Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending June 08, 2013

College Student Drowns Near Patchen's Point 

An international college student drowned in the Connecticut River on June 5 after he jumped off a rope swing at Patchen's Point in Norwich, VT.   The man was attending Riverfest, an annual event by Dartmouth College seniors, celebrating his brother's graduation from Dartmouth. Police do not believe alcohol was a factor.
Divers recover drowning victim’s body
Times-Argus 
June 7, 2013
Divers have recovered the body of a 20-year-old international student who drowned late Wednesday afternoon while attending a party with his older brother, a graduating Dartmouth senior who was among hundreds of students who’d gathered for the annual pre-graduation bash known as River Fest. 
The victim recently attended college in Texas, officials said. 
The victim’s name is being withheld until authorities make sure his family members — who are traveling to attend his brother’s graduation Sunday — have been properly notified. 
Shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday morning divers with the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game, which has jurisdiction over incidents on the Connecticut River, located the body in about 18 feet of water not far from the rope swing on Patchen’s Point in Norwich. The victim was last seen struggling in the water there just before 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to police.
Read the rest of the story. 

Related stories:
Drowning victim identified
Students Tried in Vain to Mount Rescue

ValleyNet Ends Nicole's Suspension From Listserv

Perhaps it was the Free Nicole movement or Vermont common sense or maybe Ms.Hastings learned her lesson … whatever the reason, ValleyNet will allow Ms.Hastings to resume posting on the Norwich Listserv.  To the Norwich Observer, the suspension cost ValleyNet good karma points as it seemed its opaque enforcement of "rules" about Appalachian Trail posts was petulant.

Ms.Hastings was gracious in her return.  Read her June 7th listserv post here.

Sunday Storms Down Trees and Power Lines

The weather front that cause the tragic tornados in Oklahoma reached the Upper Valley on Sunday June 2nd.  About 400 residents of Norwich lost power and downed trees closed Route 5. 

Matt Herbert of the Norwich Fire Department directs traffic around a fallen tree and a downed power line on Turnpike Road in Norwich yesterday. (Valley News - Libby March)

Riding Out the Storm: Weather System Leads to Power Outages, Road Closings in Valley
By Ben Conarck, Valley News Staff Writer
June 3, 2013 
A series of powerful thunderstorms crackled across the Upper Valley yesterday, bringing downed power lines and forcing road closings in what amounted to some of the storm system’s worst damage in northern New England.
Plainfield Fire Chief Frank Currier said his department had seen “all kinds of mayhem” in the aftermath of yesterday’s storm, but no one was seriously hurt.
Currier said that lightning struck an electrical transformer near Center of Town Road, and that the strike did “very minimal damage to one house but pretty well wiped out the electrical wiring in the second house.
“It blew the electrical receptacles right out of the wall,” said Currier, who added that his department received about nine calls yesterday. The lightning strike near Center of Town Road forced the closure of Route 12A traffic in both directions for about four hours.
In Canaan, a man and a woman in their 20s were injured in a lightning strike while getting back into their car at the town boat launch on Goose Pond, according to ambulance squad member Alan Ricard, who declined to release the names of the victims.
Storm
Read the rest of the story. 

Rickards Of Montshire Museum Receives Noyce Foundation Fellowship

Upper Valley Business Briefs: People on the move
Times-Argus
June 04,2013
Jennifer Rickards, associate director of the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, VT, has been selected to participate in a year-long sponsored fellowship, with the aim of increasing the public impact of science centers, museums, and related institutions.
Rickards will focus on developing a community partnership model to determine how the Montshire should engage underserved families in the region, and implement new strategies to do so effectively.
The Noyce Leadership Institute (NLI), in partnership with the Association of Science-Technology Centers, the European Network of Science Centers and Museums, and the Association of Children’s Museums, gathers leaders in informal science education from around the world to focus on societal trends, global issues, and the cutting edge of science. The effort is funded by the Noyce Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Read the rest of the story. 

LINKS: 

http://www.timesargus.com/article/20130607/NEWS03/706079939/0/SEARCH

http://thedartmouth.com/2013/06/07/news/river

http://www.vnews.com/news/police/fire/courts/6877254-95/students-tried-in-vain-to-mount-rescue

http://www.vnews.com/news/6758847-95/riding-out-the-storm-weather-system-leads-to-power-outages-road-closings-in-valley

http://lists.valley.net/lists/arc/norwich/2013-06/msg00152.html

http://www.timesargus.com/article/20130604/BUSINESS11/706049989/0/SEARCH

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending May 18, 2013

Police Chief Comments On Door-to-door Solicitors

Since Tuesday, the Norwich, VT listserv was [and still is] abuzz about two young men from Nebraska who are selling products door to door. Most of the posts express concerns about safety, but some suggest patience.  The two men are affiliated with Southwestern Advantage.  The company hires college students as independent contractors to sell educational materials door-to-door. A few students make a lot of money. Most just fail. See Door-to-door for the summer?, in USA Today April 19 2012. Here are Police Chief Robinson's comments issued on Sunday:
        The town of Norwich has a vendor ordinance, if someone comes into the station requesting a permit we obtain the solicitors information, names and addresses, company, any vehicles etc.. and we set parameters' for when they can peddle their wares including but not limited to i.e. only 9 AM to 7 PM /  No Sundays / No Saturdays etc... They are also told that if we get any complaints (rude behavior, aggressive tactics, peddling outside the parameters set then the vendor permit will be revoked.
       If they come in with proper credentials and we have no information or previous complaints from other communities we issue them the permit.  If the town adopts a NO SOLICITATION ordinance then we can refuse the permit.  If you have complaints about the door to door sales you should immediately call the police so we can document the complaints and show enough evidence to revoke the permit.  We also ask, as previously posted by someone on this list serve to keep an eye out for your neighbors and report any suspicious behavior.
       My officers are now gathering all the complaints made to the police as well as on the list serve which will be filed if the company returns next year.
       I hope this explains and addresses some of the complaints.  I will be back from vacation on Wednesday the 22nd, if you have any questions or concerns please give me a call.

