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News
& Citizen |
| Serving the
People of Lamoille County with News Since 1881 |
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February
4, 2010 Thursday
Morrisville, VT 05661
Web Edition |
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MSI
employee Logan Haskins is shown here, about to “take the plunge”
into Lake Elmore Saturday, January 30. The MSI Pirates raised
about $2,000, the most of all the teams participating in the
second annual Morrisville Rotary Polar Plunge. Noyes
photo |
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Taking the
Plunge |
by Amy Kolb Noyes
ELMORE – For two years running the
Morrisville Rotary has held a Polar
Plunge fundraiser literally in
Lake Elmore. And, it seems, for two
years running they managed to pick the
coldest day of the year for the event.
It was a not-so-balmy four degrees
Fahrenheit out, and that’s without
taking the wind chill into
consideration. That’s even five degrees
colder than last year’s seemingly arctic
event. Nevertheless, an estimated 77
people chose to take the leap into the
icy waters – all for a couple of good
causes.
Continued on Page 2
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Unusual Bat Activity Noted in Johnson |
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
is once again advising people who live
near caves and mines to expect unusual
levels of bat activity as a result of
the White Nose Syndrome (WNS) that is
afflicting hibernating bats. Department
officials say reports of sick bats have
been coming in most recently from
residents in Johnson.
Continued on Page 2
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Court
Records Detail Fatal Johnson Accident |
by Mickey
Smith
Lamoille County Sheriff's Department Detective Jesse
Sawyer's affidavit regarding the head-on collision on Route
100 C that claimed the life of Melissa Boivin, of Johnson,
further clarifies Lamoille County State's Attorney Joel
Page's decision not to charge a third motorist in relation
to the accident. Continued
on Page 2
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Lamoille
North Budgets Finalized, Average Increase of 0.427% |
by Mickey Smith
HYDE PARK – As in so many communities around the state, this
year's school budgets offer a good news/bad news situation for
voters. The average increase of the six town elementary schools,
middle school and the high school budgets combined is 0.427%,
but with changes in student population, increased special
education spending and estimated reductions in state funding all
six towns will see an increase in tax rates after common level
appraisal (CLA) of five to 17 cents.
Continued on Page 2
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Mailbox
Vandalism |
by Mickey Smith
The Lamoille County Sheriff's Department is looking for
information regarding complaints of mailboxes being vandalized
in Hyde Park, on Sunday morning, January 31.
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Cold weather wasn’t
enough to stop people from having “Pie for Breakfast” at the Cambridge Rotary’s
fundraiser as part of Smugglers’ Notch Heritage Winter Fest on Saturday, January
30. |
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News & Citizen
P.O. Box 369 Morrisville, Vermont 05661 802-888-2212
edit@newsandcitizen.com
webmaster
dan@kingdomsedge.com
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Things Look This Way to Me
Editorial by J.B. McKinley 1-21-10
Central Justice Re-visited
I was informed shortly after the paper was distributed last week that I was in
error in last week’s editorial – and I was. Bill H.470 does not close the
existing courthouses in each county. That error lead to several of my
extrapolations probably being wrong, and for that I apologize.
Now, however, I have read a hard copy of the bill, instead of reading off the
computer screen and many of my concerns and comments are valid. Especially valid
is that we should all be aware of the changes coming down the pike with this
re-do of our justice system. For example our side judges would no longer have
any judicial, at the bench duties. They would exist simply to manage county
property. The premises of the new super superior court as to which court
functions would operate there, would now be entirely under the authority of the
new court administrator.
As to whether criminal cases, other than those in which a change of venue was
specifically moved, could be held elseswhere than in the county where the
offenses occurred, it seems they might. Page 62 of H.470 states they “shall be
tried in the superior court in the unit, where an offense within the
jurisdiction of such court is committed. Our unit would be Orange, Washington
and Lamoille counties, I believe.
This proposed restructing of our courts is very complex and we at the
News & Citizen
are still gathering opinions and data on the bill. How will it make things
better or worse? Will it save money, not just tax money, but your personal money
if you have court business? If not, why do it now? Those are a few of the
questions we should have answered.