Shelburne News - 09-29-22

Book talk

Author explores peace through diplomacy

10

CVSD equity audit highlights disparities

Generational divide between students, parents

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

The findings of the Champlain Valley School District’s equity audit show marginalized groups in the district are not achieving compa rably high outcomes compared to their peers.

There’s a generational divide between its students and their families in their understanding of the district’s equity and inclusion policy and practices, the audit found, and in the middle, teachers and school staff ask: What are we

supposed to be doing?

Brought into the district in December on a $67,950 contract, Mass Insight spent the year conducting virtual and in-per son interviews, collecting survey responses from more than 1,500 students in the district, 312 staff members and 234 family members of students, while engaging with students in 15 different focus groups and 25 with staff.

Ultimately, their findings showed a misunderstanding among

See AUDIT on page 12

Regional commissions confront climate change

AARON CALVIN STAFF WRITER

About 100 years ago, Vermont was three degrees cooler than it is today; 80 years from now, it’s going to be anywhere from three to 12 degrees hotter, according to David Grass, an environmental health program manager with the Vermont Department of Health.

“That means a lot more extreme heat days,” he said. “So, to the extent that we can begin adapting — doing the long-term planning, the mitigation work, and some short-term planning —

what do we do leading up to and during the crisis, we’ll figure out the steps that we need to take to protect Vermonters and to protect each other, which is what it comes down to.”

While Vermonters are no strangers to the frigidly cold days of winter, it’s the increased frequency of dangerously hot days, when temperatures reach over 95 or even 100 degrees Fahrenheit, that could represent an increased health threat to the state’s most vulnerable populations.

See CLIMATE CHANGE on page 16

Extraction training

DINE-IN

‘Almost, Maine’

The Shelburne Players are back, in-person, with new show

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

Crews from Shelburne Fire and Shelburne Rescue held a patient extraction training to familiarize the departments with new rescue jacks used to stabilize a vehicle when it’s on uneven ground. The jacks provide safer conditions when getting someone out of a vehicle involved in an accident, said fire chief Jerry Ouimet.

Shelburne Road, S. Burlington

Tree Place, Williston

Shelburne Players do ‘Almost, Maine’

Almost, Maine, is so far north, it’s almost not in the United States — it’s almost Canada. It almost doesn’t exist because its residents never got around to getting orga nized. So, it’s just … Almost.

One winter’s night, while the northern lights put on a show in the sky, residents of the town of Almost find themselves navigat ing love and loss, broken hearts, miscommunication and more.

“Almost, Maine: It’s love. But not quite.” That’s how a press release describes the upcoming Shelburne Players production of “Almost, Maine,” a play by John Cariani.

So, join the Players this Octo ber as they take a trip to “Almost, Maine,” which opens Friday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m., Shelburne Town Center, 5420 Shelburne Road.

The production marks the community theater troupe’s return to a live stage.

“We had a really good turnout for auditions,” director Eric ReidSt. John said. “A lot of actors I had never had the chance to meet before. It was really a tough choice in casting the show.”

The New England-based play,

which premiered in 2004, has been produced nearly 5,000 times worldwide as of 2020 and was the most frequently produced play in U.S. high schools, according to News Center Maine.

The cast includes Eliza Cald well, Christian Acosta, Su ReidSt John, Alex Nalbach, Katie Pierson, Ben Certa, Kym Taylor, Kevin Cahoon, Karlie Kauffeld, Ethan DeWitt, Elizabeth Bates, Jill Silvia, Nathalie Mathieu-Bolh, David Belvedere, Kimberly Rock wood and Gunnar Sievert.

“Almost, Maine” features nine short scenes — plays within a play — that explore love and loss. In the “Sad and Glad,” for example, Jimmy and Sandrine (played by Certa and Pierson) navigate an awkward situation when Jimmy tries to flirt with his old flame only to learn Sandrine is about to marry.

In “They Fell,” Deena and Shelley (Bates and Silvia) struggle to reach each other on an emotional level.

The Shelburne Players didn’t mount its spring production due to COVID-19 concerns. The group’s last staged play was “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” a radio-centered adaptation of the classic 1946 film.

See SHELBURNE PLAYERS on page 3

Snakes, bats, birds: Get a fall wildlife fix at Dead Creek

If you enjoy wildlife be sure to make plans to attend the 20th Dead Creek Wildlife Day in Addi son on Saturday, Oct. 1.

bulbs

mums

Activities are designed for people who enjoy hunting, fishing, birdwatching or learning about Vermont’s diverse wildlife and

pumpkins

ecosystems.

The event will be held at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Depart ment’s Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area on Route 17, west of Route 22A.

Early risers can begin the day with a bird banding demonstra tion at 7 a.m. Two large tents at the headquarters will open at 9:30 a.m. and feature wildlife-relat ed exhibits and activities such as decoy carving, building bluebird boxes and nature crafts.

The visitor center will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. featuring displays about conservation and wildlife management in Vermont.

This year, enjoy a guided walk along the interpretive trail to learn about various features and habi tats. Live critters will include a selection of snakes, turtles, raptors and more that visitors can see up

New this year will be a bat house building program, and Wild Kitchen will be on the road with campfire cooking. There will be a

COURTESY PHOTO

Many of the activities at this year’s Oct. 1 Dead Creek Wildlife Day are tailored to children.

Local, state, federal police agencies form task force to fight gun violence

A group of local, state and federal law-enforcement agen cies have formed the Chittenden County Gun Violence Task Force to combat what it calls escalating gun violence in the state’s most populous county.

The Burlington Police Depart ment, in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire arms and Explosives and numer ous local, state and federal agen cies formed the group to “address the rapid and disturbing increase in firearm-related violent crime” in the county, according to a press releases.

Task force investigators will share techniques and resources, including crime gun intelligence, “to target individuals who are actively involved in or associated with firearm-related violence in Chittenden County.”

According to Burlington Police Department statistics, from 2012 through 2019, gunfire inci dents in Burlington averaged two per year. In 2020, the number rose to 12, and to 14 in 2021. In 2022 to date, police said, there have been 23 gunfire incidents, includ ing several gun-related killings.

“Tackling the unacceptable gun violence we’ve seen over the past three years will take a unified strategy,” said acting chief of the Burlington Police Department Jon Murad. “Our patrol officers

respond to these incidents, and they and our detectives often make great arrests, but there’s more to do if we want to take back the initiative. All law enforcement partners need to aggregate foren sic evidence. We need to iden tify offenders. We need to track trends and develop intelligence. We need to investigate crimes that relate to and sometimes lead to gun violence, like trafficking in narcotics and illegal guns.”

The task force will pool investigatory and technological resources, facilitate information sharing and create shared strat egies to combat gun violence, according to the group.

