All I want ...
Vt. landscapes
Moving south
We got a look at some local kids’ letters to Santa. See what they are asking for on Page 16A.
Since retiring from MUHS, Joe Bolger has been busy painting. See his work at THT. Page 10A.
Shea Motors has new owners — Tom Denecker and Mike Capra are now in charge. See Page 3A.
ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT Vol. 68 No. 52
Middlebury, Vermont
Schwarz  caps  his  courtroom  career County’s  public  defender  to  retire By  JOHN  FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY  —  Jerry  Schwarz  has  just  about  seen  it  DOO GXULQJ KLV DOPRVW \HDUV DV D SXEOLF GHIHQGHU +HœV GHIHQGHG FOLHQWV RQ FKDUJHV UDQJLQJ IURP SHWLW ODUFHQ\ WR PXUGHU ZLWK MXVW DERXW HYHU\ RWKHU RIIHQVH LQ EHWZHHQ %XW WKH JUHJDULRXV DW- WRUQH\ ZLWK KLV WUDGHPDUN EXVK\
JUD\ EHDUG DQG ERRPLQJ YRLFH ZLOO UHWLUH IURP KLV SRVW DV $GGL- VRQ &RXQW\ SXEOLF GHIHQGHU LQ RU- GHU WR OLYH OLIH PRUH IXOO\ RXWVLGH RI WKH FRXUWURRP ³, ORYH WKH SHRSOH DQG WKH ZRUN EXW \RX FDQœW GR LW IRUHYHU ´ 6FKZDU] VDLG GXULQJ D UHFHQW LQ- terview. (See  Schwarz,  Page  14A)
EARLY  IN  HIS  CAREER  public  defender  Jerry  Schwarz  special- ized  in  defending  clients  on  death  row,  but  since  moving  to  Ver- mont  30  years  ago  he’s  represented  defendants  charged  with  all  sorts  of  crimes.  He  is  retiring  in  mid-ÂJanuary. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell
By the way
How  bad  was  the  snowstorm  ear- lier  this  month?  So  bad  that  late  last  week  the  Vermont  Division  of  Emer- gency  Management  and  Homeland  Security  asked  for  an  expansion  of  a  Preliminary  Damage  Assessment  by  the  Federal  Emergency  Man- agement  Agency  to  include  eight  additional  counties:  Addison,  Rut- land,  Caledonia,  Essex,  Grand  Isle,  Orange,  Washington  and  Windsor,  The  assessment  initially  included  Chittenden,  Franklin,  Lamoille  and  Orleans  counties  (Bennington  and  Windham  counties  must  have  been  relatively  unscathed).  An  ini- tial  review  of  damages  suggests  12  (See  By  the  way,  Page  13A)
Index Obituaries  ................................ 6A &ODVVLÂżHGV  ......................... 4B-Â7B Service  Directory  .............. 5B-Â6B Entertainment  ........................ 10A &RPPXQLW\ &DOHQGDU  ........ 8A-Â9A Sports  ................................ 1B-Â3B
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Thursday, December 25, 2014 â—† 38 Pages
75¢
Jackson puts a 3-ÂD spin on arts and crafts
