A group composed largely of parents sat in the library at Champlain Valley Union High School the week before April break to discuss a topic currently on the table in both the Vermont legislature and the Champlain Valley School District: their children’s phones.
Over the past few months, both the legislature and the school board have been discussing imposing a bell-to-bell phone policy in the district and across the state, meaning that from arrival to dismissal, children would be barred from using their personal electronic devices.
At the beginning of the school year, superintendent Adam Bunting put together a working group to investigate what shape such a policy might take and research the impact of similar policies in other schools. In March, the school board’s policy committee
presented a draft policy to the board and is now collecting feedback from the community.
The panel inclued two students, senior Mira Novak and sophomore Marina Hallisey; Nick Canaday, an English teacher at the high school; TJ Mead, a house director at CVU; Erika Lea, a board member from Shelburne and the chair of the policy committee; Steve Hale, a pediatrician; and Angela Arsenault, the representative sponsoring the phone policy bill in the legislature who only recently stepped down from her position on the Champlain Valley School Board.
In general, the perspectives from both the panel and the audience two weeks ago were in favor of the bell-to-bell policy. However, the policy and its proponents have received pushback from board members, parents and students in recent months.
PHONE on page 12
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
Greg Ranallo, an arborist and the owner of Teachers Tree Service, walked along the sidewalk in front of the Shaw’s on Route 7 in South Burlington last week, stopping to point at a tree where the bark was stripped off, revealing a swirling pattern on the wood beneath.
“This is from the larvae feeding on the wood,” he said.
The pattern in the wood was one of the signs that tipped him and others off that emerald ash borer had infested the tree. Because of the insect, Ranallo said, that tree, and the rest of the ash trees lining that part of the street were now dead, despite appearing healthy a year ago. According to Ranal-
See TREES on page 15
PHOTO BY BRIANA BRADY
Susan Grimes helps manage the tiny pantry stationed outside Upscale Resale on Route 7 in Shelburne.
Pantry packing
New York police find body of missing Shelburne man
A Shelburne man who went missing on the first day of April was found dead in New York last week.
On April 30, the Shelburne Police Department was notified by the New York State Police’s Malone office that they had discovered the body of Ronald Van Mynen, 87.
New York police reported that a contractor hired to open a seasonal camp in Mountain View, N.Y., came upon Van Mynen’s vehicle stuck on the camp road and then discovered him a short distance from the car.
The investigation in New York is ongoing, but police say it does not appear there is anything criminally suspicious about the death.
On April 1 shortly after 7 p.m., Van Mynen’s family reported him missing from his home in Shelburne. Van Mynen was last seen at his home around 2:50 p.m. that day. Police say Van Mynen had left 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 said, due to several medical conditions, Van Mynen was considered a vulnerable adult.
Police Blotter: April 27 - May 3
Total reported incidents: 69
Traffic stops: 1
Warnings: 1
Medical emergencies: 27
Mental health incidents: 6
Suspicious incidents: 7
Directed patrols: 41
Citizen assists: 5
Motor vehicle complaints: 3
Car crash: 3
Animal problem: 1
Theft: 1
Property damage: 1
Alarms: 8
Pending investigations: 3
911 Hang-up calls: 1
April 25 at 5:02 p.m., a 911 caller reported a domestic disturbance in the neighboring room at the Countryside Motel. The officer located the individuals involved and requested EMS to evaluate one individual. The patient refused transport to the hospital.
April 25 at 8:39 a.m., a caller reported a customer creating disturbances at Splash Car Wash. The officer located the
See BLOTTER on page 5
Shelburne News
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Gift will pay for fireboat upgrades
Members of the former Ethan Allen Club recently presented a donation to the Shelburne Firefighters Association in honor of former Ethan Allen Club President and longtime Shelburne resident and community supporter resident Jack DuBrul. The donation, $18,929, will fund critical electronics upgrades to the Fire Department’s fireboat.