Perpetrators of firearm-relat ed violence will be referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office or the Chittenden County State’s Attor ney’s Office, both of which are members of the task force.

“Gun violence is a public health crisis, and we need common sense and proactive solutions for gun safety and violence preven tion to help save lives,” said Chit tenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George. “This is a shared responsibility, and I am commit ted to being a part of a joint effort to address the gun violence in our community head on, and from all angles. This task force will help address the violence in our community and aid in our

ability to hold those responsible, accountable.”

Additionally, the ATF Burling ton field office expects to receive a network acquisition station to speed up the entering of ballistics evidence in gun crimes. It is the only interstate ballistic imaging network in operation in the coun try.

The Burlington acquisition station will be the first of its kind in Vermont and will direct ly support the Chittenden County Gun Violence Task Force, as well as the greater Vermont law enforcement community, by link ing firearm-related crime scenes together and providing leads in a timely manner.

Other local partners include police departments in South Burlington, Milton, Winooski, Colchester, Williston, Essex and Shelburne. Other state and feder al partners include Vermont State Police, Vermont Fish & Wild life Department, Warden Service Division, Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Investigations Unit, University of Vermont police, Drug Enforcement Admin istration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Air and Marine Operations.

For more information, go to bit.ly/3r3aX6K

SHELBURNE PLAYERS continued from page 2

Actor Alex Nalbach spoke about the importance of having a community theater in Shelburne.

“Community theater … is a great way for a community not only to support the arts in a way that remains really local (but) it’s also really great for people with busy lives to remain in touch with their creative side,” Nalbach said.

Actress Kimberly Rockwood described the amount of collabora

tion that goes into staging commu nity theater productions.

“I think the collaboration that goes on with people behind the scenes and people off stage, it’s like a community organiza tion,” Rockwood said. “It gets people working together toward a common goal, and lets people, you know, shine their light.”

The play runs Friday to Sunday, Oct. 7-9, 7 p.m., with the Sunday

showing a 2 p.m. matinee. It runs the following weekend, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14-15, 7 p.m., with a special 2 p.m. Saturday matinee.

The Shelburne Players encour age everyone to wear a mask while attending a performance to protect themselves and others in the audi ence. Masks and proof of COVID19 vaccination status are no longer required.

More at shelburneplayers.com.

DEAD CREEK

continued from page 2

presentation on the eastern mead owlark and an hour of learning how to take photographs of wild life.

This will also be the last year to see Warden Dog Crockett in action as he sniffs out gunpowder; he retires from the department in October. Retriever dogs will be working in area ponds, and all the favorite nature walks will be take

place.

All events are free, and a free shuttle bus will provide regu lar access to nearby field events throughout the day.

“We want to welcome visitors to the 20th year of the popular Dead Creek Wildlife Day,” said Amy Alfieri, manager of the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area.

“Visitors love to see the live

animals and working dogs, and the kids love to build their own blue bird box to take home.”

The festival is hosted by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Depart ment, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, Delta Waterfowl and Otter Creek Audubon Society.

For more go to vtfishandwild life.com.

Shelburne Police Blotter

Total reported incidents: 60

Medical Emergencies: 20

Suspicious incidents: 8

Citizen Assists: 3

Burglary: 1

Theft: 4

Fire: 1

Car Crash: 2

Pending investigation: 4

Incidents:

Sept. 19 at 7:36 a.m., police reported that two runaway juveniles from Burlington and a juvenile female from Shel burne were parked in a car at the end of Winter Haven Road and were intoxicated. The female was transported to her home in Shelburne and the males were transported to a Vermont Department for Children and Families office in Williston. Police said the vehi cle had been stolen from Essex and was returned to its owner.

Sept 19 at 9:26 a.m. a burglary was reported after a broken window was found at Chef Leu’s on Shelburne Road. Suspects were seen on a video recording, and the case remains under investigation.

Sept. 19 at 1:12 p.m., a walk-in dropped off a firearm she no longer wanted at police head

quarters.

Sept. 19 at 2:53 p.m., a two-car crash with no injuries was reported on Executive Drive.

Sept. 19 at 4:22 p.m., a retail theft was reported from Tractor Supply.

Sept. 20 at 3:19 a.m., Shelburne Fire assisted Ferrisburgh Fire at a structure fire on Route 7.

Sept. 20 at 4:50 p.m., a two-car crash with no injuries was reported on Pine Haven Shores Road.

Sept. 21 at 11:27 a.m., a theft was reported at Bittner Antiques.

Sept. 22 at 12:06 p.m., a retail theft from Kinney Drugs was reported to police. The indi vidual was found, issued a trespass notice and released.

Sept. 22 at 2:30 p.m., a Creekside Drive resident reported a theft of items from his residence.

Sept. 23 at 2 p.m., a man was reportedly calling for help, but was just looking for his cat.

Sept. 24 at 2:42 p.m., a Hedge row Drive resident told police someone was defecating on their yard, but police could not find the poopetrator.

Sept. 24 at 4:59 p.m., police had to escort someone off the Harbor Place property who wouldn’t leave.

Shelburne News

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Flip it good

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

The Shelburne Fire Department is flipping pancakes again for its annual pancake breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 8, 7:30-11:30 a.m. at the Shelburne Community School. Everyone is welcome, so come say hello to the members of the volunteer fire department. The cost is $6 for kids, $12 for adults.

OPINION

Get facts on elective abortions

Guest Perspective George Till

A lot of misinformation is being circulated regarding the abortion-rights amendment known as Article 22 or Proposal 5, which will appear as a ballot measure on Nov. 8. As a member of the Legis lature and a physician practicing obstetrics and gynecology for 40 years, I would like to offer my perspective.

In addition to being a member of the Legislature, I serve as the division chief of general OB/GYN at University of Vermont Medical Center, the division responsible for providing termination of pregnancy services at the medical center.

Through these roles, I have learned the policies, health impli cations and political landscape surrounding abortion rights in our state. In summary, legislative restrictions on reproductive rights are a huge risk to women’s overall health.

Pregnancy terminations are very safe procedures, and the earlier in pregnancy they are done, the safer they are. When legislatures restrict access to reproductive health care, including abortion, we see a large overall increase in maternal morbidity and mortality. This is why the passage of this amendment is so import ant. It will change nothing about current restrictions regarding preg nancy terminations in Vermont, but only prevent the political imposition of new restrictions in the future.

Perhaps the most common and disturbing piece of misinforma tion being circulated surrounding Article 22 is the idea that it will remove all restrictions on abortion and “enshrine elective pregnan cy termination up to the time of birth.”

This is blatantly untrue. There currently are and there

will continue to be restrictions on abortion procedures in Vermont. What will be enshrined in our Constitution is that politicians (the Legislature and the governor) will not determine what restrictions should be placed on abortion procedures, but rather that these restrictions will be left — as they are now and as they should be — to hospitals, professional medical organizations and the Board of Medical Practice, which set stan dards of care with which Vermont providers must comply.

