Ludlow Rotary Raising Funds for Australian Fire Victims LUDLOW, Vt
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Check the Snow before you hit the Slopes PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID POSTAL CUSTOMER RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER PERMIT #2 Pet of the N. HAVERHILL, NH ECRWSSEDDMECRWSS Our Hearts are with Australia Week on vermontjournal.com Page 5B FREE Your Local Community Newspaper THE JANUARYVermont 22, 2020 | WWW.VERMONTJOURNAL.COM JournaVOLUME 20, ISSUEl 04 Ludlow Rotary raising funds for Australian fire victims LUDLOW, Vt. – Given the engulfing that nation.” He be secured for this effort. nation and the drop-box col- enormity of the fires now noted that the LRC’s fundrais- Huntley indicated, “We sus- lections, interested people may threatening all of Australia, ing effort would be in concert pect that everyone has been also send checks to the Ludlow the Ludlow Rotary Club has with Rotary International’s concerned about loss of life Rotary Club’s tax-exempt or- initiated efforts to raise funds program to provide assistance, and property resulting from ganization. The mailing ad- to help the Australian people Rotary International Brush these fires in Australia and dress for such contributions and the millions of injured Fires Appeal. wants to find some way to is Ludlow Area Rotary Chari- and dislocated animals in that The local club will donate help that nation recover and table Fund Inc. (LARCF), P.O. country. $2,000 to this fund, split equal- rebuild from this tremendous Box 216, Ludlow VT 05149. According to Mark Huntley, ly between humanity and wild- calamity.” He noted that he, This is a 501(c)(3) organiza- LRC president, “We will be life rescue. All funds collected like many others, was particu- tion so all contributions are joining Rotary International in will be divided the same way. larly overcome by the plight tax-deductible. raising funds to help the belea- The LRC Rotarians plan of the animals like the koalas For more information on guered Australian people and to distribute “drop-boxes” to and kangaroos that we have this effort, call 802-779-7194 Ludlow Rotary is joining Rotary International to fundraise for hu- animals begin to recover from many area stores and business- become attached to. or email LRC at kimberlylam- mans and animals, like this rescued koala, affected by the Austra- the devastating fires currently es so that additional funds will In addition to the LRC do- [email protected]. lian fires. PHOTO PROVIDED Chester budget finalized, Budgets for school districts and Selectboard looks at TRSU will need explanation BY SHARON HUNTLEY year. This budget was slightly tional equality. The Vermont Journal up from the prior TRSU bud- With the increased bud- Academy Building lease get meeting with the addition get numbers in, the GMUSD REGION – The school of LMUUSD transportation, board asked for, and TRSU ad- BY SHARON HUNTLEY departments have chosen to be finalized. budgets for Green Moun- which involved paying a driver ministrators agreed to provide, The Vermont Journal paid their stipends yearly, ac- Chase expressed her con- tain Unified School District, and leasing a bus from town of a bulleted list of reasons for the cording to Pisha. Chase said cern with the stewardship of Ludlow-Mount Holly Union Ludlow; an increase in the ex- increases to the budget, includ- CHESTER, Vt. – The Ches- that her concern was not that this building, saying that the Unified School District, pected new superintendent po- ing increased expenses such ter Selectboard finalized their they should be paid differently, condition has deteriorated and Two Rivers Supervi- sition for $140,000; a full-time as soaring insurance costs and budget at the Jan. 15 meeting but that for budgeting purposes, significantly. She also sug- sory Union have all been administrative assistant and 0.8 mandated special education to $3,351,125, which is up by those expenses should be re- gested that they look to invite approved with increases technology director position. spending. It will also outline $263,538, impacting the tax rate corded quarterly, whether they other businesses to sublet that will necessitate detailed A few days prior, Jan. 15, increased student opportuni- with a 6.5 cent increase over last were paid out then or not. Pisha rooms in the building. explanation for voters, ac- LMUUSD approved their bud- ties like STEAM and others, year. This number reflects an said he would be able to do that Gustafson said that the cording to GMUSD board get for 7,288,496. Their overall which is of particular impor- approximately $30,000 increase in future. board needs devise a plan members. budget is down approximately tance in order to attract nearby from the last budget meeting, Chase also asked where