Thursday, March 8, 2018

Page 1

Sweet chords

OV advances

A master bagpiper and friends will play Irish & folk dances in Middlebury. See Arts + Leisure.

The Otter boys got past VUHS on Tuesday, but MUHS and Mt. Abe lose bids. See Page 1B.

Spotlight Two Lincoln residents will be honored for nurturing Five-Town arts and artists. See Page 4B.

ADDISON COUNTY

Vol. 72 No. 10

INDEPENDENT Middlebury, Vermont

Thursday, March 8, 2018  42 Pages

$1.00

Voters reject Mount Abe bond; new approaches sought $29.5M plan falls by wide margin, yet some express optimism

By CHRISTOPHER ROSS ADDISON COUNTY — After voters in the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union on Tuesday defeated a $29.5 million bond for the renovation of Mount Abraham Middle/High School, 1,785–1,196, the pressing question is, “What now?” The bond’s defeat for the third time most likely delays any

All school budgets in county get voter OK

construction until at least 2020, pending the ability of the 5-town community to agree on a building project, vote for a bond and start the design phase. Proponents of the recently defeated bond noted that the renovation plan, if passed, would have initiated an 11-month design phase before breaking ground on the project in 2019. Proponents had

also noted that inflation added about $1.5 million annually to a bond of that size, according to the Mount Abe Renovation Committee. “It is sad for the students and staff,” said ANeSU board chair Dawn Griswold. “The Mount Abraham Board saw this as the time to move forward with the proposed project, and we were hoping for a successful vote. It’s not

the result we wanted, almost unchanged each but the community has “It’s not the time a vote was held. result we spoken.” Though she was Voters had initially wanted, but the disappointed, Griswold defeated the a $32 community has said she was grateful for million bond in 2014 by spoken.” those who championed a vote of 3,328-1,239; the project. “I would — Dawn Griswold, then defeated a $36.5 like to thank the school board chair million bond this past Renovation Committee November, 1,261-1,168 and Communication in a special election that drew Committee for working so a small turnout. The number of incredibly hard on the bond project. supporters of the three bonds was The Mount Abraham board is

grateful for your dedication, time and the hard work the members put into this proposal.” So what’s next? Superintendent Patrick Reen said future school improvement plans will ultimately fall to the newly formed Mount Abraham Unified School District (MAUSD) board. The ANeSU’s transition to the MAUSD will be complete on July 1. “The assumption is that there will (See Mt. Abe bond, Page 10A)

Town Meeting 2018

Career center also earns spending nod By JOHN FLOWERS ADDISON COUNTY — Reflecting a statewide trend that saw the vast majority of school budgets pass in Town Meeting votes, all four of the proposed Pre-K-12 budgets that will serve Addison County students during the 2018-2019 school year passed comfortably through Australian ballot voting on Tuesday. Statewide, 96 percent of school budgets were approved on Town Meeting Day with 135 budgets approved and only five — Alburgh, Cabot, Fletcher, Green Mountain Unified and North Hero — defeated. (Two school budgets were still being counted at press time, and 20 others will vote on their budgets at a later time.) This is the first year that all three of the Addison County’s newly consolidated school districts (plus Brandon’s OVUU) proposed single, Pre-K-12 budgets to their respective voters. Here’s how they fared on Town Meeting Day: • The Addison Central School District (ACSD) spending plan of $36,762,479 passed, 1,674-523. • The Mount Abraham Unified School District (MAUSD) budget of $28,343,828 won approval, 1,7341,231. (See School budgets, Page 10A)

By the way Get ready to do some real grumbling when the alarm clock sounds on Sunday morning. The h a n d s of the clock officially “spring” forward at 2 a.m. this Sunday marking the beginning of daylight savings time. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency is reminding farmers about upcoming sales closing dates for crop insurance coverage. Sales closing dates vary by crop, state, (See By the way, Page 16A)

Index Obituaries........................... 6A-7A Classifieds.......................... 5B-9B Service Directory............... 6B-7B Entertainment.........Arts + Leisure Community Calendar......... 8A-9A Arts Calendar.........Arts + Leisure Sports................................. 1B-3B

RESIDENTS ACROSS THE county gathered for town meetings Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. Jeff Fortin, above right, stood to ask a question in Monkton Saturday morning; seven-month-old Graham Wilbur, top left, paid more attention to family friend Kori Mitchell than to the Orwell town meeting Tuesday morning; and Orwell Town Moderator Michael Audet, above left, listened to a comment from Peter Young Tuesday morning. Read wrap-ups from town meetings in all 23 Addison County towns and Brandon on Pages 11A-16A. Independent photos/Trent Campbell

Surprise! Rep. Sharpe Three win seats on Ilsley board won’t run for re-election Khan, Fuentes-George picked for Middlebury selectboard

By JOHN FLOWERS and CHRISTOPHER ROSS BRISTOL — Longtime state Rep. Dave Sharpe, D-Bristol, and chairman of the House Education Committee, announced at his hometown annual gathering Monday night that he won’t seek re-election to another term representing the Addison-4 Vermont House of Representatives district. Sharpe, a former Bristol selectman, was first elected to the House in 2002. He has won re-election every two years since then. He spent the bulk of his legislative tenure on the House Ways & Means Committee

before being named leader of House Education in 2015. As chairman of House Education, Sharpe, 71, has helped shepherd bills aimed at improving school quality and containing education spending. He was a champion of Act 46, a law that promoted consolidating education governance and budgeting within the state’s individual school supervisory unions. Sharpe was very brief in delivering his statement about his political future to his constituents on Monday evening: “I’ve been honored to serve (See Sharpe, Page 16A)

By JOHN FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury voters at their town meeting Monday night approved all money items on their warning and in Australian balloting the next day decided some hotly contested races for their selectboard and the Ilsley Library Board of Trustees. Incumbent Farhad Khan and political newcomer Lindsey Fuentes-George prevailed in a three-person race for two spots on the Middlebury selectboard. Khan drew the most votes, with 949. Fuentes-George finished second,

with 784 votes. Former Selectman Gary Baker finished out of the running with 399 tallies. “I want to thank the townspeople for electing me,” a grateful Khan said of his victory on Tuesday evening. “I look forward to working with new member Lindsey Fuentes-George. It’s going to be exciting, and I hope we get some work done.” Fuentes-George was ecstatic to earn a spot on the board in her first try. “I have been overwhelmed by the incredible support offered to me by

so many people in our community,” she said, through an emailed response. “We have such a special town, filled with people who freely offer their time to make it better. I feel so grateful to everyone who helped me as I navigated this new endeavor, and hope to work very hard for Middlebury. This has been heartening and humbling ... I look forward to getting to work.” Meanwhile, Amy Mincher, John Freidin and Alice Eckles emerged as the winners from among seven candidates seeking election to the (See Middlebury, Page 16A)


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