Shelburne News - 4-11-24

Vermont Flannel buys Vermont Teddy Bear

The Vermont Flannel Company has purchased the assets of Vermont Teddy Bear, the largest manufacturer of teddy bears in North America and a massive Shelburne destination hot spot.

Vermont Flannel CEO Joe Van Deman said in a statement Tuesday, “I’ve been a fan of Vermont Teddy Bear for a long time. The experience here in Shelburne, the quality of the bears and the way the company gives back to the community are all truly amazing. It’s a really special place.”

Vermont Teddy Bear was born nearly 45 years ago when John Sortino, the company’s founder, crafted his first-ever Teddy Bear, Bearcho, in 1981. His son enjoyed the new friend so much that Sortino began selling these bears from a cart on Church Street in Burlington. Since then, the bears, many of which are made with love right at the Shelburne facility, have made it into the homes of millions across the globe.

The Vermont Flannel Company was founded by Mark and Linda Baker in East Barre in 1991. Since then, the company

See TEDDY BEAR on page 13

Shelburnites, travelers unite under eclipse sky

Eleven-year-old New Jersey native David Danese pressed his eye against the magnifying glass of his giant Dobsonian telescope, using his right hand to gently move the lens into perfect focus.

“You can even see sunspots through this one,” he said, adding that he wasn’t at all upset to be ditching school to catch a view of

the total solar eclipse in Vermont. In fact, he also wasn’t particularly bothered by the seven-hour drive it took his family to get to Shelburne.

Any passersby could see that this was not his first rodeo behind a telescope, and surprisingly, not even his first time using it to see a total solar eclipse. The Daneses wouldn’t technically consider themselves official eclipse chasers but did find themselves in anoth-

er path of totality in 2017 during the last total solar eclipse — a moment so memorable that they couldn’t help but take another drive to see one again, this time landing at the Shelburne eclipse viewing party.

On the other side of the town athletic fields sat Don Bottaro and his wife, Chris Kelley, from Maryland who had been leisurely waiting for the big moment since 11 a.m.

“2:14 p.m.,” he said, checking his watch. “We should be getting some overlap now.” In a fashion like the 11-year-old sitting across the way, Bottaro pressed his eye against the telescope’s eyepiece. “Yep, there it is,” he said.

But Shelburne didn’t just gather Northeasterners. Some people, like Becky Johnson and

See

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Paul Bloomhardt of Shelburne captures eclipse totality from Lone Tree Hill at Shelburne Farms.

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Kat Wright headlines party to honor Dismas director

When Richard Gagne, then 27, joined an informal committee four decades ago to discuss expanding volunteer opportunities to assist people in prison in Vermont, his rookie career path already indicated a strong interest in helping people.

“Facilitating reconciliation through intentional community spoke to me,” Gagne said about his joining that committee led by Rita Whalen McCaffrey. “I knew I could make it my life’s work.”

Gagne, newly arrived in Burlington after directing a homeless shelter in Manchester, N.H., took a winding path to find his true passion. Intending to become a pilot with the U.S. Air Force after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1979, he found he couldn’t, in good faith, serve in the military.

A grueling decision led him to become a conscientious objector, and he then taught high school math in a poor community in

Mississippi and, for a time, was a novice in a Trappist monastery with the goal of becoming a monk.

Now, 40 years later, Gagne is the longest-tenured director of Dismas of Vermont’s two Chittenden County houses in Burlington and Winooski while also raising three children and building a home in Cambridge. He retired April 15.

While he anticipates pursuing his other passion, custom woodworking, he leaves with a sense that much work remains to help people on the margins of society reintegrate and become contributing members of society.

Dismas of Vermont operates five transitional housing programs across the state. These programs provide newly released

School district sees increase in student behavioral data

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

Schools in the Champlain Valley School District are seeing a rise in K-8 student referral data, which tracks behavioral problems among students and could indicate when a student is struggling and needs additional support.

But while the increase does indicate a rise in behavior-related issues among students, it also comes as the five-town school district works to centralize its overall data collection and refine the process for how and when that data is reported.

“We have had a massive increase, for a lot of different reasons,” Evan Sivo, the district’s behavior systems director, said at a recent board meeting.

The data tracks both major and minor referrals in the district. When a student misbehaves in class, a teacher can file a referral that is then collected by school administrators. Minor referrals are generally less extreme, like when a student disrupts the classroom or does something that the teacher can address without the help of additional staff.

during the COVID-19 pandemic, when students were taught remotely. Those school years had a total of 2,743 referrals and 1,771 referrals, respectfully.

In the 2018-19 school year, the last full school year before the pandemic, there were 3,213 total referrals.

Some of the increase is also concentrated among a small number of students. Students with only one referral or less made up roughly 82 percent of this year’s data compared to roughly 86 percent from the year before. The number of students with two to five referrals increased from roughly 10 percent to 12 percent from the previous year, while students with more than six referrals increased from 4.4 percent to 6.5 percent.

“Things are hard right now. Kids are telling us something is going on.”

— Evan Sivo

In a way, the increase brings the district closer to a starting point. Superintendent Rene Sanchez, who has helped spearhead the district’s more centralized approach to data collection, says he sees this as “a baseline year.”

Major referrals are more serious, such as when a student is physically aggressive with a teacher or another student or is damaging property.

Those types of referrals have increased by 63 percent from the previous year, Sivo said. Of the 3,551 referrals reported this year, 604, or 17 percent, were referrals for students’ being physically aggressive.

