Charlotte News
The
Charlotte’s award-winning community newspaper
Volume lVIII Number 22
The VoIce of The TowN
She SellS
beach paSSeS by the lake Shore...
WHAT’S INSIDE
The Transgender Debate at CVU, page 1 Act 46 – a Final Debate?, page 3
Ruah Swennerfelt Book Release, page 4 Charlotters Cycle Cross Country, page 5 Wild Harvest, page 13
Thursday, JuNe 2, 2016
CharlotteNewsVt.org
Charlotte News
The
Vol. 58, no. 22 June 2, 2016
Vermont’s oldest nonprofit community newspaper, bringing you local news and views since 1958.
A day to remember
Selectboard revisits salary scale, appoints committee members
State Police report to the town positive; Mary Mead salary discussion continues John Hammer CONTRIBUTOR
Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services paid tribute to our veterans at this year’s Vergennes Memorial Day Parade. Vermont’s largest Memorial Day parade, hosted by American Legion Post 14, featured floats, tractors, classic cars and CVFRS’s Honor Guard. Designed to honor and remember all the men and women who have served our country during times of conflict, the parade wound its way through the streets of town and finished at the City Green with a rousing awards ceremony for parade participants and a chicken BBQ at the Legion. PHOTO: ROWAN BECK
Across the divide CVU students lead the way to common understanding in transgender debate Geeda Searfoorce THE CHARLOTTE NEWS
When the Obama administration issued a directive on May 13 concerning transgender rights, Champlain Valley Union High School was ready. “We’ve been engaged in thinking about this a long time,” said Adam Bunting, principal at CVU. “So when we got the letter, we thought, ‘Well, of course. It just makes sense.’” The letter details instructions for all public schools and most colleges and universities to provide transgender students with access to suitable facilities, including bathrooms and locker rooms, which match their gender identity or risk lawsuits or losing federal funding. In its wake, the nation’s ongoing debate about transgender rights was reignited with equal parts passion and vitriol, drawing praise from organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and condemnation from GOP officials and some religious leaders. Bunting is grateful for the quality of the debate at CVU, primarily because it has been student-guided and has generated opportunities for compassion and understanding. “Our dialogue around cultural gender roles started less because of conflict nationally and more because of our students’ desires to explore assumptions and to question them,” he said. “So it’s been really wonderful to have these discussions in a less polarized, more thoughtful way—all because it comes from a place of inquiry.” One CVU student, Eva Rocheleau, made a short film, titled Breaking Binary (see the full video at youtube.com/ watch?v=cpo_MDj4uzE), that examines
the issue from a social justice standpoint and includes startling statistics about how gender discrimination affects young people. Rocheleau’s film, which she made during a CVU course, asks a revelatory question: “At what point did your gender start affecting how you saw yourself?” It’s this spirit of inquiry that lays the groundwork for the kind of respectful and productive debate Bunting has noted at the school. Full compliance with the federal directive is already underway at CVU. “We intend to have gender-neutral bathrooms on every floor [in addition to the gender-identified bathrooms],” Bunting said, “and locker room solutions are on the horizon.” If there’s local dissent on the shift toward equitable facilities, Bunting hasn’t yet heard much of it. “I did have a discussion with a student who is deeply religious and is thinking about his religious views in context with the changes at the school,” Bunting said. “And he really was thinking about it in context— not in conflict, which was wonderful to witness. He was asking himself, in a meta-cognitive way, ‘If what’s right for me is not right for some, how do I reconcile the two?’” Generally, Bunting says, parents and caregivers are quietly supportive of the students’ roles in leading the discussions. What these discussions have sparked, however, goes beyond the logistics of how to shift facilities. A school-wide conversation about how gender assumptions affect all of us in previously unexamined ways has begun in earnest. “Think about driving habits, for instance,” Bunting said. “Our community has experienced several tragic deaths of young males in the past six to seven years, which possibly could have been preventable, perhaps, if the conversations see transgender, page 6
The Selectboard meeting on the afternoon of May 26 moved the town one step toward resolution of the long-standing town clerk/treasurer (TC/T) salary question. While the agenda called for “Town Clerk/Treasurer—analysis of job descriptions, job grading, and pay-rate using the Palmer & Associates Job Evaluation Manual,” the meeting succeeded only in completing the first two steps. (The Palmer process is succinctly described here: bit.ly/1TKBC0P.) The meeting began with Mary Mead reiterating her continuing request to have her pay raised to reflect the change in her
job hours from 35 to 40 hours a week. The question first arose in 2014 when she requested a raise from the Selectboard. She maintained that her request for a raise was never honored in the budget submitted to and passed by the voters at that year’s Town Meeting. The resulting annual salary, which is a line item in the Town Budget, suggested a nominal drop in her perceived hourly pay rate. Mead has repeatedly brought this matter up, to no avail. At issue is how her pay is computed, and the question seems to revolve around the fact the TC/T position is, by state statute, responsible only to the electorate and not the Selectboard. As a result, it is paid an annual salary that is not broken down into an hourly rate. The position is paid by dividing the total annual pay by the number of pay periods. Mead maintains see selectboard, page 5
Sketches from history Long-time TCN artistic contributor Charlie Lotz looks back Kali Adams OUTWATER INTERN
Rifling through the newspapers in The Charlotte News archives, one might be surprised by what headed the newspaper for years. Instead of a front page strewn with headlines and photographs, former publications of the newspaper dawn simple line sketches just under The Charlotte News heading. For over 20 years you could find drawings of sailors, cartoons of Town Meeting day or sketches of local wildlife. But who was the person
ws g Ne n i k Brea
Mead’s move
The town clerk/treasurer question has taken a new turn with the submission of a wage claim for $15,077 by Mary Mead to the Vermont Department of Labor (DoL). The claim, filed on May 25, alleges that her salary was calculated differently from all other town employees and has been unresolved for two years. As noted in this week’s selectboard article (above), the issue revolves around hourly pay rates and a miscalculation of salary based on the increase of her hours from 35 to 40 per week. The claim must be met or countered within 10 days of the receipt of the letter. Considering the town only recieved the DoL letter on May 31, they have requested a delay until June 10. A possible June 6= Selectboard meeting is being contemplated.
behind this art? Enter Charlie Lotz (above), the artist emeritus of The Charlotte News. Despite advancing in age (as we all do), Charlie still has a spring in his step and a smile to match. Born in 1922, Charlie grew up in see charlie lotz, page 8
Act now! June 7 is the day to vote yes or no on act 46 Is uniting the five separate school districts of CSSU into a single entity in the best interests of our students and our communities? Voters in Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, Williston, and St. George will decide that question at the polls on Tuesday, June 7. Proponents of unification point to financial and operational efficiencies, along with tax benefits, in support of consolidation. Opponents point to hidden long-term costs and the loss of local control if unification goes through. Read more on page 3 for perspectives and visit the Act 46 Study Committee section of cssu.org for more information. And don’t forget to vote!
2 • June 2, 2016 • The CharloTTe news
Looking back, moving forward
Madison Hakey OUTGOING OUTWATER INTERN
As I flip through the weathering pages of the last 11 issues of The Charlotte News, I grin at the memories popping into my head. The last six months of my life take shape in photographs, articles and names. Each page reminds me of a struggle worked through, a realization had or a joke that shook the office with laughter. I sit smiling like a fool on my bedroom floor, sorting through the work of my past that has led to my future. I came to The News knowing absolutely nothing about Charlotte and next to nothing about journalism. On the first day of my Outwater Internship, I sat next to Edd Merritt and proofread with him, immediately falling in love with the work. Looking back on the person who sat there, I can say with confidence that I have changed for the better. During my six months at The News, I learned all about journalism and what it takes to work in the field. I explored each aspect of the newspaper thoroughly and experimented with my own writing. To say that all I gained was a new understanding
of journalism would be an understatement. I have a new understanding of myself, the community I have grown up in, the world I am about to enter and the career path I want to follow. It never occurred to me that my love for the written word would turn into a job until about halfway through my internship. An ah-ha moment sent me reeling into an entirely new perspective on my future. If I enjoyed my time with The News so much, why should I stop there? From that moment on, I fell into a frenzy of interviews, new ideas, photography and writing. I found a new excitement for college and started saying, “I’m going to major in journalism.” I chose the University of Denver for its strong English program, which offers an array of majors, including journalism. I started asking questions all the time, of anyone anywhere, and embraced the world with curious eyes and pen in hand. Having a pen and being curious is not all it takes to be a journalist, however. This was one of my first lessons during my internship. It takes confidence and an open mind. It requires a great deal of patience and compassion. Most important, great journalists are extremely persistent in everything they do. These skills were essential for my success at The News. As I have just begun my career as a journalist, I am still working to have all of these wonderful characteristics. Even though I am extremely happy to have improved my writing, my personal growth is what I am most pleased with. Sitting and pondering all I have accomplished and the opportunities I have had with The News, I am left with one thought: Thank you. I am eternally grateful to the
Tips for the next interns 1. Don’t be afraid to ask a million and one questions. 2. Get excited about the opportunities that come your way and always say “yes.” 3. Take advantage of the knowledge people have. 4. Be thankful when people take time out of their day to talk with you or assist you. 5. Encourage people to answer the questions you want to have answered because sometimes they won’t want to talk about it. 6. Learn from your mistakes, especially when it comes to writing. Be sure to read over the edits that are made to your work and understand why they were made. 7. Wear your Charlotte News hat! The community loves to see it. 8. Enjoy your time with these wonderful people because, before you know it, you’ll be writing a reflection too.
welcoming and supportive staff at The Charlotte News for all they have done for me. From the first day with Edd to the last day with Alex, I enjoyed every minute of my internship and couldn’t be more thrilled with the person I see in the mirror and the work I see in the paper. Here’s to the next intern! Best of luck.
The Charlotte News The Charlotte News is a nonprofit communitybased newspaper dedicated to informing townspeople of current events and issues. It serves as a forum for the free exchange of views of town residents and celebrates the people, places and happenings that make the Town of Charlotte unique. Contributions in the form of articles, press releases and photographs pertaining to Charlotte-related people and events are accepted and encouraged. For submission guidelines and deadlines, please visit our website or contact the editor at news@thecharlottenews.org. The Charlotte News is published in Charlotte by The Charlotte News, Inc., a Vermont domestic 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation. Distribution is made every other Thursday to all households and businesses in Charlotte and to more than 50 outlets in Shelburne, Hinesburg, North Ferrisburgh, Ferrisburgh, Vergennes and Burlington. The Charlotte News relies on the generous financial contributions of its readers, subscriptions and advertising revenue to sustain its operations.
Editorial Staff news@thecharlottenews.org / 425-4949 Editor in chief: Alex Bunten Assistant editor: Geeda Searfoorce Contributing editors: Edd Merritt, Ruah Swennerfelt, Jorden Blucher, John Hammer Copy editors: Beth Merritt, Leslie Botjer, Vince Crockenberg, Carol Hanley Outwater interns: Kali Adams, Madison Hakey
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Board Members
My Muddy Shirt Zackery Aubin, Grade 6 I was so uncomfortable in language arts in muddy, wet, cold pants, and my shirt. It all started once I got outside. I went to play soccer, and everything was fine until “He” decided to pick up some of the slimy mud with his gloves. Then, he started to chase me on the mud! And not to mention that he had a huge advantage because I was wearing sneakers that had no grip at all, and he was wearing boots that had a lot more grip. Anyways, when “He” started to chase me, I ran and ran but then my foot slipped over to the right; I lost my balance and fell. But it was not that bad when I fell because at that point I was not that muddy. Once I got up, “He” started to chase me some more and I fell some more. At this point I was really muddy, but recess was finally over. The moral of this story is, if you are going out where it’s muddy, with sneakers, make sure that you have good grip on the bottom of your shoes because it’s not comfortable if you fall.
