Haag Award
Bathroom diary
Committee looks for community leaders
‘Skip, skip, skip to your loo, my darlin’
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Volume 53 Number 3
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CLA impacting ‘dramatic’ tax rate hikes LIBERTY DARR AND COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITERS
School district officials are calling on the Legislature to take immediate action to help alleviate potentially devastating school tax rate increases expected for South Burlington and towns that make up the Champlain Valley School District, driven largely by the state’s newest common level of appraisal estimates that are
compounding the implications of Act 127. In a letter to the state delegation, school district members and city councilors in South Burlington say that the impact of Act 127 “paired with a drastic decrease in the CLA this year has resulted in an unprecedented proposed homestead tax rate increase of more than 18 percent in South See CLA on page 13
CVSD moves forward with $3.6 million bond Residents to vote on budget, bonds in March COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
The Champlain Valley school board and administration are moving forward with a $3.6 million bond to complete previously approved infrastructure projects and are asking voters to OK the district’s borrowing for the work. The bond, if approved, would go toward financing a list of capital improvement projects throughout the district’s schools. Residents gave the green light for the projects in March 2022 when they approved $7.5 million bond. But local market pressures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have driven costs up and slowed down the shipment of goods and materials, district officials said. “It’s a difficult ask when the community has already approved
these projects,” Gary Marckres, the district’s chief operations officer, said. “It was really beyond the district’s control with the scarcity of companies, the amount of work that was out there ... and the escalation amount.” The school board’s approval means the district will move forward with three ballot items for residents in March. If the $3.6 million bond is approved, the district will continue work on a list of projects, such as the roof of Champlain Valley Union High School, and an upgrade to the school’s HVAC system, among other items. Residents in the school district’s five towns will also have to approve short-term debt financing for new school buses, as well as a budget that officials say may See BOND on page 13
COURTESY PHOTO
Vermont’s free ice fishing day is Saturday, Jan. 27, with an ice fishing festival to be held at Elmore State Park. The day is geared toward giving new ice anglers an opportunity to try ice fishing before purchasing equipment, but any angler may ice fish on any waterbody open to ice fishing statewide without a fishing license that day, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. The festival will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the state park on Lake Elmore. Fish and Wildlife staff, as well as instructors from Vermont’s Let’s Go Fishing Program, will be on-hand to teach ice fishing skills, including knot tying, baiting and using an ice fishing rod, and most important, how to stay safe on the ice. They’ll also operate a fish fry station to cook up participants’ catch, and there will be plenty of cocoa on hand. Registering online (register-ed.com/events/view/206074) will get people on the ice faster.
Pond Road paving controversy restarts LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
The decades-old controversy about paving Pond Road resurfaced again this budget season and the Shelburne Selectboard is considering whether to study whether to pave it. For highway superintendent Paul Goodrich, the truth is simple: Paving will save the town money in the long run. But some residents have expressed serious concern over the environmental impacts of paving the 3-mile stretch of Shelburne’s last remaining gravel road.
Originally bounced around as a potential ballot item vote during this year’s Town Meeting Day vote, Goodrich came to the board to advocate for $400,000 to chip seal the road. “When it gets a few potholes on it, the homeowners and whoever else want to complain because of potholes and you can grade it today and it can rain tomorrow and you got the same pothole back,” he said. “This year, I mentioned a chip seal, which would be a bit cheaper to start with.” Due to the rising cost of gravel, Goodrich said he spent nearly $5,000 just last week to grade the
road. The highway department doesn’t own a grader, so the town utilizes one from the neighboring road commissioner in Charlotte, Junior Lewis. “Maintenance on a gravel road is just going to get as expensive as paving at the end of a 10-year period,” he said, adding that over the last nearly 50 years he has never had to ask permission to pave a road. “So that’s frustrating to me.” A vote to pave the road was put before the town nearly 10 years See POND ROAD on page 16
Page 2 • January 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
Nominations sought for town’s annual Colleen Haag Award Every year, Shelburne celebrates and recognizes longtime town clark Colleen Haag’s 35 years of professional and faithful service to the community. The town established the Annual Colleen Haag Public Service Award in 2016 so that “Shelburne would recognize one of its own with a public service award to be presented to someone who by his or her actions exemplify the spirit of public service, who has shared his or her time, talent and energy for the betterment of our community, who inspires purpose, who drives lasting solutions, someone who makes a difference.” The Colleen Haag Public Service Award Team is calling for nominations for the 2024 award. The team will consider nominations based on the following criteria as expressed in the establishment of the award: • The nominee should be a resident of Shelburne. The committee recognizes, however, that some of Shelburne’s volunteers live in neighboring towns, so exceptional volunteer service by those living outside the community will be considered. • The nominee should be someone who values and exemplifies
‘Come on in ...’
the values of the community. • The priority will be to select an individual who has volunteered their time, but others who have served in other capacities may be considered. • The nominee will most likely continue to serve the community by inspiring others. Send nominations to haagaward@gmail.com. Email is preferred, but written nominations may be sent to: Haag Award Team, c/o Shelburne Town Manager, P.O. Box 88, Shelburne VT 05482. The deadline for submissions is Monday, Feb. 12, and the award will be announced at town meeting on March 4. Only Shelburne residents may nominate someone for the award. “Please use the above criteria when nominating your candidate as that will make it much easier to understand their contributions,” the award team wrote in a press release. “We may not know the person who you are nominating, so the more details on the nominee and their community service, the better.” The team is composed of former Haag Award recipients Susan Stock, Rosalyn Graham and Peggy Coutu.
Calling all 5-year-olds from Shelburne! Kindergarten Awaits! What an exciting time for your family, and SCS! Shelburne Community School will be opening our Kindergarten Registration for the 2024-2025 school year starting February 1st, 2024. Champlain Valley School District (CVSD) is asking families to register their Kindergartners by February 24th, in an effort to get more accurate enrollment numbers for our schools. These enrollment numbers help us to plan our staffing and scheduling needs for the upcoming school year. Please contact Katie Schut at kschut@cvsdvt.org to preregister your child at Shelburne Community School for the 20242025 school year. Kindergarteners for next school year must turn 5 years old BEFORE September 1, 2024, per CVSD policy. We will need your child’s name, date of birth, guardian/caregiver name(s), address(es), phone number(s) and email address(es). Keep a lookout in your inbox (and SPAM folder) around February 1st, when we will be emailing the online instructions to all families that have pre-registered. We look forward to welcoming your new Kindergartener to SCS!
COURTESY PHOTO
Another of Jim Fitzpatrick’s colorful, inspired wood pile projects, this time on Woodbine Street in South Burlington.
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Shelburne News • January 18, 2024 • Page 3
Flutist, pianist team up for an afternoon of enchantment Eleva Chamber Players presents two celebrated Vermontbased musicians — flutist Laurel Ann Maurer and pianist Michael Sitton — in “Afternoon Enchantment,” a flute and piano program that includes works by Donizetti, Schubert, Franckenpohl and Piazzolla. They will also perform the world premiere of “The Fourth Highway” written by Vermont composer David Gunn for Maurer. The concert will take place on Saturday, Feb. 10, 3 p.m., at the United Church of Christ/Waterbury Congregational Church, 8 North Main St., Waterbury. Maurer has been lauded by The New York Times as “a secure technician and an assured
communicative interpreter.” She studied with Julius Baker, Jeanne Baxtresser and Samuel Baron, and participated in master classes of Marcel Moyse. Among her 13 commercially released CDs are “More American Flute Works” and the Jeff Mannokian “Flute Concerto,” both of which were nominated for a Grammy Award. Maurer was principal flutist of the Salt Lake Symphony for 12 years, and has more recently performed with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble, Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, and Vermont Philharmonic, where she is principal flutist. Sitton retired to central
Vermont in 2020 following a career in higher education. His last appointment was as dean of The Crane School of Music in Potsdam, N.Y. Holding degrees in piano performance including the Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois and the Diplôme de Concert from Paris’ Schola Cantorum, he has performed throughout his career as a solo pianist, chamber musician and collaborative artist. A board member of the Vermont Music Teachers’ Association, he teaches piano as a member of the faculty of Montpelier’s Monteverdi Music School and is active as a composer. Admission is $25, and $20 for seniors and students. Tickets are
Laurel Ann Maurer
Michael Sitton
available at elevachamberplayers. com or at the door. Concert infor-
mation is available at elevachamberplayers.com.
