The Citizen - 9-14-23

Bridging the gap

CV School District crafts transgender policy for students

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

The Champlain Valley School District is crafting policy to affirm the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming students, one of the first policies of its kind among Vermont’s more than 90 school districts, board members said.

Since last winter, the district’s policy committee has been working on writing the policy. While much of the district-specific policy was adopted from the 2017 Vermont Agency of Education guidelines, committee members made it a point to insert affirmative language that transgender students, or gender non-conforming students, have a right under the policy to be permitted to use a locker room or restroom that aligns with the student’s gender identity.

“There’s such a really danger-

ous and negative movement in the country broadly — not so much in Vermont, but we’re not immune to the pressures and even coordinated campaigns that take place in other states and other districts,” Angela Arsenault, chair of the Champlain Valley School Board, said. “We have our equity policy, but we couldn’t say that it explicitly addresses any concerns that might come up around transgender students and gender non-conforming students. We felt it was important to do that.”

The policy, if adopted, would require the district use a student’s preferred name and gender on all school records, and that students participate in school activities, like sports teams, that are in line with their gender identity.

“We have very intentionally put affirmative language that

See POLICY on page 12

Charlotte Selectboard hires new town administrator

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Following a nearly three-month search for a new town administrator, the selectboard has hired Nathaniel Bareham. The board made an official offer Monday with a starting salary of $80,000.

Selectboard chair Jim Faulkner said the offer was “enthusiastically accepted” by Bareham.

“After a collaborative process, the selectboard unanimously decided on who we think is a very exciting candidate,” Faulkner said. “We look forward to Nathaniel

working with our outgoing administrator and taking over the reins and moving forward with the town.”

Bareham has a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in public management from the State University of New York, Brockport, along with a master’s degree in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School.

He spent the last two years working for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation as a water safety coordinator as well as the regional health and safety intern

with a focus on conservation and open space.

The selectboard, which conducted the final round of interviews, was assisted by a five-person search committee made up of both the selectboard members and residents charged in July with helping to narrow the candidate pool.

“We had a great search committee who really stepped up and helped us go through resumes,” Lewis Mudge, selectboard member and the committee chair, said. “We narrowed it down to three finalists for the final round of interviews. There was unanimous consensus

among the selectboard, who did confirm that Bareham is aware of the potential for his position to change to a town manager title after a vote by residents on Town Meeting Day in March.

The conversation to switch to a town manager form of government has been a main topic of discussion in town since March when an ad-hoc resident group spearheaded a petition signed by over 200 residents in favor of the change.

“He is well aware of the dynamics in the town with regard to town administrator, town manager,” Mudge said.

Bareham is expected to start

work on or before Oct. 2 with the hope of maximizing training time with Dean Bloch, the outgoing administrator.

“We sought out a candidate who we felt had the background energy and the work ethic to help the town continue on the trajectory it’s on but also help with some potential challenges on the horizon,” Mudge said, including ongoing budget challenges.

Mudge said they wanted someone who would “handle the town manager and town administrator situation with grace,” and let the process unfold and “move forward with whatever decision is taken.”

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

Runners come through the Holmes Creek covered bridge in Charlotte during last weekend’s Charlotte Covered Bridge 5K/10K and half marathon.

Hinesburg woodworker finds meaning in his craft

LIBERTY

DARR STAFF WRITER

“I worked at an office block in London, a really dreadful, dreary office overlooking the Thames, and I sat there thinking, ‘There’s just got to be more to life than this,’” John Lomas said, his thick British accent seeping through a toothy grin, mirroring eyes that smiled along with it.

His woodshop in Hinesburg — built entirely by his own two hands — sits picturesquely off Shelburne Falls Road on a hill overlooking Camels Hump, and on any given day the piercing sound of wood tools can be heard.

But his success as an independent woodworker and furniture maker is one that took a whole lifetime to create, and now, as the years pass, he can’t help but wonder who might be willing to take over his legacy.

Like most creative endeavors, his passion for woodworking came mostly from a childhood distaste for academics, and partially from finding solace in the part of the school day that focused on workshops and extracurriculars.

“I went to an English boarding school where I found the usual run-of-the-mill academics didn’t suit me particularly brilliantly,” he said, sifting through pieces of scrap wood, thoroughly inspecting each one between breaths. “I used to spend a lot of time in the workshops, and whenever I had a spare minute, that’s where I’d be.”

But as he grew older, the everyday pressure to secure a steady job kept creative pursuits on the back burner.

“I left school and I thought, ‘I’m supposed to be a professional in some kind of way.’ I come from a family of lawyers,” he said. “Then one day, I remembered how much I loved being in the workshops at school, and I picked it up again in my mid-20s. I haven’t looked back since.”

So he dropped the business attire and went back to school to the London College of Furniture for two years before attending the West Dean College in Sussex for antique restoration.

“I did an apprenticeship in an antique dealers’ workshop for a couple more years,” Lomas recounted. “Then a partner and I set out to the West Country of England, and we started our own restoration business, traveled around visiting all the antique dealers picking up pieces.”

Lomas quickly became disillusioned with the anonymity associated with antique restoration and began instead to focus on creating unique pieces that could reflect the world around him. Growing up in England allowed a full immersion into influential art movements like the Arts and Crafts movement, which began in the Cotswolds, a place where he has deep connections.

“I lived in a village where those craftsmen had their workshop,” he said. “I became really obsessed with them all, so when I first started doing my own furniture, I based my designs on those designs. Nobody understood it at all. It was like, ‘What the hell is this stuff?’ So, I would occasionally sell a piece to somebody who was eccentric enough to go out on a limb and use that design.”