Perseverence Fritz Wetzell, Grade 6 I was in the locker room listening to my music and putting on my clothes. I was feeling as if this was going to be a great practice. I thought to myself, Every day when I get on that floor, I will give it my all and play to my full potential because you never know what tomorrow will hold. I tied my shoes before I walked out on the court. As I took my footsteps onto the court, I felt
like I was at home. Coach blew the whistle and he said, “On the base line!” He looked at his watch and said “2 minutes, ready, set, go!” We all took off sprinting across the court, and I was leading the group. As I looked to the left, I saw my teammate, and sweat was flushing down his face. My face was completely red, but I knew I had 10% left. It was time for a game called “Wilt,” just one on one and very fun. I was first in line going against the best defender on the team. I tried my favorite move on him, but it didn’t work so I did some crossovers and made him stumble a little bit. I ended up sprinting to the hoop and making the layup. We got the teams figured out, and I was playing point guard. I ran up the court and screamed, “Carolina, Carolina;” my teammates all did what they were supposed to do, and we were up 12-10. They scored with 1 minute left and now it was 12-12. I ran down, and I kept looking at the clock: 30 seconds, 20 seconds and then, boom! My teammate tripped and I smashed to the ground at full speed; they stopped the clock. I was seeing stars, and the world was completely spinning. I persisted to get up and try to win the game; it was my only chance. I stood up and it was jump ball. They tipped it back to me, and I looked at the clock: 10, 9, 8, I called a play: 5, 4, 3; they passed it back to me, and I stepped back and shot the ball from three. The buzzer was roaring in my ear. As I saw the ball soar through the air and then swish down the net, I was very happy. That was one of the best shots I have ever made in my entire life.
Starting Over Julian Shows, Grade 6 I started in South Burlington, from there I went to Burlington, then to Maine, then back to South Burlington, then to Bristol, then to Colchester, and now Charlotte. I know what it means to start over. New school, new house, new friends, new neighbors. It makes me nervous but excited. I think I will be here for a while. I hope it will be a while until I start over.
The Woods Kennady Sweeney, Grade 6 The woods are my home no matter where they are. The woods won’t hurt me no matter what I do. The woods are where I spent most of my time as a child trying to run away from all the bad things: running away from my family. running away from my friends. They all hurt me once in a while, They never understood my pain. If I could tell the woods what I felt, they would understand. The woods are my family and friends. The woods are my home.
President: Vince Crockenberg Secretary: John Hammer Treasurer: Patrice Machavern Board members: Bob Bloch, Carol Hanley, Michael Haulenbeek, Gay Regan, Louisa Schibli
Contributors
Zackery Aubin, Clyde Baldwin, Jorden Blucher, Bradley Carleton, Larry Hamilton, John Hammer, Deirdre Holmes, Martha R. Lang, Ph.D., Mark McDermott, Sharon Mount, Mary Recchia, Kennady Sweeney, Margaret Woodruff, Fritz Wetzell
On the Cover
Charlotte Beach attendant Maggie Haesler is ready for summer fun. The water is warming up for for frolicking and the view is, as always, spectacular. PHOTOS: GEEDA SEARFOORCE
Subscription Information The Charlotte News is delivered at no cost to all Charlotte residences. Effective May 1, 2016, we will no longer offer bulk mail subscriptions. Subscriptions are available for first-class delivery at $40 per calendar year. Want a subscription? Please send a check payable to The Charlotte News, PO Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445.
Postmaster Send address changes to: The Charlotte News P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 Telephone: 425-4949 Circulation: 3,000 copies per issue Copyright © 2016 The Charlotte News, Inc. Printed by Upper Valley Press Member of the New England Newspaper and Press Association and the Vermont Press Association.
The CharloTTe News •JuNe 2, 2016 • 3
What Act 46 won’t do “….AOE says these choices ‘r leavin’ folks, an’ they ain’t comin’ back…to your hometown….” —paraphrasing Bruce Springstein’s My Hometown “The nine most frightening words you’ll ever hear: “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” —Ronald Reagan Be pro-active: preserve some meaningful voice in the education of your children and the use of your money. Vote AGAINST consolidating schools on June 7. There is no cause and effect between the conditions imposed by Act 46 and any educational problems—particularly in CSSU but, almost, anywhere. Consolidation will make things worse. Educationally speaking, figuratively and sometimes literally, everyone except teachers may leave the room. This dictates a straight-forward model: excellent teachers supervised by a knowledgeable principal, supervised by a knowledgeable superintendent, supervised—and choices approved—by an empowered board attuned to community needs and educational issues. Neither a highly bottlenecked state legislative process nor an unwieldy, top-heavy local bureaucracy appears in this flow chart. Montpelier’s priorities are the education/educational support industry (AOE, VNEA, Superintendents Association) followed distantly by local input. Act 46 is about making this industry a self-contained, self directed, top-down megalith— based on the false and offensive notion that communities cannot make good choices. The claim: consolidation saves money and creates equity. Equity in the case of CSSU is a red herring. The minimal disparity across CSSU is a function of teaching practices and demographics. This is not worth further discussion. Cost: The main cost drivers in CSSU have been inappropriate negotiated settlements and uncontrolled administrative expansion—locally and centrally. The CSSU budget—minus special ed—is $9,671,780, which is higher than any feeder school budget except Williston. None of this is instructional. How will consolidation accelerate cost inflation? The cost drivers will be driven by the CSSU board decision-making model in the case of administrative and staffing costs and the negotiating team model for contractual costs. These are both dysfunctional structures that suffer from the “too many chiefs” phenomenon and intimidation. Charlotte, for example, usually the most conservative in negotiations, routinely caves in to avoid boat-rocking and the threat of being isolated from the herd. Consider if Charlotte refuses a contract the teachers in Charlotte could strike. If the composite board refuses a contract ALL of the teachers in CSSU could strike. This will create unbearable pressure to settle with obvious cost implications. I was on the CSSU board for 10 years— have watched it over the last 15—and saw the board refuse a superintendent’s request once. ONCE. How many people’s choices are right 99.999999 percent correct? Every time the superintendent says “do this” or “do that” it results, eventually, in new hires. Consolidated, policy-oriented boards are simply not designed for in-depth research or addressing specific issues and are pretty much immune from local input.
Superintendents quickly realize that they have free rein. Every new hire and appointee increases exponentially the phenomenon of administration (thus cost inflation) by administrative fiat. Tax rate increases will pause. Then the consolidated board (read, a creature of the central office) will be making the calls, and all bets will be off. Future: The AOE is familiar with the unequivocal research on consolidation: school closings, interminable bus rides, the cost of new buildings to house relocated students and backing into educationally ill-advised choices to save money. As bad or worse for education than closing schools (and Charlotte has the smallest school), the consolidated board will turn to the educationally horrible strategy of turning feeder schools into middle schools, thereby multiplying the headaches and problems of this age by concentrating all of them in the same place. Not to mention hiring additional administrators. The state will impose other ineffective solutions—regional contracts, regional boards, eliminating the right to strike (a really bad idea—the compensation cost for this will be exorbitant). Are they serious? Relinquish meaningful voice in education AND turn over the property that the town has worked so hard to acquire and maintain to a consolidated board with two Charlotters on it? Recall
Working group unanimously recommends school consolidation On June 7, 2016, voters in the towns of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, Williston and St. George are asked to vote on the question of merging school governance for the school districts that make up Chittenden South Supervisory Union. If you read this and are puzzled, you are likely not alone. In our busy lives of work and home and groceries and soccer games, the issue of school governance is an unlikely priority. But right now, it is an important one. In 2015 the State Legislature passed what is commonly known as Act 46, which
Perspectives & points
Act 46 the epic adventure required to get the basketball players into the gym. Imagine trying to do something important—or preventing one of the bad ideas mentioned above. Imagine trying to actually make an educational change. We pay heavily to help towns outside of CSSU. Post-consolidation this will continue AND we’ll share in the burden of other CSSU towns’ staffing, buses, loans—everything. Charlotte’s cost will not (long-term) decrease—the other towns’ will go up. We will help pay to make up the difference. It will ALL be at the whim of a consolidated board that sits numbly before the superintendent. A significant lingering question: After a “no” vote will it be an illegal taking when the Secretary of Education forces Charlotte to consolidate and turns our property over to the consolidated board? If we can’t say “yes” or “no” it isn’t ours. We will have arrived at the sad point—our trajectory toward something I described years ago: the reader might as well live in North Dakota and send post cards. This is the educational version of big government. Consolidation represents NO educational or cost benefits to Charlotte, will finally eliminate all meaningful local voice in educational matters and will accelerate the rate of cost increase.
required the school districts of the state to look into the efficiencies and educational benefits of uniting school districts. In simple terms, unification means moving from seven school boards to one, from seven budgets to one, from five tax rates to one, from six school districts to one. This past September a working group was formed consisting of members from the five towns of CSSU to answer this question: Would uniting the separate school districts into a single entity be in the best interests of our students and our communities? After six months and 35 meetings, the answer from the study group was a unanimous “yes.” The following is a list of three key factors that led to this opinion. The education we provide to our children will be stronger. Schools will benefit from the flexibility brought about by a united district. Unification will lessen the workload on our school principals for tasks such as purchasing, budgeting and building maintenance, and allow them to focus greater attention on instructional leadership. Unification would allow for sharing of staff and materials across town lines, creating more options for students. The future board would have the opportunity to discuss innovative programming by Clyde E. Baldwin capitalizing on uniquely skilled educators Charlotte and may choose to develop school choice options within the new district. There are financial and operational P.S. No offense to North Dakota. It’s a efficiencies to be gained through unifinice place. cation. The study committee conservatively estimated that $1.5M will be saved
over the first five years. These savings come from such tangible areas as the cost of administering a single board and a single budget, from having a single financial audit and from centralizing procurement. CSSU’s experience from the recent special education consolidation is that even greater efficiencies will be found as we share resources and best practices. Act 46 provides tax incentives to encourage school districts to vote for unification by July 1, 2016. In the scenario being proposed and voted upon on June 7, the state would grant a reduction in our property tax rate for the first five years after unification (beginning in 2018). The reductions would start at $.10 and decrease $.02 a year until they expire. In addition, the state would make available a grant of $150,000 to help pay for any transition costs. In Charlotte the tax incentives are estimated to save a homeowner $580 per $100,000 of value in the first five years. Act 46 states that in 2019 the Secretary of Education will have the authority to mandate school governance consolidation for towns that have not chosen to do this voluntarily—without financial incentives. CSSU is currently a cohesive group of school districts that work together in many ways. Our students move up from our four local pre K-8 schools to attend CVU together. Many of the most important school services and decisions have already been centralized, such as curriculum development, contract negotiations, policy, financial services, human resources, IT support, special education, professional development and transportation. Financially, 70 percent of our education spending is already consolidated either through the CVU budget or as centralized services as required under state law. The June 7 vote is by Australian ballot. Two questions are on the ballot: (1) a yes/ no vote on articles of merger and (2) electing board members for a consolidated board. If voters approve, the “Champlain Valley School District” would replace the current school districts, and the current governance model would be replaced by one that looks similar to what we have now for Champlain Valley Union High School. We strongly encourage voters to visit the website created by our committee, act46. cssu.org, for more information. Our towns have some of the best public school systems in Vermont. Vermont is recognized as a leader in high-quality public education. We believe that by uniting our districts we can move our school systems from very good to great. Please vote yes on June 7.
