The Citizen - 12-15-22

Charlotte moves closer to town-run fire department

LIBERTY DARR  STAFF WRITER

A special Charlotte Selectboard meeting Dec. 5 turned contentious as development review board chair Charlie Russell objected to the board’s vote to hire a coordinator to assist the town in transitioning to a municipal fire and rescue service.

At the meeting, the selectboard considered a contract given by Gallagher, Flynn & Co., a South Burlington consulting firm, that provided an implementation plan on how to coordinate a smooth transition to a town-run fire and rescue service that members are hoping will be put in place in June 2023.

Since 1950, the town has been provided with emergency services by the nonprofit

organization Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services, or CVFRS, which is run by a board of directors with seven full-time employees, 20 per diem employees and 16 volunteers.

The Charlotte Selectboard sought bids in August for consulting proposals to help in the transition but the town only received two bids. The first came from a company in Wyoming for $44,000 — well over the bid request’s $30,000 limit — and another was a $28,000 bid from Rob Mullin, the Charlotte Fire and Rescue Service’s former deputy chief who has been accused of sexually discriminating against women within the department.

After both bids were rejected, select-

Hinesburg group hopes to restore 200-year-old community building

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

In the mid 19th century, booming population growth quickly followed the expansion of industry in the Champlain Valley, and with it, a need for meeting space to serve the religious needs of the community.

Around this time, the Methodists, Baptists and Congregationalists began to build churches. This period of Hinesburg’s history, 1839 to be exact, is when The Vestry was built. It is currently the town’s oldest public building, situated just south of St. Jude’s Church on Main Street.

Nowadays, the Vestry is, in some residents’ own words, “that sad old building”

on the verge of collapse. It has sat unused for the past two decades. But a group of residents, formally called the Vestry Community Center, is working to restore and refurbish the building, and bring new life to a structure that served as a prominent community center for at least 150 years.

The organization, which recently was given 501c3 status as a nonprofit, hopes to eventually recondition the structure into a space “available for community groups of various sorts, for arts groups and rehearsal spaces,” said Len Duffy, a resident and member of the group.

“It’s going to be a major fundraising

HOT DOG DECEMBER

COURTESY PHOTO

Hinesburg police have been having some holiday fun with a series of photos and videos on their Facebook page as they try to “catch” the Grinch around town.

‘Now, you’ve gone too far’

Shelburne woman stars in ‘Vermont’s Own Nutcracker’

Holiday tradition returns to Flynn Dec. 17-18

LIBERTY DARR  STAFF WRITER

Shelburne residents may recognize a familiar face starring in “Vermont’s Own Nutcracker” this year as Champlain Valley Union student Marina Dunbar takes the stage in the lead role, Clara.

“Vermont’s Own Nutcracker,” a magical holiday tradition for Vermont families since 2005, performed exclusively at The Flynn in Burlington by dancers of Vermont Ballet Theater, returns this year with Dunbar’s debut in a starring role.

No stranger to the limelight, Dunbar has performed on stage to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score in several supporting roles over the years.

Dunbar, a Champlain Valley Union freshman, has been dancing for more than 10 years at Vermont Ballet Theater School. Beginning at 3 years old, her passion for dance never waned.

“Dance is a huge part of my life,” she said. “Really, it’s just home, school and dance, which is not a bad thing because it’s one of my favorite things to do — it makes me so happy.”

As a young girl, she aspired to land the lead role in the ballet, but knew competition was steep.

“That was definitely something I was looking forward to, to be able to even audition for Clara,” she said. “I was very nervous because there was a lot of back and forth of who we actually

thought was going to get it, but it was so exciting and cool to be a part of.”

Preparing for the performance has required deep dedication for the 14-year-old ballet dancer, especially during the acting sections of rehearsals. “It’s definitely a lot more hours than if I was going to do a supporting role, instead of three hours, sometimes I’m (at the studio) for six hours.”

While she feels nervous about the performances, she explained that being on stage transports her to a “different world.”

“I usually don’t get stage fright; the worst part is leading up to the performance,” she said. “When I’m on the stage I’m in the zone, but when I get off the stage, I’m like, ‘what even happened there?’”

For Christine Dunbar, Marina’s mother, this has been a family

NUTCRACKER on page 12

See

PHOTO BY KIRSTEN NAGIBA

Marina Dunbar of Shelburne stars in the role of Clara in “Vermont’s Own Nutcracker” at the Flynn Theatre this weekend.

Marina Dunbar

Hinesburg Artist Series hosts holiday concert

On Sunday, Dec. 18, the Hinesburg Artist Series presents its annual holiday concert, at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at St. Jude Catholic Church in Hinesburg.

“So many people have told me that this is their favorite event of the year,” said HAS music director Rufus Patrick. “We will have holiday favorites and other inspiring selections and the audience will

sing carols with us.”

Featuring “A Musicological Journey Through the Twelve Days of Christmas,” This creative musical expedition by composer Craig Courtney begins with a sixth-century plainchant on the first day and ends on the twelfth day with the music of John Philip Sousa. There will also be selections from Handel’s Messiah, a “Festival

Noel”, “Jingle Bells” arranged by Mark Hayes, three songs from the movie “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and an arrangement of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” by Dan Forrest.

Admission is free, but donations are welcome. The audience is also encouraged to bring donations for the food shelf. Visit https://bit. ly/3iARoll for more information.

Social Band offers winter concerts

Join Social Band this month as it celebrates winter in song.

Two midwinter concerts will combine ancient and modernday songs and carols to honor the season, rich with the contrasts of light and dark, outer cold and inner heat.

Join the group for Songs from Winter’s Heart on Saturday, Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m., at Richmond Free Library, and on Sunday, Dec. 18, 3 p.m., at the United Church of

Hinesburg.

Social Band presents its annual winter concert series unapologetically smack dab in the middle of the holiday hubbub because there is no better time to join in song than when everyone is collectively yearning for a time to be still, to listen, to sing, to reflect and to celebrate.

