Southern Vt. Year in Review
|
|
ROCHESTER — A warden with the Department of Fish & Wildlife euthanized a moose Feb. 19 whose friendly and fearless nature had made him a roadside attraction. FILE / RUTLAND HERALD |
Toolbox
Published: December 26, 2008
Brillon case goes to U.S. high court
Bennington County State's Attorney Erica Marthage appealed a March Vermont Supreme Court decision freeing a man convicted of assault to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In October, the court agreed to hear the case of Michael Brillon, who was set free from a prison sentence because the Vermont Supreme Court found his right to a speedy trial had been violated.
Brillon was arraigned in July 2001 for assaulting a woman with whom he had a relationship but wasn't tried until June 2004.
Two plead guilty in Winhall killing
Two Rutland men, Joshua J. Gould, 29, and Christopher Kosmalski, 29, pleaded guilty in October to crimes related to the 2006 murder of Renato Wieser, 24, a Winhall ski instructor.
Gould was sentenced to serve 28-1/2 years to life after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and Kosmalski was sentenced to serve 13 to 32 years after pleading guilty to second-degree unlawful restraint, two charges of grand larceny and one charge of being an accessory to a felony after the fact.
Bennington Monument stricken by vandalism
The Bennington Battle Monument was vandalized by graffiti for the first time in its history in February. David Cowan, 19, of Bennington, pleaded guilty in September to writing "Heroes?" on the north side of the monument and "F—Bush" and the symbol for anarchy, a capital letter "A" inside a circle, on the east face with a can of spray paint.
Officials euthanize Rocky the moose
ROCHESTER — A warden with the Department of Fish & Wildlife euthanized a moose Feb. 19 whose friendly and fearless nature had made him a roadside attraction.
In September 2007, the male yearling moose, known affectionately as "Rocky," had made his home in a meadow belonging to Michael and Wendy Andrews on Route 73.
Despite pleas from Fish & Wildlife officials, visitors came from as far away as New Hampshire and upstate New York to feed the moose, which led to his undoing.
The moose became ill in late February, and after lying prone all day beneath an apple tree Wendy Andrews gave Fish & Wildlife officials permission to enter her property and shoot the moose.
In March, a necropsy determined the moose had suffered from lungworm and his stomach contents — which included orange and banana peels and other things not natural to a moose's diet — indicated his digestive system was not working properly when he was killed.
Hail cannon causes a stir
A hail cannon became the center of controversy over the summer in Bennington. The owner of Southern Vermont Orchard agreed in July to stop using the loud equipment which is designed to stop hail from forming. Some farmers believe the cannons protect their crop from damaging hail but weather scientists say there's no scientific basis for believing hail cannons work.
Proposed cemetery move sparks outrage
HARTLAND — When Springfield resident J. Michel Guite filed a petition to relocate three graves from a private cemetery in Hartland, he drew the ire of veterans groups and historical preservationists.
Guite has cited many reasons for wanting to relocate the graves — including privacy and future construction — but with one of the graves belonging to a veteran of the War of 1812, members of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars came to a pair of probate court hearings to express their opposition.
Guite received his permit from probate court, but in October, an environmental commission ruled Guite is bound by a pre-existing Act 250 permit that protects the cemetery. The issue is currently on appeal in Environmental Court.
Chester murder charge dismissed
Kyle D. Bolaksi, 24, was arrested Aug. 17 after allegedly shooting Vincent Tamburello Jr., 31, of Springfield. According to the medical examiner's report, Tamburello died from a gunshot wound to the back, and Bolaski was charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault with a weapon.
On Nov. 25, Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand dismissed the murder charge against Bolaski after a grand jury refused to return a charge of either second-degree murder or manslaughter. Bolaski still faces the assault charge for allegedly striking Tamburello in the face with the stock of his gun while Tamburello lay dying.
Troubles plague Vermont Yankee
Vermont Yankee nuclear plant continued in the headlines in 2008, as problems continued to plague the cooling towers at the plant despite a lengthy and expensive fix in 2007, when a portion of the west tower collapsed.
Entergy Nuclear did make progress in getting federal regulators to approve another 20 years of operation of the plant, but final approval at year's end is still pending from federal regulators and the state still hasn't reviewed the plan.
Brattleboro votes to impeach U.S. president
The town of Brattleboro had more than its share of the proverbial five minutes of fame this winter, when a group of Brattleboro residents successfully petitioned for a townwide vote on impeaching President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, calling for their arrest if they ever set foot in town.
The Town Meeting Day article put the Vermont town on the conservative hit list, and the town was barraged by hate mail and e-mail from the president's supporters all over the country. The article passed, 2,012 to 1,795. The town of Marlboro joined the drive, and voted 43-25 in favor of a Bush-Cheney indictment as well.
Fire destroys Ellis Block in downtown Springfield
Downtown Springfield had its share of ups and downs in 2008, as a fire gutted the Ellis Block and shut down the town's movie theater, which was the site of the 2007 world premiere of "The Simpsons Movie." By year's end, a plan was in place to restore and rebuild the Ellis Block, a joint effort by the Springfield Housing Authority, Housing Vermont and the town of Springfield.
Plans call for apartments and an expanded movie theater. Penelope's Restaurant, a longtime fixture in downtown Springfield, was closed as a result of the fire in the Ellis Block because of damage to its neighboring building, but it was expected to reopen in the beginning of 2009 after a long delay.
34