Monday, Feb 3, 2014

Page 1

MONDAY Â Â EDITION

ADDISON COUNTY

INDEPENDENT

Vol. 25 No. 48

Henry’s got voice, talent ‡ $ JLIWHG IRON PXVLFLDQ EULQJV KLV WULR WR WKH %XUQKDP 0XVLF 6HULHV LQ /LQFROQ 6HH $UWV %HDW RQ 3DJH

Middlebury, Vermont

X

Former  Vergennes  depot  is  picked  to  host  Amtrak  station By  ANDY  KIRKALDY FERRISBURGH  â€”  The  Vermont  Agency  of  Transportation  has  desig-­ nated  the  former  Vergennes  rail  sta-­ tion,  which  now  sits  at  the  VTrans  commuter  lot  at  the  junction  of  Routes  7  and  22A  in  Ferrisburgh,  as  a  future  stop  for  Amtrak  commuter  trains,  according  to  Rep.  Diane  Lan-­ pher,  D-­Vergennes. Lanpher  late  last  week  empha-­ sized  Amtrak  service  in  northwest-­

ern  Vermont,  long  a  goal  of  state  WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ RIÂżFLDOV UHPDLQV VHY-­ eral  years  away,  but  added,  â€œI  can’t  tell  you  how  thrilled  I  amâ€?  about  the  possibility. “There  is  still  a  lot  of  work  to  be  done  before  we  welcome  a  traveler  or  see  a  train  at  the  station,  but  I  am  very  pleased  to  get  this  project  this  far,â€?  Lanpher  said. VTrans  Director  of  Policy,  Plan-­ (See  Amtrak,  Page  14)

Monday, February 3, 2014

X

32 Pages

75¢

Proposed  law  looks  to  jumpstart  â€˜new  economy’  companies  in  Vt. By  JOHN  FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY  â€”  Rep.  Paul  Ralston,  D-­Middlebury,  has  co-­ authored  legislation  he  believes  will  inject  new  vitality  into  Ver-­ mont’s  business  sector  without  spending  a  lot  of  new  money. It’s  known  as  H.736  â€”  dubbed  â€œUnlocking  Vermont’s  Economic  Potentialâ€?  bill  â€”  aimed  at  protect-­ ing  and  growing  Vermont’s  cur-­

rent  industries,  while  encouraging  and  rewarding  entrepreneurs  and  innovators  in  new  technology  and  knowledge-­based  businesses,  ac-­ cording  to  Ralston. “Now  is  the  time  for  bold,  stra-­ tegic  initiatives  that  fan  the  sparks  of  â€˜new  economy’  entrepreneur-­ ship  in  Vermont  while  helping  our  important  legacy  industries  im-­ (See  Economy,  Page  31)

City police station nearly complete ‡ 7KH 9HUJHQQHV 3ROLFH 'H SDUWPHQW LV H[SHFWHG WR PRYH LQWR QHZ GLJV WKLV PRQWK 6HH 3DJH

Two Tiger teams host home tilts ‡ 7KH 08+6 ER\V¡ KRRS DQG KRFNH\ WHDPV KRVWHG OHDJXH IRHV WKLV SDVW ZHHNHQG 6HH 6SRUWV 3DJHV

REP.  PETER  WELCH  gives  a  television  interview  in  the  Capitol  last  week  just  before  voting  for  the  farm  bill.

‘Penguins’ take a winter plunge ‡ 1RUWK %UDQFK VWXGHQWV OHDUQ DERXW ZLQWHU HFRORJ\ WKHQ MXPS LQ D SRQG 6HH 3DJH

Independent  photo/Zach  Despart

Farm bill promises relief for dairy businesses Vt.  delegation  clears  hurdle  after  long  delay By  ZACH  DESPART WASHINGTON,  D.C.  â€”  After  years  of  wrangling,  delays  and  set-­ backs,  Congress  appears  to  be  on  the  precipice  of  completing  a  new  farm  bill,  which  Addison  County  dairy  farmers  say  will  protect  their  thin  SURÂżW PDUJLQV “Thanks  to  our  Congressional  del-­

egation,  particularly  Sen.  Leahy,  now  heads  to  the  Senate,  which  we  managed  to  get  some-­ Independent could  approve  the  bill  this  thing  that  wasn’t  a  disas-­ week. reporter  Zach ter  for  dairy,â€?  said  Bob  Despart  tags  along  Vermont’s  lone  mem-­ Foster  of  Foster  Broth-­ ber  of  the  U.S.  House,  with  Rep.  Peter ers  Farm  in  Middlebury.  Democrat  Peter  Welch,  Welch  in  D.C. “It’s  not  all  that  we  would  cast  his  vote  in  favor  of  Read  his  story have  liked,  but  it’s  better  the  measure,  which  passed  on  Page  2. than  we  have  now.â€? 251-­166.  The  vote  was  a  The  House  of  Representatives  bipartisan  one  â€”  members  who  on  Wednesday  voted  to  adopt  a  bill  voted  â€œnoâ€?  included  conservative  that  came  out  of  the  farm  bill  con-­ Republicans  who  believed  the  bill  ference  committee.  The  legislation  did  not  cut  enough  funding  from Â

the  federal  food  stamp  program,  and  liberal  Democrats  who  felt  it  cut  too  much. Shortly  before  the  vote  was  or-­ GHUHG :HOFK VSRNH IURP WKH Ă€RRU of  the  chamber  and  urged  his  col-­ leagues  to  vote  for  the  bill. Âł$ ÂżYH \HDU IDUP ELOO LV DEVR-­ lutely  crucial  to  America,  and  it  is  crucial  to  Vermont  dairy  farmers,â€?  Welch  said.  â€œWith  its  faults  and  imperfections,  America  does  need  (See  Farm  bill,  Page  20)


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.