Shelburne News - 5-23-24

House run

Shelburne businessman seeks Brumsted’s seat

Page 3

Group pursues diversity, equity

LINE-MARIE EICHHORST

COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

During the late April meeting of the Shelburne Equity and Diversity Committee, members discussed a bilingual book walk for the town’s children. With its focus on inclusivity, the committee zeroed in on the language for the event. Should it incorporate the word “walk” or find an alternative that “doesn’t imply the use of legs”? wondered committee member Faith Yacubian.

The Shelburne Selectboard established the Equity and Diversity Committee in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement after the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis. The town gave the committee a clear purpose: Suggest ways to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in all town government activities and help generate community and financial support for those improvements. The goal was derived from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns’ equity statement and

See COMMITTEE on page 4

O’Brien Brothers

Developers petition for water, sewer connections

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Developers who own a 175-acre Shelburne property are petitioning to be included in the town’s designated water and sewer service area to allow them to build more houses.

The move could allow the land, which is currently included in the town’s rural zoning district, a higher density of building as outlined in the recently passed state law known as Act 47, or HOME Act.

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The parcel, owned by the O’Brien Brothers development company for decades, is separated by Thomas Road into two tracts, with a 110-acre tract on the north side of the road and another 65.5 on its southern side. The northern parcel sits at the edge of the current area in town serviced by

See O’BRIEN BROTHERS on page 12

Shelburne Road, S. Burlington Maple Tree Place, Williston

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The ospreys have returned to their regular perch in Shelburne.

They’re back

Riverflow will provide housing for Vermonters with disabilities

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Elizabeth Campbell sat on the 30-acre property in Monkton that will soon house four Vermonters with developmental disabilities in a housing project known as Riverflow — an initiative looking to redefine what environments of inclusion can look like.

The Shelburne resident had a vision for this space long before it became a reality, and now as painters and handymen roam in and out of the eight-bedroom house, her longtime advocacy efforts for Vermonters with disabilities are finally bearing fruit.

The issues are close to home for Campbell since her son Jesse was diagnosed at 15 with Down Syndrome Regression Disorder, something she describes as a particularly disabling variation of Down Syndrome.

While it’s common for many parents to fear what will happen to their children when they step out into the world on their own, for Campbell and the many parents she advocates for, that fear is compounded with a lack of options for their children.

“We, like most Vermonters, were surprised to learn that the only housing option for someone like Jesse, is adult foster care, a shared living provider program in Vermont,” she said, adding that although that model works well for some families, it is not the ideal model for all. “For someone like

my son, Jesse, who requires 24/7 care, and needs help expressing himself, shared living where he’d be a guest in a series of strangers’ homes was not what we wanted for him.”

The realities for her adult son were maximized after the death of her husband in 2020. While processing her grief, Campbell was also simultaneously charged with finding solutions in a system that for so long has left some families behind.

“I realized that Jesse was that much closer to ending up in shared living or adult foster care once I was no longer able to care for him,” she said.

So, she did what any concerned parent would do: she wrote an op-ed to local newspapers and media outlets. And it turned out, there were parents everywhere across the state who felt the same way. Over 100 parents formed a group called the Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative, that advocated for more options than just the shared-living model.

Aside from advocacy efforts, the group went to the Legislature and in 2022 was influential in the passage of Act 186, which appropriated $500,000 to develop innovative housing options for Vermonters with developmental disabilities.

The Campbell family, in conjunction with another family, Waitsfield residents Amy and Jim Caffry, submitted a grant application and were awarded $170,000.

That is, more or less, when the Riverflow community began. Then Campbell found Hannah Schwartz, who has over 20 years of experience in instituting intentional living communities and now acts as the project’s community coordinator.

But the happenstance of finding the property was nothing short of serendipitous.

“That day, I decided to go for a bike ride,” Campbell said. “I was very anxious, and I’ve never ridden in Monkton before, and I decided that day I would ride in Monkton and I kept checking my email and a mile from this house, I found out that we were awarded a pilot planning grant.”

Schwartz said after that point the group hit the ground running with planning initiatives, since the grant money was not intended to be used to buy brick-and-mortar purchases. But the main house is just the beginning of even more planned houses the team hopes to build. The dream is to grow River-

flow into a four-home community with vegetable and perennial gardens, chickens and sheep, and numerous vocational learning programs.

“Whether you live here directly or not what I’ve experienced in intentional communities that are healthy, and I’ve traveled world looking at the model and studied them, the communities that have the most to do with their extended communities are the healthiest.

For friends with special needs, they have so much to offer,” she said.

“Our worlds just not quite ready yet.”

Schwartz also brings extensive knowledge around the Camphill movement, an 80-year-old social change initiative dedicated to creating intentional living communities where individuals with developmental disabilities can have experiences working, living and building relationships with one another and the world around them. The international movement has grown to include more than 100 communi-

ties across the world, and Riverflow is hoping to be added to that list.

“For someone like Jesse, people are everything,” Campbell said. “Relationships are all that matters to him.”

Aside from just providing stable housing, Riverflow will also implement rich daytime programming with a variety of person-centered activities.

“Vermont has been, like many states, very good at including the children with intellectual developmental disabilities in the school, but once they graduate from school, there was virtually no programming, no day programming,” said Campbell.

Riverflow will accommodate four “friends,” or the founding residents, along with live-in staff and other volunteer positions.

“One of the people coming to Riverflow, they tried to access

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Elizabeth Campbell and Hannah Schwartz stand at the Riverflow property in Monkton.

Shelburne business owner seeks House seat

Political Notebook

Shawn Sweeney

My name is Shawn Sweeney, and I am running as a Democrat for the state representative seat being vacated by Rep. Jessica Brumsted.

I grew up in Montpelier about a mile from the Statehouse. My mother ran the household while providing in-home day care and my father was a house painter. I graduated from Montpelier High School, received my associate degree from Paul Smith’s College and completed my undergraduate studies at The University of Houston.

