COVID, Up: Hunger Mountain Asks for Masks (Again)
In an Oct. 28 email to members, Hunger Mountain Coop general manager Kari Bradley announced the Centers for Disease Control has shifted Vermont’s level of COVID-19 to MEDIUM. Therefore, he is encouraging customers to once again don protective masks. “New COVID-19 admissions are above 10 per 100,000 Vermonters per day. While a seasonal increase in COVID-19 infections and symptoms is expected, the new bivalent booster vaccines are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying,” according to healthvermont.gov. Bradley went on to say masks will be available to shoppers upon request, and that “we believe this is a reasonable precaution as we attempt to balance individual choice and community safety.” Incidentally, Thanksgiving turkeys should be ordered from the Coop by Nov. 14.
Local Price of Gas All Over the Map
The price of gas in the Barre-Montpelier area is all over the map. During a recent drive from Montpelier to Barre and back, we noticed a price fluctuation depending on location — even from the same brand of gas station. The lowest gas prices in Montpelier can be found at the Citgo and neighboring Mobil stations near the bottom of Northfield Street (Route 12). On Saturday, Oct. 29, both stations offered gas at $3.93 per gallon. Heading toward Barre on Route 2, the first Valero offered gas for $4.07, but turning on the roundabout to the Barre-Montpelier Road, a SUNOCO had it at $3.99 per gallon. The next Valero (near KFC) advertised gas at $4.09 per gallon, while the first Mobil in Barre had it at $3.99. The Irving station at the Beverage Baron had it back down at $3.93 per gallon, but prices rose again on the way out of town toward Williamstown.
Montpelier Energy Committee Tackles Top Energy Users in Town
And speaking of fossil fuels, the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee put their heads together with the Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools board in trying to figure out how to make Montpelier High School and Montpelier Middle School more climate friendly. Currently, those two schools are the highest energy users in Montpelier, according to recent minutes from the committee. Although some advances have been made — such as more efficient windows and some solar at MHS, along with full electric heat at Roxbury Village School, bigger problems need to be addressed. Heating and transportation systems use an enormous amount of fossil fuels presently.
Dunkin Donuts Expands Parking Lot
The Dunkin Donuts on the Barre-Montpelier Road suffers from the same traffic overspill as the one in Montpelier. But recently, the parking lot and traffic overflow area has expanded into adjacent property. New asphalt parking spots and an additional traffic area was seen recently during a regular drive through the area.
—compiled by Carla Occaso
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