Shelburne News - 8-31-23

Comedian David Cross on Hollywood, fatherhood

Sinking feeling Climate change and our underwater history

Page

Town prevails again in public records suit filed by ex-employee

with meeting minutes from a February meeting.

A Vermont Supreme Court recently affirmed a lower court decision ruling in favor of the Town of Shelburne and its former town manager Lee Krohn, following a public records request lawsuit with the town’s former zoning and planning director, Dean Pierce.

The case, which began more than a year ago, involved several records requests made to the town by Pierce beginning in December 2021, seeking copies of various materials involving the Town Manager, the selectboard, and the planning and zoning department.

Additional records were requested a month later, including communications related to development projects in the town, materials related to the town manager’s interviews with a local reporter, a document visible on-screen during selectboard meetings, zoning permits or certificates of occupancy signed by the town manager, and a letter placed in town employee’s file along

The requests were denied on the basis of “personal documents,” and the issues erupted at a contentious selectboard meeting, also in Febuary, when Pierce made the appeal for the records.

Pierce filed suit in April, alleging the town improperly denied his requests and sought the requested documents in their original electronic format, later amending his complaint to include a request for a letter placed in a town employee’s file as a result of selectboard action on Feb. 17.

To evaluate whether records were properly withheld, the lower court directed the town to provide either a detailed affidavit describing the records withheld or to submit the records for in-camera review before the judge. In accordance with the order, the town submitted a Vaughn index, an affidavit, and the documents for in-camera review, which the court in December determined were, in

See LAWSUIT on page 12

Champlain school district works to address aging buildings

As kids in the Champlain Valley School District begin their academic year this week, the school district’s administrators and board members are staring down what will be a challenging five years.

The district’s school buildings are aging and will need millions

of dollars in renovations. Federal Covid-19 relief funds are soon ending — funding that has paid for more than a dozen school counselors, social workers, interventionists, and other positions within the district. And updates to Vermont’s education formula means the district will have to adjust to these factors while raising taxes or cutting programs.

Those three converging factors

bearing down on the district were laid out during a school board meeting last week, where officials said the district will be implementing new measures to try and limit any new spending — including requiring offsetting reductions for any new proposed expenses.

“We’re going to have to make some really difficult decisions together,” chief operations officer Gary Marckres said.

Vermont’s new education formula, signed into law last year, corrects what researchers at University of Vermont and Rutgers University showed was an insufficient pupil weighting system for low-income students or non-English speaking students. The new formula tries to correct that, but because of the shift, several districts that have historically benefitted from the weighting —

Champlain Valley, South Burlington, Essex, and Mount Mansfield Unified Union among them — are now facing dwindling student counts, meaning those distrcits will eventually have to start raising taxes or cutting spending to fill in the gap.

Because of this, the Champlain

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

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David Cross on Hollywood, joy of fatherhood

val,” and he will join the cast of the Netflix series “The Umbrella Academy” for its fourth and final season.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Davis Cross has won numerous awards, but this one might be his most prolific of all: Worst Daddy in the World.

His full biography is too long to list. An Emmy Award winner and two-time Grammy Award nominee, Cross has had a prolific, decades-long career as an actor and writer. He’s appeared in dozens of TV and movie productions — the sketch comedy “Mr. Show” with Bob Odenkirk, and “The Ben Stiller Show;” he voiced roles in Boots Riley’s film, “Sorry To Bother You,” and was in Steven Spielberg’s “The Post;” and, of course, he starred as Dr. Tobias Fünke in Netflix’s “Arrested Development,” for which he was twice-nominated as part of the ensemble cast for a Screen Actors Guild Award and won.

He’s currently starring in the Julia Louis-Dreyfus film “You Hurt My Feelings,” the FX series “Justified: City Prime-

But it was standup where Cross first began his career. Named one of the top 100 Stand-Up Comedians of all time, he’s back on tour, celebrating his new status as “Worst Daddy in the World.”

Cross’s 2023 theatre tour will visit 66 cities across North America Ireland and the U.K. For every ticket sold, Cross will donate $2 to The Innocence Project, an organization working to exonerate individuals who have been wrongly convicted.

As a father of 7-year-old daughter, Cross is doing things a little differently by breaking his tour up into segments, flying back and forth from his home to his touring cities so he can spend time with his family.

South Burlington will be his first show back for the fall leg of his tour. The Other Paper interviewed Cross in the lead up to his Sept. 6 leg of the tour at Higher Ground.

I’d like to offer an early welcome to Vermont, although according to my Google sleuthing it looks like you’ve been around here before.

Oh, many times.

Are you excited to be back?

I’ve outgrown some of my flannels, so yes.

You’ve been to dozens of cities on this tour already, and throughout your career. I’m sure after doing this for as long as you have there’s some familiarity with each city or state. What sort of thoughts come to mind when you head up to Vermont?

I was literally just there — not in Burlington but in Jamaica about two weeks ago with the family. I love Vermont. I spent nine years and change in Boston, so I was up there a lot, mostly doing standup but also just skiing.

I love Burlington. My wife and I honeymooned there and would go up annually and go eat at Hen of the Wood and, you know, just go on little adventures and hikes and things like that.

So, congratulations on your recent accolade as “Worst Daddy in the World,” which I read was selected specifically by your daughter.

I mean, you know, she submitted me, and we still have to wait for the results. It’s done out of Sri Lanka. It’s a global thing. We’ll see. But I’m representing the northern hemisphere.

Of course. Well good luck with that. You’ve said in previous articles that your show is not all about your daughter —

Not even close.

But I’m interested — one of your last specials you do talk about her and just that experience. Has raising a child given a boost to your creativity for writing jokes on the stage or writing material for TV or movies?

I wouldn’t say a boost. It just opens up a new experience to talk about and to cull from. It’s not like I had a kid and I was rushing to the computer like, “I’ve got five new screenplays I want to write.” It just broadens your perspective, which I think is exemplified pretty good in the show. As

I said, it’s not an hour and a half of like, you know, “kids are funny.” I start off by talking about being a dad, but pretty quickly I’m off of that and into completely other stuff. But the idea of being a parent and those responsibilities informs a lot of the other material in a — I’m being purposeful about that, because it all kind of threads through, and comes around at the end to being about why — well I won’t give away the ending, but it kind of comes back to the idea of kids.

You’ve said you look forward to going on tour — Always.

Has that become difficult now that you’re a father?

This tour I’m doing differently than any of the other ones. Before I had a kid, I could just do whatever the f--k I want and I go out for four months, and it was great.

And then the “Oh, C’mon,” tour, my daughter was two, and we drilled a portable crib into the back of the tour bus and the whole family went out. We went all over America and Canada. My wife was doing a book tour in a lot of the same cities, and it was pretty amazing.

But now that (my daughter) is in school, I do not want to go out on the road for four months. So, what I’m doing is definitely way more of a grind — I go out for three, four or five shows, and come back for four days maybe. And then I go back out Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and back Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, that kind of thing.

So that’s a pain in the ass because there’s no tour bus, and the routing is still like, “I’m sorry, there’s no direct flight from Des Moines to Minneapolis, so you’re going to have to get up at 6:30 a.m. and get to the airport and fly to Chicago.” It’s not convenient but, ultimately, it’s worth it because I get to hang out with family more.

