The Citizen - 5-16-24

Hinesburg residents plant trees on town common

residents were busy with another environmentally friendly project downtown.

Lush green fields and rolling farmlands frame the drive into Hinesburg on Route 116, which was strangely devoid of Green Up Day volunteers on an overcast but temperate morning last Saturday. That might’ve been because

On the Hinesburg Town Common behind the police and fire stations, a band of volunteers put on a tree care workshop received by about two dozen attendees throughout the day. The workshop demonstrated the “three Ps,” said

organizer Andrea Morgante, longtime town government participant and noted green thumb: planting, pruning and procurement. The hope is to train volunteers who will take an active role in planting and caring for the 50-plus trees set to

See TREES on page 16

Residents debate Holmes Creek bridge future

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

The Vermont Agency of Transportation asked Charlotte residents last week for feedback on a study it’s conducting to fix the historic Holmes Creek covered bridge.

The agency in February outlined some relatively large structural deficiencies and deterioration in the bridge’s structure. Some of the worst conditions are found in the bridge’s trusses, arch, floor beams and bottom chord, which have substantial splits, rot and damage, according to Hoyle Tanner, the engineering firm working with VTrans.

“The cross beams help keep the trusses vertical so they don’t tip out and the knee braces are important for keeping the lateral stability of the covered bridges,” Joseph Ducharme, an engineer with Hoyle Tanner, said. “The unfortunate thing is crossbeams and knee braces are the things that get hit the most by oversized vehicles when they go through it.”

The bridge was constructed in 1870 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Although the bridge has not been fully rehabilitated since 1993, the selectboard approved minor temporary fixes to the bridge in February.

Due to its historic designation, the rehabilitation project is meant to preserve the bridge as much as possible.

“We can make some changes,” Judith Ehrlich, the VTrans Historic Preservation Officer, said. “When we’re rehabilitating something historic, the goal is to try to retain as much original material as possible. But if something was designed poorly, and it’s consistently rotting over the years and you replace it and then it rots again, we can make changes to that design, subtle changes.”

Most residents who packed the town hall last week supported the idea of closing the bridge to car traffic altogether and allow just pedestrians and cyclists.

“I have thought for years that the right answer for this bridge is to restrict it to pedestrian and bicycle use only,” resident Mike Russell said. “I think at the top of this what I heard is the fundamental objective for this project is to preserve a historic structure, which was not designed to carry modern vehicles. So, anything you do to upgrade it to carry heavier vehicles is going to be contrary to that prime objective. I wouldn’t personally be willing to lose that ability to see this

See BRIDGE on page 12

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIE AMBUSK

Andrea Morgante, center, poses with Sara Lovitz and her kids during the workshop.

JACOB MILLER-ARSENAULT COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

Chittenden County forester taps into new path

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Ethan Tapper hopped out of his truck and pointed his binoculars to the sky, scanning the tops of the trees on his 175-acre property in Bolton.

“I’m not a birder, but I love birds,” he said, a smile spreading across his face as he watched a black-throated blue warbler bounce from branch to branch.

“This year I really started to focus on them because they tell you a lot about the forest,” he said, mimicking the chirps of different bird species flying around him. “They all use different types of habitats, different species of trees, different ages of trees, different structures, like dead standing trees, and big trees. It’s not just birdsong. It’s all these different species that are all really different.”

Other than knowing how to identify just about every bird that crosses his property by the sound of its call, Tapper is a master at reading forests altogether, a mastery he cultivated in the eight years he spent as Chittenden County’s forester.

But that chapter in his life has ended this month as he moves onto a different, yet familiar path that began on his property, which he calls Bear Island.

The expansive acreage has been his since 2017 and was purchased for a bargain price of $150,000. But this wasn’t technically a stroke of good luck, he said, since the forests inhabiting the property had about every issue a forest could have. The long and sometimes tedious process of tending the land has also been the basis of his new book, “How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World,” set for release Sept. 10.

The property, he said, has been a massive learning experience that has taught him about some of life’s biggest and greatest lessons: death, love and how acts of compassion can look very different than what we think they should look like.

“A lot of people have this idea that to love a forest means to leave it alone because how could cutting a tree ever be something that’s positive for any ecosystem? But when I happened upon this forest, I was like, ‘This needs help,’” he said. “I can’t help it just by leaving it alone. That started this whole journey of, ‘OK, what does it mean to love a forest? What does it mean to care for this place?’”

An idyllic view of Camels Hump can be seen from almost every vantage point on the property, and it’s likely that on an early 8 a.m. hike, the iconic peak will be covered in billowing clouds and a soft, misty fog. It’s the perfect time of year to catch the first waves of “spring foliage,” he said, trudging up one particularly never-ending steep hill tucked deep inside the property’s boundaries.

“It’s way more subtle than autumn foliage,” he said, taking meditative steps that resembled a thankful prayer. “The maple leaves are red, and the sugar maple flowers are bright green, and the aspens are all white.

This is one of the things about managing an ecosystem, there’s just so much here. It’s such a profound responsibility, and humbling experience to try and care for this.”

Pointing to different forest markers along the way, he brought his focus back to the hill.

“In the book, I walk up the hill and I say,

‘I wonder how many times in my life. I will walk up this damn hill.’”

But the hill itself is representative of the struggles it took to get the land where it is today, the internal battles he had to face to shape the forest to maximum health, and the countless hours it took to complete the more than 200-page book. The work mirrors largely his work as a forester, creating management plans for countless forests while educating people about what it means to care radically for a forest. In a lot of ways, trees are like humans, he said, but in even more ways, they are not.

“There’s also a lot of discourse in books and in media about forests as these utopian, perfect societies, which is really not how they work at all,” he said. “They’re incredibly dynamic and imperfect and that’s what makes them so amazing. People anthropomorphize trees, but if they are like humans, it’s because they’re imperfect, they’re in process.”

Forest lens

The concept has led him to grapple with death in a unique way. Through the lens of forest management, the same tools meant for destruction can oftentimes be used to bring about an entirely new abundance. In other words, the death of some trees is sometimes necessary for the rejuvenation of an entire forest — a bittersweet concept he recognizes as a radical act of compassion.

“I also can’t tell you that it’s a good thing. It’s not a good thing. It’s a thing that can be good or bad,” he said, noting for example that much of his land was destroyed 30 years ago due to logging. “It can degrade forests, but it can also be a tool of healing. The difference between those is just a lot of nuances.”

Tree mortality plays an equally important role in forest maintenance as nurturing new

growth, he said.

“If we think about trees like people, then the death of a tree is like the death of a person and you have to avoid it at all costs,” he said. “But if we think about forests more holistically, you see that tree mortality is one of the most foundational parts of the system.”

While the book explores these larger themes, it also feels like a personal memoir, he said, mostly because the work he does every day is very personal. For the past five years, when he wasn’t working 10-hour days as a county forester and spending the weekends working even longer hours tending to Bear Island, he spent the first hours of his morning chipping away at pages.