“These are recurring, highly disruptive, and at times, dangerous behaviors that prevent others from learning and/or feeling safe in the school setting,” a presentation of the data reads.

“The biggest thing is now that we’re tracking it in a way that it’s apples to apples, it makes it easier to understand and to react to the data,” he said. “Now that we’re able to have a person like Evan who’s really solidifying out work across the district, we can better understand and therefore we can better respond.”

In prior years, different campuses in the district had different systems for how and when to file referrals.

Sivo, formerly a special educator at the Hinesburg Community School, has worked for the past two years to modernize how the district collects data, which informs the school’s system of support staff which students may need additional support.

From August through January of this school year, schools in the district reported 3,551 total major and minor referrals. For comparison, the district saw 2,310 referrals for the same period in the 2022-23 school year, and 1,952 referrals in the 2021-22 school year.

The number of referrals through the first six months of this school year is already closing in on last year’s total. The district saw 4,822 referrals during the 2022-23 school year, while the district saw 3,709 in the 2021-22 school year.

On the current trajectory, Sivo said the district could see 7,000 referrals by the end of this school year.

He called it a “stunning” increase.

“Things are hard right now,” Sivo said. “Kids are telling us something is going on.”

There are some caveats to the data. For one, the massive increase follows a dip in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years

“This is an opportunity as a district to get much more attuned to having one overall definition of what a referral is, and I think this reflects a lot of the work that Evan’s been doing to try to have a districtwide view of behavior overall,” board Chair Meghan Metzler said.

Still, the increase marks a growing workload for teachers, special educators and interventionists who often don’t have enough support to respond.

“It also underscores what we’ve been saying from a budget perspective,” Metzler said, referring to the district’s push to keep 18 support staff members who previously funded through federal dollars in the general budget. That proposal was scrapped after the district’s first budget was voted down on Town Meeting Day.

To respond to the data, Sivo and the

COURTESY PHOTO Kat Wright.

Champlain Valley Union students offer weekend of one-act plays

The CVU Theater at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg will present three showings of three one-act plays — “Alice,” “Antigone Now” and “Black Comedy” this weekend.

There will be two plays at each performance. “Alice” and “Antigone Now,”

Friday, April 12, 7:30 p.m.; “Antigone Now” and “Black Comedy,” Saturday, April 13, 7:30 p.m.; and Black Comedy” and “Alice,” Sunday, April 14, 1 p.m.

“Alice,” by Lindsay Price, is directed by seniors Julia Shrier, Nisha Hickock and Veronica Miskavage. In this one act adaptation of the classic story by Lewis Carroll, Alice follows the White Rabbit down a hole and stumbles through several iconic scenes in Wonderland, from the room of doors to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and the Queen’s flamingo croquet game.

Along the way, she encounters the Cheshire cat (who is split in three), the Caterpillar on its mushroom, a Pigeon on its nest and Card Soldiers before her adventure culminates in a trial before the Queen and King of Hearts themselves.

“Antigone Now” by Melissa Cooper is directed by seniors Xander Olszewski and Lynne Lynne. After the death of her father,

Antigone’s city has plunged into a terrible and brutal civil war, her brothers end up dead and her uncle settles in as king, leaving Antigone and her sister alone and scared in the world.

Antigone goes against the king’s law to follow the rules of the gods and suffers the ultimate consequence for doing what she feels is right.

Peter Shaffer’s “Black Comedy” is directed by seniors Frankie Fidler and Addie Nevitt. A world-renowned billionaire is coming to look at the work of the aspiring artist Brindsley Miller. To impress him and the strict, military oriented father of his fiancée, Carol Melkett, he temporarily borrows the beloved furniture of his friend and neighbor Harold Gorringe. But all hell breaks loose when the lights go out, Harold comes back early from vacation and the ghosts of Brindsley’s past come back to haunt him. In this farcical comedy, the audience gets a clear look at the inner workings of a pleasant evening turned disaster, where light is dark, and darkness is light.

Tickets are $10; $7 for students, kids and faculty from ticketsource.us/ cvutheater.

COURTESY PHOTO

From “Black Comedy,” from left, Frankie Fidler, Jay Kring, Clark Clark, Kieran Coolidge and Molly Silvia.

CRIME & COURTS

Shelburne Police Blotter: April 1-7

Total reported incidents: 59

Traffic stops: 15

Warnings: 14

Tickets: 3

Arrests: 1

Medical emergencies: 31

Suspicious incidents: 8

Directed patrols: 6

Automobile incidents: 2

Car crash: 3

Animal problem: 2

Fire: 1

April 2 at 12:12 p.m., a two-car crash was reported on Shelburne and Harbor roads with no injuries.

April 2 at 2:07 p.m., a second two-car crash, this one on Falls Road, resulted in no injuries.

April 3 at 8:25 a.m., police responded to a two -car crash on Shelburne Road. No injuries were reported.

April 3 at 10:31 a.m., a Partridge Way resident told police they had received an alert that an AirTag was found on their vehicle after returning from Montreal. Shelburne police were dispatched but could not find anything attached to the car.

April 5 at 6:09 p.m., an Old Stage Lane resident told police they were receiving threatening calls and messages. Police are investigating.

April 6 at 2:56 a.m., Rodney Luwa, 32, of South Burlington, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, first offense, after police stopped him on Executive Drive.

April 6 at 2:42 p.m., a fraud complaint was reported to police from a Falls Road residence. Police are investigating.

