Health commissioner steps down, state shares education plan details
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PHOTO BY BRIANA BRADY
Words from Sam Sanders’ poem “Rock River” shown with art by Tom Wright, part of the new outdoor art exhibit “Winterdeep” at All Souls Interfaith Gathering. See story, page 9.
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
The Shelburne selectboard has approved an operating budget of $12.5 million and a capital budget of $2.8 million.
Of the $12.5 million in the operating budget, the town expects to raise $9.2 million through property taxes.
As it stands, this means town property taxes will go up by 3.75 percent, slightly higher than the 3.25 percent raise the board had previously been considering. Town officials attribute the increase to the likelihood the police department will be able to fill one of its vacant positions.
At the Jan. 28 selectboard meeting, board members said because the school budget is decreasing its tax rates, there was some room to
reduce proposed budget cuts without over-burdening taxpayers.
If passed, the Champlain Valley School District budget is expected to bring down school-associated property taxes by around 4 percent. Shelburne has also seen an increase to its grand list this year, easing the burden on taxpayers.
“The gift from the heavens that we’ve received from the school budget this year is that we are going to see a decrease in overall taxes related to the school budgeting,” board member Matt Wormser said.
Town officials do not plan on using property taxes to fund any of the capital improvements planned
See BUDGET on page 12
BRADY STAFF WRITER
Champlain Valley School District has decided against drafting a specific sanctuary school policy in response to changes at the federal level that now allow immigration enforcement agents
to make arrests in schools and other sensitive locations such and hospitals or churches.
According to superintendent Adam Bunting, the district is taking steps to help students and families know what their rights are and offer whatever protections it can. In lieu of a new policy,
the school district has updated its search and seizure procedures specific to non-local law enforcement, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
“I think it’s important that we help our students who may be new Americans, who may be recent immigrants, understand what their
rights are, help them understand that they’re an important part of our community and work with them in a time when they’re feeling really vulnerable,” Bunting said.
Since the Trump administration announced last month that it would be changing the federal
policy, schools and districts across the country have been grappling with how to respond.
In Vermont, the Winooski School District announced it would be considering a new sanc-
See CVSD on page 16
ERIN PETENKO VTDIGGER
Health Commissioner Mark Levine announced his retirement last week after eight years serving as the head of the Vermont Department of Health.
Levine, a medical doctor, led the department through several crises, including the state’s most significant health challenge in decades: the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Dr. Levine was a steady, reassuring voice through the pandemic, and in the months of recovery that followed,” Secretary of Human Services Jenney Samuelson said in a statement. “Each week, during marathon press conferences, he calmly tackled complex topics in epidemiology and public health.’
The Department of Health tracked Covid-19 data, provided Covid guidance to Vermonters and organized mass vaccination campaigns, among other measures. Levine also served as an adviser to Gov. Phil Scott on health matters.
“I will be forever grateful for his advice and counsel over the years, but especially during the pandemic, as he appeared with me daily at press conferences during those difficult days, giving much comfort to Vermonters as our very own ‘Country Doc,’” Scott said in a statement.
Along with Covid-19, Levine led the department through some of the worst years of the opioid epidemic, which hit a new peak during the Covid pandemic but began dropping in 2023.
The press release announcing his retirement cited other accomplishments during his tenure, including creating a nurse home visiting program for newborns.
Levine, a 71-year-old resident of Shelburne, had an internal medical practice and served as associate dean for Graduate Medical Education at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine before joining the health department. He plans to officially retire at the end of March.
Levine and Scott were not available for further comment.
ETHAN WEINSTEIN VTDIGGER
Gov. Phil Scott’s education proposal would allow every student to opt into a school choice lottery system within their regional school district.
Last week’s testimony in the House Committee on Education from Education Secretary Zoie Saunders was the first public explanation of how school choice would work in Scott’s “transformation” plan.
“It’s very provocative,” Rep. Peter Conlon, D-Cornwall, the committee’s
chair, said during the hearing, “and we need provocative.”
The new information on school choice and education governance is the latest aspect unveiled in the administration’s extensive proposal. Previously, Saunders released the details of the governor’s proposed foundation formula, a new way to pay for education that would spend about $180 million less than the state currently spends. Week by week, Scott and his team have added more specifics to their cornerstone
continued from page 2
policy proposal. Lawmakers had been eagerly awaiting more information on school choice, one of the plan’s biggest gaps in the first weeks of the legislative session.
In Vermont’s current system, many towns offer school choice if their local school districts do not operate public schools for all or certain grades, sometimes offering specific options and other times allowing total choice.
In Scott’s proposed system, every student would be assigned by their district to a public elementary, middle and high school, according to Saunders, with limited exceptions. Each student could also apply for a lottery to attend a “school choice school.”