While his technique has changed over the years from using solely old tools — a process he likened to upholding a religion — to using more efficient machines, his style of classical influence from his years in restoration now combines an element of contemporary design.

“I’ve tried to separate myself with the way I interpret those designs and how I bring them into a contemporary environment,” he explained. “I’m not doing reproduction furniture. I’m trying to create things that are unique to me.”

When he moved across the sea to Vermont in 1992, he started Cotswold Furniture Makers, a six-person business with retail outlets in Stowe and Great Barrington, Mass. But in 2011, he made the decision to close the retail stores altogether.

“I got to the point where I was sitting in the office, and I was running the business,” he explained.

For about seven or eight years, he didn’t go into the workshop at all.

“I was thinking, ‘I’m really almost back to where I was when I was doing my business degree.’ It was like, ‘Wait a minute, this is exactly what I was trying to get away from.’”

For Lomas, woodworking and furniture making is all about connection — to the wood, to the client and, ultimately, to himself.

Not only is a great piece created by knowing exactly how to source the right wood for the job, but it’s also knowing the movements and techniques needed to turn something ordinary into a work of art.

“You get this sense of flow. You’re really trying to keep your mind ahead of your hands. If it goes the other way around, it’s a mess,” he laughed. “Your brain has got to be constantly one step ahead of your body.”

Since being in Vermont, he has found community as the former president and now current member of the Guild of Vermont Furniture Makers, which has allowed him to continually expand his knowledge of the trade by staying up to speed with current techniques and processes — an aspect he says is necessary to maintain a successful business.

“People talk about where

they’re getting materials, they talk about new techniques they’ve learned like different ways of finishing, different ways of joining, what tools they’ve discovered, that sort of thing,” he said. “We’re constantly sharing information.”

Now 65, Lomas is looking toward the future in a slightly different light knowing that while he will live on through his work, it may be time to consider passing the torch to someone who can keep his legacy and shop moving forward.

“One day, we’ll sell this whole thing and walk away from it. Somebody will take it over or not, we’ll see but, so far, these are still working,” he said, letting out a hearty laugh as he raised his two hands proudly in the air, a reminder of all that he has accomplished and all that is still yet to come.

PHOTO BY LIBERTY DARR Woodworker John Lomas puts finishing touches on a custom desk.

All Souls hosts annual choral celebration

All Souls Interfaith Gathering will host the 23rd Choral Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m. in its sanctuary at 291 Bostwick Farm Road. Originally started by founding pastor Rev. Mary Abele, the celebration provides an evening of music and community connection. This year’s event will feature Vermont’s Freedom and Unity Chorus, joined by the All Souls Choir, with music designed to uplift and connect the community. Pastor Don Chatfield will provide a brief interfaith reflection and the celebration will end with fresh cider and apple cider donuts. Admission is by donation. Above, Vermont’s Freedom and Unity Chorus.

Hinesburg sees revenue from Richmond police agreement

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

The town of Hinesburg should see quite a bit of revenue this year from its agreement to share police services with Richmond.

For its police work conducted in Richmond from July 26 through Aug. 31, Hinesburg billed the town just under $29,000. As a comparison, the Hinesburg Police Department generated $47,000 for the fiscal year 2023, which ran from July 2022 to the end of June 2023.

Since April, Hinesburg has been providing on-call police services to Richmond as part of an inter-municipal agreement at a rate of $50 an hour for general coverage — responding to calls and leaving Hinesburg to respond to them — and $70 an hour for time when officers are actively patrolling Richmond.

A breakdown of how much the town earned prior to July 26 was not immediately available. But that revenue is likely going to increase.

In August, the Hinesburg Selectboard approved an additional piece to the contract that sets another rate of $100 an hour

for Hinesburg police chief Anthony Cambridge and the department to perform administrative services and other functions previously performed by Richmond’s chief.

How long this agreement — and the revenue — continues is “really up to Richmond,” said town manager Todd Odit.

“I think we could see it going through the end of this fiscal year, and not much longer than that without having a reconvening, saying ‘What do we want to do going forward?’” he said. “But that could change if Richmond in a month or two hires a chief or they get some officers.”

Richmond currently has zero police officers in its department, and since the departure of Richmond’s interim police chief, Benjamin Herrick, is without any personnel to handle patrols, take calls or file paperwork.

The town is continuing to search for a permanent or inter-

im chief, but officials there have suggested they’re comfortable with the agreement for the time being.

“We’ll take it month by month, but it seems like for the foreseeable future, we’ll continue to provide that coverage,” Odit said during a Sept. 6 selectboard meeting.

For now, the town will be directing 60 percent of any revenue generated from the agreement toward the town’s general budget. The remaining 40 percent, Odit said, will go toward the police department’s capital budget.

While the money coming in is a benefit, Odit said it’s not the town’s reason for helping its neighbor.

“Having this contract has enabled us to hire a sixth full-time officer on a temporary basis. That benefits Hinesburg and it also benefits Richmond,” he said.

COURTESY PHOTO

“We’ll take it month by month, but it seems like for the foreseeable future, we’ll continue to provide that coverage.”

— Todd Odit

Hinesburg Police Blotter: Sept. 5 - Sept. 11

Total incidents: 38

Traffic Stops: 6

Arrests: 1

Sept. 1, police were called to the home of Craig Chevier, 53 of Hinesburg, who died from an apparent heart attack.

Sept. 5 at 8:47 a.m., a motorist was assisted with a brokendown vehicle on Texas Hill Road.

Sept. 6 at 9:11 a.m., a fraud is being investigated.

Sept 6. at 10:25 a.m., an officer investigated a parking complaint on Commerce Street.

Sept. 6 at 8:16 a.m., an officer responded to the report of livestock in the road on Hollow Road.

