Williston Observer

Sept. 25, 2008
By Doug Ferreira

Taxes have increased considerably in small town Vermont as a result of a required reappraisal. Property prices nationwide have plummeted to an all-time low. Many homes have been foreclosed on, causing entire neighborhoods to end up as ghost towns.

However, property in small town Vermont has skyrocketed. With this real estate boom came, you guessed it, higher taxes. If this is not enough, excuse taxes were added to the tax bill in the form of “view tax,” “non-resident tax” and others. I see a line item on my tax bill for water and sewer, but I have a well and my own septic system.

Many Americans received a rebate check to stimulate the economy. However, this small stimulus check didn’t reach the Vermont economy — it was needed to pay for the small town tax increase. Vermont needs tax reform in a big way. Previous assessments worked well in good times, but are not appropriate during this time of recession.

Tax assessments can be made very simple. Take current, realistic value of property and multiply it by the tax rate; this is the tax applied to the property. No additional (excuse) taxes need to be added; they are already in the current price of the property.

Missouri is known as the “Show me state.” Vermont is known as the “Tax me state.”

Some solutions to the small town tax problem:

1.    Raise the state sales tax 2 or 3 cents. I can afford this easier than coming up with several hundred dollars at the end of the year.

2.    Consolidate jobs and job functions where possible.

3.    Control spending.

4.    Look for efficiencies such as using efficient lighting in offices, prepaying for fuel if possible and turning down thermostats.

5.    Put a cap on how much property taxes can increase in one year.

6.    Use prisoners for jobs when possible. Prisoners are used in California to help fight forest fires. Remember, your taxes pay for prisoners’ three hots and a cot.

7.    Education takes up a large share of taxes. All-day preschool could be subsidized by parents to help defray the cost. This would be a bargain at a group rate, and cheaper than daycare.

8.    Boston had a tea party to protest high taxes. Vermont can have a Land Trust Party in the same way. You could live on the land as a squatter and eliminate property taxes.

I have e-mailed and mailed state and local representatives several times and have received no response, which says it all. They must be ashamed or embarrassed to respond. These officials were elected by the people for the people. Hopefully, they are too busy working on realistic tax reform for the people.

“Uncle” Doug Ferreira is a resident of Richmond.
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Sept. 25, 2008

After another girls’ victory and boys’ high finish in the Burlington High Invitational on Saturday, coach Scott Bliss is taking his Champlain Valley Union High cross country teams into New England competition this weekend.

The runners will set foot in the Manchester, N.H. Invitational on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Once again, it was a closely balanced effort that earned a solid team victory for the girls at Burlington. CVU came in with 43 points, followed by St. Johnsbury Academy with 80 and Essex High with 116. Some 15 teams were in the running.

While South Burlington High’s Carolyn Weaver was once again the first across the finish line, CVU’s parade of togetherness began with Maddie Christian (fifth), Nora McFadden (seventh), Danika Frisbie (eighth), Summer Spillane (11th) and Adrienne DeVita (13th). Less than a minute separated the five runners.

Tony Sulva of the boys team had the Redhawks’ top individual performance, a nifty second place finish to winner Charlie Kline of Essex. Sulva was eight seconds back of Kline’s winning time of 17:02.63.

John Dixon took the 13th spot and Zack Pate finished 19th.

Overall, the boys captured third place behind winning Essex and second place Harwood Union High.

— Mal Boright, Observer correspondent
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Sept. 25, 2008
By Mal Boright
Observer correspondent

At the midway mark in its eight-game schedule, the Champlain Valley Union High football team has a blank on its docket this weekend, a time to heal and prepare for the final four contests of the regular season and possible playoffs.

Head coach Jim Provost said on Sunday the open date is OK, but it would have been better if the Redhawks were coming off a victory rather than last Saturday’s 20-14 loss at Poultney High.

With a 2-2 record, CVU is still very much in the Division III playoff chase, but, as Provost warned, losing Saturday made the job ahead “more difficult.”

“We are 2-2, but we should be 4-0,” the coach said, noting the season-opening 22-20 loss by a late field goal at Oxbow High and Saturday’s defeat, in which Poultney came charging from behind.

The Redhawks took the opening kickoff against the Blue Devils and rolled down the field to chalk up an 8-0 advantage on a rushing six-pointer by sophomore halfback J.P. Benoit and a two-point conversion by Derek Goodwin.

Provost saw that quick score as causing a problem.

“We seemed to relax after that,” said the coach. “We then got pushed around a little. They (Poultney) outdid us physically.”

Primary workhorse for the Blue Devils was Nathan Bourne. Call it the Bourne Ultimatum. The running back rolled up 175 yards and the game-winning touchdown on a 2-yard jolt into the end zone with 8:43 remaining in the fourth period. The score snapped a 14-14 deadlock.

“He was real tough,” Provost said of Bourne. “He ran with brute force, low to the ground and was difficult to bring down.”

After falling behind 14-8 by intermission, CVU tied the game in the third quarter on a 30-yard scamper by halfback Tommy Powers, making his way back into the offense following a Sept. 6 ankle injury against Bellows Free Academy of Fairfax.

Benoit, in the meantime, had his third straight 100-yard plus running game with 103 yards.

Provost said the preparation for the second half will be a quest to find more consistent play from the offense — in other words, ball control.

“Our defense is still our lynchpin,” he added. “Saturday, we had no consistency on offense. The defense let down just a little, but the offense should have picked them up.”

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Sept. 25, 2008

Almost a week removed from its last outing, Champlain Valley Union High’s youthful girls soccer team rolled into the second half of its 14-game schedule on Wednesday with a home game against Colchester High.

Then the slate gets busy with a trip to South Burlington High on Friday for a 4:30 p.m. game, followed by a 4 p.m. home contest with Bellows Free Academy of St. Albans on Tuesday.

In getting through the first half of the season with a 5-2 record, the Redhawks scored 13 goals while giving up but five.

The losses were 1-0 battles against the powerhouses — Essex High on Sept. 10, and last Thursday at unbeaten Burlington High. The Seahorses kicked nine shots at CVU goalie Emily Sackett, who knocked out eight of them. Burlington’s defense limited the Redhawks to just a pair of shots on goal.

— Mal Boright, Observer correspondent
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Sept. 25, 2008

Flying high on the fresh breezes of a seven-game winning streak, coach Kate McDonald and her Champlain Valley Union High field hockey team close out the week with home games on Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning.

Burlington High, 3-4 entering the week, comes to Hinesburg at 4 p.m. on Thursday. It will be the lone regular season session between the teams.

Saturday’s 10 a.m. foe will be Colchester High, 1-3-1 as of Monday, a team CVU beat 1-0 at the Lakers’ field on Sept. 11.

The Redhawks’ last time out was Friday, when CVU nipped Essex High 1-0 at home on a late goal by Kelsey Gagnon from a scrum by the Hornet’s net. The second 1-0 victory of the season over Essex (4-3) hiked the CVU season mark to 7-1. The seven victories follow a season-opening loss to Mount Abraham Union.

The shutout was the fifth for Redhawks’ net minder Elizabeth Goddette, who had a single save. CVU, on the other hand, had nine shots on the Essex cage.

Last Wednesday, CVU bussed to East Montpelier and jolted U-32, 3-0, on goals by Gagnon, KK Logan and Katie Longshore. For Logan and Longshore, the tallies were their fifth of the season.

— Mal Boright, Observer correspondent
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