Vt. Gas stepsup effort on pipeline to NY paper mill
(See Vt. Gas, Page 7A)
Homeless women work
together to help troops
Whiskey distillery proposal ready for Act 250 scrutiny
(See WhistlePig, Page 17A)
(See Giving back, Page 17A)
Bridport students test culinary mettle‘Iron chef’ competition offers competitive lesson in healthy eating
(See Iron Chef, Page 18A)
Weatherization bill faces hurdleFunding to help citizens still up in the air
City eyes $1.45 millionbond for police HQ
(See Lawmakers, Page 16A)
(See Vergennes, Page 16A)
By JOHN FLOWERS
-promptu boxing tournament.
-
By JOHN FLOWERSMIDDLEBURY — The Ver-
to assemble the necessary
initiative.
to the Senate. That bill sets the state on a path to
--
-
-
Shumlin have not be able to agree on
-lar tax increases. Shum-
10-percent surcharge on
very unpopular among the civic groups that sell them
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“This is not just something that deals with climate change, it is an economic issue.”— Fran Putnam
By ANDY KIRKALDY-
-
--
-
vote.
hear everything you have to say. This
-
By JOHN FLOWERSSHOREHAM — The District 9
to receive more testimony in Whis-
-
later this spring.
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ADIN GIRARD, LEFT, Jenna Howlett and Holly Rancour work on their team’s potato latkes during the Bridport Central School Iron Chef competition last Thursday afternoon. Four teams of students squared off in the cook-off, during which they used healthy ingredients in making creative dishes.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
By ANDY KIRKALDY
Shelter in Vergennes
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-
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The Brandon Artists Guild will convene a jury at the Granary Studio Center on Union Street in Brandon on April 14 to judge po-tential new artist members. For detailed information and an appli-
By JOHN FLOWERS
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International Paper Co. paper mill
-
Sneezing his house downGLEN EASTMAN, LEFT, and Benjamin Fox rehearse a scene Tuesday night from the Little City Players’
production of “Fractured Fairy Tales,” which presents alternate versions of classic stories. The show opens March 29 at the Vergennes Opera House. For more photos, see Page 2A.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
PAGE 2A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013
‘Fractured Fairy Tales’THE LITTLE CITY Players are presenting a twisted take on clas-
sic stories with their production of “Fractured Fairy Tales” at the Vergennes Opera House. The show runs March 29 and 30, and April 5, 6 and 7. Pictured from Tuesday’s rehearsal are, top left, Tsering Chophel,
and, top right, Kelly Burkett and Isaac Bicknell. In the middle is Mat-thew Giles, and to the right is Burt Guran. At right, Carly Huston sits at the table;; above is Glen Eastman.
Independent photos/Trent Campbell
Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013 — PAGE 3A
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Former clerk pleads guilty to embezzling
By JOHN FLOWERSWEYBRIDGE — Former Wey-
bridge Town Clerk and Treasurer Karen Brisson pleaded guilty to a charge of felony embezzlement in U.S. District Court in Rutland on
had determined that she had embez-zled $485,000 in town funds since 2006.Brisson agreed to pay restitution
to the town. Chief Judge Christina Reiss released Brisson on conditions pending sentencing, which is sched-uled for July 18. Brisson, 50, faces up to 10 years
and full restitution for all stolen funds. Her actual sentence will be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines. Court docu-ments state that if Brisson honors the provisions of the plea deal, pros-ecutors will recommend to the court “that she be sentenced to a term of imprisonment at the low end of the sentencing guidelines range,” among other possible sanctions.Brisson — who served as Wey-
bridge town clerk and treasurer for more than 26 years before resign-ing in November after admitting her transgressions — embezzled the money primarily by writing checks to herself and depositing the checks into personal accounts, according to
plea on Monday, the U.S. Probation
report, which will include input from the town, that the court will examine before passing sentence.
amount of missing money to be be-tween $100,000 and $150,000. The
Telling & Associates to conduct a forensic audit of the town’s books. That recently completed audit re-vealed the larger $485,000 account-ing discrepancy dating back to 2006.Weybridge Selectwoman Gale Hurd
said bank records are not available to determine whether any embezzling might have taken place pre-2006, and that the selectboard is ready to partici-pate in the ongoing legal process.“I am happy that the town of Wey-
bridge and the selectboard will have input into the sentencing document to the pre-sentence investigation,” Hurd said. “I think we’ve all been surprised at the extent of the alleged embezzlement compared to what we were led to believe in November.”
the town’s municipal insurance policy
KAREN BRISSON, WEYBRIDGE town clerk for more than a quarter
century, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Rutland Monday to em-
bezzling money from the town.AP photo/Toby Talbot
through the Vermont League of Cities and Towns will cover embezzlement losses up to $500,000, minus a $500 deductible. The insurance policy will not, however, cover relat-ed legal fees and the costs of the forensic audit. Hurd said the town will work hard to recoup all of its losses in the case.“The expectation is that
-ly whole,” she said.Brisson has already of-
fered to give a mortgage on her home to the town as part of her restitution.The Weybridge selectboard plans to
call a special town meeting later this
year to get residents’ input on what to do with the repaid money.
In the meantime, Wey--
ing steps to tighten up the town’s accounting procedures.“We are going to be
looking at changing the way that we do business internally, as far as offer-ing training to our elected auditors and the new town clerk/treasurer,” Hurd said. “We have voted to hire Telling & Associates to do a regular municipal
2013, just so we know we are going to be getting off on the right foot.”
By LEE J. KAHRSBrandon ReporterBRANDON — There will be a re-
vote on Brandon’s municipal budget next month.Organizers turned in petitions con-
taining more than the required 564 signatures to Brandon Town Clerk Bill Dick on Monday, which amounts to at least 20 percent of the electorate as required by state statute.On Monday night, the select-
board approved a motion to warn a re-vote election for Tuesday, April 30, pending availability of the Ne-shobe School polling place.Brandon voters approved the
$3,292,280 municipal spending plan on Town Meeting Day by a vote of 428-420. Roughly $2,480,000 of that budget was to be raised by taxes. The budget represented an in-crease in spending of 10.3 percent, or $240,000, over the current year.The budget includes an addition-
al full-time position in the Public
Works Department, which increases Public Works salaries by $31,925. The board also approved elevating the half-time recreation director po-sition to full-time at an additional cost of $24,450. The third big-ticket item is a new loader for the Public Works Department. The machine will cost $160,000, and will be pur-chased though a municipal lease
The selectboard has defended the budget, save for Selectman Richard Baker, who declined to vote either way for the spending plan. Select-board Chair Devon Fuller said the town has close to level-funded the budget for so many years that it’s time to start putting money back into the town for maintenance, the public works employee and the loader. He also argued that hav-ing a full-time recreation director would strengthen the Recreation Department to where it can gener-ate its own programming revenue
and grow.But many of the people behind
-comes and say that the 10-plus per-cent increase is too much on top of the tax increases that will come with approved local school budgets.If voters fail to approve the Bran-
don municipal budget in the re-vote, the selectboard will have to make adjustments in the spending plan, then send the budget back to residents for another vote. Town of-
-proved well before June 30, the end
Some Vermont towns take a hard-
for instance, a re-vote can only be taken on the municipal budget if it was approved on Town Meet-ing Day with a turnout of less than 15 percent of registered voters. In Brandon, 30 percent of the town’s 2,820 registered voters went to the polls.
By JOHN FLOWERSMIDDLEBURY — Middlebury
has landed a $250,000 federal grant to install a 1,560-foot stretch of side-walk along the west side of Creek Road, a project that will be done in concert with major repairs to the road.That’s the good news.The bad news is that state and fed-
eral authorities will not be able to release the money for around three years due to various administrative hoops associated with the grant, ac-cording to Middlebury Director of Operations Dan Werner. Since the town needs to do the sidewalk and street improvements simultaneous-ly in order to minimize disruption, Creek Road will likely continue to languish on the project to-do list
until 2015 or 2016. The road needs substantial paving and drainage re-pairs. The total estimated cost of that project is $670,000.This section of Creek Road fronts
Fucile Field, where Middlebury Union High School hosts varsity soccer and lacrosse games.Middlebury will receive the side-
walk money through the federal Safe Routes to School project. The sidewalk will extend to the Trail Around Middlebury path and the new Addison County Transit Re-sources headquarters. The sidewalk is intended to provide greater safety to student athletes using the Fucile Field as well as to pedestrians in general.“This really helps us out a lot,”
Selectman Dean George, a member
of the town’s Public Works Com-mittee, said of the grant.But the federal money, to be dis-
tributed through the Vermont Agen-cy of Transportation, comes with a waiting period driven by some hefty administrative mandates, according to Werner. Among them, according to Werner: A requirement that sepa-rate engineering or consultants de-sign, manage and oversee construc-tion of the project.“We could do the project tomor-
row,” a frustrated Werner said on Wednesday. “But it’s a long process and procedure that the feds and the state have. It costs the taxpayers at least 10 percent (of the project costs) to access the money.”Reporter John Flowers is at
SALISBURY — On Wednesday, April 3, at 7 p.m. there will be a pub-lic meeting at the Salisbury Com-munity School. This meeting, hosted by Integrated Energy Solutions, will discuss the methane digester being installed by Ernie Goodrich and the pipeline going from the digester to Middlebury College.This pipeline will follow Shard
Villa Road to Creek Road and on to the college. It is a small line and will not be under high pressure. Resi-dents should attend and listen to the information about this project, which will undoubtedly be followed by oth-er digesters in the future.
Farmers enlisted to preserve bird habitatBURLINGTON — A program
that uses community contributions to pay farmers to adapt their farm-ing practices is helping to protect nesting habitats of grassland birds, in particular the bobolink, which has declined in numbers in recent years.The Bobolink Project is a col-
laborative effort of University of Vermont (UVM) Extension, UVM’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and the Uni-versity of Connecticut (UConn). It offers a way for Vermonters, who value the contributions that farms make to the environment, to pledge
interested in managing their lands for wildlife.This summer the project hopes to
in Addison and Chittenden counties for bobolinks, the amount of acreage dependent on the number of pledges received by April 29. Information about the project and how to pledge can be found at www.bobolinkpro-ject.com.Once one of the most common
birds in Vermont, bobolink popu-lations across the Northeast have plummeted by 40 percent in recent decades. The reasons are many, in-cluding loss of habitat, eradication as a pest in its wintering grounds in South America and destruction of nests and young due to earlier mow-
common practice as farmers seek to
maximize crop yield and income.“In Vermont, birds like the bobo-
link that nest in tall grass depend
says Dr. Allan Strong, a wildlife bi-ologist with UVM’s Rubenstein School, “but harvests during the nest-ing season destroy nests or expose
near 100 percent. That’s where the Bobolink Project comes in.”The program works with farmers
until after the bobolink-nesting sea-son with the understanding that they should think about bobolink habitat as a farm product that they sell for a
The goal is to connect farmers who would protect bobolink habitat if eco-nomically feasible to consumers will-ing to pay for that farm commodity. It’s a win-win situation for farmers,
the community and the bobolinks and other ground-nesting birds.“The project is not only about con-
servation,” Dr. Lisa Chase, UVM Extension natural resources special-ist, explains, “but is also university research into the most effective ways of capturing the public’s value for habitat protection.“Community members pledge
what they feel is appropriate for varying levels of protection,” she notes. “They are billed after the
it can support, and billed only at the needed amount that corresponds to
To learn more or to contribute to the Bobolink Project, visit the web-site (www.bobolinkproject.com) or contact Stephen Swallow at (860) 486-1917 or [email protected].
PAGE 4A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013
EditorialsADDISON INDEPENDENT
Lettersto the Editor
(See Raymond, Page 5A)
(See Clippings, Page 5A)
(See Letter, Page 5A)
The yin and yang of government
Gun control rule
would hit dealers
School sports take toll on parents
Periodicals Postage Paid at Middlebury, Vt. 05753
A D D I S O N C O U N T Y
INDEPENDENTPostmaster, send address change to Addison Independent,
Brian King
Jessie Raymond
Kim Estey Andy Kirkaldy
Kim Estey Vicki Nolette
Aroundthebend
By Jessie Raymond
At the Senate Judiciary Com-mittee meeting on Thursday, Sen. Leahy said that gun dealers ap-proach him wanting universal background checks (UBC) so that everybody who sold guns would be on an equal footing. Dealers, please don’t do this.I can understand why you would
support UBC. In addition to an equal footing, UBC would also mean more income for you. But I’ve seen this before and it didn’t work out well.About 10 years ago, California in-
stituted UBC — with the support of gun dealers. Once it was enacted, all gun sales had to go through a dealer. That made dealers a bottleneck for gun sales. Therefore, they became a ripe target for anti-gun local politi-cians and bureaucrats.Shortly after UBC passage, Cali-
fornia cut the number of dealers to a quarter of what they were. In fact, this year alone, 300 dealers have been run out of business.In fact, California has 61 times
the population of Vermont but only six times the number of gun shops. So, dealers, please don’t put a target on your backs. Fight against univer-sal background checks.
Victoria Heisner
Benson
Marriage must
Homophobia has little or noth-ing to do with being against the
was established for the protection
married people were established to support this most basic cell of society. Children are the product of that relationship…and the most ben-
need nurturing by both a mother and
created it to be that way.
government as our higher power. Heaven help us.
Marie Dion
Bristol
Our teachers are
inspirational
I recently had the pleasure of attending my son’s parent-teacher conference at Beeman Elementary School in New Haven. His teachers, Robin Shalline and
Dawn Thibault, have co-taught the third grade for more than 20 years. They showed me in great detail
how my son is doing academically: writing samples (of both creative
level of mastery with a variety of math computations, how he has scored on testing they have been doing. To say they are skilled at what
they do would be the understate-ment of the year. And what they do for a class of 16 nine-year-old students is just extraordinary. One of the areas that was most
impressive was the research and “delivery” on a unit they had just completed on Woodland Indians. Students did detailed research on this native culture. Then groups of four students built complex models of a scene highlighting a wigwam and showing day-to-day life details like a drying rack for meat and a garden. Students then made Pow-erPoint presentations using photos taken of their models. These models were then exhibited for parents to view and on this same day the students ate venison meat that was
school and ate cornbread too.But before the venison and corn-
bread, they all sat under a makeshift wigwam in the playground and got to hear their classmate tell the story of how he shot the deer that had provided the meat. This unit also included the students writing summary essays about Woodland Indians and what they had learned.
spectacular creative writing proj-ect where students wrote poems from the perspective of imagin-ing themselves to be a Woodland
me that the poem she was reading to me was written by my son I would have sworn the piece was written by an adult — the writer’s voice was
And apparently, his poem was not the only poem that had this level of creative maturity — the class as a
ClippingsBy Angelo
Lynn
If your kids play sports, you know only too well the pain of bleacher fatigue, or, as it is known in medical journals, gluteus maximus agonius.The prolonged sitting on pullout bleachers for sporting
events causes numbness of the backside, an ache in the lower back and stiff knees and hips. (In colonial America, rule-breakers were originally forced to sit for hours on a set of bleachers in the town square. The stocks and pillory were adopted only after bleachers were deemed “intollera-bly crewell.”)Other symptoms of bleacher fatigue
include — for outdoor events — sun-burn and heatstroke or, alternately, hypothermia and frostbite, or — for indoor events — crowd-induced agora-
lighting and nausea from the cumula-tive odors of sweaty athletes exuding BO in the poorly ventilated gymna-sium.Also commonly experienced are
stomachaches, from eating at concession stands, and mild depression, from coming home late Sunday night after a two-day tournament and discovering that the house is still as messy as it was when you left.
