There is still time to register for the 2008 Arthur Gibb Award celebration this Wednesday, December 10 at the Vergennes Opera House, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm.

Paul Bruhn, founder and Executive Director of Preservation Trust of Vermont, is being honored by Smart Growth Vermont for his significant contribution to preserving Vermont’s landscapes, village centers, and historic landmarks. Since 1980, Preservation Trust has touched the lives of Vermonters in almost every city and town in the state, from the Latchis Hotel & Theater in Brattleboro to the Opera House at Enosburg Falls.

Smart Growth Vermont invites you to join us in celebrating the legacy of Arthur Gibb as exemplified by Paul Bruhn and Preservation Trust of Vermont. You can register online or call the office to reserve your tickets.

Community Planning Partnership Update

As a final step in a project to help Bristol overhaul its town plan, Smart Growth Vermont recently completed an in-depth review of the revised plan to assess how effectively the town had incorporated previous recommendations. Smart Growth Vermont has been working with the town since May 2007 on the revision process, analyzing data from a town-wide survey and providing the town with guidance on how best to incorporate smart growth principles into its plan. In addition, Smart Growth Vermont recently delivered a draft implementation strategy to the town that brings together in one place all of the specific steps the town needs to take to reach the goals in its plan. To learn more, visit the Community Planning Partnership section of our website.

Reducing the cost of home ownership is a high priority for Warren, a ski town where second home development has driven up the cost of land. Smart Growth Vermont prepared a matrix of options for the community to consider at a November 10 meeting, where residents weighed in on what approaches to creating new village housing are most appropriate for Warren. Smart Growth Vermont is now helping the town prepare new bylaw language to make those options a reality. To learn more, visit the Warren page on our website.

Give the Gift of Belonging this Holiday

Looking for the right gift for that someone special? Make a gift on their behalf to Smart Growth Vermont! Simply purchase a membership in the name of the people you want to honor or remember and we will send a card to them to acknowledge your gift. This holiday season, we have a special card that was created by Vermont Artist, Katharine Monstream. You can reserve your gift through our online giving site, or by calling us or dropping us a note. What a thoughtful way for you to show that special person how much you appreciate their interest in preserving Vermont’s unique character!

2009 Legislative Outlook

When the 2009 General Assembly convenes in early January, we will be there to continue our smart growth advocacy efforts. The big issues facing lawmakers this session all related to the downturn in the economy. Lawmakers are looking for ways to invest in programs that will stimulate the economy.

Our main message to lawmakers is simple: smart growth is good economic policy. Sprawl development costs us all, from the family gas budget to the local government services budget to the state infrastructure maintenance costs.

Here are some of the major smart growth-related state policy issues we expect lawmakers to grapple with this coming session:

Now is the time to register for the Arthur Gibb Award event coming up this Wednesday, December 10, at the Vergennes Opera House. We are looking forward to a wonderful evening with food, drinks and great conversation. Register now.

Be sure to check out other Upcoming Events on our website! You'll find information about conferences, lectures and presentations on a wide variety of topics.

Smart Growth in Action: Shop Local for the Holidays

Montpelier. Photo by P. Donovan

As the holiday season approaches, most of us are looking for ways to spend our money wisely. One of the smartest things you can do is purchase Vermont-made products for friends, family or colleagues. Particularly in these tough times, buying Vermont products makes good sense for our local economy. What's more, with the amount of energy required to transport goods across the country or the world, buying local is good for the climate.

Visit your nearby country store, corner market or farm stand, where you're likely to find many Vermont-made products such as cheeses, maple syrup and handmade gift items. The Taftsville Country Store, in south-central Vermont, specializes in gourmet Vermont products which can also be purchased through their online catalog. Adams Farm Stand in Williston, open until Christmas Eve has a variety of produce, wreaths, trees, crafts and toys. And of course there are the larger retail and online companies that specialize in Vermont-made products such as Gardeners Supply, King Arthur Flour, Simon Pearce and Vermont Country Store.

