Haystack Crossing, the largest proposed development in Hinesburg’s history, received Act 250 approval for its phase one on Aug. 27, almost a decade after the project was conceived.
Hinesburg approved phase one of the development during a separate, local review process in 2022. Since then, the developers of Haystack Crossing, BlackRock Construction, have been waiting for the Act 250 approval to break ground.
“This is huge,” Alex Weinhagen, Hinesburg’s director of planning and zoning, said. “There are still a lot of moving pieces with this project, but, for the developer, Act 250 approval was a major hurdle that is now cleared.”
Haystack Crossing is a mixeduse development on a 76-acre plot west of Route 116 and just north of the village and Patrick Brook. Phase one of the project includes
See HAYSTACK CROSSING on page 12
Labor board blocks move to exclude library employees from union In Charlotte
WRITER
Town and library employees in Charlotte are one step closer to unionizing.
The selectboard announced after an executive session Monday night that the Vermont Labor Relations Board will conduct a secret ballot election among 10 non-management town and library staffers later this month to determine whether they want to be represented by a union.
In April, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 93 filed a petition with the Vermont Labor Relations Board looking to become the exclusive bargaining representative for a unit of 10 town and library employees — the town planner, the zoning administrator, the planning and zoning assistant, the assistant town clerk, the volun-
See LIBRARY on page 12
PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA LAZAR
LIBERTY DARR STAFF
Art at the Kent presents ‘Illuminated Worlds’
Art at the Kent’s 2024 exhibition, “Illuminated Worlds,” presents the curated creations of two dozen Vermont artists, including several from Charlotte, in a show that runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 6.
Visitors can view these works inside the rambling historic structures of the Kents’ Corner State Historic Site, 7 Old West Church Road, Calais, as well as throughout its grounds.
In this once-a-year exhibition, Art at the Kent highlights work from Vermont artists, each of whom draw inspiration
from infinite realms — interior and exterior, real and imagined, known and unknown. Featured creations make the extraordinary visible, with the exhibition shedding light on wondrous, curious and unfathomable spaces and the plants, creatures, and stories that inhabit them. Mediums span glass, fiber, paint, metal, clay, wood, paper, stone, photography and more.
The theme, “Illuminated Worlds,” is expressed in myriad ways, exploring the complexities of time, space and weather as well as wonder and abundance. Gerald Bergstein’s (Strafford) intricate, multi-me-
dia paintings explore vast and imagined worlds while Adrienne Ginter’s (Brattleboro) and Megan Bogonovich’s (White River Junction) creations in paper and clay, respectively, investigate nature’s minutiae and wild wonders.
With such breadth of work, the exhibition curators — Cornelia Emlen, Allyson Evans and David Schutz — connect story lines and imagery while paying homage to the historic building that is a major player in every Art at the Kent show.
Exhibiting artists include Misoo Bang, Burlington; Wendy and Harry Besett, Hard-
wick; Cameron Davis, Charlotte; Sabine Likhite, Waterville; Nancy Winship Milliken, Charlotte; Marcia Vogler, Charlotte; James Westermann, Morrisville; among others.
Art at the Kent will also host various associated events, including Words Out Loud, the Sunday afternoon reading series (Sept. 15, 22 and 29) at the nearby Old West Church. The following authors will read their work at 3 p.m.: Sept. 15, Rebecca Starks and Leslie Sainz; Sept. 22, Carolyn Kuebler and Didi Jackson; and Sept. 29, Brett Ann Stanciu and Kenneth M. Cadow.
SIP & SAVOR
Join us this fall at Basin Harbor for an unforgettable wine dinner series. Enjoy a carefully crafted menu paired with exceptional, older vintage wines that highlight the elegance and depth of each bottle.
Dinner will be held at 6pm in Ardelia’s Series dates: 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, & 10/2
Right: Misoo Bang, “The Giant Asian Girl – Misoo 1,” 2018, collage and mixed media on paper, 36x48
Hinesburg’s wastewater plan could come online earlier
PATRICK BILOW STAFF WRITER
Hinesburg’s new wastewater treatment facility should be finished much earlier than anticipated, according to town manager Todd Odit, who gave an update on the project to the selectboard last week.
In 2018, the state issued Hinesburg a discharge permit that required the town to reduce the amount of phosphorus and ammonia in wastewater discharged into the LaPlatte River, which resulted in a mandatory order to rebuild the wastewater treatment facility by October 2026.
The contractor, Naylor and Breen, recently told Odit that the facility should be operational by this time next year, several months before the original completion date in spring 2026.
“The construction crew wants to get in and out. They’re way ahead of schedule right now and really moving along,” said Odit,
Pedals for Progress
who cautioned that significant lead times for certain electronic parts could push back the new deadline.
As of last week, crews had finished building the batch reactor tanks and will fill them with water to test for leaks. They have also begun excavating the site of the office and control room building.
The project is expected to cost $12.5 million, according to the bid documents, which was accepted by the town earlier this year. In 2020, voters approved a borrowing capacity of $11.7 million for the new facility by a vote of 1,810-98.
