The Citizen

In Hinesburg

Storm Recovery Fund offers solutions

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

For small towns in Vermont, when the going gets tough — or in this case, a catastrophic flood wreaks havoc on the town — you’ll likely get a helping hand or two from your neighbors.

The “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” model is the entire essence of the Hinesburg Community Resource Center, the volunteer nonprofit group that has spearheaded the town’s food shelf, the Twice-Is-Nice thrift store and other emergency financial assistance programs since 1986.

Now, in the face of new townwide emergencies, the group has launched the first of its kind storm recover fund, meant to assist private homeowners who have been affected by the latest round of flooding.

“We are a small nonprofit, and this is our first time that we’ve really gone down

See FLOODING on page 12

Ballot primer in Charlotte and Hinesburg

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

With election day just around the corner, here is everything you need to know about voting in Hinesburg and Charlotte. Polls are open at each of the town halls from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m on Aug. 13.

With not much action on the local level, Democratic incumbents Phil Pouech of Hinesburg and Chea Waters Evans of Char-

lotte are the only candidates running for Chittenden-4 and Chittenden-5, respectively.

Vying for three Senate seats in the Chittenden Southeast district are Democratic incumbents Thomas Chittenden of South Burlington, Kesha Ram Hinsdale of Shelburne and Virginia “Ginny” Lyons of Williston, and Louis Meyers of South Burlington. Running as the lone Republican candidate is Bruce Roy of Williston.

Thursday, August 15

Statewide races

Statewide and Congressional elections don’t have much in the way of primary races, although there will be some competition for the top two statewide seats.

Gov. Phil Scott is running unopposed in the Republican primary, although there are two Democrats vying for their party’s nomi-

See VOTING on page 13

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

Brick Store in Charlotte on a hot summer day.

Safety experts, law enforcement officials hold child safety seat check

MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

The Northern Vermont Law Enforcement Group is rolling out reminders that new child passenger safety measures went into effect July 1.

Law enforcement, health and medical professionals offered comments during a press conference held in conjunction with a free Child Passenger Safety Seat Check at the Shelburne Fire Station on U.S. 7 on Saturday.

Lt. Allen Fortin of the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department said it is essential for all people transporting children to be aware of the latest updates made by the Legislature to help protect young passengers.

Fortin, who is the highway safety coordinator for Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Orleans counties, said officials are trying to spread the word about the new important provisions of the law.

He said advocates of the law are not as much interested in enforcement of the new law, which can include fines, as they are in educating the public about what it says and the best practices.

Among the law’s highlights:

• All children aged 2 years and up must be properly secured in a federally approved rear-facing child seat with a harness.

• A child in a rear-facing child seat must never ride in front of an active airbag.

• A child under 5 years old must be properly secured in a federally approved rear-facing or forward-facing car seat with a harness.

• A child under 8 years old who is not properly secured in a harnessed car seat must be properly secured in a booster seat.

• A child under age 13 must, if practical, ride in the back seat. Violations of the law are considered a civil offense and are punishable by a fine up to $100.

Nationally certified technicians from the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department, Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles and other volunteers inspected more than 10 car seats in a four-hour event at the Shelburne Fire Department on Aug. 3, checking seats for proper fit and installation and educating parents on current best practices.

Nationally certified technicians from the sheriff’s office, Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, Shelburne Police, Waterbury Ambulance and other volunteers inspected seats for about four hours on Saturday, Shelburne police Cpl. Jon Marcoux said.

Deputy Sheriff Paul McManus found one car seat that failed inspection, Fortin said. It was destroyed and a replacement was offered.

Car seats have expiration dates due to both the heat and the cold they face in their lifetime, Fortin said.

Seats also need proper installation and fit, while parents and caregivers need to know the best practices, he said.

Dr. Becca Bell, the immediate past president of the Vermont Chapter of the American Acade-

my of Pediatrics, said there had been a big gap between what the national group recommended and the requirements of the state law.

She said the Legislature has now closed that gap. She said the Vermont law is still just the minimum and stronger precautions can always be taken.

Bell said some parents move children through the four safety levels or phases too quickly: rear facing car seats, followed by forward facing with a harness, moving on to a booster seat until eventually kids are big enough for seatbelt.

She said parents need to check the sticker on the car seat before changing.

Instead of moving too quickly, it is better to wait for the child to outgrow the phase either by weight or size, according to Bell, who works at the University of

Vermont Medical Center in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Maureen Johnson, a child safety technician at the medical center, said she sees parents with newborns. She said rear facing seats are important for new babies and toddlers, especially because of their large heads and less developed neck muscles.

Stephanie Busch, the injury prevention manager at the Vermont Health Department, said about half of children’s safety seats are improperly installed.

There are ongoing efforts to ensure that all residents of Vermont have access to child safety seat checkpoints in their local areas.

Busch said in the first half of the year almost 900 car seat inspections had been conducted by volunteers. She said inspections are conducted by over 255

certified car seat technicians that can be found at about 76 sites.

She said 289 car seats have been distributed for those needing a proper seat.

Busch, who has responded to her share of serious accidents as an advanced Emergency Medical Technician, said the seats are critical to ensure child safety. She said it was important for adults to lead the way by wearing their own safety belts.

Busch said child passenger safety resources and a list of upcoming inspections can be found at beseatsmart.org.

“We want to make sure Vermonters understand the state’s new CPS laws. We also want to ensure that all children who are under eight years of age are riding in a properly installed safety seat that is appropriate for their age and size,” Fortin said.