Included in the fireboat upgrades are a new doppler radar system, 3D sonar system, and a FLIR 360-degree infrared camera
that will offer better visibility — including night vision capability — in poor weather conditions. The entire system will be connected through an onboard network, allowing every component to communicate and be displayed simultaneously with split screen images on two monitors, all providing for much better situational awareness on and below the water surface.
The Ethan Allen Club began as Burlington’s Ethan Allen Fire Company No. 4 on April 24, 1857.
When Burlington established a paid fire department in 1895, the volunteer firefighters transitioned to a social club but always remembered and honored its roots. Its original hose cart was for decades on display at the Shelburne Museum. DuBrul arranged for the hose cart to be completely restored and it is now on prominent display at the Burlington airport.
DuBrul was twice President of the Ethan Allen Club and has been a fixture in the Shelburne community for over 60 years.
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Shelburne
PHOTO BY LEE KROHN
The Shelburne Firefighters Association last month received a $19,000 donation to fund upgrades to its fireboat.
Guest Perspective
Rob Roper
Senator Anne Watson, D-Washington, chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Energy and Kool Aid-filled climate change religionist, recently penned an op-ed (“Governor must commit to a pollution reduction strategy,” April 24, 2025) essentially calling on Gov. Scott to clean up the catastrophic climate policy mess she and her party created and blaming him for the mess. It’s a craven political Hail Mary.
Watson complains all Scott does is “stall, resist and let the Legislature do the heavy lifting — only to blame us when we propose real solutions.”
First of all, it was and is the idea of Democrats and Progressives in the Legislature to embark on this “Vermont must save the planet” crusade, and Scott has disagreed with the approach and its underlying policy prescriptions from the outset. Why should it be on him to come up with a plan to meet mandates he thinks are unrealistic and unaffordable, which they are?
“Let” the Legislature do the heavy lifting? That’s their job. If they want to meet the mandates of their Global Warming Solutions Act, it’s they who must pass the laws necessary to pay for and implement the programs necessary to meet those mandates. And they have not done so. Not a one. (The only reason the Clean Cars and Trucks legislation is happening is because it was already established in rules and the Democrats/Progressives in the Legislature didn’t have to do any so-called heavy lifting.)
Which leads into the second half of her complaint: “blame us when we propose real solutions” — emphasis on the word “real.” Nothing Watson and her cohorts have proposed is remotely realistic. And they know it. The number of electric vehicles they would need to put on the road by 2030, the number of heat pumps installed, the number of homes weatherized — none of it is realistic.
We don’t have the tax capacity or even the labor force to do the work. It’s not a “real solution.” It’s a half-baked fantasy. And now that that reality is imposing itself
HINSDALE
continued from page 6
our state are treated fairly and that families are not unnecessarily separated or put through hardship.
Because here’s what we all understand: when any group of workers is treated unfairly, it affects the whole community. When families live in fear, or when people don’t have access to fair wages and safe workplaces, we all lose. My neighbor’s challenges are my challenges — and when we come together, we’re all stronger for it.
May Day is not just a day of protest — it’s a day of unity. It’s a reminder that we are all part of the same fabric, that we share common hopes, and that the future
on Watson’s “real” solution, she’s trying to shift the blame onto Scott’s recognition of these facts for its failure.
Watson says, “Unfortunately, it remains unclear what further policies the governor is actually willing to support,” despite the governor’s proposal in H.289, in which he outlines a plan for moving forward with more realistic timelines and affordable goals for greenhouse gas reduction.
But, turning the accusation around, it is equally unclear what policies Watson and her colleagues are actually willing to support, beyond mere rhetoric, that is.
The Democrats say they support the Clean Heat Standard but refuse to even contemplate bringing an implementation bill up for a vote. They say to their constituents they support a cap and invest program but won’t put forward legislation that would make such a policy law because, even as Treasurer Mike Pieciak (D) has testified, it’s just too freakin’ expensive and regressive — and so they don’t really support that.
They could simply increase the current excise taxes on home heating fuels as suggested by the Public Utilities Commission and raise the gasoline and diesel taxes to raise the revenue for their Global Warming Solutions Act agenda. But, no, again when the rubber meets the road, they won’t support that.
