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Plaid, fleece blend easily at Montgomery town meeting



By Candace Page, Free Press Staff Writer • Wednesday, March 2, 2011



MONTGOMERY CENTER — Parma Jewett, a 38-year resident, spoke firmly Tuesday to the 70 voters gathered under the bright pink tin ceiling of the Town Hall. She declined another term on the Planning Commission.

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Montgomery knows all about new blood. In the decade between 2000 and 2010, the population grew 21 percent, to 1,201. That made this town in the western shadow of Jay Peak Vermont’s 15th fastest-growing place, according to U.S. census results released last month.

The new residents include retirees who have converted their seasonal ski homes into permanent residences, young families drawn by the reputation of the town’s schools, and commuters looking for affordable homes on the outer reaches of Franklin County.

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Despite Montgomery’s growth, a visitor could be forgiven for believing he had stepped back into the 19th-century Tuesday. The town-meeting scene was as timeless as a Norman Rockwell painting:

White-haired moderator in a plaid shirt and suspenders? Check.

Every item of town business decided from the floor, usually by voice vote or show of hands? Check.

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http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20110302/NEWS03/110302006/Plaid-fleece-blend-easily-at-Montgomery-town-meeting