CVSD sets budget target
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
As preliminary budget conversations begin, the Champlain Valley School District has set a budget target of $103 million for fiscal year 2026.
A first pass at the budget last week showed exactly what that path could entail.
“At this point we know that, through a lot of really uncomfortable, difficult collaborative work, we have a path to $103 million on the expense side, but that is not without impact,” Gary Marckres, chief operations officer, said at a board meeting last week.
CVSD experienced significant repercussions during last year’s budget cycle when the state introduced unprecedented changes in the education funding system. That shift, meant to equalize education across the state, led to significant tax hikes — upwards of 14 percent — in the five towns that make up the school district.
The number, while not final,
See BUDGET on page 13
Shelburne couple loses home in fire, community rallies support
PATRICK BILOW STAFF WRITER
Rick Poirier and Sheila Hendee have begun rebuilding their life after a fire last week took their home of nearly 30 years on
Palmer Court in Shelburne.
The fire started around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19 with three loud explosions, and a burst of flames from the Poirier’s side porch.
Poirier and Hendee were in the
backyard at the time. They rushed past the flames, which Poirier said were immediately hot, to safety in front of the house, which was destroyed.
Poirier and Hendee were uninjured and are currently staying
with friends on Palmer Court, a short road off Route 7 with tightknit relationships among neighbors.
The couple’s cat likely died in the fire.
Handmade Pasta
The Shelburne Fire Department upgraded the response en
See FIRE on page 4
“We’re starting over,” Poirier said. “Thank God for the people around us.”
PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
Shelburne native, Harvard student wins Rhodes Scholarship
PATRICK BILOW STAFF WRITER
Lena Ashooh, a Harvard student from Shelburne, is the first Vermonter to win a Rhodes Scholarship in nearly two decades.
Widely considered the most prestigious academic award in the world, Rhodes scholarships pay for students to pursue postgraduate studies for up to three years at Oxford University in England.
Ashooh, now a senior at Harvard, was named a 2025 Rhodes Scholar last week. She graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 2021.
others,” including animals.
“Some of my warmest memories are of sitting with the dairy cows, kind of curled up into them with my head on their shoulder and their head in my lap, and just finding immense peace with them and their comfort,” Ashooh said.
“It’s been a wonderful year,” Ashooh said. “I feel nostalgic about Harvard already, but this whole process of applying to Rhodes has shown me that my projects and passions are the projects and passions of this community of people I have around me.”
Ashooh is pursuing Harvard’s first major in animal studies, a program she created that deals with humans’ treatment of animals. The coursework draws on a variety of disciplines, including animal behavior and cognition, psychology, philosophy and social justice theory from around the globe.
She traces her deep appreciation of animals to Shelburne, where she exhibited dairy cows at Shelburne Farms through her local 4-H club from the time she was eight until 18.
Ashooh spent many long summer days with a herd of dairy cows at Shelburne Farms, where mentors showed her how to be disciplined and devoted to the “needs and joy and autonomy of
“So, for those 10 years of my life, I considered them close friends. It was very generous of them to invite me into their lives.”
At Harvard, Ashooh lobbied legislators on environmental justice, interned for Vermont Rep. Becca Balint and traveled to Puerto Rico to study macaque monkeys. She is also the co-president of Harvard College Animal Advocates.
Her efforts to improve animal welfare will continue at Oxford, but she plans to investigate the bigger picture by studying legal philosophy and one day maybe attending law school in the U.S.
At Oxford, Ashooh wants to study philosophical concepts behind legal decisions. Studying these concepts, she says, helps illuminate different ways that broader systems are eroding or uplifting individual value of humans and animals.
“I’m looking for more clarity on the role of moral and legal philosophy in uplifting and pushing forward advocacy efforts,” she said.
She draws inspiration from lawyers like Luke Cole, co-founder of the Center on Race, Poverty and The Environment who died in 2009. Ashooh had the opportunity to work with the organization last summer.
“He devoted his life to bringing suit against large, harmful and
exploitative industries that were harming workers, communities and environments,” said Ashooh. “I find that type of advocacy very appealing.”
Although she is devoted to animals, Ashooh said her upbringing in Shelburne first instilled in her an appreciation of humanity and the role that humans play on the planet.
Adults in her childhood did not shy away from suffering in the world, but she said they empowered her with the tools to do something about it. Her teachers also exposed her to art and music, another important outlet in her life, and her beloved neighbor taught her the importance of friendships.
“I was fortunate to have people in my life who treated me as an adult, as a peer,” Ashooh said, whose father is chair of the Shelburne Selectboard. “They showed so much generosity with their minds and attention. I think that was an extraordinary gift, and it’s influenced me from a young age.”
CVU girls race to second at Northeast regionals
LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
As the Champlain Valley girls’ cross-country team raced in the Nike Cross Northeast Regional race on Saturday in Wappingers Falls, N.Y., they remembered the feeling of finishing just outside the qualifying spots for the national competition.
That feeling fueled the Redhawks, who put on a big finish in the final half of the race to clinch second place in the NXR Regional race and earn a spot in the upcoming NXR Nationals.
“Together
“I could definitely tell how close it was going to be the whole time,” CVU junior Audrey Neilson said. “We scouted out our biggest competitions’ jerseys beforehand so we knew who to look for during the race, so I just kept trying to look for them and pass as many people as I could.
