Thursday, August 28, 2014

Mount Holly Select Board

The next regular meeting of the Selectboard will be on September 09, 2014.  Items for the agenda are due at the Town Office by Noon, Thursday, September 04.  If you have an agenda item, please DO NOT ‘REPLY’ to this Newsflash. Contact the Town Office (259-2391) or email the Selectboard mthollysb@gmail.com.

While agenda items may be added or deleted at the beginning of the meeting, the Select Board must give the public adequate notice and an opportunity to be heard.  Therefore, an item brought to the Board after the agenda is posted might not be considered until a later meeting.

The completed Agenda will be posted inside and outside the Town Office and at the Mount Holly and Belmont post offices.

NOTE:  There will be two meetings on September 09, both held at the School Gym (not the Town Office).

6:30 pm – Special Selectboard meeting:  VTrans public information meeting about rumble stripes on Route 103.  No other agenda items or decisions at this meeting.

7:30 pm – Regular Selectboard meeting

Thursday, August 21, 2014

SAVE THE DATE!

SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, September 6 at 7 pm
Claudine Langille and Victor Paul
In Concert at Mount Holly Library
Celebrate the Release of Their New Album
" You Are My Flower”
Songs of the Original Carter Family 

Select Board Meeting - Draft= Aug.12

SELECT BOARD
AUGUST 12, 2014
The meeting was called to order at 7:30pm by Jim Heald. Raymond Tarbell and Tim Martin were
present. All stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Jim welcomed everyone and requested that
speakers raise their hand to be recognized, state their name and keep remarks civil and short.
1. Additions/Deletions to the Agenda: There were five additions to the agenda:
 VTrans Grant review letter
 Route 103 rumble strip meeting
 RRPC Town Plan approval process
 Star Lake Dam Inspection report
 VLCT PACIF property surveys
2. GMP Pole locations on Russellville Rd. This item was tabled from last meeting. The Town received
a petition from residents of Russellville Road regarding GMP’s plans for relocating electric lines
along the road, instead of the current line which runs through the interior of several properties. Tim
Upton (environmental dept.) and Carl Ojala (distribution director) from GMP were present. They
outlined the history of the project going back as far as 2010, from gathering easements from property
owners, site visits and reviews by ANR and the Act 250 permit approval in Dec. 2012. GMP changed
the new line running from an existing pole on the Shaw property to a new pole location across the
road on another property, as the Shaws did not grant the easement for theirs. GMP has all necessary
easements and permits to proceed with the project as is. Erin and Heather Shaw are asking that the
Selectboard find that the new pole location is not appropriate and that GMP keep the line where it is.
The Shaws believe that the proposed location in the highway ROW will be unstable in another flood
event such as Irene, and that the location does not meet the Act 250 requirements. After some
discussion between the parties, Jim Heald asked both parties to meet and try to come to a
compromise, which they agreed to do.
3. The minutes of the regular meeting of July 08 and the special meeting of May 27 were sent
out before the meeting for review. (The May 27 minutes should have been approved at the
June meeting, but were inadvertently missed.) There were no corrections or additions. Upon
motions made and seconded it was
VOTED: To approve the July 08 and May 27 minutes. (3-0)
4. Highways
 Winter Sand: Jeff reported that Casella’s bid was $1.00 more than Pike’s. As Casella has not
provided a sand sample, he preferred to stick with the relatively coarse sand from Pike. The
Board all agreed. Eithier Trucking will deliver the sand.
 Tarbellville Culvert
1) Jeff first reported on the proposal to move the streambed above the culvert, which could
eliminate the other two culverts above the one being replaced. If feasible, this could
eliminate up to $400,000 for replacement culverts in the future. There are some legal issues
with this, and a survey by Otter Creek will cost about $5,000. The Board agreed to the cost.
2) The bids for the culvert being replaced were made assuming a round culvert, and there is
some question about ledge. A design of a 6’X14’ 3-sided (open bottom) culvert would allow
for a shallower placement, but still requires footings 6 feet down. A test drilling for ledge
was inconclusive. The Board agreed that a better auger drilling should be done for ledge and
that the bids would need to be redone for the open bottom design.
 Route 155 status – Dennis Devereux reported that he had written a letter to Secretary Searls of the
Agency of Transportation regarding the poor condition of Route 155 From East Wallingford to Weston. While the Agency agreed that the road needs work, budgetary issues mean there are no
plans for substantial work other than patching as needed along VT155. Dennis mentioned that he
will contact other legislative members from the area to push for paving, and suggested that a
citizen’s petition might be effective. The Board agreed to write a letter to the Agency.
 Hortonville/Shunpike Roads: A resident complained about potholes on these two roads. This
year’s paving project is planned for Hortonville, which should take care of most of the problem
area. Jeff reported that Shunpike has been regraded and he will look at the pavement change
areas for possible improvements.
 New Garage.
Jim Heald read a report from Jerry Hansen, providing a project progress thru the end of July (a
copy will be available at the town office). Mr. Hansen also approved the third payment request
from Josselyn Bros. The structural steel has been erected and the installation of banding and
fabric for roof insulation and roof panels in is progress. This phase of construction can be
affected by wind and rain conditions. Jeff noted that electricity to the building was installed
