By Molly DeMellier

The battle lines of Castleton’s new Select Board were clearly drawn through the doublewide temporary town hall at Monday night’s meeting as the fate of old town hall and the fire department were once again the topic of discussion.

In his first meeting on the board, Selectman John Hale found himself at the center of the fire. He proposed rallying the townspeople together to move forward with both the town hall renovation project as well as construction of a new fire department.

“Let’s get everyone on board and show them how important this is,” he said.

As a potential temporary safety improvement for the fire department, the board moved to accept the firemen’s recent petition to apply for a curb-cut that will provide an exit area from the current firehouse making it safer to exit.

“To make everyone happier and more comfortable, we need to find out if the curb-cut is possible,” said Chairman Thomas Ettori.

A construction project to conjoin the fire and police departments was also presented Monday as an alternative option to police remaining in town hall that would be put up to a town vote at a later date. However, according to town manager, Charles Jacien, it has not yet been determined if the intended area for construction off Route 30 by the medical center is a wetland.

“The sales agreement is to hold the property for an additional 60 days,” he said. “There’s still snow on the ground, we have to wait for growing season.”

While Hale sought to take on both projects, fellow fresh-faced board member Wenger Rehlen said renovating the old town hall is top priority.

Jacien disagreed with both.

“The timing and 60-day time limit on the property makes the fire station the priority,” he said.

According to Ettori, the fate of the fire department and the town hall are dependant on one another, especially with the police department in the mix.

“If the police department is going out with the fire department, that changes the whole design of the building,” he said.

Jacien said the current town hall renovation plan shows the police department making up one quarter of the building’s square footage.

But Ettori said the building first requires testing for asbestos, lead paint, and mold before they are able to move on with construction. Members of the board and residents alike expressed hesitation to begin any spending toward the $1.2 million dollar renovation project at this point.

Board member Ed O’Shea said in order to responsibly represent the community, the board must be sure they’re making good commitments before spending the proposed $80,000 for architectural costs.

“If we’re gonna eat an elephant here we should take it one bite at a time,” he said.

Resident and firefighter Michael Finnegan supported O’Shea’s stance.

“You gotta look before you leap,” he said. “We could take a big bite of an elephant we don’t want to swallow.”

But Hale, who was ready to take the leap and pay the $80,000 said, “I think this is a reasonable price, let’s go for it.”

It was then that Ettori reprimanded Hale for creating a conflict with the project by communicating with the architect John Berryhill from NBF Architects on behalf of the board without board knowledge or approval.

“It’s going to be a very difficult time if this is how you’re going to proceed through this project,” Ettori said to Hale.

Jacien agreed saying “The job ain’t gonna work if you get it muddied.”
Hale objected to his actions hindering the construction of town hall and said he had the right to speak with the contractors.

“I have in no way presented myself as the spokesperson for this board,” he said. “You really can’t say I can’t talk to Berryhill, because I’m gonna.”

The board then moved to name Ettori as the sole spokesperson for the continuation of the project.

Board member Cristine Smith said she supported the motion on the grounds that too many voices add time to the project that in turn costs the town money.

Caught between the crossfire, O’Shea said, “if we all go off on a tangent we’re not going to get a damn thing done. We have to work together.”

By Anna Olson & Erica Bilodeau

As you walk in to the Castleton Volunteer Fire Department station, you immediately feel cramped. There is equipment cluttered on the floor and up against the walls. There is barely enough room to maneuver around and in between the fire trucks.

Firefighters say the space has been an issue for a long time and because of this, a petition was created in May of 2012 seeking a new station. That was put on hold because the recent election could have approved the construction of a complex to house a new station, a first response office and town hall. That proposal was voted down by residents, has led department officials to pursue a new route.

A new petition was submitted to the town clerk last Monday proposing the construction of a new firehouse on Route 30N between the four corners and the medical center.

At previous meetings, residents seemed opposed to the proposal of the new town hall but seemed to support the idea of a new firehouse.

“The town clerk counted 315 (signatures) and we needed 306,” said First Assistant Fire Chief Richard Combs of the petition.

The fire department building was established in 1946 and is surrounded by businesses, houses and the college. Members say there are safety issues as well as space issues with the antiquated firehouse.