Odit assured voters the difference would be made up through grants, subsidies and loan forgiveness.
Hinesburg is currently funding the first phase of the project through an $8 million bond, which will likely be spent by February.
To fund the remainder of the project, Odit said he is pursuing $5.4 million through a pollution
control grant that the town was awarded. That funding, which should kick in sometime in January, would allow the town access to those grant funds earlier so that it can meet the new construction deadline.
Once the plant is online, Hinesburg will also need to hire one full-time employee to operate the facility. Odit said the town will start talking about that hire soon.
On Monday, the town met with the state to discuss its appeal of discharge permit conditions in environmental court. A renewal of the state’s discharge permit in September contained significantly more testing and lower discharge limits than what the previous permit mandated. The town argued that the requirements are burdensome for the town, which has only one employee on hand for river sampling and testing.
Odit said the meeting with the state is confidential since the town is potentially moving toward a settlement agreement.
Date: Thursday, September 26, 2024
Time: 5-8 p.m.
Location: The Old Lantern, Charlotte, VT
Tickets: $50 per person.
To purchase tickets, please scan the code below or visit our website: https://www.agewellvt.org/home/50th-celebration/ and a fabulous silent
to St. Michael’s
Tarrant Center parking lot, Route 15, Colchester on Saturday, Sept. 21, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. For questions, to volunteer or to donate, email p4pvermont@gmail.com, visit Facebook or call Paul Demers at 802-793-0888. Learn more at facebook.com/p4pVermont.
COURTESY PHOTO
Former Green Mountain Peace Corps volunteers are holding their 26th bike and sewing machine collection for Pedals for Progress. Items gathering dust in your closet or garage will help struggling families in communities around the world build a more secure life. Bring your bike or sewing machine, plus $20 to help with shipping costs,
College,
Pit stop
Hinesburg
Police Blotter: Sept. 3-9
Total incidents: 58 Traffic stops: 28
Sept. 3 at 7:00 a.m., a stolen truck reported in South Burlington was recovered on Route 116.
Sept. 3 at 9:52 a.m., officers investigated the report of a missing juvenile on Mechanicsville Road. The juvenile was later located.
Sept. 4 at 8:43 a.m., an officer responded to an animal complaint on Wile Street.
Spet. 5 at 3:33 p.m., officers responded to a single car motor vehicle crash on Route 116.
Sept. 5 at 6:09 p.m., officers responded to a citizen dispute on North Road.
Sept. 6 at 4:43 p.m., found property was turned into police and returned to its owner.
Sept. 6 at 9:47 p.m., officers inves-
tigated the report of livestock in the roadway on O’Neil Road.
Sept. 7 at 2:50 p.m., an animal complaint on North Road was investigated.
Sept. 9 at 7:11 a.m., officers responded to the Mobil gas station on Commerce Street where Alicia Marshall, 47 of Hinesburg, was cited for violating a trespass order.
Sept. 9 at 10:30 a.m., police investigated damage to a motor vehicle on Route 116.
Sept. 9 at 1:20 p.m., an officer responded to an alarm at a residence on Richmond Road.
Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney Office and can be amended or dropped.
Vermont State Police Blotter
Sept. 8 at 4:32 p.m., Christopher Carpentier, 36, of Charlotte, was arrested for aggravated domestic assault after police were called to a Charlotte for a family fight.
The Citizen
Serving the community of Charlotte & Hinesburg A publication of Vermont Community Newspaper Group LLC thecitizenvt.com
Advertising submission deadline: Friday at 5 p.m. advertising@thecitizenvt.com classifieds@thecitizenvt.com
Editorial submission deadline: Friday at 5 p.m. news@thecitizenvt.com
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Contact: 1340 Williston Road South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 985-3091
COURTESY PHOTO
Scout Pack 678 staff water stations at the RaceVermont Saucony Charlotte Covered Bridge 5k, 10k and half marathon last weekend.
Burlington’s cathedral, its parkland should not be demolished
Guest Perspective
Sally Giddings Smith
I am not Catholic, nor am I a professional critic. However, I love great buildings and great parks, particularly when they go together, and especially in places which do not have many great buildings or much urban green space.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, is a grand example of a modernist building. Barnes used simple shapes and local materials in this building, just as he did at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building in Washington, D.C., the Indiana University Library and the NSU Art Museum of Fort Lauderdale, among others.
But most significant for all Vermonters is the parkland that surrounds the building. Dan Kiley of Charlotte was internationally famous for designing landscapes to balance the geometric harshness of modern structures.
The trees used here are honey locusts — the same trees that surround the Eiffel Tower in Paris. They smell lovely in the spring and turn yellow gold in the fall. They are plenty hardy here in Vermont and seem tolerant — so far — of the abuse they have been receiving in the last 20 years. I can’t overstate the significance of having a Dan Kiley landscape right here in our own backyard.
It should be impossible for this building and this parkland to be demolished. It is now eligible for historic preservation and must be preserved for future genera-
tions. Its demolition would be a black eye for Burlington and for Vermont, and an insult to the people who rebuilt Vermont after World War II.