today.
 VTrans had a Grant Review team look at documentation for the July 2013 storm damage grant for
Old Turnpike Road and the Town received a letter with the results of the visit. While they
suggested that the Town adopt a procurement policy, the Town was commended for our readiness
for a FEMA audit, if one should happen.
5. Report of Treasurer
 David Johnson presented an income and expense statement dated July 31, 2014 showing cash
balances of $1,194,429. Property taxes have started coming in. The State Adjustments are down
about $58,000 from last year, but that may change with late tax filers. The first quarter State
highway aid has been received. No notable expenses with only one month in the fiscal year. The
new garage bills are about ½ of total project.
 Advances to U39 and MH Elementary – David requested that the Board authorize advances to
both schools, as the exact school payment schedules will not be known until mid-September
(usual timeframe) and the schools will have expenses before then. Upon motion made and
seconded it was
VOTED: To authorize David to advance $100,000 to each school until the exact payment
schedule can be determined. (3-0)
 External Audit – David asked if the Board wished to continue with Jeff Bradley for an external
auditor or look for other bids. David would hope to begin the audit in September unless other
bids were needed. Upon motion made and seconded it was
VOTED: To continue with Jeff Bradley as external auditor. (3-0)
6. Primary Election – August 26th
Susan Covalla, Town Clerk, reported that the primary election will be held on Tuesday, August 26th
,
at the Town Office with voting from 10am – 7pm. Voters will receive four ballots (one for each
party), choose which party’s ballot they wish to vote on, and the others are thrown away.
7. Planning Commission
 Hazard Mitigation Plan – The committee met on July 31st with Laura Keir from RRPC to
continue the updating of the Town’s plan. She will finalize the plan and send to committee
members for review. The process for the plan’s adoption and approval includes a 15-day public
comment period, review and approval by the Northwest RPC, the State Hazard Mitigation Officer
and then FEMA Region 1.
 VTrans is planning to hold a public information meeting on the installation of rumble stripes
along the length of Route 103. Susan Schreibman is coordinating a meeting for the Rutland
County towns involved and requested Mount Holly host it. The Board agreed to hold the meeting
on September 09 at 6:30pm at the school gym. The regular Selectboard meeting will follow at
the school.  RRPC sent a letter to clarify and simplify the process RRPC will be using to approve town plans
and the planning process. This information was forwarded on to the Planning Commission.
8. Star Lake Dam Reconstruction – Update
 The Town received the Star Lake Dam Inspection Report from the State. Ron Unterman noted
it’s pretty much the same as previous years and the State is glad we are moving on.
 Ron Unterman reported on conversations with Dubois and King, State engineers and other parties
to relook at an option for the dam (overtopping dam design). This design would consider the
1000 year flood time period over 48 hours rather than 24 hours. The resulting change in design
means not raising the dam level as high, no parapet wall, (lower costs) and probably no need to
get easements from the property owners. The lake will still be raised to the historical level (18
inches higher).
9. Other Business
 VLCT PACIF performed property surveys on the old garage and the town office. As a result, the
replacement values for both buildings were raised, and the town’s premium will increase for the
2015 calendar year.
 ATV committee update – Don Patch presented a proposed ordinance regarding ATV use on town
roads. (A copy of the proposal is available at the Town Office.) The committee felt that ATV’s
are used on town roads now (illegally) and an ordinance would provide a structure for allowing
legal use of approved town highways while protecting the health and safety of all vehicle
operators, residents and property. They recommended opening a couple of non-paved roads on a
trial basis for one year.
Comments from those attending (including one non-resident) covered numerous topics including
but not limited to: accidents have already occurred with illegal use; ATV’s are not designed for
use on roads; 27 towns and clubs covering multiple towns allow it; would allow handicapped
people to move around (state law allows handicapped hunters to use them); possible liability
issues for the town; education issues of both residents and riders; handling of complaints or
enforcement issues not resolved; concerns that ATV’s will begin to use VAST trails.
Upon motion made and seconded, it was
VOTED: To table the proposed ATV ordinance to a future meeting (2-1, T. Martin
dissented).
 New England Clean power Link Project (NECPL), a proposed 1000 MW electrical transmission
line to run along Route 103, has scheduled a public open house meeting on Thursday August 21
at the Town Office from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
 Okemo Act 250 Application Amendment – Okemo has filed an amendment to the Act 250 permit
to allow construction of the chair storage building for the new lift.
 VT ANR – announced planned stewardship activities in Okemo State Forest, to include relocation
of two sections of the Healdville Trail, trailhead maintenance, and two culvert replacements on
Mountain Road.
 The Town’s DUNS# number registration was updated on July 10 (required annually). Don Patch
noted that the NIMS compliance will also be required for FEMA grants (requires certain town
officials to have completed various levels of NIMS certification courses).
10. Executive Session – None needed.
11. The Board reviewed and signed the July orders for payment.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:32 pm.Respectfully submitted,
Rhonda Rivers
Minutes are DRAFT until approved at a Select Board meeting. Approved on: _______________