You’ve had a prolific career, not just in stand up, but as an actor and writer as well. I’m wondering if you could talk about how the writers’ and actors’ strikes have affected you.

It hasn’t affected me as much as it’s affected other folks who were working or

See CROSS on page 3

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CROSS continued from page 2

had something they were going to do that got shut down, and, of course, all the attendant industries that are part and parcel of creating a TV show or making movie.

I just got very lucky on the timing in the sense that this tour was put together because there was something that Bob Odenkirk and I had written and sold and we were going to do for Paramount Plus, but then they decided not to do it. So, I was like, “Oh, s--t, well, now what do I do?” I had well over 50 percent of the material, enough to go out on the road, so I just concentrated on getting an hour and booking it.

So, I’ve been doing stand-up pretty much since the beginning of the year and started the tour in March. So, I know I’m going to be doing those shows, I know I’ve got an income coming, and I’m quite lucky in that respect that, just the timing of everything, I’m less affected than other folks who are just sent home.

Have you been in support, on the picket lines?

Oh, f--k yeah. Absolutely. This is incredibly important. It’s so egregious what (industry executives) want to do, it threatens the whole industry. And that’s not hyperbole, that is absolutely not hyperbole, that is the truth.

I’ve read all of this stuff about keeping the rights to actors’ AI likeness and things like that —

F--k these people. F--k em’ hard. They’re just disgusting.

Disney’s CEO really added fuel to the fire with his comments.

But that comment isn’t like — that’s what they feel and that’s what they think. And their whole thing is like, “Oh, well, we’ll wait until they lose their apartments,” says the guy with nine multimillion-dollar properties and three yachts and the private airplane — we’ll wait until half the industry gets evicted and is living on the streets. That’s the plan. But again, that’s not a strategic, tactical thing to say. It’s what they believe, he just sort of slipped up and said it.

You’ve been vocal throughout your career on politics and your criticisms of both the Republican and Democratic Party and obviously Donald Trump. The writers’ and actors’ strikes, they’re just one of many popping up. What do you think

is driving these strikes? And what does that say about our political reality here in 2023?

People are just getting fed up. It’s not like it was the status quo and then all of a sudden this popped up. This has been getting worse and worse for workers every single year, and every administration.

And then you see the frustration, understandably, that a lot of people have when Biden campaigns like “I’m going to be the first pro-union President

since FDR,” and he didn’t do s--t. Where is he on this?

And because the Democrats are funded, in great part, by all these Hollywood trillion-dollar behemoths — it’s yet another of the multiple examples of the Democrats just being beholden to moneyed interests, and, you know, making a big noise but not doing s--t.

He should be out there with the Starbucks workers who want to unionize. They’re working for a guy who declared for the pres-

idency who is so anti-worker and anti-equity and has said as much. As you can tell I’m very strongly pro-union, I’ve benefited from it in multiple ways over the years. I wish my union was a little stronger, but it’s all step-by-step.

What do you see as your role in politics and political activism as a comedian?

There’s always a role whatever you do. If you’re in the public arena and you make a statement that says, “I think Fascism is bad,” then obviously you’re influencing

someone on some side. There’s a role to be played, but I don’t think it’s incumbent on anybody to play that role.

If you want to just do jokes that are about being a Jewish lesbian, do that, who cares. There’s a million really great comics out there who don’t do anything that’s remotely political that I love and I’m a fan of. I’m just talking about stuff that’s important to me, hopefully in a funny way, and if somebody likes it, if it influences somebody, great. If not, whatever.

COURTESY PHOTO

David Cross is set to perform at Higher Ground on Sept. 6.

Out of water Shelburne Police Blotter: Aug. 21 - 27

Total reported incidents: 71

Traffic stops: 23

Warnings: 13

Tickets: 12

Medical emergencies: 21

Mental health incidents: 4

Suspicious incidents: 11

Domestic incidents: 1

Agency assists: 8

Citizen assists: 7

Welfare check: 1

Motor vehicle complaints: 3

Automobile incidents: 2

Car crash: 4

Animal problem: 3

Harassment: 2

Alarms: 2

Pending investigations: 2

Aug. 21 at 8:46 a.m., police responded to a call at Harbor Place for a report of two people yelling, but the individuals involved told officers everything was alright.

Aug. 23 at 4:22 p.m., a Bostwick Road resident told police they were receiving harassing messages on social media. Police are investigating.

Aug. 24 at 3:10 p.m., a two-car crash that occurred earlier in the day on Elmore Street was reported to police.

Aug. 24 at 7:28 p.m., a two-car crash was reported on Shel-

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burne Road and Tamarack Shores. No injuries were reported.

Aug. 26 at 10:54 p.m., a Harrington Avenue resident told police they could hear yelling from a neighboring home. Turned out the neighbors were just singing “Happy Birthday” to one of some partygoers — still, they were asked to keep the noise down.

Aug. 27 at 5:02 p.m., a Henry Street resident told police they had been receiving harassing messages on social media. Police are investigating the matter.

Aug. 27 at 6:19 p.m., police and emergency medical services responded to a call of an unresponsive family member, who medical personnel later pronounced dead. Officers investigating the scene determined the death was not suspicious. The identity of the deceased was not immediately available.

Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney Office and can be amended or dropped.

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The 33-foot tug C.L. Churchill sits high and dry-docked at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

OPINION

Green New Deal faces off against Small Farm Republic

Guest Perspective

John McClaughry

John Klar, a lawyer and farmer from Brookfield, has just published “Small Farm Republic: Why Conservatives Must Embrace Local Agriculture, Reject Climate Alarmism, and Lead an Environmental Revival.”

While the subtitle is clearly intended to speak to conservatives, including libertarians and various types of decentralists across the political spectrum, those concerned about Vermont’s future who don’t consider themselves conservatives should read it nonetheless, because the path it charts offers a meeting ground for all but what Klar describes as “carbon cult doomsday advocates.”

Klar admits he was born in Connecticut but in his youth regularly stayed at his farm in Brookfield “where my (single parent) mother’s family had farmed for six generations until bulk tank and other unaffordable regulatory requirements drove them out.”

Klar was what one might call a trail hiking fanatic as he spent time hiking all over the U.S but especially in the White Mountains. He earned a law degree and practiced tax law in the United Kingdom and in Connecticut. In 1988 he was suddenly stricken with Lyme disease and fibromyalgia and could not continue his law practice.

He relocated with his wife Jackie, a “crazy horse person” and a nurse, to small, working dairy farms in Barton and Irasburg, and in 2019 removed to part of the maternal family homestead in Brookfield. That hands-on experience as a small farmer — dairy, pigs, produce, feed — sold Klar on the economic, cultural and political benefits of what he calls the “small farm republic.” He became, in his words, an “agripublican.”

From his perspective, America faces an environmental challenge far more immediate and dangerous than any single-minded attack on fossil fuels to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions to stop global temperatures from increasing by another degree or two C by the end of the century.

“Local and regenerative farming practices reverse the climate and soil crises, reverse water depletion, and turn around the economic and cultural decline of rural communities. They reduce harms to human health

from chemicals, preservatives, early harvesting (which deprives produce of vital nutrients), antibiotics, hormones, pathogens, nutrition deficiency and so on; lessen inhumane treatment of animals during life and slaughter, and mitigate negative consequences of globalization, including related threats to national security,” he writes.