The ruling of the Vermont Supreme Court on Sept. 25 will
Is this too much to ask of a church, a city and a state?
undoubtedly be on a strictly legal basis. But really, something must be done. A retreat? A place of rehabilitation? An ecumenical study center? A building for the historical preservation program at University of Vermont? A place of inspiration and a reminder of great creativity and beauty?
Sally Giddings Smith lives in Montpelier.
PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL / VTDIGGER
The Vermont Supreme Court will weigh in this month on whether to allow the demolition of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
There’s more to school tax increases than spending
Guest Perspective
Steph Yu
Vermonters have been understandably upset by the abrupt rise in their school taxes for fiscal year 2025. Most of the complaints focus on the rise in spending, as does the response from policymakers. But taxpayers may also be affected by changes that make the funding system less fair.
The Agency of Education presented some clear analyses last spring explaining the main reasons for the spending increase: rises in salaries and benefits in response to inflation; health insurance cost increases exceeding inflation; the expanding need for expensive mental health services for
students; and the loss of federal funds the schools received as part of the pandemic-related American Rescue Plan Act.
There are other reasons as well, related to fiscal decisions made in the past few years. The expenditures are critical for providing kids with a quality education. But knowing that doesn’t make the tax bumps easier to take. Even modest increases can be a problem if the costs, and who pays them, are not distributed fairly.
In fact, some districts and taxpayers have been facing disproportionately higher bills for a while. For fiscal 2025, Vermont is using a new system of student weighting that is supposed to make it easier for communities to raise and spend money for students
Letters to the Editor
School committee unlikely to fix spending problem
To the Editor:
Sept. 4 was the kickoff meeting of Legislature’s Finance Study Subcommittee, part of the 13-member larger Education Study Commission of Act 183 enacted in June.
If the appointed members of this committee didn’t give you pause, then the results of the first meeting should.
In its first act, the decision was made to appoint Rep. Emilie Kornheiser of Brattleboro as chair. Kornheiser is currently chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means and was responsible for writing last session’s yield bill. She gained fame by some for overtly removing any language of cost containment in
the bill. The subcommittee was initially thought to be important to the larger commission and would recommend significant changes to how Vermont funds education. Now, I doubt it. Kornheiser’s first statement as head of the subcommittee was, “I don’t know what problem(s) we are trying to solve (by this subcommittee) other than short-term cost containment.” She asked each member to express their concerns about education funding, and as the microphone went around the room it became obvious that even though the issues were complex and important, fixing them may not be.
“Unsustainable property tax growth,” “equal access to money,” “cost control local boards,” “declining student enrollment,” “school budget
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that need additional resources, including students in poverty and students attending small, rural schools. The changes are intended to level the playing field for these kids. But there are other costs that also affect school districts differently.
For example: In 2018 Vermont changed the way it distributes funding for special education. The disbursement is no longer based on the number of children to whom a district provides special education. It is calculated by the district’s share of the state’s total school population. That shifts additional costs onto school districts where special ed students make up larger proportions of the student body.
Another factor: Mental health providers and services are
unevenly available around the state. That means some schools must hire their own specialists at higher costs than districts that can contract with local providers. And the demand for mental health positions has more than quadrupled in the last three years, compounding the impact.
School mergers may also be contributing to a sense of unfairness in the system, as larger communities in consolidated districts push to close smaller schools to save money. But no good analysis has been done about whether closing schools meaningfully cuts costs — or how school closures might affect students or communities.
A lot of factors, many beyond Vermont’s control, came together to create a spike in school spending and taxes for fiscal 2025. Some districts and their taxpayers were hit harder than others. But because of the cliffs, taxpayers can see spikes in their bills even when spending doesn’t jump.
This means that spending cuts won’t address either of these challenges — disparate costs from district to district or the inequities low- and moderate-income taxpayers face.
failures,” “difficult decisions to change the funding formula,” “staffing not right sized,” “district inequality,” “federal mandates,” “best practices of successful school district budgets,” and “what strategies are high-performing districts using.”
I’m being sarcastic when I say the issues are simple and the answers straightforward, but under Kornheiser’s direction I doubt any will see the light of day.
After waiting for my opportunity to express my thoughts in the public comment period, Kornheiser announced a three-minute time limit on commentors. Rattled, I quickly went to the meat of my prepared comments
There are also inequities in who pays school taxes. Vermont’s funding system gives resident homeowners the option to pay school taxes based on their income or the value of their homes. Built into the system are thresholds on income and home values that require some low- and moderate-income people to pay both a school income tax and property taxes on a portion of their home’s value.
The thresholds create tax “cliffs,” where an extra dollar of income or a property reappraisal can have disproportional tax consequences. The thresholds have not been raised or adjusted for inflation in years. And because incomes and property values have grown, more and more Vermonters are hitting these cliffs.
Homeowners who cross the $47,000 income threshold can see a school tax increase of 10, 15, 25 percent or more. A family with a $350,000 home that crosses the $90,000 income threshold could see a 70 percent jump in school taxes.
