Shelburne News - 2-23-23

Forest species loss in real time

Ethan Tapper goes deep on cryptid function loss

Page 7

Selectboard, school candidates weigh in at forum

Two Shelburne selectboard candidates and one Champlain Valley School District school board candidate covered a variety of topics surrounding affordable housing, bike and pedestrian safety, green energy, policing and other issues during an hour-anda-half long community forum last week.

Luce Hillman is running for reelection on the selectboard for a two-year term, and Andrew Everett is running unopposed for a three year seat on the selectboard vacated by Kate Lalley. Dave Connery is also running unopposed for Champlain Valley School District school board and has previously been on the school board from 2012 until 2020.

Since these are uncontested races, discussions were more collaborative in nature with all three sharing similar viewpoints to big issues within the town.

“Part of me is a little sad that we’re all sitting up here running unopposed,” said Everett. “I don’t know what that says about democracy. That’s either really good because we have three tremendous candidates that no one thought was worth beating, and we’re in great shape, it’s a sad reflection that we don’t have other people wanting to go. So, I had mixed feelings about that.”

Affordable Housing

The first question that kicked off the night was directed to the

See CANDIDATES on page 16

Students return amid staffing shortages

ABIGAIL CARROLL COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

Vermont schools face critical staff shortages midway through the academic year, education leaders say, with some suggesting the state hack away at its 1,000 teacher and staff vacancies by providing loan support and reducing red tape in licensing and certification.

Before the school year, a Vermont Superintendents Association study found there were around 1,200 open jobs in K-12 schools. Midway through the academic year, more than 1,000 positions

Tess Everett earns top honors

Field hockey player nabs regional recognition

Page 11

for teachers, special educators and support staff remain open according to Vermont Principals Association executive director Jay Nichols.

Staff shortages were a problem before the pandemic, but the problem has been exacerbated since.

“Fifty percent of teachers who begin (their careers) leave teaching after five years,” Colin Robinson, political director for the Vermont National Education Association, told legislators last week.

Teachers struggle with scarce

See STAFF SHORTAGES on page 13

PHOTO BY AL FREY

Players from CVU and South Burlington played a hard-fought game as the season wound down for the teams this week. See story on page 11.

Flying high

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Museum exhibit shows 30 years of Burton designs

TOMMY GARDNER STAFF WRITER

There are plenty of painters who get their art displayed on gallery walls all over the world. But how many of them have had their paintings strapped to the boots of the world’s best athletes as they push the envelope on what’s possible for mere seconds in mid-air?

That would be Scott Lenhardt, an artist who has designed 60 boards for Burton riders like Ross Powers, Shannon Dunn and Danny Davis, as well as work for Phish, Nike and Mountain Dew.

The Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum on Main Street in Stowe, with its current exhibit, is presenting a deep dive into nearly 30 years of Lenhardt’s work. With more than three decades worth of pigment under his nails, Lenhardt is in no hurry to move from hand-painting his designs to doing them on a computer.

“I’m putting so much energy into them, in hopes that a fraction of that energy is going to come through when someone’s standing on it and riding it,” he said during the museum’s Red Bench talk last week. “Or, if they’re sitting in their room and it’s leaning against the wall, they’re like,’ I gotta go ride that thing.’ I don’t think you get the energy with computers.”

Lenhardt grew up in West Rupert, a tiny Bennington County village — not that Rupert proper is a metropolis — about a mile from the New York border. His youth snowboarding years were at Bromley as part of the Glebelands crew that dominated the mountain in the early ‘90s.

As someone who has produced some 60 boards for the world’s most famous snowboard compa-

ny, Lenhardt has also worked with some of its most famous faces, creating indelible duos that mesh the personalities of rider and artist. Many of those finished products are part of the museum exhibit. His collaborations root the

viewer in their tracks, with inside jokes and tributes drawn into the whimsical lines that involve robots, Vikings, the Headless Horseman and classic movie monster motifs, but also breathtaking vistas of fantastical colors.

Michael Jager, the creative director of JDK designs, which has collaborated with Lenhardt with several designs, described Lenhardt’s work as “the lion, the lamb and the fearless flow.”

“His art, ideas and very sensi-

bility created there (in southern Vermont, where he grew up) resonates with the bold uniqueness of a lion unafraid to create a universe of images, characters, spaces and places radically individual and powerfully crafted, while simultaneously creating art with a soft flowing nature in line and form, an aesthetic as gentle as a lamb,” Jager writes in the exhibit.

For all the eye-catching nature of the untouched products carefully curated and placed around the museum floor, some of the richest pieces in the exhibit are the artifacts from Lenhardt’s archives. There are conceptual designs drawn on paper and handwritten notes between him and pro riders riffing on concepts. There is a collection of limited-edition Mountain Dew bottles with his designs and even a Ross Powers “Huck Doll” bendable action figure, still in the original packaging.

Perhaps the most museum-quality artifact, though, is a nearly 30-year-old twin-tip snowboard with a portrait of Jane’s Addiction front man Perry Farrell,

Whether you’re considering clear aligners, retainers or today’s braces, an orthodontist is the smart choice. They have 2 to 3 years of education beyond dental school. So they’re experts at helping you get a great smile—that feels great, too.

PHOTO BY GORDON MILLER

Painter Scott Lenhardt, who has created 60 snowboard designs for Burton, is the featured artist in the current exhibit at the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, located at 1 South

Making the grade on proficiency-based learning in Vermont

ABBY CARROLL COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

When the class of 2020 arrived at South Burlington High School four years ago, the students would be the first to encounter a new academic standard: proficiency-based learning.

The effort began in Vermont schools a few years ago, and the specifics vary by school. Generally, the idea is to put more emphasis on students’ display of skills when grading, rather than on their ability to answer a question correctly.

So far, said South Burlington Principal Patrick Burke, the change has been a success.

“I think it helps students understand where their strengths are and where are their areas for growth,” Burke said. “It also came with some degree of refinement of the curriculum, so that our discussions are really centered on learning as opposed to being centered on activities, or even grades.”

The switch at South Burlington has been smoother than some schools, and lawmakers have raised concerns about the system. Proponents have said the state needs to keep working on it.

Mike McRaith, assistant executive director of the Vermont Principals Association, explained that proficiency-based learning helps to give more transparency to students about their education, which increases equity.