Those choice options could be magnet public schools or private schools, and each school district would decide which and how many schools to designate, though every district would need to designate at least one school choice school. Officials did not indicate whether religious schools could receive public funding as they do in Vermont’s existing system.
students in towns that have historically had school choice, Saunders said.
In the proposed system, state money would follow students, meaning school choice schools would be paid directly by the state for the weighted funding associated with choice students.
Some Democratic members of the committee appeared concerned about providing access to school choice for all students — an expansion compared to the state’s existing system.
“Not surprisingly, this is a big issue,” Conlon said. “Does this open the door to folks coming in and creating an independent school in competition with the public school system?”
“Does this open the door to folks coming in and creating an independent school in competition with the public school system?”
— Rep. Peter Conlon
The designated schools would need to follow state guidelines related to “educational and financial standards,” according to the proposal, and certain requirements could be set such as a minimum number of school choice students that a private school would accept.
Despite some state oversight, “select state academic and operational requirements would not apply” to school choice schools, according to the proposal.
The plan attempts to account for existing school choice in the current system. The lottery could provide “preference” for
Jill Briggs Campbell, interim deputy secretary of education, said school districts could decide not to allow a proliferation of “school choice schools” so as not to “drain” students from the public school system. Lawmakers could also set limits on creating new private schools.
Thursday’s testimony from Saunders also provided more information on the five proposed regional school boards that would oversee all the state’s public schools.
The plan recommends school boards with five members, with each member representing a regional “ward” within the district. Each school under the proposed system would have a “school advisory committee,” composed of parents, students, teachers and community members. The committee, Saunders said, would play a role in offering budget feedback and could direct some limited amount of discretionary spending.
Total reported incidents: 101
Traffic stops: 6
Warnings: 6
Arrests: 2
Medical emergencies: 42
Mental health incidents: 3
Suspicious incidents: 11
Directed patrols: 66
Citizen assists: 9
Motor vehicle complaints: 1
Car crash: 5
Theft: 7
Fraud: 1
Alarms: 9
Pending investigations: 6 911 Hang-up calls: 5
Jan. 27 at 8:44 a.m., a caller reported a suspicious box at Shelburne Bay Park. The box was determined to be set up to capture images of wild animals or lost pet.
Jan. 28 at 9:45 a.m., a caller on Shelburne Road reported being sexually assaulted. The initial report was taken, and the case was forwarded to Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations for further investigation.
Jan. 28 at 3:59 p.m., Geoffrey Penar, 36, of Shelburne, died at home on Penny Lane. The death was determined not suspicious.
Jan. 29 at 3:47 p.m., police mediated a family dispute on Ockert Lane and provided information on obtaining a temporary protection order.
Jan. 29 at 4:46 p.m., police assisted in mediating a family dispute on Shelburne Road.
Jan. 29 at 6:34 p.m., Robert Sears, 47, of Barre City was arrested an outstanding warrant.
Jan. 30 at 5:29 a.m., a caller reported a theft of items from their residence on Ockert Lane. But while taking the theft report, the missing property was found.
Jan. 30 at 2:03 p.m., an individual was issued a trespass notice at Fiddlehead Brewing.
Jan. 30 at 3:42 p.m., a caller requested a welfare check on a friend on Champlain Drive. The patient was determined to need emergency medical services and was transported to the hospital.
Jan. 30 at 5:46 p.m., a caller reported his vehicle was stolen from Graham Way. The vehicle was located the next day at Mt. Philo State Park, Charlotte.
Jan. 30 at 10:40 p.m., a 911 caller reported two people entered her room at the T-Bird Motel and threatened her and her boyfriend. The officers checked the area but were unable to locate the individuals who fled the scene. The case is pending further investigation.
Jan. 31 at 2:29 a.m., police assisted in mediating a domestic dispute on Shelburne Road.
Jan. 31 at 12:53 p.m., police assisted in mediating a domestic dispute on Locust Hill.
Jan. 31 at 7:05 p.m., a caller reported a stolen vehicle on Shelburne Road. The vehicle was later recovered in Monkton by
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Last week, Rep. Kate Lalley, D-Shelburne, was invited to attend the local Girl Scout meeting to talk to the girls about the legislative process — what a law is and how they are created, what laws the girls might want to pass and what they might consider as criteria for a law. Lalley used the example of a law passed last year that established an official state mushroom, a law that was initiated by school children in southern Vermont. “It was fun and also challenging to explain the legislative process in terms that make sense for students” in grades 2, 4 and 5, Lalley said. “The girls, who are residents of Hinesburg, Shelburne and Williston, had loads of questions and comments and I enjoyed hearing the perspective of my younger constituents.”
Vermont State Police.
Feb. 1 at 12:48 p.m., a caller reported a retail theft from Kinney Drugs. The officer checked the area but was unable to locate the individual. The case is pending further investigation.
Feb. 2 at 12:23 p.m., a caller reported a retail theft from Tractor Supply. The officer checked the area but was unable to locate the individual. The case is pending further investigation.
