The Citizen - 11-30-23

Hinesburg sings

Tree traditions

Artist series offers holiday classics, guest cellist

For 50-years, Scouts keep locals in the spirit

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November 30, 2023

Weekly news coverage for Charlotte and Hinesburg

Charlotte weighs health care cuts LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

A working group charged with finding a $20,000 cut in employee compensation has recommended that the town of Charlotte not change staff’s health packages, but that doesn’t technically mean employees won’t still see a cut in benefits. Following the rejection of its budget March, the selectboard committed to cutting nearly $20,000 in health benefits in addition to nixing the 2- to 3-percent annual employee salary increase outlined in the town’s salary administration policy. But with no path forward, the board charged a seven-person working group to assess cost savings and report back by December.

thecitizenvt.com

Changing of the guard

See HEALTH BENEFITS on page 13

Ongoing research at Shelburne Farms For researchers, foresters and other experts in the field, the truth is simple: the rate of climate change is accelerating, and trees simply can’t keep up. Assuming, of course, that trees don’t make their way to the dealership to buy an electric vehicle to speed up the commute, which leaves scientists to explore a wide range of options to protect them from the inevitable effects of an earth that’s heating up. These ecological management strategies have been the basis for much of Anthony D’Amato’s

ECRWSSEDDM

In a memo read before the selectboard on Nov. 11, the group found that Charlotte had already saved $22,132 in fiscal year 2024 without needing to take any action due to employees who changed their health plans voluntarily. “For example, one employee shifting from a family to a single plan reduces costs by over $15,000 a year,” according to the memo. The working group also recommended no immediate change to the town’s Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) that currently reimburses employees up to 90 percent for out-of-pocket expenses. They found that since this policy’s inception, annual costs have averaged just about $50,000. Although this seemed like good

Scientists, researchers offer trees a new path LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

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research as the director of the forestry program and research forests at the University of Vermont. One approach he, other researchers at UVM and ecologists across the globe have been exploring is assisted forest migration — human-assisted movement of a tree species, either within its current range into places where it is expected to do well in the future, or in some cases, movement beyond the current range into places that are expected to change climatically and make it more favorable location in coming years and decades. See D’AMATO on page 13

PHOTOS BY LEE KROHN

Charlotte gathered Tuesday to honor outgoing town administrator Dean Bloch and welcome Nate Bareham, who takes over the reins next week. Bloch has served the town for over 20 years in various roles.

Page 2 • November 30, 2023 • The Citizen

Youth Opera members find their voices Group merges with Middlebury company learned not only the art of performance but also other jobs within the music world. She posted on social media platforms, handled Neve Bruno stands center stage, dressed scheduling, developed spreadsheets and in an elegant black dress. A recording begins constructed programs. “Hopefully other students in Youth to play, and she breaks into Mozart’s “Un Moto Di Gioia Mi Sento.” Delicately yet Opera Company are able to have similar powerfully, she enunciates each word and opportunities going forward, because of the merger,” Sullivan says. note. The youth opera has stirred a simiBruno, a Stowe 15-year-old in the Vermont Youth Opera Company, is perform- lar love of vocal music in Bruno, who has been a company member ing in a masterclass in front for a year and a half. of a member of the Opera The Vermont The merger will give Company of Middlebury. Youth Opera has her the chance to work It’s an opportunity for the with actively performing budding young vocalist to performances opera singers, many with learn from a professional decades of training in the singer. And such opportuof “From Spain, art, she said. nities are more available “Being able to even since the Middlebury and With Love” from hear them and watch their Vermont Youth operas shows and productions merged this fall, creatThursday, Nov. 30 to is very exciting,” Bruno ing additional resources added. for Bruno and other youth Sunday, Dec. 3, and The youth opera opera members to master already offers a multithe operatic arts. a performance in tude of opportunities to “We are really excitstudents. For the young ed about these new relaBurlington on New artist program and project tionships,” Youth Opera serenade, the group sings Company instructor Sarah Year’s Eve. for retirement homes and Cullins said. “Young singschools, in addition to its fall and spring ers will get all these benefits.” Vermont Youth Opera is, as Cullins productions. The merger allows for more described it, “an interscholastic varsity sing- professional activities, such as the mastering team” for high schoolers from across class for which Bruno performed her Mozart Vermont. As those in varsity sports do, the piece. A member of the professional cast of opera members train intensely and practice constantly to hone their craft. The program “Glory Denied,” the Middlebury Opera’s prepares students for a professional career most recent production, gave Bruno tips on pronunciation and other singing tactics after in the arts, Cullins said. Wanda Sullivan, a former youth opera her performance. Beyond the youth opera, Bruno immersmember and intern, attends Boston University and studies vocal performance. She es herself in voice work. For the past two not only balances college classes but also years, she has participated in a self-proweekly vocal lessons and performances for claimed audition season, when she applies juries. Sullivan attributes her initial inter- to summer programs. Lena Bruno, Neve’s mother, says she est in the music world to joining the youth admires her daughter’s consistent dedicaopera in her senior year of high school. She also applied to college programs in tion. “She’s working really hard,” she said. musical theater but settled on vocal performance, building on lessons and an intern- “Even when she’s doing homework, there’s ship with Cullins. In the internship, Sullivan opera on in the background.” ALEX STRAND COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

COURTESY PHOTO

Neve Bruno

Neve Bruno has spent the past two summers, first at Interlochen Center for the Arts in northern Michigan and this year at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. — both highly competitive music programs — in vocal training. At Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, she sang with the musicians before an audience of 15,000 as 95-year-old John Williams, one of the most well-known U.S. composers — he wrote the scores of such films as “Jurassic Park” and “Star Wars” — conducted. As far as her singing takes her, however, she stays true to her Vermont beginnings. Cullins and Sullivan say that musical opportunities in Vermont are harder to come by than in cities with music conservatories. “When you come from Vermont, you

might be a big fish in a small pond,” Cullins said, so preparation for a more competitive environment is crucial. That’s where the merger between the two opera companies will help — exposing students and vocalists of all ages to the professional, competitive and global world of opera. As Sullivan pointed out, “It’s a really unique opportunity in such a small state.” The Vermont Youth Opera has performances of “From Spain, With Love” from Thursday, Nov. 30 to Sunday, Dec. 3, and a performance in Burlington on New Year’s Eve. Admission is by donation. For more information, visit youthoperavt.org and ocmvermont.org.

The Citizen • November 30, 2023 • Page 3

Lake view

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

Clouds and sun mix over Lake Champlain as cold weather moves into the region.