Education and Enrichment announces spring lecture schedule Education & Enrichment for Everyone kicks off its 2024 lecture series with Dartmouth professor of government Linda L. Fowler on Friday, Feb. 9, to offer her take on the current state of our democracy. EEE is a nonprofit lifelong learning organization founded in 1990 and open to all. Weekly lectures are held diverse topics each fall and spring on Fridays from 2-3 p.m., both live at Faith United Methodist Church, 899 Dorset St., South Burlington, and on Zoom.
Spring 2024 lecture schedule Friday, Feb. 9: “The Politics of Dysfunction: Is the State of America’s Democracy as Scary as So Many Observers Claim?” with Linda L. Fowler, profes-
sor of government and Frank J. Reagan Chair, emerita, Dartmouth College. Friday, Feb. 16: “The Great Vermont Flood of 2023,” Gabe Langbauer, meteorologist in charge, National Weather Service, Burlington. Friday, Feb. 23: “China and the West —– Historical Lessons for the Present,” Erik Esselstrom, professor of East Asian history and director of Asian Studies Program, University of Vermont. Friday, March 1: “What Can You Do with $20 Million: From Homelessness to Homeownership,” Michael Monte, CEO, Champlain Housing Trust. Friday, March 8: “Contemporary Policing,” Shawn Burke, chief, South Burlington Police Department.
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Friday, March 15: “The Underwater Archaeology of Lake Champlain,” Chris Sabick, executive director, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Friday, March 22: “Inside the
Capitol: An Update on Vermont’s 2024 Legislative Session,” Sarah Mearhoff, political reporter, VTDigger. Friday, April 5: “Artificial Intelligence: The Birth of a New Era,” Sergio Tenreiro de Magalhaes, chief learning officer, associate professor and chair of cybersecurity and digital Forensics, Champlain College. Friday, April 12: “Why the Middle East Will Always Matter?” Peter Henne, professor, Department of Political Science and Global and Regional Studies, director of Middle East Studies Program, UVM. Friday, April 19: “The Making of 1177BC: A Graphic History of the Year Civilization Collapsed,” Glynnis Fawkes, cartoonist.
Friday, April 26: “Tech Hub Opportunities and Collaboration Plans for UVM and Global Foundries,” Kirk Dombrowski, vice president for research and economic development, UVM. For more information, visit eeevermont.org, email info@eee vermont.org or call 802-343-5177. To enroll in the Spring 2024 series, mail a check for $55 per person payable to EEE by Friday, Feb. 2, to EEE, c/o Cathy Chamberlain, 2504 Brand Farm Road, South Burlington VT 05403. Include your mailing address, phone number and email address. Memberships will also be accepted at the church. Non-members are welcome at the church lectures for a fee of $8, cash or check, payable at the door.
Page 4 • January 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
Shelburne Police Blotter: Jan. 8 - 14 Total reported incidents: 54 Traffic stops: 6 Warnings: 4 Tickets: 2 Medical emergencies: 18 Mental health incidents: 3 Suspicious incidents: 8 Domestic incidents: 1 Agency assists: 4 Citizen assists: 2 Welfare check: 2 Car crash: 2 Fire: 1 Theft: 1 Fraud: 1 Harassment: 1 Alarms: 4 False alarms: 3 Pending investigations: 2 Jan. 8 at 4:32 p.m., no injuries were reported at the scene of a two-car crash on Shelburne Road. Jan. 9 at 3:19 a.m., Shelburne police issued tickets and warnings for cars parked on Martindale Road in violation of the town’s winter parking ban. Jan. 9 at 12:11 p.m., a caller reported their vehicle stolen from a parking lot at Pine Haven Shores Road. Jan. 10 at 7:09 a.m., a power pole on Cheesefactory Road caught fire. Shelburne Fire and Rescue were dispatched, and Green Mountain Power was notified. Jan. 11 at 2:16 a.m., a woman called police because a suspi-
cious man was on the property of an Oak Hill Road residence where she was housing sitting. Police arrived and escorted the man off the property. Jan. 11 at 8:26 a.m., a man whose car had been stolen from Charlotte told police he tracked the vehicle to the Quality Inn parking lot. The vehicle was returned to its owner. Jan. 12 at 1:46 a.m., more tickets and warnings were issued against cars in violation of the town’s winter parking ban on Martindale Road and Collamer Circle. Jan. 12 at 12:30 p.m., an Autumn Hill Lane resident reported a fraud complaint. The case is under investigation. Jan. 13 at 11:29 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported at Quality Inn. Officers assisted in mediating the dispute. Jan. 14 at 12:38 p.m., police responded to a two-car crash on Bishop Road. The patients involved refused transport to the hospital. Jan. 14 at 10:06 p.m., a Lilly Creek Lane resident told police their family member had received a threatening phone call. The matter is under investigation. Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney Office and can be amended or dropped.
Shelburne News
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CRIME & COURTS
Video of lifesaving effort by state trooper released MICHAEL DONOGHUE CONTRIBUTOR
Vermont State Police have released the dramatic video of the lifesaving effort by trooper Michelle Archer pulling an 8-year-old girl from an icy pond last month. Archer dove into the freezing water off East View Road in Cambridge shortly before 9 a.m. Dec. 17, saving the girl. She was assisted by trooper Keith Cote. The girl, whose name was not released, was rushed to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington with injuries initially believed to be life-threatening. She has since made a complete recovery and returned home. The Vermont State Police Victims Services Unit, which was engaged with the family from the start, shared the video with the family before it was released to news media outlets Jan. 12, spokesman Adam Silverman said. The release followed a series of requests under Vermont’s Public Records Law for the video. This week, Archer said that state troopers are trained to react. “There wasn’t a whole lot of thinking going on. Something was taking over, training. It was the opposite of panic,” the six-year police veteran said. Archer said she agreed with Cote’s assessment that trying to save a child is a basic reaction for most human beings. The girl and a few siblings were playing near and on the surface of the pond, which is on private property near their home, police said. The thin ice gave way, and two children fell into the water. The 80-year-old homeowner was able to reach and pull to safety a 6-year-old girl who was close to shore. The 8-year-old was further away, near the center of the deep pond and the homeowner called 911, police said. The department released just over three minutes of video from the body camera worn by Archer. The body camera video of Archer shows going to the back of her SUV cruiser and pulling out a life preserver with a throw rope and sprinting to the edge of the pond while getting information from a witness. Archer discarded her gun belt
40 degrees, according to Lt. Cory Lozier, the state police commander for Lamoille and Chittenden Counties. “As their commander, I could not be prouder of Trooper Archer and Trooper Cote. Their swift actions and efforts were selfless and heroic. Both troopers responded to the scene within minutes of the call and immediately went into action, with zero hesitation or regard for their own safety. Because of their actions that day, a very young girl is alive and well,” Michelle Archer Lozier said. Last July, Archer and Cote and waded into the near-freezing also were the primary responding pond without hesitation and even- officers to a possible drowning tually dove under water and swam complaint involving a 3-year-old to the girl. Cambridge boy at the Smugglers’ The underwater video shows Notch Resort waterpark. The Archer securing the girl and swim- child, who fell through an unseming back to shore. An unidenti- cured cover into an underground fied neighbor assisted her initially water storage tank for a splash pad, as Cote arrived. was taken on July 6 to the UniverAs she came ashore, Archer sity of Vermont Medical Center yelled, “Keith, in Burlington she’s making where he died The underwater noises. She’s one day later. He making noises.” was taken to the video shows Archer Cote can be UVM Medical heard twice tellsecuring the girl Center where ing Archer to get he died one day and swimming into some dry later. His drownclothes. Cote is ing was ruled an back to shore. An pictured picking accident. up the girl off the State police unidentified neighbor hired ground, wrapping Archer her in his arms in January assisted her initially and carrying the 2018 and she child through the subsequently as another trooper snow to the waitcompleted the ing ambulance basic 16-week arrived. from Cambridge course at the Rescue. Vermont Police Academy in PittsThe names of the property ford. During her career, Archer owners, including the 80-year-old was assigned mostly to the Williswoman, have not been released by ton barracks, responsible for state police. patrols in Chittenden and LamoilArcher eventually changed le counties. into warm, dry clothes and did not Cote joined the state police require medical treatment, police in April 2021 after working as a said. Archer was on routine patrol patrol officer for St. Albans City and happened to be nearby at the Police and as a corporal with its time and arrived on scene less than Street Crimes Unit. He was one five minutes after the call, state of three city officers honored in police said. 2018 with the police department’s Vermont State Police leader- highest award for bravery when ship have commended troopers they entered a burning apartment Archer and Cote and the home- building to rescue an elderly owner for their selfless, heroic double amputee, but not before his conduct, and all three have been oxygen tank exploded knocking recommended to receive the agen- the officers off their feet. cy’s Lifesaving Award, Silverman In the end they helped evacuate said. 11 others, then-police chief Gary The water was an estimated Taylor said.
