The Citizen - 6-1-23

Fish tale

As lake trout breed successfully, stocking scales back

Page 8

Charlotte reworks cannabis land use regulations

New public hearing set for June 15

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Charlotte’s just-approved cannabis land use regulations are back to the drafting table after the Legislature updated the state’s cannabis rules to exempt all outdoor grow operations from municipal permitting in the same way as agriculture.

“It seems likely to earn the governor’s signature, so we’re acting accordingly,” town planner Larry Lewack said.

He explained that although Charlotte can still regulate other types of cannabis businesses, “We just have to basically cross out everything that pertains to outdoor

Playoff pursuits

Regular season ends, Redhawks look to titles

Page 10

Turtle time

cannabis cultivation because we don’t have authority.”

Under current law, exemption from municipal permitting is restricted only to small outdoor cultivation projects up to 1,000 square feet of plant canopy or 125 plants, which Lewack described as a “problematic rule from the get-go.”

“Everything that we were trying to address through our regulations had an asterisk next to it that basically said, ‘Except for (Tier 1 outdoor) grows, here are the rules.’ It made for some awkward language but more importantly,

See CANNABIS on page 12

Homelessness goes up in Chittenden County

many without options.

people counted in 2021.

The annual count of Chittenden County residents living on the streets or in shelters has increased from last year, reflecting a fiveyear high as the state’s scarcity of housing options continues to leave

According to the 2023 Chittenden County Point-in-Time count report, released by the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance, 758 people were found living on the streets or in a shelter. That’s an increase from last year’s count of 668 people, as well as the 700

Of those, 715 were in some form of shelter, while 43 were living on the street.

In 2019 and 2020, before the pandemic hit, 309 and 261 individuals, respectively, were found without stable housing, according to previous counts.

While in 2021 and 2022, most individuals were found in emergency shelter, this year, the report found that 367 individuals were in emergency shelters, while 348 individuals were in transitional housing — a big increase from previous years.

Notably, the number of house-

holds with children has been on the rise since 2020, when 22 households with children were counted. According to this year’s report, 82 families with children were found in a shelter. No families with children were found on the streets.

See HOMELESSNESS on page 12

LEE KROHN PHOTO

State wildlife officials are urging motorists to watch out for turtles while driving this time of year, particularly around wetlands and ponds. Learn more on page 3.

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

School district connects homeless families to stability

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

Jennie Davis’ work might present in different ways, but navigating the myriad hurdles posed by Vermont’s housing market is one part of her job that remains the same each day.

In her role, Davis meets with families with children in the Champlain Valley School District who are homeless or who face some form of housing insecurity — they’re late on the rent and are at risk of eviction, or they’re in a motel in Shelburne or Williston and are trying to find housing.

Each situation is unique, and each family is experiencing an unmanageable level of stress as it tries to keep itself afloat. As the family outreach and assessment coordinator for the state’s largest school district, Davis goes to where those families are staying

and helps them navigate innumerable barriers to put them on a path to stability. Within the district, she works with teachers and support staff to help identify children whose families may be facing housing insecurity.

Her position was created in February 2022, partly through a federal COVID-19 grant. Since then, of the families she’s worked with — representing 119 children in the school district — 29 have moved into permanent stable housing; 31 have obtained a housing subsidy so that they could maintain their housing; nine families who had previously been homeless avoided returning to homelessness; and five families avoided eviction as a result of Davis’s work.

“It’s been very effective,” she said.

The position, first reported on by the Burlington Free Press,

is the first of its kind in the state, and could be one of the first in the country.

Superintendent Rene Sanchez, who previously worked in the Houston school system, said some districts there had personnel at the central office who did community outreach and work with families identified as homeless. But it’s unclear if any districts have formalized an in-house position such as this.

“I haven’t seen anything that looks like this role, definitely not in the state — or really anywhere else,” Davis said. “A lot of schools do this informally all the time, but the beauty of formalizing it into this position is that it’s not pulling the support staff and teachers or anyone in the school away from their primary job.”

“The staff at CVSD, if they have a family saying we need housing help, they don’t have to go figure out the housing system,” she said.

But the position is at risk of being cut back. Davis is working against a July 1 deadline, applying for grants to keep the program going. Half of the money necessary to fund the full-time position is allocated through a regular state grant, Sanchez said, but with federal COVID-19 cash drying up, funding the remainder of the position remains an open question.

Without the additional funding, Davis will have to work on a part-time basis, which she said is “not really doable.”

“We’re still looking for other opportunities to be able to fund it. We’re also looking within the budget to see if there’s anything else that we can find,” Sanchez said. “But at the same time, we’re encouraging Jennie and the

schools — if they see an opportunity where we can apply for additional funds, we will happily try to cobble something together.”

Crisis situation

It may not be surprising to learn that Davis, with her decades of experience, is still surprised at how difficult it is to find somewhere to live within the Vermont housing market.

With its extreme scarcity of available housing, Vermont has the second lowest vacancy rate in the country. Chittenden County in particular is at a 20-year low of 0.4 percent, with more than half of renters paying more than one-third of their income to housing.

Because of this, the state has the second highest per-capita rate of homelessness in the country, behind only California.

“The housing system is opaque and it’s hard to navigate — I’ve worked in this field for probably 20 years at this point, and there’s still things I’m learning all the time,” she said. “I can’t imagine coming at this in a crisis situation.”

For children affected by this crisis, the social-emotional toll is incalculable: According to various studies, homeless students are more likely to be chronically absent, and they’re less likely to complete high school than the overall population; they’re more likely to receive disciplinary action; and they have twice the rate of learning disabilities. And children who are homeless have three times the rate of emotional-social disorders than children who have stable housing.

One study cited an 87 percent increase in the dropout rate for students without a permanent home.

“Just walk yourself through a day of a student who’s homeless or has unstable housing: you wake up, you may or may not have a place to have breakfast — depending on where you are, if you’re in a motel, there may or may not be a kitchen,” she said. “Then you go to school, what’s on your mind? ‘I don’t know where I’m sleeping tonight, am I living somewhere and am I going to eat tonight?”

“There’s no way to really effectively learn like that for a child going through that every single day,” she added. “The capacity to learn, if you’re homeless or in unstable housing is, I would say, almost nonexistent.”

As Vermont’s homeless crisis continues to grow, this situation is becoming a reality for many families. According to data from the Chittenden County Point-in-Time Count — a snapshot of homelessness in the county conducted in January — the number of families

with children without a home has been on the rise since 2020: 82 households with children reported being without housing this year compared to 22 in 2020.

A 2022 report by Building Bright Future’s, meanwhile, showed a 130 percent increase of homeless households with children throughout the state when compared to before the pandemic.

“Given that some of our towns like Shelburne and Williston have hotels where the state offers them a place to live after they’ve lost their homes, we have quite a bit of mobility of the families who come into Shelburne and to Williston and some of our other schools,” Sanchez said. “It’s important for us to have somebody who could serve them on a more personal level.”

The crisis will soon be exacerbated as a state-run motel program that provides shelter for nearly 3,000 Vermonters begins to wind down this month.

Davis said she has housing lined up for families that she already works with within the motel voucher system, but what her job will look like when the program ends is unclear.

“There’s going to be a ton of families that lose this housing resource,” she said. “It’s going to affect my job in the district — I’m just not sure how yet because it kind of depends on where people settle and go.”

Families and schools

Davis previously worked at the Burlington Housing Authority and, prior to that, at Steps to End Domestic Violence. Her new role, she said, is a bit like “building the plane as we fly it.”

But it’s a role she says she’d like to replicate and share as a model for other school districts. Several Vermont school districts, Davis said, have reached out to ask about implementing their own version of her program.

“The school district understands and values the position,” Davis said. “We’re just working on the funding piece.”

The district collectively identifies at-risk students through a collaboration between the staff. Sometimes a family or a student will self-refer, Davis said, but many times teachers and support staff will notice warning signs — a child mentioning how tired they are, or how they have little space at their home or how they’re moved in with their grandparents.

From there, Davis reaches out to the family, and goes to meet them where they’re staying, to get a sense of their history and what

Help a turtle out: Be alert drivers

Vermont’s turtles are on the move, and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is asking for the public’s help in keeping them safe.

Female turtles will soon be looking for places to deposit their eggs, and they sometimes choose inconvenient or dangerous locations, such as gravel parking lots and driveways and along road shoulders, which puts them at risk of being hit by motor vehicles.

“Turtles commonly cross roads as they move to nesting sites and summer foraging habitats,” Luke Groff, biologist for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, said. “Many turtles killed on roads

are nesting females, so not only is the female taken from the population but so are her future progeny. Turtles grow slowly and females may not reproduce until 10 or even 15 years old. So, for some species, the loss of mature breeding females may have population-level effects.”

Turtle nesting activity peaks between late May and early June, and drivers are urged to keep an eye out for turtles on the road — especially when driving near ponds and wetlands.

“Turtles are usually slow to move, so they have a tough time safely crossing roads. If you spot a turtle on the road, consider helping it across but be sure you’re in a safe

spot to pull over and get out of your car,” said Groff. “If you’re going to move a turtle off the road, always move it in the direction it was traveling. They know where they’re going.”

Most turtles can be picked up and carried across the road. However, snapping turtles have long necks and a powerful bite, so people should be alert and know what the species looks like. If the turtle is large or if it lacks colorful lines, spots or other markings, then it may be a snapper. Instead of picking up snappers, try pushing them across the road with a shovel or pulling them across the road on cardboard or a car floor mat.

Community College holds commencement

The Community College of Vermont will award more than 450 students with associate degrees at its 2023 commencement ceremony at Norwich University’s Shapiro Field House in Northfield, on Saturday, June 3.

The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of BETA Technologies, a South Burlington-based company working to electrify aviation. A native Vermonter, Kyle is an entrepreneur, aerospace engineer, pilot and former NHL athlete who holds a degree in materials science and engineering

from Harvard University.

Clark and his team at BETA are focused on building solutions that move goods and people more safely, efficiently and with minimal environmental impact to help shift the transportation paradigm and turn the corner on climate change.

This year’s student speaker is Kevin McGreal, who attended CCV’s Upper Valley and Winooski academic centers. Kevin will earn a degree in liberal studies and plans to continue his education to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences.

The Community Service Award will be given to Bob and Lois Frey,

longtime friends of the College who have supported dozens of Community College of Vermont students through a scholarship in honor of their daughter, Jennifer Frey, an alumna who died in 2001. The College will recognize three faculty members for their commitment to teaching and learning excellence and their many contributions to their classrooms.

Mary Ann Boyd, Stephanie Bush and Lou Colasanti will receive this year’s Teaching Excellence Awards.

College president Joyce Judy will officiate the event, and Gov. Phil Scott will address the class.

PHOTO BY DALE COCKRELL

Turtles are on the move and may be encountered on roads. Drivers are urged to keep an eye out for them and,

if

safe to do so, help them cross the road. This snapping turtle was spotted in Shelburne.

Hinesburg Police Blotter: May 23-29

Total incidents: 49

Traffic Stops: 25

May 23 at 9:30 p.m., officers responded to Shelburne Falls Road for a single-vehicle crash.

May 24 at 10:05 a.m., a noise complaint on Wile Street was investigated.

May 24 at 12:05 p.m., littering on O’Neil Road was reported.

May 24 at 12:25 p.m., police investigated vandalism on Pond Road.

May 25 at 8:41 a.m., an officer investigated a motor vehicle complaint on

Pond Road.

May 26 at 7:08 p.m., someone reported suspicious activity on Shelburne Falls Road.

May 26 at 8:25 p.m., an officer responded to a domestic dispute on Hollow Road.

May 27 at 9:30 a.m., officers responded to a single-car motor vehicle crash at Geprags Park.

May 27 at 2:20 p.m., officers responded to a domestic dispute on Hillview Terrace.

May 28 at 2:15 p.m., a welfare check on Commerce Street was conducted.

May 28 at 4:55 p.m., a welfare

check on Patricia’s Place Road was conducted.

May 29 at 7:30 a.m., suspicious activity reported on Hillview Terrace was reported.

May 29 at 7:53 a.m., an officer responded to Birchwood Drive where a death investigation was conducted. Police have not yet released the identity of the deceased.

May 29 at 12:48 p.m., suspicious activity on Shelburne Falls Road was reported.

May 29 at 1:35 p.m., someone reported suspicious activity on Honey Hill Road.

Obituary

Richard H. Preston

Richard Harry Preston of Charlotte died on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, after a rewarding life of 91 years.

A dedicated father, husband, brother, grandpa, friend and veteran, much of Richard’s childhood was spent in Charlotte on his uncle’s farm. He left home to join the U.S. Navy, the first of many life experiences.

He proudly married Wilma (Ward) Preston, enjoying a marriage that lasted 63 years until her death in 2019. Together they raised their three children in their Charlotte home of 56 years. Their home became a hub for good times for their grandchildren.

He was a 60-year member of the Freemasons, and along with Wilma, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, LaPlotte Chapter #64. They made many lifelong friends doing charity work, all while having fun.

He really came alive when performing, which he and Wilma did together for 25 years with the Order of the Eastern Star group. He was a talented musician, comedian and character, making friends literally wherever he went. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and traveling to new places and seeing the sights. He embraced what life had to offer and left his family with countless good memories, grateful and with full

hearts.

Richard is survived by three children, Ward Preston and wife, Debbie, Diana Preston Thut and partner, Patrick, and Laura Mack and husband, Steve; seven grandchildren, Dylan, Morgan and Kacy Preston, Rachel, Sarah and Abigail Thut, and Dallas Mack; and four great-grandchildren. The family offers special thanks to all his caregivers, especially Susan Brewer and the Bayada Team for their kind and compassionate care.

There will be no visiting hours or services per Richard’s request. Please consider a memorial donation to the O.E.S LaPlotte Chapter #64, 9 Jenna Lane, #311 Milton, VT 05468, or to the Make a Wish Foundation.

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Richard H. Preston

Thank you for being a friend

In Musing

Carole Vasta Folley

Today, June 8, is National Best Friend Day according to, well, no one. Even the Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post is stumped as to its origins. After much research, they decided it’s a hashtag holiday because so many people posted, forwarded and tweeted #NationalBestFriendDay on June 8 that it eventually became reality.

And who can argue with hordes of hashtaggers? Certainly not the morning news anchors who shared National Best Friend Day with millions more. Or the shrewd companies that seized the day to “celebrate the holiday” with sales promotions. Ah, shopping, isn’t that what best friends are for?

ered. Maybe Winnie’s kindness, determination and unexpected wisdom really could inspire humanity. All I am saying is give Pooh a chance.

Carole Vasta Folley

Before you add National Best Friend Day to your calendar, make sure you don’t confuse it with National Friendship Day. Although it’d be understandable what with new holidays continually being fabricated from National Grouch Day to National Hairball Awareness Day. By the way, I think my cat invented those.

Just like National Best Friend Day, National Friendship Day was also madeup, but at least it has a substantiated origin. It was created by Hallmark in 1919 so consumers would buy more greeting cards and, in their later parlance, “care enough to send the very best.”

Sadly, for those who liked licking envelopes, National Friendship Day fell out of custom during the Depression and didn’t reemerge until the late nineties when friendship was the prevailing zeitgeist, even internationally. Like 1997, when the United Nations named Winnie the Pooh the world’s Ambassador of Friendship.

Admittedly, I was about to rail against the U.N. naming a cartoon, self-proclaimed “bear of very little brain” ambassador. I mean, it’s a global organization charged with preventing world wars and their choice of ambassador doesn’t even wear pants?

And how would he shake hands — correction, paws — with all that sticky honey pot business? But then, I reconsid-

Let’s keep listening to student voices

To the Editor:

Now, don’t worry if you miss celebrating National Best Friend Day. There are many other contrived friend-holidays to choose from with more being created every day. Let’s call them “folly-days,” you know, the kind of invented observances, like National Women’s Friendship Day and National Girlfriends Day, found on cutesy Internet calendars. Or National Boyfriend Day, which ironically is in the same month as Evaluate Your Life Day. Personally, I’m a fan of Ask a Stupid Question Day. At our house, we celebrate it daily. Wait, there’s more. With National Make a Friend Day and the International Day of Friendship, there are oodles of opportunities to reach out to your buddies. The only “follyday” I purposefully ignore is National Send a Card to a Friend Day. First of all, I already sent a card on Hallmark’s friend day. Second, it lands right on National Fettuccine Alfredo Day. I don’t think you have to ask which one I’ll be observing.

Although there is a glut of these friend “folly-days,” I know they speak to a truth. That there will never be enough days to acknowledge our friends. They are our family, our foundation and pure evidence that the universe is good.

My friends have given me hope and laughter, usually in the opposite order. They often see me in ways I’ve tried to see myself my whole life. That’s probably because my friends know the passcode to my heart. We thrive on real connection, the never-ending perfection of our imperfections, the ability to nod “just like me” and hold hands even when we’re miles apart.

As much as I love my friends, today I probably won’t buy them a card that reads, “I’m glad our friendship is tighter than our jeans.” Instead, I’ll text them a few words from a wise, lovable bear, “As soon as I saw you, I knew a grand adventure was about to happen.”

Carole Vasta Folley is an award-winning columnist and playwright More at carolevf.com.

Letters to the Editor

lived experience so truthfully and persuasively. (“CVU students propose new equity requirement,” May 23, 2023)

As a new Hinesburg resident who believes in hope through the next generation, I commend Nisha Hickock, Lexi Hall and Merrill Jacobs, students at Champlain Valley Union High School, for attending school board meetings and presenting their

I’ve not met any of them, but I believe their young voices demand to be considered seriously. They are already leading the way and let’s hope they continue to do this.

Anne C. Sullivan Hinesburg

Market opening Community Notes

Friends of Carpenter-Carse collect books for sale

Friends of the Carpenter-Carse Library are once again accepting donations for its library book sale on July 3 and 4th at St. Jude on Route 116. The Friends are also looking for volunteers to help set up and run the sale.

This year, the library is collecting books at specific times to ensure donations meet the criteria. Come on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 5-7 p.m. Households are limited to two boxes. If you want to donate outside that time window, call 802-482-2878.

Donations should be in good condition.

Books that are moldy, musty or otherwise damaged will not be accepted. Please, no Readers Digest Condensed Books, textbooks, encyclopedias, paperbacks without covers, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, magazines or business and computer books that are more than three years old.

To sign up to volunteer, go to bit.ly/436L7As.

Charlotte Beach opens for summer season

Charlotte Beach officially opened May 27, and the recreation

department offers the following reminders:

• There will be new staff members at the beach, so be patient as they become familiar with the

process.

• Purchase a season pass online or visit the beach during staffed hours, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., weather permitting. If you are purchasing a

day or season pass, please provide the attendant with small bills — $100 dollar bills are not accepted — or a check payable to town of Charlotte. Credit cards are only accepted through our online registration system.

• If you have already purchased a pass online, show the attendant the receipt to get a sticker. Place stickers on the bottom left bumper of your vehicle.

• No glass or open fires are allowed; use the grills along the property.

• Carry out what you carry in.

• Beach closures will be listed at charlotterec.com.

Charlotte Beach Party returns on July 8

The Charlotte Beach Party Potluck and barbecue returns Saturday, July 8 at 5 p.m.

The free community party features grilling by Fortin’s Lawncare and Snowplowing, live music by the Mystic Party Band, gelato by Backyard Bistro, and local food products will include burgers Fat Cow Farm, chicken from Misty Knoll, Stony Loam salad and Adam’s Berry Farm dessert.

Bring a food item to share, plates, utensils and beverages and carry out what you carry in.

The Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services will be on site.

Dinner will be served at 6 p.m.

Rain date is July 9. No dogs, please, and free parking after 4 p.m. Questions? Email billandeva@ gmavt.net.

Hinesburg hosts public safety focus groups

The town of Hinesburg is looking for 24 people to participate in focus groups as it develops a public safety strategic plan.

There will be two focus groups of 12 who must attend a 90-minute session on June 15. One group will be held in the morning and one in the evening. Specific times will be determined after participants are chosen.

Officials want opinions about public safety in Hinesburg, including but not limited to the fire and police departments. Those who participate will receive a $20 Lantman’s gift card.

Participant comments will be anonymous. Town officials also hope the group will represent the demographic breakdown of Hinesburg.

Enjoy Age Well meals at Charlotte Senior Center

The Age Well meal pickup for Thursday, June 1, is from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Charlotte Senior Center

COURTESY PHOTO

Richmond Farmers’ Market opens June 2 with a combination of a lot of new vendors and some returning crowd favorites. The market, on Volunteer’s Green, runs every Friday through Oct. 13 from 3-6:30 p.m. Shoppers can find local produce, prepared food, baked goods, artisanal crafts, live music, events and more. Opening day will feature live music from 4-6 p.m. from Ox Child, a new folk-rock band that plays all original music. For more information, visit richmond-farmers-market.square.site.

News from Charlotte Library

115 Ferry Road, Charlotte. 802-4253864. Register at charlottepubliclibrary.org or info@charlottepubliclibrary.org.

Preschool free play

Wednesday, June 7, 10-11 a.m. Kids explore senses, sorting, blocks, play dough and more. Ages 3 and 4.

Book chat

Wednesdays in June, 3-4 p.m.

Join Margaret Friday on Zoom to discuss new books, old books and books missed.

Crochet and knit night

Wednesdays in June, 5:30-7 p.m. Bring a project or start a new one with yarn and needles available at the library For teens and adults.

Short story selections

Wednesdays, June 7 and 24, 1-2 p.m.

Men’s book discussion: ‘Horizon’

Wednesday, June 14, 7:30-9 p.m.

From National Book Award-winning author Bary Lopez.

Mystery book group

Monday, June 19, 10-11 a.m. “Voices” by Arnaldur Indriðason.

Library book discussion:

‘The 99% Invisible City’

Thursday, June 22, 7-9 p.m.

In “The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to Hidden World of Everyday Design,” host Roman Mars and coauthor Kurt Kohlstedt zoom in on the various elements that make our cities work, from power grids and fire escapes to drinking fountains and street signs.

‘Our Better Nature’

Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Nature walk and book talk with the librarians and readers from Carpenter-Carse Library, Charlotte Library and Pierson Library for an outdoor perambulation and discussion of books about the world. Meet at Geprags Park in Hinesburg (554 Shelburne Falls Road) to discuss “Our Better Nature” by Curt Lindberg. Members of Hinesburg’s Conservation.

VINS Superpower Critters

Wednesday, June 28, 1-2:30 p.m.

Faster than a speeding car, able to leap tall fences in a single bound … Look! It’s an animal superhero! Discover the amazing adaptations animals must make in the natural world. Get up close with live animal ambassadors and other artifacts. With three live animals, two reptiles and a bird of prey.

Library

To register, reserve books or for more information, contact Rachel Matthews at rachel@carpentercarse.org. Masks required indoors.

Hands and needles

Mondays in June, 10 a.m.-noon

Bring whatever project you are working on — quilting, knitting, embroidery, etc. No registration required.

Weekly storytime

Tuesdays, June 6, 13, 20 and 27, 9:3010:30 a.m.

Stories, songs, rhymes, and crafts.

Chess club

Thursdays in June, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Players of any age or experience drop in for a weekly game of skill and wits. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

Adult summer reading kick-off

Thursday, June 1, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Fill out a questionnaire (bit.ly/3WB4QFO) and receive a personalized book suggestion. On the first day of summer, your book (and other goodies) will await you in one of our brand-new library tote bags.

Open to ages 13 and up. For more information, visit carpentercarse.org/adult-summer-reading.

•

Come join Basin Harbor on Saturday, June 17th , for a great 5K race along the shores of Lake Champlain. The race begins at 9:00

News from Carpenter-Carse

Lake trout breed successfully, officials scale back fish stocking

tion in the species — exciting news for biologists and anglers alike.

Officials are cutting back how many lake trout are released annually into Lake Champlain after finding, for the first time in decades, sustained successful reproduc-

In response to rising wild reproduction, officials plan to stock about 42,000 lake trout this fall, a down 50 percent from previous years, according to the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management

Cooperative, a working group of fisheries professionals from the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The announcement followed a lake trout stock reduction in 2021 by a third.

“This is a good news story,” said Margeret Murphy, the lead fisheries program manager of the state fish and wildlife department. “For years we weren’t

PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER

Boaters enjoy Lake Champlain seen from Waterfront Park in Burlington.

See LAKE TROUT on page 9

LAKE TROUT

continued from page 8

seeing any recruitment of natural populations. Now we are.”

Officials first established a stocking program in the lake in the 1950s to restore wild lake trout that had been lost because of poor water quality and habitat changes. Batches of trout would be raised in hatcheries and then released into the lake to boost the species’ numbers. After almost 70 years, researchers have found natural reproduction happening within the trout populations.

Researchers from the University of Vermont have been the lead on assessing wild populations for a couple years now. At first, scientists wanted to determine whether the hatchery trout were finding areas to spawn, if they were spawning and if their eggs were hatching successfully.

“After a few years, the answer was yes,” said Ellen Marsden, researcher and fish biologist at the University of Vermont. “But many (trout) did not have any recruitment, meaning they hatched in April and May and didn’t live through the first winter. If they live through the first winter, they will live for the rest of their life.”

In 2012, the researchers noticed that about a quarter of the trout population was wild, rather than stocked. “We knew we hadn’t missed something because all of the adult fish were unclipped,” Marsden said, referring to fin-clipping, the practice

of making a small cut in a trout’s pectoral fin before it leaves the hatchery as a method of tracking.

Since then, the wild trout population has increased every year. In 2020, Vermont and New York officials started to implement additional summer sampling, along with fall assessments, to look for unclipped juveniles in the spawning population.

“In 2020, we implemented indicators for stocking: If we saw a 25 percent wild population, we would reduce one-third. If we saw a 50 percent wild population, we would reduce it more,” Murphy said. “As of 2023, we have hit both of those targets.”

For fishers, this is exciting news. “Of the trout and salmon species in the lake, lake trout make up 70 percent of the catch,” said Matthew Trombley, a boat captain with 3rd Alarm Charters and Guide Service in Vergennes.

“Sustained natural productions are always better.”

In a wild trout population, the fish respond to changes in their environment. “Stocked populations don’t have the feedback, they’ll all just starve,” said Marsden. Stocked trout are released into streams, rivers, ponds and

lakes, but they are not expected to last more than a single spawning season outside of the hatchery.

Wild lake trout can live for 25 to 30 years, and they are sensitive to physical and chemical changes in their ecosystems. For researchers, they can play the role of canary in the coal mine. As indicators of lake health, the health of lake trout is usually an early warning sign of how people are treating streams, rivers and lakes.

Officials said they’re also reducing their efforts in part to avoid over-stocking. “We want to make sure we don’t add too many trout to the lake,” said Murphy. “It could cause a reduction in the forage base.”

Asked if one day Lake Champlain won’t need to be stocked at all, she said that would be the hope.

“But until then we will continue monitoring and assessing the state of the population.”

Kira Corasanti is a reporter with the Community News Service, a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.

COURTESY PHOTO

Volunteer Jed Feffer posts a sign featuring wild native lake trout. The sign project is a joint effort by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and the Native Fish Coalition.

Since 2012, the wild trout population has increased every year. As of 2023, the state has hit all of its targets.

Athletes end season, pursue division titles

CVU finished the season with a 4-3 record.

Softball

Boys’ lacrosse

Middlebury 8, Champlain Valley 7: Middlebury upended Champlain Valley in high school boys’ lacrosse to end the regular season.

Max Brumsted had a hat trick for the Redhawks, who finish the regular season with a 11-2 record. Calvin Malaney tallied twice, and Connor Malaney added a goal for CVU. Goalie Harper Anderson stopped seven shots.

Baseball

Champlain Valley 5, BFA-St. Albans 1: The Redhawks capped the regular season with a win over BFA-St. Albans Thursday, May 25.

Stephen Rickert pitched five innings, giving up one run on three hits. Kyle Tivnan and Russell Willoughby each had an RBI.

CVU wrapped up the regular season with a 12-1 record.

Girls’ Ultimate

Champlain Valley 12, Middlebury 2: Grace Thompson had six goals to pace the girls’ Ultimate team in a win over Middlebury Thursday.

Ella Polli added two goals and three assists, while Stella Ewald had five assists. Samara Ashooh tallied twice, and Ruby Opton chipped in three assists.

BFA-St.Albans 15, Champlain Valley 0 (5): In the final game of the regular season Thursday, St. Albans pitched a no-hitter against CVU.

Girls’ lacrosse

Champlain Valley 18, Essex

7: The girls finished the regular season with a win, beating Essex Friday, May 26.

Amelia Scharf had a hat trick for the Redhawks, one of which was her 100th career goal. Dicey Manning added four goals, while Tess Everett and Rose Bunting each had a hat trick. Bibi Frechette, Grace McNally, Stella Dooley, Sophie Madden and Carly Strobeck each added a goal.

Clare Stackpole-McGrath and Ava Medici combined to make 12 saves.

CVU finished the regular season at 12-1.

Track and field

The Redhawks participated in the Essex Invitational high school track and field meet Saturday, May 27.

Amelia Scharf came in first place in the 400 meters, fourth in the 100-meter dash and third in the 200 meters. Alice Kredell was first in the 1,500 meters, Grace McNally took second in the 800 meters and Lydia Donahue was

third in the 3,000-meter race. Kate Kogut came in third in pole vault, Kate Bostwick was eighth in javelin and Amelia

Novak came in ninth in long jump.

Matthew Servin was the top finisher for the boys. He took first

place and set a meet record in the 1,500 meters and third in the 800-meter race. Jack Crum came in sixth place in 3,000 meters.

Green Mountain Bike Club June rides

Sunday, June 4 Champlain Bridge Ride — Head out Lake Road and across the bicycle-friendly Champlain Bridge. The 43-mile route stops at Crown Point while the 55-mile route makes a loop on the New York side through Port Henry. Meet at 8:45 a.m. at Vergennes Union High School, Monkton Road, east parking lot.

Leaders: Karl Garen, 802-3180116, kgaren@gmail.com, and Allan Kunigis, 802-324-9958, akunigis@gmail.com. Social ride Leaders: Donna Leban, 802-8621901 donna.leban@gmail.com.

Saturday, June 10

Hinesburg Monkton Gravel Grinder — Start at the Park ‘n Ride in Hinesburg and head south on rolling gravel hills. These are mainly very quiet roads with little traffic. To cut the ride short, there is an easy mid-point turn around in Charlotte. 41.3-mile ride with a

22.8-mile option.

Leaders: Brian Howard, 802-304-0610, bjhowd@gmail. com, and Jim Burns, 802-3381555, jjburns10@aol.com.

Sunday, June 11

Jaunt from Jasper Mine — This rolling hill ride (60 miles) passes through Georgia and Milton before heading to St. Albans Bay for a break by the bay and over to Swanton. The shorter version (40 miles) turns around after the break stop. This ride has a short stretch along the shore of the Lamoille River and a longer stretch along Lake Champlain. Meet at 8:45 a.m., Jasper Mine Road, off Route 2 heading toward Grand Isle.

Leaders: Dave Merchant, 802-825-3808, merchand59@ gmail.com, and Joyce McCutcheon, 802-734-4999, mellowmiti@ aol.com.

Saturday, June 17

Stone Walls and Solar Panels

— This scenic 30-mile ride goes from Underhill to Cambridge on mostly dirt and gravel roads past a myriad of old stone walls and not so old solar panels. Midway point is the store at the end of Upper Pleasant Valley Road in Cambridge.

Meet at S. Thomas Church of Underhill, 6 Green St.

Leaders: John Stuart, 802-7349805, jhstuartsqn@gmail.com, and Karl Garen, 802-318-0116, kgaren@gmail.com.

Sunday, June 18

Hinesburg Hollow — This route travels south through Huntington via the beautiful Hinesburg Hollow Road. The short route is 25 miles and returns to Williston via North Road (and a little bit of dirt) while the long route is 47 miles and continues through North Ferrisburgh to the lake and back

PHOTO BY AL FREY

Stella Dooley battle her Essex opponent May 26 in the Redhawks’ final game of the season. CVU won 18-7 and ended the season at 12-1.

CVU Redhawks head to playoffs

LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Girls’ lacrosse

No. 2 Champlain Valley vs. TBA

After a regular season with just two losses, the CVU girls’ lacrosse team is looking to get to its first DI state championship game since 2018.

The Redhawks will take on the winner of No. 10 Middlebury and No. 7 Burlington on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals. CVU beat Middlebury in both matchups but did not face Burlington in the regular season.

Boys’ lacrosse

No. 2 Champlain Valley (12-3) vs. No. 7 BFA-St. Albans (5-10), Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Champlain Valley wants to make it an even 10. Ten Division I state championships in a row, that is, but the Redhawks will face stiff competition in the playoffs.

The boys start their title run with a quarterfinal matchup against BFA-St. Albans on Friday at 4:30 p.m. at home. CVU got the

continued from page 10

through Hinesburg. Meet at 8:45 a.m. at Williston Central School by the tennis courts.

Leaders: Tom Kennedy, 802-735-5359, etomkennedy@ gmail.com, Amy Otten, 802-8784070, amyotten@netscape.com and Ralph Kilmoyer, 802-8784070, ralphkilmoyer@comcast. net. Social ride option: Donna Leban, 802-862-1901, donna. leban@gmail.com.

Saturday, June 24

Mostly unpaved MUP Ride No. 2 — 20 miles on the scenic and less travelled roads through the farmlands of Charlotte including Guinea and Roscoe Roads. Meet at 9:15 a.m. at Charlotte Central School, Hinesburg Road.

Leaders: Brian Howard, 802-304-0610, bjhowd@gmail. com and William Regan (571) 730-8160, william.regan.802@ gmail.com.

Sunday, June 25

Way to Weybridge — 64 miles of rolling hills from Shelburne through Vergennes and on to Weybridge. Meet at 8:45 a.m. at Shelburne Village Shopping Center.

Leaders: Allan Kunigis, 802-324-9958, akunigis@gmail. com, and Dawn Fragola, 802-2388752 dfragola1127@gmail.com.

Saturday, July 1

Gravel Gravel — 43-mile route through Texas Hill, Dugway and Duxbury loop. The ride starts

win over the Bobwhites in both regular season games and will look to make it 3-for-3 to lock down a berth in the semifinals.

Baseball

No. 1 Champlain Valley (13-2) vs. TBA

Outside of a two-game stretch toward the end of the season, the Champlain Valley baseball team has been nearly unbeatable. The Redhawks rode the strong regular season to the top seed in the Division I playoffs.

CVU will take on the winner of No. 9 St. Johnsbury and No. 8 Colchester on Friday, June 2, at 4:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals. CVU has beaten both opponents this season.

Softball

No. 11 Champlain Valley (4-12) at No. 6 Colchester (10-6), Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

The Redhawks will look to pull off an upset on Tuesday in the DI playdowns after press time. They will take on No. 6 Colchester at 4:30 p.m., Colchester won their matchup in the regular season. If they can win, CVU

will face No. 3 Essex in the quarterfinals Friday.

Boys’ tennis

No. 9 Champlain Valley (7-61) at No. 8 Brattleboro (7-5), Tuesday at 3 p.m. Champlain Valley will travel to the southern part of the state for a postseason playdown on Tuesday (after press time) to take on a higher-seeded Brattleboro team. If the Redhawks can pull off an upset, they would face No. 1 Middlebury on Friday in the quarterfinals.

Girls’ tennis

No. 4 Champlain Valley (11-3) vs. No. 5 South Burlington (10-5), Friday at 3 p.m.

Can the Champlain Valley girls’ tennis team return to the top of the division after a three-year hiatus? That question will begin to be answered on Friday when the Redhawks take on South Burlington in the quarterfinals.

The Redhawks beat the Wolves 5-2 in both matchups during the season and look to continue that success as they kick off the postseason.

The Sunset Lake Cooperative is applying for USDA Rural Development funding for urgently needed upgrades to their water and wastewater systems. As part of our application for funding, we are required to host a public information session, which will be open to all who wish to attend, gather information, and comment or ask questions on any matters related to the project’s economic and environmental impacts, service area, alternatives, and so forth.

This meeting will be held in 11 days, on June 12, 2023, from 6:00pm to 6:30pm.

Interested participants can attend by: Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83084918427

Meeting ID: 830 8491 8427 Issue with Zoom, call 802-881-3030.

with a fairly big climb and then a downhill out to Duxbury and North Road out to Waterbury. Meet at 9:15 a.m. at North Rd turnaround or possibly Iroquois Trucking on Mechanicsville Road.

Leaders: Brian Howard, 802-304-0610, bjhowd@gmail. com, and Karl Garen, 802-3180116, kgaren@gmail.com.

Introductory Ride for new riders

Twelve to 20 miles at a leisure-

ly pace. Meet Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m., Veterans Memorial Park, South Burlington, Wheeler lot; Amy Otten, 802-878-4070, amyotten@netscape.com and Ralph Kilmoyer, 802-878-4070, ralphkilmoyer@comcast.net. Saturday, June 24, 10 a.m., Veterans Memorial Park, South Burlington, Wheeler lot; John Bertelsen, 802-557-4633, jo.bertel@gmail. com or Dawn Fragola, 802-2388752 dfragola1127@gmail.com.

BIKE CLUB

CANNABIS

continued from page 1

it created a truck-sized hole big enough for certain operations to drive through untouched by any local regulations.”

Not only does one aspect of the miscellaneous cannabis bill, H.270, exempt outdoor cultivation from local zoning, but it would also force the elimination of things like the proposed 200-foot setback from an outdoor cultivator’s property line that was suggested in Charlotte’s original draft regulations.

Most residents showed overwhelming support for the Charlotte Planning Commission’s efforts to strictly regulate cannabis in town, with some residents going so far as encouraging the commission to increase the proposed buffer to 500 feet.

“I believe in the adage, ‘Good fences make good neighbors,’ and, with cannabis, a fence means distance,” said resident Jen Banbury at the public hearing on March 23. “That’s the main way to protect neighbors from odors and other negative fallout. The state, itself, requires a 500-foot buffer for schools. What about homes with school-aged children? What about residents that act as home schools? I believe that a 500-foot buffer should apply to residences.”

Another resident, Andrew Hale echoed that sentiment: “I think the 200-foot (buffer) is a good start … I’d prefer to see 500 feet there.”

Other residents, like Peter Johnson, urged the commission to take a firm stance against the agricultural aspects of the budding market.

JOIN OUR TEAM Chef/Pub Manager

Apply online at kwiniaska.com/employment or send your resume to Charli at ckail@kwiniaska.com.

Charlotte Planning Commission

Will hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 7 pm at Town Hall, 159 Ferry Rd. in Charlotte to receive public comment on proposed amendments to the Charlotte Land Use Regulations re: proposed standards for permitting and regulating cannabis businesses in Charlotte. Remote participation is possible via Zoom.

The proposed amendments address several topics, including:

(A) Updates to dimensional standards, conditional uses in several

zoning districts, and other provisions of Charlotte’s Land Use Regulations

(B) Specific review and performance standards for permitting cannabis businesses

(C) New definitions of various types of cannabis businesses and uses

Draft amendments, a User’s Guide, and a report on how the proposed changes comply with State Statute and the Town Plan, are available on the Town web site at: https://bit.ly/Cannabis_ rules_in_Charlotte. If you are unable to attend this hearing, you may submit comments in writing to Town Planner, Charlotte Town Hall, 159 Ferry Rd., Charlotte, VT 05445.

“I think what’s critical to remember and understand is that cannabis cultivation is not (agriculture), it’s a business and should be treated as such ... and should follow all of the performance standards that any commercial business in town is required to do.”

In one sense, Lewack explained that the new rules do create a more streamlined process for regulating cannabis.

“It’s simplified the process because if issues come up or if there’s a new licensee, we don’t have to sweat the details if it’s an outdoor cultivation because they’re exempt.”

On the other hand, he said, the change brings about an even more limited municipal control, and “that part’s a little frustrating.”

Because the town’s selectboard also acts as the local cannabis control commission, outdoor cultivators will still have to receive local licensing, but Lewack said, “It is more pro forma with that.”

John Stern, who operates a Tier 1 outdoor grow in Charlotte, has run into a slew of resident-led

HOMELESSNESS

continued from page 1

The number of “unaccompanied youth” also rose to 39 compared to 26 last year, according to the report.

While the statewide Point-inTime count has yet to be formally released, preliminary data shows there are 2,537 total people who were homeless in the state, according to Martin Hahn, the executive director of the Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness.

The number of Vermonters living in shelters or on the streets in 2021 and 2022, according to previous PIT counts, was 2,591 people to 2,780, respectively.

Point-in-Time Counts, however, are widely seen as limited, and can miss people who may be living in areas that are inaccessible or were missed by those conducting the count.

FAMILIES

continued from page 2

led to their current situation. She sticks with the family until they’ve reached some stability, no matter what the challenges may be.

Not all families experiencing this hardship have been identified, she said. But the role highlights the “natural extension” of the relationship between schools and families, and the role that districts play not just in education but in social services, Davis said.

