MONDAY EDITION ADDISON COUNTY Vol. 30INDEPENDENT No. 31 Middlebury, Vermont Monday, December 3, 2018 32 Pages $1.00 Midd budget See winter’s magic on film draft reflects • “Face of Winter,” a ski and more staff snowboard film by Warren Miller, will screen at THT. See Arts Beat on Page 10. & road work By JOHN FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury selectboard will spend Home fire leaves the next two months refining family in the cold a fiscal year 2020 municipal budget proposal that currently • A New Haven family seeks reflects almost $600,000 in new help after an early-morning expenses, including two new hires chimney blaze. See Page 3. and a $296,119 increase in local infrastructure improvements. A $600,000 increase would drive the need for an 8-cent hike in the municipal tax rate, but that won’t happen. Middlebury Town Manager Kathleen Ramsay is proposing, from the outset, that the town use surplus revenues from the community’s (See Middlebury, Page 16) City recreation group pitches Local businesses LINCOLN RESIDENTS MARIA Teixeira, left, and her partner, Travis Herben, gathered a few toys no longer used by their children, 9-year-old Ezaias, right, Micaiah, 7, and Simeon, 1, to exchange at the upcoming Toy big pool fixes receive honors Swap at the Lincoln Library. Teixeira and other volunteers organized the swap to bring new life to old toys. • The Bristol Fire Department Independent photo/John S. McCright By ANDY KIRKALDY VERGENNES — The newly presented “challenge coins” to formed Vergennes recreation generous donors. See Page 7. Breathing life into old playthings committee last week shared with the city council the list of priorities its to “Toy Story,” we find hope in the notion that our members created after its first two Lincoln Library to host toy swap playthings could live separate lives, struggling like we meetings — and up to $147,000 of By CHRISTOPHER ROSS do, fighting our battles, keeping it real when the “real work to the city pool was at the top. LINCOLN — So profound is the depth of imagination world” intervenes. Integral to many of these stories is the The committee, founded to kids summon when they play with toys that it has letting go, the heart-wrenching moment when children advise the council on maintenance inspired a special category of storytelling in our culture. outgrow their toys and leave them behind forever. of existing facilities and ways to From “The Nutcracker” to “The Velveteen Rabbit” (See Toy swap, Page 20) (See City recreation, Page 17) Saffron is spicing up New Haven solar farm Eagle senior tops Lost ag land could return to productivity field hockey team By CHRISTOPHER ROSS but three years of testing by UVM’s • Mount Abraham and Otter NEW HAVEN — Thanks to a North American Center for Saffron partnership between Peck Electric Research and Development have Valley are well represented and University of Vermont, flowers produced promising results. The on the Independent all-star that produce the most expensive flowers from which the precious squad. See Sports, Page 18. spice in the world this fall were saffron threads are harvested, blooming in the shade of a few Crocus sativus, bloom in the New Haven solar panels. agricultural down-time of late It’s too soon to tell whether autumn, they thrive in Vermont UVM RESEARCHER ARASH Ghalehgolabbehbahani, shown at a saffron, which retails for between soil and, when protected from the test plot in New Haven growing saffron flowers last month, says $3,000 and $9,000 a pound, will elements by high tunnels, have so that an acre of Vermont land could generate more than $100,000 worth of the precious spice. become a viable crop in Vermont, (See Saffron, Page 24) Independent photo/Christopher Ross PAGE 2 — Addison Independent, Monday, December 3, 2018 Salisbury voters face big decision on landfill By JOHN FLOWERS SALISBURY — Salisbury offi- cials are lining up a Town Meeting Day vote that will ask residents to close their local landfill and join the Addison County Solid Waste Management District (ACSWMD) for the town’s future waste disposal and recycling. Salisbury currently operates the last unlined landfill in the state. “It’s somewhat of a no-brainer,” Salisbury selectboard Chairman Tom Scanlon of the looming decision. “There’s a lifespan to a landfill, and ours is the last unlined landfill in the state. I would rather see it close sooner rather than later, so there are no problems with it in the future, which would carry a liability for the residents of the town. It is subsidized by town tax dollars.” Sharing wise words Scanlon believes most Salisbury STUDENT INDIA DANYOW interviews Ruth Lathrop, a resident at the EastView retirement community, for a Bridge School Language Arts residents share his opinion that biography project recently. closing the landfill and joining the Photo courtesy of Amanda Warren ACSWMD is the town’s best option. “Looking at the past discussion, particularly at the last town meeting, there was an overwhelming number of people in favor,” Scanlon said. Donations are