News & Citizen

Serving the People of Lamoille County with News Since 1881

Volume 123     No 10 No 5569               January 7, 2007 Thursday                           Morrisville, VT 05661                        Web Edition

Happy New Year!! 2006 It Happened This Past Year Headlines in the News & Citizen

Planning Commission Considers Housing Issues by Amy Kolb Noyes MORRISVILLE – This week the Morristown Planning Commission began to take on the first of three major subjects in its ongoing review and revision of the Morristown Town Plan. The plan, as prescribed by state law, must be updated every five years. The purpose of a Town Plan is to provide direction in the growth of a town and set municipal priorities. continued on page 2 Click here to check out the new Lamoille Home Buyer Guide Lamoille Union Principal Sharon Fortune Resigns HYDE  PARK – The Lamoille Union District 18 Board  has accepted the resignation of its high school principal, Sharon Fortune, effective at the end of this school year.  At its regular meeting, Tuesday evening, January 2, the board acknowledged the contributions Fortune has made to the school and thanked her for her five years of service to the school and its students. continued on page 2 Jenna Tatro, of Johnson, surprised everyone, including herself, when she was awarded a Reserve Champion ribbon at the Mass Morgan show in August. Big Win at the Big E by Amy Kolb Noyes JOHNSON – Jenna Tatro, of Johnson, has been riding horses since she was a toddler. It wasn’t until this past summer, at the age of 13, that she began to take seriously the notion to compete. Jenna takes weekend riding lessons at Cedar Spring Farms, in Charlotte, and her trainer, Bonnie Sogoloff, thought it was time for Jenna to get some experience in the ring. continued on page 2  Visitors For Questions or Comments on this web site please contact webmaster at http://www.kingdomsedge.com dan@kingdomsedge.com With Saturday's snow came an onslaught of skiers to Stowe Mountain Resort.  With the new Spruce Base Lodge under construction, as seen here, the Mountain Company is using Cover-all style tents in conjunction with existing buildings for temporary accommodations. The new lodge is part of a massive expansion project at the resort, which also includes slope-side vacation homes, a golf course and a new gondola that crossed over Route 108 to allow skiers and riders to move easily between the slopes on Spruce Peak and those on Mt. Mansfield. Noyes photo Will Johnson HAVA Voting Machine? by Mickey Smith JOHNSON – Voters in Johnson will again decide the fate of voting machines for the town. Johnson’s selectboard has approved an article for Town Meeting asking voters if they would like the town to get machines for counting ballots.  Johnson voters have rejected similar measures in the past. continued on page 2 Tough 2006 Prompts HearthStone Layoffs by Amy Kolb Noyes MORRISTOWN – HearthStone is hoping for a more prosperous 2007. Last year was a tough one for the Morristown-based wood and gas stove manufacturer, according to President Dave Kuhfal. A weak American dollar as compared to the Euro, a shortage of Brazilian soapstone, a declining housing market and a particularly ill-timed temporary dip in oil prices all worked against HearthStone in 2006. As a result, HearthStone is entering 2007 with a reduced workforce. 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.