The Future Of Firefighting, In A Gray Area

Vermont Standard
By Katy Savage
Standard Staff

About half of Woodstock Fire Chief Butch Sutherland’s volunteer roster is capable of handling the rigors of getting into a burning building and fighting a fire.

The rest are not.

“The ones that don’t feel that they can do it, they usually step up to the plate and say, ‘I can’t do that anymore,’” Sutherland said.

Sutherland is retiring at the end of this year after 45 years of service — 25 as chief. There are about 35 people on Woodstock’s force now, a number that has remained stable in Sutherland’s tenure.

But “they all got gray hair,” said Sutherland, who guessed the average age is in the middle-to-late 40s.

Firefighters in Windsor County are an aging group and it’s getting harder and harder for those grayhaired firefighters to crawl up and down ladders and in and out of homes. So much so, it has some fire chiefs are concerned about the future of firefighting in this state.

In Pomfret, the average firefighter has 15-20 years of experience, Fire Chief Kevin Rice said, and the average age is about 50.

Younger people just aren’t signing up.

“Our big issue is one: finding able-bodied people that are willing to serve, two: finding people who have the time to come to training because it’s quite a commitment,” said Rice, 56. “We don’t have any young people who can afford to buy homes here so we don’t have many people to choose from.”

There’s a consistent group of 17 on the Pomfret and Teago fire departments’ rosters. Rice knows of six people in town who are interested in joining the fire department, but they can’t make the time commitment to get trained.

The Firefighter I course at the Vermont Fire Academy requires 187 hours of training. Some fire chiefs who got certified in the 1980s remember doing 80 hours of training. Classes are held throughout the state and meet one day every week and occasional Saturdays. It takes almost a year to complete the course.

“It’s a big commitment. The training — they’re making it way too long for someone who’s volunteering their time,” said Barnard Fire Chief Scott Mills, who first got certified in 1977.

“We have a lot of young people that will show up. They think it’s all excitement — (they think) you go to a class, you get a red light (and you) get to go to calls,” said Bridgewater Fire Chief Ed Earle, who is 54.

A lot of the new recruits drop out. After 2-3 nights a week and a Saturday here or there, “that takes a lot out of it,” Earle said. “People think it’s all glory.”

Rice had his first cadet this year. A 16-year-old completed training in Addison.

“He was our first one that showed interest,” Rice said.

The Pomfret fire department paid for the cadet’s $400 training course and though it was a good experience, the cadet is leaving for college this year.

“When these kids go to college, God knows when they’re going to come back,” Rice said.

The population struggle is everywhere.

“Most of the people who move to Woodstock didn’t move here to be on the fire departments,” Sutherland said.

Some towns have resorted to paying volunteer firefighters. Woodstock firefighters will make $17 an hour starting this year for going to weekly meetings, trainings and fire calls. The total cost of stipends is budgeted for about $50,000 this year.

“It’s a good gesture from the town,” Sutherland said.

Most of the firefighters get a check between $800 and $1,200 each summer, which Sutherland said many use at Christmas time.

The stipend may incentivize people to get trained and certified but it isn’t their primary reason for volunteering, according to Sutherland.

“Money is not the issue. They don’t do it for the money. I think we could pay them $50 an hour and we won’t get any more people,” Sutherland said.

Pomfret-Teago and Pomfret fire departments responded to 58 calls in 2014. The firefighters can spend an hour on a false alarm or an entire day at a structure fire. Firefighters don’t receive a stipend in Pomfret like they do in Woodstock.

“The day may come when we may have to do that as well,” Rice said.

But Rice wasn’t sure a paycheck would matter.

“I don’t think it makes a difference to them…that’s why they’re volunteers. They want to serve the town,” he said.

Some firefighters don’t even want a stipend.

“If someone said, ‘OK now I’m going to start paying you,’ I wouldn’t feel comfortable,” Earle said. “A lot of Vermonters are true volunteers. They just don’t like the stipend.”

Killington has a roster of 34 volunteers and responded to more than 200 calls last year.

“I know there are some people who would love to have a paid job, me included, there are others that want to do it on a volunteer basis,” said Fire Chief Gary Roth.

Barnard is different from other departments around here where generations of committed families remain devoted to the fire department. Brodie Webster 25, just completed training to be a firefighter.

Webster spent nine months in training in Bethel. His class met once a week for four hours and then every other Saturday for eight hours.

“It’s really exhausting,” said Webster.

But it’s something he’s always wanted to do. Seven generations of Websters have lived in Barnard and his family has a history of serving on the fire department.

“It’s kind of what you did when you were growing up in Barnard,” said Webster, who explained the fire department is like a men’s club. “I think it’s mostly our leadership. (Fire Chief Scott Mills) knows what works and what doesn’t work.”

Still, his father shares the concern that the fire chiefs in this area share.

“I don’t know what the answer is. It’s hard for young people to actually stay in Vermont,” said Rock Webster, the captain of the fire department in Barnard, is retiring after 27 years of service.

Rock Webster, 54, says he’s finding it harder to manage his time between his business and the fire department.

“I’m getting older,” he said.

Killington Officials Mull Proposed Firearm Ordinance

Vermont Standard
By Curt Peterson
Standard Correspondent

KILLINGTON — Residents discussed a proposed new firearms ordinance drafted by Police Chief Whit Montgomery and Town Manager Seth Webb.