“I knew that we really had to leave it out there, and I think we really showed up as a team in the second half.”
As the team waited at the finish line for the results, they had to just hope the second half push was enough. And as the final
results rolled in, they realized they had accomplished the goal they had set at the beginning of the season.
“We had all run as hard as we could and done everything exactly how we wanted to,” Neilson said. “There was lots of hugging and crying when we found out. Knowing that we have accomplished the thing we have worked so hard for so long really is an amazing feeling.’
That second half mattered
Lena Ashooh
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID BAIRD
Champlain Valley girls’ cross-country team after finishing second at the in the Nike Cross Northeast Regional race on Saturday in Wappingers Falls, N.Y.
For months, members of the Champlain Valley Lions Club have diligently collected mountains of plastic bags and packaging. The goal? To transform all that plastic into a park bench for the community. Partnering with the Trex company, known for its plastic decking, the Lions sent more than 1,000 pounds of plastic to Trex to be recycled into a durable, high-performance bench. Last month, the Lions Club bench was installed in Farrell Park, near the toddler playground and ball courts. Parents, kids, ballplayers and dog walkers now have a spot to rest, chat, eat lunch or read. Leading the project were Lions Rosella Duarte and Russ Hayden, who supervised the collection of plastic. The recycled bench program is part of the company’s initiative called NexTrex, whose goal is finding ways to reduce plastic pollution in oceans, rivers, lakes and landfills. In back, from left, Joan Mollica, Mark Hanna, Patience Merriman and Jackie Dutil. In front, Russ Hayden and Rosella Duarte. Lions Club repurposes
route to the rapidly growing fire, calling in first responders from eight towns, including South Burlington, Burlington, Williston, Hinesburg, Charlotte, Ferrisburgh, Vergennes and Shelburne.
“That just speaks to the staffing problems we all face right now,” Shelburne fire chief Andrew Dickerson said. “I was very pleased with the response from our department, but the reality is structures fire require a lot of resources.”
Despite a quick response, the house was already “significantly involved” in flames when the fire department arrived, according to Dickerson, who was also concerned about damage to surrounding homes.
At first, fire crews struggled to pull enough water from a Palmer Court hydrant to keep up with the flames. Some of the water lines to the west of Route 7 in that area are shorter and don’t have strong water pressure, Dickerson said.
To get better pressure, responders had to shut down Route 7 to access another hydrant on the east side of the highway. Shelburne police handled the traffic shutdown, which lasted for less than an hour.
“Unfortunately, this is the second fire in my 15 years here that we’ve had to shut down Route 7 in order to hit a hydrant to get adequate water flow,” Dickerson said. “Luckily the other one several years ago was in the wee
hours of the morning so it was much less of an interruption. This was the worst-case scenario in terms of shutting down the highway.”
Dickerson plans to investigate the latest issue with the water department and said the hydrant’s low pressure is a really an example of Shelburne’s aging infrastructure.
Although the cause of the fire has not been determined, it started near the side porch. Poirier said he operates a small propane heater on the porch sometimes during the colder months but that it had been running fine before the fire.
The explosions were caused
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by six small propane tanks on the porch, according to Dickerson. Poirier had just purchased them to keep the heater going intermittently throughout the winter.
Hendee was on the back porch not long before the fire started. She only came to the backyard after she heard Poirier fire up the wood splitter, which she doesn’t like him operating alone.
In addition to mementos of fond family memories, Poirier also lost access to his garage, where he operates an upholstery business, his craft for more than 40 years. He believes most of his equipment is salvageable, but the garage door is sealed shut from the heat.
Poirier has taken on all types
of upholstery projects, from classic car seats to vinyl boat roofs to snowboard bindings, and he says there are only a handful of people alive who still do what he does.
One of his favorite projects was installing a soft roof on Jimmy Buffet’s Land Rover. The king of the Parrot Heads wanted to run a small woodstove out of the back of this car, so Poirier cut a special hole in the roof for a chimney.
He also worked with Burton Snowboards’ research and development department to create a new snowboard binding, which was later tested at Bolton Valley Resort. Poirier joined up with the snowboard company again when it collaborated on a special proj-
ect with Ducati.
“You’ve got to have a special attitude and temperament for this work. Every job is different, you know? It’s like solving a very challenging puzzle. You must be willing to accept defeat and come back and be resilient,” he said. “Nobody seems to want to take it over from me, and that’s not for a lack of trying.”
Poirier learned upholstery during his nine and half years working as a car mechanic. Originally from Shelburne, Poirier eventually put down the wrench and leaned full-time into upholstery.
While he worked in a few places over the years, his garage on Palmer Court had become a comfortable headquarters. He was booked up for months before the fire and is now having to turn down work until he and Hendee reclaim their home.
In the fire’s aftermath, Poirer and Hendee said they are grateful for the support shown by friends and neighbors. One of their friends even started a GoFundMe, which has raised $13,195 toward a $20,000 goal.
“We want everyone to know just how much we appreciate the kindness that has been shown to us,” Hendee said. “I want to pay it forward one day, and I will, but for now, we’re just so grateful for the support from everyone.”
The GoFundMe link can be found here: /bit.ly/40XxdSW.
