Hinesburg planners stay with density proposals
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
Last July, the Hinesburg selectboard rejected the town planning commission’s proposed zoning changes to the Rural Residential 1 zoning district, which currently extends from just outside the village area to the northern part of town.
Over the past month, the commission has
addressed the issues the selectboard raised with parts of their proposal and is preparing to send a revision back to the selectboard.
While the selectboard approved the majority of the rezoning changes originally put forward by the planning commission last year, the rejection last summer was focused on both the proposed density in one of the proposed districts and the expansion of the village growth area to include the entirety of
the Laster development project off Mechanicsville Road.
In response to the selectboard’s disapproval, the planning commission has now agreed to a reduced expansion of the village growth district. However, despite the board’s suggestion that the commission
See PROPOSAL on page 12
School budget stems tax hike but cuts staff and services
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
After outcry over the rise in property taxes last year caused by the change in Vermont’s school funding formula, the Champlain Valley School Board adopted a budget last week that, if passed, will reduce the property tax rate across all its towns.
However, those reductions come with a decrease in services for students and cuts to personnel.
At $102.7 million, the entire budget is still rising by almost $1 million, but the school district estimates property tax rates in most of the towns will drop around 4 percent from last year, saving most taxpayers $80 per $100,000 of assessed value. The savings will be greater in Hinesburg and less in Charlotte with a reduction of $100 and $30 per $100,000 in assessed value respectively.
“We’re trying to balance both the needs of our students with the ability of the community to afford this, and I think we have to be very careful in how we balance that,” board chair Meghan Metzler said.
The majority of the savings in the budget come from a reduction in personnel. The board expects to reduce the hours of or eliminate positions for more than 38 staff. According to the district’s chief operating officer, Gary Marckres, some of those reductions follow naturally from the drop the school
See SCHOOL BUDGET on page 16
PHOTO BY AL FREY
Sophie Brien, one half of a sibling duo for the CougaerHawks, faces off against an Essex player during a recent game.
Sibling rivalry
Region SY25 LTADM
Champlain Valley Region 34105
Northeast Region 10175
Southeast Region 11849
Southwest Region 12580
Winooski Valley Region 14660
School Boards: Shared responsibility of students across communities, one school board for each district, elected, part-time board members, one central office for each district Long
Five District Model:
State unveils five-district state education plan
ETHAN WEINSTEIN
VTDIGGER
State officials unveiled the broad strokes of Gov. Phil Scott’s education proposal last week, a plan that includes sweeping changes like consolidating Vermont’s dozens of school districts to just five and adopting a foundation formula.
“We know that the work that we’re describing here is going to be really challenging,” Zoie Saunders, Vermont’s secretary of education, said in a briefing before the entire Legislature. “I ask you to join us so we can be bold together.”
Scott, a Republican, first hinted at the proposal during his inaugural address earlier this month, including a shift to a foundation formula and a change in school governance structures. In a foundation formula, districts are provided a base amount of money per student.
The proposal eliminates the
concept of “supervisory unions,” suggesting instead five regional districts. Those districts would be the Champlain Valley region, Winooski Valley region, Northeast region, Southwest region and Southeast region. Each district would have roughly 10,000-15,000 students, except for the Champlain Valley district, which would have closer to 34,000.
Vermont’s current system lacks “incentives” for districts to save money, and is “too complicated for people to understand,” said Craig Bolio, Vermont’s tax commissioner, who joined Saunders in making the presentation.
Democratic legislative leaders expressed positive initial reactions to the wide-ranging proposal.
“The Legislature and the Governor are aligned in the belief that we must take on the serious task of transforming our education system so all Vermont kids have the oppor-
Charlotte selectboard warns annual vote
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
The Charlotte selectboard has officially warned the annual Town Meeting Day vote and adopted a $4.3 million municipal budget.
But, with an additional article added to the ballot this year, this may be the last time Charlotters will meet in person to cast the annual vote.
The budget adopted this year is roughly .6 percent greater than last year’s $4.2 million budget, but the estimated tax rates associated with the spending plan have not yet been calculated. Nearly $2.5 million of that will be paid for by property taxes with the remaining $1.7 million offset by other non-tax revenues.
Unlike past years, the Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue budget will not be a separate agenda item and instead is baked into the total municipal spending plan. That budget represents a roughly 3 percent increase in spending over last year.
In addition to the modest spending plan, voters will also be asked to fund a few other capital projects in town, including a $62,000 request from the trails committee to construct another portion of the Town Link Trail. Should voters approve the request, this portion of the trail will be constructed to run from West Village to Rail Station access road to Lake Road.
According to a presentation to the selectboard, the trails committee has historically funded this trail loop with voter approved funds in 2017, 2019, and 2021. Additionally, the committee has successfully raised roughly $30,000 in addition to leveraging other state grants.
Another article related to the trails committee is more of a legal requirement that asks that the $5,000 allocated in the budget for the trails committee can also be used for the purpose of maintaining the recreational trails.
Another article request from
See VOTE on page 3
Incumbents mostly make up Town Meeting Day ballots
The deadline has come and gone for folks seeking elected office at Town Meeting Day, March 4.
In Charlotte, two open seats for the selectboard are seeing a contested race and one familiar face not throwing his hat in the ring this year.
tunity to thrive,” House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, said in a joint statement. “The details matter and we need to get it right.”
The unified call for education finance reform arrives after education property taxes rose an average of 13.8 percent last year. This year, the tax department has predicted a 5.9 percent increase in property taxes.
Scott has said he will put forward a plan to prevent any property tax increases this year. Officials last week did not address how that will be achieved, but documents provided to legislators said it would involve “infusing other State funds on a one-time basis.”
While the administration’s
Incumbent Kelly Devine is again casting her bid for the two-year seat she currently holds but is receiving some competition from Development Review Board vice chair JD Herihly.
A three-year seat, currently held by board chair Jim Faulkner, received only one petitioner and it wasn’t Faulkner. Lee Krohn, longtime Charlotte resident and former town manager of the town of Shelburne, is running without competition for the seat.
Other Seats:
• Auditor, 3-year term: Richard Mintzer
• Cemetery Commissioner, 3-year term: Jessie R. Bradley
• Cemetery Commissioner, 2 years of a 3-year term: Peter Demick
• Cemetery Commissioner, 1 year of a 3-year term: Lisa Hauenstein
• Library trustee, 5-year
term: Hylah Patton
• Delinquent tax collector: Mary Mead
• Road commissioner, 1-year term: Hugh Lewis Jr.
• Moderator: Charlie Russell
• Trustee of public funds, 3-year term: Ruth Uphold In Hinesburg, there will be a contest for one of two selectboard seats and a bunch of people seeking seats on the library’s board of trustees. Here is the slate of candidates running for Hinesburg elected office:
• Selectboard, 3-year term: Michael Loner, incumbent, Todd Portelance
• Selectboard, 2-year term: Dennis Place, incumbent
• Town Moderator: Frank Twarog, incumbent
• Cemetery Trustee, 3-year term: Tom Giroux, incumbent
• Library Trustee, three 3-year seats: incumbent Marianna Holzer plus newcomers Victoria Burns, Dani Fuoco, Paula Haskell, Katie Bailey Martin, Linda Segovia Wise
• Peck Estate Trustee, 3-year term: Heather J. Roberts, incumbent
• Champlain Valley school board, 3-year term: Keith A Roberts, incumbent.
