Subscribe to The Bridge
Transcripción
Subscribe to The Bridge
PAGE 2 • AUGUST 18–31, 2011 THE BRIDGE HEARD ON THE Nature Watch H ave there ever been so many baby toads? Fingernail-sized hoppers in the vegetable garden, under the deck, around the flower beds and in the lawn. I can’t see them without remembering the record rains and floods of early summer. The woods were full of serious puddles here for a couple of weeks, right when American toads were trilling. I wonder what, exactly, these toadlets are eating, and who is eating them. They seem to occasionally flick at something too small for me to discern. And there are more garder snakes in the yard and vegetable beds this year. A whole new food chain is bustling here, as these numerous little animals make their way into the world. —Nona Estrin Write for The Bridge! Meet new people; stretch your horizons; learn the news before it gets printed! Write for every issue, or just now and then. Interested? Contact [email protected] for more information. Subscribe to The Bridge If you appreciate The Bridge’s coverage of issues, ideas and personalities in central Vermont, why not subscribe? To be sure, you can pick up The Bridge for free at dozens of locations. But a subscription has two benefits: You won’t miss a single issue, and you help support the costs of this community enterprise. For a one-year subscription, send this form and a check to The Bridge, P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601. Name___________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________ City____________________________________ State_____ Zip____________ I have enclosed a check, payable to The Bridge, for: ❑ $50 for a one-year subscription ❑ $50 plus an additional $______ to support The Bridge. (Contributions are not tax-deductible.) The Bridge FREE, INDEPENDENT & LOCAL P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601 Phone: 802-223-5112 Fax: 802-223-7852 montpelierbridge.com Published every first and third Thursday Editor & Publisher: Nat Frothingham Editorial Team: Marisa Keller, Bob Nuner STREET Interactive Photography Exhibit Takes to the Streets H ighLow, an interactive exhibit created by photographer Ned Castle, will appear on the streets of Montpelier on Friday, August 19. The exhibit presents photographs and accompanying audio narrations of personal stories from youth. Those featured in the exhibit talk about their highest and lowest points, which gives rise to the project’s title. Each of HighLow’s 12 pairs of photographic diptychs will go up at a different outdoor location in town. Each set of photos will have a phone number that viewers can call on their cellphones to hear the corresponding story. The street venues were chosen as a way to bring the subject to the forefront of public consciousness. Phayvanh Luekhamhan, executive director of Montpelier Alive, explained that the project not only “utilizes space in an innovative way,” but also “encourages conversations about the subject matter, because this is not something that is out in the open.” HighLow has been shown in galleries across the state, including the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery. The Vermont Coalition of Homeless and Runaway Youth Programs and the Washington County Youth Service Bureau, in partnership with Montpelier Alive, bring the HighLow Project to Montpelier as part of a three-city pilot run of the exhibit that includes Burlington and Rutland. For more information on the project, visit highlowproject.org. River Rock School Moves to New, Bigger Location T he River Rock School, an independent K-8 school that started in 2004, is moving from Upper Main Street to the former location of St. Michael’s school on Barre street. “We started with 13 kids when we moved in there [Main Street]; this year we may open with 40 kids,” explained Allison Caldwell, teacher and codirector at River Rock. The school will rent the new, larger space from the Catholic Church, but it is unaffiliated with any religion. At the new location, “The rooms are large and the ceilings are high,” Caldwell explains, adding that this will be useful, because the school does a lot with drama. She also points out that being near the Monteverdi music school will be a positive feature of the new location. River Rock, which originally grew out of Turtle Island School, focuses on fostering independence and creativity. “We look at education as the art of helping someone discover their own path, their own journey,” Caldwell said, going on to point out, “We are dramatically different from the public school system.” River Rock School will open in its new space for the year on September first. “We’re packing as we speak!” said Caldwell. Roller-Derby Bout of