News

Firefighters reward service, leadership

VERGENNES — Gov. James Douglas set the tone for the evening at last Wednesday night’s Addison County Firefighters Association annual dinner meeting.

He asked the scores of white- and blue-shirted men and women present at the Addison Eagles Club to think for a moment about longtime Vergennes Fire Chief Ralph Jackman, a lifetime member of the ACFA who died Jan. 2 after 62 years of service to his department.

“Ralph’s gone, but we’ll always remember his service to the community,” said Douglas.

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ID-4 asphalt repair project going to vote

Posted on January 25, 2010 |

• Middlebury

By John Flowers

MIDDLEBURY — Voters in the ID-4 school district in April will be asked to approve a major drainage, grading and resurfacing project for the asphalt-based playground areas and emergency vehicle route at Mary Hogan Elementary School.

Tom Buzzell, associate principal at Mary Hogan Elementary School, said he had received preliminary designs for a project that will focus on repairs to the asphalt surface on the playground areas east and north of the school buildings, as well as to the emergency vehicle access route leading to the back of the building.

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Whiting school budget rises, but taxes set to decrease

Posted on January 25, 2010 |

• Whiting
• education
• financial

By Andrea Suozzo

WHITING — The Whiting Elementary School board has adopted the proposed $508,318 spending plan for the 2010-2011 school year, which represents an increase of $17,632, or 3.59 percent, over the current year’s spending plan.

But due to an increase in the number of students in the school, if voters approve the budget on Town Meeting Day their education property tax rate would fall by 7 cents, from $1.20 to $1.13, according to Brenda Fleming, business manager at Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union.

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Reading 'goes to the dogs' at Ilsley

Posted on January 21, 2010 |

• Middlebury

By Kathryn Flagg

MIDDLEBURY — Ilsley Library’s newest star is a scene-stealer: At 120 pounds with sleek black hair and soulful brown eyes, the reading assistant draws a crowd the moment she steps into a room.

That this budding literacy advocate just happens to be a dog doesn’t particularly worry Judah Hamer, the youth services librarian at the Middlebury library. Shoopie the Newfoundland, a therapy dog now making weekly appearances at the library to read with children, is just the thing to make reading out loud exciting for some kids, Hamer explained.

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