You can grow citrus in Vermont
AMY
SIMONE UVM EXTENSION
Imagine having sunny orange, bright yellow and luscious green fruit growing in your home, especially during this gray, cold time of year. While we do not associate citrus plants with our northeast climate, there are several varieties that can be grown as indoor/ outdoor houseplants.
Native to Southeast Asia, citrus plants have been cultivated for over 4,000 years. Their fruit is actually a type of berry with a leathery rind called a hesperidium. They are found in tropical and subtropical regions that offer them warmth, lots of humidity and sandy, slightly acidic soil.
Consistently hot temperatures are needed for citrus fruits to produce sugar, something that our climate cannot offer them. Therefore, sour citrus fruits such as lemon, limes and small orange varieties like Satsuma and Calamondin are among those best suited to growing as houseplants.
In their natural environments, citrus trees can grow to a height of 20 feet, which is certainly not manageable as a houseplant. Thankfully, there are dwarf varieties like tangerine (Satsuma orange), lemon (Ponderosa or Meyer), kumquat (Fortunella species), citron and Calamondin orange. These will
VOTE
continued from page 2
the recreation committee will ask voters to approve raising an additional $40,000 to develop a new bathhouse at the town beach.
Voters may be surprised to see additional articles proposed by town clerk Mary Mead that asks residents to decide whether to move Town Meeting Day to an Australian Ballot vote and get rid of the in-person floor vote altogether. The topic was highly debated just two years ago when the selectboard decided to keep the annual vote by Australian ballot as a caution during the height of pandemic years
“People in town have raised that question many times,” Mead said at a board meeting last week. “When you have over a thousand people voting on everything that’s concerning the town by Australian ballot versus 150 people showing up on Town Meeting Day in person, that is just a no brainer.”
But selectboard members were not unanimous in their support of the request.
reach a more reasonable height of 3 to 5 feet.
Plant your citrus in a well-draining pot filled with cactus or citrus soil mix or use regular potting mix amended with perlite. Fertilize with a high-nitrogen fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants, and only while the plants are actively growing and flowering, generally from April through October.
In the winter, place your citrus plant in a sunny south-facing window away from cold drafts and ensure that it receives at least six hours of direct sun per day. Supplement with artificial light if needed. Wipe the leaves periodically to remove dust. Group several houseplants together to create more humidity or run a humidifier near your citrus plant.
As temperatures consistently reach above 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the spring, move your citrus plant outdoors gradually, protecting it from direct sun at first. After a few days, place it in full sun and pay attention to its watering needs, which will be more frequent than when it was indoors.
Depending on your citrus variety, you may get flowers only in the spring or from spring to fall. Dwarf citrus varieties are mostly all self-fertile, meaning that you do not need a second plant for pollination to occur.
See CITRUS TREES on page 16
“My position is pretty clear. I don’t think they should be on,” board member Lewis Mudge said. “I don’t think we should get rid of Town Meeting Day. There’s been a small, very vocal, but small cadre of people who have come forward petitioning year in and year out for Australian ballot. I haven’t seen those numbers.”
This year, and potentially for the last year, all of these articles will be voted in person at the Charlotte Central School on Saturday, March 1 at 9 a.m.
But one additional article, which asks voters to approve a charter that would ensure all changes to land use regulations be voted on by residents, will be voted by Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 4.
That request was spearheaded by two residents who petitioned over 250 of their neighbors to sign on to the charge. An official copy of the proposed charter change is available at the town clerk’s office.
Hinesburg Police Blotter: Jan. 21-27
Incidents: 24
Jan. 21 at 2:02 p.m., officers responded to a noise complaint regarding gun fire on Richmond Road.
Jan. 21 at 4:52 p.m., an officer responded to a juvenile problem on Route 116.
Jan. 22 at 3:24 p.m., police assisted a person with fingerprinting for employment purposes.
Jan. 22 at 4:22 p.m., officers arrested Jennifer Martin, 38 of Hinesburg, on a warrant for failure to appear in court to answer to the charges of three counts of retail theft.
Jan. 23 at 7:00 a.m., an officer assisted a Mead Farm Road resident with a disabled vehicle.
Jan. 23 at 4:26 p.m., police investigated an alarm activation on Hawk Lane.
Jan. 24 at 12:03 p.m., an officer investigated a juvenile issue
reported at the Hinesburg Community School.
Jan. 24 at 12:11 p.m., police assisted a resident with a lockout.
Jan. 24 at 3:13 p.m., police investigated an animal complaint on North Road.
Jan. 24 at 8:03 p.m., police conducted a welfare check on Hollow Road.
Jan. 25 at 11:55 a.m., police investigated a report of threats made online.
Jan.26 at 10:06 a.m., an officer responded to a two-car motor vehicle crash on Route 116.
Jan. 27 at 8:18 a.m., police investigated an alarm activation on Partridge Hill Road.
Jan. 27 at 5:30 p.m., police investigated a report of fraud.
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
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Prickly encounter
Do you have photos you would like to share with the community? Send them to
PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
OPINION
The intersection of commerce and climate is on a cold road
Guest Perspective
Walt Amses
My first walk in several days finds me leaning into a frigid, blistering wind, reminding me to be more specific with my entreaties to the snow gods. Simply wishing for something as vague as “the kind of winter we used to have” leaves too much to chance, and picturing deep, powdery snow, bright blue skies and windless temperatures in the mid 20s as you shush along through the woods might instead wind up feeling like a second ice age.
The need to get out transcends any sense of self-preservation as I realize after about a mile that, a few years ago, this would have been one of those “appointed rounds” days, when the school bus and the postal service van, delivering their precious cargo and snippets from the outside world were all I could count on seeing. Even as the stiff breeze scours the road surface of whatever sand the town plow puts down, leaving long stretches of glare ice, the industrial heartbeat of business pulses on, weather defiant, tightly scheduled and GPS monitored.
I’m looking at a microcosm, a tiny but telling data point in the half century since the pitched battle to save the environment began in earnest on the first Earth Day in 1970, when I donned a suit and tie and pedaled a borrowed bicycle to a temporary gig selling newspaper advertising.
It was virtue signaling decades before the pejorative term was coined by a British journalist to describe moralists making the right impression while not actually doing much. A photo of the stunt still stings a bit, even though my high horse was someone else’s Schwinn.
No bikes this frigid afternoon, but I’ve seen both UPS and FedEx driving in a series of mystifying loops, passing me multiple times, traveling in different directions. I encounter Amazon’s ubiquitous logo, subliminally offering a smile of customer satisfaction — an arc bridging the company’s A-to-Z inventory and an arrow intimating your order is quite possibly already on the way.
Americans have evolved into a new kind of shopping culture that isn’t especially infatuated with
going to the physical store. But we still want things. We want those things delivered and we want them now.
