Northeast Kingdom - page 2

NEWPORT — The snowstorm today had police responding to multiple slide-offs and crashes on Interstate 91, including a tour bus that police say was driving too fast for conditions, and was even seen passing vehicles before sliding into the median.

At 3:00 p.m. a tractor-trailer unit slid into a guardrail and subsequently jack-knifed across the southbound lanes of I-91.

The cab of the truck was stuck in the ditch while the trailer extended onto the roadway, blocking traffic. The Interstate needed to be closed from Exit 28 to 27 southbound for 2.5 hours.

At 5:40 p.m. a tour bus was traveling southbound and spun around before sliding into the median and partially overturning.

Witnesses reported the bus had been passing vehicles prior to the crash.

There were 14 people on board the bus at the time, and many reported minor injuries. All injured parties were checked on the scene and none required hospitalization.

The driver was ticketed for traveling too fast for conditions.

Interstate 91 south was again closed for a short period of time for the removal of the bus, however, one lane of traffic remained open for the majority of the crash investigation.

At around 5:00 p.m., a tractor-trailer unit jackknifed near mile-marker 153.

The cab and trailer slid off the roadway and into the median.

Removal efforts required the passing lane of the interstate to be closed for a short period of time.

The driver and sole occupant of the tractor-trailer were not injured.

Police say all incidents were caused by a result of the operators traveling too fast for existing road conditions.

NEWPORT — At the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) annual meeting, Orleans County Trails Coordinator Raymond Rodrigue received County Trails Coordinator of the Year.

This prestigious award is given out annually to the county trails coordinator who best exemplifies the hard work and dedication needed to keep Vermont’s trail system open and viable on a year to year basis.

There are 14 county trails coordinators in Vermont.

Rodrigue became county trails coordinator in 2014 but has been involved in his local club, Orleans Snowstormers for 22 years, 19 of which was in an officers position.

In 1999, he undertook the task of completely redesigning all of the junction signs for his club.

When he’s not riding his snowmobile or grooming in the winter, he’s attending VAST meetings and working behind the scenes to keep Vermont’s trails open.

Rodrigue’s work does not end when the snow melts.

He remains busy throughout the summer overseeing and approving all of the projects throughout Orleans County.

This Summer and Fall, $44,000 worth of construction projects are being proposed for Orleans County snowmobile trails, most of which will be done by local contractors with locally purchased supplies.

Orleans county snowmobile clubs always have been and will continue to be an economic boost for the Northeast Kingdom.

NEWPORT — The Orleans County State’s Attorney’s Office, partnering with the Advocacy Program at Umbrella and the Newport City Police Department, recently announced that they have been awarded a STOP Grant through the Department of Justice.

The STOP Grant in Orleans County will fund a legal advocate that will be housed at Umbrella and an investigator from the Newport Police Department that will be housed at the State’s Attorney’s Office.

The majority of the homicides in Orleans County have been domestic violence related.

The goal is to increase survivor safety by providing victims with appropriate and necessary assistance throughout the court process, increasing offender accountability, and aiding in domestic violence homicide prevention.

The group says these goals will be met with a collaboration of advocate services, prosecution of offenders, increased training related to domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual abuse.

Orleans County will now be implementing a lethality assessment on the scene at all domestic violence-related calls for service.

“Domestic violence continues to be a significant problem in Orleans County,” State’s Attorney Jennifer Barrett said. “I am confident this grant will positively impact Orleans County.”

NEWPORT — More than 5,000 acres of corn fields will be planted with a cover crop in Orleans County this fall, and thousands of more acres received other conservation practices such as no-till planting and conversion to grass crops.

New roadside signs are helping to highlight this work that can be otherwise very hard to notice.

There are four different signs, “Cover Crop,” “No-Till Planting,” “Growing Grass” and “Stream Side Planting.”

They all share the tagline, “For my land. For our water,” because these conservation practices usually improve the health of soils and crops, as well as protecting water quality.

“Most people don’t realize that a lot of farmers here are already doing a good deal of work for soil conservation and water quality,” said Sarah Damsell, who assists farmers with many of these practices through her role at Orleans County Conservation District.

Cover cropping, or “green manure,” is the practice of growing plants for the purpose of covering the soil, especially through the late fall, winter and spring, when many fields would otherwise be bare.

The plants protect the soil from erosion and build soil organic matter, retaining valuable soil in fields and keeping it out of waterways.

