Local orchard gets help from state pg. 3
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Champlain Orchards gets a financial boost from VEDA.
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COMMUNITY NEWS
TAKE ONE July 20, 2019
Hinesburg death was a homicide By Lou Varricchio EDITOR
HINESBURG | The Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office has completed the autopsy of David Auclair. The Williston resident’s death was ruled a homicide last week. The cause of death, which occurred in Hinesburg’s town forest July 11, was due to multiple gunshot wounds. According to a news statement released by Vermont State Police Detective Lt. J.P. Schmidt July 12, “the investigation began when the Hinesburg Police Department responded at about 10:40 p.m. Thursday to multiple reports of gunshots in the area of the trailhead. “When Hinesburg police arrived, they located a body later identified as that of Mr. Auclair near his vehicle, a gray 2017 GMC pickup truck. Hinesburg police requested assistance from the state police, which responded with members of the Major Crime Unit, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Crime Scene Search Team and Field Force. Investigators processed the scene on Friday, July 12. Mr. Auclair’s body was transported to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington on Friday afternoon for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.” Law enforcement authorities searched the scene in the town forest and other locations connected to Auclair. It was unclear at press time if the homicide took place at the scene or elsewhere. ■
Serving Addison, Rutland & Chittenden Counties
Airbnb reaches tax deal with Rutland By Lou Varricchio EDITOR
RUTLAND | City of Rutland Mayor David Allaire appeared pleased to have struck an agreement with Airbnb, a new Internetfocused competitor to the local motel and traditional bed-and-breakfast business sector. As of July 1, Airbnb began collecting and remitting the hotel room rental tax on taxable stays in the city. A similar deal was reached between Airbnb and the City of Burlington earlier this year. “The city is looking forward to the additional revenue that will be generated by this agreement and appreciative of the collection role that Airbnb has offered to take on,” Mayor Allaire said last week. “The city also anticipates gaining valuable insight into the prevalence of home sharing in Rutland.” Airbnb will “collect and remit room rental tax on behalf of those hosts who have listings across the city,” according to an Airbnb news release. “With this new agreement, Airbnb is now collecting and remitting taxes in Vermont statewide... .” “Airbnb is an economic mobilizer for everyone, from families sharing their home to make ends meet, to the small businesses benefiting from more guests shopping and eating locally, and now to the City of Rutland, which will join hundreds of local governments worldwide in receiving a new source of tax revenue from home sharing,” said Josh Meltzer, head of Airbnb’s Northeast Public Policy office. “We hope this latest agreement will also serve as yet another clear example of the economic potential of home sharing in Vermont.” In 2018, by Airbnb’s reckoning, its Vermont “host community” earned a combined $48.5
Mayor David Allaire: “The city is looking forward to the additional revenue that will be generated by this agreement and appreciative of the collection role that Airbnb has offered to take on. The city also anticipates gaining valuable insight into the prevalence of home sharing in Rutland.” Photo by Lou Varricchio million in supplemental income with approximately 341,300 guest arrivals to the state. “There are 1,000 Airbnb listings in the City of Rutland, which welcomed 48,300 Airbnb guests over the past year,” according to Airbnb. It is uncertain how Airbnb is impacting the bottomline of Rutland’s motel and traditional bed-and-breakfast sector. San Francisco-based Airbnb was founded in 2008. Its members can arrange or offer lodging, homestays, or tourism experiences. The company does not own any of the real estate listings.
In a well-publicized 2017 study, international travel blogger Asher Fergusson analyzed 1,021 negative Airbnb experiences by guests. “There are ways for hosts to use fake information to circumvent Airbnb’s background checks,” Fergusson claimed. “...Several reported incidents include last minute cancellations, moldy or rodent-infested lodging, theft, invasion of privacy, and even rape and murder.” Fregusson noted that Airbnb responded to his report saying that “the 1,021 incidents are statistically insignificant compared to 260 million check-ins at the time and that the company tries to remedy any problem.” ■
Brandon fined for sewage in the Neshobe River
DOG DOC:
Organizers of the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival have selected an inspiring documentary, “The Dog Doc”, as its Opening Night Film for the 5th Annual Festival, screening on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m., at Town Hall Theater. The movie tells the story of Dr. Marty Goldstein, a maverick veterinarian, and his dedicated team at Smith Ridge Veterinary Center, as they create hope and a last chance for animal healing. The festival will be its Vermont premiere. Director Cindy Meehl and Dr. Jacqueline Ruskin, DVM, and partner at Smith Ridge, will attend the Opening Night screening and participate in an on-stage event following. Photo by Cindy Meehl
By Lou Varricchio EDITOR
BRANDON | The town of Brandon has been fined $12,000 by the state of Vermont for polluting the Neshobe River last year. Last week, the Agency of Natural Resources’ Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced it was fining Brandon for spilling three million gallons of raw sewage directly into the Neshobe River. The agency also noted that town officials failed to alert the state in a timely manner. DEC reported that the town of Brandon agreed to the fine and paid it “for the unpermitted discharge and delayed reporting.” » Sewage fine Cont. on pg. 6
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