Shelburne News - 4-6-23

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Shelburne selects new town manager

said. “We thought it would be interesting to bring all of them in and see what people thought.”

After a nearly five-month search, Shelburne has selected a Virginia man as its next town manager.

Matt Lawless, 34, takes the reins in June.

After vetting nearly 40 applications, the town manager search committee made up of seven selectboard members, town employees and others — Mike Ashooh, Luce Hillman, Linda Riehl, Lee Suskin, Mercedes Ortega and Betty Jean Bogue — narrowed the pool to four candidates just weeks before the final decision was made.

“What was interesting about the candidates is they all had different skill sets and different attributes,” search committee member and selectboard chair Mike Ashooh

The four candidates, three of whom were Vermont residents, came to Shelburne to meet another group of residents before meeting with town department heads.

“We asked them to prepare a policy analysis — a short presentation and a write-up kind of like they would if they were a town manager — here’s an issue facing the town, what do you recommend,” Ashooh said.

Megan McBride, a former planning commission member and participant of the resident interview process, said that she was impressed most with Lawless’ understanding of the complexities

See TOWN MANAGER on page 12

Shelburne picks Crown Road for its wastewater

LIBERTY DARR

STAFF WRITER

After months of deliberation, the Shelburne Selectboard has decided that the town’s wastewater treatment operations should be consolidated at the Crown Road facility as the most cost-effective solution.

The Turtle Lane facility will be converted into a pump station.

Nonetheless, residents can still expect to vote on $30 million bond — or more — at next year’s Town Meeting Day for the project.

Shelburne currently operates two aging wastewater treatment plants and both are in need of extensive upgrades. The project

is expected to be one of the most expensive capital projects in Shelburne’s history.

The town has been mulling over a few solutions since 2021, but ultimately opted to pick between upgrading the Turtle Lane or Crown Road sites, rather than improving both.

In September, engineers with

the firm Aldrich + Elliot recommended converting the Turtle Lane site into a pump station and consolidating operations at Crown Road — a process that could take five years to complete. However, after hearing concerns from property owners on Mariners Cove and Mariners Way near the Crown Road facility, selectboard

members asked engineers to alternatively study the efficacy of consolidating at Turtle Lane.

“It is anticipated that this bond request would be on next year’s ballot,” Shelburne town manager Lee Krohn told the Shelburne

See WASTEWATER on page 13

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LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Shelburne sugarmaker undaunted by warm winter

The sweet scent of maple rose with the steam from the Shelburne Sugarworks evaporator on a recent afternoon as Steven Palmer dipped a hydrometer into a metal cylinder holding newly boiled sap to measure the sugar content.

The instrument read 66 percent sugar — the correct content for maple syrup. Palmer and two assistants released the syrup from the evaporator into a large metal bucket and then a vat to keep it warm before it would flow through a filter to clear it of sediment. They would later transfer the syrup into containers to sell to customers, including those who would visit Shelburne Sugarworks during the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association’s open house events, taking place the last weekend of March and first weekend in April.

A warm winter in Chittenden County jumpstarted the season for Shelburne Sugarworks and other maple producers in Vermont. The abnormal weather, though, hasn’t put a damper on productivity, Palmer said. As of this week, he had produced about 1,000 gallons of syrup from the 3,000 or so trees he taps, a little bit ahead of previous years at his operation on Shelburne Hinesburg Road.

“It’s changed the window of time that the season really starts and ends,” Palmer said. “We never used to tap until Town Meeting Day. That has kind of changed

over the years. This year we started tapping on Feb. 1. We have just had such a warm and crazy winter. We decided to tap early, and it’s really paid off.”

The average temperature this winter was 29 degrees — 5.4 degrees warmer than the normal average, according to Matthew Clay, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, which records temperatures at Burlington International Airport. Between 1991 and 2020, temperatures from December to February averaged 23.6 degrees.

“I personally think, when I see temperatures for a month plus or minus 1 degree from normal, it’s pretty average,” Clay said. When average temperatures rise more than 3 degrees, and even climb more than 5 degrees above normal as they did this winter, “that is a

pretty significant deviation,” he added.

An early start

Palmer started in the maple business when he was 6 years old. His grandmother Marjorie Palmer began tapping trees and boiling sap on her farm in 1942 during World War II, creating maple sugar in response to the U.S. rationing of cane sugar.

In 1972, Marjorie built a new sugarhouse a half mile down the hill on Shelburne Hinesburg Road, where Shelburne Sugarworks operates today. The matriarch, who died in 2001 at 92, is now buried at the site of the original sugarhouse. Steven Palmer opened his business in 2011, and his grandmother’s

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See SUGARMAKERS on page 3
PHOTOS BY AYLIN ARIFKHAN Shelburne Sugarworks boils maple sap to make syrup.

SUGARMAKERS

continued from page 2

portrait hangs on the sugarhouse wall.

The unpredictability of the maple business isn’t only because of weather and temperature, explained Allison Hope, executive director of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association, an industry organization that dates to 1893.

“For a lot of folks, this year is an earlier year than many for tapping and collecting sap, and yet it also goes on cycles,” Hope said. “We have earlier years sometimes, and it’s hard to know which of the variables are related to climate change and which are related to a confluence of other natural phenomenon that happen to be going on that year.”

Climate does affect the health of maple trees, Hope said, but even those conditions change based on the location of the sugarbush within the state.

“It depends on accumulation of weather over time,” she said. “What happens in the summer, like whether we get enough rain, for example, impacts the season.”

Maple trees have unique anatomy and physiology, said Abby van den Berg, a research associate professor at the University of Vermont and assistant director of the Proctor Maple Research Center, a field research station of the UVM plant biology department.

Maple sap production varies based on temperature and pressure, van den Berg said. “It relies on the freezing and thawing temperatures.”

When the thermostat dips below 32 degrees, maple trees take up water through their xylem tissue and carry it up to the fine branches, where that water is stored as ice crystals within the tree, she said. Once temperatures climb above freezing, the tree converts some of its stored starch into sucrose, or sugar and loads it into the xylem sap. This is the sugary sap that maple makers boil to create syrup.

Climate effects

Climate change has not influenced sap production in Vermont as much as it has altered the overall ecosystem. The weather has become more volatile, van den Berg said.

“Getting those more frequent storms, that can cause damage to the sugarbush in the fall or even the summer,” she said. “That’s something producers are experiencing, and so the experience and impact is on the whole forest and the sugarbush, more so than it is on exactly what’s coming out of the tree.”

