Local News

ESSEX COUNTY VT- An "outpost."

That is the word several human services agency representatives used Wednesday to describe a satellite office in Essex County -- the poorest, most isolated county in the state -- and at least one Concord resident is calling for a change.

Stephanie Sterling, Essex County Democratic County chairwoman, has been working since January to organize human services agencies to become centrally located and more easily accessible to low-income Southern Essex County residents.

To this end, she has been calling meetings every month with Northeast Kingdom human services agencies, and attendance has been steadily increasing, Sterling said.

Sterling took on this project in January partly as a reaction to personal experience and partly from witnessing low-income friends struggling to make ends meet.

"When I invited area agencies to my first meeting, I said to them, "I realize people in Essex County have to travel outside Essex to get services. That is wrong," Sterling said, adding a higher than statewide average number of Essex County residents live below the poverty level. Poverty level is a household income of $12,500 to $17,500, depending on household size, according to federal documents.

With a total population of 6,507, based on a 2001 estimate put out by the federal government, Essex County has a median per-capita income of $14,388 with 13.7 percent below the poverty line compared to 9.4 percent statewide. The median household income is $30,490 compared to $40,856 statewide.

Sterling said she doesn't want to help people on welfare stay on welfare, rather, she is concerned about the single mother with three kids working an $8 an hour job when the heating oil tank runs out before winter's end, or the car breaks down. Such a person would be unable to save for emergencies, Sterling said, adding it seems "crazy" to force the poorest section of the state to travel the farthest for human services.

To make life easier for residents of Guildhall, Maidstone, Lunenburg and environs, Sterling said the time has come to have available services such as those provided by the Area Agency on Aging, Northeast Kingdom Community Action, Umbrella out of St. Johnsbury, Step One out of Newport, Department of Corrections, Northeast Kingdom Youth Services, Social and Rehabilitation Services and Rural Community Transportation.

At least two of those organizations already have offices in Essex County, but some are too far for Southern Essex residents, such as NEKCA's "outpost" offices in Canaan and Island Pond. Umbrella has an office manned by one part-time employee in the Guildhall justice center building right near the Essex County Superior Courthouse. Umbrella has had an office providing services to domestic violence victims in the county since 1997, and is now joined by the Department of Corrections which moved into the same building to work with offenders. Stuart Gladding, Court and Reparative Services Units supervisor, said his office was making the move anyway, but Sterling has given form and focus to communities and agencies to start talking about the need.

The Department of Corrections has also helped Gilman residents overcome a townwide crime problem Essex County Sheriff Amos Colby claimed would require an additional deputy he currently does not have the budget to fund.

In that community, residential meetings have been held and community watches are being formed to control the situation, Gladding said.

Gladding said having Corrections services in Guildhall on court day only makes sense and saves time and money for everyone. "It is an opportunity to do some things in that area," Gladding said. "The numbers aren't large, but when occasions arise, it makes sense to have an office there to deal with emergencies."

Other agency heads voiced similar opinions.

Pam Smart of NEKCA based in St. Johnsbury said working collaboratively to "staff some kind of outpost" would be desirable for her organization to at least have a point person for Essex County residents. NEKCA helps with housing, fuel assistance, tax preparation and food shelf services.

Sterling said when she first complained of lack of services, some agencies said Essex County does not have enough people to justify opening up offices. But she contends those residents should not have to do without services, so they may put a presence into the same Guildhall building as Umbrella and the DOC.

As for Sterling, her activities may dovetail nicely with her political aspirations. She said it would be nice to play a key role in the Statehouse -- a building once cared for by her grandfather Norman Murray of Groton who was the head of janitorial services there for many years.

"Grandpa was there at the Statehouse, and I as his granddaughter would like to be there, too," she said, but admitted she is not yet sure whether she will run in 2004 or 2006.

She has also caught the attention of the Dean For America campaign that contacted her last month to see if she would be willing to assist in Howard Dean's presidential campaign. Sterling agreed to let them use her name and number if any Essex County events are to be organized.