Chronology 2012

PAGE 12A — Addison Independent, Thursday, December 27, 2012

Chronology 2012A Year In Review

(Continued from Page 1A)

(Continued on Page 13A)

FebruaryAfter the Jan. 31 deadline for filing

petition papers had passed, Vergennes residents found out in early February that they would have races for three seats on the city council come Town Meeting Day. Three multi-term in-cumbents — David Austin, Lowell Bertrand and Clara “Ziggy” Comeau — would face former city manager Renny Perry, appraiser and Vergennes Partnership President Bill Benton and political newcomer Nelson Sears.

Town Meeting Day would see a contest for a Bristol selectboard seat between incumbent Sharron Com-pagna and challenger Tim Heffernan.

The ongoing revitalization of Bris-tol’s industrial park got another big shot in the arm when the Bristol In-ternal Medicine practice announced it would move into the Bristol Works complex this summer. Another prac-

tice, Mountain Health Center, was also in serious negotiations to relocate into Bristol Works.

2006 Vergennes Union High School graduate Theo Spencer returned to his alma mater this month and shared his story about becoming an acrobat and studying circus arts in Argentina. Then he gave a demonstration that wowed his audience.

The longest-serving town clerk in Addison County, Jane Grace of Addi-son, started the ball rolling toward her retirement late in 2012 after 40 years on the job. By giving notice well in advance, the Addison selectboard was able to budget some extra money to train Grace’s replacement before she left.

In the Legislature, lawmakers were looking at ways to preserve the look and character of Vermont, and backed the Working Lands En-terprise Bill. It looks to bolster ag-riculture, forestry and value-added foods processing businesses by giv-

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26 Franklin St. Brandon, VT 05733802-247-5704

Miller & Ketcham Funeral Home

Gary C. Stanley, Director

26 Franklin St., Brandon, VT802-247-5704

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Dick and Sue Collitt388-7328

“The Best Store in Town”

Ripton CountryStore

1916Since

Serving local farmersfor more than 96 years.

1898Since

Rt. 74 • West Shoreham, VT • 897-5043

DOUGLAS ORCHARDSGrowing Great Apples

for 4 Generations

1930Since

32 Pine St., Bristol • 453-2381

JACKMAN’S INC.

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Bristol office founded in 1994Jan. 19MARY HOGAN ELEMENTARY School fifth-grader Suzie Klemmer reads with her mentor, Janice Whit-

temore, during the Everybody Wins! reading program at the school. More than 60 adult volunteers read with students at the school once a week during the lunch hour.

Independent file photo/Trent Campbell

Feb. 16MOUNT ABRAHAM UNION High School senior Katrina Camara, center, gets serenaded by Alex Carlton, left, Jordan Dinapoli, Tyler Jewett

and Bailey Sherwin as part of the school’s traditional Valentine’s Day “singing valentine” fundraiser. A cappella singers spent the entire day singing to students, teachers, staff and community members.


Feb. 2THEO SPENCER SPINS around a loop of fabric hanging from the

Vergennes Union Middle School gym rafters during a demonstra-tion of his circus skills. Spencer, a 2006 graduate of VUHS, is study-ing acrobatics in Argentina.


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spending increase in four years — a 2 percent hike. Otter Valley Union High School’s board OK’d a budget with a 2.3 percent spending increase to present to voters. In the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union the Mount Abe board put forth a budget with an overall increase in spending of 0.7 percent.

The board representing Middle-bury Union high and middle schools was asking for 3.18 percent more spending authority, while also float-ing a $1 million bond for a new MUMS roof.

While the Addison Central Super-visory Union schools were deep into budgeting they were missing a key player — business manager Paula VanMinos didn’t show up for work for two weeks, then she abruptly re-signed. School officials discovered that VanMinos, who they had hired a few months earlier, was involved in what acting Superintendent Gail Conley called “a complicated law-suit” over her previous job in a New York school district.

Trying to begin the healing pro-cess in a different arena were local, state and federal environmental offi-cials, who were meeting to figure out how to repair damage to the Middle-bury River in East Middlebury that occurred during Irene the previous Aug. 28 and as a result of the town’s use of earth movers in the riverbed after the tropical storm-induced flooding.

The five-town community was mourning the death of 19-year-old Levi Duclos of New Haven, who died during a hiking trip on the Em-ily Proctor Trail in Ripton. The 2010 Mount Abe graduate failed to return from an afternoon hiking trip and Vermont State Police, although no-tified that evening, did not begin a search or call for others to search un-til the next morning. The tragic event would have ripples throughout the rest of the year.

In Vergennes, Bixby Memorial Library readied a celebration of its 100th anniversary later in the year, but kept an eye on ensuring that the venerable institution remains viable for future generations. On tap were the automation of the library’s card catalog, the implementation of a pas-sel of computer hardware and soft-ware thanks to an e-Vermont grant, and the staging of computer literacy workshops.

Technology was on the minds of officials in Middlebury, too, where a group was planning to have pub-lic wi-fi available in downtown by summer. For its part, Middlebury College was finalizing its plans to install 34 photovoltaic solar power collectors on the open swath of col-lege land off Route 125 just west of Bicentennial Hall.

Over the mountains in Granville, FairPoint Communications an-nounced that it had made available broadband Internet to customers in the eastern Addison County town.

Eric Andrus, who runs a diver-sified farm in Ferrisburgh called

Boundbrook Farm, was working out the kinks in a new windmill that featured recycled 275-gallon drums spinning in a vertical wooden frame. He planned to use the power from the windmill in the spring to pump water into a five-acre rice paddy.

Three local women — Andrea Ward, Maria Graham and Kelly Hickey — traveled to Haiti this month to deliver 700 pairs of shoes collected in Addison County as part of the Soles4Souls program. They also took soccer balls, hair ribbons, nail polish, sidewalk chalk and cloth-ing.

Ripton resident Bill McKibben had a right to crow in January when President Obama put the brakes on the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline that would have carried oil from Canada to Texas. The environmen-tal activist and Middlebury College Scholar was a key figure rallying op-position to the pipeline. But instead of patting himself on the back, McK-ibben continued to stage rallies and protests to ensure the project was truly mothballed.

At its annual meeting, the Addi-son County Firefighters Association bestowed on Kevin Charbonneau of the Vergennes Fire Department the organization’s Chief Fred Jackman Firefighter of the Year award, and gave Ferrisburgh Deputy Chief Jon Soter the Francis Stokey Chief of the Year award.

The Town Meeting Day election was shaping up to be quite a contest in Middlebury, as six candidates filed papers to run for three spots on the selectboard.

And current Middlebury officials were pleasantly surprised to hear as they were budgeting that the town had a previously unaccounted for surplus of $1.5 million in the town coffers. Keep your eyes on that mon-ey.

1882Preserving local history

Since

1 Park Street, Middlebury • 388-2117www.HenrySheldonMuseum.org

Henry SheldonMuseum

of Vermont History

Addison Independent, Thursday, December 27, 2012 — PAGE 13A


(Continued from Page 12A)ing grants and loans to entrepreneurs in those fields.

The Addison Northeast Superviso-ry Union, anticipating the retirement of Superintendent Evelyn Howard at the end of June, whittled its super-intendent search down to three can-didates.

The Addison Central Supervisory Union hired Laura Nassau as its new business manager; she replaced Pau-la VanMinos, who left under a cloud the previous month. At the same time, ACSU officials said they made progress in their search for a super-intendent.

But then another key ACSU senior minister tendered her resignation. Associate Superintendent Jan Willey said she was leaving because of on-going “turmoil” in the central office. Hers would not be the last departure in the ACSU this year. And the two finalists for the superintendent’s job didn’t pan out, so the district adver-tised for a new superintendent and assistant superintendent.

Migrant farm workers, who often work in the shadows of society, saw their artwork bathed in a spotlight when the Vermont Folklife Center hosted a show titled “Invisible Odys-seys.” The art by Mexican dairy farm laborers who work in Addison and Franklin counties tells of their jour-neys a long way from home to work long hours at physically demanding jobs.

The Town Hall Theater this month debuted a new play by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Moats, called “An Afternoon in France.”

Northlands Job Corps came under increasing scrutiny as Vergennes Po-lice Chief George Merkel disagreed with statements made by officials on the timeliness of their reporting of an assault at the federally funded youth job training center. Vergennes police cited two Northlands students for ag-gravated assault after being notified of the incident 23 hours after it hap-pened.

The Mount Abraham Union High School a cappella singing group con-tinued a 13-year tradition of handing out roses and singing songs of love on Valentine’s Day, in a ritual that adds moments of levity to the school.

In 34 years of tapping maple trees, Starksboro’s Dave Folino said in February that he had seen few win-ters like this one. In some local spots, temperatures were six to eight de-grees above average. “It’s not even winter,” Folino said. “It’s pretty much a perpetual sugar season.” But the sugar content of the sap was low, and despite the fact that many sugar-makers were tapping in February — or earlier — it wasn’t clear how the sugaring season would turn out.

Lawmakers this month were call-ing for changes in the way authori-ties prioritize and perform search and rescue missions when people are lost in the woods, in light of the tragic death of Levi Duclos in the Green Mountain National Forest in January.

While legislatures pondered an-other issue — redistricting — some movers and shakers in Charlotte began to actively resist a move to add the Chittenden County town to the Addison County Senate district (which was already destined to lose Brandon because it was going to be added to the Rutland County dis-trict). Some said they would lose influence, other said townspeople’s attentions were naturally focused northward.

The Addison Northeast Superviso-ry Union board chose David Adams as the next ANeSU superintendent. The current Windsor Southwest su-perintendent, Adams would bring three decades of experience in edu-cation when he started the job July 1.

Middlebury College trustees gave the green light to a plan to replace the 9-year-old temporary athletic facility known as the “Bubble” with a permanent structure. They put the cost of the new gym at $46 million; fundraising is under way.

