MONDAY EDITION ADDISON COUNTY Vol.INDEPENDENT 31 No. 24 Middlebury, Vermont Monday, January 13, 2020 32 Pages $1.00 Broadway Gov. stresses child composer Mobile clinic brings new • A talented denizen of the care, energy strategy care option to Middlebury New York theater world By JOHN FLOWERS in the parking lot of the will speak at THT. See Arts Lanpher, Bray weigh in on agenda MIDDLEBURY — former St. Mary’s Catholic Beat on Page 10. By XANDER LANDEN and climate change protesters were Mountain Health Center School building off Shannon KIT NORTON, VTDigger.org cleared from the Vermont House is based in Bristol, but its Street. Editor’s note: Addison chamber at the start of Gov. reach and care extends well Dr. Will Porter is in the Taking pulse of Independent reporter John Phil Scott’s annual State of the into Middlebury, thanks to a driver’s seat of the new Flowers contributed to this State address this past Thursday, mobile medical van stationed service, with two essential impeachment report. Scott raised familiar themes in every Tuesday and Thursday (See Mobile clinic, Page 16) MONTPELIER — After (See Gov. Scott, Page 30) • We asked locals what they thought about happenings in D.C. See what they said on Page 2. Hoop rivals meet at VUHS • The Mount Abe boys visited the Commodores on Saturday. See what hap- pened in Sports, Page 20. Ahoy there! HARKENING BACK TO War of 1812 hero Commodore Thomas Macdonough, fans in the student section of the gym at Vergennes Union High School “look through binoculars” as a member of their boys’ basketball team takes a shot during a Jan. 3 game. Hiking pro is Independent photo/Steve James offering advice • Ivor Hughes, who took this photo in the Alps, Bristol bar bids farewell to devoted music fan will give best practices for By CHRISTOPHER ROSS and will to live that her doctor called her the she went home for the evening. “Irene, good backpacking. See Page 7. BRISTOL — Irene Lawrence acquired a “bounce-back kid.” night.” few nicknames during her 33 years in Bristol. Her grandchildren called her “Nana.” “The Hatch was her community, and we To the town residents she greeted from But for a few sweet minutes toward the always loved her and cared for her,” said her porch — or from out front of the Corner end of every Friday night at Hatch 31 on Lonny Edwards, who plays bass with the Store or Main Street Diner — she was known Main Street she was just “Irene.” Friday night band. “She loved the band and as the “Bench Hugger.” “Good night, Irene,” Hatch’s Friday she loved it when we sang ‘Goodnight Irene.’ So strong were the 87-year-old’s spirit bluegrass band would sing to her just before (See Lawrence, Page 15) PAGE 2 — Addison Independent, Monday, January 13, 2020 Locals weigh in on impeachement issue justified, while 23% thought it from office,” he said. elected officials. Opinions vary in was not. Similarly, 73% believed Dickinson, who has been a “I think most are tired of Addison County the president ought to be con- professor of Political Science at Washington wasting time and victed and removed from office Middlebury since 2000, doubts money and are ready to move By EMMA POPE after a Senate trial, a final step the Republican-controlled U.S. on,” said State Rep. Terry McCRIGHT in the impeachment Senate will even call Norris, I-Shoreham. Norris, ADDISON COUNTY — Last process as defined “Unless new witnesses in their who told the Independent in an month, about 150 people gath- by the Constitution. information trial. And in order email that he did not support ered in the snow on Cross Street Around a quar- to convict the presi- the President’s removal from Bridge in Middlebury to call for ter of those who comes to dent, 20 Republican office, echoed a sentiment held the impeachment of President responded to our light, it is Senators would need by many members of the public Donald Trump. The U.S. House polls did not support in my view to go against their that the complicated and divisive officially impeached the presi- either impeachment extremely party leader’s es- impeachment proceedings have dent on Dec. 18, but public opin- or removal from unlikely that tablished position in gone on long enough. ion across the nation remains office. order to achieve the Dickinson predicts that this split over the proceedings. There’s one thing the Senate will two-thirds majority sentiment will become increas- A Dec. 18 Gallup poll found the majority of the vote to remove needed to convict. ingly more common among the that 51% of Americans were in people in our polls Trump from And with the federal American people. “The longer favor of impeachment, while seemed to agree office.” government deeply (impeachment) goes on, the 46% were not and 3% had no on: The president — Professor divided on party more support for it drops,” he MIDDLEBURY PROFESSOR opinion either way. will not be removed Matthew lines, this scenario said. MATTHEW DICKINSON Although not as polarized as from office. Only Dickinson seems extremely Dickinson expects that state many other corners of the coun- 18% of respondents unlikely. and federal lawmakers will try, Addison County residents • Do you think President said they believed “It’s not clear choose — and are already choos- have a similar range of opinions. Trump deserved to be im- the impeachment proceedings to me that impeachment has ing — to focus on the future In an online poll of our readers peached? would end with the President’s changed the partisan viewpoint rather than just impeachment. last week, the Independent found • Do you think he should be removal from office. at all,” Dickinson said. For Republicans especially, he that while a majority of the 150 removed from office after a trial Middlebury College Professor Whether or not President says the key issue is “looking people who responded supported in the Senate? Matthew Dickinson agrees. Trump is eventually removed ahead to 2020 and the election, the president’s impeachment, a • Do you think he will be “Unless new information from office, the months-long what’s the best way to move past significant portion did not. removed from office? comes to light, it is in my view impeachment process is starting impeachment?” In posts on Instagram and We found that 77% of those we extremely unlikely that the Sen- to feel like a drag for many Lawmakers may have to Facebook, we asked our readers: polled thought impeachment was ate will vote to remove Trump Americans, including local (See Impeachment, Page 3) Milne buys Brandon’s Neshobe Golf Course for $550K BRANDON — Facing fore- records, the course was sold to as land and buildings, and Milne Golf LLC has a Wa- Brandon. Milne, an entrepreneur closure, Neshobe Golf Course in Milne Golf LLC on Jan. 7 for $240,000 for personal property, terbury address, and Waterbury who according to the Rutland Brandon has found a buyer. $550,000. That figure includes such as equipment, inventory resident Jon Milne signed sale Herald has also been teaching According to Brandon town $310,000 for real estate, such and merchandise. documents filed with the town of golf at Club Kwini in Shelburne, also told the Herald he plans to retain the employees of the 60-year-old golf club. The National Bank of Middlebury in October began foreclosure against Neshobe. transfer your balance Club board chairman Jeff Wallin announced in late November that AND SAVE MORE! the club was only able to raise about half of the $575,000 nec- essary to wipe out the club’s debt and prevent foreclosure, but that CREDIT CARD Neshobe’s board would pursue a buyer. The board sent out an appeal letter earlier in November seek- BALANCE TRANSFER ing $4,000 per member to erase the club’s long-term debt before the end of 2019, but the effort fell short. 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