Alburgh Family Clubhouse Childcare Center Wins Major Support From
Voters on Town Meeting Day
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And a $100,000 Construction Grant From the Hoehl Family Foundation
ALBURGH, VT — March 8th, 2021
Last week was a big one for the non-profit Alburgh Family Clubhouse, Inc. On March 2, Alburgh voters approved building the center on school property with a 2-1 margin (404-200). And the next day, the childcare center was awarded $100,000 toward construction costs by the Hoehl Family Foundation.
The Alburgh Family Clubhouse (the “Clubhouse”) will serve 62 children: 16 infants, 10 toddlers, 18 preschoolers, and 18 school-age children, beginning with afterschool services for preschoolers and school-age children in the Alburgh School in the Fall of 2021, and then adding infants and toddlers, and moving the preschool to the new Center in the Summer of 2022.
“We are so thankful to the voters of the Town of Alburgh for their overwhelming support,” said Gina Lewis, Alburgh Family Clubhouse Board President.
The “Clubhouse” is a collaboration among the Town of Alburgh, Alburgh School District, Northwest Regional Planning Commission, and Alburgh Family Clubhouse, Inc. to wrap full-day year-round childcare services around Universal Pre-K and provide after-school services in the school. NRPC Staff is administering state and federal grant sources, managing the architectural and civil consultants, and providing support to the Clubhouse board.
To date, the “Clubhouse” has raised $936,500 (over 2/3 of the funds needed) to build the new center via grants from Vermont Community Development Program at Vermont Agency for Commerce and Community Development, Northern Borders Regional Commission, Hoehl Family Foundation, Lets Grow Kids, George Mergens Foundation, and more than 100 local individuals and businesses that have donated over $30,000 to support the project.
“Our goal is to raise the remaining funds by September 2021, and thanks to the generosity of all our supporters, big and small, including the recent gift from the Hoehl Foundation, we are on a roll,” added Lewis.
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Provide Your Input on the Type of Water Quality Projects to be Prioritized in the Lamoille River Basin |
The Watershed Investment Division within the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is in the process of developing the 5-year update for the 2016 Lamoille River Tactical Basin Plan and the 2016 Missisquoi Bay Tactical Basin Plan.
Tactical Basin Plans (TBP) are strategic guidebooks for improving watershed health. They identify surface waters in need of restoration or protection and outline a list of actions to achieve water quality goals. These plans also identify the partners and funding critical to implementing the actions.
For the Lamoille River Basin, a survey is open to gather information from the residents and other stakeholders on priorities such as surface waters with high value (swimming, fishing, wilderness, etc.) and where obstacles exist to implementation. To take the survey click here or on the link below!
For more information on water quality efforts in the region, contact Amanda Holland at aholland@nrpcvt.com. To provide additional input on the Lamoille River TBP, contact the DEC Watershed Planner - Danielle Owczarski at danielle.owczarski@vermont.gov.
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Upcoming NRPC Spring Workshops |
The Northwest Regional Planning Commission will be hosting a variety of workshops in the upcoming weeks. See below for details. Click Here to Register or email mserrano@nrpcvt.com with the workshop you wish to attend.
March 30th, 2021 – Open Meeting Law Refresher
The Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) is hosting a virtual workshop on the Open Meeting Law on Tuesday, March 30th, from 6 to 7 PM. Topics will include:
• Key Requirements of the Open Meeting Law
• Temporary Changes to the Open Meeting Law
Whether you are new to a public board or are looking for a refresher on the key parts of the law, this workshop will have something for you.
April 15th, 2021 - Accessory on Farm Business and Accessory Dwelling Units
The Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) is hosting a virtual workshop on the statutory changes to Accessory on Farm Business and Accessory Dwelling units on Thursday, April 15th, from 6 to 8 PM. Topics will include:
• An overview of recent statutory changes and what municipalities need to do to ensure their plan and regulations comply with Act 143 and Act 179.
Mid-May (Date TBD) - Municipal Perspectives on Cannabis Regulation and Prevention. More information to follow.
June 29th, 2021 – Essentials of Land Use Planning and Development
Please join NRPC for training on the essentials of land use planning and regulation in Vermont on Tuesday, June 29th from 6 to 8 PM. This training will focus on the basics: Municipal Plans, PC/DRB/ZBA roles and responsibilities, and meeting/hearing procedures. Town Staff and local board members are encouraged to attend.