“They also reduce American dependency on immense industrial producers and processors, ports, distributors, and retailers for food while building public trust in Republicans to offer sincere and effective solutions to observable environmental harms.”

He is a dedicated fan of cattle: “Ruminants comprise an integral link in sustainable agriculture and converting industrial meat production to rotational grass-based methodology is the best single tool to mitigate climate change.”

Klar doesn’t challenge the arguments for addressing climate issues, but he is scathingly critical of the Democrats’ solution of choice, the multi-trillion-dollar Green New Deal.

“The grotesque inadequacies, even counterproductive harms, proposer by the Green New Deal are apparent. Conservatives must lead the charge to fashion methods to counter the destructive profiteering that has dominated food production, and the deteriorating American environmental landscape, for over a hundred increasingly destructive years.”

In a paragraph that really ought to wake up liberals, Klar

writes, “The ‘Green Revolution’ was really about selling chemicals, agricultural machinery, and engineered seeds (and plunging farmers into destructive debt), and so is this climate-rescuing spin about peddling solar panels, EVs, and other technologies to which a handful of profiteers will make a quick bundle at the expense of true change.”

That’s certainly grist for a Michael Moore follow-on exposé to “Planet of the Humans.”

Can America, heavily urbanized, possibly revert to adequately

feed itself through millions of environmentally sensitive small farms?

“Small Farm Republic” falls short of making a believable case for it. Nor does it explain how millions of people working in America’s vast food creation, processing and distribution system can find other ways to make a living. This former tax lawyer’s policy recommendations, aside from deregulating small farms, tend to resemble the subsidy-ridden, tax credit fueled Green New Deal turned upside down.

That said, Klar’s writing is well informed, lucid and passionate. If it opens the eyes of both conservatives and liberals to the problems inherent in mega-agriculture, his book will become a valuable and timely addition to the works of Wendell Berry and Joel Salatin, both inspirations and enthusiasts for the book.

John McClaughry writes for the Ethan Allen Institute. He was executive secretary of the Food and Agriculture Cabinet Council in the Reagan White House.

All my life I have disagreed with Henry David Thoreau: Unlike him, I think it is “worthwhile to go around the world to count the cats in Zanzibar.” That’s why inveterate travelers find the return to post-pandemic travel an exhilarating experience.

This spring my husband and I were excited to resurrect an aborted trip abroad that was planned almost four years ago. We were so excited you might have thought it was something we’d never done before. The truth is travel is in our DNA so having

to stay close to home for so long was hard.

The joy of travel began when I was a child, and the high point of summer was a family trip to Toronto to visit my father’s relatives. On the eve of the journey my sister and I laid out new shorts, T-shirts and sandals to be ready when the alarm rang at 6 a.m. Teeth brushed and hair combed, we skipped to the back of the black Buick and didn’t argue with our brother for the window seat. We were too busy savoring breakfast at Howard Johnson’s, part of the annual ritual that always began our trip to another country.

Every year we took a differ-

ent route to enjoy the scenery. Pre-interstate and Holiday Inns, we drove through Pennsylvania Dutch country or New England or New York State, where we visited Ithaca’s gorges, the 1,000 islands and, of course, Niagara Falls. Every night, we looked for AAA-approved cabins in which to sleep, with their worn linoleum floors, chenille bedspreads and inevitable spiders.

We thought it was pure heaven — except for the spiders.

Crossing the border was like going to a forbidden country. We had to answer questions about

Sinking feeling: climate change and our underwater history

Guest Perspective

Chris Sabick

The historic rainfall and flooding in Vermont this summer have impacted people, businesses and watersheds, Lake Champlain included. While I’m grateful that Lake Champlain Maritime Museum exhibits and collections remain safe, I am keenly aware of the challenges the floods created for our staff and community, and the impact that flooding and other climate change events have on the lake, as well as the history underwater in Lake Champlain.

We’re dedicated to inspiring people to make personal connections to Lake Champlain through the region’s history, ecology and archeology. For the archaeology team, this work of making connections includes conducting ongoing archeological research, on land and underwater; caring for the collection of artifacts and research; and managing the lake’s underwater cultural resources and the Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserves, a unique system of shipwrecks in the lake open for divers to explore each May to October.

Flooding and ongoing climate change are threats to that work, the lake, and the lake’s shipwrecks and other underwater cultural resources.

Lake Champlain is a great historical record and research space for shipwrecks. Humans have been living around and traveling on Champlain for over 12,000 years. And the lake’s depth and location make it deep, dark and cold, which is the ideal environment for preserving shipwrecks. We estimate there are 200-300 shipwrecks in Lake Champlain, and they cover pretty much all eras of the lake’s history.

There are dugout or birch bark canoes from the Native American period; gunboats, galleys and transportation vessels from the military period; a wide variety of canal boats and steamboats from the commercial period; and sailing craft, rowing boats and other vessels from the present recreation period.

Climate change, floods

The Lake Champlain Basin, 8,234 square miles, encompasses all the waterways that are connected to the lake, and what happens in one affects the whole basin. So, what’s happening?

According to a 2020 report from the Nature Conservancy, the mean annual air temperature increased by 2.1 degrees Fahr-

enheit between 1967 and 2005, with most of those temperature increases happening during the winter months. As a result, the lake is freezing over less frequently and later each year. According to modeling from the Lake Champlain Basin Program, the lake freezes over about once every four years now, and researchers estimate that by 2050, the lake may freeze just once per decade. In addition, annual precipitation

has increased and there are more frequent intense storm events. As the Basin Program notes, heavy rainfall can affect water quality by causing erosion, flooding and sewer overflows that carry pathogens and sediments through tributaries and into the lake.

Lake Champlain Sea Grant predicts that annual average precipitation will continue to increase in the region, including more

extreme precipitation events that could increase the frequency and intensity of floods.

Flooding like we experienced last month causes runoff into the lake and increased siltation. Compare the two accompanying pictures of a hand truck at the shipwreck of the canal boat OJ Walker, located just outside of Burlington Harbor. On the left is a photo from the late 1980s and on the right from 2019.

In the image from the 1980s, you can see the two-wheel hand truck is sitting on the lake bottom surrounded by brick and drainage tile, which is what this ship was carrying when it sank. In the picture on the right, you can see all those details are obscured by the extensive siltation that’s happened in recent years.

The hand truck is also obscured by globs of zebra mussels, an invasive species that will continue to spread as the lake keeps warming.

Siltation obscures history, access and complicates future research. And, most recently, it has prevented us from opening two of the dive sites in the Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserves as flood waters continue dumping silt and mud on the shipwreck sites of the Water Witch and the Diamond Island Stone Boat. Warmer winters mean less ice and higher water temperatures, which creates a longer growing period for the summer biological activity, including the growth of invasive species and harmful cyanobacteria blooms. While invasive species have been infesting the lake since the 1800s, in 2020 there were 51 documented invasive species in Lake Champlain.

Among these invasives, zebra mussels are a significant threat to shipwrecks as they create these enormously thick colonies that coat the shipwrecks and their structures. Compare the two accompanying images below of an anchor before and after the arrival of zebra mussels.