Webb recounted the history that led to the proposal, citing several complaints about tenants on River Road discharging large-magazine firearms in the residential neighborhood and near town recreation areas. Montgomery had expressed frustration at having no statutory power to prohibit the shooting or to punish the perpetrators. The early May meeting drew a large crowd, most of whom had strong opinions one way or another regarding restrictions on firearms use. But the meeting remained orderly and everyone got to report their experiences and express their views. At the June 2 meeting Webb was authorized to work with Chief Montgomery on a draft ordinance that was presented for discussion on Tuesday night.

The ordinance describes certain areas relating to roadways within the town: River Road, between Rte. 4 and Rte. 100 North; Schoolhouse Road, from Killington Road to its end; Roaring Brook Road, from Dean Hill Road to High Ridge Extension Road; Barrows Towne Road, from Rte. 100 North to its end; West Park Road, from Killington Road to its end. This area is designated a “Restricted Firearms Discharge Area” in which firing guns or rifles is prohibited within 200 yards of either side of the roads.

Exceptions to the rule are provided if someone is attacked by an animal, or if an animal is injured to the point it must be put down, or use of firearms by law enforcement officers in performance of their duties. There is also an exemption for legal hunting. Violations of the proposed ordinance would earn fines of from $100 for a first offense brought in Vermont Judicial Bureau without contest, to $800 civil penalty for a fourth offense.

Select board Chairman Patty McGrath said, “I want to make it very clear that this ordinance is not intended to take anyone’s rights away from them. We’re trying to strike a balance among everyone’s rights.”

Resident Eli Kirschner suggested that the hunting exemption provides a cop-out for offenders. “Wouldn’t the person you’re trying to arrest just say, ‘Oh, I was hunting?’” According to Selectman Chris Bianchi, the state does not allow the town to restrict the right of property owners to hunt game on their own land, even if it is within the RFDA. Other residents pointed out that hunting isn’t the problem — the nuisance and risk of injury come from people just shooting multiple rounds for hours, often late at night.

Dawn Barkley said, “When people are just shooting and shooting in the middle of the night, you can be pretty sure alcohol is involved.” There was general agreement that mixing drinking and recreational shooting in the dark would be a recipe for disaster.

Charlie Holland asked the board if they had received any additional comments or complaints about shooting incidents or about the proposed ordinance. Webb reported that one resident had been worried the “informal firing range” on federal land might be involved, but that he had advised her the town had no jurisdiction over that site.

“We have also had several more complaints over the summer about shooting in the River Road area.” River Road is a popular route for runners, bicyclists and people walking with their dogs and/or children.

Holland, Barkley, and Barkley’s husband Tao Smith all complained about being woken up after midnight by extensive shooting.

“It’s not just a couple of shots,” Barkley said. “It’s hundreds of rounds.”

Smith said they had complained to the State Police and to Chief Montgomery about the problem. Montgomery said it is often impossible to determine the exact origin of the noise due to echoing in the mountains. He said there is a “noise in the night-time” ordinance that could apply to after-hours firearm disturbances.

Matt Meservey, who had registered opposition at the May meeting to any ordinance restricting the use of firearms, said he has lived in town since 1997 and had been told over and over that Killington is a community that sits down to work out solutions to problems, that there is a comingtogether when an issue arises. “Where is the coming-together when we’re passing an ordinance that restricts the use of firearms by residents, when the problem is usually caused by people from out-of-town?”

Webb responded that townspeople had reached out among neighbors to try to work out a compromise that might satisfy everyone’s needs, but that it had been unsuccessful. There was some discussion about getting the word around so visitors and second-home owners would know about the new ordinance if it is enacted.

Meservey added that he keeps bees and fires a gun to scare bears away from his hives. Bianchi asked him if his property was within 200 yards of a road in the RFDA. “Maybe I am within 200 yards,” he said, “or maybe I’m 201 yards away and it doesn’t apply to me. I’m against an ordinance that restricts anyone’s rights, not just mine.”

One of the exceptions in the proposed ordinance seems to require written select board approval for slaughtering livestock. Chris Bianchi objected, saying, “I don’t think someone who wants to use a firearm to dispatch a couple of pigs should have to go through an application process to get permission, and I don’t want to be in the business of deciding whether they get permission or not.”

Seth Webb was asked to change the provision regarding livestock to require only notice to the police department or select board that firearms would be used for this purpose, if within the RFDA. He will also work with Whit Montgomery to add a prohibition against firing a gun or rifle between sundown and sunrise, with a stiff penalty for violating the provision. The final draft will be presented again at the Sept. 15 board meeting. Bianchi pointed out that the ordinance does not have to be warned. Residents have 60 days to file objections once the board has approved the ordinance, then, barring any resulting changes or retractions, the law goes into effect automatically.

Selectman Ken Lee, en route from a vacation trip, was absent from the meeting, which made it impossible for the board to approve an Outside Consumption liquor license for Liquid Arts. Because Chairman McGrath is in the business, she abstains from decisions regarding liquor licenses. Without Lee’s vote the applicant was out of luck.

Owner Beth Sarandrea was relieved to hear Bianchi suggest the license could be approved during a conference call with Lee in the morning.

“That’s great,” she said. “I’ve had people leave without ordering because they can’t have a beer with their lunch if they eat on the deck.”