Sept. 6 at 2:02 p.m., officers assist-

ed a resident having a mental health issue on Ballard’s Corner.

Sept. 6 at 5:50 p.m., an officer investigated the report of a dog left in a motor vehicle on Commerce Street.

Sept. 8 at 7:00 p.m., a loose dog was found on Charlotte Road. The owner was later located.

Sept. 9 at 10:03 a.m., officers responded to a domestic dispute on Hidden Pasture Road.

Sept. 9 at 10:03 a.m., Matthew Borden, 31 of Hinesburg, was arrested for first-degree aggravated domestic assault with a deadly weapon.

Sept. 10 at 11:52 a.m., an officer investigated the report of suspicious activity on Sherman Hollow Road.

Son to testify against mom next month in execution homicide

MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

The planned joint trial of a former Williston woman and her son on murder charges for killing her husband during a nighttime ambush in Hinesburg four years ago has taken an unusual twist after Korey Lee George pleaded guilty and said his mother pulled the trigger.

George, 35, struck a plea deal that is expected to get him a prison term of 18 years to life for pleading guilty to conspiring with his mother, Angela M. Auclair, to kill her husband David Auclair, 45, of Williston at a rural parking area off Gilman Road in Hinesburg on July 11, 2019.

G. Hardin outlined in Vermont Superior Court Tuesday afternoon the basis for the charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Hardin said George conspired with his mother, Angela Auclair, now 50, to kill her estranged husband by firing 11 gunshots into him as he tried to crawl under a truck to get away.

George bought a pre-paid burner cellphone in Milton that was used to make two phone calls, including a late-night call that lured Auclair to the LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest trailhead parking lot in Hinesburg, state police said. No shell casings were left behind from the shooting, police said.

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George is expected to be a key witness against his mother when she goes on trial in October. The guilty plea in court Tuesday means what was believed to be the first joint homicide trial in Vermont in more than 50 years will now have only one defendant.

Deputy state’s attorney Susan

It marked the first time in either state court or federal court — where George also was prosecuted as a five-time felon in possession of a firearm — that Angela Auclair has been publicly identified as the trigger person. The investigation had pointed to George as the apparent shooter after he allegedly stole firearms from a Colchester home. There was some belief his mother was home at the time of the shooting, records show.

David Auclair’s bullet-riddled body was part of an execution-styled homicide orchestrated by his estranged wife Angela — who also is George’s mother — Vermont State Police and prosecutors have said.

Also, for the first time in public, Hardin said officials have been told three vehicles were at the shooting scene. David Auclair, who was found dead under his 2017 GMC pickup, George, who lured him there in a second vehicle, and a third vehicle that police believe belonged to Angela Auclair. A passing motorist is among those who reported three vehicles.

A nearby doorbell camera captured the sound of 14 shots. George’s defense lawyer, Daniel M. Sedon, said after the hearing the evidence shows only one gun was at the scene.

Under questioning from Judge Kevin Griffin, George admitted the entire conspiracy scenario outlined

See GEORGE on page 5

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Korey Lee George

GEORGE

continued from page 4

by Hardin was true. It included him being at the scene, but he said his mother was the shooter.

Auclair’s defense lawyer, Rob Sussman, and the state plan to take George’s deposition within a week.

As part of George’s plea agreement, eight other criminal charges, including the Colchester home burglary, where handguns were stolen, two counts of obstruction of justice and first-degree murder, will be dismissed at sentencing, Griffin said.

Four other counts involving violation of conditions of release will be dropped.

If the deal falls through, including George not testifying honestly, all nine charges will proceed, the judge said.

Jury selection for Auclair and George had been set for Oct. 2 in Burlington. The court had reserved up to five weeks at the Edward J. Costello Courthouse.

George is currently serving more than eight years for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Federal judge Christina Reiss sentenced him in November 2021 to 89 months in federal prison. As part of the plea agreement, he is serving his federal sentence in a Vermont prison.

In an unusual move, Reiss agreed to a request by chief federal defender Michael Desautels to seal the sentencing memo because it outlined a troubling upbringing for George. The six-page memo and two exhibits outlined physical and mental health issues.

During the homicide investigation, Vermont State Police determined George was in illegal possession of two firearms — a stolen 9-mm Beretta used in the homicide and a stolen 12-gauge shotgun, records show.

George was subsequently charged in federal court in a two-count indictment. He pleaded guilty to possessing the stolen shotgun. His criminal record includes five felony convictions, which means he is prohibited from possessing any firearms.

Angela Auclair testifies

Auclair pleaded not guilty to aiding in first degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and obstruction of justice. The obstruc-

tion count maintains Auclair instructed at least one witness in the case to lie to investigators for her, police said.

After George changed his plea Tuesday, Auclair had a separate hearing and took the witness stand for about 15 minutes to attack the Vermont State Police investigation.

Auclair said security video from her former home in Williston would confirm statements that she made about her whereabouts, including the night of the homicide.

But on cross examination, Auclair was stumped when Hardin asked how she could be so sure that the uncollected video equipment owned by her former in-laws captured what she claimed when she maintains she knew nothing about how the system worked.

State police Det. Sgt. Ashley Barnes testified that investigators conducting a court-ordered search at Auclair’s former residence in Williston decided not to seize certain electronics. He said the house was vacant and certain monitoring equipment did not have any wires and did not appear to be operable.

Hardin grilled Auclair on why she never told police that she believed there were videos that

Golf ball drop Friday for local emergency

Charity Sale

would have proven her whereabouts leading up to and including the night of the killing.

“It’s not my job to tell the cops their job,” Auclair told Hardin.