Mark McDermott CCS School Board chair Charlotte
4 • June 2, 2016 • The CharloTTe news
Local author releases book on Transition movement It is “a beautiful book about a beautiful movement,” Bill McKibben said. “Almost by definition, hoping we can effect a transition is a statement of faith, which means that those of us in communities of faith should be emboldened to support this great work with everything we’ve got.” Charlotter Ruah Swennerfelt recently released her first book, Rising to the Challenge: The Transition Movement and People of Faith. The book charts the global Transition Movement, which encourages people to transition to a low-carbon future by building resilience with a focus on sustainability. Swennerfelt shares what she has learned about the Transition Movement through her own experiences and the experiences of people involved in Transition in Europe, Brazil, Palestine and the U.S., with a special emphasis on people of faith. The founder of the movement, Rob Hopkins of Totnes, England, has written the foreword to the book. Ruah has lived in Charlotte since 1991, involving herself in local issues of environment and sustainability. She is a co-founder of Transition Town Charlotte, which is present in the community through
the gardens in public places, collection of electronic waste on Green Up Day and sponsoring numerous events. There will be a book release party on Tuesday, June 14, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Burlington City Arts on Church St. in the Lorraine B. Goode room (enter through side door) with free hors d’oeuvres by Charlotte’s Little Garden Market and a cash bar. Books will be available on site through Phoenix Books. They are also available on Amazon.
The Murphy Farm: a lesson well-learnt Martha R. Lang, Ph.D. CONTRIBUTOR
Our family was in a crisis. My mother’s older brother, a lawyer, wanted to sell all our houses on Colchester Avenue because he had forgotten, for more than 30 years, to report the rental income from these buildings to the IRS. My mother was refusing to sell One day she was so worried she suggested we take a drive, even though it was the middle of February and a bitterly cold day. She wanted to show me the property her family had owned in Charlotte: The Murphy Farm—one of three farms owned by her family—a 234-acre lakefront property. The Murphys, two brothers and two sisters, lived on the farm, and Billy and Tommy worked for my grandmother. A sister was the school teacher in the one-room, gray stone building just down the road, and the other one was the postmistress in town. Like so many other things, my mother had never mentioned the Murphy Farm to me. When I saw all the land her family had owned and where it was located, I knew if our houses in Burlington were sold we could never get them back again. During this drive my mother told me about going out to Charlotte with her mother when she was in college and waiting in the car while my grandmother went in to see about the farm. Later, I found copies of the letters one of the Murphy brothers had written to my grandmother about their work. His handwriting was unreadable and the grammar was just as bad. From these letters it was apparent they were doing the best they could and trying to keep the bills paid. In March 1948, the Murphy Farm equipment was auctioned. (It
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is interesting to note that the owner of the equipment named in the newspaper was Thomas Murphy, but the proceeds from the auction went to my grandmother.) In August of that year the land was sold to Harry Webb. My grandmother, my mother and her brother were equal owners, and all three signatures are on the deed of sale for this land. At that time my mother was pregnant with her third child, and she and my father were struggling to save to build a summer cottage.
One day I was going through my grandmother’s ledger and saw information on the distribution of the money from the sale of this farm. It had always been my mother’s impression that her third went to her mother to help pay the bills. However, according to the ledger, one third went to grandma and two-thirds went to her brother. When I told my mother, she said she could have used the money back then. I asked her what her brother might have done with the money. She said she wasn’t sure, but that was about the time he and his wife remodeled their house. Eventually she learnt unequal divisions of their property had been going on for years. She put an end to it; the houses were not sold. We both knew that if they were it was unlikely she would get her fair share. I have the original deeds on this farmland starting in 1836 until it was sold to Derek Webb, the letters to my grandmother from the Murphy brothers and the advertisement in The Burlington Free Press about the auction of the farm equipment. It was a lesson well-learnt and never to be repeated. Martha R. Lang, Ph.D., lives in Burlington, where she owns and manages her family’s real estate. She teaches memoir writing classes at UVM and in Cambridge, Mass.
The CharloTTe News •JuNe 2, 2016 • 5
Selectboard
continued from page 1
that because her job had been increased by five hours per week, her pay rate now ought to be determined by an hourly rate times the number of hours scheduled. The sticking point stems from the designation of hours assigned to the job. The Selectboard maintains that the assignment of hours is for administrative purposes only, to account for benefits and leave computations in the accounting system. The issues are complex and, even after almost a half hour discussion, could not be resolved. The job description and grading portion began with Mead providing more details for each job factor and providing her thoughts as to the academic degree each required. These comments were then discussed with the board members, with some input from the salary consultant, Frank Sadowski. The result was an assignment of points that equate to a grade or level on the Salary Administration Policy grid scale. This last step, while a grade of 555 was computed, will not be decided until a meeting at 3:15 p.m. on June 9, at which the board will make a vertical comparison of all other jobs in the SAP grid to ensure internal equity. Presumably when this is done, a new salary level could be assigned to the position of TC/T. At the regular meeting on May 23, the Selectboard was occupied with a full list of less complex issues. Of greatest interest was a financial review of the 2016 Town
Budget by Mead. In her report, Mead reviewed the accounts, describing and elaborating on a few variances from the budget. In the end she estimated that “If we carry on the way we are, we’ll be about even (at the end of the fiscal year).” Tom Moreau, managing director for the Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD), presented its FY 2017 budget. Charlotte has one of 18 votes with other towns in Chittenden County. The budget of $9.6 million is not reflected directly in the Charlotte budget but in the tipping rate that is passed on to the customers. Tipping fees will be raised at drop-off centers from $3.75 to $4.75 per 33-gallon bag. The budget represents a 1.1 percent increase arising primarily through salaries and benefits plus the addition of one maintenance person. The board approved casting Charlotte’s vote for the budget as presented. Sargeant Matt Daley of the Vermont State Police (VSP) gave the semi-annual update for patrol activity in Charlotte. He has done an analysis of last year’s calls and saw nothing really significant happening in Charlotte relative to major crime. “Nothing to be excited about,” he said. Speed continues to be a problem, and VSP will be watching more closely the roads that parallel the Route 7 reconstruction as work begins. Additional presence will also be planned for the Mt. Philo parking lot over the summer. The five-year Burns property agricultural lease was approved for Mack Farm, Inc. The lease covers 15 acres, is limited to
Letters to the Editor Summer break editor: Summer is nearly upon us, and our family calendar is peppered with micro adventures. (You can follow our adventures on Instagram at ft_dad_ running or on the Quietly Making Noise Facebook page.) I am feeling a bit at a loss for topics for my Quietly Making Noise column and have decided to take the next two months off to reenergize
haying operations and is for $375 per year. In another action, the board approved, in concept, the conveyance of a conservation easement to the Vermont Land Trust on 15 acres of wooded, clay plain forest within the Burns property. The concept had been earlier approved by town voice vote in 2009. The continuing process of developing a town trail from Mt. Philo to the West Village and thence to the Town Beach took another step forward when the Selectboard approved publishing a request for proposals to do an engineering “scoping” study for bicycles and pedestrians (see page 19). The study will be limited to the sections from Mt. Philo to the Town Hall area. Matt Krasnow expressed a desire to prepare for next Town Meeting with respect to the new Town Charter. He would like to see the formation of a formal Charter Advisory Committee to address any unanticipated issues arising from the charter and how it affects voting on town funds. He was tasked with developing a committee purpose statement and potential plan for the June 13 meeting. The new zoning administrator, Joe Rheaume, was approved for attendance, with the town’s attorney, at the forthcoming Old Lantern mediation meeting. The brush-hogging bid for 2017 was accepted from Mow, Mow, Mow, Inc. for $2,235 with extra hourly rates set at $30/ hour. The town will request “intervener” status in the hearing for a solar farm to be installed by Peck Electric. The farm will be located on Route 7 south of its intersection with State Park Road. The principal concern is that it is within the viewscape of the Mt. Philo scenic overlook.
A pair of pileated woodpeckers playing peek-a-boo on Mt. Philo. PHOTO: ELIZABETH BASSETT
The following positions on town commissions and committees were approved: Abby Foulk was reappointed as Charlotte’s representative to the CSWD for the term ending May 2018; Rachel Stein was appointed as Charlotte’s alternate representative to the CSWD for the term ending May 2018; David Ziegelman was reappointed to the Trails Committee for the term ending April 2018 and Bill Kallock was reappointed to the Energy Committee for the term ending April 2018. The next regular meeting of the Selectboard will be held on June 13.
myself. It would be wonderful if folks would send me their ideas of topics that they would like me to write about or they would like to write about themselves— jorden@thecharlottenews.org. Until August, have a great summer, and remember, perfect isn’t fun.
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6 • June 2, 2016 • The CharloTTe news
Big hearts,
tw AIDEN POWELL AND CLARA SLESAR
Three Charlotters bike across the U.S. this summer to support the Vermont Land Trust and homeless populations ConservaTion maTTers Clara Slesar and Aidan Powell, 18-yearold native Vermonters, will leave home on June 17 to bicycle across 3,260 miles of the U.S. in support of the Vermont Land Trust (VLT). Six days after their graduation from the Lake Champlain Waldorf High School they will dip their tires in the chilly Atlantic waters of Portland, Maine, and head for Portland, Oregon. Clara and Aidan also plan to hike the national parks and talk with others about land conservation efforts within the 2.3 billion acres that make up the United States. The Vermont Land Trust is a nonprofit environmental organization working to conserve productive, recreational and scenic lands that give our state its rural beauty. To date it has conserved more than
Transgender
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around hyper-masculinized gender roles were more fully taken up. As young men, we are given messages about how pushing boundaries is ‘manly,’ even past the point of safety.” At a mock crash held at CVU, Bunting addressed the juniors and seniors about that very topic. He began by asking the
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a half million acres of land. The VLT exists so that current and future generations benefit from its deliberate protection and responsible stewardship. Clara and Aidan are active environmentalists and want to give back to their home state before leaving for college. Both believe that growing up in the forests and waters of Vermont gave them the strong will, confidence and enthusiasm necessary for this trip. While pedaling approximately 55,584 feet of elevation ascent and descent, Clara and Aidan will wear bike shirts donated by Charlotte screen printer, Evan Webster, of Evan Webster Ink. The shirts will say “Cycling Coast to Coast for Vermont” on the back, with the VLT logo “Conserving Land for the Future of Vermont” on the front. At the end of their day they’ll don cotton tees donated by Burlington’s Old Spokes Home and Bike Recycle Vermont. Clara says she’ll never feel too far away from home because of the support from everyone in Vermont. To see Clara and Aidan’s video, read about their plans, or donate to their cause, go to generosity.com, click on
“community” and scroll to “Biking Coast for affordable housing beneficiaries. to Coast for the Vermont Land Trust.” The Grevatt will be setting off on June 3 for blog address for their trip is bikesoveram- her 4,000-mile journey from Providence, erica.wordpress.com. Rhode Island, to Seattle, Washington, alongside 30 other riders. They will stop Housing revoluTions in various towns along the way to share information about the affordable housing Every night, winter or summer, snow or cause and to help construct homes with sleet or rain, over 1,500 Vermonters sleep local branches of Habitat for Humanity in the streets, including nearly 400 chil- and similar organizations. Every rider is dren. According to the Vermont Agency of required to raise a minimum of $4,500. Human Services, homelessness is a major “I have seen how the lack of a stable issue in Vermont, and it is caused by a lack home affects children and impacts their of affordable housing options. education,” Grevatt says of her time Charlotte native Kestrel Grevatt gradu- working with homeless populations in Los ated from CVU in 2014. This summer the Angeles. “Children are affected in every sophomore aerospace engineering student aspect of their life by lack of a permanent at the University of Southern California home.” will be participating in a cross-country All funds raised are distributed bike trip to help raise money to provide by Bike and Build to local branches affordable housing for families. The ride of organizations such as YouthBuild is organized by the nonprofit Bike and and Habitat for Humanity, which Build, which each year orchestrates eight involve community members in creatcross-country bike trips to raise funds for ing long-term solutions for families. and awareness of affordable housing. In Visit classic.bikeandbuild.org/rider/8783 2015 their riders volunteered over 24,500 for more information, to donate and to building hours on-site helping to construct keep up with Kestrel as she blogs about her affordable homes and raised over $613,000 trip.
