Bryan Smith's 12-hour shift starts at 5 p.m. The Otter Creek "cellar dweller," whom his friends call Bear, is responsible for tending brews from the moment they start fermenting until they're ready to be bottled. It's not an easy job. "There's a lot of work that goes into it, from the time it's brewed to the time it's sealed up in a case box and out the door to the distributor," said 38-year-old Smith, who's been with the company since 2012.
Unification plans put forward by the Rutland South Supervisory Union, the Addison Central Supervisory Union and the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union were approved by the state board. The mergers will now move into the community engagement phase of the unification process. After that there will be an up or down vote by the affected communities.A note on that process:
The SBE approved an accelerated merger plan under Act 46 put forward by the towns of Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge. The communities will be asked to vote on the preferred model that creates a single preK through 12th grade district with a single tax rate on March 1, 2016. If voters approve, they plan to be operational by July 1, 2016, which means they will be able to take advantage of the full package of tax incentives.There was state praise for local efforts:
Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe said the mergers are a “phenomenal accomplishment.”We blogged about this process yesterday, and will continue to follow the story into 2016 and beyond.
“People are really engaged in this conversation,” Holcombe said. “This is a hard conversation. Nobody wants to have this conversation. We have to really hand it to our school boards who have embraced this challenge.”
says he's encouraged by the start, but he understands it'll take a lot more work to have every district in the state sign on to a consolidation plan.
"This is the first time since the 1890s that there's been a major reform in the governance structure of Vermont's educational system," Morse says. "It's huge. And I think both legislators and the State Board, as well as the agency, can fully appreciate the difficulty that some areas are going to have pulling this together."We'll blog about the result's of today's Board of Education process as they come in.
The Ripton Community Church is hosting a Food Drive to benefit the food shelves of Addision County. We will be collecting non perishable items at the church on the following dates:
- Friday November 20 4-630 pm
- Saturday November 21 9-12 am
Please forward this any of our neighbors you think may be interested.(thanks to Lisa Knickerbocker)
The new software also allows voters to request and track absentee ballots, retrieve directions to polling places and view real-time election results, officials said...Here's the direct link: http://www.vermont.gov/portal/residents/index.php?id=81.
The online system allows Vermonters to register to vote by filling out a six-part questionnaire, similar to the paper documents available at town clerks’ offices all over the state.
We’ll be finishing up the birch slab wood we purchased in September. It ought to dry quickly and be ready for those who need it this winter, but it’ll want to be cut, split and under cover. And there are still plenty of logs to keep us busy for the morning. As always, come when you can, stay until you need to leave. There’ll be refreshments to keep us going. Bring a saw, a splitter, a splitting maul, or just yourself. We’ll find a way to keep you busy.
McKibben, a Ripton resident, said he hoped his protest at the Simon's Quick Stop and Deli Mobile station on South Winooski Avenue would draw attention to recent evidence that suggests that Exxon Mobil Corp. knew about fossil fuel's role in global warming several decades ago — and shaped drilling strategies accordingly.Bill wanted to avoid one media spin:
"I don't want this story to disappear in all this media clutter," McKibben told journalists and a dozen or so supporters. "We need to let people know what we now know about Exxon Mobil. In a noisy world, this may be what we have to do."
Travis Huestis, 25, of Middlebury broke into a residence located on Lincoln Road in Ripton.
Huestis was subsequently taken into custody and transported to the VSP New Haven Barracks for processing.
Huestis was released on a citation to appear in Addison County District Court on Sept. 28, at 12:30 p.m., to answer the charges of burglary and unlawful trespass.
Online social networking company, Foursquare, identified Robert Frost Mountain Cabins and featured the property and the city of Burlington along with 5 other locations across the country during the Today Show’s travel segment on Saturday, July 25th. Foursquare’s Editor-at-Large, Sarah Spagnolo, highlighted the best cities and nearby accommodations for summer camp style getaways .
Vermont 125 in Ripton will be closed from 8 a.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Saturday for a culvert replacement project. Drivers should look for a signed detour.Please share any photos or additional information.
Across the state some farmers have reported they're harvesting only half as much hay as their fields normally produce. Others say their corn definitely won't be knee-high by the 4th of July...
“It’s actually fairly well-drained soil, but with the rainfall we’ve had we’re seeing lots of ponding,” says Workman, an agronomy outreach professional with UVM Extension, as she points to struggling corn stalks sitting in several inches of water. “What we really are seeing across Chittenden, Addison, Franklin counties is nutrient deficiencies in the corn crops and soy corps because of all the rain.”
Congratulations and well done, Carol and Marty!
The award recognizes the property as top performing lodging and celebrates excellence in hospitality. Robert Frost Mountain Cabins received the Certificate of Excellence award as a result of consistently achieving exceptional traveler reviews on TripAdvisor.
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| Blackburnian Warbler |
Meet us at the parking area. Wear comfortable shoes, bring binoculars if you have them, and don’t forget bug spray. We’ll walk the trail and identify the species we find there.
Beginner to expert, everyone is welcome!
