Neighbors
Graduation!
Into the fray
In a new film François Clemmons talks about how Mr. Rogers changed his life. See Arts+Leisure.
Four schools graduated and eight alums tell their stories. Read about them all in Section C.
The Legion baseball team opened its season this week. See what happened on Page 1B.
ADDISON COUNTY
Vol. 72 No. 25
INDEPENDENT Middlebury, Vermont
Thursday, June 21, 2018 54 Pages
$1.00
Two Democrats share priorities in their House bids
Birong seeks support for small businesses By JOHN FLOWERS VERGENNES — The table appears set for 3 Squares Café owneroperator Matt Birong of Vergennes to join the Vermont Legislature. Barring a write-in campaign or a minor party candidate entering the race later this summer, Birong and incumbent Rep. Diane Lanpher, D-Vergennes, will run unopposed on
Nov. 6 for Addison-3’s two Vermont House seats representing Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton, Vergennes and Waltham. It would be the first time ever that two Democrats held both seats in what has traditionally been a Republican stronghold. Incumbent Rep. Warren Van Wyck, R-Ferrisburgh, is not running
for re-election. Birong, 41, a lifelong Vermonter, is pleased to have been granted a direct path to the House, where he wants to become a voice for his constituents — including those like him who run small businesses. “Vermonters deserve solutions, and I am ready to get to work,” Birong (See Birong, Page 13A)
Shoreham’s Wilson urges health reforms By JOHN FLOWERS SHOREHAM — Barbara Wilson loves tending to her crops at the Solar Berry Farm in Shoreham. And along with harvesting berries these days she’s planting the seeds for what she hopes will be a successful run for the Addison-Rutland seat in the Vermont House that represents the towns of Benson, Orwell, Shoreham
and Whiting. Wilson, 62, grew up on a dairy farm in Portland, Mich. She and her siblings spent many long days tending to the herd and other agricultural chores. “When you had a small dairy farm, your family was your workforce,” she said with a smile. Wilson enjoyed agricultural
Welch sees kids fenced at border
By MICHELLE MONROE St. Albans Messenger TEXAS — “Appalling” and “un-American,” those are the words Vermont Congressman Peter Welch used to describe conditions in a processing center in southern Texas where children have been separated from their parents. Welch spoke with the St. Albans Messenger by phone Sunday evening after visiting a processing center known as “the Icebox,” while en route to the Walmart in Brownsville, Texas, where teenagers are being held. At the Icebox, a converted warehouse, Welch described children as young as three or four separated into groups based on gender and age by chain link fence. Above their heads was more of the fencing, he said. “It’s like a big, windowless warehouse, that has, in effect, (See Welch, Page 16A)
Technology no obstacle to language education
By JAMES FINN MIDDLEBURY — Lillian Stroebe, who founded the Middlebury College Language Schools in 1915, said Middlebury was an ideal location for an immersive language program because of the degree of isolation it offered. “Middlebury was actually chosen because at the time, it was in the middle of nowhere and students would come here and there wouldn’t be a lot of distractions and you could create the kind of isolation that would allow them to do that full immersion,” said Stephen Snyder, current dean of (See Education, Page 14A)
pursuits, but had a mind for figures. She enrolled at Michigan State University, where she would earn a degree in mathematics. She assumed she would become a teacher, but advances in technology during the 1970s were creating new opportunities for people with solid math skills. (See Wilson, Page 13A)
New startup puts down roots in Middlebury
VCET propels a new outdoor clothing brand
VERGENNES UNION HIGH School Principal Stephanie Taylor is all smiles as senior Dakota Spear celebrates after receiving his diploma at commencement last Friday night.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
VUHS graduates showered with love Keynote speaker emphasizes emotion By ANDY KIRKALDY VERGENNES — The members of the Vergennes Union High School Class of 2018 this past Friday, June 15, took their final group bow and walked out into their futures. They did so after being showered in a steamy gym by confetti cannons; advice from several sources, including their peers; and, according to graduation speaker Chris Sheehan, the love of not only their families and friends,
but also their teachers. The 65 members of the Class of 2018 had developed a bond with Sheehan, now teaching elsewhere, when he taught them in middle school five years before. Even after he was a victim of downsizing at VUHS he spoke to them at their 8th-grade step-up ceremony. Class of 2018 President Mason Charlebois introduced Sheehan and said the class decision to invite him back was almost unanimous.