Shelburne News • January 18, 2024 • Page 5
OPINION House, Senate create path to beef up accountability dations for strengthening government accountability are: educate members of the General Assembly on the importance of Rep. Jessica Brumsted government accountability; create a Joint Legislative Government Oversight and For years, the Vermont Legislature has Accountability Committee; define a policy, discussed having a meaningful system to determine accountability for how tax dollars planning and program evaluation staff function to assist the General Assembly with are spent but has struggled to settle on an improved accountability; adjust the timing effective way to do it. of the Programmatic and Performance During the 2023 Measure Budget Report, as well as other session, Act 53 reports; increase consistency and accountpassed, a bill that in ability in rulemaking with support from part established a the Legislative Committee on AdministraJoint Committee on tive Rules; develop processes, checklists Government Accountand timelines to ensure all key legislative ability. As many of reports and deadlines are easily accessible you know, over my to the General Assembly and the public; last seven years in the Legislature, I have Rep. Jessica Brumsted establish a process to ensure that committee members and committee staff regularly and been committed to the formally review past legislation, legislativeimportance of governly mandated reports and other materials; ment accountability, so when Speaker establish a process that allows House and Jill Krowinski asked that I co-chair this Senate committees dealing with issues committee along with Sen. Randy Brock, I related to appropriations, institutions and was very pleased and honored to agree. A group of four representatives and four transportation to follow up on the previous senators spent the better part of the summer year’s budget and historical data; establish a process for legislative committees and fall working together on this important to monitor and report endeavor. This Summer on deadlines relevant Government AccountabilThe legislation, to enacted legislation; ity Committee put forth a require a performance series of common-sense expected to be note for legislation that is recommendations that a priority or costs more will allow legislators and passed this year, than a threshold dollar the public to keep track of amount; and define and what happens after a law is will ensure that right-size the overall passed. staffing necessary for the The House and Senate any law whose legislative branch to carry government operations out the recommendations implementation committees have agreed to in this report. prioritize legislation this would be improved The intent of these year that will put in place common-sense recomsystemic changes that are by vigorous mendations is to reexsimple, clear, independent, amine the principle of objective and fact-based. performance government accountRep Michael McCaability by focusing on rthy, chair of the House standards will have how evidence is used Committee on Government to inform policy, how Operations and Military them in place, and state laws are carried out Affairs, recently said, according to legislative “Vermonters expect transthose standards will intent and how our laws parency and accountability can best be written going from government at all be systematically forward to achieve their levels, from town boards intended outcomes. Many through to the executive reviewed. laws already have built-in and legislative branches. performance standards. Our committee is going to prioritize ethics The legislation, expected to be passed and accountability policies this session this year, will ensure that any law whose to give Vermonters increased confidence implementation would be improved by that public institutions and officials are vigorous performance standards will have working well for them, and we are looking them in place, and those standards will be forward to taking up the recommendations systematically reviewed. Members of the of the Summer Government Accountability Legislature believe that the value of governCommittee in the coming weeks.” ment is proven through its accountability to McCarthy’s committee is the first committee addressing the report and subsequent legislation during this session. See BRUMSTED on page 6 The study committee’s recommen-
From the House
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Page 6 • January 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
Skip, skip, skip to your loo, my darlin’ tenths of the law, whoever was left outside was up an infamous creek, as my mother would say. Carole Vasta Folley In direct contrast to the spa-like bathrooms touted on every home improvement Who waxes poetic about a bathroom? show, our bathroom was an assault to the Especially when there’s no double marble senses. Someone decided wallvanity, oversize soaking tub or to-wall carpet was a good idea. In rainfall shower system, let alone a bathroom! Probably a decision enough floor space for dance best blamed on my father who pro Valentin Chmerkovskiy to also rugged his bald head. teach the samba while Roomba Indeed, toupees and shag were vacuums the rest of the expanse? the trends of the times. UnfortuNo, I’m talking basic here as I nately, the carpet theme continued wistfully recall the small bathon the toilet itself. Never a good room of my youth. idea. Nothing says bad hygiene It’s hard to believe that for better than a furry toilet. most of my childhood there was Carole Vasta Folley Eventually our tub-shower a single bathroom in a house combo was upgraded with frostcontaining nine people. You ed-glass sliding doors. You remember the do the math. It was the most coveted real estate going. And, since possession is nine- kind, perpetually misaligned with rusty,
In Musing
BRUMSTED
continued from page 5 the people and that there must be a system in place that supports that accountability. It is critically important to look back to determine if the laws that have been passed are having the intended impact and, if they are not, why not. By reviewing past legislation and past practices, the Legislature will be informed on what must be done to address legislative intent where necessary or to sunset laws no longer viable. At the same, working with newly acquired information about laws already on the books, members of the General Assembly can move forward with fresh ideas constructed with legislative language that will better serve the people of Vermont.
At the library On the fourth Monday of every month starting on Jan. 22 from 8-9 a.m., representatives Jessica Brumsted and Kate Lalley and senators Tom Chittenden, Virginia
Lyons and Kesha Ram Hinsdale will be at the Shelburne Pierson Library in the community room to listen to concerns, answer questions and strategize next steps for Vermont. Note that we have decided to try having our meetings first thing in the morning rather than at the end of the day to hopefully accommodate more people who might be interested in stopping in to share their thoughts — and a cup of coffee — with us at the beginning of their day. You can also always find out more about all the activity at the Statehouse at legislature.vermont.gov and, of course, you can always reach out through our emails at jbrumsted@leg.state.vt.us and klalley@leg. state.vt.us. Rep. Jessica Brumsted, a Democrat, represents voters in St. George and Shelburne in the Chittenden 5-2 district.
