Shelburne News - 8-10-23

Pierson Library picks new director

Michael Hibben is the Pierson Library’s new director.

Hibben holds a master’s degree in library and information science from Kent State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of New Orleans.

He has worked for nearly 20 years in libraries based in small towns, suburbs and urban settings across the U.S. including Roanoke, Va., Los Angeles, and most recently in Denver, Colo., where he has been a branch manager of the district’s flagship that serves more than 200,000 visitors annually.

“We’re excited to welcome Michael to Shelburne,” said Pierson Library Board of Trustees chair Lisa Merrill, who oversaw

a national candidate search after director Kevin Unrath left to take a position with the Vermont Department of Libraries in May.

“The interviewing and search team was impressed with his energy and enthusiasm and know he will be a great asset to the library and the town” she said.

Hibben’s interest in community, public programs for all ages, and his management experience working in a range of libraries were noted by the search committee.

He has extensive technology experience, including teaching digital literacy classes, managing a mobile computer lab, working with teens on after school programs like Code Club International and Girls Who Code, and

See HIBBEN on page 16

Shelburne resident killed in car crash

responded quickly. Mejia was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

A Shelburne resident was killed after being struck by a car on Shelburne Road this weekend, police said.

Edwin Mejia, 44, was on Shelburne Road near Cynosure Drive on Saturday when he was struck by a black Jeep Cherokee driven by William Callahan, 75, of Burlington.

Callahan was traveling northbound on Shelburne Road just after 10 p.m. when Mejia was struck, police said.

Shelburne police officers

The Vermont State Police crash reconstruction team was on site, as was the Shelburne and Charlotte fire departments. Traffic between the Bostwick and Marsett roads intersection and Cynosure Drive was briefly shut down while the state police investigated the scene.

The crash remains under investigation, and no charges have been filed. Police are seeking information from anyone who may have witnessed the crash and are asked to contact the Shelburne Police Department at 802-985-8051.

CHARLOTTE ALBERS CONTRIBUTOR

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

The Rough Suspects entertain the crowd at the finale of the Shelburne Parks and Recreation hosts its summer concert series. More photos on page 12.

‘Roughed’ up

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

Shelburne Day brings community together

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Shelburne Day, the beloved annual tradition held in conjunction with the weekly farmers market, is back Saturday, Aug. 19 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The celebration allows for members of the Shelburne Business and Professional Association and other committees to come out of their offices, step out from behind the counters of their shops, and showcase their products to the community.

It’s difficult for some residents of Shelburne to imagine a time before there was an annual Shelburne Day, but Colleen Haag, Shelburne’s former town clerk for more than 34 years, said she was on the board of the business association over 20 years ago when the celebration first began.

“I’ve been around too long,” she joked. “At the time, we had been talking for a while about a farmers market, and so Shelburne Day just kind of came up as a way to showcase the different businesses in town. It’s really been a metamorphosis from there.”

“It’s been wonderful to see through the years as it grows,” she said. “It’s become a real community event.”

Although the essence of the day is meant to commemorate the town’s closeknit community and businesses, according to Dorothea Penar, member of the Historic Preservation and Design Review Committee, the very day itself is of equal importance.

“The town of Shelburne was established by charter on Aug. 18, 1763,” she said. “The Shelburne Day celebration always takes place on the Saturday nearest to charter day.”

Chair of the selectboard Mike Ashooh recounted his first few years in town being marked with memories of the Shelburne Day celebration.

“I think it was in 2010 and everybody took a picture out on the green and the whole town lined up,” he said. “I will always think of that.”

For the farmers market manager, Sarah Stillman, although this is one of her busiest days of the year, it is also the most fulfilling.

“It’s really an opportunity to connect with all the organizations that are trying to really improve quality of life here,” she said. “Like the Lewis Creek Association

caring for the waterways or the dog park folks trying to improve their situation and the school district often comes. There are so many different cool things.”

Apart from just offering vendors more exposure, it also brings residents a fun afternoon filled with music, connection and a special opportunity to appreciate all the things that make Shelburne unique.

“We have one vendor, Carol Hunter of Fun Factor, and she does face painting and kids’ activities and she will be doing fun games that day, and we have really good musicians scheduled this year,” Stillman said.

Bart Feller will play from 9-10 a.m.

“He played at Teddy Bear this past Sunday, with great compliments from the crowd,” Stillman said.

The Avery Cooper Duo will follow from 10 a.m.-noon., with the Connor Brien Trio from noon-1 p.m.

“They are hyper-talented young fellows who are recent Champlain Valley Union students, who play beautiful jazz,” Stillman said.

Also on Shelburne Day, Michael Clough will bring his birds of prey to Pierson Library at 11 a.m. He’ll have hawks, owls and falcons on hand to meet.

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

Shelburne Day returns, as it does every August, on the 19th from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Parade Ground in the village.

Rabies vaccine bait drop begins

Amid an increase in reports of rabies in racoons, the annual rabies vaccine bait drop has begun across eight counties.

Approximately 265,000 quarter-sized blister packs containing rabies vaccine will be distributed in nearly 100 Vermont communities in Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans and Washington counties.

Rabies vaccine — in the form of a sweet-smelling oral bait that is attractive to raccoons and skunks — were placed by hand in residential centers beginning Aug. 1, and dropped in rural areas from low-flying aircraft between Aug. 5-10.

Pilots can control the release of bait to avoid residential areas. When an animal bites into the bait, it takes in the oral vaccine and will develop immunity to rabies.

For nearly 30 years, the bait drop has been part of a nationally coordinated effort between the Vermont Department of Health, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to prevent the spread of rabies, a fatal disease.

A special bait drop focused on rabies among wildlife in Chittenden County took place earlier this year.

Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. Rabies is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get the disease. The virus is spread primarily through the bite of an infected animal. If left untreated, the disease is

almost always fatal in humans and animals. However, post-exposure treatment is 100 percent effective when given soon after a person is bitten by a rabid animal.

So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont have tested positive for rabies, 12 of which have been raccoons.

“You can’t get rabies from the bait,” said state public health veterinarian Natalie Kwit, “but if

CHEERS TO 50 YEARS

Celebrating a half-century of keeping you happy over lunch, dinner, and cocktails. Come join us.