Songs from Winter’s Heart includes carols you may have never heard, contemporary works by Vermont composers that spur

the imagination and local pride, stirring songs from the American shape-note tradition and joyful sing-alongs.

Social Band is directed by Amity Baker.

Suggested donation is $18 at the door.

The band will sing without masks, but audience members will be required to wear masks. Should requirements change, they will be posted at socialband.org.

COURTESY PHOTO

Hinesburg Artist Series singers at a previous performance.

effort and it’s going to take a lot of money to repair the building,” he said. “But we feel it’s an important link on the Main Street. Several of us are really interested in having a space for artists to display their work, and for musical performances, and small drama productions and any number of things like that.”

It’s history as a community center, buried under the historical record is only now being cleared away.

While the exact date of construction is unclear, historical records show the building was in use by 1841, according to George Dameron, a Hinesburg resident, and and emeritus professor of history at Saint Michael’s College.

But while the structure itself is at least 180 years old, there’s enough historical evidence to suggest that parts of the building — a Palladian window still visible today — date back to 1810, making components of the structure more than 200 years old, he said.

The Vestry was connected to the original Congregational Church, first organized in Hinesburg in 1789 and the first in Chittenden County. The church would in its formative days meet in residents’ houses, but they finally built a wooden structure for worship in 1810. Over time, the wooden building was dismantled, and the group decided to build a church out of brick. So the wood and, most notably, the Palladian window, was repurposed

into the Vestry around 1840.

“The Vestry really is in many ways a manifestation of the growth of the village of Hinesburg, and the expansion of the needs of the congregational religious community,” Dameron said.

His research for Saint Michaels is only a few centuries off from the Vestry’s period; his current research involves the “political economy of (grain) in medieval Tuscan citystates (and) medieval Florence” from 600 to 1400.

“When we look at a building, even like a structure like the Vestry, or if we look at, at the baptistry in medieval Florence, it’s as if time evaporates. You feel that you are part of the living community that stretches back generations,” he said. “That in and of itself, I think, is a source of thrill.”

The board presently includes Duffy and Dameron, as well as selectboard member Maggie Gordon, Rolf Kielman, Penrose Jackson, Paul Amsbary and James Goldsmith.

“I give credit to (Kielman) for pulling it all together,” Duffy said.

Much of their work over the past two years has been figuring out who owned the title to the 1,400 square-foot building — a process that actually stymied efforts to restore the old chapel in the 1970s.

“It’s been let to deteriorate for a long time, because in large part there was no clear title to it,” Duffy said.

The Vestry building, built around 1940, as seen from Hinesburg’s Main Street.

Deeds for the Vestry were transferred to the Vestry Community Center in May from the Catholic Diocese of Burlington, the United Church of Hinesburg and the town of Hinesburg

Now, with its new nonprofit status, the group hopes to apply for grants — with the Preservation Trust of Vermont, for example — and solicit donations from residents who want to keep its history alive.

“A good bit of the financing for it’s going to have to come from local donations,” Duffy said. “It’s not the kind of thing you can really put together with bake sales.”

The group also hopes to work

with the Hinesburg Historical Society to “do some oral history interviews with many Hinesburg residents who remember what the Vestry was used for in decades past,” Dameron said.

Much like the early days in Hinesburg’s history, the town is set to see yet another population boom in the coming years, with some 400 units of housing set to be built over the next decade — making the group’s work of preserving the town’s history even more important.

“I’m hopeful that by preserving these old buildings, we can return to the original mission, which is

to create a sense of community, a sense of identity,” Dameron said. “It’s a focus of identity for the village, especially for the town of Hinesburg. If it does develop as we think into some sort of a community center, it’ll go back to its original mission and purpose, which is to serve as a meeting place, a gathering place, a place for social diversity and social interaction among residents.”

And hopefully “with more and more people moving into Hinesburg, probably over the next decade, they will see it as a major historical asset to the village and will help us all maintain it,” he said.

PHOTO BY COREY MCDONALD

Hinesburg Police Blotter

Total Incidents: 26

Traffic Stops: 4

Arrests: 1

Dec. 6 at 11:50 a.m., an officer assisted a motorist who’d locked themselves out of their vehicle on CVU Road.

Dec. 6 at 1:30 p.m., fraud was reported.

Dec. 6 at 4:10 p.m., an officer responded to a traffic hazard on Route 116.

Dec. 7 at 3:50 p.m., police investigated a report of threats and harassment by phone.

Dec. 7 at 6:15 p.m., officers served a relief from abuse order to a resident on Hillview Terrace.

On Dec, 7 at 7:08 p.m., officers served a relief from abuse order to a resident on Hollow Road.

Dec. 8 at 7:51 a.m. an officer assisted Shelburne police in locating two fleeing suspects.

Dec. 8 at 8:50 a.m., officers responded to a residence on North Road to serve a relief from abuse order, and arrested Terrance

Hart, 61 of Hinesburg, for possession of prohibited firearms and violating conditions of release.

Dec. 8 at 9:40 a.m., a welfare check was conducted on Route 116.

Dec. 8 at 12:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of a loose dog on Mechanicsville Road.

Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m., suspicious circumstances on Hayden Hill Road West were investigated.

Dec. 9 at 10 a.m., officers assisted another agency by contacting a resident on Green Street.

Dec. 9 at 12:35 p.m., officers responded to a residential alarm on Mallard Pond Road.

Dec. 9 at 1:15 p.m., police received an animal complaint on Green Street.

Dec. 9 at 6:25 p.m., suspicious circumstances on Sherman Hollow Road were investigated.

Dec. 12 at 2:45 p.m., found property was turned in and later returned to its owner.

Dec. 12 at 4 p.m., police investigated a report of a fraud.

Vermont State Police Blotter

Dec. 6 at 1:55 p.m., after clocking a car on Route 116 in Hinesburg going 81 mph in a 50-mph zone, police cited Cyrus Gile, 60, of Starksboro, for excessive speed and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. The citation carries a penalty of $475 and two points on his license.

