The Citizen - 1-11-24

Growing pains

Streak ends

Author’s new book tackles grief and growth

Boys’ basketball loses after 23 straight wins

Page 2

Page 13

January 11, 2024

Charlotte departments offer budget requests

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Weekly news coverage for Charlotte and Hinesburg

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Hinesburg secures grant for landfill

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Residents want town to expand water testing

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

Based on initial budget projections, Charlotte residents can expect one thing: tax rates are most likely going up.

While it’s too early to project exact spending and tax rate increases, rough projections begin at $4.4 million, including both the library and Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue budget, which for the past two years have been voted on as separate ballot items.

Although cutting employee health benefits packages was the main topic of conversation as budget season began, this year’s budget has different factors, which are relatively out of the control of town officials.

“There is going to be an increase issue because we have now capital projects,” said selectboard chair Jim Faulkner, adding that both the town garage and solar project were overwhelmingly approved by residents last town meeting day. “I do want to emphasize the fact that I think that, again, our employees are our biggest assets. So, we can’t expect them to take much of a hit for what we did for capital improvements.”

This year’s budget includes an extra $162,000 for debt services.

In addition, the town’s road commissioner, Junior Lewis, is requesting an additional $95,000 for paving.

“Those are pretty big, and they make up a lot of the difference between our current budget and the next year’s budget,” town clerk Mary Mead said.

A $60,000 grant from the state’s revolving loan program will help the town of Hinesburg determine the best solution for residents and homeowners affected by the town’s landfill, which has been leaching dangerous chemicals into the local groundwater for several years.

The town first applied for the funds in March after a report found that two residential homes on Forests Edge and Beecher Hill roads had high levels of polyand perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, a highly toxic endocrine disruptor that has been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, in their water supply.

That discovery came a year and a half after two wells in the same area, serving the town garage and another private residence on Forests Edge Road, were found in July 2021 to have high levels of methtylene chloride and PFAS. The $67,500 grant is step one in finding out if the town could extend its water system up to the affected area, or if any other solutions exist to provide residents there with an alternative water source, Joy Dubin Grossman, Hinesburg’s assistant town manager, said. More than 80 percent of the loan will be eligible for forgiveness, town officials said.

“It’s going to look at, hopefully, a variety of options, not just one,” town manager Todd Odit said. “It will see what, if anything, is feasible.”

The landfill has become an increasingly alarming, and PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

See BUDGET on page 12

Recent snows blanket a horse pasture in the Champlain Valley.

See WATER on page 3

Page 2 • January 11, 2024 • The Citizen

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“The whole of Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon has its roots in Vermont,” said Zoe Fowler, motioning to the book sitting on her lap, her voice steady, offering a peaceful presence amid the sounds of the bustling cafe.

“I was just reading this lovely thing about how it can only come from Vermont because of these Vermont characteristics like reliability, generosity, trusting and not just being trustworthy.”

Fowler, a South Burlington resident, moved to Vermont from the United Kingdom nearly a decade ago and has formed a strong bond with the Green Mountain State that goes far beyond just a typical love for the outdoors. It’s here that she began to heal with the unsuspecting help of a woman who has been dead for almost 40 years: Lois Wilson, the founder of Al-Anon and partner of Bill Wilson, founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

“I fell in love with her a little bit. She’s extraordinary,” she said. “She walked the Long Trail in 1920, one of the first women to walk the Long Trail, one of the first women to wear hiking pants to walk the Long Trail.

That just spoke to me. So, I began researching her life at the same time as writing about the end of my marriage.”

Both Lois and Bill Wilson had deep roots in Vermont — Bill was born in East Dorset and Lois visited Manchester often throughout her childhood. As Bill’s addiction intensified in their marriage, he founded the 12-step program known as Alcoholics Anonymous, and just a few years later Lois started Al-Anon, a support group for families and friends of alchoholics, which at the timewas attended by the many wives whose husbands were part of Bill’s program.

“How (Lois) would tell it, Bill was hosting AA meetings in their house in Brooklyn in the late 1930s,” she said, speaking of Lois like an old friend. “The wives were sitting outside in their cars, waiting for their husbands to finish the meetings. She decided the sensible thing was to invite the wives into the kitchen and for them to bear witness to one another.”

As a creative writer, grief and isolation created room for a new kind of self-discovery for Fowler, and in her newest book — part memoir, part biography — she pens many of the difficult reali-

COURTESY PHOTO

Zoe Fowler

ties of loving an addict. While she journeyed metaphorically through the twists and turns of a new life, she was also literally walking in the footsteps of Wilson by hiking parts of the Long Trail.

“I realized that I was looking to her for guidance as this very strong female character,” she said, adding that the societal expectations of “being a good wife” are also very similar to those seen in a co-dependent relationship. “I began to recognize those qualities in myself that I’d gone from being a good wife to somebody who enabled and who took on guilt.”

In addition to being published in a slew of online journals, she’s found recent fame after publishing an essay last month in the New York Times titled, “First My Husband Left, Then My Stuff,” which recounts the story of emptying a storage locker full of items from her past life, the gray New England landscape mirroring the difficult emotions that would settle the moment she opened the locker door, or as she puts it, the door to a whole new purpose in life.

The feedback from the essay was something she never expected. Thousands of people from all over the globe were quick to fill her inbox with stories of their own loss and grief, sensing her thoughtfulness.

But through the success, she has also been learning how to tread the ethical balance between

telling one’s own story without “outing” another person — something she says is the central tension with loving somebody who is struggling with addiction.

“There is no shame in being an addict,” she said. “Dealing with addiction is crippling and awful and requires unbelievable amounts of strength. But so does loving somebody who’s an addict, so does raising children with somebody who is an addict.”

Although not yet published, the manuscript is nearly three years in the making and began first as a part of her master’s program at Oxford University.

Through its evolution, she began to realize that the true purpose of the book was to reach a different demographic of people, one she related most with.

“To write this story became something I very much wanted to do so that other people could tell their stories,” she said. “It’s like they’ve needed permission to be able to talk about their own experiences of grief and despair.”

The stifling stigma around addiction in society, she said, pressures many to suffer in silence, including those who find themselves in partnership with an addict.

“That’s the bit I want to break,” she added. “That, in a way, is what I’ve tried to do through writing my book. I’d love to be able to provide that space where people can talk about what’s really going on for the first time.”

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The Citizen • January 11, 2024 • Page 3

WATER

continued from page 1 increasingly expensive, problem for the more homes were added later.

Those residents have since received town. The town in fiscal year 2023 spent $145,000 on various costs associated with letters from Stone Environmental showing the maintenance of the landfill, and to moni- that testing results were below detectable tor the point-of-entry treatment, or POET, limits, and that there will be no further testsystems to treat the contaminated residences ing, a decision they “strongly disagree” with.

A complete report from Stone has not yet and buildings.

The grant offers some relief for the finan- been released.

One Beecher Hill Road resident, Ken cially strapped town, but more than $75,000 is still budgeted for the maintenance of the Hurd, said his results showed that while four POET systems connected to affected his POET system on his home was workproperties, as well as for ongoing monitoring ing, effectively keeping contaminants out of his drinking water, the testing has shown and testing.

“We don’t know if we’re going to have to the levels of PFAS entering that system has test more ... This is our best estimate of what increased.

“That’s not necessarily a sign of stabiliit’s going to be, but it could change wildly as we’ve seen,” Odit said. “The landfill budget ty,” Francis said.

Hurd’s PFAS levels were below the state has changed wildly over four years.”

Hinesburg is one of 2,800 communities limit in spring 2022 — and had even lower in at least nine states that have found simi- limits in November 2021 — but six months lar contaminants in their water, according to later was having a POET system installed after discovering high information from the Envilevels in his water. ronmental Working Group “We appreciate that It’s this uncertainty in Washington D.C. that is pressing residents The White House and the town will be to ask for annual testing, Environmental Protection even if contaminants are Agency have since last year exploring alternative under state limits. The worked to finalize regulaenvironmental group’s tions that would address the water supplies for method has been to test environmental and health adjacent properties from impacts of the chemicals. our neighborhood. ... contaminated sources The story of how Hinesand, if limits exceed the burg’s 38-acre landfill was However, the town is standard, continue to never officially capped expand the perimeter of and sealed off remains responsible for this testing to more adjacent a mystery. The property operated from 1972 until problem and the town properties.

