‘Italian Girl’
New folk art
Locals collide
Mezzo Cherry Jones will sing the title role in a Rossini opera at Town Hall Theater. See Page 13A.
Aurora School wraps up a project with an exhibit at the Shelburne Museum. See Page 3A.
Host VUHS posted a surprisingly easy win over a strong Mount Abe softball team. See Page 1B.
ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT Vol. 68 No. 20
Middlebury, Vermont
â—†
Thursday, May 15, 2014
â—†
34 Pages
75¢
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SCARLET Â Â TANAGER
%XGJHWV EDFNHG VUHS  plan  earns  support  on  second  try  after  teacher  cuts By  ZACH  DESPART 9(5*(11(6 ² ,W WRRN WZR WULHV EXW YRWHUV LQ WKH $GGLVRQ 1RUWKZHVW 6XSHUYLVRU\ 8QLRQ RQ 7XHVGD\ DS- SURYHG D EXGJHW IRU 9HU- JHQQHV 8QLRQ +LJK 6FKRRO â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m  happy  for  all  of  us  that  the  EXGJHW SDVVHG ´ $1Z68 6XSHULQ- WHQGHQW 7RP 2Âś%ULHQ VDLG Âł,W VHWV WKH VWDJH IRU XV WR PRYH IRUZDUG ´ %\ D YRWH RI $1Z68 UHVLGHQWV DSSURYHG D VSHQGLQJ SODQ RI PLOOLRQ %\ D ZLGHU PDU- JLQ UHVLGHQWV DSSURYHG WKH GHSRVLW RI LQWR WKH FDSLWDO LPSURYHPHQW IXQG WR FRYHU IXWXUH UHSDLUV WR DQG PDLQWHQDQFH RI WKH VFKRRO EXLOGLQJ 9RWHUV UHMHFWHG WKH RULJLQDO SUR- SRVHG ÂżVFDO \HDU EXG- JHW WRWDOLQJ PLOOLRQ RQ 7RZQ 0HHWLQJ 'D\ E\ D WDOO\ RI $ PDMRULW\ RI YRWHUV LQ HDFK RI $1Z-Â
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Local lawmakers review the 2014 session By  JOHN  FLOWERS 02173(/,(5 ² /RFDO OHJLV- ODWRUV DQG *RY 3HWHU 6KXPOLQ WKLV ZHHN ZHUH W\LQJ D ERZ RQ ZKDW WKH\ VDLG ZDV D YHU\ SURGXFWLYH session  of  the  Vermont  Legislature,  RQH WKH\ VDLG KDV SDYHG WKH ZD\ IRU QHZ MREV IHZHU GUXJ DGGLFWV D KLJKHU PLQLPXP ZDJH DQG D UH- FRUG LQYHVWPHQW LQ WKH VWDWHœV URDGV
EULGJHV DQG FXOYHUWV /DZPDNHUV ZUDSSHG XS WKHLU ZRUN at  the  Vermont  Statehouse  on  Satur- GD\ 0D\ FDSSLQJ PRUH WKDQ IRXU PRQWKV RI ZRUN RQ D OLWDQ\ RI LVVXHV ranging  from  boilerplate  municipal  charter  changes  to  a  $5.5  billion  state  EXGJHW Âł, WKLQN ZH ZRUNHG YHU\ ZHOO WR- JHWKHU ´ +RXVH 0DMRULW\ /HDGHU :LO-Â
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General  Assembly  for  voting  to  ramp  up  the  stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  hourly  minimum  wage  from  $8.73  to  $10.50  over  the  next  IRXU \HDUV 6KXPOLQ KDG SURSRVHG DQ increase  to  $10.10  over  three  years,  EXW KH SURPLVHG RQ 7XHVGD\ WR VLJQ the  Legislatureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  proposal. :KLOH WKH 'HPRFUDWV RZQ D HGJH RYHU 5HSXEOLFDQV LQ WKH +RXVH (See  Session,  Page  12A)
68ÂśV ÂżYH VHQGLQJ WRZQV YRWHG ÂłQR´ WKDW GD\ $IWHU WKH GHIHDW WKH 98+6 ERDUG GRYH EDFN LQWR EXGJHW QHJRWLDWLRQV DQG DIWHU WDNLQJ LQSXW IURP IDFXOW\ FRPPXQLW\ PHPEHUV DQG SDUHQWV GXULQJ VHYHUDO KRXUV ORQJ PHHWLQJV SURSRVHG D EXGJHW RI PLO- lion  â&#x20AC;&#x201D;  some  $317,000  less  than  the  RULJLQDO GUDIW 7KDW QXPEHU LV DOVR OHVV WKDQ WKH SUHVHQW EXGJHW RI PLOOLRQ 7KH FXWV ZLOO IRUFH GLVWULFW DGPLQ- LVWUDWRUV WR OD\ RII WKH HTXLYDOHQW RI ÂżYH IXOO WLPH LQVWUXFWLRQDO SRVLWLRQV %HWZHHQ OD\RIIV DQG UHGXFLQJ KRXUV WKH ODWHVW HVWLPDWHV E\ $1Z68 ÂżJ- ure  that  the  cuts  will  affect  11  staff- ers. $IWHU SURSRVLQJ D QHZ EXGJHW ODVW PRQWK ERDUG PHPEHUV VWUHVVHG WKDW LW ZDV SDUDPRXQW WKDW WKH ERDUG FRP- (See  VUHS,  Page  17A)