Invasive species and the health of the surrounding ecosystem also have consequences for maple production, Hope and van den Berg said. Warmer temperatures have welcomed more damaging

pests to the state’s trees, including the emerald ash borer, which “is basically going to take out all of the ash trees,” van den Berg said. “That is an enormous change to our forests and ecosystems, both the ones used in maple production and the ones not.”

Advancements in technology have helped combat these effects, van den Berg said.

“We have not so much seen any impact on yields, for the most part, because technology has been well beyond surpassing any kind of reduction.”

Many sugarmakers have deployed vacuums, pipeline taps and reverse osmosis technology, as well as using more renewable energy sources in production.

High-tech maple

Steven Palmer pulled out his phone and showed an app connected to sensors placed on multiple trees in his sugarbush. The sensors provide real-time readings of the temperature and vacuum pressure within the line that delivers sap to the outside of the boiling room. The app alerts Palmer about any problems, such as a leak in the pipeline system.

“We are about 95 percent more efficient than we were 30 years ago because of technology,” he said. “We produce four times as much syrup per tap than we did 30 years ago and before.”

Shelburne Sugarworks uses a pipeline system for its taps and a vacuum to pull the sap through the miles of tubing that carries it to their sugarhouses.

“When you use vacuum technology, you don’t have to fully rely on Mother Nature,” Palmer said. Each inch of vacuum pressure increases sap production by 5 to 7 percent, increasing the efficiency of the traditional tap system, he said.

Shelburne Sugarworks also uses the reverse osmosis system, which separates some of the water from the sap before the boiling and evaporation process.

“Now, instead of starting at 2 percent sugar, we start boiling sap at 18 percent, which is a huge thing for us,” Palmer said.

Sap is boiled using an evaporator system that removes water from sap until it consists of 66 percent sugar, creating maple syrup. Greater efficiency means the sugarhouse is consuming less energy, he said.

“Sugar makers are the ultimate environmentalists,” he said. “We are one of the industries that will get wiped out otherwise.”

Kaylyn Bills 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.

Testing reveals airborne PCBs in Charlotte Central School

Air quality deemed safe after carbon filters installed

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

Airborne polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, were discovered recently in the Charlotte Central School and district officials are now awaiting further testing on remediation efforts, as the district continues to mull long-term plans to renovate its older buildings.

As part of a state-run initiative, high levels of PCBs were discovered in the kitchen of the school, which forced the school’s kitchen staff out into the cafeteria area to serve meals. The district notified the community via a letter sent to families and caregivers.

After being first discovered in February, Champlain Valley School District officials ordered and installed carbon filters in

the Charlotte school kitchen. Air sampling tests conducted in late March then found no detection of PCBs, but questions about how much material in the building contain PCBs remain unanswered.

“We know the air test completely removed the PCBs, there were none detected after we ran the carbon filters — so the area is safe from an air quality standpoint,” Gary Marckres, the district’s chief operations officer, said. “But we don’t know if we have any continuing sources of PCBs and the materials, so they’ve tested a whole bunch of the material in the spaces to try to identify the source.”

The school is “pretty much back to normal functioning by now,” Courtney Krahn, the assistant principal at the school, said.

“There were some practices

that were started in as a response to the original levels — we pulled our serving tables out of the kitchen area into the cafeteria, which had the kitchen staff sort of out with the kids, and they realized as a result of doing that, they’d like being out with the kids, and it’s more efficient,” Krahn said. “There are some things I think they’ve chosen to leave in place, because as a pivot, they ended up discovering they like it better.”

The results of the of building material testing should come back to district officials sometime this week or next, Marckres said, which will “really guide what’s next.”

The Charlotte school was one

See PCBS on page 12

Shelburne News • April 6, 2023 • Page 3

Total reported incidents: 59

Traffic stops: 10

Warnings: 9

Tickets: 3

Medical emergencies: 18

Suspicious incidents: 5

Agency assists: 8

Citizen assists: 2

Welfare check: 2

Automobile incidents: 1

Car crash: 2

Animal problem: 2

Theft: 3

Fraud: 2

Vandalism: 1

Alarms: 3

Pending investigations: 6

Top incidents:

March 27 at 1:28 p.m., a two-car crash that occurred earlier in the day on Shelburne Road was reported to police.

March 27 at 6:05 p.m., a caller from Sycamore Street reported a fraud complaint to

police, who are now investigating the matter.

March 28 at 11:53 a.m., a two-car crash that occurred earlier in the day on Shelburne and Falls roads was reported to police.

March 28 at 12:11 p.m., a fraud complaint was reported to police on Martindale Road. The case is pending further investigation.

March 29 at 11:02 a.m., police determined that construction trucks — which a caller said were creating a noise disturbance near their residence at the Dutch Mill — were not creating an unreasonable amount of noise.

March 29 at 6:15 p.m., a Harbor Road resident told police their child had been bitten by another child at their school. Shelburne police are investigating the matter.

Chittenden County sheriff warns of warrant scam

March 30 at 7:26 a.m., a Harbor Road resident told police his and other mailboxes were vandalized. A report was taken, and police are investigating.

March 30 at 7:58 p.m., police spoke to some party goers on Toad Lane after a neighbor called police to report a noise disturbance.

March 31 at 1:15 p.m., a caller reported a theft of items from their car on Shagbark Lane. The case is pending further investigation.

March 31 at 6:39 p.m., a Wake Robin Drive resident reported a theft of items from their residence. The case is pending further investigation.

April 2 at 4:35 p.m., a caller at Harbor Place told police an individual was harassing him. Officers were unable to locate the individual.

WE Are Northwest Vermont

The Chittenden County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a scam where callers ask for money because of missed jury duty.

The sheriff’s office never asks for money or issues arrest warrants for missed jury duty. The callers are using the names of real deputies with the department.

Do not provide personal infor-

mation such as date of birth, Social Security numbers or credit card information, the sheriff’s office warns. Report any of these incidents to the Vermont Attorney General’s office at 800-649-2424 or 802-656-3183. Contact the Chittenden County Sheriff’s office at 802-863-4341 with questions.

Shelburne trains child passenger seat technicians

Last week, Shelburne Police Department hosted a child passenger seat technician course. The event added 11 more technicians to the more than 100 working around the state ensuring the safety of children in vehicles through proper installation and use of child passenger safety restraint systems.

Technicians work in a variety of settings. While many are first responders, they may also be found in hospitals, day care centers, pediatric offices or other community service organizations. The course was sponsored by the Vermont Department of Health.

