Cracking up
Home baked
Late strikes
Two local women want to get us laughing with a monthly comedy show. See Arts+Leisure, Page 1.
A Middlebury woman makes and sells divine cinnamon buns in her kitchen. See Arts+Leisure, Page 8.
The Commodore girls and boys’ soccer teams hosted the Tigers, and drama ensued. See Page 1B.
ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT
Vol. 71 No. 41
Middlebury, Vermont
Thursday, October 12, 2017 42 Pages
Middlebury explores help for businesses
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Officials are drumming up support for Mt. Abe bond
Aqua ViTea makes request for tax stabilization
By JOHN FLOWERS property taxes during the next five MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury’s years on the 63,454-square-foot efforts to re-boot its economic facility at 153 Pond Lane that it leases development efforts in town took from Vermont Industrial Parks. The a detour on Tuesday when the company’s 2017 total property tax selectboard learned no one had bill is $52,737, with the municipal stepped forward to portion being $18,480. join a new “Economic “The short-term The larger part of the Health Committee.” bill relates to education effects on the The board will grand list in property taxes. instead ask participants In his application, on some of the reducing the tax Aqua ViTea Chief town’s past business- liability for Aqua Financial Officer promotion groups to ViTea will be Jordan Benjamin said serve on a panel that more than offset the tax break would help will specifically preside by the long-term the company’s efforts over the community’s to recruit and install impacts of job new revolving loan additional tenants into fund and review creation.” a headquarters that is Middlebury’s tax — Jordan Benjamin, currently too big for the Aqua ViTea kombucha beveragestabilization policy. And the new task producer. force will have to hit the ground “Aqua ViTea does not require the running. full 63,454 square feet for production One local business, Aqua ViTea, and has found other companies has filed a request under the town’s in need of both warehouse and current tax stabilization policy that production space,” Benjamin states it be excused from paying municipal (See Middlebury, Page 13A)
$35M proposal faces Nov. 2 vote in 5 towns
By GAEN MURPHREE BRISTOL — With the vote on the proposed $35 million Mount Abraham Union High School renovation bond just three weeks away, school officials, board members and community supporters are out in force, reaching out to the five-town community. Venues for face-to-face meetings with voters include the Starksboro town dump, Bristol Harvest Festival, general stores in Lincoln and New Haven, church and community luncheons, school open houses and other gatherings of local groups like the Masons and American Legion. Community forums are scheduled in all five Addison Northeast Supervisory Union towns and spokespeople for the bond are on selectboard agendas this month in Bristol, Lincoln, Monkton, New Haven and Starksboro. “We want to answer as many (See Mt. Abe, Page 13A)
Vergennes sewer rates up 10 percent
Color on the mountain
A COLORFUL TREE stands in contrast to a white building on Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf campus Tuesday morning. Fall colors are still muted in the Champlain Valley, but some brilliant color is on display in the mountains. Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Walk/bike survey sparks discussion, action
Obstacles to love
JOSHUA COLLIER AND Bevin Hill rehearse a scene from the Opera Company of Middlebury’s concert production Tuesday night of Gaetano Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love.” The show opens at Town Hall Theater Thursday and runs through Oct. 14. For more photos see Page 2A. Independent photo/Trent Campbell
By the way Hard work and determination paid off for the 30 4-H dairy members chosen by University of Vermont Extension to represent Vermont in the dairy show at Eastern States Exposition in (See By the way, Page 7A)
Index Obituaries................................. 6A Classifieds.......................... 5B-9B Service Directory............... 6B-7B Entertainment.........Arts + Leisure Community Calendar......... 8A-9A Arts Calendar.........Arts + Leisure Sports................................. 1B-4B
By ANDY KIRKALDY VERGENNES — The Vergennes City Council on Tuesday raised the city’s base per-unit sewer rate by $10 per quarter, or $40 per year, and will calculate a similar increase for Vergennes’ metered commercial sewer ratepayers. The increase means the quarterly rate for a homeowner — or the owners of business spaces or apartments, per unit — will increase from $96 to $106, or from $384 to $424 per year. The increase is the second of about (See City sewer rates, Page 14A)
By GAEN MURPHREE NEW HAVEN — Community members are initiating conversations with local and state decision makers on how to make Addison County’s roads more friendly for cyclists and walkers.
“I don’t think cars should necessarily be king of the road,” said New Haven resident Susan Smiley. Smiley and fellow New Havenite Doug McKain undertook a survey on the walk- and bikeability of New Haven’s roads. They took the
idea of a survey to the selectboard last spring, got it green lighted, and recently presented the survey results to the board. Those involved in this survey and in broader efforts to expand the use of our roads hope the New Haven
effort can be a pilot for similar undertakings that could result in safer routes for recreation and commuting. What did the New Haven selectboard take away from this (See Bike survey, Page 12A)
Films, books & speakers bring the world to Bristol One World builds bridges, expands community By GAEN MURPHREE It began as a conversation BRISTOL — “It’s always been among friends as to how to bring just five women,” said Anne a greater appreciation of world Majusiak of Bristol’s One World cultures to the local community, Library Project. said Majusiak. Founding members But looking at the non-profit also included Kyoko Davis, Mitra group’s contributions over the Samimi-Urich, Gail Martin, Elin past nine years, it seems that Melchior and Anna Sun. The five women (plus a coterie of group’s idea was to purchase helpful volunteers) can bring internationally focused books the world to Bristol — and and films to supplement the show the local community See this story online at Lawrence Memorial the diversity of cultures addisonindependent.com Library’s collection. Each and heritages it holds to watch a video of a One book or film would bear within itself. World Library presentation the unique One World “One thing we all share Library sticker and be on Iranian culture. is a deep curiosity about housed in a special kiosk, the world and an appreciation of so that patrons could easily identify world cultures; and it seemed like OWLP’s international offerings. Bristol would be receptive to that, The collection now numbers in that our neighbors would also share the hundreds. that curiosity and appreciation,” “From Mongolia to Cuba, our said Majusiak, who’s been part of library patrons can travel the the group since its inception and is world, gain understanding of other (See One World Library, Page 14A) currently its board president.
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ONE WORLD’S BOLLYWOOD Bash got Bristol’s Holley Hall rockin’, according to board member Anne Majusiak.
Photo courtesy of One World Library Project