PHOTO BY RACHEL SMITH
OPINION
America’s conflicted gratitude on Thanksgiving
Guest Perspective
Walt Amses
I remember thinking we’d be raising celebratory glasses this week, breathing a collective sigh of relief at having dodged near certain calamity, able to move on toward a safer, more rational future. Approximately 72 million people — roughly half the country — will spend Thanksgiving in precisely that manner. It just won’t be us.
We instead will gather with like-minded family and friends to assuage our disappointment, take comfort in each other, and focus on what glimmers we can find in these darkening days.
November is somewhat of a struggle in the best of times. By the end of next weekend, we’ll have lost over an hour of daylight in what is Vermont’s cloudiest month while the average temperature in Montpelier will have dropped nearly 17 degrees since Halloween. The trend continues into December, pairing nicely with unrealistic expectations growing exponentially while our ability to meet them dwindles. Driven by marketing, we’re charged with mindless shopping; driven by biology, we tend to sleep like bears and eat like we just got out of solitary.
of Columbus Day, which is still celebrated in some parts of the country, the Italian navigator claiming “discovery” of a population that had occupied this land mass for thousands of years, introducing the mass murder and colonization to come.
Although our history of colonization and assimilation of Native Americans has, over time, significantly diminished land ownership and cultural practices, South American countries like Ecuador and Peru have done a great deal to preserve Indigenous heritage, recognizing land rights to a far greater extent, insuring a more visible presence in society. Aggressive assimilation policies in the U.S. were designed to erode Native American culture through forcible removal from their land, sending native children to boarding schools where their language and traditions were suppressed, largely eradicating any opportunity they might have had to influence society.
“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh
Since retirement in 2013, we’ve opted out of most Novembers, skipping Thanksgiving along with Black Friday, both as an effort to cut winter down to a manageable size and a wavering political statement — more a generalized feeling — regarding holidays compromised by commercialism with misrepresented origins and no small amount of contradiction.
By bouncing around various, far-flung places where the indigenous population has not been erased, playing a more prominent role in the culture than here at home, we’ve learned that the perception we have of ourselves — exceptionalism — is more than self-serving and altogether delusional if we consider actual history rather than a watered-down version compiled to make us feel good.
While Indigenous Peoples Day is a welcomed step in the right direction, adopted by more than 100 cities and recognized in over a dozen states, according to the New York Times, it’s taken far too long to concede the obvious. Joe Biden became the first president to formally commemorate the holiday in lieu
Though several circumstances, including family logistics, find us at home this November, I’m happy to be here, reminded again of how much I love witnessing this long transition from late summer to early winter, especially everything in between, including Thanksgiving, long one of my favorite stops along the way. But even a rudimentary look at the holiday’s history shatters the fabrications we absorbed in elementary school, of Native Americans and colonists feasting together in warm friendship, or, from a different perspective, the hated “poisonous Pilgrim-Indian narrative” that obscures the ghastly truth.
Writing on the website Delish last October, Kristin Salaky explained that Pilgrims celebrated “thanksgivings” in their traditional way of fasting and praying, which often happened after the massacre of Native people. The first officially declared day of thanksgiving came in 1637 when Massachusetts Colony Gov. John Winthrop deemed volunteers murdering 700 Pequot people worthy of celebration. Hardly the fantasy we’ve been sold.
Early on an overcast morning, I’m immersed in my surroundings, which I realize later insulate me from most worldly intrusion as I notice the dozen buffleheads that occupied the wetland days ago are now gone, replaced by a thin veneer of ice. With water levels extremely low,
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Letters to the Editor
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Who is the real hater?
To the Editor: Walt Amses in his recent article called President-elect Trump a strident bigot, misogynist, hater, threatening, disrespectful of the rule of law, white nationalist, sexual abuser, xenophobic and supporter of threats of violence and political retribution. (“‘Lug nuts come off,’ the nightmare begins,” Nov. 14, 2024)
The only explanation he could think of for Trump’s victory was President Joe Biden’s failure to renounce a second term soon enough, and I suppose the voter’s inability to hate Trump as much as Amses does. Folks I know across the middle part of America, including the five states where I have lived, see it differently.
They are stunned every time they go to the grocery store. It costs them as much for one bag of groceries than for the whole week’s shopping in 2016 when Trump first took office. Most recognize that “free money” in the form of stimulus payments, green energy initiatives, student loan forgiveness and undocumented migrant support has a price when the government is broke. That price is currency inflation.
They typically respect the work ethic and family values of most migrants to this country, legal or not. However, they do not support an unsupervised, open border whereby anyone, including traffickers, cartels, gang members and drug dealers can enter the country at will.
They are suspicious of socialists, and their promise of cradle-to-grave government provision in return for all their money and total government control.
Despite Kamala Harris’ position reversals on fracking, gun control, the border, and electric vehicle mandates, nobody believed her. Her statement that she would not change anything that the Biden admin-
AMSES continued from page 5 Call Laurie today to schedule your visit. (802) 871-5808
istration did during the last four years did not help her cause either.
These Americans naturally like an underdog. They observed the constant vilification, bias, weaponization of the justice system and attempted assassinations endured by Trump and admired his refusal to give up.
If Harris had put forth proposals to benefit the working middle class of this country, she might have had a shot. She seemed more focused on Oprah and Beyonce.