Hinesburg Artist Series offers holiday classics traditional favorites at concert One of the most anticipated events of the season, the Hinesburg Artist Series annual holiday concert this year will be on Sunday, Dec. 10, with performances at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at St. Jude Catholic Church in Hinesburg. The concert will feature the South County Chorus and the Hinesburg Artist Series Orchestra under the direction of Rufus C. Patrick. The featured guest artist will be cellist Jiwon Lee. “So many people have told me that this is their favorite event of the year,” Patrick said. “We will have holiday favorites and other inspiring selections. Sharing this great music performed by our talented musicians is such a joyful experience.” The featured works this year are David Lovrien’s compositions featuring traditional holiday music with minor alterations. The combined chorus and orchestra will also perform “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” and “Masters in This Hall” by Mark Hayes, “Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas” from “Home Alone 2” and a Camp Kirkland arrangement of “Ding Dong Merrily on High.” Hinesburg Artist Series holiday concerts go back more than 25 years and also include a sing-along and sometimes the appearance of a special guest. The concerts are free, but donations to are welcome and the audience is also encouraged to bring something for the food shelf. For more information, go to hinesburgartistseries.org.

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Above: Jiwon Lee Below: Music Director Rufus Patrick rehearses the South County Chorus for the holiday concert of the Hinesburg Artists Series.

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Page 4 • November 30, 2023 • The Citizen

CRIME & COURTS Hinesburg Police Blotter Total incidents: 45 Arrests: 2 Traffic Stops: 14 Nov. 21 at 3:50 a.m., police investigated suspicious activity on Farmall Drive. Nov. 21 at 7:00 a.m., an officer investigated a late reported motor vehicle crash. Nov. 21 at 10:37 a.m., someone reported suspicious activity on Farmall Drive. Nov. 21 at 12:15 p.m., officers responded to Buck Hill Road West for reports of an unresponsive motorist. Eric Wood, 52 of Colchester, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance. Nov. 21 at 5:15 p.m., officers responded to a single-car motor vehicle crash on Richmond Road. Nov. 22 at 8 a.m., police inves-

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tigated a late reported motor vehicle crash. Nov. 23 at 6:33 p.m., officers investigated suspicious activity reported on Lavigne Hill Road. Nov. 23 at 9:30 p.m., an officer assisted the highway department with a traffic hazard on Silver Street. Nov. 24 at 9:15 p.m., officers responded to a single-car motor vehicle crash on Route 116. Nov. 26 at 2:34 p.m., an officer investigated a larceny from a motor vehicle on Piette Road. Nov. 27 at 11 a.m., an officer investigated a larceny from a motor vehicle on Hawk Lane. Nov. 27 at 8:35 p.m., officers responded to a domestic dispute on North Road. Joseph Robar, 36 of Hinesburg, was arrested for violating an abuse prevention order.

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PHOTO BY MIKE DONOGHUE

Chittenden County Sheriff’s Lt. Allen Fortin of Hinesburg speaks during the recent northern Vermont news conference urging motorists to take extra safety precautions throughout the Thanksgiving week travel period. Fortin was one of five invited speakers at the five-county event that included comments about the uptick in fatal crashes in Vermont this year. Heritage Automotive Group in South Burlington hosted the event, which was sponsored by the Chittenden County SHARP (Safe Highway Accident Reduction Program) Team. SHARP gave away three child car seats and inspected 18 more for drivers stopping, said Fortin, who earlier worked for Shelburne Police for almost 30 years.

The Citizen • November 30, 2023 • Page 5

OPINION

VT C h r istm a s

Tree s

Shooting of young Palestinian Po i n settias Wre ath s men hits way too close to home

pla i n & de c o rated

on 31 North Prospect Street with the support of so many of my neighbors, and the shooting took Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale place in front of 69 North Prospect Street. Hundreds of students at the I wish we could say that hate University of Vermont representhas no place in our beloved little ing widely diverse backstate of Vermont, but grounds walk this street unfortunately, hate is every single day. here — and, just last As a woman of week, it manifested Hindu and Jewish itself in a horrific attack descent, I also know on three young Paleswhat it’s like to be tinian American college targeted by hate just for students. They have existing. been left with potentially So, we must call life-long injuries — and, out this violence in of course, unimaginable Sen. Kesha Ram the context of growmental and emotional Hinsdale ing Islamophobia and scars from the trauma. the dehumanization Over the Thanksof Palestinians. While giving holiday, just authorities are doing everything returning from a family birthday they can to investigate this as party, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan a hate crime, it is up to us to Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Amed respond to hate with love in this walked down North Prospect moment. Street in Burlington wearing Thankfully, I have already seen Keffiyeh and speaking in Arabic. that love in action. Without saying a word, a middleThere has been an outpouring aged white man — who is now of support locally and nationally in police custody — allegedly to make sure these three young came off his porch and shot them, men know they are not alone in wounding one in the chest and damaging the spinal cord of anoth- their long road to recovery, and demonstrations are cropping up er. across the country to stand in I cannot fully express how solidarity with Palestinians and close this hits to home. My legisagainst hate crimes. lative career began at my house

From the Senate

I have joined elected officials and many Jewish leaders across the country in calling for a ceasefire and an end to the loss of thousands of innocent Palestinian lives, plus the displacement of over a million more. This mass bloodshed is not making Israel safer following the terrorist attack by Hamas, and it is making Jews and Muslims less safe here in the U.S. We are just the latest example, in our otherwise peaceful Queen City, of that growing reality. We are all keeping these three young men and their loved ones in our deepest thoughts and prayers. The families are still overcoming their shock and grief and will be communicating their wishes for ways to support Awartani, Hamid and Amed in the near future. I will update you as details unfold on how to be of help. Until then, be safe and please do your best to spread love and warmth in this chilling moment for Vermont and our nation. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, a Democrat from Shelburne, serves the towns of South Burlington, Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg, Milton, Burlington, St. George, Westford, Underhill, Jericho, Richmond, Winooski, Williston, Essex and Bolton in the Legislature.