PHOTOS BY LEE KROHN

Vermont wins big in cheese competition

Vermont took home 34 individual ribbons at the American Cheese Society’s national competition this year, including 10 first place wins, 14 second place and 10 third place finishes.

Winners were announced last week at the annual conference in Buffalo, N.Y.

Judges assess cheese on technical and aesthetic qualities to showcase talent, leadership and excellence.

“To be recognized from over 1,500 entries for their commitment to producing great cheese is an incredible honor for Vermont’s cheesemakers,” Marty Mundy, executive director for the Vermont Cheese Council, said. “Winning awards like these comes with a ton of gratitude for our community and pride for our hardworking cheese producers and dairy farmers across the state.”

Vermont cheese producers won the following first-place awards:

• Alpha Tolman, Jasper Hill Farm, top 10 finisher overall, Greensboro

• Cabot Salted Butter, Extra Sharp Cheddar, White Oak Cheddar and Monterey Jack, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, Cabot

• Calderwood, Jasper Hill Farm

Second place winners

• Cabot Alpine Cheddar, McCadam New York Sharp Cheddar, Cabot Creamery Cooperative

• Moses Sleeper, Harbison Mini, Vault 5, Whitney and Willoughby, Jasper Hill Farm

• Maple bacon and Morse Camembert, Sage Farm Goat Dairy, Stowe

• Black Label Cabot Clothbound, Cellars at Jasper Hill

Public investment in child care is

WORKING.

THANK YOU LAWMAKERS FOR IMPROVING SCHOOL READINESS, GETTING PARENTS BACK TO WORK, AND MAKING OUR COMMUNITIES STRONGER!

LEARN MORE ABOUT ACT 76 AND PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN CHILD CARE:

PAID FOR BY LET’S GROW KIDS

PHOTO BY TOM WADSWORTH

A juvenile barred owl stops by the backyard of Tom Wadsworth on Deer Run Drive in Shelburne.

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Hinesburg Police Blotter: July 30 - Aug. 5

Total incidents: 30

Traffic stops: 3 Arrests: 1

Incidents:

July 30 at 1:05 p.m., officers responded to the report of a disabled vehicle on Route 116 that was causing a traffic hazard. The vehicle had been stolen, and Joshua Jerger, 36, of Starksboro, was arrested on an active warrant and cited for aggravated operation

without owners’ consent.

July 30 at 1:50 p.m., a cellphone was reported stolen on Route 116.

July 30 at 5:41 p.m. an officer responded to a two-car motor vehicle crash on Route 116.

July 30 at 7:00 p.m., police investigated a juvenile issue.

July 31 at 7:11 p.m., an alarm activated on Commerce Street.

Aug. 1 at 9:30 a.m., stolen property was recovered from a

Invest in community

residence on North Road.

Aug. 3 at 10:00 a.m., police investigated damage to property on North Road.

Aug. 3 at 10:00 a.m., an officer investigated the report of loose livestock near Kaliyuga Way.

Aug. 3 at 11:09 a.m., officers were called to Hayden Hill Road West for the report of suspicious activity. Brian Leary, 64 of Williston, was cited on a warrant for failure to appear in court.

Aug. 4 at 11:54 a.m., an officer investigated the report of loose livestock near Lewis Creek Road.

Aug. 5 at 10:14 a.m., police investigated suspicious activity on Charlotte Road.

Aug. 5 at 11:48 a.m., an officer assisted the Hinesburg Fire Department with an emergency on Route 116.

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

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

The sun sets in a hazing sky with the Adirondacks in the background.

OPINION

The ‘welcome to Vermont’ tax: more base, less tax

Guest Perspective

Don Keelan

Deep inside the 171-page tome of the recently adopted Act 181 legislation was a section to extract more money from nonresidents who purchase Vermont homes after Aug. 1. Sections 73 and 74 detail the extraction of funds from those who conceivably have them.

The act’s primary purpose “relat(es) to community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use.” What had received most, if not all, of the media and political attention was the act’s changes to the state’s environmental law, Act 250.

The tax, referred to as the property transfer tax, is assessed on all property transfers and is customarily paid by the buyer at closing.

Prior to Aug. 1, 2024, the tax on a $500,000 sale to a nonresident would have been $7,350.

Under the new law, after Aug. 1, a resident would pay a tax of $5,410, while a nonresident would pay $18,100 for the same house, priced at $500,000. This amount is an increase of $10,750 from what the nonresident would have owed under the previous law. According to several local real estate brokers, nonresidents are scrambling to close on their Vermont second home before the change.

I realize how desperate Vermont is for money. I am not surprised that the Legislature would go after another “deep-pocketed” source of funds. Just to confirm this point, the legislation was adopted in mid-June at the Legislature’s veto override session, with Sections 73

and 74 to take effect seven weeks later. Do you sense the urgency?

The tax part of the legislation is just another indication that legislators are sticking it to the nonresident homeowners in Vermont. The fact of the matter is that the second homeowners contribute so much to the state.

In southwestern Vermont, many nonprofit organizations have been the beneficiaries of the generosity of nonresident homeowners. Calculating the second homeowner’s years of financial contributions, patronage and service to the nonprofit sector would be near impossible.

The sustainability of many cultural institutions would be nonexistent without the second homeowner. The employment of service firms, construction contractors, landscape service firms, food vendors and others owe much of their operational success to this sector of Vermont homeowners.

It is not only in Vermont that the wealthy are targets. In a commentary in the July 5, 2024, Wall Street Journal, Carol Platt Liebau and Frank Ricci of the conservative think tank the Yankee Institute for Public Policy noted, “Connecticut’s affluent residents should be seen not as assets to be exploited but as partners who can change the state for the better. Our wealthiest residents are generous in pursuing the common good.”

