Lunch ladies
Boys of summer
Columnist pays homage to her lunchroom compatriots
CVU baseball team grabs No. 1 seed in Division I playoffs
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Volume 51 Number 22
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June 2, 2022
PHOTOS BY LEE KROHN
Clockwise from right, Bud Ockert speaks at Shelburne’s Memorial Day event on Monday. Ockert, a 30-year Army vet, was instrumental in organizing the town’s annual commemoration. The day’s program came with a small American flag. A veteran receives a free quilt from the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Major Johanna Hipp, not pictured, was guest speaker at this year’s event.
Mike Thomas named Shelburne police chief COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
Mike Thomas has been appointed Shelburne’s police chief for a period of two years, solidifying his role as head of the beleaguered department as it slowly works to a path toward stability. Thomas, who has served as acting chief of the Shelburne Police
Department since December, will serve in the permanent role through June 2024, with a possible one-year extension. “We all know the police department has had some challenges in the past year,” town manager Lee Krohn said. “In recent times, there has, I believe, been much more of a sense of stability in the department under Thomas’ guidance.”
A search for a new police chief during his two-year appointment “presumably ... might ensue at some point down the road,” Krohn said at last week’s selectboard meeting, “but I think the hope is we let Mike take the reins for real and let the dust settle and hope that things continue on the positive track that we think they are already on.”
“I’m very excited about it. I think we all are,” Selectboard Chair Mike Ashooh said. “We all feel very good about Mike’s role as chief.” Thomas, a more-than-20-year veteran of the department, took the top position in December when Aaron Noble, Shelburne’s former police chief, took a leave of absence after town officials expressed a lack
of faith in his leadership. “It’s just a title: acting chief, chief, whatever works,” Thomas said in an interview. “We really need to get moving forward and focus on hiring, recruitment, retention.” More than 15 officers and dispatchers left the department in See POLICE on page 13
Page 2 • June 2, 2022 • Shelburne News
Here in lunch-lady land, staff serves up more than meals So that happened Meredith Gordon
COURTESY PHOTO
Shelburne Community School head of food service Becky Mashak works with Lauren Giannullo and Jennifer Goodspeed to make dozens of Caesar chicken wraps.
Well, we are almost finished with another school year, and I realize that it’s been a very long time since I last wrote about Shelburne Community School. One of the reasons for my long hiatus is that I have been experiencing the staff, not as a parent, but as a staff member. I know! I am now part of the incredible staff I have so loved over the years as my two kids have navigated the school system. They now welcome me as one of them. And where do I find myself within the school these days? With the most unsung heroes of any school district, the cafeteria workers. That’s right. I’m the lunch lady. And I take that title very seriously. When many of us — myself included — heard the term “lunch lady,” our minds instantly filled with images of Chris Farley in drag, sporting yellow rubber gloves, a fake mole and hair net, dancing with a huge version of a sloppy joe. On my first day of work, I was surprised to find out that although hair nets were worn, the rest of this vision of cafeteria workers was nowhere to be seen. These ladies, because right now we don’t have any men putting milk cartons in the milk cooler, wake up every morning and think about one thing — our kids. I’ve heard things like “make
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sure that the cheese is all the way to the end of that pizza because the kids don’t like a lot of crust” or “try this, do you think the kids will like it?” There are many kids in the school with allergies or religious backgrounds that prohibit them from eating the day’s main meal, so Becky Mashak and her crew go out of their way every day to make sure that each child is fed. There are language barriers too, but the school and cafeteria staff make signs and take the time to bring students into the cafeteria when it’s quiet to help them understand the process. Hundreds of children come through the cafeteria every day, and it can be loud and chaotic, with ketchup fights, screaming and rudeness. But every day I watch Lin Isham and Jennifer Goodspeed reinforce manners during the craziness of the day and Jan Springer-Kauppila help nervous kindergarteners smile as they enter the sandwich line. The hours are busy behind the counter and in front of it. From 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., there is very little time to sit or even go to the bathroom. I watch as huge hot pans are hauled in and out of gigantic industrial ovens and dishes are scrubbed and stacked. Every member of the staff has “war wounds” from being burned or scalded. Then there are teachers’ lunches to prepare, where once again the staff goes above and beyond to make sure each lunch is restaurant quality and adheres to each teacher’s dietary needs. During my months working in the cafeteria, I have felt a bit like a spy, getting to see the inside world of the cafeteria worker. I am perpetually blown away by the number of children’s names they each have memorized, how calm they can stay when things reach fever pitch in the lunchroom, how they look at the whole child that comes through the line and not just the thick lunch tray in front of them. There is so much more to this job than putting mystery meat on a plate, as the staff in the cafeteria at Shelburne Community School — just like all cafeteria workers across the district — prove every single day. I am proud to be a member of this wonderful team and hope that I can impart as much to the students as Becky and her team have for so many years. So, when you send your child to school next year with an order for hot lunch, just know they are getting a lot more with that lunch than just what’s on the plate. Meredith Gordon is a comedian, performer and mom who lives in Shelburne.
Shelburne News • June 2, 2022 • Page 3
Candidates vie for Senate seats AVALON STYLES-ASHLEY AND COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITERS
Vermont’s General Assembly will see historic turnover this year, with numerous retirements and many legislators complaining of being overworked in a crucial role that has neither staff, nor office space nor compensation that covers much more than a ride to the Statehouse. But with that overturn, and newly drawn voting districts across the state, a swath of freshman legislators are likely to shake up Montpelier. So, who will Shelburne, Hinesburg and Charlotte be sending to the House next session and who will represent the new Chittenden Southeast Senate District?
