Shelburne News - 10-17-24

Town tries to quell concerns over treatment plant costs

PATRICK BILOW STAFF WRITER

About 15 people attended a public meeting at Shelburne Town Hall last week to discuss the proposed wastewater treatment facility upgrade with local government leaders.

The project would consolidate Shelburne’s two treatment facilities into one on Crown Road and a pump station on Turtle Lane, where the second treatment facility is currently located.

Voters will decide the project’s fate during the General Election next month by voting on a $38 million bond to fund the project. All voters can weigh in, but only Shelburne sewer customers will pay for the project.

Wastewater employees say the facilities desperately need equipment upgrades while the department faces pressure from the state to meet discharge requirements. Sewer customers and others have taken to social media and have

See WASTEWATER on page 16

Chicken & Waffles Sandwich

Southern Chittenden House candidates run unopposed

PATRICK BILOW STAFF WRITER

Three candidates are running unopposed for House seats in southern Chittenden County this year.

Shawn Sweeney of Shelburne, a newcomer to politics, is running to replace Jessica Brumsted in the Chittenden-7 seat that serves Shelburne.

Phil Pouech will return for his second term as Chittenden-4 representative for Hinesburg, and Chea Waters Evans of Charlotte will also return for her second biennium as Chittenden-5 representative, which includes a portion of the town of Hinesburg.

Sweeney, a Democrat who has lived in Shelburne since 1998, clinched the Democratic nomination for Chittenden-7 earlier this year after beating Shelburne Selectboard chair Michael Ashooh.

Sweeney has owned Sweeney DesignBuild, a local design and construction company, for over 20 years. Before that, he owned a nightclub in Burlington and worked in the movie industry scouting set locations for compa-

See CANDIDATES on page 3

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

A blazing orange maple frames the Methodist Church in Shelburne.

framing

FALL FOLIAGE PHOTO CONTEST

Submit your best Vermont fall foliage shots by midnight on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Winning photos will be published in a November issue of the Stowe Reporter and online at StoweToday.com. Submit images to foliage@stowereporter.com

2023 WINNER

by Lee Krohn

Vermont high schools hooked on a new sport: bass fishing

CHARLOTTE OLIVER COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

Ethan Wagner has been fishing as long as he can remember, mostly as a hobby. So, when the Essex High School senior injured his knee playing football, he joined the school’s varsity bass fishing team. And among his teammates, who all call him Wags, he’s found a new bond. “When you’re on the boat together all day, you find something in common,” he said.

Wagner competed on one of 19 varsity high school teams at the

Vermont Principals’ Association’s seventh annual Open Classic tournament in late September, hosted at the John Guilmette Access Area in South Hero. The tournament was the most competitive yet, said Jeff Goodrich, chair of the association’s fishing committee — with more “‘full bags’ and competitive weights” than ever before.

It’s part of a trend in a new co-ed sport that’s only seen growth since it was trialed in Vermont in 2018, inspired by New Hampshire high schools, and made official in 2019.

Kids go out on the water in the early morning, then parade back mid-afternoon. Boats are pulled out of the water and teams go up to weigh in the six best bass, smallmouth or large, they caught that day.

Thirty four boats went out on Lake Champlain, with 19 varsity and 15 junior varsity teams making up two divisions. Each school can have one team in each division, four kids to a team. The teens took shifts, allowing two in the boat at a time while a coach or volunteer captain maneuvered it.

Milton High School came out

See FISHING on page 20

We misspelled Bob Clark’s name last week.

Photo

PHOTO BY CATHERINE MORRISSEY / COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

Paige Blaker of the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife pours a net of fish caught by school teams into a specialized truck to be released back into Lake Champlain on Saturday, Sept. 21.

Hinesburg Artist Series performs fall concert at CVU

The Hinesburg Artist Series will perform a mix of choral and band music at the Champlain Valley Union High School on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m.

The concert will feature the Hinesburg Community Band and the South County Chorus, under the direction of Rufus Patrick, Hinesburg Artist Series founder and music director.

“The band and chorus will perform a variety of music that will appeal to all ages, so we hope you will join us and enjoy some great music,” Patrick said. “Late October is a great time for an afternoon concert, and to ensure that the whole community can enjoy it, there is no charge for admission.”

from “Through the Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll.

The Hinesburg Community Band is performing music by Brian Balmage, Carol Chambers, Jon Bubber and the classic “First Suite in E-flat” by Gustav Holst.

The South County Chorus will present selections by Pinkzebra, Victor Johnson, an adaptation of the familiar spiritual “Elijah Rock,” and a Sam Pottle arrangement of “Jabberwocky” based on words

CANDIDATES

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nies like Dreamworks and Warner Bros.

In 2023, he stepped into local politics by joining the planning commission.

During his campaign, Sweeney knocked on doors and heard a lot about affordability throughout Vermont, particularly in Shelburne. Armed with a background in business, he plans to use cost-analysis techniques in Montpelier to help reduce spending and lower the burden of property taxes.

Sweeney said health care and education are two areas where Vermonters are overspending. He didn’t elaborate on health care but said how education is funded in Vermont “has run its course.”

“Like I’ve always said with my business, ‘Just because you spend more money, doesn’t mean it’s better,’” Sweeney said. “I’m attuned to getting value out of what you spend, and I think we need to look closer at that when it comes to education. We can’t just continue to raise taxes.”

Democrat Phil Pouech is a long-time resident of Hinesburg who has spent most of his retirement in local politics, including a 12-year run on Hinesburg’s selectboard.

Pouech worked in renewable energy for over 40 years.

He spoke in detail about education in Vermont, saying that two of his priorities heading into the next session would be to create equal opportunities for education throughout the state and develop an education funding mechanism that does not rely so heavily on property taxes.

“That might mean local districts won’t have 100 percent control over their budget,” Pouech said. “We need to level the playing field. There are a lot of great schools in Vermont, but a lot of districts are also struggling.”

Pouech added that while the recent increase in education spending was logi-

As an added special feature, Elisa Van Duyne will perform “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.” This classic Gershwin song is arranged for band and vocalist by Warren Barker. Van Duyne is a professional performer, choreographer and director, and the theater arts educator at Champlain Valley Union High School.

As a performer, she’s been seen on Broadway, television, national tours and regional theaters all over the country and Europe.

While the concert is free, donations are accepted. Learn more at hinesburgartistseries.org.

cal, relying on more property taxes every year to fund education is not working. He also believes there should be more administrative leadership in education and condemned the delayed appointment of a new education secretary earlier this year.

Pouech also addressed housing and homelessness, issues he believes can be solved once Vermont catches up on housing construction.

He supported changes to Act 250 that made it easier for towns to work through the state development regulation process and said more work could be done in that area.

“Gov. Scott didn’t agree with those changes,” Pouech said, “but if you look closely, there are developments that have been in the works for years that are finally being built now. That’s what we need.”

Democrat Chea Waters Evans grew up in the Charlotte area, attending Charlotte Central School and Champlain Valley Union High School before crossing the lake for college in Upstate New York. She moved back to Vermont in 2010.

Evans believes that unaffordable and inadequate health care is at the root of many issues facing Vermont — it’s the reason education spending shot up this year, and, in her mind, it’s why Vermont is faced with a major homelessness issue.

“We need universal health care,” Evans said, “but that’s on the federal government to figure out.”

Evans said housing is another reason for Vermont’s homelessness problem, and she agreed with Sweeney and Pouech that there need to be fewer hurdles to development.

“I think the work we did to reform Act 250 was a step in the right direction,” she said. “We need to keep that momentum going and continue evaluating that process.”

Sponsored by

Rufus Patrick

CRIME & COURTS

Shelburne Police Blotter: Oct. 7-13

Total reported incidents: 60

Traffic stops: 31

Warnings: 29

Tickets: 3

Arrests: 1

Medical emergencies: 27

Mental health incidents: 2

Suspicious incidents: 6

Directed patrols: 66

Citizen assists: 7

Motor vehicle complaints: 0

Car crash: 2

Animal problem: 1

Noise disturbance: 1

Unlawful Mischief: 0

Theft: 3

Harassment: 1

Vandalism: 0

Property damage: 0

Fraud: 0

Alarms: 8

Pending investigations: 4

911 Hang-up calls: 1

Oct. 7 at 8:06 a.m., someone reported hearing screaming coming from a neighbor’s residence on Hawley Road. Officers determined the yelling occurred while getting the

children ready for school.

Oct. 7 at 9:12 p.m., Juan Ramirez, 32, of Burlington, was arrested for driving under the influence on Shelburne Road.

Oct. 8 at 4:05 p.m., a caller reported a theft at their home on Shelburne Road. The case is under investigation.

Oct. 10 at 6:22 a.m., a caller reported being assaulted by his roommate on Shelburne Road, then hung up the phone. The officers located the individuals, both of whom were uncooperative. No further action was taken.

Oct. 10 at 10;22 a.m., a theft was reported from a home on Partridge Way. The case is under investigation.

