The Charlotte News | Oct. 10, 2013

The Charlotte News Volume lVI Number 05

The VoIce of The TowN

Thursday, ocTober 10, 2013

More Than Meets the Eye Andrea Grayson’s film about blind mechanic Edsel Hammond is a portrait of a man not constrained by his condition Brett Sigurdson

A Ride to Remember

Charlotter Kestrel Grevatt celebrated the completion of a 300-mile bike ride from New York City to Washington D.C. last month by visiting Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy and his wife, Marcelle. The CVU senior participated in the anual Climate Ride NYC-DC from Sept. 21–25, the only high school student out of 200 cyclists to participate in the ride. Grevatt raised nearly $2,800 in contributions for the cause. “I’m riding more than 300 miles in order to raise money for nonprofit organizations that I really believe in,” she wrote on her donor page, “organizations that make a difference by promoting green energy and bicylce transportation and fighting climate change.” She promotes a message of sustainability in this issue of the News. Grevatt, a Charlotte Energy Committee member, wrote an article about carpooling, which is featured on page 9.

Audit Recommends Better Internal Checks on Town Finances Brett Sigurdson

The charloTTe News Monday evening’s Selectboard meeting was all about the numbers, particularly how the town could better control and manage them.

The meeting began with a discussion of a draft audit report for fiscal year 2012-2013 prepared by Batchelder Associates of Barre. Bonnie Batchelder, the independent accountant representing the firm, had been scheduled to discuss the report with the town, but she cancelled her appearance just prior to the meeting due to inclement weather.

The Selectboard, along with Town Clerk/Treasurer Mary Mead and the three town auditors—Robert Mack, Peter Trono and Nancy Wood—discussed several of the issues raised in the summary of the report provided by the firm.

Chief among them was how the town

the side of his gaze, angling the side of his face toward you as if he can’t quite The charloTTe News hear you.

Hammond’s issue, however, is his Walking into Edsel Hammond’s small vision.

He is legally blind mechanic shop in a garage near his home Hammond has Lebers Optical on Mt. Philo Road is no different than Hereditary Neuropathy, or LOHN, walking into any other mechanic’s workan eye condition that affects the optic space. The air smells faintly of brake nerves, obscuring the vision essential for dust and oil, dust and grease seem to coat detailed tasks such as everything even if they reading, driving and don’t, tools and cans If You Go recognizing faces. and boxes are scattered The effect is much across a work bench, What: Edsel the Blind Mechanic like having two dark some sporting black at the 2013 Vermont International black circles at the fingerprint marks, a Film Festival center of his vision. classic rock station Who: Andrea Grayson and Edsel While he can see at blares a Journey song Hammond, both of Charlotte the outside perimfrom the radio.

Where: Main Street Landing for the eter of his vision, Yet there’s somePerforming Arts, Burlington Hammond describes thing different about When: Sunday, Oct. 20, 2:15 p.m. the clarity of his the mechanic himself.

(Film will be last of three in session) vision as “like an old What isn’t clear when TV that’s grainy.”

Hammond walks conYou can also check out the film In a roughly sixfidently through his online at vimeo.com/70237823. minute documentary shop or tinkers with short film produced something under the by Charlotter Andrea hood becomes so once Grayson called Edsel he replaces oil in the the Blind Mechanic, car.

As he pours a quart of 5W20 into viewers get a brief glimpse into the engine of a Ford Taurus owned by Hammond’s life, particularly how he Dave Nichols—a long-time customer— has continued his life’s calling despite Hammond peers deeply into the large a condition that could have ended it for blue funnel, getting so close as to nearly others.

To say that Hammond was born to put his face in it. He grabs another quart work on cars isn’t a stretch. His grandfrom a shelf near his cherry-colored tool bench, which houses his tools organized Edsel continued on page 3 so he can find them. As he talks about what he’s doing, he looks at you out

For Tractor Parade, 13 Is Just Another Number

handles its internal controls over charge accounts, which, the report states, has opened the door for defalcation, or embezzlement.

“Lack of internal controls has made defalcation of Town assets not only possible, but evidence suggests it has likely occurred,” the report states about the town’s lack of charge account policy.

Selectboard member Ellie Russell expressed concern over this statement and wanted to find out more about the otherwise vague statement. Charles Russell agreed.

“I would like to see her spell out in more detail what’s she saying there,” he said. “We want to step very carefully.”

Contacted after the meeting, Batchelder did not reply for a request for substantiation of this in time for publication.

In the summary letter, Batchelder

Carrie Spear doesn’t care about the superstitions attached to the number 13.

Despite the fact the East Charlotte Tractor Parade she helps plan every year will celebrates its 13th year on Oct. 13, 2013, she’s not worried about how the event will unfold.

And why should she? The always-popular event that celebrates the town’s agricultural history and spirit of the fall harvest isn’t going to change much this year. Why change what isn’t it broken, Spear said.

Just as in year’s past, this year’s tractor parade will provide an afternoon full of fun, food and, of course, tractors. There will be an open-air market featuring vendors, crafts and food. There will be music by Eagle Country 97.5, Dick Preston and the Unpredictables, Veronica Taylor, and the Silver Leviathan Band. There will be face painting, food carts, hayrides, children’s games and animals from the Smith Family Farm.

There will also be antique and modern tractors, of course—many of them, Spear hopes. So far there are 50 tractors registered, but she’s hoping for 200 by the time the parade begins at 1 p.m.

Participants can register on the day of the event until noon at the starting

Audit continued on page 9

Tractor Parade continued on page 13

Festivities begin with kick-off dance party Oct. 11

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The Charlotte News

Commentary Calendar 2.0 Proposal Raises Significant Questions The Charlotte News PublishEd by and for CharlottErs sinCE 1958 The CharloTTe News is a nonprofit community-based 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 from all townspeople and interested individuals. For submission guidelines and deadlines, please visit our website or contact the editor at news@charlottenewsvt.com 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 selected outlets in Shelburne, Hinesburg, North Ferrisburgh, Ferrisburgh and Vergennes. It relies on the generous financial contributions of its readers, subscriptions and advertising revenue to sustain its operations. oN The weB aT:

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Please bear with me for a moment– the relevance to school issues of these comments will become apparent.

There is a widespread misconception in this country: we live in a democracy. We don’t. We have a republican—small “R”—form of government. There are and have been pockets of democratic (small “D”) activities, such as Vermont town meetings. The truth is that these events are dwindling in number and significance.

The difference is important. In republican forms of government the electorate selects representatives for some period of time. Those selected are free, once elected, to follow their instincts without accountability until the next election. To suggest that there is meaningful accountability is an increasingly esoteric concept.

Further, those elected are free to appoint bureaucrats who are completely unaccountable to the electorate. To suggest that there is any meaningful accountability here is a complete myth. It is this combination of unaccountability and complete disconnection that results in our current form of government: bottleneck-ism.

This is where we get around to school issues, specifically how it has come to pass that a group of appointed bureaucrats will determine the school calendar—whether the citizens of the region like it or not.

Many of you have looked askance when I explained how the combination of the Legislature taking away local boards’ authority and vesting it in superintendents, combined with the unwillingness of local boards to exercise what authority they do have, would one day create a serious disconnect. I commented once that the end of this process would be that we would come to the point where we might as well all be living in North Dakota and sending postcards for all of the effect that our opinions would have.

Well, here we are.

Appointed bureaucrats are on the verge of turning your education system into a completely alien and massively inconvenient thing—for no reason. There is no convincing data of any sort that indicates any reason for this peculiar—some might say bizarre—new calendar. The end of the story is that here is yet another example of educators doing something because they can’t think of anything else to do and because they have the power to do it.

Elaine Pinckney—notwithstanding statements to the contrary—has spearheaded this initiative. That it should have been initiated and pursued as far as it has been with-

out interaction either with the local boards or the public is cause for serious concern, both regarding the process and Elaine’s understanding of her obligation to the community.

Apparently, the purpose of this convulsion is to avoid summer school. The list of unexplained/unanswered things is long. In no particular order: 1) The obvious things are almost so obvious as to not be worth discussing: childcare, sports schedules, family activities.

2) How will the time spent by faculty with recommended students during intersessions be paid for?

3) Do we really expect recommended students—once families make adjustments to the new schedule—to stick around during intersessions?

4) Will there still be summer school?

5) Exam schedules and related: will this be block scheduling a la Middlebury and Colorado colleges or will subjects overlap during intervening intersessions?

6) If this is a block system and a student is recommended for remedial action in the next intersession, what becomes of that student during the next block? It is unlikely that s/he will be prepared to master the next block and so will become more confused and lapse farther behind.

7) Is this calendar a precursor to genuine year-round school, meaning many more student days and much less vacation? If it is, why are we sneaking up on it like this instead of proposing that it be done in one fell swoop?

8) This will clearly impact employees’ long-accustomed timeoff schedules, which will invariably ignite a furor over imposing on their time and compensation. I’ve heard no mention of the implications of this for upcoming negotiations.

9) Professional days and parentteacher conferences—during intersessions or when?

10) Are recommended students required to go?

11) If recommended students are required to attend, there is going to be pretty heavy stigmatization.

12) If recommended students are not required to attend remedial sessions during intersession, what’s the point?

13) Will the adults teaching during the remedial intersessions be the same adults who work with the students in between? Meaning will these adults be up to speed with particular students or will they have to work up to speed?

14) What packaged curriculum program—don’t kid yourself, we use

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them—is designed for this application?

15) How will be teachers be chosen for the remedial activity?

16) Will we count on the chosen teachers to volunteer or will the assignments be mandatory? Contract implications?

17) Will there be homework for remedial or non-remedial students during intersession?

18) Will the remedial sessions be whole or half day? Transportation?

19) Is it physically possible, given the design of the heating system, to confine remedial sessions to a particular area and turn down the heat in the rest of the building during cold-weather remedial sessions? The logistics of this in terms of separating groups or individual remedial students?