“It’s a visibility issue. It is hard to see when we are pulling the trucks out onto Main Street. With the college nearby, there is a lot of foot traffic right in front of the garage. It also makes it difficult when there are the concerts on the green and other town-wide events that make it hard to quickly navigate through the streets, which is one of the reasons we don’t want to rebuild here,” said Fire Chief Heath Goyette.

Goyette and other department members say the department has also outgrown the building. They complained about lack of room, tight spaces, deteriorating floors and constant cold air flow throughout the building.

“We need a building that is more energy efficient. It makes it hard to heat this building because the walls are cement so they have no insulation,” said Goyette.

The fire trucks are not only long, but they are also wide. When driving one of these vehicles into a tight space, it is difficult to see the surroundings, fire officials said. One of the trucks in the department was backed up in-between two support beams and was less than five inches away from the wall.

“There’s one of the problems right there! I can back the truck in there, but would you want to?” said Combs.

Select Board Member Cristine Smith said, “the building is in serious need of help and repair.”

“Imagine getting called to an emergency in those conditions. The least we can do is provide these volunteers with an adequate space to keep their equipment and trucks,” she said.

The petition has been verified and is now in the hands of the town manager who will be addressing the issue at the next Select Board meeting on March 25. At this meeting, the board can opt to put the proposal to a special vote or postpone it until the next scheduled election.

“I really want to get moving on both issues. I’m hoping to go forward with renovating 556 Main Street after a summer vote and a vote for the new firehouse as soon as possible,” Smith said.

That’s music to the ears of the fire department.

“Our need is to serve the town and if we can do that in a better location, then we should,” said Combs.

By: Josh Bassett

Tom Ettori is chairman of the Castleton Select Board. But he also co-owns E-Z Roofing on 73 Plain St. in Rutland and runs Memory Lane Bed and Breakfast on Main St. in Castleton with his wife. He sat down Thursday to chat about politics and his life outside of the board.

Q. What brought you to Castleton?
A. Actually my wife had owned a house here and instead we were living in Rutland where my business was and I was getting people calling me all hours of the day, so we moved out here to get away from that fun. (Laughing) We had a piece of property here and a piece of property in Rutland so we moved to out to the property here.

Q. What made you want to be Select Board chairman?
A. What made me want to do that? (Pause) When I first got on the board, we were in the process of opening a bed and breakfast and I didn’t like the way conversations were happening without me being there so I started going to Select Board meetings, got interested and went from there.

Q. What is it like to own a bed and breakfast?
A. It’s a lot of fun. I mean it’s a case of (pauses) I like to call it my wife’s hobby, let’s put it that way, because I own a roofing company.

Q. How did that happen, is that like a family business?
A. Yes, it’s a family deal. I just got out of the service and I called home and my father told me we had bought a roofing company and I should come home. (Laughs) And that’s how that happened.

Q. You ever had any close calls roofing?
A. I fell once and broke my back and hip.

Q. What was your scariest day on the job?
A. Scariest day on the job, we actually at one point in time were doing the slate repair on the Grace Congregational Church, so if you ever notice the star up there on that, it’s actually one of the ways that you have to go out of that porthole to lower yourself down onto the roof, so that was… that was a lot of fun. I don’t know if you want to call it scary, it was just a different experience, let’s put it that way.

Q. When you’re not at Select Board meetings or out roofing, where can somebody find you?
A. I’m very involved in the Cairo Shriners. I hunt and we also collect antiques. So you can find me at flea markets.

Q. What is something the average person in Castleton might not know about you?
A. That I probably have over 1,000 Santa Clauses in my house.

Q. What kinds?
A. From the 1800’s up through present day.

Q. What made you want to do that?
A. I don’t know (laughing), for some reason I got into it. We collect antique Christmas ornaments along with it.

By Mike Divis

When stepping into the Beverage King on Route 4A in Castleton, you’re often met with a friendly hello and a decision to make.  

To your right, there’s the deli where you can get their delicious paninis or one of their breakfast sandwiches for the morning rush. 

To your left, there’s a huge array of colorful alcoholic beverages on display to choose from. There’s beer and wine, or you can decide try a Joe’s Surprise Package.

What is the Joe’s Surprise Package, you might ask? 

It’s a sealed grab bag of six unknown beers named after the Beverage King’s owner Joe Sessock. He got the idea from his brother-in-law, Tony Rosetti, owner of the store Bootleggers in Topsham, Maine.