fatigue for over 20 years. It started with tee-ball way back when, and since then we’ve spent countless eve-nings and weekends spectating three children’s worth of athletics covering pretty much every sport except ice hockey and fencing.It’s a wonder we can still walk.Things have gotten easier, though. We only have one
child left at home and it’s just the two of us going to the games now. We spent plenty of years with a toddler or preschooler in tow, and I can tell you small children add an element of pain that transcends the physical sensa-tion of a sore butt. They don’t like to watch other kids run around when they can’t. They will beg for a snack but seconds after you buy them a Rice Krispie treat, they will drop it through a crack in the bleachers and howl relentlessly over its loss. And, in a skill that sci-
ence can’t yet explain, a 3-year-old needs to go to the bathroom only when there are two minutes left and the game is tied.Parents at any given sporting event
are united in supporting their chil-dren’s athletic endeavors while, with a twinge of guilt, wishing they could be home getting the yard work done. And, later, when they limp out to the parking lot, they are again as one: a group of people having a hard time
walking upright and thinking mostly about ibuprofen.You can see the signs of bleacher fatigue in your
-rowed eyebrows, indicating worry over whether the dog’s bladder will last until they get home after the game, how the laundry is going to get done, and when on earth a person is supposed to go grocery shopping.A generation or two ago, bleacher fatigue didn’t ex-
ist. Parents didn’t schedule their lives around their chil-dren and preferred, if possible, not to see them between
House Speaker Shap Smith and Gov. Peter Shumlin are as politically attuned to each other’s positions as any member of the same party could hope for. And in
progress on steps toward health care reform, pro-busi-ness incentives and education.Why, then, is there such a rift over balancing this year’s
budget? In particular over the Earned Income Tax Credit program, and the House’s insistence to raise broad-based taxes on the rich? A fellow editor and I spent two-and-
with each leader in their respective of-
that conundrum. No clear-cut answers are apparent, of course, but here’s an observation: The governor is looking at the big picture and moving pieces of the puzzle around to make it all work;; the House is immersed in the details, making sure each piece of the puzzle gets a fair hearing and the people affected are not put in jeopardy. In this analogy, consider the puzzle as working com-
ponents of the government with each piece reprepresent-ing departments and agencies, programs and sources of funding that affect individual Vermonters. It’s fair game to recreate pieces of the puzzle to craft a different por-trait of the state. That happens more often than you might think: civil unions, gay marriage, renewable energy ini-tiatives, education governance and school performance, the new face of welfare, farm to plate initiatives, clean water initiatives and health care reform, to name a few.The governor sees his task as creating a vision in which
the pieces of the puzzle create a healthy and vibrant state — an enterprise that functions well and within its means.
Because things change and progress is mandatory to keep pace, it is essential that the vision — the picture the puzzle presents — changes to keep up with the times. The House, in contrast, sees its role as being sure the
individual pieces are made whole and are not changed in -
ted from those services. The House is joined in that task -
encies who are hell-bent to protect their turf. The different perspectives between the governor’s of-
-rent spat over how to balance the budget: The House wants to add a slew of additional broad-based taxes, while the governor’s budget seeks to reallocate existing spending to make government work better while not in-creasing broad-based taxes.It’s easy to understand how each
side develops its particular perspec-tive by observing their respective re-
volving doors. At the Legislature, concerned constituents come to
committee hearings to testify how some new proposed change will affect them. Lobbying groups hire experts to research nuances in how the legislation will have unan-ticipated consequences and testify why certain changes
catch their legislators in their hometowns. By and large, however, it’s a selective group that catches the legisla-tors’ ears: either those with the time to complain or those who are paid to. The governor, on the other hand, travels the state. He
attends Rotary and service club meetings, Chamber of
Flower powerBRIDPORT
Rehabilitation Center resident Tuesday morning after he and his classmates performed a skit based on
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Two battles on the horizonIn the ongoi
businesses, while Speaker of the House Shap Smith has the political muscle of the House (and the support of a host of lobbying groups representing the low-income population) on his side to support a package of tax increases to balance the budget. How the Vermont Senate responds to the dueling budget proposals will play
out over the next few weeks with one certain impact: a compromising voice that favors aspects of both sides while panning others. It is an established pro-cess, always with variables that keep the dance interesting.The most recent drama has focused on increased taxes. The governor’s bud-
get held most taxes steady, with two exceptions: what appears to be a unani-mous agreement between the administration and Legislature to raise the gaso-line tax by 6.7 cents this year to avoid losing a $56 million federal match, followed by an additional 7 cent hike next year — all of which would be used for road and bridge construction and repair;; and a proposed tax on break-open tickets that the governor initially predicted could raise $17 million, but now appears will raise just less than $7 million. The governor’s budget proposal, nonetheless, increased General Fund spending by 5.8 percent over last year, including adding 79 new positions to state government.The House proposal spends less and puts more in reserve. It raises spending
by 4.7 percent, and puts $7 million back into state reserves or rainy day funds, while creating 62 new state positions. In total, the proposed House budget rais-
taxes include: a 50-cent hike on a pack of cigarettes (raising it to $3.12 from the current $2.62);; adding a 0.5 percent hike on meals for one year;; removing the sales tax exemption for soda, candy, vitamins, supplements, bottled water and clothing purchases of $110 or more;; and collapsing the top two income tax brackets into one and charging the higher rate. The House also approved $4 million in new taxes for the Education Fund.That’s the thumbnail background. Here’s where we think two upcoming battles might be fought: Taxing the wealthy: The House membership is more progressive than not. When push comes to
that taxing the wealthy few has its limits, and could drive wealthy taxpayers out of state, thus lowering revenues.A chart created by the Vermont Department of Taxes for 2011 Vermont Per-
percent) paid 20.33 percent of all state income taxes.
of less than $25,000 and paid 2.3 percent of income taxes collected. That group
The next group, those earning between $25,000 and $50,000, were made up
33.65 percent of total income and paid 42.57 percent of the state’s income
What the above information makes clear is that Vermont’s income tax is
earn above $100,000 — pay for 62.9 percent of the state’s income tax, that favors the low-income population.So, here’s the conundrum: Can the state generate more revenue by growing
-cent of the state’s income tax collections, wouldn’t the state be better off trying to get that number to 1,500, rather than squeeze another percentage out of them
that the very wealthy have mobility;; they can choose where they want to live. Vermont has its charms and is very appealing, but no one likes to be taken to the cleaners. Create that image and you create a tax problem. On the other hand, make it appealing to live in Vermont and could taxes from that income group grow? It is a discussion that deserves serious study.The changing face of welfare: The state’s Reach Up program serves 44,000 Vermonters. The state contrib-
utes $24 million, one of the most generous state subsidies on a per capita basis in the country. The governor has suggested the state subsidy, which has grown 48 percent in the past 8 years, is not sustainable and has suggested the program be restructured to generate better results. The issue is not about cutting spending for the poor — although that is the
headline many progressives are wrongly repeating. Rather, the story is about shifting $17 million from one low-income group to a subset within that group — families who need help with childcare. That accomplishes two primary ob-jectives: it boosts early childhood education (something that everyone says is the most important action a state can take to improve education results in the long-term), and it frees the parents to get full-time jobs.Opponents have done a good job of panning the idea based on a simplistic
having the poor pay for it. But pursue that thinking: it presumes all current programs that help the poor
need no improvement;; or that the only way to improve them is to keep existing
It makes good business sense to review, revise and prioritize spending to those areas that generate the most return for the investment. That should be the ongo-ing work of the Legislature.Currently, the Reach Up program makes a one-time annual payment to re-
cipients based on a family’s needs. If a family is good at budgeting, they may set aside so much for heat assistance, or childcare, or transportation, and the like. If they aren’t well organized, they’ll likely spend it in lump sums on things
It’s a given that annual lump-sum payments are not the best way to allocate
Votes on this issue in key House committees have been close, with several
unpopular, common sense may yet prevail.Angelo S. Lynn
Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013 — PAGE 5A
Big gas. Big wind. Big telecom. Big electric merger. Big changes are happening in Vermont’s utility land-scape. What does it say about our state when this past town meeting, one Vermont community authorized
industrial wind in their town, and another commu-nity authorized the same
gas pipeline in theirs? One renewable energy project, one fossil fuel, both carbon reducers. Policy makers and utility regulators have repeatedly found these ac-tivities to be “in the public interest,” but still, citizens
that?The easy explanation is
to dismiss their concerns as NIMBY (not in my back yard). I disagree. Someone needs to look after their “back yard,” and when people feel their concerns are not fully rep-
and they should. Informed dissent is essential to civil society. People can agree on a problem and at the same
time disagree on the solution. What matters is how they engage in the process to reach consensus or at least compromise. We need to encourage civil debate and give it a full hear-ing in our structured decision making
more time.Some readily see an
alignment between the public interest and the in-terest of consumers;; oth-ers will occasionally see a divergence and tension be-tween the two. For exam-ple, if promotion of renew-able energy is in the public interest, do consumers have a right to weigh in on
subsidies and the higher rates they are required to pay for that energy? If the
expansion of the natural gas pipeline is in the public interest, do consum-ers have a say in who gets gas service, and do they have a right to question the techniques used to produce that gas? If a community will “host”
As we search for consensus, we need to understand that often, sacri-
some every time Vermont promotes new utility initiatives. Whether it’s the siting of wind machines or a solar
or the burying of a natural gas pipe-line, people and communities are af-fected to various degrees. I do not believe that citizens should
abdicate their interests just because a public opinion poll shows the major-ity believes otherwise. And, I reject as false and counter-productive at-tempts to bully them into doing so. The principled citizen has a duty to dissent when the rights of a minor-ity are threatened by the majority. If Vermont wants to be a leader in the
also show leadership in reconciling legitimate differences of opinion and interest. People naturally want to be part of the solution;; and in order to do that, their interests must be consid-ered as part of the process.
Real Estate
and You
by IngridPunderson Jackson
Ingrid Punderson Jackson
Real Estate
www.middvermontrealestate.com
CHOOSING THE RIGHT CONTRACTOR
Choosing the right contractor is a decision that can face a buyer or a seller. Whether you’re making home improvements and repairs to live in the home or in preparation to sell a home, it’s essential to hire a contractor that is professional, e!cient, economic, reliable and experienced. Ask trusted friends or family members for a recommendation, and if the contractor has a business website, look over its reviews and testimonials. Query the Better Business Bureau to make sure that the contractor has not had any complaints levied against their business. Research the average cost of your labor and make sure that the quote you are provided matches the national average—a quote that’s too high or too low could be a red "ag. Choose a contractor whose professional conduct you can verify: check references, make sure all licensing is accurate and up-to-date, and make sure that the contractor is willing to create and sign binding documents stipulating in detail what work is to be done, at what cost, and within what reasonable timeframe. Your contractor should provide you with a written estimate of the cost of their services, detailing what labor will be provided and an estimated date of completion. Make sure, as the work progresses, if new issues arise, that the contract is amended to re"ect increased labor costs or a delayed date of completion. With each party in accordance understanding what is expected, the process of home repairs, improvements or renovations will be that much easier for all parties involved.
whole “shined” with this assign-ment.Meanwhile, the third-grade class
is working on spelling every week and Mrs. Thibault is teaching my
to write cursive writing, which he tells me recently is “easy” for
cursive writing. W-O-W on all of this. What is
not to love and appreciate about all of this? Thank you to Robin Shalline
and Dawn Thibault for all you do and thank you to Beeman for being such a stellar community school. I’m very proud to have my son
be a Beeman student.I encourage parents who are
reading this to consider the impor-tance of expressing direct grati-tude and appreciation to teach-ers for all that they give to our children day after day, month after month, year after year.
Maggie Hall
New Haven
Letter(Continued from Page 4A)
Clippings(Continued from Page 4A)
Raymond(Continued from Page 4A)
LegislativeReview
by Rep. Paul RalstonD-Middlebury
kindergarten and college, except at mealtime. But things have changed. Nowadays, not attending your kids’ extracurriculars is tanta-mount to child neglect.If you have little ones, you may
be thinking, “Isn’t there some oth-er way I can be a good parent with-out having to suffer through 12 or more years of butt numbness?”No. I’m afraid your unwilling-
ness to spend 30 to 40 percent of your free time sitting in discomfort on the bleachers indicates strongly that you do not love your children.You could, however, encourage
them to focus on music and theater
much of your leisure time during their childhood, what with rehears-als and performances. And you’d be burdened with sewing their cos-tumes late into the wee hours and
listening to them run scales night after night (bonus points if they play clarinet or trumpet).Nothing says “I love you” like
enduring a decade or two of bleach-er fatigue for your children. But if you spent a comparable amount of time watching them from a cushy auditorium seat, you’d at least be telling them, “Eh, I like you quite a bit.”
Big change deserves big debate
News stories last week have re--
standing about the move to the Na-tional Life campus by the Agency of Natural Resources. One daily paper even editorial-ized with words and phrases like “extrava-gant” and “costs run amok.” Based on nu-merous conversations and written communi-cations with Vermont-ers, I know the impres-sion they received was that there was a four-fold cost overrun, that the rehabbed space is luxurious, and that leg-islators were surprised when they only recent-ly learned of the actual projected cost. None of those impressions are accurate.This project is a ter-
-jected $8.6 million cost, National Life is paying for $3.5 million. The cost per square foot is less than $50, including parking, for the renova-tion. By comparison, I am told a reasonable per-square-foot cost, with parking, for new construc-tion is about $400. We are adding
over 400 workstations. That would mean, if we were building new, the cost would have been over $30 million, as opposed to the $8.6 mil-lion. In addition, before proceeding
-ing ANR to National Life would be far less expensive than reno-vating space for them at the Waterbury State
Last July, the ad-ministration publicly
-mate of $7.5 million to legislators for the cost to rehabilitate space at National Life for approximately 1,000 employees, thereby al-lowing the 400 or so employees of ANR to join the Transporta-
agencies at that loca-tion. The estimate was increased to $8.6 million in October and, again, shared with legislative commit-tees. The earliest internal estimates
$6.8 and $10 million. And even if, as we have heard, the House Insti-
-mal $2 million guesstimate prior to
any project scoping, that certainly would not constitute an estimate to base cost overruns on.Extravagant digs? No way. Mod-
-solutely. The average space per employee is decreasing by over 50 square feet. Even the agency sec-retaries and commissioners will no
the building had to be renovated. Simple, in order to end up with 400 more workstations at National Life, we needed to house more em-
Natural Resources, Transporta--
ing will pay dividends for decades by fostering cooperation and col-laboration, resulting in the kind of increased productivity so evident in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene. In addition, this project al-lows hundreds of state employees to return to a work in central Ver-mont. Without the move, the ANR departments would be scattered around Vermont from Graniteville, to Fayston, to Winooski in leased space for at least another two years.The ANR move to National Life
is a good news story that should not go unheralded.
Agency’s move to National Life explained
This week’s writer is Jeb Spaulding, Vermont Secretary of Administration.
Community Forum
Letters to the Editor
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388-7547
Bike baskets even theEaster Bunny will love!
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*Bunnies not included
openings, industry get-togethers. He talks with agency and department heads and discusses ways to be more productive or do things better;; he’s constantly seeking change within state operations to make improve-ments. The focus is almost always
-nor accepts that in making improve-ments, some changes might initially affect some people in a negative way. That happens. The bigger ques-tion is whether the state is moving in a better direction.
shift $17 million, out of the $24 mil-lion the state provides the federal program, to childcare subsidies. The governor believes that shift would
low-income recipients. He’s not cut-ting the amount the state gives to the low-income population, rather he’s
within that group. He also notes that the state’s Reach Up program (wel-fare) is among the most generous in the nation, and that the spending could be better structured to ensure the money is used to the greatest
program you could create,” he says. “It could be restructured to be more effective.”
are good programs that have a prov-en track record of helping the low-income population. About 75 per-
cent of those in Reach Up are able to get back into the workforce within three years. When you shift $17 mil-lion out of that program, the success will be diminished. Nor is provid-ing childcare the only problem fac-ing Reach Up recipients. A lack of transportation is the number one problem in rural Vermont;; and we already have other programs devoted to childcare subsidies. Let’s hold this program harmless.Both are reasonable positions.
