Town Reflects on Relationship with College after Inauguration

This Monday, Oct. 12, The Campus conducted an array of interviews in the town of Middlebury regarding its relationship with the College. These interviews were conducted with business owners, local residents and employees, and are intended to represent a diverse body of opinion. They come on the heels of the inauguration of Middlebury College’s 17th president, Laurie Patton, a pivotal moment in the history of the relationship between the town and the College.

The sentiment expressed in the interviews varied, from overtly hostile to grateful. Most business owners seemed appreciative, whereas employees and residents were more mixed in their opinions.

Jesse Haller, an employee at the Middlebury Mountaineer, explained that the town and college rely on each other greatly.

“The college and the town, in a lot of ways they’re one,” he said, “and in a lot of ways they’re not. We love any integration that the college and the community can continue to have. I don’t think that there is a lack of any, but we’d always love to see that extend further.”

Haller has coordinated student clubs, such as the flyfishing club and outdoor club.

“We try to help them wherever they need help,” he explained.

When asked whether he thought that the new administation would change the relationship with his business, he was unsure.

“Whether we see [change] trickling down from the highest level of management...I’d say anyone who leads a group can have their agenda pushed forward. So if the new president decided, ‘that is going to be a very important agenda for us, that we have a good connection with the town of Middlebury,’ then absolutely.”

Haller maintained that Middlebury is one of the most supportive towns he has lived in all his life. The advent of the internet has threatened many brick and mortar businesses, he explained, and the town and college’s support has been crucial.

“That’s why human interaction is so important,” he said. “The more college students come down and develop relationships here in town, the better.”

Sammy Barnes, the owner of Otter Creek Kitchenware, says that the relationship is mutually beneficial.

“The College means a lot to us, and this town,” he said.
His store moved from its previous location at Marble Works, and Mr. Barnes said that students come to the new location more. Still, he hopes to see further cooperation with the college advertising what local businesses have to offer.

“I have worked with the store manager down at the College bookstore to see what we could do to carry products that students might need that they don’t have,” he said.  “So we coordinate as much as we can.”

However, he admitted that coordination with the Collge was limited, and he hoped Patton would place it high on her agenda.

“At this point, the only thing we can do is run advertisements in the Middlebury Magazine,” he admitted.
These advertisements could be mutually beneficial, he explained, as students are often forced to carry up supplies from home that are readily available in town.

“There are a number of parents that have come through and said, ‘Gee, we wish we had known you were here,’” he explained. “We’d love to able to help in any new student orientation program.”

The internet was mentioned as a possible source of competition. Overall, both Mr. Haller and Mr. Barnes said they believed the relationship was a positive one.

“If you walk down main street, you’d be hard pressed to not walk by somebody who works at the College,” explained Barnes. “I think the term symbiotic is a good one...without the College, you’re talking about losing a large base of employment, in a state where it’s hard to find employment.”

Allen Byrnes, an employee at Noonies, agreed.

“For the most part, the relationship has tended to be postitive,” he said. “Without the college, Middlebury wouldn’t be what it is.”

Their positive assessment of the relationship was generally shared by local business owners. Other townsfolk had less optimistic takes.

“There are some very ‘true’ Vermonters,” acknowledged Barnes, “seven generations deep, who want things to stay in a certain fashion. If you look at the spectrum, it’s always going to be like that.”

One Middlebury resident confirmed Barnes’ suspicion.

“In the town, there used to be a question of whether the College owned the town or not,” said the resident, who asked to remain anonymous. “I think it’s been decided that it does. Hopefully its a benign administration.”

When pressed, the resident admitted his frustration was due to the construction of new town offices, a source of contention between the College and many townsfolk. Some residents believed that the construction was unnecessary and costly.

Middlebury College agreed to pay the majority of the cost, a sum of 5.5 million dollars, in order to acquire the land the old offices are currently on. Some residents hve complained that the recent construction projects have disrupted local businesses and have led to an increase in the already high property taxes.

Mr. Haller, who was generally positive during his interview, was bothered by the decision.

“They had a perfectly functional building,” he griped, “and they decided they wanted something new.”

