Bears everywhere
Postseason play
Population hits 5-year high in Vermont
CVU teams eye Division I championships
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October 26, 2023
Hinesburg questions bus service contribution
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Hinesburg is probing whether to back out of its membership with the Green Mountain Transit Authority, with several selectboard members questioning whether the financial arrangement is fair for the town. Any decision on the matter would be months away. The town will likely not dedicate any time to the issue until after its fiscal year 2025 budget has been finalized. But it highlights growing concerns around the town’s arrangement with the transit authority as Hinesburg faces a tight budget and an expected tax increase of more than 7 percent next year. “I am all for public transportation,” selectboard member Mike Loner said. “But I’m also very worried that we’re using Hinesburg taxpayers’ dollars for a benefit that is very limited to our use.” Hinesburg this fiscal year paid $51,000 to the transit authority, a 4 percent increase over the prior year, according to Todd Odit, Hinesburg’s town manager. Three years ago, in 2021, the town paid $45,000. Green Mountain Transit has
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
A point of contention during Charlotte’s last budget season has been put to rest as the selectboard confirmed Monday night that Town Meeting Day will be back in person this year — the first time the town will gather all together for its annual meeting since 2020. “We don’t want to do Australian ballot?” joked board member Lewis Mudge, referencing the amount of backlash the selectboard received last year for keeping the ballot vote instead of an in-person event. To celebrate the revival of the tradition, selectboard chair Jim Faulkner said he hopes to have the event be more of a community event, and “something more than just your bland Town Meeting Day,” he said. Since Charlotte voters approved moving the annual vote to Saturday in 2021, this year’s town meeting will be held on March 2 to limit costs for security that would PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
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MEETING
Charlotte, Hinesburg plan Halloween fun With spooky season in full swing, Charlotte residents and employees are pulling out all the stops this year for a fun-filled weekend full of ghosts, goblins and, of course, loads of candy and sweet treats. The weekend kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Charlotte Library with jack-o’-lantern carving which offers a great community opportunity for everyone to partake in the Halloween fun — even those without trick-ortreaters. Visit the library anytime this weekend to see the full display of carved pumpkins. On Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. the Friends of the Charlotte Library and the Charlotte Senior Center will be handing out treats — including homemade fudge and Rice Crispies — on the porch for all trick-or-treaters. But the main attraction is an annual resident-led event from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Greenbush Road that features live music, and this year, a food truck. Local legend Lowell Thompson and his band will play Halloween hits and everything in between while Folinos serves up wood-fired pizzas out of its food truck. The road will be closed to traffic to make it safe for kids and families to walk the road and trick or treat. “I’m trying to make a fun, safe, happy event for people of all ages, for both Charlotte residents and people from all over to
come and enjoy,” said Eli-Lesser Goldsmith. “We think it’s the best trick-or-treat event in Chittenden County!”
Hinesburg Halloween Halloween is right around the corner and for Hinesburg kids it means another year of trick or treating at the fire department’s annual Halloween party. Those wondering where to go should look no further than the fire station in the village, where kids of all ages are invited year after year to come and enjoy the Halloween spirit. Local sponsors, including the Middlebury Bank and Vermont Smoke and Cure, will be on hand. Hinesburg Fire Chief Nick Baker said there will be plenty of games, candy and popcorn. “We’ve got little kids in there, as young as they can be, and we even get some 10-, 12-, 13-year-old kids playing some of the games,” Baker said. The party has been part of Hinesburg’s Halloween for years — absent a break during the pandemic. From there, kids and parents venture off into the village to trick or treat. Creekside, the development behind the station, is a prime spot for trick or treaters hoping to fill up their bags with candy, as are other neighborhoods, including Thistle Hill and Lyman Meadows. — Liberty Darr and Corey McDonald
continued from page 1 be needed during school hours at Charlotte Central School. After the governor signed H.42, the bill that allowed towns to hold Town Meeting Day by Australian ballot for another year, selectboard members last year unanimously voted to hold the meeting that way to ensure that all Charlotte residents could be included, citing concerns for spreading the COVID-19 virus and hoping the decision to eliminate the in-person gathering would increase voter turnout. “We want to maximize the number of residents who can participate in this decision,” board member Louise McCarren said in February. However, residents flooded selectboard meetings leading up to the town-wide vote to show overwhelming disapproval of the
decision, saying they felt ill-prepared and uninformed to make an educated vote about the budget. “What you’re doing in an Australian ballot is you’re forcing a conclusion on thoughtful people to vote it down,” resident Peter Richardson said. While this may seem to be a way to increase voter turnout, “there are others who won’t participate because there is no way to affect the conclusion,” he said last winter. Although the town has a few months to go before budget discussions begin in earnest, the town is beginning budget discussions much earlier than usual this year with hopes of avoiding the issues that ultimately led to the budget being shot down. The new town administrator confirmed that the office has already received all the budget
requests from town committees and commissions and they’re working now to prepare the first draft spreadsheet for review by the selectboard on Nov. 13. “I want to get the work done a lot earlier so we can be a little bit more thorough,” said Faulkner. “Clearly we had a tough time last year on our budget.” Faulkner said that since many residents were so involved in budget discussions last year, he hopes to continue community engagement by creating a taxpayer subcommittee to work in tandem with the selectboard to review initial budget proposals. “We had some ladies and men last year, they really did a lot of homework, and it was a lot of help,” he has said. “I think we can get a lot of good input if we do that, good, bad or indifferent.”
burg’s $51,000. Hinesburg has one commuter line that runs through town. The bus line runs from Burlington through Route 116 and stops at the Hinesburg Town Hall Park and Ride before circling back. Procedurally, the selectboard would need to vote to withdraw from authority. If the vote passed, it would take a full fiscal year after notice was given before it went into effect. If, for example, the board voted to remove itself this year, it wouldn’t take effect until fiscal year 2026, beginning June in 2025. “We should have done it last year,” selectboard member Dennis Place said. The hope among other town
selectboard members is that the state will formulate a new funding mechanism for public transportation in the state. “We can do that dramatic thing of taking ourselves out of membership,” selectboard chair Merrily Lovell said, “but hopefully before we come to that decision, the Green Mountain Transit will come up with a different funding fee.” Phil Pouech, Hinesburg’s state representative and former selectboard member, sits on the House Committee on Transportation. He told selectboard members that a study looking into how to
GMT continued from page 1 lines that run through every one of Chittenden County’s towns and cities and has commuter lines that run to Montpelier and parts of Lamoille, Franklin and Grand Isle counties. But the agency relies on funding from only eight municipalities in the county: Burlington, South Burlington, Hinesburg, Shelburne, Williston, Essex, Winooski and Milton. Other towns pay minor contributions for service to their towns, like Jericho and Underhill, but the agency does not have the same power of assessment in those towns, so it’s a much lower level of local investment. These assessment fees range as high as $2 million for Burlington to Hines-
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The Citizen • October 26, 2023 • Page 3
Vermont’s bear population hits a 5-year high K. FIEGENBAUM VTDIGGER
The number of black bears in Vermont has reached a fiveyear high, according to new data released by the Fish & Wildlife Department. The 2022 population of the state’s only bear species is estimated at 7,000 to 8,500, spread throughout the state except for the Lake Champlain Islands, the department found. The figure lags one year behind the current year, as the population model relies on annual data from hunters. According to Jaclyn Comeau, black bear project leader and wildlife biologist with the department, the bear population fluctuates as part of a five-year cycle of growth and decline due to factors such as reproductive cycles, food availability and vehicle collisions. However, she says, the bear population has remained relatively stable since the 1990s, generally ranging in size from around 4,000 to 7,500 in consistent cycles. “There’s a lot of variability that’s driven by their ecology, their behavior and natural food availability, and those factors can also influence the hunters’ harvest each year,” Comeau said in an interview. “All of these factors playing together, we believe, is what has been kind of keeping the population in check. As the population gets to these larger numbers, usually you’re going to see more bears harvested and you’re going to see more bears killed crossing roads.” Vermont’s robust population of black bears today lies in stark contrast to the early 1970s, when they were found only in mountainous areas of the state and in the Northeast Kingdom and likely numbered between 1,500 and 3,500. The decline in the state’s bear population began much earlier than the 1970s, according to Comeau, who dated it back to when European settlers converted much of the landscape from forests to agricultural land. This, coupled with a fairly unrestricted ability to hunt the animals, drove the bears into remote and mountainous areas. The bear’s population recovery followed farm abandonment
Correction
Last week’s story about Guy Cheng incorrectly reported that his father was General Lihing Cheng. He was his grandfather.
