Essex Junction residents have completed their annual voting on city budget and various city appointed positions along with passing the Essex Westford schools budget Essex Junction does not hold a town meeting There is only voting by secret ballot from 7 a.m April 8 at the Champlain Valley Exposition The secret ballot had a recorded 1,867 votes this year which supported the passing of the city budget that saw over a $400,000 increase to the general fund constituting a 3% increase over the fiscal 2025 budget Below are more details on what was passed. Other Chittenden County Town Meeting results can be found at the Burlington Free Press's live coverage from March 5 Proposed Budget: The $12,419,241 budget passed 1,428 to 413 It is a 3% or $415,117 increase over the FY25 budget of $12,004,124 City Council: Bethany Clark lost to Brian Shelden for the three-year position Library Trustee: Venessa Luck ran unopposed for the five-year term Champlain Water District Commissioner: Aaron Martin ran unopposed for the three-year term School Budget: The Essex Westford school budget passed by a vote of 2,646 to 1,501 Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com The Essex Westford School District is bringing a level-funded budget to its voters this spring that's going to mean deep cuts — including the closure of one of five elementary schools The district's $94.7 million spending proposal anticipates cutting more than 50 positions And it would effectively close Summit Street School a pre-kindergarten through grade 3 elementary school with 187 students in Essex Junction but other children would be redistributed to two other nearby elementary schools in Essex Junction Hiawatha Elementary and Thomas Fleming School School Board Chair Robert Carpenter said such difficult cuts were necessary to head off another double-digit tax increase “I know there's rhetoric across the state of like ‘There's a lot of bloat in schools and there's a lot of fat that we need to cut off.’ But I can tell you for sure as a district that we are at the point of cutting bone,” he said a recent retooling of Vermont’s education formula that was intended to encourage higher-need districts to spend more urban districts like Essex Westford to spend less More from Vermont Public: Taxpayers demanded relief. Now, many schools are downsizing The district’s spending proposal has engendered strong pushback “When I chose to settle here and raise my family here this is not what I envisioned for myself or my kids,” one parent, Ashley Neary, told the board last week But even as Carpenter said that the board’s proposed budget represented a “painful crisis with human costs,” he also argued it offered some opportunities Repurposing Summit would allow the district to expand its in-house therapeutic program for students with special needs That should allow the district to save money on tuition to pricey private programs In Montpelier, education reform talks have dominated this year’s legislative session But Carpenter said those state-level conversations have injected even more anxiety into the local debate because they appear to be ignoring one of the most important cost drivers at play “Many people in our community are saying: how do we address health care I feel terrible saying ‘I don't know.’ Because I've spoken to everyone right up the chain and no one seems to have an answer for how this can be mitigated and not just keep and Westford voters head to the polls April 8 Have questions, comments or tips? 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Send us a message Essex Town residents are voicing their concerns over a proposed 107,000-square-foot distribution center They're concerned the building and traffic will have negative environmental impacts and potentially draw customers away from small businesses Those concerns have been voiced across social media, where Burlington and Essex business Phoenix Books called residents to action to attend the Development Review Board meeting on March 20 where plans for the development were to be discussed shared her concerns with Amazon deliveries taking away work from USPS stating that "the infrastructure is already in place," and that there doesn't have to be "instant gratification" that comes with next day Amazon deliveries The item in question was not the only item on the board's agenda and was not introduced until almost three hours into the meeting LLC shared the plans for the physical building and surrounding acreage before an open forum began It was a turnout larger than the Development Review Board was expecting standing occupants and lack of microphones - making it a challenging listen for attendees in the back - was any indication Around 80 residents crunched their way into the Municipal Building a line out the door forming as attendees signed in before entering often known for their opposition of big business and corporate mindset shared their displeasure in having an Amazon distribution center in their neighborhood Greeley said Vermont's Amazon deliveries are all currently delivered by third parties He provided more context of what an Amazon operation would look like in Vermont product will make its way here from warehouses primarily in Massachusetts or Connecticut," Greenley said "It would make its way to this building; we would sort it and send it out in approximately a 70-mile radius." Many impassioned residents took the floor to speak of their concerns - often followed by rousing applause by other residents - before the meeting was concluded at 11 p.m Not all concerns were addressed before the meeting was adjourned Various environmental concerns were brought up including that a large distribution warehouse necessitates trucks frequenting the surrounding roadways The site is located a few miles from Interstate 89 leading to questions about the heightened presence of trucks and vans on smaller One resident who lives "across the street from where this is proposed," said that small trucks large trucks or employees driving in