Shelburne News - 02-24-22

VOTE MATT WORMSER FOR SELECTBOARD

Noble effort

Green

State’s attorney sends letter of support for police chief

Shelburne students wins Green Up Day poster contest

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Volume 51 Number 8

shelburnenews.com

February 24, 2022

Selectboard mum about reprimand

Go Cupids

MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

PHOTO BY MADELINE WATERMAN

Runners laugh together as they prepare for takeoff at the starting line of the recent Cupid 5K in Shelburne. See story, page 11.

Shelburne Selectboard, school district candidates talk issues during town forum COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

The four candidates for the Shelburne selectboard, as well as the lone candidate for Champlain Valley School District school board, spoke to residents via a livestreamed forum last week to outline the town’s — and their own — top priorities.

The hour-and-a-half forum, organized by Nancy Baker and moderated by Tom Little, featured

more than 20 questions submitted

by Shelburne residents.

“You outdid yourselves, town of Shelburne,” Little said.

“The forum is an opportunity for residents to learn more about the candidates’ background, priorities, reasons for running for office and their point of views about town government process and policy,” Baker added.

Three of the candidates, Matt Wormser, Sean Moran and Susan Bowen, are vying for a two-year

term vacated by Mary Kehoe, while one incumbent, Michael Ashooh, is seeking reelection to a three-year term unopposed.

Erika Lea is running unopposed for a seat on the school board.

Questions posed to the candidates varied: development and conservation, the relationship between the selectboard and the town manager, public health mandates in the face of COVID-19, See CANDIDATES on page 12

A Shelburne town employee is getting a letter of reprimand in their file, but selectboard members aren’t saying much about it.

The motion to reprimand the unnamed employee, approved in public at a special meeting Thursday, has all the appearances of the scene from the 1978 movie “Animal House” when Dean Vernon Wormer said he wanted to place the Delta fraternity on “double secret probation.”

The motion by selectboard member Mary Kehoe proposed members “take the action against the town employee as discussed in executive session and to place a record in their file reflecting that action against the employee,” according to a draft of the minutes.

The motion is vague and fails to name the employee and never says what action the board discussed.

In one of several similar cases that have been overturned, a Chittenden County school board initially tried to hide the name of a teacher charged with groping a high school student that had been discussed in executive sessions.

The school board’s motion was challenged, and the district later took corrective action to include the name of the specific teacher.

Kehoe’s motion mentions something happened in executive

session, but Shelburne, like many towns, do not take minutes of what occurs in secret. Under Vermont open meeting law nothing that happens in executive session is binding and all board action must be taken in public session. Meetings minutes also must cover all topics “and give a true indication of the business of the meeting.”

Selectboard member Cate Cross said Sunday town officials now realize there were problems with the motion and the meeting.

The members plan to address them Tuesday at the next board meeting, she said. She said she may be able to speak more at that time.

Among those problems is that the town learned there is no official recording of the special meeting, which was held over Zoom. The proposed minutes are a composite based on reconstruction by a few people.

Kehoe and selectboard chair Michael Ashooh said they were unable to comment on the record about the letter. Attempts to reach vice chair Kate Lalley were unsuccessful.

Is it Krohn?

The Shelburne reprimand letter appears headed to the personnel file of town manager Lee Krohn.

The town manager is one of only a couple of municipal employees See REPRIMAND on page 3

Page 2 • February 24, 2022 • Shelburne News

County state’s attorney comes to Noble’s defense Pens email saying some cop departures welcome MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George has come to the defense of beleaguered Shelburne Police Chief Aaron Noble.

In a letter to Shelburne Town Manager Lee Krohn and others, George said she has worked side by side with Noble for more than her 11 years as a prosecutor, including since February 2018 when he was promoted to town police chief.

“From my perspective, since the first day that Chief Noble was in charge in Shelburne, he has gone out of his way to change the culture in that department and hold his officers accountable,” she wrote in the 700-word letter.

(See the full letter at right) George, in the Feb. 16 letter, said she had just learned Noble had been on leave for two months but had decided not to call the chief to learn more his case because of the lawyers involved.

George told Krohn she is

“hopeful that with more information coming to you, at some point, if my opinion bares some truth, you will do what you can to support Chief Noble and let him get back to work.”

Noble placed himself on extended sick leave Dec. 27 after coming under fire for problems in a department that’s seen a constant exodus of police officers and emergency dispatchers in recent years.

The department, authorized for 12 officers and currently at about half strength, is charged with providing 24/7 coverage for road patrols in the town of 7,700 residents.

At one point during a December selectboard meeting local resident Linda Riell slowly read the names of 14 police and dispatch employees that had left the department, including eight in the previous six months. Most moved on to other public safety jobs in Chittenden County with a few going to Addison and Lamoille counties.

More have since departed, including one Shelburne

dispatcher who was hired last week to work as a police officer in Williston.

Riell noted Shelburne had lost “over a century of experience, skill, knowledge, information and training.”

George countered in her letter noting that the departing officers may not provide “the experience and skill that we currently want serving our communities.”

“I don’t mean to imply that everyone who has left fits this description — that is not accurate. It is clear from the media coverage that some members of the community have seen that many officers have left since Chief Noble became chief, and they assume that must mean he is the problem,” she wrote.

“This email is only to make sure that you are aware that these exoduses, in my opinion, could also mean the opposite.

Chief Noble demands the best of his officers, and some are unwilling or unable to meet that demand,” George said.

See ATTORNEY on page 9

Sarah George letter to Shelburne Editor’s note: The following is the letter sent to Shelburne Town Manager Lee Krohn from Chittenden County state’s attorney Sarah George.

Hello Mr. Krohn, We have not met, but I am the Chittenden County State’s Attorney, and therefore have countless interactions with Chittenden County law enforcement officers and Chiefs. I have worked with Chief (Aaron) Noble for over 11 years, so obviously I have worked with him the entire time he has been Chief. I recently learned that Chief Noble is on leave and want to be clear from the start of this email that the majority of the information I have regarding the reasoning is what I have read in the media, so I understand all too well that there may be more to this and want to be upfront about that. I have been tempted to call Chief Noble myself and ask him more but given the negotiations in process and lawyers being involved, I didn’t want to put him in an uncomfortable position.

Instead, I have CC’d his attorney on this email, so everyone knows I am sending this.

I felt a great need to reach out and respond to some of what I have seen regarding Chief Noble’s handling of the Shelburne Police Department.

From my perspective, since the first day that Chief Noble was in charge in Shelburne, he has gone out of his way to change the culture in that department and hold his officers accountable. Over

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the years we have had issues with some Shelburne officers, whether in use of force complaints, inadequate paperwork, clear disdain for my offices policies, or lack of response to emails or calls.

With each one, Chief Noble has been quick to respond and quick to address the issue. Despite him going out of his way to address the issues, including having me come to the department and talk to officers directly, many of the same officers were clearly not interested in changing their practices.

When I read the list of names of officers who have left Shelburne PD that Ms. (Linda) Riell named in a selectboard meeting, I was astonished at how many had been on my radar in some way for the reasons listed above.

