Astronaut Dr. Alan Bean discusses the future of America’s space program.
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The Creative Space Gallery in Vergennes celebrates the art of handmade books.
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Serving Addison and Chittenden Counties
May 8, 2010
New Haven teen attacked in the shower
Vermont’s looming energy sinkhole By John McClaughry newmarketpress@denpubs.com
In a scene similar to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960s thriller movie “Psycho”, Nicholas Clause, age 38, a former boyfriend of an unidentified 19year-old female victim, forcefully entered the young woman’s residence in New Haven and attacked her in a bathroom as she was showering. A struggle ensued and the accused assaulted the victim physically and sexually. The victim escaped her attacker and fled the residence and flagged down a passing vehicle and the occupants of that vehicle were able to call Vermont State Police. Clause fled on his motorcycle prior to the arrival of troopers. State Police responded to the scene and spoke with the victim. She was transported to Porter Hospital in Middlebury by rescue for evaluation. Clause was later apprehended in Rutland City and is lodged at the Marble Valley Correctional Center.
COUNTRY STAR—Jimmy Fortune of the Statler Brothers will perform a solo acoustic concert at 8 p.m. , Friday, May 14, at the Vergennes Opera House in Vergennes, Vt. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, he will be making his first appearance in New England since the Statler Brothers retired. Seating is general admission, with doors opening at 7:20 p.m. Media sponsor for the show is WOKO 98.9 FM Country Radio.
MONTPELIER—A sizable and vocal group of Vermont energy activists may be pleased to see the state legislature shut down the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. But they have no idea how to replace its energy and economic contribution to the state. Voting Yankee “off the island” will not get rid of the need for the 285 megawatts of dependable base load power that it delivers to Vermont utilities each year at bargain prices. Despite over $30 million extracted each year from electric ratepayers to finance Efficiency Vermont, energy savings from conservation are not likely to cancel the growth in electricity consumption as the region emerges from the recession. Where will the needed energy come from? Alternative energy activists say “wind power”, but proposed wind projects have already been stymied by local opposition in Londonderry, Sutton and Ira. A strong proposal for four turbines
at the abandoned radar base atop of East Haven Mountain was killed off by a PSB requirement that the promoter spend tons of money to assess the potential threat to birds and bats. VELCO, the state's transmission utility, estimates that inland wind turbines deliver about 15 percent of their rated capacity. That means the New England ISO power grid operators have to have lots of reserve power readily available when the wind inconveniently stops blowing. Howard Axelrod, an independent power grid consulting engineer, has estimated that Vermont would need at least 800 Mw of installed wind power to replace Yankee's 285 Mw. That indicates at least 400 2 Mw-rated turbines would need to be erected on Vermont ridgelines, plus all the transmission lines and access roads. It would take at least five years to replace Yankee with a combined cycle natural gas plant, burning gas brought up by nonexistent pipelines from Massachusetts. Such plants work well, but put the grid at the mercy of
See ENERGY, page 16
Clean up after last week’s freak snowstorm Several inches of heavy wet snow April 27-28 brought down thousands of trees throughout Vermont. The trees have created more than 20,000 power outages statewide, and created driving hazards in some areas. Trees, branches, and power lines have been reported downed in roadways throughout the state; those on the roads today should exercise caution due to difficult road conditions and the possibility of debris or trees in the road. Most power outages were reported in Addison, Chittenden and Franklin counties. The weight of the snow made snow removal hazardous. Towns in need of financial assistance are encouraged to call Vermont Emergency Management at 800-347-0488. The public can call 211 for information.
The April 27-28 snowstorm was a spring surprise to residents of central Vermont. An old farmhouse on Creek Road in Middlebury endures last week’s spring fury. Photo by J. Kirk Edwards
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