In my early career, I owned a nightclub in Burlington and then worked on feature films in New York City. I attribute the success of those endeavors to a strong work ethic, treating everyone fairly and having the ability to listen. I met my wife, Randy on a movie set and we moved back to Vermont. In 2004, we built a home in Shelburne where we raised our family.

It was essential to me to be involved with my children’s lives and the broader community. I

coached Little League baseball, youth basketball and volunteered at the Shelburne Community School. For many years, I was president of the Champlain Valley School District football program and head official for the Burlington Country Club swim team.

I just completed my first year on the Shelburne Planning Commission and am the vice chair of a nature conservation organization in Israel.

Randy is a school counselor at Harwood Union High School, and our two sons went to CVU and after graduating college are now living in New York City.

Since returning to Vermont, I have been involved with construction and run Sweeney Designbuild in Shelburne village.

As a small business owner, I employ 20 staff, utilize hundreds of specialized sub-contractors and strive to work with Vermontowned businesses.

The key to our success has been our ability to listen to what our customers want and treat everyone we work with fairly. I have been able to extend our impact on the community through financially supporting

So why do I want to run for office? Walking by the Statehouse every day when I was growing up, I dreamed of being part of what was going on inside. I do not have years of political experience, but what I do have is a citizen’s experience of living in Vermont, running a business and raising a family here. This state and community mean everything to me.

I have already begun meeting and listening to my friends and neighbors. Almost all of them have said fiscal responsibility is their greatest concern. They also worry about affordable housing and the complexities of

RIVERFLOW

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the shared living provider model, and he was rejected 17 times,” Schwartz said.

While the group has made a substantial amount of progress in renovations, there is still a hefty monetary need to bring their first guests into their new home in time to open in October. While simultaneously seeking state grants, the group plans to begin bigger public

campaigns for funds in June.

Another way the community can help is to join a community workday by helping paint, scrape and plant. The next one is Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., 57 Cedar Lane in Monkton.

While this community stands as a large step in the right direction, Campbell and Schwartz are committed to continuing in policy

the education funding system and how these issues are going to affect their futures. I couldn’t agree with them more.

I want to continue hearing what is important to the people of St. George and Shelburne. I want to be a strong, well-informed voice for you in Montpelier. I will bring compassion, listening skills and creative problem solving to the Vermont House of Representatives. I plan on representing our communities with common sense, fairness and a collaborative spirit.

Please feel free to reach out to me at shawnforhouserep@gmail. com.

work that looks to expand inclusive practices and services. Riverflow is just the beginning of that.

“There’s so much work ahead of us,” Schwartz said. “What is really nice is that Riverflow will have the opportunity to collaborate with that and really be a leader in how to do all that inclusive practice. We will be both a really alternative setting and we will also do policy change.”

Shawn Sweeney

Shelburne Police Blotter: May 13-19

Total reported incidents: 54

Medical emergencies: 17

Mental health incidents: 2

Suspicious incidents: 7

Citizen assists: 4

Car crash: 4

Animal problem: 1

Theft: 1

Harassment: 3

Alarms: 2

Pending investigations: 3

May 13 at 10: 21 a.m., officers located an unoccupied vehicle parked in the road near Shelburne Museum. Police later learned the driver was given a ride to Hinesburg where he was reportedly creating a disturbance near Shelburne Falls Road and Route 116. Richmond Rescue transported the man to the hospital for evaluation.

May 13 at 6: 05 p.m., someone dropped off a dog that was running loose on Spear Street in Charlotte. The pup was later reunited with its owner.

May 15 at 10: 04 p.m., someone reported a possible intruder in her home on Gardenside Lane.

Officers checked the building and the area but were unable to locate anyone.

May 16 at 7: 41 p.m., police mediated a dispute between individuals outside of SCHIP’s Treasure Resale Shop on Shelburne Road.

May 16 at 10: 05 p.m., officers helped to mediate a dispute at the Shelburne Campground.

May 18 at 4: 59 a.m., Shelburne police and fire crews responded the scene of a damaged vehicle off Shelburne Road. Investigation revealed the crash occurred in South Burlington, and the driver fled the scene. South Burlington Police was notified and took the individual into custody.

May 18 at 7: 07 p.m., a caller reported a theft of items from her residence and vehicle on Shelburne Road. The case is under investigation.

May 18 at 8: 08 p.m., someone went paddleboarding off Bay Road and was gone for a long time. While the officers were responding, the individual was located.

COMMITTEE

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efforts to encourage state municipalities to adopt a commitment to equity.

Since its founding, the committee has helped with Shelburne’s internal equity and diversity trainings, organized community potlucks, hosted equity-related movie nights at the library — the animated Disney film “Encanto” about a Columbian family was a recent showing — and engaged with the community at the Shelburne Farmers Market.

“We see ourselves as a way to magnify the voice of the community into government,” Cate Cross, a committee member, said. “We are there to make people feel welcome and act as a way to engage with government that isn’t just about paying taxes or coming to a selectboard meeting.”

Cross also works with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns on equity across the state as part of a subgroup developing a toolkit for towns to make their policies more welcoming and equitable.

Cross emphasized in an interview that she and other members

speak only about their perspectives as individuals, not on behalf of the entire equity and diversity committee. The committee doesn’t have a chairperson. Instead, the leaders of each meeting rotate. It’s part of the intention to remain inclusive and democratic.

Since its founding, the committee has focused on recruiting new members to boost its own diversity. Cross said that has to do with more than the racial makeup of the committee, which she declined to specify.

“Diversity work and welcoming work goes beyond working to break the perception of race,” she wrote in an email. “It has to do with socio-economic status, access to decision-making opportunity (for example in local government), transportation and housing access, able-ism, sexual orientation and much more.”

The committee has used various methods to encourage participation, including advertisements and membership applications in multiple forms, such as video submissions. Recently, the committee organized a retreat focused on creating a plan to interact more with the Shelburne community.