It is very true that people are leaving law enforcement right now at alarming rates, but it is also true that some people who are currently leaving law enforcement are leaving because they don’t want to conform in the ways that communities are starting to demand. They do not want a Chief who is going to hold them accountable, they do not want a State’s Attorney who is going to hold them accountable, and they do not want to work for a community who is going to hold them accountable. Instead, they leave. In my opinion, this is what we want. We should not be targeting Chiefs who are trying to make their departments better, nor blame them for the departure of those who don’t want to be better. When Ms. Riell noted that these departures represented “over a century of experience, skill, knowledge, information and training” that has been lost, that may be true – but it completely discounts that those years of experience, skill, knowledge, information, and training, may not be the experience and skill that we currently want serving our communities.

I don’t mean to imply that everyone who has left fits this description – that is not accurate.

It is clear from the media coverage that some members of the community have seen that many officers have left since Chief Noble became chief, and they assume that must mean he is the problem. This email is only to make sure that you are aware that these exoduses in my opinion, could also mean the opposite. Chief Noble demands the best of his officers, and some are unwilling or unable to meet that demand.

I understand that much of the negotiation process is protected and you are not at will to discuss it. But I am hopeful that with more information coming to you, at some point, if my opinion bares some truth, you will do what you can to support Chief Noble and let him get back to work.

Shelburne News • February 24, 2022 • Page 3

Town faces spending items COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

Town Meeting Day is next week, and Shelburne residents will have quite a bit to vote on this year.

But with the COVID-19 pandemic now entering its third year, Shelburne has opted to conduct all its voting by Australian ballot again this year, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 1 at the town gymnasium, 5420 Shelburne Road.

Ballots must be submitted by the close of the polls on Tuesday, March 1 at 7 p.m., Shelburne town clerk Diana Vachon said.

“Any ballots received after the polls close do not count in Vermont elections,” she said.

Ballots can be dropped off in several locations: the town clerk’s office, which is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office will close, however, at 2 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28.

Ballots can also be dropped off at Shelburne Police Dispatch if the town clerk’s office is closed. The dispatch is on the ground floor of the same building.

There is also a drive-through option at an absentee ballot drop box in the parking lot of town center, on the north side of the building across from the main door.

More information can be found at bit. ly/3IrFtP7.

On the ballot Residents will select a selectboard member to replace Mary Kehoe, who is not seeking reelection. Three candidates are vying for the seat: Matt Wormser, Susan Bowen and Sean Moran. (See related on

page 1) Kehoe was appointed to fill the last of Jerry Storey’s term after he resigned from the board at the end of September. Kehoe, a former member of the board, stepped in to fill the seat.

Incumbent Mike Ashooh, the current chair of the selectboard, is running unopposed. “I’m running unopposed for the three-year term, so you’re stuck with me unless there’s a massive write-in campaign,” he said during a candidate forum last week.

“I don’t necessarily think that’s a great thing. I’m very proud of my work but I kind of wish there were more people running — more voices help all of us.”

Meanwhile, Erika Lea is also running unopposed for a three-year term on the Champlain Valley School District board.

Other candidates on the ballot include Thomas Little for town moderator (one-year term) and Bob Lake for town constable (two-year term). Both are running unopposed.

Voters will also vote to pass or reject a $9.8 million municipal budget.

Voters will decide whether to allocate $50,000 for the preservation of natural and open spaces; establish a reserve fund to pay for repair and maintenance of municipal facilities; purchase a utility vehicle for maintaining town facilities and trails for $15,000; buy a utility truck for the fire department for no more than $665,000; buy radios for the fire department for $87,000 or less; allocate $168,000 as the local share in construction of the Irish Hill recreation path; and finance the construction of a new Shelburne Town Beach house for no more than $350,000.

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We Did It Again!

REPRIMAND

continued from page 1 appointed by the Shelburne Selectboard and directed by the five-member panel.

Krohn was also notably absent from the selectboard’s special meeting Thursday.

When reached at his town office the day after the meeting, Krohn declined comment to the Shelburne News.

The selectboard has also been dealing with a grievance appeal from embattled police chief Aaron Noble, but for a few reasons the reprimand letter does not appear headed to his personnel file.

Noble, who placed himself on extended sick leave in late December, has not received notice that any kind of discipline letter was being placed in his file, according to his lawyer Norman Blais. The town would be required to provide notice to Noble, Blais said.

Ashooh, who said he would disqualify himself from participating in the chief’s grievance against Krohn, presided over the special meeting, which included the half hour closed-door session.

Kehoe’s motion for the reprimand was seconded by Lalley and the proposed minutes indicate members did not offer any comments explaining their actions to the public. It was approved 4-0 with Ashooh, Cross, Kehoe and Lalley voting in favor of the reprimand. A minute later they adjourned.

Selectboard member Luce Hillman was

not present at the meeting and attempts to reach her were unsuccessful.

Some residents expressed concern to the Shelburne News about Krohn’s conduct at a Feb. 8 selectboard meeting during appeals on two cases involving public records.

Under Vermont law and earlier Vermont Supreme Court decisions the reason why somebody wants public records, who wants those records and what they do with them are all irrelevant.

But Krohn, during his explanation about a document request by former planning director Dean Pierce, strayed from the records case and got somewhat personal. Krohn said Pierce opposed both his appointment by the selectboard as interim town manager in April 2018 and his permanent appointment.

Krohn also mentioned Pierce had filed an ethics complaint against him.

Pierce tried to object, but the five selectboard members allowed Krohn to keep going into non-relevant areas of Vermont’s public records law.

The board eventually ruled Pierce’s appeal, and a separate one filed by Noble, was moot because Ashooh failed to act within the five-day required time limit for appeals under the law. That failure essentially equals a denial of the records request and now both Noble and Pierce must pursue further action in Vermont Superior Court.

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Certified

Community Notes A community conversation on masks, tests, vaccines The Charlotte Senior Center Wednesday lecture on March 2 is “Masking, Testing, Vaxxing,” a community conversation on COVID-19. Co-sponsored by The Charlotte Library.

The free, in-person lectures start at 1 p.m. Questions? Leave a message at (802) 425-6345 or visit charlotteseniorcentervt.org.

There will also be an evening panel on Tuesday, March 8, 7 p.m. at the Charlotte Library. Both sessions will be offered in person and on Zoom.

Master gardeners get new program manager

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

Tom Candon instructs Gary Marcotte won CPR and using defibrillators at a recent training at the Shelburne Volunteer Fire Department with instructors from Shelburne Rescue.

Deb Heleba is the new statewide outreach and education program manager for community horticulture programs for University of Vermont Extension.

She will lead the extension master gardener and Vermont master composter programs and support more than 500 volunteers who provide gardening and composting education in their local communities around the state.

Heleba brings in-depth experience in online educational programs for adults, public communications and social media, program evaluation and web

management to the program.

She grew up in southern Vermont and has a master’s degree in community development and applied economics from UVM. To learn more about community horticulture programs, visit uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener.

Register ahead for Age Well meals The Age Well meal pickup for Thursday, Feb. 24 is from 11 a.m. to noon, Charlotte Senior Center is Feb. 14, 212 Ferry Road, and features oven-fried chicken breast, red mashed potatoes, Capri vegetables, dinner roll, pumpkin pudding with cream and milk.

You must have pre-registered

by Monday, Feb. 21, with Lori York, 802-425-6371 or lyork@ charlotteseniorcentervt.org The meal on March 3 — register by Feb. 28 — is beef stroganoff with sour cream, egg noodles, broccoli florets, cauliflower, dinner roll, strawberry shortcake and milk.

