By Lani Duke
Pool possibilities
RUTLAND—Maybe it’s the time of the year. Do Rutland folks get more interested in replacing White Pool, maybe with a year-round one, each autumn when the all-too-brief community pool season closes for the winter?
When Rutland City Recreation superintendent Cindy Wight approached the Board of Aldermen about the possibility of building a new pool, she wasn’t including a year-round facility in her possibility pile. However, public reaction has changed her mind.
Intrepid Athletics, a Rutland-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting local amateur athletes, stands ready to help raise money and facilitate investor connections, according to organization founder Natalie Boyle. Another group, the competitive swimming support group Killington Aquatic Club, shares the desire for an indoor pool, but maybe not in Rutland, according to board president Kristen Alf.
Community chatter seems to indicate that people who opposed the campaign a few years back for a recreation center at the Giorgetti site may still be leary of increasing the city tax rate but do see value in building an indoor pool.
Town-owned solar project is considered
WALLINGFORD—Wallingford has begun to consider a community solar project, bringing the benefits of the sun’s energy regardless of whether individual properties have appropriate southern exposures and flat surfaces. The town’s energy committee recently welcomed a representative from SunCommon to discuss identifying an appropriate town-owned property on which to build a solar array and organize town residents to buy shares in the project.
Natural gas usage is saving jobs at RRMC
RUTLAND—Completing a natural gas line from Canada would save even more jobs than it already has, according to Rutland Regional Medical Center president and CEO Tom Huebner. Switching from fuel oil to natural gas in March, the hospital currently trucks natural gas, compressed and chilled to 600 degrees below zero, in refrigerated trucks from the pipeline. Even counting in the expense of hauling the gas to Rutland, RRMC expects to save at least $200,000 this year . . . and perhaps more than twice that much.
Nissan dealership sells, moves
RUTLAND—When Jerry Miglorie retires from his Nissan dealership, the Garvey Auto Group of Glens Falls, N.Y., will buy his business. The Nissan corporation had been trying to persuade Miglorie to move his business from North Route 7 to the south side of Rutland, near the other dealerships, but he had resisted making that investment. Sean and Marc Garvey plan to do so, expanding the dealership and hiring a larger workforce sometime in the upcoming two years.
Their Garvey Auto Group includes Volkswagen, Hyundai, and KIA dealerships in Glens Falls, a Hyundai dealership in Plattsburgh, and a stand-alone body shop in Glens Falls.
Let’s welcome Reverend Muller
RUTLAND—Trinity Episcopal Church recently received a new priest, the Reverend Liam Muller, most recently pastoring a church in South Dakota. Muller isn’t a complete stranger to Rutland; he came to Killington to ski as a child.
SOLD: Large development site on Route 7 RUTLAND—Developer John Kalish dreamed of a nine-store shopping center next to the Holiday Inn on Route 7 South. Although he earned an Act 250 permit in 2009, he got no further with the planned Rutland Commons. A new owner, real estate investment firm Saxon Properties of Hingham, Mass., is buying the 10-acre parcel with plans to fine-tune the original design. Rather than Kalish’s 82,575-square-foot structure containing a Best Buy or Barnes & Noble as anchor stores, Saxon plans a slightly smaller structure—71,970 square feet—with a single store, a wholesale club, plus two smaller buildings, each of which is likely to be developed as a restaurant. The club would bring 85 to 100 jobs to the Rutland community. Construction could begin as early as April with completion by Oct. 2015.
Congratulations
to the 84 Rutland Town School students who read more than 1,000 books this summer, thereby earning a lip sync of Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” from principal Aaron Boynton.
to organizers and participants in the recent Mike O’Malley Memorial 5K Race at Giorgetti Park, which raised money for Project VISION and memorialized a good man who made significant contributions to the Department of Corrections.
Lani’s weekly picks
Friday, Oct. 24—Country singer/songwriter Jamie Lee Thurston performs at the Paramount theatre in a benefit for Prevent Child Abuse Vermont.
Friday, Oct. 24—Clarendon Volunteer Fire Auxiliary hosts grocery bingo. Clarendon Elementary School. 7 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, Oct. 24-25—The College of St. Joseph hosts its annual fall alumni and family weekend, with a president’s reception to welcome alumni, alumni meet and greet and Alumni Association meeting plus Halloween Parade with the CSJ float.
Saturday, Oct. 25—Rutland celebrates Halloween, beginning at 9:15 a.m. with 5K race through downtown (costumes encouraged). The 55th annual Halloween Parade begins at 6:30 p.m. 773-1822.
Saturday, Oct. 25—Fitting right in with the Halloween theme is the showing of Verdi’s “Macbeth” from the Metropolitan Opera, 12:55 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre. Stars are Anna Netrebko, Zeljko Lučić, Joseph Calleja, and René Pape. Fabio Luisi conducts.
Sunday, Oct. 26—Also in the Halloween vein is the National Theatre of Great Britain’s “Frankenstein,” on screen at the Paramount Theatre. Lead parts are portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller.
Wednesday, Oct. 29—College of St. Joseph presents “Dr. Prida’s Horror Show” at Hop ‘N Moose in downtown Rutland. He discusses the culture of horror in the U.S. and elsewhere; scary icons such as dolls, clowns, and monsters; and discussions with the audience about the most frightening books and movies of all time. 6 p.m.
