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Don't Lose Out on
Your Vermont Renter's Rebate!
Wondering if you qualify for a VT Renter's Rebate? You must meet ALL
of the following eligibility requirements to recieve a refund:
-
You were a legal resident of VT for the entire
calendar year 2010
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You were not claimed in 2010 as a dependent of
another taxpayer
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Your household income in 2010 did not exceed
$47,000
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You are the only person in the household
making a renter rebate claim
-
You rented for all 12 months in 2010
If you meet ALL of these eligibility
requirements then
you may qualify for the Vermont
Renter Rebate. You will need to request that your landlord fill
out a Landlord
Certificate or proof that you paid rent for 12 months. You don’t
have to have wages to qualify for this benefit.
Also, if you are low or moderate-income you may
qualify for free help filing
your tax return. Call 2-1-1 to see if you are eligible and to schedule
an appointment at a free tax
preparation site near you.
For more tax information, call the Vermont Tax
Dept. 1-866-828-2865 or visit www.state.vt.us/tax
Preventing Property Theft
During Spring Break
 Burglaries
and larcenies are often crimes
of
opportunity. If you are planning to leave town during Spring Break make
sure to keep the following tips in mind to reduce the likelihood of a
break-in.
Also, consider buying Renter's Insurance or Personal Property Insurance.
It can cover your losses if you do experience theft. For additional
crime prevention tips and to
register your property visit the UVM
Police Services or the Burlington
Police Department website.
Note: If you are leaving town make sure
to keep the heat above 55 degrees to avoid frozen pipes!!
Working to Make
Things Better at the 2nd Common Ground Summit
by Jarrod
Szydlowski
On January 22nd, the Community Coalition sponsored
its second annual Common Ground Summit. Almost 50 people were in
attendance; each came in a unique capacity—as an elected official, a
city employee, a university student, a college administrator, a local
resident. And each person came with their own voice and perspective to
discuss their concerns for the place that they live, work and play in.
But amidst this diversity, the attendees shared one thing in common: a
willingness to listen to others. The words of one attendee testify to
the power of such a forum - “discussion about improving community is in
itself a method of improving community.”
Many words were exchanged on a variety of topics,
from identifying solutions to such problems as walk-by noise and litter
to improving student-neighbor relations, accessing resources for
community projects and employing information technology to increase
social connectivity in Burlington. Perhaps the greatest measure of any
community initiative however, is not just the depth of its
conversation, but the actions that it inspires. For instance, Bill
Ward, Burlington’s Code Enforcement Director and a Summit participant,
is partnering with the Vermont Apartment Owners Association to host a
Move Out and Trash Summit to elicit support and resources from
landlords for the Spring Move Out Project (SMOP), an effort to reduce
trash and encourage re-use as college students vacate their housing for
the summer.
“There are more people interested in these issues
than I thought. Together we can change things for the better, so long
as we keep the momentum,” wrote one individual in response to the
Common Ground Summit. It is a sentiment that echoes that of last
year’s. Sometimes, we can become overwhelmed with the concerns for our
community. The Summit not only serves as a venue for looking toward the
future, but also as a reminder that “there are a lot of people that
care and… are working to make things better.”
Nominate a Neighbor
 You are
invited to celebrate the people who make Burlington a great place to
live, work and play. This event will be a culmination of the annual
Neighborhood Night of Success and the Legacy Town Meeting and will
honor the dozens of residents who volunteer their time to serve on a
city board or commission. In addition, the Burlington Legacy Plan will
seek community input on our shared vision. This is a free, community
event, scheduled for March 31, 5:30 – 7:30pm, at Memorial Auditorium.
Refreshments will be served.
Nominations are currently being accepted for the two annual awards that
will be presented that night as follows:
1) PETER CLAVELLE
AWARD: A professional whose leadership has advanced social
equity, environmental stewardship, quality education, economic growth
and vitality in Burlington.
2) HERB
BLOOMENTHAL AWARD FOR COMMUNITY ACTIVISM: A volunteer whose
leadership, tenacity and dedication have somehow improved Burlington’s
neighborhoods.
For more information on these two awards and for direction on how to
nominate candidates:
www.cedoburlington.org
or 865-7172.
Old
North End
Gardner Application
Due March 18th
The Archibald and Riverside neighborhood gardens are gearing up for a
great season with plans in the works for a Grow Team O.N.E.
contra dance,
the annual plant sale,
building projects and site improvements, workshops, potlucks and
more. A limited number of garden plots are available at both
gardens. Fill out the application form here.
The form is also available for download at http://www.growteamvt.com ,
or call (802) 598-3139 to receive a form by mail. More garden plots
(including at the Myrtle Street Garden) are available through
Burlington Area Community Gardens. For
more Info.
WALK?
BIKE? MEET UP!
The Burlington Walk/Bike Council is hosting a Gathering of Burlington
Walk/Bike Groups on Saturday, March 12th to get inspired and figure out
how best to coordinate across the many groups involved in walk-bike
advocacy in Burlington. Please join us for this important event!
Steve Miller of Boston's Livable Streets Alliance
will give a talk on effective strategies for livable streets.
We'll have a series of small group discussions on key issues, and the
event will wrap up with snacks and drinks in a networking and social
hour.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
1pm to 5:15 pm
Billings North Lounge, UVM
Who's included? Anyone who is interested in or is
a member of:
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