The Board of Medical Practice can revoke a physician’s license for a single episode of “failure to conform to the essential standards of acceptable and prevailing prac tice.” As such, practitioners are held to evidence-based standards.

Additionally, state regulations require that every pregnancy termination be reported to the state, and if beyond 20 weeks, reported with a completed death certificate that requires extensive background information about the parents and medical situation.

There is not currently, nor will there be due to this amendment, any provider or facility in Vermont doing elective terminations beyond the gestational age of 21 weeks, six days, with 22 weeks being the currently accepted threshold of viability.

Terminations after 21 weeks and 6 days are very rarely performed in Vermont, and those are done only in the hospital setting at University of Vermont Medical Center. Hospitals are very highly regulated and maintain clear guidelines prohibiting elec tive terminations from 22 weeks onward.

A pregnancy termination beyond 21 weeks and 6 days in Vermont only occurs in very specific circumstances, including for severe fetal anomaly, a fetal condition incompatible with life or a dangerous, possibly life-threat ening maternal health reason.

Letters to the Editor

If termination is requested beyond 21 weeks and 6 days, an ethics consultation must be obtained to review the indications before the induction of labor or termination can be done. If the ethics committee does not agree, the termination is not done. We only do three to five terminations after 21 weeks and 6 days per year at University of Vermont Medical Center.

The amendment will not change that.

Some Vermonters may wonder: Why is it important to make this constitutional change if we already have laws protecting reproductive rights in Vermont?

In the last legislative session, there were no less than five proposed bills that would have restricted reproductive rights in Vermont. One stated specifically: “This bill proposes to narrow the right to reproductive choice.”

Without the proposed constitu tional amendment, we can expect continued attempts to restrict reproductive rights in every legis lative session.

Passage of Article 22/Proposal 5 by popular vote on Nov. 8 would be the final step of this multi-stage process to amend the Vermont Constitution. The measure was originally approved by the House and Senate in the 2019-20 legis lative biennium and, as required, was passed again by both cham bers in the 2021-22 biennium.

These were critical steps to protecting the right to access reproductive services in our state, but they will be meaningless if this amendment is not passed by a popular vote on Nov. 8.

Rep. George Till of Jericho is a board-certified obstetrician-gy necologist who has served in the Vermont Legislature since 2008. He is also an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Vermont School of Medicine.

ROSH HASHANAH

Friday, September 30

6:00 p.m. Shabbat Shuvah

YOM KIPPUR

Tuesday, October 4

7:00 p.m. Kol Nidrei service

Wednesday, October 5

10:00 a.m. Yom Kippur morning service 12:30 p.m. Yizkor memorial service

1:00 p.m. Group walk, Recreation Path

4:00 p.m. Yoga for Yom Kippur

5:00 p.m. Minchah afternoon service

6:00 p.m. Ne’ilah concluding service 7:06 p.m. Havdalah, break-the-fast

Shelburne: Seek help to solve housing issues

To the Editor:

The voucher program for the homeless, highlighted in the Sept. 22 issue of Shelburne News, is just one aspect of a larger prob lem currently facing precariously housed residents. (“Shelburne, busi nesses question motel vouchers”)

Homelessness in the greater Burlington area will increase dramatically in the next few months because federal funding that provided transitional hous ing in hotels and motels will end in early 2023. Right now, many residents have received 30 days’ notice that their support will be withdrawn. Many are families with young children, adults who

lost their jobs during COVID-19, and many who want to work but who cannot find or afford safe child care.

With many others in Shel burne, I am aware of the constant challenges faced by our excellent police department as they respond to a disproportionate number of

See LETTERS on page 6

Pie-eyed: ‘Sheer volume of pumpkin-esque offerings inescapable’

Guest Perspective Walt Amses

I often invest time and energy in serious investigative journalism, particularly when questions need answers, situations require far more than a superficial glance or subtle threats have infiltrated without setting off too many alarm bells. Others probably perceived these issues as well but hadn’t paid them much mind simply because, like most Americans, they’re far too busy being far too busy to notice anything out of the ordinary.

In fact, in its own insidious way, this issue has become quite ordinary and therein dangerous. You’ve probably guessed by now what I’m talking about.

Years ago, since they mainly showed up in autumn, first as jacko’-lanterns on Halloween and then later, as tasty pies on Thanksgiving, pumpkins have crept into our lives so gradually we’ve sat idly by while the country was inundated each fall with what R.E.M. or the Denver Broncos might call an “Orange Crush.”

But whether you’re celebrating music or mayhem, you’d be hard pressed to deny that between the days growing shorter as October looms and dwindling down to a precious few, gourds rule. It’s become pumpkin everything.

Which prompted my initial quest for as much data on this seasonal invasion as I could lay my hands on. So, I Googled “pumpkin everything” but instead of the usual multiplicity of website insights and glut of related information, I landed on a Facebook community called “Pumpkin Everything,” created by a woman named Lara, claiming to have “loved all things pumpkin for as long as I can remember.”

With over 140,000 follow ers, posting inane comments and photographs of guess what, the pledging of pumpkin allegiance began feeling like a cult, albeit a harmless one, like the people who collect salt and pepper shakers and meet in RV parks.

Mysterious even to me, I somehow found out that in August,

a guy broke the record for floating on a river in a 767-pound pumpkin that he grew himself. He’d never tried such a thing before, vowing to never do it again but managing to travel nearly 38 miles down the Missouri River, hefting a beer afterward, asserting “the biggest feat was to grow a pumpkin big enough to do this.”

Just about as frivolous as most of the pop-up nonsense we typical ly encounter daily on our various devices, this, apparently for me, was a tipping point.

I’ve never really thought much about it, but if I had, I’d most likely think that aside from pie, the pumpkin spiced latte would have been quite sufficient to get us through the autumn holidays, especially since the only one I’ve ever had tasted a lot like that same pie put through a blender set on liquify. It tasted kind of stupid, like drinkable candy, so I dismissed it immediately as anything worthy of entering my mouth.

That was well before marketing determined anything worth doing was worth doing until it became a

parody of itself. And even then, if it continued making money, sell the hell out of it because after all, noth ing succeeds in life like excess in the too much is not enough world.

The initial foray into Latte Land was unsurprisingly by Starbucks in 2001 and Peter Dukes, now the company’s director of Global Growth and Concepts who was once in charge of espresso drinks. Fresh off the success of another barely drinkable holiday favorite Peppermint Mocha, Dukes and others were charged with creating a drink for fall.

According to CBS News, they eventually narrowed their initial hundred concepts down to 10 with caramel and chocolate initially winning out in taste tests but the pumpkin idea stayed alive after they brought slices of pumpkin pie into the R&D lab, “poured shots of espresso on ‘em and ate ‘em.”