As Tapper guides his readers through the intricate world of wolf trees, spring ephemerals and the mysterious creatures of the rhizosphere and the necrosphere, he’s also giving a glimpse into his own personal life.

“First, let me show you how much I love this forest and every forest and then hopefully you’ll trust me when I show you this incredibly confusing concept,” he said.

As he embarks on this new adventure, he won’t be abandoning his forestry roots altogether. For now, he plans to pursue his own private forestry consulting firm, Bear Island Forestry, to continue bringing his knowledge in the field to more Vermonters. And, of course, he will continue most of his days up on his property where most of this story began.

“It’s been such a process, all of this,” he said. “Working on the book and working up here on Bear Island, those journeys have really paralleled each other. I didn’t know how to write a book any more than I knew how to run a skidder or an excavator. I had a lot of frustrating moments, but I refused to give up.”

PHOTO BY LIBERTY DARR

Ethan Tapper stands on his property, Bear Island, in Bolton, reminiscing on the years it took to shape the 175 acres into what it is now. The seven-year journey is the basis for his new book set to be released in September.

Museum exhibit celebrates artwork of Hinesburg students

HABIB SABET STAFF WRITER

The Shelburne Museum is hosting an exhibition showcasing the artwork of Hinesburg Community School students enrolled in a new after-school program that combines visual art education with mathematical reasoning.

The exhibit, which will be on display May 17-19, serves as a capstone for kindergarten and first grade students who have been participating in the Leslie and Olivia Art + Math Afterschool Program throughout the spring semester.

“In this day and age, anything we can do to encourage and engender creativity in young people is something we want to support,” Thomas Denenberg, director of the Shelburne Museum, said. “It’s part of the mission of the museum, and it’s something that I think is critical in society.”

The after-school program integrates basic mathematical concepts like spatial reasoning and simple geometry into art lessons that help kids develop

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their creative and analytic skills in tandem. According to promotional materials for the exhibition, the curriculum for the program was developed by the nonprofit Olivia & Leslie Foundation in conjunction with the museum and the Princeton, N.J., based EdTech firm Maker Prep.

“A fundamental part of our program is not only to fund and enable to skill development around art and math but also to engender that moment of pride between child and parent and to celebrate creativity,” said Chris

Kuenne, founder of the Olivia & Leslie Foundation, in an interview.

“That magic of creativity and then the celebration of creativity is why we teamed up with the Shelburne Museum,” Kuenne said. “Being able to have the children’s art hung in a museum is kind of like the ultimate form of recognition for their creativity.”

An entrepreneur and Shelburne trustee of the Shelburne Museum, Kuenne started the foundation to memorialize his daughter, Olivia, and wife, Leslie, with the hopes

of fostering creativity in young students while teaching them with the foundations of mathematics and problem solving.

After successfully running a pilot program for the curriculum last year, the foundation partnered with the Hinesburg Community School and the Johnson Park School in Princeton, N.J., both of which have hosted the afterschool program during the ongoing spring semester.

According to Kuenne, the initiative has been a hit in both communities, and the two schools

hope to continue offering the program to students during the fall and spring semesters next year. He said that the foundation is also planning to make the curriculum more widely available, and he hopes the program will eventually be available to even more students in coming years.

“We probably need another year or so to pin down the details for how to put this in a form where it could be scaled up, but our dream is to scale this up across Vermont and New Jersey,” Kuenne said.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Art created by Hinesburg Community School students in kindergarten and first grade as part of the Olivia and Leslie Art + Math Program, a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics-based (STEAM) program. The students’ works will be on exhibition at Shelburne Museum from May 17- 19 in the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education.

CRIME & COURTS

Hinesburg Police Blotter: April 29 - May 6

Total incidents: 47

Traffic stops: 21

Arrests: 0

April 29 at 6:03 p.m., officers responded to a medical emergency on Beecher Hill Road. Derek Siegler, 39 of Hinesburg, was pronounced dead at the scene, from natural causes, police say.

April 30 at 10:45 a.m., an officer responded to a two-vehicle crash on Richmond Road.

May 1 at 12:45 p.m., an officer responded to O’Neil Road for the report of livestock in the roadway.

May 1 at 4:10 p.m., police inves-

tigated a report of someone driving erratically on Commerce Street.

May 2 at 5:12 p.m., police investigated suspicious activity on Hillview Terrace.

May 3 at 12:22 p.m., someone reported being harassed by electronic means. Police are investigating.

May 3 at 12:46 p.m., an officer responded to a two-vehicle crash on Texas Hill Road.

May 6 at 10:30 a.m., police investigated a report of theft from an Orchard Hill property.

May 6 at 7:28 p.m., police mediated a dispute on Waltz Way.

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S. Burlington woman sentenced in fatal shooting from 2020

MIKE DONOGHUE

CORRESPONDENT

A South Burlington woman has been sentenced in federal court to almost two years in prison for being an accessory after a fatal drug-related shooting of a Lamoille County man four years ago.

Samantha L. Simms, 37, was the getaway driver after Taylor Ruffin Herrington, 32, of Philadelphia, who fatally shot Michael P. Haines at his Jeffersonville home in March 2020.

Simms has been in federal custody for just over 21 months.

Simms knowingly assisted Herrington by initially preventing his arrest, trial and punishment for gun and drug charges, including fatally shooting Haines, officials said.

Judge Christina Reiss told Simms she will be under federal supervised release terms for three years.

The judge also assessed a $10,000 fine, noting that it might serve as an incentive for Simms to find a job and avoid falling back into the drug world, Reiss said.

“She’s got ample resources,” Reiss said.

Simms had sought a public defender at taxpayer expense when she was arrested, but then-Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy rejected the request after being told she had an estimated $1.5 million in stocks and bonds. Simms tested positive for cocaine, fentanyl, amphetamines and methamphetamines just before her 2020 court hearing, officials said.

She later hired veteran defense

attorney Kevin Henry of Burlington, who negotiated the final plea agreement with Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Fuller.

Simms entered her guilty plea in November 2022, but sentencing was postponed multiple times, including for some health issues.

Simms told the court she hopes to return to college to learn more about business. She also hopes to eventually move back into her former residence in Stonehedge North Condominiums in South Burlington after she performs needed repairs and improvements to the home that has sat empty for a couple of years.

Reiss said she was concerned that many of her former drug friends would soon find Simms and she would revert to past behavior.

Simms graduated in 2005 from Harwood Union High School in Duxbury and in 2011 from the University of Vermont where she majored in animal science. At UVM she followed her passion for horse training and boarding and eventually established her own business, Cheltenham Field Stable in Shelburne.

She later moved the business to Charlotte and competed in horse competitions. Her involvement with friends linked to the drug world got her into legal problems.

“She has to live with that ... for playing the role she did,” Henry said in court.

Authorities said Haines, 39, was inside his duplex on Hillside Drive in Jeffersonville when fatally shot. His girlfriend and two children were also home.

