Archive - Apr 12, 2010
MONTPELIER — The Vermont Senate this week is expected to take its turn considering “Challenges for Change” legislation aimed at achieving $38 million in savings in the fiscal year 2011 state budget.
It was in February that the Douglas administration and legislative leaders agreed to undertake “Challenges for Change” — an effort they intended to go beyond one-time cost cutting and build long-term savings into state spending through changes in the way some state services are delivered.
MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury voters will meet Wednesday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Mary Hogan Elementary School gym to decide a proposed 2010-2011 ID-4 school district spending plan of $5,771,990, representing a 1.52-percent increase compared to this year.
Also at the annual meeting, voters will decide whether to spend up to $191,100 (in already available funds) to finance a major pavement and drainage project on school grounds.
VERGENNES — Vergennes and Addison residents will decide on Tuesday, May 11, whether to change their minds on supporting unification of the Addison Northwest Supervisory Union under one-board governance.
Both towns joined Ferrisburgh, Panton and Waltham in voting by wide margins on March 2 to back the switch, but Vergennes and Addison petitioners successfully requested second votes.
BRISTOL — Residents and passersby in Bristol can expect some delays heading through downtown this spring and summer as construction ramps up on a $1.38 million project to replace a section of the town’s aging stormwater system and upgrade the downtown water main.
MIDDLEBURY — In a Saturday game between the two boys’ lacrosse programs that between them won every state championship between 1993 and 2003, visiting Woodstock posted what has been a rare win in recent years over Middlebury, 8-2, at Middlebury College’s Alumni Stadium.
Play bore little resemblance to some of the duels of a decade ago between the Tigers and Wasps — balls hit the ground or rolled out of bounds far more often than planned as turnovers plagued both teams.
VERGENNES — Of the three people who learned that a video on the Vergennes After School bicycle maintenance class had won a statewide award on March 25, Robert Burbo betrayed the least emotion — which was strange, considering that he had made the video.
But this is how the soft-spoken Vergennes Union High School sophomore approaches most things, whether it is helping to set up a computer network for the middle school or deciding where to make a cut on a video he has filmed. Learning that he had won $1,000 and six Flip video cameras for the afterschool program was no different.
Social Security starts its downward slide this year. Because of the recession and 10 percent unemployment, payroll tax receipts will fall below pensions paid out for the first time.
Today’s retirees need not worry. The imbalance will not affect the program until 2037, or thereabouts. Because income has exceeded expenses for decades, the Social Security trust fund has a balance of about $2.5 trillion invested in Treasury bills. The interest on those notes added to payroll tax receipts will keep pension checks flowing for a few years.