“We’ve been doing the surprise package just in the last year,” Sessock said. “There will be extra beer (from people pulling from cases and breakage) of all types so we put six in one case and sometimes we’ll throw a lottery ticket
or deli coupon in there.”

People who have purchased the package, including Castleton student Sammy Pike, have liked what they’ve gotten. 

“I would say the surprise bag had some delicious beers, some I haven’t heard of and some I knew,” Pike
said.

Fellow student Nick Moreno agrees.

“It’s a great place to go for beverages, also the surprise bags are a fun way to try new beers,” Moreno said.

Sessock has been the owner of the Beverage King for 18 years. Not too much has changed in that time, but he has noticed a few trends. 

“Wine sales have greatly improved with people switching from beer to wine,” Sessock said. “We have also gotten our single serve coffee cups.”

The biggest addition has been the deli, which was added seven years ago. Customers have named the Virginian and the Granville as two of the most popular sandwiches. 

“It’s been a struggle for the deli, but we like having it,” Sessock said, adding that he hopes more people discover what the deli has to offer. 

By Anna Olson and Chelsey McKenney

The aroma of fresh coffee and an old wooden building quickly capture your sense of smell as you walk through the door. The television, benches, nick-knacks and American flags scattered around the small station create an at-home feeling.

The tiny town of Castleton, VT holds one of the oldest train station buildings in the national Amtrak network, built in 1850. According to the Vermont Amtrak Fact Sheet, in the fiscal year of 2012, there were 3,649 boarding’s and arrivals at this station. This was a 5.5% raise from the 2011 fiscal year.

“My family has owned this building since 1966 and I have owned it since 2005,” said Maryann Jakubowski, while sipping her cup of coffee waiting to greet the passengers coming off the upcoming train last week.
 
Jakubowski and her husband open the station an hour before the first train comes in every morning and close when everyone from the last train has left the station. 

“We like to greet the passengers as they come off the train and wait for everyone to leave before we close and go home,” said Jakubowski.

A young passenger named Ben Blackshear arrived at the station on Thursday evening from New York City with a smile on his face.

“I am going up to Middlebury to visit my girlfriend and some friends,” said Blackshear, anxiously waiting to continue on his trip.

Blackshear said he has used Amtrak many times in his past and that the Castleton station is one of his favorites. He said that it is very similar to the Port Henry, N.Y. station.

“I’ve come through here a few times. It’s a great station. The decorations are the best,” said Blackshear.

Another passenger that evening was greeted by the Jakubowskis for the first time. 

“I have never taken the Amtrak train to the Castleton station before,” said Antwon,
who declined to give last name.

He was coming from Poughkeepsie, N.Y. to visit a friend in Burlington.
 
“I’ve never seen a station this small, it’s pretty interesting,” he said.

The Jakubowskis said they like to make the tiny station in Castleton unique and welcoming to the passengers on a more personal level than others. 
 
“The Amtrak lease is a long lease so we hope to own this building for a while,” said Jakubowski.

By Josh Bassett

In the short drive from Castleton to the four corners, it is hard to miss the modular home just off the side of the road now home to the Castleton town offices and town clerk’s office. 

While the trailers are not flattering, many office workers enjoy the new space compared to their old location at 556 Main St. in Castleton.

“I think it’s nice, it’s pleasant, it’s warm,” said Administrative Secretary Jill Potter.

Potter was hardly alone in that sentiment.

Maryann Jakubowski, who works for the tax department in the building, is also quite content with the new space, but has found it difficult to keep up with all the building changes.

“This is my fourth site,” said Jakubowski who has been located at the old town office, the Old Chapel at Castleton State College and in the building with the town clerk before moving into the current location.

The building houses many offices including the police department, town manager and tax department.

The town members moved out of the old space after state health officials discovered a multitude of health problems such as asbestos, lead paint and black mold, said town manager Charles Jacien.

The town offices had been located in the building for over 50 years and faced other issues as well, such as lack of parking and not being handicap accessible. 

“Well over 100% better than where we came from,” said Jacien of the temporary digs.

He did admit that life is not perfect in the current town office as Castleton is a large area and the building is only so big.

“It’s usually hectic…we are the second largest town in Rutland County,” he said.