Saturday, August 12 • 2:00 PM • Free

you find a bait pack, don’t touch it unless necessary. Leave the bait undisturbed so it can be eaten by wild animals.”

If your pet eats a bait, if a child brings one home, if you see a wild or stray animal acting strangely or are concerned about a rabies exposure call the Vermont Rabies Hotline at 800-472-2437. Learn more about rabies at healthvermont.gov/rabies.

ANANSI & The Moss-covered Rock A Trickster Spider

A Traditional African Folk Tale & more presented by Hands on Puppets

The McClure Room

Trinity Episcopal Church

Rte 7 (Shelburne Road)

Shelburne, Vermont

COURTESY PHOTO

The rabies bait pilots will begin dropping over Vermont this month.

Shelburne Police Blotter: July 31 - Aug. 6

Total reported incidents: 76

Traffic stops: 9

Warnings: 6

Tickets: 6

Medical emergencies: 25

Mental health incidents: 1

Suspicious incidents: 13

Agency assists: 7

Citizen assists: 12

Welfare check: 1

Motor vehicle complaints: 1

Automobile incidents: 1

Car crash: 6

Fire: 1

Fraud: 1

Alarms: 6

July 31 at 6:46 a.m., a caller rang the police department to let them know there was trash on the side of Pond Road. The highway department was notified.

July 31 at 2:36 p.m., an unwanted guest was creating a disturbance at Harbor Place. The individual was escorted from the property.

July 31 at 3:44 p.m., a caller reported a two-vehicle crash that occurred earlier in the day on Coyote Run.

Aug. 1 at 2:16 p.m., a fraud was reported, and police are investigating.

Aug. 2 at 2:21 p.m., Shelburne police and fire extinguished an unpermitted fire on the side of Pond and Pond Access roads.

Aug. 3 at 12 a.m., Shelburne police assisted South Burlington offi-

cers with intoxicated individuals at the Holiday Inn Express on Shelburne Road.

Aug. 3 at 2:09 p.m., a two-vehicle crash with no injuries was reported off Shelburne Road and Cynosure Drive.

Aug. 3 at 4:02 p.m., another two-vehicle accident with no injuries was reported on Spear Street and Irish Hill Road.

Aug. 3 at 9:10 p.m., police responded to a report of intoxicated individuals at Folino’s. A man and a woman were taken into protective custody and transported to detox.

Aug. 5 at 12:29 a.m., police responded to a report of a verbal dispute between guests at the T-Bird Motel.

Aug. 5 at 1:03 p.m. a caller was concerned when a tent was set up behind her apartment building. Officers determined it was being used by some juveniles camping outside.

Aug. 5 at 10:11 p.m., a pedestrian was struck and killed by a car on Shelburne Road and Cynosure Drive. The case is under investigation.

Aug. 6 at 5:10 p.m., a resident told police his vehicle had been vandalized. Police are investigating.

Aug. 6 at 5:37 p.m., police checked in on an intoxicated man passed out at the bus stop on Shelburne and Martindale roads and took him to detox.

Shelburne News

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PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

This year’s osprey offspring in Shelburne.

Flight pad

OPINION

Nature will be solution to Vermont’s flood crisis

Guest Perspective

Tom Rogers

Vermont’s increasingly destructive flooding disasters are happening because our rivers are doing exactly what we have spent more than 200 years intentionally designing them to do — rush water off the land as quickly as possible. As the devastation to lives, communities and economy makes it increasingly clear, it is time to reimagine what rivers can do.

If a present-day Vermonter were whisked away in a time machine to 1492, they would not recognize the Green Mountain State. The landscape was largely forested wetlands, shaped by beavers that were 10 times as abundant across the continent as they are today. A drop of rain that fell on the mountains back then would have many stops along its journey, collecting in beaver ponds — sometimes as dense as 200 dams per square mile in Vermont — winding in braided paths through floodplain forests, pausing in wetlands to deposit sediments, before finally reaching Lake Champlain or the Connecticut River.

When Europeans colonized what is now Vermont, high demand for pelts combined with unregulated trapping led to the removal of beavers from the state by the 1800s. When the fur trade was replaced by an agricultural economy, remaining wetlands were drained to make room for grazing livestock.

Rivers were channelized and straightened to access the fertile soil along their banks for growing crops. The practice of ditching and grading to remove water from the landscape continues to this day because standing water remains incompatible with roads, lawns and buildings.

It’s easy to understand the difference between a manicured city park and a forest. While a city park may have a few sparse trees among the freshly mowed grass, no one would confuse it with a forest. Similarly, we should not confuse much of what we have in Vermont today with real rivers. Vermont’s straight and narrow depressions, cut off from their floodplains, reinforced

at times by artificial stone or concrete along their steep banks and free of natural obstacles like logs or boulders might in many places be more appropriately referred to as drainage ditches than rivers, no more able to accommodate the needs of a fish than a parking lot can accommodate the needs of wildlife.

If our treatment of Vermont’s rivers was the fuel, climate change has been the match. While Vermont was experiencing historic flooding this July, Florida was experiencing historic ocean temperatures with the first 100-degree measurement ever recorded. Hotter air and warmer oceans around the world lead to more evaporation and increase the volatility of weather patterns. As a result, Vermont is not only seeing more precipitation, but we are also seeing more of it all at once during these extreme weather events. Climate change has turned depleted rivers from garden hoses into fire hoses, and they are pointed straight at our communities.

What do we do now? First and foremost, we must address the climate crisis, eliminating the use of fossil fuels and protecting forests and other natural places that sequester and store atmospheric carbon.

But just as important, we need to let our rivers be rivers again. We must return rivers to their floodplains rather than channelizing them and restore the floodplain forests along their banks to provide space for floodwaters to go. We need to protect and restore existing wetlands — the sponges of the landscape — and

prioritize the protection of beaver habitat to allow them to create new wetlands that soak up excess water. We need to leave trees, root balls, boulders and natural debris in rivers to slow down floodwaters and improve fish habitat.

Most immediately, we must allow rivers to move and meander more naturally by prohibiting new development in river corridors statewide.

We already know this approach works in Vermont. During Tropical Storm Irene, downtown Rutland was devastated by flooding when Otter Creek jumped its banks. But Middlebury, located 30 miles downstream from Rutland along Otter Creek, was spared the worst effects of the storm. An extensive wetland complex, protected and restored by Vermont’s conservation community through many years of hard work and effective partnerships, soaked up the excess floodwaters and very slowly released them.