Our founding fathers recognized that all governments are inherently corrupt, and they wisely accommodated a two-party system in recognition. When the citizens get fed up with one administration, they can dump it and vote in another. That is exactly what happened this time around.
John
Childs
Shelburne
Family reaches out after recent house fire
To the Editor:
To all our neighbors on Palmer Court in Shelburne, we can never repay you for all your support and kindness during our recent house fire.
We are truly blessed to have our community and friends. Hopefully, we can repay your kindness and generosity someday. We will pay it forward. Also, our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the Vermont State Police, Shelburne Fire Department and to all the fire departments and emergency staff who came to our aid.
Family of Rick Poirier Shelburne
hundreds of lily pads paralyzed by the flash freeze stand resolutely in the still air, a fitting graveyard for summer’s passing.
Obscured by the low hanging clouds, a significant flock of geese glides high above, along the Atlantic Flyway, a major north-south migration corridor from Greenland to South America dotted with food, water and shelter for most of the route.
I’m inspired by the Abenaki people who hunted these woods and fished these lakes and streams, growing crops like corn, beans and squash for 12,000 years before being displaced by wave after wave of Europeans who brought diseases like smallpox, decimating native populations and scattering them throughout New England. I wonder if they farmed anywhere near where I maintain my recalcitrant garden and how I might anticipate Thanksgiving if I shared their history.
As it is, however excited I might be
cooking for the people I care most about, I know this holiday will be tempered in several ways, given the distinct sense of foreboding that now overshadows nearly everything. There is palpable fear for the future and what comes next, and a sobering awareness of what has come before — the sullied roots of this All-American tradition of turkey, mashed potatoes, football, candied yams, pumpkin pie with a side dish of genocide.
When I proposed hosting Thanksgiving, the world felt like a different place, with a boundless, almost giddy sense of hope, which makes today’s pervasive gloom harder to take, much less overcome. So, with that in mind, I’m looking forward to Thursday’s dinner and the millions of other, similar gatherings across the country as a series of small, first steps on the way to recapturing that lost hope.
Walt Amses lives in North Calais.
What to fix high property taxes? Make them fairer
Guest Perspective
Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman
Taxes have a bad rap. In part, this is because we never discuss who pays which taxes. Taxes have gone up for working people while wealthier people have gotten tax cuts. But taxes exist for important reasons, and we must make our tax system fairer and decrease the burden on everyday people. Do we want roads, bridges, police? How about the licensing of doctors, lawyers and teachers? Licensing of drivers? Do you want a health department to test water for lead or radon? We might all have different opinions about some of the things our tax money funds, but it is important to acknowledge that many things we need can only be accomplished as a community. Often this requires funds that taxes provide.
The key question is who is going to pay? And how much? Right now, the tax system is greatly skewed to help wealthy people pay a lower overall rate than working people. Federal and state taxes are filled with loopholes and exceptions that only wealthy people can take advantage of. I believe that taxes should be paid based on ability to pay, without exceptions and loopholes that only lawyers and accountants can figure out to help high- wealth individuals.
Vermonters have seen double digit increases in property taxes this year. We are now seeing double digit health insurance increases on the horizon. These increases are making it impossible for everyday working people to live in Vermont.
Everyone sees this problem. No one has offered a fair solution: not the governor, not legislative leadership, not my opponent, John
Rodgers, who got the most votes in the race for lieutenant governor. Why? Because it is complicated. If it was simple to solve, everyone would have solved it by now. But, as soon as one offers a solution, others can always find something to criticize about it. Something has to give, whether it is multiple small community schools closing, class sizes getting much bigger, decreasing the individualized attention that many kids need or cutting teachers’ pay or benefits, would decrease our competitiveness for good teachers. Or some will have to pay more taxes.
The question, then, is who? If one solely articulates the problem, you gain support. If you offer solutions, someone suffers, and you lose support.
The governor has had eight years to come up with a real plan. He has always blamed the problem
Social business group names
Hinsdale Legislator of the Year
Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) has recognized Vermont State Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale of Shelburne has been recognized as the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility’s 2024 Legislator of the Year.
Hinsdale will be honored as the group’s legislative breakfast on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 8-11 a.m. at the Main Street Landing Film House, 60 Lake St., Burlington.
Hinsdale represents the Chittenden-Southeast Senate district, which includes Shelburne, Hinesburg, Charlotte and South Burlington.
Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility is a statewide, nonprofit association with a mission to leverage the power of business for positive social and environmental impact.
“VBSR has led the way in finding the light at the crossroads between the economy and the environment,” Hinsdale said. “Now, more than ever, we need their innovative approaches and collaborative spirit to solve our most intractable problems.”
Hinsdale is the first woman of
color to serve in the state Senate.
She was just elected Senate Majority Leader for the upcoming biennium.
She received a bachelor’s degree in natural resource planning and political science from the University of Vermont, and a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2018.
She served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 2008 to 2016.
“She not only champions climate justice but works to ensure
on the Legislature, including the many years when they did not have a super-majority. The governor’s office has the tools and the staff to come up with a plan and put it out there. It is time for the governor to move from stating the problem to presenting a comprehensive solution that addresses the economic struggle without cutting the critical services that the most vulnerable need.