Herrington, who was outside

the residence, fired six shots into the front of the home while Haines spoke with state police by phone, records show. One shot pierced the front of the house and killed Haines while he was standing in the kitchen, according to court records.

The fatal shooting was sparked by the reported theft of 60-to-70 bundles of heroin by Haines from Herrington, who had been visiting for about a day, police said.

Investigators seized 62 bundles of heroin inside a recliner in Haines’ living room after the shooting.

Simms, who witnessed the shooting, served as Herrington’s driver leading up to and following the homicide, officials said.

Simms drove Herrington back to Burlington following the killing and he communicated with her throughout the day about her loaning him $5,000, Fuller said. She said Simms and Herrington also discussed not telling anybody about the homicide.

Herrington was nabbed two weeks later in Philadelphia.

Herrington received just over 12 years in federal prison, but recently the court agreed to reconsider the sentence in light of a U.S. Supreme Court hearing. No new sentencing date has been announced.

Herrington had received 110 months for causing the death of Haines while involved in drug trafficking. He also received a consecutive 40-month sentence for conspiracy to distribute both heroin and crack cocaine in Chittenden County between early 2018 and the day of the fatal shooting.

GunSafeVT doubles distribution of gunlocks across Vermont

MIKE DONOGHUE

CORRESPONDENT

A multi-agency effort plans to double its distribution of cable gunlocks to Vermonters to reduce gun violence and to keep residents safe.

Nikolas Kerest, the U.S. Attorney for Vermont, announced that more than 4,000 gunlocks

have been distributed thus far by GunSafeVT — a special gun safety initiative started 14 months ago. The program started with 5,000 locks that have been made available through local libraries and law enforcement offices across all 14 counties.

Lamoille County Sheriff Roger Marcoux recently secured another 5,000 cable gunlocks to

allow GunSafeVT to further serve Vermonters, Kerest said. Marcoux said the National Shooting Sports Foundation in Washington, D.C., recently sent half of the shipment to Vermont with the second half due later. Marcoux said the locks tend to

Session comes to an end, but the work continues

From the House

Rep. Chea Waters Evans

You all may recall that I was the lead sponsor on an animal welfare bill, H.626, for most of the session. I got involved with it at the end of last session, so I put in about a year, but many people have been working on this concept for two decades.

It got stuck in the House Committee on Appropriations and almost died, and then it was revived by a rule suspension a couple weeks later, which was exciting, but by the time it made its way through the various Senate committees that needed to hear it, I thought we were going to run out of time.

roller-coaster journey. This is the nature, apparently, of making laws, and of the last few weeks of a biennium.

We did pass a yield bill that makes an honest attempt to lower taxes, so the average property tax raise (this is average, not ours, just average around the state) will be about 13 percent. Ours will probably be a little lower, because once the common level of appraisal is figured out, we should come in under the average. I do realize that this is still not OK. I think over the next couple years, hopefully by 2026, we will have a solid plan in place to address all the things that got us here in the first place.

I am not, it turns out, the woman of steel I thought I was. I must admit I was definitely emotionally invested in the situation. Then on the final day of the session, after back and forth for months and nervously picking off all my nail polish and eating my emotions for a week in the form of Cheez-Its and chocolate chip cookies in the snack pile in Room 10, it made it through. So now the governor has to sign it — fingers crossed; it’s a good bill — and then it’s done.

This is one bill out of a zillion. It wasn’t the highest stakes in the building, it wasn’t the biggest priority for my caucus or anyone else’s caucus, and it still had a

We did find $25 million in the general fund budget to buy down property taxes for this year, which helped. We’ve done this in previous years too. I think it was necessary this year to address the fact that all the Vermonters shouldn’t be paying for a mess that we created, but the reality is that we are paying for it, just in a lot of other ways. I hope to continue being part of this conversation with you all as we move forward and will bring your thoughts and concerns to the people who are making these decisions.

We passed a budget that will come in not too much higher than the governor’s proposed budget. I’m assuming he’s going to veto the budget as well as the yield bill, and we’re due back in Montpelier mid-June for a veto session. I

believe we have the votes needed — two thirds of both chambers — to override them, but it’s never a done deal until it happens.

H.687 was the Act 250 bill that morphed into an Act 250 and housing bill, which makes sense if you consider how intertwined development and conservation are — or at least should be. The bill seems a little frightening to us in our sort-of rural communities in Chittenden County, with all the talk of developing in town and city centers. But the development zones created by this bill are only applicable if a

We did pass a yield bill that makes an honest attempt to lower taxes, so the average property tax raise (this is average, not ours, just average around the state) will be about 13 percent.

town decides to create those zoning districts, and that’s a question Charlotte and Hinesburg will get to answer on their own. No one is forcing a town to add housing units or change its zoning or get municipal water and sewer; these are options if we want them, but it’s not mandatory. It seems like within the greater context of the conversations both towns are currently having regarding development and village centers, this will provide both some reassurance for those who are worried about development in important environmental

zones and allow an easier path for development in areas where it’s allowed. This seems to strike a good balance. I know that here in Charlotte some aren’t too keen on more housing, but those working on our town plan will have further guidance. Don’t worry — we’re not going to have an apartment complex springing up in the East Village.

I don’t mean this lightly: It was an honor and a privilege to serve in Montpelier representing all of you, and I’m so grateful that you put your trust in me. Thank you.

If anyone wants me to write about a specific bill or issue or something else that came out of the Legislature this biennium, I’d love to hear from you at 917-887-8231.

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

Rep. Chea Waters Evans

COMMUNITY

Poetry Path returns to the Intervale

Community Notes

Visitors walking Calkins Loop in Burlington’s Intervale will again be treated to a little poetic inspiration along with a dose of fresh air. The Poetry Path features panels displaying bite-sized poems placed at intervals among the trees lining the loop.

“There are other poetry and story walks in our area,” Mary Chaffee, the Burlington-based writer and volunteer coordinating the project, said. “This is the only one I know of where graphically designed panels are framed by branches and leaves. You’re gazing up at the poems as you pass by, and that feels great.”

Now in its third year, the Poetry Path was created by members of the Burlington Writers Workshop. New for 2024, the public is cordially invited to submit a tiny poem, haiku or poetic fragment. Poems should reflect some part of the Intervale Center’s mission: To respect the wild, sustain the land and nourish the people.

The submission deadline is May 30. For submission guidelines go to tinyurl.com/bww-poetrypath-2024.

News from the Charlotte Grange

Charlotte Walks every third Friday of the month

Want to get more familiar with Charlotte’s public trails or meet and chat with other Charlotters?

Join Charlotte Walks every third Friday. The walkers meet at a different Charlotte trailhead at 8:30 a.m. Walks last about an hour and will be led at an adult walking pace.

On May 17, the walk takes place at the Charlotte Town Link Trail, 4702 Ethan Allen Highway. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Sweet Roots ballfield parking lot. Visit charlottegrange.org to learn the meet-up location each month. Sign up in advance if you’d like to be contacted if the weather changes the plans at charlottegrangevt@gmail.com.

