Feb 17 2014

Page 1

MONDAY Â Â EDITION

ADDISON COUNTY

INDEPENDENT

Vol. 25 No. 50

Middlebury, Vermont

X

Monday, February 17, 2014

X

32 Pages

75¢

Gym renovation cost put under microscope Dancers eye mask rituals ‡ $ 0LGGOHEXU\ &ROOHJH WURXSH H[SORUHV PDVNLQJ DFURVV YDULRXV FXOWXUHV 6HH $UWV %HDW RQ 3DJH

No ACSU school consolidation ‡ $ JURXS WKDW H[DPLQHG JRYHUQDQFH RI DUHD VFKRROV UHFRPPHQGV QR FKDQJH IRU QRZ 6HH 3DJH

Architect  says  prior  estimates  incomplete By  JOHN  FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY  â€”  Architects  charged  with  advancing  Middle-­ EXU\ÂśV SURSRVHG QHZ WRZQ RIÂżFHV and  recreation  center  projects  are  trying  to  dispel  what  they  said  is  a  misperception  that  the  current  mu-­ nicipal  gym  could  be  upgraded  at  a  bargain  at  its  present  location  at  94  Main  St. Project  architect  Chris  Huston Â

of  Bread  Loaf  Corp.  pointed  to  as-­ sertions  made  by  some  residents  at  public  meetings  that  the  municipal  gym  could  be  adequately  upgraded  for  around  $548,500,  and  that  the  community  could  then  rebuild  mod-­ HVW WRZQ RI¿FHV QH[W WR D UHQRYDWHG gym. That  $500,000  assertion,  Huston  said,  is  based  largely  on  the  work  of  a  municipal  gym  task  force  or-­ ganized  by  then-­Middlebury  Town  Manager  Bill  Finger  in  2012.  That  budget,  according  to  Huston,  includ-­ ed  such  items  as  window  replace-­

ments,  a  new  heating/air  cooling  system,  basic  restrooms  and  lockers,  a  security  system,  exterior  painting  and  rebuilding  of  the  outside  stair-­ way  facing  College  Street. “(The  task  force)  was  created  as  a  way  to  create  central  renovations  to  the  gym  as  a  stop-­gap  measure  while  in  the  context  of  thinking  about  the  WRZQ RIÂżFH SURMHFW DV VRPHWKLQJ that  could  happen  in  the  future,â€?  Huston  said. He  added  the  town  commis-­ sioned  two  studies  on  the  building  in  conjunction  with  the  gym  task Â

force’s  work. 7KH ÂżUVW E\ D FRPSDQ\ FDOOHG (Q-­ gineering  Ventures,  was  completed  in  December  of  2012. “It  was  related  to  determining  whether  the  gym  was  structurally  sound,â€?  Huston  said. 7KH ÂżUPÂśV DQVZHU WR WKDW TXHVWLRQ was  a  clear  â€œYes,â€?  but  Huston  said  the  report  did  not  feature  renovation  cost  estimates. A  second  study,  completed  in  February  of  2013  by  Engineering  Services  of  Vermont,  focused  on  the  (See  Middlebury,  Page  13)

Businesses in county make news ‡ /DZ ÀUP KLUHV EXLOGHU LV KRQRUHG HQJLQHHU JHWV QHZ SRVLWLRQ 5HDG EXVLQHVV QHZV RQ 3DJH

Wrestlers gather for major meet ‡ 9HUJHQQHV KRVWHG WKH 19$& GXDO PHHW FKDPSLRQVKLS RQ 6DWXUGD\ 6HH 6SRUWV 3DJH

Slow  going BLOWING  SNOW  CUTS  visibility  last  Friday  morning  as  Brian  Novak  clears  the  sidewalk  across  the  Battell  Bridge  in  downtown  Middle-­ bury.  The  Thursday  into  Friday  snowstorm  dumped  10  inches  on  parts  of  Addison  County,  and  more  snow  was  expected  on  the  weekend. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell

Basket maker shares her secrets ‡ $ SURIHVVLRQDO ZLOO JLYH OHVVRQV DW WKH &RPSDVV $UWV &HQWHU LQ %UDQGRQ 6HH 3DJH

Three  candidates  seek town  jobs  in  Ferrisburgh By  ANDY  KIRKALDY FERRISBURGH  â€”  The  emer-­ gence  of  a  write-­in  candidate  will  give  Ferrisburgh  residents  a  choice  on  Town  Meeting  Day  for  the  posts  of  town  clerk  and  treasurer,  both  of  which  will  open  with  the  retirement Â

of  current  Town  Clerk  and  Treasurer  Chet  Hawkins. On  the  Jan.  27  deadline,  Hawkins’  JUDQGVRQ 'DYLG +DZNLQV ÂżOHG his  paperwork  for  town  clerk.  At  the  same  time,  Garrit  Smits,  31,  handed  (See  Ferrisburgh,  Page  31)

Seeley  seeks  to  bring  new blood  to  Middlebury  board  By  JOHN  FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY  â€”  Heather  Seeley  admits  she  doesn’t  have  past  experience  leading  a  town  â€”  and  she’s  pleased  to  put  that  on  her  rĂŠsumĂŠ  as  one  of  eight  candi-­ dates  campaigning  for  three  spots Â

up  for  grabs  this  March  on  the  Middlebury  selectboard. “I  don’t  have  a  lot  of  executive  board  experience,  and  I  think  that  can  be  an  advantage,â€?  she  said  on  Thursday.  â€œI’m  eager  and  willing  (See  Seeley,  Page  20)


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