Incumbents tackle town, school issues
While local Shelburne elections might not involve a lot of competition this year — every candidate is both an incumbent and running unopposed — a recent forum allowed the community to hear where candidates stand on several issues.
This year, selectboard members Mike Ashooh and Luce Hillman, school board director Erika Lea and town moderator Thomas Little will be on the ballot. Last week, all four sat down for a candidate forum at the town offices to address questions submitted by residents.
Candidate backgrounds
Ashooh has been selectboard chair for three of his six years on the board. He teaches philosophy at the University of Vermont but said, in terms of organizing people and keeping things moving, his most relevant experience to his work on the selectboard was volunteering as a rugby coach.
“It is a kind of way to feel like I’m contributing something positive by being involved in our local democratic process. I feel like this is really where it’s happening in terms of democracy in our country,” he said of serving on the board.
Hillman has been on the board for four years. She grew up in Maine and attended University of Maine and UVM, receiving degrees in civil engineering and a
master’s in public administration. She recently retired from 22 years as a facilities manager at UVM and also serves on the town finance committee.
Lea is finishing up her first three-year term on the school board. She’s a social worker who works with first year students at Champlain College. Lea also has children at both Shelburne Community School and Champlain Valley Union High School. Before serving on the school board, she was a member of Shelburne’s diversity, equity, and inclusion committee. She currently chairs the school board’s policy committee.
Housing and O’Brien project
In response to a question about the process for the O’Brien Brothers pre-development agreement, both Hillman and Ashooh said how proud they felt of the strategy the selectboard took in leveraging their power over the sewer service area to negotiate with O’Brien over its proposed housing development, which is capped at 375 units.
Lea said she took the time to go over the wastewater district and what kind of precedent the selectboard might set by extending it. Her concern, she said, was that if the town challenged the development’s use of Act 47 to plan for denser housing based on their proximity to the sewer system, it
See CANDIDATES on page 12
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
A small group of people at the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory are making dreams come true — and the whole ordeal just got a whole lot more magical.
The Make-A-Wish Vermont team aren’t magical fairy godparents, but they harness just as much of that charming energy.
The team has operated out of the factory since 2021, and celebrated its fourth anniversary last week on Valentine’s Day, fitting for the amount of love and dedication the team pours out week after week. The daily tasks are anything but simple: creating life-changing wishes for children
See MAKE-A-WISH on page 16
PHOTO BY ADRIAN CRINER OF VERMONT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
CVU students rally against Big Tobacco at Vermont Statehouse
Part of Champlain Valley School District’s Connecting Youth work includes youth empowerment and, last week, the students belonging to Our Voices Exposed represented the school
district at the annual Vermont Youth Statehouse Rally, a statewide event dedicated to raising awareness about the harms of tobacco and nicotine use among young people.
Joining over 170 peers from across Vermont, Champlain Valley students marched from Montpelier’s Unitarian Church to the Statehouse, where they took the stage. On the Statehouse steps, they shared stories about how tobacco companies target young people, shared their perspectives on prevention efforts and advocated for health-oriented policies.
Beyond the rally, some students had the opportunity talk with local legislators, including Reps. Erin Brady and Angela Arsenault of Williston and Rep. Phil Pouech of Hinesburg. These moments provided an invaluable experience in advocacy and civic engagement, reinforcing the idea that their voices matter and they can drive real change.
“It was an inspiring day,” Lynn Camara, Williston Central School’s Connecting Youth Student Assistance Program Counselor. “Our students made a meaningful impact.”
For more information about Connecting Youth’s Student Assistance Program, visit tinyurl. com/3weubfvt.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Vermont marched on Montpelier last week to draw attention to the harms of tobacco use.
Ordinances establish a new pecking order in Shelburne
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
Disagreement about roosters has been ruffling feathers in Shelburne over the last few months.
At its meeting last week, in response to ongoing complaints about neighborhood roosters, the selectboard reviewed a draft of a new poultry ordinance that would ban roosters in residential areas and impose some restrictions on hens.
The ordinance is part of an ongoing effort by the selectboard to create or update a slate of nuisance ordinances, and not just about chickens — the board is also considering rules over noise, parking, and lawns and ground cover.
Issues around different ordinances came to a head at a meeting this past December, when residents renumerated a series of complaints about noise, litter, and what they described as unsafe living conditions at a property owned by Vermont Construction Company on Hedgerow Drive used for employee housing. Residents had been submitting complaints to the town for about a year. While the selectboard sympathized with residents and shared their concerns, board members said without ordinances, the town had nothing to enforce.
Nuisance ordinances would potentially rectify this mismatch in neighborhood disputes and enforcement.
In Shelburne, the rooster issue has centered on an argument among residents near Cedar Ridge at the end of Thompson Road, an area zoned for residential housing.
It’s well known that roosters have an internal circadian clock that pushes them to crow around sunrise. However, chickens are incredibly hierarchical birds, and roosters will also sometimes crow to establish territory or to communicate with their flock. According to complaints about the two roosters near Cedar Ridge, this makes them untenable close neighbors.
“They start yodeling at dawn and go on until dark,” Shelburne resident Ruth Hagerman said in an email to the town.
Her complaint describes rising tensions between neighbors because of the noise. According to the email, Hagerman and other neighbors had asked the roosters’ owners to get rid of the birds. Although
they initially tried to rehome the animals, the owners have not yet complied with the request.
“They are disturbing the peace of those around them and are providing a textbook example of how neighborly policing doesn’t work,” Hagerman wrote.
Many chalk up Shelburne’s current lack of ordinances to the rural history of the town – these kinds of conflicts tend to arise when people live closer together. However, over time, Shelburne has become more densely populated, and with the state’s push to increase density and housing in village and town centers, that growth trend will likely continue.
“Shelburne has grown to a point where we need to have ordinances more similar to that of a small city,” selectboard member Matt Wormser said during a December meeting while discussing the house on Hedgerow Drive. “We trust our people to be good neighbors, but when they are not good neighbors, we need the ability to enforce rules.”
Although selectboard members might support imposing ordinances in general, most were hesitant to embrace some of the stricter measures in the poultry ordinance draft last week.
Town manager Matt Lawless, after a review by a lawyer, based the draft ordinance on those of surrounding towns such as Williston and South Burlington. As written, it would only affect backyard chickens — not agricultural or farming operations.
The draft also includes requirements for an annual permit, a maximum of eight hens, daytime and nighttime enclosure, manure removal and a ban on roosters, with some detail as to how the chickens should be kept and cared for.
“It feels like, from what I see in Shelburne today, as written, this would be pretty onerous on some people who have some pretty cool little things going,” selectboard member Andrew Everett said, referencing neighbors of his who have unfenced chickens and often offer their eggs to neighbors.
The selectboard discussed removing the limit on hens in favor of a system based on the size of someone’s property or the density of their neighborhood and allowing roosters in more rural areas.
Multiple members also expressed their
reticence to regulate how people keep their chickens. However, some saw positives in measures such as permitting or registration.