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Mount Holly Select Board

Mount Holly Select Board


Reminder that the New England Clean Power Link Project (NECPL) open public meeting is Thursday evening, 08/21 at the Town Office from 6-8pm.  NECPL has publicized these meetings in several papers.  See the attached for more information.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

VT-103 RUMBLE STRIPES PUBLIC MEETING (MT HOLLY)

VT-103 RUMBLE STRIPES PUBLIC MEETING (MT HOLLY)

WHEN:
September 9, 2014 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
WHERE:
Mount Holly Town Office, 150 School St, Mt Holly, VT
CONTACT:
 Kevin Marshia
 802-828-2932
The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) will hold two public meetings examining the potential to add centerline rumble stripes to sections of VT-103 between Rockingham and Mount Holly, including Chester, Cavendish and Ludlow.  If the installation is to move forward, it would occur as part of the current paving project in the Fall of 2014. The meetings are open to all and will be:
  • Thursday 8/28 at 6pm – Town of Rockingham/ Village of Bellows Falls Town Office (7 Square, Bellows Falls, VT)
  • Tuesday 9/9 at 6:30pm (during regular Selectboard meeting) – Mount Holly Town Office (150 School St, Mt Holly, VT)
Click here for a newly revised factsheet about how VTrans decides why and where to install centerline rumble stripes on roadways across Vermont.  For more information about the meetings please contact Kevin Marshia, Deputy Chief Engineer Highway Division  from VTrans (kevin.marshia@state.vt.us , 802-828-2932).

Annual Silent Movie Festival in Ludlow August 16

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Friday, August 15, 2014

By WCAX News

MT. HOLLY, Vt. -
Vermont State Police say a family dispute in Mount Holly turned violent and ended with gunshots.
Investigators say they responded to a report of a domestic assault Friday morning at a home on Gage Street.
Police say two men, believed to be stepfather and stepson, were reportedly arguing when things escalated into a physical fight. When one of the men attempted to run away, the other fired a gun.
One man is in custody and the other is injured. Police say they believe the injuries are related to the assault, not the gunshot.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Moms & Dads with Children Birth to 5 Years Old

Moms & Dads with Children Birth to 5 Years Old
Special Children’s Author Event
Mount Holly Town Library
Play Group Tuesday, August 12th from 10 to 11:30
Nicole Bierre, Vermont Children’s Author,
will read her newly published book.
“Chanterelle Finds a Family”
A delightful story about a puppy with an
independent stubborn streak who thinks she
doesn’t need the help from any human or animal.
Join Our Fun Program and Meet the Author!