students to consider the effects of gender stereotypes on everyday activities, like driving. If there’s an unspoken collective assumption that can cast prudence as an aberration in male interactions, decisions about behavior could have life-threatening consequences. “A lot of times, young men unintentionally egg each other on,” Bunting said, “They could turn to a peer obeying speed limits and there’s an unspoken judgment of, ‘Man, why weren’t you speeding?’” Bunting’s hope is that by
putting attention on deeply ingrained cultural ideas, students can evaluate all the forces at work in the choices they make. Ongoing at CVU, the evolution of the Grad Challenge program will integrate with Personalized Learning Plans to offer students the ability to work on projects, like Rocheleau’s film, that are self-directed and can assimilate real world application of learning during each year of their education—not just during their senior year. Bunting sees the evolution of
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the program as “a connective tissue” for student development that can deepen their understanding of the world and allow for them to engage with their course work in meaningful ways. “We, in the administration and in the community, always want to be supportive of our students’ learning,” Bunting said, “and shift our definition of education to allow for inclusiveness and thoughtful inquiry. Student-directed learning opportunities open that door.”
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The CharloTTe News •JuNe 2, 2016 • 7
Growing an edible schoolyard at Charlotte Central School Deirdre Holmes CONTRIBUTOR
I promised her I would protect her identity, but I can share her story. She is a young student at Charlotte Central School, part of a 1st-grade class coming out to the garden with me on a warm fall morning. On the agenda today: harvest spinach. I started by asking how many students had seen spinach growing, harvested it or tasted it before. The number of students for whom this is a first-time experience surprises me every time. So I started by telling them the story of the Italian princess who loved spinach so much she wanted all her meals to include it (the recipes we now call Florentine), then we picked, they tasted, they smiled big smiles and many asked for more. We harvested the whole bed, filled several buckets, and proudly delivered them to the kitchen for school lunch. On our way in, one student hung back and pulled me aside. “Look,” she said, carefully opening her jacket pocket. It was overflowing with spinach. She put another handful in her mouth, clearly very pleased with her secret stash. With an approving wink, I assured her it was all right with me and pictured her taking those treasured leaves home to share with her family and spread the love of fresh food, growing it yourself, and discovering new flavors. When we constructed six raised beds and planned their planting with the school food director, that was exactly our goal: expand students’ palates, give them personal experiences with their food, and support their health and well-being with
outdoor education and ecologically grown fresh produce. Three short years later, we’ve been able to expand to 12 raised beds, two squash and potato patches, a perennial bed of rhubarb and chives (harvestable in the spring before school lets out), a small orchard of fruit trees and a collection of shiitake mushroom logs. The scale of our edible schoolyard is not one that will make a significant dent in the school’s lunch program budget, but its symbolic and educational value is perhaps greater than anticipated. Consistent with the research, we see students are more interested in foods they know—knowledge that can come from planting, harvesting, tasting and cooking with new ingredients. Since we started a kitchen garden program, in which we try to involve all students in at least one spring and fall gardening activity, or summer gardening camp and the afterschool program, the rate of school lunch participation has increased with the salad bar becoming a popular item. The yield from the garden, however, reaches beyond pounds of produce harvested and number of salad-eating students at lunch. The multi-disciplinary nature of a garden allows all sorts of lessons to be taught and reinforced by doing. As we weave classroom subjects such as math, science, history and art into our planting and care of the garden, the students also enjoy the benefits of working together physically, being outside, nourishing a garden as well as themselves, and being caretakers and partners with the natural world and the school kitchen. As our work (in school and beyond) becomes increasingly compartmentalized
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and fragmented, the more we need the big picture view presented by outdoor garden education. The ability to see systems at work, recognize one’s role in them, make cross-disciplinary connections and the lasting effects of those “a-ha experiences” are an essential part of learning. Regardless of the future fields of study of today’s children, the health of our planet will be a part of their adult and professional experience. The problem of climate change is by nature a multi-disciplinary, systemic challenge—one the current generation of children will not be able to avoid. They will be surrounded by it, will need to be driven by early inspirations from the natural world and recall observations of biological systems seeking balance, in order to design more ecological and resilient alternatives. Small as it may be, a school garden offers the learning environment and the opportunity for that critical systems thinking to develop. Even a simple garden does not grow itself. In this case, financial resources have come from a Vermont Agency of Agriculture Farm-to-School Implementation grant, the Charlotte Central School PTO, a SCHIP (Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg Interfaith Project) community grant, a Four Winds Nature Institute Schoolyard Habitat Improvement grant and a Chittenden Solid Waste District grant. Support and donations have come from local farmers, gardeners, community members and composters, including Horsford Garden and Nursery, Red Wagon
Plants, Vermont Edible Landscapes, Champlain Valley Compost, Adam’s Berry Farm, the Shelburne-Charlotte Rotary Club, New England Housewrights, Shea Construction, and Mike Walker, among others, as well as countless hours of volunteer and CCS staff time, care, effort and love. Additional town-wide gardening collaboration has come from the partnering of three public food gardens in town: the library garden, the Charlotte Congregational Church garden and the school garden, under the auspices of Transition Town Charlotte. The other night, I had the opportunity to hear the always-inspiring Bill McKibben speak. The topic was the “spirit of education.” He focused on the need for engagement in education—the offering of direct experiences of the world, of nature, of relationships, as an essential supplement to the increasing bounty of mediated, screened learning experiences our young people are receiving. The multisensory, hands-on learning in a context of stewardship (on the personal, community and planetary level) made possible in a school garden begins to fulfill this need—with, among other things, delicious spinach, or so I have heard. For more information or to get involved, please contact Deirdre Holmes at deirdre2holmes@gmail.com. Children entering grades 1 – 5 are encouraged to join us this summer for Green Thumbs Gardening Camp.
8 • June 2, 2016 • The CharloTTe news
Charlie lotz
continued from page 1
Brooklyn, New York. “I’ve lost my accent,� Charlie said, reminiscing on the length of time since he moved from the city. He and his wife, Gert, moved to Charlotte in 1952. Charlie remembered that he “started drawing as a little kid,� a skill that he would carry with him when he moved from Brooklyn. Charlie served during WWII, stationed mostly in Europe. Despite the war being a particularly harsh experience, Charlie does have some fond memories from it. “We went up to Iceland,� he said with enthusiasm. “We drove the Germans out of Iceland, and the Icelandic people were so happy we did that. It is a beautiful place— even though it is called Iceland. We loved it there.� Charlie remained in the service after the war, and found himself at the headquarters in Washington, D.C. The G.I. bill, a benefit designed to help service members continue their education, decided the next step in Charlie’s life. “I dropped out of the service briefly to go to college, just for a few months,� he said. But college life would end up taking him further from the military. “There, I met my wife, Gert,� Charlie said with a laugh. “We came up here because my wife was from across the lake over in New York,� Charlie said, “and she liked it up here.� Gert also held a degree in nursing and had
a job at Fletcher Allen Hospital, making the move even more purposeful. In Vermont, Charlie found a job as an engineer for General Electric. His work again took him to the far reaches of the globe. When asked about where he traveled for work, he replied, “All over Europe, Africa, and finally over into Australia and New Zealand.� Being an engineer was far from his only job. In addition, he had his own business searching for underground water—and worked with The Charlotte News. Charlie was with the paper from the start. “We started it a long, long time ago,� he remembered. “We used to just type this up on our own. We didn’t have an office to print it in, so we’d take it downtown to a place that printed it up for us, then bring back here and pass it around. That was about sixty years ago.� Charlie did numerous jobs at the paper,
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including writing articles occasionally, but his artistic work stands out. If it was by chance that he started sketching as a child, it was even more fortuitous that his pictures wound up in the paper. “When we first started The Charlotte News, we needed some illustrations,� Charlie said simply. He ended up with the job and promptly started sketching away. Charlie would draw anything that caught his fancy, transforming a simple idea into print-worthy picture. He got his ideas from “whatever was happening around town, or just something funny that occurred.� His art was not just showcased in the paper. “I used to just put it on display— downtown, Burlington, places like that.� Illustrations of his were also collected in a booklet produced by the newspaper staff. “This was something that we used to put together once in a while and take it to the Town Party,� Charlie said as he drew out
the small booklet. “We’d sell it to people and raise money by doing that.� Skimming through the pages, Charlie pointed out favorite drawings of his, laughing as he did so. “Here’s the Old Dock,� he said, holding up a particularly stunning rendering of the historic restaurant right across the lake. “When I got to be in my eighties, we sold the little farm in Charlotte,� Charlie continued. He and his wife moved to Shelburne when the farm became too much to keep up. They still reside there but return often to the Charlotte community. Two of his children live in Vermont, with the third in Australia. Charlie remains quite humble about his work with TCN. Despite his artwork helping the newspaper transition from only written pieces into an actual publication, Charlie only smiles and says, “I just helped the town put out the paper.�
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The CharloTTe News •JuNe 2, 2016 • 9
Does size matter? Larry Hamilton TREE WARDEN
How to be a turtle hero Vermont’s turtles on are on the move. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is asking for the public’s help in keeping them safe. Female turtles are looking for places to deposit their eggs, sometimes choosing to lay along the shoulders of roads, which can end tragically. “Turtles often cross roads as they search for a nest site,” said Steve Parren, biologist for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. “They are a slow-moving animal in today’s fast-paced world, so they have a tough time making it safely across the road. Turtles grow slowly and live a long time, so losing a mature breeding female is a huge loss to the turtle population.” Turtle nesting activity peaks from late May through June. At this time of year, drivers are urged to keep an eye out for turtles in the road, especially when driving near ponds and wetlands. To decrease the number of turtles that are killed by vehicles, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has been collecting data to identify stretches of road that are hotspots for wildlife migrations. They are working closely with VTrans, and with Jim Andrews from the Vermont Reptile & Amphibian Atlas, among other partners. “When you spot a turtle in the road, you may be able to help it across. First be sure you’re in a safe spot to stop and get out of your car, as human safety comes first,” said Andrews. “If you’re going to move a turtle off the road, always move it in the direction it was traveling. They know where they’re going.” According to Andrews, most turtles can simply be picked up and carried across the road. However, if the turtle has no colorful lines, spots, or other markings, it is probably a snapping turtle, so people should not get too close to the animal to avoid being bitten. Snapping turtle’s necks are as long as their shell. Instead, people should push the turtle across the road with an object