“I do like the idea, if there’s an issue around bird flu or something like that, knowing who has chickens,” Wormser said.
The discussion of the poultry ordinance is also coming at a time when egg prices are skyrocketing, possibly encouraging folks to build a coop in their backyard.
Shelburne residents Pauline and Steve O’Donnell have taken care of chickens on their half acre lot for more than 20 years. They want some input on the details the ordinance, partly to ensure that it’s still easy
for people like them to keep chickens.
“They’re good for kids. They’re good for families. They’re good for elders. My dad, until he was in his late 80s, loved to go out and visit the chickens,” Pauline O’Donnell said. “I think we can make some improvements to this and not be quite so far reaching. I don’t want somebody coming in my backyard and inspecting my coop.”
When asked how she felt about the male of the species, O’Donnell was quick to respond, saying, “We don’t need roosters.”
The selectboard plans to do more outreach and get more community input before finalizing a poultry ordinance.
clients navigate significant
e 2025 Vermont Flower Show
• Stroll through the Grand Garden Display filled with flowering bulbs, shrubs, trees, and water features!
• Shop the Flower Show Marketplace with over 100 vendors related to horticultural/gardening/home/ accessories.
• Choose from over 30 educational seminars and workshops on a variety of topics.
• Experts on-hand all 3 days to answer your gardening and landscaping questions.
• Family Activity Room: Come dig for worms, plant a flower, and make a craft and enjoy Magicians Without Borders & No Strings Marionette performances.
• Local bookstore with a great selection of books to choose from.
• The Federated Garden Clubs of VT, North District will present a National Garden Club Small Standard Flower Show: “The Story of the Garden.”
• Plant Sale at the end of the show on Sunday.
Shelburne Police Blotter: Feb. 9-15
Total reported incidents: 71
Traffic stops: 13
Medical emergencies: 20
Mental health incidents: 3
Suspicious incidents: 13
Directed patrols: 44
Citizen assists: 4
Car crash: 4
Animal problem: 1
Theft: 5
Harassment: 3
Property damage: 2
Fraud:1
Alarms: 9
Pending investigations: 15
911 Hang-up calls: 3
Feb. 10 at 4:44 p.m., a 911 caller reported receiving threatening text messages on Addie Lane. A harassment report was taken, and the case is under investigation.
Feb. 12 at 10:09 a.m., a caller reported a theft of items from their motor vehicle on Bay Road. The case is under investigation.
Feb. 13 at 2:49 p.m., a caller reported a stray dog running loose on Nashville Road. The
animal was located and reunited with the owner.
Feb. 14 at 9:54 a.m., a caller reported a theft of items from their motor vehicle on Martindale Road. The case is under investigation.
Feb. 14 at 10:37 a.m., another caller reported a theft of items from their motor vehicle on Martindale Road. The case is under investigation.
Feb. 14 at 4:24 p.m., a caller reported a retail theft from Atlas on Northside Drive. The officer checked the area but was unable to locate the individual. The case is under investigation.
Feb. 14 at 5:33 p.m., a 911 caller on Harbor Road reported receiving threatening calls. A harassment report was taken, and the case is under investigation.
Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney Office and can be amended or dropped.
Shelburne News
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Official business
Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas visited a variety of small businesses in Chittenden County on Monday as part of a statewide listening tour following the upgrade of her office’s online business filing system. Local Shelburne stops included Soccer Post and Kreashan Salon. “One of the first steps for every business entity that gets started in Vermont is to register with our office,” Copeland Hanzas said. “We want to make that process as smooth as possible, and for folks to feel supported as they get things off the ground.”
COURTESY PHOTO
Knowing trees is like knowing your own neighbors
Guest Perspective
Gillian Dorfman
Learn a stranger’s name and that person becomes an acquaintance. Discover more about them, and there’s an opportunity for friendship.
What’s true for people is true for trees. We appreciate trees, but if we can name them and know more about the species, then our relationship is all the richer. So, let’s introduce you to a few trees around Shelburne.
Stand by the parking spaces on Church Street and face the Shelburne Parade Ground. Immediately in front of you is a line of young trees. These are Freeman maples. The Freeman maple (Acer x freemanii) is a sturdy hybrid of red maple (Acer rubrum) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum). The tree has the strong wood of the red maple and can grow fast like the silver maple. These features – along with a dense canopy providing shade and tolerances for heat, salt, and pollution – make the Freeman maple a good street tree.
Now, turn your head to the left, and you’ll see a group of oak trees standing in the south-west corner of the Parade Ground. Look beyond, across Route 7, and there’s another oak tree in front of the Shelburne Town Offices. This red oak (Quercus rubra) is wellnamed as the leaves of this tree turn a brilliant red or russet-red color in fall.
Look straight ahead again,
across the Parade Ground, and you’ll find a line of white ash trees (Fraxinus americana). The Abenaki call this tree “ogemakw pl ogemakok,” which translates to snowshoe wood. They used white ash to make snowshoe frames because of the ability of the strong, lightweight hardwood to bend well.
These white ash trees are among a limited number of ash trees in the center of Shelburne that the town is inoculating every two or three years as protection against the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle from Asia. To inoculate a tree, a specialist injects an insecticide into the tree trunk. Spreading throughout the tree, the chemical kills any larvae that feed on the treated tissue.
A large American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) stands in the north-east corner of the Parade Ground. This tree, along with the nearby ash trees, have benefited from a deep root fertilization project instigated by the Tree Committee. This maintenance treatment was necessary because of compacted soils around the trees resulting from heavy traffic on the Parade Ground during the Farmer’s Market.
The fast-growing American sycamore has bark that flakes off, revealing mottled patches of greens, whites, grays and browns, giving the sycamore a camouflage-like appearance. By the way,
See DORFMAN on page 6
COURTESY PHOTO
Oaks occupy the SW corner of the Parade Ground
The tyranny of size not something easily outgrown
teenage girls.
In Musing
Carole Vasta Folley
I find it appalling that Brandy Melville exists at all, let alone here in our own state. You can be sure I’m not talking about a person and instead a multinational fast-fashion clothing company that’s now open on Church Street in Burlington.
Among the many reasons to be disturbed are the extensive allegations that have been made against the Brandy Melville company. These include accusations of racism, sexual exploitation and discriminatory work practices, along with contributing to the massive environmental impact of cheaply produced clothes. There’s even a documentary, “Brandy Hellville and the Cult of Fast Fashion,” directed by Eva Orner, who says of the company, “They are racist, sexist, antisemitic. They exploit young girls. And that’s really just the tipping point.”
For those who might not know, Brandy Melville’s infamous claim to fame is that they sell one size. Extra small/small. That’s right. The entire company promotes a “skinny” physical aesthetic. And, sadly, it’s all pointed toward one demographic:
Apparently, Brandy Melville doesn’t even need to advertise traditionally. As an early adopter of influencer marketing, social media takes care of that. Currently, the company has over 3 million followers on Instagram. Time Magazine reports, “… when it came to who they featured on their social accounts, Brandy Melville seemingly had a narrow vision; they often selected girls that fit a certain aesthetic — young, thin and white, often blonde and usually with long hair.”