Within these zebra mussel colonies, a sulfate-reducing bacteria begins to thrive, feeding on the iron components of shipwrecks. Over time the destruction of the iron and the tremendous weight of thousands of mussels can cause a shipwreck to collapse. And while Lake Champlain’s deep, cold water has protected deeper shipwrecks in the past — zebra mussels don’t like cold water and they have colonized the

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COURTESY PHOTOS

Above, the hand truck from the OJ Walker shipwreck in the 1980s. Below, the same hand truck in 2019.

CLIFT

continued from page 5

where we were going, why and for how long, and reassure customs officials that we had nothing illegal with us. Once cleared to proceed we headed to the Falls to ride in the Maid of the Mist boat that went behind the Falls spraying us with water.

In Toronto we checked into the Royal York Hotel where a little man in a maroon uniform roamed the lobby every day calling out, “Call for Mr. Smith!” “Call for Mr. Jones!”

The next morning, before heading to my grandfather’s cottage, we ate breakfast in The Honeydew Restaurant. Only then were we ready for the obligatory visits that lay ahead.

Later, in my early twenties, I took my first solo trip to Europe. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven as I experienced Amsterdam, London, Paris, Rome and the Swiss landscape, relying on travel books that promised you could do this kind of thing economically. Relishing every moment and every conversation with fellow travelers from different cultures, I thought I’d go mad with the pleasure of it all.

I marveled at the sight of Michelangelo’s David, wept in San Marco Square, thrilled at the pageantry of the changing of the guard, sat in cafes on the Champs Elysee and smiled back at Mona Lisa. I even fell in love twice. More importantly

In good hands with Shelburne Rescue

To the editor:

I knew that my life had changed and that I would never stop traveling.

Luckily, I married a Brit who loves traveling as much as I do and with whom I was able to travel internationally because of his work, then mine. We even lived for a year in Thailand when I got a teaching gig. We traveled like cockroaches then, scurrying around Southeast Asia, discovering new foods, new art and music, new friends, beautiful rituals and other ways of living.

Travel also offers a diverse and sometimes dramatic education. History, art, literature, religious beliefs all come alive as we are exposed to other cultures, rituals and norms. We become more curious, learn new ways of thinking or expressing ourselves, and grow in ways we never imagined.

Traveling also offers challenges. Before there was a single currency in Europe, I had to learn how to convert currencies, to communicate without a common language and to know the difference between the Alps and the Pyrenees. It was instructive and fun. I also had to develop bargaining skills and to know how to deal with dangerous situations. Luckily, in my experience, there is always someone to help.

Travel, if it’s possible, can be simply a pleasurable experience or a profound life-altering event. For me it was both, and I view it as a great blessing.

Letters to the Editor

We recently had cause to request assistance from Shelburne Rescue. The ambulance, as well as the police and fire department arrived within minutes. This event reaffirmed my thoughts that we are fortunate to live in Shelburne and are blessed to have such dedicated professionals in our midst.

While the ambulance team worked their magic, the members of the volunteer fire department and police stood ready to assist and answered my many questions about protocol, timing, etc. Although shaken, I felt that our friend was in the best possible hands. Thank you to those who dedicate their time and expertise to the Town of Shelburne.

John Stetson Shelburne

Check Locally First

That’s why I’ve always agreed with Mark Twain who claimed that travel is enticing, not least because it is “fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.”

Like Twain, whose account of one trip gave us “Innocents Abroad,” I think “it would be well if such an excursion could be got up every year and the system regularly inaugurated.”

Traveling may have seemed a thing of the past during the pandemic. Now we may find ourselves changing venues

SABICK

continued from page 6

lake only to 100 feet below the surface. As water temperature increases each year, the mussels will be able to move into deeper water and colonize those previously protected wrecks.

What is lost?

Flooding events and climate change create unsafe conditions where we can’t get in the water as researchers or avocational divers. We lose direct access to our underwater historical resources.

When invasive species, siltation and floods erode, damage and obscure shipwrecks we also lose data, evidence and the ability to continue learning about our

because of the climate crisis or different opportunities. We may prefer more café crawls and fewer cathedral and museum visits along with more chatting with the locals. But I am among those travelers who are not ready to let a passport expire because I never know when I might have a fierce urge to weep again in Venice, to learn something new, to make new friends or to count cats in Zanzibar.

Elayne Clift writes about her travels from Vermont. More at elayne-clift.com.

past. New generations of archaeologists, scientists and historians will not be able to help us uncover new information when the evidence is gone.

When we lose access and evidence, we also lose our sense of our place, identity and change. Connecting to our past helps us feel connected to our community in the present and plan for a better future for our community and lake. When evidence of the past no longer exists, what happens to those connections and our future?

Chris Sabick is interim co-director and director of research and archaeology at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

Buying and shopping locally helps independent businesses, which in turn helps all of us shape our community’s distinct flavor, personality and character. We’re all in this together.

Hardwick’s Ackermann Dairy honored as Farm of the Year

Ackermann Dairy, a 120-head organic dairy farm in Hardwick, has been named the 2023 Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year.

Jimmy and Sara Ackermann have been farming for 16 years, including nine at their current location. They were recognized by University of Vermont Extension and the Vermont Dairy Industry Association with this award for their overall excellence in dairying, including their efficient and sustainable farm management, outstanding herd and high-quality milk production.

They currently milk 60 to 65 Holsteins twice daily in a tie stall barn with four units. Their rolling herd average is 22,600 pounds with 4.1 percent butterfat and 3.1 to 3.2 percent protein. In 2022, they began shipping their milk to Stonyfield Organic and have already earned several quality milk awards.

The Ackermanns plan to switch to robotic milkers within the next two years, a move that will allow them to grow their milking herd to 80, a size that falls within their

goals to stay sustainable and on budget. They’ll breed for teat length and square, even udders, characteristics that work better for robotic milkers.

They raise all their own replacements, breeding their heifers to calve at 24 months with cows bred back at 60 days fresh. Calves are fed colostrum within a few hours of birth, then water at three days. They get calf starter and dry hay at one week old, then waste milk for two months, which the farmers believe gives them a head start when they are weaned.

They grow enough grass to supply all their own forage needs with surplus to sell some years. Most years they get four cuts of hay from their 300 acres of owned and leased land, yielding an average of three tons per acre of haylage.

Cows are fed a total mixed ration of silage and dry hay. They pasture their animals at night in warmer weather, bringing them in

PHOTO BY PEGGY MANAHAN/UVM EXTENSION

The Ackermann Dairy in Hardwick is this year’s Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year. Playfully showing off their new sign, from left, Allie, Sara, Andee and Jimmy Ackermann.

See FARM on page 9

Enjoy Age Well meals at Charlotte Senior Center

The Age Well meal pickup for Thursday, Aug. 31, is from 10-11 a.m., Charlotte Senior Center, 212 Ferry Rd., and features pork loin with sauce, mashed potatoes, spinach, wheat biscuit, apple cake, and milk.

You must have pre-registered by the prior Monday at 802-425-6345 or meals@charlotteseniorcentervt.org

The meal on Thursday, Sept. 7, features chicken marsala with mushroom sauce, diced potatoes, peas and onions, potato roll with butter, pumpkin Craisin cookie and milk.

The suggested donation is $5. Check the website for last-minute cancellations at charlotteseniorcentervt.org.