“We know that typically, in town governments around the state, the way you get onto a board or committee is to know someone,” Cross said. “We want to change that. We want to ensure a broader representation of view-

points and lived experiences in our government.”

The committee meets every second and fourth Monday of the month at 6 p.m. Town manager Matthew Lawless attends some of the meetings, hearing members’ advice and recommendations.

Lawless moved to Shelburne from Virginia with 12 years of local government experience and was selected as town manager in 2023. He said the town’s commitment to equity was one of the reasons he joined the Shelburne community.

“Shelburne has undergone some population growth, and the visible diversity of our community is different,” he said. “There are more residents in Shelburne who aren’t originally from Vermont or aren’t originally from the United States, and so they bring new ideas and expectations. It’s very important that we listen to our whole community and understand how the needs of town government are changing.”

Cross said she is excited about the committee’s work and its efforts to make Shelburne more inclusive, and positions itself as a bridge between the community and government, she said, “so that we can ensure more voices are heard.”

Line-Marie Eichhorst is a reporter with the Community News Service, a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.

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OPINION

Abortion debate: hot air meets hot water

Guest Perspective Walt Amses

If you can’t stand the heat, you may want to get out of the kitchen, but given today’s climate you might want to skip politics as well. And if you’re quite serious, you should probably consider taking up residence on another planet, one not including the Republican Party.

With climate scientists delivering dire warnings of rising temperatures in the north Atlantic, and the GOP, along with right-to-life stalwarts, abandoning the notion that life begins at conception, the upcoming hurricane season will encompass way more than weather.

Most telling is how quickly even the staunchest anti-abortion advocates were willing to jettison their sanctimonious chest thumping over fetal personhood the moment Donald Trump flip flopped after being told that if he didn’t do an about face on a woman’s right to choose, he might be fomenting the next big lie from a post-election prison cell.

whose wrath they fear lives in Mar-a-Lago.

The pro-life establishment responded, including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Students for Life, Faith and Freedom Coalition, Family Research Council, National Right to Life and Catholic Vote, all quickly reiterating their commitment to reelecting Trump. Wait, what?

That’s right. The former president is an apostate and rather than challenge him, the entirety of the choose life infrastructure decided to become apostates right along with him because it’s never been about babies pre-born, post-born or anywhere in between.

The abortion debate has never been about babies preborn, post-born or anywhere in between.

And poof, there it all went. Fifty years of political bullshit masquerading as “save the babies,” thrown under the bus in the blink of an eye. It remains to be seen what other supposedly strongly held beliefs Christians and Republicans are willing to compromise at the behest of the former president, but their abandonment of this fundamental doctrine — essentially the very foundation of the movement — demands of them a very distinct, round peg/square hole choice: pro-life or pro-Trump. They can’t have it both ways. If a zygote is a baby, which everyone in this demographic has adamantly insisted for decades, and abortion kills babies, why does it suddenly make a difference at what stage they’re killed? Or “executed” as per the always eloquent former president.

You might think Trump instantaneously becoming the most pro-choice Republican presidential candidate in 50 years would find him hemorrhaging a substantial portion of the MAGA electorate, more specifically the “abortion is murder” crowd, like Maine state Rep. Michael Lemelin. Claiming last week that God was complicit in the Lewiston mass shooting last October that killed 18 people, as well as “the storms that wreaked havoc” on the state over the winter, Lemelin must have been surprised that his national cohorts, after hardly a whimper, made it clear the only god

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Sanctimonious Christians lean heavily on the mythology that their movement began in 1973, when the Supreme Court legalized abortion in Roe v. Wade, galvanizing Christians into what became a 50-year quest to overturn the decision. Reality is far less flattering with the squeaky-clean image of evangelicals collapsing under even a superficial level of scrutiny. What galvanized the religious right were the usual objects of Republican idolatry: racial discrimination and money. It wasn’t until six years later, in 1979, that the so-called Moral Majority took up the abortion cause, although not for the moral reasons they cite but rather as an effort to deny President Jimmy Carter a second term. Why? Because his reelection would likely have revoked the tax-exempt status of the segregated southern schools established years earlier to avoid compliance with Brown v. Board of Education.

Writing in Politico in 2014, Dartmouth professor Randall Balmer explained: “Both before and for several years after Roe, evangelicals were overwhelmingly indifferent to the subject, which they considered a ‘Catholic issue.’ In 1968, for instance, a symposium sponsored by the Christian Medical Society and Christianity Today, the flagship magazine of evangelicalism, refused to characterize abortion as sinful, citing individual health, family welfare and social responsibility as justifications for ending a pregnancy.”

Although as governor of California, Carter’s opponent, Ronald Reagan, had signed into law the most liberal abortion legislation in the country, while addressing a 1980 rally of 10,000 evangelicals at Reunion Arena in Dallas, he never

Shelburne: Get creative with housing shortage

To the Editor:

On April 25, I read parts of the following at the Planning Commission’s listening session on the zoning rewrite: I live in Davis Park and am the chair of Shelburne’s housing committee. I am here tonight to express my hope that the zoning rewrite will encourage smart housing development. We, in Shelburne, Chittenden County and Vermont need more housing.

I am hopeful that we will adopt zoning regulations that will encourage a diverse housing stock of options for all. We need apartments, starter homes, in-law apartments, workforce housing — did you know that 63 percent of people who work in Shelburne live elsewhere? — housing where folks can age in-place and housing on small lots that maintain natural resources. You name it and we need it, except for high-end, expensive homes, as we have plenty of those in Shelburne.

Did you know that the median home sale price between 2000-2010 went up about $110,000? From 2010-2020 the median home sale price increased about $120,000. Those increases seem reasonable to me. However, from 2020-2022 the median home sale price has increased by about $306,000. That is outrageous.