— which allowed land to grow back into forests — and the establishment of sustainable hunting regulations. “We really do feel like, overall, it’s a huge conservation success story to now see that we have bears distributed throughout most of the reaches of Vermont again,” Comeau said. An uptick in bear sightings in more densely populated parts of the state prompted the department to issue a press release over the summer, calling it “a dangerous situation for these bears and for people.” In South Burlington alone, Vermont Fish & Wildlife has already received 24 bear incident reports through its web reporting form this year, compared to just three in 2022. Comeau suggested greater public awareness of the reporting form might be contributing to the increase in reports. She also noted that many of the sightings were traced to a mother and her two cubs, who also sometimes cross the line into Shelburne. “As more bears are born, they’re dispersing, trying to find a new place to set up a home range,” Comeau said. “As they look around for places with food available and maybe less pressure from already established bears, it puts them in contact with places like the greater Burlington area. … If there’s enough human food in those places — despite all the busy roads and the lack of big woods — some bears will choose to stay.” “We are getting consistent reports from the greater Burlington area for the past two to three years now in a way that we weren’t five years ago,” Comeau said.
VERMONT FISH & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT PHOTO
A bear bites a bird feeder. Officials blame food sources such as backyard feeders, compost piles and unsecured garbage for the rise in human conflicts with bear.
She also noted that black bear sightings are being reported in Essex and Essex Junction as well. “Yes, it is an indication that the distribution of our population really is pushing at the boundaries of where it used to be,” she said. The bear incidents “are definitely related to the size of the bear population. But they’re also related to the fact that we have way too many bird feeders out and we haven’t figured out good ways to store our garbage.” The leading cause of bear
conflicts, according to the department, are unsecured food sources such as trash containers or bird feeders, which teach bears to associate people with easy access to food. Fish & Wildlife’s 2020-2030 black bear management plan suggests that Vermont’s mandated composting law could also — at least temporarily — increase bear problems statewide. The 2020 law banned residential food scraps from landfills but didn’t require people to use bear-
proof food scrap containers for their compost. The plan notes that there has already been an increase in reports of bears damaging compost structures. According to the department, residents can discourage bears from seeking out food in developed areas by securing garbage until collection day morning, protecting backyard chicken flocks with electric fencing, composting properly, and removing bird feeders until there is snow on the ground.
Page 4 • October 26, 2023 • The Citizen
Vermont State Police Blotter Oct. 21 at 3:14 p.m., Christopher Carpentier, 35, of Charlotte, was arrested for driving under the influence, second offense, and driving with a suspended license after police were
called to a Higbee Road home in Charlotte for a report of a fight. The trooper determined Carpentier had driven his vehicle under the influence of intoxicants without a license.
Hinesburg Police Blotter: Oct. 17-23 Total incidents: 44 Car break-ins: 5 Oct. 17 at 2:30 p.m., an officer investigated the report of a violation of a relief from abuse order. Oct. 17 at 3:45 p.m., police investigated suspicious activity on Ballard’s Corner Road. Oct. 17 at 8:35 p.m., police investigated an abandoned vehicle on Gilman Road. Oct. 17 at 9:21 p.m., officers assisted the Hinesburg Fire Department with a fire alarm on North Road. Oct. 19 at 10:05 a.m., police investigated suspicious activity on Pond Road. Oct. 19 at 5:56 p.m., a citizen was assisted with applying for a restraining order. Oct. 19 at 7:17 p.m., a domestic assault on Bear Lane was investigated. Oct. 19 at 8:50 p.m., officers served court paperwork to a resident on Hillview Terrace. Oct. 20 at 7:38 a.m., a larceny from a vehicle on Lilac Lane was investigated.
Oct. 20 at 12:18 p.m., loose dog was found on North Road and returned to its owner. Oct. 21 at 7:01 a.m., police investigated a larceny from a vehicle on Mill Road. Oct. 21 at 7:41 a.m., police investigated another larceny from a vehicle, this time on Pond Road. On Oct 21 at 8:36 a.m., a larceny from a vehicle on Pond Road was reported. Oct. 21 at 12:30 p.m., someone reported vandalism to a vehicle on Mechanicsville Road. Oct. 22 at 3:47 p.m., an officer investigated the report of suspicious activity on Rocky Mountain Lane. Oct. 23 at 11:15 a.m., an officer assisted another and served a subpoena to a resident in Monkton. Oct. 23 at 11:58 a.m., fraudulent activity on Ballard’s Corner Road was investigated. Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney Office and can be amended or dropped.
The Citizen
Invasive mile-a-minute weed found The invasive mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata) has been found in Vermont for the first time. The fast-growing annual vine, originally from India and Eastern Asia, poses a significant threat to native vegetation, young forest stands, habitats in natural areas and agricultural industries such as nurseries, landscaping and Christmas tree farms. It was recently found in Charlotte. Mile-a-minute, introduced to the United States through contaminated nursery stock in the 1930s, has been reported in various regions, including Maine, southern New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, Oregon and British Columbia in Canada. This vine is identifiable by its distinctive triangular leaves and iridescent blue fruits, reproducing through seeds and spreading easily via animals, the nursery trade and waterways. Its rapid growth, up to 6 inches per day, leads to the formation of dense mats that
COURTESY PHOTO
Mile-a-minute weed was recently found in Chittenden County, according to the state’s natural resources, agriculture and wildlife departments.
smother neighboring plants, causing stress, weakening and eventually killing the overtopped plant. Mile-a-minute weed has only been confirmed at this single site and it’s uncertain whether other populations exist in Vermont. The infestation consisted of a minimal amount of plant material,
restricted to one specific area. No additional vines were discovered on the property or reported elsewhere. Residents are encouraged to report any sightings to anr. fprinvasiveplants@vermont.org. More information can be found at Vermont Invasives website.