Check the website for last-minute cancellations at charlotteseniorcentervt.org.

The meal on March 10 — register by March 7 — is barbecue chicken breast, O’Brien red potatoes, spinach, wheat bread, pumpSee COMMUNITY NOTES on page 10

Shelburne News

Serving the community of Shelburne A publication of Vermont Community Newspaper Group LLC shelburnenews.com Advertising Wendy Ewing wendy@shelburnenews.com (802) 985-3091 x12 Advertising Director Judy Kearns judy@otherpapersbvt.com (802) 864-6670 x21 News Editor Tommy Gardner Staff Writers Avalon Styles-Ashley Aaron Calvin Corey McDonald Production Manager Stephanie Manning stephanie@shelburnenews.com Publisher Gregory Popa gpopa@stowereporter.com

National Sales Director, Insert Program Irene Nuzzo irene@stowereporter.com (802) 760-9673 Billing inquiries Leslie Lafountain leslie@stowereporter.com (802) 253-2101 Advertising submission deadline: Friday at 5 p.m. for next Thursday issue advertising@shelburnenews.com classifieds@shelburnenews.com Editorial submission deadline: Friday at 5 p.m. for next Thursday issue news@shelburnenews.com Calendar submission deadline: Friday at 12 p.m. for next Thursday issue news@shelburnenews.com Contact: 1340 Williston Road South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 985-3091

The Shelburne News is published weekly and mailed free to residents and businesses in Shelburne and rack distributed at select high traffic locations. The Vermont Community Newspaper Group LLC assumes no responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements and reserves the right to refuse advertising and editorial copy.

Shelburne News • February 24, 2022 • Page 5

Shelburne woman celebrates centennial Shelburne resident Cecile Guillemette is turning 100.

Cecile was born in Montreal on March 7, 1922. She married Ludger Guillemette in 1940 and moved to Vermont.

In 1948, they moved to their farm in Shelburne where she still resides. Cecile and Ludger raised seven children and enjoyed 62 years of marriage. Cecile still enjoys making puzzles, playing cards, cooking, visiting with friends, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and seeing the great-great-grandchildren. She starts every day by reading the Burlington Free Press and doing the Sudoku puzzle.

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COURTESY PHOTOS

Marina Hallisey, a seventh grader at Shelburne Community School, won Armand Poulin Memorial Green Up Day Poster Art Contest for 2022. Her artwork (above) will be used to market the annual Green Up Day in Vermont, where volunteers take to the state’s roadways and pick up the litter and trash of others. The kindergarten through grade 4 winner was JoJo Seagraves, who is in grade three-four at Underhill Central School. The fifth through eighth grade winner was Canute Hoehn, grade 8, from Shelburne Community School (below). The high school winner was Shterna Gordon, grade 11, from Burr & Burton Academy.

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Page 6 • February 24, 2022 • Shelburne News

OPINION Letters to the Editor In time of change, Wormser logical choice To the Editor: I’ll be voting for Matt Wormser for Shelburne Selectboard.

One reason is that Wormser has the background to provide leadership on the big issues before us. His education is grounded in both environment and finance. His financial training includes a master of business administration, yet he also majored in environment in college and served on Shelburne’s Natural Resources and Conservation Committee.

Wormser has said that the environment remains “near and dear to his heart,” but he also has the capacity to lead Shelburne in addressing and balancing the range of considerations needed for us to get to sustainable and sensible growth.

The second reason is that he is a dedicated Shelburner.

A longtime resident, Wormser has served and mingled with the community regularly in a variety of capacities over the years, including serving on the school board and on the natural resources committee. His children have been through the Shelburne school system, where he was in the parent-teacher organization.

He is friendly and approachable, and a listener, all consistent with his personal interest in promoting connectedness and civility within town government and the community.

We are fortunate to have such a strong, capable candidate in this time of change.

Joy Congdon Shelburne

Can Shelburne afford to buy more open land?

To the Editor: I’ve attended several meetings of the Shelburne Selectboard and was struck by some of the determined, belligerent members of the board who bully in their ideas by talking over anyone who disagrees with them — apparently not wanting to hear any other thoughts.

Can you talk louder than them to add some common sense?

Do you agree with the planned new housing development that appears to be yet another crowded group of small, overpriced, overtaxed and styleless units that replaced the nicely landscaped golf course, a result of the town’s oppressive tax policy.

Can we afford to buy open

spaces while at the same time we build over existing, well-landscaped spaces?

Did we ever recover the cost of the hapless lawsuits against the railroad’s salt shed? Should we investigate who was responsible for voting for those unfortunate expenses?

When was the last time any of you read the U.S. Constitution?

Bob Essman Shelburne

Bike, paths committee seeks support at annual meeting To the Editor: The Shelburne Bike and Pedestrian Paths Committee strongly supports ballot articles 6 and 9 this March.

Article 6 concerns the purchase of a utility vehicle to, among other uses, help maintain and improve Shelburne’s excellent trails.

Article 9 is for a bond that continues the community’s overwhelming support for a pedestrian bridge and recreation path on Falls and Irish Hill roads. This path is the missing link that will make the LaPlatte Nature Park’s loop trail entirely car-free.

Please join us in our efforts to promote a more walkable and bikeable Shelburne by supporting Articles 6 and 9.

Ted Grozier Chair Shelburne Bike and Pedestrian Paths Committee

Support open space fund with your vote To the Editor: This year Shelburne’s Town Meeting Day ballot requests $50,000 for the Open Space Conservation Fund. A yes vote adds just $3.10 per $100,000 assessed property value to your tax bill.

I’m writing to explain that request and remind us of what our protected lands have meant as we’ve endured recent pandemic stressors and isolation. The ballot request amounts to less than a Vermont state park family admission, yet it allows us free daily access to Shelburne’s own system of publicly accessible parks, trails and conserved properties.

Whether you’re a long-time resident or new to town, the Open Space Conservation Fund is structured as a savings account dedicated to resource protec-

tion. It has allowed Shelburne to conserve over 900 acres of significant forest and water resources, wildlife corridors and agricultural land to protect the environment, mitigate climate change and maintain the quality of life we all enjoy.

Our annual contribution accrues in the fund, earning interest until a worthy project emerges. No bond issues, no interest to pay, no long-term debt to inhibit future town projects.

When a property becomes available, the Shelburne Natural Resources Committee, working with landowners and conservation organizations like Vermont Land Trust, Nature Conservancy and Lake Champlain Land Trust can withdraw a portion of the fund to demonstrate our commitment to environmental protection and leverage much larger contributions from those partners to protect the land forever.

Open Space Conservation Fund savings allow us to act nimbly when conservation opportunities arise to work with our partners and landowners to verify appraisal and resource values, and then the selectboard can authorize the expenditure.

Gail Albert Shelburne

Wormser will balance development, community

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To the Editor: I have been a Shelburne resident for 25 years and am writing to voice my support for Matt Wormser for the Shelburne Selectboard.

I have known Wormser for several years as we both had children go through Champlain Valley Union High School together.

His values and commitment to this community will have an immediate positive effect on the selectboard. He believes in a balanced approach to development in Shelburne, one that both promotes smart economic development while preserving its character.

