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The Times Argus from Barre, Vermont • 11

Publication:
The Times Argusi
Location:
Barre, Vermont
Issue Date:
Page:
11
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

Local and TheTimesArgus i rj Friday, September 21, 1984 Eleven New Phone Service Aimed I At Central Vermonters Murder Victims Identified in Burlington at the start of the year customers have encountered that annoying intermittent beep Just twice. Knisbacher said financial savings in long-distance service offered by the company were significant. On an average, they amount to 35 percent on calls made by businesses, 30 percent for residential users. Business calls are typically shorter than personal calls, he explained. A special feature of the new service, according to company literature, is the ability to channel calls through its facilities from places other than the home or business, such as telephone booths or hotel rooms anywhere in the country.

By dialing Burlington Tels 800 number and then routing the call from there, the user avoids operator assistance and at the same time takes advantage of lower rates. Knisbacher said the double savings on such calls over traditional methods of long-distance phoning can amount to 70 percent. Burlington Tel charges businesses $35 to sign with and attach to its lines, and a $10 per month users fee thereafter. Charges for residences are $10 to attach and $5 per month. Knisbacher said the lower cost for long-distance offered by the new company is the result of charging a flat fee, per-minute, for calls rather than a higher fee for the first minute which drops to a lower per-minute charge for the remainder of the call, the traditional method of charging.

The companys flat fee, he said, is 30 to 40 percent below first minute rate, and 15 to 20 percent below the secondary rate. Burlington Tel leases WATS access (wide area telecommunications service) from then resells it to its customers. The company's theory is that its lower per-call profit will be made unfor In volume, especially with the other services offefQ. By WILL LINDNER Times Argus Staff A cutrate long-distance telephone service now available tor businesses and residences in central Vermont will make good on one of its advertising promises next week, as Burlington Telephone Co. plans to petition the state Public Service Board for the right to offer cheaper rates on calls made within Vermont.

Te springboard was a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission in 1981 that opened up previously monoplized telephone markets. Within a short time of that decision competing telephone companies sprang into existence, and Burlington Telephone Co. which goes under the moniker Burlington Tel entered the market early this year, challenging New England Telephone for interstate calljL Its plan to crash the intrastate market, for longdistance calls within the state, will go forward Monday when its petition is filed with the PSB. Mitchell Knisbacher, company vice president, said todqy that regulatory boards in other states have concluded that arguments against such competition were not Convincing, and Burlington Tel hopes for the same result in Vermont. The Burlington-based companys foray into central Vermont and Rutland for the discounted services it already offers on interstate calls is just a few weeks old.

Kplsbacher said Burlington Tel began soliciting customers in the two new regions late in August. The company plans to install temporary hookups In Rutland and Montpelier to its Burlington lines over the nexj two weeks, and by the third week of October will have permanent facilities in those cities, providing unlimited access. Our policy is never to give a busy signal, Knisbacher said, noting that since it began operations Sign Illegal, Says City Staff, Win Reports JAY Authorities have ruled the deaths of a couple as a double: homicide. The couple was found shot to death, in their chalet Thursday afternoon. i Jay Town Clerk Elnora Morse -today identified the couple as Roland and Maram Hand of Gendron Road.

Police had. identified the two only as a 49-, year-old man and a 30-year-old woman. Orleans County States Attorney' Philip White would not identity the couple pending notification of their relatives. An employee of the Jay Service Station, who asked not to be named, said this morning Hand had been a businessman in Montreal but sold out two or three yeareago. The prosecutor said both the man and the woman died of multiple gunshot wounds.

He said no suspects have questioned and police have not determined a motive. A friend of the couple; whose name was not released, found the victims at 4:30 p.m. The friend summoned State Police Trooper Douglas James. Police said the couple had beat' married about three years. The -man had lived in Jay since 1969 and was from Montreal.

Medical Examiner Dr. Paul Morrow is scheduled to perform autoposies today, police said. Morse said the couple was not seen around town much. "They, did live here most of the time, but I dont think they called themselves residents. He has come in -here to pay his taxes, but thats about all I have seen him, she said.

