Woodstock Early Bird Because the early bird gets the worm! email: EARLYBIRDTIPS@yahoo.com

The Woodstock Elementary School Board approved a proposal Tuesday to start full-day kindergarten for the 2012-2013 school year. The plan passed by a 2-0 vote, with board member Alita Wilson absent.

The proposal, put forward by Principal Karen White, had been discussed a great deal in the previous two board meetings. The school also put out some surveys to parents and teachers, with most respondents supportive of the change, according to White. Those in favor of full-day kindergarten said the plan would help working parents (who otherwise have to shoulder the rising cost of daycare), and make the day less rushed academically. Some opponents who spoke out worried that the full-day schedule would be too much for some children to handle.

This process began after some parents in 2010 requested that the school review a possible full-day kindergarten program, according to school officials. On Tuesday, White said the support seen in the surveys has continued since announcing the plan to the community in late 2011.

“Since it has been publicized, the feedback I’ve heard has been positive from parents,” White told the board. The response from school staff has been supportive as well, noted WES Board Chair Paige Hiller.

Woodstock Early Bird asked the WES Board how much this change might cost or if it will affect taxpayers in any way? WES Principal Karen White provided this response:

“The new costs for moving to full day from our extended day is the personnel expenses of our teacher and our assistant. Currently the kindergarten teacher works providing remedial reading support AFTER kindergarten ends in the afternoon. Given our declining enrollment, we are eliminating this remedial portion of her position and assigning her to the full day kindergarten position. The increase in teacher time for kindergarten and is matched with a reduction in teacher time for remedial instruction. The assistant position increases from 80% to 100%. But again, we have reduced another assistant position in the school so there is no net increase in staff or cost. The end result is that we are able to improve the kindergarten program without a net increase in personnel costs in the regular instruction portion of the budget. This is a good time to make this change both financially and instructionally.”

The current Woodstock kindergarten day is from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Starting this fall, kindergarteners will attend for the full school day – from 8 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.

This Early Bird is crawling out from his nest one more time this week, to bring you even more news from meeting land:

The Woodstock Selectboard on Tuesday voted in favor of using $52,000 from the sewer department’s surplus to offset sewer operating expenses. This would keep the town sewer tax rate at the current level of $6.48 per 10 cubic feet for the coming year.

However, before actually moving the surplus funds, the town must have the blessing of the voters. And so, also on Tuesday, the selectboard voted to warn a special town sewer meeting for Feb. 7 – which will be held in tandem with the board’s regular meeting at 7 p.m. that night.

The selectboard has used sewer surplus funds in this way before, and the resulting special meetings haven’t drawn much attention. (It’s hard to imagine anyone opposing keeping the sewer tax level.) Still, that will be the golden opportunity for anyone with any questions or comments on this topic to step forward and be heard.

Over 500 people, including Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin and Vermont’s  entire Congressional delegation, Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch,  showed up at the White River Junction American Legion Post on Wednesday to denounce U.S. Postal Service  plans to shut a  mail processing facility in White River.

The U.S. Postal Service has put the WRJ facility  on a  list of 252 mail processing plants that may  be closed this year, as part of a plan to slash USPS expenses by close to $8 million annually.

What this would mean close to home, according to U.S. officials at the meeting, would be  the loss of 51 net jobs at the mail facility in White River Junction.  Several other regional  news outlets,  including www.VTdigger.org , has put the real number of people losing  jobs at close to 250.   The  U.S. Postal Service says the mail currently processed in WRJ would instead be sent up to Burlington, Vermont  for processing.

In addition to their discontent with possible post office closures, the crowd strongly opposed separate plans to lengthen First Class Mail delivery times to 2-3 days, which many said would only hasten the demise of the U.S. Postal Service.

This Woodstock Early Bird saw our own (Woodstock’s)  Eddie English join the crowd in opposing the proposal to slow mail delivery. English  said, “I don’t have a computer. I depend on the mail.”  A number of people pointed out that even in this day and age of the internet  not everyone in the Upper Valley  has computer access for personal mail or for sending important documents.

Nationwide, U.S. Postal Service officials say the cuts and other changes are  needed to keep the entire U.S. Postal Service  operation financially viable.

Deborah Essler, who oversees this  region of the U.S Postal Service, says  the agency would do everything it can to move workers who lose their jobs in White River Junction  to nearby postal offices. WEB knows of at least one family – local to the immediate Woodstock area – who would be impacted by these cuts.

In Woodstock and surrounding Upper Valley towns,  no cuts are p lanned at local P.O’s. to date. However,  Tom Rizzo, a U.S. Postal Service official based in Portland, Maine, says  the nearest post office to the Woodstock area is Stockbridge on a list slated for possible closure.

