Rutland County Archives - Stafford Technical Center

STCN Winter Storm Watch

STCN’S KEVIN RICHER

(RUTLAND, VT) As of 8PM EDT the snowstorm is currently switching over to heavy wet snow across the area. Road conditions are deteriorating across the state. The Vermont Department of Transportation is reporting that road conditions are difficult. Please slow down if you have to travel this evening. Due to the storm Rutland City Public Schools will be closed tomorrow.

The National Weather Service has been tweaking their forecast a little as they are calling for 6-12 inches of wet, heavy snow and up to a tenth of an inch of ice. Over the night tonight we will see rain and snow mixing on and off. Between 9pm tonight and 2am tomorrow is when we will see the heaviest snowfall rates as we could see up to 1-2 inches of snow per hour. Tomorrow we will continue to see a mix of rain and snow as temperatures will only be around the freezing mark. We will see additional accumulations of about 1-3 inches.

Keep checking staffordonline.org for the latest on this winter storm.

Department of Motor Vehicles and High School Students Team Up to Address Speeding

Recently, students from Proctor High School and Stafford Technical Center’s Vermont Teen Leadership Program, and Rutland High School’s Green Mountain Teen Institute Program linked up with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles to heighten awareness of the dangers in speeding. The partners came together at the Rutland DMV Office, where they placed a couple of hundred “Slow Down, Stick Around” ribbons and attached information cards for DMV patrons to take. The ribbons can be used as bookmarks and are there to reinforce the message every time someone looks at the ribbon.

The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles is so committed to this effort that they have offered SADD chapters in areas of the state where there are DMV offices the opportunity to replicate this partnership locally. DMV was well represented at the kick-off of this program, with new Commissioner Robert Ide being joined by Sgt. Joseph Arduca and Inspector Adam Pockette as well as Rutland DMV District Office Supervisor Robin Delong. Cameo Bixby-Clements, a Rutland High student represented GMTI. Proctor High School’s SADD Chapter was represented by student Amanda Zuber and advisor Claire Molner. The Stafford Technical Center SADD team consisted of student Kayla Stewart of West Rutland and advisor John D’Esposito. Troopers Mark Perkins and Rene Klementowski of the Vermont State Police and Rutland County Sheriff Stephen Benard represented the law enforcement community.

Rutland County’s partnership between law enforcement, youth, and the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles represents another locally developed concept to solve a problem which will be replicated through Vermont, and perhaps through the nation

Driver Training Programs at Stafford Technical Center Will Soon Include Automobile Licensing

The Stafford Driver Training School will soon include two new instructors who will help inaugurate the automobile driver training program for adults later this fall. Stan Blicharz and David Potter, are both veteran driving instructors from two large Rutland County high schools but have recently earned their licenses to teach adults how to safely and effectively navigate the highways and byways of the Northeast and beyond. Both men will bring a love of teaching and driving to the classroom and Subaru Forester that will serve as the training vehicle for this next critical arm of the Stafford Driver Training School. The adult automobile driver training curriculum will consist of 12 classroom and 6 over-the-road hours after which time students can schedule a road test with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles.

Educators and job training specialists alike are pleased that this opportunity has been developed to help adults who are limited in choices that are available to them in both areas due to a lack of public and personal transportation.

For more information about the automobile driver training program at Stafford Technical Center contact program staff at (802) 770-1178.

Students Link Up With Rutland Free Library For Highway Safety

Students Highway Safety Photo Recently, students from the Vermont Teen Leadership Safety Program Chapters in Proctor High School and Stafford Technical Center began a partnership with the Rutland Free Library in Rutland which is aimed at reducing excessive speed on roads and highways and the many crashes which result from speeding. At the winter meeting of the Vermont Teen Leadership Safety Program (VTLSP), an organization of high school students from about 40 Vermont schools, which focuses on highway safety issues, the students decided that they wanted to work on a project to reduce the incidence of speeding and the deaths and injuries resulting from speeding.

They came up with a theme for the campaign, “Slow Down, Stick Around”. The theme would be printed on ribbons and would have a card explaining the risks of speeding attached. The plan originally was to disseminate these ribbons at highway rest areas and visitors centers, but when they were done, some additional venues were discussed- auto body and repair shops, chambers of commerce, and car dealers. Someone else recognized that the ribbons would make excellent book marks, and would tend to be used over and over, so libraries became sites to give out the ribbons and cards.

Some of the facts involving speeding are: 36% of all fatal motorcycle crashes are speed related, as speed goes up, the likelihood of a fatality increases, and young males are the most likely to be involved in a fatal speed-related crash.

The students involved in delivering the basket full of ribbons and cards to Dan Amesburry, the assistant director of the Rutland Free Library were: Taylor Trombley of Proctor High School and her VTLSP Advisor, Claire Molner, two students from Rutland High School’s GMTI Program, Jonathan Giffin and Cameo Bixby- Clemons, Lt. Kevin Geno of the Rutland City Police Department, Rutland County Sherriff Stephen Benard, and two Stafford Technical Center students, Kayla Jones of Tinmouth, and Ashley Barnes of Rutland.

