Open house
On stage
Eagles rally
Trustees of the Middlebury Community House are seeking tenants for the building. See Page 3A.
Local actors and professionals from NYC join to present “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.� See preview, Page 18A.
MUHS made a strong bid to end the Eagle boys’ perfect season, but Mt. Abe fought back. See Page 1B.
ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT Vol. 67 No. 40
Middlebury, Vermont
â—†
Thursday, October 10, 2013 â—† 38 Pages
Dairy  farmers  hit  with  double  blow
Middlebury tax increase possible with ACSU plan By  JOHN  FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY  —  The  Addison  Central  Supervisory  Union  board  on  Oct.  16  will  consider  a  major  change  in  how  it  assigns  special  HGXFDWLRQ DQG FHQWUDO RIÂżFH H[SHQV- es  to  the  eight  districts  within  the  union,  a  change  that  would  likely  result  in  a  prop- erty  tax  increase  “As a Middlebury for  Middlebury  residents. taxpayer, The  proposal  you get a to  change  the  double assessment  for- mula  for  spe- hit.â€? — ACSU cial  education  board expenses  is  not  Chairman generating  a  lot  Mark Perrin of  controversy;Íž  it  is  a  transition  be- ing  driven  by  state  statute.  Right  now,  taxpayers  in  the  AC- SU-Âmember  towns  of  Middlebury,  Cornwall,  Bridport,  Salisbury,  Ripton,  Shoreham  and  Weybridge  are  responsible  for  special  educa- tion  expenses  incurred  by  the  chil- dren  within  their  respective  com- munities.  The  ACSU  board  next  Wednesday  will  vote  on  whether  to  pool  (centralize)  those  special  edu- cation  costs  and  to  assess  them  to  the  towns  based  on  student  count. “Using  equalized  pupils  as  the  student  count  is  appropriate  since  schools  are  funded  based  on  equal- ized  pupils,â€?  reads  a  memo  to  the  ACSU  board  explaining  the  pro- posed  assessment  change. Former  ACSU  Superintendent  Gail  Conley,  prior  to  leaving  this  past  June,  suggested  the  supervi- sory  union  also  consider  changing  WKH PDQQHU LQ ZKLFK FHQWUDO RIÂżFH expenses  (totaling  $1,585,857  this  year)  are  assessed  to  the  member  districts,  an  initiative  that  current  Superintendent  Peter  Burrows  has  (See  ACSU,  Page  13A)
75¢
Government  shutdown,  expired  farm  bill  leaving  dairies  without  crucial  aid By  ZACH  DESPART Agriculture,  which  employs  105,000  WEYBRIDGE  —  The  partial  people. shutdown  of  the  federal  government  In  addition  to  the  furlough  of  and  the  expiration  of  the  farm  bill  all  USDA  employees,  some  local  have  put  Addison  County  dairy  non-Âfederal  employees  who  work  farmers  in  a  precarious  position.  on  agriculture  programs  have  been   Without  a  price  stabilization  ORFNHG RXW RI WKHLU RIÂżFHV program  or  access  to  The  Food,  The  shutdown crucial  information  of  the  federal  government Conservation  and  like  crop  reports  has  put  many  government  Energy  Act  of  2008,  and  other  federal  colloquially  known  workers  in  Vermont resources,  farmers  as  the  farm  bill,  on  furlough  and  stopped have  to  make  funding  of  federal  programs. also  expired  Oct.  important  business  1.  The  bill,  which  See  our  story  on decisions  based  on  is  normally  passed  Gov.  Shumlin’s educated  guesses  HYHU\ ÂżYH \HDUV reaction  on rather  than  hard  data.  sets  the  nation’s  farm,  Page  5A.  But  it’s  not  just  the  food  and  nutrition  policy,  farmers  who  are  suffering.  including  the  Supplemental  Some  of  those  who  support  farms  Nutrition  Assistance  Program  and  the  farm  economy  are  also  (SNAP). closed  out  of  jobs  or  frustrated  by  “The  farm  bill  is  very  important,â€?  government  shutdown. said  Cornwall’s  John  Roberts,  The  shutdown,  which  began  Oct.  chairman  of  the  Farm  Service  (See  Farmers,  Page  12A) 1,  closed  the  entire  Department  of Â