In fact, local voters have done a good job of controlling education costs over the last two decades. Adjusted for inflation, education spending was flat from fiscal 2005 to fiscal 2024, according to the Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Office.
While the number of students (long-term average daily membership) has declined over that period, again after adjusting for inflation, the average annual increase in per-pupil spending was less than 1 percent per year.
The main goal of the education funding system is clear: the best education we can provide for every child. Voters must decide each year how much to spend in their districts, but their ability to make good decisions can be undermined if costs fall unfairly on districts and taxpayers.
Cost containment won’t address unfairness, reduce the need for mental health services or bring down insurance premiums for educators. But eliminating these inequities would make the system fairer and keep the focus where it belongs: on Vermont kids.
Steph Yu is executive director of the Public Assets Institute based in Montpelier.
time.
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‘On the One Road’ features barbershop quartets
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAILY SPECIAL
In its 77th year, the Green Mountain Chorus presents “On the One Road,” its annual show, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2 and 7 p.m., at the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction, 39 Main St. In addition to the Green Mountain Chorus (the Burlington chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society), quartets Chordination and Daily Special will perform, as well as chapter quartets High Voltage and Low Maintenance. Daily Special is a 2024 Barbershop Harmony Society International competition finalist, and a rising star in the world of Barbershop harmony. Chordination is a 2024 Barbershop Harmony Society Northeast District finalist and features the popular and talented Cerutti brothers. Each show has an intermission with door prizes. Tickets can be purchased for $20 at bit.ly/3Mye9lA.
Enjoy Age Well meals at Charlotte Senior Center
The Age Well meal pickup for Wednesday, Sept. 18, is from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Charlotte Senior Center. The meal features chicken and wheat biscuit with mashed cauliflower, peas and carrots, apple berry crisp 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.
The meal on Wednesday, Sept. 25, features roast pork with gravy, boiled potatoes with parsley, butternut squash, wheat bread, cookie bar with dates and Craisins and milk.
September programs at
the Charlotte Senior Center
For more information about any of the programming, go to charlotteseniorcentervt.org.
• Senior Art Show — A wide range of artwork produced by local artists of all skill levels, ages 50 and older. An artist reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 27, 1-2 p.m.
• Italian for beginners with
Community Notes
Nicole Librandi, Fridays, Sept. 13, 20 and 27, and Oct. 11, 18 and 25, 10-11 a.m. Are you interested in exploring the beauty of the Italian language and culture. Questions about whether this class is the correct level, contact Librandi at nicolelibrandi2@gmail.com. The cost is $60 with registration and payment required by Monday, Sept. 9.
• Senior investment fraud, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 1-2:30 p.m. Learn about the three Ps of investment fraud: profile, persuasion and prevention. Join Eric Giroux from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a seminar on investment fraud and financial scams and how you can protect yourself. Free handouts, including the S.E.C.’s official guide for senior investors, will be available to take home. Free. Registration appreciated.
• Men’s breakfast, Friday, Sept. 13. Doors open at 7 a.m.; breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Speakers will be Michael Hibben and Margaret Woodruff, library directors for the Shelburne and Charlotte libraries, respectively. They will be speaking about the evolving roles, challenges and opportunities that public libraries face in the 21st century. Suggested donation is $6. Registration is required by Tues-
day, Sept. 10, to Lane Morrison, lmorrison@gmavt.net.
• Shape-note singing, Sunday, Sept. 22, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Free. Traditional a capella, four-part harmony sung for the joy of singing not as a practice for performance. The first hour will be sacred harp singing and the second from an alternate shape notebook. Books provided. For questions or to schedule your introduction to shape notes and scales, contact Kerry Cullinan at kclynxvt@ gmail.com.
• Charlotte Death Café, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 4-5 p.m. Held on the fourth Wednesday of the month, come celebrate life by voicing concerns, share questions, ideas and stories around death and dying. Register at ppolly62@ gmail.com.
• Walking and gentle hiking group, Thursday, Sept. 26, 9 a.m. Free but registration appreciated. Walk at a gentle pace with other seniors. The group will meet each month for a congenial non-strenuous walk. Meet at 9 a.m. in the parking lot at Charlotte Senior Center. Questions? Contact Penny Burman at 916-753-7279.
• Play reading, Thursday, Sept.
See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 8
26, 1-3:30 p.m. Join Sue Foley and Wally Gates for table-reading fun. No tryouts, no rehearsals, no critical reviews. The group meets monthly and is for people who enjoy reading plays aloud or listening to others perform. Registration required at ssnfoley@icloud.com.
Grange members host potluck, social gathering
Grange members and their families gather at the Grange Hall, 2858 Spear St., for a potluck and social gathering on the third Tuesday every other month.
The next potluck will be held Tuesday, Sept. 17, 6:30-8 p.m. Bring any dish to share and your own plate, utensils and non-alcoholic beverage of your choice. Tea is available.
If you are Grange curious, come and see what it’s all about. Contact Tai Dinnan at charlottegrangevt@gmail.com.
Charlotte Walks: Garden tour, part two
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 Sept. 20.