as they go to work will be "significant and noticeable." She cited noise pollution and environmental pollution affecting residents and wildlife stating a "one-year-old just moved in across the street." Developers said there would be scheduled times for the vehicles arriving at the facility estimated one or two trucks an hour would depart between 6 p.m residents were concerned about the impact a company like Amazon could have on local small businesses along with concerns about working conditions at Amazon facilities Greeley commented on the relationship between Vermont businesses and Amazon "more than 600 businesses in Vermont use Amazon to reach their consumer...in 2023 the average business generated $250,000 in revenue from Amazon and sold 6 million items total." Bill Calfee, owner of Myti - a Vermont-based e-commerce platform that connects online shoppers to local retailers and ships products in days - said that an Amazon facility would be a threat to small businesses and workers that support the local economy "Vermont prides itself on strong labor protections and thriving small businesses," Calfee said The board did not vote on the proposal but will at a later date Its meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month and the third Thursday of the month as needed Ocean State Job Lot has acquired more than a dozen former Big Lots stores around the country The retail chain said it is finalizing a deal to take over 15 Big Lots locations in New Jersey One of the stores is the former Big Lots in Morrisville Big Lots was sold to Gordon Brothers after it announced it would be closing all its stores last year Gordon Brothers put the Morrisville store's lease up for sale in January Ocean State Job Lot announced it purchased the lease of just one former Big Lots store in Vermont The company is taking over the Morrisville store it said the store will open in mid-summer 2025 What will happen to other Big Lots stores in VT?Big Lots had only two stores in Vermont before its shuttering — one in Morrisville and one in Essex Junction there's no word on what will happen with the Essex Junction store However, in nearby states some former Big Lots locations have been purchased by other retailers including Burlington and Ollie's Bargain Outlet How many are in VT?Ocean State Job Lot is a retail chain with more than 150 stores around the country The retailer is based in Rhode Island and currently operates four stores in Vermont Vermont Italian Cultural Association members and guests enjoying VICA’s 40th Anniversary Gala and Silent Auction in 2023 BURLINGTON — The Vermont Italian Cultural Association (VICA) announced today that it will host Carnevale on March 8 a fundraiser to benefit its Scholarships and Grants Program the first since 2005 will be held at the Essex Resort and Spa in Essex Junction from 5:30 p.m and live performances from Italian operas by the 2024 grant recipients VICA awards grants and scholarships annually to individuals who are seeking to broaden their knowledge of Italian culture VICA named one of its grants to honor retired senator Patrick Leahy whose maternal grandparents immigrated to Vermont from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy The first recipient of the Senator and Marcelle Leahy award will be announced at Carnevale Leahy and his wife have been VICA members since 2012 and are serving as honorary co-chairs of the event “Marcelle and I are so pleased to be VICA’s honorary co-chairs of this year’s Carnevale,” said Leahy benefit those individuals who wish to further their knowledge of Italy and Italian culture and history.” Past scholarships and grants have supported individuals who researched and studied Italian history VICA president explains that “Carnevale in Italy is traditionally a time of celebration and indulgence and can include masquerades and parades We certainly hope people have fun and dress in costumes and masks.” DeNatale also recognizes the many event sponsors and the generosity of donors to the silent auction “The silent auction includes so many great items and experiences including a two-week stay at an apartment in Tuscany a private dinner for eight at Gallus Handcrafted Pasta and a two-night stay for two at The Essex Resort and Spa.” The full list of silent auction items will be posted on VICA’s Facebook (VICA- Vermont Italian Cultural Association) and Instagram (vtitalianassoc) Tickets for Carnevale are $80pp and can be purchased on the VICA website [vermontitalianculturalassociation.org/events-1/carnevale-fundraiser-and-silent-auction] or by mailing a check to VICA Additional information about the Leahy-VICA Scholarship and past recipients of grants and their studies can be found on the VICA website [vermontitalianculturalassociation.org/scholarships-grants] Get the latest headlines every morning in TheBeat We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen Tariffs are expected to hit the ski industry in different ways. Selling quality product but in a context of education and face-to-face discussion is a corne… Finding that special treat for a canine friend is both about taste but also about health and… BENNINGTON – After working with children for many years Connecting people with the outdoors can be a calling but also a path and more than five years had passed when the first store … But no company makes it to 100 years without hard work Bill Deveneau is a man of humble perspective but yet understands the context of human behavi… Being a counselor to children in crisis requires both a steady hand and a warm heart JACKSONVILLE — About a hundred paces past the entrance to the North River Bakery Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device The finalized budget to appear on ballots was approved by the council at its Feb The draft budget proposal is for a $400,000 increase to the general fund Other items that will be voted upon will appear on a sample budget the Essex Westford School District votes on their budget and school board in early April More information