Monday Edition Addison County
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MONDAY EDITION ADDISON COUNTY Vol.INDEPENDENT 31 No. 23 Middlebury, Vermont Monday, October 21, 2019 32 Pages $1.00 HOPE sees Film is scary and silent increase • A 1926 film accompanied in demand by live music will screen in Brandon on Friday. See Arts Beat Page 10. for services More need help Journalist gets with food, bills Yankee Quill By JOHN FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY — While the • The Addison economy is good and the county’s Independent unemployment rate is hovering publisher was at around 2.3 percent, a growing recognized number of folks are seeking aid for a lifetime from Middlebury-based Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects impact on his (HOPE) to get food, clothing and community. assistance in paying utility bills. See Page 13. Jeanne Montross, executive director of HOPE, said the organization saw 997 new, Teams jockey for unduplicated clients between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 of this year. The playoff seeding largest number of these clients came from Middlebury (278), • Games included MUHS Bristol (111), Vergennes (85) football hosting BFA, and and Leicester (69), according to Eagle boys’ soccer hosting (See Food shelves, Page 18) the Tigers. See Pages 20-21. Author: Migrant farmworkers struggle with food insecurity By ABAGAEL GILES MIDDLEBURY — Migrant farmworkers in Vermont are more likely to be food insecure than most Vermonters, but the reasons why are not as simple as having Midweek storm too few financial resources. A host of factors, among them damages roads VERGENNES UNION HIGH School seniors, shown along with a volunteer on Green Street long hours and a constant and • A Nor’easter’s high winds during a walk-a-thon to Middlebury this past Wednesday morning, raised more than $100 per justified fear of being detained class member to donate to WomenSafe for its transitional housing project. by immigration officials, make and heavy rains resulted in Independent photo/Steve James much inconvenience around it difficult for many to access food, according to University of the county. See Page 2. Vermont Scholar Teresa Mares. VUHS seniors walk for WomenSafe “We are the second-least By ANDY KIRKALDY and counting — toward the Class of 2020’s ethnically diverse state in the VERGENNES — The annual walk for nonprofit of choice, WomenSafe. country right now,” Mares told charity made by Vergennes Union High School About 50 of the 73 members of the class walked an audience at the Champlain seniors this past Wednesday netted $7,400 — (See VUHS seniors, Page 30) Valley Universalist Universalist (See Farmworkers, Page 6) PAGE 2 — Addison Independent, Monday, October 21, 2019 AN OCT. 16-17 Nor’easter brought fierce winds and more than 3 inches of rain to parts of Addison County — including Lincoln, where the New Haven River jumped its banks and washed out a portion of Grimes Road. Photo courtesy of Lincoln General Store KAYAKER REED HUTTON, a Middlebury College senior, shoots the Otter Creek falls on Thurs- day, Oct. 17, during a storm that flooded out several roads in New Haven, Lincoln and Middlebury. Independent photo/Steve James Storm thumps county towns reported road washouts. on Thursday. Lincoln, New New Haven Town “Please use caution when Administrator Aaron Brown travelling today and tonight, and Haven hit hard reported on Thursday that remember to never drive through ADDISON COUNTY — An flooding had closed River Road, water on the road because Oct. 16-17 Nor’easter pummeled from Route 7 to East Street. The you don’t know how deep the Addison County with driving community also closed South water will be and whether the rain and wind gusts in excess Street to through traffic, from road beneath will hold you or FLOODING BROUGHT ON by the Oct. 16-17 Nor’easter forced of 40 miles per hour, causing Hunt Road to River Road. collapse,” reads the message. closure of Three Mill Bridge Road, right near its intersection with particular damage in Lincoln “Please use caution on all “It’s not worth your life.” Route 7 South in Middlebury. and New Haven, each of which roads as the rain and runoff Mount Abraham Union High Independent photo/Steve James are expected to continue until School released its Lincoln Friday, Oct. 18,” Brown stated in students early — at 11:20 a message to the community. a.m. — on Thursday, due to the Meanwhile, Lincoln officials storm. Students living in homes FREE ON-SITE EVALUATIONS reported Grimes Road to be off Cobb Hill or Grimes Road impassable due to flooding and a were dropped off at the Lincoln bridge collapse. Community School. “Other roads may be closed Weather-related mishaps before the day’s end, as it is weren’t limited to the still raining hard and over four northwestern quadrant of inches has already fallen in some Addison County. areas,” Lincoln officials wrote in The Addison County their message to the community (See Storm, Page 3) Maiden Vermont Chorus Fall Concert with guest artist Jon Gailmore NOW ALSO OFFERING HEAT PUMPS AND WHOLE HOUSE BATTERIES Bristol Electronics is proud to announce that they are a factory authorized & trained installer of Fujitsu cold climate heat pumps and Sonnen whole house batteries. If you have been considering solar, heat pumps or whole house batteries, please give us a call to discuss your options. October 26th at 4pm | Middlebury High School Tickets can be purchased at the Town Hall Theater Box office 802 . 