The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • Page 8

Sty? furlmijtott Wednesday, March 5, 1980 Vermont Towns Strongly Endorse Uranium Bans At least a dozen other towns also considered anti-uranium mining measures but a complete tally was not available, according to Malvine Cole of Stratton. Ms. Cole is a leader of Stop Uranium Mining, an organization that sprang up a year ago after a West German firm began leasing land in southern Vermont and announced plans to prospect for uranium. The town meeting votes "certainly should signal the (state) Senate as to the feelings of Vermonters on this issue," Ms. Cole said.

The Senate is considering a bill to significantly toughen state regulations covering uranium mining. Among the towns where voters said "no" to uranium mining was Jamaica. Urangesellschaft, the German firm, has leased about 1,400 acres in that Windham County town. The total includes land owned by a selectman who was charged by voters Tuesday with helping pass an ordinance banning mining. Mark Worthen, a Jamaica resident and co-chairman of Stop Uranium Mining, said Tuesday night, 'The response of the people of Jamaica showed extraordinary support for facing the problem caused by 1,400 acres leased in the town wants nothing to do with it." The Jamaica vote was 81-13 in favor of an anti-mining ordinance.

The towns that considered mining bans and rejected them were Chester and Windham. Towns adopting anti-uranium mining measures were, by county: Windham County Brookline, Grafton, Jamaica, Londonderry, Newfane, Townshend and Ward-sboro. Windsor County Hartland, Ludlow, Norwich and Rochester. Lamoille County Waterville, Hyde Park and Wolcott. The latter town's resolution did not specifically mention uranium but ordered permits for any form of mining.

Rutland County Shrewsbury and Mount Holly. Bennington County Land-grove, Winhall and Woodford. Orange County Corinth. life, II Vtai Wf 7-J 0 mmmmammmmmmrmmmmmmmmmamnmnmmimmmmmmmumiiJmm 6 '-hi rj If-' Town Meeting remains to be finished before a contractor is chosen, he said. Municipal business is conducted now in the old Central School on Williston Road, which does not comply with Tire safety codes.

The A Day at the Polls In typical New England fashion, Bakersfield voters crowd into the town hall to vote on local issues and their presidential choice. Town Moderator Rupert Montague, left at platform, Town Clerk Linda Hall, and First Constable Roger Graves oversee the voting. S.B. Gives Nod to Municipal Complex By ROB ELEY Free Press Staff Writer South Burlington voters Tuesday approved a 1.4 million municipal complex to replace deteriorating city offices and a cramped police station. Construction will start this summer and be finished in a year, said City Council Chairman Paul A.

Far-rar. The project was approved on a vote of 1,618 to 1,005. "I was quite pleased. Basically, I think it is a very positive support from the citizenry for city government in general," Farrar said. Detailed engineering of the building new complex, which will include an addition to the existing fire station, will be on city-owned Dorset Street property across from the high school.

Of the price tag, $1.1 million would go for addition of space, 77,000 for 156.000 for equipment and furnishings and $39,000 for a carport. Two bays would be added to the fire station, which would be renovated. Expansion for the police station and city offices would be south and east from the fire station. The largest expense is for 16,647 square feet of office space costing Vermont Roundup Newbury Man Dies in Crash SOUTH NEWBURY William F. Russell, 62, of Newbury was killed about 1:20 p.m.

Tuesday when his car went out of control on Sand Hill Road, state police said. Officials said the car missed a sharp right turn, skidded on ice-covered gravel and struck a tree. Russell died of massive head injuries, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Regional Medical Examiner Harry Rowe. His death was the 35th Vermont highway fatality of the year, compared to IS at this time last year.

