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November 15, 2018 • The Essex Reporter • 1
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Victim’s father disparages plea deal By COLIN FLANDERS
PHOTO BY COLIN FLANDERS
Lawrence Press, left, speaks to reporters following a court hearing Friday alongside his attorney, Benjamin Luna. Press' daughter, Emma, was killed in a drunk driving crash a year ago Friday.
The father of a woman who died in a drunk driving crash last year expressed outrage Friday over what he sees as an overly-lenient plea deal for the man who killed his daughter. Lawrence Press spoke to reporters alongside his attorney, Benjamin Luna, minutes after a court hearing in which Riley Watkins, 26, pleaded guilty to felony driving under the influence with death resulting. Today marks exactly a year since Watkins sped through a red light on Susie Wilson Road and crashed his car into a traffic pole, killing his girlfriend, 23-year-old Emma Press.
“This plea agreement does no justice,” said Luna, calling it an “insult” to his client and the public. He went on to lambast the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office for a “culture of complacency” that allowed Watkins, who was arrested in September 2017 for punching and choking the elder Press, to be released in that case without conditions limiting his alcohol consumption despite eight mentions of his intoxication in the police affidavit. The fatal crash occurred less than two months later. “It defies explanation,” Luna said of that decision. He claimed if the state’s attorney’s office had “done its job,” his
client’s daughter may be alive today. Deputy State’s Attorney Justin Jiron declined to respond to Luna’s accusations. In an email to The Reporter, he said it’s inappropriate for prosecutors to make comments outside of court that could impact a judge’s decision at sentencing. He added Press’ family will have the opportunity to address the court and “advise of their support or opposition to the plea agreement.” Friday’s hearing centered on charges from these two separate incidents. In exchange for Watkins’ guilty plea, prosecutors dropped an additional charge of grossly negligent operation of a moSee PLEA, page 2
School board drafts contingency bus plan By AMANDA BROOKS & COLIN FLANDERS
PHOTO BY COLIN FLANDERS
Brad Kennison speaks to the selectboard during last week's meeting at which chairman Max Levy rolled out a proposal that would require landowners to obtain a permit if they wanted to host a shooting range on their property.
Selectboard considers shooting range permits Shooters say proposal infringes on the rights of homeowners By COLIN FLANDERS Selectboard chairman Max Levy outlined a proposal last week that would require anyone with a backyard shooting range to obtain a permit through the selectboard. The process would give the town at least some control over a practice that, as of now, has virtually no municipal oversight. “We know people are almost always responsible when it comes to [backyard shooting],” Levy said. “But we are looking to make some progress here toward safety, noise and how can ranges also work to be good neighbors – as most of them, I assume, are today.” Under his proposal, residents would need to offer a sketch of their property, including all buildings within a yet-to-bedetermined distance, and outline expected hours of operation. Requesters would then have to present that information at a selectboard meeting, and town staff would alert all abutting neighbors and business so they have a chance to speak prior to any decision, Levy said.