Nerds at B.O.R. T win City Riot (TCR), central Vermont’s flat-track roller-derby team, will compete against New Hampshire’s Granite State in the Revenge of the Nerds Bout on Saturday, August 20, at the B.O.R. arena in Barre. This is the second home game of TCR’s first season; its theme is “nerds.” “We will be dressed relatively nerdy,” said Elizabeth Manriquez, whose roller-derby name is Quad Shot, “and we encourage people to come dressed relatively nerdy.” The team formed in May of last year after a player known as Livid Loquita, who had played for a Burlington roller-derby team, began recruiting for a team in Barre. However, they waited until this season to begin competing so that they would be fully prepared. “We didn’t want to do anything halfassed,” said Manriquez, “and it really paid off.” Roller derby is played in two 30-minute periods broken into “jams,” with five playTwin City Riot play the Plattsburgh Lum- ers from each team on the track. Four playberjills on July 23. Photo courtesy of Little ers from each team skate in a pack, while Moose Photography. the other two players, the “jammers,” attempt to break through the pack to score points. The presence of themes and a half-time show enhance the sport’s entertainment value. Tickets for the bout may be purchased at Bear Bond Books in Montpelier and Espresso Bueno in Barre. News Editor: John Odum Waterskiers Compete at Wrightsville Reservoir Sales Representatives: Carl Campbell, Peter DuBois, Carolyn Grodinsky, Rick McMahan Graphic Design & Layout: Dana Dwinell-Yardley Calendar Editor: Dana Dwinell-Yardley Distribution: Kevin Fair, Diana Koliander-Hart, Daniel Renfro Web Master: Michael Berry Advertising: For further information about advertising deadlines and rates, contact: 223-5112, ext.11 (Carolyn and Carl) or ext. 12 (Peter), [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected] Editorial: Contact Marisa or Bob, 223-5112, ext. 14, or [email protected]. Location: The Bridge office is located at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, on the lower level of Schulmaier Hall. Subscriptions: You can receive The Bridge by mail for $50 a year. Make out your check to The Bridge, and mail to The Bridge, PO Box 1143, Montpelier VT 05601. Copyright 2011 by The Montpelier Bridge T he Green Mountain Waterskiers will host the Tom Costello Alan Rossi Slalom Derby waterski tournament on Saturday, August 20. The tournament is the Vermont state championship and will be held at Wrightsville Reservoir, and will bring together top skiers from the eastern United States and Canada. This year Jamie Beauchesne of New Hampshire and Chris Rossi of Vermont, two worldranked water-skiers, will be featured in a “top-gun head-to-head shoot-out” around 2 p.m. The tournament was recently renamed to honor Tom Costello and Alan Rossi. Rossi, who graduated from Spaulding, was Chris Rossi’s uncle. He and Costello, who graduated in the Montpelier High School class of 1990, were both important members of the water-skiing community who passed away in the last few years. A moment of silence will be held for them at 2 p.m. prior to Rossi and Beauchesne’s performance. The tournament will also include a fun ski, which allows water skiers who are not competing for rankings to ski for entertainment. “This is our big splash of the year,” said Bruce Epstein, executive director of the Green Mountain Waterskiers. The tournament begins at 7:30 a.m., with the beach opening at 7 a.m. For further information, visit greenmountainwaterskiers.com. —all items by Ariel Swyer THE BRIDGE AUGUST 18–31, 2011 • PAGE 3 Children and Vegetables Grow Healthy at Family Center by Ariel Swyer A t the Family Center of Washington County, on Sherwood Drive in Montpelier, children are everywhere visible; infants, toddlers and preschool-age children may be seen running around an impressive playground, napping, singing, eating a nutritionally conscious lunch prepared on site, and learning in a variety of classrooms. The family center provides parent support and education, childcare, and outreach services around Washington County. As executive director Lee Lauber points out, many people only know about the part of these services that they have encountered personally and are not aware of the range of programs and services available. The family center moved to Sherwood Drive in 2009 after outgrowing their location in Schulmaier Hall on the Vermont College of Fine Arts Campus, where they had been for 40 years. The new location is large enough for two buildings, one dedicated to administration and outreach services and the other largely dedicated to childcare, along with a playground and vegetable garden. Beyond these lie eight acres of woods owned by the