Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz will honor local officials of Caledonia County at the Vermont Public Service Awards on Tuesday, January 11, 2000. The ceremony will honor over 80 local officials who have served their communities for twenty or more years. Over one hundred people including honorees, friends, family and other local officials are expected to attend. The ceremony will begin with presentations by members of the North Country Union High School Color Guard Team. Keynote speeches by Secretary Markowitz and the Honorable Albert W. Barney will follow the opening presentations. The ceremony will take place at Fuller Hall at St. Johnsbury Academy in St. Johnsbury at 7:00 PM. The event is open to the public. For further information, please call 1-800-439-8683.

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PRESS RELEASE

 For immediate release
Contact: Thuy Nguyen
For Immediate Release (802) 828-2148
January 6, 2000

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  Town Meeting Day Deadlines Draw Near January Deadlines for Town Meeting Warning

Montpelier. Two deadlines for getting on the ballot are fast approaching for the upcoming March Town Meeting. According to Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, "One of the things that makes Vermont town meeting so special is that members of the community have an opportunity to discuss issues of town government that are important to them. However, in order to get a particular issue on the town meeting warning, voters must present a petition to the town clerk by January 27th." In most cases, a petitioned article must be signed by at least 5% of the registered voters of the town. In addition, according to Markowitz, "Serving in local office is a great way to give something back to the town. People who live in towns that vote their officers by ballot, rather than on the floor of town meeting must plan ahead if they wish to run for office. January 31st is the deadline for submitting a nominating petition with the town clerk." Nominating petitions must be signed by 30 voters, or 1% of the legal voters, whichever is fewer. All petitions must be submitted to the town clerk. For more information call your town clerk's office, or the Office of the Secretary of State at (802) 828-2363.

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PRESS RELEASE

 For immediate release
Contact: Thuy Nguyen
For Immediate Release (802) 828-2148
January 6, 2000

Secretary of State Publishes Guide For Social Service Agencies
Publication helps social service agencies request municipal funds

Montpelier. Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz today announced the publication of a new guide designed to assist social service agencies that request municipal funding. According to Secretary Markowitz, "the practice of going directly to the voters for agency funding has proliferated in the past ten years as federal and state funding has been reduced. As a result of the increase in demand for assistance, town officials have adopted a variety of policies and practices about when and how agencies may request financial support from the voters of the town." Notwithstanding local policies, state law gives agencies the right to petition a community to have an appropriation request placed on the ballot. The deadline for petitioned items in most communities is January 27th. Secretary Markowitz said, "We wrote Getting on the Ballot, A Practical Guide for Social Service Agencies to help clarify the law governing social service agency requests for appropriations and to provide some needed assistance to those seeking town support for their programs." If you wish to order a copy of Getting on the Ballot, A Practical Guide for Social Service Agencies, please contact the Secretary of State's Office at 802-828-2363. The Guide is also available at http://www.sec.state.vt.us/pubs/ballot.htm

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Secretary of State Deborah L. Markowitz has named William A. Dalton as Deputy Secretary of State. Mr. Dalton, of Richmond, Vermont, has previously served the State of Vermont as Commissioner of Mental Health and Mental Retardation under the Kunin, Snelling and Dean administrations. Prior to that time, Mr. Dalton served as Commissioner of Labor and Industry under the Kunin administration, as Assistant Attorney General and as an attorney with Vermont Legal Aid. Mr. Dalton graduated from Syracuse University in 1963. After honorable discharge from active service as a lieutenant in the United States Navy, Mr. Dalton received his law degree from Boston University School of Law. Most recently, Mr. Dalton has worked as an administrator and director of compliance with Fletcher Allen Health Care. Mr. Dalton replaces David Grayck who will be opening a private practice of law in Montpelier.

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release
Contact: Thuy Nguyen
For Immediate Release (802) 828-2148
January 14, 2000

Secretary of State Publishes The Law of Public Libraries
Publication Seeks to Help Communities Understand Legal Relationship
With Their Libraries

Montpelier. Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz today announced the publication of a Handbook entitled "The Law of Public Libraries." The Law of Public Libraries is a joint project of the Office of the Secretary of State and the Vermont Department of Libraries. The Law of Public Libraries is an easy to read handbook designed to help library trustees, local officials and citizens understand the basic laws that apply to Vermont's public libraries. According to Secretary Markowitz "Libraries are more than places to read and borrow books. They are institutions, with responsibilities to ensure adequate funding, capital facilities and appropriate services to patrons. They are run by volunteer boards, usually called trustees, and they are bound the law, to the extent that it speaks to them." Markowitz said, "My office receives many calls from people wanting to know how libraries work. Some of these callers are library trustees, town treasurers, auditors and select board members, who sincerely want to know where their responsibilities begin and end. The purpose of this pamphlet is to ensure that the library's primary mission of making books and information available to those who seek it is fulfilled with a minimum of conflict over administrative matters." If you wish to order a copy of The Law of Public Libraries, please contact the Secretary of State's Office at 802-828-2363. The Guide is also available at http://www.sec.state.vt.us/OnLinePubs/Library/index.htm

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 17, 2000
For more information contact:
Carolyn Dwyer, Executive Director
229-6874 (phone)/224-9176 (fax)
  Dwyer2@sover.net

Vermont Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz will announce the formation of Kids Voting Vermont on Tuesday, January 18th at 11 am in Room 10 of the Vermont State House. Central Vermont Public Service CEO Robert Young, St. Albans City Mayor Peter Deslaurier and a student spokesperson from Ms. Salzberg's first grade class at Union Elementary in Montpelier will join Markowitz in describing the program's pilot effort. Kids Voting Vermont is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that will train a new generation of Vermont's citizens in the value of voting and will help increase voter turnout on Election Day. Students kindergarten through high school participate in a curriculum about the election process and then cast their ballots alongside adults on Election Day. This program attempts to address declining civic participation and low voter turnout, especially among 18 -24 years olds. In 1996, only 26 percent of registered 18 - 24 years olds in Vermont voted, less than the national average of 32 percent. With the support of a statewide Board of Directors that includes business leaders, civic activists and educators, Kids Voting Vermont hopes to reach its goal of a better informed electorate and increased voter turnout in the new millennium.

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Democratic & Republican Presidential Candidate Names Released Vermont
Presidential Primary - March 7, 2000

 

Montpelier. Secretary of State, Deb Markowitz announced today that the following candidates' petitions have been accepted by the Secretary of State's office and these candidates will be listed on the March 7, 2000 presidential primary ballots for Vermont:

Democratic Bradley of New Jersey Al Gore of Tennesse Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr. of Virginia

Republican Gary Bauer of Virginia George W. Bush of Texas Steve Forbes of New Jersey Alan Keyes of Maryland John McCain of Arizona

Vermont Law requires that candidates for the presidential primary submit nominating petitions signed by at least 1,000 registered Vermont voters.

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