For September, park at the Quinlan Covered Bridge at the intersection of Monkton and Lewis
LETTERS
continued from page 6
and started talking fast but was cut off by Kornheiser midway through.
What I wanted to say was this: The Champlain Valley School District is the largest school district in Vermont with 907 employees, 254 teachers, 653 staff, serving 3,600 students in five schools in 5 towns with a total population of 27,224 residents.
The district spends more than $28,000 per student with mediocre test score results and
Creek roads. Meet at the Pollinator Garden, then walk half a mile up Lewis Creek Road to a homestead and extensive vegetable garden for a garden tour. If you joined in June, you can see how things have evolved to this point at the end of peak harvest season.
Visit charlottegrange.org to learn the meet-up location each month. Want to be alerted to weather changes? Sign up at charlottegrangevt@gmail.com.
Dancing with Burlington Stars kicks off Sept. 14
Dancing with the Burlington Stars is back on Saturday, Sept. 14, 7-9 p.m., at the Flynn Center in Burlington.
The signature annual fundraising event for the Vermont Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired, all proceeds from the event support its mission to help Vermonters with impaired vision live more independently, cultivate adaptive skills and improve the quality of their lives.
Professional dance instructors are paired with a local celebrities to deliver family-friendly community fun. Teams include Iris Toedt-Pingel, Burlington, and Sophie Decker, South Burlington; Jayden Choquette, Williston, and Allee Pineault, Richmond; Elissa Borden, South Burlington, and Kimberly Volkari, Burlington; Ayeshah Raftery, Colchester, and Jon Bacon, Essex Junc-
tion; Trent Cooper, Westford, and Rose Bedard, Milton; and Shawn Mercy, Grand Isle, and Jessica Ashton, Milton.
Special guest performers include Dance in the Isle, Electric Youth Dance Company, and Just for Kicks.
Emceed by Darren Perron and Amanda Thibault, judging will be done by Elizabeth Seyler, aka Dr. Tango, DJ Craig Mitchell, Nicola Boutin and Rebecca Raskin.
Tickets are $32 through the Flynn box office.
Be a neighbor, share harvest’s bounty
It’s harvest season and the Charlotte Grange welcomes your surplus garden harvest to share and swap with neighbors.
On Tuesday, Sept. 24, bring your surplus garden goodies to share with your neighbors at Veggie Share, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Charlotte Grange Hall, 2858 Spear St., and enjoy a demonstration by a local food producer or homesteader.
a.m., and the meal will be served at noon. There is a $5 suggested donation.
The menu includes chicken cordon bleu with panko and sauce, mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli florets, wheat roll, blueberry crumble, applesauce and milk.
Register by Thursday, Sept. 12, with Kerry Batres, nutrition coordinator, at 802-662-5283 or kbatres@agewellvt.org. Tickets are also available at the Age Well Office at 875 Roosevelt Highway, Suite 210, Colchester.
declining enrollment. It consolidated in July 2017 with an initial budget of $75 million, which grew to $102 million by 2024. School finance experts in 2017 testified that consolidation would save money, but the district added $25 million to the budget in seven years.
Hinesburg has a town budget of $5.4 million serving its 4,700 residents. As it turns out, the biggest industry in Hinesburg is education. If left
unresolved, CVSD (Champlain Valley School District) budgets will continue to grow and so will our property taxes. If you are interested in putting your intellect and time into studying these issues further, then join our study group. This issue is not only not going away, but it will also be resurfacing soon in next year’s school district budget proposal.
John Clifford Hinesburg
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.
Age Well, St. Catherine team up for luncheon
St. Catherine of Siena and Age Well team up to offer a luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 18, for anyone 60 or older in the St Catherine of Siena Parish Hall, 72 Church St. in Shelburne. There will be entertainment by Gerry Ortego on guitar.
The check-in time is 11:30
Restaurant tickets will be available for distribution for a suggested $5 donation.
Ethan Allen talk explores upcoming election
The Ethan Allen Homestead Museum hosts the talk, “What’s Happening in the 2024 Election,” by Geoffrey Skelley on Sunday, Sept. 15, at 2 p.m.
Skelley will provide a detailed overview of the electoral landscape in the upcoming election, including a look at polling of the presidential race in the key battleground states and the situation in the Electoral College. The talk
Barre, Williston, St. Albans
COURTESY PHOTOS
Elissa Borden and Kimberly Volkari and Iris Toedt-Pingel and Sophie Decker will participate in Dancing with the Burlington Stars.
will also include a review of the pivotal down-ballot elections for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
The discussion will engage with current and past electoral developments to help provide a clearer understanding of what’s happening in the 2024 election.
Skelley is a senior elections analyst at 538, part of ABC News.
Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. For information, email ethanallenhomestead@gmail.com or call 802-8654556.
Church holds outdoor winter clothing sale
The United Church of Hinesburg, 10570 Route 116, will hold an outdoor winter clothing sale from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, the day of the Hinesburg Fall Festival.
Choose from a selection of all new (not used) gloves, jackets, fleece pullovers, long underwear and more, all 50 to 80 percent off retail prices. Get ready for your outdoor winter activities or do some early holiday shopping.