Oct. 11 at 10:01 a.m., a retail theft was reported at Danform Shoes on Shelburne Road. The case is under investigation

Oct. 12 at 11:16 a.m., a caller reported a stray dog running loose on Hullcrest Road. The animal was reunited with its owner.

Shelburne News

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Close call

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

One of Shelburne’s scarecrow “people” in front of the United Methodist Church narrowly missed being hit by a tree blown down after high winds hit the area over the weekend.

OPINION

Residents debate need for treatment plant vote

No reason to delay wastewater plan

protect the water quality of the bay. Failure is not only bad for the lake but can result in significant fines.

Just not there yet for wastewater vote

I support the Shelburne wastewater facility bond vote and do not believe it should be delayed.

I am a retired professional engineer with a master’s degree in water and waste engineering and 40-plus years of infrastructure design and construction experience. I base my position on my training and experience.

I believe the recent “vote no” discussions have been one sided and not necessarily based on all aspects of the selectboard’s decision process. I believe the following facts will shed light on what is involved here:

• The homes and businesses served by the Shelburne waste collection and treatment systems must continue to provide reliable waste disposal for us to live here.

• Shelburne’s waste discharges to Lake Champlain must continue to be reliably treated to meet state requirements to

• The biological loading of the lake from all the domestic waste treatment plant discharges going into it make up only 6 percent of the total of all sources and Shelburne’s share of this is quite small. The state’s discharge quality standards reflect this proportionality.

• The key mechanical, electrical and control components of both existing waste treatment plants are beyond their operating life expectancy and their reliability is rapidly diminishing.

• The treatment processes used by both plants are proven, highly reliable technologies that have well-known, reasonable operating costs. These processes produce an effluent that meets the state standards and can be upgraded to meet community demand increases and new water quality standards.

As neighbors of the Crown Road wastewater treatment facility, we have been involved in meetings about this project since it was first revived three years ago. Older engineering studies were used, and many assumptions were made. All along, the answer to my many questions has been — and continues to be — “we’re just not there yet.”

Yet the Shelburne Selectboard supported this project and voted to sign a contract with the engineers, including $1 million for “preliminary design,” in November 2023 — a year before town residents are being asked to vote on it.

To date, the only engineering plans and drawings available are called 30 percent plans, meaning they are only 30 percent complete, making an accurate estimate or commitment to the process impossible.

The proposed new plant will have less capacity than the two plants we currently

have —combined. Adding a fourth tank has been mentioned as a possibility for increasing capacity at a future date but this fourth tank is not shown in the drawings and was never included in any estimates. Additionally, the engineer has indicated that getting a permit for a fourth tank will be challenging, because the type of technology being used is realistically incapable of reducing phosphorus.

At the Aug. 13 selectboard meeting to discuss financing for this project, engineer Wayne Elliott said that, so far, costs are coming in way higher than projected and that for the first time ever, his firm has had to hire an estimator, specifically for this project.

He also said that they have run into an obstacle with the location of the outfall pipe that takes the discharge from the Crown Road plant to Shelburne Bay, in relation to the railroad right of way. A solution will likely involve additional

Guest Perspective

Julia Ely and Steve Baietti

Guest Perspective

Michael Lynch

That’s why they fall it the blues

In Musing Carole Vasta Folley

Why is it that every year I’m left bereft by the end of summer?

Maybe it’s because I live in Vermont where summers can be exquisite. Its emerald and malachite greens dazzling against a sky so blue it ignites not just the possibility, but the full- out expectation of freedom.

One flavored by remnant feelings of childhood when the close of school left the door wide-open to the prospects of summer.

Perhaps my dismay at summer’s demise is due to my lack of attention to it while it was here. This from a woman who owns two copies of “The Power of Now.”

But I must admit, it takes me a while to find the groove of summer. Sorry, Eckhart.

Every year, I’m late to the summer party. It takes months for me to notice it’s warm enough to bare my arms let alone gather outside with my neighbors to toast pinkish sunsets as someone invariably intones, “red skies at night.”

By the time the end of August rounds the bend, I’m thinking of picnics and firing up the grill only to look up at my calendar and read September. It’s then I realize I missed the fair. Or, more accurately, the fried dough. I’m crestfallen. Please understand, without reservation, I emphatically know a Vermont September is also exqui-

site. One could even argue it’s worth an entire summer of beauty. Nonetheless, I’m sad summer has passed, sad to say goodbye. It seems once I’ve fully absorbed summer is indeed over, it’s October. Oh no, did I miss September too? Trust me, I’m not one to spend time longing for the past, believing that the grass is always greener elsewhere. Although, in this case, that would be true. Yet, I still feel whiplashed into fall.

No ignoring it now, it’s everywhere I look. My petunias have called it a day, it’s dark by dinner and maple leaves carpet the sidewalk. Today, I picked up an unbelievably garnet-red leaf and tucked it safely into the pocket of the coat I now need to wear. It’s as if I’ve been awakened by a venerable voice booming, “Earth to Carole” as I stare at autumn all around me.

This Vermont summer, that’s a carrot to sub-zero temps in winter and rutted roads in mud season, is fleeting. But only because all time is just that. Here today, gone tomorrow. Tempus fugit, waiting

ELY & BAIETTI

continued from page 5

construction and permitting, along with property easements, which will add to the cost.

Also, at that meeting it was announced that the project has been divided into three phases, and the outfall pipe will be phase 3. What if the solution for the outfall pipe turns out to be much more expensive than projected? If voters approve this project, does it make sense to proceed with phase 1 before having a solution and secured easements for phase 3? What if, after proceeding with the first two phases, we still don’t have a solution and secured easements for the last phase?

Despite all of this, the selectboard voted at that meeting to put this project on the November

LYNCH

continued from page 5

• Operating and maintaining two separate plants is more costly than one and consolidation into one plant is a correct approach regardless of the treatment process.

• Construction costs are increasing significantly and delaying the project for the study of more options will continue to make it more costly. Delay will not save money.

To date the selectboard and town staff have engaged profes-

for no one, it flies. Summer’s not to blame for this truth. At the end of the day, it’s my job to pay attention and to be with it while it’s here. No matter how transient.

This explains my sadness at summer’s departure as it provokes my propensity to contemplate the profoundness of loss. A circle of life that mandates things come, and things go. Seasons come and seasons go. And really, the crux of the whole matter, people come, and people go. Seems to make sense the transitory nature of seasons could bring about the blues. The kind that expresses feelings in equal rhythm and measure of sorrow and prayer. I’m quite sure that my heavy-heartedness of spirit will continue into November. And that’s not because Vermont doesn’t have its charms then too. The 11th

The 11th month offers more hues of gray than one can imagine, no kidding, with trees that boast a nobility unseen while wearing their crown of leaves.

month offers more hues of gray than one can imagine, no kidding, with trees that boast a nobility unseen while wearing their crown of leaves. No, my pensive mood is inflamed by November’s upcoming election and a fear that our country has lost its way. I hold the hope that the month of Thanksgiving will end in optimism and aspiration. Meanwhile, I’ve decided to embrace my melancholy over the loss of summer and, mostly, all the other losses I feel deeply. Just like the passing of seasons, there’s a purpose to my sadness. A time for it as well. May there also be, as The Byrds sang, “A time for peace. I swear it’s not too late.”

Carole Vasta Folley is an award-winning columnist and playwright. Visit carolevf.com.

ballot without having final cost estimates, which engineer Elliott explained is now legal “due to a recent change in statute.”

Without a project cost estimate, how will the selectboard, town finance committee or water and sewer department — or voters — know what the final impact on rates will be? Is it fair to voters to ask them to vote on a bond that represents only a portion of the project? Obviously, additional costs, including the estimated $10-15 million for the pump station upgrades that do not appear to be included on the ballot, will need to be bonded later, further affecting rates and adding to town debt.

Does it make sense, is it fair

to residents and ratepayers, and is it fiscally responsible to proceed with a town vote and construction before a final project cost is determined and a solution for phase 3 has been found and secured? Again, all along the answer to our questions has been — and continues to be — “we’re just not there yet.”

A wastewater facility is the most important investment a town can make and should be designed to last 40-50 years. Vote no on this project, so options can continue to be explored, and final cost and direction determined before we make a commitment.

sional engineers to consider all these facts in determining an effective and economical plan to provide a solution for dealing with the obsolete and unreliable waste treatment plants currently serving Shelburne. Something must be done.

Delaying the project to study more options and have more public involvement in the technical decisions about processes is counterproductive and will add more cost down the road. As

with most engineering situations, there are many ways to approach a problem but there comes a time when one must stop studying and act. That is now.

Vote yes on the wastewater treatment plant. We need to trust the selectboard to move forward with the lowest cost financing approach.

Michael Lynch is a long-term resident of Shelburne’s sewer service area.

Carole Vasta Folley

Julia Ely and Steve Baietti live on Bay Road in Shelburne.

Wastewater treatment plant: If not now, then when?

Guest perspective

Matt Wormser & Michael Ashooh

Shelburne faces a major, generational decision to consolidate and upgrade its wastewater treatment facility. We thought it would be helpful to lay out the background as to how we got to a vote, and why the time is right for townspeople to consider and support a replacement to this critical piece of our infrastructure.