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The Citizen • October 26, 2023 • Page 5
OPINION Autumn’s wane offers respite from a fractured world Guest Perspective Walt Amses It’s increasingly difficult to find solace in madness, even though you’re a world away and only tangentially affected, but even then, you can’t help yourself. Each thing you learn, you can’t unlearn. Likewise, what you see, you cannot unsee. With each domino that falls you become more convinced that the world you once knew — or thought you knew — is gone forever, replaced by something unimaginably cruel in so many ways it feels hardy inhabitable. Mortality seems never far away, even if you don’t live in a war zone. While the Israeli-Palestinian war is the current prime example of our global vulnerability, it begs the question: How were a thousand Hamas terrorists able to evade what was considered an impenetrable defense to do their worst. The logical follow up is: “How safe are the rest of us? The plain truth is that if savagery on such a grand scale can happen in one of the best defended, most secure countries on Earth, it can happen anywhere. Whether we discuss it openly, most of us inherently know that humanity is in serious trouble, often manifested by declarations from myriad leaders that we are always on battle footing. War is the favorite metaphor. We’ve experienced the War on Drugs, War on Poverty, War on Cancer and, finally, since every conflict requires an enemy, The War on Each Other. At the behest of the narcissists, religious fanatics and would-be authoritarians running the show, normal people have begun vehemently despising other normal people, which isn’t normal at all. We pledged not to normalize the behavior of one specific presidential candidate in 2016 who apart from being extraordinarily unqualified, was grossly ignorant and ignorantly gross: disparaging war heroes, slandering Gold Star parents and boasting at his sexual assaults of woman. Remember, “When you’re a star, they let you.” His subsequent election was the beginning of
a nightmare come true, one that continues to this day, darkly looming over 2024, well ahead of other candidates for the Republican nomination. The utter magnitude of what has happened and, perhaps worse, what could happen, contributes to a national malaise that may once have been categorized as paranoia, but that diagnosis goes out the window when the fear is legitimate. It’s like a version of “post-dramatic” stress disorder, surrounded as we are by a subtle yet all-encompassing fear from a variety of sources: a muddled pandemic response; the proliferation of guns and commonplace mass shootings; an epidemic of racism, antisemitism, homophobia and transphobia poisoning rationale discourse; and ongoing war in Ukraine and now in the Middle East. The best description of post-traumatic stress disorder I’ve ever heard is that as a result you spend your life trying to reacquire the illusion of safety. I often ponder how we retain that comforting illusion when the threats seem to be everywhere with no ready refuge. Catastrophe has our coordinates. It’s easy to get mired in the possibilities of how circumstances can shift in a heartbeat if someone has a grudge and a gun, but threats are no longer limited to firearms. Extreme heat, powerful storms, hundred-year floods, wind-driven fires and, of course, deadly disease that can encircle the globe in a matter of weeks. All possible almost anywhere and all reliably distorted by politics that ever more frequently transcend any responsibility beyond money and power. While it’s near impossible to dodge this cumulative despair, walking has for years reliably provided me the comfort of solitude at its best, from a decidedly isolated, dirt-road perspective, steeped in a kind of necessary mystery. Although it doesn’t eradicate reality, it does offer series of moments where — if I’m lucky — I might, for instance, absorb myself in the number of woolly bear caterpillars seeking winter shelter, aimed at waking up next spring and pupating into Isabella tiger moths. I find these days between the last foliage
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Global turmoil increasingly crushes hope, expeditions and the first snowflakes intoxieven for those thousands of miles away. cating. The brisk north wind is swirling still For every Volodymyr Zelenskyy there are brightly colorful roadside leaves around me 20 Vladimir Putin wannabes. And we can’t as I walk, unseen geese setting the tempo, figure out how to form a honking their ancient way working government. south behind a deepening, The fantasy of a Hours later in the gray cloud cover. fading autumn twilight, A good walk is one different, better as I gather kale, parsley where I encounter no and a poblano pepper or vehicular or human traffic world is a worthy two from the remnants of to interrupt my mulling another frustrating garden, over a serious issue or, destination but with I slowly realize that I’m just as likely, immersed still hearing geese I’ve in some completely inane no collaboration, yet to see. It brings me musing. With lakeside back to another evening camps empty, boats in dry getting there is a 30 years ago when my son dock and the choppy water and I watched hundreds darkly foreboding, calming bridge too far. of Canadian geese circle solitude is everywhere. Nelson Pond, a feathery F-5 tornado seeking The first wisps of woodsmoke alert me that a place to touch down for the night. our dramatic slide toward darkness and I learn the next morning that my elusive cold has subtly begun and as far out as our flock, estimated to be near a thousand birds, beloved back road is, there are still a few repeated that scene not long after I was hardy neighbors like us, undaunted by the picking vegetables. Although sorry to have impending cold. These small rituals allow some space missed the spectacle, it was heartening to but offer no real solution. The fantasy of a know that long journeys require frequent different, better world is a worthy destinastops and that I’m not the only one who tion but with no collaboration, getting there needs a break once in a while. is a bridge too far. We are faced with more roadblocks than pathways to a secure future. Writer Walt Amses lives in Vermont.