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, Sept. 12.

The meal will be available for pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St. from 11 a.m. until noon and are available for anyone 60 or older. Suggested donation is $5.

The menu is Swedish steak with mushroom sauce, seasoned penne pasta, broccoli, wheat bread, vanilla fluff with blueberries and strawberries and milk.

To order a meal contact Kathleen at agewellstcath@gmail.com or 802-503-1107.

Deadline to order is Wednesday, Sept. 6. If this is a first-time order, provide your name, address, phone number and date of birth.

Shelburne church hosts Red Cross blood drive

Give the lifesaving gift of blood at the Shelburne community blood drive sponsored by St. Catherine of Siena Parish is holding a blood drive Tuesday, Sept. 19, noon-5 p.m., 72 Church St., Shelburne.

To sign up, call 800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org and enter Shelburne to schedule an appointment.

Contact Laureen with any questions at lmathon104@gmail.com.

Shelburne Beach winds down summer as autumn beckons

The public bathroom at Shelburne Beach will be closed after Monday, Aug. 28. The beach will no longer be staffed for the

FARM

continued from page 8

during the day, the opposite of what most farmers do. They feel that it’s more comfortable for them outside at night as it is cooler with fewer flies.

Future plans include building a new freestall barn with separate areas for the calves, cows and heifers to house them all under one roof. Although it will be built on the footprint of the existing 1940s-era barn, its design will

Community Notes

season. If you plan to have a large group of 20 or more people, please contact the town recreation office to schedule as the town tries to limit large groups at the same day and time due to limited parking and restroom availability.

There will be one port-o-potty available at the end of the parking area at the beach through the end of September.

The beach policies are still in effect throughout the year, including no dogs or pets at the park, Shelburne Residents and their guests only, and please carry in/ carry out your trash.

Construction on the Beach house bathroom will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 5th. Please excuse the mess while we are under construction. The area will be fenced off so Shelburne Residents may still use the park for picnics, lake access, and the playground while construction is going on. However, there will be trucks and equipment so use caution driving in and out of the facility, and supervise children closely.

Any questions about Shelburne Beach or the beach house construction, contact the Shelburne Recreation Department at 802-985-9551 or email bcieplicki@shelburnevt.org .

Shelburne Rec fall/winter program registration open

Registration for fall and winter programs is now open.

Adult Programs include men’s basketball, volleyball, table tennis, yoga flow for flexibility, pickleball clinics, Beginning Sun Style Tai Chi and more. Visit shelburnevt. org/181/Adult-Programs for complete program details and registration information.

Youth Programs include High Hat Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, after-school program, Crossfit Kids and youth basketball. shelburnevt. org/183/Youth-Programs for complete program details and registration information.

Parents and youth athlete workshop series — choose one or all options:

• Sports Specialization: Good or Bad for Kids? Tuesday, Sept. 19.

• Stay in the Game with Three Fun Nutrition Tips to Boost Stamina, Tuesday, Oct. 17

• Handling Poor Sports Performance in Healthy Ways. Monday, Nov. 13

All workshops are 7-8 p.m. and are open to youth athletes ages 13–24 and parents of kids of any age. They are all free and take place in the Shelburne municipal building and are facilitated by Steve Fuchs, a health coach and advice columnist for youth athletes ages 13-24. He can be reached vermonthealthcoach.com.

R.S.V.P. at 802-985-9551.

For a complete listing of fall programs, shelburnevt.org/160/Parks-Recreation.

Ready to rot? UVM offers master composter course

Want to start a compost pile, but not sure how to start?

Consider signing up for the online Vermont Master Composter course, which starts Sept. 1. The course will run for eight weeks with all course materials available to participants until November 16.

You will learn the basics of backyard composting, including site and bin selection, “recipes” to make healthy compost and tips for keeping rodents, bears and other animals out of your compost. The course also will cover the biology of composting, the decomposition process and Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law (Act 148).

The registration fee is $50 for Vermonters and $150 for out-of-state residents and includes all materials. You can register at https://go.uvm.edu/mastercomposter. The deadline is Aug. 31.

If you want to become a certified Vermont Master Composter to teach people in your community how to become better composters, then sign up for the volunteer track. To become a Vermont Master Composter volunteer, you must commit to a minimum of 10 hours, providing education and service around small-scale composting. To fulfill these volunteer hours, you may give presentations at local libraries, schools and other nonprofits or work with school and community composting projects around the state.

If you live out of state or are not interested in the volunteer component, you may take the online course at your leisure and earn a Backyard Composter Certificate of Completion.

The course is sponsored by the University of Vermont Extension Community Horticulture Program with financial support from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. For more information or to request a disability-related accommodation to participate, contact Deb Heleba at debra.heleba@ uvm.edu or (802) 656-1777.

New Arrivals from

allow for enhanced cow comfort, something that the Ackermanns say is critical to the health and contentment of the cows, which in turn, results in higher milk production.

Other finalists for this year’s award were Liberty Hill Farm (Kennett Family), Rochester; Lucky Hill Farms (Henry and Jennifer McReynolds), Danville; and Skyline Holsteins (Sheena Brown), Derby.

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

Chrysalis Surprise: finding a parasitoid wasp

The Outside Story

Rachel Sargent Mirus

A caterpillar eats and eats, becomes a chrysalis, and after a period of metamorphosis emerges as a beautiful butterfly. Except, sometimes it doesn’t quite work that way.

Occasionally, while sitting on my deck, I spot smallish, orange butterflies landing on our hop plants. Their upper wings, about two inches across, are bright orange with dark blotches and eyespots, but camouflage brown on their underside. These are eastern comma butterflies (Polygonia comma), named for a silvery marking on the hind wing. If I look closely after one has flapped away, I can find one or two tiny, peridot eggs that it left behind on a hop leaf.

I first encountered the eastern comma as a caterpillar two summers after we planted hops. The caterpillars I saw were mostly dark-bodied — although there is color variation among this species — and had pale, irregular stripes. The caterpillars also sport spiky, branching spines, which help to deter predators. That summer, I found caterpillars on nearly every leaf I checked, from tiny, newly hatched ones to later-instar caterpillars ready to pupate. I brought a few of them inside and kept them in jars to watch them grow, regularly supplying them with fresh hop leaves.

By late August, I had timelapse videos of several caterpillars shedding their skins to become inconspicuous brown chrysalises. They hung from sticks I’d placed in the jars. By September, I was finding similar chrysalises all over the deck, hanging from railings and planters. I waited patiently, watching the chrysalises and checking the jars on the living room windowsill daily. After about a week, butterflies emerged from some of the jarred chrysalises. One chrysalis, however, unexpectedly produced a black wasp with dark wings.

The wasp was an ichneumonid, a member of a large family of parasitoid wasps. Parasitoids have a lifestyle halfway between a parasite and a predator. A female parasitoid wasp lays its eggs within the early life stages of another insect, such as the eggs or caterpillars of butterflies. The parasitoid’s eggs quietly hatch into larvae that develop within

the caterpillar as it gets fatter and fatter, but eventually the ichneumonids go through their own metamorphosis, almost always consuming and killing the host caterpillar by the time they’re done.