I also serve as chair of the Shelburne Food Shelf, and I regularly see the struggle that many of our neighbors deal with. They are struggling to make ends meet. A family need-

ing a 2- or 3-bedroom home is hard pressed to afford a $1,900 or $3,500 rent, feed their family and pay other bills.

I hope that the planning commission and selectboard will consider a wide range of regulations to encourage housing development. I hope that the zoning regulations are not overly complicated, which would turn developers away. I hope you will think out of the box and consider new ideas: Create a housing trust, work on public-private partnerships, engage with large employers in town to see how we might work together to create more housing and consider tax incentives. Please continue to work with Champlain Housing Trust and Habitat for Humanity. Talk with the school district about the land they just found out they own; maybe a small housing development could be put there?

There is no one answer to the housing issue. We need many different approaches. Many of those approaches can begin with zoning. I believe Shelburne can carefully and thoughtfully find ways to increase its housing stock.

Pam Brangan Chair, Shelburne Housing Subcommittee Chair, Shelburne Food Shelf

New approach to health care needed, Meyer says To the Editor:

Chittenden Southeast Sen. Ginny Lyons recently shared her views on Vermont’s health care system, and she seems to paint

Letters to the Editor

a rosy picture. As a physician working in health care, I have a very different perspective.

Vermont’s health care system has been struggling for years and Vermonters are suffering the consequences. Some of the problems are shared by other states, but there are also issues unique to Vermont.

Several governors and the Legislature have allowed, and at times encouraged, the University of Vermont Health System to become a monopoly, and UVM has done what most monopolies do — it has used its concentrated power to increase its power and steeply raise prices across the board.

Eight years ago, former Gov. Peter Shumlin signed Vermont on to a federal health care experiment called OneCare. This was supposed to control health care costs, increase accessibility and improve quality. It has accomplished none of these goals, and its real effect has been to further increase UVM’s power since OneCare was operated through the health system.

At one point, the CEO of the University of Vermont Health Network and OneCare was the same individual.

Lyons now wants to push Vermont into a new nine-year arrangement with the feds in something called Project Ahead. In fact, this program is very similar to the failed OneCare.

One of the few encouraging developments has been the Green Mountain Care Board, which, under new leadership, is finally exercising its independent authority to deny the UVM Medical Center and other

high fliers their exorbitant rate increases. But Lyons is making a strenuous effort to remove that authority and place it with the politically vulnerable Department of Human Services.

I have a different vision for the future of health care in Vermont, and it begins by strengthening independent practices and hospitals, which have long been the backbone of health care in our small state, especially in primary care. The independents consistently provide as good or better care at far less expense, and they are more embedded in their communities.

The UVM Medical Center should return to its original core

AMSES

continued from page 5

mentioned it once. Instead, he railed over the “unconstitutional regulatory agenda” directed by the IRS “against independent schools.”

Protecting the unborn was never the catalyst behind the modern anti-abortion movement however much fundamentalist Christians insist on rewriting history. The real motivation was quickly figuring out how to retain their tax-exempt status while protecting their segregated schools.

While it’s long been established that Trump isn’t very Christian, it turns out that a lot of Christians aren’t all that Christian either, casually tossing closely held beliefs the moment they become politically inconvenient. Their deification of the

missions: serve as the community hospital for Chittenden County and as the state’s only Level 1 trauma center; and help teach future physicians and conduct important research through its medical school.

Much of the Legislature’s work in health care issues has been opaque, both to the public and to many of the legislators themselves. Let’s open the doors and windows and have a real discussion.

Dr. Louis Meyers

South Burlington

Editor’s note: Meyers is a candidate for the Chittenden Southeast Senate seat.

former president is nothing short of astonishing.

Michael Bender, writing in the New York Times, describes the finale of a recent Trump rally: “Soft, reflective music ... a hush falls over the crowd ... Trump’s tone turns reverent and somber ... supporters bow their heads and close their eyes ... raising open palms in the air ... murmur as if in prayer.” The Republican leader intones: “The great silent majority is rising like never before under our leadership” ... many in the crowd believe he “was chosen by God” to lead the country. No one asks, “Why him?”

Delusions are funny like that.

Walt Amses is a Vermont writer.

Boat steward program combats aquatic, terrestrial invasives

Aquatic invasive plant species have long threatened the health and populations of native plants in the Lewis Creek watershed. By forming dense mats of vegetation, they impede the activities of recreational boaters, swimmers and anglers while degrading ecosystems and wildlife habitats. Non-native invasive plants also create hazards by altering erosion patterns, out-competing native species and impacting water quality. Management of all invasive species can be difficult because they are easily spread via seeds, roots, fragments, animals and by humans.

Bristol Pond and Monkton Pond, popular destinations for anglers, recreational boaters and wildlife enthusiasts, both contain aquatic invasive species. As of 2023, there were three known aquatic invasive species in Bristol Pond: European frogbit, Eurasian watermilfoil and brittle naiad; and three aquatic invasive species in Monkton Pond: Eurasian watermilfoil, banded mystery snail and Chinese mystery snail.

If left unmanaged, these species could spread throughout the rest of the watershed and the state. To prevent further spread, Lewis Creek Association, a local non-profit watershed group, will launch its fourth summer of the Boat Launch Steward Program at Bristol and Monkton ponds beginning in June.

The program was created to educate the public about invasive species within the watershed. At Bristol and Monkton ponds, boat launch stewards greet boaters as they arrive at the ponds and offer to inspect their

boats for aquatic invasive species, while also collecting data on where the boat has been and how many aquatic organisms they encountered.

They educate boat owners on how to prevent the spread of invasives, which includes cleaning, draining and drying their boats, and other equipment that has been in the water, before moving to a different water body. This could even include swimsuits and life jackets, which could carry small, microscopic organisms like the fishhook waterflea, which was recently found in Lake Champlain.

In addition to staffing the ponds on the weekends, the stewards manually remove Japanese knotweed at a site along Lewis Creek in North Ferrisburgh. Japanese knotweed is a particularly tough plant to remove; it spreads primarily by its rhizomes, which can break off during a flood then resprout and form a new colony downstream.