Norwich Architect's Drawings On Display At AVA

From the Architect’s Drafting Table
Stuart White’s Plans Were Made by Hand
By Nicola Smith, Valley News Staff Writer
May 17, 2013
Thank the thieves who broke into Stuart White’s car during a trip he made to Italy in 1962, and stole his passport, some money and his camera: without them the drawings he made of the ruins of ancient Greece and Rome, now on view in an exhibition of his drawings and architectural plans at the AVA Gallery in Lebanon, might not exist.
Left untouched were a money belt that his mother had urged him to bring with him, containing $200, and his drawing pencils and pad. Without a camera, White had to rely on his skill as a draftsman to show the colossal monuments of Mycenae and Delphi, and the Parthenon in Athens. “I scarcely dared draw it,” White said of the Parthenon. “My heart was beating too fast.”
Sitting in a chair in the Johnson Sisters Library on the second floor at AVA, where the show of his work runs through June 7, White, modest in manner, gazes over at his drawings. “They’re sketchy, not perfect,” he said. But they have one signal virtue: when he looks at them, “I can feel where I was.”
Read the rest of the story.

ECFiber raises another $430,000

vermontbiz.com
May 17, 2013
The next phase of ECFiber’s broadband deployment received a sizable boost when local investors connected to its 23 town service territory purchased $430,000 of its 2013 Series tax-exempt promissory notes. This new investment will finance extension of the community-based nonprofit’s existing fiber-optic network by as much as 20 miles and will serve an estimated 100 or more households and businesses which currently do not have high-speed broadband access.
ECFiber Treasurer John Roy of Vershire announced results at the groups Governing Board meeting on May 14 noting that the total raised now exceeds $3.5 million from over 300 individual investors. ECFiber currently has about 330 subscribers along its existing 50 miles of network in Barnard, Royalton, Tunbridge, and Vershire. Within the next few months, it expects to connect customers in Chelsea, Thetford, Strafford, Norwich, and Sharon. The next routes to be built are now under design.
ECFiber, based in Royalton, is a consortium of 23 municipalities in east-central Vermont building a community-owned fiber-optic network to deliver reliable high-speed broadband Internet connectivity to every home, business, and civic institution throughout its territory. The number of subscribers is expected to double as the funds raised in 2012 are spent during this construction season.

LINKS:
http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/career/door-to-door-for-the-summer

http://www.vnews.com/search/6239565-95/from-the-architects-drafting-table

http://www.vermontbiz.com/node/27229

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

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending May 11, 2013

Bread Loaf Is Architect For Proposed Fire/Police Station

The nascent plan to build a new fire/police/public works facility in Norwich, Vermont took a major step forward on Wednesday May 8th when the Selectboard approved the choice of Bread Loaf Corporation as the Town's architect for the project at an approximate cost of $25,000.  The next step is site selection followed by design of three options.  Public forums are expected for the Fall.

The owner of the Agway Property (198 Church Street) as well as the owner of the Upper Valley Events Center, asked the Town to consider those sites. The land at 198 Church Street has long be rumored as the favorite. But the Town Manager said that there are "no top prospects" and that the "evaluation or site selection process has [not]started."  

According to its web site, Bread Loaf is a full-service planning, architecture, and construction firm headquartered in Middlebury, Vermont.

ECFiber Summer Expansion Plans Include Norwich 

“Before the fall, we’ll have people connected in Chelsea, Vershire, Thetford, Tunbridge, Royalton and Sharon, and a lot of the people in Stratford and almost all of Norwich,” said ECFiber Chairman Irv Thomae, who lives in Norwich, Vermont.

ECFiber Plans Summer Expansion

By Warren Johnston, Valley News Staff Writer

May 12, 2013 

ECFiber has connected 325 customers to high-speed fiber-optic broadband Internet service and is about to expand its network to more underserved customers this summer, the organization’s chairman said last week.

The Vermont nonprofit provider, which is delivering service to 23 municipalities in the Upper Valley and other parts of the state, also has just completed a round of funding and now has service from Barnard to Vershire. ECFiber also is moving quickly to provide fiber connections in parts of West Fairlee, Thetford, Stratford, Sharon and Norwich for customers who are not being served by commercial providers, said ECFiber Chairman Irv Thomae, who lives in Norwich.

“Before the fall, we’ll have people connected in Chelsea, Vershire, Thetford, Tunbridge, Royalton and Sharon, and a lot of the people in Stratford and almost all of Norwich,” he said.

The nonprofit has raised about $3.5 million through grants and investment loans from community members.

Although residents wanting service are not required to loan money to ECFiber, the tax-free notes promise a good return for investors, ranging from 5.3 percent to 7.65 percent, depending on the type of note.

Read the rest of the story. 

Norwich Inn Brewery Marks 20th Year With Belgian Stout

Current and former brew meisters of the Norwich Inn in Norwich, Vermont are collaborating on a Belgian Stout to celebrate the brewery's 20th anniversary.  The three are Tim Wilson, Patrick Dakin and its current brewer, Jeremy Hebert. 