Vermont-made gifts range from homemade soaps and candles to children's toys. Artisans throughout the state take special care to make quality products. Try these two online directories, vermontdirectories.com and madeinvermont.com to find an array of gift ideas to suit any taste or price range.

The Holiday Farmers Markets mentioned in the article below, are also great places to add to your holiday menu and to find gifts. For a full listing, go to the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA-VT) or the Vermont Department of Agriculture's website winter farmer’s markets.

Or, instead of buying a Vermont-made product, consider making a contribution to your favorite Vermont non-profit organization on behalf of a loved one or a good friend. Contributing to a cause is a great way to spread holiday cheer and make a difference in our beautiful state. Happy Holidays!

Solar Cars Added to Green Mountain Power Fleet

Green Mountain Power is doubling its efforts to become more energy efficient by introducing two new alternative Toyota Prius vehicles to its fleet.

The vehicles are not conventional hybrids, which are electrically charged while the car is running. Instead they're called 'plug-in' hybrids, because they can be charged using a conventional household current.

The Company has installed solar panels on its building. The output from these panels, which are connected to the grid, is allocated to charging the vehicles. The company is monitoring the amount of solar power that is generated so as to ensure that the cars use no more energy than the panels produce.

The Company is using the plug-in cars to demonstrate to the public how this alternative hybrid can decrease carbon emissions by 70%. Any 2004 Toyota Prius or newer can be converted to a plug-in simply by purchasing a kit. For more information on Green Mountain Power's "Runs on Rays" initiative, visit their website at www.greenmountainpower.com.

Farmers Expand to Offer Winter Goods

Are you tired of waiting five months for your favorite farmers market to start back up? Well, maybe you don't have to anymore. Winter markets are popping up all over the state, and you're sure to find one close by.

Though you will not be able to find fresh tomatoes, the winter markets do carry a wide variety of root vegetables, farm-raised meats, and locally made crafts, among other things.

Montpelier, Rutland, Middlebury, Brattleboro, Burlington and South Hero have begun to offer winter farmers markets, and there are likely more. Be sure to check the Vermont Department of Agriculture's website for a listing. Also, be aware that some only take place once a month.

And there's good news for those of you who enjoy summer farm shares. Some farms also offer winter shares, which can include bread, cheeses and root vegetables. For more information about winter farm share programs, contact the Northeast Organic Farming Association.

There are so many ways to buy and eat local, so go ahead and take advantage of what Vermont farms have to offer -- even in the depths of a Vermont winter!

Agricultural Sustainability Grants Offered

The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE) will offer grants to commercial farmers who wish to explore new ideas in food and fiber production.

Projects can range from soil health and pest management to livestock herd health and marketing. The deadline for grant applications is Tuesday, December 16, and awards are capped at $10,000. For more information or to apply for a grant, visit SARE's website.

IRA Charitable Rollover Restored

Older Americans are once again able to contribute directly to public charities from their individual retirement accounts, thanks to a provision in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. The IRA Charitable Rollover tax incentive, which is available through 2009, allows individuals aged 70½ and older to donate up to $100,000 from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and Roth IRAs to public charities without having to count the distributions as taxable income. The required distributions can be made directly to a charity such as Smart Growth Vermont so that the taxpayer can avoid having to pay taxes on the distribution. The easiest way to contribute is to write a check directly from the IRA. For more details, please contact your IRA administrator.

How To Re-use a Big Box Store

Do you ever wonder what becomes of abandoned big box stores across the U.S.? Well, take a look at this slide show which presents clever examples of how some old buildings have been renovated.

Creative ideas for what to do with big box buildings will become incresingly more important given the current economic conditions. Circuit City has reported that they will close 155 of its stores before the holiday season. Wait, it is the holiday season. Do you know anyone who wants an abandoned big box store for Christmas?

You have received this message because ###USER_email### is subscribed to Smart Growth Vermont E-News. We'll send you about one email per month.

To make sure our newsletters continue to be delivered to your inbox, please add info@smartgrowthvermont.org to your address book/allow list.

E-News December 2008

Quick Links

Register Now for the Arthur Gibb Award Celebration!