In the Lewis Creek watershed, its distribution is patchy, and it has not yet spread prevalently across streambanks unlike in many other Vermont watersheds where it covers nearly every square foot available. Lewis Creek Association is demonstrating a non-chemical removal method to the public at a site in North Ferrisburgh, where stewards will be present weekly to lead removal efforts, and to display these methods to the public. A partnership with Mike Bald of Got Weeds? will guide this work and demonstrate effective methods for knotweed removal without herbicides. To sign up to help, got to bit.ly/lca-knotweed or reach out to Kate Kelly, program manager for the association, at lewiscreekorg@gmail.com or 802-488-5203.

Stop For A Bite or Stay The Night

The Boat Club at Basin Harbor is a great sailing and boating destination on Lake Champlain. Come stop for lunch, dinner, or a cocktail, or better yet, stay the night.

KATE KELLY AND PORTIA BUTRYM LEWIS CREEK ASSOCIATION

FILE PHOTO Boat launch stewards help anglers, other water craft users from moving invasives from one water body to another.

Memorial for Big Joe set for Friday in Burlington

A celebration of life service for Joe Moore will be held Friday, May 24, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church at the top of Church Street, 152 Pearl St., Burlington.

All are invited. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Vermont Blues Society, 1696 Maple St., Waltham VT 05491. Donations in Joe’s name will be used to aid in the formation of the Joseph Moore Jr. Music for Youth Scholarship Fund, dedicated to supporting musical development of youth.

Underground

Railroad exhibit opens at Rokeby

“Seeking Freedom: The Underground Railroad and the Legacy of an Abolitionist Family” explores America’s history of enslavement, the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad in a new exhibition at the Rokeby Museum on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh.

It shares the history of the Robinson family and their work as abolitionists in Vermont. It explores the family’s legacy as later generations moved away from the family’s antislavery beliefs and toward a more dominant American culture.

The exhibition is a comprehensive exploration, going beyond the abolition movement and the Civil War, to discuss the legacy of American racism and prejudice and its impacts on communities today. It proudly features three Vermont

COMMUNITY

organizations actively working toward equality — the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, Peace and Justice Center in Burlington, and Vermont Truth and Reconciliation Commission. A new addition to the exhibition is a children’s learning area, so learners of all ages can engage with history.

See the exhibition daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., beginning Saturday, May 25, through Oct. 13.

Shelburne church, Age well host March luncheon

Age Well is offering a luncheon on Tuesday, June 18, in the St Catherine of Siena Parish Hall, 72 Church St. in Shelburne.

The menu is roast beef au jus, cheddar mashed potatoes, broccoli florets,, dinner roll with margarine cup, strawberry short cake with cream 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 Wednesday, June 12, 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.

Sign up now for Shelburne grab and go meal

Age Well and St. Catherine’s of Siena Parish in Shelburne are teaming up to provide a meal to go for anyone age 60 and older on Tuesday, June 11.

The Aphasia Choir of Vermont will perform at South Burlington High School’s auditorium, 550 Dorset St., on Sunday, June 2, 2-4 p.m. Many South Burlington residents and stroke survivors from Chittenden County and beyond will perform at the free concert. Aphasia is a language disorder typically caused by stroke or traumatic brain injury. Because music is largely mediated by the undamaged hemispheres of the brains of people with aphasia, they can sing and are often fluent while singing even if they have severe difficulty speaking or are nonverbal. The Aphasia Choir of Vermont was the 2020 recipient of the American Stroke Association’s Stroke Hero Award for Outstanding Group. Above, The Aphasia Choir warms up before its 2023 performance at Colchester High School.

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 meatloaf with gravy, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, wheat bread with butter, apple crisp with topping and milk.

To order a meal contact Kathleen at agewellstcath@gmail.com or 802-503-1107. Deadline to order is Wednesday, June 5. 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.

What’s on the menu from Europe to Burlington?

The latest Vermont Historical Society Vermont Eats cultural event will focus on the food and communities that make up Vermont’s diverse history and story.

This year’s dinner is in partnership with Burlington’s Lost Mural Project and Ohavi Zedek Synagogue and will take place at the synagogue on Thursday, June 6, at 5:30 p.m. The event will feature Samuel D. Gruber as the evening’s keynote speaker, who will give a talk titled “Picture This: Art and Life for Vermont’s Jewish Immigrants.”

In the late 19th century, Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and elsewhere in Eastern Europe began to arrive in Burlington, where they

PHOTO BY CATHY WEBSTER

The Aphasia Choir of Vermont

Robert Essman, 87, died of natural causes on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at home in Shelburne.

Bob was born in and raised in St. Louis, the youngest of three brothers. The family lived in a crowded apartment with three boys jammed into one bedroom, Bob’s crib squeezed between the two older boys’ beds.

Bob earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Iowa. He took his credentials to New York City and landed at Life magazine in 1962 as an art assistant, and later as art director. He produced the Life layouts for Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965, The Beatles in 1968 and “To the Moon and Back” moon landing in 1969, among others. He was art director at Business Week, then founding art director for People magazine from 197482.

He designed many logos, including the 1976 New York City Bicentennial logo that adorned posters, flags and memorabilia. He was an active participant in many organizations including the League for the Hard of Hearing, The Players, Dutch Treat Club and Overseas Press Club. Bob had many interesting stories from his career.

After retiring from People in 1982, Bob moved to Big Bear, Calif., and then to Vermont to be closer to his niece’s family. He stayed active in graphic design, as editor and designer of the Dutch Treat Yearbook, art editor

COMMUNITY NOTES continued from page 8

formed a tight-knit community centered on a trio of synagogues in what’s now the Old North End. Known as Burlington’s Little Jerusalem, this community maintained many of the religious and cultural practices of the Old World until it began to drift apart around the time of World War II. The community was home to

Obituaries

of the Time Life Alumni Society newsletter, and numerous booklets, posters and flyers for various organizations.

