Friday, April 28, 2017

Mill River is best choice

Mill River is best choice

Commentary
As a Ludlow resident and parent of two children currently attending Ludlow Elementary School, I began attending Act 46 meetings last summer when I realized the massive impact on our community. I have asked many questions and received informed answers, so I want to share what I have learned along the way.
Growing up in Plymouth, I had school choice for high school. Black River was significantly closer geographically, but the many educational opportunities, exceptional athletic programs and diversity of students from seven different towns made attending Woodstock Union High School the better option for me. I take tremendous pride in my high school, and I didn’t find the 30-minute bus ride a hindrance. To this day, some of my closest friends are those from middle and high school.
Reflecting back, I believe that Acts 60 and 68 have negatively impacted our education system in Ludlow because it deprived our small town of educational tax dollars needed to stay current, promote growth and attract full- time families to our area. Although restrictive and harsh, Act 46 has required us to critically examine our current situation and develop ways to improve the education we are providing our children.
Initially, I had hoped building a new school centrally located was achievable because I liked the idea of keeping our current supervisory union together. It saddens me that my children will be deprived of attending high school with close friends in Cavendish. I feel strongly that Ludlow and Mount Holly students should remain together since both towns have collaborated for decades and share sports teams.
I diligently explored many educational options including K-12 school models, privatizing to create a Black River Academy and school choice. Although school choice is appealing, there are many barriers, such as a very high projected tax rate, no straightforward plan for elementary school protection and no transportation options. I have continued to attend meetings and have become convinced that Mill River is very well organized and will help us move our local education in a very positive direction, plus keeping our elementary school intact.
I intend no disrespect to Black River and the administrators and teachers who work hard for our students every day. Black River ranks 56 out of 59 schools on the School Digger scale, which is alarming. Another website called Niche rates college readiness and positions Black River at 49 of 60, while Mill River is rated 16 out of 60. Evaluation needs to be more than test scores, and although our existing small school structure has been positive for some students, others have reported that were poorly prepared upon graduation.
I have visited the Green Mountain, Black River and Mill River campuses. Through comparison, I believe that Mill River is the only logical option at this time. In discussing educational goals and vision, Mill River seemed to be better organized and interested in innovative approaches to learning. They have proficiency-based learning with well-defined implementation plans and projected tax numbers that are well suited for Ludlow and Mount Holly. The Mill River supervisory union shows economic responsibility by housing their supervisory union offices within the high school building. While there is no perfect solution, I believe Mill River is the best option.
I know change is difficult, but I think that the Mill River district has demonstrated motivation, dedication and commitment to progressive education. I appreciate the hard work of our school board and respect the plan they have put forth. Concerning the sense of community, I encourage people to get involved. Our impressive elementary school thrives on the support of local family members and friends. In an effort to keep this process from driving us apart, please learn all you can, then vote wisely on May 30. Let’s choose to come together as a community for our students and their education.
Melissa Perrino is a resident of Ludlow.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Meeting Announcement

The next meeting of this parent-led group will be on Thursday, April 27th at 6:00pm in the cafeteria of the Community Center.
The group is meeting weekly to discuss formulating a plan for IF the Mill River merger vote does not go through.  There are committees formed and we are actively working in 3 areas:  innovative educational and financial ideas for our schools, legislative outreach, and community outreach.
Please forward to anyone you think may be interested and come on Thursday with ideas.

Monday, April 24, 2017

Vermont school district mergers test sports team loyalties


APRIL 24, 2017 9:04 AM

Vermont school district mergers test sports team loyalties

Friday, April 21, 2017

May Youth Activities at the Fletcher Memorial Library


Weekly Toddler and Pre-School Story Time

Wednesdays 10:30-11:30am
Each week features a theme, music, and a craft or activity
Best suited for ages 5 and under
Read With Oreo
Friday 26, May 3:00-4:00pm
School age students are invited to the library to read a story or two with Oreo the Reading Dog.

Books and Cooks
Grades 2 and Up
Friday May 19, 2017
3:00-4:00
Rainbow Fruit Pizza
Learn how to make a healthy rendition of a traditional favorite!

