VERGENNES — City resident Catherine Brooks, the cultural heritage tourism coordinator for the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, told the City Council at a March 22 meeting about an opportunity for Vergennes to link up with Plattsburgh to celebrate the upcoming 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.
A pivotal event in that war is variously known as the Battle of Plattsburgh or the Battle of Valcour Island. The ships that fought in the winning U.S. side were built in Vergennes.
“It seems if you partner with Plattsburgh, it would be a good way to get out the word about your contributions to the War of 1812,” said Brooks, who said Vergennes stood to gain a piece of the expected surge of tourism dollars expected.
Brooks discussed newsprint and Internet advertising opportunities, and city representatives will probably attend a planning meeting in Burlington early next month. 
— — — —
CORRECTION: (posted March 31) As former Vergennes mayor Richard Adams in an online comment and an emailer to the Independent both pointed out, this article on the possible benefits to Vergennes of War of 1812 tourism contained a mistake: The reporter confused the Battle of Valcour Island during the Revolutionary War with the War of 1812 Battle of Plattsburgh.
Commodore Thomas MacDonough was the U.S. naval hero of the latter action, hence the city council’s interest in linking with Plattsburgh in promoting War of 1812 tourism. Benedict Arnold was the U.S. naval hero of the earlier battle. We apologize for the error.