As they say, the rest is history. Actually, more like well beyond history. The sheer volume of pump kin-esque offerings is inescapable this time of year as bizarre and redundant as some of them can

be. With the guy bobbing down the Missouri as the catalyst, my antennae were primed and ready. I would search for the orange gourds in whatever dark corners they lurked, which turned out to be pretty easy because they didn’t lurk. They were right out there in the open, flaunting their season al status as the national fruit of choice.

Pumpkin spiced baked goods made some sense as variations on a pie theme, but pumpkin Twinkies or Oreos? How about a little pump kin in your popcorn, or chocolate truffles? Cereal, nondairy creamer, almonds, bonbons, cheesecake ice cream and biscotti all make the cut. But exploring the pumpkinization of all things edible quickly veers into “Whose idea was this?” terri tory. And — full disclosure — I never actually attempted eating or drinking any of the products listed since my gag reflex was activated by simply reading labels and imag ining how they might taste.

How about, for instance, pump kin spiced instant noodles, eggnog, yogurt, and even vegan mini

marshmallows, which sound like they should be accompanied by an attendant well versed in the Heim lich maneuver. You can cleanse your palate with pumpkin-flavored beer. If you’re wondering what wine pairs with pumpkin-infused gnocchi or pumpkin-filled ravioli, wonder no more. The California Fruit Wine Company fills the bill with a vintage called Pumpkin Bog, which sounds confused with cranberries.

As my investigation intensified, I realized I’d bitten off more than I could chew, especially considering the thought of chewing anything on the growing list of culinary catastrophes filled me with dread. Can anything be worse than what KFC is calling a Pumpkin and Feta Twister? Is there a way of making candy corn or Peeps taste worse? Even the option of brushing it all away with pumpkin spiced tooth paste or soap on a rope offered little solace. I was out of my league.

Paging Merrick Garland.

Walt Amses is a Vermont-based writer.

calls from residents of the motels and hotels. A significant number of homeless residents have severe mental illnesses, and our resources to assist the police in this area are woefully inadequate.

I am grateful that business owners who have suffered persistent thefts are informing us all about their experiences. But to focus the blame on the voucher program will not begin to address a much more complex issue — the desperate need for affordable housing.

I would hope that the members of the selectboard would invite the leadership of the Champlain Housing Trust or other appropriate agencies to meet with them and talk about possible joint solutions to these overwhelming challenges.

Criminal behavior is intolerable. It is equally intolerable to walk away from our responsibility as a community to work toward

creative solutions so all our residents will have safe, warm, affordable housing.

Carole Carlson Shelburne

alternative is to admit that a baby in the ninth month in the womb is little different from one shortly after birth.

society.

To the Editor:

Dr. John Brumstead, in his Sept. 22 guest perspective decried the “frequent invocation of late term abortion” by pro-life advo cates. (“We must step up and protect patient rights, abortion access)

It is ironic that Brumstead raised the subject himself, apparently feeling uncomfortable enough with late term abortion to defend it on the grounds that it doesn’t happen very often. But defend it he must because the only

One would then have to step the logic back and consider months eight, seven, and so on back to when the human life was created — at conception. Or, if it’s OK to kill a baby shortly before birth is it just as acceptable to kill it shortly after birth. These, abortion supporters refuse to consider because they lead to the conclusion that unborn babies are simply human beings in successive stages of a development process that starts at conception and ends at death.

If supporters of Vermont abor tion law were honest, they would simply state that they support a mother’s right to kill her unborn child at any time for good reason, bad reason, or no reason at all and that its welfare is of no interest to

However, there is logical risk in putting it that way if you also view so many aspects of the child’s life after birth — education, health, views on gender and race, vaccination status — essential interests of society and the govern ment. It does not quite add up.

It is hard to avoid the conclu sion, to paraphrase George Orwell, that abortion advocates don’t love choice as much as they hate humanity. If you believe that there are just too many people on the planet, maybe it becomes easier to ignore the profound moral and logical questions associated with ending innocent human life and focus only on the expedient: To categorize those who object to unrestricted abortion as oppressors of women, racists or worse.

John Childs Shelburne

It’s not choice, it’s hatred of humanity

Obituary

Eleanor P. Pratt

Eleanor Paula Pratt, 84, died peaceful ly at the McClure Miller Respite House on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022.

She was born in Bronx, N.Y., on Sept. 26, 1937, the daughter of Joseph Wurm and Anna Cattau. She graduated from Walton High School with an honor diploma and attended Fordham University while working for the American Bankers Association in New York City.

While raising her children she also worked as a teacher’s aide at Shelburne Village School and in the Shelburne town office. She later worked as medical secretary in Shelburne for doctors Theo dore Fink, Howard Dean and Judy Stein berg before her retirement.

Besides her husband, Richard Pratt, of 60 years, she leaves one son, Christopher Pratt and wife, Jennifer of South Hero; two daughters, Laura Knapp and husband, Kent of South Burlington, and Melissa Kern and husband, Bradford of Milton; brother and sister-in-law, Roger and Sandra Pratt; sister-in-law, Linda Nelson of Claremont, N.H.; as well as many nieces and nephews.

She is also survived by her beloved cousin Bill Young’s daughters, Mary

Young Cooney, her goddaughter Cathy Young Brady, and Barbara Young and their siblings.

She was predeceased by her sister-inlaw, Shirley Stowell; and brothers-in-law, Edward Pratt and Alfred Nelson.

Eleanor was understanding and brave to shepherd her family from Kingston, N.Y., to Manas sas, Va., to Shelburne, accommo dating her husband’s career with IBM.

She enjoyed opera, reading, crossword puzzles, Civil War history, University of Vermont hockey and basketball, tennis finals and the Yankees. She also enjoyed cooking for her family as evidenced by a large cookbook collection. Family gatherings were cherished times together. Seashore vacations through the years in Nags Head, N.C., and all along the Maine coastline were highlights to her busy life.

There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Chittenden County, South Burlington (hsccvt.org).

The family plans to hold a celebration of Eleanor’s life at a later date.

Steven Gregory and Son Cremation of South Burlington is directing arrangements at gregorycremation.com.

Heritage potluck dinner

To celebrate Shelburne’s diversity and honor the different cuisines that nourish the community, the Shelburne Equity and Diversity Committee, in collaboration with Shelburne Parks and Recreation, is hosting a Heritage Potluck, at the town gymnasium, Sunday, Oct. 23, 3-7 p.m.

Everyone is welcome. Just bring a dish to share that highlights your family’s tradi tional cuisine. Dig up your own recipe, or one from your parents, great-grandparents or ancestral lineage.

Dishes should feed six or more people. Bring a list of ingredients to help those with food allergies.