SB police hold Red Cross blood drive
The South Burlington Police Department is hosting a blood drive from 12:30-5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, 19 Gregory Drive.
Schedule an appointment at 800-7332767 or visit redcrossblood.org and enter sbpolice to book a slot.
If you are a type O, B-, or A- blood type, you can make a power red donation, which allows you to donate more red blood cells with just one donation.
Garden club talk dives into plastics
The Burlington Garden Club presents “All About Plastics” at its next meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 1 p.m., at Faith United Methodist Church, 899 Dorset St., South Burlington.
“All About Plastics” from speaker Eva Schaub’s 2023 memoir, “Year of No Garbage,” draws attention to recycling lies, plastic problems and one woman’s trashy journey to zero waste.
Plastic is everywhere: from the top of Mount Everest to the placenta of unborn babies. But what can we really do about it and why?
Humorist author Schaub spent an entire year attempting the seemingly impossible: Living in the modern world without creating any trash at all, culminating in her recent memoir.
In the process she learned some startling things: Modern recycling is broken, and single stream recycling is a lie; flushable wipes aren’t flushable and compostables aren’t compostable; plastic drives climate change fosters racism; and that it is poisoning the environment and our bodies at alarming rates. Microplastics are found everywhere, including in the human bloodstream and brain, Schaub said.
Schaub is an internationally published author and humorist. She is the author of “Year of No Sugar” (2014) and “Year of No Clutter” (2017). She has been featured in
The New Yorker, USA Today and The Huffington Post, and she has appeared on Fox and Friends.
Her books have been translated into Chinese, Hebrew and Spanish, and she holds degrees from Cornell University and Rochester Institute of Technology.
Meet the candidates at GOP fundraiser
Meet the candidates at the Visions of Vermont Values fundraiser featuring former Gov. Jim Douglas and Bruce Roy, a Chittenden-Southeast Senate candidate, who will discuss the current Vermont environment and the “positive values we remember,”
according to event sponsors, the Shelburne and Charlotte Republican committees.
The event takes place on Sunday, Sept. 8, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Old Lantern Inn and Barn, 3260 Greenbush Road, in Charlotte, and includes hors d’oeuvres and dinner. There will be a cash bar; tickets are $50. Learn more at shelburnegop.org/product/autumn-social or contact Lisa Gaujac at lgaujac@gmail.com or 802-425-2120.
Grange holds children’s clothing, outerwear drive
A kids’ clothing and outerwear drive will take place from Oct. 1-8 in Charlotte. Donations of children’s and teen cloth-
ing and shoes are welcome. Just drop them off in the weatherproof pin by the front door of the Grange Hall. The hall will be staffed by volunteers on two mornings: Saturday, Oct. 5, 9 a.m.-noon, and Tuesday, Oct. 8, 8:30-10 a.m. (Consider dropping off while the hall is open if you have larger quantities of clothes to donate.)
The fall drive also works to provide children served by the Charlotte Food Shelf with a full winter gear set-up, so consider donating children’s winter jackets, mittens, hats, snow pants and snow boots.
Volunteers are also needed to sort and fold clothes on both Oct. 5 and Oct. 8. Email alcoop.vt@gmail.com to sign up or learn more.
HONORING OUR VETERANS
SPORTS
Redhawks start fall sports season in strong fashion
LAUREN READ
CORRESPONDENT
Field hockey
Champlain Valley 10, Mount Abraham 0: Two players netted hat tricks as the Champlain Valley field hockey team beat Mount Abraham on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Emery Thompson led the way with three goals and two assists, while Alex Wemple added a hat trick. Penny Webster added two goals, while Cordelia Thomas and Gracie Sanchez each tallied once for CVU.
Sophie Comeau and Annabel Johnson combined for the win in goal for the Redhawks. They moved to 2-0.
Cross country
Both the boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams finished first in the Burlington Invitational on Saturday.
For the boys, Benjamin Holoch came in first place overall. Treson McEnaney was fifth and Charles Garavelli came in 13th. Jack Snyder was 23rd overall for the Redhawks.
For the girls, Lydia Donahue, Audrey Neilson and Charlotte Crum went 2-3-4 for the Redhawks. Annalise Wood was seventh and Justyna Amble came in 20th place.
Girls’ golf
Champlain Valley came in second place in high school girls’ golf at the Links of Lang Farm on Friday.
Ryan Sleeper came in first place overall with a 34, while Stella Rakocky was fourth (41), Rylee Makay was sixth (42) and Riley Dunn came in seventh (44).
The Redhawks were just behind firstplace Rice.
Boys’ soccer
Champlain Valley 3, Essex 1: The boys soccer beat Essex on Thursday, Sept. 5, on the opening night of the Jay Brady Kickoff Classic.
Miles Bergeron had two goals to lead the Redhawks, while Will Wallace added one.
The win moved CVU to 2-0.
Girls’ volleyball
Essex 3, Champlain Valley 0: Champlain Valley fell to Essex in high school girls’ volleyball on Thursday.