Why the area’s nonprofit organizations, which depend so much on the second homeowner, have not spoken out on the recently passed Vermont property transfer tax can be rationalized as that they wish not to disturb another significant source of their funding: Vermont state grants.

I realize that for many legislators who represent geographic areas of Vermont, the existence of second homeowners in their districts is of little significance. Therefore, assessing the second homeowner with a substantial increase is of no concern: if they can afford a second home, they can afford the tax increase. What is unacceptable is for the Legislature to place a target on their backs and go after them for more and more taxation. One only needs to know what was also buried in H.687: an increase in the short-term rentals tax from 9

percent to 12 percent, beginning on Aug. 1.

I doubt the target will be removed anytime soon with so many Progressives in the Legislature.

Some 50 years ago, the state helped those in need while, at the same time, it was able to fund certain school districts needing financial help (the “foundation formula”) and take care of the state’s infrastructure. Today, the state funds or helps to fund many social programs like housing, health care, homelessness, substance abuse disorder recov-

ery, daycare and more. Meanwhile, it faces a huge unfunded pension liability, billions in school deferred maintenance and, more recently, flood damage recovery.

The Legislature and the administration need to realize that increasing tax rates will not be sufficient to cover the state’s current plans. Vermont needs to be more welcoming and increase its tax base, not its tax rates.

Don Keelan of Arlington is a retired certified public accountant.

Stop the decline of democracy: We need term limits, campaign finance reform

Guest Perspective

John Bossange

It’s not a stretch to think that the two gravest threats to democracy have been the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United and the absence of term limits for elected members of Congress. Both have allowed money and influence peddling to successfully control our votes and reelections of representatives and senators. Incumbency financed over time has created a Congress silently loyal to their funders and party leaders, essentially eliminating the purpose and spirit of elections, and consequently driving voter apathy to historically high levels.

As we approach the 2024 presidential election, we have evolved to a place in history where there are now no mean-

ingful primaries in any party for voters to assess a pool of candidates. Instead, we are given a party-approved candidate from the mega-donors.

Parties still have labels, like MAGA, Democratic, Progressive, Republican, Libertarian, Green and even Independent. But today it’s the millionaires and billionaires who are largely calling the policy shots, approving the candidate platforms and funding their campaigns. No wonder voter interest and turnout are so low.

Why would the Democrats have bypassed vice president Joe Biden and nominated Hillary Clinton in 2016, and why was Joe Biden allowed to remain the only Democratic Party presidential candidate for 2024? Why was Donald Trump allowed to remain on the debate stage as an Independent and secure the Republican Party nomination in

2020 over a pool of more qualified party candidates, permitting his rise to the top of their ticket? Mega-donors were responsible for these decisions, not the party leaders or interested, engaged voters.

Don’t believe for a minute that Biden’s four-decade record and legacy in Washington, D.C., or his current platform of issues, or Trump’s intimidation and fear mongering or his platform of issues were the driving factors that placed these candidates at the top of their tickets. Again, it has been the mega-donors who are approving their rise to the top, their positions on issues, fronting their messaging in the media and buying their relevance.

Also, key to Biden and

See BOSSANGE on page 6

Growing crisis in education threatens our future

Guest Perspective

Elayne Clift

Two years ago, I wrote a column called “What Would Socrates Say?”

Ironically, a recent piece in the New York Times by Ezekiel Emanuel and Harun Kucuk, both faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, caught my eye: It was called “Higher Education Needs More Socrates and Plato.” Their commentary captured most of my increasing concerns about America’s education sector.

When I wrote that column I’d taught for a year at a university in Thailand. It was a rewarding experience for me and my students, most of whom were Asian. Their education generally involved being quiet unless called on by the teacher. When that happened intimidated students whispered variations on what the teachers had said, devoid of conviction, originality, or aha! moments.

“That was not my style,” I wrote in a memoir about teaching in Thailand. “I called on students to interpret literature’s plots and themes, to question their classmates and me, to defend their own ideas, to think critically. Then I watched them light up and smile with satisfaction when I agreed with their ideas.” Those were my own aha! moments.

I think about that as I watch our higher education system crumble into something worse than second rate. It’s a system that

is being destroyed by political ideologies that influence curricula, teacher qualifications, and students’ futures in profoundly troubling ways.

Concerns about gun violence, banned books, state mandates and laws, disgruntled parents and depressed students are stunning signs of a system that is losing good teachers because it is failing them. That system is also compromising our youth’s future.

How many students’ lives will be affected by the failures of a politicized education system? How many youths will be unable to pursue the work they aspire to for lack of qualification, whether practical or professional? How many gifted teachers will be gone from America’s classrooms?

What will happen to those requiring specialized education to be happy and productive? How will dumbed down education affect the economy or our standing in the world?

The idea that classic books and illuminating poetry and prose are no longer permitted, or have been removed from schools, along with censored, rewritten American history, is the stuff of autocracy and dictatorship. So is arresting students who are exercising their First Amendment right to peaceful protest and free expression.

At lower levels, arts funding in public schools is being drastically cut because of budget shifts that focus on math and reading. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for

Summer Still Blooms!

at Vermont’s Finest Plant Nursery

example, recently vetoed all arts grants in Florida. That will have a chilling effect on youngsters whether in schools, theaters, or cultural events. Imagine how stifling that will be to children’s curiosity and creativity. When arts programs are treated like orphans in the room children are deprived of the opportunity to thrive through creative endeavors in the one place where the arts should be encouraged.

