Middlebury Parks & Recreation Department
Parks & Rec
Winter Activity Guide
Thank a vet
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6WD\ DFWLYH WKLV ZLQWHU DQG ÀQG plenty of fun things to do locally in our quarterly activity guide.
Meet local veterans of the armed services and read their stories in a Salute to Veterans pull-out.
Middlebury and Otter Valley will be looking for titles in Rutland on Saturday. See Sports, Page 1B.
ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT Vol. 68 No. 45
Middlebury, Vermont
â—†
Thursday, November 6, 2014
â—†
66 Pages
75¢
Baser  in,  Fisher  out  in  Addison-Â4 Incumbents  turn  back  challenges  Rep.  Sharpe  holds  on for  a  seventh  term By  JOHN  FLOWERS %5,672/ ² %ULVWRO 5HSXEOLFDQ )UHG Baser  on  Tuesday  rattled  what  had  been  a  decade  of  Democratic  dominance  in  the  $GGLVRQ +RXVH GLVWULFW DQG KLV YLFWRU\ will  also  likely  have  a  big  impact  on  the  complexion  of  the  Legislature’s  health  care  reform  debate  during  the  next  biennium. Baser,  in  his  second  bid  for  one  of  Ad GLVRQ ÂśV WZR +RXVH VHDWV ZDV WKH WRS
YRWH JHWWHU LQ WKH IRXU WRZQ GLVWULFW ZLWK D WRWDO RI WDOOLHV 5HS 'DYH 6KDUSH ' %ULVWRO ÂżQLVKHG VHFRQG LQ WKH UDFH ZLWK YRWHV 6WXQQLQJO\ VHYHQ WHUP LQFXPEHQW DQG House  Health  Care  Committee  Chairman  5HS 0LNH )LVKHU ' /LQFROQ ÂżQLVKHG RXW RI WKH UXQQLQJ LQ WKLUG SODFH ZLWK votes,  just  27  fewer  than  Sharpe. 0RQNWRQ 5HSXEOLFDQ 9DOHULH 0XOOLQ ÂżQ LVKHG LQ IRXUWK SODFH ZLWK YRWHV LQ ZKDW ZDV KHU ÂżUVW UXQ IRU WKH /HJLVODWXUH “I  am  very  grateful  to  the  voters,â€?  Baser  said  late  Tuesday  evening  when  all  the  re
sults  were  in.  Baser  gave  particular  thanks  to  what  he  said  was  a  core  group  of  sup porters  who  worked  tirelessly  on  his  behalf  LQ WKH GLVWULFW PHPEHU WRZQV RI %ULVWRO Starksboro,  Monkton  and  New  Haven. “I  am  humbled  by  this  (result)  and  would  QHYHU KDYH JXHVVHG , ZRXOG EH WKH WRS YRWH JHWWHU ´ VDLG %DVHU D ORQJWLPH ÂżQDQFLDO planner  and  former  Bristol  selectman  who  UDQ XQVXFFHVVIXOO\ LQ $GGLVRQ LQ DQG WRRN D SDVV RQ WKH UDFH LQ %XW KH broke  through  in  a  big  way  this  year,  burn ing  a  lot  of  shoe  leather  and  shaking  a  lot  of  (See  Addison-Â4,  Page  16A)
in  Vergennes-Âarea  House  race By  ANDY  KIRKALDY VERGENNES  —  Incumbents  Diane  /DQSKHU ' 9HUJHQQHV DQG :DUUHQ 9DQ :\FN 5 )HUULVEXUJK RQ 7XHVGD\ SUHYDLOHG LQ D FRPSHWLWLYH IRXU ZD\ UDFH WR ZLQ WKH $GGLVRQ GLVWULFWÂśV WZR VHDWV DQG ZLOO UHS UHVHQW )HUULVEXUJK 9HUJHQQHV $GGLVRQ 3DQWRQ DQG :DOWKDP LQ WKH 9HUPRQW +RXVH of  Representatives  for  the  next  two  years. /DQSKHU D WKUHH WHUP LQFXPEHQW OHG
