Charlotte moves forward with regional planner contract
After a deal to job out planning services to Shelburne fell through last week, the Charlotte Selectboard will now partner with Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission until a permanent town planner can be hired.
Charlotte town planner Larry Lewack retired Dec. 1, and the selectboard and town administrator Nate Bareham have been working over the past month with Shelburne on a short-term contract that would allow the neighboring town to provide temporary planning services. But according to Charlotte’s Selectboard, Shelburne has pulled out of the deal.
“We received information from Shelburne that they will no longer be able to enter into a shared services agreement with the town,” Bareham said. “That left us with a fairly short gap to try and fill to have the work continue on the villages’ project as
See PLANNER on page 12
Chicken & Waffles
Sandwich
PATRICK BILOW STAFF WRITER
A husband-and-wife duo is taking over two vacant spots on the Hinesburg Trail Committee, a group dedicated to improving walkability throughout the town’s village and forests.
Marcy and Christopher Stabile have been using the Hinesburg Area Recreation Trails, a network of trails maintained by the tail committee, for close to 30 years. They are avid mountain bikers and runners, and their dogs are frequently nearby on their trail adventures.
“We love being able to get out into the woods and enjoy these really well-maintained trails,” said Marcy Stabile, who was appointed to the trails committee alongside her husband at a selectboard meeting last week. “But we know it takes a lot of work, so we wanted to help out with that effort.”
The Hinesburg Trails Committee has been around for a long time‚ so long, in fact, that chairperson Ray Mainer isn’t even sure when it began. There are eight people on the committee, including the Stabiles, and an army of local volunteers that comes out for dig days.
The committee is mainly responsible
See TRAILS on page 3
PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
Snow geese take flight over Dead Creek Wildlife Refuge in Addison on Nov. 25.
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Beta flies first electric plane from South Burlington
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
If you were out and about on Nov. 13 in South Burlington, it’s likely you didn’t see a bird or any old regular plane flying in the sky, but the first electric plane produced at Beta Technologies’ South Burl-
ington production facility.
Just over a year after the company opened its doors to community, state and federal leaders celebrating the opening of the 188,000 squarefoot facility located off Airport Parkway, the team successfully completed the first flight of the production aircraft, the Alia CTOL,
when the company’s CEO and test pilot, Kyle Clark, sailed to 7,000 feet.
“It’s been a pretty remarkable year to look back on it,” Blain Newton, the company’s chief information officer. said. “Obviously seeing that aircraft come off the line was incredibly inspiring.”
“Together
The expansive manufacturing space now looks much different than it did last October. In that time, the company has installed aerospace-grade tooling for aircraft assembly and ground support equipment and started production of propulsion, batteries and other systems. Not to mention that the
manufacturing floor is now alive with roughly 100 people at a time tinkering and perfecting aircraft design and manufacturing. The company has hired just over 250 people this year alone, bringing
COURTESY PHOTO
Some of Beta Technologies’ team preps the Alia CTOL aircraft for takeoff.
See BETA on page 16
Christopher and Marcy Stabile
TRAILS
continued from page 1
for the Hinesburg Area Recreation Trails (HART), comprising short walking paths near the village to scenic woodland trails in the Hinesburg Town Forest.
Some of the more popular trails are the Russell Family Trails, which offer two miles of trails on a 63-acre working farm, the LaPlatte Headwater and Geprags Park trails, which are both on conserved land near the village, and the town forest trails, which take recreationists deeper into the Vermont backcountry.
“We have miles and miles of trails in Hinesburg,” Mainer said. “We’re working to connect them all throughout town so you can walk from one place to another, and, you know, we’re making progress slowly.”
Mainer said lots of the trails in town originated as unofficial paths through the woods, but over the last 20 years or so — as Hinesburg established two town forests and the local desire for trails increased — those unofficial paths became official trails.
With that came more maintenance work. Nestled in the Champlain Valley, the soil in Hinesburg is thick with clay and worsening
rainstorms every year can cause a lot of damage.
Volunteers with the trails committee are regularly fixing bridges — they installed 10 over the last few years to keep people out of the mud — and raking out damaged spots on the trail.
Mainer said it’s a lot of work made more difficult by a reduced budget.
“We all know about our budget crunch this year,” selectboard chairperson Merrily Lovell said. “So, we’ve said in past years that it would be great if the trails committee could figure out a way to bring in income.”
The Stabiles, who want to bring more than strong backs to the committee, may be able to help with that effort. Both are volunteers with another local trail organization, Fellowship of the Wheel, a group that builds mountain bike trails in Chittenden County, including a handful in Hinesburg, and Christopher has helped fundraise for the organization.
“We want to help find a way to bring more money in,” Christopher Stabile said. “It’d be nice to have that autonomy, you know,
if the trails committee could get extra funding of their own, we could do more. That’s how we are thinking about it.”
Marcy Stabile mentioned improving the brand recognition of the trails committee and the Hinesburg Area Recreation Trails.
“You are running or walking on a trail, and you have no idea who is helping maintain it,” Marcy Stabile said. “I think if you knew it was the trails committee, and you see how nice the trails are, maybe you would feel compelled to donate.”
Extra funds would help the trails committee realize its bigger goal of expanding local trail networks. Mainer said the group is working to build trails near new developments north of the village and build more bridges to protect marsh and wetland areas.