Dec. 8 at 5:01 p.m., police arrested Tabarreon Burris, 26, of Charlotte, for first-degree aggravated domestic assault and interference with access to emergency services. Burris was lodged at Northwest Correctional Facility. His bail was set at $2,500.

Obituary

Eugene Joseph Ward

Eugene “Chip” Joseph Ward III, 70, died peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, at his winter home in Greensboro, Ga. Chip also had his summer home in Vermont.

Chip was born on April 10, 1952, in Rockville Centre, N.Y., to Eugene “Gene” Joseph Ward Jr. and Elizabeth “Betty” (Gilleran) Ward.

He attended St. John’s Academy (now Seton Catholic) in Plattsburgh, and continued his education at SUNY Plattsburgh, graduating in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in business. After completing postgraduate studies at Vermont Law School, Chip began practicing law in 1982 and founded Ward & Associates Attorneys at Law, now called Ward & Towle, in 1986. He practiced real estate, estate planning and business law, recently retiring in July 2022.

Outside the office, Chip could be found pursuing his true passion: golf. Chip was a three-time Vermont Senior Amateur Champion, holder of six Vermont Golf Association championship titles, and was ranked as high as 13th in the country by Golfweek.

He loved traveling across America to play in tournaments and was always ready to provide tips to anyone on the course, especially beginners, whom he hoped would

find love for the game like he did. Chip’s passion for playing golf started at Bluff Point Golf Resort in Plattsburgh, with his mom and lifelong friend Mike O’Connor. He later joined Burlington Country Club in Burlington, and most recently, Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga.

He is survived by his loving life partner, Susan Wainer of Vermont; children, Laura Ward of Plattsburgh, Shawn Ward of Burlington, and Eugene Joseph “EJ” Ward IV of Burlington; and granddaughter, Charlotte Elizabeth (5), of Plattsburgh. He also leaves behind Jonathan and Ashley Wainer of Hinesburg, and their children, Charlotte Marie (5) and Theodore (3); and several special friends.

He was predeceased by his parents, Gene and Betty, as well as several uncles and aunts.

Calling hours will be Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, from 5-8 p.m. followed by a service on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, at 10 a.m., both at Ready Funeral Home in Burlington. A celebration of life will immediately follow the service on Dec. 15 at Burlington Country Club.

In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to The Vermont Golf Association Scholarship Fund.

Eugene Joseph Ward

Liberals launch effort to repeal Sportsman’s Bill of Rights

Guest Perspective

John McClaughry

One day in 1903 a police officer in Rutland accosted Andrew Rosenthal. We don’t know why he was accosted — whether he was in the act of committing a crime or otherwise attracted attention. In any case he was arrested and cited for “carrying a pistol loaded with powder and bullets, concealed on his person” without written permission from the mayor or chief of police, in violation of a city gun control ordinance.

Rosenthal defended himself by pointing out that “said ordinance is illegal, for that, so far as it prohibits the carrying of a pistol, it is repugnant to and inconsistent with the constitution and the laws of this state.”

In an opinion of two pages the Supreme Court unanimously found that the ordinance is “inconsistent with and repugnant to the Constitution of this state.” The court thereby summarily disposed

of local firearms laws violating constitutional rights — while not passing on existing state laws that made it a crime anywhere in the state for a person to carry a weapon with the intent of harming another person.

This long-existing legal precedent exemplifies what is known as the Dillon Rule, after an Iowa Supreme Court Justice who ruled in 1868 that local municipalities can only enact presumably constitutional ordinances authorized by the state legislature.

This is of sudden interest because a movement is afoot to repeal a 1988 Vermont law called the Sportsman’s Bill of Rights. That law prohibits local governments from enacting their own gun control ordinances.

The act was passed because gun control organizations had shown interest in passing various local gun control measures. Spurred on by the Vermont Federation of Sportsmens’ Clubs and Gun Owners of Vermont, the Legislature decisively rejected that

interest. The bill passed the House 125-8 and the Senate on a voice vote. Democratic Gov. Madeleine Kunin signed it. Democratic Lt. Gov. Howard Dean boasted that “I got it passed.”

Since 1988, Burlington and Montpelier voters have proposed to create their own gun control ordinances. Because of the Dillon Rule, city charter changes must be approved by the General Assembly. All attempts to bypass the law proscribing local gun control measures have been pigeonholed.

The renewed interest in enacting local gun control measures has shifted from getting city charter exemptions to town-by-town action, notably in Woodstock. Michael Bloomberg-funded Gun Sense Vermont is launching a campaign to repeal the Sportsmen’s Bill of Rights in the name of local implementation of “meaningful steps to prevent gun violence.” Perhaps by licensing or prohibiting all guns in the town?

The major reason why Gun Sense thinks this is their year is

the election of Sen. Phil Baruth (D-Burlington) as Senate President pro tempore. Baruth, a novelist and English professor at University of Vermont, has long been an earnest advocate of gun control measures. He sponsored four such bills in the 2019-20 Legislature, where they were not considered. He has publicly announced that repeal of the Sportsman’s Bill of Rights will be considered in the coming session.

Well, why not repeal it and let every town adopt ordinances defining what kinds of firearms, if any, can be possessed, under what conditions and with what payment of fees, within the town?

Why not send today’s Andrew Rosenthal to the selectboard or police chief to get written permission to exercise his explicit constitutional right to carry a firearm “for defence of themselves and the state?”

Why not arrest and fine hunters passing through during hunting season for failing to obtain a firearm transit permit from each town

they travel through?

Why not send out the town ordinance enforcement team on suspicion that a resident failed to lock her firearm in an approved vault, instead of storing it where she can get it quickly if somebody invades her home?

Basically, it comes down to more than inconveniences. Repeal of the Sportsman’s Bill of Rights means a town can prevent residents from enjoying whatever rights have been confirmed for them by Chapter 1 Article 16 of the Constitution.