The question the House needs to ask is whether change to the Reach Up program could make it even better;; and whether the current system is sustainable. In the past eight years, the state’s subsidy has increased 48
-tion.
Smith says, because the governor’s budget raises $30 million in new rev-enue but balances the budget on op-timistic break-open ticket revenue, raiding all reserves and optimistic revenue forecasts. You can’t gamble on getting revenues from existing taxes in the hopes the economy will be stronger next year, Smith says. Revenue needs to be generated by those who can best afford it. In the end, he says, “we’ll probably have to settle on less new spending.”The governor takes the approach
that the state already spends enough and can live within the amount it currently raises, and that adding new taxes will do more harm to the
general fund coffers than good. He also takes the position that the state cannot keep going back to the top 1 percent to increase their taxes, not-
20 percent of the state’s income tax receipts. Lose just a handful of those taxpayers and you lose millions of dollars;; or, pick up a few more of those high-income taxpayers and the state will gain millions. The latter option, the governor says, is what the state ought to be doing to improve its
to say he represents the Main Street
the view under the Dome. “They need to get outside the Dome more,” he says, “and get a grasp of the big-ger picture.”“There are different ways to ap-
proach these problems,” Smith counters. “The governor’s vision isn’t the only one that makes sense.”Tit-for-tat? Not really. Rather, we
have two very different perspec-tives based on their inherent roles. The year-to-year challenge is put-ting together a continually evolving puzzle without changing the pieces too much. It’s the yin and yang of government.
Cuts to anti-poverty programs would be short-sightedHarold Giard, was very concerned about poverty from generation to generation. He was less focused on short-term budget issues. We would discuss how programs for children could increase the odds that they would become functional tax-pay-ing citizens.Unfortunately, success is often
hampered by limited resources available to parents. Home-based services for families are less avail-able today. Positive long-term change must involve the whole family.Reach Up was once an effective
program to deal with families in poverty. Now social workers rarely
engage with families. Gov. Shumlin wants to further reduce assistance and services to the poorest families in Vermont. A few may do well. But some mothers will seek help from abusive men. More children will end up in state custody. Older boys can look forward to jail. All this may save pennies in the short run.Single-payer health care is a posi-
tive goal of Gov. Shumlin. How-ever, on the way he advocates cuts in health insurance now available to low-income citizens.Fortunately, the Vermont House
has not allowed the governor to savagely cut the earned income tax credit, which allows some low-in-come workers to approach a livable
wage. We could replace this with a substantial increase in the minimum wage. The earned income tax credit, along with public funds for child-care and health insurance are also subsidies for low-wage businesses. Don’t scapegoat the poor who are stuck in an economy ruined by
poverty is available from wealthy Vermonters;; but Gov. Shumlin would rather tax fuel, etc., than ask his rich friends to pay.Will our Legislature try to inter-
rupt the cycle of poverty in Ver-mont? A start could be a return to a positive Reach Up program.
Geoffrey Cobden
Weybridge
Vermont Gas pipeline approval would be hypocritical
Letters to the Editor can be found on Pages 4A, 5A and 12A.
These are my comments and concerns on the petition of Vermont Gas Systems Inc. requesting a cer-
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law a ban on fracking in Vermont because it’s “not worth the risk to drinking water supplies” and in the coming years “drinking water
will be more valuable than oil or natural gas,” Shumlin said -ton Post). It would be hypocritical for Vermont having banned fracking in our state, to build a new pipeline so that fracked gas could be piped in and sold to us. When I asked at one of Vermont Gas’ informational meetings about if the pipes would
carry fracked gas I was told that when the conventional natural gas runs out, there would no doubt be fracked gas in the pipelines. One can also surmise that when the fracked gas becomes scarce then the price of natural gas will go up as high as other fuels. Data from exist-
(See Letter, Page 12A)
PAGE 6A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013
ObituariesADDISON
COUNTY
BROWN-McCLAYFUNERAL HOMESBristol
453-2301Vergennes877-3321
Funeral, Cremation & Memorial Services,
Pre-Planning Services
Emile Desautels, 88, Middlebury
Robert O’Bryan, 80, Bristol
Thomas Stasz, 63, Weybridge
Donna Palmer, 69, Leicester
Edith Pigot, 101, former Addison County resident
Albert Savage, 82, Orwell
Jean Foote, 85, Cornwall
Tracey Sumner, 87, Monkton
MIDDLEBURY — Emile J. Desautels, 88, of Middlebury died early Saturday morning, March 23, 2013, at his home following a long illness.He was born on Sept. 6, 1924, in
Middlebury, the son of Henry and Justine (Bourgeois) Desautels. He attended Middlebury area schools. He grew up helping on his parents’ farm and learned to move buildings from his father. As a young man he worked erecting radio towers on the East Coast.
In 1948 he married Mary Sankowski at the St. Stanislaus Polish Church in West Rutland.He owned and operated Desautels
House Moving Inc. until his retire-ment in 2008. His family says he was an avid stock car racing fan and enjoyed annual trips to Florida for the Daytona 500.He is survived by his son, Roger
Desautels of Middlebury, and his daughter, Victoria Aubert and her husband, Jean-Luc, currently residing in India;; two granddaughters;; and his
brother Maurice and wife, Claire, of Middlebury.He was predeceased by his wife
of 43 years, Mary (Sankowski) Desautels, who died in 1991, and Elizabeth (Bette Swenor) Pratt who died in 2007.A Mass of Christian burial was
celebrated on March 27, 2013, at 12:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church in Middlebury. Burial will be held at a later date in St. Mary’s Cemetery.Online condolences may be made at
www.sandersonfuneralservice.com.
BRISTOL — Robert L. O’Bryan, 80, of Bristol died Friday, March 22, 2013, at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington.He was born Sept. 6, 1932, in
Morrison, N.Y., the son of Guy and Vena Shepard O’Bryan.He is survived by his wife, Fran;; and
four children, Brenda Lee Svitavsky, William R. O’Bryan, Nelson D.
O’Bryan, and Milie-Jean Costillo. -
ers, Ronald, Donald, Melwood, Larry and Ed O’Bryan.There will be no funeral services.
WEYBRIDGE — Thomas E. Stasz, 63, of Weybridge died Saturday, March 16, at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York after a long, heroic battle
friends surrounded him at his bedside as snow fell in Central Park.A 1971 graduate of Middlebury
College, he held advanced degrees from the University of Vermont, a Phd from Cornell and a JD from Syracuse University. He began his professional life as a bench scientist, became the founder of a startup company and also worked as a corporate attorney.
His family says he was known for his level head and analytical mind, as well as his genuine concern for others.His relatives say he was the essence
of the Renaissance man: a builder of homes and barns, an orchardist, a master syrup maker, a beekeeper and an athlete. They say most important to him was being a loving husband and devoted father and that return-ing to Vermont, which had always been home, was a dream. He was able, despite his illness, to create a home place for his family that will be
treasured for generations to come.He is survived by his wife of 41
years, Bird, and his two children, Meghan and Jeffrey, as well as extended family and friends.A celebration of his life will be
held at his home on James Road at 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. Memorial donations can be made to the Addison County 4-H Foundation, 23 Pond Lane, Suite 300, Middlebury, VT 05753. The contact person is Martha Seifert, 802-388-4960. The foun-dation supports the work of young people in agriculture.
LEICESTER — Donna M. Palmer, 69, of Leicester died Monday, March 25, 2013, at the Rutland Region
Medical Center.A complete obituary and funeral
service notice will be published
in a future edition of the Addison Independent.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Edith S. (Lane) Pigot, 101, of Santa Rosa died Feb. 26, 2013.In the 1950s she and her family
operated guesthouses: Holiday Hill in Salisbury, Vt., and The Open Hearth in Cornwall, Vt.Born in New York City, she
was raised in Brattleboro in her younger years until her father’s work
transferred the family back and forth
back in New York City.She was married to William B.
Lane for 32 years. After his death she married Palmer N. Pigot of Sarasota, Fla. Upon his death 28 years later, she moved to Santa Rosa in 1994. Her relatives say she loved her family, animals, gardening, cooking
and baking, real estate, RV’ing, and Vermont. She is survived by two sons,
John and Alan;; four daughters-in-law;; eight grandchildren;; and six great-grandchildren.She was predeceased by two sons,
David and William.She will be interred at Prospect
Cemetery in East Middlebury.
ORWELL — Albert Savage, 82, a longtime resident of Orwell, passed away peacefully Sunday morning, March 24, 2013, at Shard Villa in Salisbury with his wife by his side.He was born May 22, 1930, in
White River Junction, the son of George and Laura (Woodward) Savage.Mr. Savage graduated from the
Hartford High School in 1948.He married Janet Gray on Oct. 19,
1952.For several years he was a dairy
farmer in White River prior to relo-cating to Orwell in 1971 where he continued farming. The farm contin-ues to be operated by his son Allen.He was a member of the Free and
Accepted Masons Independence No. 10 Lodge in Orwell.Mr. Savage served on the board
of the Eastern Milk Producers and the Eastern A.I. Sire committee. He
as a lister for over 25 years and as a
consultant lister for years after. His knowledge of the state of Vermont statutes and his honestly and integ-rity have served the town of Orwell immeasurably.He enjoyed watching sports and
was a fan of the New York Giants and Yankees.Mr. Savage like being outside
cutting wood;; using his faithful Ford tractor.Survivors includes his wife, Janet
Savage of Orwell;; a daughter, Jill Bourassa and her spouse Guy of
Savage and his spouse, Joyce, of White River Junction, and Allen Savage, and Aaron Savage and his spouse, Willy, all of Orwell;; six grandchildren, Corinne Blair and her husband Doug in the U.S Navy stationed in Norfolk, Va., April Savage of Newport, Va., Dr. Stefanie Bourassa and Kathleen Bourassa both
Jeff Washburn, and Todd Savage of Orwell;; and two great-grandchildren, William and Olivia Blair of Newport, Va.He was predeceased by two sisters,
Ruth Simpson and Florence Ayer, and two brothers, Hiram Savage and Kenneth Harlow.Friends were invited to call on
Thursday, March 28, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Durfee Funeral Home, 119 North Main St., Fair Haven. Private burial will be at a later date in the Hartford Village Cemetery.We would like to thank the staff
at Shard Villa for extraordinary care he received;; the staff are all angels. Thank you to Miles and Cheryl Tudhope for being special friends and Leah Coutermarsh and Barb LaDuc for help with his care and driving to appointments.Memorial contributions may be
made to the Orwell First Response,
CORNWALL — Jean Lane Foote, 85, of Cornwall died March 23, 2013, at the Addison Respite Care Home (ARCH) in Middlebury.She was born on Feb. 22,
1928, the only child of Earl and Grace Lane. She graduated from Middlebury High School and earned her RN at Rutland Hospital. As a registered nurse, she worked at Porter Hospital until she started her family.In 1949, she married Winfield E.
Foote Jr., who predeceased her in 1977.Her relatives say she continued
using her nursing skills throughout
her life to help neighbors and friends in their time of need. In later years, she also provided child-care for neighbors. Her family says she was very proud to be a farmer and lived on the same dairy farm for nearly 85 years.She leaves her children, Charles
(Claudette), Cheryl (Edwin) Ettinger and Candace (Edwin) Thornton;; and five grandchildren.She was predeceased by a son,
Calvin, in 1960.Private services will be held at
a later date. Memorials may be made to ARCH at Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Middlebury.
MONKTON — Tracey Francis Sumner, 87, died Friday, March 22, 2013, at his home in Monkton.He was born March 19, 1926, in
Bristol, the son of Berley and Anna Hallock Sumner.He worked for many years at
Lathrop Lumber Mill in Bristol. His family says he enjoyed walk-ing around Bristol until he moved to Monkton where he lived with his son and family until his death.He is survived by two sons,
Sidney Sumner of Monkton and Charles Sumner of Bridport;;
grandchildren;; three brothers Tex, Philip and Sonny Sumner;; a sister, Catherine;; and several nieces and
nephews.He was predeceased by a daugh-
ter, Rebecca;; two brothers;; and four sisters.Funeral services were held at
11 a.m. on Thursday, March 28, at Brown-McClay Funeral Home in Bristol. Interment will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Bristol in the spring. Friends were invited to call at Brown-McClay Funeral Home in Bristol on Wednesday, March 27, from 5 to 8 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Project Independence, 112 Exchange St., Middlebury, VT 0575, or Helen Porter Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, 30 Porter Drive, Middlebury, VT 05753.
JEAN LANE FOOTE
TRACEY SUMNER
The Addison Independent considers obituaries community news and does not charge to print them, as long as they follow certain guidelines. These guidelines are published on our web site: addisoninde-pendent.com
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SHOREHAM — The Addison County 4-H Horse Quiz Bowl was held on Sunday, Feb. 17, at Shoreham Elementary School. This competition quizzed 4-H members on the knowledge of horses,
including care, riding, equipment, nutrition and anatomy.In the junior division (12- and
awarded to Kendra Stearns of Brandon.
In the senior division (ages 14
to Cassie Mayer of New Haven, second place to Courtney Stearns of Brandon, and fourth place to Katie Mayer of New Haven.
KENDRA STEARNS, LEFT, Courtney Stearns, Katie Mayer and Cassie Mayer hold the ribbons they won at
the recent Addison County 4-H Horse Quiz Bowl in Shoreham.
