Heating up
The
Page 3
Farmers learn hands-on tips for lambing season
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
“The tail is the easy part,” Renee LaCoss, Shelburne Farms’ herdsman, said last Saturday as she handed a participant at the farm’s lambing clinic the tight rubber band that would eventually dock the tail of the lamb she held in her arms.
The hard part, which LaCoss also helped attendees practice on lambs that had been
born few days earlier, involved removing certain other body parts from the male lambs.
Shelburne Farms hosts a lambing clinic every year in partnership with the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association. Dave Martin, who owns and operates Settlement Farm in Underhill and is the former president of the
See LAMB on page 16
CVU community rallies as yet another student leaves country
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
Champlain Valley School District and the surrounding communities continue to feel the impact of changes in processes and attitudes toward immigration at the federal level.
On Friday, the district learned that a kindergartener and their family are planning to leave the country and return to Ecuador. This is in addition to two high school students who are choosing to leave after President Trump ordered the end of humanitarian parole protections for Cubans, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans and Haitians.
The high school students, who are from Nicaragua, were informed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that they would face deportation if they stayed in the country beyond the end of the month.
Although a judge in Boston put a stay on the order, the two seniors are still choosing to leave rather than face an uncertain future. Christina Daudelin, a student and community engagement facilitator with the district who has been organizing support for the students, said that, similarly, this kindergartener and their family are choosing to leave.
Unfortunately, she said, this puts them in a precarious financial situation.
“Due to the significant cost of coming to the U.S. and now having to leave, the family could use the support of our community. Over the last couple of weeks many of you reached out asking if you could help financially and now there is a true need,” Daudelin said in an email to the community.
See IMMIGRATION on page 12
PHOTO BY BRIANA BRADY
Shelburne Farms herdsman Renee LaCoss holds a lamb while Dave Martin helps a farmer dock a lamb’s tail.
Shelburne poets are well versed in contest
The winners of the “Shelburne Writes!” poetry contest are in. The contest, sponsored by the Pierson Library, sought out the best poems inspired by Shelburne, written by children and adults who live in Shelburne. Entries were judged anonymously by a committee that includes the Shelburne junior and adult Poet Laureates. Here are the four winning poems.
Correction
Eagle-eyed reader Stephen Andrews noted that last week’s photo of a couple of bald eagles grappling in flight were engaged in a “courtship ritual,” and were not “tussling for territory,” as originally reported. “That is actually a mating ritual they do in the spring, so they’re not fighting,” Andrews wrote.
Adult winner, Abigail Carroll
“White Grammar of the Hills”
What the sloped fields above the lake forgot when wool moved west
the taking back of slow of a way to go in the world plainer than a shearer’s smock
all hinging on a dog and a man with a solar fence whose love is the circle and what I saw was a cloud snagged on a field and what I heard was lone
bleats the sound of land becoming itself again under the tenanting
Elementary school winner
The winner here is Parker McBride, age 9 and in 4th grade at Shelburne Community School.
“Directions to Nowhere Hill”
Pass the house o’ Folino, Then take a right onto Marsett road
When you shall hit a crosswalk take a left than a right
To Kimball of terrace
Take the first left than continue straight to the lane Of Meadow
Now look to the right, See it, do you?
Shall you not, check the name. It’s Nowhere Hill
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Middle school winner
The winner here is Francesca Zidovsky, age 10 and in 5th grade at Shelburne Community School.
“Sunny”
Flowers bloom on the side of a dirt road
The lakes surface shines like a beautiful diamond under the sun
The same sun that made the flowers bloom on the side of the long dirt road
That leads to everywhere in Shelburne
The same sun that gives kids excuses to go to the Shelburne Country Store for creemees
The same sun that makes the lake perfect to swim in from early in the morning to late into the night.
All of these things make Shelburne, Shelburne.
Adult winner, Drew Arnold
“This Land: A Sonnet for Shelburne”
What is a town but a parcel of land upon a rock in a vacuum –its history in fossils, a collection of particles, marked on a map, bound to its own room?
A survey would show: shops for wine and yarn, a school, a beach, two storefronts for treats, a shipyard, old ferries, a fancy working farm, lumberyards and teddy bears, and a market just for meats, houses a hundred years old, neighborhoods over putting greens, more to be built, homes not yet sold, and your barn – more vital the more it leans.
All of this packaged by hands not feeble because what is a town but its people?
Abigail Carroll
Parker McBride
Francesca Zidovsky Drew Arnold
actions.
State seeks local input on draft of climate action plan
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
As attendees at the input session on Vermont’s new climate action plan used their phones to answer a live survey last Tuesday about their personal experiences with climate change, the growing number of words populating the screen at the front of the room reflected the anxieties of a group whose lives have already been altered, in big and small ways, by a changing climate.
David Plumb, a mediator working with the Vermont Climate Council on the rewrite of the state’s climate action plan, read some of the submissions from the crowd aloud.
“It’s about the flooding. It used to snow more. I’m feeling concerned about my grandchildren. Earlier tapping for maple sugaring. It’s really frustrating in terms of budgeting for our communities. We’ve been seeing drought. Summers are too hot,” Plumb read.