Bob was a long-serving volunteer for Vermont Mozart Festival, Vermont Gay Social Alternatives, Champlain Adaptive Mounted Program and an usher for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and Flynn Center for the Performing Arts.

In his final years, Bob he was writing a book that catalogued important events in world history. The manuscript had reached 500 pages.

Bob was a beloved granduncle to Adam and Zac Franz. With Adam, he attended Vermont Symphony concerts and engaged in long conversations about history and politics. He took Zac to arts and craft activities, particularly at the local clay studio, and he enjoyed watching Zac play soccer.

In addition to Adam and Zac, Bob’s survivors include his niece, Janet Essman Franz (Paul); nephews, Richard Essman (Vicki) and Douglas Essman; nieces, Barbara Essman and Nicole Khalfadir (Kibir); and grandnieces, Elizabeth Ogden (J.C.) and Natalie Berich (Alex).

Bob leaves behind many friends in Vermont, New York, California and beyond.

He was predeceased by his brothers, Earl and Noel; and parents, Paul and Rose Essman.

A celebration of life will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Wright House, 75 Harrington Avenue, Shelburne.

All are welcome. Contributions in Bob’s memory should be made to the Center for Hearing and Communication, 50 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10004.

Joan C. Shipman

Joan C. Shipman died peacefully in her home with her son, Jerry, 49, and dogs by her side on Monday, April 8, 2024, shortly before the totality of the eclipse. She was born in Brockton, Mass., on April 11, 1938, to Mildred and Walter Chessman,

Joan graduated from high school in Rocky River, Ohio, and attended Michigan State University. Joan met her husband, Peter Shipman, in San Francisco and raised her family in Rye, N.Y., and lived in Naples, Fla., prior to moving to Shelburne.

Joan was predeceased by her husband, Peter, in 2009, and happily lived with her son and grandsons, Dylan, 10, and Jerry II, 8, in Shelburne.

Joan was twice elected president of the Board of Education in Rye. Joan was an ardent supporter of many organizations and volunteered at Planned Parenthood, hospitals, Shelburne Museum and many other organizations. Joan sang in the Presbyterian Church choir and was a lover of the performing arts and jazz. Joan also was a life-long Red Sox fan, much to the dismay of her New York-loving family!

It took the Earth, moon and sun to be perfectly aligned to reclaim this beautiful soul. She will always be in our hearts and minds.

a vibrant mural at the former Chai Adaopom synagogue. Created in 1910 by Ben Zion Black, the mural is a rare example of Eastern European folk art and was painstakingly restored in 2022. In this talk, Gruber will discuss the life of the synagogue, and what the works can tell us about their makers and patrons. But we’ll look

beyond the synagogue, to the taste of life of immigrant Jews in their homes and businesses: what they made, what they sold and what they ate. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the Vermont Historical Society’s annual fund and the Lost Mural Project. Tickets are $50at vermonthistory.org/vt-eats.

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Robert Essman

Robert Essman

Joan C. Shipman

Québécois song workshop series

Folks are invited to learn to sing traditional Franco-American folk songs in this workshop series from mother-daughter duo Michèle Choinière and Isabella Rottler.

Choinière is an award-winning Smithsonian Folkways recording artist and Rottler is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist holding the folk traditions passed down by her mother and grandfather.

The first class is on Saturday, May 25, at 2 p.m.

Town hall screens feature films

Toon fans rejoice. The Pierson Library culminates its animation festival this week with two feature

length films. The first, Tuesday, May 28, is an underground surrealist masterpiece from Billy Plympton, and appropriate for ages 11 and up. The second, on Thursday, May 30, is a recent stop-motion fantasy film from your favorite auteur, Wes Anderson. It’s rated PG-13. Both screenings will be in historic town hall at 6 p.m. with fresh popped popcorn. For full titles and complete descriptions, visit piersonlibrary.org.

Learn about character development from writers

On Wednesday, May 29, in the library’s large community room to meet middle-grade authors Kate Messner and Rajani LaRocca. Aspiring young writers will learn how to create a character from these two award-winning authors.

The Shelburne Craft School built these accessible raised beds in Davis Park in Shelburne as part of its building arts program. The school is launching another spring course to double the number of raised beds. Eighth graders from the Shelburne Community School are currently building a garden shed for the park that will allow folks to store garden equipment.

Summer camp spotlight

Musical Theatre Camp is a singing and dancing workshop of show tunes and Broadway favorites. Participants create a 60-minute show for an audience of friends and family to be held on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 11 a.m. New friends and old ones become the cast of Broadway Bound 2024. No experience necessary.

The camp is limited to 12.

Registration deadline is July 8, and camp dates are July 29 to Aug. 3, noon-4 p.m. Cost is $250, and the camp is for kids entering fifth to eighth grade next fall. Directed by Sean Moran, the camp will be held in the Shelburne Town Gym.

Last toddler open gym

Come play and connect with

others. No pre-registration necessary, just sign in at the door. A parent or caregiver must always be present.

Scooters, bikes and ride-on toys are not permitted. There will be balls, hoops and tumbling mats. Wear indoor shoes or socks inside the gym. No food is allowed. In case of inclement weather, call 802-985-9551 to check for cancellations.

The last open gym for toddlers and preschoolers is May 26, 9:3011 a.m. at Shelburne town gym. A $5 suggested donation per family would be appreciated.

Fall youth soccer

Early registration deadline Friday, June 14, for early bird price and uniform guarantee. The Shelburne Recreation Soccer

League is for students entering grades one to six in the fall. All teams will be assigned one practice night during the week and will compete in games on Saturdays. Early registration fee is $40. After June 14, the fee is $55. There is a uniform fee of $25; a shirt is required. It’s the same reversible jersey as past years. Order a shirt when registering if your child does not already have one.

Uniform orders must be placed by June 14 to guarantee preferred size.