This company’s “one-size-fits-all” ethos is purposefully meant to be exclusive. Forget about the impact on young women, like singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, a nine-time Grammy and two-time Oscar winner who publicly shared her personal experience with the brand and describes it as harmful: “They only sold clothes in one size. I was chubbier and I was obsessed with these clothes, but I’d buy a shirt and it wouldn’t fit me. That’s when my body problems started. I was around the age of 10 or 11.”
By the way, Brandy Melville isn’t even a real person. The company’s founders, Silvio Marsan and his son Stephan, invented “her” as a brand name.
I don’t know about you, but I find it unsettling that men are marketing not just how girls should dress, but more dastardly, how they feel about their bodies. No doubt they profit by instilling unrealistic body standards on young teens.
Of course, Brandy Melville isn’t the only company that hawks dangerously unhealthy values regarding weight. Take Victoria’s Secret’s recent controversy, for example. The New York Times wrote this about the lingerie company in 2020: “Two powerful men presided over an entrenched culture of misogyny, bullying and harassment.” Sounds familiar? By the way, there’s no real Victoria either.
Certainly though, the Brandy Melville company has upped the ante, not only by proudly selling one small size of clothes, but in doing so, ripping the mask off what our culture has been telling girls all along: be small. And the price for that is steep.
The National Organization for Women reports the following: At age 13, 53 percent of American girls are “unhappy with their bodies.” This grows to 78 percent by the time girls reach 17. The organization adds that 40-60 percent of elementary school girls are concerned about their weight or about becoming “too fat,” and 46 percent of 9-to-11-year-olds are “sometimes” or “very often” on diets. In addition, the Center
for Mental Health Services reports 90 percent of those who have eating disorders are women between the ages of 12 and 25. This is the exact demographic Brandy Melville is targeting.
I don’t know about you, but I find it unsettling that men are marketing not just how girls should dress, but more dastardly, how they feel about their bodies.
Let’s face it, our society has long been messaging girls and women through clothing. And, by that, I mean controlling. Fashion is an industry focused on women and yet historically designed for the male gaze. The global apparel market is now worth $1.84 trillion dollars and yet women are lucky to have pockets in their clothes, all while they deal with discriminatory sizing, weight bias and relentless advertising campaigns that market “sexy” as a necessary
DORFMAN continued from page 5
have you seen the magnificent sycamore on Falls Road?
If you prefer to explore trees in a more natural setting, take a walk along the woodland trails of the LaPlatte Nature Park, accessible from LaPlatte Circle or Falls Road. There, you will find eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) red and white oak (Quercus rubra and Quercus alba), American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and American basswood (Tilia americana).
Identifying species is not easy, especially at this time of year, when all you can see are branches, buds and bark. At least conifers, like white pine (Pinus strobus) and eastern hemlock, can be recognized by their needle-like leaves in all seasons. The needles of the eastern hemlock are short and flat with blunt tips. They may be distinguished from pines and spruces by two white stripes on the underside of each needle.
What do all the trees mentioned in this article have in common?
They are native species of Vermont — the Freeman maple is a hybrid derived from two native trees. Native trees naturally occur in a specific area. They have evolved over centuries to thrive in local soil and climate conditions. They have existed in the area long enough to establish close relationships with soil microbes and other plants. Local insects, birds, and small mammals are dependent on the shelter and food sources that
function of apparel. It is an intentional ever-growing scourge continuing to convey that women and girls should be smaller, take up less space and spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about what they wear, often endeavoring at all costs to look like the images manufactured by maleled, fat-pocket corporations. Unfortunately, the teenager that outgrows Brandy Melville clothing — either in size or in recognition of their demeaning brand — will not be a problem for this retailer or others. There’s always the next generation of young girls.
Carole Vasta Folley is an award-winning columnist and playwright. Visit carolevf.com.
native trees provide. With few exceptions, the town of Shelburne plants native trees because they are valuable assets to local ecosystems and have a better chance of survival.
Tree identification is not easy because a tree may change its physical appearance as it ages. For example, when a tree grows and expands, its protective outer bark may split and crack. So, getting to know trees is a lifelong study.
One place you can begin that journey is in Marshall Woods on Shelburne Farms. The woods were created in 2024 to honor Marshall Webb, a co-founder of Shelburne Farms, who dedicated his life to serving as a steward of the farms and as a champion in the fight against global climate change.
The new grove of native trees was planted in a three-acre pasture on the western slopes of Sheep’s Knoll, adjacent to Butternut Trail. It includes sugar maple (Acer saccharum), black birch (Betula lenta), red oak, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), burr oak (Quercus macrocarpa), and American basswood.
More native trees will be planted. Visit the woods on a regular basis over the years, and you will witness the growth of a native woodland in Shelburne.
Gillian Dorfman is a member of the Shelburne Tree Committee.
Carole Vasta Folley
Volunteer tree planting as important as permits, orders
Guest Perspective
Matt Lawless
At this point in the winter, every hint of the coming spring feels good. We smile to see a robin or notice when sunset is after five. I’m looking forward to some landscaping and gardening work, which also connects to our environment and to my career supporting a sustainable community.
Many wetland plant species share a remarkable trait. When floodwaters break a branch off an alder, elderberry, or cottonwood tree, and the branch settles in mud, a new tree will grow. The branch has stem cells which become new roots.
We can use this trait to propagate plants quickly and cheaply from cuttings, instead of seeds. When done in the field, the technique is called live staking. It’s an easy way to improve the habitat of a stream or wetland near your home or workplace. The basic
method is to lop off a branch with an angled cut, so the new baby tree is a half inch thick by two or three feet long. Slide it halfway into the mud, using a rebar and hammer for a pilot hole if needed. I’ve planted hundreds of willows and dogwoods this way, and it’s an easy activity for children, or adults who don’t claim a green thumb. The best time of year for live staking is when plants are dormant but the ground is wet — late fall or early spring. That’s why I’m happy to be thinking about where and when I want to go live staking in a few more weeks.
Live staking is a cheap and easy way to quickly improve a riparian buffer. That’s what foresters call the belt of trees and shrubs along the edge of a river or stream.
Even a 100- or 200-foot buffer works wonders for the environment. The roots trap runoff pollution and keep it out of the water. This ribbon of woodland makes a habitat and path for all kinds of birds and animals. And when waters rise, the buffer slows the flood, absorbs some of it, and prevents erosion. Wooded buffers are one of the best ways to improve the overall health of a watershed, and live staking is one of the best ways to improve a buffer. This best practice is shared between my new home here in the Lake Champlain watershed, and my old home in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In both places, the Environmental Protection Agency has rules in force to reduce pollution. But in both places, volunteer action by neighbors and farmers
Vermont’s future is a choice
between scarcity and abundance
Guest Perspective
Kevin Chu
Personal growth is universally celebrated. We encourage people to pursue education, seek professional development and advance in their endeavors. We applaud entrepreneurs who take risks, innovate and build successful enterprises. We praise people who overcome adversity and become more resilient in the process. Yet, when it comes to Vermont’s communities, there is hesitation to embrace the same idea of growth, with some even calling for degrowth. Population growth and new housing developments are treated as threats that need to be protected against. Protection of what and for whom? What if the real danger is not growing?
