage the Select Board to consider taking a very public stance about this issue. It will carry much more weight if made before the public's outcry, which I aim to inspire.

Norwich Selectboard Agenda -- April 10, 2013

Agenda for the Selectboard Meeting of Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 6:30 PM
(Times Are Approximate)

1)    Approval of Agenda (Action Item) 2 minutes
2)    Public Comments (Discussion) 10 minutes
3)    Town Manager’s Report (Discussion) 10 minutes
4)    Finance – Board to Sign Accounts Payable/Warrants (Action Item) 5 minutes
5)    Town of Norwich Subdivision Regulations Amendments (Discussion/Possible Action Item) 15 minutes
6)    Possible Cooperative Photovoltaic Solar Project with School and Library (Discussion) 15 minutes
7)    Reimbursement Resolution Related to Lease-Purchase Funds for the Communications System (Discussion/Action Item) 10 minutes
8)    Correspondence (Discussion/Possible Action Item) 10 minutes
a)    Email from Watt Alexander Re: Open Letter to Planning Commission and Selectboard
b)    Email from Kathy Cadow Parsonnet Re: Hate Crimes in Norwich
9)    Selectboard
a)    Approval of the Minutes of the 3/6/13 Meeting (Action Item) 5 minutes
b)     Between Meeting Communications (Discussion) 10 minutes
c)     Selectboard Calendar (Discussion) 10 minutes
d)    Review of Next Agendas (Discussion/Possible Action Item) 5 minutes

Next Regular Meeting – April 24, 2013 at 6:30 PM

To receive email notices of Selectboard meetings and hearings, agendas, minutes and other notices, send an email to manager-assistant@norwich.vt.us requesting to be placed on the Town Email List.

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending April 6, 2013

Another Instance Of Anti-Semitic Graffiti In Norwich

Graffiti Found in Norwich
Valley News Staff Report
March 31, 2013
Several instances of anti-Semitic and racially charged graffiti showed up along two of the town’s main roads between Friday night and yesterday morning, police said.
Police were alerted yesterday morning to the graffiti, which appeared in two instances on the roadway about half a mile on either side of the intersection of Route 5 and Route 132, and one instance on the I-beam of theInterstate 91 bridge over Route 132, Patrolman Michael Scruggs said. The graffiti on the I-beam included obscenities and an anti-Semitic slur next to a swastika and knife in orange spray paint.
Read the rest of the story.
LINK:
http://www.vnews.com/news/5388417-95/graffiti-found-in-norwich

TCE And Richmond Middle School

TCE and its presence at the Richmond Middle School remained in the news this week as a informational open house was held on Tuesday at the school. Seventh and eighth graders from Norwich, VT attend the school in Hanover, NH that is across the street from CREEL.
Hanover Goes to School on TCE; Waiting On Fruther Tests
By Sarah Brubeck, Valley News Staff Writer
April 3, 2013
After learning on Friday that trichloroethylene was present in a Dartmouth College owned house, officials were relieved to find out this week that two other vacant homes showed no sign of the chemical compound that can cause cancer.
But the good news was tempered by mixed feelings among neighbors of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, where TCE was discovered at the property boundary earlier this year. Teachers and parents at an open house at Richmond Middle School last night still expressed concern, while noting they don’t want to jump to conclusions until more tests have been conducted. Five residents at Dartmouth-owned housing south of CRREL have asked to be relocated after initial test results revealed an air-borne TCE presence in one home, as well as benzene and carbon tetrachloride.
The discovery of levels have caused officials to expand their testing to adjacent properties, including Richmond Middle School and five homes owned by Dartmouth College in the Fletcher-Cedar neighborhood.
Read the rest of the story.
LINK:
http://www.vnews.com/news/schools/5433732-95/hanover-goes-to-school-on-tce-waiting-on-fruther-tests

Thompson of Norwich Named VP At Trumbull-Nelson Construction 

Theodore G. “Todd” Thompson , of Norwich, has been named vice president of Trumbull-Nelson Construction Co. of Hanover and Montpelier.

Thompson joined Trumbull-Nelson as assistant project manager in 2000 and was promoted to the position of project manager in 2002, overseeing a wide variety of institutional, commercial and residential building and renovations, including work at the ... .

Read the rest of the story. 

LINK: 

http://www.vnews.com/news/business/5429722-95/people-in-business

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The Norwich Observer. Aggregating news and information about Norwich, Vermont with occasional commentary ... . 

Norwich School Board Agenda - April 3, 2013