Burlington Free Press: Seven accused of blocking construction, trespassing at Lowell wind project
Reposted from Burlington Free Press.
Six Vermonters were cited Monday morning on suspicion of unlawful trespass after allegedly standing in the way of construction vehicles on Green Mountain Power Corp.’s Lowell wind project.
A seventh person, Chris Braithwaite, publisher of The Chronicle of Barton, also was ordered into court for unlawful trespass, but he denied he obstructed work.
Braithwaite told the Burlington Free Press he was on the mountain to cover the story for his weekly newspaper with a notebook and camera and was not associated with the sign-carrying protesters.
The arrests mark a change in strategy for the protesters, who had been camping near where crews were blasting to make way for construction of turbines. Most of them abided by a court order to stay clear of the blasting, but the blasting in that area and the court order ended Friday.
Monday, the protesters sought to block construction vehicles from operating on disputed land, wind-project opponent Steve Wright said. Wind-project opponents Don and Shirley Nelson claim they own the land — but Green Mountain Power leases the property from Trip Wileman, whom the utility argues owns it.
Wright said the protesters stopped construction vehicles with large signs reading, “Road Closed: Due to Environmental Destruction” and “Detour To Honest Energy Policy.”
Orleans County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Philip Brooks said Green Mountain Power officials called authorities to report protesters were trespassing. Protesters were given a chance to leave, but they refused, Brooks said.
They were processed at the state police station in Derby and cited to appear Dec. 20 in Orleans Superior Court in Newport.
Green Mountain Power spokeswoman Dorothy Schnure said the incident delayed work in the area for about an hour.
According to Brooks, those cited besides Braithwaite, 67, of Glover, were:
• Robert R. Holland, 67, of Irasburg, one of the leading opponents of the 21-turbine project.
• David Rodgers, 69, of Craftsbury.
• Ryan Gillard, 23, of Plainfield.
• Suzanna Jones, 50, of Walden.
• Eric Wallace-Senft, 46, of Wolcott.
• Anne Morse, 48, of Craftsbury Commons.
Contributing: Free Press Staff Writer Mike Donoghue
