Under Pressure, the GMUSD Approves Their Budget Minus $30K

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Under Pressure, the GMUSD Approves Their Budget Minus $30K Stressed out? Pop bubbles on National National ECRWSS PRSRT STD Get Creative US Postage PAID Permit #90 Ski & Ride Snow Report Online Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018 White River Jct., VT www.VermontJournal.com Monday, Jan. 29, 2018 Day POSTAL CUSTOMER FREE JANUARY 24, 2018 | WWW.VERMONTJOURNAL.COM VOLUME 18, ISSUE 04 Under pressure, the Cavendish residents concerned GMUSD approves their about representation in unified budget minus $30K school district BY THOMAS FOSTER IV The Vermont Journal BY SHARON HUNTLEY The Vermont Journal CAVENDISH, Vt. - The Cav- endish Elementary School Board CHESTER, Vt. – With the dead- met on Jan. 16 to discuss the bud- line looming to pass a budget, the get for the upcoming year followed Green Mountain Union School Dis- by a joint discussion with Ches- trict board members during their ter-Andover Elementary School meeting on Jan. 17, voted to pass a Board. However, discussions soon budget total that was minus $30,000 shifted when community mem- from what was laid out in the latest bers expressed their concern with version in front of them. The new how the Green Mountain Unified number was the result of a motion School District would affect the made by Andover representative Joe elementary school. Fromberger, after earlier expressing Speculations emerged that the his unwillingness to pass the budget district’s long term goal would re- at hand. He noted that it would be an sult in the eventual closure of the “opportunity to find those savings Cavendish Elementary School, elsewhere.” Fromberger admitted GMUSD approves their budget. but the rumor was immediately PHOTO PROVIDED Cavendish Town Elementary School. that part of his frustration stemmed put to rest. PHOTO PROVIDED BY CTES.TRSU.ORG from the food service deficit num- George Thompson, principle of ber that had not yet been studied in sues including proposed elementary ward. There was discussion that the school for 29 years, responded Historical Society, reflected on when the CTES board, said, “The impor- depth or resolved leading up to the principal structural changes, and the educational opportunities that by saying, “There is no intent to Green Mountain Union High School tant thing is we are all trying to strive budget presentation. After continu- nursing staff changes that were then had been part of the discussion close the school.” He continued, was formed and how some of the so our children have maximum ben- ing discussion, the motion was sec- reversed. Of note however is that in during the initial Act 46 merger “It is important to keep elemen- more elderly residents in Cavendish efit.” Bont, along with both school onded and passed with one board recent weeks, the principal hire for talks has not yet been fully real- tary schools in the district.” feel a mutual distrust towards Ches- boards, were impressed with the member, Cavendish Representative CTES has now been termed an “in- ized and that this would be an op- Doug McBride, a representative ter after allegedly not getting the ac- community’s involvement and en- Doug McBride, voting no. terim position,” lasting just one year, portunity to revisit those. of both the CTES Board and the commodations they were promised. couraged future public conversation. The GMUSD finance committee along with an added teaching dean McBride had only heard about GMUSD Board, stepped into the The concerns arose after rumors sur- It was also agreed that transparency meeting had ended just prior to the of students at CAES, with those du- the retreat at the last GMUSD conversation and expressed that faced that the sixth grade, and poten- is a key component for a successful board meeting, but having dead- ties still undetermined. The implica- meeting but was excited that the CTES is “vitally important to the tially fifth grade, were being consid- transition into the newly formed dis- locked, did not have a final recom- tion being that the GMUSD board is board was finally talking about community” and that there has ered for relocation. trict. mended budget to present to the not yet done with a possible restruc- educational priorities. “I think it’s been no discussion of an eventual She continued, “Chester gets what George Thompson stated that this board. There was frustration voiced turing of the elementary school prin- going to open up the door to have closure. He also pointed out that they want...If you take out the sixth year’s budget for the school is normal from several board members and cipal staff. The board confirmed that serious conversation about the di- there is a clause in Act 46’s Ar- grade, you start kissing your school with no change in staffing patterns. community members that the