The MUHS dance team won the state hip-hop title in a competition in front of 1,000 fans in the VUHS gym.

Lincoln residents were wrestling

with who to vote for in the only con-tested local election there on Town Meeting Day. Three Lincolnites filed papers to run for town treasurer; the winner would replace Larry Mas-terson, who had held the job for 15 years. Shawn Richards, Lisa Truchon and Linda Daybell each sought the part-time position.

In Shoreham, selectmen decided to ask residents if they would con-sent to spending $450,000 for a larg-er town office.

Ten young men, most of them for-mer campers at Salisbury’s Camp Keewaydin, built their own wood-and-canvas canoes this winter and readied for the ice to clear on Lake Dunmore so they could cast off and

paddle north 1,200 miles to James Bay in northern Canada. In addition to being an adventure — how would you like to paddle the distance from Middlebury to Jacksonville, Fla.? — the trip was also a fundraiser for Keewaydin scholarship money. “It’s like a walk-a-thon. Just really long,” one expedition member said.

March


As March opened, the MUHS girls’ Nordic skiing team was bask-ing in the glow of the school’s first state championship in the sport. The Tigers dominated both the freestyle and classic competitions in Division II; senior Britta Clark won both the 5K classic and freestyle races; and she was joined by Dominique Pow-ers, Lydia Allen and Emma Ryan to claim both 2K relay events.

That same weekend VUHS senior Geoffrey Grant beat the 170-pound top seed in an exciting 4-3 final to claim the state wrestling crown in that weight.

About this time, word started cir-culating about alleged “initiation beatings” taking place at Northlands Job Corps in Vergennes. Informants told the Independent that some of-ficials at the federally funded youth job training program were aware of the beatings but had failed to take steps to halt the violence. “Dorm 21 is not a friendly place,” a source told the Independent.

New scrutiny of Middlebury’s fi-nancial records showed that the town actually did not have a surplus of $1.5 million as had been reported. Turns out some funds had been cred-ited to the wrong accounts. Officials stressed that no money was missing, but the unexpected surplus that had popped up in late January had evapo-rated by early March.

Two local schools did report wind-falls of a sort. Mount Abraham Union High School and Vermont Adult Learning each received $100,000 grants from the Rowland Founda-tion to develop ways for people to become life-long learners.

The county found out this month that it would have one fewer school next year when the Gailer School, a private institution founded in 1989 for middle and high school students, would close at the end of the school year.

Porter Medical Center President James Daily received a national honor. He was one of 50 hospital administrators to win the Grassroots Champion Award, which is given to a hospital administrator who does the best job communicating with elected officials.

Town Meeting Day arrived in Ad-dison County as usual, and, as usual, in the end residents in several town OK’d a large amount of spending and elected some new local leaders. One of the largest projects that got a green light was the $4.625-mil-lion bond to rebuild both fire sta-tions in Middlebury. Residents in the shiretown also agreed to fund (with Middlebury College and local busi-nesses) a business development fund to attract new businesses to Middle-bury and Addison County.

In Middlebury and the six other Addison Central Supervisory Union towns voters agreed to float a $1 mil-lion bond to fix the middle school

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225 Morgan Horse Farm RoadWeybridge, VT • 388-7652

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1930Since

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1956Founded

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154 Monkton Road, Ferrisburgh(802) 877-2878

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154 Monkton Road, Vergennes(802) 877-2878

GainesInsurance

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March 8STATE REP. MIKE Fisher speaks about health care legislation at Monkton’s town meeting.


March 22LINCOLN COMMUNITY SCHOOL student Kaela Thurber rehearses

a scene from the school’s original fifth- and sixth-grade play, “Out of My Mind.” The play was dedicated to disabled former classmate Jesus Rosa-Ivey Jr., who died in December.


April 16ACTOR ED ASNER stands beside a 1927 Packard outside the Town Hall Theater before his one-man

performance of “FDR.” The historic automobile, owned by Peter and Liz Markowski of Ferrisburgh, was used by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt when he toured W.P.A. projects in Texas.






roof. Voters at all local high schools and in the town of Bristol approved budgets with spending increases, al-beit small increases.

But in Monkton, voters were once again unwilling to back spending on moving the town hall. For the second time in three years, they sent select-men back to the drawing board to develop a plan to solve a space issue in the town offices.

And in Vergennes, two of the three incumbent city councilors were thrown out. Real estate appraiser and Vergennes Partnership President Bill Benton and former City Man-ager Renny Perry both won seats for the first time on the council, and three-term incumbent Clara “Ziggy” Comeau was returned to her seat. But two-term incumbent Lowell Bertrand and five-term incumbent David Austin both finished out of the money.

Town Meeting Day also saw sev-eral long-time selectmen retire. John Tenny wrapped up 17 years on the Middlebury selectboard, Bob Oliver retired after 18 years on the Leices-ter selectboard, and Jim D’Avignon Sr. bowed out after 30 years on the Weybridge selectboad. All three also served their communities in other ways, as well.

In another chapter in the admin-istrative shakeup in the ACSU, Inga Duktig said she was leaving as prin-cipal of MUMS. After 12 and a half years in the job, Duktig abruptly said she would take a leave of absence for the rest of the year and leave lead-ership at the school in the hands of Assistant Principal Patrick Reen so that she could “transition to the next chapter of my career as an educator.”

The principal wasn’t the only one at MUMS making the news. Two MUMS seventh-graders were among the 34 students who started out in the Vermont Spelling Bee in Colchester. Fifteen rounds later, de-fending state champ Meigan Clark and newcomer Ronan Howlett were the only two spellers left in the com-petition. In the end, Howlett won the competition and the right to go to the national championship by spelling the word “quantitative.”

eCorp English, which teaches English language skills to foreign business professionals, came to Middlebury two years ago with high hopes for providing 100 or more jobs. This month the state Depart-ment of Labor said it was working with at least five former eCorp em-ployees who have filed complaints against the company for failure to pay back wages. Company officials said the firm was “undercapital-ized” and was hoping the launch of its WordFortune learning software later in the year would return eCorp to financial health.

Vermont Gas Systems held three informational meetings in the county to provide the public with information on its proposal to ex-tend its natural gas pipeline from Chittenden County into Addison County. Vermont Gas, a subsidiary of a Canadian firm, sells natural gas produced in Canada.

Ferrisburgh’s Rokeby Museum, which is housed in a former stop on the Underground Railroad that was a hotbed in the 19th-century anti-slavery movement, this month broke ground on a $1.4 million visi-tor center.

Prompted by a citizen’s ques-

tion, Vergennes aldermen opened a months-long debate on whether the city should continue to allow a Christian nativity scene to be dis-played on the city green during the weeks leading up to Christmas. In a letter to Mayor Mike Daniels, the citizen said allowing the overtly re-ligious symbol on public property showed disregard for the principle of separation of church and state. The city council discussed the issue, but sought more citizen feedback at a future meeting.

At the end of the month, former ACSU Superintendent Lee Sease filed a federal lawsuit saying he was unfairly fired last spring.

AprilApril brought some very sad news;

longtime Addison County Sheriff James Coons died at age 59 after a long illness. Police and emergency responders from throughout the state showed up at Coons’ funeral to hon-or the 30-year veteran.

Middlebury planners in April un-veiled the newly revised Middlebury town plan and Bristol officials con-tinued their long-running review of their community’s plan.

The sagging economy was also

taking a toll on farmers. After two years of relatively strong milk pric-es, the U.S. Department of Agricul-ture announced in April that falling prices had triggered support pay-ments to dairy farmers. It marked the first time in two years that farm-ers had to receive subsidy payments through the Milk Income Loss Con-tract, which provides a safety net for farmers when payments for milk fall below cost of production.

Many area sugarmakers rallied behind legislation in Montpelier that would change syrup labeling laws and establish a food safety certifica-tion program for manufacturers of maple syrup. Supporters reasoned the voluntary certification program would help sugarmakers in Vermont stay competitive in the industry.

In other agricultural news, the Vermont Public Service Board gave the green light to a major methane-to-electricity facility at the Four Hills Farm in Bristol; Weybridge resident Mark Smith proposed a mo-bile slaughterhouse to process large animals; and Lars Hubbard proposed a plan to house a whiskey distillery and cheese company at a building in Middlebury’s industrial park.

The search for a new superinten-dent for the Addison Central Su-pervisory Union hit a snag in April when a screening committee deter-mined it could not bring forward a finalist that would be a good match for the district’s needs. The commit-tee would soon re-boot the search. The district did, however, fill a key vacancy when it welcomed Carol Fenimore as its new assistant super-intendent.

In other school news, a handful of voters passed a $6.1 million 2012-2013 spending plan for Mary Hogan Elementary School at the Middle-bury school’s annual meeting.

Meanwhile, Vergennes Union El-ementary School welcomed a new principal and a familiar face to many in the county: June Sargent, a former administrator at Mount Abraham Union High School in Bristol.