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gunky tracks that eventually became mold farms. This questionable renovation likely happened at the same time as the carpet installation since it provided the exact same level of style and cleanliness, i.e. none. Slivers of bars of soap lingered on the tub edge. Your choice of brand, Ivory Soap or Irish Spring, depending on whether you wanted to feel “99 44/100 percent pure” or “ fresh and clean as a whistle.” In the corner, an empty bottle of Jean Nate After Bath Splash was wedged next to the box of Calgon just waiting to take someone away. The back of the toilet featured a crocheted doll with a roll of toilet paper under her skirt. Why? I never could fathom. It sat next to an ashtray, another relic of its time, when puffs and poos were de rigueur, along with a Renuzit gel air freshener in lemon-sunshine. I remember reading the logo, “Renuzi Dooz-it,” taking a deep breath, and thinking, “Dooz-it, really?” By now, you might be wondering where is the aforementioned waxing poetic about my childhood bathroom? While the above violations to design sense and sanitation are true, what’s also true is that it was perfection: the only room in the house with a lock. Ah, a locked door.
Inside, it was one’s own domain. Quietude. Peace. Privacy. To this day, where do most people go to find it? Of course, we go to the bathroom for the obvious reasons, but there are a host of others that this one locked door can provide wherever you are. We fix our hair or our tie. We practice our presentation, our speech, our interview or audition. We cry. We do crosswords. We get out of doing the dishes. We read. We check social media. We think about what to say. We hide out of embarrassment, fear or discovery. We play Candy Crush, Wordscapes or Super Mario. We tell our secrets to a mirror. We sing. We reevaluate our very lives. We scroll, text and post. We have a single, solitary moment alone. For respite, for peace of mind, for ourselves. Whether at work, at home or out and about — sometimes we all need a minute or 15. And where better to find it than in a bathroom? Be it a stall or even your own luxury loo, long live this escape hatch from our ever- busier lives. Carole Vasta Folley is an award-winning columnist and playwright. Visit carolevf.com for more information.
Letters to the Editor Thank you to Shelburne’s magnificent mentors To the Editor: January is National Mentoring Month, so now is a perfect time to reflect on the myriad of worthwhile outcomes that come from young people having engaged, positive role models in their lives. As the Connected Youth mentoring coordinator at Shelburne Community School, I am thrilled to recognize National Mentoring Month and the amazing contributions of our mentors. We officially recognize mentors by publicly saying thank you, but I know the impact of mentoring efforts require more than a month to show the proper level of appreciation. The adults who are part of Shelburne’s mentoring program are responsible for making deep and lasting impacts that are felt every day in our school and community. Shelburne as a whole is better off because of these mentors. Shelburne is fortunate to have 55 fabulous and dedicated adult mentors who spend almost an hour a week with
a Shelburne Community School middlegrade student. Mentors embrace the power of relationships. They know one person can change a young person’s life. They are empowered to make a difference. Mentors have seen growth, boosted the trajectories of young lives, and made the community stronger. I am proud of them. They should rightly be proud of themselves. There’s reciprocity in healthy mentoring relationships where both mentor and mentee develop a shared sense of purpose and respect. Those healthy connections spill out to the world at large, where positive, confident youngsters become amazing adults. On behalf of the entire Shelburne Community School community, it’s my pleasure to extend a massive dose of thanks to those who’ve made the Connected Youth Mentoring Program truly remarkable. Alice Brown Connecting Youth Mentoring Coordinator Shelburne Community School
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Shelburne News • January 18, 2024 • Page 7
LaPierre, rifle association leave legacy of death our American values and traditions in our steadfast effort to Teach Freedom.” To be clear, mass murder on the scale Walt Amses we’ve seen in the United States is not an The Iowa school murders just over two American value but without huge — and weeks ago came and went without much extremely unlikely — changes in the of a ripple. In a country averaging more country’s gun culture, it has become so than one mass shooting and 135 firearm common a tradition that increasingly, deaths a day, it’s understandable we reprehensible acts of violence go nearly hardly raise an eyebrow anymore. unnoticed as happened at the Iowa middle We’ve inadvertently school. The NRA’s (and come to accept that nearly LaPierre’s) successful There is hardly 50,000 of us are expendpropaganda campaign able each year — the and collusion with a level to which ostensible price we pay the arms industry and the NRA will not for the freedoms outlined Congressional Republiin the Second Amendcans has facilitated the stoop, frequently ment, entitling Americans nation’s vast, civilian to shoot each other more arsenal with over 400 using tragedy as a frequently than anywhere million guns increasingelse on Earth outside of a ly becoming the ready catalyst for pumping war zone. answer to almost any On the other hand, the question. disinformation and resignation of the NationLaPierre’s fear-monal Rifle Association’s gering rhetoric often shilling for the gun longtime leader, spokesreaches pinnacles of man and chief architect absurdity with repeated industry at the of the nation’s murder assertions that the only rate, Wayne LaPierre was reasonable response to expense of people big news — lead story in gun violence is the threat the New York Times — of more gun violence by who are already in coupled as it was with arming teachers, custohis corruption trial that dians and bus drivers. dire circumstances. began earlier this week in Unable to find the Manhattan. common decency in the wake of so many Charged with siphoning millions of 6- and 7-year-olds destroyed by an AR-15 dollars away from the NRA to finance at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the an extravagant lifestyle, LaPierre flouted response is, as always, “The only thing nonprofit laws and dodged oversight for that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good much of his 30-year tenure heading the guy with a gun.” gun rights organization. However deplorable, the statement A lawsuit brought by New York achieved its objective with gun sales Attorney General Letitia James alleges increasing by three million in the fourLaPierre diverted and misused millions month period following the carnage with of dollars from the NRA’s “charitable especially high “buy gun” internet searchmission” for personal use including es immediately after President Barak private jets, pricy restaurants, private Obama spoke on the need for new gun security, an expensive wardrobe and control legislation from Congress. extravagant vacations for he and his There is hardly a level to which family. Perhaps the single, most shockthe NRA will not stoop, frequently ing allegation of the initial phase of the using tragedy as a catalyst for pumping trial is that the institution at the heart of disinformation and shilling for the gun a generation of escalating gun violence industry at the expense of people who are believes its mission is charitable, defined already in dire circumstances. During the on its website as: “preserving the core of early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Guest Perspective
LaPierre and company urged Americans to buy guns for protection: “You might be stockpiling up on food right now to get through this current crisis. But if you aren’t preparing to defend your property when everything goes wrong, you’re really just stockpiling for someone else.” According to a press release from Everytown, a gun safety organization, more guns don’t mean more safety: “If more guns made Americans safe then we’d be the safest nation in the world — but America’s homicide rate is 25 times higher than that of any other high-income country.” The NRA has stoked fear during disasters for years, citing the need to be armed to ward off “riots, terrorists, gangs and lone criminals,” often describing a nonexistent “absolute breakdown in societal order,” a trope used to loosen gun laws in Texas after Hurricane Harvey. LaPierre faces a long overdue reckoning in a New York courtroom but the litany of charges he faces does not include anything related to his legacy of exploiting both the First and Second Amendments, creating a trove of manufactured threats: roving bands of murderous looters, rapists, foreign terrorists, domestic abusers and convicted felons, all of whom can still easily acquire firearms thanks to
his and the NRA’s ministrations. He also raged against the well-heeled, suggesting at one point: “Elites threaten our very survival, and to them we say we don’t trust you, we don’t fear you and we don’t need you, take your hands off our future.” His targets included George Soros, the media, college professors who assign reading the Communist Manifesto, radical leftists and kneeling NFL players. The irony LaPierre skipped over was that he and the threatening elites shared some of the same ostentatious taste in life’s finer things, spending almost $40,000 on two suit-shopping sprees at Zegna in Beverly Hills. While it’s gratifying this deplorable scumbag is facing some accountability and the NRA is by any measure crumbling with over a million members jumping ship in the last couple of years, it’s unsettling that the organization’s twisted mission has largely been accomplished. Even as we face the proliferation of firearms slowly turning the country into the dystopian nightmare LaPierre has warned us about for years, we should keep in mind that a locked and loaded America is his dream come true. Walt Amses is a Vermont-based writer.
