Top Stories for Tuesday August 7, 2007

VSFA Firefighters Welcome... Two years of planning by AFFA Members Shines at 118th State Convention
By Mike Cameron
    The three day event came off without a noticeable hitch or glitch. It wasn’t easy and the weather looked ominous at times but in the end the firefighters did what they always do they got the job done and Addison County has reason to be proud of them once again.
    The Vermont State Firefighters Association State Convention was hosted this year by The Addison County Firefighters Association here in Middlebury.  
    Last Thursday evening The Voice sat down with some of the firefighters who were instrumental in organizing this years event.  We talked about the fire service in Vermont and how the Middlebury community embraced the event  with just about everything imaginable from donations to support services.  The list is special and each person who helped in any way isn’t going to be forgotten  by the firefighters for their help and generosity.  [ more ]

Brookside Manor House Being Transformed By New Owners
By Ed Barna
   On a hillside overlooking the southern part of the Champlain Valley, the former Brookside Stock Farm owner's house stands as evidence of the prosperity brought in the 19th century by Merino sheep.
   Stolen from Spain by an American diplomat who happened to be a Vermonter, Merino sheep were the ultimate in wool production, with their thick, curly coats. All through the Champlain Valley there are magnificent “farmhouses” that could better be described as manor houses, all much better than a visitor would expect on a Vermont farm-but Brookside is unique.
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$500,000 Challege Grant For Town Hall Theater

    Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater has received a major boost to its capital campaign, a $500,000 challenge grant designed to help the community finish the project.
    The largest gift ever received by THT comes in the form of a dollar-for-dollar match.  Town Hall Theater must raise another $500,000 to receive the gift, which has a deadline of December 31, 2007.  When the challenge is met, the long-awaited interior renovation can begin.
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