The Redhawks dropped the first set 25-9, the second 25-21 and the third set, 25-15.
CVU is now 1-1.
Girls’ soccer
Champlain Valley 7, Montpelier 0: Six players found the back of the net as Champlain Valley beat Montpelier on Friday in high school girls’ soccer.
Kate Roberts tallied twice for CVU, Rieanna Murray had goal and three assists and Lilyanna Mittlestadt added a goal and an assist. Flynn Sexton, Reese Kingsbury and Ellie Antonucci each scored one for the Redhawks.
Josie Ziter earned the shutout as CVU moved to 3-0.
Football
Champlain Valley 52, Essex 13: Champlain Valley broke out the offense to win its
second game of the season, beating host Essex on Friday, Sept. 6.
Orion Yates threw for 239 yards and five touchdowns. George Taylor caught five passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns, while Dylan Terricciano had an 18-yard TD catch and 2-yard scamper to score. Dylan Frere added a touchdown and Billy Bates returned a kickoff for a touchdown and nabbed a 24-yard catch for another.
The Redhawks moved to 2-0.
PHOTOS BY AL FREY
Above: Lily Williams aims for the goal in a 3-1 win over Burr and Burton. Below: Maddy Free dives for the ball during CVU’s three-set loss to Essex on Thursday.
Hinesburg Fall Festival on Town Common
The Hinesburg Fall Fest returns on Saturday, Sept. 21, to the Hinesburg Town Common on Route 116 behind the police station with a wide variety of music, food, vendors, activities and opportunities to connect with community groups and find out what changes are happening in Hinesburg. Learn more about the Town Common and weigh in on what you’d like to see there.
Under the tent, there will be movement for all from 10-10:30 a.m., live music until 1 p.m., and from 1-2 p.m. a demonstration from TKDKicks. Choose between three food trucks for lunch: Vudu Cheesesteaks, Tacos Los Hermanos and South End Sliders. Take advantage of Hinesburg’s walkable village center by parking at the town hall and Public House and at businesses along Commerce
Street that are closed on Saturdays. There is also limited parking behind the fire station (accessible via Farmall Drive) and handicapped parking is available at the police station.
At 6 p.m. all are welcome to Stone Soup Supper at the United Church Parish Hall. Tickets — $10 for adults and free for kids under 12 — are available at the Stone Soup cauldron at the festival.
ADVERTISE IN THE BEST LOCAL
FALL HOME, GARDEN & DESIGN PROJECTS
FILE PHOTOS
Making the Stone Soup for the Hinesburg Fall Festival, which returns Sept. 21
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43 of the 79 total lots on the property, including 40 single-family homes, 50 senior living units, 16 attached townhouses and 10,000 square feet of commercial space. Phase one will also include 20 units of affordable housing, according to Weinhagen, 10 of which are included in the senior-living building. The rest are sprinkled throughout the development.
A master plan for the project calls for additional development during a second phase, but BlackRock Construction will need to first undergo a separate approval process at the local and state levels. Once complete, Haystack Crossing could bring as many as 269 new housing units to Hinesburg, hundreds of new residents and what officials say is much-needed tax revenue for the town.
BlackRock Construction could break ground on Haystack Crossing as early as this fall, according to Weinhagen. Additional permitting is required from the town for a few of the larger buildings in phase one, such as the 50-unit senior living facility, but the developer can begin laying infrastructure for the project right away, including wells, sewer lines and roads.
development on the other side of Route 116, which is waiting on a water hookup from the town before it can move forward.
“The town has been waiting, too,” said Weinhagen of the Act 250 approval for Haystack Crossing. “We need that project to turn dirt so we can lay pipe in the ground and get that well online. Now we can start working on that.”
Another key piece of infrastructure for both the development and Hinesburg is a road that would cross Patrick Brook into another proposed development south of Haystack Crossing called Hinesburg Center II. The road would create a third point of access for Haystack Crossing and could help alleviate traffic concerns along an already congested Route 116 once residents start moving in.
“We need that project to turn dirt so we can lay pipe in the ground and get that well online. Now we can start working on that.”
— Alex Weinhagen
Some of that infrastructure is as important to the town as it is for Haystack Crossing.
When Haystack Crossing was first introduced almost a decade ago, it was denied twice mainly because Hinesburg did not have the water infrastructure to support a development of its size. BlackRock Construction ultimately won an appeal of the town’s denial, but the question of water capacity in town remained.
Eventually, the two entities partnered to build a new well on the property that would meet the demand of Haystack Crossing and other pending village developments. BlackRock then donated the well to the town with the understanding that it would help make connections to nearby water treatment facility. One example is the Windy Ridge
When Haystack Crossing and Hinesburg Center II received local approval, both developers agreed to build the crossing over Patrick Brook. In fact, the crossing was baked into the town’s permits as a condition of approval. The crossing itself would be the responsibility of Hinesburg Center II since Patrick Brook is on its property, but Haystack Crossing would build a road through its development to connect the properties.