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Page 8 • January 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
COMMUNITY ‘Sweet Pea’ and ‘Roy’
COURTESY PHOTOS
Artist Charles Lysogorski, a longtime resident of Shelburne, has installed two of his acrylic paintings from his circus series in banner format in the Shelburne Pierson Library’s children’s book section. The work will be on display through Thursday, Feb. 29. The two 5-foot banners are “Sweet Pea the elephant” and “Roy the lion.” These paintings encourage the children to select from the library’s books and DVDs displayed below the banners about elephant and lions. These circus banners are one of the many themes he has explored over the past 50 years. Learn more at lysogorski.com.
Community Notes Used book sale comes to United Church, supports youth project A used book sale fundraiser for the Hinesburg Youth Project, a program sponsored by the United Church of Hinesburg aimed at providing youth from Hinesburg with experiences in service and social justice issues, will be held at the United Church Parish House on Saturday, Feb. 10, from 9 a.m.-noon. If you have gently used books in good condition that you would like to donate for the sale, please drop them off by Feb. 2. Contact the church at 802-482-3352 or by email at unitedchurch@gmavt.net with any questions.
Historical society talk focuses on ‘blind merchant of Burlington’ “Anne Connelly: The Blind Merchant of Burlington,” a talk by John Thomas, development director of the Vermont Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, will take place on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2 p.m., at Burlington High School, 67 Cherry St., presented by the Chittenden County Historical Society. Thomas will tell the story of Anne
Connelly (1889-1939), who came to Vermont as a blind adult and worked at the association and who introduced trained guide dogs and white canes, ran her own business and supported the blind community. Applications are also open for Chittenden County Historical Society annual research grants of up to $1,000. The deadline is June 1. Learn more at cchsvt.org. There is free parking at city parking garage on Cherry Street. The program is free, and refreshments will be served.
agewellstcath@gmail.com or 802-5031107. Deadline to order is Wednesday, Feb. 7. If this is a first-time order, provide your name, address, phone number and date of birth. If you haven’t yet filled out a congregate meal registration form, bring a completed registration form with you or send one to: Age Well; 875 Roosevelt Highway, Ste. 210, Colchester VT 05446. Forms will be available at meal pick up. Learn about restaurant tickets to dine at participating restaurants at agewellvt.org.
school. Resident home school students are also eligible. Chessboards, pieces and clocks will be provided. No prior tournament experience is necessary. High school and 8th grade sections will be U.S. Chess Federation rated. Other grade sections will be unrated. Individual and team prizes will be awarded. All players must pre-register, and registration closes on March 17. Find complete rules and registration information at vermontchess.org.
Shelburne Age Well hosts February grab and go
Calling all players: Sign up now for state chess championship
School mentoring program seeks adult mentors
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, Feb. 13 Meals 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 meatballs with sauce, rotini noodles, carrots, green beans, wheat roll, pineapple tidbits and milk. To order a meal contact Kathleen at
The 37th annual Vermont State Scholastic Chess Championships will be held Saturday, March 23, at Craftsbury Academy, 1422 N. Craftsbury Road, Craftsbury Common. This is the selection tournament for Vermont’s nominees to the national Denker, Haring, Barber and Rockefeller invitationals. This tournament is open to Vermont students in kindergarten to 12th grade. Participants must be residents or be enrolled in a Vermont public or private
The Connecting Youth Mentoring Program in the Champlain Valley School District, middle level, is looking for more adult community members to join its team of volunteer mentors for students in grades five to eight. If you’re considering becoming a mentor or want to learn more, email Kate Rooney, krooney@cvsdvt.org, (802) 425-6682, Charlotte Central School; or See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 9
Shelburne News • January 18, 2024 • Page 9
News from Pierson Library Here are some upcoming events at Pierson Library, 5376 Shelburne Road, in Shelburne. To register, call 802-985-5124, or visit piersonlibrary.org.
Storytime with Suzi Tuesday, Jan. 23, 10:30-11 a.m. A program filled with enchanting stories, engaging songs and plenty of smiles. Perfect opportunity for young minds to explore the magic of books and foster a lifelong love for reading. No advance registration necessary.
Pierson playdate Wednesday, Jan. 24, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Looking for a place for your little one to play on these cold winter days? Come to town hall for fun, frolic and friendship for both littles and their parents and caretakers. Appropriate for ages 2 to 5. No advance registration necessary.
Musical storytime with Liz Thursday, Jan. 25, 10:30-11 a.m. Experience the magic of music and storytelling with Liz, who transports young minds into the world of rhythm, melody and imagination. No advance registration necessary.
LEGO afternoon Thursday, Jan. 25, 3-4:45 p.m. Lego of your stress and stop in to the library on Thursday afternoons to enjoy the large collection of Legos. A new building challenge each week. Display your work at the library, build with friends and enter to win a different Lego-themed prize each Thursday through January. No advance registration necessary.
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Tuesday, Jan. 30, 6-7 p.m. A total solar eclipse is taking place on Monday, April 8. Shelburne is in the path of totality and could see thousands of visitors to experience this celestial event. What is your business or organization doing to prepare? This all-town meeting is the place to share what you’re planning and get an overview of other business and town events being planned.
COMMUNITY NOTES
continued from page 8
Livy Bulger, lbulger@cvsdvt.org, (802) 482-6248, Hinesburg Community School.
Ethan Allen Homestead talk offers mystery, mayhem Ethan Allen Homestead Museum brings “Stories that Shaped Us: Tales of Vermont’s Queen City” to audiences on Sunday, Jan. 21, at 2 p.m. Local author, historian and tour guide Thea Lewis will offer a look at life in Burlington through the years, via stories filled with mystery, tragedy and humor. Admission is free, but donations appreciated. More information is available at ethanallenhomestead@gmail.com or by calling 802-865-4556
January programs at the senior center The Charlotte Senior Center, 212 Ferry Road, has several upcoming programs in January. More at charlotteseniorcentervt. org. • Winter spike hike, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Get outside and enjoy winter hiking. Weather permitting, the group will meet every other week through February. The outings will be about two hours on trails around Charlotte and neighboring towns. Bring your own spikes or snowshoes, depending on the weather, snacks and water. To register or indicate an interest in leading a winter hiking trip, contact Susan Hyde at susanfosterhyde@gmail.com.
• Veterans assistance, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Join Bob Stock, veterans outreach specialist with the South Burlington Vet Center, who will be available to veterans and their families about VA benefits and any other VA issues. • Play reading with Sue Foley and Wally Gates, Thursday, Jan. 25, 1-3:30 p.m. This is free table-reading fun. No tryouts, no rehearsals, no critical reviews. The group meets monthly and is for people who enjoy reading plays aloud or listening to others perform. If you have questions or would like to sit in, contact Sue at ssnfoley@icloud.com. • Restorative yoga for deep winter renewal, Friday, Jan. 26, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Warm up your body with slow, mindful movements followed by longer held restorative postures. Yoga props required. Prop list will be sent upon registration. With Heidi Kvasnak. Registration required. Cost is $15.
Shelburne host blood drive, sign up now St. Catherine of Siena Parish is hosting another Red Cross blood drive on Tuesday, Jan. 23, noon-5 p.m., in its parish hall, 72 Church St., Shelburne. To give, call 800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org and enter Shelburne to schedule an appointment. Appointments are strongly recommended as walk-ins cannot always be accommodated.