“We’re really excited to get involved and reinforce another connection with this community,” Marcy Stabile said. “We want these trails to be here for years and years to come. If we don’t give our time, effort and energy now, we might not have them in the future, so it’s important for us to help preserve them.”
COURTESY PHOTO
Total reported incidents: 8
Traffic stops: 0
Warnings: 0
Tickets: 0
Arrests: 1
Medical emergencies: 0
Mental health incidents: 2
Suspicious incidents: 0
Directed patrols: 0
Citizen assists: 0
Motor vehicle complaints: 0
Car crash: 2
Animal problem: 0
Noise disturbance: 0
Unlawful Mischief: 0
Theft: 1
Harassment: 0
Vandalism: 0
Property damage: 0
Fraud: 1
Alarms: 0
Pending investigations: 0
911 Hang-up calls: 0
Nov. 26 at 12:50 p.m., an officer assisted another agency with a subpoena.
Nov. 28 at 10:51 a.m., police
CRIME & COURTS
conducted a welfare check on Kelley’s Field.
Nov. 28 at 3:10 p.m., someone crashed their car on Route 116.
Nov. 28 at 3:21 p.m., an officer assisted the South Burlington Police Department with a stolen car investigation. Jennifer Martin, 38 of Hinesburg, was arrested for operation without the owner’s consent.
Nov. 29 at 3:30 p.m., police conducted a welfare check on Silver Street.
Dec. 2 at 10:30 a.m., police investigated a check fraud.
Dec. 2 at 1:02 p.m., an officer responded to Shelburne to help mediate a citizen dispute.
Dec. 2 at 3:25 p.m., someone crashed their vehicle 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.
The Citizen
Serving the community of Charlotte & Hinesburg
A publication of Vermont Community Newspaper Group LLC thecitizenvt.com
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Police, fire departments answer call for kids’ gifts
TOMMY GARDNER STAFF WRITER
First responders around northern Vermont are once again banding together to bring holiday cheer to children undergoing medical treatment.
Operation Fire Cuffs is a joint toy delivery initiative that launched in 2010 when three law enforcement agencies — Burlington and Morristown police departments and Vermont State Police — banded together to fill a fire truck with more than a thousand gifts.
As always, the gifts will be delivered to the University of Vermont Medical Center Children’s Hospital. Now, though, Santa’s got a lot more helpers, nearly 40 of them between
Barre and Highgate.
The participating agencies, organizations and businesses will collect the gifts and gift cards — a wish list is on the Operation Fire Cuffs 2024 Facebook page — and some of the police and fire departments will deliver the presents to the Children’s Hospital on Dec. 19. Presents should be new and unwrapped; gift cards are welcomed, too.
Nearby gift collectors this year include South Burlington Fire Department, Burlington Fire Department, City of Burlington Police Department, Chittenden County Children’s Advocacy Center, Burlington Electric Department, Department of Corrections Chittenden County, Vermont State
Police St. Albans and Williston Barracks, Northern Unit for Special Investigations, Morristown Police Department, Colchester Police, Fire and Rescue Department, University of Vermont Rescue Services, U.S. Marshals, Winooski Police and Fire departments, Milton Police and Fire departments, Cambridge Rescue, Cambridge Fire Department, Cambridge Elementary School, Salon Elixir & Boutique, A1 Flooring, Fairfax Fire Department, Underhill/Jericho Fire Department, Vermont Department of Liquor Control, Global Foundries, Vermont Department of Agriculture, Essex Fire Department, PuroClean and Highgate Fire Department and Library.
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Hinesburg hires firm to fix flood-ravaged culverts
PATRICK BILOW STAFF WRITER
The Hinesburg Selectboard hired Otter Creek Engineering to design replacements for two culverts in town that were badly damaged during two floods this summer.
Both culverts are on Beecher Hill Road. One is close to the highway garage near the intersection with North Road and the other is further east near Route 116.
After the storms this summer, town manager Todd Odit submitted two requests for proposals for design work on each culvert and contacted the Federal Emergency Management Agency to get the ball rolling on disaster relief funds for the projects.
Otter Creek Engineering submitted the lowest cost estimation for the design work. The firm’s bid of $49,323 for each culvert, not including construction costs, was a fraction of the other bids, which ranged from $133,000 to $161,000 per culvert.
The culverts received basic repairs after the storms, but they need to be fully
replaced, according to Odit.
Odit described the box culvert near the highway garage as a straightforward repair, but the 6-foot round culvert near Route 116 is more complicated and will likely need a full replacement with a 30-foot wide, bottomless culvert to allow the natural flow of water below.
Otter Creek was able to give a significantly lower bid because the firm is assuming it will not need to do any geotechnical work, which is possible, particularly with the round culvert as its exposed bedrock might need leveling. Geotechnical work could raise the cost of the design process.
“We’re going into this thinking it could be more expensive, but it’s still a lot lower than the other bids,” Odit said.
Odit said constructing the new culverts could cost over $1 million but he anticipates that FEMA will cover 75 percent of the construction costs.
Odit had a meeting with FEMA officials last week, and the town is now working on a full damage inventory, which is due in 60 days.
Cannabis has not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For use by individuals 21 years of age and older or registered qualifying patient only. KEEP THIS PRODUCT AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS. DO NOT USE IF PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING. Possession or use of cannabis may carry significant legal penalties in some jurisdictions and under federal law. It may not be transported outside of the state of Vermont. The effects of edible cannabis may be delayed by two hours or more. Cannabis may be habit forming and can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Persons 25 years and younger may be more likely to experience harm to the developing brain. It is against the law to drive or operate machinery when under the influence of this product. National Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.