The plan, which seemed like a viable solution to the town’s traffic issues, stalled after Hinesburg Center II was denied by Act 250 earlier this year. Even though the crossing was a condition of approval for Haystack Crossing, Weinhagen said the likelihood of it being built is slowly diminishing given Hinesburg Center II’s denial.
“The whole thing is very much in limbo right now,” said Weinhagen. “What looked like something that was coming together nicely isn’t anymore. Early indications are that the crossing might go away, which is extremely frustrating and disappointing.”
Weinhagen said both developers will need to meet with town officials to either amend the permit without the crossing or
DIRECT CREMATION SERVICES
propose a new plan to build it. He said that conversation with Haystack Crossing could happen before the year’s end. Hinesburg Center II has formally contested its Act 250 denial.
“There will be more talk about the crossing and it’s going to be a really interesting discussion at the local level,” said Weinhagen. “Traffic is a major concern. We know that. I’ve done a lot of work with different groups to try and assess the traffic impacts of all these different developments and they’ve shown that the issue isn’t going to get worse, but it probably isn’t going to get better either. As long as we aren’t making the situation worse, that’s all we can do.”
It will still be years before Haystack Crossing produces actual housing, said Weinhagen, who estimates that phase one
LIBRARY
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teer coordinator at the senior center, along with five employees of the library.
A public notice given to the town a month prior indicated that most of those employees had signed cards signaling their intent to join the union.
According to a recent decision from the Vermont Labor Relations Board, on April 24 the selectboard filed an objection to the proposed bargaining unit specifically pertaining to the inclusion of the library employees. The board argued that the appropriate legislative body and employer governing these positions is the library’s board of trustees, not the selectboard.
Although the library director is appointed by the board of trustees and responsible for the hiring and firing of certain library staff, a nine-page written decision from the Vermont Labor Relations Board found that in several instances the selectboard has been the governing body responsible for library employee pay increase as well as the library’s overall annual budget, which is voted by residents on Town Meeting Day.
The decision pointed to other cases where the Vermont Labor Relations Board had denied arguments like the one raised by the selectboard in this case.
In a decision concerning unionization efforts in the Town of Roxbury, the board held that although “the library trustees, rather than the selectboard, exercise control
alone will take five to seven years. BlackRock Construction did not respond to a request for comment, but the company initially anticipated a 10-year construction period.
Weinhagen said Hinesburg is taking major steps to help address Chittenden County’s housing crisis. A statewide housing needs assessment produced by the Vermont Housing and Finance Agency earlier this year states that the county needs to produce 8,000 to 11,000 units of housing in the next five years to meet the need.
“This is Hinesburg stepping up,” said Weinhagen. “It took a long time, but we finally have this project that could make a difference. Every community in Chittenden County needs to create more housing. Hinesburg is doing that.”
over the details of the librarian’s employment … we disagree with the Town that this results in a conclusion that (the librarian) is not a municipal employee.”
As in Roxbury, Charlotte employs library staff, the board wrote.
The labor relations board also pointed to Charlotte Library policy that states that its staff are employees of the town of Charlotte.
The decision also explains that the Vermont Labor Relations Board follows the policy that public rights are protected by larger units. Separating the library employees from the other town employees could result in competition between groups and overburden the town in negotiations, they wrote.
“Because that decision combines into a single bargaining unit, both town employees and employees who work for the library, and traditionally the library board has been in charge and overseeing library employees, we are going to work with our attorney, two representatives of the selectboard and the town administrator, to set up a meeting with the library board, or representatives of the library board, to discuss how to move forward relative to the potential bargaining with the collective unit,” board member Kelly Devine said, adding that she and board member Lewis Mudge will act as the selectboard representatives.
Green Mountain Bike Club September rides
All riders must sign an annual waiver. Cyclists should sign up for each individual ride so ride leaders know how many people to expect. For club rules and to join, visit gmbc.com.
Sunday, Sept. 22
Century Day: three rides, all following the same route for the first 25 miles, with a food stop in Bristol. The Metric Century is 62 miles via Bristol and Vergennes.
The full Century is 100 miles to the Crown Point Bridge that returns through the Champlain Valley. Those looking for an extra challenge can do the Double Gap Century — 113 miles — which includes the Middlebury and Appalachian gaps.
Meeting time is 7:30 a.m. at the Wheeler lot, Veterans Memorial Park, South Burlington. The leader is Brian Howard, 802-304-0610 or bjhowd@gmail.com.
PUBLIC HEARING
Hinesburg Development Review Board
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 7:00 pm
Kristin Hass & Richard Armstrong - Subdivision Revision - To combine an adjacent undeveloped 4.17acre property with their 14.84acre residential property located at 324 Black Dog Lane in the Agricultural Zoning District.
Joe Bissonette - Final PlatTo separate a developed 2.01acre lot from a 106.05-acre agricultural lot located at 603 Gilman Road in the Agricultural Zoning District.
Dennis & Jody Place - Final Plat - For a two-lot subdivision of a 39.64-acre property to create a developable 3.00-acre lot l ocated at 190 Place Road West in the Rural Residential 1 Zoning District.
The meeting will be both in person and remote. See meeting agenda on town website with details on how to participate.
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