Ichneumonid wasps are many and diverse, so I contacted Sloan Tomlinson, a parasitoid wasp expert, to learn more. While these insects come in a huge range of sizes and shapes, they tend to be slender and generically waspshaped, with an abdomen longer than the combined length of their head and thorax. Many are between a tenth of an inch to an inch and a half in length and have understated colors, so they can be easy to overlook. The smallest known adult insect is a parasitoid wasp, from the “fairy wasp” family Mymaridae, and is smaller than some bacteria.

Even though humans pay them little attention, parasitoid wasps can be a boon to gardeners, since they often prey on plant pests. For example, the voracious tomato and tobacco hornworms are hosts to the North American parasitoid wasp Cotesia congregata (family Braconidae), which kills these destructive caterpillars.

Tomlinson was confident the wasp I found belonged to the Ichneumonini tribe, a difficult group to identify because there are so many of them and they often look similar. It was most likely in the genus Coelichneumon or the genus Pterocormus. The second group includes known parasitoids of Polygonia butterflies.

I noticed that the empty chrysalises that had produced butterflies were different from the one that produced the wasp. When a butterfly emerged from a chrysalis, the chrysalis opened neatly along a hidden seam, and the remnants were delicate, skin-thin, and translucent. The chrysalis that had produced a wasp had been sawn off in a complete circle around the “head” and was thick and tough.

I toured my deck, collecting the empty shells into two piles: delicate versus tough-skinned. Of these two-dozen chrysalises, most were thick and had their heads sawed off, presumably yielding more parasitoid wasps. I made a rough calculation that suggested at least two thirds of the chrysalises had ended with the emergence of wasps instead of butterflies.

I’ve always enjoyed collecting

chrysalises, wondering about the mysterious processes happening inside, and waiting for the occupants to come out. How much more mysterious when the options

include a parasitoid wasp?

Rachel Sargent Mirus lives in Duxbury, Vermont. Illustration by Adelaide Murphy Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned

ILLUSTRATION BY ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL

and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine and sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: www.nhcf.org.

Anne D. Brown

Anne Donnellan Brown was born Oct. 22, 1939, in Holyoke, Mass., to parents Elizabeth (Ricker) and Arthur Donnellan.

Anne died peacefully, at 83, on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, at the McClure Miller Respite House, surrounded by her loving family, after a courageous fight with glioblastoma brain cancer.

Anne was the eldest of her siblings, Beth, Mary, Ginny and Charlie. Although born and raised in Massachusetts, Anne comes from a long generation line of Vermonters, tracing back to the mid 1700s.

Anne lived her life fully and on her own terms. She left Mount Holyoke College as a sophomore in 1959 to elope and marry her husband of 64 years, David Brown, despite her father’s wishes. Anne and David lived in New Haven, Conn., Danville, Vt., and Powder River County, Mont. early in their marriage. Later they lived in Essex Junction, Berwyn, Pa., and Princeton, N.J.

Anne and David returned full circle to Vermont, returning to Peacham and Shelburne in retirement.

In her words, she earned her PhT — putting hubby through — degree first and then proudly finished her Bachelor of Arts at Immaculata College in 1989 at age 50.

Anne worked for years in the bookkeeping and accounting field at various companies and schools. She always had a gift for numbers and organization.

Anne had a strong faith that guided her through life. The Congregational Church was a foundation of her faith and she lived generously with her time and resources to help others. She was a minister’s wife for the first 15 years of her marriage, helping David serve congregations in Montana and Vermont.

Anne and David had two children, Matthew and Elizabeth. She was a loving mother who gently allowed her children to discover their own passions in life. Anne was so proud of Matthew and

Elizabeth.

Anne adored her grandchildren, Leah, Heidi and Elise, daughters of Elizabeth and her husband, Chris Berger, and she was a very important part of their childhood. Anne moved to Shelburne in 2008 to be closer to her grandchildren and was able to be actively involved with all of their school activities and developing interests.

Teatime after school will always be a cherished memory for her grandchildren, a time to be together, discuss the school day, bake together, laugh together, tell stories and, of course, drink tea and eat cookies.

Anne enjoyed gardening, cooking, knitting, playing piano, live theater and concerts, genealogy research and traveling, but mostly enjoyed being with her family. She had many beloved pets over the years that she shared in the family activities.

We thank her doctors, Liebelt, Anker and Thomas at The University of Vermont Medical Center, for all their help giving us the most time together we could have.

Anne was predeceased by her son, Matthew in 1992; her sister, Beth in 2012; nephew, John in 2011; stepbrother, Arthur in 2001; and her parents in 1978 and 1999.

A public celebration of Anne’s life will be at Christmas time, when her family can all be together, at the Charlotte Congregational Church.

Private services with interment will be held Monday, Sept. 4, 2023, in Middle Haddam, Conn.,

Obituaries

at the Donnellan family plot in the Union Hill Cemetery.

Donations in Anne’s memory can be made to the Charlotte Congregational Church, PO Box 12, Charlotte VT 05445, or the Vermont Food Bank, 33 Parker Rd., Barre VT 05641.

Any gesture of kindness to another will embody Anne’s spirit and help make the world a better place, just as she did every day in her gentle quiet way.

Maureen C. Mindell

Maureen Collins Mindell, 83, of Shelburne, died on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, surrounded by family, following a courageous three-year battle with cancer.

Maureen was born on March 18, 1940, in Berkeley, Calif., the first of three children born to Florence Breiding and Jack Collins. Florence was born in Happy Camp, Calif., and her father in Pasadena. They met as students at UC Berkeley in the 1930s. Jack worked as an executive for the Del Monte corporation and Maureen had many fond memories of their time as a family in far off locations, particularly time spent in South Africa in the early 1960s.

Maureen attended public schools in Walnut Grove, Martinez, and Santa Rosa, Calif. She completed nursing school at St. Francis in San Francisco in 1960. Following graduation, she worked at San Francisco General Hospital. In 1961, she spotted a handsome young medical resident

who, in her words, was “wandering around the emergency room with a pair of surgical scissors looking lost.”

It was Howard Mindell from Chicago. They were married in December 1966 at Central Synagogue in Manhattan.

After a brief stint living in New York City, on the advice of a friend and former radiology resident, Howard accepted a job at University of Vermont Medical Center as a radiologist. They moved first to Burlington, eventually settling in Shelburne, where they spent 35 years together raising a family and putting down roots, both literally and figuratively.

Maureen created a home and garden that is hard to top in all of Chittenden County. Her happy place was working in the garden. Up until the end, Maureen was out in the yard gardening, listening to classical music on her headphones.

Maureen went back to school in her 40s and earned a bachelor’s degree at UVM. She spent many years working as a nurse in the operating and emergency rooms, and also worked as part of the employee health team at UVM Medical Center.

She enjoyed running during this period and completed several marathons. She volunteered extensively in the community at the Ronald McDonald House, Committee on Temporary Shelter and the sisterhood at Temple Sinai. She also volunteered at the Hyde School in Bath, Maine, where her youngest son Michael

graduated.

In her later years, she was active with Dragonheart Vermont and enjoyed being out on the water as a part of the sisterhood of rowers, many of them cancer survivors.

Maureen was deeply shaped and affected by the early deaths of both her mother, Florence, who died from multiple myeloma at the young age of 52, and her brother, Navy Lt. Michael Collins, who died in Vietnam at 28. Both deaths occurred within a year of each other, but Maureen carried on with courage and grace, raising her family in Vermont and being a stellar and supportive daughter and sister to her family in California.

