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(02/28/21 4:15pm)
Town residents will determine this coming week if retail cannabis stores can open in Middlebury. The provision on the March 3 ballot is part of a comprehensive regulatory cannabis bill that passed the Vermont Senate in October 2020 and would allow towns to opt-in to permitting cannabis stores within town limits. Vermont is the second state to pass such a bill through elected officials rather than a referendum.
Addison County High Bailiff Dave Silberman has been involved with legalization efforts in Vermont since 2015. He believes that Act 164, while not perfect, has the potential to boost Vermont’s small business economy and more.
“We produced a bill that is Vermont-scale and favors small businesses,” he said. “It makes it almost impossible for corporate consolidation, it requires a lot of public disclosure, and it will hopefully pave the way for people who have been historically disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition to enter this industry and thrive in it, should they choose to.”
A vote in favor of the provision would allow for the opening of a retail cannabis store in Middlebury, which would be able to sell products to customers aged 21 and over as soon as fall of 2022. The law does not allow for on-site consumption of cannabis.
A vote against the provision would mean that Middlebury will not be able to open a retail cannabis store, though others may open in other parts of the state.
One of the largest coalitions in support of Middlebury’s opt-in vote is the business community. Twenty-one Middlebury businesses, ranging from breweries to coffee shops, bookstores to the Marquis Theater signed a letter of support for the vote through the “MiddYes” campaign.
“Replacing illegal sales with a regulated retail storefront will benefit our town … by attracting more customers to all downtown stores and restaurants, thereby making Middlebury’s downtown more vibrant and active,” the letter of support states.
Many of these businesses are located in Middlebury’s downtown, where a cannabis retail store would likely be established if the vote passes.
Downtown has long been a focus of Middlebury’s developmental efforts as empty storefronts offer visible evidence of economic woes. Not unlike other small towns, Middlebury’s businesses have been facing difficulties due to the increasing prevalence of online retail and corporate consolidation — struggles that have only worsened due to Covid-19 restrictions and the recent construction downtown.
Supporters of retail cannabis in Middlebury believe that getting a head start on the opt-in provision would attract neighboring communities to Middlebury’s downtown, since Vergennes and Salisbury are the only other nearby areas also voting on the provision.
The opt-in provision is about more than just business, however. As long as cannabis legalization has been an issue, concerns about public safety and underage usage have percolated.
The United Way of Addison County (UWAC), an organization pushing for a diverse platform of social change in the area, has not yet taken a stance on the upcoming vote. Instead, it has worked to keep Vermonters informed. Director of Prevention Jesse Brooks provided some statistics in an email to The Campus indicating high drug usage among the state’s young adults.
Citing the 2016-17 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Brooks noted that among 18- to 25-year olds, Vermont ranked first in estimated illicit drug use and alcohol use within the past 30 days. When expanding that period to a year, Vermont ranked first in both cocaine and marijuana use for 18- to 25-year olds.
The 2019 survey noted that Vermonters aged 12 to 17 reported 14.5% in 30-day marijuana use, which is more than twice the national average of 6.8%.
On the other hand, proponents of retail cannabis note that legalization may not impact — and may even decrease — underage consumption. According to a study linked on the MiddYes webpage, it is possible that marijuana use among young people may actually decline if the substance is legalized for recreational purposes.
Addison County Sheriff Peter D. Newton made his opinion clear in a recent letter to the editor at The Addison Independent.
“I do not feel cannabis itself is a gateway drug. It should be well regulated in how it is grown… altering it is where it leads to problems,” he wrote. “I would rather see it sold in a store where it can be monitored, taxed and regulated than sold on the street corner or down on the green.”
Silberman hopes that college students may factor into the vote. Students are able to vote in elections as residents of Middlebury and are a historically underrepresented segment of municipal elections.
Students can register at https://olvr.vermont.gov/, up to and on the day of the election or request an absentee ballot by emailing awebster@townofmiddlebury.org.
(02/04/21 11:00am)
Following a decision by the Vermont legislature to allow mail-in voting for town meetings, Middlebury has decided to skip the annual in-person meeting and vote on all measures by ballot. The move, a response to growing Covid-19 cases, changes the nature of Vermont municipal politics for the time being.