Page 6 • October 26, 2023 • The Citizen
Fish & wildlife: Can we disagree like adults? 19 pandemic, we’ve seen a shift in the long-term trends of our social media audiences. More Maria Gigliello people are at home and online, “They (Vermont Fish and therefore making them more Wildlife) need to be dispatched observant and engaged with (tortured, beaten) the same way wildlife management decisions (as a trapped animal).” in the state. People are also “You’re no better than the Ku interacting more with each other Klux Klan.” online and that separation from “Bunch of in-breds out there person to person by a screen has just shooting animals for fun. increased boldness in people — Great job Vermont Fish and boldness in their comments to us Wildlife!!!” and each other. “Why any When “You’re no better than people who girl finds this fun (hunting) feel strongly the Ku Klux Klan.” is beyond me about wildlife ... she must not conservation have maternal hit send on a “Bunch of in-breds out comment that instincts.” These are calls departthere just shooting just some of the ment staff or animals for fun. Great social media other commentcomments that ers rude names, job Vermont Fish and the Vermont threatens us, Fish and Wildundermines our Wildlife!!!” life Information work, personteam sees on a regular basis. As ally attacks us, etc., there are the department’s social media always actual people on the other leads, Joshua Morse and I get a end of that comment reading it. front row seat to the good, the These hateful comments bad and the ugly emotions that are very concerning and do not the department’s work brings accomplish anything positive. to Facebook, Instagram and One of the department’s Twitter. I write this as a reminder outreach goals is to use social that despite the public’s varying media platforms as educational feelings on the work we do at tools. Teachers, students and Vermont Fish and Wildlife, there other educational groups use is always a place for kindness. social media channels to learn Probably due to the COVIDabout Vermont’s wildlife. We see
Guest Perspective
the value in making the natural world accessible to all. However, we often receive comments that are wildly inappropriate for young eyes. Comments such as, “Hey look the hunting idiot is back to showcase he provides nothing to Vermont wildlife but the brute force rifle he backs next to his tiny pecker.” We work hard to make our social media channels welcoming to all and we want to keep those channels welcoming to all. Apart from the mental and emotional distress that daily hostile comments bring to department staff, this behavior raises concerns regarding physical safety as these comments can translate to the real world. In July, Oregon Public Broadcasting published an article on how Oregon’s natural resource staff face violent threats, including attack dogs and gunfire, in the field. In 2019, violent threats caused Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife to cancel informational wolf management meetings. And in 2019, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that public land employees were faced with threats that ranged from phone harassment to attempted murder. This is a reality that many Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department biologists are aware
of and fear. While luckily no physical harm has come to our staff, it is an anxiety that lingers in the back of our minds, especially when we consistently experience aggressive and sinister language directed against the department on social media. We need to be able to do our jobs without fearing for our safety. If you want to help make our social media a more welcoming place for everyone and push back against the disturbing behavior that has become more common on these platforms, this fall is a good time to think about how to be a better member of Vermont’s online conservation community. As our commissioner has stated in the past, conserving wildlife requires respecting each other’s
different values and opinions. We have noticed an increase in online hostility when hunting and trapping seasons start. It is that time of year again and we ask that visitors of our social media channels approach each other with tolerance despite their varying viewpoints. Whether you are with an advocacy group, a hunter, a trapper, an angler or just an admirer of wildlife we all want to see the ecological systems of Vermont thrive. I am certain that we will not achieve this common goal by being cruel to one another. Maria Gigliello is communications coordinator for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
Letters to the Editor Vote yes on Charlotte solar panel question To the Editor: Between now and Nov. 7 Charlotters will be voting on two articles concerning town policies. I am writing in support of Article 1, to approve the financing of solar panels on the town garage. Because of the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress last year, municipalities are now eligible for the same renewable energy rebate that individual homeowners receive. This makes the adoption of photovoltaic solar panels to supply Charlotte’s electrical energy needs extremely cost effective. The solar panels will provide 94 percent of the electricity used by town buildings, including the town hall, library, senior center, town garage and fire station. The $282,510 cost will be offset by a 30 percent federal rebate reducing the cost to $197,757. Because of an extremely
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favorable 2 percent annual interest rate from the Vermont Bond Bank, this investment will be paid off in 10 years with annual payments about what Charlotte is currently paying for its electricity. For a minimal increase in annual spending over 10 years, Charlotte will reap huge reductions in spending for decades beyond. Almost everyone will agree that climate change is an existential threat to our way of life. The town garage has been designed to be fossil fuel-free and energy efficient using geothermal energy for heating. The solar project will further reduce Charlotte’s contribution to fossil fuel-driven CO2 emissions that drive climate change. It is a win-win proposition that will not only be good for the environment but will save Charlotte taxpayers money as well. Vote yes on Article 1. Mike Yantachka Charlotte
The Citizen • October 26, 2023 • Page 7
Filmmaker Craven wins this year’s Herb Lockwood Prize in the Arts Vermont film director and impresario Jay Craven from Barnet received the 10th annual Herb Lockwood Prize in the Arts on Oct. 21 at Burlington City Arts Center. Craven received a $10,000 cash award. The prize recognizes artists who produce significant work in the areas of visual arts, music, writing, drama, dance, film and fine woodworking, while also having a beneficent influence on the Vermont community. Craven created Catamount Arts in 1975. It was an unusual acorn to plant, and in stony soil. At that time, performing arts were not prized in rural areas for their ability to build and foster community, nor for their capacity to strengthen a local economy. Craven was literally ahead of his time. What began as a staging and production idea has become a vast enterprise with the central venue of the Community Arts Center in St. Johnsbury, and with connections to more than 40 other arts organizations around the region. A partial list includes the Tap into Film 48-hour Student Film Slam, the Levitt AMP Music Series, First Night North, plus arts education programs at every school in the region, from open mic events for teens to violin intensives designed to lift children out of poverty. Add the countless arts interns from Vermont State University campuses in Johnson and Lyndon, and elsewhere, and Catamount Arts engages with thousands of students every year. The acorn has become an oak. But Craven didn’t stop there. He formed Kingdom County Productions in 1991 and has made
connected them, inspired them, and watched how they lifted one another’s work.”
Herb Lockwood Prize
PHOTO BY TODD R. LOCKWOOD, 2007
Jay Craven
10 dramatic films. The titles are as familiar as the names of some Vermont towns: “Where the Rivers Flow North,” “A Stranger in the Kingdom,” “Northern Borders” and many more. While cinema is one of the most expensive forms of art, Craven managed to work with tight budgets and generally local funding, squeezing six cents out of every nickel. The resulting films all shared one important element, as a direct result of all the collaboration and inclusion, a form of cinematic gold the major studios can only dream of: authenticity. There were stars, many in fact: Kris Kristofferson, Genevieve Bujold, Rip Torn, Jacqueline Bisset, Martin Sheen and Tantoo Cardinal. Yet the aesthetic core was to celebrate Vermont, and to mine its artistic riches. “Cultivating this sort of village of talent is central to who Herb Lockwood was,” according to a press release announcing the prize. “He was a person who gathered artists of every stripe and kind,
The Herb Lockwood Prize was founded by his brother, Todd R. Lockwood, and some like-minded friends from the Vermont arts community. The prize has no application process, and artists do not know they are being considered for it. Nominations are provided by an anonymous network of arts advisors in Vermont. Its purpose is fourfold: to validate the work of the recipient, to energize that artist’s future, to encourage other artists to work ambitiously, and to honor Herb Lockwood’s memory by continuing his inspirational influence. Prior recipients include fine artist and typographer Claire Van Vliet, filmmaker Nora Jacobson, author Howard Frank Mosher, puppeteer and artist Peter Schumann, musician and public radio host Robert Resnik, dancer and choreographer Hannah Dennison, Latin Jazz musician and teacher Ray Vega, and poet McCadden. According to prize officials, Herb Lockwood, who died in a Burlington workplace accident in 1987 at age 27, made an enduring impact on the region’s arts and artists, gaining recognition in a variety of art forms: cartooning, painting, writing, woodworking, sculpture, storytelling and tai chi. Mostly, though, Lockwood was a musician. Formally trained on classical guitar, his musical inclinations knew no bounds, whether adapting ancient Irish jigs to a baritone bouzouki, creating a new vocal twist on an old standard, or ripping out riffs on a jazz guitar.
