Come between 9 and noon and enjoy hot drinks, cookies and even burgers -That's from Warren and Barry King, to whom we owe so much for keeping this alive.
thanks to Marty and Carol Kulczyk and their grill.
So, what better way
to enjoy the New Year than to hang out in a snowstorm at the Town Shed, greet
your neighbors, have some treats and recycle all at the same time.
WCAX did some digging:...a car pulled up with a lone male at the wheel. He was not giving his
name and it became apparent that the license plate was fake. The driver was
briefly taken into custody. The U.S. Forest Service brought in a search dog
trained to sniff out illegal drugs. When the dog got to the trunk, it let his
partner know that he had found something.
Finally, the man handed over a passport that police say checked out
valid. But it also brought a warning over the police radio to be careful around
him. Senior Game Warden Dale Whitlock explained, "When I ran it through
dispatch, it came back with multiple convictions of driver's license suspended.
And a caution. Sometimes dispatchers will issue a caution to us to use
care."the car was suspicious enough, as well as its driver, to warrant further
attention. The feds were expected to run the man's name through Homeland
Security.
Even the law enforcement people here called this a very unusual day,
and we're not talking fish and wildlife violations.
Our check of the Internet shows the man belongs to a group called the
Embassy of Heaven, an elusive church group based in Oregon that
renounces government, issues its own license plates, has been raided for
non-payment of taxes and, according to the Anti-Defamation League, has ties to
anti-government militias.
Part IV: discussion and questions from the community
Amy and Roy fielded questions and comments throughout the meeting. I didn't catch 'em all in these notes, so please don't hesitate to add yours in comments!
Question: what's the timeline?
Answer: over winter, the plan is put out for bidding. Permitting should happen in early 2010 (with the Army Corps of Engineers, among others). Work should start - roughly - in July. Timing depends on a lot of factors, of course (including V-Trans schedules).
Question: who pays for this, and how much will it cost?
Answer: FEMA and the state of Vermont have agreed to support this, which should cover much of the cost. The town might have to pay some. Some affected landowners may also be approached to contribute. It's very hard to cost the project out at this stage, given complexity and fluid (sorry) circumstances.
Question: what will cover the flood chute?
Answer: it apparently won't look that different, a mix of rocks and foliage. More of the former will be exposed through digging, while more of the latter will be planted for cover.
For more information, please contact Amy Sheldon. We'll also blog this story as it unfolds in the coming months.
[Theresa Jackson] lives in Ripton but works in Ticonderoga. She worries
her commute will get even longer if the ferry shuts down as planned this
weekend.
"If they shut down on Sunday, I have two hours to get here and two
hours back home," she said.
"That's four hours, so I'm lucky if I see my kids once a week. And then
Christmas, gas -- are you kidding me? That's expensive."
Ripton Village Flood & Erosion Protection Project
In August of 2008, the Middlebury River jumped its bank and flooded Ripton
Village. Areas along the right (north) bank of the channel were severely
eroded during this storm event and portions of Vermont Route 125 upstream and
downstream of Ripton Village were washed out. Addison County
received an emergency declaration after this event and Federal money was made
available to Ripton to stabilize the stream bank and reduce future erosion and
flood hazards.
The Town of Ripton has received funding from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) through the Vermont Emergency Management (VEM) Hazard Mitigation Program to hard armor (rip-rap) approximately 710’ of the right bank of the Middlebury River, to construct a channel grade-control weir, and to re-connect an historic flood chute on the left bank.
The Selectboard of the Town of Ripton has scheduled an informational
meeting for November 17th 2009 at 7:00 P.M. in the Ripton Community House to
inform residents of the town about the project to stabilize the Middlebury River where it passes through the center of town.
The design of the project will be explained and comments from the residents will
be accepted and evaluated. The funding of the project will also be discussed
including the Grant that has been approved.Any questions can be directed to the Clerk to the Selectboard (802) 388-3465.
Thank you,
The Selectboard of the Town of Ripton
Laureen Cox
Ronald Wimett
Richard Collitt
Ford explained that he had come to a point where he had to take stock in the many activities he has absorbed during the years. One of those activities has been as facilities manager and commission member of the Middlebury’s Memorial Sports Center.What's next?
With more than 23 years as a selectman and a busy winter looming at the sports center, Ford decided it was the right moment to leave the selectboard.
“I thought it was time to step down and allow someone else the opportunity to apply their efforts on behalf of the town,” Ford said.
Selectmen hope to appoint Ford’s interim successor on Aug. 24. The new member will serve until Town Meeting Day next March, when Ford’s current term was scheduled to expire. That person will then be able to run, along with any other eligible Ripton citizen, for a new three-year term.
Ripton Town Clerk Sally Hoyler said on Thursday she had received three letters of interest thus far for the interim selectboard position. Those interested can send their letters to the town of Ripton, c/o Deb Karpek, P.O. Box 10, Ripton, VT 05766.
This Tuesday, July 7th, at 7:30 at the Ripton Community House, the Ripton
Planning Commission will hold a hearing on a proposed Fluvial Erosion
Hazard Overlay Zone Bylaw (FEH.) The FEH has to be heard by the Planning
Commission (and approved by the Selectboard after its own hearing later on)
in order for Ripton to receive a FEMA grant to help protect Ripton village
from the river.
If you have questions or concerns about this proposed bylaw, why it is
being proposed, how Ripton will benefit from it, and how it might affect you
personally, please attend Tuesday evening's hearing.
