Bravo to Karen Duguay, Amey Ryan and others at the Better Middlebury Partnership.
I’m delighted the Better Middlebury Partnership is stepping up to the challenge facing our community. I’ve just sent my check for $500 to help with your efforts.
My concern is that BMP and the town of Middlebury may underestimate the difficulty of restoring a healthy downtown. I hope others — neighboring towns, institutions and individuals — will contribute generously.
Specifically, I encourage BMP to seek a $50,000 contribution from Vermont Rail System, a principal proponent and beneficiary of the four year, $79,000,000-plus  project that disrupted Middlebury’s economic center. Surely, VRS’ enthusiasm for double-stack freight and passenger rail service will translates to money in their pockets. It could not be more appropriate for VRS to support BMP’s efforts to undo the damage. 
Thanks for your hard work!
Bruce Hiland
Middlebury