“We up here in the area 1988 and received solid must take action to would like some continwaste from Hinesburg and ued testing of water,” Richmond before it was address it.”

Francis said at a recent closed and sealed off with budget hearing. “We’re a permanent chemical-resistant plastic sheet in 1992.

— Janet Francis not confident that these Nearby properties were results are going to stay tested annually for some 20 and Kim Reidinger the way they are forever, years until 2009. But over or for a period of time.” that time, paperwork for the landfill’s closure The town requested a second opinion certification ended up missing, both on the from KAS Consulting, another environmenstate and town’s end. tal science and engineering group in WillisResidents, many of whom were part ton. Using Stone’s findings, the group said of that testing program, are increasingly that “given the lack of VOC and PFAS detecanxious of the groundwater’s volatile nature, tions identified in the six residential supply and are asking the selectboard to budget wells ... it is our professional opinion that it $20,000 for annual testing of all the adjacent is unlikely these private drinking water wells properties in the area — some of which have are at risk from the contaminants released yet to be tested. That testing should continue, from the nearby landfill given the consistent they say, until an alternative water source is non-detect results obtained.” made available.

Francis and her neighbors in their letter “Now, unlike 20 years ago, we know say they are pleased the town has received there is a very real problem,” Janet Francis grant funding to explore alternative water and Kim Reidinger, property owners near the supplies but are asking for more help in the landfill, wrote in a letter to the selectboard coming year fiscal year budget. last week. “The Town did not carry out its “We appreciate that the town will be obligations. The landfill was not maintained, exploring alternative water supplies for our and contaminants have been allowed to neighborhood. And, yes, we understand that leach out. Recent testing has revealed levels the selectboard is trying its best to be fiscally of VOCs and PFAS exceeding residential responsible,” Francis and Reidinger wrote. enforcement standards in a number of resi- “However, the town is responsible for this dences near the landfill. If the recent testing problem and the town must take action to had not occurred, these neighbors would address it.” unknowingly be drinking contaminated Odit, when asked about the residents’ water.” (See their letter, page 6). concerns, said he understands their perspecFollowing the discovery of two more tive, but said “the tough part for the selectcontaminated wells last spring, Stone board is that they’re not the scientists.”

Environmental, the environmental consul“Do we follow the scientists’ recommentant group hired by the town to gather and dation? If we don’t, then what is our baromtest groundwater samples, recommended eter? Where do we stop?” he said. “How do expanding testing to four new homes. Two we decide where the line is?”

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Page 4 • January 11, 2024 • The Citizen

CRIME & COURTS Hinesburg Police Blotter: Jan. 1- 8 Total incidents: 45 Jan. 1 at 4:00 p.m., an alarm activated on Silver Street.

Jan. 2 at 1:00 p.m., someone reported damage to a motor vehicle on Kelley’s Field Road.

Jan. 2 at 10:45 p.m., officers responded to a domestic dispute on Mechanicsville Road.

Jan. 4 at 3:07 p.m., police investigated a report of a fraud.

Jan. 4 at 3:55 p.m., officers responded to a citizen dispute on Kelly’s Field Road.

Jan. 4 at 6:15 p.m., officers responded to a medical emergency on Kozas Run. Michael Giroux, 70, of Hinesburg, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jan. 5 at 10:04 a.m., an officer investigated a larceny from a motor vehicle on Kailey’s Way. Jan. 5 at 5:20 p.m., officers investigated the theft of a motor vehicle on Pond Road.

Jan. 5 at 6:01 p.m., officers investigated a burglary from a residence on Piette Road.

Jan. 5 at 9:15 p.m., first responders were assisted with a medical emergency on Hawk Lane.

Jan. 6 at 1:37 p.m., officers responded to a three-car motor vehicle crash on Route 116.

Jan. 7 at 8:25 a.m., an officer responded to a two-car motor vehicle crash on Route 116.

Jan. 7 at 5:45 p.m., first responders were assisted with a medical emergency on Hawk Lane.

Jan. 8 at 8:45 a.m., an officer investigated a single-car motor vehicle crash on Richmond Road.

Jan. 8 at 8:55 a.m., officers responded to a resident dispute on Buck Hill Road East.

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

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Drug dealer who made millions in Vermont, elsewhere sentenced MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

A part-time Vermont resident who masterminded coast-to-coast conspiracies to distribute heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine and crack and powder cocaine and to launder drug money, was sentenced to 12 years in prison during a recent federal court hearing in Burlington.

DaJuan A. Williams, 31, developed a Chittenden County drug trafficking business that also had additional distribution points in North Dakota, Montana and California that generated him a million-dollar annual enterprise, according to court records.

He boasted on a video played in court that he was a “$6 million man.”

Williams also supervised the laundering of drug money into various bank accounts, officials said, later transferring the proceeds using a variety of methods, including mobile payment services such as Venmo, Cash App and Zelle.

In addition, Williams also bought numerous luxury vehicles, including an Audi, BMW and Maserati and clothes, jewelry and houses with proceeds from the sale of drugs. Williams also maintained stash houses in several towns, including Shelburne, Winooski and Burlington.

One co-defendant estimated that Williams shipped drugs in suitcases between 35 and 50 times and in one case, another co-defendant took at least 10 outbound trips from California. The profits were up to “tens of thousands of dollars per day,” records noted.

Chief Federal Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford ordered more than $600,000 in forfeitures from bank accounts and other property generated from the drug trafficking. Williams will be under supervised release for four years once discharged from prison.

A 12-month investigation led

by U.S. Homeland Security in Vermont led to an initial 16-count indictment of eight defendants.

Another handful of people were added in a subsequent indictment.

Crawford noted in court on Jan. 4 that the drug distribution caused significant devastation in the community, noting some people lost lives or overdosed and others lost homes because of the drugs distributed.

One Shelburne apartment was

used to store and package drugs up in the backseat of a car with for resale with four co-defendants Williams, and a sometimes-inauworking there, records show. The dible recording of Williams and renter of the apartment was given his now estranged wife. drugs for allowing Williams’ assoDuring the December 2019 ciates to operate there, but he phone call, Williams threatened would later die from an overdose, his wife and her family, Boscia court records showed. said.

“The business relied on a “DaJuan Williams jeopardized complicated network of logistics the lives and safety of the Vermont to obtain drugs from suppliers, public during his time as one of transport them across the country, the area’s most prolific criminals,” and distribute them to customers,” Homeland Security agent Alex former Assistant U.S. Attorney Zuchman said. “He wrought havoc John Boscia said in court papers. on the region and led a drug and “On the financial money launderside, Williams conspiracy Former Assistant U.S. ing micro-managed that spanned on-the-ground coast-to-coast Attorney John Boscia distribution, and included the checking in with trafficking of argued in court for his workers deadly fentanand frequently yl,” he said. an 18-year sentence, demanding the Williams ‘count’ — an went to Mexico which a plea accounting of in January 2020 drugs sold, and agreement suggested to obtain a money earned. source of supply as a maximum Earnings of over for drugs. He a million dollars was accompenalty. were returned to panied by a bank accounts few associates, controlled by Williams. The busi- including his now estranged wife, ness even had a slogan: working records showed. in ‘perfect harmony,’” records South Burlington Police Chief showed.

Shawn Burke, whose departDefense lawyer Chandler ment played a significant role in Matson of Stowe argued that the investigation along with the Williams came from a broken Vermont Drug Task Force, was home in Detroit and had been pleased with the prison sentence. living on the street since he was “The court recognized the about 8 years old. He said Williams criminal acts of DaJuan for both has turned his life around since the severity and the degree of being in prison in pre-trial deten- victimization that he imposed in tion for almost three years.

Vermont,” Burke said.

Matson said Williams earned Burke said Williams said it was his high school degree and 70 other clear Williams was involved in certificates for programs offered at organizing various criminal activithe Northwest State Correctional ties and at a significant level.

Facility.

Williams was arrested Jan. 13, Matson maintained that 2021, in California at a mansion Williams did not need a long — his $15,000 a month rental sentence.

— perched high in the hills of Boscia argued in court for an Los Angeles under the famous 18-year sentence, which a plea Hollywood landmark sign, court agreement suggested as a maxi- records showed. On the same day, mum penalty. Under federal law enforcement agents executsentencing guidelines Williams ed search warrants at a second could have faced 60 years in residence in Los Angeles and a prison. storage locker associated with Making a rare appearance with Williams’s drug trafficking orgaBoscia at the prosecutor’s table nization. During the searches, was U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest, agents found a stolen assault rifle who reportedly has applied to fill and approximately two pounds of a vacancy by Crawford’s upcom- methamphetamine. ing retirement. He offered no During a simultaneous raid comment during the hearing.