As Emanuel and Kucuk point out, “Broad-based education has as its goal the development of educated citizens who can act responsibly in an ever more complex and divided world.”

The rapid decline of what can be called a liberal arts education at every level, coupled with the decline of Socratic methods in higher learning, are a harbinger of a future in which citizens march to a dictator’s drum instead of shaping their own individual and collective futures.

One can’t consider an educational crisis without reflecting upon what has been taking place widely on college and

BOSSANGE

continued from page 5

Trump’s success has been the silent loyalty of those politicians who might have challenged and debated either candidate. We first saw this demonstrated in the Republican Party when no one came forward after Trump’s loss in 2020.

The mega-donor money filling Trump’s campaign war chest, not just his searing, personal and boorish attacks, ensured silence and loyalty from potential alternative candidates. These mega-donors have given him his most powerful super PAC of all, the ever-expanding media coverage and the underground social media.

university campuses in response to the pro-Palestinian movement. While the First Amendment doesn’t protect violence or destruction of property for which perpetrators must be held accountable, it does protect peaceful protest and free speech.

An essay by Bella Jacobs, a graduating student at Pitzer College in California, gives me hope that essential discourse can still exist, and make a difference, on college campuses. There Gaza Solidarity encampments are joining other campus groups that are working toward “reimagining political movements as communities where we commit to a better world.”

That kind of organizing and exchange among diverse peoples and emerging leaders “can lead to “engaged dialogues that develop principled forms of protest that make our movement for peace impossible to ignore.”

That goal suggests a promising antidote

for turnover, members of Congress have built up a reserve of funding and years’ worth of seniority, establishing them as the permanent voices in their respective states and districts.

Incumbency has a lifetime of rewards and long-term benefits.

The Democratic Party has functioned in a similar fashion. Midway through Biden’s presidency, mega-donors decided there would be no real primaries and that their funding would be delivered to Biden’s war chest, icing out a strong bench of possible successors.

Worse than the Republican Party, there were no debates discussing important issues and, still today, silence and loyalty govern the behavior of key party leaders in the Democratic National Committee, in the halls of Congress and with potential nominees.

Money has always played a role in America’s elections. But during the past 30 years, a candidate’s worth and potential have often been measured by the amount of money they can raise. With the birth of super PACs, any thought of hiding a millionaire or billionaire’s campaign contribution has disappeared.

Buying and supporting a candidate who will represent their special interests is now the law of the land. The mega-donors proudly stand on stage with their candidates pledging their financial support.

Senior leaders in both parties fall in line so they too will continue to receive mega-donor funding for their own campaign war chests.

With no term limits and no concern

Trump and Biden both represent the modern political party process. There is no difference between a Republican or Democrat in the mega-donor class. Each will be sure their money goes toward keeping other potential nominees from gathering momentum, visibility and money.

Most important, each will be sure to buy the silent loyalty of those in Congress and in the party who might offer a different opinion, policy or an alternative candidate.

Today, only big money could eventually remove Trump or Biden from their positions as their party’s nominee, even if we are told that party leaders or voter opinions had a major impact. That’s not democracy as we have experienced it.

Instead, the selection process America has witnessed for the past decade has established a political environment that sets us up for a one-party, one-person oligarchy rule over a longer period, now with immunity to do what they please.

Only when Citizens United is reversed and true campaign finance reform begins, and only when an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring 12-year term limits becomes the law of the land, will democracy have a chance to survive.

If these changes do not occur, then silent party loyalty will continue, and mega-donor candidates with their oligarchies will control the future of American politics and governance.

John Bossange is a retired middle school principal who now volunteers on several nonprofit boards in the Champlain Valley.

See

Business Notes

New leader takes help at Howard Center

Sandra McGuire is the new Howard Center CEO.

McGuire has been at the mental health agency for 25 years, starting in intensive child services and spending the last 10 years as chief financial and operations officer.

McGuire, who is embarking on a summer listening tour visiting with community partners, clients and families, donors and friends of the agency, said, “Howard Center reaches into so many parts of the community, I’m excited to gather perspectives and good ideas and bring them back to Howard Center to help us prioritize and plan for the future.”

McGuire succeeds Bob Bick, who retired in May.

“Bob leaves a remarkable legacy of numerous accomplishments as CEO and as a state and national leader, visionary and innovator,” said Kelly Deforge, president of the Howard Center Board of Trustees. “Sandy knows this agency and the issues our community faces so well, she’s the right leader to pick up the baton and expertly guide Howard Center through the coming years.”

Howard Center is Vermont’s largest provider of mental health, substance use and developmental supports and services, helping more

CLIFT continued from page 6

to students being arrested and denied their graduation ceremonies, valedictorians slated to deliver commencement speeches being denied that honor, faculty dismissed for supporting students’ dissent with school administrators, politicians and excessive police force, all frightening reminders of dictatorships. Let’s hope we aren’t edging toward another Kent State where four students were killed, and others were wounded on campus by the National Guard for protesting the Vietnam War.

Perhaps the most vital question we should ask ourselves is this: How can we return to a time when educational environments at all levels fostered experiential, enlightened learning, along with civil discourse, instead of resorting to repressive actions driven by differing viewpoints that inflame dialogue and justify misguided funding.

Perhaps only then can we again experience aha! moments that foster hope, community and a safe, free future for all.

Elayne Clift is a Vermontbased writer. Read more at elayne-clift.com.

than 19,000 people every year.

McGuire takes the helm at a time when Howard Center is facing a well-documented national mental health crisis combined with an increasingly dangerous mix of available street drugs, according to the center.