Need, not a want

The two Shelburne wastewater facilities had their last major upgrades around the year 2000, and we have known for many years that they need significant upgrades to replace equipment at the end of its useful life. Many plant components are so far out of service that the wastewater department has been sourcing replacement parts on eBay.

This is obviously not a long-term strategy for the town and puts us at significant risk of fines if a critical piece of equipment fails and we wind up discharging untreated sewage directly into the lake, as happened in Burlington and elsewhere on several occasions within the past decade.

We’ve been researching and planning for the replacement for many years.

The first major engineering study of replacement options was completed by Hoyle & Tanner in two phases in 2017 and early 2018. Several options were explored, such as simply replacing the equipment in the current plants and maintaining two facilities, consolidating operations into a single facility or contracting with South Burlington to pump wastewater to their Bartlett Bay facility.

While there were extensive discussions with South Burlington to explore the Bartlett Bay option, this option ultimately proved to entail both higher long-term costs for Shelburne ratepayers, with no input on the part of Shelburne residents around how to limit future rate increases. As a result, an earlier selectboard elected to pull out of further discussions. Consolidation into a single facility was then recommended as the most cost-effective option.

The second major engineering study was completed by Aldrich & Elliot in phases between 2021 and 2023. This study updated projected costs and design options, and looked at several options around technology, layout, lifecycle and operational costs. It identified consolidating into the Bay Road facility as the preferred option for multiple reasons, including operational costs, effectiveness of technology, and ending the discharge of effluent into a small tributary at the Turtle Lane facility.

The selectboard elected to move forward with that option, after multiple site visits to both facilities by the board and townspeople, and after much further discussion around alternate design options.

Both engineering studies were conducted by Vermont firms with extensive experience specific to wastewater operations and design, along with the professional licensure to back it up.

How to pay for it?

As we have known of this need for many years, rates have been adjusted upwards for several of the past few years in anticipation of the new facility. When we began planning for this upgrade in 2018, the projected cost was $26 million. The current price tag reflects the current cost given inflation.

Further delay will increase costs yet again.

Any future rate increases at this point will be in line with inflation. For a small household, the anticipated future rate increases are in the $10 per year range, while a larger household would see increases around $30 per year from the new facility.

Roughly 30 percent of the projected $45 million project cost will be borne by the state, with active grant applications underway to reduce our liability further. While none of us is enthusiastic about this cost, additional delay, as is the case with delays in replacing a roof on a house or crumbling foundation, are only likely to bring higher costs when we do move forward, with additional risk in the meantime.

An important note is that, while all voters have a say in whether the facility is approved, only those households that discharge to the town sewer system — if your property does not have a septic system, for example — would pay for it through their quarterly wastewater bill.

Alternate technologies?

Alternate technologies have been considered by the design engineers throughout, and the design is believed to be the most reliable and cost effective for a plant of our size, which accounts for both capital and ongoing operational costs. A recent op-ed in the Shelburne News advocated for a treatment technology that our engineers Aldrich and Elliott deemed not cost-effective for a facility of our size.

It should be noted that of the sources of phosphorus pollution into Lake Champlain, studies indicate just 6 percent is from all wastewater treatment plants discharging into the lake, which includes municipalities totaling many hundreds of thousands of residents from New York, Vermont and Quebec.

DEPLOY

This plant will reduce phosphorus more effectively and efficiently than our current facilities, with phosphorus levels well below state-mandated levels. For Shelburne to spend what could be additional millions on alternate cleanup technologies to have a negligible impact on lake health is not a reasonable use of ratepayer dollars, especially when those funds could be more effectively spent on agricultural mitigation — by far the largest source of lake pollution.

Future growth?

The plant is designed to be able to maximize our current discharge permit into Lake Champlain and has planned future capacity to handle roughly 33 percent additional volume by adding an additional tank. This is designed to allow for roughly 1,300-1,800 additional homes to be built over the next

Lalley makes right connections for Shelburne

To the Editor:

We are writing in support of Kate Lalley for the Chittenden-6 House seat from Shelburne. She has a long history of public service for the town of Shelburne, including 15 years on the Planning Commission and three years on the selectboard.

Lalley has championed issues for improving local transportation in Shelburne and serves on the House Committee on Transportation in Montpelier. Along with

Andrew Everett, she wrote the 2019 Comprehensive Town Plan sections that integrated land use and transportation for the first time. These sections set the stage for initiatives that support a more walkable and bike-able community.

During her time on the selectboard, Lalley had first-hand experience with the barriers that towns like Shelburne face in slowing cars, building sidewalks and making intersections and roads safer to cross and has continued to work diligently to improve safe mobility for all modes of trans-

WORMSER & ASHOOH

continued from page 7

20 years without needing to expand our discharge permit or plant capacity.

Replacement of our wastewater facilities is a critical need, not a want for Shelburne. We have spent most of the past decade actively researching and planning for this day, choosing from a wide range of options and care-

fully planning out financing, and now we need to move forward.

Through active planning, state support and building up capital reserves we are well positioned to manage the expense. Further delay will only put us at higher risk for a catastrophic failure of existing facilities, and result in escalat-

Letters to the Editor

portation.

The depth of her experience matters in addressing a wide variety of issues that are important to Shelburne.

Jane and Tom Zenaty Shelburne

Rodgers deserves a look from moderates, Dems

To the Editor:

Vermonters should vote for John Rodgers for lieutenant governor. For many of us, the race is the only place our vote will make a

ing costs when we do finally build a replacement facility. The current plan has been very well vetted, considered and prepared for. We encourage all voters to support this effort on or before Nov. 5.

difference this fall. Unfortunately, it is the only seriously contested statewide race as we know who is going to get Vermont’s three presidential electoral votes.

And in too many districts there aren’t even local contests, although the contested districts certainly deserve voter scrutiny.

Like Phil Scott, Rodgers is a reasonable moderate Republican. Unlike Scott, he was a Democrat when he was in the Legislature.

“The Democratic Party, when I first entered politics in 2003, looked after the working class and poor people,” Rodgers said. “They don’t do that anymore.”

Many of us who usually vote Republican feel that the national party has also moved away from us, especially at the presidential level. In the Republican primary this summer, Rodgers ran against Gregory Thayer, who told VTDigger that he was “proud” to have attended the Stop the Steal rally in Washington, D.C., that preceded the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He has maintained that he did not, however, enter the Capitol building during the riot.

Rodgers said: “I would never vote for Trump.” Rogers won the Republican primary and helped

set the future of both parties in Vermont with 56 percent of the vote.

Did people who usually vote in the Democratic primary crossover and vote for Rodgers? Almost certainly. Is that a bad thing? Hell, no. I hope those crossovers will stay Republican and, along with Scott and Rodgers, help rebuild a two-party system in Vermont. Notably, although more moderate people ran in some of the local Democratic primaries, they failed in unseating even the most extreme progressives. Hopefully, their supporters will vote for Rodgers and for moderate candidates in those local races that are contested.

Rodgers says he will strongly advocate for policies that will stem unsustainable government spending and fight against the unnecessary increases in property taxes, home heating costs, electricity rates, transportation fees and health insurance premiums.

A vote for Rodgers is not only a vote for some sanity in Montpelier, but it is also a vote against the extreme partisans on both sides of the aisle who serve us so poorly.

Tom Evslin Stowe

Matt Wormser and Michael Ashooh serve on the Shelburne Selectboard.

CVU students launch student-run newspaper

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Three Champlain Valley Union High School students are bringing journalism to the halls of the state’s largest school district with the Hawk’s Nest, a new student-run newspaper that will publish this fall.

Grace Warrington, Lily Gruber and Karmen Wilbur, three juniors at the high school, first began to talk about launching a newspaper last year. Although conversations started as informal chats during lunch and breaks during the school day, urgency started to grow as the year continued, mostly out of concern that a school as large as CVU didn’t have a student-led newspaper in place.

“I was just simply concerned that we didn’t have one, and that felt very wrong that a high school as big as ours didn’t have a school newspaper,” Warrington said.

The trio got the wheels turning before they actually began meeting in earnest this year since Wilbur and Warrington both regularly see each other during Latin Club at school.

“We both knew Grace and the first time she talked to me about it was early sophomore year, but I didn’t hear anything else about it after that,” Wilbur said. “Then she and Lily both came and said that they had been talking about it more and asked if I had a real interest in it. I was like, ‘Yeah, absolutely!’”

Gruber said while journalism wasn’t something she’d ever considered doing before, the prospect sounded interesting enough, and “there wasn’t really anything like that in the school” already.

The three now act as the unofficial editors, publishers, designers and reporters and plan to publish their first eight-page

edition by the end of this month. What they are battling with now is garnering enough support to have a news team to work alongside them.

“We have an indeterminate number of staff,” Warrington said, the three letting out a laugh.

“I think it’s hard to get members that stay in a newspaper club, just because you have to put in so much time outside of school. I know that kind of thing is hard, especially for kids who might be in junior or senior year,” Gruber explained, noting that there have been a few people who have said that they are interested in writing regularly.