board the high school administrative staff rection of our education. It should ticles of Agreement that prohibits goodbye.” He is set to retire at the end of the was seemingly unhappy with the will remain unchanged however. be a fascinating and engaging the immediate closure of a school Cavendish Elementary School school year, and Superintendent Meg budget at hand but voting to move Board Chair Marilyn Mahusky time as we sort this thing out.” in the next four years. Regardless, ranks 23 out of 169 in grade schools Powden said there will be an inter- it forward regardless. Cavendish summed up this year’s budget say- The administration needed he believes that the Cavendish in Vermont, while Chester-Andover im principle while the Supervisory resident Sara Stowell spoke about ing, “I think one way to look at this to decide where to take out the community should be confident Elementary School ranks 102 out of Union figures out the best admin- her unwillingness to vote for a bud- [budget] is that it is a bit of a step $30,000 by Friday, Jan. 19. TRSU that the new unified school dis- 169, and other community members istrative layout for the school. The get that the board was struggling to maintaining status quo…it gives this Accounting Bookkeeper Cher- trict won’t outvote them out of agreed when Caulfield said this is a next Cavendish School Board meet- agree on. “If this budget is approved, board and the community an op- yl Hammond confirmed that existence. problem. ing will be rescheduled for Feb. 26. I’ll go door-to-door telling people to portunity to continue this conversa- $10,000 was removed from Food While this offered comfort for While some were vocal about their More information on Act 46 and the vote against it.” tion going forward…” She went on Service and $20, 000 was removed some, public comments extended distrust, other members in the room Articles of Agreement can be found In speaking with McBride several to say that next year’s budget would from the Capital Reserve Fund. beyond the agenda. Margo Caul- spoke out for unity between the two at www.trsu.org or in the town clerk’s days after the meeting, he revealed be based more on long term educa- The district annual meeting is field, director of the Cavendish towns. Gene Bont, representative of office. that he voted no because “the budget tional goals and objectives. scheduled for Tuesday, Feb 27 in did not reflect the Act 46 enhance- To that end, Superintendent Meg the Green Mountain High School ments promised to voters.” He went Powden spoke earlier in the meet- auditorium at 7 p.m. Voting on on to add, “I voted no because there ing about organizing a retreat, along the budget will be by Australian Two men arrested in Mount Holly was nothing in the budget to im- with board members, teachers, and ballot in the Andover, Baltimore, prove education.” community members, in the early Cavendish, and Chester Town The budget process has been summer of 2018, to set educational Halls from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on home invasion fraught with many contentious is- goals and objectives moving for- Tuesday, March 6, 2018. BRGNS’ School vacation backpack program offering breakfast and lunch Antonio Diaz. Nicholas Sweet. LUDLOW, Vt. - Black River Good and Plymouth. PHOTO PROVIDED PHOTO PROVIDED Neighbor Services is offering a It is our goal to help families School Vacation Backpack program who may struggle to provide nu- MOUNT HOLLY, Vt. – At 11:53 intending to harm the residents. court appearance was on Monday, during the February school vacation tritious meals during the upcom- p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 21, State Diaz was taken into custody at Jan. 22. this year, which is the week of Feb. ing school vacation week. Food Police responded to a call from the scene and was processed at the Sweet fled from the property pri- 19. A week’s worth of breakfast and pickup time will take place on Old Turnpike Road in Mount Rutland Barracks. He was charged or to the Troopers arrival. He was lunch food will be provided. This Friday, Feb. 16 between 1-3 p.m. Holly where two men were us- with burglary, aggravated assault later arrested in a Cavendish resi- program is offered by registration To register your children, please ing weapons to force entry into with a weapon, assault and robbery, dence Monday evening. He is be- BRNGS’ school backpack program is only to school-aged children within contact Krey Kellington, BRGNS the house. The police reported unlawful restraint, threatening, ing held at Marble Valley Regional available for families during February the BRGNS service area, which in- Food Program administrator, at that the two males, identified as and criminal DLS. He will be held Correction Facility without bail vacations. cludes Ludlow, Cavendish, Proc- 802-228-3663.
Recommended publications
  • How Safe Is Our Food?
