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Eat local N The ACOR l oca Guide to L s Food & Farm
Garden art
It’s on!
The ACORN guide in today’s paper is all about food — where it’s grown and how it’s produced.
A landscape designer will share tips on garden decorations in a New Haven library talk. Page 19A.
The Tiger boys’ lax team kicked off the local high school season with a big win. See Sports, Page 1B.
RN)  etwork  (ACO ocalization  N  County  Rel rtnership An  Addison roduced  in  pa dent publication  p ison  Indepen with  the  Add
2015 Â -Â Â 2016
ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT Vol. 69 No. 15
Middlebury, Vermont
â—†
Thursday, April 9, 2015 â—† 80 Pages
Education  reform  moves  to  Senate Sharpe:  H.361  could  pressure  small  schools By  JOHN  FLOWERS 6+25(+$0 ² 7KH (GXFDWLRQ ¿QDQFH UHIRUP ELOO DSSURYHG E\ WKH 9HUPRQW +RXVH ODVW 7KXUVGD\ ZRXOG DFFRPSOLVK WKUHH WKLQJV DFFRUGLQJ WR 5HS 'DYLG 6KDUSH VHW D VWDWH- ZLGH HGXFDWLRQ SURSHUW\ WD[ UDWH FDS VFKRRO VSHQGLQJ IRU WKUHH \HDUV DQG FUHDWH ODUJHU VFKRRO GLVWULFWV 7KH %ULVWRO 'HPRFUDW ZKR FKDLUV WKH +RXVH (GXFDWLRQ &RPPLWWHH GHVFULEHG WKH ELOO DW D /HJLVODWLYH
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School  budget revotes Divided  board  OKs  Mt.  Abe  spending  plan By  ZACH  DESPART %5,672/ ² $ GLYLGHG 0RXQW $EUDKDP 8QLRQ 0LGGOH +LJK 6FKRRO ERDUG RQ 7XHVGD\ HYHQLQJ ZDUQHG D QHZ EXGJHW SURSRVDO WR SXW EHIRUH YRWHUV QH[W ZHHN 7KH YRWH LQ WKH ¿YH WRZQ DUHD ZLOO WDNH SODFH RQ 7XHVGD\ $SULO WKH VDPH GD\ UHVLGHQWV LQ %ULV- WRO DQG 0RQNWRQ ZLOO ZHLJK LQ RQ QHZ VSHQGLQJ SODQV IRU WKHLU HOHPHQWDU\ VFKRROV 9RWHUV LQ DOO WKUHH VFKRRO GLVWULFWV UHMHFWHG ¿V- FDO \HDU VSHQGLQJ SURSRVDOV on  Town  Meeting  Day. $GGLVRQ 1RUWKHDVW 6XSHUYLVRU\ Union  voters  on  Town  Meeting  'D\ UHMHFWHG WKH 0RXQW $EH EXG- JHW SURSRVDO E\ D WDOO\ RI WR 2Q 7XHVGD\ E\ D YRWH RI VL[ WR WKUHH WKH 0RXQW $EH ERDUG
DSSURYHG D VSHQGLQJ WRWDO RI 7KDW ¿JXUH LV DERXW OHVV WKDQ WKH EXGJHW YRW- HUV UHMHFWHG RQ 7RZQ 0HHWLQJ 'D\ DQG OHVV WKDQ WKH VSHQG- LQJ SODQ IRU WKH FXUUHQW ¿VFDO \HDU 7KH GLIIHUHQFH EHWZHHQ WKH UH- MHFWHG VSHQGLQJ ¿JXUH DQG WKH RQH ZDUQHG IRU QH[W ZHHN LV GXH WR D GHFUHDVH LQ 0RXQW $EUD- KDPœV FRQWULEXWLRQ WR WKH $GGL- VRQ 1RUWKHDVW 6XSHUYLVRU\ 8QLRQ EXGJHW $IWHU WKH $1H68 GH- FUHDVHG WKH )< EXGJHW IRU WKH VXSHUYLVRU\ XQLRQ ODVW PRQWK WKH DVVHVVHG FRVW WR HDFK RI LWV VL[ VFKRROV GHFUHDVHG %XW ZKLOH WKH QHZ EXGJHW SUR- SRVDO LV OHVV H[SHQVLYH WKDQ ERWK WKH ¿UVW GUDIW DQG WKH FXUUHQW \HDU EXGJHW LW ZRXOG LQFUHDVH VSHQG- (See  Mt.  Abe,  Page  20A)
$4.9M  Bristol  elementary budget  on  ballot  Tuesday