the and vision is for the piece of The largest increase is 1.20%, a small savings despite tuition students. This will give a result of additional expenses additional funds for beautifi- property and to work out a found in the GMUSD bud- the closure of Black River Mid- board members and admin- added in due to previous errors, cation, specifically helping the way to make it work for ev- get, which was approved dle School High School. istrators talking points when omissions, and overall budget Chester Townscape organiza- erybody. He admitted that Thursday, Jan. 16 with a McBride noted that the discussing the budget increases cleanup, according to Town tion with watering, were within there are “no teeth” in the total budget of $14,108,968, LMUUSD budget was just 28 with voters. Manager David Pisha. the budget. Pisha pointed to current contract if certain an increase of 9.06%. The cents away from the penalty Powden also said that Pat- Though most categories in additional funds in Revitaliza- conditions are not met. increase is $1,171,000, but threshold and felt that the only rick Cody of Okemo Valley TV the budget are slightly under tion fund. The board discussed Jonynas admitted that the the board wants taxpayers to way for that district to avoid would record dialogue about versus last year, Public Works the need to seek out other help inside of the building is in know that $573,000 of that penalties next year would be to the budgets to air on that chan- has had the biggest impact, ac- including having Pisha possibly rough shape, but the town increase is for expenses that reduce their budget. nel. counting for about 80% of that sharing some expense with the has kept up with many struc- are mandated, either be- According to Superintendent Board Chairman Joe From- shortfall, largely due to weather other department heads. The tural and external repairs. He cause of insurance increases Meg Powden, the LMUUSD berger said that presenting a patterns last year, which result- board also discussed finding also said that the big tickets or special educational ex- board asked the administra- united message was important ed in needing much more salt other ways to be creative, in- items for maintaining the penses that are non-nego- tion to cut $468,000, and they and that the board should go and sand and overtime than ex- cluding having local businesses building belong to the town tiable. will have to continue to address out and say, “This is the right pected. sponsor a flower box. and not the historical society. In prior meetings, the that going forward. thing to do for the future of our Board member Lee Gustafson The board turned their atten- The shape of the building is board had considered fur- Board Member Kate Lam- district…and helps us attract said that the biggest expense as tion to the Academy Building “not because historical soci- ther cuts but fought to keep phere expressed her concern tuition students that are out a town is to the roads. Although lease, which is up for renewal ety has neglected them…its student opportunities in- that GMUSD was spending to there and very close by.” the Selectboard had a discus- March 1 between the Chester because it’s been neglected cluding STEAM and social improve student opportuni- The informational meeting sion with highway foreman Kir- Historical Society and the town. by the town.” studies positions in the bud- ties, but the LMUUSD board on GMUSD budget is Thurs- by Putnam concerning amounts Jonynas began by confirm- Pisha suggested that some get. doesn’t have that option, which day, Feb. 27 at GMUHS audi- and timing of sanding and salt- ing that the town wants the of the materials of the his- This revised number is may cause issues with educa- torium. ing the roads, the consensus historical society to continue torical society might be bet- slightly down from the last was that town safety is the first using the building and values ter organized and displayed, round, impacted by the re- priority. them as a tenant, but that the but Whalen said that was not moval of the world language Board member Lee Gustafson town wants a little more control their place to tell the histori- position and by reducing the suggested that when discussion of the grounds. Specifically the cal society how to operate. anticipated tuition students on the budget increases comes board talked about securing use Jonynas said that it was by eight. The total number up, he wants to make sure the of their right-of-way and use of important to work with the of anticipated tuition stu- rationale for increasing sand the parking lot and having ac- historical society, and the Se- dents reflected in the bud- and salt use for road safety is cess to the bathrooms for the lectboard agreed to put the get currently stands at 59, getting out to the public.