    VOLUME TWELVE NUMBER 2 Lobbying Reform — Keeping it Legal by Cheryl Baisden When you want something really special for your birthday, it may take more than just a simple request to convince your parents to buy it. You probably start out dropping hints about how great it is, and then casually mention how your friends have it, and how good you’ll be if you get it. If that doesn’t work, maybe you become a little more helpful around the house, or try winning your mom over by complimenting her new haircut. You probably never realized it, but there’s a word for all of the effort you’re putting in — it’s called lobbying. And while you may be lobbying to get that special gift, the practice is most often used in government as a way to influence lawmakers. WINTER2008 “In government, a lobbyist is someone who tries to influence the decisions of elected officials,” explained Todd Sidor, an attorney From ‘Farm to Fork’: and lobbyist for the New Jersey State Bar Association. “Usually they are experts in certain fields, or former government officials with connections HowHow SafeSafe isis OurOur Food?Food? in certain fields, and their job is to by Barbara Sheenhan account for about 20 percent of our (CSREES); and the Department of educate legislators about why a food supply. Health and Human Services (DHHS), certain piece of legislation should or Except for the occasional recall, The remaining 80 percent of which encompasses the Centers for should not be passed. In a way, they Americans basically operate on the our food supply is regulated by Disease Control and Prevention are kind of like salesmen because assumption that our food supply is the Food and Drug Administration (CDC) and the National Institute of their job is to try to sell a certain idea safe.
    [Show full text]
  • Vermont Genealogy Research
    Vermont Genealogy Research Located in the northeast region of the United States, Vermont is divided into 14 counties and its capital is Montpelier. The land that is Vermont was fought and argued over by the French, British, Native Americans, and the governments of New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Vermont was created from the Province of New York, New Hampshire Grants and Vermont Republic. Early Inhabitants Native Americans lived in the area that became Vermont for 10,000 years. The most prominent early Indian tribes at the time of European exploration were the Abénaki and the Mahican. The western Abénaki Indians were composed of subdivisions including Sokoki, Missisquoi, and Cowasuck. Warfare in the 1600’s with European colonists, disease, and forced migration reduced the population of these peoples. Most survivors were forced to move onto reservations in Canada. Indian Tribes and Communities in Vermont today: Although these communities are currently not recognized as tribes by the U.S. Federal Government, there are two groups in Vermont today. 1) Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi – St. Francis/Sokoki Band: The Missiquoi (or the Missisquoi or the Sokoki) are located in the Wabanaki region of what is now northern Vermont and southern Quebec. This Algonquian group is a sub-group of the Abenaki who lived along the eastern shore of Lake Champlain when Europeans began exploring the area. Their name Missiassik, from which "Missisquois" is derived, means "place of flint" in the Abenaki language; or alternatively, from "Masipskoik, a word that means "place where there are boulders", more specifically "boulders point." Today, the tribe is known as the St.
    [Show full text]
  • Book Reviews
    Book Reviews . NEIL GOODWIN, We Go As Captives: The Royalton Raid and the Shadow War on the Revolutionary Frontier. Roy A. Wright 188 MARILYN BLACKWELL AND KRISTEN T. OERTEL, Frontier Feminist: Clarina Howard Nichols and the Politics of Motherhood. Susan M. Ouellette 190 LYNN A. BONFIELD, EDITOR. New England to Gold Rush California: The Journal of Alfred and Chastina W. Rix, 1849–1854. Amy F. Morsman 192 PAUL G. ZELLER, Williamstown, Vermont, in the Civil War. J. David Book 194 BROOKFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY, The History of Brookfield: 2010 edition. Helen Husher 196 DONALD H. THOMPSON, Castleton, Vermont: Its Industries, Enterprises & Eateries. Helen K. Davidson 198 PEGGY PEARL, A Brief History of St. Johnsbury. Paul Searls 200 RICHARD H. ALLEN, North Williston: Down Depot Hill. Vincent E. Feeney 202 DANIEL J. LYONS, PRODUCER, Headline Vermont. Tyler Resch 204 JOHN W. HUDSON, II AND SUZANNA C. HUDSON, Scenes along the Rails. Rutland Railroad: Rutland to Bellows Falls. Gerald B. Fox 206 JEREMY K. DAVIS, Lost Ski Areas of Southern Vermont. Meredith Scott 208 ANN ZINN BUFFUM AND SANDRA STILLMAN, COMPILERS AND EDITORS, To Life! A Celebration of Vermont Jewish Women. Ann E. Cooper 209 More About Vermont History Compiled by PAUL A. CARNAHAN 212 Book Reviews . We Go As Captives: The Royalton Raid and the Shadow War on the Revolutionary Frontier By Neil Goodwin (Barre: Vermont Historical Society, 2010, pp. xxii, 294, paper, $24.95). eil Goodwin’s full and detailed study of the Royalton Raid has Nbeen published by the Vermont Historical Society in a profes- sional yet accessible edition that will inform all future work on this for- mative event from the fourth year of the Vermont Republic.
