The Mountain Times - Volume 48, Number 37: Sept. 11-17, 2019

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4 • LOCAL NEWS The Mountain Times • Sept. 11-17, 2019 Fly to Boston. Connect to the world. Depart from Rutland, VT, and easily connect to over 500 flights and 100 additional markets from Cape Air’s hub in Boston. With free parking in Rutland, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride. Rutland City Parks department seeks to lease vacant CSJ gym By Ed Larson The Rutland City Recreation and Parks Department is proposing to lease the gymnasium at the former College of St. Joseph in Rutland. That proposal from Recreation & Parks Director Kim Peters went to committee to discuss and report back to the full Board of Aldermen. There may be one drawback to the proposal, which also requests $20,000 from the city Zamias Fund to help pay for the first year of a three-year lease proposal. City Assessor Barry Keefe said that if the college leases the gymnasium to the city, it then becomes a taxable property. Keefe based his determination on Vermont statutes dealing with the leasing of tax exempt property or even if the lessee is a tax exempt entity. “There is no differentiation between lease and rent,” Keefe said. The current assessed value of the gymnasium is $2,558,800. Overall, the college property is valued at over $15 million and if there is no change in the current status on April 1, 2020 the entire property becomes taxable on the grand list. The Vermont State Tax Department also agreed that if the status of the college does not change by April 1, 2020 the full value becomes taxable at both the state education tax and municipal tax levels. The long time city assessor indicates that it has been a long time since Rutland City has seen a $16 million jump in the grand list. Keefe stated that he has made it known that on April 1, 2020 he will do his job. PICO SKI CLUB’S ANNUAL SKI & SNOWBOARD SALE FRI. OCT. 4: 5 - 9 p.m. SAT. OCT. 5: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. SUN. OCT. 6: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Credit Cards Accepted Rutland Enjoy the ride. Boston Block Island CONSIGNMENT DROP-OFF DATES PLEASE VISIT WWW.PICOSKICLUB.COM/SWAP TO REGISTER PICO RETAIL SHOP Saturday, Sept. 28: from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29: from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2: from 4-6 p.m. PICO BASE LODGE SNOWSPORTS ROOM Thursday, Oct. 3: from 4-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4: from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m Consignment of modern alpine, snowboard, telemark & skinning / AT equipment (no traditional XC skis), and gently used, clean, ski, snowboard and athletic winter clothing (no street clothing please). All equipment must meet current safety standards. FRIDAY OCT. 4 5 - 9PM Pico Base Lodge Courtyard capeair.com 800-CAPE-AIR PICO BASE LODGE PICO MOUNTAIN RESORT ROUTE 4
The Mountain Times • Sept. 11-17, 2019 LOCAL NEWS • 5 By Robin Alberti Pugs’ party On Saturday, Sept. 7 Green Mountain Pug Rescue held its 17th annual Pug Social on the Sherburne Library field in Killington. Participants played pug games, entered contests, paraded in costume and enjoyed the day. Board mulls school ‘moisture’ issue By Curt Peterson The future of The Prosper Valley School, which has been closed due to moisture/mold issues for a year, drew a sizeable contingent from Pomfret at the Windsor Central district’s board meeting, Sept. 9. Prosper Valley elementary students have been attending Woodstock Elementary School while engineers have studied and tested various strategies for mitigating moisture and mold in their closed school. “I want to be very clear,” district board chair Paige Hiller said, “there will be no vote tonight.” She called the discussion for “information gathering only” including comments from the public. District Finance and Operations Manager Richard Seaman said the estimated cost to make the building safe and healthy for students and staff approaches $570,000, which Seaman called a “ballpark figure.” No bids or estimates have been obtained. Funding could come from a bond issue, redeemable for over 10 years, Seaman said, which would raise tax rates throughout the district by about a half a cent over the payback period. If the entire cost was included in one year’s budget, he estimated the effect on the tax rate would be about five cents. Superintendent Mary Beth Banos emphasized that Prosper Valley is considered a very valuable asset for the district and all efforts will be made to get it back in service to students. Buildings and Grounds Manager Joe Rigoli explained the historic moisture and mold problems, saying a $25,000 engineering study The building creates pressure underneath that “forces” the moisture into the vacuum in the interior space above. determined there is no “water source” from which the moisturecaused problems — including recurring damage to floor coverings and tile, delamination of cabinets and shelving, and significant mold infestations — could be originating. Instead, Rigoli said, naturally-produced moisture is being “wicked” through a sand underlayer, through the concrete building slab and into the building. The building creates pressure underneath that “forces” the moisture into the vacuum in the interior space above. Mitigation, Rigoli said, would include sufficient air dehumidifying equipment, improved drainage, roof modifications, regrading and removal of landscaping and interior materials and treatments that resist moisture accumulation. He described various degrees of investment ranging from $130,000 to $570,000 and thinks the work could be completed within six to eight months once it started. Asked how certain he was that the proposed measures would be successful, Rigoli said, “90%.” Annual electric bills for the school were $18,000 when it was open, Seaman said, and with the heavy-duty dehumidifying system Rigoli estimated costs could be two or three times that amount, which might be offset with a solar installation. Pomfret resident and former School Board member Seth Westbrook suggested the roof might actually be the water source the engineering firm failed to identify, running down to the foundation, then being sucked by interior vacuum to the center of the building, where monitors have shown it accumulates, then wicked up through the concrete. Deanna Jones, also from Pomfret, said it would be important to know how the district will use Prosper Valley when renovated before taxpayers are asked to vote on spending the required funds. The district board will study Rigoli’s and Seaman’s reports, take public input into consideration and decide on the best next action. Table of contents Local News ................................................................ 2 State News ................................................................. 7 Opinion ..................................................................... 8 News Briefs ............................................................. 10 Calendar .................................................................. 12 Music Scene ............................................................ 16 Spartan Event ......................................................... 18 Living ADE .............................................................. 28 Food Matters ........................................................... 32 Pets .......................................................................... 36 Mother of the Skye .................................................. 37 Columns .................................................................. 38 Service Directory .................................................... 40 Switching Gears ...................................................... 41 Classifieds ............................................................... 44 Real Estate ............................................................... 46 MOU NTA I N TI M E S is a community newspaper covering Central Vermont that aims to engage and inform as well as empower community members to have a voice. Polly Lynn-Mikula Jason Mikula Lindsey Rogers Katy Savage Krista Johnston Curtis Harrington Julia Purdy Curt Peterson Cal Garrison Dom Cioffi Editor & Co-Publisher Sales Manager & Co-Publisher Sales Representative Assistant Editor/Reporter Graphic Designer Distribution Manager Mary Ellen Shaw Paul Holmes Kevin Theissen Kyle Finneron Flag photo by Richard Podlesney ©The Mountain Times 2019 The Mountain Times • P.O. Box 183 Killington, VT 05751 • (802) 422-2399 Email: editor@mountaintimes.info mountaintimes.info Dave Hoffenberg Robin Alberti Gary Salmon Ed Larson
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Page 35 and 36: BB A KIL Food Matters The Mountain

The Mountain Times - Volume 48, Number 37: Sept. 11-17, 2019

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