Wormser believes in keeping housing affordable for working Vermonters and protecting the open spaces and natural environment that drew so many of us here.

He is also committed to See LETTERS on page 7

Shelburne News • February 24, 2022 • Page 7

LETTERS

continued from page 6 promoting civility in the selectboard. He is a good listener and open minded. He is truly interested in what others have to say and I know he will always have the best interests of all Shelburne residents in mind when he considers issues brought before the board.

Wormser has demonstrated his high level of commitment to Shelburne through his prior service on the Shelburne School Board, the Shelburne Natural Resources and Conservation Committee, and the Shelburne Community School Parent Teacher Organization.

I enthusiastically support Matt Wormser for Shelburne Selectboard and I hope you will too.

Hank Harder Shelburne

Wormser listens, looks for solutions To the Editor: I’m writing to express my support for Matt Wormser as a Shelburne Selectboard member.

I’ve known Matt for 15 years.

We met when both of our sons were in the local Cub Scout pack.

Over the years we have gotten to know each other better at town and school events as our children progressed through Shelburne Community School and Champlain Valley Union High School.

We have discussed the town path network, our open spaces and our schools.

Wormser is an intelligent, thoughtful individual. He is a good listener and looks for solutions with an open mind.

He comes to the role with a true design to serve the community. I believe he will make an outstanding selectboard member and I thank him for his willingness to serve the town in this role.

Doug Merrill Shelburne

Help Shelburne face its future, elect Wormser To the Editor: Every day I go to work in the Shelburne Community Middle School, a space that was sorely in need of renovation a few years ago but is now a state-of-the-art, safe and welcoming learning space. The renovated school — along with the library, heating and air-conditioning systems and new roof — are a point of pride for our town.

These improvements make cutting-edge and flexible learning strategies possible. They save money and protect the environment through efficiency improvements, and they preserve our property values and high quality of life by demonstrating that our town places a premium value on our children’s education.

However, it was not an easy journey to get here. Many will recall the contentious discussions about the renovation and the significant price tag. In early

A Smile is Worth a Thousand Words

2015, an initial bond was defeated by voters, leaving the project in jeopardy. If it were not for the extraordinary efforts of some particularly dedicated shepherds to keep the project alive, it might never have been realized.

Elected to the Shelburne School Board the very same day the bond referendum was defeated, Matt Wormser was one of those committed people who brought this project to life. Over the next year, he worked tirelessly to listen to voter concerns about the project, met with school administrators and project planners to develop a budget that would balance the burden on taxpayers with the most critical needs of the project and met repeatedly with townspeople to explain the updated plan.

At the end of the year, the re-tooled referendum was approved by more than a two-toone margin.

Our town is facing many complicated, expensive and potentially contentious issues today: stormwater mitigation, the right balance of development and land preservation, personnel retention, pandemic mandate timelines and some significant

capital projects. Wormser will approach these issues with the same exceptional listening skills, business acumen, commitment to civility and nimble intelligence that he brought to the school board and to the many other civic and volunteer positions he has held over the years.

If anyone would like to meet Wormser and get a sense of his even-keeled nature, his thoughtful and informed approach to the issues and his deep commitment to preserving our high quality of life in Shelburne I encourage you to watch the recording of the Feb. 15 candidates’ forum.

Please join me in supporting Matt Wormer for Shelburne Selectboard.

Peg Rosenau Shelburne

After careful thought, my vote’s for Wormser To the Editor: First, thanks must go to each of the candidates for the Selectboard seats: Mike Ashooh (unopposed) and Matt Wormser, Sean Moran and Susan Bowen (for the

contested seat). These positions require massive time and personal commitments and sacrifice.

I do think it is fair to say that Susan Bowen has firmly established herself as the “no vaccine/ no masking candidate.” As such, I am unable to seriously consider her candidacy, given her clearly voiced disregard for science and what her position says about her regard for the larger community, our most vulnerable and those in the health care professions.

Matt Wormser and Sean Moran present interesting options in my mind. Both are clearly intelligent and have long-term connections to the community.

I have had the opportunity to interact with both in different contexts.

As has been pointed out multiple times, we appear to be entering into a particularly challenging phase in the life of our town. Certainly among them are wastewater management and related costs; questions about the police department, human resource management and the role of the town managSee LETTERS on page 8

Page 8 • February 24, 2022 • Shelburne News

LETTERS

continued from page 7 er; and how Shelburne can best achieve reasonable economic development, natural resource preservation, safe bike and pedestrian movement and affordable housing.

When I consider the backgrounds of the two candidates, Wormser is my preferred choice.

His educational and professional background and his significant record of service to Shelburne distinguishes him in my mind.

His many years of collaborative work with the parent-teacher organization and on the school board contributed to the district merger and significant administrative savings. HIs long record of coaching children in recreational sports resulted in his being named volunteer of the year.

Wormser’s work on Shelburne’s Natural Resources Committee is further reflection of his values and interests. His professional work as a consultant requires analysis of complex issues and the ability to look at many sides of any given issue.

Those who have worked closely with him have noted his collaborative approach to problem-solving.

His educational background in

environmental studies, economics and finance are noteworthy. It seems his education and professional experiences, along with his extensive record of town service, align particularly well with the challenges the selectboard has in front of it.

Join me in casting your vote for Matt Wormser.

Tom Zenaty Shelburne

Town should enact interim zoning — now To the Editor: As a Shelburne resident directly affected, I feel the selectboard needs to consider adopting interim zoning for Shelburne’s “mixed-use residential district.” (“Residents want to block 100 homes in Shelburne,” Feb. 10, 2022) In particular, the Brandon-Crombach high-density project located at 2882 Shelburne Road. In the Shelburne News story, the town’s attorney said, “The town might be able to suspend the project while it considers zoning changes.”

I strongly feel we need to ask the town to suspend this project to give the planning commission time to re-evaluate since a development project of this size was never intended in this area. This area of Shelburne Road is already a heavily congested traffic area so the addition of approximately 200-plus cars from the current proposed project will only make the commute up and down Shelburne Road even more congested.

All Shelburne neighborhoods and residents need to rally together to help block this high-density project. If this isn’t stopped or at least drastically modified this will set a precedent and ultimately other Shelburne neighborhoods will be targeted for these high-density projects.

In other words, this will be in potentially everybody’s backyard.

Density and over-population don’t equate to a strong quality of life, especially in a small quiet town like Shelburne. Isn’t one of the visions and goals fewer cars, more walking and biking, and a better quality of life?

This area, which is across from Modern Design and the Shelburne Meat Market, is already the highest traffic pinch

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Again, this potentially affects all Shelburne residents.

Just last week South Burlington stopped an unpopular massive development. It was determined the targeted area was not appropriate. If there is an appetite for change, we can do it as well.

Chris Latta Shelburne

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Support Matt Wormser for selectboard

Shelburne would be well served with Wormser To the Editor: I’m writing in enthusiastic support of Matt Wormser’s candidacy for the Shelburne Selectboard. Wormser is conscientious, hardworking and friendly, and I know that as a member of the board he’d be eager to listen and represent everyone in working to address challenges facing our town.

Wormser is warm and funny, but he also works with financial data all day, does the reading and thinks carefully about costs and benefits. The guy’s got seemingly boundless energy, and he has put a great deal of that energy into serving our community — while

To the Editor: Please join us voting for Matt Wormser for selectboard.

