News & Citizen

Serving the People of Lamoille County with News Since 1881

Volume 123     No 10 No 5569               January 11, 2007 Thursday                           Morrisville, VT 05661                        Web Edition

What’s Next for Genesis Residents? by Amy Kolb Noyes MORRISTOWN – As family members scramble to find new accommodations for residents of Genesis HealthCare’s Morrisville Center, local and state officials are working on viable alternatives for displaced seniors. A week after the nursing home announced its imminent closure, there are still more questions than answers.  Continued on page 2 Click here to check out the new Lamoille Home Buyer Guide Dr. Bailey Unveils New Administration Hierarchy Proposal  by Mickey Smith HYDE PARK – Lamoille North Supervisory Union Superintendent Dr. Terry Bailey has proposed a change in the positions which make up the upper administration for Lamoille Union High School and Middle School. Continued on page 2 MW&L Looks to Burlington  For Service After Hours by Amy Kolb Noyes MORRISVILLE – Morrisville Water & Light is in the midst of implementing some changes in how it handles calls after its regular business hours. Several months ago MW&L decided to contract with Burlington Electric Department’s dispatch center to provide after-hour services to its customers.  Continued on page 2 Neighborhood Information Sought By Police  by Mickey Smith MORRISTOWN – In the past few months, the Morristown Police Department has been actively seeking information from neighborhoods where crimes are known to have occurred or thought to have occurred. Continued on page 2 Still Missing Teen by Mickey Smith JOHNSON – The Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department is still seeking information pertaining to a missing teenager from Johnson. Continued on page 2  Visitors For Questions or Comments on this web site please contact webmaster at http://www.kingdomsedge.com dan@kingdomsedge.com A moving van was parked outside the Genesis ElderCare nursing home facility in Morrisville Tuesday afternoon, January 9. Genesis announced it will be closing the home, on Harrel Street, by April 2. All 64 residents will need to find new accomodations. A Genesis spokes person said the building will be put up for sale. Noyes photos LCSD Seeking Knife Wielder by Mickey Smith JOHNSON – The Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department is looking for information regarding an attempted robbery at Blake’s Auto Repair, in Johnson, on Monday, January 8. Blake’s is on Lower Main Street. Continued on page 2 Hyde Park to Tackle Budget by Amy Kolb Noyes HYDE PARK – The Hyde Park Selectboard will work on its 2007-2008 municipal budget at its meeting this week. The proposed Hyde Park Fire Department budget will also be examined Thursday evening, January 11. 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 1/4/07

New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve in Lamoille County was an icy one. The back roads in Hyde Park, Morristown and Elmore, I can attest, were a sheet of black ice. Personally, my wife and I watched the “ball drop” with friends at midnight, played a few hands of cards and then headed home. It was only when we tramped out to the car at about 1 a.m. that we noticed the freezing rain and chipped the windshield clear.

Pulling out onto the dirt road we quickly learned that anything much over 20 mph was pushing it. The trip home from Hyde Park to Elmore turned into a somewhat tense journey of a bit over an hour’s duration; as we passed the News & Citizen office, my wife not very jokingly suggested we spend the night!

So, enough about my less than riotous New Year’s Eve, the point is that as we slowly eased up to the blinking light at the Portland and Main intersection, a police car was parked in the gas station across Main, another cruiser was plying Main Street and yet a third cruiser had its light activated and the officer was standing in the street near the library chatting with someone. Obviously the police were on duty New Year’s Eve, as of course, you would expect them to be on one of the heaviest drinking nights of the year. Fair enough. And they were no doubt equally on duty to assist with emergencies.

But, as much as I  respect the continuing efforts of our local highway crews I  have to wonder why highway administrators didn’t anticipate the need for a few active sanders or salters on the road on New Year’s Eve? Yes, I know, from everything I’ve heard the road crews were all out very early New Year’s Day. But if there is a single night of the year when one might almost assume that folks would be travelling the roads after midnight, isn’t it New Year’s Eve? As I  gently slid to a complete stop on Portland Street, I could only conclude that our local and state government appeared amply ready to arrest me for something on New Year’s Eve, but not so prepared to keep the highways  easily passable.