When the first shopping malls arrived in the 1950s, the idea of clustering businesses in one place, under the same roof, featuring “anchor” shops to draw in customers and dozens of other businesses, was a winning retail concept. With food courts, movie theaters, arcades and even overnight accommodations as well as other amenities designed to improve the retail experience, malls became destinations for entire families, especially teenagers.
The notion was that it would be far more convenient, not to mention profitable, if you could do all these things in one place.
Malls and shopping centers were perfectly situated for a 20th century described as “extraordinarily social” by Derek Thompson in “The Anti-Social Century,” a wide ranging piece in the Atlantic Monthly that explores America’s “self-imposed solitude” and some of the factors responsible. We’re still able to do all of those things in one place, it’s just that the place has inadvertently become the living room couch.
Between 1900-1960, Thompson reports that both church membership and labor union participation surged while marriage rates reached record highs post-World War II, leading to the “baby boom.”
Book clubs and volunteer groups thrived, the branch-library system was the envy of the world, and developers built theaters, music venues, playgrounds and gathering places. But the togetherness wouldn’t last. Big changes were afoot, documented in 2000 by political scientist Robert D. Putnam in “Bowling Alone.”
As the country embraced what Thompson called “unbridled individualism” in 1970, our involvement in institutions, including marriage and community organizations, began to fall off. Every social activity and demographic group Putnam tracked experienced a similar fate and while numerous reasons were cited.
The automobile and television set were the gateway to a more private life. Cars meant distance and separation, leading to suburbs, backyard patios and pools. The glowing television quickly
supplanted the hearth as the focal point of family gatherings. Most Americans gained over six hours of leisure time between 19651995, with almost all of it dedicated to watching television.
A narrow gorge opening to a wider valley channels the bitter wind into every loose thread, faulty seam and access point, worming its way through multiple layers seeking exposed flesh. The sun, nothing more than a purple smudge just over the tree line offers little help, still recovering from winter solstice almost a month ago. Were I on the other side of the country right now, the wind would be a hurricane force blowtorch.
The irony of it all suddenly hits me as I pass through the only crossroad on my four-mile route. I imagine it’s the intersection of climate change and commerce — natural adversaries for the most part but each wildly unpredictable and relentlessly focused on devouring everything in their path.
Big business is everywhere now and, strangely enough, global warming has become a big business in its own right, generating billions of dollars annually to combat its impact.
The trajectory of monetizing everything finds millions of us exercising our individuality striving to be like everyone else, sofa bound but content, connected to hundreds of media outlets, television stations and movies. We can commune with other believers through a variety of social media, no matter what our beliefs might be.
A couple of simple keystrokes will have anything we want delivered to our door in a matter of days, sometimes hours. Groceries? Not a problem. Tonight’s dinner? Sure. A table to eat it on? It’s en route. You don’t need a mall when you have a smart phone.
There’s really not much traffic out here on a winter afternoon, not yet anyway, but I worry about our precious solitude, especially in light of what economists predict will be a government more interest in making the country safer for oligarchs than ordinary people. I wonder if it’s gotten even colder as I turn my back to the wind and head home.
Walt Amses lives in North Calais.
It’s déjà vu all over again in the new Gilded Age
Guest Perspective Elayne Clift
It’s déjà vu all over again. The robber barons are back. The wealthy have their cottages by the sea in the Hamptons, in international mansions, and at Ma-a-Lago instead of Newport. Their yachts are shining and staffed while rivers of money
flow from the coffers of billionaires who escape paying taxes and offer their obscene wealth in exchange for political favor and power. Clearly, we are once again a nation of prospering oligarchs and exploited paupers.
The glittering Gilded Age that reached its apex between 1880 and 1920 was a golden era of opulent architecture, extravagant fashion, expensive
Letters to the Editor
Dividing state into five districts makes great sense
To the Editor:
This should be a good year for struggling taxpayers in Vermont, especially highlighting the significant changes hopefully underway regarding education funding and governance.
School boards around the state are in the process of finalizing their budgets that they will warn and present before voters in March. It seems like no matter the particular circumstances for the district, school boards have only known one direction for budgets, and that’s up.
Many of these budgets will show increases again this year and as a result property taxes will likely go up again, unless the governor is successful in persuading lawmakers to nullify the amounts. But hopefully, if the stars align, this may be the last year of dramatic spending increases.
The governor and his administration have been hard at work assembling data, drawing plans and holding meetings. Like many, I’ve been involved over the past year in a deep dive into education
spending in my school district and it’s been tough for a number of reasons.
First, the system is too complex without anyone to help with the explanation. Second, there was a lack of data to draw from.
But thanks to the new Education Secretary, the Agency of Education has now assembled and published a huge amount of education finance and related data online.
The good news is the governor’s new education finance and governance plan is a wonderful mix of improved state control, efficiency and collaboration. Dividing the state into five large school districts with only five school boards and only five superintendents makes great sense. It reduces cost, reduces benefits, adds control, and lessens administrative complexity. Why were we paying for so many superintendents in the past?
The new plan also takes advantage of the foundation-like formula that most states use today. Over time, the plan will allow the state to fine tune education payments to the schools and
art, and expansive parties. Built on the economic growth that occurred following the Civil War and Reconstruction, businessmen and bankers made out like bandits by investing in railroads, factories, and various industries that produced the raw materials needed for the development of innovative inventions that enabled mass production. That led to “conspicuous
consumption,” a term coined by a social critic at the time. Mark Twain, who dubbed the era the “Gilden Age,” was among other critics troubled by the growing disparity between social classes.
account for feedback from stakeholders and education experts regarding how well schools are supporting students based on the weighted factors. The base funding amount provided to schools will be adjusted upward depending on district characteristics and student weights.
It makes complete sense. But calculations and modifications in spending will be administered by state education experts, not parttime school board laypersons. This is hard, complicated work and will take time to refine. In fact, the initial base funding amounts may seem higher than necessary at first but should stabilize and trend downward over time. The end result will be a more stable budget, understandable by all, and controlled by the state.
As concerned taxpayers, let’s keep track of the discussion and legislative language as the process moves along, and call your legislator to encourage collaboration and focus. We may end up paying more again this year but hopefully, help is on the way.
John Clifford Hinesburg
While some in the monied class applied their wealth to building libraries, museums and public improvements in large cities (often prodded to do so by their wives), they overlooked the dark side of the needs of those who were on the other end of the social and economic spectrum. For example, they overlooked child labor, dangerous working conditions, and the exploitation of immigrant workers.
The Vanderbilts, Astors, and Carnegies looked the other way, ignoring life in the tenements of New York City and factories like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, where the 1911 fire killed 146 trapped young women workers.
Journalist and social reformer Jacob Riis brought the reality of these travesties to light in stark photographs of slums, schools, factories, public health, and more in his photographic collection, “How the Other Half Lives,” housed at the Library of Congress.
Among today’s most recognized magnates and robber barons are three of the wealthiest and most morally corrupt men in America. Their enormous wealth and lack of social conscience makes their predecessors seem tame.
Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon and owns the Washington Post, is heavily invested in Uber, Airbnb, and has a net worth of $236 billion — while Amazon employees earn about $15 an hour despite the physical demands of the job and expecta-
Summer Camps
tions about productivity. Amazon also continues to ban unions and illegally fires workers for trying to organize them. Bezos also has had workplaces patrolled for signs of unionizing activity. It’s positively Dickensian.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, is heavily invested in SpaceX, and owns X (formerly Twitter). He has Bezos beat in terms of net worth. According to Forbes, which tracks this kind of thing, Musk is worth over $420 billion.
Mark Zuckerberg is the third wealthiest man in America with a net worth of nearly $218 billion. He became a billionaire at the age of 23. Owner of Meta, which owns Facebook, his latest travesty is ending fact checking on his social media platforms, and that’s not the worst of it.
Billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk are faux philanthropists who donate minimally to various pet organizations. No libraries or museums for them. Just space capsules, artificial intelligence and a seat at high tables.
As Lasa Liberator points out, they “are often held up by the media as shining examples of philanthropists, but the reality is none of them has a foundation or philanthropic organization. By donating limited amounts of immense wealth, their public relations people argue they are changing the world for the better. That’s what they would like you to believe. While this philanthropy may seem generous from the outside, it is more often than not a ploy for the world’s wealthiest to dodge taxes, boost their public image, and increase their net worth, all while rarely doing that much actual good along the way.”
These newly anointed oligarchs, and others like them, are wedded to power, prestige, and political influence. They will do anything to curry favor. That makes them dangerous in ways that their forerunners were not, especially in a time of autocracy, patronage, and a good deal of pathology.
In this Gilden Age, we are led into a different kind of conspicuous consumption. It’s one that consumes lies and clings to false narratives while ignoring history, facts, and good governance. It overlooks social justice issues like child labor which has made a comeback, as well as exploitive unsafe working conditions, especially for immigrants who manage not to be deported. It burns the budgets that could
color deals). Deadlines: Thursdays before each issue.
Donna Liebert
A loving wife, mother, grandmother, friend, colleague, and astute businesswomen in the areas of management, finance, accounting, human resources and information technology, Donna Marie Liebert (DeSiato), 69, of Charlotte, Vermont and Englewood, Florida died from cancer at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester on Jan. 9, 2025.
Donna was born in Philadelphia in 1955 to Perry and Mary DeSiato. She attended Springfield High School in Springfield Township, Pa., later earning a degree in fine arts from Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pa. She held several professional positions before and after raising her two sons, including accounts payables and receivables, assistant accountant, payroll manager, accounting manager, controller and chief financial officer. During the years she stayed home to raise her sons, she worked parttime as a township tax collector and treasurer. She also opened and operated a secondhand shop for children’s clothes, accessories and toys called My Kids Closet.
Her most recent positions were with KSV Agency in Burlington, a strategy, marketing and creative agency. When she first walked through the KSV doors in 2000 as a temporary accounting manager, she never envisioned a 24-year career where she managed accounting, human resources, facilities and information technology, eventually becoming the chief financial officer. She retired from KSV Agency in April of 2024.
Donna met her husband Greg in 1984 while they both worked at Netzsch Incorporated in Lionville, Pa., marrying in 1986. Their first date came about after Donna slipped a note in Greg’s paycheck envelope inviting him to share a drink or dinner if he were interested. He was, and they spent the next forty years together.
Greg, Donna and their sons made their home in Pennsylvania until 2000, when Greg’s job relocated them to Vermont. One of her dreams was to have a home in Florida where she could bask in the sun, dig her feet in the sand, and dip her toes in the ocean. This dream came true when she and Greg purchased a home in Englewood, Fla., a few years ago.
A wonderful and loving mother to two sons, Ryan and Derek, she doted over them as children, teenagers, young men and eventually as husbands and fathers. Her sons and their wives blessed her with three grandchildren, twins Maxwell and Reya, and Riley. She so loved these three precious little human beings.
Donna had great love for furry friends, treating them like family members. She nurtured and cared for Rusty, a shih tzu that lived to 16 years of age, and then Milo, a miniature poodle now 14 years of age. Milo was at her side as usual when she passed away.
Although she received a degree in fine art and was always an artist at heart, she chose to work in finance and accounting, as she knew those business so well and always felt she would do better in those fields as opposed to starting over teaching art or running a studio.
Donna was preceded in death by her father Perry DeSiato and is survived by her mother Mary DeSiato of Horsham, Pa., brother Perry DeSiato (Maria) of Austin, Texas, sisters Nancy Jones (Steve) of Lower Gwynedd, Pa., and Jean Nowack (Edward) of Chalfont, Pa.; along with her sons Ryan Liebert (wife Bethany, son Maxwell and daughter Reya) of Hinesburg, Vt., and Derek Liebert (wife Leah and daughter Riley) of Oakdale, Pa.; and sisters in-law Sandy Liebert of Edgewood, N.M., Trish O’Grady of Rifle, Colo., Valerie Liebert of Perrysburg, Ohio, and Joyce Roberts (Edward) of Englewood, Fla.
Donna chose to be cremated. Therefore, a celebration of her life will be held on Feb. 8, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Stephen Gregory and Son, located at 472 Meadowland Drive, Suite 7, South Burlington, followed by a luncheon at Ridgewood Estates Clubhouse located near 1 Concord Green, South Burlington.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Donna Liebert
CougarHawks take down Hartford in nailbiter
LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
Girls’ ice hockey
Champlain Valley/Mount Mansfield 2, Hartford 1 (OT):
The Champlain Valley-Mount Mansfield high school girls’ hockey team earned a big win on Saturday, taking down Hartford in overtime.
Megan Rivard scored to win the game in overtime for the CougarHawks, who moved to 3-9. Mackenzie Rivard struck in the third period to tie the game at 1-1 and force it extra time for CVU-MMU.
Ella Gilbert stopped 16 shots in goal to get the win.
Girls’ basketball
Champlain Valley 50, Rice
30: Up by just two points after the first half, Champlain Valley went on a 16-5 run in the third quarter to pull away for a win over Rice on Friday in high school girls’ basketball.
Zoey McNabb had 22 points to
pace the Redhawks, who moved to 7-3. The win also snapped a two-game losing streak for CVU.
Kaitlyn Jovell had seven assists in the win and Deirdre Higgins nabbed five rebounds.
Boys’ ice hockey
Rutland 5, Champlain Valley 2: Two late goals from Rutland sealed the win against Champlain Valley on Saturday.
Brady Jones and Zavier Barnes each had a goal for the Redhawks in the loss, which moved CVU to 4-7 this season.
Boys’ basketball
Champlain Valley 50, BFA-St. Albans 46: The Champlain Valley boys’ basketball team rebounded from an early week loss to beat BFA-St. Albans on Thursday.
Luke Allen had 16 points and nine rebounds, coming just shy of a double-double, for the Redhawks (7-5).
Owen Scott and Brady Gangl each chipped in with 12 points for CVU.