Liberals surely would be aghast if each town could adopt its own rules about freedom of speech and press, or the right to reproductive autonomy just added to the Constitution. Turning every town in the state loose to enact its own interpretation of any constitutional right is not a responsible idea.

Baruth needs to apply his legislative talents to some other cause.

John McClaughry is vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute.

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.

Compromise on gun control needed, unlikely to happen

Guest Perspective

Walt Amses

Between the time I’m writing this and you’re reading it, there likely have been several mass shootings, bringing the total to well over 600 so far this year, a number that, however astounding, increases annually in a country with more firearms than people, where the Second Amendment has absorbed the First: We let our guns do the talking.

The more they talk, the louder their voices. For the first time in history, gun deaths overtook automobile accidents as the leading cause of “traumatic deaths.”

While the proliferation of guns and their easy availability are major contributing factors in the ever-increasing death toll, semiautomatic weapons of war, high-capacity magazines and a homegrown terrorist alliance between the National Rifle Association and its congressional concubines made this national disgrace inevitable.

The fabricated NRA/GOP “Good Guy with a Gun” mythology, coupled with a yearslong promotion combined with thinly veiled racism, have turned parts of rural America into havens for heavily armed, delusional soldier boys, bent on protecting the nation from Drag Queen Story Hours, library books they’ve never read, and trans teenagers they’ll never meet.

The Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and the rest of the far-right, white supremacist militia movement have been both directly and indirectly involved in the spate of mass shootings that gouge indelible scars on our country. Their exploitation of open-carry laws — the indecent exposure of assault weapons — to ostensibly “keep the peace” is an essential gear in the machinery creating the locked-and-loaded culture where the gun is the answer, no matter the question.

Marching into your local school board meeting wearing faux military gear hefting an AR-15 may expose you as a moron but it certainly achieves its purpose: intimidating legitimate speech, limiting debate to incoherent screaming matches and dissemination of conspiracy theories too stupid to list here.

Such nonsense is apparently OK with conservatives all the way to the top. When the former president of the United States, urged by advisers to disavow the white supremacist anti-Semite he’s just had over for dinner, refuses, unwilling to alienate supporters, we’re a nation in serious trouble.

We make certain assump-

tions regarding the cause of the carnage, some accurate — more guns equal more gun deaths; some less so — untreated mental illness is the primary cause of mass shooting incidents.

While the political debate over gun violence ranges far and wide, one thing sorely missing is comprehensive scientific research into the problem and there’s a very clear reason for that. Since 1996, gun manufacturers and their mainly Republican apologists in Congress have blocked Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding for such studies, predictably concerned by what the results might yield. Research since funding was marginally restored justifies those fears, minimally indicating more guns equal more gun deaths.

Although still woefully underfunded, some research has begun to emerge — including a review of a Harvard study conducted 20 years ago that explored the relationship between gun prevalence and homicide — confirming the hypothesis that a proliferation of firearms yields a corresponding

uptick in shootings and deaths.

The conclusion was bolstered by researchers employing several different techniques of measuring gun availability and access with findings replicated in other studies.

Citing other countries quickly responding to incidents of gun violence with legislation, including increased restrictions, the Rockefeller Institute of Government, while recommending several policies such as banning high-capacity magazines and so-called assault weapons, at the same time admits: “Present political realities make this approach feel all but impossible in the United States.”

But there’s even more to consider than the complexities of the left-right divide on guns in America that hints at why we shoot each other more frequently and in higher numbers than any other industrialized country in the world.

A 2019 Northeastern University study outlined in Scientific American found an inverse association between social mobility

Letters to the Editor

McClaughry’s metaphor misses the mark

To the Editor:

I’ve read John McClaughry’s editorial articles for years and controlled my impulse to counter his opinions on many occasions. However, after reading his recent guest perspective — “Upcoming legislative session evokes metaphor of 1889 Johnstown flood,” Dec. 1, 2022 — I reached my limits of self-restraint.

The metaphor referenced in the article comparing the recent state election gains in Democratic representatives to the catastrophic Johnstown flood of 1889 was one I could not ignore. It is an insult to our common sense and truly insensitive to the tragic loss of an entire community and more than 2,000 lives.

The article states the Global Warming Solutions Act is an example of polices that will now flood the Legislature because Democrats have a larger majority in the Statehouse. In my opinion, rather than relying on scare tactics, McClaughry and the Republican

Party should be asking themselves why the Democratic Party continues to make incremental gains in Vermont.

For example, when many in their party continue to deny and minimize the climate crisis, it makes many voters believe the Republican Party is out of touch with their real-world issues. It is time for the Republican Party to admit that society’s continued reliance on the fossil fuel industry and its responsibility for increasing catastrophic climate disasters is a problem that needs immediate action. Voters realize that a lack of action is a major reason for the increasing cost-of-living in Vermont.

Republicans in Vermont should reflect on what is turning voters away from their party. I suggest a more-recent catastrophe — such as the Jan. 6 insurrection, which had the fingerprints of a political party — as a better disaster to reference to understand the outcome of November’s election.

Phil Pouech Hinesburg

and gun homicide rates. In other words, in counties where social mobility is higher, firearm murder rates are substantially lower than areas where movement up the ladder remains stagnant. Designed to provide policy makers with “additional tools to address the epidemic of gun violence in America,” the author — epidemiologist David Noonan — finds an increase in social mobility would lead to a 25 percent reduction in homicide rates.

It doesn’t take a genius to integrate these findings into the larger picture, including America’s high rates of depression and anxiety, certainly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving our collective emotional state in shambles.

At this juncture 30 to 40 percent — tens of millions of us — report being angry, sad, afraid or tired. Fatalities related to drug overdoses, alcoholism and suicide

— “deaths of despair” — claim hundreds of thousands annually, lowering life expectancy three years running for the first time since 1918.