Selectboard: March vote adds $353K to town project
Golden  hour A  MIDDLEBURY  COLLEGE  student  walks  along  College  Street  while  a  golden  tree  blazes  in  the  after- noon  sun. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell
By  JOHN  FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY  —  Delaying  until  next  March  a  vote  on  new  Middlebury  PXQLFLSDO RIÂżFHV DQG D QHZ UHFUHDWLRQ center  could  add  $353,000  more  to  the  project  price  tag  than  if  the  matter  were  decided  this  December,  according  to  new  information  unveiled  on  Tuesday  by  members  of  a  panel  charged  with  mapping  out  the  proposal. Members  of  the  Middlebury  Town  2IÂżFHV DQG 5HFUHDWLRQ )DFLOLWLHV Steering  Committee  included  these  ¿QDQFLDO GHWDLOV DV SDUW RI WKHLU ODW- est  presentation  to  the  selectboard.  Committee  members  also  displayed  site  maps  of  the  leading  recreation  FHQWHU DQG WRZQ RIÂżFH SODQV ZKLFK drew  a  lot  of  feedback  from  more Â
than  a  dozen  audience  members  —  many  of  whom  continued  to  urge  the  selectboard  to  delay  the  proposed  December  vote  and  to  revisit  the  concept  of  replacing  or  renovating  the  existing  municipal  building  and  gym  at  its  current  location  at  the  intersection  of  College  and  South  Main  streets. “This  is  a  big  deal,�  resident  and  local  merchant  Barbara  Tomb  said  of  the  project.  She  told  the  board  that  holding  a  vote  on  the  issue  as  soon  as  December  would  “give  the  percep- tion  that  someone  is  trying  to  push  something  through  without  every- body  being  on  board.� The  project  has  been  in  the  works  (See  Middlebury,  Page  2A)
Cornwall  appeals  to  Shumlin  on  pipeline Vergennes  resident  to  petition  gas  pipeline By  JOHN  FLOWERS CORNWALL  —  The  Cornwall  se- lectboard  has  asked  the  Shumlin  Ad- ministration  to  oppose  the  proposed  Vermont  Gas  Systems  pipeline  from  Middlebury  to  the  International  Pa- per  Co.  mill  in  Ticonderoga,  N.Y.,  DQG LQVWHDG ZRUN ZLWK 9*6 RQ D Âż- nancing  plan  to  plot  a  pipeline  route  directly  from  Middlebury  south  to  Rutland. The  letter  to  Gov.  Peter  Shumlin, Â
Addison County
By the way
There  was  a  day  when  most  people  in  Addison  County  either  lived  on  a  dairy  farm  or  had  a  close  friend  or  family  member  who  did.  Nowadays  dairy  farms  are  becom- ing  a  place  most  of  us  think  about  only  when  we  drive  past  them  —  if  (See  By  the  way,  Page  13A)
Index Obituaries  .......................... 6A-Â7A &ODVVLÂżHGV  ....................... 8B-Â12B Service  Directory  ............ 9B-Â11B Entertainment  ........................ 19A Community  Calendar  ...... 8A-Â10A Sports  ................................ 1B-Â4B
GDWHG 2FW DQG VLJQHG E\ DOO ÂżYH selectboard  members,  is  Cornwall’s  most  emphatic  message  thus  far  in  signaling  its  opposition  to  Vermont  Gas’  proposed  “Phase  IIâ€?  pipeline  that  would  extend  from  Middlebury  through  Cornwall  and  Shoreham  and  underneath  Lake  Champlain  to  IP’s  Ticonderoga  mill.  International  Pa- per  would  underwrite  the  entire  $70  million  cost  of  the  pipeline,  capital  that  Vermont  Gas  could  invest  in  its Â
ongoing  effort  to  extend  natural  gas  service  to  the  southern  part  of  the  state. 7KH ¿UVW SKDVH RI LWV SURMHFW D pipeline  from  Colchester  to  Middle- bury  and  Vergennes,  is  currently  under  review  by  the  Vermont  Pub- lic  Service  Board.  Vermont  Gas  last  week  formally  launched  its  applica- WLRQ SURFHVV IRU 3KDVH ,, 2I¿FLDOV DW VGS  have  stated  that  a  major  selling  (See  Cornwall,  Page  20A)