center. These are used for expeditions and outdoor education, which, Lauber says, is a crucial part of childhood. Even in Vermont, not every child has access to the outdoors, and the family center helps provide this. The childcare building itself was designed specifically to allow in a large amount of light, and the atmosphere is pleasant and homey. There are several classrooms, a spacious kitchen and common room area that feels something like a living room, an indoor play area, and a storage area for toys and art supplies. The childcare services consist of an infant/toddler section and a preschool pro- gram for children age 3 to 5. One crucial aspect of the latter program is its participation in the Essential Early Education program (EEE), which integrates and assists children with disabilities. Six employees of the Montpelier school district have offices on the site as part of this program, in addition to the 54person family-center staff. Another part of the services provided by the family center is the provision of assistance to parents in their efforts to both find and pay for childcare. “Families are eligible either because of their income or specialized family circumstances,” Lauber explains. Childcare can pose an enormous expense to families. The family center also organizes playgroups and other forms of parental support. The three playgroups—one for infants; one for dads, which takes place at St. Augustine’s church; and a third, more general, group— allow parents to get out of the house and connect with one another. Playgroups are also a place where early signs of developmental delays can be noticed by staff, allowing for the earliest, most effective treatment. Outreach services may be the least visible aspect of the family center’s work, but they are certainly no less critical. Home visits and other outreach services, funded by the Vermont Department of Children and Families, include teaching parenting skills and working with children who have been placed in foster care and their families to facilitate discussion and learning, or working with children who have developmental delays. The family center also has a program called Reach Up, which works with people age 14 to 23 who are pregnant or already parents. The program allows them to gain occupational skills by giving them work placement within the family center. It may Education Preschool children participate in a bike parade at the Family Center of Washington County. Photo courtesy of Lee Lauber. also help them gain a GED or high-school degree and work on skills relating to parenting or financial navigation. Other outreach workers help with the vegetable garden, which is used not only by children at the family center but also by families who may not have their own space for planting vegetables. In the garden, families learn about growing food and eating healthily on a low budget. The Family Center of Washington County “envisions children and adults as thriving participants in safe and healthy communities,” according to its website, and “fosters the positive growth and development of young children and their families.” To learn more, visit fcwcvt.org or call 262-3292. Apples & Honey Hebrew School BEGINS T UESDAY , S EPTEMBER 13, 3:45–5:30 PM Come and experience the joys of being Jewish! For ages 6–12. Luisa Maita Live at the Haybarn Theater at Goddard College in Plainfield, Thursday, September 1 at 7 pm. Sultry, seductive and infused with that inimitable samba swing, the music of Luísa Maita embodies the modern spirit of Brazil. Tickets: $15 in advance, $18 day of show (children 12 years and younger free). Buy tickets online at www.wgdr.org, on the phone at 802-322-1621, or in person at Buch Spieler Music in Montpelier. Contact Rabbi Tobie Weisman, Yearning for Learning Center (802) 223-0583 [email protected] PAGE 4 • AUGUST 18–31, 2011 THE BRIDGE Mary Hooper, left, and Warren Kitzmiller, state representatives. A plan to redistrict Montpelier would split the two into separate districts. File photos. REDISTRICTING, from page 1 Tell them you saw it in The Bridge! can expect minority parties to do: trying to make things more difficult for the majority. There’s no guarantee they’d win if the new districts are adopted, but they know that they’re in a small minority under the current districts, so why wouldn’t they try to mess around with it? All the verbiage about being more democratic was just a smokescreen.” Roper, a former state Republican Party chair, had a different view. “The four of us—Republicans and Progressives—really wanted to spark a debate,” he said. The push towards single-member districts was “the principle of one person, one vote, carried out to its logical conclusion, which is one vote for one