After three days of hands-on instruction by certified instructors, the course culminated with

an instructor-led child passenger safety seat check at the Shelburne Fire Department on April 1. During the two-hour event, the new technicians assisted with the proper inspection and installation of 12 car seats.

In addition, five car seats were given to those that did not have a proper car seat — either they had expired, were not appropriate for the child or otherwise needed to be replaced.

Two of Shelburne Police Department’s newest officers, Cathleen Pigeon and Armin Harambasic, attended the event.

To find a child safety seat inspection station near you visit beseatsmart.org. To become a child passenger seat technician visit safekids.org.

Shelburne News

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Page 4 • April 6, 2023 • Shelburne News
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Elias Leventhal, a junior at Champlain Valley Union High School, won a gold medal at the 30th Vermont STEM Fair, where students come from around the state to showcase their independent research and have their projects judged by scientists, secondary education faculty, dentists, physicians, nurses, military personnel and retirees, and other individuals from science and engineering professions from across Vermont. Leventhal was also selected to be the Vermont representative for the International Science and Engineering Fair in Dallas May 13-19. This annual science fair is attended by 1,700 students from 70 countries. His project is titled “Investigating the Role of Exitonic Quantum Coherence in the Light-Harvesting Process of Photosynthesis.”

Boater Safety Course

Boating safety education is required for any motorboat operator, 12 years of age or older, born after Jan. 1, 1974.

Boat Vermont’s 8-hour classroom course will enable participants to get certified. The course is offered over four days. Participants must be present at all classes to be eligible for certification. Registration deadline is April 19. See the recreation department website for complete class details and registration information.

Summer camps

See our website at shelburnevt.org/160/parks-recreation for complete program details and online registration. You can also register at the recreation office with a hard copy and payment of check or cash.

Fall youth soccer

Registration deadline is Friday, June 16. The Shelburne Recreation Soccer League is for students entering grades one through six in the fall. All teams will be assigned one practice night during the week and will compete in games on Saturdays. First to fourth grade teams will play all games at Shelburne

Shelburne Parks & Rec News

Community School on Saturday mornings. Fifth and sixth grade teams will play other town recreation teams at home and away. Travel in the area is required. Games may be any time on Saturdays, morning or afternoon.

Register before June 16 and pay $40; the fee increases to $55 after

that date. Uniform fee is $25. A uniform shirt is required. It is the same reversible jersey as past years. Uniform orders must be placed by June 16 to guarantee preferred size. No registrations will be accepted after Aug. 4. Kids will be placed on a wait list and put on a team only if space allows after this date.

Shelburne News • April 6, 2023 • Page 5
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Addressing state’s housing crisis must be priority No. 1

Guest Perspective

Many Vermonters are in survival mode and are living unsheltered, in cars or in unsafe or inadequate situations. Vermont has experienced the highest rate of growth in the homeless population of any state in the country, now counting over 3,000 people. Nearly a quarter are children.

Furthermore, before the pandemic, the average length of homelessness in Vermont was 54 days. Now it’s 270 days.

Every rung of the ladder toward housing stability is crowded. Those living on the streets or in cars are trying to get into motels. Those in motels are desperately trying to find something to rent. Many renters are trying to save up enough for a down payment, which is now further out of reach with historically low housing inventory available, causing significant increases to the average home price.

Many older Vermonters are struggling to downsize, competing for an “ender” home with those seeking starter homes. We have been grappling with housing shortages for many years, but we have put off systemic solutions until now, when we are in a fullblown housing crisis.

While many would argue we have multiple crises to address simultaneously, addressing the housing crisis must come first. People need shelter before they

can enter the workforce or care about larger existential crises with democracy and the planet.

The difference between renting and owning is also the greatest single factor in the wealth gap in this country. Failing to create homeownership opportunities will only worsen long-standing inequities, especially for low-income people and people of color.

We have 24,000 open jobs and less than 1,000 housing listings, and those housing options are often very far from work and need significant upgrades, so people are commuting great distances and living in leaky historic buildings, all of which adds to Vermont’s carbon footprint. Many of these open jobs are in hospitals, schools, child care centers and climate workforce, so we are hard pressed to meet any of our other policy goals until we support the needs of working families.

S.100, the Housing Opportunities Made for Everyone (HOME) bill, addresses systemic issues in land use planning and allows us to develop denser, multi-family housing where we want to see it in downtowns and village centers. We have spent over half a billion dollars on housing development with our pandemic recovery dollars, but many projects are still stuck in appeals processes and litigation. We cannot spend more money without reducing unnecessary delays when supply chains and labor markets are so fragile.

The HOME bill reduces regulatory barriers largely in the 41 square miles of designated

growth areas so we can preserve the other 9,600 square miles of our state. This pro-housing legislation allows duplexing and quadriplexing by right, ending discrimination against other forms of housing besides single-family homes and expanding choice in the process.

So, why are these solutions still in danger of not making it through the Legislature?

We have a longstanding culture of moving slowly and deliberately, which generally makes us

proud — as it should. We have no billboards, we have pastoral working lands and we have large stretches of open space, but now our policies of significantly limiting growth are impacting the well-being of the next generation of Vermonters, an unintended consequence decades in the making.

Providing not just shelter, not just affordable housing, but a home to everyone, should be something we strive for togeth-

er. It’s our most basic need and the basic building block of our economy. Join us in supporting the HOME bill.

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale is a Chittenden County senator and chairs the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs. She also teaches environmental justice at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. Mike Pieciak is the Vermont state treasurer.

I take a great deal of offense to the characterization of Vermont’s outdoor community as having simple bloodlust and killing for pleasure, yet members of these communities are attacked with this false hyperbole at every turn by agenda-driven activists. Bear and beaver are both excellent table fare, otter and coyote are beautiful furs and all the species we pursue by lawful, regulated means have ubiquitous populations that are well managed and healthy. Hunting and trapping are not negative population drivers, so therefore the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has

a legal obligation to both steward these species and provide access to them for the public. The idea that hunting and trapping somehow adversely impacts the ability of the non-hunting public to enjoy wildlife is a simple lie. Despite the wild accusations of belligerent anti-hunting activists, the fact remains that the state’s wildlife is healthy, widespread and available to all citizens to interact with in a manner that suits them, including hunters and trappers.