In Vergennes, officials unveiled a new policy regarding the place-ment of religious displays on the city

1973Since

388-78781 Washington St., Middlebury

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388-78781 Washington St., Middlebury

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SOLAR ELECTRIC &HOT WATER SYSTEMS

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453-2500

Bristol ElectronicsBristol Electronicssince

1972†Eligibility based on service address. *PROGRAMMING OFFER: Limit one bill credit offer per account. IF AFTER 3 MONTHS FOR HBO/CINEMAX/SHOWTIME OFFER THE CUSTOMER DOES NOT CONTACT DIRECTV TO CHANGE SERVICE, THEN ALL SERVICES TO WHICH CUSTOMER IS SUBSCRIBING WILL AUTOMATICALLY CONTINUE ON THE 4TH MONTH FOR HBO/CINEMAX/SHOWTIME). In certain markets, programming/pricing may vary. Package pricing at directv.com/packages. DIRECTV System has feature that restricts access to channels. INSTALLATION: Custom installation extra. SYSTEM LEASE: Purchase of 12 consecutive months (24 months for advanced receivers) of any DIRECTV base programming ($29.99/mo. or above) orqualifying international services bundle required. DVR service commitment ($5.99/mo.) required for DVR and HD DVR lease; HD Access fee ($9.99/mo.) required for HD and HD DVR lease. FAILURE TOACTIVATEALLDIRECTVSYSTEMEQUIPMENT INACCORDANCEWITHTHEEQUIPMENT LEASEADDENDUMMAYRESULT INACHARGEOF$150PERRECEIVERNOTACTIVATED. IF YOUFAIL TOMAINTAIN YOURPROGRAMMINGCOMMITMENT, DIRECTVMAYCHARGEAPRORATEDFEEOFUPTO$300. RECEIVERSAREATALL TIMESPROPERTYOFDIRECTVANDMUSTBERETURNEDUPONCANCELLATIONOFSERVICEORADDITIONAL FEESMAYAPPLY. VISIT directv.comORCALL 1-800-DIRECTV FORDETAILS. Programming, pricing, terms and conditions subject to change at any time. Pricing residential. Taxes not included. Receipt of DIRECTV programming subject to DIRECTV Customer Agreement; copy provided at directv.com/legal and in first bill. HBO® and Cinemax® are service marks of Home Box Office, Inc. ©2007 DIRECTV, Inc. DIRECTV and the CycloneDesign logo are registered trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

FREEFORTHREEMONTHS

with qualifying programming.

+ +

FREE AND EASY STANDARDINSTALLATION OF 4-ROOM SYSTEM.

FREE DVR OR HDRECEIVER UPGRADE.

No equipment to buy. No start-up costs.

(After $100 mail-in rebate. Programming,DVR and HD Access fee commitments required)

Your local DIRECTV dealeris ready for your call.

CALL TODAYPRICES START

AS LOW AS

$2999month

BRISTOL ELECTRONICS, YOURFRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCEFOR TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THEULTIMATE TV EXPERIENCE.We’re proud to be your local DIRECTV dealer in Addison County.Call today, let’s talk TV.

BRISTOL ELECTRONICS 802-453-2500

Offers end 10/31/2007 and are based on approved credit. New customers only (lease required). Leasefee $4.99/mo. for second and each additional receiver.

Your Local Authorized DIRECTV Dealer

453-2500

1972Since

Bristol Electronicssince

1972†Eligibility based on service address. *PROGRAMMING OFFER: Limit one bill credit offer per account. IF AFTER 3 MONTHS FOR HBO/CINEMAX/SHOWTIME OFFER THE CUSTOMER DOES NOT CONTACT DIRECTV TO CHANGE SERVICE, THEN ALL SERVICES TO WHICH CUSTOMER IS SUBSCRIBING WILL AUTOMATICALLY CONTINUE ON THE 4TH MONTH FOR HBO/CINEMAX/SHOWTIME). In certain markets, programming/pricing may vary. Package pricing at directv.com/packages. DIRECTV System has feature that restricts access to channels. INSTALLATION: Custom installation extra. SYSTEM LEASE: Purchase of 12 consecutive months (24 months for advanced receivers) of any DIRECTV base programming ($29.99/mo. or above) orqualifying international services bundle required. DVR service commitment ($5.99/mo.) required for DVR and HD DVR lease; HD Access fee ($9.99/mo.) required for HD and HD DVR lease. FAILURE TOACTIVATEALLDIRECTVSYSTEMEQUIPMENT INACCORDANCEWITHTHEEQUIPMENT LEASEADDENDUMMAYRESULT INACHARGEOF$150PERRECEIVERNOTACTIVATED. IF YOUFAIL TOMAINTAIN YOURPROGRAMMINGCOMMITMENT, DIRECTVMAYCHARGEAPRORATEDFEEOFUPTO$300. RECEIVERSAREATALL TIMESPROPERTYOFDIRECTVANDMUSTBERETURNEDUPONCANCELLATIONOFSERVICEORADDITIONAL FEESMAYAPPLY. VISIT directv.comORCALL 1-800-DIRECTV FORDETAILS. Programming, pricing, terms and conditions subject to change at any time. Pricing residential. Taxes not included. Receipt of DIRECTV programming subject to DIRECTV Customer Agreement; copy provided at directv.com/legal and in first bill. HBO® and Cinemax® are service marks of Home Box Office, Inc. ©2007 DIRECTV, Inc. DIRECTV and the CycloneDesign logo are registered trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

FREEFORTHREEMONTHS

with qualifying programming.

+ +

FREE AND EASY STANDARDINSTALLATION OF 4-ROOM SYSTEM.

FREE DVR OR HDRECEIVER UPGRADE.

No equipment to buy. No start-up costs.

(After $100 mail-in rebate. Programming,DVR and HD Access fee commitments required)

Your local DIRECTV dealeris ready for your call.

CALL TODAYPRICES START

AS LOW AS

$2999month

BRISTOL ELECTRONICS, YOURFRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCEFOR TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THEULTIMATE TV EXPERIENCE.We’re proud to be your local DIRECTV dealer in Addison County.Call today, let’s talk TV.

BRISTOL ELECTRONICS 802-453-2500

Offers end 10/31/2007 and are based on approved credit. New customers only (lease required). Leasefee $4.99/mo. for second and each additional receiver.

Your Local Authorized DIRECTV Dealer

453-2500453-2500Independent Dish Network retailer

453-2500 • bristolelectronicsvt.com

1974Since

275 South 116 Rd., Bristol, VT453-3351

‘Go to new heights withBrown’s lift service.’

1974Since

275 South 116 Rd., Bristol, VT453-3351

Brown’s Tree, Craneand Rental Service

‘Go to new heights withBrown’s lift service.’

1974Since

Dinner every eveningLunches Fri., Sat., Sun.

One block off Rte. 7 in Historic Middlebury • 388-7166

Fire & IceRESTAURANT & PUB

1971Since

1971Since

Route 7 South, Middlebury388-6297

1971Since

Route 7 South, Middlebury388-6297

1980Since

802-388-8999John and Jim Fitzgerald

Telecommunications Sales & ServiceData Cabling & Fiber Optic Systems

1979Since

Bristol453-2497

1979Since

Bristol • 453-2497

Cousino FinancialServices

Life, Disability andRetirement Planning

1978Since

Main St., Middlebury • 388-6831

“Thank you for all your continued love and support, Abby, Liz,

Brandi and Kristin.”

1980Since

Boardman Street, Middlebury • 388-9049Roger, Joanne, Roger Jr., Todd, Joe & Paul

Complete Glass HeadquartersAuto • House • CommercialCustom Shower Enclosures

1979Since

1979Since

1297 Exchange St., Middlebury388-0627

MapleLandmark

Locally crafted gifts for all ages.

1979Since

1297 Exchange St., Middlebury388-0627

MapleLandmark

Locally crafted gifts for all ages.

1978Since

1978Since

Pulp Mill Bridge RoadMiddlebury • 388-3169

1978Since

Pulp Mill Bridge RoadMiddlebury • 388-3169

MILL BRIDGECONSTRUCTION, INC.

Pulp Mill Bridge Road, Middlebury388-3169

www.millbridgeconstruction.com

1976Incorporated

1976Incorporated

Washington St., Midd • 388-7276

1976Incorporated

Washington St., Midd • 388-7276

1979Since

Rt. 7 South, Middlebury388-4932

Think about it… Shea!

1979Since

Rt. 7 South, Middlebury388-4932

Think about it…Shea!

1979Since

Jct. 22A and 125, Bridport 758-2494

www.tombroughtonauctions.com

Tom Broughton

Auctioneer

• Home • Estates• Commercial

• ConsignmentsBridport, VT • 758-2494

tombroughtonauctions.com

Auctions

tom Broughton

April 19ADDISON COUNTY ASSISTANT Judge Frank Broughton administers the oath of office to longtime

Addison County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Don Keeler, who, as high bailiff, will perform the duties of sheriff until the governor appoints someone to serve out the rest of the late Sheriff Jim Coons’ term.


May 3HUNDREDS OF OFFICERS from many different law enforcement

agencies across the state gathered at Middlebury College’s Mead Chapel for Addison County Sheriff James Coons’ memorial service. Coons died on April 16. Independent file photo/Trent Campbell

May 24REVOLUTIONARY WAR REENACTORS march across the Lake Champlain Bridge during a parade that was part of the two-day Grand Cel-

ebration of the new span. Independent file photo/Trent Campbell

1976Since

Seymour St., Middlebury • 388-7983www.BillBeck.com

The Premier Real EstateCompany in Addison

County since 1980

1976Since

1976Since

The Premier Real Estate Company in Addison County since 1980

Seymour St, Middlebury 388-7983Main St., Vergennes 877-3125

Bill BeckReal Estate

Seymour St., Middlebury • 388-7983www.BillBeck.com

The Premier Real EstateCompany in Addison

County since 1980

1976Since

1976Since

The Premier Real Estate Company in Addison County since 1980

Seymour St, Middlebury 388-7983Main St., Vergennes 877-3125

Bill BeckReal Estate



(Continued from Page 15A)green. The policy — which came in response to a letter of concern about the longstanding Christmas nativity scene display — called upon peo-ple to apply for permission to place a display on the green. The policy also set forth size limitations and a requirement that the display bear a sign identifying the sponsor.

Addison County residents in search of a family doctor got some good news in April. Porter Medi-cal Center announced the imminent hiring of seven new family practice physicians and an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse to the roster. A lo-cal shortage of family physicians had forced some county residents to seek such services in Brandon and other communities outside the area.

