Chronology 2011: Too much rain, a new bridge and more
The first month of the year also brought out a celebration of another local icon — Gov. James Douglas, who was turning over the reins of state after four terms as Vermont’s chief executive. The Middlebury Republican made his final address to the Legislature on Jan. 5. Except for two years, Douglas, 59, has served in the Legislature or executive branch for nearly four decades; he was first elected to the Vermont House as a representative for Middlebury in 1972.
Meanwhile, the Mount Abraham Union High School board slashed an additional $174,000 from its 2011-2012 spending plan after receiving word that the school would post a projected $111,000 deficit. With $266,767 already cut from initial drafts of the spending plan, an auditor’s report showing a larger-than-expected drop in projected revenues sent co-principals Andy Kepes and Leon Wheeler back to the drawing board. Kepes told the school board that over the next two years around $500,000 will need to be slashed from the school’s educational expenditures to meet state mandates.
The oil price jumped US$3 to US$89.50 a barrel for US crude on fear the unrest could disrupt supplies. European countries sent planes and ferries to Libya on Monday to evacuate their citizens, and some international oil and gas companies pulled their