representative,” said Roper, adding that “Incumbents on both sides of the aisle are not going to be enamored of [the draft plan], because it means change.” Less concerned as a body with the political motivations of the apportionment board or the philosophical underpinnings of the plan, the Montpelier BCA decided on a 13-3 vote that, in McCullough’s words, “there’s nothing about the numbers that makes a single [-member] district make sense for Montpelier.” Multiple board members expressed concern about a dividing line seen as “arbitrary” in some cases and problematic in its attempt to preserve incumbency by separating Representatives Warren Kitzmiller and Mary Hooper—who reside on the same street—into different districts. Hooper, who sits on the Board of Civil Authority in her capacity as Montpelier’s mayor, also expressed concern that splitting the city into two districts could create confusion among voters, especially against the backdrop of city district lines that already lead to some confusion and that are ultimately subject to change themselves. On Thursday, August 11, the apportionment board submitted its final plan to the legislature, taking into account much of the feedback from boards of civil authority around the state, dropping the number of proposed single-member districts from 138 to 82, and, in the process, recommending that the capital city’s current status as a twomember district remain unchanged. The new plan was approved by a 4-2 vote, with Republicans Lunderville and Roper opposing the changes that bring the final proposal more closely in line with the current district configuration. The final process will ultimately play out in the legislature, where any number of scenarios is possible. Despite this, when asked if he planned an effort to push for a resurrection of the originally approved apportionment board plan, Roper replied, “probably not,” but added that he believed it was “abhorrent that the legislature gets to draw the lines” itself. STONE WORK ~ ROCK WALLS, STEPS, PATIOS Harmonized Handsomely from Field or Quarried Stone call Padma 456 .7474 ~ www.earthwiseharmonies.com • Copies: Black & White, Color • Digital Printing • Engineering Copies • Business Cards • Laminating • Binding • Shipping: FedEx, USPS, & other carriers • Packing 32 Main Street Montpelier, VT 05602 Ph: (802) 223-0500 Fax: (802) 223-4689 Email: [email protected] Hours: M–F 8am–6pm Sat 9am–1pm THE BRIDGE AUGUST 18–31, 2011 • PAGE 5 Money Matters What Are You Prepared to Do? Editor’s note: The title of this column has changed from “Let’s Talk About Money” to “Money Matters.” by Peggy Munro J udging from the composition of the Gang of Twelve appointed by the U.S. House and Senate leadership in the wake of the default crisis, the coming deficit-reduction talks will consist of a great deal of “my way or the highway” rhetoric, and little or no compromise. As a result, painful across-theboard budget cuts are coming, cuts that will bite hard into our local communities, which are already struggling. By now, it should be clear that expecting anything constructive from Congress is a waste of time and energy. The early symptoms of austerity surround us. I cannot erase from my mind the stories of elderly people freezing to death in their homes, of children whose only meals come from free school breakfasts and lunches, of food shelves standing empty, unable to keep up with the demand. The rioting that sparked regime change across the Middle East this year was caused by corrupt governments, by vast inequities between rich and poor, by lack of opportunity for the young. Sound familiar? If you think it can’t happen here, just take a look at the rioting and unrest in Great Britain right now. Over the past seventy-five years, since the days of the New Deal, we have become complacent, relying on government to act for us, to protect the weakest among us. But today, we are blessed with a government that does neither, one that is too married to the idea of its own self-preservation to do the first thing about preserving economic viability for the majority of its people. We have abdicated our collective responsibility to the young, the old, the infirm and the impaired to a group that has no apparent interest in honoring that trust. This is life and death, right and wrong. This is not a question of people pulling themselves up, of learning self-reliance and of making tough choices. Do we, as a group, find it acceptable that someone may freeze to death at home this winter because heating-assistance funds will surely be cut? Or that malnutrition and even starvation may ap- pear in increasing size and scope because food assistance decreases? Is it fair that economics once again relegates smart students