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Fall Antiques Sale 10 Green St • Vergennes, VT Thursday + Friday • October 26 + 27 • 8am-5pm. Saturday • October 28 • 8am-3pm Cabinet • Toys • Armoires • Lamps (for the upcoming darkness) • Rocking, Dining and Upholstered Chairs MCM Bedroom Set • Vintage Stereo Stuff • Electric Full Size Bed • Paintings by Arthur Healy, Georgia Balch and more • Stoneware • Toy Tractors • Dressers • Asian Prints Drop Leaf Tables • Dining Tables • German Walnut MCM Cabinet • Secretary • Drafting Table • Grandfather Clocks • Bookcase • Two Oak Card Catalog/File Cabinets • Mirrors • China inc. Canton • Pierced Tin Pie Safe Primitive Benches • Cradles • Bowls and Woodenware Antique Beds • Pr Twin Canopy Beds • Early Walnut Tall Chest • Antique Milk Sleds • Copper and Brass Quilts • Sofas • Frames • Baskets • Furniture Hardware Hundreds of Small Items and MUCH, MUCH MORE
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Page 8 • October 26, 2023 • The Citizen
Meet Sue, pet sleuth extraordinaire CAMILA VAN ORDER GONZÁLEZ COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE
When her 10-year-old cat, Geno, went missing in June 2022, Susie Snow of Williston turned to social media for help. Immediately, someone gave her a name to call: Sue Wear, vigilante pet sleuth. Wear, a South Burlington resident, designed Snow a flier and advised her to put clothes and cat food outside her door. But as months went by and the weather got colder, Snow was losing hope. “I had given up,” she said. “I had given away all of his stuff — litter box, toys, everything.” Then came the night of Oct. 2, 2022, when Snow noticed a couple missed calls from Wear. She dialed back. “I just sent you pictures of a cat that’s been hanging around a house in South Burlington,” Wear told Snow, who scrolled through the photos and recognized the orange and white face looking back at her. “That’s definitely him,” she told Wear. Four months gone and 5 pounds lost later, Geno was brought home, safe. For the last decade Wear and several pals have worked to reunite families with their furry friends. When a pet goes missing, searching for it can be difficult and lonely, Wear can help. Wear’s main tools are game cameras and cage traps made specifically for gently catching dogs and cats. She sets up a game camera where the pet was last seen that sends a notification to her phone when it detects movement. If she sees the missing pet in question there, she’ll then set up one of her many Tru Catch pet traps, which come in a variety of sizes and close quietly to not disturb the animal. The traps are easy to use, important when she is lending them to a frazzled family. Geno was an indoor cat, as are most of the cats Wear works to bring home. When indoor cats get out, they tend to get spooked and hide, before romping about between midnight and 4 a.m. In those early morning hours is what Wear calls a “crappy game of patience,” in which she and the owner wait for a notification from the game camera. “If it’s an inside cat, they’re not that far away,” Joan Myers, who has worked with Wear, said. “You just got to be patient, until they can come out from being so terrified. And she holds (your) hand through the whole process and gives you that support you so badly need.” “There is no feeling like when you lose an animal, either to death or you lose them outside and you can’t find them,” Myers said. “It’s just a horrible feeling.” The first time Wear did this kind of volunteer work, she was grieving. “It’s funny, today is actually 10 years since I lost one of my prior dogs,” said Wear on a late September day this year. “Right after she passed away, there was a lost dog in my neighborhood.” Something told her she should help. As
she drove around, searching for the dog, she noticed somebody from Essex doing just the same thing. It was Michele Rennie, who is now one of Wear’s best friends. “That’s how I got into it,” Wear said. “I think I was looking for something, just because I was sad about my dog. After that, Michele and I worked on a couple lost dogs with some other friends that we made.” Over the years, Wear has widened her network of friends who help out on missing pet cases. They are active on Vermontbased missing pet Facebook groups. Her community-oriented method tends to be successful –– through these networks she can connect a report of a found animal back to an owner’s report of a missing pet. Although they joked about it, Wear and her friends never gave their group an official name. They prefer to keep it low-key, independent. Myers has been cat-sitting for a living for about seven years. She met Wear in 2021 and has been friends with her since. When her clients’ cats go missing, she makes sure to contact Wear. “I’ll say, ‘Have you heard about this one?’ And most of them, she has.” “I have never met anybody like her,” Myers said. “My gosh, this woman has such a heart of compassion for missing animals. She goes out of her way, and she never charges anybody.” Talk to Wear and you’ll likely come away feeling pleasant. She has a hearty, contagious laugh. It comes in handy when she’s managing multiple missing pet cases –– connections are crucial to her work. Wear’s friend Rennie does not have as much of the sunny disposition — or at least she doesn’t sugarcoat things. “When (Michele and I) would work together a lot, she would joke that it was like good cop, bad cop: I would always be the one who everyone would get along
PHOTOS BY CAMILA VAN ORDER GONZÁLEZ
Above: Wear explains how her traps work. Below: Sue Wear of South Burlington holds her cat, Scarlet.
with, I don’t try to ruffle feathers. Michele tends to be more at face value, and she’ll just say how it is,” Wear said. But they both, in the beginning, made that initial connection with one another. In turn, they’ve partnered to bring home dozens of lost pets. Myers, reflecting on her pet detective friend, put it like this:
“I’m not a really articulate person — I don’t have glowing, wonderful words — but I think the world of Sue.” The Community News Service is a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.
The Citizen • October 26, 2023 • Page 9
COMMUNITY Community Notes Enjoy Age Well meals at Charlotte Senior Center The Age Well meal pickup for Thursday, Oct. 26, is from 10-11 a.m., Charlotte Senior Center, 212 Ferry Road, and features beef steak, barbecue sauce, Italian risotto with diced tomatoes and vegetables, Italian vegetables with black beans, berry crisp with cream and milk. You must have pre-registered by the prior Monday at 802-425-6345 or meals@ charlotteseniorcentervt.org The meal on Thursday, Nov. 2, features sweet-n-sour vegetable pork, vegetable rice pilaf with lentils, Brussel sprouts, wheat bread, Halloween date cookie and milk. The meal on Thursday, Nov. 9, features roast pork with sauce, red mashed potatoes, butternut squash, wheat roll, apple crisp with topping and milk. The meal on Thursday, Nov. 16, features roast turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, carrots, cranberry sauce, wheat roll, pumpkin pie with cream and milk. The suggested donation is $5. Check the website for last-minute cancellations at charlotteseniorcentervt.org.
Come one, come all to Hinesburg block party Hinesburg’s having a block party and you’re all invited. On Sunday, Oct. 29, from 3-5 p.m. in Lyman Meadows, enjoy authentic Mexican hermosas and tacos, chips and salsa, quesadillas and flan, for both carnivores and vegans — ice cream too. Costumes are optional.
October programs at Charlotte Senior Center The Charlotte Senior Center, 212 Ferry Road, hosts a variety of special events in October. More information at charlotteseniorcentervt.org or 802-425-6345. Some events require registration. • AARP Smart Driver course, Thursday, Oct. 26, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The AARP Smart Driver course is designed especially for drivers aged 50 and older, will help you refresh your driving skills, and may even help you save on your auto insurance. Register by Monday, Oct. 16 as class size is limited to 15. Cost: $25 or $20 for AARP members. • Annual meeting of the Friends of Charlotte Senior Center, Friday, Oct. 27, at 1 p.m. Join the conversation and hear the highlights of this past year and what’s planned moving forward. Update on financial position and election of board members. • Kirtan with Heidi Kvasnak and Charlie Nardozzi, Sunday, Oct. 29, 4-6 p.m. Kirtan is an ancient yoga gathering where musicians play traditional instruments and sing simple chants. Some chants are call and response and others are singalongs. You can also simply sit, listen and enjoy. Song sheets provided. All are welcome and no
Spring redux
experience is necessary. Questions? Contact Nardozzi at cnardozzi124@gmail.com. Suggested donation is $5-$15. Register by Friday, Oct. 27.