I would argue that we must fix the education funding system so that everyone pays based on their income, not just those with household incomes under $115,000 (for 2024).
When our students graduate high school, we are ranked one of the top 10 education systems in the country. Do we want to keep high quality schools? I think so. They are a key to attracting young people to move here to raise a family while building our workforce.
So, we can close a ton of schools. Or we can cut a lot of funding for vulnerable kids. Or
we can have the political courage to tell the wealthy to pay their fair share and lower the burden on working people. We can also save taxpayer money by getting serious about bureaucratic reforms to stop duplicating efforts. We can require second-home owners — of expensive vacation homes, not hunting camps — to pay more.
Or we can continue to do nothing and watch the governor and the Legislature point fingers at each other while Vermonters become more bitter, more divided, angrier and less able to afford to live here. The course we choose will be determined by people continuing to make their voices heard, not just at the ballot box, but by calling the governor and their legislators and insisting on real reform that preserves small community schools, reduces bureaucratic costs and allocates the tax burden in a fairer way so working Vermonters, can afford to stay in Vermont.
David Zuckerman is lieutenant governor of Vermont.
all Vermonters can thrive in the Green Mountain State,” Johanna de Graffenreid, public policy manager for Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, said. “Her ability to pull together a wide range of under-heard voices, center these conversations in our policy decisions, and raise up the needs of those most impacted by environmental and economic injustice is why we are pleased to present her with the 2024 VBSR Legislator of the Year Award.”
When not in the Legislature, Hinsdale has taught structural inequality and environmental justice at Vermont Law & Graduate School. She has also served as co-chair of the Vermont Attorney General’s Immigration Task Force and as a member of the boards of Emerge Vermont, Main Street Alliance of Vermont, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, Regenerative Food Network, and Vermont Natural Resources Council. She lives with her husband, Jacob Hinsdale, and their two children, Mira and Wesley, in Shelburne.
Learn more at vbsr.org.
Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale
Champlain Valley Union High School thespians brought the popular musical, “Footloose,” based on the Hollywood film, to life Nov. 15-17 at the CVU Theater.
Based on the true story of Elmore City, Okla., the musical follows Ren, Ariel and the senior class at Bomont High School as they fight for the chance to host a school dance in a town where dancing has been made illegal. It’s the story of parents trying to protect their teens from potential tragedy, and students advocating for their opportunity to let loose. More photos online at alfreyphotography.com.
The lighting designers at Shelburne Museum outdid themselves for this year’s “Winter Lights,” a festive celebration of the season that draws thousands of visitors during the holiday season.
PHOTOS BY LEE KROHN
A. Bennett
Alice Anne (Miglis) Bennett, 89, a Shelburne since 1977, died in her sleep Saturday, Nov. 15, 2024, at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester surrounded by her family. She was born in Rutland on May 22, 1935, to Frank and Mary Miglis, the youngest daughter of four girls and four boys.
Her family lived in Center Rutland and Alice attended Center Rutland School. She graduated from Mount St. Joseph Academy in Rutland in 1953, where her classmates voted her “Most Vivacious,” and then from Albany Business College. Upon graduation she became business manager of Mountain Top Club resort in Chittenden, but soon was hired as the bursar at Castleton College, now Vermont State University.
Castleton, an architecturally beautiful New England institution, was made more than merely picturesque when Alice arrived. One of the students wrote in a yearbook message to Alice that she was the best reason for attending college. She charmed all of them.
When her high heels clicked down the marble-tiled administration building hall, a vision in a belted and buttoned cotton shirtwaist halting just above amazing ankles, they stopped one of the older students, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Rutland Herald reporter. He stared. He was enchanted. She raced his pulse. She was so beautiful she could have been a live porcelain figurine, with every part exactly where it ought to be. Nobody was surprised when she modeled fashions for the Rutland Herald.
Was it love at first sight? Impossible.
He had seen her many times before at Mount St. Joseph Academy, where she was considered an item with the captain of the football team. Back then she hardly noticed the would-be reporter, but in 1961 she married Bob Bennett in St. Peter’s Church in Rutland. After their first child was born, she became a stay-at-home mom
except for stints to train two rounds of successors at Castleton. Alice had handled all financial activities with a pencil and a typewriter for several years and was succeeded in the job by two men and an accounting machine.
When they were let go because they couldn’t perform the duties to the satisfaction of the college president, she was called in to break in three more men and two more elaborate accounting machines. Subsequently she was hired to conduct pre-audits for all the state colleges.
The couple lived on Butterfly Avenue in Rutland until 1965 when Bob landed a job at Pfizer headquarters in New York City. The family moved to the Garden State, and she volunteered at school libraries, served as a teacher of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine in Wyckoff, N.J., and as a Gray Lady at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood.
As the mother of two boys, she actively supported their school, soccer and baseball activities. When a daughter arrived, she became a ballet mother, driving thousands of miles to dance schools and performances in Philadelphia, New York City, Vermont and Saratoga Springs, N.Y., culminating in watching her on the stage with the New York City Ballet while founder George Balanchine looked on.
The family lived in two homes in Wyckoff and Alice spent plenty of time making them beautiful. She was also well known for her prowess at shopping at some of the most expensive stores in New York and New Jersey. Had shopping been an Olympic event, Alice would have worn several gold medals.
