The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • Page 1

6) CheiBurli'ngtonjfreeress Classified Crossword Employment Real Estate Automotive 9B section Voters OK selling bonds for water projects would have been required to staff the polls and count the ballots. For Milton residents, the single polling place meant roundtrips of up to 40 miles to vote. A breakdown of voters by community shows: South Burlington 24; Colchester 17; Shelburne 13, Milton 10; Winooski Essex and Williston 4, Gardner said. Depending on the ballot item, each Turn to VOTERS, 4B ran out of ballots Tuesday and had to photocopy extras to meet the demand. State law and the district's charter allow the district to conduct voting in each community.

The district, however, always has used a single voting place at its Queen City Park Road headquarters in South Burlington. Gardner said If district commissioners had ordered balloting in each of the seven member communities, the municipalities father met m'j By Mike Donoghue Free Press Staff Writer A weak showing of Champlain Water District voters 81 residents from seven communities decided Tuesday to sell bonds to fund the district's $2.6 million share in five long-term projects. A pair of the projects could add Jericho, Hinesburg and St. George as members of the regional water supply system. The three communities must vote to join By Ian Polumbaum Free Press Staff Writer BENNINGTON Sept.

10, 1986, began as a normal school day for Paulette Crickmore when she left her Richmond home to catch the bus. "Our usual goodbye was, 'Have a nice day, I love her father, Alan Crickmore, testified Tuesday. "But I also asked her not to wake Mom up because Mom had been up 'til 2 a.m. with the baby." Paulette, 15, never got to Mount Mansfield Union High School. She was last seen walking along Jericho Road toward the school about 8:15 a.m..

Prosecutors allege she was abducted and shot three times in the head by Edwin Towne 36, a twice-convicted rapist who is on trial in Vermont District Court for first-degree murder. But Towne's name was not mentioned Tuesday as the first eight trial witnesses reconstructed the girl's actions up to her disappearance. "Those were the last people to see her alive except for her murderer," Deputy State's Attorney Janet Murnane said in opening arguments this week. Crickmore boarded a school bus near her house on U.S. 2 with a note asking permission to get off at the Richmond Four Corners, said the driver, Holly Sheldrake.

The girl apparently had signed her mother's name to the note rather than wake her. She entered Dolan's Market, cashed a $7 babysitting check and bought an apple and something to drink. She Intended to catch a second school bus and asked a crossing guard, Duane LaRose, if it had passed. LaRose said he wasn't sure, so "she kind of shrugged her shoulders and Baird. Conventional wisdom is that Planning Commissioner Maggie Green, a potential GOP candidate, would not run If Aswad is nominated, said former Aldermanic President Theodore Riehle, a Republican.

"The big question is what she does if Nancy wins," Riehle said. "So much of it depends on the feeling of what comes out of that caucus and if there is really a sense of unanimity" between Democrats and Republicans, he said. The decision is not that simple, Green the district before the proposals could move forward. The five projects, which need more than $6 million in state, water district and local funding, would be undertaken as funds become available, said General Manager Edward Blake. Although the turnout was dismal, the 81 voters in 10 Vi hours was a record for the district, Assistant General Manager Robert Gardner said.

He said the district Th Auociotad Prau bers who would otherwise be unable to get to Burlington High School, where more than 1,000 are expected to cast ballots. Chioffi and Aswad said they believe the vote will be close, while Sharp nearly conceded. "I know I'm a long shot," he said. City Republicans, meanwhile, said their role in the mayoral race hinges on tonight's vote. The Progressive Coalition has nominated Peter Clavelle and the Burlington Greens' candidate is Sandra of 60 to 100 cows, probably would bear the brunt of withholding all or part of the second payment, Agriculture Commissioner Ronald Allbee told the Senate Appropriations Committee Tuesday.

Legislators passed the one-year program, designed to boost farmers' revenues from last March until the end of February, to tide farmers over until the state could enact a new tax abatement program. Farmers were to receive the 50-cent per hundredweight subsidy in the form of two checks, with the first mailed in July. The Legislature Included a provision to end the program if the federal milk price climbed above $13, which it did in October. In the budget adjustment act unveiled in late December, the Kunin administration proposed withholding payment for the months when the price stayed above that threshold, which probably will extend from October through February. Savings for the state would total $2.2 million, Allbee said.