OPINION
Demand far outstrips supply in housing market
Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committee
Carl Bohlen
Paul and Meredith were frustrated. They had been looking for a house to buy for two years with no luck. They both had good paying jobs and recently had sold their condominium in Burlington to give them the funds for a hefty down payment on a new home.
But with few homes on the market, their choices were slim. They had submitted offers on a few homes but bidding wars way above the asking price left them unsuccessful. An old farmhouse with a barn in Hinesburg had just come on the market, and they quickly got to see it and recognized potential.
asking price of close to $600,000. They decided it was beyond their budget and did not put an offer in.
Fast forward a few months and driving by the property, they saw that the house and barn had been torn down, and a large McMansion was under construction nearby. (This story is based on actual events, but the names have been changed to protect the innocent.)
In 2023, Vermont had the highest national rate of homelessness per 10,000 residents. Half of Vermont renters pay above 30 percent, with one in four paying above 50 percent of their income for housing.
A builder friend went with them a few days later, but by then bids were coming in for the full
How did we get into this housing crisis? A recent state report by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, “Vermont Housing Needs Assessment: 2025-2029,” sheds some light on this question. Statewide demand for housing began to increase in 2017. This was made worse with the pandemic when Vermont was considered a “safe” state, and folks began moving here in droves.
The pandemic produced mate-
rial and labor shortages, which also caused home construction costs to spike. Between 2019 and 2023, housing costs of single-family homes in Vermont increased by 38 percent. Higher construction costs push more people into renting, causing rents to jump and pushing more people into homelessness.
In 2023, Vermont had the highest national rate of homelessness per 10,000 residents. Half of Vermont renters pay above 30 percent, with one in four paying above 50 percent of their income for housing. The general rule of thumb is that housing costs should not exceed 30 percent of one’s income.
In addition, many renters are living in low quality, aging housing with health and safety concerns and costly heating systems. Compounding the lack of rentals has been the increase in short-term rentals, which can be good for the property owner but bad for a family needing a longterm affordable home.
A lack of affordable housing or assisted living facilities for older Vermonters leave many “trapped” in the large home they needed while raising a family and no longer need, but they are unable to afford a move.
The report estimates Vermont will need between 24,000 new housing units, based on the pre-pandemic growth rate, and 36,000 based on the current growth rate between now and 2029. That equates to between 4,800 and 7,200 new homes per year, quite above the 2,300 built in 2022. Here in Chittenden County, the report estimates a need for 8,000-11,000 new homes over the next five years or 1,600-2,200 per year. Between 2016 and 2022, an average of 769 new units were constructed in Chittenden County, so we have a way to go to get there.
The five-year projection for Hinesburg has not been set yet, but it looks like 225-275 new units
between now and 2029 would be needed. The good news is that with projects in the pipeline or already approved, Hinesburg should meet or (gasp) exceed those target numbers.
The really good news is that approximately 20 percent of these new homes will be perpetually affordable.
Carl Bohlen is a member of the Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committee. If you have an interest in helping Hinesburg create more housing, especially affordable housing, the Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committee has two openings on the committee. Contact Bohlen at larcredsox@gmavt.net or the town manager’s office.
Letters to the Editor
Time to abolish Green Mountain Care board
To the Editor:
Vermonters were recently alarmed to learn of cuts to the University of Vermont Health Network’s services statewide. This news comes amid skyrocketing health care costs, which also drive up property taxes and strain household budgets.
Instead of expanding access, Vermonters now face reduced services, including the closure of clinics, fewer inpatient beds, and even the end of UVM’s transplant program, forcing patients to travel to New Hampshire for life-saving procedures.
These cuts stem from the Green Mountain Care Board’s mandate to reduce the health network’s revenues. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. Hospital networks across Vermont are also reducing services. Understandably, Vermonters are asking what is going on.
To answer this, we must revisit the origins of the Green Mountain Care Board. Created in 2011 as part of H.202, Vermont’s ambitious effort to establish a single-payer universal health care system, the board was given broad authority to oversee health care funding and budgets. However, by 2014, the plan unraveled. Reports, such as one from Avalere Health, revealed that single payer would require $2.2 billion in new taxes. Amid mounting public opposition and economic concerns, thenGov. Peter Shumlin abandoned the initiative.
Yet the Green Mountain Care Board remained. By 2016, it pivoted to an all-payer model aimed at reducing costs systemwide. The board was granted final authority over hospital budgets and insurance rates, enabling it to mandate cost reductions. While this might sound like a prudent measure, it has led directly to today’s crisis: hospitals unable to adjust revenues to meet rising costs are cutting essential services instead.
This rationing of care traces back to a failed experiment in health care reform. Decisions made by the Green Mountain Care Board — an unelected body — have undermined the very goals it was created to achieve: a health care system that is high-quality, accessible, affordable and sustainable. After more than a decade, Vermonters are left with a system that does none of these well.
Luckily for the legislators who originally supported the legislation which brought us to this point, most of them are long-gone from public office at this point. This means that Vermont voters are unable to hold them accountable for their poor decisions. Current legislators, rather than finding solutions, seem happy to point the finger at hospital executives, insurance companies and an unelected board carrying out the mandate the Legislature gave them.
There are no easy fixes.
