Archive - Mar 2011 - Page
March 28th
MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury Assistant Town Manager Joe Colangelo will be stepping down this week to take the job of town administrator of Hinesburg.
Colangelo has served as Middlebury’s assistant manager for the past three and a half years, focusing on budget matters and human resources.
In a press release, the Hinesburg selectboard said they were impressed with Colangelo’s “candor,” his “dedication” and “his ability to listen to and communicate with the town staff.”
VERGENNES — The city of Vergennes will change how it sends out sewer bills. In the upcoming fiscal year, homeowners will receive their sewer bills quarterly along with their tax bills.
Aldermen at a March 22 meeting agreed with City Manager Mel Hawley and City Clerk Joan Devine that such a change in when bills are sent would be more efficient and save the city money in the long run. They also said that for most homeowners it would be easier to make quarterly payments of $87.50 rather than two semi-annual payments of $175.
MIDDLEBURY —Middlebury officials on Tuesday reported continuing progress in talks aimed at advancing a small-scale hydroelectric project at the Otter Creek Falls.
The Holm family has been seeking to install a water turbine that would harness electricity from the creek as it flows through a flume under a downtown building (owned by the Holms) that borders the south side of the Otter Creek Falls. It is a project that could generate more than 1 megawatt of electricity — enough to power the downtown area, according to Anders Holm.
VERGENNES — Vergennes aldermen last week acknowledged the city could not keep up with this winter’s near-record snowfall, but defended the efforts of the city’s public works department.
Mayor Michael Daniels said at the March 22 city council meeting that he was particularly upset about abuse public works employees had received from some residents despite what he called the employees’ tireless efforts.
VERGENNES — City resident Catherine Brooks, the cultural heritage tourism coordinator for the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, told the City Council at a March 22 meeting about an opportunity for Vergennes to link up with Plattsburgh to celebrate the upcoming 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.
A pivotal event in that war is variously known as the Battle of Plattsburgh or the Battle of Valcour Island. The ships that fought in the winning U.S. side were built in Vergennes.
MIDDLEBURY — When radio pioneer Jay Allison spoke at Middlebury College on March 16, the turn out was significantly larger than anticipated. After moving to a larger auditorium to accommodate hoards of eager listeners, dozens of students and community members were turned away from the free talk due to what organizers called “a fire hazard.”
MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College administration announced this month that it will launch two new schools in the Middle East in the coming years, bringing its total number of schools in the region to three.
Middlebury launched a program in Alexandria, Egypt, in 2007. Students in that program were evacuated in late January in the face of growing unrest in the country. The two new programs are in Beer Sheva, Israel, and Amman, Jordan.
VERGENNES — Vergennes planners, three city council members and three residents gathered on Monday, March 21, for a public unveiling and discussion of draft zoning regulations for three new zoning districts, some details of which planners expect to spark debate.