For now, the team meets once a week and is initially focusing on how to organize their systems to make it easier once others begin to join.

“Because we’ve never done anything like that before,” Wilbur said. “Our job is to figure out how it is all going to fit together at this point, which is a little bit challenging.”

The group anticipates some news-related content but also plans to include other content that students might be interested in, such as poetry and creative writing columns, comics and, of course, crossword puzzles and a sports section.

“Individual columns that students could come and write based on their interests,” Gruber said.

The team is onto a potential first story: Has CVU ever had a student-run newspaper before? While they have heard unofficial stories about one that may have circulated in decades past, the trio is only aware of one other, which came out of a journalism class and was only available to students of the class.

“Actually, now that we’ve talked about it, I think that’s going to be a whole article idea for us,” Wilbur said.

It all starts with

CHILD CARE.

PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN CHILD CARE HELPS PREPARE OUR LITTLEST VERMONTERS TO DO BIG THINGS – STARTING ON THEIR FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN.

LEARN HOW PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN CHILD CARE INCREASES SCHOOL READINESS FOR VERMONT KIDS:

PAID FOR BY LET’S GROW KIDS

COURTESY PHOTO

Grace Warrington, Lily Gruber and Karmen Wilbur.

COMMUNITY

Community Notes

Political science expert talks presidential race

A talk by Matthew Dickinson, “Forecasting the Presidential Election: Who Will Win and Why?,” will take place at Faith United Methodist Church, 899 Dorset St., South Burlington on Friday, Oct. 25, 2-3 p.m.

Dickinson is a professor of political science at Middlebury College.

The talk is part of the Education & Enrichment for Everyone Vermont Lecture Series. Learn more at eeevermont.org.

Holiday bazaar features crafts, antiques

The All Saints Episcopal Church, 1250 Spear St., is holding its holiday bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

The sale will feature antiques and uniques, baked goods, books, crafts and Christmas decor, jewelry. There will also be a silent auction, yard sale and luncheon.

Common Ground Center celebrates 30 years

Common Ground Center, the nonprofit outdoor recreation and education center nestled on 700 acres in Starksboro, is celebrating 30 years with a special benefit concert at Isham Family Farm on Thursday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.

Local bluegrass band The Tenderbellies will provide the live music.

Known for its founding ethos of “camp for everyone,” the center has been a vibrant hub for community and creativity.

Tickets for the concert are $20 and can be purchased at bit. ly/3BOrqo0.

“We are incredibly grateful for the community’s support over the past 30 years,” Lindsay Whitaker, executive director, said. “This celebration is an opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments

and look forward to many more years of strengthening families, building community, and fostering a love of nature.”

Talk explores India’s expanding economic role

A talk, “Elephants Can Dance: India’s Expanding Role in the Global Economy,” will be held at Faith United Methodist Church, 899 Dorset St., in South Burlington, on Oct. 18, 2 p.m.

Learn more at eeevermont. org. For information, contact Mary Ellen Bridge at mepbridge@ comcast.net

Learn how Vermont reclaimed Cedar Creek

Ethan Allen Homestead Museum hosts the talk, “Vermont and the Battle of Cedar Creek,” on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2 p.m.

On Oct. 19, 1864, a surprise attack by Confederate troops in the Shenandoah Valley at Cedar Creek appeared to be a solid victory for the South. But thanks to the heroic efforts of Vermont’s 8th Regiment, the Union reclaimed the battlefield.

Mike Soules will describe the role of the Vermonter in the battle, its consequences, as well as the significance of the Cedar Creek Room in Vermont’s Capitol.

Rokeby Museum hosts spiritualism and spirits

Returning to Rokeby Museum on Oct. 25-26 is the annual spiritualism play.

This year’s play, “Spirits of Rokeby: Voices from the Summer Land,” features a new script inspired by Rokeby and Vermont’s spiritualist history. Ticket holders will gather for a drink and short talk on Victorian spiritualism before entering the historic home, where actors guide visitors through a participatory dramatization inspired by Rokeby’s spiritualist history.

October 19th

Watercolors and layered photographs

PHOTO

An opening reception for new works by Judi Maculan and John Penoyar will be held Saturday, Oct. 26, 2-4 p.m. at the Carpenter Carse Library, 69 Ballards Corner Road, Hinesburg. Maculan will exhibit recent floral watercolors that create an abstract impression. Penoyar will share new layered watercolor and digital photo mashups that blur the boundaries between photography and painting. The reception will be in the Community Room, and the show runs from Oct. 26 to Dec. 30. Above, “Day Lily”

The second-generation Robinsons practiced spiritualism and attended several séances in Ferrisburgh and Vergennes. Their encounters with spirits were recorded by a family friend and are preserved in the museum’s collection.

“This event draws inspiration from the archive and is an opportunity to experience a 19th-century séance just as the Robinson did over a century ago,” executive director Lindsay Varner said.

Tickets to the event are $20 ($25 for non-members) at the museum or rokeby.org.

Williston Craft Show

Features 100 vendors

The Williston Craft Show this year is Saturday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Williston Central School.

The event started over 25 years

ago and has grown to include over 100 crafters and artists. The show is a fundraiser hosted by volunteers in Families as Partners and benefits Williston schools.

Admission is free.

Learn more at willistoncraftshow.org.

Essex Church holds annual craft fest, toy drive

First Congregational Church of Essex Junction, 39 Main St., holds its annual craft fest on Saturday, Nov. 9, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

The event will feature handmade and homemade goods by 18 local artists, a silent auction with original artwork, antiques, retail gift certificates, gently used treasures and over 30 themed baskets, including a handmade quilt donated by Blue Spruce Grange. Proceeds from the quilt will be donated to the Heavenly Food Pantry.

Donate $15 to the Vermont Foodbank on Saturday at Lenny’ s Shoe & Apparel... Save 25% storewide when you shop during Lenny’s Charity Sale on Saturday, October 19!

A variety of homemade goodies including pies, cookies and jams will be for sale, and lunch will include chili options, butternut squash soup, chicken noodle soup, chicken and biscuits, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs and drinks.

This year the church is asking for unwrapped new toys to deliver to families in need from the Essex area. Everyone donating a toy will receive an extra ticket in the holiday basket drawing.

Learn more at fccej.org.

Charlotte Walks

Want to get more familiar with the town’s public trails or meet and chat with other Charlotters? Join The Charlotte Grange for Charlotte Walks, every third Friday at a different trailhead at 8:30 a.m.

On Oct. 18, walk Charlotte’s Village Loop Trail, a well-kept trail in West Charlotte that goes through woods and meadows, with an optional walk up Barber Hill for some fall views. The meadow paths are well mowed but depending on the weather there could be a lot of dew on the grass. Wear shoes or boots that can stand getting a little wet.

Meet at the trailhead parking area at the Old Lantern Inn and Barn, 3260 Greenbush Road. When you pull into the driveway, trailhead parking is immediately to your left along the treeline by the road.

Check out charlottegrange. org for updates. Want to be alerted to weather changes? Sign up at charlottegrangevt@gmail.com. Contact Karen at kknh.nh@gmail. com with any questions.

Garden club meets, gives talk on floral design Burlington Garden Club Meeting presents a program on floral design at its monthly meeting,

Get trained on sustainable road salting technologies

Lake Champlain Sea Grant and University of Vermont Extension are partnering with the Hyde Park Highway Department to offer free training for municipal employees and others who manage snow and ice on roads and other surfaces in winter.

The workshop will be held at the Hyde Park Highway Department garage, 332 Vermont Route 15, on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 9:30-11:30 a.m.

The training will include a demonstration of Hyde Park’s use of a salt-water mixture to prewet salt before it is put on the road.

Tuesday, Oct. 22, 1 p.m., at Faith United Methodist Church, 899 Dorset St., South Burlington.

The speaker, Kathy Perkins of the Federated Garden Clubs of Vermont, will bring to life a real discussion and demonstration of floral design. Learn the standards used in a flower show to assess mechanics, containers, types of flowers and various designs that are key elements to understand when making floral designs.

Vermont Teddy Bear hosts Halloween celebration

Vermont Teddy Bear’s annual Halloween party is Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at its factory and retail store on Shelburne Road in Shelburne.

There’ll be face painting, games, food, prizes and a costume contest.

AARP-VT seeks Tax-Aide volunteers

AARP Vermont welcomes anyone interested in learning more about its Tax-Aide program at an Open House on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 3-4:30 p.m. at the AARP Vermont Office, 199 Main St., Suite 225, Burlington.

Tax-Aide is a group of over 28,000 volunteers nationally, sponsored by the

AARP Foundation. Last tax season it assisted over 1.7 million low-income and elderly taxpayers file their taxes. In Chittenden County, volunteers helped Vermonters file over 1,800 tax returns, all at no cost.

Violinist gives concert at senior center

Senior residents at Sterling House in Richmond last month enjoyed a violin concert by Laura Markowitz, who offered a variety of selections from classical works to Irish reels and more.