WKH UDFH ZLWK YRWHV 9DQ :\FN DS SRLQWHG LQ )HEUXDU\ WR FRPSOHWH WKH term  of  Vergennes  Republican  Greg  Clark  after  Clark’s  untimely  death,  was  next  with  WDOOLHV They  turned  back  challenges  from  two  newcomers  to  state  politics,  Addison  Re publican  and  farmer  Peter  Briggs,  who  ZDJHG D VXFFHVVIXO ZULWH LQ HIIRUW EHIRUH (See  Addison-Â3,  Page  13A)
Sheldon and Nuovo triumph in Middlebury
$33M  bond  for  Mt.  Abe is  soundly  defeated
College  student  has  impressive  showing
By  ZACH  DESPART BRISTOL  —  Not  even  close.  That  ZDV WKH VWRU\ RI WKH SURSRVHG PLOOLRQ ERQG WR ¿QDQFH DQ DPELWLRXV Mount  Abraham  Union  High  School  renovation,  which  voters  on  Tuesday  UHMHFWHG E\ D PDUJLQ RI QHDUO\ WR :KHQ WKH GXVW VHWWOHG $G dison  Northeast  Supervisory  Union  residents  voted  against  the  bond.  Just  FDVW WKHLU EDOORWV LQ IDYRU RI WKH proposal. The  controversial  plan  spurred  a  remarkably  high  turnout  for  a  mid WHUP HOHFWLRQ /HVV WKDQ UHVL dents  voted  on  Mount  Abe’s  budget  this  past  Town  Meeting  Day,  while  PRUH WKDQ UXVKHG WR WKH SROOV on  Tuesday. (See  Mt.  Abe,  Page  14A)
Smith  tops Smiley  in Addison-Â5 By  JOHN  FLOWERS 1(: +$9(1 ² 5HS +DUYH\ 6PLWK 5 1HZ +DYHQ RQ 7XHVGD\ won  another  two  years  representing  WKH $GGLVRQ GLVWULFW WKDQNV WR D GH FLVLYH WR YLFWRU\ RYHU 'HP ocratic  challenger  Susan  Smiley,  also  of  New  Haven. 6PLWK URXQGLQJ RXW KLV WK \HDU in  the  House,  prevailed  as  a  result  RI KDQGLO\ RXW SROOLQJ 6PLOH\ LQ WKH GLVWULFW PHPEHU WRZQV RI 1HZ +D ven  and  Bridport.  He  topped  Smi OH\ WR LQ 1HZ +DYHQ DQG E\ D WR PDUJLQ LQ %ULGSRUW (See  Addison-Â5,  Page  13A)
Checking  in CORNWALL 5(6,'(17 0,.( 3DOPHU SLFNV XS KLV EDOORW IURP HOHFWLRQ RI¿FLDOV *LQQ\ +LODQG OHIW DQG 'HH +RGJHV LQ WKH &RUQZDOO WRZQ RI- ¿FHV 7XHVGD\ DIWHUQRRQ 9RWHU WXUQRXW LQ PRVW FRXQW\ WRZQV PHW RU H[FHHGHG WKH DYHUDJH IRU D PLGWHUP HOHFWLRQ Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell
Shumlin  narrowly  outpolls  Milne  in  county By  JOHN  FLOWERS ADDISON  COUNTY  —  Incum bent  Vermont  Gov.  Peter  Shumlin  scored  a  narrow  overall  victory  over  Republican  challenger  Scott  Milne  when  the  votes  were  counted  in  Addison  County  Tuesday  evening,  though  a  majority  of  the  electorate  in  RI WKH FRXQW\œV FRPPXQLWLHV
declared  a  preference  for  Milne. 6KXPOLQ WKH WZR WHUP LQFXPEHQW UHFHLYHG D FRPELQHG YRWHV LQ Addison  County  during  the  Gen HUDO (OHFWLRQ FRPSDUHG WR IRU 0LOQH /LEHUWDULDQ 'DQ )HOLFLDQR JDUQHUHG WDOOLHV As  the  Addison  Independent  went  WR SUHVV RQ :HGQHVGD\ WKH UDFH
for  governor  was  still  too  close  to  FDOO :LWK SHUFHQW RI WKH YRWH LQ 6KXPOLQ KHOG D SDSHU WKLQ DGYDQWDJH RI SHUFHQW VXSSRUW FRPSDUHG WR SHUFHQW IRU 0LOQH ZKR ZDV PDN LQJ KLV ¿UVW UXQ DIWHU NLFNLQJ RII KLV candidacy  in  late  July  and  being  out spent  by  the  governor  more  than  four  to  one.