Horse knowledge put to the test
as 4-H members compete in quiz
Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013 — PAGE 7A
by late this summer.The 10.5-mile pipeline segment
— which would bisect portions of Middlebury, Cornwall and Shoreham before heading under Lake Champlain to IPC — is “Phase II” of Vermont Gas’s planned expansion into Addison County, formally called the Addison Natural Gas Project. Phase I involves a 41-mile pipeline
extension that would bring natural gas service from Colchester in Chittenden County to Middlebury and Vergennes. Phase I plans are already in front of the Vermont Public Service Board
-ing on the project this past Thursday, March 21, in Hinesburg. The meeting was well-attended, and it ran an hour longer than originally warned because so many people wanted to speak.Jane Palmer, a Monkton landowner
who attended the hearing, said she was surprised by how many people from New York state spoke at the hearing
to IPC.“I thought that was Phase II and this
hearing was pertaining to Phase I to Middlebury and Vergennes,” she said.Some participants at the March 21
hearing touted the potential of around 40 percent in savings for consumers who heat with natural gas as compared to fuel oil. But others along the project route voiced concern about the pros-pect of their property being dug up for a pipeline they would not be able to tap into, that could pose dangers to their safety, and that would mean giving up rights to a portion of their land in perpetuity.Some environmentalists, mean-
while, urged the PSB to reject a project they said would delay soci-ety’s conversion from fossil fuels to more environmentally friendly green energy alternatives.
by the PSB, the Phase I pipeline would be laid underground, largely within the Vermont Electric Power Company right of way, on a schedule calling for natural gas to reach Middlebury industrial park customers by next year. Other Middlebury clients and Vergennes customers would then be added by 2015.PERMITTING PHASE IIAnd while Phase I is being evalu-
ated, Vermont Gas is looking to get Phase II into the permitting pipeline. The $70 million cost of that segment is to be underwritten by IPC, which has been looking for a cheaper alternative
to fuel oil in operating its mill. The paper company several years ago considered burning tire-derived fuel, a plan that was sharply assailed by Vermont residents, politicians and environmentalists.The Phase II segment, while not
upon warily by some Middlebury, Cornwall and Shoreham residents — some of whom have reported receiv-ing unexpected visits from engineers seeking access to their property for the study of potential pipeline routes. In an effort to coordinate concerns and inform interested parties, Vermont Gas has established what it’s calling a “multi-stakeholder working group,” featuring representatives from the towns of Middlebury, Cornwall and Shoreham.“We would like it to foster a stron-
ger relationship with the communities along the transmission line,” Vermont Gas spokesman Steve Wark said of
-ing at the Addison County Regional Planning Commission headquarters in Middlebury on March 15. The agenda for that meeting included reviewing the process, goals, roles, responsibili-ties and desired outcomes for the IPC pipeline proposal.“The group will meet several times
between now and early summer,” Wark said. “We will use the informa-tion to optimize the route.”Middlebury’s representatives in the
new stakeholder working group are Selectwoman Susan Shashok, Town Planner Fred Dunnington, Planning Commission Chairwoman Nancy Malcolm and Director of Operations Dan Werner. According to a letter from Vermont Gas to Middlebury residents, the group also includes Middlebury College representative Tom Corbin, treasurer and director of business services.The working group also includes
members from Shoreham (Kate Lampron), Cornwall (Jim Duclos and Abi Sessions), the regional planning commission and the Vermont Agency
of Transportation.Shashok is already well-versed in
the arena of community-corporate relations. She was a key player several years ago in negotiations between the East Middlebury community and J.P. Carrara & Sons on the proposed expansion of a Carrara gravel pit in the neighborhood. The company ultimately agreed to a plan the community could live with, although Carrara’s eventually tabled the expansion.Shashok requested that Middlebury
Community Television be allowed to tape the balance of the working group’s meetings. Vermont Gas has agreed.“I asked for engagement, transpar-
ency and follow-through,” Shashok said. “(Vermont Gas) seemed to be willing to do that.”The working group is scheduled to
meet every Friday morning through the end of May, 7:30-9:30 a.m., at the ACRPC headquarters on Seminary Street in Middlebury.Through the working group and
other public meetings, Wark said Vermont Gas expects to develop “broad feedback” on the Phase II project, feedback that he believes will allow the company to ultimately pin down the preferred pipeline route. The company would like to see the Phase II pipeline completed in 2015.“We are in the early planning
stages,” Wark said.Vermont Gas has already held
Phase II-related public informa-tion meetings in Middlebury and Shoreham. Wark said a similar meet-ing will be held in Cornwall later this spring.Vermont Gas will also hold a
broader public meeting this Monday, April 1, 7-9 p.m., at the Municipal Gym in Middlebury. In a letter to Middlebury residents, Wark said company representatives will pres-ent a preliminary route for the Phase II pipeline through Middlebury, and they are interested in hearing feed-back from the public.
EMINENT DOMAIN
Vermont Gas will look to negoti-ate easements with property owners along the pipeline path. If the company encounters an unwilling seller, it might have to look at the option of taking land by eminent domain. That would mean proving public good — something opponents of the project believe will
-ciary of the project would be one large corporate entity.But Wark reiterated his belief that
public good can be proven for Phase II because the project would:
regional employer. Wark said more than 15 percent of the wood supplied to the mill comes from sustainably managed Vermont forests. The mill has 600 employees and an additional 700
independent loggers and truckers from New York and Vermont who directly earn a living by providing wood and
that would provide substantial prop-erty tax revenue for the towns of Middlebury, Shoreham and Cornwall. He said Vermont Gas would also look at the prospect of offering natural gas
in Shoreham Village and other areas where there are population pockets that
pipeline 17 miles closer to Rutland, allowing Vermont Gas to serve Rutland 15 years sooner than previously planned.Reporter John Flowers is at johnf@
addisonindependent.com.
MIDDLEBURY AGWAY FARM & GARDEN
EASTER LILIESPotted Hyacinth,
Daffodils & Begonias
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Spring is Here!
Spring Bulbs are in –Tulips, Dahlias, Begonias,
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Our Greenhouse and Nursery are open !
Closed Easter Sunday
Pansies
are here!
One of Middlebury College’s best-kept secrets is its fabulous archive in the Special Collections rooms of the library. And one of the best-kept secrets in Special Collections is a copy of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden that Thoreau himself owned and used. Although his emendations are relatively few, they show us the Writer in Action, combing through his own work with care. Depending on what you count, there are about 18 adjustments that Thoreau makes to this edition, all of which appear in the multiple later editions of Walden that grace my bookshelves.But without having seen these
changes — most likely made with the very “new-fashioned” pencil that he helped design for the family business — I would have never known the nature of Thoreau’s precision in editing. Sometimes Thoreau is simply correcting a matter of punctuation, or a printer’s error. The most interesting marginal comments, however, have to do
-lousness. In the “Sounds” chapter, for instance, Thoreau crosses out “single spruce” and changes it to “double spruce.” And in “Baker Farm” where he writes of the usnea lichen “that hangs in festoons from the white-spruce tree,” Thoreau has crossed out “white” and penciled in “black” (thus sprucing up his text in more than one way!).In addition to being precise
about trees, Thoreau seems fond of getting it right about mice. At one moment in the text, he points out that a mouse-neighbor of his is “a wild and native kind, not found in the village,” a careful observation in itself. But clearly Thoreau has gone off and done some research, for the
note in the right-hand margin adds the Latin genus and species. Later, Thoreau changes “meadow mouse” to “deer mouse.” While I, too, am fond of mice, I can assure you that I wouldn’t – indeed, couldn’t have spotted this difference. I wonder, would it matter to a reader (who wasn’t present at the time) whether Thoreau had got it right about the mouse? But that isn’t the issue. It mattered to Thoreau. What is unexpect-
edly fascinating, however, is the extent to which Thoreau’s careful accounting of
of the Concord woodlands is prag-matically useful today. Dr. Richard Primack and his colleague Dr. Abraham Miller-Rushing have used Thoreau’s records to map changes
in Concord’s plant species since the mid-19th century. What Primack and Miller-Rushing have been able to do with Thoreau’s records is to map the likely effects of climate change on the timing of
plants. They’ve
the loss of almost 30 percent of the plant species that
in Concord. In this case, Thoreau’s extensive journals (kept from 1837 to 1861) are the primary source of this historical data, but it is in Walden that we see the early emer-gence of the naturalist-in-training. Who knew that we would have
Thoreau to thank for contributing to
I imagine that Thoreau would be pleased, especially if these scien-
tists did not there-fore dismiss his radical spiritual exhortations, his defense of contem-plative practice or his unyielding abolitionist poli-tics. For Thoreau, every aspect of his life and work are deeply intertwined.Which leads me
back to the copy of Walden in Special C o l l e c t i o n s . Despite the new “relevance” of Thoreau’s scien-
not what excites me the most. For me, reaching back
into history has profound value for its own sake. I was nearly rhapsodic several weeks ago when in my “Nature’s Meanings” class I spoke of the thrill of holding Thoreau’s copy of Walden in my own hands.“What a nerd!” I imagined my
students thinking when they didn’t collectively burst into a chorus of “Wow!” But a few days later I bumped into a student who was barreling out of the library with a huge grin on his face. “I just looked at that copy of Walden,” he exclaimed, “Wow!” Later, when I asked him to elaborate, Noah sent me an e-mail: “[It] was an extremely powerful experience. … Thoreau seemed so much more of a person when I envisioned him hold-ing the very book that was in my hands. Experiencing this vicarious sensation added a whole new level of depth and importance to book that was already special to me.”Thoreau would be happy to hear
that, I think. I certainly was.Rebecca Kneale Gould is
Associate Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies at Middlebury College and a “boutique shepherd” in Monkton.
Ways of SeeingBy Rebecca Kneale Gould
W ho knew that
we would have Thoreau to thank for contributing to contempo-
research?
Holding a piece of history is a thrill
Vt. Gas(Continued from Page 1A)
Little City tapsTHREE-YEAR-OLD Ella Bearor helps
her dad, Chris Bearor, tap four of Bixby Memorial Library’s sugar maple trees
The sap has been running, and Chris Bearor teamed up with Bixby Library youth librarian Rachel Plant to present a children’s program on maple sug-
from Vergennes Union Elementary
and it was also presented as part of the regular Thursday morning story time
-gennes library’s own maple syrup will
the upcoming Bixby Gala!
PAGE 8A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013
calendarcommunity
THURSDAYMar 28 Kimberly Krans Award reception in
Middlebury. Thursday, March 28, 5-6:30 p.m., 109 Catamount Park, off Exchange
St. Celebrating this year’s Women Who Change the World award winner, Betsy Ouellette of Waltham, for her work at the Vermont Adult Learning Childcare Center. Refreshments provided. Info: 388-9180.
“Alice in Wonderland” on stage in Vergennes. Thursday, March 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m., VUHS audito-rium. Vergennes Union Elementary School presents Lewis Carroll’s classic story. Includes new versions of the Disney favorites “I’m Late,” “The Unbirthday Song” and “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.” Tickets $5 adults, $3 students, available at the door 1 hour before show time. Also on March 30.
“Dancing Across West Africa” presentation in Bristol. Thursday, March 28, 7-8:30 p.m., Lawrence Memorial Library. The One World Project will offer this talk and slideshow by New Haven native Ashley Bessette, who in 2000 traveled to Ghana and fell in love with West African dance, music and culture. Info: www.lawrencemelibrary.net.
“Footloose the Musical” on stage in Bristol. Thursday, March 28, 7-9 p.m., Mount Abraham Union High School. A Mount Abe student production. Tickets $7 each, on sale at Martin’s Hardware in Bristol. Runs March 28-30.
Armchair Traveler presentation in New Haven. Thursday, March 28, 7-9 p.m., New Haven Community Library. Jo LaFontaine will give an illustrated presentation on Zambia and its people. LaFontaine traveled to this sub-Saharan African nation in 2008 with Mothers Without Borders. Free and accessible. Info: 453-4015.
FRIDAYMar29 `
Senior luncheon in Middlebury. Friday, March
29, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Rosie’s Restaurant. CVAA and Rosie’s partner to bring area seniors a monthly luncheon. Chicken and biscuit, coleslaw and straw-berry parfait. Suggested donation $5. Reservations required: 1-800-642-5119.
Easter bake sale in Hancock. Friday, March 29, noon-2 p.m., JD’s Quick Stop. Presented by the Community Church of Hancock and Granville.
VFW spaghetti supper in Middlebury. Friday, March 29, 5-7 p.m., Middlebury VFW, 530 Exchange St. Dinner includes spaghetti and meatballs (vegetarian available), salad and dessert. Takeout and call-ahead orders available: 388-9468. Cost $7 per person.
Family Fitness Night in Ferrisburgh. Friday, March 29, 6-8 p.m., Ferrisburgh Central School. Families are invited to come out and try six different healthy activi-ties. Free admission.
“Footloose the Musical” on stage in Bristol. Friday, March 29, 7-9 p.m., Mount Abraham Union High School. A Mount Abe student production. Tickets $7 each, on sale at Martin’s Hardware in Bristol. Runs March 28-30.
National Theatre’s “People” broadcast in Middlebury. Friday, March 29, 7-9 p.m., Town Hall Theater. Alan Bennett’s brilliant new comedy from the National Theatre of London, broadcast on the THT’s big screen.
382-9222 or www.townhalltheater.org. Patrick Fitzsimmons in Bristol. Friday, March 29, 7-9 p.m., Recycled Reading of Vermont, 25A Main St. Come and experience an intimate, acoustic evening with this local favorite singer/songwriter. Info: 453-5982.
“Fractured Fairy Tales” on stage in Vergennes. Friday, March 29, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Vergennes Opera House. Little City Players present this collection of classic stories, with a twist. Tickets $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, available at the VOH, Classic Stitching in Vergennes or www.vergennesoperahouse.org. Also on March 30 and April 5-7.
SATURDAYMar30 Green Mountain Club hike in Leicester.
Saturday, March 30, time and meet-ing place TBA. Hike on Minnie Baker and
Chandler Ridge trails. Moderate, approximately 5 miles at moderate pace. Snowshoes or spikes may be necessary. Bring poles, water, lunch and snacks. Car spotting involved. Contact leader Nancy Morgan for meeting time and place: 388-9868.
Easter festival and egg hunt in Vergennes. Saturday, March 30, 9-11 a.m., Vergennes Congregational Church. All are welcome. Easter egg hunt for children through third grade.
Easter pie sale in South Starksboro. Saturday, March 30, 10 a.m.-noon, Jerusalem Schoolhouse. Pre-ordering is recommended as extra pies are limited. Varieties available are maple cream, coconut cream, lemon meringue, blueberry, maple walnut, raspberry, apple and chocolate cream. Order at 453-4573 (leave a message if no one answers). Cost $13 per pie, to
Author visit and bookmaking for children in Middlebury. Saturday, March 30, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Ilsley Public Library. Local author Joanne Markey Weber and local illustrator Kendra Weber Gratton read their newest book, “Octi the Octopus Faces His Fear,” and show young children and families how their unique mother/daughter, writer/illustrator team creates stories. After the reading, families can create their own books. Info: 388-4097.
Rikert Random Relays in Ripton. Saturday, March 30, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Rikert Nordic Center. Third annual end-of-season day of fun with totally random teams, random course, random challenges, random tandem ski relays, and prizes, fun and food. Event is weather-dependent. Entry $5 per person. Info: 443-2744 or www.rikertnordic.com.
“Alice in Wonderland” on stage in Vergennes. Saturday, March 30, 1-3 p.m., VUHS auditorium. Vergennes Union Elementary School presents Lewis Carroll’s classic story. Includes new versions of the Disney favorites “I’m Late,” “The Unbirthday Song” and “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.” Tickets $5 adults, $3 students, available at the door 1 hour before show time.
“Fractured Fairy Tales” on stage in Vergennes. Saturday, March 30, 2-4 p.m., Vergennes Opera House. Little City Players present this collection of classic stories, with a twist. Tickets $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, available at the VOH, Classic Stitching in Vergennes or www.vergennesoperahouse.org. Also on April 5-7.
“Footloose the Musical” on stage in Bristol. Saturday, March 30, 7-9 p.m., Mount Abraham Union High School. A Mount Abe student production. Tickets $7 each, on sale at Martin’s Hardware in Bristol. Runs March 28-30.
Michele Fay Trio in Brandon. Saturday, March 30, 7-9
p.m., Brandon Music. This Vermont-based acoustic trio plays original and roots music. Michele Fay’s vocals are accompanied by her husband, Tim Price, on
admission $15. Reservations at (802) 465-4071 or info@brandon-music.net.
“A Story’s a Story” on stage in Middlebury. Saturday, March 30, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Town Hall Theater. Deborah Lubar brings her beloved one-woman show to the
382-9222 or www.townhalltheater.org. “Fractured Fairy Tales” on stage in Vergennes. Saturday, March 30, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Vergennes Opera House. Little City Players present this collec-tion of classic stories, with a twist. Tickets $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, available at the VOH, Classic Stitching in Vergennes or www.vergennesoperahouse.org. Also on April 5-7.
MONDAYApr1 Ag Lunch in Bridport. Monday, April 1,
noon-1:45 p.m., Bridport Community Hall. Legislative lunch program focusing on agricul-
tural issues.
TUESDAYApr2 Tai Chi for Arthritis graduate class in
Vergennes. Tuesday, April 2, 12:15-1 p.m.,
of graduate tai chi classes meeting Tuesdays and Thursdays through May 23. Sponsored by CVAA, these free classes for people age 50 or older can
Register at 800-642-5119, ext. 1028.
