Business Briefs

The Brandon Town Hall is Ready For Movies, Music and More

A full-featured audiovisual system has been installed at the Brandon Town Hall, and the people of Brandon are invited to use the new equipment, and their old town hall, for public events large and small. The Friends of the Brandon Town Hall are now building an event schedule for the 2009 season, and anyone who’d like to put on an event—or would like to sponsor or volunteer for one—is asked to contact the group, by sending an e-mail to events@brandon
townhall.org, as soon as possible.

The Town Hall’s new audiovisual system includes a 20-channel sound mixer, wired and wireless microphones, 2400 Watts of amplification, a theater-size movie screen, a Blu-Ray videodisc player and a high-definition video projector. The new equipment will support a wide variety of events and activities, from live performances to multimedia presentations to high-definition film screenings with surround sound.

The Friends of the Brandon Town Hall hope to begin the 2009 event schedule in mid-July, and are looking for musicians, actors, film buffs, writers and impresarios to plan and produce events and make the schedule as busy and diverse as possible. In addition to producers, the Town Hall needs volunteers to do everything from popping corn to selling tickets, and sponsors to help fund the purchase of new equipment (from roller skates to stage lights), the printing of programs, and other expenses related to the presentation of public events.

The Friends of the Brandon Town Hall is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring the Brandon Town Hall to its place at the center of Brandon’s civic and cultural life. This summer, the physical restoration of the Town Hall has reached a major milestone, and the building will finally be re-opened for general use by the public. With the re-opening of the building, the people of Brandon can restore their Town Hall in a new way: by filling it with music, movies, dancing, debate and good old-fashioned community spirit.

College of St. Joseph Basketball Camp

The College of St. Joseph will be hosting a youth basketball camp this summer for athletes entering grades five through eight. The camp will be headed by CSJ’s men’s basketball coach Phil Bartlett, and will also feature coaches from the University of Vermont, Fair Haven Union High School, Brattleboro Union High School and Brockton High School. Camp staff will also include members of the College of St. Joseph men’s basketball team.

Camp staff is dedicated to helping campers improve their individual skills and tactics, developing team work, and promoting good sportsmanship. Each camper will receive personalized instruction, a camp t-shirt, a trophy, and is invited to attend an all-camp dinner at the conclusion of camp.

Camp begins August 17 and will run through August 21 and the cost is $100.00 per camper. For more information or to request a registration form, please contact CSJ Coach Phil Bartlett at (802) 776-5211 or email pbartlett@csj.edu.

The Secret is Out!

Sweet Caroline's Family Restaurant in West Rutland has for the past couple of years gained the reputation of being "Rutland County's Best Kept Secret". Well folks it's official..the secret is out! Owners Don and Carole Woods along with Executive Chef Larry Best have been presented a new plaque of wonder as the winners of the 2009 Best of the Best Casual Restaurant for the Greater Rutland Area. Congratulations from all of us at Sam's Good News and from all of your loyal and satisfied customers!

Department of Public Safety Looking for an Emergency Communications Dispatcher

Are you looking for an exciting, challenging and rewarding career? The Vermont Department of Public Safety has a full time opening at the Rutland Public Safety Answering Point. The position involves emergency dispatching, E911 call taking, public information and records management work for the Department including the operation of radio, telephone, computerized and electronic communications equipment. The office is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and may require working various shifts including evening and overnight shifts as well as weekends and holidays.

The position should be of special interest to communications majors, criminal justice majors and liberal arts majors. The position involves sitting for long periods of time. Successful candidates will possess excellent multitasking skills, typing skills and critical thinking skills under pressure. A background investigation will be required.

Starting salary will be $15.94 per hour. Job benefits provided by the State of Vermont include, but are not limited to pension, health/dental insurance, life insurance, 12 paid holidays, 12 paid vacations days, deferred compensation and tuition reimbursement.

A complete job description and requirements are available online. Applicants may apply online at www.vermontpersonnel.org. Application deadline is July 7, 2009.

The State of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Applications from women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and people from diverse cultural backgrounds are encouraged.

For further information contact Laura Wallett, PSAP Administrator 802 773-9191 ext 2419 lwallett@dps.state.vt.us.

Free Blood Pressure Screenings This Summer

Professional Nurses Service, Inc., a Bayada Nurses partner, will be providing free blood pressure screenings this summer for adult members of the community. Professional Nurses Service, Inc./Bayada Nurses is a Medicare-certified home health agency providing home care services throughout Vermont.

Each Wednesday through July 8, from 12-2 pm, free screenings will be held at the Professional Nurses Service/Bayada Nurses office, located at 135 N. Main Street, Suite 7, in Rutland.

In addition, free screenings will be held at the Castleton Community Center, located at 2108 Main Street in Castleton, beginning at 12:15 pm on Wednesday 24, July 22, and August 19.

“Providing free blood pressure screenings is one way we can give something back to the community,” said Nicholas McCardle, director of the Professional Nurses Service/Bayada Nurses office in Rutland. “We are grateful to be able to provide this service and to make people aware of the home care services we provide with compassion, excellence and reliability.”