House of Representatives Stepping away from public office is Kate Webb, the chair of the House Committee on Education who has served in the Chittenden 5-1 district since 2009. Shelburne selectboard member Kate Lalley quickly stepped up to take her place, and she appears to be the only candidate running for the seat. She has more than 15 years of public service experience in town, including as a member of both Shelburne’s planning commission and selectboard. A seat in the Statehouse, Lalley said, would be a natural progression of her public service career. “One of the reasons I’m doing this is I think our town has really strong representation and I want to continue that, and I think I have some skills that will lend itself to that,” she said. “We have a workforce and housing crisis, those two things are intimately related,” she said. “This is really front and center for me. But we also want to protect our environment — those two things have been seen as, ‘Well, you can have one or you can have the other,’ but I think that’s been a false dichotomy. We’re trying to address that here in Shelburne, finding creative ways to add more attainable housing here. I think that some of the things that we can do on the local level could be kind of scaled up to at the state level.” Rep. Jessica Brumsted, meanwhile, is hoping to continue her work in the Chittenden 5-2 district, representing Shelburne and St. George. She’s hoping to extend her six-year tenure in the House “for many reasons, but one important specific reason is because I want to be as helpful as I can on reforming our child care system.” Three candidates, Phil Pouech, a Hinesburg selectboard member, as well as Christina Deeley and Sarah Toscano, are vying to replace
Bill Lippert, who announced his retirement last month. “I’ve lived in Hinesburg for 36 years; my three children grew up here and attended both Hinesburg Community School and Champlain Valley Union and participated in many of the activities our town provides to growing families. I very quickly developed a desire to give back to Hinesburg, so I committed myself to engaging in my community,” Pouech said in a statement. “I know I can represent Hinesburg in Montpelier with openness, honesty and a focus on the needs of our town. I am motivated to listen and learn and will commit the time to do my best for Hinesburg; my desire to give back to my community is strong.” Deeley, a Chicago native who moved to Vermont in 2010, currently works as a librarian and social studies teacher at Champlain Valley Union High School. She said she is “ready to join a generation of young women working for better representation in this state and country.” “As a local educator and mother, I know first-hand the opportunity gaps that exist for Vermonters from historically marginalized backgrounds because of systemic racism, income inequality and our general lack of awareness and funding for mental health needs,” she said. “Now we have an open seat, and it’s more important than ever to send a strong Democratic voice to Montpelier to advocate for paid family leave and universal child care, protecting voter access, equitable and affordable education, expanding health care and mental health services, environmental justice, and a promotion of equity in all aspects of government and its services.” Toscano could not be reached for comment. In Charlotte, Rep. Michael Yantachka, a years-long incumbent, is hoping to win reelection, but he’s facing a spirited challenge from Chea Waters Evans, a local journalist hoping for an upset. Her challenge stems directly from Yantachka’s no vote on Proposal 5, which would prevent the state from passing laws that deny or infringe on a person’s “reproductive autonomy.” He
Connor Oliver Lewis 6/8/02 - 6/2/17 Five years has passed and not a day goes by that we don’t think about you and miss you. You are always in our hearts. We love you so much. Love, Dad, Mom, Presley, Jared, Amber, Steffie & Memphis
quickly changed positions after facing backlash from constituents. “I never seriously considered” a run for office, Evans said. “It was certainly never anything I was seriously pursuing or giving a lot of thought to. It’s just that right now, it seemed more urgent.” Evans has been a Charlotte resident for 10 years and has covered the town for The Citizen, The Charlotte News and, more recently, the Charlotte Bridge. She has also published work in Seven Days. “It is about Prop 5 — of course, that is what led me to decide to run against him in the first place,” she said. “But on a bigger scale than that. It’s about representing the people of Charlotte the way they expect you to represent them.” Yantachka said that he changed his vote on Prop 5 because the “outcry regarding my vote has caused me to question my reasoning.” “I realize that I have given the impression that I do not trust women to make good decisions regarding their reproductive choices. That is truly not something I believe,” he said on social media. “I should have untangled the issues better and recognized that was the message I was sending with my vote.” Yantachka still believes the voters trust his judgement and will send him back to Montpelier. ““I’m willing to run on my record,” he said. “I’ve done good things for Charlotte, and for Vermont in the 12 years I’ve served. I will continue to do good things for Charlotte and Vermont if I’m reelected. I’ve got a lot of experience which will serve me well in the legislature.”
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Page 4 • June 2, 2022 • Shelburne News
Feds hold man accused of making death threats since he was detained on state charges in 2019. Fuller said George is very A South Burlington man concerned about Puma being charged with making death threats released and that she is taking extra security precautions. against a Vermont state It is believed the judge will stay behind threats included in the bars to keep victims indictment stem from and Vermonters safe, a Puma being detained federal magistrate ruled in the stalking case last Monday. fall at the Southern State Joshua P. Puma, 35, Correctional Facility in of South Burlington, Springfield. will remain in the custoThe indictment maindy of the U.S. Marshals tains Puma used the Service because there Joshua P. Puma Department of Correcwas some question that tions phone to: he might get released at • Threaten the life of a state some point if sent to the state hospijudge and public defender Sarah tal or prison system. Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle Reed on Sept. 30, 2021. • Threaten the life of a state said he wanted to ensure federal authorities retained control of judge and to sexually assault a Puma now that he has been charged state’s attorney, George, on Oct. 26, 2021. in U.S. District Court. • Threaten the life of a state Puma, formerly of Shelburne, pleaded not guilty to the three judge on Nov. 30, 2021. The government said in court felony charges. Puma is named in a three- papers that it wants Puma detained count indictment that mentions pending trial because he presents a three death threats to the judicia- significant danger to the communiry and one to a defense lawyer. It ty. There are no known conditions also maintains Puma threatened to sexually assault Chittenden County of release that “would assure the safety of the community, especialState’s Attorney Sarah George. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy ly the safety of the people Puma Fuller told the court that there are threatened to kill, assault and “hundreds and hundreds” of phone maim,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office calls made by Puma from prison said in court papers. MICHAEL DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT
Shelburne Police Blotter Total reported incidents: 81 May 23 at 8:05 p.m., police pulled over an erratic motorist on Shelburne Road. May 23 at 9:15 p.m., police responded to a report of fireworks near Thomas Road but could not find the source of the noise. May 23 at 11:01 p.m., someone reported their bicycle stolen from the T-Bird Motel. The case is under investigation. May 24 at 10 p.m., several people were having a dispute behind the T-Bird Motel. Police checked the area but could not find any individuals engaged in a dispute. May 24 at 10:25 p.m., a Quality Inn guest reported someone was knocking on their door. May 25 at 9:28 a.m., a walk-in reported that her son was being bullied at school. Police are investigating. May 26 at 10:36 a.m., a guest at North Star Motel reported a dispute with another guest. May 26 at 2:52 p.m., a woman was yelling in the parking lot of the North Star Motel, upset because her tablet had been stolen. She later found the tablet where she had left it. May 26 at 6:01 p.m., a walk-in reported she had seen individuals shooting a gun in the woods on Shelburne Road. Police located the individuals but found no weapons. May 27 at 8:42 a.m., a guest at Harbor Place reported that a
gave her a ride to Shelburne Road. May 28 at 8:50 p.m., a resident was afraid to return to his home on Toad Lane after having a dispute with their neighbor. Officers assisted in mediating the dispute. May 29 at 9:56 a.m., a woman told police her phone had been hacked and someone had taken out a hit on her. Officers notified outreach to follow-up with the individual. May 29 at 1:34 p.m., a woman was threatening to set fire to the Harbor Place motel. Police determined the woman was having a mental health issue and connected her to the right services. May 29 at 3:32 p.m., police helped a man retrieve some of his belongings from his girlfriend’s house. May 29 at 6:01 p.m., police gave three men a ride to the North Star Motel after they told them their driver was too intoxicated to drive. May 29 at 7:53 p.m., a vehicle belonging to the Shelburne Bay Senior Living Center was vandalized. The case is under investigation. Untimely Deaths: May 29 at 9:20 p.m., police responded to the untimely death of Michael Slack, 57, of Glens Falls, N.Y., at the North Star Motel. The death is not considered suspicious.
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man had been trying to steal his property. The case is under investigation. May 27 at 11:46 a.m., a resident on Shelburne Road called police when her foster daughter refused to leave with them. May 27 at 6:37 p.m., police and outreach responded to a woman who was feeling unsafe and needed assistance. May 27 at 7:42 p.m., a woman called police to report her juvenile son was out of control. Police took the child into protective custody and transported them to the hospital for evaluation. May 28 at 8:59 a.m., a woman walking her dog on Hullcrest Road fell into a ditch. Police responded, helped her out of the ditch and gave her a ride home. May 28 at 2:41 p.m., a man was seen slumped over the wheel of a parked vehicle. He told police he was just tired. May 28 at 6:21 p.m., a retail theft was reported at Kinney Drugs. The case is under investigation. May 28 at 7:13 p.m., a “strange acting” woman walked through someone’s yard on Bay Road and was laying on the side of the road. Police and EMS were called but the woman refused treatment. She told police she had walked from Meach Cove where her vehicle was located, but the vehicle had been removed by a wrecker. Police
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Shelburne News • June 2, 2022 • Page 5
OPINION Stop pretending guns aren’t part of our gun problem Poor Elijah’s Almanack Peter N. Berger Ten years ago, after Sandy Hook, a plaintive headline begged, “Can we now talk about guns?” It was a response to the perennial Republican assertion that the grief-stricken, furious aftermath of tragedy isn’t the best time to craft firearms regulations. Four years ago, after Parkland, House Speaker Paul Ryan urged that we “pray,” “take a breath and collect the facts.” He warned against politicizing the murder of 17 high school students. I pray, and I try to heed facts. But how many more facts about mass shootings do we need? How many more prayers in the absence of action will we have the gall to offer grieving parents? How many shoppers must die in the produce aisle? Politics is more than self-exculpatory rhetoric and partisan combat. It’s the application of legitimate government power to problems we share. In that sense it’s time we do politicize this issue. The Second Amendment was adopted to enable citizens to protect themselves and their
republic. Commentators have interpreted the amendment in the context of a state’s right to maintain a “well-regulated militia” as a hedge against prospective tyranny and as a free citizenry’s inherent right to self-defense. An individual right to keep and bear arms wasn’t formally affirmed by the Supreme Court until 2008. Justice Antonin Scalia, writing the court’s majority opinion, made clear that “the Second Amendment right is not unlimited … not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.” Federal, state and local governments can ban weapons considered “dangerous and unusual,” regulate the sale of weapons and prohibit their possession by certain citizens including “felons and the mentally ill.” The government can impose “concealed weapons prohibitions” and laws that forbid carrying “firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings.” I believe the Second Amendment establishes an individual right to keep and bear arms. But I also believe its first half that talks about a well-regulated militia permits our government to make
rules about gun ownership and use. For heaven’s sake, “well-regulated” is part of the amendment. Opponents of gun restrictions worry about a slippery slope where one rule leads to another until their right disappears. I’m sympathetic. The First Amendment is especially dear to me, so I’ve got slippery slope fears and objections, too. Except the government can and has made laws that restrain speech. Slander and speech that poses a clear and present danger, for example, are subject to restriction. In the same way, we already have restrictions on gun ownership. Both presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan both signed laws limiting automatic weapons. Eleven states ban armor-piercing bullets. You can’t buy a howitzer at Dick’s. The Constitution isn’t meant to be interpreted absent reason and common sense. No one would argue that the First Amendment’s protection of the free exercise of religion guarantees an American Aztec’s right to offer human sacrifice. That’s because his right to practice his religion is outweighed by his victim’s unalienable right
to life. No right is absolute. The Second Amendment exists in a context, not a vacuum. It isn’t above all other rights. Our government was instituted to protect our rights, but those rights extend beyond the right to bear arms. The question isn’t whether we can regulate firearm ownership and use. Reason and the Second Amendment itself tell us we can. In fact, the amendment’s language imposes a responsibility to well-regulate firearms. I appreciate the argument that lawbreakers won’t respect gun laws, and that law-abiding citizens should be able to protect
themselves. It’s true no course of action will eliminate every bad act. But we can’t shrink from making laws just because some people won’t obey them, especially when we repeatedly witness the devastating result of broadly unrestricted gun ownership. We have problems. Many American homes are dysfunctional. Many American children suffer as a result. We’ve spent two generations stroking children’s self-esteem. In the process we’ve stunted their power to deal with adversity. We talk about grit and resiliency, but for many, every slight, every See BERGER on page 6
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Page 6 • June 2, 2022 • Shelburne News
Chris Winters runs for secretary of state Political Notebook Chris Winters At the end of June, absentee ballots will be available and Vermonters to begin casting their votes to determine party nominees for fall elections. With so many candidates running, you may not hear much about the secretary of state’s race, but I urge you to take a closer look. As the current deputy secretary to Jim Condos, who is retiring, I can tell you that every Vermonter, every day, is affected by the work we do. The office registers businesses, regulates 80,000 licensed professionals, maintains state records, issues vital records, assists municipalities, provides campaign finance and lobbyist disclosures, and last, but certainly not least, oversees Vermont’s elections. A well-run secretary of state’s office makes Vermonters’ lives safer, easier and better. Without the right person in charge, Vermont will see an immediate impact in public safety, the economy, government transparency and even democracy itself. I’m running for secretary of state to make sure our elections are safe and secure, our voters have access to voting and to their government, our businesses have the support they need to operate successfully, and our office is transparent, responsive and helpful to all Vermonters at all times. These aren’t just talking points
Chris Winters
for me, they are deliverables. As a veteran public servant and deputy secretary for the last seven years, I have delivered on these promises time and time again. I’ll use my experience and knowledge to ensure stability and continuity at a time when conducting elections and running an agency has gotten more complicated than ever, at a time when it feels like everything we thought to be true is constantly changing. As the first person in my family to go to college and the father of four children, I’m driven to make my state a better place — whether that’s as a community volunteer, a school board chair or as a baseball coach — and I want to solve problems and be of service. As an attorney, I’m committed to fairness and leveling the playing field for everyone. As a Vermonter, I want to leave things better than I found them.