CVU students put on ‘Newsies’ this fall The Champlain Valley Theater presents Disney’s “Newsies,” Friday to Sunday, Nov. 10-12, at the CVU High School Theatre. Shows are at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, and Sunday matinee at 1 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit www.ticketsource.us/cvutheater. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $8 for children, staff and faculty.
Eleva Chamber Players present ‘The Baroque Effect’ The Eleva Chamber Players will explore the influence of Baroque music through the ages by performing Telemann’s Concerto in F for 3 Violins, Respighi’s Ancient Airs & Dances Suite 3, Vivaldi’s “Spring” from “The Four Seasons” and Holst’s St. Paul’s Suite in C Major (Op. 29, No. 2). The concerts will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Waterbury Congregational Church, 8 North Main St., and Sunday, Nov. 12, at The Inn at Round Barn Farm, 1661 East Warren Road, Waitsfield. Both concerts are at 3 p.m. “Eleva seeks to answer the question of how Baroque music has lasted for over 400 years. Its form, rhythms and use of string instruments have influenced composers over the centuries and its popularity continues to grow,” Willie Docto, founder of the Players, said. The Eleva Chamber Players is Central Vermont’s only professional string chamber orchestra with the mission of elevating the human spirit through music. More at elevachamberplayers.com.
Red Cross hosts blood drive in Shelburne The Red Cross will hold a blood drive on Tuesday, Nov. 21, noon-5 p.m., St. Catherine’s Parish Hall, 72 Church St., Shelburne. Schedule an appointment at redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767. Appointments are strongly recommended as walkins cannot always be accommodated. Share with patients in need this holiday season and get a pair of officially licensed socks from the movie “Elf.”
PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
What a strange year it has been: A lilac blooms in October.
precepts found in the Holy Bible, especially in Christ Jesus’ life and teachings, showing how they are available for anyone to understand and experience through the lens of Christian Science. The talk is free, open to the community, and sponsored by First Church of Christ, Scientist, Burlington. Sharing examples of healing from his own life and professional practice of Christian Science, Fischer will explain why Christian Science is both Christian and scientific, meaning that people can prove its effectiveness for themselves, as fully described in the book “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” written by the founder of the Christian Science movement, Mary Baker Eddy.
Feeding Chittenden welcomes food access coordinator Nora Lindberg has been named food access coordinator for Feeding Chittenden. She will oversee the distribution and delivery of groceries. See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 16
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Noted expert speak on faith, Christian Science “How spiritual perception brings healing,” a talk by Alex Fischer, a practitioner of Christian Science and an international speaker, takes place in the South Burlington Public Library auditorium, 180 Market St., on Saturday, Nov. 11, 11 a.m. His talk will focus on universal healing
Fischer travels from his home in southwest France to speak to audiences around the world as a member of the religions board of lectureship. There will be a question-and-answer period in both English and French.
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Page 10 • October 26, 2023 • The Citizen
SPORTS Postseason play looks strong for CVU teams LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
Football Division I quarterfinals No. 6 Essex (4-4) at No. 3 Champlain Valley (7-1), Saturday, Oct. 28, at 1 p.m. Champlain Valley wrapped up the regular season Friday, beating Middlebury 21-14 in a rematch of last year’s Division I championship match. With the win, the Redhawks wrapped up the No. 3 seed in the upcoming playoffs and secured a matchup with No. 6 Essex to open the postseason in the quarterfinals Saturday. CVU beat the Hornets 28-0 in its regular season matchup, one of the team’s seven wins. If the team wins Saturday, it could face No. 2 Burr and Burton in the DI semifinals — the only team to beat them this season.
Field hockey Division I quarterfinals No. 6 Essex (5-6-2) at No.
3 Champlain Valley (10-3-1), Friday, Oct. 27, at 3:30 p.m. The field hockey team won its final game of the season — part of 6-1 record to wrap up its schedule — on Friday, beating South Burlington 1-0. The Redhawks now take on Essex in the DI quarterfinals on Friday, looking to beat the Hornets for the third time. CVU downed Essex 4-3 in its first matchup and 1-0 in its second meeting. The Redhawks hope to make it a hat trick on Friday and advance to the semifinals. If the Redhawks advance, they will face the winner of the matchup between No. 2 Rice and No. 7 Mount Mansfield.
Boys’ soccer Division I quarterfinals No. 1 Champlain Valley (13-1), vs TBA, Saturday, Oct. 28, at 3 p.m. The CVU boys’ soccer team secured the top seed in the DI tourSee PREVIEW on page 11
PHOTO BY AL FREY
CVU boys’ volleyball captain Simon Hunt battles for control at the net against a Rice player.
Redhawks finish regular season LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
Boys’ soccer Champlain Valley 4, Essex 0: The boys struck early three times in the second half to beat Essex and wrap up the regular season. Chandler Turner had a hat trick to pace the Redhawks, who finish with a 13-1 record and the top seed in the upcoming Division I tournament. Nic Menard also scored for CVU, while Ziggy Babbott and Oscar Anderson combined to earn the shutout in goal.
Girls’ soccer PHOTO BY AL FREY
Miles Bergeson takes a header in an Oct. 18 matchup against Colchester. CVU won 1-0.
Champlain Valley 2, Essex 1: Champlain Valley finished the regular season with an unbeaten
record after defeating Essex 2-1 on Friday, Oct 20. Chloe Pecor and Rieanna Murray each had a goal for the Redhawks, who finish 14-0. Ava Barron added an assist, and Anya Johnson made six saves in goal. CVU enters the postseason as the No. 1 seed.
Field hockey Champlain Valley 1, South Burlington 0: Champlain Valley scored late in the third quarter and held off South Burlington in the final game of the regular season. Carly Strobeck scored the lone goal for the Redhawks, and Bibi Frechette and Marlie Cartwright each had an assist. Sophie Comeau stopped 12 shots in goal in the shutout.
CVU’s 10-3-1 regular season record earned it the No. 3 seed in the postseason.
Football Champlain Valley 21, Middlebury 14: The Champlain Valley football team opened a 14-0 lead and then held off Middlebury in a rematch of the DI championship game on Friday night. Ollie Cheer threw for two touchdowns and 171 yards, hitting Jack Armstrong with a 27-tard TD catch and a 5-yard touchdown catch. Jacob Bose ran for 54 yards and Asher Vaughn punched it in from 5 yards out for another score. CVU finished the regular season with a 7-1 record and is the No. 3 seed in playoffs.
The Citizen • October 26, 2023 • Page 11
Obituary Marilyn Louise Page
She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Boston University, her Dr. Marilyn L. Monks Page, 84, of Seat- master’s degree in Latin American history tle, died peacefully on Wednesday, Oct. 11, from Indiana University, and her Doctorate 2023, with her three children, Dave, Phil in Education at The University of Massaand Jeannie at her side. chusetts, Amherst in 1992. Born in Worcester, Mass., A lifelong educator, Marilyn’s in 1939 to parents Norman and career encompassed teaching Mabel Monks, Marilyn leaves middle school and high school, as behind four siblings, Norman, well as teaching as a professor of David, Janice, and Steve. She also education at both Johnson State leaves behind a vibrant collection College in Vermont and Penn of grandchildren, Alia, Violet, State University. Aria, Brendan and Gwenna, as Marilyn was an avid travelwell as three step-grandchildren, er, a writer of both fiction and Jarah, Surana, and Beck. nonfiction, and a breaker of Marilyn Louise Page Marilyn was a graduate glass ceilings. Throughout the of South High School (Class different chapters of her dynamof 1957) in Worcester, and attended the ic and ever-evolving life, her intelligence, Welwyn Garden City Grammar School in optimism, and sense of humor remained a Hertfordshire, England, while living over- constant beacon of light to all around her. seas with her family. She will be missed.