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Page 10 • January 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
SPORTS Shelburne Parks & Rec News Winter carnival Winter carnival is Saturday, Jan. 20, 1-3 p.m. at Shelburne Community School. Shelburne Parks and Recreation presents a fun afternoon for kids and families no matter the weather with free crafts and activities offered by many local organizations including Pierson Library, Charlotte Shelburne Hinesburg Rotary, Shelburne Nursery School, Shelburne Farms and Champlain Valley Little League. Be dazzled with tricks by magician Tom Joyce. Kids will love the bounce house castle and fun games with the Big Blue Trunk. There will be touch-a-truck opportunities with a Shelburne highway loader and a fire truck and a chance to visit with sheep from Shelburne Farms. Entrance to the event and all crafts and activities are free. Purchase a treat from the Shelburne PTO bake sale (cash, Venmo and Paypal) or some homemade tomato soup ($5 plus tax, credit or debit). Donations will be accepted at the door. For questions, contact Shelburne Parks and Recreation at 802-985-9551.
Crossfit kids Kids can join us right after school to improve general conditioning, including a focus on core, strength, agility, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Based on the principle of movement mechanics, consistency, form and then intensity, this program pushes for quality movement throughout childhood. Consistent mechanics translates to higher sports performance and fewer sports injuries for kids. Research also indicates that exercise is beneficial to cognitive function, which means a consistent training program will have a positive impact on a child’s academic achievement. Participants of any fitness ability are welcome to join as workouts are adjusted to the individual fitness level in a non-competitive environment. Sign up for one or both sessions. Session dates: Feb. 1-22; registration deadline is Friday, Jan. 26. Sessions are held on Thursdays, 3:15-4:15 p.m. Fee is $80 per session, for grades five to eight, led by Nick Mead and Shelburne Field House staff.
Introduction to tai chi Tai chi originated in ancient China and is practiced for health benefits throughout the world by people of all ages. Often called meditation in motion, the slow and relaxed movements have been shown to increase flexibility, reduce stiffness and keep joints mobile as you develop body awareness and decrease anxiety. You can also improve balance and agility and increase lower and upper body strength by practicing this gentle exercise program. Tai chi can be done standing or seated by just about anyone. In this beginning level program, you will be learning basic Sun-style tai chi forms. Preregistration is required by Wednesday, Jan. 17. The free sessions are held on
PHOTO BY AL FREY
Champlain Valley Union High School’s Thomas Murphy (black) finished 5th in the 190-pound class by defeating Queensbury’s Gage Russell at the Michael J Baker Wrestling Classic on Jan. 13 in Essex.
Girls best Burlington on the court LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
Girls’ hockey BFA-St. Albans 3, Champlain Valley-Mount Mansfield 1: BFA-St. Albans scored once in the second period and once in the third to best Champlain Valley-Mount Mansfield on Saturday. Sophie Brien had a goal for CVU-MMU, while KerriBeth Aldrich added an assist. Ella Gilbert stopped 21 shots in goal for the CougarHawks, who fell to 2-5-1.
Girls’ basketball Champlain Valley 46, Burlington 42: The girls’ held off a fourth quarter push from Burlington to get the 46-42win on Friday, Jan. 12.
Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-noon, from Jan. 22 to May 22. The instructor is Chris Curtis.
Sun 73 tai chi This class builds on movements learned in the introductory class. Each new movement is broken down and emphasized in a slow and gentle manner while emphasizing
Samara Ashooh paced the Redhawks with 15 points, including a key layup and 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to put CVU in front. Merrill Jacobs added 11 points and Elise Berger added 10 for CVU, which is now 5-0.
Boys’ hockey Champlain Valley 8, Northfield 1: Champlain Valley’s offense powered it to a win over Northfield on Monday on the ice. Nic Menard tallied twice for the Redhawks, while Ayden Pillsbury and Eric Weinberg both added a goal and an assist. Calvin Malaney, Jackson White, Hunter Bernie, Ted Connery and Travis Stroh each chipped in a goal for CVU (2-4-3). Goalie Francois Menard made
the health and well-being aspects of tai chi. Although Sun 73 is a competitive form of tai chi, you will be practicing a relaxed, non-competitive style while learning new movements and increasing your understanding and depth of tai chi. Preregistration is required by Wednesday, Jan. 17. The free sessions are held on Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:30-1:30
12 saves. The Redhawks skated to a 1-1 tie with BFA-St. Albans on Saturday, Jan. 13, with Hunter Bernie getting the lone goal and Tommy Barnes making 15 saves.
Boys’ basketball St. Johnsbury 54, Champlain Valley 44: The Champlain Valley boys’ basketball team dropped just its second game of the season, losing to St. Johnsbury 54-44 on Monday, Jan. 15. Colby Morehouse led the Redhawks with 17 points, while Tucker Tharpe and Jack St. Peter each chipped in 10. CVU fell to 8-2. On Thursday, Jan. 11, Champlain Valley beat South Burlington 56-48. Tharpe had 20 points and eight rebounds, while Kyle Eaton added 13 points.
p.m. from Jan. 22 to May 22. The instructor is Chris Curtis.
Valentine dance Tickets are now on sale so mark your calendars for this popular annual event to See REC NEWS on page 11
Shelburne News • January 18, 2024 • Page 11
Obituaries Robert F. Blair Robert Frank Blair, 90, died on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, in Georgia. He was born in South Burlington on May 25, 1933, to Frank and Maybelle (Goodale) Blair. He graduated from Cathedral High School in 1955 and then served two years in Germany with the U.S. Army. In 1959 he married Erma Gain. They lived in Shelburne for the next 62 years. Bob worked at Quinn Freight for several years and then owned Bob’s Lawn Mowing Service. He may be remembered giving tractor rides at Shelburne Farms for many years and for participating in many tractor shows and parades in and around Vermont. He is survived by his brothers, Alexander and Art; sisters, Mary and Roseanne; and daughter, Kim. He was predeceased by his parents; wife, Erma; son, Greg; brother, Tom; and sister, Ruth.
Nancy A. Emberley Nancy Ann Emberley, 81, of Shelburne, died on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, at the McLure Miller Respite House in Colchester from complications due to Parkinson’s Disease. Nancy was born Aug. 5, 1942, and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Vermont. She taught home economics at Camels Hump Middle School and Vergennes Union High School for many years before spearheading Vermont’s Comprehensive School Health program for the Vermont Department of Education. Nancy was uncommonly close to her husband, Jon, and they did most everything together, including
extensive travels in the Caribbean and Europe. Nancy was an avid, artistic quilter and an expert seamstress. She enjoyed painting, particularly with watercolors, and loved to dance. In addition, she was a master cook. Nancy loved being physically active before Parkinson’s worsened and when it did she participated in the Northeast Disabled Athletic Association adaptive kayaking progam. She ran the Vermont City Marathon with her husband when they were both 60 years young. She rode horses, loved to kayak, ride bikes, swim and garden. She hiked on Vermont’s trails and walked Vermont’s dirt roads and paths. Nancy was friendly and caring toward everyone and will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved her. She is survived by her husband, Jonathan Yarnall and her beloved black lab, Gus; children, David Emberley, Chris Emberley and Deanna Emberley Bailey and their spouses, Susan Emberley, Karen Emberley and Chris Bailey, respectively; stepdaughter, Anna Couperthwait and husband, George; loving grandchildren, Anthony Emberley, Katie Emberley, Elliot Emberley and his wife, Jennifer, Thomas Wilson, Charlotte and Harper Couperthwait; great grandchild, Hudson Emberley; sister, Joanne Howes; and brother, Bob Farr. Nancy was predeceased by her parents, Marguerite and John Farr; brother, John; and grandchildren, Amanda Emberley, Solon Bailey and Liam Bailey. A memorial service will be held in late June for Nancy. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the McLure Miller Respite House in Colchester.