By  ANDY  KIRKALDY VERGENNES  —  The  Vergennes  resident  who  last  month  asked  the  city  council  to  reconsider  its  support  for  the  proposed  Vermont  Gas  Sys- tems  Addison  County  pipeline  said  he  would  start  a  petition  that  will  seek  to  place  the  issue  before  Ver- gennes  voters.  Aldermen,  who  discussed  the  is- sue  with  Jeff  Margolis  at  their  meet- ing  Tuesday,  said  they  expect  the Â
Vergennes  Union  High  School  board  to  propose  a  bond  to  fund  improve- ments  at  the  school,  with  a  vote  date  probable  for  late  November  or  early  December.  They  recommended  to  Margolis  that  he  time  a  petition  ef- fort  to  coincide  with  that  vote.  Aldermen  declined  to  themselves  call  for  a  citywide  vote  on  the  ques- tion  of  whether  Vergennes  should  endorse  the  proposed  natural  gas  SLSHOLQH EXW VDLG FLW\ RI¿FLDOV ZRXOG
be  happy  to  advise  Margolis  on  the  petition  process  and  help  him  word  a  petition  that  would  make  for  a  clear  ballot  item. “The  wording  of  a  referendum  is  critical,�  said  City  Manager  Mel  Hawley.  “It’s  critical  it  be  written  neutral.� Margolis  —  who  in  September  told  aldermen  he  opposes  the  pipe- line  on  environmental  grounds  and  (See  Vergennes,  Page  13A)
Middlebury housing market tight for young professionals By  LUKE  WHELAN mison,  a  40-Âyear-Âold  freelance  pho- 0,''/(%85< ² 7KH ÂżUVW WLPH tographer,  looked  at  10  houses  in  Amy  Yuen,  34,  looked  for  a  house  Bristol,  East  Middlebury,  Middle- she  was  a  graduate  student  in  At- bury  and  Vergennes,  mostly  in  the  lanta.  The  housing  bubble  had  yet  to  $200,000  range.  They  ended  up  in  burst  and  houses  moved  the  market  for  nearly  fast,  selling  within  a  â&#x20AC;&#x153;In a town six  months,  a  typical  few  months  at  most,  in  time  frame  in  this  area  the  city  known  for  its  like this, the according  to  Yuen.  In  absorption sprawl.  the  end,  they  settled  for  The  second  time  she  rate is slow a  house  over  100  years  looked  for  a  house  it  in  Vergennes,  which  â&#x20AC;Ś so you end old  was  after  marrying,  hav- they  purchased  in  May  ing  a  child  and  moving  up paying all of  last  year. to  Middlebury  where  \RXU SURĂ&#x20AC;W WR â&#x20AC;&#x153;We  found  that  you  she  found  employment  the bank in get  more  house  for  your  as  associate  professor  of  money  if  you  live  in  political  science  at  Mid- interest. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bristol  and  Vergennes  dlebury  College.  Here  very hard to compared  to  Middle- she  encountered  a  very  be a developer bury,â&#x20AC;?  she  said,  adding  different  scene:  Instead  here.â&#x20AC;? property  taxes  are  lower  of  swaths  of  new  devel- â&#x20AC;&#x201D; John Tenny there,  as  well. opment,  she  found  in  the  Cassandra  Mc- quaint  area  either  quasi- Donough,  31,  was  born  mansions  out  of  her  price  range  or  and  raised  in  Middlebury,  but  moved  older  houses  that  needed  work.  away  to  attend  St.  Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Col- â&#x20AC;&#x153;We  just  didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t  have  the  funds  or  lege.  After  graduating  she  settled  in  the  time  to  do  major  work  on  the  Burlington  working  as  a  senior  busi- /,.( 0$1< 2) WKHLU JHQHUDWLRQ &DVH\ DQG 0DUF 0F'RQRXJK VHHQ KHUH ZLWK WKHLU VRQ +HQU\ KDG GLIÂżFXOW\ house,â&#x20AC;?  she  said.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;We  needed  some- ness  analyst  for  a  bank.  Now  married  ¿QGLQJ KRXVHV LQ WKHLU SULFH UDQJH LQ 0LGGOHEXU\ 7KH\ ZHUH OXFN\ DQG GLG SXUFKDVH DQG PRYH LQWR D QHZ thing  that  was  move-Âin  ready.â&#x20AC;? with  a  9-Âmonth-Âold  child,  she  recent- home  last  month. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell (See  Housing,  Page  12A) Yuen  and  her  husband,  Brett  Si-Â