In court, Boscia played a See WILLIAMS on page 5 video showing a woman shooting

The Citizen • January 11, 2024 • Page 5

Trial in cyclist death case yet to be scheduled COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

The criminal case of Richard K. Lewis, charged by police after hitting a cyclist with his car, remains ongoing as several status conferences have been postponed or cancelled since Lewis was first arraigned.

Lewis, a 69-year-old from Hinesburg, was cited in February of last year with grossly negligent operation stemming from an incident on Oct. 15 when Lewis, driving southbound on Hinesburg Road, struck Gerard Malavenda, 65, of Williston, with his car.

Malavenda was treated at the scene but was later pronounced dead at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

Lewis pleaded not guilty to the charge at his arraignment in April and was released under several conditions, including that he cannot operate a motor vehicle. A tentative trial date was later set for September.

But court proceedings have delayed that start date. At least five status conferences have been postponed or cancelled since Lewis’ arraignment, according to court documents.

A new hearing is scheduled for Jan. 18. Neither Lewis nor his attorney, Brooks MacArthur, have responded to messages seeking comment.

In Oct. 2022, Malavenda was found breathing but seriously injured on the side of the road near 1410 Hinesburg Road.

Lewis, who was driving his GMC truck, had pulled over on the side of the road, and told police he had been going to visit his son.

While driving southbound, Lewis “was attempting to avoid the male but stated he was suddenly right in front of Lewis’ truck,” South Burlington police wrote in

its affidavit.

There were no witnesses to the crash, but the Vermont State Police investigation of the crash scene later showed Lewis’ car had veered nearly three feet over the white fog line into the southbound shoulder where Malavenda was with his bike.

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

The South Burlington police, in its affidavit of probable cause, said that Lewis “failed to exercise ordinary care by not only failing to avoid a bicyclist on the shoulder of a public highway ... but in fact driving more than two feet to the right of the fog line and striking the bicyclist.”

Just after the incident, responding officers said Lewis was in his truck on a phone call. Officers examined Lewis’ phone and noted that his call and missed call history folders were both empty, aside from the call he had just been on.

South Burlington police later seized Lewis’ phone and determined his cellphone had been connected to the vehicle’s Bluetooth system minutes before the crash occurred, according to court documents.

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

“I advised the representative (that) I had observed the individual using their phone and making calls between 11:51 a.m. and 1 p.m.,” South Burlington officer Hazen Powell wrote, according to court documents. “The representative advised (that) AT&T had provided all of the information they had for the hours of 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. from Oct. 15.”

WILLIAMS

continued from page 4 on that day, law enforcement also arrested a second defendant in Los Angeles, two more in Vermont, and one each in Gary, Ind., Owl’s Head, Maine, and Grand Rapids, Mich.

Williams is well-known to federal, state and local law enforcement in the Chittenden County region.

Williams, while living in Burlington in September 2018, was charged with two counts of unlawful restraint of a pair of women and two counts of simple assault for an incident while visiting a Charlotte house on Greenbush Road known for drug trafficking, state police said.

Also assisting in the investigation were

members of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Burlington Police.

Vermont State Police Blotter: Jan. 4 Jan. 4 at 4:45 p.m., Damion Bothwell, 25, of Charlotte, was arrested for driving under the influence, first offense, and leaving the scene of a crash near Shelburne and Ferry roads in Charlotte.

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Page 6 • January 11, 2024 • The Citizen

OPINION No time for lollygagging in the Statehouse this year sure what a biennium is, we serve two years per term in the House and Senate. A two-year period is Rep. Chea Waters Evans called a biennium.)

We’re back in the Statehouse, At the end of the 2023 session, and unlike last year, which started Scott vetoed what’s known as with a lot of ceremonies the bottle bill, which and traditions, trainings increases the types of and figuring out where beverage containers that to get a turkey sandwich, are eligible for a fivewe got right down to cent deposit and adds a business.

15-cent deposit for wine With a veto override bottles — OK, that’s under our belts already, good to know — which a fairly grim State of the we hope will incentivize State address from the people to recycle and governor, and some bills redeem these containers.

Rep. Chea Waters Evans up for a vote this week, Opponents to the we’re making the most bill are concerned that of the time left in the it will increase costs for biennium in the House of Repreconsumers when they pay for trash sentatives. (For those who aren’t and recycling services, think-

From the House

ing it will decrease the amount those services get from recycling deposits. The Senate still must vote for the override, and it’s not a sure thing. Our senator, Thomas Chittenden, opposes the bill and has indicated he won’t vote for it.

We’ll see in the coming weeks.

By the way, Yellow Mustard in Montpelier makes an excellent turkey sandwich, as does the Statehouse cafeteria.

Over the next couple weeks in the House, we’ll see a vote on an overdose prevention-center bill.

It will establish two sites where drug use can occur without legal penalties. I know, this seems illogical and dangerous and enabling to some people. But the hard facts are that drug use is steadily increasing in Vermont, the pervasive presence

Letters to the Editor Bill would ensure appropriate animal welfare To the Editor: Over the past several years, the hoarding and neglect of dogs, horses and goats has repeatedly come to the attention of Vermonters through word of mouth and media coverage.

Vermont’s animal welfare system is currently seen by leading animal welfare groups in the Northeast as weak to nonexistent.

Our inability to keep animals safe from neglect and cruelty points out the need for a comprehensive redesign of Vermont’s animal welfare systems. After seven years of work by an advisory board appointed by the Legislature to report on Vermont’s inadequacies and to recommend solutions, there is now a bill to create a new, functional framework ready to be considered by the Legislature.

Until 2016, the responsibility for animal neglect and cruelty cases was the responsibility of the Vermont Department of Agriculture. Since then, towns have had no clear county or state resources to turn to for help. Variously, Vermont State Police, Vermont League of Cities and Towns, local animal control officers, and now game wardens with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife have been tasked with handling complaints.

Many Vermonters have been frustrated by this patchwork system.

Proposed in the bill is a new, dedicated division within the Vermont Department of Public

Safety, responsible for oversight and regulation of domestic animal welfare. It is supported by enforceable and appropriate regulations based on U.S. Department of Agriculture best practices.

There are so many examples of neglect, cruelty and hoarding in our nature and animal loving state.

This bill creates the oversight and penalties needed to make Vermont a safe home for its domestic animal residents.

Jill Halstead Charlotte (Editor’s note: The following letter was sent to the Hinesburg Selectboard.)

Town must continue testing Hinesburg wells To the Editor: We are writing on behalf of the homeowners who live near the Hinesburg landfill to request a hearing before the selectboard before a final budget is approved. We are very concerned that the budget does not address adequate testing of our drinking water.

We strongly disagree that further testing should be discontinued. We have made our concerns known to the selectboard. We still have not received the summary report or second opinion, and we have had no opportunity to discuss the results and no input into the decision to discontinue testing.

(Affected residences) DenteHurd received the Stone results on Dec. 21, Wisniewski on Dec. 27, Willet on Jan. 2, and Francis

and Mello-Reidinger on Jan. 3.

The Dente-Hurd results show that while the point of entry treatment systems are working, the levels of PFAS entering those systems have increased. The Parent Garage did have PFOS detected but below Vermont Groundwater Enforcement Standards. Fortunately, the Wisniewski, Francis and Mello-Reidinger results were below detectable limits. However, the report states that there will be no further testing.

The original landfill closure plan drafted and then revised in 1990 called for the town shed and five residential wells to be sampled twice a year, May and September for 20 years, in addition to six groundwater monitoring wells and two stream locations. Those residences with current owners are Francis, Mello-Reidinger, Turner, Dente and Hurd, and Eastman.

Notes from a telephone conversation and a subsequent meeting between the town and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation in October 2003 added a sixth residence, Rohde.

Now, unlike 20 years ago, we know there is a very real problem.

The town did not carry out its obligations.

The landfill was not maintained and contaminants have been allowed to leach out. Recent testing has revealed levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and PFAS exceeding residential enforcement standards in a number See LETTERS on page 7

of fentanyl has led to historically high overdose deaths, and we have a responsibility to protect our most vulnerable.