“When you have consistent expectations around building courses and learning experiences … that are transparent and well communicated, I think that that’s better for students,” McRaith said.

The switch to proficiency-based learning began in 2014 under a new set of standards from the Vermont State Board of Education. The class of 2020 was the first class that had proficiency-based graduation requirements. Proficiency-based learning is also a key aspect of Act 77, adopted in 2013, which aimed to support school districts in creating alternatives to traditional school learning experiences.

In South Burlington, students still receive traditional letter grades and a GPA. Now, students also receive credits for demonstration of proficiencies in different areas of each subject, which determines

graduation.

Burke found that having elements of the old system, with the addition of proficiency scores, helped parents and students adjust to the system.

“I think once people saw elements of the new system that were recognizable to them and that maybe had some value within the existing system … that helped folks understand not only where we were going, but why,” Burke said.

Burke said his school is “at the point of refinement. There was a lot of initial work, and that laid the foundation for where we are now, and I think we are getting to a finer grain size of alignment and articulation.”

Not all schools have experienced the same success.

McRaith said many schools started in separate places, and that the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic affected schools’ ability to implement the switch.

“Since March of 2020, there’s been a more urgent need with all the impacts and iterations of the pandemic. And so, I think any kind of teaching and learning initiatives like proficiency-based learning likely took a back burner in most districts,” he said.

Because of the challenges some districts have faced, lawmakers are continuing to evaluate the standards. Legislators on the Senate Committee on Education raised some of those concerns to McRaith during a Jan. 31 meeting. They spoke about how it is challenging for teachers, who are already overworked, to implement a new system. They also raised concerns about whether students are getting the same level of challenge out of the system and remaining competitive for college admissions.

Despite the concerns, McRaith told lawmakers he believes that Vermont is on the right path.

“I think sometimes we can have a tendency to work from a deficit about, you know, what’s missing, or what’s not working and what’s broken,” McRaith said. “I would encourage districts to build from what is working.”

Abby Carroll is a reporter with the Community News Service, a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.

LENHARDT

continued from page 2

the only actual ridden board in the collection. It’s arguably the most tangible representation of Lenhardt’s mid-90s origin story.

He said he knew he wanted to get into the business of designing boards, so he painted his own and toted it over to Stratton for the biggest event in snowboarding,

the U.S. Open, hoping one of the riders would see it and ask him about it.

That someone was Shannon Dunn, a legend in snowboarding — the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in snowboarding, taking home bronze in the 1998 Nagano Games. Now,

the Perry Farrell board is included right along with Dunn’s Lenhardt originals.

“For anyone out there who wants to break into snowboarding, that’s how I did it,” Lenhardt said.

“I basically painted my board and went to show it off at the biggest event in Vermont.”

PHOTO BY GORDON MILLER

Painter Scott Lenhardt, who has created 60 snowboard designs for Burton, is the featured artist in the current exhibit at the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, located at 1 South Main Street in Stowe. Museum hours: noon-5 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.

“We can have a tendency to work from a deficit about ... what’s not working.”

— Mike McRaith

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Puma pleads guilty to charges

MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

A South Burlington man, who authorities say made threats to kill a state judge and defense lawyer and to rape a prosecutor, has pleaded guilty in federal court to three felony charges for making the intimidating phone calls.

Joshua P. Puma, 36, of Williston Road, called a Vermont Corrections Department reporting line on Sept. 30, 2021, to say he would kill a state judge and a defense attorney, U.S. District Court records show.

The indictment also charges him with making a similar call nearly a month later threatening to kill a state judge and to sexually assault a prosecutor. The third charge stems from a phone call in November 2021 where Puma said he planned to kill a state judge.

Puma, formerly of Shelburne, admitted to the three felony charges during a hearing in federal court in Rutland last week. Puma, who once punched his state public defender in the face, will be sentenced May 31 in Rutland.

He could receive up to five years in federal prison on each of the three death threat charges, placed on supervised release, and face up to a $250,000 fine on each case.

Chief Federal Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford kept Puma in federal custody pending sentencing. He is at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield.

Puma has been in custody

since about September 2020 when arrested on state charges, according to assistant federal defender Sarah Puls.

It is believed the threats mentioned in the indictment stem from Puma’s detention last fall at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield after his arrest by South Burlington Police on a stalking case, records show.

Puls maintained the reported threats came into a complaint phone line maintained by the Corrections Department and Puma would never have been able to carry them out while jailed. None of the recorded threats was made directly to the intended targets, she said.

It remains unclear which Vermont judge or judges Puma threatened to kill.

Sarah Reed, his state public defender, was the intended target of the other death threat, officials have said. During Puma’s arraignment, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George was identified as the target for the rape threat.

Puma punched Reed in the face while she was representing him in state court in September 2019, assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Fuller has said. The punch caused Reed to fall to the ground and it took five security officers to restrain Puma, Fuller told the court.

He later pleaded guilty to assaulting his attorney and was sentenced to 4-12 months to serve, Fuller said.

Puma was later found incompetent in to stand trial in March

2022 on state charges for two criminal cases in Chittenden County. In May 2022, Vermont Superior Court Judge A. Gregory Rainville issued a pair of orders of hospitalization for 90 days to further check Puma’s mental status.

Puma was never sent to the state mental hospital in Berlin due to the federal detainer filed against him. The detainer came when a federal grand jury in Burlington in April 2022 indicted Puma on the three felony charges for threatening the public officials during the fall of 2021.

The biggest difference between federal and state incompetency procedures is how the defendant gets returned to society. The state has a secret process that eventually allows the mental health commissioner to privately make the release call. There is no notification requirement for the public.

The federal system normally provides the defendant’s case remains in a public court setting and the community is informed about any planned release. The conditions the defendant must follow are public record.

South Burlington Police said officers have spent considerable time dealing with Puma, including an arrest for stalking that involved a complaint from a neighbor on Williston Road near Heath Street.

Among cases in nearby Shelburne police found Puma at his parent’s house with a rifle and a knife in his hands inside the residence.

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The skeletal fingers of a collection of icicles reach slowly toward the ground after a day of melting and re-freezing.