Lyndon OKs Rebuilding Mill Bridge LYNDON Residents approved a school budget of (1,519,425 and a town' budget of 372,300 Tuesday at town meeting. Residents voted 99-97 to authorize selectmen to re-constrtict the Chamberlain Mill covered bridge at a total cost of 60,000, the town's share being 10.900. Selectmen told voters the state had informed them it would cost $150,000 to construct a new bridge. While some residents said they did not want to see the wooden bridge rot and fall info the river, they said they would rather the selectmen seek financial aid for historic landmarks in order to repair the bridge for pedestrian rather than vehicular use. Town Clerk Ashley Jewell said that type of financial aid will no longer be available after July Racetrack Future Highlights Pownal Meeting POWNAL Discussion of the latest developments concerning the Green Mountain Racetrack was the highlight of Tuesday's town meeting.

The racetrack's management recently won the right to a court investigation of what it feels is an unfair tax assessment. The racetrack had refused to pay an $8,000 late penalty on taxes, Clerk Rachael Mason said. Elected was Cynthia Towslee for a three-year term on the School Board with 288 votes. She defeated incumbent Joel Burrington, who had 199 votes. Robert Rudd, with 339 votes, and John L.

Mason, with 251, both were elected to one-year terms. Nelson Browned, with 192 votes, and Gerald LaCroix, 105, were defeated. Budgets passed unanimously, with $93,500 going to the general fund and $390,203 for schools. The highway budget will be $89,253. Leonard Duval was chosen to become the new three-year selectman in an uncontested election.

Regional Landfill Wins Go-A(iead In Rutland County Rutland County towns overwhelmingly backed a proposal to form a regionwide municipal solid waste district in town meeting voting Tuesday. The vote clears the way for establishment of a regional landfill, critical need in the country, according to state environmental officials and plan-, ners. The Rutland County Solid Waste District will be the first in the state. A single refuse-burning incinerator will be used. State Environmental Conservation Agency officials have threatened to crack down on town that continue to operate dumps that fail to meet By WILLIAM H.

BRAUN Free Press Staff Writer Any uranium in Vermont ought to be left in the ground, voters said resoundingly at town meetings Monday night and Tuesday. Of 22 towns for which results were available late Tuesday night, 20 had endorsed bans of one sort or another on mining or processing of uranium ore. Only two towns rejected proposals for such bans and in one of those two towns voters were told existing zoning laws give sufficient control. Sweeney Is Tops in Race In North End By ALAN ABBEY Free Press Staff Writer Incumbent Robert Sweeney, with a smashing victory, carried Allen Kieslich with him to a Democratic sweep of aldermen seats in Burlington's new north end Tuesday. It was a battle of longtime residents, with extensive contacts from family and friends, against newcomers who worked hard to make their names known.

Sweeney gathered 1,605 votes to lead the field. Behind him were Kieslich, Republican William Skelton, and Republican Joseph Gaida, 717. Kieslich's win brings to 10-3 the Democratic majority on the Board of Aldermen. Campaigning was the most intense in years, with thousands of dollars spent on advertising, thousands of pieces of literature dropped at doors and hours of handshaking. In the end, the better-known candidates won.

Sweeney, winning his second two-year term, called it a "real sweet victory." He said independent voters in Ward 4 went for "candidates, not for advertising." Gaida said Republican campaigning brought the challengers "quite a ways. Some achievements were made." He said issues were thoroughly discussed, and campaigning brought out a "high level of participation and voter involvement." Skelton said the Democrats started with a "tremendous advantage." He had hoped to gather swing voters and "keep Kieslich from coming in on Sweeney's heels." A last-minute controversy developed Tuesday when Democratic ward chairman T. Fenn Rider accused Skelton of paying for an ad Turn to SWEENEY.Page 2B Yes and No On Lunches In Winooski By ROB ELEY Free Press Staff Writer Winooski voters decided Tuesday they want a non-mandatory bag lunch program at the Memorial School, but are not willing to pay for it. A ballot question sponsored by the Winooski Alliance passed 670-636. But a School Board ballot question, which included potential costs, failed 763-520.

"It means they want a bag lunch program but don't want to pay for it," said City Clerk Claire Burke. The bag lunch issues has been a long-running battle between the School Board and the alliance. The School Board question said the program would cost the district between 10,000 and $25,000. Superintendent Donald Messier said the district could not afford to supervise the students during the 90-minute lunch break. Funds for the program would come out of educational programs.