Maureen was predeceased by her husband, Dr. Howard Mindell; her parents and brother; and her beloved son, Michael Mindell.

See OBITUARIES on page 12

Anne D. Brown

Maureen C. Mindell

Agencies team up to test garden soils for lead

Gardeners can get their soils screened for lead at the Norwich Farmers Market on Sept. 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The screening is free, thanks to a partnership among the University of Vermont Extension Master Gardener program, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

There is a limit of three samples per person. Ornamental flower gardens do not need to be tested unless they include edible plants.

Pre-registration is not required. Just bring your sample to the venue, located at 281 Rte. 5 South in Norwich.

Only one sample is needed from a large garden, but if you have multiple, edible gardens in different locations, you will need to sample these separately.

For a large area, collect soil from five to 10 random spots throughout the area. For small beds, choose three random spots.

Dig down 6-8 inches deep in each location for a soil sample, and then combine in a clean container. Remove any pebbles, roots or other debris.

Allow to air-dry. Do not use a hair dryer, oven or flame. Once dry, transfer 1-2 cups of the mixed soil into a clean one-quart zipper or slider storage bag.

As a best practice, wear gloves when collecting soil samples. If collecting more than one sample, remember to rinse your shovel and container between samples. You will want to label each bag if multiple

samples, so you know which test results apply to which area.

This event is sponsored by the Soil

52nd Annual

Mad River Valley Craft Fair

Screening, Health, Outreach and Partnership. Visit go.uvm.edu/gardensoilleadscreening to learn more about this event. For questions

about soils, soil testing and gardening topics, contact the Master Gardener Helpline at go.uvm.edu/gardeninghelp.

LAWSUIT

continued from page 1

fact, properly withheld under attorney-client privilege.

In a separate order, the lower court denied the plaintiff’s motion to amend the complaint, concluding that the request was untimely and unclear at which point the court entered into judgment for the town.

Peirce then moved for $11,953 in attorney’s fees, which are available to prevailing parties in Vermont public records cases, arguing that he “substantially prevailed.”

The court denied the motion, explaining that “there was no basis to conclude that the

11am Yoga (bring a mat or towel)

OBITUARIES continued from page 11

She is survived by her daughter, Ann Mindell, son-in-law, Sean Toohey and granddaughter, Ariel Toohey of Shelburne; son, Paul Mindell and grandchildren Boaz and Ayla Mindell of Pasadena, Calif.; grandson, Lucas Herrera-Mindell of New York City; brother, Raymond Collins of Eureka, Calif.; and stepmother, Meghan Collins and her children Betsy, Laura and Peter, all of California.

Maureen came from a large extended California family and is survived by many cousins. She made countless trips to California over the years to see family and friends and experienced many happy times in the Bay Area where she and Howard met, and their future together forged.

The family would like to thank her

lawsuit led to plaintiff obtaining anything beyond what he already had or was entitled to.”

“The trial court found that the town was already in the process of providing materials to (Pierce) when the case was filed, and the town had voluntarily hired a company to provide the documents in the electronic format requested,” the Supreme Court ruling stated. “That plaintiff received these at an early stage in the litigation without any court action does not amount to substantially prevailing.”

excellent caregivers at the UVM Medical Center, with special thanks to family friend Dr. Kristin Holm and current radiology chair Dr. Kristen DeStiger, for their support and guidance, particularly at the outset of her diagnosis. The family thanks the excellent staff and nurses at the McLure Miller Respite House in Colchester, who cared for Maureen with dignity and grace during her final days. Finally, sincerest thanks to the many family members and friends who stood with her and were present during this difficult time.

A service will be held on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Temple Sinai in South Burlington. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Vermont Youth Orchestra.

PHOTO BY DEB HELEBA / UVM EXTENSION

A team of soil scientists from the U. S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service use portable devices to screen garden soils for lead.

SCHOOL continued from page 1

Valley School District, which includes Hinesburg, Charlotte, Shelburne, Williston, and St. George, is facing a budget hole that will either need to be raised through a 16 percent homestead tax rate increase, or by dramatically cutting spending in the district.

“We have been an advantaged district under the old formula. That’s no longer going to be the case,” Marckres said. “We will be disadvantaged by the new weights, and if we want to maintain our current level of per pupil spending, we will really be forced to raise tax rates.”

The timing couldn’t be any worse for facilities work. The district’s school buildings are aging and are in need of investments due to both capacity issues as well as their age.

“They have been well maintained,” Marckres said. “But the fact is they’re getting older, and they need work.”

A draft architectural study for Hinesburg’s Community Study, recently received by the district, shows there is significant work to

be made to the community school. Next up is Champlain Valley Union High School, which Marckres said hasn’t had an architectural study done in 20 years.

“It’s not all doom and gloom. Our facilities are safe and useable,” he said. “But they won’t stay that way forever, so we’ll have to take a good hard look and do some careful planning and look at every aspect of how we use our facilities, how they’re organized and maintained, and what they need.”

The administration will soon create a larger facility study committee — including board members, faculty and staff and other stakeholders from the broader community — as a starting point for a capital plan.

“This will cost money and I don’t know if we can find an offset for this,” he said. “But a full-blown facilities and capital planning visioning study for a district this size is probably a quar-

ter million dollars that we would be looking at spending over the long term to actually get the info to have an informed capital plan that’s supported.”

The new education formula signed into law last year provides for a cap of 5 percent per year through fiscal year 2029 to ensure tax increases are not overly onerous.

School administration officials hopes to use the next five years, while the cap is still in place, to identify resources “that don’t align with our goals in the strategic plan or have become inefficient of obsolete,” Marckres said. Replacing transportation fleets with electric vehicles, for example, and working on other capital improvements.

Administration officials said during the meeting they would begin requiring offsetting reductions for any new expenses. School board members asked whether there was a way to lobby the state legislature on the impacts the district faces.

“Is there any way to fight this? Is there an error in the formula or an error in the assumption and is there a way to change the assumption... or impact upon (the legis-

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lature),” school board member David Connery asked.

Board chair, and House Rep. Angela Arsenault, said there’s a conversation in the Statehouse on the negative impacts faced by these school districts noting there are several school board members in the Legislature “disadvantaged districts”

“There are conversations already happening — it will probably take legislative action,” Arsenault said. “I don’t get the sense

that it was fully thought through what that difference would be (for well-resourced districts) and what it would mean to the tax rate to make up that difference.”

Marckres noted, however, that the effects of Act 127 are not immediate.

“It’s important to point out that we do have time,” he said. “Unless there’s further legislative action on this topic, we have five years to prepare. And I think that’s important to remember.”