April 6 at 4:57 p.m., two incidences of retail theft were reported at Kinney Drugs. Police are looking into the two cases.

April 7 at 9:49 a.m., a turkey was reportedly blocking the roadway near Shelburne and Webster roads. Police told the bird to scram.

April 7 at 6:47 p.m., a small brush fire was extinguished on Shelburne Road.

April 7 at 7:15 p.m., another turkey was apparently blocking the roadway, again on Shelburne and Lower Webster roads. Officers once again told the bird to get gone.

April 4 at 11:35 a.m., Shelburne police assisted several drivers on Cheesefactory Road and Route 116 with their disabled vehicles in the snowstorm. Wreckers removed the cars from the roadway.

ATF arrests man in Shelburne for setting fire at Sanders’ office

MICHAEL DONOGHUE CONTRIBUTOR

The suspect in an arson case at the Burlington offices of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders had his travel bags packed and his Shelburne hotel door barricaded when authorities tried to arrest him Sunday, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Records show Shant M. Soghomonian, 35, formerly of Northridge, Calif., had lived for much of February and March at an inn on Williston Road in South Burlington, the ATF said.

Soghomonian did not immediately answer his door at the Quality Inn in Shelburne when police arrived shortly before sunrise, and claimed he was getting dressed, the ATF said.

Investigators heard what sounded like the dragging of heavy items near the door, but the man continued to refuse to open the door, ATF Special Agent Eric Brimo said.

Fearing a barricade, a pass key was used to unlock the door, but it was blocked, forcing officers to

push their way in, Brimo reported.

Soghomonian was inside wearing what appeared to be the same white Nike shoes that had been seen on security video during the arson on Friday morning, the ATF said.

After a sweep of the room, police secured a search warrant for the room and the Subaru parked outside, Brimo said. The car was towed to the Burlington Police Department.

Investigators said Soghomonian had been outside Sanders’ office the day before the arson, indicating it was a planned attack.

Soghomonian, who did not have a wallet or cellphone with him when arrested, was taken to the Williston Police Department, where he waited for legal representation.

He remains jailed on a federal complaint at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans Town pending a hearing in federal court this week.

Soghomonian is charged in a federal criminal complaint with setting a fire on Friday at 1 Church

St. in Burlington — a building used in interstate commerce. The former Masonic Temple is the home to Sanders, Vermont office, the law firm of Paul Frank & Collins, a Chase Bank branch, and headquarters for Unnecessary Inventions.

Investigaors said Soghomonian had been outside Sanders’ office the day before the arson, indicating it was a planned attack and not a spontaneous act, the ATF said.

The new information about the arson case became public after Vermont News First made an emergency petition to federal court Sunday evening to release records about the criminal charge and search warrants.

The petition to Chief Court Clerk Jeff Eaton and Magis-

See FIRE on page 9

OPINION

School funding: Scale saves money, autonomy costs money

Report from Montpelier

Rep. Jessica Brumsted

Last month, many Vermont towns defeated their school budgets, including the Champlain Valley School District. To be exact, 29 of 95 school districts statewide voted no and a key reason is the perfect storm of causes that generated higher than usual property tax increases to fund education. Major factors came into play, including significant increases in the cost of health insurance for teachers and other staff, increased need for mental health services for students, aging schools that are driving up infrastructure costs, inflation, and the end of federal pandemic funding.

working hard to find a compromise between the small rural districts and the larger urban districts throughout the state. Of paramount importance is bringing change to the education formula while addressing cost, equity and transparency for all Vermont’s school districts.

Honestly, I have been an advocate for simplifying the overall system to just one school district; we have fewer students in all of Vermont than one borough in New York City.

ery, the costs should be removed from education spending. Universal meals could be covered with a sugar tax, not out of education funds, for example. These changes could bring more clarity to what we are actually spending on education versus social services.

Since then, the Champlain Valley School Board has come together and made some difficult decisions to cut spending, proving that they heard their communities loud and clear and have made significant changes in the revised budget to be voted on Wednesday, April 16. The new proposed budget cut expenses by $4 million dollars and applies $1 million of reserves to the overall budget for an overall decrease in spending of $5 million.

In Montpelier, the Legislature has been working to make changes as well. The House and Senate education committees are

Last week the two committees held a joint hearing to hear from legislators on how they hope Vermont can make responsive change. Both Rep. Kate Lalley and I signed up to testify. In summary, my testimony declared that our state has too many school districts, which drives a lot of direct education delivery and administrative spending that we just can’t afford.

This structural issue also impacts spending on salaries and health benefits as the effort to manage these costs is fragmented across the large number of school districts. We are also burdening our education budget with a myriad of social services that should be funded out of the Agency of Human Services, not through education.

While these services are needed and schools seem to be the most efficient and effective deliv-

I worry that too many taxpayers throughout Vermont are insulated from the true costs of paying for the current system and these distortions need to be addressed. Legislation is underway, tied to school construction funding, that would incentivize smaller school districts that need extensive and expensive school repairs to consolidate. “Newer and fewer” is the buzz phrase for the ideal path moving forward.

There is discussion of implementing a statewide budget, rather than giving each individual district control over their own funds. There are tradeoffs, of course, but we need to remember in today’s world scale saves money and autonomy costs money.

I support and appreciate the teachers and staff at our schools who are stressed, worried and doing their best to proceed as usual during a time of great uncertainty. We need to reevaluate together what we are trying to achieve, have a vision for what success looks like and put in place accountability metrics that can help us measure success uniformly across all Vermont schools.