Charlotte Grange plans Memorial Day gathering

Join the Charlotte Grange at Grandview Cemetery, 403 Church Hill Road, on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, at 9.m. for a flag placing.

A short ceremony will include

remarks from Charlotte veteran Jordan Paquette and a rendition of “Taps” by two Charlotte Central School students. After the ceremony, interested folks will help place flags on the graves of those who served or died in military service. This annual tradition has been held by the Charlotte Grange for many years. All are welcome to join the ceremony, to place flags or both!

Grange helps to ‘retire’ worn American flags

Weather and the sun inevitably result in a worn-out flag. If your flag is tattered or soiled and it’s time for a new one, the Charlotte Grange can help you make sure your old flag is taken care of properly.

On Memorial Day, the Grange will be collecting worn flags from Charlotte cemeteries and taking them to the Vergennes American Legion to be “retired” in a Flag Day ceremony. If you have a flag to dispose of, bring it to the Charlotte Memorial Day event on Monday, May 27, at 9 a.m. at the Grandview Cemetery, 403 Church Hill Road, or drop it off

at the Grange Hall on Spear Street between May 25 and June 2 in the covered bin.

Charlotte seeks info on local farms

The Charlotte Grange is updating its map of Charlotte farms that are selling food products directly to consumers. The goal is to increase awareness of the local food options in town, and to increase traffic to local farmstands and growers.

If you have a farm in Charlotte and you sell direct to the public, send your contact information and a brief description of your offerings to Karen at kknh.nh@gmail. com.

The focus of the map will be on local foods, but it will also promote a list of Charlotte farms that produce flowers, fodder and fibers sold directly to consumers. Residents are welcome to make suggestions. Check out the current map at charlottegrange.org.

Old Round Church concert series goes bluegrass

The Richmond Historical Society hosts a summer concert series in the Old Round Church featuring two local bluegrass bands.

Forest Station headlines a concert Saturday, June 1, at 7 p.m. Forest Station is a bluegrass group born in the Rocky Mountains and realized in the Greens. They blend high energy, tight pockets and just enough improvisational grease to scratch your itch for real, honest bluegrass. Throughout the years, the group has formed a communicative musical bond that has resulted in innovative string music spanning the traditional ideal and pushing a unique style into unknown territory.

Their debut album, “Earth Tones,” was released in April and is an ode to their Western roots, steeped in the mountain ranges, landscapes and forests that surround them.

On Saturday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m., the concert series presents Mama Tried, an all-female foot-stomping bluegrass, country folk and blues string band.

Admission to each concert is by suggested donation of $15. The

profits will support maintenance of the church or other projects of the Richmond Historical Society. For more, go to richmondvthistory.org.

Speaker offers talk on Jefferson’s Virginia

Few prominent Americans are as associated with a place as Thomas Jefferson is with Virginia. The heart of Jefferson Country is his house and plantation at Monticello, but Jefferson traveled the breadth of his home state, from his time at William & Mary in Williamsburg to the new state capital at Richmond and his retreat and plantation at Poplar Forest, near Lynchburg.

In the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Jefferson was inspired to write his only book, “Notes on the State of Virginia.” Laura A. Macaluso presents some of the histories embedded in these places, as she takes a public history tour of Jefferson’s Virginia. Her talk will be Sunday, May 19, at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum, 2 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

Firefighters hold annual craft fair at the station

The Hinesburg Firefighter’s Association is holding its annual craft fair on Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the fire station, 10304 Route 116.

There will be more than 45 vendors and concessions. Admission is free. The event benefits the Hinesburg Fire Association.

Come see what Vermont eats at Ohavi Zadek

The latest Vermont Historical Society Vermont Eats cultural event will focus on the food and communities that make up Vermont’s diverse history and story.

This year’s dinner is in partnership with Burlington’s Lost Mural Project and Ohavi Zedek Synagogue and will take place at the synagogue on Thursday, June 6, at 5:30 p.m. The event will feature Samuel D. Gruber as the evening’s keynote speaker, who will give a talk titled “Picture This: Art and Life for Vermont’s Jewish Immigrants.”

In the late 19th century, Jewish

COURTESY PHOTO

This month’s Charlotte Walks will take place on the Charlotte Town Link Trail. Meet Friday, May 17, at 8:30 a.m. at Sweet Roots Vermont ballfield parking lot.

COMMUNITY NOTES

continued from page 6

immigrants from Lithuania and elsewhere in Eastern Europe began to arrive in Burlington, where they formed a tight-knit community centered on a trio of synagogues in what’s now the Old North End. Known as Burlington’s Little Jerusalem, this community maintained many of the religious and cultural practices of the Old World until it began to drift apart around the time of World War II.

The community was home to a vibrant mural at the former Chai Adaopom synagogue. Created in 1910 by Ben Zion Black, the mural is a rare example of Eastern

GRANGE

continued from page 6

Hand-Me-Down Project distributed bags of clothes

The Charlotte Hand-MeDowns Project was a spring success.

Charlotte Grange member Alicia Cooper organized the biannual effort, with the help of a contingent of sorters and folders.

Twenty Charlotte children received clothing gathered specifically in their sizes. Of the remaining items, eight bags were donated to Hinesburg Community Resource Center’s free children’s clothing swap and seven bags were donated to families currently living in Harbor Place West and Smart Suites. This included two-month-old twins who just arrived in state with their mom from Rwanda.

students

European folk art and was painstakingly restored in 2022.

In this talk, Gruber will discuss the life of the synagogue, and what the works can tell us about their makers and patrons. But we’ll look beyond the synagogue, to the taste of life of immigrant Jews in their homes and businesses: what they made, what they sold and what they ate.

Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the Vermont Historical Society’s annual fund and the Lost Mural Project. Tickets are $50at vermonthistory.org/ vt-eats.

Grange hosts potluck, welcome new members

Grange members and their families gather at the Grange Hall for a potluck and social gathering on the third Tuesday of every other month. This month’s communal meal is May 21, 6:30-8 p.m., at the Grange Hall, 2858 Spear St.

This potluck gathering alternates monthly with a business meeting. Bring a dish to share, your own plate and utensils and a non-alcoholic beverage of your choice. Tea will be available.

It’s a great opportunity if you’re Grange curious and considering becoming a member or would like to meet and talk with other members. Contact Tai Dinnan at charlottegrangevt@ gmail.com.

The Burlington Garden Club recently presented two $1,000 awards to two seniors — Jake Darling and Ryland Wilde — studying at the University of Vermont for horticulture. The students were selected by a university review panel with coordination from Dr. Mark Starrett, associate professor in the Plant and Soil Science Department. Margaret Bartholomew, program award coordinator, said, “These awards are cohesive with the Burlington Garden Club mission of stimulating knowledge, appreciation of horticulture and the protection of our national environment.” The awards recognize the student’s academic achievement, school and volunteer work in the community. Darling is studying agroecology and community entrepreneurship and Wilde is majoring in agroecology and landscape design. Pictured, from left, Darling, Bartholomew and Wilde.

