Volunteer organizations offer furniture to flood survivors

The Vermont Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) received a donation of household goods from the Compassion Coalition in Utica, NY. Donated items include refrigerators, kitchen tables and chairs, rugs, furniture, and bedroom sets.

These items will arrive in Vermont on Monday afternoon via tractor-trailers. Vermont’s Long Term Recovery groups have identified homeowners needing the items, which will be delivered the week of June 10.

The media is welcome to be present when the items arrive, and VOAD President Peter Tousley will be available to provide additional details.

Date: Tuesday, June 4. Time: 3:00 pm

Location: State of Vermont Annex Warehouse, 190 Junction Road, Berlin, VT Contact: VT VOAD President Peter Tousley, vtvoad@gmail.com.

Being Red in a Blue environment workshop – Do you find yourself feeling like it’s just not worth it to speak up and disagree, or that you have to put on armor just to share your perspective?

Do you feel like your point of view is rarely valued, and often dismissed, ignored, censored, or ridiculed?

This free workshop by Braver Angels is for people who lean right socially or politically, and who are surrounded by liberals and progressives in key areas of life like work, family, social circle, religion, or community. 

Workshop Goals

• Learn new strategies for handling the challenge of being a political minority in a mostly liberal environment.
• Develop new skills for communicating conservative values and beliefs in a way that others might hear.
• Feel more confident as a conservative in environments where everyone else is trying to make you blue.
• Network with others who would like to effectively stand up for their red-leaning principles and values in an antagonistic environment.

Who can come? Please respect the requirement that this workshop is for red-leaning participants only.        

 WHEN: Sat, June 22, 9:30am-12:30     WHERE: Montpelier Legion Post 3 (21 Main St)  

Questions? Contact learle-centers@braverangels.org Pre-register by searching for this workshop on eventbrite.

Scott signs ban on parental knowledge about library books, Transportation bill – On June 3, Governor Scott signed bills of the following titles:

• H.546, An act relating to administrative and policy changes to tax laws
• H.657, An act relating to the modernization of Vermont’s communications taxes and fees
• H.707, An act relating to revising the delivery and governance of the Vermont workforce system
• H.794, An act relating to services provided by the Vermont Veterans’ Home
• H.868,An act relating to the fiscal year 2025 Transportation Program and miscellaneous changes to laws related to transportation
• H.871, An act relating to the development of an updated State aid to school construction program
• S.220, An act relating to Vermont’s public libraries
• S.253, An act relating to building energy codes
• S.254, An act relating to including rechargeable batteries and battery-containing products under the State battery stewardship program

Money for municipalities to protect against future flooding – Governor Scott and Vermont Emergency Management announced $90 million of federal funding is now available to Vermont municipalities to implement hazard mitigation measures that reduce future flood risk. These funds are available to all Vermont towns with no local match requirement.

The federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides funds to municipalities to harden infrastructure against future flood losses and for voluntary buyouts of homes in floodplains. The program traditionally requires towns to pay 25% of total project costs; the state of Vermont will now pay the local match.

HMGP funds pay for projects that help prevent future damage in areas of repetitive flooding. Vermont towns have installed spillways and large culverts in downtowns, flood-proofed public buildings, restored river corridors to keep water within their banks, and purchased homes in floodplains to allow water to flow through without damaging structures.

Alum treatment for cyanobacteria in Lake Morey – Fairlee town officials say the expected start date for the alum treatment for cyanobacteria will begin on June 11 after mobilization and site setup on June 10.

There are no restrictions required for lake uses during the treatment.

“We only ask that folks stay away (~500 feet) from the barge while in operation,” state selectboard members in a newsletter. “There are no other restrictions on lake use for swimming or boating other than keeping a distance away from the treatment barge.”

The actual treatment will involve trucking the alum solution to the state boat access on the west side of the lake. This will mean four to five large tanker trucks a day on the Lake Morey Road. – Journal-Opinion