Sandy, an employee of Ben Franklin for the past two decades, was concerned that the construction was disrupting the flow of traffic. She wishes that the College would invest in more practical construction projects, like providing parking for customers.

“The parking is not helping,” she said. “They’re doing all of the construction out here, but nobody seems to be doing anything about the parking. [Customers] try to find a place to park so they can shop here, but they can’t.”

Still, both Sandy and Mr. Haller recognized the advantage of operating a business so close to the college.

“Luckily the kids can just walk to town here if they want something,” Sandy admitted.

“You have to make those kinds of strides,” said Haller. “You accept a quality of life that you don’t get in a lot of places.”

Another resident agreed that the quality of life stimulated by the college was a huge benefit.

“I think [the relationship] is largely good, because there’s always interesting cultural exchange. Music and art, and that stuff,” said local resident Mike Connolly.

Even the resident that leveled the criticism against the college acknowledged that the college has generally been a positive force in the area. In light of rising property costs, he hoped the new administration would pursue policies to keep students on campus, and keep the cost of housing down.

“I think the college has been a good neighbor,” he admitted. “But I would like to see them build a more sustainable, affordable housing. Partly in recognition that, honestly, it’s going to be many of their people that are filling those residencies.”

Other local employees were skeptical that substantive postitive change could come from the top down. They were mostly concerned about the way students treated the community.

“The only way you’re going to get a change is if the students change,” said one Shaw’s employee. “The President is not going to make a sh**load of difference.

“Most of the Middlebury College students I’ve come in contact with,” he added, “have no sense of common sense.”
His coworker agreed.

“I kinda think that most Middlebury College students are kinda stuck up in their nosey-little clanky-ass way,” she said, laughing.

Naphatsnen Sinpaksawat, the owner of Sabai Sabai, was less standoffish. She offered her congratulations to President Laurie L. Patton, and was hopeful that the positive relationship her restaurant has with the College would continue.

“We are happy for the president. We have a good relationship with the College,” she said. “I’d say we’re good friends.”

“Both the professors and the students are very nice,” she continued, “and come enjoy our food. Plus, almost half of my employees are students.”

Katie Rigg, a local resident whose mother worked as the provost for the College, has experienced both a local and institutional perspective of the relationship. She believes that the relationship with the town, no matter how it is assessed, should be intimate.

“I would say in general, that I think Middlebury College is an intricate part of our community,” she said, while tending the flowers outside Middlebury Bank. “I would be encouraged to think the [president] would advocate as much melding as possible.”

Rigg, who has lived in Addison County her entire life, recalled when she was a high school student and referred to the local townsfolk as ‘townies.’

“The townies,” she joked, “have a lot to offer.”

As she finished gardening, she offered President Patton advice: “I would get some good people on my team from both sides,” said Ms. Rigg. “Get some locals involved. How do you find those right people? I’m not sure. But there’s a lot of really good leaders around Addison County that are interested in [integration].”

President Patton needs to avoid being viewed as domineering, warned Rigg, a trait that some accused President Emeritus Liebowitz of personifying.

“Small towns, and small town politics, can be very, very interesting,” said Ms. Rigg, alluding to the fervor with which some residents cling to their opinions. “I’ve been fighting the natural gas pipeline for years ... and as with any of the relationships where big money comes into play, all the humanitarian and environmental aspects get second rate. I would like to see those move up in the agenda.”

The survey of local opinion concluded at Otter Creek Bakery, where Ben Wood was closing up shop for the day. Overall, the relationship was heading in the right direction for Wood.

“I think [the relationship] works out pretty well,” he said. “As a business person, working with the College seems to be going very smoothly ... I like working with the College, personally. We do a lot of small catering jobs for them, and on-the-fly lunches. We’ve supplied food for presidents, past presidents.”

Although he has not yet met Patton, Wood echoed many other townsfolk on an issue that Patton will have to address during her tenure.

“The impact of this building being taken down,” said Mr. Wood while gesturing to the old town offices, “will happen soon. The College will then own [the land], and what the College does with that space might enhance what happens here in the town.”

“We might have a park there. My wife would like to have a bocce court,” he joked. “Something to interact with, so that local people can not feel intimidated by the College. They can just go there and interact.”