Cascade

OPINION

Child care is key focus for tri-partisan bill

Report from Montpelier Rep. Jessica

Brumsted

Last week, more than 90 state representatives; Democrats, Republicans, Progressives and Independents all signed on as cosponsors of H.208, an act relating to child care and early childhood education. The bill builds on the current system to ensure that all partners; families, schools, childcare providers, early educators, have the resources and support they need to best care for our youngest Vermonters. In developing this bill, legislators seriously considered recommendations presented in the recently released Systems Analysis (Foresight Law & Policy) and Financing Study by the RAND Corporation commissioned through Act 45.

H. 208 would:

• Significantly increase state funded financial assistance for children at community and home-based childcare programs and afterschool and summer programs;

• Expand the current part-time pre-K program to a full-time, school-based program for all four-year-old children in Vermont;

• Increase compensation for early childhood educators and financial support for community and home-based childcare programs reimbursing centers for enrollment; and

• Elevate and streamline state-level leadership and oversight of childcare and early childhood education.

The Childcare and Early Childhood Education legislation lays out a blueprint for a major investment in our children,

Guest Perspective

Lisa

The CDC’s study shows that teen girls in America are “engulfed in a growing wave of violence and trauma,” according to its chief medical officer, with dramatic increases in online harassment and bullying, sexual assaults, and rapes. Various forms of harm inflicted on and attempts to harm themselves have also increased among teens of color and those questioning their sexual orientation.

The exposure of Fox News media personalities’, owners’, and management’s belief that Donald Trump’s big lie was just

families and communities. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee has begun taking testimony on a very similar bill, S.56, and once they pass the bill it will crossover to the House. The House Human Services Committee is looking forward to beginning their work on this very important legislation. We will hear testimony from parents, childcare providers, schools, employers, early educators, state agencies and many more important stakeholders. There is much work to be done and the House Human Services Committee is committed to doing that work to ensure that families have equitable access to quality child care throughout Vermont while preserving the mixed delivery system.

Remember, I am available along with Representative Lalley and Senators Chittenden, Lyons and Ram Hinsdale on the fourth Monday of every month from 4 p.m. till 5:30 at the Shelburne Pierson Library in the Community Room to listen to your concerns, answer questions and strategize together on important legislative work. This month the fourth Monday falls on Feb. 27 and Senator Chittenden is planning to come and talk a bit about what is happening in the Senate Transportation Committee. You can also always find more information on the legislative webpage: https://bit.ly/3YLQ3ID, and reach out to me at jbrumsted@leg. state.vt.us.

Thank you for your support. It is an honor to serve as your state representative.

Rep. Jessica Brumsted, a Democrat, represents voters in St. George and Shelburne in the Chittenden 5-2 district.

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Shelburne Food Shelf

The mission of the Shelburne Food Shelf is to improve food security for community members of Shelburne through food distribution, and to provide emergency assistance, while preserving the dignity of our shoppers.

HOW WE WORK:

• Our services are provided for free.

• You will not be asked for proof of need or income.

• Bring proof that you live in Shelburne.

We are generally open on 2 Tuesday evenings, 2 Thursday mornings, and 2 Saturday mornings each month. See the calendar online or posted in the Town Offices for details.

that, while continuing to give crackpots and liars a platform and pushing the lie that the 2020 election had been stolen.

The one-year mark of Russia’s criminal invasion of Ukraine, carrying out a genocide and crimes against humanity.

At first glance, these might seem unrelated, but to miss the common thread is to miss the continuing fascistic authoritarian movement, not only in our country, but worldwide. You would also miss the role that the media on the right, not only Fox News, plays in advancing this movement and the impact it has had in reshaping our culture in the past seven years. No,

We ask that you please sign up to shop before arriving, if you can, by visiting the Shelburne Food Shelf website or by calling 802-622-3313, then press 3.

We are located in the Shelburne Town Office Building: 5420 Shelburne Rd Shelburne, VT 05482 802-622-3313

Find out more information at www.shelburnefoodshelf.org

Jessica Brumsted

Senecal

United States’ growing trauma engulfs the lives of everyone

defeating Trump in 2020 was not the end.

We’ll get to Ukraine shortly, but first, let’s look at common themes being pushed on the political right in the U.S., not just the far right, but by the pool of most likely Republican nominees for president in 2024:

• Men are being emasculated and need to reclaim their dominant role in society

• Whites are being replaced in society, economically, and politically by people of color, especially immigrants, with the goal of repressing the rights of Whites.

• White Christian Nationalist “values” need to be imposed on all areas of our lives including sexual orientation, gender identity, reproductive rights, women’s roles in society — both inside and outside the home, and, of course, white dominance

• Reacting with violence and

School district seeks support for spending plan

To the Editor:

As an informed voter, it is important to understand the significance of the proposed budget for the Champlain Valley School District. This year, the district has proposed a budget of $96 million, which represents an increase of 7.5 percent from the current year.

Despite these increased costs, the proposed budget is still 1.2 percent below the statewide

aggression is an unavoidable and reasonable response to feeling politically, socially, or economically at risk

Most of the analysis, thus far, of the latest “Youth Risk Behavior Survey” conducted annually by the CDC assumes that the COVID-19 pandemic and related school closures and lockdowns are largely responsible for startling deterioration of teen girls’ mental health. I have no doubt that the pandemic is a contributing factor, but the beginning of the slide predates the pandemic. COVID also fails to explain why girls, non-white teens, and those questioning their sexual orientation are faring much more poorly than boys.

The report includes this jaw-dropping passage: In 2021, nearly 30 percent of female students drank alcohol during the past 30 days. Almost 20 percent

Letters to the Editor

average for equalized pupils and 1 percent below the state average spending increase. This demonstrates the district’s commitment to being financially responsible while still providing the best possible education for its students.

The budget proposal takes into account various external forces, such as statewide and national health care increases, inflation and a tight labor market. Despite these challenges, the district remains dedicated to supporting all students and providing a high-quality education.

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of female students experienced sexual violence by anyone during the past year and 14 percent had ever been physically forced to have sex. Although these numbers are high, the rates of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors are even higher. In 2021, almost 60 percent of female students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past year and nearly 25 percent made a suicide plan.

That is a 60 percent increase in teen girls considering suicide over the past decade and a 27 percent increase in girls reporting forced sex in just two years. This isn’t an acceleration in the percentage of girls reporting forced sex — it’s the first time since the CDC start collection data that there has been an increase at all.