Fortunately, I have gotten to do that every day as deputy secretary of state. I have worked hard to protect and preserve voting rights and ballot access for all Vermonters through safe, secure and accurate elections. In fact, Vermont has received the No. 1 ranking in elections performance of all 50 states from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s elections performance index in the last two presidential elections and leads the way for other states. I have created a nationally recognized system of right-sized professional regulation that protects the public while eliminating unnecessary red tape. In other words, regulations that go far enough to protect the public, but not too far so as to interfere with employment or the marketplace. I fought hard for the creation of an ethics commission, a one-stop business portal, efficient online services, and have been a strong advocate for transparency, accountability and the public’s right to know. These are just a few of many examples of how the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office is making a difference for Vermonters. I want to continue those successes and build upon them. I will keep fighting to make things safer, easier, and better. In these uncertain times, I believe Vermonters want security, stability and experienced leadership they can trust. I am ready to lead on day one.
Letters to the Editor Superintendents reach out after latest killing spree To the Editor: On behalf of the Champlain Valley Superintendents Association, we want to express our disbelief and grief regarding the news of another senseless school shooting that took place last week at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The teachers, students and families of the Uvalde community are in our thoughts as we all face our individual district communities. While our districts have reached out to our own school communities today, we are united in our response to this unacceptable and horrific act of violence. The Vermont Agency of Education has also released a statement on this event. We want to assure families and staff that all our districts regularly participate in crisis drills and training and we have a number of protections in place to make sure our schools are safe for all students. We have shared resources with our students and staff members knowing that everyone will process this tragedy differently. We often talk of the impact we as educators have on the growth of each student in our building. Many times, this work goes beyond the classroom. We are leaning on our educators, school clinicians and counselors today and likely in the days and months to come for their strength, care
and resilience. It is now more important than ever to talk with our children and each other, listen and empathize. When students feel down, they need to know that we care about them and are there for them. We are encouraging our staff and students to talk every chance they can because it matters. Acknowledging this sad and unfortunate situation is important. If anyone needs help and assistance, please communicate with us, your individual school counselors, principals, teachers, clinicians or other trusted individuals that can help. We hope, at some point, these messages will no longer need to be written and our schools, here in Vermont and nationwide, can feel safe for all. David Young, South Burlington Tom Flanagan, Burlington Amy Minor, Colchester Beth Cobb, Essex Westford Amy Rex, Milton Rene Sanchez, Champlain Valley Schools Sheila Soule, Addison Northwest Kevin Dirth, Winooski Lynn Cota, Franklin Northeast John Tague, Franklin West Dana Peterson, Hannaford Career Center Julie Regimbal, Missisquoi Bill Kimball, Maple Run Michael Clark, Grand Isle John Alberghini, Mount Mansfield Peter Burrows, Addison Central
BERGER
continued from page 5 rebuff is an affront that warrants retribution. In extreme cases that retribution is extreme. Discipline theories, trauma-based classroom practices and anti-bullying programs trade in well-intentioned, smug nonsense. Gun violence at school should outrage us, but we should also be outraged by the trauma students suffer every day at the hands of violent, disruptive peers. Schools should take prudent precautions against foreseeable hazards, but schools should never be fortresses. It’s their nature to be soft targets because children live there. Critics pillory law enforcement agencies for failing to track aberrant behavior and threats that foreshadow violence. As tragic as those lapses may be, they aren’t deliberate acts. The same cannot be said about the law our 45th president deliberately signed that repealed restrictions on people with
mental illness and their ability to purchase a gun, or the Senate’s deliberate vote permitting subjects on the terrorist watch list to purchase guns, or gun lobbyists’ deliberate marketing promotions, or legislators’ willing susceptibility to extortion and contributions. The same cannot be said about malignant talking heads who exacerbate our race-based, gender-based and faith-based fears and differences. I began writing this in the wake of the supermarket murders. A thousand words later, another 19 schoolchildren and two of their teachers are dead. It’s ludicrous to pretend that guns aren’t part of our gun problem. No good will come if we do nothing good. Vermont-based writer Peter Berger has taught English and history for 30 years.
Shelburne News • June 2, 2022 • Page 7
COMMUNITY Shelburne grant will conduct historic survey Shelburne has received a $6,600 grant to conduct a historic survey to hire a consultant to review and update the existing 2001 historic survey for the village center, Shelburne Falls, village residential and museum zoning districts. The area includes 500 buildings, with at least 165 built between 1930-1970 that have not yet been surveyed. Shelburne was one of 11 communities to receive the grants from the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation and the Advi-
sory Council on Historic Preservation. “Historic downtowns and villages are key elements in the success of Vermont’s communities, conveying important stories about the development of our state and providing the foundation that draws residents, businesses and visitors,” said Josh Hanford, housing and community development commissioner. “This program directly supports preservation projects and provides the catalyst for long-term preservation strategies
that support the future of these communities.” Among the 11 projects were Windsor’s Old South Church, built in 1798 by renowned architect Asher Benjamin; Calais’s history tour of cherished local landmarks; Cambridge Village’s National Register historic district nomination; Hartford’s documentation of the history and places of performing arts; and Rockingham’s conservation of the Meeting House grave markers, some of which date from 1776.
Community Notes Senior center dials up the tunes in June The Charlotte Senior Center offers an eclectic mix of musical offerings in June. Mark Williams gives visitors the chance to try shape-note singing Sunday, June 5, 1-3 p.m. This traditional, a cappella, four-part harmony has been called “fullbody, shout-it-out singing” and is also known as sacred harp. Open to newcomers and experienced singers. No performances, no auditions, and a “good voice” is not required. Songbooks are provided. Stop by to listen or sing and leave whenever you wish. Questions? Email Kerry Cullinan at kclynxvt@gmail.com. On three Thursdays, June 2, June 23 and June 30, Don Helgesen explores the Great American Songbook on piano, including a wide range of early 20th-century American jazz standards, popular songs and show tunes. Light refreshments are included in the 1 p.m. concerts. Finally, on Sunday, June 19, also at 1 p.m., the Mansfield Mountain Band from Richmond comes armed with banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass and vocals, and brings a rib-tickling blend of traditional Bluegrass and Americana classics, along with original songs of their own. Featuring Thomas Bryce (banjo), Jordan Duffy (mandolin), Charlie Wilson (guitar) and Jeremy Hobart (bass).