Let’s do it: a lot we can do to reduce school taxes
Guest Perspective
Ryan Heraty
Thank you, Gov. Phil Scott, for your recent communications regarding the challenges Vermont is experiencing with its education finance system. We appreciate your support in addressing this complex problem. As you may know, the Lamoille South Supervisory Union has been significantly impacted by the current crisis.
In the Elmore-Morristown district, two failed school budgets resulted in a substantial decrease in services provided to students, including the loss of a middle school foreign language program and intervention support for children.
In Stowe, taxpayers have navigated an increase of approximately 30 percent in local property taxes. Many have expressed the hardship this is placing on their families. According to the most recent Agency of Education data, our supervisory union has the second lowest spending in the state. It feels as though we are being penalized for years of fiscal responsibility.
We believe in the sharing of tax dollars and that all students should have access to a high-quality education, regardless of zip code. Our schools also need extensive capital improvements and residents in all
three towns are dedicating a much larger percentage of their income toward housing than others across the state. Our children have significant needs, and the impact of the pandemic, mental health crisis, and opiate epidemic can be felt in each one of our buildings daily. Another round of budget failures will be devastating to students and teacher morale. I worry deeply about the future of our towns, schools and state.
Although many are committed to redesigning the system, this will take time. There are structural changes that can be made now to avoid a repeat of last year. Without any change, it is inevitable that we will have another round of budget failures.
We ask that you please initiate and support action around the following short-term recommendations:
• Establish a reserve fund maximum (for example, 10 percent of expenditures) to immediately reduce pressure on the education fund, encourages districts to use reserve funds for capital improvements now and reduce future liabilities, and discourages districts from using Act 127 tax incentives to build a savings account to pay down future tax rates instead of lowering budgets.
• Allow local options taxes to be used for capital improvement to reduce the
pressure on the education fund as some districts will be able to fund critical repairs and renovations through their local municipality; acknowledge the state’s decision to stop funding school construction and the burden this has placed on the education fund; and address the immediate safety repairs needed in many schools and the impact of PCBs.
• Redesign tax categories — resident, non-resident and business — and acknowledge the large purchase of properties that occurred during the pandemic by out-of-state residents. This will ensure residents will pay an equal or lower tax rate than non-residents, and it will reduce financial pressure on renters by disconnecting the landlord tax rate from non-resident tax rate.
• Remove weights from tuitioning districts. The state is currently subsidizing those sending their children to private schools by lowering property tax rates with pupil weighting. The weights are designed to increase resources provided to students, not to reduce tax rates.
• Identify districts that have a disproportionate staff to student ratio. This one data point is critical for identifying inefficiencies in school budgets as salaries and benefits account for nearly 80 percent of all expenditures. Reducing overstaffing will also address the high number of vacancies in hard-to-fill positions and an over-reliance on unlicensed educators.
• Increase transparency and student investments by publishing actual per-pupil financial data while categorizing areas of spending — instruction, debt and maintenance, for example
The misrepresentation of the word
pupil is having unintended consequences on equity across the state. For example, a district that may be spending $45,000 per pupil might have weighted spending of $12,000 per pupil. The $12,000 figure is what will be written on the ballot, thus preventing taxpayers from making informed decisions regarding the value of their tax dollars. High spending in some districts results in failed budgets across the state. Transparently showing where money is allocated increases accountability with how dollars are spent, thus ensuring money is directed toward student learning.
Ryan Heraty is superintendent of the Lamoille South Supervisory Union, which operates public schools in Morristown, Elmore and Stowe.
LETTERS continued from page 6
Rising health care costs are a nationwide issue. But Vermont’s approach has been a resounding failure. The Legislature must acknowledge this reality and disband the Green Mountain Care Board. Only by reevaluating how we manage health care can we begin to restore trust and ensure affordable access for all Vermonters.
Shayne Spence Underhill
Shayne Spence is a former Johnson Selectboard member and was a Republican candidate for the Vermont House in 2020.
Community Notes
Shelburne tree
lighting is Friday
Shelburne’s annual tree lighting and carol sing is Friday, Dec. 6, starting at 5:30 p.m., with caroling led by Matt Vachon and friends.
After the tree lighting, festivities move to Shelburne Town Hall and Pierson Library for light refreshments from the Shelburne Recreation Committee and other holiday activities:
• Visit with Santa and get your picture taken.
• Take home a seasonal kid’s craft from the library.
• Listen to the Northern Bronze Handbell Ensemble.
• Electra’s engineers in residence display a Model O ‘Gauge train.
• See the SD Ireland holiday mixer truck. Leave all pets at home. Dogs will not be allowed in town hall or the library during the event, except for registered service animals. Enter the event from the front of the town hall, facing Route 7. Those with accessibility needs will be allowed to enter through the library’s main entrance (and avoid the stairs). It is recommended to leave strollers outside or in your car.
Contact Shelburne Recreation at 802-985-9551 with any questions.
Knights of Columbus host community breakfast
The Bishop DeGoesbriand Council will serve a pancake breakfast in its parish hall on Sunday, Dec. 8, 9-11:30 a.m., St. Joseph’s Cathedral, 29 Allen St., Burlington.
The feast will feature bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, blueberry pancakes, French toast and more. Coffee, juice, butter and real Vermont maple syrup are included.
The cost is $10 and $25 for a family of
COMMUNITY
four. The breakfast benefits seminarians or religious aspirants for books, car insurance, maintenance, travel during vacations, clerical clothing, emergency expenditures and other living expenses.
