The Citizen - 11-10-22

next year

In Charlotte

Town accepts $3 million garage bid

Projected completion is October 2023

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Charlotte has accepted a $3 million bid to build a new town garage.

At the Nov. 2 special meeting regarding the town garage, the selectboard accepted a proposal from Farrington Construction.

The board subsequently autho rized chair Jim Faulkner to make adjustments to the design speci fications of the building on site, provided that the total costs do not exceed $3 million. The bid came in at $2,957,749.

The selectboard earlier reject ed two bids for the town garage that far exceeded the town’s $3 million budget for the project. The first bid came from Nayler and

Breen Builders of Brandon, whose projected cost was $3,795,222. The second, Farrington Construction of Shelburne, estimated the project cost at $3,796,000.

With secured funding for the project in place — a voter-ap proved $1.5 million bond, highway reserve funds of $500,000 and $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars — Faulkner and town administrator Dean Bloch began working to negotiate lower bids earlier this month.

Without jeopardizing the effi ciency of the building, Faulkner and Bloch were able to take nearly $800,000 off Farrington’s bid.

“There are quite a few pieces to it, but almost everything got

After son’s loss, Vallee family to fund long Covid research

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

It was only after his son had died that Skip Vallee learned how much he had truly accomplished.

Just 27 years old, Charlie Vallee, born in Burlington and raised in South Burlington, was

a distinguished member of the U.S. intelligence community, and throughout his young life worked at prestigious institutions like the Institute for the Study of War, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and, the United States Special Operations Command — earning its civilian

of the year award in 2021.

Speaking at his memorial in May — attended by digni taries such as Gov. Phil Scott, U.S. Congressman Peter Welch, and former Gov. Jim Douglas — Vallee, the gasoline mogul who owns Maplefields and long time Vermont Republican donor,

revealed he could “now relay who Charlie really worked for,” the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense’s Intelli gence arm.

Vallee and his wife, Denise, learned after he died that Charlie had been named head of the DIA’s chief counterterrorism group, and

discovered that Charlie’s efforts assisted in the U.S. raid on ISIS leader Hajji Abdallah in February.

“I always thought he was a leader at whatever he did,” Vallee said.

But after contracting COVID-

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

The sun sets over Lake Champlain and Charlotte beach as winter sets in.

‘Til

Champlain chamber picks new board members

Ashley Wainer of Hinesburg is the new chair of the board of the Lake Champlain Chamber.

The chamber also made other new appointments to the board and executive committee, includ ing Dave Lane, senior vice presi dent of ESG and corporate initia

tives for Farm Credit East, who will serve as vice chair.

“I am passionate about supporting the economic vitality of Vermont as well as retaining the talent that lives here,” said Wainer. “As a member of the board, I am invested in continu ing to find ways to represent and support the business community and those who work-in, live-in, and visit the Champlain Valley.

For the last six years, Wainer served as a senior executive with Vermont Gas Systems. Most recently, she was vice president of customers and energy innovation, responsible for the customer-fac ing interactions of the business, including the energy efficiency utility, customer service, field services, sales and marketing, new product development and customer technology solutions.

Her focus included business development, specifically related to product and service offerings. She also served as the vice pres

Business Notes

ident of finance from 2016-2021 and held a position in regulatory affairs for several years.

Wainer serves on the board of Mercy Connections and is a member of the finance commit tee for the Community Sailing Center.

David E. Lane has been employed by Farm Credit East since 2011 and has more than 25 years of economic development, financial and technical assistance expertise. He lives in South Hero with his wife, and together with their two sons, operate Snow Farm Vineyard.

Hinesburg woman will manage Essex boutique

Addie & Grace Boutique in Hinesburg welcomes Samantha Sleeper as its new store manager.

In addition to general manage ment of the boutique, Sleeper will provide high-touch, personalized styling services to customers.

She brings more than 20 years of retail and wholesale sales experience in the fashion indus try, including seven years as the sales manager at Jess Boutique and Expressions in Burlington. She also worked for eight years as a senior account executive for the premium denim company J Brand in New York City.

Sleeper says her passion and

love for fashion dates to her days at Syracuse University where she received a bachelor’s degree in fiber design and textile arts.

In her free time, Sleeper likes to go on adventures with her two boys, garden, knit, read and bake. Addie & Grace is a women and children’s boutique in Essex.

Researcher receives grant to study lung tumors

Charlotte resident Yvonne Janssen-Heininger last week received the American Lung Association in Vermont’s Lung Cancer Discovery Award.

“Vermont ranks average when it comes to rates of new cases of lung cancer, lack of treatment and surgery. When it comes to treat ing the leading cause of cancer deaths in the state, Vermont can do better,” said Trevor Summer field, director of advocacy at

Ashley Wainer

Samantha Sleeper

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

A quintessential Charlotte scene: Farmland framed by a setting sun and mountains.