The data on LGBQ+ students

is no less troubling. Data on transgender teens, unfortunately, was not collected though it will be in future surveys. There is certainly no reason to believe trans teens are faring better. More from the CDC report: They were also significantly more likely to experience all forms of violence. The differences in terms of mental health, compared to their peers, are substantial. Close to 70 percent of LGBQ+ students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past year, and more than 50 percent had poor mental health during the past 30 days. Almost 25 percent attempted suicide during the past year.

for schools to be key component of improving the lives of teens. Among its recommendations are increasing access to mental health services through schools, gay-straight alliance clubs to build understanding and relationships, more and better health education, which includes sexual and emotional health.

By voting for the proposed budget, you are supporting the education of the students in the Champlain Valley School District. Investing in our future through education is a vital part of ensuring a strong and thriving community. Reach out to the school board with any questions at cvsdschoolboard@cvsdvt.org.

Angela Arsenault Chair Champlain Valley School District board of directors

Our county’s history of failing and continued neglect of communities of showed up in school and community safety data: “Experiences of violence by racial and ethnic groups show that Black and Hispanic students were more likely to not go to school because of safety concerns, suggesting exposure to environmental violence in communities and schools.”

Are we really going to pretend that our kids swimming in a toxic concoction of white grievance, glorification of hypermasculinity, and an aggressive anti-LGBTQ social and legislative movement championed by Christian Nationalists is not a major contributing factor?

The report does not merely report all this tragic data, but makes recommendations, also based on data, on what can help. The CDC sees profound potential

All these recommendations to reduce sexual and other forms of violence, suicidal feelings and attempts, and rates of drug and alcohol use are opposed by the 2024 GOP presidential frontrunners. Donald Trump, the most likely nominee, is a self-admitted sexual assailant. Ron DeSantis has not only championed “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, now laws, in Florida, but he’s taking his LGBTQ-Hate-Show on the road, encouraging other states to use his state’s new laws as a model. Why? Because he knows that LGBTQ hate sells with the GOP base voters. Layer bans on teaching accurate American history on race, overturning Roe and imposing bans on abortion even in cases of rape and incest and the message to girls, LGBTQ+ teens, and kids of color is clear. Is it any wonder that these groups of teens being bombarded by messages that they are worthless are making them feel worthless?

As promised, here is how Russia’s war crimes and genocide in Ukraine, the American right’s media machine, and these terrible data on America’s teens all fit into this horrific big picture. Here is just a partial list of the “Early warning signs of fascism” in the U.S. Holocaust Museum:

• Powerful and continuing nationalism

• Disdain for human rights

• Identification of enemies as a unifying cause

• Supremacy of the military

• Rampant sexism

• Controlled mass media

• Obsession with national security

• Religion and government intertwined

• Corporate power protected

• Labor power suppressed

• Disdain for intellectuals & the arts

• Obsession with crime & punishment

• Rampant cronyism & corruption

• Distribution at select retailers and industry experts, newsstands and online

• Each display ad includes a wedding directory listing

• Fraudulent elections

Fascistic authoritarianism in our country is not inevitable, but we have learned in the past seven years that the same is true of democracy. If we want the latter to prevail, we must acknowledge the advances of the former. The harm to our children is already occurring and accelerating. It’s

Changes to a single species can destabilize our forests

Into the Woods

Each of our native species occupies an ecological niche, influencing the ecosystem around it in different ways. The more we learn about forests, the more we discover how critical each species is to their health and function: from towering trees to tiny invertebrates, from the bats that regulate populations of defoliating insects to the rodents that disperse acorns, seeding future generations of oaks.

It is relatively easy to understand the profound impact of an extinction on an ecosystem. What is less apparent is when a native species’ role changes due to climate change, historic land use, non-native invasive pests and pathogens and the many other components of global change. Our modern world has given rise to a phenomenon known as cryptic function loss: when the function of an ecosystem is altered by the extirpation (local extinction) of a species, a change in its abundance or a shift in its behavior because of global change.

An example of cryptic function loss is the case of American beech. Historical records suggest that beech once accounted for 40 to 60 percent of all trees in Chittenden County. While most of us know beech only as a sickly tree with cracked, pock-marked bark, it used to be quite different. Once, beech trees could become massive and ancient, living 400 to 600 years. One can only imagine how many habitats healthy beech trees once provided, how many species relied on their abundant beechnuts and how many ways they shaped the forests of the past.

Today, the beech is still common in our forests, but its behavior has changed entirely. With the introduction of the non-native beech bark disease, most beech trees live only 40 to 60 years, dying centuries before they can reach the stature of their ancestors. When beech trees are stressed from beech bark disease, they produce clones from their root systems which can dominate the forest understory, creating a monoculture of trees destined to be as unhealthy as their parents.

Another example of cryptic function loss is the shape of our modern forests themselves. Vermont’s forests have regenerated from the near-complete deforestation of the 1800s, today covering about 75 percent of Vermont. This fact masks a complex reality: because of historic deforestation, the loss of wildlife species, the

functional loss of tree species like beech, elm, butternut and chestnut to non-native pests and pathogens, soil degradation and much more, our modern-day forests have been transformed.

While Vermont’s forests, for the most part, consist of the same tree species that were here prior to European colonization, many components of pre-colonial forests — a diversity of tree species and forest types, structural diversity (trees of varied sizes and ages), deep, well-developed soils, dead wood and old trees — and the critical functions and habitats that they once provided are underrepresented or missing from our modern forests.

Cryptic function loss demonstrates a complex and important idea: that in ecosystems it is not enough for something (a species, a forest) to exist – the nuances of how it exists matter.

Our forests are resilient and adaptive but also very sensitive. Slight changes in environmental conditions, or the presence or absence or behavior of a single species can have consequences that ripple throughout a forest community, causing harmful and destabilizing impacts.

To me, cryptic function loss is a call to action. Amid a climate crisis and a biodiversity crisis, it is our responsibility to protect the health and the resilience of forests and the tens of thousands of species that rely on them and to help them recapture the critical functions that have been lost. Actively managing for diversity and complexity is part of this, as is controlling biodiversity threats like non-native invasive plants, deer overpopulations, deforestation and forest fragmentation, as is promoting resistance to the causal agents of cryptic function loss, such as the non-native pathogens that affect native tree species like beech.

Considering the impact of cryptic function loss on our forests is alarming but also oddly hopeful. Unlike extinction, cryptic function loss is a phenomenon of things that still exist, of species and functions that may yet be rediscovered. Our modern forests have lost so much, but with our help they may find a better path forward.

Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County forester for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. See what he’s been up to, check out his YouTube channel, sign up for news and read articles he’s written at linktr.ee/chittendencountyforester.

A forest understory dominated by diseased beech clones.

Ethan Tapper

“Unlike extinction, cryptic function loss is a phenomenon of things that still exist.”

COMMUNITY

Pathways gets grant for suicide prevention training

Pathways Vermont’s Training Institute has received a $15,000 grant from the Four Pines Fund to expand our Conversations About Suicide training. This training is a participatory workshop intended to engage people in conversations about suicide in ways that prioritize compassion, empathy, and autonomy. It helps to address the stigmas around suicide and gives individuals a sense of agency and support around feeling helpless and alone.

Participants in Conversations About Suicide work in social services including housing,

community mental health, and crisis/support lines. The training is also open to anyone with a personal connection to suicide.

The facilitator, J Helms, is a psychiatric survivor, advocate, educator, and writer. Helms is Pathways Vermont’s Director of Training and Advocacy.

“Participants spend time unpacking suicide as a language of pain, then consider ways to support folks who are thinking about dying,” said Helms. “Through sharing personal stories, opening dialogue, and practicing difficult conversations,

the group educates and supports each other to remain curious, lean into discomfort, and center mutuality.”

Pathways Vermont’s goal with this funding is to increase the frequency, reach, and resources to recruit, train, and hire folks with lived experience to expand the network of trainers who can offer Conversations About Suicide around the state.

Learn more about this and other upcoming trainings on our Pathways Vermont Training Institute webpage, https://bit.ly/3KdgYsB.

Vermont Historical Society holds online winter speaker series

The Vermont Historical Society’s winter speaker series brings together several experts to explore various facets of the state’s history. The online series is free to the public. Here’s the schedule for this year’s series:

• March 15: Bringing Geography Home: Genieve Lamson and the Vermont Commission on Country Life with Tom Anderson-Monterosso. On Jan. 16, 1923, geographer Lamson (1887–1966) of Randolph became the first woman to address an annual meeting of the Vermont Historical Society in its 85-year history.

Six years later, she took a leave from teaching at Vassar College to study population shifts, especially those of immigrant farm families, for the Vermont Commission of Country Life, best known today for its advocacy of eugenics.

Bucking the biases of her employers, Lamson’s results celebrated pluralism, told marginalized women’s stories — and were sidelined. Marking the 100th anniversary of Lamson’s address and Women’s History Month, this talk will bring to light Lamson’s long-overlooked work for the commission and place it in the context of her education, politics, and career as an academic with an abiding passion for her home state and all its people.

• April 19: A New American Globe: James Wilson of Vermont with Amanda Kay Gustin.

In 1810, James Wilson, a farmer from Bradford, made something extraordinary: the first American-made globes for sale in history. With little formal schooling and no real scientific background, he had made an object of astonishing detail and incredible beauty.

His globes made their way into classrooms and homes across America for the next 50 years, a less expensive alternative to

imported English globes and an education phenomenon.

Gustin is the director of collections and access at the Vermont Historical Society, where she works on statewide projects that examine and share Vermont’s history, including public programs, research projects, and exhibits, and supervises the work of the research library and museum collections. Register for the event at form. jotform.com/223153874879167.

Community Notes

Shelburne farmers market sets winter dates

Don’t forget the winter farmers markets in Shelburne, Saturday, Jan. 28, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. Farmers markets will also be held Feb. 11, Feb. 25, March 11 and March 25.

St. Catherine of Siena hosts Red Cross blood drive

Give the lifesaving gift of blood at the Shelburne community blood drive on Tuesday, March 21 from noon to 5 p.m. at the St. Catherine of Siena parish hall in Shelburne.

This blood drive is our way of giving neighbors an opportunity to

help save lives.

To give, call 1-800-733-2767 or visit http://RedCrossBlood.org and enter Shelburne to schedule an appointment.

Shelburne Museum hosts Indigenous artworks webinar

In celebration of Conservation Month, join Director of Conservation Nancie Ravenel for the webinar New Directions in the Care of Indigenous Artworks Housed at Shelburne Museum on Monday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m.

Ravenel will discuss the ongoing care and conservation of the

SENECAL

continued from page 6

up to all of us to determine if this foreshadows their future or is an ugly chapter in history that generations to come are allowed to study.

Lisa Senecal is a writer, host of The Lincoln Project’s “We’re Speaking” streaming show,

COMMUNITY NOTS

continued from page 8

collection of Native American Art at Shelburne Museum. Learn more about the history of the collection, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and the work she and her collections care colleagues are doing to caretake these items in consultation with tribal members and other experts. Pre-registration is required at: https://bit.ly/3Ki5xjr

Winona Smith Scholarship opportunities now open

The League of Women Voters of Vermont Education Fund is now accepting applications for its Winona Smith Scholarship program.

Created in 1998 to honor the legacy of League leader Winona

Friendly feathers

co-chair of the Vermont Commission on Women, board member of the Clarina Howard Nichols Center and a member of Allies for Accountability, a citizens’ action group founded to hold public officials accountable and support survivors of sexual assault. She lives in Craftsbury.

Smith, the scholarship is awarded annually to local high school seniors who embody the characteristics and qualities Smith displayed of civic participation and community service.

Four $1,500 scholarships will be awarded to students based on financial need, scholastic achievement and teacher recommendations.

Applications, due on May 1, are available at bit.ly/lwvscholarshipdetails. Students need to submit two essays, one on issues concerning voting rights and the other on the impact of a recent civic, national or world event. A letter of recommendation from a teacher is also required.

Direct questions to lwvofvt. edfund@gmail.com.

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

A Tufted Titmouse peers back at the photographer during a frosty day on the wing.

Summer Camps

2023 GUIDE

Promote your program in our Summer Camps guide for targeted exposure to a local audience of kids and parents as they make plans for the upcoming summer season. This advertising section is a go-to guide for summer camp and recreation researchers, making it the ideal place to outline your offerings and secure more early enrollments.

Publication Dates: March 9 and April 6

Deadlines: Thursdays before each issue

Contact: Stowe Reporter/News & Citizen at 802-253-2101, Shelburne News/The Citizen at 802-985-3091 or The Other Paper at 802-864-6670 for information or to advertise your camp (ask about multi-paper, half-price color and Burlington Area Newspaper Group deals).

