Hotel nixed
Sister schools
Years-long plans for 117room building scrapped
High school students visit Japan after long hiatus
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City council revisits seat expansion talks LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
South Burlington residents may see a vote at next year’s Town Meeting Day that looks to expand the seats on the city council. The conversation has been nearly two years in the making, since the city’s charter committee was tasked in late 2021 to recommend potential changes to South Burlington’s governing bodies in an effort to increase participation and better geographically represent the state’s second-largest city. That includes working to increase diversification in its political
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Sailor’s delight
process and ensuring that residents with varying backgrounds can participate in local politics. Throughout the years, the committee has investigated switching the city’s at-large voting to a ward system, implementing a mayor and expanding both the school board and city council. While the ward system conversation — which was arguably the most debated discussion by the committee — and adding a mayoral seat to city hall was ultimately punted by the charter committee last year, See CITY COUNCIL on page 12
Market Street targeted for school safety fixes LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Rick Marcotte Central School, a South Burlington school district middle school located at the heart of City Center on Market Street, has for years been the topic of conversation over safety concerns related to traffic, as the state’s second-largest city continues to grow. Now, as the South Burlington school district prepares to welcome students back to school, the city is again looking for ways to support a safer school environment.
The city has moved to contract with a consultant to study a better design for bus access in and out of the school’s entrance, which often adds to congestion in the area. But discussion around the pervasive safety problem remain at a crossroads. “This is a really challenging thing because we are revisiting conversations the council and the school have had time and time again,” city manager Jessie Baker said at a meeting earlier this month. See MARKET STREET on page 13
AUGUST 30TH - SEPTEMBER 2ND
PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
Hazy skies created by wildfires blazing in Canada created a filter that made looking directly at the sun possible, and perhaps a little ominous, as seen here over Lake Champlain.
A Weekend Dedicated to a Most Perfect Summer Quencher — Sour Beers! Draft and Bottles for Your Sour Pleasure from: ALLAGASH HILL FARMSTEAD DIEU DU CIEL AND MORE
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