Hinesburg students meet with Ugandan students online

The middle school students at Hinesburg Community School had the opportunity to participate in a live video exchange with students in Kamuli, Uganda thanks to local non-profit, Children’s Legacy Part nership Foundation.

Hinesburg Community School students were treated to skits and songs from the children in this rural village in northern Uganda. It was an eye-opening experience for the local students as they heard that Ugandan children spend much of their after-school time working

around the home, tending crops and carrying water.

The opportunity to connect young people from across the globe was one part of the Empower Youth Leadership Conferences held at Hinesburg for students in grades six to eight. The conferences focused on teaching social, emotional and leadership skills. Educators facil itated workshops where students explored their personal identities, unconscious biases and the impor tance of inclusion.

The program has earned an

Action Innovation Award from the NoVo and Education First founda tions for the past six years. These funds support conferences and the Empower Youth Leadership Clubs started in 2020 by Hines burg Community School counselor Katherine Batty.

Later this month, the Empow er Youth Leadership Project will welcome speaker John Halligan to present “Ryan’s Story” to middle school students. For more infor mation about the foundation, or to donate, visit ourclp.org.

COURTESY PHOTO

Students in Uganda visit with Hinesburg Community School using an iPad on Google Meet.

CRIME & COURTS

Police disrupt catalytic converter theft ring

An investigation by Bradford Police and a half dozen other police agencies has led to several arrests in connection to hundreds of thefts of catalytic converters, including ones in South Burling ton and Shelburne.

At the urging of police in Brad ford, state troopers seized a vehi cle involved in a one-car crash on Oct. 30 in Newark they said was related to the rash of catalytic converter thefts across Vermont and New Hampshire.

On Nov. 2, armed with a search warrant, state police, with the assistance of police from Brad ford, Lyndonville and St. Johns bury, seized several stolen catalyt ic converters and other evidence at a home at Franklin Estates in Newark, police said.

They also seized over 1,000 bags of heroin, varying quantities of cocaine, more than $10,000 and numerous firearms, several of which were stolen.

The next day, Bradford police searched the vehicle involved in the crash and found several more stolen catalytic converters and some tools they said were used in the thefts. Police said their investigation revealed that the vehicle was the same one used in other thefts of catalytic converters

across the two states.

Police arrested Rusty Perry, 33, of Newark on several unspecified charges related to the thefts, Gary Bolton, who police describe as a transient, and a 15-year-old juve nile male, who, along with Bolton,

was arrested by state police only hours earlier in a suspected cata lytic converter theft in St. Johns bury.

Bradford Police later arrested Adam Hale, 42, of St. Johnsbury for his involvement the alleged theft ring. He was issued citations to appear in courts in Orleans, Caledonia, Orange, Windsor and Chittenden counties.

Police claim the men and juvenile are responsible for steal ing approximately 200 catalytic converters in Shelburne, South Burlington, Orleans, St. Johns bury, Lyndonville, Ryegate, Wells River, Bradford, Norwich, Berlin and Barre, and in several towns in New Hampshire, including Lancaster, Lebanon, Keene and Swanzey.

More arrests are expected, police said.

Hinesburg Police Blotter

Total incidents: 33 Arrests: 1 Traffic Stops: 11

On Nov. 7 at 9:37 a.m., a fraud was reported and investigated on Route 116.

On Nov. 7 at 2:08 p.m., a fraud was reported and investigated on CVU Road.

On Nov. 7 at 2:45 p.m., officers investigated suspicious activity reported on Silver Street.

On Nov. 7 at 3:50 p.m., an offi cer investigated the report of a missing individual.

On Nov. 8 at 2:30 p.m., Jennifer Monness, 39, of Bristol was cited into court for driving with a criminally suspended license.

Advertising Wendy Ewing wendy@shelburnenews.com (802) 985-3091 x12

Advertising Director Judy Kearns judy@otherpapersbvt.com (802) 864-6670 x21

Billing inquiries Leslie Lafountain leslie@stowereporter.com (802) 253-2101

Advertising submission deadline: Friday at 5 p.m. advertising@thecitizenvt.com classifieds@thecitizenvt.com

Editorial submission deadline: Friday at 5 p.m. news@thecitizenvt.com

Calendar submission deadline: Friday at 12 p.m. news@thecitizenvt.com

Contact: 1340 Williston Road South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 985-3091

On Nov. 10 at 9:18 a.m., a citizen was assisted with fingerprint ing for employment purposes.

On Nov. 10 at 10:45 a.m., officers responded to a business on Route 116 where an individ ual was issued a no-trespass notice.

On Nov. 10 at 1:09 p.m., a citizen was assisted with a VIN veri fication.

On Nov. 10 at 5:09 p.m., officers assisted the Department of Children and Families on Bear Lane with carrying out a court order.