We celebrate growth on an individual level — let’s extend that sentiment to our state as a whole.
What if we don’t?
The challenges Vermont faces today — workforce shortages, the housing crisis, rising costs for health care and education, and a growing tax burden — are symptoms of stagnation. The root causes are lack of suffi-
cient growth in our working-age population and new housing over several decades.
In doing nothing, Vermont risks either increasing cost of living or uncomfortable reductions in programs, services and infrastructure that Vermonters rely on. There’s already evidence of this from double-digit property tax increases to cuts in transportation, proposed reductions in hospital services, and school district consolidation. These are the options if Vermont doesn’t grow; these are the impacts of choosing scarcity.
Don’t like these options?
Many Vermonters agree with you. Our polls show that more Vermonters support population growth and increased housing than oppose it.
What’s the alternative?
Choose abundance.
We can make Vermont more affordable AND maintain critical services with growth. A larger working-age population strengthens the workforce. This supports business success and can lead to higher wages. Growing the population also means more taxpayers rather than more taxes. Increased housing improves affordability and accessibility for current and future Vermonters. Growth
has been just as important as permits and legal orders. Education and partnership go a long way toward cleaning up habitats and fisheries.
Recently, this concept has come up in my work. I’ve had a couple instances of neighbors complaining about their neighbors’ site work. I had to say that it’s not illegal to cut trees on one’s own property, or that an approved development plan has specific landscaping already decided.
I rarely have legal power to order more tree planting. So, it’s an important area for education and volunteering. If you have a wet spot or little creek near your property line, try some live staking from the plants which are already there. River birch works well. Then maybe you can show a
neighbor what you’re doing, and work both sides of the property line together. In the future, you may both benefit from more birds and fewer mosquitoes.
Climate change, environmental quality, and political culture feel like massive, daunting issues. So, we do the best we can with what we have. Our collective small efforts can make a real difference. Here in a few weeks, I am looking forward to finding some healthy willow and sycamore, making some careful cuts, and watching new trees grow as the weather warms. And if I bring a new friend with me, so much the better.
Matt Lawless is Shelburne town manager and a UVM PhD student in sustainable development policy
ensures that our communities remain viable places for people to build their futures while fostering greater sustainability and resilience. In depopulated areas, growth can lead to revitalization and the utilization of existing resources.
These are the potential benefits of abundance.
How do we get there from here?
The first step is to move beyond endless debates about how we got here or whose fault it is and start focusing on collaborating to do something about it. We need solutions, not scapegoats.
Then we must make a choice. Do we accept scarcity and adapt to rising costs or declining services, or do we choose a future of abundance where strategic growth makes Vermont more affordable?
If we choose affordability and abundance, the Vermont Futures Project economic action plan lays out a data-informed roadmap for making this vision a reality. Let’s embrace a collective growth mindset. Our future depends on it.
Kevin Chu is executive director of the Vermont Futures Project.
COMMUNITY
Community Notes
Waltz, swing, salsa your way to town hall
Ballroom is back at Shelburne Town Hall, 5420 Shelburne Road, Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Mini lessons in waltz, swing and salsa taught throughout the evening by instructor, coach and ballroom judge Patti Panebianco.
Beginners welcome. No partner needed. Light refreshments served. For more information call or email David Larson at 802-557-7226 or dlarson674@ gmail.com.
St. Patrick’s Day Age Well luncheon in Shelburne
St. Catherine of Siena and Age
Well are teaming up to offer a St. Patrick’s Day luncheon on March 11 for anyone 60 or older in the St, Catherine of Siena Parish Hall, 72 Church Street in Shelburne. The check-in time is 11:30 and the meal will be served at noon. There is a $5 suggested donation. Menu: Irish stew with corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions and celery, green leaf salad, buttermilk biscuit and “leprechaun cake. Deadline to register is March 5. Contact: Molly BonGiorno, Nutrition Coordinator at: P 802-662-5283 or email mbongiorno@agewellvt. org
Artist plays 76th town on clean energy concert tour
David Feurzeig, a composer, pianist, and UVM professor of music, will be performing one of his “Play Every Town” concerts at
the Williston Federated Church, 44 North Williston Rd. Williston, on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m.
Feurzeig has performed concerts around the world and has received numerous awards and prizes for his work. However, in response to the climate crisis he has forsworn tours requiring fossil-fuel intensive flying. Instead, he will “travel to the rest of my gigs by public transit or in my solar-powered EV.” In addition, he wants to support the vibrancy of Vermont’s village centers and downtowns by performing live music in every town in Vermont. Williston will be town number 76 out of the 252 Vermont towns on his list for concerts over the next few years. The concert is free, though Feurzeig requests donations to a local or state environmental organization. For the Williston concert, the beneficiary will be 350Vermont, Vermont’s chapter of 350.org.
Pianists
galore perform at Cathedral Church
Here are some upcoming shows at Cathedral Church of Saint Paul, 2 Cherry Street, Burlington.
• Feb. 25 at noon: Evan Allen, a pianist, organist and teacher based in Richmond. Allen has toured throughout North America and Europe. His regular collaborators include Ray Vega, chamber-pop band Tredici Bacci, and composer JG Thirlwell. He is the organist at First Baptist Church of Burlington.
• March 2 at 4 p.m.: Pianist Michael Arnowitt performs a
repertoire of African-American music, including classical music by the Black composers Leslie Adams and George Walker, a piece by the Nigerian composer Joshua Uzoigwe, a jazz-influenced piece by William Grant Still from 1937 called “Lenox Avenue,” and two jazz selections including an original composition in memory of George Floyd.
• March 18 at noon: Alan Chiang, from South Burlington, performs a selection of pieces by J. S. Bach, Mozart, Schubert, and Brahms. Chiang has performed at Carnegie Hall in association with the Adamant School in Vermont.
‘Lost Nation’ offers take on American Revolution
Jay Craven’s newest film, “Lost Nation,” will be screened at the Grange Hall Cultural Center
Saturday, March 1 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 2, at 2 p.m. Craven will introduce the film and lead a post-screening Q&A.
“Lost Nation” is a Revolutionary War-era action drama set in the early upstart Republic of Vermont and stars Irish actor Kevin Ryan (“Copper,” “Harry Wild”) as Vermont founding father and rebel schemer Ethan Allen.
“Lost Nation’s” parallel and intersecting story features Kenyan actress Eva Ndachi (“Beautifully Broken”) as Lucy Terry Prince, whose poem, “Bars Fight,” about the 1746 Deerfield Massacre, is the first known work of African American literature.