Friday, August 8, 2014

State Finally Gets Rid of CGI, But Optum Has Been Sued For a Massive Fraud


Why Optum May Be Worse Than CGI
 
Quotes of the Week:  “We did review a number of folks for their skills and capabilities and made the best judgment we could.  We are undoubtedly going to get hammered.  I don’t care.  Our job is to solve this and solve it with the best resources available….” Lawrence Miller, Health Care Reform Chief, discussing hiring Optum to take over Vermont Health Connect’s website work
 
 
 

 
·         State Finally Gets Rid of CGI, But Optum Has Been Sued For a Massive Fraud
·         “Into the Frying Pan” by Randy Brock
 
In an abrupt departure from his unwavering support of CGI, creator of Vermont Health Connect’s bungled website, Governor Shumlin announced on August 4th that he was finally dumping CGI and replacing it with OptumInsight (Optum).  After a year of development by CGI, the website still cannot handle changes in circumstances or insurance coverage renewals, which are coming up soon. The amicable split from CGI was in sharp contrast to Shumlin’s earlier assertion that CGI had “underperformed at every turn”.  That’s because CGI is not really going away.  CGI will still be in the background, hosting the web services needed to run the website, while Optum takes on the website design and testing work.  Health Care Reform czar Lawrence Miller says that the testing process “will not be quick; we’ll be running through every scenario to find out what’s broken and fixing it”.  He does not anticipate that the system will be fixed in time for the upcoming health plan reenrollment process, which means that once again, Vermonters will have to go through a laborious paper enrollment process.
 
CGI will be paid $67 million of an $83 million contract.  The state will pay CGI another $9.7 million between now and CGI’s exit date of September 20th, for work completed by that date.  Performance penalties, which should have been much higher, were limited to $5.1 million by CGI.   Vermont has spent over $90 million altogether on Vermont Health Connect.  The administration says that 97% was Federal money.  That means Vermonters have paid $2.73 million out of the state’s coffers.  And Federal money is taxpayers’ money too.
 
Shumlin’s firing of CGI was long overdue and should have happened six months ago, according to Vermont Lt. Governor Phil Scott.  Even Lawrence Miller has shown some frustration, saying, “The big question is, why the hell we didn’t do this months ago – because it takes months…”
 
In a press conference on August 5th, House and Senate Minority leaders Rep. Don Turner (R-Milton) and Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia) said that that they were blindsided by the switch to CGI.  The minority party leadership was not invited to take part in any discussions about the switch, and was not given the courtesy of a heads-up before the announcement was made.  There has not been even a  pretense of working across the aisle by the Shumlin administration and the Democratic majority, or of being mindful that elected Republican officials have constituents back home who need to be represented too.  It’s Democratic with a capitol “D”, and a virtual monopoly.
 
Rep Turner called for a “real scrubbing” of the leadership team that has been working on Vermont Health Connect to date.   Vermonters for Health Care Freedom, along with many Vermonters, has called for Mark Larson, Robin Lunge and Lindsay Tucker to be fired for their incompetence.  Other states have fired incompetent exchange officials in their states.  In the private sector it happens all the time.   There is no doubt that Vermont Health Connect would not be in the mess it is in had the Governor not chosen the wrong people to head it up.  Appointing a domestic violence counselor (Larson) and a lawyer (Lunge), neither with any managerial or health systems experience, reflects upon Shumlin’s leadership shortcomings.  The Governor won’t fire these people because he made the wrong picks in the first place and can’t admit it.  Unfortunately for Vermont, putting this same team in charge of a new vendor is unlikely to yield a different result.
 
Representative Doug Gage, (R-Rutland City), one of the only two Republicans on the 11-member House Health Care (HHC) committee, believes that CGI should have been fired long ago. “It was irresponsible of the Governor and his administration not to recognize that CGI was incompetent and needed to be fired six months ago, as many states and the Federal government did.  CGI was hired outside the normal bidding process, and it is widely known that they failed time and time again”, said Gage.
 
Rep. Mary Morrissey (R-Bennington), the other HHC Republican said,  “At an estimated cost of over $70 million, many resources tapped and the addition of great frustration for many Vermont citizens, families, businesses and healthcare providers, firing CGI is long overdue.   I have asked repeatedly since the fall, and as recently as two weeks ago at the House Health Care committee meeting for their dismissal”. 
 
“Today’s announcement appears to be a rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic, without solving Vermonters’ problems and without a plan in place to fix the system.  It is also concerning that the managers Of the exchange, Larson, Lunge and Tucker are not being held accountable.  I’m once again calling for the Governor to make the Vermont Health Exchange voluntary, and to open up the health insurance market in a way that will meet Vermonters’ needs through choice and competition”.
 