These noble wetlands saved Middlebury more than $1.8 million in potential damages according to a University of Vermont study.

Rather than continuing to manipulate rivers to rush water off the land, we need to work with nature to reengineer them to slow water down and store it. As we adapt to a new climate reality, we can turn Vermont’s rivers from our greatest adversary into our strongest ally.

Tom Rogers is the associate director of philanthropy and a certified wildlife biologist for The Nature Conservancy in Vermont.

Letters to the Editor

Debate over income inequality far from settled

To the Editor:

In his guest perspective, “Debate over income inequality is finally settled,” John McClaughry argues that income is not being measured correctly, and income inequality is not a problem. But there is a problem, and changing how income is measured doesn’t make the problem go away.

The problem is that far too

many hard-working people aren’t earning a living wage. A living wage is the amount needed to support a basic but decent standard of living without government subsidies. A living wage allows workers and families to secure food, shelter, clothing, health care, transportation, child care and other necessities of living in modern society.

Climate crisis demands action from governor

Guest Perspective

Sarah Copeland Hanzas

Vermonters have always rallied to protect and care for their friends and neighbors in a crisis.

I am grateful for Gov. Phil Scott’s calm and measured response when Vermont is in crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Scott followed the science and took the appropriate steps, despite considerable opposition, to keep Vermonters safe and to prevent a greater tragedy.

Now, we need the same courage and focus as we grapple with flood recovery and take action to address the underlying forces of climate change that drove its severity.

So far this summer, Vermont has seen a record heat wave in May, the state’s worst air quality in history in June, and recently a record rainstorm that dumped as much as two months of normal rain on towns around the state in just over a day.

This is clearly the new normal for Vermont as the impacts of global warming hit us. Nolan Atkins, the former chair of the atmospheric sciences department at Vermont State University said: “In a warmer world and a warmer climate, (we should expect) these more frequent and more intense weather events.”

Yet despite the science, and clear evidence of increasingly severe weather, the governor has vetoed every major piece of climate legislation the Vermont Legislature has put before him in recent years. We need Scott to direct state agencies to recognize the climate emergency and treat climate action with the same

emergency response and focus we are seeing right now during the floods, and that we did during Vermont’s pandemic response.

As the former co-chair of the Legislature’s Climate Solution Caucus, I traveled throughout the state listening to Vermonters’ concerns about the looming impacts of global warming and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I heard over and over that if we don’t act on climate and curb emissions we will run out of time and be too consumed by the effects of climate change to focus on transitioning to renewable energy.

I have seen our pragmatic governor do a policy pivot when faced with an emergency. After the shooting threat in Fair Haven High School, he was a constructive and supportive partner for meaningful gun safety reforms.

It is time for him to pivot on climate policy. There are a few simple things Scott can do right now to make a difference and help Vermont be a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And more importantly, prevent greater tragedy.

First, Scott should direct his appointees on the climate council to shift to an emergency response. The most immediate and constructive action he could take at this moment is to make sure Vermonters whose heating systems were destroyed in the flood are encouraged and incentivized to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy.

Let’s help provide loaner heating systems to get through the upcoming heating season and accelerate our investment in a green energy workforce. This will not only speed up Vermont’s green

energy transition but also create jobs; we can combat climate change and help Vermont’s economy at the same time.

Second, he should direct the Agency of Natural Resources and Department of Public Service to become willing partners in implementing the clean heat standard to help all Vermonters transition

LETTERS

continued from page 5

It is not that the wealthy are unworthy, but rather that those who are not wealthy are also worthy. Those who are able and willing are worthy of the opportunity to earn a living wage. But a living wage is not within the reach of far too many today.

Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports that the 2023 average living wage for a family with two working adults and two children requires an annual pretax income of $104,077. This means two adults each working full time need to earn an average of $25 per hour. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 25 percent of workers earn his much. The rest earn less, often much less.

McClaughry wants government policies and programs reshaped to reduce or eliminate subsidies and promote self-sufficiency. It’s not that self-sufficiency is a bad thing. It may provide enough to keep people out of poverty, but it doesn’t mean hard-working, worthy Americans will enjoy a living wage. We should be doing better than that.

James Thomas South Burlington

from fossil fuels for heating and cooling their homes and businesses. Over one-third of Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions come from heating and cooling our homes and businesses. Despite this, Scott and his administration have inexplicably been an anchor in getting this groundbreaking initiative into action.

Don’t use public funds for religious schools

To the Editor: I take issue with assertions about public and religious education, specifically Catholic, made in the Rob Roper’s guest perspective. (“The Blob seeks ways to continue discriminating against Christians,” July 20, 2023)

First, the article seeks to taint the activities of school boards and teachers’ unions as the pursuit of special interests. As Alexis de Tocqueville long ago noted, there is nothing nefarious per se of individuals forming associations to ensure that their views are represented in the public sphere, but Roper implies that when it comes to public education, such groups have deleterious outcomes.

What those outcomes consist of the Roper fails to mention, but to call a publicly elected school board a special interest group is the pot calling the kettle black. Unlike public schools, private religious schools do not have boards that are democratically elected by the general citizenship. Thus, a private model for education is associated with less, not more or better, democracy.

Third, he should support legislation to ensure Vermont gets 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by the end of the decade. With the passage of President Joe’s Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, wind and solar

See HANZAS on page 7

Second, the piece makes numerous assertions without providing any evidence for them. The exception is the alleged lower cost of religious versus public education, but this reflects a fallacy of composition. For the population of a public school is generally much more diverse and has a much higher proportion of students in special education and with disabilities. Even the Journal of Catholic Education noted as recently as in 2020 that “Catholic schools have a long history of under-serving diverse populations, specifically students with disabilities.”

Roper does not provide any evidence that would change this assessment. If there is any cost saving, it may derive from the historically lower salaries and benefits of private-school employees such as teachers. Given that in international comparison, publicschool teachers in the U.S. are already underpaid in comparison relative to earnings for similarly educated workers, as pointed out by a Brookings report, this is hardly a sensible way to lower costs.

Third, it is instructive to note what Roper leaves out, namely, any mention of the many scandals involving physical and sexual abuse of minors that have plagued religious institutions of all sorts for decades, including, and arguably particularly, Catholic ones, and school settings.