Vermont actors Rusty DeWees and Ariel Zevon play Guilford Yorker leader Asa Locke, and Ethan Allen’s wife Mary Brownson Allen, respectively.
“Lost Nation” is Craven’s 10th feature film. His work has shown at Sundance, Lincoln Center, The Smithsonian, La Cinémathèque Française, Cinemateca Nacional de Venezuela, Constitutional Court of Johannesburg, and more than 500 cities and towns across the U.S. and 53 countries. His 1993 film, “Where the Rivers Flow North” was a finalist for Critics Week at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Vermont Repertory Theatre takes on “Sweeney Todd”
Step back to Victorian London and experience some delightfully theatrical horrors on stage with Vermont Repertory Theatre’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” presented Feb. 28-March 7 at Main Street
Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington.
Sweeney Todd tells the tale of the infamous “demon barber” of Fleet Street, a man driven by vengeance and madness. The story follows Todd as he returns to London after being wrongfully exiled, only to discover the tragic fate that befell his wife and daughter. With the help of a pie-maker with cannibalistic tendencies, Todd embarks on a dark and bloody journey that blends macabre humor with exquisite musicality in Stephen Sondheim’s 1979 musical thriller. The cast includes Matthew Winston of Waterbury as Judge Turpin, Hannah Normandeau of Waterbury Center and Aleah Papes of Richmond in the ensemble.
Kyle Ferguson of Burlington stars as the eponymous barber, with Chloë Fidler of Williston as the baker, Mrs. Lovett.
Other Burlington cast members include Zach Stark as Anthony Hope, Rachel Weinfeld as Johanna and Eamon Lynch as Tobias. From Colchester are Michael Godsey as the Beadle, Ian Ferris as Pirelli and George Conklin in the ensemble. Kristen Bures of South Burlington plays the Beggar Woman. The ensemble is rounded out by AJ Banach of Fairfax and Kylie Halpin of Williston.
The show is directed by Michael Fidler of Williston, whose credits include London’s West End professional theater and the Edinburgh Festival. A ninepiece orchestra is led by Ashley O’Brien of Burlington.
PHOTO COURTESY OF VERMONT REPERTORY THEATRE Chloë Fidler as Mrs. Lovett and Kyle Ferguson as the eponymous barber star in “Sweeney Todd,” presented Feb. 28-March 7 in Burlington by Vermont Repertory Theatre.
COURTESY PHOTO
Jay Craven’s new film, “Lost Nation,” explores Vermont during the Revolutionary War.
COMMUNITY NOTES
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“Sweeney Todd” will mark the fifth production of Vermont Repertory Theatre, which was founded in March 2023 by Michael Fidler and Connor Kendall.
Seating will be divided between cabaret tables and traditional raked seating, giving the audience the opportunity to be up close and personal in the “blood zone,” or have a safer experience further back.
Trigger warnings include blood, dismemberment, sexual violence, cannibalism, gunshots and immolation. The show is recommended for ages 18+, and no entry will be permitted for those under 13.
“Sweeney Todd” runs for eight performances. Information and tickets: vermontrep.com/ sweeney-todd.
Mandolin trio picks Middlebury for next show
The Vermont Mandolin Trio, comprised of Matt Flinner, Jamie Masefield and Will Patton, will join Town Hall Theater’s Wintertide Music Series on Friday, Feb. 28. The trio brings together three of Vermont’s finest mandolinists for a rare evening of bluegrass, jazz, and roots music. Joined by journeyman bassist Pat Melvin, the group performs music of Bill Monroe, Django Reinhardt, J.S. Bach and everything in between.
Masefield’s origin is in traditional New Orleans Jazz. Between 1996 and 2006, Masefield toured the country with his group, the Jazz Mandolin Project. Masefield is also a dry-stone mason living in Monkton
Patton graduated from Middle-
bury and has traveled far during his music career, gaining influence from time spent in Brazil, the Caribbean, and Paris.
Grammy-nominated Flinner has been playing banjo and mandolin from the start and dedicated himself to Bluegrass from a young age. Living in Ripton, Flinner has spent the last several decades of his life touring with the Matt Flinner Trio and the Modern Mandolin quartet.
Here are some upcoming events at the Pierson Library, 5376 Shelburne Road, Shelburne.
• “Living with Climate Chaos: Planting for Ecological Benefit & Garden Plans for the Shelburne Town Offices Pocket Park,” Thursday, Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m.: Are you wondering what’s happening with the former pond garden at the Shelburne town offices? Are you curious about how to bring ecological benefit to your home landscape? Are you looking for a dose of environmental optimism?
In this public talk, UVM painting professor and landscape designer Steve Budington shares the planting design for Spring 2025 renovations at the Shelburne town offices pocket park. Inspired by meadow and shrubland landscapes, the new gardens feature naturalistic and ecological gardening practices meant to benefit and nourish humans, wildlife, and soil.
As part of the library’s Climate Chaos series, Budington shares how the landscapes of our home and built environments can support positive ecological change.
This striking representation of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream: speech has been displayed in prominent locations, including the White House, the Smithsonian, and various National Parks. A reception will follow the dedication from 4-5 p.m. featuring light refreshments and a brief program celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• Life Drawing Practice with live models, Saturday, Feb. 22 at 10 a.m.: This Saturday morning illustration opportunity is for artists and the artistically curious to gather with a clothed live model and practice drawing from life. There will be no instructors for this session, but it is a good opportunity to hone and practice skills. Feel free to call ahead to register or just drop-in. Bring drawing equipment including board and easel, if you have it.
• MLK Jr. Sculpture Dedication Ceremony, Friday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m.: Unveiling of a sculpture honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Pierson Library. The statue was created by artist Chris Sharp, renowned for art including the pencil sculpture in front of the library and fire hydrant sculptures visible on Shelburne Road.
Spring programs and summer camp registration is now open and camps are filling up quickly, so don’t miss out on getting your child enrolled. See our website for
complete details. • Shelburne youth lacrosse
COURTESY PHOTO
The Vermont Mandolin Trio, and a bassist, will play Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater next weekend.
Redhawk gymnasts place
third on state championship
LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
Gymnastics
Johnsbury finished in second place.
Leah Fortin finished in third place on the floor, seventh on the vault and tied for eighth on the beam to pace the Redhawks.
Gabrielle Serafini rounded out the top CVU finishers with a seventh-place finish on beam.
Boys’ hockey
The Champlain Valley gymnastics team came in third place in Saturday’s Vermont high school state championship.
Essex captured the state title for the second year in a row and St.
Warner Babic was fifth on the beam and tied for sixth on the vault, while Cadence Haggerty and McKenna Lesage each tied for sixth on beam and tied for eighth on the floor.
Essex 2, Champlain Valley 1: Champlain Valley attempted to make a comeback but ultimately fell to Essex on Saturday in high school boys’ hockey.
Jack Bryan had the goal for the Redhawks, who trailed 2-0 after the first period. Ethan Whitcomb and Ezra Zieter each had an assist.