Contact David Ely, davidely1986@ gmail.com or 802-862-5109, for more information.
Take the stage for Players’ next show
Looking for a little humor and something fun to do over the dark winter months? Audition for “The Servant of Two Masters” with The Shelburne Players.
Auditions will be held Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 9 and 10, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., in the Pierson Library community room, 5376 Shelburne Road. If needed, callbacks will take place on Thursday, Dec. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The play, by Carlo Goldoni, will be directed by Su Reid-St. John and produced by Cathy Diamond.
Rehearsals begin Jan.13, and the play will run March 14-22.
The show has been called “a cross between traditional Italian commedia and postmodern vaudeville, this new version of Goldoni’s classic pits the madcap servant Truffaldino against masters, mistresses, lovers, lawyers, and twenty-seven plates of meatballs. Imagine a Bob Hope or Woody Allen comedy written by Monty Python and performed with the physical bravura of Chaplin or Keaton.”
Learn more at shelburneplayers.com.
Shelburne Age Well offers Grab and
Go meal
This will be the last Grab and Go meal offered by Age Well in Shelburne.
In January, community meals will be offered in person on the second and third Tuesday of the month.
Age Well and St. Catherine’s of Siena Parish in Shelburne will team up to provide a meal to go for anyone age 60 and older on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
Meals will be available for pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St. from 11 a.m. until noon. A $5 donation is suggested.
The menu is beef stew with vegetables and potatoes, winter mixed vegetables, wheat biscuit, tapioca pudding with peaches
and cream, and milk
To order a meal, contact Kathleen by Wednesday, Dec. 4 at agewellstcath@gmail. com or 802-503-1107.
Group rolls out Lake Champlain action plan
The Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on Lake Champlain rolls out its 2025
Author helps others grapple with ravages of Alzheimer’s
PATRICK BILOW STAFF WRITER
Shelburne resident Beverly Fay recently published her memoir, “Take My Hand,” which details her husband’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s in 2014 and the struggles that ensued.
Alzheimer’s is a brain disorder that causes a gradual decline in memory, thinking and ability to perform daily tasks. It’s an immeasurably frustrating disease for patients that can also pose difficulties to caretakers and loved ones.
Norm, Fay’s husband, was diagnosed just months after his retirement at 69 years old. He died five years ago, but Fay felt compelled to tell their story of grappling with the disease, not only to come to terms with his death, but also to support families faced with a similar struggle.
“Take My Hand” is a short, spiral-bound book that walks readers through the day-to-day life of the Fay family after Norm’s diagnosis.
Fay, who owned the Shelburne Children’s Shop for 21 years, documents her husband’s actions as the disease progressed, from hopeful interactions with grandchildren, which the title draws inspiration from, to strange proclivities like placing golf balls in the fridge with produce.
Married for 46 years, Fay also shows how Norm’s lifelong hobbies, like playing the guitar and listening to music, eventually slipped away.
“It’s an awful disease,” said Fay, who cared for her husband for years at their home in Shelburne before he moved to a supportive care facility in Bennington.
Despite the challenges and heartbreak of her husband’s illness, Fay, in many ways, was prepared to care for Norm.
For years, Fay cared for multiple women in Shelburne who were struggling with Alzheimer’s. She’s not a nurse but, after her retirement
COMMUNITY NOTES
continued from page 8
Lake Champlain action plan, “2024 State of the Lake and Ecosystem Indicators,” on Monday, Dec. 9, from 5-7 p.m. at the Shelburne town offices.
Featured speakers include Lake Champlain Basin staffers Dr. Matthew Vaughan, chief scientist, Meg Modley, aquatic invasive species management coordinator; Colleen Hickey, education and
Beverly Fay with her memoir, “Take My Hand,” which chronicles her husband’s Alzheimer’s.
from the children’s store, was asked by friends to help with a family member who had the disease.
“I would just show up and we’d do whatever,” Fay said. “It didn’t matter so long as they were engaged and comfortable, and their family could get a break.”
She cared for five women in this capacity for almost a decade.
“I wholeheartedly believe that experience was preparing me for Norm’s sickness,” she said. “It’s harder to watch your husband go through it though.”
Since its publishing, “Take
My Hand” has been received well by readers, according to Fay. At a recent book signing at the Pierson Library in Shelburne, a reader, who also had a family member suffering from the disease, thanked Fay for the advice she offers in the book.
“That was my main goal with the book,” Fay said. “I wanted to reach other people who were struggling and offer a hand.”
“Take My Hand” is available for purchase at Flying Pig in Shelburne and Fay hopes to offer the book in additional locations soon.
outreach coordinator; and Jim Brangan, cultural heritage and recreation coordinator.
The action plan addresses the committee’s most pressing clean water priorities, including flood mitigation, adaptation and resilience; solutions for chloride and other contaminants pollution; prioritization of land use and development that reduces water quality
impacts; aquatic invasive species spread prevention; and equitable public access and recreation.
The meeting will also feature a remote option.
Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is requested for in-person participation and required to receive the remote log-in information. Register at bit. ly/3OrrBsp.
Discover new toys, games, puzzles, and gifts now in stock for the holidays.
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Our Toy Experts would be happy to help you nd the perfect gifts!