The assertion continues to be made by those opposed to hunting and trapping that we don’t need to hunt and trap to manage wildlife. This assertion is arguably false, but more important, it is irrelevant. In the absence of an ecological or biological impera-

tive to reduce hunting, fishing or trapping, we have a constitutionally protected right to enjoy our lifestyles whether it offends the sensibilities of extremists. These anti-hunting activists have decided their fellow citizens merit no regard, including even the simple courtesy of a civil debate as is evidenced by elitist, segregationist statements such as, “less than 14 percent of Vermonters hunt and less than 1 percent of Vermonters trap,” that are perennially used as justification for attempts to eliminate our lifestyles and identities. Rather than discuss the merits and metrics of the activities they have

Page 6 • April 6, 2023 • Shelburne News
OPINION
Vermont
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Vermont’s hunting traditions help protect
wildlife

GOP objects to 12 percent hike in general fund spending

Guest Perspective

Rep. Casey Toof

When the session opened three months ago, we knew there was no more important task in front of us than making sure the hundreds of millions of dollars in federal relief dollars and state surplus funds were spent in a sustainable, disciplined way that made sure Vermonters got the most out of these one-time funds, and that in doing so we did not create unfunded liabilities in the future.

In his budget address Gov. Phil Scott laid out a responsible, commonsense plan to use federal

COVEY

continued from page 6

decided should be banned, they have embarked on a campaign of mudslinging, rhetoric and sensationalism that should be treated as the appalling attack on fellow citizens that it is.

I place some faith in the public to see through these tactics and be mindful enough to really look at the issue, to understand that the few examples of bad apples or bad outcomes do not represent the two million trap-hours annually in Vermont, or the incalculable hours Vermonters spend hunting by firearm and bow or with their canine companions.

The fact of the matter is that in any activity, there are occasionally poor outcomes. These exceptions are never the rule. Why then do anti-hunting activists continually propagandize the small number of poor outcomes that do occur by repeatedly recycling the same few pictures and video clips? The answer is simple — their position holds no legitimacy or merit, so the only way they can achieve their ends is by driving people’s emotional response beyond the desire to know the truth and straight to blind action.

If all you saw of deer hunting were the photos or videos of the occasional deer that is hit poorly and loses a limb, dies a lingering death or is caught and literally eaten alive by coyotes because of a wound that slowed them down, would you decide to campaign for an end to deer hunting, or understand that these are rare and unfortunate outcomes that hunters seek to avoid? If you watched fish floundering upon release because they had been played too long on lightweight tackle or dragged from the depths too quickly, would you determine that fishing is all evil and sadistic, or would you understand that occasionally dynamics in the field simply become unfavorable despite the best of intentions?

dollars and one-time surplus funds to address the needs of Vermonters. The governor’s budget funded critical issues like expanding child care, tax relief for low- and middle-income families, creating permanent housing for the homeless and building education and workforce expansion programs.

His budget proposal also targeted communities that need our help the most, to improve infrastructure, fix roads and bridges, sewer and water infrastructure and brownfield cleanup.

Most importantly, it did all of this without raising new taxes and fees on hard working Vermonters.

Unfortunately, the budget that

the majority will bring to the floor is a drastic departure from the responsible path laid out by the administration.

The proposal in front of us raises the general fund base budget by 12 percent over last year while eliminating much of the bipartisan initiatives included in the administration’s proposal. Under this budget Vermonters would pay more, and in many cases, get less, with more to pay in the future.

This proposal raises Department of Motor Vehicle fees by $22 million, increasing everything from the cost to renew your license, register your car and trailer

to snow machine or fishing boat. That is a 20 percent increase, an unprecedented increase that will hit low-income Vermonters the hardest.

What is worse, and is most concerning, is that the Department of Motor Vehicles never asked for this increase.

Fees are supposed to cover the cost to administer programs, not serve as a back-door revenue stream for legislators to use for projects.

This budget uses one-time dollars to pay for massive — and I mean massive — long-term financial obligations at a time when inflation is high, and legislative economists are telling us that revenue is likely to slow in the next few years.

Concerned for those hard-working Vermonters who will bear the brunt of this budget proposal at a time when it is more expensive to just put food on the table.

If we sound alarmed, it is because we are alarmed. Alarmed by the unsustainable path this budget puts us on as we speed toward an unpredictable future.

If we sound disappointed it is because we are disappointed. Disappointed that at a time when we have record surpluses and one-time money, the majority is looking to raise new taxes.

The hunting community is not as well-funded as these activists. They cannot spend thousands of dollars on media buys and social media campaigns. The hunting, trapping and fishing community is, however, a fundamental root of life in rural Vermont. It binds families, communities and this state in camaraderie, heritage and even a degree of spirituality.

Outdoor enthusiasts spend an incredible amount of time and money working with the Fish and Wildlife Department to steward wildlife, protect and enhance wildlife habitat and ensure that all can enjoy the intrinsic value these resources provide long into the future.

Have you ever seen an anti-hunting organization donate money or manpower to protect habitat or partner with a fish and wildlife department, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, forest service or a university to identify or research potential problems

within a wild population? Do anti-hunting activists collectively pour millions into the state’s rural economy and general fund each year as they go about their pursuit of happiness?

The outdoor community values wildlife and a healthy landscape, and that is where we expend its resources. Anti-hunting activists value propaganda and their agenda and their expenditures show it. Their approach does nothing to benefit wildlife, while the hunting, trapping and fishing community prioritizes the health and welfare of wildlife over even defending their own lifestyle.

I know which group I see adding value to Vermont for everyone, and this is your opportunity to think critically about the question being posed and answer it for yourself.

This budget also underfunds the majority’s mandatory paid family leave plan by $74 million over the next two years. That is irresponsible, whether you support the policy or not. Hoping we will find the rest of the money next year and beyond is irresponsible governance.

That program, combined with the Clean Heat Standard and the Legislature’s child care proposal, threatens to add $500 million dollars to the state’s financial burden every year.

Vermonters are already overburdened, and they simply cannot afford this budget.

If we sound concerned, it is because we are concerned.

We are calling on Vermonters who want a responsible state budget, who cannot afford to pay more with this budget to get less than what the administration proposed. Contact your legislator, tell them to vote against this irresponsible spending plan and get back to reality.

We can come together and pass something historic that accomplishes many of the things we all want to get done this session, that sets us up for success in the future and helps protect us when — not if — we find ourselves in tough economic times.

That is what the Republicans will continue to fight for, and we ask Vermonters to stand firm with us.

Rep. Casey Toof, R-St. Albans Town, is assistant minority leader in the Vermont House of Representatives.