On Nov. 11 at 1:11 p.m., officers responded to a business on Commerce Street for a medical emergency.

Adam Hale

Chittenden towns vote to join communication union district

Residents in five Chittenden County municipalities voted last week to form a communications union district to pool demand, resources and speed up the buildout of universal broadband. Eighty-nine percent of voters cast a ballot in favor of forming the Chittenden County district.

Voters in Essex, Essex Junction, Shel burne, South Burlington and Williston approved the district — a municipal organi zation of two or more towns for the purpose of building communication infrastructure together.

Forming a communications union district creates a single point of contact to negotiate with providers and leverage grants, making it more likely for munic ipalities to attract a provider and leverage financial resources.

Each member municipality is now look ing for residents interested in volunteering

to be appointed as a representative or an alternate to serve on the district board. That board will work with the Vermont Commu nity Broadband Board to develop a feasibil ity plan for building the network and raise funds to construct and manage it.

This vote means 213 of Vermont’s 252 towns are members of a communications union district. This includes more than 93 percent of the locations in the state without broadband of at least 25/3 Mbps.

The new district has 367 addresses that do not have access to internet speeds of at least 25/3 Mbps, and 18,415 addresses do not have access to symmetrical speeds of 100/100 Mbps. Every communications union district is working to achieve univer sal access to 100/100 Mbps while serving the underserved addresses first.

For more information visit bit.ly/3t ps8kh.

COURTESY

Vermonters voted for balance, collaboration, governor says

Guest Perspective

Gov. Phil Scott

At 4 a.m. the day before every election, my team and I set out on a 14-county tour, visiting all of Vermont’s 14 counties in one day. This 500-plus-mile tour has a way to put things into perspective. It reinforces how beautiful our state is and how much it has to offer. It reminds us that the differences between counties and communi ties can be stark.

We’ve been making progress to close this gap, but we must do more to make sure every family, in every part of our state, has the tools needed to be healthy, safe and successful. So, with the elec tion behind us, I hope everyone elected to serve in Montpelier will work with me to level the playing field from region to region, restoring economic secu rity and prosperity statewide.

Vermonters want us to work together. They want balance and moderation. They made that clear when electing me with about 70 percent of the vote and Demo cratic super-majorities in the Legislature.

Of course, they don’t want me to be a rubber stamp for the Legislature, nor do they want the

Legislature to blindly go along with whatever I put forward. So that means we’ll be debating the issues, which I will continue to do with civility, seeking consen sus where possible, compromis ing when necessary and agreeing to disagree or let the process run its course when we cannot resolve our differences.

Vermonters want us to put their needs ahead of politics.

This type of thoughtful, balanced government — with less partisanship and political posi tioning — is what gets the best results. Unfortunately, hyper-par tisan political parties are driving Americans further and further apart and seem to get the most attention from the media.

They feel the strategy focus ing on issues that divide us is easier to motivate more people to go to the polls, donate to campaigns and click on headlines.

But I don’t believe that’s where most Vermonters and Americans are. Most of us are somewhere in the center. Most of us could live without all the labels and name calling.

Think about it. Would you ask your neighbor who they voted for before lending a helping hand in their time need? Of course not. We need to remember to view

each other as people first — fellow Americans — and judge each other by our basic decency, kindness and generosity toward each other and not political labels.

Just because we don’t agree on every issue doesn’t mean we’re enemies.

Most people with whom we disagree are, in fact, good people. They want to make a difference in their communities and things better for their kids, family and friends.

Whether we’re seasoned poli ticians or newly elected officials, each of us has the power to stop the cycle of partisan politics that is poisoning our nation.

We can lead by example by treating each other with digni ty and respect, living up to the responsibility we’ve been given and remembering that our chil dren are watching. We need to put aside gamesmanship and divisive national agendas to make the people we serve our priority. I’ll do my part by continuing to work every single day to get the results Vermonters deserve, by listening, learning and leading, and always putting people before politics.

Scott, a Republican, is governor of Vermont.

Phil

GARAGE

reduced,” said Faulkner. “When you start adding up all these things, it came up to $800,000.”

One of the major changes Faulkner and Bloch suggested was using wood rather than steel framing.

“Steel is relentless and costs more money every minute — we asked instead about a wood-framed building,” explained Faulkner.

The changes also included adjustments to the roof design to make the building ready for the installation of solar panels, a separate project from the building’s construction.

“The plan is to put solar on the roof, a lot of them — and hopefully enough to supply electricity to all the town buildings,” said Faulkner. “We were able to design enough solar panels on that roof to do that.”

To heat the garage, the design incor porates a wood-fired boiler along with an HVAC system “with the understanding that we will migrate away from that in time when we can put the solar panels on,” explained Faulkner.