Summer camps are filling quickly. Visit shelburnevt. org/160/parks-recreation for online registration and complete details.

COURTESY PHOTO

CVU spring sports teams look strong as finals approach

LAUREN READ

CORRESPONDENT

Boys’ lacrosse

Middlebury 11, Champlain Valley 6: The Champlain Valley boys’ lacrosse team lost its first game of the season on Friday, falling to Middlebury 11-6.

Matias Williams led the way with four goals for the Redhawks, who were outscored 6-2 in the second half. Peter Gilliam and Asher Vaughn each had a goal for CVU.

Will Kearney made 13 saves in goal for CVU, which fell to 10-1.

Boys’ Ultimate

Champlain Valley 15, Middlebury 0: Champlain Valley remained undefeated in boys’ Ultimate with a win over Middlebury on Monday, May 20.

Colby Morehouse scored four times for the Redhawks, who moved to 7-0. Jacob Lepple had four assists.

Quinn Bagnato, Nic Menard, Briam Simkins and Cedric Jenny each made a key defensive play for CVU.

Girls’ tennis

Champlain Valley 7, North Country 0: The girls moved to 8-1 with a win over North Country on Monday.

Cassie Bastress, Sage Peterson, Addie Maurer, Leonie Schwetlck and Ella Lisle all won their singles matches.

Stella Makay and Maya Van der Els teamed up for one doubles win, while Millie Boardman and Riley Dunn got the other.

CVU also won Friday, May 17, beating Colchester 5-1 in a rain-shortened match.

Girls’ Ultimate

Champlain Valley 15, South Burlington 5: Ten different players found the scoresheet as Champlain Valley beat South Burlington on Monday in girls’ Ultimate.

Grace Thompson led the way with three scores and five assists, while Kaitlyn Jovell and Naveah Parrish each had a hat trick.

Zoey McNabb and Anna Garvey each tallied twice, while Abby Bunting and Greta Friesen both scored a goal and an assist.

CVU moved to 7-2 with the win.

The loss comes after CVU fell to Burlington, 11-10, on Saturday, May 18.

Parrish had four goals and two assists, while Thompson added two goals and four assists in the one-goal loss.

Baseball

Champlain Valley 6, Essex 5 (8): Champlain Valley scored in the seventh to force extra innings then walked off with a 6-5 win over Essex Saturday.

Riley McDade drove in the tying run in the seventh inning on a ground out, and then Aaron LaRose hit a single in the bottom of the eighth that scored the winning run.

Travis Stroh got the win in relief, pitching two innings and giving up no hits and no runs. John Deyo went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Stroh added two doubles and an RBI.

The Redhawks moved to 10-1 with the win.

Softball

Essex 16, Champlain Valley 2: The Champlain Valley softball team found itself on the wrong side of 16-2 loss to Essex Saturday.

Mackenzie Yandow took the loss for the Redhawks, and Baylee Yandow went 2-for-4 with a double at the plate.

CVU fell to 3-8 with the loss.

Girls’ lacrosse

Champlain Valley 13, Middlebury 4: Champlain Valley got balanced scoring and beat Middlebury 13-4 Friday afternoon in high school girls’ lacrosse.

Marlie Cartwright had three goals for the Redhawks (8-2),

while Lulu Sarandos, Carly Strobeck and Stella Dooley each chipped in two.

Emerson Rice, Kate Boehmcke, Rose Bunting and Sophie Madden all added a goal for CVU, while Clare Stackpole-McGrath and Morgan Keach combined for the win in goal.

Boys’ tennis

Champlain Valley 6, Colchester 1: Champlain Valley won its sixth match in a row on Friday, beating Colchester 6-1.

Jacob Graham, Dash Tota, Luke Sampson and Henry Frost each got a win in singles, while Nik Blaisius and Charlie Jennings and Sawyer Lake and Ben Fina won in doubles.

CVU moved to 7-2.

Ultimate sees growth at middle school level

On May 18, over seven middle schools fielded nine teams in what has become an annual statewide Ultimate round-robin tournament at the Bissonette Recreation Area in Hinesburg. For the first time ever, all four Champlain Valley School District schools fielded teams, with strong showings from all. Since 2021 Ultimate has officially been offered in

have

Hinesburg. Now Williston, Shelburne and Charlotte have Ultimate as part of their spring sport offerings.

Ultimate is a fast-paced team sport unique in that it is self-officiated with no referees where competitive play is encouraged while keeping the respect of opponents. Vermont is still the only state in the U.S. where it is a varsity sport at the high school level.

PHOTO BY AL FREY

South Burlington’s Nate Horton checks CVU’s Luke Buehler during the Wolves’ 17-8 loss to the Redhawks on May 15 in Hinesburg.

water and sewer infrastructure — located on the south side of Irish Hill Road, between Spear Street and Thomas Road.

Although the town’s planning commission is currently undertaking a massive regulatory reform, currently the rural zoning district only allows for one unit per 5 acres. But under the new state law meant to spur housing development across the state, areas serviced by water and sewer can be built at a much higher density of five dwelling units per acre.

In a memo to the town, the company argues that although the northern portion of the property is not technically considered part of the town’s serviced area, its proximity to such infrastruc-

ture — including an 8-foot sewer line and manhole located directly on the property and a water main connection located less than 50 feet away on Irish Hill Road — should allow them to be.

“Our office understands that the Town of Shelburne has a sewer service ordinance in place and that the Northern Parcel is not included in the area of the Town designated for sewer service,”

Andrew Gill wrote to the town.

“However, the parcel is still served by water and sewer, as defined in Act 47. The presence of a sewer service ordinance does not negate or otherwise impact the requirements to allow development at the density specified under Act 47. A sewer service ordinance that is intended to simply regulate

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density, is not allowed under Act 47 and is in fact exactly what the Act was enacted to prevent.”