to second-class educations because public schools are deficient and college tuitions are out of reach? And what do we do with those students leaving school who cannot find jobs because they lack that all-important experience? We, as a society, are failing. Those of us fortunate enough to be watching the rampant infantilism in Washington from a position of economic strength and security continue with our lives, knowing we will not be directly impacted by governmental cuts. So long as we focus on our own households and turn from from others’ suffering, we should be fine. Fine, that is, until the day a bridge collapses, our child’s school fails, or our own job heads to a city whose name we can’t even spell. Much as we’d like to look the other way, this is a problem of our own making, and its solution is fairly straightforward. So what are we each prepared to do? Every one of us, from the greatest to the least, has a contribution to make, whether it’s checking daily on the well-being of an elderly neighbor, buying extra food to help stock the local food shelf, or mentoring a young person or an immigrant family. We are responsible for each other; if government will no longer take the lead here, then we must step up. To every business owner of whatever size, I challenge you to not only create at least one new job, but make it a job of substance, and train the person you hire. This insistence that new employees must have years of experience in order to be valuable to you is nonsense; when you take the time to train someone, you create a loyal employee, providing value to your business and your customers. Yes, you may take an initial hit against profits when you hire someone who cannot jump right in, but you’ve given that person an opportunity which will, in most cases, more than repay you in the long run. We seem to have forgotten that. The days of social-service-safety-net cutting are only just beginning. These are today’s realities. But an alternate reality exists that the need for these services has never been greater. We are balanced on the cusp of a humanitarian disaster that could potentially lead to revolution or anarchy similar to what is currently being experienced around the world. The New Deal has expired and our Great Society has fallen—the concept of collateral damage of lives and opportunities lost is not acceptable. To paraphrase a great American, now is the time to ask not what you can do for yourself, but rather to ask what you can do for your neighbor. Margaret Atkins Munro, E.A., is a licensed tax professional living in Essex Junction. She is the author of 529 & Other College Savings Plans for Dummies and coauthor of Taxes 2009 for Dummies and Estate & Trust Administration for Dummies (coauthored with Kathryn A. Murphy, Esq.), all of which are available at your local bookstore. Rabbi Tobie Weisman, MSW Jin Shin Jyutsu – for Body, Mind and Spirit Ancient art of harmonizing the body’s energies, promoting optimal health and well-being and facilitating our own healing. FREE 15-minute consultation • 34 Elm St., Montpelier • 223-0583 Tell them you saw it in The Bridge! Nicole Tatro DENIS, RICKER & BROWN INSURANCE 17 State Street • Montpelier, VT 05602 (802) 229-0563 • www.DRBInsurance.com Complete care of all your family and business insurance needs. PAGE 6 • AUGUST 18–31, 2011 THE BRIDGE Taser Meetings Feature Policy with Police Chief, Warnings from Legal Community by Dylan Waller T he dialogue between Police Chief Tony Facos and the committee charged by the city council to determine under what, if any, circumstances Tasers should be deployed to the Montpelier police force continued August 9 in the police station’s community room. Committee cochair Jeff Dworkin spoke of the “fairly meaningful division [of opinions regarding Tasers] in this community” and asked Facos if he was concerned that his request for Tasers might potentially damage police/community relations. Facos answered, “I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize those relations. . . . I’ve promised to the council [that] if they don’t feel this is the time for this in this community, that’s it.” Facos went on to say that if the council did approve Tasers, “I think people will, in time, forget that we have them.” Dworkin asked Facos which elements of the local population he considered too vulnerable to be Tased. Facos listed the elderly, pregnant women, and children. “What about people with heart problems?” Dworkin asked, as well as citing his concerns for people with mental-health issues and intoxicated people. “Shouldn’t they be in there, as a matter of policy?” “I’ll take a look at that,” Facos said. Facos then asked Dworkin, “Do you have a proposed policy?” saying that he