The town garage has remained the town’s major priority since the previous facili ty on Church Hill Road was destroyed in a late-night fire last December. That blaze destroyed all snowplows used to clear Char lotte’s 80 miles of roads.

“We lost a grater, a dozer, tractors, a sweeper, four snow plow trucks and all kinds of supplies,” said road commissioner Junior Lewis, “tires, spare parts, and all of our tools.”

The building, which was not owned by the town, had been rented by Lewis for 25

BUSINESS NOTES

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Lung Association in Vermont. “We are excited for Yvonne to join the American Lung Association research team to help improve lung health here in Vermont and across the nation.”

Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., is an expert in the fields of pulmonary fibrosis and redox medicine. Growing up in Holland, she witnessed abundant chronic lung diseases in her community and immediate family. Coal mining was prevalent in the Netherlands through the 1970s, and air pollution and tobacco smoking remain the leading causes of diseases including pneumoconiosis, sili cosis, pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer.

years and held nearly all of his tools and equipment for year-round road work. With out a municipal road commission, Lewis has been the town’s contracted commissioner since 1976 and is elected on a yearly basis at town meeting.

Since the fire, the town was lent four snowplows from the state for last year’s snow removal, Lewis said. Since then, Lewis has purchased four new plow trucks and hopes to purchase one more soon.

With no town garage and no building in town large enough to store four plows, Lewis was forced to leave the trucks exposed to the elements outside.

“The trucks were left outside and we did have them plugged in so most of the time they would start, but the air compressors — all these trucks have air brakes — there would be enough condensation that they would freeze,” said Lewis. “Even though they started, you couldn’t move them until you dragged a space heater out and let it heat up.”

Although this reality will remain for Lewis this winter, he is much more equipped to tackle these problems this year with new tools and supplies.

According to Faulkner, site preparation for the town garage could begin as early as this fall, but it is more likely to begin in the spring with a completion date set for Oct.15, 2023.

“I suspect it will be done earlier than that and, to be honest, I would like to see another couple hundred thousand (dollars) go away,” Faulkner said.

Janssen-Heininger’s grant will fund a project seeking to study protein oxidation in the development of lung cancer to help treat chemotherapy-resistant tumors.

“The goal is to be able to interfere with this protein oxidation pathway, focusing on a specific target, in order to destroy lung tumors and to cause cancers to respond much better to cisplatin (chemotherapy), at lower doses,” she said. “Ultimately, we hope this study will lead to improved response to immunotherapy.”

In the 2022-2023 grants cycle, the asso ciation is funding $13.2 million for more than 130 lung health research grants.

COMMUNITY

Community Notes

Chittenden County looks to form 18U hockey team

Chittenden South Burlington Youth Hockey, in partnership with Essex Youth Hockey, plans a full season for a youth 18U team.

If you’re interested, register at bit.ly/CSB18U2223.

Churches host Thanksgiving service

On Sunday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m., members of the clergy several area churches will host a Thanksgiving service at the Shelburne United Methodist Church, 30 Church St., in Shelburne.

Featuring guest speaker Wanda Hines, director of the Joint Urban Ministry Project, the service is organized by the All Souls Inter faith Gathering, St. Catherine of Sienna Roman Catholic Church, Trinity Episcopal Church and the Shelburne United Methodist Church.

For offerings, please bring cash or a check made out to the Joint Urban Ministry Project.

Christmas bazaar comes to Williston Church

The Williston Federated Church, at 44 North Williston Road, will hold its annual Christ mas bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 19, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

The bazaar will feature crafts, a bake sale, soups to-go, plants, attic treasures and a silent auction. Local artist Nancy Stone will be selling her book “251 Vermont Vistas.”

Call 802-862-7400 or visit steeple.org for more information.

League of women voters offer climate change talk

On Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. the League of Women

Voters of Vermont, in partnership with Kellogg-Hubbard Library of Montpelier, presents “What Climate Change Means to You.”

The talk will feature Vermont state climatologist Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux, Jared Ulmer from the Vermont Department of Health, and Vermont Natural Resources secretary Julie Moore. The talk will focus on the effects of climate change on Vermonters, and will be moderated by Peter Walke, managing director of Effi ciency Vermont.

To register for the free Zoom presentation, go to kellogghub bard.org/adult-programs. All guests must register.

Junapr picks Whitehouse as new associate director

Charlotte-based public rela tions firm Junapr has hired Morgan Whitehouse as associate director.

Whitehouse has nearly a decade of experience in communi cations and public relations span ning the ski industry, health care and craft beer. Whitehouse worked for an Oregon-based PR firm where she managed multi-channel public relations, digital media and content marketing.

She has a bachelor’s degree in public communication from the University of Vermont and is happy to be back home state after spending eight years on the West Coast.