    [Show full text]
  • Lake Champlain Basin Program Report of Activities
    Lake Champlain LakeReport Champlain of Activities BasinBasin ProgramProgram 2018 2016 Report of Activities: Appendix 2017 Report of Activities Lake Champlain Basin Program Local Implementation Grants The LCBP Local Grant Programs provide vital support for many of the tasks included in the Lake Champlain Management Plan Opportunities for Action. The LCBP’s core areas of work are addressed through grants awarded in several categories: Pollution Prevention and Habitat Conservation, Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention, Education and Outreach, Organizational Support, and Cultural Heritage and Recreation. Since 1992, the LCBP has awarded more than 1,200 small grants amounting to more than $9,000,000 to 350 organizations. Local municipalities and watershed groups, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Natural Resource Conservation Districts, NGOs, schools, and many other groups have been funded for effective projects awarded through a competitive process. The outcomes of these grants feature the accomplishments of citizens working in their own communities, often with their own neighbors. Sum of grants administered $966,656 by LCBP staff in FY 2018 Local implementation 100 grants administered by Funds Administered, LCBP by grant category Categories of local 6 implementation grants administered Note: Grants administered in FY 2018 were funded with budgets from multiple years. Technical Project Grants Each year, the LCBP supports a number of technical Key technical projects from 2018 include: research and implementation projects. The awards for » Tile drain monitoring and phosphorus filter experi- these projects are generally larger than local grants, and ments. are solicited with Requests for Proposals from universi- » High resolution land cover mapping of the U.S. portion ties, consultants, research foundations, and other orga- of the Basin.
    [Show full text]
  • BMWMOA Rally 2006
    So Many Things – So Little Time How to use this interactive document: 1. Do not print this document, not at first. The links will 6. Exploring the document lead you hundreds of inter- could easily take hours. esting and fun places. That’s fine especially if you live when the Northeast. But 2. Connect to the internet and planning and scheming is open this document – Ver- half the fun. Think of the mont Attractions. time and gasoline you will save by exploring Vermont 3. Before you go much further by using the internet. please put the following number in your cell phone: 7. BMW MOA will have an 1-802-847-2434. That is the unbeatable program of Emergency Department speakers, and special events. and Level I Trauma Center Plan your Vermont rides in BURLINGTON. You and exploration now. There might save a life while at the is much more to see and do rally. than time will allow so pre- pare now for a memorable 4. Start by exploring page 4 rally. which is a summary of the better known sites in Ver- 8. Vermont will have great mont. weather to enjoy and unbeat- able roads to ride. If you are 5. If you are connected to the looking for the local club web you will be connected to come visit us here. the website tied to that link. Come Early – Stay Late. Page 1 of 48 Last update: 1/30/2006 So Many Things – So Little Time 2006 will be one of the best rallies When first starting this project I hoped to ever! Vermont is an outstanding riding locale.
    [Show full text]
  • William M. Pingry Simon Stevens Collection, 1760-1791 MSA 225 (Cont’D in MS Size C)
    William M. Pingry Simon Stevens Collection, 1760-1791 MSA 225 (cont’d in MS Size C) Introduction This collection contains documents from the early history of Vermont, 1760- 1791, especially from the struggle between New York and the early Vermont republic. Simon Stevens (1736-1817), a New York official, Springfield town clerk, and militia captain, saved these papers. They later became the property of Judge William M. Pingry of Springfield. In 1972 the VHS received a bequest from the estate of Mary Bigelow Dunlap, great granddaughter of William Pingry, which included the Stevens collection. The whereabouts of the collection, however, was unknown. In 1976 W. Leland Lawrence, of Lawrence and Wheeler, Inc., of Springfield, Vermont, found the papers and turned them over to the Vermont Historical Society. The collection consists of one archival box and one oversized folder, (.25 linear feet). It was previously in the VHS manuscript collection classified as MS 974.30 C91. Biographical Notes Simon Stevens was born in Canterbury, Connecticut on December 5,1736, and was a soldier in the French and Indian Wars. He was involved in the construction of the Crown Point Military Road and settled in Springfield, Vermont in 1762. In 1766 the governor of New York commissioned him captain of the Eighth Company of Foot. He was the first constable in Springfield and held numerous town offices, including that of town clerk and selectman. In 1794 he was elected to the General Assembly of the State of Vermont. He died on February 18, 1817. Scope and Content This collection, generally known as the “Pingry Papers” but also sometimes known as the “Stevens Papers,” dates from the period 1760-1791.