In Montpelier, lawmakers made some interesting changes to Addison County’s senatorial district as part of the decennial reapportionment process. Reapportionment calls for a redrawing legislative boundaries to better ensure the Constitutional standard of “one person one vote.” Lawmakers decided that Addison County’s two-seat senatorial district should swap Brandon (to be reab-sorbed into the Rutland County dis-trict) for the towns Huntington and Buel’s Gore. Lawmakers had consid-ered adding Charlotte to the Addison County district, but that’s commu-nity’s powerful lobby quickly ended that discussion.

Also at the Statehouse, lawmakers voted unanimously in favor of a new bill revamping the state’s search and rescue policy in wake of the tragic death of 19-year-old Levi Duclos on a Ripton hiking trail earlier in the year.

The state Senate, at the recommen-dation of Sen. Claire Ayer’s Health and Welfare Committee, endorsed a major health care exchange bill as part of Vermont’s insurance reform effort.

Addison County Transit Resourc-es got some good news in the form of $716,000 in federal grants to help finance its proposed $4.2 million headquarters at 341 Creek Road in Middlebury.

MayMay saw the late James Coons, Ad-

dison County’s sheriff for three de-cades, laid to rest. Hundreds, including former Gov. James Douglas of Middle-bury and current Gov. Peter Shumlin, packed Middlebury College’s Mead Chapel for what was a moving service.

Vermont’s Congressional delegation announced in May that it had secured $1.3 million in federal funds to build a community health center in Shoreham offering medical and dental services to patients regardless of their ability to pay.

The 2012 Legislature capped a busy session that included helping com-munities recover from Tropical Storm Irene; devoting resources to fixing the state’s roads and bridges; and advanc-ing health care reform. In an interview with the Addison Independent, Gov. Peter Shumlin gave high marks to the session, saying the Legislature laid a solid foundation for lower health care costs and job growth in the Green

Mountain State.With the session concluded, most

incumbent lawmakers announced re-election plans while some new candi-dates stepped forward. Among them, for the Vermont House: New Haven Democrat Ed McGuire in Addison-5 and Salisbury independent Tim Ryan in Addison-2. Former Rep. Christo-pher Bray, a New Haven Democrat, served notice he would run for one of the county’s two state Senate seats. His path would be made easier when Democratic incumbent Sen. Harold Giard of Bridport confirmed he would not run for re-election. Longtime Rep. Joe Acinapura, R-Brandon, also an-nounced his plans to step down.

Meanwhile, three-term Vergennes Mayor Michael Daniels confirmed he would not seek re-election to another to another term in March 2013.

Speaking of retirements, several longtime educators announced they would be graduating from their posts at the end of the academic year. They included Middlebury Union Middle School physical education teacher Don McIntosh (after 37 years), Addi-son Central School teacher Karen Flo-rucci (after 25 years) and Mary Hogan Elementary School teacher Carol Cal-lahan (after 30 years).

Middlebury Area land Trust offi-cials in May entered into discussions with the National Park Service about providing a key pathway link that would finally connect the Appalachian Trail, which runs along the East Coast from Georgia to Maine, and the North Country Trail, which stretches from Crown Point, N.Y., to North Dakota.

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum made plans to mark the bi-centennial of the War of 1812 — and specifically the role of U.S. Navy 1st Lt. Thomas MacDonough in defeating superior British forces in the pivotal Battle of Plattsburgh on Lake Cham-plain. MacDonough built is fleet in the Vergennes shipyard. The museum planned an exhibit, an educational tour by the replica canal schooner Lois Mc-Clure, and other activities to mark the city’s role in MacDonough’s feat.

History was also on the minds of

Middlebury officials who honored Marion Guild for her key role in de-signing the Emma Hart Willard monu-ment erected in the downtown 71 years ago. Guild had not received the credit she was due for her work, and Middle-bury officials held a special event to finally honor her seven decades after the fact.

Veteran lawmakers also stepped forward to take a much-earned bow. Longtime House Rep. Betty Nuovo, D-Middlebury, feted her 80th birthday with confirmation she would seek an-other term in office. And former Gov. James Douglas, who had devoted four decades of his life to state government and public service, announced he was penning an autobiography recounting some of his experiences.

Vergennes City Manager Mel Haw-ley presented the city council with a draft municipal budget that would keep the city tax rate level at 60.3 cents per $100.

The U.S. Postal Services released a list of potential cuts in hours at post offices nationwide, and several Ad-dison County venues made the list. They included Bridport, Ferrisburgh, Granville, Hancock, Monkton, North Ferrisburgh, Orwell, Salisbury, Shore-ham, Starksboro and Whiting.

Warm spring weather prompted people to think about Lake Dunmore activities. And in an effort to keep the lake clearer healthier, the Lake Dun-more/Fern Lake Association applied for state permission to introduce thou-sands of tiny milfoil weevils to munch on the nuisance aquatic weeds that volunteers and paid helpers have spent years chopping and pulling.

JuneJune brought word of yet another

senior Addison County teacher’s re-tirement plans. Judy Wiger, a chem-istry teacher at Vergennes Union High School for the past three de-cades, announced she was moving on. Veteran special educator and

Monkton Central School Assistant Principal Mary Gemignani also con-firmed her departure after more than 30 years. Gemignani reported she was leaving to help teach at a village in war-torn Liberia.

Hundreds of seniors also bade farewell to their respective high schools in June, leaving after some inspiring words delivered at ceremo-nies blessed with good weather.

Addison Northwest Supervisory Union teachers agreed to a new two-year contract that awarded them an-nual increases of 3 percent and 3.5 percent. Teachers also agreed to con-tribute more toward their health care premiums. Also striking a deal were teachers in the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union, after a lengthy negotiating process that was aided by a mediator. Details of the four-year pact were not immediately announced because the full union membership had not formally en-dorsed it.

Addison County Sheriff Don Kee-ler reported in June that the depart-ment’s 22-bed jail had been empty since mid-May given the expiration of a 15-year contract with the U.S. Marshals Service. Keeler began checking with the state of Vermont and other parties who might be in-terested in contracting for the jail, which employed several deputies.

Ripton Elementary School em-braced the concept, “If you bus them, they will come.” Local school directors agreed to run a new bus service to the Route 100 communi-ties of Hancock and Granville as an extra incentive for families in those towns to tuition their students to Rip-ton. Ripton’s school enrollment (like that of schools throughout the state) has been dwindling and officials are looking at creative ways to boost the ranks.

Several people turned out to give feedback at a public hearing on Mid-dlebury’s draft town plan. The plan-ning commission heard from people concerned the plan was too lengthy, was too critical of Middlebury Col-


1981Since

Ann and Bruce Perreault99 Wilson Rd., Middlebury 388-3143

Celebrating our 31st Anniversary!

1981Since

Ann and Bruce Perreault99 Wilson Rd., Middlebury 388-3143

Celebrating 28 years!

1983Since

1330 Exchange St., Midd. • 388-4456

Frames • Sunglasses • RepairLab on Premises

1982Since

Seymour St., Midd. • 388-7000

“We care” for yourland and animals.

1982Since



1982Since



1983Since

1983Since

83 Park Avenue-On the Village GreenBridport, VT • 758-2727

Brookside Antiques

1983Since


Brookside Antiques

1983Since


Brookside Antiques

1982Since

33 Seymour St., Middlebury388-7620

“Your under the car specialists”

1982Since


“Your under thecar specialists”

1982Since


“Your under the car specialists”

County Tire Center, Inc.

1982Since

11 Washington St., Midd. • 388-3164

A Middlebury Family RestaurantPizza • Pasta • Subs • Soups

Salads • Calzones

198211 Washington St., Midd. • 388-3164

since

A Middlebury Family RestaurantPizza . Pasta . Subs . Soups

Salads . Calzones

1981Since

3 Elm St., Middlebury • 388-2162

Where qualityand service come first!

1981Since

Where quality and servicecome first!

3 Elm St., Middlebury • 388-2162

1983Since

163 Revell Road, Lincoln, Vermont1-800-477-4384 • (802) 453-4384

www.lagvt.com

1983Since

163 Revell Road, Lincoln, Vermont1-800-477-4384 • (802) 453-4384

www.lagvt.com

1983Since

163 Revell Road, Lincoln, Vermont 1-800-477-4384• (802) 453-4384

www.lagvt.com

1980Since

Rte. 7 South on Rogers RoadMiddlebury • 388-6311

MackeyInsurance

1981Since

Vergennes, Vt. • 802-877-2640

Siding Contractors

1981Since

Siding ContractorsVergennes, Vt. • 802-877-2640

Marcel Brunet& Sons, Inc.

Windows and Siding

1986Since

228 Maple St., Ste. 32, Middlebury388-3011 • www.landworksvt.com

Landscape ArchitecturePlanning • Graphic Design

1986since

228 Maple St., Ste. 32, Middlebury388-3011 • www.landworksvt.com

Landscape ArchitecturePlanning • Graphic Design

1986Since

Landscape ArchitecturePlanning• Graphic Design

228 Maple St., Ste.32, Middlebury388-3011•www.landworksvt.com

198525 Stewart Lane, Middlebury

388-9925

Creating new memories every day1985

since

25 Stewart Lane, Middlebury 388-9925

Creating new memories every day

Since

1986Since

3 Court St., P.O. Box 30, Middlebury388-3355 • www.vermontcf.org

Helping Vermonters give backto their communities

1988Since

16 Creek Road, Middlebury • 388-6054www.countrysidecarpetandpaint.com

1988Since

16 Creek Rd., Midd • 388-4050

Decorate the Countryside way!Paints • Flooring • Window Treatments

1988Since


16 Creek Rd., Midd. • 388-4050

1988Since

16 Creek Rd., Midd • 388-4050


1988Since


16 Creek Rd., Midd. • 388-4050

1986Since

Featuring real antiques 100 years old or older & orginal artwork.

Corner Rt. 7 & 116 E. Middlebury • 388-6229

1987Since

42 Main StreetMiddlebury • 388-3353

Nancie Dunn, ProprietorFeaturing Nancie Dunn Cards

and Bruce Baker’s Jewelry

One of Middlebury’s oldest stores!