Webb’s Town Manager’s Report included a schedule for this weekend’s Killington Classic Motorcycle Rally, a four-day event that includes a Covered Bridge Ride, Vermont Highlights Tour, a Poker Run, the Green Mountain Scavenger Hunt, and a 12-mile Parade to the Rutland Block Party. The event, which starts on Thursday Aug. 27, is billed as “Vermont’s Biggest Motorcycle Rally,” and has been hosted by Killington for years. Sign-up is at the Foundry on Summit Path.

Killington begins $6.5M in improvements

Rutland Herald

By Bruce Edwards
Correspondent | August 24,2015

 

Anthony Edwards / Staff File Photo

Killington Resort, above, and Pico Mountain are undergoing a total of $6.5 million in upgrades at the resorts this year.

KILLINGTON — The parent company of Killington Resort and Pico Mountain is pumping $6.5 million into its two Vermont resorts this year, including upgrades before the start of the ski season.

Last season, skier visits at Killington were up 9 percent over the 2013-2014 season.

“We had a tremendous winter with snowmaking production to match, and remained open for skiing and riding through Memorial Day, once again owning the longest season in the East,” Mike Solimano, Killington and Pico president and general manager, said in a statement announcing the latest investments. “Building on that energy, we added the Snowshed Adventure Center with 10 attractions and a host of new mountain bike trails.”

Solimano said summer business at the resort has doubled compared to last year.

Powdr Corp. of Utah is spending $600,000 to upgrade Killington’s K-1 and Skyeship gondolas installing electronic lift drive systems. Upgrades at a number of lifts at Killington and Pico include new communication lines, haul ropes, and upgrades at lift loading and unloading terminals.

Another $600,000 is being spent on new ticket scanners, trail edging and widening, paving, and a new terrain park grooming machine.

Major snowmaking system pipelines are scheduled for replacement at both Killington and Pico. Other snowmaking upgrades include rebuilding hydrants, water pumps and new snowmaking hose.

To improve snowmaking along the Superstar trail, the snowmaking infrastructure has been redesigned and relocated to the lower part of the trail. Killington said the relocation would improve snowmaking coverage and snow depth especially toward the end of the ski season.

The resort, in collaboration with Killington Mountain School, is also investing $600,000 to improve race and training venues. Those improvements include a new mid-station unload at the Snowdon triple lift, and a permanent bag jump venue on lower Superstar.

Other improvements include:

— A $750,000 remodeling of Ovations restaurant at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel. The restaurant will undergo a facelift creating a new atmosphere and a new menu will be introduced.

— Signed a 20-year purchase agreement with Namaste Solar to receive 3 megawatts of power from six, 500-kilowatt solar arrays. The 4,700 megawatt-hours of new solar power will cover all of Killington and Pico’s snow gun energy needs.

Since acquiring Killington and Pico eight years ago, Powdr Corp. has invested more than $40 million in its two Vermont resorts.

Parker Riehle of the Vermont Ski Areas Association said the investments are a strong indication of how well Killington and Pico have performed.

“Knowing that companies with multiple resorts will reward and invest in those that perform well, Powdr’s major investments in Killington are a real tribute to Mike Solimano and his team’s very successful management of that resort,” Riehle, the VSAA president, said in an email. “Also, I think Powdr’s sale of Park City Mountain Resort, albeit under difficult circumstances, made Killington Resort the premier jewel in Powdr’s crown.”

Killington spokesman Michael Joseph said the reaction from visitors to the recent upgrades have been “overwhelmingly positive.”

Joseph said Solimano’s focus since he took over as Killington president has been to improve the guest experience and customer service.

“So I think when you have the physical investment that Powdr’s done with lift upgrades and snowmaking upgrades and the Peak Lodge,” Joseph said, “and you couple that with the leadership of Mike, who has made it such a focus to improve service and experience on mountain, that you end up with a really fantastic product that increases every single year.”

He also said competition is a motivating factor to keep pace with resorts in Vermont and around the country.

“We’re investing in summer and fall and four-season attractions,” Joseph said. “We’re really investing in mountain biking because that entire industry is growing at such a rapid pace.”

Killington’s $3.5 million Snowshed Adventure Center with its 10 attractions, including the Beast Mountain Coaster, opened this summer.

In partnership with Gravity Logic at Whistler Resort, Killington began a five-year mountain bike park expansion, investing more than $175,000 on trail building.

Based in British Columbia, Gravity Logic is assisting Killington in designing and building more beginner and intermediate-friendly mountain bike terrain while also continuing to add more expert trails.

Six new mountain bike trails are also being integrated under and over the Beast Mountain Coaster.

Powdr Corp. operates eight resorts across the country. In addition to Killington and Pico, the privately held company also owns Copper Mountain, Colo.; Mount Bachelor, Ore.; Boreal Mountain Resort, Nev.; Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort; Gorgoza Park, Utah; and Soda Springs, Calif.

Richard F. Gluck

Rutland Herald

August 19,2015

 

Richard F. Gluck

PITTSFIELD — Richard Francis Gluck, age 77, of Pittsfield, VT, died on Friday, August 14, 2015, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Memorial Hospital.

Dick was born in Brooklyn, NY, on June 15, 1938, the son of Sarah Fern Fisher and Frederick Francis Gluck. He attended the Regis School in New York City and graduated from the Brooklyn Preparatory School.

Dick married Noel Finnegan of Brooklyn, NY, on December 18, 1971. They spent their honeymoon at the Chalet Killington. While working in New York City, Dick and Noel lived in Rowayton, Conn.

Dick was an avid skier and spent most winter weekends at his Pittsfield house, skiing Killington with Noel and their numerous friends. He had a small boat and enjoyed fishing in Long Island Sound and cooking his catch.