The audience, touched by the violinist’s interpretation of Bach’s original piano melody of “Ave Maria,” asked her to play it again.

Markowitz earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Indiana University. Upon moving to Vermont in the 1990s, she joined the music scene, including the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and Eleva Chamber Players.

She teaches music to students in Browns River Middle School and Rutland and plays at choral and church groups and occasionally at English country dances. She also presents violin concerts at local senior communities.

A resident of Jericho, Markowitz has a music studio in Richmond.

— Margery Sharp

This technology, combined with tracking road pavement temperatures and calibration have helped Hyde Park reduce use of salt by almost 50 percent over the past four winters. This has saved the town money and benefitted the environment.

Participants will learn about resources that describe other sustainable salt practices that communities are using to manage snow and ice that both keep people safe and reduce the use of salt.

Register for this free training at bit. ly/4dGa5Lp.

NOVEMBER 2, 2024 11:00am–2:00pm

COURTESY PHOTO

Laura Markowitz

Franklin L. Galipeau Jr.

Franklin L. Galipeau Jr., 85, of Shelburne, died on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.

He battled many health issues over the years but was a courageous fighter. He was born in 1939 to Lillian and Franklin Galipeau Sr. in Montpelier.

He lived most of his life in Shelburne, growing up working at his family’s store on Falls Road. Frankie graduated from Shelburne High School in 1957. After high school, he joined the U.S. Navy as a radio man and served on the USS Haynsworth DD700.

Following his service, he returned home to work at Shelburne Farms. Frankie joined the Shelburne Fire Department in 1964. He served the department faithfully for over 25 years. He was a line officer for over 20 years, serving as captain, assistant chief and chief for over 16 years. He received commendations for his years of service help-

ing the department grow from a two-pumper operation into a modern highly efficient firefighting force.

In 1985, he moved to High Acres Farm where he found his home working as a caretaker for George Harris and Kate (Kitty) Webb-Harris. After Kitty’s death, their children, Jonathan Harris, Jeff and Amanda Herzberger and children, Norah and Julia, continued to support Frank in employment. We will be forever grateful for these friends that have become family and the kindness they showed him over the years.

Frankie could always be found on the mower, tractor or tinkering in his shop on a piece of equipment. He took pride in keeping antique farm equipment running, even though some may have been as old as him. When Frankie wasn’t working, he loved to tour the farms in his truck, track deer with his sons, hunt or photograph nature, especially if there was a big buck on the horizon.

Frankie was well loved by his family and friends. He was quick to tell a joke, known for his funny stories from his youth and affectionately called “Trouble” by those close to him. He was a fixture at the Vermont Golden Gloves with reserved seats for many years.

Quality time growing up with Frankie often meant red licorice and family bets at Fight Night.

One of Frankie’s favorite pastimes was baseball and basketball, whether playing or coaching, or watching the Celtics and Red Sox. He made sure he was at every one of Jeff and Jason’s games all through High School.

His grandchildren were his greatest love and pride. Frankie could often also be found supporting his grandchildren at their many sporting events.

Frankie is survived by his wife of 52 years, Christine Galipeau; sons, Todd Galipeau, Jason Galipeau (Erica Galipeau) and Jeff Galipeau (Lindsey Farrar); daughter-in-law, Leslie Galipeau; grandchildren, Anicka, Wyatt, Morgan, Colby, Kaiya, Emmett and Everett.

He cherished relationships with his sisters, Pam (Jack) Kerr of Charlotte and Sharon (Conrad) Busier of Vergennes. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law, Judy Poulin and Colleen Haag; brothers-in-law, Danny Thomas (Roxy), Shawn Thomas (Belinda),

Acoustic music jam

Tonight, Oct. 17, 6-8 pm., in the library’s large community room, both enjoy warm melodic instrumentation and join in with your acoustic instrument of choice.

The jam is for both players and listeners alike and is the perfect complement to the change of seasons. Be ye a fiddle player, guitar twanger, banjo strummer, harmonica virtuoso or zither enthusiast, all are welcome.

Tech help Tuesday

Have a tech problem you just can’t figure out? Have an app that’s giving you trouble? Does your smartphone leave you flummoxed?

The Pierson Library can help.

Make an appointment for a 30-minute session with one of their tech-savvy librarians, who can help you tame that tech problem. To register, call the library at 802-9855124. Appointments available between 2-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

Ed Gebo (Cecile); as well as many beloved nieces and nephews.

A special thank you to his niece Sarah (Davin) Larson for all their love and support through Frank’s illness. He was especially thankful for Seward Webb and Jim Dudley, who gave him strength and checked in on him weekly until the end. Frankie had many dear friends, too many to list, who he also cherished greatly.

Frankie was predeceased by his father, Franklin Galipeau Sr.; mother, Lillian Stetson Galipeau; sisters, Donna Galipeau and Sandra Hatin; and his beloved son, Scott Galipeau.

A funeral mass will be held Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at 11 a.m. at St. Catherine’s of Siena Parish in Shelburne followed by a burial in the Shelburne Village Cemetery. A reception will follow at High Acres Farm. There will be no visiting hours.

In lieu of additional flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to a charity in his honor.

Pierson Library

Author talks on caregiving

On Tuesday, Oct. 22, 7-8 p.m., caregiver and death doula Lili Fior will share lessons learned and wisdom gained from missteps along her journey as a caregiver. One of life’s hardest things is facing a loved one’s end of life: mitigating pain, providing care and foreseeing challenges — practical, legal, emotional and more.

Her book, “Lili’s Caregiver Guide” will be available for sale.

Fly fishing folktales

Peter Camman, author of “The Flies Are Too Damn Small,” sets his sights on the art of storytelling, revealing how fishing tales are their own unique form of folklore, what makes a great story and how the universal appeal of the great outdoors is the perfect subject for a good yarn. His talk will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 7-8 p.m.

Franklin L Galipeau Jr.

Vermont holds women’s rally at Statehouse Nov. 2

A Vermont women’s rally will take place Saturday, Nov. 2, on the Statehouse lawn in Montpelier at 10 a.m.

Singer song-writer Patti Casey will open the rally with a sing-along, and Dwight and Nicole will also perform.

Melinda Moulton will serve as emcee and Beverly Little Thunder and Lushanya Echeverria will honor Indigenous Peoples with a land acknowledgement.

Kiah Morris, Bianca Stone, Kennedy Jansen and Jayna Ahsaf will speak, and Charity Clark, Vermont attorney general, Jessica Barquist, director of Vermont Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Ann

Pugh, a retired state representative, will also participate.

Vermont was one of the first states to constitutionally protect reproductive freedom and liberty. Vermont was also one of the first states to support gay marriage.

This rally will be a celebration of Vermont’s commitment to ensure equality for women and to recognize the power voters hold to fight for women’s rights.

This is a sister event to the National Women’s March in Washington, D.C., on the same date. State parking lots will be open and free for public parking. Learn more at vermontwomensrally.com.

COURTESY PHOTO

Charlotte resident Nikkie Kent at the Vermont women’s rally in Montpelier in 2017.

Chittenden County man dies from Eastern Equine Encephalitis last month

EMMA

VTDIGGER

A man from Chittenden County died from eastern equine encephalitis in September, the Vermont Department of Health announced on Thursday.

The man, who was in his 70s, was the first person to die from the disease in Vermont since 2012, according to a press release issued by the department. He was hospitalized in late August, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the test results this week, the release stated.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis, often called EEE, is a rare but serious disease transmitted through mosquitoes that is fatal in about 30 percent of people who develop severe symptoms, according to the CDC. There are no vaccines or treatments for the disease. Symptoms include headaches, vomiting,

diarrhea, fever, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness, but most infected people do not experience symptoms.

“I extend my condolences to the family, and all impacted by this sad event,” Health Commissioner Mark Levine said. “This is a heartbreaking reminder that while infection with the virus that causes EEE remains rare, this disease can have serious consequences.”

One other person contracted the disease this year in Vermont but recovered after being hospitalized in August. A horse died after contracting the disease in September.

The risk of contracting EEE is “much lower now than it was in August,” according to the department’s press release, but officials continue to urge residents in highrisk communities in parts of Addison, Chittenden, Grand Isle and Rutland counties to take precautions after dark.

Warmth:

Stacking tires keeps people warm, environment clean Wheels for

Wheels for Warmth keeps tires out of the environment, transportation secure and homes warm with its annual tire recycle and resale event.

If you’ve attended Wheels for Warmth, the myriad stacks of tires will be no surprise. What you might not know is just how many ways the event offers everyone a chance to make an impact. Attendees can purchase readyto-roll, DMV-inspected tires at discounted rates.

These sales directly fund important statewide programming that keep people warm through the winter. Additionally, recyclable tires not viable for resale will be donated for agricultural use.

