What if?
Great outdoors
Rally time
A Steve Martin play staged locally imagines a meeting of Einstein and Picasso. See Arts + Leisure.
A new program gives incentives for county children to have fun outside. See Page 10A.
The first half of Tuesday’s game belonged to the Tigers, but VUHS had other ideas. See Page 1B.
ADDISON COUNTY
Vol. 72 No. 5
INDEPENDENT Middlebury, Vermont
Thursday, February 1, 2018
40 Pages
$1.00
Legislators consider income tax to fund public schools
Some say current system too complicated By JOHN FLOWERS BRIDPORT — A proposal to use the income tax as the primary source for funding public schools was the top issue discussed by participants at the season’s first legislative breakfast, held Monday at the
Bridport Grange Hall. Local lawmakers also shared their view on the state’s new marijuana law and a plan to lower prescription drug costs, among other topics (see stories on Paged 10A and 11A). Rep. Dave Sharpe is chairman of
the House Education Committee, which is looking at ways of cutting public school costs. The Bristol Democrat said at Monday’s breakfast that as his panel does its work, the House Ways & Means Committee is specifically looking at new ways to fund education. School costs in Vermont have
been increasing by roughly the rate of inflation, while student enrollment has been on the decline, Sharpe noted. Still, most Vermont communities have chosen to preserve their local schools, even at a higher annual cost. “We actually value public education, and public education costs money,” Sharpe said.
On the brighter side, Sharpe said Act 46 — Vermont’s school governance unification law — has been driving down administrative costs in many school districts. He also pointed to an effort in Montpelier to provide special education more effectively at a lower price. Bristol Republican Rep. Fred
Three Ilsley Library posts draw seven candidates
ACSD board will lose three senior members March 6 ballot is short on competition By JOHN FLOWERS election to an ACSD board position ADDISON COUNTY — There representing Shoreham. Resident Jori will be three new faces on the Addison Jacobeit has filed papers to run for that Central School District Board after Shoreham spot. the elections on Town The fourth ACSD seat Meeting Day, March 6. up for grabs this year Former Middlebury “Democracy belongs to Cornwall and selectwoman and state only works is currently held by board Rep. Margaret “Peg” if everyone Chairman Peter Conlon, Martin and resident participates, who confirmed plans to Davina Demarais are so it’s time run for another three-year each running unopposed term. for separate three- for others to The ACSD board year seats representing have a chance governs the combined Middlebury on the ACSD to serve and Addison Central K-12 board. They will be lead.” schools serving Bridport, succeeding incumbents Middlebury, — Ruth Hardy Cornwall, Ruth Hardy and Jason Ripton, Salisbury, Duquette-Hoffman, both Shoreham and Weybridge. of whom have decided not to run for Candidates will again run at-large in re-election. the district, meaning residents from all Meanwhile, incumbent Nick seven towns will vote for each seat up Causton confirmed he won’t seek re(See ACSD, Page 12A)
Ferrisburgh faceoff tops in ANWSD area
Trucks, town halls also big on warnings By ANDY KIRKALDY FERRISBURGH — Ferrisburgh offers the only major contested race for office among the communities that make up the Addison Northwest School District. But in addition to weighing in on the usual selectboard budget proposals and a $21.1 million school-spending plan, on Town Meeting Day residents of Vergennes and the four towns will be facing questions about fire and highway trucks and town hall repairs. The Ferrisburgh selectboard race was created because Chairwoman Loretta Lawrence chose to step down after 17 years on that board, a tenure that followed seven years on
the Ferrisburgh zoning board. “It just felt like a good time to step down,” Lawrence said. “I feel the town is in a good place right now.” Lawrence, 67, said the decision was not easy. “I could talk myself out of it in a minute, but I’m not going to,” she said. “I feel it’s the right decision for me. I’ve got a lot of other things to do.” Those other things include retaining her full-time job as the Ferrisburgh Central School secretary and remaining active in her church. But Lawrence said she will miss public service, in part because of (See ANWSD, Page 12A)
Baser, a member of House Ways & Means, said this could be the year the Legislature shifts education funding from the property tax to the income tax. He said the current property taxreliant system for funding education is so complicated some lawmakers (See Schools, Page 11A)
Splashdown!