20) Will recommended students be dealt with individually or in groups?

If in groups, how large?

21) What happens next if this rather weird schedule results in no particularly reliable, observable difference in the performance of recommended students? I can hardly wait for the answer to this.

22) If certification still has to line up, what happens when there are imbalances in terms of the numbers/grade levels of recommended students and, say, a grade 6-8 certified teacher has to show up for one student?

23) Expense and inconvenience of daycare? Will, in the real world, this sort of scheduling result in students who are marginally equipped to being home alone be home alone?

24) We all know that the periods before and after long breaks are marked by students’ reduced attention and focus. We’re going to increase the frequency and number of these periods of distraction.

Folks, this hare-brained scheme gives new meaning to the terms “going off the deep end,” “not having both oars in the water,” and a machine “not having all of the screws in tight.” It produces a mental image of the well-known locomotive with the wheels coming off and becoming a steaming pile of rubble.

If there is not any sort of sound reasoning underneath this, then the whole concept should be scrapped and a new conversation–held with local boards and communities, not in the secret confines of the Superintendents Association— should begin.

This week’s Cover phoTos CapTuriNg auTumN ThroughouT CharloTTe Come from edd merriTT aNd karyN luNde.

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NexT puBliCaTioN daTe: Thursday, oCToBer 24

The Charlotte News

Edsel continued from page 1 father was a mechanic, his father was a body man, and now his two children are mechanics as well. He was named for the 1958 Ford Edsel his parents owned,a picture of which hangs blown up and framed in his family room.

Hammond grew up tinkering with dirt bikes and snowmobiles and cars. He purchased his first car, a 1967 Lincoln Continental, at 14.

He later enrolled in the Essex Vocational Program and in 1986, his senior year of high school, he began working at Nordic Ford, now Heritage Ford in South Burlington, where he was employed until 1993, when he was forced to leave because of problems with his vision.

As Hammond explains it, he was driving down the road one day in 1992 when he started to rub his eye. As he looked at the road with the other eye, Hammond noticed a spot in his vision. Shortly after, the vision in both eyes deteriorated. He was legally blind within six months.

“It was a very scary moment in my life,” said Hammond, who was 26 at the time.

He worried about his job at Nordic Ford, what he would do, where he would go.

Because of a dispute with the car dealer’s insurance company, Hammond was let go.

In 1995 he moved to Charlotte and began working for a friend doing excavation, working occasionally on cars. Eventually, he began his own business in 1998, working on cars in his driveway, building his shop as money came in.

When he first started in his garage, Hammond didn’t decline any jobs. He

quickly learned, however, that he had to be choosy about his work, limiting himself to the tasks he could do, avoiding tasks he had trouble with, such as electrical work.

Grayson, a filmmaker who specializes in educational and documentary films, came up with the idea for the film after talking with Hammond about what it was like to see out of his eyes.

“I imagined that black spot obstructing his vision immediately and got the idea of showing that on video, so others might get a glimpse of what it would be like to see what he sees,” said Grayson.

She started working on the film a few summers ago. Grayson would visit with her camera when she had some time or when Hammond was working on her car.

After putting the film aside to devote time to other work, Grayson decided to revisit the project when she saw the deadline for the Vermont International Film Festival this past summer.

“I thought that was a great deadline to have to try to finally get it done,” she said.

Edsel the Blind Mechanic will screen during the Vermont Fillmakers Showcase on Sunday, Oct. 20 (see sidebar for more information).

Grayson would like to do more shortform profile films about Charlotters, she said.

“I’m just fascinated by how people construct their lives and how they find their way to being happy,” she noted. “I learn so much from people, and when I learn things, I like to share those things with others.”

This was certainly the case with Hammond, Grayson reflected.

“He says that life is too short, so why not be happy all the time?” she recalled. “Such a wonderful reminder.”

For Hammond, LOHN is simply a part of his life now, an issue that has changed the direction of his life, but not impeded it.

“We’re on track to save about $750 a year on energy costs, and that buys a lot of model train parts.”

Edsel Hammond replaces the oil in a Ford Taurus on a recent afternoon.

Hammond’s vision is 20/650, making him legally blind.

“I don’t even think about it now. I couldn’t imagine being able to see well again. I’m just so used to it now. I work a lot slower than I used to, but I get things done.”

Back at his garage, Hammond moves purposefully from the Taurus to the workbench to the car again.

“We’re set up pretty good out there,” he said of his shop, which has no official name, though his kids made him a T-shirt emblazoned with “Edsel’s Automotive” around the oblong grill of the Ford Edsel.

Indeed, the shop is his place. The entrance sports an “Edsel Sales & Service” sign a friend of his found along the side of

the road one day. Another sign hanging in the shop says “Edsel Parking Only.” These are decorations, yes, but they are also symbols that his shop is a place where he really is a mechanic—not just a mechanic who can’t see.

And perhaps that is the central idea to the story of Grayson’s film. Hammond is a mechanic—not a blind mechanic. It’s in his blood and he’s good at it, plain as anyone can see.

Hammond is accepting new customers and can fix most any make or model. For an appointment or more information, call him at 425-4577.

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The Charlotte News

Calendar 2.0 Forum at CVU Oct. 10 Public encouraged to participate in conversation on new calendar proposal

T The Quinlan Schoolhouse on the Town Green has new red cedar shingles and a fresh coat of paint.

Quinlan Schoolhouse Repairs Complete Trick-or-Treaters welcome to stop by on Halloween Night Betty Ann Lockhart Contributor

A

t age 160-plus, the little old Quinlan Schoolhouse is looking pretty proud and spiffy!

The roof has been rejuvenated with under planking and attic crossbeams, as well as healthy new red cedar shingles by roofers Dan Ahearn and son Colin.

Fresh paint was applied to siding by Quinlan Schoolhouse Board President Bob Chutter and Vice President Don Lockhart, and Bob also recaulked windows and replaced trim board around the base of the building. New board member Jenny Cole and husband, Dan, labored on Labor Day weekend to finish painting the north

gable. Soon the bell rope will be reinstalled inside the schoolhouse, ready to ring on special occasions.

It seems as though when you reach the ripe old age of circa 163, you are likely to be in need of some extra TLC! Many new folks have become Friends of the Historic Quinlan Schoolhouse, assuring the board that the community values this little building that is so entwined with Charlotte’s history.

Susan Whalley Horsford, daughter of former teacher Ruth Whalley, has assumed the position of treasurer, and Wendy Roth has also joined the board as a volunteer. Through the efforts of many, the Quinlan Schoolhouse will continue to be a resource for

children and adults, a tangible reminder of our educational and cultural roots.

If you would like to explore those educational and cultural roots of the schoolhouse, meet former students and a teacher, Susan Preston, as well as view the move from Spear Street Extension and the reconstruction on the Town Green in 1999, a DVD is available at the Charlotte Library.

The Quinlan Schoolhouse will welcome trick or treaters from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Halloween night– come and meet Booo the ghost and other spooks!

he Champlain Valley Superintendents Association (CVSA) will hold the last of four regional forums to discuss the proposed Calendar 2.0 with area residents, families, students and educators at CVU Oct. 10 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Superintendents are exploring options around how to create a more efficient and effective use of the school calendar, with time and support as the variables to positive student outcomes. This calendar is a proposal intended to stimulate conversation.

The forum will allow CVSA superintendants to engage families and educators in brainstorming ideas for a school calendar that supports and maximizes learning of all students.

The proposed Calendar 2.0 preserves the current 175 student days while shifting about ten days into summer in order to build in blocks of times, or intersessions, during the school year. The goal of the proposed calendar is to organize student instruction time so students have opportunities to pause and reflect and expand upon their learning.

The forums will be facilitated and have been created in a format to ensure all participants have a voice in the conversation and an opportunity to talk about ways to improve upon the current calendar structure. The forums are designed to provide an opportunity for families and educators to connect directly about how time could be used to enhance the quality of education in this region of Vermont.

The forums are open to parents, educators, students and interested residents.

The evenings will be broken up into four parts: a general introduction/background, an activity for participants to provide their opinions to specific questions related to the proposed Calendar 2.0, an activity for participants to have conversations about how a calendar could be created, and a closing. Ideas and suggestions will be compiled and made public after the forums and will be used by superintendents to inform future calendar decisions.

For more information on the proposed regional calendar, visit: schoolcalendar2.blogspot.com.

Betty Ann Lockhart is secretary of the Quinlan Schoolhouse Board.

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The Charlotte News

In Charlotte, The News is Alive and Well—Thanks to You The Charlotte News has come a long way in the 55 years it’s served this community. What started as a mimeographed newsletter published in the basement of the Charlotte Congregational Church has changed in ways big and small since 1958. One thing, though, has never changed: the News has always been a vital part of the community.

The Charlotte News is a 501 (c)(4) not-for-profit organization whose sole mission is to tell the stories of Charlotte. It exists primarily on advertising revenue, with roughly 20 percent of funding provided by donations from community members. It’s a fitting relationship: Charlotters help fund coverage of the news that most affects them.

Yet, the financial system we’ve always relied on has taken a hit, as it has in the newspaper industry as a whole. The Internet has become the dominant resource for readers, which means advertisers have followed them to the digital world.

Despite industry travails, the News has grown in the past year.

With new energy from our small staff and dedicated volunteers, it has published articles on vital local issues like Fire & Rescue and Town Meeting, shared more stories about friends and neighbors, introduced more community voices to the paper, changed our look and expanded our web presence.

Right now, we see a special moment to tap into this energy to spring us into the next 55 years.

That’s why we’ve initiated the Thrive @55 campaign, a one-time, two-year fundraiser that aims to raise $55,000 to help us simultaneously invest in our current and future staff and provide a financial buffer to help us as we address issues in our business model.