After moving to Shelburne in 1977 when Bob was hired at Garden Way Publishing in Charlotte, and upon her children’s completion of high school, Alice joined Burlington neurosurgeon Dr. Nancy Binter as her office manager, where her earnings helped send her three children to the University of Vermont, Georgetown, Albany Law School and the University of Leningrad. She retired in 2004 to become, she said, a full-time grandmother when her grandson was born.
Alice is survived by her husband, Robert Wallace Bennett; children, Robert Scott Bennett of New York City, John Wallace Bennett of Shelburne and Alyssa Mary Bennett Igo and her son-inlaw, Christopher Igo, and grandchildren, Scott Wallace Igo and Alexia Greer Igo, all of Duxbury, Mass.; and brother, John Miglis of Shelburne.
She was predeceased by her parents; sisters, Pauline, Mary and Irene; and brothers, George, Frank and William, in whose honor she became a contributor to the Shriners Hospital in Montreal.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church in Shelburne, on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at 1 p.m. A burial will be held in the spring at the Shelburne Town Cemetery.
Darren Smith
Darren Richard Smith, 40, of Belchertown, Mass., tragically died on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. He was born in Burlington on July 29, 1984, to Susan Pelkey Smith and Dwaine L. Smith.
Darren graduated from Champlain Valley High School in 2002, and in 2006, he graduated from The Culinary Institute of America, where he received his associate’s degree in culinary arts.
His career included Basin Harbor Club, Stowe Mountain Resort and Blue Stone Pizza in Vermont, and as a private chef in Massachusetts. He most recently was thriving as the sous chef at High Watch Recovery in Kent, Conn. Darren will be remembered not only for his culinary talents and
dedication to his craft but also for his kindness, warmth and generosity. He could look through the refrigerator and pantry and create a delicious meal from whatever he found.
In addition to his love for cooking, Darren was an avid car enthusiast, spending countless hours tinkering under the hood of his Nissan 370Z. Darren’s parents called him Mr. Fixit, as he could fix most things. He loved building Lego kits and passed that love on
to his children. He had an extensive collection of Hot Wheels and baseball-style hats. He was competitive at cards, as well as board and video games. He loved good memes and created several in his culinary world. Darren loved camping, snowboarding, wakeboarding and other water sports. He was an avid fan of New England sports teams.
Darren was a devoted father to Alana and Kauan. Darren poured boundless love and devotion into his children’s lives. He found immense joy in playing with his children on the floor, making funny faces, giving them piggyback rides, building Lego sets, exploring various indoor and outdoor playgrounds and being “The Tickle Monster.” He loved putting smiles on his children’s faces. He enjoyed family vacations on Cape Cod and spent hours planning those vacations.
Darren is survived by his former wife, Nadla Tavares Smith,
Alice
Alice A. Bennett
Darren Smith
Community Notes
Bike and paths committee wants a few good names
If you haven’t noticed, the new pedestrian bridge on Falls Road over the LaPlatte River is now open for walkers and bikers.
Now it needs a name.
To add your two cents, the Bike and Pedestrian Paths Committee has put together a survey for you to share your ideas. Go to surveymonkey.com/r/bridgebrainstorm and make your suggestions by Dec. 1.
The committee will compile the data and present another survey to choose a favorite.
Take the stage for Shelburne Players’ next show
Looking for a little humor and something fun to do over the dark winter months? Audition for “The Servant of Two Masters” with The Shelburne Players.
Auditions will be held Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 9 and 10, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., in the Pierson Library community room, 5376 Shelburne Road. If needed, callbacks will take place on Thursday, Dec. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The play by Carlo Goldoni, will be directed by Su Reid-St. John and produced by Cathy Diamond.
Rehearsals begin Jan.13, and the play will run March 14-22.
The show has been called “a cross between traditional Italian commedia and postmodern vaudeville, this new version of Goldoni’s classic pits the madcap servant Truffaldino against masters, mistresses, lovers, lawyers, and twenty-seven plates of meatballs. Imagine a Bob Hope or Woody Allen comedy written by Monty Python and performed with the physical bravura of Chaplin or Keaton.”
Learn more at shelburneplayers.com.
Shelburne Age Well Grab and Go
This will be the last Grab and Go meal offered by Age Well in Shelburne.
In January, community meals will be offered in person on the second and third Tuesday of the month.
Age Well and St. Catherine’s of Siena Parish in Shelburne will team up to provide a meal to go for anyone age 60 and older on
Tuesday, Dec. 10.
Meals will be available for pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St. from 11 a.m. until noon. A $5 donation is suggested.
The menu is beef stew with vegetables and potatoes, winter mixed vegetables, wheat biscuit, tapioca pudding with peaches and cream and milk
To order a meal, contact Kathleen by Wednesday, Dec. 4 at agewellstcath@ gmail.com or 802-503-1107.
Advisory group rolls out Lake Champlain action plan
The Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on Lake Champlain rolls out its 2025 Lake Champlain action plan, “2024 State of the Lake and Ecosystem Indicators,” on Monday, Dec. 9, from 5-7 p.m. at the Shelburne town offices.
Featured speakers include Lake Champlain Basin staffers Dr. Matthew Vaughan, chief scientist, Meg Modley, aquatic invasive species management coordinator; Colleen Hickey, education and outreach coordinator; and Jim Brangan, cultural heritage and recreation coordinator.