453 . 2500 • BristolElectronicsVT.com or at the door if tickets remain. TownHallTheater.org | 802.382.9222 Addison Independent, Monday, October 21, 2019 — PAGE 3 City, police force open negotiations Sides are tight-lipped about talks By ANDY KIRKALDY Chief George Merkel. There VERGENNES — Talks are currently eight officers in between the newly unionized the department, not counting Vergennes Police Department Merkel, but one is funded by a and the City of Vergennes began grant to serve as a countywide on Oct. 10, but neither side traffic-safety coordinator. would discuss any details of Officers have declined the meeting, including where comment to the Independent on it was held, who attended, how their reasons for seeking union long it lasted, what issues were affiliation. discussed, or when the two In June the city council and parties might meet Chabot were engaged again. The city in a contentious The only indication council public debate on that the two parties whether to reduce the were going to meet is now number of officers came at the Oct. undergoing a in the department by 8 Vergennes City department- one or two in a cost- Council meeting, by- saving measure. when Vergennes department Many residents City Manager Matt review of the spoke out on behalf Chabot informed of the department, THE MIDDLEBURY RIVER was unable to absorb all the rain generated by last week’s storm, council members talks Vergennes overflowing its banks and forcing a temporary closure of Three Mile Bridge Road. although sentiment Independent photo/Steve James were scheduled for budget. on whether spending Thursday the 10th. should be cut was “We collectively agreed that not unanimous. Ultimately the no information would be shared council approved a tax rate and Storm outside of the respective teams accepted a budget from Chabot for the Union and the City, that did not include police (Continued from Page 2) closed two roads due to flooding. customers statewide who had until such time as we enter into staffing cuts. firefighters Facebook page Three Mile Bridge Road was lose electricity during the storm. mediation,” Chabot wrote in an The city council is now reported that the Vergennes Fire closed from Route 7 to Shard Another 4,800 GMP customers email to the Independent. undergoing a department- Department was sent to East Villa Road, and Blake Roy were still without power as the Chabot said the agreement by-department review of the Road in Panton for a trampoline Road was closed from Three Addison Independent went to covers “the total VPD Team,” as Vergennes budget. Council in the yard that thrown up in Mile Bridge Road south to the press on Friday. There were no well as city officials. members have said in recent the air by high winds, and took Middlebury town line. reported lingering outages in The officers of the Vergennes months that they might seek down power lines onto a car in a Green Mountain Power on Addison County as of Friday Police Department in June alternatives to the current health drive way. Thursday reported 30 of its crew morning, according to the GMP notified the Vermont Labor insurance benefits for city In Middlebury town officials had restored power to 25,000 website. Relations Board of their intent employees that pay 100 percent to affiliate with the New England of their plans. The cost of those Police Benevolent Association plans rose by 15 percent during (NEPBA), a union that represents the current fiscal year, according many law enforcement agencies to city officials. in New England, including in According to the council’s Oct. Vermont. 8 minutes, Chabot told council In late August they made members, “Health insurance their affiliation official with a costs continue to shock each unanimous vote at Vergennes budget.” Fall City Hall. City officials did not Another issue that could oppose the union, but requested crop up is that neither city FLOORING SALE the vote as part of the process police officers nor public works that confirmed the officers’ employees are currently paid Hardwood • Carpet • Tile support for unionization. for being on call, as Chabot has The union does not include acknowledged in the past. Cork • Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) Vinyl Sheet Goods & More! DOUGLAS ORCHARDS & CIDER MILL Pick your own fresh Apples! WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED Or enjoy ready-picked apples For Professional Installation Or DIY at our Farm Stand Sale runs thru Oct.