April arrives in time for spring

Author: Polly Johnson

Whether or not you've made the trek to Vergennes, Vt., you've definitely heard of the small town near Middlebury and its quaint Vermont charm. It was established in 1788 as Vermont's first city, and is also its smallest city, being only two square miles in size with a population of 2,700. For its small size, however, Vergennes has an active town life that is ideal for strolling and shopping, and two historical sites, the City Hall and the Opera House, that remain the center of Vergennes cultural life.

On March 1, April Jin was elected as the new mayor of Vergennes. She has been an active member of the Vergennes community for years - previously, she worked for three years on the city council, 11 years as the chairwoman of the Hannaford Career Center board and 12 years on the Vergennes Union High School board. From 1984 - 1988, she was a secretary for the Middlebury College French Department and was elected president of the "Staff Council," which was a group of College employees that was created to promote better working conditions and wages. Her period as president sparked her interest in the importance of politics as a vehicle for helping others. Although many of the French department professors were not here during her time here, Jean Thomson Fulton Professor of French Carol Rifelj noted that "those who were here recall that April Jin took an active interest in matters of concern to College staff members. We are very pleased to learn that her experience in the Department contributed to her involvement in public affairs, and we all congratulate her on her success."

Jin's agenda includes tackling the matters most important to the town and citizens of Vergennes.

Regarding the Vergennes Opera House, there has been recent speculation that air conditioning installed in the Opera House would soon become a tax burden on the citizens of Vergennes. However, President of the Board of Directors of the Vergennes Opera House Joe Perrotto clarified the issue, noting that "The concerns she [Jin] expressed in the recent article were only hypothetical - there are no plans (nor were there ever plans) for the Opera House to pass along to the City the utility charges required to operate our air handling system." He further noted that he clarified that point over the phone with Mayor Jin. The Opera House "has always enjoyed a great working relationship with the City of Vergennes and its elected and administrative officials, and we certainly believe that will continue with Mayor Jin." Jin also said, as reported in the Addison Independent, that "The opera house is a wonderful thing. But there are people in this town who frankly don't care, and I don't think they should have to pick up the bill."

Jin also plans to improve the infrastructure of the city, citing work to be done on many sidewalks of the town, facilitating handicap access. Although the main part of the town is of top priority, she is aware that all parts of the city's infrastructure need to be addressed.

Lastly, she plans to focus on taxes and spending related to Northlands Job Corps, a company located in Vergennes that helps train workers in skills that will assist them in finding a suitable career. She wants the city to receive more money for hosting Northlands Jobs Corps, so that the burden is not on Vergennes taxpayers.

It is clear that Jin has big plans for the small city. She is confident and assured, and has enough experience with the city of Vergennes to lead it in the right direction.