PHOTO BY AL FREY
Aren Eisenmen gets the ball past his Rice opponent Oct. 20. CVU plays in the Division I quarterfinals Friday.
PREVIEW continued from page 10 nament by beating Essex in the final game of the regular season. CVU beat Essex 4-0 to finish the season 13-1 and will be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. In the quarterfinals, CVU will face the winner of a game between No. 8 Mount Anthony and No. 9 St. Johnsbury. The Redhawks beat Mount Anthony, 3-0, early in the season and beat the Hilltoppers twice, 2-1 and 5-1. To advance to the semifinals and keep its hopes of another state title alive, CVU will have to beat one of them again.
Girls’ volleball
Boys’ volleyball
Girls’ soccer
Division I quarterfinals No. 5 Mount Mansfield (4-9) at No. 4 Champlain Valley (5-6), Friday, Oct. 27, at 5 p.m. The boys’ volleyball team will take on No. 5 Mount Mansfield on Friday in the quarterfinals, looking to win its first title since 2019. The Redhawks beat the Cougars in both regular season meetings, winning 3-1 both times. CVU finished the regular season by winning three of its last four games and hope to keep that going as they begin a postseason push.
Division I playdowns No. 2 Champlain Valley (11-2) vs. TBA, Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 5 p.m. The girls look to return to the championship game, and they began that journey on Wednesday in a playdown game after press time. CVU will face the winner of a Rice/ Randolph matchup, who played Tuesday. The Redhawks beat the Green Knights, 3-0, in the final game of the regular season but did not face Randolph this year. Division I quarterfinals No. 1 Champlain Valley (14-0) vs. TBA, Friday, Oct. 27, at 3 p.m. For the sixth time in last seven years, the Champlain Valley girls’ soccer team finished the regular season with an undefeated record. The Redhawks earned the No. 1 seed in the DI postseason with a 14-0 record. CVU faced the winner of No. 8 Mount Anthony and No. 9 St. Johnsbury, who play on Tuesday in the quarterfinals after press time. The Redhawks beat Mount Anthony, 12-0, to open the season and bested the Hilltoppers in their only meeting as well.
Say you saw it in The Citizen!
NOV. 9
Page 12 • October 26, 2023 • The Citizen
HONORING OUR
VETERANS
On Nov. 9, The Citizen will be honored to publish photos of the men and women who have unselfishly served our country. Page 14 • November 10, 2022 • Shelburne News
HONORING The Veterans Among Us
If you have a veteran who you would like us to honor, please mail or email your photo and the following information by
ROBERT F. WHITEMAN, SR. U.S. Air Force E6 1959-1979
LORENZO P. BUSHWAY, SR. April 28, 1960 Active Duty: Feb. 1953-Feb. 1955
ROBERT S. BORKOWSKI Sergeant (SFC) Medic VT Army National Guard 1982-2005
PVT. HENRI DE MARNE & PVT. CLAUDE DE MARNE Henri de Marne and his brother Claude, Patton’s 3rd army, WW2, 1944 following French resistance before liberation.
PETER PAUL ZUK U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant Served 1955-57 Japan and Korea
DAVID F. LELAND United States Navy Lieutenant WWII 1944-1955
ROLAND W. WILBUR United States Army T/4, 14th Armored Division WW II 1942-46
PERRY D. MELVIN U.S. Navy, HM 3 3rd Marine Regiment Vietnam War
BRUCE NUNZIATA 1st Infantry Vietnam 1967-68
THOMAS C. GIBSON Royal Air Force Squadron Leader 1947-1952, Malaya
MICHAEL W. LYNCH U.S. Navy, Lt.J.G. Civil Engineer Corp 1967-1975 VT Air Guard 1976-1979
PETER GADUE US Army and VTARNG 1970-2009
SHANNON B. BLAKE U.S. Army, Major 1986-2006 Afghanistan War Veteran
DAVID WINER Corporal, Marine Corps March 1944-July 1946 Peleliu Campaign
WILLIAM A. READ JR. U.S. Navy Commander Gunnery Instructor Patrol Squadron 101 Southwest Pacific
THURSDAY, NOV. 2 Please include: • Name of veteran • Branch of service • Rank • Years of service • Town of residence
EMAIL PHOTOS AND TEXT TO: news@thecitizenvt.com OR MAIL TO: The Citizen, P.O. Box 489, Stowe, VT 05672 If you have submitted a photo in a previous year, you do not need to resubmit.
The Citizen • October 26, 2023 • Page 13
TOWN OF CHARLOTTE, VERMONT SPECIAL TOWN MEETING OFFICIAL WARNING NOVEMBER 7, 2023 The legal voters of the Town of Charlotte, Vermont, are hereby notified and warned to meet at Charlotte Town Hall, 159 Ferry Road in the Town of Charlotte on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, between the hours of seven o’clock (7:00) in the forenoon (a.m.), at which time the polls will open, and seven o’clock (7:00) in the afternoon (p.m.), at which time the polls will close, to vote by Australian ballot upon the following Articles of business: ARTICLE I Shall the voters authorize the acquisition of solar energy equipment and its installation on the roof of the Town garage in an amount not to exceed Two Hundred Eighty-two Thousand Five Hundred Ten and 00/100 Dollars ($282,510.00) to be financed with debt instruments other than bonds over a period not to exceed ten (10) years (the “Solar Project”)? ARTICLE II Shall the Town amend the Town of Charlotte Land Use Regulations at Sections 2.4 (Commercial/ Light Industrial District definitions of Permitted and Conditional Uses), 2.5 (Rural District definition of Conditional Uses), 3.12 A) 3) and 6) (Performance Standards), 4.3 (Adaptive Reuse of an Existing Structure), 4.17 (Temporary Structures), 4.20 (Cannabis Establishment) and 10.2 (Definitions) for the purposes of defining “cannabis establishment,” specifying where such operations may be located, and specifying relevant performance standards for the operation of a “cannabis establishment”? (A copy of the Land Use Regulations showing all proposed additions and deletions is available for review at the Town offices and on the Town’s website at www.charlottevt.org.) The legal voters of the Town of Charlotte are further notified that voter qualification, registration, and absentee voting relative to said special meeting shall be as provided in Chapters 43, 51 and 55 of Title 17, Vermont Statutes Annotated. The legal voters of the Town of Charlotte are further notified that an informational hearing will be held on Monday, October 30, 2023, at the Town Offices in the Town of Charlotte and electronically on the Zoom platform beginning at six-thirty (6:30) in the evening (p.m.), for the purpose of explaining the proposed project and the financing thereof. The details concerning access to and participation using the Zoom platform will be specified in the warning for the public informational hearing. Adopted and approved at a meeting of the Selectboard of the Town of Charlotte duly called, noticed, and held September 25, 2023. TOWN OF CHARLOTTE SELECTBOARD /s/_________________________ James Faulkner, Chair /s/_________________________ Kelly Devine /s/_________________________ Lewis Mudge
/s/_________________________ Frank Tenney, Vice Chair /s/_________________________ Louise McCarren
Received for record and recorded in the records of the Town of Charlotte on September 27, 2023. /s/_________________________ Mary Mead, Town Clerk
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TOWN OF CHARLOTTE IS ISSUING A REQUEST FOR BIDS For Monthly Cleaning at the Charlotte Library & the Charlotte Senior Center Issued: October 26, 2023 The Request for Bids can be viewed at www.charlottevt.org and can also be obtained at the Charlotte Library or the Charlotte Senior Center. Sealed bids are due by 4:00 PM November 13, 2023 Mailed or hand delivered to: Nathaniel Bareham, Town Administrator, Charlotte Town Office, 159 Ferry Road, P.O. Box 119, Charlotte, VT 05445—envelopes should be labeled “Cleaning Contract Bid”. If hand delivering, use the mail slot to the right of the front door. Bids are to be opened on November 13, 2023 at 6:45 PM at the Town Office. The Town of Charlotte reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids for any reason, and may not necessarily select the lowest bid.