Ferry Road, and features roast turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, sliced carrots with parsley, dinner roll, baked sliced apples with cinnamon, and milk. You must have pre-registered by Monday, May 30, with Lori York, 802-425-6371 or lyork@ charlotteseniorcentervt.org The meal on Thursday, June 9 — register by June 6 — is roast pork loin, mashed potatoes, green beans, applesauce, wheat bread with butter, birthday cake with lemon and milk. The meal on Thursday, June 16 — register by June 13 — is meatloaf with brown sauce, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, wheat bread with butter, apple crisp with topping and milk. Check the website for last-minute cancellations at charlotteseniorcentervt.org.
Age Well offers grab and go meal Age Well and St. Catherine’s of Siena Parish are teaming up to provide a meal to go for anyone age 60 and older on Tuesday, June 14. The meal will be available for pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St., Shelburne, from 11 a.m.-noon. The menu is meatloaf with brown sauce, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, wheat bread, apple crisp with topping and milk. To order a meal, email Ann Cousins at ascousins@me.com or call 802-343-8180 by June 9. First-timers need to provide their name, address, phone number and date of birth. Please send a meal registration form Age Well, See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 8
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Register ahead for Age Well meals The Age Well meal pickup for Thursday, June 2, is from 10-11 a.m., Charlotte Senior Center, 212
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Page 8 • June 2, 2022 • Shelburne News
COMMUNITY NOTES continued from page 7
875 Roosevelt Highway, Ste. 210, Colchester VT 05446. Forms are available at bit.ly/3sDIgPa.
Stitchers want you! Embroidery guild meets Green Mountain Embroidery Guild will meet Wednesday, June 8, at 9:30 a.m. at the Holy Family Catholic Church, 30 Lincoln St., Essex Junction. Everyone is welcome to see what projects can be done with a threaded needle, all levels and interests. Bring a snack, optional mask and a project to stitch.
Call 802-879-0198 for more information.
Learn about complexities of plastic in the world On Wednesday, June 15, at 1 p.m. watch “Bag It!,” a documentary with Robin Orr, community outreach coordinator from the Chittenden Solid Waste District, at the Charlotte Senior Center, The 78-minute film, described as “touching and often flat-outfunny,” follows Jeb Berrier as he embarks on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our
plastic world. Co-sponsored with waste district and The Charlotte Library.
Fourth of July book sale returns in Hinesburg Mark your calendars, bring a bag and get ready for great summer reading. After a long break, the Carpenter-Carse Library’s 4th of July book sale returns this summer. The will be hosted by the United Church of Hinesburg at its parish hall, Sunday, July 3, 5-8 p.m., and on Monday, July 4, the
Safety
Planning any spring planting or other digging projects?
If you plan to do any type of digging on your property, you or your contractor must contact Dig Safe™ at 811 at least 48 hours prior to digging. Before the work begins, Dig Safe will notify member utilities, who will then ensure the locations of buried facilities they own are clearly marked. Please insist that any work within 18 inches of the marked lines be done by hand.
Keep landscaping and large objects away from your meter Please do not place mulch, topsoil or rocks in contact with your meter. Be careful when mowing and report any damage. If your meter is located where large objects, such as vehicles or dumpsters, could collide with it, a barricade should be installed. Contact us about barricade options at 802-863-4511. During summer, you may see VGS representatives outside your home inspecting our system and painting meters. BANG/County Courier.indd 1
How to Detect a Gas Leak Smell
Natural gas is normally odorless. A distinctive, pungent odor, similar to rotten eggs, is added so that you will recognize it quickly.
Sight You may see a white cloud, mist, fog, bubbles in standing water, or blowing dust. You may also see vegetation that appears to be dead or dying.
Sound You may hear an unusual noise like a roaring, hissing, or whistling.
If You Suspect a Leak: Move immediately to a safe location. Call VGS at 1-800-6398081, or call 911, with the exact location. Do not smoke or operate electrical switches or appliances. These items may produce a spark that might ignite the gas or result in a dangerous condition. Do not assume someone else will report the condition.
vgsvt.com 5/16/22 1:21 PM
sale will continue from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. with a break for the parade. This long-running event benefits not only the Carpenter-Carse Library, but local readers by spreading the joy of reading — and recycling — to Hinesburg residents and others of all ages. To make this fundraiser a success, consider donating books in good condition. Donations are accepted during library hours only, Monday and Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Need a boost? Free vax clinics in June There is a free, walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinic with Garnet Healthcare at the Charlotte Senior Center Tuesday, June 14, and Tuesday, June 28, 12:304:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Vaccines and boosters are available for pediatric Pfizer (ages 5-11), and adult Pfizer (12 and up) and Moderna (18 and up).
Bank expands into Williston with new branch Community Bank opened a new branch in Williston Thursday, May 19. A grand-opening event featured food trucks, appearances from K9 Duke and Rally Cat, gardening demonstrations from Vermont Community Garden Network and a ribbon-cutting. After the ribbon-cutting, bicycle
helmets were given out to the first 30 children, followed by a mountain bike drawing. The event also featured “vote for your favorite charity” throughout the day for the Williston Comfort K9 Program, Williston Community Food Shelf and National Alliance on Mental Illness. After voting closed, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Williston Comfort K9 Program received $2,500, and the food shelf received $5,000.
Community College of Vermont holds graduation The Community College of Vermont will hold its 2022 commencement ceremony at Norwich University’s Shapiro Field House in Northfield Saturday, June 4, at 2 p.m. More than 450 students will be awarded associate degrees. Dr. Wanda Heading-Grant will be this year’s keynote speaker. Vice provost for diversity, equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Carnegie Mellon University, Heading-Grant formerly served as the University of Vermont’s vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. This year’s student speaker is Kirsten Kersey, who attended Community College of Vermont’s Upper Valley academic center. Director of HireAbility Vermont (formerly VocRehab) Diane Dalmasse will receive the Community Service Award.
