Vermont

Keeping Connection Quaint: Bringing cell towers to Vt. towns

Published

2 years ago

May 31, 2023

Keeping Connection Quaint: Bringing cell towers to Vt. towns

STOWE, Vt. (WCAX) – As cell service continues to lack in Vermont, one town works with a provider to maintain the charm of the town while improving service.

AT&T worked with the town of Stowe to come up with a compromise after some pushback. a cell tower in the historic district that matches the light posts and blends in

In a rural state like Vermont preserving the natural beauty can be at odds with moving forward with technology.

“We want to maintain the best of Vermont and in general and Stowe in particular, as we move forward into the 21st century,” said Charles Safford with the town of Stowe.

A town like Stowe might not be the first place when you think of poor cell service but the demand swells multiple times of year thanks to more tourists.

“It wouldn’t surprise me at a given time if we have more than 10,000 visitors in Stowe between second homes and folks just come in for a day trip,” said Safford.

Town manager Charles Safford said it’s common for people’s phones to show bars of service but not work during peak tourist times of the year, creating a demand for increased connectivity.

AT&T proposed a smaller range cell tower to increase connectivity in Stowe’s historic district. After back and forth with the historic preservation committee and the town, the groups agreed on a tower that matches the lamposts with concealed antennas as opposed to adding height on top.

“It does take a lot of work to think it through thoughtfully so you know, in a lot of times those telecommunication carriers are approaching us about how best to do that. And so we definitely welcome that conversation,” said Safford.

Statewide, Department of Public Service director Jim Porter said the majority of cell tower petitions do come through uncontested. They get around 20 a month ranging in coverage size to adding antennas on existing structures, slightly larger towers, to the standard large coverage cell tower. It’s the larger cell towers that tend to receive the objections.

“It’s very important that their town plans are written in such a way to kind of very clearly convey what plan they have for their areas and what areas are more sensitive,” said Porter.

But compromising on the location and the aesthetics can help move projects forward, like in Stowe. Porter said in Granville, for example, a large-size tower is proposed but the location has been altered to make residents happy.

“It’s only visible from one residence. And so from an aesthetic perspective, it’s almost perfect. Right now what’s going on is an analysis of wildlife habitat to see if it will have any effect on that where it’s currently proposed,” said Porter.

And we’ve told you about the cell service drive tests where VTrans drivers scoured the state keeping track of where there is and is not adequate cell service. But, a plan proposed by the governor to use the data to inform adding more cell towers to the state has not been funded by the legislature for two sessions in a row.

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Vermont

Vermont H.S. sports scores for Saturday, Dec. 28: See how your favorite team fared

Published

5 hours ago

December 28, 2024

Press Room

Vermont H.S. sports scores for Saturday, Dec. 28: See how your favorite team fared

Nylah Mitchell’s 20 points carry Burlington girls basketball to win

Nylah Mitchell talks about her dominant 20-point outing where she attacked in the paint and the outlook for Burlington this season.

The 2024-2025 Vermont high school winter season has begun. See below for scores, schedules and game details (statistical leaders, game notes) from basketball, hockey, gymnastics, wrestling, Nordic/Alpine skiing and other winter sports.

TO REPORT SCORES

Coaches or team representatives are asked to report results ASAP after games by emailing sports@burlingtonfreepress.com. Please submit with a name/contact number.

►Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter:@aabrami5.

►Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.

SATURDAY, DEC. 28

Boys basketball

Games at 2:30 p.m. unless noted

Middlebury at Mill River, 1:30 p.m.

Oxbow at Arlington, 2:30 p.m.

Girls basketball

Games at 2:30 p.m. unless noted

Winooski at Northfield, noon

U-32 at Lyndon, 1:30 p.m.

Blue Mountain at Woodsville, NH

Williamstown at Vergennes, 3:30 p.m.

Boys hockey

Harwood at Rutland, 11 a.m.

Rice at Saranac, NY, noon

Champlain Valley at Mount Mansfield, 3 p.m.

St. Johnsbury at Colchester, 5 p.m.

South Burlington at Spaulding, 5:15 p.m.

Burlington at North Country, 7 p.m.

Woodstock at Missisquoi, 8 p.m.

Middlebury Tournament

Essex vs. Stowe, 3 p.m.

U-32 at Middlebury, 7 p.m.

Philippe H. Bouthillier Holiday Classic

Consolation, 4 p.m.

Championship, 6 p.m.

Girls hockey

Champlain Valley/Mount Mansfield at Rice, 1:15 p.m.

Rutland at Kingdom Blades, 3 p.m.

Spaulding at Missisquoi, 5:30 p.m.

Stowe at Woodstock, 6:45 p.m.

Middlebury Tournament

Harwood vs. U-32, 1 p.m.

Burr & Burton at Middlebury, 5 p.m.

Hanover Tournament

BFA-St. Albans vs. TBD

Essex vs. TBD

Gymnastics

Harwood at South Burlington, 11 a.m.

St. Johnsbury at Essex, 1 p.m.

Burlington, Montpelier at Burr & Burton, 3:30 p.m.

Wrestling

Hubie Wagner tournament at Middlebury

MONDAY, DEC. 30

Boys basketball

Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

St. Johnsbury at Burlington, 7 p.m. (Sunday)

Richford at Northfield

Essex at Rutland, 6:30 p.m.