This includes people who suffer from addictions. Data also shows that social contact and support often results in drug users pursuing recovery, so for me, increased recovery rates and decreased overdose deaths is a win.

In his State of the State address, the governor mentioned several times that property taxes “would” increase if this or that happened, and that we “could” see our taxes go up a “possible” 18 percent figure. While I admire his commitment to that number, I don’t think we should be scaring people with figures that aren’t borne out in reality and that are based on a worst-case scenario.

I’ve written about it before so I’ll leave it at that, but I do hear from people a lot about their concerns that they won’t be able to stay in their homes, that they will have to leave Charlotte or Hinesburg or Vermont, and that their families will suffer if our taxes increase by that amount.

These fears are real, and they’re valid, and I assure you, I’ve got my eye on the money. I’m not on a committee that deals with budgets or taxes directly, but almost every bill that comes through this room is going to cost something, and I’m keenly conscious of the need to make sure that we’re not creating an unreasonable demand to pay for everything at the expense of

taxpayers’ ability to care for their families.

In my committee, we’re delving into once again fine-tuning cannabis laws this week. If anyone wants to check in with me about it, we’re hearing from the Cannabis Control Board and some others on Friday, so let me know and if we get even anywhere close to a topic that concerns you, I can ask some questions.

Finally, I’ve had multiple inquiries about my position on the Charlotte town manager or town administrator question. While I’m really leaning into this role of sharing my opinion about everything with everyone, I feel like I can’t share my point of view on that question. Should the town vote to move to a town manager, I will have to present a town charter to my committee, the Senate Committee on Government Operations, and it will eventually go to the House and Senate as a whole.

I think my responsibility in this case is to stay neutral so I can best represent you all in the Legislature if the need arises.

Please be in touch by phone or text at 917-887-8231 any time or email me at cevans@leg.state. vt.us. If you’re going to be in Montpelier or the Statehouse, let me know and we can say hi or I can help you get set up with a tour or visit to the chambers.

Chea Waters Evans, a Democrat, represents Charlotte and Hinesburg in the Chittenden-5 House district.

Skip to your loo, my darlin’ In Musing Carole Vasta Folley Who waxes poetic about a bathroom? Especially when there’s no double marble vanity, oversize soaking tub or rainfall shower system, let alone enough floor space for dance pro Valentin Chmerkovskiy to teach the samba while Roomba vacuums the rest of the expanse? No, I’m talking basic here as I wistfully recall the small bathroom of my youth.

It’s hard to believe that for most of my childhood there was a single bathroom in a house containing nine people. You do the math. It was the most coveted real estate going. And, since possession is nine-tenths of the law, whoever was left outside was up an infamous creek, as my mother

would say.

In direct contrast to the spa-like bathrooms touted on every home improvement show, our bathroom was an assault to the senses. Someone decided wall-to-wall carpet was a good idea. In a bathroom!

Probably a decision best blamed on my father who also rugged his bald head.

Indeed, toupees and shag were the trends of the times. Unfortunately, the carpet theme continued on the toilet itself. Never a good idea. Nothing says bad hygiene better than a furry toilet.

Eventually our tub-shower combo was upgraded with frosted-glass sliding doors. You remember the kind, perpetually misaligned with rusty, gunky See IN MUSING on page 11

The Citizen • January 11, 2024 • Page 7

LETTERS

continued from page 6 of residences near the landfill. If the recent testing had not occurred, these neighbors would unknowingly be drinking contaminated water.

We appreciate that the town will be exploring alternative water supplies for our neighborhood.

And, yes, we understand that the selectboard is trying its best to be fiscally responsible. However, the town is responsible for this problem and the town must take action to address it.

We propose that the town continue testing the wells tested in 2023, plus the wells that were part of the original closure plan, plus wells adjacent to residences already contaminated. The first step is to immediately test all properties adjacent to any contaminated well, including but not limited to the Mead, Rohde and Donaldson properties. However, we would accept that continued testing be performed on an annual, rather than twice yearly basis for those wells with results that so far have not exceeded standards. This testing should continue until an alternative water source is available.

We look forward to continuing this important conversation before the fiscal year 2025 budget is adopted.

Janet Francis Kim Reidinger Hinesburg

Wildlife department defies lawmakers To the Editor: There was a moratorium on coyote hounding as of July 1, 2022, according to section 11 of Act 165.

This moratorium was to be lifted if the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife could ensure a way to maintain control over hounds, prevent hounds from attacking people, farmed and domesticated animals and prevent hounders from trespassing with hounds on private property. It was a long-drawn-out process that went through the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules.

Vermonters have been trying to change how the fish and wildlife board and department treats wildlife and the public for decades but reach gridlock every time, and here we are again.

Not only did the department and board scoff and hem and haw over recommendations made by legislators for hounders to control their hounds — controlling hounds is considered a de facto ban — the department and board incrementally shuffled their feet, and while doing so, added detrimental language that would mitigate or nullify any potential regulations or safety measures from being enacted in the future.

There’s no point in having or enact-

ing legislation if it’s unenforceable or nullified by the legislation’s next sentence.

Upon the final meeting, the fish and wildlife board decided it was not going to follow or implement any of the legislative rules committee’s recommendations, pointedly defying concerns made by legislators, and the next day lifted the coyote hounding moratorium. Legislators on the committee assumed the moratorium would stay in place, but it cannot force the wildlife department or board to do anything. The department and board members regulate themselves. So now the department has proclaimed applications for hounding are up for grabs.

The only thing that will prevent hounds from attacking people and farmed and domestic animals and ensure the safety and protection for the public is legislation to ban hounding of large game animals.

Requiring hounders to control their dogs or banning hounding of bears, coyotes, raccoons, foxes, bobcats and wolves altogether — all considered large game animals — are the only options.

H.323 would ban coyote and bear hounding in 2024. For anyone who may be concerned that legislation targets beagles or regulates rabbit hunting, it doesn’t. Rabbits are small game species and beagles are not used for attacking and chasing large game. More aggressive dogs such as coonhounds and foxhounds are used.

Vermonters and their companion dogs have been attacked by coyote and bear hounds with no consequences for hounders. Public safety should take precedence over a small subset of the population who intentionally release hounds to chase, harass and eviscerate wildlife for recreation.

There is some good news.

Vermont residents can now sue the fish and wildlife board and department if they violate any recommendations made by rules committee regarding coyote hounding. Please monitor, record and report all activity by hounders who taunt or mistreat you, trespass on your property, release dogs on your property, can’t control their dogs, or if there are any attacks or emotional distress caused by coyote hounders.

Log and report any violations or concerns to any of these organizations: Protect Our Wildlife, Animal Wellness Action, Vermont Wildlife Patrol and Vermont Wildlife Coalition.

Only together can we address the tragic treatment of hounds and abuse to wildlife, ensure safety of the public, respect for property rights, and prevent attacks by hounds.

Alana Stevenson Charlotte

Pouech takes a legislative look back, forward as session starts decarbonizing our thermal heating session. I hope we support actions demand, the largest contributor to to eliminate PFAS in all commercial products and address existing total greenhouse gas emissions.

Rep. Phil Pouech contamination, where found in our This act explores funding options water and soil.

As the year ends, I would like and methods to provide income Climate change will continue to review the 2023 legislative sensitive incentives to allow to be on the Legislature’s agenda. session in Montpelier, my first as Vermont homes and businesses to Recent experiences with climateyour House representative, and transition, when possible, to more caused flooding will likely encouroutline expected legislative prioristable and cost-efficient electrical age further investments in climate heat pump systems and ties for 2024. resiliency. away from fossil fuels.

I started the 2023 We will follow up on the clean Again, after a veto session with three heat standard and consider proposby the governor, the primary goals, which als to update Vermont’s renewable Legislature chose action included issues related energy standard. over inaction to assist to child care, housing The transportation committee Vermonters who wish to and climate change. I am move toward sustainably will continue to invest in infrapleased with our progstructure while supporting decarheating their homes. ress in these areas, along bonizing the transportation system, This act requires further with other legislation and work to update transportation legislative action in this that was passed.