Feb. 2 at 11:35 p.m., police assisted in mediating a verbal dispute at the Countryside Motel.
Feb. 4 at 9:46 a.m., a caller reported a theft of items from their motor vehicle on Crown Road. The case is pending further investigation.
Feb. 4 at 1:54 p.m., someone was issued a no-trespass order at Harbor Place.
Feb. 7 at 3:11 p.m., Randy McEn-
tee, 28, of New Haven, was arrested on Shelburne Road for an outstanding warrant. Feb. 7 at 7:09 p.m., a caller reported a theft of items from their residence on Shelburne Road. The case is pending further investigation.
Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney office and can be amended or dropped.
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We need to be realistic about our goals
The legislative session is in full swing, and Vermonters are facing significant challenges, from a strained state budget to the weight of rising taxes. This year, I’m serving on the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs, where I’m committed to advancing regulatory reforms. My goal is to streamline the process of building homes and businesses in Vermont, making it easier, less expensive and more predictable, with more rational guidelines for appeals.
cate of Need threshold, which could encourage more options for common health care services, easing the burden on hospitals and lowering costs for individuals and insurance premiums. I support both approaches and believe it’s time to re-examine policies enacted in Montpelier over the past two decades that have proven unsustainable and too expensive while also looking more closely at how hospitals are spending limited resources.
Regarding climate change, Vermont needs to prioritize adaptation and commit to realistic emissions reduction timelines.
I’ve also been appointed vice chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, where we’re diving deep into the governor’s proposed education funding formula and proposed student weights. This complex issue demands careful consideration, and I’m ready to tackle it head-on. One thing is certain: We can’t afford to continue down the current path.
Health care costs are another critical concern. Vermont now bears the unfortunate distinction of having the highest health care costs in the nation. We need to explore solutions like reference-based pricing and raising the Certifi-
I agree with Gov. Scott’s call to revisit legislation passed in the last decade and recalibrate it to our current realities. The Global Warming Solutions Act, with its private right of action provision, is diverting valuable attention and resources away from state agencies. I support repealing this provision while maintaining focus on successful programs that transition our economy to greener technologies.
afford and what is feasible given the political headwinds coming from Washington.
Beyond education, housing, health care and climate, other important issues are on the table. I’ve introduced a bill to simplify our stormwater mandates. Constituents statewide struggle to comply with these Environmental Protection Agency-inspired state regulations, facing unclear directives, limited resources and unrealistic timelines.
The current program often requires expensive infrastructure improvements on properties where the impact on water quality is minimal. We need a true all-in approach to cleaning Lake Champlain, where everyone contributes to strategic waterway improvements that will adapt our infrastructure to the rising flood levels we keep experiencing while maximizing the cost-benefit of our limited tax dollars.
We’re diving deep into the governor’s proposed education funding formula and proposed student weights.
I’ve also introduced a bill to allow for stewardship trusts in Vermont, enabling businesses to enshrine their values into operating documents that persist beyond
We must be realistic about what we can achieve, what we can
See CHITTENDEN on page 6
Guest Perspective
Treasurer Mike Pieciak
As Vermont’s treasurer, I am committed to making investments that lower costs, strengthen our economy and support healthier communities. I believe every Vermonter deserves a fair shot at success, regardless of the situation into which they are born.
Yet, for too many Vermonters, the cost of health care stands in the way of investing in their future. Vermont has some of the highest health care costs in the country, forcing Vermonters to either forgo necessary treatment or be burdened with medical debt through no fault of their own.
We’re all just one health crisis away from being hit with medical debt, and that debt can
linger for years, dragging down credit scores and making it more expensive to buy a home, start a business and build wealth.
Unlike other debt, consumers often have no idea of the cost of medical care before they receive it, and they have little or no choice whether to incur the cost. The consequences are devastating for Vermonters, their families and our economy.
To help Vermonters get back on their feet, I’m proud to announce a proposal to provide medical debt relief to thousands of Vermonters.
Without requiring additional taxes or fees, our proposal would make a one-time investment of $1 million to eliminate up to $100 million of medical debt, focusing on Vermonters with significant debt and low incomes.
The program would provide immediate, life-changing relief to thousands of individuals at a critical moment when health care costs are soaring and Vermonters are facing an affordability crisis.
Other states like Rhode Island have adopted similar initiatives, successfully wiping out medical debt for their most vulnerable residents at pennies on the dollar.
The proposal would also shield Vermonters’ credit scores from medical debt, preventing health care providers and hospitals from reporting the debt to credit agencies.