TOWN OF SHELBURNE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

Notice of Public Hearings to be held September 20, 2023, 7:00 PM Town Center Meeting Room #1 and Remote Meeting via Zoom

FBZ 23-02: Application by David Shenk for Sketch Plan review of a proposed 24-unit multifamily building under the Form Based Code. Subject property at 4309 Shelburne Road is in the Mixed Use District, SR-FBOD Mixed Use Neighborhood Overlay District, and the Stormwater Overlay District.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82207227583?pwd=WEpiaXEzdlZFK0xMbmY0b2N3ZkFxdz09

Meeting ID: 822 0722 7583

Passcode: u1k79j

August 31st, 2023

Chittenden County Editor

VTDigger is seeking a Chittenden County editor with experience as a reporter or editor. Specific duties include editing, proofreading, fact-checking and publishing stories, as well as scheduling social media, compiling newsletters and staying on top of breaking news. The Chittenden County Editor will also identify and report stories in the region, including investigative pieces. This position requires working with the rest of the editing team to ensure stories are accurate and fair, as well as the ability to work collaboratively with other editors and reporters. Applicants should mail a cover letter, resume and three clips to VTDigger, 26 State Street, Montpelier, VT, 05602.

“It’s not all doom and gloom. Our facilities are safe and useable. But they won’t stay that way forever.”

— Gary Marckres

If it’s important to you or your community look for it in The Shelburne News.

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

Aries, you may want to move your relationship in a different direction, but your partner is resistant. This could be a con ict, or something that opens up a dialogue.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

Taurus, you might feel like doing all you can to make a problem go away, and think that acting immediately is the way to go. But ponder a few options beforehand.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

Gemini, a professional opportunity that seems to have many positive nancial outcomes actually could have a down side to it. It’s best if you do your research before acting.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

You may think that others do not understand you, Cancer. But that may be a good thing. You can focus on explaining your position and maybe make a few friends along the way.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

Leo, you tend to be attracted to things that tempt fate or may even be considered forbidden. When others want you to walk the straight and narrow for a bit, it could be tough.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Virgo, an opportunity to get away presents itself. Enjoy this much-needed respite and don’t he afraid to go the extra mile to ensure the trip is as memorable as possible.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

You may want to do it all, Libra, but sometimes you have to let others know you have limits. When you don’t, it is easy to get taken advantage of or run yourself ragged.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Scorpio, are you ready for an adventure? Identify some new hobbies and then learn all you can about getting out there and doing those types of activities with frequency.

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

A loved one may want to be more cozy with you this week, but you’re content to have ample space and do your own thing, Sagittarius. Let your views be heard on this situation.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

Capricorn, you may want to tell a loved one what they want to hear right now to make a dif cult situation go away. However, that only postpones the inevitable tough talk.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

You have been feeling like it is time to break away from your regular routine, Aquarius. It could be because there has been added stress on your shoulders. A vacation may be needed.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

There are some limits to doing all of the work on your own, Pisces. First off, you may lack the time and the expertise. Bring on helpers this week if anyone is available.

CLUES ACROSS

1. Midway between east and southeast

4. At right angles to a ship’s length

9. William Penn’s business partner

14. __ de plume

15. Accomplished soccer coach

16. Bone cavities

17. __ juris: independent

18. Popular Philly sandwich

20. Northern Ireland county

22. Performing artist

23. S S S

24. Lacks avor

28. Commercials

29. Anno Domini (in the year of Our Lord)

30. Qatar’s capital

31. Indigenous peoples of Alberta

33. Popular footwear

37. Indicates position

38. Anglican cathedral

39. Aircraft part

41. Before

42. Blood group

43. Secretory organ

44 .Fencing swords

46. The small projection of a mammary gland

49. Technological

advancement

50. Male parent

51. Dissociable

55. More cold

58. Cape Verde Islands capital

59. Blood disorder

60. Creative

64. Sun up in New York

65. Made angry

66. Relieves

67. Brooklyn hoopster

68. Seasonsings

69. Movable barriers

70. Attempt

CLUES DOWN

1. Occur as a result of

2. Spiritual essences

3. Representative

4. Entering

5. Nobel Prize-winning physicist

6. Midway between northeast and east

7. Consumed

8. Tablelands

9. Kids’ craft accessory

10. Not known

11. Sound directed through two or more speakers

12. A major division of geological time

13. Wild ox

ANSWERS

19. Shock treatment

21. Turner and Lasso are two

24. Genus of owering plants

25. Relating to ductless glands

26. Stock certi cate

27. Satis es

31. Places to enjoy a rest

32. Edward __, author and writer

34. “__ but goodie”

35. One hundredth of a liter

36. Shabbiness

40. TV personality Roker

41. Triangular upper part of a building

45. Speed at which you move

47. Offend

48. A reference point to shoot at

52. Forays

53. Biblical city

54. Blatted

56. Northern sea duck 57. Shabby (slang) 59. Allege 60. Tax collector 61. Whereabouts unknown 62. Chinese philosophical principle 63. Indicates equal

Five tree managing techniques Into

the Woods

Ethan Tapper

Some of my favorite forest managers are landowners, people who work on a small scale to make their forests a little heathier and more vibrant each year. While a thoughtful forest steward can have a truly positive relationship with their woods, the breadth of their impact is limited by their finite time and energy. Through using these five simple techniques, you can maximize the positive impact that you have on your forest.

Leave dead trees alone. Fallen trees, dead-standing trees and dead wood benefit wildlife habitat, soil health and fertility, carbon storage and forest hydrology, among other things. If the tree is dead, leave it alone! Be proactive, not reactive: focus on cutting living trees, especially unhealthy trees which are competing with healthier “crop trees.”

Use the “crop tree release” method, a shift in the way that we look at the forest: instead of focusing on cutting all the trees that “need to go” — trees that are unhealthy, that have wounds or defects, trees of undesired species — we find our forest’s healthiest, most promising trees and release them from competition individually.

“Crop tree” is a bit of a misnomer: while a crop tree could be a tree that we’re encouraging to produce a crop like maple sap, it can also be any healthy tree of almost any species. What makes crop tree release so efficient is that we only cut trees that are

competing with our crop trees. If a tree isn’t competing with a crop tree, leave it alone. Get comfortable with cutting trees and leaving them on the ground. This will be a more efficient use of your time — allowing you to release more crop trees and thus have a greater positive impact on your woods — and will also increase the amount of dead wood in your forest and its associated habitats and benefits.

Girdle some trees. “Girdling” a tree means creating two shallow, parallel cuts around its circumference, just deep enough to touch its wood. This severs the tree’s cambium, eventually killing the tree and turning it into a “snag” (a dead-standing tree), which is another important habitat. Girdling will turn trees into hazards, so it’s not a method to be used around your house or your recreational trails.

Get comfortable with “messiness.” In working with hundreds of landowners, I find that nearly everyone’s instincts tell them that a healthy, well-managed forest looks like a park: with large, evenly spaced trees and a clear, open understory.

In fact, healthy forests are messy, with trees of all different sizes and ages, dead trees, gaps in the canopy and tons of dead wood on the forest floor. “Cleaning-up” our forests — removing dead trees and dead wood, managing them to look like parks — is not just a waste of time: it actually makes our forests less healthy, less resilient and less rich with habitat. When you manage your forest, avoid piling brush or lopping up trees and branches so that they lie flat

on the ground. While they make your forest look neater, these practices actually diminish many of the benefits that these trees and tree tops offer to wildlife and forest ecology. If you can learn to appreciate the messiness, you’ll see that not “cleaning-up” your forest will save you tons of time and energy, and

make your forest healthier at the same time.

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

PHOTO BY ETHAN TAPPER

A healthy forest is sometimes a messy one, so get trimming, but don’t be too tidy.