The action plan addresses the committee’s most pressing clean water priorities, including flood mitigation, adaptation and resilience; solutions for chloride and other contaminants pollution; prioritization of land use and development that reduces water quality impacts; aquatic invasive species spread prevention; and equitable public access and recreation.
The meeting will also feature a remote option.
Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is requested for in-person participation and required to receive the remote log-in information. Register at bit. ly/3OrrBsp.
Get coffee with Lalley, Sweeney
Rep. Kate Lalley and Rep.-elect Shawn Sweeney invite Shelburne residents to share coffee, concerns and hopes for the upcoming 2025 legislative session at Sweeney Designbuild, 5061 Shelburne Road, Shelburne on Saturday, Nov. 23, from 8-10 a.m.
For more information, call Sweeney at 802-343-0775.
News from Pierson Library
Film screenings Tuesday
On Tuesday, Dec. 3, the Pierson will show two new films for free and one of them is still in theaters.
Peter Brown’s “The Wild Robot” is about a mechanical person who washes up on a deserted island and forges a powerful relationship with nature. That film is showing at 3:30 p.m.
The second film, “Just Getting By,” is a new documentary from Bess O’Brien. It’s a powerful, intimate look at the lives of everyday Vermonters grappling with food and housing insecurity. O’Brien will be available for a question-and-answer session following the screening to discuss the film and its important themes.
Calling
all poetry readers, writers, lovers
It’s not too late to join the hottest poetry society in Chittenden County. Nearly every Wednesday they gather at noon in the Pierson Library to cold-read entire poetry collections aloud, basking in the strange alchemy of voiced poetry.
The second half hour is devoted to poetic works-in-progress, news and a writing prompt. This month, the group is finishing Shel Silverstein’s classic, “Where the Sidewalk Ends.” Past collections have been by Walt Whitman, Rita Dove, Tracy Smith, Seamus Heaney, Charles Simic and more.
What will this intrepid group of poetry fanatics read next? Come by to find out.
Shelburne Parks & Rec News
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. The recreation office will be closed from 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27, through Friday, Nov. 29.
Annual tree lighting, carol sing
Shelburne’s annual holiday tree lighting is Friday, Dec. 6
Caroling led by Matt Vachon and friends starts at 5:30 p.m., with a countdown to the lighting of the tree starting at 6 p.m.
Festivities move to Shelburne Town Hall and Pierson Library for light refreshments and holiday activities.
• Visit with Santa and get your picture taken.
• Take home seasonal kid’s craft from Pierson Library.
• Refreshments with Shelburne Recreation Committee.
• Listen to the Northern Bronze Handbell Ensemble.
• Electra’s Engineers in residence with model train.
• Check out the light-bedecked SD Ireland holiday mixer truck.
Please leave all pets at home. Dogs will not be allowed in town hall or the library during this event unless a registered service animal. Come in from the front of town hall, facing Route 7. Those with accessibility needs will be allowed to enter through the
library’s main entrance. It is recommended to leave strollers outside or in your car.
Bolton Valley ski and ride program
The bus for both sessions of the Bolton programs is now full. Kids can still register for lift tickets, lessons, rentals and the buffet if parents can provide their own transportation.
Contact the recreation office for more details or to sign up. The deadline is Dec. 11. No changes or refunds can be made after that date.
Free senior walking program
Stay active and healthy during the icy and cold winter months by walking in a safe and warm environment — the town gym — on Monday, Wednesday and Friday through April 2, 9-10:30 a.m.
Bring a pair of clean, dry soft-soled shoes with you and change before entering the gym. No registration is required. Shelburne residents only. Note that the schedule is subject to change. Call 802-985-9551 for an updated schedule or check the calendar on the gym door as there are blackout dates due to other scheduled events.
Learn more at shelburnevt.org/160/ parks-recreation or call 802-985-9551.
COURTESY PHOTO
Shelburne holds its annual tree lighting at town hall on Dec. 6 starting at 5:30 p.m.
continued from page 1
would represent a 1.2 percent increase in spending over the $101.8 million budget that passed after one failed attempt on Town Meeting Day this year.
Officials with the district have been working earlier than usual on budget preparations, saying that more work has been done to date than in previous years. The team has garnered a slew of community feedback over the past few months, including a community budget forum and a community survey with over 215 responses.
The responses showed strong advocacy for preserving roles that directly impact students, like teachers, support staff and programs like arts, music, math and science.
Simultaneously, there is significant concern about rising property taxes and overall financial burden on taxpayers. Many feel that continual budget increases, especially after significant hikes in recent years, are simply unsustainable.
“Our goal is to navigate this year’s process in a balanced, empathetic, proactive, transparent, collaborative manner,” super-
OBITUARIES
continued from page 11
and their children, Alana and Kauan Smith, of Belchertown, Mass.; parents, Dwaine and Susan Pelkey Smith of Groton; sister, Amanda Wynn (Edwin Wynn) of Dahlonega, Ga.; and grandmother, Catherine Pelkey. He also leaves behind many aunts, uncles, cousins and countless friends. Darren, your family and friends will sorely miss you. We will strive to keep your memory alive, especially for your precious children.