In response to the above question, I would say that it does. Folks often refer to “the 500-pound gorilla in the room”—indicating a mass that cannot be ignored. In the tree world, many people are intrigued with which species or which individual tree is the tallest or has the thickest trunk or the greatest mass. It was to satisfy this interest and several queries that in 1996 I instituted a contest to Vermont’s new champion big tree of identify and inventory the biggest individ- slippery elm species on Thompson’s Point uals of our native tree species in Charlotte. Road. PHOTO: LARRY HAMILTON To simplify things we used only the girth (circumference) at a standard height of 4.5 feet above average ground level. Both chil- recount an item that I recently encountered dren and adults were encouraged to go out in the journal Natural History. A clonal and measure girth (with a string that could group of trembling or quaking aspen then be measured on a flat surface with occupies 106 acres on Fishlake National a tape) on their own property or on a tree Forest in central Utah! It is thought to be that they knew of. Size and location were the world’s largest living organism and has then sent to the tree warden on a postcard been given the name Pando, from the Latin or note, and when a likely candidate was for “I spread.” It is composed of an estiidentified, I would go out and check it. mated 47,000 genetically identical stems The response was amazing. It resulted called ramets, all from a single individual in the publication of a Roster of Charlotte’s through root suckering. However, like all Big Trees. This list is updated as former living things of great size, age or rarity, champions are replaced by new larger natural- or human-caused stresses are at specimens. Both common names and work, and tender, loving care is necessary. Abenaki names (when available) were In the case of Pando, grazing by deer, elk used. This roster may be found at Town and cattle is reducing the number of young Hall on the bulletin board. sapling ramets, and a warmer, drier climate The slippery or red elm standing in front is adversely affecting health. Fencing is of the home of Christie and Dave Garrett being used to deal with the former. But on Thompson’s Point Road has always global society has so far been unwilling impressed me mightily, and indeed, with or unable to significantly reduce carbon a girth of 232 inches, it is the biggest of dioxide and methane levels in the atmoits kind in Charlotte. I well remember sphere that cause climate change. measuring this tree in 1996 with the help of In thinking about size in trees, it is well Erick Crockenberg (next door neighbor of to remember that today’s champions once the Garretts) when this impressive young were tiny, having been planted by nature or man was just a tad of about 6 years old. by human action. Mighty oaks from little At that time we measured it at 212 inches, acorns grow. Planting trees today means so it has increased in circumference by 20 big trees for the future—perhaps a real inches in 20 years. champion, like the Garretts’ slippery elm. It now turns out that not only is this the “champion big tree” of its species in Charlotte but in the whole of Vermont. It is also larger than any competitors in New Hampshire, New York and Maine. It is not a national champion—that tree is in Kentucky and has a girth 21st Annual 22nd Annual of 282 inches. We (Gus Goodwin of Vermont Nature Conservancy and I) are registering the Garretts’ tree in the official Vermont List of Big Trees. Incidentally, The Nature Conservancy is interested in this tree to test resistance to Dutch elm disease, and Gus has collected seed Providing Repair, Refinishing, for propagation. Restoration and Transport While on this topic of size, at the Charlotte Central School Arbor Day ceremony I was impressed with the level of awareness of the young students. Many of them knew the identity of the tallest tree in the P.O. Box 32 world, the California redwood. The Household Items Ferry Road, Charlotte, VT tallest, which I saw in late March in plus Redwood National Park, is 379 feet tall (taller than a 13-story building). Thousands of Books Several students also were able to identify the thickest and most gdarling@gmavt.net massive tree species as the giant WakeRobin.com sequoia. The largest of these is 36.5 feet in diameter (two VW Beetles end-to-end) at the base! I also asked the students if Complete veterinary care including anyone knew which was the oldest endoscopy, ultrasound, exotics and tree species in the world and was boarding delighted when one young man answered, “bristlecone pine.” These grow in tough conditions in California’s White Mountains and have attained ages of over 5,000 Dr. Patrick Leavey, Dr. Rich Armstrong, Dr. Ellen Foster, Dr. Ben Hale, Dr. Matt Quinn years! Impressive students! Before www.hinesburgbristolvet.com leaving the topic of size, I must
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Turtles in Vermont will soon be digging their nests on the shoulders of roads. Drivers are urged to keep an eye out for them on the road and report any sightings.
like a shovel or broom. Andrews is also asking paddlers, boaters, and anglers to report turtle sightings throughout the state to the Vermont Reptile & Amphibian Atlas website at vtherpatlas.org. The reports help conservationists keep track of the status of these species in order to act if a species appears to be in decline. “Sending in a report is quick and easy,” said Andrews. “Just snap a photo or two of the turtle, and submit your observation via the website or email. We’re constantly impressed with Vermonters’ commitment to conservation and willingness to help us save turtles.” Observations can be submitted to the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas online at vtherpatlas.org or to jandrews@ middlebury.edu.
10 • June 2, 2016 • The CharloTTe news
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The CharloTTe News •JuNe 2, 2016 • 11
Congratualtions, CCS Class of 2016! We’re proud of what you’ve done, what you will do, and who you are!
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Dear Janie,
We are so very proud of you. Everyday you amaze us with your dedication and hard work. We look forward with great joy and anticipation to the opportunities and adventures you make for yourself. You are more than we could ever dream of.
“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” —Dr. Suess
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Congratulations to my perfect middle child. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better! Please remember:
12 • June 2, 2016 • The CharloTTe news
Edd Merritt Sports Roundup Tennis goes team and individual CVU’s Kathy Joseph had yet to lose a game in this year’s individual tennis tournaments. Hoping to go undefeated to a state title, she only missed by one game, losing her first to Essex’s Jordan Walsh before finishing at the top for the third straight year Joseph won match honors by scores of 6-1 and 6-0. She hopes to carry on the pattern at the University of Texas next year. Kathy’s younger sister, Stephanie, made it to the semifinals before falling to Walsh, 6-3, 6-4. Charlotte’s Meara Heininger and her partner Erika Barth lost in the doubles finals 6-0, 6-1. For the individual men, CVU’s Ivan Llona made it to the quarterfinals before falling to a South Burlington player. David Huber and Josh Ashooh overcame a Middlebury duo in the quarterfinals before losing a semifinal match to a Stowe pair. Redhawks Justin Hameline and Rich Hall lost the other semifinal to St. Johnsbury Academy, 6-2, 6-2. In the Division I team playdowns, Charlotte’s Ethan Leonard and Ben Hyams each toppled their singles opponents to help the Redhawks toward a 7-0 win over Woodstock. As a team, the Redhawk women finished the season with a 14-0 record, upending Stowe in the final regular-season match. Heininger won her singles match, and Charlotte’s Hadley Menk and her
partner, Maddie Huber, took the number two doubles match losing only one game. In the playdowns, North Country High School decided that Davis Park was too far to drive to be overwhelmed by the impending state champion Redhawks and therefore forfeited the match. CVU went on to blank eighth-ranked Middlebury in the quarterfinals, 7-0.
Men’s LAX heads the field going into state tournament Ever since it fielded a varsity lacrosse team in the mid ‘90s, CVU has been one of the two or three leading teams going into the state championship. This year is no different. The Redhawks capitalized on their trademarks of face-off supremacy and ball control in midfield and their opponents’ zone. This week, Owen McCuin’s hat trick sparked a 10-6 win over thirdranked South Burlington. Charlotte’s Kyle Jaunich and Walter Braun added a goal apiece to propel CVU to its 22nd straight victory over an in-state opponent. Goalie Matt Murakami came through strong in the net, particularly in the third quarter when he stopped four shots out of his total of seven saves for the game.
Women’s LAX also sponsors a winning record Ten wins and four losses mark the Redhawk lacrosse women’s season so far. Emma Owens appears to lead many of the victories with her convincing stick handling in front of the opponent’s net and her shot placement once she works herself open. Her five goals, combined with four each from Annie Keen and Lydia Maitland, provided the cushion of victory over Essex (17-5) in the latest game.
Rice and Missisquoi are baseball’s latest victims Andrew Bortnick has been combining strong pitching with powerful hitting all year, and last week was no exception. He aided his shutout pitching effort with a double and an RBI to overcome Rice 15-0 in a five-inning game (shortened due to CVU’s lead). Chris O’Brien provided the needed offense the following week against Missisquoi, driving in three runs and propelling the Redhawks to another 15-run win (CVU 16, MVU 1). Viewing the scores, it appears that CVU’s offense and pitching are spread evenly throughout the squad.
Softball gathers two wins in last five games It is probably appropriate that traditional rivals South Burlington and Spaulding fell to CVU in softball as the Redhawk women claimed two of their season’s three
victories. Lila Ottinger led the offense in both cases. She drove in two runs against Spaulding in the Redhawk’s 15-6 win, and she hit three singles and drove in a run in CVU’s 5-2 home victory over the Rebels.
Will Ryan minimizes strokes on the golf course CVU’s Will Ryan has been the Redhawk “low man” in recent golf matches. He tied with his teammate Alex Farrington and Rice’s Harrison Thayer as the team topped Rice and Essex at the Cedar Knoll course. His 79 on the Williston Golf Course for the NVAC Championship was only 5 strokes off the medallist pace. Jacob Bouffard, Jordan Ayer, Tripp Norris and Alex Farrington joined him in the tournament to give the team a third-place finish out of a dozen schools. Lauren Hanley and Allie Bisaccia were CVU women players over nine holes at Lang Farm.
Donations can be dropped off at CCS gym door on Wednesday, June 8th or Thursday, June 9th before noon. Flowers can be left in water buckets at the door. Thank you
Essex Invitational track draws a strong field of runners and throwers A couple of Charlotte names appeared among the top finishers in the state’s largest track meet, the Essex Invitational, run this last weekend. Sadie Otley finished second in the 100-meter dash and third behind her teammate Sierra Morton at 200 meters. Sophia Gorman was fifth in the 3,000-meter run. The Redhawk women had relay teams place second at 4x100 and third at 4x800. Once again, Tyler Marshall won the 1,500- and 3,000-meter races for men. Brothers Tawn and Trey Tomasi placed in their events, as did Max Riely, winning the discuss toss and throwing fourth in the shot put. Benjamin Fox placed sixth in the triple jump.