Cover crops also hold nutrients through the winter and release them in the spring, providing a boost to the spring crop and reducing the potential for nutrients to leach from the soil during the winter.

Perennial crops improve soil health and water quality because they have deep roots, diverse plant mixes, and never leave the ground uncovered.

Although the signs simply name “grass,” farmers usually grow a diverse mix of grasses and legumes.

This hay and pasture is an important forage source for most farmers, and many Vermont farms don’t grow anything but perennial grass-legume crops.

Farmers who do grow annuals, however, plant grass crops in strategic areas like along streams, in steep areas, through low-lying swales, and in contoured strips.

In all of these places, the grass crop serves to prevent sediment and nutrients from leaving fields and entering streams.

No-till planting is a method used to plant and grow a crop such as corn while leaving a year-round cover of living or residual plant material on the field.

The practice boosts soil organic matter, increases soil tilth and infiltration, and protects the soil from erosion.

While the benefits are significant, the learning curve can be a challenge.

The practice is catching on.

NEWPORT — Green Mountain Farm-to-School will host harvest festivals with 11 Northeast Kingdom schools in celebration of local food, agriculture, and healthy communities.

The harvest festivals are an opportunity for the community to gather around and share a meal prepared by students from produce harvested from school gardens or sourced from local producers.

The festivals take place between September and October and are open to the local community. They reinforce farm-to-school programming by providing students with the opportunity to connect the dots between planting a crop, harvesting it, and turning it into a healthy meal.

Since most students were involved with planning, planting, and caring for their school gardens the previous spring, the festivals are an exciting time for students to reap the benefits of their work and share that experience with their families and friends.

At all-school harvests, each student participates in an aspect of harvesting, whether that be up-rooting beets from the soil, collecting ripe tomatoes from the vine, or cutting broccoli off its stalk.

After the produce has been harvested, coordinators work closely with students on the day of the festival to prepare the meal that they will later share.

Each class takes a turn preparing a different aspect of the meal.

Kindergarten students may help stir the batter for beet brownies, 2nd graders might shred carrots for a slaw, and 5th graders might help chop vegetables for a vegetable stew.

At the end of the collaborative process, almost every student has been involved in preparing the meal, sharing a sense of accomplishment and pride.

Once the meal has been completed with the help of students, volunteers, teachers, and food service staff, the community gathers around for a shared experience and a delicious meal.

The festivals are a component of Green Mountain Farm-to-School’s multifaceted approach to farm to school programming that reaches across the classroom, cafeteria, and community.

Contact your local elementary school for dates and times in Barton, Coventry, Derby, Glover, Irasburg, Jay/ Westfield, Lakeview, Lowell, Newport City, Orleans, and Troy.

NEWPORT — The Memphremagog Community Maritime (MCM) group says they are moving towards their goal of keeping the Northern Star in the Northeast Kingdom.

MCM has been working to keep the boat in the community so that it can continue to be available for cruises and as a floating classroom for lake studies and nautical experiences.

The group was recently awarded non-profit status, making it eligible for grants and able to accept tax-deductible donations.

Treasurer Susan Watson confirmed that the organization had received its first grants and is now raising money to ensure that the purchase of the Northern Star can happen as soon as the boat is available.

“The absence of the Northern Star on the lake has been a significant loss for the community this year,” said Patrick Martell, President of the Charter Member Board. “She has been missed. People are constantly asking when they will be able to cruise again.”

The group is now actively fundraising to allow for the purchase of the Northern Star.

Once that happens the boat can be inspected and the hull repainted, restored, and made ready to sail Lake Memphremagog again.

The group says they plan on having a full schedule of cruises for next spring and summer, as well as special onboard events.

Through partnerships with other lake based organizations, a curriculum for environmental lake based studies are being developed.

“We would love the community to become more involved,” said Vice President Mark Hayes. “We are looking for imagination and investment of time as well as of dollars.”

Member Patricia Kilday added that it is the perfect time to keep the Northern Star here as we are recognizing the real concerns for the long-term health of our international lake.

“This beautiful boat will give us a way to do that and encourage younger people to become aware of how to keep our waters clean,” she said.

The group says they feel that if the boat is lost it is unlikely another boat will be available in the future.

“Keeping her afloat for the benefit of the community seems important,” Martell added.

If you are interested in keeping the Northern Star afloat go ahead and contact Patrick Martell at 802-673-0115 or email MCMNorthernStar@gmail.com