Considering this fact, one might ask whether Vermont parents would feel comfortable entrusting Catholic (or any other religious) schools with the well-being of their children. If these private religious schools were subsidized by taxpayer money to provide an alternative to public schooling, as Roper advocates, such subsidies would undermine the funding of public schools. Undermining the public school system as a bedrock of American democracy comes at the peril of undermining American democracy itself.

Lutz Kaelber Shelburne

‘Good people on both sides’: GOP now spins slavery

Guest Perspective

Walt Amses

Kids being educated in Florida, or anywhere in the old Confederacy, might grow up believing that the kidnapping, torture, rape and lynching of human beings had an equitable upside, that the “vital job training” millions of Black people received while enslaved provided apprenticeships and bright hopes for a productive future.

While southern Republicans have long pushed for their own reconstruction — of history, memory and reality — the standards introduced by Ron DeSantis’ Florida education department would nauseate even a sewer rat.

While the standards themselves represent a steaming pile of far-right, racist claptrap specifically designed to enthrall the base and jump start the governor’s cratering presidential aspirations, the department’s justification for the new rules is almost as idiotic as it is appalling, an epic fail by any measure, likely to sink DeSantis’ floundering campaign even further.

To illustrate how slavery was sort of like a vocational internship, Florida’s education geniuses compiled a list of successful Black individuals who ostensibly enjoyed the benefits of servitude’s on-thejob-training.

But as you might imagine, intellectual lightweights embarking on a complex mission, particularly with the knowledge they have the backing of the powers that be, tend toward sloppiness and problems inevitably arise. Claiming the acquisition of skills by slaves was “well documented” and the later application of those skills as well as “taking advantage of whatever circumstances they were in” benefitted those individuals, weirdly castigating any disagreement as “attempts to reduce slaves to victims of oppression, failing to recognize their strength, courage and resiliency,” ran into widespread derision and no small

HANZAS

continued from page 6

power are cheaper than ever and price competitive with new natural gas. Vermont needs to do its part to clean up its electric sector and end its environmentally unjust practice of importing power from oil- and natural gas-burning plants in low-income communities in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

I’m not saying it’s simple and easy. I understand firsthand the challenges rural Vermonters face in heating their homes and getting to work. But if we think transi-

amount of scrutiny, beginning with supposed graduates of the program.

Simply put, most of the Black people listed as having acquired skills while enslaved were never enslaved at all, either having been born free men or learning their skills well after emancipation. One individual, the seventh name listed according to a post on the website Daily Kos, was Betty Washington Lewis. She was not a slave, not Black and was purported to be the white sister of George Washington, former president and proud owner of over 100 human beings.

However outrageous this initiative may feel, it lands comfortably within the long-term conservative framework of gaslighting children, manipulating what they learn regarding the history of race in America and soft pedaling the racial issues inherent since the country’s inception.

Whether depicting benevolent slave owners as having introduced Christianity to their wards with whom they had “mutually respectful” relationships, referring to captured, shanghaied Africans as “guest workers” or denying the existence of institutionalized racism while simultaneously attempting to disenfranchise Black voters, the far right’s quest — if successful — will fundamentally alter perceptions of what America represents, which is their prime objective.

While the right’s trivialization of inconvenient history has been going on since racist birther attacks on Barack Obama fueled the other former president’s leap to center stage, strident bigotry has come out of the closet and gone into overdrive. Tens of millions of white Republicans are now convinced it is they who are the oppressed minority, victimized by a ready list of scapegoats, including Black people, immigrants, gays and lesbians, trans teenagers and, of course, the nebulous Woke Folk, which is fast becoming the favorite excuse for everything by a coalition of the

ignorant who have no idea what it means.

Florida’s proposed curriculum revisions are the latest incursion into the state’s educational standards by the peevishly histrionic DeSantis, whose reach frequently exceeds his grasp as demonstrated by pitched battles with Disney and now Bud Lite over their perceived embrace of ideas beyond the governor’s limited perspective.

But the department of education’s spinning slavery into a learning opportunity, coupled with their preposterous doubling down in defense of the new standards may be a bridge too far for most people, gifting progressives a powerful, wedge issue leading up to the 2024 general election, an opportunity to hammer far right racism laid bare, perhaps bolstering Joe Biden’s reelection prospects in the process.

In Jacksonville last week Vice President Kamala Harris offered a full throated denunciation of the new standards as extremist, demanding the state’s “so-called leaders model what we know to be

the correct and right approach if we are invested in the well-being of our children,” not mentioning the governor by name but drawing his ire nonetheless as he waffled majestically, calling her remarks outrageous while attempting to distance himself from the whole affair: “Well, you should talk to them about it. I mean, I didn’t do it. I wasn’t involved in it. These were scholars that put that together. It was not anything done politically.”

Harris went on, voicing her own outrage that “they dare push propaganda to our children. This is the United States of America, we’re not supposed to do that,” taking advantage of a rare shot at the bully pulpit, she elevated her own visibility as a prelude to what promises to be a grueling campaign, perhaps reducing the anxiety of some Democratic voters concerned with her ability to take the giant step up should it become necessary.

Slamming what she called the alleged “benefits of this level of dehumanization” the Veep

explained that when parents send children to school it’s a reasonable expectation that they’ve being taught the truth rather than being misled by a political agenda, calling it “an insult to Black Americans” and worried it would spawn efforts to change Black history agendas in other parts of the country.

ABC news reports that the Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teacher’s union, called the guidelines “a step backward,” and accused DeSantis of “pursuing a political agenda guaranteed to set good people against one another,” asking how students can ever be equipped for the future without an honest look at the past.

The union’s president, Andrew Spar, said, “Florida’s students deserve a world class education that equips them to be successful adults who can help heal our nations divisions rather than deepen them.”

tioning to renewable heating and transportation is inconvenient or possibly a little more expensive, just look around at what we will be facing if we don’t.

Can we afford not to?

Sarah Copeland Hanzas was a Vermont House member for 18 years before being elected as Vermont Secretary of State in 2022. She lives in Bradford with her husband and has three adult children.

Writer Walt Amses lives in North Calais.