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Letters to the Editor Mindfulness might foster a better world To the Editor: I recently returned from a trip to visit friends in St. Louis over the Thanksgiving break and on my travels home watched “Painkiller” on Netflix. It deeply disturbed my psyche and allowed a widening in my capacity to live in what Parker Palmer calls the “Tragic Gap.” My flight home to Vermont arrived late and I awoke the next morning to a cold, bright day and walked down to Hinesburg Post Office to pick up several books of stamps to mail holiday cards in the coming weeks. As I entered the empty post office, I needed to ring a bell for someone to help me. I waited patiently for about 45 seconds before timidly calling out, “Is anyone here?” A man walked out, and I said, “Hello. May I have three books of stamps?” He quickly pulled out

what I needed, and said, “That’ll be $39.60.” As I handed him a $50 bill, time seemed to slow down ever so suddenly. Maybe because I was paying with cash and not a card, which is unusual for me. To see those numbers “50” and the picture of Ulysses S. Grant made the money and transaction more real to me in some way. I was given my change and expressed thanks before putting on my gloves. As I began my walk home, I was struck with the word “transaction” that popped into my mind and all the transactions I had had with people during the last week to get my human form and belongings to Missouri and back. How present had I been with each person during those transactions? Did I see the person as simply an extension of filling a need to support what I wanted? Or had I seen them as individual humans

helping with what I was trying to do? In “Painkiller,” people were profit, dehumanized and expendable. If my personal and professional mission is to foster love, gratitude and compassion for self, others and the world, how had I shown that during the past week? During this season of increased transactions, I am going to be mindful of separating out the giving and receiving and focus on the human beings who are part of the exchange. I am going to look at the name tag and use the person’s name in saying, “Please and thank you.” I would like to invite you to possibly be more mindful with your transactions, too. Maybe through this small practice, there truly can be a little more peace on Earth. Peggy Dippen Hinesburg

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Page 6 • November 30, 2023 • The Citizen

2024 to be year of showing Percy who’s boss that control how certain kinds of businesses operate in town. These are really important factors Rep. Chea Waters Evans in your everyday life. I had the privilege of checkVoting for president, which ing in voters at town hall earlier we’ll all do next year, is exciting this month when we and dramatic and fun. It voted on solar panels feels much more signiffor the town garage icant than voting for and cannabis grow who’s going to be on operation land use the selectboard. But I’ll regulations. It’s nice to argue that the president catch up with people I has less of an impact haven’t seen in a while, on your daily life than and it’s nice to see the people who work happy familiar faces hard on town boards coming in to do their and committees and Rep. Chea Waters Evans commissions, and I bet civic duty. I’m not judging you you don’t have a direct if I didn’t see your face line to the president. I on Nov. 7, but I do wish I had. know you have a direct line to I’m going to make my case your local officials. for voting now, before I run for I’ve complained to certain re-election, just to make sure that people in the Statehouse multiI’m staying above board and not ple times about a portrait that trying to tilt things in my favor. hangs in my committee room. (Although who knows — maybe It’s of Gov. Percival Wood if more people voted I wouldn’t Clement, who was the governor win? No matter. I want you to of Vermont from 1919 to 1921. vote.) This charming fellow opposed OK, say it with me: voting is women’s suffrage. A lot of people the cornerstone of our democraopposed it at the time, but it irks cy. Yes. It is. It’s the thing that me particularly that Old Percy holds up all the other things. Not — a nickname I gave to him many people voted in our last personally and there’s no historelection. It wasn’t a very sexy ical record that I could find that one, although some might think refers to him in such a fashion — solar panels have a certain appeal is on my wall and I have to look to them. at his mug all day because our But it was an important one: committee has jurisdiction over we were deciding how to spend elections. And suffrage. I made some fun little convertax money, and creating laws

From the House

sation thought-bubble signs that said, “Why are there women in here, and why are they voting?” and “Is that woman talking? And is she wearing pants?” I didn’t hang them up but just sort of passive-aggressively left them around the room and showed them to my friends on my committee. It’s been made clear that we can’t tape anything to the wall, so I don’t want to get in trouble. I’m a rule follower. This is all to say Old Percy didn’t even want me to vote, and I have to look at him all day, but at least I’m sitting there in that room making decisions and voting my little heart out. I would like all of you to vote your little hearts out, too. I’d love for Charlotte to have the highest voter-participation rate in the state. I’d love for us all to go vote on Town Meeting Day, and for the primaries in August and in November. It’s such a privilege to vote, and I think if you want to complain about stuff, then you should probably take part in the decision-making process to begin with. It’s fun to complain when you can also feel self-righteous about it. I was about to write, “These are dark times.” But I think in a way, they’re always dark times. The light comes through when we honor democracy by voting, even if it’s for something you don’t really care about. Most of the people who live here care

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about this town, I would guess, go vote. Who knows what could so pulling into town hall and fillhappen? ing out those little bubbles with a By the way, I won’t tell marker is such an anyone how easy way to show to vote, but Get your teenagers if you don’t you care. If you understand what bring your kids to vote. Get your we’re voting with you, you’re about, I’m modeling your partner to vote. Get always happy excellent civic to explain. Give behavior and your mom and your me a call or creating future neighbor and your text at 917-887voters. 8231 or email Next year, best friend to go me at cevans@ let’s show Percy leg.state.vt.us. how we do it vote. Who knows here in Charlotte. Chea Waters Get your teenagwhat could happen? Evans, a Demoers to vote. Get crat, represents your partner to Charlotte and Hinesburg in the vote. Get your mom and your Chittenden-5 House district. neighbor and your best friend to

Ban wake boats from all of the state’s inland lakes Guest Perspective Bob Popp I recently retired as the state botanist in the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department where I served for over 30 years. In that time, I have reviewed many permits for aquatic nuisance control and stream alteration. So be assured that I totally understand the concept of multiple use and the need to accommodate multiple users of our aquatic — and terrestrial— resources. It is and always will be a balancing act to accommodate multiple and often conflicting uses. I appreciate the hard decisions that the Department of Environmental Conservation water quality staff have had to make and continue to make that often result in intense criticism of the program. I have reviewed the draft rule governing wake boats and have concluded that on occasion a proposed use is so onerous that it should not be allowed. The potential damage from wake boats to other lake users, shoreline owners and the environment can hardly be justified to accommodate the resulting disturbance by a small number of users. Aside from the impact to shoreline property and other users, I worry most about environmental impacts resulting from the unnatural turbulence that churn up bottom sediments. This would result in increased eutrophication from buried phosphorous and other nutrients, and also leave sediment deposits on submersed

aquatic plants, reducing their photosynthetic capacity. I’m also assuming there would be similar impacts to fish and macroinvertebrates, but these are not my expertise. Even allowing wake boat use within 500 or 1,000 feet of shore and beyond certain depths doesn’t solve the concerns. Although it might lessen the impact to the environment, it really creates another unfunded mandate for the state to enforce these limits. I think it safe to assume that there are no staff available for this and the Department of Environmental Conservation would largely have to rely on the honor system. Another enforcement nightmare would be restricting movement of the boats among lakes in the state so as not to further the spread of aquatic invasives. The simple solution is just to ban the use of wake boats outright on all inland lakes, other than Champlain and Memphremagog. There comes a time when the state has to just say no after weighing all the evidence. I acknowledge this will be difficult and that the department will surely receive lots of pressure from wake boat users and industry. I draw a parallel to Vermont’s bold decision to ban billboards along our interstate. Although it was highly controversial at the time, it has served the state well over time. Bob Popp worked at the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife for 30 years. He recently retired from his role as state botanist.

