MONDAY Â Â EDITION
ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT
Vol. 27 No. 44
Middlebury, Vermont
X
Monday, February 8, 2016
X
40 Pages
75¢
Tech teacher touted twice
Selectboard race shapes up in Bristol
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Trio of candidates vie for a three-Âyear seat By  GAEN  MURPHREE BRISTOL  —  The  one  contested  race  on  the  Bristol  ballot  this  Town  Meeting  Day  will  be  for  a  three-Âyear  VHDW RQ WKH WRZQ VHOHFWERDUG Incumbent  Brian  Fox,  the  current  selectboard  chair,  is  running  for  re- election  against  challengers  Joshua  &ODUN DQG 7HG /\OLV The  other  selectboard  seat  up  for  election  on  March  1  is  the  two-Âyear  seat  currently  held  by  Sharon  Com- SDJQD &RPSDJQD ZKR KDV KHOG WKH VHDW VLQFH FKRVH QRW WR UXQ Well-Âknown  Bristol  resident  Peter  Coffey,  who  has  served  in  leadership  SRVLWLRQV ZLWK WKH ORFDO ¿UH GHSDUW- ment  among  many  other  roles,  is  the  only  candidate  on  the  ballot  for  this  SRVLWLRQ There  is  also  a  full  slate  of  can- didates  for  seats  on  the  local  and  (See  Bristol,  Page  7)
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Key weekend for men’s basketball
Ferrisburgh picks  sheriff, not  city  force
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Hands-Âon  training JEANIE  LIN,  A  2010  Middlebury  College  graduate  and  Bristol  resident,  performs  CPR  on  a  medical  GXPP\ GXULQJ DQ (07 FHUWL¿FDWLRQ FODVV RIIHUHG WKURXJK 0LGGOHEXU\ 5HJLRQDO (06 ODVW ZHHN ,QGHSHQGHQW SKRWR 7UHQW &DPSEHOO
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By  ANDY  KIRKALDY FERRISBURGH  —  The  Ferrisburgh  selectboard  has  ended  two  months  of  debate  at  board  meetings  and  around  town  by  voting  to  contract  with  the  Addison  County  Sheriff’s  Department,  not  the  Vergennes  Police  Department,  for  part-Âtime  law  enforcement  services  LQ WKH XSFRPLQJ ¿VFDO \HDU Vermont  State  Police  will  remain  the  primary  responder  for  )HUULVEXUJK 6KHULII 'RQ .HHOHU VDLG at  a  selectboard  meeting  last  month  his  department  would  refer  criminal  (See  Ferrisburgh,  Page  22)
Middlebury  rail  bridges  likely  to  rise  after  all By  JOHN  FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY  —  Middlebury’s  effort  to  maintain  the  height  of  its  two  downtown  rail  bridges  received  a  setback  last  week  with  news  that  VTrans  is  unlikely  to  recommend  such  a  con- cession  because  two  types  of  train  vehicles  can’t  squeeze  through  spans  with  only  18  feet,  8  inches  RI FOHDUDQFH 0LGGOHEXU\ RI¿FLDOV FRQ¿UPHG WKLV ODWHVW QHZV DW D )HE PHHWLQJ RI WKH /RFDO 3URMHFW 0DQDJH-Â
ment  Team  (LPMT),  a  panel  charged  with  repre- VHQWLQJ WKH WRZQ¶V LQWHUHVWV LQ D PLOOLRQ SURM- ect  that  will  replace  the  deteriorating  rail  spans  on  0DLQ 6WUHHW DQG 0HUFKDQWV 5RZ 6WDWH DQG IHGHUDO RI¿FLDOV ZDQW WKRVH EULGJHV to  be  rebuilt  at  a  height  of  at  least  21  feet  in  or- der  to  eventually  accommodate  double-Âstack  rail  FDUV /RFDO RI¿FLDOV KDYH EHHQ OREE\LQJ WR NHHS the  bridges  at  their  current  18  feet,  8  inches  of  clearance,  arguing  that  double-Âstack  cars  are  not Â
currently  in  the  forecast  for  the  Middlebury  rail  spur  and  that  the  higher  clearance  standard  would  DGG PRUH WLPH DQG H[SHQVH WR D SURMHFW FXUUHQWO\ pegged  to  last  at  least  three  years  and  possibly  ORQJHU Middlebury  merchants  and  downtown  prop- erty  owners  have  voiced  concerns  that  a  lengthy  GRZQWRZQ FRQVWUXFWLRQ SURMHFW FRXOG GHYDVWDWH their  respective  bottom  lines,  in  terms  of  divert- (See  Rail  bridges,  Page  23)