Monday, Nov. 21, 2016

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MONDAY EDITION

ADDISON COUNTY

INDEPENDENT

Vol. 28 No. 33

Middlebury, Vermont

Monday, November 21, 2016

• Folk legend Peter Yarrow, who penned ‘Puff, the Magic Dragon,’ is coming to town. See Arts Beat on Page 10.

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State vet reassures consumers on safety

City pool may need some work

By GAEN MURPHREE ORWELL — Hail, flood, drought, plagues of locusts — since ancient times farming has been one of the riskiest of human endeavors. And it still is. Just ask Orwell turkey farmer Peter Stone, who’s facing devastating losses just as the calendar nears Turkey Day. An outbreak of what’s known as fowl cholera, possibly introduced into one of the eight barns at Stone’s Stonewood Farm by a determined fox or bobcat, has claimed 15,000 turkeys — nearly half of Stonewood’s 2016 flock of 32,000 birds. Given that the farm raises turkeys for both Thanksgiving and turkey sausage markets, Stonewood will be able to realize only a fraction of its anticipated Thanksgiving sales, just (See Stonewood, Page 14)

• An inspection report says the Vergennes pool needs upgrades, but city officials aren’t in a rush. See Page 2.

Dog park close to construction • Organizers in Middlebury need another $3,000 in donations to put up a fence that will encircle the Collins Drive site. See story on Page 22.

Citizens, council talk pedestrian, cycling danger

Spirit of Thanksgiving

• While the women’s soccer squad continued its NCAA run, men’s hockey opened on the road. See Page 16.

32 Pages

Orwell farm loses half its turkeys to outbreak

‘Puff’ singer to play THT

Big weekend for Panther teams

MIDDLEBURY UNION MIDDLE School teacher Sara Nadeau, right, waits with several eighth-graders behind student Isaac Norris as he moves ahead in line to purchase some of the 40 frozen turkeys the students bought last week to donate to the HOPE food shelf. Independent photo/Trent Campbell

By ANDY KIRKALDY VERGENNES — Many of the dozen residents at last week’s city council meeting recounted near misses they have had as pedestrians on Vergennes streets. They joined with council members to brainstorm possible solutions. Ideas included adding flashing lights, flags and more signs to city crosswalks; adding crosswalks; tweaking traffic signals; restoring a crossing guard cut from the Vergennes Union Elementary School budget; and following Safe Routes to School guidelines. (See Vergennes, Page 13)

VTrans unveils Middlebury rail plan Rail bridges project sparks questions

By JOHN FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY — Area residents packed the Town Hall Theater on Thursday for a preview of a coming attraction that will have a four-year

run in downtown Middlebury that will make everyone cheer when it shuts down. Ironic performance art? No.

It’s the upcoming replacement of Middlebury’s two downtown rail bridges, a $40 million project set to begin in earnest next spring and last into 2020, with the most disruptive construction pegged for a 10-week period from June to August of 2019,

when both Merchants Row and Main Street will be shut down. Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) officials led Thursday’s public forum on the upcoming project, which they called one (See Bridges, Page 18)


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