the essex
September 21, 2017 • The Essex Reporter • 1
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{ Thursday, September 21, 2017 }
Standardized test scores lag from last year By COLIN FLANDERS Data from the Vt. Agency of Education shows students in the Essex Westford School District met proficiency in statewide exams at a lower rate compared to the previous year. Reflecting scores from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, which are administered in the spring to grades three
through 8 and grade 11, the data shows only two EWSD grades — fourth and sixth — improved on last year’s math scores, while only fourth-grade English remained steady. The rest fell, with some dipping more than 12 points. AOE officials say while the exams are “deliberately ambitious” to help direct federal funding to the districts that need it the most, they aren’t sure what led to the state-
wide drop: only fourth-grade English proficiency results in Vermont remained steady. Amy Cole, EWSD’s executive director of curriculum and instructional innovation, was pleased to see the district’s students continue to perform well overall, though expressed disappointment with Essex High School’s results: Grade 11 math and English both fell eight points. Although every EWSD grade outpaced
statewide averages, the latter numbers include some of Vermont’s most disadvantaged schools, where rates of poverty and other socioeconomic realities impose a much different educational landscape than in Essex. A more accurate snapshot of the high school’s performance is found in comparing its results to other high schools in ChittenSee SBAC, page 11
‘This is noT normal’
PHOTO BY COLIN FLANDERS
From left, Kelly Adams, Jud Lawrie and Diane Fuchs hold signs in the middle of Five Corners last Friday to protest President Donald Trump's decision to end Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals, which protects 800,000 young immigrants, many of whom were brought to the U.S. as children.
Protest in Five Corners supports Dreamers By COLIN FLANDERS
Though protests have become commonplace during the first eight months of Donald Trump’s presidency, the village of Essex Jct. doesn’t usually procure pictures of demonstrated discontent
with the nation’s new leader. That’s why commuters would be forgiven if they were surprised to see a trio of demonstrators standing in Five Corners last Friday, with signs protesting Trump’s decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-
era program that shields young, undocumented immigrants from deportation. Residents Kelly Adams, Jud Lawrie and Diane Fuchs, who held the signs during a 90-minute protest on the corner of Pearl and Park Street, acknowledged the un-
expected nature of their demonstration. In fact, they said that’s the point. “I just want to signal that this is not normal,” Adams said of Trump’s presidency. The group stood 10 feet in front of McGillicuddy’s, where
chatter from a dozen outside patrons was occasionally interrupted by the approving blast of a car horn, which the protestors greeted with waves. A pair of young girls peered in wonder through the window of a passing sedan. See DACA, page 12
Young photog gets the picture Essex primary care facility to move
By COLIN FLANDERS
F
ew hobbies invoke a following like that of photography. Some lenses cost more than a used car, and it’s not uncommon to spend incredibly long stretches of time motionless, seeking little more in return than some wall art. That level of commitment tends to breed a fair share of musings from both professionals and amateurs alike. Fortunately, Essex Jct. photographer Newt Bowker sums up his inspiration quite succinctly. “I think it’s fun,” the 10-yearold said. Fair enough. Four years after receiving his first camera — an old Olympus point-and-shoot that’s since been relegated to the basement — Newt has stacked up a pretty impressive résumé. He’s placed second in the Champlain Valley Fair’s youth category single-handedly
By COLIN FLANDERS
PHOTO BY COLIN FLANDERS
Newt Bowker, 10, focuses in for a photo on Monday evening. sparked Thomas Fleming’s photography club and even earned his first professional gig, serving as the lone staffer on his parents’ cross-country trek visiting national parks.
Newt now uses a Canon Rebel, a gift from a family friend which he prefers to shoot in manual: "I mess with a lot of the settings,” he explained. See PHOTO, page 4
The University of Vermont Medical Center confirmed last week its plans to construct a new primary care facility in Essex that will relocate current staff from its Main St. location. The move, which the center has sought for a few years now, will help increase the quality of care and allow room for growth, said David Keelty, UVM Medical’s director of facilities, planning and development. UVM Medical has selected a lot owned by John Summerville at 2 Essex Way, where the center aims to construct a 12,500-square foot building that will host up to eight providers and nearly 40 employees. The Essex Planning Commission will hold a hearing on the site plans at its Sept. 28 meeting. Keelty said the move is due to Essex Primary Care outgrowing
its current Main St. building — an outdated facility the center has leased since 1985 — where lacking space has resulted in the inability to house more physicians, access challenges and overcrowded waiting rooms. The space’s quality has also slowly deteriorated over the last few decades; Keelty said staff deal with continued plumbing problems that require weekly management. “It’s not optimal for us,” he said. “We need to do something to better serve the community of Essex.” The new facility will be built to conform to current standards for clinical practice sites and include upgrades like bigger exam rooms and waiting areas. It will also be constructed with a goal to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, standards, See MOVE, page 13