The CharloTTe News • JuNe 2, 2016 • 13
Local Business Directory
Wild feast Bradley Carleton CONTRIBUTOR
In June I drive the back roads of Chittenden and Addison counties with a Vermont Gazetteer in my lap and proceed from one waypoint to another, checking for the telltale bolting stalks of wild asparagus, marking them with an “x” on my map. I have been doing this for several years now and have trained my eye to look for ditches, fences and sunny shoulders where, most frequently on the western side of the road, a few standing plants have passed and begun to branch out into the frilly dill-like leaves that indicate a hospitable environment for this, my favorite wild edible. Summiting a small hill east of Snake Mountain, I spot them in the distance. The elusive, magical wild asparagus. I slow down and check my rearview mirror for interlopers. I am on a dirt road and no one else is behind me. I jump out of the truck, leap over the bank into the ditch and begin scouring the long grasses that surround the beefy stalks. Score! One, two, three… four nice half-inch round stalks with the tiny buds still clinging tightly to the main stem. I spot four more but let them be, to mature in another year. I hop back in the truck and mark the spot with my “x” and head north to the river in search of fiddleheads. Most fiddleheads have passed, except in a few shady riparian riverbanks. These delicious wild edibles are found along river and stream shorelines, where they can sprout up through the root balls surrounded by sandy soil leftover from the late winter snowmelt. The tiny sprouts are tightly bundled and wrapped in a brown paper-like sheath. The inner edge of the spine is concave and snaps off crisply. Sautéed in butter or olive oil with some finely minced garlic or shallots, the flavor is as close to rapture as a vegetable can attain. I describe their taste as a cross between a snappy asparagus and an earthy artichoke. Beside a few freshly caught brook trout, garnished with fresh dill and a slice of lemon, there is no finer wild feast that can be had by man or beast. Wild leeks, colloquially known as “ramps,” were harvested earlier, during turkey season. I find them consistently on western-facing slopes in wet soil and rocky terrain. The leaves are broad and somewhat waxy, terminating to a rounded point. This year, as I sat waiting for a gobbler to walk into my calling, I was overcome with the strong fragrance of these edibles that were discovered by the Abenaki and named winooski meaning “wild onion.” After taking a nice young jake (a young male turkey) I sat down in the middle of the field of ramps and picked a vest-full of succulent specimens. Here I wish to note that I employ sustainable harvest principles for all my foraging and never take more than a tenth of the population. In the case this year, I was surrounded by a half acre of mature winooski and felt fine about taking five pounds. When I arrived home, I sprayed them off and cleaned them by clipping off the white root and the green leaves and separating them. The white bulbs, roasted with olive oil and sea salt caramelize into a phenomenally sweet side dish. I put the leaves into a Cuisinart with roasted
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A sampling of the delights of the field. PHOTO: BRADLEY CARLETON
pine nuts, garlic and, yes again, olive oil. This year I also tried something new. I am a fanatical smoker—not tobacco, but wood—and tried smoking some wild leeks over apple wood and beer, which came out very nicely. Now it is time to head into the high mountain streams in search of one of earth’s most beautiful treasures, the brook trout. Although a salmonid, the brook trout is actually not a trout at all but a char. The Latin name salmo fontanalis means “of a spring or fountain,” referring to the cold clear water that it requires as habitat. It is Vermont’s state fish and one of the true signs that a steam or river is clean and well oxygenated. The daily limit on these colorful piscatorial delights is, at this time, 12 per day. Here I will make my opinion, albeit unpopular with the hook and bullet crowd, heard now—I am against this creel limit. There is no need to take more than three or four of these majestic fish for a meal. (I believe in catching my own fish rather than purchasing them at the supermarket where they have been farm raised on a diet of chemically treated pellets that change the color of their flesh) And even then, with respect to the specific pool’s population, I would not return again that season. I believe that a six fish daily limit is more than sufficient to appease those who wish to catch dinner and those who would like to feed a party of two. As my friend Chris Thayer says, “Brook trout and orange juice is proof of a higher power.” Just look at the colors—green and brown tiger stripes on the back, red dots with blue halos on the flanks and orange pectoral and pelvic fins tipped in white. On a good day in June, I will spend the entire daylight hours driving the back roads in search of fiddleheads, wild asparagus, ramps and maybe a few morels to share the plate with a few freshly caught brookies. As a society we have moved away from providing for ourselves from the earth and instead purchase most of our food in a store under fluorescent lights, wrapped with plastic in a Styrofoam container. However, June reminds me that the Great Spirit still provides us with all we need if we only take the time to worship nature and learn from our ancestors. Bradley Carleton is executive director of Sacred Hunter.org, a nonprofit that seeks to educate the public on the spiritual connection of man to nature and raises funds for Traditions Outdoor Mentoring. org, which mentors at-risk young men in outdoor pursuits.
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14 • June 2, 2016 • The CharloTTe news
Greetings from the morgue Sharon Mount CONTRIBUTOR
Popular television shows such as CSI have helped familiarize nonmedical folks about the role of path ologists (often female and good looking on TV) as well as characteristics of the morgue. While some of the information gleaned from these shows is quite true (actually one of our autopsy technicians was the recent Miss Vermont), stereotypes such as spooky morgues located at the end of dark hallways in the basement are certainly not the case in the State of Vermont. The history of the autopsy parallels the interest in human anatomy, beginning in ancient Greece and Alexandria and then experiencing a renewal in the Renaissance. It culminated in the work of Andreas Vesalius, who lived from 1514 to 1564, and whose work, De humani corporis fabrica (On the Fabric of the Human Body) is widely considered the foundation of modern human anatomy. It was the Renaissance anatomists who developed the idea of a disease being localized to a specific organ and, hence, the usefulness of the autopsy. The autopsy was once valued as a critical component of quality control. Hospitals were rated as to the number of autopsies performed. Rates in the U.S. and Europe
were as high as 60 percent in the 1950s. In 1971, however, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals stopped requiring hospitals to perform autopsies, and in 1986 Medicare stopped paying for them. The rate of autopsy began to plummet and now in many hospitals is less than 5 percent. This decrease has been attributed to many factors, including religious and social objections, economic considerations and fear of medico-legal implications. There has also been a notion that, in this era of high-tech medicine, the autopsy has become obsolete. This, however, is not the case. Recent publications have demonstrated that major discrepancies are found between clinical diagnoses and postmortem findings in 10 to 23 percent of patients and that minor discrepancies are found in up to 40 percent of patients. It was Governor Howard Dean who supported building a state of the art morgue located at the FAHC campus of the UVM Medical Center in Burlington. It is a modern facility complete with skylights, not a dark basement as portrayed on TV! There are two separate rooms, one for medical examiner (ME)/ forensic cases and one for hospital autopsies. The missions of the ME and the hospital autopsy faculty are both different and similar. The ME mission, stated simply, is to protect our safety. Staffed by two pathologists, a detective, an assistant
ME coordinator, field MEs, autopsy technicians and administrative staff, this office reviews every death in the state to determine whether the death was natural, accidental, a suicide or a homicide. MEs have the legal authority to perform an autopsy if necessary to understand better the cause of death or to provide trial evidence. Last year over 400 ME autopsies were performed. We are most fortunate that our MEs are also very gifted educators who teach undergraduates, medical students and residents. The strength of their mentoring is evidenced in the large percentage of our pathology residents who pursue fellowship training in forensic pathology. The mission of the hospital autopsy service is to investigate complicated clinical cases and provide answers to questions that have arisen during the patient’s clinical course. Approximately 120 hospital autopsies were performed last year. Sometimes genetic diseases that can impact family members are discovered. As well as serving as a gold standard for quality control, the autopsy service is strongly committed to the education of clinicians, residents in training and medical students. The
service also supports investigators whose research involves the study of human tissue. One only has to see the recent movie Concussion to understand the vital role of the pathologist (in this case, neuropathologist) in understanding disease. Both the medical examiner and hospital autopsy services are similar in that they can help grieving families. Having a better understanding of the cause of death of a loved one can help bring closure and acceptance. This was true in the case of my beloved father-in-law, whose cause of death was known heart disease. Understanding the severity of his disease revealed at autopsy, however, brought an appreciation of how fortunate we were to have had him in our lives for the time we did. The autopsy procedure is performed with the same meticulous care as surgeries performed in the operating room. Dedicated pathologists, residents and autopsy technicians consider the deceased to be our patient and are respectful and grateful for the teaching opportunity each autopsy provides. After an autopsy, the body is released to the funeral directors with no compromise should an open casket ceremony be desired.
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OutTakes Why feel the land? don’t feel that seriousness must overshadow all other emotions. Sometimes I found myself reading on, only to think back a page or two and say, “Oh my gosh, that was a joke and, yes, it was funny. How did I miss it when I read it?” Trying to move a knot of cattle from a fence across the creek, she decided that the only way to get them in motion was to terrify them. Waving her arms and screeching at the top of her lungs, “Lightning! Copperhead! Swedish meatballs!” she finally got them to flee, “stumbling across the flat pasture.” Tinker Creek could be Charlotte’s Lewis Creek or many other streams of water and life in the northeast. Sitting with the Charlotte Land Trust Board the other day, I began to contemplate the variety of landscapes that, over my tenure on the board, we had debated about conserving. Diversity seemed to be a key word in many of our conversations—from wide-open spaces along Guinea Road to a mix of habitats that linked land in three towns and needed to remain accessible to private use by the owner as well as to the public’s access. Items of discussion included the land between CCS and the top of the mountain behind it, Williams Woods after the tornado dropped a large number of its trees or the lower section of Mt. Philo. Where does natural resource restoration fall in regard to human re-planting? How many hands on the land can we lay? The Town Plan notes that “Charlotte’s physical setting has influenced its form and character since its early days.” Dillard would compliment them on the use of the word “character” in describing what unfolds within each parcel of property. Does the character fit the setting? Does the landscape breed character among humans and other elements of nature? Can a
town like Charlotte determine what its various types of character will be and look like? What can conservation do to maintain the positive elements while providing for change as people come and go? Change is a sacrosanct word, for those on both sides of the fence. In looking toward the future and the notion of what should and can change, the Town Plan offers some help, I believe. In its introduction, the plan lays out Charlotte’s most valuable characteristics that are essential to a credible vision for the town. These include: 1) A balance of property owners’ rights that provide for a reasonable use of their land, yet which help maintain public health, safety and welfare and follow the goals of the plan. 2) A focusing of growth in village centers and promotion of a town center. 3) A maintenance of the integrity of natural and cultural features with high public value, including prime agricultural soils, steep slopes and groundwater resources. 4) Promotion of social, economic and racial diversity, while maintaining a sense of community, by acting to encourage such things as affordable housing, ways of enhancing agriculture and offering commercial services. 5) Enabling access to open land and recreational resources. 6) Planning for capital improvements that are consistent with the fiscal ability of the town. Town boards can do only so much to lay out the character of our community. Beyond that it takes human action. Perhaps ironically, we are witnessing a situation in our national politics that presents a similar challenge. We have a candidate who throws out “ought tos and what ifs” as if they were empty-bellied frogs under water in Tinker Creek. We the people need to pick them off the bottom, give them life in a meaningful form and claim a human community that nurtures our natural one.
Bobolinks, eastern meadowlarks and other beloved grassland bird species are in decline due to the loss of appropriate grassland habitat. “People maintain large fields and meadows in Vermont for a variety of reasons, from commercial hayfields and grazing pastures, to simple aesthetic beauty,” said John Buck, biologist for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. But if the fields are mowed too early, he said, “many grassland bird species will lose their nest and any hatchlings.” For farmers who maintain
commercial hayfields and grazing pastures, Audubon Vermont coordinates the Bobolink Project in association with the University of Vermont and several other partners. They provide funding and resources to farmers who agree to delay mowing or grazing fields until the first week in August to protect bobolinks and other nesting grassland birds. This year, they worked with 16 farmers to protect over 500 acres of grassland habitat.
