Reporter THE ESSEX
April 20, 2017 • The Essex Reporter • 1
April 20, 2017
Vol. 37, No. 16
Prsrt Std ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 266 Burlington, VT 05401 Postal Patron-Residential
ABOVE: PHOTO BY COLIN FLANDERS | BELOW: PHOTO BY KAYLEE SULLIVAN
ABOVE: Four Vermont State Troopers head toward Essex High School on April 12, where hours earlier, hundreds of students were released after a four-hour lockdown stemming from what police now believe to be a fictious threat to the high school. BELOW: Essex High School freshman Carly Riggen hugs her mother, Paula, outside of Essex High Schol. Paula Riggen said she had no choice but to follow her instincts and wait at the school until students were deemed safe.
Police still searching for 'swatting' suspect
By REPORTER STAFF
Essex police are still looking to identify the person responsible for causing six Essex Jct. schools to lock down last Wednesday. The male suspect phoned in a threat that police deemed a socalled “swatting” incident, or a fictitious threat to create a large law enforcement response, Chief Brad LaRose said. The call in question came in just before 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 12. A male caller said he intended to harm Essex High School students with weapons and explosives. “[Swatting] is a bogus threat
usually resolving around tactical response, and it’s just basically set to be a nuisance to the community and the resources that have to be involved,” Essex Lt. Kenneth Beaulieu said.
"it felt like we were in good hands."
Ann Towle Grandparent of two EHS students The investigation is still ongoing, as the caller has yet to be identified. Last Wednesday morning, police performed exterior and
Jules on the Green debuts
By KAYLEE SULLIVAN
O
pening a restaurant is like having a baby — or at least that’s how Jules on the Green owner Silvio Mazzella describes it. He spent countless hours preparing for the café’s debut, and when the doors opened on April 4, his baby was born — and he foresaw the lack of sleep to come. The brainchild behind Mazzella’s motivation to open Jules on the Green, a peanut and tree nut-free restaurant, was his 12-yearold daughter, Julianna. Born with a nut allergy, Julianna, or Jules, could never celebrate her birthday with a candle-lit piece of cake at a restaurant, Mazzella recalled. Now, he’s making this experience possible for not only Jules, but for those with and without food allergies. Opening Jules on the Green, Mazzella said, fills a void for allergy-aware people in Essex. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served all day
long. In the business’ first few weeks, Mazzella has seen parents eating salmon for dinner while their kids devour pancakes. Other adults, he added, choose an omelet and toast at 7 p.m. All menu items are made with ingredients from local vendors. With ceiling-high windows surrounding the 50 dining room seats, the view of Mount Mansfield is eyecatching for customers particularly at sunrise and sunset, Mazzella said. Come summer months, an outdoor patio seated for 75 guests will open, he added, allowing for even better views. Plans for a fire pit and dog area are both in the works, he said. “I envision the patio being a comfort area where people can just sit, relax, [and have] a glass of wine or a nice beer,” Mazzella said. Jules on the Green will also open a banquet room for private functions in the next six months or so. Mazzella is seasoned in the restaurant business. For See JUlES, page 4
interior searches of the campus and found no weapons, explosive packages or suspects, Essex Cpt. George Murtie said. The Vermont State Police Bomb Squad was also on scene, and at least eight other law enforcement entities responded, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations, U.S. Marshals and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, police said. The extensive searches and a closer analysis of the call and the caller’s demeanor determined the threat lacked validity, which coincides with national trends of See lOCKDOWN, page 14
inSiDE: Made in Essex: Lori Houghton See page 2
School votes to remain separated by community See page 3
Weekly police log See page 9
CTE wins 36 awards at state competition See page 10
Essex runners take on Colchester marathon See page 11
PHOTO BY KAYHL COOPER
Children search for loot at the annual Essex Egg and Scavenger Hunt last Saturday at Maple Street Park.
THrill of THE HunT
Essex High School Theater one-act wins states, heads to New England Festival See page 12
Barbecue shrimp recipe See page 13