LAST CHANCE to drop o a gift for Troy’s Toy Drive and Lund’s Joy Drive! Ends 12/12
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Open: Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat: 9am-6pm, Sun: 10am-5pm 129 Market St, Williston (next door to Healthy Living) www.TurnerToys.com | 802-233-6102
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COURTESY PHOTO
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Champlain
PHOTOS BY AL FREY
Growing grains
Nitty Gritty finds its niche in locally grown food market
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Getting down to the nitty-gritty is about getting down to the root of it all and for the Nitty Gritty Grain Co. team, that’s exactly what they’ve been doing for the last 16 years: growing grain.
Grains are arguably the basis for it all — from flour to cornmeal — and without them, it’s likely the things we love to eat most would not — or could not — exist at all.
Golden strands tossing freely against a Green Mountain backdrop fill the expansive farm property on Lake Road in Charlotte. For the Kenyon family, the dancing wheat signifies home. But for Vermont, it signifies something much greater: the resurgence of a local grain industry.
The Kenyons have been farming for centuries in the Champlain Valley. The family started farming in the Shelburne area in the 1770s, and the family lore reveals a harrowing story of a family member who was killed over some type of grain crop debacle.
Growing grain is literally in their blood.
Tom Kenyon, the brain — and grit — behind Nitty Gritty Grain Co. is the seventh generation of these farmers. His certified organic farm, Aurora Farm, had been growing grains and selling the yield to the commodity market since the 1980s. But as time passed, a question lingered: Why is it customary to ask where our meat and vegetables are grown, but the same question isn’t asked of grain? In fact, at the time, it was nearly impossible to buy Vermontgrown flour in the grocery store.
and Shelburne Grocery — and in bakeries and restaurants across the state.
“That’s the biggest thing for me is being able to grow local, healthy, organically sourced grain in Vermont.”
— David Kenyon
That question posed by a neighbor planted the seed for what would later be known as Nitty Gritty Grain Co., which launched in 2008 with the help of a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.
“Essentially, it was a way to bring the local identity back to the grain,” David Kenyon, eighth generation on the farm and son of Tom, said. “Because previously, we were just selling it to the commodity market where it gets lost in a massive stream of identity-less grain.”
The company has since grown to include its products on local grocery store shelves — including Healthy Living in South Burlington, City Market in Burlington
While Nitty Gritty Grain Co. is one of several grain producers scattered across the state, according to a 2015 University of Vermont article, in the 1880s Vermont was dubbed the “breadbasket of New England” because of its high wheat production. However, by the turn of the century, and as colonial America expanded west, the crop largely disappeared from the Northeast and with it the knowledge and infrastructure needed to produce these crops.
“Historically, this was kind of like the breadbasket,” David Kenyon said. “But in more contemporary times, there’s not a lot of people that grow grain in Vermont. There are a lot more large dairy farms that are growing soybeans and corn for feed now.”
Part of the problem, he said, is that the climate and soil found in the state are simply not conducive to growing grains, especially with catastrophic floods that climate experts predict will only intensify in coming years. And for growing grain, wet conditions can be far worse than dry.
Kenyon explained that the soil
found in the areas surrounding the farm is wide-ranging, from beautiful soil to the “heaviest clay you’ve ever seen.”
“The last two years have just been awful,” he said. “That’s probably our biggest challenge, the amount of rain we’ve had in the last few years.”
While Charlotte was hammered with more than five inches of rain during July, the farm itself didn’t experience much irreversible harm, but one variety of wheat they were growing at the time didn’t pass the quality test for human consumption because it got too wet.
In addition to growing hay, corn and different legumes, the farm typically grows three types of winter wheat, which is planted in the middle of September and harvested in early July.
“It comes up in the fall, usually from two to eight inches, which would be the tallest,” Kenyon said. “It goes dormant for the winter, and then it wakes up in the spring and shoots up in height throughout April, May and June. It’ll start to turn more of that golden brown, yellow color. And then usually the first or second week of July, we combine it.”
The entire effort is a family affair. Tom Kenyon, nearing 70, still spends long days on the farm but now with the help of his son. Catherine Kenyon, Tom’s sister and self-proclaimed “Cornmeal Queen,” also helps with things like ordering and packing.
While Nitty Gritty Grain Co. hit the ground running in the
renaissance of grain production in the state, it wasn’t without a lot of help from family, friends and a state that still intrinsically values locally produced foods.
“I think we are super lucky to be in Vermont because the consumer here actually appreciates and is willing to pay a premium for a local grain,” Kenyon said. “So, in that regard, I think that Nitty
Gritty probably wouldn’t really work as a model in a lot of other places in the country.”
For Kenyon, this was the entire reason he came back to the farm five years ago after working in architecture after school.
“That’s the biggest thing for me is being able to grow local, healthy, organically sourced grain in Vermont,” he said.
COURTESY PHOTO
David Kenyon and his dad, Tom, of the Nitty Gritty Grain Co., at their farm in Charlotte.
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well as updating the town plan.”
Shelburne town manager Matt Lawless confirmed that the town couldn’t honor the time commitment needed to “do a good job on this.”
“I remain committed to exploring partnerships between towns and am open to all kinds of ideas,” he said. “We’ll keep trying to help each other.”
The town planner position is an important one for the small town, especially since the planning commission is currently updating bylaws for the town’s east and west villages and will need to start work on updating the town plan next year.
The two-year-long village planning project has been making headway since last year and the planning commission is beginning to draft new land use regulations. Those are anticipated to come before the voters next summer.