Next week, we have a chance to vote for the school budget. I hope you will take a bit of time either before or on Wednesday,

April 16, to vote. It is so important for all of us to stay engaged. I plan to vote before heading back to Montpelier where I will continue to advocate for responsible change soon.

Please feel free to reach out with your thoughts and suggestions at jbrumsted@leg.state.vt.us, and remember Rep. Lalley and

I will be at the Pierson Library on Monday, April 22, from 89:30 a.m. We will have coffee in the community room. We look forward to seeing you.

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

Rep. Jessica Brumsted

COURTESY PHOTO

Rep. Jessica Brumsted testifies at a joint Senate and House hearing last week.

Even lawmakers say ed financing needs reform

To the Editor:

While the revised Champlain Valley School District budget comes up for a vote on Tuesday, April 16, it is about more than the finances and operation of the school district but the result of accumulated legislative acts that drive the funding and delivery of education in Vermont. These layers of laws and policies have created an incomprehensible, prohibitively expensive funding system supporting “too many school buildings, too much staff and too few students,” to quote Floyd Nease. “Is anyone really surprised we can’t afford Vermont’s school bill?” March 21, 2024)

The Legislature is aware of this. Its own Joint Fiscal Office on Feb. 17, 2023, published a report on education financing (bit. ly/43PgG2M) identifying “the following possible options that may contain Vermont’s education costs:

• Adjust staffing ratios.

• Encourage or mandate more mergers.

• Consolidate administrative services.

• Reinstitute and adjust the excess spending threshold.

• Implement education spending caps.

• Strengthen the connection between budget votes and tax bills.

• Restructure education spending decisions to a statewide level.

Many of these options have been discussed in the Statehouse ever since the Brigham decision was handed down by the Vermont Supreme Court 27 years ago. During that time, Vermont’s student population has declined 20 percent, per pupil spending rose to $23,299, second highest in the country, and the studentto-teacher ratio at 10.1 stands at second lowest, according to the Joint Fiscal Office. Most troubling, National Assessment of Educational Progress scores, historically well above the national average, have declined toward, and in one case dropped below, the national average.

While my vote is intended above all to signal to Montpelier that fundamental coordinated corrective action is urgently needed, I believe the Champlain Valley School District, as the largest in the state and led by talented and accomplished educators, can demonstrate a fiscally disciplined approach to optimize staffing, further consolidate administrative services and respect the connection between budget votes and tax bills. Therefore, I must vote no on the budget.

Robert Finn Shelburne

CVSD board chair seeks support for budget

To the Editor:

I am the new chair of the Champlain Valley School Board. I have two children in CVSD schools — a sophomore at Champlain Valley Union and a sixth grader at Charlotte Central School — and I am in the unenviable position of being a new board chair without a passed budget.

There are many reasons why our budget did not pass on Town Meeting Day, including changes in legislation and a statewide education funding system that needs significant attention.

Given all these challenges, why would I choose now to run for election to the school board and become the chair?

The answer to that is easy, as a school board member and parent I have the honor and privilege of seeing the tireless dedication of administrators, teachers and support staff and the work they do every single day to provide opportunities for growth and belonging to all our students. I get to see how our schools meet our students where they are and the amazing things they do when they are provided with the opportunities that a Champlain Valley School District education provides them.

Put simply: I believe in our schools and in the immense power of public education because I see it working every day.

When the community did not support the budget, I understood why, but I was devastated because I knew that the school district would have to make significant reductions in its proposed budget to lower the property tax rate. The board asked the administration to identify reductions that main-

tained our mission and vision and maintained the Vermont Agency of Education’s education quality standards.

I know that there are many people who are disappointed in the reductions. Administrators made very difficult decisions in a very short timeframe that were guided by the request of the board. I understand the deep disappointment behind every single one of these reductions. I feel them too as a board chair, parent and community member. We could argue over whether or not they were the right reductions — I assure you we have done that — and we could argue whether we need additional change in the state funding system (we do) or if we cut enough (we did), but this latest proposed budget maintains as much of our programming that we can and continues to provide the opportunities for students that will help them to achieve their fullest potential.

I am grateful that I live in a community that supports public education and our schools. I hope that you join me in voting yes on our school budget on or before Tuesday, April 16.

Meghan Metzler Chair Champlain Valley School District School Board

‘Beaverland’ author Leila Phillip visits town hall

On Thursday, April 18, at 7 p.m., the library welcomes author Leila Phillip to the town hall stage for a talk about her book, “Beaverland.”

Pick up a book club copy at the front desk and be sure to join in at a book club chat about the book on Monday, April 15, 10:30 a.m.

Public Philosophy Week at the Pierson

The University of Vermont Philosophy Department is putting on events all throughout Chittenden County for Public Philosophy Week, April 15-20.

Gather on Tuesday, April 16, in Shelburne for a special conver-

sation led by professor Mike Ashooh regarding philosophical considerations amid climate change.

Beginning college search

On Tuesday, April 16, 7 p.m., join Alice Hubbard Lissarrague of Lissarrague College Guidance for a free presentation for 10th and 11th graders about beginning college research.

Spring art opening

Explore a diverse array of artistry while enjoying music and snacks in the ambience of the library after hours from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 1.

The Pierson will unveil new works by artists across all five of its gallery spaces.