On Tap: Three Men and a Stout

By Chris Fleisher, Valley News Staff Writer

May 8, 2013

The three men peered over the edge of a steel tank being filled with water, waiting for it to heat as though it were charcoals burning in a grill.

It was a moment of tedium during the beer brewing process that each had experienced countless times before. Over the past two decades, each had taken his turn standing in the brewhouse of the Norwich Inn, soaking grains in hot water with the intent of serving up fine ales to thirsty patrons.

But this time they were doing it together. The three of them — Tim Wilson, Patrick Dakin and Jeremy Hebert — had decided to collaborate on a singular beer to mark the brewery’s 20th year in existence.

“I just thought it’d be kind of fun,” said Hebert, the latest to hold the title of brewer at the Inn’s Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse. 

Read the rest of the story. 

More Graffiti

Graffiti and Vandalism Targets Norwich VT Police

WNTK News Blog

Posted on May 6, 2013 by ghedrington

For the past three years, Norwich Vermont has experienced sporadic out breaks of offensive graffiti. Although the language and symbols are racial epithets, they appear to be to be aimed only at the Norwich Police Department. One of the milder writings offers Free Meth for killing a NPD officer. The offensive writings appear on roads and bri.dges throughout the town, and it remains an ongoing and active investigation. Police Chief Douglas Robinson said that the graffiti is written in in orange or yellow paint and painted on the roads and bridges in Norwich. Chief Robinson asks for anyone with information on this active investigation to call 802-649-1460

LINKS: 

http://www.breadloaf.com/index.html

http://www.vnews.com/search/6147020-95/ecfiber-plans-summer-expansion

http://www.vnews.com/news/townbytown/norwich/5950750-95/on-tap-three-men-and-a-stout

http://wntk.com/wp_news/2013/05/06/graffiti-and-vandalism-targets-norwich-vt-police/

A subscription may be required for access to the Valley News stories. 

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending May 4, 2013

Columnist Praises Girl Scouts and Norwich Boy Scouts For Inclusiveness

Jim Keynon: Two Kinds Of Scouts
Valley News
May 1, 2013
For an organization that prides itself on teaching survival skills, the Boy Scouts of America seems to have a death wish.
As long as the Boy Scouts’ national leaders continue to insist it’s OK to discriminate against gays, the organization grows increasingly irrelevant in a society where — thank goodness — a person’s sexual orientation becomes less and less a big deal.
As you may have read, the Boy Scouts of America’s executive committee has proposed a change in membership rules: openly gay youths will no longer be excluded.
This is progress?
Hardly. The Boy Scouts will continue to ban openly gay adults from being Scout leaders.
Read the rest of the story.

VTel Loses Part Of State Grant
$5 million VTel cell service grant cut in half
by Nat Rudarakanchana, vtdigger.org
May 4, 2013
A state agency has cut a $5 million telecommunications grant to Vermont Telephone Company in half.
This is the third time the Vermont Telecommunications Authority has pulled VTel grant money in recent months. On March 29, it revoked two broadband grants to VTel worth $3.4 million.
The most recent decision, made at a board meeting on Friday, comes after negotiations between the VTA and the private firm VTel stalled. The $5 million cellphone grant was announced at a news conference by Gov. Peter Shumlin in December 2012.
Read the rest of the story.

Earlier This Week In The Norwich Observer 
Norwich Selectboard Condemns Hate Speech

LINKS:
http://www.vnews.com/search/5939600-95/jim-keynon-two-kinds-of-scouts
http://vtdigger.org/2013/05/04/5-million-vtel-cell-service-grant-cut-in-half/http://norwichobserver.blogspot.com/2013/05/selectboard-condemns-hate-speech.html


A subscription may be required for access to the Valley News stories. 

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 ... . 

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/


A subscription may be required for access to the Valley News stories.
The Norwich Observer. Aggregating news and information about Norwich, Vermont with occasional commentary ... . 

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

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

A subscription may be required for access to the Valley News stories.

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

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending March 30, 2013

Two Norwich Teens Praised For Fund-Raising Efforts

Two seventh graders from Norwich, Jon Thomsand and Brook Leigh, as well as Chanler Miller from Hanover are lauded in Don Mahler's column.  The "three wise young men" are raising money for a special "sit-ski" for Evan Dybvig's 11-year-old son, Owen, who has cerebral palsy.  Evan Dybvig is part-owner of the Whaleback ski area that is closing.

Mahler: Three Guys, One Cause; Core Teamers Aid Family Even as Whaleback Goes Silent 

By Donald Mahler, Valley News Sports Editor

March 25, 2013 

I met three wise men the other day. Well, actually, three wise young men.

But age really doesn’t matter. Young or old, what matters most is what you do with your life. And these three young guys are already making a difference with theirs.

At an age when selfishness is the norm, these three Richmond School seventh-graders — Brook Leigh, Chanler Miller and Jon Thoms — have, instead, decided that it is better to give than receive. They decided to take their passion for freestyle skiing deeds and turn them into good deeds.

Read the rest of the story. 

Reviews Of Inside Outside By Lizi Boyd

"Creative genius at work" is what Kirkus Reviews says about Inside Outside,  the latest children's book by Lizi Boyd, a resident of Norwich, Vermont. Read more reviews at these links:
Kirkus Reviews
Valley News
Walking Brain Cells
Wall Street Journal

Kearney Can't Unseat McPhie In Moguls

Heather McPhie beat off a challenge by Hannah Kearney of Norwich, Vermont to successfully defend her moguls title Friday in the U.S. Freestyle Championships.

Read the rest of the story, Heather McPhie successfully defends moguls title.

