Marina H., a 7th grader from Shelburne Community School, designed the 2022 Green Up Day poster. Courtesy image.
Green Up Day Work to Get a Boost
Montpelier officials are submitting a grant application to the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District to pay for the cost of hiring an entity to remove trash on a bigger scale than a typical Green Up Day volunteer event. The idea is to take care of roadside clean up, which should not be handled by volunteers — particularly heavier trash along the river banks. Cameron Niedermayer, Montpelier’s assistant city manager, said if the city gets the grant, they will hire a licensed hauler to do the work. “Some of the trash is more than I feel comfortable asking city staff or residents to pick up,” she said, referring to the annual Green Up Day trash pick up event scheduled for Saturday, May 7. Green Up Day details can be found at greenupvermont.org.
PoemCity Wraps Up with Poem In Your Pocket, April 29
While the month of April has been taken up with PoemCity activities — from poems posted all over Montpelier to readings and workshops — one of the final events is “Poem in your Pocket Day,” Friday, April 29. Sponsored by the Academy of American Poets, you can stop by the Kellogg-Hubbard Library for a free poem. They suggest carrying it in your pocket for easy reading, swapping with friends, or spontaneous readings. Details can be found at kellogghubbard.org.
Local Police Department Hosts Human Trafficking Training
Recently, the Montpelier Police Department hosted training on human trafficking attended by local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and support staff. More information on human trafficking can be found at the Department of Homeland Security website, which states: “Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide — including right here in the United States. It can happen in any community and victims can be any age, race, gender, or nationality. Traffickers might use violence, manipulation, or false promises of well-paying jobs or romantic relationships to lure victims into trafficking situations.”
City Gearing Up for Spring/Summer Works Projects
City officials are getting ready to work on a long list of projects to be done by Montpelier Departments of Parks, Recreation, Public Works, and ‘citywide.’ The list includes road/sidewalk repair, tree work, bridge work, and trail work. The projects come with a price tag of roughly $29 million. The city will draw on several available sources for the money. Some of this money comes from the capital fund, while some comes from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the CIP Reserve. For example, upgrades to a staff bathroom are scheduled to cost $30,000; the money is slated to come from rescue plan funds. The $2 million to purchase 203 Country Club Road is to come from a bond, as is the $7.2 million for East State Street reconstruction. And the $50,000 for Main Street sidewalk repairs and $20,000 for the Barre Street bike path are to come from capital funds.