Local kids win state Geo Bee

On May 8, students from schools around the state gathered at Montpelier High School for the Vermont State Geography Bee for kids in the fifth to eighth grade.

After a COVID-related hiatus, the Bee returned so students could flex their knowledge while answering quiz questions centered on state, national and international geography and culture. The format is simple: Sitting in rows of four, students answer individual questions to accumulate points for their teams. The team with the highest point total at the end of 12 rounds of questions is the winner.

At this year’s Geo Bee, Shelburne Community School competed against four other schools: Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School, St. Johnsbury School, U-32 and Williston Central School.

Four seventh-grade students represented Shelburne: Ben Gardner, Jonny Thayer, Josh Kalbfleisch and Leo Wang, coached by Sam Nelson, a seventh and eighth grade social studies teacher at the school.

After the first four rounds, Shelburne had a two-point lead over both Williston and U-32. Four rounds later, however, Shelburne was down two points to all its competitors.

Going into the final set of questions, Gardner had a role in eliciting reactions from the crowd himself. Despite a quiet and focused atmosphere of the competition, he brought an air of

levity to the high school auditorium several times by uttering statements while waiting for his questions, like “let’s do this: and “bring it on.”

At one point audience members were laughing out loud as Gardner answered the question, “Which is the only state in Australia that is also an island?” with “Tasmania, baby!”

round. The tie forced a playoff, and teams had five minutes to prepare. All four members of the Shelburne team used the opportunity to review a classroom atlas and cram whatever geographic knowledge they could before moving back to their seats on the stage.

The question?

Going into the final set, Thayer and Kalbfleisch displayed their geographic knowledge, positivity and sportsmanship. While correctly answering almost all the challenging questions thrown, both competitors offered fist bumps and high fives to their teammates as well as their competitors in the neighboring rows of students.

“On which of the following seas does Iran have a border: the Aral Sea, the Black Sea or the Caspian Sea?”

Leo Wang took a moment, inhaled, and said “Caspian Sea.”

By the 11th and 12th rounds of questions it was clear that the two schools competing for the win were Shelburne and Williston.

In the final round, Wang came through for Shelburne Community School. Navigating tricky questions centered on the Middle East, he answered the final round question correctly and Shelburne and Williston tied after the final

A notable moment came when, before the final round of questions, students from both schools gave each other fist-bumps, handshakes and wished each other good luck. As the final questions were presented, it once again came down to Wang.

The question? “On which of the following seas does Iran have a border: the Aral Sea, the Black Sea or the Caspian Sea?”

Wang took a moment, inhaled, and said “Caspian Sea.”

Scores were announced, students celebrated, and congratulatory handshakes were shared.

The Shelburne Community School team held the state championship trophy high, capping off a triumphant return of the Vermont State Geography Bee.

COURTESY PHOTO

Ben Gardner, Jonathan Thayer, Joshua Kalbfleish and Leo Wang with their trophy for winning the Vermont State Geography Bee for kids in the fifth to eighth grade.

Honor

COURTESY PHOTO

Looking to go green? Try these energy saving tips

Here are a few tips to green up your home and keep a little more green in your pocket:

Spring forward by invest-

April was Earth Month and Vermonters celebrate the unique tradition of Green-Up Day on Saturday, May 4. With spring cleaning on everyone’s agenda, Efficiency Vermont has tips that can help you tidy up and plan for warm weather. Taking steps now could even help reduce your energy bills and save money.

ing in clean technology. Need to replace a major appliance? Check for energy-saving options. Consider an air purifier to fight the pollen that’s just around the corner, a dehumidifier to dry out from spring showers or a smart thermostat to keep your home at the perfect temperature no matter the season.

Work efficiency into your

spring-cleaning routine. Regularly cleaning common appliances and systems in your home can optimize their performance. That means they use less energy and save you money. Clean out dust from bathroom fan covers and from under your fridge.

Sweep or vacuum near any vents, ducts or registers. Clear out dust and grease from kitchen stove

hoods and exhaust fans. Brush away lint and other debris from your clothes dryer’s exhaust hose and filter, and any exterior vents for your dryer, heating system or water heater. Keeping these systems clean with regular cleaning will maximize their efficiency.

Plan for big-picture savings Ready to weatherize after an all-too-chilly winter? Or maybe you’ve heard how heat pumps are all the rage — not just for heating, but also a summertime superstar because they can cool your home, too? No matter what your home needs, spring is the perfect time to think ahead.

Start with a virtual home energy visit to get expert advice on improvements big and small for your living space. If your heating system is getting close to retirement, learn about how heat pumps could meet your home’s heating needs and bring the added benefits of air conditioning to your home at the same time.

Schedule annual maintenance for your heating and air conditioning system. You should have a professional clean and service both indoor and outdoor components of your home’s heating, ventilation or air conditioning system once a year. This can ensure your furnace, boiler, wood or pellet stove or heat pump is working and ready for next winter — or the next chilly day. Because heat pumps also provide air conditioning, spring cleaning is key to getting them ready to keep you cool all summer.

Join a Green Up Day event near you: Spend some time — solo or with a group — picking up litter or otherwise cleaning your town. You can also download the Green Up app to find groups and areas that need cleaning up. You can even join a Guinness World Record attempt for the longest litter pick-up team ever. Green Up activities help Vermont’s natural landscape and waterways and raise awareness about the benefits of a litter-free environment yearround.

Spruce up the filters in the machines that keep you warm all winter. Spring cleaning is a great time to check on your heat pump,

Tips to select crab apples for spring flowers

BONNIE KIRN DONAHUE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION

Flowering crab apples in full bloom are one of the major signs that spring has arrived, and that summer is not too far behind.

Crab apples (Malus spp.) are great trees for tough, urban conditions. They can tolerate salty soil and occasional drought. Their small size makes some varieties appropriate for planting under overhead utility lines. These long-lasting bloomers also are important sources of food for pollinators, like bees, flies and wasps.

There are countless varieties of crab apples, all with different canopy shapes, sizes, blossom colors and bloom time. These common, flowering trees can be susceptible to a wide variety of pests and diseases, including scab, fire blight, aphids, mildew and cedar-apple rust. If you have noticed these in your area, you may want to select species that were developed with some resistance.

buds that contrast against white flowers, giving the crabapple in bloom a two-toned look in the spring. It has shown good scab resistance, has yellow-red fruit and grows 20 feet high by 25 to 30 feet wide.

The ‘Adams’ crabapple (Malus ‘Adams’) has buds and flowers in deep shades of pink with foliage that is green, tinted with red. ‘Adams’ grows 20 feet tall and wide with a round form. Fruit is red and lasts into the winter.

Some crab apples have more upright or vase shapes with branches that reach toward the sky, while others grow more horizontally with branches that stretch to the side.