WEDNESDAYApr3 GED testing in Middlebury. Wednesday,
April 3, 8:45 a.m.-1 p.m., Vermont Adult Learning, 282 Boardman St. Pre-registration
required. Call 388-4392 for info and to register. Tai Chi for Arthritis class in Middlebury. Wednesday,
of beginner tai chi classes meeting Wednesdays and Fridays through May 24. Sponsored by CVAA, these free classes for people age 50 or older can
Register at 800-642-5119, ext. 1028. Gallery talk in Middlebury. Wednesday, April 3, noon-1 p.m., Henry Sheldon Museum. Bill Brooks, executive director of the Sheldon, will lead a talk on items from the museum’s current exhibit, “Treasures from the Sheldon.” Info: 388-2117 or www.henrysheldonmu-seum.org.
Tai Chi for Arthritis class in Middlebury. Wednesday,
of intermediate tai chi classes meeting Wednesdays through May 8. Sponsored by CVAA, these free classes for people age 50 or older can help improve
(802) 865-0360, ext. 1028. “Bully” screening at Middlebury College. Wednesday,
their families. See more at http://thebullyproject.com. Info: 443-5013.
“Knight to Queen: Chess, Courtly Life, and the Game of Love in the Middle Ages” presentation in Middlebury. Wednesday, April 3, 7-9 p.m., Ilsley Library. Dartmouth professor Jane Carroll examines
and the skill of negotiation as expressed through the game of kings. A Vermont Humanities Council First Wednesday event. Info: 388-4095.
Mount Abe Family Swim in Bristol. Wednesday, April 3, 7:30-9 p.m., MAUHS pool. Cost: $5 per family, $2
per individual. Info: 363-5877.
THURSDAYApr4 Stone Soup Summit in Bristol. Thursday,
April 4, 3:15-7 p.m., Mount Abraham Union High School. Addison County Relocalization
Network hosts this annual Farm to School gathering, to discuss and increase local success in the movement to get local food and agriculture into our schools. Free, with a suggested $5-10 donation for local-foods dinner. Info: [email protected].
Art history lecture at Middlebury College. Thursday, April 4, 4:30-6 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 125. Jessica Boehman of NYU, a specialist in Roman baroque sculpture, presents “Ercole Ferrata and the Art of Learning to Carve in Bernini’s Rome.” Free. Info: www.middlebury.edu/arts or 443-3168.
Twist O’ Wool Spinning Guild meeting in Middlebury. Thursday, April 4, 7-9 p.m., American Legion. Guest speaker Judy Comfort will give a presentation on the website Ravelry. Participants should bring or borrow
a laptop, tablet or smartphone. The
Info: 453-5960. Exhibit opening reception in Middlebury. Thursday, April 4, 8-9 p.m., 51 Main. Celebrating the opening of “Progress Will Kill Us,” an exhibit of charcoals, soft pastels and ink portraits by Levi Westerveld depicting the faces of French farmers from the Dordogne region. Portraits are accompanied by short biogra-phies of the farmers. The artist will be on hand to discuss his project. Refreshments served.
FRIDAYApr5 Community health
center open house in Bristol. Friday, April 5,
5-7 p.m., Mountain Health Center, Bristol Works, 74 Munsill Ave. Come celebrate the opening of the Mountain
new community health center. Sen. Bernie Sanders will speak at 6 p.m.
Refreshments provided by the center’s neighbors, Aqua Vitea Kombucha and the Bristol Bakery and Café.
Friday, April 5, 6-8 p.m., Middlebury Inn. Help raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Vergennes. Tickets, $25, include a Caribbean buffet dinner and admission. Tickets available at 877-6344 or at Everywear for Everybody in Vergennes.
Friday, April 5, 6-8 p.m., Middlebury Inn. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Vergennes will hold a “Spring Into Summer Auction” to support the club’s after-school programming. More than 75 items, many with a summer theme, have been donated. Event includes a silent auction, live auction with Charlie Barsalow, a Caribbean-themed buffet and a no-host bar. Info: [email protected] or on Facebook.
“Fractured Fairy Tales” on stage in Vergennes. Friday, April 5, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Vergennes Opera House. Little City Players present this collection of classic stories, with a twist. Tickets $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, available at the VOH, Classic Stitching in Vergennes or www.vergennesoperahouse.org. Also on April 6 and 7.
“Great Expectations” broadcast in Middlebury. Friday, April 5, 7:30-9:45 p.m., Town Hall Theater. The critically acclaimed London production of Dickens’ classic will be broadcast on the big screen at the THT. Tickets
382-9222 or www.townhalltheater.org, or at the door. Violinist Mary Rowell in concert at Middlebury College. Friday, April 5, 8-10 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts. Rowell, with special guest Eve Beglarian, presents “Let Me Tell You Where I’ve Been,” a concert of music for violin, viola and electronics. Free. Info: www.middlebury.edu/arts or 443-3168.
SATURDAYApr6 Green Mountain Club hike in Bridport/
Addison. Saturday, April 6, time and meet-ing place TBA. Hike up Snake Mountain. Easy.
Email [email protected] or call 475-2848 for meeting time and place.
Trinkets and Treasures Rummage Sale in Vergennes. Saturday, April 6, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., VUHS middle-school gym. Annual fundraiser hosted by the Commodore Parents Teacher Group. Household goods, furniture,
children’s clothing, toys, games, jewelry and more.
programs and opportunities. GMC Young Adventurers’ Club labyrinths and mazes in Ripton. Saturday, April 6, 9-11 a.m., Spirit in Nature trails. Andrea Kane leads this Green Mountain Club event for kids. Info: 877-6597 or [email protected].
Spring Fling Flea Market in Bristol. Saturday, April 6, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Bristol American Legion. Food and bever-
This old houseTHE NATIONAL THEATRE of London’s production of “People,” the new hit comedy by Alan
Bennett, will be screened at Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater on Friday, March 29, at 7 p.m.
SECOND DEGREE REIKI – Increase your power and understanding, learn techniques for emotional healing and remote healing, and
develop your ability to perceive energy. Prior First Degree Usui Reiki
Barbara Clearbridge. Registration and information: 802-324-9149, www.FeelingMuchBetter.org.
LEARN TO DANCE SERIES – BALLROOM, NIGHTCLUB, AND LATIN. Sunday afternoons, April 7, 14, 21, 28. Mambo -1:30pm to 2:30pm, no experience required. Classes held at the Cornwall
Town Hall on Rte 30. $40 for 4 week series, of a one hour lesson
each week. For information: www.champlainvalleydance.com
or call John at 802-897-7500. Please bring clean, non marking
MIDDLEBURY STUDIO SCHOOL – Children’s: Papier Mache in Motion, Home School Pottery Apr. 5, Mon. & Weds. after school Wheel, Thurs. Hand Building. Adult: Watercolors, AM Int/Adv Oils, Weds. PM Wheel, Thurs. AM Hand Building, Color Workshop for Oils Apr. 13, Digital Photography. Contact Barb 247-3702, email [email protected], check out: middleburystudioschool.org.
“I Relay because Relay For Life is a
– Danielle Gladstone ‘13
Why I Relay...
RELAY FOR LIFEth
For more information, to donate or to join a team, please visitwww.relayforlife.org/middleburycollege
A number of rabies vaccination clinics are being sponsoredby the Addison County veterinarians during the month of March. Each clinic is open to all residents of all towns. Dogs should be leashed and cats in carriers for the safety of all. To avoid confusion and delay, please bring a copy of the pet’s
CASH only, please no checks.
RABIES CLINIC
BRIDPORT
PLACES, DATES & TIMES
2013 ADDISON COUNTY
Available forPrompt Delivery
Dried per USDA requirements for heat processingApproved Supplier - VT Fuel Assistance Program*Dry Wood is heated in our Kilns
at 200º until the average moisture is down to 20-25% THE A. JOHNSON CO., LLC
Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013 — PAGE 9A
calendarcommunity
the Auxiliary Scholarship Fund. Spring rummage sale in Bristol. Saturday, April 6, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., First Baptist Church of Bristol. Shop for spring clothing and linens. Cost $5 per bag. Bags supplied.
Basketball tournament in Shoreham. Saturday, April 6, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Shoreham Elementary School. The Platt Memorial Library presents a co-ed, inter-gener-ational, 3-on-3, lightning round tournament, played on
-ments and warm-up 9:30; tournament starts at 10 a.m. Ages 10 and up, $5 per player, free to watch. Coffee, fresh donuts, fruit and water.
Large-print book sale in Middlebury. Saturday, April 6, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Ilsley Library. As part of the library’s regular book sale, there will be a special table featur-ing over 200 large-print books. Proceeds fund library programs. Info: 388-4095.
“Fractured Fairy Tales” on stage in Vergennes. Saturday, April 6, 2-4 p.m., Vergennes Opera House. Little City Players present this collection of classic stories, with a twist. Tickets $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, available at the VOH, Classic Stitching in Vergennes or www.vergennesoperahouse.org. Also on April 7.
“In Darkness” screening at Middlebury College. Saturday, April 6, 3-5 p.m., Dana Auditorium. In German-occupied Ukraine, a blunt, opportunistic sewer worker takes bribes to help Jews evade capture through underground tunnels, but eventually grows committed to saving their lives. Free. Info: www.middlebury.edu/arts.
Pajama story time in Middlebury. Saturday, April 6, 6-7 p.m., Ilsley Library. Kids are invited to drop in and enjoy a special evening story time complete with games and crafts. Hosted by the Middlebury College Page One Literacy program. Pajamas encouraged. Info: 388-4097.
Spring Fling Pasta Dinner & Dance in Middlebury. Saturday, April 6, 6-11 p.m., American Legion Post 27. Eighth annual fundraiser to support the Vermont National Guard Charitable Foundation and other causes. Social hour 6 p.m., spaghetti and meatball dinner at 7 p.m., music and dancing 8 p.m. Music by
and dance, $8 dance only (after 8 p.m.), available at the Legion in advance or at the door. Info: 388-9931 or 352-1027.
Chris Dorman and His PBRs in concert in Ripton.
welcomes singer-songwriter Chris Dorman and his
Hayes. One-hour open mike at 7:30 p.m. followed by
teens $6, children $3. Info: 388-9782. “In Darkness” screening at Middlebury College. Saturday, April 6, 8-10 p.m., Dana Auditorium. In German-occupied Ukraine, a blunt, opportunistic sewer worker takes bribes to help Jews evade capture through underground tunnels, but eventually grows committed to saving their lives. Free. Info: www.middlebury.edu/arts.
Contradance in Bristol. Saturday, April 6, 8-11 p.m., Holley Hall. Alison James calling, with music by Toss the Feathers. All dances will be taught; no experience necessary. Beginners workshop at 7:30 p.m. Admission
the hall. Info: 453-4613. Sophie Shao and Friends in concert at Middlebury College. Saturday, April 6, 8-10 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts. Cellist Shao and friends return as a quar-tet to perform Brahms’ Piano Quartet in A Major and
$25/20/6. Info: 443-3168 or www.middlebury.edu/arts.
SUNDAYApr7 Pancake breakfast in Starksboro.
Elementary School. Thirteenth annual all-you-can-eat breakfast: homemade buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs, McKenzie of Vermont bacon and sausage, local cider, home fries, toast, juice, coffee, tea and Starksboro maple syrup. Adults
Info, or to help out: 453-4074. “Fractured Fairy Tales” on stage in Vergennes. Sunday, April 7, 2-4 p.m., Vergennes Opera House. Little City Players present this collection of classic stories, with a twist. Tickets $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, available at the VOH, Classic Stitching in Vergennes or www.vergennesoperahouse.org.
Tracy Silverman in concert with the CPO in Middlebury. Sunday, April 7, 4-6 p.m., Town Hall Theater. Electric violin virtuoso Tracy Silverman joins
the Champlain Philharmonic Orchestra for a unique concert, and the premier of “Embrace,” a piece for electric violin and orchestra by Kenji Bunch. “Embrace”
Afrobeat, Indian music and gospel. Tickets $15 adults, $12 seniors, $10 students, fee for kids younger than
or www.townhalltheater.org, or at the door.
MONDAYApr8 Legislative breakfast in Shoreham.
Monday, April 8, 7-8:45 a.m., Shoreham Congregational Church. Breakfast at 7 a.m.,
program 7:30-8:45. Kindergarten registration and orientation in Salisbury. Monday, April 8, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Salisbury Community School. Choose one of three sessions: 9-10 a.m., 10-11 a.m., or 1-2 p.m. Kindergartners can explore the classroom and meet the teachers and staff. Children who are 5 by Sept. 1 are eligible to attend
and immunization record. Call Donna at 352-4291 to let her know which session you will attend.
TUESDAYApr9 Behind-the-Scenes Lunch and
Discussion at Middlebury College. Tuesday, April 9, 12:30-2:30 p.m., Wright
Memorial Theater. Hear a discussion with cast, crew members and the audience about the upcom-ing production of “Undressing Cinderella: A Festival of New Plays.” Lunch is free to college ID holders; community donations are accepted. Info: www.middle-bury.edu/arts or 443-3168.
Culinary herbs presentation in Middlebury. Tuesday, April 9, 1-2 p.m., Ilsley Library. The Middlebury Garden Club welcomes past president Shari Johnson, who will
Info: 388-4095.
College. Tuesday, April 9, 4:30-6 p.m., Franklin Environmental Center, Orchard 103. Libby Jewett,
With Oysters?” The talk discusses how the rise in atmospheric CO2 is already causing harm to marine ecosystems.
WEDNESDAYApr10 Rural Vermont annual celebration
in Vergennes. Wednesday, April 10,
Vermont supporters from around the state gather for a special evening featuring keynote speaker Philip Ackerman-Leist of Green Mountain College. Finger
“Wyeth’s Space” poetry reading and presentation in Middlebury. Wednesday, April 10, 7-9 p.m., Ilsley Library. Cornwall poet Gary Margolis will read poems from his latest collection, a book that responds to paint-ings by Andrew Wyeth in Maine and Pennsylvania. Slides of the paintings will be shown. Info: 388-4095.
Historical society presentation in Ferrisburgh. Wednesday, April 10, 7-8:30 p.m., Ferrisburgh
discoveries buried within an 1842-1843 credit account book for the general store that once stood on the Ferrisburgh town green. Free. All are welcome.
Mount Abe Family Swim in Bristol. Wednesday, April 10, 7:30-9 p.m., MAUHS pool. Cost: $5 per family, $2 per individual. Info: 363-5877.
“Undressing Cinderella: A Festival of New Plays” on stage at Middlebury College. Wednesday, April 10, 8-10 p.m., Wright Memorial Theater. Kicking off Middlebury’s inaugural New Play Festival, playwrights from around the nation have turned the Cinderella tale upside down, writing short plays using any character other than Cinderella as the main focus. Two differ-ent play selections: Program A to be presented April 10 and 12; program B to be presented April 11 and 13. Tickets $12/10/6. Info: www.middlebury.edu/arts or 443-3168.
THURSDAYApr11 Monthly wildlife walk in Middlebury.
Thursday, April 11, 8-10 a.m., Otter View Park and Hurd Grassland. A monthly
OCAS-MALT event, inviting community members to help survey birds and other wildlife. Meet at Otter View Park parking area, corner of Weybridge Street
the walk. Beginning birders welcome. Info: 388-1007 or 388-6829.
“Armchair Visit to China” presentation in Middlebury. Thursday, April 11, 5:30-7 p.m., Ilsley Library. Addison County resident Mike Norris will share stories and photos of his recent trip to China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou. Info: 388-4095.