The meeting, which was held in the Champlain Valley Union High School cafeteria and attracted around 90 attendees, was the second of seven in-person sessions the climate council is holding before the end of the month. The council is collecting feedback on the current draft of the plan, which will be adopted on July 1 of this year.
The first climate action plan was enacted in 2021 following the Global Warming Solutions Act, which legally required the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent of 1990 levels by 2030. The Vermont Climate Council, which oversees the formation of a new action plan every four years, is made up of 23 people purposely appointed to represent different sectors such as farming, the energy industry or scientific research.
The drafted plan, as it stands now, is broad. Meeting attendees were asked to review 56 different priority actions that the council is considering for the 2025 update.
Those priorities fall into a range of categories including transportation, building, workforce development, planning, and climate-resilient land.
According to Jane Lazorchak, the director of the state’s Climate Action Office, 40 percent of emissions in Vermont come from transportation. This is followed closely by the amount from heating homes and commercial buildings, making climate solutions around those issues a focus of the council.
Lazorchak also noted that some of the solutions were focused on funding. Last year, she said, 80 percent of the $350 million earmarked in the state budget for cutting climate pollution came from federal funds. With the Trump administration cutting federal funding across the board, it is unlikely that the state will be able to continue to rely on federal money.
“We knew this day was coming, to think about the responsibility of how we fund that long term, but it’s coming somewhat faster than I think any of us could have understood or expected, and so some of the solutions you’ll see tonight as recommendations contemplate new ways to raise revenue,” she said.
Plumb acknowledged that each person might not be able to thoroughly read through all 56 priorities, but asked participants to take note of what they liked and what they didn’t.
“Question number one, what’s compelling here, what’s most important here? Question number two is, what is the urgent feedback you have for the council right now?” Plumb said.
In the plenary discussion, the concerns from different attendees often mirrored their experiences.
“Over the last year, last two years, on July 10, we’ve had two 100-year floods, and we’re anticipating another one this year. It seems to come up right after July
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PHOTO BY BRIANA BRADY
Participants in a climate change input session note their priorities when it comes to funding climate
CRIME & COURTS
Search for Shelburne man in its 4th week
Shelburne Police Department confirmed Friday that Ronald Van Mynen, who was reported missing from his Shelburne home on April 1, has not yet been located.
Police said there have been no sightings of the vehicle and they have reason to believe that Van Mynen crossed into New York at Rouses Point. Police say they have partnered with other agencies to check different areas, and have followed up on tips from the community.
On April 1 shortly after 7 p.m., Van Mynen’s family report him missing from his home in Shelburne. Van Mynen was last seen at his home around 2:50 p.m. April 1. Police say Van Mynen had left
Ronald Van Mynen
the home to run an errand in South Burlington but had not returned, and did not have a cell phone with him when he left the home.
Police say Van Mynen was driving his silver 2013 BMW X3, with Vermont license plate CNM286.
Due to several medical conditions, Van Mynen is considered a vulnerable adult. The Shelburne Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating Mr. Van Mynen and asks anyone with information to call the department at 802-985-8051.
Shelburne News
Serving the community of Shelburne A publication of Vermont Community Newspaper Group LLC shelburnenews.com
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Contact: PO Box 489 Stowe, VT 05672 (802) 253-2101
Shelburne Police Blotter: April 13-19
Total reported incidents: 82
Traffic stops: 12
Warnings: 12
Medical emergencies: 29
Mental health incidents: 6
Suspicious incidents: 15
Directed patrols: 27
Citizen assists: 6
Car crash: 5
Noise disturbance 1
Theft: 2
Property damage: 1
Fraud: 1
Alarms: 15
Pending investigations: 3
April 13 at 12:34 a.m., a 911 caller reported male kicked in her door at the Countryside Motel. The caller refused to speak with the officers and the male left prior to the arrival. No further action taken.
April 14 at 7:41 a.m., a caller reported a theft of items from their residence on Shelburne Road. Police are investigating.
April 14 at 3:09 p.m., a caller reported a retail theft from Tractor Supply. Officers checked the area but were
unable to locate the individual. Police are investigating.
April 14 at 7:23 p.m., a caller reported a two-car motor vehicle crash earlier in the day near the Shelburne Shopping Park.
April 15 at 1:19 p.m., a caller reported a dispute between a visitor and security guard at Wake Robin. The officers located the individuals involved and requested EMS to evaluate an individual. Shelburne Rescue and Charlotte Rescue were dispatched.
April 15 at 1:54 p.m., a caller reported a two-car motor vehicle crash with no injuries on Shelburne Road. Statements were taken from all individuals involved, and a state crash report was completed.
April 16 at 11:06 a.m., a caller on Harbor Road reported a fraud complaint. Police are investigating.
April 17 at 8:17 a.m., a caller reported loud music at a neighbor’s residence on Summit Circle. The officer checked the area but was unable to locate
anything.
April 17 at 9:48 a.m., a caller reported a two-car motor vehicle crash earlier in the day near the Shelburne Shopping Park. April 17 at 5:19 p.m., a caller reported a two-car motor vehicle crash with no injuries on Shelburne Road. Police took statements from everyone involved.
April 18 at 9:09 a.m., a caller reported a one-car motor vehicle collision with injuries near Dorset Street. Shelburne Police, Fire, and Rescue were dispatched. The officers checked the area but were unable to locate anything.