Champlain Valley Union wins 2024 scholars’ bowl

Champlain Valley Union High School won the Vermont-NEA Scholars’ Bowl at Montpelier High School on April 6.

CVU capped a run of four blowout wins in the April playoffs with a 505-245 victory over defending champion Burlington. The Redhawks also swept through the first set of playoffs in January, meaning they secured their third state championship overall and second in the last three years without needing to play of a championship match.

The result capped a dominant season that saw the Redhawks win every Vermont competition without losing a match. Including the regional round in the fall, the Redhawks finished the state tournaments with a record of 23 wins and no losses. CVU also won the league’s three side tournaments — the Sue Passco Opening Tournament in September, the Academic Tournament in December, and the Vermont National Academic Quiz Tournaments Championship in March — to finish the regular season with a record of 47-0.

Competing members of the CVU team were Elias Leventhal, Colin Ravlin, Jacob Graham, Frank Fidler, Nolan Sandage and

Zoe Mui. The team is coached by John Bennett and Kiran MacCormick.

Mt. Abraham claimed the small-school state championship, taking the small-school title with a 270-120 victory over Montpelier in the championship game. Montpelier, which took home the Medlar Cup as the most improved team compared to the January playoffs, had the best record among small-school teams in the April playoffs to force a title game but fell to Mt. Abraham in the title matchup.

A similar situation occurred in the junior varsity tournament as January winner CVU B outlasted Burlington B, 330-240, in the championship game after the Burlington B team’s impressive run to third place overall in the April playoffs sent that division to a deciding match.

Scholars’ Bowl is a question-and-answer quiz competition, similar to Jeopardy! but featuring teams of high school students and with a heavier focus on the academic curriculum. The tournament has been held annually since the 1983-84 school year and is sponsored by the Vermont-National Education Association.

Student Milestones

Gerrit Pottmeyer of Shelburne was named to the Champlain College dean’s list for the fall 2023 semester. Pottmeyer is currently majoring in game design.

Miles Bosma of Shelburne was named to the Champlain College president’s list for the

STUDENTS

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school district applied for a Vermont Act 112 grant. That law, which was passed in May 2022, allocated some $3 million to the Vermont Department of Mental Health and the Vermont Agency of Education for mental health supports within schools.

With $95,000 in grant funding, the district has contracted with the Vermont Restorative Approach Collaborative, who will help the district establish best practices and implementation of restorative approaches for behavior issues.

Sanchez said the grant will help staff make sure that “when we’re

fall 2023 semester. Bosma is majoring in criminal justice.

Kelcie Kruk of Shelburne was named to the Champlain College president’s list for the fall 2023 semester.

Kruk is majoring in computer networking and cybersecurity.

interacting with students when things maybe have gone awry that we’re able to work with them to deescalate or to engage as opposed to coming to them with more of a punitive mindset.”

“The goal is to be proactive, and if a student is acting out, we want to make sure we have a better understanding and get feedback from the student as to why they’re doing what they’re doing,” he said, “so that that way the behavior interventionists, the teachers and the schools can respond to it in a proactive way rather than a reactive way in case it happens again.”

PHOTO COURTESY VERMONT-NEA SCHOLARS’ BOWL Champlain Valley Union High School scholars’ bowl team, from left, Zoe Mui, Nolan Sundage, Frank Fidler, Jacob Graham, Colin Ravlin, Elias Leventhal and head coach John Bennett.

Expert birder leads talk on rare birds of Vermont

In every season of the year, birders may stumble upon the unusual: a western flycatcher with misguided migration; an arctic owl wandering south; or a far-flung waterfowl from across an ocean. How do these birds end up in our little state, and what can they tell us about our changing world? At an upcoming Green Mountain Audubon program, take a look back on some of the most spectacular birds to visit Vermont and ponder which avian treasures may come next. The presentation on rare birds of Vermont features Zac Cota, an expert birder, Birds of Vermont Museum board member, Vermont Bird Records committee member, Vermont eBird data expert and teacher and naturalist with North Branch Nature Center. Register for the talk on Thursday, April 18, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at greenmountainaudubon.org. Seen above is the crested caracara, spotted in Woodstock.

Community Notes

Shelburne church, Age Well host April luncheon

Age Well is offering a luncheon on Tuesday, April 16, in the St Catherine of Siena Parish Hall, 72 Church St. in Shelburne.

The menu is salisbury beef with barbecue sauce, baked beans, broccoli florets, wheat bun with butter, frosted pound cake with raspberry filling and milk.

Check-in time is 11:30 a.m. and the meal will be served at noon. There is a $5 suggested donation.

Diners must register by April 10 to Kerry Batres, nutrition coordinator, 802-662-5283 or email kbatres@agewellvt.org. Tickets are also available at the Age Well Office, 875 Roosevelt Highway, Suite 210, Colchester.

Food systems researchers talks to garden club

The Burlington Garden Club welcomes speaker Polly Ericksen, inaugural director of the University of Vermont Food Systems Research Center to its next monthly meeting, Tuesday, April 23, 1 p.m., Faith United Methodist Church, 899 Dorset St., South

Burlington.

Ericksen has been recognized as an early pioneer in the field of food systems research and is a seminal scholar who uses interdisciplinary approaches to solve complex food systems issues in the context of global environmental change. She has spent much of her career working across disciplines to link science with development policy and resource mobilization. She will explain what is meant by food systems research and why the university is privileged to host a Food Systems Research Center. She will also welcome ques-

tions about food systems in New England.

More at bgcvt.org.