Age Well, church offer grab and go meal

Age Well and St. Catherine’s of Siena Parish in Shelburne will provide a meal to go for anyone age 60 and older on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

The meal will be available for pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St. from 11 a.m. until

Burlington Garden Club wins regional awards at meeting

The Burlington Garden Club received several awards at the recent annual meeting of the New England Garden Clubs.

The club won the Sears Beautification Award for its care of several gardens in the community, including Vermont Garden Park in South Burling ton, and Ronald MacDonald House and Hope Lodge, both in Burlington.

The second award, The Mary Stone Garden Therapy Award, holds a special significance for club member Gail Lang and, in turn, the whole club.

With the award being named for Lang’s mother, winning the garden therapy award proved especially rewarding with the citation “for making the resi dents of Birchwood Nursing Home smile, by delivering

ninety floral arrangements.”

The third award, The Pamela C. Hebert Garden of Youth Award, is designated for club members to work with children on projects involving beautifi cation and youth education.

The six states that vie for award recognition are Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecti cut, Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island.

noon. The menu is stuffed chick en breast with apple and cranberry stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sliced carrots, cranberry sauce, wheat dinner roll with butter, pumpkin cake and milk.

To order a meal, contact Sheryl Oberding at soberding@yahoo. com or 802-825-8546

Deadline to order is Wednes day, Dec. 7.

You must have a congregate

meal registration on file. Forms are available at pickup or download one bit.ly/3URc4U3.

An Age Well representative See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 11

PHOTO BY DORIS VANMULLEN

From left, Linda Lane, co-president, Suzanne McCance, New England Garden Clubs director, Barbara Gaida, co-president and Jo Fretz, Federated Garden Clubs of Vermont president.

19 in early January, Charlie’s symptoms persisted — grow ing more debilitating over time. By March, he was experiencing uncontrollable arm shaking, and brain fog so overwhelming he had trouble reading and retaining information.

He was getting lost in grocery stores with trouble finding his way out, and while he was supposed to be deployed to Jordan in Febru ary, he ultimately requested a medical leave of absence, unable to handle his job responsibilities, Vallee said.

He returned home to Vermont to visit his parents in late April, a week before he died. “He didn’t really want to go out that much, but he sort of seemed normal,” Vallee said. “You just don’t know sometimes.”

He went back to Washing ton, and on May 3, after suffer ing through four months of long Covid symptoms, died by suicide.

“Nothing prepared us for the news of May 3,” Vallee said at his son’s memorial, “where not understanding what long Covid did to our son is almost as bad as the shock of death.”

In the wake of their tragedy, the Vallee family has channeled their grief into trying to help other families who may be in similar circumstances. They’ve started the Charles M. Vallee Foundation, a research organization, to spread awareness of long Covid’s impact on the brain and mental health by supplying grants for research.

“We want to deploy as many resources as we can quickly,” Vallee said. “Because I think there are a lot of folks out there that need to be given some hope.”

‘No one understands why’

David Kaminsky, a pulmonary and critical care physician with the University of Vermont Medi cal Center since 1995, remembers Charlie as a young kid, playing hockey with his son in Chittenden County leagues.

He remembers seeing him in videos posted to Facebook from Slovakia, after he was plucked from the South Burlington community, at just 11 years old, to go to the eastern European coun try after Vallee was nominated in 2005 by former President George W. Bush to be the United States’ ambassador.

When he read Charlie’s obit uary, it reminded him of how important his work has become in the past two years.

Kaminsky — along with Katherine Menson and Suzanne Lawrence, a pulmonologist, and a physical therapist and clinical research educator at the Univer sity of Vermont Medical Center, respectively — started a Covid

recovery group in February 2021. The group meets over Zoom once a month, where dozens of people in Vermont and from all over the country meet to share stories and talk.

“It’s just to have someone to talk to, so they feel they’re not totally alone,” Kaminsky said. “That’s been very valuable for the community.”

Individuals with long Covid experience a cocktail of symp toms, persisting for three months or longer after initial exposure to the Covid-19 virus.

Patients have reported a wide range of neurological symptoms — numbness in the hands or feet, intense migraines, sponta neous muscle pains, loss of smell or taste, the list goes on and on — but the most common report ed symptoms include brain fog, shortness of breath and extreme fatigue.

Early studies have suggested that anywhere from 10 percent to 30 percent of people infect ed with the coronavirus end up developing long-term symptoms, and recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Preven tion found that nearly one in five people who have been infected with COVID-19 have some form of long Covid — potentially thou sands of people in Vermont and millions throughout the country

“There are definitely people out there have been sick over two years now, which is just unbe lievable to think about,” Kamin sky said. “I mean, this is what devastates people — they turn into these chronically exhausted people who can’t get out of their house. They miss their friends, they can’t work.”

“We’re talking about highly functioning people who just get slammed,” he added.