PHOTOS BY AL FREY
Sophie Brien, left, and Eva Mazur, skate for the CougarHawks in recent hockey action.
Community Notes
Charlotte band plays old tunes ahead of Mardi Gras
Join Remember Baker, a Charlotte-based band, for a fun family concert on Feb. 8 at noon, in the Fellowship Hall at the Shelburne United Methodist Church, 30 Church St.
Remember Baker plays a blend of folk, Americana, old time and bluegrass. Gearing up for Mardi Gras, you are likely to get a little taste of New Orleans with this show, as well.
Admission is free, but donations are accepted to benefit the Shelburne Nursery School.
Middlebury shows Wilson’s
“Two
Trains Running”
New York-based ensemble The Acting Company returns to Middlebury College on Thursday, Feb. 13 with its production of August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running.”
Part of Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning 10-play Century Cycle — which also includes “The Piano Lesson,” “Fences,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” — “Two Trains Running” tells the story of Memphis Lee, a diner owner in Pittsburgh in 1969 who must decide if he should allow the government to take over his building or sell the property to a ruthless businessman.
The Acting Company’s production, helmed by award-winning director Lili-Anne Brown, is the first touring production authorized by the Wilson estate, and comes to Middlebury as part of a year-long
exploration of the playwright and his work. The performance will be followed by a Q&A with the artists.
Shelburne
church, Age Well host February luncheon
St. Catherine of Siena and Age Well are teaming up to offer a luncheon on Feb. 11 for anyone 60 or older in the St Catherine of Siena Parish Hall, 72 Church Street, Shelburne.
The check-in time is 11:30 a.m. and the meal will be served at noon. Suggested donation: $5.
Feb. 11 menu: wheat spaghetti with meatballs, marinara and parmesan cheese, spinach, wheat roll, mandarin oranges in orange Jello and milk.
The deadline to register is Feb. 5. This will be the only Age Well luncheon in February.
For more information, contact Molly BonGiorno, nutrition coordinator, at 802-662-5283 or by email at mbongiorno@agewellvt.org
Tickets are also available at the Age Well office, at 875 Roosevelt Highway, Ste. 210; Colchester.
Restaurant tickets will be available for distribution for a suggested $5 donation.
Meet the town meeting candidates at senior center
Ask questions and share concerns with the candidates on this year’s Charlotte Town Meeting Day ballot, at the Charlotte Senior Center, 212 Ferry Rd., on Tuesday,
Feb. 11, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Learn more about each candidate, their priorities, reasons for running, and points of views. Questions for the candidates can be emailed to Tai Dinnan at charlottegrangevt@gmail.com or posed during the event.
This event is coordinated by the Charlotte Grange in collaboration with the Charlotte Library and the Charlotte Senior Center.
Old Spokes Home invites cyclists to share stories
The Old Spokes Home invites folks of all ages to come out on a chilly winter evening to hear and share some fun stories of lives lived
on bikes, Feb. 11 at 6:30 a.m., Old Spokes Home, 331 N Winooski Ave, Burlington.
Hear experienced bike tourers, super-commuters and casual riders alike share stories that entertain but also enlighten. Share wisdom arrived at thanks to time on, with or around bikes. For those who feel inspired on the spot, there will also be an open-mic portion of this event.
This event is free, but seat reservations are encouraged.
Ask your questions about Charlotte town government
The Charlotte Grange, in collaboration with the Charlotte Library,
presents “Government 101,” on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 6:30 p.m., at the Charlotte Public Library, 115 Ferry Road.
Town meeting day and local elections are just around the corner, buy what is Charlotte town government and how does it work? How can individuals get involved?
The talk will cover everything from where to go to get your dog license to how to propose a change to the budget on Town Meeting Day.
Charlotte town administrator Nathaniel Bareham and town moderator Charles Russel will be on hand to answer those questions. This is a hybrid event presented in person and online. Zoom link at us02web.zoom.us/j/85047715293.
COURTESY PHOTO
Remember Baker? You will after seeing the self-same band at the Shelburne Methodist Church Feb. 8
Filmmaker tackles noise pollution with new documentary
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
From noisy neighbors and construction to cars and airplanes, the world around us, at times, can seem incessantly loud.
That sentiment is the basis for the 2023 documentary, “The Quietest Year,” which chronicles one woman’s personal quest to curb noise pollution in the village of Stowe that ultimately uncovers the dire consequences of lax noise regulation which she calls, “an urgent yet overlooked crisis for both public health and civil society.”
The documentary takes viewers on the personal journey of director Karen Akins, who shares her battle with noisy farm animals on the property that abutted her home and, as the film progresses, through a series of other noise-related issues experienced by Vermonters across the entire state.
The 74-minute film took roughly two years to make and is what Akins has dubbed her “pandemic project,” with most of it filmed, ironically, through what has been called one of the quietest periods of time the world has ever experienced.
This is Akins’ second film related to public health and social justice issues. Her first go at documentaries began in Mexico with “El Susto,” released in 2019, which explored the politics of sugary drinks and diabetes in the country.
But this film was something much more personal to her.
“I didn’t intend to make another film, but when I was stuck in Vermont during the pandemic, I had my own personal noise issues, which you’ll learn about when you watch the film, and I was like, ‘Here is something that’s a very overlooked health issue,’” Akins said. “I decided to record myself during the pandemic because I honestly thought I was going to be having to enter into a lawsuit with my neighbor.”
While no legal action ensued, the humorous short film she made during that time ultimately evolved into the award-winning documentary seen today. The dispute did, however, land itself on the front page of the Stowe Reporter more than once, partially since Akins took the hot topic to the local selectboard with the hopes of passing some sort of noise ordinance that would remedy the issue.
It just so happened that one of the leading experts in studying noise and its relation to health, Les Blomberg, was located just a few miles away from her home at the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse in Montpelier.
“It kind of snowballed and I kept reaching out to other experts and learning who
the real thought leaders were in the field, and who was doing the most cutting-edge research on noise and health,” Akins said. “And it led me on this path, and slowly over the pandemic, I interviewed people that were both sufferers and experts.”
One of those people was Michael Shank, a former Brandon resident whose lifelong dream to operate an animal farm sanctuary was shattered by the lack of noise ordinances, which allowed his neighbors to continually fire off assault weapons, subjecting him to the sound of near-constant gunfire.
“I saw that, even with my own problems, if your elected officials are totally deaf to how harmful this would be to experience this, and I’m not just talking about me, it is a pattern,” Akins said. “I’m not just saying it was me and my personal problems.”
Another major highlight of the film focuses on the arrival of the F-35 fighter jets at the Air National Guard Base located at the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport in 2019 — a battle South Burlington residents know well. The noise, four times louder than its predecessor, the F-16, rendered many neighborhoods unsuitable for residential use and even prompted officials at the airport to introduce residential soundproofing programs for homes located within a certain proximity to the base.
The issue, Akins said, at one point almost dominated most of the film, forcing her to scale some of the discussions back because she didn’t want a movie solely about the effects of the jets.