25 Yrs!

1985Since

Middlebury & Vergennes 388-6888 • vermontsun.com • 877-2030

Training & inspiring the people of Addison County

to achieve their fitness goals

1985Since

Middlebury & Vergennes in 2010388-6888 • 877-2030 • vermontsun.com

1988Since

The Marble Works, Middlebury • 388-3784187 Main Street, Vergennes • 877-1190

61 Pine Street, Bristol • 453-2999

Serving our community

1985Since

The Marble Works, Middlebury • 388-9801

Knowledgeable staff and personalized service

June 25OSSIE ROAD RESIDENT Bob Wells stands at the precipice of a ravine carved by the Middlebury River

during the past several years. Wells and several of his East Middlebury neighbors are concerned that recent storms have pushed rocks and debris through the riverbed and have choked off portions of the river, forcing the water down a narrower, more destructive path.


June 25STATE AND LOCAL search and rescue teams work in Otter Creek below the falls in downtown Middlebury after a swimmer drowned in the

river the previous evening.Independent file photo/Trent Campbell



lege and was not friendly enough to business interests.

Candidates for the Vermont House and Senate had to declare their in-tentions by June 14. That deadline revealed few contests and in particu-lar few Republican challengers. The Addison County GOP did not field a single candidate for one of Addison County’s two state Senate seats, not did it enter anyone in the Addison-1, Addison-4 and Addison-Rutland-1 House districts races. Party officials cited the time commitment involved in running and serving, as well as the shift in party demographics in Addison County’s Senate district. Through reapportionment, the dis-trict swapped conservative Brandon for the more Democrat-leaning Hun-tington and Buel’s Gore.

Middlebury officials began dis-cussing the concept of a new mu-nicipal building/community center, with early estimates placing such a facility at $6 million to $10 million. The new building would replace the current, deteriorating town offices at the intersection of South Main and College streets. The selectboard has formed several subcommittees that are refining plans for the new struc-ture and gauging repairs for the adja-cent municipal gym.

June was a month in which the fury of local waterways came into focus. A Vermont State Police diving team recovered the body of Middle-bury resident Yadji Moussa, 55, who drowned while swimming in the Ot-ter Creek near the Middlebury Falls. Meanwhile, planners continued to debate what could be done to protect residences along the path of the Mid-dlebury River. During major rain events, the river has been jumping and eroding its banks, primarily in the East Middlebury area, and some folks are seeing their backyards wash away.

In Bristol, the Five-Town Health Alliance and Mountain Health Center joined forces in a nonprofit venture to extend health services to people of all economic backgrounds. The new venture would relocate to the Bristol Works business center by the end of the year.



JulyJuly opened with the usual red,

white and blue bang — and the es-tablishment of a dynasty on Bristol’s Main Street. Cousins Chris and Kev-in Berry steamrolled the competition on the way to their fourth straight win in Bristol’s Independence Day Outhouse Race. From the outhouse to the penthouse for the Berry boys, as the saying goes.

Less fun was being had in some areas along Lake Champlain: Poten-tially toxic blue-green algae blooms were changing some waters into what one visitor called “thick pea soup.” Experts blamed phosphorus run-off for a problem that caused lake-front parks to close.

In Ferrisburgh, the town’s $375,000 sale of its 34.9 acres at the junction of Routes 22A and 7 fell through after the buyer said con-tingencies couldn’t be met after 11 months of trying. At year’s end, the parcel was still on the market.

In Middlebury, the town and the owners of the Lodge at Otter Creek settled an assessment dispute in which more than $200,000 of an-

nual tax revenue was at stake. The sides settled at a $17 million valu-ation, less than the town’s $20 mil-lion figure, but much higher than the Lodge’s original position of roughly $11.3 million.

In a star cluster far, far away — OK about 570 light years — Waltham native and Vergennes Union High School and Harvard University grad-uate Sam Quinn helped find two Ju-piter-sized planets. A paper announc-ing the discovery was co-authored by Quinn and published this past summer.

In July it became official: The Vergennes City Council approved a policy that will allow the much-be-loved Christian nativity scene to be displayed on the city green during the holiday season. It will also allow other groups to apply for and receive permission to put up displays on the green. Aldermen also passed new zoning laws in Vergennes after the planning commission’s three-year effort to craft them.

Down the road apiece on North Main Street, a buyer emerged for the Kennedy Brothers Factory Market-place property, one who hopes to put a grocery store in the building in the Vergennes landmark. By year’s end, however, the deal had yet to be con-summated.

Summer is road construction sea-son. In Middlebury, for example, workers finally finished the long-delayed Buttolph Drive project and were still working on the Pulp Mill Bridge rebuild; it remained closed. Quarry Road and Butternut Ridge road improvements seemed to be moving along, even if traffic was sometimes slowed.

Meanwhile, work on the length of Route 17 between Routes 7 and 22A in New Haven, Waltham and Ad-dison was ongoing all summer, and some residents complained about its pace and the condition of the tem-porary road surface. Some feared it would hurt attendance at the Addison County Fair and Field Days. State officials said the whole thing would be wrapped up by November.

In Bristol, David Adams took over as the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union superintendent. He replaced Evelyn Howard, whose 12-year ten-ure was unusually long for a position that often sees turnover in Vermont.

In Ferrisburgh, tragedy struck: A Vergennes man, Conrad Bell, 40, was killed at an evening bonfire party on a friend’s property when he tried to break up a fight. Police arrested Jo-seph Bolduc, 25, of Burlington, and alleged that Bolduc fatally struck Bell with a tire iron.

As July concluded, more than 100 citizens, law enforcement officials and social workers met in Bristol’s St. Ambrose Church to learn more about and discuss possible answers to what police say is a growing drug crime problem in the Bristol area. It was the first of several 2012 meet-ings devoted to the topic in Bristol, and topics included individual expe-riences as well as the issues of lack

of treatment facilities and the chal-lenges facing law enforcement.

Also in Bristol, it was learned the town’s annual Three Day Stampede raised more than $100,000 to fight Cystic Fibrosis. In its 22 years, the Stampede has raised more than $1 million for the cause.

AugustAs August arrived, Addison North-

west Supervisory Union homeowners got some good news: Their school taxes would decline this year. Rates in Ferrisburgh and Addison dropped by 10.6 and 27 cents, respectively, for example.

Of course, August means Addison County Fair and Field Days. And rain. A fierce thunderstorm struck on the Thursday of fair week and did hurt attendance at the popular No. 1 Auto Parts Demolition Derby, which went on with a backdrop of lightning strikes. But despite the weather and the ongo-ing Route 17 reconstruction project, organizers decreed the fair a success once again.

Crowds also flocked to Middle-bury’s second annual Vermont Beer, Wine and Cheese Festival, and orga-nizers said the strong turnout cement-ed its place on the calendar for future years.

Less fortunate news arrived in Mid-dlebury in the form of layoffs: Retail-Vision announced it would close up shop in town, meaning 25 local jobs would be lost.

Vermont’s U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, expressed worries this month about the probability that Congress would not pass a federal farm bill, a law that would determine five years of agri-culture and nutrition policy. He was particularly worried that milk price

1989Since

802-388-2333 Route 7 South, Middlebury, VT 05753

www.AddisonCountyRecycles.org

Information on waste reuse, reduction, recycling, solid & hazardous waste disposal.

Addison County solid WAste

MAnAgeMent distriCt

1989Since

www.nooniesdeli.com388-0014 • Marble Works, Middlebury

“The Best Sandwich in Town”

1992Since

69 Industrial Avenue • Middlebury388-0108 • BeauTiesLtd.com

Classically Confident Ties

1992Since

1992Since

388-8458 • www.littlelphonebook.com

Serving Addison County,Manchester, Mt. Snow

Ludlow, Bellows Falls & Rutland

1992Since

www.littlephonebook.com

Serving Addison County, Manchester, Mt. Snow,


1992Since

388-8458 • www.littlelphonebook.com

Serving Addison County,Manchester, Mt. Snow


1992Since

www.littlephonebook.com

Serving Addison County, Manchester, Mt. Snow,


1990Since

1990Since

Rt. 125, East MiddleburyBehind Goodro Lumber

388-2903

1990Since


388-2903

1990Since


388-2903

1990Since


388-2903

1991Since

North St., New Haven • 453-2222www.oliviascroutons.com

1990Since

1990Since

3 Park St., Middlebury • 388-2370

Otter CreekCustom Framing

Established in 1990 as partof Frog Hollow Art Supply.

Owner Brian Ladeau since 2004.

1990Since

3 Park St., Middlebury • 388-2370

Otter CreekCustom Framing

Established in 1990 as partof Frog Hollow Art Supply.

Owner Brian Ladeau since 2004.

1991Since

Jack Mayer, MD • Tawnya Kiernan, MDKate McIntosh, MD • Lauren Young, FNP

44 Collins Drive, Midd. • 388-1338 • www.Rainbowvt.org

Our greatest pleasure is watchingour patients grow.

1988Since

Jersey Street South, Addison759-2562

Serving all your farming needs.

1988since

Jersey Street South, Addison759-2562

Serving all your farming needs.

1993Route 30, Cornwall • 462-2468

Boat • Snowmobile • ATVSales and Service

1993Route 30, Cornwall • 462-2468

since

Boat • Snowmobile • ATVSales & Service

Since

1993Since

43 Center St., Brandon, VT247-5004

1993Since

Opening New Doors EverdayTM

66 Court Street, Middlebury • 388-1000268 Main Street, Vergennes • 877-3232

M i d d l e b u r y

1994Since

91 Main Street, Middlebury388-2811 • www.middleburyeye.com

1994Since

91 Main Street, Middlebury388-2811

1993local service since


3 Brookside Drive, Middlebury • 388-6427email: [email protected]

Mr. Mike’sCLEANING SERVICE

Insured & Bonded


3 Brookside Drive, Middlebury • 388-6427email: [email protected]

Mr. Mike’sCLEANING SERVICE

Insured & Bonded

1992Since

616 Exchange St. • Middlebury388-4302

That’s MY Soap!

