Oh, Broadway!
Tough losses
On our own?
Carmichael brings Broadway pros to Vergennes for a night of entertainment. See Arts + Leisure.
A young Panther men’s hockey team played well at times, but still fell twice. See Page 1B.
Vermonters find out what happens after secession in Bill McKibben’s new book. Page 3A.
ADDISON COUNTY
Vol. 71 No. 48
INDEPENDENT Middlebury, Vermont
Thursday, November 30, 2017
42 Pages
$1.00
Vt. Green Line short-circuits
By GAEN MURPHREE NEW HAVEN — It could be the end of the road for the Vermont Green Line. The companies that wanted to run an electric power transmission line through Ferrisburgh, Waltham and New Haven earlier this month withdrew their request for a permit to build the project. The withdrawal of the petition for a Certificate of Public Good,
which had been in process with the Public Utility Commission since October 2016, was not unforeseen since National Grid and Anbaric Transmission, the VGL development partners, late last year failed to win their bid to sell renewable power to Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The Vermont Green Line, which would have transmitted electricity produced through renewable wind
and hydropower, had promised to bring millions of dollars to the three Addison County towns. Joe Rossignoli, director of U.S. business development for energy company National Grid, said that while VGL developers “feel as though the project has a lot of value, we want to find out what commercially the landscape looks like for new transmission lines after (See Vt. Green Line, Page 11A)
City shelter, others help new mom to get fresh start
TEN-YEAR-OLD Carter Audet had this 176-pound, 6-point buck weighed at Buxton’s Store in Orwell. He shot it during opening weekend of rifle season. Photo courtesy of Andy Buxton, Buxton’s Store
Shooters claim success
After 554 bucks taken, rifle season second-best in 13 years By ANDY KIRKALDY ADDISON COUNTY — Area deer hunters enjoyed the second-best rifle deer season since 2005, bringing 554 bucks to Addison County weigh stations during the 16-day season that ran Nov. 11 to 26. That total of deer taken came just 19 short of 2016’s total of 573, the highest since Vermont wildlife officials in 2005 banned the taking of spikehorn bucks during November’s rifle season, the most popular of the state’s deer hunting seasons.
This year’s count easily tops the county’s second-best rifle total since 2005. That came in 2015, when hunters had 444 bucks weighed locally. And the number of deer weighed at county reporting stations this year overall — for rifle, bow, muzzleloader and youth seasons — remains on pace to break the post2005 record of 1,064 set in 2016. The rifle season kill brings the 2017 total to 925 (261 for October bow, 110 for Youth Hunting
Weekend, and 554 for rifle) weighed at one of the following: Vermont Field Sports in Middlebury; Rack and Reel in New Haven; Buxton’s Store in Orwell; Jerusalem Corner Country Store in Starksboro; Lincoln and West Addison general stores; Green Mountain Trails End in Bristol; and C&S Hunting Supplies in East Middlebury. If those eight weigh stations handle more than 139 deer between Dec. 2 and 10, when the muzzleloader and (See Deer season, Page 12A)
By JOHN FLOWERS VERGENNES — At just three weeks old, tiny Hunter holds the distinction of being the youngest resident of the John W. Graham Emergency Shelter in Vergennes. He doesn’t realize he and his 28-year-old mom, Sammie, don’t have a home of their own. But Sammie plans to change all that, and she’s getting a big lift from John Graham Housing & Services (JGHS), the nonprofit that runs the Vergennes shelter and five multi-unit apartment buildings in the county. Sammie, 28, is originally from Burlington. She got involved with some people who became bad influences on her life, leading to a tailspin that she prefers to keep to herself. Let’s just say Sammie found herself in Addison County around a year ago with few resources and no place to stay. She is not close to her folks — literally and figuratively — and had no place to sofa-surf. So she knocked on the door of the John Graham Shelter, which has thrown her a critical life preserver as she works toward a (See Sammie, Page 14A)
SAMMIE, A RESIDENT at the John Graham Shelter in Vergennes since February, gave birth to her son, Hunter, three weeks ago. Sammie will be heading back to her job in Vergennes in a couple of weeks.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Homeless facing wage shortfall Most work, but high cost of shelter, child care challenging By JOHN FLOWERS ADDISON COUNTY — It’s easy to assume the typical homeless person is unemployed and therefore unable to afford a roof and four walls. The reality in Addison County is far different. Almost all the temporary inhabitants of the John Graham
Emergency shelter in Vergennes are employed, but are simply not earning enough to land one of the few vacant apartments in our area, according to local advocates. Having a job gives shelter residents a sense of pride and renewed optimism for eventually living an independent life. But in most cases, these jobs pay
Veteran Christmas tree farmer ready for one last season By JOHN FLOWERS SHOREHAM — Two decades ago, Ray Gauthier and his family were in the market for a Christmas tree. They had plenty of options, but elected to visit the Red Sled Christmas Tree Farm on Route 74 West in Shoreham. “My in-laws lived in Shoreham, “What’s right next to the Shoreham Inn,” most fun Gauthier recalled. “We decided to is when try (Red Sled) out.” families So they did. Again and again. show “It was a family thing,” Gauthier said of the experience of combing up with extended the farm’s expansive tree lot, thinking they had found the perfect family.” one, only to check out several more — Phil Kivlin before hauling their prize back to the lot and strapping it to their vehicle. Part of the experience has been chewing the fat with Red Sled Christmas Tree Farm owner Phil Kivlin. “I enjoyed his company,” Gauthier said. “We became pretty good friends.” That friendship will endure — but without the annual Christmas tree pilgrimage. Kivlin is telling (See Tree farm, Page 12A)
minimum wage, or only slightly above, noted Elizabeth Ready, executive director of John Graham Housing & Services (JGHS). Around $400 a week, before taxes, is not enough to land an apartment in Addison County, where the vacancy rate is approximately 1 percent. (See Homeless, Page 14A)
By the way Ripton-area residents have a delicious way of helping their local school. A Friends of Ripton School Pizza Bake is scheduled for this Friday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the school. Volunteer chefs will use the school’s wood-fired oven to make and sell pizzas, ranging from $12 (See By the way, Page 14A)
Index Obituaries................................. 6A Classifieds........................ 5B-10B Service Directory............... 6B-7B Entertainment.........Arts + Leisure Community Calendar......... 8A-9A Arts Calendar.........Arts + Leisure Sports................................. 1B-3B
NEXT MONTH PHIL KIVLIN will end a 30-year tradition of choose-and-cut sales at his Red Sled Christmas Tree Farm in Shoreham.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell