The Citizen - 6-8-23

Mowing

Former town manager considered for TA search

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Charlotte residents received their reappraised property values two weeks ago, leaving some to question what this could mean for their impending tax bills.

Town appraiser John Kerr emphasized that the increase in property value residents are seeing — in some cases, double — does not immediately translate to the same increase in taxes. He claims the increase in value is actually a good thing.

“It works kind of in the inverse, so if your property value goes up, the tax rate actually comes down,” he explained. “And because, as the value goes up, we need less money from every resident to cover the expenses.”

surrounding the issue

been looming for months.

The selectboard has now determined it will consider hiring Charlotte resident and former Shelburne town manager Lee Krohn as a consultant for the process.

“We’ve already had the conversation with Lee Krohn. He can

do what we need to have done,” selectboard chair Jim Faulkner said. “We have not hired him. It was just a friendly conversation. He’s very interested in doing it as a consultant only.”

Krohn was hired in December 2018 as Shelburne’s town manager after a 7-month stint as interim

manager. He is formerly a senior planner at the Chittenden Regional Planning Commission, and previously spent 24 years in Manchester in a variety of roles, including interim town manager, planning

Kerr was referring to the town budget, which requires a certain amount every year to be paid from property taxes.

He said the town had done a reappraisal in 2016 and at that time had contracted for an appraisal to be done seven years later in 2023.

“You can be proactive with it

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

Fine art photographer releases first film

Documentary stands as call to preserve rural history

Jim Westphalen is up on a wintry Saturday morning, driving through Sheldon, Vermont to photograph an old 19th-century cow barn — all that’s left of a once-thriving farmland built along the old Missisquoi railroad line that was destroyed by a fire.

The camera pans over him as he sets his tripod up in the middle of a snowy expanse to capture a still image of the weather-worn building. In the freezing cold, he takes as much time gazing at the structure as he does staring through his camera lens.

This is what Westphalen has been doing for the past four years: driving endlessly to find the old

prairie churches, the paint-peeled barns, the old ranch homes with sagging porches and concaving, weather-battered roofs, and the one-room schoolhouses.

“It’s impossible not to see the beauty in decay,” he said.

Now, in his first foray into filmmaking, Westphalen, a Shelburne resident since 1996, has taken what began as a curiosity — photographing those old rural structures just off in the distance — and turned it into a call to action.

His film — “Vanish: Disappearing Icons of a Rural America” — chronicles his journey of discovery and reportage on the slow decay of America’s history. Part wistful tribute, part sobering reflection of the country’s rural past, it features beautiful, wide-an-

gle shots of rolling clouds over expansive landscapes, of wintery landscapes and thunderstorms off in the distance.

A former commercial photographer by trade, Westphalen began seeing “a disturbing trend” as his curiosity grew — the long-forgotten structures of time gone by. So, he set out to document these places, first through the still images of his camera, and then, as the vision for his self-funded documentary evolved, through stories of the families who once lived on these properties.

He hopes it serves as a call to identify and preserve these places, and to preserve local history.

“I loosely started documenting them not really intentionally knowing that, okay, this is a body

of work that I’m going to make into an entity in and of itself,” he said. “But as the body of work grew, I realized that there was a mission statement here, and there was a mission in general.”

‘That’s our rural heritage’

There were a handful of run-ins with the police during the making of the film, Westphalen says — with at least one caught on camera. It was something he had to prepare for, since what he often found himself doing was technically trespassing.

Whatever it took to get him a great shot — or, he said, one step closer to interviewing the people who could give him a glimpse into the history behind an old structure.

Westphalen’s documentary

At a glance

Jim Westphalen’s documentary, “Vanish: Disappearing Icons of a Rural America,” will screen June 17 at 7 p.m. at the Middlebury Town Hall Theatre. It is also scheduled to screen during the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, Wednesday, Aug. 23 through Sunday Aug. 27.

was originally supposed to be short — 20 minutes to a half an hour.

“But I kept on gathering more and more stories and things that I felt like I’ve got to include,” he said.

It features several interviews with current and former property owners throughout the state — the Glendale Farm in Cornwall; the Mansfield Valley Poultry Farm in Stowe; and the Myrick Farm in Bridport, for example — each sharing stories of the life and spirit that surrounded and filled the properties.

The documentary “reminds us that we’re living in a dynamic landscape and there are buildings that are here for a generation or generations which are no longer here and provide a sense of the bones in the landscape,” Thomas Denenberg, the director of the Shelburne Museum, said in the film. “This idea has a kind of ghost-like quality — we know there was a building there and know it’s gone. We

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

COURTESY PHOTOS

Left: Jim Westphalen Right: Jim Westphalen photographing an old structure. His documentary, “Vanish: Disappearing Icons of a Rural America,” is scheduled to screen during the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival.

know there’s a building that has the potential to be gone. It reminds me of the small town I grew up in (where) people always used to say, ‘Oh, you make a right turn where the barn used to be.’”

It’s hard not to feel dispirited through the film. Westphalen admits there’s “this sadness I feel, not only for yet another piece of American history that gave way to time, but for the people themselves, the people and families that built their lives around these structures, for their hopes and for their dreams.”

“I’d shake my head and wonder — am I the only one who cares about this?” he says in the film.

The film, in part, shows the decimation of the economic viability of local farming in the state and country. In 1969, there were more than 4,000 dairy farms in Vermont.

Now there are fewer than 600.

“These small family farms are sadly becoming a thing of the past,” Westphalen says in the documentary. “The simple fact is either they have to figure out innovative ways to compete with the big guys or abandon what might have been generations of farming.”

But it also features hopeful efforts to preserve this history, including the rehabilitation work of the Hathorne School in Bridport, part of the land purchased by Erin Connor and her family, who worked thousands of hours to restore the historical site that was first built in the 1860s, as well as relocate New Haven’s historic train depot.

In April, the Middlebury Town Hall Theater and Edgewater Gallery hosted the Vermont premier of the film, playing to a

sold-out house.

A second showing has since been added for June 17, and the film was selected for the Middlebury New Filmmakers Film Festival set for Aug. 23-27. Westphalen plans to continue submitting his documentary to film festivals.

His film “is not only a call to action to preserve (these buildings), but for people to kind of sit up and take notice of what we have right now. Because it’s not going to be here long.”

“That’s our history, and that’s our rural heritage as Americans, in Vermont and across the country,” he said. “Some of that is recorded, but it’s the local stuff that you lose, and the local stuff that nobody will know was ever there.”

He paused, adding, “You’ll just see an empty field and not even wonder what was there.”

FILM

continued from page 2

Above: A photo, taken by Jim Westphalen, of a barn in Orwll, Vermont.

Below: A photo, taken by Jim Westphalen, of an older structure in Bakersfield, Vermont.

Hinesburg Police Blotter: May 30-June 5

Total incidents: 41

Arrests: 1

Traffic stops: 19

May 30 at 11:40 a.m., an officer investigated suspicious circumstances on Baldwin Road.

May 30 at 5:04 p.m., an officer responded to a two-car crash on Route 116.

May 31 at 7:21 a.m., police investigated a report of suspicious circumstances on Hillview Terrace.

May 31 at 9:53 a.m., police investigated a late reported motor vehicle crash .

May 31 at 4:25 p.m., officers responded to a two-car motor vehicle crash on Richmond Road.

June 1 at 2:20 p.m,. a person was assisted with fingerprinting for employment purposes.

June 1 at 4:00 p.m., court paperwork was served on Green Street.

June 1 at 4:22 p.m., a traffic stop was conducted on Route 116. The driver, Stephen Leonard, 72, of South Burlington, was

Garage group ‘ready to rock and roll’

arrested for driving under the influence.

June 1 at 5:51 p.m., an alarm activation on Partridge Hill Road was investigated.

June 3 at 1:30 p.m., officers responded to a single-car motor vehicle crash on Route 116.

June 4 at 10:05 a.m., an officer assisted a stranded motorist on Route 116.

June 5 at 11:54 a.m., police investigated a motor vehicle complaint on CVU Road.

June 5 at 12:42 p.m., police investigated suspicious activity on Hillview Terrace.

June 5 at 12:58 p.m., police investigated a motor vehicle complaint on Route 116.

June 5 at 4:03 p.m., police investigated a fraud.

June 5 at 6:15 p.m., officers responded to Silver Street for the report of livestock in the roadway.

Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney Office and can be amended or dropped.

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Tentative trial date set in cyclist death case Court discovery proceeds as court sets September deadline

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

A tentative trial date has been set for September in the case of Richard K. Lewis, who was arrested by South Burlington police in February after he allegedly hit a cyclist with his car.

Lewis, 69, of Hinesburg, pleaded not guilty in April to a charge of grossly negligent operation with death resulting. He was released following his arraignment on April 6 under the condition that he does not operate a motor vehicle.

and

Last October, South Burlington police officers responded to the scene near 1410 Hinesburg Rd., where they found Gerard Malavenda, a cyclist from Williston, “breathing, but not speaking,” according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Malavenda had been on his bicycle on the side of the road when, according to court documents, Lewis allegedly struck him with his car.

Neither Lewis nor his attorney, Brooks MacArthur, have responded to messages seeking comment.

Lewis’s case is expected to be trial-ready by Sept. 15, according to court documents signed

by Superior Court Judge Alison Sheppard Arms. However, the case could be postponed if lawyers for either side file motions to extend the discovery phase.

The state’s and the defense’s witness lists are scheduled to be provided to the court later this month, and depositions are to be completed by the end of July.

According to the affidavit, Lewis, at the time of the incident, had been driving his GMC truck southbound on Hinesburg Road in South Burlington to visit his son. He later told police in an interview that he recalled slowing down after seeing Malavenda straddling his bike, which was perpendicular to the roadway on the west side of the road.

Malavenda’s bike was found with damage to its rear tire, but no damage to the frame or handlebars. There were no witnesses to the crash.

Police say that, after the crash, Lewis stopped his car and asked a nearby resident to call 911. Malavenda was taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center’s emergency department, where he later died.

The Vermont State Police investigation of the crash showed

Lewis’ car had veered nearly three feet over the white fog line into the southbound shoulder where Malavenda was with his bike.

Speed was not a contributing factor in the crash “but rather a lane deviation possibly due to an inattentive operator,” the state police crash report reads.

Police, in their affidavit, said Lewis “failed to exercise ordinary care by not only failing to avoid a bicyclist on the shoulder of a public highway ... but in fact driving more than two feet to the right of the fog line and striking the bicyclist.”

Malavenda had been wearing a neon shirt and neon shoe covers when he was hit, just after noon on Oct. 15, 2022, police said.

Officers who spoke with Lewis at the scene noted that his call and missed call history folders were both empty; police later seized his phone and determined his cellphone had been connected to the vehicle’s Bluetooth system minutes before the crash occurred, according to court documents.

Police later sent a subpoena to AT&T, but the company told him that there were no records of phone calls or text messages available made between 11:51 a.m. and 1 p.m. that day.

PHOTO BY LIBERTY DARR

open house for the new, long-awaited Charlotte town garage was held on Saturday, giving residents a glimpse into the process thus far. Project manager John Kerr anticipates that the project could be done by Labor Day with a drop-dead date of October 15. Kerr says the project is at the stage where its “ready to rock and roll.” All the electrical, drainage and septic systems are complete, which Kerr said was made possible due to the mild winter. Harrison Concrete plans to lay the concrete slab as soon as this week.

New Hinesburg zoning regs for ‘RR1’ district under review

Property owners say regs would devalue their property

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

New zoning designations being considered in Hinesburg would split one of Hinesburg’s larger areas into three separate districts — segmenting an area of town that officials say takes a one-sized approach to zoning — but has drawn concerns from larger landowners in the area who say the new regulations could potentially devalue their properties.

The rezoning proposal for the “Rural Residential 1 Zoning” district — an area extending from the village growth area to the town’s northern border near Mount Pritchard — would establish three new districts “with different priorities and development potential,” Alex Weinhagen, Hinesburg’s town planner, said.

“The principal intent and the rationale for even looking at this in the first place comes from the town plan — there’s been an action item in the plan for a number of years to take a look at the zoning district,” he said. “This district looks a little bit disparate and seems to be taking a one-size-fitsall approach to areas that don’t really look the same or function the same: highly developed areas along Richmond Road versus very rural areas with almost no development on the northern part of the district.”

The rezoning plan has been in the works since at least 2021. A public hearing on the proposed changes has been scheduled for June 14.

The town for decades has worked to concentrate housing and mixed-use development growth in its town village — 40 square miles of land off Route 116, wedged between the LaPlatte River and Patrick Brook. In the next six to 10 years, more than 400 units of residential housing are set either for approval or construction in the area.

But above that area lies the RR1 district — one of four current zoning districts in Hinesburg that include the village growth area, the RR2 district to the east of Route 116, and the town’s agricultural district to the west of Route 116.

Under the plan, the RR1 district would be sectioned off three ways: the Richmond Road corridor, an area just above the village growth area that is served by municipal water and sewer, would be changed to the “Residential 3” district.

The “Residential 4” district would then extend just above that and would provide for “a transitional zoning district between the village growth area and these more rural districts,” Weinhagen said.

“Really what the current RR1 district itself has served over many decades is sort of a transition area, and so this is just putting a finer point on it,” he added.

But the “greatest distinction” is the newly proposed Rural 1 district — which would encompass large portions of land to the north and east of Hinesburg’s downtown.

Limitations on subdivision and densi-

ty requirements in this new zoning district would mirror the town’s RR2 and Agricultural districts. The purpose of this, Weinhagen said, is to provide more ecosystem and resource protections.

“The priority for that district is not housing. The priority for that district is to... try to limit the impacts on the natural landscape,” he said. “There is still development potential that’s retained and allowed in that rural one district. But it’s far less than what would be allowed in the residential three district, for example, and, frankly, quite a bit less than what would be allowed in the residential four district as proposed.”

But drawing concern from property owners living in the Rural 1 district are provisions that would increase the size of acreage required to subdivide. Current regulations allow for 3-acre zoning, but under the proposed Rural 1 district, properties that are under 12 acres would not have any subdivision potential.

“My opinion is they’re just trying to tighten that up, so it makes it even more difficult for landowners to develop land,” said Tony St. Hilaire, a property owner with a large parcel of land in what would be the rural 1 district. “We bought the property 20 years ago with three-acre zoning. Now they’re changing it and putting more restrictive rules on it.”

St. Hilaire, who owns more than 40 acres of property in the area, is one of more than a dozen other property owners in the area who have voiced concerns.

“To me, they’re trying to take away value from our property,” he continued. “All it’s doing is making it harder and harder for a landowner. A grandfather clause or something like that, that would protect us... (but) they have no interest in that.”

Shane Bissonette, the co-owner of Bissonette Properties and Al’s French Frys in South Burlington, owns two homes in Hinesburg that would fall in the new rural 1 district— 26 acres total between the two abutting properties — and resides in one of them.

He said that, under the current zoning, he could build “a potential of maybe six houses” on the property, but with the proposed zoning changes, it would cut that down to one or two houses.

“It’s a lot of value lost,” Bissonnette said, something that “the town has just decided that they can take away from me.”

“The folks that have a family farm, that’s a large piece of acreage that’s been in the family for generations... They’re losing the ability to do anything with that land,” he said, adding the town is “basically going to nullify their ability to have any sort of economic value there with that land.”

Weinhagen has said the questions raised are “certainly valid concerns, and the planning commission has been listening to them.”

“The proposal tries to take that into

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Impeachment committee, don’t act behind closed doors

Guest Perspective

Matthew B. Byrne

Editor’s note: Matthew Byrne, a lawyer from the firm of Gravel & Shea representing the Vermont Press Association, wrote a letter to the lawmakers heading up the Legislature’s Special Committee on Impeachment Inquiry, Rep. Martin LaLonde, D-Montpelier, and Rep. Michael McCarthy, D-St. Albans. The committee was was established last month to determine whether or not to impeach two of Franklin County’s top elected law enforcement officials — state’s attorney John Lavoie and sheriff John Grinsmore. Here is Byrne’s letter, in full.

Dear Rep. Lalonde and Rep. McCarthy:

One of the most important Constitutional issues that the General Assembly can decide is whether to impeach an independently elected official. Because of the nature of this responsibility, every step of the process should be open and transparent.

On behalf of the Vermont Press Association and its statewide membership, I am writing you today to please reconsider your decision to provide possible sweeping secrecy as your committee investigates if an impeachment proceeding should be undertaken. The Committee adopted its proposed secrecy rules without a chance for public comment at a

hearing as requested by the VPA before your first meeting. Most of your adopted rules would never pass muster in Vermont courts. Witnesses, even child victims in sex crimes, testify in open court.

In a democracy, the public are the ultimate authority. The Vermont Constitution recognizes both the people’s central role and the need of the General Assembly to conduct its business in the open. Our Constitution recognizes that the people are the ultimate holders of governmental power.

Chapter I, Article 6 says: “That all power being originally inherent in and (consequently) derived from the people, therefore, all officers of government, whether legislative or executive, are their trustees and servants; and at all times, in a legal way, accountable to them.”

The General Assembly can only be accountable to the people if the General Assembly’s actions are public. There is not only a long tradition of requiring the General Assembly to conduct its business in the open, but the Constitution explicitly requires it. Chapter II, Section 8 says, “The doors of the House in which the General Assembly of this Commonwealth shall sit, shall be open for the admission of all persons who behave decently, except only when the welfare of the State may require them to be shut.”

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution also provides strong protection for open proceedings in criminal and

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civil court. In Richmond Newspapers, Inc. v. Virginia, the United States Supreme Court held that: “Plainly it would be difficult to single out any aspect of government of higher concern and importance to the people than the manner in which criminal trials are conducted; as we have shown, recognition of this pervades the centuries-old history of open trials and the opinions of this Court.”

448 U.S. 555, 575 (1980).

The Court recognized that “in guaranteeing freedoms such as those of speech and press, the First Amendment can be read as protecting the right of everyone to attend trials so as to give meaning to those explicit guarantees.” Id. Criminal trials are not private: “A trial is a public event. What transpires in the court room is public property…Those who see and hear what transpired can report it with impunity.” Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn, 420 U.S. 469, 492-93 (1975) quoting Craig v. Harney, 331 U.S. 367, 374 (1947).

The United States Supreme Court extended the holding of Richmond Newspapers to criminal pretrial proceedings in Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court, 478 U.S. 1, 13 (1986).

The Court held that these proceedings could only be closed in narrow circumstances. Id. “Since a qualified First Amendment right of access attaches to preliminary hearings in California, the proceedings cannot be closed unless specific, on the record findings are made demonstrating that ‘closure is essential to preserve higher values and is narrowly tailored to serve that interest.’” Id. at 13-14 (citations omitted) The interests of witnesses was one of the arguments in favor of closing the hearings that the Court rejected.

The First Amendment also extends that openness to civil judicial proceedings. “It is well established that the public and the press have a ‘qualified First Amendment right to attend judicial proceed-

ZONING continued from page 5

consideration,” he said, adding that development potential still exists for owners of larger parcels in the rural 1 district.

“I don’t think anybody wants to sugarcoat that … We want to be honest about the fact that that is a substantial change,” he said.

ings and to access certain judicial documents.’” Lugosch v. Pyramid Co. of Onondaga, 435 F.3d 110, 120 (2d Cir. 2006) (citation omitted); see also Hartford Courant Co. v. Pellegrino, 380 F.3d 83, 91 (2d Cir. 2004) (qualified First Amendment right to docket sheets). “Judicial documents” include not just the opinion of the court, but documents that the court considers in reaching its decision. In Lugosch, the issue involved summary judgment briefing. 435 F.3d at 120-21. The Second Circuit held that the First Amendment right of access attached to those documents.

“Our precedents indicate that documents submitted to a court for its consideration in a summary judgment motion are—as a matter of law—judicial documents to which a strong presumption of access attaches, under both the common law and the First Amendment.” Id. at 121.

That reasons that the Committee has given to close its proceedings do not hold up to scrutiny. In our judicial system, witnesses are asked to testify routinely in criminal trials, civil trials, and various pre-trial proceedings. Rather than conceal testimony, the courts have long supported the use of cross examination to promote truthful testimony. Indeed, the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the rights of a criminal defendant to confront his or her accuser(s).

Likewise, the concern for retaliation against witnesses is unfounded. Significant protections already exist under the law to protect witnesses from intimidation or retaliation. See, e.g., 13 V.S.A. § 3015. If the General Assembly felt that these protections were insufficient, it could have and should have enacted

stronger protections like a whistleblower protection law.

What is equally concerning is that the “Special Committee on Impeachment” is attempting to give itself limitless power to exclude the public and press based on vague and unreviewable bases. For example, the Committee is apparently giving itself the authority to make things secret when it is “otherwise necessary to enable the Special Committee to conduct its inquiries.”

With respect, this savings clause grants the Committee an excessive amount of discretion to close its proceedings for little or no reason. Moreover, the Committee has no requirement to record the reasons for concealing witness testimony or its deliberations, effectively insulating itself from any sort of accountability for its investigatory conduct. Prosecutors in the judicial system are accountable to the Judiciary for their conduct even in the investigatory stage of a case.

We appreciate the Committee’s commitment that it “will conduct our work in open session whenever possible.” In addition, the press appreciates your commitment that “The Final Report of the Special Committee on Impeachment Inquiry will be available to the public. Any evidence presented to the House, in the event that Articles of Impeachment are recommended by the Special Committee, would also be public, as well as the testimony and evidence in any trial in the Senate.”

However, that disclosure comes too late to ensure that the General Assembly is doing its job. The deliberations of the Committee and all evidence given to the Committee should be available for public review immediately.

“But I think what we heard from landowners was that very few, if any, are seeking to build out to those theoretical densities under the current zoning. And that the densities we’re proposing will still allow them a reasonable amount of development potential for

the future.”

The planning commission, after its public hearing June 14, will decide whether to make additional changes or not, and will then send those changes to the selectboard — who will repeat the process before final approval.

The deliberations of the Committee and all evidence given to the Committee should be available for public review immediately.

Costly approach: Arrogant supermajority in the Legislature

Guest Perspective

John LaBarge

I grew up in Burlington as a third-generation Vermonter. I became aware of politics at an early stage in my life and I served in the Legislature for 10 years. During my tenure I was minority whip for four years and majority leader for two years before retiring my seat.

I can honestly say the supermajority currently in Montpelier is by far the most arrogant group of elected officials I have ever seen. They have made it clear that they

are not there to listen to Vermont residents; they are not there to help the lower- and middle-income Vermonters or seniors on fixed incomes. They are not there to try to make Vermont affordable for everyone.

It’s clearly obvious they are there to pass their big-government, cradle-to-grave agenda for the special interest groups that provide them with funding and political power and to hell with anyone else.

They passed a free school lunch program that provides free breakfast and lunch to all students, even though many parents can afford to pay for their children’s meals. They say free lunches for all won’t cost taxpayers

Strange bedfellows: Ben Cohen and Marjorie Taylor Greene

Guest Perspective

David Kelley

The first day of school, my history teacher in eighth grade made us write, “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.” Today I’m amazed at how many people weren’t paying attention in history class.

Not since 1939 has the world faced a crisis of greater moral clarity than Russia’s assault on Ukraine. Nevertheless, as in 1939, there is a new chorus of isolationist voices railing against military support for the Ukrainian people. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump and their erstwhile cheerleader, Tucker Carlson, are all banging the America First drum again.

By donating $1 million to a group that is urging an end to U.S. military support for Ukraine, Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry’s fame joined the chorus of those foreign policy luminaries.

America’s new isolationists blame Putin’s war on NATO expansion. In fact, Putin has never seen NATO as a threat. In May 2002 Putin himself said Ukraine was entitled to decide, on its own, whether to join NATO, and that he did not see such a decision as one that would “cloud” RussianUkrainian relations. In fact, at one time, Putin talked about Russia joining NATO. Like most murderous dictators, what Putin fears is democracy, not NATO.

This is Putin’s path to Feb. 24, 2022: After the chaos that followed the end of the Cold War, Putin rose to power in a democratic election and then he, and a group of rapacious oligarchs, proceeded to dismantle Russia’s fledgling democracy and divvy up the spoils. In 2011 the Arab Spring gave Putin nightmares. Muammar Gaddafi’s gruesome death was televised worldwide. For Putin it was a chilling reminder of how dictators who ride on the back of tigers can wind up inside.

When the Arab Spring spread to Syria, Putin decided it was time to put his jackbooted foot down. He pulled Assad’s bacon out of the fire and then proceeded to crush the revolt. The U.S. did almost nothing in response, except to tell Putin we were drawing a “red line” if chemical weapons were used. But when chemical weapons were

used, the Obama administration — and the rest of the world for that matter — did nothing.

In 2013, the Maidan Revolution broke out in Ukraine. The flames of freedom and democracy began lapping at Putin’s doorsteps. With emerging internal opposition from people like Victor Navalny, Putin felt own hold on power was weakening.

Even though Russia, in exchange for Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons, had guaranteed Ukraine’s territorial integrity, Putin illegally annexed Crimea. A few months later he occupied the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Again, the U.S. and the world responded by doing nothing.

We have been here before. Like Putin, after the chaos that followed World War I, Hitler rose to power in a democratic election and then proceeded to dismantle Germany’s embryonic democracy. In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria. As with Crimea, the world stood by and did nothing.

A few months later Hitler seized the Sudetenland. As with Luhansk and Donetsk, the world did nothing. When war broke out with France and England, Joe Kennedy, Charles Lindbergh and other America Firsters did their best to persuade Americans that Hitler wasn’t our problem.

We can wash our hands of Ukraine today, as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ben Cohen would have us do, and signal Putin and other murderous regimes that they have license to crush their neighbors — with consequences like the mass graves in Bucha and Izium.

Or we can stand firm with Ukraine and send Putin back to Moscow.

Our choice will shape the lives of millions in Ukraine and echo around the world: In Moldova and Georgia, fragile democracies, where Putin has already begun to meddle; in Taiwan under Xi Jinping’s dark shadow; and in the Korean Peninsula where Kim Jong Un lurks with nuclear weapons.

Much is at stake. We dare not forget history.

David Kelley is co-founder of PH International, a former visiting scholar at Harvard University’s Russian Research Center and the author of numerous books and articles about Russia.

that much, though.

They passed a family leave act that will require funding from now on, but it will tax employers and employees only a small amount. It won’t cost much.

They passed $20 million in new transportation fees, even though the agency did not request fee increases, and as of this March, the state revenue report shows the transportation fund is 23.1 percent higher than last year at this time. So why do we need a fee increase? Don’t worry, it won’t cost Vermonters much.

Now they have overridden Gov. Scott’s veto of S.5, the Affordable (wink-wink) Heat Act that will cost Vermonters higher fuel cost and personal expenditures of large amounts to comply with the bill. It requires large programs to fund, more full-time state employees, more oversight committees and the expenses they are paid.

They are so arrogant that the Speaker of the House’s chief of staff just said in an interview with VTDigger, “The House will override the veto, full stop. There’s not a question in my mind.” Translated, this means the supermajority will all fall in line and vote lockstep to override.

The heck with their constituents; it

won’t cost them much and it’s for their own good.

The kicker is now the supermajority has approved a major legislative pay increase that will include a stipend during the months they are not in session, along with benefits. Full-time professional Legislature, here we come. Don’t worry, though, it won’t cost Vermonter taxpayers much. Besides, it will be worth it to have us here all year and well paid.

Vermont voters need to wake up, and fast. We can’t afford these arrogant people who have taken over our state capital and call themselves representatives. Who are they representing?

The supermajority listens to no one other than special interest groups and their lobbyists. They negotiate with no one and ignore a governor elected by nearly 70 percent of Vermonters, treating him like he is just an irritating rash.

This arrogant we-know-best attitude that has now consumed the Legislature is by far the worst in Vermont’s history and will sadly remain if Vermont voters continue to vote the way they have.

John LaBarge is a former Republican state legislator who lives in Grand Isle.

They negotiate with no one and ignore a governor elected by nearly 70 percent of Vermonters, treating him like he is just an irritating rash.

Community Notes

Friends of Carpenter-Carse collect books for annual 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 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.

Bread and Butter Farm hosts model boat memorial

A pop-up exhibit featuring hand-made wooden model boats will honor their inventor.

The exhibit, June 24-25 at Bread and Butter Farm in Shelburne, celebrates the creative life of former Hinesburg resident Jerry DeGraff. It runs from 9-5 each day.

DeGraff grew up in Essex Junction, served four years in the Navy and then spent almost 40 years in the local building trades. It was there that his craftsmanship and attention to detail developed.

DeGraff created scale model wooden boats for nearly 25 years, most of them replicas of existing boats. Each was built from scratch, most often with nothing more than a photo as reference. They were meticulously constructed board by board from carving a hull to the final details. The serial numbers on them usually represented the date that it was completed.

DeGraff spent many creative hours on each boat and was proud of every one of them. He exhibited them a few times, gave some to family members and sold several of them. His hope was that whoever received one enjoyed it as much as he enjoyed making it.

Enjoy Age Well meals at Charlotte Senior Center

The Age Well meal pickup for Thursday, June 8, is from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Charlotte Senior Center features roast pork loin, green beans, applesauce, wheat bread, birthday cake with lemon 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 15, will have meatloaf with brown sauce, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, wheat bread, apple crisp with topping and milk.

The meal on Thursday, June 22, features

Italian chicken breast, duck sauce, rice and vegetables, broccoli florets, wheat bread, strawberry shortcake with cream and milk. The suggested donation is $5. Check the website for last-minute cancellations at bit. ly/3FfyLMb.

Clemmons Family Farm awarded Women’s Fund grant

The Clemmons Family Farm of Charlotte was awarded $10,000 from the Vermont Women’s Fund, a component fund of the Vermont Community Foundation dedicated to women and girls, which last week announced the recipients of its 2023 annual grant round.

The Clemmons Family Farm honors the lives of Jackson and Lydia Clemmons, who owned the farm from 1962 until this year, when it began transitioning to showcase of African American history, culture, arts and sciences. According to its website, it was one of only 17 farms in Vermont — out of

7,000 — owned by African Americans. The Vermont Women’s Fund awarded a total of $412,135 this year, which it says is the largest amount ever distributed by the fund.

“The Vermont Women’s Fund Council applauds the work of these individual nonprofit organizations, with the intent that the cumulative impact of these grants creates opportunities for Vermont’s women and girls so they can rise and thrive,” Meg Smith, director of the fund, said.

Abenaki Heritage Weekend at Champlain Maritime Museum

Join Vermont’s Native American community for Abenaki Heritage Weekend and Arts Marketplace on June 17-18 at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, located at 4472 Basin Harbor Rd., to explore Abena-

COURTESY PHOTO

Shelburne Museum presents its major summer exhibition, “Built from the Earth: Pueblo Pottery” from the Anthony and Teressa Perry Collection. This exhibition highlights significant items from the Perry collection of Native American art, offering an exploration of the masterworks of Pueblo pottery. The exhibition will be on view through Oct. 22. Above, Pottery featured in the new Shelburne Museum exhibit.

Pueblo pottery populates new museum exhibit

TOWN MANGER

continued from page 1

director, zoning administrator, tree warden and E911 coordinator.

As Faulkner sees it, the town has three “buckets” before them which must be decided on well before Charlotte’s current town administrator, Dean Bloch, vacates the position on Oct. 31.

“One bucket is a job description for an administrator, and the next one is a bucket that has information related to a town manager,” Faulkner said. “And the third bucket was to include what the state statute says. So what we do is we have three different items we’re working on.”

Faulkner said that, over the last week, he has been conversing with Krohn about the possibility of him taking care of those three items, melding them together and presenting the findings to the public and selectboard.

The item will be discussed at the June 12 selectboard meeting, where a proposal from Krohn will be presented, along with ideas where the selectboard plans to find the money in the budget to pay Krohn, should the decision be finalized.

Some residents expressed that managing the three “buckets” really isn’t a task that’s difficult, and the whole process should now move past “needing more information” since this is the second special meeting the selectboard has had to discuss the matter.

“I’m not sure what your scope of work is that you’re going to assign as a consultant to Lee Krohn, but it’s all there,” Peter Richardson said. “It’s all in black and white. You guys are making problems where they don’t exist. You’re bringing questions into a context that is much clearer than you’re giving credit for.”

After some back and forth, Faulkner let out an exasperated plea.

“Honest to God,” he said. “We’re working on solving the problem. Can there be some way we can get along in this process?”

Another resident, Ruth Uphold, said the performance of the selectboard in the last

COMMUNITY NOTES

continued from page 8

ki perspectives on life in the Champlain Valley. Activities include storytelling, craft demonstrations, drumming, singing, and more. Bring a picnic basket and lunch while you listen. Presented by Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, this event brings together citizens of the Elnu, Nulhegan, Koasek, and Missisquoi Abenaki Tribes. For access questions, contact Elisa programassociate@abenakiart.org or (802) 265-0092.

Fires, swimming prohibited at fishing access areas

With the beginning of summer and anglers fishing from shore, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department reminds people that open fires and swimming are prohibited at all Vermont state fishing access areas.

Open fires and their remnants create unsafe areas for other anglers and boaters to use and enjoy and are unhealthy for the animals and fish that live in the adjacent waters. Fish and Wildlife cleans up the toxic waste left by open fires on state lands annually at considerable expense.

year wasn’t “stellar.”

“It was the back and forth on the (town) garage. There was the Town Meeting that was canceled despite the majority of amount of towns successfully holding theirs. And there was the failed budget,” she said. “I think something needs to change going forward, and that means a town manager.”

Uphold added, “Should you elect to take this step, I would view it as you (the selectboard) taking responsibility for the missteps of last year and making a commitment to better going forward.”

Faulkner replied, “Thanks for the comments.”

Members of the ad hoc group circulating the petition for the switch that sparked the conversation has said all along that the goal is not to usurp power from the selectboard or offer criticisms about their performance, but to instead take the opportunity to reexamine the efficiency of the town’s current form of government.

“This is a great time to think about, do we want to go on the same path?” resident Peter Joslin, a member of the group, told the selectboard. “It’s not a question of being critical about you. I’m really saying, is it working for you the way it is now?”

For now, the group has agreed not to bring the petition — which has garnered more than 200 votes — before the town clerk to force a vote, opting instead to work in conjunction with the selectboard to inform the public and determine the best way forward.

However, if the selectboard does ultimately decide to continue on a town administrator form of government, board member Lewis Mudge questioned, “Are you going to put this to a vote no matter what?”

Lane Morrision, a member of the group, said, “Let’s not answer that right now. Let’s see what the progress is. We don’t want to make that threat. Hopefully we all can work together on this.”

Swimming at fishing access areas is prohibited because the primary uses of the fishing access areas are for launching and retrieving motorboats and for shore fishing.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department maintains 203 developed fishing access areas on lakes and rivers throughout the state. The access areas were purchased and are maintained with funds derived from the sale of fishing licenses and motorboat registrations, as well as a federal excise tax on fishing equipment, fishing tackle and gasoline for motorboats.

Other prohibited uses of fishing access areas include littering, camping, picnicking, parking of vehicles not related to priority uses, and commercial activity.

“Vermont State Game Wardens will be strictly enforcing the rules at state fishing access areas this summer,” said Col. Justin Stedman, Vermont’s Chief Game Warden.

“Please help keep our lands clean and open for others to enjoy, and report violations to your local warden or use the anonymous Operation Game Thief online report form on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website at tinyurl.com/yxv8x7tk.

Packing materials can be made from Vermont’s bountiful softwoods

Connect the Dots

Jane Dorney

As soon as I opened my car door, I could hear rushing water. The sound drew me through the wooded ravine, getting louder and louder until I could finally see the water racing and tumbling down its rocky course. The brook drops 300 feet in elevation in a little over a mile, and the energy in the falling water had powered a string of mills that had operated for more than a century in this Chittenden County town.

Jane Dorney

I had come to see what remained of those mills, and especially one of a type I’d never seen before — an excelsior mill built in the 1870s.

As I stood at the top of the steep bank, I could see a long stretch of the valley below

me crisscrossed with stonework. I tried to match what I was seeing on the ground to what my historic maps and photos were showing had once been there. Far upstream I could see a partially breached stone dam crossing the brook, and further downstream were the remains of two other dams.

I was also able to match three rectangular stone foundations on one side of the brook with the sites of an old woolen mill, sawmill and gristmill shown on an old map. These mills would have been kept humming by the local 19th-century farmers, as they brought their wool, logs and grain in to be processed by the water-powered machinery in these buildings.

The excelsior mill had been downstream

PHOTO BY JANE DORNEY

Two basswood trees before leaf-out near the site of the 19-century excelsior mill. If you look closely, you can see several holes in the trunks made by animals.

Redhawk girls second in state track meet

LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Harper Danforth came in first place in the javelin and the Champlain Valley girls track and field team earned a second place finish at the Division I Vermont state championships on Saturday.

Danforth won the individual title in the javelin and teammate Kate Bostwick was sixth in the same event.

Amelie Scharf came in second in the 200-meter race, while Grace McNally finished in second place in the 800-meter race and third in the 400-meter race.

Estella Laird came in second place in the 3000-meter race and third in the 1500meter race, while Alice Kredell was second in the 1500 and third in the 3000. Maddie Connery also finished in the top six in the 1500-meter race, coming in sixth.

Isabella Gravina-Bidis was fourth in the high jump, Amelia Novak was sixth in the long jump and Zoe Jenkins-Mui and Kate Kogut tied for fourth in the pole vault.

Boys’ track and field

The Champlain Valley boys team came in sixth place overall, paced by Matthew Servin and Avery Rogers’ performances. Servin won the individual title in the 1,500-meter race and came in second place in the 800-meter race.

Rogers won the title by coming in first in the long jump and then finished fourth in the 100-meter dash.

Jack Crum also had two top six finishes, coming in fourth place in the 3000-meter race and sixth in the 1500-meter race. Anders Johnson rounded out the top CVU finishes with a sixth place performance in the pole vault.

For CVU, trio of teams advances in playoffs

Chris Robinson got the win for the Redhawks on the mound, pitching five innings and allowing three runs and striking out four batters.

Girls’ lacrosse

No. 2 Champlain Valley 12, No. 3 South Burlington 11: Dicey Manning struck for the game winner with just one minute remaining to lift the Champlain Valley girls’ lacrosse team to a win over South Burlington in the Division I semifinals.

CVU held a slight two-goal lead when the two teams returned from a weather delay with 3 minutes, 41 seconds remaining in regulation. The Wolves responded with two quick goals to tie the game.

CVU softball, boys’ tennis teams out of postseason

LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Boys’ lacrosse

No. 3 Middlebury 9, No. 2 Champlain Valley 5: For the first time nearly a decade the Division I boys’ lacrosse final game will not feature Champlain Valley.

The nine-time defending champs were eliminated from the D-I tournament on Tuesday, falling to Middlebury in the D-I semifinals.

Connor Malaney was the top scorer for the Redhawks, netting two goals and one

assist. Jacob Bose added one goal and two assists, while Max Brumsted and Jacob Whitcomb each chipped in a goal.

Harper Anderson stopped 12 shots in a losing effort for CVU, who finished the season with a 13-4 record.

Softball

No. 6 Colchester 13, No. 11 Champlain Valley 1: Juliette Chant gave up 13 runs on 17 hits to take the loss and Champlain Valley fell to Colchester in the

Manning then responded with her fourth goal of the game to give the Redhawks the 12-11 lead and the CVU defense held off South Burlington to secure the win.

Amelie Scharf scored four goals to pace the CVU offense, while Bibi Frechette tallied twice. Tess Everett and Emerson Rice each scored a goal, while Clare Stackpole-McGrath stopped eight shots on goal to get the win. With the win, the Redhawks advanced to the Division I title game for the first time since 2018. CVU will take on top-seed Burr and Burton, which handed the Redhawks one of their two losses in the regular season.

Baseball

No. 1 Champlain Valley 6, No. 5 Mount Mansfield 3: Top-seeded Champlain Valley advanced to the Division I state championship with a win over Mount Mansfield on Tuesday in the semifinals.

Stephen Rickert went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI for CVU, while Zach Santos drove in a run. Robbie Fragola was 4-for-4 with two doubles and Aaron LaRose got the save after not allowing a hit over two innings.

Champlain Valley will now face No. 3 Mount Anthony in the final. The two teams did not meet in the regular season but will face off at Centennial Field at a date and time to be named later.

Girls’ tennis

No 4 Champlain Valley 4, No. 1 Burlington 3: The Champlain Valley girls’ tennis team pulled off an upset on Tuesday, beating previously undefeated Burlington in the Division I semifinals. CVU was trailing 3-0 but came back to win the next four matches and take the win.

The Redhawks’ doubles teams started the comeback, with Addie Maurer and Ariel Toohey winning the first match 6-1, 6-0 and then Eliza Willoughby and Victoria Chyra pulled off a 7-5, 6-7, 10-5 win in the second match.

Anna Dauerman won the No. 1 singles match 6-4, 7-6 to tie the match up, then Erin Fina completed the comeback with a 5-7, 6-4, 10-5 win in No. 5 singles. CVU will now move on to face No. 2 Stowe in the D-I state championship. Stowe and CVU split the two matches during the regular season.

PHOTO BY AL FREY CVU’s sprint relay team in action during Saturday’s state championship.

Killeen Crossroads Farm focuses on bringing people together

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

“Do you have any eggs today, Breana?”

This is a question that Breana Killeen, co-owner and operator of Killeen Crossroads Farm, is asked on a regular basis.

On any given day of the week, the one-and-a-half-acre farm located at the bustling corner of Cheesefactory Road and Dorset Street in Shelburne can be seen lined with cars as residents funnel in and out of the farmstand for a dozen farm fresh eggs, a CSA share or other locally made goods.

“We also do flowers and meat,” Killeen said. “We beef one or two cows a year. Then we do poultry, so we have 150 egg layers. We also do Cornish hens, which are basically young chickens. And, I just counted this morning, we have 40 CSA shares.”

To honor her Chinese roots, Breana explained that in addition to growing vegetables like peppers and tomatoes, the farm also grows a slew of Asian vegetables like Carlton, Koji, and Asian eggplant.

“There are a few local Asian markets, but they all get their produce from Boston; They drive it up every day,” she said.

Surprisingly, when she moved to Vermont ten years ago to be a food editor and test kitchen manager for Eating Well magazine, owning a farm was never in the playing cards. But, when she met her husband, Kieran Killeen, who passed the property where the farm now sits on his way to work at the University of Vermont every day, the duo immediately saw the potential.

However, like any great story, the onslaught of a worldwide, catastrophic pandemic stopped them dead in their tracks.

“We had been looking for years for something that was a little different,” Killeen said. “We didn’t just want to live in a neighborhood and (this property) came up. That was in August of 2019. And all of a sudden, the pandemic hits and the world’s ending, and we’re like, ‘What do we do now?’ I’m a public health dietician by training. All I really want to do is feed people.”

She explained that her background with Eating Well allowed her to master sharing information about how to eat better by creating specialized recipes and facilitating tons of cooking classes, but farming was one piece of the puzzle she had never tried.

“I grew up in North Carolina and I had 18 chickens and a garden that was about an eighth of an acre, but I never did it on a scale of this capacity,” she said. “But we now had this lovely piece of land on this corner and we thought, you know what? Let’s, give it a go.”

The first step was hiring a crew that could help execute the vision that both Breana and Kieran had. The couple put out their first job description in the fall of 2020 and began interviewing people from all over the world: Hawaii, California, and Boston. But, it turns out the perfect person for the job was right in their backyard — 25-year-old University of Vermont graduate, Kara Winslow.

“Kara actually applied for the assistant position,” Killeen said. “And both Kieran and I decided that we were going to ask Kara to take the farm manager job because we wanted somebody that would grow with us, and we needed somebody that had the

foresight to be able to say, ‘OK, it’s not all in place right now. Yes, it’s going to be hard, but we’ll figure it out.’”

“(Kara) has a touch of the same kind of crazy as we do,” she continued.

Winslow explained that she had no real farming experience before going to college, but soon after her time at the University of Vermont, she fell in love with agriculture.

“I worked on small farms around Vermont and learned and did things there. Then I went into the wine industry, and I farmed there and I did love that,” she explained. “But during that time, they were doing a hoop house project and they put me in charge of it and I just fell in love with vegetables.”

“I feel like a mad woman every single day because I love what I do,” she continued.

Zoe Nicholson, who moved to Vermont in 2016 to attend Champlain College, joined the team a few months later as the assistant farm manager and now runs the flower production.

“We’re really like partners in crime,” Winslow said.

Although Breana and Kieran — who has a degree in city and regional planning — had concrete plans for how the farm should look and operate, she said, “We told Kara, this is yours to do with whatever, obviously yes, we’re going to dictate a little bit of what we want to grow, but not really. Honestly, we can’t do this without Kara and Zoe.”

Adventure Dinners

On top of the everyday duties, the farm has partnered with Adventure Dinner — a collaborative event company that hosts unique food and drink experiences in unexpected places — to bring guests on a journey through the innovative and sustainable agricultural practices the Killeens use in farming.

Chef James Kitchens with Adventure Dinner, alongside Chef Breana, host a fourcourse ode to their resective heritages using the Asian vegetables, eggs, and chickens

raised on the farm.

“The chef at Adventure Dinner is half Filipino and I’m half Chinese and so we always do a completely Southeast Asianthemed menu. And it’s been so neat to see that people are so into it,” Killeen explained.

The 60-seat table is placed in a grassy section of the property lined with lights and tikki torches, alongside a newly built patio — done by Church Hill Landscapes in Charlotte — where the open-air kitchen sits.

“We set up this Uruguayan grill, which (Kieran) built, and (Adventure Dinner) sets up another grill, and all the food is coming out of here,” Killeen said.

“Our first adventure dinner, we served something called Kanji, which every Southeast Asian culture has some version of it, but it’s a rice porridge and (Kitchens’) is slightly different than mine and people loved it,” she continued. “This is a dish that my dad eats for breakfast, but we really amped it up. Ninety-five percent of everything but the condiments that went into the dinners comes off of our farm.”

The next dinner will be on the summer solstice, June 21, and will feature an array of food varieties including chicken dumplings, beef braised in peanut sauce with sesame noodles, vegetables and rice, a root vegetable salad, and more, all paired with four specialty made cocktails.

Community Effort

While still maintaining full-time jobs, the Killeens lean heavily on support from each other, their dedicated farm staff and members of the surrounding community who are always willing to lend a helping hand.

“We joke that it’s our gift to the community that we’re able to do this,” she said as somebody passed by in their car yelling out the window, “Hi, Breana!”

The future goal is to convert part of the barn into a full, industrial sized kitchen to teach cooking classes.

“That’s really what I ultimately want to do, is cooking classes,” Killeen said. “My husband and I are teachers. Before I came here, I was working at a cooking school. I learned how to write and I learned how to edit (at the magazine), but really it was to write recipes so people could know how to eat better.”

At its core, the whole endeavor has always been about good food bringing people together.

“It’s about food, yes,” she said. “But food is so much more than that. It’s a joiner for people. I love working in kitchens because you just learn about who people are. We’re so lucky to be able to do that. I really recognize how incredibly lucky we are that we get to choose to farm.”

COURTESY PHOTOS

Above: An intimate Adventure Dinner set-up at Killeen Crossroads Farm.

Below: A view of Killeen Crossroads Farm.

James Spadaccini

A celebration of life, in loving memory for James A. Spadaccini will be held at the Charlotte Congregational Church in Charlotte, VT on Saturday July 15th at 11:00 am. Please join us to honor Jim’s life with stories and memories.

Norman Riggs

Norman Riggs died peacefully at the University of Vermont Medical Center on Monday, May 22, 2023, shortly after his 80th birthday. His family grieves the loss but is grateful he is at peace after battling several maladies that impacted his quality of life.

Born in Topeka, Kansas, in 1943, Norm grew up in Des Moines, Iowa and later settled in Vermont with his wife, Sandy, following their retirement. He was an accomplished athlete at Roosevelt High School and graduated with top honors from Drake University.

Throughout his more than 30-year career as Community Development Specialist at

OBITUARIES

Iowa State University, Norm was respected and beloved for his acumen in supporting Iowa’s small towns and agricultural and urban communities in adapting to socioeconomic change.

Norm had a strong moral compass and spent time volunteering to help people who were homeless. He would often rise at 5 a.m. to hit the streets of Des Moines in a support van to feed and assist people in need, and in his retirement in Vermont he was a regular volunteer in a similar capacity. He was quiet and humble about his service, rarely mentioning it to others.

Norm was an outdoorsman and naturalist, as well as an esteemed gardener and backyard horticulturist. He holds the distinguished honor of being the first person to grow artichokes in Iowa after his university colleagues concluded it was futile and abandoned the project. He delighted in sharing his homemade preserves from his prized gooseberry and black currant patches and donating wagonfuls of excess garden bounty with neighbors and food banks.

Norm spent his free time camping, trout fishing, and scouring the countryside for morel mushrooms. From his early childhood, he and his lifelong friend, Pete, developed a keen interest in butterflies, collecting and mounting prized specimens from all over North America, culminating in a highly valued private collection. His collection will be donated to Harvard’s Department of Entomology later this year.

“Stormin’ Norman” ran his first marathon with a very respectable time, crossing the finish line holding the second of two beers that he claimed were necessary to keep hydrated. He was a voracious reader, student of the English language, possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of sports and music trivia, and was a prankster extraordinaire.

While he was often content to linger in the background, always affable, people gravitated to his intellect, offbeat humor, and gift for storytelling. His yen for adventure, combined with a healthy distrust of authority, was chronicled in his memoir “Curbing Across America,” which

detailed his summer adventures bouncing from city to city in the Western states, painting house addresses on curbs for donations to his college fund (often one step ahead of the municipal police).

He regaled his kids and grandkids with tales of his service as a mess cook in the Army, instigating mischief at every opportunity. Handsomely grizzled and cantankerous with a soft underbelly, Norm lived life on his own terms. He had little regard for material possessions, social formality, or conservative politics. His greatest pleasure was sitting quietly outside in the yard, surveying his gardens and the natural world.

He saved his greatest affection for his family, including his dogs, and is survived by his wife

Sandy Meuwissen Riggs, brother Art Riggs of Oakland, California, son Chris Riggs (wife Elizabeth) of Ann Arbor, Michigan, daughter Katrina Riggs Webster (husband Dan) of Shelburne, and his four beloved grandchildren: Hannah, Lucie, Hollis, and Colette.

Please honor him by stopping to pet a dog (the sillier looking the better) and quietly and without fanfare, help someone who is down on their luck.

Donations in his honor will be gratefully received at the Charlotte Congregational Church, the Committee on Temporary Shelter in Burlington, or the Xerces Society.

A celebration of life is forthcoming later this summer.

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.

Norman Riggs

James Spadaccini

REAPPRAISAL

continued from page 1

and schedule one to occur seven to 10 years out,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you have to actually do it. What drives the actual performance of it is your common level of appraisal.”

The CLA is calculated by the state annually and is the assessed value of properties compared to the fair market value. If that figure falls below 85 percent, a town is mandated by the state to perform a reappraisal. Charlotte’s CLA was 82 percent this year.

“The first place a lot of folks go is they think, because maybe we hear that real estate sales are higher or something like that, and everyone says, ‘Oh, well, we should do a reappraisal and see if our value has gone up.’ That doesn’t drive what we do,” Kerr

PLAYOFFS

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Division I softball playdowns on Tuesday.

Baylee Yandow was 1-for-1 with a walk for the Redhawks.

CVU finished the regular season with a 4-13 record.

Boys’ tennis

No. 1 Middlebury 7, No. 9 Champlain Valley 0: Champlain Valley fell to Middlebury 7-0 in the Division I quarterfinals on Friday.

Fernando Tejeva and Zach Vincent lost in three sets to the

explained. “The problem with real estate markets is they go up and down. So you could do an appraisal this year when the market might be up. Five years from now you can do it, and the market could be down.”

Charlotte was fortunate to begin their reappraisal early, because the state notified more than two-thirds of Vermont towns this year that they needed to undergo the assessment due to the tanking CLA numbers, making firms like New England Municipal Resource Corporation — the outside agency aiding in the process in Charlotte — in short supply.

Kerr explained that the reassessment process was relatively simple. Each property in town has a record or definition of the proper-

ty with a sketch attached recording things like “if it’s a wooden-sided, four-bedroom home, that type of description,” he said.

“We use a national cost table to calculate the cost for those types of properties. And that rolls up to give us a value for each home,” he continued.”

The contracted firm went out to every property to perform a physical validation, including taking a new picture for the sketch and analyzing land and neighborhood values.

“We get a snapshot of new value for each property, and that’s what we published,” said Kerr.

A reappraisal booklet was sent to all mailboxes in town, but residents are also encouraged to visit nemrc.info/Charlotte, where they

can find comparable property information as well as the grand list — the value of all taxable properties in town.

The grievance process for those residents who want to challenge the appraisal will be held at the town offices June 19-22.

“The outset of that is we either agree or disagree as two parties — the town and the resident — and change the value or move forward to the next steps in the proces,” Kerr said.

Meanwhile, as the clock ticks on, the town has to file the first draft of the grand list to the state by the early part of July.

“It can be incomplete, but we want to have it as complete as we can, so the state can get working on their calculations to come up with the education tax rate. And then we pass that file back and

forth numerous times,” he said. After this process, the official tax rate is set in August, so tax bills can be generated and all go out by the end of August to all residents.

“So, there is a time crunch here,” Kerr said.

He also noted that there could be some changes coming down the pipeline governing how the state will proceed with reappraisals in the coming years. Bill H.480 could see a requirement for reappraisals for towns every six years starting in 2026.

“So this common level of appraisal method that they’re currently using will change and it will just be mandated,” he said. “Every six years we’ll do a reappraisal and there won’t be a formula that drives it or anything like that.”

doubles and Nolan Sandage lost in three sets in singles for the Redhawks, giving Middlebury the sweep.

Oscar Andersson, Ziggy Babbott, Silas Cohen and Kyle Krieger also lost in singles, while Rustum Zia and Zach Garvey lost the second doubles match.

With the loss, CVU finishes the season with an 8-7-1 record.