Vermont’s annual town meeting stands as a revered New England tradition and a modern-day reminder of what direct democracy can look like. Many Middlebury residents treasure the “floor meeting” in particular, where hundreds of residents gather to debate and vote on policies concerning the town.
It is usually community-oriented, discussion-centered and — above all — in-person.
During a typical year, Middlebury holds its floor meeting the night before Vermont’s Town Meeting Day, which falls on the first Tuesday of every March. The town’s annual budget is the largest item of the night, but other municipal matters are discussed as well. On the following day, additional measures are decided by paper ballot, including the election of town officials.
This year, however, the town will vote on all measures solely by Australian ballot, the typical secret ballot that is used in U.S. elections.
Jim Douglas ’72, the former governor of Vermont, noted that the floor meeting offers a unique forum for amendments and explanation. Douglas moderated the floor debate in Middlebury for 33 years before retiring in 2019.
“It is pure democracy. Everyone is a legislator for a day and has an equal voice in the affairs of the community,” he said in an interview with The Campus, reflecting on the change to mail-in voting.
“Now there is no opportunity for amendments,” he said. “Generally, when the budget is up for debate, someone can motion to change it. On the ballot, it will pass or be rejected — there are only two options.”
However, there are some advantages to the Australian ballot that the floor meeting lacks. It holds the potential for wider turnout because voting at the floor meeting requires a person to be physically present. This means that people who are unavailable on that particular day — whether they are working, away from home, sick or unable to attend for another reason — will be able to cast their vote as well.
“It is kind of a catch-22,” said Ann Webster, Middlebury’s town clerk. “The Australian ballot may be more attractive for people who actually get a chance to vote on something they don’t normally vote on. But the debate, seeing people in person, that ritual — it is really important.”
In theory, mail-in ballots have the potential to provide the accessibility that the floor meeting lacks. Voter turnout broke records in both Vermont and Middlebury during November’s 2020 elections, when ballots were mailed to every registered voter in Vermont. However, Vermont used federal funding to send those ballots, and the state legislature is unlikely to do so again for the floor meeting ballots without more federal funding.
Dave Silberman, High Bailiff of Addison County, was encouraged by the high turnout in November.
“Clearly, the desire among the populous is to be able to vote easily and early by mail. People will have to request them for this election, but they have gotten used to voting by mail,” Silberman told The Campus.
Silberman also hopes that Middlebury College students will be requesting mail-in ballots.
“Students ought to know that they absolutely have the right to vote in Middlebury local elections. They are an important constituency in this town and crucial to our social fabric,” he said. “Town meeting votes are typically very small shares; having 100 people show up to vote can make a huge difference.”
Several elections this March also hold the potential to increase voter turnout among both college students and residents of the town. On March 2, Middlebury will decide whether retail cannabis stores will be allowed to open in Middlebury, as well as whether the town of Ripton will leave the Addison Central School District. Esther Thomas, a member of the college’s Residential Life staff, is also running for Selectboard.
However, Douglas fears potential negative consequences if Vermont democracy shifts away from in-person decisions.
“The essence of our tradition of direct democracy is human interaction, the ability to question municipal officials and to hold them accountable,” he said. “I hope this is a temporary shift, but I’m worried about it.”
Webster, on the other hand, is more open to allowing some of the more positive changes to subsist.
“I am certainly hoping there is a definite swing back to normal. I’m also excited about the opportunities we might have,” she said. “There are things we have learned about how we might better communicate and make things more accessible for people. I’m hoping we gain progress.”
The town of Middlebury will host an informational meeting about the upcoming election on February 22 at 7:00 p.m. For more information about this and the elections, visit townofmiddlebury.org.
(01/28/21 10:59am)
The Giving Fridge, a plant-filled storefront occupying a once-vacant spot in downtown Middlebury, offers a unique pop-up initiative that allows customers to support local restaurants, combat food insecurity and buy plants — all in one convenient location.
The project employs a simple yet effective model: it sells plants, honey and other locally made goods to raise money to buy meals from local restaurant partners. Then, the entrees, salads and desserts are offered for free to anyone in need.