Dick was also a marathon runner. He ran in seven New York City marathons, finishing one marathon in less than three hours! Dick loved to cook and prepare meals for his Christmas Parties and gatherings of friends.

After spending many years working on Wall Street, Dick formed his own headhunting agency. He retired from his business in 1993 and moved to his home in Pittsfield. He worked at the Killington ski area for 12 years as a ski instructor. Not only did he teach skiing, Dick entertained his students and fellow instructors with his humorous stories and jokes.

For 12 years, Dick and Noel organized Team Killington to participate in the Komen Race for the Cure. Team Killington raised a significant amount of money for the Cure and received awards for having the largest group of Family and Friends participating in the race. The Glucks’ barbecue at their Pittsfield home for the 100 or more race participants was a highlight of the summer season.

Dick is survived by his wife Noel of 43 years; three brothers: Fred and Linda of Santa Barbara, CA; Bill and Arlene of Concord, MA; Stephen of Salem, CT; and two sisters: Ginna and Charlie of Cherry Hill, NJ, and Gay and Peter of Naples, FL.

Dick’s passing is the end of an era for the Pittsfield/Killington communities. As our unofficial Mayor, he will be sorely missed. A celebration of Dick’s joyful life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Clifford Funeral Home in Rutland.

Contribution may be made to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the Rutland Humane Society or a charity of your choice.

The family wishes to thank all of Dick’s friends for their love and support during his illness.

A celebration of life will be held Friday, Aug. 28, 2015, at 3 p.m. at the Summit Lodge on the Killington Access Road, Killington.

Killington continues its beautification with $15K grant

Rutland Herald

By Emily Cutts
staff writer | August 14,2015

 

KILLINGTON — A $15,000 grant will help continue the town’s effort to rebrand, beautify and ultimately make the town a four-season tourist destination.

The Moran Family donated the money to the Killington Pico Area Association, which presented the money to the Select Board at their Aug. 4 meeting.

“Killington is a special place for our family and we wanted to support its redevelopment as four-season destination” Kate Moran, of the Moran Family Foundation, said in a news release. “We’re hopeful our contribution can help the community continue its beautification plans in the years to come.”

The money will be dedicated to aesthetic development of the town.

“We are grateful for the contribution of the Moran Family Foundation and the support of the KPAA,” Select Board Chairwoman Patty McGrath said in a news release. “We believe that these types of public-private partnerships are integral to the growth and enhancement of our community.”

The town has been working on a rebranding and beautification effort since 2011, with the unveiling of a new logo. Previously, there were around nine logos throughout the town, prompting the then economic development director Seth Webb to refer to it as “logo soup.”

“The Killington Pico Area Association had been impressed with the town’s effort to beautify the commercial district,” Webb, current town manager, said. “The Moran family has a connection to Killington and wanted to support the community, so they spoke with Killington Pico Area Association on what the best way to do it would be. After a lot of discussion, they landed on supporting the town’s beautification efforts, which has been happening.”

Besides the updated logo, signs have been installed to help tourists navigate the town, native flower perennials have been planted, and a park and ride has been built, Webb said.

A new sign was installed in July on the roof of the Killington Welcome Center on Route 4.

Another sign will be placed on an AT&T cell tower that will be constructed on Killington Avenue. The project received its certificate of public good from the Public Service Board in December 2014.

Webb said the sign on the tower will be similar to those on pole banners on Route 4. The board approved a final design on Aug. 4.

“It’s been kind of contagious, people have been doing more and more,” Webb said. “(We’re) moving in the right direction and the Moran family will help us do that.”

Transparency??

Mountain Times
8/5/15

Dear Editor,

My letter to the editor in the July 16-22 edition was a simple question of transparency. I asked why the auditor’s report showed (on page 9) a $815,491 debt from Irene. Nowhere did I mention this money was due to an outside entity. In Selectboard Chair Patty McGrath’s response last week (the July 30-Aug. 5 edition) she mentioned twice that I inferred this money was due to an outside entity. This is not the case, or the issue.

My question once again is: why does the auditor’s report show a FEMA debt of $815,491 as of Dec. 31, 2014 and the town report does not? I’ve searched the town report with no luck finding it. When I asked “please explain why,” I was not asking how much we spent, how much was owed from federal and state, or even if we did all the work to get our town back together. The question was about lack of transparency since one set of financials shows a substantial debt while the other does not include this debt. As a taxpayer, I expect our town report financials to include ALL of our receipts and debts. I wouldn’t expect certain financial numbers to be backed out so that I have to seek it from another source. So Patty, my question is: where in the town report would I find this debt accounted for? Even if we borrowed it from ourselves, it should still be in the report somewhere.

Jim Haff, Killington

Missing dog found near crash scene

Rutland Herald

By Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli
Staff Writer | August 05,2015

 

Provided Photo

Missing no longer, Leo is reunited with his family and friend, clockwise from Leo, Erin Barry Bellis, Annabelle Lyons, Vicar Lee Crawford, and Christopher Barry Bellis.

KILLINGTON — For more than three days, dozens of people searched Killington’s hills, valleys and roadsides for Leo, the golden retriever who survived a crash that killed his owner on Route 4 late last Friday.

And at 11:19 a.m. Tuesday, a wet and muddy Leo came running into the arms of Erin Barry Bellis, the daughter of the man killed in the crash.