Earlier This Week In The Norwich Observer

Tower: Last Stumbling Blocks Resolved

Spelling Bee Champions

LINKS: 

http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lizi-boyd/inside-outside-boyd/

http://www.vnews.com/lifetimes/books/5313745-95/book-notes-the-special-book-finds-a-niche

http://wakingbraincells.com/2013/03/18/review-inside-outside-by-lizi-boyd/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324532004578359280120824580.html

http://www.vnews.com/sports/outdoors/recreation/5298617-95/ski-whaleback-dybvig-area

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/2013/03/29/heather-mcphie-successfully-defends-moguls-title/vhKIfpdSPaC3iMf0EursyI/story.html

revised 2013-04-14 

A subscription may be required for access to the Valley News stories. 

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

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending March 16, 2013

Gala A Success; Fraser Family Says Thank You 

From the listserv

The Fraser family wishes to thank the Norwich Women’s Club and all of the members who worked so hard to organize the Gala event that was held on Friday night, March 15. We were humbled to be honored as this year’s recipient.  It was a wonderful evening that was flawlessly organized and every detail was perfect- Great food, nice drinks, fun neighbors!   For those of you that have not attended before, it is a night of celebration that allows for everyone in town to come together and enjoy what is so special about Norwich.  It should not to be missed.  The money raised is well spent on town projects that the Women’s club undertakes. Previous projects such as the welcome sign, the water fountain on the school green, supporting the school, library, scholarships and all the other things these  incredibly ladies do for the town!! Keeping the money local is what it is all about.  The event was a near sell out, so be sure to buy your tickets next year as soon as they go on sale so you don’t miss the festivities.

More photos at:  http://www.norwichwomensclub.org/
LINKS:
http://lists.valley.net/lists/arc/norwich/2013-03/msg00311.html
http://lists.valley.net/lists/arc/norwich/2013-03/msg00320.html

No Decision On Tower By Selectboard 

The Selectboard made no decisions about the emergency communication tower at its March 13 meeting. Despite the 2-1 vote at Town Meeting in favor of a town-owned tower, the VTel option was not eliminated and discussed in executive session.  Also at the meeting, Town Manager Fulton proposed that the Town build a temporary tower to comply with conditions in two grants and that the Town hold a Special Town Meeting to authorize additional bond authority.

Norwich Board Signals on Tower

By Sarah Brubeck, Valley News Staff Writer

March 14, 2013 

The Selectboard made no firm decisions last night about how it will proceed with the controversial emergency communications tower, but it strongly indicated it was leaning toward backing out of a previous deal with VTel and instead elect to build the structure on its own.

Last week, residents passed an article at Town Meeting that authorized the town to borrow $275,000 to help finance construction of the tower. The vote, which passed 689-341, signaled to the Selectboard that residents were willing to underwrite the cost of the tower rather than accept VTel’s offer to build the tower in exchange for using it for its own commercial purpose.

The town has said it needs the tower to improve impaired radio communication for the police, fire and public works departments. The Selectboard voted 3-2 in August to allow VTel, a Springfield, Vt.-based telecommunications company, to build and own the tower while allowing Norwich to place it’s antennas on top of the structure. But residents have opposed the deal and urged the Selectboard to choose a town-owned option.

Read the rest of the story. 

LINK:

http://www.vnews.com/news/5101890-95/town-tower-selectboard-fulton

7 Make UVM Deans List For Fall 2012 

The Valley News reported on Tuesday that the following student from Norwich, Vermont  earned Dean's List honors at the University of Vermont: Erica C. Andrus, Daniel M. Degan, Daniel F. Elliott, Beryl R. Frishtick, Dylan B. Ness, Eva S. Sachsse,and Emma C. Waters.

LINK: http://www.vnews.com/news/4966397-95/store-center-students-norwich

State Rep Cheney Pushes for Energy Efficiency With Tax On Heating Oil

VPR reports that State Rep. Margaret Cheney, D-Norwich, is pushing one of the few climate change related bills that is likely to see a vote by the Legislature this session. The measure, which comes from a thermal efficiency task force, raises money for Vermonters to insulate their buildings - both commercial and residential - by adding a tax on home heating oil.

As Legislature Reconvenes, Lawmakers Push for Energy Efficiency
Kirk Carapezza, Statehouse Digital Reporter
March 11, 2013 

Lawmakers reconvene for the second half of the legislative session on Tuesday. And, despite budget woes and federal cuts, some of them are hoping to stay focused on a goal set at the beginning of the session: fighting climate change and promoting energy efficiency at the same time.
Given the climate crisis, one of the things legislators agree Vermont must do is to reduce its use of energy. Rep. Margaret Cheney, D-Norwich, is pushing one of the few climate change related bills likely to be voted on. It's a measure that proposes to make it easier for Vermonters to insulate their buildings - both commercial and residential - so they can save money on their heating bills and cut down on their carbon emissions.
"We have done well with electricity - with our efficiency and our ramping up of renewables - but we have not tackled the thermal problem, which is the heat problem, and we haven't tackled the transportation problem," Cheney said. "They're much harder to solve."

Read the rest of the story.
LINK: http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/97751/as-legislature-reconvenes-lawmakers-push-for-energ/

A subscription may be required for access to the Valley News stories. 

The Norwich Observer is in Norwich, Vermont 

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending March 9, 2013

Election March 2013

All budgets and other articles passed. Incumbents survived in all uncontested races. Of significant note was the passage of Article 34, petitioned on the ballot by Norwich residents and opposed by the Town Manager.  The bond vote was largely viewed as a referendum on whether Norwich or VTel should build and own the emergency communication tower.  Voters resoundingly supported Town ownership with 689 voting yes to 341 voting no.