Jessie McCray stopped 23 shots in goal for CVU.
Boys’ basketball
Champlain Valley 47, Burr and Burton 36: Champlain Valley pulled out a win over Burr and Burton on Friday in high school boys’ basketball.
Owen Scott had 14 points to pace the Redhawks, while Luke Allen added 10 points and four rebounds.
Adrian Paliling chipped in with nine points, four steals and four assists for CVU.
PHOTOS BY AL FREY
Champlain Valley and Colchester went toe to toe and pound for pound against Colchester in a wrestling bout last Friday.
Joan Mulford Braun
Joan Mulford Braun died peacefully in the company of family at her home in Shelburne on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. She was 87.
A longtime resident of Charlotte, Joan directed the experiential and service-learning program DUO (Do Unto Others) at Champlain Valley Union High School from the late 1970s through the 1990s.
PARKS & REC NEWS
continued from page 9
registration: open to Shelburne boys and girls in grades K-8. Registration 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.
Registration for kindergarten and grades 1-2is March 31. Parent volunteer helpers are needed. Please sign up at time of registration.
• Toddler open gym, Sundays,
COMMUNITY NOTES
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Tickets $15-$30 at townhalltheater.org or call 802-382-9222.
Young writers challeneged with two-sentence story
For a third consecutive year, the Children’s Literacy Foundation is challenging young writers in Vermont and New Hampshire to tell an original story using only two sentences. The theme of this year’s contest is “Love,” and entrants are encouraged to write about anything that evokes that sentiment for them.
CLiF’s Two-Sentence Story Contest is free to enter and open to all Vermont and New Hampshire children ages 12 and under. The winning submission in each of four age groups will be awarded a five-book mini-library curated to the recipient’s reading level and interests.
Last year’s contest, held in the weeks leading up to the total solar eclipse on April 8, asked children to “tell a story that takes place in the sky.” CLiF received over 900 entries from across Vermont and New Hampshire. In 2023, the inaugural Two-Sentence Story Contest challenged young writers to “tell a story about winter,” and drew over 700 entries.
For full contest guidelines, as well as free supplementary materials for educators and caregivers, visit clifonline.org/clifs-2025-two-
Joan was born in Philadelphia in 1937, the eldest of John Mulford and Virginia Compton Mulford’s four children. As a girl, she attended the Agnes Irwin School in Bryn Mawr, Penn., and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1959 with a B.A. That year, she married Theodore E. Braun Jr., who was completing medical school at Penn. They remained happily married for more than 60 years until his death in October 2021.
Obituary
In 1970, Joan and Ted moved to Charlotte, where they raised their three sons and were active residents of a town they richly enjoyed for nearly 50 years. Joan was elected to the Charlotte School Board in the early 1970s then pursued a Master of Education at the University of Vermont.
for more than 50 years —international travel and the lives of her expanding family of grandchildren.
Feb. 23, March 2 and 30, and April 13 and 27, 9:30-11 a.m.: no pre-registration necessary, just sign in at the door.
A parent or caregiver must be present at all times. Scooters, bikes, and ride-on toys are not permitted, but there will be balls, hoops, and tumbling mats to play with. Indoor shoes or socks required inthe gym. In case of inclement weather, call the office at 802-985-9551 to check for cancellations.
After she received her degree, she joined the Direction Center at CVU in the Fall of 1978. Her leadership of the DUO program took her around the United States as a leader in the then-innovative field of experiential public education. Her work — partnering high school teens with community mentors — brought her into contact with a great variety of students, people and businesses throughout Chittenden County, a diversity of humanity and experience she sought and nourished throughout her life.
After retiring in 1997, she devoted herself to volunteer work with the Charlotte Senior Center, The Cathedral Church of St. Paul’s in Burlington — where she and Ted were engaged members
She deeply enjoyed activities that brought her into the natural world she so treasured in Vermont; she walked, gardened, skied, biked, swam, and kayaked. She also took great pleasure in UVM basketball and the vital artistic community in and around Burlington. Theater, music of all sorts and the work of local craft and fine artists elicited her delight and support. In 2016, Joan and Ted moved to Shelburne, where she maintained a wide circle of strong friendships that sustained and enriched her.
She’s survived by her sisters, Margaret Bartholomew of Shelburne and Nancy Burrill of San Francisco; her sons Theodore Braun III of Los Angeles, Michael Braun of Houston and Stuart Braun of Portland, Maine; three daughters in-law, Lori Froeling, Sandra Hurtado, and Colleen Kelly; and her beloved grandchildren, Isabella Hurtado-Braun, Daniel Hurta-
Services will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral Church, Burlington, on Feb. 21 at 1 p.m., with a reception to follow at the Hotel Champlain. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Cathedral Church of St. Paul’s and the Charlotte Public Library.
sentence-story-contest. Entries must be received by email or postmarked by March 14.
Middlebury presents ‘Absolute Brightness’
Middlebury Acting Company presents “The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey,” by James Lescene, at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury, March 13-23.
Directed by guest director Terrence O’Brien, and starring local actor Andrew Ritter, the show tells the story of a gay teenager’s disappearance in a small New Jersey shore town. Ritter plays the detective who investigates his case, along with all the other townspeople he encounters as he unravels the story of the missing boy, Leonard Pelkey.
Ritter is an actor, director, teacher, writer and producer who spent over 20 years working in Chicago with companies like The Second City, The improv Olympic, & American Blues Theater. He is a graduate of Middlebury College and is the owner and artistic director of Interact Creative.
Terrence O’Brien is the founding artistic director of Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.
Tickets are available through the Town Hall Theater box office at 802-382-9222 or app.arts-people. com/index.php?show=269167
Guiding you home
do-Braun, Samuel Braun, Lucas Braun and Grace Braun.
Joan Mulford Braun
continued from page 1
seemed certain the town would lose.
“If we’re not going to win in court, why not get the best deal that Shelburne can get,” she said, referencing the inclusion of affordable housing, bike paths, and conserved land in the agreement.
Ashooh, who identified housing and the pressure for growth and density as one of the largest issues facing Shelburne, also said that he wished he had acted as boldly on other issues as the board did in negotiating with O’Brien.
“I wish in my history on the board that I had done it at other times, that I had had that confidence and sense that this would be best overall, because it’s risky and you’re sticking your neck out for criticism and people not agreeing,” he said.
Lea chimed in on housing during the forum as well, from the perspective of a school board director, pointing out that a dearth of housing affordable to teachers could affect the district’s ability to hire.
“To remain competitive as an employer, you need to be able to have people be able to live within 45-minute drive of your schools, which is certainly not easy right now,” she said.
Business development and bike paths
Both selectboard candidates emphasized the work of the
new Economic and Community Development Commission in potentially bringing more businesses to town to increase the tax base and improve town character. The commission will operate as an independent nonprofit with a board comprised of local businesspeople and elected officials, there will also be ex-officio members from the selectboard and other town committees.
