Rutland Daily Herald du lieu suivant : Rutland, Vermont • 9

Sunday, October 28, 2007 The Sunday Tunes Argus The Sunday Rutland Herald Local State MnH Uoween harkens back Vermont Digest Man critical after tnnesDurg stanung Tom Fagan de Rutlands annual ghoul parade an event to remember By SARAH HINCKLEY demon incursion at the parade in Rutland. Fagans inspiration came from the first Rutland parade he watched with his daughter, in which William Ciofreddi, son ofjohn Ciofreddi, then superintendent of the Rutland Recreation and Parks Department, dressed in a comic book costume. I maintain that he has to be the first comic book character, said Fagan about the start of the theatrical theme. According to Fagan that first parade consisted of a couple of high school bands and an assortment of costumed children. But the man who had grown up lovinj Halloween wanted more and approach the elder Ciofreddi after the parade.

That was good, John, Fagan remembers telling him, but it could be better. So, Ciofreddi handed the ball over to Fagan, appointing him parade general chairman. Fagan recollects the theme of HINESBURG Vermont State Police saya30-yearold Hinesburg man who tried to intervene in a domestic assault was stabbed eariy Saturday and was later listed in critical condition. Police say Roy B. Bash, 20, also I with 1 homicide and attempted turned carnivals in the country.

A couple from England is scheduling a visit to Vermont just to see the parade, according to one Shrewsbury inn owner. Legendary tales of comic book characters caravanning past the marble and brick edifices of downtown were bom from Fagans passionate pen. Annually he would write a letter to Detective Comics, creators of Batman and the like, but it was the first that got the ball rolling. hat letter and that really said Fagan. I was get-.

Each they printed it we would get more pie ana more people. tot only did pis letters draw comic book character enthusiasts to the Vermont city, it also got Fagan and the parade featured in a number of strips. In 1972, the Detective Comics Justice League of America, made up of Batman, Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern and Phantom Stranger, featured the group battling a rnwHMlt, Scott Gilbeau, who police say was stabbed three times alter he Tom Fagan, 75, could be called a star among superheroes, a fan of phantoms or a heathen of Hallows Eve, but for many years most called him Mr. Halloween. I fiiink if I pass over around Halloween time, Ill be riding in a casket in the parade, said Fagan outside his ghoul-ishly decorated room at the Loretta Home.

Ia be all for that, too. It was Fagans love of the October holiday that made the Rutland Halloween Parade into one of the most coveted cos- Albert J.Marto Tom Fagan reflects on Ms favorite hofl-day Halloween. See Page B6: a 24-year-old woman, was later listed in critical condition at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington. Shelburne jpobce picked up Bash walking not far from the scene. He was lodged at the Chittenden Community Correctional Center pending arraignment It just keeps going missing womans home grill top U.S.fiie official MONTGOMERY Police were out this weekend searching for more possible clues in the disappearance 3V2 years ago of then-17-year-old Brianna Maitland, alter a pair of blue jeans was found in woods about 7 miles from where she was last seen.

We are in possession of the clothing, Vermont State Police Lt John nannigan said late Friday afternoon. We cannot say specifically whether it belonged to her. Its now being analyzed by the state forensics lab. Flannigan said no evidence of human remains was found in an initial search of the area where the jeans were found. He would not comment on whether police had turned up any DNA evidence.

He described the jeans as weathered, but would not elaborate. A man out for a walk came across the jeans on Thursday, By DAVID DELC0RE Staff Witter RANDOLPH There wasnt a hint of smoke, but that didnt stop more than 100 firefighters from dozens of departments from responding to Randolph Union High School on Saturday morning. Though nothing was burning when they arrived at 9:30, the firefighters themselves were frilly involved during a two-hour town meeting organized by Ste. Bemie Sanders and attended by the nations highest-ranking fire official. Vermont firefighters from Ascutney to Worcester took full advantage of the opportunity, to while pining bend Sanders ear, The person found the item, picked it up and turned it over to us yesterday, Flannigan said.

We have done a preliminary search of the area and we will be aoing more searching over the weekend. Maitland disappeared March 19, 2004, after finisning her shift at the Black Lantern Inn, a restaurant in Montgomery village. Her car was later found backed into an Photos by Albert J. Marro Extended good weather this fall has created a long growing season tor area farmers, which in him has extended the Downtown Rutland Farmers Markets stay in Depot Park. Diane Heleha, above, displays some of the many varieties of potatoes grown on the Heleba Potato Farm in Center Rutland.

