Monday, Nov. 13, 2017

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MONDAY EDITION

ADDISON COUNTY

INDEPENDENT

Vol. 29 No. 30

New opera turns surreal

Middlebury, Vermont

Monday, November 13, 2017

36 Pages

$1.00

America welcomes 15 new citizens

Smiles, flags mark Ripton ceremony

• Locals can see the Met’s performance of a fantasy where dinner guests are trapped at a party. See Arts Beat, Page 10.

1860s love story to air on Vt. TVs • Local public television will screen a Brandon historian’s Civil War film. See Page 17.

Hunger fighters prepare for cuts

• The local Hunger Council met with legislators as it fears less federal funding. See Page 2.

CLAUDINE MASEMBE NZANZU of Congo-Kinshasa receives her citizenship certificate from the Hon. Colleen A. Brown at a naturalization ceremony held at Ripton Elementary School last Thursday. Independent photo/Trent Campbell

By JOHN FLOWERS RIPTON — Mary Magot began a journey 16 years ago. It started in the African nation of Sudan, led her through a civil war, a temporarily fractured household and immense hardship. Her journey — and those of 14 other people from all corners of the globe — ended on Thursday with a meandering car ride up a serpentine Route 125, near the Robert Frost Trail, to the Ripton Elementary School, where they became citizens of the United States in a ceremony presided over by a federal judge. As in the well-known Frost poem, each of the new citizens had faced a choice of taking one of two divergent paths — one in their native country and another in America. And, in this case, each had taken the road most traveled by immigrants seeking a chance at a better life. “I’ve wanted to be an American citizen because I love American people and America,” Magot said with a smile as she clutched a small U.S. flag and her citizenship certificate after the ceremony. She and her 14 companions were treated to a great welcome by (See Citizens, Page 26)

Deer harvest is up on youth weekend Herd healthy after mild winter

File photo

Panthers host NCAA Regional

• The Middlebury field hockey team started its quest for a second national title in three years. See Sports, Page 20.

By ANDY KIRKALDY ADDISON COUNTY — Young hunters around Addison County enjoyed more success during Youth Hunting Weekend on Nov. 4 and 5 than in any youth weekend since 2012. They brought 110 deer they shot to one of the county’s weigh stations. That total of 110 surpassed last year’s of 94, while the numbers from 2013 to 2015 ranged from 78 to 109. The year 2012, when 124 young hunters brought down deer, stands as the local high-water mark since the Department of Fish and Wildlife founded the two-day youth weekend. Results from this past archery season, which ran from Oct. 7 to Nov. 3, also finished ahead of those from the same period in 2016. Almost complete results from this past bow season — the Independent could not reach C&S Hunting Supplies in East Middlebury before deadline — showed 254 deer reported taken by archery compared to the 2016 season total of 206. Full bow results will be published at a later date. The strong youth and bow results were encouraging as the Nov. 11 to 26 rifle season opens; the Independent (See Youth, Page 26)

SALISBURY 12-YEAR-OLD Kaitlyn Brown poses with her brother Riley and the 99-pound doe she took in her hometown on Nov. 4, the first day of Youth Hunting Weekend. It was the first deer kill for Kaitlyn, daughter of Gary and Stacy Brown.


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