“It’s also important because we have a local option tax now, so we can sort of work on leveraging the local option tax for the benefit of the town,” Ashooh said, referencing the tax dollars new business could bring in.
That kind of funding is important, Hillman said, especially when it comes to projects like bike path connections. According to Ashooh, the bike and pedestrian committee has laid out a $17 million infrastruc-
ture build out over the next seven years, not including the recently completed bridge.
“It’s very expensive to do, and there’s also sometimes conflict. People don’t want a bike path on their property or near their property. So, you know, we have to keep working on the culture change there too,” Hillman said.
Town budget and health care costs
When asked about the town budget, the select board candidates focused on the work the departments had done to make cuts and the rising cost of health care. The budget relies on a 3.75 percent increase in property taxes, and the need for more funding, Hillman and Ashooh said, comes from inflation and healthcare for employees.
Although the selectboard considered asking employees to
start paying on their premiums this year due to a 11 percent rise in health care costs, the board ultimately decided to keep employee healthcare as it has been.
Hillman identified retaining their experienced employees as one of the biggest issues Shelburne faces and healthcare as an important aspect of that but agreed with Ashooh that the healthcare issue will continue and that there may have to be cost sharing in the future.
Ashooh expressed concerns about how Shelburne has financially approached capital improvements in the past, and a desire to reform the planning process.
“Shelburne has had a bad habit of sort of doing their capital improvements hand to mouth, rather than really trying more aggressively, and in a more disciplined way, to lay them out
over a longer period of time and sequence the needs so that you can finance them in smarter and better ways,” he said.
Hillman emphasized her concern for making sure there was padding in the budget, especially if federal tariffs on the energy Vermont buys from Canada go into effect.
Champlain Valley School District budget
When asked about the proposed $103 million school budget, Lea reminded the audience that the board itself really only decides on a target budget — the decisions about where and how to make cuts lay with administrators and school leaders. She said that doesn’t make setting a target budget easy.
“I think the hardest part is listening to kids and families who are really upset, and to educators who are losing their jobs, losing important people that keep them connected to their schools. We’re cutting almost 40 full time equivalent positions. That’s on top of the 30 plus from last year,” she said.
Despite the cuts to services and staffing, Lea said she feels superintendent Adam Bunting has shown excellent leadership through the process.
“I think that the community feels taken care of by him. I think
See CANDIDATES on page 13
Legislators in talks about chloride’s impact on waterways
SAM
HARTNETT
COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE
Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship.
Salt can be found just about everywhere outside in the winter — cars, roads, sidewalks — but where does it all go come spring? The answer often is streams, rivers and lakes, something clean water advocates and scientists say is getting worse.
Chloride, a chemical that leaches into waterways from road salt, compounds in the environment, particularly in smaller streams and brooks near multiple roadways. Too much chloride can be toxic to aquatic life and corrode pipes and plumbing, among other things.
The citizen committee that advises the state on managing Lake Champlain recently told legislators that excess chloride in the watershed could soon require state or federal regulations.
“The chloride is really a looming thing that I don’t think most
people realize … It’s coming hard here, and there’s going to be federal stuff coming down on this,” said Bob Fisher, member of the advisory committee and South Burlington water quality superintendent, before the House Committee on Environment late last month.
State regulators seemed to agree about the problem last year, when they stepped in to address Sunnyside Brook in Colchester routinely exceeding legal limits for chloride levels.
The state developed a plan last winter to reduce the chloride entering the stream and limit how much can be present in the water every day while still being safe. That limit, called a total maximum daily load, was the first in the state to regulate chloride in particular, officials said.
Now, Sen. Anne Watson, D/P-Washington, has introduced a bill to create a state program focused on curbing chloride contamination from road salt by better training salt crews.
The program, housed in the
state Agency of Natural Resources, would provide education, training and certification for road salting across the state.
Watson chairs the Senate natural resources committee, which has been discussing chloride contamination this session. Watson said she hopes the bill, S.29, can help reduce stress on wildlife as well as save contractors and municipalities money on salt expenses.
The Senate committee recently heard from various environmental organizations that detailed the rising chloride contamination across the state.
Over the last 30 years, the Winooski River has seen chloride levels more than double, Lake Champlain Basin Program chief scientist Matthew Vaughn said during the Feb. 4 meeting. As more and more waterways upstream of the river become impaired, those chloride levels have risen sharply, Vaughn said.
A speaker from AdkAction, a New York nonprofit that has run projects to reduce salt use in the Adirondack Mountains,
described to committee members how it worked with road crews and citizens to tune equipment and prevent using more salt than necessary.
The nonprofit recommends public-private cooperation and teaching people ways to conserve salt when treating roads or driveways.
“Anywhere where we deploy these standards, and there’s buy-in, we’re seeing a 50 percent reduction in salt use,” Phill Sexton, technical advisor for the group, told legislators.
Over the last decade, the Adirondacks’ Lake George area has attracted much attention for its road salt reduction work. For many years, about 30,000 tons of salt was used annually around the tourist destination, according to the Lake George Association, and some towns around the lake have reduced their winter salt use by as much as half each year.
Craig Digiammarino, manager of conservation and stewardship efforts at the Vermont Agency of Transportation, said
in an email that officials are aware of the impacts road salting has on water quality and aim to avoid excess salt near impaired waterways. The agency’s snow and ice control plan describes, among other methods, using brine instead of rock salt.
Mixing road salt with water to produce brine can greatly lower the amount of chloride used because it helps melt snow and ice faster.
But much of the chloride entering the environment comes through private salting of parking lots, driveways and other property where there is little regulation, Tim Clear of the state Department of Environmental Conservation said in an interview.
Experts said people and companies salting private property might be using more salt than needed. According to the Lake Champlain Sea Grant Program at the University of Vermont, a 12-ounce cup of rock salt can effectively cover a 20-foot-long driveway or 10 sidewalk squares.
Mike Ashooh
Luce Hillman
Erika Lea
CANDIDATES
continued from page 12
that there is faith that he will do the right thing and make the right plans to keep our district whole, while also facing the fact that things are not going to look the same. He has a really strong vision,” she said.
The coming cuts to staff and services are precipitated by a less than 1-percent increase in the proposed school budget. In response to backlash last year after the state funding formula changed and district property taxes rose, the board opted for a budget that would decrease taxes in the district. However, like the town, Lea said the school district is dealing with rising healthcare costs, which she worries won’t be addressed by the governor’s new education plan.
“I don’t know that dividing us into five districts in Vermont is going to solve the health care crisis, I think we may be paying attention to the wrong things,” she said.
School funding and structure
Lea shared further concerns in response to questions about the governor’s plan to consolidate Vermont into just five school districts. The plan, which has been released in bits and pieces over the last weeks, also includes a school choice lottery within each district. Lea said her understanding was that, within each district, any student
CLASSIFIEDS
could attend any high school.