Photo: Slow Down, Stick Around Rutland at the Rutland Free Library: Dan Amesburry (w/beard), Claire Molner, Jonathan Giffin, Lt. Kevin Geno, Ashley Barnes, Kayla Jones, and Taylor Trombley

Stafford SAAD Chapter wins Governor’s Award

The Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Chapter at Stafford Technical Center in Rutland, VT was awarded with a 2009 Vermont Governor’s Award for Outstanding Community Service. The award ceremony occurred on April 25^th, in Montpelier, Vermont. SADD members Angelica Towsley and Cody Hesse, both of who received individual awards, accepted the chapter’s award from the governor.

The Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter was recognized for four years of outstanding community service. The chapter has done community service activities in three areas: alcohol, tobacco, and other drug awareness and prevention programs, highway safety programs, and other activities that promote healthy lifestyles or reduce other negative behaviors.

This chapter has initiated or adopted a number of alcohol awareness programs. The SADD Chapter has pioneered the “Tuxedo Insert Program” in collaboration with Rutland County law enforcement officials and community anti-drug coalitions. This program places an informative card into the pocket of every tuxedo and the box of every corsage in that goes out for prom season. The card demonstrates the difference between having a prom night with and without alcohol. This program won an OJJDP “Success Story”. We have done fatal vision goggle demos and other alcohol awareness programs at car shows, “National Night Out”, teen dances, sporting events, a prom fashion show, health and wellness fairs, community and mall health and safety days, etc. SADD hosts the annual “Southern Vermont Red Ribbon Tree” at our local mall to memorialize the victims of drunk or drugged drivers. Rutland County is involved in a program called START (Stop Teen Alcohol Risk Team) which is designed to reduce underage drinking through education and enforcement; the SADD Chapter hosts the annual planning luncheon, over 50 people attend it. Sticker Shock, a program designed to dissuade people from purchasing beer and alcopops for minors, has also been done in collaboration with two other local SADD Chapters.

Highway Safety programs that this chapter have undertaken include safety belt surveys in the fall and spring, car safety seat installation clinics, signage for safety belt usage, and the “Slow Down, Stick Around” project, where ribbons bearing this message, with cards highlighting the speed-related toll , are placed in libraries, book sellers and car repair shops. The members are also starting the “Save Our Students” Project which involves students signing a pledge to be responsible highway users (safety belts, no distracted driving due to texting, cell phone use or passengers, and driving at appropriate speeds); one of the participants will win a prize, this year a complete kayak outfit, provided generously through a local sporting goods store.

The chapter also participates in a number of projects which are designed to reinforce other healthy lifestyles. They host an annual SADD Car Show, which recognizes the time and talent that some students have put into their vehicles. The chapter has become a “certifying organization” through the President’s Commission on Volunteer Service; they will be making awards to over a dozen community-minded members of Stafford Technical Center’s student body. The members are certified as peer instructors in internet safety through the I-SAFE organization. They have also developed a program about inappropriate cell phone usage which was presented to the Stafford Technical Center student body at all all-school assembly; this program was repeated for all students in grades 7-12 in West Rutland.

This year’s SADD Chapter members are: Angelica Towsley, Cody Hesse, Cody Taylor, Ashley Haas, Vicky Stone, Kayla Jones, Ashley Barnes, Cantlin Eaton, Dan Ball, Jon Schaff, Justin Cram, Joanna Lilly, and Erika Stocker. The chapter will be sending 4 members to the annual SADD National Conference, along with their advisor, John D’Esposito.

Rutland County SADD Members attend Teen Leadership Conference

Recently, four students from Rutland County High Schools (Vicky Stone and Erika Stocker -Stafford Technical Center and Cliff Billings and Taylor Trombley -Proctor High School) attended the two day Advisor Teen Leadership Conference at the Holiday Inn. There were 60 attendees broken down into two to three person teams from each high school. These teams consisted of the school’s SADD Advisor and the school’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) member. The Youth Advisory Committee is a leadership position where one student from each chapter acts as the liaison to the statewide organization. The YACS also receive more training. The three person teams were made up of the school’s YAC, who is a high school senior, and their underclassman replacement for the next year.

The purpose of the conference was to allow advisors and YACs time to plan and bond. They also heard about statewide programs that can be done locally and other locally based programs which can be adopted.

The SADD advisors were John D’Esposito from Stafford and Claire Molner from Proctor High School.

Teen Alchohol Awareness at the Prom Fashion Show

Recently, students had the opportunity to learn about alcohol awareness while attending the first ever “Prom Fair” sponsored by WZRT-FM (Z-97). Over 200 teens attended this event which was held at the Rutland Holiday Inn. In addition to a live fashion show featuring the latest in formal wear, there was also an information booth staffed by Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter and officers from the Rutland County START (Stop Teen Alchohol Risk Team). Not only were students able to collect information on corsages and limosines, but also alchohol education information. The officers and SADD members were available to answer questions, and provided demonstrations involving the “fatal vision goggles”. These goggles are prismatic glasses that distort the viewer’s vision so they begin to act as though they were intoxicated.

The Rutland County START officers present at the event were Trooper Steve Coote of the Vermont State Police and Cpl. Jeff Stephenson of the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department. The SADD students who participated were Jo Lilly and Krista Brayton from Poultney High School, Nate Hance and Erika Stocker from Mill River Union High School, and Ashley Haas of Rutland High School.

Partnerships like these which exist between law enforcement and community members and youth do help to lessen the incidence of underage drinking in our country.