*For questions call Warren and Barry King at 388-4082
or Rebecca Purdum at 388-9791
The band features original and Americana music that brings forth a comfortable groove of folk, swing, and bluegrass-influenced songs that are woven seamlessly together.Entrance is $8 for adults, $4 for kids. There will be food. Proceeds go towards the continued restoration of this historical building.
It was dicey to be burning at all. The previous morning, the 15-member crew had assembled only to discover the National Weather Service had just issued a "red flag" advisory warning of high wildfire risk. The combination of 80-degree weather, clear skies, gusting winds, low humidity and still-bare branches made for a significant threat of wildfire.
"It's kind of like tempting the devil to burn on a red-flag day,'' said Boness, who is fire management officer for the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests.
REAP is hoping you can join us from 9 am to noon on Sunday, 29 March, at the REAP Woodshed next to the Ripton Fire Station back of the elementary school on the Dugway. We'll cut wood, split it, and stack it in our woodshed to replenish REAP’s wood supply. Next year's recipients of firewood from REAP will join us in thanking you for participating. Come when you can; leave when you need to. Bring a chainsaw, a splitting maul, a splitter, a pair of gloves, whatever you have.
Efficiency Vermont has named two Vermont building designers as Partners of the Year in energy efficient design and construction. The awards honor homebuilder Alex Carver of Ripton andDuncan Wisniewski Architecture of Burlington.#
Carver, co-owner of Northern Timbers Construction of Ripton, was named Residential New Construction Partner of the Year for achievements in the construction of energy efficient homes that provide lower energy and maintenance costs, superior comfort and air quality, strong resale value, and durability.
“Alex is an extraordinary builder who is highly regarded by his peers,” said Matt Sargent, Efficiency Vermont Senior Energy Consultant. “In his nearly 30 years of homebuilding in Vermont, Alex has been unwavering in his commitment to creating high-performance homes and to educating others, including the next generation of building professionals. Alex has a drive to always explore new and better building approaches. This award rightfully honors Alex Carver’s notable contributions to efficient residential construction in Vermont.”
ARTICLE 1: To see if the voters of the Town School District will authorize its Board of Directors, under 16 VSA 562 (9), to borrow money by issuance of bonds or notes not in excess of anticipated revenue for the school year.
ARTICLE 2: To see if the voters of the Town School District will approve the sum of $905,614 to defray current expenses of the Town School District for the ensuing school year and to pay outstanding orders and obligations.
ARTICLE 3: To see if the voters of the Town School District will authorize the Board of Directors to transfer a sum not to exceed $37,000 from the Education Reserve Fund (balance of $58,825) to the General Fund as revenue for the 2015-16 school year.
ARTICLE 4: To transact any other business proper to come before said meeting.
Upon completion of the transaction of the aforesaid business, or upon adjournment of the aforesaid meeting for any other purpose, said meeting shall be reconvened on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, in the Ripton Town Office for the following business of the Town School District by Australian Ballot.
Polls will be open 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.
ARTICLE 5: To elect a Moderator for the Town School District for a term of one year.
ARTICLE 6: To elect one School Director for the Town School District for a term of three years.
ARTICLE 7: To elect one School Director for the Town School District for a term of two years.
The legal voters of the Town of Ripton are warned to meet at the Community House in Ripton on Monday, March 2, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. to transact the following business:
Article 1: Will the Town vote the sum of $577,000.00 to pay Road and General Fund expenses for July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016, and pay outstanding orders or obligations of the Town, with interest, the tax rate on the 2015 Grand List to be determined by the Selectboard, divided as follows:
Roads, including winter work $294,100.00Article 2: Will the Town vote the sum of $38,650.00 to the RiptonVolunteer Fire and First Response Department to help pay Fire and First Response expenses for July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016?
General Fund $282,900.00
Total $577,000.00
Article 3: Will the Town vote to have current property taxes collected by the Treasurer with a tax due date of Thursday, November 5, 2015?
Article 4: Will the Town vote to elect a Town Clerk for the term of one year as provided by 17 V.S.A. §2646 (2), said term to begin at Town Meeting, March 1, 2016?
Article 5: Will the Town vote to elect a Town Treasurer for the term of one year as provided by 17 V.S.A. §2646 (3), said term to begin at Town Meeting, March 1, 2016?
Article 6: Any other business proper to come before this meeting.
The Meeting will recess until 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2015.(thanks to Alison Dickinson)
On Wednesday, January 28 at 7 pm Matt Witten, director of Addison County River Watch Collaborative, and other River Watch leaders will be in Ripton to participate in a community discussion about River Watch and water quality on the Middlebury River and Otter Creek. Come join the discussion at the Ripton Fire Station on Dugway Road behind the elementary school. We’ll shoot for ending by 8:30, but it may run to 9. Light refreshments.(thanks to Barry King)
We will be celebrating Sally's life on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at the Community House in Ripton.
Gathering begins around 4:00. In true Ripton style, potluck and BYOB.
At 5:00 we'd like to invite sharing of stories, memories, poems, song and music, anything you like...this will be informal. We look forward to celebrating this amazing life with you. Please spread the word.
In love,
Giles & Emily