April 19 at 6:23 p.m., a caller reported a two-car motor vehicle crash with no injuries on Shelburne Road. Police took statements from everyone involved.
Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney office and can be amended or dropped.
OPINION
Governor must commit to a pollution reduction strategy
Guest Perspective
In a recent op-ed about the Global Warming Solutions Act, Vermont’s cornerstone climate policy, Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore accused legislative leadership of being “content” with “unattainable” climate pollution reduction requirements. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, I feel compelled to respond, as I would not describe us as content with the current situation.
Earlier this year, I presented the administration with a potential path forward, an offer that still stands. But before I get into the details, let’s clarify one important point. The next major Global Warming Solutions Act deadline isn’t tomorrow. It’s in 2030 — five years from now.
directive of current state law, it’s difficult to trust that a new law would compel him to do so.
That’s why I proposed the following path forward.
First, the governor must identify and commit to a real strategy, something that moves us meaningfully and substantially toward the 2030 pollution reduction requirement, something that gets Vermonters to the cheaper, more price-stable, more self-sufficient and resilient future that we all want.
If Gov. Scott is serious about energy affordability, he’d be finding a way to transition Vermonters off expensive, price volatile, foreign fossil fuels.
Five years to act. Five years to take meaningful steps toward reducing climate pollution, which will ultimately save Vermonters a significant amount of money.
Unfortunately, based on the pattern we’ve seen, I don’t believe Gov. Phil Scott will do what’s necessary. Instead, he’ll continue to do what he has done on climate: stall, resist and let the Legislature do the heavy lifting, only to blame us when we propose real solutions that would lead Vermont toward a cheaper, more sustainable and resilient energy future.
I’m interested in solutions, and I believe Vermonters are too. It’s unclear to me, though, how interested the governor is in finding solutions.
By 2030, Gov. Scott will have had an entire decade to implement policies to meet our climate targets. While I recognize and appreciate his support for the Clean Cars and Trucks rules, that alone falls short of what this moment demands. Unfortunately, it remains unclear what further policies the governor is actually willing to support. The governor’s package of climate rollbacks (H.289) requires an “implementation strategy” for reducing climate pollution, but it’s not due until December 2026, after this biennium is over and, conveniently, after the next election.
Just to clarify, the governor doesn’t need a new bill to make an implementation plan. We already have an actual law: the Global Warming Solutions Act. If Scott wasn’t willing to act based on the
Second, the governor should roll it out and start implementation in 2026 or 2027. Third, prove to us it’s working in 2027 or 2028.
Then, and only then, we can talk about recalibrating the timeline, choosing a slightly delayed deadline year with a pollution reduction requirement that follows the curve downward, which would maintain accountability.
This offer remains, but the first step must come from the governor. If he has a substantive, meaningful plan for getting Vermont back on track, I’m ready to listen and work together.
For the vast majority of cases, the renewable option is cheaper than its fossil fuel alternative. If Gov. Scott is serious about energy affordability, he’d be finding a way to transition Vermonters off expensive, price volatile, foreign fossil fuels.
What’s concerning is the governor’s continued pattern of resistance and a lack of initiative, even as energy costs fluctuate and the need to transition off fossil fuels becomes more urgent. This moment calls for leadership that embraces both the financial and scientific realities before us. The affordable, resilient energy future Vermonters need is within reach, but only if we’re willing to take bold, concrete steps.
Gov. Scott, Vermont needs you to bring forward a serious, actionable climate plan that gets us back on track toward necessary climate pollution reductions, that gets us back on the path toward energy affordability. If you do, I’ll be the first to recognize and support that effort.
But in the absence of such a plan, we must stay the course for the 2030 deadline. We all want a future in which energy is cheap, locally produced and not polluting our planet, and we need leadership that will get us there.
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Washington County Sen. Anne Watson is chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy.
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Letters to the Editor
Cell phones are made to hijack attention
To the Editor:
Dear members of the Champlain Valley School District board, thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts as a parent, educator and community member.
With over two decades in education and a child soon entering high school, I strongly support a bell-to-bell phone-free school day across our district. This isn’t about restricting freedom, it’s about providing structure and boundaries that help students thrive academically, socially and neurologically.
While I value the student voices asking to be trusted, we must remember that adolescence is a time of intense brain development. The prefrontal cortex — responsible for decision-making, emotional regulation and impulse control — is not fully developed until the mid-20s. Phones exploit this vulnerability. They are engineered to hijack attention, using the same neural pathways as addictive substances.
Even responsible phone use adds cognitive load, diminishes working memory and reduces learning retention. A 2017 educational psychology study found that simply having a phone nearby during a learning task reduces performance. Multiply that across a school day, and the cumulative impact on focus and
comprehension is profound.
From a safety perspective, phones can create chaos in emergencies. Pinging alerts and mass texts spread misinformation and hinder coordinated responses. Crisis protocols depend on clarity, not confusion. Trained staff and established procedures are far more effective than hundreds of individual responses.
Emotionally and socially, these years are vital for developing communication, conflict resolution and self-regulation. Phones fragment attention and reduce face-to-face interaction — essential life skills that need consistent daily practice. We must help students protect their own growth from constant digital disruption.