The Citizen • November 30, 2023 • Page 7

Future is written on the wind Guest Perspective Walt Amses I’ve heard the expression “having the wind at your back” for years, always assuming the obvious message that things are going your way and you have an excellent chance of success at whatever it is you’re doing. With ancient Celtic origins the phrase has become an Irish blessing, tied closely to Christianity but like most revered Christian tenets, this one evolved long before notions of Jesus as the son of God and savior of humanity were plucked from messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. Wind as reality and metaphor preoccupies me these days where the climactic variations in Patagonia conspire to howl, whistle, rage and roar with enough force to have 180-pound humans struggling to remain standing. Walking is another matter entirely as we learn on a mile stretch of pebbled beach, working our way toward a catamaran that never seems to get any closer as the screaming, frigid wind off “Glacier Gray” contests every footstep. It didn’t much matter if it was “at your back” propelling you forward in an erratic stumble or in your face, thwarting any progress, offering instead a sort of paralysis not unlike swimming without water. Down here the wind is everywhere: lurking around every corner, ripping through treetops and offering a thermal lift to the huge Andean condors slowly soaring overhead, sentinels of mortality. From what we read, winds of change are swirling around politics back home as well. Surprising, early polling indicates the wind is squarely at POTUS Emeritus’ back if only he can stay out of prison while the current commander in chief’s critics charge that at 80, he couldn’t withstand even the slightest breeze, with one foot in assisted living and the other on a banana peel. But wind is a fickle mistress, unreliable at best, especially with the election a year away and the likely adversaries vulnerable to the unrelenting rules of the biological imperative as well as the unforgiving inevitability of the law, making speculation at this point a sucker’s bet either way. The wind off the glaciers and the Patagonian Steppes is without compassion, plays no favorites and offers little solace, sweeping down as it does from an ice field estimated to cover an area of 6,000 square miles, generated by a clash of air masses that find warm air from the equator meeting cold air flowing north from Antarctica. Known as the Roaring Forties and the Furious Fifties, latitude wise, these two weather zones are notorious for violent westerly gales that can easily knock hikers off their feet. Adding another layer of complexity, the pattern of mountains and hills — known as orography — has a huge impact on local weather conditions with the glaciers, rivers, mountains, fjords and open plains all having their say, adding to the volatility with rapidly changing conditions and making predictions nearly impossible. Consequently, there are blogs, websites and newsletters devoted to teasing out the climate nuances that collude in orchestrating the weather on a given day but consistently accurate they are not.

The single predictable condition in Argentinian Patagonia is the wind. Driving ice, sand and water over centuries, etching the unique architecture that draws travelers to this area from around the globe, offering a courtesy slap across the face the moment they get off the plane as if to say: “This is where you are, deal with it.” This land was conquered and colonized by Spaniards in the 15th century riding the wind from Europe to extend their reach far beyond the Iberian Peninsula, followed by other tempest-driven expeditions kicking off the Age of Exploration, a precursor to globalization driven largely by wind circulation in the earth’s atmosphere. The building of the modern world began with the trade winds billowing the sails of a wide variety of wooden sailing ships that would eventually include a 90-foot, two-masted brig of the British Royal Navy — The HMS Beagle — that would carry Charles Darwin to the Galapagos and change the course of scientific understanding. Perceived by many as a serious challenge to religious belief, Darwin’s specimen gathering and data collection led to the theory of evolution, an explanation of the origin and diversity of living organisms relying on natural processes rather than an unspecified intervention by God, ruffling feathers well beyond the finch. Perhaps because of its invisibility, the disproportionate role wind plays in our lives and history goes unnoticed until it impedes your mobility and jolts you into the realization of its power to deter and disrupt. The dust bowl in the 1930s intensified the Great Depression, collapsing financial markets that led to widespread unemployment, with bank failures wiping out life savings and leaving thousands of Americans destitute — no job, no money and eventually no home. A wind-driven catastrophe. Today, as climate change becomes more pronounced, wind plays an even more prominent and frequently destructive role, transforming wildfires into raging hellscapes that envelope entire towns and driving increasingly powerful hurricanes with storm surges threatening coastal communities. New research on global warming suggests that despite all the peril imposed by wind, in an ironic twist, scientists now believe having it diminish significantly could be far worse, even threatening the viability of wind energy in the future. But that’s certainly not happening as we walk to another highly recommended beach on the shore of glistening Lake Argentina, wondering what might have been lost in translation as the heavy, dark sand in the distance swirls a hundred feet above the turquoise surface like a shotgun wedding between John Steinbeck and Jimmy Buffett. It becomes apparent that if there were lessons to be learned, we haven’t learned them yet. On the return trip we don’t throw caution to the wind so much as have it ripped away by a gale so fierce, we have to turn our heads to take a complete breath. The southern summer will be here in just over a month but beach weather? I don’t think so. Walt Amses is a writer who lives in North Calais.

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Page 8 • November 30, 2023 • The Citizen

COMMUNITY ‘Chasing Water: Watercolor Abstracts’

Community Notes Charlotte Central School holds holiday market Buy local and come to the Charlotte Central School holiday market on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 408 Hinesburg Road in Charlotte. There will be more than 60 vendors, kid crafts, a silent auction and delicious food. Proceeds help support the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization programs like teacher grants and an emergency fund for school families.

Charlotte Congregational Christmas observances Here is the Advent and Christmas schedule for Charlotte Congregational Church, an open and affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ, 403 Church Hill Road. • Lighting the Advent wreath: Sundays, Dec. 3, 10, 17 and 24, 10 a.m. Each Sunday we’ll light candles of hope, peace, joy & love. • “Messiah” sing: Sunday, Dec. 3, 4-5:15 p.m. Led by four soloists and a small chamber ensemble of Vermont Symphony musicians, this participatory performance will bring the spirit and magic of Handel’s timeless masterpiece to life. Donations encouraged. • Advent sanctuary hours: Mondays, Dec. 4, 11 and 18, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sanctuary open for prayer and meditation. • Christmas pageant, Sunday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m.: A creative and imaginative enactment of the Christmas story.

• Christmas Eve, Sunday, Dec. 24, 10 a.m.: Simple morning service with carols and a few surprises; 4 p.m., outdoor family carol sing in the courtyard around the Christmas tree; 6 p.m., indoor service of lessons and carols with children’s choir; and 7 p.m., indoor service of lessons and carols. • First Sunday after Christmas, Dec. 31, 10 a.m. Visit charlotteucc.org for details. All events will be livestreamed except the outdoor family carol sing and the 7 p.m. indoor service on Dec. 24.