Community Bankers – Chittenden County

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Shelburne News • April 6, 2023 • Page 7
Mike Covey is the executive director of the Vermont Traditions Coalition.
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Community Notes

Shelburne Age Well hosts Grab and Go meal

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, April 11.

The meal will be available for pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St. from 11 a.m. until noon and is available for anyone 60 or older.

The menu features baked ham with raisin sauce, sweet potatoes, Capri blend vegetables, wheat roll with butter, Congo bar and milk.

To order contact Kathleen at agewellstcath@gmail.com or call 802-503-1107. Deadline to order is Wednesday, April 5. More information at agewellvt.org.

All Souls holds community Easter egg hunt

the All Souls Interfaith Gathering annual Easter egg hunt on Sunday, April 9, at noon.

Underwater archaeology

During the festivities, candyfilled Easter eggs are hidden for children to find.

Easter activities will begin with a sunrise meditation at 6 a.m. on the sledding hill east of All Souls, followed by Sunday morning meditation at 9 a.m. A community brunch will be held in the gathering hall at 10 a.m. with seasonal dishes. The Easter music and spirit service will take place at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary. Festivities culminate with the Easter egg hunt at noon on the west lawn.

Community members are welcome for all or part of the day’s festivities. For more information, call 802-985-3819 or visit allsoulsinterfaith.org.

History Day  explores ‘Frontiers in History’

ety hosts Vermont History Day,tion for middle and high schoolaged students to earn a chance to

-

The

and

“Key

Liberty, the Underwater Archaeology of the Revolutionary War on Lake Champlain” by Christopher Sabick on Wednesday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the large community room. Sabick, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum director of archaeology, will present his research on the of the Revolutionary sites along the Champlain Valley including Arnold’s Bay in Panton, where Arnold burned the remainder of the fleet from the Battle of Valcour Bay, and the gunboat Spitfire, shown here, the last of Arnold’s gunboats, which sank from Valcour.

compete at the National History Day competition.

Over 230 students from around the state will compete at this year’s event on Saturday, April 8, at University of Vermont’s Davis Center in Burlington.

The program is open to Vermont students in grades five through twelve and home study students ages 10 to 18.

National History Day poses a new theme each year to challenge students to frame and explore some aspect of a historical topic. This year’s theme is “Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas.” Participating students can enter a project in one of five categories: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance or website.

Students who place first or second in their category will be invited to participate in the annual

More at vermonthistory.org/ historyday.

Red Cross hosts   blood drive in Charlotte

The American Red Cross holds a blood drive on Thursday, April 13, 2-7 p.m., at the Charlotte Senior Center Call 800-RED-CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org and enter Charlotte to schedule an appointment.

United Church of Hinesburg   plant sale returns

A 50-plus-year tradition at the United Church of Hinesburg continues in 2023 with the its plant sale, which will be held in two phases again this year.

An online sale of locally grown perennials and homemade biscotti will be ready for pick up on Saturday, May 6, followed by an in-person sale of annuals, baked goods

and other selections on Saturday, May 13.

The online store (ucofh.org) opens April 8 and closes on April 22. Shop early to ensure the best selection.

Contact the church with any questions at 802-482-3352 or unitedchurch@gmavt.net.

All Souls hosts   interfaith comedy show

All Souls hosts interfaith comedy show The Argosy Foundation and Erik Angel Entertainment present a live — and lively — interfaith comedy show with Usama Siddiquee, Ashley Austin Morris, Erik Angel and Tehran Von Ghasri on Wednesday, April 12, at 7 p.m. at All Souls Interfaith Gathering, Bostwick Farm Road, Shelburne.

A question-and-answer session with the comedians will follow.

See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 9

Page 8 • April 6, 2023 • Shelburne News
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Local choruses perform music honoring Ukraine

Burlington Choral Society and Onion River Chorus are joining forces for a firsttime-ever combined program, “Deep in Song,” on Saturday and Sunday, April 15 and 16, to honor Ukraine.

With 100-plus voices, the dual chorus will perform both sacred and folk pieces as well as two pieces composed in the last year.

The April 15 concert is in Colchester, and in Montpelier the next day. Reserve tickets at bit.ly/3nHXfrJ.

Miller Center hosts round robin pickleball tourney

As the indoor pickleball season comes to an end, why not celebrate the end of the indoor season at a Spring Round Robin Pickleball Tournament at the Miller Recreation Center in Burlington, Saturday and Sunday, April 29-30

The tournament is for doubles only — male, female and mixed divisions — based on two skill ratings: 3.5-3.9; 4.0-plus. The fee is $40 per team. Each team is guaranteed three games.

Register by Friday, April 21 at bit.ly/ BTVpickleball or 802-540-1058.

Federal government sells wild horses, burros

The Bureau of Land Management is holding a wild horse and burro placement event April 21 to 22 to offer approximately 60 wild horses gathered from western rangelands at the Cheshire Fairgrounds, 247 Monadnock Highway, Swanzey, N.H.

“More than 50,000 wild horses and burros are cared for in off-range facilities, including nearly 40,000 wild horses located on off-range pastures,” northeastern states district manager Stephanie Carman said.

The Adoption Incentive Program was designed to help improve rangeland health in overpopulated herd management areas in the western states and to save taxpayer costs for animals held at off-range holding facilities.

To learn more about the program, visit blm.gov/whb.

Howard Center series addresses racial trauma

Howard Center’s spring community education series continues Thursday, May 18, from 7 to 8 p.m. with a presentation on racial trauma and generational healing by Catarina Campbell, the Howard Center’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion.

The talk will be followed by a Q&A period. Find the link to the free virtual webinar at howardcenter.org.

Shelburne News • April 6, 2023 • Page 9 From an armoire to a zucchini, check our A-Z list and learn how to reuse, recycle, or dispose of items and materials you no longer want. Now serving you with eight Drop-Off locations in Chittenden County. Visit cswd.net for locations and materials accepted. SCAN CODE FOR A-Z List We Can Take It! 20220817-AD-WE-CAN-TAKE-IT-R2-03.indd 6 10/18/22 9:39 AM
COMMUNITY NOTES
continued from page 8

OBITUARIES

where she had fond memories of playing with her siblings and many cousins on their grandparent’s farm.

Peggy graduated from Shelburne High School in 1960. She was the valedictorian of her high school class and editor of the yearbook. She was also involved in many other clubs, such as the glee club and school newspaper.

ature. She always had a book with her. Her family called her their “human encyclopedia.” She was always a source of information for everyone in her family.