“We thought we had this solved at our last meeting and now we don’t have it solved, which is unfortunate because I thought it was a really great solution,” selectboard member Kelly Devine said.
While details of a prolonged short-term agreement with the regional planning service must be solidified, Bareham explained that they are available to provide eight to 16 hours a week of remote
work for the town. The contract will extend from January to June. The cost for the agreement has yet to be finalized but would be comparable to what the town was prepared to pay Shelburne for its services, officials said.
Devine, who is also representing the selectboard in ongoing union negotiations, noted that the town has discussed reducing the town planner role from a full-time to a part-time position but that hiring qualified professionals in a part-time capacity is often difficult.
Nine out of the 10 eligible positions for the union officially voted to mobilize in September. The Vermont Labor Relations Board formally recognized the union in October.
She also noted that it may be difficult to bring on a staff member when the town is entering negotiations with a union, which includes the town planner position, for its first contract.
“When you bring on a full-time employee and it’s a union position, you don’t have a lot of flexibility,” Devine said. “You have to fire for cause, so we better be really sure what we’re doing before we add people into those positions. We’ve had the luxury of a few planners who haven’t worked out and it’s like ‘OK, thanks.’ That just isn’t going to be the case anymore.”
Stick season
For more information about any of the programming, go to charlotteseniorcentervt.org. Register at 802-425-6345.
• December art exhibit, “The Magical World of Birds Photography” by Barbara Motyka. Nature poetry is a constant source of inspiration for Motyka, who captures and shares images of the magical but fragile beauty of the natural world around us. Motyka’s show opens Dec. 9 and runs through January.
• Avoiding scams, Thursday, Dec. 5, 1:30 p.m. Free, but registration suggested. Join the securities division of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation for this timely presentation on how to spot and avoid scams.
• Tech Help with Susanna Kahn, Wednesday, Dec. 11. 20-minute appointments scheduled at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Free. Registration
required. Email enigma? Kindle conundrum? App apprehension? Computer questions? Sign up for a 20-minute, one-on-one session at the senior center with the Charlotte Library’s technology librarian.
• Men’s breakfast, Friday, Dec. 13, 7 a.m. Suggested donation is $6. There will be no guest speaker, but rather this will be a
PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
A stand of trees at Shelburne Farms creates a canopy over a popular running and walking trail.
All about saffron: world’s most expensive spice
DEBORAH J. BENOIT UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION
Did you know that the world’s most expensive spice comes from a type of crocus? It’s true. Saffron is derived from Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus.
While blooming crocuses are as common in spring as boldly colored leaves are in autumn, the saffron crocus blooms in the fall.
Saffron corms (bulbs) are planted in late summer. Grasslike foliage emerges September to October, followed by lavender-colored buds that open to reveal a trio of bright red stigmas in late October and early November. It’s the stigmas that, once harvested, become the saffron found on our kitchen spice racks.
What makes saffron such an expensive product in comparison to other spices? It’s the labor involved in harvesting those three little, red stigmas. Each saffron flower must be individually handpicked, and the three stigmas carefully removed by hand. Once harvested, the stigmas are dried, becoming the saffron used in dishes such as yellow rice and bouillabaisse.
Saffron appeals to three of our five senses by offering a strong fragrance, its signature yellow color and a distinctive flavor to numerous cuisines around the world. In addition to its culinary uses, saffron has been used historically as a dye and for medicinal purposes.
It takes approximately 150 to 170 saffron flowers to produce one gram of spice. That’s about 4,000 saffron flowers to produce a single ounce.
Iran is by far the world’s largest grower of saffron. It is also grown in Afghanistan, Spain and other countries with hot, dry climates. Saffron has been grown in parts of Pennsylvania for over 200 years, mostly for personal use.
Research is underway into expanding commercial opportunities for growing saffron in the United States.
The saffron crocus is hardy to United States Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zone 6 but readily survives in Zone 5 and even Zone 4, according to research conducted at the University of Vermont. No insulation is required. In fact, researchers discourage the practice of covering plants with mulch because it may attract rodents.
If you’re thinking about trying to grow saffron at home, corms are generally available to order in late summer and are shipped at the proper time for planting.
Saffron corms should be plump and firm. Discard any that are shriveled or soft or that display signs of disease.
Select a location in full sun with well-draining soil. Standing
SENIOR CENTER continued from page 12
social breakfast as an opportunity to slow down and connect during the hectic holiday season.
To attend, email Lane Morrison at lmorrison@gmavt.net by Nov. 5.
• Gen-Hub, Friday, Dec. 13, 1 p.m. Free, but registration required. Gen-hub is a new group of social gatherings for seniors interested in building friendships and making new connections in a safe and cozy environment. Light refreshments and lots of conversations and mingling.
• Segel family concert, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2:303:30 p.m. Free, but registration suggested. A celebration of the season as the Segel children from Charlotte — Juna, Jack, Hannah, Ada and Forrest, who showcase their talents on piano and strings. Homeschooled and passionate
water or excessive moisture can rot the corms. In the fall, plant corms about three inches deep, cover with soil and water in. The plants will continue to grow all winter, going dormant in June.
Lining the planting area with hardware cloth and placing it over the corms can help deter squirrels, chipmunks, mice, voles or rabbits that will dig up saffron corms.
When in bloom, harvest saffron on a dry, sunny day, early to midmorning. Remove each flower by hand, then carefully remove each stigma. Place the stigmas separately on a paper-lined tray to dry.