Local  resident  makes  paper  come  to  life By  JOHN  FLOWERS 0,''/(%85< ² 6DQG\ -DFN- VRQ KDV DOZD\V EHHQ D FUDIW\ SHUVRQ Âł0\ KDQGV QHYHU VWRS PDNLQJ VWXII ´ VKH VD\V Âł, FDQÂśW VWDQG WR EH LGOH IRU D PLQXWH ´ :KHQ VKH DQG KHU KXVEDQG %UXFH (LFKLQJHU ZHQW WR 3DULV IRU WKUHH PRQWKV EDFN LQ VKH GHFLGHG WR SXW KHU FUDIW VNLOOV WR WKH WHVW 6KH EURXJKW DORQJ D ERRN FDOOHG Âł3RS XS *HRPHWULF 2ULJDPL´ E\ 0DVDKLUR &KDWDQL DQG GHWHUPLQHG VKH ZDV JR- LQJ WR WDNH KHU JUHHWLQJ FDUGV DQG GHFRUDWLRQV WR WKH QH[W OHYHO 7KURXJK WKH ERRN VKH JDLQHG DQ XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI KRZ RULJDPL ÂłVOLFH IRUPV´ ZRUN DQG GHFLGHG WR OHW KHU RZQ VNLOOV DQG LPDJLQDWLRQ WDNH RYHU 6KH QHHGHG RQO\ ORRN RXW KHU ZLQGRZ WR ÂżQG WKH LQVSLUDWLRQ IRU KHU ÂżUVW ' FUHDWLRQ WKH (LIIHO 7RZHU 6KH PHDVXUHG LWV GLPHQVLRQV IURP SRVWFDUGV DQG EHIRUH ORQJ VKH KDG GHIWO\ FUDIWHG D WKUHH GLPHQVLRQDO IDFVLPLOH RI WKH LFRQLF 3DULVLDQ ODQG- PDUN ZKLFK VKH KDV NHSW WR WKLV GD\ Âł, ZDV YHU\ H[FLWHG ZLWK WKDW UH- VXOW ´ VKH UHFDOOHG LQ D UHFHQW LQWHU- YLHZ DW KHU 0LGGOHEXU\ KRPH %XW WKH (LIIHO 7RZHU ZDV RQO\ WKH EHJLQQLQJ -DFNVRQ FDPH KRPH DQG XVHG KHU QHZ VNLOOV WR PDNH SRS XS &KULVWPDV FDUGV D &KULVWPDV WUHH DQG ' RUQDPHQWV LQFOXGLQJ D VHH WKURXJK VSKHUH ZLWK D VQRZPDQ LQ- VLGH Âł, WKRXJKW Âľ7KLV LV WRR JRRG WR NHHS WR P\VHOI ϫ VKH VDLG Âł, KDG WR VKDUH LW ZLWK RWKHU SHRSOH ´ 6R -DFNVRQ FUHDWHG KHU RZQ EXVL- QHVV FDOOHG ÂłVRPH DVVHPEO\ UHTXLUHG 6$5 ´ ZKLFK SURGXFHV WKH WRROV IRU FUDIWVSHRSOH WR IDVKLRQ GR]HQV RI ' FUHDWLRQV LQFOXGLQJ *UHHN YDV- HV HJJV VQRZĂ&#x20AC;DNHV KHDUWV VQRZ- PHQ IUDPHV ERWWOHV DQG ELUGV 7KH WRROV LQ TXHVWLRQ ODUJHO\ FRQ- VLVW RI GLHV VWHQFLOV SUH FXW SDSHU NLWV DQG VWDPS VHWV WKDW -DFNVRQ GH- YLVHV ZLWK KHU FRQVLGHUDEOH LPDJL-Â
SANDY  JACKSON  USES  her  considerable  imagination  and  artistry  to  devise  marvelous  creations  out  of  cut  paper.  She  got  so  good  at  it  that  she  started  a  company  â&#x20AC;&#x201D;  itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  called  â&#x20AC;&#x153;some  assembly  required.â&#x20AC;? Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell
QDWLRQ DQG DUWLVWU\ ZLWK D OLWWOH KHOS ORZHU OHYHO RI WKH FRXSOHœV KRPH DW $QRWKHU RQH RI KHU SURGXFWV IURP D SOHWKRUD RI VSHFLDO SULQWHUV 0DLQ 6W LQ GRZQWRZQ 0LGGOH- +DVW\ /DFH WHPSODWHV WKDW DUH PDGH DQG RWKHU HTXLSPHQW OLQHG XS LQ WKH bury. (See  Jackson,  Page  13A)
Vt.  Gas  says  cash  offer  to  Cornwall  not  a  precedent By  ZACH  DESPART ADDISON  COUNTY  â&#x20AC;&#x201D;  Vermont  *DV 6\VWHPVÂś UHFHQW RIIHU RI PLOOLRQ LQ FDVK DQG RWKHU LQFHQWLYHV WR &RUQZDOO LI WKH WRZQ GURSSHG LWV RSSRVLWLRQ WR 3KDVH ,, RI WKH $GGLVRQ 5XWODQG 1DWXUDO *DV 3URMHFW VLJQDOHG D FKDQJH LQ WDFWLFV IRU WKH FRPSDQ\ as  it  tries  to  complete  the  three-Âphase  pipeline  project. 