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Take One
Vol. 4 No. 15 • April 11, 2012
Community News, Sports, Arts, Entertainment and Food for Rutland and Southern Vermont
Business, labor groups say ‘no’ to Vt. Yankee tax
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENTON PUBLICATIONS
Case of animal hoarding reported By Lou Varricchio
newmarketpress@denpubs.com
newmarketpress@denpubs.com MONTPELIER — At a news conference April 6 at the Vermont State House, business and labor groups called upon the Vermont Senate to reject a new tax increase recently passed by the Vermont House on Vermont Yankee. “This is not the time and this is not the economy in which to increase taxes on businesses, especially solely targeting one Vermont employer,” said William Driscoll, Vice President of Associated Industries of Vermont. “Vermont’s economy and business reputation are struggling in many ways. This tax sets a bad precedent, one that other businesses will have a very watchful eye on,” said Driscoll. Recently, the Vermont House approved a 120 percent annual tax increase on Vermont Yankee, from approximately $5 million to $11 million. The roughly $6 million annual increase to Vermont Yankee’s taxes is intended to assist Windham County to deal with post-Vermont Yankee issues, continue the Clean Energy Development Fund, and supplement the statewide education fund. “This proposed tax increase is ill-advised for several reasons,” said Guy Page, communications director of the Vermont Energy Partnership. “It is an arbitrary tax increase. It may even be punitive in nature. It was passed with too-little debate or discussion and violates the letter See Vt. YANKEE, page 2
PITTSFORD — According to a spokesperson of the Rutland County Humane Society, the animal shelter in Pittsford responded to a call for help in a Rutland-area case of animal hoarding situation. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals website, “animal hoarding involves keeping higher than usual numbers of animals as domestic pets without having the ability to properly house or care for them, while at the same time denying this See HOARDING, page 2
Upset man triggers Proctor H.S. lockdown From Staff & News Reports
newmarketpress@denpubs.com PROCTOR — Proctor Junior and Senior High School was placed in “lockdown” mode during the morning of April 6. Vermont State Police troopers in Rutland were contacted by Principal June Sargent at 9 a.m. Sragent reported that a despondent male had
By Lou Varricchio
newmarketpress@denpubs.com
Striking Rutland S.W. teachers walk the line in Poultney. Photo by Patrick Easton/Staff Photo
Auto Zone ....................12
POULTNEY — Schools in the Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union will remain closed for at least the week and possibly longer, according to VermontNEA officials. Teachers and supporters went on strike April 4 from schools in Poultney, Middletown Springs, Tinmouth, and Wells. The two sides involved in the dispute agreed on a 10.5 percent average pay increase and that there would be no increase in teacher health care contributions for the first two years of the
contract, However, both sides could not agree on work rules. Vermont-NEA officials told reporters that work rules that the supervisory union was advocating outdated by three decades. Teachers want preparation time for class to be during the teaching day, not after students leave the schools for home. They prefer to have students nearby during prep time. The supervisory union released a public statement April 4 which said, “school boards want to give the administrators the flexibility to set teacher work schedules and assign them duties in a manner that will best meet the needs of students.” Approximately 65 teachers are involved in the strike.
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The school staff was able to isolate the man in a classroom, while clearing it free of students. Following this, the school was placed into a “lockdown” and 9-1-1 was contacted. When troopers arrived at the school, they coordinated with school staff members who remained in the room with the subject. The man was quickly taken into protective See LOCKDOWN, page 2
Strike began April 4
THIS WEEK Local Flavor ..................5
entered the building and was exemplifying some erratic behavior. A mobile telephone text message from an anonymous school staff member to this newspaper suggested that the man was upset over a family child custody battle involving a student at the school. The man, not identified at this time, was known to the school staff as a local parent.
Rutland Southwest schools remain closed
Pets of the Week ..........2 Rusty Dewees ..............4
FUTURE MYSTERY WRITERS – Author Lea Wait of Maine was the special guest at the annual Ziggy Ostrowski Mystery Writers’ Contest Banquet at Kurn Hattin Homes in southern Vermont. The students were challenged to continue Wait’s story of “Wintering Well”. Pictured are Wait with students Jennifer Filiault, Krysta Gottfried, Scarlett Stanhope and John Harris.
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