Harvest Gold ‘Hargozam’ (Malus x ‘Hargozam’) is a unique variety that has golden fruit and white flowers. It grows about 22 feet tall and 18 feet wide with a columnar to vase form. This variety blooms slightly later than other white-flowered varieties. It has shown some disease resistance to scab and fire blight resistance and good resistance to cedar-apple rust and mildew.

Japanese Flowering Crabapple (Malus floribunda) is a popular cultivar that has been around for many years, with a broad, dense form. This crabapple has bright pink

Since there are so many varieties, when shopping for crab apples, there are a few parameters that you should keep in mind before visiting your local nursery or greenhouse. First, consider the mature size (height and width) of the tree. Next, think about the color of bloom or fruit that you’d like to have. This will help narrow down the options. Finally, consider the form of the tree. Some crab apples have more upright or vase shapes with branches that reach toward the sky, while others grow more horizontally with branches that stretch to the side. Additionally, there are crab apples that grow with more rounded forms. Some also have densely branched canopies, while others are more open.

For more information on crabapple cultivars, check out the Cornell University woody plants database (woodyplants.cals. cornell.edu) or books at your local library. Here’s to a spring filled with flowers.

Bonnie Kirn Donahue is a UVM Extension master gardener and landscape architect from central Vermont.

PHOTO BY BONNIE DONAHUE

The delicate and beautiful blooms of crab apples herald the arrival of spring and warmer weather.

Ultimate grows in popularity at Champlain Valley

LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Five years ago, as Ultimate embarked on its first season as a varsity sport, 11 boys signed up to play for Champlain Valley.

The sport has now solidified its hold on the Redhawks with 50 players turning out for tryouts this year and both a varsity and junior varsity team competing this spring.

Champlain Valley has seen a similar rise on the field. In that first year, CVU advanced to the Division I quarterfinals and then made it to the semifinals over the next few seasons.

Last year, the Redhawks lost in the state championship match, the program’s first appearance in the final.

“It’s crazy to see that kind of growth throughout the years,” coach Syrus Amedore said. “The level of competition is always improving, whether it’s getting more people who are competing in other sports coming out or those who have started at the middle school level and are now coming up through that.”

The year the Redhawks are undefeated and looking to win a state championship.

“We’ve seen what we can do, and we’re ready to try to get that get that championship,” Amedore said, noting that this year’s team is an experienced one, with most of the roster made up of junior and seniors.

Kyle Stewart and Danny Goldsmith, both seniors, are cogs in defense and transition games for the Redhawks, while senior DJ Steinman and juniors Charles Garavelli and Jacob Lepple help lead the offense.

“We have a lot of returners who are used to playing in the system that we use,” Amedore said. “Then we’ve picked up a couple of senior athletes who have slotted into some positions that we lost from last year.”

Both returning and new players are attracted to Ultimate, Amedore said, because of the fun factor. The game features seven players on each side whose aim is to get the disc into the end zone through a series of passes down the field. The disc can get turned over when a defensive player jumps in and steals a pass, or the disc is dropped.

The sport leaves a lot of opportunity to players to show off their speed, athleticism and flexibility.

“It’s just a fun sport,” said Amedore, who has been with the program since 2011 when it was just a club spot. “There are exciting moments, whether it’s diving for a disc or jumping as high as you can to try to get it over someone else, making a crazy throw, bending it around the defender. Those are all fun things to do.”

This year’s hot start features a squad that came up through the

Bike club practice criterium series starts

Since the 1990s, the Green Mountain Bicycle Club has had cyclists riding around in circles. The club sponsors a series of practice criteriums at Watertower Hill in Colchester. This year, the events are taking place on three Tuesday nights: May 14, June 18 and July 9. These practice criteriums are a way to practice riding in a group at race speed on a road loop closed to traffic. Practices are different from other races in that cyclists ride for a specified period and are scored based on how many laps they complete. There are two separate races with the faster racers (those who are ranked Category 1,

CVU system. But there are also brand-new players, like senior Colby Morehouse, who decided to give it a try and are athletic enough to take advantage of what the sport has to offer.

“We have players of all types,” Amedore said. “We have a few players who we generally have specifically cover the prima-

ry throwers on the other team. Then we have some of our taller players, who are better playing defense in the air, helping at the back on any deep throws.”

The Redhawks this season have been about defense, where the rosters’ flexibility and depth has helped. CVU is looking to expand its offense as it prepares

for the final month of the regular season and the playoffs.

“My goal is always on how we can improve our team the best throughout the year,” Amedore said. “That being said, a championship is definitely now a goal of the team with where we are, how we’ve played, and the other teams that we’ve seen so far.”

Boys’ Ultimate remains undefeated, track and field athletes post wins

LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

2 or 3) racing for 45 minutes starting at 6:45 p.m. while those who have lower ranking or no ranking ride for 35 minutes starting at 6 p.m. The 6 pm race is a great way for novices to try their race legs.

The entry fee for the races is $10 per rider with $5 for juniors and full-time college students. No race license is needed to enter. Registration opens at 5:30 p.m. and closes 10 minutes before the start of the race. The races will be cancelled if conditions are unsafe. For further information contact Andre Sturm andre. sturm@earthlink.net.

Girls’ Ultimate

Burlington 14, Champlain Valley 12: The girls fell to Burlington on Tuesday afternoon.

Zoey McNabb and Nevaeh Parrish each had three goals and two assists for the Redhawks, who fell to 5-1 with the loss.

Grace Thompson added one goal and three assists, while Kaitlyn Jovell tallied twice.

The loss comes one day after the Redhawks beat South Burlington, 11-3. McNabb had a hat trick, while Jovell added two goals and three assists.

Boys’ tennis

Champlain Valley 5, U-32 1: The boys’ tennis team won handi-

ly over U-32 on Monday, May 13, and moved to 6-2.

Dash Tota, Luke Sampson, Henry Frost and Sawyer Lake all won their singles matches in straight sets, while River Enser and Ben Fina combined for a doubles win.

Girls’ lacrosse

Champlain Valley 10, South Burlington 3: Champlain Valley won its third game in a row on Tuesday, May 14, beating South Burlington in girls’ lacrosse.

Stella Dooley netted six goals to lead all scorers, while Marlie Cartwright, Kate Boehmcke, Bibi Frechette and Carly Strobeck all one.

Clare Stackpole-McGrath (five saves) and Morgan Keach (one save) combined to get the win.

The Redhawks also won Saturday, May 11, beating BFA-St. Albans 19-7.

Frechette had three goals and one assist, while Cartwright added two and three assists. Dooley and Claire Marcoe Luleach chipped in with a hat trick.

Boys’ Ultimate

Champlain Valley 12, Burr and Burton 9: Jonan Story tallied twice and dished out five assists to lead Champlain Valley to a win over Burr and Burton on Monday.

Charles Garavelli and Brendan Fellows each added two goals, while Jacob Lepple had four assists.

With the win, CVU moved to 6-0.

COURTESY PHOTO

Junior Carter Ciffo goes airborne to catch the Frisbee in an Ultimate matchup this season.

Play ball!