Commentary by Edd Merritt I watch the ripples change their size But never leave the stream Of warm impermanence and So the days float through my eyes But the days still seem the same. “Changes” – David Bowie When you can’t get out and about quite as frequently as you used to, you tend to pick up books and spend a good portion of your days reading—that is, of course, unless NHL playoff games are driving your eyes and brain to distraction. One of my heroic writers has recently put out a collection containing a number of her earlier works, The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old and New, written by Annie Dillard, published by Ecco/ HarperCollins. I was first captured by Dillard’s writing several decades ago with her early classic, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a take on Thoreau’s Walden. Writing about the world (but more than just a view out the window) her words reflect a landscape composed of monologues that make her pilgrimage to a cabin by the river her current life’s landscape, so much more than just walls and windows. She calls it an “anchorite’s hermitage.” Reclusive? Maybe she is in terms of place, but her descriptions of relationships about her and her own interactions with them— scratching a puppy’s belly while contemplating a mountain range, watching a frog lose its innards to a giant water bug, describing the process and coupling it with the frog’s perception of its own dismemberment—provided me with a sense of place and persona in a way that is absolutely captivating and unforgettable. Better yet, she managed to throw in some humor every now and then so that we
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Crossword and sudoku by Myles Mellor. answers to our puzzles Can be found near the Classifieds.
16 • June 2, 2016 • The CharloTTe news
Senior Center News
Mary Recchia CONTRIBUTOR
Are you ready for an active summer? Ginger Lambert will continue Fitness for Everybody on Friday mornings from 9:15–10. Dates: June 3, 10, 17, 24, July 1 and 8. We all have different body types and fitness experience, but know that being strong and fit helps us to live our lives to their full potential. Using timed intervals and a series of stations, this class will incorporate body weight, light weights and other cardio/strength building tools to boost strength, cardiovascular fitness, agility and flexibility. Some active games will be included to make this a fun and interesting workout. Joint and ligament issues will be taken into account. Every exercise can be modified for any ability or level of fitness. If you have been looking for a class that challenges you but doesn’t leave you in the dust, then this is for you. Registration required. Limit 10. Fee: $10 per class. The Center is pleased to host the American Red Cross Blood Drive for this much needed community event on Thursday, June 9, from 2–7 p.m. Due to construction at the Center, the Charlotte Fire Station has agreed to be the location for this drive. We will continue to strive
to make a comfortable atmosphere and provide the great snacks that make giving the “Gift of Life� at this site most pleasurable. Susanna Kahn, Charlotte tech librarian, returns for more iPhone Tips & Tricks on Monday afternoon June 13 from 1:30–3. Get even more out of your iPhone in this hands-on workshop. Swipe, tap and shake your way to shortcuts. Understand your photo-saving options and battery usage. Get a few app suggestions and more. Please bring your iPhone. Registration required. No fee. Hank Kaestner will lead another Birding Expedition on Wednesday morning, June 15, at 8 as we try to beat last year’s total by recording 101 species of birds in one year! Please meet at the Center so we can carpool together to the location Hank has scouted for spectacular bird watching. Good views are guaranteed through Hank’s “Oh my God� telescope. Register for this event, and if we have to change the date due to bird migration or weather, we will call you. Registration required. No fee. The Center will be partnering with the Charlotte Library, the Vermont Humanities Council, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and The Charlotte News to offer a collection of activities surrounding the 2016 Vermont Reads books: Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World, by Jennifer Armstrong, and Caroline Alexander’s The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition. A full schedule of offerings will be available at the Charlotte Library in early June. Welcome aboard! Explore a shipwreck— without getting wet! On Tuesday, July 5, meet Martha and Joe Barton-Rivera at the Center to carpool to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum for a Shipwreck Tour.
Right: A select group of Charlotte Central School Musicians delighted the after lunch crowd with a variety of special songs. Maryn Askew played and sang a medley of show tunes. Above left: Two string players receiving congratulations from Shirley Bean. Above right: Wally Gates holding down the fort as construction has begun for the new foyer/entryway.
Location change, Red Cross blood drive at Fire House
Did you know that there are over 300 historic shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Champlain? Take a tour boat to the site of one of these wooden wrecks and go for a “dive� using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). This robotic camera sends back real-time video to an on-board monitor as the vessel’s dramatic story is shared. We will gather at the Center and carpool to the museum where we will meet our tour guide for the one-hour trip. Afterward feel free to eat the bag lunch you brought or grab a bite at the Red Mill Restaurant, but plan to spend the afternoon strolling the grounds since your ticket includes admission to the museum. Don’t miss this incredible experience! Registration required. Maximum: 25. Fee: $15.
Lupine Painting
The American Red Cross had scheduled a blood drive at the Ferry Road Charlotte Senior Center, Thursday, June 9, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Because of construction at the Center, however, the drawing will be held at the Fire House next door. Park at the Senior Center and walk to the rear of the Fire House. Please enter using the back door. Thank you. To avoid delays, it is strongly advised to make an appointment by either calling 1-800- REDCROSS (800-733-2767) or contact REDCROSSBLOOD.ORG.
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The CharloTTe News • JuNe 2, 2016 • 17 Adult Books The Invisible Library, by Genevieve Cogman: The first installment of an adventure featuring stolen books, secret agents and forbidden societies— think Doctor Who with librarian spies! We Could Be Beautiful, by Swan Huntley: A spellbinding psychological debut novel, the story of a wealthy woman who has everything—and yet can trust no one.
learn about the sport of falconry. Sign up for our summer reading offerings at the same time.
Margaret Woodruff CONTRIBUTOR
Upcoming @ The Charlotte Library Wednesday, June 1: Vermont Library Passport Program. First day to pick up your official Vermont Library Passport and discover the amazing libraries throughout the Green Mountain State. Friday, June 10: Vermont Reads Begins! Pick up your copy of our book selection for 2016 and join us for an Antarctic adventure. Books may be picked up at the Charlotte Library or the Charlotte Senior Center.
Wednesday, June 22, 7 p.m. & Thursday, June 30, 10:30 a.m.: Vermont Reads Event: Book Discussion with Alex Bunten. Whether you’ve read one or both of the Vermont Reads titles or haven’t yet delved into the adventure, join us for an informative and engaging conversation. Alex Bunten, veteran sailor and editor of The Charlotte News, shares his insights and video clips from the PBS series and background information on the Endurance history and its famed leader, Sir Ernest Shackleton. Library Board: Emily Ferris, Nan Mason, Danielle Menk, Jonathan Silverman, Robert Smith. Next meeting: June 14, 6 p.m. Phone: 425-3864
Monday, June 13, 10 a.m.: Mystery Book Group. Our world tour of suspense continues as we read The Wrong Kind of Blood: An Irish Novel of Betrayal by Declan Hughes. Join us for coffee and discussion. Copies of the book available for check out at the library circulation desk. Monday, June 13, 1:30 p.m.: More iPhone Tips & Tricks. Get even more out of your iPhone with Tech librarian Susanna Kahn in this hands-on workshop. Swipe, tap and shake your way to shortcuts. Understand your photo-saving options and battery usage. Get a few app suggestions and more. Registration required. No fee. Please bring your iPhone. Thursday, June 16, 7 p.m.: Vermont Reads Event: A History of the World in Six Boats. Mike Smiley, Director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, uses maritime architecture as a lens for looking at the past. A perfect introduction to the Endurance and Shackleton’s adventure. Wednesday, June 22, 1 p.m.: Summer Reading Kick-Off: On Your Mark, Set, Read! The Vermont Institute of Natural Science brings live raptors to meet as we
Website: charlottepubliclibrary.org
OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 1-3 PM 576 Whalley Rd, Charlotte
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Extremely Cute Animals Operating Heavy Machinery, written and illustrated by David Gordon: Just because you’re extremely cute doesn’t mean you can’t operate a bulldozer! ‌a fun, funny and whimsical take on believing TITLES in yourself and telling bullies LIBRARY who’s boss!
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18 • June 2, 2016 • The CharloTTe news
CVU receives national recognition for excellence in global education CVU was one of a select group of high schools recognized across the United States for excellence in global education by EF High School Exchange Year, the leader in high school exchange. Current EF students presented the award to CVU Principal Adam Bunting and Board Chair Polly Malik at a recent school board meeting. The EF High School Exchange Year Global Education Excellence Award is presented annually to high schools that demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to international understanding and global awareness. From left to right: Polly Malik, CVU School Board chair; Adam Bunting, CVU principal; Frederik Piche; Manuel Zauner; Niels Nielsen; Jan Bedard, EF High School Exchange Year coordinator.
Community Events Do you have a Charlotte event or an event close by that features a Charlotter? Send description, date, time and cost to Ruah Swennerfelt at calendar@ thecharlottenews.org. If it’s a public event, share what’s happening with your neighbors! FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Theatre: The Opera Company of Middlebury, presents Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth, at Town Hall Theater. Macbeth is Verdi’s operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic which retains the power struggles, dark magic and madness of the original tale while adding a passionate, melodic score. Tickets are $55-$75. Performance starts at 8 p.m. SATURDAY, JUNE 4 Event: Girls on the Run Vermont will be holding their 17th annual Northern VT 5k Walk/Run. Sign up to volunteer or join the race! The Walk/Run will be held at Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction, starting at 10 a.m. Registration is $10 for children, $20 for adults. Register at gotrvt.org/general-public5k-registration. Info: (802) 246-1476 or email events@girlsontherunvermont.org SUNDAY, JUNE 5 Theatre: Macbeth at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury, performance at 2 p.m. See June 3 for more details.
TUESDAY, JUNE 7 Music: Angelus: Sacred Music for Women’s Voices. Completely unique among American High School vocal ensembles, Angelus will present a concert featuring medieval chant and polyphony, music from the American Sacred Harp tradition as well as contemporary American and Irish works. Trinity Episcopal Church, Shelburne. 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info: 802-985-2269. THURSDAY, JUNE 9 Theatre: Macbeth at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury, performance at 8 p.m. See June 3 for more details. FRIDAY, JUNE 10 Dance: Queen City Contras will be holding its regular dance, with music provided by Atlantic Crossing. No partner or experience is necessary, and all dances are taught. Beginner’s session will start at 7:45 p.m., with the dance commencing at 8 p.m. Admission is $9, with under 12 free. Please bring clean, soft-soled shoes for dancing. Info: 802-371-9492 or 802343-7166 Theatre: Macbeth at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury. Special performance at 8 p.m. Enjoy a cover performance with piano accompaniment. See June 3 for more details SATURDAY, JUNE 11 Theatre: Macbeth at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury, performance at 8 p.m. See June 3 for more details.
Event: Child Car Seat Check at Timber Lane Pediatrics in South Burlington. Is your child’s car seat correctly installed? Are you putting your child in correctly? Get the answers to these questions, and more, at the free clinic sponsored by Beginnings: A Center for Childbirth and Parenting Education. 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Info: 802-658-5959 Fundraiser: Eighth Annual Sweet Potato Slip Sale. Red Wagon Plants will be selling sweet potato slips to raise money for Vermont Community Garden Network. 8 a.m.–6 p.m., June 11 & 12. Info: redwagonplants.com/events/8thannual-sweet-potato-slip-sale. Tag & Book Sale: Wake Robin Tag & Book Sale. The 22nd annual Wake Robin Tag & Book Sale will feature a full array of furniture, housewares, linens, bedding, collectibles, jewelry, tools, kids’ items, luggage, sports equipment, electronics, gardening supplies and plants, crafts supplies, and holiday items, as well as thousands of books. Stop by for bargains galore! Wake Robin, Shelburne. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Free. Info: wakerobin.com. TUESDAY, JUNE 14 Event: Ruah Swennerfelt’s Book Release Party. Charlotte activist Ruah Swennerfelt is celebrating her new book, Rising to the Challenge: The Transition Movement and People of Faith. Ruah will talk about and read from her book. Free hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. Lorraine B. Goode room at Burlington City Arts, 135 Church St. 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info: ruahswennerfelt@gmail.com SATURDAY, JUNE 18 Event: Vermont History Expo 2016. Let us take you back to the days of small Vermont hill farms, rural country stores, horses and buggies, homespun clothes and hearthside stories. Nearly 150 history and heritage organizations offer fascinating exhibits sharing community history from all over the state. Sat. and Sun., June 18-19, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. each day. Tunbridge World’s Fairgrounds, Tunbridge, VT. Adults $10; children $5; Ages 5 and under free. Half price admission for visitors in period dress! Info: (802) 828-2180 or amanda.gustin@ vermonthistory.org.