Police said the night before the killing Auclair and her estranged husband met a mutual friendat the Lighthouse restaurant for dinner. Meanwhile, Auclair’s boyfriend dropped off Korey Lee George near the dinner guest’s unattended home on Arbor Lane, state police said.

Also with them was George’s then girlfriend Kirstin Stillwell, who he later married, police said.

Police say George broke into the mutual friend’s home and was seen a few minutes later carrying a bag out of the residence. The homeowner returned home after dinner to discover the burglary and reported three guns missing, including the eventual homicide weapon, police said.

Many of the movements of George and Auclair’s boyfriend, as the driver, were captured on video going to and from the scene, while police also tracked their whereabouts through cellphone locations and text messages, records show.

Auclair remains held without bail at the South Burlington prison.

The Golf Ball Drop in Shelburne is back. The Rotary Club of Charlotte-ShelburneHinesburg will hold a fund-raising event from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, at the Kwini Club Driving Range, at 5353 Spear St., Shelburne. Proceeds support the fire and rescue services of Charlotte, Hinesburg, and Shelburne. All labeled balls will be dropped from a local helicopter courtesy of sponsors Beta Technologies and driving range. More than $2,000 in prizes will be awarded and only 1,500 golf balls will be sold. There will also be long drive competition. Golf balls can be obtained at cshrotary. eventgroovefundraising.com/358d6d/Campaign/Details or prior to the event, or on the site Sept. 15. This event is open to the public.

FILE PHOTO

Trappers’ arguments just don’t add up

To the Editor: Trappers use a lot of excuses to justify their recreational hobby, but the reality is that trapping not only presents serious animal welfare concerns, but it is also a threat to ecosystem health and biodiversity. (“Trapping ban won’t solve growing problem of nuisance animals,” Sept. 7, 2023)

The science is clear: predator species like bobcats, fisher and coyote provide immeasurable benefits to ecosystem health, yet trappers are allowed to trap unlimited numbers of animals during the season. One year, just one trapper killed 10 fisher cats, likely decimating the local population. Just last year, one trapper killed five bobcats and another trapper killed 44 coyotes —that we know of. Unlike other states, including New Hampshire that don’t allow the killing of bobcats at all, Vermont has no bag limits on the number of animals a trapper may kill. This presents a threat to local populations, as well as ecosystem health. It’s not just wild animals that are in danger. Last year alone, twelve domestic dogs were reported trapped. Unlike recent pro-trapping commentaries, this is not merely

Letters to the Editor

anecdotal information.

A seasoned furbearer biologist at the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has admitted in department emails that trapping is not needed in Vermont to manage populations or to reduce the spread of disease.

Trapping is a recreational hobby enjoyed by about 800 licensed trappers. Back in the day, trappers pilfered the pelts of cherished bobcats, otters and other iconic species and sold them to Russia and China. The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation — that Vermont Fish & Wildlife purportedly adheres to — clearly states that there should be no market in commerce in wildlife, yet their policies allow for it.

Another excuse used by trappers is that trapping is needed to manage so-called nuisance animals, but we often forget why wildlife becomes a problem in the first place. Whether it’s unsecured garbage or pet food, chickens allowed to free range, or other factors, it is important that humans look inward to see how we contribute to the problem. Current trapping legislation, bills H.191 and S.111, would still allow for the trapping of animals causing damage to property, as well as dangers to public health and safety.

This commonsense piece of legislation would combat the senseless killing of otters, bobcats, beavers, and other wildlife merely for recreation and allow trapping under certain conditions. This legislation would be targeted-trapping to address only those animals that are causing problems for humans.

Vermont needs beavers, foxes, and other animals labeled furbearer species for the ecosystem services they provide. We are in the throes of climate change and science informs us that beavers help reduce flooding, among many other benefits they offer to humans. Tick borne illnesses are on the rise and according to the Cary Institute, red foxes are the main predator of mice that transmit Lyme to ticks.

The tradition of domination over wildlife, who are merely viewed as lifeless resources for harvesting, is no longer viable or acceptable to many. No animal should have to chew through their mangled paw to free themselves from a leghold trap to satisfy someone’s recreational hobby. When we know better, we must do better.

Brenna Galdenzi President, Protect Our Wildlife

University reorganization benefits students, Vermont

Guest Perspective

Michael Smith

There are certainly complex challenges in higher education and significant forces at play that Vermont State University doesn’t control — an aging demographic, uncertainty about the value of higher education and designing a model that reaches and encompasses the rural nature of the state.

In the face of these challenges, Vermont stepped up. Led by Gov. Phil Scott, lawmakers and the university system chancellor, Vermont has made more than a $200 million investment in the Vermont State College System, which paved the way for the unification and creation of Vermont State University.

This decision is about far more than money. It represents a commitment to equity, inclusion and opportunity for the students we serve. Many are first-generation college students, adult learners, single parents and those with low or moderate incomes.

Vermont State University just welcomed more than 1,500 new students. About 70 percent are Vermonters. Additionally, we will see more than 700 plumbers and electricians coming through our apprenticeship program each year.

It’s clear we educate Vermont. Our graduates are in demand. If you’ve needed a teacher, a nurse, a social worker, a mental health counselor, a plumber, an electrician, a child care provider or a dental hygienist in the past several years, you know they are hard to come by. As demands in the workforce change, you will see us on the cutting edge, supplying graduates ready to work in the evolving disciplines of climate change science and sustainable engineering.

This fall we expanded nursing space at Lyndon and will do the same at other campus locations in fall 2024, with additional nurses joining Vermont’s workforce each year.

There’s no getting around the fact that we have much more work to do to realize the vision of transformation, but we are working hard to get it done. Faculty and staff are working on ways to reimagine how we do education in Vermont, and that means reaching into every corner

of our rural state to make education accessible to all.