Vermont Soap

1992Since

453-4760 • www.wallacere.com

1994Since

P.O. Box 51 • Brandon, [email protected] • 247-8080

The Reportercovering

Brandon • Pittsford • Proctor • West Rutland Lake Dunmore, Leicester, Whiting, Sudbury, Goshen

July 12CORNWALL FARMER LISA Roberts talks with Jeff True while the Roberts’ oldest Brown Swiss looks

on. Lisa and John Roberts hosted a visit from farmers attending the Brown Swiss Association National Convention.


Aug. 9EAGER PATRONS SAMPLE a variety of local cheeses at a Middle-

bury Natural Foods Co-op table at the Midd Summer Fest in Middle-bury. This year’s event drew about 1,500 people.


Sept.13STAN PRATT PICKS up crates of apples at Kent Ridge Orchard in New Haven. Pratt is leasing the or-

chard to supplement his crop at Middlebury’s Happy Valley Orchard, which was hit by spring frosts and a damaging summer hail storm. Independent file photo/Trent Campbell

1993Since

802-388-31941436 Exchange Street, Middlebury

A Department of Porter HospitalBenjamin Rosenberg, MD • Eric Benz, MD

Trina Wilson, PA-C • Luc Dupuis, PA-C

1989Since

SERVICE • INSTALLATION • REPAIRSJohn D. Fuller, Master Plumber

Case St., Middlebury • 388-2019





support programs would end without seeing any support for Vermont dairy farmers to replace them.

Bristol 17-year-old Brianna McCor-mick traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., to win the World Girls’ Horseshoe Cham-pionship on Aug. 11, faring one place better than her aunt, Debra Brown. Brown was second in the women’s A division.

A new experimental program called Support And Services at Home (SASH) aims to give Medicare re-cipients help in accessing services and wellness programs in hopes of keeping them living independently and there-fore out of more costly nursing home and hospital settings. SASH is being piloted in Vermont over a three-year period thanks to a $10 million federal grant through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Vermont is one of eight states to get such a grant.

The Search and Rescue Strategic Plan Committee, instituted by the Leg-islature after the tragic death of New Haven 19-year-old Levi Duclos last January, continued to meet and hear testimony in order fulfill its mandate to propose ways to restructure search and rescue management in Vermont. In August, tensions remained high over the ultimate question for the commit-tee’s consideration: Whether the lead agency for search and rescue in the Green Mountain State should remain the Vermont State Police, which pres-ently funds that role primarily through its overtime budget, or whether that role should be transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Department game war-dens.

Aug. 28 was primary day in Ver-mont, and like the rest of the state Addison County backed Democratic incumbent Attorney Gen. William Sorrell, who won a tight race with challenger T.J. Donovan. In the only other contested race, Windsor’s John MacGovern defeated H. Brooke Paige, also of Windsor, in the county and statewide for the right to get trounced by incumbent Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in November.

The proposed $32 million rail spur that would be used to alleviate truck traffic between Omya’s quarry in Middlebury and its calcium carbon-ate plant in Pittsford was put on hold indefinitely because of the sluggish economy and lack of funding. The pro-posed railroad track from near Route 7 south of Middlebury, across town roads and protected natural habitat was the subject of long-running opposition from many, including those whose lands would be affected.

The end of the month brought to an end Bill Finger’s 13-year tenure as Middlebury’s town manager. In a pre-planned move, Finger handed over the reins to the town’s former assistant manger, Kathleen Ramsay, on his last day on the job.

One year after the terrible floods produced by Tropical Storm Sandy, towns around the state were tallying up what they had spent, seeing what re-pairs remained to be done, and taking stock of lessons learned. In Hancock, for instance, emergency management coordinator Jill Jesso-White said the everyone is much more prepared for the next natural disaster.

September

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63 Maple Street, Suite 25Middlebury •388-1357

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CommunityInvestment Counselors

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Rte. 7 So., Middlebury • 388-950068 West St., Bristol • 453-3617

1996Since


1996Since


Hardware & Building Supply

1997Since

71 So. Pleasant St., Middlebury, VT388-7512

Owners Bruce & Brenda GroveWelcome You!

1997Since

Get Midd Fit!

middleburyfitness.com175 Wilson Rd. • Midd • 388-3744

1998Since

404 East Main St., East Midd., VT

2000Since2000

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In Middlebury for decadesand locally owned

Looking forward to seeingyou in the New Year!

2000Since



2000MIDDLEBURY AGWAY

338 Exchange Street, Middlebury

In Middlebury for decades and locally owned since

Looking forward to seeing you in the New Year!

MIDDLEBURYAGWAY

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2000Since



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MIDDLEBURYAGWAY


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MIDDLEBURYAGWAY


MIDDLEBURYAGWAY

1998Since

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1997Since

Hannaford Plaza, Midd. •388-4399

Providing quality footwear and clothing for the whole family.

1998Since

Bridport, VT • 758-3835Brandon, VT • 247-9500

1998Since


1998Since


FUEL OIL • KERO • DIESEL

2000Since

Marble Works Studio 2006

Marble Works • Middlebury388-1961 • www.ottercreekyoga.com

2002Since

2002at the Marble Works, Middlebury

388-3300 americanflatbread.com

sinceCelebrating the Bounty of Addison Co.

at the Marble Works, Middlebury388-3300 americanflatbread.com

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Floral Designand Gifts

The Blossom Basket8 Bakery Lane, Downtown Midd., Vt.

www.blossombasketvt.com(802) 388-3900

2003Since

Courtyard by MarriottCourt St., Middlebury • 388-7600

2003Since

Providing quality footwear andclothing for the whole family.

Green Mountain

Shoe & Apparel

1 Main Street, Bristol • 453-6337

2003Since

Rte. 7, New Haven VT • 802-453-7477www.knitsand bolts.com

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Rte. 7, New Haven VT • 802-453-7477www.knitsandbolts.com

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Rte 7, New Haven VT•802.453.7477 www.knitsandbolts.com

2001Since

MacIntyre Lane • 388-6068Middlebury

(Next to Greg’s)2001

Since

MacIntyre Lane 388-6068(Next to Greg’s)

MIDDLEBURYDISCOUNT

Beverage and Redemption Center

2000Since

44 North Pleasant StreetMiddlebury, VT • 388-2067

2000since

44 North Pleasant StreetMiddlebury, VT 388-2067

RANDY’S MIDDLEBURY

SERvIcE cENtER LLcService you can trust!

Tragedy struck twice in Septem-ber, as two area residents, one from Brandon and one from Sudbury, suc-

cumbed to Eastern equine encepha-litis, a mosquito-borne disease that, according to state officials, is fatal about one-third of the time. Exten-sive anti-mosquito spraying and state advisories followed.

The United Way of Addison County kicked off its annual cam-paign with a $700,000 goal, one the organization’s leaders said was both more modest and more realistic than its target in recent years given tough economic times.

Porter Hospital also did some belt-tightening, cutting about $466,000 from its roughly $69 million bud-get after state regulators gave only a conditional approval to its initial spending plan.

Bristol held its second drug forum, which drew a crowd of 70 and led to the formation of a number of steer-ing committees focused on specific issues.

New York has Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center; Paris has the Louvre and the Place de la Bastille. Middle-bury, Vt., has the Mahaney Center for the Arts at Middlebury College. In September the college kicked off a yearlong celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the institution that has hosted thousands of events featuring internationally acclaimed artists.

The apple crop came in low at some orchards around the county and high at others. Growers said that

2012 was a year of bizarre weather phenomena, from the wildfires in the Mountain West to the melting of nearly all of Greenland’s surface ice. Closer to home, the effect of un-usual weather played out in more nu-anced ways, though it is often no less devastating. An warm spell in early spring caused apple trees to blossom, and a hard frost in May killed many of those blossoms.

The town of Middlebury an-nounced it had struck a $150,000 deal with Co-Operative Insurance Companies to buy a 38-acre par-cel on Chipman Hill’s southeastern flank, funded by the town’s Land Conservation Trust Fund. The Battell Trust will manage the land, which is adjacent to other conserved land, and the town’s deed restricts the parcel’s uses to conservation, public park and recreation.

In mid-month eCorp’s downward spiral finally concluded with the an-nouncement the six-year-old English language training firm would shutter its doors in Middlebury and other of-fices around the world, ending initial hopes for 100 local jobs. The state’s $175,000 loan to the firm may never be recovered and former employees are suing the company and its found-er. The action came after months of reports of vendors not being paid and payrolls not being met.

As the month wound down, the VUHS board came up with its first

proposal for a bond to upgrade its auditorium, kitchen and cafeteria; put new roofing on some parts of the building; install a turf field and a six-lane track around it; and make a se-ries of smaller improvements inside and outside of the school. The price tag was $6.5 million, and the vote was set for Nov. 6.

The Middlebury selectboard heard a suggestion from its town office steering committee that officials might want to aim a little lower in de-signing a municipal office building. The board also talked about capping taxpayers’ contribution to funding a new building at a 2-cent increase to the Middlebury’s tax rate, which of-ficials said would raise about $2 mil-lion toward its cost over the length of a bond.

After the Bristol selectboard held its final hearing on a proposed town plan and setting a public vote on the plan for Nov. 6, some in town started asking what should be done with the prominent gravel pit at Bris-tol’s western gateway behind Mount Abraham Union High School.

As the month ended the Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center was ready to launch a new program aimed at beefing up the state’s meat process-ing industry. A new program devel-oped with Vermont Technical Col-lege aimed to produce more skilled butchers and meat cutters.

