Conflict of Interest Charges Sweep and Swirl
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THE Since 1889 75 Cents HaHardwick ◆ Greensborord ◆ Craftsburyw ◆ Wickolcott ◆ Walden ◆ Stannard Gazette ◆ Woodbury ◆ Calais ◆ Cabot ◆ Marshfield Wednesday, May 12, 2010 Volume 121, Number 18 Conflict Of Interest Charges Sweep And Swirl by Tommy Gardner “slinging allegations” based on sec- est in purchasing Wright’s towing HARDWICK — East Hardwick ond-hand knowledge, and with service, but he did not offer any mon- resident Helmut Nottermann accused Nottermann comparing the town gov- ey, and did not pursue negotiations board chair Marcus Brown last week ernment to something out of “a movie any further. He said he was coinci- of “betraying the trust” of voters in an script from Chicago.” The town’s law- dentally working at Wright’s house incident that occurred last year involv- yer, Bill Davies, advised the board to last spring in his capacity as an ex- ing the town’s revolving loan program. not answer any questions. Officer Bill terminator, and describes the The accusation came at the regular Field even had to stand up and tell conversation with Wright as brief meeting of the Select Board. Nottermann to behave. and casual. Nottermann said Brown used In a follow-up interview Mon- “These are, verbatim, the words his position as an elected town offi- day, Brown said in 2009, Hardwick that I said to Milt Wright,” Brown cial to try and make an offer on a resident Steve Ellis applied for one said. “‘If things don’t work out be- business, knowing a person who was of the town’s Economic Development tween you and Steve, I may have an trying to secure a low interest loan loans in order to purchase Milton interest.’ Period. That was it.” was doing so in order to buy that Wright’s towing service. The loan Nottermann, in his own follow- same business. Brown says the alle- process, which started in March, up, said he was told Brown made an gations are untrue, and while he ended in June 2009 with the board offer in March, while Ellis was still admits he did express interest in the unanimously denying Ellis the loan, being considered for the loan. He said same business, he said he never according to the board’s official min- he does not question whether or not made an offer. utes on June 4, 2009. the town denied someone for a loan, Very little of substance was said Wright and Ellis declined to be but he calls Brown’s words to Wright at the board meeting, with Brown interviewed for this story. — whatever they may have been — saying Nottermann was out of line, Brown said he did express inter- See CONFLICT, Page Four One Big Snake Twinfield students hone up on their herpetology knowledge, with the help of a lengthy boa constrictor. From left, Kayla Potter, Julie Road Crew Pay Hits Bump Shedd, Kate Harrington, Kyle Weinreich, Emlyn Crocker, and Michael Domey hold the snake at the paillon del diablo (cooking pot of the devil) waterfall in Ecuador this spring. (courtesy photo) And Runs Into A Ditch by June Pichel Cook Clegg read a memo from Town Clerk sion, sometimes heated, the board WOLCOTT — The Select Board Linda Martin, which outlined objec- voted at its May meeting to reverse reversed itself last week on a salary tions to salary raises for “employees Wheeler’s pay increase and keep it at increase given in April to a highway of the highway department.” $15.30/hour. Arlo Sterner voted department employee. Objections to In April, the board agreed to hire against the motion. Patten’s position Teaming City And Protected Islands the increase were raised by town Harold “Skip” Patten as road fore- and rate of pay were voted unani- employees who reminded the board man at $20/hour; road crew member mously. compensation had been frozen and Steve Manosh, $17.50/hour; and Board chair Ryan Bjerke, who dental benefits removed in the bud- raise road crew member Lonnie was absent from the April meeting, Offer Intrigue On Ecuador Trip get presented at Town Meeting. Wheeler’s pay to $16/hour from abstained on the motion to hire Assistant Town Clerk Belinda $15.30/hour. After lengthy discus- See RAISE, Page Twelve by Will Walters themselves. The seven students, donkeys tied up on the roads. But European settlers. They all said the MARSHFIELD — A trip across Michael Domey, Max Bronstein, there are no chain stores. Even in cultures are diverse but really not borders, continents and the equator Kayla Potter, Emlyn Crocker, Kate such an urban area, the “way of in- competitive. to a city of 2 1/2 million people recent- Harrington, Kyle Weinreich and Jed teracting is so different. The people The city is ecologically minded ly let seven Twinfield Spanish Snow, along with chaperones Julie are more welcoming and trusting,” but is incredibly polluted