This isn’t generational panic. It’s about creating an environment where students can take a break from the relentless pull of technology, just six or seven hours a day where their nervous systems can settle and relationships can grow, where curiosity can deepen, and authentic connection can take root.
I support this policy not only as protection, but as liberation. The school day should be a sanctuary for focus, connection and creativity. Phones have a place — but not bell-to-bell.
Thank you for your time, leadership and care for our students.
Peggy Dippen, M.Ed. Hinesburg
Champion trees offer more than just tall tales
Guest Perspective
Gillian Dorfman
Did you know there is a state champion right in the heart of Shelburne? You can’t miss it. It’s standing near the Pierson Library. It is a Thuja occidentalis, more commonly known as northern white cedar. There are two
northern white cedars growing together, but it’s the taller one, nearer Route 7, that’s the official champion.
So how does a tree become a state champion? In 1972, when a list of Vermont’s big trees was first recorded, the largest trees in Vermont were determined by the diameter of the tree trunk.
In 1990, the list was expanded
It’s not just trash; it’s the start of something new
Guest Perspective
Beth Parent
With Green Up just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the small actions we take that add up to a big impact — like recycling.
Have you ever paused before tossing a box or plastic bottle in the blue bin and thought, “Is this really going to be recycled?” You’re not alone. In a world where national headlines question the integrity of recycling, it’s easy to feel skeptical.
We certainly cannot speak to what happens in other states, but we can say with certainty here in Chittenden County, your recycling matters, and it works.
At the Chittenden Solid Waste District, we sort and ship your recyclables to real markets where they’re turned into new products. Our Materials Recycling Facility in Williston is where the magic happens. Once your blue-bin items are collected and sorted there, they are then sold to buyers across North America.
Here’s a quick look at what your blue bin recyclables become once they leave your curbside:
• Cardboard and paperboard are sent to places like Kruger Inc. and West Rock, where they’re transformed into new cardboard boxes and paper towel cores.
• Glass bottles and jars are ground and repurposed locally by Glass2Sand and Whitcomb Construction into road base and concrete block mix.
• Plastics #1, #2, and #5 are shipped to companies like KWP Plastics, Envision Plastics and Mohawk Industries, which turn them into new beverage containers, fleece jackets, carpet and even drainage pipes and paint buckets.
• Aluminum and steel cans are melted down at NH Kelman Inc. and reappear as rebar, bikes, appliances, baseball bats and, yes, new cans.
Recycling only works when it’s done right, and Chittenden County
and updated to follow the American Forests National Register of Champion Trees criteria. Now each tree is judged by measuring the circumference of the tree trunk, the height of the tree and the spread of its crown. Then, the following formula is used to calculate the tree’s size: trunk circumference (in inches) plus height (in feet) plus one quarter of the crown spread (in feet) equals the total points. The more points, the bigger the tree.
residents are part of Vermont’s success story. But to keep that going, we need your help. The most critical part of recycling happens before materials reach our facility — right in your blue bin.
Sorting correctly, knowing what goes where, and staying updated on changes to accepted materials ensures we can continue to operate efficiently, ethically and sustainably.
In fact, understanding what happens after the bin can transform the way we see waste. We stop thinking of it as “trash” and start seeing it as raw materials that are made into something new. Let’s keep working together to make sure our recycling system remains strong, transparent, and trustworthy. Your blue bin is not the end of the line—it’s the beginning of the next cycle.
Together, we can make recycling something we’re all proud to stand behind.
Beth Parent is the community engagement and outreach manager at the Chittenden Solid Waste District.
In October 2021, this particular northern white cedar was measured: it had a circumference of 93 inches, a height of 59 feet, and a crown spread of 29 feet. So, it received a score totaling 159.38 points, making it the biggest recorded northern white cedar in Vermont.
It has kept its state champion title since then. That’s not to say there isn’t a bigger northern white cedar in Vermont — there may be one that hasn’t been measured yet. And our champion tree is not even the biggest tree in the state. Other kinds of trees in Vermont dwarf it.
For example, in Colchester, there’s an eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) that in 2021 stood 127 feet high, had a circumference of 302 inches, and a crown spread of 74 feet, to earn 447.63 tree points.
Shelburne may have a state champion in its midst, but there are three trees in Vermont that are national champions: a sweet crabapple (Malus coronaria) in Randolph earning 151 tree points; a sweet birch aka black birch (Betula lenta) in Chester earning 254.38 tree points; and a roundleaf shadbush aka serviceberry (Amelanchier sanguinea) in Clarendon earning 114.13 tree points.
Check out the Vermont Big Tree list on the Vermont Big Tree website, created and maintained by the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program with the support of the Agency of Natural Resources’ Agency of Digital Services, vtcommunityforestry. org/projects/vermont-big-treeprogram.
The purpose of the Big Tree program is to increase public awareness of the ecosystem
services provided by big trees and cultivate interest in protecting them for the future. In 2021, the Vermont Big Tree list was updated to include photos and tree measurements. The list is updated regularly. Many trees are privately owned and are not accessible to the public. Others are on publicly owned land and include more
COURTESY PHOTO
This northern white cedar near the Pierson Library is the biggest of its kind in Vermont.