For more information, call the Professional Nurses Service/Bayada Nurses office at 802-775-7272.

Salvation Army Ribbon Cutting

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held recently at the Salvation Army Food Shelf Expansion at 22 Wales St., Downtown Rutland. The Food Shelfis open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 1pm-3pm. Shown at the ceremony are: (front row) Jan Hill, RRCC; Martha Sheets, Salvation Army; Captain Chuck Balcom, Salvation Army; Sally Rochon, Advisory Board Chair; Minga Dana, Board Member; Lynn Walsh, Board Member; Pat Shappy, Board Member; Tom Donahue, EVP/CEO, RRCC; (second row) Tina Kremple, Board Member; Pat Serani, WalMart; Lee Beebee, Walmart; Gordan Morris, Board Member; Karen Garrow, Board Member; Barb Lassen, Board Member; Chuck Sharp, United Way of Rutland County; Caprice Hover, Citizens Bank. Photo provide by Penny J. Inglee, RRCC Marketing & Project Manager

Celebrate July Fourth with Chicken BBQ from the Italian Aid Society

This Fourth of July, John Seward who has become the Club Manager for the Italian Aid Society on West Street in Rutland has announced a chicken barbecue from 11:00 a.m. until all the chicken is sold out. This is a great opportunity for visitors or for those wanting a catered or take-out meal. No need to cook -- the meal will be all prepared and ready to eat. John has been in the cooking business for many years and the Seward name is quite popular with hungry then satisfied people.

John says that the Italian Aid Society has undertaken many improvements recently including adding a Fryolater and a new convection oven. They’ve increased the size of the kitchen and added a new steam table. This first-ever chicken barbecue will be held outside the club on the front lawn. John is borrowing the barbecue grill from the Ludlow American Legion and Auxiliary so look for John and the event out on the front lawn of the Italian Aid Society.

It is a sure thing that you will be happy with your meal and you will have a choice of one half a chicken for $5 or a complete chicken dinner that includes baked beans, potato salad and garlic bread for $9. You can choose take-out or if you can enjoy your dinner at the club where you will find all your favorite beverages and legal beverages.

The Italian Aid Society is located next to Victory Auto Sales, 415 West Street, Route 4 West in Rutland, Vermont. For more information call 802-773-6808.

Fundraiser for Eva and Tom Parker

Eva and Tom Parker have both been diagnosed with cancer. They are foster parents in Rutland County who provide home and care to teenage boys. Friends of the couple along with other foster parents will hold a Basket Party on Saturday, June 27th at the American Legion o Route 4A I Castleton, Vermont. The doors will open at 11:00 a.m. and drawing will begin at 1:00 p.m. Refreshments will be available. Admission is $5 with children age 10 and under $3. Additional tickets will be available at $2 a sheet. All proceeds will be donated to the family. For those who would like to help but are unable to attend, monetary donations will of course be gratefully accepted.

For more information about the fundraiser or to donate a basket, please contact Maureen at 775-7343, Lori at 236-5595, or Linda at 353-1244.

Twenty Years of Caring

By Rose Anne Van Lew

In 1988, Ron Williams, a prominent Rutland attorney, was riding his motorcycle with some friends when he crashed. Within days, he had passed away due to injuries sustained in that accident.

The following year, a bunch of his friends, most of whom were members of a group known as the Southwest Chapter of Freedom of the Road for Vermont, organized a poker run in his memory… and the “Ron Run” was born. Following the original route that Mr. Williams and his friends were riding on that fateful day, this successful charity run traditionally starts at C & D Chopper in Center Rutland, goes through Rutland City, up the mountain, west over Brandon Gap, to Route 30 South. For the first fifteen years, it went on to Wells, ending at the illustrious estate of Dave and Linda Swanson.

FOR-VT put on the “Ron Run” through the year, 2000, when they disbanded. In 2001, the Southwest Freedom Riders, a newly formed organization, dedicated to motorcycle safety, education, and community involvement (which boils down to a bunch of bikers who like to raise money for charities), took up the reins and has continued to provide a fun and exciting event, which has raised thousands of dollars for Ron Williams’ two favorite charities: the Special Olympics and VINS (Vermont Institute of Natural Science).

Although the Ron Run has had different ending spots in the last five years, most traditions have stayed the same. As a longtime participant, this writer can say that there are few experiences to top the feeling one gets when the bikes arrive at the party, and all the Special Athletes are going crazy cheering for their biker friends. The athletes are always involved in the party/barbecue, and usually receive awards of some kind.

And here we are, at the twentieth anniversary of the Ron Williams Memorial Poker Run. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who has worked so hard for the last twenty years to get to this point.

The 2009 “Ron Run” will be held on Sunday, July 12th, and will start, as always, at C & D Chopper, Route 4, Center Rutland, VT. The Sign-In will be from 9:00-10:30 a.m., and the cost (run and party included) will be $12.50 per person or $20 for rider and passenger. For further information, please feel free to contact Greg or Karen at 802-265-4547.