OctoberOctober is always a busy month

during election years, and 2012 was no exception. As the election season heated up, the race for state treasurer was particularly tight, as incumbent Beth Pearce faced a well-financed campaign from Republican Wendy Wilton, who was bankrolled by Ver-monter’s First, the state’s first “super PAC.”

Addison County’s dairy farm-ers experienced a rough start to the month, with several feeling the fi-nancial strain of keeping their op-erations up and running. When the U.S. House of Representatives failed to produce a new Farm Bill before it adjourned on Sept. 28, farmers across the country lost a federal safe-ty net, causing some small, family-run farms to question whether or not staying in business was worth their while.

In other food and agriculture news, proposed changes to Vermont’s ma-ple grading system were met with some resistance, as some manufac-turers felt that standardized grades would diminish Vermont’s distinc-tive brand.

On Oct. 23, Middlebury-based Vermont Hard Cider Co., maker of Woodchuck hard cider, sold for a whopping $305 million to an Irish company called the C & E Group. Woodchuck President and CEO Brett Williams assured the pub-lic that the company would remain based in Addison County, keep all of its employees for the foreseeable future, and continue its plans to build a new plant on Exchange Street in Middlebury.

In local political matters, the Ver-gennes Union High School board set an Election Day vote on a $6.5 mil-lion bond for facility improvements; few residents showed up at informa-

2002Since

(802) 388-3838www.middleburytransportation.com

Personalized Regional Transportation

Sept. 20PAUL RALSTON, FOUNDER of the Vermont Coffee Co., has started a new business at his Middlebury fa-

cility called Vermont Sweet Maple Kindling. The new company sells 10-pound boxes of premium kindling.Independent file photo/Trent Campbell

Sept. 27STEVE SMITH, LEFT, John Baker and Lynn Coale check on a pot

of gravy before the annual chicken pie supper in Weybridge.Independent file photo/Trent Campbell

Oct. 8LEONARD BARRETT IS retiring from farming and will auction off cows and equipment at his Bridport

farm on Oct. 17.Independent file photo/Trent Campbell

2002Celebrating 10 years!

Plumbing & Heating125 Monkton Road

Bristol, VT453-2325

Fuel Delivery185 Exchange Street

Middlebury, VT388-4975

2004Since

802-247-9300Route 7, 3 miles north of Brandon

Cattails




2006Since

21 Prince Lane (next to Shaws) Bristol, VT • 802.453.3990

Great WineSelection

Bristol Beverage& Redemption

2007Since

388-3385 • costellosmarket.comMarble Works, Middlebury

2007Since

12 Ossie Road • East Middlebury388-4518 • middleburysweets.com

Vermont’s Largest Candy Store!

2004Since

21 MacIntyre Lane, MiddleburyNext to Middlebury Discount Beverage

388-7755

Real Simple…Real GoodRamunto’s

in Middlebury

2005Since

24 Merchants Row • Middlebury388-0101

Middlebury’s Coffeehouse wherefriends and good coffee meet.

2005Since

Rte. 7 South, Middlebury • 388-2500www.distinctivepaintvt.com

Paint • Ceramic TileWindow Treatments • Carpet

2008Since

www.integratedmed.org1641 Rt. 7 South, Midd. • 458-0488

Naturopathic • ChiropracticNow Offering Acupuncture

2005Since

2005Since

117 S. Main St., Middlebury • 388-2311

Sanderson•DucharmeFuneral Services

Est. in the 1800s as Waite & Co.In 1990, we became Sanderson

Funeral Home and in 2005 Sanderson•Ducharme Funeral Services.

Walter Ducharme • Owner

2005Since

117 S. Main St., Middlebury • 388-2311

Sanderson•DucharmeFuneral Services

Est. in the 1800s as Waite & Co.In 1990, we became Sanderson

Funeral Home and in 2005 Sanderson•Ducharme Funeral Services.

Walter Ducharme • Owner

200714 Courthouse Square

at the Middlebury Inn • 388-0311

Supporting a Healthier You for 5 Years

since

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Escape • Relax • Restore

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388-444646 Main • Middlebury

Unique finds • vintage decor • art

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We love what we do!388-2800 • middleburyfloralandgifts.com

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877-242227 Main Street, Vergennes, Vt.

Call for an appointment today!

2010Since

Cacklin’ Hens:A Vermont Yarn,

Beads & Gift Emporium.

383 Exchange St., Middleburywww.vermontybge.com

2009Since

established & emerging artistsfrom Vermont & beyond.

One Mill Street, Middlebury • 458-0098

eclectic • dynamic • uniquecreative excellence

edgewatergallery-vt.com

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Merchants Row, Middlebury • 388-7547

Selling Fun!

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In the Kennedy Bros. Building388-6888 • vermontsun.com • 877-2030

Training & inspiring the people of Addison County

to achieve their fitness goals

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in Middlebury since 1985

IN VERGENNES

2011Since

1232 Exchange Street • Middlebury989-7351 • www.whirliesworld.com

2nd AnnualTeen New Years Eve

2010Since

465-4688Rt. 7, Leicester at the Big Barn

tional meetings to ask questions or raise concerns.

Local lawmakers backed the idea of setting aside funding to examine the outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness Eastern equine encephalitis in light of the death of two local men from EEE.

The Middlebury selectboard con-tinued to tweak an update to the town plan that had been forwarded by the Middlebury Planning Commission. The board had the option of making minor changes and OK’ing the docu-ment, or making major changes and holding more public hearings. De-bates largely centering on the issue of a cap on the size of retail businesses to stop big-box chain stores from set-ting up shop in the town and possibly driving smaller retailers out of busi-ness. Some members of the public urged selectboard members to add an explicit 50,000-square-foot limit for retailer to the town plan, but some board members said that limit was al-ready in the zoning laws, which was good enough for them.

Construction was completed on the East Middlebury firehouse. The previous out-of-date structure was razed and a new one was erected. Work continued on the major addi-tion to Firehouse No. 1 on Seymour Street, and was expected to wrap up this winter.

Lifelong Bristol resident Gertrude Lathrop said she could still recall when the town’s roads were unpaved and ice was cut from ponds and stored in sawdust-lined containers until sum-mer time. She should know, she cel-ebrated her 100th birthday on Oct. 13

The town of Bristol continued to hold community forums to discuss a generally perceived increase in drug-related crimes. Coincidentally Dean C. Heffernan of Bristol was sentenced in U.S. District Court this month to 33 months in prison for his role in a 2011 shooting incident that apparently re-volved around a heroin deal gone bad in Bristol. Heffernan was initially charged with attempted murder, but eventually entered a deal with prose-cutors and pleaded guilty to one count of using a controlled substance while in possession of a gun.

The Vermont Agency of Transpor-tation committed to putting in passen-ger rail service between Middlebury and Rutland by 2017. A VTrans of-ficial also confirmed an impending agreement with the town of Middle-bury to manage the replacement of two deteriorating railroad overpasses in its downtown.

The month was also marred by tragedy. George Demarais, 57, was killed in a shootout with police at his Case Street home in Middlebury af-ter a six-hour standoff, in an apparent “suicide by cop.”

A series of burglaries in Monkton included the theft of an urn containing the ashes of an infant child.

On Oct. 4, a former Addison Coun-ty assistant prosecutor pleaded in-nocent to charges of negligence for driving recklessly while an 8-year-old child ran alongside her vehicle.

On Oct. 13, the annual Youth Soc-cer Jamboree ended when a driver apparently overcome by a medical emergency crashed his car into some kids and an adult on the soccer field at Mount Abraham Union High School. Thankfully, there were no fatalities.

Local schools had an exciting Oc-tober, as the Lincoln Community School wrapped up its six-year, $2 million makeover and celebrated with an open house and dedication cer-emony on Oct. 18.

The Aurora School in Middlebury announced that it would expand into seventh and eighth grades, creating a new area middle school.

Educational opportunities were also afoot on Lake Champlain dur-ing the month of October. The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s Lois McClure, the museum’s replica canal schooner, brought a piece of history to Vergennes by recalling the city’s heroic role in the War of 1812. Later that month, Middlebury College dedi-cated the R/V Folger, a new research vessel that is the most technologically advanced maritime craft that Lake Champlain has seen yet.

An exciting visit from the Dalai Lama, who spoke of non-violence and harmony at Middlebury College on Oct. 12 and 13, spurred many other community events around the county. Many who attended the talks by the leader of Tibetan Buddhism and a No-bel Peace Prize winner spoke of the joy and laughter that emanated from Tibet’s exiled leader.

Four Middlebury College students posing as a “Dalai Lama Welcoming Committee” circulated a fake press release declaring that Middlebury College would divest from fossil fu-els to state and local media outlets. The students later revealed their true intentions: to spark a public dialogue about divestment, which indeed con-tinued in the coming months.

The month ended with frenzy over Superstorm Sandy, which wiped out power and coastline along the eastern seaboard. Vermont was thankfully spared much damage. Few Addison County homes lost power, and those that did were restored within days.

November


2011Since

Register now for 2013 classes.453-7728 • www.familyforests.org

Hogback Community CollegeHomegrown Applications of Global Principles

20085th Season!

Merchant’s Row, Middlebury 382-9222

www.townhalltheater.com

OWN HALL HEATERT

Oct. 29STUDENT FANS CHEER the Middlebury Union High School boys’ soccer team during the Division I quarterfinal game against St. Johnsbury.

The Tigers won the game, 3-0.Independent file photo/Trent Campbell

Oct. 8STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE the scene off Route 116 in Middlebury where a 57-year-old man was

killed during a gunfight with police.Independent file photo/Trent Campbell

Nov. 1MESSIER HOUSE MOVERS pull the Vergennes train depot across

Route 22A to deliver it to its new resting place at the end of the park and ride lot. The building had to cross the highway and then make some tight turns into the parking lot.