For a second time in a row, the state did not use a competitive bid process in hiring Optum because in Miller’s view, it takes too long.  Instead, the state has signed an agreement with Optum and is still negotiating a contract.  Miller says he does not know how much Optum will be paid to complete the project.  What usually happens to price when there is only one seller?
 
So after a year of misery and $67 million later, the state has signed an agreement with CGI waiving all rights to sue the company for any failures or any breaches of the system – and has agreed that neither party will assume fault for disastrous performance of Vermont Health Connect.  In other words, the administration has struck a deal with a private contractor to withhold the details its greatest known management failure.  Translation:  State:  CGI has us by the cojones.  We can’t hold them accountable, sue them, or even blame them lest we hurt their feelings and they leave us.   What a sweet deal for CGI.  What a sour deal for Vermonters.   
 
House Health Care chair Mike Fisher (D-Ripton) says he’s relieved to hear of the hiring of Optum.  As a Shumlin apologist, Fisher says it’s hard to determine who is responsible for the failures of the exchange – the contractors or the administration.  Really?  Not if you think about it for about one second.
 
Meanwhile, let’s take a closer look at Optum.
INTO THE FRYING PAN… By Randy Brock
It’s far too early to celebrate the Shulman Administration’s belated firing of CGI, the contractor responsible for flubbing Vermont’s dysfunctional healthcare exchange.
 
That’s because CGI’s designated successor, hired under yet another no-bid contract, is a company whose dubious origins raise even greater concerns. 
 
The company is OptumInsight, a subsidiary of insurance giant UnitedHealth Group. Optum, was awarded a $5.6 million no-bid contract to clean up some of the mess left by CGI in the wake of the Vermont Health Connect meltdown. Now, reportedly, the state is in the final process of negotiating another multimillion dollar contract with Optum to complete the work left undone by CGI.
 
The problem is the Optum may not be exactly what it seems. That’s because just three years ago, the company wasn’t named Optum at all.   Until its name change in June 2011, Optum was called Ingenix Inc.  Ingenix’s claim to fame came from being charged by New York State Attorney General (and now Governor)  Andrew Cuomo with a massive fraud. 
 
According to the attorney general, Ingenix engaged in “a scheme to defraud consumers” by systematically causing insurers using its databases to overbill the nation’s patients by hundreds of millions of dollars for more than a decade. The databases in question were used by insurance companies to calculate the local “usual and customary charges” that insurers would pay.
 
What’s particularly significant is that the attorney general alleged that this was not an error, but
a  Deliberate scheme designed, in a system ripe with conflicts of interest, to benefit, among
others, Ingenix’s corporate parent, UnitedHealth.
 
According to the attorney general, the scheme allegedly worked like this: “Insurers knew most
simple Doctor visits cost $200, but claimed to their members the typical rate was only $77. The
insurers then applied the contractual reimbursement rate of 80%, covering only $62 for a $200
bill, and leaving the patient to cover the $138 balance.”
 
By relying on Ingenix’s data, most major insurance companies, including UnitedHealth, CIGNA
and Aetna as well as the Federal employees’ insurance system and TRICARE serving military
families, reimbursed patients less than they were due, leaving consumers across the country
with hundreds of millions of dollars in higher out-of-pocket expense. In Vermont, in addition to
CIGNA, MVP used Ingenix’s data. It is unclear if Blue Cross was involved.
 
A 2009 investigation by the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
reached the same conclusion as Cuomo. "This is outrageous at any time, but especially as
families all throughout our country are doing everything they can to make ends meet in this
economy -- this is despicable," committee chair Senator Jay Rockefeller (D, WV) said in a
written statement.
 
Ingenix settled the New York fraud charges by agreeing to pay $50 million to have its database
replaced by one set up and run by a new independent data provider. Ingenix neither admitted
nor denied that it engaged in fraud.
 
In addition to the New York State investigation, numerous suits against the company and
against insurers  who used its data were filed all over the country. In 2009, in what was
reported by the American Medical Association as the largest monetary settlement ever made over payments by a single insurer, UnitedHealth Group paid $350 million to customers and medical providers to settle the Ingenix litigation.
 