by many students see more of the world in two Shedd and Ehren Miller Nogueira, said Bronstein. It is a “relaxed cul- vehicles, they all agreed. There is a Canning Selected As New weeks than they may see in the rest stayed with his family. ture,” said Nogueira. Harrington lot of hydropower but also a lot of bus of their lifetimes. Quito, Ecuador’s capital, is rain- summed city life there as “everything smog. Shedd said people are “not al- The connection to Ecuador was ier, cloudier and at a very high is different.” lowed to drive one day a week, There more than just an interest in a Span- altitude members of the group re- Quito was the main part of the are stricter inspection laws,” than OSSU Superintendent ish country. A few years ago, an counted in an interview this week in trip, according to Bronstein, where other areas. Ecuadoran student came to Twin- school. Even with the multi-million the students saw the different cul- In contrast to the capital, the by Tommy Gardner assistant superintendent in charge nal exams and commencement exer- field and he and current students population, they said, one can still tures of the many indigenous peoples students guided by their hosts, trav HARDWICK — The Orleans of learning at the South Burlington cises. have continued contact amongst see paperboys on the streets and as well as the descendents of the See TRIP, Page Twelve Southwest Supervisory Union has se- School District, and come on as OS- “This is a really crazy time of lected JoAn Canning as the new SU’s new head July 1. Similarly, the year,” Canning said. “I imag- superintendent, after a shorter-than- current OSSU Superintendent Mark ine we will both be juggling two usual search process that netted more Andrews will wrap up his last six school systems.” candidates than many expected. weeks in the Hardwick area before he According to Jim Lovinsky, ‘Dirt Road Wireless’ Company Individual school boards ap- moves on to his new job as the super- chair of the OSSU Executive Com- proved her appointment Tuesday intendent at Essex Town School mittee, Canning will be paid night. Her selection will be passed District. Andrews has said he will $105,000, which is commensurate on to Education Commissioner Ar- show his replacement the ropes in the with what Andrews currently earns Awarded Grant To Expand Broadband mando Vilaseca for final approval. coming weeks, the always-busy time and would have been paid next year. Canning will finish her job as the when schools wind down toward fi- See CANNING, Page Four by Tommy Gardner to bring broadband wireless access to ahead,” Birnbaum said Monday. He the company’s five year history. Cloud Alliance, a Plainfield in- more rural areas. According to Cloud added that since its inception in 2005, “And that’s why we’re still here as ternet provider that concentrates on Alliance general manager Michael Cloud Alliance has expanded slowly, a company.” providing “dirt road wireless,” has Birnbaum, the money will allow the unlike larger telecommunications The $200,000 will pay for the been awarded a $200,000 grant to company to reach more than 2,000 companies with deeper pockets. He installation of three towers, one Rinker Case Among Oldest expand its services into Hardwick, new homes. Currently, Cloud pro- said Fairpoint Communications was each in Hardwick, Wolcott and Woodbury and Wolcott. vides broadband services for a few not committing to beefing up the in- Woodbury, and the equipment that The Vermont Telecommunica- hundred customers in Calais, frastructure in more rural parts of the goes on those towers. Birnbaum tions Authority awarded the grant Marshfield, Plainfield and East state. said Cloud Alliance has selected the In Environmental Court money last week, after looking over Montpelier. ”By necessity, we had to do it or- sites, but said he could not comment er Jacalyn Fletcher, the Rinker tow- scenic quality of the area. bid proposals from companies willing by Tommy Gardner ”This grant will give us a big jump ganically, bootstrap it,” he said of See GRANT, Page Ten BERLIN — If it seems as though er case is among the oldest cases still Even though it took more than it has taken a long time for the Ver- in the court system. four years, Rinker was granted his mont Environmental Court to deliver “This is the one that has been on Act 250 permit in October 2008. A an opinion on the fate of a proposed her desk the longest,” Fletcher said. half-dozen Bridgman Hill landown- 180-foot communications tower on Rinker first applied for a permit ers promptly appealed that decision, Venture Center Not Ready To Break Bridgman Hill, it has. for his tower before the Hardwick and a year later, the aforementioned Lawyers from both sides of the Zoning Board in June 2004, and was trial occurred.