A longtime Shelburne resident and family man, Wormser will bring decades of management consulting experience to bear on the board.

He has served with distinction on the school board during the recent splendid renovation of Shelburne Community School. A hardworking man of high integrity and dedication to the town, he would like to contribute to the furtherance of our shared vision for Shelburne.

Rad Romeyn and Katharine Stockman Shelburne

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Shelburne News • February 24, 2022 • Page 9

ATTORNEY

continued from page 2 Noble had also come under fire for not helping his department fill short-handed patrol shifts like other police chiefs do, and not responding to emails or messages left on his work and cell phones.

He also did not attend the selectboard meetings at town hall even after the criticisms arose.

During the Nov. 23 selectboard meeting, Noble spoke over Zoom when it came time to defend his proposed 2021-22 police budget, but never turned on his computer video, while other town officials, including the fire chief, were present in the meeting room that night.

Riell and others have said Noble’s unavailability has been an issue in the town.

George in her letter appears to question whether the departure of some of those employees were losses for the public.

“Over the years we have had issues with some Shelburne offi-

cers, whether in use of force complaints, inadequate paperwork, clear disdain for my office’s policies or lack of response to emails or calls. With each one, Chief Noble has been quick to respond and quick to address the issue,” she said. “Despite him going out of his way to address the issues, including having me come to the department and talk to officers directly, many of the same officers were clearly not interested in changing their practices.”

George was moved up from deputy state’s attorney in Chittenden County to the top post in January 2017. She was one of two finalists to replace T.J. Donovan when he was elected attorney general.

“It is very true that people are leaving law enforcement right now at alarming rates, but it is also true that some people who are currently leaving law enforcement are

Chief’s police cruiser

Sarah George

leaving because they don’t want to conform in the ways that communities are starting to demand,” she wrote. “They do not want a chief who is going to hold them accountable, they do not want a state’s attorney who is going to hold them accountable.”

The public both at recent meetings and at other times has questioned why Noble had refused to surrender his unmarked Shelburne police cruiser that he left parked at his residence in Williston.

People questioned if Lt. Mike Thomas, the acting police chief, could use it, or if other members of the department needed it for enforcement efforts.

After questions during at least three selectboard meetings, the Shelburne News reported last week the unused black vehicle had made it to a garage on U.S. 7 in South Burlington for service and it is now back in use at the Shelburne department.

Another departure Kelsey Parker has resigned as an emergency dispatcher from

the Shelburne Communications Center.

Parker has worked fulltime since October 2019 in Shelburne but is jumping ship to become a police officer in Williston.

Williston Police Chief Patrick Foley said Parker is destined for the 16-week Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford starting March 21. She began this week learning about internal procedures, department policies and doing ride-alongs, Foley said. She starts at $24.75 per hour, which jumps to $25.62 on July 1.

She will get another raise on her anniversary with the department next year.

The Shelburne Selectboard was expected to approve a new union contract this week that will make the police starting pay competitive or better with Williston, acting police chief Mike Thomas said Tuesday.

Page 10 • February 24, 2022 • Shelburne News

COMMUNITY NOTES continued from page 4

kin bar with raisins and milk.

The meal on March 17 — register by March 14 — is beef round, boiled potatoes, cabbage and carrots in beef stock, dinner roll, leprechaun cake with frosting and milk.

the family and the farm, Holmes will ponder what it means to be a Vermonter, then and now. The presentation will also include old pictures from the early 1900s.

For the Zoom meeting log-in go the Chittenden County Historical Society website at cchsvt.org.

Historical society holds talk on Holmes Farm

Shelburne church hosts David Holmes will discuss Age Well March meal

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID HOLMES

Cover of David Holmes’s book, an orchard scene with a Holmes family member holding two horses. See note at right.

his new book about the 101-year history of the Holmes farm in Charlotte, “On Being a Vermonter and the Rise and Fall of the Holmes Farm, 1822-1923,” Sunday, March 6, 1-2:30 p.m.

This is the only case study of a Vermont farm during this era.

The farm, located just south of the Charlotte covered bridge on Lake Champlain, had a leading-edge apple orchard with apple sales to U.S. cities and Europe. The family also bred, raced and sold Morgan horses.

Building on the experience of

St. Catherine of Siena, 72 Church St., Shelburne hosts a senior meal Tuesday, March 8, 11 a.m.-noon. There will be no delivery available.

The menu features barbecue chicken breast, O’Brien red potatoes, spinach, wheat bread, pumpkin bar with raisins and milk.

Register by March 3 via email at soberding@yahoo.com or call 802-825-8546 Age Well serves Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties and is the largest Meals on Wheels provider in Vermont.

burne and Lang Farms in Essex.

After hours, he was known for enjoying bourbon and cigars, preferably while golfing.

Don’s love of golf and family were the inspiration for establishing 35 years ago the annual Robert Munn Golf Invitational in honor of his father-in-law. To this day, three generations of Munn family men gather in Plattsburgh, N.Y., for a five-day golf scramble every summer. Because of Don, the family tradition will continue for future generations to encourage appreciation of sport, comradery and family bonding.

He was most proud of being a father and raising five daughters.

Although Don was technically and mechanically inept, he taught his girls the valuable life lessons of dedication to family, commitment to community, and the self-confidence to tackle any problem. As a young father, he was their softball coach, Girl Scout leader and number one fan.

In addition to his beloved parents-in-law, Robert and Patricia Munn, he was predeceased by his sister, Carolyn Hensley, and brother-in-law, Chris Munn.

Besides his loving wife, Don is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Larry and Robyn St. Peter of Plattsburgh, N.Y., Dave and Jamie Crenshaw of Milton, Jay and Johanna Hipp of Augusta, Ga., Rich and Tricia Pouliot of Colchester, and Michaela Condon of Quincy, Mass. He relished his role as Papa to 12 grandchildren

and cherished his relationship as the eldest brother-in-law to Maureen’s eight brothers and two sisters.

The family extends their gratitude for the compassionate care provided by Dr. Mark Pitcher, the University of Vermont Home Health & Hospice, and Shelburne Police and Rescue departments.

Don was comfortable and well cared for until he was reunited in “Valhalla” with his fallen comrades as a reward for his valor, bravery, courage and unyielding devotion to his fellow Green Berets.

Relatives and friends of the family are invited to a memorial Mass with celebrants Rev. Chris Looby and Rev. Brian Cummings, Society of St. Edmund, at St. Michael’s Chapel in Colchester on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 10 a.m.

Attendees are required to wear masks. The family will not hold a wake for public visiting hours. The internment ceremony for family and friends is tentatively scheduled in late spring of 2022.

In lieu of flowers, Don requested that donations in his memory be sent to the Edmundite Missions in Selma, Ala. Visit edmunditemissions.org/donate-now to contribute in his honor.

Arrangements are coordinated by the A.W. Rich Funeral Home.

The Condon family encourages family, friends, and acquaintances to express condolences, upload photos and share stories in memory of Donald Condon on the dedicated section at awrfh.com.

Obituary Donald James Condon Donald J. Condon, 74, died at his home in Shelburne with family at his side on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.

