Addison Independent, Monday, January 7, 2013 — PAGE 25
nt is feaThe work of Pat Olipha political t of tured in a local exhibi cartoons. See Page 10B.
hockey and The Middlebury field will host women’s soccer teams Page 1B. NCAA regionals. See
s a sailor Our special section featurefrom recalling D-Day and vets service. various wars talking about
Elections return incumbents to capitol
Drawing a bead
Panthers rule
Veterans Day
NTY ADDISON COU
INDEPENDENT November ont Thursday,
Middlebury, Verm
Vol. 66 No. 45
ats in Senate
Ayer, Bray grab se By JOHN FLOWERS Addison MIDDLEBURY — Buel’s Gore County, Huntington and elming envoters on Tuesday overwh Claire Ayer, dorsed incumbent Sen. term in office fifth a for son, D-Addi Haven Demoand also elected New nt them in crat Chris Bray to represechamber. the Legislature’s highest
Smith tops McGuire in Addison-5 House race
Ripton indeRobert Wagner, a majority of the Ayer, the former Senate t, placed third and out man of the penden in this, his whip and current chairwo Commit- running with 5,073 tallies state consecutive bid for the Senate Health and Welfare tter, notch- second tee, was the top vote-ge the former Senate. back to ing 12,943 tallies. Bray, ntative and “I am happy to be goingher elec” Ayer said of Addison-5 state represe as nt gov- the Senate, task lieutena main for her te citing 2010 candida with 9,915 tion victory,Senate, Page 19A) (See ernor, finished second, votes.
By JOHN FLOWERS Rep. HarMIDDLEBURY — Haven, won revey Smith, R-New representing election to a sixth term t House on Addison-5 in the Vermon Democrat g Tuesday after defeatin of New Hare McGui Ed challenger ven, 1,145-959. farmer and Smith, 67, is a lifelong representing is in his second stint n-5, a disAddiso trict that includes the towns of New Haven, Bridport and Weybridge. Smith defeated McGuire 523-433 in New Haven and by a 390-226 margin in Bridport. McGuire, 69, had a strong showing as a first-time canSMITH didate. The retired High School Mount Abraham Union Guard offiteacher and U.S. Coast of Weybridge by town the cer won but was unable a 300-232 margin, Smith had reto overcome the edge and Bridport. corded in New Haven e when you “It’s always a pleasur on Wednesday. win,” Smith said really appreci“It is humbling. You g with you, ate all the folks workin helping you get supporting you and elected.” unsolicited some got also Smith political acassistance from the nters First,” tion committee “Vermo campaign which circulated several the weeks during fliers on his behalf (See Smith, Page 22A)
75¢
8, 2012 46 Pages
’ to VUHS bond ANwSU residents say ‘no
roof repairs kitchen and cafeteria, and areas of the building, School, 2,244-1,653. ow voters said to several By ANDY KIRKALDY sidewalk and traffic-fl In percentage terms, ts of to a plan parking, VERGENNES — Residen by 57.6 to 42.4 percent to the improvements. no Superest assisthe five Addison Northw Tuesday that included improvements ANwSU administrative tion on d installa towns receive visory Union s auditorium, Martin, who $6.5 million school’ artificial tant Glory an and 19A) track Page rejected a proposed six-lane (See VUHS, and major up- of a field, upgrades to its bond to fund repairs Union High turf playing grades to Vergennes
Bristol backs new town plan Compromises vital to document
EN By XIAN CHIANG-WAR d new BRISTOL — The propose a deciwith Bristol town plan passed vote on Tuessive 68.7 percent of the process that ar day, ending an eight-ye divide the town at times seemed to ls and reon issues of zoning proposa source extraction. ecstatic,” said “In all honesty, I’m Planning Kris Perlee of the Bristol was done work Commission. “A lot of make a plan that by a lot of people to the town as a reflects the desires of whole.” are visionary In Vermont, town plans a community’s documents that chart transportation, priorities for growth, natural resource housing, energy and things. They stewardship, among other on which zoning also serve as the basis rules are written. atop a wealth In Bristol, which sits t s, the town election. Voter turnou resource y’s gravel Tuesda of natural cast her ballot during wrapped up in nt Campbell Thompson how to Independent photo/Tre plan quickly became instructs voter Lisa when to permit WATCHER John Meakin the issue of where and WEYBRIDGE POLL in many county towns. were made t extraction, and changes the at-times was above 70 percen along the way to address contentious question. sion is a re“The planning commis worked hard to ally diverse group that represented,” fewer areas see that all sides we well “There are fewer and 58 chairman of the be considered easily won, garnering said Peeker Heffernan, of Vermont that can made a lot l analyst ter Shumlin (as of Wednesday Bristol selectboard. “They point.” can,” Davis said. tests. Eric Davis, a politica l percent of votes of votes solidly Republithe Vermont Republito get to this mises percent 95 By ANDY KIRKALDY Addison and a professor emeritus of politica compro with of Davis said — , noted morning of the plan, aphic diADDISON COUNTY at Middlebury College 38 percent for Republi The latest incarnation party faces a demogr Presidential science tracked counted) to , 1,061-484, to Brock. Davis can County balloting in the statewide how closely local balloting which passed on Tuesday mises, inin broadening its appeal can challenger Randy he lemma d what mirrore typiin compro the e results won only current solid race on Tuesday incorporated major the first with statewid across noted that Brock counties of Caledo- state residents: Its only voters and Village Planning voting, as Vermont becamein Demo- called a big day for Democrats cluding creation of a cally Republican support comes from older lack postland around the state in the nation placed Obama’s Vermont. and Orleans. Area that protected r voters who yesterday is nia, Franklin Brock failed to win in from younge resource extraccratic President Barack a second “The big story from village from natural education, and those But, he said, atic wave Rut- high school column in his march toward can-leaning Essex and simply there was a Democr (See Bristol, Page 22A) (See Races, Page 13A) Republi said. Davis over the state,” term. voters also that swept of the ticket, Gov. Pe- land counties. Meanwhile, county top At the statewide conbacked winners in all