Rep. Phil Pouech policies to increase funding to help upcoming session, so Here are some towns and villages like Hinesburg stay tuned. highlights from the last minimize village traffic speed session: This year’s transportation bill while supporting the town’s desire • Child care: Act 76 is a (Act 62) includes record investto expand safe bike and pedestrian transformational act relating to ments in our transportation infraoptions. structure while addressing greenchild care and early education. It It is likely house emissions provides significant funding to we will debate make child care more affordable from that sector.

We have a moral how we might and accessible, while assuring It includes strong hold the fossil these services are of the highincentive-based obligation to do fuel industry est quality. The funding model programs to help accountable for increases child care provider income-qualified all we can to pass the cost burden Vermonter’s reimbursements, which will of climate increase pay levels for this critical transition to more a livable world on change in the workforce. efficient transsame way the Despite a veto from Gov. Phil portation options. to our children and tobacco industry Scott, overwhelming legislative Funded programs was required support easily moved this critical include incenfuture generations. to pay for the bill over the finish line. tives for electric societal costs of • Housing: Act 47 makes vehicles, charging smoking. multiple changes to programs infrastructure, rail and support for Selfishly, as our long-standand funding to promote increased safe biking and walking. ing Green-Up coordinator, I look housing across Vermont. This act, forward to overriding the goveralong with over $200 million in the Additional highlights nor’s veto and passing an updated budget, supports both temporary • Act 43 provides employbottle bill. and permanent housing for our ees who lack a work-sponsored I also expect the Legislature citizens. Housing is a complicated retirement savings option to join a to continue exploring options for long-term problem, so I expect state-run system overseen by the a universal paid medical leave continued work on this year. state treasurer. program.

• Climate change: It is criti• Act 26 provides enhanced Please contact me at any cal that the Legislature address workers compensation for local time with questions, concerns or greenhouse gas emissions in order firefighters who suffer high risks recommendations. I can always be to meet legal obligations to the of cancer. reached on my legislative email at Global Warming Solutions Act. • Act 15 ensures protection to ppouech@leg.state.vt.us, or if you I understand there are some who those workers and professionals argue that any action Vermont who provide legal health care, such prefer, call me on my home phone at 802-482-2060. I strive to return takes to reduce carbon emission as the LGBTQ community and all emails and calls. will not significantly impact world- women’s reproductive rights.

Last, let me know if you come wide climate change.

• Act 64 provides for universal to the Statehouse to lobby, testify I agree our emissions pale in school meals. or just visit. I’m happy to meet up comparison to other states and • Act 56 and 45 have public and help in any way. countries across the world, but we health initiatives and mechanisms Thank all the citizens who must acknowledge that Vermont to address death by suicide. reached out to me over this last has a very high per capita emis• Act 59 addresses community year with questions, concerns and sion rate, which can and should be and biodiversity protection. requests. It is always helpful to reduced for two important reasons.

Housing, transportation hear directly from you. I strive to First, we have a moral obliunderstand everyone’s opinions gation to do all we can to pass a I expect continued additionand when appropriate share my livable world on to our children al investments in housing and and future generations, and second, changes to Vermont’s Act 250 laws own views. reducing emissions will save based on recommendations from Vermonter’s money and result in a Phil Pouech, a Democrat, on-going studies. cleaner environment. represents Hinesburg in the ChitSeveral environmental issues Act 18 is a big step toward tenden-4 House district. will also be addressed in this

From the House

Page 8 • January 11, 2024 • The Citizen

‘Sixty Four Project’ celebrates realistic body imagery

Community Notes Scout Troop 602 holds open house On Monday, Jan. 22, Scout Troop 602 of Shelburne will hold an open house for recruitment from 6:30-8 p. m. at the blue Scout Barn in Davis Park by the tennis courts.

There will be information about what the troop does, Scout experiences and desserts!

For information, contact Aedan Curley, senior patrol leader, Troop 602, at aedan.j.curley@gmail.com or 802-881-4313.

January programs at the senior center

PHOTO BY ALAIN DAHAN

“The Sixty Four Project,” an art installation and exhibit celebrating women’s beauty, diversity and strength while promoting realistic body imagery, is on display Thursday to Saturday, Jan. 18- The exhibit is being held in conjunction with the Vermont Burlesque Festival.

Conceived and engineered by Fairfax resident Mark Hitchcox, “The Sixty Four Project” features photographs and testimonials of 64 women, including breast cancer survivors. The group represents a diverse range of ages, ethnicities and body types. The exhibit’s centerpiece is an installation of rotating cubes, each featuring a photograph of a volunteer model’s breast. As the cubes randomly turn, different right and left breasts are displayed, highlighting the beautiful diversity of women’s bodies. “Scars don’t define me, my age doesn’t define me, how my body looks doesn’t define me, I’m still an attractive person worthy of love and affection,” Moxie Blue, a breast cancer thriver, burlesque performer, and producer from Seattle, said. A free opening reception with light snacks and cash bar will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18, with a short presentation at 6 p.m. Proceeds from donations and a basket raffle will go to the University of Vermont Cancer Center. For more information or exhibit hours, go to thesixtyfourproject.com.

The Charlotte Senior Center, 212 Ferry Road, has several upcoming programs in January. More at charlotteseniorcentervt.org.

• January artist exhibit: Colorful representative and abstract paintings on panels and canvas by Theresa Petrow.

• Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group, Thursday, Jan. 11, 5-6 p.m.

Are you caring for someone with Alzheimer’s? Do you know someone who is? A monthly support group meets on the second Thursday of each month. The meetings provide a safe place for caregivers, family and friends of persons with dementia to meet and develop a mutual support system. For information contact Susan Cartwright at scartwrightasg@gmail.com.

• Men’s breakfast, Friday, Jan. 12; doors open at 7:30 a.m., breakfast at 8 a.m.

On the second Friday of the month, the men gather for breakfast and conversation. For January, instead of the guest speaker, there will be an open discussion. Registration required. Suggested donation is $6. Email Lane Morrison at lmorrison@gmavt.net before Tuesday, January 9.

• Winter spike hikes, Wednesdays, Jan. 17 and 31, 10:30 a.m.12:30 p.m.

Get outside and enjoy winter hiking. Weather permitting, the group will meet every other week through February. The outings will be about two hours on trails around Charlotte and neighboring towns.

Bring your own spikes or snowshoes, depending on the weather, snacks and water. To register, contact Susan Hyde at susanfosterhyde@gmail.com.

• Veterans assistance, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Join Bob Stock, veterans outreach specialist with the South Burlington Vet Center, who will be available to veterans and their families about VA benefits and any other VA issues.

• Play reading with Sue Foley and Wally Gates, Thursday, Jan. 25, 1-3:30 p.m.

This is free table-reading fun.

No tryouts, no rehearsals, no critical reviews. The group meets monthly and is for people who enjoy reading plays aloud or listening to others perform. If you have questions or would like to sit in, contact Sue at ssnfoley@icloud.com.

• Restorative yoga for deep winter renewal, Friday, Jan. 26, 5:30-6:45 p.m.

Warm up your body with slow, mindful movements followed by longer held restorative postures.

Yoga props required. Prop list will be sent upon registration.

With Heidi Kvasnak. Registration required. Cost is $15.

• Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 1 p.m.

Dan Norris, director of adult services at the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, shares the variety of large-print, digital and audio resources that are available to help you to access print. Registration suggested. Free.

Enjoy Age Well meals at Charlotte Senior Center The Age Well meal pickup for Thursday, Jan. 11, is from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Charlotte Senior Center and features baked cheese lasagna roulette with marinara and beef and spinach, pineapple chunks, biscuit and milk.

You must pre-register by the prior Monday at 802-425-6345 or meals@charlotteseniorcentervt. org.

The meal on Thursday, Jan. 18, features oven-fried chicken breast, diced potatoes with parsley, peas and onions, wheat roll, date Craisin bar and milk.

The suggested donation is $5.

Check the website for last-minute cancellations at bit.ly/3FfyLMb.

Munch is Monday at senior center lunch The next Monday Munch at the Charlotte Senior Center is Jan. 15, 212 Ferry Road, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The menu is quiche Lorraine, haricot vert with hollandaise and pineapple upside-down cake.

A $5 donation is appreciated. Check the website in case of last-minute cancellations at charlotteseniorcentervt.org.

CVU hosts Empty Bowls dinner for food insecurity The community is invited to the inaugural Champlain Valley Union Empty Bowls Dinner on Thursday, Jan. 18. 6 p.m., at the high school, 369 CVU Road, Hinesburg.