Let’s face it: Medical debt doesn’t reflect someone’s financial responsibility — it’s a reflection of the gaps in our health care
CHITTENDEN
continued from page 5
current boardroom priorities, like what Patagonia has done in Oregon.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be introducing bills on data privacy and implementing an ad valorem car registration fee. This type of fee, common in other states, would create a dedicated funding stream for public transportation, charging higher-end vehicles more. Currently, a 2025 Cybertruck costs the same annual registration fee as a 1999 Dodge Neon. I believe those with newer, more expensive vehicles can contribute a bit more to alleviate congestion by helping fund our public transit needs.
system. Removing medical debt from credit scores would relieve Vermonters of the financial and emotional stress that so often accompanies this burden and give people a chance to rebuild their lives without debt holding them back.
I am excited about this program because it is a direct investment in people, giving Vermonters the freedom to invest in their families, their homes and their futures. Vermonters would also be automatically enrolled in the program — no forms, no hassle. I believe this proposal represents government functioning at its best, taking pressure off household budgets and helping people move forward with their
lives.
People with unpaid medical debt are more likely to put off seeking the care they need due to fear of punishment, which can worsen their health, lead to more expensive care in the future or put them out of work. When someone is sick or injured, their focus should be on recovery, not their finances.
I hope Vermonters will join me in supporting this program and contact their legislators to lift the burden of medical debt for thousands of Vermonters and build a healthier, more financially secure future for our state.
Mike Pieciak is Vermont’s state treasurer.
This year, we must also address the state’s collected 30-percent share of local option tax revenues passed by communities to raise money to reduce their residents’ property tax burdens. I’ve introduced legislation to redirect surplus funds back to EMS ambulance service providers by waiving an existing tax on their insurance company reimbursements.
The state is currently collecting more than necessary, and these taxes were approved by town voters to lower their municipal property taxes, so excess dollars over what is needed for our payment in lieu of taxes agree-
ments should do that. As more towns adopt local option taxes, we need to recalibrate this distribution to ensure these communities receive the full benefit of the revenue they generate.
It is an honor to serve in this role representing you in Montpelier. I welcome your thoughts and opinions, so please reach out: Thomas.Chittenden@gmail.com.
Thomas Chittenden, a Democrat from South Burlington, represents South Burlington, Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne and several other towns in the Chittenden-Southeast Senate district.
Shelburne school partners with Japanese village
The Japan Foundation of New York has awarded a Global Partnership Foundation Grant to Shelburne Craft School to establish a partnership with Nishiawakura, Japan, a small forest village that thrives on traditional crafts and natural resources. The project’s title is “Developing and Sustaining Visual Cross-cultural Networking Between Villages in Japan and U.S.A.
Jonathan Silverman of Charlotte, Saint Michael’s College professor emeritus and Shelburne Craft School resident ceramicist, and Heather Moore of Shelburne, executive director of Shelburne Craft School, will travel to Nishiawakura to establish a resourceful network of artists and educators to launch a series of Japan craft and sustainability themed workshops and presentations that will be offered to the local Vermont community and webinars that will be offered to an
international audience.
In addition, Silverman and Moore’s will work with Nishiawakura community members to create a fall, 2025 2-week residency program for artists from the Shelburne Craft School and educators from the Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools, a key partner in this grant. As part of this grant, children from the Shelburne Community School and from Nishiawakura will participate in an on-line visual story exchange.
Artists and educators from both Shelburne and Nishiawakura were inspired to share their common interest in preserving cultural identity through traditional arts, focusing on sustainability and justice, and meeting the needs of diverse community members. Both communities have learned to live off the land and accommodate different seasons, enjoy and care for the rich forest resources, and sustain artistic and other cultural traditions.
This partnership comes on
the heels of the second year that Silverman has brought artists to Japan for two weeks in November to learn about the crafting world of Kyoto.
The Shelburne Forward bike and pedestrian task force holds a community winter walk at Shelburne Bay Park, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. Meet in the south parking lot and walk along the gravel path to the beach. If some people choose, they can turn it into a loop and return over Allen Hill, while others can return via the path. Everyone is welcome.
Flying Pig presents author at Shelburne Town Hall
Shelburne’s Flying Pig Bookstore presents Author Jack Fairweather at Shelburne Town Hall,
See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 13
warmer all winter and stop wasting the heat you’ve paid for!
• Get up to $9,500 off comprehensive home air sealing and insulation projects with an Efficiency Excellence Network contractor (or $4,000 depending on household income)
• Plus, income-eligible Vermonters can now get up to an additional $15,000 for home repairs that are necessary prior to completing a weatherization project
• Financing options start at 0% interest, or add the monthly payment to your utility bill
Income-eligible Vermonters may also qualify for free weatherization services.
*Subject to availability and eligibility.
Law enforcement colleagues from around the area attended the funeral for Allen Fortin on Monday. Fortin, a Hinesburg resident and longtime police officer, died Feb. 2.
BY
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
There’s a Swedish proverb that often feels true during winter in Vermont: there is no bad weather, only bad clothing. Layer up and put on a good pair of boots, and snowy woods become something more than just cold. They’re beautiful.