 U.S. Postal Service officials told the crowd at the the White River Junction meeting  that no final decisions  have been made. .

As Postal Service officials found out and this Woodstock Early Bird observed, the, White River Junction  crowd wasn’t messing around  Wednesday night. While the U.S.Postal Service  presenters made their case (including a long-winded presentation with fancy graphics), the crowd clamored to be heard, with shouts of “When do we get to speak?!”

Before a long line of local residents and workers stepped up to the microphone, the crowd was treated to a couple of “zingers” offered up by some well-known attendees: A Vermont Delta-Force  quad-umvirate of Shumlin, Leahy, Sanders and Welch.

Shumlin, who knows how to construct pithy, crowd-pleasing  soundbites,  really got the crowd going with this one:

“We need the Postal Service more than anyone in America. Keep the Postal Service, keep it strong, and go somewhere else to find pretend savings.”

Nationwide, 100,000 people would lose their jobs if USPS cuts go through.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, as usual, wasted no time in giving his opinion – touching on the nationwide unemployment situation:

“It is categorically insane to be talking about throwing 100,000 people (across the country)  out of work,” Sanders said.

Later this month, Sen. Sanders and Sen. Leahy will introduce a bill to reorganize – not cut – the Postal Service. They also want to turn back a previously-passed federal bill that requires the U.S. Postal Service to pay $5.5 billion a year toward the health care of future USPS retirees. Welch, thanked the local postal workers for their dedication, said he stands ready to support the upcoming bill in the House.

Today, the U.S. Postal Service  is a $3 trillion industry that employs 8 million people nationwide, according to Essler.

WEB will keep everyone up to speed on the status of the White River Junction  facility and  if more Upper Valley  P.O.’s make it onto the list to be axed in the future.

Congress has put a moratorium on any plans for U.S. Postal Service office  closures until May 15.

The Remains of the Holt Iron Bridge

The headline out of last night’s Woodstock Selectboard Meeting is that — so far — Tropical Storm Irene Flood Damage projects have reached close to  the $2 million mark. Town Manager Phil Swanson reported the costs so far as  $1,965,992.

Separately, the Town has invested $257,119 on repairs to the town sewer system (which is separate from the Village and Town drinking water system run by privately owned Woodstock Aqueduct Company).  So far, FEMA has not  reimbursed Woodstock for its expenses, although Swanson says the monies are expected soon.

After Irene struck, the Woodstock Selectboard decided not to  re-build for the Holt Iron Bridge which was located several miles out Route 4 along the Ottauquechee in  West Woodstock.  However, the town can still get and make use of  a large chunk of the FEMA money that would have gone to the bridge replacement.

At Tuesday’s Woodstock Selectboard Meeting Municipal Manager Phil Swanson explained that, in some cases, if a town declines to do a particular repair project after a disaster, the municipality can apply to FEMA to use a portion of that money for other municipal projects that FEMA deems worthy. FEMA standards include that a  newly proposed municipal project must serve a public purpose, must be over $5,000  and the final result of each project must last for over 3 years.

In addition, for these alternate projects, FEMA will approve no more than 75 percent of the originally declined project’s estimated cost (The Holt Iron Bridge replacement was estimated at $880,000; 75 percent being $660,000).

Swanson is proposing to use the monies to replace 35 sets of firefighter gear. The town’s firefighter gear is “reaching the end of its useful life,” Swanson said, adding that the standard is to replace the suits after 10 years. The Woodstock Fire Department’s gear will be 10 years old this summer, according to Swanson.

Also, Swanson told the Selectboard  he wants to  include on this  project list a request  to replace the Town’s salt shed, which is “looking very tender.” He said the structure went up in the 1950s, and a replacement could create a larger building which could also house the town’s sand.  Both the salt and sand are used to treat public roads that become icy or snowy during the winter.

The Selectboard expressed no objections to Swanson’s proposals.  The final decision will rest with FEMA, after the cost estimates are finalized and submitted. There were no estimates shared Tuesday evening on the cost for a new salt/sand shed. However, Swanson was more specific about getting  30 new sets of firefighter gear; that  cost is estimated at  $70,000.

To be eligible for FEMA coverage, an Irene-related expense must be over $1,000 and must be a material project, according to Swanson. In some cases, he added, the town has been able to “string together” smaller projects to meet that dollar amount. As an example, the town combined several projects related to water distribution after the flood – which Woodstock’s FEMA field rep approved for submission.

The Dec. 30 fire at the Primrose Garden Gift Shop on Central Street was caused by a garden lantern (with a lit candle inside) that somehow fell over on the store’s back porch, according to Primrose Shop owner Anne Nestor.

