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January 17, 2015
Published by New Market Press, Inc.
Fond sendoff for Vt Carbon dispatcher Tax could ACTR By Lou Varricchio ruin low gas prices
Serving more than 30,000 Readers Weekly
NEW LIBRARY IN WORKS
lou@addison-eagle.com
By Bruce Parker Vermont Watchdog Report Montpelier Ñ Gas prices have fallen a buck on average in most states, putting more money back in motoristsÕ wallets. in Vermont, however, environmental groups are proposing a tax to grab that buck from drivers and give it to the state to stop global warming. energy independent Vermont, a coalition led by Vermont public interest research Group, 350. org and other prominent organizations, is backing a carbon tax on gasoline and other fuels that could raise gas prices as much as $1.35. the tax would effectively erase the economic benefits Vermonters are currently enjoying at the pump. Gas prices have fallen sharply since last summer. West texas intermediate oil prices dropped below $50 a barrel briefly Monday, sending gasoline to its lowest prices in five years. the price of oil began dropping last fall, but accelerated rapidly in late november when the organization of petroleum exporting Countries decided against lowering oil production. Combined with increased fracking on private land in the United States, the strong supply of petroleum has caused gasoline prices to drop to lows common to the Bushera presidency. While national gas prices averaged $2.18 per gallon Monday, motorists across the 50 states saw a wide range of prices at the pump. Vermont and new CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
MiDDleBUrY Ñ Sixteen candles usually mean a Ò sweet 16Ó birthday party, but in the case of Marcia Brown of ACtr, Addison County transit resources, 16 candles on a farewell cake signified 16 years of selfless service as a bus dispatcher for thousands of local riders on ACtr van-buses. Brown retired last month and during the final weeks of her tenure at ACTR, Brown was surprised with hundreds of greeting cards and congratulatory cards and letters from around Addison County. A special luncheon was held in BrownÕ s honor at the new Community transportation Center on Creek road in Middlebury durng the holiday season just ended. Ò Dispatching is critically important to our transportation system and requires excellent customer service skills. Marcia was so good at making people feel cared for that riders often asked to speak directly to her,Ó Senior Manager Shari lutton said at the farewell luncheon. Ò Brown arranged transportation for thousands of people during her 16 year career. Her work was fulfilling and she will miss the friends she has made over the years.Ó CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
The Pierson Library Building Steering Committee is currently discussing renovations or re-building the building that houses the Pierson Library. Turn to page 10 for the full story.
Addison man is arctic dog sledding expert By Anne Majusiak amaj@gmavt.net BriStol Ñ the snowy world of sled dogs will be explored in a program this month sponsored by the one World library project in Bristol. Addison resident ed Blechner, who has been mushing dogs for 40 years throughout the northeast and eastern Canada, will present Ò Dogsledding in labradorÓ , thursday, Jan. 15, 7-8:30 p.m., at the lawrence Memorial library in Bristol. During this free program, Blechner will speak about his experiences using teams of dogs to pull sleds, including his last big trip to the wilderness of western labrador that covered 200 miles in ten days with fourteen dogs in two teams. He will also bring a couple of his dogs for the presentation. Dogsledding in north America and Siberia dates back 4000 years according to archeological evidence. Settlers in northern Canada depended on sled dogs as a way to pull heavy loads over snow. French men who settled in the Gaspe peninsula in the 1500s learned this custom from the native iroquois and became known as Coureurs des bois or runners of the woods. By 1700 dog sledding was so widespread in this part of Canada that it had become ordinary transportation. the French term Marche, meaning Ò goÓ or Ò runÓ to command the team, became the word Mush for english Canadians. Ò MushÓ , however, is not Ed Blechner of Addison pictured in Labrador with a canine pal.
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