What growth means to the News—and to Charlotte In order to remain a viable, sustainable enterprise, we need to change our funding model. First, we need to establish status as a 501(c)(3), a legal process that can cost upwards of $5,000. Once completed, we can fundraise more

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intentionally with contributions fully tax-deductible under the law.

For this campaign, the Charlotte News has a fiscal agent, the Online Journalism Project (the same folks who kick-started VTDigger), to help us build our pyramid of funding.

Second, and even more important, we want to invest in our staff and hire more writers. Currently, we pay the editor, contributing editor, designer/ad manager and business manager below-market salaries. We don’t pay our regular contributors, and we should. We are unable to cover many public meetings and events. Right now, the News isn’t fulfilling its mission as fully as it should.

But we see incredible possibilities to do a lot more with just a bit more funding. If we could raise our overhead another $800 an issue—about $20,000 a year— we could not only pay our staff more sustainable salaries (salaries that would also appeal to potential hires), we could also pay for freelance writers to cover town events and stories and offer stipends to

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our hard-working contributors.

It’s a small investment that could pay off big for the paper—and the community.

This campaign isn’t just about dollars. It’s also about helping us transition from a one-person, printonly ad model to a multipronged, multifaceted, print/digital ad sales model that will better position us to support our operations.

reign supreme in the delivery of local news. Wherever there is a pervasive sense of community, a paper that serves the special informational needs of that community will remain indispensable to a significant portion of its residents.”

The Charlotte News fills this vital role in our community. With your help, we’ll continue to do so for another 55 years.

Creating a thriving community resource In the end, the Thrive @55 campaign comes down to the community, not the paper. This effort is about the community and the potential we see to cover it in a much more comprehensive way.

We’ve raised almost $20,000 dollars since we began our Thrive @55 effort in July. With your help, we can raise the next $35,000 to support independent, nonprofit news in Charlotte now and into the future.

Here’s why Warren Buffett spent $344 million to buy 28 small newspapers in the past two years. “Newspapers continue to

Thank you In just over three months, roughly 250 people have contributed to the News’ Thrive @ 55 campaign. Our board of directors and staff offer our deepest gratitude to those listed below for their support of the Charlotte News.

If you’re interested in donating to the Thrive @55 campaign visit thecharlottenews.org/support-thenews. Checks made out to the Vermont Journalism Project, our fiscal agent, will make your donation tax deductible.

All donations received by Dec. 7 will be entered into a drawing for an iPad and a beautiful handmade, antique quilt.

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The Charlotte News

Two Suspects Arrested in Armed Robbery at Charlotte Berry Farm Two men are now in custody after robbing three people at gunpoint while parked at the Charlotte Berry Farm on Oct. 6.

According to a police affidavit, during the evening hours of Oct. 6, officers responded to a call regarding two men, Ruben Flores Jr., 21, and Jonathan Nunez, 24, both of New York City, who flagged down a motorist on Route 7 in Charlotte claiming they had just been robbed at gunpoint.

An investigation into the incident revealed that Flores and Nunez were being driven home by Justin Prescott, 27, of South Burlington. They had spent the weekend in Burlington selling four ounces of marijuana in the area, which netted $2,000. This was Nunez’s sixth time traveling to Vermont to sell drugs, he told police.

On the return trip to New York City Sunday, Prescott arranged to meet two acquaintances, Patrick Metro, 27, of Williston, and James Babcock II, 29, of Shelburne, at the Little League fields behind the Charlotte Berry Farm. Nunez described feeling uneasy at the sight of the car waiting for them.

As they pulled up to the vehicle, Metro and Babcock jumped out, Metro with a shotgun, Babcock with a pistol. They ordered Prescott to bind the hands of Flores and Nunez with duct tape and

to search their pockets. Prescott, who, according to the affidavit, was crying and appeared upset—he was not involved in a conspiracy to rob the men, he told police—pulled out the wad of drug money from Flores’s pocket.

Metro and Babcock told Flores and Nunez to start walking and to not look back. Nunez told the men he didn’t have any money, and one of them said they would leave a cell phone with some money at the end of the road for them.

One of the men drove away with Prescott in his car while the other left in his own vehicle.

Flores and Nunez stripped themselves of the duct tape and ran to the road, where they found a cell phone wrapped in two 50 dollar bills. They flagged down a motorist and were picked up by police a short time later. When asked by police why he didn’t return for Flores and Nunez, Prescott said Babcock and Metro threatened to shoot him if he did.

Several police agencies assisted in locating Metro and Babcock in South Burlington later that night. They were taken into custody and lodged for lack of $50,000 bail.

Both men pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and robbery with a weapon during their arraignment in Vermont Superior Court Monday morning.

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Transition Town Congregational Charlotte Hosts Church Spud Fest Oct. 20 Presentation Ruah Swennerfelt Centers on Food C Justice Come join in the fun at the second ontributor

annual Transition Town Charlotte Spud Fest Sunday, Oct. 20. We’ll gather at the Senior Center at 5 p.m. to cook and we’ll eat at 6:30 p.m.

The potatoes from the Charlotte Library garden are harvested, and it’s time to show off our favorite potato dishes. Do you have a special potato recipe? Last year we were treated to potato latkes, potato soup, potato casseroles and much more.

If you want to round out the menu, feel free to bring something green or sweet or something to drink (potato-based vodka is not allowed at the Senior Center, but if you have a recipe for it, bring that along).

Maybe there’s a potato dessert recipe hidden somewhere in your recipe file?

It would be fun to share music as well.

Bring an instrument and your voices and serenade the cooks. Does anyone have a story to share about growing food? Let’s make this occasion fun and festive.

This all began with Transition US’s first “May Challenge” in 2012 to transform land owned by municipalities into healthy food production. Transition Town Charlotte took up the challenge along with the Charlotte Library and planted its first potato garden.

This year the garden was expanded to include tomatoes and green beans. Both last year and this, the produce was donated to the Charlotte Food Shelf (other than the tasty cherry tomatoes offered at the library desk during the summer).

Do you have ideas for next year? Bring those to the Spud Fest. Let’s explore how we might continue to grow food on townowned land, to share the harvest and to create opportunities to work together.

For more information, contact Ruah Swennerfelt at 425-3377.

In honor of Local Foods Week, the Charlotte Congregational Church invites the community to take part in its series “Things That Matter” on ThursPastor Kim Erno day, Oct. 10, at 5:30 p.m.

Attendees will enjoy a “green dinner” and hear from Kim Erno, a Vermont minister who is the director of the Franklin Alliance for Rural Ministries (FARM).

Pastor Erno’s talk, “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread: Understanding the Meaning of Food Justice,” will examine how the decisions we make about food have a larger impact than we may realize. Who grows our food, where it comes from and how we can be responsible stewards of our world in the everyday choices we make are part of this fascinating and important conversation.

A director of a global studies program in Mexico, Pastor Erno has a long history of working with Latin American communities. He is also the producer of a documentary film on the U.S./Mexico border and immigration called El Muro y El Desierto (The Wall and the Desert).

A delicious supper of local foods will be served at 5:30 p.m. A suggested donation of $12 for the evening is requested.

Please RSVP to Jenny Wright at charlotteucc@gmavt.net so we can set a place at the table for you.

SMArt Flicks:

Night at the Museum Viewing of the action comedy Night at the Museum followed by snacks and an art activity. Bring your “stuffy” (aka stuffed animal) and leave it over night for an adventurefilled sleepover at Shelburne Museum.

5-8 p.m., Friday, October 18 sponsored by:

Free with Museum admission.

Museum Members and children under age 5 are free. www.shelburnemuseum.org

Kitchens Additions Restoration

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The Charlotte News

Charlotte Conservation Currents Joanna Cummings Contributor The Charlotte WatershED partnership is organizing an event on Wednesday, Nov. 6, about the new Lake Wise program from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. The Charlotte Library will host the presentation at 6 p.m., and the community is invited to attend for free refreshments, a lively discussion and the chance to win our raffle for a native landscaping consultation.

Vermont Lake Wise is a new program that offers free technical assistance for lake property owners, lake associations, summer camps and state parks about how to manage shoreline property to prevent erosion and runoff.

A property can earn the Lake Wise Award for representing a “model” shoreland. The award certifies that a property is well managed using best management practices and is protecting lake water quality and habitat. Most of the property improvements can be done by the landowners themselves.

Water quality and habitat protection along shorelines is getting more attention lately. A bill, H.526, was introduced during Vermont’s last legislative session. It aims to protect lakeshores by

Be ‘Lake Wise’ About Charlotte’s Shoreland restricting intensive construction and creating vegetative buffers. The bill did not pass the first time around and will most likely be brought up again during the 2013-14 legislative session.

Vegetative buffers along lakeshores have been proven to benefit water quality by holding back sediment runoff, preventing erosion, absorbing phosphorus responsible for algae blooms and providing protective cover for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife.

Best management practices that the Lake Wise program encourages can allow natural shorelines to maintain the lak, without the burden of regulation for the property owner.

Some of these practices include:

natural woody structures and native aquatic plants growth trash or other effective collection/absorption method.

Charlotte is a “water town” with

seven watersheds and its entire western boundary bordering the lake. Frequently, weather events increase normal surface flows and water-holding capacity beyond the town infrastructure and land’s ability to control it, resulting in erosion and runoff with high phosphorus content. No matter how high or low the water flows through our town, what we do on the land affects the water we drink, recreate in, use for agriculture and industry and feel spiritually connected to.

Gathering community members together for thoughtful conversation and stimulating learning about our natural resources is an important goal for the Charlotte WatershEd partnership.

Come to the library on Nov. 6 to meet your neighbors and discuss how we can do our part to protect and improve water quality in our watersheds and in Lake Champlain.

For more information about Charlotte WatershED, visit our website at yellowladyslipper.org/watershed and “like” us on Facebook at facebook. com/charlottewatershed.