“I worry about the equity of it,” she said. “If you live in a very rural area and you don’t have access to a whole bunch of different schools, then your choices are much more limited than someone perhaps in our area in Chittenden County, where you might have a few different schools you could go to.”
Lea said, with the way the students are funded, Scott’s plan could lead to a 25 percent cut to the Champlain Valley budget. That’s the equivalent of the entire operating budget of Champlain Valley Union High School.
“That math doesn’t really math. I’m not even sure how that would work, but the funding implications are pretty massive,” she said.
Future priorities
Lea said advocating with the state was one of her priorities as well as enacting a phone-free policy in the school district.
Hillman’s priorities are focused on economic development and continuing to look at the wastewater treatment plant update.
Ashooh said that, in addition to economic develop his priorities for the coming years are the updates to the zoning bylaws and land conservation.
TOWN OF SHELBURNE WARNING – ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
The legal voters of the Town of Shelburne are hereby notified and warned to meet at Shelburne Community School or via Zoom (details below) on Monday March 3, 2025, at 7:00 PM to hear about and act upon any items not involving voting by Australian Ballot; and to hold a public hearing on items to be voted on by Australian Ballot. The meeting will then be adjourned and reconvened in the Shelburne Town Center gym on Tuesday March 4, 2025, to vote for Town Officers and to transact any business involving voting by Australian Ballot from the hours of 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
To join Town Meeting Informational Hearing: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/876775 71419?pwd=OMSqvboK9xq5eH4zhB4L6x2MDohtRo.1
Article 1: Shall the Town set the compensation to be paid to the Selectboard for Fiscal Year 2025 as proposed herein? [Note –proposed compensation is the same as the prior year: Chair $1,500 and Members $1,200 each.]
Article 2: To transact any other business proper to come before said meeting.
BALLOT QUESTIONS
- to be voted by Australian Ballot
Article 3: To elect all Town Officers as required by law.
Article 4: Shall the Town adopt the Selectboard’s proposed operating budget of $12,542,421 of which $9,206,484 is to be raised by real estate taxes?
Article 5: Shall general obligation bonds or notes of the Town of Shelburne in an amount not to exceed one million four hundred and forty-six thousand six hundred and sixty-one dollars ($1,446,661) subject to reduction from available grants-in-aid and other financial resources, be issued for the purpose of replacing failing essential infrastructure, including: roof and HVAC of Town Center, repairs to historic Town Hall, police and highway vehicles and ambulance equipment?
Article 6: Shall the Town raise by taxes $100,000 for the purpose of obtaining options and/or acquiring land or rights in land to preserve natural resources and open space; any unspent of that amount to be put into the Open Space Fund?
Dated at Shelburne, Vermont as approved this 28th Day of January 2025 by the Town of Shelburne Selectboard
/s/____________________
Michael Ashooh, Chair
/s/____________________ /s/____________________
Andrew Everett Chunka Mui
/s/____________________ /s/____________________
Luce Hillman
Matt Wormser
Filed on this 31st day of January, 2025 in the office of the Shelburne Town Clerk /s/____________________
Diana Vachon
MAKE-A-WISH continued from page 1
with critical illnesses.
“Oftentimes, my boss is a six-year-old,” Make-A-Wish Vermont president and CEO Jamie Hathaway said. “We want every contact a child has with the program to be just as magical as the wish itself.”
And that is true, both the building itself and the team who make the entire operation seem somehow effortless.
From the moment a child enters the building, they are showered with care. From games to personalized projections on the winding staircase that leads them to the wishing space, a place where wishes exceed the walls where kids across Vermont dream them up.
“It’s really important for us to just make sure that every wall is filled with bright colors and a space for inspiration, happiness, play,” Emily Malley with MakeA-Wish Vermont said. “We just didn’t want this to feel like a place where people work, and that’s why our offices are really secondary to everything else.”
The walls of the room — which is filled with bean bags, toys and stuffed animals — also tell their own story, with former wish-kids pictured in framed glass along the way.
bond that helps each of them move through hard times, even death, together.
“It’s hard when you think about that part of it. It’s a roller coaster sometimes,” Malley said, tears welling. “We’ve all been through a lot together and we’re fortunate, in that way, to lean on each other through those tough times.”
Over the weekend, the team unveiled an innovative 180-degree immersive Wish Discovery Theater, which creates an inspiring environment where children can begin to imagine their wishes.
The new theater is a replica of the one located at the Saratoga Springs headquarters, and was envisioned from the start by Hathaway, whose passion for the work is often displayed in gestures that far exceed the imaginable.
“We’ve all been through a lot together and we’re fortunate, in that way, to lean on each other through those tough times.”
The wishes all vary depending on the child, from a new pool to a trip to the Los Angeles Fire Department or Disney World, to creating their own Nike shoe or meeting President Barack Obama, no wish is out of reach for the team that somehow finds a way to bring every aspect of the plan together. Sometimes, the wishes take on a life of their own.
“They explode,” Jamie Heath with Make-A-Wish Vermont said.
“I think all of these are great examples of how the wish really does go beyond the wish child. Of course, our wish child is our number one priority, but the joy is spread far beyond that,” Malley said. “The families are so greatly impacted, of course, and then the communities that end up getting involved will never be the same after doing that. It’s really far reaching.”
What’s even more telling is how the staff can still remember almost every child that has passed through those Make-A-Wish doors, each with their own special connections to different kids. The work is difficult, especially dealing with chronic illness, which has forced the team to create a unique
— Emily Malley
The idea is for a child to be in the theater and really start imagining what could be possible for their wish, and part of that is through watching the animated version of Jamie Heath’s book that she wrote in 2018 after she was a wish kid. The illustrated picture book, “Wishes are Medicine! How Make-A-Wish Gave Me Hope & Helped Me Heal,” recounts Heath’s own journey through chronic illness and how the Make-a-wish team — with the help of her pet turtle, Bob — gave her the opportunity to visit Hawaii and swim with sea turtles.
Now, Heath helps make dreams happen for other wish kids every day.
“Oh my goodness, it has become more than I can ever imagine,” she said of the book.
The theater was made possible through a $125,000 donation from Vermont Construction Company and help from the team at BETA Technologies in South Burlington. Make-A-Wish’s own Quinten Lewis, Manager of Wishes and Special Projects, put most of the finishing touches on in house, which took roughly half a year to complete.
For Hathaway, the new theater is just another extension of what Make-A-Wish is all about: confronting fear with love.
“What I told somebody yesterday is, every time I come into work, I’m reminded of a better side of human nature and the real magic of Make-A-Wish is knowing you’re not alone,” he said. “When we’re able to take the canvas and fill it full of hope, joy, love, support, then we’re really doing our job.”
PHOTOS BY ADRIAN CRINER OF VERMONT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
Top: Make-a-Wish Vermont hosted a kid-friendly ribbon cutting on its new theater at Vermont Teddy Bear Factory Saturday.
Above: Kids gathered in front of the new 180-degree screen at the Make-A-Wish Discovery Theater watching the animated version of the book, Wishes Are Medicine!