There has been no shortage of fresh summer vegetables available at the Dutchess term booth, right ley Maitland, Brianna ds mother, said police had notified her that die jeans had been found and said their brand was one of several her daughter wore. Its a no-win in a way, Maitland said. Weve always said we want to know the truth, thats our goal. But if what we have here is hers, its also sorrowful, its sad. But another false alarm would be hard, too.

Prosecutors want talks in evidence the brain of U.S. Fire Administrator Greg Cade. What we want is for you to get as much information as you can, Sanders said, urging the mix of professional and volunteer firefighters to share their concerns with Cade. They didnt need to be told twice. Federal assistance, or what some argued has been a notable lack of it, was a predictably hot topic, during a session that saw Cade peppered with suggestions about everything from aeath benefits for firefighters to financial incentives that might make it easier to recruit and retain firefighters in rural states like Vermont.

Although most of the first-responders who crowded into the high school cafeteria generally agreed Vermont departments -both full-time and volunteer -have done well obtaining FireAct grants in recent years, many noted that valuable federal funding seems to have slowed to a trickle this year. Only four grants totaling less than $750,000 were approved dim ing the latest round of grant aWards a fact that prompted some to question whether Vermont was being penalized for its comparatively low call volumes and population. It seems to the federal FireAct Vegetable fanners thankful for long, warm fall weather its always been right at or before, the 13th. This year it was I BURLINGTON Prosecutors say Brian Rooney, die defendant in die rape and killing of a University of Vermont student, knew what he was doing and was not being coerced as he spoke repeatedly with police during their By GORDON DRITSCHIL0 HIiUmi 513TI nillttl The weather had changed as it likes to do ip Vermont by the time the Downtown Rutland Farmers Market opened for its final weekend. It may have been cold and rainy Saturday, but just a few days earlier it had been T-shirt weather.

Weve been doing this for 21 years, said Stephen Chamberlain of Dutchess Farm in Castleton. We had the latest killing frost weve ever had by about a week. My wifes birthday is Oct. 6 and Meteorologist Steve Maleski at the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury said weather patterns had meant a sunnier, warmer October than normal, with average temperatures one to three degrees above the standard mean.

During the next several days, that pattern will gradually shift toward the East Coast, he said. On the whole, temperatures should come down to seasonal or See Page B6: Fall See Page B6: They made the arguments in court papers countering a move by Rooneys lawyer to bar from evidence more than a dozen conversations the then-36-year-old Richmond resident had with police between the time Micnelle Gardner-Quinn disappeared and his arrest Rooney lawyer David Sleigh argued a week earlier that police down with con- broke the MSJ alums reminisce about their school stant surve questioning. Sleigh argued that detectives repeatedly and systematically violated Rooneys rights by failing to read him his Miranda rights and ignoring his requests to talk with a lawyer. Unef Deputy Chittenden County States Attorney Brocks McArthur tided in court papers filed 1969 said that by her time, the now-theater was known as the old gym. Were going to strengthen our commitment to arts in general, Zancanaro said.

Last year, our little theater company won the state championship and went on to New Englands. By all accounts they dont give second or third place people thought our play was the best Zancanaro said the school has started an arts council and the See Page B6: MSJ coming open house Saturday. The school is celebrating its 125th anniversary. The tour group was led along a hallway, flanked by photos from the schools recent drama productions. We had some drama, but not all of this, Austin said.

On the balcony above the theater, 1950 graduate Bill Levins took it a step further. This was where we played basketball, he said. We nad some good teams, too. Melinda Battles of the class of By GORDON DRITSCHIL0 Staff Writer Bonnie Austin said much has changed since she graduated from Mount St Joseph Academy in 1982. We used chalk and chalkboards, Austin, now a lawyer in Washington, D.C., said after a demonstration of the computerized smartboard.

We didnt have the computer lab. Principal Paolo Zancanaro was leading a tour of the school with Austin and a handful of her fellow alumni during MSJs home tactics, Albert J. Marro Mount St Joseph Academy Principal Paolo Zancanaro, right, shows alumni the new computer lab during Saturday's open house in celebration of MSJs homecoming. defendants statements were voluntarily made, McArthur wrote..