Mount Holly Newsflash - Monday, February 22, 2021 - Morning edition The weather today in Mount Holly - Snow after 7am. Cloudy, with a high near 31. South wind 6 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible. Archived Newsflash emails can be read at: https://mthollynewsflash.blogspot.com
Somehow things seem to be moving so much faster and slower all at the same time. The House and the Senate have already passed three bills. The first granted authority to municipalities and Select Boards to hold their town meeting on a different day later in the year or by Australian ballot. The second extended deadlines for provisions the legislature wrote last March for worker's compensation in response to the pandemic until the end of the state of emergency. Last spring we had written a lot of our bills assuming we would be on the other side of the pandemic by now so many of those provisions were set to expire.
The most recent bill passed was the Budget Adjustment Act. I've written about this in the past but basically the BAA is something we always pass this time of year to adjust and "shore-up" the current fiscal year's budget. The state's fiscal year runs July 1-June 30, so we are roughly halfway through and some Departments/programs inevitably use more or less money than they were originally budgeted. The BAA is how we fix projections and make sure Departments/programs have the funding they need, but no more than they need. Last year we did not actually finish the budget until October, so all things considered, the BAA was fairly "normal" this year and did not need as much work.
Obviously one of the bigger issues this session will be the teachers and state employees pension system. I hesitate to bring it up here because I don't really have any more information yet. It is something we are working on and are trying to find a solution everyone can accept. I will say I do not support the plan proposed by Treasurer Pearce and fear that even just it being proposed, on top of the current stress and pressures with COVID, may lead many people to retire early. I have multiple active and retired teachers and state employees in my family, so this issue is very personal to me and I know the fear and uncertainty you are feeling because we're feeling it too.
In my committee we've been splitting most of our time these last couple weeks on recommendations for proposals in the Governor's budget and specific wording on a program to grant out $10M to businesses around VT that were ineligible for the federal relief grants and loans that have been offered up to now. It's a big change from the work I did last session in Human Services, but I am learning more every day. And I know how important this committee is going to be in how Vermont recovers from the pandemic.
As always, please feel free to reach out if you want to talk about anything I mentioned here or anything I didn't. Calling is best, I get too many emails to respond to all of them.
Stay safe and stay strong,
Logan Nicoll
State Representative
Ludlow, Mount Holly, Shrewsbury
802-345-8430
2021 SHREWSBURY MEETINGHOUSE PUBLIC EVENTS MAY - OCT.
Sat. May 29 5 pm THE PLUMB BOBS concert Rain Date: Sun. 5/30
Sat. October 9 3 pm THE NEIGHBORS concert Rain Date: Sun. 10/10
PRESS RELEASE
The Expeditionary School at Black River (formerly the Black River Independent School) is excited to announce the kick-off of its Business Pledge Campaign for the 2021-2022 school year. This year's pledge campaign is titled, "Pathways to Possibilities" ….Support ESBR Year 2.
"Pathways to Possibilities" embodies the vision and mission of the school; working collaboratively with business leaders, community organizations and educators, students will graduate with a profound appreciation for the world they live in, how they can positively impact their communities and an informed understanding of 21st century career opportunities.
Kendra Rickerby, Head of School, shared this observation; "When we collaborate with an instructor from Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences, we go for a hike. Watching students unplug, take out their clipboard, and write with a pencil about the natural light coming through the trees, and then hearing them discuss their concerns regarding pollution, is a reminder of why these connections with real-world issues will always be at the core of what we do."
The Expeditionary School at Black River (ESBR) plans to expand enrollment from 16 to 30 students next year. The school intends to raise funds to cover all its costs of operation through a combination of grants, community pledges, donations, fundraising events and tuition.
To kick off the campaign, our first pledge comes from local real estate agency, Mary W. Davis Realtors. They have pledged $5,500 and become our first "Groundbreaker" contributor.
Pat Pullinen, Chairman of the Board of ESBR further added, "We know that building a quality 21st century educational experience that prepares area students for their future is a journey. We are excited to continue on our journey into a second year and beyond. We are grateful to Mary W. Davis for their support and hopeful many other area businesses will participate in the campaign."
The goal of the Business Pledge Campaign is to raise $150,000 which will provide full scholarships for 10 students based on merit/need.
ESBR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and all donations are tax deductible.
