Vermont
Vote now for Vermont Varsity Insider Athletes of the Week: Ballots for June 3-9
![Vote now for Vermont Varsity Insider Athletes of the Week: Ballots for June 3-9 Vote now for Vermont Varsity Insider Athletes of the Week: Ballots for June 3-9](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/05/08/PBUR/73608048007-baseball-cvu-at-south-burlington-07-may-249001.jpg?auto=webp&crop=2123,1195,x0,y109&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Welcome to the eighth and final installment of the 2024 spring season for the Vermont Varsity Insider Athletes of the Week voting by high school sports fans.
This week, and every week during the sports seasons, members of the public may vote for a top girls athlete and a top boys athlete.
Varsity Insider Athletes of the week: Winners for the 2023-24 school year
How do I cast my vote?
All voting is through the two ballots at burlingtonfreepress.com. We will not accept votes through email or through social media.
Voting began June 10, and continues through 11:59 p.m. Thursday.
How do we learn who wins?
The two winners will be announced in a story published at burlingtonfreepress.com on Friday.
Athlete of the week feature to return in the fall
This is the final athlete of the week ballot for the 2023-24 school year. The long-running feature will return in the fall for the 2024-25 school year. We accept nominations via email: sports@burlingtonfreepress.com (Subject Line: Athletes of the Week nomination).
Girls Athlete of the Week nominees
More on this week’s candidates:
Trinity Anaya, Essex softball: The junior tossed a pair of complete games to lead Essex into the D-I semifinals. She hurled a two-hitter while going 2-for-3 at the plate in a 14-0 win over South Burlington. Then in the quarterfinals, Anaya yielded six hits and one earned run over seven innings to eliminate host Colchester 5-1.
Iris Cloutier, Stowe lacrosse: After a six-goal splurge in Stowe’s 17-7 playdown win over Lamoille, Cloutier struck for a hat trick in a 5-4 road triumph over Mount Abraham/Vergennes in the quarterfinals of the D-II playoffs.
Ava Kingsbury, Blue Mountain softball: Kingsbury hit for the cycle with two home runs and seven RBIs in a 5-for-5 performance at the plate during Blue Mountain’s 22-2 D-IV quarterfinal win over Twinfield/Danville/Cabot.
Hayley Raiche, West Rutland softball: Raiche’s 4-for-4 day at the plate included a double, triple and a trio of RBIs as West Rutland dispatched Leland & Gray 18-0 in the D-IV quarterfinals.
Finley Strong, Rice softball: The junior smacked the game-winning homer in the top of the seventh inning as Rice ousted Middlebury on the road 3-2 in the D-II quarterfinals. In the playdowns, Strong also doubled twice and drove in a run.
Boys Athlete of the Week nominees
More on this week’s candidates:
Nick Casey, Harwood baseball: Casey tossed a three-hitter with two earned runs and eight strikeouts over five innings in Harwood’s 7-5 D-II playdown win over Lake Region. He also doubled in the first-round playoff game and then went 2-for-4 with another double with three RBIs in Harwood’s 10-0 shutout of Milton in the quarterfinals.
Ezra Mock, Hartford lacrosse: The multi-sport standout registered a team-best four goals as Hartford dropped Mount Anthony 12-7 in the D-II quarterfinals.
Griffin Piconi, Woodstock lacrosse: Piconi’s three-goal, three-assist performance included the game-winning goal in overtime as Woodstock outlasted South Burlington on the road in the D-I quarterfinals.
Wyatt Smith, Montpelier Ultimate: After tallying six goals and two assists in a 15-7 playdown victory over Rice, Smith had three goals, two assists and two blocks on defense in Montpelier’s 11-9 triumph over South Burlington in the quarterfinal round.
Travis Stroh, Champlain Valley baseball: Stroh went 1-for-3 with a triple and RBI in a 6-0 win over Rice in the D-I playdowns. Then in the quarterfinals, Stroh doubled twice with two RBIs in a 3-for-3 effort as the Redhawks blanked Brattleboro 10-0.
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Vermont
Wolfsgart car show to kick off in Essex Junction
ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (WCAX) – Car enthusiasts will converge in Essex Junction on Friday for the annual Wolfsgart show.
Cars of all makes and models will be parked at the Champlain Valley Expo this weekend.
Gates open for spectators at 9 a.m. on Friday with events scheduled through Sunday.
You can find tickets here.
Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.
Vermont
Vermont Primary Election 2024: What to know about early voting
![Vermont Primary Election 2024: What to know about early voting Vermont Primary Election 2024: What to know about early voting](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/03/05/PBUR/72858045007-ward-3.jpg?auto=webp&crop=4031,2269,x0,y377&format=pjpg&width=1200)
The Aug. 13 statewide major party primary is less than a month away and early voting is already underway.