Northeast Tenor Sax Summit in concert in Brandon. Thursday, April 11, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Brandon Music. A unique band comprised of several of New England’s professional tenor saxophonists backed by a premium rhythm section. Part of Brandon Music’s monthly jazz series. General admission $15; reservations encour-aged. Info: (802) 465-4071.
“Undressing Cinderella: A Festival of New Plays” on stage at Middlebury College. Thursday, April 11, 8-10 p.m., Wright Memorial Theater. Kicking off Middlebury’s inaugural New Play Festival, playwrights from around the nation have turned the Cinderella tale upside down, writing short plays using any character other than Cinderella as the main focus. Two different play selections: Program A to be presented April 10 and 12; program B to be presented April 11 and 13. Tickets $12/10/6. Info: www.middlebury.edu/arts or 443-3168.
FRIDAYApr12 Ballroom dance in Orwell. Friday, April
12, 7-10 p.m., Orwell Town Hall. The GFWC Fortnightly Club sponsors this event; $10 per
person. DJ is John Danyew. Light refreshments will be served.
“Undressing Cinderella: A Festival of New Plays” on stage at Middlebury College. Friday, April 12, 8-10 p.m., Wright Memorial Theater. Kicking off Middlebury’s inaugural New Play Festival, playwrights from around the nation have turned the Cinderella tale upside down, writing short plays using any character other than Cinderella as the main focus. Two differ-ent play selections: Program A to be presented April 10 and 12; program B to be presented April 11 and 13. Tickets $12/10/6. Info: www.middlebury.edu/arts or 443-3168.
L IVEMUSICTurbine in Middlebury. Thursday, March 28, 8-10 p.m., 51 Main.
Sarah Stickle, Jen Crowell and Steve Hartmann in Middlebury. Friday, March 29, 8-11 p.m., 51 Main.
Waylon Speed in Middlebury. Friday, March 29, 10 p.m.-midnight, Two Brothers Tavern.
Crazyhearse in Middlebury. Saturday, March 30, 8-10:30 p.m., 51 Main.
Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble in Middlebury. Friday, April 5, 8-10 p.m., 51 Main.
3 Sheets 2 the Wind in Middlebury. Friday, April 5, 10 p.m.-midnight, Two Brothers Tavern.
Soule Monde in Middlebury. Saturday, April 6, 8-11 p.m., 51 Main.
The Wheelers in Middlebury. Saturday, April 6, 10 p.m.-midnight, Two Brothers Tavern.
Dayve Huckett in Middlebury. Thursday, April 11, 5-7 p.m., 51 Main.
Snake Mountain Bluegrass and the Connor Sisters in Middlebury. Thursday, April 11, 8-10 p.m., 51 Main.
Zack duPont Trio in Middlebury. Friday, April 12, 6-8 p.m., Two Brothers Tavern.
The Engines in Middlebury. Friday, April 12, 8-11 p.m., 51 Main.
Casio Bastard in Middlebury. Friday, April 12, 10 p.m.-midnight, Two Brothers Tavern.
Health & Parenting, Meals, Art Exhibits & Museums, Library Programs.
FARMERS’ MARKETSMiddlebury Farmers’ Market. Winter market at Mary Hogan Elementary School every Saturday in November, December, March and April, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. No market in January or February. Local produce, meats, cheese and eggs, baked goods, jams, prepared foods and crafts. EBT and debit cards welcome. Info: 989-6012 or www.MiddleburyFarmersMarket.org.
SPORTSCo-ed volleyball in Middlebury. Pick-up games Monday, 7-9 p.m., Middlebury Municipal Gym. Jack
Department, 388-8103.CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONSACT (Addison Central Teens). Drop-in hours during
Riding highTHIS 1877 HIGH-WHEEL “penny-farthing” bicycle, one of the rarely seen items from the Sheldon Museum’s collection, is part of the mu-
seum’s current exhibit, “Treasures from the Sheldon.” Museum Director Bill Brooks will present a gallery talk on the exhibit on Wednesday, April 3, at noon.
Photo from the Sheldon Museum collection
Bristol Internal Medicine Welcomes Dr. Lynn Wilkinson to the Practice.
!e providers at Bristol Internal Medicine look forward toaccepting new patients and serving more people in the Bristol area.
Gretchen Gaida Michaels, MD
Emily Glick, MD
Patricia Lewis, APRN
Lynn Wilkinson, MD
Now located in the Bristol Works! Complexor to schedule an appointment,
please call 453-‐7422
Friends of Middlebury Baseball Pancake Breakfast
Saturday, March 30, 2013 (rain or shine)8am - 12 noon
Bread Loaf View FarmInvites you to Taste Spring in Vermont!
Regular Plate – $7Small Plate – $4
Proudly supported by these local donors:Pancakes & Donut puffs - Middlebury Bagel & Deli
White & chocolate milk - the cows of Monument FarmsSausage - Duclos and Thompson Farms
Directions: From Middlebury College Campus head west on Route 125, 1½ miles.
Proceed for 1 mile and look for the buckets!
WANT MORE ADDY INDY?
Check us out online! addisonindependent.com
PAGE 10A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013
calendarcommunitythe school years: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 3-6 p.m.;
Wednesday and Friday, 3-7 p.m. 94 Main St. (Middlebury Town
or www.addisonteens.com.
Senior Center.
share ideas and craft simple items for Operation Christmas
HEALTH & PARENTING
-
locations.
-
Blood pressure and foot clinics. Sponsored by Addison County
a.m., Brandon Senior Center. Free.
-
Monday of the month, 6-7 p.m., at the Middlebury American
Foot care clinic, also blood pressure and pulse monitors.
-
anonymous. Call for appointment.
-
-
a.m.
Wednesday, 4 p.m.; Middlebury Fitness, Tuesday and
Wednesday, 4 p.m.
htm.
shelf donations accepted as well.
For children from birth to 6 years. Sponsored by the Addison
‘In Darkness’ IN GERMAN-OCCUPIED UKRAINE, a blunt, opportunistic sewer worker takes bribes to help Jews evade
capture in a network of subterranean tunnels, but eventually grows committed to saving their lives. The
www.addisonindependent.com
Go online to see a full listing of ONGOINGEVENTS
Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013 — PAGE 11A
send it in!Does your group or organization have something hap-pening that’s appropriate for the calendar? We want to hear about it! If you have a picture, please, send that too. Pictures and text may be emailed to:
Grandparents awardBRIDPORT CENTRAL SCHOOL students perform on stage at the Town Hall Theater during the Grandparents Award Storybook Spectacular
Tuesday evening. “Homer the Library Cat” by Reeve Lindbergh and Anne Wilsdorf won this year’s award for best picture book. The show was a collaboration between The Town Hall Theater and the Ilsley Library. Residents at the Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center and other seniors from around Middlebury voted for the award.
Independent photos/Trent Campbell
births
milestones
Be sure to check out the flyers in ourpaper this week!
Greatinformation from:
By JOHN FLOWERSMIDDLEBURY — People seeking
architectural software services at the Friday Group LLC’s headquarters at 88 Mainelli Road will soon be in store for a gastronomic bonus.The 6,000-square-foot building
will soon be home to the Champlain Valley Creamery, makers of award-winning organic cream cheese. And
that cheese company could soon be joined by a whiskey distillery, the plans for which the Friday Group LLC President Lars Hubbard recently submitted to the Middlebury Development Review Board (DRB).It was last September that the
son Independent reported Hubbard’s preliminary plans for the 88 Mainelli
A granddaughter is alleged to be involved in a Wey-bridge home invasion, and a neighbor assaults two others
in Leicester, among other charges. See Page 2A.
The Vergennes softball team is riding a wave of early-season suc-cess. See Sports, Page 1B.
offer free, public Wi-Fi. But others are close behind. See Page 2A.
Whiskey distillery pitched for Middlebury locationWider city park policy to preserve créche
Senate passes health care
exchange bill;; Ayer pleased
At the Legislature:
over merger of GMP, CVPS
GMO bill passes committee,
Bristol boardquestionsrevised draft of town planSelectboard appoints
(See Merger, Page 12A)
(See Health care, Page 12A)
(See Créche, Page 18A) (See Whiskey, Page 18A)
By ANDY KIRKALDYVERGENNES — What began
as an emotional issue for many citizens of the Vergennes area, who perceived a threat to the popular and longstanding Christian nativity display on the city’s central green, is now a technical exercise for Vergennes aldermen.
At their Tuesday meeting, aldermen continued to work on a policy that will not only allow the roughly 60-year-old crèche to remain on the green, but also permit other religious and secular displays there — as long as they have signs that identify their sponsors.
Aldermen also now plan to put up one large sign on the park’s information booth stating the city does not endorse or support any displays, a key element, according to their research, in allowing such displays on public property. Aldermen had previously
planned to put up four signs at the
entrances to the downtown park, but as Mayor Michael Daniels said on Tuesday, they are taking their time, making sure they are getting the policy right, and making changes as they go along. “We’re biting off little bits and
pieces,” Daniels said. “We’re
By JOHN FLOWERSMONTPELIER — The state
Senate on Tuesday passed a
the requirements of the federal Affordable Care Act, while setting stage for more substantial reforms in the future to help those who are uninsured or underinsured.Two Addison County lawmakers
the bill, H.559, through both legislative chambers. Rep. Michael Fisher, D-Lincoln, is chairman of the House Health Care Committee,
while Sen. Claire Ayer, D-Addison, is chairwoman of the Senate health and Welfare Committee.The House passed the health care
by an 88-38 tally. On Tuesday, the Senate followed suit, endorsing it by a 20-7 margin.
that would, among other things:
plans would provide the essential
By ANDREA SUOZZOMONTPELIER — A bill that
would require labeling of genetically
to start from the very beginning next year.But the committee has taken
extensive testimony on the topic
By ANDREW STEINBRISTOL — In preparation for
the Bristol selectboard’s May 14 public hearing on the new draft of the town plan, the board met with the town’s planning commission at its Monday meeting. Selectwoman Carol Wells, wife
of former planning commission Chair Tom Wells, took issue with the plan’s lack of clarity surrounding a key component: resource extraction. Language in the plan states that
commercial extraction operations are to be prohibited in the down-town Village Planning and Rural Conservation Planning areas. But Wells pointed out that, as the draft is currently written, extraction pro-hibition isn’t listed under policies. Policy statements, Wells main-tained, hold the greatest weight over future Act 250 proceedings — state legal hearings that determine wheth-er large commercial developments, like extraction operations, are per-mitted. Such policy statements can be found at the end of each section of the draft under the heading of “Policies.” Under the article within the plan,
titled “Interpreting the Plan,” it states: “In certain settings, such as during Board of Adjustment hearings or Act 250 proceedings, policy state-ments should serve as the basis for determining a project’s conformance with the plan. While other sections
By JOHN FLOWERSADDISON COUNTY —
Local lawmakers on Tuesday
amendments related to the proposed combining of the state’s two largest utilities, much of it related to a $21 million payback that some believe is owed to electricity ratepayers as a condition of the merger.The $21 million in question
represents additional money that electricity ratepayers were assessed
strapped Central Vermont Public Service Corp. (CVPS) back in 2001.CVPS, the state’s largest utility, is
now on the verge of being acquired by, and merged with, Green Mountain Power (GMP) — which is owned by Montreal-based Gaz Metro.The Public Service Board, in
okaying the rate hike 10 years ago, stipulated that the ratepayers would be entitled to $21 million in value
REMINDERTOWN OF BRISTOL
PROPERTY TAXES DUEFRIDAY, APRIL 5th, 2013
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American Legion in Bristol honors two for excellence
BRISTOL LEGION COMMANDER Ron LaRose, center, presents Jim Rivers and Brenda Boutin with this year’s Above and Beyond Awards for their service to the community.
Find us on
www.addisonindependent.com
PAGE 12A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013
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Letters to the Editor
ing fracked wells have shown that this is a boom/bust industry.Fracking operations are done on
a huge scale, taking up more space than any other energy operation, except perhaps tar sands. Dairy farm-ers paid for eminent domain rights by fracking operations typically use the money to pay their debts and
go out of business. It’s not so easy to bring farms back once they go away. There are so many immense and unexpected problems with this technology I don’t want to bog you down by listing them all. The fact is “problems” is much to small a word. The effects of fracking are devastat-ing on a global scale.I’ve gone to these informational
meetings where Vermont Gas people and a few of my selectboard mem-bers talk about how this low-carbon, clean-burning cheap fuel will be good for Middlebury. Even if all these wonderful things are true, that’s not good enough. It’s not enough for this Vermont Gas pipeline project to be good for Middlebury and good for Vermont. It has to be good for the planet. We cannot claim to be unaffected by the ruin caused over the large land areas where fracking happens. We cannot buy this fracked gas with any sense of pride or integ-rity. People, water, air, and animals in places in and near fracking operations are being hurt badly. If we buy the gas we are subscribing to their pain. And it’s our pain too because we all live on the same planet, we are all in the same boat, and we cannot sepa-rate the common good of people in Vermont from the common good of the planet. If it hurts the earth it hurts us. Climate change is an example of how that works.Concerning this project there is
only one thing Vermont Gas could potentially do that could change my mind regarding my opposition to this project, and that is a guarantee that
pipeline.Alice Eckles
Middlebury
Letter(Continued from Page 5A)
‘Attack’ on wind opponents seen as unfair, misleadingGreg Dennis’ “Ridgeline contro-
versy, blowin’ in the wind” column (March 21) is a gratuitously mean and misleading attack on environ-mental protection advocates, includ-ing Middlebury Rep. Paul Ralston, who have reservations about the headlong rush to plant giant wind turbines on Vermont ridgelines.Wind power, along with solar,
biomass and hydro, is an essential
part of Vermont’s renewable energy future;; but that does not mean that there are no legitimate concerns about turbine placement. There are such concerns, including: loss of the unspoiled view;; damage to the fragile and important ridgeline eco-systems;; preemption and destruction of private land for road building and industrial access;; killing of large numbers of birds and bats and
injury to people in the vicinity who are being sickened by the noise and vibration, who cannot sleep and whose homes have lost much of their value.
power, we will have to make some concessions;; but we should be very clear as to what concessions we are willing to make, exactly what we will get in exchange, how the environmental damage will be mini-mized and how we will compensate affected landowners and other individuals. We don’t need a three-year moratorium, but a reasonable pause for study is in order as is Act 250 scrutiny of major construction projects, even for “politically cor-rect” ends.Those of us who supported
the town meeting resolutions on prospective tar sands oil shipment through Vermont were not willing to trust everything to the Public Ser-vice Board. We called for Act 250 hearings on any such move. Isn’t it a little ironic that wind-turbine proponents now attack Act 250 hearings as a dangerous delaying tactic?By all means let talk about wind
power — where, when and how to maximize its effectiveness. But let Greg Dennis make his case for it on its merits, minus the generalities about climate change that we al-ready know, and minus the personal attacks on “NIMBYs,” and “mis-guided minorities.”
Michael and Judy Olinick
Middlebury
Letters to the Editor can be found on Pages 4A, 5A and 12A.
Curious omission from proposed sugary beverage taxFor the record, I am not in sup-
port of the proposed beverage tax also known as a Fat Tax. It seems no matter how well intentioned these new taxes are, they never seem to accomplish what they intended. Cigarettes, for instance. Cigarettes
-lic wind up with more tax burden.That being said, I believe for
this tax to be fair across the board, coffee should be added to the list of beverages to be taxed. I am puzzled by it was omitted.
Here is my argument in support of taxing coffee on the premise of health concerns. Go to your local quick-stop, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, fast food joint. Watch the patron dump the cream and sugar in their favorite beverage. If your chain lists calories, check the calo-rie content of some of these new fancy coffee beverages. They not only contain loads of sugar but fat as well. This is a double-whammy of health concerns.I’m not a conspiracy theorist but
I have to wonder if the wording of the proposed legislation wasn’t intended to exclude coffee.Here is another example for
comparison’s sake. We could never make alcohol illegal, even with its devastating effects. It is so cultur-ally and socially acceptable and would directly affect the lives of the powers that be. Coffee not taxed for the same reason … hmm.