Trinity Episcopal Church holiday bazaar returns After a long and arduous four years, Trinity Episcopal Church in Shelburne, 5171 Shelburne Road, will open its doors wide once again for its traditional holiday bazaar. Everyone is invited on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9-10, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and enjoy the colors and music of the holidays, food and handmade crafts.

First Church hosts annual Christmas fair S’mores and hot chocolate will meet you at the door. Two dozen tables will be laden with holiday crafts, elegant “junque,” baked goods, items from guest artists, crafters and non-profits doing good, Christmas decorations, wreaths and a wreath decorating table, plants, toys and jewelry.

And a cafe lunch with homemade soups and sandwiches will keep you sated while you shop. It’s all happening at the First Congregational Church of Burlington, 38 South Winooski Avenue, on Saturday, Dec. 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. More at firstchurchburlington. org.

Concert celebrates Fiddle Orchestra’s 20th On Saturday, Dec. 2, the Vermont Fiddle Orchestra will perform its 20th anniversary concert at the Barre Opera House at 7 pm. Admission is by donation with proceeds benefiting Barre and Montpelier flood relief. Sarah Hotchkiss, who started the VFO, the first statewide fiddle orchestra, will be the guest soloist. She will be accompanied by her husband, John Mowad, who composed the tunes they will play with the orchestra, including “Veefer Swing #2,” which he wrote for the orchestra’s 10th anniversary. The orchestra will also honor its previous director, David Kaynor, by performing several of his tunes. Kaynor helped to grow the orchestra to approximately 50 active musicians and developed members’ interests in Swedish music and in playing by ear. Susan Reid joined the orchestra soon after and became the orchestra’s musical director. The concert will feature three lively tunes composed by Reid, including an aptly named walking tune

PHOTO BY BRAD STETLER

On Saturday, Dec. 2 from 22-4 p.m. John Penoyar and Brad Stetler will host an opening for their joint art exhibition at the Carpenter Carse Library, 69 Ballards Corner Road, Hinesburg. Both came to painting, and watercolor in particular, later in life and have cultivated styles that are both abstract and loosely representational. The show runs through February during normal library hours. For information, contact Penoyar at jonpen@gmavt.net or call 802-495-9747.

“Warm in Winter.” Peter Macfarlane became music director in 2020. The orchestra has honed its repertoire of English country dance and Scottish tunes under his leadership. The orchestra will play several of Macfarlane’s composi-

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tions and he has written a rag for the orchestra’s anniversary called “To Twenty More.”

‘Father of cross country” speaks at Red Bench The father of cross-country skiing, John Caldwell, is next up at the Red Bench Lecture Series on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m., on Zoom. Caldwell competed in the 1952 Winter Olympics and later became a cross-country ski coach. He ultimately became the authority on cross-country skiing and wrote a series of books that helped develop a better understanding of the sport in North America. Caldwell is often referred to as the “Father of Cross-Country Skiing” and was inducted into both the U.S. and Vermont Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. During the conversation, he’ll talk about his own Olympic era, the 1952 Winter Olympic Games in Oslo, his years at Dartmouth College and coaching at Vermont’s Putney School, and the sport’s progress. Peter Graves will moderate this conversation. Register vtssm.org.

The Citizen • November 30, 2023 • Page 9

Turkey Day run

PHOTOS BY LEE KROHN

Participants at the 46th annual Green Mountain Athletic Association Turkey Trot 5K Food Drive on Thanksgiving Day. Runners, walkers and trotters traversed the 5K loop on the University of Vermont’s women’s cross-country course. Proceeds benefited the Feeding Chittenden food shelf.

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Order online at FarmhouseTG.com Gift cards valid at The Farmhouse Tap & Grill, Guild Tavern, Pascolo Ristorante, and El Cortijo Taqueria.

Page 10 • November 30, 2023 • The Citizen

OUTDOORS

Pine siskins: Swiss army knife of finches exceptionally nomadic, and they’re showing up in droves around northern New England this autumn. Streaky brown, with yellow tinting the edges of tail and wing, pine siskins breed across the northern width of our continent, including in the boreal forests of eastern Canada and in mixed forests in northern New England. Like other nomadic finches, pine siskins follow food sources, often traveling in large flocks. While migratory birds tend to move in north-south patterns, these seed-seekers travel more west-east, although they’ll move as far south as Mexico during winter in search of food. A poor crop of white spruce cones across the boreal forest this year has meant a large irruption of pine siskins — and other nomadic finches — to our region this fall, according to Tyler Hoar, author of the Finch Research Network’s annual winter finch forecast. They’ve come to nosh on that bumper crop of white pine cones, along with the red crossbills and

The Outside Story Meghan McCarthy McPhaul If you are prone to looking up as you walk (or pedal or drive) among trees, you may have noticed a bumper crop of cones clinging to the highest branches of white pine trees this summer and fall. Around my yard, the red squirrels have been busy gathering cones, chattering away as they scamper through the branches. But I’ve also heard another sound this autumn — beyond the scolding squirrels and familiar chickadee calls — a gregarious twittering from high in the trees. That is the sound of pine siskins, and I’ve heard them prattling like a group of excited children calling to each other on the playground from the tall white pines along my walking route near home, the birches at the edge of our field, and the hardwood trees near my office parking spot. These diminutive finches are

ILLUSTRATION BY ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL

white-winged crossbills that have traveled here from western North America.