That’s the argument behind Winterdeep, an outdoor multimedia installation up on the walking trails at All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne. The exhibit is a scholarship fundraiser for Treewild, a forest classroom run by former Shelburne Community School kindergarten teacher Joplin Wistar and his wife, children’s book author Alison James.
“What we’re trying to bring to the kids, and by extension to adults with this particular performance, is the spectacular wonder of being outside in winter,” James said.
The nighttime installation features winter-themed poetry and art, mostly by Vermont poets and artists, projected onto screens handmade by Wistar using grapevines. He also made a series of sculptural rice paper lanterns that guide participants through the trees.
To go along with the projected text and images, James made recordings of herself reading the poems and set them to music that echoes the tone of each. The effect is a sonic journey alongside the visual. As you move along the path under twinkling lights, the sound of one poem fades away as another swells.
The installation mimics the passing of winter, from the first snow flurries to spring melt, over the course of 16 individual poems and stories paired with pieces of art.
“The artwork wasn’t made for
the poem. But somehow you see the artwork differently because of the poem, and you hear the poem differently because of the artwork shared with it,” James said.
At mid-winter, visitors hear “January Flock,” by Vermont poet Candelin Wahl, which centers on chickadees puffed up for winter, layered over paintings of the bird by Vermont artist and children’s book illustrator Ashley Wolff. By the end, “Light into Song” by Roxanne Bogart is bringing images of melting snow paired with the rising warmth of the sun in a painting by Alyssa DeLaBruene.
An outdoor exhibit makes sense for Treewild, where, rain, shine or snow, children spend the entire day outdoors. The idea for the program evolved from the Forest Fridays curriculum Wistar developed to use with his kindergarten classes at SCS.
Treewild students attend traditional schools most of the week — many are from Shelburne but some travel from as far as Middlebury — but each spends one day a week at the program. In the past, Wistar and James have also offered summer programming and trips for teenagers, but the forest classroom has been operating in its current iteration since 2020.
James said they had been planning to start the program before the pandemic hit, but social distancing brought increased interest from parents looking for outdoor in-person learning. They’ve remained busy.
“The forest classroom, it’s making abstract concepts tangible,” James said. “All of our teachers have a really deep academic grounding, and so we carefully design experiences for children where there’s a lot of play, there’s a lot of wild free time, but then when we go into the academics, we’re deliberately creating
physical experiences for kids so that it becomes an anchor of memory for when they come back to that concept much later.”
On a recent Thursday, Wistar took the kids out onto a frozen pond on the land behind their home, where they host the program, and built a fire on the ice. Right now, the class is doing a unit on different origin stories and creation myths from around the world — this week they talked about Asian cultures and Hindu creation stories. At the end of the day, as they waited for parents and
guardians to come pick them up, the children slid down a tiny ice luge, landing at Wistar’s feet at the bottom of the small hill, laughing. Wistar and James have a set tuition for Treewild — $300 a month — but they offer a scholarship that covers most of that for anyone who needs it. James said they’ve never turned someone away for financial reasons. Over the course of the year, the pair fundraises for the scholarships. This year, they’re raising $14,500 – some of which will come from Winterdeep.
About three quarters of the way through the exhibit, there’s one set of abstract paintings by Gail Salzman with no text overlaid. Instead, the song “Mourning Dove” by Bristol-based artist Moira Smiley and Séamus Egan plays: “Winter at my window, you wrap me in your solitude / I love your song, it calls me to your side / Wind around me as the snow flies.”
And the lantern-lit snowy walk continues. Winterdeep will be running for two more Saturdays — Feb. 15 and 22 — at All Souls Interfaith Gathering.
Jason Mazurowski
On a subzero morning, I clip into skis and head out across my meadow, gliding between desiccated husks of sundial lupine (Lupinus perennis) poking up above the snow. I imagine this spot eight months ago, as I watched bumblebees, mason bees, and sweat bees forage among them.
Back then, in June, the world was exploding with sounds and colors, insects on the wing, and birdsong in the humid air. Today, there is silence.
As a pollination ecologist, I spend much of my time chasing solar-powered creatures, crouched among wildflowers observing an intimate interaction between two of life’s kingdoms. The common denominator of it all is sunlight, which provides plants with energy to grow and produce the nectar and pollen necessary for powering the flight of tiny creatures redistributing energy throughout the ecosystem.
But now, in the depths of winter, sunlight is scarce, and the hum of insects will be absent from the landscape until the first willows bloom. The creatures I spend so much time thinking about are gone for half the year. Yet, they haven’t truly disappeared — the progeny of those bees I observed among the lupine are likely nearby, awaiting the return of the sun.
Signs of overwintering bees can be found almost anywhere, except for the European
honeybee (Apis mellifera). Having evolved in the tropics, honeybees never experienced selection pressures resembling a New England winter. Instead of hibernating, they huddle together in the hive, sipping honey and generating warmth by movement. They emerge during thaws, searching in vain for floral rewards.