    [Show full text]
  • Merger: Town & Village of Johnson, Vermont
    Promising Solutions Government & Education | Economics & Public Finance | Health & Human Services | Nonprofits & Communities Merger: Town & Village of Johnson, Vermont Assessment of Benefits & Costs February, 2020 draft January, 2021 final Prepared for: Town Selectboard & Village Trustees, Johnson, Vermont Prepared by: Kent Gardner, Ph.D. Project Director © CGR Inc. 2021 – All Rights Reserved 1 South Washington Street, Suite 400, Rochester, New York 14614 (585) 325-6360 • [email protected] www.cgr.org i Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 Johnson town and village ......................................................................................................... 2 Demographic profile ........................................................................................................................... 2 Service responsibilities ....................................................................................................................... 2 Fiscal profile............................................................................................................................................. 5 How should the cost of public services be shared? .............................................................. 6 Should Johnson have both a town and a village? .............................................................. 7 Towns and villages in Vermont ......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Thomas Johnson: Gentleman, Vermonter, Patriot Angela Nicole Grove University of Vermont
    University of Vermont ScholarWorks @ UVM Graduate College Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 2015 Thomas Johnson: Gentleman, Vermonter, Patriot Angela Nicole Grove University of Vermont Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis Part of the American Studies Commons, and the History Commons Recommended Citation Grove, Angela Nicole, "Thomas Johnson: Gentleman, Vermonter, Patriot" (2015). Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 403. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/403 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks @ UVM. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate College Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UVM. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THOMAS JOHNSON: GENTLEMAN, VERMONTER, PATRIOT A Thesis Presented by Angela Grove to The Faculty of the Graduate College of The University of Vermont In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Specializing in History October, 2015 Defense Date: June 8, 2015 Thesis Examination Committee: Andrew Buchanan, Ph. D, Advisor Barbara Saylor Rodgers, Ph. D, Chairperson Jacqueline Carr, Ph. D Cynthia J. Forehand, Ph. D, Dean of the Graduate College ABSTRACT This thesis is a micro-history of the formation of the various identities that shaped the Revolutionary War experiences of one eighteenth-century Vermonter (Thomas Johnson) whose life is documented in a manuscript collection at the Vermont Historical Society. I break down Johnson’s identities into three levels: social class, state, and national. My argument is that what it meant to be a provincial gentleman, to be a Vermonter, and to be an American were still being constructed at the time of the Revolution and were therefore in a state of flux.
    [Show full text]
  • Benjamin Carpenter of Guilford, VT
    Benjamin Carpenter Literally written in stone, his marble epitaph boldly declares that Benjamin Carpenter, Esquire ... Sacred to the memory of the Hon. Benjamine CARPENTER, Esq. Born in Rehoboth, Mass. A.D. 1726 A magistrate in Rhode Island in 1764. A public teacher of righteousness An able--eble advocate to his last for Democracy And the equal rights of a man. Removed to this town A.D. 1770, Was a field officer in the Revolutionary War. A founder of the first constitution and government of Vermont. A councilor of censors in A.D. 1794. A member of the council, and Lieut. Governor of the state in A.D. 1779. A firm professor of Christianity in the Baptist church 50 years. Left this world and 146 persons of lineal posterity. March 29, 1804 Aged 78 years, 10 months and 12 days with a strong Mind and a full faith of a more Glorious state hereafter. Stature about six feet--weight 200 Death had no terror. But on May 11, 1725 in the Providence of Massachusetts within the boundary of Bristol County and the 58 year old town of Swansea, a young male child was born to Edward Swanzey & Elizabeth Louise (Wilson) Carpenter. This child was their first son, a fourth generation Carpenter child born in America of an English immigrant named William Carpenter who came to America in 1638. The baby was named Benjamin, the name of both his paternal and maternal grandparents, two uncles and a few first cousins. What caused this young Benjamin to stand out in history? Was it because at age 50, then a pillar of the decade old society of Guilford, New York that he became a revolutionary, a field officer in a revolution defying his King? Or was this six foot, well built man a traitor to the State of New York before, during and after the American Independence? But, one state’s traitor was another’s founding father, for in July 1777 he helps start the Vermont Republic.
