Ferry Launches Monday Across the Lake

There probably won't be a temporary bridge across Lake Champlain, but a temporary ferry service is scheduled to start on Monday. The Rutland Herald reports that the Champlain Bridge, which stretches from Addison to Crown Point, N.Y., closed last Friday because of safety concerns. The Addison County Chamber of Commerce held a meeting on the situation Wednesday, where several business owners described being cut off from employees and customers. About 90 people attended the meeting and several told stories of employees who, faced with the choice of a 100-mile detour or a costly ferry ride with a long wait, felt they could no longer afford their jobs. Business owners near the bridge say they're suffering a catastrophic loss of customers.