Spring swap offers free kids’ clothes, books

The United Church of Hinesburg hosts a spring swap on Saturday, April 13, 9-11 a.m.

Come look for free kids’ clothing, gently used in sizes from infant to 14, and children’s books, toddler to middle-school level.

Drop off donations, including maternity clothes, on Friday, April 12 from 1-8 p.m. at the church.

No toys or donations on swap day, please.

Sponsored by the Hinesburg Community Resource Center. For more information, call 802-4824946 or email koncewicz@hinesburgresource.org.

Enjoy Age Well meals at Charlotte Senior Center

The Age Well meal pickup for Thursday, April 18, is from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Charlotte Senior

Polly Ericksen

PHOTO BY CAT ABBOTT

FIRE

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trate Judge Kevin J. Doyle was approved by 5:45 Monday morning and the records were subsequently released. The court was closed until Tuesday for the eclipse.

Court records show authorities credit two employees at the former La Quinta Inn on Williston Road next to Al’s French Frys in helping to identify Soghomonian on Saturday as the suspect in the arson.

The two witnesses reported the picture of the suspect released by Burlington Police on Friday afternoon matched Soghomonian, who had been a long-term guest at the motel, now known as the Inn at Burlington, the ATF said.

An inn manager reported Saturday he thought he recognized the suspect as Soghomonian based on a photograph of the suspect near the crime scene, Brimo said in a court affidavit.

COMMUNITY NOTES

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Center features beef with barbecue sauce, baked beans, broccoli florets, wheat bun with butter, pumpkin craisin cookie and milk.

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

The suggested donation is $5. Check the website for last-minute cancellations at bit.ly/3FfyLMb.

United Church of Hinesburg plant sale returns

United Church of Hinesburg’s 2024 plant sale continues a 50-plus year tradition. The online

Burlington Police Sgt. John Stoughton met with the manager and another co-worker who reported the suspect checked in as “Michael Soghomonian,” according to the court records made public Monday morning.

Soghomonian often wore the same orange or salmon colored hat on the top of his head that was seen on the suspect, they said.

Hutchins said he often chatted with Soghomonian because he would come down to the lobby to renew the room for another day or two, the ATF said.

Stoughton secured screenshots from hotel security video from when Soghomonian was staying there. The inn also shared a description of the car used by Soghomonian and his phone number.

Williston Police Sgt. Eric Shepard, who is a member of the ATF’s

Gun Violence Task Force, was alerted by Shelburne Police that they had found the 2019 blue Subaru Impreza with New York registration plates about 4 a.m. Sunday at the Quality Inn on Shelburne Road, just south of the South Burlington city line, records show.

Shepard confirmed with the staff that Soghomonian was renting a room and was due to leave after daylight.

Brimo said that’s when the decision was made to approach the room and arrest Soghomonian if he was inside.

The Burlington Fire Department reported on Friday that

Call before you dig

somebody entered 1 Church St. about 10:44 a.m. and went to the third floor. Security video showed a man spraying a liquid on the door at Sanders’ office and setting it afire with a lighter, officials said.

Sanders was not in the office at the time.

Burlington Fire Chief Michael LaChance said the sprinkler system and fire alarms activated and people were evacuated. He said the fire was located between the elevator and the door to Sanders’ office and quickly extinguished.

The video captured clear images of the arsonist at the histor-

ic building, officials said.

The motive for the fire remains unclear.

A desk clerk at the Quality said Soghomonian checked in Saturday morning and was due to leave Sunday morning. She said the inn was fully booked for Sunday and Monday nights due to the eclipse.

“He came in quietly,” the clerk said. His room was in the back portion of the inn, not visible from Shelburne Road.

The initial criminal complaint filed by ATF carries a possible penalty of 5 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, upon conviction.

sale of locally grown perennials and beautifully packaged homemade biscotti runs through Saturday, April 20, with orders ready for pick up on Saturday, May 4.

An in-person sale of annuals and home-baked pies will be held the following Saturday, May 11, just in time for Mother’s Day.

Access the online store from the church website at ucofh.org. Place your order and pay with a credit or debit card. Shop early to ensure the best selection.

Contact the United Church of Hinesburg with any questions at 802-482-3352 or unitedchurch@ gmavt.net.

Obituary

Allen Martin

Allen Manley Martin sailed on to calmer seas, departing on Sunday, March 24, 2024. Allen lived a very active life, living his life in the Burlington area for 89 years.

Allen launched his career with his first business, AlMartin Motors. His second business was Point Bay Marina, which he ran for 38 years after bringing it back from bankruptcy.

Allen met his wife of 69 years on a blind date. Together they raised three children, Kathryn, Karin and Peter.

Allen had much joy giving the senior citizens of Charlotte boat rides on his boat, the Nancy Ann.

Allen Martin

Do you have spring planting or digging projects?

If you plan to do any type of digging on your property, you or your contractor must contact Dig Safe™ at 811at least 48 hours prior to digging.

Dig Safe will notify member utilities, who will locate of buried facilities they own and ensure they are clearly marked. If you plan to work within 18 inches of themarked lines, please make sure it is dug by hand.

How to Detect a Gas Leak

Smell: Natural gas is normally odorless. VGS adds an odorant similar to the smell of rotten eggs, so it can be easily recognized.

Sight: You may see a white cloud, mist, fog, bubbles in standing water, or blowing dust. You may also see vegetation that appears to be dead or dying.

Sound: It may result in an unusual noise that replicates the sound of roaring, hissing, or whistling.