These symptoms often take a pernicious toll. A paper published by the European Respiratory Jour nal found 13.8 percent of patients with long Covid screened positive for depression. While there is no data on the frequency of suicide rates among people with long Covid, according to a report by Reuters, scientists from organiza tions including the U.S. National Institutes of Health are beginning to study a potential link following evidence of increased cases of depression and suicidal thoughts among people with long Covid.

The illness has been likened to chronic fatigue syndrome, or myalgic encephalomyelitis, which, like long Covid, has been consistently hard to define and often overlooked by physicians.

“And now suddenly, long Covid comes along at a much

Barkeaters’ Thanksgiving Takeout

COURTESY PHOTO

Charlie Vallee, above at left, with a Colgate University soccer teammate.

CVU beats Middlebury for Division I football title

LAUREN READ SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

All season long, the Champlain Valley Union High School football team has been led by its offense.

The high-powered Redhawk offense has helped CVU blow teams away.

But on Saturday night in Rutland in the Division I state championship game and with a title on the line, it was the defense that saved the day.

Champlain Valley won the title game 24-19 and captured the program’s first state champion ship by stopping a Middlebury comeback on the goal line as time expired.

“We legitimately lost our mind,” CVU coach Rahn Fleming said. “The ball gets knocked away, the clock ticked to zero and every body on the defense began to run toward the sideline and everybody on the sideline began to run toward the defense. It was so symbolic of how it didn’t matter if you set foot on the field for a single competitive

rep, we got there together.”

For most of the second half, it looked like the No. 1 Redhawks would not need any late game drama to ensure a title win. But with just over three minutes

remaining in the game, Middle bury cut the CVU lead to 24-19.

Then the Tigers defense made a stand with a chance to put together a game-winning drive.

No. 3 Middlebury moved up the

field — a 26-yard pass and a penal ty on the CVU defense helped — until they got to the 8-yard line.

But Redhawks answered, keep ing the Tigers out of the end zone and clinching the win.

“In those final plays when it mattered most, they gave every thing and it was enough,” Fleming said. “It was a bend but don’t break performance at a moment when the breaking would’ve been irrepara ble.”

Jack Sumner started off the scoring for CVU, capping off the game’s opening drive with a 9-yard touchdown run.

The Tigers tied the game up early in the second quarter, then took the 13-7 lead on a 21-yard TD run later in the frame.

Quarterback Ollie Cheer put the Redhawks back in front with under two minutes to play in the first half, hitting Brian Rutherford with a 15-yard touchdown pass. Aidan Morris hit the extra point to put the team ahead 14-13.

CVU forced a turnover with 15 seconds left in the second and Morris hit a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give the Redhawks a 17-13 lead at halftime.

Sumner helped extend the lead,

We Can Take It!

From an armoire to a zucchini, check our A-Z list and learn how to reuse, recycle, or dispose of items and materials you no longer want.

Now serving you with eight Drop-Off locations in Chittenden County.

Visit cswd.net for locations and materials accepted.

PHOTO BY AL FREY

The Champlain Valley Union High School football team before a game this fall.

Jack Sumner started the scoring for CVU in Saturday’s title game capping off the game’s opening drive with a 9-yard touchdown run. Here he is turning the corner on Essex’s Joshua Brown during the Redhawks’ Division I semifinal win over the Hornets.

FOOTBALL

continued from page 10

scoring on an 11-yard run midway through the third quarter to put the Redhawks up 24-13.

But Middlebury stopped CVU on the goal line in the fourth quar ter, then scored to close the gap at 24-19 with 3:01 left in the game, setting up the late defensive hero ics from the Redhawks defense.

The Redhawks can be excused for having flashbacks from last season’s championship game when they lost to Essex late in the game.

“I think that there were certain ly among those who were there for the game last year, there was a kind of collective, ‘Oh no, not this, not again, no way,’” Fleming said. “It was an interesting time of

increased urgency and of a very painful memory that made it stron ger when we most needed it.”

Cheer went 23 for 36 for 287 yards and completed passes to six different receivers. Jack Sumner caught six for 89 yards and Alex Provost ran 69 yards on six catch es.

The championship was a culmi nation of a multi-year march to the top of Division I. After CVU did not make the postseason in 2018 and 2019, COVID-19 put a hold on the 2020 season. The sport played a 7-versus-7 touch football season to get the athletes on the field and the Redhawks advanced all the way to the final.

“I really don’t look at the Covid season as a lost year,” Fleming said. “It was a year for building character and beginning to estab lish character as a team and begin ning to experience ourselves differ ently, which was you look around the locker room, you see a group of winners, you see guys who get it.”

They turned that success into an appearance in the championship game last season, falling to Essex in a heartbreaker in the snow.

But that loss served as fuel for CVU as the team pushed for a return to the title game.

CVU went unbeaten in the regular season against Vermont opponents, with a 10-0 record.