Joanna Cummings is co-chair of Charlotte’s Conservation Commission.

Submit Public Comment on Proposed Shoreland Legislation by Oct. 15 After a round of public forums throughout the state, the Lake Shoreland Protection Commission will accept written public comments until Oct. 15 for consideration for its final report.

The Vermont General Assembly established the Lake Shoreland Protection Commission in Section E.126.1 of Act 50 of 2013 in order to: ing the current health of waters of the state, including the results of the 2012 Agency of Natural Resources “Water Quality Remediation, Implementation and Funding Report”; tion of state waters, including requirements the state may need to meet in implementing the cleanup plan for Lake Champlain; efforts to address and improve the quality of all state waters and how regulation of shoreland activity impacts water quality; and tion, disturbance, clearing and creation of impervious surfaces in the shorelands of lakes.

A video of the commission’s presentation, as well as additional information and documents, can be accessed on the Lake Shoreland Protection Commission website at leg2.vermont.gov/sites/legislature/LSP/default.aspx.

To submit a comment for consideration, write to LSPComments@leg.state.vt.us.

For any other questions, contact Senator Robert Hartwell, chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy at rhartwell@leg.state.vt.us or at 345-1552.

The Charlotte News

Mt. Philo Inn to Hold ‘History Happy Hour’ Through October Series begins with Rokeby presentation Oct. 10 The Mt. Philo Inn will host a series of “History Happy Hours” featuring guest speakers from local museums on Thursday evenings throughout October.

Each History Happy Hour will take place in the ballroom of the Inn, a spacious room with panoramic views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. The evenings will feature a brief talk from a museum representative and complimentary local wine, beer and cheese.

On Oct. 10, the Mt. Philo Inn will welcome Jane Williamson of the Rokeby Museum. On Oct. 17, Erick Tichonuk will appear on behalf of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Korey Rogers will discuss the Shelburne Museum on Oct. 24.

History Happy Hour will take place from 5:30-–6:30 p.m. There is no fee to attend, though voluntary donations to the museums will be accepted. To RSVP call 425-3355 or email garbose@mtphiloinn.com.

Charlotte Park & Wildlife Refuge to Host Volunteer Days in October Join the Park Oversight Committee on Saturday, Oct. 12, and Monday, Oct. 21, from 11 a.m-2 p.m. to help with continued work on the buckthorn and honeysuckle invasive plant problem at the Charlotte Park & Wildlife Refuge.

Volunteers will work in the Turkey Lane woods on the Route 7 side of the park. After the work, participants will picnic at one of the benches and enjoy the view of Lake Champlain.

Every year the committee and volunteers clear about three acres of trails, woods and hedgerows of invasive plants. The work that volunteers have done in the past six years to improve the health and beauty of the park is visible.

It is the town’s park— and the committee hopes to leave it to future generations in much better condition for wildlife and our enjoyment.

For more information, please contact Sue Smith at 425-2732 or ssmith@ gmavt.net, Jenny Cole at 425-3105 or colelogcabin@gmavt.net, Robert Hyams at 734-5630 or rnhyams@gmavt.net.

Rain dates for the cleanup are Oct. 13 and 23.

Winners of Shelburne Orchard’s 12th annual Pie Fest contest are (from left) Nicolai Blood (first place), Nicole Liscio (best filling), Linda Post (best crust) and Victoria Bevz (best appearance).

Pie Fest Winners Announced at Shelburne Orchards Shelburne Orchards is pleased to announce the winners of the 12th annual Pie Fest.

Thirty gorgeous apple pies were displayed around a large, copper, apple-brandy still in the Cider House. Judges Stacy Fraser (test kitchen manager at EatingWell), David Hugo (owner of Starry Night Café and head chef at the Inn at Shelburne Farms) and Jodi Whalen (co-owner of August First and Stacks) carefully noted the quality of each pie’s crust, filling and overall appearance as the audience enjoyed entertainment by the Hokum Bros.

After tallying the judges’ scores, Shelburne Orchard owner Nick Cowles congratulated winners in the following categories: First Place: “Apple of My Eye Pie,” Charlotter Nicolai Blood Best aPPearance: Victoria Bevz Best crust: Linda Post Best Filling: Nicole Liscio.

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Regarding Nicolai Blood’s win, Cowles exclaimed, “It must be in the blood—get it?”

In addition, Kevin Clayton was awarded the first Annual “Kevin is Heaven” recognition for helping out around the orchard when he’s not running his own business, Village Wine & Coffee in Shelburne.

More events are planned for the season. On Thursday and Friday, Oct. 17 and 18, seniors will be able to grab apples from the ground at the discounted price of $10 per bushel during Senior Citizens Days. On Saturday, Oct. 19, Truckload & Carboy Saturday will offer discounted pricing for apples on the ground as well as the opportunity to purchase a special blend of apples for hard cider.

For more details please check the website at shelburneorchards.com.

The Charlotte News

Charlotte Energy Committee, CVU Partner to Promote Ridesharing

VCS Students Explore Fair Trade and Businesses in Vermont

Sign up for Zimride by Oct. 18 for great prizes

Jordan Cannon Contributor

S

tudents at the Vermont Commons School (VCS) in South Burlington will be exploring and celebrating fair trade during their “Common Text Day” on Oct. 11.

Each year the entire school community begins the year by reading a common text that highlights a theme that speaks to the mission of VCS. This year, the language arts department selected Brewing Change: Behind the Bean at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, by Rick Peyser and Bill Mares.

The book chronicles Peyser’s successful efforts to bring the practice of fair trade to Green Mountain Coffee. With its themes of global engagement, sustainability, and the power of the individual to make lasting change, the book was ideal for the school community to read together.

“We are delighted our students had the opportunity to learn more about a local business that is a leader in global fair-trade practices by reading this book,” said Christie Beveridge, language arts department chair. “We are looking forward to a lively and informative discussion about the book at our Common Text Day.” Common Text Day will begin with a screening of the film, After the Harvest, followed by a panel discussion with Peyser, Mares and Colleen Popkin, a colleague of Peyser’s who works with farmers around the world.

After a fair-trade potluck luncheon, students will visit area businesses that are committed to sourcing ingredients and products through fair trade, including Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Ben and Jerry’s, Lake Champlain Chocolates and Ten Thousand Villages.

Charlotter Jordan Cannon is a sophomore at VCS. She is a member of the Common Text Committee that planned the event.

Selectboard continued from page 1 recommends stronger internal controls, such as clearly defined policy and procedures and standarized forms to avoid issues with town charge accounts in the future.

The report also recommends better tracking of inventory and assets such as tools, equipment and materials.

“We’ve got to get this under control,” said Chair Charles Russell. “Any number of people can go buy stuff at a number of different locations, and we’re not approving it ahead of time.”

The draft summary report also states Batchelder found weak internal controls over cash disbursements, citing cleared checks without invoices or receipts, charge slips without detail ,and hand-written notes used as a proxy for a standard expense reimbursement request form.

Batchelder Associates recommends these internal controls be fixed with clear

Kestrel Grevatt Contributor

E

veryone has something they want. Whether it is a tropical vacation, a new set of living room furniture or the sleek iPhone 5, we all could use a few extra bucks. Well, imagine if you reached into your pocket one day and found over $6,000 there. Although that may be a stretch, there is an easy way you can save at least that amount each year. It might be a surprise to many, but the big money saver of the day is carpooling.

Average American car owners spend between $6,500 and $11,085 each year on their cars, depending on the size. This doesn’t even include initial purchasing costs—gasoline, upkeep, registration and insurance all add up remarkably quickly.

In rural Vermont, public transportation is rarely easily accessible, so having a car can seem like an absolute necessity. It is unrealistic for many Vermonters to sell their cars; however, there are other options to save money and get the most out of your vehicle. Imagine that new flat screen television sitting in your living room after you save all that money on carpooling.

The Charlotte Energy Committee and CVU EnACT Leadership Team are partnering with Go! Vermont to encourage you to commute more efficiently. Go! Vermont has created a ride-sharing

policies and procedures, standardized forms and clear terms for compliance and non-compliance.

“What she’s describing here is the kind of documentation, certainly for major expenditures, that the town auditors have made recommendations for in terms of having a standardized expense reimbursement form,” Wood told the board.

Charles Russell distributed a packet of policy recommendations from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns to help address the town’s issues of internal controls. He did not give a specific time frame for establishing a purchasing policy, saying only it would be “sooner rather than later.”

The remainder of the hour-long discussion of the document consisted of compiling questions for Batchelder concerning how the firm calculated numbers, grouped funds, labeled accounts and defined parameters in the draft audit itself.

The questions will be submitted to Batchelder in preparation for her rescheduled appearance before the board, presumably at its Oct. 28 meeting, noted Chair Russell.

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network on the site Zimride that enables Charlotters to easily arrange carpools. Widely used throughout the state and proven highly successful, Go! Vermont is working especially hard to promote Zimride during the Way to Go! Challenge from Oct. 14 through 18.

It takes just a few minutes to sign up via Facebook or email. Register with Zimride at zimride. com/govermont. You can simply enter information about your trip or commute, as a rider or a passenger, and you will be matched up with other commuters. You can even find people with similar music tastes to ride with. All CVU students are encouraged to register and find nearby students to ride with.

Then go to waytogovt.org to sign up for the fall Way to Go! Challenge. Those who sign up by Oct. 18 will be entered to win prizes like an iPad Mini, great Burton products, a $250 gift card to SkiRack, a $150 gift basket and card to Vermont Country Store, ski passes to your favorite mountains and more The more people who sign up, the more rides that are available, and the less carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. Carpooling is a great way to liven up your daily commute, get to know your neighbors and save money.

A senior at CVU, Kestrel Grevatt is a member of Charlotte’s Energy Committee.