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In proximity the 2-year unopposed ard ng to Holly SCOOTER . the hikers MACMILLAN Miller is passionate about inno- the backseat with the Bukhara of them. In four weeks, they’d term. accordi puts them at aopen, heightened risk.”Parks director for – let’s hope th are Matt Krasno d WRITER by officials eciti DavidOn ion and vative ways of teaching STEM is teacher between them. the turned from teachers who didn’t STAFF Champlain Housing Trusthas– cancele Hurne w won the as directed term and and the Recreat zenv 20 6 feet apart was 3-year the city celebrateSTEM,” Miller said. an understatement. drive to the school, they shared Gemma understand which manages Harbor Place as and field Frank Tenney re-elected chair, having by no means However, 9, 20 t.c events When the embassy asked if their newfound enthusiasm for The week after complete he left,d training those Driving across the mostly of cars were notice. and temporary program lodgingming, for homeless om chosen as further The throng April vice chair. March 28. dry to and largely treeless land- Miller would make the almost the educational strategies Miller same 25 teachers were leading exercises successfully. Coronavirus ion until individuals reservat – in conjunction with the adhere . on Saturday, asked to are Services, concerns main-of Bukhara, Uzbekistan, four-hour train trip from Samar- had been espousing. STEM workshops around the State Park state’s Agency Human es,scape Jensensystem Parkofusers to Mt. Philo Charlot ng guidelin Back at CCS, Miller said, country. and chatting with a talkative qand to Bukhara to teach teachers will offer rooms in distanci the Harbor Place ton PHOTO BY Visitors flock Jeanne ool stopped te Fire and feet of distance social SCOOTER cer sch , Willisation Rescue MACMILLA by to driver, Allan Miller realized there about STEM, he had asked “They gave her exactly what at least sixwho motel to homeless individuals N Offi COVID give taining the results par n a quick ns -19 theplayconversation going on in if he could take two teachers with I’d been teaching them for three Why STEM? each other. are .exhibiting COVID-19 symppre bee atio ile to rememb update: It’s importa t students between ent, like Wh for test r the U had weeks.” backseat might be a sign he him – Yelena ... and Susannah. to Vermon there Transforming the Uzbek toms. nt Park equipmset to betheclosed ove ing hands er that although f enrichmenting to Clemmons, state ited s took that CV werepositive ng was washand staying They were met at the train Susannah, heSCOOTER said, “had educational system has become making a difference in the staf to Rees. Any guests who , test they’re wa the e in sick Accord grounds when home ool N and vic ivered 31, accordi MACMIL urgingAsian country. station by the driver and a teach- become a convert.” Central best work secure and ILLA more interest teforhistory COVID-19onwill be moved to a Sch meals March LAN wise and other precautionswhile d ser STAFF WRITER CM re has been make their ton is also On re will protect and comple Congregate RecoveryBurling See MILLER on page 8 “I worked intensely with 25 the first day of his class- er. Susannah and Yelena rode in of the ing. U foo are delinsecu are financially plans on cooror a groups small, R MA farm has compromised accurate South Center keep par tte people with Michelle ich OTE insecu ile es in Samarqand, where he went ons Family a hub of healthy, Clemmons make sure the on medical center. park users to SCO WRITER LeBlanc, food Charlo d wh h pre The CVals wh immune overall family. Vermon Clemm a to lately. housed, being foo to Harley founder Red FF systems, of the t Paws & events me bus for up at outingsthat s and for for six weeks to teach teachers Hig r “The 8state has estimate STA to the resources have what they limit on page to the flu virus is very for is the only and an Boots, says of home when Soulia is working Littlecenter dinating a long history according nce t h program similar recremakes ool pick See GRANT there may be up to 150 halted Union rke the many of the techniques nonprofit people in the saidtotheuse Althoug ons, her artists-in-reside making excellen sch to people this and has killed ing at him. he notices Arthur at training program WILEY READING and nity Meals were Valley vice wo-19. service dogit public good— Rees far by on ts nal hold, has new in the Champlain star- first practiced Lydia Clemm the U.S. ts ool mu Burlington area are thatonneed to have ONDENT ser explained. year nationwide, less in ool and Soulia Arthur is a black poodle website ng educatio need to focus Sch com younger responders for military and CORRESP around of studen Sch ty they studenampla r a food COVID test a tasteSchool Valley District, Miller and parksthe tral a place,” said Chris “traveled the 1950s and work and deliveri se get in Vermon us hope only ation Donnelly, expression realizes from his Emerge unity uni t. 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“I’d love to know how these birds can tell from 5,000 miles away that there’s an abundant seed crop,” Hoar said. However they find that abundance, word is out among the nomads. In the case of pine siskins, it’s not just white pine cones drawing them here. “They’re the Swiss army knife of finches; they’ll eat just about anything,” Hoar said. “Birch seeds are their favorite, and they’ll take any conifer seed they can get.” Unlike crossbills, whose beaks are uniquely suited to opening cones to access seeds, pine siskins have sharp, pointy bills and prefer cones that have already opened, allowing them to pick the seeds from within. They’ll even hang upside down to access seeds if necessary. Although they prefer to forage in trees and shrubs, pine siskins will also eat seeds of grasses and weeds. And while the spruce seed crop in Canada has been poor this year, pine siskins have feasted on an outbreak of spruce budworm; they’ll eat the eggs, larvae, and adults of that forest pest. Pine siskin will also visit feeders during the winter — especially those stocked with thistle or nyjer seed – although they’ll stick to wild foods for as long as they can find them. Wherever they’re foraging, they’re likely to be doing so in large, noisy flocks — often in the company of goldfinches, which share similar food preferences. To survive winter weather, pine siskins pack on the fat, adding considerably more winter fat than

similarly sized goldfinches and redpolls. Pine siskins are also able to notch up their metabolism to keep their small bodies warm during the coldest nights. That requires extra energy of course, and these birds use their crop — an expandable pouch near the esophagus — for short term storage of seeds, which they can consume as needed. How long pine siskins and other nomadic finches stay in an area can depend on the availability of bird feeders. (And a note here to please wait to put out your feeders until the local bears have denned up for the winter.) Many of these birds will establish a regular circuit of bird feeders to visit. “They’re very entertaining at feeders. They squabble among each other trying to get food,” said Hoar. “Some pine siskins have a greenish tinge to the plumage, so if you get individuals like that at your feeder, you can start to tell them apart. They have personality. They can make a cold, dark, dreary winter day a bit brighter.” Other irruptive birds that may show up at northern New England feeders this winter include common redpolls and evening grosbeaks. To read the full winter finch forecast, go to finchnetwork.org. Meghan McCarthy McPhaul is the associate editor of Northern Woodlands. Illustration by Adelaide Murphy Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine and sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, nhcf.org.