Margaret Culver

Margaret (Peggy) Rita Thomas Culver, 80, died peacefully on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, at her home in Mesa, Ariz.

Peggy was born on March 31, 1942, in Burlington to James and Mary Thomas.

Peggy was the beloved wife of Donald Culver of Arizona and Vermont for 56 years, and the adored mother of Julie Boone (Kevin) of Bow, N.H., Kate Rich (Andy) of Gilbert, Ariz., and Jim Culver (Cathy) of Chandler, Ariz.

She also leaves behind her brother, Tim Thomas (Ann), and sister, Priscilla Hill (Rodney) both of Shelburne; sister-in-law, Audrey Belanger of Morrisville; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was the cherished Mimi of four grandchildren, who she adored and was so proud of, Brianna and Ally Boone of Bow, N.H., Brady Rich of Gilbert, Ariz., and Brett Culver of Chandler, Ariz. She was a cherished friend to many including her college friends, the Red Hat YaYa’s — Kathy, Ginny and Christine — with whom she continued to have many adventures.

She was predeceased by her father and mother, James and Mary Thomas; and her daughter, Kate, who died on Jan. 18, 2021.

Peggy grew up in Shelburne

She attended Trinity College and, in her senior year, was chosen as a member of “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges” for her outstanding academics and leadership. She obtained her master’s degree in English and teaching from the University of Vermont. In her first teaching job at Vergennes High School, she met her future husband and love of her life, Donald Culver, who grew up in Stowe. She taught English for close to 20 years in the Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District.

Peggy and Don married in Shelburne in 1966. They went on to build a life together in Essex Junction, where they raised their family. She was involved in all her children’s activities as a busy mom of three. She volunteered as a Brownie leader and attended numerous sporting events. As a young mom, Peggy was also involved in the League of Women Voters. She enjoyed family trips to Florida, Kentucky and the beaches in Maine.

Peggy and Don retired in 1999 and moved to Arizona for the winters. They enjoyed traveling, including trips to Ireland, Italy, France, Hawaii and Las Vegas. They spent much of their time with their grandchildren in New Hampshire and Arizona. They loved to go to the casinos, and Peggy loved the slot machines.

Summers were spent in Vermont, which Peggy considered her true home.

One of Peggy’s favorite things to do was read and write. She was an avid reader of all kinds of liter-

A Catholic funeral Mass will be held at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Shelburne on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at 11 a.m. A luncheon will follow immediately afterwards in the parish hall. She will be buried in the family plot in Shelburne with her daughter Kate.

Donations in her name can be made to your favorite charity.

Priscilla Thomas Hill

Priscilla “Purp” Hill of Shelburne, died unexpectedly at the age of 69 on Thursday, March 9, 2023, with her loving husband by her side.

Priscilla was born in Burlington to James and Mary Thomas. She grew up in Shelburne with her two siblings, Peggy and Tim, and a flock of aunts, uncles and cousins. She told many fond stories about adventures on the farm with her family.

Priscilla attended Champlain College where she earned a degree in criminal justice. After a brief career at the correctional center, she switched to a more fulfilling job at Chittenden Bank (later People’s United). She spent the next 46 years making many new friends and keeping up with old friends while working at the bank. She truly cared about every customer and took time to get to know them and their families. Additionally, working at the bank allowed Priscilla to grow close friendships with her colleagues, who she continued to visit and keep in touch with even in retirement.

Priscilla married her true love, Rodney Hill, on Sept. 25, 1976, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Charlotte. Rod and Priscilla made

Page 10 • April 6, 2023 • Shelburne News
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OBITUARIES

continued from page 10

Shelburne their home. There, they raised their two daughters, Abby and Emily — affectionately known to Rod as Abe and Emmett. Rod and Priscilla (known as Jeannie to Rod) worked as a team in everything they did. If Priscilla was going shopping, Rod was right there to carry her bags. If Rod stained his shirt, Priscilla was there to wash it out.

Between her large extended family, connections in the community and relationships from the bank, Priscilla knew someone everywhere she went. A quick run to the store to grab one thing would easily take over an hour. When she finally returned home, Priscilla would tell Rod and her girls the updates from all the people she ran into.

In her retirement, Priscilla loved to go on day trips with Rod where they would explore new places and restaurants. Not surprisingly, she would even run into people she knew while dining in another state.

Being Grammie was Priscilla’s pride and joy. She first experienced this joy with her granddog, Kiya. Despite being told she could not have a dog, Emily brought Kiya, the tiny pug puppy, home. Kiya quickly won over the hearts of Rod and Priscilla and became their “Princess” grandpuppy. It soon became clear that Kiya was Rod and Priscilla’s dog. Priscilla used to say, “What goes around comes around,” which is fitting for this situation, as she would tell her own story about bringing home her cat, Tuxie, who won over her own mother’s heart despite Mary’s resistance. Priscilla truly loved animals and continued to search for a new pug puppy to fill the void once Kiya had passed.

Retirement allowed Priscilla to spend more time fulfilling her other Grammie role with her grandson, Liam. They were together nearly every day. Priscilla always said that

her goal was to be a grandma whose house her grandkids felt comfortable at and wanted to come to. She definitely achieved this goal. Liam would frequently ask to come over, raid the fridge and pantry, and write his desired snacks on Grammie’s grocery list. Liam frequently told her that she was “the best Grammie in the world” and meant it.

Priscilla, with Rod by her side, attended all of Liam’s soccer, baseball and basketball games, concerts and other events. She made every holiday special for Liam with her thoughtful gifts and details, just as she had for her own girls. She was looking forward to seeing Liam play in the spring baseball season, watching his love of basketball grow and continuing to enjoy every stage of his childhood. Priscilla was so excited that Liam had found new joy in basketball, her favorite sport, and helped make plans for him to attend basketball camps this summer.

Priscilla remained close with her cousins over the years, joining them for the annual Christmas shopping trip where they had many adventures trying to squeeze an overload of shopping bags in the car trunk and hunting down those cousins

who were too busy searching for deals to show up at the designated meeting time. In later years, she joined them for cousins’ gatherings. She was a beloved member of the Fab Four 53 — four first cousins all born in 1953. There was always a laugh to be had with her cousins around. It was also important to Priscilla that she keep in close touch with her older brother, Tim (Ann) and sister Peggy (Don), and all her nieces and nephews. She was always there to help plan events in the family, whether it was finding the perfect blessing to capture the moment, helping to write about a loved one or writing out hundreds of invitations with her beautiful penmanship.