Although it isn’t as well publicized as overdoses and mental health issues, the prevalence of complex needs among young people with developmental disabilities is also rising, McGuire said.

“We’re at a critical juncture as community needs rise and outpace available resources, but with a focus on providing services where the need and our impact is the greatest, we’ll continue our legacy of responding to the mental health, substance use, and developmental needs of those we serve and our community,” McGuire said.

Spectrum’s season youth shelter opens year-round

Spectrum Youth and Family Services’ seasonal warming shelter is now open year-round.

Spectrum officially expanded its seasonal warming shelter operations in May to fill what it calls a “critical gap in the local continuum of care, offering a youth-friendly overnight option when other shelter beds are full.”

Spectrum opened a winter warming shelter in November 2017 to provide more beds for youth facing homelessness in the harshest months. The warming shelter was a seasonal shelter, open from November through March 31.

Over the past two years, however, basic needs director Christina

See BUSINESS NOTES on page 11

This summer, Shelby Glass of Vermont Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired oversaw the creation of her second Walk Your Own Path sidewalk mural at 60 Kimball Avenue in South Burlington. The mural raises awareness through art and features the unique patterns of white cane users and the tracks of a guide dog. The first mural, painted in Burlington in October 2021, was described by Glass as an artistic way to “spark fresh conversations about how people with vision impairments experience and navigate Burlington. An independent life is possible for people who are visually impaired, and this is a way to celebrate it.” The media attention then led to international interest, and the sidewalk mural has been replicated in many other states as well as in other countries. Above, Glass’s newest mural on Kimball Avenue in Burlington.

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COURTESY PHOTO

COMMUNITY

Community Notes

Carpenter-Carse hosts workshop on grief

Grief is universal. Grief is personal. It can be overwhelming. How can we show up for people enduring loss? What can we say? What can we do? What kind of support is beneficial?

Join the Carpenter-Carse Library in Hinesburg on Thursday, Aug. 15, from 6-8 p.m. for “Being a Friend in Grief: An Informative Workshop for Times of Hardship” with resident Francesca Arnoldy.

This event is free, and all are welcome. Call, stop in or email to sign up or ask questions.

Arnoldy will discuss the language of grief, including what to say and phrases to avoid, and how to offer emotional care and practical assistance to the bereaved with sensitivity, no matter the type of loss.

This is not a mental health training or grief support group, it is a community education event meant to help increase courage, confidence and connections as friends, loved ones and neighbors.

Enjoy Age Well meals at Charlotte Senior Center

The Age Well meal pickup for Wednesday, Aug. 14, is from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Charlotte Senior Center. The meal features roast turkey with sauce, potatoes with ranch dressing, mixed vegetables, dinner roll, date and raisin cookie and milk.

You must pre-register by the prior Monday at 802-425-6345 or meals@charlotteseniorcentervt. org. The suggested donation is $5. Check the website for last-minute cancellations at bit.ly/3FfyLMb.

Discover a lesser-known area at Charlotte Walks

Want to get more familiar with the town’s public trails or meet and chat with other Charlotters? Join The Charlotte Grange for Charlotte Walks, every third Friday at a different trailhead at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 16.

July’s location is at the end of Plouffe Lane. This 1.4-mile network of trails, featuring a meadow, river and woods, is one of Charlotte’s lesser-known natural areas. It can be found by taking Carpenter Road to Plouffe Lane. Follow the lane to the end, take a right at the fork and park in the designated parking area.

Please drive slowly down

Plouffe Lane and be sure to park in the official parking lot to the right at the end of the lane. Visit charlottegrange.org to learn the meet-up location each month. Want to be alerted to weather changes? Sign up at charlottegrangevt@gmail.com.

Share that peak season produce with neighbors

It’s peak garden harvest season and the Charlotte Grange welcomes your surplus garden harvest to share and swap with neighbors.

On Aug. 27, bring your surplus garden harvest with your neighbors at Veggie Share, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Charlotte Grange Hall, 2858 Spear St., and enjoy a short canning and food preservation demonstration by Grange president Tai Dinnan.

No money is exchanged, and participants pick whatever they’d like for their families during the event. If you just need produce for your family and do not have anything to donate, come and shop. Any remaining items will be distributed by the Charlotte Food Shelf.

Volunteer drivers needed for the blind

The Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired has an immediate need for volunteer drivers to help get blind and visually impaired people where they need to go.

Volunteer drivers fill the void when family or friends are unavailable to help, or when public transportation is simply not a viable option.

The association provides free, personalized transportation services to individuals with vision loss when no one else is available to help. If you like to drive

and help others while doing so, be a part of a team of inspirational volunteers. Volunteer drivers work as needed and are free to accept or reject any trip to suit their own schedules.

Drivers receive mileage reimbursement for the trips. If you can help or would like more information, call Vicki Vest at 800-6395861, ext. 243, or email vvest@ vabvi.org.

10th annual Vermont Open Farm Week in August

Do you love local food and farms? Do you want to get to know your farmer better and get a behind-the-scenes look into Vermont’s working agricultural landscape?

During the 2024 Vermont Open Farm Week, Aug. 4-11, meet the farmers, plants and animals that bring your favorite Vermont products to your plate.

Milk a cow and harvest a carrot at one farm, sit on a tractor and take in the smell of freshly cut hay at another and then head over to another for wood-fired pizza night and a garden tour. Events are happening across the state, so it’s a great time to get out and explore.

A complete list of open farm week events will be posted are posted at bit.ly/4d7OITb.