There will be no alcohol. Paperware, utensils, tables, chairs and beverages will be provided.

Space is limited, so register by Friday, Oct. 14, at bit.ly/3Ug3MWp.

Crossfit kids

Kids in grades five to eight can join Shelburne Recreation right after school to improve general conditioning, including a focus on core, strength, agility, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Based on the principle of movement mechanics, consis tency, form and then intensity, the program pushes for quality movement throughout childhood.

Registration deadline is Thursday, Oct. 13 or when the program is full. Sessions will be held on Thursdays, 3:15-4:15 p.m. Oct. 20 or Nov. 17. The fee is $70.

Instructors are Nick Mead and the Field House staff.

Eleanor P. Pratt

Shelburne Parks & Rec News

Diane Von Furstenberg

SPORTS

CVU girls’ volleyball remains undefeated

LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Field hockey

Champlain Valley 4, Burling ton 1: The Champlain Valley field hockey team remained undefeat ed with a win over Burlington on Saturday.

Burlington took an early lead, but the Redhawks responded with goals from four different players to get the win.

Claire Marcoe, Cordelia Thomas, Miranda Oppenheimer and Carly Strobeck each scored for CVU (4-0), while Grace Fergu son stopped three shots to get the win in goal.

Football

Champlain Valley 50, St. Johnsbury 28: Champlain Valley broke out to a 33-0 lead and then held off St. Johnsbury for a win on Friday night, Sept. 23.

Jack Sumner had a rushing touchdown and TD catch for the Redhawks (4-1). Max Destito had a 2-yard touchdown run and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass. Asher Vaughn added two rushing touch downs, while Jacob Armstrong and Brian Rutherford each caught a pass for a score.

Ollie Cheer threw two touch down passes to round out the scor ing for CVU.

Boys’ soccer

Champlain Valley 7, BFA-St. Albans 0: Zach Spitznagle tallied a hat trick and Champlain ran away with a win over BFA-St. Albans on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Spitznagle had three goals and one assist, while Sam Dennison (one assist), Lucas Kelly (one assist) and Nicolas Menard each added a goal.

Kyle Clairmont, Jacob Lepple and Miles Glover each had assists for the Redhawks.

Girls’ soccer

Champlain Valley 2, South Burlington 1 (OT): Champlain Valley scored late in regulation and then won it in overtime to get a measure of revenge in a rematch of last year’s Division I title game on Friday.

Pecor scored on a penalty kick with seconds remaining in the second half to tie the game and send it to overtime. Zoe Klein then converted off a free kick to give CVU the win. Stella Dooley had the assist on Klein’s game winner.

Emma Allaire made two saves and the Redhawks move to 3-0-1.

Girls’ volleyball

Champlain Valley 3, South Burlington 0: CVU grabbed a win

on Wednesday, beating South Burl ington in straight sets.

The Redhawks won the first set 25-16, the second 25-14 and the third 25-20.

With the win, the girls move to 6-0.

Boys’ golf

The boys won their match in West Bolton Wednesday, Sept. 21.

Connor Malaney paced the Redhawks and earned medalist honors with a score of 36. Camden Ayer and Jake Strobeck both had a 39, Zach Vincent added a 40 and Emerson Ayer rounded out the golfers with a 41.

CVU came first in the team competition with a score of 154, Mount Mansfield (165) was second and Colchester (186) came in third.

Burlington, Vermont

PHOTO BY AL FREY

Champlain Valley Union field hockey players celebrate a score during a 4-1 win over Burlington Saturday.

Meiler, Shelburne’s masters track star, brings home the medals again

Flo Meiler, 88, of Shelburne did it again.

At the NSA Track & Field Masters

Outdoor Championships at the Univer sity of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., July 28-31, Meiler earned 10 gold medals at the 85-to-89-year-old division.

Her results at the meet were as follows:

80-meter hurdles, team, 27.65

2,000-meter steeplechase, 19:27.27

High jump, 0.90 meters

Pole vault, 1.50 meters

Long jump, 1.95 meters

Triple jump, 4.34 meters Discus, 12.66 meters

Hammer, 17.41 meters

Javelin, 8.90 meters

800-meter run outdoor pentathlon, 6:25.43

80-meter short hurdles outdoor pentathlon, 26.95

High jump outdoor pentathlon, 0.91 meters

Long jump outdoor pentathlon, 1.96 meters

Shotput, outdoor pentathlon, 5.18 meters

Outdoor pentathlon, 4372 points

Meiler holds a few records as well in the U.S. Track & Field Masters: 2021 overall female Jumps Athlete of the Year; 2020 world record, high jump, .90 meters; 2020 world record, pole vault, 1.65 meters; and 2020 national champion, triple jump, 4.94 meters.

Her world records include the outdoor pentathlon, with 4,467 points, 80-meter hurdles, 26.69.

She was also named the Track & Field Masters 2021 Athlete of the Year in her age group.

Island Memorial Pet Service

We

FILE PHOTO

Flo Meiler at a past track meet.

COMMUNITY

Grab and go meal in Shelburne Oct. 11

Age Well and St. Catherine’s of Siena Parish in Shelburne are teaming up to provide a meal to go for anyone age 60 and older on Tuesday Oct. 11.

The meal will be available for pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St. from 11 a.m.-noon.

The menu is chicken caccia tore, wheat rotini, peas & carrots, wheat bread with butter, strawber ry shortcake with cream, and milk.

To order a meal contact Sheryl Oberding at soberding@yahoo. com or 802-825-8546.

The deadline to order is Thurs day, Oct. 6.

Participants must register and forms will be on hand at meal pick up or download it at bit.ly/3LkbQ Bi.

An Age Well representative will be available to purchase $5 restaurant tickets to dine at any participating restaurants. More at agewellvt.org.

Catholic Church sponsors Prop 5 forum

Rep. Anne Donahue and Matthew Strong, executive direc

Community Notes

tor of Vermonters for Good Government, both opponents of Prop 5, the so-called reproduc tive liberty amendment to amend the Vermont Constitution, hold a talk called “What You Need to Know Before You Vote on Article 22/Prop 5,” Wednesday, Oct. 5, 6:30-8 p.m., at the Pierson Library, 5376 Shelburne Road.

The forum is sponsored by St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Shel burne.

All are invited. For more infor mation, contact Jeanette Voss at vossjc@hotmail.com or 802-9858545.

Howard Center holds World Mental Health Day event

Join Howard Center on Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 6-8 p.m. for a World Mental Health Day event with featured speakers Dr. Alice T. Chen and Ferene Paris Meyer.

Chen is a board-certified inter nal medicine physician and a national leader in physician advo cacy, community organizing and public health. Meyer is a storytell er and founder of All Heart Inspi rations.