See DORFMAN on page 12
COMMUNITY
Community Notes
Classical violinist, pianist joing up for Midd concert
The 105th season of the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series draws to a close on Sunday afternoon, April 27, with the return of violinist Alina Ibragimova and pianist Cédric Tiberghien. The two world-class musicians first met as members of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme in 2005, found an instant personal and musical rapport, and have been performing and recording together ever since.
For this concert, they will play violin sonatas by Janáček and Enescu, Gerald Barry’s vivacious “Triorchic Blues,” and Beethoven’s iconic “Kreutzer” sonata. The audience is invited to learn more about this concert’s music in a free pre-concert lecture by Professor Emeritus of Music Larry Hamberlin, at 1:45 p.m. in the Mahaney Arts Center (MAC), Room 125. The concert will follow at 3 p.m. in the impeccable acoustics of the MAC’s Robison Hall.
Shelburne Forward presents community walk & roll
Grab your bike or walking shoes and come share the joy of getting around car-free in Shelburne Village, on Sunday, May 4 at 3 p.m.
Start at the Town Parade Grounds and bike or walk the same loop as the Halloween Parade. This
free event is organized by the Shelburne Forward Together Bike and Pedestrian Task Force and aims to promote getting around Shelburne Village car-free. This event will happen rain or shine. For more fun, festively decorate your bike, helmet, or hat.
After riding or walking the loop, head to the Parade Grounds for live music and free cookies. There will also be face painting, free helmets and a mobile bike repair unit. Leave your dogs at home for everyone’s safety.
Joint committee seeks veterans affairs comments
The Vermont House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs and the Senate Committee on Government Affairs will hold a joint public hearing on Wednesday, April 30, at 4 p.m. in Room 11 of the Statehouse. The committees will take testimony on policy issues such as veteran housing and family support, the Vermont Veterans Home, mental health and access to services.
“During my campaign run, many military veterans supported this policy to join with most other states to stop taxing their social security benefits,” Rep. Shawn Sweeney, D-Shelburne, said. “I agree that this is a positive step to making veterans lives in Vermont a little more affordable. This gathering will help us share all of their collective stories with everyone at
the Statehouse.”
Anyone interested in testifying must sign up in advance of the hearing through the online form (tinyurl.com/4v5vsvry) on or before 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 27. Testimony will be capped at 45 people.
For those not planning to testify or attend the hearing in person, the hearing will be available to watch live on the committee’s YouTube channel, tinyurl.com/bnfxx5jm.
Written testimony is encouraged and can be submitted electronically via email at testimony@
leg.state.vt.us or mailed to the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs c/o Autumn Crabtree, 115 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633.
Lions Club launch diaper drive for families
A clean, dry diaper is essential for the comfort and health of a baby. Unfortunately, due to budget cutbacks, several Vermont diaper banks have been forced to close. For low-income families struggling to pay for housing, groceries, health care and transportation, the loss of free diapers is significant.
In response, the Champlain Valley Lions Club is asking for community assistance to help ensure babies’ needs are met. The club is currently accepting donations of boxed diapers for babies and small children. Cash donations are also needed and will be used to buy diapers in bulk.
Shelburne residents can drop off packaged diapers at 186 Caspian Lane. South Burlington residents can email rosellajduarte@gmail. com to arrange a drop-off or pickup at any location. Too busy to buy
KEEP THEM LEARNING
Fun Summer
Our half-day summer Math Quest groups engage your child in learning activities and games to show them the fun of numbers in our everyday lives. Designed for rising 5th and 6th graders for one to three weeks.
COURTESY PHOTO
Violinist Alina Ibragimova and pianist Cédric Tiberghien will play together this weekend at Middlebury College
Here’s what’s going on in the coming week or so at Shelburne’s Pierson Library, 5376 Shelburne Road:
• Noontime Poetry Reading Society, Wednesdays from 12 p.m.-1 p.m. Get a heaping helping of poetics this Poetry Month and join the hippest happening in Chittenden County, the Noontime Poetry Reading Society. Yes, every hump day at the lunch hour, the society’s hep cats gather to lend their voices to wonderful poetry collections and anthologies, cold reading aloud through whole books for the first half hour and then sharing works in progress, poetic reflections, and bits of verse for the second. Always, we end with a
COMMUNITY NOTES
continued from page 8
diapers? You can also send a check to the Champlain Valley Lions, 186 Caspian Lane, Shelburne, VT 05482. For reference, a one-week supply of diapers generally costs $20-$30.
Shelburne Age Well Luncheon
St. Catherine of Siena and Age Well are teaming up to offer a luncheon on May 13 for anyone 60 or older in the St. Catherine of Siena Parish Hall, 72 Church St. in Shelburne. Check-in time is 11:30 a.m., and the meal will be served at noon. There is a $5 suggested donation.
May 13 menu: scalloped potatoes with ham and cheddar, carrots, wheat bread, strawberry and blueberry crisp with cream.
The deadline to register is May 6. Contact: Molly BonGiorno, nutrition coordinator, at 802-662-5283 or email mbongiorno@agewellvt. org. Tickets are also available at the Age Well office: 875 Roosevelt Highway, Ste. 210, Colchester, Vt. 05446.