“We rang the church bells to celebrate Leo’s return,” said the Rev. Lee Crawford, vicar of Church of Our Savior on Mission Road in Killington. “In the midst of this tragedy, this moment of joy.”

Bellis of Woodbridge, along with her brother, Christopher Barry Bellis and his wife, Annabelle Lyons, of Philadelphia, traveled to Vermont in search of Leo.

Tuesday, on advice of animal rescue experts, Erin placed Leo’s blanket and toys at the spot the car came to rest in the crash, Crawford said, adding that animals will often circle around the area after a tragedy.

wHe was found at the brown shed on Mission Farm Road, Crawford said.

“When I saw them (Erin and Leo) coming down the road, his tail was wag, wag, wagging,” he said. “He was very thristy and he drank from several water bottles.”

Friday night, Leo was riding in the car with his owners, who are from Woodbridge, Conn., and have a condominium at the Pinnacle in Killington. As they traveled west on Route 4, near the junction with Route 100, a large Scottish Highland bull that had escaped from a fenced pasture was in the road near Mosher’s Excavation.

Leo’s owner, Jon M. Bellis, 62, hit the bull with his Subaru Crosstrek before traveling down a grassy slope and hitting a tree, according to Vermont State Police.

Bellis died at the scene as a result of the crash, police said. His wife, Kathryn Barry Bellis, 60, sustained a minor wrist injury.

Leo fled the crash and in the following days, people from as far as Maine have been involved in the search.

A family friend, Jill Simmons, who lives in Maine, sent out emails and Facebook posts seeking help finding him. She sent an email to Debby DuBay of Rutland Town, and she organized an intensive search in Killington and the area.

The Vermont Volunteer Services for Animals Humane Society made posters that DuBay and others posted along routes 4 and 100.

Hikers, businesses and residents were all on the lookout for the missing dog.

“I’m so moved by the concern of everyone,” Crawford said. “This day means so much. The family expressed their gratitude ... I have been lighting candles for Leo’s safe return.”

DuBay said it was spectacular how many people in the community helped.

There were a few sightings and hours before he was found, DuBay got a call at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday that she went to check out.

“Everybody was so aware and so watching for this dog,” she said. “Everybody has been spectacular”

Crawford said shortly after he was found, Leo and Erin sat down on the lawn at the church, and he settled in to being found.

After a trip to the vet, Leo and his family will make their way back to Connecticut.

“One of the wonderful parts of this story is that the dog stayed by the accident scene,” Dubay said. “That’s how much he loved them.”

Crashes spur warning about wildlife on roads

Rutland Herald

By Emily Cutts
staff writer | August 06,2015

 

After recent crashes involving wildlife, the state Department of Motor Vehicles is reminding motorists to keep eyes on the road and on the lookout for animals.

“Be a little bit more vigilant; when you drive, you should be looking ahead anyway,” said Capt. Jake Elovirta of the department’s Enforcement and Safety Division. “Even when the roads are clear, stay focused on the road ahead of you, looking to the sides of the road, too.”

Two inspectors with the department were involved in separate crashes with wildlife Monday.

Just before 8:20 a.m. Monday, Inspector Genevieve Paul struck and killed a six-point buck that crossed in front of her cruiser on Route 128 in Westford, according to a DMV news release.

Paul was unable to avoid the buck, and hit it with the front bumper, leaving no damage to the vehicle. Paul was uninjured.

Eight hours later, at 4:40 p.m., Capt. Drew Bloom struck a fully grown bear while traveling north on Interstate 89 in Richmond, the release said.

The bear ran into traffic from a wooded section of the center median and was crossing through the left lane when it was stuck by Bloom.

The bear rolled off the highway into the brush. Bloom was uninjured, but the unmarked cruiser, a 2011 Chevrolet Caprice, sustained an estimated $4,700 in damage.

Locally, a man was killed after he collided with a bull that wandered into the road in Killington.

Jon M. Bellis, 64, of Woodbridge, Conn., died late last week after hitting a large Scottish Highland bull that had escaped from a fenced pasture near Mosher’s Excavation. He crashed into a tree after hitting the animal, police said.

The bull died in the crash.

Bellis’ wife, Kathryn Barry Bellis, 60, suffered a wrist injury. The family’s dog, Leo, was missing for more than three days before he was found near the scene of the crash.

According to AAA, collisions with animals resulted in 2,083 fatal crashes and 2,194 fatalities between 2001 and 2011 nationwide.

A 2008 study by the Federal Highway Administration estimated there were 1 to 2 million collisions between cars and large animals every year in the United States.

Killington Town Clerk Lucrecia Wonsor knows from experience how quickly collisions with wildlife can happen. On a recent drive on Route 4 in Killington, a deer jumped between her car and the car in front of her.

“It literally jumped, it must have been in the ditch on the right hand side,” she said.

Unable to stop or avoid it, Wonsor hit and killed the deer. She was uninjured, but her car was damaged.

Wonsor said the driver ahead of her stopped to assist and she called police — which Elovirta of DMV recommends that everyone should do in that situation.

“Let local law enforcement know so they are aware,” he said. “Sometimes the animal is still alive so the agencies may notify Fish & Wildlife wardens of the situation. If the animal is suffering you don’t want it to suffer.”

Man Dies In Crash With Escaped Bull (more details)

Vermont Standard

8/6/15

By Eric Francis
Standard Correspondent

KILLINGTON — A report from startled motorists Friday night that a Scottish Highlander bull had slipped out of his pasture and was wandering along Route 4 south of the Killington Skyeship gondolas parking lot already had a state trooper rushing to the area when tragedy struck and a Connecticut couple slammed into the massive animal, killing both the bull and the driver of the car instantly.