Starr said his committee hopes to scuttle Kunin's proposal by amending the program so farmers would receive the full second payment. Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee Tuesday adopted a resolution supporting continuation of the subsidy for its five final months, noting that the federal price reached $13.37 in December. I 11 71 Wednesday, January 11, 1989 city Editor, sam Hemingway Phone: 863-3471, ext. 2017 State notes Rutland man arrested in stabbing incident A 27-year-old Rutland man was arrested Tuesday In connection with the stabbing of another Vermonter. Bruce W.

Lockerby, 27, was arrested by Rutland City police following an investigation of the stabbing of Byron Heir, 20, also of Rutland, officials said. Heir was found on Route 149 in Fort Ann, N.Y., at 6:58 a.m. with several stab wounds to his upper body, Washington (N.Y.) County Sheriffs Deputy Rodney Watrous said. Police said they charged Lockerby with first-degree assault and held him at the Rutland Community Correctional Center, where he is awaiting extradition to New York. Heir was listed in critical condition at Glens Falls Hospital Tuesday night.

Heir spoke briefly with investigators before undergoing surgery, "but was unable to give any pertinent information," Watrous said. The motive for the attack is unknown, he said. Fort Ann is about 35 miles southwest of Rutland. CAT scanner appeal to be argued at hearing A hearing on Fanny Allen Hospital's appeal of the Certificate of Need Board's decision to deny the Colchester hospital permission to purchase a CAT scanner is scheduled for Jan. 20.

The Health Policy Council and state Health Department, which both opposed Fanny Allen's application for the $800,000 X-ray device, are expected to participate in the hearing. Under Vermont's certificate of need law, hospitals must win state approval before buying a major piece of equipment. The three-member Certificate of Need Appeals Board has scheduled the hearing for 1:30 p.m. in the Attorney General's Conference Room of the Pavilion Building in Montpelier. Agencies to distribute milk and flour to needy Chittenden Community Action and the Champlain Area Agency on Aging will distribute milk and flour to eligible people today through Friday.

Community Action distribution will be today at Burlington's Memorial Auditorium from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Thursday, United Church, Hinesburg, 9 a.m.-noon; and Friday, Milton Grange, 9 a.m.-noon. Agency on Aging distribution will be today in Burlington at 143 N. Champlain St. from 9-11 a.m.; today, Whitcomb Woods, Essex Junction, 9:30 a.m.-gone; today, Winooski Senior Center, 9-11 a.m.; Thursday, Richmond Congregational Church, 11 a.m.-l p.m.; Friday, Arrowhead Senior Center, Milton, 9 a.m-rtoon; and Friday, Calvary Episcopal Church, Jericho, 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

For information, call 863-6248. N.Y. firm to ask court to rule on dog track ST. ALBANS A Buffalo, N.Y., firm whose plans to build a greyhound dog-racing track in the town have been stymied by a Franklin Superior Court decision, plans to ask the Vermont Supreme Court to make an expedited ruling on the matter. Spencer R.

Knapp, a Burlington lawyer representing Delaware North said if the initiative fails, the firm would appeal the decision of Judge Hilton Dier Jr. "The objective is to get the decision overturned," Knapp said. In a decision that dealt a setback to Delaware North, Dier ruled that the town Zoning Board had no authority to approve the project either in 1984 or again in December 1987. Burlington lawyer to run for Board of Aldermen Burlington lawyer and Democrat L. Randolph Amis III announced his candidacy Tuesday for a Ward 5 seat on the city Board of Aldermen.

Democratic mayoral candidate Nancy Chioffi currently holds the seat. The 33-year-old Amis said his chief concern is preserving Burlington as a good place to work and live by maintaining affordable housing and the city's neighborhoods despite commercial, industrial and institutional expansion. Completing the Southern Connector will also be a step toward easing traffic pressure on neighborhoods in the South End, he said. Amis said he would support efforts to bring public and private sources together to solve growth and planning problems. Inside Births.

2B Deaths. 5B Sports- 2B 6B Day in court- TOWNE TRIAL Deputy Medical Examiner Paul Morrow shows the jury on Tuesday X-rays of the skull of victim Paulette Crickmore. Crickmore died from three gunshots to the skull. City Democrats to select mayoral By Lisa Scagliotti Free Press Staff Writer Burlington Democrats likely will determine the mayoral candidates of two parties when they caucus tonight their own and the Republicans'. Democrats William Aswad, Nancy Chioffi and Rick Sharp spent Tuesday making phone calls, mailing fliers and placing radio ads to remind supporters to attend the 7:30 p.m.

caucus. The trio said they were arranging rides for party mem ALAN CRICKMORE walked up toward Jericho Road." Three witnesses reported seeing her walking up the road about 8:15, wearing a denim jacket, jeans and sneakers and carrying her bookbag and flute case. Mr. Crickmore, who was calm as television and still cameras recorded his testimony, said he had told his daughter; not to hitchhike. But Rex Dustln, a Jericho farmer, said he passed the girl twice' and the second time she put her thumb; out.