The battle, however, has been at the forefront of local issues since 2009 and has
sparked years of vehement opposition from residents in its flight path due to “bone-jarring” noise and undue environmental impacts caused by the military aircraft.
“We kind of zoom out to a bigger picture where you’re looking at impacting the whole community,” Akins said.
Despite the personal accounts showcased in the film, it is strange to think that
Vermont, known to most of the country as a sparsely populated rural place, could be subject to such noise pollution problems. And the root of that issue was one Akins couldn’t quite put her finger on initially. “It reminds me of a canary in the coal
ABOVE: COURTESY PHOTO, BELOW: PHOTO BY STEPHEN JAMES, ADDISON INDEPENDENT
Above: The production crew on set for “The Quietest Year,” a 2023 documentary about the impacts of noise pollution.
Below: Director and filmmaker Karen Akins at the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival last year.
EDUCATION PLAN
continued from page 2
presentation heralded the beginning of a push for their education omnibus package, some key details remained scarce.
Officials did not specify what the base payment per student would be under the proposed funding formula. But Saunders said it would be “very generous … compared to spending in other states,” calling the decision “the most critical part” of the funding change.
During a short press conference following the briefing, officials indicated the base would be greater than that outlined in an October 2024 report, which suggested the state could save $400 million on education by totally changing the footprint of its public school system.
The exact number would arrive in the “coming weeks,” according to Saunders. The funding plan would also account for students who are more expensive to educate, including English language learners and economically disadvantaged students.
DOCUMENTARY
continued from page 10
mine,” she said. “That’s the thing, if we’re having these problems even in Vermont, imagine what the rest of the country is dealing with. You can’t even get away from it by moving to Vermont.”
Subjects in the film liken Vermont’s lack of noise regulation to “the wild west of noise ordinances,” particularly in towns that resist any form of regulation from local government. Akins was met with staunch resistance and even personal attacks circulated online and in town when attempting to petition her local municipality for change.
For Shank, the backlash ultimately forced him to sell his home and move out of town.
While the issue, Akins said, mostly stems from the lack of regulations in many municipalities and on the state level, it could also be the drastic change of Vermont’s landscape from mostly rural and agricultural to now, a place that proved to be a haven for the mass flock of people who moved to the state during the pandemic.
“Maybe it’s what happens when you start out being a mostly rural place where everybody lives on big farms as far apart. You don’t have a culture of having to regulate noise because you don’t have that many densely populated places where people are bothering each other,” she said.
Another part of the problem is that Vermonters hold tight to the
Districts, in the new system, could choose to raise limited additional funds through local property taxes.
Bolio, during the press conference, said there would be a “cap” on additional spending, though the exact cap would be a “policy choice.” Speaking to the mechanism for raising additional funds, he said there would be a “state guarantee to make sure the disparities between property wealth is accounted for in the system.”
To address consolidation, schools will “be assessed based on financial viability and educational quality,” according to the documents, and “schools that fall short of these standards will be offered a range of options, including resource sharing or merging, with support from the AOE.” The plan also draws a distinction between “small due to necessity” and “small by choice,” a distinction that Saunders said would be “practical and intentional.”
Following the briefing, Saunders indicated decisions related to
school closures and consolidation would be a state decision.
“What we’ve been hearing is, historically, we’ve been pushing down a lot of these really hard decisions at the local level,” she said. “Districts are working to think intentionally around how they can consolidate to provide different resources for students, but they often tell us that they lack cover from the state to be able to make those important decisions.”
The plan calls for “regional comprehensive high schools, central middle schools, local elementaries,” according to the documents. Currently, Vermont has 52 supervisory unions and supervisory districts — the overarching administrative units that often include multiple boards and school districts.
The five districts would have part-time elected school board members who would be paid. To make up for the reduction in local control, the plan proposes “school advisory councils.” The councils, composed of caregivers, educators
and students, would have input on budget development and strategic planning.
A proposed and preliminary timeline included in the plan documents suggests adopting the foundation formula for the 2026-27 school year. The following year would “fully move to (the) new funding and governance system.”
The 2028-29 school year and into
the future would involve “(rescaling) the school portfolio.”
Not everyone thought positively of Scott’s ideas. The state’s teachers union, the Vermont NEA, panned the plan’s lack of specifics.
“Today’s risky proposal is big on rhetoric but short on the details. And the details matter — a lot,” Don Tinney, the union’s president, said in a statement.
tradition of simply working out the issue with neighbors directly. The truth is, Akins said, sometimes you just can’t.
Since filming, she said she has commissioned a full professional noise study of Maple Street in Stowe and hopes to bring the information to local leaders.
The film will air on Vermont Public’s “Made Here” on Feb. 6 and South Burlington residents can see a showing at the library on Thursday, Jan. 30.
The airing coincides with
ongoing debates surrounding the F-35 program. Three municipalities — South Burlington, Burlington and Winooski — recently passed resolutions calling for Vermont’s Congressional delegation to request that the Air Force change the mission of the Vermont Air National Guard to one that is compatible with surrounding communities.
Retired Air Force Col. Rosanne Greco, a key voice in the opposition, offers insights in the film.
WE’RE HIRING!
The City of South Burlington seeks dedicated staff.
• Deputy Finance Director
The City of South Burlington seeks a strategic Deputy Finance Director to ensure the integrity of and assist in managing the City’s financial systems. Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, accounting or a related field, plus five years relevant work experience in public financial administration or related fields. Municipal government accounting experience preferred. $80,000-$90,000 annual salary.
• Police Officers
• Facilities Coordinator
• Finance Coordinator
• Assistant City Clerk
BENEFITS: Health, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, and more!
LEARN MORE AND APPLY
VCDP Implementation Grant 2024
Organization: Town of Hinesburg 07110-IG-2024Hinesburg-01
Public Hearing Notice: 02/19/2025
Notice
of Public Hearing
The Town of Hinesburg is/are considering making application to the State of Vermont for a VCDP Implementation Grant 2024 under the Vermont Community Development Program. A public hearing will be held at 6:00 pm on 2/19/2025 at 10632 VT Route 116 Hinesburg, VT 05461 to obtain the views of citizens on community development, to furnish information concerning the amount of funds available and the range of community development activities that may be undertaken under this program, the impact to any historic and archaeological resources that may be affected by the proposed project, and to give affected citizens the opportunity to examine the proposed statement of projected use of these funds.
The proposal is to apply for $850,000 in CDBG funds which will be used to accomplish the following activities: Champlain Housing Trust and Evernorth plan to construct 36 new affordable apartments in four buildings at the northeastern side of the Riggs Road and RTE 116 intersection. The buildings will be two—and three-story with surface parking.
Copies of the proposed application are available at Hinesburg Town Hall - 10632 VT Route 116 Hinesburg VT 05461 and may be viewed during the hours of 8 am and 4 pm. Should you require any special accommodations, please contact Todd Odit at 802-4824206 to ensure appropriate accommodations are made. For the hearing impaired please call (TTY) #1-800-253-0191.