Life in working-class America is hard and getting harder. Jobs are exported, wages are inadequate and the price of everything skyrockets even as the same political class responsible for the epidemic of firearms consistently balks at initiatives to make life better for their struggling constituents.

While it’s unlikely any compromise on gun ownership and the Second Amendment will happen anytime soon, the wealthiest country in the world has other options at its disposal to change the equation. If reducing the number of guns is impossible, perhaps we can begin by reducing the other factors that may

If difficulty climbing the socioeconomic ladder equates with more gun violence, it would follow that more opportunity for social mobility might do the opposite.

Community Notes

Holiday market, round two

Shelburne Farmers Market will hold its second indoor holiday market at the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.2. The Avery Cooper Duo is scheduled to provide the tunes. The farmers market plans to host winter markets every other weekend from mid-January through March, the first of which is Jan. 14.

Solaris Vocal Ensemble performs holiday shows

Embrace the season with “Shout for Joy,” Robert De Cormier’s set of five Christmas spirituals on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Waterbury Congregational Church, 8 North Main St. in Waterbury, and on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 4 p.m. at the College Street Congregational Church located, 265 College St., Burlington.

Solaris Vocal Ensemble will also feature compositions of the British Isles ranging from Henry Purcell’s 17th-century “Magnificat” to the 20th-century “Wassail” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Solaris’ featured guest artist is Tim Cummings, a bagpipe performer and educator, and Vermont-based composer whose repertoire spans from the contemporary and sacred to the traditional melodies of the British Isles, Appalachia, Cape Breton and Brittany.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students at bit. ly/3uDg6o3.

Santa visits Hinesburg, leads fire engine parade

The Hinesburg Firefighters Association has announced that it has heard, once again, from the Jolly Old Elf.

Santa will arrive at the Hinesburg Fire Station late afternoon, Saturday Dec. 17, boarding the engine around 4 p.m. for his annual fire engine ride through St George and Hinesburg.

Santa will stay overnight in Hinesburg and greet children of all

ages at the station on Sunday, Dec. 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Hinesburg Artists Series presents holiday concert

On Sunday, Dec. 18, the Hinesburg Artist Series will present its popular holiday concert at Saint Jude the Apostle Parish, Route 116, in Hinesburg, with performances at 2 and 4:30 p.m.

Local music man Rufus Patrick directs the South County Chorus and Hinesburg Artists Series orchestra.

The concert is free, but donations are appreciated. More information at hinesburgartistseries. org.

Charlotte Library’s mitten tree is up

Are you a knitter, crocheter or just like to shop?

The mitten tree is up at the Charlotte Library and waiting to be decorated with handmade and new cold weather gear. Warm socks, work gloves and thermal tops and bottoms are especially in need this year.

The library is also a designated food shelf drop-off location. All items collected will go to a local nonprofit organization.

Menorah lighting

5 p.m,

the festive lights. A few houses will be selling hot cocoa and treats, with proceeds going to the Hinesburg Community Resource Center.

and mushrooms, wheat dinner roll with butter, pumpkin cookie with Craisins and white chips and milk.

• Advent hours of sanctuary, Monday, Dec. 19, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

• Annual Christmas pageant, Sunday, Dec. 18, 10 a.m.

Santa

is coming to St. George Sunday

Santa is coming to Simon’s in St. George, 2 Barber Road, on Sunday, Dec.18, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Bring the kids down, enjoy some cookies and milk and they can sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what they want for Christmas.

Creekside holiday light stroll returns

The Creekside neighborhood invites everyone to its second holiday light strollt Friday, Dec. 16, 6:30-8 p.m.

Take a stroll around Fredric Way and Farmall Drive to enjoy

Please park nearby and walk over to limit the amount of traffic in the neighborhood.

Enjoy Age Well meals at Charlotte Senior Center

The Age Well meal pickup for Thursday, Dec. 15, is from 10-11 a.m., Charlotte Senior Center, 212 Ferry Road, and features stuffed chicken breast with apple and cranberry stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sliced carrots, wheat dinner roll, pumpkin cake and milk.

You must have pre-registered by Monday, Dec. 12, with Kerrie Pughe, 802-425-6345 or kpughe@ charlotteseniorcentervt.org

The meal on Dec. 22 features macaroni and cheese, carrots, peas

The meal on Dec. 29 features beef stroganoff with onions and mushrooms, rotini noodles, brussels sprouts, dinner roll with butter, seasoned apples with cinnamon and milk.

The suggested donation is $5. Check website for cancellations.

Charlotte Church holds Christmas celebrations

Charlotte Congregational Church has announced its 2022 Advent and Christmas offerings, open to all to gather, rejoice and find solace in the season.

• Lighting the Advent Wreath, Sunday, Dec. 18, during worship, 10 a.m.

• Illuminated Advent spiral walk, at dusk every evening.

LOCAL THEN LOCAL NOW

• Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24, offering at all services will be used to support the church’s missions and ministries. Outdoor family carol sing, 4 p.m. in the front of the church. Indoor services of lessons and carols, 5 and 7 p.m.

• Christmas Day, • Sunday, Dec. 25, 10 a.m.

All worship services will be livestreamed except the outdoor carol sing and the 7 p.m. Christmas Eve indoor service. Indoor services are limited to 150 in the sanctuary. The vestry will accommodate overflow.

Masks will be required while singing indoors.

See the website for a full list of events at charlotteucc.org.

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN Chabad Vermont hosts a menorah lighting on the Shelburne town green, corner of Falls and Shelburne roads, on Monday, Dec. 19 at

with latkes, doughnuts and fun for all.

Artisan Fair this weekend

Enjoy a magical evening in the heart of South Burlington’s downtown as the community shines brightly with the power of artistic expression and celebration, both Friday and Saturday, Dec. 16-17, 4-8 p.m.

See the winter lights on Market Street. Stroll through the open-air market and find unique handmade products, hot beverages, food trucks, live music and other performances. Free.

There will also be local artisan food and drinks and live music.

