‘Jubilate Deo’
Under-story
Hinesburg Artists Series returns with music of ‘sublime beauty’
Striped maples play important role in forest ecosystem
Page 3
Page 16
May 12, 2022
Charlotte faces big price tag for garage
POSTAL CUSTOMER
ECRWSSEDDM
Weekly news coverage for Charlotte and Hinesburg
MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT
COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
See GARAGE on page 12
thecitizenvt.com
Auclair case heads back to Vermont trail court
Eye candy
Current estimate tops $4 million Charlotte is staring down a hefty price for a new town garage — close to $4 million — a surprise for officials who had expected to pay half as much. The proposed garage, set to be built at the former flea market on Route 7 on the southeastern-most portion of Burns Woods, is projected to cost the town $3,762,049 — more than half of which would be raised through a bond. “When we got this pre-estimate from Russell Construction, it kind of took the breath out of you because we didn’t expect it to be anywhere near this amount,” selectboard Chair Jim Faulkner said. “I almost fell out of my chair,” selectboard member Lewis Mudge said. The issue now becomes what the town wants to cut from the proposal to trim the cost. Residents during a selectboard meeting Monday called the figure “alarming” and “outrageous,” and officials spent much of the time debating how to reduce that cost, and what to take out of the building — reducing the number of garage bays, for example. “We haven’t trimmed this at all,” Faulkner said “We have to find ways to cut it.” Town officials looked to Hines-
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #217 CONCORD, NH
PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
A mountain biker enjoys the view from Mt Philo on a recent spring day.
The effort by a murder suspect to keep his potential cooperation with Chittenden County prosecutors a secret is headed back to the trial court for further consideration following a ruling by the Vermont Supreme Court. Kory Lee George, who is charged with the fatal shooting of his stepfather in July 2019, offered prosecutors comments privately over three days in December 2020, court records show. They were designed to help the state with the criminal charges against his mother, Angela Auclair, in the Hinesburg homicide case. George had been talking with state prosecutors about a possible plea deal since at least August 2020, according to court records. George, 34, formerly of Monkton, wants to have a protective order issued by Judge Alison S. Arms to block any disclosure to his mother about what he told prosecutors while trying to cut a plea deal for himself in his cases, court records show. The office of State’s Attorney Sarah George, who is not related to the defendant, eventually rejected the information from the defendant against his mother, the high court said in a ruling issued last Friday. Kory Lee George has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of David Auclair, 45, of Williston, in July 2019. He also has denied a related burglary charge into a Colchester residence to steal three guns, including one used in the homicide, and obstruction of See AUCLAIR on page 12