Move immediately to a safe location. Call VGS at 800-6398081 or call 911 with the exact location. Do not smoke or operate electrical switches or appliances. These items may produce a spark that might result in a dangerous condition. Do not assume someone else will report the condition.

Be safe

Scan the QR Code or visit vgsvt.com/be-safe for more safety information.

Donations can be made in Allen’s honor to the Charlotte Senior Center.

Allen leaves his wife, Nancy; daughters, Karin Small and Kathryn Martin (deceased); son, Peter Martin (deceased); grandsons, Matthew Small, Justin Small and Brennan Martin (deceased); and great-granddaughters, Sadie Small and Mercy Small. Smooth sailing, Poppy, you will be lovingly missed.

PHOTOS BY LIBERTY DARR

The crew from Florida was all smiles Monday afternoon as they caught the beginning of the total solar eclipse. See more photos online at shelburnenews.com

and, most importantly, ensure that everyone had a pair of specialty eclipse viewing shades.

ECLIPSE continued from page 1

her three children, traveled over 1,000 miles to catch what she called, “the best view in the country.”

“We came all the way from Georgia specifically for the eclipse,” said Johnson, noting they drove more than 18 hours to reach Shelburne. “In 2017 when it did go through a corner of north Georgia, I was there with my older kids, but my youngest was not born yet so I decided I had to get her into totality so she could see it.”

Similarly, Peter Friederich and a posse of nearly 15 people traveled from St. Augustine, Fla. But, unlike other travelers, there was no traditional telescope in sight for this crew. Instead, Friederich set up a brand new, state-ofthe-art, Hestia — a cutting-edge device that turns a smartphone into a telescope.

“There’s no electronics to it,” he said, noting the simplicity of the gadget. “This was a Kickstarter thing I got involved with, with a company in France that

was making this to help you take photos of the eclipse. I’ve never used it; this is my first time.”

Hidden among the travelers were new Shelburnites Zoe Wasserman and her husband, Phil Gorokhovsky, who moved to the area in November and are just beginning to sink their teeth into the new community.

“Shelburne, particularly, is gorgeous,” she said.

Other locals packed the streets by foot to make it to the party that featured DJ Matt Hagan spinning cosmic tunes for nearly three hours before serenading the crowd to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” as totality approached. Also in the mix were various food and merchant vendors, along with Carol Parven Hutter with Fun Factor, who brought games and other crafts for the kiddos.

ing the celestial dance together in childlike wonder. Looking around the town event that gathered more than 700 people, the eclipse did more than leave people awestruck — it brought people together.

watch-

As the sun disappeared by the minute behind the moon, eclipse-watchers from different states, who seemingly have nothing in common, found themselves in the same path

As cheers erupted while the air grew colder and a still darkness

settled against the Green Mountain landscape, neighbors threw their arms around each other, and for just a few moments under the once-in-a-lifetime sky, they were no longer strangers.

For Pierson Library director

Michael Hibben and develop-

ment review board coordinator Kit Luster, this was exactly the moment they had been waiting months for, and it surely did not disappoint.

“Was that not incredible?”

Hibben exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “That was magic.”

of totality

Top left: The Shelburne volunteer crew welcomed travelers and locals who set up spots at the town viewing party on Monday afternoon. The crew was there to answer questions

Bottom left: Becky Johnson from Georgia and her kids hung out for majority of the day at the arts and crafts area, put together by Carol Parven Hutter with Fun Factory.

Top right: 11-year-old New Jersey native, David Danese and his dad, Anthony, prep their Dobsonian telescope to catch a perfect view of the eclipse an hour before totality

Bottom right: Peter Friederich and his crew from Florida checking out the eclipse from a brand new telescope gadget, the Hestia. Most of them, of course, were also sporting their matching total solar eclipse themed t-shirts.

Rental Office space on Shelburne Road in Shelburne in the Paragon Building. 1250 square feet, parking.

Contact 802-238-7702

Community Bankers

Community Bankers

Community

Bankers

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

Norwich University taps Otley as women’s basketball coach

Community Bankers

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

There is no better time to join our Team!

There is no better time to join our Team!

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

Community Bankers

There is no better time to join our Team!

There is no better time to join our Team!

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

There is no better time to join our Team!

North eld Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all.

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

Ute Otley, who has led Champlain Valley Union High School to eight state titles has been tapped to lead the Norwich University women’s basketball program.

to develop players on and off the court,” said Ed Hockenbury, director of athletics at Norwich.

first year as the second leading rebounder, third leading scorer and fifth on the team in assists.

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!)

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!) Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!) Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!) Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

Opportunity for Growth

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

Opportunity for Growth

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

Opportunity for Growth

Opportunity for Growth

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

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

What NSB Can Offer You

What NSB Can Offer You

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

What NSB Can Offer You

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

What NSB Can Offer You

From 2012-16, her team’s established a new Vermont consecutive wins record as it notched 96 straight victories. In 13 seasons as the CVU head coach, the team reached at least the state semifinals every year other than the COVID19-shortened season when CVU finished the season 9-0.

“I have long been an admirer of Ute as a coach, and as a mentor and role model for young women. She is not only a proven winner, but she has an amazing combination of coaching experience, competitive desire, basketball knowledge and perspective on her role in helping

DISMAS

continued from page 2

The Norwich Cadets will return several key players from last season, including Haley Brewster, already a member of the 1,000-point club. She averaged 19.6 points per game on her way to being named CSC Academic All-District and Great Northeast Athletic Conference Third Team.