â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Spamalotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; TODD  GORDON  TAKES  center  stage,  or  in  this  case  center  gym,  with  some  fellow  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spamalotâ&#x20AC;?  actors  during  rehearsal  in  the  Weybridge  Elementary  School  gymnasium  Tuesday  night.  The  Middlebury  Community  Playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  production,  directed  by  Dora  Greven,  opens  at  the  Town  Hall  Theater  on  April  23  and  runs  through  two  weekends.  See  more  photos  on  Page  3A. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell
Vt.  Gas  eyes  seizure  of  Monkton  real  estate Firm  wants  two  parcels  for  its  pipeline  By  ZACH  DESPART 021.721 ² 9HUPRQW *DV 6\V- WHPV RQ 0RQGD\ DQQRXQFHG LW KDG EHJXQ HPLQHQW GRPDLQ SURFHHGLQJV DJDLQVW WZR 0RQNWRQ ODQGRZQHUV DORQJ WKH URXWH IRU 3KDVH , RI WKH FRPSDQ\œV $GGLVRQ 5XWODQG 1DWXUDO
*DV 3URMHFW SLSHOLQH 7KH SXVK LV SDUW RI DQ HIIRUW E\ WKH FRPSDQ\ WR VHFXUH DOO WKH ODQG ULJKWV LW QHHGV WR FRPSOHWH WKH PLOH SLSHOLQH IURP &ROFKHVWHU WR 0LGGOH- EXU\ DQG 9HUJHQQHV 7KH FRPSDQ\ (See  Vt.  Gas,  Page  18A)
Bray  calls  for  group  to  study  PSB  process
By the way
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Index
By  ZACH  DESPART %5,672/ ² %ULVWRO UHVLGHQWV RQ 7XHVGD\ ZLOO FDVW EDOORWV RQ D new  Bristol  Elementary  School  VSHQGLQJ SODQ IRU QH[W \HDU WKDW VKDYHV D IUDFWLRQ RI D SHUFHQW RII WKH SURSRVDO WKH\ GHIHDWHG RQ 7RZQ 0HHWLQJ 'D\ %XW GHVSLWH DVNLQJ IRU OHVV LQ VSHQG- LQJ WKH QHZ EXGJHW ZRXOG UHVWRUH some  instructional  positions  tar- JHWHG WR EH FXW E\ UHGXFLQJ VSHQG- ing  in  other  areas. 7KH VFKRRO ERDUG RQ 0RQGD\ HYHQLQJ ZDUQHG WKH YRWH RQ WKH QHZ SURSRVDO IRU 7XHVGD\ $SULO WKH VDPH GD\ QHZ 0RQNWRQ &HQWUDO 6FKRRO DQG 0RXQW $EUD- KDP 8QLRQ +LJK 6FKRRO VSHQGLQJ SODQV ZLOO EH FRQVLGHUHG E\ YRWHUV Bristol  voters  can  cast  ballots  on Â
WKH %ULVWRO (OHPHQWDU\ DQG 0RXQW $EH VSHQGLQJ SURSRVDOV EHWZHHQ D P DQG S P DW +ROOH\ +DOO Bristol  voters  on  March  3  re- MHFWHG D SURSRVHG ¿VFDO \HDU %ULVWRO (OHPHQWDU\ 6FKRRO EXGJHW RI PLOOLRQ E\ D WDOO\ RI WR 7KH QHZ EXGJHW SURSRVHV VSHQGLQJ RI PLOOLRQ DQG UHSUHVHQWV D SHUFHQW VSHQG- ing  increase  over  the  current  year. In  presenting  options  to  the  VFKRRO ERDUG $GGLVRQ 1RUWKHDVW Supervisory  Union  Superinten- GHQW 'DYLG $GDPV DQG %ULVWRO (OHPHQWDU\ 3ULQFLSDO 6DQG\ -XPS SUHSDUHG D VHULHV RI GUDIW VSHQGLQJ SURSRVDOV UDQJLQJ IURP PLOOLRQ WR PLOOLRQ LQFUHDV- LQJ DW LQFUHPHQWV RI (See  Bristol,  Page  17A)