COMMUNITY

Community Notes

Civil Air Patrol holds car wash for cadet trip

The Civil Air Patrol is holding a car wash on Saturday, Aug. 12, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 50 Mansfield Ave., Burlington.

The air patrol is the official volunteer auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Vermont Wing headquarters is in South Burlington, and squadrons are in South Burlington, Barre and Montpelier, Rutland, Bennington and Springfield.

Funds raised will be used to fuel the cadets’ trip to the Intrepid Air and Space Museum in New York City.

The CAP Cadet Program is a year-round program where cadets fly, learn to lead, hike, camp, get in shape and push themselves to new limits. Vermont cadets have opportunities to attend leadership encampments, career academies, and other activities during the summer.

For information, visit vtwg. cap.gov.

Award winner

Register now for Howard Center’s annual Zoe’s Race

Zoe’s Race is set for Sunday, Aug. 27 at Oakledge Park in Burlington.

The annual event raises funds to make homes accessible for families served by Howard Center and includes a 1K fun run, a 5K run and walk and a 10K run.

Since 2009, Zoe’s Race has raised more than $270,000 from local businesses and individuals, enabling the completion of 34 home accessibility projects. Whether the modifications involve adding an entrance ramp, installing a stair lift or modifying a bathroom, the improvements have a lasting impact in the daily lives of families.

The idea for the race was sparked in 2009 when Erika Nestor began a remodeling project to make her home accessible for her daughter Zoe, who uses a wheelchair. During the process, the Nestors

See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 9

Age Well’s therapeutic meals and diabetes intervention program and its nutrition director, Chris Moldovan, second from left, receives a 2023 Aging Innovations Award from USAging. Age Well is among 16 aging programs nationally to receive innovations honors during USAging’s recent annual conference in Salt Lake City. Age Well offers eight different home-delivered meal options to support older Vermonters in managing their chronic health in their homes, including the regular heart-healthy diet, as well as diabetic-friendly, renal-friendly, lactose-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and texture-modified meals.

COURTESY PHOTO

News from Pierson Library

On Monday, Aug. 14 at 6:30 p.m. Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction and Guggenheim fellow Luis Alberto Urrea will read, discuss and sign his new book, “Good Night, Irene” at the Pierson Library in Shelburne.

This free event is sponsored by The Friends of the Pierson Library.

On Shelburne Day, Michael Clough will bring his birds of prey to the library, Saturday, Aug. 19 at 11 a.m.

Meet hawks, owls and falcons. There is no registration necessary for this event. A scavenger hunt will also be held.

COMMUNITY NOTES

continued from page 8

were surprised to learn that there were very limited funds available to assist families with remodeling costs related to accessibility. Erika teamed up with Howard Center and Zoe’s Race was born.

Pre-event registration is $45 until Aug. 24. Visit howardcenter. org for information.

Rokeby Museum holds pie, ice cream social

Having a great day will be as easy as pie at Rokeby Museum’s annual pie and ice cream social, Sunday, Aug. 13, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Yards and yards of homemade pies, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, live music from Bob Recupero and Young Tradition Vermont, raffle baskets, croquet and badminton on the lawn will be part of the day, and historic house and museum exhibitions will be open to the public.

Admission is free. Pie and ice cream is $8 per serving, $2 for ice cream and $1 for beverages. At the end of the event, if any pies are still available, they will be sold for $20.

There will also be a prize raffle. More at rokeby.org.

Shelburne Trinity Church presents a puppet show

On Saturday, Aug. 12, at 2 p.m., Hinesburg puppeteer Peg Jarvis will present a show about Anansi the Spider who, although a beloved folk hero, is a mischievous rascal who plays pranks on his animal friends.

The show is free for all and will be performed in the McClure Room, Shelburne Trinity Church, 5171 Shelburne Road. Children under six should be accompanied by an adult.

Not only does Jarvis direct and perform in the shows but she makes the puppets, prepares and

Cabbage, cabbage

paints the set, designs the costumes and, together with help from her husband Jim, builds her stages. She was 6 years old when she and her mother together learned the ancient art of puppeteering at a School for the Deaf in Bangkok, Thailand. She also has given many workshops in schools, libraries and churches.

Chamber musicians offer ‘New Sounds from Paris’

All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne hosts the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival Thursday, Aug. 24, at noon, with a pre-concert talk at 10:30 a.m.

Musicians will perform a program of “New Sounds from Paris” featuring the works of Ravel, Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Debussy, and featuring Soovin Kim, Paul Watkins, the Parker Quartet, and more.

All Souls is located at 419 Bostwick Road. More at lccmf.org

Churches, dancers, band fundraise for flood relief

Two Burlington-area church congregations, College Street Church and First Church Burlington, the swing dance community and the Green Mountain Swing Band combine forces to raise money for Vermont flood recovery with a special event on Saturday, Aug. 12, with a free picnic supper and parking lot dance.

The event starts at 5:30 p.m., 265 College St. (next to the Fletcher Free Library) and continues when the Vermont Swing Dancers lead the way into a parking lot dance as the Green Mountain Swing Band entertains with a set of jazzy swing tunes that will last from 7 p.m. until the sun sets. Donations will be invited for flood relief.

COURTESY PHOTO

The rain and heat of summer 2023 has made for topnotch garden production at the Shelburne Community Garden. Each of the 15 garden plots reflect the unique interests, designs and choices of the gardeners. Eileen Siminger, one of the garden coordinators, is shown here with one of her 11 beautiful cabbages.

Margaret B. Tomlinson

Margaret B. (Pat) Tomlinson, a longtime resident of Ballston Lake, N.Y. and recently of Shelburne, died on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, with her family by her side, a month after her 98th birthday.

Pat was born on June 16, 1925, in Worcester, Mass. to Palmer W. Bigelow and Margaret (Eichelberger) Bigelow. She spent her childhood in Northborough, Mass., growing up at the family’s home at the tree nursery founded by her father. She was the youngest of four children and described herself as the “kid on a bicycle with a camera,” preferring to be out on adventures over studying for school.

After graduation from Northborough High School, Pat attended Bridgewater State Teachers College and earned a degree in physical education in 1947. Her early career included teaching children at the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston. She later answered a newspaper ad for a position in Hanna, Wyo., and drove across country to teach

physical education, English and biology in that small coal mining town. After returning East, she taught for several years in the Amsterdam, N.Y., school system.