Official Election Results
Official election results for Norwich are on the Town web site.
LINK: http://norwich.vt.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/VotingResults030513.pdf

Dresden Teachers Contracts, Budgets Pass
By Sarah Brubeck, Valley News Staff Writer
March 6, 2013
After going two years without a contract, Dresden and Hanover teachers yesterday won voter approval for new contracts as residents also approved the Hanover and Dresden school budgets and all accompanying warrant articles.
The Dresden contract passed by a ratio of 2-to-1 with 1,221 in favor and 574 against, and the Hanover contract passed 584-198.
Hanover School Board Chairman Robin Carpenter said he wasn’t surprised by the overwhelming support for the Hanover and Dresden districts, but the margins were larger than he had guessed.
“When an article is in trouble there is a buzz about it, letters to the editor and phone calls. I didn’t get any of that,” Carpenter said.
Read the rest of the story.
LINK:
http://www.vnews.com/news/4908909-95/hanover-contract-dresden-teachers

Norwich Balks At Tower Deal
By Sarah Brubeck, Valley News Staff Writer
March 6, 2013
 Voters sent a firm message to the Selectboard yesterday by voting overwhelmingly in favor of borrowing money to build a communication tower rather than have the town partner on the project with a private firm.
Selectman Steve Flanders, who in the past has supported the agreement with Springfield, Vt.-based VTel, said last night that the results likely means that the town would try to fund and manage the construction of the tower on its own.
“I will respect the fact that I’m pretty sure that the people voting thought that the town should have the tower itself instead of going through VTel and I will proceed with that expectation,” Flanders said.
Selectboard Chairman Christopher Ashley and Selectwoman Linda Cook both stood in front of the polls yesterday with signs that said they each supported the warning article for the communication tower.
Read the rest of the story.
LINK:
http://www.vnews.com/news/4876377-95/town-tower-vtel-selectboard?ID=abcde&CSAuthResp=62892%3A24547117%3A248%3A15%3A24%3Asuccess%3ADDA9E51B83A1515E8EF9F989E9729525

Shumlin taps Michael Kainen as State’s Attorney

By Christian Avard, Rutland Herald Staff Writer
March 09, 2013
Gov. Peter Shumlin appointed Michael Kainen as Windsor County state’s attorney on Friday.
Kainen is an Orange County deputy state’s attorney in Chelsea and ill replace Robert Sand who will be assisting the Department of Public Safety in redefining drunk-driving sentencing and treatment efforts in Vermont.
Kainen was informed of the governor’s decision Thursday. He will begin his new job March 23 and said he is pleased to represent Windsor County.
“I’m happy to have the appointment,” Kainen said. “I’ll be working on some transition items while in White River Junction and button up what’s left up here in Orange County and go from there.”
Shumlin said in a statement that Kainen is known for his common-sense approach to law and is seen by many as a consensus builder. Kainen attributed these traits to Sand, with whom he worked at the state’s attorney’s office in Windsor County for 15 years.
Windsor County Democrats nominated Kainen and Windsor County Deputy State’s Attorney David Cahill of Norwich as candidates to succeed Sand. The committee thought both candidates were well qualified for the job.
Cahill also heard about the governor’s selection Thursday and congratulated Kainen in his new role.
“It was a hard fought campaign among colleagues and I wish him the best,” Cahill said in an email. “It was an honor to have earned the trust and confidence of the many people who do the difficult, often thankless work of delivering justice to crime victims, offenders, and the taxpaying public. I look forward to playing a continued role in public service and in modernizing our criminal justice system for the benefit of all of its stakeholders.”
Read the rest of the story.
LINK:
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130309/NEWS02/703099914/1003

VTDigger Named Best Political Blog in Vermont 

Kudos to VTDigger for being named by Washington Post as the best political blog in Vermont for 2013.  In 2011, VTDigger shared the honor with Green Mountain Daily and Vermont Daily Briefing.
The VTDigger story is here and the Washington Post's 50 state rundown is here.
LINKS:
http://vtdigger.org/2013/03/06/washpo-puts-vtdigger-on-best-state-based-political-blog-list/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/03/05/the-fixs-best-state-based-political-blogs-list-is-here/

A subscription may be required for access to the Valley News stories.

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending March 2, 2013

Dresden Election Brochures Are MIA

Informational brochures about the election and annual meeting mailers were late going in the mail.  I guess the dog ate the memo. Read the brochure here. Valley News Staffer Sarah Brubeck reports about the annual  meeting in the story below.
Dresden Contracts Questioned
By Sarah Brubeck, Valley News Staff Writer
March 1, 2013
Hanover — The number of School Board members rivaled the number of attendees at last night’s annual meeting for the Dresden budget, and it might have been because people didn’t receive mailers announcing the meeting.
At the end of last night’s hour-long meeting, former School Board member Kari Asmus took to the microphone and criticized the board for not getting information out to voters in a timely fashion.
The School Board decided not to mail out annual reports to each household this year because they are expensive and many residents toss them aside.
Instead, annual reports are available at town halls, libraries and the SAU 70 office, and small informational mailers would be sent out.
When Asmus didn’t receive a mailer before last night’s meeting, she was a little taken aback. But she shrugged it off and said she thought, “Oh well. I can come to this meeting and learn what I need to learn.”
So she headed to Hanover High School, but to her surprise, the doors were locked. Without the mailer, she hadn’t realized that the meeting had been moved to Richmond Middle School.