COMMUNITY NOTES

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will not be available with $5 dona tion restaurant tickets to dine at one of its participating restaurants. This month, they can be purchased at the Age Well Office in Colches ter or an Age Well representative will be available at the Charlotte Senior Center from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m.

More information agewellvt. org.

Homestead hosts talk on botanist Fanny Allen

On Sunday, Nov. 20, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Ethan Allen Home stead’s head gardener, Tom Shar pley, discusses the accomplish ments of Allen’s wife, Frances, Vermont’s first known native

botanist.

The presentation at the home stead will explore what 18th-cen tury gardeners were growing and how they used their gardens to provide more than just food for their communities.

For more information, email ethanallenhomestead@gmail. com.

Senior Center November programs

Join members of the Quinlan Schoolhouse committee to learn more about this historical gem on Thursday, Dec. 1, 1 p.m. at the Charlotte Senior Center, 212 Ferry Road.

Watch the video of the story of

the historic schoolhouse, followed by a guided tour of the school house located between the Char lotte Library and town offices.

Co-sponsored with The Char lotte Library. Register by Tuesday, Nov. 29.

Questions or to register, visit charlotteseniorcentervt.org.

Shelburne community hosts blood drive

Give the gift of blood on Tues day, Nov. 22 from noon-5 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena in Shel burne.

To give, call 800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org and enter Shelburne to schedule an appoint ment.

PHOTO BY AL FREY

higher profile affecting people all around the world, and it’s caused researchers to look more closely now at chronic fatigue,” Kamin sky said.

Physical symptoms aside, perhaps the most frightening aspect of the illness are the neuro logical aspects — what patients have described as a disconnect between their brains and their nervous systems to the rest of their body. Post viral has always been a theory for chronic fatigue syndrome, Kaminsky said, “but now that there’s more research going into it, I wonder if we’ll be able to nail that down more definitive ly.”

The National Institute of Health last year, after getting $1.5 billion in funding from the U.S. Congress, launched an initiative to identify the causes and the means of prevention and treatment of individuals who have been affects by COVID-19.

President Joe Biden’s admin istration in July 2021 designated long Covid as a disability under

federal civil rights laws. But so far, those with the illness say efforts have not been enough. A stalled long Covid bill has been stuck in the U.S. Congress.

Kaminsky’s own research has been tracking lung function in 50 patients who contracted COVID-19, some of whom were hospitalized and severely ill, and others who were asymptomatic.

He hopes to publish his findings in the next several months. But, in general, many of the people he sees who report shortness of breath have no identifiable abnormalities in their lung func tion at all.

“If you look at what’s been published so far, other people have been finding the same thing. It’s very, very worrisome because it means that somehow Covid is affecting the way we perceive our breathing, or somehow the signaling of what’s going on in the lungs to the brain is somehow off,” he explained.

“So, the brain thinks you’re short of breath even though the lungs

are working fine.”

“It’s very frightening because no one understands why.”

‘We just don’t know what to do’

Charlie had tried everything. Psychological examinations, neurological tests, a complete MRI, a wide range of medicines and supplements — and a visit to the George Washington Universi ty Long Covid Clinic.

But “at every turn, we heard the same thing — we just don’t know what to do, and time will heal this affliction,” Vallee said in his eulogy. “We will never know why more time to heal was not enough for Charlie. What we do know, is that he was one of the most wonderful people to ever walk the face of this earth ... he was a prince among men.”

Now, the Vallee family hopes to tackle this problem head on — to “fund research designed to produce treatments, or at least pathways to help these folks get some hope,” Vallee said.

Having survived his own bout with myeloma — initially diagnosed in 2017 with a return in 2021, but now in remission — Vallee will take another dive into understanding a perplexing medical condition, and what treatments exist.

Articles on the foundation’s

website — which can be found at bit.ly/3FvaQtj — detail some of the research that’s been conduct ed, including an article from the Mayo Clinic on “dealing with ‘brain fog.’”

Vallee said “a couple people” have expressed interest in donat ing to the foundation, but they’re still working out the exact mech anisms for financing.

And while the grant program is just getting started, Vallee said he was encouraged by the National Institutes of Health funding, “but those programs take a while.”

“I think what we’re going to focus on is what kind of relief

is available now to people that are struggling, just to give them hope,” he added.

At UVM, physical therapy has shown demonstrable improve ments, but “this has to be a very different kind of physical therapy than most people have encoun tered,” Kaminsky said, indicating a more gradual and less intensive therapy as demonstrated through research by the Mount Sinai group in New York City.

“Most people when they have physical therapy ... the physical therapist really pushes them to get them back into shape,” he said. “That strategy backfires when you try it in a long Covid patient, because as soon as they exert themselves too much, they get wiped out. Fatigue, extreme fatigue that can last for days and weeks.”