In 1960 she married Robert Tomlinson and gained three stepsons, Robert, Peter and Arthur. She and Bob also had two children, Susan and Daniel.

She was a prodigious cook, dessert maker, seamstress, craft person, pet lover, berry forager and gardener. For several years she had a home business creating lovely glass windchimes and wall plaques sold at craft fairs and local gift shops.

After divorcing she went back to school to earn a master’s degree in special education at the College of Saint Rose in 1980 and subsequently taught in the Waterford-Halfmoon, N.Y., school district, retiring in 1989.

Pat remained fun-loving, curious and independent throughout her life. She drove until age 95 and lived in her own home on Dino Drive until she was 96. As a young woman she enjoyed skiing, swimming, sailing, camping, canoeing and fishing.

After retirement she travelled with friends and family, enjoying Elderhostels in the U.S. and Canada, embarking on kayaking adventures in Florida and elsewhere, and taking an Alaskan cruise and a trip on the Trans Canada railway. At her local senior center, she led osteoporosis prevention exercise classes and got involved in watercolor, oil painting and pastels, producing many lovely pieces of artwork.

She self-published a rhyming children’s book called “Calvin the Crow,” illustrated by a talent-

ed friend. She was a voracious reader, Jeopardy watcher and competitive lover of games, especially word games. Over the past year, she never missed doing the daily Wordle on her computer and comparing results with friends.

Pat was a member of Christ Community Reformed Church in Clifton Park, N.Y., for 53 years. There she formed wonderful loving friendships, receiving and giving joy and support through her final days.

Pat was predeceased by her parents; her siblings, Palmer (Bill) Bigelow, John (Ned) Bigelow and Barbara (Bobbie) Lipscomb and their spouses; and her stepson, Peter Tomlinson.

Survivors include her daughter, Susan Cote and son-in-law, Rick Cote; son, Daniel Tomlinson and daughter-in-law, Cindy Tomlinson; stepsons, Robert Tomlinson and Arthur Tomlinson; daughtersin-law, Barbara Tomlinson and Deborah Tomlinson; grandchildren, Alexander, Matthew, Jared, Andrew, John, Daniel, Lauren, Carolynn, Elizabeth, Katherine, Nathan, Abigail, Peter and Joseph; many great-grandchildren; many dear nieces and nephews, and friends old and new; and her beloved cat, Sammie.

The family wishes to express gratitude to the caregivers of Bayada Home Health Care and the Residence at Shelburne Bay, as well as for the ever-present support of her church family.

As her final gift, Pat, a threetime breast cancer survivor, donated her body to the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine to help train the next generation of medical professionals.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Christ Community Reformed Church in Clifton Park with a reception following.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be mailed in her memory to Christ Community Reformed Church, 1010 Rte. 146, Clifton Park NY 12065; or made to Heifer International or the Seva Foundation.

Jeffrey W. Wheeler

Jeffrey Walker Wheeler, 60, of White Springs, Fla., blazed his way into the world on May 30, 1963, and continued to blaze through life until Thursday, July 27, 2023.

He was born to Sandra (Clark) Wheeler and the late Robin Duff Wheeler (U.S. Navy) in Turkish Naval Hospital in Golcuk, Turkey.

Jeff was a volunteer firefighter for Shelburne and San Carlos (Fort Myers), Fla., for a combined total of 12 years. He left the Shelburne Fire Department as a lieutenant and served on its board as secretary for two years.

While Jeff wasn’t a member of specific organizations, he gave back as much as he could by volunteering time to deliver meals to local fire departments and assisted in fund raising with local veterans’ organizations that he was passionate about.

Jeff always lived fast forward with a fire in his heart, and a desire to make your day in some way. He was a loving, devoted and dedicated husband, father and friend, always thinking of others and giving unconditionally.

He is survived by his

Le af Pe ep ers

GUIDE TO FOLIAGE & FUN

The roads are overflowing with peepers looking for great shopping, things to see and do, and places to dine in or take out. Let us help you reach the tens of thousands of visitors who come to play in the mountains surrounding Stowe, Cambridge and Morrisville and to explore the gorgeous Lake Champlain Valley and beyond.

loving and devoted wife, Paula (Vermeulin) Wheeler; children, Brittany Wheeler (Dinah Wheeler Cox, mother of Brittany); bonus children, Paul Piatek (Lexie), Jolynda Dibert (Tyler), Jared Piatek (Courtney) and Dylan Kennelly; grandchildren, Danny (Bug) and Nova (Nova Bear); sibling, Colby Wheeler (Monica); nephew, Colby Duff; and extended family and numerous lifelong friends.

A celebration of life will be held in his honor Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. The family will host guests from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at ICS Cremation and Funeral Home, 357 NW Wilks Lane, Lake City FL 32055. Bill Ferry will officiate.

A luncheon will be offered at the Springville Community Center, 3710 NW Suwannee Valley Road, Lake City, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

As much as Jeff loved nature, Jeff’s passion for first responders and veterans inspired many. His family asks that you share his passion and donate in his honor to either the Shelburne Firefighter’s Association; Shelburne Fire Department, PO Box 911, Shelburne VT 05482; or the Sunshine State Veterans Fund, 250 NW Main Blvd., Lake City, FL 32055 (sunshinestateveteransfund.org).

Memories can be shared at icsfuneralservices.com.

Margaret B. Tomlinson

Jeffrey W. Wheeler

Hiding in plain sight: total eclipse of the duck

The Outside Story

William von Herff

For most of the year, it’s hard to find a pond without at least a few mallards swimming around.

These ducks, with their green-headed drakes and streaky brown hens, are among the most common water birds throughout the Northeast. In spring and fall, mallard flocks are ubiquitous, gobbling up grasses and aquatic plants. In winter, as ice spreads across most ponds, many of these flocks fly south, while the few that remain retreat to open water wherever they can find it. And in summer, if you’re lucky, you might see a female swimming with a trail of downy ducklings behind her.

As late summer rolls around, however, one thing you’re not apt to see is a male mallard. Scan a flock of ducks in July or August and, more often than not, every single one will have the drab plumage of a female. Not a green head in sight. What happened? Where did all the males go?

As it turns out, they never left. The males are simply hiding, sometimes within those same flocks, disguised as females.