Since  neither  candidate  will  secure  SHUFHQW RI WKH YRWH LW ZLOO EH XS to  the  Vermont  General  Assembly  to  formally  decide  the  outcome  after  WKH WRS YRWH JHWWHU KDV EHHQ FRQ ¿UPHG E\ WKH 6HFUHWDU\ RI 6WDWHœV RI¿FH ³:HœYH WDNHQ D FORVH ORRN DW WKH (See  Statewide,  Page  18A)
By  JOHN  FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY  —  Democrats  Amy  Sheldon  and  Betty  Nuovo  on  Tuesday  staved  off  a  spirited  challenge  IURP ¿UVW WLPH FDQGLGDWH DQG 0LGGOH bury  College  student  Calvin  McEath ron  in  winning  Middlebury’s  two  seats  in  the  Vermont  House. Sheldon,  an  environmental  consultant  and  former  town  planning  com mission  mem ber,  was  the  top  vote  getter  in  SHELDON the  race  for  Ad GLVRQ œV WZR SRVWV ZLWK WDOOLHV Nuovo,  the  county’s  most  tenured  lawmaker  having  served  a  combined  27  years  in  the  House,  placed  second,  ORJJLQJ YRWHV McEathron,  who  took  a  sabbatical  from  his  studies  to  immerse  himself  in  ORFDO SROLWLFV DQG WKH FDPSDLJQ placed  a  respectable  third  in  a  House  district  that  has  consistently  gone  to  the  Democrats  for  the  past  dozen  years.  Running  as  an  independent  he  UHFHLYHG WDOOLHV DPLG SHU cent  voter  turnout  in  Addison  County’s  shire  town. 7RP +XJKHV ZKR ¿OHG IRU WKH UDFH as  an  independent  but  did  not  cam SDLJQLQJ ¿QLVKHG IRXUWK ZLWK votes. (See  Middlebury,  Page  13A)
Bristol Marine seeks to connect veterans to farming Wild Roots Farm to offer help to those who served in military
JON  TURNER  CROUCHES  beneath  a  woven-Âbranch  lean-Âto  he  built  on  his  Wild  Roots  Farm  in  Bristol.  Turner,  a  veteran  of  the  war  in  Iraq,  is  in  the  process  of  turning  his  small  Lower  Notch  Road  property  into  a  farm  where  fellow  veterans  can  share  their  experiences  and  spend  time  in  the  wilderness. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell
By  ZACH  DESPART BRISTOL ² %\ $XJXVW H[FKDQJLQJ ÂżUH ZLWK insurgents  was  so  routine  that  the  U.S.  Marines  in  Lance  Cpl.  Jon  Turner’s  platoon  in  Ramadi,  Iraq,  expected  it  like  clockwork. So  when  Turner,  just  after  he  rose  one  morning  and  began  preparing  to  go  out  on  post,  heard  the  distinctive  thoomp RI D PLOOL PHWHU PRUWDU ÂżUHG IURP Enlisting in the outside  the  compound,  Marines “was one he  wasn’t  surprised. “I  looked  at  my  watch  of those things you and  thought,  ‘Oh  wow,  do because you they’re  late,’â€?  Turner  think you’re doing recounted  in  a  recent  something right. interview  at  his  Bristol  home.  “You  know  what  I wanted to do WKDW LV LWÂśV D FRP something noble ing  in.â€? for my country.â€? 7KH ÂżUVW URXQG VWUXFN — Jon Turner the  roof  of  the  bar racks  as  Turner,  on  his  third  tour  of  duty  and  second  in  Iraq,  sat  on  his  bed.  The  second  landed  just  outside  the  window,  blasting  shrap nel  into  Turner’s  face.  Just  before  impact,  he  slouched  slightly  —  an  inadvertent  action  that  would  have  enor mous  consequences. “That  half  inch  of  relaxation  was  enough  to  save  my  life,  because  it  would  have  severed  my  carotid  artery,â€?  (See  Sanctuary,  Page  14A)
By the way How  closely  do  you  read  this  newspaper?  If  you  fancy  yourself  a  careful  reader,  you  may  have  noticed  that  Page  4  in  Monday’s  print  edition  did  not  look  like  most  Page  4s.  There  were  no  editori- als,  no  letters  or  guest  columns,  and  no  big,  black-Âand-Âwhite  Trent  Campbell  photo.  Don’t  panic.  It  was  just  a  mistake.  The  wrong  page  was  pulled  in  by  our  printer,  (See  By  the  way,  Page  18A)
Index
Obituaries  .......................... $ $ &ODVVL¿HGV  ......................... % % Service  Directory  .............. % % Entertainment  ........................ $ Community  Calendar  ...... $ $ Sports  ................................ % %