Parking is available in the University Mall parking garage, with a shuttle service to Market Street. Parking is also available at the Rick Marcotte Central School with ADA parking/drop in the lot directly behind 180 Market Street

(along with 12 EV chargers). Bring an ID if you plan to buy alcoholic beverages.

For more information, visit illuminatevermont.com.

Schedule of events Friday, Dec. 16, gates open at 4 p.m.

Main stage 4-5:45 p.m. — Grippo Funk Band

6:15-8 p.m. — Devon McGarry Band Library

The South Burlington Public Library hosts a book sale with local entertainment.

4:30-5:30 p.m. — Jazzou Jones

6:30-7:30 p.m. Clare Innes “Ukelele Claire”

Library auditorium 4-6 p.m. — Green Mountain Brass Band 6- 8 p.m. — Beecharmer

Saturday, Dec. 17

Main stage 4-5:45 p.m. — Jenni Johnson and the Jazz Junketeers 6:1 -8 p.m. — The Judi Emanuel Family Band

Library Book sale

4:30-5:30 p.m. — A Pair of Pauls Playing Piano 6:30-7:30 p.m. Katrina Van Tyne and Joe Cribari

Auditorium 4-6 p.m. — Greenbush 6-8 p.m. — Root 7

COURTESY PHOTO

CVU sports teams gear up for winter season

LAUREN

CORRESPONDENT

Girls’ basketball

Coach: Ute Otley

Last season: 14-4, lost in the DI semifinals

This season: 1-0

Key returnees: Shelby Companion, senior, guard; Addi Hunter, senior, forward; Elise Berger, junior, guard; Maddie Bunting, senior, guard

Key newcomers: Too early to tell

Outlook: The girls will spend the early part of the season experimenting and finding the right lineup as they add a new group of varsity players to the returning Redhawk team.

“The new varsity players are adding intensity and speed, and are quick learners,” coach Otley said. “I expect we will be experimenting with line-ups in the first half of the season as we try to find the best combinations of players on both ends of the floor.”

CVU has size and depth as it looks to return to the top of the division.

Up next: Saturday, Dec. 17, versus Mount Anthony (NorthSouth Classic)

Boys’ basketball

Coach: Michael Osborne

Last season: 17-5, lost in the Division I semifinals

This season: 1-0

Key returnees: Alex Provost, guard, senior; Kyle Eaton, guard, junior; Logan Vaughan, forward, senior; Tucker Tharpe, forward, junior; Sam Sweeney, guard, senior; Ethan Murphy, guard, senior; Max Destito, forward, senior; Chase Whitman, forward, senior; Ollie Cheer, guard/forward, junior.

Key newcomers: Colby Morehouse, guard/forward, junior; Russell Willoughby, forward, junior; Nik Blasius, forward/guard, junior; Jack St Peter, guard, junior; Griffin Veltkamp, forward, junior.

Outlook: The boys return nine players from last year’s final four squad. The group will be led by Provost and Eaton, two All-Metro players who have had a lot of

time on court together to bring the newcomers along. “We obviously have a very experienced group with good balance and depth,” Osborne said. “We are really looking forward to competing together this season.”

With one win under their belts, the Redhawks say they are ready to compete for a state title.

Up next: Saturday, Dec. 17,

vs. Mount Anthony (North-South Classic)

Boys’ ice hockey

Coach: JP Benoit

Last season: 6-22, lost in the quarterfinals

This season: 1-0

Key returnees: Devon Fay, forward, senior; Jason Douglas,

goalie, senior; Alex Zuchowski, defense, junior; Travis Stroh, forward, junior; Nic Menard, forward, junior; Connor Malaney, forward, junior; Calvin Malaney, defense, junior; Ted Connery, defense, sophomore.

Key newcomers: Jack Bryan, forward, freshman; Stuart Allard, forward, freshman; Brady Jones, forward, freshman.

Outlook: The hockey team returns to the ice with an experienced returning core. The Redhawks will need to get reliable defense and goaltending as they look to get better every day, according to coach Benoit. CVU will also look to get contributions from a talented group of new forwards.

Up next: Wednesday, Dec. 14, at South Burlington, 5:30 p.m.

Girls’ ice hockey

Coach: Scott Bushweller

Last season: 9-20, lost in the quarterfinals

This season: 1-0

Key returnees: Grace Ferguson, senior, goalie; Tess Everett, senior, center; Karina Bushweller, senior, defense; Alyssa Benson, senior, defense; Clark Clark, sophomore, defense; Georgia Bruneau, senior, forward; Hannah Schmid, senior, forward; Kerribeth Aldrich, sophomore, forward; Mackenzie Rivard, sophomore, forward; Riley Erdman, senior, forward; Miles Brien, sophomore, defense; Samara Tucker, senior, forward; Sasha Miller, senior, defense; Sophie Brien, sophomore, defense; Megan Rexford, senior, forward; Megan Rivard, sophomore, forward.

Key newcomers: Lena Whitaker-Hechanova, freshman, defense; Alex Walpole, freshman, defense; Ella Gilbert,

PHOTO BY AL FREY

Coach Ute Otley oversees tryouts for Champlain Valley Union’s girls’ basketball program. Otley begins her 12th year leading the team.

freshman, defense.

Outlook: A deep, experienced group has the Champlain ValleyMount Mansfield co-op girls hockey team dreaming big this season. The CougarHawks will rely on Ferguson in goal but also have enough depth to go all three periods.

“In my 11 years of coaching this is the strongest group of players I have had on a team,” said coach Bushweller. “If they can be really focused in practices, play with a high level of intensity and understand and implement the systems I have in place, they will have a successful season.”

Up next: Wednesday, Dec. 14, at Harwood, 5:30 p.m.

Alpine skiing

Coach: Steve Francisco

Last season: Both boys and girls, Division I state champs.