Nearly all birds molt at least once a year, shedding their old feathers as new ones grow in to replace them. Molting usually takes several weeks, during which birds can appear ratty or even injured. If you’ve ever seen a vulture or hawk missing a bunch of its wing feathers, molting is often the explanation. As those soaring raptors make clear, however, birds can usually still fly when they are molting.

Female mallards molt in this same fashion, replacing their feathers gradually during the spring. For male mallards — and some other species of waterfowl — molt is a bit more intense. Shortly after the breeding season ends and the males have sired offspring, they shed their feathers fast, so fast that new flight feathers can’t grow in quickly enough to keep up. For a brief period of time, this leaves the ducks unable to fly.

Naturally, this period of flightlessness makes these birds vulnerable to predators. So, male ducks go into hiding and retreat toward the centers of big marshy lakes to molt. If they simply replaced their old feathers with more of their typical flashy plumage, these males would still be an easy target for any passing red fox or red-tailed hawk.

Instead, they grow an intermediary set of feathers called eclipse plumage, which appears nearly identical to the streaky brown patterning of females. Since males’ wing feathers grow in later than the rest of their feathers, this plain plumage helps to keep the

male ducks hidden from predators during this especially vulnerable period.

You may begin to notice male mallards looking ratty in late June, just as their big molt starts to kick in. July and August are peak eclipse plumage season, but eventually ducks will molt these feathers as well. By the beginning of September, male mallards begin to look more like we expect them to. Green plumage spreads across their faces, their breasts turn rich brown, and their sides regain their typical silvery plumage. By October, they have returned to their bright, green-headed glory.

Distinguishing female mallards from males during summer can be tricky. Male mallards do retain a few key plumage features during the summer, though: their breasts are warmer brown than females, their plumage looks messier and they retain just a touch of green on their heads — in stripes on the crown and behind the eye.

Mallards are not the only ducks in our region that undergo this stark summer transformation. Wood duck males, too, adopt a drab plumage, shedding their bright headdresses and shiny body feathers in exchange for subdued grays and browns. Male hooded mergansers lose their hoods, and male common mergansers swap their green heads and stark white bodies for a simpler brown and gray plumage.

In general, your best clue to identify male ducks in eclipse plumage is to look at the parts of the bird’s body that have no feather

covering at all, namely the bill and eyes. If you see a “female” mallard with a yellow bill, chances are it’s really a male. In a similar sense, if you see a wood duck with a red bill and red eye, or a hooded merganser with a yellow eye and all-black bill, those are males in disguise as well.

William von Herff is a scientist-turned-science writer who writes about conservation, the environment, and natural history. Illustration by Adelaide Murphy Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine. More at nhcf.org. August9-13

Thurs.

Huntfor goldenticketgift cards toMarketplacestores.

Getyourgroove

ILLUSTRATION BY ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL

Shelburne Parks and Recreation hosts its summer concert series finale with fireworks at Vermont Teddy Bear Aug. 1. From top, kids enjoy a visit inside an ambulance as Shelburne rescue and fire crews are on hand during the event. The night is capped off with a fireworks display. Enjoying a cold beverage as The Rough Suspects entertain the crowd.

PHOTOS BY LEE KROHN

Emmy winner portrays Frost on stage

Middlebury Acting Company presents “Robert Frost: This Verse Business” by A.M. Dolan, starring Gordon Clapp, an Emmy Award-winning and Tony-nominated actor best known for his 12 seasons as Det. Greg Medavoy on “NYPD Blue.”

Clapp, a resident of Norwich, and the play’s author have long wanted to bring their show to Middlebury, where Frost has a rich history. No one is more closely identified with Bread Loaf than Frost, who first came to the School of English in 1921, encouraged the founding of the Writers’

Conference in 1926, and returned to the Bread Loaf campus nearly every year for 42 years.

Legend has it that Frost used to attend movies at the Town Hall Theater, so it is especially poignant for Clapp to perform the show in that space. Performances will take place Friday, Sept. 8, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 9-10, at 2 p.m.

Dolan created the script from actual transcripts of Robert Frost’s famous talks, gleaned from the nearly 50 years Frost “barded” around the country charming audiences with his cele-

brated verse and rascally sense of humor. Frost’s great wit and poetry are heard afresh in his award-winning one-man play. In the show, the poet shares his pointed and funny opinions on politics, science, religion and art, interspersed with performances of his poems from memory.

After the Saturday matinee, local Frost biographer Jay Parini will join Dolan and Clapp for a post-show discussion.

There will be a special reception after the show on opening night. More at townhalltheater. org.

ITEMS FOR SALE: Collectibles, furniture, kitchenware, houseware, sports equipment, artwork, tools, bike. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thurs., Aug. 17-Sun., Aug. 20. 743 Bay Road, Shelburne 802-371-7782, emcshane489@gmail.com.

SHELBURNE

Shelburne’s Highway Department has an immediate opening for a full-time Mechanic/Truck Driver. This position is responsible for the maintenance of all Town vehicles and other machinery and equipment. The successful candidate will also operate trucks and other equipment, in addition to plowing snow.

A high school diploma or equivalent and five years of experience; CDL or the ability to obtain a CDL; Vermont State Vehicle Inspection License; and background check are required. A full job description is available at http://www.shelburnevt.org/237/Human-Resources. Salary range $28-$30/hr., generous benefit package, vacation and sick time, and paid holidays.

Submit resume or application to: Susan Cannizzaro at scannizzaro@shelburnevt.org.

Equal Opportunity Employer

SHELBURNE

1ST FY 23-24 PROPERTY TAX INSTALLMENT

Due Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Payments must be POSTMARKED or RECEIVED in the TOWN OFFICES by MIDNIGHT, August 15, 2023. Late payments are subject to penalty and interest. Payments can be left in lock box at Police Department Dispatch until Midnight, August 15, 2023.

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

Office hours for payment in person are Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm

If any questions, please 985-5120

PHOTO BY ALEX WOODWARD

Gordon Clapp as Robert Frost in a 2017 Northern Stage production of “Robert Forst: This Verse Business.”

RABIES BAIT

continued from page 2

The week-long bait drop is a cooperative effort between Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to stop the spread of the potentially fatal disease.

Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. It is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get rabies.The virus is spread through the bite of an infected animal or contact with its

saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly 100 percent effective when given soon after a person is bitten by a rabid animal.