News from Pierson Library The library recently received funds from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act. The act designated $200 million in pandemic response funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services Grants to States program. The Vermont Department of libraries received $2,135,819 in funding. Library staff used some of these funds to fill in series that had volumes missing in the collection. Mystery, science fiction, literature and romance all saw additions, including authors like P.D. James, Philip Craig and Anne Cleaves. Other new titles include the following. Come in and stock up for summer reading. Adult fiction: “Recovery Agent” by Janet Evanovich “The Diamond Eye” by Kate Quinn
“Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel “The Lioness” by Chris Bohjalian “A Sunlit Weapon” by Jacqueline Winspear Young adult fiction: “House of Sky and Breath” by Sarah J Maas “A Snake Falls to Earth” by Darcie Little Badger “The Summer of Broken Rules” by K. L. Walther “Blackout” by Dhonielle Clayton Juvenile fiction: “What is Love?” by Mac Barnett “Eyes that Speak to the Stars” by Joanna Ho “My Hands Tell a Story” by Kelly Starling Lyons “Stacey’s Extraordinary Words” by Stacey Abrams “Soul Food Sunday” by Winsome Bingham
Shelburne News • June 2, 2022 • Page 9
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Page 10 • June 2, 2022 • Shelburne News
Insects help forest’s spring ephemerals thrive Into the Woods Ethan Tapper
FILE PHOTO
Bloodroot.
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It is springtime in Vermont and our forests are beginning to fill with green. While the growing season for trees is just beginning, spring ephemeral wildflowers on the forest floor are nearing the end of their short lives. Ephemerals like hepatica, bloodroot, trout lily, Dutchman’s breeches, and wild leeks are so-called because they live the majority of their lives in the brief (ephemeral) window between when the soil thaws and when trees sprout leaves. Ephemerals hold a special place in many forest-lovers’ hearts, both for their beauty and for their roles as harbingers of spring — the first flowers to bloom after a long winter. Besides being important in their own right, some of ephemerals’ most fascinating qualities are their enigmatic relationships with insects. Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) and squirrel corn (Dicentra canadensis) have unique flowers, similar to the closely related domestic plant bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis). Between 60 and 80 percent of Vermont’s plants rely on insects for pollination, and Dicentra is among them, their strange flowers are pollinated nearly exclusively by queen bumblebees. Bumblebee colonies die each winter, leaving only a mated queen to emerge and start a new colony in the spring. The evolutionary relationship between bumblebees and Dicentra is such that the emergence of bumblebee queens is timed with the blooming of these flowers. Some insects rely on a single species. The spring beauty miner bee (Andrena erigeniae), one of Vermont’s more than 300 species of native bees, is a spring beauty specialist — visiting only tiny spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) flowers. The uncommon West Virgina white butterfly (Pieris virginiensis) is completely reliant on toothworts (Cardamine spp.) to complete their lifecycle. While adults may nectar from other flowers, their larvae can only grow on toothworts. While bees and butterflies are our most famous pollinators, a variety of other insects also help native plants reproduce. Rather than produce sweet-smelling flowers, wild ginger (Asarum canadense) and red trillium (Trillium erectum), also known as wake
robin and stinking Benjamin, produce a gross smell which attracts gnats, beetles and flies foraging for rotting animals in the spring forest. Many ephemerals also rely on some of our region’s more than 130 species of ants to disperse their seeds. Ephemeral species such as bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), trillium, Dicentra, spring beauty and wild ginger produce seeds with a fatty appendage called an elaiosome. Ants transport these seeds across the forest to their colonies, where they consume the elaiosomes and discard the seeds. In a region whose forests have been about 80 percent cleared in the last 200 years, the fact that any of these ephemerals — and their insect associates — are here at all is nothing short of a miracle. But while they, like our forests, are resilient, they are also under threat. The biggest threat to any forest plant, animal or tree is deforestation. Vermont is losing thousands of acres of forestland per year, and with them entire biological communities. Our remaining forests are increasingly fragmented, preventing plants and insects from colonizing new areas and creating islands of habitat within which populations of many species are vulnerable to local extinctions. Ephemerals and their insect associates must also contend with many other threats embodied in our changed and changing world. Locally high deer populations may browse these species to death, and non-native invasive plants form monocultures in the forest understory, displacing both ephemerals and the insects that rely on them. As our climate changes, the complex and delicate evolutionary relationships between insects and plants, like the timing of the emergence of queen bumblebees and the blooming of Dicentra, are under threat. The effects of these changes ripple up the food chain, impacting larger species like songbirds, mammals and, of course, ourselves. As our world changes around us, we must protect healthy, whole forests in the name of a functional and beautiful world wand to ensure that our grandchildren can enjoy these incredible wildflowers blooming in the understory of the spring forest. Ethan Tapper is Chittenden County forester, linktr.ee/chittendencountyforester.
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Shelburne News • June 2, 2022 • Page 11
SPORTS NVU-Johnson Athletics Summer Camps & Events REGISTER » SUMMER ATHLETIC CAMPS • Boys Basketball: June 19-23 • Girls Softball: July 17-21 • Boys/Girls Volleyball: August 3-7 • Girls Basketball: August 7-11
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Cardio Equipment
PHOTO BY AL FREY
CVU defenseman Samuel Whitcomb uses his stick to bar any forward momentum by an Essex attacker.
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Boys of summer grab No. 1 seed LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
Girls’ lacrosse Champlain Valley 17, Essex 5: Champlain Valley wrapped up its regular season Friday, May 27, with a win 17-5 win over Essex. Ava Bartlett led the offense with five goals, while Chloe Snipes added four goals and one assist. Amelie Scharf chipped in with a hat trick, while Grace McNally, Tess Everett, Kate Boehmcke, Dicey Manning and Sydney Mast all scored. Clare Stackpole-McGrath and Ava Medici combined to make five saves. CVU finishes the regular season with a 12-3 record and earned a No. 4 seed in the Division I playoffs. The Redhawks host No. 5 Rutland on Friday, June 3, in the quarterfinals. The two teams did not face each other in the regular season but the Raiders come into the game with a 11-4 record. If CVU can advance past Rutland, a semifinal matchup with top-seed BFA-St. Albans is next.
Boys’ lacrosse Champlain Valley 12, Middlebury 7: Boys’ lacrosse finished the regular season on a nine-game win streak, capped off with a victory over Middlebury on Friday.
Peter Gilliam and Matias Williams each had a hat trick for the Redhawks, while Colin Zouck, Owen Pierce and Nolan Shea each tallied twice. Jake Bowen made seven saves in goal. CVU is the No. 1 seed in the DI tournament after finishing the season at 15-1. The Redhawks received a firstround bye and will face the winner of Rutland (No. 8) and Mount Mansfield (No. 9) on Thursday, June 2, at home.