Shelburne Parks and Recreation
• Toddler Open Gym, Sunday, April 27, 9:30-11 a.m., Shelburne Town Gymnasium, for toddlers and preschoolers. Led by Aisha Mueller. Come play and connect with others. Free, with no pre-registration necessary — just sign in at the door. A parent or caregiver must always be present. Scooters, bikes and ride-on toys are not permitted. There will be balls, hoops and tumbling mats to play with. Please wear indoor shoes or socks inside the gym, and no food. In case of inclement weather, call the office at
News from Pierson Library
take-home writing prompt. Dropins and new members welcome.
• Indoor mini golf, Thursday, April 24, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Vermont Mini Golf brings a nine-hole golf course to the library. Compete with friends and family and spend an afternoon “putt”ering around the historic town hall. All ages welcome, no advanced registration is necessary.
• Living with Climate Chaos: Ecological Gardening with Charlie Nardozzi, Thursday, April 24, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Everyone wants to garden in a more earth-friendly way, and with climate change, we will have to adjust how we garden to produce healthier vegetables, flowers, fruits and yards.
In this talk, Charlie Nardozzi will discuss ways of building the soil that mimic nature, ways to change our gardening practices to help pollinators and beneficial insects, different ways to grow a lawn, and how to use native plants to help birds and the environment.
• April Poetry Salon with the Shelburne laureates, Wednesday, April 30, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. This Wednesday, join the monthly poetry salon with the town’s poet laureates. Adult poet laureate Amy Allen and junior poet laureate Roman Strayer-Benton will both read before the reins are turned over to you, gentle verse spinner, for the open mic portion of the evening.
Obituary
Thomas Hamel
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved son, Thomas William Hamel, on April 9, 2025, after a brief illness. The son of Joseph and Patricia Hamel, Thomas was born June 6, 1985, in Johnson City, N.Y., but spent the majority of his youth in Shelburne.
A graduate of Providence College, Thomas enjoyed baseball and basketball and maintained strong relationships with his high school and college friends. He is survived by his two best buddies, Logan and Braxton, who are so loyal to him, as well as two brothers, Nicholas and Stephen. He also leaves behind his sister,
Elizabeth, her husband Kyle McPherson and their three children, Finn, Eloise and Sophie. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Thomas Hamel
Say you saw it in the Shelburne News !
Lacrosse team posts win after losing title rematch
LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
Boys’ lacrosse
Champlain Valley 12, BFA-St. Albans 6: Champlain Valley won its first game of the season, beating BFA-St. Albans on Saturday in high school boys’ lacrosse.
Luke Buehler had three goals and three assists for the Redhawks (1-1), while Will Thomas chipped in with two goals and two assists. Ronan Evans and Charlie Buchwald each added two goals for CVU.
Ethan Whitcomb, Henry Bruneau and Reilly Saylor each had a goal for the Redhawks.
CVU dropped the season’s opening game on Thursday, falling to Middlebury 13-5 in a rematch of last year’s Division I state title game.
Will Thomas and Luke Buehler each had two goals in the loss for CVU, which had a 5-0 lead before falling to the Tigers.
Girls’ lacrosse
Champlain Valley 17, BFA-St. Albans 5: Rose Bunting’s five goals helped Champlain Valley to a win over BFA-St. Albans on Saturday.
Carly Strobeck added three goals and two assists for the Redhawks, while Mackenzie Love, Heather Pelletier and Maggie Smith each tallied twice. Skyler Vaughn, Georgia Marcoe and Reesa Bagnato each scored a goal.
Kenna Hutckins and Anya Johnson combined to make six saves in goal for CVU (1-1).
Ultimate
Champlain Valley 10, Milton 6: The Champlain Valley girls Ultimate team won its second game of the season on Thursday, beating Milton 10-6.
Zoey McNabb had six scores to pace the Redhawks, while Abby Bunting added four goals.
Leo Sunderland scored a goal and dished out three assists and Katie Lahiri tallied twice.
PHOTO BY AL FREY
Tobin Stumpff keeps the ball and basket away from a South Burlington player in the Redhawks season opener, April 11.
COURTESY PHOTO
South Burlington native Megan Healy, a senior at Bishop Kearney Select High School in Rochester, N.Y., was one of only four skaters on the ice when she scored, putting a cherry on top of her final game in the Chipotle-USA Hockey National Championships. Healy’s short-handed goal in the third period was the capper on a 9-0 for her BK Selects victory over the Worcester (Mass.) White Hawks in the top girls’ Under-19 tier. Her grandfather, Larry Godard of Shelburne, said Healy has won bronze, silver and now, gold medals in USA Hockey competition. Godard said Healy, a senior, committed to Princeton University in the fall. But she saved a spot on the bench for her sister. “Erin Healy a sophomore is at Bishop Kearney, as well, and very close to her sister’s footsteps,” Godard said.
We understand the love you have for your pets and the importance they hold in your life. Our compassionate staff is devoted to easing the difficulties at this challenging time.
Our staff is here for you 24/7 Tiger & Buster
• The Island Memorial Difference:
• Pet Funerals • Cremation
• Your Pet is Always in Our
•
• Immediate & Witness Cremation
• Full Line of Pet Loss Products
COMMUNITY NOTES continued from page 9
802-985-9551 to check for cancellations.
