MONDAY EDITION
ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT
Vol. 27 No. 48
Middlebury, Vermont
Monday, March 7, 2016
Residents want say on energy project New Haven calls for vote on Vt. Green Line Tigers glide to victory at Rikert • The MUHS boys’ Nordic team dominated the two-day state competition last week. See Sports, Page 16.
By GAEN MURPHREE NEW HAVEN — At last week’s town meeting, New Haven residents made it very clear to their elected officials that they want a say in whether a high-voltage power line and converter station is built in town. On the floor of the Feb. 29 meeting, New Haven residents passed two straw polls asking the town to
gather more information about Anbaric Transmission’s Vermont Green Line proposal and then to hold a town-wide Australian ballot vote on whether to accept Anbaric’s offer. Selectboard members present at the meeting, for the most part, said they would put the issue to a vote. Developers of the project also said they would wait for the citizens to weigh in, but left open the possibility of moving their power line elsewhere if the process took too long. “To the extent that the permitting
process timeline becomes threatened by the negotiations we will have to begin looking at surrounding communities for the converter station,” Joe Rossignoli, of Anbaric partner National Grid, told the Independent. “And, in fact, we’ve already begun doing a scan of real estate opportunities in the surrounding communities for the converter station.” AT TOWN MEETING The two straw polls were part of a nonbinding article giving residents (See Power line, Page 7)
32 Pages
75¢
Bank prevails in auction for Greg’s property By JOHN FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY — Around a half-dozen bidders showed up at the former Greg’s Meat Market at 3 Elm St. in Middlebury this past Wednesday in hopes of acquiring it, and the adjacent Pool World property, at bargain-basement prices. (See Greg’s, Page 14)
Film aims to spark talk on Vt. dams • A screening of “DamNation” will be followed by a panel of experts. See Page 31.
Lu’au to benefit hospice programs • March 12 Middlebury event to feature raffle drawing for Hawaii trip. See Page 2.
Stand up guy MUSIC EDUCATOR EVAN Premo plays his double bass in front of Ferrisburgh Central School third- and fourth-graders last Thursday afternoon. Premo is working with FCS students during a week-long, state-sponsored Creative Schools Initiative residency. The students wrote lyrics for a song about light that they will perform with Premo at the school on March 8 at 2 p.m.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Concert celebrates Irish music, dance • Harpist Dominique Dodge and friends will perform at the college. See Arts Beat Page 10.
Porter nurses take grievances public Contend cuts not placing patients first By JOHN FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY — The Porter Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (PFNHP) fired a salvo at the Porter Medical Center administration last week, in the form of a flier circulated at Middlebury town meeting alleging that recent cuts and
layoffs at the local hospital are jeopardizing the quality of patient care. “The CEO of Porter Medical Center has turned a less than ideal situation into a disaster,” reads the pink, single-page flier distributed by members of the nurses’ union just prior to Middlebury’s annual meeting held in
the municipal gym on Feb. 29. “The administration should immediately halt its short-sighted decisions and work with employees and the community to build a solidly financed, patient-centered PMC,” the flier, titled “Put Patients First at Porter Medical Center,” states. Meanwhile, Porter officials are disputing allegations made in the
union’s flier, the release of which came as a surprise, according to Porter spokesman Ron Hallman. The “short-sighted decisions” alleged in the union’s flier include: • Defunding of primary care by $1 million. • The laying off of primary care nurses. (See Porter, Page 22)