Gov. Phil Scott on Tuesday announced that people who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 may now travel to Vermont and return from out-of-state travel without quarantine restrictions, once 14 days have passed from when they received their final dose. Additionally, people who meet this vaccination criteria may now gather with one other household at a time. These changes come following updates to CDC guidance, which state, “Fully vaccinated persons who meet criteria will no longer be required to quarantine following an exposure to someone with COVID-19,” and increasing evidence showing vaccines are not only effective at preventing infection, but also at preventing spread of the virus from vaccinated individuals. While travel and gathering restrictions are changing for those vaccinated, state officials note that all public health mitigation measures and guidelines remain in place for others until further notice. For more information, log on to tinyurl.com/52csn277.
Speaking of COVID restrictions, Vermont Senate President Pro Temp Becca Balint announced on Tuesday that lawmakers will continue to meet remotely through the 2021 legislative session. “Based on everything we know right now, we anticipate we will operate remotely for the remainder of the session and that the session will end as usual at some point in May,” Balint wrote in a press release. “All of that may be subject to change, based on a variety of factors, including the state of the governor’s Emergency Order, the realities of the pandemic, and also the actions of our federal partners. We will work to communicate as clearly as possible with members of the General Assembly and the public about our plans as the session continues.”
Attention high school parents/guardians: There’s a March 1 deadline to register your child for limited school choice. State law requires all public high schools to offer a statewide “school choice” option to interested students and parents. This agreement requires that a school board designate the number of students allowed to transfer from and/or be enrolled into the high school of their choice. All high schools announced available student slots on Feb. 1, and have applications available for interested students. Applications should be made to the student’s current home school. The student’s home school will then forward the application and name of the student to the school(s) he/she is interested in applying. Applications will be processed according to a lottery during March, students will be notified of their status (accepted, denied or wait-listed) by April 1. If you live in the Addison Central School District and are interested in applying for the school choice program, contact the main office at 382-1500 to secure an application form and to request further detailed information.
Organizers of the Tracy Bedell Memorial Fundraiser are seeking to raise $2,919.36 to purchase a “Lucas 3’ CPR machine for the Bristol Rescue organization. And those who contribute on Feb. 27 and 28 will get the added satisfaction of knowing their dollars will go twice as far. That’s because an anonymous donor has pledged to match all contributions made during that 48-hour period. The Lucas CPR device improves the delivery of CPR therapy by supplying high-quality chest compressions for extended periods in difficult situations. It allows emergency personnel additional time to perform lifesaving interventions during critical times. Contributions can be made using Venmo — user@Mary-Hutchins-Berry — cash, or check. Contact 349-7495 for more information.
With the last day of winter only three weeks away, you may be thinking about your gardening, yard or trail needs after the snow melts. If your plan involves mulch or ground cover, the Addison County Solid Waste Management District’s Transfer Station in Middlebury has you covered. The station now has a mountain of coarse wood chips. Visit during business hours and scoop some for yourself for free, or pay $5 per loader scoop if you request ACSWMD staff to do it. The transfer station also has some mulch made from holiday trees — again, free if you scoop it yourself, or $5 per loader scoop.
For many years, Martin and Kathleen Clark have generously provided land at the end of West Pleasant Street for the Bristol Community Gardens. But organizers are now looking for a new home for the garden. Ideally, that new plot would be in Bristol village, but other sites in town will be considered. Basic needs: Around 4,600 square feet, a nearby water source, and room for a communal compost pile and shed to store tools and supplies. Community garden leaders would like to move the operation once the ground thaws. The gardens are active from the time the ground thaws to the first freeze. Garden organizers maintain a small budget and are prepared to pay for water and insurance. Please email Catherine Willson at [email protected] with questions and/or offers.
The National Endowment for the Arts has announced its first major round of funding for FY2021, and the awardees include nine Vermont organizations and one individual writer, representing every region of our arts landscape. Among those receiving a cut of the $185,000 in grant money are Middlebury College ($10,000) and the Vermont Folklife Center ($30,000).