Our native bees, on the other hand, are well-adapted to winter and rely on environmental cues to time their emergence.
Most solitary bees complete their larval stage and pupate during the growing season before entering diapause, a state of arrested development. They overwinter as pupae, resuming development when their preferred food blooms. Less commonly, some species overwinter as larvae or, in rare cases, as fully developed adults.
Whatever stage of life they overwinter, bees must remain protected from predators, extreme temperatures, and desiccation. About 70 percent of solitary bees overwinter in nests below ground. The rest are scattered throughout the landscape, tucked into stems, logs, rocks, and snags.
you’ll likely see a small entrance hole where pupae are hidden.
About 70 percent of solitary bees overwinter in nests below ground.
Artificial “bee houses” and natural snags riddled with beetle holes are also great places to look. Occupied nests are capped with materials determined by the genus inside: mud for mason bees (Osmia spp.), mashed-up leaf material for leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.), and sap for resin bees (Heriades spp.). Unoccupied nests from previous winters are often easier to spot at first, with small exit holes chewed through the entrance.
Perhaps the easiest above-ground nests to observe are those of the genus Ceratina. These small, turquoise carpenter bees hollow out the pithy interior of dead branches on sumac, elderberry, or raspberry. Find a broken stem on any of these shrubs, and
Then, there are the elusive bumblebee queens: all New England’s bumblebee species overwinter as adults. Unlike honeybees, bumblebees evolved in tundra-like conditions and are adapted to cool, short
Spring programs and summer camp registration is now open. Visit the website, shelburnevt. org/160/Parks-Recreation, for complete details.
• Shelburne youth lacrosse registration: This program is open to Shelburne boys and girls in grades K-8. Registration
Lucile Brink
Lucile Adams Brink of Shelburne, Vermont passed from this life peacefully on Jan. 19, 2025, at her home in Wake Robin with family by her side.
She was formerly known as Lucile Adams and Lucile Adams Ranz. Born May 4, 1927, and raised in Urbana, Illinois by parents Dr. Roger Adams and Lucile Wheeler Adams, both professors at the University of Illinois, Lucile was a graduate of both Mount Holyoke College and the University of Illinois.
After marrying, she lived and started a family in State College, Pennsylvania. In 1959 she moved to Minneapolis, where she went on to live for over 50 years. There, she raised four children and married for a second time.
During her life she was an
deadline for grades 3-8 is March 7. There will be a $15 late fee added after March 7. Any registrations received after the deadline will be placed on a wait list and let in if space allows.
Kindergarten (coed) and grades 1-2 program registration
avid artist, gardener, volunteer and world traveler. Sports and recreation were encouraged and passed on to her children. Summers were spent at her family’s summer retreat in Greensboro, on Caspian Lake. There, she was able to enjoy her rapidly
deadline is March 31.
Parent volunteer helpers are needed and can sign up at time of registration.
Online registration can be found on the website, or paper forms are available to print off the website and available at our office.
growing family.
In 2009 Lucile moved to Vermont to be closer to her children and Greensboro. Lucile is survived by her four children, spouses and families: Beth Ranz Riggs (Miles City, Mont.), Christina Ranz Cavin (Shelburne), Roger Adams Ranz (Shelburne) and Jennifer Ranz (Greensboro). In addition, there are eleven grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.
During her final days, she reminisced about the importance of reaching out to friends and family while one still can. She also encouraged everyone to support those causes and educational institutions that they felt strongly about. A service is not planned. Family and friends will celebrate Lucile’s life this summer in Greensboro.
for the town. Instead, they’ve budgeted $667,000 in bonds and $300,000 in grants to fund the roof and HVAC system replacement for the town offices, repairs to the Pierson Library, a new defibrillator for Shelburne Rescue and some replacement vehicles for the highway department.
Over $1 million raised through the local option tax will fund an environmental study of Pond Road as well as other replacement equipment for police and highway and payments on existing debt from previous capital improvements.
Other projects planned for completion in 2025 as part of the
town’s 10-year capital plan like the Falls and Irish Hill Roads bridge and sidewalk completion will come from funds left from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The town has hired a few new employees, including a new full-time person to handle town payments and a new paramedic for Shelburne Rescue.
Despite initially considering a change to employee benefits in the face of rising health care costs, after an outcry from staff, the selectboard opted for a budget that continues paying for the entire
premium on MVP Gold plans for employees.
The town finance department is also budgeting an additional $300,000 to pay for the upcoming town-wide property reappraisal process.
Right now, the Shelburne Police Department has nine officers on its patrol staff. However, one is on medical leave, and another, officer Kyle Kapitanski, is on administrative leave after allegedly killing a pedestrian while driving a Shelburne police cruiser in November, leaving the department even more
short-staffed than it already was.
Chief Mike Thomas said the department previously operated with 12 patrol officers. He is in the process of hiring an additional officer, which will bring the department total to 10, and is the reason the selectboard increased the police budget from what was initially proposed.