“When I started this program 19 years ago, I had no idea it would have such a positive impact in many areas. By taking donated tires and reselling them at an affordable price, we’re keeping our riverbanks free of tire debris and Vermonters warm this winter,” said Gov. Phil Scott. “And we can’t do it without tires, so if you have used tires in good condition, consider dropping them off. It’s a great way to help your neighbors and our communities”

Tires are sold at two events on

Hophornbeam is a tough little tree

The Outside Story

Susan Shea

Saturday, Oct 26. Event proceeds directly support emergency heating assistance throughout Vermont provided by Capstone Community Action, BROC Community Action and Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity.

Since 2005, Wheels for Warmth has raised over $720,000 for emergency fuel assistance, sold 27,000 safe donated tires and recycled 53,000 unsafe tires. The event has also hosted over 1,100 volunteers from over 120 companies or organizations, resulting in over 25,000 volunteer hours.

Tires can be donated Thursday, Oct. 24, and Friday, Oct 25, 2-6 p.m., at Vermont Granite Museum, 7 Jones Brothers Way, Barre; Casella Waste Systems, 220 Avenue B, Williston, and Casella Construction, 1385 US-7, Pittsford; and from 1-5 p.m. at the Stowe Events Field, 80 Weeks Hill Road.

If tires cannot be re-sold there is a recycling fee of $5 per tire and $10 per truck tire.

Tire sales will take place on Saturday, Oct. 26, 8 a.m.-noon at the Vermont Granite Museum and Casella Construction in Pittsford. To learn more about the event visit wheelsforwarmth.org.

Wandering through the woods this time of year, occasionally I’ve come across a small deciduous tree laden with cone-like structures that resemble the hops used to brew beer. This is the American — or Eastern — hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana).

A member of the birch family, hophornbeam grows in the understory in northeastern hardwood forest types. It is also known as ironwood (as are other tree species with exceptionally hard wood) and leverwood, as it was once used to construct levers.

The understory, where hophornbeam grows, is the layer of vegetation beneath the forest canopy (overstory) and is composed of shrubs, saplings and small trees that grow in the humid, dappled shade. Although some consider hophornbeam a weed tree, the species plays a valuable ecological role. Understory plants, including hophornbeam, create vertical diversity in a forest.

Multiple layers of vegetation provide a greater variety of food and microhabitats for insects and other animals, enhancing overall biodiversity. Vegetation layers are especially important for birds, as different species prefer to forage and nest at different heights. The black-throated blue warbler, for instance, often nests in understory shrubs or small trees such as hophornbeam.

Hophornbeam grows as high as 20 to 35 feet, with a diameter of 6 to 15 inches. Its ovate, pointed leaves are sharply toothed, with soft hairs beneath, and alternate on the tree’s slender branches. The bark is gray-brown and sheds off in scaly vertical strips.

This species is widely distributed, ranging from Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to eastern Texas and northern Florida, encompassing most of the eastern United States. It also grows in the mountains of Mexico and central America.

In our region, hophornbeam typically grows in mature hardwood forests, as it does well in dense shade. It prefers rich soils but can tolerate a variety of soil types. Hophornbeam is a minor component of most woodlands, but in a few locations, such as the dry oak-shagbark hickory-hophornbeam forests of the Champlain and Connecticut River valleys, it is one of the dominant species. It also makes an attractive landscape tree and does well in shaded yards.

In spring, the hophornbeam tree flowers at the same time as its leaves emerge. Male and female flowers are borne separately on the same tree. The reddish-brown male flowers are arranged in long, hanging catkins in groups of three. The green female flower catkins are considerably shorter – just over a quarter inch long, compared to longer catkins for the males. Pollen is disseminated by the wind. Over the course of the summer, fertilized female flowers devel-

op into fruits containing small nuts. The nutlets are enclosed in inflated sacs clustered in conelike structures, called strobiles, that are reminiscent of hops. In fall, hophornbeam leaves turn yellow, and the strobiles begin to break up. The buoyant sacs surrounding the nutlets aid in dispersal by the wind. Birds feeding on the nuts also spread the seeds. Dry, brownish-yellow leaves may persist on the tree into winter.

Hophornbeam wood is difficult to work with because of its hardness. However, this toughness has made it useful for bows, handles, wedges, mallets and sled runners. People have used hophornbeam bark and its inner wood to treat toothaches, sore muscles, coughs and other ailments.

Hophornbeam trees also provide food for wildlife. The pre-formed buds and catkins are important winter foods for ruffed grouse. Wild turkey, ruffed grouse, red and gray squirrels and some songbirds feed on the nuts. Deer and rabbits browse the twigs and foliage. The bark is a preferred food of beavers. Watch for this interesting little tree on walks in the woods.

Susan Shea is a naturalist, writer, and conservationist based in Vermont. Illustration by Adelaide Murphy Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine and sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, nhcf.org.

COTTON

VETERANS

FINANCE AND TAXATION OFFICER

JOIN OUR TEAM: The City of South Burlington is seeking a dedicated and detail-oriented Finance and Taxation Officer to join our dynamic team. If you’re passionate about public service and have a talent for finance and numbers, this is the perfect opportunity for you to make a meaningful impact in our vibrant community!

WHAT YOU WILL DO: You will play a crucial role in ensuring compliance with taxation regulations, assisting with managing the City’s financial operations, and contributing to our community’s economic health. Your responsibilities will include overseeing tax assessments, property valuation, collections, and compliance activities and collaborating with the Finance Director to manage the City’s financial operations including developing budgets and forecasts.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, accounting or a related field, plus 5 years relevant work experience in property assessment, or tax collection, accounts payable/receivables, and reporting, required; equivalency considered. Municipal government accounting experience preferred.

SALARY RANGE: $85,000-$90,000 (annually)

APPLY NOW: Review of on-line applications will begin November 4, 2024. To apply, learn more about the position and see a complete job description, please visit: governmentjobs.com/careers/ southburlington. The City of South Burlington is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

TOWN OF SHELBURNE, VERMONT NOTICE & WARNING OF VOTE TO INCUR A BONDED DEBT

The legal voters of the Town of Shelburne, Vermont are hereby notified and warned to come and vote at a Special Town Meeting on

Tuesday, the 5th day of November, 2024

between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., at the voting place hereinafter named, for the following purpose:

To vote upon one bonding article placed on the ballot by request of the Selectboard by a resolution duly adopted and approved, said special article being as follows:

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT CONSOLIDATION

“Shall general obligation notes or bonds of the Town of Shelburne in an amount not to exceed Thirty-Eight Million Dollars ($38,000,000), subject to reduction by available grants-in-aid or other funding sources, be issued to finance the cost of consolidating two aging wastewater treatment plants with one renovated treatment plant, and installing a connecting force main, a Lake Champlain outfall, and other system improvements (the “Project”)?

The following is designated as the polling place:

Town Center Gym, 5420 Shelburne Road

The polls open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.

Publication Dates: October 17, October 24, October 31 Shelburne, Vermont.

Orderedprinted:

Diana Vachon, Town Clerk

balked at the project’s price, estimated at $45 million, when the cost of living in Shelburne is steadily rising. Others have raised concerns over the technology being used and environmental issues.

Last week’s meeting was designed as an information session for voters leading up to election day. Shelburne Town Manager Matt Lawless led the meeting with wastewater superintendent Chris Robinson. Individual members of the selectboard also attended. (See related, page 7)

The meeting began with a background on the project, including alternatives to the proposed consolidation explored over the last six years.

In 2018, the department considered merging with South Burlington’s wastewater system but decided that retaining local control of sewer rates was important.

The department also considered consolidating treatment at Turtle Lane instead of Crown Road and operating two treatment facilities with upgraded equipment. The benefits of consolidation, however, quickly outweighed dual upgrades at separate plants, officials said.

Consolidation at Crown Road eventually emerged as the most cost-effective option and the easiest way for Shelburne to keep up with environmental regulations. (The Turtle Lane plant empties into a small brook with tougher discharge requirements than Lake Champlain, where the Crown Road plant discharges).

Shelburne contracted with Aldrich and Elliot to draft prelim-

inary plans for the consolidation at Crown Road. The current plan, presented at last week’s meeting, is about 30 percent complete, according to Lawless.

Resident concerns

Some Shelburne voters, including Steve Baietti, have expressed concerns that a 30-percent-complete plan is insufficient for a project of this size, particularly as it goes to a bond vote. (See related, page 5)

Lawless said the plan meets the technical requirements for a bond vote and is therefore sufficient at this point in the project.

Should the project pass this year, the first step is burying 12,400 feet of 14-inch pipe to connect the pump station at Turtle Lane to the treatment facility at Crown Road, where the water would flow.

A few Shelburne residents at last week’s meeting had questions about the construction of the pipe, which would begin as early as next spring. The pipe, which is estimated to cost $6.2 million, would run beneath the Ti-Haul recreation trail, then along Harbor Road toward Shelburne Bay.

Capacity has been another topic on residents’ minds. The flow capacity of the new consolidated system would remain at 1.1 million gallons per day, and the sewer allocation would allow 66 to 92 new residential units per year for the next 20 years.

According to Lawless, the proposed project neither decreases capacity nor prepares for significant growth in Shelburne. In an

earlier interview with the Shelburne News, Robinson agreed that current capacity is not an issue. Even the current system can accommodate reasonable growth, he said.

