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VERMONT
March 17, 2018
CONSOLIDATED TAKES OVER FAIRPOINT, PLANS AGGRESSIVE UPGRADES
From Staff & News Reports V ERMONT EAGLE
MIDDLEBURY | Officials of Illinois-based Consolidated Communications, Inc., have announced plans to increase broadband speeds, by the end of this year, to more than 500,000 residents and small businesses across its Vermont and remaining northern New England service area. Consolidated Communications recently launched its brand locally following the company’s acquisition of FairPoint Communications last year. “This is an exciting time for our (new Vermont) customers as we significantly increase broadband speeds and make it easier to do business with us,” said Bob Udell, president and chief executive officer of Consolidated Communications located in Mattoon City in southeastern Illinois. As Vermont residents have more and more devices connecting to the Internet, Consolidated Communications officials said they are making delivering faster speeds to customers a “top priority”. More than 500,000 residents and small businesses will be able to get speeds two to three times faster than what is currently available. » Broadband Cont. on pg. 13
Published by New Market Press, Inc.
Serving Addison, Rutland & Chittenden Counties
OTTER VALLEY PRINCIPAL REASSURES PARENTS » OVUHS Cont. on pg. 2
SIGN OF THE TIMES: OVUHS has locked all perimeter doors during the school day except the front door. The school has installed a system that will require school visitors to request entrance via the front door and then be permitted entrance. Photo courtesy of Gov Tech
Sugarmakers gear up for Open House Weekend By Lou Varricchio EAGLE EDITOR
PUBLIC TESTIMONY: At a recent public meeting held in downtown Rutland, members and clients of the Addison County Parent-Child Center advised House Budget Appropriations Committee legislators on the center’s services in the community. Jeannie Demag spoke about how the center helped her get a high school diploma and provide child care. The center’s Donna Bailey asked legislators for an increase of $8 million to assist all area parent-child centers. Photo by Lou Varricchio
According to Trevor Audet of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, Maple Open House Weekend, on Palm Sunday weekend March 24-25, is Vermont’s most anticipated early spring event. “It brings an estimated 30,000 visitors to tour the sugar houses and meet the sugar makers responsible for leading the nation in maple syrup production (nearly 1.8 million gallons averaged over the past 3 seasons),” Audet said. Audet said that the upcoming weekend celebrates the current season’s crop and this year’s event has expanded the offerings and activities for visitors by partnering with local businesses who specialize in their own craft and support Vermont’s maple industry. Open house activities include sampling syrup; tours of the woods; pancake breakfasts, horsedrawn sleigh rides, sugar-on-snow parties; and
plenty of maple products to taste including maple donuts, maple cotton candy and maple creemees. Locally, not every Addison County or Rutland County sugarmaker is participating in the annual event. According to Moe Rheaume, president of the Addison County Maple Sugarmakers Association (ACSMA), and owner of Rheaume Family Maple, located on West Shore Road in Salisbury, his own sugarhouse locale doesn’t have enough parking spaces for visitors. “ACSMA is mostly focused mostly on Addison County Fair & Field Days, but there are some of our individual members who will be participating during the Open House weekend,” he said. “But the Rheaume family is not open at that time. Regardless of the tourist marketing effort for March 24-25, Rheaume said this year’s sap run started early and is looking good with one-third of the crop collected so far. » Sugarmakers Cont. on pg. 10
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