CVU High School sports roundup

hockey on Saturday.

Grace Ferguson stopped 24 shots on goal for the CougarHawks, who fell to 13-5-1.

Girls hockey

Burlington-Colchester

1, Champlain Valley-Mount Mansfield 0: Burlington-Colchester tallied the only goal of the game in the second period to squeak out a win over Champlain Valley-Mount Mansfield in girls

Boys hockey

Colchester 5, Champlain Valley 3: Champlain Valley could not keep up offensively as they fell to Colchester on Saturday.

The Secret to Your Summer Camp’s Success

Travis Stroh and Jack Bryan scored for the Redhawks, who fell to 7-9-3 with the loss. Jason Douglas made 37 saves in goal.

Boys basketball

Champlain Valley 61, Burlington 40: The Champlain Valley boys basketball team jumped out to a 30-11 lead at halftime and did not look back in a win over Burlington on Monday.

Tucker Tharpe nearly had a double-double, scoring 18 points and nabbing nine rebounds, to pace the Redhawks, who move to 17-1 with the win.

Kyle Eaton added 17 points and eight rebounds for CVU.

The Redhawks also got a win on Thursday, beating Colchester 47-34. Sam Sweeney led all scorers with 13 points, while Tharpe (12 points) and Logan Vaughn (10 points) also hit double digits.

Gymnastics

The Champlain Valley gymnastics team competed in the Vermont high school state championships on Saturday, coming in third place overall.

Ruby Opton was the top finisher for the Redhawks, earning a third place finish on the beam. Warner Barbic came in sixth in the bars to give CVU another top finisher and Jasmine Dye was eighth on the floor exercise.

To learn more or reserve your space, talk to us today!

Burr and Burton claimed the top spot and the state title, while Essex came in second place.

PHOTOS BY AL FREY

Above, players from the CVU and South Burlington hockey teams battle for possession to earn the CSB Cup. Left, CVU gymnasts show their poise and prowess on the beam and a variety of other events during a recent round competition.

LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

CVU’s Tess Everett picked for NE All-Region team

Tess Everett of Shelburne has been named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Region team for northern New England, one of only two Vermonters honored.

Everett was one of only 161 student athletes named to the high school all-region teams. Details are available at bit. ly/3JWcPsW.

Additionally, MAX Field Hockey named Everett as its Vermont State

Player of the Year and to its New England All-Region First Team. She was the only Vermonter to be named to the first team.

Everett has also been honored as Burlington Free Press Player of the Year, First Team All-State, Metro Division First Team and Twin State roster.

Adowyn Byrne of Essex was the other honoree.

Everett will continue her field hockey career at Williams College.

CVU girls basketball goes undefeated for the season

Tess Everett was recently named to the All-Region team for northern New England. LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

The Champlain Valley girls basketball team wrapped up the regular season with an undefeated Vermont schedule and the top seed in the Division I playoffs.

The Redhawks will head straight to a quarterfinal matchup after earning the No. 1 seed, awaiting the winner of No. 9 Colchester vs. No. 8 Rice. The winner will face CVU on Friday at 7 p.m.

CVU wrapped up the regular season with a 48-32 win over Rice on Saturday, securing the top seed for the 10th time since 2012.

Shelby Companion led all scorers with 15 points for CVU, while Addi Hunter nine points and eight rebounds. Samara Ashooh chipped in with seven points and seven rebounds.

The Redhawks took on Rice twice in the regular season, winning both matchups, and did not face Colchester.

Diane Von Furstenberg, Shoshanna, Alice & Olivia, Shona Joy, Trina turk, Halston, Hutch, Julie Vos, Monique L'huillier, Toccin, Mac Duggal, Ted Baker, Joseph ribkoff, soia & kyo.

COURTESY PHOTO

South Burlington School District

SUBSTITUTES NEEDED

• Daily substitute teachers and support staff at all subject levels

• Long-term substitute teachers in 2nd and 5th grade classrooms at Orchard

• Long-term substitute in a Science classroom at SBHS

Qualified candidates will have strong organizational and interpersonal skills, demonstrate an ability to effectively relate to students and manage a classroom. A four-year college degree and knowledge of subject matter is preferred. Long-term substitutes will need licensure or to be eligible for licensure. Anyone interested in getting in the classroom is encouraged to apply!

To apply, visit www.schoolspring.com

Keyword: South Burlington School District or email SBSD Human Resources at HREmployment@sbschools.net

Full and part-time front desk positions

for 2nd shift, 3pm-11pm, available immediately

Apply in person: 1016 Shelburne Road • South Burlington, VT 05403 or email travelodgeburlingtonvt@gmail.com

Why not have

Community Bankers Chittenden County

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS

There is no better time to join our Team!

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest banking institution headquartered in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all. Are you looking to start or continue a career in the finance industry? Consider joining our team as a Community Banker! To see all our available positions, please visit www.NSBVT.com/careers/open-positions.

Job Responsibilities & Requirements

This frontline position is crucial in creating a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience for NSB customers. The successful candidate will have exceptional customer service and communication skills. The Community Banker will be responsible for receiving and processing customers’ financial transactions as well as opening and maintaining customer accounts and services. We are looking for someone who can develop and maintain relationships with our valued customers, protect bank and customer information, and uphold customer confidentiality. A high school diploma, general education degree (GED), or equivalent is required. If you have customer service, previous cash handling, or banking experience we encourage you to apply!

Opportunity for Growth

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company. The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

What NSB Can Offer You

Competitive compensation based on experience. Well-rounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity. Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Commitment to professional development. Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work-Life balance!

We understand the importance of having evenings and weekends with our friends, families, and the communities we serve!

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com or Northfield Savings Bank Human Resources | PO Box 7180, Barre, VT 05641

Employer / Member FDIC

Service Coordinator: Continue your career in human services in a supportive environment by providing case management for individuals either for our Adult Family Care program or our Developmental Services program. The ideal candidate will have strong clinical, organizational & leadership skills and enjoy working in a team-oriented position. $47,000 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Residential Program Manager: Coordinate staffed residential and community supports for an individual in their home. The ideal candidate will enjoy working in a team-oriented position, have strong clinical skills, and demonstrated leadership. $45,900 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Direct Support Professional: Provide 1:1 supports to help individuals reach their goals in a variety of settings. This is a great position to start or continue your career in human services. Full and part time positions available starting at $19/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Residential Direct Support Professional: Provide supports to an individual in their home and in the community in 24h shifts including asleep overnights in a private, furnished bedroom. You can work two days, receive full benefits and have five days off each week! Other flexible schedules available, starting wage is $20/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Shared Living Provider: Move into someone’s home or have someone live with you to provide residential supports. There are a variety of opportunities available that could be the perfect match for you and your household. Salary varies dependent on individual care requirements. $1,000 sign on bonus.