The Citizen • November 30, 2023 • Page 11

Canary in a coal mine: red spruce rebounds in Vermont needles with rounded tips. pated from many parts of its range, Prior to European colonization, especially at lower elevations. our three native spruces accountThe 1960s found remaining Ethan Tapper ed for around 15 percent of all the populations of red spruce in steep Red spruce (Picea rubens) trees in northern New England and decline. The species was one of is one of three species of spruce New York; in Chittenden County the “canaries in the coal mine” trees native to Vermont. While the it was a more minor component of that helped scientists like Dr. other two species — white spruce our forests, about 2 percent of the Hubert “Hub” Vogelmann at the (Picea glauca) and black spruce trees. While white pine was the University of Vermont unearth (Picea mariana) — are common in tree species targeted in first waves and understand the pervasive of European timber exploitation impacts of acid rain on trees and the northeastern in the 1600s forests in our region. Vogelmann’s part of our state, and 1700s, by research connected the decline of in Chittenden The species was one the end of the spruce and other tree species to County if we’re 18th century air pollution, which contributed to of the “canaries in talking about the majority important revisions to the Clean spruce, we almost the coal mine” that of the white Air Act in 1990. certainly mean Recent research has shown that pine timber in red spruce. helped scientists the region had spruce is recovering in Vermont, While red been exhaust- even spreading into lower-elevaspruce is the most unearth and ed. It was soon tion forests. Besides benefitting common spruce discovered that from reductions in acid deposition in Vermont, it is understand the red spruce, because of the Clean Air Act, it is the least widewhile smaller suspected that red spruce is also spread of our pervasive impacts of in stature than recolonizing its historic range, three native white pine, spreading back into forests in spruces, with a acid rain produced simi- which it was once common but range limited to northern New England and east- larly strong, light, straight-grained from which it was lost as a result ern Canada, as well as small island lumber, perfect for many different of logging and land clearing centuries ago. populations at higher elevations in uses. While I don’t get a lot of In New England, logging of the Appalachians. The ranges of white spruce and black spruce, by red spruce began in earnest in the opportunities to manage for red contrast, extend across northern early 1800s, targeting the largest spruce in Chittenden County, I New England, the northern lake and most valuable trees. Around do promote it in the forests that I states and most of Canada, all the 1870, it was discovered that wood manage whenever I get a chance. way to Alaska. In general, spruces fiber could be used to make paper To support red spruce, the most are extremely hearty and rugged — previously, paper was made important things we can do are to trees, capable of surviving where from cloth rags — a discovery that retain seed-bearing trees and to incited much more widespread release established spruce regenfew others can. In northern New England, and intensive logging of spruce eration — finding areas of young northeastern Vermont, and higher throughout its range. Technologi- spruce trees and cutting the trees elevations in Chittenden County, cal advances and market demand overtopping them. red spruce — and balsam fir — drove the cutting of smaller and Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden is an important component of smaller trees, until spruce trees of spruce-fir forest, a common boreal virtually any size were being cut County Forester for the Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks and forest type. At lower elevations in for pulp. The aggressive logging of Recreation. See what he’s been up Chittenden County, I usually see red spruce scattered throughout spruce in the late 1800s and early to, check out his YouTube channel, warmer, dryer forests — partic- 1900s, and the massive forest fires sign up for his eNews and read ularly on south-facing slopes — that sometimes followed, led to articles he’s written at linktr.ee/ red spruce being virtually extir- chittendencountyforester. and in and around wetlands. Red spruce bark is purple black, broken-up into roundish chips. Their trunks are almost always arrow-straight, tufted with Performed by Our Master Jewelers | Same-Day Repair When Possible dense, olive-green foliage. Spruce Ring Sizing • Cleaning • Stone Tightening • Rhodium Plating needles are short and slightly curved, with unmistakably pointy tips. They are the only conifer Performed by Our Graduate Gemologists with needles that are angular in cross section, which allows you easily roll them between your fingers. By contrast, our other common short-needled conifers — hemlock and fir — have flat

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Page 12 • November 30, 2023 • The Citizen

PHOTOS BY LEE KROHN

The popular annual light show is back at Shelburne Museum for another winter and features 18 different installations, including the 220-foot Ticonderoga steamboat, Beach Woods and Bostwick Garden.

The Citizen • November 30, 2023 • Page 13

HEALTH BENEFITS continued from page 1

Jim Faulkner said. “We said, OK, we’ll make a structural change in that process. Structural meaning there’ll be a policy change. There has been no structural changes.” According to a memo written by former town administrator Dean Bloch, some members of the selectboard have expressed interest in reevaluating the structure of the town’s benefits package altogether, and town staff has been evaluating two possible changes. The first is covering the premium payment

for employees at 100 percent of the current Blue Cross Blue Shield plan and covering the premium payment for family members at only 50 percent while making no change to the HRA. The town currently covers 90 percent of the premium costs, and 90 percent of the deductible costs for employees and their spouses and families. “Changing the arrangement for premium payments would bring the benefit closer to current common

Although tree species follow a The second hope is to sustain the slow and steady migration pattern complex cultural and ecological on their own, the unprecedent- values associated with each given ed rate of climate change that forest. researchers now see poses new “It’s a broader look at things risks to many forests that have relative to what would have otherwise been historically resil- occurred historically, but definiteient to changes in the environment. ly a new emphasis with climate The general estimate for trees in change and other factors,” D’Amthe New England region, on aver- ato said. age, is a dispersion rate Other effects of of one-tenth of a mile climate change are per year — three-tenths already present with if they’re really trucking an increase in invasive it. But the current rate of species like the emerclimate change is shiftald ash borer and a new ing at a much faster scale nematode that’s killof four to six miles per ing beech trees — two year. species that are essential “Forests have historto other ecosystems and ically been incredibly Anthony D’Amato habitats. resilient and have adjustAt the same time, ed to changes in climate, boreal species like it’s been over a very slow period,” Balsam fir that grow at higher D’Amato said. “The rate of change elevations in places like the Northwe’re seeing now is unprecedented east Kingdom, which are better in the modern climate record.” adapted to cooler temperatures, are But the concept of assisted beginning to see a decline in crown migration is something, he says, health. humans have been doing for eons. “Their foliage is just not as Only now, the concept is motivat- vigorous,” said D’Amato. “When ed by different factors. we start having really hot dry Historically, Indigenous stretches of weather, which I know peoples have been moving nuts after this summer, we don’t think and seeds of species like oaks, we’re having hot dry stretches of chestnuts and butternut for centu- weather, but we are and it’s creatries, and this form of migration ing stress and mortality.” has been central to food and trade In addition to large-scale systems for a long time, D’Amato studies, many land management said, noting that while the motiva- companies, like Heritage Landtion might now be climate or other scapes in Charlotte, are exploring changes in the environment, the assisted migration and rehabilitaresult is the same — a tree shows tion techniques in historic places up in a location where it’s not like Shelburne Farms. grown before. Since 1999, the landscape As humans began to move company has engaged in multimore freely around the planet, ple projects at the national histormany species, such as Norway ic landmark. In 2021, the group spruce and Scotch pine, traveled began exploring assisted migration transcontinentally from Scandina- to revamp the farm’s swampy areas via and Europe in the early 1900s historically dominated by elm and for timber and other uses. ash trees, both on the decline due But the new way of looking at to the increase of invasive insects assisted migration, D’Amato says, and other disease. “Eventually, something will is two-fold. First, researchers want to study have to replace those trees to keep trees that now exist in Vermont the character,” Gregory De Vries, and New England that may not a managing partner with Heritage be climatically adapted, depend- Landscapes, said. “We are testing ing on where they are, he said. a number of tried-and-true trees

that are native to the area like oak and red and silver maple, but then we’re also planting northern catalpa and black tupelo and tulip poplar,” all native trees to the eastern United States, but found in zones slightly south. Following U.S. Department of the Interior standards for the treatment of historic properties outlined by the National Park Service, the work is a balance between preservation and maintaining the desired landscapes. On a larger scale throughout the state, D’Amato said the strategy for foresters and researchers is localized to each forest area as opposed to a broad-brush approach. Each forest is different, and the needs range from critical to less severe. “In all those places where we’re planting these trees, we’re monitoring how they’re doing, and really evaluating both their growth and also how they are being impacted,” D’Amato said. Assisted migration is just one piece of the puzzle of the complicated inner workings of forests and tree health, and most attempts are paired with a variety of other methods. The decision to move things around is bold, both D’Amato and De Vries acknowledged, but to do nothing may be even bolder. “It’s an interesting topic that’s definitely pertinent,” De Vries said.