“When you look at what our school district and other school

backlash during his time growing in Charlotte — a chaotic situation he likened to a new wave of “reefer madness.” For him, this bill would create a much smoother relicensing process — which must be done annually — while also shielding him from overreaching municipal authority.

“I think this is a very positive development supporting the continued use of agricultural land in Vermont for agricultural purposes, which is to say it is completely and beneficially aligned with Vermont tradition,” he wrote in an email.

A public hearing for the revised land use regulations has been warned for June 15 with the hope of sending the new rules to the selectboard for adoption soon after that.

But some members of Charlotte’s local cannabis control commission have made their disapproval of the state-guided process on municipal control clear from the start.

“This is Kafkaesque and represents everything that’s wrong, in my opinion, with some of the things coming out of Montpelier,” member Lewis Mudge said when a past cannabis application came before the commission for approval.

Due to these recent changes, selectboard members nixed an agenda item dedicated to discussing the previously proposed regulations at last week’s meeting.

“Once you get (agriculture),” Mudge said, shaking his head. “Smoke it if you got it.”

This year’s Chittenden County report comes as the scarcity of housing remains an often-insurmountable barrier to addressing the state’s homeless crisis. Vermont has the second lowest vacancy rate in the country, while Chittenden County is at a 20-year low of 0.4 percent, with more than half of renters paying more than one-third of their income for housing.

Because of this, the state has the second highest per-capita rate of homelessness in the country, behind only California. But at the same time, Vermont has the lowest rate of unsheltered individuals.

That may soon change, however, as a state-run motel program that currently provides shelter for 2,800 Vermonters begins to wind down this month.

Gov. Phil Scott last week

announced some people in the motel housing program would be granted a final 28-day extension — while committing to the program’s end.

Roughly 800 people lost their eligibility for motel shelter on June 1, while another 2,000 people who qualified for an extra month of housing because of their age, disability or special circumstance, will follow on July 1, as reported by VTDigger.

The Agency of Human Services, meanwhile, released a request for proposals for emergency shelter staffing and services, with the goal of providing up to 1,000 shelter beds statewide, according to VTDigger — prioritizing congregate day and overnight shelters in Washington, Rutland and Chittenden counties.

districts had to do during the pandemic — we were a branch of public health; currently, in coming out of the pandemic, and within the pandemic, we’re a branch of mental health,” Sanchez said.

“Schools serve the public good — they are designed to do a lot of different things. Now, some of those things might be out of our wheelhouse because we’re not designed for that, we didn’t go to school for that or we’re not funded for that,” he said. “But there

comes a time when if some of our students’ needs aren’t being met, we need to serve as strong advocates to those who are expected to provide those services,” he said. The strengths of this model, Davis said, is that “students and families are already connected to the schools and the school staff — there’s already a trusted relationship there. The model really builds on the strengths of those relationships and the natural connection families have with schools.”

A stunning 18-hole golf course nestled in Shelburne, Vermont!

We are hiring for the 2023 season!

“I think this is a very positive development supporting the continued use of agricultural land in Vermont for agricultural purposes.”

— John Stern

PUBLIC HEARING

Hinesburg Development Review Board

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

7:00 pm

Mark Rosolen /Clifford Collins - Subdivision revision to transfer approximately 22-acres from 92 Pioneer Road to 125 Pioneer Road. Pioneer Road is located off of Lincoln Hill Road in the Rural Residential 2 Zoning District.

The meeting will be both in person and remote. See meeting agenda on town website with details on how to participate.

Community Bankers – Chittenden County

Temporary Positions Available

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

There is no better time to join our Team!

Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

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. Consider joining our team as a Temporary Community Banker!

Relevant Skills:

• Customer Service • Cash Handling (we’ll train you!)

Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com Equal

Highway Positions Available

Highway Foreperson

This is a supervisory position that is responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the town’s highway infrastructure. A valid VT issued CDL Class A license is required. Required skills include proficient operation of a road grader, excavator, front-end loader, backhoe, and tandem plow truck. Starting pay is $32.00 - $38.00 an hour depending upon qualifications.

Highway Maintainer

This is a semi-skilled position of moderate complexity in highway maintenance and equipment operation. The Highway Maintainer II performs a wide variety of manual and automotive equipment operation tasks involved in municipal road maintenance. Work extends to responsibility for maintenance and servicing of assigned automotive equipment, requiring strong mechanical and trouble shooting skills. A valid Vermont issued Class B CDL is required. Starting pay is $22.00 - $25.00 an hour depending upon qualifications.

Both positions provide health, dental, vision and disability insurance; paid time off; pension plan; and 13 paid holidays.

A highway application can be found on the town’s website www. hinesburg.org under “employement.” Applications can be emailed to Todd Odit, Town Manager at todit@hinesburg.org.

Bottle Redemption

get rabies.The virus is spread through the bite of an infected animal or contact with its it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.

service directory

To advertise in the service directory email: Advertising@thecitizenvt.com or call 985-3091

Health & Fitness

Siding & Trim Work

Carpentry Repairs

Painting & Staining Decks & Porches Outdoor Structures

802-343-4820

www.pleasantvalleyvt.com

CORBIN

Eat and Be Hoopy!

Nutrition + Mindfulness + Hula Hooping = Parties and Events at UMall for Kids, Teens & Adults

Learn about nutrition while participating in arts, craftivities and hula hooping in a fun, supportive atmosphere! Learn more and sign up at eatandbehoopy.com

RABIES BAIT

creemees. Kids will enjoy meeting animals from Shelburne Farms, craft projects, and

The week-long bait drop is a cooperative effort between Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to stop the spread of the potentially fatal disease.

Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. It is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get rabies.The virus is spread through the bite of an infected animal or contact with its

continued from page 2 saliva. ways treatment 100 a have those animals mal an it. animals

Home Care

Experienced Caregiver

Companionship • Errands • Doctor appointments

SERVICEDIRECTORY

Experience with Alzheimer’s • Parkinson’s • Stroke

When you can’t be there I provide compassionate care for your loved one. Let’s talk. 802-922-1980

Build / Remodel

PLEASANT VALLEY, INC.