Chen will draw on her years of

experience and expertise to discuss the causes of burnout, particularly those present in health care and social services settings, physical and mental symptoms, and strate gies for addressing burnout in all facets of life, including the work place.

Meyer empowers those navi gating mental health to be their authentic selves and has person ally found storytelling to be heal ing and transformational in her own experience with anxiety and depression.

Advance registration is free but required for this virtual Zoom webinar. More at howardcenter. org.

Knights of Columbus host pancake breakfast

Join the Knights of Columbus DeGosbriand Council # 279 on Sunday, Oct. 9, for an old-fash ioned all-you-care-to-eat pancake breakfast, 9-11:30 a.m., in the parish center of St. Joseph’s cathe dral, 29 Allen St., Burlington.

The feast will feature bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, blue berry pancakes, French toast and

See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 11

Restoring Our Faith Summit

An inspiring one day conference with world renowned social scientists, faith leaders and physicians to discuss the importance of science, faith and family in a time of social upheaval.

Tuesday, Oct 25, 2022

8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

DoubleTree by Hilton 870 Williston Road South Burlington, VT 05403

Featuring Dennis Prager, radio host and other national leaders.

Go to www.restoringourfaithsummit.com to register.

Pierson book talk features peace through diplomacy

Pierson Library holds a book talk and signing with Madelyn Holmes, author of “Hiroshima and its Six Sister Cities,” Thurs day, Oct. 6, 6:30 p.m.

Rebounding after the horror of nuclear warfare, Hiroshima spread its message of peace through sister city diplomacy. This book tells the stories of

grass-roots relationships with Honolulu; Volgograd, Russia; Hannover, Germany; Chongq ing, China; Daegu, South Korea; and Montreal.

Holmes is a historian and author of five nonfiction books. She has taught at universities in England, Canada, China and the U.S.

COURTESY PHOTO

Madelyn Holmes

COMMUNITY NOTES continued from page 10

more. Coffee, juice, butter and real Vermont maple syrup are included.

Admission is $10 and $25 for a family of four.

Breakfast benefits seminarians or religious aspirants.

Upcoming breakfast dates include Nov. 6, Dec. 11, Jan. 8, Feb. 12, March 12, April 16 and May 14.

Contact David Ely, davide ly1986@gmail.com or 802-8625109, for more information.

Learn how to cope with mentally ill family

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont is offering an education program for family members of people diag nosed with mental health condi tions.

Family-to-family is an evidence-based program proven to improve the coping and prob lem-solving abilities of parents, siblings, spouses, teenage and adult children, and significant others of people living with a mental health condition. This free eight-week program is taught by trained volunteers who are family members caring for their loved ones themselves.

The first class takes place Thursday, Oct. 6. Class will meet via Zoom every following Thurs day at 6:30 p.m. through Dec. 1.

The course provides family members and caregivers with education about various mental health diagnoses, such as schizo phrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, obses sive-compulsive disorder, border line personality disorder and co-occurring mental health and addiction conditions.

Participants will learn how to empathize and communicate with their loved one, as well as how to address their own needs as they care for a person with mental illness.

For more information, call 800-639-6480.

Make friends at Birds of Vermont Museum

The Birds of Vermont Museum, 900 Sherman Hollow Road, Huntington, has a few upcoming events.

• “Fine Feathers” art show runs through Oct. 31. What happens when you mix art, play and insights from birds? Creativity influenced by feather color and pattern, frills and function. View art, read poems and interact with works on display.

• Green Mountain Wood Carv ers carve-in, Saturday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Come and watch woodcarvers in action.

• The Big Sit, Sunday, Oct. 9, 6

a.m.-6 p.m. The most relaxed bird ing around. How many birds can we identify from a 17-foot diam eter circle?

• October bird monitoring walk, Saturday, Oct. 29, 8-9 a.m. Monthly monitoring walk records birds on the museum property.

Outdoors Register at birdsofvermont. org. For more information, call 802-434-2167 or email museum@ birdsofvermont.org

Try out shape-note singing at Charlotte Senior Center

Shape-note singing, or a cappella, four-part harmony, has been called “full-body, shout-itout singing” and is also known as Sacred Harp (1750-1850).

The Charlotte Senior Centers holds a sing-in on Sunday, Oct. 2, 1-3 p.m. with Mark Williams.

Songbooks are provided and the event is open to both newcom ers and experienced singers. There are no performances and no audi tions, and a “good voice” is not required.

Stop by to listen, sing and leave whenever you wish.

Questions? Email Kerry Culli nan at kclynxvt@gmail.com.

Learn about Vermont’s Ethan Allen Homestead

Visit the Ethan Allen Home stead Museum, with a guided tour of the 235-year-old Allen House, visit Negöni Alnôbaakik, a recon structed Abenaki village, view the exhibits and explore the recon structed 18th century colonial garden on Friday, Oct. 7, 10-11:30 a.m.

To register, call 802-425-6345. Either plan to meet at the Ethan Allen Homestead or coordinate with others to carpool from the center.

Cost is $10. Registration required by Wednesday, Oct. 5. Questions? Visit charlottese niorcentervt.org.

Cemetery group, Howard Center restore gravestones

The Vermont Old Cemetery Association, in partnership with the Howard Center, have restored and reset the gravestone markers for children who lived at the Home for Destitute Children in the late 1800s.

A forerunner to Howard Center, the home was founded in 1865. The gravestones were donat ed in part by Louisa Howard, a local benefactor in the 1800s, who also donated the Louisa Howard Chapel in Lakeview Cemetery to the city of Burlington.

A group of a dozen volunteers

from both organizations complet ed the restoration Sept. 10.

“Our members are pleased to be able to work with Howard Center to complete this restoration,” Vermont Old Cemetery Association presi dent Tom Giffin said. “It’s always an honor to do this work and espe cially meaningful to revitalize chil dren’s memorials.”

The association was founded in 1958 to encourage the restoration and preservation of neglected and abandoned cemeteries in the state. The organization has completed over a dozen projects this year.

For additional historical infor mation, contact Denise Vignoe at 802-488-6912; 802-318-2860; dvignoe@howardcenter.org or visit the special collections section at the University of Vermont’s David W. Howe Memorial Library.

Register ahead for Age Well meals

The Age Well meal pickup for Thursday, Oct. 6, is from 10-11 a.m., Charlotte Senior Center, 212 Ferry Road, and features baked meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, wheat dinner roll with butter, sugar date cookie and milk.

You must have pre-registered by Monday, Oct. 3, with Kerrie Pughe, 802-425-6345 or kpughe@ charlotteseniorcentervt.org

The meal on Thursday, Oct. 13 — register by Oct. 10 — features chicken cacciatore, wheat rotini, peas and carrots, wheat bread with butter, strawberry shortcake with cream and milk.