CVFRS’s clearer budget future The Selectboard next pivoted to a discussion with John Snow, vice president of Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue’s (CVFRS) Corporate Board, and David McNalley, board president, about a unitary budget format for the organization that would better illustrate how the organization allocates and spends money.

The sample unitary budget he shared with the Selectboard was meant to show how CVFRS uses its town appropriation and its four special funds, as well as revenue from patient billing and grants. It showed, said Snow, “one perspective on all of the moving parts of the sources and uses of funds within Fire & Rescue without creating the impression they’re consolidated or comingled, as they aren’t.”

For the discussion, Snow plugged in hypothetical numbers to illustrate how the budget format would allow CVFRS to coordinate surpluses and deficits between a reserve fund and its operating budget.

While the sample budget format clearly showed the flow of revenues and expen-

ditures, it also could provide a basis for CVFRS to plan systematically for and prioritize future expenditures, something that it hasn’t been able to do before.

Said Snow, “Some of the reasons this is taking so long and continues to be incomplete for the current year is that frankly we haven’t had a process to identify, value and prioritize all of our expenditure projects at the beginning of a fiscal cycle.”

The new unitary budget format would allow CVFRS to, as Snow said, “apply more overall strategic judgment on how and when to acquire various resources that we think we need.”

In time, this would also help provide a clear financial picture of CVFRS’s services to the town as well, so that Charlotters can get a full understanding of the services they’re paying for, noted Snow.

“Collectively, what we’re trying to do is get it so the people of Charlotte feel they’re getting fair value for the money that’s being spent and that they’re paying for services they actually want and not for stuff they don’t care about,” said Snow. “I think we’re all trying to get there.”

OutDoors

by Elizabeth Bassett

Favorite Fall Outings (With Some Good Eats) Hiking It’s less than an hour’s drive (50 minutes, even with some Middlebury traffic) to the trailhead for Rattlesnake Cliff above Lake Dunmore. Summit views of Dunmore, the foothills and mountains stretch for scores of miles.

The trail begins near the crashing Falls of Lana and flirts with stream crossings of Sucker Brook and the North Branch before climbing steadily to a ridge. A few minutes of downhill lead to the vista with great ledges for sitting. The ascent is 1.6 miles and 1.5 hours or less. The descent takes about an hour.

Time for a quick dip in Lake Dunmore. Branbury State Park has a narrow sandy beach and a wide grass lawn for lazing or playing Frisbee.

Perhaps an early dinner in Brandon at CafĂŠ Provence or a late lunch at Gourmet Provence Bakery and Wine Shop, just a block from the CafĂŠ, both on Route 7. The bakery serves sandwiches, salads and baked goodies seven days a week, to stay or to go.

Snake Mountain, straddling the Addison-Weybridge town line, is the biggest bang-for-the-buck from Charlotte, a perennial favorite—a whydon’t-we-do-this-more-often hike. The drive is about half an hour from Charlotte. It’s an hour to the top for speedy hikers, longer at a more leisurely pace.

The summit offers a panorama of Lake

Champlain, Addison County farmland and the Adirondacks.

There are fun choices for a yummy lunch or snack in Vergennes: French Laundry, 3 Squares, Park Squeeze or an indulgence from Daily Chocolate.

This summer, the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps worked at Raven’s Ridge, creating a new walking loop on this spectacular property recently conserved through the efforts of local towns, land trusts and the Nature Conservancy. The preserve straddles Charlotte, Monkton and Hinesburg.

Other great fall walks or modest hikes include the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail in Ripton, Texas Falls in Hancock and Colchester Pond. Such a bounty of beautiful places! More ideas are in my book Nature Walks in Northwest Vermont.

Biking A favorite bike ride to a foodie destination is the 25-mile round-trip from the ferry in Essex, N.Y., to Dogwood Bread Company in Wadhams for wood-fired artisan breads, sandwiches and house-roasted coffee.

Fall hours are Friday and Saturday with a possible opening on Sunday of Columbus Day weekend. For details, call 518-962-2280 or info@dogwoodbreadcompany.com.

It’s a gentle climb from the ferry to Dogwood and a gradual descent back to the ferry. Zigzag outbound on a few firm, sandy roads (works for road bikes) and then Walker Road. Return to Essex on pavement with great lake views via Walker, Wallons Bay and Lake roads.

If you’ve not yet biked the Burlington Bike Path this season, crossing the Winooski River to Colchester and the Causeway, great opportunities ahead.

The crowds of summer are gone, and lake water will warm the Causeway for weeks to come. Depending on your ambition, start at Overlook Park in South Burlington (and be prepared to finish with an uphill) or Oakledge Park in Burlington (or nearby streets) or from downtown for a shorter ride.

This fall the bike ferry to South Hero runs Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., in addition to Columbus Day.

South Hero and the islands offer many miles of biking, maple creemees too, with only Route 2 to be avoided for its traffic.

Paddling Looking for a few more kayak or canoe trips? The boat access on Long Point is a great starting point for journeys north, in and around the inlets of Long Point and Town Farm Bay, or south to the mouth of Little Otter Creek. If the day is calm, consider paddling to Kingsland Bay. Additional launch points in Ferrisburgh include Kingsland Bay State Park and Fort Cassin Otter Creek Wildlife Management Area. Find a complete list of boat access points at lakechamplainbyway.com.

Paddle south from Kingsland Bay past stretches of dramatic rock formations embraced by gnarly northern white cedars as well as the splendors and private golf course of the stone mansion Grosse Pointe.

From Fort Cassin, on a calm day, head straight for the palisades on the New York shore, towering cliffs unrivaled on Lake Champlain. Now that weekend boat traffic has ebbed, Converse Bay affords great paddling— likewise Shelburne Bay—that can be mayhem on a summer Sunday with whizzing motorboats and jet skis. Stop at Uncle Sam’s for a last-of-the-year creemee! If you want your terminal creemee of 2013 to be maple, try the Shelburne Country Store.

A favorite paddle, a full day from Charlotte, or for an overnight of camping, is Green River Reservoir in Lamoille County. Now that the days are shorter and the mornings can be foggy, you’ll need to pick your day.

The foliage peaks early here so don’t delay. Excellent maple creemees in Stowe may now be eclipsed by the new crop of cider.

Whatever you choose, get outdoors and enjoy!

Habitat for Humanity Informational Meeting for Interested Applicants Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity invites those who may be interested in applying to live in the two homes in Charlotte that Habitat will complete in 2014 to attend an informational meeting Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the McClure Multigenerational Center at 241 North Winooski Avenue, Burlington.

Anyone thinking about applying for one of the homes must attend this meeting. There you will learn about Habitat’s eligibility requirements and about the new homes being built. You will also have the opportunity to begin the application process if you wish.

Please understand that we cannot guarantee that you will be approved for a Habitat home at this time; selection is made from the neediest families in the applicant pool. Keep in mind that you must not only show a need, but also must demonstrate an ability to sustain an interest-free mortgage with its attendant costs over a period of 20 or more years.

We hope that Habitat may assist you in your dream of home ownership and look forward to seeing you at the meeting. If you have any questions, please call Green Mountain Habitat at (802) 872-8726.

Elizabeth Bassett is the author of Nature Walks in Northwest Vermont and the Champlain Valley, available at area businesses.

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CHARLOTTE OPEN HOUSE Sunday, October 13, 1-3 pm 503 One Mile Rd Come join me to preview this beautiful home set on a knoll on a quiet road, with a panorama of the Green Mtns to the east, and the lake and the Adirondacks to the west. The home is bright and open with many custombuilt features including a cherry wood Great Room plus so much more. $1,049,000 Dottie Waller, Realtor, CBR 846-7849 1-800-864-6226 x7849 Dottie.waller@lmsre.com

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The Charlotte News the summer) was donated to the Charlotte Food Shelf.

Upcoming at the Library Friday Free for All Preschool Story Time, Friday, October 11 at 10:30 a.m.

Lunch Box Story Time for Kindergarteners. Monday, October 14, 12:15 p.m.

October is a busy month!

Vermont Healthcare Connect opened on October 1. This new healthcare exchange program is the way for families and individuals to find healthcare coverage that meets their needs and their budgets. The library has VHC information to get you started and will be hosting Navigator sessions next month to get you signed up.

New Website: The address is the same, but our site is new. Our new Charlotte Library website went live on Sept. 25. Look for our new books lists and check out the other new resources and information available there. We’d love to hear your ideas, comments and questions after you do. The website link: charlottepubliclibrary.org.

Join us for the second annual Spudfest on Oct. 20 at the Senior Center. Our Spudfest tradition began with the Transition US first “May Challenge” in 2012 to transform land owned by municipalities into healthy food production. Transition Town Charlotte took up the challenge, along with the Charlotte Library, and planted its first potato garden.

This year the garden was expanded to include tomatoes and green beans.

Both last year and this, the produce (other than the tasty cherry tomatoes offered at the Library desk during

“Fractured Fairytales” Writing Group, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 3:15 p.m. Join Kathy Folley to explore the whacky world of fairytales in this kick-off session for our 5-6 “Composition Club.” We’ll start with familiar favorites and then learn about and create our own fantastic fables in this six-week session. Suggested for grades 5 and 6.

CCS students can take the bus from school with a parent note.

Please call the library at 425-3864 or email youthservices@charlottepubliclibrary.org to sign up.

Afterschool Art: Papermaking with Mary, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 3:15 p.m. Fabric fabrications from old clothes! Create paper, bowls and other fun shapes with reclaimed pulp made from blue jeans and cotton T-shirts. Suggested for grades 1 through 3.

CCS students can take the bus from Charlotte Central School with a parent note. Please call the library at 425-3864 or email youthservices@ charlottepubliclibrary.org to sign up.

Wednesday Night Knitting, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 5:30 p.m.

Bring your needles, yarn and latest project. Share and compare knitting tips and news.