Read the rest of the story.
LINKS:
http://www.sau70.org/budgets/13-14_budget/brochures/Dresden_Brochure.v3a.pdf
http://www.vnews.com/news/schools/4767060-95/board-contract-meeting-teachers

Opinion

Does democracy suffer when the Town Manager has an agenda? Is the ballot box an adequate remedy?
Column: Direct Democracy Is Struggling in Norwich and Other Towns
Watt Alexander, For the Valley News
February 26, 2013
“Practice makes perfect,” it’s often said, but surely not in reference to democracy. We’re clearly not getting any better at it.

The democratic debate over competing interests — from New England town meeting to state legislatures to the U.S. Congress — remains as fractious and messy as ever. Messier, maybe, as that democratic debate is increasingly filtered through a vast and growing bureaucratic layer of government administrative roles and regulation.

Indeed, throughout the Upper Valley, New England’s experiment with direct democracy is giving way to a more modern, suburban bureaucracy. More and more town meetings are replacing customary floor debates and votes with annual Australian ballots. Volunteer selectboards cede ever more authority to professional administrators, signaling that American government, even in small communities, may no longer be a matter for amateurs.

Here in Norwich, our experiment with professional administration began in 2002 when we hired our first town manager. Barely 10 years later, convulsed by a series of public controversies, we’re on to our fourth town manager with new controversies brewing. While the details of these spats are fascinating to the participants — and make for good Valley News headlines — the underlying struggle they signify is relevant to all of your readers: Where do we, the amateur citizen-taxpayers, fit within this increasingly bureaucratized democracy?

Read the rest of the story.
LINK:
http://www.vnews.com/opinion/columns/4692948-95/town-democracy-manager-selectboard

A subscription may be required for access to the Valley News stories. 

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending February 23, 2013

Norwich, VT Man Gets 30 Days; Police Chief Not Happy
“I think he pretty much got away with it,” [Police Chief] Robinson said. “When a guy has a lot of marijuana, thousands of dollars of stolen property, (acted inappropriately) with a little girl and possessed 40 guns, a 30-day sentence is ludicrous. I was in disbelief.”
Chief Questions Norwich Man’s Sentence
By Mark Davis, Valley News Staff Writer
February 23, 2013
A Norwich man was recently sentenced to 30 days in prison on a slew of state and federal charges, including weapons possession and lewd conduct, in plea deals that the town’s police chief says were overly generous.
A federal judge last week ordered Jeff Bogie, 50, sent to federal prison for 30 days for unlawful possession of a firearm. Days later, state prosecutors finalized a deal that called for the same sentence — which will run at the same time — for charges contributing to the delinquency of the minor, prohibited acts, marijuana possession and possessing stolen property.
Bogie was initially charged in 2010 with lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, for allegedly engaging in sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old girl after providing her alcohol. During that investigation, police searched his home and found more than a half pound of marijuana, pills and 44 firearms, including machines guns, rifles and pistols, according to police affidavits.
Federal authorities prosecuted Bogie for being a drug user in possession of firearms: The rest of the case was handled at the state level.
Norwich Police Chief Doug Robinson said that he believes Bogie should have spent at least a couple of years in prison, and was disappointed in the leniency.

Read the rest of the story.
LINK:
http://www.vnews.com/news/police/fire/courts/4632593-95/federal-bogie-state-charges

King Arthur Flour Voluntarily Recalls Flour
Press Release
February 22, 2013

King Arthur Flour has initiated a voluntary recall of a limited number of its bags of flour due to the possible presence of small (7-9 mm) blue polyurethane balls that are used in the sifting process. The balls have a smooth surface and no sharp edges and are made from food grade material. Because of their bright blue color and size (about half the diameter of a dime), they are easily seen in the flour.

Only 5-lb. bags of King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour and King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour that have a Best Used By Date and Lot Codes noted below are affected. This information is printed on the side of the bag beneath the nutrition panel. If the Best Used By Date and Lot Code number are printed on the TOP of the bag, then the product is NOT affected.


Read the rest of the story.
LINK:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/voluntaryrecall/press-release.html

Preview Of School Vote

Summary of issues on the ballot on March 5th for Norwich and Dresden schools.

Elementary Schools Plan Renovations

By Sarah Brubeck Valley News Staff Writer

February 22, 2013 

Both the Ray School and Marion Cross School are proposing to upgrade aging facilities in the coming years, and residents Hanover and Norwich residents will see the impacts at this year’s district meeting.

*  *  *

Across the river at Marion Cross School, voters will be asked to approve borrowing $450,000 to pay for a gym roof replacement and energy and ventilation improvements.

Three school budgets are in play in the Dresden towns: the Hanover budget, which covers the Ray School; the Norwich budget, which accounts for Marion Cross School; and the Dresden budget, which covers the cost of the Richmond Middle School and Hanover High School.

Additionally, a negotiated contracts for Dresden and Hanover teachers are on the ballot after voters rejected a contract last year, and there’s a contested Hanover School Board race.

Read the rest of the story.

LINK: 

http://www.vnews.com/news/schools/4556299-95/hanover-budget-dresden-board

A subscription may be required for access to the Valley News stories.

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending February 16, 2013

CoreValue Software Helps Small and Medium Businesses Find Value

CoreValue Software in Norwich, VT, co-founded by Chuck Richards and Lisa Kable, creates web-based software to help owners of private companies build valuable companies. A profile of the firm appeared on February 10, 2013 in the Valley News.