news for the town’s workers, Kelly Devine, the selectboard liaison spearheading the group, said that after the meeting last week, there was a slew of vehement resident feedback expressing that although $20,000 had been technically saved, there was no structured policy change for budgets moving forward. “Last year, the taxpayer was really clear that the health benefits are too high compared to other businesses,” selectboard chair

D’AMATO

continued from page 1

practices for health insurance benefits and partially address an inequity of the current arrangement in which employees who are covering partners or family members receive between two to three times more in health insurance benefits than employees who are covering only themselves,” Bloch wrote. The second would reduce the town’s funding of the HRA from 90 percent of the out-of-pocket maximum to 80 percent. “In short, changing the funding of the HRA from 90 percent to 80 percent of the out-of-pocket maximum would lower the town’s liability from $101,520 to $90,240,” he wrote. “Whatever the percentage of funding of the HRA by the Town is decided on, splitting the responsibility for paying each claim between the Town and employees could be appropriate.” Staff — some of whom have worked for the town for over a decade — said at the Monday night meeting that they were “blindsided” by the proposal. “With regard to the family coverage, I think it’s important to think about the fact that someone who has a family, it stated that they have two to three times more value, but that’s not necessarily true,” library director Margaret Woodruff said. “They have access to the health care funds; they need to take care of members of their family. They’re not automatically getting a whole lot more money than anybody else.” Members of the employee compensation working group also expressed similar sentiments. “If it was income that someone was taking home, it would be taxed,” said group member Mathew Citarella. “It’s not. It is a benefit that they receive, but to say that because a family receives more in premium compensation doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re taking home more money. That sort of boils my blood a little bit.” “How is it that slashing our employees’ health benefits does anything but make it less desirable

for our employees to stay in their jobs or make living in town less viable?” member Joel Cook said. Other members of the working group said that it was time for employees to start having “some skin in the game” and start paying a “fair portion of their benefits.” “The reality is health benefits are never going to go down,” member Tanna Kelton said. “Health insurance is always going to go up exponentially and the taxpayer is not going to be able to afford that.” After the hour-long conversation, the selectboard decided to table the rest of the discussion that would have focused on the town’s salary administration policy and cost-of-living- adjustment and pushed the conversation to a special meeting that will be held on Thursday, Nov. 30. The board will also discuss the possibility of hiring a consultant to advise on a way forward. Toward the end of the meeting, and after most of the residents who showed up in person had left, the selectboard re-engaged the conversation. Selectboard chair Jim Faulkner said the only option the town may have at this point is to keep the benefits as they are for now, engage a consultant and focus on bringing the cost-of-living adjustment down to zero. “I think right now we just run out of time here,” he said. “So, let’s just keep the benefits as they are and let’s just focus on the COLA being zero.” Devine said no solution is going to make everyone happy, since even finding a middle ground in the employee compensation working group was difficult. “We saw with the people that spoke tonight from the employee compensation working group had very different opinions about the lens through which you should be looking at employee benefits,” she said. “As far as I could tell, there didn’t seem to be a lot of interest in finding a middle ground between those viewpoints.”

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The Citizen • November 30, 2023 • Page 15

Horoscope November 30, 2023

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Page 16 • November 30, 2023 • The Citizen

Holiday tree traditions live on for local Scouts LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Every town has it’s own unofficial “third-places,” or places where people gather and spend time between work and home. In Shelburne during the holiday season, residents say that the most prominent third place is the annual Christmas tree stand on the village green. The tradition spearheaded by Shelburne’s Scout Troop 602 in the 1970s has been a town hot spot for decades. It all begins the day after Thanksgiving and has evolved into much more than just a place to buy a tree. While the place offers a convenient location for residents to bask in the yuletide spirit, it also has become a tradition for many families across the country who make an event out of traveling to the quintessential Vermont town to haul home a fresh pine — including the loyal customer from Connecticut who makes the trek almost every year. “People come from all over the county because the trees that we get are really, really good,” said troop leader Mark Healey. “This one guy comes from Connecticut every year. We always ask when you’re tying the tree on the car roof, ‘How far are you going?’ We will tie an extra string depending on how far. It was just hilarious when this guy said he’s from Connecticut and we’re like, ‘We’re going to need some more string.’” The trees have always come from the

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

A family gathers to pick out a tree in Shelburne village, an annual rite for many from near and far.

Moffat’s farm in Craftsbury — a fourth-generation Christmas tree farm. On average, the troop sells nearly 1,300 of the balsam and Fraser fir trees — and the one specialty white pine — each year. “Even though the demand is super high for other places, we always get our allotment, which is awesome,” said Healey. While most troops stick to selling cookies, Healy said the idea to sell Christmas trees came about 50-something years ago,

and the proceeds have helped fund nearly all the trips the troop takes throughout the year — including a trip to Switzerland to visit the Kandersteg International Scout Centre last year. “Some years ago, they came up with this idea to sell Christmas trees instead of doing those popcorn sales and it just stuck,” Healey said. The tradition has stood the test of time, even during the pandemic, which was still a

high-selling year for the troop and a unique time to re-engage the community. “The town was really nice enough to let us continue selling during that time,” said Brian Irwin, Scoutmaster since 2017. “It’s cool because it was really the first time in a long time that any of the town’s folk had been together. Because everybody was so isolated we would run into people at the Christmas tree sale that we hadn’t seen in months.” For the Scouts, many of whom have been with the troop for years, it’s the time of year they look forward to the most. Scout leader Aedan Curley has been with the troop since he was in fifth grade, and said the tradition has shaped much of his adolescence. “It’s really fun to help people out and see so many people,” Curley said. “We get to talk and help them out with buying the trees, but also just hanging out in the shed listening to Christmas music with the other Scouts.” More important, nearly 20 percent of the proceeds are donated to various organizations in the community and across the country each year. The stand is open during the weekdays on a self-serve basis, and weekends from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Although sales have been in full swing since Thanksgiving, the real holiday kick-off takes place during the annual tree lighting ceremony on the green on Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. “It’s great to great to keep this tradition alive,” Healey said.

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