CRAFTSBURY — Craftsbury’s Town Meeting almost became a Dolly Parton song, running from nine to four. It was feat of endurance considering that the venue (the Academy gymnasium) was unheated. Moderator Anne Wilson was well prepared, presiding in a wool blazer, plaid scarf and gloves. At 10:20 Bruce Martin interrupted the proceedings to announce a visitor.
“That’s the furnace man! Give him a hand! Make him feel welcome,” he said.
Incumbents Susan Houston (selectman), Yvette Brown (tax collector and trustee of public funds), Kristy LaMare (auditor), Tom Wells (town agent), Tom Hadden (grand juror), Jim Jones (cemetery commissioner), Robert Twiss (World War II memorial fund trustee), and Adrian Owens (Lamoille solid waste district supervisor) were all re-elected, with Elena Gustavson taking over as lister, and Cheryl Bailey as auditor.
Voters approved the selectmen’s budget with $453,495 to be raised in taxes. Everett Demeritt delivered a history of town trucks and garages since the late 1940s, generously peppered with vehicle makes, models and years, ending with a plea to keep trucks on a ten-year replacement cycle. Moments later Article 5 was passed, approving $140,000 for a new truck. The fire department and public library budgets also passed easily, but an article to give the Masonic hall another five-year exemption from taxes was defeated 102 to 70.
Appropriations for Memorial Day, the recreation committee and Village Improvement Society were approved by voice vote, but as usual the article including requests from 21 different organizations got snarled up in amendments and controversy.
“We all have our favorites, and we all have ones we don’t give a damn about,” said Marcy Mastin.
Eventually the article was approved without amendments, for a total sum of $17,182.
New requests from the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Hardwick Area Food Pantry, and East Hill Preschool were also approved.
Randi Calderwood spoke on behalf of the Craftsbury Community Care Center. He urged voters to appropriate $10,000 for that institution, and they did. Currently, six of 24 beds are filled by Craftsbury residents. Although its taxes have been greatly reduced, the CCCC is also requesting $10,000 from Greensboro this year.
Robert’s Rules of Order were briefly suspended to allow a nonresident to speak in favor of Article 19, which asked the Vermont Legislature to replace nuclear power from Vermont Yankee “with renewable electricity and efficiency measures… ensure that Vermont Yankee will cease operation in March 2012… [and] hold the Entergy Corporation responsible to fully fund the plant’s cleanup and decommissioning.”
When the rules resumed, the article passed by a voice vote.
Sam Zaber, a sophomore at Craftsbury Academy, also received permission to speak at the school meeting although he is not (yet) a registered voter. Mr. Zaber noted the uncomfortable temperatures, facing an audience still bundled in coats and hats, and voiced his strong support for the school and its budget.
“We’ve worked in rooms heated by Bunsen burners,” he said. “But can you put a price on community?”
Other school supporters spoke of their frustration with the state.
“When those two legislators come through the door, choke them. The state is mandate, mandate, mandate, and no money. Don’t go after the school board,” said Bruce Martin.
“In my opinion, the state has never been friendly to small schools, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up,” said Doug McCarty.
The total school budget of $3,154,965 was divided and passed in two separate articles because it exceeded the maximum inflation amount determined by the Legislature. School director Julie Marckres was honored by the Vermont School Board Association for 12 years of service, and received a standing ovation along with co-superintendent Dave Ford, who will retire in June. Ms. Marckres and Harry Miller, both incumbents, were re-elected to the board.
Representatives John Rodgers and John Morley tried to keep their comments brief and focused on the work of their respective committees. Mr. Rodgers said they were working on “what remotely resembles a gas tax” to generate $20-million a year. Mr. Morley cautioned that this year’s state budget will face a huge shortfall even with the federal stimulus money.
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