Upcoming pUblic meetings Selectboard: June 13 and 27, 7 p.m. Planning Comm.: June 2 and 23, 7 p.m. CSSU School Board vote on Act 46: June 7, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Conservation Commission: June 28, 7 p.m. Zoning Board: None Cemetery Com.: June 2, 16 and 30, 11:30 a.m. We make every effort to give correct meeting times, however they are subject to change. Check the town website for more info: charlottevt.org.
Have yoUr say | Selectboard MeMberS | Chair, Lane Morrison, 425-2495 Matthew Krasnow, 922-2153 Carrie Spear, 425-4444 Jacob Spell, 425-6548 Fritz Tegatz, 425-5564 Selectboard Regular Meetings are usually at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. If you would like to bring an issue to the attention of the Selectboard, contact the board chair or administrator Dean Bloch at 425-3071, ext. 205.
| ccS School board | Chair, Mark McDermott, 425-4860 Vice Chair, Erik Beal, 425-2140 Clerk, Jeff Martin, 425-4319 Kristin Wright, 425-5105 Clyde Baldwin, 425-3366 Susan Nostrand, 425-4999
| cVU School board-charlotte | Lorna Jimerson, ljimerso@wcvt.com Lynne Jaunich, lmjau@gmavt.net
| Planning coMMiSSion | Zoning Administrator & Deputy Health Officer, Joe Rheaume, jrheaume@townofcharlotte.com Town Planner, Daryl Benoit, dbenoit@townofcharlotte.com Chair, Jeffrey McDonald, 425-4429 Vice Chair, Peter Joslin Members: Gerald Bouchard, Paul Landler, Charlie Pughe, Donna Stearns, Marty Illick
| Vt goVernMent | vt senate (cHittenden district) Tim Ashe, D/P-Burlington, 318-0903, tashe@leg.state.vt Philip Baruth, D-Burlington, 503-5266, pbaruth@leg.state.vt.us Virginia “Ginny” Lyons, D-Williston, 863-6129, vvlyons@leg.state.vt.us Diane Snelling, R-Hinesburg, 482-4382, dsnelling@leg.state.vt.us Michael Sirotkin, D-South Burlington, 999-4360, msirotkin@leg.state.vt.us David Zuckerman, P/D/W-Hinesburg, 598-1986, dzuckerman@leg.state.vt.us vermont HoUse Mike Yantachka, D-Charlotte, 425-3960, myantachka.dfa@gmail.com
| U.S. goVernMent | U.s. senators Patrick Leahy, 863-2525, leahy.senate.gov Bernie Sanders, 862-0697, sanders.senate.gov Us congressman Peter Welch, 652-2450, welch.house.gov
The CharloTTe News • JuNe 2, 2016 • 19
Classifieds
Around Town Congratulations Congratulations to Eric Naud of Charlotte for making the Dean’s list at Champlain College. Eric used to write movie reviews for The Charlotte News. to Kirsten and Patrick O’Connell of Charlotte whose daughter Neely Mary O’Connell was born March 13. to Julia Wayne and Matt Krasnow of Charlotte whose son Boden Rye Krasnow was born March 15. to Catie Macauley of Charlotte, whose poem titled “Look” was part of the anthology of “best writing” preserved by the Burlington Free Press from the Young Writers Project. Catie’s poem was re-printed in the May 20 issue of the Free Press. In it she writes of her desire to be seen by a longtime friend in a busy hallway. to Norm Pellett of Bean Road, Charlotte, who was honored recently for his long and distinguished service to the University of Vermont community. His recognition came through awarding him the Robert Sinclair Cup as an outstanding professor
who engaged in teaching, research and extension over a 29-year career at UVM in the area of environmental studies, focusing on horticulture and related subjects. to Puspa Luitel of Charlotte who earned a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Vermont Law School, located in South Royalton, on May 21. While in law school, Luitel interned at a federal agency, a state public defenders office and a private law firm. Luitel hopes to join the local legal community soon. to Kaitlyn Aube of Charlotte who earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Childhood Education from Johnson State College. Kaitlyn received her diploma at the college’s 149th commencement on May 14. to Henry Brown of Charlotte who earned a bachelor of arts degree from Colby College, Waterville, Maine. The son of Adam and Licia Brown of Charlotte, Henry majored in history. He attended Rice Memorial High School. to Emaline Gaujac, formerly of Charlotte, who now works for Prellwitz/Chelinski Associates (PCA) of Cambridge, Mass., as a designer. She earned her baccalaureate from Northeastern University last year Some students do community service or put on a play. For his Grad Challenge at CVU in 2009, Oliver Demeck and his father built a street-legal Factory Five Racing Challenge car (left). Peter said it’s an “awesome, oversized go-cart with plenty of power that Oliver raced many times before going to Champlain College.” PHOTO: RIK CARLSON
and will return there this fall to study for her master’s degree, while continuing to work for PCA. One of her recent projects, the Pivot Point Bridge, was selected by the Boston Society of Architects as a winner of the Northern Avenue Bridge Ideas Competition. Pivot Point Bridge was selected as the People’s Choice Award winner for receiving the most online votes in the competition. Emaline is the daughter of Lisa and Roland Gaujac of Charlotte, owners of the Old Lantern Inn, a building which Emaline helped design the layout for when she was in high school. She graduated from Rice High School and Burlington Tech as well as Northeastern.
Sympathy is extended to family and friends of Cassandra Hatch Culbert of Hinesburg who passed away February 5 at the age of 79. Her surviving family in Charlotte includes her daughter Jennifer Slater and Jennifer’s husband, Brian, as well as a granddaughter Olivia Slater. The family welcomes friends to attend a memorial service for Cassandra at Trinity Episcopal Church, Shelburne, at 10 a.m. on June 4. is extended to family and friends of Eugene “Itchy” LeClair of Shelburne who passed away May 28 at the age of 73. He and his wife, Judith Russell, were married in Charlotte in 1988. His surviving family in Charlotte includes his son Gene Paul LeClair.
“Summer afternoon, Summer afternoon; to me those have always been the most beautiful words in the English language” —Henry James
Notices town of charLotte reQuest for ProPosaLs BicycLe and Pedestrian scoPing study The Town of Charlotte is seeking assistance from qualified firms to provide planning services to identify issues associated with possible construction of a multi-use path, as described below. There are two completed sections of the Charlotte Town Link Trail (a multi-use path)—the Melissa & Trevor Mack section on the east side of Route 7 and the Cohousing section on the west side of Route 7. When the underpass of Route 7 is completed in 2017, these two sections will be joined into a completed two-mile multi-use path. The town seeks to scope two sections that would extend the completed portion of the path on both ends to two important destination points: Mount Philo State Park (to the southeast) and the West Charlotte village (to the north). The scoping work would look at 1) connecting Mount Philo State Park to the southerly end of the Melissa & Trevor Mack Trail via a bicycle/pedestrian facility along State Park Road (approximately .5 miles) and 2) connecting the northerly end of the Cohousing section to the West Charlotte village via a new multi-use path (approximately 1.5 miles).
For a complete request for proposals or to find out more about the project, please contact Town Administrator Dean Bloch at dean@townofhcharlotte.com or by calling 425-3071 ext. 5.
Terms: Grant of Development Rights, Conservation Restrictions and Public Access Easement to be delivered at closing.
TOWN OF CHARLOTTE
Closing: As soon as practicable after July 4, 2016.
NOTICE OF CONVEYANCE OF MUNICIPAL REAL ESTATE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO THE LEGAL VOTERS OF THE TOWN OF CHARLOTTE, pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 1061, that the Town of Charlotte (the “Town”) proposes to convey the development rights, a perpetual conservation easement and restrictions, and a public access easement in and to a certain 22-acre, more or less, parcel of land located westerly of U.S. Route 7 and easterly of Town Highway 4 (a/k/a Greenbush Road) to the Vermont Land Trust, said property being a portion of the land and premises conveyed to the Town by Warranty Deed of Earl L. Burns, Mary A. Burns, Richard E. Burns, Barbara R. Burns, and North Central Auto Body, Inc., dated August 31, 2000, and recorded in Book 112, Page 113 of the Charlotte Land Records. Said conveyance is for the purpose of perpetually conserving the property for the benefit of the residents of the Town and the general public. Said conveyance will have the following terms and conditions: Sale Price: $0.00.
The property will be conveyed on the terms specified unless a petition objecting to the sale, signed by at least five percent (5%) of the legal voters of the Town of Charlotte, is presented to the Town Clerk within thirty (30) days of the date of publication and posting of this notice. If such a petition is presented, the Town of Charlotte shall cause the question of whether the Town of Charlotte should convey the real estate to the Vermont Land Trust on the terms set forth above to be considered at a Special Town Meeting called for that purpose, or at the next Annual Town Meeting. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR BIDS, NOR AN OFFER TO SELL THIS REAL ESTATE TO ANY PERSON ON ANY PARTICULAR TERMS OR CONDITIONS. Dated at Charlotte, Vermont, this 24th day of May 2016. By: Lane Morrison, Town of Charlotte Selectboard Chair and Duly Authorized Agent
Reach your friends and neighbors for only $7 per issue. (Payment must be sent before issue date.) Please limit your ad to 35 words or fewer and send it to The Charlotte News Classifieds, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 or email ads@thecharlottenews.org. Lawn mowing service—Working my way through college. Ten years experience. Professional equipment. Insured. Residential, business, church, municipal, etc. Call Anthony Burds 777-9131 [5823]. Since 1977, Lafayette Painting inc. has been providing the best interior and exterior painting services available. Let our experts transform your space. Call us at 863-5397 and see our work, references and more at LafayettePaintingInc.com. Affordable Heat with a maxim outdoor wood PeLLet furnace by Central Boiler. Burns wood pellets. Boivin Farm Supply 802-475-4007 [58-23] interior and exterior Painting: If you’re looking for quality painting with regular or low VOC paints and very reasonable rates, call John McCaffrey at 802-999-0963 or 802-338-1331 or 802877-2172. [58-24] redstone: Affordable small office spaces available on Ferry Rd. Starting at $250.00 including all utilities. For more information or to schedule a tour call 802-6587400. charLotte two-famiLy garage saLe 8-4, Saturday, June 4. Housewares, rugs, blankets, games, trains, furniture, andirons, boating gear, kids clothes, sporting goods, power equipment, and much, much more. 250-300 Partridge Lane (look for signs on Spear Street between covered bridge and Mt. Philo Rd. MOVING SALE: Saturday, June 4, 9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m., 2296 Greenbush Road, 6/10 of a mile north of Brick Store. Items galore: china, crystal, old wicker chairs, patio furniture, tools, coffee table books, silver, antiques, flags, vintage doll clothes, fancy clothes and lots more.