tide ocratic in Dem votersstrojo Vermont’s victors Local nty king for president, bac ng ides prov Addison Cou
cted as Lanpher, Clark re-ele kers ma Vergennes-area law 56, was the top vote-get-
Lanpher, tive By JOHN FLOWERS Incumbent ter in securing her third consecu nting the communities VERGENNES — ennes, and term represe Ferrisburgh, Panton, n, Reps. Greg Clark, R-Verg ennes, easily of Addiso She finDiane Lanpher, D-Verg respective Vergennes and Waltham. ed compar their to votes, ion with 2,635 won re-elect his nting the Addi- ished for Clark, who secured House seats represe voting in to 2,355 20A) son-3 district amid heavyn. (See Vergennes, Page Tuesday’s General Electio
Jewett wins, to vie for House majority leader
Addison County
By the way
By JOHN FLOWERS Willem JewHampel RIPTON — Rep. Oops! Apologies to Betty ed her tably won his ett, D-Ripton, comfor tive term of Middlebury. We publish 11A of contest for a fifth consecu n-2 House poem “Haunted” on Page forgot representing the Addiso dent chalbut we last Thursday’s paper, the author district, defeating indepen 1,400-882 as name her a to include lenger Tim Ryan by mistake. Thanks Our poem. y. the of Tuesda margin in voting on 19A) were count(See By the way, Page And after the ballots to the Addison ed, Jewett confirmed will run for the Independent that he y Leader when post of House Majorit Jewett 8. Dec. ........ 6A on s his party caucuse Obituaries ........................ . 4B-8B House Majority currently serves as Classifieds .......................... 5B-7B ned their Whip. Democrats maintai Vermont Service Directory ............ the ........................ 12A inment sizable majority in Enterta in turnout ...... 8A-10A House amid heavy voter n. Community Calendar ........ 1B-3B the Nov. 6 General Electioto get the Sports ........................ d “I’m always gratifie rs on election support of my neighbo the results. of day,” Jewett, 49, said means It by it. “I’m always humbled to do going that there is a lot of work (See Jewett, Page 22A)
Index
ght s open muDouble deli nes union high school EBURY AND Vergen ed “White Christ-
BOTH MIDDL above, rehears Elliot d. Alix Kauffman, nes castmates, while sicals this weeken with fellow Vergen through the second act of mas” Tuesday night and DJ Piper worked photographs, Franklin, far right, tion of “Anything Goes.” For more l Middlebury’s produc and Trent Campbel 16A. Photos by Keith Darwin see Pages 2A and
The decennial reapportionment of the state’s legislative districts brought an interesting change in Addison County’s two-seat senatorial district in the spring, but that change did not fuel much intrigue for the November elections that were to come. Reapportionment — done every 10 years to ensure legislative districts reflect the Constitutional standard of one person, one vote — resulted in re-drawn House and Senate maps. A special committee, which included former Democratic Sen. Gerry Gossens of Salisbury, recommended no changes to Addison County’s House districts. But it produced a Senate map that initially suggested the Addison County senatorial district shed the town of Brandon to the south and instead absorb Charlotte to the north. Charlotte residents opposed the move, which was taken off the table in place of a new scenario that eventually won bipartisan approval: Swapping Brandon instead for the communities of Huntington and Buel’s Gore. It is a swap that did not generate widespread opposition from the affected communities. Some Huntington officials in fact said the change might result in their community getting better representation in the Senate than they had been getting from the Chittenden County delegation. Political observers noted the newly constituted
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Addison County senatorial district would benefit Democratic candidates over Republicans. That’s because the district was shedding the largely conservative voting bloc of Brandon and replacing it with the more left-leaning electorate of Huntington and Buel’s Gore. That shift in demographics apparently resonated with prospective Republican candidates during the ensuing months, as not one GOP hopeful would file papers to run for the county’s two state Senate seats. That was even more surprising in light of an open seat; incumbent Sen. Harold Giard, DBridport, had announced he would not seek re-election. Indeed, there weren’t a lot of fireworks on election night in Addison County. All of the incumbent Addison County lawmakers on the ballot won re-election, most of them Democrats who ran unopposed. The county did add one new-but-familiar face to its legislative delegation: New Haven Democrat Chris Bray, who won election to the state Senate. Bray had previously represented the Addison-5 House district for four years. He joins longtime incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire Ayer of Addison in the state’s highest chamber. Among those returned to office, following a win against Salisbury independent Tim Ryan, was Rep. Willem Jewett. In December, Jewett, a Ripton Democrat, ran successfully for the post of House majority leader.
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