Priscilla leaves behind her beloved husband, Rod; two girls, Abby (Bret and Ben) and Emily (Joe); grandson, Liam; her brother, Tim (Ann); sisters-in-law, Deborah and Kathy; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

She was predeceased by her parents, James and Mary; and just two weeks prior, her sister, Peggy. She was also deeply saddened to have been predeceased by her niece, Kate, and nephew-in-law, Mike.

She will be forever in her family’s hearts as the wife, mom, Grammie, sister and aunt who would do anything to help someone out. Although her life ended much sooner than it should have, we will be comforted knowing that we have her as our guardian angel watching over us.

A Catholic funeral Mass will be held in Priscilla’s honor at Saint Catherine of Siena Church in Shelburne on Friday, June 30, 2023, at 2 p.m. followed by a coffee hour reception.

Donations in her name can be made to Green Mountain Pug Rescue.

Human Resources Benefits & Payroll Administrator

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Our Human Resources team is GROWING,and we are looking for a professional to join our exceptional HR team in our Berlin Operations Center.

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Food Prep/Server

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at Champlain Valley Union High School

FULL TIME POSITION needed helping prep and serve food and/or run register.

Committed to serving students nutritious meals to keep them healthy and focused throughout the day

MONDAY-FRIDAY school year schedule, out by 2:30PM every day.

BENEFITS: Holiday pay, 5 paid personal days, February and April paid school breaks, $250 uniform reimbursement, $250 wellness reimbursement, state retirement program. Medical, dental, & 403b available.

CONTACT: Leo LaForce, Food Service Director by email: llaforce@cvsdvt.org or phone: (802) 482-7176.

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Redhawk Cafe Website: https://cafe.cvuhs.org

Champlain Valley Union Highschool, 369 CVU Road, Hinesburg, VT 05461

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This frontline position is crucial in creating a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience for NSB customers. The successful candidate for NSB customers. The successful candidate will have exceptional customer service and communication skills.

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TOWN MANAGER

continued from page 1

surrounding development in town.

“It seemed like he had a really good understanding and appreciation for the goals laid out in the town plan and he understood where we’re trying to go and also the complexities of the situations were facing,” McBride said. “He seemed to understand the need for the balance between the economic development but also affordable housing that we need in town and the importance of protecting our environment. But he didn’t just seem to understand it, he seemed to embrace it and be excited about that challenge.”

Ashooh said Lawless had clearly “done his homework” in preparing for the interview process. He said the candidate offered promising ideas surrounding several hot-button issues, including balancing increased development with natural resources, increased pedestrian and bike infrastructure and maintaining diversity and equity.

“He’s done some coursework on creating equitable and affordable housing so he had good ideas there,” Ashooh said.

Lawless said, “We can all appreciate the scenery and old trees and the clean water in a place like Shelburne and sometimes if we focus on that and block in and take care of the environmental protections first, the economic and infrastructure investments actually get easier because we know that our healthy future is safe.”

He comes to the position with 12 years of local government experience in his home state of Virginia and most recently five years as town administrator in

PCBS

continued from page 3

of 22 schools tested for airborne PCBs as part of a state-run program which first began in June. The initiative began after the discovery of airborne chemicals in Burlington High School.

But that testing program is now in limbo, after the Vermont House approved legislation last week that would pause the state testing program while a task force assesses the needs of the state’s school buildings. If signed into law, the bill would halt the testing program nine months after it began.

The Williston Central School was scheduled for testing this fiscal year, and remaining schools in the district were scheduled for testing in fiscal year 2024, Marckres said, “but with the pause by the Legislature, we’re not 100 percent sure

Scottsville — near Charlottesville and the University of Virginia — focusing on community planning, diverse small business development, public art and infrastructure upgrades.

Before studying government at the College of William and Mary, Lawless said that his passion for service was influenced first by his parents.

“My dad was a part-service landscaper for most of his career. He said that some of his favorite people were trees, but I’m a little more social. My mom was a nurse and then a teacher of nurses. So public service has always been important to us,” he said.

After taking a look at federal service in graduate school at American University in Washington, D.C., he began to recognize the important impact that local government has on a population.

“I appreciated how it was more possible in local government to see the direct results of your work,” he said. “You could look around the community and know that you had done well. So instead of staying in D.C., I went back to my hometown in Winchester and started on a local government career.

While he faces a learning curve of Vermont history and law, he is spending the next three months honing in on some of the priorities given to him by the selectboard.

“We have witnessed already that he is studying up quite quickly and he’s engaging with Vermont League of Cities and Towns, a great network for him to utilize if he needs help,” selectboard vice chair Cate Cross said.

“The seller for me with him

was that he is younger and has a vision for how he wants to shape the community and engage the community using a policy and town manager lens. Super exciting to have somebody come in with a very great skill set, but also still forming their career and eager to prove themselves,” she said.

His contract — officially ratified at the March 28 selectboard meeting — is for two years, from June 5 to June 4, 2025.

Lawless will be paid $110,000 in addition to a professional development allowance of $5,000 for conferences and other educational trainings. A one-time stipend up to $5,000 will also be issued for moving expenses.

While Lawless said he is looking forward to jumping into the culture of Shelburne, what he is most looking forward to is, “freedom and unity.”

“That civic culture and the community, both Shelburne and statewide, really does mean a lot to me, and I appreciate how well involved in healthy democratic community the neighbors seem to be,” he said. “I really want to be a part of that.”

Shelburne’s current town manager, Lee Krohn, leaves the position the first week of May after nearly four years in the position.

“It’s an interesting dynamic balance — definitely a process in upholding my own personal integrity and my own commitment to this community,” he said in February. “When you take on a job like this, it’s not just a job. You put your heart and soul as so many other people do. You also have to figure out what one’s own needs are. That’s the struggle that I’ve had, and I’ve sought some outside help to help me navigate this transition.”

what the future testing is going to be at this point.”

Schools like Charlotte’s, which already had testing done, could finish the process, per the proposed legislation. The Champlain Valley School District paid for the environmental consultant and the air and materials testing, but will be reimbursed from the state, Marckres said.

Part of the motive for pausing the state testing is the expected cost of renovations. With large demographic growth expected in the next decade, officials with the Champlain Valley School District are prepping for major renovations at many of their schools, which are already experiencing space constraints and overcrowding issues.

The district earlier this year earmarked more than $400,000 for two temporary classroom spaces at Williston’s Allen Brook School — a stopgap measure in lieu of the $47 million it would take for potential renovations.