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Conference Provides Training for Municipal Officials |
Burlington--The University of Vermont Extension Town Officers' Educational Conference (TOEC), offered annually to help town officials and citizen volunteers perform their jobs more effectively, will be held virtually this year.
The training will take place over three days with three live 60- to 90-minute sessions each day. The dates are April 12, 13, and 15.
Although all sessions are free to attend, registration is required. For details or to register, go to https://go.uvm.edu/toec2021. To request a disability-related accommodation, contact Virginia Jaquish at (802) 751-8307, ext. 351, or virginia.jaquish@uvm.edu by March 22.
On April 12, town officials may attend a session on the new grand list program and conversion updates; a panel discussion on the digitization of land records; and a presentation by Kelly Stoddard Poor, Vermont AARP's director of outreach, to explore creative place-making, a hands-on approach to enhancing public spaces.
Sessions on April 13 will focus on the impact of COVID-19 on property valuation from an assessor's point of view and an overview and update on Vermont's 2020 decennial census. Professor Paul Searls, Northern Vermont University, will describe how development vs. preservation and other contradictory goals shaped Vermont in the 20th century.
The conference will conclude on April 15 with an open forum for listers and two presentations on COVID-19. Tracy Dolan, Vermont Department of Health deputy commissioner, will address Vermont's response to COVID-19. Dr. Patsy Kelso, state epidemiologist, will discuss how the state prepared for the pandemic, the ongoing vaccination efforts, and lessons learned over the past year.
TOEC is planned by UVM Extension in cooperation with the Vermont Department of Taxes' Property Valuation and Review Division, Vermont AARP, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the Vermont Assessors and Listers Association, the Vermont Department of Libraries and UVM Center for Rural Studies.
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Northern Border Regional Commission Announces 2021 State Economic & Infrastructure Development Grant Round |
The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) is pleased to announce the 2021 State Economic & Infrastructure Development grant application opportunity. Eligible organizations, which include nonprofit and governmental entities (state, local & Indian tribes), will be able to access grant application details available via NBRC’s website, nbrc.gov.
Potential applicants are able to express interest through Letters of Interest, which are not required but are strongly encouraged. Letters must be submitted to loi@nbrc.gov by March 26th at 5 PM. Initial inquiries concerning eligibility, suitability, and integration with economic development priorities, should be directed to each NBRC State’s Program Manager (contacts listed below). Questions about the application itself should be directed to the NBRC’s Program Director, Andrea Smith, at asmith@nbrc.gov, or (603) 369-3001.
Applicants are encouraged to review the application materials closely this year for several programmatic changes, including the opportunity for a waiver of match requirements for applicants unable to provide match due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The communities of this region are continually innovating and working hard to enhance the dynamism of our region’s economy,” said NBRC Executive Director Rich Grogan. He added, “And this year, we have additional tools available to assist communities and organizations who have seen their local economies impacted by the pandemic. We look forward to working with our State partners to help our region’s communities realize their vision for a vibrant economic future.”
The funds for this program, and all NBRC programs, are available thanks to the support of the Congressional Delegations of all four NBRC states: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.
Maine:
Charlotte Mace
207.624.7448
New York:
Kyle Wilber
518.473.3694
New Hampshire:
Beno Lamontagne
603.419.9713
Vermont:
Kristie Farnham
802.398.5268
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2021 AARP Community Challenge Grants:
Apply for Grant Funding by Wednesday, April 14th, 2021, 8:00 p.m
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AARP invites you to submit applications for tangible improvement projects that can help YOUR community become more livable. Applications are being accepted through April 14, 2021, 8:00 p.m. ET for grants to improve public places, housing, transportation, civic engagement, coronavirus recovery, focusing on diversity and inclusion improvements to the built and social environment of a community, and other elements that support people of all ages. Since 2017, AARP has funded 560 projects across all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visit www.AARP.org/CommunityChallenge to learn more. If you have questions please reach out to the VT AARP State Office, kstoddardpoor@aarp.org
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Watch the South Hero Land Trust Youtube Video about Abenaki Storytellers of Ndakinna |
"Abenaki Storytellers of Ndakinna" event with Chief Don Stevens, Melody Brook, and Jesse Bowman Bruchac was sponsored by the South Hero Land Trust in February. Guy Maguire noted in the SHLT newsletter “I was blown away with the stories and the music, and am very happy they have allowed us to post a recording of the event online.” Visit the South Hero Land Trust Youtube page here to watch the video.
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Northwest Regional Planning Commission
Address: 75 Fairfield Street, St. Albans, VT 05478
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