Top Stories for Wednesday January 30, 2013

Addison County Firefighters Annual Dinner Meeting Honors Local Firefighters
By Mike Cameron
   The Vergennes Eagles Club was once again filled to capacity as firefighters from around the county began their new year with a dinner meeting and awards ceremony.  As always the host Eagles did an excellent job with a top-notch buffet.  The atmosphere was optimistic and the camaraderie evident as fellow men and women at their individual, representative town tables discussed how to do their jobs even better and award those who have displayed extraordinary achievement during the past year.
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The Art Of The Handbag Meet Designer Pamela Farnsworth
By Cookie Steponaitis
    Pamela Farnsworth started with her first stitches when she was four years old and credits a patient mom as the beginning of her lifelong passion for sewing, textiles, colors and fabric. Her talents were the hit of her family through the years and led to work as a designer of textile items. It was one of those handmade gifts several years ago that led to yet another twist and opened up a new avenue of creativity for the local designer. “I made one of my daughters a handbag for her birthday,” shared Addison designer Pamela Farnsworth.
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Doing What She Loves Meet Jennifer Smith
By Marcie Bolton
   Local Middlebury resident Jennifer Smith is doing what she loves and she feels very lucky.  She is working with children on a spiritual level as the Director of Children and Youth Ministries at the Congregational Church in Middlebury.  The combination of teaching children and working for her church in a community which she feels very close to is very symbiotic.
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Echoes of Those Gone By: Celebrating the Brotherhood of the Fire Department
By Cookie Steponaitis
    Sitting amongst the seventeen departments and firefighters of Addison County the onlooker is treated to a camaraderie and level of respect that is often absent in the ebb and flow of hectic daily life. Gathered together to celebrate the year and commitment of each person to the service of others before themselves, the assembled firefighters spanned generations, decades and levels of service, yet all responded as one when asked about why they are there. They believe in service and live their lives by that defining guideline.
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