Williamstown at Stowe

Lyndon at U-32

Lamoille at Harwood

North Country at Spaulding

Lake Region at Enosburg

Winooski at Missisquoi

Vergennes at Twinfield/Cabot

Mount Mansfield at Champlain Valley

South Burlington at Rice

Oxbow at Blue Mountain

Colchester at BFA-St. Albans, 7:30 p.m.

Girls basketball

Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Mount Abraham at Montpelier

South Burlington at Colchester

Middlebury at Harwood

Boys hockey

Hartford at Rutland, 1 p.m.

St. Johnsbury at Brattleboro, 3 p.m.

Woodstock at Burr & Burton, 5 p.m.

Spaulding at CVU, 5:25 p.m.

South Burlington at North Country, 6 p.m.

Stowe at Mount Mansfield, 6:30 p.m.

Girls hockey

U-32 at Rutland, 11 a.m.

Harwood at Champlain Valley/Mount Mansfield, 3:15 p.m.

Essex at Burlington/Colchester, 4:20 p.m.

Brattleboro at Stowe, 6:30 p.m.

Kingdom Blades at Missisquoi, 7:15 p.m.

Rice at Woodstock, 7:15 p.m.

Gymnastics

Montpelier, Middlebury at Harwood, 6:30 p.m.

(Subject to change)

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Vt. ski resorts gear up for holiday weekend, expected rain

Published

14 hours ago

December 27, 2024

Press Room

Vt. ski resorts gear up for holiday weekend, expected rain

JEFFERSONVILLE, Vt. (WCAX) – Despite warm temperatures on the way, skiers and snowboarders are celebrating the snow this holiday weekend. Our Calvin Cutler has a look at the conditions and the future of Vermont’s independent resorts.

If you ask just about anyone why they visit the Smugglers’ Notch Resort, you’ll likely get two answers: the conditions on and off the trail, and the local vibe, being one of the last independent ski resorts in Vermont.

Skiers and riders were swinging into the holiday weekend on ski lifts Friday, taking advantage of an early winter bluebird day to get in a few turns with friends and family.

“A little icy in some spots, but the sun warmed it up and it’s nice now,” said Tosh Moser of Cambridge.

Smuggs received about half a foot of fresh snow this week, allowing them to open 44 trails and their Madonna II lift in time for the crucial holiday weekend.

But temperatures are expected to rise this weekend which could melt away conditions.

“We’ve seen a great start to the season this year, better than last, especially this time last year, so we should be able to fare just fine,” said Caleb Kessler, the social media manager at the Smugglers’ Notch Resort.

As one of the last locally owned resorts in Vermont, Smuggs is an outlier in the ski industry which is undergoing consolidation, as big companies like Vail and Alterra buy up local resorts and pump in cash for new amenities and big infrastructure upgrades, like new snowguns that allow resorts to open earlier and close later. It’s sparking concern from many small American ski towns that their history and culture are fading away.

“You go to some of the bigger company-owned resorts, it’s different people, everything is different there,” said Wyatt McAdoo of Cambridge.

Last year, news of Smuggs considering a first-of-its-kind gondola to the Stowe Mountain Resort reverberated through the ski and ride community. The plan has since been scrapped.

Despite the corporate headwinds, Smuggs is sending the message that its size, culture and vibe set it apart.

“Being small and independent allows us to make decisions more quickly, more easily, be more nimble and gives us our personality as a resort,” Kessler said.

Despite the rain and warmer temperatures in the forecast, skiers and riders at Smuggs are hoping for a long season ahead.

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Bird flu found in Vermont backyard flock; agency sees

Published

1 day ago

December 27, 2024

Press Room

Bird flu found in Vermont backyard flock; agency sees

Latest on H5N1 bird flu outbreak

California declares emergency after severe U.S. case of H5N1 bird flu

02:25

The H5N1 bird flu was found in a backyard flock in Vermont, the state’s agricultural agency said Thursday.

The small flock of 24 non-commercial birds in Franklin County was quarantined and put down. The first bird death happened on Dec. 18 and the owner notified authorities on Dec. 19 as more birds died.

“Low risk to human health”

The agency said bird flu “is considered to be low risk to human health,” but the people who came in contact with the infected birds and their surroundings are being monitored by the Vermont Department of Health. There have not been any human cases reported in Vermont or New England from this current outbreak of bird flu in the United States.

The Vermont case of “highly pathogenic avian influenza” is not the same strain that’s currently affecting dairy cattle in other parts of the country, the agency said in a statement. This is Vermont’s fourth case of bird flu in a domestic flock since 2022.

“Despite the low risk to the public, the virus remains deadly to many species of birds,” the agency said. “All bird owners, from those who own backyard pets to commercial farmers, are strongly encouraged to review biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks.”

Bird flu cases in the U.S.

On Dec. 18, the Centers for Disease Control reported that a person in Louisiana had the first severe illness caused by bird flu in the U.S. That person was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, the CDC said.

There have been 65 reported human cases of bird flu in the country, according to the CDC. Most have come from California and were linked to exposure to infected cattle.

Besides the Louisiana instance, all known human H5N1 cases in the U.S. have been mild, with patients reporting conjunctivitis and upper respiratory symptoms.

Neal Riley

Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.

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