We are also re-envisioning how we will grow enrollment with a new enrollment strategic plan, which includes reaching the adult learner and those 45 percent of high school students who are not going on to any schooling after graduation. We are also working on the ongoing structural deficit and developing a 10-year master plan to rightsize our campuses. This university must find ways to continually assist in meeting the needs of our Vermont workforce.

Very importantly, we must optimize class sizes to align with peer colleges and universities and help us maintain fiscal stability.

Vermont State University provides degrees, education, training and certification for these and many other high-demand and high-wage industries. Across Vermont, prospective students of all ages and walks of life need to know that Vermont State is where they can come to pursue these and other careers. We will connect them with the educational opportunities and the social and financial support they need to succeed.

My optimism about what Vermont State University can do to meet the future economic needs of Vermont is rooted in my meetings with faculty and staff when I hear about the incredible work they are doing to inspire students.

So, here is an invitation for all of you: Join us. This is your university, and what we are doing is pretty darn exciting. Help us build a university to be proud of and where you would like to see your child, grandchild or neighborhood child go. It’s affordable at $10,000 a year in-state tuition, for most courses, and scholarships on top of that. It’s accessible with campuses nearby, no matter where you live in Vermont, and online options for those who need and prefer them.

We are forging a new path, a new way, unified and stronger, offering programs to students on-campus and online that provide a clear and affordable path to a great job and a future here in Vermont.

K. Smith is interim president of Vermont State University.

Michael

Green Mountain Transit plans higher fares, phone payments

SHAUN ROBINSON VTDIGGER

Green Mountain Transit riders can expect slightly higher fares — and new ways to pay them — starting early next year on many of the bus system’s busiest routes.

For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the transportation agency plans to start charging for rides on its local and commuter routes in Chittenden County, and LINK Express routes to Montpelier and St. Albans, effective Jan. 2. The agency has operated all its bus routes statewide fare-free since March 2020.

While Green Mountain Transit leaders have publicly discussed the return of fares since January, the agency shared more details this month about what riders can expect.

A ride on the local, commuter and LINK Express routes is set to cost $2 next year. That’s a 50-cent increase over the pre-pandemic fare on local Chittenden County routes, but equal to the previous fare on commuter routes. It’s also a $2 decrease to the fare on LINK Express services versus March 2020.

Clayton Clark, the agency’s

general manager, said bringing back fares — and for some routes, increasing them — will help the transit agency make up for the impending loss of federal COVID-19 relief funding that has buoyed its coffers the agency throughout the pandemic.

The transit agency’s roughly $25 million annual budget is funded largely with federal and state dollars, but also local assessments on the cities and towns its buses serve. Clark said that fare revenue — estimated to total about $1 million in its first year back — will help keep local taxpayers from picking up a larger share of the tab.

“Nothing is as good as free,” Clark said in an interview, but reinstating fares “will really mean that we won’t have to jack up the prices to the municipalities.”

While ridership on the agency’s local routes in Chittenden County has largely returned to pre-pandemic levels this summer, the system’s commuter and LINK Express buses still are seeing far fewer riders than they were before the pandemic, the agency said.

The local routes saw about 132,000 total rides in June, according to the agency’s most recent ridership data online, but

commuter lines saw only about 6,200 trips that month.

A proposed fare plan states that the agency has seen fewer people taking its commuter routes

and the LINK Express services to and from their jobs in recent years; instead, most riders are using them to get to medical and human services appointments.

When fares come back, the agency plans to charge a reduced

PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER

Bowie Bouchard is a frequent rider of the #6 bus, one of the routes on which Green Mountain Transit has reduced service. He prepared to board the bus at the transit center in Burlington in March.

See BUS FARES on page 16

Community Notes

Green Mountain Book Festival celebrates expression, written word

The Green Mountain Book Festival takes place in Burlington on Friday through Sunday, Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, during Banned Books Week at The Fletcher Free Library in Burlington.

Cartoonist and graphic memoirist Alison Bechdel will headline the festival.

Shelburne resident and Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale will appear on the American Dream Panel on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m. at The Fletcher Free Library in Burlington. Ram Hinsdale and authors Nikhil Goyal, Felicia Kornbluh and Brad Kessler will discuss what the American Dream means today.

“As an American of Indian descent, I was always taught that books are sacred. We do not even bend their spine,” the

Enjoy Age Well meals  at Charlotte Senior Center

The Age Well meal pickup for Thursday, Sept. 14, is from 10-11 a.m., Charlotte Senior Center, 212 Ferry Road, and features Swedish steak with mushroom sauce, seasoned penne pasta, chopped broccoli, wheat bread and butter, vanilla Fluff with blueberries and strawberries and milk.

You must have pre-registered by the prior Monday at 802-4256345 or meals@charlotteseniorcentervt.org

The meal on Thursday, Sept. 21, features turkey tetrazzini, Scandinavian vegetables, wheat dinner roll with butter, fruit cookie and milk.

The meal on Thursday, Sept.

28, features roast rork with gravy, boiled potatoes with parsley, butternut squash, wheat bread and butter, cookie bar with dates and Craisins and milk.

The suggested donation is $5. Check the website for last-minute cancellations at charlotteseniorcentervt.org.

Burton hosts bike, sewing machine collection

Vermont returned Peace Corps volunteers will be collecting used bikes and sewing machines for developing countries on Saturday, Sept. 23, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at Burton Corporate Headquarters, 180 Queen City Road, in Burlington.

A donation of $20 per item is

requested with each item.

Since 1999, Vermonters have shipped more than 4,000 bikes and 1,000 sewing machines to community projects in the developing world through this project.

More at /bit.ly/3P7JtZz. Or contact Paul Demars at 802-7930888 or demers.paul6@gmail.com.

Homestead talk recounts Revolutionary rescue

Ethan Allen Homestead Museum offers “The Capture and Rescue of Remember Baker” on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m.

Roger Tegart, the current president of the Bennington Historical Society, recounts the March 1772

senator said. “A society begins to lose its intellectual and moral foundation when it censors, bans, or limits the transmission of knowledge and the exchange of ideas. Book festivals are a wonderful reminder for people

capture of Ethan Allen’s cousin by the Yorkers and the ultimate rescue by the Green Mountain Boys. Admission is free; donations are appreciated. More information at ethanallenhomestead@gmail. com or 802-865-4556.

September programming at Charlotte Senior Center

September’s special events at the Charlotte Senior Center include a kayaking trip for women, men’s breakfast, play reading and more. Contact the center to register or for more information at Register in person at the center, by phone at 802-425-6345, and online at charlotteseniorcentervt.org.

OFF REPAIRS

20% OFF APPRAISALS

Performed

of all ages of the power and importance of books to unlock new worlds and possibilities.”

Last year’s inaugural event, headlined by novelist Ruth Ozeki, drew an enthusiastic audience of more than 700 Vermont-based book lovers to celebrate literature and draw increased awareness to the increasing threat of book banning.

This annual event, which offers its Saturday and Sunday programming for free, celebrates the written word, inviting participants to honor free expression, embrace diverse voices and encourage a deeper understanding of self and community through a shared love of reading and books. For a full schedule, go to greenmountainbookfestival.org.

• Men’s breakfast: Thursday, Sept. 14, 7-9:30 a.m.

Men gather for breakfast and conversation on the second Thursday of the month. Contact Jim Hyde at james.hyde@tufts.edu. Registration required by Tuesday for the Thursday breakfast. Suggested donation is $6.

• Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group: Thursday, Sept. 14, 5-6 p.m.

Are you caring for someone with Alzheimer’s? Do you know someone who is? Monthly group meets on the second Thursday of each month. Questions? Contact Susan Cartwright: scartwrightasg@gmail.com. Registration recommended.

• Hearing Loss Presentation: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 1 p.m.

Join Dr. Julie Bier, audiologist at Better Living Audiology, for a short presentation about the first signs of hearing loss and dealing with tinnitus and balance issues to help prevent falls. The presentation will be followed by a complimentary hearing screening. Free cleanings of current hearing aids. Free, but registration required.

• Play reading: Thursday, Sept. 21, 2-4:30 p.m.

With Sue Foley and Wally Gates, the group meets monthly and is for people who enjoy reading plays aloud or listening to others perform. Each month a play is selected, parts are assigned, and scripts are distributed. A way to test the waters is to attend a session as a guest. Contact Sue at ssnfoley@ icloud.com.

COURTESY PHOTO Volunteers get bikes ready to ship to developing countries.

Catherine Drake

Walk, run some miles for migraines

Miles for Migraine will host its 6th annual 2-mile Walk and 5K Run event on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Veterans Memorial Park, 1000 Dorset St., in South Burlington, from 8:30-11 a.m. The event is a fundraiser for migraine and headache awareness, treatment and research. But organizers say it’s more than a walk and run: It’s an opportunity to connect with the local migraine and headache community, listen to speakers and visit sponsors in the festival area. All walk and run finishers receive a medal. The 5K is professionally timed. Dress up in your best purple flair for a chance at a fun prize. All funds raised will benefit the University of Vermont Medical Center Headache Clinic to support local migraine research and fellowship training programs. More at btv.milesformigraine.org. Above, Participants

COMMUNITY NOTES

continued from page 8

• Women’s kayak trip to Molly’s Falls: Friday, Sept. 22

Details about the trip will be sent out the week prior. If you have questions, contact Susan Hyde at susanfosterhyde@gmail.com. Free, registration required.

• Walking and gentle hiking group: Thursday, Sept. 28, 9 a.m. The group meets each month for a congenial non-strenuous walk. Meet in the parking lot at

Charlotte Senior Center. Bring sunscreen, bug spray and water. Questions? Contact Penny Burman at 916-753-7279. Free, but registration required.

• Book talk with Marilyn Webb Neagley: Thursday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m. Join local Vermont nonfiction author Marilyn Webb Neagley for a discussion about her newest book, “Attic of Dreams, a memoir.”

Neagley has spent most of her life in Shelburne where she now resides with her husband, Mark. Starting her career as an architectural interior designer, she veered toward environmental stewardship and became president of Shelburne Farms. She has been a commentator for Vermont Public Radio and has written essays for her local newspaper. She previously wrote “Walking through the

Seasons.” Co-sponsored by the Charlotte Library. Free, but registration recommended.

Richmond Art Crawl

Celebrate and support the arts at the free, outdoor Richmond Art Crawl on Sunday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., on the town center. With over 45 vendor booths, you’ll find paintings, wood crafts, jewel-

ry, photography, candles, textiles, sculpture, baskets, glass, pottery, posters, metal work and repurposed art. Local food trucks will be on hand, and there’s even a kids’ activities tent. The event raises funds for Radiate Art Space. The nonprofit community art studio provides opportunities to foster social and community-building interactions through the arts for everyone. More at radiateartspace.org.

COURTESY PHOTO

at the Miles for Migraine walk in 2022.

CVU soccer girls make it three shutouts in a row

Girls’ volleyball

Champlain Valley 3, South Burlington 0: The team moved to 2-1 with a win over South Burlington on Saturday.

The Redhawks won the first set 25-9, the second set 25-19 and the third set 25-15 in the straight-set win.

Boys’ soccer

Champlain Valley 2, Essex 0: Champlain Valley scored twice in the second half to beat Essex on Saturday in high school boys’ soccer.

George Charlson and McKinley Martin each had goal for the Redhawks, who were looking for a win on the second day of the Jay Brady Kickoff Classic.

Miles Bergeson and Charlie Jennings each had an assist, while Ziggy Babbott made seven saves in the shutout.

The Redhawks fell on the opening day of the Jay Brady tournament, losing to Mount Mansfield 2-0.

Football

Champlain Valley 29, BFA-St. Albans 7: The Champlain Valley football team opened a 20-0 lead in the first half enroute to a win over BFA-St. Albans on Saturday night.

Nolan Walpole ran the ball for two touchdowns, one for 12 yards

out and another he punched in from four yards out. Dylan Frere caught a 90-yard TD pass for the Redhawks, while Ollie Cheer threw for 157 yards and scored.

CVU moves to 1-1.

Girls’ soccer

Champlain Valley 11, Montpellier 0: Champlain Valley delivered its third straight shutout to open the season, beating Montpelier 11-0 on Friday.

Chloe Pecor scored five goals to pace the Redhawks (3-0), while Skylar Kingsbury added two goals and one assist. Rieanna Murray had one goal and two assists, and Reese Kingsbury, Lily Williams and Abby Bunting each added a goal.

Zoe Klein, Ava Barron, Natalie Webster, Lily O’Brien, Maggie Connors and Elsa Klein each tallied an assist, and Anya Johnson stopped two shots on goal.

Cross country

Both the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams took first place at the Burlington Invitational on Saturday at Hard’ack Recreation Area in St. Albans.

Estella Laird captured first place in the girls’ race, with Lydia Donague coming in second, Charlotte Crum third and Audrey Neilson in fourth place. Annalise Wood was sixth overall to round out the top five finishers.

For the boys, Dan Knight came in second place overall and Owen Deale finished in third. Ethan

Morris came in 15th, Kody Guiterman was 16th and Charles Garavelli was 28th for CVU.

Field hockey

Champlain Valley 7, Mount Abraham 1: The Champlain

Valley field hockey team used an offensive outburst to beat Mount Abraham on Saturday, Sept. 9, in the season opener.

Bibi Frochette and Lonne Koklman each tallied twice for the Redhawks, now 1-0. Claire

Marcoe led the way with four points — one goal and three assists. Emily Gay and Marlie Cartwright each added a goal for CVU.

Sophie Comeau stopped four shots on goal in the win.

PHOTO BY AL FREY CVU’s Lauren Vaughan gets the kill shot during the Redhawks’ three-set loss to the Essex Hornets on Thursday in Hinesburg.

POLICY

continued from page 1

transgender students, or gender non-conforming students, have a right under this policy to be permitted to use a locker room or restroom that aligns with the student’s gender identity,” Arsenault said.

“We’re not saying ‘should be allowed,’ which was the guidance from the Agency of Education,” she said. “We’re saying, in policy, that students must be permitted to use a locker room a restroom that aligns with their gender identity.”

While still in draft form, the full school board is expected to discuss the completed policy at its September meeting, and possibly adopt it the following month.

“We want to be really thoughtful and deliberate because this has the potential to be a real lightning rod policy,” Erika Lea, a school board member and member of the board’s policy committee, said.

The policy has had a wide range of input from members of the broader school community, including counselors, nurses, administrators and principals. High school

students have already offered input, and the district is hoping to get more input from middle school students as well.

“This policy is one that we’ve taken the most time with and gathered the most community and interested party feedback and input of any policy that I’ve ever been a part of so far in four and a half years, which feels right,” Arsenault said.

The last step, she said, is to get a final round of teacher feedback.

“We asked them to tell us how this will support you and your work, and what, if anything, are we missing,” she said.

The district’s director of integrated wellness, Tony Moulton, is working at the school level to develop procedures that can be launched at the same time as the policy, board members said.

“We don’t want to put a policy out there and then leave people hanging with how we are going to manage this new policy,” Lea said, adding that they want to “have those be a parallel process.”

Feeding Chittenden welcomes new manager for food shelf

Edi Abeneto is the new food shelf manager at Feeding Chittenden.

Abeneto will translate, interpret and coordinate multilingual communication with visitors while managing the movement of food, including overseeing food sorting and stocking of shelves.

Abeneto came to Vermont from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the early 2000s. He speaks five different languages, including Swahili, French, English, Kirundi and Lingala. He began his career as an interpreter with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity over 17 years ago, and his expertise has been pivotal in helping Vermont’s diverse population get groceries and other vital services.

“Food connects people,” Abeneto said. “Food creates conversations between people of different cultural backgrounds. In my new role, I want to improve outreach and customer service by making our services accessible for New Americans, people living with disabilities and people experiencing homelessness or otherwise marginalized.”

Anna McMahon, associate director of Feeding Chittenden, said, “Anyone who has met Edi will tell you his talents extend far beyond what his job requires. His tran-

quil nature and level of care set the tone for all Feeding Chittenden services, helping to make our food shelf a place of respite from the difficulties faced by many Vermonters.” More at feedingchittenden.org.

• OCTOBER 19

(Deadlines

SHELBURNE NEWS/THE CITIZEN: 802.238.4980 or wendy@shelburnenews.com

THE OTHER PAPER: 802.734.2928 or judy@otherpapersbvt.com

“We’re not saying ‘should be allowed,’ which was the guidance from the Agency of Education. We’re saying, in policy, that students must be permitted to use a locker room a restroom that aligns with their gender identity.”