It also comes at a monthly cost, he said. Jacien said the town spends $1,200 a month on top of a $25,000 set-up and tear-down fee.

After the current proposition for a new town hall was voted down in the recent town election, Jacien said there were no current plans for a new town office, but mentioned there was a petition to build a fire house at the location where the new town hall was planned to be built.

Whatever happens with town hall, Jakubowski will be ready.

“I like boxes, because I never know if I’m going again,” she said. 


 

By Molly DeMellier

Castleton’s March 5 town election seemed to bring a message of out with the old and in with the new when it came to the Select Board.

John Hale was the victor of the three-year term and Wenger Rehlen surpassed incumbent, Jim Leamy, by a mere six votes to serve one year on the board.

“Being the youngest Select Board member, I’d like to bring a fresh perspective,” Rehlen said.

Both Rehlen and Hale say they are ready to get down to business and address their sets of
agendas.

“The most immediate issue is where the officers should be located,” Hale said.

The two plan to address this issue through the renovation of the old Town Hall, after voted down a plan to build a new hall by a 2-to-1 vote in the March 5 election. Their hope is to restore the historic site and return the Castleton Police and town offices to the building.

“I think it’s clear that is omething the community wants as well,” said Rehlen.

Current board member, Cristine Smith, said that despite her disappointment with the vote, she believes the board will be welcoming to the new faces and she is in favor of the town hall renovation.

“I expect the board will be in 100 percent in support of the project,” she said.

Despite his loss for the single-year term, Thomas Kearns added that he also found the town hall vote to be positive.

“People are tired of not being listened to,” he said.

Rehlen said his priority is to “get it renovated and move on to other issues.”

Hale said he has his sights set on a new fire department, which he described as, “pretty decrepit for an important function.”

Tackling this project will need another town vote for this new uilding.

“I’m leaning toward favoring that construction,” he said.

Rehlen and Hale are also taking the long-term budget into consideration and anticipate making changes in spending. ale also mentioned improving relations between police, students, and ownspeople. 

Smith said she does not expect personal issues to come between members of this new board.

“No matter what happens, in the end we are all neighbors and need to move forward in a united front,” she said.

By Martina Marchese

Chief of police, Bruce Sherwin has been with the Castleton police department for nine years. He was born in New Mexico but spent most of his life living in Vermont. He currently lives in Pittsford, VT and has six children, none of whom became involved with law enforcement. He is also in charge of investigating untimely deaths in the Castleton area because he is the only one certified for the position. 


Q. How did you acquire the position as Chief of Police for Castleton?
A. The chief’s position opened and I saw it as an opportunity to finish my career as department head. So I applied and was fortunate enough to get the position.

Q. How long have you been involved with law enforcement?
A. I was an officer in Rutland for 23 years and I’ve been with the Castleton police department for nine years. 

Q. What does your typical day consist of?
A. I approve payroll, go over the weekend report, and go over reports from all the officers, mostly administrative things. Also, I am the only one certified to deal with untimely deaths. 

Q. What was your craziest experience on the job?
A. I was doing DUI patrol and received a call about someone driving erratically on Route 4. Once we found the car an 11-year-old was driving. She had gotten into an argument with her parents and was driving to her aunt’s house. 
 
Q. What was your most terrifying experience on the job?
A. I was working in Rutland city when a call came in that shots were fired. We arrived at the scene and I was coming around the back of a building as more shots were fired in my direction. 

Q. What do you think about the recent push for stricter gun laws?
A. I don’t think we need to restrict firearms. I’m not in favor of banning or taking them away just keeping them out of hands of people who shouldn’t have them. 
 
Q. Has police involvement increased over the years due to the
growing size of the Castleton campus?
A. This year was unusual. We had far more complaints in the beginning of the year but it has settled down so whatever has changed is working.

Q. What do you think about the relationship between the college and the community?
A. The relationship with the college is actually not all that bad.

By Erica Bilodeau

The doors of Fishtail Tavern flew open March 9 as owner Dave Rogers and bartender Astrid Blake walked in, proudly displaying a banner announcing their first place victory in the 5th Annual Vermont Chili Festival earlier that day. The pair was greeted by an eruption of applause and cheers from the community members inside who had been eagerly
awaiting their return.