Cindy Cousino
Bristol
Two countries. Two states. One cherished lake. One small Vermont town where over 100 citizens have signed a petition asking their select-board to ensure that established safety standards are followed to protect lives and property. Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys stood up for our rights 235 years ago when New Yorkers tried to bully and steal from the Vermont Republic;; today, we once again need to protect Vermonters.Citizens of Cornwall: This trans-
mission line will NOT provide you natural gas to heat your home — it
will only serve International Paper, a New York business that has shown disregard for environmental and health standards that affect Vermont-ers.IP and Vermont Gas stand to make
from a pipeline spur through Corn-wall and under Lake Champlain to New York;; Vermonters along the route are asked to burden the risk of potential lethal accidents, disrup-tion of emergency services and the permanent loss of rights to land along the right-of-way — which can be
taken by eminent domain if they don’t cooperate.
and IP tolerate high-pressure gas mains running within feet of their homes? Would they stand for it if their families, pet, wells and property were endangered? As we begin to see
of global warming, why are we even considering investing in the expansion of the hydraulic fracked fossil-fuel infrastructure?
Elizabeth Karnes Keefe
West Cornwall
Easter Festival Egg Huntat the Vergennes
Congregational Church Saturday, March 30
th at 9am
All are welcome! The Egg Hunt is for all children
third grade and younger.
&
30 Water Street Vergennes, VT
Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013 — PAGE 13A
PAGE 14A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013
at Mt. Abe
MOUNT ABRAHAM UNION
spring musical March 28 with a production of “Foot-loose,” based on the 1984 movie starring Kevin Bacon. The musical stage version
1998. The Mount Abraham show starts at 7 p.m. Thurs-day, Friday and Saturday nights.
Photos by Buzz Kuhns
‘Footloose’
Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013 — PAGE 15A
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In the Jackson Gallery
THE BLUE SWANSSeven local women artists work in a variety of media:
Klara Calitri, Patricia LeBron Herb, Linda Hampton Smith, Phoebe Stone, Molly Hawley, Sarah Wesson,
and Yinglei Zhang.Pictured: Phoebe Stone
OWN HALL HEATERT
Applicants for this full-time, year round position should have the ability to maintain and operate all theatrical systems (lighting, sound, projection), and have experience with set construction. Other responsibilities include: facilitate load-ins, runs, strikes and turnarounds; provide tech for meetings and receptions; create internship program in technical theater; maintain building by making repairs or hiring contractors. A janitorial service will clean the building, but this individual will make sure that the theater, studio and gallery are ready each day for public use. This historic theater will re-open in July, 2008, so the position
and resume to: Douglas Anderson, Executive Director
Fri 3/29 7pm $17/$10 studentsNational Theatre in HD
PEOPLEA new comedy by Alan Bennett (History Boys, The
Habit of Art). A once-magnificent English mansion is crumbling, and there are wildly conflicting ideas
about how to save it. Highly recommended.
Sat 3/30 7:30pm $30/$25/$20Deborah Lubar in
A STORY’S A STORYA benefit performance for the Addison County Parent Child Center. This much-beloved one-woman show tells the story of two immigrant
women and their unlikely friendship.
Fri 4/5 7:30pm $17/$10 studentsGREAT EXPECTATIONS
A broadcast of the hit London stage adaptation of Dickens’ classic. Google “Great Expectations
Vaudeville Theatre” to see stunning images and read the 5-star reviews.
Sun 4/7 4:00pm $15/$12/under 12 free
CHAMPLAIN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
With guest artist Tracy Silverman, hailed by the BBC as “the greatest living exponent of the electric violin”. Also on the program:
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.
BRANDON — Brandon na-tive Stacey S. Coburn was recently crowned Mrs. Vermont United States 2013. Coburn will represent married women across Vermont as she competes for the national title of Mrs. United States in Las Vegas in July. Coburn lives in Brandon with her
husband of 12 years, James “Jamie” Coburn, and two sons, Douglas, 12, and Remington, 8. She has 15 years’ experience in the insurance indus-try and currently is the insurance operations manager at McCrillis & Eldredge Insurance Inc. located in-side the Brandon branch of the Lake Sunapee Bank.Coburn’s platform is teaching the
importance of volunteering and giv-ing back to the community, with an emphasis on working with school-aged children in various settings. She serves as the Brandon Youth Wres-tling manager and coaches youth
Mighty Mites teams. She is also very active with various local, state and global charitable foundations to pro-mote education and awareness with organizations close to her heart such as the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association and the National Association of Down Syndrome.Coburn says she loves to spend
time with her family and friends and enjoys the great Vermont outdoors and activities such as camping, four-wheeling, hunting, gardening and playing co-ed softball during the summer. She says she is looking forward to her new adventures as Mrs. Vermont United States 2013, to continue to promote the importance of volunteering within communities and representing the Green Moun-tain State.To schedule Coburn for a personal
How quickly we forget. Writer/director David France has done us all a favor by assembling the chronological history of the AIDS epidemic in the Academy Award-nomi-nated documentary “How to Survive a Plague.”
a nearly empty high school auditorium. Why empty? Today’s students hadn’t even been born when AIDS began its un-checked spread in 1981. By the mid-’90s when HIV-positive people could control their dis-ease with drugs, fear had diminished. The explosive reality of AIDS has vanished for young people who have other things on their minds. Thirty-two years after it hit the U.S., the wave of this gen-
eration is carrying them toward the cause of human rights and LGBT issues while the once-uninterested establishment is closing in on a cure.
In 1981, rumors had begun to spread in whis-pers about a disease that was striking white males. Deadly, and fatal, were words that accompanied the stories. Was it a form of cancer? Why did dark splotches appear on vic-tims? What was it? No one talked about it. By the time 500,000 men had died from it, survi-vors knew that hospitals would refuse treatment, funeral homes would re-
fuse services, and victims would be taken away in black garbage bags. When it was established that the
new plague was a sexually trans-mitted disease, fear escalated as
people tried to understand whether
air or germ. Born of ignorance and reality, fear rose on all fronts. In re-action, victims and their friends, or-ganized in militant protest marches to demand help and recognition. In 1987 their groups coalesced as Act Up and TAG, whose public dem-onstrations often ended in violent confrontations with police. It is easy now to say that vio-
lent protest was the wrong choice, but in the face of stonewalling by hospitals, government, politicians, and drug companies, did the pro-test groups have any choice but to escalate their militancy? This
that nothing would have happened through diplomatic efforts. Patrick Henry and Sam Adams, after all, railed angrily before the Revolu-tion and then stepped aside for calmer men. The Vietnam draft riots were essential to forcing the
end of that senseless war. Does it take rage to rally the country to a cause? It seems the answer is yes.By their angry public protests,
Act Up and TAG brought profes-sional and public recognition to the AIDS tragedy. They educated themselves with the unfolding knowledge of cause and treatment and earned seats at the research ta-ble. By the mid-90s, Act Up advo-cates were working with drug com-panies, doctors, and scientists and from this cooperation came the dis-covery by medical researchers that a blend of three drugs could control the disease and prevent death. Where would this disease be
without the early angry noise from Peter Staley, Larry Kramer and Iris Long, whose strident determina-tion forced the country to recog-nize that AIDS was killing millions while the establishment watched in silence?
— The North Ferrisburgh United Methodist Church along with the Vergennes United Methodist, St. Paul’s Episcopal, Vergennes Con-gregational, and St Peter’s Catholic churches in Vergennes, is putting on a monthly meal.
The Table of Grace dinners are held on the fourth Friday of each month, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Ver-gennes Congregational Church. The meal is free but organizers
will take donations if people feel they can give.
Big jazz talent joins Miles DonahueMIDDLEBURY — The Miles
-men jazz players who’ve spent a lifetime playing with the great-est jazz legends — will regroup at Town Hall Theater on Friday, April 19, at 8 p.m. for an evening of jazz standards and original composi-tions. The personnel — and their résu-
més — are extraordinary. Jerry Ber-gonzi played saxophone with Dave Brubeck’s band from 1978-1982, and can be heard on nine of the clas-sic Brubeck albums of that period.
Bergonzi is a full-time professor at New England Conservatory in Bos-ton.Pianist Alain Mallet did four tours
with Paul Simon, and he’s toured with Paquito D’Rivera and Phil Woods. He is a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Drummer Adam Nussbaum has
played with Gary Burton, Toots Thielmans and Sonny Rollins, to name just a few.Jay Anderson, on bass, has just
returned from a tour of Japan with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, and
has been the bass player with the Joe Sample Trio for the last several years.Miles Donahue plays trumpet
and tenor, soprano and alto sax. He teaches at Middlebury College and has 12 albums available on iTunes.Concertgoers will receive a free
CD.Tickets are $17, with a special
$10 ticket for students, and may be purchased at www.townhallthe-ater.org, 382-9222 or the THT Box
p.m.), or at the door.
VERGENNES — The ANwSU Biannual Arts Festival takes place Wednesday and Thursday, April 17 and 18, at the large gym at Ver-gennes Union High School.The K-12 art exhibit’s theme is “A
-ture in Human Design” and includes work from each child in art classes in Addison, Ferrisburgh, Vergennes, Panton and Waltham. Students from these schools have been working for months within this theme and will visit the show with their classes.District students will meet local
artists, who will demonstrate their work with patterns in various ways
during the school day. On Wednes-day, Maura Clancy, a basket maker from Salisbury, will show her hand-crafted baskets. The artist Aurora, from Green Angel Arts in Hunting-ton, will be there to demonstrate collage and paper making from na-ture.Thursday, Alissa White, also from
Huntington, will be creating pottery on the wheel, and former VUHS alumnus and artist Kyle Jones will be demonstrating origami and com-puter patterning.A special concert of choral and
instrumental music from students in grades 5-8 will be presented
Wednesday evening, April 17, at 6:30 p.m. in the VUHS gym.Exhibit hours are 8:30 a.m.-8
p.m. on Wednesday and 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday.
Addison Northwest schools to showcase student art
REACH THE COUNTY, PLACE YOUR AD HERE. CALL 388-4944
Dining and Entertainment
Ready forSpring?
We’ll provide seasonal tips
for spring tune-upsand repair for your
vehicle in theSpring Car Care
pages comingApril 4.
ADDISON COUNTY
Serving Addison County, Vt., Since 1946
INDEPENDENT388-4944
addisonindependent.comMiddlebury, Vt.
PAGE 16A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013
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tive breakfast held at the American Le-gion hall in Middlebury on Monday.Fran Putnam, a leader of the Wey-
bridge Energy Committee, said weath-erization could save the average home-owner $1,500 annually in heating fuel costs, money that could be pumped into the economy.“It’s a permanent solution, so each
year you are saving that money,” she said. “This is not just something that deals with climate change, it is an eco-nomic issue.”Putnam and other people at Mon-
day’s breakfast questioned the wisdom of pouring costly government fuel subsidies into homes with little or no insulation.Rep. Betty Nuovo, D-Middlebury,
said Vermont could better stretch its federal Low-Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) dollars if homes were better insulated. Nuovo is a member of the House Natural Re-sources and Energy Committee that took a lot of testimony on H.520.While most local lawmakers said
they supported the intent of H.520, not all could bring themselves to vote in favor of the measure. Among those voting “no” was Rep. Harvey Smith, R-New Haven.“(H.520) has some really great
things in it, things that we should be working toward,” Smith said. “But
-grams that we don’t have funding for this year.”Smith said weatherization will be a
the state and he believes the money is not there yet to launch the initiative.
increase in taxes at a time when most of my constituents are really strug-
that will be paying for these programs are the ones who can least afford it,” he said.In the meantime, he said the people
most in need could tap into the state’s current weatherization program and
people make their homes weather-tight.But Rep. Mike Fisher, D-Lincoln,
said the current demand for weath-erization far exceeds the assistance available.He spoke of assisting a Starksboro
family this past fall in applying for fuel
in order to stay warm during the win-ter. The family was able to secure fuel assistance and skirting to go around the bottom of their mobile home (thanks to local clergy), but could not get weatherization help, as there is a one-year waiting list for that program.
the fuel subsidies escaped the home
“Does this make sense to anybody?” Fisher asked rhetorically.Indeed, lawmakers are wrestling
with a lot of tough funding decisions
2014 general fund revenue shortfall that was placed at $50 million. Adding to that pain: A looming federal seques-tration process that could cost the state another $15 million in revenues.Rep. David Sharpe, D-Bristol, a
member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said his panel last week recommended raising $23.3 million in
an additional $4 million that will go to
pre-K initiatives in public schools. He believes it will mean $3.3 million for
assistance.
Sharpe said the Ways and Means Committee passed a tax bill that elimi-nates a variety of tax exemptions, deductions and credits as a way of increasing revenue. Among several changes in that tax bill, the commit-tee removed the current sales tax ex-emption for soft drinks, candy, bottled water, clothing purchases over $110, dietary supplements and vending ma-chine sales. The committee did this as an alternative to a House Health Care Committee recommendation of a penny-per-ounce excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.Sharpe described other steps his
committee took in an effort to raise -
-tration’s new priorities.“We capped the itemized deductions
at two-and-a-half times the standard deduction for the income tax,” Sharpe added. “That is certainly not getting rid of all of the deductions, but it is re-ducing the deductions available for the income tax.”House Ways and Means also recom-
mended raising the meals tax by 0.5 percent for one year only.On the other hand, Sharpe noted the
Ways and Means Committee has pro-posed eliminating the state’s current health care assessment on employers, a move he said would save businesses a combined total of $15 million.Some of the revenue adjustments
recently endorsed by the House Ap-propriations Committee, according to Fisher, included:
Medicaid reimbursement levels to help medical providers keep pace with in-
-riously not kept pace with actual costs of providing medical services, thereby
resulting in a cost-shift to people who can afford private health insurance.
people transition from Catamount Health to Vermont’s soon-to-be-estab-lished health care exchange under the federal Affordable Care Act.
-sistance).
ed tuition assistance for Vermont stu-dents.
Energy Development Fund (down from a proposed $5 million).
-ing gap for the state veterans’ home in Bennington.Fisher said the Appropriations Com-
mittee was also able to “squirrel away” around $5.4 million as an insurance policy against expected cuts resulting from the impending federal sequestra-tion.Participants at Monday’s breakfast
voiced concern about the toll the vari-ous new taxes could take on Vermont-ers.Addison resident Paul Boivin said
he was concerned about the proposed imposition of sales tax on sweetened products, like soda and candy, and the potential of the tax to be extended to agricultural products with natural sug-ars, such as strawberries, maple syrup and watermelon.“What about the maple sugar grow-
ers?” he asked, referring to one of Vermont’s most pristine and iconic natural products. “Are they going to be exempt? “I think it’s a slippery slope, when
you start taxing a food by way of
they think is a harmful substance,”
is it?”
House panel considering GMO labeling bill
Lawmakers(Continued from Page 1A)
By JOHN FLOWERS-
makers spent much time at a legisla-tive breakfast at the American Legion hall in Middlebury on Monday talk-ing about taxes (see story, Page 1A), they also discussed important legisla-tion for the farm community, among other things.At the top of the list was a bill that
would require the labeling of foods -
ganisms, known as GMOs.The measure passed the House Ag-
riculture Committee and is now be-fore the House Judiciary Committee. Lawmakers remain unsure about the ultimate fate of the bill. Proponents continue to argue that consumers have a right to know if their foods contain GMOs.