In this election, Republican, Democratic and Progressive contenders will vie for their party’s nominations in the following races: U.S senator, U.S representative, governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, secretary of state, auditor of accounts, attorney general, the state Senate (30 seats), state Representative (150 seats) and high bailiff (14 seats).
Primary winners face off against each other and minor party candidates in the Nov. 5 general election.
For Vermonters interested in casting your ballot prior to election day, below is a complete guide to early and absentee voting.
What do I need to know about early and absentee voting?
Any registered voter may request an absentee or early ballot via mail, phone, online or in person. Family members and healthcare providers are also allowed to advocate for a voter to receive an absentee ballot.
Voters can request and track the status of an early voter absentee ballot online by logging into their My Voter Page at https://mvp.vermont.gov/. Ballots can be returned through the mail or in person, unless delivered by justices of the peace on the day of the election, who will bring the ballot back with them.
Absentee or early ballots are available no later than 45 days prior to the primary or general election and 20 days before a municipal election using secret ballots.
For more information about absentee or early voting, visit the Absentee Voting FAQs page or Early & Absentee Voting page. Voters can also contact the Elections Division at sos.elections@vermont.gov or 800-439-VOTE.
You can find your city or town clerk at https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/sos/Elections%20Division/voters/townclerkguide.pdf, from whom you can request a ballot, on the Secretary of State website.
The deadline to request early or absentee ballots is 5 p.m. the day before any election, or whenever your town clerk’s office closes that day.
Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.
Vermont
Woodstock will vote on short-term rental ordinance
![Woodstock will vote on short-term rental ordinance Woodstock will vote on short-term rental ordinance](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9d2ad6a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2117+0+454/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fac%2Fdf%2Fa58672c4477ea0a779df913f51ac%2Fwoodstockstrsegal-submitted-20240725.jpeg)
The town and village of Woodstock have scheduled special elections to see if there is support for a new short-term rental ordinance that went into effect this spring.
Both the village and the town approved the new rules, which limit how many short-term rentals are allowed in Woodstock.
But opponents gathered enough signatures to force the special elections, which are scheduled for Tuesday, July 30.
The town and village will vote separately on whether to overturn the new ordinance.
More from Vermont Public: Short-term rentals are on the rise in Vermont. So are debates over how to regulate them.
Woodstock has had a short-term rental ordinance since 2021, but the town and village revisited the ordinance this spring to unify and simplify the laws and make them more equitable and uniform, according to an information sheet on the town website.
The new regulations allow 55 owner-occupied short-term rentals, and 55 non-owner-occupied short-term rentals, which makes up about 5% of the town’s housing stock.
They also limit the number of rentals each homeowner can have at one per person.
“The cap is one of the most important pieces of the ordinance,” said select board member Laura Powell. “So the 5% for us is something we felt comfortable with that also helps us protect future speculative investment in our community.”
Powell says the new short-term rental ordinance is partially driven by the housing crisis that is affecting just about every community in Vermont.
And she says while limiting the number of homes that can be used for a short-term rental will not address all of the town’s housing needs, it is a way of slowing down what she says is a loss of housing stock to the growing short-term rental market, especially in tourist-driven economies like Woodstock.
“Short-term rentals absolutely have a place in our community, and that’s why we didn’t have an outright ban on them,” Powell said. “The point of the ordinance is to keep that place in balance with the needs of our community.”
“Short-term rentals absolutely have a place in our community, and that’s why we didn’t have an outright ban on them. The point of the ordinance is to keep that place in balance with the needs of our community.”
Laura Powell, Woodstock select board member
Former Woodstock Planning Commission member Sam Segal, who operates a short-term rental out of his home, supported the original ordinance.
But he says he is going to vote to overturn the new ordinance.
“I’m all for keeping track of and monitoring who’s doing vacation or short-term rentals, even perhaps restricting how many there are, I think that’s totally reasonable,” Segal said. “I just feel like the new ordinance imposes fees that are really high.”
“I’m all for keeping track of and monitoring who’s doing vacation or short-term rentals, even perhaps restricting how many there are, I think that’s totally reasonable. I just feel like the new ordinance imposes fees that are really high.”
Sam Segal, Woodstock resident
The new ordinance allows the select board, and the village trustees, to set the registration fees. In May an annual permit structure was set at $500 for owner-occupied rentals, and $1,000 for non-owner occupied units, with additional fees added depending on how many bedrooms are rented.
Segal says the new fee structure will force him to rent out his place more often, and if he can’t rent it enough to recoup the fees, it will put a strain on his household budget.
“I would not have built a short-term rental if I didn’t need the money to stay in town. I need the additional money to stay in town,” said Segal, who is a single parent. “For me to stay in the house, it’s not easy to do it on one income. Staying in a house is a priority for me so I can stay in the school system, and I certainly count on the short-term rental income to offset the high taxes we pay in Woodstock.”
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