Finding Hidden Value: Norwich Firm Helps Small Businesses Figure Out What They're Worth 
By Warren Johnston Valley News Staff
February 10, 2013
The mission of CoreValue Software is easy to see, although it’s not readily apparent.
Clues — large photographs of aged, closed factories, steam locomotives, rusted, discarded machinery — populate the office walls of the global company that operates in the back of a two-story building with no sign on Main Street to announce its presence.
However, even the poster-sized black-and-white photos don’t give a clear picture of what CoreValue is about. The bright office, functionally furnished with sensible desks and chairs, computers, an occasional dog bowl under a desk and bags of canine treats covering an entry shelf, could house any number of businesses — perhaps a real estate firm that sells off shuttered or dying factories or an equipment brokerage that finds buyers for obsolete machines.
But instead of hovering over the decaying carcasses of outmoded industries, CoreValue’s plan is to swoop and save them with a software program that makes closely held small- and medium-sized businesses look deeply at their operations with an eye on the future.
“The photographs are a reminder of what we do, and what we’re trying to prevent,” said Lisa Kable, the president of CoreValue, who co-founded the company with Chief Executive Officer Chuck Richards.
“We feel like we’re reaching and helping business owners, and when they transfer their business, it will be a net job generator — that the business will do well and jobs will be created,” Kable said.

Read the rest of the story.
CoreValue Software Web Site
LINKS:
http://www.vnews.com/home/4102921-95/business-corevalue-businesses-companies
http://www.corevaluesoftware.com/

Former Chef at Carpenter &  Main In Minneapolis

"Man, this guy can cook" reports the Star Tribune

Lynn on Bryant: A neighborhood gem of a restaurant
By Rick Nelson, Star Tribune
February 14, 2013

REVIEW: A transplanted Vermont chef sets up a great-looking shop in south Minneapolis. Are there more chefs like him?

The Twin Cities area has more than its share of local-chefs-made-good stories, but the culinary scene has also prospered from the fresh perspectives and enviable skills brought here by gifted out-of-towners.

Including Peter Ireland. The Vermont native cooked for big-name chefs in Chicago, New York and France — then ran his own acclaimed restaurant, Carpenter & Main, in his hometown of Norwich, Vt. — before relocating to Minneapolis (where his wife, Rebecca, was enrolled in law school) and opening the Lynn on Bryant.

The name is a reference to the surrounding Lynnhurst neighborhood. That only seems right, since the Lynn is billed as a neighborhood restaurant, and its breakfast-lunch-dinner format bears that out. But with Ireland at the helm, it’s also so much more.

Man, this guy can cook. The menu is tightly focused. At dinner, it’s just six appetizers and as many entrees, which could feel limited, but doesn’t. What makes the Lynn such a remarkable dining experience is Ireland’s intrinsic ability to subtly manipulate and balance outcomes up and down the continuums of flavor and texture: bitter-sweet, tangy-mellow, crispy-silky; all masterfully exploited.

Read the rest of the story.
LINK:
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/191058101.html?refer=y

Preview Of Town Meeting

Sarah Brubeck of the Valley News nicely summarizes the big topics for Town Meting 2013

Cell Tower On Warning In Norwich

By Sarah Brubeck Valley News Staff Writer
February 14, 2013

Norwich town and school budgets will be discussed Monday, March 4 at 7 p.m. in Tracy Hall. Voting for town officers and all warning articles will be done by Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 5 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Tracy Hall.

Norwich — This year’s Town Meeting warning isn’t lacking for controversy with one nonbinding article that would authorize the Selectboard to spend $275,000 to build a new communications tower, undercutting a deal the Selectboard struck with a private telecommunications company.

Voters will also decide whether an assistant town clerk who has been working full time will have her hours reduced to part time.

The tower flap started last fall when the Selectboard authorized Town Manager Neil Fulton to sign a letter of intent with VTel, a Springfield, Vt.-based telecommunications company, that would allow the firm to lease property on New Boston Road in order to build a communications tower to provide high-speed Internet service to the area. In return, the town could freely use the tower to upgrade radio communication among the police, fire and public works departments.

Norwich residents petitioned the article that calls on the town to build and own the tower itself. Proponents said passage would show the Selectboard that there is widespread opposition in town over the deal with VTel. The article is not legally binding, however, and if it does pass ... .

Read the rest of the story.
LINK:
http://www.vnews.com/news/townbytown/norwich/4397511-95/town-budget-selectboard-increase

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending February 9, 2013

Marion Cross School To Increase Security

Dresden Tightens Schools’ Security

By Sarah Brubeck Valley News Staff Writer
Saturday, February 9, 2013

Hanover — The schools in Hanover and Norwich will have new security measures in wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. There are plans to add more security cameras, break-in resistant film on windows and magnetic locks for doors that can be activated by a push of a button, among other things.

At the same time, School Administrative Unit 70 worked with the principals of all four schools and made individualized plans for each building in an effort to maintain the sense of community in each building.

“We could turn the building into a fortress and nobody’s going to get in, but then it’s not a school anymore,” Superintendent Frank Bass said.

After the Sandy Hook shooting, Bass met with the police department and Jonathan Brush, the director of the supervisory union’s physical plant, to create concrete steps to make each building safer. The business administrator also shuffled money around so that $10,000 can be spent at each of the four school buildings out of the current budget. This means that many of the improvements will be in place by the first day of school next fall.

Since the December shooting, it has become a practice to have a daily police presence within each building. This has allowed for an increased feeling of safety, and officers have gotten to know the layout of the schools better.

