Archive - Oct 2, 2006

Closing Statements from the candidates for Vermont’s U.S. House seat from the debate held at Middlebury College Mead Chapel on Sept. 26.

Peter Welch, Democrat:

“I believe our foreign policy must go in a new direction. We know that we face global challenges, the war on terrorism, AIDS, global warming, failed African states. And no single country can solve these problems alone. Global problems require global solutions.
“This election, in many ways, is about competing philosophies. The philosophy of the Bush presidency and the Bush Congress, both in domestic and foreign affairs, can be simply stated: You’re on your own.
“In domestic affairs, if you want healthcare, get a health savings account. And even if you’re one of the millions of American families that can’t balance their budget at the end of the month, you’re on your own. You want clean air and clean water, move. It’s not the job of your government to make certain that those are available to you and your family. To our young soldiers who are sent off to Iraq and Afghanistan and Kuwait on our behalf, with patriotic speeches, when they come home, it’s with the message that we’ve cut their veteran benefits. You’re on your own.

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Closing Statements from the candidates for Vermont’s U.S. House seat from the debate held at Middlebury College Mead Chapel on Sept. 26.

Peter Welch, Democrat:

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By CYRUS LEVESQUE

BRISTOL — Lincoln resident Jen Connel had hoped to open the Green Mountain Pie Company on Main Street in Bristol in the space formerly occupied by Showtime Video, but her plans have hit an unforeseen snag in recent weeks, as the town has reached the limit of the sewage capacity it can assign to new businesses or developments in the downtown area.

“I don’t know what I’m going to be able to do in that space,” said Connel, who had rented the space before the town realized it didn’t have the sewage capacity she needed. “As the flows stand right now, Bristol cannot grow.”

In July, an annual reassessment by the wastewater management division of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) set the limit of reserve sewage capacity Bristol could allocate at 1,260 gallons per day. However, the selectboard had voted in April to reserve 990 gallons to the Bristol Trading Post, owned by John Moyers, which is expected to open by mid-November.

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By JOHN FLOWERS

BRIDPORT — Bridport voters will have an extra reason to turn out at the polls for the Nov. 7 General Election. That’s because the ballot will feature a question asking residents if they’d like to reconsider their decision last August to spend $600,000 on a new town garage and renovated fire department facilities.

Town officials confirmed last week that they’d received a reconsideration petition bearing 81 signatures, almost double the minimum 43 signatures required to force the revote.

Officials surmised that some residents were concerned about the $600,000 price tag of the project, approved by an 81-75 margin on Aug. 17. That project includes erecting a new, five-bay garage on a 16-acre parcel of town-owned land at the intersection of Crown Point Road and Short Street. The Bridport Public Works Department and its equipment have outgrown the current four-bay bay garage on Crown Point Road in the village.

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By JOHN FLOWERS
ADDISON COUNTY — The Vermont Downtown Development Board (VDDB) on Thursday awarded $837,039 in tax credits to redevelopment of older and/or historic buildings in 11 communities, including a combined total of $236,344 for the renovation of structures in Middlebury and Vergennes.
Among those awarded tax credits were Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater ($160,640); the Grist Mill at 360 Main St., Vergennes ($61,693); and 94-96 Main St., Vergennes ($14,011).

Projects on the list involving private property are now entitled to tax deductions to help underwrite qualifying renovations. Nonprofits on the list can sell their credits to a bank to raise cash for their projects, under a new program approved by the Legislature last year.

Property owners cannot claim any of the credits until their respective building repairs are completed.

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