The service station attendent said the couple bought gas there -frequently. AD I know is what they came to get gas they were very nice The attendant said Hanel had a daughter who was seen in Jay occaslonaUy and that he had a boat in Florida. I know one guy who Uved quite close. He told me this morning that when he found out about the murder he loaded his deer rifle. First we had the (escapee) from Virginia and now this, the person said, referring to Willie Leroy Jones, an escaped murderer who was captured in town in June after a nationwide manhunt I was shocked when I heard about it this morning.

You can almost see their house from where I sit, the attendaent said, noting it was not far horn the center of Jay Village. Bombardier Signs Deal With Disney transportation systems and people movers for its two theme parks. "People movers are driverless vehicles that carry large numbers of pedestrians over short distances. The Disney agreement makes Bombardier the only manufacturer in the world to offer a full-range of fixed guideway transit technologies: monorail, light rail, heavy rail, highspeed commuter cars and people movers," a company statement said. The company will design and sell complete mass transit systems, rather than simply producing the rail vehicles used on systems designed by others.

Gladchun said it would be several years before the agreement would create any new jobs or have any other direct effect on the Barre Town plant. He said there was a lot of design and marketing work to be done before any construction could take place. Disney developed monorail Bombardier Corp. of Montreal has signed an agreement with Disney Corp. to market and manufacture mass transit systems originally designed by the entertainment corporation to move large numbers of people at Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.

The agreement represents a longterm investment by Bombardier in its Mass Transit Division, according to Marshall Gladchun, the general manager of the companys Barre Town rail car assembly plant. By SUSAN ROBERTS Times Argus Staff A political campaign sign for gubernatorial candidate John Easton, prominently displayed on the outside wall of a State Street office buildingln Montpelier, is in violation of the citys sign ordinance. Michael Jones, Montpelier zoning administrator, said the sign, which has been hanging between the second and third floors of the building for about three weeks, was very obviously a violation of the sign ordinance. He said the Republican attorney general will have to seek a variance from the ordinance because the banner is larger than the ordinance allows. The ordinance, passed this summer after a controversy over display of signs during Mays city mayoral race, defines the requirements of a political sign as restricted to six square feet in size.

Easton's banner is larger than that, but Jones said he wasnt sure of the exact dimensions. Frannie Bastian, spokeswoman for Easton, said today that the candidates -Montpelier campaign organizer, Ralph Howe, was told by Montpelier City Attorney Paul Giuliani said the sign could be displayed several weeks ago. Giuliani was out of town Friday and unavailable for comment. Bastian said the sign will either come down or a smaller sign conforming with the ordinance will be erected. Two years ago, political signs supporting Eastons campaign for states attorney in southern Vermont were declared a violation of the states billboard law.

After his election, Eastern issued an opinion 'on the, matter, including definitions of political signs and billboards. Last May in Montpelier, while campaigning against incumbent Mayor Frank Romano, resident Theodore Hoppe cited Eastons opinion as a basis for having Romanos political signs removed. At that time, Giuliani said Eastons opinion didnt have the force of law and was ambiguously worded. After the election, the city planning commission drew up a new sign ordinance, which was recently approved by aldermen. Barre City Begins Today Testing Water Tank After the test is completed, the city will empty the tank, disinfect it, check for cracks and then refill it for actual use.

Residents should begin getting water from the tank in late October, Cate said. Cate said the material used to build the tank included extra cement that, when it comes in contact with water, will harden, filling in any cracks that may exist in the structure. He explained that the tank was being filled two feet a day to allow the cement at each level enough time to mix with the water and fill in the cracks. Construction of a water tank to be used by Barre City residents in the Upper Prospect Street area was completed this week and water department workers pumped the first two feet of water into the concrete structure this morning, according to City Manager Richard Cate. Cate said two feet of water a day will be pumped in until a 16-foot level is reached.

The eight-day process is part of a test that will tell city officials if the tank is 1 Missing Kerosene Montpelier police said 100 gallons of kerosene, valued at $125, stolen or leaked from two large drums outside a 134 Elm residence. a Montpelier police said five male the downtown. LOllCgC Students Vermont College students turned Officer Mark Moody said the themselves in early Thursday students also said they stole four Awl mil FluoTlipfffl morning, returning three American street signs and agreed to pay for any iAQIIUl tag 1 fid flags they confessed to stealing from damages. New Director Eyes Future Of Project Independence attention problems the clients have encountered. We kind of act as friend to these people, Knapp said' The clients who come daily to the organization are treated to lunch, and some, who need the assistance, have dinner sent to their homes.