• Group Swim Lesson Program: In a new offering, the department partners with the Edge Sports & Fitness to offer preschool and learn-to-swim lessons. The pool is located at 75 Eastwood Drive in South Burlington and is 81 degrees. A parent or guardian accompanies the child for the in-water lessons.
May session dates: Sundays, May 4, 11, 18. Cost (three lessons): $70 resident, $80 nonresident. Registration deadline: April 25. June and July session dates coming soon. Register through Shelburne Parks and Recreation.
• Summer camp spotlight on Rocketry Camp, July 21-25, 8-11:30 a.m., Shelburne
Town Activity Room, with instructor Bob Gurwicz. Learn about rocket propulsion and the aerodynamics of rocket flight. Build, test, and launch solid propellant rockets that safely return by parachute. Campers will leave class with at least three rockets that they have built and launched and can launch again.
For children entering grades 3-7. Minimum 5, maximum 15. Registration deadline: June 30. Cost: $305, which includes model rockets and all building supplies, including launch engines.
Check out all summer camps, youth and adult classes and upcoming special events at shelburnevt.org/160/Parks-Recreation. Call 802-985-9551 with questions.
Gomer & Gunther
IMMIGRATION
continued from page 1
Although the debt the family accrued in coming to the United States remains, Daudelin said the community has been able to raise enough funds to cover the cost of their flights.
In the past two weeks, the district and its communities have rallied around the immigration issues students are facing. On Friday, the same day that the district learned the kindergartener would be leaving, Champlain Valley Union High School held a private graduation ceremony for the two high school students. Outside the school, members of the community gathered in support of students and in protest of federal actions affecting schools.
“We knew beforehand that that these students had been targeted for deportation, so we decided to go and support students on Tuesday morning from 7:45 to about nine o’clock so that as the students were coming into school, they would see us there, and we specifically made signs in support of CVU,” Andrea Morgante, one of the motivating voices behind the protest said.
Morgante and others have been regu-
larly protesting the Trump administration’s policies at the intersection of Route 116 and CVU Road, just down the street from the high school, since mid-March. Moving the protest this past week allowed them to focus more on issues facing students.
Most of the participants last Friday were not necessarily connected personally to the school. According to Morgante, many might have been alums, but most felt the pull to show support for the school and the students, even if they didn’t have a family member currently in attendance.
“It’s the regional high school in our town, so it was kind of a no-brainer for us to extend our protest of what’s happening at the national level to a where it was directly affecting people who are part of our community,” Morgante said.
As school let out and student after student, and bus after bus drove by, the community and the students exchanged cheers and honks, each making sure the other felt seen.
The district declined to comment further on the situation affecting the kindergartener and their family.
Town of Shelburne Roadside Ash Tree Work – Starting May 5th
This is a notice that the Town of Shelburne will be having Teacher’s Tree Service perform roadside tree removal and provide residents the opportunity for receiving woodchips and wood. Work will begin on May 5th.
Removal of roadside ash trees will begin May 5th along Bay Road, Beach Road, Beaver Creek Road, Bishop Road, Collamer Circle, Falls Road, General Greene Road, Governors Lane, Hullcrest Lane, Hullcrest Road, Hullcrest Park, Irish Hill Road, Mount Philo Road, Oak Hill Road, Olde Orchard Lane, Pierson Drive, South portion of Spear Street, Webster Road, tip of Harbor Road, Woodbine Road. In addition, 3 Norway Maple trees on Beach Road are also included (due to safety concerns).
If you can, use an alternate route. Otherwise, please be aware of possible delays and use extra caution for the sake of everyone’s safety.
The trees have been marked for removal - you may have noticed paint marks — so you should be able to determine if there is a tree or trees along your property line.
The terms of the contract include the removal of wood and chips and the contractor is set up to dispose of this material safely and responsibly.
If however, any affected landowner would like to keep the wood +/or chips generated by the trees along their property line, please follow the instructions below. The material will only be available while the contractor is doing the removal work.
Respond to this post by email to SCannizzaro@shelburnevt.org with all of the following information— if something is omitted, the request will not be considered:
1) Your name;
2) Your specific address along the removal route (feel free to include any details that will clarify location);
3)Specific instructions about where to best dump the material on your property (for obvious reasons, this needs to be a reasonable request and the location should be convenient to the roadside)
4) Best phone number to reach you
5) Do you want wood? or chips? or both? — the size of the trees along your property line dictate which will be produced and how much of each.
If you want more information about this project or about any aspect of the Shelburne Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Management Plan, please visit the Shelburne Tree Committee webpage on the Town website. https://www.shelburnevt.org/235/Shelburne-Tree-Committee
DORFMAN
continued from page 7
specific location information on how to access them on the map.
The Vermont Big Tree Program tracks over 140 species. Not every tree species in Vermont has a named champion. The Tree Program needs your help to identify the biggest eastern hemlock, flowering dogwood and river birch and others. Check out the vacant species list here.
Do you know a big tree in Shelburne that might be a state, even national champion? Information about how to nominate a big tree, including an application form, is available on VT UCF’s website. For more details about the Vermont Big Tree Program, contact Gwen Kozlowski at gwen.kozlowski@uvm.edu or 802-6518343, ext. 506.
