By CYRUS LEVESQUE

BRISTOL — The Bristol Bakery on Main Street closed last week, and on June 27 the building and business were sold to Conner & Buck Builders, according to Larry Buck. Conner & Buck owns the top part of the building, which is a condominium, and when they learned the first floor was for sale they made an offer, which was accepted.

Buck said that they do not have any definite plans so soon after buying the store, but they recognize the importance of the bakery to the community and, if possible, hope to reopen it.

“We are trying to get somebody involved in the bakery,” Buck said.

The previous owner, Tom Clemonts, could not be reached for comment, and the reason for the sale as the Addison Independent went to press late Wednesday was not known.

By MEGAN GAMBINO

BRISTOL — The Fourth of July weekend sometimes calls for a visit to out-of-town relatives, but for those staying home and those looking to entertain friends and family, there are parades, fireworks, live music, and an array of contests happening in Addison County and Brandon.

STARTING IN BRISTOL

Bristol’s annual Fourth of July celebration, recently highlighted in the summer issue of Vermont Life, fires up on Monday, July 3, with live music by local groups “Sweet Bents� and “In Transition� at 8 p.m. and a fireworks display by Northstar Fireworks, a Vermont-based fireworks company, at 9 p.m. on the Bristol Recreation Field.

Festivities carry over to Tuesday, July 4, as does the precedent of explosive starts, with a 5-kilometer road race scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m.

By JOHN FLOWERS

LINCOLN — St. Albans Republican and U.S. House candidate Martha Rainville won’t be the only Rainville to see her name appear on an election ballot this fall.

Her cousin, Barbara Rainville, has also decided to enter the political arena — as a candidate for one of the two Vermont House seats in the Addison-4 district, which includes the towns of Bristol, Monkton, Lincoln and Starksboro.

Rainville, a Lincoln Republican, enters a race that thus far includes incumbent Reps. Michael Fisher, D-Lincoln, and David Sharpe, D-Bristol. She currently works as marketing manager for Middlebury-based Maple Landmark Woodcraft, which was founded by her brother, Michael Rainville.

By CYRUS LEVESQUE

BRISTOL — In their third vote on the issue, Bristol voters on Tuesday approved a proposed 2006-2007 Bristol Elementary School budget. The $4,208,820 spending plan passed on a tally of 222-184, prompting school officials to heave a collective sigh of relief.

“It feels wonderful,” said BES Co-principal Jill Mackler. “It has been a long process to reach a budget that the community felt good about supporting, and we got there.”

BES board member Meg Wendel agreed. She felt the board and administration had managed to use the feedback they received well. “It feels very good,” she said. “There was a response to (community input), and it worked.”