Hinesburg, meanwhile, is set to see pressure to expand its schools as development expands in the town.

Marckres plans on putting together a committee to look at long-range plans for all five town’s school buildings. He expects a first meeting by the end of April.

Any study approved by the committee would take at least 12 months to complete, he said.

VTDigger contributed to this report.

Page 12 • April 6, 2023 • Shelburne News
Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC
Matt Lawless

continued from page 1

News in February. “It was originally hoped to be on for this year, but with the additional due-diligence alternative analysis for the Turtle Lane site, the entire matter was on hold.”

The engineers presented these alternative evaluations at the Feb. 28 selectboard meeting, which ultimately led to further recommendations for consolidating sewer operations at Crown Road.

Not only would consolidation at the Turtle Lane site be significantly more expensive, but another major obstacle would be the discharge into McCabe Brook, which has little capacity to handle wastewater. On the other hand, the Crown Road plant discharges into Lake Champlain, where state effluent limitations — restrictions on the quantities or rates of chemical concentrations in water quality — are much more forgiving.

Although three other outfall alternatives were evaluated, all were undesirable solutions that created additional challenges for engineers.

Significant environmental issues also make Turtle Lane a less desirable location.

Based on data from the Vermont Agency of Natural

Resources, there are significant rare, threatened and endangered species in habitats surrounding Harbor Road as well as Class 1 wetlands.

Because of 16 single-family units neighboring the Crown Road facility, engineers are requiring extensive odor control measures, noise mitigation and preserving the tree and vegetation buffers between the site and the homes. In addition, the new structure will have a greater emphasis on aesthetics.

“We would have extensive odor control air filtration systems,” Wayne Elliot, the primary engineer on the project, said. “We want to limit the height of the new structures and we want to make sure those are lower than what the existing structures on site. We’re trying to build them more in the middle of the parcel to minimize the disturbance around the edges.”

Elliot explained that the pre-design and the environmental review process will take an additional four to five months before they move on to design and permitting, which could take another year and a half.

Estimated construction costs

Community Bankers – Chittenden County

alone for the Crown Road project is estimated at $23 million and will likely go up.

“Supply chain issues have a significant effect. It’s tough, it’s adding, six months, nine months on some of these construction durations,” Elliot said. “Just getting equipment, can be 12 months, 15 months, 18 months and really, that again, further adds to the cost because it stretches everything out.”

“Tradespeople are getting more and more scarce and so labor is going up enough that’s not going to change,” board member Luce Hillman said.

Final costs should be calculated by summer when more funding options would be evaluated.

“It’s incumbent upon the town to be good neighbors and to consult abutters,” board member Matt Wormser said. “The balancing act that all this is trying to do is make the best decision for the town, both from a neighborhood impact standpoint and from a traffic impact standpoint, because this is going to be a dramatic increase in what all of us are paying for sewage. From a cost-effectiveness standpoint that factors heavily into all of our decision making.”

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ARIES

March 21 - April 20

A message from a romantic partner or business associate could come this week, Aries. Keep a watchful eye on your email inbox or the regular mail.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

Taurus, this week you can expect to have an interesting conversation with someone about a topic you’re fond of discussing. It could spark a new friendship.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

You likely will have a lot of physical and mental energy this week, Gemini. Figure out a project you can stand behind and put that energy to good use.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

Keep an eye on the front door, Cancer. A delivery may be coming your way in the next few days. It’s not something you ordered, but could be a gift.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

Leo, you could use a diversion this week. When a friend seeks your company, this can be the perfect way to direct your mind somewhere else.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Virgo, nancial paperwork could take up some of your time in the days to come. It’s a necessary evil to keep things on track. Seek help from someone else if you get frustrated.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 23 - Dec. 21

Stimulating social occasions are what you need right now, Sagittarius. Such get-togethers will introduce you to new people and new ideas that can inspire.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

Capricorn, this week you have an opportunity to impress others and get them talking, likely changing their opinions of you. Make every effort to win others over.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

Speaking with someone else on a fascinating subject triggers your curious side, Libra. You may want to take a class or pursue this subject in another way.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Your emotions might get the better of you this week, Scorpio. Try to focus attention onto something that doesn’t trigger negative feelings. Distraction could be the key.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

It’s important to keep in touch with friends even if they have moved away, Aquarius. Phone calls, texts and video chats can bridge the gap created by physical distance.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

Pisces, tally up your investments because they could be worth more than you think, especially if you are invested in real estate.

CLUES ACROSS

1. Colas

7. Single-celled animals

13. The rear car of a train

14. Endangered

16. It cools your home

17. Helper

19. “The First State”

20. More aged

22. Partner to cheese

23. Type of wrap

25. From a distance

26. Satis es

28. “Dallas Buyers’ Club” actor Jared

29. God of battle (Scandinavian)

30. Cooking utensil

31. Soviet Socialist Republic

33. Able to perform

34. Big man on campus

36. Second epoch of the Tertiary period

38. Porticos

40. Alban and Peter are two

CROSSWORD SUDOKU

41. Gets up

43. Humble request for help

44. One-thousandth of an inch (abbr.)

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!

45. Unhappy

47. Hint or indication

48. A way to plead

51. Digits

53. Broadway actress Daisy

55. Jewish calendar month

56. Author Gore __

58. Peacock network

59. White poplar

60. Promotional material

61. A period of calm

64. Take too much

65. Emit energy

67. Something you can take

69. Mended with yarn

70. Inconsistent

CLUES DOWN

1. Calm down

2. One quintillion bytes (abbr.)

3. One who pretends

4. Hang glide

5. Distinctive practice

6. Mariner

7. Peaks

8. Queens ballplayer

9. Geological times

10. Twofold

11. Atomic #13

12. Tranquillizing

13. Metric weight unit

15. Indicates

ANSWERS

18. Unwanted rodent

21. Partly cooked with hot water

24. One who can be recommended

26. Resembles a bag or pouch

27. Midway between south and southeast

30. Sets up for a photo

32. California white oak

35. More (Spanish)

37. After B

38. Decorated tea urn

39. Island

42. Car mechanics group

43. Wordplay joke

46. Cut a rug

47. Prickly plant

49. Speech in praise of a deceased person

50. European buzzard

52. In uential linguist 54. West African languages 55. Siskel’s partner 57. Skinny

59. Oblong pulpit

62. Consumed

63. Small, mischievous sprite

66. Powerful lawyer

68. Indicates position

Shelburne News • April 6, 2023 • Page 15
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