Opponents of the measure said such a labeling requirement would be unreasonable for Vermont to take on unilaterally and would pose an ex-
-nesses.Other discussion at Monday’s
breakfast focused on:
statutorily recognize the right to have an abortion.”Local legislators said the bill
merely places Vermont statutes in compliance with the federal Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that made abortion legal. But some citi-zens on Monday took issue with the bill, arguing it might be construed as promoting the termination of preg-nancies. Opponents also criticized the bill’s reference to “women of all
ages” in the context of abortion.Shoreham resident Meg Barnes
noted Vermont’s dwindling youth population.“We don’t need fewer people (in
Vermont), we need more,” she said.Waltham resident Pat Brooks said
she was concerned the bill would permit physicians to terminate the life of fetuses just prior to being born.Sharpe said there was no danger of
that happening.“This bill relieves no doctor of
criminal behavior,” Sharpe said. “If someone kills babies, they are not covered by this bill.”
state’s ongoing transition to a single-payer system. Some residents, busi-ness owners and lawmakers remain concerned that there are not yet some
impending health care changes will cost.
need to create more jobs in the Green Mountain State.Rep. Paul Ralston, D-Middlebury,
a member of the House Commerce and Economic Development Com-mittee, said the state must do more to train its students and workers for the next generation of technology, green energy and other innovative indus-tries. He added Vermont is a perfect place for businesses seeking a place in which to launch new ventures on a small scale.“We’re a place where it’s OK to be
create about $300,000 in savings, both in construction and land pur-
-ing the total cost of the project would be $1.55 million. City Manager Mel Hawley said a smaller footprint means the city will not have to buy extra land from a neighboring property owner. The council approved Alderman
Renny Perry’s motion for a smaller station that also included taking $100,000 from the city’s Water Tower Fund to lower the cost to taxpayers. That fund is fed by cell phone compa-nies that pay to hang broadcast equip-ment on the city’s former water tower behind city hall.
-lion project, including ongoing main-tenance, would have added about $75 a year in taxes per $100,000 of assessed value during a 20-year bond payment schedule. On Wednesday, he said a $1.45 mil-
roughly $59 a year per $100,000 of assessed value. A May vote will allow aldermen
to keep their preferred site, a small parcel that is the former home of Vergennes Auto Sales. Owner Bruce Barry has agreed to sell the land to the city for $240,000, but said after the March vote he would not wait forever. “He told me that waiting until next
March would not be acceptable … He would do something with the property before then,” Hawley said at the Tues-day meeting. “I think he would like a
when and if there would be another vote.”Benton left the door open for more
public feedback before aldermen adopt a warning on April 9, and Per-ry’s motion simply asked that a warn-ing be ready to sign on that date. “I want time to communicate the
project,” Benton said.
close vote since March 5, and Benton said they decided scaling back was the best option, with the question be-ing how far.
people didn’t support it … if it was size, cost, layout,” Benton said. “We thought it would not be in the best interest of the city to put it out for a revote.”Those in attendance on Tuesday
who spoke were supportive of the po-lice department and the project. Po-lice Chief George Merkel was asked if the department could continue to function effectively in the smaller building. “I think this is a workable facility.
Will this still meet the operational needs of our force? The answer is yes,” Merkel said. “I will go on record as saying this is an excellent plan.”Public works head Jim Larrow
wanted to be sure that the force would not outgrow the building. But Merkel
it is equipped properly, while Haw-ley said the structure is designed to
-lows for expansion from its current
strength of six full- and four part-time members. “At the end of the day, this is a small
department,” he said. “This isn’t Burl-ington. This is Vergennes, Vermont.”GETTING THE MESSAGE OUTBefore aldermen made their deci-
sion, questions turned to communi-
Former alderman Peter Garon sug-gested adding opponents of the plan to the council’s police station commit-tee, a suggestion that the council wel-comed and later acted upon. Garon said doing so would help reach out to and educate those who didn’t un-derstand the unique needs for a police station, such as locker rooms. Merkel agreed, pointing out in re-
sponse to those who didn’t understand -
cers can be covered with blood, urine
work, and it’s unfair not to allow them to change before going home to their families. “The more people are informed,
the more palatable it’s going to be,” Merkel said. Planning commission chairman
Shannon Haggett suggested the coun-cil use social media and other tools to broadcast a stronger message before May.“I heard some pretty wacky reasons
people were saying no,” Haggett said.
some creative ways to get the word out.”Former alderwoman Christine Col-
lette suggested that both the old and new plans be put on the ballot. But Hawley responded that although 292 people had said yes and he hoped they would again, that there was too much divided opinion to return to the origi-nal proposal. Hawley said after the vote he re-
meetings that preceded it and real-ized there had been questions about
the project, concerns to which city of-
In retrospect, he said, the mixed re-sult should not have been a surprise, and now it was time to adjust the plan to take into account those objections. “I don’t think we listened to them,”
Hawley said. “I’ll tell you what I did after the vote. I took my pencil out and started X-ing out rooms.”
to buy just the land alone or to sched-ule a vote on the entire project in May, and whether to devote the $100,000 from the Tower Fund to the project’s up-front cost.Hawley urged the council to act. “If you don’t have a vote by the end
of May, there will not be a (new) po-lice station in Vergennes by the end of 2013,” Hawley said.Perry agreed and made his motion,
which was approved unanimously. “We can have two information
meetings before the vote and just go for it,” Perry said. “There were a lot of people who voted for it.”Andy Kirkaldy may be reached at
up for debate. Topics considered at the hearing included the volume of whiskey that would be produced,
and potential environmental byprod-ucts of the whiskey-making process, such as a black mold fungus some neighbors fear might emanate from the planned whiskey storage facility.
-ted testimony indicating the dis-tillery would annually produce “no more than 6,000 barrels of whiskey,” a threshold intentionally set so as to not trigger more stringent air quality permitting requirements established by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.At the same time, representatives
of the company — which is now importing and bottling product from Canada — have suggested the poten-tial for aging “no more than about 30,000 barrels of whiskey at our site before 2023.” They pointed to an ever-changing whiskey market that would require the company to react
“Vermont has various permit re-quirements at successively higher emissions thresholds,” WhistlePig’s Statement of Intention to the com-mission reads. “As we approach any individual threshold, we will review our warehousing practices and apply for necessary permits.”The need for the WhistlePig busi-
concerns among neighbors, who are particularly wary of the process by which ethanol created through the whiskey aging process could pos-sibly spawn the growth and spread of Baudoinia compniacensis, some-times referred to as “whiskey mold.” The most vocal of the WhistlePig
neighbors have been George Gross and Barbara Wilson, who own and operate the nearby Haven Solar Farm LLC, a small organic berry and fruit farm. They are concerned the
property and crops.Gross, a retired computer scientist,
air dispersion models to predict “ethanol pollution levels originat-ing from the proposed WhistlePig aging warehouse(s).” They said they applied their model to whiskey storage warehouse scenarios includ-ing 20,000 barrels, 30,000 barrels, 100,000 barrels and 200,000 barrels.Their conclusion: “We determined
that the ethanol air pollution trespass will occur for all credible forecasts of the number of whiskey barrels in storage by WhistlePig by the year 2023. In the larger scale warehouse deployment scenarios, the model in-
-tend to some neighbors beyond those directly adjacent to the WhistlePig LLC property.”Gross and Wilson, in their testimo-
ny, have also voiced concerns about a “column still” that WhistlePig pro-poses to use in its opera-tion, theorizing that such a tool would allow them to easily increase produc-tion. They also believe the company should be com-pelled to disclose its long-range growth plans at this stage, and noted Bhatka’s stated plans to purchase another farm in the area.
the number of barrels in -
cade, they will eventually move beyond the (state’s) 20.37-ton annual etha-nol emissions threshold limit,” Gross and Wilson wrote in a joint statement to the Addison Indepen-dent. “At that point, their air pollution permit may in fact require the ethanol emission control devices. At this time, Ver-mont’s Agency of Natural Resources is awaiting WhistlePig’s air pollution permit application. Implicit in Whis-tlePig’s approach is the assumption that multiple warehouse locations, each containing up to 5,900 whiskey
back from the property line, will not cause Baudoinia fungi on adjacent properties. This is only true if the
ethanol pollution plumes from these warehouse locations do not overlap.” Meanwhile, Bhatka and his team
their own — are disputing the proj--
tions related to the project. They said there are no plans to erect multiple additional warehouses to allow for more whiskey aging on-site and stressed whiskey mold will not be an issue for neighbors as a result of the amount of product that would be
manufactured on site.“If WhistlePig ages as
much as 25,000 barrels of whiskey at this site, it is projected that the black fungal growth will disperse no more than about 520 feet in the summertime predomi-nant downwind direc-tion and less than about 160 feet in all other di-rections,” the company
-timony. “Even if Whis-tlePig stores as much as 200,000 barrels of whis-key — 500 times what it is storing now — it is projected that black fun-gal growth will disperse no more than about a quarter of a mile in the
prevailing wind direction and less than a tenth of a mile in all other directions. In other words, there will be no impact on any surround-ing private properties.”Jon Anderson, attorney for
WhistlePig, said that 25,000 bar-rels of whiskey stored on-site at the Shoreham site is “an aggressive
and that a 200,000-barrel limit was
all have a heart. This situation we’re all in is tough enough, but luckily we’ve got the staff here to help us,” Michelle said. “They’re over there
don’t have what we have. So why not give back?”Shipping cookies to foreign war
group founder Leila Joseph had in mind. Joseph came to the Graham Shelter as one of its two AmeriCorps volunteers earlier this year and, among other duties, works as a case manager there.
back was more like a traditional women’s group, Joseph said, where the participants could unwind and talk about their lives and issues. “I’m very discussion oriented. I
thought discussion, discussion, dis-cussion,” Joseph said. A group leader at Burlington’s
COTS homeless shelter suggested adding crafts, and at the second meeting the women made Valen-tine’s Day cards for the young fami-lies staying at the shelter. “We made these wonderful, beau-
tiful Valentine’s cards,” Joseph said. -
tance to the idea of a women’s group had begun to vanish. Many came to the group only grudgingly.“When we heard we were having a
women’s group, I think we all kind of dug our heels in, because we weren’t going. We said, ‘I don’t want to go sit in a women’s group,’” Michelle said. “Then Leila, being the nudge that she is, kind of nudged us over the edge.”A resident named Bridget said she
now she is a regular.“I did it for Leila to make sure
she had a little bit of an audience, to make sure she could get it off the ground. And it’s off the ground and running, and it’s a great place to be,” Bridget said. The Valentine project
proved to be a bonding event.“I thought, scissors and
glue. I don’t go for that ordinarily,” Bridget said. “But that was a great day. That was fun.”The group is also meet-
ing Joseph’s original goals, members said. “It’s a good place to go
and vent when we need to,” Michelle said. “I’m with my child 24 hours a day, seven days a week. My husband takes the child, and even if it is an hour, it’s an hour for me to kind of (take a deep breath) and there are oth-er women I can talk to … It’s meant a lot to be able to talk to other women on a level that not every day you can communicate with them on.”Abe, the group’s youngest member,
agrees. “To me, it’s like my safe space,”
Abe said. “With working two jobs, (it’s nice) to sit down with a bunch of girls and no guys and just talk about girl things. I think we all learn from each other, too.” That Valentine’s project also set
the stage for the cookies-and-cards effort. All the residents feel strongly
about those who serve, in part because many know those who have been in harm’s way. Lynette had relatives
working near the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on 9-11, and a relative and an acquaintance in-jured in the 1996 attack on a Saudi Arabian apart-ment building housing U.S. Air Force personnel. “One of my cousins
was in the building that they bombed. My best friend’s brother was up-stairs from my cousin,” she said. And a family of a ser-
viceman has stayed at the shelter while he is on ac-
tive duty.“One of the things that is happen-
ing is that we’ve had people here recently, so that it’s on people’s minds,” said shelter director Eliza-beth Ready.The entire group believes those
who serve and their families deserve more support. “They’re putting their lives on the
line every day,” Michelle said. “And
they come home to their families, and they have nothing.”All were on board when Michelle
suggested they do something for ac-tive military personnel.Bridget, who saw one set of her
friends’ marriage dissolve because of post-traumatic stress disorder fol-lowing two tours in Iraq, said she was more than happy to do “a silly little thing like sending them cook-ies just to let them know that we are aware and we care.”They went to work and contacted
effort. “We got the donations, we bagged
them, we put the quotations (on them), we decorated them and we shipped them,” Lynette said. And afterward they felt the satis-
faction that they could be the ones offering a helping hand. “It feels good inside that you know
that you’re doing something for oth-er people out there,” Lynette said.And Joseph was happy to see the
-ed turn. “This women’s group is just very
unusual, unique. These are women … whose circumstances are chal-lenging. They’re challenging,” Jo-seph said. “So to be able to facilitate
oriented projects that totally take us outside of ourselves and give to oth-ers, it’s just been thrilling.”Andy Kirkaldy may be reached at
JOHN GRAHAM SHELTER Director Elizabeth Ready, front, Ameri-Corps volunteer Leila Joseph and shelter volunteer Nancy Menard have all helped with the shelter’s cookies and cards project.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
“We all may be homeless, but we all have a heart … They’re over there
what we have. So
back?”
For the very latest in county sports, read the
Addison Independent.
Kirkaldy Dickerson Lindholm
(See Statement, Page 18A)
“It’s a shame that both a small
state are
resources to hear out the
— Raj Bhatka
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PAGE 18A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 28, 2013
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utensils and cookware for the cook-fest. “They’ve been very excited about this.”
Chaz Welch to school nurse Eva
for the Iron Chef contest. Welch had
school offer a “healthy kids club.”
clinician. The conversation wan-dered to the notion of an Iron Chef
--
“We didn’t think (the students)
-
--
The school community had already
month when a norovirus forced cancellation of two days of classes
-
scheduled for March 7.
Iron Chef Awesomeness and the LAME Butchers. “LAME” is an ac-
-
Iron Chef(Continued from Page 1A)
their dishes three times before the
The menu included a corn chowder
-
--
and the ability the dish to be made and offered at the school cafeteria.
--
as he and his fellow Fruit Masters -
quesadillas.
-
by the team Iron Chef Awesome--
Elizabeth Chamberlain.
Iron Chef worked out. Beyond the -
lowed students to “bond with other
Statement(Continued from Page 17A)
factored into the study to “address once and for all the concerns raised
Bhatka was candid in his frustra-
“It’s a shame that both a small
-es to hear out the unfounded com-
wrote in a statement for the Addi-son Independent
-
--
moment I wanted to do any con-
well.”
commission will rule in their favor.-
-
with the wider economic and envi-ronmental interests of all members
-
-
-
have to be obtained before an Act -
need in order to render its decision.Reporter John Flowers is at
cation go to www.brandonartist-sguild.com. Applicants must be a Vermont resident for at least six months of the year. Applications are also available at the gallery at 7 Center St. in Brandon. For infor-mation call 247-4956.
-
or by email at landslideamy@com-cast.net.
THE FRUIT MASTERS team works on a fresh fruit wrap at last Thursday’s Bridport Central School Iron Chef competition. Pictured are, left to right, Abby Bailey, Ember Comes, Zach Dufresne, Chaz Welch and Jonathan Flores-Torres.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
DEVYN PRATT, LEFT, Elisabeth Chamberlain, Anna Wagner and McKenna Phillips celebrate their victory in the Bridport Central School Iron Chef competition last Thursday afternoon. The team made corn chowder.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
ZACH DUFRESNE FLIPS a torti-lla on his team’s griddle during the Bridport Central School cook-off last week.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
EMBER COMES WORKS on the garnish for the Fruit Masters’ fresh fruit wrap.Independent photo/Trent Campbell