Jon Bellis, 62, a Yale trained psychiatrist from Woodbridge, Connecticut, was pronounced dead at the scene while his wife of 37-years, Kathryn Barry Bellis, 60, sustained only a wrist injury after their crushed Subaru Crosstrek continued to roll westward down a grassy slope before coming to rest against a tree just past the Val Roc motel.

The couple has long had a second home in Killington.

The curly haired bull named “Rob” had, along with his companion “Big,” served for the past seven years as a mascot for Mosher Excavating, even making it through Hurricane Irene when the pasture at Mosher’s farm had washed away down the Ottauquechee River.

Killington Police Chief Whit Montgomery responded to the fatal crash along with the Killington Volunteer Fire Department and a Rutland RegionalAmbulance. Montgomery said one of the first people to stop “almost immediately” after the crash and render aid to the Bellis’ was a passing doctor but there was nothing that could be done for Jon Bellis.

Montgomery said his understanding was that there may have been “a couple of times” in the past when animals had gotten loose from their enclosures at Mosher “but nothing to this extent.”

Determining just how Rob got out will be part of the on-going state police investigation into the crash which is “looking at all angles,” Chief Montgomery said late Tuesday evening.

The chief said the “one piece of good positive news out of an otherwise tragic situation” was the successful recovery of the couple’s four-year-old golden retriever “Leo” who’d gotten out of the wreckage of the Bellis’ car on Friday night and disappeared until he was finally found four days later by the Bellis’ children just before noon on Tuesday not far from the crash scene.

“He was found OK…dirty but OK,” Chief Montgomery said, “He was taken to a vet to be checked out and is now back with his family.”

Several family friends and volunteers from the community had been out putting up posters of Leo and searching around the area after possible sightings were reported near the gas station and the Back Behind Restaurant over the weekend.

On Facebook, Chris Bellis of Philadelphia wrote that he and his wife had joined his sister, Erin Bellis, who’d driven up Monday night, in searching for Leo and he posted a video showing the moment when Leo ran down a side road with muddy paws towards his camera.

“We found him. He responded to my sister’s voice and came running,” Chris Bellis wrote.

Family Gives $15,000 For Killington Beautification

Vermont Standard

8/6/15

By Curt Peterson
Standard Correspondent

KILLINGTON — When Killington Pico Area Association’s Vince Chiarella stood to make an announcement at the select board meeting Tuesday evening, he unfurled a huge mock-up of a check for $15,000 payable to the Town of Killington. This got everyone’s attention.

“KPAA and the Moran Family Foundation have joined together to make this donation to a restricted fund for plantings beautifying Killington Road so the work the town has begun can be completed,” Chiarella said.

The Moran family, Town Manager Seth Webb later explained, has a second home in town and wanted to support the project with KPAA. Webb photographed the selectmen posing holding the check with Chiarella.

The Fire Department Facilities Committee gave a detailed report, including slides, from its July 15 visit to inspect Williamstown’s newly finished fire station. Webb pointed out that Williamstown’s fire department faced many of the same issues that confront the Killington squad, so seeing how their new facility solved the problems would be valuable education.

Resident Vito Rasenas said: “You’ll notice in the slide that Williamstown’s new station has five bays. We will need seven because we have more equipment than they do.” One of the new bays is used for their Rescue Squad and holds two ambulances.

The original cost estimate for the facility was $3 million. A local businessman donated the land and, with careful planning and efficient design, the final cost to the town was $2.3 million. One major savings was to widen the garage door openings, which made backing the trucks inside safer and easier. It also eliminated the cost of putting doors on both sides of the building for a “drive-through” effect.

Andy Rosenblum explained that eliminating the extra doors allowed Williamstown to use the back wall for utilities, storage and a changing area, and the wider doors provided more maneuvering room between vehicles.

“They also hired a clerk-of-the works to oversee construction on a full-time basis,” Rosenblum said. “They believe he saved them more than his salary ($30,000) by keeping an eye on what was going on.”

Chet Hagenbarth, Killington’s road foreman, added that having someone co-manage the job along with a general contractor might save a mark-up on subcontractor costs by allowing the town to pay them directly.

KVFD president Steve Finer said Williamstown built in long-term savings in the new facility as well.

“They installed a new pellet-burning heating system and provided storage space for the fuel supply. Their heating bill went from $12,000 a year to $3,500,” Finer said.

Rosenblum said the building also used solar panels to provide hot water.

A two-story brick section is attached to the metal garage building. It houses offices, a “day room” that can be used as an emergency shelter in case of disaster, a kitchen, a public meeting room with handi­capped access, and a small holding area that is used by the local sheriff and the state police when needed.

Hagenbarth thinks that Killington might use the same architect who designed the Williamstown station, have him add two bays and calculate an updated building cost estimate when and if the town decides to float a bond issue to finance a new facility.

“The Williamstown building is 9,800 square feet,” he said. “We would just be adding about 2,500 more square feet to the garage area. This could save us up-front costs.”

Select board chair Patty McGrath said she heard the Williamstown people held one of the votes deciding whether or not to build the new facility in the old facility, forcing the residents to see how inadequate the old building was. The vote came out 80 percent favorable, 20 percent against building the new station.

