December 28, 2006
By ANDY KIRKALDY
VERGENNES — Vergennes Alderman Michael Sullivan, who served as the first superintendent of the Vergennes-Panton Water District for 34 years, died of an apparent heart attack at his Monkton Road home on Christmas Eve.
Sullivan, 61, was known as a leader and past Commander of the Vergennes American Legion Post 14, a Past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, an architect of the effort to bring safe water to the city in the early 1970s, a conservationist, and as an outspoken city council member who was pondering a run for mayor in March.
Despite his often contrary and at times long-winded political opinions, Vergennes Mayor April Jin said Sullivan’s underlying good-heartedness made him popular on the city council as well as in the Vergennes area.