Wednesday Night Writers Series: Stephen Kiernan, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. Award-winning journalist and author of intriguing works, including the bestselling The Curiosity, shares his insights on the

craft of writing as well as the inspiration for his nonfiction and fiction titles. Coffee, tea and Bristol Bakery desserts will be served during the evening.

Film Showing at Charlotte Congregational Church: Fixing the Future, Thursday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m. In Fixing the Future, host David Brancaccio, of public radio’s Marketplace and NOW on PBS, visits people and organizations across America that are attempting a revolution: the reinvention of the American economy.

By featuring communities using sustainable and innovative approaches to create jobs and build prosperity, Fixing the Future inspires hope and renewal in a people overwhelmed by economic collapse.

Transition Town Charlotte and the Charlotte Library are showing this film as part of New Economy Week, October 12-Oct. 18. Apple cider and cider donuts will be served.

Library Board Meeting, Thursday, Oct. 17, at 5:30 p.m. Board members: Bonnie Ayer, Member-atLarge; Bonnie Christie, Chair; Vince Crockenberg, Treasurer; Emily Ferris, Vice-Chair; Dorrice Hammer, Secretary.

Charlotte Library 425-3864 charlottepubliclibrary.org Mon and Wed, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tues, Thurs and Fri, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Closed Sunday.

Tractor Parade continued from page 1 point, Nichols Fodder Farm along Spear Street.

The tractors will finish at Steve Denton’s farm across from Spear’s Corner Store, where people can view the tractors up close.

About the only thing that could be inconsistent at this year’s tractor parade is the weather. Spear encourages attendees to dress properly, as the weather may require either a fan or mittens The East Charlotte Tractor Parade is a “homespun” event, and continues to be, said Spear.

“This is just about a community gathering and honoring the farmers who have worked really hard all season,” she said.

The festivities will begin a few days before the parade with the annual Kick-Off Dance Party on Oct. 11 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Old Lantern.

The all-ages event will feature music from Night Moves Entertainment, an à la carte menu and a cash bar.

“It’s a huge opportunity for the community to get together,” said Spear of the event.

The cost to attend is $5 at the door. Funds raised support the efforts of the tractor parade.

What: 13th Annual East Charlotte Tractor Parade Where: East Charlotte Village When: October 13, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What to know lineup begins 9 a.m. and runs until 12:30. Participants can register at Spear’s Corner Store before the parade or before noon on the day of the parade. There is no fee to participate. the East Charlotte village area between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., though Spear Street will not officially close until 1:30 p.m. It will reopen at 2:30 p.m. Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue will assist with traffic control.

Senior and handicapped parking is at Nichols Fodder Farm. and not during it. donations of the community. To volunteer, to donate or to find out more information about the event, contact Spear at 425-4444, June Bean at 425-2340 or visit tractor-parade.com.

Local Rockers Form Tribute to Santana Abraxas to make debut performance at Nectar’s Oct. 30 Six local music veterans, including Charlotte’s Ken French and Cobey Gatos, recently banded together to form a musical tribute to legendary Latin rocker Carlos Santana and his band, Santana. Santana has sold more than 90 million records worldwide, making the band one of the best-selling groups of all time.

Called Abraxas, this band’s goal is to recreate the infectious, intricate rhythms and the soulful, melodic guitar that define the classic Santana sound.

French, a member of several rock tribute bands, including Mellow Yellow (a tribute to the psychedelic era) and Ragged Glory (a Neil Young tribute band), said the genesis of the Santana project came when he saw his longtime friend Gatos performing with his band Mogani.

Said French, “Here was my best friend playing keyboards in this great Latin jazz group, so I introduced myself to the conga player, Carlos Velez, and when I mentioned Santana his eyes just lit up!”

From there, they enlisted the help of Thom Carvey (bass), Caleb Bronz (drums) and Jeff Salisbury (percussion), who actually shared the stage with Santana during the band’s rise.

“I played with Cold Blood in 1969 and ’70, and we were represented by Bill Graham’s Fillmore Agency,” said Salisbury. “We used to play all the same clubs around San Francisco. What a sound they had back then!”

In some ways, French and Gatos, who grew up in the same town in Massachusetts, are coming full circle with Abraxas.

They began performing together in seventh grade. One of the songs in their repertoire included Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice.”

“Cobey and I played together regularly throughout the seventies,” said French, “but then it sort of tapered off when we had our families. Over the years, Cobey got more into jazz, and I stayed with rock and roll, so this project is actually a perfect meeting ground for us to reconnect musically.” Indeed, French notes that Santana’s sound is a blend of grooves and styles.

“Their music crosses a lot of genres—

Left, Ken French (left) and Coby Gatos jam during a recent Abraxas rehearsal.

The band has four shows scheduled throughout October and November.

Above, members of Abraxas are (from left) Ken French, Coby Gatos, Jeff Salisbury, Carlos Velez, Caleb Bronz and Thomas Carvey.

www.ChrisvonTrapp.com

from rock to Latin to jazz,” said French, “so it appeals to a very wide audience.

And it’s really a blast to play!”

Abraxas will make its debut at Nectar’s in Burlington on Oct. 30. Appropriately, the band’s repertoire will include songs from Santana’s breakout album from which the band takes its name. In fact, the band will play the entire album, which includes hits like “Black Magic Woman,” “Oye Como Va” and “Samba Pa Ti.” The show is filled with other wellloved Santana songs like “Europa,” “Evil Ways” and, of course, “Soul Sacrifice”— which even features the drum solo made famous at Woodstock.

Abraxas will play at Positive Pie in Montpelier on Nov. 9, Middlebury’s 51 Main on Nov. 15 and Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in Stowe on Nov. 16.

For more info, check out the band at facebook.com/AbraxasVT.

The Charlotte News

Charlotte Senior Center

by Mary Recchia, Activities Coordinator

The Café Menu MONDAY, OCT. 14: butternut squash bisque, autumn salad, hedgerow (apple and blackberry) pie with homemade custard

Join Marty Morrissey for the last Fall Tuesday afternoons from 1:45-3:15 p.m. join Linda for this most important presenWEDNESDAY, OCT. 16: Hike in the Champlain Valley on TuesDates: Oct. 22 and 29, Nov. 5, 12, 19 tation. Registration required. No fee. asparagus quiche, tossed salad, day, Oct. 15, when we will hike Raven’s and 26.

–––– homemade dessert Ridge in Monkton. A full description of Professor Robert Greenberg of San Pastel Painting with Shirley Reidthe trip and the degree of difficulty is Francisco Performances takes you on a Thompson will run Thursday afternoons MONDAY, OCT. 21: corn available at the host desk. Please bring sumptuous grand tour of the symphonic from 1-3:30 p.m. water, food and good hiking or walking pieces he counts as being among the very Dates: Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 14 and 21. chowder with oyster crackers, shoes for departure from the Senior Center greatest ever written—inviting you to an Our emphasis will be on pastel painting kale salad, pumpkin surprise at 8:30 a.m. However, if the weather is in-depth contemplation of what makes techniques. Color theory will be explained good and the birds are at Dead Creek, we these works so memorable and why they and used in your paintings. We will work WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23: ham will reschedule this hike for Oct. 22. See live at the center of our musical culture. from real-life setups, except for one afterloaf, cauliflower gratin, sweet below. Registration required. No fee.

These 30 masterworks form an essential noon when we will use photographs. We can potato mash, home-made dessert –––– do mixed media, Join Hank Kaestwatercolor and Senior LunCheonS are held every ner for a Birding pastel if you want.

Wednesday at noon. Reservations Expedition to Dead If requested, we are necessary in advance and can Creek in Addison can do individual be made by calling the Senior to see snow geese contrast compoCenter at 425-6345. A $4 donaand other migrant sition with color tion is requested. Reservations waterfowl on Tueslayering. Special are not required for the Monday day, Oct. 15, at 9 help for beginners Munch. a.m. Good views is available. will be had through All levels of skill Hank’s “Oh-myare welcome. Call God” telescope.

Shirley (860-0666) Please plan to for a materials list. meet at the center Registration nec- and having Medicare B, Medicaid card or where we will then essary. Limit 10. $30 in cash or check. carpool together to Fee: $100. the location Hank Oct. 23: It’s Never Too Early to has scouted for optiEvents follow- Plan: A Panel Discussion. This presenmal viewing of the Hikers pause for a picture during a recent fall hike to Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain ing the Wednes- tation will consist of a volunteer panel birds. Register your in Keeseville, N.Y., led by Marty Morrissey. day luncheon at of local professionals who specialize in interest. While we 1 p.m. For those elder care. Their mission is to educate have chosen a date, who do not share and get vital information into the hands we will call you if we need to adjust the foundation for any music collection and a lunch with us, you are welcome to drop of those seeking services or those taking day due to bird migration or the weather. focal point for understanding the orches- in around 1 p.m. to enjoy the after-lunch on this important role.

Each presenter will give a brief overRegistration required. No fee. tral medium and deepening your insight offerings: view of their area of expertise and then –––– into the communicative power of music.

Oct. 16: Flu Clinic with the VNA. The a Q & A period will follow to allow The center is pleased to host the Details of each lecture are available at requirements for receiving a shot at this participants an opportunity to pursue American Red Cross Blood Drive for the host desk. Registration required. No clinic are being 18 years of age or older answers to their specific questions. this much-needed community event on Fee. Thursday, Oct.17, from 2-7 p.m. The com–––– fortable atmosphere and great snacks make Linda Le Compte, M.A., R.N., from giving the “Gift of Life” at this site most the VNA will give a presentation titled pleasurable.

Starting the Conversation on Tuesday, Blood Drive at Senior Center Oct. 17 –––– Oct. 29, from 9:15-10:15 a.m.

PlanThe American Red Cross will hold a blood drive on Thursday, Oct. Please note: the All the World’s a ning for end-of-life care before it becomes 17, from 2-7 p.m. at the Charlotte Senior Center.

