INotes from Montpelier
by Rep. Bill Frank


I had the honor to meet with three groups of young people from our area in the last two weeks at the Statehouse. Last Friday the House of Representative honored 92 scouts who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 2006. That is a very impressive number of new Eagle Scouts in one year but even more impressive was Troop 627 from Jericho & Underhill, had seven scouts achieve Eagle. They are Thomas Scott, Josh Hester, Thomas Malinowski, Peter Johnson, Christian Eckhardt, Andrew Willard and David Kenne. The Color Guard on Friday were these seven new Eagles. They led the House in the Pledge of Allegiance. A resolution was signed by all 150 members of the House or Representatives, was read and passed and then I was honored to introduce all the new Eagle Scouts to the House. They received a long standing ovation. There were many parents, grandparents and scout leaders in attendance.

A group of Browns River Middle School students were part of more than 350 fifth through eigth grade students from Vermont Kids Against Tobacco (VKAT) groups from all over Vermont that attended a rally at the Statehouse. VKAT groups in schools and communities around Vermont have been devoted to keeping themselves and their peers tobacco-free. Their hard work is paying off with fewer young people using tobacco in Vermont. I joined the group on the floor of the House and then at their luncheon.

Another Browns River Middle School class has been studying the effects of exhaust on their health, especially the exhaust of the school buses that idle in front of the school while waiting for students. They met the House committee on Natural Resources and Energy to support passage of bill H.58 that proposes to prohibit the operator of a school bus from idling the engine while waiting for children to board at a school. The students presented statistics they had gathered including how long each bus idled in front of BRMS on three constitutive days in October. After their presentation the whole room gave them a long applause after which the committee chair remarked that it was the first time a presenter has received an ovation. You may have seen a report on their testimony on Channel 3 or heard it on VPR.

Of course there was much time spent in my committee room but writing about these fine youths is much more exciting. To discuss bills and other legislative actions with Gaye and I, please join us at the Deborah Rawson Memorial Library the evening of February 20th at 6:45 pm. It will be an open evening to discuss whatever you ask. Feel free to contact me at Rep.BillFrank@verizon.net, 899-3136 or 19 Pokerhill Rd, Underhill 05489.