Although the service area map is under the authority of the selectboard, the town’s planning commission refers to it when updating zoning bylaws, and most of the larger density allowances in Shelburne’s zoning bylaws are already found in the areas with water and sewer.

“(The planning commission) will not create an inconsistency between the zoning map and the sewer service area,” Matt Lawless, the town manager, said at the selectboard meeting last week.

The O’Brien Brothers development company is a prolific builder of residential and commercial properties in and around Chittenden County. Most notable is the 155-home development in South Burlington at the O’Brien Farm, which is touted as the first 100 percent carbonfree, climate-resilient, microgrid community in the state, and one of the first of its kind in the country.

All 155 homes are built to the Department of Energy’s NetZero ready standard and include rooftop solar backup, Tesla power walls and a grid-scale microgrid battery back-up, Evan Langfeldt,

O’Brien Brothers’ president and CEO, said.

“We are very much of a mindset that we need to be looking toward the future not just in the types of housing that we’re providing and also in terms of the types of demographics we’re trying to serve, but also for climate purposes,” he said.

Langfeldt told the selectboard that the company focuses on building a mix of first-floor master suites geared toward the state’s aging demographics, but also more affordable unit styles that are specific to families and young professionals.

For a roughly 1,700 square foot, three-bedroom, two-anda-half bath unit, the developer’s perpetually affordable asking price would be around $320,000, around 80 percent of area median income. The next price point is around $600,000, and larger single-family homes are priced in the low- to mid-$800,000 range.

“On our existing site at O’Brien Farm, 10 percent of for-sale product is available to people making 80 percent of the area median income or less,” he said. “On rental products, it’s 15 percent. We’ve actually overbuilt the level of perpetually affordable housing on that site already and that was just because we thought

The Town of Charlotte, Vermont (population 3,900) is seeking candidates for the position of Recreation Director.

The Recreation Director is responsible for managing Town of Charlotte sponsored recreational programs, recreation equipment and facilities to meet the needs of various age groups, in accordance with the Sports Program Mission Statement, and for managing the Charlotte Town Beach. The Director plans, implements, administers, coordinates, monitors and evaluates recreation programs for the Town. The Director further works in conjunction with the Recreation Commission in developing and proposing a budget to the Selectboard. The Town’s Recreation Department has budget of $150,000 for fiscal year 2024-25.

The Selectboard is seeking an individual with a collaborative and team-oriented approach; strong organizational skills; the ability to develop and work within a budget; and experience in developing, implementing and managing recreational programs. Candidates should also possess excellent communication, community engagement, organizational, problem-solving and leadership skills. A baccalaureate degree, or equivalent, in recreation or sports management or related fields is preferred. However, candidates with comparable work experience are highly encouraged to apply. A complete job description is available at https://charlottevt.org/jobs.

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it was the right thing to do.”

While the team did not give any specifics about what exactly it would be proposing, the focus would be on dense and walkable neighborhood-style development with a variety of for-sale and rental products. If things go according to plan, Langfeldt said, the hope is to replicate the energy efficiency initiatives at the O’Brien Farm property.

“There are a number of residents who are dedicated to protecting open spaces and who may feel that the addition of this parcel into the sewer service area and the rezoning of the parcel in line with Act 47 is a detriment to the environment and the community,” developers wrote in their memo. “Respectfully, we strongly disagree. The reality is that Shelburne not only has a deficit of housing supply, but the existing housing stock does not match its current needs.”

The question is, where is housing growth best suited? Act 47, they argue, answered that question.

The town’s selectboard had some concerns surrounding what sort of precedent this would set for future properties that may also look to hook up to water and sewer. More important, is the town forced by state legislation to accept it?

“That’s the question I’m wrestling with,” board chair Mike Ashooh said. “Under what conditions can somebody come to the board and say, ‘I believe that my property is serviced, and I want it to be included in the sewer service area.’ But there is some ambiguity in the language.”

Aaron DeNamur, the town’s director of planning and zoning, explained that this property is unique from other properties in that it already has an existing sewer line on the property, and adding this property to the service area would not technically give the same green light to others around it.

“There’s not magically sewer lines on every other property around this property,” he said. “There’s water across the street and I will say it’s not best planning practice to use a road as a boundary of your service area. To

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O’BRIEN BROTHERS

continued from page 12

say that people on one side of the street are serviced and people on the other are not.”

While he doesn’t believe the board is forced to approve the plan under Act 47, having consulted with the town’s attorney, he does believe that it is well within the selectboard’s prerogative to do so.

“That does not in any way mean that you have to do this whenever this comes up to you,” he said.

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, a Shelburne resident and a member of the House Committee on Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs, which spon-

sored the bill, said that for the 20,000 open jobs in the state, there are less than 600 housing listings across the entire state. The goal of the bill, she said, is that anywhere that you have that service connection, that would otherwise easily allow a fiveacre single-family home or a 10-acre single-family home, towns can’t discriminate against other types of density.

“The answer is a place like Shelburne, where we have the distinction in the last couple of years of having the highest median home price in the state, it’s not easy to get that infrastructure money unless you

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continue to show how welcoming you are,” she said, adding that this type of development focused on climate resiliency falls in line exactly with other aspects of what the Legislature is asking developers to do.

The town’s attorney sent a confidential analysis to the selectboard that was not included in the meeting packet, but board member Andrew Everitt explained that the attorney was clear that the town plan language doesn’t preclude a move to add this parcel into the service area, but the municipally adopted service and capacity agreement currently does.

Since the board was missing two of its members last week — Matt Wormser and Luce Hillman — members opted to continue the discussion at next week’s meeting where the development company plans to unveil more concrete plans on what could be expected should the property be developed.

“There’s a lot of great characteristics to the property,” Gill said. “The reality is that the property is served by water and sewer. The decision of whether the property should be developed has in a lot of ways been made by Act 47.”

continued from page 2

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

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

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

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

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

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Shelburne display lead a cemetery dors round from coffee creemees. from Shelburne

SHELBURNE