During the past four years, Darren’s disease brought him to places of incredible pain and darkness. Alcoholism and long-hidden underlying mental health issues took his smile and limited his ability to spend time with his children, family and friends. It slowly and painfully diminished his joy in
intendent Adam Bunting said at a board meeting in October, adding that after analysis, setting the budget goal at $103 million balanced both the district’s vital resources and the tax burden.
Still, to keep a level service budget that reflected nearly all of the same programming seen in fiscal year 2025, the district would have needed to raise the budget by roughly $6 million.
“This represents a roughly $4 million reduction from what we would have needed to support the programming that we have in fiscal year 2025,” Marckres said.
In the district’s elementary schools, this budget includes increased class sizes; reduced opportunities for the arts, wellness and world languages; reduced academic and behavior supports; reductions to food service program; and administrative reduction and restructuring.
Similarly, at Champlain Valley Union High School, the approximate average class size is set to increase from 20 to 22 with reduced offerings in math, science, humanities and wellness; reduced opportunities for personalized learning and behav-
ior support, along with similar reductions to administration.
More than 30 full-time equivalent positions throughout the district’s five schools are estimated to be affected by the budget projection. Earlier this year, the district was forced to cut roughly 42 positions to pass the 2025 budget.
The earliest projections forecast that the tax rate, without considering changes to the education funding formula, would increase roughly 6 percent. Although that number is highly dependent on the common level of appraisal and the education yield, two important factors within the state’s education funding formula set by the state.
Through Act 183, the Legislature formed the Commission on the Future of Public Education, which is tasked with studying and making recommendations on long-term fixes to the state’s educating funding system, but an initial report isn’t anticipated until December 2025. But legislators have all voiced that addressing property taxes and education funding remains at the top of the list as the biennium begins.
REGIONALS
continued from page 2
as the Redhawks battled Cumberland for the second spot. Union Catholic in Scotch Plains, N.J., grabbed the top spot in the race with a team score of 69, while Champlain Valley finished with a team score of 166, just ahead of Cumberland, R.I., (176) to earn second place.
“We realized that had our top five runners not made the specific moves to push in the final 1K we would not have earned second,” CVU coach David Baird said. “The margin for scoring was so close that if they had all been just 3-4 seconds slower, we’d have placed third. It came down to four seconds, and their efforts to race for every second made the difference.”
CVU was led by a group of four runners who all came across the finish within seconds of each other. Neilson led the way with a 20th place finish, Lydia Donahue came in just behind in 22nd, Alice Kredell followed in 23rd and Charlotte Crum was 25th. Annalise Wood finished in 128th, Livi Neilson was 136th and Justyna Amblo came in 171st.
“I remember very well running up the hill around the halfway point and recognizing the breathing sounds of my teammates just off my shoulder,” Donahue said. “I could tell that we were racing as a pack, and it was comforting to know that whatever the finish result would be, we were all out there working in tandem and racing well.”
It is the fourth time that the Redhawks have qualified for the NXN National race and the first time since 2018.
The Redhawks will head to Portland, Ore., to compete in the NXR National race on Dec. 7, 2024.
“I’m super excited to compete at a national level and show everyone who we are,” Neilson said. “Because we race at such a local level normally, it’s hard to show everyone what we are capable of, so being able to compete at this level will be very exciting. We always talk about how our team competes well under pressure, so I’m very excited to see how we do out in Oregon.”
living. He fought his demons with his whole being and truly wanted to live a sober life, free from depression and anxiety.
During his lifetime, Darren made it clear to his parents that it was up to him, not his parents, to share his story. Now, this becomes our story. The pain of his death is heartbreaking and intolerable, which is why stories like Darren’s must be shared truthfully and openly. The truth is that Darren was exceptionally talented, outgoing, easy to talk to and had many friends until his addiction and underlying mental health issues destroyed everything he valued.
His disease compounded itself, and each relapse exponentially increased his pain and loss of self-confidence and pride. Accept-
ing help did not come naturally to Darren. In the end, he relapsed and lost the battle. While his family and friends never gave up on him, his struggles took over and became more than he could bear. As the depth of his pain comes more into focus for those he left behind, there is some relief in the knowledge that he is no longer suffering.
Darren’s parents would like to thank High Watch Recovery for never giving up on their son. To honor Darren’s memory, memorial contributions can be made to High Watch Recovery Center, PO Box 607, Kent CT 06757.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Capitol Plaza Hotel Montpelier, 100 State St., Montpelier.
to advertise call 985-3091 or email advertising@shelburnenews.com
TOWN OF SHELBURNE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD
Notice of Public Hearings to be held December 18, 2024, 7:00 PM Town Center Meeting Room #1 and Remote Meeting via Zoom
SUB 24-01: Application by the Stern Irrevocable Trust seeking Final Plan approval for a 3- lot Subdivision in the Rural Zoning District and the Lakeshore Conservation Overlay District. This application proposes two (2) new lots to be subdivided from currently undeveloped portions of the existing 86.3-acre lot. The proposed lots will be known as Lot 2 and Lot 3, respectively. Property is located at 365 Duck Pond Road.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82848211698?pw d=fvbbuiHSrY9WkqbVtwm2KI7YKcaM5h.1
Meeting ID: 828 4821 1698
Passcode: 8X05Db November 27, 2024
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