Bennington Banner from Bennington, Vermont • 2

LOCALSTATE BENNINGTON BANNER TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 21)04 Music venue to be razed for largest redevelopment project They expressed confidence that Vermont. i M2TJJC AP WINOOSKI (AP) Matt Sutte knows the end is in sight, but that's not what he was thinking about Sunday night. The band Tortoise was warming up on stage, the somber thump of a bass guitar an appropriate match to the dark, smoky interior of the Higher Ground music club. Sutte, manager and co-owner of the club, chats with the bartender and chef, makes a call on his cell phone double-checking that everything's just right for the evening show. This weekend, Higher Ground will host its final concert; soon after that, the club and the shopping mall it has culled home since 1998 will be razed to make way for the largest downtown redevelopment project ever undertaken in such an agreement would be reached soon, and that demolition could start as early as next month.

'At this point there have been enough bridges crossed," said Bill Niquette, executive director of the Winooski Gimmunity Development Corp. "It's a question of what exact form the development will take, not whether it will hap-pen. Signs of preparation for the project are already visible in parts of downtown. Fresh asphalt on some streets covers where communication cables have been installed or rearranged so that building can start; businesses that once populated the shopping mall are either boarded up or vacant. Every business, that is, except I ligher Ground.

The $185-million plan includes new headquarters for the Vermont Student Assistance office buildings, about 600 units of housing and some 100 acres of recreation and open space. Officials first proposed the redevelopment in 1999 with the hope that ground would be broken by 2001, but difficulties getting the necessary financing delayed the project. That changed in February when the city secured a $24 million loan from the federal Housing and Urban Development Department. The Douglas administration has indicated its intent to guarantee repayment of the loan, but no formal agreement exists yet, city officials said Monday. Nick Marodones, box office manager of the Higher Ground, stands In the club Monday In Wlnooskl.

On Sunday, Higher Ground will host Its final concert; soon after that, the club and the shopping mall It has called home since 1998 will be razed to make way for the largest downtown redevelopment proect ever undertaken In Vermont. Senate committee takes testimony on farm bill St. Albans preparing for development tee is comfortable giving that broad discretion to the secretary of Agriculture," said Sen. Matt Dunne, D-Windsor, a member of the committee. members of the committee is that the accepted agricultural practices would be defined by the secretary of Agriculture.

"I'm not sure that the commit Morning Briefing MONTPELIER (AP) A complex farm bill that has passed the House is facing late session testimony and discussion as a Senate committee struggles with the issues it raises. Agriculture Secretary Steven Kerr says Senate leaders have pledged to vote a bill out this session although some senators believe the bill needs changes. "There's work to done," said Sara Kittell, D-Franklin, chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. The two-part measure governs the right to farm and management of manure on farms to prevent water pollution. "The House complicated it all by hooking the right to farm and water quality together," said Kit-tell, whose committee took testimony from legal experts and state officials last week and plans to hear more this week.

"And then they tied it to the water quality bill by linking in accepted management practices," she said. Part of the bill protects farmers from complaints about noise or odors if they expand as long as they abide by accepted farm practices. A stumbling block for some ST ALBANS (AP) Officials are preparing for a slew of development projects, much of it retail spurred by plans for a Wal-Mart store. The Arkansas company wants to build a store in the northern end of town, even though it was defeated in a similar proposal a decade ago. Besides Wal-Mart, a T.J.

Maxx store plans to open in the nearby Highgate Plaza by this fall. There also is talk of a home improvement store showing interest in building a store on 40 acres south of the proposed Wal-Mart. Also proposed within the growth center is expansion of Franklin Park West, and on the south side of town, a major addition to the St. Albans Town Industrial Park. There also are numerous housing developments planned, including a 40-unit project at Fairfax Road and Vermont Route 104.

If you wish to clean an area, street or neighborhood, please call the number above. We must know where you are and where the trash will be in order to facilitate town collection. The town will provide bags; however, the number may be limited so please call early. BENNINGTON COUNTY The Vermont State Police will be conducting sobriety checkpoints in the Bennington County area during the last week of April. Checkpoints are held to remove impaired operators from the roadway and make the roads safer for everyone.

The Vermont State Police urge everyone to not drink and drive. Meetings Calendar Tuesday, April 20 NORTH BENNINGTON The North Bennington High School alumni executive board meets today, 7 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Church. BENNINGTON The local chapter of the Business and Professional Women's club will be demonstrating for equal pay today at noon at the Four Corners.