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continued from page 10 be held on Friday, Feb. 9, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Shelburne town gym. Open to kids enrolled in kindergarten through fifth grades, accompanied by an adult. Guests will dance the night away with disco lights and music by Top Hat entertainment, take photos in the photo booth and enjoy treats, snacks and drinks. Each child gets
a take home memento. Advanced purchase of tickets is highly encouraged. Tickets are $10 per child, $15 per adult. Purchase with check or cash in the recreation office. See the complete listing of programs and special events at shelburnevt.org/160/parks-rec reation.
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Page 12 • January 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
Bill eyes Truth and Reconciliation Commission Press Association objects to possible closed-door meetings SHAUN ROBINSON VTDIGGER
Members of Vermont’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission are asking the Legislature for authority to limit public access to their meetings, in part, to ensure the safety of those who testify before the panel about experiencing racism and discrimination in the state. The new bill, H.649, would exempt some of the commissioners’ deliberations from Vermont’s Open Meeting Law, even if a quorum or more of the panel members are there in person or electronically. The House Committee on Government Operations took up the legislation for the first time Jan. 9. The commission is tasked with studying how racism, discrimination and eugenics have affected Vermont’s laws and suggesting ways the state government could repair those harms. Its work is focused on impacts to Indigenous, French-Canadian and Black people; people of color; and people who have one or more disabilities. The bill’s proposed exceptions to the Vermont law ensuring access to public meetings drew criticism Tuesday from the Vermont Press Association. Officials said H.649’s primary purpose is to allow the commission to operate more efficiently. The panel was established in 2022 and had its first public meeting in September; but commissioners have not yet started taking testimony from Vermont residents. A public body must comply with Vermont’s Open Meeting Law any time a majority of its members, also called a quorum, gathers to discuss its business or to take action. The law generally requires these meetings be warned in advance and that the public is allowed to participate. But since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has three members — of which two constitute a majority — it is “impossible” for the panel to conduct much of its business without falling under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law requirements, officials said. Mia Schultz, one of the commissioners, said in an interview that it’s been difficult for her and her colleagues “to have one-onone conversations” without triggering the standards of an open meeting. She said she would not expect to hold closed sessions regularly. “Very rarely do I anticipate needing to be able to do that,” she said. “We look forward to a very participatory process — and by that, I mean a process where the public and the people who are impacted are centered, and their truths are finally able to be heard.” Tucker Anderson, an attorney in the state’s Office of Legislative Counsel, said the bill would create an exception to the Open Meeting Law that allows the panel to conduct “deliberations” — essentially,
PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER
Rep. Seth Chase, D-Colchester, speaks as the House Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee considers a bill pertaining to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission at the Statehouse in Montpelier.
he said, discussing and weighing evidence from testimony — in a session that is closed to public participation. The commission could not make decisions in a closed session, he said, and it would be required to livestream its proceedings as well as produce a recording for the public. (A “closed” session is different from an executive session, he noted, which the public could not access at all). But Lisa Loomis, president of the Vermont Press Association, said she was “deeply concerned” by H.649, calling it “a new effort to make state government less transparent and potentially give special treatment” to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “The VPA has always opposed adding any new exemptions for closed door/executive sessions to Vermont’s Open Meeting Law,” she wrote in an email. “The Vermont Truth and Reconciliation Commission needs to do all its work and spending of taxpayer money in the open.” Loomis, who is also the editor of The Valley Reporter, said the press association was prepared to testify against the bill. Members of the judiciary committee
said that since there are many three-mem- its proceedings. The panel can hold execuber public bodies in Vermont, any changes tive sessions, and people can elect to testito the commission’s privileges could spur a fy before its members privately and on a broader conversation about recording that would not the requirements for similar get publicly released, she Panel members said entities statewide. said. According to the text H.649 would also that shielding these of the bill, commissioners grant commissioners the would be able hold a closed meetings from public authority to establish meeting if they find that groups of people who there are “material threats have shared life experiparticipation is to the health or safety” of ences, known as “affinity staff, witnesses or invitees. groups,” that would meet important to ensure The commission could on their own and could still allow its staff, counsel inform the panel’s work. the safety of people and any people who are Meetings of these who are testifying. subjects of the discussion affinity groups “shall be — or whose information confidential and privThe Vermont Press is needed — to access the ileged,” according to closed meeting. the bill, and members Association has Melody Mackin, anothcould face civil liability er panel commissioner, for violating that seal of concerns. said in an interview the confidentiality. members have already been The bill also gives subjected to threats to safety, including at the commission 10 additional months to least one death threat. complete its work, meaning it now has a Mackin said existing law already allows deadline to submit recommendations to the commission to limit public access to lawmakers of April 15, 2027.
Shelburne News • January 18, 2024 • Page 13
CLA
continued from page 1 Burlington.” “With budgets finalized in the next week and voters considering their options on Town Meeting Day, state relief is needed now,” the letter reads. The top brass with the Champlain Valley School District is drafting a similar letter, expected to be sent this week, that will ask for assistance from the state, according to Gary Marckres, the chief operations officer with the district. Board chair and House Rep. Angela Arsenault also says she has been involved in several conversations with other lawmakers on the new CLA impacts. Like South Burlington, taxpayers in the five towns composing the Champlain Valley district — Hinesburg, Charlotte, Shelburne, Williston, and St. George — are staring down an 18 percent school rate tax increase. Thirteen percent of that would result directly from the state’s newest common level of appraisal, or CLA, estimates, Marckres said. “It certainly has bigger implications statewide from an affordability standpoint,” he said. Without a change, the districts are left with few options. With the new spending formula and dramatic decrease in the CLA, even if the school district had presented a 0 percent increase in spending this year, residents would still see a nearly 13 percent tax increase. The two districts are among a handful in Vermont that are facing daunting financial realities over the next five years in the wake of Act 127, Vermont’s new education formula signed into law in 2022. Because of that legislation, districts that have historically benefitted from the state’s pupil weighting system — Champlain Valley, South Burlington, Essex and Mount Mansfield Unified Union among them — are now
facing dwindling funding based on revised weighting counts. The state implemented measurements to give districts leeway to right size their budgets. A 10 percent per-pupil spending limit and a 5 percent pre-CLA tax increase discount until fiscal year 2030 was supposed to help prevent double-digit increases to their tax rates. But the new CLA figures are a gut punch to districts that expected to only add that 5 percent tax increase to their budgets. “Although there’s nothing we can do, it’s certainly impacting all of the taxpayers in our district,” Marckres said. The common level of appraisal compares the assessed value of properties on the grand list to the actual property sale prices considered to represent fair market value. If the two are the same, the CLA ratio is exactly 100 percent. If the properties are sold at a price higher than what it is assessed for, then the ratio drops below 100 percent. The housing market has skyrocketed in years since the pandemic, with home sale data continuing to rise by high single or low double digit percentage points for years. Because of this, towns’ CLA figures have seen dramatic decreases, even after conducting town- or city-wide reappraisals. “The CLA negatively impacted roughly 90 percent of school districts in Vermont,” said South Burlington School Board chair Kate Bailey. “Right now, as we’re discussing fiscal year 2025, we need to focus on the CLA. I do think we need to talk about Act 127 because we’re getting the double whammy of both, but I think that our ask for this letter that we really need to get out as soon as possible should be very focused.” South Burlington, which