Legislative Body for the Town of Hinesburg
Copy submitted by: Javier Garcia Phone: 908-419-2266
Secretary of State addresses Vermont civic health
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
Last Thursday, community members from across the region gathered in the auditorium at the South Burlington public library to hear about Vermont’s new civic health index with Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas.
The presentation in South Burlington was the second of five that Copeland Hanzas and her team are making around the state to get feedback from constituents about the index, which analyzes data about Vermonters’ civic engagement in areas such as voting, volunteering, community, cultural access, and trust in media and government.
Overall, the index shows that Vermonters are often more civically engaged than people in other states, especially when it comes to activities like connecting with neighbors or attending public meetings. However, in the presentation, Copeland Hanzas pointed out that there are some serious gaps in the data.
“A lot of what we want to focus on going forward is gathering more data,” she said. “One of the glaring omissions, or area of core data, is around the experienc-
es of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Vermonters.”
The secretary of state’s office partnered with the National Conference on Citizenship for the initial dataset and formed an advisory board of individuals from a slate of Vermont agencies and organizations to help contextualize the numbers. According to a note at the end of the report, the reliance on existing datasets like the Census Current Population Survey meant that the sample size was often too small to reliably break down the data into smaller groups.
For example, while the number of Vermonters who reported talking or spending time with a neighbor was 8 percent higher than the national percentage, it’s unknown whether that remains true across different demographics. Differences in experiences and accessibility amongst Vermonters could inform the steps the office takes to promote civic engagement.
Additionally, while Vermont might have ranked high amongst other states for several indicators, Copeland Hanzas said, that doesn’t mean that there’s no room for growth.
Although the percent of Vermonters who
Informational Meeting
February 10, 2025
In-person and via Remote Access
The legal voters of the Town of Hinesburg, Vermont are hereby warned and notified to meet in-person and remotely in said Town of Hinesburg, on Monday February 10, 2025 at 6:00 P.M. at the Champlain Valley Union District High School, at 369 CVU Road, Hinesburg, VT 05461, for an informational meeting on the articles to be voted upon by Australian Ballot on Tuesday March 4, 2025.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82400091842?pwd=LVzUeS0WAKu 2E7KF6bsmJrwxWc5RsP.1
Meeting ID: 824 0009 1842 Passcode: 747203
This Informational Meeting will be held in-person and remotely. Available options to watch or join the meeting:
• Attend in-person in the library at Champlain Valley Union High School.
• Join the meeting via Zoom using the log-in information above.
• View remotely by streaming on the Media Factory
• For the purpose of recording minutes, you will be asked to provide your first and last name.
HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE: There is no deadline to register to vote. You can register by going to olvr.vermont.gov to register on-line, by going to the town clerk’s office and filling out a paper registration form, or on election day at the polls.
HOW TO REQUEST AN EARLY BALLOT: You can request an early ballot by visiting mvp.vermont.gov and signing in to your voter page. You or a family member may also request a ballot by phone, in person or via email at hroberts@hinesburg.org or kfrazier@hinesburg.org
ARTICLE I: To hear the reports of the officers of the Town of Hinesburg.
ARTICLE II: Any other business thought proper.
Signed this 23rd day of January by the Hinesburg Selectboard.
reported contacting a public official was twice that of the nation at large, she said, “we shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back if really only 18 percent of people have contacted a public official in Vermont.”
Presented alongside the information from the National Conference on Citizenship were the results from the Youth Civic Health Survey, which the secretary’s office coordinated with the nonprofit UP for Learning and the YMCA. While school systems might help keep certain forms of civic engagement — group participation or volunteering — high among young people, more than a third of young respondents said they did not plan to register to vote when they become eligible.
At the library, the overview of the index was followed by a panel discussion with representatives from Vermont Humanities, University of Vermont’s Master of Public Administration program, UP for Learning,
PROPOSAL
continued from page 1
consider allowing a greater density of residential development in the proposed Rural 1 zone, at its meeting two weeks ago, the commission elected to send the proposal back to the selectboard without any changes to the residential density restrictions.
Rural 1 is a part of the planned overhaul to the Rural Residential 1 district, which breaks up the district into three distinct zones, adjusted for different land use potential.
Another proposed district, Residential 3, encompassing the Richmond Road area served by town sewer and water, would allow for more dense residential development. Residential 4, which would extend north of Residential 3, would maintain one unit per 3 acres.
Rural 1, like other rural areas of town, would only allow for one unit per 10,12, or 15 acres, depending on the type of road the parcel is connected to, which is less dense than the area had previously been zoned for.
The selectboard’s suggestion to increase density in the rural area echoed the concerns of several residents over the impact it would have on their ability to develop their land.
“There’s a lot of people in town who are in those zones, who have been paying taxes with the expectation that they could someday subdivide their property and build a house for their child or something,” said Denver Wilson, the chair of the planning commission.
However, at their meeting in mid-January, after a lengthy survey of density patterns across different areas of town and support from a member of the conservation commission for maintaining open space in Hinesburg, the planning commissioners came to the conclusion that they wanted to hold fast to their original density proposals.
Depending on the parcel size, landowners may still be able to subdivide their property for development on lots smaller than 10 acres. If the proposal is accepted, there will be limits to how many times a parcel can be subdivided.
While the conservation commission was supportive of the proposal’s density restric-
and CCTV Center for Media and Democracy. Attendees then broke out into groups discussions
Both the panel and group discussions focused on what participants imagined the next steps to be, whether that be gathering more data or investing in arts and culture. The small group discussions spurred recommendations about making meetings more accessible, creating welcoming communities and simplifying the language used to communicate about governing.
“This is really the starting point of conversation that I think is critical for Vermont to be engaged, because we don’t know whether the data is accurate, really, until we give people an opportunity to look at it, read it and react,” Copeland Hanzas said.
Before the end of February, Copeland Hanzas will also be stopping in St. Johnsbury, Barre, and Rutland.
tions, their reservations about the expansion of the village growth area was the basis for the selectboard’s concern with the boundary changes.
The planning commission had originally planned to extend the village growth area to allow for greater density and town sewer and water access for the entirety of Joe Laster’s planned development, only a portion of which is within the current boundary between the zones.
However, the portion of the property the commission proposed to include in the growth area also contains a section of core wildlife habitat, which, while not technically conserved land, represents an area that sustains some of Vermont’s wildlife.
Two weeks ago, the conservation commission worked with Alex Weinhagen, Hinesburg’s recently departed planning and zoning director, to draw a map they believed that everyone could agree on. They discussed in depth ways in which to draw the boundary that would prevent any incursion onto the habitat area.
The conservation commission eventually agreed to a map that does impede slightly on the habitat but reduces the expansion of the village growth area by about half of what was originally proposed, leaves a setback from a stream on the property and opens a corridor for animals to pass through to the area north of the parcel.
This past week, the planning commission adopted that map as part of the revision they will be sending back to the selectboard.
“A lot of thought has gone into this rural district. A lot of thought has gone into how do we balance these different issues of density and wildlife corridors and the need for more housing and kind of the historical development patterns,” Alison Lesure, planning commission member, said.