See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 9

The Citizen • January 11, 2024 • Page 9

CVU student recognized for innovative app design Clay Nicholson, a 10th grader from Williston, was selected by U.S. Rep. Becca Balint’s office as this year’s Vermont winner of the Congressional App Challenge.

Nicholson submitted a video as part of his application. In the video, he outlined his app called Lexiscan, not only conceptualizing the idea but also bringing it to life.

In his video, he shares that his motivation stemmed from observing the challenges faced by a friend with dyslexia while reading.

This is the third year in a row that a CVU student has been recognized for this contest.

The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school

COURTESY PHOTO

Clay Nicholson

students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science.

COMMUNITY NOTES continued from page 8

This grassroots event, inspired by the Empty Bowls movement, aims to raise funds for the Hinesburg Food Shelf at the Hinesburg Community Resource Center, a volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to helping neighbors in need.

The project was started by student Teryn Hytten with the support of CVU ACCESS and the school’s ceramics studio. Hytten attended the University of Vermont Empty Bowls dinner for most of her life and felt a sense of loss a few years ago when the dinners ended.

After becoming a potter, she combined her passion for Empty Bowls, community action and ceramics to initiate the inaugural dinner at CVU. Each ticket includes a handmade ceramic bowl crafted by local volunteer potters, a bountiful dinner featuring bread from local bakeries, homemade soups by CVU Café, ice-cream from Sisters of Anarchy, live music by a CVU Student Quartet and guest speakers from the Vermont Foodbank and

JOB FAIR

Hinesburg Food Shelf addressing food insecurity in Vermont.

A silent auction will feature products from local businesses, pottery bowls and wooden cutting boards crafted by CVU woodworking students.

Canned food items are welcome for donation in the bin at the entrance.

Tickets are by donation: $20 donation per adult and $10 for children under 12. Get tickets at bit.ly/3RGVVAw. For more information, email terynhytten@cvsdvt.org

Bell choir celebrates 60th anniversary First Church in Burlington hosts the Austin Chimers Bell Choir’s 60th anniversary concert on Sunday, Jan. 14, 3-4:30 p.m.

The Congregational church, 38 South Winooski Avenue, offers parking on site and free street parking and a garage nearby.

For information, go to firstchurchburlington.org.

GOT THE POST HOLIDAY BLUES?

Our new displays will put you in a spring time frame of mind!

Save the Date Our 7th Birthday Party is Feb. 3!

Shop local It matters 802-489-5571 • willowhousevt.com • 11 Falls Road • Shelburne, VT

SAVE THE DATE!

JANUARY 27, 2024 11:00am–2:00pm

O’Brien Community Center 32 Malletts Bay Avenue Winooski, VT BACK UP DATE: 2/3/24

Page 10 • January 11, 2024 • The Citizen

News from Charlotte Library Charlotte Library 115 Ferry Road, Charlotte.

802-425-3864. Register at charlottepubliclibrary.org or info@ charlottepubliclibrary.org.

More information and links can be found on the library website.

ONGOING

Mystery book group: ‘Mr. Churchill’s Secretary’

Preschool storytime Tuesdays in January and February, 10-11 a.m.

Age 2 and over.

Babytime Thursdays in January February, 9-10 a.m.

Birth to 18 months.

and

Preschool storytime with Christa Fridays in January and February, 10-11 a.m.

Kinder/first grade storytime Tuesdays in January and February, 3-4 p.m.

Limited space, registration required.

Preschool free play FILE PHOTO

Wednesdays in January and February, 10-11 a.m.

Ages 2 and over.

Read to a dog at the Pierson Library on Jan. 20

ADULTS

News from Carpenter-Carse Library Carpenter-Carse Library, 69 Ballards Corner Road, Hinesburg. 802-482-2878, carpenter carse.org To register, reserve books or for more information, reach out to library@carpentercarse.org.

Weekly storytime Tuesdays in January, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Stories, songs, rhymes, and crafts.

Saturday storytime and craft Saturday, Jan. 20, 10-10:30 a.m.

Stories and singing for young children and their caregivers.

Monthly fiber arts club Friday, Jan. 12, 3:15-4:30 p.m.

New club for students in grades three to seven.

Ever wanted to learn how to knit, crochet, needle felt, embroider and sew? Want to come and share skills you already have others?

Sign up for this monthly club at the circulation desk or contact jen@carpentercarse.org.

Read to a dog Saturday, Jan. 13, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Practice your reading skills with Taffy, the very huggable cockapoo. Email Jen at jen@ carpentercarse.org or sign up at the circulation desk to reserve a spot.

ing Game and participate in handson arts and craft challenges, group guessing and memory games, making snacks, and trading cards.

Registration required; contact jen@carpentercarse.org.

ADULTS

Family movie: ‘Land Before Time’

Hands and needles Mondays in January,

Friday, Jan. 19, 3:30-4:45 p.m.

Watch “The Land Before Time” on the big screen. Popcorn available or bring your own snacks.

10 a.m.-noon Bring whatever project you are working on — quilting, knitting, embroidery, etc. No registration required.

Afterschool story and crafts Friday, Jan. 26, 3:15-4:30 p.m.

For children in kindergarten to grade two. Snacks, readaloud stories and a fun, simple and creative craft project inspired by the stories. Register at jen@ carpentercarse.org or sign up at the circulation desk.

Pokemon club Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2:15-3:30 p.m.

On Wednesdays through Feb. 14, students in kindergarten to grade four play the Pokemon Trad-

To be read: an any book discussion Tuesday, Jan. 30, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Is your to-be-read list in need of some fresh recommendations?

Do you gush about your recent reads to your barista and hairdresser? Ever read a book so bad, you just need to complain about it? Join like-minded readers on the 4th Tuesday of the month to chat about books you’ve read, books you want to read, books that made you ugly cry, and anything in between.

personal new book is a brilliant invitation to live with the earth in both simple and profound ways — from walking barefoot in the woods and reimagining our relationship with animals and trees, to examining the very language we use to describe and think about nature.

Monday, Jan. 22, 10-11 a.m.

Maggie Hope finds working for the prime minister affords her a level of clearance she could never have imagined — and opportunities she will not let pass. Books at the circulation desk.

Cooking book club Wednesday, Jan. 24, 5:30-7 p.m.

Matt Jennings from Red Barn Kitchen and author of “Homegrown: Cooking from My New England Roots” explores the varieties of American cooking and culture. Select a recipe from the book set and bring it to share with others for an evening of eating and discussion. Books are available at the library circulation desk.

Thursday Book Group: ‘The Only Woman in the Room’ Thursday, Jan. 25, 7:30-9 p.m.

How Hedy Lamarr became a screen star. Books are available at the circulation desk.

Book chat

All about the weather

Wednesdays in January and February, 3-4 p.m.

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

Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2-3 p.m.

Join the weather-curious for a presentation by the National Weather Service of Burlington to learn about what these meteorologists do every day to keep you safe. Ages 8 and above. Register at youth@charlottepubliclibrary.org.

Crochet and knit night Wednesdays in January and February, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Stillwater meditation Saturdays in January and February, 9-10 a.m.

Poetry and meditation. All invited for quiet reflection, contemplation and gentle meditation instruction. For beginning and experienced meditators.

Short story selections Wednesdays, Jan. 17 and 31, 1-2 p.m.

Join library director Margaret Woodruff to share and discuss short stories old and new. Get the Zoom link at the library’s website.

Charlotte Library community forum Thursday, Jan. 18, 6:30-8 p.m.

Men’s book group: ‘Rooted’ Wednesday, Jan. 17, 7:30-9 p.m.

Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s highly

Self-expression through artist books Tuesday, Jan. 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Join Marcia Vogler for an introduction to handmade artist books.

Register by emailing susanna@ charlottepubliclibrary.org.

Better together: ‘Maybe You Should Talk to Someone’ Wednesday, Jan. 31, 7-8 p.m.

As therapist Lori Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients’ lives — a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illnes and a 20-something who can’t stop hooking up with the wrong guys — she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she’s facing.

Copies at the circulation desk.

The Citizen • January 11, 2024 • Page 11

Obituary

Carolyn Blough Duffy

Carolyn Blough Duffy Carolyn Blough Duffy, loving wife, mother, grandmother and teacher, died peacefully with family nearby on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, at her home in Hinesburg, after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Born in 1943, Carolyn grew up on a family farm in Somerset County, Pa., with a few years in Texas when her father returned from World War II. In her youth she played the piano at her family’s church and was valedictorian of her high school class.