In a phone interview on New Year’s Day, Nestor said Unicorn owner Jeffrey Kahn was her “guardian angel” in the ordeal. Kahn just happened to be walking by when the fire started, and came in to help Nestor pull the pin out of her fire extinguisher and eliminate the small blaze before it had a chance to spread.

Woodstock firefighters were on-scene within minutes and quickly finished the job. Several pieces of inventory were lost in the fire. Beyond that, Nestor said only some clean-up on the porch remains to be done.

Since  a relatively short 40-minute Woodstock Selectboard meeting Tuesday night was oh-so-yawn-worthy  from a hard news standpoint, this Woodstock Early Bird (GH)  just can’t  help throwing in some lighter good ‘ole river news to liven things up. ( That’s why WEB enjoys staying to the end of the meeting..often we pick up the best “bird feed” that way! )

Just before adjournment, we report to you a relative light moment (not light for some concerned)  involving one of several  new giant sandbars in the Ottauquechee River that grew up quickly and were left as berms of new  deposit after  the Irene floods.  We might even (unofficially!) refer to the one discussed as “Sutherland’s  Sandbar”!

But there is real worry (officially)  that a  big peninsula of rocky debris in the river  adjacent to ”The Jungle” and  a building and property belonging to Fire Chief L.D. Sutherland, Jr.   is now big enough to block and  send more water into  the area  during the next high water event.  The berm in question is also in the river near a major portion of river bank that was washed away and had served as a portion of the current “snow dump” for the Town and Village of  Woodstock.

Selectboard member Preston Bristow asked Municipal Manager Phil Swanson about the “new sandbar.” As it turns out, there have already been official town requests to get a State of Vermont permit to go in and remove the  sandbar. But, alas, the State of Vermont  has rebuffed those requests.

“We have asked for permission to remove that, (Woodstock Fire Chief) Butch Sutherland has asked, and the State guy’s adamant that there has always been some sort of sandbar there – it’s just bigger than it ever was,” Swanson said, noting the reply from a state river engineer. “He will have none of it.”

Swanson also said he expected much of the sandbar to wash away when spring runoff flows into the river next year.

“Hopefully,” added Selectboard member John Doten who is well-known for his dry, true Vermonter one-line witticisms.

The Woodstock Selectboard agreed on Tuesday to tap its contingency fund to replace some firefighting gear that was damaged during a barn fire on Dec. 10. On that day, firefighters from many towns joined forces to put out the fire and save Hank Smith’s horse barn (and horses)  on Cox District Road, just over the Bridgewater line.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Municipal Manager Phil Swanson said six sets of firefighting clothes were damaged and needed replacing. That would cost about $9,000 in contingency funds, according to Swanson. This was the best of three bids the municipality received to replace the damaged gear, he added.

The town is ordering the replacements now so that the gear is available in the event of a future  fire. Swanson hopes  the Woodstock Fireman’s Relief Association and the town’s insurance coverage through the Vermont League of Cities and Towns will  be two ways to make up some of the $9,000. Swanson has already filed the insurance claim.

Editor’s Note: We erred in referring to Mr. Williams as living on High Street. He lives on River Street. WEB

Woodstock Village Trustees on Tuesday night voted unanimously to form a committee that will aid them  in crafting a ballot item about sidewalk snow removal for Village Meeting 2012. The move was prompted by a presented citizen  petition and the overwhelming evidence of a large turnout  for the issue at their regular meeting Tuesday night.

Although  there are no details on wording  yet, the ballot item will ask Village voters whether they want the Village to take on the full costs of all Village sidewalk snow removal. The committee is to  form a dollar estimate  for such a potential new responsibility.

In 2004, when this issue broiled to the surface before, a study was commissioned which  estimated  Village snow removal  would cost just over $191,000, according to Town Hall records. That was with a hypothetical snow removal plan that  split up the plow/shovel plan  into three Village sections, with three different contractors doing the work in each section  after each snowfall.

However, at a recent meeting this Fall (reported by Woodstock Early Bird), Town Manager Phil Swanson referred to that 2004 amount but was countered by Woodstock Village Trustee Bob Pear who suggested based on  his own informal,  independent study that the cost might only be in the range of  $25K for  potential cost if the Village were to assume responsibility for clearing its six miles of sidewalks.

According to Municipal Manager Phil Swanson, there are currently 15 sections of sidewalk (including those which  are on bridges, etc.) where the Village already performs and provides  snow removal. Swanson said the Village currently spends  $14,000 a year to remove snow from 3,500 feet of sidewalk.