Founder Bethanie Farrell kickstarted The Giving Fridge on Dec. 23 with the goal of providing 250 meals between Christmas and the new year. Now, it is on pace to supply 1,000 meals by the end of January.
The original plan was smaller in scale and was not oriented toward addressing food insecurity. When Farrell moved to Middlebury in November and noticed empty storefronts in the downtown area, she formulated Plantopia, a project that would use plants to decorate the windows of the empty spaces. Then, she read some disturbing news.
“The statistic had come out that 1 in 4 Vermonters was now experiencing food insecurity,” she said. “It made me think that there has to be a way ... to reach people who may not be already receiving assistance.”
A major goal of The Giving Fridge is to provide assistance for anyone in need during this challenging time — including those who may be slipping through the cracks of standard programs and relief funding. Farrell has noticed that many of the people who use The Giving Fridge do not fit the stereotypical image of poverty: they are volunteer firefighters, AmeriCorps volunteers, frontline workers and people working multiple jobs.
Arran Stokes, service coordinator at the John Graham Shelter in Vergennes, suspects that people may avoid seeking aid because they don’t consider themselves food insecure.
“Some people think that because there are people worse off than them, they want to make sure that those people get the food,” Stokes said. “I want to tell them: if your refrigerator is empty, this [Giving Fridge] is a good place.”
Even for those who have been relying on aid programs, many of the Covid-19-specific relief funds have been losing steam. For this reason, the launch of The Giving Fridge could not have been more timely.
One of these aid programs was Vermont Everyone Eats, which was similar to The Giving Fridge but had a wider scope and more funding from the state legislature. The John Graham Shelter was receiving aid from this program until its funding was temporarily suspended in December.
“As soon as Everyone Eats lost funding, there was this huge deluge of need. Think about everyone that was getting food from the program… it was gone,” Stokes said. “[Farrell] filled this gap. She quickly stepped up and said, ‘This is what I can do.’”
Another major goal of The Giving Fridge has been to support local restaurants and producers hit by the pandemic. Every $10 raised through sales and donations is used to buy a $10 meal from one of several partner restaurants.
In addition to the weekly meal orders that are gifted to the community, she has started selling prepared meals to those who can afford the retail price, which provides a new revenue stream for restaurants. The Giving Fridge is open on Sundays and Mondays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., a time when many local restaurants are closed.
Danielle Boyce is the owner of American Flatbread Middlebury, one of the partner restaurants of The Giving Fridge. American Flatbread has been preparing 40 meals each week for The Giving Fridge — from their signature pizzas to soups and desserts. Boyce appreciates how Farrell has managed to create a project that meets so many local needs.
“Bethanie has been great about always remembering that it’s not just about one thing. It’s about the storefront, it’s about the restaurants and, of course, it’s about feeding people,” Boyce said. “The moment she has one of them covered, she is going to the next to make sure that it stays in the narrative.”
Other restaurant partners include The Arcadian, the Middlebury Co-op, Sabai Sabai, Two Brothers Tavern and Park Squeeze. Farrell has also established partnerships with farms in the area, including Ridgeline Apiaries and Scuttleship Farm, as well as with some bakeries.
In just a month, The Giving Fridge has been able to put $8,000 back into local businesses.
Due to the nature of The Giving Fridge, Farrell faces some challenges with long-term partnerships and planning.
“A little bit [of funding] comes in every day, so generally I can plan a week out. It would be amazing if I could plan a month out,” Farrell said. “As long as donations keep coming in, The Giving Fridge will continue. Even if someone buys just one meal, it makes all the difference.”
Farrell is also only using the storefront while it is in between tenants. Her next step for the project is to find a donor or a grant that will allow her to continue to use the space for the next four to five months while pandemic restrictions remain in place.
“The way it has come together has been really organic,” Farrell said. “I’m just hoping that it will continue to grow and meet the needs of the community.”
If you would like to buy a plant, donate to The Giving Fridge or reserve a meal for yourself or another, visit www.careofvt.com and follow @TheGivingFridgeVT on Instagram.