Archive - Jul 2009
July 13th
Suddenly, I’m a fan of Sarah Palin’s. No, not because she bailed on her job as governor of Alaska midway through her term and put her political career in jeopardy. But precisely because she didn’t care — other things, she said, were more important.
While the former vice-presidential candidate for the Republican Party tried to put a positive spin on her decision to quit the governorship at the end of the month, the news didn’t sit well with many Republicans and conservative radio shock-jocks and columnists around the country.
July 10th
By CHELSEY PLETTS
In 1968, John McWilliams was on the road with his pregnant wife to California. He had just earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University and was on his way to teach at the University of California in Berkeley. The day was July 14, a holiday celebrated by the French called Bastille Day. It’s significance bled through the centuries as the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison, a symbol of new ideas pressing against an old regime.
Addison County residents talk about ACTR buses and proposed service changes which would boost the frequency of bus service in Bristol, Middlebury and Vergennes. For more on the potential service changes, check out a recent article by Addison Independent reporter John Flowers.
July 9th
By MATT DICKERSON
In ancient Greek, the words “muthos” (a forerunner of the modern English word “myth”) and “logos” (related to our word “logic”) were almost interchangeable; both meant something like “an account of the truth.” Over time, “muthos” came to mean an account of truth through story. Then Plato started using the word “muthos” to mean something fictional, or untrue. Oddly enough, however, even Plato used myths to communicate his most important philosophical truths.
By KATHRYN FLAGG
BRISTOL — Even intermittent rain showers and cloudy skies this year couldn’t dampen what in Bristol marks the jovial kick-off of Independence Day: the annual running of the outhouses.
In the 31st annual Great Outhouse Race — which this year included head-over-heel tumbles, outhouse crashes and a disputed photo finish — the team from Snap’s Restaurant walked away with the championship title, though eyewitnesses disputed the neck-and-neck finish between Snap’s and a team from No. 15 School House Maple.
By KATHRYN FLAGG
ADDISON COUNTY — Bridport farmer Jon Rutter was getting by — but just barely -— as a conventional dairy farmer.
“Economically, we were just treading water, if not drowning, under the conventional market,” Rutter said, looking back.
That’s when Rutter became a convert — that is to say, when he made the choice to go organic. That was back in 2001. Now, Rutter milks around 270 cows on his Bridport spread.
By JOHN FLOWERS
MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury selectmen on Monday approved a fiscal year 2010 residential property tax rate of $2.4627 per $100 in property value, amounting to a 7.8-cent increase compared to the current rate of $2.3840 — an increase of about 3.3 percent.
Approximately 7.7 cents of the increase is a result of public school-related expenses.
The new rate translates into a property tax bill of $4,925 for a homestead (house and two acres) valued at $200,000, according to Middlebury Assistant Town Manager Joe Colangelo.
MIDDLEBURY — Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR) will apply to the state for funding to expand its Tri-Town and Middlebury In-Town shuttle bus services.
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