Club members with "equal pay for women" signs will be distributing "equal payday" candy bars, along with gender pay-gap information. A town official may present the town with an "equal payday" proclamation. StatD News in Brief BENNINGTON The Tuesday, April 20 School district settles with support staff RANDOLPH (AP) School support staff in the Orange Southwest Supervisory Union have settled a contract after 18 months of negotiations, said Linda Minsinger, head of the supervisory union negotiating team. "We came to a settlement, so a temporary agreement was reached," Minsinger said. "They're taking it to their members.

All the boards have to take it to their members." The supervisory union's support staff unit is expected to hold a ratification vote after this week's spring vacation. School boards in Braintree, Brookfield and Randolph will all also have to vote on the contract, Minsinger said. It could take a month for all the boards to meet. Minsinger said she wasn't able to provide specifics of the settlement, but said the final contract is "pretty close" to a fact-finder's report issued after negotiations reached an impasse. Salaries and benefits for school-year employees were the biggest points of contention.

Fact-finder Gary Altman of Brookline, proposed raising starting salaries from between $6.93 and $10.45 an hour to between $7.68 and $11.20 an hour in the first year of the contract and then by 2.5 percent in the second and third years. Family of missing teen offers reward MONTPELIER (AP) The family of a missing Sheldon teenager is offering a $10,000 award for her return. Brianna Maitland, 17, has been missing since the night of March North Bennington Water Commission North Bennington Depot Railroad American Association of University Women will hear Walter Auclair speak about "Where were the Women Writers in the 19th century?" 7 p.m. at the home of Gayle Kimball. All are welcome to attend.

For more information call Mary Kirkpatrick at 442-4444. 19 after she left her job at the Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery. Her car was found the next day a mile outside town, its rear end forcibly, driven into the side of an abandoned house. Her father, Bruce Maitland, criticized the investigation into her disappearance in a letter to Gov. James Douglas last week.

"As of today my impression from the state police on her case is that they are no closer to finding her today as they were three weeks ago," Maitland wrote on Friday. A spokesman for Douglas said the governor had been assured by; Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper that police were working hard on the case. Club says wait on hiking until land dries MONTPELIER (AP) The organization that takes care of the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail in Vermont is urging hikers to stay off the trails until they can dry. The Green Mountain Club says wet conditions from snow melt and rain make hiking trails susceptible to erosion damage that can be made much worse by foot traffic. That forces the Green Mountain Club to discourage use of the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail.

Hikers are being urged to stay off trails below feet until May May 15, 2,000 feet; May 30, 3,000 feet. Rutland police, sheriff start motorcycle patrols RUTLAND (AP) Officers from the city police and county sheriffs departments are mounting up for motorcycle patrols. Officers from each department spent the past week training on their new Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The 40 hours of schooling were anything but a scenic Sunday ride on a back road. "It's nothing like riding a regular motorcycle," said Deputy Aran McNeil over the noise from his idling bike.

"When it comes to doing what we're doing here, it's above and beyond that." Each department is leasing one Harley-Davidson motorcycle. McNeil and two fellow deputies joined three city police officers last' week, learning to maneuver motorcycles through a series of patterns marked by orange cones in the safety of the back parking lot of Rutland High School. "That's what this is about, learning the handling skills. It's much harder at slower speeds," McNeil said. is the hardest training I've ever had to do." He then listed a scries of body parts bruised and banged up from his training days.

McNeil and his helmeted classmates occasionally had to learn their slow-speed, tight-cornering skills the hard way on a set of already scratched training Harley bikes. JET 1 Aflil Dorset Select Board Town Offices, 7 p.m. Agenda: Meet with Peter Sterling, wilderness organizer to discuss proposal to designate 78,000 acres of wilderness in the Green Mountain National Forest; approve liquor license for Gregor's Bakery Cafe; discuss use of Town Green for wedding scheduled for Sept. review request from Marshall Peck Jr. for waiver of penalty and interest for March tax payment; discuss animal control at the East Dorset Summer Festival horse show Bennington Development Review Board Bennington Fire Department, Agenda: Disclosure of munications and conflict of interest; review request for Mount Anthony Middle School road; Green Acres Partners, request for continuance HOOSICK FALLS, N.Y.

