Phil Scott thanks Vermonters for support after fire
09 Jan 2012
Lt. Governor Phil Scott is “honored and humbled” by the hundreds of Vermonters who reached out to him over the weekend after his business, DuBois Construction of Middlesex, burned in a massive fire on the night of January 6.
The building and some of the company’s equipment are considered a total loss. The exact cause of the fire is not yet known, but officials have ruled out arson.
Friends, competitors and colleagues in the Legislature and state government expressed their condolences and desire to help. Some have even suggested wanting to hold fundraisers to help the business rebuild.
“I’m honored and humbled to be thought of in this way,” said Scott, “but I can’t in good conscience accept any monetary donations, after having personally witnessed so many Vermonters losing everything as a result of Irene. Our company was insured. While insurance never makes you whole, we should be able to rebuild and stay in business, unlike many small business owners who will never rebound from their losses as a result of Irene.
“I understand people’s desire to help,” Scott continued, “and I would encourage those who feel compelled to contribute in some way, to make a donation to one of the Irene recovery groups or to their local volunteer fire department. In our area, the Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department and several other local departments worked tirelessly to try to save our building.”
VT Long Term Disaster Recovery Group
VT Irene Flood Relief Fund
DuBois Construction was founded by Scott’s uncle in 1946. For the last 26 years, Scott and his cousin, Don DuBois, have run the business together. Scott and DuBois are determined to rebuild. With the help of friends, they set up a temporary office trailer over the weekend, and were ready to fulfill road salt orders as usual on Monday morning.
7th Annual Wheels for Warmth Raises $28,000
04 Nov 2011
Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott announced today that the 2011 Wheels For Warmth raised $28,135 for Vermonters in need of emergency fuel assistance. Scott created the annual Wheels For Warmth event seven years ago, and the program has raised over $148,000 to-date for the emergency and supplemental fuel assistance funds administered by Central Vermont Community Action Council and the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity.
Wheels For Warmth accepts donated used tires from businesses and individuals in the community each October. Tires that pass inspection by the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles are resold. Tires that do not meet inspection standards are recycled.
As it did in 2010, the event continued to expand its tire collection sites beyond Washington County, and accepted tire donations in Stowe and Williston. To help promote the event in these new locations, Bond Auto generously covered the cost of paid advertising in local newspapers. Because of Bond’s donation, Wheels for Warmth was still able to give every single dollar raised through the event directly to low-income fuel assistance.
“This year’s event was a great success,” said Scott. “Our group of volunteers redistributed 1,500 affordable tires, recycled over 2,100 tires, and raised $28,000 in the process for Vermont families who need help heating their homes this winter. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of Irene, I worry that the need will be bigger than ever this year, and I’m pleased to be able to help.”
Scott created Wheels for Warmth in 2005 to not only help Vermonters in need, but also to prevent unwanted tires from ending up in rivers or along roadsides. In 2010, the program was a recipient of a Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence, which honors Vermont individuals and organizations that use innovative approaches to reduce or eliminate pollution and waste. Tires were donated on Thursday, October 27th and Friday, October 28th at DuBois Construction in Montpelier, the Stowe Transfer Station, and Casella Waste Management in Williston. Tires meeting state inspection standards were sold for a maximum of $15.00 each on Saturday, October 29th. Vermonters began lining up at DuBois Construction as early as 4:30 am to have first choice among the available tires when the doors opened at 7:00 am.
Tires that didn’t meet state inspection standards were recycled through Casella Waste Management. Casella donated 100 percent of the $4.00 recycling fee to the home heating program.
In addition to Casella, several area businesses and organizations donated funds or services to Wheels for Warmth, including: Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, DuBois Construction, WDEV Radio, Bond Auto Parts, Associated General Contractors of Vermont, Brookfield Service, Capitol Grounds, Booth Brothers Dairy, and Jet Service Envelope Co.
Although the tire recycling and sale have ended for this year, donations can still be accepted for Wheels For Warmth. Donations may be sent to: DuBois Construction Inc., 46 Three Mile Bridge Road, Middlesex, VT 05602.
Phil Scott Announces 7th Annual Wheels for Warmth
07 Oct 2011
Lt. Governor Phil Scott announced the dates for this year’s Wheels for Warmth tire recycling and resale event.
Tires will be collected on Thursday and Friday, October 27 and 28, from 3:00 to 7:00 PM at the following three locations:
• DuBois Construction, 46 Three Mile Bridge Road, Middlesex
• Stowe Transfer Station, Route 108 (Mountain Road), Stowe
• Casella Waste Management, 28 Avenue C, Williston
The tire sale will be held on Saturday, October 29, from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM at DuBois Construction.
This year will be the 7th Annual Wheels for Warmth program. All proceeds from this unique program go to the home heating fuel assistance fund administered by Central Vermont Community Action.
Since its inception in 2004, Wheels for Warmth has raised a total of $117,696 for fuel assistance, sold a total of 6,800 tires, and recycled 11,780 tires that were ready to come off of Vermont’s roads.
“Wheels for Warmth has always been a great program for low-income Vermonters,” said Phil Scott. “But this year especially, with the financial strain placed on so many Vermont families after Tropical Storm Irene, the need is greater than ever.”
Here’s how it works
Folks show up at a Wheels for Warmth collection site on Thursday or Friday afternoon of the event to donate tires they no longer need. Maybe they recently bought a new vehicle with a different tire size…maybe they replaced their tires early…or maybe they just had some tires taking up space in their garage.
Each collection site has a DMV tire inspector on-site. The tires that meet state standards are held aside for re-sale on Saturday, while those that are not deemed safe for travel are recycled for $4 each (which, also, goes directly to the fuel assistance program, thanks to our friends at Casella Waste Management.)
The “still-good” tires are re-sold on Saturday for a maximum of $15 each. It’s a life-saver for many low-income Vermonters who need safe tires for winter.
For more information:
Wheels for Warmth website
Wheels for Warmth Facebook page
