The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • 11

ftlje Purlington Jrcc press VERMON INSIDE Community 2B Business 5B Comics 7B SECTION www.burlingtonfreepress.com Tuesday, May 11, 2010 Metro Editor Patrick Garrity 660-1897 or (800) 427-3124 Page IB ernes leniency What's news Richford road searched for missing Sheldon girl From staff, wire reports Pot dealer accused of inventing personal history By Joel Banner Baird Free Press Staff Writer Leniency in sentencing was denied Monday to a Burlington man convicted of dealing marijuana after federal prosecutors determined he had invented a Vietnam- after her husband, a delay in sentencing until November, citing the woman's diagnosis with a severe bipolar disorder and her strong family support. Sessions will decide at a May 17 hearing whether she will be released to live under supervision with her mother. New "non-incarcerative" sentencing guidelines come into effect Nov. 1 that would be ideal for her case, Sessions said. See DEALER, 6B RICHFORD Vermont State Police say a search in Richford for a 17-year-old Sheldon girl who disappeared in 2004 was unsuccessful.

The Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team BURLINGTON March and accused of selling multiple pounds of marijuana while awaiting sentencing for the first offense, Sessions said. Those allegations are pending in state court and they led to the revocation of the couple's pre-sentence release in the federal case. Sessions granted Heather Wick Manning, who appeared in court Monday with help from a K-9 dog unit i 1 searcnea iTive Hiii Koaa on ivionaay I for evidence linked to the disappear- .1 I anceof Brianna Maitland. Authorities 2004, at the Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery, where she worked as a dishwasher. Her car was found the next day a short distance away, but she has not Maitland I been seen since.

Police believe she was the victim of foul play. The Maitland family continues to offer a $20,000 reward for information leading to her location and tq the person responsible for her disappearance. Police have sought and followed leads periodically since Maitland went missing. In March and June 2007, state police detectives visited Atlantic City, N.J., to investigate reports of a young woman who fit Maitland's description who was working in a casino there. In October 2007, an old pair of blue jeans was discovered in the woods of Montgomery Center, prompting an intensive two-day search of the area.

Last September, police searched an area near where Maitland's car was found. '1 .77 EMILY McMANAMY, free Press Huntington Town Clerk Heidi Racht talks Monday about the outbreak of mold at the Huntington Town Office. The source of the outbreak has not been located. Mystery mold hits town offices era Marine Corps career to deceive his probation officer. Chief U.S.

District Judge William Sessions III called claims made by Kimball Manning, 64, outrageous and incredible before sentencing him to 4'A years in prison. Manning and his wife, Heather Wick Manning, 39, both of whom were indicted in June for trafficking drugs and pleaded guilty in February, were arrested again in 9 2 HUNTINGTON opened windows when possible and installed air circulators in the building, which has helped some, Racht said. Problems remain, especially in the building's basement, where Select-board meetings are held and Town Administrator Ed Wildman has his office. "The downstairs still doesn't smell that great," Racht said. Huntington Town Treasurer Dan Stoddard said the problems are worse in the spring and fall, for some reason.

On warm, dry days, Racht said she leaves the building's front doors open to increase air circulation. Workers tore up carpeting near the building's front Hi federal gov-ernment has no authority to prosecute Jacques on allegations he drugged, raped and killed his 12-year-old Bennett of I La Jacques niece, Brooke Braintree, in June 2008. The defense wants the case transferred from federal court to state court which would have the effect of eliminating execution as possible punishment because Vermont has no death penalty. By Matt Sutkoski Free Press Staff Writer HUNTINGTON There appears to be mold somewhere in the Huntington town offices, but nobody can figure out where it. is or how extensive it might be, Town Clerk Heidi Racht said.

Town employees say they often smell a musty odor in the building, an odor Racht likens to cat urine. "They've done all these things to' try to figure it out," she said. Racht said the Huntington Selectboard is aware of the problem, but no decisions have been made on what to do about it. The town staff has BURLINGTON Halfway house revisited Council wants permit rethought By John Briggs Free Press Staff Writer The Burlington City Council on Monday, by a 10-4 vote, directed the city to ask the District 4 Act 250 Commission to revisit the basing of a halfway house run by the national nonprofit Phoenix House on Elmwood Avenue in the Old North End. Before the meeting, the issue seemingly was settled.

Phoenix House, partnering with the Burlington Housing Authority, had a city zoning permit and an Act 250 permit for the 20-bed facility, which would house newly released prisoners with substance-abuse issues. BHA Executive Director Paul Dettman told the council the house could open in September, just north of the post office. The Burlington Business Association, the Church Street Marketplace Association and Police Chief Michael Schirling argued, however, that the permit process hadn't adequately considered the impact of the new facility on downtown Burlington. Schirling told the council that although facilities such as Phoenix House are urgently needed, he has concerns about the proposed location and about the adequacy of local social-service agencies to provide the counseling and mentoring the residents will need. Mayor Bob Kiss, after a prolonged council discussion, offered a resolution introduced by Emma Mulva-ney-Stanak, P-Ward 3, that would have allowed the house to open but begun a public discussion through the Public Safety Committee "to work with Phoenix House" to help it succeed.