Stage play reading has moved from Thurs- a worry is as important as all the other life Appointments can be made by calling 1-800-REDCROSS or at days to Fridays. Come enjoy a reading of plans you have made. Having a plan in redcrossblood.org.

Walk-ins are welcome, too.

Ethel and Albert Comedies by Peg Lynch place in advance makes it easier for you, on Oct. 25 from 1-3 p.m. Casting for the your doctor and your loved ones. Every Nov. 22 reading will be determined at the moment is precious—especially at the end of this session. end of life. Spend it doing what you most –––– enjoy and not making last-minute deciThe 30 Greatest Orchestral Works sions. Starting the conversation early can from The Great Courses Collection begins ensure that your choices are heard. Please

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Food Shelf News

by Kerrie Pughe The Charlotte Food Shelf served 19 households during its latest distribution.

In addition we responded to two emergency calls for food.

Volunteers needed The Food Shelf is looking for additional volunteers to help shop for and transport food to the Food Shelf. The work requires a small commitment of time every couple of weeks—and healthy muscles! We purchase in bulk from Costco, so being able to lift those large items in and out of a car is essential. Many hands (with strong muscles) make light work.

In addition we are looking for a few volunteers to help us with Wednesday

evening and Thursday morning food distribution at the Food Shelf at the Charlotte Congregational Church. If you have a few hours a month to help out, please email Karen Doris at kndoris@comcast.net or call her at 425-3252.

We will also be looking for volunteers to help us set up the Thanksgiving baskets on Friday, Nov. 22. We start about 8 a.m. and need only about an hour’s commitment. Just come on by the Charlotte Congregation Church that morning and join the food basket prep festivities.

Thank you Thank you, Jim Manchester, for the two bushels of home-grown potatoes.

We also appreciate the anonymous donation of five boxes of fresh vegetables that appeared on the Food Shelf doorstep. Thank you, North Ferrisburgh United Methodist Church members, for picking apples for us at the Monkton Valley Orchard. And thank you to Kenneth Theobald for the donated apples. We appreciated all the fresh fruit and vegetables.

Wish list We need glass jars with tops to use in breaking down bulk items for distribution. Do you have jars you could donate?

We could also use kids cereals, such as

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Cheerios and Rice Krispies, as well as spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, tissues and toothbrushes.

Children’s clothing drive We are collecting children’s clothing donations for our neighborhood friends in need. From now through the fall we will be collecting good, clean children’s clothing for sizes infant to teenager. Adult clothing suitable for teens will be accepted as well. Please, no stains or holes. We are also accepting clean winter coats, winter boots, rubber boots, sneakers (must be in good condition) and other shoes.

You may drop these items in the basket at the Food Shelf at the Charlotte Congregational Church or email Heather at happyvters@comcast.net to schedule a drop-off of your donations. Thank you!

The Food Shelf is run entirely by volunteers, so all donations go directly for food or assistance. If you are a customer of yourfarmstand.com, you can make a donation to the Food Shelf as part of your online order; otherwise checks may be mailed to: Charlotte Food Shelf & Assistance 403 Church Hill Road P. O. Box 83 Charlotte, VT 05445

Donated food drop-off locations: All non-perishable food donations may be dropped off at the Charlotte Library, the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (main entrance) or at the Food Shelf during the distribution mornings. We request that all fresh foods be dropped off at the Food Shelf by 7:30 a.m. on the distribution mornings (see Ongoing Events calendar).

The Charlotte Food Shelf is located on the lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry. We are open from 7:30–9:30 a.m. on the following Thursdays for food distribution: Oct. 10 and 24, Nov. 7 and 21, and Dec. 5 and 19, as well as from 5–-7 p.m. the Wednesday before each Thursday distribution.

Thanksgiving baskets will be distributed Saturday, Nov. 23, at 8:30 a.m., and Christmas/Holiday baskets will be distributed Saturday, Dec. 14, at 8:30 a.m.

We are open to all community residents. Privacy is very important and respected in our mission of neighbor helping neighbor.

For emergency food call John 4253130. For emergency assistance (electricity, fuel) call Karen 425-3252. For more information call Karen 425-3252 or visit our website at https://sites.google.com/ site/charlottefoodshelfvt.

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The Charlotte News

SPORTS Redhawk field hockey remains top in the state Bolstered by a defense that fought off a determined Essex offense, CVU’s field hockey team held on for a scoreless tie through overtime. Goalie Evangeline Dunphy stopped 21 shots, including several spectacular saves in the waning minutes of the extra period. CVU, on the other hand, was overcome by the Essex offense and not allowed a shot on goal. Despite the Hornets’ domination of this game, the Redhawks remain top ranked in the state by the Free Press, being the only team to hand Essex a defeat earlier in the season.

A 1-1 tie with Middlebury on September 25 was the second of the season for CVU whose record stands at 6 wins, 1 loss and 2 ties.

by Edd Merritt

CVU’s second place among teams.

CVU women’s soccer gives up first goal of the season – bummer It only took opponents 10 games before North Country finally found the Redhawk net behind Charlotte goalie, Maddie Turnau. Determined not to let it happen again, Maddie held strong throughout the 4-1 CVU win, keeping their 2013 season unblemished at 10 and 0. Maddie was named a Free Press “Top Performer” on October 3 and featured

over ten games. The 7-0 victory over St. Johnsbury in late September showed vividly the Redhawks’ ability to control the game through their individual skills and collective passing, particularly in their opponent’s end. A good defense can result from a potent offense. The Free Press named Burhans a “Top Performer” in late September.

Soccer men remain among the top teams in the state Despite a lone loss to undefeated St. Johnsbury Academy, CVU remains one of the top teams in state rankings among Division I schools.

The latest win was a 4-1 defeat of North Country, which left CVU with a 9 and 1 record overall. Two of the goals in the game were by freshman Nolan Woods Trail Run tests CVU Jimmo, while Charlotte goal cross country against New tender Brandon O’Connell England was called upon for five With runners on the Thetford saves. Richard Baccei and Academy trail from across the Cooper O’Connell scored Northeast, CVU’s cross country the other two CVU tallies. teams were tested by the best. On Freshman Jimmo had been the girls’ side, Autumn Eastman named a “Top Performer” again led the pack, finishing for his scoring against first over the 5K trail with a Burlington and Spaulding in time of 18 minutes, 32 seconds. late September. Despite the Charlotte’s Sophia Gorman was th 10 , just 2 minutes behind her CVU's Bronwen Hopwood trips up two St. Johnsbury defenders. single loss, the Redhawks remain one of the top teams teammate, while Emma Putre in the state power rankings. and Abby Keim came in 11th th in a sports section article for not having and 13 respectively. In another regional meet at Manchester, New Hampshire, near allowed a goal up to that point in the Football finds a tough two weeks First it was Middlebury that knocked the end of September, Autumn again was season. Haliana Burhans and Mackenzie Kingston, two other Charlotters, lead a CVU out of the unbeaten ranks with the winner with Sophia and Abby finishing scoring punch that has produced 43 goals a 42-7 win. Scoring on its first three among the top 15 individuals and securing

SportsShorts

by Edd Merritt Late September turns green for Machavern Charlotte’s Dillon Machavern capped off an outstanding week of auto racing with a dominant performance at the Daytona International Speedway by taking four wins in Sports Club of America (SCCA) races. Three of his wins came in the GT1 class, where he simply powered his Heritage Auto Group Ford Falcon past the rest of the field. His fourth win came in the Spec Miata class where he maneuvered his Mazda through three races. The final lap of the third run saw a 5-way battle for first place, a battle which Dillon won by only thousandths of a second.

possessions, the Tiger team demonstrated what was to follow. Its defense allowed CVU only 15 yards and one first down on its first three offensive attempts. Having outgained CVU by 180 yards in the first half, Middlebury played its backups for much of the second. Alex Bulla scored the lone Redhawk touchdown on an 80-yard punt return in the last quarter.

The following week CVU traveled to Rebel territory where South Burlington celebrated its homecoming with a 49-6 win. Again, it took CVU nearly a full four quarters to get on the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, South Burlington’s Tanner Contois ran for five first-half touchdowns.

Soccer Jamboree

The fields behind CCS were packed on Oct. 5 for the annual Town of Charlotte Soccer Jamboree. Town Recreation Coordinator Kristin Hartley estimates several hundred players from towns such as Vergennes, Huntington, Hinesburg and Shelburne came to play, as did about 1,500 spectators, Hartley estimated.

CCS came ready to play, as evidenced by Malinn Sigler (#31) diving for the

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ball while Ella Caldwell (right) and Finnegan Mittlelstadt look on. During the event, eighth graders (from left) Walter Braun, Cassie Franklin, Campbell Whalen, Megan Mahoney and Jennings Lobel sold handmade bracelets to help fund their 8th grade trip. Hartley, in her first year as recreation coordinator, was pleased with the turnout and the success of the event.

OutTakes Commentary

by Edd Merritt

Makes My Bio Begin to Fuel Just Thinking About It

—Hofbräuhaus Lied F-35s beware. The fuel in your tanks could, in the near future, come from a mixture of cow poop and beer waste.

Hoohee! How would you like to sit in that cockpit for any length of time?

Depending on its source, your plane’s power could stem from what Magic Hat used to collect in pantyhose or what farmers collect in manure pits. And airport neighbors, if you think the noise is bad now, let’s see what the smell brings. South Burlington may have to invent a whole new set of “nose” rather than “noise” ordinances.

I found the explanation of a possible green fuel fascinating after attending a

press conference in Clark Hinsdale’s Nordic Farm barn last Tuesday— barn, by the way, which the said was in Shelburne, not Charlotte. Oh well, once they leave Church Street, the Freep’s reporters may as well be in Kyrgyzstan.