Town staff had repeatedly raised concerns over permitting due to potential liability, but attorney Bill Ellis said he’s not overly worried as long as the permits include language stating property owners must take on full risk and liability of operating a range in town. Members modified several aspects of Levy’s proposal during their Nov. 6 meeting. They decided against requir-
"It feels like it’s a foregone conclusion that you’re trying to take away all our shooting rights." Resident Kendall Chamberlain ing background checks, instead asking Essex police to inform them of any prior range-related issues, and suggested the permits be issued in perpetuity so landowners only need to come back before the board if they make substantial changes to the range or if their property changes hands. “I want to make this easy on folks,” selectwoman Irene Wrenner said. Levy’s proposal came two weeks af-
ter a majority of members tentatively agreed to prohibit shooting at the Essex Tree Farm and allow it at two town parks – Indian Brook and Saxon Hill – during a 45-day window covering deer hunting season. The board decided to lump shooting ranges into its ongoing revisions to the firearm discharge ordinance, though any decisions are far from final: The board must first host two public hearings before it can approve changes. Officials said they would likely delay those hearings until after budget season, meaning it could be at least three months until the discussion comes up again. Resident input came in the expected forms during last week’s meeting. Proponents of regulations shared concerns over noise levels and safety, while opponents say the board is abusing its authority and seeking fixes to a problem that doesn’t exist. Complicating matters for the selectboard are some legal complexities that limit its regulation power. According to a Vermont Supreme Court ruling, sport shooting ranges are exempt from regulation if they existed before May 2006 and maintained the See RANGES, page 2
The Essex Westford School Board has rolled out a new draft of its transportation policy that tells administrators to prioritize busing for youngest students if the district’s ongoing bus driver shortage continues. The revisions, led by the board’s transportation subcommittee, bolster what administrators say is an overly vague policy directing them to furnish busing to students when “reasonable and necessary,” language out of a model policy from the Vermont School Board Association. “It was the feeling of the board that that wasn’t providing sufficient guidance for what we wanted to happen for transportation,” said Keeley Schell, an EWSD board member on the transportation subcommittee. “For the most part, what we’ve added is stuff discussing our vision and expectations that endeavors not to prescribe too many details.” Under the new draft policy, transportation is instead defined as a “privilege” – not required or mandated for “most students.” It codifies previous decisions, like the creation of walking zones, and permits administrators to establish which students can be served by either public transportation or congregated bus stops. Among the factors used to establish routes are: • Availability of sidewalks or pedestrian paths • Condition and class of highways • Traffic speed and density • Students’ age, maturity, health and See BUS, page 3
Laying down roots CTE class helps grow blight-resistant trees By MADELINE CLARK What do you get when you cross an American chestnut tree and a Chinese chestnut tree? A blight-resistant tree—at least that’s what Center for Technology Essex forestry teacher Brian Japp and the American Chestnut Foundation hope. Students in CTE’s “Natural Resources, Forestry and Horticulture” course have collaborated with the Vermont/New Hampshire chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation to restore American chestnut trees in areas where they once thrived and provided both economic and biological benefits, Japp said. About two years ago, the American Chestnut foundation’s Vermont/New Hampshire chapter president Yuri Bihun approached CTE and proposed a partnership in which students would help grow and care for an American chestnut seed orchard, Japp said. See TREES, page 12
Essex officials, residents tour commuter rail cars By COLIN FLANDERS A delegation of local officials and residents trekked to Barre last month for a brief ride aboard David Blittersdorf ’s commuter rail cars, which the energy mogul hopes could one day make daily trips through Essex Jct. and beyond. The “joy ride” campaign is an attempt from Blittersdorf and his company, AllEarth Rail, to spark local stakeholders’ interest in his vision of a commuter rail system here. The goal is to show Vermonters – and their government – that his plan isn’t just theoretical, AllEarth spokesman Nick Charyk said. “This is equipment that is here in Vermont that is ready to
go, and we’re ready to start rolling,” Charyk said. Joining the tour was Essex Jct. Rep. Dylan Giambatista, who noted his interest in commuter rail stems from how transportation contributes to almost half the state’s carbon emissions. He said the state must anticipate the needs of future workers and commuters by creating a “vibrant transportation network,” part of which would be a viable commuter rail. Plus, said Giambatista, who works in Montpelier and earned re-election to the Statehouse last week, “The thought of being able to get on to a commuter train option and take it to work is really appealing.”
The visit comes a little over a year after Blittersdorf visited the Essex Rotary to explain why he invested $5 million of his own funds to form AllEarth Rail, a subsidiary of his AllEarth Renewables, and bring a dozen self-propelled rail cars to Vermont. Atop the list, he said, is the desire to help the charge into a renewable future. That goal carries added relevancy in the wake of last month’s United Nations climate study, which suggested the dire effects of climate change may be approaching faster than previously expected. The cars are operated by a crew of two, half what’s typical for passenger trains, and divide mid-route beSee TRAIN, page 3
COURTESY PHOTO
Residents join officials from Essex and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission to pose for a photo in front of one of David Blittersdorf's commuter rail cars in Barre last month.