Charlebois said Sheehan always “made learning enjoyable” and showed the class the “impor-tance of dialogue in changing the world.” He also “continues to inspire” the graduates. Sheehan said it was hard to give advice to the class because they didn’t need it. Sheehan said he learned while attending the annual senior charity walk two weeks earlier that the members of the class were already ambitious and had made plans for their futures, they were not afraid
to leave the state and challenge themselves, and were already committed to making a difference in the community, as evidenced by the successful walk that raised $4,500 for the John Graham Shelter. Realizing that he was running out of advice to give, Sheehan said he simply ditched the challenge of offering a speech with memorable guidance: “Problem solved.” Instead, he drew inspiration from an 8th-grade assembly in which teachers each addressed the class. (See VUHS, Page 15A)
Farmers do their part to reduce food waste
ELMER FARM CO-OWNER Spencer Blackwell, shown with his daughter Ida at their on-farm CSA pick-up in Middlebury, said his farm donates thousands of pounds of produce that could not be sold.
Independent photo/Rachel Cohen
By RACHEL COHEN may be lost each year in Vermont, ADDISON COUNTY — 2014 according to new research from was a great year for cabbage in Salvation Farms of Morrisville Vermont. Spencer Blackwell’s and the Johns Hopkins Center for cabbages on Elmer a Livable Future. Farm in Middlebury This food is either “It’s difficult to grew to be around 12 left unharvested in the put much effort pounds each. fields, or is harvested It was amazing to into something but neither sold nor see, but he knew he you’re not getting donated. wouldn’t be able to sell any money This estimate the especially heavy for. There’s no of food loss is heads of greens to any substantially higher of his usual markets. return … (and) than Salvation Farms’ He ended up “turning it’s slim profit previous estimate that under” two-thirds margins in the 2 million pounds of of the cabbages, not food business to all crops are lost in harvesting them so begin with.” Vermont each year. that the nutrients from “On-farm food — farmer the germinated crops loss,” stated the 2018 Hank Bissell could be recycled into report, “happens when the soil. farmers can’t harvest, While this was an anomaly for donate or sell everything they’ve Blackwell, it happens regularly on grown — which has substantial farms throughout the state. environment, economic and An estimated 14.3 million pounds nutritional costs.” (See Farmers, Page 12A) of edible vegetables and berries
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of profiles of new businesses launching through the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, a business incubator in Middlebury. ––––– By ABAGAEL GILES MIDDLEBURY — Eva Shaw grew up ski racing in Vermont, so she knows a thing or two about being cold. That was the inspiration for the Middlebury College student’s start-up, Overeasy, a new outdoor clothing brand that grew out of the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies’ and Middlebury College’s Entrepreneur program. VCET is a statewide nonprofit that promotes entrepreneurship in Vermont by providing mentorship, counseling and education to residents who want to create startups or expand their existing business. Skida, a Burlington-based company that makes fashionable but technical winter accessories is a notable alum of the program. The Middlebury Entrepreneurs program is a January Term course for students who want to start a business or nonprofit organization. Students (See VCET, Page 12A)
By the way The Bristol selectboard is seeking candidates to fill the one-year term of Tree Warden to oversee the care and maintenance of shade and ornamental trees on public property, such as those found on the town green and within public street rights-of-way, and to enforce laws relating to trees in public ways and places. Duties may include organizing and carrying out tree pruning, maintenance and protection programs. This is a voluntary, one-year appointment made by the selectboard annually. A more detailed description can be found at bristolvt.org. Interested citizens should send Town Administrator Valerie Capels an e-mail (townadmin@bristolvt.org) (See By the way, Page 16A)
Index Obituaries........................... 6A-7A Classifieds........................ 8B-10B Service Directory............... 6B-7B Entertainment.........Arts + Leisure Community Calendar......... 8A-9A Arts Calendar.........Arts + Leisure Sports................................. 1B-2B