Ferrisburgh  school  spending  plan,  $20K  article  OKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d  in  revote By  ANDY  KIRKALDY )(55,6%85*+ ² )HUULVEXUJK UHVLGHQWV RQ 7XHVGD\ VXSSRUWHG D $3.5  million  Ferrisburgh  Central  6FKRRO EXGJHW SURSRVDO RU about  53-Â47  percent,  in  the  townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  VHFRQG YRWH RI WKH VSULQJ RQ DQ HO- HPHQWDU\ VFKRRO VSHQGLQJ SODQ 9RWHUV LQ SHUFHQW WXUQRXW DOVR EDFNHG D VHSDUDWH DUWLFOH WKDW ZLOO SD\ IRU D NH\OHVV HOHFWURQLF HQWU\ V\VWHP IRU )&6 OLNH WKRVH QRZ XVHG DW RWKHU OR- FDO VFKRROV )&6 RIÂżFLDOV VDLG WKDW system  will  improve  security  at  the  schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  main  entrance.  )HUULVEXUJK UHVLGHQWV DW WKH VDPH
WLPH VXSSRUWHG D VHFRQG 9HUJHQQHV 8QLRQ +LJK 6FKRRO VSHQGLQJ SURSRV- DO 2YHUDOO $GGLVRQ 1RUWK- ZHVW 6XSHUYLVRU\ 8QLRQ UHVLGHQWV EDFNHG D PLOOLRQ SODQ WKDW FDOOHG IRU ORZHU VSHQGLQJ WKDQ WKH FXUUHQW VFKRRO \HDU 7KH 98+6 ERDUG PDGH DERXW RI FXWV IURP WKH EXGJHW WKDW ZDV GHIHDWHG RQ 7RZQ 0HHWLQJ 'D\ VHH VWRU\ 7KH )&6 SODQ DSSURYHG RQ 7XHV- GD\ ZDV DERXW ORZHU WKDQ WKH VFKRRO ERDUGœV LQLWLDO SODQ WKDW ORVW RQ 0DUFK RU DERXW SHUFHQW 7KDW GHIHDW RI DQ )&6 EXGJHW LV EHOLHYHG WR EH WKH ¿UVW LQ (See  Ferrisburgh,  Page  20A)
Young  duo  launch  a  tech  startup  in  Midd. By the way Folks  in  New  Haven  who  want  to  be  added  to  the  map  for  the  townwide  lawn  and  garage  sale  weekend  must  call  453-Â5978.  Then  be  ready  for  the  two-Âday  blowout  on  Saturday  and  Sunday,  May  24  (See  By  the  way,  Page  2A)
Index Obituaries  .......................... 6A-Â7A &ODVVLÂżHGV  ....................... 6B-Â10B Service  Directory  .............. 7B-Â8B Entertainment  ........................ 13A &RPPXQLW\ &DOHQGDU  ...... 8A-Â10A Sports  ................................ 1B-Â4B
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til  this  February.)  During  his  time  in  FROOHJH 6FUDQWRQ LQWHUQHG ZLWK 6$6 $UFKLWHFWV LQ %XUOLQJWRQ DQG 0F/HRG .UHGHOO $UFKLWHFWV LQ 0LGGOHEXU\ $IWHU FRPSOHWLQJ KLV GHJUHH 6FUDQWRQ VWDUWHG KLV RZQ FRQVXOWLQJ EXVLQHVV EXLOGLQJ ' DUFKLWHFWXUDO PRGHOV IRU FOLHQWV DV ZHOO DV GRLQJ ZHEVLWH GHVLJQ ZKLFK %HDWW\ DVVLVWHG with.  It  was  then  that  he  came  across  D .LFNVWDUWHU FDPSDLJQ IRU 2FFXOXV 5LIW D QHZO\ GHYHORSHG YLUWXDO UHDO- LW\ KHDGVHW GHVLJQHG WR HQKDQFH WKH H[SHULHQFH RI YLGHR JDPHV ,QWULJXHG 6FUDQWRQ SXUFKDVHG DQ 2FFXOXV KHDGVHW DQG LPPHGLDWHO\ VDZ LWV SRWHQWLDO RXWVLGH RI JDPLQJ DQG HQWHUWDLQPHQW ² KH FRXOG SOXJ KLV ' DUFKLWHFWXUDO PRFNXSV LQWR WKH KHDGVHW DOORZLQJ XVHUV WR H[SHUL- HQFH EHLQJ LQVLGH WKH EXLOGLQJV 6+$1( 6&5$1721 :($56 D SDLU RI YLUWXDO UHDOLW\ JRJJOHV WKDW DOORZ XVHUV WR LQWHUDFW ZLWK ,ULV95 VRIWZDUH ³, UHDOL]HG LW FRXOG EH D JUHDW WRRO IRU DUFKLWHFWXUDO GHVLJQ ² WR DOORZ 7KH \HDU ROG 0LGGOHEXU\ &ROOHJH JUDGXDWH FR IRXQGHG WKH FRPSDQ\ ZKLFK UHFHQWO\ UHFHLYHG D prize. (See  IrisVR,  Page  20A) ,QGHSHQGHQW SKRWR 7UHQW &DPSEHOO