Clients participate in several activities dally, Including hooking rugs, shopping, bowling and Just enjoying each others company. It really is a hard job working with people who are so needy, he said. But were the only agency of our kind in Washington County and I think we do a good job. Project Independence is funded by several entities, Including United Way, which gives $13,500 a year and is ex-! pec ted to increase that amount next year, and the states; Vermont Office on the Aging. Barre City and Montpelier-also contribute some revenue-sharing funds to the! organization.

Knapp said several fund-raising events. Including din-' ner dances, participation in the farmers market in; Barre and benefit auctions help supplement the budget. The director went before the Barre City Council Tuesday asking that aldermen, by putting the question on the) November ballots, ask city voters whether they would; approve a property tax waiver for the organization. The' waiver would save his organization $876.04 a year, but; aldermen tabled the motion until next week. The savings would mean a lot, Knapp said, because' the organization expects to receive the same amount Of I money next year that it did from most of the com; tributors this year, except for United Way.

He said that with inflation it wiU be tough to make ends meet. Continuing fundraising is one option, but Knapp said lot of the organizations time in the near future will be spent fixing up the new house and moving in. In addition, Knapp and his wife are expecting their first baby in October, so he will take time off from his Job. His goals are aimed at keeping Project Independence growing. I would like to continue adding more services, he said.

We would like to concentrate on coordinating available services in the area, and if needed, creating new ones. Currently there is not enough coordination between the service organizations in Washington County. He said Project Independence is also "trying to establish some additional support, not necessarily in money, but in all kinds of ways. We want to expand the outreach service that were just putting together to get to the most needy people out there. By DEREK L.KINNER Times Argus Staff As one leaves Barre City by way of Washington Street, the last house on the left is a barn-red, two-floor structure that is shielded from the road by an old granite-block wall.

From the outside, the structure resembles most other houses in central Vermont. But inside, its rooms are undergoing a change that will soon give many frail elderly, or handicapped, people something they have never known. These people will have a place to call their own, a family and people who care about them. Project Independence recently purchased the 420 Washington house from Jean Latham and the organizations director and employees are busy painting, remodeling and cleaning the two-story structure. They want to make it accessible for their clients and pro-videa cozy atmosphere complete with an antique woodstove.

For the last three years, the organization has rented an apartment at 40 South Main but there was not enough space to accommodate Project Independences services. The purchase of the house was James Knapps first major undertaking as director of the nine-year-old organization. He said the new house will provide more space for the organization, as well as safer and easier access for its clients. Knapp became director the end of March, succeeding Janet Gershaneck, who served more than two years. Besides the new house, Knapp has also initiated an program to visit the disabled who cannot make it to the projects location.

The 28-year-old director has an impressive amount of experience in social service jobs. He earned a masters degree from the Adelphi Program, a school focusing on social work, in Burlington. He earned his bachelors degree from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., and worked several social service-related jobs in that city, Including being the night supervisor for a transitional living borne for Hutchins Psychiatric Hospital patients who were trying to make a life for themselves outside the institution. Knapp ran Syracuses Elmcrest Childrens Center which housed court-placed youths who needed rehabDitation away from a Jail environment. He later attended Syracuse Graduate School, where he met his future wife, now Dr.

Marilyn Knapp. She was of- takes people who ordinarily would be in danger of institutionalization and gives them a second chance at life, Knapp said. When they come here, they find that people care about them. We keep them healthy. Knapp said that since he has been director, three persons have been helped out of nursing homes.

Organization workers also assist their clients with problems encountered with social welfare checks and other governmental and societal procedures they might not understand. Not only does the project assist those out of institutions, it acts as a watchdog for those in homes, calling to fered a job at the Plainfield Health Center and convinced him Vermont was the place for him to work. Since coming to Vermont, Knapp has been a psychiatric social worker for Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin and organized the Twin Valley Senior Center, which is an organization of the elderly from Plainfield and surrounding towns. Project Independence is the only organization of its kind in Washington County, Knapp said, and his primary goal is to expand its services to meet the complete needs of the areas handicapped and frail. The good that Project Independence does is that it 4.

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About The Times Argus Archive

Pages Available:
128,771
Years Available:
1959-1985