Because Alex Weinhagen has left as planning and zoning director, the Hinesburg planning commission will convene with a representative from the regional planning commission to finalize its revised proposal before holding a public hearing and sending it to the selectboard for approval.
CLIFT continued from page 6
help provide adequate housing, better schools, accessible healthcare and vital safety nets. It allows food and water to be contaminated because the ruling class doesn’t have to eat or drink what the lower classes do. It returns women to the Victorian age of silence and servitude.
Today’s robber barons and their elite political allies not only steal dignity and hope, but they put us at great risk and conspire against anything that is fair and forward thinking while serving their own selfish purposes.
As Eugene Debs put it during the last Gilded Age, “The time has come to regenerate society (while) we are on the eve of universal change.”
Elayne Clift is a Vermontbased writer. Read more at elayne-clift.com.
Hinesburg Development Review Board
Tuesday, February 18, 2025 7:00 pm
Hinesburg Conservation Commission: Conditional use review for development in a floodplain to replace a trail bridge with a larger bridge in Geprags Park, a town-owned 85.5-acre property located north of Shelburne Falls Road in the Agricultural Zoning District. The meeting will be both in person and remote. See meeting agenda on town website with details on how to participate.
TOWN OF CHARLOTTE NOTICE FOR PUBLIC HEARING FOR AN AUSTRALIAN BALLOT ARTICLE TO BE VOTED AT TOWN MEETING
The Selectboard of the Town of Charlotte hereby gives notice that, in accordance with 17 V.S.A. §§ 2645(a)(3)(A), (a)(3)(B), (a)(6), and 17 V.S.A. § 2680(h), it will hold two public hearings on a petitionedfor proposal to adopt a municipal charter.
The First Public Hearing will be held on Monday, January 27th, 2025 to discuss and take questions regarding the charter proposal. The First Public Hearing will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Charlotte Town Hall, Located at 159 Ferry Road in the Town. While the charter proposal is made by the petition, and not by the Selectboard, Town officials will be present during the public hearing to answer questions regarding the proposal.
The Second Public Hearing will be held on Monday February 3, 2025. The Second Public Hearing will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Charlotte Town Hall, Located at 159 Ferry Road in the Town. Town officials will again be present during the public hearing to answer questions regarding the charter proposal. Note, however, that the Selectboard does not have authority to revise a charter proposal made by petition; but, it may make technical corrections.
After the two public hearings, the petitioned charter proposal shall be submitted to the voters to be voted on by Australian ballot on March 4, 2025, at Town Hall. A public informational hearing will precede that vote.
Requires knowledge of basic accounting, banking deposits, and customer service skills. Please send resume to: hartmeadllc@gmail.com
Please note: If you have any comments, questions or suggestions regarding the accessibility of this meeting, please contact Nathaniel Bareham, Town Administrator. Additionally, if you are unable to attend the meeting, but wish to make a comment or ask a question regarding the article please email your comment or question at least one hour in advance to Nathaniel Bareham at townadmin@ townofcharlotte.com.
This public informational session will be held by online (via Zoom) and in-person. All links and information will also be posted on the Town’s website and calendar at: www.charlottevt.org.
The public may participate online or by phone using the information below. ·
• To join meeting online (via Zoom) please use this link: https://shorturl.at/GerwD.
• To join meeting by phone please call 1-929-205-6099 and dial the Meeting ID and Passcode below:
• Meeting ID: 879 7042 9352
• Passcode: 123456
A concise summary of the substantive provisions of the petitioned-for charter proposal follows:
Article 1: Shall the Town submit to the General Assembly of the State of Vermont a proposal to adopt a municipal charter containing the following:
Section 3. Routine adoption of land use bylaws
The Town of Charlotte shall adopt bylaws (24 V.S.A. § 4303(4)), bylaw amendments, or bylaw repeals by vote of the town by Australian ballot at a special or regular meeting duly warned on the issue.
An official copy of the charter proposal is on file for public inspection in the Town Clerk’s office. Copies shall be made available to members of the public upon request.
ANTIQUES WANTED
Invest in COMFORT
BY
CITRUS TREES
continued from page 3
You do, however, need insects to pollinate the flowers. If your citrus plant is indoors during flowering, you get to play pollinator. Use a clean, dry paintbrush or cotton swab to collect pollen from one flower and rub it on another.
In the fall, acclimate your citrus gradually to move back indoors before the outside temperatures go below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Don’t be alarmed if your citrus plant sheds some of its baby fruit. Potted plants cannot support that much fruit and will naturally shed the extra. However, fruit drop is also associated with temperature extremes, so take
SCHOOL BUDGET continued from page 1
district has seen in its number of students.
“There were quite a few reductions in that FY26 budget that were based on declining enrollment and smaller class sizes, where we had room to have three teachers instead of four teachers in a grade level, so that that was kind of where the leadership started,” Marckres said.
Though average class size might be rising slightly because of these cuts, the school district has still maintained class sizes that fall within education quality standards for each grade level.
However, with declining enrollment and staffing reductions, there will also be a reduction in some services.
According to the numbers the school district presented, there will be cuts to music staffing at four of its five schools. The district is also losing several interventionists and para-specialists, and making one-off reductions in areas like world languages, computer science, or art depending on the school. Champlain Valley Union will be reducing its staff by at least one full-time equivalent in most of its core subject areas, leading to concerns about AP class offerings.
Marckres said that, in making decisions about which positions to reduce at each school, the administration tried to maintain equity for its students across the district. These have not been easy decisions.
“For the leadership of the buildings and the district, it’s a really difficult and painful process for the second year in a row to reduce
care to avoid those.
Dropped leaves are the plant’s response to overwatering. Flower drop will occur if the soil becomes too dry.
Most importantly, add a little patience to your citrus care routine, as young plants may take years to flower and produce fruit. Lemons and limes can take six to nine months to ripen, and oranges can take up to a year. Those colorful and delicious fruit cheering up your home will be worth it.
Amy Simone is a UVM Extension Master Gardener from South Burlington.
positions, because that’s what a school district is. It’s people,” Marckres said.
As might be expected, there has been pushback from staff, parents, and community members.
When the budget was initially discussed at the Dec. 10 board meeting, more than 35 educators attended and stood up, representing the positions that would be lost, while union representatives Emily McClean and Christopher Hood read a letter to the board. In addition to their worries about recruitment, retention, and student services, they also addressed the partial reductions that some staff will experience.
“Partial reductions feel like a death by a thousand cuts. Reducing an employee from 1.0 to 0.8 carries its own set of negative repercussions. The economic impact on these employees is not humane and creates economic instability,” the statement read. In statements at subsequent meetings, community members expressed support for specific teachers and especially the music program. However, Metzler said she has also heard from residents in support of lowering tax rates.
Ultimately, she said, the budget the board has adopted is responsible and still meets the needs of the students.
“No one is happy with the outcome, no matter what’s happening with tax rates,” Marckres said. “No one is happy about the conditions and the statewide situation that got us where we are.”
PHOTO
AMY SIMONE
A Calamondin orange tree, a dwarf citrus variety, will bear small, golden-orange fruit so is a good choice to grow indoors as a houseplant.