That resolution failed 11-3, gaining support from Mulva-ney-Stanak; Marrisa Caldwell, P-Ward and Sharon Bushor, I-Ward 1. The debate Monday offered the unusual spectacle of the police chief and See COUNCIL, 6B degrees or lower for awhile. Any bloom killed by the frost means that bloom will not produce any fruit. That has huge implications for the state apple crop. The or- chards are all in bloom.

The frost could be devastating. We won't know until later in the week what the extent of the damage will be. Vermont Country Store co-founder dies: Mildred Ellen Orton, who co-founded the Vermont Country Store with her husband, has died. Orton died at her home in Weston last week at the age of 99. Her son, Lyman Orton, who now owns the mail-order company with his three sons, says she did the paperwork and bookkeeping for more than 30 years for the company she and her husband, Vrest, started in 1946.

The catalog offers kitch-enware, clothing, home remedies and long-forgotten brands. Mildred Ellen Orton also espoused the use of whole grains over white flour, writing the book "Cooking with Wholegrains" in 1947, which was pub-, lished by Farrar Straus and will be republished this fall. She is survived by her son, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Man arrested after shooting in Hartland: The Vermont State Police said Monday that they arrested Ryan Townsend, 19, of Hart-land following allegations that he shot at a 20-year-old man last week in Hartland. The incident happened at about 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday while the victim, of Windsor, was walking along U.S. 5, and a car in which Townsend was a passenger pulled alongside, and the occupants began antagonizing the 20-year-old, according to a statement from Trooper Gary Salvatore. Townsend then aimed a revolver at the victim and fired, but he missed, Salvatore Champlain Bridge said. Police arrested Townsend on suspicion of aggravated assault and reckless endanger-ment; he was later released with a citation to appear in court July 6. Townsend also was served with a restraining order demanding he stay away from the victim, police said.

Georgia man arrested on outstanding warrants: Vermont State Police arrested Matthew Richard, 26, of Georgia on Monday for failing to show up to begin a prison sentence for aggravated domestic assault against his infant son. A police release states that Richard also had outstanding warrants for multiple offenses of driving with a criminally suspended license, multiple charges of petty larceny, and possession of narcotics. Orange County man cited on suspicion of assault: A dispute on McCarthy Road this month led Vermont State Police to cite Benjamin Currier, 21, of Orange with two counts of assault and disorderly conduct. A police release Monday said troopers encountered Currier, intoxicated and restrained by his father, "out of control" and having attempted "to fight multiple people." Currier tried to spit on the police officers, and did spit on an emergency-crew member and later, on an emergency-room worker, according to the police report. Currier was cited Saturday and is to appear June 3 in Vermont District Court in Chelsea.

From staff, wire reports meeting tonight Jacques fights federal jurisdiction entrance, thinking moisture collected there, but the sub-floor was dry, Racht said. There might be leaks near some deteriorating siding and window frames in parts of the building, but no definitive sources of moisture that would cause mold have been found, she said. The town applied for a $50,000 historic preservation grant that would have led to repairs to the building, but the town didn't win the grant, and there was no assurances the repairs would have rid the building of the suspected mold, she said. The building, originally a village school house, is showing signs of disrepair. Some clapboards are rot- See MOLD, 6B Jacques' attorneys separately are challenging the federal death penalty as unconstitutional.

Jacques, 44, a convicted sex offender, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of kidnapping with death resulting. Prosecutors, who are seeking Jacques' execution, oppose both requests. They argue in court papers the federal government has jurisdiction because Jacques used electronic communications namely e-mails, text messages and the Internet that crossed state lines to set in motion the events that led to Bennett's See JACQUES, 3B season. Those fears will be realized. Virtually everyone will get a frost and freeze in Vermont overnight.

Most places will get well down into the 20s. Generally and loosely speaking, things like apple blossoms, strawberry flowers and the like get killed off if the temperature gets to 28 By Adam Silverman Free Press Staff Writer If U.S. prosecutors are allowed to pursue their case against kidnapping and murder suspect Michael Jacques of Randolph and the death penalty that might follow a conviction then potentially every kidnapping nationwide could become a federal crime, defense attorneys are arguing in new court papers. The six-page motion, filed in U.S. District Court in Burlington, is part of the defense team's effort to persuade Chief Judge William Sessions III to rule the FROM THE BLOCS Killer freeze Free Press reporter and weather guru Matt Sutkoski reports on his blog "Weather Rapport" that Monday night's expected freeze could be bad news for Vermont growers and gardeners: The Mother's Day snow in parts of Vermont didn't affect anything; it just made for a nasty day for May.

The Associated Press threatens Vermont orchards ADDISON Transportation officials from Vermont and New York will meet with the public to discuss the status of the planned Lake Champlain Cham-plain bridge. Officials will talk today about the design of the bridge between Addison and Crown, Point, N.Y.; removal of debris from the December demolition of the old bridge; and operation of a temporary ferry service. The Lake Champlain Bridge was closed last fall and later demolished after it was deemed unsafe. The new bridge is expected to be complete in late 2011. The meeting is planned for 6:30 p.m.

today at Addison Central School. (Monday night's) expected clear, cold weather spells trouble, though. Since April, when it became apparent that everything was growing weeks early because of an unusually warm spring, the fear has been a big frost would come and kill off blooms that are appearing sooner than they usually do in the "1.