Watson points out as an admonition to the governor, “The next major GWSA deadline isn’t tomorrow. It’s in 2030 — five years from now. Five years to act.” Yeah, but the first deadline was 2025, and you had five years to act to meet that goal, which we missed, because you, even with a supermajority capable of overriding any Scott veto, didn’t do squat.
And that would all be well and good if it weren’t for the fact that the Democrats passed in their Global Warming Solutions Act the provision that gives standing to anyone who wants to sue the state — at taxpayers’ expense — if Watson and company continue on their path of doing nothing “meaningful and substantial” to meet the targets in their law.
That they refuse to repeal that provision
of Vermont depends on making sure everyone has a fair shot.
So today, let’s take a moment to celebrate the progress we’ve made — and recommit ourselves to the work ahead.
Let’s remember that “Freedom and Unity” isn’t just a motto — it’s a promise we make to one another, every day.
Kesha Ram Hinsdale, a Democrat from Shelburne, serves the towns of South Burlington, Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg, Burlington, St. George, Underhill, Jericho, Richmond, Williston and Bolton in the Legislature.
The Garden Calls
Quality Vermont Plants
Hanging Baskets
Rose Bushes
Perennials & Annuals
Vegetables & Herbs
Flowering Trees
Shade Trees
Shrubs
Raspberries
Blueberries
Topsoil & Compost
Mulch & Seeds
Gift Certificates
Judith Parsons
Judith Anne Parsons, 81, of Juniper Ridge, Shelburne died April 27 at the McClure Miller Respite House following a 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and a brief hospitalization.
She was born Nov. 28, 1943, in Coventry, England, the adopted daughter of Kingsley and Ivy Clark. Judy emigrated to Montreal in 1968 to join her future husband, Michael Parsons. They married in Plattsburgh, N.Y., in April 1970 and resided in Dorval, Quebec, where their daughter, Samantha, was born in 1975. They moved to Essex Junction in 1978, where Judy gave birth to their son, David, shortly thereafter.
a head cashier in England, as a bookkeeper in Montreal, a stay-at-home mom for 12 years and as a receptionist at the Essex Agency, retiring in 2011. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s cut short many retirement plans.
Judy is survived by her loving husband of 55 years, Michael, who served as her sole caregiver in the final years of her life; children Samantha and David; grandchildren Grayson and Kingsley; daughter-in-law Sage Tucker-Ketcham; and son-in-law Scott West.
Family and friends are invited to call from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, followed by a memorial service at 6p p.m. at the Ready Funeral Home, 261 Shelburne Road, Burlington.
Judy’s interests were many and varied. She loved family holidays; Jupiter, Fla., in February, summer on Cape Cod and fall in Ogunquit, Maine. She enjoyed many trips to England, Ireland and Europe with good friends the Weavers and Ragostas, and friends from Australia and Canada.
Judy loved gardening, dancing, reading and her book club adventures and entertaining friends. She worked as
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the McClure Miller Respite House: 3113 Roosevelt Hwy, Colchester, VT, 05446 or the Alzheimer’s Association: 225 North Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, IL, 60601.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Ready Funeral and Cremation services. To send online condolences please visit readyfuneral.com.
Fifth graders publish their own books
Shelburne Community School fifth graders Boykin Ferris, Francesca Zidovsky and Joe Lunardini celebrated over a year’s work of writing, revising and editing their original stories by publishing their first edition soft-covered books. Their books were part of their Genius Hour experience that started in fourth grade. Each student
put in many extra hours in school and after school to bring their dreams to fruition. These books will be available at both the Pierson Library and the SCS school library to enjoy and check out. They are also on sale as autographed copies at the Flying Pig Bookstore.
Join these local authors on Thursday, May 15 at the Pierson Library from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for an author talk and book launch.
Community Notes
COURTESY PHOTO
From left, Boykin Ferris, Francesca Zidovsky and Joe Lunardini
Judith Parsons
News from Pierson Library
Here are some upcoming events at Shelburne’s Pierson Library.