Dustin kept going. Later Tuesday, a North Duxbury man; described finding a corpse Nov. 19, while hunting deer off River Road in Duxbury. All Howard Blackmore saw amid the dead leaves were jeans and a tennis shoe. But he said, "Even when I reached down I said to myself, 'This is that Crickmore girl' The body was so decomposed it was difficult to move and was identified through medical and dental records.

Dr. Paul Morrow, state deputy chief medical examiner, Tuesday afternoon testified Crickmore was shot three times in the head. Two bullets were inside her skull, Turn to VICTIM'S, 4B candidate said. "I think it's really up in the air. I like both Bill and Nancy but I will make my decision after the caucus," she said.

"I need to see who's coming out of it. That's what will get my adrenalin going to run for mayor or not to run for mayor." A lack of strong leadership underlies: the Republican indecision, Riehle "We're listless right now. We have the potential for strength but there are a lot of soldiers and few leaders," he said. Green said she plans to participate in Turn to DEMOCRATS, 4B A group of parents Monday urged the Barre City and Spaulding High school boards to yield to teacher demands, saying they would support tax increases to boost teacher salaries. Contract talks between the union and the boards snagged on teacher pay increases last fall after nearly nine months of negotiations.

The teachers and school boards are between $240,000 and $250,000 apart, with teachers asking for a roughly 12 percent increase in school spending on salaries and the boards offering about 7 percent. Currently, the starting teachers' salary in Barre is $15,610 and the maximum salary is $29,090. A large number of Barre's teachers are at the top of the salary schedule, so the average salary is about $23,498, according to board figures. The board has offered pay increases that would raise the base salary to $16,450, the maximum salary to $30,656 and the average to about $25,000, board members have said. The teachers have proposed increases that would provide for a base salary of $17,225, a maximum salary of $32,100 and an average salary of about $26,339.

The two school boards have budgeted about 71 percent of the districts' combined $8.8 million budget for teacher salaries. About 200 teachers are employed by the two districts and about 2.000 students from Barre City and Barre Town attend the districts' seven schools. Barre schools may close early if contract talks fail Dairy subsidy Bill would save $7.5 million for farmers The Associated Press BARRE Barre schools will open this morning but may close early if overnight contract negotiations between tea-chers and two school boards representatives failed. "We will be opening school in the morning and then we will determine what to do," said School Superintendent James Fitzpatrick. "If we don't have enough personnel to keep the schools open, we will shut them down after they open." Negotiators for Barre area teachers planned to walk out of a last-ditch negotiating session at 5 a.m.

this morning, if no contract had been settled. At 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, teacher and school board representatives were still meeting at the Waterbury Holiday Inn with federal mediator Ira Lobel. The 170-member Barre Education Association last week voted to go on strike today unless a tentative contract agreement is reached. "Hopefully, this man (Lobel) will be able to do for Barre what he did for Burlington: Help us settle," said elementary school art teacher Linda Owen.

Barre City School Board Chairman Conrad Estivill described the boards as open-minded and willing to compromise. Still, he said, "For (Lobel) to do anything, the teachers are going to have to move. "The only way he's going to be able to come up with something is If both sides compromise," Estivill said. James E. Bressor Free Press Staff Writer MONTPELIER Supporters of the state dairy subsidy have begun drafting legislation to ensure that farmers receive the entire $7.5 million appropriated for the program.

Members of the House Agriculture Committee plan to introduce a bill Thursday that would block Gov. Madeleine Kunin's proposal to withhold more than $2.2 million of the subsidy from dairy farmers. Kunin favors curtailing the subsidy because a provision in the law mandates that the state withhold the money if the federal milk price support rises above $13 per 100 pounds. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Robert Starr, D-Troy, and other proponents of the subsidy concede that Kunin has read the subsidy statute correctly. Grain prices, however, have increased dramatically due to last summer's drought and the increase in the federal price has gone straight toward feed costs, they argue.

Full-payment supporters also argue the mechanics of the subsidy have meant the largest dairy farmers have received their total payments and some of the smallest operations may have received more money than they are entitled to because they overestimated production. Farmers in the middle, with herds 4.