conducted a full reappraisal in In their letter, South Burling- she said at a council meeting last 2021, saw its CLA drop by 11 ton officials are asking the state week. “We’re not expecting any percent from 92.97 last year to to consider a CLA impact cap to overnight shift on any of these 82.54 — meaning South Burl- prevent further dramatic increas- factors for fiscal year 25 but am I ington properties are considered es to the tax rate. hopeful that there could be a CLA undervalued by 17.46 percent. “This will provide more cap for fiscal year 26? AbsoluteOne of the factors for this is the predictable budgeting and tax ly.” lack of adequate housing invento- rates that our community can “Would that have serious posiry in South Burlsupport,” South tive impacts on our schools and ington, explained Burlington offi- our ability to maintain program“Although there’s Tim Jarvis, the cials said. ming? Yes,” she added. district’s senior If the South Officials with the Champlain nothing we can director of finance B u r l i n g t o n Valley district say they appreciate and operations. district were the theory of Act 127: “We think do, it’s certainly CLA changes to roll over the that resources should go where in the Champlain fiscal year 24 they’re most needed,” Marckres impacting all of the Valley are even budget of $62 said. more dramatic. million, they Still, the impacts are begintaxpayers in our Hinesburg’s CLA would be forced ning to be felt. The district in dropped from to cut or reduce its budget includes five teacher district.” 78.23 percent to nearly $6.6 reductions based on enrollment 67.65 percent, million in crit- projections. — Gary Marckres ical programand Shelburne’s “There will be a process where from 77.23 to ming within those reduced positions will have 68.70 percent. the district: transportation, world placement options, and they may Charlotte properties are over- language programs, arts and AP not be in the exact level or even valued, according to the state. courses, athletic programs, and sometimes the exact school that Their figures last were 119.26 a pause in proposed advances in they have taught in the past,” he percent after conducting a reap- literacy programs. said. “But we anticipate having praisal. That dropped to 104.49 Through conversation with enough attrition in retirement to percent. representatives, superintendent be able to place those positions.” The tax implications of Cham- Violet Nichols said the CLA has Arsenault said the school plain Valley’s budget would have been a factor that’s isolated as a board has “worked very hard residents in Hinesburg paying lever for potential change. with our administrators to craft a $356 more in school taxes per “Act 127 is an extremely responsible budget that delivers $100,000 of assessed value. Shel- complicated formula, and it took the programming and support our burne taxpayers would pay $304 over a year to develop and the kids and employees need, in the more, while Charlotte residents agency of education hired numer- face of an extreme set of external would pay $216 more, according ous staff members to craft it,” factors.” to school officials. “Although we support the NOTICE OF HEARING AND ORDER FOR PUBLICATION spirit of Act 127 and appreciate Estate of: Barbara Ann Donnelly the temporary 5 percent cap on the pre-CLA tax rate, it is difficult TO David Atwood, son of the late Patricia Atwood, grandson of the to celebrate a tax rate that could late Barbara Ann Donnelly, and his heirs at law: have been 28 percent lowered only to 18 percent as neither are The following petition/motion, Petition to an Open Estate and popular nor feasible increases for Appoint Fiduciary, has been filed in the Probate Division of the our community to support,” South Superior Court: October 13, 2023. Burlington’s letter reads. South Burlington approved its budget for town meeting day at its A hearing on the petition/motion will be held at the above-named last meeting. Champlain Valley is Court on February 07, 2024 at 9:30AM. The hearing will occur expected to approve its budget at virtually unless the Court is notified as provided herein. If you wish a meeting later this month. to appear at the hearing, you must notify the Court not less than five business days prior to the hearing and obtain a link to appear at the hearing. If you wish to appear in person at the Court, you must notify the Court not less than five business days prior to the hearing of your intent to appear in person at the hearing.
Shelburne, the CLA dropped from 77.23 percent to 68.70. Charlotte, which had a reassessment last year, has a CLA of 104.49 percent compared to 119.26 last year. That, coupled with the implications of Act 127, put the finances of the school district and others in the area in a precarious position. “We did talk as a finance committee about whether or not we delay this,” Meghan Metzler, the vice chair of the Champlain Valley School Board, said of the $3.6 million bond vote. But, she added, the infrastructure needs are of critical importance for the school’s buildings. “This is life-safety, HVAC, it’s
electricity, it’s sprinkler systems for fire safety,” she said. “We think that it’s important for our district.” Schools across the state are facing similarly challenging budget decisions as it pertains to their school buildings. Without funding from the state, districts are left to finance infrastructure improvements on their own. Vermont stopped a program to help fund schools in 2007. But lawmakers say they have a renewed interest in some kind of state-funding program, and it is expected to be addressed this session. School officials are expected to pass their budget this week.
BOND
continued from page 1 include a school tax rate increase of nearly 18 percent. Thirteen percent of that would result directly from the state’s newest common level of appraisal, or CLA, figures. (See related, page 1) The CLA compares the assessed value of properties on the grand list to the actual property sale prices considered to represent fair market value. If the two are the same, the CLA ratio is exactly 100 percent. If the properties are sold at a price higher than what it is assessed for, then the ratio drops below 100 percent. Residents in Hinesburg are seeing a CLA of 67.65 this year compared to 78.23 last year. In
If no one appears at the hearing to object, the relief requested may be granted. If you wish to receive notice of future events in this proceeding, you must notify the Court by filing a Notice of Appearance form that can be found on the Vermont Judiciary website at http://www.vermontjudiciary.org. It is hereby ORDERED that the notice of hearing as set forth in this Order be published in Shelburne News a newspaper of general circulation in Chittenden County Vermont. Publication date: January 18, 2024 /s/ Judge Jeffrey Kilgore Electronically signed on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 1:36PM pursuant to V.R.E.F. 9(d).
Page 14 • January 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
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Page 16 • January 18, 2024 • Shelburne News
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POND ROAD
continued from page 1 ago but was voted down. But Goodrich said he has requested it still almost every year since. “We’ve had a couple of engineers look at this and we just looked at it with another one here a couple of weeks ago and everything goes toward paving it,” he said. Last week, the selectboard recommended two projects, including a study of Pond Road, to be considered for Chittenden County Regional Planning’s unified work program for further engineering and environmental consultations. “(The program) puts up this call for projects, and they’ve indicated that because Shelburne has not used this program heavily and recently, two applications would be suitable for us this year,” said town manager Matt Lawless. Selectboard chair Mike Ashooh explained that after the town-wide vote, the topic resurfaced in 2019 before the pandemic and the board committed verbally to study the matter more thoroughly. “The idea was to commission a study to get information on what exactly the challenges are and what exactly are the options. Not just paving but the ecological impacts, the environmental impacts,” he said. But since last week’s meeting, dozens of residents have already flooded social media to make their case to protect the dirt road, most citing issues with the amount of amphibian and wildlife crossings. “In terms of the ecological values of it, which are really important that we also need to pay heed to, it’s very clear that every year we see many amphibians and even other wildlife crossing on road and it’s also clear that many of them don’t make it,” Gail Albert, a member of the
town’s Natural Resources & Conservation Commission, said. Lawless said that as a way to mediate both sides, the study could consider an intermediate design with partial paving that helps accomplish all the needs for safe traffic flow, environmental quality and lower maintenance costs. But Goodrich said that the animals are going to cross whether the road is gravel or paved. “If they don’t make it across the road on Pond Road, they get run over. If it’s a gravel road or a paved road, it’s going to happen anyway,” he said. “They’re complaining that they don’t want to see any extra traffic and I don’t think you’re going to see much more traffic.” The board approved both the Pond Road study and a Webster Road to school connection study, with the latter being the highest priority should the town only be awarded one project. However, the votes was not unanimous to include a Pond Road study. Both board members Cate Cross and Luce Hillman voted against a study, while Matt Wormser, Andrew Everett and board chair Mike Ashooh cast yes votes. “We have a lot of things that we need to do and a lot of things that we want to do,” Cross said. “Let’s fast forward and say CCRPC says, ‘Yes, this is a great idea. You should do it. Here’s why.’ Then you’re paying half a million dollars to pave it, I believe. Is that do we want to spend that money on, paving in Shelburne?” Due to the complexities of the topic, Lawless said should the town be awarded the study, he would confirm a scope with the selectboard before any work takes place.