Opening day for the Champlain Valley Little League was May 4 and kids from around the region took to the ballfields.

ROUNDUP

continued from page 10

Track and field

The Champlain Valley track and field teams headed to Burlington High School for the annual Burlington Invitational Saturday, placing third in combined team scoring.

For the boys, Avery Rogers was a top finisher in the field events, coming in first place in the triple jump and the long jump, and then grabbed a third-place spot in the 100-meter dash. Rogers, a junior, posted a personal record in triple jump.

Dan Knight also earned a firstplace finish in the 1,500-meter race.

Anderson McEnaney was

second the 100-meters, while Quintin Fortier came in second in the 200-meters and fourth in the 100. Dylan Elder finished in the seventh place in the 300-meter hurdles, while Jacob Kunin was ninth in the high jump and Anders Johnson came in fifth in the pole vault.

For the girls, Charlotte Crum was first in the 3,000 meters, while Harper Danforth came in first in the javelin. Kate Kogut also grabbed the top spot in pole vault and eighth place in the 100-meter race, as well as 10th in the shot put.

Mahoune Felex came in fourth in the 200 meters and fifth in the 400-meter race.

Lydia Donahue finished in fourth place in the 1,500 meters and eighth in the 800 meters. Estella Laird came in fifth in the 1,500 and Audrey Neilson followed in ninth place.

After Crum’s first place in the 3,000-meter race, teammates Claire Kim and Annalise Wood followed in second and third place, respectively.

Zoe Jenkins-Mui came in third in pole vault, while McKenna Rattew came in right behind in fourth place.

Lilyanna Mittlestadt finished in third in triple jump and fourth in the long jump, while McKena Lesage was ninth in the long jump.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANDREW STRAUSS

BRIDGE

continued from page 1

preserved in as close to its original shape as possible.”

Another resident, Greg Smith, who spends a lot of time at the beach playing pickleball, said he finds most concern with the number of kids who use that bridge to cross to the beach during the summer months. While he supports prioritizing walkers and bikers, he suggested building wooden walkways on each side of the bridge.

“Cars are coming way over 25 miles an hour,” he said. “That would enhance safety and provide traffic opportunity.”

“Closing

While several other residents endorsed the idea of closing it to traffic mostly to ensure safety for those walking or biking, resident Dave Cohen expressed support for the decrease in traffic that would come from a bridge closure.

“Closing the bridge strictly to pedestrians and cyclists, I think it’d be actually amazing,” said Cohen, who has lived near the bridge for 52 years. “It’s an unnecessary flow of traffic that I would love to see curtailed.”

the bridge strictly to pedestrians and cyclists, I think it’d be actually amazing. It’s an unnecessary flow of traffic that I would love to see curtailed.”

Project engineers Todd Sumner agreed that should the bridge be closed to car traffic, it would certainly extend the life of the bridge, and the rehabilitation project would be far less extensive.

Ehrlich said to consider whether a pedestrian walkway would be possible, a historic covered bridge committee, formed with staff from VTrans and the Historic Preservation Office, would have to review the idea.

“Generally, we try to limit a big change like that,” she said.

— Dave Cohen

Bill Regan, chair of the Charlotte Trails Committee, explained that the group has been working to build a trail that would ultimately connect the village center to the town beach for years, and the bridge could be a key part in that.

The study for all potential options is being completed by the transportation agency this summer. Repairs would not begin until sometime in 2026, said town administrator Nate Bareham. The project is federally funded but will require either a 2.5 percent or 5 percent match from the town depending on the scope of the repairs.

CHARLOTTE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

Will hold a public hearing at Town Hall, 159 Ferry Rd., Charlotte, VT on the following applications during its regular meeting of Wednesday, June 12, 2024.

7:05 PM DRB 24-061-CU Conard – Conditional Use review for renovation of existing camp at 62 North Shore Rd

7:35 PM DRB 24-062-CU Hoehl – Conditional Use review for deck at 189 Lanes Ln

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

the

GUNSAFEVT

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be used in homes to keep people safe and not by the violent offenders involved in high-profile shootings.

Kerest and Marcoux discussed the new cable locks as part of a news conference in Burlington and in a follow-up interview last week.

Alex Schmidt, the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Vermont, said the trajectory of violent crime in the state — especially those with firearms — has changed dramatically in the last several years.

“Every area of Vermont has been infected in some way, even in the more remote parts of the state,” Schmidt said. “I can tell you that many of our investigations over the last five years have involved illegal possession of a firearm that was stolen from someone otherwise legally allowed to purchase it and possess it.”

Schmidt said many of the thefts of unsecured firearms are from homes and motor vehicles.

“Those stolen firearms are

ending up in the hands of violent individuals who are using them for a variety of nefarious activities to include retaliatory shootings and to settle drug debts,” Schmidt said.

“In short they are often being used locally in crimes that have significant detrimental impacts on our communities in Vermont,” he said.

The lock program is designed to try to also reduce shootings, including suicides and accidents.

Among others offering comments at the news conference were Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, Dr. Rebecca Bell of the University of Vermont Medical Center and Mark Margolis of the Howard Center.

Kerest said the program over the past year has used two public service announcements on radio and TV over 2,000 times to stress the importance of having secure gun storage.

He noted the promotion of a Vermont State Police program to have federal firearms licensees serve as secure gun storage loca-

tions has been an effective alternative to in-home retention.

Clark mentioned Vermont’s secure gun storage statute, relief from abuse orders, extreme risk protection orders, and the importance of secure gun storage in preventing domestic violence.

“Safe gun storage has proven to save lives and is one of the best tools we have to counter domestic violence,” she said.

Clark said since 1994 in Vermont more than half of the domestic homicides have involved firearms.

Bell, who also the president of the Vermont Medical Society, and Margolis both explained how secure gun storage helps reduce the likelihood of suicide involving firearms. Bell said Vermont has a higher suicide rate than the national average for both adults and children and it has been a long-time concern for the medical community.

Kerest and Clark noted libraries across Vermont are making locks available for residents.

Driver Wanted

Hart & Mead Energy and All Star Fuels in Hinesburg/Bristol area is looking for an individual with a clean CDL-B / Hazmat endorsement. Able to pass federally mandated drug screening. DOT physical required. Competitive wage, paid holidays and sick time.

Contact hartmeadllc@gmail.com or 802-482-6666

PHOTO BY MIKE DONOGHUE

Alex Schmidt,

resident agent in charge of ATF for Vermont, talks about safe storage of firearms during the news conference at the federal courthouse in Burlington. Dr. Rebecca Bell, U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest and Attorney General Charity Clark listen to his safety message.

continued from page 8

woodstove, furnace or boiler. Replace or clean any filters on your heat pump, ductwork, air purifiers and related systems to ensure they work well and efficiently. You should clean or replace these filters every few months or more frequently if you have pets, if the machine is near your kitchen, if you live on a dirt road or if you use it frequently. You should also clean out any ductwork in your home. If you have portable air purifiers, clean and consider replacing those filters, too.