The final phase of the project would be to build a new, larger outfall pipe into Lake Champlain at the Crown Road facility.

Shelburne resident Suzanne Fay has expressed concern about the lake. She said that a new facility at this cost should better meet sustainability goals outlined by townspeople. She proposes technology that is more advanced than cloth filtration, which Shelburne’s system would utilize, to lower the amount of phosphorus in the lake. In response, Lawless said money to reduce pollutants would be better spent elsewhere. He referenced a state study that says wastewater facilities are one of the lowest sources of pollution in Lake Champlain. Rather than spend more money on the wastewater project, he suggests focusing efforts on the most prominent source of pollution — agricultural runoff.

How much will it cost?

Should the project pass, customers would see a small increase in rates, but nothing more than four percent throughout the 20-year bond, according to Lawless.

All households served by the sewer district will pay a 3 percent increase in sewer rates in 2025, meaning a $12 increase for small households using 20,000 gallons per year, a $29 increase for average households using 50,000 gallons per year and a $41 increase for households using 70,000 gallons per year.

Annual rate increases in subsequent years would be $11 for small households, $24 for average households and $32 for large households.

Lawless has repeatedly pledged that sewer customers will not pay the full $38 million because there is a plethora of grant funds the town is currently pursuing. Grant funding through the state and the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires an income survey, which the town has already sent to a random selection of households. The town is also pursuing a $13.5 million Pollution Control Grant. Information provided through the survey is completely anonymous and managed by RCAP Solutions, a nonprofit that assists towns with surveys. The survey can be returned by mail or online through the provided link or QR code.

Shelburne will host another meeting about the project on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. In-person attendance at town hall is required as there will be no virtual

Hullcrest Park notice

The Hullcrest Park playground project is ongoing through October. Please stay out of the playground and immediate area during renovation and construction.

The park will remain open for use of the field and basketball court.

Direct questions about the project to Shelburne Parks & Recreation 802-985-9551.

Shelburne Halloween

Shelburne celebrates the holiday on Sunday, Oct. 27, presented by Shelburne Parks & Recreation. Here’s the schedule:

• Noon to 1:30 p.m.: Costume contest at Shelburne Town Center: Dress to impress the judges. Prizes are awarded to winners in each category. Get your spooky picture taken by Studio 2N Photography with a free digital download.

• 2 p.m.: Shelburne Halloween Parade presented by Charlotte-Shelburne-Hinesburg Rotary. For questions about the parade or to register a float in the parade, contact Richard J. Fox at 802-4480118 or rfox@foxlawvt.com.

• 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Trick or Treat carnival games and haunted stage in the town gym with the Shelburne Recreation Committee; free treats at the fire station; and a fun Halloween activity at Pierson Library.

Youth basketball registration is open

This popular recreational program emphasizes the basics of the sport, along with good teamwork and sportsmanship. The program is open to youth in grades one to six.

Practices start in early December and are open to Shelburne residents only.

Grades one and two are co-ed and will practice and scrimmage on Saturday mornings only. The goal of this age group is to introduce and practice basic skills and team play concepts. The registration fee is $52.

Grades three to six have separate girls’ and boys’ teams. Organized practices will begin in December, and regular practices and games will start the first week of January and continue until the February break.

Practice will be held one night a week with games on Saturday against other town recreational teams from the Champlain Valley Recreation Association. Games will be played both in Shelburne and out of town. Travel is required. The fee is $63.

Volunteer coaches are needed. If interested, call the office at 802-985-9551 or indicate at the

time of registration.

The registration deadline for both groups is Friday, Nov. 8.

Bolton after-school ski program

Two sessions will be offered: session A includes: Jan. 8, 15, 22 and 29; session B includes Feb. 12, and March 5, 12 and 19.

Registration for seventh and eighth graders will open on Nov. 1 at 8 a.m. Registration for fifth and sixth graders will open on Nov. 20 for any remaining spots.

Complete program details and pricing can be found at shelburnevt. org/183/youth-programs.

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.

The free open gym for toddlers and preschoolers. Sessions are Sundays, Oct. 20, Nov. 10 and 24 and Dec. 15, 9:30-11 a.m. More dates are scheduled for 2025 so check our website for more details.

The volunteer coordinator is Aisha Mueller, and the program is held at Shelburne town gym.

Yoga flow for strength, flexibility

Find some calm in your body and your mind and join Jane Taylor for an accessible, fun and energizing yoga flow that builds bone strength and brings students out of their daily grind and into their true nature of goodness.

Get the heart rate up with vigor, and then wind down and relax in a balanced class designed to make you feel better than when you came in the door. All levels welcome.

Participants should be comfortable sitting on and getting up from the floor. Bring your own yoga mat and whatever props you need.

Sessions are Tuesdays, Nov. 5 to Dec. 10, 9-10 a.m., in the library community room. The fee is $90.

The registration deadline is Friday, Nov. 1.

Free senior walking program

Stay active and healthy during the icy and cold winter months by walking in a safe and warm environment. No registration is required. Shelburne Residents only.

It is held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9-10:30 a.m. through April 2. Dates are subject to change; call 802-985-9551 for updated information or the check calendar on gym door as there are blackout dates due to other events.

Located in the heart of downtown Vergennes, Vergennes Grand Senior Living o ers

www.vergennesgrand.com/learnmore

AMENITIES & SERVICES INCLUDE:

Dining room with valley and mountain views

Secure Memory Care garden

An engaging variety of scheduled social, cultural, and spiritual programs

Registered Nurse on sta Roof Terrace / Market & cafe

TV Lounge / Art & Fitness Studio

All utilities included

Shelburne Parks & Rec News

SPORTS

CVU boys win state title by one stroke

LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Before the Division I Vermont state championship golf tournament teed off on Thursday, Nov. 10, the Champlain Valley team knew it was going to be a close finish.

Even the Redhawks could not have predicted just how tight it would be.

Champlain Valley finished just one stroke ahead of second-place Rutland to capture the D-I state title, the program’s first since 2020.

“We have been wanting the win for a while and then finally being able to pull it out in as close a way as we did it was awesome,” CVU captain Jack Bryan said. “It felt really good. We all knew we were due and being able to pull it off in such a close way, it makes it almost even more exciting.”

It was an especially sweet victory for the Redhawks after the team lost by just one stroke in 2021 and four strokes in 2022.

“We knew we could win it, and, in previous years, we know we should have won it,” Bryan said. “This year finally all came together for us. It felt, when we knew we won, it felt awesome.”

Cooper Guerriere led the way for the Redhawks, coming in with

a 74 on a windy, cold Thursday at Burlington Country Club.

Guerriere came in one stroke behind Rutland’s Sebastian Pell (73), who earned the individual state championship, but the top CVU finisher really set the tone for the day.

“Cooper had a great round. I would even say he kind put the team on his back in that one,” Bryan said of his co-captain.

“He just played very good golf in really tough conditions when the team needed too.”

Jack Bryan shot an 83 and Quinn Vincent followed with an 86 for the Redhawks. But it was Camden Ayer’s 92 that was the difference, coming in two strokes ahead of the fourth Raiders score (94) to give CVU just enough of an edge.

“Camden, he’s a grinder and he knows every shot counts,” CVU coach Seth Emerson said of Ayer, who shot a 52 on the front nine before rebounding in the final nine holes. “He went to work on the back nine and shot a 40. That’s a 12-shot swing from front to back. I was proud of how he grinded it out and gutted it out, and if he shoots another 52, we lose. I was proud of him.”

Another factor in the win was the confidence the team gained from beating South Burlington,

which came in third place, in the Division I qualifying tournament last week.

“We beat South Burlington a couple of times down the stretch

and that gave us some confidence,” Emerson said. “We never see Rutland until the qualifier, and we beat them at Quechee, which is down near them. So, the

boys had a little confidence, and I think that’s good. Confidence in

Girls win second straight golf title for Redhawks

LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

For years, the Champlain Valley girls’ golf team has worked to build its program to compete for a Division I state championship. Last season, all the work paid off and the Redhawks won their first girls’ golf title.

Now, they have two.

Two top performances led CVU to its second straight D-I state championship Oct. 8 at Burlington Country Club.

“It’s so much fun to watch the players celebrate a victory like this,” coach Christopher

Hood said. “I’ve coached other sports where you come up a little bit short and you do your best to acknowledge what a great season it was, but nothing beats coming out on top and watching the players celebrate.”

Ryan Sleeper was the top scorer for the Redhawks, coming in with an 88 and just behind D-I medalist Namo Seibert from Mount Mansfield Union, who shot an 86.

“Ryan is a long driver who can nearly hit the green on par fours and buckles down and gets the job

See BOYS’ GOLF on page 19 See GIRLS’ GOLF on page 19

PHOTO BY BRAEDON FOX/VGA

The 2024 Division I state champs, from left, Camden Ayer, Jack Bryan, Cooper Guerriere, Sam Nostrand, Quinn Vincent and coach Seth Emerson.