Fellow CSC Academic All-District award winner Maren McGinn of Georgia, Vt., averaged 16 points per game, led the team with 10.4 rebounds per game, and currently ranks second all-time in program history with a 55.6 percent field goal percentage.

Another local product, Sage MacAuley of Barre, finished her

“Norwich University is a special place that reflects the same characteristics we are looking for in the women’s program —– dedication, hard work, belief in something bigger than yourself and meeting every challenge with determination and confidence,” said Otley. “I can’t wait to get started, meet with the team and jump into recruiting to prepare for the upcoming season.”

Otley has continuously demonstrated success throughout her basketball career. The former Valparaiso High School standout was named first team All-State as a senior. The honors from her high school playing career continued when in 2011 she was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Silver Anniversary Team.

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

Competitive compensation based on experience. Wellrounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity.

Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Commitment to professional development. Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work -Life balance!

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com

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

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

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

prisoners with a chance to live in a structured home setting and reintegrate into the community. Nearly 500 local volunteers are engaged in the houses almost every day, including countless college interns, as well as international Volunteers for Peace.

“I can’t imagine having lived my life any other way,” the whitehaired, bearded, soft-spoken Gagne said recently.

Dismas 37th annual community celebration. McCaffrey, founder of Dismas of Vermont, will present Gagne with the Jack Hickey Award.

Hickey founded the first Dismas House in the nation in Nashville and was integral in bringing Vermont’s first Dismas House to fruition.

While playing collegiately at Dartmouth College, she was a key member of four Ivy League Championships, from 1987-90, and played in 103 games.

Otley, and her husband Brian, have three children, Sadie, Mason and Cole.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

Equal

A celebration to honor Gagne’s contributions will take place on Saturday, May 4, at 6:30 p.m. at the Elley Long Music Center in Colchester as part of the Burlington

This year’s event features musical guest Kat Wright backed by her band. Food and drink trucks will be at the event. All proceeds will benefit the programs of Burlington Dismas House. Tickets are $50 online and $65 at the door. Go to bit. ly/49yrvaU or call 802-658-0381.

During her coaching career Otley has a 270-17 record (.940); 96 consecutive wins (Vermont record) between 2012-16; 22 players at the collegiate level; eight state championships; six Vermont Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year awards; and four Vermont Gatorade Players of the Year (2013-14, 2015, 2016 and 2021).

PHOTO BY AL FREY CVU head coach Ute Otley talks strategy during a timeout at the Redhawks’ semifinal game against the Mt. Mansfield Union Cougars at Patrick Gym in early 2022.

Green Up Day to clean up Route 100 corridor in an hour

Green Up Vermont’s mission is to keep environmental stewardship exciting and rewarding for all and to pass this knowledge to the next generation of Jedi litterclean-up volunteers. This year’s theme is teamwork.

“We are introducing some special campaigns this year that focus on big teams and working together. In addition to all city and town efforts we are running a special Vermont Top-to- Bottom Green Up campaign that runs from the Canadian border to Massachusetts along the Route

TEDDY BEAR

continued from page 1

has built six retail locations across Vermont, two of which operate as production facilities as well, plus two additional retail locations in Maine. The team plans to open a ninth store in Waterbury this summer.

Both companies will continue to operate as separate brands, but partner in a variety of ways, similar to two collaborative projects already launched this past year, including one of Vermont

100 scenic byway, and with volunteers placed at every mile, it is essentially a 208-person relay team,” said executive director Kate Alberghini. “Everyone will start at 10 a.m. and have Vermont Route 100 cleaned in about an hour.”

Green Up Day this year is Saturday, May 4.

Green Up Vermont has also announced a Guinness world record attempt for the most pledges received for trash clean up in 24 hours.

“The goal is to include all

Vermonters and visitors who want to make the pledge. We have timed it around Green Up Day so that people will act on their pledge and be inspired to clean up some litter,” Alberghini said.

Be a part of the world record attempt by visiting greenupvermont.org.

Last year’s Armand Poulin Memorial Poster Art contest winner was a seventh grader from Essex Middle School; the writing contest winners were both from Ryegate, while the jingle winner came from Waterford.

Teddy Bear’s classic 15-inch bears wearing a Vermont Flannel button-down shirt.

Together, the combined company will employ more than 70 people, with several remote employees in other states.

RABIES BAIT

continued from page 2

“What is really fun about both of these companies is that they have created such memorable experiences of something that is uniquely Vermont,” Van Deman said. “You can’t come to Vermont

without stopping at the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory or taking home a piece of Vermont Flannel with you, and you can’t leave either company’s stores without a warm smile on your face.”

Simultaneously, the ownership group of Vermont Teddy Bear has also sold the assets of its apparel divisions — Pajamagram, Pajamajeans and the One for U — to an affiliate of Lionel Capital.

Bill

The winning poster entry for Green Up Day Vermont

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.

Shouldice, CEO of

ways 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.

Vermont Teddy Bear, added, “I am so thrilled to bring these two iconic Vermont brands together.

Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. It is most often

Shelburne display lead a dors round from coffee creemees. from Shelburne SHELBURNE continued Painting

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

It makes so much sense for the next chapter of Vermont Teddy Bear.”

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.

ANSWERS FROM THIS ISSUE

PHOTO BY JOHN HAMMER Snow-covered geese on Shelburne Point after the last crazy snowstorm.

Snow be gone