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Baseball Champlain Valley 8, BFA-St. Albans 1: Champlain Valley rebounded from only its second loss of the season to beat BFA-St. Albans in the final game of the regular season Thursday, May 26. Jared Anderson allowed just See SPORTS on page 12
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Page 12 • June 2, 2022 • Shelburne News
SHELBURNE QUARTERLY WATER & SEWER PAYMENT Due Monday, June 13, 2022 • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Payments must be RECEIVED or POSTMARKED by MIDNIGHT, June 13, 2022. Late payments are subject to penalty and interest. Payments can be left in lock box at Police Department Dispatch until Midnight, June 13, 2022. PLEASE NOTE: The Police Department cannot provide any information regarding accounts or receipts for payments.
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If any questions please call 985-5120
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The Town of Hinesburg, Vermont seeks qualified applicants for the position of Water and Wastewater Operator. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled. Materials should be submitted electronically to todit@ hinesburg.org. The position requires a State of Vermont Class III Public Water System Operator Certificate and a State of Vermont Grade 2 DM Pollution Abatement Facility Operator Certificate. The Town offers a comprehensive benefits package and the hourly rate of pay is dependent upon qualifications and experience. The Town of Hinesburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer and women and minorities are encouraged to apply. A full job description can be found under about/employment at Hinesburg.org.
continued from page 11 two hits and struck out 12 in six innings of work. Ryan Canty drove in two runs and Oliver Pudvar added two RBIs. The Redhawks finish the regular season with a 12-2 record and the No. 1 seed in the DI playoffs. CVU will host the winner of No. 8 South Burlington and No. 9 Mount Anthony on Friday in the DI quarterfinals. The Redhawks beat South Burlington in both matchups this season but has yet to face Mount Anthony.
Softball BFA-St. Albans 13, Champlain Valley 0: The CVU softball team fell to BFA-St. Albans in the final game of the regular season, finishing with a 4-10 record. The Redhawks earned the No. 11 seed in the DI tournament and traveled to No. 6 St. Johnsbury on Tuesday after press deadline for a playdown matchup. CVU fell to the Hilltoppers 6-0 in its only matchup of the regular season.
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The girls’ won three of their last five matchups to earn the No. 5 seed in the playoffs. The Redhawks will face No. 4 Rutland on the road Thursday in the quarterfinals. The two teams did not face off during the regular season, but CVU finished the schedule with two wins in a row and hopes momentum can carry them through to a semifinal berth.
Boys’ tennis Champlain Valley traveled to Woodstock Wednesday after press time for the DI quarterfinals. The team’s regular season ended with a 5-9 record and earned it a No. 1 seed in the playoffs. CVU now faces No. 4 Woodstock.
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Shelburne News • June 2, 2022 • Page 13
POLICE
continued from page 1 the months prior to Thomas’ appointment as acting chief, leaving the force operating on a skeleton crew. A report, compiled by former Vermont State Police Director Jim Baker in February, showed that employees were left feeling unhappy with the decision to select Noble as chief and were not confident in his leadership, which partly caused the exodus. But things have slowly started to stabilize for the department. A new police and
dispatch union contract was signed last month, cementing pay increases through 2026 and ending a two-year stalemate without a contract. Two new police officers, Dan Eickenberg and Sgt. Caleb Casco, recently moved from Hinesburg over to Shelburne, and two more people are interviewing for positions as officers, Thomas said. “We are gaining interest,” he said. “Folks are starting to call regularly.”
CANDIDATES
continued from page 3 three senators and Chittenden North with one senator. With only three open seats and five candidates, three of whom are incumbents, the local delegation could see some turnover.
Newcomers Two newcomers are vying for Senate seats this year: Lewis Mudge and Steve May. May, a former selectboard member in Richmond, is making a third attempt at the state legislative branch, running for a seat in the new Chittenden Southeast District. He previously ran for a Senate seat in 2018 and 2020. He owns a private practice in Montpelier and works as a social worker. Lewis Mudge, who currently serves on the Charlotte Selectboard, did not respond to requests for comment.
Incumbents Sen. Thomas Chittenden is running for reelection to his seat in the newly formed Chittenden Southeast district. He’s served on the South Burlington city council for eight years and in the legislature for one term, where he sits on three committees, the Senate committees on transportation, education, and joint information technology oversight. Sen. Virginia “Ginny” Lyons of Williston, whose seat falls within the new Chittenden Southeast district, plans to run again. She was first elected to the Legislature in 2000 and has served on numerous committees, including but not limited to, the Health Reform Oversight Committee, as chair of the Joint Legislative Child Protection Oversight Committee, the Joint Carbon Emissions Reduction Committee, the Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee and as co-chair of the Task Force on Affordable, Accessible Health Care. She is also a college professor at the University of Vermont, where she earned her doctorate.
Perhaps the most surprising candidate to join the race at the last second is sitting senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale who, until Thursday, seemed to be fierce competition for the state’s U.S. House race. Last Friday, after the deadline closed to file petitions for state Legislature, Ram Hinsdale announced she was bowing out of the national race and endorsing her colleague in the legislature, Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, a Democrat from Windham, to take over for U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, who hopes to win the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy. Before being elected to represent Chittenden County in the Senate in 2020, Ram Hinsdale served in the House of Representatives from 2008 to 2016. The Shelburne resident has bachelor’s degrees in natural resource planning and political science from the University of Vermont, as well as a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. When she was elected in 2020, Ram Hinsdale became the first woman of color ever to serve in the Vermont Senate. South Burlington’s other sitting senator, Michael Sirotkin, announced he will not run for reelection. Sirotkin, who was appointed to his wife’s senatorial seat in 2014 after she died from lung cancer, brought a law background to the Statehouse, having worked at Vermont Legal Aid in the 1970s and 1980s, in addition to private practice. He serves on the Senate committee for economic development and finance, chairs the Committee on Housing and General Affairs, and co-chairs the Small Business Solutions Task Force. Also running for Welch’s seat are Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, Sianay Chase Clifford of Essex, Louis Meyers of South Burlington, Ericka Bundy Redic of Burlington, Anya Tynio of Charleston and Liam Madden.
The department has been preparing signon bonuses, retention bonuses and other incentives to retain employees. As of this report, the department has four full-time officers — Thomas, Sgt. Josh Flore, Eickenberg and Casco, along with a mix of part-time employees. Corp. Jon Marcoux remains on administrative leave; he is currently under criminal investigation by the Vermont State Police stemming from a use of force incident in January. The investigation has since been completed but is still being reviewed by the Chittenden County States Attorney’s Office. Another former full-time officer, Bob Lake, now works as a part time employee — on call when the department needs help filling in shifts, Thomas said. Lake was identified by anonymous sourc-
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es as a part-timer controlling a significant list of key tasks in the department during Noble’s tenure in the so-called Baker report. With four full-time officers, the department is still utilizing the state police for overnight calls, but state police only respond to violent crimes or other serious calls. Thomas said it’s “tough to say” when Shelburne could get back to full-time, 24/7 coverage of the town. “We’re exactly where we were when the state police stepped in,” he said. The Shelburne officers “haven’t had any time off ... so once we start building up the numbers, people are going to want to take vacation time, they’re going to need some well-deserved time off. So, we’ll continue to work with state police. We’re not putting an undue burden upon them at this point.”