sought for family after house fire The ACSWMD board on Nov. 15 voted to accept Salisbury into the By JOHN FLOWERS tions of the first floor and second mastime. The fire, she said, “caused She also thanked firefighters, district. That decision will not be- NEW HAVEN — A post on the floor before stopping at the attic, much damage” to their home and whose job that day was rendered come official until the closing of the “gofundme” social media website according to Middlebury Fire Chief belongings. even more difficult by icy conditions town’s landfill, which in turn hinges has been created to help a New Hav- David Shaw. He said the home is “As this was unexpected, they on Halpin Road. on Salisbury residents endorsing that en family whose home was severely salvageable, but the Friends, who have no money set aside for the cost “It is times like these that make us measure at the ballot box in March. damaged in a Nov. 25 fire. have young children, are currently of renting a new place and replacing all realize how fragile life can truly In addition to having access to The home, owned by Jessica and unable to occupy their abode. clothes, furniture, and other items” be,” she said. the ACSWMD’s transfer station Matt Friend, is located on Halpin Jessica Friend’s stepmom, Jodi Li- that sustained fire, water and smoke The gofundme site confirms a off Route 7 South in Middlebury, Road, just across the town line from tchfield, created the gofundme page damage, she said through a narrative fundraising goal of $5,000. As of Salisbury residents would be able Middlebury. It was at around 3:30 to “help this family recuperate their on the gofundme page. Friday morning, the site had record- to partake in the district’s special a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 25, that fire- losses, get through the holidays, and “With multiple kids, this could be- ed a total of $2,900 in donations. programs, including household haz- fighters from multiple departments move forward with their lives.” come quite costly.” Litchfield added. Those wishing to contribute ardous waste collections. were toned out on a report of a While no one was injured in the “We are hoping to raise as much should log onto tinyurl.com/ While the Salisbury landfill is still chimney fire at the residence. blaze, Litchfield said the family will money as possible for this family y9c2zz6q. operating, a large portion of it has Firefighters found the fire had be unable to stay in the home for during this stressful and unforeseen Reporter John Flowers is at already been closed, Scanlon noted. spread from the chimney to por- “several months,” including Christ- time.” [email protected] The facility recently hosted what could be a final household hazardous waste collection day. The town of Salisbury already has enough funds in hand to pay the New Haven, VT Homeowner landfill closure, a job that must be done to the specifications of state Recommends Bristol Electronics environmental officials. Solid waste district Manager Teri Bristol Electronics designed and installed a photovoltaic system on our Kuczynski said Salisbury residents house in New Haven. will be able to take trash to the trans- fer stage even before the town dump We could not be more pleased with the staff and the installation of our is officially closed. system. “Once the draft agreement current- ly under consideration by the Salis- Right from the start we understood what we were buying and what (See Salisbury, Page 3) the installation process was about. The staff filled out all the necessary paperwork required by Green Mountain Power and the State of Vermont. This in itself made our experience with Bristol Electronics an CORRECTION: An article in easy and pleasant one. the Nov. 26 issue of the Independent stated that Middlebury resident Lou The installation was professional and clean. The service did not end Colasanti sold around 3,000 square with installation. We were contacted to insure that everything was feet of land near 51 Seymour St. in satisfactory and if we had any questions. 802 . 453 . 2500 order to give Habitat for Humanity BristolElectronicsVT.com the acreage it needed to build two We highly recommend Bristol Electronics. affordable homes at the site. In fact, Mr. Colasanti gave the property to Mike and Helen Hanley – New Haven, VT FREE SITE EVALUATIONS Habitat. We regret the error. Addison Independent, Monday, December 3, 2018 — PAGE 3 Heavy snow Salisbury shuts down (Continued from Page 2) bury selectboard is signed by both the District Board of Supervisors and the Bristol-area Salisbury selectboard,” Kuczynski told the Independent, “the transfer station will accept from the town, schools and from Salisbury residents and By CHRISTOPHER ROSS businesses, the items that are accept- ADDISON COUNTY — Mount ed from members, upon payment of Abraham Unified School District the tipping and district fees and any schools were closed all day Thursday other applicable fees then in effect because of impassable roads and while the town is going through the downed power lines.