Sign up now for Shelburne grab and go meal

Age Well and St. Catherine’s of Siena Parish in Shelburne are teaming up to provide a meal to go for anyone age 60 and older on Tuesday, Aug. 13. Meals will be available for pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St. from 11 a.m. until noon and are available for anyone 60 or older. Suggested donation is $5.

The menu is roast turkey with gravy, potatoes with ranch dressing, mixed vegetables, dinner roll, date raisin cookie and milk.

To order a meal contact Kathleen at agewellstcath@gmail.com or 802-503-1107. Deadline to

order is Wednesday, Aug. 7. Learn more at agewellvt.org.

Get involved in community, join the Junior League

Are you interested in volunteering and socializing with other women? Then sign up to attend a Junior League of Champlain Valley information and learn how. Upcoming sessions will be held on Thursday, Aug. 15, 5:30-7 p.m., at Burlington Bay Market and Café; Tuesday, Aug. 20, 5:30-7 p.m., at Shelburne Vineyards; and Sunday, Aug. 25, 11

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Pocock Rocks Music Festival and Street Fair is Bristol’s annual celebration of local musicians, artisans, crafters, food producers and beverage makers. The event returns Saturday, Aug. 17, 3-8 p.m., and it’s free. Come dance, eat, shop and play on Bristol’s Main Street for the day and catch the lineup of musical acts: The Barncasters, BodenBender, Organized Dead, Tom Bisson & The Rustics, Soulstice and Jeremy Mendicino.

Pocock Rocks

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Members of the Junior League of the Champlain Valley.

Francesca Arnoldy

Shelburne student represents Vermont at Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation

Zoe Jenkins-Mui, Shelburne was one of 100 high school seniors selected to attend American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation July 20-27 in Washington, D.C. The weeklong program, founded in 1947, has provided civic education to thousands of students, teaching them about how the federal government works.

Jenkins-Mui is one of two participants who will represent Vermont as a “senator” at Girls

COMMUNITY NOTES

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a.m.-1 p.m., at Skinny Pancake.

The Junior League is an organization of women whose mission is to advance leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration and training.

To register, go to champlainvalley.jl.org. For information, email info@jlcv.org.

Shelburne church, Age well host July luncheon

Age Well is offering a luncheon on Tuesday, Aug. 20, in the St Catherine of Siena Parish Hall, 72 Church St. in Shelburne.

Entertainment will be provided by Gerry Ortego on guitar.

The menu is barbecue chicken sandwich on a roll, potato salad, broccoli salad with Italian dress-

Nation. Two delegates from each Girls State program are chosen after participating in a state-level program held across the country. At Girls Nation, senators will participate in mock sessions complete with caucuses and debating bills that range from personal to political interests.

Other activities will include a visit to Arlington National Cemetery where they will place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a visit to

Capitol Hill to meet with real-life U.S. senators from their state, and a tour of D.C. monuments.

Jenkins-Mui, a senior at Champlain Valley Union High School, was active in many ways during her week at Green Mountain Girls State.

She also participates in many activities in her school and community, including debate, scholars bowl, track, rock climbing, student council and Celebrating Asian Culture Club.

ing, watermelon, pumpkin chip cookie and milk.

You must register by Wednesday, Aug. 14, to Kerry Batres, nutrition coordinator, 802-6625283 or email kbatres@agewellvt.org. Tickets are also available at the Age Well Office, 875 Roosevelt Highway, Suite 210, Colchester.

Check-in time is 11:30 a.m. and the meal will be served at noon. There is a $5 suggested donation.

Vergennes Day brings 60 vendors to city park

Vergennes Day, an annual celebration featuring over 60 vendors in the city park, returns Saturday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The event includes live music

on the bandstand, pancake breakfast, Lions Club chicken barbecue and the Little City Road Race. For the kids, there is a bubble pit at the fire station and horse and wagon rides.

Enjoy merchant sales and more throughout the Little City. Later, come dance the night away with The Hitmen.

For more details, visit vergennesday.com.

Ferrisburgh

firefighters hold chicken barbecue

The Ferrisburgh Fire Department holds a take-out chicken barbecue on Saturday, Aug. 17, 4:30 p.m., 3909 Route 7, Ferrisburgh.

Come meet local firefighters. Meals are $15.

Headlines and news sent directly to your inbox every Friday at 10 a.m.

COURTESY PHOTO

Zoe Jenkins-Mui

OUTDOORS

The Outside Story

J. Caduto

If you wanted to see the Sunapee trout, you might be inclined to search in its namesake, New Hampshire’s Lake Sunapee. But this elusive fish has long been extirpated from the Granite State, and from neighboring Vermont, where it once lived in the Northeast Kingdom’s Averill Lakes. Sunapee trout remains in 14 bodies of water in Maine, which harbors the last endemic populations in the lower 48 states.

of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said. “When the glaciers retreated, Artic charr became secluded in northeastern lakes, he said, and “as new species colonized post-glaciation, charr would have succumbed to various pressures.”

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Sunapee trout is often called Arctic charr, although it is technically a subspecies of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus oquassa). It is also known by a variety of other names, including blueback trout, silver charr, golden trout, white trout, red trout, American saibling and Oquassa trout.

Young adult Arctic charr are slim, around 6 inches long, and weigh a few ounces, but they can survive for up to 15 years, grow to 20 inches, and reach 3 pounds. Mature charr have a dark back, pale belly and spotted sides. Fins are orange or red, with white front margins. Both sexes develop intense mating season coloration, with backs ranging from brown to blue with orange spots, and bellies pink to dayglo orange.

