Claremont — Residents on Tuesday will have the opportunity to ask questions and give their opinions about a steel sculpture by sculptor Ernest Montenegro that has been proposed for the parking area near Opera House Square.

The information session begins at 5:30 p.m. at the community center and will include a model of the sculpture that Montenegro has presented to the City Council.

“The goal is to showcase the piece to a wider audience,” Montenegro said. “We want to measure the temperature of the community.”

The sculpture, with fountains at either end, would span the length of the parking area with two, curved arches with trellises that Montenegro said are a “casual reflection” of the Moseley bridge. The 1870 pedestrian bridge, no longer in use, crosses the Sugar River in the Mill District and is one of  three of the historic bridges remaining in the U.S., and the only one in its original location.

Montenegro said the City Council will be looking closely at the public response before deciding what its next step will be.

Montenegro, a Claremont resident, designed the “ourhandsthenandnow” sculpture celebrating the city’s 250th anniversary in 2014. It is located on the north side of the pedestrian bridge below the visitors’ center.

$250,000 Needed So Consultant Can Study Bid for Vermont Dams

Montpelier — A working group created to determine if Vermont should try to buy more than a dozen dams on the Deerfield and Connecticut rivers is asking for money to hire a consultant to update a 2004 analysis conducted when the state last considered buying them.

Vermont Public Radio reported the Vermont Hydro Power Working Group asked for $250,000 this week to have the consultant use the old analysis with more recent information.

TransCanada announced in March that the hydroelectric system is for sale.

The state wants the consultant to compile a report for the initial phase of the project, which could cost up to $75,000.

If the state bids on the dams, the remaining money would fund a deeper analysis. The working group plans to present its suggestion by August.

Vt.’s Scott Breaks Tie to Lighten No-Helmet Penalty for Bikers

Montpelier — Vermont Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican candidate for governor, has cast an unusual tie-breaking vote in favor of loosening the penalty for riding a motorcycle without a helmet.

A bill on the Senate floor on Friday preserved the fine for the infraction, but did away with points on a driver’s license. An accumulation of points can lead to further fines, license suspension and increased insurance rates.

Sen. Joe Benning, a Caledonia County Republican, said riding without a helmet was similar to not wearing a seat belt, which also carries no points.

— Staff and wire reports