would like to consult with police legal counsel about potential alterations to his currently proposed policy. “This is not being very productive right now,” he added. Dworkin responded, “I’m getting some of my critical questions answered, and I’m get- ting a sense of how well you’ve studied the policy you’ve proposed.” Dworkin then brought up the “assessment of need” charge given to the committee by the city council. Facos said, “We’ve had shootings here, we’ve had officers shot at, [as well as] high-risk search warrants . . . but is it a regular occurrence? No.” “How much usefulness really remains for this thing?” Dworkin asked, citing the potential limitations and conditions that would need to be in place, as well as community opposition to the weapon. “Might the money be spent better elsewhere?” “I would look at where to put that money [in order] to have the most positive impact for the mission of our community,” Facos said. “Given the level of what we have currently, I’d opt for the Taser.” If Tasers were granted to the force, Dworkin asked, would Facos prefer officers to receive 40 hours of mental-health training as opposed to the six they currently receive? “Big pricetag,” Facos said, “[but] I would be really into that; [it’s] just a matter of having it be feasible.” The August 16 meeting, also in the police station community room, started with a presentation from Jack McCullough from Vermont Legal Aid. McCullough has also served since 1994 as director of the Mental Health Law Project, which “represents Vermonters in involuntary-commitment cases at the state hospital and across the state,” he said. McCullough listed a handful of reasons why he considers Taser deployment in Montpelier “a serious mistake.” “Tasers constitute deadly force,” he said. “There are many documented cases of people who have died following a Taser strike.” Supporters of the weapon, he continued, argue that the subjects fatally Tased were people with preexisting medical conditions, and that it was the medical condition rather than the Taser that were at fault for their deaths. The problem with this reasoning, McCullough said, is that the police are unlikely to know if a person has a preexisting medical condition. “This is not an acceptable risk,” he said. In practice, he said, “[Tasers are] used . . . not on someone with a knife, but on someone who’s being a nuisance at Cumberland Farms,” referring specifically to the Tasing of an elderly, mentally disabled woman in Barre last summer. In that incident, he said, the city determined the woman was engaged in active resistance when all she was doing was standing there refusing to be handcuffed. “If this is active resistance,” he said, “then anything can be defined as active resistance.” McCullough also cited last summer’s incident in Brattleboro, where protesters who had passively chained themselves to barrels were Tased. In dealing with the protesters, he said, the police officers’ approach was to “obtain compliance by inflicting intolerable pain. . . . The accurate term for that practice is torture. . . . I believe the risks of deploying tasers exceed any benefit they would provide.” “Civilian review [of the police force],” he concluded, “is an important element that should be adopted regardless of whatever decision is made on the Taser question.” Next, David Sleigh, a civil rights and criminal-defense attorney from St. Johnsbury, made his presentation to the committee. “It’s important to understand that Tasers are very dangerous weapons,” he said. “Taser itself now will admit to at least 100 deaths . . . [In the] last few weeks, a freshman at the University of Cincinnati died after a single Taser shot,” he continued, “and, in Virginia, a young man became agitated while treated by paramedics,” was subsequently Tased, and died. Sleigh, who was an attorney in the Brattleboro case, said, “I don’t think I have a right to say whether Montpelier should have [Tasers] or not, but I think it’s important that if they are deployed, [the use of the weapon] reflect the normative values of the community.” He noted that training in the weapon is only available from the Taser corporation itself. “Part of that training,” he said, is training in sales, or “how to make these instruments appealing to police departments.” “I represent a lot of police officers, and I respect them.” he said. When asked about his perceived assessment of need for the weapon in Montpelier, Sleigh said that in his experience, “Frankly, I do a lot of criminal work, and it’s a rare case that someone wants to fight with police. . . .Why provide this risky tool in an environment when its [need for] deployment would be minimal?” Tasers THE BRIDGE AUGUST 18–31, 2011 • PAGE 7 Council Hears