Arctic charr live farther north and are found in deeper waters and at higher elevations than any other freshwater fish.

“Prior to the 1800s, and going back to deglaciation, we can infer that the species was widespread across the region,” Frank Frost, a biologist with Maine’s Department

The species prefers waters colder than 55 degrees, but will travel throughout the depths of a lake (except for the warm surface waters of summer) in pursuit of small fish, insects, zooplankton and other prey. From July through September, Arctic charr inhabit cooler, deeper, more oxygenated waters. At the southern edge of its range in Maine, these fish are a bellwether for how other cold-water fish may fare in a warming climate.

According to Jared Lamy, fish habitat biologist for New Hampshire Fish and Game, “Habitat loss and the introduction of non-native species, most notably lake trout, landlocked salmon and rainbow smelt, are the cause of extirpation for (Arctic charr) in New Hampshire. They simply cannot compete with most other fish species.”

Overfishing, especially during spawning season, has contributed to the species’ decline.

State biologists have attempted reintroducing the species in Third Connecticut Lake, Penacook Lake, Sawyer Pond, Tewksbury Pond and Connor Pond. Alas, these efforts have been unsuccessful, and Arctic charr have been absent from New Hampshire since the 1970s. Lamy said wildlife managers do not plan additional reintroduction efforts, in large part because, “(Arctic charr) are incompatible with many species that are present in New Hampshire lakes.”

In Maine, as in New Hampshire, the introduction of lake trout has hindered the Arctic charr. Even though lake trout is a close relative of Arctic charr and is native to many waterways in the Northeast, in places where it was introduced as a sport fish the two species hybridized and, over time, lake trout genes dominated. As a result, Arctic charr have been displaced wherever lake trout have been released into the same waters.

What does the future hold for Arctic charr? Maine’s goals for protecting the species’ unique gene pool include limiting the number of fish that are caught each year and preserving suitable habitat. Preventing the introduction and impact of invasive fish species is critical, and Maine is addressing this through public education and by controlling smelt populations. Frost is part of a team working to translocate Arctic charr into another Maine body of water to conserve the population and improve species resiliency. “We are selecting waters with excellent water quality and a fish assemblage that would allow charr to thrive,” he said. By any name, the saga of Arctic charr is a cautionary tale about what happens to native populations when other species are introduced and when a species is heavily overfished.

Michael J. Caduto is a writer, ecologist, and storyteller who lives in Reading. He is author of “Through a Naturalist’s Eyes: Exploring the Nature of New England.” Outside Story is sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, nhcf.org.

Ridley Brook conservation project adds 62 acres to Camel’s Hump State Park

The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation has added 62 acres to Camel’s Hump State Park in Duxbury through the Ridley Brook Conservation Project.

“The Ridley Brook Conservation Project benefits Vermont in so many ways,” Gannon Osborn, land conservation program manager at the department, said. “By protecting this land, we’re safeguarding clean water, public access, wildlife habitat, and the natural beauty that makes our state special.”

tains and Canada to the southern Green Mountains and the Berkshires. This corridor is important for the north-south movement of moose, bear and other large mammals along the spine of the Green Mountains.

“By protecting this land, we’re safeguarding clean water, public access, wildlife habitat, and the natural beauty that makes our state special.”

The project aligns with the goals of Vermont’s Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act by protecting biodiversity and the many co-benefits that come with it. Notedly, it supports flood resilience and water quality in the Winooski River watershed by slowing down, absorbing and filtering future flood events.

— Gannon Osborn

“We are thrilled with the outcome of the Ridley Brook Conservation Project,” Dan Cardozo of the Duxbury Land Trust said. “This effort protects access to the Winooski River and Ridley Brook, a steep canyonlike area, which provides cool high-elevation waters for brook trout.”

Program, and Flood Resilient Communities Fund, and a property donation by the Green Mountain Club.

BUSINESS NOTES

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Brown said she has been handing out more sleeping bags and tents than ever before yearround. In fact, she can’t keep them in stock.

The shelter is a low-barrier, 10-bed emergency shelter that is open every day from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. Youth can then access the Burlington drop-in center during the day for meals, laundry, clothing and case management.

The shelter at 179 South Winooski Avenue is open to youth ages 18-24 on a first come, first served basis.

The project found support from KeyBank Foundation, Pomerleau Family Foundation, the University of Vermont Medical Center, and many individual donors.

Howard Center hires chief financial officer

Steven Maneely is the new chief financial officer at the Howard Center.

He succeeds Sandra McGuire, who becomes chief executive officer.

A lifelong Vermonter and Chittenden County resident, Maneely joined Howard Center in 2017 and currently serves as the agency’s senior finance manager. His previous roles include senior accountant at

Stowe Mountain Resort and financial accountant at Pathways to Housing.

“The mission and impact of Howard Center resonate with me deeply,” said Maneely. “I’m eager to put my financial and operational management skills to work to contribute to the agency’s continued success in this new role.”

He holds a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Vermont and is currently enrolled in the MBA program at Champlain College. His volunteer activities include membership on the finance committee at the Schoolhouse Learning Center and he is a former member of the finance committee at Pathways Vermont.

“Steven has been a valuable member of our finance team and Howard Center is fortunate to have him as our new CFO,” McGuire said. “He is deeply knowledgeable about our agency and his experience working with our finance team and leadership make him an ideal candidate for the position.”

With the appointment, Maneely joins the center’s executive leadership team, where he will provide agency-level oversight and collaborate closely with the board.