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RABIES BAIT
Health Insurance
The week-long bait drop is a cooperative effort between Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to stop the spread of the potentially fatal disease. Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. It is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also RABIES BAIT To rabies. advertise in theisservice directory get The virus spread through the email: Advertising@thecitizenvt.com continued from page 2 bite of an infected animal or contact with its
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Page 14 • October 26, 2023 • The Citizen
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The week-long bait drop is a cooperaBrush Vermont Hogging and the U.S. tive effort between Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to stop the spread of the potentially Will rototillfatal disease. garden Rabies is a deadly your viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. It is most often or brush hog seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, your fields. but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get rabies. The virusCall is spread through the Frenchy bite of an infected animal or contact with its
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SHELBURNE DAY Antiques continued from page 4
ANTIQUES WANTED
Shelburne Historical Society will have a Decluttering? Downsizing? display and president Dorothea Penar will We can help you discover, learn about and sell: lead a cemetery tour at 1 p.m. Food venWATCHES • JEWELRY • COINS • SILVER • ARTWORK dors round out the event with everything from coffee and lemonade to burgers and creemees. Kids will enjoy meeting animals Brian Bittner • 802-489-5210 • info@bittnerantiques.com Showroom at 2997 Shelburne Rd from Shelburne Farms, craft• Shelburne projects, and Open Wed-Fri, with walk-ins to sell every Thursday.
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The Citizen • October 26, 2023 • Page 15
Horoscope October 26, 2023
ANSWERS FROM THIS ISSUE
Weekly Puzzles
Page 16 • October 26, 2023 • The Citizen
GMT continued from page 2 improve funding for Vermont transit is set to come before the Legislature in January. “Nothing will happen right away,” Pouech said. “But it’s the start of understanding the equitable way to fund it.” There’s no certainty a new model will come about. The state has been looking into new funding models for decades, and efforts to lobby the Legislature for a more equitable distribution have come and gone. Last year, the transit authority said it would begin initiating fares again after pausing that plan during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s just hard to imagine the Legislature could act,” selectboard member Maggie Gordon said. These questions come up as the town faces financial pressure in its fiscal year 2025 budget. Hinesburg residents are expecting an at least 7 percent municipal tax rate increase amid a consecutive year
of declining non-tax revenues. The town is also facing pressure financing capital improvement projects. Plans to renovate both the town hall and fire department were put on hold after officials received bids for the town’s wastewater treatment facility project, state mandated work that would have cost well over $15 million. Hinesburg has pegged much of its future revenue expectations on new development coming online. More than 400 units of housing are planned for the town’s village off Route 116. “As you’re looking at the budget, looking at that line item and saying ‘What are we getting out of it? Why do we have this?’ That’s totally understandable,” Pouech said. “I would hope to come back at some point and talk about the benefits and, looking into the future, why it’s an important part of our town development.”
COMMUNITY NOTES continued from page 9 Lindberg, who received a bachelor’s degree in food systems from the University of Vermont, previously worked at the Intervale Community Farm. “I want to make people feel comfortable and be that stable piece in their life,” Lindberg said. “I can see the change in people when I repeat deliveries and see the trust build every day. She will also help to expand the reach of Feeding Chittenden throughout the Champlain Valley.
Lecture series tackles elections, democracy The League of Women Voters of Vermont, in partnership with Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., in Montpelier, presents the first in its 2023-24 lecture series on elections and democracy on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 7-8:30 p.m. The series will explore structural and cultural issues that affect voter attitudes and election results. The first program presents former state senator Christopher Pearson, who will discuss Electoral College and national popular vote. He is secretary of National Popular Vote and a member of its board. More at lwvofvt.org.
Church holds holiday bazaar extravaganza Faith United Methodist Church of South Burlington hosts its annual holiday bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 11, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 899 Dorset St. There’ll be a cookie walk extravaganza — 100-plus dozen cookies— dozens of fresh pies, cakes and breads, mouth-watering fudge, 10 or more different homemade soups in ready-to-go containers, holiday decor, homemade quilts and afghans, jewelry, children’s games and toys and lots of new items great for gift giving. All proceeds from this fundraiser will support the Vermont Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. The Vermont chap-
ter regularly builds beds and provides the wooden frames, mattresses, pillow sand bedding to Vermont families in need. Every child deserves to sleep in a bed. For information, email events@faithsbvt.org.
Shelburne Players offer Annie Baker diorama Join The Shelburne Players for its fall 2023 production, “Circle Mirror Transformation,” set in the fictional Shirley, Vt. When four lost New Englanders who enroll in Marty’s six-week-long community-center drama class begin to experiment with harmless games, hearts are quietly torn apart, and tiny wars of epic proportions are waged and won. The play offers finely crafted diorama, a petri dish in which we see, with hilarious detail and clarity, the antic sadness of a motley quintet. “Annie Baker’s play is an absolute feast. ‘Circle Mirror Transformation’ is the kind of unheralded gem that sends people into the streets babbling and bright-eyed with the desire to spread the word. The play traces the lives of a handful of small-town Vermont residents who gather each week for an acting class taught at the local community center. By the play’s end we seem to see to the very bottom of these souls and feel how the artificial intimacy of the acting class has shaped their lives in substantial ways,” wrote the New York Times. The production is directed by Kimberly Rockwood and produced by Karlie Kauffeld. It stars Elizabeth Bates as Marty, Ben Ash as James, Chris Acosta as Schultz, Kym Taylor as Theresa and Maya Grace Redington as Lauren. Show dates are Friday and Saturday, Nov. 10-11, 7 p.m., with a matinee Sunday, Nov. 12, matinee at 2 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 17-18, 7 p.m., with a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee. Tickets and information at shelburneplayers.com.