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Shelburne News • June 2, 2022 • Page 15
CROSSWORD
ARIES
LEO
March 21 - April 20 Owning real estate has been a wise investment lately, Aries. Your home may have increased in value. Now could be an opportunity to sell and reap the profits.
TAURUS April 21 - May 21 You want to advance your relationship, Taurus,. The best way to do that is to have some serious conversations with your romantic partner. Discuss everything.
GEMINI
July 23 - Aug. 23 Leo, you may be thinking about starting a new longterm project. Put your vision on paper first so you can map out your plans and see if it is feasible with your current budget.
VIRGO Aug. 24 - Sept. 22 Virgo, you will be surrounded by plenty of people interested in social engagement in the days ahead. That is fine news for you, as you enjoy being out on the town.
LIBRA
May 22 - June 21 Rework your budget, Gemini. You likely have some home renovations that you want to tackle over the next few weeks, and now is as good a time as any to get started.
CANCER
Sept. 23 - Oct. 23 Efforts at work have not gone unnoticed, Libra. What you have worked toward has impressed those who are in position to move you further along in the company.
SCORPIO
June 22 - July 22 Your mystique has others interested in emulating your style, Cancer. They can try, but they won’t be able to completely replicate your special nature.
Oct. 24 - Nov. 22 Scorpio, they may not be on the top of your mind, but legal matters must be worked out soon. This is a good week to revisit your long-term plans if it’s been awhile.
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 Projects worked on this week will have a significant impact on your future, Sagittarius. You have a magic touch of sorts, so put it to good use in the days to come.
CAPRICORN Dec. 22 - Jan. 20 Capricorn, relationships in your life are strengthened over the course of this week. It is because you communicate effectively and with honesty and affection.
AQUARIUS Jan. 21 - Feb. 18 You are interested in health and nutrition, including certain nutrients, exercise programs or other forms of alternative therapy. Study up on the subject.
PISCES Feb. 19 - March 20 Pisces, artistic pursuits are piquing your interest, so focus your efforts on practical creative pursuits, like cooking or interior design.
CLUES ACROSS 1. Orator’s podium 5. UK-Netherlands gas pipeline 8. Partner to “oohs” 12. African antelope 14. Indigenous Thai person 15. Monetary unit of Angola 16. Becomes less intense 18. Insurance mascot 19. Tech hub __ Alto 20. Actress Tomei 21. Airborne (abbr.) 22. Type of smart watch 23. Natives 26. Incompetent person 30. Rare Hawaiian geese 31. Unspoken relationships 32. Passports and licenses are two 33. Claw 34. Status quo 39. Mimic 42. Fur-lined cloak 44. Ancient foreigner 46. In an angry way 47. Ill-intentioned
49. Monetary unit of Serbia 50. S. American plant 51. One or the other 56. An alias for Thor 57. Gratuity 58. In a painful way 59. French commune 60. Promotional materials 61. Greek city 62. Assistant 63. Confederate general 64. Former NJ governor CLUES DOWN 1. Used by gymnasts 2. “Luther” actor Idris 3. Broad volcanic crater 4. Not for 5. Blur 6. Tots 7. Acted leisurely 8. About the Alps 9. Gets out of bed 10. Town in “The Iliad” 11. Welsh given name 13. Remove salt 17. Calvary sword 24. Mental disorder concerning body odor (abbr.)
ANSWERS
25. Keeps a house cozy 26. Ballplayer’s accessory 27. Southwestern Russian city 28. Pro sports league 29. Congress investigative body (abbr.) 35. Stop standing 36. Utilize 37. Sign language 38. Famed ESPN broadcaster Bob 40. Being of central importance 41. Ruin environment 42. Dessert dish 43. Sea eagles 44. Fertilized 45. Jerry’s friend Benes 47. Indian river 48. Pass into a specified state or condition 49. Nocturnal rodent 52. A way to travel 53. Iron-containing compound 54. Ancient Greek City 55. NFL signal caller Matt
Page 16 • June 2, 2022 • Shelburne News
Help water stewards eradicate invasives KATE KELLY CONTRIBUTOR
Did you know there are at least 50 species of invasive plants, animals, and pathogens in the Lake Champlain Basin? Some were planted because they had pretty flowers. Others got here through ballast or bilge water from boats. These non-native species can, in some cases, spread and take over because they have no natural predators. This can cause problems for ecologically rich natural areas, not only for native plants and animals that get choked out by these intruders, but also for people who like to recreate on the water. Plants like water chestnut, European frogbit and Eurasian watermilfoil can grow so thick it can become difficult or impossible to boat, swim or fish. Some of the aquatic invasive species, like zebra mussels, can be difficult to control. Others, like European frogbit, are more easily removed to limit their spread. Lewis Creek Association has been working closely with the
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the Lake Champlain Basin Program since 2009 to monitor and remove European frogbit, water chestnut, yellow iris and flowering rush in Town Farm Bay in Charlotte and the LaPlatte Natural Area in Shelburne. These two areas are very ecologically diverse, and many people recreate there, making control of non-native invasive species critical. When frogbit was first discovered in Town Farm Bay, there was over 50 percent cover throughout the wetlands. The LaPlatte Natural Area had lower frogbit levels due to earlier detection. The association, funded by the towns of Charlotte and Shelburne, organized groups of volunteers, such as the Charlotte Land Trust, Lake Champlain boat launch stewards and other interested community groups, to rake frogbit off the surface of the water in these areas. Through this work, the percent cover has been reduced from 50 percent to 5 percent or less annually. This spring, Lewis Creek Asso-
COURTESY PHOTO
A volunteer removes European frogbit from the LaPlatte River in Shelburne.
ciation will once again lead volunteers in June and July to remove frogbit in Charlotte and Shelburne. All equipment is provided, so all you have to do is show up and be
able to paddle in a canoe or kayak, raking plants off the water surface, and putting them into a bucket or laundry basket on your boat. While paddling, leaders help
identify as many animals and plants as possible. If you’re interested, contact Kate Kelly, program manager, at lewiscreekorg@gmail.com.
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