Fishtail was one of more than 50 restaurants, caterers, and individuals from throughout the state to enter the contest that has made the list of the top ten winter activities by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce in each of the past four years. The event, which shut down the streets of downtown Middlebury, featured a lot of
chili tasting, live music and street performances, face painting, and a beverage tent.

Each contestant arrived downtown and prepared their space and chili, doing everything they could to win the votes of the people. The Fishtail crew brought signs, menus, and other items that made their display resemble the “Tail” as much as possible.

Competing in a number of different categories, contestants prepared their best chili for thousands of eager tasters who would later be sampling it and deciding whether it was worthy of a prize. Awards were given for the best veggie, beef, chicken, pork, game and “kitchen sink” chilis, as well as the best overall.

Out of all of the entries, Fishtail won for having the “Best Game Chili”. It was made with moose from Ripton, deer from Castleton, and a touch of some homemade brew from Castleton student and avid Fishtail-goer, Ethan Gratton.

“When you eat our chili, it starts out sweet and then ends with a gentle heat,” said Rogers.

As people began tasting and referring others to their table, the Tail ran out of this chili halfway through the day.

“For us to win despite running out early and missing a lot of the tasters says a lot,” Rogers said.

This was Fishtail’s first year participating in the event and Rogers was not expecting a win.

“It was our first effort. I didn’t know what we were in for! It was a fun, beautiful day and a nice introduction of us to the Middlebury community,” he said.

Although chili wasn’t the most prominent item on the Tavern’s menu, it was offered occasionally throughout the winter.  With the new publicity from the festival, the Fishtail hopes to see an increase in business.

“We will definitely be serving our ‘Award Winning Chili’ in the future,” Rogers said with a grin.

By JenniLee Mark

Katie Moquin, a science teacher at the Castleton Village School,
is relatively new to the town of Castleton. Originally from Hammond, N.Y., a
small town on the St. Lawrence River, she officially made Castleton her home a
year and a half ago. She moved to Castleton with her boyfriend, Bo McDougall,
when they both got jobs in town. He is the head men’s lacrosse coach at
Castleton State College. They have two dogs, Spud and Chloe, who they consider
family. 

Q. What do you love most about living in
Vermont?
 A. The mountains. I come from pretty flat land and it can be
breathtaking to drive through Killington, especially in the fall.                                       


Q. What do you like to do in your free time outside of
school?
A. I just finished my second year coaching the middle school
girls’ basketball teams. I love connecting with students both in and out of the
classroom. As a new teacher, I spend most of my free time trying to find a new
and better way to teach my lessons - and supporting the Castleton Spartans, of
course.
 
Q. Why did you want to become a
  teacher?
A. I became a teacher for two reasons: I wanted to share how
amazing science is with kids and I wanted to impact lives. 


Q. What is your favorite part of the job from day to day and
what do you enjoy most?
A.I love connecting with my students especially when that light
bulb comes on and they get what I am trying to teach them. My second favorite
part of my day is seeing kids laugh in my classroom –I strive to make science
fun and challenging – it is very rewarding to see students learning and having
fun doing it.


Q. What was the most rewarding experience you've ever
had? 
A.The most rewarding moment is when that light bulb comes on and
students get what I am trying to teach them. I also love when parents tell me
their child was home practicing or studying one of our science songs. I’ve found
some pretty cool science rap songs that coincide with many of my lessons.  


Q. What's your typical day like at
school?
A. I love teaching middle school because there is never a
“typical” day – there is always something new going
  on.


Q. What fun things do you like to do with the students to teach
them?
A. Science lends itself to so many hands-on experiences that I
love putting a problem in front of them and watching them try to solve it. 
 

Q. What are some of your favorite lesson
plans?
A. My favorite lesson is in my human body unit when students are
asked to create a “Wanted” poster based on an organ or cell that we have
studied. Students need to illustrate and personify an organ, describe why it is
“wanted,” using the organ’s function and role in the body, and show creativity.
It is amazing to see students be creative. The things they come up with are
pretty awesome.


Q. Do you have any exciting field trips or fun days planned with
the students?
A. I try to do an engineering challenge once a month with my
students in preparation for the Next Generation Science standards. I always
think those are especially fun days because it is solely based around my
students and their ability to problem solve and work as a team. It is
fascinating to watch them work and see how much they have learned from challenge
to challenge. For example, my sixth graders just worked on an engineering
challenge to build a vehicle that could be powered by wind.