Police said Monday the cause of the fire that destroyed the unattached garage Friday night was undetermined...We blogged about the fire last month, when the story first broke.
Anyone with information on the fire is asked to call the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program at 1-800-32-ARSON or the Vermont State Police at 388-4919.
Almost 500 homeowners in Vermont received energy-saving tips and devices with a personal touch through Efficiency Vermont's Community Energy Mobilization Project pilot program, according to organizer Paul Markowitz.
There were nine groups across the state that took part in the pilot program, Markowitz said, and many like Manchester, included more than one community. The largest group was in Brattleboro, while the smallest was in Ripton.
This fundraiser helps provide the fun and exciting events, activities, and artisans during the school year, as well as the 5/6 class trips.
This is a school wide fundraiser. K-2 must be accompanied by an adult. Hopefully everyone will be able to participate at some level or for some length of time - adults too! = )
“With the increase in the intensity of storms we are now experiencing, Ripton faces the threat of additional flooding, especially in the area of Ripton village in the Ripton Hollow area along Route 125, where an additional foot or two of flood water last summer would have been devastating.”For details contact Warren King, 802 388-4082, or kinglet@together.net.
A resident in the area reported the fire at about 10 p.m., police said, and the Ripton Fire Department arrived to find the building almost completely consumed. The Middlebury Fire Department also responded, and firefighters kept the flames from spreading to the main residence.But information is needed:
Police said Monday the cause of the fire that destroyed the unattached garage Friday night was undetermined...
Anyone with information on the fire is asked to call the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program at 1-800-32-ARSON or the Vermont State Police at 388-4919.
April 11, '09
Fire danger level is HIGH due to overall dryness and gusty, windy conditions in most of RIpton. Few if any fire permits will be issued until we get some precipitation.
The last day of the REAP program to install energy saving equipment in Ripton homes will be 15 April. If you haven't had a visit from a REAP volunteer, there are still several days left to take advantage of one of the best opportunities of the year to save on your fuel bills. Call Warren King at 388-4082 to schedule a visit.
Town Meeting this year went smoothly, with all articles passing. The record budget, inflated to cover the costs of both floods, passed with not a nay. The article which will increase the Town Clerks term to 3 years also passed, and this new policy will begin with next year's election.Then because of an administrative error, the town's post office was closed, which meant that folks in Ripton had to drive to East Middlebury to collect their mail.
Not long after the town's residents raised a fuss about the post office closing and brought the service back online...
“I’ve always been a skier, so that’s something I could do,” [Sophie] McKibben said. She has no personal ties to the military, but was simply moved to act by reading stories about military families not feeling supported by their communities.From the Snowjourn site:
“These people give so much and get so little in return,” McKibben said.
Anne Gorrigan, the Vermont National Guard child and youth program coordinator, helped put McKibben in touch with families by posting an advertisement for the weekend in a newsletter and sending it to families online. Gorrigan said she’s blown away by McKibben’s effort.
Snowjourn's mission is to bring Vermont military families to Ripton, Vermont for a FREE weekend of winter fun, including downhill and cross-country skiing, and ice skating. You'll meet fantastic people, learn to ski (or become a better skier) and most importantly, have a great time.
Volunteers will fan out through Ripton in the weeks ahead, carrying low-energy lightbulbs, insulating wraps for hot water heaters, hot water pipe insulation, low-flow shower heads, and even programmable thermostats, all to be installed at no cost to residents.
The Vermont Community Energy Mobilization Project picked Ripton as one of ten towns in the state where the program will be tested. "It's actually quite amazing," said Warren King, on the steering committee of the town's energy assistance project. "The value of these products is quite high, and the savings to homeowners will be enormous, this winter and for many winters to come."
Local volunteers will be trained on Saturday, February 14 from 9-12 at the Ripton School, and each one will commit to visiting at least two houses in the town-King says the group as a whole has pledged to retrofit 25 houses in town by April 15, and that volunteers will visit homes in pairs.
"We'll also spread the word to everyone about ACTR bus service to Ripton," said Jerry Shedd, another member of the organizing group. "People know the bus is running, but they're not all certain about the schedule."
The Ripton Energy Assistance Project formed in the fall, and collected donations in an effort to make sure that no-one in town would run short of heating oil or propane this winter. They've also cut and stacked five cords of wood, ready for distribution to townspeople with wood stoves who run out of fuel by the end of winter.
"Right from the beginning, though, we wanted to make sure that we were also helping people make their homes more energy efficient," said King. "Our goal is to make sure that no-one has to worry about their heating bills in years to come, because their houses will be tight and efficient."
(text from Bill McKibben; thanks to Warren King)
there remains a very narrow window for a gradual transformation to a new global economy. "This is the future we can have," said McKibben. "Now's the moment, and we are the people who will either do it or not do it."...
While the banking industry has weakened the American consumer, McKibben said the energy corporations are the ongoing failures that are the largest risk to the planet.
Willem Jewett did the math on Gov. Jim Douglas’ proposal Thursday.
Level-funding the Ripton school budget would mean cutting $20,000 out of next year’s just-formulated budget, said Jewett, a Ripton School Board member and a Democratic state representative. Beyond the question of what would have to be cut, he took exception to the notion that the state would tell local residents how much they could spend...
Jewett suggested schools are different from other governmental entities. The courts are planning to close for five days in the next six months to make up their share of the budget cuts, he noted.
“What are going to do — tell the kids you’re not going to school?”