The Hoosick Falls senior band presents a concert at 7 p.m. today. The band will perform the literature that they will be playing at their upcoming competition in Philadelphia, Pa. The concert will be at the Hoosick Falls Central School auditorium and is free and open to the public. Donations gladly accepted.

Announcements BENNINGTON Saturday, May 1, from 8 a.m. to noon, is Green Up Day and Adopt-A-Highway clean up. All participants should register to help by calling 802-442-1037. Adopt-A-Highway groups should report to the Depot Street garage on May 1 to collect bags and vests. Residential Backdoor Pickup Dumpsters 2 yd -10 yd Roll-Off Containers Clean Out Service Demolition Tropical Mist Waste Management Vf Mist onTannin8 802-447-1300 512 Main Street i VISA Locally Owned By Trevor Mance 802-447-TANS(8267) i Real By KATHY HOISINGTON Estate Strict Kathy Hoisington has earned her CRS, GRI CRB Realtor designations.

She is a past Dean of the GRI Institute, served several terms as President of the Southwest Vermont Board of Realtors and was Chairman of the Bennington Board of Assessors. HUGE STCHEVtlliZ SAVIXC3 CN CLQTIITJMG, GIFTS, TLJ ITT" REALTOR CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING Co) iWT i I BENNINGTON BANNER A MediaNews Group newspaper Telephone: (802)447-7567 Classified: (802)447-0332 Newsroom: newsbenningtonbanner.com Graphic Arts: graphicsbenningtonbanner.com The Bennington Banner (USPS050-340) is published daily except Sundays and Christmas Day for $105 a year by New England Newspapers, 425 Main Bennington, VT 05201. Periodicals postage paid at Bennington, Vermont. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Bennington Banner, 425 Main Bennington, VT 05201. A member of the Associated Press.

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for missing or damaged papers. BENNINGTON BANNER POLICIES Death Notices, Obituaries There is no charge for obituaries in the Bennington Banner. Free obituaries include all pertinent information about the deceased, including next of kin, military and employment history, church affiliation, hobbies, and funeral and church service information. For additional copy and a photograph, the fees are as such: Photograph: $25 Star of David: $25 Cross: $25 American Flag: $25 Other Emblem (you provide) $25 Grandchildren's Names: $25 Additional Copy up to 150 words): S30 Additional Copy (up to 300 words): $60 To run a full obituary a second $50 Plus an additional $10 charge for all obituaries tor a web service. Engagement and wedding announcements must be written on the proper Banner form, which is available from the newsroom: (802)447-7567.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a byproduct of combustion. It's colorless and odorless that's what makes it so dangerous. People don't know CO is present until they begin having symptoms. These can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and confusion in the earlier stages. Then comes coma and death.

Fuel burning appliances such as furnaces, hot water heaters, kerosene or gas space heaters and kitchen ranges can release CO into home air. Automobile engines are potent sources of CO. Every year over 500 in this country die of unintentional CO poisoning. This is especially true if your garage is attached to or located below living quarters. Almost 6 out of 10 deaths from CO poisoning are due to motor vehicle exhaust, often from warming up a car in the garage.

Never run your car engine in a garage. For early detection, have a CO detector installed in the sleeping area or adjacent hall. Fro Fly-iyinj; Demonstration Free On-SIU Barbour Cott Reproofing Cuting far Recovery AnfSl' Cafe at Orvte Maple Sugar Gang Uve music Charles Hisey An Intro to Bamboo rod building Face painting and pony rides for kids Black River Produce Farmers' Market tent of Vermont products and fits Tun Deck, Expert Fly Caster and Anther (ins a eaeting demo Tom Rosenbauer, Orvis VP and Author Reading (he Water Chock Kashner, Orvis Quids rip for tbeBattenkili Matt Stedina and Jeremey Garnish of Outdoor Life Network TV Mark Breen. VFR Meteorologist Huge storewide savings at the flagship store! PLUS, save up to 70 at the tent sale! Men's Clothing Barbour Women's Clothing Gifts Pet Supplies and Dog Nests Fishing Rods Reels Waders Flies Fishing Supplies Outerwear Furniture Hoisington Realty, Inc. 489 Main Street, Bennington, VT 05201 (802) 442-8337 E-mail: hoisingadelphia.net Internet Address: http:www.hoisingtonvt.com I-R i.