MONDAY EDITION
ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT Vol. 31 No. 7
Green alive with music • Rik Palieri is among the folk, bluegrass, jazz and other musical acts coming to Festival on-the-Green. See Arts Beat on Page 10.
Middlebury, Vermont
Monday, July 1, 2019
Interim head takes over at Mount Abe
VUHS alumna replacing Barewicz
By CHRISTOPHER ROSS BRISTOL — The Mount Abraham Unified School District has hired Shannon Warden as interim principal of Mount Abraham Union Middle/ High School for the 2019–2020 school year.
Warden, who was appointed to the one-year position by MAUSD Superintendent Patrick Reen, was scheduled to begin the job July 1. She is excited to continue the work that is happening at Mount (See Warden, Page 22)
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July 4 celebrations set for this week
Go see fireworks, parades & more ADDISON COUNTY & BRANDON — This is the week for booming fireworks, riveting parades, mouthwatering treats and inspiring displays of red, white and blue.
The Land of Milk and Honey will be awash in Fourth of July sights, sounds and activities — enough that everyone can find a way to mark the 243rd anniversary of the signing of (See Fourth of July, Page 21)
Mandel to lead Mary Johnson
• A seasoned professional from New York City and Connecticut comes to child care facility. See Page 2.
State focused on race relations • Gov. Scott has appointed Vermont’s first director of racial equity. See Page 6.
Artist at work Swim teams take the plunge • Both the Vergennes and Middlebury squads hit the pool for the summer season last week. See Pages 16-17.
MIDDLEBURY UNION HIGH School alum Hans Schmitter returned to Middlebury last month to add a splash of color to the former diner, which is now owned by the Town Hall Theater (seen in the background). Schmitter, who describes himself as a sometimes freelance graphic designer, part-time snowboarder/sledding professional and full-time artist, used canned spray paint on the diner and said his first name is hidden in the design. See another photo on Page 22.
Independent photo/Steve James
Questions arise over wetlands designation By ABAGAEL GILES CORNWALL/SALISBURY — Meetings in Cornwall and Salisbury aimed at providing information on a proposal to strengthen protections of
wetlands along the Otter Creek south of Middlebury brought out a lot of people and a lot of questions last week. Conservation officials offered some answers and promised to
come back with more in future meetings regarding a proposed change to the protected status of the Otter Creek Wetland Complex. About 30 people attended
an informational meeting in Salisbury this past Thursday, June 27. Salisbury Conservation Commissioner Heidi Willis described the gathering as (See Wetlands, Page 18)