STEM Night
Monday May 22, 2017
5:30-6:30 pm (Note later time than usual)
Grades K & Up
STEM Surprise!
Shhhhh- tonight’s activity is a surprise! Will you be building with legos, mixing up a concoction, or some other sort of scientific fun? You’ll just have to stop by to find out!

Silent Movie Classic 'The Kid' to screen on Saturday, April 22 at Ludlow Auditorium

CC The Kid 1921.jpg



Charlie Chaplin's 'The Kid' to screen on Saturday, April 22 at Ludlow Auditorium

"The Kid", a landmark silent film comedy/drama about Little Tramp raising an orphan, will be presented with live music at the Ludlow Town Hall Auditorium on Saturday, April 22 at 7 PM. The special program will be presented with live music by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

The movie, with its daring mix of intense drama and slapstick comedy, proved an instant sensation and marked one of the high points of Chaplin's long career.

'The Kid' follows the story of a tramp (Chaplin) who attempts to raise an orphaned boy on his own. It includes several classic scenes, and is highlighted by a sequence in which Chaplin battles authorities attempting to return the child to an orphanage. Co-starring with Chaplin in 'The Kid' is five-year-old Jackie Coogan, who turned in what many critics rank as the best child performance of the entire silent film era.

"If you can put pieces of the experience back together again, it's surprising how these films snap back to life," said Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film accompanist who creates music for silent film screenings at venues around the country. "By showing the films under the right conditions, you can really get a sense of why people first fell in love with the movies."

'The Kid' will be preceded by 'A Dog's Life' (1918), one of Chaplin's earlier short comedies that helped establish his worldwide popularity.

As with all FOLA-sponsored movies, everyone is invited to enjoy it and it's free; donations are appreciated. Popcorn will be supplied courtesy of Berkshire Bank with water provided by FOLA. For information, call (802) 228-7239 or visit the FOLA web site, www.fola.us.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Mill River Unified Union School District Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU) Merger





This is the presently proposed timeline relating to the merger :


Mill River Unified Union School District (MRUUSD)
Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU)
Merger

Mount Holly and Ludlow Elementary Schools

Planning Process Timeline

April 18           MRUUSD/TRSU  reps attend State Board of Education meeting for anticipated  approval of our proposal.  APPROVED BY STATE BOARD

April 24           Interested students/parents/community members attend information visit to Mill River Union High School.

April 24           Public Forum at Ludlow Elementary 6:00 pm

May 9              Public Forum at Mount Holly Elementary 6:00 pm

May 23            Public Forum at Ludlow Elementary 6:00 pm

MAY 30          VOTE IN MOUNT HOLLY AND LUDLOW

June – July      Public Forums and communication in MRUUSD


Aug 1              VOTE IN MRUUSD             

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

School District Merger

This is the presently proposed time line relating to the merger :


Mill River Unified Union School District (MRUUSD)
Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU)
Merger

Mount Holly and Ludlow Elementary Schools

Planning Process Timeline

April 18           MRUUSD/TRSU  reps attend State Board of Education meeting for anticipated approval of our proposal.  APPROVED BY STATE BOARD

April 24           Interested students/parents/community members attend information visit to Mill River Union High School.

April 24           Public Forum at Ludlow Elementary 6:00 pm

May 9              Public Forum at Mount Holly Elementary 6:00 pm

May 23            Public Forum at Ludlow Elementary 6:00 pm

MAY 30          VOTE IN MOUNT HOLLY AND LUDLOW

June – July      Public Forums and communication in MRUUSD


Aug 1              VOTE IN MRUUSD             

Monday, April 10, 2017

The Mill River Community welcomes you to visit

Mill River Unified Union School DistrictC:\Users\adages\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Word\mill logo1.jpg

2321 Middle Road, Suite 1
North Clarendon, VT  05759
Tel:  802-775-3264       http://millriverschools.org      Fax:  802-775-8063

                                                  Thriving Students. Premier Schools. Engaged Community



You are Invited!

The Mill River Community welcomes you to visit
Mill River Union High School on
Monday, April 24, 2017

We will have an overview program prepared, to provide a sense of what the Mill River Community is all about.

The visit will occur from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on April 24th, and we will be providing bus transportation for interested individuals.

This initial visit is primarily intended for current students in grades 7-10 and any interested parents or community members.