At Penn State University she was the only major in Latin American area studies. There, in the fall of 1962 she met her future husband, Leonard. It was love at first sight.

After graduating, she worked in Washington, D.C., until their marriage in 1966, whereupon they set off for Guadalajara, Mexico, and then Florence, Italy, the following spring. She taught high school Spanish for a year in Pennsylvania before the couple moved back to Washington, where she started her own language school for embassy personnel while finishing her master’s in applied linguistics at American University.

After the birth of their son, Brennan, they moved to Hinesburg, where their daughter, Cara, was born.

Briefly, Carolyn took up weaving and poetry until she was recruited to teach in the English as a second language program at St. Michael’s College. She was director of the English Language Program and taught and mentored students in the MATESL program (Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) until retiring in 2015. She was proud to have received an award for excellence in teaching in 1994.

In 1991, a former student asked her to help start a bilingual school in Bogota. Gimnasio Vermont is now considered one of the highest-ranked pre-K-12 schools in Colombia. At about the same time she also started a teacher-training program at the Hellenic American Union in Athens and Thessaloniki,

Greece, where she also taught for a portion of the year for many years while she completed her doctorate at Georgetown University. One of her proudest accomplishments was a frequently cited paper she wrote for the U.S. Peace Institute. She also co-authored a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) textbook for English-language learners that became a worldwide resource. She will be fondly remembered by hundreds of former students throughout the world.

Carolyn loved her home and farm, her gardens, skiing, her horses and many dogs and cats, but most of all “Gummy” loved to spend time with her four grandchildren, with each of whom she had a special, memorable relationship. She became a passionate golfer later in life and loved spending time on Lake Champlain and cooking delicious meals and entertaining.

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Leonard; son, Brennan (Brooke) of Rutland; daughter, Cara (David Carreon) of Catonsville, Md.; grandchildren, Teegan and Ronan Duffy and Jacob and Emma Carreon; sisters, Marilyn Blough of Huntington, and Kay Blough (Ben Weller) of Huntington, N.Y.; brother, Robert Blough (Mary) of Boswell, Pa.; sister-in-law, Meg Guilfoy (Ed) of Huntington; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was predeceased by her parents, Robert and Amy (Shaffer) Blough, of Boswell, Pa.

The family is especially thankful for the excellent care provided by her oncologist and friend, Dr. Elise Everett, and the caring nurses and staff of the University of Vermont Medical Center; UVM Home Health and Hospice program; the caring helpers of Home Instead; and for the dili-

gence of Dr. Michael Kosta in Boulder, Colo., who gave her additional years. We are also thankful for the love and support of her devoted friends and family.

A memorial celebration will be held on Sunday, Jan. 14, at 2 p.m., at the United Church of Hinesburg, with a reception to follow in the

church’s parish house. There will be visiting hours at the church parish house on Friday, Jan. 12, from 3 to 6 p.m. A private interment will be held in the spring.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to UVM Home Health and Hospice, UVM Cancer Center or a charity of your choice.

freshener in lemon-sunshine.

I remember reading the logo, “Renuzi Dooz-it,” taking a deep breath, and thinking, “Dooz-it, really?”

By now, you might be wondering where is the aforementioned waxing poetic about my childhood bathroom? While the above violations to design sense and sanitation are true, what’s also true is that it was perfection: the only room in the house with a lock.

Ah, a locked door.

Inside, it was one’s own domain. Quietude. Peace. Privacy. To this day, where do most people go to find it?

Of course, we go to the bathroom for the obvious reasons, but there are a host of others that this one locked door can provide wherever you are.

We fix our hair or our tie. We practice our presentation, our speech, our interview or audi-

tion. We cry. We do crosswords.

We get out of doing the dishes.

We read. We check social media.

We think about what to say.

We hide out of embarrassment, fear or discovery. We play Candy Crush, Wordscapes or Super Mario. We tell our secrets to a mirror. We sing. We reevaluate our very lives. We scroll, text and post. We have a single, solitary moment alone.

For respite, for peace of mind, for ourselves.

Whether at work, at home or out and about — sometimes we all need a minute or 15. And where better to find it than in a bathroom? Be it a stall or even your own luxury loo, long live this escape hatch from our everbusier lives.

IN MUSING

continued from page 6 tracks that eventually became mold farms. This questionable renovation likely happened at the same time as the carpet installation since it provided the exact same level of style and cleanliness, i.e. none.

Slivers of bars of soap lingered on the tub edge. Your choice of brand, Ivory Soap or Irish Spring, depending on whether you wanted to feel “99 44/100 percent pure” or “ fresh and clean as a whistle.”

In the corner, an empty bottle of Jean Nate After Bath Splash was wedged next to the box of Calgon just waiting to take someone away.

The back of the toilet featured a crocheted doll with a roll of toilet paper under her skirt. Why? I never could fathom. It sat next to an ashtray, another relic of its time, when puffs and poos were de rigueur, along with a Renuzit gel air

Carole Vasta Folley is an award-winning columnist and playwright. Visit carolevf.com for more information.

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Page 12 • January 11, 2024 • The Citizen

State of the State

Scott tackles Democrats’ spending, demographics SARAH MEARHOFF AND SHAUN ROBINSON VTDIGGER

In his annual State of the State address Thursday Jan. 4, Republican Gov. Phil Scott reinforced to a full House chamber some of his perennial concerns: state demographics, public safety, affordability and housing.

And at least partially at fault for these grim trends, he scolded, is a Legislature emboldened by its veto-proof Democratic supermajority.

“Now, I’m a realist, and I know you have a supermajority. I know all too well,” Scott said. “You’ve proven the final budget, and the growing burden of taxes, fees and other policy-driven costs, is in your hands.

So, all I can do is make my case.”

Scott’s rhetoric Thursday built on years of headbutting between the Republican executor — who has shown little hesitation in vetoing legislation during his seven years in office — and a Legislature which, especially in the last year, has been eager to flex the muscle of its historic supermajority to override those vetoes.

Indeed, just hours before Scott delivered his remarks, the House voted 112-32 to override yet another of his record-setting vetoes. This one, a holdover from last year’s session, was a bill rewriting the state’s recyclable beverage container redemption law.

It wasn’t only Democratic legislators’ budgeting that the governor bluntly criticized. On the issue of public safety, he pointed to the Legislature’s recent efforts at bail reform, saying that criminal suspects are “put back on the streets, hours after

PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER

Gov. Phil Scott arrives in the House chamber to deliver his State of the State Address before a joint session of the Legislature at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Jan. 4.

being apprehended only to reoffend again and again,” leading to Vermonters questioning “the wisdom of the work done here in this building.”

On the housing crisis, Scott pointed to the Legislature’s lack of appetite to pass major reforms to Vermont’s land use bill, Act 250, saying, “This issue is too important and too consequential for two committees,

BUDGET

continued from page 1 Town departments began their initial budget requests at Monday night’s meeting.

Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue, the non-profit that provides fire and rescue services, is historically one of the largest allocations in the budget. This year the department is proposing a $1,011,587 budget, a 4.7 percent increase from last year, which totaled $965,806 with nearly 94 percent of that allocated for personnel.

“We’re working hard with the town employees to try to make changes there,” said board member Kelly Devine, who also led the working group responsible for finding cost savings in employee benefit packages. “Our town budget is $2 point something million. This is a million-dollar budget. It’s not insubstantial relative to the cost of operating the town. We know that there’s taxpayer concern about CVFRS.” The fire and rescue service is also asking the town to approve a bond not to exceed $365,000 for the purchase and outfitting of a new ambulance to replace the current one, which is 10 years old. Typically, ambulances should be replaced every 10 years for a department that averages 600 calls a year, or roughly two a day, said the department’s president, John Snow.

“We have begun to hit issues with the 2014 ambulance,” Snow said. “It has become a maintenance problem. It is start-

ing, as they all do when they get to this age, require more and more maintenance to stay operational. This is likely to get worse.”

Both the library and recreation departments won’t have much effect on this year’s budget.

“The library board listened to the members of the community and have worked hard to prepare a fiscally responsible budget,” library director Margaret Woodruff said. “They were asked to provide a zero-increase budget and the preliminary operating proposal included a 1.47 percent decrease. But we recently renegotiated the custodial contract, so that required us to make some additional cuts in other areas.”

