Steeple chase
Fish champ
Unseated!
Parishioners at a Salisbury church needed a change in the law to help VDYH WKHLU VWHHSOH 6HH 3DJH $
A Middlebury resident won the local ‘Pike Rodeo’ with this 38.5inch whopper. See Page 1B.
Bristol’s July 4 outhouse race saw D ÀYH \HDU ZLQQLQJ VWUHDN JR GRZQ the drain. See Sports, Page 1B.
ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT Vol. 68 No. 28
Middlebury, Vermont
â—†
Thursday, July 10, 2014
â—†
32 Pages
Middlebury residential tax rate up by 8.4 cents
Retirement community to be sold Lodge  at  Otter  Creek  part  of  landmark  deal By  JOHN  FLOWERS 0,''/(%85< ² %XOOURFN &RUS KDV VLJQHG DQ DJUHHPHQW WR VHOO LWV VHQLRU FDUH UHODWHG KROGLQJV ² LQFOXGLQJ WKH /RGJH DW 2WWHU &UHHN UHWLUHPHQW FRPPXQLW\ LQ 0LGGOH- EXU\ ² LQ ZKDW LV EHLQJ FDOOHG RQH RI WKH ODUJHVW SULYDWH WUDQVDFWLRQV LQ the  stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  history. %XOOURFN &(2 *UHJJ %HOGRFN FRQ¿UPHG WKH GHDO WR WKH Addison  Independent RQ 7XHVGD\ HYHQLQJ +H LGHQWL¿HG WKH EX\HU DV 1RUZRRG 0DVV EDVHG /&% 6HQLRU /LYLQJ LLC,  which  will  acquire  the  The  /RGJH DW 2WWHU &UHHN 7KH /RGJH DW 6KHOEXUQH %D\ 7KH /RGJH DW 4XDU- U\ +LOO XQGHU FRQVWUXFWLRQ DQG D KRPH KHDOWK FDUH EXVLQHVV FDOOHG (Q- KDQFHG 6HUYLFHV 3URJUDP %HOGRFN GHFOLQHG WR VWDWH WKH H[DFW YDOXH RI WKH WUDQVDFWLRQ EXW SODFHG LW LQ WKH ³QLQH ¿JXUHV ´ 7KH /RGJH DW 2WWHU &UHHN¶V SUL- PDU\ ORGJH EXLOGLQJ DQG DFUHV DUH FXUUHQWO\ DVVHVVHG E\ WKH WRZQ RI 0LGGOHEXU\ DW DFFRUG- LQJ WR 0LGGOHEXU\ 7RZQ 7UHDVXUHU -DFNLH 6XOOLYDQ $Q RI¿FLDO FORVLQJ RQ WKH GHDO LV (See  Lodge,  Page  12A)
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By  JOHN  FLOWERS 0,''/(%85< ² 7KH 0LGGOH- EXU\ VHOHFWERDUG RQ 7XHVGD\ DSSURYHG D ¿VFDO \HDU PXQLFLSDO WD[ UDWH RI FHQWV SHU LQ SURSHUW\ YDOXH representing  an  almost  3-Âcent  bump  DQG D SHUFHQW LQFUHDVH IURP WKH FXU- UHQW WRZQ UDWH RI MXVW RYHU FHQWV :KHQ DGGHG WR HGXFDWLRQ SURSHUW\ WD[HV FRPSXWHG E\ WKH VWDWH 0LGGOH- EXU\ WD[SD\HUV ZLOO EH DVVHVVHG DQ RYHUDOO ¿VFDO \HDU UHVLGHQWLDO SURSHUW\ WD[ UDWH RI SHU RI SURSHUW\ YDOXH 7KDW UDWH LV XS FHQWV IURP WKH ¿VFDO \HDU UDWH RI DQ LQ- FUHDVH RI DERXW SHUFHQW The  town  will  have  a  new,  non-Âresi- GHQWLDO UDWH RI ZKLFK LV XS FHQWV DQ LQFUHDVH RI DERXW SHUFHQW 0LGGOHEXU\ UHVLGHQWV DQG EXVLQHVV- es  can  pay  their  property  taxes  in  three  LQVWDOOPHQWV ZLWK WKH ¿UVW SD\PHQW GXH RQ $XJ The  new  municipal  rate  cov- HUV WKH DPRXQW WR EH UDLVHG E\ WD[HV RI WKH ¿VFDO \HDU EXGJHW RI WKDW ORFDO YRWHUV DSSURYHG WKLV SDVW PRQWK ,W DOVR LQFOXGHV ¿UVW \HDU LQWHUHVW SD\PHQWV RQ YRWHU DSSURYHG ERQGLQJ (See  Middlebury,  Page  20A)