Electrify your lawn care. Whether you’re replacing old gas-powered tools or investing in new equipment for upcoming projects, battery-powered or plug-in lawn care tools like electric lawnmowers, leaf blowers or trimmers are the way to go. They’re quieter and cheaper to operate — electricity costs less than gas — and charging a battery or plugging in is usually easier than keeping a gas can at hand.

Electric tools are also much cleaner and greener compared to their gas-powered counterparts. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, using a gasoline-powered lawnmower for one

hour emits as much pollution as driving a car 45 miles. Keep in mind some electric lawn care rebates available in Vermont.

Manage your home’s moisture. Moisture and water in your basement can be a serious hazard to the health of your home and to the people living inside. It’s best to take care of any dampness, condensation or standing water sooner rather than later. Follow these steps to fix a wet, damp, or leaky basement.

If you think you may already have mold, follow Centers for Disease Control guidelines to clean it up. Addressing the underlying moisture problem will help save energy and money overall, and a dehumidifier can help remove any remaining moisture in your home. Make sure it’s Energy Star-certified and take advantage of Efficiency Vermont’s rebate (with extra savings for renters).

Swap your light bulbs for something greener. LED bulbs use a lot less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs or even compact fluorescent bulbs. That can save you money over the bulb’s lifetime. Speaking of lifetimes, LEDs last a lot longer. The Department of Energy estimates an LED

bulb can last for up to 50,000 hours, compared to 10,000 hours for fluorescents and just 2,000 hours for incandescent bulbs. Learn more at efficiencyvermont.com.

PUBLIC HEARING

Hinesburg Development Review Board

Tuesday, June 4, 2024 7:00 pm

William & Patricia DrewFinal Plat for a three-lot subdivision of a 3.70-acre property located at 108 Thorn Bush Road in the Village Zoning District.

The meeting will be both in person and remote. See meeting agenda on town website with details on how to participate.

Town of Charlotte Recreation Director

The Town of Charlotte, Vermont (population 3,900) is seeking candidates for the position of Recreation Director.

The Recreation Director is responsible for managing Town of Charlotte sponsored recreational programs, recreation equipment and facilities to meet the needs of various age groups, in accordance with the Sports Program Mission Statement, and for managing the Charlotte Town Beach. The Director plans, implements, administers, coordinates, monitors and evaluates recreation programs for the Town. The Director further works in conjunction with the Recreation Commission in developing and proposing a budget to the Selectboard. The Town’s Recreation Department has budget of $150,000 for scal year 2024-25.

The Selectboard is seeking an individual with a collaborative and team-oriented approach; strong organizational skills; the ability to develop and work within a budget; and experience in developing, implementing and managing recreational programs. Candidates should also possess excellent communication, community engagement, organizational, problem-solving and leadership skills. A baccalaureate degree, or equivalent, in recreation or sports management or related elds is preferred. However, candidates with comparable work experience are highly encouraged to apply. A complete job description is available at https://charlottevt.org/jobs.

The salary range for the position is $43,500 - $48,500 DOQ. Working hours and duties will vary seasonally, averaging 30 hours/week. This position is eligible for health, dental and retirement bene ts. Background check required. Charlotte is an EOE and values diversity and inclusiveness in the community and workplace. Email applications, including a cover letter and resumé, to townadmin@ townofcharlotte.com by May 31st, 2024. Applications submitted after this deadline may be accepted on a rolling basis. The Selectboard intends the selected candidate to start by July 15th, 2024.

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

Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. It is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get rabies.The virus is spread through the bite of an infected animal or contact with its RABIES BAIT

continued from page 2 saliva. ways fatal treatment 100 percent a person So far have tested those have According animals mal behavior, an animal it. People animals

Spring is Here at Vermont’s Finest Plant Nursery

TREES

continued from page 1

occupy the green space over the next two years. Morgante was one of the people who helped Hinesburg get a $30,000 state grant in January to fund that work.

It’s only the first step in a detailed plan to revamp the area, which has existed since the mid-2000s, with amenities like a playground, gazebo and expanded parking.

“The idea of having a pavilion or a grandstand, having live music, local bands, that’s what brings a community together,” said arborist and workshop volunteer Nick Kierstead, who lives in Hinesburg with his wife and 1-year-old daughter. “It’s good to emphasize how much impact a gathering space in Hinesburg could have. People want to gather, and we don’t have a space to do that.”

Kierstead delighted audiences by scaling a sprawling ash tree on the northeast corner of the common, handsaw strapped to his shin and a helmet on his head and revving his chainsaw at the top to provide the town with some “free pruning.” The sight made sense given his background working for a power company in Colorado and Montana. He and other workers would drop into remote areas and clear vegetation from power lines.

Teetering on a bough 30 feet above the ground, Kierstead described the importance of context when pruning trees. “I wouldn’t prune this tree like a forest tree and vice versa,” he said, explaining how a tree like the one he was standing on would tend to grow straight up like an arrow, with a narrower canopy, when in a dense forest. Without competition from other trees, the one on the common had developed a chaotic spread of limbs.

Master gardener Marie Ambusk instructed visitors on proper pruning practices. To say trees are her passion would be an understatement; the word is stamped across the license plate of her white Toyota SUV. She snipped away at the annoying low-hanging branches of one young honey locust tree.

“The worst time to prune a tree is right now because the tree is waking up (from the

winter), and it is very stressful to wake up,” Ambusk said. “The worst time is when the buds are opening.”

Ambusk fielded questions about technique from onlookers as the brush pile mounted behind her. There are a lot of rules when it comes to pruning trees, she said, such as not removing more than a third of the tree’s growth in a single growing season. Cuts should be made just outside the spot where a branch meets the trunk, or branch collar, and end in the smallest possible circle. Precision is vital: Cuts too far outside the branch collar result in stubs, while flush cuts damage the branch collar and open the tree up to rot and decay.

Volunteers were apprehensive, then, when Ambusk asked if they would like to try pruning. She tried to assuage their fears by admitting, “At a certain point, it becomes a little subjective what you’re doing.”

Xander Patterson, a 61-year-old Hinesburg resident, made a couple of cuts to the tree while his 2-year-old dog Louie tramped between the legs of observers. He came because he was curious about the plans for the area and wanted to support the community. “I’m very glad the town is doing this whether I use it much or not,” he said.

Sara Lovitz, who lives right across the street, brought along her kids: Zeke, 8, and Gabe, 5. She’s excited to see the development of the lot, she said, and anticipates being part of the team dedicated to the upkeep of the trees. She wants to encourage her kids to do the same.

As the event stretched on, more visitors arrived, no doubt drawn in part by a table sporting Vermont cider donuts. Cyclists stopped to chat with their neighbors and dogs chased tennis balls across the lawn as Ambusk and Morgante demonstrated how to plant ball-and-burlap trees.

The Community News Service is a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIE AMBUSK

Workshop volunteer Nick Kierstead explains pruning while up in an ash tree in Hinesburg on Green Up Day.