Management Assessment Report, Approves Comic-Book Challenge by Marsha Barber A ugust 10’s city council meeting ran the gamut from the approval of a 24hour comic-book-creation marathon at City Hall to reviewing Matrix Consulting Group’s management assessment recommendations for major city departments. First on the agenda, though, Mayor Mary Hooper revealed an executive-session decision on a discrimination claim brought against the city’s fire and ambulance division by a part-time emergency medical technician (EMT). In a session held just before the council meeting, a settlement was reached with Frances Russo for the amount of $25,000 in exchange for withdrawal of her claim. Russo had worked as a part-time EMT for the city of Montpelier for 13 years. Recently, a male EMT was promoted to a fulltime position without being required to pass a physical fitness test. Russo, who had sought a full-time EMT position, had previously not passed a physical fitness test and because of that was denied a full-time position. The fire and ambulance division did not admit liability in the case, but did admit that their policies showed inconsistency. On a lighter note, Dan Barlow of the Trees and Hills Comic Group, along with Phayvanh Luekhamhan, executive director of Montpelier Alive, presented a proposal for City Hall to serve as the venue for Montpelier’s second annual comic-book challenge. The challenge is a 24-hour production to be held on October 1 and 2, in which aspiring and established cartoonists are each asked to write and draw a 24-page comic book in 24 hours. Last year’s event was held at Kellogg-Hubbard Library, but due to staffing shortages, the library will be unable to host the event this year. The event was unanimously approved, subject to safety concerns being addressed. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to review of the city-management-assessment report from Matrix. Fire Chief Robert Gowans, Police Chief Tony Facos, City Assessor Stephen Twombly and Tax Assessor and Assistant City Manager Beverlee Hill presented recommendations and outcomes from the Matrix report. Gowans first mentioned the settlement with Russo, saying, “Any challenge creates an opportunity. We want to make sure this situation doesn’t happen again, and we’ll use this as an opportunity to better ourselves.” He mentioned three recommendations from the Matrix report: Inspections to improve fire-prevention levels on commercial buildings such as schools, churches and extended-care facilities; city-wide educational programs for all ages; and replacing an administrative lieutenant position with a firefighter position. Gowans reported that Matrix felt “the Montpelier fire department was a little top-heavy.” Gowans also spoke about regional opportunities and the fact that the Montpelier fire and ambulance department seems to give more than it receives in mutual aid to outlying communities such as Middlesex. “Is it time for Montpelier to create standards of service for surrounding towns?” Fraser asked. Gowans said yes. Hooper noted, “We need to understand all the numbers of the equation before we cast a judgment [on services going in and out of Montpelier].” Facos stated that he had a few problems with the report’s directives. “Generally, we’re small enough to know what’s going on and where the problems are and what needs to be done at any given time,” he said. He said the report looked at the city’s bike patrol as a low point because it employed part-time officers. “They’re doing a great job,” he pointed out, “and we can’t wait to get them going full-time.” Facos also said the report expressed frustration with the police department’s record management system. Montpelier does not, for example, match the Rutland model of electronic records, wherein the public can look at a map and see neighborhoods where specific crimes are most prevalent. Twombly said that the biggest change that the Matrix report suggested regarding his department was that Montpelier move to a fiveyear, cyclical reappraisal system. Hill noted that upcoming changes for her departments include a move toward other clerks doing billings for tax delinquencies and staff accountants doing complicated water and sewer adjustments. “I’ll still handle the more aggressive collections,” she noted. Councilor Alan Weiss mentioned that he felt the most important recommendation in the Matrix report was having some directors report directly to the assistant city manager. He wondered how that would work. Hill allowed that she wasn’t sure, leaving the decision up to Fraser as to how he feels the administration of those tasks should be handled. The next city council meeting will be August 24. Lenny Van Riper 802-229-2245 or [email protected]