Demographics trouble Vermont planners $OOHJHG EXUJODU ¿JKWV Aging trend in Addison County could impact local economy By  WEYLAND  JOYNER ADDISON  COUNTY  â&#x20AC;&#x201D;  Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  no  secret  that  Vermontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  population,  on  average,  is  aging,  DQG $GGLVRQ &RXQW\ LV EHLQJ DIIHFWHG DOPRVW DV PXFK DV DQ\ RI WKH UXUDO FRXQWLHV In  the  past  10  years,  three  new  senior  living  IDFLOLWLHV RSHQHG LQ $GGLVRQ &RXQW\ $UPRU\ /DQH 6HQLRU +RXVLQJ LQ 9HUJHQQHV DQG (DVWYLHZ DQG WKH /RGJH DW 2WWHU &UHHN LQ 0LGGOHEXU\ LQGLFDWLQJ DQ LQFUHDVH LQ WKH FRXQW\¶V HOGHUO\ SRSXODWLRQ 'XULQJ WKH VDPH SHULRG KLJK VFKRRO HQUROOPHQW GURSSHG WR LWV ORZHVW OHYHOV VLQFH WKH
early  1990s.  $V \RXQJ HPSOR\DEOH SHRSOH PRYH WRZDUG FLWLHV UXUDO FRPPXQLWLHV DUH OHIW ZLWK DJLQJ SRS- XODWLRQV ZKRVH ¿QDQFLDO GHPDQGV RQ WKH LQIUD- VWUXFWXUH ZLOO OLNHO\ EH VKRXOGHUHG E\ D VPDOOHU QXPEHU RI ORZHU SDLG ZRUNHUV ³9HUPRQW GRHVQ¶W VWDQG DORQH ´ VDLG 0LFKDHO 0RVHU RI 890¶V &HQWHU IRU 5XUDO 6WXGLHV ³,W¶V SDUW RI D QDWLRQDO WUHQG ´ 7KH GHFDGHV ROG WUHQG KH UHIHUV WR LV WKDW RI \RXQJHU IDPLOLHV PLJUDWLQJ IURP WKH QRUWKHDVW- HUQ SDUW RI WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV WRZDUG WKH 6RXWK-Â
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Price  tag  for  Phase  I  pipeline  gets  bigger By  ZACH  DESPART ADDISON  COUNTY  â&#x20AC;&#x201D;  Ver- PRQW *DV 6\VWHPV KDV DOUHDG\ VSHQW PRUH WKDQ PLOOLRQ RQ VHFXULQJ ODQG ULJKWV IRU 3KDVH , RI WKH $GGLVRQ 5XWODQG 1DWXUDO *DV 3URMHFW DQG ODVW ZHHN DQQRXQFHG LW KDG LQFUHDVHG LWV EXGJHW IRU ODQG DF-Â
Off  the  green KAT :5,*+7 6,1*6 ZLWK WKH Indomitable  Soul  %DQG RQ RSHQLQJ night  of  the  annual  )HVWLYDO RQ WKH *UHHQ 6XQGD\ LQ 0LGGOHEXU\ 7KH IHVWLYDO KDV EHHQ GXEEHG ³RII WKH *UHHQ´ WKLV \HDU because  of  its  WHPSRUDU\ PRYH WR WKH 0LGGOHEXU\ 5HFUHDWLRQ 3DUN For  more  photos  IURP WKH IHVWLYDO ZKLFK FRQWLQXHV WKURXJK 6DWXUGD\ VHH 3DJH $
Independent  photo/ Trent  Campbell