• You’re Seen: A Caregiver Photo Session, Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: This Mother’s Day weekend, parents, caregivers and loved ones who are rarely in the photo are invited to step in front of the lens for a change. This free portrait session with Patty Breneman from Patty B. Photography will celebrate the people who hold it all together, whether you’re a mom, dad, grandparent, guardian or a chosen family member. Each participating family will receive a free digital portrait emailed to them. Come as you are, solo or with your family. Call 802-9855124 to register for a photo session.
• Magic in Nature with Georgia Knight, Saturdays (May 10, May 24), 1-2 p.m.: Kids celebrate the beauty of the changing seasons and learn about the wonders of nature through the lens of fairy magic. Educator Georgia Knight
continued from page 7
without passing a single policy to meet the mandates seems like nothing more than spiteful spitting in the eye of the voters who do not want this agenda and made that clear in the last election.
Which gets me to the last point. Watson says, “I’m interested in solutions, and I believe Vermonters are too.” No, we are not interested — at least not in what she considers “solutions” — and she knows it. If Watson et al really believed Vermonters were interested in the so-called solutions she and her party are suggesting, they would pass the bills necessary to raise the revenue and implement the programs necessary to meet the greenhouse gas reduction goals in their Global Warming Solutions Act. They would dare the governor and Republicans to thwart the will
brings simple science experiments and a nature-themed craft to each enchanted spring session. This month we’ll learn about germination and pollination!
• “The Next Generation: Celebrating Shelburne’s Amazing Teen Authors,” Thursday, May 15, 3:304:30 p.m. (see related, page 8).
• Lili Fiore Author Talk: How to Navigate Caregiving, Dementia, and End-of-Life Considerations, Thursday, May 8, 7-8 p.m.: One of the hardest things ever to do is face a loved one’s end of life — mitigating pain, providing care, foreseeing challenges (practical, legal, emotional and more), all leading to living with loss. Author, caregiver and death doula Lili Fiore shares lessons learned and wisdom gained from missteps along her journey as a caregiver, as well as insights gained from her father, an early teacher of death and dying in the 1970s as head of pastoral care at a local hospital. Copies of the book will be available for sale.
Green group
of the people with a veto and then use the roll calls against them in the next election.
They’re not doing this. Why? Because a larger majority of Vermonters do not want what they are selling. The Global Warming Solutions Act is political dumpster fire, and Watson knows it. But she and her party don’t care. They hope to win back their supermajorities in the next election due to an anti-Trump wave and — if it happens — claim the victory as a mandate to pass this disaster. It won’t be. But, as just noted above, she and her party won’t care.
Rob Roper is a freelance writer who has been involved with Vermont politics and policy for over 20 years. He lives in Stowe. Reprinted with permission from robertroper.substack.com.
COURTESY PHOTO
Wake Robin residents gathered to clear Bostwick and Beach Roads of litter, as part of the statewide Green Up Day activities. Undeterred by rain, 30 senior citizens headed down the roadsides in search of cans, papers and who-knows-what. By the end of the morning, 19 bags of debris were removed.
ROPER
Redhawks start spring seasons with new rosters, new challenges
LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
Baseball
Coach: Nicky Elderton
Last season: 15-5; lost in Division I championship
This season: 3-2-1
Key returnees: Noah
Musgrave, senior, infield; Riley McDade, junior, infield; Andrew Nunziata, sophomore, pitcher; John Deyo, senior, outfield.
Outlook: After appearing in four of the last five Division
I championship games, Champlain Valley has been the team to watch in the state’s top division for years. Now, after graduating a large senior class, the Redhawks are in a different position entering this year.
Hawks win a close one
Baseball
Champlain Valley 15, Essex 14: Champlain Valley held off a comeback attempt from Essex in a one-run win on Saturday.
CVU had a 12-3 lead through the first five innings before the Hornets began their comeback bid.
The Redhawks then scored on a fielder’s choice to win the game.
Tommy Barnes, Ryan Wood and Andrew Nunziata each had two RBIs for CVU, while Theo St. Peter got the win on the mound after allowing two runs on three hits in four innings of work.