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE SENIOR Emily Eslinger lands during the long jump competition at Saturday’s Middlebury Invitational track and field meet.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
By JOHN FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury residents on Town Meeting Day will decide a three-way race for two seats on their selectboard, though the hottest election ticket on March 6 will be for the Ilsley Library Board of Trustees. A combined total of seven candidates are vying for three positions on the Ilsley board, with interest likely bolstered by a budding plan to expand and renovate the historic library building at 75 Main St. Candidates for local school and municipal offices had until Monday to file their nomination petitions to get on the March 6 ballot. Here’s how the 2018 election slate looked in Addison County’s shire town on Tuesday morning: • Incumbent Selectman Farhad Khan, former Selectman Gary Baker and resident Lindsey Fuentes-George are competing for two available threeyear terms on the selectboard. The Independent has already published reports on Khan’s and Baker’s election plans, and will reach out to Fuentes-George for a “meet the candidate” interview. • Incumbent John Freidin and fellow Middlebury residents Joseph McVeigh, Amy Mincher and David Munford are competing for two available three-year terms on the Ilsley Library board. In a separate bracket, Patricia Chatary, incumbent Barbara DoyleWilch and Alice Eckles will vie in a runoff for one available one-year term on the library board. • Margaret “Peg” Martin, a former Middlebury selectboard member and state rep, and resident Davina Demarais are each running unopposed for separate three-year seats representing Middlebury on the Addison Central School District Board.
Climate alert! Naturalists see global warming hurting northern species
THE ICONIC VERMONT moose is at risk from pests and habitat decline brought on by global warming, but naturalists say humans can still take steps to save the environment. Photo credit/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
By EMMA COTTON happen: We’ll be angry, and we’ll do ADDISON — The changing something about it.” climate is significantly affecting The presentation called “Animals northern wildlife, nationally of the North: What Will Climate renowned naturalist Sue Change Mean for Morse recently told a “Vermont is in Them?” was sponsored gathering of 30 people by the Hannaford in Addison. The Jericho a somewhat Career Center’s Natural resident told stories not unique location Resource Management just of the influence of in that it is program. As Morse warming in Vermont, a state that clicked past photo after but also gave first-hand includes some photo, brown bear after accounts of changes after snowshoe of the southern lynx in the Arctic, showing hare, the audience, striking photos of both habitats, as which included the environment’s well as some members of the public natural beauty and the of the northern and career center trauma it has endured. students, seemed to habitats.” “I want you to — Scott Darling, collectively understand feel that, for every wildlife program what was at stake. sobering story I tell She showed photos manager with what seems to be of tall, bare whitebark a bad ending, my real pines ravaged by bark purpose is to have us be continually beetles in Wyoming, where she inspired by this world that we live lived for 12 years while conducting in,” she told the crowd at the Dead research. The beetles, made more Creek Visitor Center. “Hopefully, lethal at higher elevations by when we leave here, two things will (See Climate, Page 11A)
By the way Carbonated beverage maker Sap!, the Burlington company founded in Bristol, spurned the sharks this past weekend and swam off on its own. Sap! cofounders Chas P. Smith and Nikita Salmon appeared on the ABC-TV show “Shark Tank” on Sunday, where they pitched their company to deep-pocketed investors. While (See By the way, Page 7A)
Index Obituaries................................. 6A Classifieds........................ 7B-11B Service Directory............... 8B-9B Entertainment.........Arts + Leisure Community Calendar......... 8A-9A Arts Calendar.........Arts + Leisure Sports................................. 1B-3B