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ZDV GXH WR D QXPEHU RI IDFWRUV LQFOXGLQJ GHVLJQ PRGL¿FDWLRQV LQFUHDVHG RYHUVLJKW DQG LQFUHDVHG GHPDQG IRU QDWXUDO JDV LQIUDVWUXF- WXUH FRQVWUXFWLRQ DFURVV WKH 8QLWHG States. ³7KLV JURZWK LQ GHPDQG IRU (See  Vermont  Gas,  Page  12A)
his  plea  agreement By  ANDY  KIRKALDY 0,''/(%85< ² 7KH $GGLVRQ PDQ DUUHVWHG LQ -XO\ DQG DFFXVHG RI FRPPLWWLQJ D UDVK RI EXUJODULHV LQ $GGLVRQ DQG RWKHU FRXQW\ WRZQV ZDV EDFN LQ FRXUW RQ 0RQGD\ WKLV WLPH FRQWHVWLQJ WKH WHUPV RI D SOHD DJUHH- PHQW WR ZKLFK KH DJUHHG LQ $SULO $FFRUGLQJ WR GRFXPHQWV LQ $GGL- son  Superior  Courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Criminal  Divi- VLRQ 5D\PRQG 5LWFKLH DJUHHG LQ
$SULO WR D GHDO WKDW ZRXOG PHDQ \HDUV LQ SULVRQ IRU SOHDGLQJ JXLOW\ WR WKUHH FRXQWV RI XQODZIXO WUHVSDVV E\ D KDELWXDO RIIHQGHU RQH FRXQW RI IHORQ\ SRVVHVVLRQ RI VWROHQ SURSHUW\ E\ D KD- ELWXDO RIIHQGHU DQG VL[ FRXQWV RI EXU- JODU\ E\ D KDELWXDO RIIHQGHU %XW LQ 0D\ 5LWFKLH ² ZKR KDV SULRU IHORQ\ FRQYLFWLRQV RQ KLV UHFRUG DQG KDV EHHQ KHOG ZLWKRXW EDLO IRU D (See  Ritchie,  Page  14A)
'XR SODQV QHZ ¿OP IHVWLYDO LQ 0LGGOHEXU\ QH[W VXPPHU By  PHOEBE  LEWIS  0,''/(%85< ² ,I DOO JRHV DF- FRUGLQJ WR SODQ LQ $XJXVW RI 0LGGOHEXU\ ZLOO KRVW WKH 0LGGOH- EXU\ 1HZ )LOPPDNHUV )HVWLYDO ² D project  that  promises  to  be  an  excit- LQJ DGGLWLRQ WR 0LGGOHEXU\¶V FXOWXUDO VFHQH DV ZHOO DV D VLJQL¿FDQW RSSRU- WXQLW\ IRU EXGGLQJ ¿OPPDNHUV DFURVV
the  country.  9HUPRQW ¿OPPDNHU -D\ &UDYHQ DQG UHFHQWO\ UHWLUHG 'LVQH\ H[HFX- WLYH /OR\G .RPHVDU KDYH MRLQHG IRUFHV WR KHOS FUHDWH D XQLTXH RSSRU- WXQLW\ IRU PRYLHJRHUV DQG GLUHFWRUV DOLNH ZLWK D WKUHH GD\ IHVWLYDO WKDW FRXOG SUHYLHZ DV PDQ\ DV ¿OPV (See  Film  festival,  Page  18A)
By the way When  Tuesday  nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  storm  damaged  some  equipment  and  the  tent  that  was  housing  this  weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Festival  on-Âthe-ÂGreen,  organiz- ers  of  the  big  annual  event  had  to  do  something  they  hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  done  in  36  years  â&#x20AC;&#x201D;  cancel  the  Wednes- day  noon-Âtime  show  while  repairs  (See  By  the  way,  Page  12A)
Index Obituaries  ................................ 6A &ODVVL¿HGV  ......................... 4B-Â8B Service  Directory  .............. 5B-Â7B Entertainment  ........................ 13A &RPPXQLW\ &DOHQGDU  ........ 8A-Â9A Sports  ................................ 1B-Â3B