John Deyo drove in three runs for the Redhawks (3-2-1) and Quinn Vincent was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
CVU also got a one-run win over Mount Mansfield on Thursday, beating the Cougars 4-3. Quinn Vincent got the complete game win, while Ryan Wood and Daniel Tuiquere each had an RBI.
Softball
Essex 10, Champlain Valley 4: Champlain Valley could not overcome the pitching effort of Essex pitcher Trinity Anaya in a loss on Saturday. Anaya held the Redhawks to one earned run and five hits.
Hannah Blanchard had two doubles and an RBI for CVU, who fall to 1-4. Morgan Gallup went 1-for-2 with two RBIs.
Champlain Valley got its first win of the season on Thursday, beating Mount Mansfield 9-7.
Teagan Scruggs scored three runs and Rowan Farmer had three RBIs, while Kaiya Galipeau and Morgan Gallup each drove in a run in the win.
Girls’ lacrosse
Mount Anthony 17, Champlain Valley 7: The Champlain Valley girls’ lacrosse team fell to Mount Anthony on Saturday. CVU fell to 4-2 with the loss.
The Redhawks beat Burr and Burton 12-9 on Thursday behind a five-goal effort from Carly Strobeck. Mackenzie Love added two goals and two assists, while Rose Bunting had two goals and an assist for CVU.
Kenna Hutchins stopped six shots to get the win.
Track and field
The Champlain Valley girls’ track and field team came in first place in Saturday’s South Burlington Twilight Meet.
Alice Kredell was first in the 1,500-meter race and third place in the 3,000-meter race. Charlotte Crum was second in the 3,000 and fourth in the 1,500, while Isabella Gravina-Budies was second in the 800-meter race as the runners paced the Redhawks.
Zoe Jenkins-Mui and Mckenna Retew tied for first place in the pole vault for CVU.
On the boys’ side, Avery Rogers was second in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump, while Wade Nichols was third in the discus. Quintin Fortier was second in the 100-meter dash and fourth in the 400-meter race.
Boys’ lacrosse
Champlain Valley 7, Rice 4: Ethan Whitcomb tallied twice as Champlain Valley snapped a two-game losing streak by beating Rice on Friday.
Ronan Evans, Charlie Buchwald, Dylan Frere, Dylan Terricciano and Trevor Stumpf each added a goal for the Redhawks, who move to 3-4 with the win.
Shamus Phelan stopped four shots in goal for CVU.
Boys’ Ultimate
Champlain Valley 11, Montpelier 9: The Champlain Valley boys ultimate frisbee team remained unbeaten with a win over Montpelier on Friday.
Brady Jones had three goals and two assists to pace CVU (3-0), while Charles Garavelli had two goals and four assists. Jacob Lepple added one goal and three assists and Carter Ciffo tallied twice.
PHOTO BY AL FREY
Winning CVU pitcher Quinn Vincent takes a turn at bat during a game last week versus Mount Mansfield.
continued from page 2
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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.
shelburne news
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
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saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly 100 percent effective when given soon after a person is bitten by a rabid animal.
So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of those have been raccoons.
According to wildlife officials, rabid animals often show a change in their normal behavior, but you cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.
SHELBURNE DAY
RABIES BAIT
continued from page 2
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.
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
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saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly 100 percent effective when given soon after a person is bitten by a rabid animal.
So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of those have been raccoons.
According to wildlife officials, rabid animals often show a change in their normal behavior, but you cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.
continued from page 4 face burne-Hinesburg head the Golf depending land.
Shelburne Historical Society will have a display and president Dorothea Penar will lead a cemetery tour at 1 p.m. Food vendors round out the event with everything from coffee and lemonade to burgers and creemees. Kids will enjoy meeting animals from Shelburne Farms, craft projects, and
SHELBURNE DAY continued from page 4
face
Shelburne Historical Society will have a display and president Dorothea Penar will lead a cemetery tour at 1 p.m. Food vendors round out the event with everything from coffee and lemonade to burgers and creemees. Kids will enjoy meeting animals from Shelburne Farms, craft projects, and
burne-Hinesburg head the Golf depending land. Rotary’s