The Optum story is eerily reminiscent of CGI’s history, which involved the acquisition of a
company that had a massive $474.5 million dollar judgment for botching a Mississippi
government contract and then paid $5 million to settle litigation from the Federal Thrift
Investment Board. 
 
It was also the subject of a US Senate inquiry into four years of delays and cost overruns.  CGI’s federal subsidiary was accused in a 2011 whistleblower suit of initiating a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  CGI denied the allegation and the suit is still pending.
 
All of this begs the question:  Did the Shumlin Administration know about Optum’s troubled
background and, despite it, allow Vermont to enter into a multi-million dollar no-bid contract
with a company that paid hundreds of millions of dollars to settle accusations of a massive
fraud?  Or worse, were officials completely unaware of the company’s troubled history at all?
 
Either way, with the Ingenix successor, OptumInsight, charged with “fixing” the dysfunctional
Vermont Health Connect website, consumers may want to grab a bottle of aspirin and then
 scrutinize every health insurance bill they get with a calculator close at hand.
 
Randy Brock is a principal at Rockledge Risk Advisors LLC. He is a former Vermont State Auditor and State Senator and was   the 2012 Republican nominee for Governor. He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner.
 

As bad as it was, CGI did not deliberately defraud health care consumers the way Optum/Ingenix did in New York State.  Shumlin’s quick deal with Optum/Ingenix smacks of desperation, and now Vermont is in bed with a known fraudster.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Bat field Technican

Julia Hoeh tracks and captures bats in the forests of Tennessee.
Julia Hoeh tracks and captures bats in the forests of Tennessee.
Courtesy of Vanessa Rojas

The Bat Field Technician

But you can call her "bat girl"
Deep in the woods of East Tennessee, Julia Hoeh, 27, lives a nocturnal life — working shifts that end as late as 3 a.m. She's helping to research the effects of white nose syndrome on bats, affixing radio trackers to the bats and collecting tissue samples.
Required skills: "An ability to go with the flow and be prepared for schedule changes very frequently. ... It seems any time we're prepared to have days off is when we catch the bat we've been looking for."
Other important skills: The "ability and willingness to go off-trail hiking. Lots of time outdoors at night. Which is probably one of my favorite parts of the job, but some people are scared of being outside in the dark."
Best thing about the job: "I really enjoy working with bats and getting to see them up close, learn new things about their life cycle and their interactions in the ecosystem — their importance in the whole of the environment that they live in."
What people don't understand about bats: "A lot of people think of bats as just a flying mouse ... they are so much different than rodents in general. ... And they are just so fricking adorable."

Monday, August 4, 2014

Man denies growing pot in Mount Holly


By ERIC FRANCIS
CORRESPONDENT | August 04,2014

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — A second man who police said was running an indoor marijuana growing operation in Mount Holly in April 2013 has been found, arrested and arraigned. 

Montana Manship, 21, was brought to the courthouse in White River Junction recently where he pleaded innocent to a felony count of marijuana cultivation and an accompanying misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana. Manship was released after he signed a $5,000 unsecured appearance bond.

Owen Hyjek, 20, recently pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor possession of marijuana which resulted in a two-year deferred sentence.

Going forward both cases will be prosecuted at the courthouse in Rutland where the charges were originally filed.

Vermont State Police Trooper Jonathan McNulty said the bust, which eventually netted 40 marijuana plants growing in pots and parts of another 60 plants that had been harvested and were in various stages of processing, began when a landlord and a handyman dropped by a property on Shunpike Road in Mount Holly to see if they could change a water filter.

McNulty said after knocking without an answer, the landlord pulled open an unlocked door and yelled to see if anyone was inside and in so doing noticed that a lot of bright lights appeared to be on “unnecessarily,” some glaring from behind closet doors, even though it appeared no one was home. As the men made their way around the home flipping off lights they found several of them couldn’t be turned off and then noticed they were over rows of marijuana plants.

The men backed out and called police and McNulty and several other troopers arrived with Mount Holly Constable Paul Faenza and a search warrant a few hours later and seized the plants, smoking bongs and pipes, along with grow lights, a hydroponic tent, watering devices and numerous jugs of growth formula.

The police determined that two bedrooms in the rented home were being lived in by Manship and Hyjek.

























































































Manship, who has no previous criminal record, faces a maximum potential penalty of up to three and a half years in jail if he were to be convicted of both charges now pending against him.an denies growing pot in Mount Holly