Thomas said the department is hoping to hire two officers in the next two years. However, recruitment has become difficult — police departments across the state are understaffed and Thomas said Shelburne’s contract, which is older than most surrounding
towns’, currently offers the second lowest pay rate in Chittenden County.
At the meeting, before the selectboard adopted its budget, board members questioned whether the police budget would need to account for as much overtime pay if the department is able to bring on another officer.
Thomas explained how the need for overtime often gets misinterpreted. It’s not just filling vacant positions, he said, but also every time an officer is out, that shift ends up getting filled with overtime pay for another.
“With nine officers in patrol, we give them over 3,600 hours a year of time that they can take off. If you figure vacation time, holiday pay, holiday time down the book, that’s nearly two positions,” he said. “On top of that, we have mandated 30 hours of training a year. Thirty hours of training is minimal. That is just the mandated training. Every time I send someone away to training, I’ve got to fill that vacancy.”
While the police budget only accounts for one extra officer right now, the police union will be renegotiating its contract next year, potentially increasing wages for officers in an effort to remain competitive with surrounding districts.
Shelburne will vote on its budget by Australian ballot on Tuesday March 4. There will be a town dinner the night before — with presentations on both the school and town budget — at Shelburne Community School at 7 p.m. Voters can request absentee ballots from the town clerk’s office or from the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page, at mvp.vermont.gov.
LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
Girls’ basketball
Burlington 59, Champlain Valley 56: The Champlain Valley girls’ basketball team narrowly fell to Burlington Monday night, losing to the Seahorses for the second time this season.
It is the first time that Burlington has swept the regular season matchups between the two teams since 2008-09.
It was also the second loss in a row for the Redhawks, who fell
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5372 Shelburne Rd., on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
Fairweather will share the account of one man’s unrelenting quest to find and prosecute Nazi war criminals, and the challenges faced by those in the legal system when confronting the darkest parts of human history.
Asylum assistance network seeks creatives for event
The Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network is looking for creatives —artists, poets, writers, sculptors, musicians, photographers — for its third annual April fundraising event, Arts for Asylum Seekers.
Creatives will produce and virtually share their work weekly or more often throughout the month. CASAN and the creatives will reach out to recruit sponsors who will donate to CASAN in exchange for receiving the creatives’ work through email or another online method.
Funds will be used to help asylum seekers with housing, basic living expenses, transportation, legal fees, and other necessary support. The signup deadline is Feb. 28. For more information and
to St. Johnsbury on Friday 60-31.
Zoey McNabb had eight points for CVU in the loss.
Boys’ basketball
Essex 55, Champlain Valley 51 (OT): Champlain Valley fell to Essex in overtime after giving up a three-pointer with under 30 seconds to play on Saturday night in high school boys basketball.
Champlain Valley fouled Essex’s Cooper McCurley with three seconds left in regulation and the Hornets forced overtime after he hit all three foul shots.
Owen Scott had 19 points to pace the Redhawks.
Girls’ hockey
BFA-St. Albans 3, Champlain Valley/Mount Mansfield 2 (OT): The Champlain ValleyMount Mansfield girls’ hockey team fell just short of upending BFA-St. Albans on Friday. Abby Bunting and Devin Taylor each had a goal for the CougarHawks, while Cadence Tessier dished out an assist. Ella Gilbert stopped 24 shots in goal.
The Comets scored 17 second into the extra period to get the win.
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growing seasons. Their annual colonies die in the fall, leaving only reproductive females to become next year’s queens, much like seeds of an annual plant.
After mating in the fall, future queens find safe places to overwinter before emerging to establish new colonies in early spring. Despite being relatively abundant, little is known about where these queens go. Incidental observations suggest that they hunker down beneath leaf litter, under bark, inside rotten logs, or in shallow underground burrows, yet few have ever been found. Community science projects like “Queen Quest” aim to collect more systematic observations and shed light on how they survive the winter.
Each of my morning excur-
sions through the snow-covered woods is a reminder that mysteries linger beneath the snowpack, even among our most familiar and studied creatures. Like them, I patiently wait for those first warm April days when the sun brings those welcome sounds, smells and colors back to the landscape, and I can dust off my insect net and hand lens and head out to meet them.
Jason Mazurowski is an ecologist, naturalist, and adjunct instructor at the University of 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.
Shelburne Bike & Pedestrian Paths Committee
to sign up to participate, visit casanvermont.org. Questions? Write to artsforasylumseekers@casanvermont.org.
16, from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at Barnes & Noble, 102 Dorset St., South Burlington.
US Route 7 – Lower Webster to the Village Scoping Study
Local Concerns Meeting to be held February 18, 2025 4:30-7:30 PM; Presentation: 6:00 PM
Town Hall – 5420 Shelburne Road - Meeting Rooms 1 and 2
your partner at monthly contra
St. Anthony’s (Christ the King) Church, 305 Flynn Avenue, Burlington, hosts contra dance presented by Queen City Contras, Feb. 28 at 6:45 p.m.