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER HOOD

The Division I state title holders, from left, Rylee Makay, Riley Dunn, Stella Rakochy, Ryan Sleeper and coach Christopher Hood.

Redhawk’s footballers remain unbeaten at 7-0

111 yards and three touchdown passes of seven, 11 and 39 yards, while Daniel Tuiqere added a rushing TD.

Football

Champlain Valley 41, Burr and Burton 3: After giving up the first score of the game, Champlain Valley scored 41 unanswered points to beat Burr and Burton, the defending Division I champs, on Thursday, Oct. 10, in high school football.

Nolan Walpole ran for two touchdowns and 100 yards on 16 carries to pace the Redhawks, while quarterback Orion Yates threw three touchdowns passes, all to George Taylor.

Taylor grabbed six catches for

BOYS’ GOLF

continued from page 18

golf works, for sure.”

With tough weather conditions and two tough opponents, CVU needed all the confidence it could get to capture the state championship.

“Going into that state qualifier, we knew we had all the tools to win but we kind of needed to see it as a result,” Bryan said. “It would just go down to whether or not we would do it on that day and that day we had really solid scores from everyone who played.”

It is the 13th state title for the

GIRLS’ GOLF

continued from page 18

done,” Hood said. “She takes her game very seriously and any foursome that she’s part of knows that she’s capable of producing low rounds and is a respectful competitor who appreciates high caliber golf.”

Stella Rakochy rounded out the top two scorers with a 93 and a fourth-place overall finish. CVU finished with a team score of 181, ahead of Burr and Burton (189) and Essex (216).

“Stella has been a consistent performer all season and has really worked hard over this past summer,” Hood said.

Rylee Makay was the third

WHY GO LOCAL?

With the win, CVU moved to 7-0.

Field hockey

Champlain Valley 1, Mount Mansfield 0: Champlain Valley rebounded from a loss earlier in the week to beat Mount Mansfield on Thursday.

Emery Thompson had the game-winning goal for the Redhawks, while Sophie Comeau and Annabel Johnson teamed up for the shutout in goal.

CVU moved to 8-3-1.

Newberry Cup

Redhawks, who will return their full roster next season, with no seniors, and the players certainly know that they have a chance for a repeat.

“We know our senior year, we have a lot of depth next year as well,” Bryan said. “We have a lot of different guys who could end up being on that state team and a lot of guys who can shoot great scores.

“We’re definitely looking forward to next year. It’ll be a good year for us, I think.”

finisher for the Redhawks, tying for sixth overall, and Riley Dunn wrapped it up as the fourth finisher. Only the top two scores count toward the final team score.

“We knew that Burlington Country Club was going to be a pretty challenging course, especially the greens, which are notoriously challenging,” Hood said. “We did have a practice round that gave us really good experience for what to expect.

“We felt good going in knowing that any two players of our four could show up and play and contribute to a championship round.”

On Oct. 5, Shelburne Recreation held its end of the year soccer tournament, the Newberry Cup. While there are no longer team winners, a special volunteer each year is recognized with the Joe Cenis Volunteer

year,

for her dedication and commitment for helping to coach two teams. Kids who participated, in no particular order,

Lunardini, Emily Richardson, Caroline Shaner and Anya Wolfe. Coaches were Lindsey Stoddard, left, and Jessica Lunardini.

Shape the community’s character

The business next door donates nearly twice as much as big-box stores and online retailers to local non-profits, events and teams.

COURTESY PHOTO

Award. This

Jessica Lunardini won the award

included Josephine Arnold, Domenica Bowley, Paige Buckle, Margaret Foster, Kinley Jacob, Olivia Kott, Tessa

PHOTO BY AL FREY

Nora Cullen puts one over the head of a South Burlington player in an Oct. 8 match. CVU won in straight sets.

FISHING

continued from page 2

on top that day, weighing six bass at 24.33 total pounds. Burlington High came in second with a weight of 20.97 pounds, and Champlain Valley Union High came in third with 18.28 pounds.

The teams spent the day fishing on the Inland Sea of Lake Champlain, a stretch protected from wind and weather by the Champlain Islands and the causeway between Milton and South Hero.

In Vermont varsity fishing, anglers must weigh in live fish — so all boats are required to have live wells that maintain temperature and oxygen levels to sustain the bass while on board. Teams get point deductions for any dead fish.

At every tourney, employees from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife collect the fish in larger live tanks to release them after they’re weighed. The state workers make sure the fish are healthy and redistribute them, said Paige Blaker, one of three state employees working last weekend’s event. That afternoon, the crew released fish across three to four locations along the Inland Sea, Blaker said.

Part of the sport is “being a steward of the environment and taking care of the water,” Goodrich said, hence the partnership with the fish and wildlife department, which doesn’t exist in adult tournament leagues.

Anglers master a tactic called culling: They weigh their fish as they go, dumping the lightest overboard and constantly replacing the ones in their on-board well until they’re left with the biggest six they can find.

“You can control a lot of things — but the one thing you can’t control is if the fish is gonna bite,” said Scott Green, the coach at Harwood Union High School.

Parents, coaches and Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife staff take photos of students’ successful catches.

The team at Harwood, last year’s state champs, has 18 anglers, the most ever.

Tournament prep

“We make sure there’s no frays in our line,” said team captain Nathanael Conyers. At the Duxbury school’s last practice ahead of the Open Classic, Green set up cornhole boards and cut-up recycling bins on the lawn in front of the school — targets for the athletes to try to land their hooks on. The team was working on their line-casting

skills in preparation for the tournament in a few days.

The rod is an “extension of your hand,” and “your wrist dictates where it goes,” Green said.

The team gets in two practices on the lawn during the week — due to the long drive to the lake — and one on the water every week-

“You can control a lot of things — but the one thing you can’t control is if the fish is gonna bite.”

—

end. Like all school teams in the state, Harwood Union relies on local anglers and coaches to volunteer personal boats, paying for insurance and fuel.

Scott Green

Other schools far from the lake, like Middlebury Union High School, practice on the water only a couple times a year, said John

TOWN OF SHELBURNE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

Notice of Public Hearings to be held November 6, 2024, 7:00 PM Town Center Meeting Room #1 and Remote Meeting via Zoom

SUB 24-02: Application by Robert and Mendy Mitiguy for Final Plan approval to subdivide an existing residential lot into 2 lots. Property at 335 Tamarack Shores is in the Residential District, Stormwater Impaired Watershed Overlay District, and a portion in the Lakeshore Overlay District.

SP 17-09R2 / CU24-03: Application by All Souls Interfaith Gathering (applicant) and Catamount/Shelburne LLC (owner) for Conditional Use and Site Plan approval for a change of use in Suite 5 at Shelburne Commons, from an office-space to a place of worship. Property at 4066 Shelburne Road is in the Mixed-Use District and Stormwater Overlay District.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87616321502?pwd=I1FuMO7Dlk1WxdgeWOHnpjSerbTtdd.1 Meeting ID: 876 1632 1502 Passcode: 7ppU3b October 17, 2024

Fitzgerald, that team’s coach. Other than with those sporadic sessions, he helps his anglers by directing them to YouTube and online resources to learn about “different setups,” he said.

Although the sport is co-ed in Vermont schools, girls are far outnumbered. Hailey Isham, a sophomore at Mount Abraham Union High School in Bristol, said she’s the only girl on her school’s team. She’s been doing the sport since she was a freshman and plans to participate all four years.

The Harwood team has only had a few girls over the years, Green said. The Middlebury team had a girl on the team last year, though none this year, Fitzgerald said.

But Green said he’s happy to have girls on the team, and leaders in the sport emphasize it’s for everyone.

“It gets students an opportunity to be a part of their school community, wear the uniform and represent their school in a nontraditional fashion,” Goodrich said.

Wagner from Essex High said he’s excited for the VPA State Championship on Oct. 5 and hopes his team will do better there than at the South Hero tournament.

“I don’t do anything in my life to lose,” he said.

Charlotte Oliver is a reporter with Community News Service, part of the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.

PHOTO BY CATHERINE MORRISSEY / COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

Invest in community

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024, 6:30-8:00 P.M. CHAMBERLIN SCHOOL, SOUTH BURLINGTON

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024, 6:30-8:30 P.M. WINOOSKI HIGH SCHOOL

Notice is hereby given that Public Meetings will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at 6:30-8:00 p.m. (South Burlington Public Meeting) at Chamberlin School, and Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, at 6:30-8:30 p.m. (Winooski Public Meeting) at the Winooski High School.

These meetings will provide an overview of the DRAFT NOISE EXPOSURE MAP REPORT that has been prepared on behalf of Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport. The meetings will be workshop style with various stations for individuals to review the information and ask questions. There will be no formal presentation. Comment sheets will be available for the public to leave their comments.

The draft report can be found on the Airport’s noise program website: btvsound.com. Physical copies of the draft report are also available for review at the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport administrative offices located at 1200 Airport Rd, South Burlington, VT, Suite 1.

Public comments can be submitted at the meetings or via email to btvsound@jonespayne.com

The public comment period will close Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Additional comments and questions regarding the noise program can be submitted at any time.

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