Read the rest of the story.
LINK:
http://www.vnews.com/news/schools/4328493-95/building-brush-police-bass

Engagement: Cuno - Mahon 

Cuno — Mahon
Sunday, February 3, 2013
(Published in print: Sunday, February 3, 2013)

Norwich — Sarah Stewart and James Cuno, of Norwich and Santa Monica, Calif., have announced the engagement of their daughter, Claire Cuno, to Brian Mahon.

Read the rest of the story.

http://www.vnews.com/lifetimes/4119775-95/cuno-mahon-degree-norwich

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending February 2,2013

Norwich Sidewalks Turning Blue This Winter

Thursday, 01/31/13 5:50pm

Charlotte Albright, VPR News: 

MP3

When it gets really cold, people, it's said, turn blue.

Well, in Norwich, so do the sidewalks, after they have been treated with de-icer. Town Manager Neil Fulton says there's a good reason for that.

"The purpose of the blue is so we can see it. It could have been red and green.  I've kidded some people that come next Christmas is we're going to ....do red and green instead of blue-maybe we'll be patriotic and do all three colors." Fulton said.

He's had some poly-syllabic explaining to do about the day-glo liquid brine the town is experimenting with this year.

"So it's 30 percent magnesium chloride plus the corn carbohydrates that lowers the freezing temperature of it which means it's more effective at lower temperatures. It's not as slick as other products." he said.

Fulton says this mixture has anti-corrosive agents which makes it more environmentally friendly than the typically applied sodium chloride, and he says it does not harm pets who lick it. 

"We're hopeful that if the costs are right and our experience as an effective de-icing agent are right it's something we will use in the future because it's going to cause less harm to the vegetation next to the sidewalks," Fulton said.

Read the rest of the story.  Listen to the report.

Recovering Snowboarder Pearce Keeps Busy

Plenty Of Work For Pearce
By Jared Pendak Valley News Staff Writer
Saturday, February 2, 2013


Kevin Pearce may not be competing in snowboarding events any longer, but that hasn’t stopped the former Olympic hopeful from making an impact in his sport.
Still recovering from a traumatic brain injury suffered while training in Utah three years ago, the Norwich native has become an ambassador for snowboarding safety during his recovery process.
Pearce’s message and endearing personality have been featured on both the big screen and national television lately. A film produced by HBO depicting his story and recovery, The Crash Reel, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last month and will air on TV this summer and fall.
Just last week, Pearce provided on-air commentary for ESPN during snowboarding events at the Winter X-Games, the largest extreme sports competition in the U.S.
Read the rest of the story.

Cahill Under Consideration For State's Attorney

The search for the new Windsor County state’s attorney has begun.

By Christian Avard, Rutland HeraldJanuary 28,2013

Two candidates are vying to replace outgoing State’s Attorney Robert Sand, whom Gov. Peter Shumlin recently appointed to develop a new DUI court system. According to Windsor County Democratic Committee Chairman William Kuch, 78 delegates will meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 11 at Damon Hall in Hartland to nominate the new state’s attorney.

Once they have selected a nominee, the committee will inform Shumlin and Shumlin will make a decision on the appointment. According to Kuch, many Windsor County Democrats will be watching the process very closely.

“It may not be as high profile as appointing a state senator, but there’s a lot of interest. Both candidates are very qualified,” Kuch said.

David Cahill, Democrat of Norwich, is a Windsor County deputy state’s attorney interested in becoming the new state’s attorney. He has served for seven years at criminal court in White River Junction.
Read the rest of the story.

LINKS:
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/97345/norwich-sidewalks-turning-blue-this-winter/
http://www.vnews.com/search/4147355-95/film-pearce-snowboarding-family
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20130128/NEWS02/701289959

Weekly Roundup - Norwich News, for week ending January 19, 2013

from the Wall Street Journal

Kearney returns with a win

Olympic champion Hannah Kearney made a successful return to the moguls World Cup circuit Thursday with a win in the ASANA Freestyle Cup at Whiteface Mountain.

Kearney missed the first two World Cup races this season after fracturing two ribs during a training crash in Switzerland in October.

"I expected myself to pick up where I left off, and I think I did," Kearney said. "I think that's what I'm the most proud of, both with the results and my skiing."

Kearney, of Norwich, Vt., has won the moguls event at Whiteface Mountain four straight years. Last season, she was the overall World Cup leader and set the record for most consecutive World Cup victories in moguls with 16, dating back to the previous season.

from the Valley News:


Kearney A Winner In Return: Norwich Native Takes First Race Since Injury
Friday, January 18, 2013

Wilmington, n.y. — Three months ago, Hannah Kearney was lying in a basket dangling from a helicopter high above a glacier in Switzerland. And she wasn’t sightseeing. The Olympic moguls champion fell hard after landing a jump while training in Zermatt in early October. Her head and knees were OK. But it felt like someone had kicked her in the …

Norwich Board OKs Budget
Thursday, January 17, 2013

Norwich — The Selectboard knocked down proposed salary increases for three department heads, but the planning, finance and recreation directors will still receive pay increases of 13, 18 and 26 percent, respectively. Town Manager Neil Fulton’s proposed budget included large salary increases for several department heads based on a compensation analysis that was done by Condrey & Associates, which was hired by the …

School Budgets Shape Up
Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Hanover — Norwich and Hanover school boards are in the home stretch of finalizing their budgets, which they plan to adopt by the end of the month. Along with the budgets, residents will also be asked to approve teacher contracts for all three districts, which in some cases could increase taxes. The Hanover School District is proposing a $11.6 million budget, which is …

LINKS

http://online.wsj.com/article/AP505b4cba9dec4564b32cf9eb962f24b1.html

http://www.vnews.com/news/townbytown/norwich/