    [Show full text]
  • The Second Vermont Republic Thomas Naylor
    The Second Vermont Republic Frequently Asked Questions Thomas Naylor Issue no. 1 • April 2005 What is the Second Vermont Republic? The Second Vermont Republic (SVR) is a peaceful, democratic, grassroots, libertarian populist movement opposed to the tyranny of the U.S. Government, corporate America, and globalization and committed to the return of Vermont to its rightful status as an independent republic, as it was between 1777 and 1791. What is the primary objective of the movement? Independence. To extricate Vermont peacefully, legally, and democratically from the United States as soon as possible and create an independent nation-state based on the Swiss model. Does that mean secession? Yes. Why does Vermont want to secede? First, the United States suffers from imperial overstretch and has become unsustainable politically, economically, agriculturally, socially, culturally, and environmentally. Second, Vermont finds it increasingly difficult to protect itself from the debilitating effects of big business, big agriculture, big markets, and big government, who want all of us to be the same—just like they are. Third, the U.S. Government has lost its moral authority because it is owned, operated, and controlled by corporate America. Fourth, American foreign policy, which is based on the doctrine of full-spectrum dominance, is immoral, illegal, unconstitutional, and in violation of the United Nations charter. Fifth, as long as Vermont remains in the Union, its citizens face curtailed civil liberties, the risk of terrorist attack, and the risk of military conscription of its youth. But isn’t secession unconstitutional? No. “Whenever any form of government becomes destructive, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government,” said Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Daniel B
    Daniel B. Smith & Lucinda Tufts Parents of thirteen children Dorene Hancock Smith . Preface This is the life story of the paternal great-great grandfather and grandmother of my husband. After many years of research, their life story was prepared using actual birth, marriage, and death records, as well as town records, land records, old maps, newspapers, probate records, and old photos of the town of West Fairlee. In addition, in 1981, 1988, 2007 and 2015, we visited West Fairlee, Vermont, and took pictures of the church, the prior home and property, and the tombstones of Daniel B. Smith and Lucinda Tufts, and tombstones of some of their children. I have tried to present accurate information, but recommend independent verification before accepting the material as fact. This PDF may be printed for family history purposes and non-commercial uses. I only request that you reference me as the writer. Written by Dorene Hancock Smith Draft August 2007, Final March 2020 1 Daniel B. Smith & Lucinda Tufts History of Daniel B. Smith &Lucinda Tufts 1774-1849*1785-1856 Birth place of Daniel B. Smith unknown Daniel B. Smith came into this world just before the beginning of the American Revolution. After many years of research, the exact date and place of his birth has not been found, and his parents have not been identified. Without this knowledge, we don’t know the effect of the war on his family, but we are certain, as with other families at that time, it would have been a difficult time for them. A death record in West Fairlee, Vermont records his birth year as 1774.1 In addition, according to several census records, two of his children give conflicting information regarding where their father was born.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fourteenth State Who Was Moses Robinson?
    The Fourteenth State Who was Moses Robinson? By Tyler Resch This column is intended to explore, revisit, and celebrate some of the books, past and present, that tell the history of Vermont, the fourteenth state. We will start with one of the newest. The best recent book of this state’s history is “Moses Robinson and the Founding of Vermont” by Robert A. Mello. After nearly a decade of research by the author, who was appointed a Superior Court judge by Gov. Jim Douglas, the book was published in 2014 by the Vermont Historical Society. Moses Robinson (1740-1813) is described on the back cover as “the most important founder of Vermont you never heard of.” But by the time you’ve read the book Moses Robinson will almost come alive. In the spring of 1761 Moses Robinson was one of the very first arrivals in the town of Bennington. He was only 20 years old, one of several sons of Captain Samuel Robinson and his wife Marcy Leonard. The Robinson family was joined by a few others from near the central Massachusetts town of Hardwick who migrated to newly opened wilderness to create a Congregationalist Separatist community. They chose to settle on a stretch of uninhabited upland not far from the intersection of the Massachusetts and New York colonies that looked down on the Walloomsac River valley. Looming in the distance to the east was a solid ridge of Green Mountains. Moses was named almost immediately as the first town clerk of Bennington, a post he would hold for twenty years.
    [Show full text]