The Ridley Brook Conservation Project is also part of a priority connectivity block, helping link the northern Green Moun-

The collaboration was orchestrated by a coalition, including Forests, Parks, and Recreation, Duxbury Land Trust, Green Mountain Club, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, and Vermont River Conservancy, the Ridley Brook Conservation Project. Funding for the conservation project came from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Forest Legacy

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The Ridley Brook conservation project will help protect cool high-elevation waters for brook trout in the Camel’s Hump State Park.

FLOODING

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this path just because we tend to really try to support our lower-income families in town,” executive director Anna Main said. “But this storm seemed to hit quite a few of our residents that aren’t normally visiting the food shelf or needing financial assistance.”

While the town has been working to repair public roads, options for private homeowners who experienced the damaging effects of the storm have remained limited.

Town manager Todd Odit told The Citizen last month that the town had been looking at ways to assist residents and had been focusing on two potential options. This initiative was one of them.

“The town reached out to us to see if we could help with some

fundraising,” Main said. “Because, unfortunately, with federal funding, there’s a lot of hoops to jump through, and the funds are needed now. Many of our neighbors had all these crazy unexpected expenses, so we are trying to help by being the organization that does the fundraising, and then we’ll take those funds and turn them around and get them back into the hands of our neighbors as quickly as we can.”

While volunteers have been focusing most of their efforts on fundraising, Main said the group has also been actively applying for grants and researching other monetary resources that may be helpful. While this fund is specifically for the effects of flooding on

July 10 and 11, she said the group may consider keeping this fund as an active resource as towns begin thinking about flooding as a new reality.

“It’s really important, because we’ve been through a lot in Vermont and Vermonters are strong, Hinesburgers are strong. But we’re a lot stronger when we work together,” Main said. “The day after the floods, you would go out and see neighbors who might live miles away from each other, with their shovels and they’re trying to put down gravel.”

Town-wide problems

While volunteers are working to secure funding for private residents, town officials are hoping for

one thing: no more rain.

In Hinesburg over the weekend, 2 inches of rain that hit isolated areas of town brought some completed repairs back to square one, Odit said. The area most affected by the weekend downpours was around Lincoln Hill and Hayden Hill roads — the same areas that were hit the hardest on July 10 with nearly 10 inches of rain.

As of Monday, those roads were passable, but down to one lane. Most notable was a culvert located on a private property that has washed out two more times since July 10 over the weekend.

“It’s just going back to work, redoing everything,” Odit said as he was simultaneously coordinating with contractors who were on site. “Trying to upsize some culverts but bringing a lot of material for ditching and filling, that kind of stuff.”

While the town is still working to assess damages, he said it’s likely the bill will be at least $100,000, if not more. But making matters worse, any repair work on roads affected by isolated rains over the weekend will not be eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency funds.

But the town, like others in Chittenden County, is still waiting on a disaster declaration that would make federal funding sources available.

VTDigger reported just days after the flooding that the state asked FEMA to conduct a preliminary damage assessment related to the catastrophic storm, which would help determine whether the state is eligible for a major disaster declaration and aid. With that assessment completed, Gov. Phil Scott just days ago asked the federal government for a disaster declaration in eight of the state’s counties.

Should that designation happen, the agency could provide 75 percent of the cost for work related to the storm and public infrastructure repairs.

“We just keep getting so set back with damage, and our main focus right now is with limited staffing, it’s just getting the work completed,” Odit said.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BECKY ALFORD

Hinesburg officials are still assessing damage from the July flood.

continued from page 1

nation to unseat the popular incumbent — Esther Charlestin, a small business owner from Middlebury who is co-chair of the Vermont Commission on Women; and Peter Duval, a sailing instructor who lives in Underhill.

Also running unopposed for governor is Progressive candidate Marielle Blais of Brandon.

There are also primary contests in the race for lieutenant governor.

In the Democratic primary, incumbent David Zuckerman of Hinesburg will square off against Thomas Renner, the current deputy mayor of Winooski.

The Republican primary features a recent convert to the party in John Rodgers, a farmer and mason from Glover who served as a Democrat for 16 years in the Legislature, first in the House and

then in the Senate. He is up against fellow Republican Gregory Thayer of Rutland City.

Running unopposed for lieutenant governor is Progressive Zorah Hightower of Burlington.

In other statewide races, everyone is running unopposed in the primary and will advance right to Nov. 5.

• For attorney general: Democratic incumbent Charity Clark of Williston; Republican candidate H. Brooke Paige of Washington; Progressive candidate Elijah Bergman of Danby.

• Auditor of Accounts: Democratic incumbent Doug Hoffer of Burlington; Republican Paige; Progressive Linda Gravell of Waterbury.

• Secretary of State: Democratic incumbent Sarah Copeland

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Hanzas of Bradford; Republican Paige.

• Treasurer: Democratic incumbent Mike Pieciak of Winooski; Republican Joshua Bechhoefer of Cornwall; Progressive Tim Maciel of Brattleboro. Congressional hopefuls are also running unopposed in the primary, waiting for November for a contest. They are:

• U.S. House: Democratic incumbent Becca Balint of Brattleboro; Republican Mark Coester of Westminster.

• U.S. Senator: Incumbent Bernie Sanders of Burlington, running on the Democratic ticket; Republican Gerald Malloy of Weathersfield.

— Tommy Gardner contributed to this reporting

CLASSIFIEDS

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, September 11, 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.

7:05 PM DRB 24-103-SD/SDA Aube – 2-Lot Subdivision & Subdivision Amendment at 1052 Carpenter Rd

7:25 PM DRB 24-106-BA Nichols-Powden – Boundary Adjustment at 138 Morningside Dr & Spear St

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

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

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