Key returnees: Boys, Ari Diamond; George Francisco; Raymond Hagios; Jacob Kunin; Jacob Sternberg; Jake Strobeck; Kyle Marvin; Marcel Nelson. Girls, Dicey Manning; Ella Lisle; Zoe Skapof; Carly Strobeck; Elizabeth Nostrand; Kate Kogut; Marley Cartwright.

Key newcomers: Boys, Cal Caputo; Sebastian Bronk; Alden Endres; Jackson Kany; Kai Schulz; Steven Zubarik. Girls, Addison Bartley; Rachel Bialowoz; Lily Caputo; Harper Couperthwait.

Outlook: With a large number of returning skiers from last year’s dominant state championship squad, both Champlain Valley alpine ski teams are looking for more hardware. On the girls’ side, with Manning and Strobeck returning after top 10 finishes last year, the Redhawks have gotten deeper with the addition of talent-

ed newcomers. The story is similar for the boys, who return all but one of their top skiers from last season.

“One of the goals is to have an open and inviting team environment where any kid at any level who enjoys skiing can get what they need from that team,” said Francisco. “It’s a little bit of an embarrassment of riches.”

Up next: Thursday, Dec. 22, at St. Johnsbury

Nordic skiing

Coach: Sarah Strack

Last season: Boys, second in the state championships; girls, third in the championships.

Key returnees: Anna Arsovski, senior; Jack Crum, senior; Anders Erickson, senior; Skylar Francis, senior; Thomas Garavelli, senior; Corinna Hobbs, senior; Ava

Rohrbaugh, senior; Matt Servin, senior; Carly Trapeni, senior; Zoe Zoller, senior.

Key newcomers: Too early to tell.

Outlook: The Nordic ski teams are looking to get things off on the right ski with training while the group waits for snow. Returning skiers for the boys and girls will set tone for the Redhawks, while allowing the young skiers to find their footing.

“We have a great group of kids on the team and the attitude has been very positive the last two weeks despite there not being any snow,” said Strack. “In addition to several individual goals, both the boys and girls teams are aiming for top three team performances at the state championships.”

Up next: Friday, Dec. 23, at Essex.

AMSES

contribute to shooting each other being just another part of life in America.

A government more responsive to the needs of its citizens understands that money is not the only route to a better quality of life. If difficulty climbing the socioeconomic ladder equates with more gun violence, it would follow that more opportunity for social mobility might do the opposite.

Countries with exponentially lower gun violence than the U.S. frequently have the well-being of their citizens as the No. 1 priori-

ty — providing universal health care, free or affordable college education, subsidized parental leave, affordable child care,; labor protections, including strong unions, better health outcomes, and a longer life expectancy.

Consequently, Europeans not having to contend with the crippling worries that consistently plague Americans are far more likely to report being content or happy and far less likely to pick up a gun.

Walt Amses is a Vermontbased writer.

Hinesburg approves solar array

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

The Hinesburg Selectboard approved the extension of a lease agreement with Acorn Renewable Energy Co-op, permitting the company to move forward with a 150kW solar array on the town’s landfill.

By approving the extension, the selectboard has committed to building out a plan first put out to bid in 2019, when the landfill on Beecher Hill and Observatory roads was first designated for a solar array project.

The project hit a snag last spring when contaminated drinking water was discovered at two locations. Suspicions were eventually confirmed that the leeching was emanating from the landfill and contaminating water wells serving the town garage and a private residence with poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances — known as PFAs or “forever chemicals” — which are known carcinogens and have links to

endocrine disruption.

The town was forced to spend more than $30,000 to recap the landfill and rectify issues with its drinking water.

Town officials appeared hesitant during their Nov. 16 meeting to grant the company a lease agreement extension, and said they wanted their attorney to review the proposal first before putting the “town at risk for added costs,” selectboard member Phil Pouech said at the time.

But Joy Dubin Grossman, during their Dec. 7 meeting, confirmed that state officials had signed off on a new post-closure amendment.

Engineering officials with the project have said that the solar project should have no impact on the landfill. If it does, legal language in the agreement protects the town from financial obligation if it was forced to remove infrastructure from the property.

Acorn Energy Co-op, as well as two other engineering and

design companies, will build a solar panel to fulfill renewable energy goals as laid out in the town’s master plan.

The co-op serves residents in towns in Addison, Rutland, and Chittenden counties by offering shares in its solar projects to Vermont residents. Those investors can then use the project’s net-metered credits toward, in this case, their Vermont Electric Co-Op bills.

The company in June 2021 completed a similar project on a landfill in Bristol and has other solar arrays in Middlebury and Shoreham.

Acorn has been working with the town’s energy committee to make investment in the project available to Hinesburg residents, Acorn’s president Ben Marks has said.

“The overall intent is to have the township be the beneficiary of this,” hesaid. “People in town who want to take advantage of this would have the ability to do so and benefit from the town’s lease of this brownfield site.”

CHARLOTTE

continued from page 1

board chair Jim Faulkner went directly to Gallagher, Flynn & Co. Although the firm’s quoted proposal was within the town’s budget of $30,000, Faulkner feared this decision might have violated town policy since the board did not go

NUTCRACKER

continued from page 2

tradition since Marina was a baby sitting on her mother’s lap.

“I’m getting a little emotional just talking about it — to think of her being up there as Clara, as the lead, is almost surreal. We are so proud of her.” she said.

Choreographed by Vermont Ballet Theatre’s director Alexander Nagiba, the ballet follows the adventures of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince as they conquer the evil Mouse King and journey to the Land of Sweets. Along the way, they witness “mice filching Christmas gifts, snowflakes swirling in dreamy tutus, dolls spinning like tops, a fantasy world of dancers,” according to a press release for the show.

Performances are Saturday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, 153 Main St., in Burlington. For ticket information, go to flynnvt.org.

out to bid a second time.

As a solution, the selectboard motioned to designate the firm as a preferred source for this process, which would allow the selectboard to ultimately approve the proposal.