about who and what voters will be deciding on can be found closer to the election School District informational meeting: Tuesday Many in Essex learned this week that Amazon is proposing to build a warehouse in town Over 80 people packed into a meeting in the town office Thursday night to discuss the proposed facility which would sit about five miles from Interstate 89 and within a mile of the Winooski River This would be the first Amazon facility in the state, with workers sorting items and making deliveries within roughly 70 miles, according to developers. The warehouse would cover an area of about two football fields “This investment is designed to benefit our customers in the state Amazon’s head of economic development for New England everything that’s delivered to you by Amazon is third-party,” he said “Our goal here with this facility is to be a single-threaded owner of that entire process.” His team said the project would result in traffic from one or two tractor-trailers an hour overnight — from 6 p.m including an estimated 150 delivery van drivers at a time “This community and this state will oppose you told Amazon representatives at the end of the meeting “You may not be worried about 50 people in this room said they previously supported development of the road and the industrial park “My naivety was that we were putting a local business up in that development,” said Schirner who lives on the same road as the proposed facility “It never even crossed my mind that Amazon would be up there.” She said she didn't understand how the proposed increase in traffic would be permissible by the town Development review board members said they would vote on the application at a later date And they repeatedly said their role is to see whether an application follows the town's existing rules and regulations "not whether or not we like them," said board member Dustin Bruso "If we see something we don't like," Bruso said Struthers’ ducks and his cannabis growing operation have been the subject of controversy in his neighborhood (Community News Service - Charlotte Oliver) Community News Service — Charlotte Oliver Some of Jason Struthers’ ducks mingle in his Essex Junction (Community News Service file - Charlotte Oliver) — Jason Struthers makes a living selling the cannabis he’s licensed to grow in his half-acre backyard in Essex Junction — but his growing and raising of ducks on his property has gotten him into tiffs with neighbors and tangled in legal ambiguity Vermont Superior Court Judge Thomas Walsh sought to put the question over the Taft Street backyard to rest siding with Struthers after the Essex Junction resident sued when local officials tried to ban him from raising ducks last year But now an appeal from Struthers’ neighbors could call the ruling — and legal precedent — into question again It seems straightforward to next-door neighbors Stephen and Sharon Wille Padnos who say they shouldn’t have to smell Struthers’ cannabis or hear his ducks in their residential neighborhood who has legal permission from the state to farm and cultivate in his yard Struthers sees his ducks as essential to his cannabis farming because he uses their manure to fertilize his plants and says he meets the standard to legally label his operation a farm of the Vermont Superior Court’s environmental division determined in August that Essex Junction officials can’t regulate Struthers’s farming or his cannabis growing because both are protected by state law It was the first time the court had ruled on the two legal issues at hand When city officials barred Struthers from raising ducks they misconstrued language in laws about agriculture regulation in a way that “would upend” longstanding practices in Vermont Now the Wille Padnos family is appealing the decision explaining he thinks the court will rule in his favor one more time But neighbors are still upset he’s allowed to farm and grow weed when he lives in an area zoned as residential by the city “It’s been pretty tough,” Wille Padnos said explaining that his wife didn’t want to be outside in their yard for a long time so they paid to put up a new tall fence between the properties In the past year the couple’s same qualms over the smell and sound still stand The saga came to wider attention when the Wille Padnos family and other neighbors complained in an Essex Junction Developmental Review Board meeting in September 2023 The city tried to stop his operation — before deciding they couldn’t fight his growing license from the state and renewing his license ever since Then the city’s development review board decided last September that Struthers couldn’t have his ducks in a residential area Struthers filed a lawsuit contesting the decision which is what Walsh ruled on this past summer Walsh reasoned that Struthers’ duck raising is exempt from municipal regulation because it is a necessary farming practice protected by state law The judge also reasoned his weed cultivation is protected by his license and exempt from local regulation “It was basically a slam dunk,” Struthers said But he also said the suit was more than he bargained for “I want to focus my time on other things,” he said Wille Padnos decided to appeal because “it seems wrong,” he said who both grew up in Vermont and have lived in Essex Junction for years are thinking about moving out of state if they lose the appeal Struthers could be forced to close his operation or relocate in the coming years even if he wins the appeal once the city takes advantage of a state law passed this June The law lets municipalities create cannabis cultivation districts for all outdoor cultivators to grow in those zones Wille Padnos is hopeful things will go his way “I hope he can make his business work,” he said of Struthers Charlotte Oliver is a reporter with Community News Service part of the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users Outdoor Gear Exchange is closing its store in Essex on Feb 17 to refocus all of its energy and resources on its