By Lani Duke
updated
Wed, Dec 14, 2011 10:19 AM
SNOW REMOVAL
Funds are low in City coffers this year. Please help keep the
budget in check by removing as much snow as you can yourself. The
city is responsible only for cleaning sidewalks that do not front a
store.
ARMORY CLOSES
The National Guard Armory on West Street, in use for more than a
century, is the latest Rutland landmark building to lose its
occupants. The Guard itself recently moved into the new building at
2143 Post Rd, after a busy few weeks helping Vermont recover from
tropical storm Irene.
The U.S. Department of Defense's Starbase program, which provides
hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math experiences to
students, joined in the move to the new facility, the Rutland Armed
Forces Reserve Center.
The substantial building on West Street saw
other uses in the community too: state basketball championship
competitions, Boy Scout jamborees, gun shows, and other
gatherings.
PEGTV NEEDS AND NEWS
Channel 15 is looking for sports fans to produce local games for
broadcast. Don't be afraid because you think it's difficult. The
new cameras are even easier to use, and you don't even have to
think about making tapes. The video you shoot records directly to
onboard memory.
Castleton State College sportscaster Jack Healey debuted new talk
show Spartan Pride on Channel 20. He interviews coaches, staff, and
student athletes in the school's athletic program.
A new internship program links PEGTV and Stafford Technical Center
students from the Video Production and On Camera Performance
program. Students help PEGTV with its workload while they gain
valuable experience.
New community news magazine ACCESS recently celebrated its first
anniversary. What and who do you know that would make an
interesting subject?
WATER SHORTAGE EDUCATION
Local students learned what they could do to conserve water when
faced with a recent water shortage as the result of tropical storm
Irene. Science teacher Erica Wallstrom and social studies teacher
Jen Kravitz are in the process of developing new courses that study
emerging global and environmental issues.
The Rutland School District is working on other ways to make
education more real for students too. The nationwide Common Core
concept urges out-of-classroom learning. Rutland High will begin
three new courses built on this concept: international cuisine, New
England landscapes (geology plus chemistry, biology, and physics),
and global studies.
A School Improvement Grant may also help Rutland High bring up its
scores. Students would learn to apply classroom to real world
problems - part of the global studies course.
where is your
heart?
If you lost your heart to the brightly decorated train locomotives
that decorated Rutland a few years back, you're likely to lose it
again. Mary Crowley and Karen Seward are putting together another
street art project, this time an assortment of 30 four-foot-tall,
fiberglass hearts. The Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, Downtown
Rutland Partnership, Rutland Economic Development Corp., and Home
Builders and Remodelers Association of Southern Vermont are already
part of the effort, and Omya has agreed to be a sponsor. Project
director is Sherri Birkheimer Rooker.
A number of local artists have already received invitations to
submit proposals to decorate a heart, with heart bases going to
approved artists in early March. Details are under
development.
BRANCH BANK OFFICES SHUT DOWN
Two branch bank offices are disappearing from the Rutland business
landscape after the first of the year. The Citizens Bank in Price
Chopper will pack up its computers to consolidate with its sister
bank branch at the corner of West Street and Merchants Row, only a
tenth of a mile away.
The TD Bank branch on South Main Street - a five-person crew -
moves into the bank's main facility on Merchants Row.
Banks continually must balance convenience for their customers
against the cost of delivery. In both cases, these branch offices
had shrinking numbers of visitors, perhaps due to the growing
prevalence of online and mobile banking. No employees will lose
their jobs as the result of these shifts, however.
ST. JOE CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM
The College of St. Joseph men's cross country ski team recently
took part in its first 2011 USCAA Cross Country National Meet, held
at Lake Placid, NY. An auspicious beginning for a first-ever
effort!
LANI'S PICKS
Friday and Saturday, Dec. 16 and 17 - Find out who is the real
Santa Claus during Miracle on 34th Street The Musical, at the
Paramount Theatre.
Saturday, Dec. 17 - Curbstone Chorus sings at Book King Bookstore
at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 20 - Help set a national record at the Gift of Life
Marathon, taking place at three locations.
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