-

Meanwhile, getting the word out is paramount for Kaminsky and his colleagues, showing those afflicted with the illness that they should be taken seriously, that those treating them should take it seriously, and, most important, that patients are not alone.

“I think if Charlie had had some sense that there was hope — and I think there is because I think in the end, most people kind of get over it, it may take a while,” Vallee said. “But what pathways can we show these people?”

If you or someone you know needs mental health help or is considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255.

COURTESY PHOTO

Charlie Vallee with his parents, Denise and Skip.

Community Bankers Chittenden County

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS

There is no better time to join our Team!

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest banking institution headquartered in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all. Are you looking to start or continue a career in the finance industry? Consider joining our team as a Community Banker! To see all our available positions, please visit www.NSBVT.com/careers/open-positions.

Job Responsibilities & Requirements

This frontline position is crucial in creating a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience for NSB customers. The successful candidate will have exceptional customer service and communication skills. The Community Banker will be responsible for receiving and processing customers’ financial transactions as well as opening and maintaining customer accounts and services. We are looking for someone who can develop and maintain relationships with our valued customers, protect bank and customer information, and uphold customer confidentiality. A high school diploma, general education degree (GED), or equivalent is required.

If you have customer service, previous cash handling, or banking experience we encourage you to apply!

Opportunity for Growth

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company. The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

What NSB Can Offer You

Competitive compensation based on experience. Well-rounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity. Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Commitment to professional development. Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work-Life balance! We understand the importance of having evenings and weekends with our friends, families, and the communities we serve! Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com or Northfield Savings Bank Human Resources | PO Box 7180, Barre, VT 05641

Why not have a job you love?

Service Coordinator: Continue your career in human services in a supportive environment by providing case management for individuals either for our Adult Family Care program or our Developmental Services program. The ideal candidate will have strong clinical, organizational & leadership skills and enjoy working in a team-oriented position. $47,000 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Residential Program Manager: Coordinate staffed residential and community supports for an individual in their home. The ideal candidate will enjoy working in a team-oriented position, have strong clinical skills, and demonstrated leadership. $45,900 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Direct Support Professional: Provide 1:1 supports to help individuals reach their goals in a variety of settings. This is a great position to start or continue your career in human services. Full and part time positions available starting at $19/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Residential Direct Support Professional: Provide supports to an individual in their home and in the community in 24h shifts including asleep overnights in a private, furnished bedroom. You can work two days, receive full benefits and have five days off each week! Other flexible schedules available, starting wage is $20/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Shared Living Provider: Move into someone’s home or have someone live with you to provide residential supports. There are a variety of opportunities available that could be the perfect match for you and your household. Salary varies dependent on individual care requirements. $1,000 sign on bonus.

Join our dedicated team and together we’ll build a community where everyone participates and belongs https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

Make

https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

Champlain Community Services, Inc.

Baseball, Football, Basketball, Etc.

Cell/Txt: 802-233-1451

Office: 802-497-1681 Hyperreliccards@gmail.com www.hyperrelic.com

Positions include a sign on bonus, strong benefits package and the opportunity to work at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont”.

a career making a difference and join our team today!

ARIES

March 21 - April 20

You may become impatient with the slow progress of a project at work, Aries. Before you get your feathers all ruffled, figure out if bringing more people on the team may help.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

It may have taken a while, but you’ll start to see some results from actions you initiated weeks ago, Taurus. Your steady pace will pay off in a big way.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

Lean on all of your social contacts this week, Gemini. If you’re looking to get out of the house and have fun, they will probably have some ideas on where to go.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

Be on guard with issues concerning your love life and relationships, Cancer. Things that were working out smoothly may need a little extra attention for the time being.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

Luck will manifest itself in some surprising ways over the course of the next few days, Leo. Seemingly out of nowhere you will have a good turn of events that propel you forward.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Negotiations will go in your favor this week, Virgo. Therefore, if you’ve been seeking a raise or a promotion, you may see that the tides have finally shifted in that direction.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

Watch out for overspending that can derail the careful budget that you have set in place, Libra. It may be wise to leave a credit card at home for the next few days.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Brace yourself, Scorpio, as things could get a bit wild this week. Energy levels rise and tempers may flare. Figure out the best way to stay calm amid this confusion.

SUDOKU

Here’s How It Works:

Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

CROSSWORD

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 23 - Dec. 21

Plenty of good vibes are coming your way, Sagittarius. You just need to figure out if you’re going to share some good fortune with others and when that will occur.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

A sweet connection with someone else could happen this week, Capricorn. This may be the start of a lasting relationship, whether it is romantic or platonic.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

Don’t be afraid to showcase your natural talents, Aquarius. Your unique skill set enables you to have a little fun with others and show off a bit at work.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

Figure out ways to connect with the life force that is all around you, Pisces. Try meditation in the outdoors to blend two experiences.