Roofing

Spring Cleanup & Mulch

Siding

Renovations

Painting Decks

802-343-4820

www.pleasantvalleyvt.com

Funeral / Cremation

CORBIN & PALMER

FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES

SHELBURNE FUNERAL CHAPEL

Family owned and operated since 1921

Pre-planning services available

209 Falls Road, Shelburne, VT (802) 985-3370

ARIES

March 21 - April 20

Being more selective can enhance your life in many different ways, Aries. You often are judged by the company you keep, so think about that when starting new relationships.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

Set up camp on the sofa for the next few days, Taurus. Enjoy the rest and relaxation. You don’t have to be productive every minute of the day so don’t feel guilty about your R&R.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

Some interesting information could be coming your way, Gemini. You just need to keep your ear to the ground and open to receive it. Others may want to get in on the news.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

Cancer, this week you may nd it easier to cut out super uous spending or extravagant behavior than at other times. You may need

to exert greater control and discipline.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

There’s a fresh cosmic wind blowing your sails, Leo. This gives you all the energy you need to tackle projects or get moving in other ways. Embrace all of this energy.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Your romantic life is about to get even more exciting, Virgo. Date nights are happening with greater frequency and you’re likely to enjoy all of the extra attention.

paths once you gure out the way.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 23 - Dec. 21

Sagittarius, the call of the wild is quite strong right now. This means you might be right at home on a hiking trip or a rafting trip. Make your plans and bring a friend.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

Capricorn, rather than being light-hearted, conversations could take a turn to the more serious, especially as they pertain to a health condition for someone you love.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

You’ll likely feel more at ease having a big group of people around you during the next few days rather than heading out alone. Put away that lone wolf mentality for now.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Ambitious career goals could have you reevaluating all of the choices you have made thus far, Scorpio. It might be time to venture off on new

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

Aquarius, don’t try to take on too many things yourself. You need to know when to ask for help this week, especially as your schedule gets even more lled up.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

This is the perfect time to get more organized, Pisces. Try to t in time to sort and clean among all the other things on your itinerary.

CLUES ACROSS

1. Sloping position

5. Descendant of a notable family

10. Following accepted norms

12. Root vegetable

14. Having a shape that reduces drag from air

16. Integrated circuit

18. Records electric currents of the heart

19. Used to anoint

20. Japanese city

22. After B

23. Muf es

25. Pass over

26. Vase

27. Soft touch

28. A baglike structure in a plant or animal

30. Patti Hearst’s captors

31. Israeli politician

33. Degrade

35. Type of wrap

37. Polyurethane fabric

CROSSWORD SUDOKU

38. Avoids capture 40. Vegetarians avoid it

41. Decay

42. Soviet Socialist Republic

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!

44. Vessel to bathe in 45. Inches per minute (abbr.)

48. Frosts

50. Dipped into

52. Controversial replay system in soccer

53. Comforts

55. Needed for yoga

56. Ands/__

57. South Dakota

58. Printing system

63. Dramatic works set to music

65. Highest points

66. Social division

67. Used to treat Parkinson’s disease

CLUES DOWN

1. Hill or rocky peak

2. Initial public offering

3. Type of light

4. Test

5. Flaky coverings

6. Former NFLer Newton

7. Part of the eye

8. Roman god of the underworld

9. Negative

10. Indiana pro basketball player

11. Replaces lost tissue

13. Denotes one from whom title is taken

15. Historic college hoops tournament

ANSWERS

17. Hut by a swimming pool

18. Defunct European monetary unit

21. Feeds on insects

23. Adult male

24. Melancholic

27. Sheets of glass

29. Slang for famous person

32. Not good

34. “Ghetto Superstar” singer

35. The “World” is one

36. Used to make guacamole

39. Midway between south and southwest

40. Wet dirt

43. Ancient Egyptian name

44. Set of four

46. Strips

47. Wife

49. More dried-up

51. Socially inept person

54. Clusters on fern fronds

59. Bar bill

Pre x indicating “away from”

Very important person

Fiddler crabs

therapy

COMMUNITY NOTES

continued from page 6

CARPENTER-CARSE

continued from page 7 features salisbury steak, gravy, home fried potatoes, spinach, wheat roll, fresh fruit salad and milk.

You must pre-register by the prior Monday with Carol Pepin, 802-425-6345 or meals@charlotteseniorcentervt.org.

The meal on Thursday, June 8 features roast pork loin, green beans, applesauce, wheat bread, birthday cake with lemon and milk.

The suggested donation is $5. Check the website for last-minute cancellations at bit.ly/3FfyLMb.

Shelburne Age Well hosts Grab and Go meal

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

The meal will be available for pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St. from 11 a.m. until noon and are available for anyone 60 or older. Suggested donation is $5.

The menu is meatloaf with brown sauce, mashed potatoes. Mixed vegetables, wheat bread, apple crisp with topping and milk.

To order a meal contact Kathleen at agewellstcath@wgmail.com or 802-503-1107. Deadline to order is Wednesday, June 7. If this is a

first-time order, provide your name, address, phone number and date of birth.

University holds RISE summit to solve problems

RISE, a new summit hosted by the University of Vermont that brings research, innovation, sustainability and entrepreneurship together to address pressing problems that communities around the country face, will be held at the university’s Davis Center on Wednesday, June 21, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Whether it’s clean water, sustainable energy, affordable housing or food production, RISE hopes to spur change for tomorrow. More at uvm.edu/rise.

Wheeler Homestead presents Bastille Day fête

The Chaine du Vermont presents Bastille Day Fête to benefit three area food shelves on July 13, 5-9 p.m. at the Wheeler Homestead at Common Roots, 1100 Dorset St., South Burlington.

Proceeds will go to support the South Burlington Food Shelf, Abenaki Food Shelf in Shelburne and Feeding Chittenden.

Tickets at bit.ly/3MysFtd.

Folk Jam with SongFarmers of Hinesburg

Thursday, June 1, 6-8 p.m.

Do you play an acoustic instrument, or do you just love to sing along to old time, blues, country and folk music? Join SongFarmers during their monthly gathering and participate in a live music offering. Free and open to the public in the library’s community room. Masks required.

Welcome baby brunch

Saturday, June 3, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Have you welcomed a baby into your family in the last year? We will have a selection of new books from the picture book collection. Meet other new parents and celebrate literacy. Snacks and entertainment.

Mystery book group: ‘By Way of Sorrow’

Wednesday, June 14, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Informal group meets on

the second Wednesday of the month. June’s pick is “By Way of Sorrow” by Robyn Gigl. Reserve a book at rachel@ carpentercarse.org.

Circle sing with

Jody Albright

Wednesday, June 14, 6:30-7:45 p.m.

A drum circle for voices, a judgment-free space to play with your voice. Join Jody Albright outdoors for this workshop. In case of rain, the program will be held in the community room. Sign up at the circulation desk or email rachel@carpentercarse.org.

Can’t make this date? There will be another circle sing on July 12 and Aug. 16.

Creative café

Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m.-noon

Adults and teens drop by for snacks, drinks and artistic community. Bring your own writing, art or craft project, find inspiration, or unwind with adult coloring books.

‘Our Better Nature’

Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Nature walk and book talk with the librarians and readers from Carpenter-Carse Library, Charlotte Library and Pierson Library for an outdoor perambulation and discussion of books on the subject of our big, beautiful world. Meet at Geprags Park in Hinesburg (554 Shelburne Falls Road) to discuss “Our Better Nature” by Curt Lindberg. Members of Hinesburg’s Conservation Commission will join the walk that features a landscape shaped by beaver activity. In the community room in the advent of rain.

Evening book group: ‘Song of Achilles’

Tuesday, June 27, 7-8 p.m. This informal group meets virtually on the last Tuesday of each month to chat about a book together. May’s pick is “Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller. Reserve a book at rachel@ carpentercarse.org.