Last  night, Village resident Steve Williams,  of River Street, handed in a petition with 49 signatures asking that the Village take on the cost of sidewalk snow removal.  However, according to Town Hall officials Wednesday morning who reviewed the document,  not all of the signatures were from Village residents. Nevertheless, judging from the turnout last night, Trustees have already seen a clear community interest in pursuing the issue.

As he unveiled the petition, Williams said some residents were “doubly burdened” with the sidewalk shoveling duties, since Village snow plows frequently come back after residents have cleared sidewalks and simply re-fill the sidewalks  pushing more snow back onto cleared areas.  “We have to do it twice,” William said.

Some residents, who are physically unable to do the shoveling, have taken issue with having to pay someone else to do the work which, of course, costs them money which they may not have.  However, other residents made it clear they do not want to pay any additional taxes to fund the work. Fire Chief L.D. Sutherland, Jr. said, “There’s what we need, and what we can afford, and I certainly can’t afford to see my taxes keep going up and going up because of special interest groups that have desires.”

Despite those who might roll their eyes at the creation of another “committee”, often used in the political world  as a way to put off decision-making, interest in the new  sidewalk shoveling group was instant  Tuesday night, with several people volunteering on the spot. Anyone interested in serving should  contact the Woodstock Municipal Offices at (802) 457-3456.

The Village Trustees will be conducting interviews to select committee members in the coming weeks.

In order to  get a snow removal item on the 2012 Village Meeting ballot, the Trustees must sign a  warning in early February. So the new group needs to be formed and complete  its recommendations within the next six weeks.

For residents seeking financial  federal relief for major Irene-related damage to their homes, there is a long road ahead. That was the clear message at Tuesday night’s Woodstock Selectboard meeting, where Peter Fellows of the Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) discussed the guidelines involved.

Fellows spoke about two programs homeowners can  apply for: (1) The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, or HMGP, and (2) the Increased Cost of Compliance program, or ICC.

The HMGP program mainly involves homes that suffered damage to greater than 50 percent of the pre-Irene property value (Homes with less than 50 percent damage must undergo a cost-benefit test, according to TRORC’s website). In this process, an applicant needs a special certificate from a FEMA representative or the local zoning administrator, affirming that the home has 50-percent damage. HMGP also requires a 25-percent non-federal match, TRORC states. (Requirements other than these are likely to apply, as the process is far from simple —  a fact of which  Woodstock Early Birds are already keenly aware).

To those seeking HMGP relief, Fellows said be  warned: you will be in a ranking process with many municipal projects and other residential ones. According to Fellows, municipal projects will probably be given priority.

The ICC program offers up to $30,000 in emergency relief to qualifying homeowners. In this program, the home has to be in a designated flood hazard zone and must be covered by flood insurance. In addition, ICC requires documented proof that the home has suffered either one pre-Irene flood event causing 50-percent damage, or two pre-Irene flood events causing 25-percent damage each time. (Again, residents applying may well find other requirements as they navigate these federal programs).

Residents who are accepted for FEMA relief can expect 75 percent of any repair project to be covered by FEMA, according to Fellows. He added that due to other costs related to the application – which are borne by the homeowner – the relief ends up covering more like 70 percent of the project.

For further information, TRORC can be reached at (802) 457-3188, and Woodstock  Village and Town offices are reachable at (802) 457-3456. TRORC’s website, www.trorc.org, has an Irene Recovery Section and downloadable FEMA forms.

Any residents who think they might qualify for these programs should look into them right away. According towww. trorc.org , a letter of intent for HMGP is due by Dec. 30 and the application deadline for this round of grants is on Jan. 20, 2012.

Leaving the residential for  the municipal side, Woodstock Municipal Manager Phil Swanson told  the Woodstock Selectboard  the Town is applying for FEMA funds to repair damage to a number of bridges, including the Happy Valley Road bridge, the Roberts Road bridge and the bridge over Curtis Hollow Brook.

Also, Woodstock is applying for  $138,000 from FEMA for sewer line protection project along the Ottauquechee River. This would essentially be putting down a massive amount of rock to cover and protect the  line that runs along a 1,000-foot stretch of the bank behind the Ottauquechee Health Center, the Shire Motel and including The Snow Dump where a massive amount of  dirt and bank was cleared by flooding.  Swanson explains the town will  supply the stone for the project, since it can get  the stone at a lower cost than FEMA would offer.

An unfortunate squirrel met its demise early this morning when it monkeyed around with a transformer on Maple Street, knocking out power to about 2,760 customers in Woodstock and Hartland at 7:45 or 8 a.m., according to CVPS officials. According to CVPS Spokesperson Christine Rivers, a utility crew made it out to Maple Street and had the transformer up and running around 9 a.m. In Woodstock, the outage impacted the Woodstock Elementary School, the Sunset Farm office building on the East End, and other parts of the village.