Senior author cranks out novels for fun Hampel has made art a lifelong pursuit By  EVAN  JOHNSON WDNLQJ KHU WKHUH EHIRUH OLWWOH %HWW\ MIDDLEBURY  â&#x20AC;&#x201D;  Betty  Ham- FRXOG ZDON pel  makes  it  very  clear  that  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  ³, OLYHG LQ WKH OLEUDU\ ´ +DPSHO not  about  the  money.  Just  like  her  VDLG cat  Cricket  thrives  on  â&#x20AC;&#x153;sunshine  +DPSHO JUHZ XS GXULQJ WKH DQG ORYH ´ VKHÂśV WDNHQ D VLPLODU 6HFRQG :RUOG :DU DQG GLGQÂśW approach  to  her  writing.   FRPSOHWH VFKRRO EH\RQG HLJKWK Âł$UWLVWV DUH WKLV ZD\ ´ WKH 0LG- JUDGH %XW WHVWV VDLG VKH ZDV FHUWL- GOHEXU\ DXWKRU VDLG ÂżHG WR ZRUN DW D KLJKHU â&#x20AC;&#x153;As  long  as  theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  â&#x20AC;&#x153;I never know OHYHO DQG VKH ZDV DEOH got  somewhere  warm  WR ÂżQG ZRUN LQ KHU V WR VOHHS IRRG WR HDW what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m with  an  insurance  com- VRPHWKLQJ WR ZULWH RQ going to do. pany  in  Utica. WKH\ÂśUH ÂżQH <RX UHDOO\ I start with 6KH UHFDOOHG WKDW LQ GRQÂśW QHHG PXFK HOVH ´ one sentence 8WLFD VKH H[SHULHQFHG +DPSHO LV SURRI RI and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all OLIH LQ D QHLJKERUKRRG this.  Even  with  macular  ODUJHO\ FRQWUROOHG E\ I need, I go GHJHQHUDWLRQ VWUDLQLQJ RUJDQL]HG FULPH DQG KHU H\HV DQG D ZHDN- on from there Hampel  still  remem- HQHG LPPXQH V\VWHP â&#x20AC;Ś I have no EHUV WKH XQVROYHG PXU- IURP JHQHUDOL]HG P\- idea what the GHUV LQ KHU QHLJKERU- asthenia  gravis  sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  characters are KRRG 2QH PDQ ZDV QRW VORZHG GRZQ LQ WKH going to do IRXQG LQ D ZHOO DQRWK- FUHDWLYLW\ GHSDUWPHQW HU KDG KLV KRXVH EXUQHG $W VKH FRQWLQXHV next.â&#x20AC;? GRZQ ZKLOH KH ZDV LQ KHU \HDU SDVVLRQ IRU â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Betty Hampel it.  But  the  toughs  never  SDLQWLQJ DQG VKH UH- ERWKHUHG KHU VKH VDLG FHQWO\ SXEOLVKHG KHU WK QRYHO EHFDXVH WKH\ GHHPHG KHU ÂłDFFHSW- â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some  health  problems  are  in  DEOH ´ %HIRUH GHFLGLQJ WR OHDYH P\ JHQHV EXW PD\EH ZULWLQJ LV DV IRU %XUOLQJWRQ 9W VKH VDLG WKH ZHOO ´ VKH VDLG ERVVHV DVNHG KHU WR ZULWH D OHWWHU EARLY  LIFE WR 7DPPDQ\ +DOO WKH RIÂżFH RI WKH Hampel  grew  up  in  Poughkeep- PD\RU LQ 1HZ <RUN &LW\ VLH 1 < QH[W GRRU WR WKH KRPH RI Âł7KH\ VDLG WKH .HQQHG\V ZHUH WKH 5RRVHYHOW IDPLO\ KHU IDWKHU D WURXEOH DQG KDG WR EH GHDOW ZLWK ´ FDE GULYHU ZDV VRPHWLPHV FDOOHG VKH VDLG WR GULYH 3UHVLGHQW )UDQNOLQ 'HOD- +DPSHO ZURWH DERXW WKH H[SHUL- QR 5RRVHYHOW DQG RWKHU GLJQLWDU- HQFH EXW ZDV WROG VKH KDG WR ZDLW MIDDLEBURY  ARTIST  AND  author  Betty  Hampel  has  come  out  with  LHV 6KH DOVR OLYHG QH[W GRRU WR WKH \HDUV EHIRUH VKH FRXOG SXEOLVK her  10th  novel,  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once  a  Gypsy.â&#x20AC;?  A  painter  for  more  than  50  years,  she  OLEUDU\ DQG KHU PRWKHU ZKR ZDV WKH VWRU\ 6KH QHYHU GLG DQG VKH took  up  writing  late  in  life. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell IULHQGV ZLWK WKH OLEUDULDQV EHJDQ (See  Betty  Hampel,  Page  17A)