Reporter
June 1, 2017 • The Essex Reporter • 1
THE ESSEX June 1, 2017
Vol. 37, no. 22
Prsrt Std ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 266 Burlington, VT 05401 Postal Patron-Residential
Committee to judge shared public works model By COLIN FLANDERS Two years after the village of Essex Jct. and town of Essex agreed to share some public works services, a committee with representatives from both municipal boards will now judge the model and determine its future. The town and village signed two memoranda of understanding in January 2015, one for stormwater and one for public works.
The latter says the town will fund the village’s highway budget and make recommendations for operations without directly supervising the department. While the stormwater agreement continues in perpetuity without review, public works’ calls for an appraisal this year. The agreement says a fiveperson committee — two trustees, two selectboard members and an outside party — must now provide
an Oct. 1 recommendation that the boards must act on by December 1. Beyond that, the agreement is silent on how to judge the model, prompting town public works director Dennis Lutz to offer the boards his own framework during two meetings earlier this month. Lutz listed specific criteria to determine if the departments have been successful. Some questions, like if the model has reduced costs, are fact-
based and easy to review, he said. Other factors, like if the departments provided “timely and quality” services are more subjective and require a judgment call. Lutz said the two departments don’t want to be involved in the evaluation but will provide the committee all the information it needs. He provided joint municipal manager Pat Scheidel a short list of possible committee members, including former public
works directors, he said. After completing its assessment, the committee will determine how to proceed. Lutz expected three outcomes: continue with a revised or renewed MOU, solidify the model with a long-term agreement or charter change or nix it altogether. If the final recommendation is to continue with the shared services model, Lutz asked the boards to consider placing other services See PuBLIC WORKS, page 10
MeMorial Day
Essex remembers PHOTO BY KAYLEE SULLIVAN
Essex Cinemas will begin sensory sensitive showings in June.
New feature unveiled at cinemas By KAYLEE SULLIVAN
PHOTO BY KYLE ST. PETER
A young parade-goer takes in the Essex Memorial Day Parade on Pearl Street last Saturday, May 27. The annual parade is one of the largest in Vermont.
See CIneMAS, page 10
A piece of history
Maguire earns education award
Powell Museum opens with tag sale, new exhibits By MICHAELA HALNON
W
hen the Harriet Farnsworth Powell Museum opens for the season this Sunday, visitors will have the chance to own their own piece of history. The all-new exhibits, neatly organized in the former one-room schoolhouse, center entirely on historic life in Essex. Sections focus business and industry, home and farming and the military. The museum has undergone a complete display overhaul for the past two or three years running, according to Ann Gray, Essex Community Historical Society treasurer. Before that, artifacts had largely remained unchanged. Yet over time, the museum’s collection
By COLIN FLANDERS
has grown. With limited space, Gray said many pieces with duplicates or a weak connection to Essex have been relegated to storage containers in the basement and back room. “The only place we have to put it is in boxes,” Gray said. “It’s not doing anybody any good.” The society is hoping to change that this weekend. Several items from the museum’s collection will be up for sale on Sunday, June 4 between 1 and 4 p.m. Some of the offerings are not unlike ones found at a typical yard sale, like old stuffed animals or a pair of skis. Others are far more rare. One antique copper coin, circulated before Vermont became a state in 1791, is in “very fine” condition according to ECHS board director Alan Luzzatto. See HISTORY, page 4
Essex Cinemas is debuting a new feature this weekend meant to open up the movie experience to a broader audience, general manager Cullen Schill said. Starting June 3, the complex will have two sensory sensitivity showings per month. Compared to a usual cinema experience, the lights are brighter, the sound softer and attendees can be louder. Doing so opens the theater to people with sensory issues, he said, particularly the autistic community and families with young children. “There is a lot of stimuli and it can be very overwhelming,” Schill said. “So [the goal is] to be able to share that with everybody in the community.” Deborah Lamden, executive director of Partners in Adventure — a camp that brings people with disabilities and those without together for fun activities — said such a space is greatly welcomed. Lamden said her son, who has cerebral palsy, is the reason she created the camp in the first place alongside Essex resident Sue Minter. In its 18th year, the program’s had a glowing relationship with Essex Cinemas throughout, Lamden said. According to Lamden, Essex Cinemas is an extremely accommodating venue. During the summer weeks, their campers joyfully attend movies, she said. When one of their campers died some years ago, the cinema provided them a space for a celebration of life ceremony.
PHOTOS BY MICHAELA HALNON
The Essex Historical Society is hosting a sale this Sunday, where visitors can purchase pieces like this antique copper coin. War memorabilia has a special emphasis in the new exhibits this year, too, like this green World War I soldier’s jacket, donated by an Essex woman.
A Chittenden Central Supervisory Union administrator has earned one of Vermont’s top education awards, according to a CCSU news release. Erin Maguire, CCSU’s executive director of student support services, was named the Gail Lynk Administrator of the Year, which recognizes “exemplary effort and achievement on behalf of Vermont children with special needs,” the news release said. Reached Tuesday, Maguire said she was surprised by the honor and deflected praise to her team of educators and support staff. “I’m humbled and reflective of all of the support and collaboration that happens for me every day in the work,” Maguire said. “I do my work for students and families, to better our community, our schools and the experiences students have. I’m honored that people would recognize me, but I really am driven by improvement and by access and equity for kids.” See AWARD, page 14