Like other herbs and spices, saffron should be stored in an airtight container out of direct sunlight and away from heat to preserve its flavor.
Over time, the corms in your saffron bed will multiply. After several years, dig them up and
separate the daughter corms from the mother and replant to prevent overcrowding.
Growing your own saffron can be a satisfying and money saving endeavor.
To advertise in the service directory email: Advertising@thecitizenvt.com or call 985-3091
about music, they will perform a diverse selection of solos, duets and ensemble pieces, featuring everything from sacred music to classical favorites.
• Beaded eyeglass necklace workshop, Monday, Dec. 16, 1:30-3:30 p.m. $15, registration and payment required by Dec. 12. Are you always losing your reading glasses? Or are you looking for a holiday gift idea for someone who can’t keep track of their reading glasses? Join beader Pat Riesner and create a beaded necklace for glasses.
• Play reading, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 1-3:30 p.m. Free, but registration required. Join Sue Foley and Wally Gates for table-reading fun. No tryouts, no rehearsals, no critical reviews. The group meets monthly and
To learn more about saffron, check out the UVM North American Center for Saffron Research and Development at uvm.edu/~saffron.
is for people who enjoy reading plays aloud or listening to others perform. If you would like to attend, contact Foley at ssnfoley@ icloud.com.
• Alzheimer’s caregivers support group, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 3-4 p.m. Free. No registration required. Monthly support group on the second Wednesday of each month. For information, contact Louise Fairbank at louisefairbank67@gmail.com.
• Charlotte death café, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2:303:30 p.m. Free, but registration required. Celebrate life by voicing concerns and sharing questions, ideas and stories around death and dying.
• Gingerbread house building party, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Free, but registra-
ANTIQUES WANTED
Deborah J. Benoit is a UVM Extension master gardener.
tion required. Hosted by Champlain Valley Union High School Senior Community Service Club. Materials provided to decorate gingerbread houses with students and peers. Space is limited.
• Coffee and canvas: snowy winter landscape, Thursday, Dec. 12, 12:30-2 p.m. $30. Registration and payment required by Dec. 6. With Sherry Senior. Explore and create your own unique painting. All materials included.
• Winter solstice meditation with Charlie Nardozzi and Heidi Kvasnak, Friday, Dec. 20, 5-6 p.m. Suggested donation is $5-$20. A candlelight meditation starting with seated, gentle movements, followed by soft chanting, a longer sitting meditation and a closing chant. Registration suggested.
FILE PHOTO
Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice as each Crocus sativus blossom must be individually picked and its three stigmas carefully removed by hand and laid out to dry.
continued from page 2
its total employees up to 800 with most of them based in Vermont.
While the take-off of the fixedwing plane marked a milestone for Beta, the company has also been laser-focused on how to effectively “build the machine to build the machines.”
The goal is to be able to produce roughly 300 electric planes a year. An even bigger goal is getting the Federal Aviation Administration to certify the fixed-wing aircraft by the end of next year.
“It’s the same level of discipline and care and engineering that goes into it, in fact, maybe more because of the number of dimensions,”
Newton said. “One, let’s learn how to build aircraft in a high quality, safe way, alongside our partners in the FAA, to ensure that these aircraft are as safe as any aircraft coming off commercial airline production lines today. Then the rest of it has been spent on really learning how these aircraft come together in an optimized way.”
While Newton said there are hundreds of companies working in the electric aircraft realm, Beta’s mission is more expansive than the common concept of “urban air mobility” or just moving passengers over city traffic.
For example, the company announced in September that it
had received $20 million to partner with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to deploy 20 of the company’s battery charging stations along the Gulf Coast and in rural places like Mississippi and Arkansas as a means of powering public health preparedness.
“Well, that’s not really an urban air mobility mission, right? You’re not flying people over traffic in rural Mississippi,” Newton said.
“What you’re doing is you’re opening and changing the paradigm of rural health access. You’re allowing more services to be provided because you bring the cost dramatically down from flying a helicopter in and you also set up preparations for disaster response by having infrastructure built to support it.”
While the company can certainly do urban air mobility — imagine flying from Rutland to New York City — that’s not the primary mission, he noted.
“So, to me, that mission highlights why we’re different,” he continued.
The company also recently signed with Air New Zealand to use its fixed-wing aircraft to move mail into rural communities.
“The reason they’re doing that is to get the folks in those communities accustomed to electric aviation that is safe, reliable, quiet,
cost-effective,” he said. “Then they want to move to passenger movements so that folks that are isolated in those rural communities can now start to access the rest of the country.”
The company, he said, elected to build the fixed-wing model first because it is likely first in the FAA certification schedule and likely first to be delivered to customers. But the company has always set out to build a vertical takeoff and land-
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“What we saw as we were out doing our flight tests, and we’ve now flown over 90 airports in the U.S. and Canada, is that people still have the desire for a low-cost, quiet, reliable, safe, conventional aircraft,” he said.
There’s roughly 80 percent commonality in design of the two aircraft models, which means the team can essentially build them off the same production line, he said.
“We learned a lot from this first production build,” company founder Kyle Clark said. “We weren’t just building an aircraft company, we were building and refining a system to build high quality aircraft efficiently. This first build allowed the team to collect data and insight on manufacturing labor, tooling design, processes, yields and sequences, all of which are being used to refine our production systems.”
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COURTESY PHOTO
The Alia CTOL during a flight earlier this month.