7KH 6RXWK %XUOLQJWRQ FRPSDQ\ÂśV QHZ WRS H[HFXWLYH VDLG WKH PRYH ZDV SDUW RI DQ HIIRUW WR IRVWHU JRRG UHOD- WLRQVKLSV ZLWK WRZQV DQG FLWL]HQV ZKLFK 9HUPRQW *DV KDV VWUXJJOHG WR GR VLQFH DQQRXQFLQJ WKH SURMHFW LQ 2012. Âł7KLV LV D 9HUPRQW *DV HIIRUW WR UHVHW WKH IUDPHZRUN RI KRZ ZHÂśUH JRLQJ WR GHDO ZLWK FRPPXQLWLHV LQ WKH IXWXUH ´ LQFRPLQJ 9HUPRQW *DV &(2 'RQ 5HQGDOO WROG WKH Indepen- dent. %XW 5HQGDOO FDXWLRQHG WKDW WKH &RUQZDOO SURSRVDO ² ZKLFK GLIIHUV VLJQLÂżFDQWO\ IURP DJUHHPHQWV WKH FRPSDQ\ PDGH ZLWK WRZQV DORQJ 3KDVH , RI WKH SURMHFW ² VKRXOG QRW EH VHHQ DV D ERLOHUSODWH DJUHHPHQW WKDW 9HUPRQW *DV ZLOO XVH LQ WKH IX- ture. Âł, ZRXOGQÂśW WKLQN RI LW LQ WKH FRQ- LINCOLN  COMMUNITY  SCHOOL  student  Anna  Stilwell  keeps  the  beat  WH[W RI SUHFHGHQW ´ 5HQGDOO VDLG alongside  Guinean-Âborn  Simbo  Camara  last  week  in  a  class  on  West  Af- DGGLQJ WKDW WKH FRPSDQ\ SODQV WR DS- rican  culture.  The  class  was  part  of  a  grant-Âfunded  afterschool  program  run  by  the  Addison  Northeast  Supervisory  Union.  (See  Vt.  Gas,  Page  15A) Independent  photos/Trent  Campbell
Lincoln students learn African culture through afterschool program By  ZACH  DESPART /,1&2/1 ² 7KH VRXQGV RI GUXPPLQJ HFKRHG WKURXJK WKH KDOOV RI /LQFROQ &RPPXQLW\ 6FKRRO RQH DIWHUQRRQ ODVW ZHHN ,Q D FODVVURRP *XLQHDQ ERUQ 6LPER &DPDUD OHG VHYHQ VWXGHQWV WKURXJK D :HVW $IUL- FDQ GDQFH DFFRPSDQLHG E\ D GUXP- beat.  ³/LVWHQ IRU WKH EHDW ´ KH KROOHUHG ZLWK LQIHFWLRXV HQHUJ\ 7KH WZR FKLOGUHQ SOD\LQJ WKH GUXPV KDG D WHQGHQF\ WR VSHHG XS DV LI UDFLQJ HDFK RWKHU VR &DPDUD NHSW WKH EHDW RQ WKH GUXP KH VWUDG- GOHG ZKLOH KH GLUHFWHG WKH GDQFHUV WKURXJK WKHLU PRYHV ³$OPRVW QRZ OHWœV GR LW DJDLQ ´ KH FDOOHG RXW HQFRXUDJLQJO\ DV WKH VWX- GHQWV VORZO\ JRW WKH KDQJ RI LW 7KH FODVV ZDV SDUW RI DQ DIWHU- VFKRRO LQLWLDWLYH FDOOHG WKH ([SDQG- HG /HDUQLQJ 3URJUDP UXQ E\ WKH $G- GLVRQ 1RUWKHDVW 6XSHUYLVRU\ 8QLRQ LQ IRXU RI LWV ¿YH HOHPHQWDU\ VFKRROV 3URJUDP &R GLUHFWRU 0DQG\ &KHVOH\ 3DUN H[SODLQHG WKDW WKH SUR- JUDP DLPV WR VXSSOHPHQW H[LVWLQJ DIWHUVFKRRO FXUULFXOD ³:KDW ZH WU\ WR GR LV LQIXVH H[- LVWLQJ DIWHUVFKRRO SURJUDPV ZLWK HQULFKPHQW RSSRUWXQLWLHV IRU RXU VWXGHQWV ´ VKH VDLG ³:HœUH EULQJ- LQJ FXOWXUH WR RXU VWXGHQWV DQG PRUH RSSRUWXQLW\ IRU PDWK VFLHQFH HQJL- QHHULQJ DQG OLWHUDF\ ´
GREYSON  DENNISON  OF  Lin- coln  listens  to  Bristol  resident  Simbo  Camaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  instruction  on  drumming  so  he  can  learn  to  keep  the  beat. Â
7KH ([SDQGHG /HDUQLQJ 3URJUDP KRVWV VL[ VHVVLRQV HDFK \HDU IURP PLG 2FWREHU WR PLG 0D\ $ERXW VWXGHQWV RU D TXDUWHU RI HDFK VWXGHQW ERG\ SDUWLFLSDWH DW %ULVWRO (OHPHQ- WDU\ %HHPDQ (OHPHQWDU\ 5RELQVRQ (OHPHQWDU\ DQG WKH /LQFROQ &RP- PXQLW\ 6FKRRO 0RQNWRQ &HQWUDO (See  Drummers,  Page  15A)