News & Citizen

Serving the People of Lamoille County with News Since 1881

Volume 123     No 10 No 5569            June 14,   2007 Thursday                           Morrisville, VT 05661                        Web Edition

Questions Still Linger in School Bus Accident by Mickey Smith JOHNSON – As of Tuesday, June 12, at noon, the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department was still not sure what caused a First Student school bus to slide into a drainage ditch on Gould Hill in Johnson, injuring 14 students. Continued on Page 2 GMTA Announces Biodiesel Buses nc p-1 The Green Mountain Transportation Agency (GMTA) is pleased to announce that since March 8, 2007 all GMTA buses have been fueled with biodiesel.  Biodiesel is a safe, clean burning fuel source which is derived from domestically produced, renewable sources such as vegetable oils – usually soy or canola oils. Biodiesel is also a renewable and biodegradable fuel which reduces key greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Continued on Page 2 Click here to check out the new Lamoille Restaurant Guide Hyde Park Adds Money and Approves School Budget by Mickey Smith HYDE PARK – The Hyde Park School Board entered the Saturday morning, June 9, special town meeting hoping to receive $2,882,660 to run the elementary school next year, but by the end of the meeting the school board was presented with an approved budget some $42,000 higher than they requested. Continued on Page 2 Morristown third graders enjoyed a hot and sunny day at Lake Elmore Monday, June 11. Lifeguard John Duffy allowed the winning tug-of-war team to be the first to get in the water.      Noyes photo Guitars on Loan by Amy Kolb Noyes MORRISVILLE – If you’ve ever had the urge to learn to play guitar, but didn’t want to make an up-front investment on an instrument, the new WLVB Student Guitar Program is the answer to your dilemma! WLVB has purchased three acoustic guitars, of varying sizes, which River Arts will loan out to local students who wish to take guitar lessons but aren’t prepared to buy a guitar. Continued on Page 2 For Questions or Comments on this web site please contact webmaster at http://www.kingdomsedge.com dan@kingdomsedge.com The scene where last Friday a school bus, that would have been travelling toward  your point of view, slid into a drainage ditch on Gould Hill Road inJohnson.                Smith photo GMTCC Says Goodbye to Class of 2007  by Mickey Smith JOHNSON – At its annual commencement services, the Green Mountain Technology and Career Center feted and bid farewell to the 149 students who successfully completed the year’s classes. For 24 of the students, the night’s accomplishments marked the end of two years of hard work in their chosen field. Continued on Page 2 Court to Hear Godfrey’s Motions to Suppress by Mickey Smith HYDE PARK – Judge Dennis Pearson has set July 10 and 11 for the days he will hear requests to suppress evidence in the case against accused Patricia Scoville murderer Howard “Skip” Godfrey, 60, formerly of Morristown. Godfrey’s attorney, Kerry DeWolfe, filed two motions in court hoping to eliminate DNA evidence and an admission by Godfrey that he had sexual relations with Scoville. Continued on Page 2 Read all the News, Sports and More Click Here To Subscribe Today Looking for something? Search for: Copyright © 2004 News&Citizen Inc. All rights reserved. Have a press release? edit@newsandcitizen.com e-mail correspondence concerning advertising should be addressed to news@newsandcitizen.com

Things Look This  Way to Me

Editorial by J.B. McKinley 6/7/07

Reading Around the Year

Looking up from my work scanning lists of college graduates for those from our area and then receiving an email of the most recent column from the ACT “college board” people, the thought comes to mind that May/June is a time when lots of folks think the time for reading is over. The young have been released from mandatory school, the slightly older have heaved a sigh of relief and slammed the $120 boring textbooks shut, and most of the rest of us either don’t think of reading much beyond road signs and directions on the box – if we’re really in a bind.

BUT, and it’s a big BUT, there are lots and lots of really good reasons to read more, or start reading more – right now.

That ACT column quoted a Johns Hopkins 2002 report that claimed as much as 22% of the school year, or two months of instructional time is lost by students who don’t read during the summer.  As for those of us who are currently out of school, how many of us don’t, to some degree, rely on reading to do our work? Would you do your job better and be better placed to move up and earn more money if you read, understood what you read and wrote better?

Hand in hand with the almost universal need to read and read well is the almost universal availability of reading material. Words shout messages at us from every surface. Trashcans are full of newspapers and magazines (I know, have your little joke about this article and its ultimate receptacle!) Everywhere you wait, something to read is within reach. Reach out and improve your skills or those of your kids.

It’s just a suggestion, but sometimes I was even able to stop the reaching out and grabbing at the check out line by reading some of the stuff displayed there to my kids. Pick up something fun to read, even if it is about the pregnant space visitor from Alpha Centauri.

Keeping reading material in obvious places in your house is good for your kids. Mentioning that you read the book, or these days the comic book, that the movie was made from, might get your child to read the real thing. Make the effort once in awhile (tonight?) to snap off the TV when a show isn’t so great and pick up a magazine. Researchers say it is these simple examples that children remember.

Then, of course, there are the truly “hardcore” readers who subject their kids to the Library. But if you are willing to go that far, don’t just visit. Don’t just come in the door and stare around. Engage the librarian in a discussion. They actually love to suggest things you or your children may enjoy reading. There definitely is something to read on the shelves that will make you laugh or cry. Find it.

Well, ‘nuff said. But a week or so from now when we are listening to graduation speeches, take a minute to consider how those folks learned to speak that well and get their points across. I’ll bet all them spend quite a bit of time reading.