Grow your own
This year, Shelburne is celebrating Arbor Day at the Shelburne Library at noon on Friday, May 2. How to get involved:
• Come and visit our state champion Tree outside the Pierson Library and hear the Arbor Day Proclamation.
• Take a walk around Shelburne Center and the Parade Ground with members of the Shelburne Tree Committee and learn about local trees.
• The Shelburne Tree Committee, in conjunction with the Pierson Library, is giving away seedlings of bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) and American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) generously donated by Shayne Geiger in honor of Arbor Day.
Both species are native to the U.S. They do grow in our region and will likely become more common as the climate changes. Bald cypress is great for wetter spots in the garden and can grow year-round in submerged soil. American persimmon is a very durable, versatile tree, handling drought conditions well and producing fruit in late fall that attracts wildlife. Plant and care for your young plant. You never know, you may be nurturing a future state, or even national, champion.
Gillian Dorfman is a member of the Shelburne Tree Committee.
PHOTO BY BRIANA BRADY
Protesters last week showed support for two Champlain Valley High School students facing deportation.
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
continued from page 3
4. So we don’t have time to waste. We need to do stuff that’s big,” one attendee from Richmond said.
Those floods in Richmond and in Hinesburg, as well as the flooding in central Vermont two years ago, were declared disasters by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. For the early July flooding last year alone, the agency provided more than $11 million in individual assistance to help aid in repairs.
The Town of Hinesburg, which saw culverts washed out and roads destroyed, is still in the process of securing FEMA funding for repair work.
Other concerns came out of work and professional experience.
“I didn’t see anything in regards to protecting outdoor workers. It may seem like a sort of a side thing, but we have a lot of outdoor workers in Vermont. I’ve been that myself, many times. I have a particular sense of what it’s like, and it’s construction workers, rec department workers, road workers, it’s farm workers, it’s kids having fun,” Steve Crowley of South Burlington, said, raising concerns about workers well-being in rising heat. Crowley is director of the Vermont Commu-
nity Solar Association.
More comments focused on land conservation, home weatherization, and building regulations as towns work to build more housing to meet new targets. One of the big takeaways, however, was interest in cap and invest programs, which would require businesses to purchase allowances when emitting greenhouse gases beyond a set cap.
As presented in the draft, after preparatory studies, the cap and invest program would first focus on the transportation fuel sector. The funds raised through allowances might help close the gap created by any pullback in federal funding.
Whatever final form the draft ends up taking, Beth Sacks of Burlington asked that the state government take the plan seriously.
RABIES BAIT
“I think the first thing we need to do is honor the plan,” she said. “We need to recognize it’s not aspirations. We need to follow it, and we need to make sure that the measures add up to the goals that we set. I also think we have to get serious about mandates and having government play the role that it needs to play.”
The week-long bait drop is a cooperative effort between Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to stop the spread of the potentially fatal disease.
continued from page 2 saliva. ways fatal treatment 100 percent a person So far have tested those have According animals mal behavior, an animal it. People animals
Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. It is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get rabies.The virus is spread through the bite of an infected animal or contact with its
PHOTO BY BRIANA BRADY
Angela Pollock with her son, Nova, at last week’s protest at Champlain Valley Union High School.
continued from page 1
association, was on hand to help run the clinic, showing participants how to help heal an ewe’s uterine prolapse or bottle feed newborns.
“I enjoy talking about it and sharing some of the things I’ve learned, some of the mistakes I’ve made, because sometimes mistakes are learning experiences,” he said.
Martin has been keeping sheep since the 1980s, and although he’s been bringing down the size of his flock in the last few years, he still has more than 30 sheep.
Before the group moved up to the barn for practical demonstrations, the clinic had started in the morning with a few hours of education with veterinarian Dr. Emma Cijka.
“I learned a lot in class this morning,” Zyla Nuite, who owns Winding Circle Farm in Brookfield, said. “There was a lot of detail about what exactly is happening with metabolic disorders. I knew you needed to prevent them, but it helps to know what is actually happening.”
According to LaCoss, sheep, as prey, tend to do a good job of hiding when they don’t feel well — they don’t want to show weakness. Knowing the ins and outs of the common diseases or injuries they might experience can help a herder keep a watchful eye on their flock and address issues earlier.
Other participants were more focused on some of the handson aspects of the clinic. Diana DeMarsico has 15 sheep and has
been keeping the animals for about three years.
“This is the first year I’ve had rams,” she said. She was attending the clinic in part to get some practice and guidance on castrations before performing the procedure on the four two-week old rams she has in her flock.
Martin said he sees these kinds of teaching opportunities as important in helping smaller sheep and goat farmers find success.
“I think there’s room for various versions of small-scale agriculture, whether they’re small goat herds, smaller vegetable farms, smaller poultry operations,” he said.
Martin himself has only ever kept sheep as a side-business. He said he maintained another job in town — essential for stability and accessing health care.
His situation was similar to others at the clinic. While Nuite said she would keep sheep full time if she could, it’s just not a viable option for her. Last year, she made about $200 in profit from selling meat and fiber from her flock of about nine.
Although that might warn some off keeping a flock, for many of the participants at the clinic on Saturday, keeping their sheep is worth the effort.
PHOTO BY BRIANA BRADY
A mother ewe at Shelburne Farms nudges her lamb as it nurses.