Times Argus Community News

BIRTHS

Copley Hospital

A daughter, Lainey Rose Biasini, was born March 6, 2023, to Schuyler and Morgan (Locke) Biasini, of Waterville.

AROUND TOWN

New executive director

MONTPELIER — Christian Meyer has been appointed executive director of the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission. He has served as acting director since October 2022 having joined CVRPC in early 2021 as a senior transportation planner, coming from Waterbury, Connecticut, where he worked on similar regional issues with the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments.

In his new role, Meyer will focus on the existing relationships with local leaders from the central Vermont, including Washington County and the towns of Orange, Washington and Williamstown, to ensure each municipality understands and benefits from the assistance available through the Regional Planning Commission.

AROUND VT

Reynolds rejoins

BURLINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced David Reynolds, his former health policy adviser and longtime health care leader in Vermont, has rejoined the office as Sanders takes up the gavel as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Reynolds will focus on policy to strengthen access to primary health care and address workforce shortages across the country. He founded and led Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) in 1976, Vermont’s first Federally Qualified Health Center.

BUSINESS

Grant awards

The Working Lands Enterprise Board announced 29 awards totaling over $1 million, to businesses and organizations in 2023, to help grow the agricultural and forestry sectors in Vermont. Award recipients are:

Service Provider Investments — Center for Women & Enterprise; Clean Economy Works; Northeast Forests Vermont Forest Business School; Northern Vermont University; Vermont Housing and Conservation Board; Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund; Vermont Woodworking School.

Producer Association Investments — Real Organic Project; Vermont Brewers Association; Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance.

Business Enhancement Grant Investments — Dorset Peak Jerseys, Danby; Fort Waite Holsteins, Corinth; Joe’s Brook Farm, St. Johnsbury; Kalche Wine Cooperative, Fletcher; Sweetland Farm, Norwich; Lemington Maple Farm, Canaan; Laughing Stock Farm Forest Products, Fletcher; Mama’s Farm, Williston; Miller Farm, Vernon; MKVT Farm, Glover; Mureta’s Butcher Shop, Northfield; NOFA-VT (for Vermont organic farmers), Richmond; Old Soul Farm, Barre; Stark Mountain Woodworking, New Haven; Taconic End Farm, Leicester; Tup’s Crossing Farm, Orwell; Walnut Hill Farm, Pawlet; Wooden Hammer, North Ferrisburgh.

Visit www.workinglands.vermont.gov for more information.

Grant applications

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets is now accepting applications for the Vermont Produce Improvement Grant program. Produce Safety Improvement Grants (PSIG) can support the costs of implementing on-farm food safety practices to help vegetable and fruit growers transition to compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule, address compliance with new Produce Safety Rule harvest and post-harvest water requirements, or meet market demands for on-farm food safety.

Visit agriculture.vermont.gov/ProduceSafetyGrants to review eligibility requirements, including enrollment in the Vermont Produce Portal, and to download the 2023 PSIG Request for Applications. Applications will close at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, April 9. For more information, call 802-622-4626 or email AGR.Produce@vermont.gov.

Grant received

MORRISVILLE — North Country Federal Credit Union has awarded Salvation Farms $5,000 from their Community Giving Grant program. NCFCU affords Salvation Farms a new partner in its work to increase Vermont’s use of locally-grown surplus food.

NCFCU has made food pantries and food shelves a focus of their charitable giving. Salvation Farms, with its roots in the Lamoille Valley, provides Vermont-grown, farm surplus food to the same types of food programs. These grant funds will help Salvation Farms advance their gleaning and surplus crop processing in northeast Vermont.

YOUTH NEWS

STEM event

BURLINGTON — University of Vermont Extension 4-H will host STEM Showcase 4.0 for ages 8 to 14 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 15 on the UVM campus in Burlington. The event is free, but advance registration is required by April 12 at go.uvm.edu/stem-showcase online. Location and parking information will be provided upon registration.

Participants may choose two of the five workshop options: Sustainable Plastics, Safe Enough to Eat; Edible Anatomy, Crafting with Candy; Waterworks, How Nature Cleans Our Water; Build a Better Bird, How Animals Adapt to Habitat; and Let’s Make Robots Go, Intro to Scratch Coding.

To request language interpretation, translation assistance and/or a disability-related accommodation to participate, call 802-656-7634 or email margaret.coan@uvm.edu by March 27.

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