The month of November kicked off with the General Election on Nov. 6, though in Addison County there were few contested races. In-

cumbents held off challengers in House races in the Vergennes area, New Haven area and Ripton and sur-rounding towns.

Incumbent lawmakers around the county also kept their seats, many by large margins. Statewide, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders kept his seat by a substantial margin, as did Gov. Peter Shumlin, who immediately set about changing his senior staff.

Votes were also cast on two impor-tant non-personnel issues in. Resi-dents in Bristol adopted their town plan, ending an eight-year process that had stalled several times over is-

sues of resource extraction. In Vergennes and the other Addi-

son Northwest Supervisory Union towns voters soundly rejected a $6.5 million bond to improve facilities at Vergennes Union High School. Vot-ers said no by 57.6 to 42.4 percent to a plan that included improve-ments to the school’s auditorium, installation of a six-lane track and an artificial turf playing field, up-grades to its kitchen and cafeteria, roof repairs to several areas of the building, and parking, sidewalk and traffic-flow improvements. School


The Champlain Center for Joint Replacement (CCfJR) is a collaboration between the orthopedic surgery practice of Champlain Valley Orthopedics and Porter Medical Center of Middlebury, Vermont. Porter Medical Center is comprised of Porter Hospital and Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. Our mission is the delivery of complete care for the joint replacement patient, from the decision to undergo surgery through recovery and return to full activity.

The focus of our mission is the patient and their family. A team of specially trained staff guides the patient through the entire process - from facilitating informed decision making prior to surgery through coordinating and delivering care following surgery. Our experienced surgeons provide skilled, state-of-the-art treatment in the new Porter Hospital “Surgical Care Center, and the nurses and therapists of Porter Medical Center and area Home Health / Visiting Nurse Association organizations offer highly competent and compassionate care to help our patients recover and return to normal activities.

Specializing in Total Hip, Total Knee, Partial Knee

and Total Shoulder Replacements

A collaborative effort between Champlain Valley Orthopedics and Porter Medical Center

Champlain Center for Joint ReplacementMiddlebury, VT 05753 • 388-3194 • www.ccfjr.com • email: [email protected]


(Continued from Page 18A)board members said some things, like the roof, couldn’t wait, and they regrouped to find a solution.

Early in the month, Addison County EMTs and first responders heroically traveled to areas in New Jersey devastated by Superstorm Sandy, including Ceredwyn Alex-ander of Ripton and Elizabeth Clark and Ann Rivers of Vergennes.

In honor of Veterans Day, sev-eral vets told inspiring stories of their service, from the beaches of Normandy during World War II to service in today’s wars.

Middlebury College put the five students who had posed as a “Da-lai Lama Welcoming Committee” on trial in the college’s first public hearing in nearly six years. The stu-dents were found guilty but no for-mal action was taken against them.

In local political news, Middle-bury’s selectboard “got an earful”

early in the month from residents about the draft of the town plan; the debate centered on the issue of setting a 50,000-square-foot cap for retail stores. Some wanted it in the town plan to ensure big-box retailers didn’t drive smaller local firms out of busi-ness; but most selectmen said the cap was already in the zoning regulations and that would serve the purpose.

Vermont Gas Systems’ pipeline project advanced in November, an-nouncing plans to ask the Vermont Public Service Board to approve pipeline extension in Middlebury and Vergennes.

Middlebury appointed a new Parks and Recreation department head. Terri Arnold, 55, is coming from Langley, Wash., where she served as director of South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District.

The UD-3 school board is consid-ering a 3.8 percent hike in spending for Middlebury Union Middle School

and Middlebury Union High School.Vergennes aldermen, meanwhile,

picked a location for proposed new police headquarters, at the former Vergennes Auto Sales on North Main Street.

On Nov. 14, the long-serving town clerk of Weybridge, Karen Brisson, stepped down after admitting to em-bezzling town funds. The state’s attor-ney was waiting for an audit of town books to be completed before decid-ing whether to charge Brisson with any crimes.

The town of Panton led the charge to expand the Lake Champlain By-way from Vergennes through Panton and Addison to the Lake Champlain Bridge and back to the Little City.

The Environmental Court approved construction of a controversial gas station and restaurant on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh, and rejected the pro-posed Fenn gravel pit on Route 116 in Middlebury.

In one notable crime incident, three individuals in Hancock were arrested in the county’s first meth bust.

Community groups geared up for the holidays: Helping Overcome Pov-erty’s Effects (HOPE) solicited dona-tions for its annual giving tree.

Two tragic car accidents occurred the end of the month. On Nov. 24, 86-year-old Ann Roscoe of Bristol was struck by a car and killed at the intersection of Pine and North streets in downtown Bristol. Less than a week later on Nov. 30, 65-year-old Rep. Greg Clark of Vergennes was killed on Route 7 while scraping his windshield. The community mourned the losses of both citizens with mov-ing funeral services.

DecemberDecember kicked off with an ex-

citing announcement by the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board at the American Legion in Middlebury. The board, in conjunction with the Agency of Agriculture and the Department of Forestry, announced that it was releas-ing $1 million in grants for new and existing businesses that develop and cultivate the state’s working lands.

Entrepreneurs weren’t the only ones to land a windfall early in the month: Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR) won an $8,000 grant from the Richard E. and Deborah L. Tarrant Foundation in Burlington. The bus and public transportation agency will put the funds toward the development of the Addison County Community Tran-sit Center, which is being erected at a Creek Road property in Middlebury. Additionally, the Vermont Chapter of the Society of Neuroscience an-nounced that Lisa Bernardin, who founded the Vermont Brain Bee, had won a grant from the Vermont Com-munity Foundation for her inspiring work with high school neuroscience clubs.

Early in December, it came to light that Briarwood Manor, the for-mer nursing home at 1 Alden Place in Vergennes, could soon be home to a treatment facility for teenage girls battling substance abuse and self-in-jurious behaviors. Officials at Valley Vista, a private Bradford-based facil-ity, said they had “fallen in love” with Briarwood and the city of Vergennes. Though there were initially some con-cerns about security, Valley Vista has a good track record in Bradford and city officials and some residents seemed receptive.

Bristol went public with internal findings that Chief of Police Kevin Gibbs may have mishandled a grant application over the course of several years, costing the town over $9,000 in funds that town officials had fronted for the police department under the expectation that the money would be reimbursed through the grants. After a disciplinary hearing, the selectboard reprimanded Gibbs for not filing grant applications in a timely manner and ordered him to pay the town for the funds he failed to get.

Bristol selectboard members also heard plans to improve safety condi-tions at the downtown intersection of Main Street, West Street, North Street and South Street. The Vermont Agen-cy of Transportation thinks its width makes it unsafe. The study for a solu-tion continues.

Weybridge began audits of the em-bezzlement case that had rocked the town in November.

A lengthy and sometimes heated debate over a cap on retail spaces in the Middlebury town plan came to an end when the Middlebury selectboard on Dec. 11 voted 6-0 (with one select-man absent) to pass the plan without a retail cap. Some worried that opened the door for a big-box retailer to set up shop in town and drive local firms out of business; but selectmen said the cap was already in town zoning regula-tions and didn’t need to be in the town plan, as well.

After Addison Northwest Super-visory Union voters rejected a $6.5 million bond for repairs to Vergennes Union High School on Election Day, school board members said they plan to put a version of the bond back to voters in February. They will be asked to first vote on $4.2 million in repairs; if that is approved, a separate ballot item will ask whether an additional $2 million in athletic facilities improve-ments would be favored.

Middlebury College announced it would open discussions on the is-sue of divesting itself from compa-nies involved in fossil fuels. The an-nouncement from college President Ron Liebowitz came after a semester of student protests to raise awareness of the issue, and a month after Schol-

ar-in-Residence Bill McKibben launched a national campaign urg-ing colleges to divest from fossil fuels through his climate activism organization, 350.org.

Five-term incumbent Rep. Wil-lem Jewett, D-Ripton, was over-whelmingly voted in as House Ma-jority Leader by fellow Democrats.

Discussion of Vermont Gas Sys-tems’ proposed natural gas pipeline through Addison County stirred up some controversy. Monkton was opposed to VGS’s proposed route near homes along Monkton Road, and asked that it instead run along an established utilities corridor. The Bristol selectboard then said it would weigh in with VGS, too.

Deer season was successful for more than 800 local hunters, but the number harvested was nowhere near the 1,026 deer bagged in 2008. The average weight of deer measured at county weigh stations continued to rise — it was 146 pounds.

ANwSU Superintendent Tim O’Brian announced that he would retire following the 2013-2014 school year, and that he had re-ceived approval to work part-time (60 percent of full-time) next year. Addison Central School Principal Wayne Howe will serve as assis-tant superintendent the remaining 40 percent of the time next year.

The Addison Central Supervi-sory Union is still looking for a su-perintendent to replace Lee Sease, who left in June 2011. After three failed searches, the ACSU inter-viewed two very qualified candi-dates the week before Christmas.

Nov. 8WEYBRIDGE POLL WATCHER John Meakin instructs voter Lisa Thompson how to cast her ballot

during the 2012 election. Voter turnout was above 70 percent in many county towns.Independent file photo/Trent Campbell

Nov. 12CONSTRUCTION, TOWN AND state officials, above, cut the ribbon on the $3.3 million Pulp Mill

Bridge project. The span that connects Middlebury and Weybridge over Otter Creek then opened to foot traffic and later vehicle traffic. Pictured are, left to right, Bill Patenaude, Jim Ligon, Mark Sargent, Dean George, Peter James and John Weaver.


Dec. 6VERGENNES POLICE CHIEF George Merkel escorts Greg

Clark’s widow, Eileen, out of the Vergennes Congregational Church after Clark’s memorial service. Clark, a state representa-tive and long-time Mount Abraham Union High School teacher, was killed in a motor vehicle-related accident on Nov. 30.


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Documents

Chronology 2012