Don lived an abundant life in which he loved being surrounded by friends and family. Known as the life of the party, Don was most admired for his witty sense of humor, generous heart and genuine smile. When he became friends with someone, he was their friend for life. And those who made his acquaintance sought his friendship.

Donny was raised by his loving grandparents in Casper, Wyo. He was well-known at a young age for his strong work ethic at Natrona County High School, where he participated in football, baseball, boxing, basketball, swimming and drama. After graduating high school in 1966, during the full height of the Vietnam War draft, Don volunteered for active duty in the U.S. Army at 17 years old.

Don’s distinguished military career began as the honor graduate of basic training, at which point he was recommended for the Army’s Infantry Officer’s Candidate School. As a young lieutenant, he graduated ranger school, jungle warfare school and special forces training. By 20, he was assigned to the 6th Special Forces Group and deployed to Pleiku, Vietnam from November 1968 to December 1969, where he served as a company commander in combat.

In June 1970, Don married an Army nurse, Maureen Munn,

while assigned to Fort Carson, Colo. He always jokingly claimed “the Army issued his bride,” but anyone who met the couple immediately knew Maureen was the love of his life. Don and Maureen moved their family to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., where he decided to leave the military and enroll as a student at the University of Missouri in Colombia.

In 1979, Don and Maureen moved to Vermont to establish a foundation for their growing family of five daughters.

Don also grew roots in the local community through his work with numerous businesses, county schools and recreational leagues.

He founded DJ Condon & Associates in 1983 as the only licensed insurance consultant in Vermont.

In 1996, Don was recognized as the Vermont Consultant of the Year for his dedication and ingenuity to the industry.

Don was a passionate and energetic member of the Charlotte-Shelburne Rotary Club for nearly 30 years during which he eagerly collected “happy fines” from members at weekly meetings.

Don served as president from July 2001 to June 2002.

His fellow Rotarians claim Don, after 20 years, remains the only president who dedicated as much time and personal sacrifice to serving his club and community.

In recognition of the club’s exceptional accomplishments during Don’s year as president, the club was awarded the Distinguished

Donald James Condon

Rotary Club citation, one of only three clubs to receive this recognition in Rotary District 7850.

The Charlotte-Shelburne Rotary Club recognized Don for his inspirational leadership and exceptional commitment to community by designating him a Paul Harris Fellow, one of Rotary International’s most coveted awards.

Don’s natural girth and cheerful mirth contributed to his role as Santa every Christmas in the community. For more than 25 years, he volunteered as Santa to bring joy across several local townships. His knowledge of Spanish and Japanese often surprised non-suspecting bilingual children while his ability to remember names was equally impressive to the parents.

For relaxation, Don was often seen spending time on the green with his closest friends at the Kwiniaska Golf Course in Shel-

Shelburne News • February 24, 2022 • Page 11

SPORTS CVU downhillers capture state titles LAUREN REED CORRESPONDENT

Alpine skiing

PHOTO BY MADELINE WATERMAN

The Champlain Valley boys’ and girls’ alpine ski teams got themselves ready for the upcoming Vermont state championships with wins at the NVAC Northern Districts at Middlebury Snow Bowl Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 21-22 CVU will look to capture two state titles Monday, Feb. 28, and Tuesday, March 1, at the state championships at Burke Mountain.

The Redhawks girls finished first behind Ella Lisle’s firstplace performance in the slalom and fifth in giant slalom.

Kate Kogut was 10th in the slalom and Carlynn Strobeck came in eighth in the giant slalom.

On the boys’ side, Ari Diamond was second in the slalom and third in the giant slalom to pace the Redhawks in their first-place team performance.

Remy Schulz was sixth, Ray Hagois came in seventh and George Francisco was eighth in the slalom for CVU. In the giant slalom, Jake Strobeck came in fifth, Francisco was eighth and Kyle Martin rounded it out in tenth for the Redhawks.

Runners take off from the starting line in the Cupid 5k in Shelburne.

Boys’ basketball

Cupid 5K race re-starts in Shelburne

Champlain Valley 50, Burlington 40: After trailing in the first quarter, the boys clamped down on defense and defeated Burlington 50-40 on Feb. 21 Alex Provost had 13 points to pace the Redhawks (14-3), while Patrick Ricca added 10.

Ethan Murphy chipped in nine for CVU. It was a rebound for CVU, which lost to Rice 65-50 on Saturday, Feb. 19.

Ethan Murphy and Kyle Eaton each had nine points for the Redhawks in the loss.

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Runners of all ages turned out for the annual Cupid 5K race in Shelburne, an event that like many has been altered in recent years due to the pandemic.

This race was in memory of Karen Newman, an athlete and author who regularly attended the Cupid 5K and who died of cancer in 2019.

“She was the most uplifting person,” said Ute Talley, who organizes this and many other RaceVermont events with Rayne Herzog. “She was the one who had the biggest smile on her face. This one was her favorite races, and she came dressed to the nines with stripey socks and fluffy antennas. It was just amazing.”

Newman won a silver medal for the masters age group at the 2012 Triathlon World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, in addition to many other awards, according to the race description.

Newman was known to “dress to the nines” at the races.

Talley said they have managed to bring a community together despite the pandemic. Seventy-three runners, ranging in age from 6 to 78, turned out for the race.

“It’s been a while,” Talley said.

“We were not able to do it last year because of COVID-19. The state shut recreation down at that point, and I believe the year before that we actually did it virtually. But other than that, we’ve had it every year.”

Proceeds from the race were donated to the Cancer Patient

Support Foundation.

Tim Richmond of Williston had the best overall time at 18 minutes and 53 seconds.

“That was a tough one,” Richmond said of the race. “You never know who you’re going to get out there. I had a guy who perfectly matched me. We were side by side through three miles, and at the end we split up just a little bit, but he was right on it.”

“You can see some folks you haven’t seen in a long time, run with some people who match your ability, and it’s kind of a spiritual boost,” he said.

The next race hosted by RaceVermont is the Sugarhouse Snowshoe 5K/10K, which will be held on Sunday, Feb. 26 at the Shelburne Sugarhouse.

Girls’ hockey Rutland 4, Champlain Valley-Mount Mansfield 4: The Champlain Valley-Mount Mansfield combined team battled to a 4-4 tie with Rutland Jan. 21.

Tess Everett led the CougarHawks with two goals and an assist, while Karina Bushweller tallied twice. Grace Ferguson

CVU girls’ basketball on its way to playoffs After winning eight of their last nine games of the regular season, the Champlain Valley girls’ basketball team is set for the Div. 1 postseason.

The Redhawks earned the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and a bye in the first round.

CVU (15-3) will take on the winner of No. 7 Colchester and No. 10 Brattleboro on Thursday, Feb. 24, in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. The two teams will face off on Town Meeting Day, Tuesday, March 1.

The Redhawks did not face Colchester during the regular season but faced off against Brattleboro in the first weeks of the year, beating the Colonels 67-29.

Champlain Valley enters the postseason in a bit of a different position. After earning the top seed for the last three years, the Redhawks will be the No. 2 seed this year. Rice (16-1) is the No. 1 seed and would only face CVU if the two teams advance to the state finals. stopped 33 shots in goal.

With the tie, the CougarHawks move to a 9-9-1 record.