Stove Dragon (Oliver Scanlon, Rose Jackson, Sam Zakon-Anderson) will play, and the caller will be Grace Hendrickson-Jones. All are welcome; all dances are taught; no partner or experience necessary.
Price: $12 adults over 18, $5 kids 12-18 or low-income, under 12 free.
Bring a pair of clean, soft-soled shoes to dance in and a water bottle to stay hydrated.
Dr. Lisa Holmes, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Vermont, will moderate a discussion about the U.S. Constitution on Sunday, Feb.
The public is encouraged to pick up a pocket copy of the Constitution, grab a coffee, and ask questions of this U.S. constitutional expert.
Sailing Center director receives top sailing award
The Community Sailing Center executive director Owen Milne is the 2025 recipient of U.S. Sailing’s Organizational Leader Award.
U.S. Sailing is the national governing body for the sport of sailing and recognizes top-performing organizations and individuals in a variety of categories from coaching and racing to community programs and advocacy. From its website, “The Outstanding Organizational Leader Award is presented to an exceptional individual who has made notable contributions to an organization that have resulted in membership growth, positive financial development, or increased community awareness and integration.”
The award was given at the recent U.S. Sailing Leadership Forum in Coronado, Calif.
Join us for the first public meeting on improving bicyclist and pedestrian connections along US Route 7 between Lower Webster Road and Shelburne Village.
Learn about proposed enhancements and share your input!
Town of Shelburne Development Review Board
Notice of Public Hearing to be Held March 5th, 2025, 7:00 PM Town Hall Meeting Room #1 and Remote via Zoom
SUB 25-01: Application by Bissonette Revocable Land Trust, seeking Sketch Plan approval for a 2-lot subdivision. Property at 801 Webster Road is in the Residential Zoning District, Floodplain and Watercourse Overlay District, and the Stormwater Overlay District.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3853006195?pw d=SjVHVGh0NnlMS0luYXZaV0sxWERoZz09&omn=86876380418
Meeting ID: 385 300 6195
Passcode: 1763
February 13, 2025
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tuary school policy, which was presented to their board in January. Champlain Valleys’ procedures emphasize some of the same protections as the Winooski policy, but in enacting them as procedures rather than a policy, stops short of a sanctuary school label.
“I think one of the worries that I’ve heard other people articulate is, does that put us on the map in an unhelpful way for our students?” Bunting said about adopting a policy.
Like other measures meant to protect students, Champlain Valley’s search and seizure policy and their procedures for dealing with non-local law enforcement rely on the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act, which prevents schools from sharing students’ and families’ personal information such as names, addresses, or place of birth except under specific circumstances like a valid subpoena or warrant.
School systems are not required to track students’ immigration status, and many make a point of not doing so.
In a communication to superintendents on Jan. 17, Vermont secretary of education, Zoie Saunders, emphasized the legal protections students have under FERPA and laid out for district leaders that schools have the power to prevent law enforcement from entering school buildings unless they have a judicial warrant, which must come from a state or federal criminal court, not the Department of Homeland Security or another agency.
The school district’s search and seizure policy states that “school administrators will not assist law enforcement officers (including school resource officers) in a search, seizure, or interrogation where the primary purpose is to enforce a criminal law.” However, when presented with a valid subpoena or judicial warrant, schools are required by law to cooperate.
“Our concern with the sanctuary policy is that, in some ways, it can be a misnomer,
you know. I think based on recent executive orders, the places that we thought of as sanctuaries aren’t really sanctuaries,” Bunting said, citing that the changes to federal policy could override policies that a school district might put in place.
The district’s procedures focus on the practical — letting teachers and staff know who to call and what to do if non-local law enforcement come searching for a student. They instruct faculty and staff to keep enforcement officers in the lobby or central office area, gather information about the officer and why they’re there, withhold any identifying information about students, and, if presented with a warrant, to wait for instructions from legal counsel or the superintendent’s office before taking any action.
While schools and districts without a sanctuary policy might offer the same legal protections as those that enact one, some advocates posit that a specific policy helps ease families and students’ fears and helps them feel safe at school.
“We have to make sure that we’re not doing something that’s political, that’s actually not working in the favor of our students who need us most,” Bunting said.
Bunting hopes that in distributing the procedures and making sure faculty and staff are informed, CVSD will help students feel as safe as they can without fostering a false sense of security beyond what the school can legally provide.
According to Bunting, after the federal policy change, he heard from a lot of teachers asking for clarity on procedures and expressing concern for students.
They’ll continue to play a role in communicating with students and families — a teacher reached out to the district office this past week for translations of the procedures into Spanish and other languages, he said. The district has been using software to help translate materials into different languages to reach families in their home language.