Archive - Apr 8, 2010 - Page

5. All you need is love

Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of essays about politics and the moral life. The essays develop themes from a work by the philosopher Plato, entitled “Laws,” which he wrote shortly before his death in 347 BCE. “Laws” is written as a dialogue involving three old men with long experience in politics: Cleinias, from the Cretan city of Cnossos; Megillus, from Sparta; and an Athenian stranger who is not named, but who may be Plato himself. This essay follows Plato’s digression into the “Symposium.”

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SHOREHAM — Newton Academy, the state’s oldest standing secondary school building and the focus of a major renovation effort by the town of Shoreham, was destroyed by a fire early Wednesday morning.

Local firefighters believe a lightening strike triggered the blaze, which quickly consumed the town-owned building that hosted a pre-school and medical clinic.

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ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont dairy farmers slogged through the worst milk prices they’d seen in decades for much of 2009, struggling to stay in business as they sold their milk at prices so low they could not cover the cost of production.

Now, milk price forecasts suggest that 2010 isn’t shaping up to be much better for dairymen, many of whom went into debt to the tune of $800 to $1,000 per cow last year in order to continue farming.

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VERGENNES — Becky, 23, thought she was on a path to matrimony and a nurturing household for her two children.

But the longtime Addison County resident’s life took an abrupt turn last month with a sudden breakup that left her homeless. Faced with no other options, Becky sought help at the John W. Graham Emergency Shelter in Vergennes.

“I had nowhere else to go,” Becky said.

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MIDDLEBURY — The economy may be bad, but Middlebury College is having no trouble attracting students eager for a liberal arts education.

In fact, according to Dean of Admissions Bob Clagett, this year the admissions office at the college handled 7,978 first-year applications, which is both an increase of 16 percent over last year and the largest applicant pool ever. The larger volume of applicants also meant that admissions officers saw more students with very high extracurricular and academic standings.

“It made for a very challenging year for us,” said Clagett.

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LINCOLN — Bern Terry wants his clients to think of him like the family nephew: friendly, available and ready to step in when an elder needs a little extra help around the home.

That concept of flexible, personal home care is at the heart of a new for-profit senior care business expanding this month to Addison County. As the company’s name implies, Extended Family steps in to help senior citizens remain independent and in their homes — much like a family member or neighbor might pitch in as someone ages.

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MIDDLEBURY — Local planning and economic development officials on Wednesday were lobbying hard against proposed state budget cuts they said could dramatically affect their ability to deliver services in Addison County.

The Legislature and the Douglas administration in January agreed to jointly seek $38 million in budget cuts to help shore up a $154 million shortfall in the fiscal year 2011 budget.

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BRANDON — It remains to be seen whether New England Woodcraft will buy or lease the former Neo EMS building on Prospect Street in Brandon, but plans to expand the company’s operations at that location are moving forward.

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