flagship store on Church Street in downtown Burlington "We feel as though we're not able to deliver the OGE experience out there (in Essex) because of the size of the store physically," Sherman told the Burlington Free Press "It's a third of the size of the Burlington location." Sherman added that staffing the store in the Essex Experience shopping center is also a challenge with just one full-time staffer and two part-time people "Internally we are challenged to maintain the level of service we always feel committed to," Sherman said If one of the staff in Essex calls in sick someone from the Burlington store has to fill in which is not ideal in terms of deploying staff "We're no more flush (with staff) than any business in Burlington," Sherman said "That store (in Essex) is doing 10 to 15 percent of what we do in Burlington Sherman said he's seeing an upswing of business in the Burlington store "It feels like there are more people shopping (on Church Street)," he said In general it just feels like more people are coming downtown." Downtown Burlington has been struggling with crime and other issues, including construction on Main Street making it difficult for many businesses to continue to thrive "In general the economy is beginning to improve on the ground level," Sherman said "Not to say people aren't struggling to buy eggs we're seeing our sales get some benefit from this weather we're having − the first real winter we've seen in three years Outdoor Gear Exchange is celebrating its 30th year in business "We feel very committed to Burlington," Sherman said "The best way we know to support that commitment is to reinvest putting more resources back here to build this community back to what it once was In our 30th year that's incredibly important Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosi@gannett.com After gradually shutting down locations around the country this year, including several here in Vermont, Big Lots is officially closing the rest of its stores That includes the two stores that are still open in Vermont Going out of business sales will be held at the remaining stores, according to a press release issued by the company on Thursday CEO Bruce Thorn said the closures could be reversed if the company is sold “We all have worked extremely hard and have taken every step to complete a going concern sale," Thorn said in the release "While we remain hopeful that we can close an alternative going concern transaction in order to protect the value of the Big Lots estate we have made the difficult decision to begin the (going out of business) process.” The following Big Lots locations across Vermont will be closing and holding going out of business sales Essex Junction MorrisvilleWhich Big Lots locations in Vermont have already closed?Big Lots began shuttering store locations in Vermont as it underwent bankruptcy proceedings earlier this year Here's which ones have already closed this year: Democratic lawmakers have officially made their leadership picks for the upcoming biennium House Democrats selected their majority leader and nominated their choice for Speaker of the House a four-time representative and chair of her chamber's health care committee or the majority leader's second-in-command House Democrats also picked two assistant majority leaders: Reps Heather Surprenant (D-Barnard) and Mary-Katherine Stone (D/P-Burlington) Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) for a third term as Speaker of the House one of the most powerful seats in Montpelier Which positions are still up in the air?Houghton, Dolan, Surprenant and Stone join Senate Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Burlington-Southeast) and Senate Whip Becca White (D-Windsor) — who were selected by their colleagues last month — as official heads of the Democratic Party in Montpelier Phil Baruth (D/P-Burlington) and Ginny Lyons (D-Chittenden-Southeast) — Democratic nominees for president pro tempore and the third member on the Committee on Committees respectively — in waiting for confirmation from their chamber peers at the start of the session in January Whether Krowinski, Baruth and Lyons will receive enough votes to assume the positions for which they were nominated remains unclear now that both the House and Senate are much more politically diverse Krowinski is the only nominee currently with a challenger: five-time Rep has managed to wrangle some Democratic support Democratic supporters of Sibilia further legitimized the Dover Independent as a substantial threat to Krowinski when they attempted to submit Sibilia's name for consideration as the Democratic nominee for Speaker House Democrats voted 60-18 to prevent non-Democrats from vying for the party's nomination allowing Krowinski to breeze to an easy victory (with only one dissenter) as the Democratic nominee for speaker who was the sole dissenting vote against Krowinski's nomination told the Free Press that Democrats had the chance on Saturday to uncover how much support Sibilia possesses from fellow party members by allowing her to vie for the party's nomination for Speaker but chose instead to "keep the mystery" until the confirmation vote in January If the 18 votes cast in favor of her participation in the nomination process are any indication of Sibilia's support among Democrats then Sibilia would likely have enough votes to win the Speakership — assuming she acquired support from Republicans of course — but because House Democrats blocked it Saturday's events "shows if anything that one camp is confident and the other is timid," Hooper added Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com GlobalFoundries is receiving federal funding to advance manufacturing of a specialized silicon semiconductor at its Essex Junction plant Department of Defense Trusted Access Program Office has awarded GlobalFoundries an additional $9.5 million to move the company closer to large-scale production of gallium nitride silicon semiconductors at its facility in Essex Junction Gallium