While selectboard members mulled the vote at the recent meeting, Russell took to the mic to air his grievances about the consulting document.

“I don’t like the fact that you are discussing a document the public hasn’t gotten a chance to see, so we don’t know what you’re proposing,” he said. “The assumption that it’s going to be beneficial to the town to make this decision as quickly as you are, is faulty.”

Faulkner and selectboard member Frank Tenney became visibly upset at Russell’s comments, which prompted Tenney to abruptly leave the room before discussions concluded.

“Charlie, we’ve been at this for a while, this is not new. We are at the last minute. Six months away from the transfer and we have some help here now to make it a smooth transition,” said Faulkner. “We’ve been meeting with CVFRS all along the way and they are in agreement. Why are you bringing this up now?”

Russell’s concerns are rooted in problems that started four months ago when the select-

board’s decision-making process was questioned over transparency, closed-door executive sessions and keeping the rescue service in the dark about the process. At that time, the nonprofit sent a lengthy press release that said selectboard discussions “should be happening in open meetings within the town rather than in so-called executive sessions.”

“The way it’s been approached — I don’t think they’ve been respected and included the way they should have right from the start,” Russell said.

Faulkner took personal offense to Russell’s comments and claimed that the selectboard has been diligently at work trying to figure out solutions that would best suit the town.

“We have spent an enormous amount of time trying to figure this out, Charlie,” said Faulkner. “You’re just thinking we are doing this by the seat of our pants, and I can honestly say I take offense to that.”

Tenney eventually returned to the meeting as tensions eased and the board motioned to approve the consulting proposal with the stipulation that it does not exceed $20,000.

“I can take criticism if it was legitimate,” said Faulkner. “Nothing’s been done behind the scenes here.”

DECEMBER 8, 2022

TOWN OF HINESBURG

NOTICE OF CONVEYANCE OF INTEREST IN MUNICIPAL REAL ESTATE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO THE LEGAL VOTERS OF THE TOWN OF HINESBURG (hereinafter called the “Grantor,” whether one or more), for and in consideration of the sum of One Dollar and other valuable consideration paid by Vermont Electric Cooperative, Inc., a corporation duly organized under the laws of the State of Vermont, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, do hereby GIVE, GRANT, BARGAIN, SELL and or CONVEY unto the said Vermont Electric Cooperative, and its successors and assigns (hereinafter together called the Grantees), an underground utility easement, twenty (20) feet in width, over, above, across, through and under Grantor’s land, together with the right to enter upon the land of the Grantor for the purposes of exercising any of the rights herein granted, said land being situated in the Town of Hinesburg, State of Vermont, more particularly described as follows:

A strip of land, the majority of which is twenty (20) feet in width being a portion of Grantor’s land located on the side of Observatory Road, so-called; commencing at a point on the Grantor’s northern boundary and continuing along in a southeasterly direction, near and more or less parallel to the same road, to a vault (33 19 3XA5 V2) near the Grantor’s northern boundary (“Easement Area”).

Being a portion of the same land and premises conveyed to the Grantor herein by Beatrice and Robert Brown by Warranty Deed dated March 22, 1975 and recorded in Book 37, Page 438 of the Hinesburg Land Records, consisting of 38 acres, more or less, and bound on the north by Observatory Road; on the east North Road; the south by Beecher Hill Road; the west by land now or formerly owned by Kevin Dente and Erin Dente (“the Property”).

Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 1061, this notice is posted at three regular posting places in the Town of Hinesburg and published in the Hinesburg Citizen, a newspaper of general circulation within the Town of Hinesburg on December 15, 2022.

If a petition signed by 5% of the legal voters of the Town of Hinesburg objecting to this conveyance is presented to the Town Clerk within 30 days of the date of the posting and publication of this notice, then the Town will cause the question of whether to sell the property as set forth above at a special or annual meeting called for that purpose.

The Selectboard has authorized the Selectboard Chair to effectuate the conveyances, unless a petition in accordance with 24 V.S.A. § 1061 (a) is presented to the Town Clerk by 4:00 PM on January 13, 2023.

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR BIDS, NOR AN OFFER TO SELL THIS REAL ESTATE TO ANY PERSON ON ANY PARTICULAR TERMS OR CONDITIONS.

Dated at Hinesburg, Vermont, this 8th day of December, 2022.

By: s/s_________________________

Merrily Lovell Selectboard Chairperson

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ARIES

March 21 - April 20

Aries, no matter how much you try to tip the odds in your favor, this week is much more about the luck of the draw. Keep a positive outlook and things may turn out in your favor.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

Taurus, if winter’s chill is getting you down, you may want to plan a getaway to somewhere warmer. That may be just what you need to recharge.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

The two sides of your personality are lately at odds with one another, Gemini. You have to make an important decision, so seek out a friend for advice.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

Cancer, you lean toward an optimistic view on most things, but it is alright to be realistic at some points along the way, or even slightly skeptical. Balance is key.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

Leo, if you are feeling under the weather this week, you will have to put on a smile and push through. It is the holidays, after all. Seek as much help as others can muster.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Virgo, you are on borrowed time regarding your nances. Take a careful look at your budget this week and make the tweaks necessary to stay a oat if income wanes.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

A companion animal in your life needs some attention, Libra. There may be some vet bills to contend with, but luckily you can handle that without much issue.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

The activity you have been turning to provide mental stimulation just may not be cutting it any longer. Start to explore some other options and see if there may be a better t, Scorpio.

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 ll each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can gure 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

A health issue that has been getting the better of you for some time will be resolved for in the days to come, Sagittarius. It’ll be birthday good news. Start celebrating.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

Capricorn, after a tumultuous few weeks, things in your life nally settle down. Embrace the opportunity to rest and do not take on any new projects until next year.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

Aquarius, things may not be going completely according to plan on the professional front. But at home you have gotten into a solid groove. Use this win to boost your mood.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

There is much more to a situation than meets the eye, Pisces. Delve deeper to learn about a person’s true motivation.