Finer said the Killington department is hoping to have the local Rotary Club hold one of their meetings at the old fire station, and to host a couple of Open Houses so the public gets a taste of how badly a new facility is needed. He also clarified that, while both the selectmen and he had referred generically to the fire department crew as “guys” throughout the discussion, the Killington squad includes women firefighters and women EMTs, and that some serve in both roles.

On a related issue Seth Webb reported one financing source had quoted a 2.84 percent interest rate for financing the new $360,000 fire truck.

“This is a really good rate,” he said, “but I think we might be able to do even better.”

The board passed a motion approving financing the new truck at a 2.84 percent interest rate, or less if available.

Webb also had good news about financing the new $190,000 singleaxle dump truck for the Road Department.

“For that we have two interest bids – one for 2.59 percent and another for 2.25 percent,” Webb said.

“I assume you want a motion to approve financing at the 2.25 percent rate, right?” quipped selectman Chris Bianchi.

A motion to do so passed.

Webb reported that the Black family on McClellan Road has notified the town they wish to exercise a permit they were issued allowing them to install a second driveway to their property. He admitted that allowing two driveways to one residence has never been a standard procedure, but the fact that the permit was granted on Oct. 17, 1983 was more of an issue.

According to various accounts and memories, the Blacks were originally granted two access ways because they had more residents trying to park at the house than one driveway could accommodate. They constructed one, and, according to Chet Hagenbarth, just drove over the second until the small ditch was filled in.

Some years later the Blacks apparently stopped using the second driveway, and weeds and grass grew over it so it has become invisible. Hagenbarth said his road crew was doing some ditching work at the site and opened up a functional ditch where the driveway had once been used. This inspired Ms. Black to notify the town she wants to install a culvert and re-establish the driveway she was permitted to use almost 32 years ago, like people wanting to use ancient roads that were once traveled but have faded away.

Hagenbarth said when the permit was granted a culvert had to be installed “if needed.” Now, he explained, the state has culvert specifications that could be required if modern regulations are applied to the old permission.

Chris Bianchi, reading a copy of the original permit, said, “This permit says it expires in two years if not acted upon.”

A discussion ensued over whether the Blacks’ alleged use of the driveway years ago constituted exercising the permit, thus voiding its expiration. In the end Webb pointed out there are three choices: “We can say yes, you can re-install the driveway and the town will provide what work is necessary regarding the ditch and culvert, we can say, yes, you can re-install the driveway, but you have to do the work yourself and install a culvert according to modern code, or, we can say, no, this permit is no longer valid, you have to reapply for permission to build a second driveway.

The board decided to advise the Blacks to reapply.

“We’re not trying to deny the Blacks their driveway,” Bianchi said. “We just want to make sure this is done right.”

---

Killington select board accepts a $15,000 donation by the Moran Family Foundation and KPAA for beautification on Killington Road. Pictured here from left are select board chair Patty McGrath, select board members Chris Bianchi and Ken Lee and KPAA representative Vince Chiarella.

Curt Peterson Photo

“KPAA and the Moran Family Foundation have joined together to make this donation to a restricted fund for plantings beautifying Killington Road so the work the town has begun can be completed.”

Vince Chiarella of Killington Pico Area Association

Slip Lane Headache revisited

The inexorable march towards eliminating the West Hill Road Slip Lane advanced further at last night's Select Board meeting wherein Chet Hagenbarth, town facilities and road manager, introduced his "West Hill Road signage package" which included removing the West Hill Road street sign from the top of the Slip lane and introducing a Stop sign at the bottom of the Slip lane. This configuration eliminates the "slip" characteristic of the Slip lane as, rather than allowing traffic to move easily through the intersection of West Hill and Killington roads, it creates a congestive stop where there was none before. If you put a stop sign in a slip lane you've effectively eliminated its function. It has been the stated goal of the town's administration to create "traffic calming" which is a euphemism for "controlled congestion", at this intersection. Do we really need congestion, controlled or otherwise?
This is supposedly being done to slow down northbound traffic entering West Hill Road, yet there was not even a speed limit sign reducing the speed to 25 mph from 35 mph until I brought it to the attention of the Select Board recently. That is how concerned the town's administration actually was about speeds on West Hill Road - they did not even realize they did not have a speed limit sign posted to slow down traffic, yet now we're faced with the prospect of having a stop sign placed there.
All recent actions at that intersection point to discouraging the use of the Slip lane. It was supposed to be repaved a year ago and was mysteriously not done even while a paving machine literally sat on it for a week. Then the massive pot holes and runnels were not filled in until recently with cold patch and that after  the lines where painted onto it obliterating them and creating an unsightly mess. Arrow stencils were painted where there were none before directing traffic to take the 90 degree turn at the lights instead of using the slip lane.
Now the repaving is even further delayed until next year because of bureaucratic delays in the installation of the sidewalk from Schoolhouse road to West Hill.
These are all subtle psychological ploys to make drivers, especially visitors unfamiliar with the roads, avoid the slip lane. Don't kid yourselves, these ploys are effective. I bet once the not knowing any better traffic starts to funnel through the right angle turn at the West Hill Road traffic lights a study will be commissioned to analyze traffic counts and a new initiative to close the slip lane will surface. In fact a traffic study was already suggested at last night's meeting.
If any of you care about this issue, pro or con, the Select Board has decided to put this on the agenda at their first meeting in September. You can bet it will be loaded with experts, consultants, traffic engineers and alike who will tout the benefits of putting the stop sign there if not outright closing of the Slip Lane. I am not sure of that meeting date as there was some confusion amongst the board as to when their September meeting were to be held. It was listed as September 1 on last night's agenda but that might have changed. I will update when I can confirm the date. You can also check the town website.
The signage proposal can be found at this link https://www.dropbox.com/sh/05fx8erlwcxgckp/AAC4MiqT2FD_3qmuLccB3zoza/2015-08-04/W.%20Hill%20Signage%20Package/W.%20Hill%20Signs.pdf?dl=0. If the link doesn't work you can find it on the town website under Boards and Commissions -> Select Board ->  Meeting Handouts ->.
I am not the only one who's thinking this way, at the last Planning Commission meeting the chairman himself wondered out loud if the painting of the arrows was indicative of a conspiracy to close down the slip lane. So while lip service is being paid to supposedly no plans in the offing to shut down the slip lane the actions being taken at that intersection seem to harbinger otherwise.