Nitride chips are able to handle high voltages and temperatures at greater energy efficiency The plant in Vermont is the global hub of GlobalFoundries gallium nitride program Be one of the first to know what's coming up on WAMC See additional subscription options cities like Essex will be prominent paving stones in this path Essex has been a community that has continued to find ways to grow and thrive without losing its charm which attracts small businesses and local festivals or events The town is among the most rapidly growing in the state increasing its population by nearly thirteen percent between 2010 and 2020 Much of this can be attributed to a few factors: Compared to Burlington Essex offers far more affordable housing without sacrificing the amenities of the nearby metropolis the average home cost in Essex is $468,217 nearly six percent lower than the average of $495,758 for properties in Burlington the development of residential neighborhoods like Countryside or Saxon Hill gives your immediate space a unique feel while still being part of the larger whole as developing communities increase their population much of this concerns the city's economic stability Essex has several core companies that provide countless jobs throughout the immediate area from the top semiconductor manufacturer in GlobalFoundries to the large production operation for Autumn Harp Beyond its commercial successes on this grand stage the community remains a stable environment for small businesses to thrive Quality of life plays a substantial part in Essex's overall appeal to those looking for a stable place to settle down and plant some roots which US News named the fifth best in the state Low crime rates also increase the overall quality of life with the town being in the 95th percentile of the safest places to live in the country residents also receive top healthcare from the University of Vermont Medical Center Essex boasts various activities year-round from farmer's markets to seasonal festivals encouraging friendly and lively interactions Events like the Essex Junction Block Party and Champlain Valley Fair bring residents and guests together to enjoy local culture Champlain Valley Expo Center is an all-in-one facility hosting events year-round There is something for everyone in the booming community of Essex While there are countless places you should visit Few places should be on your radar when visiting or scoping out this town other than the Essex Experience home to over twenty small businesses and boutiques like Addie & Grace or eateries like Bramble This venue is also one of the area hubs for entertainment and other popular community events throughout the year Vermont’s farm-to-table traditions are a significant component of some of its most successful eateries Places like The Lazy Goat Tavern at The Essex Resort & Spa serve locally sourced ingredients combined into delicious comfort food concoctions also features seasonal Vermont products to create a signature fine dining experience Those looking for a casual experience without skimping the flavor go to Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling for an excellent menu and a unique assortment of locally brewed beers and spirits Multiple heritage and historical sites offer a unique perspective into Essex’s history the community maintains many architectural wonders from the early and mid-1900s This has allowed the National Register of Historic Places to consider the neighborhood of Essex Junction formerly the site of the bustling train activity as four tracks converged at this key interchange Military history buffs can appreciate the preserved Fort Ethan Allen For all the history and bustling business you can find in Essex this is also a source of relaxation with the beauty of nature at its best in the Green Mountain State From scenic parks to the mountains near the town there is something for every level of outdoor enthusiast Perhaps the first natural exploration stop should be the local favorite the park is very popular as a designation for photographers to capture memorable shots of the changing foliage Lake Champlain is one of the premier natural sites in the entire state of Vermont so its proximity to Essex is a considerable draw for families looking to relocate offer unforgettable views of the Adirondack Mountains from the water Skiing and winter sports are another significant component of Vermont’s economy and several locations around Essex can be explored for this beloved northern pastime Bolton Valley and the Stowe Mountain Resort offer skiing and cross-country options for those looking to hit the slopes when the weather gets cold Family-focused activities and events offer an inclusive feel for visitors and long-time residents of Essex The Essex Free Library and the Brownell Library offer unique and ongoing programs catered to all ages from story time to touring authors reading passages from their latest creations Families also take advantage of Burlington's proximity's educational wealth with locations like the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain where visitors can interact with engaging science exhibits Art and culture are priorities for this thriving community and theatres like the Double E Performance Center Numerous seasonal plays and musical productions are staged here Regional awareness of the arts is prevalent with events like the Art Hop which encompasses Essex and Burlington and celebrates artistic expression and local crafters and artisans While many come to the Green Mountain State to explore its rich history and connections with Colonial America and the birth and growth of the nation a similar boom is happening in its communities like Essex Maintaining this same spirit of adventure with diverse attractions and recreational draws this town continues expanding its population few places provide such a shining example of Vermont’s blend of natural beauty and historical significance photos and 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