Top Stories for Tuesday October 24, 2006

Sharing Memories With Abbott Fenn
By Bridget Dorman
    When Abbott Fenn surprised his friend, Alfred Hare, on the doorstep of the Grand Hotel in Paris on a dark night during World War II, and called out “Waboos!” - an Algonquin nickname from the  Keewaydin  Camp known only to a select group of Keewaydin campers and counselors - Hare, who was then serving in the army and “Abby,” the Air Force engineer stationed nearby in England, were momentarily transported to the hills of Vermont, Keewaydin where the two had originally met, and  would later reunite.
    Abbott Fenn, a Middlebury resident whose name is familiar to many for his commitment to local environmental education, is highlighted here for being a community member worthy of praise and whose story, if only basic level, is one that should be shared.  To fully understand Abbott Fenn's ambitions and values one must first familiarize oneself with  Keewaydin Camps , which Abbott willingly helped me to do.    [ more ]

OMYA Open House
By Ed Barna
    Omya’s annual Open House at their Middlebury quarry on Oct. 14 attracted a huge crowd, mainly of families with children.
    The 65-acre pit, which might get deepened another 150 feet before it is closed down, is impressive to people of all ages, but is doubly impressive to people who are still halflings. Also, one of Omya’s smartest moves was to bring some of their humongous equipment up next to the barnlike tent that was the event headquarters, for kids to clamber on and for parents to take pictures of them dwarfed by the machinery.
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Candidates
By Tammy White
Elanor “Misse” Smith Campaigns For Probate Judge
   Soon Addison County Voters will go to the polls to elect a new Probate judge.  This year, Democrat Eleanor “Misse” Smith is running against Republican incumbent Amy Douglas.  In most years, this judicial race would be seen as non-political.  However, the contentious political climate in Vermont and around the nation, make every political seat highly politicized.  In essence, every political seat up for grabs in November's midterm elections will be judged by the party that the candidate represents.  National polls indicate that this year may be a record voter turnout with most voters going to the polls to vote along party lines.  In short, this election cycle may be more about the party than the candidate.
   Republican politicians around the country are desperately trying to distance themselves from the president and what has been called the “do nothing Republican congress.”  After all, the Republicans hold the House, the Senate, and the presidency, yet have been unable to draft and pass legislation on border security, saving social security, stem cell research, affordable prescription drugs, universal healthcare, constitutional anti-terror measures, and the Iraq War.    
   So what does this have to do with a local judicial seat centered in Vermont's beautiful Green Mountains?  Fall elections are normally not too contentious in Addison County.  After all, with the beautiful Vermont landscape and breathtaking Fall foliage, what's all this talk about “taking back the government, pulling our troops out of Iraq, and getting back on to tracking down the terrorists.”  This election, like all others this Fall, is a resounding referendum on where our country is now, and where we want it to be in the future. 
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