A February survey said 120 students would participate in the lunch program. Using 12 aides to supervise the children, on a ratio of 1-to-10, the program would cost about 10,000, Messier said. Alliance members said the school district estimates were high and that fewer aides could supervise the lunching students. Margaret Pearson devised a plan using five aides and two teachers to supervise the 300 children at a cost of roughly 14,000. In other action, Charles E.

Crowley was re-elected to a School Board seat he has held for four consecutive three-year terms. Incumbent Florence Thabault and Michael Blow were elected to the City Council. Blow received 642 votes, Mrs. Thabault, 633, Normand Shaw and Alan Bouffard, S6S, and i1 0 Free Press Photo by STU PERRY $832,350. The city has roughly 15,000 square feet at the old Central School.

The addition of 5,360 square feet of basement space would cost 160,800. Drawbacks of the present location include difficult access for the handicapped, traffic congestion and limited parking. The violations of fire safety codes would have cost an estimated 15,000 to correct. The current police station formerly served as offices for the town before it became a city. Fire insurance underwriters say the city needs room for at least another bay on the Fire station.

Hot Water Controls Fail In Burlington By ALAN ABBEY Free Press Staff Writer A 1.5 million bond for water heater controls and energy-saving devices for private homes fell 2 percent short of the two-thirds majority needed in Burlington Tuesday. Voters picked and chose their way through seven other ballot issues, keeping the two-thirds requirement for approving bond issues and retaining strict conflict of interest regulations. Electric Department Superintendent Robert C. Young said he "just couldn't imagine" the bond being rejected "in this day and age when everyone is talking conservation. "They just didn't want somebody to tell them how to conserve," he said.

The $1.5 million would have bought radio-controls that could have turned off electric water heaters during times of high power use. The Electric Department also would have insulated the heaters if homeowners wanted. The program was to be voluntary. The vote indicated voters did not want to have their "lifestyles changed" but do want new sources of electrical power generation, Young said. He said local media "didnt say a hell of a lot about this particular Issue." The two-thirds requirement meant a "majority told us they want to conserve, but it lets the minority tell us what they want." Voters took their time winding their way through the lengthy ballot Five- and 10-minute visits with the numerous ballot Hems were not uncommon In Burlington Tuesday.

Voters rejected 2.930 to 3,633 a proposal to drop the two-thirds re- Xttra to BURLINGTON, Fags 28 4 H- I I 'Ant 1 S- CRAIG AND RICHARD DAVIS STAND OUTSIDE THEIR DINER IN DERBY residents voted down highway department plan that would have cut their business Voters at Derby Town Meeting Elect to Preserve the Hamburger to add $70,000 worth of traffic Islands was quietly disassembled on a single voice vote. Gathered in a modern school gymnasium, the ISO assembled voters were nearly oblivious to the voting booths set up for the state's presidential primary until they settled the question of the proposed three-way intersection in front of the roadside restaurant. The snack bar's owners protested because the traffic Islands would make It difficult for truckers to turn their rigs Into the restaurant parking lot, thereby threatening the eatery's biggest block of diners. The new intersection also would have shortened the parking lot of a gasoline station across the street and taken some land belonging to the United Church of Derby, which owns the remaining corner of the In tersectlon. Townspeople had wanted the state to reinstall Turn to DERBY, Page SB By KATHLEEN M.

NORTON Die Associated Press DERBY The hamburger Is seldom considered synonymous with democracy. But on Tuesday 'Its preservation was uppermost in the minds of Derby voters as they gathered to observe the oldest of Yankee traditions Town Meeting Day. Llkev their counterparts across Vermont, Derby residents assembled for a daylong meeting to elect local officers, adopt the town budget and deal with the idiosyncrasies of small-town life. 1980 will be remembered in Derby as the year that pitted small yellow diner at the intersection of Main Street and U.S. 8 against the state Highway Depart-ment.

Jay's Snack Bar, home of the "Hamburger Special," will suffer no lost business because of a proposed redesign of the Intersection. The state's ambitious pten 0 il ml mt W. i.