Please complete this brief SURVEY to let us know if you plan to attend and whether or not you would like to ride a bus over for the visit. Buses will depart from BRHSMS and Mt. Holly Elementary at 9:30 am and be expected to return at around 12:45 pm.  Please complete the survey no later than April 14th.

We do expect to offer another opportunity to visit the school during evening hours sometime in May – if you are unable to participate on April 24th or have elementary-aged children who are interested in seeing the school, we ask that you consider that future TBD date. More information will be coming soon. We can’t wait to meet you!

Easter Sunday

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Thursday, April 6, 2017

SELECT BOARD MEETING April 11, 2017 7:30pm Mount Holly, VT.

SELECT BOARD MEETING
April 11, 2017
7:30pm

AGENDA

  1. Pledge of Allegiance

  1. Additions or Changes to Agenda

  1. Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes of February 14, 2017

  1. Reorganization for 2016 – 2017
  1. Engage law firm for tax sales

  1. Highways
  1. FY18 TH Class 2 and Structures Grants –
  2. Truck and tractor purchase

  1. Report of Treasurer
  1. Monthly income and expense report
  2. Authorization for Orders

  1. Transfer Station
  1. Compacter
  2. Food scrap program

  1. Planning Commission
  1. RRPC Report
  2. RRTC Report

  1. Other
  1. Local Emergency Plan Adopt and sign
  2. Town Alarm
  3. Green Mountain Power request to run primary underground from Pole 8 to 564 Hedgehog Hill North
  4. Lister vacancy
  5. Selectboard clerk vacancy
  6. Act 46 Update
  7. Liquor License Renewal
  1. Review and sign March orders for payment

  1. Executive Session (if needed)

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ARCHER MAYOR TO SPEAK AT WILDER MEMORIAL LIBRARY EVENT IN WESTON

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ARCHER MAYOR TO SPEAK AT WILDER MEMORIAL LIBRARY EVENT IN WESTON

ABOUT 27TH JOE GUNTHER MYSTERY, “PRESUMPTION OF GUILT”

Author of critically-acclaimed Joe Gunther mystery series

to discuss and autograph copies of his 27th book, Presumption of Guilt.

[Weston, VT]— Archer Mayor, author of the New York Times bestselling, Vermont-based mystery series featuring detective Joe Gunther, will appear at a Wilder Memorial Library reading in the Weston Playhouse in Weston, Vermont. Mayor will be reading from and autographing his new novel, Presumption of Guilt, onSaturday, April 29 at 10:00 AM

For more information, visit http://www.wildermemoriallibrary.org/ or call 802-824-4307

In Presumption of Guilt (Minotaur Books), a jackhammer uncovers a skeleton while demolishing a concrete warehouse floor. From there, Joe Gunther and his Vermont Bureau of Investigation team of Sammie Martens, Willy Kunkle, and Lester Spinney soon ID the body and the story unfolds, weaving in history about the construction of the Yankee nuclear power plant in the late 1970s. Before long, the team is investigating not just the old case but a new murder – begging the question of whether the two are linked.

Library Journal recommended Presumption of Guilt, “In his latest Joe Gunther outing (after The Company She Kept), Mayor never fails to provide a solid police procedural combined with oddball characters and updates on the personal lives of his officers.” And called Mayer’s latest, “A satisfying addition to a superior mystery series.”

Archer Mayor has written 26 bestselling Joe Gunther novels. Over the past 30 years, he has worked variously (or continues to work) as a firefighter/EMT, a police office, and a death investigator for Vermont’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. A Yale graduate, scholar, editor, researcher, photographer, Mayor has also worked as a political advance man, and a medical illustrator. He is a winner of the Vermont Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. The New York Times calls Archer Mayor “The boss man on procedures.” Booklist: “Mayor’s Joe Gunther novels are among the best cop stories being written today.”

Early Praise for Book 27, PRESUMPTION OF GUILT, by Archer Mayor:

“Presumption of Guilt is another fine entry in a wonderful series—well plotted, as always, and featuring one of the best ensemble casts in the genre…. A reappearance of the titular character from Tag Man (2011) will seem to fans like a reunion with an old friend.” —Booklist