Shirley Bean reflects on origins of senior center

Join Shirley Bean as she tells the story of the Charlotte Senior Center, Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 1 p.m.

An unexpected bequest from the estate of Charlotte resident Walter Irish and his wife, Gertrude, Bean led a group of community members in fulfilling the require ments of the will, which would provide the funds for a senior center.

This video was taped on Sept. 11, 2008, with Bob Chutter and Don and Betty Ann Lockhart. Shirley’s story was transcribed by Diane Nichols.

Register by Tuesday, Oct. 4 by calling the center at 802-425-6345.

Red Cross hosts blood drive in Charlotte

The American Red Cross holds a blood drive on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2-7 p.m., at the Charlotte Senior Center.

Reserve at redcrossblood.org.

Call today to plan for your future home at The Pines.

AUDIT continued from page 1

parents of what the district’s equity work hopes to accomplish, while finding that historically marginal ized groups — students with indi vidual education plans, students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, and nonwhite students — are not achieving comparably high

outcomes compared to their peers, while a lack of data complicates implementation across the school district.

Those historically marginalized students in the district had gradua tion rates of 82.6 percent in 2019 and 86.6 percent in 2021, compared

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to 97.2 percent and 98.3 percent, respectively, for their peers, accord ing to Mass Insight.

Paramount to furthering the district’s equity policy, adopted in December 2020, is creating a shared purpose among the stake holders and then putting them into practice, team members with Mass Insight said.

The Boston-based compa ny partners with states, districts, schools and communities across the country “to implement customized strategies ... so that all students, and particularly those who have been systematically marginalized, are prepared to achieve their academic and personal potential”

“We envision a world in which student achievement and related life outcomes no longer correlate with race, gender, ethnicity, social class or zip code, because all students have equitable opportuni ties, support and access to quality education,” said Robbie Curry, the engagement director on the school improvement team with Mass Insight. “We believe the school is a unit of change.”

endeavor but as a matter of human rights.”

“We are students, we are lead ers, but we are also children. We have all fought countless battles in our lives to help protect these rights. We ask for help in this fight,” the letter read.

Students in the district and at Champlain Valley Union High School are driving the conversa tion around diversity, equity and inclusion work, Mass Insight team members said.

“To give a high level summa ry, (SJA members) have attend ed and presented at conferences; they’ve traded learning materials and conducted trainings; orga nized events for students and staff around sexual assault, DEI, climate change, mental health aware ness, using personal pronouns and LGBTQ+ history; they’ve part nered and fundraised with local businesses; and they’ve also devel oped and implemented curriculum reform by creating elected cours es and refining existing syllabi,” Artemus Werts, a consultant with Mass Insight, said.

member said in a response present ed to the district.

“My children should not be made to feel like they are less of a person because of their skin or race. Critical Race Theory should not be taught in schools, stick to academ ics,” another wrote.

The comments show a mismatch in understanding of what the district wants to accomplish with its diversity, equity and inclu sion policy. This, ultimately, has led to what students have described as a “politically charged” debate over what they believe is a human rights issue.

“Discuss the issues of the world through the human rights lens ... in no situation can you, or your students, debate human rights. Not on a political basis, a religious basis or upon personal beliefs. Be brave enough to start hard conversations with your students. If you don’t feel ready to, educate yourself,” the Student Justice Alliance letter reads.

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The preliminary presentation can be found at bit.ly/3BOLoLR, and the meeting where the presen tation was held can be viewed at bit.ly/3SEeN2g.

“Our next steps over the next month are to look more in depth ... so we have the opportunity to unpack a lot of the information that has come to us,” Superintendent Rene Sanchez said.

Generational divide

In an open letter to educators and district leaders, shown during the presentation, members of the Champlain Valley Union High School’s Student Justice Alliance asked that “issues related to DEI should not be treated as a political

“SJA student members and CVSD student members at large took such broad action to ensure the protection of students human rights that the Burlington Free press claimed that students have become the teachers,” he added.

On the other end of the spec trum are adults.

Many families survey expressed concern with the district’s equity policies, while 15 percent of the family members surveys said the district should cease inclusivity work all together.

“The equity/inclusion garbage has gone WAY too far. It’s time to focus on serving the majori ty instead of pandering to a small vocal minority,” one family

TOWN OF SHELBURNE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

Notice of Public Hearings to be held October 19, 2022, 7:00 PM Remote Meeting Via Zoom

“It was really telling that there were multiple comments about crit ical race theory when it’s not being actively taught in our district,” school board member Joselyn Adams said. “One of the things was going through my head was, well, how do we combat that? How do we educate or grow that collective understanding of what DEI looks like in our district so that, as our students are saying, it’s less polit ical.”

Caught in the middle are the teachers — who Mass Insight team members say are unaware of how to accomplish the goals laid out in the district’s equity policy.

“Staff at all levels need better access and training for understand ing school and student level data,” team members said.

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CU22-02 – Application by Town of Shelburne for Conditional Use review for the relocation and reconstruction of the beach house at the Shelburne Town Beach. Property at 407 Beach Road is in the Rural District and the Lakeshore Conservation Overlay District.

SUB21-03 – Application by Charles and Jean-Carol Dunham for Sketch Plan review for a 2-lot PUD subdivision. Property at 165 Rivervale Road is in the Rural District and a portion is in the Special Flood Hazard Area Overlay District.

Join Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85250155093?pwd=bXRCc3ZPNVNxclk yTllPV2xpaitIZz09

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Meanwhile, a lack of disaggre gated data prevents the district from examining trends in disciplinary referrals and outcomes. Four out of the five schools in the district could not disaggregate or break down their data beyond gender, and in Shelburne — the only school where there is data — Mass Insight found a “large uptick in rates of referrals for students of color in the last school year compared to their enrollment,” Krista Reed, an analyst with Mass Insight, said.

“There is no shared under standing ... in the district of what is DEI, what are our DEI initiatives, and what are we trying to accom plish?” school board chair Angela Arsenault said. “I’m feeling really cognizant of the fact, as a board member, that an equity policy does not equal a shared understanding, as much as we like to think that it could.”

“I’m glad we adopted the policy, but we need to do more with it as a board,” she said.

Kelly Brush Ride raises $1 million, sets milestone

This year’s Kelly Brush Ride raised more than $1 million for the first time ever and as a result the Kelly Brush Foundation will be able to award $1 million in adap tive sports equipment grants this year.

“The direct impact of the generosity of our riders, support ers and sponsors can be seen in the fact that we reached a second record in the number of adaptive equipment grants we will be able to give,” said executive director Edie Perkins.

On Sept. 10 in Middlebury, more than 900 riders on 77 teams, along with 40 adaptive riders, participated in the ride.