So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of those have been raccoons.

According to wildlife officials, rabid animals often show a change in their normal behavior, but you cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.

ARIES

March 21 - April 20

Things that have seemingly been holding you back should be reevaluated this week, Aries. You are looking elsewhere for solutions, when all you need to do is make a few tweaks.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

Taurus, spend time re ecting on things this week, as you may have some dif cult decisions to make in the near future. A close con dante can serve as a sounding board.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

Gemini, now is the time to identify your priorities as they pertain to the job. Do you want a career and a company that you stick with? Or, are you satis ed with being a contract worker?

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

Prepare for some stressful times ahead, Cancer. It is nothing you cannot survive, but it could throw a wrench in your plans for the time being. Reward yourself with some extra pampering.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

Leo, you may have planned on staying to yourself, in order to knock things off of your to-do list. That simply will not pan out right now. Expect to be surrounded by people.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Virgo, others do not seem receptive to your way of doing things this week. You cannot please everyone, so gure out who you can work with and appeal to those people to get things done.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

Libra, you may have to take off the rose-colored glasses for a little while. Although it’s good to have a cheery outlook, a no-nonsense approach will serve you well in the days ahead.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Scorpio, you could be having doubts about your role in your workplace. Maybe the work isn’t stimulating or the responsibilities too great. If change is happening, do it soon.

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!

CROSSWORD

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 23 - Dec. 21

Sagittarius, something from your past will come back to the surface in the days to come. Maybe it is an error you made or it could be an opportunity that you thought was lost.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

Think about adding more hobbies or recreational activities to your slate, Capricorn. All work and no play is not healthy for you right now. It’s time to nd a greater balance in life.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

Aquarius, the latest developments on the job have not been encouraging. You are tempted to cut back on your efforts, but you are worried about the implications of that.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

People who followed you in the past may now confront you with a difference of opinion, Pisces. No need to worry as a healthy dialogue could help the relationship grow.

CLUES ACROSS

1. A way to pick up

5. Presents

10. Type of guitar

14. Actor Idris

15. A citizen of Iran

16. Creative

17. Harness

18. Weight unit

19. You better call him

20. Utterly devoted

22. Male cat

23. Spiritual leader of a Jewish congregation

24. Risk-taker

27. A team’s best pitcher

30. Cool!

31. Women’s __ movement

32. Georgia rockers

35. Step-shaped recess 37. The princess could detect its presence

38. Type of truck

39. Butterhead lettuces

40. Angry people see it 41. Lines where two fabrics are sewn together

42. Soviet city

43. Carpet

44. Traveled all over 45. Thin, straight bar

46. Body art (slang)

47. Congressman (abbr.) 48. No seats available

49. Breaks apart

52. Arabic name

55. Ballplayer’s tool

56. Type of sword

60. Baseball team

61. Upper bract of grass oret

63. Italian Seaport

64. Ancient Syrian city

65. Shoelace tube

66. The Miami mascot is one

67. South American nation

68. Popular video game

“Max __”

69. Body part

CLUES DOWN

1. German courtesy title

2. Ancient Greek City

3. Ancient Hebrew calendar month

4. Long-legged frog family

5. Photo

6. Delivered a speech

7. Lute in classical Indian music

8. Decorated

9. Take a seat

10. Belonging to a bottom layer

11. Member of a Semitic people

12. Part of a ticket

13. Defunct Guinean

ANSWERS

money

21. Challenges

23. Popular BBQ food

25. Subway dweller

26. By way of

27. Shady garden alcove

28. Egyptian city

29. Partner to “ owed”

32. Widens

33. Old Eurasian wheat

34. Act incorrectly

36. European pipeline

37. Al Bundy’s wife

38. Ocean

40. Root eaten as a vegetable

41. Sound units 43. Style of music 44. A way to drench

Hot beverage

A cotton fabric with a satiny nish

Rumanian city

Urge to action

Vaccine developer

law enforcers

“Perry Mason” actor Raymond

HIBBEN continued from page 1

presenting talks on emerging technologies at professional library symposiums (pre-COVID-19), and was also recognized by Library Journal with an award in 2020 for digital development.

Hibben and his family will relocate from the Denver area to Chittenden County.

Starting Aug. 14, Hibben will be on site, working with interim library director Cathy Townsend as he transitions to his new job.

On Shelburne Day, Saturday, Aug. 19, the library will host a reception from 10:30-11 a.m. in the community room to welcome Hibben.

The library is encouraging people to stop by and say hello before the scavenger hunt and other scheduled events taking place that day.

Question and answer

We caught up with Hibben while he was packing to move.

Charlotte Albers: Tell us about your early years. Was your local library important to you? Does youth programming and involvement interest you and why?

Michael Hibben: I grew up in a

small town in northeastern Ohio and visiting my local public library always felt like such a treat. Even today, I can recall climbing the staircase to the second-floor children’s collection and feeling a sense of wonder that I could borrow any of the thousands of titles I saw. Those books I read so long ago introduced me to magical characters, faraway lands and a wider world that I might not otherwise have known about. They helped build the person I am today.

I attended the library’s storytimes even before I was in preschool and the structure and skills I obtained from that triedand-true program gave me a head start with reading that benefited me throughout my schooling.

I’m a big advocate of parents and caretakers bringing children to library story times to develop early literacy skills, expand vocabularies, build social skills and stimulate the imagination.

CA: You’re relocating from Colorado to Vermont. What does that mean to you?

MH: Believe or not, there are quite a few similarities between

Colorado and Vermont, including an appreciation of the outdoors and thriving art and culture scenes. But one area where Vermont shines is a strong sense of community in towns and cities across the state.

This sense of local trust and neighborliness is something that, in my opinion, has gotten a bit lost within Colorado’s booming cities and sprawling suburbs. Community is one of many things I look forward to being a part of in Vermont.

CA: What excites you about the Pierson Library?

MH: There’s a forward momentum at the Pierson that not all libraries have, a sense of possibility thinking emanating from both the staff and the board of trustees. This is what most drew me to apply for the position.

Small libraries can do big things and the Shelburne community proved that with the construction of the new library just a few years ago. I believe even bigger things are on the horizon for the Pierson and I’m excited and grateful to be a part of this next chapter.

COURTESY PHOTO

Michael Hibben