Join our dedicated team and together we’ll build a community where everyone participates and belongs https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

Make

https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

Positions include a sign on bonus, strong benefits package and the opportunity to work at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont”.

housing, low pay, pressure to focus on test scores and burnout, Robinson and others told lawmakers of the House Committee on Education on Jan. 18.

Burnout in particular has been on the rise during the pandemic, the education leaders said, as teachers try to deal with the challenges of online classes and increased mental health issues among students and educators.

It’s not just a lack of teachers: Schools are also seeing a shortage of support staff — special educators, administrative workers, aides and other staff.

“School support staff provide a significant backbone to our entire education system,” Robinson said, “from helping students access their learning inside a classroom setting so they can control and regulate their behavior, to obviously getting health and nutrition, to cleaning the schools, to actually getting to school.”

Part of the problem seems to be a lack of applicants, Nichols said.

“Where once we had hundreds of teacher applications for elementary teaching positions, now there are times where we’ll have a dozen or so,” he told lawmakers, “and those are usually in our higher-paying districts.”

Additionally, nearly a third of principals have left their positions

this academic year — about a 10 percent increase compared with previous years, Nichols said. There have also been 18 superintendent transitions over the last fiscal year, a dozen of which saw school leaders new to the profession, according to Chelsea Myers, associate executive director of the Vermont Superintendents Association.

During the committee meeting, education leaders suggested several solutions to the shortage, including lessening the barriers to becoming an educator. They suggested offering a state loan forgiveness program to teachers who stay in Vermont for a certain number of years, along with funding support for teachers to get home loans.

Another idea involves waiving license expenses for teachers moving from other states and bulking up the pension plan for teachers. Nichols called Vermont’s pension plan for teachers the weakest in the region.

Robinson said there are more than 1,200 teachers in Vermont serving on provisional or emergency licenses. This means they are

working without full certification and may be teaching outside their subject area. Legislators could find a way to transition those educators to full credentials, he said.

One program doing just that is GrowVT-Ed, a collaboration between the Vermont teacher’s union, school districts, the state Agency of Education, the Vermont Rural Education Collaborative and Castleton University.

The program aims to provisional teachers attain full licensure. It also looks to help paraeducators obtain further credentials and to make it easier for college graduates working in other fields to switch to education.

“I think whether it’s GrowVTEd or other peer-review support programs that exist in Vermont, there’s a really great opportunity there,” Robinson said.

Abigail Carroll is a reporter with the Community News Service, a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.

TOWN OF SHELBURNE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

Notice of Public Hearings to be held March, 15th, 2023, 7:00 PM Town Center Meeting Room #1 and Remote Via Zoom

FBZ 23-01 - Application by David Shenk for Sketch Plan review of a 12-unit multifamily building under the Town’s Form Based Code. Property at 2689 Shelburne Road is located in the Mixed-Use District, SR-FBOD Mixed Use Street Character District.

A 23-01 - Appeal by Cornelius and Eugenia Cowles regarding a decision of the Zoning Administrators. Subject property is 282 Caspian Lane.

Topic: DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

Time: Mar 15, 2023 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85371369205?pwd=M3IvSnpCakVlY3g 2KzB2WnVzSEhSdz09

Meeting ID: 853 7136 9205

Passcode: s2mVEt

A

Colin Robinson

ARIES

March 21 - April 20

Opportunity awaits you, Aries. You just need to know where to look to get the best deal. Start chasing after your heart’s desire because you could just get it this week.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

A nancial windfall could be just over the horizon, Taurus. Stay the course over the next several days and wait and see what falls into your lap. You may be very surprised.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

People in your life want the best for you, Gemini. Accept their support and good wishes and use each as a guiding light when challenges arise.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

The stars are all but shouting that you need some self-care right now, Cancer. Put aside all of the tasks you think you need to do and turn attention to tending to your own needs.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

Leo, your love interest seems like he or she is keeping something from you, but avoid drawing any conclusions. A surprise may be in store for you.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Virgo, take it slow may be the advice that is coming your way, but that might be hard right now. Your time is in demand and many people are seeking your expertise. Take a breath.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

You don’t have to travel too far to nd happiness this week, Libra. It’s in all the small things around you. No extraordinary gestures are needed to make you smile.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Scorpio, a potential love match could be on the horizon. Approach this with caution, but don’t be afraid to share your thoughts and dreams with someone special.

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

Be careful when sharing your deepest desires and secrets, Sagittarius. There are many people you can trust, so make an effort to identify them before opening up.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

Capricorn, your dreams can take you far, but smarts and action need to factor into the equation as well. Start eshing out your plan and get moving.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

Your friends can be a great help when you need some relationship advice this week, Aquarius. Seek their input and factor it into any decision you make.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

Pisces, if a friend or family member causes drama for you, don’t let it get in your way. Offer to help but be ready for this person to seek their own path.

CLUES ACROSS

1. Sea grape

5. European public health group (abbr.)

9. A way to delight

11. Appetizers

13. Ancient heralds’ wands

15. Make a booking

16. ‘__ death do us part

17. Pearl Jam frontman

19. Spider genus

21. Fill with high spirits

22. A major division of geological time

23. Catch

25. An independent ruler or chieftain

26. Electronic music style (abbr.)

27. In uential Spanish cubist painter

29. Illegally persuades

31. A way to derive

33. British School

34. Appear alongside

36. Surely (archaic)

38. Harsh cry of a crow

39. A day in the middle

41. Kansas hoops

coach Bill

43. The longest division of geological time

44. The rst sign of the zodiac

46. Appetizer

48. Link together in a chain

52. A bacterium

53. In a way, forces apart

54. Cheese dish

56. Combines

57. In an inferior way

58. Colors clothes

59. Dried-up

CLUES DOWN

1. Gastropods

2. Confusing

3. Romanian monetary unit

4. The rate at which something proceeds

5. A prosperous state of well-being

6. Asked for forgiveness

7. Makes less soft

8. Part of speech

9. Outside

ANSWERS

10. Advice or counsel

11. Badness

12. Protein-rich liquids

14. Not moving

15. Call it a career

18. Poetry term

20. Not wide

24. Pastries

26. Turns away

28. Satis es

30. Gift adornments

32. San Diego ballplayers

34. Manufacturing plant

35. Check or guide 37. Dogs do it 38. Chilled 40. Scorch 42. Unproductive of success

43. Electronic countercountermeasures 45. Attack with a knife 47. Feel bad for 49. Enclosure 50. Assert 51. Geological times 55. Midway between east and southeast

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK ON CURRENT SCHEDULES!