— Angela Arsenault

COURTESY PHOTO Edi Abeneto

Volunteers, crew improves stream, reduce flood risk

Addison County Regional Planning Commission, Lewis Creek Association and landowners have joined forces to improve water quality and reduce flooding risks in Hollow Brook in Starksboro.

Historically, water coming down from Lincoln Hill and the Hinesburg Town Forest would have spread out into alluvial fan areas, dropping sediment and moving the streambed around over time.

But in this location, near Lazy Brook Manufactured Housing Community on Hollow Road, past agricultural practices — straightening and berming along the stream — and development combined to push and constrain the stream into its current location. An old bridge crossing near the housing community left concrete in and near the stream, constricting its flow and causing flooding in the neighborhood.

Thanks to funding from the Flood Resilient Communities Fund, SLR International Corp. designed a project to remove the old bridge abutments and concrete in the brook, which will help minimize the risk of flooding.

The project involved removing trees and fill, including concrete blocks, to create a new floodplain, burying root wads in the bank and floodplain, and placing boulders to improve fish habitat. The brook now has more space to spread out onto its floodplain during times of high flow. “As we know too well from recent events, manufactured housing communities have experienced disproportionate impacts from flooding in Vermont,” Elise Shanbacker, executive director of the Addison County Community Trust that owns Lazy Brook manufactured housing community, said. “Addressing flood risks to these communities is an important environmental justice issue.”

Hollow Brook feeds into Lewis Creek in the northwest corner of Starksboro just south of Tyler Bridge Road in Hinesburg, and Lewis Creek eventually drains into Lake Champlain.

Lewis Creek is impaired for E. coli bacteria in stretches. The Lewis Creek Association hopes to maintain water quality in Hollow Brook so that it doesn’t contribute to harmful algal blooms and fish die-offs in Lake Champlain.

FOUND HORSE TRAINING

BOOK: Found on State Park Rd. in Charlotte. Call 802-4253933 to identify.

STAFF WRITER

e ideal candidate will possess a curious mind, exceptional writing skills and an appreciation for small-town life. While a background in journalism is not required, the ability to write concisely and accurately is. is person will report on the people, places and events of the Mad River Valley, including local politics, education, sports, recreation, agriculture, business, cra beer, the environment and more. Must be detail and deadline oriented. A exible schedule is required; the individual will attend public meetings on some nights and weekends. Photography and social media skills required.

Send a cover letter, resume and two to three w ritin g samples to lisa@valleyreporter.com

PHOTOS BY ALEX MARCUCCI / JESSICA LOUISOS

Before: Sugarhouse Lane before construction. After: The area above Sugarhouse Lane, after construction, where old bridge abutments were removed, and the floodplain was restored.

If it’s important to you or your community look for it in The Citizen.

RABIES BAIT continued from page 2

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

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

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

continued

RABIES BAIT

continued from page 2

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

saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost al ways fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly 100 percent effective when given soon after

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The week-long bait drop is a coopera tive 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

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

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ANSWERS FROM THIS ISSUE

September 14, 2023

Round the bend

BUS FARES

rate of $1 to riders who are under age 17, over age 60 or who have a disability. It also plans to continue operating its rural services — those in Washington, Lamoille, Franklin and Grand Isle counties — farefree, according to Clark.

New payment options

Green Mountain Transit had planned to reinstate fares on its Chittenden County routes in July, but the agency said it needed more time to get its fare collection system up and running.

Now, Clark said the agency has started installing new fareboxes that, for the first time, will allow riders to pay onboard with a credit card or a smartphone, instead of just cash and coins. Clark said that while 90 percent of bus riders likely have smartphones, it was important, from an equity perspective, to continue allowing onboard cash payments.

Under the new system, called Genfare Link, riders will be able to download a mobile ticketing app and, when boarding a bus, open the app and wave their phone over the farebox to pay.

Riders who do not, or cannot, use the app will be able to get a physical bus pass at a Green Mountain Transit center, which works in much the same way. At first, the pass would need to be refilled at a transit center, but Clark said plans are for riders to be able to add money to the card at local stores, such as CVS and Walmart, in the future.

Clark said riders who use the Genfare system would also be eligible for a new, planned fare structure that caps the amount riders spend in a given period of time.

The transit agency plans to introduce a daily cap of $4 (or $2 for reduced-price riders), meaning riders would not need to pay after taking two trips in a day. Riders would also be capped at paying $40 (or,

for reduced fares, $20) in a month — the equivalent of 20 bus rides.

Clark said these caps were created so that, even with a higher fare in place, regular bus riders would not pay more than the $40 cost of a monthly bus pass on the system’s local routes pre-pandemic. Monthly passes were more expensive for commuter lines.

Clark said the agency will be encouraging riders to take advantage of the new caps.

Sandy Thibault, executive director of the Chittenden Area Transportation Management Association, said her organization — which advocates for public transportation use in the county — was glad to see more modern payment options being put into place.

She said having the same fare across local and commuter routes will “provide, I think, more consistency for people traveling within the region,” adding that “we’ve got to make it easy” to take the bus for more people to consider a bus over driving a car.

A January report found that Green Mountain Transit could expect to lose more than 15 percent of its riders if it started charging again. Clark said he hopes the new fare caps will help keep the bus affordable to more people and limit the impact on ridership.

Green Mountain Transit held a series of public meetings on the proposed new fare plan earlier this month. Clark said agency leaders did not hear any objections to the plan, though noted that attendance at the meetings was extremely low across the board.

Clark added that while Green Mountain Transit’s board of commissioners may make some tweaks to the plan, he expects few major changes before it goes into effect.

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

A competitor enjoys perfect conditions during last weekend’s Charlotte Covered Bridge races. Full results at racevermont.com/

continued from page 7