Civic Engagement

Irene a defining moment and opportunity for Vermont Legislature

VCF Staff — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:01:13 +0000

Tropical Storm Irene has been a defining moment in Vermont history, House Speaker Shap Smith told his Democratic colleagues during their annual caucus to plan for the upcoming legislative session. The speaker reminded lawmakers of the importance of listening to their constituents, even if they didn’t agree with them.

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Volunteers come out to help Irene victims clean up

VCF Staff — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:30:44 +0000

Vermonters answered Gov. Peter Shumlin’s call to help their neighbors recover from Tropical Storm Irene during "VT Clean Up Day," which came two months after the most damaging flood to hit the state in recent memory.

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Onion City in Bloom

VCF Staff — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:29:02 +0000

Over the past few months, Winooski has launched a rebranding campaign, complete with a design-forward new logo and community-building events. These efforts, along with a retooled farmers market, are in part the work of the reenergized Winooski Community Partnership, a downtown business organization aimed at making the city an attractive, vibrant urban center.

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Rutland Approves New Recreation Center

VCF Staff — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:19:21 +0000

In Rutland, the most hotly debated issue was not the municipal or school budgets but a $3.9 million bond vote to upgrade the city's recreation department.

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Community radio stations boosts Vermonters' on-air opportunities

VCF Staff — Thu, 20 May 2010 19:04:27 +0000

The airwaves in Vermont in recent years have increasingly been turned over to the vox populi — the voice of the people. Community-radio stations have mushroomed in numbers in the state during the past decade, giving volunteers a chance to play music, talk about current events or simply entertain listeners within close range of the generally low-powered stations. Community radio, though, is about more than boosting the public’s on-air abilities. It’s about presenting music and thoughts that might not make it onto commercial-radio stations.

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Montpelier hones Master Plan

VCF Staff — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:54:22 +0000

The Montpelier Master Plan that will provide a framework for the city's development for years to come is moving through the final stages, and the public will have a few more chances to weigh in on the 226-page document before it becomes final, including at a meeting on Monday. The master plan has been in the making for about three years, starting with EnVision Montpelier, a community planning initiative that began in 2007.

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Vermont proposes cutting ads for rules changes

VCF Staff — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:59:43 +0000

When the state wanted to revise its wetland rules, a paid notice ran in 16 Vermont newspapers, alerting the public to the proposal and explaining how they could weigh in. Those ads would cease or shrink -- replaced by online postings -- under a proposal that is part of the "Challenges for Change" the state is considering to save money and increase efficiency. The move would save an estimated $100,000 paid to newspapers for the ads. "The more accessible the rules are, the better chance people will see them," said Tom Evslin, the state's chief technology officer, arguing that putting the ads online not only will save money but make them accessible to a larger segment of the population. With time, he said, people would get used to looking online for the ads.

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Vermont education group to hold public meetings

VCF Staff — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:09:43 +0000

A state panel charged with brainstorming ways to slice millions of dollars from education spending will meet in public after critics complained the group’s closed-door sessions are undemocratic. Members of the Challenges for Change Education Design Team decided Thursday that their meetings will be open to the public starting Monday.

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Vermonters sound off during Town Meeting Day

VCF Staff — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:18:24 +0000

Vermonters voice their collective opinions today at town halls and high school gymnasiums as annual town meetings convene across the state. Local issues large and small fill agendas, including an effort to repeal instant-runoff voting in Burlington and a question about the continued operation of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. Most polls remain open until 7 p.m. Read about the most-watched issues.

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Rutland Voters To Weigh In On City Budget

VCF Staff — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:40:26 +0000

On Town Meeting Day next week, voters in Rutland will have a chance to weigh in on their city's $17 million budget. Historically, it fell to Rutland's board of aldermen to decide the fate of the Mayor's proposed budget. But a charter change approved last year, now allows residents to have a say. Mayor Christopher Louras says that's a good thing. But he says local residents need to understand the consequences of voting down the city's $17 million budget.

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