Clark joined a brewer and several others affiliated with the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association (VFDA) to discuss how wastes from farm and beer can produce streams (waste streams mind you, not babbling brooks) that are rich in nutrients with an organic carbon content that can grow oleaginous algae.

One of the presenters, Dr. Anju Dahiya, who is with General Systems Research (GSR), the body conducting a feasibility study funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said, “This algae can produce fuel molecules that create a product that is fully interchangeable with home heating oil, diesel and jet fuel.” She hopes the study will also show that the process could potentially produce an organic fertilizer as a valuable byproduct—one that would be a “home-grown alternative to imported synthetic phosphorous fertilizers that pollute our rivers and lakes.”

Well, let me tell you that seeing Matt Cohen of Fiddlehead Brewery standing next to Clark in a venture that could blend brewers and dairy farmers, made this amateur brew master perk up his ears. If my late German grandfather, who owned farms in southwestern Minnesota, had known the likelihood of this processing happening successfully, he would have leapt in his car, driven to

New Ulm, ordered a mug of Schell’s lager, turned on Whoopie John and the Six Fat Dutchmen and polkaed until his liver gave out.

On my way home from the presentation, I noticed Hinsdale’s herd of Holsteins heading back to their specialized barn from the pasture, ready to hook up to their computerized milk machines with a munch of hay and a back scratch awaiting them. Can you envision the cows, each wearing a full set of pretty pink hose ready to turn what their garments held into algae? Their conversation on the way might go something like this: “So Margaret, what are you hoping to propel today?” “Well, Nancy, propelling cars and planes is one thing, but to tell you the truth, what I’d really like to propel right into my stall is that cute bull in the field who said he would love to be head Holstein at NASCAR. Needless to say I told him that maybe we could work something out. I’d fuel him if he’d fuel me.”

Clark seems to be on the leading edge of a number of farm initiatives, from barn workers trading in milking stools and buckets for computers to an early attempt at extracting methane from farm waste in order to generate electricity. The facility for the latter process, by the way, has lain dormant since 2009 because the digester broke down when solid waste wasn’t being separated from the mixture, causing the pump to malfunction.

The current study hopes to find ways around that problem. According to Dr. Dahiya, one of the potential byproducts

of making fuel is producing organic fertilizer that can then be re-spread in the fields. It would be a locally produced alternative to the synthetic phosphorous fertilizers that are now imported.

As for me, I’m a beer lover, pleased that its byproducts produce value equal to the brew itself. No, I’m not going to turn from tipping craft ales to slugging down gasoline, but I’m proud that small-state Vermont can legitimately claim to compete with my Grandpa Herter’s Germany for excellence in rich-tasting brews. And as the state of the world progresses from bad to worse, a few lords and politicians could use a healthy dose of hops.

I have a suggestion: If time allows, head to the “Kingdom” quickly. Not only is color in the mountains magnificent, but you have an opportunity to stop along the way at Waterbury’s Alchemist Brewery, the Shed or the Trapp Lodge in Stowe, Rock Art in Morrisville, Trout River in Lyndonville, finishing, perhaps, at Hill Farmstead in Greensboro. There are others, but these I’m familiar with. Farmstead’s Shaun Hill turned his family barn into a brewery and, following the lead of an early Coors, made it hard to access, being open only Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m.

Perhaps in the future there will be two lines waiting for the fill—one for the gas tank, the other for the growler.

I may be prejudiced, but I don’t think Coors could power a tape recorder.

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The Charlotte News

TownBites Frost supports movies at Burlington City Arts Karen Frost, co-owner with her husband, Michael, of Vermont Eco-Floors, has helped launch a free documentary film series on architecture and building design. She joins UVM professor of art Lynda McIntyre and Truex Cullins architectural designer Andrew Chardain in the eight-documentary series as a part of Burlington City Arts. According to an article in the Sept. 25 issue of Seven Days, the team was “happy to land the BCA Center as a venue . . . because it can draw in people walking downtown, business people, everyone – so they start to think about the impact design has.”

McChesney, O’Brien’s son.

What started out as a school assignment for McChesney, a senior at Burr and Burton Academy, grew into something bigger over the course of the trip. In a post on the project’s Kickstarter page, O’Brien notes the film has turned into “a medium-sized odyssey.”

“After immersing ourselves in the world of letter-writing,” she writes, “we started to notice how disconnected we are becoming as humans, as we rely more and more heavily on pieces of technology as our means of being in a relationship. We became curious about the nature of communication in our lives, and we started to get a little depressed about the big picture, so we embarked on a larger journey: seeking people who might help us better understand what it looks like and feels like to create genuine connections with one another.”

You can watch a preview for Dear Lena at vimeo.com/75961926.

‘Dear Lena’ Film to Premier Spring 2014 A preview has been released for the upcoming film about Charlotter Melissa O’Brien’s trip to Sweden to meet her pen pal of over 36 years. Titled Dear Lena, the film details the first-ever meeting between O’Brien and Lena Ånimmer, who came to know each other intimately through an exchange of letters. O’Brien and her three children traveled to Sweden in June to meet Ånimmer. Their encounter and the story that led up to it are captured by Sam

Beer and the federal shutdown goes one toke over the line Whoever thought that starting up a new brewery would be negatively impacted by the federal government shutdown? Talk to Charlotte lawyer Jake Durell to discover what the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau cannot do to process permits needed for the startup of his client, Burlington Beer Company. In an article in the Oct. 5 Free Press, Durell says that, under normal conditions, discovering

by Edd Merritt

how long it would take to learn what is happening to the paperwork would “be a snap.” However, “if the shutdown gets into November, it’s going to be painful.”

Kickstarter features Charlotte duos’ vision for the Moran Plant UVM students and former Charlotte residents Tad Cooke and Erick Crockenberg have a plan to re-invigorate the dormant Moran Plant on Burlington’s north waterfront. The plant was constructed in 1954 by the Burlington Electric Department as a power generating facility and continued in operation until 1986. According to Cooke, “Despite many attempts at redevelopment, the building has remained vacant since.” He and Erick want to revitalize it as part of “an open process initiated by the Mayor of Burlington.” Their design would have it become a focal point for community events, conferences, conventions, workshops, education, performance and arts installations, a center they feel is sorely needed in Burlington. They have already connected with a number of professional bodies and significant program partners to aid their efforts.

Key advisors include Michael Metz and Denise Shekerjian of Charlotte as well as Doreen Kraft of Burlington City Arts.

Erick and Tad are looking for further support from interested community members and invite everyone to view the article in which they express their thoughts for design on www. kickstarter.com. Click on “A New Vision for Burlington’s Abandoned Moran Plant.”

Around Town Congratulations to Ethan Bond-Watts who has been selected to exhibit his blown glass sculptures in Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington. He previously showed his work in the Student Center of the University of Vermont. to film makers Don and Betty Ann Lockhart, owners of the Charlotte company Perceptions, Inc., who supplied footage of their interview with Helen Nearing for the newly released film, Freedom and Unity – The Vermont Movie, Part 2. Nearing and her husband, Scott, homesteaded in Jamaica, Vermont., and built a large, innovative maple sugaring operation adjacent to what became Stratton Mountain Ski Area. Don and Betty Ann filmed the interview in Harborside, Maine, where the couple continued their back-to-the-land lifestyle after leaving Vermont. to Annmarie Plant, who has been appointed to the HomeShare of Vermont Board of Directors. She brings an extensive and varied career in health care and other nonprofits to the position. Annmarie developed the geriatric care management program at the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) and is currently case manager for Ladies First through the Vermont Health Department. She previously worked at Fletcher Allen Health Care.

Sympathy is extended to family and friends of Richard Murray, Jr. of Cedar Beach in Charlotte, who passed away September 28 at the age of 67. His surviving family includes his partner, Catherine Burke, of Charlotte. The family asks that those wishing to remember Richard through a donation do so in support of one of the fine dog rescue organizations in Vermont.

Two horse and buggies from the Granite State Carriage Association in New Hampshire enjoyed the fall weather with a trip Guinea Road in East Charlotte. The group was in the area for a Shelburne Farms-sponsored event.

Classifieds The Charlotte News Classifieds: 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. Send to The Charlotte News Classifieds, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 or email your ad to ads@charlottenewsvt.com.

New at the Mt. Philo Inn: Overnight Accommodations Spacious 2-3 bedroom suites available by the day, week or month. Adjacent to Mt. Philo State Park, with panoramic views of Lake Champlain. Each "wing" in the historic inn has a private entrance, full kitchen, laundry, and porch. MtPhiloInn.com 802-425-3335

MAXIM OUTDOOR WOOD PELLET FURNACE by Central Boiler. Heat your entire home and hot water.

Boivin Farm Supply 802-236-2389 (-05) FOR SALE - ‘03 Chevy Tahoe $2,500 and ‘05 Motorcross Off Road Bike $2,000. Email inquiry to heatherlgmanning@gmail.com.

This fall, call the professionals at Lafayette Painting to give your home or office a fresh look.

Our multiple, experienced crews allow us to complete jobs to perfection, with efficiency. Call 863-5397 or visit LafayettePaintingInc.com. (-06) FOR SALE: 2001 Volvo S40. A high school dream.

Too many new parts to mention. Fresh Michelin snow tires, dealer maintained. No issues. $3,200 obo. Call 425-3400.

BRUSH HOGGING: Reasonable rates. Call Adam 802-578-8347. (56-09) NEW FURNITURE: Mattress sets, kitchen cabinets, furniture. All new, wholesale prices. Delivery available. www.BNBFurniture.com or (802) 735-3431. (-05) HELP WANTED: Large property needs help with landscaping maintenance, including mowing with Hustler X-1 Z-mower, tractor meadow cutting/tilling, tree pruning/cutting, garden mulching/weeding/fall cleanup.

Looking for young, energetic, capable and dependable person with landscaping experience. Flexible hours.

Please call 985-8269. (-05)