“Hitting the $1 million mark for two key milestones —funds raised

and grants awarded—really takes the foundation to the next level. This level of fundraising puts the Kelly Brush Ride among the top charity rides in the country,” said Kelly Brush, whose family start ed the foundation following a ski racing accident that left her para lyzed in 2006.

To date, the foundation has awarded more than 1,400 equip ment grants to people in 49 states for adaptive equipment. The ride also supports the foundation’s ski racing safety program. Each year grants are awarded to nonprof it ski clubs and racing programs for improving race course safety. In 2022, the foundation award ed a record $120,000 in course improvement grants.

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COURTESY PHOTO

Handcyclists roll from the start of the Kelly Brush Ride in Middlebury in September. The ride raised more than $1 million for the first time ever.

ARIES

March 21 - April 20

Don’t push yourself too far this week, Aries. That is a sure re way to be overcome by stress and deplete your energy, which you need to get things done. Pace yourself.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

Hold your tongue and try not to get into any heated arguments with people either at work or in your social circles, Taurus. Avoid controversial subjects.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

There’s a strong pull toward wanting to play as well as getting work done, Gemini. Is there a way to delegate some work so you can focus on recreation? Figure things out.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

Cancer, you may have some exciting plans brewing but you might not know how to put them in motion. A friend may offer to help get the ball rolling.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

The planets are trying to tell you to slow down and take a day off, Leo. You just have to listen more closely or you could run the risk of burnout in the days to come.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Virgo, this week things may get a bit more intense than you anticipated. Intensity doesn’t necessarily mean you will have a bad time. Everything will be exciting and fast-paced.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

Libra, focus on your personal relationships this week, as you may need to modify a few things and do some housekeeping in your social relationships.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Focus on the ner details of life this week, Scorpio. If you have been waiting to have a gourmet dinner or to take a luxurious trip, now is the time to do so.

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 ll each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can gure 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

There’s con icting energy in the cosmos this week, Sagittarius. All of what you think was right may be turned on its head. Some new decisions may need to be made.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

It may be challenging to gure out where you stand with someone this week, Capricorn. You thought you had it all gured out, but the tides have changed dramatically.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

You’ll continue to face the dif cult decision of whether to tend to your own needs or help someone close to you, Aquarius. It’s a ne line to walk with no easy answer.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

There’s a positive drive guiding you along, Pisces. If you’ve been putting off your to-do list, now you will have the energy to get things done.

CLUES ACROSS

composer

Midway between east

southeast

leader of

Jewish congregation

situations

Industrial port in Poland

Type of screen

Peyton’s little brother

Alcoholic beverage

Newspapers need it

Herbal tea

Distinctive practice

Exercise system __-bo

Explosive

Belonging to a thing

CLUES DOWN

Presidential candidates engage in them

Of the Swedes

Meadow-grass

“Rule, Britannia” composer

Hooray!

Greek city

One way to do it by example

Imitated

“Game of Thrones” actress Headey

Swiss river

Drought-resistant plant

A French abbot

One point east of northeast

Get free of

“Heat is not a threat that we have to deal with very frequently, and it’s because of that it looms large as a threat for us,” Grass said. “Some of the places around the world where they’ve seen high levels of death and illness result ing from heat events are those places that are least accustomed to experiencing them, so the effort here is to get ahead of that.”

To that end, the department of health is urging regional and town-level planning commis sions to identify both their most vulnerable populations and cool ing centers to keep them out of the heat.

The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission is taking the lead in Vermont’s most populated cluster of towns and attempting to identify and map out emergency responses to tempera ture extremes and other emergen cy events that could arise out of a changing climate.

A draft of a new hazard miti gation plan is working its way through the commission, the second such plan in which envi ronmental dangers specifically tied to a changing climate have been factored into emergency

planning procedures.

The plan, mapped out in detail across nearly 400 pages, digs deeply into granular detail for both the likelihood that Chitten den towns will face certain types of environmental emergencies, and how best to prepare for and respond to them.

Some Chittenden towns are at greater risk than others. On a scale that ranges from low to high, both Char lotte and Shelburne face a medium risk to their population due to severe temperatures and flooding, while South Burlington and Hinesburg are at lower risk for such dangers.

When it comes to severe rain storms, however, South Burling ton, Hinesburg and Shelburne all face a high-level risk, but only Hinesburg residents have been determined to face elevated risks from severe winter storms.

South Burlington has 45 hazardous waste sites, the second highest number of such sites outside of Burlington in the county.

The analysis is based on a

comprehensive study of climate change published by the Univer sity of Vermont in 2021. Key findings highlighted in the hazard mitigation plan include the increase in average temperatures in Vermont since 1900, particu larly winter temperatures, which have increased 2.5 times faster than average annual temperatures since 1960.

than in the 1960s, mostly in the summer. This wetter climate will impact forestry and rainstorm operations and will require storm water, infrastructure and planning improvements.

Some changes are irrevocable, but some can be mitigated. Over 70 bird species are expected to disappear from Vermont in the next 25 years. If carbon emissions continue apace or grow, the ski season is expected to be shortened by a month by 2080, but only by two weeks if emis sions are reduced.

out in detail. Progress has been made over the past decade or so in helping municipalities strengthen bylaws around hazard mitigation and establish master plans for stormwater issues.

Identifying cooling centers for those dangerously warm days is relatively simple in Chitten den towns, where air-conditioned public buildings such as libraries are easily identifiable, as opposed to Vermont’s more rural towns.

1530 Williston Road South Burlington, VT

The time free of freezing temperatures has also lengthened by three weeks since that date and, on average, lakes and ponds have thawed three days earlier each decade. Extreme tempera ture events are expected to grow in frequency, according to climate experts.

Vermont has gotten wetter too. Since 1900, precipitation has increased 21 percent, with 2.4 more days of heavy precipitation

According to regional planner Dan Albrecht, this hazard mitigation plan is all about taking stock of the possible threats alongside towns’ vulnerabilities and capabilities. To him, climate change is not so much the prob lem as a broader phenomenon that affects a variety of hazards Chit tenden towns will face in the years to come.

The regional plan is intended to act as a guide for local planning commissions, where the prepared ness efforts can be hammered

The whole back section of the plan identifies possible mitigation strategies, accounts for state and local initiatives, and includes how the regional planning commission can assist in these efforts.

One aspect that’s difficult to plan for is the increasingly erratic nature of potential severe weather events.

“It’s just so highly variable. The summer has been just wicked dry, whereas other summers, it’s a big rainstorm once a month. It’s obviously variable, but it definite ly seems in recent years that the intensity has grown. It affects the bread-and-butter issues for towns, like roads are the bread and butter of both our urban towns and our rural towns,” Albrecht said.

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CLIMATE CHANGE continued from page 1

Some changes are irrevocable, but some can be mitigated. Over 70 bird species are expected to disappear from Vermont in the next 25 years.