Humans of Killington

Rutland Herald
8/3/15

Cassidy Tedeschi is having loads of fun this summer.

She is a first-time camp counselor for the Killington Recreation Department and has spent the summer leading kids on adventures in the area.

“These are the summers where I should have a job like this,” said the college student. “Right now I’m working outside with kids every day, doing really fun things. I’ll have the rest of my life to work at a desk.”

Her favorite part of the job is not doing cannonballs in the pool, going on hikes or even getting an awesome tan.

Her favorite part is watching the kids grow throughout the summer.

“Their personalities change so much, it’s fun to see,” she said. “And I really try to be a good role model for them because it’s so important at that age.”

Some of her traits that make her a good role model are her ability to talk with the kids at their level. She also said she thinks she has a good balance of discipline and silliness.

Another reason she loves the job is because she loves getting involved with the Killington community.

She helped organize both the Fourth of July celebration and the Killington Chili Cook-Off.

“I think it’s really important to get my name and face out there,” she said.

She isn’t from this area, she’s originally from Rhode Island but is attending Castleton University (formerly Castleton State College, it will always be CSC in her opinion).

But getting to know her surroundings is crucial to her.

“I want to stick around Killington once I graduate, so I need to get to know the people and the area.”

She eventually wants a career in social work, but she also wants to stay on board with planning local events.

“This is a really great area with so much to do,” she said. “I want to stay a part of that.”

Leo lost after fatal crash

Rutland Herald

By Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli
Staff Writer | August 04,2015

 

Provided photo

KILLINGTON — Several people are searching for Leo, a 4-year-old golden retriever, after he ran from the scene of a car crash that killed his owner in Killington late Friday night.

The dog was riding with his family as they traveled west on Route 4. At about 10:22 p.m., Jon M. Bellis, 64, the driver of the vehicle, struck a large Scottish Highlander bull that had escaped from its pasture at Mosher’s Excavation, according to Vermont State Police.

Police said after striking the bull, the vehicle went down a small grassy hill where it crashed into a tree.

According to police, Bellis died at the scene as a result of the crash.

The passenger, Kathryn Barry, 60, also of Woodbridge, Conn., was transported to Rutland Regional Medical Center with an injury to her right wrist. She was treated and released.

The bull was killed in the inital crash as well.

It is not known if the dog was injured.

The search for the missing dog began Monday morning when Debby DuBay of Rutland Town got an email from her friend Jill Simmons, who lives in Maine, that Leo ran off from the crash. Simmons is a friend of Leo’s family in Woodbridge, Conn.

“I am coordinating the search for the family because I live in the area,” DuBay said. “Six of us met at Mosher’s this morning. We’ve been putting up posters and talking to everybody — hikers, businesses. Everybody knows about Leo.”

At about 5 p.m. Monday, DuBay was rushing back to routes 4 and 100 where they got word of a dog sighting.

“The man who called saw him at 3 p.m. Sunday and again on Monday. He was sighted on Route 4 east and Route 100 south, near the snowmobile tours sign, about two blocks from the Citgo and behind the Back Behind Restaurant,” she said. “We are back searching now and the family is coming back from Connecticut to search.”

Although Leo’s family lives in Connecticut, they own a condo at Pinnacle Condominium Association in Killington.

The dog is not wearing a collar or tags, but he is microchipped, said Sue Skaskiw, executive director of Vermont Volunteer Services for Animals Humane Society. The microchip is an identification method for veterinarians. If the dog is found and brought to a vet, the dog’s chip could identify the dog’s owner.

Skaskiw made 25 posters for the search.

“The whole thing breaks my heart,” said Craig Mosher, president of Mosher’s Excavating, who owned the bull. And many area residents would often stop by to see the bulls that had been in the pasture for 11 years.

“It was so good for so many years,” Mosher said. “In the blink of an eye, it ends like this.”

Conn. man killed in crash with bull

Rutland Herald

8/2/15 

   ‍KILLINGTON — A Connecticut man was killed Friday night when his car crashed into a bull on Route 4 and then a tree, police said.    John Bellis, 62, of Wood-bridge, Conn., was dead when Vermont State Police and medical responders arrived shortly before 10:30 p.m., police said.    A passenger, Kathryn Barry, 60, also of Woodbridge, suffered a wrist injury and was taken to Rutland Regional Medical Center.    Police said Bellis collided with a large Scottish Highlander bull that had escaped from its pasture.    The vehicle left the road and hit a tree, police said.    Police did not say whether the bull survived.    Police asked anyone with information about the crash to call 773-9101.