CANDIDATES

continued from page 1

selectboard candidates and focused on the questions of affordable housing, workforce housing and what the town can do to increase housing variety.

Everett, who has been a member of the Shelburne planning commission, said a solution could be to look at more inclusionary zoning. “One of the things we did on the planning commission, was looking at trying to increase the use of accessory dwelling units. I think you also have to look at that single family zoning can be seen as a bit exclusionary, so how can we look at more inclusionary zoning, whether that’s allowing more in the way of denser development, apartment buildings, or say 10 or 15 percent of anything over X number of units is set aside for affordable housing,” said Everett.

Holding the same sentiments, candidate Hillman said, “I believe we need some different style of housing rather than just single-family homes, which seems to be a lot of what Shelburne builds right now, which is very expensive for people. Looking at the zoning, what can we do that will work to help to reduce the unit cost for the families? There are a lot of towns that have a percentage of a building that has to be affordable housing.”

Staffing needs

The town recently conducted an audit of staffing needs that reports that many departments in town offices have been operating with the same number of staff, despite population growth and significantly increased demand for town services over the past 10 to 20 years.

anything, it’s just not going to fly. I would agree with some sort of stepped process. What are the areas we get the biggest bang for the buck in terms of adding staff?”

Town Manager Search

Several questions surrounded the new town manager search, which the town has been focused on since last July when Lee Krohn announced he wouldn’t be continuing in the job beyond the end of his contract in November. Although the search is closing in, this remains a key issue that both selectboard candidates have agreed will play an important role in municipal government in the coming months.

“I think you’ve got a pretty strong selectboard here to work with someone that could be mid-career and you could help sort of grow that person into that role,” said Everett.

“Town manager is a very important role of course so we would look for somebody with good leadership skills, good listening skills, good collaboration. We are expecting a lot to be done by one person and we have talked about whether an assistant town manager would make sense. Perhaps they would help out with the human resources issues because there’s a lot going on in our town right now,” said Hillman.

Connery added, “I think it’s really important to find someone with experience in managing towns in Vermont and understanding the complex regulations and interconnections of everything.”

safely. It seems crazy that in a town that’s not very big, that there are lots of kids that I would never let bike to school from certain areas of town. It’s critical to increase the connectivity north to south, it’s critical to increase safety for kids biking around town,” said Everett.

“People really like bike paths and they really like safe walkways, it’s a pretty important piece,” responded Hillman. “People who live in South Burlington love the way all those neighborhoods are interconnected. And we don’t have that yet. I would love to see what is the biggest bang for our buck because we don’t have enough money to do all of them. Use the study that the bike committee has done and try to see what we can do with the allocations.”

“I think the school is moving in the right direction where they’re trialing electric buses,” said Champlain Valley School District school board candidate Dave Connery. “The other way to reduce use of fossil fuels would be to encourage more kids riding bikes to school, walking to school and making it easier to have that happen. One kid going to school on a bike saves four trips up and down the central quarter of the town.”

Economic justice

With Shelburne being the wealthiest town in Chittenden County, candidates discussed how to address economic justice issues at a town and school wide level.

prescribedmedications

-

“I do agree with the report and this coming year, if the budget passes, we have added another person in the highway department because they have had the same staff for years and the roads have increased and the sidewalks have increased,” said Hillman. “We still need some help with human resources. That’s a very complicated field. We’re going to have to be creative in those types of thought processes as we go forward. I think we’re just slowly going to add to it over the next few years, but we’re going to have to do it in a multi-year fashion because of tax increases.”

“It seems to me that what Luce laid out would be the most reasonable way to do that,” agreed Everett. “There’s nothing more disheartening than being an employee and being told to do more with less. I’d like to think that we could look at ways to help those people do their jobs and make sure that they’re also rewarded for doing great jobs already. But if you spend any time talking around town, the idea of increasing taxes for just about

Bike, pedestrian infrastructure and combating climate change

Bike and pedestrian safety has been a main topic of conversation since the selectboard received the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission’s Walk Bike Connectivity Study report last September. Candidates were asked how safe bike and pedestrian mobility affects the town’s overall quality of life. All candidates used the interconnectedness of neighboring South Burlington as a prime example of changes they hope to see within the town when it comes to pedestrian and bike friendly infrastructure. This also led into conversation about green energy within the town and creating easily accessible ways for people to utilize other forms of mobility.

“I’ve spent the last two years on the bike and pedestrian paths committee, so I spent a lot of time thinking about this. When I joined the committee, my personal mission statement was that every kid at a reasonable biking age should be able to bike to school

“I think everyone should enter those doors and be able to receive all the opportunities that everyone else can get,” said Connery. “Shelburne Central School has a lot of things in place to make sure that kids are successful and they can emerge from schooling and go into Champlain Valley Union School with the right amount of tools and then leave with an education so that they can succeed in life. I think a good education is a sound way to really just improve and succeed in life.”

“We’re a pretty wealthy town, it’s really cost prohibitive to move here,” explained Everett. “On the (Shelburne craft school) board, we’ve started working closely with the two converted hotels to figure out ways to support the children that are in there that have zero resources and zero outlets. We’ve started bringing art supplies and crafts and projects up there to help them. So are there things we could do as a town to look at being a more welcoming home to people that are coming with nothing?”

These are only some of the topics covered at the meeting and residents are encouraged to watch the entire forum at https:// bit.ly/3xIi884 before hitting the Town Meeting Day voting booth on March 7.

"I had no idea nerves can heal. The tingling in my hands is 95% better. I was told it would only get worse"

Beau T.