On Saturday, CVU-MMU lost to BFA-St. Albans 3-1. Karina Bushweller had the lone goal for the CougarHawks, and Ferguson made 37 saves.

Girls’ basketball Champlain Valley 47, Essex 25: The Champlain Valley girls’ basketball team wrapped up the regular season with a win over Essex on Saturday.

Sheby Companion led all scorers with 17 points for CVU, which wraps up the season with a 15-3 record.

See ROUNDUP on page 13

Page 12 • February 24, 2022 • Shelburne News

CANDIDATES

continued from page 1 and more. The candidates appeared mostly in unison on many of the issues, save for a few areas where their views diverged.

Selectboard and town manager Residents asked candidates to define the relationship between the selectboard and town manager, a position currently held by Lee Krohn, particularly as it pertained to accountability.

Ashooh, the current board chair, said, “In my time here since 2007 I can’t remember a town manager that didn’t provoke some controversy. Town managers tell people things they don’t want to hear or tell people they can’t have the things they want to have, so they’re often the focal point of a lot of controversy.” (See related story, page 1) Ashooh, a philosophy professor at the University of Vermont, has been chair of the town’s selectboard for three years.

Moran, the former actor and producer running against Bowen and Wormser for a two-year term, disagreed with Ashooh, saying he felt that “some of the boards in the past, and sometimes this board, have not directed the town manager correctly.”

“I think it is absolutely correct to let the town manager do his or her job, but I think at times — and we’re seeing a very good example of that right now in the situation we’re in with the police chief — I think being the head of the town, the selectboard has to direct the town manager in certain positions to say, ‘You need to move in this direction so we don’t go down a path we won’t be able to return from,’” he said.

While Bowen stressed the importance of ensuring a good working relationship between manager and selectboard to make zoning laws clear, Wormser likened the relationship to that of chief executive officer.

“Any CEO works for the board of directors, that’s no different here,” Wormser said. “It is a very symbiotic relationship, but with that being said it is ultimately the responsibility of the selectboard to determine where zoning and planning rules and regulations need to be amended and updated and determine how those may be interpreted.”

COVID-19 All of the candidates, except for Bowen, agreed that the selectboard has paramount responsibility to ensure necessary public health measures are taken. Bowen adamantly opposes mandating vaccination against COVID-19, as well as mandating masks in public spaces.

“I do not believe it is the selectboard’s job to keep me safe and it is not their job to be God or doctor,” she said, later claiming that there is no science to support that masks help to prevent the spread of infec-

tious diseases like COVID-19.

(Editor’s note: The efficacy of mask wearing and COVID-19 vaccines are well supported by science.)

“The selectboard is not my health care provider. Government is not our health care providers,” she said. “I would not vote on that. I would say it is not our job to protect people’s health. I am very strongly opposed to masks — forcing masks on people and forcing vaccinations.”

Bowen, a Shelburne resident since 2011, currently serves as one of the town’s justices of the peace but told residents she wants to get more involved in the town.

“I feel strongly that my addition to the selectboard would be very helpful,” she said.

But the others disagreed with Bowen’s stance on public health measures and the pandemic.

“Everything Susan just said I completely disagree with,” said Ashooh, adding it was an “interesting question” about whether the

selectboard should be mandating masks but said it was “bizarre that somebody thinks it’s not the selectboard’s duty to protect the Shelburne citizens from risks. Of course, it is.”

Wormser pointed out that counties with lower mask compliance rates and vaccination rates have seen about 150,000 additional deaths compared to counties and states like Vermont that have “been more passionate about complying with basic public health issues.”

Moran said he would work to have a dialogue with residents to see how they felt about it, but ultimately said it was “absolutely the responsibility of the selectboard to protect their town.”

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Shelburne News • February 24, 2022 • Page 13

News from Pierson Library Charlotte Albers New library cards have recently been issued to many young readers in Shelburne.

If you’re new to Shelburne or have been meaning to get a library card for yourself or a family member, it’s easy.

Children 5 and older can get a card. They just need to come into the library with a parent or guardian, with a piece of mail, lease, utility bill or ID card with a Shelburne address for proof of residency, but only for the parent, not the child. New cardholders include: Age 5 Bea Blazewicz, Matthew Terrie, Ezra Lubarsky, Brady Jacob, Noah Ebel, Noah Tucker, Steele Shaner, Griffin Deutscher and Sofia La Rosa.

Age 6 Avery Davis-Bermanzohn, June Duffy, Hank Moses and Molly McFarlane.

Age 7 Leo Samuelson, James Magluilo, Zoe Kent, Henry Flanagan, Kaia Bart and Bridget Wadden.

Age 8 Max Blazewicz.

Age 9 Theodore Galloway, William Flanagan, Kai Makrandi, Emmett Trombley, Eddie Magluilo and Christopher Wadden.

Age 10 Jack Blazewicz, Sophia Anderson and Emma Daigle.

Age 11 Nora Trobley, Eli Bart and Reese Lyons.

Shelburne Parks & Rec News Crossfit kids Kids can join Crossfit right after school to improve general conditioning, including a focus on core, strength, agility, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Participants of any fitness ability are welcome to join as workouts are adjusted to the individual fitness level in a non-competitive environment.

Classes are held on Mondays and Tuesdays, 3:15-4:15 p.m., with instructor Nick Mead and the field house staff. The fee is $100 per session.

Session dates are March 7-29, with registration by March 4.

Kids yoga Join Suzanne Brubaker for a six-week session of fun, energetic

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Biology Teacher, LTSub: Background in biology, well-practiced in contemporary instructional methods. Bachelor’s degree, licensed educator, secondary level or eligible for licensure.

Interventionist/Paraeducator: Provides K-12 educational and personal support to students. Associate’s degree or 60 college credits preferred.

K-5 Lunchroom/Recess Monitors: Supervises students during lunch and/or recess. Helps to maintain a safe and respectful environment. High school graduate or equivalent.

Schools Out Positions - Counselors, Site Director, Assistant Site Directors: Provides afterschool instruction and services to K-5 students. Some college preferred for entrylevel positions/bachelor’s degree for supervisory positions.

Please apply through SchoolSpring.com (Keyword: South Burlington School District) or contact Elissa Galvez, HR Coordinator, at 802-652-7247 or egalvez@sbschools.net.

and calming yoga classes for kids.

Registration deadline is March 7. Session dates are Thursdays, March 10 to April 14 Cost is $100 at the Shelburne town gym. Grades kindergarten to second, 3:30-4:15 p.m.; grades three to six, 4:30-5:15 p.m.

Essentrics A full-body workout that will

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Registration deadline: Wednesday, March 2. Session dates are Tuesdays, March 8 to April 5, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the town gym with instructor Sherry Senior. The fee is $80.

SHELBURNE QUARTERLY WATER & SEWER PAYMENT Due Friday, March 4, 2022 • • • • • • • • • • • • • Payments must be RECEIVED or POSTMARKED

by MIDNIGHT, March 4, 2022.

Late payments are subject to penalty and interest.

Payments can be left in lock box at Police Department Dispatch until Midnight, March 4, 2022.

PLEASE NOTE: The Police Department cannot provide any information regarding accounts or receipts for payments.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • If any questions please call 985-5120

“BUILDING A PROUD TRADITION”

ROUNDUP

continued from page 11 The win was a measure of revenge for CVU, which lost to Essex as one of its three losses during the regular season.