Girls’ Ultimate

No. 1 Burlington 7, No. 4 Champlain Valley 6: The Cham-

plain Valley girls’ ultimate frisbee team had their season come to an end on Tuesday, falling to Burlington in overtime in the Division I semifinals.

CVU had a two-score lead with 15 minutes to go in the game, but the Seahorses came back to score two goals to tie the game and send it into overtime.

Burlington then scored the game winner in extra time to complete the comeback win.

Champlain Valley finishes the season with a 6-6 record.

Champlainwellness.com

802-989-9031

CHARLOTTE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

Will hold a public hearing on the following applications during the Development Review Board’s regular meeting of Wednesday June 28, 2023:

7:05 PM 23-029-CU Teaster (reopened hearing) - Conditional Use review for alteration to a seasonal camp at 668 Flat Rock Road.

7:30 PM 23-073-BA O’Donnell Donovan – Boundary Adjustment at 125 Lake Rd.

For more information, contact the Planning & Zoning Office 802.425.3533 ext. 208, or by email at: pza@townofcharlotte.com

527 Ferry Road - Charlotte, VT Felipe Toro, LAc Empowering people to achieve their best health and wellbeing

Brian Bittner • 802-489-5210 • info@bittnerantiques.com

Showroom at 2997 Shelburne Rd • Shelburne Open Wed-Sat, with walk-ins to sell every Thursday. www.bittnerantiques.com

Collectibles

RABIES BAIT

continued from page 2

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.

service directory

saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly 100 percent effective when given soon after a person is bitten by a rabid animal.

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.

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

SHELBURNE DAY

continued from page 4

So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of those have been raccoons.

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

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

According to wildlife officials, rabid animals often show a change in their nor mal behavior, but you cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.

Shelburne Historical Society will have a display and president Dorothea Penar will lead a cemetery tour at 1 p.m. Food ven dors round out the event with everything from coffee and lemonade to burgers and creemees. Kids will enjoy meeting animals from Shelburne Farms, craft projects, and

face burne-Hinesburg head the Golf depending land. Rotary’s

ARIES

March 21 - April 20

Aries, things may not progress the way you want them to unless you become a little more persistent. Figure out how to walk the line to achieve your goals.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

Taurus, many things are going right with your life. But now it’s time to get a handle on your love life. You may have to put in some extra effort, especially this week.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

Gemini, keep things on the lighter side when conversing with coworkers this week. Now is not the time to delve into controversial discussions in the workplace.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

Cancer, as you try to become more organized, try not to get too overwhelmed by the scope of the task at hand. Tackle one thing at a time and keep making progress.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

Leo, situations may seem like they are a matter of life or death this week, but there’s a good chance you’re just being overly dramatic. Try to go with the ow.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Emotions are running wild and you’re worried about what others think of you, Virgo. Embrace a point of view that relies more on the rational than the emotional.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 23 - Dec. 21

Be careful about speaking before thinking through your words, Sagittarius. Kneejerk responses can have unexpected consequences. Take time to form your opinion.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

This week is bound to be pretty intense, Capricorn. But you’ll nd a way to skirt through it relatively unscathed. Rely on a few friends as sounding boards.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

Libra, after a few stops and starts, you and your romantic partner are on quite a roll. Enjoy that you both are in tune and aspiring toward shared goals.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Scorpio, it’s possible you feel blocked on all sides regarding your employment. While you can’t get ahead right now, there are some opportunities coming.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

Aquarius, try not to cut off channels of communication with loved ones as you deal with a few dif cult issues. Others are willing to step up and help as needed.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

Pisces, others will not always see the world the way you do. Interactions this week can be a little stilted or even frustrating.

CLUES ACROSS

1. Flat tableland with steep edges

5. Where there’s __, there’s re

10. Talked incessantly

12. Skill

14. Without shame

16. Where teens spend their days (abbr.)

18. Boxing’s GOAT

19. Used to anoint

20. Cluster cups

22. Footballer Newton

23. They make up a forest

25. Split pulses

26. Self

27. Post-of ce box

28. Test for high schoolers 30. Large, ightless bird 31. Expectorated 33. Falsehood

35. Prickly, scrambling shrub

37. French river 38. Told on 40. Hillside

CROSSWORD SUDOKU

50. Yellowish-brown

52. Arctic explorers, abbr.

53. Mexican agave

55. A type of “cast”

56. Encourage

57. Atomic #52

58. Relating to position north of south of equator

63. Gadget whose name you forget

65. Another recording

66. Small blisters

67. Dark brown or black

CLUES DOWN

1. Licensed for Wall Street

2. “__ and ow”

3. A very large body of water

4. Accumulate on the surface of

5. Central cores of the stem

6. Angry

7. Ceramic jar

8. Scraped a car

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!

41. Peyton’s little brother

42. Soviet Socialist Republic

44. Cathedral city in Cambridgeshire

45. Witness

48. Brews

9. __ route

10. Soviet labor camp system

11. Strong hostilities

13. Vitamin of the B complex

15. Go quickly

ANSWERS

17. Toast

18. A team’s best pitcher

21. A Philly culinary specialty

23. Small child

24. Unhappy

27. Trims away

29. Characterized by crying eyes

32. Soft touch

34. American spy organization

35. A person’s chest

36. Came from behind to win

39. Fall back

40. Nellie __, journalist

43. Great places to kayak

44. Suffer patiently

46. Majestic bird

47. Electroencephalograph

49. Organic compound used as an antiseptic

51. Objects connected to the web (abbr.) 54. Ship as cargo 59. The bill in a restaurant 60. Upper-class young woman (abbr.)

61. Judge in OJ Simpson trial

62. One’s grandmother 64. Siberian river

CONNECT THE DOTS

continued from page 9

of the gristmill, below the third dam and just out of sight. I pushed through the trees and worked my way downstream, keeping my eyes peeled for any stone remnants. Near the bottom of the long cascades, I spotted the rectangular stone foundation walls that matched the location, shape and size of the excelsior mill. Although the sound of the running water dominated the site now, I knew it had once been even louder with the machinery that had been working there.

Excelsior is finely curled wood shavings that are soft when compressed but spring back when released. In the 19th century, these qualities meant it could be used for upholstery stuffing and mattresses, and for packaging and shipping (the equivalent of today’s foam rubber, packing peanuts and bubble wrap). The highest quality excelsior was made of the soft wood of basswood and poplar trees, which are both native to Vermont.

At its peak in the later 1800s, this mill was making 1,000 pounds of excelsior per day. The multi-step process started with debarking and cutting the wood into short lengths and splitting it into halves or quarters. The wood chunks were then fed into specialized shaving machines. The brook’s running water turned a waterwheel that ran the shaving tools to make the slender, curly slivers of wood.

The final step for most excelsior mills was to bale the excelsior to make it easier to transport. Local historical accounts

note that this mill’s excelsior was used primarily for mattresses and to line coffins made at a manufacturing plant in Bristol.

Having successfully explored the excelsior mill site, I started back to my car and turned my attention to the trees

I was walking through. The ravine was filled with basswoods! Their very large, asymmetrical, heart-shaped leaves were unmistakable. Their flower buds were forming and would open in the early summer. Their flowers are known for their strong fragrance and copious nectar, attracting many bees and giving the tree its alternative name: bee tree.

Many of the basswoods were very large — some two feet or more in diameter. The larger ones had holes in their trunks, since the heartwood of basswood trees rots easily. The hollows are often made by woodpeckers, and used as dens by squirrels, raccoons, porcupines and owls.

As I walked past one basswood tree hollow, I saw a squirrel poke its head out of the hole. I thought how fitting it was that this site and this tree species that had made soft mattresses for people in the past were now making bedding places for small mammals.

Jane Dorney is a consulting geographer who does research and education projects to help people understand why the Vermont landscape looks like it does. See more at janedorney.com.

PHOTO BY JANE DORNEY

Basswood leaves are distinctive and easy to identify. They are very large — the size of a human hand or larger — asymmetrically heart shaped and have a coarsely toothed edge.