Nicole Conley, director of the town’s recreation department, said her department is seeing nearly a 31 percent revenue increase year-over-year, which will support any spending increases.

The selectboard will hold a special meeting Tuesday, Jan. 16, to begin trimming the budget with the hope of having an initial tax rate projection later this month.

“No matter how much we try to make our budget low, it’s going to be a little tricky this year simply because we have some capital improvements in Charlotte,” Faulkner said. “I just want to keep everyone aware, there’s going to be an increase for sure.”

and a couple of special interest groups, to control the outcome.”

It was a framing that Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, rebuked — especially when, in the same speech, Scott also urged the Legislature to “put aside” partisanship and election year agendas.

“He’s so much about bipartisanship, but he seemed to indicate that any problems that might exist were because of us people in this building, rather than the administration,” Baruth told reporters after the conclusion of Scott’s speech.

He noted that the governor controls the Department of Public Safety, the Agency of Human Services and the Department for Children and Families.

“But he seemed to be saying that only statutes that we pass would have any responsibility for those problems,” he said.

“So, I guess if you’re governor, and you don’t have to point the finger at yourself, why do it? But it was a bit of a departure from the idea that we’re all in it together.”

In his speech, Scott said that it’s these three seemingly disparate issues — public safety, affordability and housing — that coalesce to contribute to Vermont’s preeminent, ongoing demographic challenges.

A quickly aging population is leaving the workforce and placing a greater burden on the state’s health care and social services, he said, while the remaining workforce is left to shoulder those costs.

It’s a dynamic with which the state has reckoned year after year. Scott on Thursday harkened back to several of his own prior State of the State addresses — 2017, 2018 and 2020 —- where he rang the same alarm.

With fewer young people in the state to bear the state’s tax obligations, Scott said their burdens are growing heavier — and they can’t afford it. He pointed to a Dec. 1 letter in which his administration warned

that property tax bills across the state are expected to rise an “unacceptable” 18.5 percent in the next year. Vermonters, he said, are “all going to struggle to figure out how to pay for this.”

“Not to mention inflation that’s still making everything more expensive, or future burdens like the payroll tax you passed last year, that will take effect in July,” Scott said, addressing the Legislature directly. “Or the 20 percent increase in DMV fees that began three days ago — both over my, and some of your, objections.”

“Concern about taxes, fees and increased costs is a concern about people,” Scott said.

It’s for this reason that Scott cautioned legislators to adopt a more conservative approach to this year’s budget. In his own budget proposal, set to be released later this month, Scott said he will advocate for a 3 percent spending increase across state government — an increase, yes, but one that lags significantly behind the rate of inflation. The budget proposal will be “sobering” to some in the Statehouse, he predicted.

“With historic one-time federal aid ending, another large increase in our pension obligation and last year’s spending decisions catching up to us, we are back to where we were several years ago with difficult decisions to be made,” Scott said.

“For many of you, this will be the first time you’ll work on a budget without hundreds of millions of dollars in surplus. For others, it’s deja vu.”

According to Senate Minority Leader Randy Brock, R-Franklin, a cautionary approach to budgeting is long overdue.

“There was going to come a day in which the federal largess was going to wind down. Well, it’s wound down,” Brock said after the conclusion of Scott’s speech.

“Now, we have to look at prioritizing what we do and recognizing there’s some things that we may want to do, but we simply cannot do. And that is the discipline that we’ve got to hold ourselves to. I hope more and more members of the majority party will recognize that, as well.”

Baruth said Democratic leadership found Scott’s characterization of the state’s fiscal picture “a little dire,” though the budget challenges ahead “are definitely real.”

House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, told reporters that she agreed with the governor that there will be “tough decisions to make” this year come budget time.

But she questioned whether that means lawmakers need to stay within a certain limit, as Scott suggested.

“Instead of saying we can only work with this number,” she said, “I think we need to say, what are the challenges in our communities and how best can we serve people?

“It doesn’t matter how much money we have, or we don’t have,” Krowinski continued. “We’re always trying to forge a path forward that we know will have the greatest impact on all Vermonters that helps them get ahead.”

The Citizen • January 11, 2024 • Page 13

SPORTS Hunters took more than 16,000 deer in 2023 season The final number of deer taken in Vermont’s 2023 hunting seasons will not be available for a few weeks, but the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says the final tally will be a little over 16,800 deer.

Those deer will provide approximately 3.4 million servings of local, nutritious venison.

The buck harvest will be close to 9,800, which will be up from 2022 (9,619) and the previous three-year average of 9,336. The final antlerless deer harvest will be around 7,000, which will be down from the previous three-year average of 8,101.

“Hunting conditions were mixed in 2023,” Nick Fortin, the department’s deer project leader, said.

“Warm weather in October limited deer movement during the day, and frequent weekend rain events reduced hunter effort. This resulted in harvests during the archery, youth and novice, and October muzzleloader seasons being down

considerably from 2022.”

“Conversely, seasonable temperatures and snow in much of the state during November and December resulted in increased harvests during the regular season and December muzzleloader season,” he added.

The primary goal of Vermont’s deer management strategy is to keep the deer herd stable, healthy and in balance with available habitat, according to state wildlife officials.

“Maintaining an appropriate number of deer on the landscape ensures deer and the habitats that support them remain in good condition and productive,” Fortin said.

The 2023 white-tailed deer harvest report with final numbers will be on department’s website in early March. Beginning in late March, the department will be holding informational hearings to share biological information and to listen to any information people wish to share.

PHOTO BY AL FREY

CVU’s Ted Connery fights for possession of the puck in Saturday’s tie against Spaulding High School.

CVU boys’ 23-game winning streak ends LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Boys’ basketball Rice 51, Champlain Valley 46: In a rematch of last year’s Division I state championship game, Rice earned a narrow win over Champlain Valley on Friday, Dec. 5.

The Redhawks were led by Kyle Eaton, who scored 14 points, and Tucker Tharpe, who had 12.

It was the first loss of the season for Champlain Valley (6-1), bringing an end to its 23-game winning streak.

Boys’ ice hockey Spaulding 3, Champlain Valley 3: The boys’ ice hockey team settled for a 3-3 tie with Spaulding on Saturday.

Nic Menard paced the offense with two goals for the Redhawks, who moved to 1-3-2.

Connor Malaney added a goal and Jesse McCray made 13 saves for CVU.

Girls’ basketball COURTESY PHOTO

Cheryl Oakes of Ludlow with her buck taken during the 2023 rifle season.

Champlain Valley 58, Burr and Burton 30: Champlain Valley jumped out to an early lead

over Burr and Burton en route to a win on Saturday, Jan. 6.

Elise Berger led all scorers with 18 points, while Merrill Jacobs added 15 points, five rebounds and seven steals. Lauren Vaughan nabbed 10 rebounds for CVU. With the win, the Redhawks moved to 6-0.

CVU also beat St. Johnsbury during the week, beating the Hilltoppers 58-47 on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

Jacobs had 14 points, while Zoey McNabb chipped in 11 and seven rebounds.

Girls’ ice hockey Spaulding 3, Champlain Valley/Mount Mansfield 2 (OT): Spaulding scored in extra time to beat Champlain Valley-Mount Mansfield on Saturday.

Eva Mazur and Megan Rivard each had a goal for the CougarHawks. Ella Gilbert stopped 23 shots in goal in the losing effort.

With the loss, CVU-MMU moved to 1-4-1.

CVU-MMU also lost Wednesday to South Burlington 5-2.

KerriBeth Aldrich and Sophie O’Brien each scored.

CHARLOTTE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD Will hold a public hearing at Town Hall, 159 Ferry Rd., Charlotte, VT on the following application during its regular meeting of Wednesday, February 14, 2024 7:05 PM 23-180-PUD Yellowwood – PUD (final plan review) for mixed-use facility at 213 Ferry Rd. 7:30 PM 23-199-SD Stearns – 2-lot subdivision/PRD at 7529 Spear St. For more information, contact the Planning & Zoning Office at 802.425.3533 ext. 208, or by email at: pza@townofcharlotte.com.

Page 14 • January 11, 2024 • The Citizen

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The Citizen • January 11, 2024 • Page 15

Horoscope January 11, 2024

ANSWERS FROM THIS ISSUE

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Page 16 • January 11, 2024 • The Citizen