ECRWSS PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENTON PUBLICATIONS/ NEW MARKET PRESS PO Box 338 Elizabethtown NY 12932 Postal Patron
April 4, 2015
Remembering Norman Audet BRIDPORT Ñ Addison County farmer Norman Bertrand Audet, 86, passed away March 20, 2015. Audet was born Jan. 28, 1929 in Frampton, Quebec, son Norman of Fortunate Audet and Emerilda Audet. Audet grew up a farmer and a fisherman. He married his late wife, MaryRose Highter, in 1958. They bought Blue Spruce Farm that same year, where they raised their family and their family continues to reside. By all accounts, Audet was a hard worker and a loving husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather and great-grandfather. He spent most of his precious free time at home with his loved ones, but he did manage to go on trips to Rome and Hawaii. He spoke fondly of his travels. He and Mary-Rose spent several winters in Florida. He enjoyed walking on the beach, collecting sand dollars, and meeting people. In his later years he enjoyed playing cards, putting together puzzles, tinkering with trains, and decorating for Christmas. But mostly he lived for visits with his family over a glass of rum and Coke. Audet diligently documented the good times in pictures. He left behind a treasure trove of photo albums. Audet is survived by his five children: Eugene Audet and wife Marie of Bridport; Ernest Audet and wife Melissa of Bridport; Earl Audet and wife Nora of Bridport; Emerilda Rachad and husband M’Hamed of Morocco; and Elaine Desforges and husband Brian of Bridport. He is survived by fourteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Norman is survived by his sister, CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Published by New Market Press, Inc.
Arrest made in Vergennes robberies
Serving more than 30,000 Readers Weekly
CLOSING?
By Lou Varricchio lou@addison-eagle.com
VERGENNES Ñ For Vermontiana buffs, March 2015 will go down in the history books as the moment in time when Vergennes became the Green Mountain StateÕ s bank robbery capital. The unofficial crime moniker of the Little City followed two bank holdups, howevRicky Putnam er, with help from the public as well as bank video surveillance images, the two Friday robberies resulted in the arrest of Addison resident Ricky Putnam, 44, last week. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Rumors about the closing of Greg’s Market in downtown Middlebury continued this week with a store official neither confirming nor denying the rumors. An assistant manager told the Eagle on March 30 that a local news report about the market closing, which appeared in print March 23, was in error. However, Greg’s owner was unavailable to set the record straight. An unnamed Greg’s employee told the Eagle that employees are in the dark, however, they have heard that the current owner of the store is in talks with a potential buyer, possibly Mac’s Market of Rutland. The Eagle’s call to Mac’s about the story was not returned. Eagle photo
Incrementalism? Senate approves controversial gun control bill By Bruce Parker Vermont Watchdog Report
Opponents of gun control legislation that passed the Senate on Wednesday say the bill is an incremental step toward future gun restrictions. Shutterstock photo Vermont Watchdog
MONTPELIER Ñ A controversial bill that bans violent felons and mentally ill Vermonters from possessing a firearm passed a preliminary vote of 20 to 8 in the Senate on Wednesday. Expected final approval on Thursday would send the bill to the House, where new changes could reignite a passionate fight over gun control. In February, pro-gun Vermonters from across the state flocked to the statehouse in droves, blazoned in orange, to express opposition to S.31. That bill aimed to impose criminal background checks for private gun sales. While that piece of legislation died in committee under blazing public opposition, two lesser parts of the bill have advanced in the form of S.141. The new bill would make it illegal for violent felons to possess a gun, as a mirror to federal law and laws in 49 other states. It would also require that people with adjudicated mental illness be reported to the FBIÕ s National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Despite the lack of gun-related crimes in Vermont, backers of the bill say the legislation is necessary because federal agents and prosecutors struggle to enforce the federal law. Opponents say there is no gun crime in Vermont and therefore S.141 is a solution in search of a problem. Ò WeÕ ve constantly said this bill is unnecessary. WeÕ re opposed to it,Ó said CONTINUED ON PAGE 7