Boys’ hockey Champlain Valley 0, Colchester 0: Champlain Valley and Colchester skated to a scoreless tie on Feb. 19 in high school boys’ hockey.

Jason Douglas made 39 saves.

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Page 14 • February 24, 2022 • Shelburne News

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Shelburne News • February 24, 2022 • Page 15

CROSSWORD

ARIES

LEO

March 21 - April 20 A sense of adventure compels you to travel to a new destination, Aries. You may have something in mind or you can throw a dart at the map and enjoy the trip.

TAURUS April 21 - May 21 Don’t be surprised if relationships seem a little more intense than normal, Taurus. Everyone is a little keyed up and the extra energy is on display in daily interactions.

GEMINI May 22 - June 21 People could play important roles in your life right now, Gemini. Partnerships are especially fortuitous. After all, two minds are better than one for problem-solving.

CANCER June 22 - July 22 Cancer, there’s much productivity this week as you find yourself thrust into yet another project. Once you sail through it, things will calm down.

July 23 - Aug. 23 Leo, this week you are invited to enjoy yourself. Feel free to live life as much as you can for as long as you can. Plan a retreat with a special someone.

VIRGO Aug. 24 - Sept. 22 Try to be as efficient as possible to save time and money in the days ahead, Virgo. See where you can streamline things and find ways to conserve your resources.

LIBRA Sept. 23 - Oct. 23 Libra, this may be a busy week for you, so take a few moments each morning to center yourself and focus your energy before you dive in to your list of tasks.

SCORPIO Oct. 24 - Nov. 22 Money has been on your mind for some time, Scorpio. Figure out ways that you can increase your income if only temporarily. Once you catch up on bills, you can relax.

SUDOKU Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 23 - Dec. 21 Sagittarius, you will likely be deep in your feelings this week, exploring many different emotions. It can be tiring, so find some activities to give your brain a break.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22 - Jan. 20 Life may seem surreal this week as your subconscious seems to be guiding many of your decisions, Capricorn.

Go with the flow for the time being.

AQUARIUS Jan. 21 - Feb. 18 It is a good idea to connect with your friends while you can, Aquarius. You may not have an opportunity for some time, so reach out and make a plan to get together.

PISCES Feb. 19 - March 20 Pisces, certain personal goals may need your attention at this time. Rearrange your priorities for the next few days.

CLUES ACROSS 1. Constrictors 5. Abounding in rocks 11. Speed 14. German city 15. Lacking sympathy 18. Visionaries 19. Wastes away 21. One precursor to the EU 23. Nursemaid 24. Unconsciousnesses 28. Baby’s word for father 29. Equal to 64 US pints (abbr.)

30. Senses of selfimportance 32. Midway between south and southwest 33. When you hope to get there 35. Electronic data processing 36. Passports and drivers’ licences are two 39. Fishes 41. Air Force 42. Personal computers 44. Ecological community 46. Wings

47. Halfway 49. Cool, calm and collected 52. Jewelled headdress 56. Musical composition 58. __ Falls 60. Repeating remarks 62. Periods in one’s life 63. Hyphen CLUES DOWN 1. __ Humbug!

2. Devices that alert pilots (abbr.)

3. Grocer 4. One point east of southeast 5. Subjects to hostility 6. Work unit 7. Atomic #56 8. British thermal unit 9. “Elusive Butterfly” singer 10. Fastened over animal’s neck 12. Device 13. Rechargeable power source 16. Ancient sage 17. Consist of two elements

ANSWERS

20. “Pygmalion” writer 22. “The Centennial State” (abbr.)

25. Of I 26. Get older 27. Brotherhoods 29. Buzzing insect 31. Sunscreen rating 34. Brew 36. Leader 37. Indigo bush 38. Burn with a hot liquid 40. Junior’s dad 43. Horse mackerels genus 45. Morning 48. Unit of linear measurement (abbr.)

50. Double curve 51. Small, twisted bunch 53. Developed 54. Mars crater 55. Humanistic discipline 57. Word element meaning ear 58. Last or greatest in an indefinitely large series 59. Wood residue 61. It cools your home

Page 16 • February 24, 2022 • Shelburne News

CANDIDATES

continued from page 12 burne, at least at the forum.

“Building is here and it’s not going to go away,” Moran said.

“Do we need it? We absolutely do.

I think it’s interesting that the most expensive house in Vermont, $9.2 million, just went on the market and was under contract within hours.”

Development presents a “critical question” for the community, Wormser said, and called it the “three-legged stool” of housing affordability, resident control in the process and preservation of open space. He stressed the importance of a comprehensive town plan “as we identify development projects that we collectively have concerns around.”

He noted that housing prices are up “roughly 50 percent in the last couple years.”

“We need to (make sure) a set of rules are in place and then the challenge becomes revisiting some of those rules after the fact,” he

said.

A former school board member, Wormser has been a resident of Shelburne for 20 years and has worked as a health care consultant. He also served on the town’s natural resources committee and volunteered at the Shelburne Community School parent-teacher organization.

Preserving open space — an issue prevalent throughout Vermont — seems to be the most important issue surrounding development in town. Bowen said it was the primary reason she loves living in Shelburne.

But Ashooh, the current chair of the board, said that the reality is that “if we want this, we have to be willing to pay for it. Either that means we generate more income in our open space fund and purchase it, or we figure out other ways.”

Directing potential developers to land the town thinks should be developed is key, Moran said.

Finding ways to incentivize developers to conserve land they own and want to develop is part of the solution moving forward, Ashooh said.

“Property owners have a right to develop that land, so you have to find a way to figure out how we can incentivize preservation and conservation of land,” he said.

Pedestrian safety Several questions centered on ensuring pedestrian safety and making sure there is proper infrastructure in place for bicyclists’ safety.

“Pedestrian safety is a huge passion of mine,” Wormser said.

“Creating a walkable downtown is vital. We need to be able to create that network of paths that connect the town.”

For Bowen, the issue goes together with making the town “an easier place to drive as well. We can start by putting inexpensive

signs up and direct the traffic more and pedestrians more and come up with good ideas from the townspeople.”

Specific mention was made of a sidewalk running from Harrington village to Shelburne village on Route 7 — a high-traffic area considered dangerous for pedestrians.

“The proximity of cars to bicycles has always frightened me,” Moran said. “We’ve got a lot of families, a lot of people who are sports enthusiasts and just want to do their job in climate control and to not take the car. We need to put our money where our mouth is.”

School board Erika Lea fielded questions as the lone candidate for the Champlain Valley School District board.

Lea works as a social worker and educator at Champlain College whre she coordinates health promotion and student well-being initia-

tives, “so I’m going to be bringing that lens to this work,” she said.

She said the district should increase the number of mental health professionals on staff.

“I would never say no to more mental health supports. I think it makes a teacher’s job easier when they don’t have to be the social worker in the classroom and can partner with social workers who have that expertise,” Lea said.

She specifically addressed questions surrounding the district’s equity coaches, budgeted at roughly $400,000.

“I think it’s great that there’s money in the budget, but unfortunately in the last couple of years the current existing positions have not gone so well, people haven’t stayed in the role, and we have had a really hard time hiring for the director,” she said.

Watch the forum at mediafactory. org/shelburne.

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